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SUNDAY, January 18, 2015 / 27 Rabi Al Awal 1436 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

Council, Majlis to resolve split on traffic law

FAHAD AL [email protected]

MUSCAT: Legal committees of Majlis Al Shura and State Coun-cil will meet soon to iron out their differences over amendments to Article 50 of the new Traffic Act, a source at the State Council told Times of Oman.

Majlis Al Shura and State Council are divided over the amendments to Article 50 which deals with punishment for reck-less driving.

The source added that the legal committee of the State Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss the matter.

While amending Article 50, the State Council recommended that the offender “should be jailed for not more than a year and should pay a fine not exceeding OMR500”, in case of driving un-

der the influence of drugs or al-cohol, overtaking from the wrong side at a dangerous spot, or com-mitting an immoral act in the ve-hicle. It also recommended that if the accident leads to death, in-jury or disruption of work to the victim for more than 10 days, the offender should be jailed between one and three years.

Earlier, the Council of Min-isters, while referring to the amendment, had proposed that the offender be given a jail term ranging from 10 days to three months and a fine between OMR300 and OMR500.

In case of death, it had said the offender should spend be-tween six months and two years in jail and be fined OMR1,000 to OMR3,000.

However, the Majlis Al Shura believes that a traffic offender should spend between 10 days and two months in jail and be fined only OMR100 to OMR300.

In case the victim dies or suf-fers permanent disability, the offender should face a jail term ranging from three months to a year and be fined between OMR300 and OMR1,000, Saeed Al Muqbali, the head of the legal committee of the Majlis Al Shura, told Times of Oman.

He justified the reduction in penalty depending on the sever-ity of the offence and said the quantum of punishment did not fit some of the clauses mentioned in the traffic law. >A5

They are divided

over amendments

to Article 50

which deals with

punishment for

reckless driving

REJIMON K [email protected]

MUSCAT: Oman may experience rain from Sunday evening until Tuesday, the Oman Meteorologi-cal Department has forecast.

The areas that are likely to ex-perience rain are Muscat, Mut-trah, Baushar, Quriyyat, Amerat, Rustaq, Madha and Khassab.

Sohar, Saiq, Qalhat and Dibba, Suwaiq and Mudhaibi are also ex-pected to receive rains.

Buraimi, Fahud, Thumrait and Masirah along with Marmul, Ma-hout, Halaniyat and Manah will have reduced visibility and Yaalo-ni and Duqm will be covered with fog, said the Met department.

In its 48-hour forecast, the me-teorological department said that skies over Musandam and North Batinah would be cloudy with chances of rain and occasional thundershowers with hail.

“The weather changes will be felt in South Batinah, Muscat and

Dhahira in addition to Buraimi, Dakhliah and Sharqiya governo-rates,” said the outlook.

“There are chances of isolated rain along the coastal areas of Dhofar and Wusta governorates too,” added the outlook.

The Public Authority of Civil Aviation has urged people to take all precautions while cross-ing wadis. It also asked fisher-men and sea-goers to check weather forecast before ventur-ing into the sea. >A6

M E T D E P A R T M E N T F O R E C A S T

A5Boney M show tickets on sale

OMANEmployers must adapt to new work style

1Omani graduates do not want to be like their parents working hard in

office all day for 12 months a year but want a flexible job. >A3

WORLDHamas welcomes war crimes probe

2 Hamas said it welcomed a decision by the International Criminal

Court to launch an inquiry into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories. >A11

MARKETNew measures for listed firms issued

3Capital Market Authority has asked listed firms to disclose salaries of all

directors and top five officials separately, in an apparent move to upgrade standards of corporate governance principles. >B1

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

Graphics

Saturday17/01

Source: Oman Meteorological Department | The Weather Channel

Weather forecastColder temperature, rain andstronger winds are expectedfor the coming four days.

Rainsexpectedfrom tonight

Colder temperatureson Tuesday and Wednesday

Tuesdaywill bewindy

Chance of rain (%)

Temperature(in celsius degrees)

Wind speed (Km/h)

25 ºC

20

15

02040

Sunday18/01

Monday19/01

Tuesday20/01

Wednesday21/01

100%

50%

0%

Day Night

25

17 1717 18 19 18

24 2421 21

17 17

34 km/h

Liver transplant centre

planned for Muscat


MUSCAT: To reduce the num-ber of patients travelling outside the country for liver transplants, the Ministry of Health is plan-ning to start a liver transplant centre in Muscat.

The centre will be the first of its kind in the Sultanate.

An official at the Ministry of Health told Times of Oman, that a comprehensive study was being conducted to start this project.

It will be located near the Royal Hospital. The ministry recently introduced a fibroscan device to examine patients suffering from chronic liver diseases, said the official. The ministry sends pa-tients for liver transplants abroad only after making sure they can be treated, added the official.

“The ministry takes samples from the patient, ascertains his or her age and the success rate of the surgery, as preconditions be-fore sending any patient abroad,” said the official. >A6

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

Expect rain from today

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OMAN Some of the companies and ministries

provide us with faulty training. The training

provided also lacks updated practices

Fawaz Al Farsi, higher education student

Government jobs in high demandFAHAD AL [email protected]

MUSCAT: A majority of nation-als prefer working in the govern-ment sector, a study conducted by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) involving 7,000 nationals from different ages and categories has revealed.

Those surveyed felt that sala-ries, nature of work and work timings were better in the govern-ment sector.

The survey interviewed stu-dents currently engaged in high-er education, those looking for jobs and others working in differ-ent sectors.

On whether higher education played a major role in preparing an

educated workforce for the market or not, the study encountered dif-ferent responses. Seventy-one per cent of higher education students felt that higher education prepared them well for the work market. However, the limited training had a negative effect on their careers.

Training issuesOn the issue of insufficient work-related training, 85 per cent of those looking for jobs and 82 per cent of working nationals agreed with higher education students.

Fawaz Al Farsi, a higher educa-tion student, said that the training they received did not meet job re-quirements.

“Some of the companies and ministries provide us with faulty

training,” said Al Farsi. He ex-plained that the training they at-tended was the only assignment they had in many cases.

“The training provided also lacked updated practices,” he said. Once recruits finished school, the recruiting company should give more training which focused pre-cisely on their work strategies and skills or may be on machinery. This would help in preparing a skilled work force.

Apart from the training aspect, most of the 7,000 nationals felt that the salaries in the private sec-tor were very low compared to the public sector.

The study showed that 49 per cent of the surveyed youths re-ceived less than OMR500 month.

“The number is good, but when considering that they have under-gone higher education, the situ-ation is risky,” said Hussien Ali, working in the private sector. The starting salary for higher educa-tion graduates in the government sector nowadays was more than OMR650, he said.

Monitoring companies“We know that it is impossible to control salaries in the private sec-tor, but the government should try to monitor companies more,” he said. There should be a unified salary scale for private sector com-panies and the decision on salaries should not be solely left to employ-ers, he explained.

The study also showed that 51

per cent of the surveyed youths were not happy with their salaries and the nature of work in the pri-vate sector.

The public reacted to the study on the social media by calling on the government to consider such studies and follow through with investigations and studies with the authorities concerned to find a solution. Such studies would help to create a better work envi-ronment for Omani youth in the private sector.

Seventy-one per cent

of higher education

students said that

higher education

prepared them well

for the work market.

However, the limited

training had a

negative effect

on their careers

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No change in fees, photos for ePassport


MUSCAT: Requirements for new ePassport will be the same as the requirements of the previous one, an official at the Royal Oman Police (ROP), in-formed the Times of Oman.

The fees also will be the same for the ePassport and a photo-graph is needed for both males and females.

This clarification came after the social media was flooded with comments following the launching of the new ePassport. The ePassport, aims to enhance security of the Omani nationals when they travel abroad. “Omani women have the right to choose whether to wear Hijab while taking personal photo for the new ePassport,” said the official. ROP launched the ePassport last Thursday under the patronage of Sayyid Hamood bin Faisal Al Bu-saidi, Minister of Interior.

R O P C L A R I F I C A T I O N

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Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN.

Omani graduates do not want to be like their parents working hard in office all day for

12 months a year but want a flexible job where they can take sabbatical leave every three months to strike a perfect bal-ance between career and life.

They want it like they have it now in the university where they can choose the time of their classes, when to revise and the rest of the time driv-ing off to a café to have a good time together. Most important, they want a life different from their parents. They see their parents slugging it on from six to six, crushing on the sofa half dead every evening for the rest of their working lives. Graduates today want to go to job interviews dictating terms and will accept jobs that have a lot of flexibility. Ten years ago, Omani job seekers wanted a high financial package and they didn’t mind how they worked. Now, job seekers are willing to accept lower salaries as long as they have longer time off.

This is a generation of Oma-nis who don’t lack ambitions but their motto is to work to live and not to live to work. They don’t have to stay longer in office to achieve the same amount of work. For Omani

students who are studying their degrees abroad, they see work ethics change in Europe and the United States. They want to bring these changes when they come back to Oman. They don’t want to take their work at home after normal working hours but take their work at home during the working hours.

When they get married, unlike their parents, they want to spend more time with their families and not with their work colleagues. They already have it worked out. To them, it is not about how long you spend

in the office but the accom-plishment of the task during the week.

In big cities like Muscat, Salalah and Sohar, you see higher education students revise in coffee shops in a group. They argue that it is the good environment of their own choice that makes them pass their exams. They turn the accomplishment of a serious business into fun but get the job done. They want that to continue when they go to work. It means working in their terms but achieving the results in the terms of the employers. They see it as a win-win situation for both employees and employers.

To get the right talent and skills, employers in Oman must be tuned to the demands of graduates. Having people who stay in the office for eight hours continuously, perhaps longer for some of them, does not necessarily mean achieving a better result. It certainly means having more sick leaves, less concentration, reduced motiva-tion and the risk of ergophobia.

Employers must realise now the priorities of new graduates is not high perks and status but more time off than their parents had, so they can engage themselves in social responsi-bility work like charities rather than being glued on their seats

all day but achieving little. Employers also have to realise that new graduates have never known suffering with Oman’s economic boom in the last 40 years. There was never a recession in the country, too. Graduates don’t know anything about hardship. Their lives at home are completely sheltered by hard working parents. One would argue that with the current lower oil prices, if that would persist, the recession may hit Oman as early as next year. But again, these graduates do not care about a fat package but just a job that has a lot of free time.

They also know, like in their university days, if they put everything into their jobs they would lose the sense of living. Work is not anymore a dominant part of their lives like it was for their parents.

They have witnessed how mum and dad got stressed out, worked themselves to high blood pressure and obesity because they did not have the time to go to the gym. Employ-ers in Oman get it wrong if they dismiss the new generation of workers as lazy just because they want to complete their tasks using less time in office so they can get life outside.

[email protected]

Employers must adapt to new work styleCOMMENTARY

SALEH AL SHAIBANY

SUNDAYBEAT

H AV E YOU R SAY AT T W I T T E R.CO M /T I M ES O F O M A N O R S CA N T H E CO D E TO I N STA N T LY P O ST YOU R T H O U G H TS .

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ELHAM [email protected]

MUSCAT: Formed in the shape of a beehive, an exhibition organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries got under way at Muscat Festival, offering visitors a taste of best-quality natural Omani honey.

Around 50 local companies have stacked jars of honey one on top of the other at the souq-type ex-hibition, a new initiative aimed at promoting Omani products and companies. “Muscat Festival is an event which attracts many visi-tors, so this exhibition is an oppor-tunity to link the consumers with producers and show the potential of the country,” Fuad Bin Jaafar Al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, told reporters after inaugurating the exhibition in Al Amerat Park.

The importance of supporting local products was also empha-sised by Hamed Bin Said Al Oufi, undersecretary of fisheries wealth at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, who said that the exhi-bition is in line with the ministry’s efforts to promote local products.

“This is for the first time that a stand has been set up on such a large scale at the Muscat Festival. It will help local companies ac-cess the market, not only in Oman but also outside. Omani honey is very famous for its quality,” he told Times of Oman.

Khalid Hamed Al Aghbari, an-other official from the ministry, said that the government has been trying to encourage farmers to con-tinue the honey-making profession by promoting their products. The souq will be open until Wednesday, said the official, who was distribut-ing educational material about the honey-making process, the health benefits of natural honey and different types of Omani honey. Yahya, representing Atayeb Al Na-hel, a 100 per cent Omani company selling honey and sweets, said that natural Omani honey is of ‘excel-lent’ quality, adding that setting up such souqs at events like Muscat Festival can help local companies market themselves.

An aquarium has also been set up at the honey exhibition, show-casing the diversity of fish species in Oman.

The government

has been trying to

encourage farmers to

continue the honey-

making profession

by promoting

their products

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NATURAL PRODUCTS: Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Fuad Bin Jaafar Al Sajwani, opens the Honey Souq, and right, an aquarium has been set up at the honey exhibition, where local honey farmers have set up their stalls.– Photos by Talib Al Wahaibi and Elham Pourmoammadi/TIMES OF OMAN

Honey Souq pitches for health food

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Countdown begins for Boney M showTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Pop superheroes Boney M featuring Maizie Williams are coming to Oman to perform their greatest hits live and unleash the disco fever in concert with a full band at the Oman Automobile As-sociation grounds on February 5.

Gates will open from 6.30pm onwards and the show will be-

gin at 8pm. Tickets are currently sold at the Black & White of-fice (24565697) in Hatat House; Lulu hypermarket in Darsait and Bausher; Oman Automobile Asso-ciation and at the Hormuz Grand Hotel lobby in Seeb.

Boney M is still fondly remem-bered by millions of fans world-wide for their chartbusters such as Daddy Cool and Rivers of Baby-

lon. Their insanely catchy songs gave them an incredible run of chart success worldwide, rever-berations of which were also felt in Oman in a big way.

In fact, fans of Boney M here still remember them as one of their most favourite bands of the 70’s and 80’s.

It has been more than 40 years since disco fever gripped the

world, but this legendary group continues to stir up passions in their live performances with one of its original members, Maizie Williams as lead singer. Williams, now 63, is bringing the legendary Boney M sound to town.

Boney M featuring Maizie Wil-liams promises to deliver a crowd stopping show that will bring back the past.

P O P E X T R A V A G A N Z A

DISCO FEVER: For their chartbusters, Boney M is still fondly re-membered by millions of fans worldwide. –Supplied photo

AI enhances baggage limitStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: Air India Express has announced enhanced Free Baggage Allowance (FBA) of 30 kilogrammes for all passengers travelling from Muscat and Sala-lah to its Indian destinations un-til March 11, a statement from the airline said.

In addition, passengers who have excess baggage of 10 kilo-grams, along with earlier FBA of 20 kilogrammes will now be entitled to carry 40 kilogrammes (30 + 10).

The airline has also introduced promotional fares from Muscat to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

Air India Express currently operates weekly 19 flights from

Muscat to Kerala and Manga-lore daily to Kozhikode, four flights (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) to Kochi, four flights (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) to Thiru-vananthapuram and four flights

(Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) to Mangalore.

Apart from this Air India Ex-press operates twice weekly flights from Salalah connecting Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.

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

More stringent traffic law“For example, three months jail for a person who is speeding but does not cause an accident seems quite harsh,” said Al Muqbali.

“We will voice these concerns to the State Council and expect them to do the same,” he added.

Al Muqbali pointed out that the amendments will be presented before His Majesty Sultan Qa-boos bin Said for his approval in less than a month.

Asked whether the penalties in

the new traffic law were adequate, Al Muqbali explained that they were enough to be a deterrent. He, like many others, hoped that the new amendments would reduce road accidents in the country.

An official at the ROP, told the Times of Oman, that those new amendments in the traffic law are going to be more deterrent than the previous one. The official pointed out that when the new traffic law will be approved, it will

lead to a decline in the number of the road accidents.

Decline in mishaps Meanwhile, according to the fig-ures available till October 2014 released by the ROP, in 4,789 road accidents 642 people died and 7,187 were injured. That was a de-cline of 22 per cent as compared to figures in 2013 when there were 6,175 road accidents that left 703 dead and 8,331 injured.

L E G I S L A T I O N

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We hope to promote our Omani culture, which

is the food and the hospitality. I present my

food with pride because it’s my Omani culture

Malik Al Jadhami, chef at Bait Al Luban

Bait Al Luban serves Omani pride

SARAH [email protected]

MUSCAT: When Bait Al Luban, a new Omani restaurant in Muttrah, opened its doors last month, Chef Malik Al Jadhami didn’t just want to serve food; he wanted to serve Omani pride.

From the moment you walk through the doors of the restau-rant, which is located along the

corniche on the second floor of a building opposite the fish market, the warm sense of Omani hospi-tality envelops you. The carefully chosen traditional décor, soft oud music playing in the background, and aroma of frankincense (luban in Arabic) make you feel like you’ve entered an Omani home, which is

exactly what Al Jadhami and the restaurant’s owners intended.

“We hope to promote our Om-ani culture, which is the food and the hospitality. I present my food with pride because it’s my Omani culture,” Al Jadhami told Times of Oman. Al Jadhami says both the setting and the food should show-

case Oman’s rich heritage, but until now food hasn’t always been at the forefront when it comes to sharing local culture with others.

“Let’s talk about the Italians, how they celebrate their cuisine because it’s part of their culture. This is what we’re trying to do now,” he explained.

The menu showcases dishes from around the country, such as mansheb (rice cooked with fish and a coconut broth) from Salalah, and gheleambe, a salad with water-cress, shallots and tomatoes from Al Sharqiya. The bread basket fea-tures breads from Sur, Baluchi and Zanzibari traditions.

There are also classic Omani dishes that are found around the country, such as shuwa (tender meat cooked underground), qa-bouli (rice cooked in broth and spices), harees (a delicious slow-

cooked rice and chicken dish served with a sweet date and car-damom sauce), and awal (shark salad). Al Jadhami also created a number of “modern” Omani dishes, such as a chicken Caesar salad with Omani spices, seafood soup with a locally spiced broth, a shuwa sub sandwich, and shu-wa lasagna, uniting elements of traditional dishes with interna-tional cuisine.

Al Jadhami plans on changing the menu every eight months to a year to offer more variety and in-troduce different Omani dishes.

He is also trying hard to source ingredients locally, so the honey, ghee, dates, and fish are all bought from Omanis. He hopes to find more local products to bring into his kitchen. So far the public has been responding very well to Bait Al Luban, with many drop-ins and now repeat customers, too. The restaurant is full at dinner and on weekends there are lineups out the door. “We did not expect a lot of people coming in…but it flooded with people,” said Al Jadhami.

To his surprise and delight,

about 90 percent of the diners have been Omani. There have been guests from as far away as Ka-bourah, on the Batinah coast, who have heard about Bait Al Luban and come to try his food.

“We’ve got all the classes of Omanis coming in. It’s amazing. We targeted [tourists], but we’re getting something different, which is sustainability, which is the Oma-nis,” Al Jadhami said.

He says they are curious about the experience as well as the food, which is served in a fine-dining style with careful presentation. Al Jadhami’s servings are smaller than a typical Omani meal which is served in bulk quantities on communal platters, but he says the high quality compensates for the portion size. “You should have art on your plate rather than having bulk food on it,” he explained.

Though the response to Bait Al Luban has been largely positive so far, Al Jadhami still has one spe-cial guest to impress: his mother. He describes her as his biggest cu-linary influence and learned much of what he knows from her.

The carefully chosen

traditional décor, soft

oud music, and aroma

of frankincense

make you feel like

you’ve entered

an Omani home

CLASSIC OMANI DISHES: The moment you walk into the restaurant,

located at the corniche opposite the fish market, the warm sense of

Omani hospitality envelops you. -Photo: Shabin E

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Chef Sweety Singh returns to tickle the taste buds of food connoisseursStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: Short, humble, with a bushy beard and twinkling eyes, Delhi-based Harjinder Singh, fondly known as Sweety Singh, is back in Muscat after a break to tickle your palates with his home-ly delicacies.

After a two-year gap, Passage to India has again flown in Sweety Singh, who can create magic with five ingredients, to host a Punjabi Food Festival, which started last Tuesday and will run until Janu-ary 27, at their restaurant near Hatat House.

Chef Sweety Singh, who has been cooking Punjabi food since he was 19-year-old and has de-livered his delicacies all over the world, has this time come back with dozens of mouth-watering authentic recipes for the foodies in Muscat.

“Two years back when Sweety came to Muscat, we got a good response from our customers. So, we thought, ‘why not bring him back?’ That’s how Sweety has come back to Muscat. This time too, we are sure that Sweety will not disappoint us. Moreover, the authentic food is prepared in a purely traditional way, which is rare nowadays,” said Passage to India Director K.K. Mohandas .

Sweety’s association with cu-linary skills in fact goes back to a Rehri (food sold on a handcart) started by his father on the streets of Delhi in the 1950s.

“I learnt the culinary skills from my father. He never had any meas-urement cups or teaspoons to add spices and masalas. After he lost his eyesight due to diabetes, he would tell me what should be add-

ed and how much just by sniffing the food,” said Sweety while add-ing that he also prepares food from his heart with love and passion.

Dismissing the general percep-tion that Punjabi food is rich and heavy, Sweety noted that authen-tic, homemade Punjabi food is not heavy but wholesome.

He considers cashew, almond, saffron, and food colour to be nothing more than fancy frills that lend food a designer touch.

He measures his own spices and believes that Punjabi food is best served in a simple manner. “It gets a bad reputation when people impart populist touches to it,” he says.

He is forever inventing dishes in his head and thinking about what new dish to launch next.

Among the dishes prepared at Passage to India by Sweety, a must try is the Beetroot De Kabab, kababs made by mixing beetroot with potato and spices for the veg-etarians, and the special Fish Ka-bab for non-vegetarians.

“Slow cooking makes the food tastier. Nowadays, many certified cooks make food in a hurry. Masa-la can be seen only on the top. The meat will be raw inside. But slow cooked meat will be tastier with masalas inside too,” added Sweety Singh, who has also ‘stumped’ Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar

and numerous film stars with his kababs.

Singh runs the popular Dhabba Punjabi Khanna, also known as ‘Kake Di Hatti,’ on Asaf Alli Road, Delite Cinema and the Delhi Stock Exchange.

His first food fest was at ITC Park Sheraton, Chennai, in 1998. Since then, he has hosted Punjabi food fests for various hotel groups, including ITC Sheraton, The Oberoi, Radisson and the Fortune Group of Hotels in addition to BJN Group, Oris Group, Marriot, and Jaypee Continental.

A perfect balance of flavours is presented by the dedicated team of chefs at the Passage to India.

P A S S A G E T O I N D I A E F F O R T

GOURMET’S DELIGHT: Sweety Singh has come back this time with dozens of mouth-watering and

authentic recipes for the foodies in Muscat. – A R Rajkumar

Nuclear accelerator

At times, it is too late for some pa-tients to undergo liver transplant abroad, due to the advanced stage of the disease, he added.

Asked about the number of Omanis who undergo liver trans-plants abroad at their own ex-pense, the official said he could not give exact figures. Most of the patients undergo treatment for cardiology, oncology, and blood, kidney and liver diseases.

The official said a nuclear ac-celerator will be built at the Bausher Health complex, which is expected to begin operations by June next. It will help in de-termining diseases like cancer in-house, he added.

The annual health report for 2013 revealed that 1,372 patients had been sent abroad for treat-ment at the expense of the min-istry as compared to 1174 in 2012.

Ahmed Al Matrooshi, an Oma-ni, said that many nationals pre-fer to go abroad for treatment due to the lack of the medical facili-ties in the country. Many families take loans, sell their properties or get donations from Samaritans for this purpose.

Observers believe that with the ministry contributing a part of the expenses for treatment and the patient contributing the rest, it will reduce the burden on the former.

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Barka gets rain The maximum temperature pre-dicted in Muscat on Monday is 22° Celsius and the minimum temperature will be 16° Celsius.

Global weather departments have also predicted rain in Oman on Monday and Tuesday.

Last week also, some parts of Oman experienced light drizzles.

Some residents in Barka even took to the social media to re-port the light drizzles, posting pictures of raindrops on their car windshields.

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This initial progress is a start and should be welcomed

even if there’s still a long way to go. The participants

have shown a constructive attitude

Federica Mogherini, EU foreign policy chief

Blast outside Algeria embassy in Libya amid Geneva talksTRIPOLI: An explosion outside the Algerian embassy in Libya’s capital Tripoli on Saturday slight-ly wounded two guards and dam-aged nearby vehicles, officials and residents said.

Algeria and most other coun-tries evacuated their diplomats in the summer during fighting between rival factions who are battling for control of the oil-pro-ducing North African state three years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Two guards suffered mi-nor wounds by the blast, officials in Tripoli and Algeria’s state news agency said.

Libya’s recognised government,

which has been forced to work out of a rump state in the east, de-nounced the explosion in a state-ment as “cheap attempt” to under-mine UN-sponsored peace talks which started this week in Geneva.

Unity government effortsTripoli is now controlled by a fac-tion called Libya Dawn, which has set up a rival government. The eastern-based government is recognised by the United Nations and Western powers. The Tripoli administration is not, but still controls ministries, airports and some oil facilities.

The UN talks are aimed at

forming a unity government, ending hostilities and putting a transition to democracy on track. But the Tripoli-based forces say the process had been rushed, and plan to vote on Sunday on wheth-er to attend.

Fighting over the country’s oil infrastructure has closed two major oil ports in the east and slashed Libya’s oil output to around 300,000 barrels per day from the 1.6 million bpd pro-duced before the civil war toppled Gaddafi in 2011.

Bombs exploded in November near the Egyptian and United Arab Emirates embassies. -Reuters

V I O LENCE

EU hails Libya peace moveBRUSSELS: The European Union on Saturday hailed an ac-cord between Libya’s warring factions on creating a roadmap toward a unity government, but said there was still a “long way to go” to bring peace to the country.

The factions fighting for con-trol over Libya agreed on an “agenda” to form the unity gov-ernment after two days of UN-brokered talks in Geneva, the UN said. “Some steps in the right direction have been taken,” Fed-erica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, said. “This initial progress is a start and should be welcomed even if there’s still a long way to go. The participants have shown a constructive atti-tude,” she said.

“I encourage all invited repre-sentatives, including those who did not attend this round, to par-ticipate in the second round of talks next week with the same spirit of respect and consensus.”

On Friday, the Fajr Libya also announced “a ceasefire on all fronts” as long as “the other par-ties respect the truce”. -AFP

D I P LOMACY

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INDIAS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

One does not achieve everything over-night. However,

by modifying our work culture and by adopting better

technology and tools we can achieve the results better

Manohar Parikkar, Defence Minister of India

HOLY DIPHindu devotees prepare to bathe at Sangam, the confluence of the holy rivers Ganges and Yamuna and mythical Saraswati,

during the annual Magh Mela, in Allahabad, on Saturday. The Magh Mela, which is known as a mini-Kumbh Mela, runs from

January 5 until February 17 this year. -AFP

BENGALURU: More than three decades after the project was sanc-tioned, home-grown Light Combat Aircraft Tejas was handed over to-day to Indian Air Force by Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar mark-ing a major milestone in the coun-try’s military aviation.

Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Chief of Air Staff, received the aircraft documents from Parrikar with the handing over, signalling the start of a process of induction of the supersonic fighters under a project that has cost Rs 8,000 crore to the exchequer.

The project that has missed sev-eral deadlines is Rs30,000 crore, which would see Tejas, a 4.5th

Generation Aircraft that is lighter in weight with greater agility and manoeuvrability, replace ageing MiG-21s in IAF’s combat fleet. The entire project by DRDO and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), including the final induc-tion in the Air Force and Navy, is estimated to cost Rs 30,000 crore.

Speaking at the ceremony with media kept at bay, Parrikar con-gratulated HAL and everyone in-volved in the project and asked them to think ‘out of the box’ to meet the time-line challenges by applying the right management tools. “Thrust should be given on re-search and technology by exploiting the existing knowledge base which companies like HAL have,” he said.

“One does not achieve every-thing over-night. However, by modifying our work culture and by adopting better technology and tools we can achieve the re-sults better,” he added. Raha said

LCA is the need of the hour, given the operational needs of IAF and added “we are happy to receive the documents of the first series production of LCA.”

He complimented HAL for handing over this aircraft, which would allow its induction and sub-sequent formation of first Tejas squadron. The aircraft that has been handed over has got Initial Operational Clearance-II, which signifies that Tejas is airworthy in different conditions, sources said. The Final Operational Clearance (FOC) is expected by year-end.

HAL chairman R K Tyagi de-scribed the handover as one of the major milestones in the history of the Company. He said 60 per cent indigenisation in this LCA project has been achieved so far. Outlin-ing the production plan, he said HAL will produce six aircraft next year (2015-16) and subsequently scale it up to eight and 16 aircraft

per year. It is estimated that 20 aircraft will be built by 2017-2018, to make the first squadron of the aircraft. Though the squadron is scheduled to be based in Tamil Nadu, sources said, initially, the planes would be in Bangalore only.

The LCA programme was initi-ated in 1983 to replace the ageing MiG-21s in IAF’s combat fleet but has missed several deadlines due to various reasons.

The lighter weight of aicraft is achieved by use of higher percent-age of Carbon Fibre Composites. Other significant features of this indigenous aircraft are the Digital Fly-By-Wire System, Flight Con-trol Systems, Open Architecture Computer among others.

The Naval variant of LCA is also under development and had last month carried out its first flight from the shore based test facility (SBTF) at Goa. In the design and development programme, HAL has produced 15 aircraft includ-ing the seven in Limited Series Production(LSP), 2 Technology Demonstrators, 3 Fighter Proto-type, 2 Trainer Prototype and 1 Naval Prototype.

HAL has carried out more than 2,800 sorties under various cir-cumstances including hot and cold temperature armament and weapon deliveries, MultiMode Radar (MMR), Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and missile fir-ing flight trials. Tejas has also suc-cessfully demonstrated weapon delivery capability during trials at Jamnagar and Jaisalmer, HAL of-ficials said. -PTI

Air Chief Marshal

Arup Raha, Chief of

Air Staff, received the

aircraft documents

from Parrikar with

the handing over,

signalling the

start of a process

of induction of the

supersonic fighters

DREAM COME TRUE: The LCA programme was initiated in 1983

to replace the ageing MiG-21s in IAF’s combat fleet. – Courtesy HAL

Kerala to consider NRK suggestionsKOCHI: Kerala Government will actively consider the recommen-dations and suggestions evolved during various interactive ses-sions of the two-day global NRK Meet, state Non-Resident Keralites’ Affairs (NORKA) Min-ister K C Joseph said yesterday.

“NORKA department is in-terested to work in collabora-tion with overseas Malayalee organisations for the welfare of NRKs,” the Minister said at a session titled ‘Mobilising the Community for NRK welfare’ at the global NRK meet here which began yesterday.

T K Manoj Kumar, Joint Secre-tary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, suggested that govern-ment has to seriously consider putting in place a system through which Malayalee organisations abroad can get affiliation to the NORKA Department and coop-erate with the state’s develop-mental activities.

Representatives of various

NRK Malayalee associations have urged the state government to strengthen the overseas NOR-KA helpdesk to ensure effective communication and prompt set-tlement of issues faced by NRKs working abroad.

“There are a lot of Keralites in need of legal help in Gulf coun-tries. By strengthening the help-desk, legal aid can be extended to the victims in association with respective embassies and various Malayalee organisations,” P K Anvar Naha, President of KMCC, Dubai, said.

They also raised concerns over the decision by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for ‘not enlisting’ the Cochin International Airport as an international hub. Employ-ment for skilled gulf-returnees in the corporate sector, setting up of an NRK University in Kerala and revising pravasi pension were some of the suggestions put for-ward by the representatives dur-ing the session. -PTI

E X P A T A F F A I R S

Austraila, India, UK broadcasters in cricket tie-up NEW DELHI: BBC World Ser-vice has joined hands with All India Radio (AIR) and Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to launch a new programme ‘Stumped’ which seeks to con-nect radio and cricket ahead of the 2015 ICC World Cup.

The new programme, to be launched Saturday and carried by AIR’s FM Rainbow network in India, will bring together three cricket livewires--India, the UK and Australia on one platform, a release said here.

The idea behind the event is to explore the world of cricket and bring lively, informative and humorous debate. The team of ‘Stumped’ has presenters from all the three broadcasting giants including AIR English commen-tator Prakash

Wakankar, first female com-mentator of BBC fema Alison Mitchelland the programme host--and Jim Maxwell from ABC, it said.

“AIR is delighted to co-produce and broadcast Stumped, together with BBC and ABC, on cricket which undoubtedly is the favour-ite sport of millions of sports lov-ers in India,” AIR Director Gen-eral F Sheheryar said.

AIR hopes that this pro-gramme will help ordinary listen-ers understand the sport better and also spark listeners’ interest in the game in which India is the reigning champion especially with the ICC World Cup round the corner, he said.

Keeping with the spirit of the mega cricket event, the first se-ries will coincide with the start of the World Cup.

The programme will be hosted from venues across the World Cup host countries Australia and New Zealand and will include weekly roundup and discus-sion of key talking points from the matches and other lighter stories in sport from around the world. - PTI

R A D I O

Nod to 32 FM channels for J&K, Northeast NEW DELHI: The govern-ment has approved 18 new FM radio channels for North East-ern states and 15 for Jammu and Kashmir.

In North-East, three chan-nels each will be launched in six towns — Haflong and Dhubri in Assam, Jowai in Meghalaya, Lung-lei in Mizoram, Mokuk-chung in Nagaland, and Belonia in Tripura. This is in addition to the existing 12 FM channels which are already functional in the Northeast.

Of the 15 FM channels to be launched in Jammu & Kashmir, three each will be in Kathua and Bhaderwah. Of the remaining nine channels, three each will be in Kargil, Leh and Poonch. Singh said the new channels are being launched with the special objective of extending the reach and impact of radio to the bor-der areas where other means of telecast or broadcast are not available. Radio is still the most easily available and convenient medium of broadcast in periph-eral areas. -PTI

B I G S T E P

Indigenous fighter jet handed over to IAF

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INDIAS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

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Japan, India look to upgrade maritime security relations

NEW DELHI: Japan’s foreign minister used a visit to India Sat-urday to push for tighter maritime security ties between the two na-tions, as Tokyo seeks to shore up its relationships in Asia to counter an increasingly powerful China.

Fumio Kishida, who met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, is on his first over-seas visit since Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe secured a landmark victory in national

elections last month. “Japan and India have been increasing coop-eration in the field of maritime security... It is important to fur-ther strengthen our cooperation,” Kishida said in a speech to the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi on Saturday. Both India and Japan have signalled a keenness to beef up their defence ties in recent months to counter an increasingly assertive China.

Later the two leaders held stra-tegic dialogue during which they discussed key issues of trade and security as the visiting leader termed India as “the most prom-ising destination” for investment.

During their marathon meet-ing, which lasted for nearly four hours, the two leaders agreed to further strengthen relations in accordance with the Special Stra-tegic and Global Partnership and decided to pursue discussions on civil nuclear cooperation, official sources said. The civil nuclear ne-gotiations are stuck due to reser-vations on the part of Japan.

The leaders also reviewed the progress on the US-2 Amphibian Aircraft, a joint production ven-ture, during the meeting which was held for the first time with a

restricted session which lasted for 45 minutes, the sources said.

The ministers were later joined by a multi-Ministry delegation which included officials from commerce ministry.

Emphasising that Japan was a key partner in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ Initiative, Swaraj welcomed the spurt of about 15 per cent in Japa-nese companies coming to India during the course of last year.

“She highlighted the special ar-rangements for Japanese compa-nies and banks under the Japan plus initiative started following Modi’s successful visit to Japan last year,” the sources said.

On his part, Kishida said India was considered to be an impor-tant partner by his government as was reflected by his early visit here after the recent elections in Japan. “He informed that India is now viewed as the most promis-ing destination by Japanese com-panies and hoped that Abenom-ics & Modinomics would work together to achieve the goals of doubling Japanese investments assistance to India as announced during PM Modi’s visit to Tokyo,” the sources said. -AFP/PTI

Both India and Japan

have signalled a

keenness to beef

up their defence

ties in recent

months to counter

an increasingly

assertive China

BOOSTING TIES: India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, right,

welcomes her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, before their

meeting in New Delhi, on Saturday. Kishida is on a three-day visit

to India. -Reuters

VISAKHAPATNAM: Union Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday said here that a task force would be constituted soon to expedite set-ting up of central education insti-tutes in Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier, she laid the foundation stone of a new Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Gambhiram village in Anandapuram mandal of Visakhapatnam district. Irani’s assurance came in response to a request by the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The NDA government was committed to bring in best of the reforms in the education sector, she said.

Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, who was also present on the occa-sion, said the economic reforms were“the need of the hour”.

Chief Minister Naidu ear-lier said education was a prior-ity sector for his government. He reminded the Centre about pro-vision in the Andhra Pradesh reor-ganisation act, and said it had as-sured that 11 Central educational institutions, including IIT, NIT, Petroleum University, etc., would be set in the residual Andhra. De-velopment of Visakhapatnam IIM will be entrusted to the IIM -Bangalore, he said. -PTI

E D U C A T I O N

India to talk Iran curbs, LNG imports during Obama visitNEW DELHI: India will use an upcoming visit by Barack Obama to press the United States to re-move Indian oil companies from a list naming firms doing business in Iran, and to seek priority access to US LNG exports, sources in the Oil Ministry said.

The US president will arrive in New Delhi on January 25 and hold discussions with Prime Min-ister Narendra Modi, who visited Washington in September. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) listed three Indian companies as having commercial activity in Iran’s energy sector in a report this week, potentially making it difficult for them to do business with other countries, mainly the United States.

Oil and Natural Gas Corp, Oil India Ltd and Indian Oil Corp, which have been on the list since 2010, cited interests in Iran’s Far-si concession in their 2013-14 an-nual reports but told the GAO they had ceased activity in 2007, the GAO said. “This (mention in the list) could hit Indian companies’ plans to invest in other countries, particularly in America,” said one of the sources. The United States has imposed sanctions on Iran’s energy sector to put pressure on it to halt its nuclear programme.

Separately, Oil Ministry sourc-es said India will seek preferential access to US exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), even though India does not have a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the United

States. “We want them to give us the freedom to lift LNG from any of their projects on a priority ba-sis, including the ones that are meant for FTA nations,” an offi-cial said.

State-owned gas firm GAIL (India) Ltd has an agreement to lift 6 million tonnes a year of LNG from two projects in the United States. US oil and gas produc-

tion has shot up in recent years as new technology has allowed the world’s largest oil consumer to ex-ploit reserves in shale formations. But exports are tightly restricted and LNG shipments must be ap-proved by Washington. Exports of crude oil are banned outright, a legacy of the recent past when the United States consumed far more oil than it produced. -Reuters

D I P L O M A C Y

WASHINGTON: India and the US have agreed to col-laborate on implementing the ambitious Digital India initiative ahead of American President Barack Obama’s Republic Day visit to New Delhi.

The two delegations held extensive discussions on ICT and telecommunica-tion policy issues, focusing on accelerating broadband deployment, aligning spec-trum policy for the mobile era and exchanging views on internet governance and best practices in ICT and telecommunications regulatory policy.

They also discussed is-

sues relating to internation-al mobility of Indian skilled professionals. The joint government-and-industry discussions included panels on promoting manufactur-ing and investment, IT and telecom policy develop-ments, Internet governance, mobility of skilled profes-sionals and other issues related to trade, investment and the ease of doing business.

A panel of non-govern-ment experts also shared insights on strategies that may help India achieve the goals outlined in the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ initiatives. -PTI

Pact on Digital India initiative

Nine Censor Board members resign after Leela steps down

NEW DELHI: Nine Censor Board members have put in their papers protesting what they claimed was the “cavalier and dismissive man-ner” in which the Board is treated by the government.

Board members said the events that led to the Chairperson Leela Samson resigning from her posi-tion were merely the “proverbial last straw”. Samson, who headed the statutory body under the In-formation and Broadcasting Min-istry of the Indian government, resigned amid controversy sur-rounding the clearance of contro-versial film “Messenger of God” featuring Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

In a letter, the nine members —

Arundhati Nag, Ira Bhaskar, Lora Prabhu, Pankaj Sharma, Rajeev Masand, Sekharbabu Kancherla, Shaji Karun, Shubhra Gupta and T G Thyagarajan have submitted their resignation.

The members said that since the time that they first joined the Board, they had been seeking criti-cal changes, which were impera-tive if the functioning of the CBFC has to be reformed.

“However, in spite of sending nu-merous recommendations and ap-peals, and having several meetings with the secretaries and senior of-ficials of the ministry, and even one with an earlier Minister, not a sin-gle positive step has been taken by the Ministry,” they said. -PTI

C O N T R O V E R S Y

UPSET AND ANGRY: Sikhs pro-

test against impending release

of a controversial film, in New

Delhi, on Saturday. The Punjab

state government banned the

film on Saturday-Reuters

Foundation stone of IIM laid in Andhra

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PAKISTAN S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

More and more people are joining in because they agree

with us. The narrative now resonates beyond the elites...

People are saying ‘When you attack children, that’s it’

Sundas Hoorain, Lawyer

Liberals launch movement in bid to ‘reclaim’ Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: One month on from a Taliban school massacre in Peshawar that left 150 dead a new movement is growing among mar-ginalised urban liberals rallying to “Reclaim Pakistan” from vio-lent extremism.

Carrying placards and candles, their stand against religious fa-naticism is an unusual sight in a country more used to mass dem-onstrations by extremist groups filled with chants against the West or India.

Jibran Nasir, a 27-year-old lawyer who has played a key role in organising demonstrations, said he and others felt they could no longer stand by following the brutal killings of schoolchildren in the country’s northwest on December 16. “I never felt so over-whelmed. I felt pathetic as a human being, as a Muslim, as a Pakistani. I felt very, very small,” he said.

While Pakistan’s military has been engaged in heavy offensives

in the country’s northwestern tribal areas, progressive critics believe the state — including both the army and political parties — must do more to tackle those extremist groups that have tradi-tionally received official backing.

In an effort to highlight the dis-crepancy, Nasir, who happened to be visiting Islamabad at the time of the Peshawar assault, led

like-minded activists to protest outside the radical Red Mosque, whose cleric is known for his pro-Taliban views and who has refused to condemn the attack on the school.

Maulana Abdul Aziz led an armed insurrection against the military in 2007, but was acquit-ted of all charges against him by 2013 in a case which analysts say

highlights weaknesses in Paki-stan’s judicial system and sympa-thies for militants among parts of the security establishment.

The “Reclaim” movement’s first small victory was the re-opening of an investigation against Aziz, said Nasir.

“There’s an arrest warrant out, police say they are doing their own investigation,” he told AFP, adding he was hopeful that more pressure could result in firm action. He now says he has been threatened not just by Aziz but by the Jamaatul Ahrar splinter group of the Tali-ban over the phone. But, as some-one who considers himself an ob-servant Muslim, he felt he could no longer see his faith hijacked.

The movement has spread over social media, particularly Face-book, with like-minded groups in the major cities of Lahore and Ka-

rachi coordinating their protests and condemning local militant groups that operate in those areas.

Analysts believe some militant groups receive backing from the state because they can be used as assets by Pakistan to exert influ-ence in India and Afghanistan -- a strategy which progressives are keen to see ended.

Humanity“We are basically people who are concerned for our own human-ity. If we do not take some kind of stance we may very well stay alive but we lose our own humanity by being lazy. It makes us complicit,” said 36-year-old Taimur Khan, an entrepreneur who is part of the Reclaim movement in Islamabad.

Progressives remain a relative-ly small minority, confined to the educated upper and middle-class-es -- a fact bemoaned by Nasir.

He contrasted the crowds of hundreds at Reclaim rallies with the estimated 1.6 million Parisi-ans who took to the streets to con-demn the deadly attack on the of-fices of satirical magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’. “Pakistan is desensitised. But in Paris, millions came out. That has made those 12 lives the centre of attention for the entire world,” he said.

“We have lost 55,000 people to terrorism but we struggle to justi-fy our case to the world that we are doing enough to curb terrorism.”

But he also sees hope for a broader coalition involving the working class. On January 16, ex-actly one month after the attack, the Reclaim movement held its biggest events to date across Paki-stan’s major cities.

The few thousand people who turned out included female polio workers who have come under attack by the Taliban, relatives of fallen soldiers, and the father and child of a female Christian bonded labourer who was burnt to death for allegedly committing blasphe-my along with her mother. — AFP

Jibran Nasir, a

27-year-old lawyer

who has played a key

role in organising

demonstrations, said

he and others felt

they could no longer

stand by following

the brutal killings

of schoolchildren

in Peshawar on

December 16

Kabul arrests five over school attackKABUL: Afghan security forces have arrested five men suspected of involvement in last month’s massacre at a school in the Paki-stani city of Peshawar, an Afghan security source said Saturday.

Several Taliban gunmen stormed the school in the north-western city of Peshawar last month, killing 150 people, mostly children, in the country’s deadliest ever militant attack.

On Saturday an Afghan security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to AFP that his force had recently made five arrests, after Pakistan supplied in-formation to Kabul.

The official said the men, who were not Afghan nationals, were arrested in the troubled border ar-eas between the two countries.

They were accused by Pakistan of aiding the Peshawar school at-tackers, he said, insisting that the investigation by the Afghan secu-rity agencies had not yet estab-lished the suspects’ direct associa-tion with the attack.

Pakistani officials declined to immediately comment.

Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of supporting the Af-ghan Taliban to try to maintain its influence in the region. Paki-stan says Afghanistan is doing the same with the Pakistani Taliban in return.

Meanwhile, Five members of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ) militant outfit have been ar-rested in two separate incidents from Pakistan’s Punjab province.

Two members, including a woman, of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ) group were arrested from Faisalabad district, some 130 kilo-metres from here, Crime Investi-gation Agency (CIA) senior officer Umer Virk said on Friday.

“The suspects — Rizwan and Marya Bibi — were wanted in a blast at an imambargah,” Virk said, adding the two were also planning to carry out attacks in Lahore be-fore they were caught from a re-mote area of Faisalabad. — Agencies

P E S H A W A R S C H O O L

Nuclear reactor goes onlineWASHINGTON: Pakistan’s fourth heavy water reactor at Khushab nuclear site which al-lows it to build a larger number of miniaturised plutonium-based nuclear weapons now appears to be operational, a US think-tank has said. The reactor is part of Pakistan’s programme to increase the production of weapons-grade plutonium.

“A recently purchased Digital Globe high resolution satellite im-age dated January 15, 2015 shows that Khushab’s fourth reactor’s external construction is complete and has become operational,” Da-vid Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini of the Institute for Sci-ence and International Security (ISIS) said on Friday.

“This assessment is based on

the presence of a very specific sig-nature: steam is venting from the reactor’s cooling system,” he said.

Plutonium productionAlbright and his co-author said Pakistan’s Khushab nuclear site, located 200 kilometres south of Islamabad, is dedicated to the production of plutonium for nu-clear weapons. — PTI

K H U S H A B H E A V Y W A T E R R E A C T O R

UP AGAINST RELIGIOUS FANATICISM: Pakistani protesters carry a placard featuring pictures of stu-

dents who died in the Peshawar attack, during a protest by civil society activists in Islamabad. — AFP

The movement has spread over social media, particularly Facebook, with like-minded groups in the major cities of Lahore and Karachi coordinating their protests condemning local militant groups

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WORLDS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

What is needed now is to quickly take practical steps in this direction and we are

ready to provide (the court) with thousands of reports and documents that confirm the

Zionist enemy has committed horrible crimes against Gaza and against our people

Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman

Hamas hails ICC probe of Israeli war crimes

GAZA (PALESTINIAN TER-RITORIES): The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said on Saturday it welcomed a decision by the International Criminal Court to launch an inquiry into possible war crimes in the Pales-tinian territories.

ICC prosecutors said on Fri-day the preliminary examina-

tion would scrutinise “in full independence and impartiality” crimes that may have occurred since June 13 last year, opening a path to possible charges against Israelis or Palestinians.

Strong oppositionThe court’s decision came af-ter Western-backed Palestin-ian President Mahmoud Abbas, a rival to Hamas, requested ICC membership, against strong op-position from Israel and the US.

Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip, said on Saturday the group appreciated the move.

“What is needed now is to quickly take practical steps in this direction and we are ready to pro-vide (the court) with thousands of reports and documents that con-firm the Zionist enemy has com-mitted horrible crimes against Gaza and against our people,” he said in a statement.

Israel rejected the court’s Fri-

day decision as hypocrisy and the US State Department said it was “a tragic irony that Israel, which has withstood thousands of ter-rorist rockets fired at its civilians and its neighborhoods, is now be-ing scrutinised by the ICC”.

Prosecutors will assess evi-dence of alleged crimes and deter-mine if they are of sufficient grav-ity and scale to warrant charges against individuals on either side.

Palestinians seek statehood in Gaza and the West Bank. — Reuters

International

Criminal Court

said on Friday

that preliminary

examination would

scrutinise ‘in full

independence and

impartiality’ crimes

that may have

occurred since

June 13 last year

UNDER ATTACK: Palestinians leave Gaza City’s Al Shejaea neigh-

bourhood to a safer location after Israel’s army started its ground

offensive on the Gaza Strip on July 18, 2014. — AFP file photo

The June 13 date would allow the court to look at the war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza in July-August 2014 during which more than 2,100 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed

Houthi militiamen abduct Yemen’s top presidential aideSANAA: Houthi militiamen in control of Yemen’s capital said they seized President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi’s chief of staff on Saturday, a claim confirmed by a senior official.

Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak was abducted by gunmen at a checkpoint in Yemen’s southern Hada district.

A statement by the militia said the kidnapping was a measure to prevent a UN-brokered agreement between the presidency and them in September “from being broken.”

Special measuresThe militiamen warned Hadi of “a series of special measures” they are planning to take, adding that

he “must not cover up corruption”.The chief of Yemen’s national

security service, General Mo-hammed Al Ahmadi, told report-ers “talks are ongoing to secure his release.”

Mubarak is secretary general of the national dialogue set up to oversee the political transition fol-lowing the 2012 resignation of vet-

eran president Ali Abdullah Saleh after a bloody year-long uprising.

Yemen has been dogged by in-stability since Saleh’s ouster, with the Houthis and Al Qaeda seeking to fill the power vacuum.

Mubarak, a southerner, was one of the representatives in the dialogue of the Southern Move-ment, which seeks autonomy or

secession for the formerly inde-pendent south.

Hadi named him as prime min-ister in October, but Mubarak turned down the job following strong opposition from the Hou-this and from Saleh’s General Peo-ple’s Congress party.

The Houthis are widely be-lieved to be backed by Saleh. — AFP

K I D N A P P I N G

Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak

3,000 linked to IS in TurkeyISTANBUL: Around 3,000 peo-ple in Turkey are believed to be linked to the IS group, a Turkish intelligence report said on Satur-day, warning of possible attacks by extremists.

The report called for their en-hanced surveillance, including identifying their rank within the extremist group or whether they were active within it, the Hurriyet newspaper reported on Saturday.

A “red alert” had also been sent to security units warning of pos-sible attacks on the embassies of Western countries by IS extrem-ists following last week’s deadly attacks in France, the report said.

Security at the diplomatic mis-sions had been increased to the maximum level, the report said, adding that NATO facilities and Western nationals were also po-tential targets.

And it warned of possible bomb attacks “anywhere and anytime” in Turkey by “sleeping cells.”

Most of the vehicles stolen in Turkey ended up in the hands of IS extremists, it said, warn-ing that they could be used in car bomb attacks in the country.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mev-lut Cavusoglu on Thursday said up to 700 Turkish nationals had joined the IS. — AFP

I N T E L L I G E N C E R E P O R T

Lorry fire closes Channel TunnelPARIS/LONDON: The Chan-nel Tunnel operator evacuated a shuttle train and closed the subsea crossing on Saturday due to a lorry fire, British police said, adding that there were no reported injuries.

Kent Police said there were no trains in the tunnels and French authorities were dealing with the incident that occurred at the Calais end.

“Rail passengers are advised to expect significant delays whilst the vehicle is being re-covered and fumes are cleared from the tunnels,” the police said in an emailed statement.

Eurotunnel, the operator of the crossing, had earlier on Saturday suspended services because of smoke which it said was detected from an un-known source.

It evacuated a Calais-Dover shuttle train without incident due to the smoke.

Eurostar, which operates train services through the tun-nel between Paris, London and Brussels, said on Twitter that no trains would be running on Sat-urday following the closure and that all trains en route would return to their original stations.

It advised passengers to post-pone journeys and not come to stations. — Reuters

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S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5 T I M E S O F O M A NA12

An obscure Al Qaeda branch in Yemen has claimed responsibility for the attack on Charlie Hebdo of-fice in Paris. Prima facie, Al Qaeda seems to be claiming credit for an operation which it did not partake in. Charlie Hebdo attack looks

more like an operation carried out by lone wolves. By claiming responsibility, Al Qaeda is simply trying to position itself as a more effective terrorist group than Isis, capable of carrying out deadly attacks right into the heartland of Western world.

The Paris massacre, contrary to what an Al Qaeda branch in Yemen claimed, is a sequel to the Boston Marathon bombing, the Woolwich attack in which a British soldier Lee Rigby was murdered and the Syd-ney siege. Terrorism has been changing and the Char-lie Hebdo attack only confirmed the process as much as they highlighted the extent to which the scourge has changed. To evolve or to change with time and environment is dynamism and terrorism, unfortu-nately, has perhaps been as dynamic as the security measures, if not more.

The murder of twelve employees of Charlie Hebdo appears like a page taken straight out of Joseph Con-rad’s The Secret Agent. The aim was not to kill many but to strike a fear — a wanton act of violence per-petrated to reinforce awe and sensation. The killers inflicted a wound which is certainly way beyond just physical. For the families who lost their dear ones and to France the Charlie Hebdo massacre will ever remain more than personal catastrophes.

Since the spectacular 9/11 attacks evolution of terrorism has been fascinating. The tactics have changed, the objective has changed and so have the weapons of terror. Boston blasts demonstrated that though bombs still remain the most preferred weap-ons of terror they do not need to be sophisticated plastic explosives or large bombs to create a dramatic explosion killing 50 or 100 and injuring scores more. They can as crude as pressure cooker bombs and yet the impact or result would be equally dramatic and devastating. Charlie Hebdo incident illustrated that guns are still as effective weapons of terror as they were fifty years ago.

But more than weapons, Paris massacre has rein-forced the role of lone wolves or the concept of “in-dividual terrorism”. This concept, says Ekaterina Stepanova in Lone Wolves and Network Agents in Leaderless Jihad (The Case of the Boston Marathon Bombing Cell), effectively blurs the boundary be-tween a network agent and a stand-alone “lone wolf”.

For a pure “lone wolf” terrorist act the Boston bombing may not have been a very successful attack. But the Paris massacre is. It is a classical act of ter-rorism which murdered our innocence — instilled in us a mortal fear of ghastly death or of getting maimed for life.

We have lost our faith in the assurance of safety

given so painstakingly by our authorities; we now know that albeit all exercises of our authorities we are not safe anywhere; we now know for sure that terrorists, can hit at will anywhere anytime; we now know how fragile are the security arrangements — be it in France, in the United States, in Pakistan, in Iraq or in Afghanistan.

Extravagant terror attacks are increasingly becom-ing passé and terrorist outfits too are not in favour of such operations. Tightening counter terrorism measures taken by countries, especially in the United States and Europe, have made carrying out major ter-ror operations virtually impossible. Individual terror carried out by lone wolves has thus become the new destructive strategy.

Thomas Colley of King’s College London rightly says, ‘Lone wolf’ terror attacks, perpetrated by in-spired and highly indoctrinated individuals, not di-rectly affiliated with terrorist organisations, are now considered by many analysts the major terror threat facing the West. In fact, they are likely to take terror-ism to level and height where it would be impossible for any security agency to prevent.

In the changing global milieu terrorism will gradu-ally become leaderless and non-organisational. Solo terrorism is fast becoming the new trend where as-sistance, training or support from any outfit will not be necessary and will become absolutely redundant.

Solo terrorism or lone wolf attacks is the future of terrorism. And frankly speaking, these highly indoc-trinated, radicalised individuals nursing a sense of injury will make terrorism practically unpreventable, undetectable, omnipresent and omnipotent.

Charlie Hebdo attack illustrated the extent to which terrorism of twenty first century has changed. The focus evidently is no more on the number of persons killed or injured but on where an attack has been carried out; how much of disruption has been inflicted on a society. An otherwise innocuous act of vile murder turned into a dramatic terror attacks, no less than 9/11, despite just twelve killed.

And “This was terrorism’s great victory, its spec-tacular triumph, its abhorrently glorious day in the sun. Never, in the history of violence aimed at … ci-vilians, have the lives of so many been disrupted so much by the relatively amateurish actions of so few.” For three straight days the perpetrators of the attacks virtually paralysed life in Paris, captured the world’s mind and forced several nations to tighten their se-curity measures. The attack on Charlie Hebdon is a landmark. It documents the changing face of terror-ism. For the Unites States and Europe it sends an ominous portent.

The author is the Opinion Editor of Times of Oman. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman. He can be reached at [email protected]

Lone wolves will define the future of terrorism

In the changing global milieu terrorism will gradually become leaderless and non-organisational. Solo terrorism is fast becoming the new trend where assistance, training or support from any outfit will not be necessary

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])

MATTER OF FACT

On December 16, 2014, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan at-tacked the Army Public School in Peshawar. By the end of the day, they had killed more than 140 people, including 132 chil-

dren and the school principal. At least 130 people were injured in the attack. All the terrorists were killed by security forces. It was arguably the deadliest terrorist attack to occur in Pakistan with the number of casualties surpassing that which occurred on Benazir Bhutto’s wel-come when she returned to the country in 2007.

In its preparation and execution, there was a marked similarity be-tween this atrocity and the Beslan school incident in North Ossettia in 2004. Such are the bald facts, and the effect of the attack promises to be both profound and long-lasting, having consequences that may play out to significant changes in the way the government of Pakistan identifies and combats terrorism and extremism. The attack is begin-ning to look like a true watershed moment, and perhaps, most impor-tantly, has forced the recognition that there is to be no distinction be-tween ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban.

On December 17, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif completed the pa-perwork rescinding the moratorium on the death penalty that had been in place since 2008, and hangings commenced soon thereafter and continue. The 20-point National Action Plan (NAP) was formu-lated with remarkable speed and political unity — which is dissipat-ing — and is now the framework upon which the agents of change are hung. What at first sight appeared to be little more than a wish list is being crafted across a number of fronts into a clear set of policies and actions that really do address core issues that are fundamental to the health of the state and one hopes that this time, there is a real resolve to go after terrorists of all hues. The pain and grief of those families who lost their children, the life of disability that lies ahead for many of the injured, and the bravery of those who went back to the APS on Jan-uary 12 is deep and will endure. There is no quick fix for the multiple flaws contributing to why Pakistan arrived at a point where terrorists were able to commit a mass slaughter of children; and it must never happen again. This time, enough really is enough. - The Express Tribune

One month later

Leaders in Europe are justifiably trying to figure out what they should be doing to prevent terrorist attacks like the recent mas-sacre at the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Regret-

tably, some politicians are proposing the kind of Internet censorship and surveillance that would do little to protect their citizens but do a lot to infringe on civil liberties. In Paris, a dozen interior ministers from European Union countries including France, Britain and Ger-many issued a statement earlier this week calling on Internet service providers to identify and take down online content “that aims to incite hatred and terror.” The ministers also want the European Union to start monitoring and storing information about the itineraries of air travellers. And in Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron suggested the country should ban Internet services that did not give the govern-ment the ability to monitor all encrypted chats and calls.

Even before the Charlie Hebdo attack, European leaders were pro-posing or enacting harsh measures. For example, the French Parlia-ment passed a law in September that allows the authorities to tem-porarily seize the passports and identity cards of citizens who seem intent on joining foreign terrorist organisations. And this week, French officials said they had arrested 54 people for hate speech, in-cluding a controversial comedian.

Appealing as these measures may sound in the aftermath of a trag-edy, they are deeply flawed. Countries like France and Germany have long had stricter controls on speech than the United States. For ex-ample, their governments have in the past forced Internet firms like Yahoo and Twitter to take down Nazi propaganda. But those decisions are generally made by government officials or judges, not technology companies. Internet service providers do not have the staff or the skill to determine what content is likely to lead to terrorist attacks. That is why a blanket mandate to censor terrorism-related information could force these businesses to err on the side of caution and take down in-formation that might be offensive but would not lead to an imminent attack. In fact, an Internet service provider might well have taken down satirical cartoons of the kind Charlie Hebdo published.

Technology and privacy advocates say it is dangerous to require technology companies to build such surveillance mechanisms into communications services because hackers and criminals will inevi-tably find ways to use those back doors to steal information from indi-viduals, corporations and governments. Of course, governments can and should take steps to identify threats and prevent terrorist attacks through targeted intelligence gathering. But there is good reason to believe that widespread censorship and intrusive surveillance will only undermine personal freedoms and could even make us less se-cure. - The New York Times News Service

Islam doesn’t allow anyoneto take law in their handsI sincerely appreciate the efforts of Times of Oman for carrying the new story, ‘Islam stands for peace, not for revenge’ ( January 15 ). It will certainly help and motivate the Muslims around the world to keep their calm under all circumstances. The teachings of the Holy Quran and the preaching of Prophet Mo-hammad (peace be upon him) strongly disallow us to take law in our hands, but certainly teach all who have faith in our Crea-tor and Prophets to condemn all kinds of evil and disgusting acts. The repeated ridicule of Islam by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo shows there are some hidden forces working with a plan to ignite the sentiments of Muslims around

the world and provoke them into resorting to violence. We must not fall into this trap. However, it is very important that the Muslim states and all others who have faith in the Creator and His Prophets to take a seri-ous note of such ridiculing act in the name of freedom of speech and discuss the issue at the UN and other appropriate forums in a strong way for the cause of global peace and harmony. Mohammed Osama RawatRuwi

Attack on Charlie Hebdo aimed at maligning IslamThis refers to the news story, ‘Islam stands for peace, not for revenge’ (January 15). The at-tack on Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine based in Paris

and killing of its staff members by a group of people in the name of faith is nothing but a crimi-nal act meant to insult Islam. It is reported that the criminals responsible for this deadly attack claimed their act as a revenge at-tack against the magazine which publishes controversial cartoons. Contrary to their claims, this act is not only going to damage and harm Muslims but also will benefit the adversaries of Islam. Do not forget that Islam has been presented by God for peace, hap-piness and security of humanity. No Muslim is entitled to declare an unjust war on humanity. Do not forget that ours is a Prophet (peace be upon him) who would always forgive and pardon even his deadliest enemies. Mohamed Sakeer U Tirur

Did the world apologise for crimes against Muslims?Muslims condemn the crime that was committed in Paris. We regret what happened and our condolences go to all the bereaved families. But we shall not apologise for something we have not done. Thousands of Palestinian civil-ians and children were killed in the name of the “biblical right” of establishing a Jewish state and Palestinian civilians were killed in the name of ‘self-defence’, but we do not hold all Jews responsible for the crimes of the occupiers. Iraq was obliterated in the name of a “crusade,” and “democratisa-tion”, while thousands of Afghan and Iraqi civilians were killed as “collateral damage”. Did anyone apologise?Nassir GhalibMuscat

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D E B A S I S H M I T R A

It is a wrong response to Charlie Hebdo

PERSPEC IVET I M E S O F O M A N S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5T I M E S O F O M A N A13

As ever with the self-con-gratulatory tedium fest that is the announcement

of the Oscar nominees, the only thing people are really interested in are the snubs. Which tortured performance has been over-looked? Which epic drama forgot-ten? Which hilarious script has fallen on deaf ears?

This year, there was a sure-fire way to make sure your name would not be read out: be a wom-an. Or, even better, be a non-white woman. For among the list of today’s nominees, there were no female directors, screenwriters or cinematographers. In fact, every single one of the eight films nomi-nated for Best Picture - from Boy-hood to Whiplash - is about a man.

And, for the first time since 1998, not a single person of col-our was nominated in any act-ing category. That is, all of the 20 apparently ‘best’ performances that have graced our cinemas

screens year have been from a white person.

And while Selma was nominat-ed for Best Picture, and has wide-ly been hailed as one of the best films of the past year, its director Ava DuVernay, a black woman, was overlooked. In fact, the film gained only one other nod, Best Original Song. No, really.

Perhaps it’s not quite so sur-prising when you look at the Acad-emy’s makeup: 94 per cent of the voters are white, and 77 per cent are male. Seen in this light, their depressing track record makes a little more sense.

Past winners have included just one female director (Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010), and Halle Berry remains the only black woman to have won the Best Actress category, way back in 2002 for Monster’s Ball.

But maybe the Academy shouldn’t shoulder all the blame. Aside from Selma, where should

they have looked for the alterna-tives in mainstream cinema this year? The problem is that block-buster Hollywood just isn’t telling us the right stories.

Part of this is a self-perpetu-ating cycle — if only films about white men get nominated, then only films about white men can win. And if films about white men win, the yet more films about white men get financed and made.

At its best, our entertainment industry should hold a mirror to our shared experiences – and that means all our shared experiences. If the only stories we see on screen are those of white men, then that is how we view our world.

Black actors shouldn’t only be cast in films about slavery; wom-en shouldn’t only play wives and mothers to leading men. We are not all white men.

We deserve more than super-hero remakes and coming of age biopics. - The Independent

TODAY IN HISTORY

OPINION POLL

1701 Frederick III, the elector of Brandenburg, becomes king of Prussia.

1778 Captain James Cook discovers the

Hawaiian Islands, naming them the ‘Sandwich Islands’ after the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Sandwich.

1916 The Russians force the Turkish 3rd

Army back to Erzurum. 1945 The German Army launches its second

attempt to relieve the besieged city of Budapest from the advancing Red Army.

1964 Plans are disclosed for the World Trade Center in New York.

STRATEGY ON PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT BY SEPTEMBERMUSCAT: “Oman’s strategy on environmental protection activities will be ready by September this year,” said the coordinator for national strategy on environment in a statement to Oman News Agency yesterday. The new strategy will have the support of the United Nations, many government organisations, private sector firms and researchers in the field, he said.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

To uphold the right to gratuitously offend, without any sense of responsibility that should accompany freedom of expression, is childish, even dangerous. What point is proven by doing so?

Media coverage of the Paris shootings is typi-cal of previous incidents involving Islam and free speech in the West. Much of it has

veered between the misleading, sensationalist and absurd — such as a “terrorism expert” on Fox News branding Birmingham a “Muslim-only city”.

Journalists have jumped on the “Je Suis Charlie” bandwagon. Many would never condone Charlie Hebdo’s content, so why self-identify with the maga-zine? One can condemn the murder of its staff with-out embracing what it stands for.

The media seems reluctant to investigate the caus-es of radicalism that lead to such attacks, as if doing so implies justification. Thus, there is little discussion about Muslim alienation in France and elsewhere in Europe. The result is a simplistic discourse of Islam versus free speech. The latter is naively portrayed as absolute and non-negotiable, emboldening racist ele-ments of society when European far-right sentiment is increasing.

Islam versus free speechIn fact, there are limits to any right. In France, free-dom of expression “is limited by strict defamation and privacy laws”, and “some of the toughest hate speech laws in the EU”, according to Index on Censor-ship. In France — and other European states — it is a crime to deny the Holocaust, but not other genocides. Muslims are disproportionately surveilled. Wearing religious signs or clothing in schools is forbidden, as is the face veil in public places, and Islamic prayers in the streets. The media has largely glossed over such limitations in France and other countries that claim unrestricted free expression.

Also largely absent, though crucial, is acknowl-edgement of the double standards in applying free speech. Charlie Hebdo fired one of its employees over anti-Semitic content. Similarly, Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten said soon after publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in 2005 that it would not publish cartoons offending Christians and Jews. In my 10 years as head of a British media watchdog, it has become clear that Muslims are often described in derogatory ways that are unacceptable regarding other communities.

The effect that the right to offend has on minorities compared with wider society is not addressed. A mi-nority facing discrimination and disenfranchisement will feel existentially threatened, and be potentially radicalised, when the majority exercises its right to offend. The status of society at large is not at risk when the situation is reversed.

This right is portrayed as a cornerstone of western values, while tolerance and respect - values that have attracted many immigrants, and are crucial in multi-cultural societies - are touted as appeasement.

To uphold the right to gratuitously offend, without any sense of responsibility that should accompany freedom of expression, is childish, even dangerous. What point is proven by doing so? A foundation of

journalism is awareness that with power comes re-sponsibility, but many journalists in democracies forget how influential their profession is on public opinion and politicians.

Taking responsibilityConsider the effect on Muslims of international me-dia mogul Rupert Murdoch saying they “must be held responsible … until they recognise and destroy their growing jihadist cancer”.

This view is regurgitated by his numerous news outlets and by countless industry colleagues, many of whom have used the Charlie Hebdo attack to fan propaganda about the “Islamification” of Europe and the inherent violence and backwardness of Islam.

They demand that Muslims apologise for and con-demn acts that they have neither committed nor con-doned. “I want real Muslims to … make it crystal clear that these terrorists don’t act in their name,” wrote Piers Morgan in an article titled “If I can accept that the Paris murderers aren’t real Muslims why won’t the MUSLIM world say so too?”

Abundant condemnation from Muslims suggests that Morgan and others are either ignorant or refuse to listen. Similarly puzzling is the context in which Islam is mentioned in relation to the Paris shootings. The attackers’ religion is integral to their descrip-tions. The same cannot be said of murdered police-man Ahmed Merabet or Lassana Bathily, who saved shoppers in a kosher supermarket. Is someone’s Muslim faith only relevant in a negative context? As in the past, there is more discussion of Muslims than with them. An example is the BBC’s flagship political debate programme, Question Time, which fielded a panel of five talking about the Paris attacks without a single Muslim.

Amid round-the-clock coverage of the shootings, reprisal attacks against Muslims have been remark-ably under-reported, as have other deadly attacks against civilians and suppression of free speech worldwide. Violent incidents in Nigeria and Yemen in the last week led to far more civilian deaths than in Paris (up to 2,000 in Nigeria), but they were not deemed as newsworthy.

The solidarity rally in Paris was attended by a who’s who of enemies of free speech and independent jour-nalism. Those hoping the mainstream media would highlight this hypocrisy were disappointed.

The irony was not lost on Charlie Hebdo cartoon-ist Bernard Holtrop, who said: “We vomit on all those people who are suddenly saying they are our friends… I’ve got to laugh about that.” Yet, recurrent problem-atic coverage is no laughing matter.

The author is an award-winning journalist and analyst on Arab affairs. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely his and not of Times of Oman.

Note: This article was originally published by Al Jazeera English.

Islam and free speech: What is so funny?

HISTORYNET.COM

Dispute over Guantanamo recidivism rate

GraphicsGraphic News /Source: wire agencies

The Obama administration and Republican senators are waging a war of words over the number of terror suspects who have re-entered the fight after being released from the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay

Obama Administration Proposed Senate Legislation

Total peopledetained since

Jan 2002

Dead or in custody

“Suspected of re-engaging” inhostile activities

“Confirmed of re-engaging” inhostile activities

Dead or in custodyRemaining detainees

Died incustody

Status Of Guantanamo Bay Detainees: As Of July 15, 2014*

Accuses opponents of inflatingrecidivism rate by combiningformer detainees “confirmed” of re-engaging in hostile activitieswith those “suspected”Says more than 90 percent ofdetainees transferred during Obamaadministration have not beenconfirmed or suspected of committinghostile activities after their release

Would bar transfer of detainees toYemen for two years, suspend transfer of high or medium-risk terror suspects, and repeal law allowing transfer of inmates to foreign countriesBill would also prohibit transferof terror suspects to foreign countries if individual transferred from Guantanamo was confirmed to have engaged in terrorist activity

Transferred out offacility Total 620

Alleged by Republicans to have re-entered fight 30 % of freed detainees

*Current numbers (Jan 14, 2015):649 detainees transferred,122 remaining

436

780 184

10777

48

161519

LAST POLL RESULTShould the civic authorities make more pedestrian bridges to discourage jaywalking in Muscat?

Do you think that social media fuels marital discords?

Visit timesofoman.com to cast your vote

Yes93%

Can't say1.2%

No5.8%

Let’s talk about gover-nors. Or college drop-outs. We’ve only been

together for a few seconds and already I sense a strong pref-erence for college dropouts. Lucky I didn’t say, “Let’s talk about governors. Or cats.”

A number of governors in the United States are current-ly nursing presidential ambi-tions. Why not?

They have experience run-ning things and dealing with cranky legislators.

Also, they look at the herd of presidential hopefuls and think, “Clearly, I could do better.”

This is true of every elected official down to and including members of the zoning board of appeals, but we tend to take governors more seriously.

The most brazen prospec-tive candidate, Chris Christie, prepared for his State of the State speech with a special off-the-record press confer-ence to which only national journalists were invited.

Honest — he barred the state reporters from his discussion of the state of the state.

Maybe the governor was afraid they’d distract him with small-bore questions about New Jersey’s eight credit downgrades.

Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin really wants to run for president.

His State of the State speech was about opposing terrorism and shrinking the govern-ment, plus 10 billion mentions of the Green Bay Packers.

He’s already hired a political consultant for his run.

If Walker was elected, he’d be the first president without a college degree since Harry Truman. Yes!

This is the college dropout connection. How important do you think it is for a presi-dent to have a college degree?

If Walker gets traction, I am looking forward to digging into this a lot. Perhaps it will give me a chance to explain why William Henry Harrison quit medical school in 1791.

Walker went to Marquette University in Milwaukee. I went to Marquette, too. Had a great time. Unlike Walker, I got a degree.

Only one of us is a governor, so there’s a point for the drop-outs right there.

His early departure may have had something to do with disappointment over an unsuccessful career in campus politics.

Apparently, Walker was a mediocre student. By the way, how much do we care about presidential prospects’ college grades?

Not much — these are mid-dle-aged people, for heaven’s sake. Actually, we just need

to be sure that if the grades were bad, the candidate has gotten over it.

John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2004 was hob-bled by outrageous attacks on his war record, which Kerry might have been able to bury by releasing all his Navy records.

He wouldn’t, until long af-ter the race was over. Then reporters discovered that eve-rything about his military ca-reer was exactly as Kerry had portrayed it.

The only news was in his college transcript, which was included in the file and pretty dismal.

I’ve always wondered if the entire course of modern American history would have turned out different if John Kerry had not wanted to con-ceal the fact that his academ-ic performance at Yale was worse than George W. Bush’s.

As far as quitting school goes, Walker left during his senior year to take a market-ing job with the local chapter of the American Red Cross.

This doesn’t seem totally unreasonable. He obviously wasn’t into school. And in many lines of work, it’s only the job history that matters.

However, we want to make sure that when students of the future are making decisions like this, they’re grounded in reality.

Walker claimed that he was about to get the rest of his credits while he was working, but then he got married. Then he was going to go, but he was county executive and too busy. And it keeps going on.

“Maybe in the next few years,” he told reporters in 2013.

This is a bad sign. I think I speak for all of us when I say we do not want to hear any arguments that we should elect Walker president so he’ll have time to finish his senior year credits. - The New York Times

News Service

Dropouts and politics in the United States

Be a white to win an Academy Award

G A I L C O L L I N S

S H A R I F N A S H A S H I B I

LU CY H U N T E R J O H N STO N

If Walker was elected, he’d be the first president without a college degree since Harry Truman. Yes! This is the college dropout connection. How important do you think it is for a president to have a college degree? Apparently, Walker was a mediocre student

A14

GLOBAL EYES U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5


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

TONGA: This view taken on Saturday from a boat at sea shows steam and gas rising from the eruption of a volcano, 65 kilometres northwest of the South Pacific nation Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa. The Tongan

volcano has created a substantial new island since it began erupting in December, spewing out huge volumes of rock and dense ash that has killed nearby vegetation, officials said on Friday. The Lands and

Natural Resources Ministry said the volcano was erupting from two vents, one on the uninhabited island of Hunga Ha’apai and the other underwater about 100 metres offshore. — AFP/Matangi Tonga/Mary Lyn Fonua

ECUADOR: Ecuadorean dancers perform hanged from a crane

during a rally to commemorate the eight years of Rafael Correa’s

government, in Yachay on Thursday. — Reuters

JAPAN: A boy lights candles during a candlelit memorial event to mark the 20th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe,

western Japan, early morning January 17, 2015, in this photo taken by Kyodo. The earthquake on January 17, 1995, claimed more than

6,000 lives. — Reuters/Kyodo

BRAZIL: Students protest against the country’s latest round of transport fare hikes, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday. Amid a marked

economic downturn and high inflation, bus fares went up in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, from 3 to 3.50 reais, and in Rio, the former

capital, from 3.0 to 3.40 reais. Rio’s 13 per cent hike is almost exactly double the current rate of inflation. — AFP

GERMANY: German police patrol the Hauptbahnhof, Berlin’s main

train station, on Saturday. German authorities have received

specific warnings of the risk of militant attacks on central railway

stations in Berlin and Dresden, security sources told Reuters on

Friday after pre-dawn police raids on 12 homes linked to extrem-

ists. — Reuters

A15


Up to 300 troops may be deployed in the biggest operation since the terrorist bombings carried out by he Communist Combatant Cells of the mid-1980s

YOUR BIGGEST ROAD HAZARD IS IN YOUR HAND A TIMES OF OMAN

HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

Belgium begins deploying troops after foiled ‘terror’ plotBRUSSELS: Belgium on Sat-urday began deploying scores of troops to patrol the streets after security forces smashed a sus-pected extremist “terrorist” cell planning to kill police officers.

Some 150 soldiers took up posi-tions in the northern town of Ant-werp, notably to protect diamond jewellers and a large concentra-tion of Orthodox Jews.

The NATO headquarters, vari-ous EU offices and the US and Israeli embassies are also in the area, as well as Brussels’ main synagogue, said Defence Minister Steven Vandeput.

Antwerp has a large Jewish population.

Survey sites“The mobilised troops will be armed and their primary respon-sibility will be to survey certain sites” and to reinforce police, Prime Minister Charles Michel’s office said in a statement.

Outside the Jewish Museum of

Brussels, where a extremist att-tacker killed four people in May 2014, armed soldiers stood watch.

Up to 300 troops may be de-ployed in the biggest operation since the terrorist bombings car-ried out by he Communist Com-batant Cells of the mid-1980s.

Soldiers have also been re-quested at the industrial eastern city of Verviers, where early on Friday security forces killed two suspected extremists in a huge raid on an alleged extremist cell allegedly planning to attack police in the country.

The Belgian raid came a week after extremist attacks in and around Paris killed 17 people, re-kindling fears in Europe about the threat posed by young Europeans returning home after fighting alongside extremist groups in the Middle East.

Following the raid in Verviers, Belgian police arrested 13 peo-ple across Belgium, five of whom were later charged with “partici-

pating in the activities of a terror-ist group.”

Weapons, bomb-making ma-terials, police uniforms and fake documents were found during searches of their homes.

Belgian prosecutors said there were no immediate links with last week’s extremist attacks in Paris on the ‘Charlie Hebdo’ satirical magazine, a Jewish supermarket and a policewoman, the country’s worst attacks in half a century.

Two fugitives who left Belgium immediately after the attack have been arrested in the French Alps.

The suspected mastermind of the cell, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is a notorious 27-year-old extrem-ist who spent time in Syria and who may have prepared the foiled attack from bases in Greece and Turkey, according to local media.

French and Belgian authorities were grilling suspected accom-plices both of the Paris gunmen and the alleged “terrorist” cell raided in eastern Belgium. — AFP

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Fierce storm cuts short Tacloban tour of Pope

TACLOBAN: Pope Francis was forced on Saturday to flee a fierce storm in the Philippines that killed a papal volunteer, cutting short a mercy mission to weep-ing survivors of a catastrophic super typhoon.

Wearing a yellow plastic poncho to protect him from in-tense rain, Francis delivered an emotional mass to about 200,000 people in the typhoon-ravaged central Philippine city of Tacloban.

Another storm However, plans to spend the en-tire day in Tacloban and nearby areas that were devastated by Su-per Typhoon Haiyan 14 months ago were ruined by another storm, forcing him to fly back to Manila at lunchtime.

“So I apologise to you all. I’m sad about this, truly saddened,” the 78-year-old pontiff told thou-sands of people who had gathered at one church shortly before he raced back to the airport.

The pope’s plane made the 90-minute flight back to the Phil-

ippine capital of Manila safely.But highlighting the dangers

of the storm, a papal volunteer at the morning mass died as steel scaffolding collapsed on her, a church spokesman said.

A plane carrying three of Presi-dent Benigno Aquino’s aides then overshot the runway on take-off at Tacloban and nose-dived into mud, 30 minutes after Pope Francis’s plane flew back to Ma-nila. No-one was badly injured.

Philippine aviation authorities confirmed that the storm’s strong crosswinds had blown the plane off the tarmac.

Emotional massThe trip to Tacloban and sur-rounding areas was one of the top reasons for the pope making a five-day visit to the Philippines, the Catholic Church’s Asian stronghold, where he is a highly revered figure.

Haiyan, the most powerful storm ever recorded on land, left

7,350 people dead or missing in November 2013 as it devas-tated fishing and farming towns that were already among the Philippines’ poorest. The pope celebrated a truncated but still deeply emotional mass for sur-vivors at Tacloban’s airport, after receiving a joyous welcome from a crowd that police estimated at about 200,000 people.

“Long live the pope,” the crowd chanted as he walked off the plane to be immediately buffeted by strong winds and heavy rain.

His welcome echoed the rapturous reception that mil-lions gave the pontiff during the first two days of his trip to the Philippines.

Most of the people in the crowd at Tacloban wore thin plastic ponchos handed out by organis-ers, and the pope also put one on before walking on to a nearby stage to celebrate mass in heavy rain. “I would like to tell you something close to my heart,” the

pope said as many in the crowd clutched crucifixes and cried.

“When I saw in Rome that ca-tastrophe, I felt I had to be here. And on those very days, I decid-ed to come here. I’m here to be with you.” He acknowledged the enduring pain experienced by the survivors.

“Some of you have lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silent. And I walk with you all with my silent heart,” he said.

Deadly storms “I can’t explain how I feel. I am filled with gratitude. Never in my life did I think that I’d see a pope,” 68-year-old housewife Virginia Torres said, wiping tears and raindrops from her face after the pontiff left the mass venue.

Torres, whose house two hours’ drive from Tacloban was wiped out by tsunami-like storm surges, said the pope’s ad-dress had given her “renewed hope”. - Reuters

Plans to spend

the entire day in

Tacloban and nearby

areas that were

devastated by Super

Typhoon Haiyan 14

months ago were

ruined by another

storm, forcing him to

fly back to Manila

WARM RECEPTION: Pope Francis greets followers as he arrives at Tacloban’s airport on Saturday for

a mass. -Reuters

US lawmakers to explore bilateral relations in CubaWASHINGTON: A delegation of US lawmakers headed by Demo-cratic Senator Patrick Leahy will travel to Cuba on Saturday to ex-plore bilateral collaboration fol-lowing last month’s historic de-tente between the long-term foes.

Diplomats in Cuba and Leahy’s office in Washington announced the visit, which features six Demo-cratic lawmakers, including the party’s number-two Senator, Dick Durbin, and congressman Chris Van Hollen.

US President Barack Obama took the historic step to begin re-newing ties with Havana and move to end the decades-old policy of isolation toward the communist-ruled island.

Praise from alliesThe move prompted praise from allies but heavy criticism from Republican opponents, who saw the policy shift as appeasing an op-pressive dictatorship.

The Democratic delegation backs the new policy, and it was Leahy and Van Hollen who flew to Cuba in a cloak-and-dagger opera-tion to escort American prisoner Alan Gross back to the US after five years in a Cuban jail.

“We have all been to Cuba be-fore, and we strongly support the president’s new direction for our policy towards Cuba,” Leahy said.

“We are going this time to dis-cuss our expectations, and the Cubans’ expectations, for the nor-malization of relations. We want to explore opportunities for greater cooperation, and to encourage Cuban officials to address issues of real concern to the American people and to their representatives in Congress.”

The agenda for the three-day trip calls for meetings with Cuban officials, civil society representa-tives -- including dissidents -- and officials from the US Interests Section in Havana.

They are also expected to meet with several diplomats, includ-ing from Mexico, Spain, Norway and Colombia.

Leahy played a key humanitar-ian role between the two nations last year.

He was involved in negotiations and elaborate plans that ultimate-ly led to the wife of Gerardo Her-nandez, one of three Cuban agents jailed in the US since 1998, becom-ing pregnant through artificial in-semination while her husband was behind prison walls.

Hernandez and wife Adriana’s baby was born January 6, just 20 days after the three agents were released and returned to the island as part of the bilateral rapproche-ment. Three Cuban dissidents -- Berta Soler, Jose Daniel Ferrer and Elizardo Sanchez -- confirmed to AFP that they were invited to meet with the US lawmakers Sunday.

63 per cent approvalA total of 63 per cent of Americans approve of recent moves by the United States and Cuba to restore diplomatic ties and two-thirds fa-vour lifting the economic embargo altogether, a survey released on Friday said.

Despite those assessments, only 32 per cent of Americans think that the warming of ties between the Cold War-era foes will lead to more democracy in Cuba, the Americas’ only communist state, according to the Pew Research Centre report.

A large majority of Hispanic-Americans, 65 per cent, expressed support for the new policy, a change from the past when hostil-ity towards Cuba was the norm.

Politically, 74 per cent of Demo-crats support Obama’s new Cuba policy, while 67 per cent of inde-pendents favour it. About 40 per cent of Republicans approve of the new diplomatic relations while 48 percent disapprove. -AFP

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New measures for listed firms issued

A E [email protected]

MUSCAT: Oman’s market watch-dog Capital Market Authority (CMA) has asked listed companies to disclose salaries of all directors and top five officials separately, in an apparent move to upgrade the standards of corporate governance principles to enhance investor con-fidence on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM).

These measures are also aimed at protecting the rights and inter-ests of shareholders.

A CMA circular said that the companies are required to dis-close salaries of all directors and five top-level officers, including salary, benefits, perquisites, bo-nuses, stock options, gratuity and pension. This is required by CMA to consider the organisation in compliance with the corporate governance code.

The MSM is considered one of the best bourses in the Gulf region for its stringent disclosure norms and transparency policies, which help to eliminate malpractices like related party transactions and in-

sider trading. In recent years, there has also been a substantial fall in delay or failure on the part of MSM-listed companies in disclosing in-formation, thanks to the measures taken by the market regulator.

While penalty for a delay in submitting material information to the market is decided by the disciplinary committee of CMA, an insider trading case is referred to the commercial court. The court will decide on the penalty, depending on the severity of the offence and the punishment could include imprisonment.

MSM firms are required to disclose material information, immediately af-ter the board takes a decision. In any case, the information has to be dis-seminated before the market opens for trading the following day.

In the case of quarterly or an-nual financial results, companies are required to submit a financial statement within the statutory period of 30 days from the last day

of each quarter. However, in the case of holding companies, this period is 45 days.

Market experts say in the absence of stringent disclosure and trans-parency norms, the stock market switches from an ‘avenue for in-vestment to a gambling place.’ The introduction of disclosure norms are aimed at protecting small inves-tors (who are not represented on the board) and bringing in efficiency in the market that in turn reduces sys-temic risks.

Information must be available for all investors simultaneously so they can take wise investment decisions. The investors should not be fooled or carried away by actions of others, and the strin-gent disclosure and transparency norms will eliminate rumours. The penalty for companies vio-lating disclosure of timely infor-mation ranges from OMR500 to OMR50,000, depending on the magnitude of the offence.

Capital Market Authority circular said the

companies are required to disclose salaries

of all directors and five top-level officers

Bank Muscat’s net profit rises by 7.3%Times News Service

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the lead-ing financial institution in the Sultanate, posted a net profit of OMR163.23 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, com-pared to OMR152.19 million dur-ing the same period in 2013, an increase of 7.3 per cent.

Net interest income from con-ventional banking and income from Islamic financing stood at OMR243.64 million for the year 2014 compared to OMR235.32 million for the same period of 2013, an increase of 3.5 per cent.

Non-interest income at OMR139.47 million was higher by 33 per cent compared to OMR104.83 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. This includes the one-off investment gain of OMR9.4 mil-lion arising from investment in Al Salam Bank accounted in the second quarter of 2014.

Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2014, were at OMR157.89 million, which were

higher by 9.9 per cent as compared to OMR143.68 million for the same period in 2013.

Impairment for credit losses for the year 2014 was OMR64.33 mil-lion as against OMR50.46 million for the same period in 2013. Recov-eries from impairment for credit loss were OMR26.06 million for 2014 as against OMR32.53 million for the same period in 2013.

Share of income from associates for 2014 was OMR1.52 million as against OMR1.30 million for the same period in 2013.

Net loans and advances increased by 8.4 per cent to OMR6,353 million in 2014 as against OMR 5,864 mil-lion in 2013. Customer deposits, including CDs, increased by 13.3 per cent to OMR6,345 million as against OMR5,600 million in 2013.

Islamic financing receivables amounted to OMR400 million in 2014 compared to OMR279 million in 2013. Islamic banking customer deposits amounted to OMR283 million in 2014 com-pared to OMR93 million in 2013.

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WATER PURCHASE PACT SIGNEDOman Power and Water Procurement Company and ACWA Power Barka recently signed a

water purchase agreement and other project agreements for the phase II expansion of its

existing water desalination capacity. The project agreements were signed in January this

year by the deputy chairman of OPWP, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al Rumhi and Engineer

Ahmed H. Al Subhi, the chief executive officer of ACWA Power Barka. The expansion project

Phase-II is an independent water project to be developed on a build, own, operate basis and

will be located in Barka, 65km north of Muscat. – Supplied photo

Railway link to bolster tourism, economy in Gulf

ELHAM POURMOAMMADI [email protected]

MUSCAT: A long-distance rail transport service planned by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries could have far-reaching effects on the economies and tourism industry of all these states, say experts.

Isabel Parra, trade officer at the Embassy of Spain in Muscat, said that the upcoming railway route linking all the GCC states will definitely give a boost to trade between these countries as it will help accelerate the transport of freight. Parra, who also sees good prospects for the transport of pas-sengers by rail, said that Spanish companies are always keen to contribute to the implementation of this project.

“The Spanish companies have wide experience because we have a huge railway network in Spain,” said the official at an exhibition held alongside the GCC Rail and Metro Conference 2015, which concluded last week. Speaking to Times of Oman, she said that

more than 20 Spanish companies specialising in the railway indus-try had attended the conference.

According to the Embassy of Spain, the total length of the rail-way network in Spain is 16,026 kilometres, of which 10,182km is electrified). It also features 800km of tunnel, with the longest tunnel spanning 28.4km.

3TI ProgettiHumaid Saleh Al Muslmani, local partner (Oman) at 3TI Progetti Group, said that the railway net-work will make Oman the logistic hub of the region. He also noted that that 3TI is a specialist in rail-way design and has a lot to offer to the project.

Ed James, director of analysis at MEED Projects, said that the proposed railway network will change the way people do busi-

ness or experience their leisure time. “It is really a social project as well as an economic one,” he noted, adding that although the initial focus of the project is on the transport of freight, there are good prospects for the transfer of passengers which will benefit the people a lot.

Win-win situation James also said he does not agree with the statement that some countries will benefit more from the project while others will ben-efit less. “There will be no winners or losers. It is a win-win situa-tion,” he said.

Each country participating in the project will benefit from en-hanced and improved trade as well as better tourism access, he said, adding that the whole dy-namics for the Middle East would change as a result of this project.

Commenting on the 2018 dead-line set for the completion of the project, James said that it was a challenging deadline given the complexity and scale of the pro-ject and the topography of the Gulf countries.

Asked about the estimated to-tal investment of $200 billion in railway projects across the GCC region, James said that it was a ‘reasonable’ estimate.

Long-distance

railway transport

service planned by

GCC nations could

bolster tourism and

economies of all

states, say experts

Humaid Saleh Al Muslmani Isabel Parra

Ed James

B4

MARKETS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

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Ithraa to host Brunei trade teamTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Ithraa will host a Bru-nei trade delegation headed by DatoPaduka Haji Ali Haji Apong, deputy minister, Prime Minister’s Office and chairman of Brunei’s Economic Development Board (BEDB), on Monday.

Topics on the agenda include ways of increasing trade and in-vestment links particularly in the oil and gas, and food and beverage sectors as well as opportunities open to Omani businesses looking to improve commercial ties with Brunei and further penetrate the growing Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) market.

Sheikh Ali Al Balushi, act-

ing deputy chairman of Ithraa said:“Following on from our visit to Brunei in April 2014, we are looking to strengthen trade and investment ties with Brunei, an

economy that is at the heart of one of the fastest growing regional economies in the world. Indeed, it provides an excellent regional base for Omani companies looking to expand beyond Brunei’s domes-tic market.”

Brunei’s economyBrunei’s economy is dominated by the oil and gas sector, which provides over 60 per cent of GDP and over 90 per cent of foreign exports. While developing the downstream side of oil and gas, the Brunei government is also ac-tively encouraging economic di-versification, including the devel-opment of a knowledge economy.

“Ithraa’s fully committed to

opening new markets for Omani businesses in Southeast Asia, which we know will sustain and create local jobs and prosperity.

During our trip to Brunei last year, we saw the potential that ex-ists within this emerging market. For instance, Brunei’s manufac-turing sector has the potential to develop new industries both within and beyond the oil and gas industry not only through the uti-lisation of its rich biodiversity and natural resources but also its stra-tegic location in the Asean region. In this regard, there are certainly opportunities for Omani com-panies to explore,” commented Faris Al Farsi director-general of Investment, Ithraa.

B I L A T E R A L T A L K S

Oman’s budget all set to drive growth: KPMG

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Against the backdrop of falling oil prices, KPMG views Oman’s 2015 budget as signaling a firm commitment by the govern-ment to continued investment and economic growth.

This statement was made by Ashok Hariharan and Neil All-mark, members of KPMG’s tax team, at a seminar held on Thurs-day at the Chedi Hotel, Muscat.

The seminar gave participants an opportunity to delve more deeply into the budget report, and to understand the issues driving the budget. The presenters ex-plained the basis on which the oil revenues appeared to have been calculated, and the challenges the government could face if the oil price does not improve from the current levels.

They also analysed how the government has budgeted the significant increase in taxes and

fees, which were showing a 29 per cent increase over last year’s budget. The expected increase in tax collections must include some expectation that businesses will deliver higher profits.

The Tax Department continue to pursue tax assessments for old-er tax years, and there must also be an expectation that additional tax revenues can be collected in this way.

New taxesThere has been some debate around the introduction of new taxes and a possible increase of the income tax rate, but there have been no announcements, and any changes that are introduced dur-ing the year would only be reflect-ed in later years’ tax collections.

Hariharan, a partner in KP-MG’s Oman practice and the head of tax for the Middle East and South Asia region, noted, “There has also been a signifi-cant increase budgeted in the la-bour licence fee, which possibly suggests an increase in the level of the fee, rather than a mere in-crease in the number of labour licences being issued.”

A mention was also made of a 22 per cent increase in customs

duties, and this is consistent with the planned investment in major projects, and the increased im-ports that would be expected to deliver these projects.

The audience included chief executive officers and chief fi-nancial officers from many of the leading oil and gas, trading and fi-nance groups, as well as trade and economics delegates from the for-eign embassies located in Muscat.

Participants debated the out-look for the future oil price, and the likely sources of funding should the oil price remain low.

While it was highlighted that the 2014 actual deficit was expect-ed to be significantly lower than the budgeted 2014 deficit, there was still caution amongst the del-egates, given the levels to which the oil price has now dropped. It was also mentioned that 2015 will be an interesting year, as invest-ment projects progress, and the country continues to look at other sources of revenue.

Against the backdrop

of falling crude

prices, KPMG views

2015 budget as

signaling a firm

commitment by

the government

to continued

investment and

economic growth

BankDhofar posts net profit of OMR40m

Times News Service

MUSCAT: BankDhofar said the bank has achieved a net profit of OMR40.45 million for 2014. The net profit for 2014 is 14.23 per cent higher than the previ-ous year’s net profit (excluding OMR26.1 million written back from a legal case in 2013), but it shows a 30.74 per cent fall if compared to the previous year’s OMR58.41 million profit, which include the amount written back from the legal case.

Net loans and advances showed a marked 18.55 per cent growth to OMR2,254.70 mil-lion, while customer deposits moved up by 22.17 per cent to OMR2,482.18 million in 2014, according to the unaudited results posted by the bank on MSM website. Operating in-come of the bank also showed a 10.38 per cent growth at OMR98.85 million, while oper-ating expenses was up 1.87 per cent to OMR46.16 million.

Profit before tax from con-ventional banking was down by 33.39 per cent to OMR45.52 million in 2014 from OMR68.34 million in the previous year. The bank has achieved a net profit of OMR230,000 from Islamic banking last year, against a net loss of OMR2.2 million in the previous year.

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HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com [email protected]

TAXES AND FEES Members of KPMG’s

tax team at a seminar

held on Thursday

analysed how the

government has

budgeted the significant

increase in taxes

and fees, which were

showing a 29% rise

over last year’s budgetAshok Hariharan

Sheikh Ali Al Balushi

Prices in Oman rose by

3.7% in first half of 2014

MUSCAT: According to prelimi-nary data of the Sultanate’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at cur-rent prices increased by 3.7 per cent during the first half from Jan-uary to June of 2014 compared to 2 per cent growth registered over the same period in 2013, according to the bulletin issued by the Cen-tral Bank of Oman (CBO).

While nominal GDP emanating from the hydrocarbon sector reg-istered a minor contraction of 0.4 per cent, that from non-hydrocar-bon activities witnessed a growth of 7.3 per cent during January-June 2014. The balance of pay-ments situation remained com-

fortable with both current account and overall position in surplus. Annual inflation rate measured by movement in the average CPI for the Sultanate stood at 1.02 per cent during January-November 2014.

The CBO bulletin pointed out that the total assets of commer-cial banks increased by 11 per cent to OMR24.7 billion in Novem-ber 2014 from OMR22.3 billion a year ago. Of the total assets, credit disbursement accounted for 68 percent and increased by 10.4 per cent as at end November 2014 to OMR16.8 billion.

Credit to the private sector in-creased by 9.9 per cent. - ONA

E C O N O M Y

S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UPB5

Zubair Corporation supports Amjad Yatti team

MUSCAT: As part of its strategic goal towards enhancing the skills of Omani youth, particularly in the fields of culture and sports, The Zubair Corporation has an-nounced its support for the Amjad Yatti social sports team located in Muscat. The support provided by the corporation enables the team to enjoy an enhanced environ-ment to practice sports activities and develop youth talents, says a press release.

This support comes within the framework of The Zubair Cor-poration’s ongoing commitment towards various local sports, cul-tural, and social initiatives by lo-cal teams and clubs which engage talented young Omanis. Through backing these initiatives, young Omanis enjoy greater opportuni-ties to develop their talents, which in turn benefits the society within the Sultanate as a whole.

Commenting on the associa-

tion with the Amjad Yatti social sports team, Abdullah Al-Zubair from The Zubair Corporation noted, “We believe in the key role played by the local sports teams in adopting and enhancing the skills of talented young Omanis. There-fore, The Zubair Corporation is constantly joining hands with these teams around the Sultanate, as they are the breeding ground for growing and nurturing talent, and the ideal place where clubs can find players who, in the fu-ture, will go on to represent Oman

in different sporting endeavours.”“We believe that local and na-

tional sporting events, competi-tions and activities held during throughout the year positively benefit Omani youth, and this is strongly reflected in the develop-ment of their talents.

“The corporation’s strategy is to support these teams and events to develop the skills of Omani youth,” he added.

Commenting on the support provided by the corporation, Talib Al-Hasni, a member in Amjad

Yatti team said, “I would like to thank The Zubair Corporation for their support which enables us to achieve our goal in organising sports, cultural and social com-petitions. Additionally, this as-sistance facilitates our participa-tion in sports competitions at the wilayat level. Our latest partici-pation was in the ‘Cheer for your Team’ competition and our team was the champion.”

“We will invest the support pro-vided by The Zubair Corporation in equipping the team’s playground as well rewarding the members for their contribution in developing the team and scoring good results in the different competitions. We hope that the leadership demon-strated by the The Zubair Corpora-tion will encourage other private sector organisations to support the Omani youth and enable them to achieve their goal as well as en-hance their skills,” he added.

S P O R T S T E A M

Dr Mohan’s Centre set to launch new rice variety to keep diabetes in check

Times News Service

MUSCAT: White rice is one of the main contributors to diabetes epi-demic, particularly in Asian and Middle Eastern countries, and a diabetes speciality centre in Oman is planning to introduce a break-through version of the food grain, produced by its research team, that is far less damaging than its more popular varieties.

This was stated by Padma Shri Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman and Chief of Diabetology of Dr. Mohan’s Dia-betes Specialities Centre, who vis-ited Muscat recently and shared with Times of Oman his insights about diabetes and about the future prospects of the branch in Muscat.

Dr. Mohan is an eminent Indian diabetologist who has been work-ing in the field of diabetes for over 30 years in Chennai in southern

India. Having recently opened a branch in Azaiba, Muscat, Dr. Mo-han shared his excitement about the patient footfall at Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre.

“The response is very good and it has been extraordinary. We have Omanis and expatriate patients treated in our centre.

“We even get patients from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In a short span we are registering very large number of patients and they are coming regularly for follow-up which is very encouraging,” he acknowledged. The centre is now likely to open a pharmacy on its premises. The diabetic centre is also planning to introduce Dr. Mo-han’s High Fibre Rice.

“Through an epidemiology study conducted at our centre we understood that white rice is a contributor to diabetes epidemic.

“Hence for further research, we first advised our patients to con-sume brown rice which was used

in ancient times as unpolished rice. It had a very good effect, the sugar level started coming down but people did not like the taste of it. So we started research to find out the glycemix index of more than 200 varieties of rice. We

painstakingly went through the paddy seeds and we came across one variety which had very high fibre content. So we analysed it in our lab and found out it had 5 times higher fibre content than any other rice. To counter check this, we got the rice analysed in three other labs to confirm our findings,” ex-plained Dr Mohan.

“The glycemic index of this rice is 51. It cooks and tastes like every other white rice. It is not geneti-cally modified rice so it can be con-sumed by anybody,” he added.

“Then we started production of this rice in Tamil Nadu since this variety was not produced else-where. This brand of rice was first made available in our first diabetes centre and then to our branches. Our production was limited that we could sell it only to our patients. Gradually we started scaling up the production and today we have reached a stage that we are able to supply to all the supermarkets in

Chennai and other cities in India,” stated Dr Mohan.

Dr Mohan’s High Fibre Rice contains 8 grams of fibre con-tent whereas the normal rice has only 1 gram. These findings of the Diabetes Centre have earned the goodwill of the Government of India which has sanctioned funds to conduct more research and to market it internationally.

Diabetes is a growing concern in Oman, where around 15 per cent of the population is diabetic. The main reason for diabetes is obesity and lack of physical activity.

“In this context, we have to be careful with the therapy we pre-scribe since some of the drugs we prescribe can directly increase the weight of the patient including in-sulin. Weight gain is the side effect of insulin.

“Luckily newer drugs are intro-duced which are weight neutral and some of which can actually re-duce the weight,” he said.

Dr Mohan’s High Fibre Rice contains 8 grams

of fibre content whereas the normal rice has

only 1 gram. These findings of the Diabetes

Centre have earned the goodwill of the

Government of India

DIABETOLOGIST: Dr V. Mohan

— Jun Estrada/TIMES OF OMAN

A’Saffa Foods wins major ISO, HACCP certificationsMUSCAT: A’Saffa Foods, Oman’s largest producer of inte-grated poultry and value added products, has been accredited with internationally acclaimed processing and management systems and certifications to its credit, reinforcing its brand promise and assuring customers that they can buy their products with confidence and trust.

One of the keys to the taste and quality of A’Saffa Foods chicken products is the fact that all chick-ens are bred at the state-of-art fa-cility in the south of Oman and are fed on 100 percent natural feed (Yello corn and Soya) that plays a major role in the supreme taste and tenderness of the chickens and ensures that consumers are buying a fresh, natural and tasty product, says a press release.

A’Saffa Foods processing plant is HACCP certified which is the highest international standards for food quality and hygiene, us-ing the very best-in-class technol-ogy and equipment, and it today recognised as among the most advanced units of its kind in the GCC with a high operational ca-pacity per hour.

In addition, the company has also secured the prestigious ISO 9001 Total Quality Management System and ISO 14001 Environ-mental Management System for its operations that are consistently identified as some of the best in the region. “We are proud of the world class quality and systems that we have in place to ensure that our food processing is of the highest quality and can ensure that con-sumers across Oman can buy our chicken and other products with full confidence. When it comes to buying food for the family, it is es-sential for our customers to know they can buy our products in the knowledge that it has been pro-duced in conditions that can match

any in the world – with the added benefits of its 100 per cent pure halal production and great taste thanks to our systems and natural feed we give our chickens,” said Sidhartha Lenka, Head of Sales and Marketing, A’Saffa Foods.

One of the reasons for the re-mote desert location near Thum-rait is to ensure the most strin-gent ‘bio-security’ measures are in place at the A’Saffa farms and processing facilities. The farms are also high-technology and each individual farm has a envi-ronmentally controlled broiler shed that has been developed in keeping with stringent European Community standards.

The company takes pride in its

first and one-of-a-kind technologi-cally advanced sheds in Oman that have a capacity to house 32,500 chickens, where each farm is au-tomatically controlled through advanced climate control systems. Optimal temperatures and humid-ity levels are programmed into the system and it maintains the condi-tions round the clock. In addition, the entire feeding and watering systems are fully automated. It is noteworthy, that A’Saffa’s entire farm is operated and controlled from a single computer-based system. To ensure the well-being of the livestock, and to check on their condition and any potential hazards, A’Saffa also employs a full team of medical specialists on the site who have extensive interna-tional experience of working with farm animals.

“Being pioneers in fully inte-grated poultry production and farm management systems we have built our competence and expertise in food production, pro-cessed food technology and in-novative food recipes helping us to deliver new, flavourful choices that consumers can enjoy any-time,” said Lenka.

A C C R E D I T A T I O N

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ahlibank marks 7 years of successful operation

MUSCAT: ahlibank recently cel-ebrated seven years of successful operation in the Sultanate with its annual staff gathering, a day marked by festivities, food and fun activities for its employees and their families at the Millen-nium Resort in Musannah, says a press release.

Considering their staff to be the

main contributors to their suc-cess, ahlibank accords top priority to them, taking pride in develop-ing and honing their skills. As part of its efforts to bring staff together on a common platform, with the aim to strike a healthy balance between work and leisure, the annual staff gathering included — distribution of T-shirts to the

staff, team building activities, stage shows (magician, dancers, free-style football) a live Omani halwa section, and water sports activities ( jet-skiing, kayaking, water slides). The highlight of the day however, was the hourly raffle draws that had amazing gifts at-tached to them.

“The success of ahlibank has always been rooted in our ser-vice to society at large. As we celebrate and reflect on the past seven years, our success has a cor-relation to the success of our cus-tomers. Whether it’s purchasing a new home, sending kids to college or helping local businesses and community organisations, we are privileged to have played a part in them all,” commented Lloyd Mad-dock, CEO, ahlibank.

“Our staff at ahlibank too de-

serves special mention, as they have not only inspired team spirit, but also continuous progress and development.

Infact the festivities at Mil-lennium Resort were a celebra-tion of the men and women who have been a part of this organisa-tion over these years. We look to the future of ahlibank with even greater optimism. The bank will continue to align its future plans with national goals and avail of all the opportunities that come its way during the year.” he added.

ahlibank has always been an or-ganisation which banks on its em-ployees’ satisfaction and believes that events that bring ahlibank-ers together with their families outside the work environment go a long way in fostering team work and cooperation.

Considering their staff to be the main

contributors to their success, ahlibank

accords top priority to them, taking pride in

developing and honing their skills

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles supports Muscat FestivalMUSCAT: Suhail Bahwan Auto-mobiles, the exclusive distributor of Nissan vehicles in Oman has announced their participation in this year’s Muscat Festival which started on Thursday. Nissan Oman will be associated with this pres-tigious event as a gold sponsor, says a press release.

The Sultanate’s biggest cultural and entertainment extravaganza — Muscat Festival that attracts a huge number of visitors is a promi-nent highlight of the social calen-dar in the Sultanate.

As a part of this initiative, Su-hail Bahwan Automobiles has put up a grand display of its latest range of vehicles at the Muscat Festival grounds in Amerat Park

and Naseem Garden. Capitalising on this month-long annual event that is designed to showcase the Sultanate’s rich cultural heritage as well as its modern facets, Su-hail Bahwan Automobiles has also planned for exciting events to en-thral the visitors.

The event which was originally trade-oriented has today taken the form of a cultural, social, en-tertainment and shopping festival that projects the rich heritage of the country and continues to draw Omani nationals as well as for-eigners from various walks of life. Adding a sporting dimension to the festival in the form of Tour de Oman is a greatly welcomed step. This will reinforce the spirit of

adventure and youthfulness in the Omani society.

“Muscat Festival reflects Oman’s legendary history, culture and traditions attracting thou-sands of people from within and outside the Sultanate every year,” said a key spokesperson of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA). “We have been there to support Mus-cat Festival in different capacities over the last many years.

Enduring commitment“Our gold sponsorship of the Mus-cat Festival represents Suhail Bahwan Group’s enduring com-mitment to the strengthening of cultural and social foundation of the Omani society. As in previ-

ous years, Suhail Bahwan Auto-mobiles will be at the forefront of the group’s participation this year too,” he further added.

Celebrating Oman’s traditional arts, culture and heritage while providing people of Oman fun, adventure, excitement and en-tertainment, the Muscat Festival will be a great platform for Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA) to fur-ther deepen the emotional connect with the people in Oman. With around two million visitors at the last event, the festival is expected to again capture the imagination of the world through eye-catching events that showcase the true es-sence of Oman.

Muscat Festival offers all the

residents a chance to take peek at the cultural extravaganza that Muscat is known for. Various en-tertainment troupes from differ-ent parts of the world have been roped in to make this show a veri-table feast for every visitor.

There are various games, fire-works and stage shows that gener-ate interest among the residents and visitors alike.

Experienced teamSuhail Bahwan Automobiles is showcasing a vast range of vehi-cles. SBA’s fully trained and expe-rienced team of sales consultants will be providing festival visitors with the relevant information across all brands.

G O L D S P O N S O R S

OSN extends partnership with Emirates Cricket BoardDUBAI: Underlining its com-mitment to promoting cricket in the Middle East and defining its credentials as the home of cricket, OSN, the region’s lead-ing pay-TV network, has further extended its partnership with Emirates Cricket Board as the official sponsor of the UAE Na-tional Cricket Teams for 2015.

Signing up in March 2014 as the first corporate sponsor of the UAE National Cricket Teams, OSN’s renewed support extends to the UAE Men’s National Crick-et Team, UAE Women’s National Cricket Team, UAE Under 19 Men’s Cricket Team and UAE Un-der 16 Men’s Cricket Team, says a press release. “The extended partnership to the UAE Nation-al Cricket Teams underlines our commitment to nurturing and promoting national cricket-ing talent,” said, David Butorac, CEO of OSN.

O F F I C I A L S P O N S O R

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Shell holds seminar on cutting edge technology

MUSCAT: Shell Oman Marketing conducted a seminar on construc-tion and maintenance of road as-phalt pavements here recently.

The seminar, part of Shell Oman Marketing’s on-going commit-ment to its customers, is aimed at enlightening their clients from the construction sector about new techniques and technologies that contribute to quality infrastruc-ture projects, says a press release.

Shell Products like Cariphalte polymer-modified binder (PMBs) and Mexphalte C are one of latest Shell bitumen solutions for infra-structure development projects such as roads, airports, railways, ports and others.

“We at Shell have a strong track record in innovation and we want-ed to share some of our cutting-edge technological developments with consultants, contractors and

concerned stakeholders in Oman. The main aim of the workshop was to showcase ways in which busi-nesses can reduce the occurrence of maintenance through the proper application and testing of bitumen on new roads,” stated al Rawahi, Commercial Fuel manager.

The seminar was conducted by Prof John Read, global technology General Manager for Shell Bitu-men, who has more than 20 years of experience in the bitumen and asphalt industry.

Shell is recognised for being one of the leaders in bitumen and asphalt technology research for more than 85 years.

A highlight of the seminar was Shell’s cariphalte polymer modi-fied bitumen range that provides solution for all types of roads. Shell’s technological know-how, supply capabilities, service stand-ards and reputation make us a preferred partner for all infra-structure and construction relat-ed projects.

The seminar, part of Shell Oman Marketing’s

on-going commitment to its customers, is

aimed at enlightening their clients from the

construction sector about new techniques

and technologies that contribute to quality

infrastructure projects

Bank Sohar conducts 15-day training course for 9 new employeesMUSCAT: Bank Sohar, one of the leading banks in Oman, strongly believes that investment in train-ing and development is the key to operational excellence and the overall success of the bank.

Therefore, in its consistent endeavour to develop the skills of its valued staff, Bank Sohar recently organised a 15-day train-ing course entitled ‘Foundation Programme - Branch Banking’ for nine new employees from various branches and units, says a press release.

“Since its inception, Bank So-har has spared no expense in training and developing its em-ployees. This is especially impor-tant to the staff in the retail sector in each of our branches. They are the ones that are in direct contact with the bank’s customers and their behaviour, skill, knowledge or any other interactions with a customer are a direct reflection of Bank Sohar’s commitment to-wards banking excellence,” com-menting on the training course, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, DGM – Human Resources and Corpo-rate Support of Bank Sohar, said,

Targeting new hires, the 15-day foundation programme was designed to cover the most im-portant topics and skills required by new employees as they begin their career in the banking sec-tor. Programme topics covered areas such as accountancy skills, modern behavioural trends and systems training to equip new employees with the required knowledge and skills to enable them to carry out their roles at the bank efficiently.

Another of the training pro-gramme’s primary goals was to fully acquaint staff with the bank’s unique products and ser-vices. In addition, the course also

included training related to cus-tomer service and direct selling.

Such training courses facili-tate and enhance the knowledge and comprehension of the bank’s products and the economy in the Sultanate, which in turn helps them better serve the bank’s cus-tomers. “The bank accords top priority towards staff care, devel-oping and training. We consider our staff not only as a working force but also as the main con-tributors to our success. Their tal-ents and innovation have ensured a continuous development of the bank and, together with our loyal customers, are the reason behind the bank’s strong financial results and achievements,” Munira said.

D E V E L O P I N G S K I L L S

Since its inception, Bank Sohar has spared no expense in training and developing its employees This is especially important to the staff in the retail sector in each of our branches

Munira MackiDGM, Bank Sohar

Emax launches its toll free helpline numberMUSCAT: Emax, the largest elec-tronics retailer in the Middle East and a member of the Landmark Group, has now started its own toll free helpline number ‘Hello Emax’. An easy dial to 8000-3629 con-nects consumers to an expert team of Emax representatives dedicated to answer all their customer que-ries, says a press release.

“At Emax we place our custom-ers as priority. They have been in-strumental in contributing to our success. In turn, we have been able to win their loyalty and patron-age, our team has always gone the extra mile to deliver that extended support, care and service. Hello Emax is just another avenue for us to be available for our customers from Saturday to Thursday 10am to 7pm,” said Neelesh Bhatnagar, CEO Emax.

Hello Emax is the latest endeav-our to increase customer satisfac-

tion and service by providing an easy, quick and reliable channel for any support with Emax products and services.

All suggestions or feedbacks are duly recorded for future reference and any budding issues are im-mediately tended to. On the other hand, for all the electronics en-thusiasts, Hello Emax serves as a directory of all product and service information one could possibly be looking for.

Simple to remember digits, Hello Emax is easily accessible from anywhere. It is almost like having the store at your telephonic disposal. Need specifications to a laptop, curious about the launch of a new phone or just want that little guidance with a new home theatre – Hello Emax is only a quick dial away.

Emax reps have the much needed comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the products and services. An expert team makes sure that the desired information is provided in a jiffy; without having to listen to unending jingles.

Emax has established its name in the electronics industry for be-ing a leading store with a complete range and variety of electronic goods and has also kept up an un-tarnished track record boasting of a flawless service.

R E L I A B L E C H A N N E L

ISAS students tour North India

MUSCAT: It was an unprec-edented opportunity for the stu-dents of Indian School Al Seeb (ISAS) to be a part of a 10-day educational trip to North India during the winter break.

A group of 26 students under-took this tour accompanied by their teachers Binu Johny and Shashi Tandon.

The tour not only aimed at entertaining and educating the students on the cultural diversi-ty and heritage of India but also focused on enlightening them with the latest aspects of science and technology. This unique venture, taken up for the first time by the school, was highly appreciated by the parents as they were informed about the whereabouts and well-being of their wards at every step of the tour, using the innovative com-munication techniques, says a press release.

The day of departure was met by warm greetings from the SMC members which were con-veyed by the Principal, Nagesh Kelkar. The students began their tour with Uttar Pradesh and first visited Mathura. They were fortunate to see the Taj Mahal, which is truly one of the universally admired master-pieces of the world’s heritage.

They were particularly im-pressed and emotionally moved to see the historical monument, Jallianwala Bagh. They were in awe when they saw the beauti-ful Golden Temple at Amritsar. The students were also fortunate to see the lowering of the flag or beating the retreat ceremony at Wagha Border and later ‘Rangla Punjab Haveli’ (an artificial min-iature of Punjab) in Jalandhar.

According to one of the trip members, this educational tour has helped them not only to be-come more responsible and dis-ciplined, but also to visit places of immeasurable value and historical importance, thereby enhancing their knowledge and developing their personality.

E D U C A T I O N A L T R I P

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OIFC acts to end customer woes

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Thousands of elec-tricity and water consumers in Oman can bid their billing woes a goodbye as Oman Investment and Finance Company (OIFC) has finally decided to enhance its efficiency by establishing a dedi-

cated Quality Centre to improve customer experience.

The centre, established recently by OIFC, aims precisely to en-hance the quality aspects of OIFC billing operations and improve the customer service for billing of electricity and water utilities.

“The continuous efforts of OIFC and its team to analyse, act and resolve are a part of our ongoing aim. Today, establishing our Qual-ity Centre is indeed a reflection of belief and dedication towards our company statement ‘Your Satis-faction … Our Goal’,” commented Said Ahmed Safrar, CEO of OIFC.

Accuracy and precision would be the main focus with which this centre would function.

The accomplishment of setting the Quality Centre is considered

to be an important step towards a higher quality of service, and is a result of company’s continuous focus on efficiency.

The newly established Quality Centre relies on a dedicated and professional team, who operates on a customised platform of data analysis and monitoring and op-erations management in order to meet the quality expectations. The role of the Quality Centre will fo-cus on improving the customer ex-perience as a short term objective and minimising the commercial loss at electricity and water gen-eration as a long term objective.

The Quality Centre was estab-lished in coordination with Public Authority for Electricity & Water (PAEW) and Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDCo).

The new Quality

Centre, established

recently by Oman

Investment and

Finance Company,

aims precisely to

enhance the quality

aspects of OIFC

billing operations and

improve the overall

customer experience

Renault Oman announces new ‘Muscat Festival Offer’MUSCAT: Muscat Festival calls for festive offers from leading brands and Renault Oman has launched a big one. Apart from the displays and raf-fle, Renault introduces a unique ‘Muscat Festival Offer’ which will include free registration, free service or periodic maintenance for two years / 30,000km which-ever is earlier on select models like Safrane, Fluence, the newly launched Captur, Koleos and Duster. The offer will also include free six years or unlimited mile-age warranty, assured cash gift and AAA Roadside Assistance Card on select models only, says a press release. Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA), the exclusive diswtributor of Renault vehicles in Oman, has announced its participation as gold sponsors in the ongoing 2015 Muscat Festival which is sched-uled to be held till February 14.

Renault Oman will have its models displayed at Al Amerat where its representatives will be managing customer queries on the brand’s services, mile-age, vehicle range etc. SBA, like every other year, is actively part of Oman’s biggest cultural show. Being a gold sponsor, SBA intends to showcase the very best of its customer service, product range, unique schemes and more. Cus-

tomers visiting the Renault ex-hibit during the Muscat Festival can take advantage of some of the most unique schemes, prices and surprises on each of their models.

Renault Oman strives on the strong customer feedback which resulted in providing its most val-ued and desired customers with unmatched services and custom-er relationships that match inter-national standards.

Renault focuses on the aspects such as safety, style, performance, value and reliability. Moreover, Renault is also known to have the maximum number of Euro-NCAP Five Star rated models glob-ally. Known to be a trusted name amongst niche clients in Oman, Renault strives to be different and unique by offering unmatched

services resulting in a happy and satisfied customer base.

Today, Renault offers a sophis-ticated range of vehicles of which the best sellers are the sleek Flu-ence, the strikingly good looking Safrane and the newly launched and most talked about - Renault Captur. The SUV range compris-es the all new Duster and the Ko-leos. Renault also has some of the safest and fuel efficient light com-mercial vehicles in the Sultanate namely the Trafic, the Logan Van and the Logan Pick-up.

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles is largely committed to support-ing Renault Oman’s growth in the Sultanate through major empha-sis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

E X C I T I N G P R O M O

GlassPoint recognised

for corporate excellence

MUSCAT: GlassPoint Solar, the leader in solar enhanced oil recovery (EOR), was recently selected as a finalist for the Sec-retary of State’s prestigious 2014 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE). GlassPoint was among nine global US businesses recog-nised for their contribution to the overall growth and sustainable development of the local econo-mies in which they operate, says a press release.

US Ambassador to Oman, Gre-ta C. Holtz, praised GlassPoint’s contributions to the local econ-omy, including its plans for hir-ing Omanis and manufacturing many of its materials in Oman, and GlassPoint’s demonstrated ability to liberate valuable gas resources currently used in the country’s oil fields by harnessing solar energy. In addition, Holtz said, “GlassPoint’s growth in Oman demonstrates the value of a Free Trade Agreement in boost-ing mutually-beneficial partner-ships in science and technology, innovation, and business solu-tions between our two countries.”

There is a critical shortage of natural gas in Oman as power generation, oil recovery and in-dustrial projects compete for its limited resources. Gas used for oil production already accounts for nearly a quarter of Oman’s to-tal gas use and continues to rise.

“It is truly a privilege to be hon-oured by Ambassador Holtz and the State Department for making a positive contribution in Oman and we look forward to building on this success. It is now proven

that Oman can use its abundant sunshine to help produce its heavy oil, releasing gas for higher value applications. Wide-scale deployment of GlassPoint’s so-lar steam technology could re-duce EOR gas use by up to 80 per cent. Having this gas to sustain the country’s LNG exports or to fuel new industries will have significant and lasting impacts on Oman’s economy,” said, Rod MacGregor, CEO and President of GlassPoint Solar.

GlassPoint partnered with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) to build the Middle East’s first solar EOR project. The pilot system has been operating suc-cessfully since late 2012, exceed-ing all performance targets. The project was completed safely on time and on budget, and is serv-ing as an operational baseline for large-scale projects.

Last year, the State General Re-serve Fund (SGRF), Oman’s larg-est sovereign wealth fund, invest-ed in GlassPoint alongside Royal Dutch Shell to accelerate deploy-ment of solar EOR in the Sultan-ate and throughout the region.

The Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE), established in 1999, recognises US businesses for outstanding corporate citizenship, innovation and international business prac-tices. Companies are selected through a senior-level interagen-cy review of nominations from US ambassadors worldwide. GlassPoint was the only finalist selected for its work in the Mid-dle East region.

C O N T R I B U T I N G T O L O C A L E C O N O M Y

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Oman bow out of Asian Cup with victory over Kuwait

NEWCASTLE: Oman beat Ku-wait 1-0 at Newcastle Stadium on Saturday evening to finish in third place in Group A of the Asian Cup.With both teams having lost their first two games to effectively be eliminated from the competition, the meeting between the Gulf ri-vals had little riding on it.

Oman ensured they did not fin-ish bottom of the group by pulling off a victory thanks to a solitary goal from Abdulaziz Al Muqbali despite Kuwait having much the better of the game.

The Kuwait side will feel hard done by as they outplayed their op-ponents for much of the match.

However, a goal in the 69th minute by Al Muqbali was all that mattered for Oman at the end of the day.

After a quiet start to the first half, Kuwait began to find their rhythm, and managed the first shot on goal in the 11th minute when captain Mesaed Al Enzi fired in a free-kick from just outside the box on the right which sailed over the bar.

Just before the half hour mark Khaled Al Qahtani received the ball in space in the box on the right following a fine pass from Abdul-lah Al Buraiki.

He had time to pull the trigger, but sent in a poor effort that flew high and right of the goal.

Four minutes later on the other side of the box Kuwait had another great chance when Fahad Al Ha-jeri was unmarked and after being on the end of a fine ball he volleyed wide of the mark.

In the 42nd minute Fahad Al Ebrahim sent in a brilliant shot from the right and well outside the box. It was slightly too high but forced the keeper to make a dive at full stretch to make sure his goal was protected.

The second half saw Kuwait continue to exert pressure on Oman as they went in search of a breakthrough goal.

Five minutes into the second half, Oman’s Jaber Al Owaisi came so close to scoring a spectacular own goal when in trying to clear the ball he headed it just over his own cross bar.

In the 53rd minute, Al Ebra-him shot low and left of the right

hand post from just outside the box. Shortly after Al Buraiki broke down the right and as he closed in on goal quickly to fire off a shot that was well saved by Oman’s goal-keeper and captain Ali Al Habsi.

Completely against the run of play Oman broke the deadlock in the 69th minute when they scored a textbook goal.

Mohammed Al Siyabi fired in a pinpoint cross from the right to Al Muqbali, who was unmarked and produced a fine header from close range that easily beat the keeper.

Two minutes later Al Muqbali could have made it 2-0 when he was found in the middle of the box again, but he shot well wide.

Oman maintained the pressure and Qasim Said could have added another when he was found in space shortly after on the left but he blasted his shot straight at the keeper. At the other end Kuwait quickly retaliated and had two fine opportunities to draw level.

In the 79th minute, Al Burai-ki had a clear header but failed to find the target and then one minute later from a similar posi-tion Yousef Naser also glanced the ball wide as Kuwait finished bot-tom of Group A. - AFC

Oman ensured they

did not finish bottom

of Group A by pulling

off a solitary goal

victory thanks to a

fine hearder from

Abdulaziz Al Muqbali

despite Kuwait

having much the

better of the gameFINE HEADER: Oman’s Abdulaziz Al-Muqbali, right, heads the ball to score against Kuwait during their Asian Cup Group A match at the Newcastle Stadium in Newcastle on Saturday. – Reuters

GOAL SCORER: Oman’s Abdulaziz Al Muqbali vies with a Kuwaiti player during their Asian Cup Group A match at the Newcastle Stadium in Newcastle on Saturday. – CIO DATAN/Times of Oman

Le Guen delighted with Oman’s winNEWCASTLE: Oman coach Paul Le Guen was delighted his side recorded their first win at the Asian Cup after surviving a tough match against Kuwait on Saturday.

“We had some difficulties dur-ing the game but we kept fighting. I like that about this team,” said the Frenchman.

“Kuwait are a good team. It is good for us and the state of our mind in the future. It was impor-tant to get a result.”

Samsung man of the match Abdulaziz Al Muqbali scored against the run of play in the 69th minute to hand Oman a 1-0 win after a 4-0 loss to hosts Australia and a 1-0 reversal against Korea Republic in a tough Group A.

“It is the only game Oman have won in the Asian Cup. It is not a

shame to finish third. I am happy with my players. They battled hard,” said the Oman coach.

“I tell the players never give up. You need to work to cope at in-ternational level. Players have to cope with high level (pressure),” Le Guen added.

Oman have enjoyed good re-sults recently against Kuwait beating them 5-0 at the Gulf Cup in November.

Le Guen said it was no surprise that Australia and Korea Repub-lic topped Group A to make it through to the quarterfinals.

“We had maximum effort in two strong matches. Today we re-turned and played a good match,” he said.

“We tried but we could not play the same rhythm as Australia, we will try our best to improve.” - AFC

I M P O R T A N T R E S U L T

TRY TO IMPROVE: Paul Le Guen

South Korea upset AustraliaBRISBANE: South Korea upset Australia 1-0 at the Asian Cup on Saturday to top the Group A stand-ings and secure a potentially eas-ier path to the final while leaving the host nation facing a treacher-ous route.

Striker Lee Jeong-Hyeop scored a perfectly-executed goal in the first half to give his team a sur-prise lead then the Koreans held on against a wave of Australian at-tacks to clinch the victory.

The win meant South Korea finished at the top of the Group A standings with three wins and will play either Uzbekistan or Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals.

As Group A runners-up, Aus-tralia will play the Group B win-ners China with the defending champions Japan lurking as a pos-sible semifinalist.

The Australians dominated possession and territory but paid a high price for squandering their best chances and resting some of their key players, including star striker Tim Cahill, who only came on for the last 20 minutes when the Socceroos were desperate for an equaliser.

The Korean goalkeeper Kim Jin-Hyeon pulled off a series of sharp saves to keep his team ahead and the visitors were unlucky not to grab a second on the counterattack as they raised hopes of winning their first Asian Cup since 1960.

Lee, who was recalled to the starting lineup after missing South Korea’s previous group win over Kuwait, broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when he got his foot on to a perfectly angled cross from his team mate Lee Keun-Ho.

The glance was just enough to divert the ball into the net at the far post, evading the diving Australian goalkeeper Mat Ryan.

With both teams already assured

of a place in the quarterfinals, the two regional powerhouses initially adopted a cautious approach, on a hot and humid evening at Bris-bane’s Lang Park that was invaded by thousands of moths.

The match began in slightly bi-zarre circumstances when thou-sands of moths descended onto the stadium field and grandstands, forcing staff to vacuum some of the benches where players and of-ficials were trying to sit.

But once the Koreans scored, the match opened up as both teams ran themselves to the point of exhaustion.

Tomi Juric forced the South Ko-rean goalkeeper Kim Jin-Hyeon to make a sharp save at the near post after an attacking run while James Troisi just missed the target after he fooled the Korean defence in the box and turned quickly to shoot.

The Australians raised the tempo in the second half, starv-

ing South Korea of possession and pressing for an equaliser.

Juric missed another chance shortly after the re-start when he shot over the bar from close range after combining with Ivan Franjic.

Nathan Burns almost scored when he weaved his way past two defenders and into the box only to see his shot saved.

Burns was immediately re-placed in a double substitution which saw Cahill and Robbie Kruse introduced with 20 minutes remaining.

Kruse was given golden chance to equalise three minutes from the end when he found himself free in the box but couldn’t beat Kim Jin-Hyeon one on one. - Reuters

E A S I E R P A T H T O F I N A L

PERFECTLY EXECUTED: South Korea’s Lee Jeong-Hyeop celebrates after scoring a goal against Australia during their Asian Cup Group A match at the Brisbane Stadium on Saturday. – Reuters

Asian Cup standings after Saturday’s matches:

P W D L F A GA Pts Group A*South Korea 3 3 0 0 3 0 +3 9*Australia 3 2 0 1 8 2 +6 6Oman 3 1 0 2 1 5 -4 3Kuwait 3 0 0 3 1 6 -5 0

Group B*China 2 2 0 0 3 1 +2 6Saudi Arabia 2 1 0 1 4 2 -2 3 Uzbekistan 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3 North Korea 2 0 0 2 1 5 -4 0

Group C*UAE 2 2 0 0 6 2 +4 6*Iran 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 6Bahrain 2 0 0 2 1 4 -3 0Qatar 2 0 0 2 1 5 -4 0

Group DJapan 2 2 0 0 5 0 +5 6Jordan 2 1 0 1 5 2 +3 3Iraq 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 3Palestine 2 0 0 2 1 9 -8 0

S T A N D I N G S


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Olaroiu turns shrink to improve Saudi mindset

MELBOURNE: Saudi Arabia’s caretaker coach Cosmin Olaroiu on Saturday said he’s spending as much time acting as a psychiatrist to his players as imparting tactical wisdom at the Asian Cup.

The Romanian said strength-ening the mentality of the Saudi players was one of his biggest chal-lenges as the three-time cham-pions look to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.

“Improving the psychology of

the players is a very important part of my job,” he told reporters on the eve of their crunch Group B clash with Uzbekistan.

“You need to build the confi-dence of the players. Attitude if the most important thing in football.”

Saudi Arabia won the last of their three Asian Cup titles in 1996 and were runners-up for a third time in 2007 when they were stunned by Iraq in the final, but have slipped behind the re-

gion’s powerhouses Japan, South Korea, Iran and Australia in re-cent years.

“There is more to football than what happens on the pitch,” added Olaroiu, manager of Dubai-based Al Ahli and coaching the Saudi na-tional team part-time until the end of the Asian Cup.

“To be a coach you have to be working in many directions.”

Saudi Arabia recovered from a shock 1-0 defeat by China in their opening game by overpowering North Korea 4-1 in midweek, ef-fectively making Sunday’s Mel-bourne clash against the Uzbekis a knockout game with the Chinese already through.

Naif Hazazi and Nawaf Alabid have both fluffed penalties, raising questions as to the mental strength of the Saudis.

Such is the significance of their game against Uzbekistan that each Saudi player is reportedly set to pocket a bonus of around $12,000.

But Olaroiu insisted it was glo-

ry, and not cash, that motivated his team.

“Nobody is thinking about mon-ey,” he snapped. “We don’t play for a bonus. That’s not an incentive. We play to simply bring happiness to the people of Saudi Arabia. That is the best bonus for us. We have a responsibility to win and that would be of more value.”

Big expectationsUzbekistan reached the semifinals in 2011 but need a drastic reversal in fortune following a stunning 2-1 defeat by China. “I don’t think we underestimated China,” said Uz-bekistan coach Mirdjalal Kasimov. “We just made silly mistakes and we paid for them.”

Asked if he would step down if Uzbekistan failed to advance, the former midfielder replied: “We came to this tournament in high spirits and with big expectations and carry them into tomorrow’s game. If we fail, there will be time to consider my future.” - AFP

The Romanian said strengthening the

mentality of the Saudi players was one of

his biggest challenges as the three-time

champions take on Uzbekistan

in a crucial Group B clash

RESPONSIBILITY TO WIN: Saudi Arabian players pictured during a training sessions in Melbourne. – AFP

China ‘not the best team’, says PerrinCANBERRA: China coach Alain Perrin on Saturday played down his side’s chances at the Asian Cup as he attempted to dampen rising expectations after two wins out of two games so far.

China are already assured of finishing top of Group B after their best start to the tournament in 27 years, but Perrin insisted his team remain outsiders.

“I think our team are not the best at this tournament,” the Frenchman said ahead of Sun-day’s final group game against North Korea in Canberra.

“But even although we are not the best we will challenge and try to beat our opponents,” the Frenchman added.

The Chinese team will top of Group B irrespective of Sunday’s result, following their 1-0 victory against Saudi Arabia and 2-1 upset of Uzbekistan.

The fast start has been a surprise from a team known as a “sleeping giant” of football and which is yet to win the Asian Cup, despite qualify-ing 11 times in a row.

“Before we came here to play in the tournament somebody asked me what was my target and I told him my target was to win the first match,” Perrin said.

“So for me the most impor-tant thing is to focus on the next match. For the trophy, the final match is far away.”

He is expected to rest several key players in Sunday’s game, ahead of China’s quarterfinal in Brisbane — scene of both their wins so far — on Thursday.

“I’m very happy that we had 17 players involved in the first two matches. Football is not just about 11 players, we must have more players involved,” Perrin explained.

“I think the match against North Korea is a very good oppor-tunity to have more players take part in this tournament.”

China have been runners-up twice in the Asian Cup and last reached the knock-out stages when they hosted the event in 2004, but Perrin is refusing to get carried away.

“As professional footballers we must always be ready to face the challenges, so tomorrow we will try to play our best game and get the three points,” he said.

North Korea will be playing for nothing but pride after their opening defeats to Uzbekistan

and Saudi Arabia consigned them to a group-stage exit.

Slight changeMeanwhile, Coach Jo Tong-Sop vowed to change both personnel and strategies in search of al-ready-eliminated North Korea’s first Asian Cup win in 35 years when they take on China.

Korea exited the Asian Cup after a 4-1 defeat by three-time winners Saudi Arabia following an opening 1-0 loss to Uzbekistan.

“For the next match there will be a slight change in formation and the selection list to get the best possible result in this tourna-ment,” Jo, who was also in charge of the national team during the Asian Cup four years ago, said.

“The match against Uzbeki-stan I think we lost because we did not anticipate correctly their attack down the wings, our de-fence was not prepared for that.

“And against Saudi Arabia, the players were too excited once they conceded the second goal and did not defend properly. That is the main reason we were tacti-cally defeated.

“I don’t want to blame the play-ers; my leadership, my instruc-tions, my plans and projects were not good enough. Training and playing tactics for the match was not perfect; I think that was the reason for the losses.”

And Jo knows that his side will be in for a tough challenge should they wish to gain a first continen-tal championship win since the 1980 tournament.

“I watched the two games of China and the Chinese team is good in terms of physical fitness and they are technically and tacti-cally prepared well,” Jo said

The combination and leader-ship of the coach is very good, I think,” added Jo.

“I don’t feel any difference between this (match) and previ-ous matches.

“As we did in the last matches we do our best to show our full skill, there is no difference.

“Like the other teams, we also wanted to prove our skills when we prepared for the tournament and it did not work out very well.

“After this tournament when we get back to our homes we will analyse the matches and what was lacking and what has to be cov-ered, everything, and we will find out the way to improve it.” - AFP/AFC

Q U A L I F I E D

A chance for Abdulrahman to enhance his reputationSYDNEY: United Arab Emir-ates (UAE) playmaker Omar Ab-dulrahman has blossomed from “child prodigy” into one of the region’s most exciting talents and the Asian Cup is proving the ideal stage for the 23-year-old to en-hance his reputation.

The Al Ain wide man made his mark at the 2012 London Games, when the Emirati side qualified for the Olympics for first time.

The skilful, shaggy-haired Ab-dulrahman continued to improve and underlined his worth by bag-ging player of the tournament in his country’s triumph in the 2013 Gulf Cup.

While several clubs in Europe’s top leagues were reportedly showing an interest in the left-footer, a move failed to material-ise but that does not seem to have hampered his progress.

The UAE were unbeaten in Asian Cup qualification, with five wins and a draw, and were joint top scorers with Iran, many of them created by Abdulrahman.

It was not surprising then that the UAE were left sweating on the player’s fitness after he injured his ankle in this year’s Gulf Cup semifinal defeat to Saudi Arabia in November. UAE coach Mahdi Ali included him in the Asian Cup squad despite the fitness con-cerns and was relieved when the player lasted the full 90 minutes of their opener against Qatar.

“Omar is a talented player and one of the main players in the team,” Ali told reporters. “I am very happy for him playing a full 90 minutes after one-and-a-half months of injury.”

Abdulrahman looked rusty in the first half in his first competi-tive match back but showed his class in the second as his team

came back from a goal down to thrash Qatar 4-1.

Gifted with the vision and abil-ity to find strikers with defence-splitting passes, he set up Ali Ahmed Mabkhout with a neat lofted ball over the head of a de-fender for the team’s opening goal in their 2-1 win over Bahrain in the second match in Canberra.

Former Socceroo Alex Brosque, who played alongside Abdulrah-man at Al Ain for two years, said the Asian Cup was the ideal envi-ronment for him to flourish.

“I’d heard about him before go-ing to the league, that he was one of those child prodigies,” Brosque was quoted as saying by the Syd-ney Morning Herald.

“I didn’t know what to expect,

but to be honest, in terms of pure technical ability and what he can do with a football, he’s probably the best player that I’ve played with.

“He’s incredible. He keeps the ball on a string, he’s always in con-trol and like I said, technically... I’ve never seen someone do with a football what he can do.

“Playing as a striker with him behind, you don’t even have to worry. As soon as the ball went to him you would just run into space and he would find you.”

With both sides already as-sured a place in the quarterfinals, the UAE will play Iran on Monday to determine top spot in Group C and Abdulrahman’s influence will be key to his side’s progress in Australia. - Reuters

G I F T E D P L A Y E R

INCREDIBLE ABILITY: Omar Abdulrahman, right, celebrates

with his UAE teammates during their Asian Cup Group C match

against Bahrain in Canberra on Thursday. – Reuters

Endo matches MatthaeusBRISBANE: Japan’s Yasuhito Endo reacted with mock hor-ror after learning he had tied German superstar Lothar Mat-thaeus by winning his 150th cap in his country’s 1-0 Asian Cup victory over Iraq.

The 34-year-old midfielder, given his international debut by Brazilian Zico in 2002, is ex-pected to surpass Matthaeus, who skippered West Germany to World Cup glory in 1990, when the Blue Samurai play Jordan in their final Group D game on Tuesday.

“Me going level with Mat-thaeus is a bit of an insult to Matthaeus,” said Japan’s record caps holder, initially discarded by Japan coach Javier Aguirre following their flop at last year’s World Cup before forcing his way back into the Mexican’s reckoning. But winning so many caps is obviously something I can be proud of, and matching Matthaeus is another thing I can look back on and boast about when I’m no longer playing.” - AFP

1 5 0 C A P S

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OMAN EDGE SINGAPORE IN FIH HOCKEY WORLD LEAGUE ROUND 2Oman recorded a hard-fought 3-2 win over hosts Singapore in their opening Pool A match in the FIH Hockey World League

Round 2 event in Singapore on Saturday. Qasim Al Shibli gave Oman with a fine field goal in the 18th minute while Moham-

med Bait Jandal scored a brace in the 24th and 46th minutes, both off short corners, in Oman’s victory. Ian Vanderput and

Ashriq Ferdous reduced the margin for the hosts. In other matches played on Saturday, Japan beat Bangladesh 5-1, Poland

routed Mexico 6-0 and Malaysia posted a 5-1 win over Uzbekistan. Oman play their next match against Malaysia on Monday.

New Zealand-Sri Lanka third ODI abandoned

AUCKLAND: The third One-day International (ODI) between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was aban-doned on Saturday after frequent interruptions because of rain.

The players were forced from the field for the third and final time with New Zealand, batting first, 145 for three after 28.5 overs.

More than three hours later, the umpires ruled there was no likelihood of the weather clearing enough for play to resume and the match was abandoned.

For New Zealand Martin Gup-till was not out 66, while for Sri Lanka Angelo Mathews had three for 21 runs.

New Zealand were rocked early when batting mainstay Bren-don McCullum was removed by Mathews for 28, putting pressure on Guptill to repay the faith the selectors had in him after he failed in the first two games.

He overcame a shaky start, offering a caught and bowled chance that fell just short of Nu-wan Kulasekara and twice sent an inside edge across the front of his stumps, before confidently accu-mulating runs.

McCullum again blazed away in trademark fashion at the head of the innings, racing to 28 off 22 deliveries.

McCullum innings came to an when he mistimed a pull shot off Mathews’s first delivery and edging the ball to Kulasekara at fine leg.

Tom Latham, another top order New Zealand batsman in need of confidence-boosting runs, proved an able lieutenant for Guptill.

Latham put on 42 in a 99-run

stand for the second wicket be-fore being bowled by Mathews when trying to settle in after the second rain break.

Ross Taylor became Mathews’s third victim when trapped leg be-fore wicket for three.

Taylor appealed the dismissal but replays supported the bowler.

Taylor left the field as the rain swept in for the final time.

The seven-match series is locked at 1-1 with the fourth game to be played in Nelson on Tuesday. -AFP

The players were

forced from the field

for the third and

final time with New

Zealand, batting

first, 145 for three

after 28.5 overs

NEW ZEALANDM. Guptill not out 66B. McCullum c Kulasekara b Mathews 28T. Latham b Mathews 42R. Taylor lbw Mathews 3Extras (lb-5, wd-1) 6Total (3 wkts, 28.5 overs) 145Fall of wickets: 1-40, 2-139, 3-145.Bowling: Kulasekara 6-0-35-0, Prasad 6-0-30-0, Mathews 6.5-2-21-3, Senanay-ake 7-0-30-0 (w-1), Perera 3-0-24-0.

S C O R E B O A R D

RAINED OFF: Ground staff try to protect the field after rain puts a stop to play during the third One-

day International match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Auckland on Saturday. – AFP

Boost for McLaren after Honda win engine argument

LONDON: McLaren have been given a boost after Formula One’s governing body tweaked the rules to allow Honda, the team’s new partner, to develop their engine this season in line with rival man-ufacturers.

The Japanese company, who have replaced Mercedes at McLaren, are returning to Formula One as the sport’s fourth engine supplier.

Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari are allowed to introduce limited upgrades during the season but Honda, as a new entrant, had been told to present their engine for ap-proval on Feb. 28 with no further development permitted.

Honda met International Au-tomobile Federation officials last Monday to present their view that the situation was unfair.

A document issued to teams on Friday by Formula One race direc-tor Charlie Whiting, seen by Reu-ters and confirmed by the Fia, did not name Honda but clarified the situation with an amendment in their favour.

“As each of the four 2015 manu-facturers will have an homolo-gated power unit at the start of the season, we believe it would be fair to ensure that each of them enjoys

equal opportunities for upgrades during the season,” it said.

“We will therefore allow the new manufacturer to use the same number of tokens that the other three manufacturers have avail-able to them, taken as an average of the three.

“For example, if the three 2014 manufacturers have eight, seven and five unused tokens respective-ly at the start of the season, then the new manufacturer will be al-lowed to use six during the season.”

The current manufacturers are allowed to improve their engine using a complicated system of ‘to-kens’ within set limits.

The tokens are assigned to parts of the engine and divided into three categories, meaning that some parts require more than others and manufacturers must choose which areas to improve.

There are 66 tokens and the ex-isting manufacturers can use 32 during the course of 2015, with the number reduced over time so that by 2018 there will be only 15 tokens available. Honda, who part-nered McLaren from 1988 to 1992 when they won four constructors’ titles, quit F1 as a constructor at the end of 2008. - Reuters

F O R M U L A O N E

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The World Cup defend-ing champions India begin their cam-

paign with the first of their tri-series matches against the hosts Australia today. The tri-series is a perfect opportunity for the team to find the balance that it needs going in to the World Cup. It allows the team to get their mind set back to the limited overs game. It gets them to know what two of their op-ponents will be like and what are their strengths and weaknesses.

It gets them used to the pitches and for their bowlers to know what is the kind of length they should be bowl-ing on these kind of pitches, and it gives the batsmen the chance to check whether their big shots will clear the longer boundaries in Aus-tralia or not.

There are, of course, many other plusses but these are the vital ones for the team.

The main thing, of course, is that there has to be an open mind about the selec-tion and make sure that everybody gets a fair chance to stake a claim for a place in the final eleven.

Luckily they have enough games to do so, unlike the Test series where there were only two two-day games before the first Test, so the batsmen certain to play in the first Test had to be given an outing.

What the tri-series will also help decide is whether India should go with its traditional bowling strength of spin or look at a seam ori-ented attack simply because the pitches here have a little more bounce and carry.

The seam attack was a major disappointment for its inability to contain the Australians in the Test series, and with the way they

have been hammered in the final overs in recent one-day matches overseas makes for a worrying aspect.

The Australians have begun well, chasing down a target that England had set them and getting a bonus point to boot, so they are high on confidence. It was not simply the batting, with David Warner hitting yet another century, but the way their new ball attack bowled that the Indians will have to watch out for.

Starc was getting the ball to curve in nicely to the right-handers and Cummins was getting to move it away and at high speed.

India’s batting was the highlight of the Test series, and that gives rise to the hopes that they are capable of chasing any total.

That may also make the think-tank decide to chase rather than set a target to the opposition. Here again, these four qualifying games give the team the chance to exper-iment with both aspects and also gives the bowlers the challenge to show they have learnt from the Test series.

The white ball will mean that the movement will not be extravagant, and that should suit the likes of Dha-wan and Rohit Sharma who like to play through the line without worrying about late movement of the ball.

Australia will start the favourites despite India being the world champions, but that could change by the time the finals come along.

- PMG

A perfect opportunity for to find the balance

C O M M E N T A R YIndia set for tri-series with one eye on WC

MELBOURNE: All set to defend their cricket World Cup crown in less than a month, India will get their preparations underway with the aim of finding the right com-bination for the marquee event when they take on Australia in their opening match of the ongo-ing One-day International (ODI) tri-series here on Sunday.

While this tri-series provides the perfect setting for experimen-tation, the need of the hour is to get a settled combination going ahead to instill confidence in the side.

In the recently-concluded Test series, these same set of players did compete well despite a 0-2 score-line saying otherwise. How-ever, the change in format cannot be negated and

there will always be a few cob-webs to be cleared.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will return to international crick-et after a little over two weeks since his Test retirement at the same venue, and he will have some decisions

to make. The first order of busi-ness will be to make a firm choice

about the opening combination.With less than a month to go

before their opening World Cup encounter against Pakistan in Ad-elaide, it is worrisome that India’s openers are yet unknown.

Ahead of Sunday’s game, the team management has failed to specify whether it will be Ajinkya Rahane or Rohit Sharma pairing up with Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order, or

indeed whether a third possi-bly-surprising combination might be thrown up.

The choice of openers will have an effect on the rest of the batting order as well.

If Rahane opens with Dhawan, where will Rohit fit in? Indeed, if Rohit opens the innings, will Rahane return to number four, a position he has not been comfort-able with.

Or, will Virat Kohli be moved

down a spot from his favoured number three, a move he experi-mented with while leading the side at home against Sri Lanka?

Unlike the team’s prepara-tions ahead of any Test match, their net-sessions for an ODI do not throw up any suggestive patterns and it was the same on Saturday as well.

In no particular order then, all batsmen enjoyed a decent hit in the nets including Ambati Rayudu and Stuart Binny.

Both of them will be hoping to play a definitive role during this tournament and increase their chances for the World Cup.

Among the bowlers, playing two spinners is definitely par for the course for India, with R Ashwin and Axar Patel slated to take up those spots.

Ravindra Jadeja is still some distance away from full fitness.

Meanwhile, Ishant Sharma too has been ruled out of this match with the management not willing to risk him at this stage in light of his left-knee niggle.

It remains to be seen whether Bhuvneshwar Kumar will make the cut given his not-so-impres-sive showing in the Sydney Test.

He bowled well below his regular pace in that match and appeared lacking in match-fitness. The onus will be on getting him in rhythm as soon as possible, but there are also other options available.

Mohit Sharma and Dhawal Kulkarni are in the tri-series 17-man squad, and have been con-firmed as back-up options for the World Cup, should one of the chosen bowlers break down. And so, the team management will be keen to rely on them and manage others’ workload.

While India are placed second in the latest ICC ODI rankings, they do not have an impressive showing in this format on their past three overseas tours.

They have only won three out of 12 matches played, all of them coming against an English ODI side in a state of free-fall at this moment.

In five out of six losses then, where conditions were pretty much equivalent to the upcoming World Cup, India conceded 359 and 281 in Africa, and 293, 293 and 304 against New Zealand.

India (from): Mahendra Singh Dho-ni (capt & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Am-bati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Stuart Binny, Axar Patel, R Ashwi-n, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Dha-wal Kulkarni, Mohit Sharma.

Australia (from): George Bailey (capt), Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Max-well, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson, Kane Richard-son, Gurinder Sandhu. - PTI

While the tri-

series provides the

perfect setting for

experimentation,

the need of the hour

is to get a settled

combination going

ahead to instill

confidence

in the side

MELBOURNE: Australia all-rounder James Faulkner says his team is not worried about the slow nature of the pitches and the Indians us-ing it to their advantage as he feels the hosts are in equally good form.

The flat wickets in Mel-bourne and Sydney during the four-Test series between India and Australia had come under criticism with many saying that the visitors got all the advantage.

“It comes down to the conditions and what line up they go with, whether they want to play a spinner or not.

But we are not worried. Eve-ryone seems to be in form. It’s a good healthy environ-ment for Australian cricket,” Faulkner said on the eve of India-Australia tri-series encounter.

Faulkner said the two teams would be starting off on equal footing tomorrow and it’s going to be a tough game.

“It looked like a very good Test series. The Indian bats-men are in pretty good touch as well, particularly Virat Kohli. They’re going to be tough tomorrow. They’re a very good one-day team and so are we,” he pointed out. - PTI

Not worried about slow tracks, says Faulkner

Pakistan not favourites for World Cup, says WaqarLAHORE: Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis on Saturday said he was happy his team were not among the favourites to win next month’s World Cup, saying the tag often put unnecessary pres-sure on players.

Pakistan will play two One-day Internationals (ODIs) against New Zealand on January 31 and February 3, before starting their World Cup campaign against arch-rivals India in Adelaide on February 15.

“I am happy that we are not the favourites, to be very hon-est because it is a big pressure, being the favourites,” Waqar told media.

“We were not the favourites last time either but we played excellent cricket and reached the semifinals,” said Waqar, who was head coach in Pakistan’s 2011 World Cup finish, losing to India in the semis.

Waqar said four-time champi-ons Australia and South Africa would stand a better chance.

“Of course, teams which play on those bouncy wickets like Australia and South Africa are probably more the favour-ites than us. But... I have lots of hopes,” he said.

Waqar admitted Pakistan had suffered injury problems which had unsettled them.

Frontline paceman Junaid Khan injured his leg during prac-tice on Thursday but an MRI re-vealed he will be fit within a week.

“We had problems with our fast bowlers for few months and, of course, the recent episode with Junaid — it’s a setback. If you have injuries you can’t move forward.”

Waqar , ruled out of the World Cup which Pakistan won in Aus-tralia and New Zealand in 1992 due to injury, admitted the mega event was never good for him.

He was also captain of the team which crashed out in the

first round in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

“The World Cup has never been that kind to me, there’s no doubt about that,” he said.

Waqar said he has hopes for strong play from captain Mis-bah-ul Haq, an all-rounder who will retire after the World Cup.

“Of course Afridi is number one, we have big hopes for him and Misbah, they are going out after the World Cup.

“In the camp over the last four to five days I have seen both want to finish on a high, which is a very good sign,” he said. - AFP

H A P P Y

We were not the favourites last time either but we reached the semifinals

Waqar YounisPakistan coach

Ballance injured, fit for World CupSYDNEY: England batsman Gary Ballance has fractured the little finger on his right hand but will be fit for the World Cup, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Saturday.

The 25-year-old left-hander, re-called to England’s one-day squad after former captain Alastair Cook was dropped, sustained the injury during fielding practice in Canber-ra last week.

He will remain with the team for the ongoing tri-series against Aus-tralia and India and no extra play-ers will be called up.

“Gary Ballance has a fractured right little finger, sustained during fielding practice in Canberra,” the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement.

“Ballance will be available for the ICC Cricket World Cup and therefore we will not be calling an-other player into the squad.”

Ballance has yet to play since England arrived in Australia and sat out his side’s three-wicket loss to the hosts in the opening match of the triangular series in Sydney on Friday.

England’s next match is against India on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the ECB has re-vealed that former England cap-tain Andrew Flintoff will attend the team’s practice session at The Gabba on Sunday. - AFP

F R A C T U R E D F I N G E R

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Doubtful Nadal rules out Australian Open gloryMELBOURNE: Rafa Nadal has downplayed his chances of win-ning the Australian Open, saying his back remains a concern and he lacks confidence from having lit-tle match practice in the lead-up.

On the comeback trail after injury and illness wiped out the latter half of his 2014 season, the Spaniard had a poor start to his new year, dumped from the first round of the Qatar Open by Ger-man journeyman Michael Berrer.

“No, I don’t consider myself one of the favourites here,” the 28-year-old, seeded third for the tournament, told reporters at Melbourne Park.

“Last year, yes. This year is a different story. (I) would be lying if I say I feel that I am ready to win today. I don’t feel myself ready to win the tournament here today.

“If I am here in a press confer-ence in one week, maybe I will say another thing because I will have the feeling that I will play a few matches, and if I’m able to win that couple of matches, then probably I will have little bit more rhythm, I will have more confidence.

“But in theory, playing four, five matches in seven months, you cannot be a favourite of a tour-nament that is not clay, it’s on hard (courts).”

Nadal made the final last year but was beaten by Stan Wawrinka in four sets, having carried a pain-ful back injury into the match that affected his movement.

He recovered to win a record ninth French Open crown but was blighted by a wrist injury and then appendicitis late in the year.

“I cannot say (I am) completely recovered because that can hap-pens when you compete, when you put your back under stress,” Nadal said. “It’s something that I (am) not 100 percent confident yet.“I am confident about my knees because (they) are work-ing very well. But my back, I don’t

have enough time having good feelings to say I am 100 percent perfect, no?

“I need to take care about this for the moment. But hopefully it will be fine.”

Nadal’s fitness will be put to the test in a tough first round encoun-ter against wily Russian veteran Mikhail Youzhny, a former top 10 player.“It’s true that having a Grand Slam that early in the sea-son after injury like this is not the ideal thing.

“But here we are. I worked a lot since 10th of December.

“I am with calm and happy the way I did the things.” - Reuters

N O T A F A V O U R I T E

SELFIE STARS: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, left, takes a selfie with

Spain’s Rafael Nadal as they participate in a tennis promotional event

in Melbourne. – Reuters

Older Federer not sure if playing ‘best’ tennis

MELBOURNE: Roger Federer doubts he is playing his ‘best ever’ tennis but is convinced that at 33, he is playing smarter and taking better care of himself as he looks to win a fifth Australian Open title.

The Swiss was virtually un-touchable from 2004-10 when he won 15 of his record 17 Grand Slam titles, but those moments have ta-pered off and he has been overtak-en as the world’s most dominant player by first Rafa Nadal and now Novak Djokovic.

With many suggesting time was ticking down on his career, Feder-er confounded the notion that ‘Generation Next’ was set to usurp the triumvirate last year with a Wimbledon final appearance and semifinal defeats at Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows.

He also won five titles and more singles matches than any other player on the ATP Tour and joined up with Australian Open champi-on Stan Wawrinka to secure Swit-zerland’s first Davis Cup title.

Federer then began 2015 by win-ning his 1,000th ATP tour match on his way to the Brisbane title and the third seed was feeling more confident than last season when he entered the year’s first Grand Slam with doubts over a back injury.

“There were many changes that took place in the six months lead-ing into the Australian Open (last year), whereas this time around I’ve played so well,” he said on Saturday. “Was able to win Brisbane last week. Makes me feel more secure this year coming into the Aussie Open.”

Federer added that he had con-tinued to improve his game from year to year and was also more mentally secure.

“I would hope that over the years I’ve always improved,” he said. “I think I’m serving more consistent and stronger than I ever have. I think my backhand is working bet-ter than it has in the past as well.

“I had to adjust my game a little bit over the years. I feel I’m playing very well.

“If it’s the best ever, I’m not quite sure. But I’m definitely very

pleased how things have gone now the last six months.”

Federer acknowledged he was entering the twilight of his career and with two sets of twins running around the family home as well, he had tempered his training.

“Quality is more important than quantity. Whereas when you’re younger you got to put in the hours, you got to put in the work,” he said.

“Doesn’t matter if you’re tired, all these things, you just got to get through it, get match tough, go through the grind.” - Reuters

The Swiss was

virtually untouchable

from 2004-10 when

he won 15 of his

record 17 Grand

Slam titles, but

those moments

have tapered off

MANY CHANGES: Switzerland’s Roger Federer, left, is watched by his coach Stefan Edberg of Sweden

during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday. – AFP

Bullish Serena issues Aussie Open challengeMELBOURNE: World No. 1 Serena Williams on Saturday declared that none of her rivals could match her desire to win the Australian Open and if they wanted the title they would have to fight her for it.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion won the last of her five Australian crowns in 2010 and expressed frustration that a sixth had eluded her for so long.

With an ignominious round four exit at last year’s tournament clear-ly still rankling, Williams said her determination to claim a “special” win was stronger than any other player in the 128-strong field.

“I’ve been going for number six for a number of years now — it would be really special for me, I’d be really happy,” said Wil-liams, who is the short-priced bookmakers’ favourite to win the tournament. I want it, I think, more than anyone else here. That doesn’t mean I’m going to get it so I’ll have to fight hard to get it.”

The American held on to the top ranking for the entire 2014 season, ending the year with a flourish to take the US Open and the WTA Tour Championship.

Another Australian title would take her to clear second on the all-time Grand Slam winners list behind Steffi Graf’s 22, having joined Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 with her win at Flushing Meadows.

Williams, 33, said it was ex-citing but also daunting to con-template reaching the German great’s benchmark.

“Twenty two is so far away from 18 — when you’re 18 years old you look at someone that’s

21 and you think they’re old,” she said. “So it’s a really big distance to get to 22. I can’t think that far ahead. I just have to think about 2015 at the Australian Open in particular.”

Williams displayed some errat-ic form in the Hopman Cup this month and admitted feeling “a lit-tle off” heading into the opening Grand Slam of the season.

But she said that was not a bad thing considering she went into last year’s event convinced she was in amazing form, only to crash out early to Ana Ivanovic.

“Last year I felt really good, was playing well. I was feeling amaz-ing on the court,” she said.

“This year I feel a little off. But I feel off in every Grand Slam, except for last year. That didn’t work out for me, so maybe this is different.

“I still want to improve some things. I feel like I should be do-ing some things better, but every day I can see something coming through, so there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

Williams plays Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium in the open-ing round and faces a potential rematch of her US Open final against Caroline Wozniacki in the quarters. - AFP

D E S I R E T O W I N

Murray confident despite tough drawMELBOURNE: Andy Murray faces a horror draw at the Aus-tralian Open, needing to over-come Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to make the final, but the British No. 1 says he is feeling good about his game.

A three-time runner up at Mel-bourne Park, Murray has slipped to sixth in the world rankings and is on course to meet Federer in the quarterfinals in the bottom half of the draw with Nadal poten-tially awaiting him in the last four.

He could also face world num-ber 11 Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round.

“Obviously a very tough draw, very difficult draw,” said Murray,

who is coached by Amelie Mau-resmo. “If you have to play all of those players, obviously it’s going to be extremely difficult to come through that. I’m aware of that. That’s fine.

“But often in these events, you know, there are upsets. And then you just have to wait and see who you’re playing in each round be-cause it doesn’t always work out as simply as that.

“It will be interesting to see how it goes. But definitely with the names mentioned, it’s very challenging.”

Murray gets his tournament underway against Indian quali-fier Yuki Bhambri. - AFP

‘ V E R Y C H A L L E N G I N G ’

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Troicki crushes Kukushkin to win titleSYDNEY: Serbian Viktor Troicki took a big step on his comeback trail after a doping ban by ruth-lessly dismantling fellow quali-fier Mikhail Kukushkin 6-2, 6-3 to win the Sydney International on Saturday. The 28-year-old right-hander, who returned to action last July after serving a one-year ban for missing a dope test, took just over an hour to claim his sec-ond career ATP title.

A rampant Troicki won the last four games of the first set and was 4-1 up in the second when Kuku-shkin took a medical timeout to have treatment on his left thigh.

The Kazakh had made his way to the final without losing a set, including in his quarter-final vic-tory over Juan Martin Del Potro, but his mobility had been key to his progress.

The world No. 66 rallied to win the next two games for his only break of serve in the contest and offered hope of an extended con-test to the neutrals on Ken Rose-wall Arena.

Troicki, however, was just too strong and, roared on by vocal support from Sydney’s ethnic

Serb community, broke back be-fore serving out the match to love, sealing victory with his 13th ace.

“We both came through the qua-lis so it was a tough week and we’re heading to straight to Melbourne where we play on Monday,” Tro-

icki said after receiving the tro-phy from Australian tennis great Rosewall. “There’s no stopping.”

Troicki will take a big boost in confidence into his first round tie at the Australian Open against Czech Jiri Vesely, who also won

an ATP title as a qualifier on Sun-day at the Auckland Open.

Once ranked 12th in the world, Troicki’s victory in his second Sydney International final will send him back towards the top 50 from his current ranking of 92.

He has made it clear this week that he believes his doping ban was unfair and paid tribute to his Australian coach Jack Reader and the rest of his team for stick-ing with him. “They were with me throughout the hardest time that is behind me,” he said.

“They stood by me and I really appreciate that.”

Kukushkin said his injury had been a hangover from hip surgery he underwent three years ago and was not certain he would be able to face Malek Jaziri at Melbourne Park on Monday.

“Tough to say,” he told report-ers. “Of course I hope I will be able to recover. Of course when I play eight days in a row it’s tough.

“But I will have day off tomor-row and fly to Melbourne. I will have a match already on Monday. I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know.” - Reuters

S Y D N E Y I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Five-goal Chelsea surge clear, United move into third spot

LONDON: Chelsea ran riot at Swansea City, scoring four times before halftime on the way to a 5-0 win that sent Jose Mourinho’s side five points clear in the Premier League on Saturday.

Brazil midfielder Oscar and Spain striker Diego Costa scored two apiece inside the opening 36 minutes as Swansea were torn to

shreds. Substitute Andre Schuer-rle got his name on the scoresheet late in a more even second half.

“It was very good, we hit the post twice and could have got even more,” Mourinho, who will be hop-ing Arsenal can take points off sec-ond-placed champions Manches-ter City on Sunday, told Sky Sports.

Manchester United climbed

above Southampton into third spot, 12 points behind Chelsea, with second-half substitutes Ma-rouane Fellaini and James Wilson on target in a 2-0 win at second-bottom Queens Park Rangers.

Christian Eriksen struck a late winner to give Tottenham Hotspur a seventh 2-1 league victory of the season, at home to Sunderland, and lift them above Arsenal.

Seventh-placed Liverpool’s push for a top-four finish gathered momentum when Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert scored in a 2-0 victory at Aston Villa who have now gone five league games with-out a goal.

Crystal Palace recovered from 2-0 down to snatch a vital 3-2 win at fellow strugglers Burnley, their sec-ond consecutive victory since Alan Pardew took charge taking them

up to 12th. Bottom club Leicester City’s recent burst of form which had earned them seven points from three games was halted by 1-0 home loss to Stoke City, Spaniard Bojan Krkic scoring the winner.

Swansea have proved tough op-ponents in south Wales since join-ing the Premier League in 2011 and had only suffered two home defeats this season, but they were no match for a rampant Chelsea side who oozed class.

Errant passFrom the moment Oscar ruthless-ly punished an errant pass by Gylfi Sigurdsson in the home defence to put Chelsea ahead in the first minute the writing was on the wall for the hosts. A slick one-touch passing move ended with Costa making it 2-0 after 20 minutes and

the Spaniard made it 3-0 following more dozy Swansea defending.

Oscar’s second, a cheeky dink over busy Swans keeper Lukasz Fabianski, was followed quickly by Willian striking the crossbar as Chelsea threatened to run up a rugby score. The fizz went out of the visitors in the second half. And they had to be content with just one more goal when Schuerrle got the final touch to deny Oscar a hat-trick.

Jose Mourinho has been tetchy lately, but offered sympathy to his Swansea counterpart Gary Monk. “There are matches that go away from our control and as man-agers we can’t do much,” he said.

“I can understand that he was frustrated but the only thing I can say is that it’s better to lose one match 5-0 than to lose five games 1-0,” he added. - Reuters

Brazil midfielder Oscar and Spain striker

Diego Costa scored two goals apiece

inside the opening 36 minutes

as Swansea were torn to shreds

COOL FINISH: Chelsea’s Diego Costa, right, scores past Swansea City’s goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski during their Premier League match in Swansea on Saturday. – AFP

QPR mole trying to force me out: Redknapp

LONDON: Queens Park Rang-ers (QPR) manager Harry Red-knapp has claimed that a club insider is trying to force him out of Loftus Road, in comments published by several British newspapers on Saturday.

QPR went into the weekend’s Premier League fixtures inside the relegation zone, sparking newspaper speculation that Red-knapp’s days at the west London club will be numbered if their fortunes do not improve quickly.

But Redknapp, 67, believes that he has the full support of owner Tony Fernandes and has alleged that elements within the club are trying to destabilise him.

“Somebody is trying to cause me a problem here, by talking to the papers,” Redknapp said ahead of his side’s home game with fourth-place Manchester United.

“I know what the score is: I’m not silly, I’m very streetwise. Someone’s trying to cause me a problem, I’m sure. I wasn’t born yesterday. Someone has said something, but it’s not a problem.

“I’ve never had it before. I’ve never been at a club before where someone has said I’m going to get the sack. And I don’t see why. Who puts it in the paper? Some-one’s put it in the paper.”

He added: “They should check everyone’s mobile phones and find out. That’s the best way. It’s easy.” - AFP

N O T S I L L Y

Suso leaves Liverpool

LONDON: Spanish midfielder Suso ended a frustrating four-year spell at English Premier League side Liverpool by sign-ing for Serie A outfit AC Milan on Saturday.

The 21-year-old played just 21 times for Liverpool since he rejected an approach from Real Madrid to sign for them in 2010 from Cadiz. “Everybody at Liv-erpool thanks Suso for his con-tribution and wishes him the best for the future,” the English club said in a statement. - Agencies

F R U S T R A T E D

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMSECTIONC S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5LIFE & STYLE

We recruited a sample of 124 adults, ranging from students and professors to physicians and IT workers. In the first week of the study, we told half our participants — chosen at random — to check their email as often as they could each day, while keeping their mailboxes open and email alerts on. Meanwhile, we asked the other participants to check email only three times a day, while keeping their mailboxes closed and alerts off.

During the second week, we flipped the instructions, so the email-maxi-mizers became the email-minimisers, and vice versa. This design allowed us to compare how stressed the same individuals felt when they checked their email more versus less often, while keeping everything else constant.

At the end of each weekday, the participants reported how the day had gone on a wide range of measures. To assess stress, we asked them, for example, how often they felt unable to control the important things in their life and how often they had trouble coping with all the things they had to do that day.

Although the only thing we changed about the participants’ lives was how often they checked their email, we observed a significant reduction in stress when they checked email less frequently. How much less stressed did people feel during their email-minimising week compared with their email-maximising week? The reduction in stress was about as large as the benefit people get from learning relaxation techniques (e.g., taking deep breaths, visualising peaceful imagery). In other words, cutting back on email might reduce stress as much as picturing yourself swimming in the warm waters of a tropical island several times a day.

Checking email less often may reduce stress in part by cut-ting down on the need to switch between tasks. An unfortu-nate limitation of the human mind is that it cannot perform two demanding tasks simultaneously, so flipping back and forth between two different tasks saps cognitive resources. As a result, people can become less efficient in each of the tasks they need to accomplish. In addition to providing an unend-ing source of new tasks for our to-do lists, email could also be making us less efficient at accomplishing those tasks.

Indeed, although the participants in our study sent and received roughly the same number of emails during both weeks, they reported doing so in approxi-mately 20 per cent less time during the week when they checked their email less frequently. Constantly monitoring our inboxes promotes stress without promoting efficiency. When it comes to checking email, less might be more.

But habits are difficult to break. Even when we asked participants to check email only three times a day, they typically admitted to logging in almost five times a day. And while writing this article about the value of cutting back on email, we found our own eyes drawn toward our inboxes.

lthough researchers have found a correlation between dealing with email and adverse well-being (for example, feeling stressed or emo-tionally drained), this does not mean that email itself is necessarily the culprit. (Perhaps a busier work schedule is what causes stress

— and spending lots of time on email is a mere artefact of a busier work sched-ule.) Furthermore, such research suggests that, even if email is the culprit, the sheer volume of email that people handle might not be the problem.

This points to another possibility: Could the frequency with which you check your email play a role in causing stress? After all, three-quarters of workers report replying to email within an hour or less of receiving it, accord-ing to a recent survey of 503 employees at workplaces in the United States.

This question motivated us to design an exploratory two-week field ex-periment, the results of which will appear in next month’s issue of the journal Computers in Human Behaviour.

For some individuals, though, check-ing email less frequently is simply not an option. The stockbroker who misses a million-dollar deal by logging off email is likely to feel more, not less, stressed. That said, most of us probably check our email more often than is truly nec-essary to get our job done. A recent sur-vey found that 55 per cent of workers reported checking their email after 11 p.m. — and 6 per cent reported checking email while they or their spouse were in labour. (One of the authors of this article admits to falling into this 6 per cent.)

Far from offering a magic number that works for all, our findings simply sug-gest that making the effort to close the gap between necessity and compulsion is worthwhile. So if you’re still hunting for a New Year’s resolution, try to resist visiting your inbox as often as you feel compelled to do. — Kostadin Kushlev and Elizabeth

W. Dunn/The New York Times News Service

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EXTRAS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

The strength of activity in this region of the brain is linked to a person’s navigational skills:

less activity means a less accurate sense of direction

HOW THE BRAIN’S SENSE OF DIRECTION WAS FOUND

If you have taken a walk and would like to return home you need to have an idea of where you are in relation to your des-tination. To do this, you need to know

which way you are facing and also in which direction home lies. This all seems fairly in-stinctive to humans and other animals, so how do we manage it?

Our understanding of this surprisingly dif-ficult question has just taken a step forward in a new paper written by Michael Chadwick and colleagues and published in the journal Current Biology, which pinpoints where in the brain our instinctive sense of the direc-tion towards our destination lies.

One way to successfully navigate from any point to a destination is to learn and remem-ber information about your surroundings and use this information to orient yourself. But the process of learning this spatial informa-tion suggests there must be some sort of rep-resentation of that information stored some-where in the brain. This could be thought of as a sort of neuronal map — a way of encoding space that maps information about your sur-roundings onto your brain cells.

Such a map would allow you to find your way around — a vital ability for any animal’s survival. Working out how the brain stores in-formation about space and how this enables us to find our way around efficiently has been the focus of a concerted effort over the past few decades.

Looking for maps in the brainIn the late 1970s, the so-called “seat of the cognitive map” was discovered in rats in an area of the brain called the hippocampus. Par-

ticular neurons were shown to fire when a rat travelled in a specific area of an experimental arena. Subsequent work showed that these neurons were tightly coupled to space — they were named place cells.

The question then turned to the nature of precisely what information is learned and remembered. Through a clever set of experi-ments the rats were found to encode and store information that related to both distance and direction. Information about distance is stored within part of the hippocampus called the entorhinal cortex, the so-called grid cells.

These grid cells fire in a tessellating pattern when an animal travels and seem to operate a bit like graph paper, providing an animal with a sense of the distance travelled. Information about direction is stored in head direction cells, which fire when an animal is facing a particular direction (north, for example).

All these pieces of information are fed into the place cells, which bring it all to-gether — hence why we really can consider the hippocampus to contain our own inter-nal, spatial map. This was so significant to our understanding of how the brain operates that the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology was awarded to John O’Keefe, who was the first to identify place cells, and Edvard and May-Britt Moser, who discovered grid cells.

So we have an idea of how animals encode a mental map, and how they know which direc-tion they are facing. But, to make use of this and follow its sense of direction, an animal also needs to know in which direction home lies. The paper’s authors have established where this information is stored in the brain, and how it might be used to orient a human or animal.

An internal compassIn their experiment, human subjects were given a virtual reality environment to explore and learn, and then asked to make judge-ments about in which direction a destination lay working entirely from memory. At the same time the subjects’ brains were scanned using fMRI, which measures brain activity by monitoring changes in blood flow. By look-ing at the patterns of which neurons fired in response to the task of navigating their way around, the researchers found the activity was centred on the entorhinal cortex, indicat-ing this was the brain’s “internal compass” and the source of this sense of direction.

Interestingly, the pattern of neuronal fir-ing is remarkably similar when someone is facing in the goal direction to when they simply imagine the direction of the goal. The researchers suggest that the brain can use this property of the neurones to simulate the intended direction in the brain without ac-tually moving. They assume that head direc-tion cells switch from one role to another, so that they are initially involved in represent-ing the current heading direction, before switching to simulating the goal direction. In this way, the neurones can aid in planning the route home.

The strength of the activity in this region of the brain is linked to a person’s navigational skills — less activity means a less accurate sense of direction. It’s also the area of the brain that is one of the first damaged by dis-eases such as Alzheimer’s, which may explain why becoming lost and confused is a common early problem in sufferers.

-Theresa Burt de Perera, Tim Guilford/The Independent

OFFICE

COFFEESHOP

AIRPORT

HOMESWEETHOME

KIDSSCHOOL

PARENTSIN LAW

BANK

HYPERMARKET

GROCERYSTORE AROUND

THE CORNER

TAILOR

GYM

EACH year the International Bridge Press Association gives awards for excellence in various categories. The personality of last year was Patrick Huang from Chinese Taipei.

He first represented his country internationally at the senior level at age 15, in the Far East Championships. That was a record until beaten by 14-year-old Agustin Madala, who played for Argentina in the 2001 South American Championships.

Huang also led Chinese Taipei to the final of the most prestigious event of all, the Bermuda Bowl World Team Championship, in 1969 and 1970.

Huang is one of the best and most-liked players of all time. The diagramed deal occurred during a world individual championship, and Huang was the only player to find the right defense.

South was in four spades. West led the diamond queen. What did Huang (East) do?

At all of the nine tables, South was in spades, five times in game and four times in a partscore. At eight tables, East took the first trick with his diamond ace and returned a diamond. The declarers won with their king and played three rounds of clubs. In a moment, South ruffed a club in the dummy and took 10 tricks: five spades, one heart, one diamond, two clubs and that club ruff.

Huang, anticipating this, took the first trick and shifted to a trump. When declarer conceded a club trick, Huang led his second spade to kill the ruff. South was held to nine tricks, giving Huang and his partner a cold top.

Phillip Alder

C9

ENTERTAINMENT

A unique defence on a unique way

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

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

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

S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 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]

site28 Hunky-dory29 Pamplona shout32 Wheel buy (2 wds.)33 Egging on35 Not these or those36 Ms. Lupino38 Add- — (extras)39 Wined and dined41 Maui dance

42 I had no —!43 — de plume44 Mashed potato

serving45 Game or season

opener46 Farm flapper47 Pecs neighbor48 I’m impressed!

ACROSS 1 Rocky ledge 5 Help go wrong 9 What, in Seville12 Consort of Zeus13 Successor to

Claudius14 Give it a go15 Mild cheese16 Grotesque water

spout18 Nearly fell20 Attend21 Dory mover22 Andes ruminant26 Merino and angora29 Mine find30 Carry with

difficulty31 Questions32 Visitor from

Melmac33 Scoff at34 Gator Bowl st.35 — for the books36 Specks37 Corolla, e.g.39 Rx monitor40 Vt. neighbour41 Caption45 Discontinue (2

wds.)49 Matinee —50 Johnny —51 Kind of model52 Verne’s skipper53 Coast Guard off.54 Upstream spawner55 Shocked reaction

DOWN 1 Munch 2 Give a fresh look 3 Swift horse 4 Frolics 5 High dudgeon 6 Moccasin

decoration 7 Goof it up 8 Kind of switch 9 Amt.10 Search engine find11 Peacock spot17 Alley from Moo

19 Refrain syllables22 Dog’s bark23 Perched24 Where Havana is25 Matures26 Blow gently27 Kon-Tiki Museum

C I N E M A S C H E D U L E

SADHIYAMOLJanuary 18, 2011

ANTONIO FERNANDESJanuary 18, 2009

GOVIND HARIKUMARJanuary 18, 2003

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SCREEN 1Shankar’s “I” - Hindi - (Thriller)(12+) Cast: Vikram, Amy Jackson, Suresh 3:30 pmShankar’s “I” – Hindi (Thr) (12+) 7:00, 10:30 pmSCREEN 2Shankar’s “ I” - Hindi - (Thril) (12+ ) 12:30 pmAlone - Hindi - (Thriller | Horror) Cast: Bipasha Basu, Karan Singh3.45, 9.45 pmP. K (Comedy | Drama | Social) (PG )Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma6:45pm

Seventh Son – 2D (PG12) (Adv) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore 5:30pmSeventh Son – 3D (PG12) (Adv)10:00pmTaken 3 – 2D (12+) Crime | ThrillerCast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker3:30, 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 pmThe Snow Queen: Magic of the Ice Mirror – 3D (PG) Animation Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan Okhlobystin, Anna Khilkevich3:30, 5:00 pmI (Hindi) – 2D (12+) (Action) Cast: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan Okhlobystin, Anna Khilkevich6:30 & 11:00 pmI (Tamil) – 2D (12+) (Action)7:45 pm13 Sins – 2D (18+) Horror | ThrillerCast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye11:55 pmWe’ll Never Have Paris – 2D (PG12)(Comedy | Romance)Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Geoffrey Cantor, Nancy Marlowe3:30, 7:15 pmThe Theory of Everything – 2D (PG12)(Biography | Drama | Romance)Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior4:00, 5:00, 9:00 pm

Snow Queen 2: Magic Of Ice Mirror (3D) (Animation | Adventure) (PG)Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan Okhlobystin, Anna Khilkevich3:00, 5:00 pmTaken 3 (Crime | Thriller) (12+)Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace4:30, 6:30, 9:45 & 11:45pmI (Tamil) (Action | Fantasy ) (12+)Cast: ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram, Amy Jackson, Upen Patel8:30 pmTevar (Action | Romance) (PG12)Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Manoj Bajpayee3:30, 8:00 pm13 Sins (Horror | Thriller) (18+)Cast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye3:15, 6:15, 11:45 pmI (Hindi) (Action | Fantasy) (12+)Cast: ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram, Amy Jackson 6:30 & 10:45pm

Seventh Son (3D) (Adv| Fan) (PG12) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore11:15pmSeventh Son (2D) (Adv | Fa) (PG12) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore5:30pm

Taken 3 (2D/12+) (Action) Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace3:45, 7:45, 9:45, 11:45pmSeventh Son (3D/PG12) (Adv) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore8:45pmSeventh Son (2D/PG12) (Adv) 5:45PMThe Snow Queen: 2 (2D/PG) (Animation/Adventure/Family) 11:15am The Snow Queen: 2 (3D/PG) (Animation/Adventure/Family) 2:00, 3:30, 5:00pm The Theory of Everything (2D/PG12) (Biography)Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones2:45, 6:30pm13 Sins (2D/18+) (Horror/Thriller) Cast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye, Tom Bower12:45 & 11:30pm I – (Tamil) (2D/12+) (Action) 5:00, 8:15pmI – (Hindi) (2D/12+) (Action) Cast: ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram, Amy Jackson12:15, 10:45pm

I (Tamil) (Action | ) (12+) Cast: ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram, Amy Jackson, Upen Patel; 12:15, 8:00 pmTaken-3 (Action | Crime) (12+) Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace1:30, 3:30, 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pmThe Snow Queen: Magic of the Ice Mirror (3D) (Anim/ Family) (PG) Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan 3:30, 5:00, 6:30 pm

SCREEN 3Shankar’s “ I” – Tamil (Thriller) – Hindi (12 +) 12.30 pmSharafat Gayi Tel Lene (Comedy) Cast: Zayed Khan, Rannvijay Singh, 3.45, 6.45 pmTevar (Action) – PG12Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha9.45 pm

Tevar – 2D (PG12) Action Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha 11:15 pmThe Snow Queen: Magic of the Ice Mirror – 2D (PG) AnimationVoice Overs: Anna Shurochkina6:15 pm

C10

FIND-IT-ALLS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

PHARMACIESRound the clockAl Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585Muscat RegionApollo, 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 Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453Hatat Polyclinic LLC,Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006Al Raffah 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: 24521109Traffic 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: 24641234Haffa 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): 24519456/24519223Aeroflot: 24704455, Air Arabia: 24700828, Air France: 24562153, Air India: 24799801, Air New Zealand: 24700732, Biman Bangladesh Airlines: 24701128, British Airways: 24568777, Cathay Pacific: 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 fish 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 12.22pmAsr 3.27pmMaghrib 5.48pmIsha 7.02pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 5.32am

Sunset 5:43pmSunrise (Tomorrow) 6:51am

High tide 8:13pm 6:39amLow tide 1.01pm 1:20am

OMAN

Max 26Min 16

Max 24Min 14

Max 25Min 15

Max 25Min 12

Max 25Min 15Max 26

Min 10

Max 28Min 9

Max 29 Min 20

Mainly clear skies over most of the Sultanate with chances of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches over governorates of Al-Dhahira, south Al-Sharqiya, Al-Wusta, Dhofar and most of the coastal areas of the Sultanate.EXPECTED WIND: Along the coastal area of Oman Sea wind will be northeasterly light to moderate during day becoming variable light at night while, along the coastal area of Arabian Sea wind will be northeasterly light to moderate and over the rest of the Sultanate wind will be easterly to southeasterly light to moderate.SEA STATE: Moderate along the southeastern coast with a maximum

wave height of 2.0 metres and slight along Oman coasts and Musandam western coast with a maximum wave height of 1.25 metre.HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog.THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Clear to partly cloudy skies over the governorates of Musandam, Al-Batinah, Al-Dhahira, Al-Buraimi, Al-Dakhliah, Muscat and north Al-Sharqiya may give some isolated rains. Moderate to rough sea state along Musandam Western coats and Oman Sea coast with a maximum wave height of 2.75 metres.

Max Min

GULFAbu Dhabi 24 14Doha 22 14Dubai 26 17Kuwait 16 6Manama 20 13Riyadh 18 6

WORLDAthens 16 11Baghdad 16 5Beijing 6 -5Berlin 3 -2Boston 6 3Cairo 21 9Colombo 32 23Frankfurt 4 2Hong Kong 19 11Istanbul 9 6Johannesburg 24 10Kuala Lumpur 32 23Lisbon 14 8Paris 8 1Perth 28 17Singapore 28 24Tokyo 11 0Toronto 3 -3

WORLD

Max 6Min 0

Max 17Min 9

Max 4Min -1

Max 27Min 12

Max 22Min 12

Max 28Min 19

Max 2Min -2

Max 27Min 21

SUNDAYFLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA WY406 CAIRO 0005WY676 JEDDAH 0005WY682 RIYADH 0005WY648 KUWAIT 0010WY904 SALALAH 0015WY816 BANGKOK 0015WY824 KUALA LUMPUR 0055WY916 SALALAH 01504H583 DACCA 0200NL669 SIALKOT 0200TK776 ISTANBUL-BAHRAIN 0300QR1132 DOHA 0345ET624 ADDIS ABABA 0350EK866 DUBAI 0355GF560 BAHRAIN 0405EY384 ABU DHABI 0405FZ041 DUBAI 0415WY324 KARACHI 0540WY686 RIYADH 0600WY902 SALALAH 06304H584 DOHA 0640WY638 ABU DHABI 0650WY658 BAHRAIN 0700WY668 DOHA 0710WY674 JEDDAH 0730WY602 DUBAI 0805WY202 BOMBAY 0815WY102 LONDON HEATHROW 0820FZ043 DUBAI 0850WY274 JAIPUR 0855NL768 LAHORE 0900G9114 SHARJAH 0915WY236 HYDERABAD 0920WY242 DELHI 0920WY226 COCHIN 0930EK862 DUBAI 0940WY252 MADRAS 0940WY212 TRIVANDRUM 0940WY346 ISLAM ABBAD 0955QR1128 DOHA 1010EY382 ABU DHABI 1015IX549 TRIVANDRUM 1020WY3302 MUKHAIZNA 1045WY282 BANGALORE 1100WY3922 DUQUM OMAN 1105WY604 DUBAI 1110G9841 RAS AL KHAIMA 1120WY372 COLOMBO 1130FZ037 DUBAI 1200WY424 BEIRUT 1205IX337 CALICUT 1210PK223 PESHAWAR 1220WY606 DUBAI 1330WY918 KHASAB 1440WY906 SALALAH 1445WY812 BANGKOK 1525WY656 BAHRAIN 1530WY632 ABU DHABI 1535FZ045 DUBAI 1555WY204 BOMBAY 1710WY292 CALICUT 1720WY610 DUBAI 1730WY246 DELHI 1730WY264 LUCKNOW 1735WY232 HYDERABAD 1740WY664 DOHA 1745QR1126 DOHA 1745GF564 BAHRAIN 1810WY3306 MUKHAIZNA 1845G9116 SHARJAH 1915WY254 MADRAS 1920TG507 BANGKOK-KARACHI 1935FZ047 DUBAI 1945WY434 TEHRAN 2000WY614 DUBAI 2030WY914 SALALAH 2035WY386 MALE 2110WY152 ZURICH 2110WY312 CHITTAGONG 2115WY116 FRANKFURT 2115WY124 MUNICH 2115KL441 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 2120WY144 MALPENSA 2120AI973 DELHI 2125WY624 DUBAI 21256.00E+81 BOMBAY 2130WY134 PARIS 2130WY414 AMMAN 2135FZ049 DUBAI 2145AI907 MADRAS 2200QR1134 DOHA 2210UL205 COLOMBO 2225GF566 BAHRAIN 2240EY388 ABU DHABI 2250BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2255WY908 SALALAH 2305AI985 AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY 2310WY648 KUWAIT 2315LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI 23209W540 BOMBAY 2325WY654 BAHRAIN 2330LH618 FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI 2330WY612 DUBAI 2335WY696 DAMMAM 2350WY910 SALALAH 2355WY928 SALALAH 2355WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2355

MONDAYFLT 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

FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD AI986 BOMBAY 0005LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH 0020BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 00259W539 BOMBAY 0025LH619 ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT 0050WY685 RIYADH 0105WY811 BANGKOK 0105WY323 KARACHI 0105WY211 TRIVANDRUM 0110WY251 MADRAS 0110WY201 BOMBAY 0120WY225 COCHIN 0125WY235 HYDERABAD 0135WY273 JAIPUR 0140WY601 DUBAI 0150WY341 LAHORE 0150WY151 ZURICH 0155WY241 DELHI 0155WY281 BANGALORE 0200WY423 BEIRUT 0200WY657 BAHRAIN 0205WY637 ABU DHABI 0205WY371 COLOMBO 0210WY123 MUNICH 0210WY133 PARIS 0215WY115 FRANKFURT 0215WY667 DOHA 0220WY143 MALPENSA 0225WY345 ISLAM ABBAD 02504H584 DUBAI-DACCA 0300NL772 PESHAWAR 0330TK777 BAHRAIN-ISTANBUL 0350ET625 ADDIS ABABA 0450EK867 DUBAI 0455FZ042 DUBAI 0510QR1133 DOHA 0520EY385 ABU DHABI 0525WY3301 MUKHAIZNA 0715WY3921 DUQUM OMAN 07204H584 DACCA 0740GF561 BAHRAIN 0745WY903 SALALAH 0800WY603 DUBAI 0800WY291 CALICUT 0920WY263 LUCKNOW 0920FZ044 DUBAI 0935WY245 DELHI 0955WY231 HYDERABAD 0955G9115 SHARJAH 1005WY905 SALALAH 1030WY203 BOMBAY 1030NL769 LAHORE 1030WY605 DUBAI 1030WY253 MADRAS 1040WY311 CHITTAGONG 1040WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 1045EK863 DUBAI 1055EY383 ABU DHABI 1105IX554 TRIVANDRUM 1110WY655 BAHRAIN 1110QR1129 DOHA 1115WY3303 MUKHAIZNA 1115WY917 KHASAB 1140WY331 KATHMANDU 1205G9842 RAS AL KHAIMA 1210WY631 ABU DHABI 1225IX350 CALICUT 1310FZ038 DUBAI 1315PK224 PESHAWAR 1320WY663 DOHA 1330WY413 AMMAN 1330WY101 LONDON HEATHROW 1330WY433 TEHRAN 1340WY927 SALALAH 1415WY609 DUBAI 1420WY405 CAIRO 1430WY3305 MUKHAIZNA 1515WY675 JEDDAH 1630WY913 SALALAH 1630FZ046 DUBAI 1700WY613 DUBAI 1700WY623 DUBAI 1820WY681 RIYADH 1845QR1127 DOHA 1845WY907 SALALAH 1850GF565 BAHRAIN 1855WY647 KUWAIT 1900WY661 DOHA 1900WY695 DAMMAM 1910WY653 BAHRAIN 1910WY909 SALALAH 1940G9117 SHARJAH 2005WY611 DUBAI 2025WY635 ABU DHABI 2030FZ048 DUBAI 2040TG508 KARACHI-BANGKOK 2040WY825 KUALA LUMPUR 2110WY915 SALALAH 2135FZ050 DUBAI 2225KL442 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 2230WY817 BANGKOK 22356.00E+82 BOMBAY 2245AI908 MADRAS 2300AI974 DELHI 2310QR1135 DOHA 2320GF567 BAHRAIN 2325UL206 COLOMBO 2335EY381 ABU DHABI 2350WY673 JEDDAH 2350WY901 SALALAH 2350WY671 MEDINA 2350

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

A I R L I N E S

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 Daily 16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily 16.00 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 Daily 13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily 17:00 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 Daily 07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily 16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

LISTINGS

BORN today, you don’t seem to be aware of the extent of your own talents. As a result, you will never be tempted to rest on your laurels. Indeed, you are driven to work hard at all times — often harder than anyone else. When one job is done, you are usually already deeply immersed in the next. You have tremendous skill that, when combined with your natural charisma, can make it possible for you to climb to the pinnacle of success and stay there for a very long time. Once you make it, you’re not likely to find yourself slipping at all; only your own decision to call it quits can stop your upward momentum. Despite all this, you will never be completely certain that you are as good as people say you are!

When it comes to your personal life, you can be far more unconventional than you seem in public. You are often willing to try things that others would certainly pass up for fear that they would embarrass themselves through bad behavior or outright failure. You don’t let such fears hold you back — usually.

Also born on this date are: Karan Brar, actor; Oliver Hardy, actor and comedian; Cary Grant, actor; Danny Kaye, actor and comedian; Jason Segel, actor; Kevin Costner, actor and filmmaker; Becca Tobin, actress; A.A. Milne, author; Daniel Webster, politician; John Boorman, filmmaker.

You may not understand exactly what someone else is trying to tell you. Instead of turning away, work harder to maintain contact.

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22]

LIBRA [SEPT. 23-OCT. 22] LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL[S[S[S[S[[[S[[S[S[S[[S[S[SSS[SS[SSSS

SCORPIO [OCT. 23-NOV. 21] S[

SAGITTARIUS [NOV. 22-DEC. 21] S[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18]

You’re in for something quite spectacular — if you are willing to sit patiently and wait for just the right moment to come.

Giving someone a hand shouldn’t be difficult, but getting from here to there may be more problematic than expected.

The success of much that is going on depends on your own personal power as much as anything else — and it running high at this time.

You’re likely to receive positive feedback, but you may not be completely satisfied. You were looking for more.

You’re ready to undertake something a little more serious than what you’ve engaged in before. You have what it takes.

Your ability to see things the way they are will surely serve you well — and those around you, also. Many will show their gratitude.

You may be wondering where the sparks are, but you’ll also realise that much has changed in the past year. Something new beckons.

PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20]

What you do today will only be the beginning; look farther down the road, and you’ll see where you are going. You’ll lead others there, as well.

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 only have to do things one at a time in order to stay on schedule, and you can surely do that. No one expects miracles.

You’ve given others a great deal to think about lately. It is now your turn to ponder a few big questions that have no easy answers.

You may not get the kind of support you had hoped for, but what you do get will prove meaningful in a way you hadn’t expected.

—www.met.gov.om

C11


It’s a delight to visit

the classic but quiet

Caribbean beaches,

the remains of the

early 19th-century

Sans Souci Palace

and the World Heri-

tage site of Citadelle

Laferrièr

‘Haiti may be down,but it will pick itself up again’

Some situations can be so bad it’s hard not to be optimistic. If you’re flat on the floor, surely the only way is up? Not

in the case of Haiti. The country was doing a good imitation of a fighter — whacked by, bad hurri-canes, bad luck — when an earth-quake came along and delivered the knock-out blow.

The huge quake that flattened much of the teeming capital, Port-au-Prince, struck the half-an-island nation on 12 January 2010. It was another, bigger dis-aster to add to a string of them right back to the country’s heroic, troubled birth. There’s no other way to describe Haiti’s creation, a slave revolt against French colo-nists, led by the epically named Toussaint L’Ouverture.

Freedom didn’t come cheap: the perfidious French employed every dirty trick in the book to try to keep their hands on those sweet sugar profits. Defeated, they demanded reparations: “Pay up or we’ll make life economi-cally impossible,” was the threat. It took until 1947 for the Haitians finally to pay out their overlords. So, when the earthquake delivered that crushing blow it was almost inevitable that the world’s media would rush in and kick poor Haiti while it was down. Five years later, things are still far from good. Even from Outer Space it’s easy to spot the division between the Domini-can Republic on the east side of the island and comprehensively deforested Haiti to the west.

Despite all this, Haiti deserves attention. You can head north to

the Citadelle, absolutely the most awe-inspiring man-made crea-tion in the Caribbean. It is hulk-ing, darkly ominous, perched on a mountain and built by those uppity freed slaves, determined that their former French mas-ters would not attempt a come-back. There’s the most gloriously Technicolor art in the Caribbe-an, you’ll find the Haitian naive school in galleries and streetside stalls, but also decorating every “tap tap”, the Haitian public bus-es. And no visit is complete with-out Thursday night voodoo jazz at the Oloffson Hotel, which just happens to be the Trianon Hotel from Graham Greene’s The Co-medians. Yes, Haiti may be down, but there’s a spirit, a buzz to the place which almost guarantees it will get up again.

So, things started badly and never really got better. There was a civil war among black slaves, white settlers and mixed-race descend-ants. As with Zimbabwe 150 years later, the remaining whites were first welcomed, then unwelcomed. Nor did sugar wealth come so eas-ily when you didn’t have slaves to work the plantations. In the 20th century, there was Papa Doc Duva-lier, followed by Baby Doc, followed by Jean-Bertrand Aristide who was kicked out, then brought back. No matter how bad things were, they could still get worse.

This is the Caribbean — there are beaches, there is warm wa-ter. Yet even tourism managed to stumble and fall, despite Bill and Hillary’s Haitian honeymoon, 18 years before he became president. — Tony Wheeler/The Independent

Biosensor to help machines smell like humans

IN A FIRST, an Indian-origin researcher from the University of Manchester has created a biosensor that can help machines smell the way humans do. The new generation of biosensors with an acute ability to sniff out prob-lems can help machines smell when food has gone bad or how much pollu-tion is in the atmosphere. “It has been challenging to get machines to be able to differentiate between smells that are mirror images of each other, which was a real barrier to creating machines which are able to smell as well or better than humans,” ex-plained professor Krishna Persaud, lead author of the paper. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Irregular heart beat detected in marine mammalsSCIENTISTS HAVE detected high frequency of heart arrhythmias or irregular heart beats in bottlenose dolphins and Weddell seals during their deepest dives. This shows that despite their remarkable adaptations to aquatic life, exercising while holding their breath remains a physiologi-cal challenge for marine mammals. “This study changes our understand-ing of bradycardia (a marked reduction in heart rate) in marine mammals,” said lead author Terrie Williams, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at University of California-Santa Cruz. “We are not seeing lethal arrhythmias but it is putting the heart in an unsteady state that could make it vulnerable to problems,” Williams added.

New mechanism to enhance drug deliveryRESEARCHERS at the University of Warwick in Britain have devel-oped a new “triggered-release” mechanism that could improve drug delivery in the treatment of various cancers and other diseases. The new method uses two “par-ent” nanoparticles that are designed to interact only when in proximity to each other and trigger the release of drug molecules contained within both. The release of the drug molecules from the ‘par-ent’ nanoparticles could subsequently form a third ‘daughter’ particle, which comprises molecules from both ‘parent’ nanoparti-cles. “We conceive that in the blood stream, the particles would not be able to interact sufficiently to lead to release only when they are taken into cells would the release be able to happen”, said professor Andrew Dove. -IANS

SC I ENCE

C12


Indian director Anurag Kashyap’s award-winning epic is India’s answer to ‘The Godfather’

and ‘Oldboy’ and India’s coming out party as a storytelling powerhouse

‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ goes to America

Kolkata born Indian-American filmmaker, Adi Shankar, who at just 29 has created his

own counter-culture ‘brand’ with critically acclaimed R-rated vio-lent feature films and superhero “bootleg” films like The Grey and A Walk Among the Tombstones, be-lieves that Indian movies need to concentrate on storytelling.

“Outside of the Indian popula-tion in the US, there is a grow-ing audience for ‘arthouse genre’ films,” Shankar, US presenter of the Indian crime saga, told IANS in an email interview.

“It’s unabashedly violent action and crime films for the ‘thinking person,’“ he said calling the Gangs India’ first entry on the list of films like Oldboy and I Saw the Devil from Korea and Drive and Night-crawler from America.

Part 1 of the film charting 70 years in the lives — and spectac-ular deaths — of two mafia-like families fighting for control of the

coal-mining town of Wasseypur, India, will be released for an ex-clusive one-week-only run at sev-eral AMC theatres across the US.

Part II will release in the same theatres the following week on January 23, also for one week only. In New York City, the full film will play at the prestigious Lincoln Centre opening on January 16 for one week.

Shankar said he considered it his “civic duty” to help get Gangs a mainstream US release because the success of a movie like Ek Vil-lain, “a clear unlicensed rip off of Kim Jee Woon’s I Saw the Devil is “shameful and not only hurts the creditability of the Indian film business, but also reflects badly on India as a whole.”

“We are better than that, we are a nation of smart, innovative and creative people who have inter-esting stories to tell,” he said. “We must defy the status quo of the vapid consumerist mosh pit India has become.”

“This is why Gangs of Wassey-pur is great. It’s our answer to The Godfather’ and ‘Oldboy’, but it’s not a rip-off, and if I can help it find an audience internationally, I have a civic duty to do so,” Shankar said.

Describing Gangs as “India’s com-ing out party as an international storytelling powerhouse”, Shankar hoped to draw the NRI film audi-ence to the theatres with a simple strategy he calls “guilt tripping”.

India had a “robust domestic film economy,” he said. But “unfor-tunately, when it comes to making a global cultural impact India’s films have either been lacklustre due to being reactionary to global cinematic trends instead of setting them or in the case of The Lunch-box, buried due to asinine politics.”

“With Gangs of Wasseypur we have something to be proud of,” Shankar said.

He does not think that at 319 minutes, Gangs is too long noting that True Detective, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones “were much

longer than 319 minutes and held audience’s attention just fine when binge watched.”

“We simply don’t like to be dic-tated the terms of when and where we have to consume the content we love,” he said suggesting “Gangs will find its greatest success on VOD (Video on demand). It’s the ideal film for the VOD generation.”

Turning to his own work, Shankar said he was inspired to make the kind of films he makes by films like Road Warrior, Robocop, The Warriors, Escape from New York, Judge Dredd and X-Men: The Animated Series.

But his films don’t have a USP as such. “I just make stuff that I want to see. This ‘brand’ I’ve built for myself wasn’t by design.”

Shankar said he would “love to” make films for the Indian audiences.

“I have a project in mind, it’s ef-fectively Die Hard on the Mumbai bridge. It’s a hard hitting action thriller that much like The Grey becomes philosophical. -IANS

Richa Chadha opts for stage practice for ‘Cabaret’

ACTRESS Richa Chadha is happy do-ing some “homework” for her role in the film Cabaret, by trying to take up as many live dance performances as possible. In preparation for her char-acter of a professional cabaret dancer, Richa is said to have asked her man-agement to get her to do live dance per-formances. She has been insistent that

she takes on as many stage performance acts simply to help her groom and be better with her dancing ‘on stage’ skills. A trained Kathak dancer, Richa said in a statement: “Since I am getting back to dancing after some gap of time, I thought some amount of stage practice would be of great help. It would be a great addition for the homework of my character by perform-ing live.” Earlier this month itself, the Tamanchey actress was seen shaking a leg alongside Hrithik Roshan and Parineeti Chopra at the Saifai Mahaotsav.

No films with Khans yet, but so what: Bipasha

ACTRESS Bipasha Basu has spent close to 15 years in the Hindi film indus-try, without working with any of the top Khans — be it Shah Rukh, Aamir or Sal-man. But she has no regrets whatsoever. Bipasha, whose latest movie Alone re-leased on Friday, told IANS, “There are so many actresses who have done films with Khans and then disappeared. So what’s the point of such big films? The

year I debuted (with Ajnabee in 2001), Lagaan released with Gracy Singh in lead. It was one of the iconic films — but I am still here,” she said. The Bengali beauty has featured in Bol-lywood movies like Raaz, Jism, No Entry, Dhoom 2, Apharan, Corporate, Race, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Raaz 3 and Creature. Having starred in multiple horror films, now she is looking at a comedy. “I want to do a good comedy, not a slapstick com-edy. People have not seen my funny side yet. I would like to do that,” she said.

‘Prem Ratan...’ will be monumental: Anupam

ANUPAM KHER is confident that Sooraj Barjatya’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo will turn out to be as big as the filmmaker’s past projects Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and Hum Saath Saath Hain. “Working with Sooraj-ji is like creating history without feeling self-important about it. He is so humble and gracious, an actor feels he must deliver his best to a director who demands nothing. -IANS

BOLLYWOOD

THR I L LER

LET ME tell you about an actor called Vikram. In I, which is ac-tually the most exceptional film of high maintenance director Shankar’s extravagant oeuvre, this exceptional actor, known to transform into whatever he plays, stands in a room filled with mul-ti-reflective mirrors, looking at his horribly deformed body and disfigured face.

It is a heart-shattering, glass-shattering moment. It is a mo-ment that would be quoted as an example of what magic a capable actor can create out of melodrama.

Melodrama is certainly Shankar’s forte. His films are not only many sizes larger than life, they are also suffused in excessive exuberance and free-flowing rhet-oric that do not render themselves to a proper Hindi translation. In

I, one doesn’t mind the blizzard of bombast and drama. This is Shankar’s most dramatic film to date. Drama has never been a ra-tioned component in his cinema.

Here the director, known for his visual flair and vital connect with the masses, pulls out all stops as he takes us on a collo-quial and spectacular visual dis-course on the subject of physical beauty and its impact on love.

In I, Shankar, with his extraor-dinary command over the gram-mar and the narrative’s rapid run, goes for the jugular.

There is nothing subtle about the way the film’s hero, a state-level wrestler filled with a boor-ish pride about his looks and physique, loses it all and becomes hunchbacked and grotesque.

There is a lot of embarrass-

ing humbug in the lengthy nar-ration. With that penchant for over-elaborate plotting whereby every component in the charac-terisations must be hammered in repeatedly, the film’s moral map gets tediously fine-printed in the narrative.

But here is the thing I is none-theless an exceptional film.

The main love story between the disfigured hero and the stun-ning model (Amy ably cast) gets its core compulsion from The Beauty and The Beast fable.

The manner in which the re-lationship grows and then takes a twisted turn, is skillfully ma-noeuvred by the director.

There is no doubt that Shankar is a remarkable raconteur. His cinema is almost always blessed Vikram. -IANS

Vikram takes ‘Beauty and The Beast’ to another level in ‘I’

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

S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

RENT D2

DAILY GUIDE Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

2 BR flat for rent in Wadi Kabir next

to Al Maha Petrol Pump.

Rent RO 300 pm. contact 99440826

Fully furnished rooms for rent for

family. Contact 99251975,

Al Khuwair

1 BHK at Ghobrah - Near Indian

School. Contact: 99014885

Al Qurum heights Sea view.

Contact 99249069 / 92888376/

93201688

Flat in Darsait. Contact 99326879

Office space for rent in Ruwi,

OMR 500. Contact 91120552

500 Sq Mtrs industrial land, lev-

eled, ready to use with boundary

wall, in Misfah industrial Area, block

2 near Baladiyah Camp, RO 600/-,

monthly. Contact 94030814

1000 Sq Mtrs, Industrial Land for

rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse

workshop etc. Contact 24700120,

92584715

2 BHK Flat in Mumtaz.

Contact 99792181

1, 2, 3, BHK in Al khuwair.

Contact 99792181

2 BHK in Bowsher, Ghobra.

Contact 99792181

Furnished room with attached bath-

room for Executive bachelor behind

Al Meera Hypermarket, Azaibah

RO 150. Contact 99455735

1 & 2 BHK in Ruwi. Contact 99792181

200 Sqr mtrs Showroom in CBD.

Contact 99792181

1 & 2 BHK in Wattaya. Contact

99792181

New warehouse for rent at Ghala

ind. area. 578 & 1200 sqms near.

hotel al-madinah holiday, Ghala.

Container can enter, immediate

access to roads & highways.

Contact : 92078090

Villa in Al Khuwair 33 close to

Technical College with 3 bedrooms,

1 sitting room and shaded balcony.

Directly from owner not for brokers.

Contact 92814242

For rent at Ruwi, 2 bedrooms, 2

bathrooms, sitting, dining, kitchen

with A/C near Al Falaj Hotel, Ruwi,

Way 2116 building 577, rent RO 275,

PDC. Contact 99879939

For rent at Al Khuwair, 4 bedrooms,

3 bathrooms, sitting, dining, kitchen

split A/C near Rawasco, 1st floor.

Rent 480 PDC. Contact 99879939

D2 S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

1 BHK with A/C, Mumtaz Area,

RO 250/-. Contact 92144045

For rent at Al Khuwair, 1 room with

bathroom (Independent), near Raw-

asco with split A/C, 2nd floor,

rent RO 125 PDC. Contact 99879939

Flat for rent in Al Hail, North

near The Wave, Muscat. Contact

99353433, 99271017

Family villa & flats at Al Ansab and

Awabi. Contact 98458542

2 BHK with split A/C in Wadi Kabir,

Sana Building furnished.

Contact 96635026

3 BHK with AC, Al Falaj, RO 425/-.

Contact 92144045

2 BHK available in Mumtaz area,

Ruwi & Ghubra, nr Indian School.

Contact 99269751

Office space (3 BHK flat – Ample

space) located in prime area at 18th

November street, Al Azaiba (nr. To

Sultan Center). Contact 99261522

2 BHK Commercial, Al Khuwair,

RO 375/-. Contact 92144045

1 BHK, commercial, Darsait.

Contact 92144045

3 rooms, 3 bath flat. Darsait coast

near Indian School like new.

Contact 99715042

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Mis-

fah Industrial area near to Khan co.

OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and

boundary wall will be provided. Tel:

99333479 or 95215360

New bldg 3 BR flats located at

Darsait, Muscat close to Kims Pvt

Hospital. Contact 92020004 /

99800838

Flat, shops, basement, Ruwi-MBD

Area, Honda Road.

Contact 96942749, 92433127

6 shops in Mabela Industrial Area.

Each Front Shop OMR 400 and Side

Shop OMR 300Monthly.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Spacious 2 BR flat in MBD.

Contact 99713489

Family room available for rent at

Muttrah Souq. Contact 24712088 /

99022790

Office space & store, CBD 20059.

Contact 99024730

2 BHK, Al Khuwair. Contact

99024730

Spacious well maintained 2 BHK at

Rex Road from 1st February.

Contact 92227165

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

Fully furnished one bedroom

penthouse Wadi Kabir behind Sana

Hassan, weekly RO.140/- Monthly

RO 350/- Contact – 99349990

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

Office space with cassette type A/C’s

with free internet at al Khuwair near

KM Hypermarket. Contact 99460330

2 Bedroom Spacious flat for rent at

Al Khuwair 25 for OMR 400/- per

month . Contact: 99379988.

Flat for Rent in Ruwi, Bareeq

Shatti, Mawalah. Contact 92521080,

98899916

Flat for rent Ghubrah South, ground

floor flat, 3 bedrooms, majlis, family

hall, RO 425/-. Contact 94669711

6 bedroom villas at Al Ansab

(nr Express highway).# 99199365

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 flat in Wadi Kabir

neat Kuwaiti Mosque RO 200/-.

Contact 95094028

Abu Adnan Tower - flat for rent

available at Al Mabelah, 2 B/R,

1 hall, 2 toilets, 1 kitchen.

Contact 95566475 / 99654252

1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG

Way 4041, building 4390.

Contact 99319880

2 BHK flat for rent RO.350/- at

Al Khuwair near Sultan Taimur

Mosque. Contact – 98893294

2 BHK flats for rent behind Kims

Hospital. #93161573 / 97769759

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.

2 BHK available in Darsait, 1 B/R

and hall, 2 B/R and hall. Contact

99357586, 97500025, 97884787

3BHK, (3 bathroom and big hall)

opp. Apollo Hospital, Hamariya R/A

(OMR 300/-) Contact 91181761

DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 5 D3

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

1 BHK residential flat at Honda road.

2 BHK residential flat opposite to

Al Nahdha hospital. Contact93219590

Villas & flats & stores. Contact

99776071 / 99057348

1 BHK flat Qurum RO.270/- with

split A/C. Contact – 99358589 /

95570288 /97079146

2 BHK flat at Al Khuwair RO.370/-

with split A/C. Contact – 99358589 /

95570288 /97079146

If require flats for rent in Wadi

Kabir please send messages through

Whatsapp or call – 99376454

Luxury 2 bed room villa at Bausher-

AL Ansab Phase 3.Call. 99324456

Fabulous A/C flat Al Khoud, 3 rooms,

280 rials. Contact 99334699

BHK flats Muttrah near Oman House.

Contact 97007934 / 92629232

2 BR, 2 toilets, kitchen at

Al Mawaleh. #99444786, 99747560

We have 1 BHK, 2 BHK, 3 BHK flats,

4, 5 bedrooms villa, open space offic-

es & shops available in Ghala, Gho-

brah, Qurum, Mabela, Ruwi, Darsait,

Mumtaz, Wadi Kabir. All brand new

buildings & very affordable prices.

Contact 93782735 / 99208033

Flat for rent 2 bedrooms one hall in

South Al Hail. RO 270. #93221474

House in North Al Hail with 3 rooms,

Majlis & 3 toilets. Contact 99439568

Apartments in Al Khuwair new area

each apartment contains (2 bedrooms

+ living room) for RO 365. # 93181111

Penthouse near Sultan Centre

Al Amerat with 2 A/Cs. #99612270

1 BHK with attached toilet & bath-

room behind Bank Muscat at

Wadi Kabir.# 99373290, 24815012

3 bedroom furnished Executive

Apartment @Al Khuwair 25, 2 BR

fully furnished Executive Apartment

@Azaiba near Zubair Showroom, 2

BR fully furnished executive Apart-

ment @Al Khuwair 33 near Zakher

Mall. Please contact : Atlas Real

Estate & Rent A Car LLC, 99249069

/ 92888376 / 93201688,

email : [email protected]

2 BHK with A/C, commercial

Al Khuwair. Contact 92144045

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/-

Studio at Al Falaj RO.170/-. 2 BHK

without A/C at Wadi Kabir RO.300/-

Contact - 92144045

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 first instance. For

further information call 97072976

Flats and shops. Contact 93009999

Villa, ground floor in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99743569, 97004265

For rent (flats), 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

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

Villa for sale in new Al Khoudh.

Contact 99778773

30 seater Toyota Bus, 2014, white

color for sale. Contact 98888999 /

96341946

A running supermarket for sale in

Wadi Kabir. Contact 95113037

Running Medical Centre with

full equipments is available for

sale. Those interested can contact

98994208.

Flats ground floor, 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

executive 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 Bed-

room Unfurnished Villa @ An Apart-

ment that resembles a penthouse

has 2 rooms with 2 toilets, living

room & an elegant balcony. Fully

furnished, suited for families. Final

price RO.300/- Mabela 8 near Ger-

man University. Contact 99888400

Clinic for sale. Contact 99824232,

email : modern.medicalclinic@gmail.

com

Industrial shed / warehouse for

immediate lease in Rusayl Industrial

Estate. Contact 99263196 /

[email protected] are dealing with sale of all beauty

salon equipments, furnitures & cos-

metics.#942 888 61 / 942 888 63 Contd on Pg 6

I room with attached toilet in Al Hail

for bachelor, rent RO 100 to RO 130/-.

Contact 97661432

Industrial empty plots 1000 –

15000 sqm are available in Misfah /

Jiffnain rent for long lease, RO 1.200

per sq mt. Contact 96789522

2 BHK with window A/C in

Al Khoudh rent RO 250/-.

Contact 97661432

Constructed warehouse 3000 sq mt

with boundary wall & gate in Misfah

ready for lease or rent for long term.

Rent RO 3.500 per sq. mt.

Contact 96789522

Contd on Pg 6

DAILY GUIDED4 S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

DOMESTIC HELP

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT

MEDICAL

SITUATION WANT-ED

SIT. WANTED

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

Need cutter for Tailoring shop.

Contact 99825211

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

DRIVER

Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

ADMIN/HR

ENGINEERS

EDUCATION

Light Driver having own visa

looking for job as driver

Contact 92303692

LV Driver- 2 yrs Exp-know

English- Contact 95292064

Light vehicle driver looking for job.

Contact 95141473

Light driver looking for job in any

Company Office, experience 2 yrs.

Contact 95341768

Pakistani male, having one year exp

as light vehicle driver looking for job.

Contact 96342684

Bangladeshi Driver seeking job,

3 yrs exp. Contact 99063175

Light Driver looking for job.

Contact 92787245

Driver with vehicle, Keralite.

Contact 94251067

Driver seeking job. Contact

99805236

6 Years experience light duty driver.

Contact – 96736744

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 92791678

EDUCATION

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

office & 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 excellent

communication skills, confident,

dedicated to work and enthusiastic.

Knowledge about ms office. Has

6 years of experience in cus-

tomer service, telecommunication,

HR.Looking for immediate place-

ment. Contact # 97348819

Omani with 6 yrs experience as

PRO, 3 years Admin / Procurement

Officer, excellent English can travel

out of Oman, PDO D/L seeks job.

Contact 96996938

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ARCHI./ DRAUGHTSMAN

Required Physiotherapist. Contact: 91453024

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

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: 24545914DESIGNER

DESIGNER

DESIGNER

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

Wanted driver. Contact 95112461

An excellent company seeking

for experienced male Light Duty Driver to work in Salalah. Contact

92322588 / 99653350, email :

[email protected]

Good growing Company in Muscat is looking for 2 Heavy duty drivers. English language needed. Email :

[email protected]

DRIVER

Required experienced Account-ant Tally, excellent English &

driving license. Contact –

[email protected] /

24497762 / 92192510

ADMIN

MECHANICAL

LAWYER

Urgently required: Receptionist (Omani) - 01 no with 2-4 years

experience Marketing Executive - 01 no; with 5 years experience

(Location - Mawelah, Muscat) . PRO

-02 no with min 10-15 years expe-

rience (Location - Muscat & Sohar).

Interested candidates may send

CV to [email protected]

A leading foodstuff company

requires the following : Office Coordinator – with experience in

related fields, female. Interested

candidates may send their

resumes at [email protected]

Construction Company requires female executive assistant, with

good computer and communica-

tion skills, advanced English,

fluent Arabic. Please send your CV

[email protected]

Indian female, 25 yrs, bachelors of

businesses management, having

experience of 5 years as a fund/

financial administration, on visit

visa,looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94662416

[email protected]

Salesman for Printing Press mate-

rials like Printing Press Plates, inks,

rollers etc. Must have worked in a

printing press and know the prod-

ucts well. Job is in Dubai with visa

and good salary. Apply to

[email protected]

UPVC Doors and Windows Company

urgently require Sales and Market-ing Person, experience 3-5 yrs in

same industry with Oman Driving

License. Contact 99475701,


Required Salesman, Tailor, Barber. Contact 91114884

A leading Company in Oman look-

ing for – (1) Customer Care Service – male (1 no.), (2)Customer Care Service – female(1 no.), (3) Driver – (2 no.) Contact 97461515 / 99101733

Highly reputed Perfume Company requires Omani Sales girl promoters. # 95663682, 92956876

Urgently required Sales Managers & Sales Executives for the following

fields: 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]

Leading Construction company

requires young purchase assistant

with Oman driving license.

Contact 99108425

Looking for outdoor salesman for heavy equipments.

Contact- 93292015, 99656542

Required an experienced person who has ideas to start a new business

in electrical field or supply with mini-

mum cost. Contact 99426421

ARCHITE. / INTERIOR

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

Indian male having 14 years of ex-

perience in Various dept. (stockbrok-

ing Dealing, Back Office Accounts,

Dmat, Settlement, Risk management,

Maintaining Books of accounts ETC).

Having Good Computer Knowledge

seeking suitable placement

Email Id: [email protected],

+91 9820240094

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 financial

records & administration functions

is required for an IT company in

Muscat. Send your CV with updates

photo to [email protected]

Construction Company requires Civil Engineer with degree only with

10 yrs of local or GCC Experience.

Email : [email protected]

We are looking for :- 1) Firefighting equipment Engineer / Technician, 2) Marketing Executive, 3) Crane Maintenance Technician. Email :

[email protected]

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER (full

time) Responsibilities: To work with

architect, To provide of construction

issue documentation for a projects.

Desired candidate Profile: min of 3-5

years experience in Structural De-

sign, Should be AutoCAD competent.

Please send your CV to

Email: [email protected]

Tel. 99196733, 99419766

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]

Urgently required a GP Doctor with MOH license for a leading

Medical Clinic.

Contact 92008272 / 96602188,


Urgently required an experienced Pharmacist with MOH License for a

reputed Pharmacy in Muscat.

Please send CV to

[email protected]

Doctor needed for a rehabilita-

tion centre in Muscat. Kindly call

92130498

Reqd 1 Lady Doctor (Internist)

with 3 yrs experience in Oman. One

female Nurse with atleast 3 yrs

experience in Oman. For newly es-

tablished clinic in Ruwi. Send your

detailed CV to mohamedsfarah@

hotmail.com, Tel : 91283188

We are looking for an Optometrist for an Optical with minimum 3 yrs

experience. Please contact 99340769

or email : [email protected]

Wanted MBBS Doctor, Staff Nurse and Lab Technician for a Clinic

in Capital Area. Please contact

93431024, send CV to

[email protected]

SALES / MARKETING

Architect ( Autocad 3D / 3D Max /

photoshop / presentation )

in a reputed office. Tel 24794481

fax 24794482

[email protected]

Chartered Accountant, 10+ yrs

experience, B.Com, CA, CIA. Imme-

diate availability. Audit, Finance.

Contact 94641805

Indian male, 25 yrs, 3 yrs experi-

ence, Diploma in foreign & Indian

accounting, Diploma in fire & safety

eng, looking for suitable position in

Oman. Contact 96582370

Pakistani male, 25 yrs, MBA

Finance, 1.6 yrs exp in Accounts

seeking placement in Accounts,

Administration or Business Manage-

ment. Contact 92651927 / 94250149

Indian Male, looking for job in Ac-

counts & Administration previously,

experience 1 yr in Oman, now on

visit visa. Contact 97424337

Indian accountant with more than

30 years of experience in construc-

tion (financial / cost accounting)

with experience in material manage-

ment ,HR and general administration

seek part time/full time assignment.

Ready to work any where in Oman.

Contact 98598099

Male, 4 yrs of experience as Finan-

cial Analyst looking for suitable

position. Contact 94140728

Part time Accountant, up to fina-

lization, looking for job after 5 pm

(Location prefer – Qurum to

Al Khoudh). Contact 92917574

Accountant B.Com & CIMA Part

qualified, 8 yrs experience currently

in Sri Lanka. Contact +94777222392

or 91126314

Female Accountant with 4 years

experience in Oman seeking suitable

placement. Contact 98721909

ACCA, 24 yrs, female, looking for

a suitable position, Accounting/

Finance in a reputed firm.

Contact 91710657

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

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,

Taxation Management. Contact

95857199

Finance Manager, CPA, with more

than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC.

Fully knowledgeable in Finance,

General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331

Accounts part time works upto fina-

lization & finalization works.

Contact 96247295

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 Communica-

tion & interpersonal,

fluent in English, SAP and EPM.

Contact 94663827,


Accountant / Auditor, Srilankan

male 27, having 3+ yrs experience

looking for suitable placement.

Contact 93556320

Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.7 out

of 9 years experience in Oman in

Accounts/finance. Having NOC and

valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143,


Indian Male, MBA 2 yrs experience

in Accounts, Admin & HR on visit

visa. Contact 92045306

Indian Female, M.Tech (A.E),

B.Tech (ECE) with 1.5 yrs experi-

ence in teaching (Asst Professor)

in Engineering College, seeking

suitable teaching / non teaching

jobs in Muscat. Contact 91532690

Email: [email protected],

Indian female MSc costume

design & fashion having 3 yrs exp

in teaching seeking suitable job.

Contact: 97614456 / 95918968

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer,

2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experi-

ence. Contact 97311847

BE (Elec and Tele Engg), Experi-

enced as Application Engg, Certified

in BMS SCADA Ph: 94037935/

97103168

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

Sudanese Mechanical Engineer,

3 yrs experience as Sit Engineer,

HVAC System, and driving license,

easy to transfer immediately.

Contact 91135140

Looking Part time Job in HVAC-

93198128

Experienced female Electrical

Engineer.Contact 93800906

ARCHITECT/DRAFTSMAN/SITE

ENGINEER: Indian, Male.5 Years’

Experience; In Edu Trust, and Com-

mercial Complexes.

Currently in Oman In Visit Visa

Cont. No.93957502 / 97899661

30Male, 3D Designer, 5 yrs exp,

software command in autocad,

3dmax, , illustrator & Photoshop

seeks immediate placement GSM

93481811

AutoCAD jobs, Preparing Working/

Shop Drawings & Civil Quantity Sur-

veying jobs. Contact : 92758095

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]

Required English teacher for

KG 1 / KG II. Contact 97163777,

99429352

Required Teacher for ISWK stu-

dent studying in VII & III

at Honda Road Ruwi. Contact

99471699

Male Accouuntant required in

Ghala. Candidates present

in Oman only. # 99454425,


A well reputed steel fabrication &

machining Workshop company in

Oman requires experienced petrol & diesel mechanic for trucks.

Contact email : oman518@gmail.

com, 99228046

Required urgently a Legal consult-ant /Lawyer for reputed law firm

for SOHAR office. Candidates should

have 5-7 yrs exp. as a Legal Consult-

ant/ Lawyer with good knowledge

of Computer & should be fluent in

English. Contact 99153620 Email

C V to [email protected] or

between 8am to 5.30 pm.

SIT.WANTED

Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male,

having 8+ years exp. in reputed

companies, seeking suitable

placement in any gulf region.

Contact: +968 99276601 &

97693456.

[email protected]

Indian male, 26 yrs - MBA Graduate

with 3 yrs of Experience in Banking

(Standard Chartered Bank Scope

International - Operations) & Coffee

Vending Machine (Fresh & Honest

Cafe ltd - , Operations) on Visit Visa

seeks placement.

Contact: 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 finalisation 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 Con-

sultant, 14 years (10 years in GCC

Countries) of experience in the

travel industry looking for a suita-

ble placement. Contact:96328687

Female dentist with MOH license

and release looking for a suitable

placement in Muscat, presently

residing in Muscat.

Contact: 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 fields with full

knowledge of structure design

programs, Omani D/L, seeking a

reputed engineering consultancy

office vacancy Tel. 96248598.

India Accountant: Male, M com,

7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to

finalization, having knowledge of

ERP, Tally, seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact:93950138


ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Required part time web designer

with experience in CMS back-

ground. Send your CV & sample

work to [email protected]

Interior Designer, Indian male,

have 5 yrs experience with Oman

License looking for a suitable job.

Email : [email protected],

93779308


DAILY GUIDESITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Indian Female, 24, UK Gradu-

ate - MSc Digital Communication

Network Engineering with B.Tech

Electronics and Communication

with Omani Driving License,

seeks suitable placement.

Contact No. : 95408113

Sudanese Mechanical Engineer, 3 yrs experience in HVAC fire

fighting, NOC and driving license

available. Contact 91135140

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 field with

project management skills, seeks

suitable placement. NOC available &

can join immediately. #92198264,


Indian male Mechanical Engineer (M.Tech), Manufacturing Engineer-

ing, having 2 yrs Exp with Oman D/L

- seeking suitable placement . NOC

available. Contact: 98681278;


Civil Engineer, Diploma, Sudanese,

5 yrs experience in Oman, have driv-

ing license. Contact 96618918

Electrical Engineer, Sudanese male,

8 yrs experience in Construction,

operation, maintenance, electrical

plants, responsible for electrical

installation coordination.

Contact 94549609

Civil Diploma Engineer, Indian

male, 5 yrs experience in Oman with

valid Omani D/L. Contact 98518370

Civil Engineer, 14 yrs exp, 5 yrs in

Oman, driving license, NOC release


Telecom Engineer with Bachelor

Degree, CCNA female, 1 yr experi-

ence in Sales & Marketing seeking

suitable job. Contact 97269189

B.E (Civil) Engineer looking for a

suitable placement, driving license


Civil Engineer (Diploma) looking for

an urgent placement.

Contact 95200650

Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech

4 yrs MNC experience, installation

commissioning & on-site repairs /

maintenance of heavy

mechanical equipment.

Contact 93387867,

[email protected]

B.E Production / Diploma Fab-

rication, 2 yrs experience valid

PDO permit holder visa expiry on

26/01/2015. Contact 94270360,

+91 9925140499,

[email protected]

Mechanical Engineer, Indian male,

seeking suitable job on visit visa.

Contact 99796730, 92031312, email

: [email protected]

Indian male, B.E. Electrical Engineer

having 15 months experience in a

leading Indian Company, seeking

suitable placement. Now in Oman on

visit visa. Contact 92453891,


Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech, 3+

yrs exp. (2 yrs. in Oman) 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 field

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.

Contact 98499008


Indian male, 25 yrs, Electrical &

electronics Engineer, 7.8 CGPA,

history of no backlogs, Zonal topper

in English Communication, with

Cambridge certification, looking for

suitable position, 2 yrs experience.

Contact 93918271,

[email protected]

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

Indian female, well experienced

in secretarial, administration,

customer care & supervisory jobs.

5 years experience in Muscat.

Immediately available for joining.

Contact: 92139298

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

Telecommunication Engineer with

5 yrs experience in the Gulf.

Contact 95219822

Electrical Project Engineer, 4 yrs

experience OHL, Substations, Oil &

Gas field, AutoCAD. D/L available.

Contact 95120225

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,


Civil Engineer with 12 years Experi-

ence Looking For Job.

Contact 98162295

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,


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

BE Civil Engineer, 5 yrs experience.


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 Ex-

perience 2 years from Oman with

driving licences, seeking for suitable

position in Construction field NOC

and release available

Contact 96968554


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]

TOUR / TRAVELS

TECHNICIAN

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Omani Man looking for a job with

experience in HR/ Admin/

accounting. # 99767666

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


Sales & Marketing Indian male

MBA (marketing & sales) business

development experience at all levels

of management. Currently on visit

visa. Contact – 91272819

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Skipper, fishing vessels, 33 yrs

experience as Captain in Indian and

International waters, oceanography

and fishery related research activi-

ties and management.

Contact 95775380 / 99616823

Indian male, 27 yrs, B.A. Economics,

Diploma in Fire & Safety, NEBOSH,

IOSH Certification, 4 yrs experience

as Safety Officer in India, on visit

visa. Contact 97209656

Quality Assurance Officer, ISO

Quality System Internal Auditor, BSc

Graduate, female 27, with 4 years

experience seeks suitable placement.

Contact [email protected]

Microbiologist & Quality Assurance Executive, BSc Gradu-

ate, female, 27 with 4 yrs experi-

ence in food industry looking for a

suitable placement.


Logistics Officer, Experience in

Store keeping. Contact : 99505934

BCA Gratuate, Indian male with 1yr

of exp in System Admin, IT Support,

Network Admin and 1yr exp as sales

Executive.CCNA,MCSE .looking for

suitable job. # 95938303

email- [email protected]

IT Professional, 7 yrs exp in Sys-

tem Administration, IT Support,

Networking etc. currently on visit

visa. Contact 94064579,


Female dentist with MOH license

and with Noc looking for suitable

placement in Muscat region

Contact no. 99147426

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf

experience) looking for a suitable

job (NOC available)

Contact-93344378

Indian female, 26, Pharmacist with

MOH license, 3.5 yrs of experience

in India, seeking suitable placement.

Contact 94474924,


Instrument Technician (M.Sc

Instrumentation) with 2 yrs experi-

ence (1 yr Indian + 1 yr in SABIC

Petro Chemical Plant, Saudi Arabia),

currently available in Muscat on

visit visa looking for a suitable posi-

tion in Oman. Contact 97165988,


IATA Certified experienced Indian

Lady looking for job. Currently on

visit. Contact 94613747, 91339846

MBA Graduate 10+ exp FMCG food

serv. Sales channel/ Branch Man-

ager. Contact - 99185205

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]

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, operational, com-

munication and interpersonal 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

Qualified 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

experience in 5 Star hotels as

Assistant Food & Beverage Manager

looking for a suitable placement

in a reputed Star hotel.

Contact: 91219787

General Manager / working partner

20 years in Dubai adverting agency

experience. Contact 93031168

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

B.E Mechanical Engineer, Indian

Male, 29, 5 years experience in

steel fabrication field (piping and

structural) as site engineer. Look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact 96115463.

[email protected] TECH

INFORMATION TECH

IT Network Engineer with Bachelor

Degree, CCNA, RHCSA, RHCE seek-

ing suitable job in good Company.

Contact 99818601

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

B.Tech IT, 1 yr experience pro-

gramming with asp.net visual

basic network certified.

Contact 96748154

Indian Male having 7 yrs in experi-

ence in Oman Sales & Marketing Of-

fice Automation Printer, Copier, MFP,

IT products & Stationery. Looking for

Suitable Placement NOC Available

Contact :97384748

Oracle certified BE (CS) Indian male

with skills in OCA (DBA, SQL10g,

looking for suitable placement.

Contact 98436022/99848874


Young Energetic Male, with Oman

work experience in the field of Sales/

Marketing and Administration.

Currently on a visit visa seeking

suitable position. Contact 97832289.

[email protected]

MBA Finance, 6 yrs exp in Sales

& Marketing with Omani Driving

License seeks suitable placement.

Contact 94685706

Indian male, MBA 9+ yrs Oman exp

in Sales & Marketing in FMCG (F &

B) sector on a Supervisor / manage-

rial role with D/L & Local NOC avail-

able. Contact 97912789

Young female, having experience

of working in Oman with expertise

in the field of Event Management,

Advertising, Marketing and Hotel

Management. Currently on a visit

visa. Seeking for a suitable Job.

Contact 96153578

Indian male, Diploma in Automobile

& BBA, 8 yrs experience in Sales

looking for a job in Sales.

Contact 94480382

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

Graduate, Indian, having 6 yrs

experience in Sales with D/L, NOC


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.

Contact : 95036410

Indian female, Accountant. having

+5 years experience in Oman till

Nov 2014. seeking suitable place-

ment. NOC available.

currently in family visa.

Contact :98447045,

email:[email protected]

Indian male, 26 yrs - MBA Gradu-

ate with 3 yrs of Experience in

Banking ( Standard Chartered Bank

Scope International - Operations)

&Coffee Vending Machine (Fresh

& Honest Cafe ltd - Operations)

on Visit Visa seeking placement.

Contact 91267867

Indian male 23 yrs, 4 yrs experi-

enced in Architectural Draughts-

man looking for a suitable Post

GSM:96023726, Email

[email protected]

INDIAN, B.E Mechanical Engineer, 2 years job experience in Oman

in pipeline field, fluent in English,

Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi, with

valid Omani driving license (light)

searching for job.

Contact 99871470

Male 28, seven & half an year ex-

perience. Worked as maintenance

division co-ordinator, purchaser’s

assistant, and office administra-

tion works. Valid driving license.

Contact 94454847

28 year Indian male with 7yrs of

experience in Accounts & Finance

up to finalisation in Construction

Oil & Gas and also in Manufacturing

industries with Oman D/L

seeking suitable placement.

Contact 97104364 .

email:[email protected].

Indian male, 25yrs, MBA in mar-

keting from Delhi with 1 year ex-

perience in operation department,

currently on visit visa seeking suit-

able placements. Ph 97334359


Civil Engineer, B.E in civil ,

Approx. two year experience in

Oman, Pakistani age 29 years.

Contact : 94389853 Email :

[email protected]

Male 28, seven & half an year ex-

perience. Worked as maintenance

division co-ordinator, purchaser’s

assistant, and office administra-

tion works. Valid driving license.

94454847

Indian, female, Pharmacist avail-

able with NOC and MOH License,

preferably in Muscat. #9439 1355.

Mechanical Engineer with 10+

years experience currently on visit

visa looking for a Operation Man-

ager/Branch Manager position in

reputed organizations. #95757845

Senior Accounts Professional,

Indian Male, 35 years, M.Com,

MBA (Fin) 8 years in Oman, with

valid Oman DL and NOC available.

Capable to handle accounts up to

finalization. Contact 9602 3965.

Looking out for the post of Travel

coordinator/Senior travel Consult-

ant, 14 years (10 years in GCC Coun-

tries) of experience in the travel

industry looking for a suitable

placement. Contact : 96328687.

An Indian driver with car looking

for part time job. #91103909

Indian, Female, Pharmacist avail-

able with NOC and MOH License,

preferably in Muscat. #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 Trissur.

Fluent in English. Excellent presen-

tation skill.Engineering, IT, teach-

ing or account sector job wanted.

Contact -97724630 / email:

[email protected]

IT supports 6 yrs experience, male,

Filipino Desktop Support, Backup

administrator, Wireless Networking,

server admin. #- +96896126502

Indian male, 31 years of Rich Oman

experience in Multifunctional Man-

agement, Admistration, Business

Development, Purchase & Opera-

tions seeking suitable Manager/

Supervisory Position. Visa transfer/

NOC Available. # 95036410

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 available.

Email –[email protected].

Contact: 99252635, 99239498

Filipino Accountant with 13 years

working experience in the field of

accounting looking for a suitable

job in Muscat. Contact: 94547323

28 years Indian male with 7yrs of

experience in Accounts & Finance

up to finalisation in Construction

Oil & Gas and also in Manufactur-

ing industries with Oman D/L seek-

ing suitable placement.

Contact me on 97104364 .email:

[email protected]

Indian female MA. 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].

MBA with 1 yr experience, Indian

looking for job, salary 40000 INR.

Contact 96271935

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]

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, Office 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 mail:

[email protected]

B.Tech IT Professional, Indian

Male with 3 yrs of Exp. In System

Admin, IT Support, Networking,

Installing Active Directory, DHCP,

DNS,RAS, configuring maintaining

and managing servers, configur-

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,


Indian female Pharmacist, 28 yrs

MOH license holder with 3 yrs expe-

rience seeking suitable placement.

Contact 94037178

Home nurse. Contact 99156191

Veterinary Doctor 4 years experi-

ence in Military Cattle farm, Pet

Animals & butchery, looking for a

suitable placement.

Contact: 97892349

Indian male Pharmacist (B.Pharma) 5 1/2 years experience in Oman

seeking suitable placement in Mus-

cat. NOC from the present employer

available.

CONTACT +968 98525100

Indian Female, Dentist fresher look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact 98857686,


Sri Lankan Salesman cum driver

with NOC. Contact 97265733

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

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, 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

Indian male, 22 yrs, BBM Gradu-

ate looking for suitable job in sales/

marketing, currently on visit visa.

Contact 91757222, email :

[email protected]

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

Email: [email protected] GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624


D6 S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

EVERY FRIDAY 2.00PM ON INDIA’S KAIRALI PEOPLE TV

● Worldwide ● Air Ticket ● Car Rental ● Holiday Packages ● Hotel Reservations ● Travel Insurance

Call: +96824790400, +96898569830 Email: [email protected]

ACC.WANTED

ACC. AVAILABLE

Independent rooms in Qurum/

Al Hail. Contact 95529970

Room with separate entrance, bath-

room, A/C, furniture near Al Nahdha

Hospital. Contact 93201710

Bath attached room with separate

sharing kitchen for rent in Wadi

Kabir. Contact 99378661

Rooms for rent in Al Hail, front of the

Wave. Contact 95192927

2 rooms with 2 bathrooms and

sharing kitchen for couple or

executive bachelors at hamriya

r/abt. ( on the main road side, opp.

Apollo hospital ) RO 150.

Contact 98232567

Single room at Walja, opposite

MBD area available for executive

bachelors or single working woman

for OMR 100 including Electricity

and Water. Contact 93079877

Single furnished room in Ruwi.

Contact 24833609

Sharing accommodation available

at Mumtaz area, Ruwi.

Contact 97612335

Independent room furnished

Executive at Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99336206

Single room or studio flat required

in Ruwi area. Contact : 95405033

Furnished single room with sepa-

rate bathroom near al meera hyper-

market, azaiba. Gsm 94288863

BUYING/SELLING

SIT.WANTED

Used household & office furni-

ture and electronic items. Contact

99834373, 97102699

Looking for purchase of Used Portable Compressor (350 CFM,

7 Bar Pressure) powered

with Diesel run Generator.

Kindly Contact 99014686 or

[email protected]

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

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]

Dental clinic for sale in

Sohar. Contact immediately

99705760,92625962

New fully equipped 2 chair dental

clinic in Seeb area for immediate

sale. MOH approved.

Contact 94514045

Well running pharmacy. Contact no . 93240949

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

Darsait Business Office furniture,

Isuzu 4 ton brand new.

Contact 91391363

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land

with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479

or 95215360

3 floor commercial building in Mutt-

rah behind Police. Generating income

of OMR 18 Thousand annually. Neat

and well maintained. Built on 197 sq

mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground

floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Used furniture bedroom sofa dining

A/Cs Majlis washing machine, table

keyboard, Expat leaving.

Contact 99353978

A newly opened Barber Shop for

sale at upcoming industrial zone in

Misfah. Expat leaving Oman.

Genuine buyers call 93833107

(Sale Price Negotiable)

Running Workshop for Tiles /

Marble & Granite cutting & skirting

in Wadi Kabir for immediate sale.

Contact 99105492

Household items on sale.

Contact 93833107

Building material shop for sale,

near Mars Hypermarket, Al Ghoubra.

Contact 93797343 / 99881647

MATRIMONIALIndian male 39 Christian divorced

seeks suitable alliance. Contact:

96059801

Keralite girl, 26 (160), BSC Nurse at

South America seeks suitable alli-

ance. Contact 94413100, 98335340

Proposals are invited from parents

of professionally qualified 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

NRI

35.6 cents residential land (plus

4.5 cents area) high profile gated

community, 7.2 kms from sims

park, Coonoor kothagiri highway

Tamil Nad, granite wall built fac-

ing main road, premium property

breathtaking view of valley, for

sale price rs.750/per sq.ft.

Contact Sukumar Menon -

+968-94080269

Villa for sale 2200 sq ft in 8 cent.

Kottayam. Contact: 92652534

Land for sale, 13.2 cents prime

residential land near Perourkada

Junction on Vattiyoorkavu Road,

Trivandrum at 12L per cent.

Contact 92973928

Furnished house for sale near

Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapu-

ram, 5 cents, 220 SQ Ft. Contact

96099215 / 99016230

For Astrological consultation,

Jathakam. Contact 99860435 /

97102599

FOR SALE

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

Single room available for a work-

ing lady with separate bathroom

& sharing kitchen with a family @

Rex Road. Contact 95423572

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 expats

at Al Khuwair. Contact 97004265 /

99689315

Room with separate entrance &

A/C in Al Khuwair near Rawasco

for non-cooking Indian Bachelor,

rent RO 125/-. Contact 97201100,

95397442

Room with separate toilet and WiFi,

Wadi Kabir near pencil building.

Contact 93416854

Office space near KFC, Al Khuwair,

office basement near Mars, Al Ghub-

rah, double & single bedroom flat Al

Ghubrah near Mars and Wadi Kabir

near Lulu. # 95755551 / 92222045

Furnished single room with

attached bathroom near Mars

Hypermarket, Al Ghubrah. Contact

97312111, RO 150/- per month

2 Bedroom flat for offices with

furniture near Al Manaf Hotel, Ghala.

Contact 99525743, 99439705

Excellent 3 bedrooms , 2 sitting

rooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen & store

with A/C. 92817777

ACC. AVAILABLE

Port cabins – New & refurnished

Porta cabin for sale and rent.

Contact 96723468

Running establishment for sale, industrial license, marble & granite,

aluminum workshop, fully equipped

showroom. Serious buyers please

Contact 99334540

Sale!, all household items, like fridge,

freezer, cooking range, washing

machine, window/split A/Cs, LCD TV,

Laptop, tab and many more for attrac-

tive prices. Location :

near Toyota service Center, Honda

Road. Contact - 97048983, 95293643

Restaurant for leasing/sale in

Al Hail. Contact 94148970,

94148972, 97820877

FOR RENT

2 BHK flat Muttrah / Mabelah.

Contact 95915154

Studio flat Darsait. RO 150/-.

Contact 92144045

Industrial Land in Misfah.

Contact 93009999

2 BHK at Al Azaiba, Building No.5145

Way 4470. Contact 99224748,

99425665

New Villa for Rent Two floors

newly built villa in Maabillah, 8 Full-

fledged Residential Area

6 Rooms, 8 Toilets, excellent finish-

ing spacious Kitchen, Big Dining

Rooms in Both Floors, Easy Access

to Muscat and Sohar using Maabil-

lah Bridge. Contact 92828303

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

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 Man-

ager/Supervisory Position. Visa

transfer/NOC Available.

GSM: 95036410

Indian Male, B.COM, ICWA, CMA

Australia, 24 years experience in

finance, costing, accounts, internal

audit. Valid Oman driving license.

NOC available. Can join immedi-

ately. Contact 97917136

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,


Indian Female, Graduate having

good experience looking for suit-

able job. NOC available.

Contact 91774397

22 Indian Female, BCA (MCA),

4 Years’ Experience in Teaching,

Training & Management of Of-

fice and Computer Applications,

looking for suitable vacancy in

the field of Teaching/IT/Office

Management

Contact – 94540768, 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

Indian male, 28 yrs in Civil Engi-

neer (Diploma), 3 yrs experience

in Gulf seeking suitable chances.

Contact 92063150

Indian Male Graduate 20 yrs in

Oman, Accountant / Business

Property Management seeking

suitable position in Accounts / Ad-

ministration working knowledge

with TALLY. Valid Omani Driving

License. Contact 99817183

28 years male, MBA in Marketing,

5 years experience in Marketing

and Brand Promotion. On visit,

looking for job. Contact: 96104833

Indian male 2 years experience

in Light & Heavy motor vehicle

Mechanic. Diesel & Petrol.

Seek suitable placement

Contact 99421537

Indian female, 34 yrs, B.A, B.Ed

(S.S), DCA, Doing M.A by distance,

having 6 yrs experience in School

(5 yrs in Indian School, Oman).

Contact 98728700, 92458872

B.Tech. (Civil), 2 years experi-

ence in designing, and training

corporate professionals in Dubai

in software, presently working in

India, seeks suitable job opening.

[email protected]

Indian Female 23 years M.Com

Graduate on visit visa hav-

ing four month experience as

an Accountant in a company

at Muscat. Looking for a suit-

able job. Immediately available

for joining. Contact: 95846642,

Email:[email protected]

Indian female 24 yrs, MBA

(finance) (1 year experience as

administrator cum junior level

accountant looking for suitable job

& holding visiting visa. Contact

97481488, Email:

[email protected]

Hotel Manager, Indian male,

25 years exp. in Budget & 3 Star

Hotel, with Omani Driving License

, Seeks Placement. NOC/Release

Available. Contact: 99799774,


M. Sc. Medical lab technician (Prometric passed) having 6 years

experience in India. Currently on

visit, looking for a suitable place-

ment. Please contact 97248144,

[email protected].

Project Manager civil, Indian,

seeking suitable placement, hav-

ing 18 yrs exp (13 yrs in Oman)

in tendering, contracting and

managing projects, available with

release.

Contact: 99244245, 95321251

Indian Male 26years BCOM having

5years rich experience in Accounts

and Admin looking for suitable

placement. Contact : 96897914340,

00919902200486 Email:

[email protected]

Mechanical Engineering Post

Graduate with 10+ years work

experience looking for a suitable

immediate opening in construc-

tion, oil& gas, and other related

companies, currently on visit visa.

Contact: 92975815


DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with

Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine

Tours # 98029602, 92808636

TOURS

TOURSRENT A CAR

DRIVING

M.V. FOR SALE

Renault Safrane 2011, Excellent con-

dition OMR3400. Contact 94015245

Pajero 3.8 v6 full option, 2008

model expat driven single owner, ex-

cellent condition, accident free, 217k.

Contact - 92590781

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation. Contact 93405941


Transportation available.

Contact 95570429

Pick & drop anytime in al Khuwair.

Contact 99764307

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

L/R Discovery, 2003,

KM 1,60,000. Contact 99238877

Prado 2012. Contact 99336093

FOR HIRE

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

Five tower cranes with operators.

(50 m height, 55m boom length

and 2.5 tons lifting capacity at Jib).

Please contact : ravin0225@gmail.

com or call 96529679

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

Lexus GS300, 2006. Contact

93218349

Tucson V-6, 2007, automatic

RO 2500/-. Contact 99384640

PDO approval truck for hire. Contact

99350915

Running truck wash for rent in

Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people

can. Contact on 97864747

50 seater bus with PDO specifica-

tion for rent or lease. # 99839898

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability



D8 S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 5



SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SITUATION WANT-SERVICES

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/24792998

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your

marble. # 24793614/ 99314807

Cheapest Prices, all types win-

dow, curtains and blind.

Contact 99539521

Computer service/ AMC/ Net-

working. Contact 93552434

Pest Control Treatments!!! Termites! Cockroaches! Bedbugs!

Ocean Centre LLC. #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

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

GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC

all kind of pest control.

Contact 92326955

For All Your Maintenance Solu-

tions, A/c Servicing & Fixing,

Painting, Cleaning, Electric. Contact

99002390

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house clean-

ing. Contact 99542979 / 98855815

Building Caretaker, Gulf Experi-

enced, knows Arabic, Hindi English

Ph : 94304348

For All Your Maintenance Solutions,

A/c Servicing & Fixing, Painting,

Cleaning, Electric. # 99002390

Water proofing ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Civil Maintenance, Painting Elec-

tric, Plumbing, Decor, Tile Fixing,

Lecithin Copra Board flat stifling ,

Carpet Cleaning and A/C Servic-

ing. Contact 97897831 (Indian

keralite)

Waterproofing, light weight Screed,

Antitermite and MS Fabrication.

Contact 92888337

Electrical Plumbing Painting

Contract and Maintenance.

Contact 98456535

House shifting transport. Contact

99657644, 98518013

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

CHANGE OF NAME

NOTICE

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

PRO services. Contact 99368907

Painting Interlock plumbing

maintenance. Contact 92142319

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

BUSINESS

First Grade Building Construc-

tion Company registered in Tender

Board, MOD, and all Ministries with

120 manpower have current projects

of RO 2 million seeking for investor

partner to be the Managing Director.

Send CV to

[email protected]

My client needs to buy Residential

land or villa in Al Ghubra Bahar

Factory area. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

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

We, Parameshwaran Ravi (name

of father as per the passport, holder

of Indian Passport No. L3320623)

and Sangeeta Parameshwaran

(name of mother as per the pass-

port, holder of Indian Passport No.

L3320622) having permanent

address in H.No.2, Gayatri Niwas,

Ajabpurkala, Saket Colony, Dhar-

ampur, Dehradun, 248001 (com-

plete postal address in India) and

presently residing at the following

address in P.B.No 792, P.C.No 133,

Sultanate of Oman, hereby solemn-

ly affirm and declare to change the

name of our child Miss Sara (name

as per present passport), holder

of Indian Passport No. L9527861,

date of issue 22/05/14 issued at

Muscat. The name of our child will

be henceforth known as Yanti Ravi

(new name) for all purposes. Any

objection towards change of name

of our minor child may please

be communicated to Embassy of

India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters,

Al Khuwair, P.B. No 1727, Postal

Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

BUSINESS

Wanted dentist or investor to buy a

well-running dental clinic in Sohar

immediately. Contact 92625962,

95904234

We assist in new business set up

local sponsorship, real estate ser-

vices, assist in company formation

services. Contact - 93166088

Salim Bin Nasser Bin Mohammed and his partner Company for Trade

and Contracting that registered

under the registration trade num-

ber 1120159 will change the name

of the registration trade to Abdu Al

Rahman Bin Ahmed Bin Hamdan

Al Hosni and his parented Com-

pany for Trade and Contracting.

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 /


M.V.WANTED

Required Nissan Tida / Toyota

yaris / Suzuki swift / hyundai/Kia

hatchback car in good condition.

Contact 95405033

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

times of oman - january 18, 2015

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