Times of Oman - June 4, 2015

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THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 / 16 Sha’aban 1436 AH

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‘Get ready for a long, hot summer Oman’ Humidity factor and perceived temperature

C5

FBI to probe Qatar, Russia World Cup bids

Summers are always

High temperature

a tough prospect but this year the early spike in heat is

INVITE ACTION

Sub-letting homes is illegal in Oman, says Municipality RAHUL DAS FAHAD AL GHADANI

MUSCAT: Homeowners, and even tenants, have been warned that sub-letting of properties to third parties such as tourists is illegal.

An official at the Muscat Municipality said many people defy the authorities by offering their homes up for rent ahead of the summer vacations, when they travel, especially on websites such as Airbnb.com, a growing phenomenon in many parts of the world.

The website currently has 80 properties listed for rent in Oman, starting from around OMR20 per night, allowing people to select an entire villa, private room or bunk beds on the terrace online.

Experts say tenants could be liable for huge fines if the lease is not licensed, amid a series of legal challenges against Airbnb overseas, including in New York and Spain. In Muscat, tenants subletting flats without the consent of the municipality or from their landlord can be evicted and can attract large penalties. >A6

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

British magazine praises Oman foreign policy

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The Economist has said that Oman’s neutral stance and noninterference in others’ affairs under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has enhanced its position. >A2

OMAN

MARKET

Dar Al Atta’a event

Galfar trading halted

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OMR583,800 donations were given to Dar Al Atta’a Foundation. >A6

Share trading of Galfar Company was suspended for last three days. >B1

Apparent temperature is the term used for the perceived outdoor temperature, caused by the combined effects of warm air, relative humidity and wind speed. Here is the forecast for the next two weeks

Thu 4

Fri 5

47

48

38

37

going nowhere, say forecasters, warning

31

49°C will be common

29

Low temperature Sun 7

Mon 8

Tue 9

43

44

43

44

MUSCAT: Summer is never easy in Oman, but the weathermen are warning that this year the Sultanate is in for a long hot spell with temperatures consistently reaching up to 49 degree Celsius throughout June and July.

“This is due to the dry wind coming from the north western part of the country. From August onwards, the mercury levels may start to dip from what it is now,” said an official from the Oman meteorological department.

On Tuesday, temperatures were hovering at around 49°C in Khasab, Sunyanah and Fahud, apart from Adam and Al Mudhaibi.

“The entire region is suffering from dry wind. The temperature recordings are almost the same everywhere in the region,” added the official.

On Wednesday, the meteorological department recordings showed that the temperature at Fahud was 47° Celsius, the highest till noon.

For tomorrow, it has predicted temperatures of 45°C, but Accuweather.com recorded 50°C in Ibri on Wednesday.

Meteorologists from AccuWeather, the American media company that provides commercial weather forecast services worldwide, said that the present

Fri 12

Sat 13 47

37

31

42

41

39

32

30

Sun 14 Mon 15 Tue 16 Wed 17 45

44

44

46

38

39

39

40

40

40

40

40

37

30

31

32

29

30

31.6

29

31

31

38%

37%

36%

34%

32%

33%

34%

40

40

48%

44% 32%

Humidity

reji@timesofoman.com

Wed 10 Thu 11

55% 45%

REJIMON K

Apparent max. temperature

Sat 6

35%

41%

In humid conditions, air appears hotter than it actually is, because of the reduction in evaporation of perspiration.

Source: weather.com-ocw.upm.es

conditions in Oman will continue until mid-June, but that there may be some respite sooner.

“Temperatures for the region may climb a few degrees higher over the coming weeks. However, the high temperature, at least in Muscat, occurs in mid-June.

So there are chances of extreme heat dropping off by the end of the month. That said, we will be looking at warmer than normal temperatures for much of the summer, and a few highs near 50°C for the region are certainly possible. However, 55°C will be difficult to achieve, and as of now AccuWeather is not predicting any 55°C highs, in any of the major cities in the Arabian Peninsula,” said Evan Duffey, meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Asked whether it would be the worst summer in Oman’s history, Duffey said the temperature over the past few months has been warm but not extreme.

“Temperatures in Muscat since May 1 have only averaged 1.7°C above normal. The real heat wave began in Muscat on May 24 and since then temperatures have averaged 3.8°C above normal,” added Duffey. >A3

Graphics

Car catches fire in refuelling FAHAD AL GHADANI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: A car caught fire while refuelling at a fuel station in Bidbid at 8am yesterday, according to a reliable source at the Public Authority of Civil Defence (PACDA).

The fire was extinguished but the vehicle was gutted, and the fuel station also suffered some damage. “We call on the public, especially motorists, to be cautious while filling tanks at fuel stations,” said the source.

High temperature The source clarified that high temperature was the reason for the fire.

He added that high temperatures could trigger fire easily. PACDA has also called on motorists to instal fire ex-

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tinguishers in their vehicles and abide by the safety rules and regulations.

On Tuesday, a video clip taken by a CCTV camera of a car catching fire at a fuel station in Yankul went viral on social media.

The video clip showed the Omani driver escaping from the scene and others attempting to extinguish the fire. The PACDA also reported another fire at a wood plant in Mabila, plot 4, yesterday at about 6pm.

The PACDA Twitter account reported there were no causalities but reported damage to the property.

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OMAN GLOBAL DIPLOMACY

‘The Economist’ lauds Oman LONDON: UK-based magazine The Economist has said in an article that Oman’s neutral stance and noninterference in others’ affairs under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has enhanced the country’s regional and international position.

In its report published on the Sultanate under the title ‘A Country Apart’, the magazine high-

lighted the foreign policies of the Sultanate and the mediation role played by His Majesty the Sultan to solve a number of regional and international issues.

Iranian nuclear issue It also pointed out the Sultanate’s contribution in solving the Iranian nuclear issue. It also touched on the geographic location of the Sul-

tanate and its friendly relations with the neighbouring countries.

The magazine hailed Omanis’ pride in the role played by their country at the regional and international levels as Oman managed to maintain balance with the different forces over varied incidents and events with the aim of maintaining the international peace and security.–ONA

Don’t be misled, students urged The Ministry of Higher Education has said that the details of any advertisement on higher education institutions, especially those abroad, should be clarified by Omani students seeking admission

FAHAD AL GHADANI fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Following an advertisement from the Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Studies in Dubai that appeared in a publication, the Ministry of Higher Education has clarified that any advertisement involving higher education institutions, especially those abroad, should be re-

ferred to the ministry.

The people concerned should clarify if the institutions have been recommended for Omani students, said the statement.

The Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Studies in Dubai, is still listed as a higher educational institution not recommended by the Omani Ministry of Higher Education according to the decision No. 2015/1 of the Committee

of Qualifications for non-Omani Institutions Calling on media and advertising institutions to cooperate with the ministry on issues that involve higher education institutions, the statement also said it was keen to deliver the right information to the public before it takes any decision on their children’s future.

The ministry also advised parents to always keep checking the updates about the recommended higher education institutions though the ministry’s website or phone numbers.

Following a study by the Committee on Qualifications for Institutions in coordination with the cultural attaché, the ministry decided to suspend enrolment of Omani students in the Ajman University of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Studies in Dubai.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L D AY

Oman joins global drive to combat narcotics menace Times News Service MUSCAT: Under the theme ‘Your Life is much Important….

So Draw your Path’, the National Committee for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (NCNPS) observed the International Day against Drug Abuse on Wednesday.

The event was held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Said Al Kalbani, Minister of Social Development, and attended by Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health, NCNPS members, medical staff,

social workers and psychologists.

The International Day against Drug Abuse is observed every year on June 26 to draw the world’s attention to the efforts being exerted to eliminate drug addiction.

The event also highlighted the NCNPS efforts to curb the spread of this evil at all levels in society.

Social concerns The campaign aims to familiarise the participants with the scourge, the harm it causes, society’s role in combating it, and how the society can contribute to reducing the spread of drug abuse. The drive

also aims to improve health, create social and cultural awareness among individuals and the community, as drug abuse is a global concern that requires different yardsticks while dealing with it.

The event also included various programmes presented by the NCNPS, the Royal Oman Police (ROP), the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Development.

A social competition by adopting community projects to combat drug abuse in the community was also launched by the participants on the occasion.

T HURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015 We treat six to eight patients daily with heat cramps and dehydration. This year, the number is higher Dr Basheer, senior diabetologist at Badr Al Samaa Hospital

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OMAN

CRIME REPORT

Four suspects held in car blaze case Times News Service MUSCAT: Four people suspected of setting fire to vehicle belonging to a citizen, were arrested by Saham police.

Saham police station had received a tip-off from a citizen about the burnt vehicle.

After investigations, the police arrested the suspects, who confessed to their crime during questioning. The accused were referred to the public prosecution for further investigation.

Eight held for theft The Director General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations led by the Dhahira Police arrested eight Asian expatriates on charges of theft.

Ibri police station received a complaint from citizens who reported that cables were stolen from their under-construction houses. The police investigation revealed that the defendants were stealing cables and either selling them or re-using them on other construction sites.

S U M M E R H E AT

< FROM

High pressure has

A1 set over the region He expects temperatures to continue to run 2° to 4°C on average above normal through the end of summer and probably into the beginning of autumn.

According to Duffey, there is a combination of reasons behind the high temperatures.

“With the stormy pattern Europe has been locked into, high pressure has set over the region, and periods of consistent, strong high pressure over the Arabian Peninsula generally set up warm spells. Sea surface temperatures surrounding the Arabian Peninsula have been running slightly above normal, which helps to keep temperatures warmer over the peninsula,” said Duffey adding that the El Nino phenomenon is also a reason.

Meanwhile, a senior medic in town said that they are receiving at least eight patients complain-

ing of heat-related illness every day. “We treat six to eight patients daily with heat cramps and dehydration. This year, the number is higher,” said Dr Basheer, senior diabetologist, at Badr Al Samaa Hospital in Ruwi.

“Workers involved in outdoor activities should have at least four litres of oral rehydration solution (ORS) or lemon water mixed with salt per day. Workers involved in indoor activities should have three litres of normal water per day,” Dr Basheer advised.

Meanwhile, a dermatologist from the same hospital advised that one should apply sunscreen lotions while stepping out. “However, excessive use of sunscreen lotions, fairness creams and other cosmetics might lead to skin damage,” said Dr Shibu Mohammed, a dermatologist.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW.

DON’T WASTE A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY LIKE OMAN.

Plastic takes 1,000 years or more to break down

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 4, 2 015

OMAN

The Italy-Oman Joint Commission which will be held in Rome on the 9th of June will be a further occasion to reaffirm the excellent state of our bilateral relations Paola Amadei, Italy’s ambassador to Oman

M O B I L E A P P L I C AT I O N

Oman’s Kitabi Team bags 2nd place in Imagine Cup Times News Service MUSCAT: In a big achievement, the Readathon project by Kitabi Team from Oman won the second place in the World Citizenship category of the Imagine Cup Pan Arab Semi-Finals 2015.

Readathon is a revolutionary mobile application that allows users to read books online in a smart marathon-like manner and connects them with their family and friends who encourage them - as a group - to read and benefit from useful information.

Microsoft, together with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), Tamkeen and eGovernment Authority, announced the names of the three winning teams for the Imagine Cup 2015 Pan Arab semi-finals.

Team T2 from Tunisia, Team BCR from Palestine and Team Freedom Fragrance from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will travel to Seattle to represent

MOBILE APPLICATION: Readathon is a mobile application that allows users to read books online in a smart marathon-like manner.

the Arab world at the worldwide finals. Team BCR from Palestine was named Arab world champion taking home the Imagine Cup trophy and a special award, a oneweek internship at Tech Wadi, Silicon Valley.

The event was held under the

patronage of Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander and Chairman of the Economic Development Board, Bahrain, in the presence of an array of dignitaries and delegates from Bahrain and the Arab world.

Italy hails ties with Sultanate

GLOBAL FRATERNITY: The Italian ambassador to Oman hosted celebrations of her country’s 69th Republic Day on Tuesday.

–Photos and videos by Talib Al Wahaibi/TIMES OF OMAN

Ambassador Paola Amadei reflected on Oman’s regional role and Italian-Omani relations. She also highlighted the Milan Expo 2015 which is currently under way in Italy

SARAH MACDONALD sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Italy’s ambassador to Oman, Paola Amadei, hosted celebrations of her country’s 69th Republic Day at her residence on Tuesday evening.

Italy became a republic on June 2, 1946, following a national referendum in which Italians voted on what kind of government to have following World War 2 and the end of fascism.

At the celebrations, which were attended by guest of honour Dr Hamad Mohammed Al Dhoyani, Chairman of the National Records and Archives Authority, Amadei reflected on Oman’s regional role and Italian-Omani relations. She highlighted the Milan Expo 2015 which is underway in Italy. “The Omani wise attitude under the guidance of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said is a pillar for the promotion of the dialogue and peace and a fundamental contribution to stability in the regional scenario,” Amadei said.

Amadei noted that 2015 marks the 43rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Oman and Italy, and in the years since there have been growing economic ties. Many Italian companies operate in the Sultanate contributing to its economy and, as the ambassador said, to “the shape of its urban and industrial landscapes.”

There is potential for more business between the two countries and Amadei said she was working to promote awareness in Italy of the opportunities for Ital-

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ian people and companies here in Oman. “The Italy-Oman Joint Commission which will be held in Rome on the 9th of June will be a further occasion to reaffirm the excellent state of our bilateral relations,” she added.

Amadei also noted an important cultural development between Oman and Italy. In September 2014 Sultan Qaboos University started offering Italian language classes with the support of the embassy.

“This project was particularly important for me. I hope that a larger number of young Omani students may learn our beautiful language and come and study in Italy,” she said.

The ambassador also spoke proudly of Milan Expo 2015 which began May 1 and will continue until October 31, 2015 under the theme ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.’ Amadei said this will emphasise technology, innovation, culture, traditions and creativity related to the field of nutrition and food, and the right to healthy, safe and sufficient nutrition for people around the world. To her delight, Oman has already agreed to participate.

“The Sultanate of Oman is participating with an outstanding pavilion which is brining a piece of this beautiful country to Italy and, on this occasion, I warmly invite you all to visit it soon,” she said.

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OMAN G E O S PAT I A L W O R L D F O RU M AWA R D

Award for National Survey LISBON: While participating at Geospatial World Forum in Lisbon, the National Survey Authority (NSA) at the Ministry of Defence won the Geospatial World Forum Award.

The award is given to innovators in the field of geospatial geography for the implementation of the spatial geography programmes while implementing the pioneer-

ing project ONGD14. The award was received by Air Commodore Yaqoub bin Saud Al Toobi, Chairman of the NSA and Director of Geospatial Geography. The NSA has embarked on a novel project to establish the Oman National Geodetic Datum (ONGD14). The primary objective of the ONGD is to create a homogenous horizontal survey control for the country. -ONA

We are happy and satisfied with what has been achieved so far in the journey of the Dar Al Atta’a Association, which in turn has put a smile on the faces of the needy families Maryam bint Issa Al Zadjali, chairperson of Dar Al Atta’a

V I O L AT I O N

< FROM

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Renting out rooms

He was talking about the market, not Airbnb specifically. The Muscat Municipality does not approve more than one rent contract for a single property. “It is against the law and we take it as a violation,” an official of the municipality told the Times of Oman.

If an altercation takes place between third-party tenants, the owners and first tenants are at risk and will be held accountable.

“There are many greedy people who rent every room on their properties to make more money.

However, we will initiate serious action if we find anyone doing that,” he said.

Airbnb, however, did not react when approached by the Times of Oman for a comment.

Locals said that the rent issue can be controlled by tougher laws and cheap housing. “Those who do business by sub-letting can easily be identified by the advertisements they publish for the purpose,” said a local.

Building owners said that if a landlord discovers illegal tenants on his premises, he should immediately contact the municipality and terminate the contract with the original tenant. “In any case, illegal tenants know there is no contract between them and the owner,” said an owner of several buildings in Muscat. A senior official of the municipality also called on the public to take things a bit more seriously when it comes to leasing their homes.

“Owners of buildings should also cross-check the people before renting their apartments,” said the official, adding that they conduct checks whenever there is a complaint. He also clarified that if there is no rent contract and the municipality comes across any violations, the owner of the property would face legal action.

“This way, they are also evading paying tax. According to the tenancy law, all property rentals are subject to three per cent tax, and both the landlord and the tenant must sign a contract and get it registered at the municipality,” he said.

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Dar Al Atta’a gets donations worth OMR583,800

NOBLE WORK: Dar Al Atta’a launched the ‘My Home, My Security’ campaign which seeks to repair and maintain 100 homes as part of its social responsibility. – Supplied picture

The donations were handed over to Maryam bint Issa Al Zadjali, chairperson of Dar Al Atta’a, to support the efforts of the organisation

TARIQ AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Donations worth OMR583,800 were given to Dar Al Atta’a Foundation at the annual charity gala dinner held under the patronage of Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, Minister of Commerce and Industry, on Tuesday.

The donations were handed over to Maryam bint Issa Al Zadjali, chairperson of Dar Al Atta’a, to support the efforts of the charity organisation.

Meanwhile, donations were

also made to buy, repair, innovate and maintain the Dar Al Atta’a charity building where Gulf Energy co-founder Yasser Al Barami, the largest donor for the building said, “These are not donations but an obligation from us, the sons and daughter of the nation.”

During the dinner, Dar Al Atta’a launched the ‘My Home, My Security’ campaign which seeks to repair and maintain 100 homes.

This drive will continue for a year and numerous activities and events will be organised to collect donations.

‘My Home, My Security’ campaign is a part of its responsibility towards the well-being of needy children. The idea is to meet the needs of families and make their homes stable and safe.

This was followed by the screening of two films about the charity building and the campaign. Maryam bint Issa Al Zadjali said, “We are happy and satisfied with what has been achieved so far in the journey of the Dar Al Atta’a Association, which has put a smile on the faces of the needy families.”

“We all work together as members of the association or as contributors or as individuals to

achieve a higher goal, which is to raise voluntaryism and the slogan of charitable work for the betterment of the people of our community,” she said.

She concluded by thanking all those who supported the association since its inception and looked forward to greater and more effective contributions from individuals who believe in the association’s message, to enable them to progress further.

The Dar Al Atta’a Association has since its inception sought to be the leading charity association in the Omani society that works to improve the lives of the needy in the Sultanate, and activates its programmes through positive and constructive partnership with donors for the needy.

The ceremony began with Dar Al Atta’a Association’s speech introducing the campaign and emphasising the belief of board members and employees that to get the desired goals it requires consolidated efforts from individuals, institutions, banking sectors and the private sector.

Contribution to these projects is a good initiative from supporters, whether they are individuals or private and public groups.

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 4, 2 015

REGION

One of the policemen was killed on the spot, while the other died in hospital Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, Spokesman, Egypt’s Health Ministry

Saudi Arabia offers $1m bounty on suspects in mosque bombings Al Qadeeh, killing 22 people.

The ministry published a list of sixteen men and their photographs on state TV, saying they were involved in the two attacks.

IS militant group based in Iraq and Syria claimed responsibility for both attacks.

A suicide bomber blew himself up on Friday outside a mosque in the city of Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia, killing himself and four other people

DUBAI/DAMMAM: Saudi Arabia offered a cash reward of $1.3 million (5 million riyals) for information leading to the arrest of sixteen people it said were involved in two deadly mosque bombings claimed

by IS militant group, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

Award for tips The ministry also offered a $1.82 million (7 million riyal) reward for tips that would thwart any future attacks, according to a statement published by state news agency

THE SITE OF ATTACK: Policemen at the site where a car exploded near the Al Anoud Mosque in Saudi Arabia’s Dammam, on Friday. – Reuters

SPA. “Anyone dealing with the wanted men will be held accountable,” the ministry warned.

A suicide bomber disguised as a woman blew himself up on

Friday outside a mosque in the city of Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia, killing himself and four other people. The interior ministry identified the bomber as a

Saudi citizen, 20-year old Khalid Al Wahbi Al Shemmari.

A week earlier, another suicide bomber blew himself up at a mosque in the nearby village of

Barricading Meanwhile, prompted by fears of another deadly suicide attack on a mosque, cranes were lowering concrete barricades into place to protect the house of worship.

People were sealing off the plaza in front of Al Anoud mosque in Dammam, as the people prepared to bury four men hailed as heroes, who were blown to bits on Friday when they prevented the bomber from entering the hall.

“We are anxious something will happen in future but we are taking care,” volunteer Ibrahim Abu Ahmed told reporters inside the hall, which appeared untouched by Friday’s attack.

Martyrs Mohammed Al Arbash, his brother Abdul Jalil, Mohammed Eisa and Abdul Hadi Al Hashim died when a man dressed as a woman blew himself up at a rear entrance to Al Anoud in Dammam.

Residents said three of the dead were volunteers trying to protect the mosque after a similar attack a week earlier in the nearby community of Kudeih.

The fourth man killed was another civilian who was at the site when the blast struck.

“We have four heroes,” said a 21-year-old student frisking people arriving at Al Anoud mosque.

He stood just outside the main door to the cavernous, red-carpeted mosque with a stainedglass dome.

Several metres in front of the steps, red plastic barriers have been installed and another volunteer also searched people.

Beyond that are the new, heavier concrete barriers.

“We strongly expect that there will be other attacks,” said Radi Turaiki, 45, a teacher in Al Dalwa who was preparing to attend Wednesday’s funeral in Saihat municipality, next to Dammam.

“Every mosque, I think, put some people to protect” them, Turaiki said. “But I feel the people are not afraid.”

A police car patrolled outside Al Anoud, and Jawad Abu Kader, a leader of the mosque, told reporters officers frequently pass by. — Agencies

EGYPT VIOLENCE

Two policemen killed near Giza pyramids CAIRO/BERLIN: Gunmen on a motorbike on Wednesday killed two Egyptian policemen guarding the tourist site of the Giza pyramids in Cairo, in the latest attack on security forces, police said.

One of the policemen was killed on the spot, while the other died in hospital, health ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said.

Meanwhile, police have arrested two curators of a new Cairo museum for allegedly stealing ancient artefacts and replacing them with replicas, the antiquities ministry said.

Looting of the country’s cultural heritage has increased since the popular uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and during the years of political turmoil that followed.

The huge National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation was created in collaboration with UNESCO and has yet to open to the public.

“Two curators were arrested while replacing a pharaonic statue of (fourth dynasty) King Menkaure, discovered in Luxor’s Karnak temple, and an ancient lantern with fake ones,” Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Al Damati said in a statement.

Arrests The arrests came following a police investigation into ancient artefacts being stolen from the museum’s storage area and later being put up for auction in London. A ministry committee will make an inventory of the “priceless” collection that includes arte-

facts from prehistoric times to the present day, the statement added.

Meanwhile in Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised Egypt’s use of the death penalty but pledged closer economic ties with its partner in the fight against extremism, during a protest-marred visit by President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

Merkel stressed the central role of Egypt as an anchor of stability in a conflict-torn region, referring to the IS militant group fighting in Iraq and Syria, instability in Libya and Nigeria’s Boko Haram militants. “Egypt is one of the central countries in a region marked by unrest and instability,” the chancellor said, adding that closer business links would help bring “stability through eco-

nomic development” in the North African country. Sisi’s visit to Berlin -- where he was greeted with military honours by the government, but also angry protests on the streets -- drew criticism in the German media.

Merkel said Germany always opposes capital punishment and that “under no circumstances, even with regard to terrorist activities, must people be sentenced to death”, while also stressing the need for continued bilateral dialogue. Sisi during his two-day visit however met President Joachim Gauck. Egyptian media said he was expected to sign several agreements in the renewable energy and oil sectors during a meeting with top German companies. — Agencies

INTERNAL STRIFE

BATTLE-READY: Members of the southern separatist movement, loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, gather around an armed pick up truck in Aden’s suburbs, on Wednesday. – AFP

Coalition air strikes kill 20 Houthi fighters near Aden SANAA: Arab air strikes killed around 20 Houthi fighters outside the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on Wednesday, militiamen opposed to the Houthis said, and residents said overnight strikes also killed a family of eight outside the capital.

A coalition of Arab states have been bombing Houthi forces, the dominant faction in Yemen’s civil war, since March as part of a campaign to restore President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi to power shortly after he fled to Saudi Arabia. The Houthis say they are campaigning to persuade Hadi’s administration to bring them into the political system and seeking to stop corruption by senior officials. They have fanned out across much of Yemen since seizing the capital Sanaa in September.

The militia sources said the Houthis were killed when the air raid hit their military convoy as it was transporting an artillery piece toward the northwest sub-

urbs of Aden. The death toll could not be independently verified.

Residents outside the northern city of Sanaa said air raids on Tuesday night killed eight people, all of them women and children, as the planes bombed an army base nearby. A witness saw pages of schools books, mattresses and clothes strewn amidst the rubble of three destroyed homes.

Fault “What fault is it of theirs? Are there any missiles here? Are there any military sites here? Are there any explosives here? There is nothing here. He sells ice cream,” neighbour Hameed Ali said of the family whose home was destroyed in the airstrike.

A deepening humanitarian crisis has gripped Yemen as the Arab alliance keeps a near blockade on food and fuel imports.

The situation is especially grave in battle-scarred Aden, and residents of the district of Crater

said that four people died of dengue fever on Tuesday. Electricity, water and trash collection have lapsed during the conflict.

Casualties Houthi officials said there were casualties in the air strikes on Sanaa but gave no further details.

Locals saw ambulances racing to the scene.

“The... blasts made me jump out of bed,” one man who identified himself as Assem said by phone.

Residents said the warplanes launched at least 10 strikes north of Sanaa, causing massive explosions. Air strikes hit the home of a Houthi leader in the central province of Ibb and targeted areas in the northern province of Saada and the southern province of Lahj, residents said.

The Arab alliance regards the Houthis as a threat to the stability of Yemen, which has a long border with the world’s top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia. — Reuters

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GROWING LEAD SCARE

Delhi bans Maggi noodles for 15 days NEW DELHI: India’s capital banned the sale of Nestle instant noodles on Wednesday after safety inspectors found high lead levels in packets of the product in two states in a growing food safety scare.

New Delhi’s health minister announced the hugely popular snack was banned for 15 days to give Nestle India time to recall and replace tens of thousands of the packets sold in stores throughout the city.

“We have banned the sale of Maggi noodles for 15 days. During this time the company should recall all existing stock and replace it with new stock after all standard checks and procedures,” Satyendra Jain told reporters.

Stores across the country stepped up voluntary removal of the product from their shelves on Wednesday after officials said higher than permissible lead levels were found in packets in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The Future Group, the country’s biggest retailer, said Maggi packet noodles were being removed from its 500 stores “as a precaution” until results of tests being carried out nationwide were known.

“In the interest of consumer sentiment and concerns we have taken Maggi noodles off the shelves from all our stores for the time being,” a Future Group spokesperson said.

“We will wait for more clarity from authorities to take any further course of action.”

Stocks of Nestle India, a subsidiary of Swiss-based giant Nestle, dropped more than 11 per cent in trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange before closing down just over 9.0 per cent on the escalating controversy.

Routine testing Food inspectors in Uttar Pradesh said late last month they had found high lead levels in two dozen Maggi noodle packets during routine testing, along with flavour enhancer MSG (mono-

A9

INDIA

Government gears up to tackle deficient monsoon The downward revision to the monsoon forecast — from ‘below normal’ to ‘deficient’

ESCALATING CONTROVERSY:

‘Maggi’ instant noodles are photographed in a shop in the New Delhi on Wednesday. - AFP

— has already sparked drought fears, pushing

sodium glutamate) which is not listed in the ingredients.

The state last weekend filed a criminal complaint against Nestle India over the findings, while a separate petition was filed against Bollywood stars who have advertised the noodles.

From roadside vendors to middle-class kitchens, instant noodles have long been hugely popular in India, with Nestle a market leader selling millions of the yellow packets.

The discovery prompted numerous other Indian states this week to start carrying out tests in conjunction with the national authorities.

“Samples have been tested from all across the country, we are getting the results one by one,” food and consumer affairs ministry additional secretary G. Gurucharan said.

“For example, tests in Delhi showed that 10 out of 13 samples contained lead beyond the permissible limits. Once we have all the results, Nestle India will be given an opportunity to explain.”

Nestle India was not immediately available for comment on the ban in Delhi. But the company this week said extensive tests conducted in its own laboratory of almost 1,000 batches of noodles, and independent analysis of a further 600 batches, found that all were safe to eat. - AFP

stock markets into a free-fall and raising doubts about economic recovery

NEW DELHI: As the spectre of deficient monsoon looms large, the government on Wednesday announced a number of contingency measures to minimise the losses in agriculture and power sectors, safeguard farmers’ interest and keep prices under check.

The downward revision to the monsoon forecast — from ‘below normal’ to ‘deficient’ — has already sparked drought fears, pushing stock markets into a free fall and raising doubts about economic recovery.

The benchmark BSE Sensex tanked over 1,000 points in the past two days, washing out over Rs3 lakh crore in market capitalisation.

Besides, firms with significant exposure to agriculture and rural markets are fearing significant business losses.

While the agriculture sector is already passing through a bad phase, the rainfall deficiency may have multiplier adverse impact on manufacturing and services sec-

REVISED FORECAST: A vendor transports vegetables on a cycle rickshaw during a rain shower in Chandigarh, on Tuesday. India on Tuesday cut this year’s monsoon forecast to 88 per cent of the long-term average, prompted by an El Nino weather pattern and raising fears of the first drought in six years in a country where nearly half of farmland lacks irrigation. - Reuters

tors, a composite gauge for which on Wednesday recorded a sevenmonth low figure.

“In the agriculture sector, there would obviously be some losses if there are problems (of deficient rains). We have confidence and policies in place to ensure there is minimum damage to agriculture sector and overall economy,” Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh told reporters here.

New crop insurance policy The minister said a new crop insurance policy will be brought in to protect farmers’ income, while the government will take steps to improve domestic supplies through imports to check the price of pulses, which are already high.

Singh said the government is

ready with contingency plans for 580 districts and is in touch with state governments and agriculture research bodies to tackle the situation. Power Minister Piyush Goyal also said that the contingency plans have been drawn up to meet any eventuality in case the deficient monsoon hits hydro power output.

“It’s a matter of concern that the monsoon is expected to be below normal, deficient. We are conscious that this will result in a fall in hydropower production and the demand will also increase... The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Coal are seized of the situation,” Goyal said.

The minister, however, sought to allay concerns and said that adequate coal is available at eve-

ry thermal plant in the country to meet any shortfall in hydro-power output. The Met department has revised its rainfall forecast from 93 per cent to 88 per cent for this year, with north-west region of the country expected to be hit the most.

Last year, the country had received 12 per cent less rains, which hit production of grains, cotton and oilseeds.

According to the government’s estimate, total foodgrains production has declined to 251.12 million tonnes in the 2014-15 crop year (July-June) from a record production of 265.04 million tonnes in the previous year.

Due to poor monsoon, agriculture growth stood at 0.2 per cent in the 2014-15 fiscal. - PTI

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 4, 2 015

A 10

FIND-IT-ALL

PRAYER TIMINGS

W E AT H E R

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.10pm 3.29pm 6.55pm 8.17pm 3.53am

LISTINGS

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334 Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666 Muscat Pharmacy Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635 Atlas Pharmacy Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715 Muscat Region Al Hashar, Ruwi1 24 Hr Br. Tel. 24537080 Muscat, Al Sarooj. Tel: 24695536 Belqees, Al Khoudh (OIB) Tel. 24535398 Belqees, Ma’abelah. Tel: 24454624 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah.

Tel. 23291635

MAINLY clear skies over most of the Sultanate and hazy along the coastal areas of Oman Sea with chances of dust rising wind over the governorates of Al-Dhahirah and Al-Buraimi. Chances of late night to early morning low level clouds along the coastal areas of Al-Wusta and south Sharqiya governorates.

EXPECTED WIND: Along the coastal areas of Oman Sea wind will be northeasterly light to moderate during day becoming variable light at night and southwesterly light to moderate along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea, while it will be easterly light to moderate over rest of the Sultanate occasionally fresh over governorates of Al-Dhahirah and AlBuraimi.

SEA STATE: Rough along the Arabian Sea coast with a maximum wave height of 3.0 metres and slight to moderate along the rest of Oman’s coast with a maximum wave height of 1.5 metres.

HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming moderate during dust rising.

THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Chances of clouds development over Al-Hajar mountains during afternoon. Chances of late night to early morning low level clouds along the coastal areas of Oman Sea and the coastal areas of Al-Wusta and south Sharqiya governorates.

HOSPITALS 1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274 Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital: 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic: 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740 Ceregem National Raak: 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217 Elixir Health Centre: 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre: 24604540 Hamdan Hospital: 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128,

OMAN Max 44 Min 26

Max 35 Min 29

Ruwi Hotel: 24704244 Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200 Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772 Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666 The Chedi Muscat: 24524400 The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570

MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000 ROYAL OMAN POLICE Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603 Directorate General of Customs: 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries: 24510228 Public Relations Admin: 24560099

MUSEUMS Bait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fish market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm Natural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm Thursday: 9am to 1pm Museum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, SatWed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946 Armed 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 96550606/96550707 Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Oman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Bait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscat museum@baitalzubairmuseum.com Open 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 1pm Sohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Muscat Gate Museum: At Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

ACCOMMODATION Al Bahjah Hotel: 24424400 Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171 Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400 Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949 Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385 Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311 Al Qurum Resort: 24605945 Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979 Beach Hotel: 24696601 Bowshar Hotel: 24491105 Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121 Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660 Crystal Suites: 24826100 Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300 Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234 Haffa House Hotel: 24707207 Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123 InterContinental Muscat: 24680000 Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900 Marina Hotel: 24711711 Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565 Mina Hotel: 24711828 Muttrah Hotel: 24798401 Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199 Oman Dive Centre: 24824240 Park Inn: 24507888 Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070 Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777 Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399 Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443

Max 38 Min 29 L O N G D I S TA N C E B U S T I M I N G S ( O M A N N AT I O N A L T R A N S P O R T C O M PA N Y S A O C ) * S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Max 44 Min 26

Max 46 Min 29

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Time Time 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 15:00 Sur 18:00 15:00 Jaalan 19:30

Max 41 Min 27

Max 44 Min 26

CHINA: This photo shows horses eating patches of grass

sprouting up through snow in Hami after unusual weather in northeast China’s Xinjiang region. - AFP

Max 34 Min 28 —www.met.gov.om

WORLD

Max 18 Min 15 Max 23 Min 13

Max 40 Min 22 Max 21 Min 11

Max 15 Min 10

Max 21 Min 15

Max 37 Min 28

Max 34 Min 27

Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh Athens Baghdad Barbados Beijing Berlin Boston Brussels Buenos Aires Cairo Chicago Colombo Copenhagen Dublin Frankfurt Harare Hong Kong Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg

Max

Min

43 40 45 42 38 43 29 42 30 31 19 19 21 19 33 25 29 16 16 23 27 30 23 28 28

29 26 28 31 27 26 20 25 27 15 12 12 13 14 14 17 26 10 9 12 11 26 16 9 9

Kuala Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Manila Mexico City Miami Moscow New Delhi New York Oslo Panama Paris Perth Prague Rio de Janeiro Santiago Seoul Singapore Stockholm Sydney Taipei Tokyo Toronto Vienna

Max

Min

31 32 23 32 34 23 28 21 40 18 17 28 24 23 21 25 21 29 30 17 15 32 29 21 26

25 15 13 16 27 14 25 11 22 15 9 22 17 12 12 18 12 17 26 10 10 26 17 15 15

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 06:30 Sohar 06:30 Buraimi 08:00 Buraimi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Buraimi 16.00 Sohar 16.00 Buraimi

08:50 11:00 14:30 15:45 17:40 18.35 20:20

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

20:50

To Yanqul (Route 54) 14:30 Nizwa 14:30 Yanqul

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily 05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily 05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 07:00 Sohar 07:00 Ruwi 13:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 17:00 Ruwi

08:55 11:40 20:20 14:55 17:40 19:20 22:15

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 07:00 Ruwi

10:25

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54) 06:00 Nizwa 06:00 Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 08:00 Nizwa 08:00 Al Araqi

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 15:40 Nizwa 15:40 Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

TO SUR (Route 55) 07:30 Sur 14:30 Sur

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

TO SUR (Route 55) 06:00 Ruwi 14:30 Ruwi

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62) 06:30 Fahud 06:30 Yibal

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62) 12:30 Fahud 12:30 Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100) 07:00 Salalah 20:00 10:00 Marmul 20:30 10:00 Salalah 23:30 19:00 Salalah 07:40

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100) 07:00 Ruwi 19:50 10:00 Marmul 13:15 10:00 Ruwi 22:30 19:00 Ruwi 07:30

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (Route 102) 15:00 Salalah 07:00

Daily

16:50

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102) 15:00 Dubai 07:00 EVENTS

May Queen Ball 2015 set to be held on June 5 at Al Murjan Hall of Civil Aviation Club in Seeb.

UN International Yoga Day on Sunday, June 21, the Art Of Living Foundation Oman is organising the event ‘Yogathon 2015’ at Bausher Sports Complex, Main Hall, Muscat.

The Port Security And Coastal Surveillance Oman, organised by the Global Exhibitions & Conferences LLC, 17th August to the 18th August 2015 at the InterContinental Muscat.

Food & Hospitality Oman, Oman International Exhibition Centre, Muscat, Oman, 07-09 Sep 2015.

Oman Health Exhibition & Conference is a 3 day event being held from 7th September to the 9th September 2015 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre in Muscat.

The Home Show - Oman is a 3 day event being held from 27th October to the 29th October 2015 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre in Muscat, Oman.

Iran Solo Country Exhibition 2015 - (6 - 10 Jan ’15) International Travel and Hospitality show, 14-16 Dec 2015 Muscat, OIEC.

TO DUBAI (Route 201) 06:00 Sohar 06:00 Dubai 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Dubai 15:00 Sohar 15:00 Dubai

08:30 11:30 15:30 18:30 17:35 20:55

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily 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 LISTINGS 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201) 07:30 Sohar 07:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 15:30 Sohar 15:30 Ruwi

10:50 13:40 16:15 19:10 18:45 21:35

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily 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 Daily 16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

LISTINGS

CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA Entourage (Comedy) Cast: Andrian Grenier, Jeremy Priven, Kevin Connolly 2:00, 4:00, 8:00 pm CP No: 1474 ( 15+ )

Spy (Action, Comedy) (18+) Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, Melissa McCarthy 09:30, 11:45 pm Dil Dhadak Ne Do (Drama, Romance) (TBC) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 02:00, 08:20 pm Entourage (Comedy) (15+) Cast: Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly 02:00, 06:10 pm Insidious Chapter 3 (Horror) (15+) Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson 04:15, 11:30 pm Woman In Gold (Drama) (PG) Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl 05:15, 07:25 pm Survivor (Action, Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan, Dylan McDermott 03:30, 05:30, 07:30 pm San Andereas (Action, Adventure) (3D) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario 9:30, 11:45 pm (PG) Jungle Master (Animation, Adventure) (2D) PG Cast: Victoria Justice, David Spade 1:45 pm

UEFA FINAL-2015: BARCELONA vs.

JUVENTAS @10:30 pm Saturday, 6 June Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2D) (Co) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz Khan 02:00 pm, (PG) San Andreas (3D) (Act/Thriller) (PG)

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario 10:00 am, 07:15 & 09:35pm Gold Class: 03:45 pm Jungle Master (2D)(Animation) (PG) Cast: Victoria Justice, David Spade 12:15 pm Entourage (2D) (Comedy) Cast: Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven 10:30 am & 05:05 pm Survivor (2D)(Act/Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan 12:45 & 11:45pm, Gold Class: 2:00 pm Spy (2D) (Action/Comedy) (18+) Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi 02:45 & 09:30pm, Gold Class: 11:15 pm Woman in Gold (2D) (Horror) (PG) Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds 04:30 pm, Gold Class: 06:00pm Insidious Chapter 3 (2D) (Hor) (15+) Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott 11:45 pm, Gold Class: 06:00 pm Dil Dhadakne Do (2D) (Dr/Roma) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 06:30 pm, Gold Class: 08:00 pm

SCREEN 1 Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Rom) – PG Cast: Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan 2.30 pm Dil Dhadakne Do (Rom/Dr/Co) – TBC Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shefali Shetty, Anushka Sharma Priyanka Chopra 5.15, 8.30, 11.45pm SCREEN 2 Dil Dhadakne Do (Ro/Dr/Comedy ) – TBC 3.15, 11.30pm Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Rom) – PG Cast: Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan 6.30, 9.00 pm SCREEN 3 Gabbar - Hindi (Action/Drama ) – PG Cast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti K. Haasan,

Kareena Kapoor 3.30, 6.30, 9.00 pm Dil Dhadakne Do (Rom/Dr ) – TBC Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shefali

Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 02:15, 08:15 pm Chandrettan Evideya - 2D (M) (PG) Co Cast: Anusree, Dilip, Namitha Pramod 07:25 pm

Shetty, Anushka Sharma Priyanka Chopra 11.30 pm

San Andreas - 2D (PG) Act | Dr | Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario 03:15 pm San Andreas - 3D (PG) Act | Dra Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario 9:15, 11:30 pm Jungle Master - 2D (PG) Animation Cast: Victoria Justice, David Spade 04:00 pm Survivor - 2D (PG12) Action | Thriller Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan, Dylan McDermott 5:20, 09:45, 11:45 pm Cut Bank - 2D (12+) Thriller Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, Billy Bob Thornton 02:30 pm Entourage - 2D (15+) Comedy Cast: Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven 05:20, 07:15 pm Woman in Gold - 2D (PG) Drama Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds 04:15, 06:15 pm Insidious: Chapter 3 - 2D (15+) Hor Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson 02:10 , 05:30 , 11:30 pm Spy - 2D (18+) Action | Comedy Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, Melissa McCarthy 07:15, 09:30, 11:30 pm Dil Dhadakne Do - 2D (TBC) Drama Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali

San Andreas – 3D (PG) Act, Drama, Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino 9:30, 11:45pm Spy - 2D (18+) Action, Comedy Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, Melissa McCarthy, 3:15, 07:15, 11:30pm Survivor – 2D (PG12) Action, Thriller Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan 2:45, 05:30, 08:15, 10:00pm Burying the Ex – 2D (12+) Com, Horror Cast: Anton Yelchin, Ashley Greene 04:30pm Woman in Gold – 2D (PG) Drama Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds 02:45, 06:15pm Insidious: Chapter 3 - 2D (15+) Horror Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, 04:45, 11:45pm Chandrettan Evideya – 2D (PG) Com Cast: Anusree, Dilip, Namitha Pramod 06:30pm Dil Dhadakne Do – 2D (TBC)Dra Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 08:45 pm

San Andreas (3D) (Act| Adv) (PG) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario 06:35 pm Survivor (Act | Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan 03:00, 04.50, 11.45 pm

Insidious: Chapter 3 (Horror) (15+) Cast: Dermot Mulroney, 3:15, 11.30 pm Spy (Action | Comedy) (18+) Cast: Jason Statham, Jude Law 5:00, 09.20 pm Dil Dhadakne Do (Hindi) (Dr ) (TBC) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 08:40 pm Chandrettan Evideya (Mal) (Co) (PG) Cast: Anusree, Dilip 07:05 pm

San Andreas (2D) (12+) Act, Dra Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino 2:45pm San Andreas (3D) (12+) Act, Dr 9:15, 11:30 pm Spy (2D) (18+) Action, Comedy Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi 5:00, 9:30pm Cut Bank (3D) (12+) Thriller Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, 11:00 am,3:15pm Survivor (2D) (PG12) Act, Thriller Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan, 12:45,7:15pm Woman in Gold (2D) (PG) Drama Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds 12:30, 06:30pm Insidious: Chapter 3 (2D) (15+) Hor Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson, 2:30, 11:45pm Jungle Master (2D) (PG) Anim Cast: Victoria Justice, David Spade 11:00am Entourage (2D) (15+) Comedy Cast: Adrian Grenier,4:20, 7:20pm Burying the Ex (2D) (12+) Com Cast: Anton Yelchin, 1:30pm Chandrettan Evideya (2D) (PG) Com Cast: Anusree, Dilip, 5:00pm Dil Dhadakne Do (2D) (PG12) Dra 8:30pm

Cut Bank ( Thriller ) Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Teressa Palmer, John Malckovitch 4:00 & 8.00 pm CP No: 1476 (12+) San Andreas (Action / Thriller) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Deddario, Carla Gugino 6.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 1381 (PG) Survivor (Action / Thriller) Cast: Milla Jovovitch, Pierce Brosnan, Dylan Mc Dermott 2:00, 6:00, 10:00 & 11:55 pm CP No: 1475 (PG 12)

Film Information - 24540856 / Advance Booking - 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776

Chandrettan Evideya (Mal) (Com) Cast: Dileep, Namitha & Anu Sree 3-00, 6-30 & 10-30 Pm At Cinema Main Pandaga Chesko (Telugu)(Act/Rom) Cast: Ram, Rakul Preet Singh & Sonal Chauhan 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 pm at Cinema -3 Masss (Tamil) (Act/Hor) Cast: Surya & Nayanthara 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm Cinema-2 Bhaskar The Rascal (Mal) (Rom) Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara & Isha Talwar 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 pm at Cinema -4 NEXT CHANGE: Layla O Layla (Mal)

For More Information 24789032, 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

T HURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015

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A11

PAKISTAN

PETITION FILED IN OCTOBER

High court allows family visits for jailed bin Laden doctor

Shakeel Afridi

PESHAWAR: A Pakistani high court Wednesday ordered authorities to allow family visits for a doctor jailed after helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden.

Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Daud Khan issued the orders after hearing a petition by doctor Shakeel Afridi’s brother,

according to defence lawyer Latif Afridi and provincial government attorney Qaiser Ali Shah.

“The writ was filed in October after authorities did not allow the family to see Shakeel Afridi in jail and the honourable court today ruled in our favour,” Latif Afridi told AFP. “According to jail rules a pris-

Local poll result cancelled after women barred After objections by civil society groups, women’s rights organisations and the media, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) cancelled the result of the by-election on May 7 in Lower Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s election commission has cancelled the result of a local poll in the country’s restive northwest after women were barred from casting their ballots.

A by-election on May 7 in Lower Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was won by a member of the conservative Jamat-e-Islami (JI) party, but it emerged that women in the area had been prevented from voting.

After objections by civil society groups, women’s rights organisations and the media, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) cancelled the result.

“The by-election of constituency No PK-95 Lower Dir-II is hereby declared void for the reasons of disenfranchisement of female voters,” the ECP said in its official ALLEGED SMUGGLING

Jailed model Ayaan’s bail plea rejected RAWALPINDI: A customs court in Rawalpindi rejected supermodel Ayaan Ali’s bail plea, after defence and prosecution completed their arguments on Wednesday.

Ayaan’s lawyers, Sardar Latif Khosa and Sardar Ishaq appeared before the customs court.

The defence team argued that though the money was recovered from her possession, she didn’t intend to ‘smuggle’ it.

“She was waiting for her brother who was due from Karachi to collect the money from her,” they argued.

Further, Khosa argued that Ayaan was stopped by the Airport Security Force, when it was none of their business to do so.

He also objected over the clauses included in the charge sheet under which officials not concerned with her case arrested her and investigated the case.

Custodian of the money confiscated from Ayaan succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday after unidentified men opened fire at him.

Initial investigations have revealed that custom officer Chaudhry Ijaz was a key witness in model Ayaan’s ongoing money laundering case.

Further, all the money confiscated from Ayaan at the airport was in his custody. — Express Tribune

DENIED VOTING RIGHTS: It is not the first time a Pakistani election result has been overturned because women have been stopped from voting. A court in the northwest withheld by-poll results in two constituencies in 2013 and ordered the arrest of elders who had prevented women from voting. — Express Tribune file photo

notice issued late on Tuesday.

“New election schedule shall be announced in accordance with law, in due course.” Activists welcomed the decision.

“There was a verbal agreement among the political parties to bar women from voting,” Shad Bibi, a women’s rights campaigner and former councillor from the area, said. “We welcome this decision of declaring the poll void but demand that better arrangements be made next time to facilitate women voters.”

To challenge ruling But the candidate who won the vote, JI’s Aizazul Mulk Afkari, hit out at the ruling and vowed to challenge it in the Supreme Court.

“There was no agreement to keep women out of this election, so how can the election commission cancel results?” he told AFP.

“If there was an agreement, it should be made open. JI has not signed such an agreement.”

Bahadur Khan, candidate from Awami National Party also denied the existence of a deal to stop women voting.

“There have been such agreements in the past, but not this time,” he said.

It is not the first time a Pakistani election result has been overturned because women have been stopped from voting.

A court in the northwest withheld by-election results in two constituencies in 2013 and ordered the arrest of elders who had prevented women from voting.

Female election turnout is usually weak in the most conservative, rural parts of Pakistan, particularly within the tribal belt, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan province. — AFP

oner can see his family members after 15 days,” Afridi said.

The CIA recruited Shakeel Afridi for a fake vaccination programme in a bid to confirm the 9/11 mastermind was living in Abbottabad.

The plan was to use the drive as cover to collect DNA material after vaccinating bin Laden’s children

as a way of positively identifying the Al Qaeda leader.

Tribal justice system The doctor was convicted under Pakistan’s tribal justice system and jailed to 33 years in 2012 for having ties to militants. Last year a tribunal cut 10 years off his sentence.

Some US lawmakers have said the case was revenge for his help in the search for the Al Qaeda chief.

In May 2011 US special forces raid conducted the raid, without Pakistani knowledge, which found and killed bin Laden in the northern town of Abbottabad, a stone’s throw from an elite military academy. — AFP

A12

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Finding a slave ship, uncovering history

T

he trans-Atlantic slave trade that sent 12.5 million human beings in chains from Africa to the Americas — killing about two million along the way — has been described by the historian David Brion Davis as “one of history’s greatest crimes against humanity.”

It was driven not by hatred, but by greed. The colonizers — including Spaniards, Portuguese, Dutch, British, French, Danes, Swedes, Brazilians, and North Americans — wanted cheap labour for sugar, tobacco, coffee, indigo and other goods demanded by the aristocracy. This era is often reduced to an abstraction in contemporary conversation.

But the news that a team of researchers discovered the wreckage of a Portuguese slaving ship off the coast of South Africa puts the modern world in touch with the depravity of the enterprise. It also brings forth the images of captives lying shackled together on their sides in the filth-ridden holds of the ships that ferried human cargo across the Atlantic for more than three centuries. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture, along with other partners, will announce the discovery of the wreckage of such a slave ship, the São José Paquete Africa, which went down off the coast of southern Africa in 1794. Objects from the vessel, which researchers say is the first discovery of a ship that went down with slaves on board, will be placed on long-term loan to the museum. It is scheduled to open on the National Mall in Washington next year. Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the new museum, has long been searching for artefacts from slave ships to illustrate the bondage and movement of millions of people across the seas. There had been tens of thousands of slave-ship voyages out of Africa, the search was long and difficult.

Finally, in 2011, a maritime archaeologist doing archival research in South Africa came across the record, written in Portuguese, of an inquest involving the captain of the São José. The document makes the clear distinction between crew members, who are regarded as “men,” and the Africans, who are not. The ship, carrying between 400 and 500 enslaved people left the East African country of Mozambique, on Dec. 3, 1794, on what was to be a four-month, 7,000 mile voyage to for Brazil, which lay at the very center of slave trade and where the Africans would be sent to work on sugar plantations. Twenty-four days later, the ship encountered violent winds and broke up on reefs not far from Cape Town and 100 yards from shore. The crew survived, but half the Africans died. Those who survived were sold again within days.

The captain’s testimony led researchers to Portugal, which with Spain, had dominated the slave trade between the late-16th and mid17th centuries. There they learned that the ship had left Lisbon carrying a cargo of 1,500 iron blocks, which were used as ballasts to balance ships carrying human cargo. The story of the São José and the enslaved Africans in its hold reminds the modern world that the trade in human beings was carried out with the most sophisticated tools of commerce at the time. But it provides only the smallest glimpse of the horror endured by the millions who were stolen and sold into bondage. - The New York Times News Service

COMMENTARY

Growing credibility deficit of the EU

L

GHIA NODIA

Fifa goes into rehab

I

t would be wise not to get too carried away by the resignation of Sepp Blatter because what happens next is what really counts.

We should remain deeply suspicious of Fifa and all its doings.

Although Blatter admitted that the organisation he has presided over for 17 years needs “profound restructuring”, many of the organisation’s delegates, accustomed to the perks and privileges of their position, may not agree if they personally lose out. So the pressure that has been applied by all those from the FA to the FBI needs to be kept up if football’s most powerful body is to learn the meaning of good governance. Only then can the game move forward in a way that benefits the many millions who play and follow it around the world. One of the great sadness of this sordid saga has been how such a simple game can have been so traduced. For that, the Swiss are clearly culpable. Even though there have been times when Blatter has cut an almost comic figure, we should never forget the dark secrets that he has been hiding. Only now, perhaps, will the full truth begin to emerge as more of football’s rich and powerful figures are called to account. So today we should pay a vote of thanks to those, like the British journalist Andrew Jennings, and the Sunday Times’s Insight Team, who have refused to be cowed by the barrage of bluster and obfuscation that Blatter employed.

He has finally been consigned to history just as that other sporting tyrant, Juan Antonio Samaranch, was before him. For years the Spaniard ran the International Olympic Committee as his personal fiefdom before the Salt Lake City bribery scandal forced a clean-up. Therein lies the hope for Fifa, because the IOC is unrecognisable from 15 years ago. Fifa must travel the same painful road to reform. - The Independent

Water shortage impacting normal life in Muscat This refers to the news story, Water nightmare to haunt summer (June 3). It was really a bad morning to start the day with as children were going to school for their exams, husband was going to office, and there was no water.

I don’t know what’s the reason for this but water shortage is indeed impacting normal life.

Ghina J. Buena Muscat

Water crisis in Muscat is a sudden development This refers to the news story, Water nightmare to haunt summer (June 3). What I do not understand is what has changed over the last three months. There was no water shortage during the winter

and earlier this year. The water crisis seems to have arrived all of a sudden. Did the demand for water increase drastically all of a sudden? I doubt it. Something else must have happened for this to have become such an issue in such a short period of time. I agree that new plants are due to come online soon and are delayed, but how were we coping before this?

Emilly Shotter Muscat

Residents ask for some quick fix for water crisis This refers to the news story, Water nightmare to haunt summer (June 3). This water shortage in the peak summer time is really hurting and even affecting our productivity at work place. It is becoming difficult even to wash

The fact is that Ukraine made a clear choice in favour of Europe over Russia — and was punished severely.

Russia invaded and annexed parts of its territory, while Europe watched. Putin may be dangerous and unpredictable

ast week’s EU Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga, Latvia, can be summed up in one word: disappointment. Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine face considerable hardships — including economic pressure from Russia and the threat of military confrontation — in their quest to deepen their ties to the European Union. And yet Europe’s leaders remain fixated on technicalities that basically amount to rejection, reflected in their refusal to permit visa-free travel to the EU for Ukrainian and Georgian citizens. At this point, the EU’s equivocations have become so frustrating that they are undermining support for European integration. In Georgia, the country where support for European and Euro-Atlantic integration has historically been the most solid, a recent poll showed that 31 per cent of respondents supported joining Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pet project, the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) — up from 16 per cent just one year ago. Though support for Georgia’s continued pursuit of closer ties with the EU remains much higher, at 68 per cent, Georgian Europhiles are alarmed by the shift.

Increased support for EEU membership could stem from rising frustration with the EU’s lukewarm attitude toward further enlargement. It might also be driven by the intensification of Russian propaganda, despite the truly bizarre nature of some of its claims, such as that EU membership will turn Georgians into something monstrous. But discussions in local social networks, and my own conversations with my fellow Georgians, suggest that the most compelling reason for the country’s increasing vacillation on EU membership lies in Ukraine.

The fact is that Ukraine made a clear choice in favour of Europe over Russia — and was punished severely. Russia invaded and annexed parts of its territory, while Europe watched. Putin may be dangerous and unpredictable, but he does not hesitate to do what it takes to advance his understanding of Russia’s strategic interests.

The EU policies, by contrast, have lately been characterized by indecision and weakness. To be sure, the issue is not that Georgians prefer Russia.

On the contrary, a substantial majority consider Russia to be a threat. In supporting the EEU, they are submitting to Russia’s hard power. It is better to feed a bear than to confront it on one’s own.

Of course, hard power has never been the EU’s main strength. On the contrary, the EU’s commitment to using its extensive soft power is what enabled it to assert its influence over a large chunk of the former Soviet bloc. But, in a tough neighbourhood, some promise of protection against naked military

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Our patience will achieve more than our force EDMUND BURKE

aggression is also needed. The EU did not offer this to Ukraine; Georgians (and others) have taken note.

The EU’s failure in this regard owes much to the initial ease of its eastward enlargement. Its leaders came to believe that any European country would fundamentally transform itself, in order to build ties — however limited — to the EU. And they naively assumed that the mere dream of one day joining the EU would ensure countries’ loyalty, even in the face of Putin’s hard-power threats. In short, Europeans seem to have convinced themselves that they had transcended geopolitical realities.

But the truth is that hard power was always central to the appeal of European integration, with the former Soviet bloc countries considering the EU and Nato to be two sides of the same coin. Indeed, Europe’s soft power was based on the promise of freedom, prosperity, and security. Europeans simply preferred to downplay the security component, because it was outsourced to Nato, and thus dependent on the United States.

That preference is even stronger today, when America’s pivot toward Asia is weakening the transatlantic axis. After all, the EU has no alternative security mechanism. If the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia did not adequately highlight the EU’s waning security credentials, the ongoing crisis in Ukraine certainly has.

Eastern European countries are now rethinking the actual benefits — and costs — of integration. The EU can recover its soft power in its eastern neighbourhood only if it recovers its hard power. In theory, it could do this without the US; in practice, it does not stand a chance.

The unique value of the European order consists in its recognition and protection of the right of small and vulnerable states to make meaningful choices about their future. This is precisely the principle that today’s Russia, which lacks soft power, views as a threat.

Putin knows that few countries, if any, would reject the EU and align themselves with Russia if given a genuinely free choice. Even Belarus could not be taken for granted in such a scenario.

European leaders understand this, which is why they have repeatedly declared that all European countries have the right to choose their own path.

But such pronouncements mean little, given the EU’s refusal to take action to uphold that right. By appearing spineless in the face of Russian aggression that has been aimed specifically at derailing European influence, the EU has lost credibility.

To win it back, the EU must back its word with deeds. Though designing an effective response to Russian aggression will not be easy, the EU’s muchvaunted soft power depends on it. - Project Syndicate

the cooking utensils. There is no water in my flat in greater Muttrah since May 29. The overhead water tanks of the building are not getting properly filled due to reduced pressure. I have never faced such acute water shortage in my two decades of stay in Muscat and in Muttrah. The problem seems to be intensifying every day and no solution seems to be in sight, at least as of now. The authorities must look for some quick solutions without waiting until August. The approaching Ramadan period could be very difficult for people if the water shortage continues.

Mohammad Osama Rawat Ruwi

The new move will raise road safety awareness This refers to the news story, Royal

Oman Police to contact expats soon over big fines, jail term (June 3).

It will indeed help the expatriate drivers to know if they have any fines for traffic violations which they need to clear and have to clear before leaving the country. Such an initiative will also help enhance road safety awareness among the drivers. Perhaps it would be good if people with fines beyond a certain amount are contacted directly and others regularly check the ROP website to clear their dues, if any.

Meanwhile, apart from checking the ROP website, it would be a good idea to set up ROP kiosks at big shopping malls and key ROP centres for road users to check their traffic fines so that they can be cleared immediately. The move will indeed boost road safety.

Ramachandran Nair Ruwi

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 (times@omantel.net.om)

T HURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015

WORLD

Rohingyas need to be treated as citizens of Burma (Myanmar).

They need to have identity cards and passports that make clear they are as much citizens of Burma as anyone else Anne Richard, US Assistant Secretary of State

UK ROYAL ACADEMY SUMMER EXHIBITION A member of the Royal Academy staff walks on British artist Jim Lambie’s installation ‘Zobop’ during the press preview of the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition on Wednesday. This year, the annual event features more than 1,100 works, comprising painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, architecture and film. The Summer Exhibition runs from June 8 to August 16, 2015. — AFP

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A13

Bush overtakes Obama in US popularity poll It took nearly a decade for Americans to warm towards Bush, who led the United States during the September 11, 2001 attacks and

George W. Bush

Barack Obama

launched two wars in its aftermath

WASHINGTON: Former US President George W. Bush is now more popular than his successor Barack Obama, according to a CNN/ORC poll released on Wednesday.

The survey said 52 per cent of Americans polled have a favourable opinion of the former Republican president who was in office between 2001 and 2009, while 49 per cent share a similar feeling about the man currently in the White House.

It took nearly a decade for Americans polled to warm towards Bush, who led the United States during the September 11, 2001 attacks and launched two wars in its aftermath.

Among former presidents, ARMY CLAIM

‘Ukraine rebels launch new offensive’ KIEV: Ukraine’s army on Wednesday accused pro-Russian forces of launching a new attack against its positions in breach of a brittle ceasefire, with at least one civilian killed and several others wounded in the fresh clashes.

Fighting has intensified around key hotspots on the frontline in eastern Ukraine and the latest violence revived fears that pro-Russian separatists may be readying for a new advance against Kiev forces.

Rebel forces began a “largescale offensive against Ukrainian positions” close to the separatist stronghold of Donetsk at 4 am (0100 GMT) using about a dozen tanks and up to 1,000 troops, said Ukraine’s General Staff.

Government troops had fought back against the attack using heavy artillery, it added in a statement.

Senior rebel commander Eduard Basurin confirmed that fresh fighting had taken place around Maryinka, a settlement just to the west of Donetsk, but denied that rebel forces had taken control there. — AFP

A CNN/ORC poll released on Wednesday found The survey said 52 per cent of Americans polled have a favourable opinion of the former Republican president who was in office between 2001 and 2009, while 49 per cent share a similar feeling about the man currently in the White House

George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton have highly favourable ratings of 64 per cent.

The views of past presidents will likely be increasingly important in America as two political families look to field a candidate in the 2016 presidential elections.

Hillary Clinton, wife of Bill, is the leading candidate for the Dem-

ocrats, while presumed candidate Jeb Bush, brother and son of the two former presidents, may test the Republican field.

The survey released Wednesday was conducted by telephone from May 29 to 31 on a representative sample of 1,025 Americans, the margin of error is three per cent. — AFP

MIGRANT CRISIS

US presses Myanmar on Rohingya crisis JAKARTA/MAUNGDAW (MYANMAR): Myanmar brought ashore more than 700 “boat people” it had kept at sea for days aboard a seized vessel, as the United States on Wednesday called on the country to help solve a migrant crisis by recognising the rights of its Muslim Rohingya minority.

US President Barack Obama has sought to make Myanmar’s transition to democracy a legacy of his presidency, and Washington is stepping up pressure on the Southeast Asian nation to tackle what it sees as the root causes of an exodus of migrants across the Bay of Bengal that the region has struggled to cope with.

“Rohingyas need to be treated as citizens of Burma,” US Assistant Secretary of State Anne Richard told reporters at a press briefing in Jakarta, using the country’s former name.

“They need to have identity cards and passports that make clear they are as much citizens of Burma as anyone else.”

Suu Kyi criticised Anne added she would like to see all Myanmar’s political leaders address the issue. Opposition leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced international criticism for failing to speak out on behalf of the nation’s many ethnic groups, including the Rohingya.

IN LIMBO: Myanmar police interview migrants who were found at sea on a boat as they sit at a temporary shelter near Kanyin Chaung jetty outside Maungdaw township, northern Rakhine state, on Wednesday. — AFP

“We would love to see all Burmese leaders speak up on human rights and to realise that they should help the Rohingya,” Richard said. “The boats are not going to wait until December - the people on the boats need help right now.”

Obama said on Monday that Myanmar needed to end discrimination against the Rohingya people if it wanted to succeed in its transition to a democracy.

The 727 migrants were found drifting in the Andaman Sea on Friday in an overloaded fishing boat that was taking on water. Myanmar’s navy brought the vessel to the coast of western Rakhine state, where they disembarked on Wednesday.

Two migrants who came ashore told Reuters that 200-300 people on the boat were Rohingya, and the remainder Bangladeshis. My-

anmar authorities have said they believe most are Bangladeshis.

Authorities separated Bangladeshis from Rohingya, before taking the Bangladeshis away in buses, a Reuters witness said.

The Rohingya were kept inside a warehouse at the landing point, where they were watched over by dozens of police, the witness said. It was unclear if the group was moved later, as journalists

were asked to leave the site. No aid personnel had access to the site at that point, the Reuters witness said. The US called on Myanmar authorities to allow aid agencies access to the migrants.

“We are strongly urging authorities to ensure the full protection and well-being of the migrants and to allow for immediate humanitarian access and assistance, including urgent medical care and adequate accommodation,” a US embassy spokesman said.

Women and children from the boat were taken to the same location where another 200 migrants, who came ashore on another boat in May, are being held, Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

The rest were taken to near the border with Bangladesh, the statement said.

Many of the more than 4,000 migrants who have landed in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar since the Thai government launched a crackdown on people-smuggling gangs are Rohingya who say they are escaping persecution. — Reuters

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com haveyoursay@timesofoman.com

ABSENCE OF NEW LEADS

Expansion of search for missing MH370 plane ruled out

UNSOLVED MYSTERY: A family member of a Chinese passenger from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 shows a poster as she leaves after a prayer session at the Yonghegong Lama temple in Beijing on March 8, 2015. — AFP file photo

SYDNEY: The hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will not be expanded beyond its current search area unless there are specific new leads, Australian officials said on Wednesday.

In April, more than a year after the plane vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 mostly Chinese people on board, Malaysia, Australia and China announced that the search zone would double in size.

This boosted the area of the remote southern Indian Ocean being scoured by three specialist vessels to 120,000 square kilometres (46,300 square miles).

But it will not be expanded any further, the Australian-led Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said in an update.

“In the absence of credible

new information that leads to the identification of a specific location of the aircraft, governments have agreed that there will be no further expansion of the search area,” it said.

The hunt for the aircraft, which disappeared on March 8 last year, has been a complex undertaking, with Australia initially concentrating on a remote 60,000 square kilometre area of the ocean far off its west coast.

The zone was determined by analysing data from satellite signals which indicate the plane went down in the Indian Ocean after mysteriously diverting.

More than 50,000 square kilometres of the seafloor have been scoured so far with no trace of the jet, JACC said, and with the onset of winter and poor weather the op-

eration is slowing down.

The deep underwater search, using sonar equipment after the ocean floor was closely mapped last year, is currently suspended with waves reaching up to 12 metres (39 feet), although ships remain on the scene.

It will continue once conditions improve but be scaled back with one of the vessels, GO Phoenix, ceasing operations and returning to Singapore near the end of June.

A fourth vessel previously involved in the search, Fugro Supporter, was withdrawn in May amid the worsening conditions.

“Safety of the search crews, as always, remains a priority and vessels and equipment utilised will vary to reflect operational needs, particularly during winter months,” JACC said. — AFP

A 16

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Weather forces Solar Impulse to stay under cover in hangar NAGOYA (JAPAN): Sun-powered Solar Impulse 2, which has made an impromptu stop in Japan on its way around the world, was under cover in its mobile hangar on Wednesday as the team waited out the weather before heading to Hawaii.

The featherweight flying machine had been exposed to the elements since its arrival in the

central city of Nagoya on Monday night, with crew having to hold it down to prevent it being blown away by the wind. “#Si2 is safe in the mobile hangar!” @solarimpulse tweeted Wednesday, saying support staff had worked through the night to put together the sections of an inflatable tent that looks a little like a series of connected igloos.

Solar Impulse 2 is on a recordbreaking attempt to circumnavigate the globe using the power of the sun, to highlight the possibilities of renewable energy.

The seventh leg of its epic mission was intended to be the 8,500 kilometres (5,250 miles) from Nanjing, China, to Hawaii -- a journey set to take six days and six nights of non-stop flight.

But a developing cold weather front in the Pacific forced mission controllers to order pilot Andre Borschberg to divert to Nagoya, unexpectedly adding Japan to the tour. The presence of the aircraft continued to be a draw to the people of Nagoya, with a steady stream of locals appearing at the edge of the airfield to try to get a glimpse.

Hatsuko Miyazaki, 72, who lives

a few minutes from the airport, said she was hoping to see Solar Impulse 2 in action.

“I thought it may fly today because the weather has got a little sunnier, but it’s still covered up in the hangar,” she said.

“I am glad I came to to see it though, because this kind of thing might only happen once in a lifetime.” In a telephone interview

with AFP on Tuesday, mission initiator Bertrand Piccard said crew members had been holding on to the delicate solar craft since it arrived in Nagoya.

“The plane has a huge surface area and is very light, with a take off speed of just 45 kilometres (28 miles) an hour, so with gusts of wind like today you really need to hold on to it,” he said. — AFP

Survivor hopes fade in capsized China ship Only 14 people, including the ship’s captain, have been found alive since the ship capsized in a freak tornado on Monday night with 456 people on board

JIANLI (CHINA): Dozens of family members walked in protest on Wednesday to the rescue site of a sunken cruise ship in the Yangtze River, asking for news of their relatives who are missing after the worst shipping disaster in modern Chinese history.

Rescuers searched for more than 400 missing people, many of them elderly, but hopes of finding more survivors were fading.

Only 14 people, including the ship’s captain, have been found alive since the ship capsized in a freak tornado on Monday night with 456 people on board. Just 26 bodies have been recovered.

Frustrated by the level of information coming from local authorities, about 80 family members took matters into their own hands and hired a bus to take them from Nanjing to Jianli county in Hubei. They were seen walking towards the rescue site late on Wednesday evening.

“This isn’t going to be much use, we’re just doing this for the government to see,” said Wang Feng, who organised the eight-hour bus trip, earlier on Wednesday.

Volunteers from Jianli offered rides and water to the fam-

ily members, telling them “you’re good people”. Individuals supporting the family members tied yellow ribbons on their car side mirrors. Earlier, 47 of the family members asked the government to release the names of the living and the dead to them at the rescue site, according to a statement they released.

In a separate statement, other relatives said they had “several doubts” about the incident and questions such as why most of the people rescued were crew members, why the boat did not dock, and why the captain and crew members had time to don their life vests but not sound any alarm. State television showed rescuers, some standing gingerly on the upturned hull of the Eastern Star, and scores of divers working through the night.

Rescuers have not slackened off, even though about 200 divers face difficulties such as cabin doors blocked by tables and beds.

There is also the fear that rashly cutting holes in the hull could burst air pockets keeping people alive. “Although there’s lots of work to do, saving people is still being put first,” Transport Ministry spokesman Xu Chengguang told reporters. Television pictures showed a rain-soaked Premier Li Keqiang, who is on the scene overseeing rescue efforts, bowing in respect to two bodies laid out on the deck of a boat covered in sheets. “Life is greater than the heavens, and the burden on your shoulders is massive,” Li told a group of military divers, the government said in a statement.

But some relatives were already bracing for the worst. “Yesterday I still had some hope. The boat is big and the water hadn’t gone all the way in. Now, it’s been more than 40 hours. I ask you, what do I have left?” said Wang Feng, a photographer. — Reuters

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Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.30 Pound ...........................................1.68 Indian Rs .............................165.32 Pak Rs ...................................260.28 Bangla Taka.......................199.52

Indian Rs .................................. 165.80 Pakistan Rs ............................ 263.25 Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 348.00 Bangla Taka.............................201.70 Phil Peso .................................... 115.30

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.25

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* Rates are as of June 3 Source: Bank Muscat

deal will see the company convert 319,869 dwt metrelong 2010 built Selma B to the Olympic Lion and the 2009

SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY: Oman Drydock chief executive officer Yong Duk Park said the conversions would be managed using the highly sophisticated expertise of Korean shipbuilding giant Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering – Supplied photo

built Camilla T to the Olympic Leopard

Times News Service MUSCAT: Greek shipping line Springfield Shipping is expected to award two massive ship conversion contracts to Oman Drydock Company (ODC), which will be announced at the Nor Shipping Trade Fair in Oslo.

The multi-million-pound contracts will see ODC convert the recently bought 319,869 dwt metre-

long 2010 built Selma B to the Olympic Lion and the 2009 built Camilla T to the Olympic Leopard.

The ships will be converted from Oil Bulk Ore (OBO) carriers to Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs). The deal follows an identical job ODC completed for Springfield, part of the Onassis Foundation, on the Olympic Luck which was successfully completed in January this year.

Oman Drydock Company chairman Dr Abdulmalik bin Abdullah Al Hinai said the shipyard was delighted to win two more big contracts from Springfield and

urged delegates at Nor Shipping to attend ODC’s stand to find out more and meet the team.

“The Olympic Luck was the first major conversion job we had undertaken and its success was a tremendous showcase for the world class workforce, skills and infrastructure that we have here at ODC,” he said.

Dr Abdulmalik said he anticipated that work would begin in June and would employ around 500 workers and would involve more than 6,000 tonnes of steel.

ODC chief executive Yong Duk Park said the conversions would

Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ........... 144.00 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............136.50 * Rates as of June 3

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Oman Drydock set to secure two contracts Multi-million-pound

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) ....... 14.70

be managed using the highly sophisticated expertise of Korean shipbuilding giant Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), which is ODC’s partner.

Park said few other shipyards in the Gulf can match the level of conversion and ship building skills at ODC’s disposal because of its partnership with DSME. “These complex, rigorous and demanding conversions will use DSME’s broad knowledge of precision engineering and design innovation to inform our construction methods,” he said. “As with the Olympic Luck we expect to fabricate close to 40 blocks between 50 and 80 tonnes for each vessel. This will enable us to build in larger portions, reducing on time and cost.”

Olympic Luck Springfield Shipping general manager Dimitris Patrikios said ODC had been chosen following the immensely impressive job it delivered on the Olympic Luck.

Dr Abdulmalik said ODC is looking to capitalise on its unique selling points to catapult itself further into the global multi-billion pound ship repair, conversion and build industry.

Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

C O S T E S C A L AT I O N C L A I M S

MSM suspends Galfar trading; CMA seeks more information on compensation offer A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com

TRADING

MUSCAT: Share trading of Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company, Oman’s biggest contracting firm, was suspended for the last three days, pending clarification regarding the company’s compensation offer from Muscat Municipality for Muscat Expressway and Central Corridor projects. This is in the larger interest of investors.

Galfar shares were traded on the bourse briefly on Wednesday, but it was suspended within a short span of time.

Galfar Engineering came out with two disclosure statements on June 1 and 2. But the Muscat Securities Market (MSM), after getting instruction from the market regulator Capital Market Authority, has advised Galfar to urgently disclose additional and detailed information on the amount already recognised in the books against which this settlement offer has been received. Galfar Engineering and Contracting on June 2 said that it has received a letter from Mus-

Galfar shares were traded on the bourse briefly on Wednesday, but it was suspended within a short span of time.

The company came out with two seperate disclosure statements on June 1 and 2.

cat Municipality offering to settle OMR29.9 million as a full and final settlement against the total claims raised by Galfar to Muscat Municipality relating to the expressway and corridor projects.

Based on an independent technical and legal opinion, the (Galfar) board has decided not to accept this settlement and pursue other options on the way forward, the company said in a disclosure statement. The compensation offer was for cost escalation while building the Muscat Expressway.

When contacted, a spokesperson of the company did not comment.

B2

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 4, 2 015

MARKET Banking stocks help MSM index end higher

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,470.56 ...............6,456.74 ....................6,467.70 ................... 6,457.53.................. 10.17 ................... 0.16 Financial Index ..................................... 7,854.15 ...............7,824.96 ................... 7,853.90 ....................7,819.40................. 34.50 ...................0.44 Industrial Index ....................................8,381.79 ...............8,317.02 ................... 8,321.83 ................... 8,317.02.................... 4.81 ...................0.06 Services Index .......................................3,497.38 ...............3,493.78 ................... 3,495.62 ................... 3,495.85.................. -0.23 ................... -0.0 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................997.94 .................. 997.58 ....................... 997.77 ...................... 997.32....................0.45 ................... 0.05 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 13,223,911 ...................4,143,419 .....................823 ...............14,920,574,689 ................ 15 ........................9 ....................20 .........................44

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 ISIN ..................................................SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER...................TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE............. HIGH....................LOW...............CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE..........DIFF (RO) .................DIFF %......................LAST PR...............LAST BID.....................LAST OFFER .................MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE

REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 163,420 ........... 38,366..................... 23 ........... 0.230 ...........0.238 ...........0.230........... 0.235 .............0.226 ........... 0.009............. 3.982 ................0.234..............0.235...................0.236....................4,935,000 ..........0.100

Gulf International Chemicals gained the most

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................. 50,000 ............... 5,750........................2 ............0.115 ........... 0.115............ 0.115 ............0.115 ............. 0.111 ............ 0.004............. 3.604 ................0.115 .............. 0.110................... 0.115 ...................23,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...................... 435,045 ............55,317..................... 52 ............0.124 ........... 0.129 ...........0.124............0.127 ............. 0.123............ 0.004............. 3.252 ................0.126 .............. 0.125...................0.126.................... 3,810,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 388,149 ............77,968.....................44 ............0.195 ...........0.203 ...........0.195 ........... 0.201 ............. 0.195............ 0.006............. 3.077 ................0.203..............0.203...................0.205 .................135,652,373 ........0.100

on news of inclusion into MSM30, while Oman United Insurance was the top loser

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 1,903,761.......473,962...................122 ........... 0.248 ........... 0.255 ...........0.245........... 0.249 .............0.242 ........... 0.007............. 2.893 ................0.252.............. 0.251...................0.252 ..................32,494,500.........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 658,616.......... 213,350..................... 33 ........... 0.322 ...........0.326 ...........0.322........... 0.324 ............. 0.316............ 0.008............. 2.532 ................0.324..............0.324...................0.326 .................434,390,121........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 1,318,181 .......263,533......................31 ............0.197 ...........0.202 ...........0.197 ........... 0.200 ............. 0.197............ 0.003............. 1.523 ................0.202 ............ 0.202...................0.205 .................142,881,268........0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ................................................................ 5,047 ................1,413........................1 ........... 0.280...........0.280 ...........0.280 .......... 0.280 .............0.276 ........... 0.004............. 1.449 ................0.280..............0.276...................0.280 .................432,523,993 .......0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ............. 33,170 ...............4,556........................5 ............0.135 ........... 0.138 ...........0.135 ............0.137 ............. 0.136.............0.001 ............. 0.735 ................0.138 .............. 0.138...................0.140...................12,330,000.........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 392,828 ........... 55,046......................18 ............0.140 ........... 0.142 ...........0.140........... 0.140 ............. 0.139.............0.001 ............. 0.719.................0.140..............0.140................... 0.141 ...................43,507,092 .........0.100

MUSCAT: Muscat bourse continued with its gaining momentum, mainly supported by banking stocks. The benchmark MSM30 Index edged up by 0.16 per cent before closing at 6,467.70. The MSM Sharia Index also gained by 0.05 per cent before closing at 997.77 points.

Domestic institutions returned to the buying mode while foreigners favoured to play from the selling side on Wednesday.

Al Anwar Holding was the most active stock in terms of volume, while Bank Muscat was the most active in terms of turnover. Gulf International Chemicals was the highest gainer on Wednesday and closed up by 3.98 per cent on news of inclusion into MSM30 Index, while Oman United Insurance, which lost 2 per cent, was the top loser.

As many as 823 trades were executed on Wednesday, generating a turnover of OMR4.14 million with over 13.22 million shares changing hands. Out of 44 traded securities, 15 advanced, nine declined and 20 remained unchanged. Foreign investors were net sellers for OMR1.31 million worth of shares while domestic investors were net buyers for OMR1.3 million followed by GCC

and Arab investors who bought OMR2,000 worth of stocks.

Financial Index closed at 7853.90 points, up by 0.44 per cent. Global Financial, Al Batinah Development, Al Anwar Holding, Bank Nizwa, and National Bank of Oman increased by 3.60 per cent, 3.25 per cent, 2.89 per cent, 2.74 per cent, and 2.53 per cent, respectively. Oman United Insurance, Oman & Emirates Investments, HSBC Bank Oman, Al Madina Investments, and Bank Sohar were down by 2 per cent, 1.75 per cent, 1.47 per cent, 1.25 per cent, and 0.53 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index closed at 8321.83 points, up by 0.06 per cent. Gulf International Chemicals, Al Hassan Engineering, and Construction Materials were.

Prices of National Aluminium and Al Maha Ceramics were down by 1.41 per cent, and 0.38 per cent, respectively.

Services Sector Index was down by 0.01 per cent before closing at 3,495.62 points. Al Batinah Power, Al Suwadi Power, Sharqiya Desalination, and Sembcorp Salalah were up by 3.08 per cent, 1.52 per cent, 0.42 per cent, and 0.40 per cent, respectively.

OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION ......................................550 ...............1,950........................4 ............3.550 ........... 3.550 ...........3.530........... 3.545 .............3.530 ............0.015 ............. 0.425 ................3.530..............3.530...................3.880...................34,670,866.........1.000 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH..................................................4,800 ............ 12,022........................8 ........... 2.500...........2.505 ...........2.500 .......... 2.505 .............2.495 ............0.010 ............. 0.401 ................2.505..............2.505...................2.550..................239,120,273........1.000 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ............................................................... 2,085 ...................817........................2 ........... 0.392 ...........0.392 ...........0.390........... 0.390 .............0.390 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.390..............0.390...................0.400 ..................19,500,000 .........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ....................................................... 90,290 .......... 140,401.....................20 ............1.555 ........... 1.555............1.555 ............1.555 ............. 1.555............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.555 .............. 1.555...................0.000 .................311,000,000........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 388,308 ........... 94,469..................... 30 ........... 0.244...........0.244 ...........0.242 .......... 0.243 .............0.243 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.242............. 0.242...................0.243 ..................48,600,000 ........0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .............................................................. 1,000 .................. 546........................1 ........... 0.546 ...........0.546 ...........0.546........... 0.550 .............0.550 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.546..............0.546...................0.550.................. 181,979,991 ........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 100,000 ...........43,000........................4 ........... 0.430 ...........0.430 ...........0.430........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.430..............0.424...................0.430 ................. 127,371,883 ........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .........................................................................5,186 ............... 1,095........................3 ............0.211 ........... 0.214 ...........0.211 ............0.211 ............. 0.211............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.214.............. 0.211...................0.214................. 300,682,626 .......0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ........................................ 230 ..................460........................2 ........... 2.000...........2.000 ...........2.000 .......... 2.000 .............2.000 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.000 ............ 2.000...................2.090 ................ 190,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 161,108 .............22,031......................14 ............0.137 ........... 0.138 ...........0.134............0.137 ............. 0.137............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.134 ..............0.134...................0.136.................... 8,061,521 ..........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 466,664 .........802,569......................71 ............1.720 ........... 1.725............ 1.715 ............1.720 ............. 1.720............ 0.000.............0.000 ................ 1.715 ...............1.715...................1.720 ................1,290,000,000......0.100 OM0000003141 ............ACWA POWER BARKA .................................................... 300 ...................251........................1 ........... 0.836 ........... 0.836 ...........0.836........... 0.836 .............0.836 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.836..............0.836...................0.000 .................133,760,000........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY .......................................................2,905 ............... 1,168........................2 ........... 0.402 ...........0.402 ...........0.402........... 0.400 .............0.400 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.402..............0.402...................0.406 ................. 24,200,000 ........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 327,023 ......... 257,694......................18 ............0.788 ........... 0.788 ...........0.788 ........... 0.788 .............0.788............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.788 ..............0.784...................0.788..................512,944,053........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL.................................................6,000 .................. 533........................2 ........... 0.089 ...........0.089 ...........0.088........... 0.089 .............0.089 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.088..............0.087...................0.088...................15,575,000 .........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,512,283 ......839,246..................... 28 ........... 0.552 ........... 0.556 ...........0.552........... 0.554 .............0.556 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.360 ...............0.554..............0.552...................0.554................ 1,269,669,719 ......0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 163,121 ............84,826..................... 48 ........... 0.522 ...........0.522 ...........0.512 ........... 0.520 .............0.522 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.383 ...............0.520..............0.520...................0.522 ..................27,300,000.........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 238,728 ............45,131......................16 ............0.190 ........... 0.190 ...........0.189 ........... 0.189 .............0.190 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.526 ...............0.189 ..............0.188...................0.189..................272,432,160........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 365,152...........121,103......................71 ........... 0.326 ...........0.334 ...........0.326........... 0.332 .............0.334 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.599 ...............0.328..............0.326...................0.328 ..................93,655,359 .........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 578,160 ............45,774......................16 ........... 0.080 ...........0.080 ...........0.079........... 0.079 .............0.080 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.250 ...............0.079..............0.077...................0.080 ..................16,364,959 .........0.100 OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ................. 5,100 ............... 1,427........................2 ........... 0.280...........0.280 ...........0.270........... 0.280 .............0.284 ...........-0.004 ........... -1.408 ...............0.270..............0.270...................0.280 ...................9,400,006 ..........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 1,522,261 ..... 204,243.....................20 ............0.134 ........... 0.136 ...........0.134........... 0.134 ............. 0.136............-0.002 ............-1.471 ................0.134 .............. 0.133...................0.135 ..................268,041,914........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 1,504,243...... 168,996..................... 52 ............0.113 ........... 0.114............0.112 ............0.112 ............. 0.114............-0.002 ............-1.754................0.113 .............. 0.112................... 0.113 ...................13,650,000 .........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 145,000 ........... 42,673......................13 ........... 0.298 ...........0.298 ...........0.294 .......... 0.294 .............0.300 ...........-0.006 ........... -2.000 ...............0.294..............0.294...................0.300 ..................29,400,000.........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 12,938,714.....4,121,685................779 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......34........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET .................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................... 17,350 ............... 1,750........................4 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.101............0.100............0.101 .............0.098 ........... 0.003............. 3.061 ................0.101 ..............0.100...................0.101 .................... 7,596,008 ..........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 197,327 ............. 14,741......................19 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.075 ...........0.074........... 0.075 .............0.073 ........... 0.002............. 2.740 ................0.075..............0.074...................0.075..................112,500,000........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................36,289 ............... 1,488........................5 ............0.041 ........... 0.041 ...........0.041........... 0.041 .............0.040 ............0.001 .............2.500 ................0.041............. 0.040...................0.042 ...................3,485,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001285 ............NATIONAL MINERAL WATER ................................. 2,100 ...................143........................3 ........... 0.068 ...........0.068 ...........0.068........... 0.068 .............0.068 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.068..............0.068...................0.000 ................... 1,836,207 ..........0.100 OM0000001301 ............DHOFAR CATTLE FEED ...............................................1,143 ..................207........................1 ............0.181 ........... 0.181............0.181 ............0.181 ............. 0.181............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.181 .............. 0.181...................0.000 ..................13,937,000 .........0.100 OM0000002911 ............THE FINANCIAL CORPORATION .........................11,358 ...............1,249........................2 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.110 ............0.110 ............. 0.110............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.110 ..............0.108................... 0.113 .................... 7,703,296 ..........0.100 OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ..............................10,000 ............... 1,146........................3 ............0.114 ........... 0.115............0.114 ............0.115 ............. 0.115 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.115 .............. 0.114................... 0.115 ...................11,500,000 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 275,567 ........... 20,724..................... 37 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 7........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET .................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ..............................325 .....................34........................2 ............0.104 ........... 0.104 ...........0.104........... 0.104 .............0.104 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.104..............0.104...................0.109...................31,485,908 .........0.100 OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 ............................................5,000 .................. 534........................2 ............0.103 ........... 0.107 ...........0.103........... 0.103 .............0.103............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.107 ..............0.070...................0.107....................7,364,500 ..........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 .............................................4,305 ..................443........................3 ............0.101 ........... 0.103 ...........0.101 ........... 0.105 .............0.105............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.103 ..............0.103...................0.110 ...................33,562,481 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: ...................................................................................... 9,630 ............... 1,010........................7 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 3........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

- United Securities

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t litter a beautiful country like OMAN. Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

T HURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015

B3

MARKET

OECD paints grim picture of global growth outlook 3.1%

The Paris-based organisation cut

Is the world economic growth this year, down from the 3.7 per cent predicted last October, the Paris-based organisation said in a semi-annual report.

That compares to global growth of 3.9 per cent a year on average in the decade through 2011.

global growth forecast saying investment is lagging and risks, including a possible Greek default, are hurting confidence

PARIS: Global economic growth forecast for this year was cut by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), saying investment is lagging and risks including a possible Greek default are hurting confidence.

The world economy will expand 3.1 per cent this year, down from the 3.7 per cent predicted last October, the Paris-based organisation said in a semi-annual report.

That compares to global growth of about 3.9 per cent a year on average in the decade through 2011.

Last year, the world economy grew 3.3 per cent, With big companies reluctant to spend on plants, equipment and technology as they did in past, lack of demand has also held back employment, wages and consumption, the organisation said.

“We’re looking at a global economy that in some respects is moderately good,” OECD chief economist Catherine Mann said in an interview. “There’s a lot of monetary accommodation, less fiscal drag; most countries are enjoying reduction in oil prices. All

of that is good news and yet what we’re getting is growth” that isn’t matching the average of the past two decades, she said.

The first-quarter contraction in the United States, the world’s largest economy, accounted for the biggest part of the 2015 forecast revision, though a softer expansion in China, the No. 2 economy, was also a factor, Mann said.

US outlook The OECD sees the US economy expanding 2 per cent this year, down from 2.4 per cent in 2014.

As recently as March, it predicted US growth of 3.1 per cent in 2015.

China will grow 6.8 per cent this

IT SOLUTIONS

year, down from 7.4 per cent, the OECD said.

Growth in the euro area is improving, meaning the region is making a positive contribution to growth this year, in contrast to the recent past. Spurred by unprecedented stimulus by the European Central Bank, gross domestic product in the 19-nation bloc is set to grow 1.4 per cent this year, up from 0.9 in 2014, the OECD said.

“The eurozone is the bright picture,” Mann said. “It is enjoying the effective policy action on the part of the ECB and the associated currency depreciation, as well as low oil prices.” Still, Europe could draw more out of the recovery by easing fiscal policy and stepping up public investment, Mann said.

Greek issue More importantly, the region needs to resolve the impasse over Greece’s public finances, which continues to weigh on confidence.

A default by Greece or its exit from the euro area risks derailing the recovery.

“Failure to reach a satisfactory agreement between Greece and its official creditors would intensify perceptions of re- denomination risk and uncertainty,” the OECD said. The consequences would probably include “financial

fragmentation in the euro area, dampening real activity and restarting negative feedback loops between the real economy, the banking sector and public finances in vulnerable countries.” Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was due to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss the details of a final proposal from creditors to break a stalemate over a financial lifeline.

Sovereign bonds Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who leads the euroarea group of his counterparts, meanwhile said Tuesday an accord was still far off.

Euro area sovereign bond spreads have so far failed to react to the lack of agreement, which may “reflect a perception that the ECB measures and the stronger euro area institutional framework would contain any serious spillover effects,” the OECD said. “However market sentiment could change abruptly.” - Bloomberg News

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INDUSTRIAL SECTOR

Tender floated for Rusayl Industrial Estate expansion Times News Service MUSCAT: A tender for building infrastructure facilities for expanding Rusayl Industrial Estate was floated by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE). Rusayl Industrial Estate is planning expand industrial plots to meet the growing demand from entrepreneurs.

The expansion, which is now being implemented in a phased manner, will take the total size of the industrial estate to 7 million square metres.

The expansion is a difficult task as mountainous areas have to be leveled to create industrial plots.

Last date The last date for distributing tender documents for the current tender (Package 2A, lower area) is June 25, while the tenders will be opened on July 27.

The Rusayl Industrial Estate, which houses around 160 units, is now 100 per cent occupied and there is an increasing demand for industrial plots from both existing industrial units (which plan expansion) and new entrepreneurs.

A wide range of industries, including food processing, mineral water, paint and cable manufacturers, have their manufacturing units there.

HONING SKILLS

Al Nimr Expo’s customer service Dell sees robust business opportunities in Sultanate week workshop concludes today Times News Service ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Computer technology giant Dell says it sees great opportunities for closer cooperation with Oman in various areas, especially in the field of education, as Oman is diversifying its economy.

The pace of transition to egovernance in Oman is ‘fast’ and Dell is well positioned to take advantage of the emerging opportunities and fast-track them, said Brian Humphries, president, Enterprise Solutions Sales and Strategy, at Dell.

In a recent exclusive interview with Times of Oman, Humphries said that his visit to the Sultanate was part of his tour of several countries and provided an opportunity for him to meet customers, partners and employees to gain a better understanding of the market potential.

Progressive policies The official said Dell is optimistic about the Gulf states and the Middle East in general, adding that the company has a wide and diverse range of solutions that can contribute to the ‘progressive policies’ being implemented.

He said that Dell, which already has a ‘good momentum’ in the region, is keen to cooperate more closely with the Sultanate in the education sector.

Humphries noted that he had a meeting with Oman’s minister of education who has a ‘vision for future’, adding that Dell has a lot to offer in the areas of IT sponsorship, training and development.

The company can also provide help in a number of ways via some of its broader portfolio including to help shape the future direction of students, he said.

Some of Dell’s interesting solutions include software that help schools or educational institutions understand the scores of students, said Humphries.

“Based on certain algorithms,

UPBEAT: Brian Humphries said that his visit to Oman was part of his tour of several countries and provided an opportunity for him to meet customers, partners and employees to gain a better understanding of the market potential. - Shabin E./Times of Oman

we can predict likely future outcomes and with that we can actually put the corrective action in place,” the official said, noting that Dell’s solutions can help students be more successful and prepared to enter the workforce when they graduate.

In addition to the education sector, there is great potential in the telecom sector and the field of financial services in Oman, Humphries stated.

Economic diversification The fact that the governments are focusing more on economic diversification to reduce dependency on natural reserves like oil and are making investments in other sectors such as education and healthcare, has provided new opportunities for a company like Dell, he noted.

“It is important to understand where the next generation of growth will come from,” Humphries said, reiterating Dell’s commitment to the region.

Asked whether Dell has any

plan to open a facility similar to its Dubai Solution Centre in the Sultanate, he noted, “At this stage, we do not yet have plans to open a facility in Oman but our customers and partners are always welcome to the Dubai facility.” Asked about the impact of lower oil prices on the IT sector in the Gulf region, he said, “We have come to expect over the years that oil prices will fluctuate up and down.”

Going private In addition, Humphries said that going private is paying off for Dell and has helped the company think more medium to long term.

However, he noted that the core DNA of the company remains the same irrespective of whether it is public or private. The official also said that ‘embracing the future’ makes Dell’s approach unique from that of its competitors.

“There are technology changes happening in the market today, and those technology changes are playing to our strength,” Humphries concluded.

MUSCAT: Al Nimr Expo commenced its Customer Service Week workshops on June 1, and it will continue until June 4, at the InterContinental Hotel, Muscat.

With the increase of competitors locally and internationally in service-orientated organisations, it is no longer sufficient to just provide customer service. The pursuit of excellence in customer service has now evolved from simply satisfying the customer to creating outstanding and memorable customer experiences. This is a key driver in bringing customers back to the organisation and ensuring that the organisation stays ahead of its competition in the race for the customer dollar.

“We are very excited for the new division of Al Nimr workshops to start its first series of workshops with Al Nimr Customer Service Week workshops 2015 addressing the challenges in customer service locally,” said Salim Al Hasmi, chairman of Al Nimr International Exhibition Organisers.

Maryam Al Balushi, the head of the workshops and trainings division at Al Nimr Expo also added that the “Challenges in Customer Service have been identified locally in Oman and other GCC countries, including shaping per-

ceptions of local customers, meeting their high expectations, limited knowledge of customer needs from front-liners and the mixture of cultures and nationalities influencing ways of communicating with the customer.”

Service-orientated sectors The Customer Service Week workshop will include two workshops for the private sector that target different level of employments in service-orientated sectors including banking and finance, telecom, and automotive, along with tourism and hospitality.

Leading Great Customer Experiences Workshop which was held on June 1 and 2 highlighted the importance of delivering an outstanding experience to the customer with the aim of exceeding their expectations and creating a

customer-focussed organisation.

Leading Great Customer Experiences equipped supervisors, team leaders, and managers with a framework, tools and strategies to begin designing and creating the desired customer experience and to mobilise and lead the frontline to deliver upon the desired customer experience.

The workshop had supervisors and managers from The Wave Muscat, Bank Nizwa, AER, National Ferries and MEDC, in addition to Gulf Divers and others.

The Win-Win Mindset Workshop, on June 3 and June 4 focusses more on how the interactions between employees and customers affect the number of customers retained and customer loyalty which relates to the channel of communication between the employees of the organisation.

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 4, 2 015

FEATURE FROM DREAM TO REALITY : A BRIEF HISTORY Several key developments have paved the way for autonomous vehicles over the last 100 years.

The widespread adoptation of driverless vehicles promises more roadway efficiency, less accidents due to distracted driving, and greater access to motor vehicles for people of all ages and abilities. There are still obstacles in it’s way, but the development and implementation of autonomous vehicles is revving into high gear.

1939

The concept of the 1st autonomous vehicle gains exposure at GM’s Futurama exhibit at the World’s Fair

1958 Chevrolet tests a vehicle that can sense the current of a wire in the road and steer itself.

FULLY AUTOMATED CAR MAY SEEM LIKE A DREAM OF THE FUTURE, BUT EARLY VERSIONS ARE ALREADY ROLLING INTO SHOWROOMS, WHETHER BUYERS ARE READY OR NOT.

F

or a glimpse of one of the auto world’s thorniest modern dilemma, look no further than two contradictory TV ads for Infiniti’s new Q50.

In one, a narrator mocks the biggest trend in cars, self-driving technology, as boring and overbearing, taking “the wheel right from your very hands.”

In another, a man celebrates the fact that the Q50 can speed up, steer and stop on its own, via upgrades that show the luxury sedan has an “instinct to protect.”

It is a revealing display of the problem that automakers face in selling a technology that is arriving far faster than many expected. The fully automated car may seem like a dream of the future, but early versions are

2004

already rolling into showrooms, whether buyers are ready or not.

Volvo now sells an SUV, the XC90, that stops at red lights, accelerates at green lights and can match the steering of cars ahead. Tesla Model S sedans will download “autopilot” features over the air this summer. Next year, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz will offer models that can drive on autopilot, hands-free, and even park themselves.

The new tech heralds a big change in the way drivers relate to their cars. Few features threaten the traditional promise of the automobile — freedom, independence, control of the road — like a computer that

The 1st Grand Challenge is held, with 15 autonomous vehicles competing in a 150-mile challenge to promote the development of autonomous cars.

can drive far safer and has no qualms about taking the wheel. That has put automakers in an awkward spot to reach car buyers who are drawn to the idea of driving with fewer dangers and drudgeries but are still leery of self-driving technology. To win them over, carmakers increasingly are selling the illusion of control while, in practice, taking more and more away.

“The technology is probably the easiest problem to solve,” said Jeremy Carlson, a senior analyst for IHS Automotive. “Consumer acceptance might be the hardest.” Cars and trucks with driver-assisting technology, a recent Boston Consulting Group report predicts, will hit the roads in “large numbers” by 2017 and

1887 - 1995

1977 The 1st truly autonomous car debuts in Japan and uses cameras and analogue computing to process signals

Several cars are tested across varying distances in Europe. The projects direct research toward vision based technologies rather than signal-based ones.

2010 The Google Driverless Car programme begins to rack up more than 140,000 miles with a fleet of autonomous Toyota Prius hybrids.

2011 The state of nevada approves the 1st law allowing driverless vehicles. Other U.S. states begin to introduce legislation.

at increasingly affordable prices. Packages that sold for $4,000 a few years ago now leave the lot at half the price. Lexus’s new RX will offer upgrades that stop the SUV in case of a potential crash and sound an alarm if it veers out of lane for about $500.

Rather than one revelatory self-driving debut, analysts believe this steady march of what the industry calls “semi-driverless” upgrades will persuade people to finally give up the wheel.

Loaded with cameras, sensors and computing power, the cars have, in tests, performed sharper and more consistently than human drivers without fear of drowsiness, drunkenness or distraction.

Yet the tension comes from a puzzling inconsistency traced in a survey by AutoTrader.com, which found that although most Americans say they are unnerved by ceding total control to a driverless car, they're happy to pay for all the piecemeal upgrades on which that car is built. “When polls ask about driverless cars, people are nervous, they’re fearful,” said Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst with AutoTrader. “But when you ask them about all these individual technologies — lane assist, helped parking — they say, yeah, we want all those.” Drivers still believe that cars make their lives easier, more free, more fun — though they also crave the next big thing, even if it weirds them out.

Industry officials acknowledge that self-driving cars may never be universally accepted by drivers, especially those who value being in control of their car. In the self-driving mode of Mercedes’ F 015 concept car, for

instance, passengers can’t steer or brake and can use a touchscreen to request the car to speed up or slow down — but only if the car thinks that’s a good idea.

But engineers have made efforts to make the driverless tech act more familiar and human. In some earlier Volvos, for instance, the automatic brakes allowed such a wide and safe distance from the car ahead that the feature annoyed many drivers, who ended up disengaging it altogether. The updated feature stops the car far closer, Volvo technology spokesman Jim Nichols said, in hopes “the driver doesn't have the desire to turn the feature off.”

Where the cars once made their decisions silently, they have begun to sound out their thinking in ways that drivers can understand. Cars will now explain their sudden slowing by saying, for instance, “Crosswalk ahead,”and dashboard screens will show directions and obstacles such as construction or brokendown vehicles. But they are also designed not to be overly obtrusive. If too many unsignaled lane changes or other errors lead the safety system in Volvo’s newer S60 sedans to believe its driver is losing attentiveness, the car’s dashboard will flash a coffee cup and the words, “Time for a break.”

For the XC90, Volvo’s “semi-driverless” crossover SUV, sound engineers measured drivers’ reaction times and led focus groups in several countries to gauge which of a series of specialized chimes showed the “appropriate urgency.” The big question: Should warning sounds be calming and subtle, to not shock

2012 Major car manufacturers, including Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Volvo and others, are testing autonomous technologies and fully autonomous cars with the intention of mass production.

the passenger, or shrill and insistent, to underscore how important it is for the computer to take the wheel?

The answer, Volvo’s Nichols said, was both. The car was given “psychoacoustic design elements” to heighten drivers’ focus on their surroundings when necessary, while less-urgent sounds were designed to be “much more calming, almost a melody.”

Automakers’ worry concerning the mixed feelings about driverless technology has kept several big safety improvements off American roads.

In Europe, Ford sells cars with sign-reading “Intelligent Speed Limiters” that ensure drivers can’t sail above the speed limit. Yet despite the safety benefits, Ford has not rolled the tech onto American roads because of concerns that drivers here may simply steer clear. “There’s not a technical impediment,” said Alan Hall, a Ford spokesman. “The most important part is if they’re willing to pay for it.”

Ultimately, car companies and their engineers hope the benefits of driverless technology, which offers a relief from the annoyances of highway commutes and heavy traffic, will persuade buyers to let go of the wheel.

“Today, when you sit in a car, it doesn’t feel like freedom. You feel frustrated. What you’d rather do, you can’t do, because you’re stuck in a traffic jam,” said Erik Coelingh, a Volvo senior technical leader in Sweden. “I don’t know if it’s old-fashioned, but we still think it’s a lot of fun to drive a car. For many customers that . . . is really important. We don’t want to take that away.”

— Washington Post-Bloomberg News

2020 How long can we have driverless cars running regularly in the roads? Google predicts three to five years but 2020 may be more realistic.

2012

As of 2012, Google revealed that it’s self driving cars have traveled more than 300,000 miles across a variety of traffic conditions, and no vehicle has suffered from an accident while udner computer control.

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ROUND-UP

alizz bank opens new branch in Wattayah In an area that is concentrated with automotive dealers, Wattayah branch provides customers with a convenient location to facilitate banking services for auto finance

MUSCAT: alizz Islamic bank celebrated the official launch of its new branch in Wattayah, Muscat.

The opening ceremony took place on Monday, June 1, under the auspices of Sayyid Ahmed bin Hilal Al Busaidi, wali of Muttrah,

in the presence of Salaam Al Shaksy, chief executive officer, alizz Islamic bank. The ceremony was also attended by senior officials of the bank, other dignitaries and invitees, says a press release.

Ceremonially inaugurating the branch Al Busaidi cut the ribbon and was shown around the new branch. The guest of honour was also briefed on the sharia-compliant products and services offered by the bank for both corporate and individual customers.

“The opening of the new Wat-

tayah branch is within our planned expansion strategy, which actually goes beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar branches. Consequently, the bank is focusing not only on expanding our branch network, but also on strengthening our alternative channels to provide self-service banking,” said Al Shaksy.

“We have developed a solid technology infrastructure to provide our customers with innovative financial solutions and responsive customer service to help our cus-

tomers access their accounts and transact 24/7 wherever they are," he added.

In an area that is concentrated with automotive dealers, Wattayah branch provides customers with a convenient location to facilitate banking services for auto finance, as well as other financing products. The branch boasts a prominent position on Wakalat Street, opposite the Officers’ Institute. The new branch is open from June 1 from 9am until 1pm, and from 2pm until 5pm, from Sunday to Thursday. alizz Islamic bank has shown steady growth and provides stateof-the-art branches in Central Business District, Al Khoud, Nizwa, Sohar, Salalah and Wattaya, offering a comprehensive portfolio of sharia-compliant products and services. The bank was presented with the prestigious award for “Best Branch Automation Project” in the Middle East region in recognition of its efforts in bringing superior technology, products and services to its customers.

L I V E LY E V E N I N G

Golf Ball celebrates game’s success MUSCAT: Over 230 golfers and guests from the Sultanate participated in the second Golf Ball held recently at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Ballroom.

The evening consisted of a live band, delicious food, and an exciting mini golf competition. The event was organised by a local Omani company, Golf World, and sponsored by The Zubair Corporation, Assarain Group of Companies and OUA, says a press release.

When asked about the Golf Ball, Leon Sassen, general manager of Golf World, said “It was everything I had hoped it to be, the atmosphere and the support was incredible. A huge thank you to our sponsors, The Zubair Corporation, Assarain Group of Companies and to OUA for helping us bring this

event to fruition. We would also like to express our appreciation to all of the golf courses for supporting the ball, advertising it to their members, and joining in on the festivities on the evening. It was an unbelievable night.”

The Golf Ball opened with a Fijian theme where people were greeted with a traditional welcome, “Bula”, when they entered the ballroom in honour of Leon Sassen, the entrepreneur behind the ball. The concept was to have all the golfers in Oman celebrating the wonderful game of golf.

The ball was supported by all fourgrass golf courses Al Mouj Golf, Muscat Hills Golf Club, Ras Al Hamra Golf Club and Ghala Golf Club, who sold tickets and advertised to all of their members.

STUDENT COUNCIL

B5

The putting competition was one of the highlights on the night.

Lucky contenders had two shots to putt across the dance floor to a desired hole representing different points. The person with the most points was the eventual winner. In the end there was a three way putt off with Rean Du Toit sinking the last putt to take home the weekend stay at the Shangri La, sponsored by the resort itself.

The Golf Ball ended with the special dessert created by Shangri La’s Pastry Chef, Wolfgang Schwaerzler, who created a dessert buffet that consisted of everything golf, from clubs and balls made in the celebration of golf. Devan Thuppali and his band, Electric Street Band, thoroughly entertained the crowd until the early hours.

THIRD SESSION

C O R P O R AT E S U P P O R T

KR Group participates in Woman Conclave MUSCAT: Underscoring its commitment to supporting events that celebrate and encourage people empowerment, the Khimji Ramdas Group participated in the recently concluded Woman Conclave conducted by The Woman magazine, says a press release.

Pankaj Khimji, director at the Khimji Ramdas, was a guest speaker at the conference and led a panellist discussion titled Women at the Workplace. He jumpstarted the hour-long discourse with the following inspirational quote from APJ Kalam: “Every growing child needs two important people in their first six years to become a successful individual at both home and workplace, they are an educated mother and enlightened kindergarten teacher.”

Referencing Khimji Ramdas’ own pro-women philosophies, Pankaj Khimji engaged fellow panellists in a stirring discourse on how women are the bedrock of life, playing vital roles in business and at home. “If I’m not a leader in the eyes of my children, I have not got my priorities right.

Women make better employees, so education of girls and women is integral to the growth and development of our society. At Khimji Ramdas 15 per cent of the employees are women. We are proud to say that we have four Omani women heading strategic decision making at the managerial level,” he said.

Furthermore, he elaborated on the various initiatives started

by Khimji Ramdas to encourage and empower women. Chief among them are programmes for rewarding existing employees

with cash incentives if they introduce new Omani employees to the company; extensive in-country and overseas education programmes that train and develop women for administrative roles, time management, management development as well as a 24-day executive programme.

Fully aware that women always handle multiple roles in the home and at the workplace, the organisation has given its women employees the added benefit of flexible work timings on completion of a three-year tenure. They are also granted at 60-70 day period of maternity leave and have a dedicated female doctor on call at all times.

He also stressed the importance of companies recognising the challenges and hurdles that women face in the corporate world, today and propose ways to overcome these. “The main aspect we need to focus on is how to attract and create a more comfortable work environment for women. Companies should also be able to achieve better retention rates for its women workforce by providing an environment that is conducive to better performance as we must bear in mind that women play certain roles at home as well as on the job,” he said.

As part of concerted efforts to uphold a woman’s role at home and the work place, the event holds the distinction of being the first of its kind in Oman. The conference was a celebration of women discussing their dreams and aspirations. It also addressed key issues, challenges and changes that constantly affect a woman’s multi-dimensional role as wife, mother, nurturer, business leader and professional.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Meritorious ISAS students rewarded

ISD conducts investiture ceremony

MEDC holds ‘Shuraka’a’ workshop MUSCAT: Indian School Darsait (ISD) recently organised investiture ceremony of the office bearers of the Student Council for the academic year 2015-16 in the school auditorium. Biju Samuel, convener, School Management Committee was the chief guest on the occasion, says a press release.

Principal Dr Sridevi P. Thashnath, who delivered the welcome address, briefed the audience on the purpose of Student Council and how the present body took shape through a transparent process of election and selection conducted over the past few weeks. She announced the names of students selected for the ceremonial posts led by Joshua Albert (Head Boy), Priya Kumari (head girl), Rafeek T.A and Suhail T.N

(sports captains) Aadil Sherief (IT secretary), Chanjal Theres Roy (cultural secretary), Sreelakshmi P (literary secretary), house coordinators, deputies, assistants and prefects. It was followed by the introduction of the captains, vice captains and prefects by the house counsellors of four houses: Bapu, CV Raman, Tagore and Vivekananda.

The chief guest pinned badges to the ceremonial heads, principal to the general prefects and house counsellors to the captains, vicecaptains and house prefects. In his inspiring speech the chief guest urged the student leaders to do their duty with responsibility and dedication.

“A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way and shows

the way,” he said.

He urged the young leaders of ISD to be true leaders in their guidance, behaviour and attitude and conveyed his happiness and warm wishes to them for their endeavours and tasks in the school.

Joshua Albert, head boy representing the Student Council, in his acceptance speech promised the whole hearted support and allegiance to help school scale greater heights in the days to come. Priya Kumari, head girl, proposed vote of thanks and expressed her gratitude to each and everyone for making the day very special.

The school choir created an ambience of solemnity and joy.

The function was also attended by parents of office bearers of newly formed Student Council.

SPECIAL OCCASION

Graduation ceremony held at Choueifat school

MUSCAT: The International School of Choueifat-Muscat held its tree planting ceremony for the 9th batch of graduating students recently. Twenty seven students received their certificates and

planted a tree to celebrate the occasion, says a press release.

Career goals Graduates have completed the first crucial step toward realising their

career goals. They may now embrace the opportunity before them by taking what they have learned and using it to grow, bloom and flourish like the tree they planted on this momentous day.

MUSCAT: Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC), part of Nama Group, recently held the third instalment of its yearly workshop ‘Shuraka’a’.

The workshop was held at Shangri-la Barr Al Jissah in the presence of contractors, investors and manufacturers for electrical supplies who work with MEDC on a regular basis.

The workshop aims to share ideas and dialogue to create a positive working atmosphere and enhance the efficiency of the projects and activities of the company, says a press release.

“This is the third event on this workshop, where MEDC has invited the contractors, investors and manufacturers that work with us to hear the ideas and issues that they face. We do this in order to improve the relationship as well as the efficiency of the projects and ultimately contribute positively to the public interest,” stated Ala’a Hassan Moosa Al Lawati, Senior Manager of Project Delivery. Al Lawati stated that the workshop started with discussions regarding different aspect of health and safety in the different electrical projects, then followed with project implementation and management and later discussing new technologies in the electricity sector and Omanisation, and finally ending with the shared experiences in project management.

MUSCAT: Indian School Al Seeb (ISAS) celebrated the Merit Award Ceremony to honour its meritorious students who made their parents and teachers proud by achieving academic excellence.

The chief guest of the programme was Biju Koshy, president of the School Management Committee. The other eminent guests were the members of the School Management Committee, says a press release.

The programme commenced with the traditional convention of the school prayer and the lighting of the lamp. Dhiya Elizabeth Jacob, the Public Relations Coordinator extended a formal welcome to the distinguished guests.

The primary section’s children touched a soft cord in the hearts of the parents with wonderfully blended musical skit on road safety and its importance in our day to day life.

Mel of Class VI, the multitalented child stole the hearts of the parents with his astounding rendition of a mellifluous song.

The school choir presented a foot tapping song befitting to the programme’s theme – 60 Years of Indo-Oman Friendship.

The audience relished the Indo-Oman dance and encouraged the students with a thunderous applause.

Nagesh Kelkar, the school’s principal read out the academic report and informed the proud parents about the school’s current feats and achievements in a

nut shell. He expressed his deep gratitude to the chairman BoD and the other members of the Board of Directors of the Indian schools in Oman for facilitating the smooth functioning of the school in the right direction.

Biju Koshy first thanked His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for his benevolence showered on the expatriate community in Oman and sincerely hoped that he enjoys good health for many years to come. He congratulated the students of Classes X and XII who have made the school proud with their brilliant achievement by attaining a 100% result in their Board examination. He hoped that their accomplishment will inspire the younger ones to achieve even greater heights. He reminisced that he has seen tremendous growth of the school from a mere 400 students to a humongous number of 3,500 now and becoming a role model to other schools.

The whole area was electrified with the grand finale item – the ever popular BoneyM number 'Ra Ra Rasputin'. The students illuminated the dance floor with live wiring, presenting a western dance that charged the whole environment with loud applause. The formal vote of thanks was presented by the school’s head boy Abel Joshua. The programme ended on a happy and contended note with students aspiring to accomplish greater heights in future.

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 4, 2 015

ROUND-UP Bank Muscat Meethaq workshop highlights zakat fund investment The workshop, addressed by prominent Shari’a experts and businessmen, highlighted innovative Islamic banking products and services to utilise zakat funds and inheritance wealth

SOHAR: Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat, hosted a workshop on investment opportunities for zakat funds and inheritance wealth under the auspices of Shaikh Muhanna bin Saif Al Lamki, governor of North-Batinah Governorate, at Majan Auditorium in Sohar.

The workshop, addressed by prominent Shari’a experts and businessmen, highlighted innovative Islamic banking products and services to utilise zakat funds and inheritance wealth, says a press release.

“The advent of Islamic banking in the Sultanate is contributing to the growth and development of the banking sector and innovative products and services are required to meet evolving needs of the public, including utilisation of zakat funds and inheritance wealth,

in compliance with Shari’a laws.

Meethaq Islamic Banking offers investment avenues for zakat funds and inheritance wealth in a manner consistent with the principles of Shari’a law, serving the interests of community and business.

“The workshop reflects the

bank’s commitment to responsible banking aimed at contributing to the country’s development.

Meethaq strives to fulfil the needs of customers with innovative Shari’a based products and is well positioned to provide Islamic financial expertise to diverse seg-

ments and thereby promote the good of society as a whole,” said Sulaiman Al Harthy, group general manager, Islamic Banking.

Meethaq has adopted the best practices in Islamic banking and finance worldwide to combine a robust model which protects

customers and complements the Islamic banking industry. Every Meethaq product goes through the process of Shari’a compliance certification by the Shari’a Supervisory Board and is created in line with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Oman.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L Y O G A D AY

AOL ‘Yogathon’ to be held on June 21 MUSCAT: To mark the global celebration of UN International Yoga Day on Sunday, June 21, the Art Of Living Foundation Oman is organising the event ‘Yogathon 2015’ at Bausher Sports Complex, Main Hall, Muscat.

Yogathon Oman and United Nations International Yoga Day is supported by Ministry of Sports Affairs, Ministry of Health and Embassy of India, says a press release.

“The finale will have a yoga demonstration and felicitation ceremony at the Bausher Sports Complex in separate sessions for ladies and men. Yogathon participants will perform the 12-pose yoga sequence, a great workout for the whole body, involving stretching, flexing, and toning of muscles. All are welcome to attend the finale event,” said the organisers.

The 3-month long yoga campaign focusing on physical, mental

and emotional wellness, kicked off with a Yoga Festival held in March this year. As part of the campaign free sessions of yoga are being conducted by volunteers all over Oman; in schools, institutions, corporates, colleges and residential complexes. The free yoga sessions have been conducted in many schools and colleges like the College of Banking and Financial

Studies while leading companies like Saud Bahwan Group, AXA Insurance Company, Al Ahlia Insurance Company and Gulf Petrochemical Services have conducted desk top yoga and meditation sessions in their offices.

Yoga is not just doing some body-twisting postures. It is experiencing the union of the body, mind and breath. It is ideal for be-

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

Abdul Kalam Azad, raffle draw winner of ‘The Great Gold Rush’ campaign by Malabar Gold & Diamonds, receives the 1/2 kg of gold prize from Shamlal Ahamed, managing director, International Operations, Malabar Gold & Diamonds in the presence of Khamis Al Mandhri, minister plenipotentiary, acting chief of West Asian Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sultanate of Oman, and Najeeb K, regional head. Azad is the sixth raffle draw winner overall and second winner from Oman. — Supplied image

E X PA N S I O N

United Securities honoured with The Bizz MUSCAT: United Securities has given Oman another reason to feel proud. This time, it has been honoured by the World Confederation of Businesses (Worldcob) with one of the most important business awards in the world: The Bizz 2015. This distinction was given out on May 16 at a gala ceremony held at the Hotel Athenaeum InterContinental in Athens, Greece, says a press release.

Worldcob is a leading business organisation based in Houston, Texas, which fosters the development and growth of over 3,000 companies in 100 countries, recognising and driving the advances of outstanding businesses and businessmen, as well as promoting corporate social responsibility.

With this triumph, United Securities has become a member of Worldcob, alongside many of the world’s most important corporations. This honour will allow United Securities to continue growing as a business, increasing its capacity for trade relations, generating more business, and revitalising its corporate image.

Upon receiving the award, Mustafa Ahmed Salman, the company’s chairman and Hassan Ali Jawad, the company’s managing director, said, “It has been a great honour to receive an award from the prestigious World Confederation of Business (Worldcob). This

ginners as well as advanced practitioners who would like to enrich their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

The foundation will also be offering special Art of Living Yoga courses organised in various locations in the month of June in Muscat. The courses will be conducted in its centres located in Al Khuwair, Muttrah and Shatti.

The session at the AOL Centre, Mosaic Towers B, near Zakher Mall, Al Khuwair from 7:30pm to 9:30pm will end today. From June 7 to 11 at the AOL Centre, Mosaic Heights, Ground floor, Muttrah from 7:30pm to 9:30 pm and from June 14 to 18 at Way No. 3034, Villa No. 2705 on way towards Grand Hyatt, Shatti Al Qurum from 6:30pm to 8:3 pm. The programme will be conducted by Hassan Tafti, trained Art of Living teachers and other licensed yoga instructors.

MALABAR GOLD PROMOTION WINNER RECEIVES 1/2 KG GOLD

only motivates us to serve clients even better.”

United Securities is a successful company engaged in providing services such as investment

banking, brokerage services in the Middle East equity markets, asset management, corporate finance, issue management, and equity research.

Hamdan Exchange opens its 17th branch in Nakhl MUSCAT: Hamdan Exchange opened its 17th branch in Nakhl, Al Batinah Region. The branch was inaugurated by Sheikh Mohammed Hamed Hamood Al Ghafri, one of the directors of Hamdan Exchange, in the presence of Ammar Ahmed Al Ghafri, managing director, P. Vidyashankar, general manager, T. K. Rejith, regional manager, and a large number of customers and well-wishers, says a press release.

“Hamdan Exchange has been steadily expanding its reach to its valued customers and we are planning to open more branches in this year itself as we are celebrating the 25th year of establishing this exchange. We feel proud to open our branch in Nakhl for the convenience of the people in the area who had to travel to Barka or Rustaq till now for availing the services of exchange houses,” said Shiekh Mohammed Al Ghafri.

“Hamdan Exchange had already started its wholesale division for foreign currencies and tied up with major exchange houses in Dubai for import and export currencies so as to offer better rates for the customers who exchange currencies with us,” he said.

Hamdan Exchange is part of one

of the biggest business groups in Oman, the Hamdan Group Holding, which owns Hamdan Plaza Hotel in Salalah, Hamdan Transport, Hamdan Trading Group (Dunlop), Hamdan Constructions, Hamdan Tours and Travels, etc.

Established in the year 1990 by the great visionary Sheikh Hamed Hamood Al Ghafri, Hamdan Exchange has been serving the community for the last 25 years during which period it has spread its branch network to all over Oman.

The new branch is located in a strategic location to offer better services to the expatriate community as well as Omani nationals in the area.

Hamdan Exchange has tied up with major banks in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Egypt. It has tied up with major remittance channels like Western Union, Xpress Money, EzRemit and Transfast to ensure fast and secure remittance options to its customers.

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ALL ACROSS OMAN

City Cinema set to screen UEFA Champions League final live on Saturday

ROUND-UP

Sky Jewellery celebrates ‘10 golden years’ in Oman The week-long celebrations will witness handful of offers to customers along with launch of a few activities from the group

Times News Service MUSCAT: All the roads will lead to City Cinema (CC) theatres in Oman on Saturday, June 6 as the country’s leading entertainment group will be screening the UEFA Champions League final between two European giants, Barcelona and Juventus, live from Berlin’s Olympiastadion at 10.45pm.

“We are pleased to announce that City Cinema has got the approval for the live screening of the UEFA Champions League final at all seven locations spread across the Sultanate,” said P. Chandrasekr, group general manager, Jawad Sultan Group, the parent company that owns the City Cinema chain in Oman.

All the football-crazy fans in the Sultanate would love to see their favourite superstar Lionel Messi of Barcelona in action and watching him on big screen is going to be the real icing on the cake. If he scores a goal on Saturday, Messi could become the first player to find the net in three

UEFA Champions League finals, having previously scored in Barcelona’s 2009 and 2011 victories.

City Cinema has its presence across all the major cities in Oman with three theatres in Muscat and one each in Salalah, Sohar, Sur and Buraimi. The match will be telecast live at Plaza 1 at CC Shatti with 273 seats, Plaza 1 at CC MGM with 192 seats, Plaza 2 at CC Ruwi with 98 seats, Plaza 1 in CC Salalah with 218 seats, Plaza 4 at CC Sohar with 196 seats, Plaza 1 at CC Sur with 252 seats and Plaza 2 at CC Buraimi with 210 seats.

Appearing in their first final in 12 years, Juventus is seeking a third European crown at the expense of a Barcelona side that has its sights set on a fifth title – and fourth in the past decade.

For both coaches, victory in Berlin would be the icing on the cake of an already impressive debut season — Massimiliano Allegri having led his Juventus team to the Serie A title, with Luis Enrique achieving the same feat in Spain with Barcelona.

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Times News Service MUSCAT: Sky Jewellery is celebrating a decade of success in Oman and South Indian film star Honey Rose will inaugurate the week-long anniversary celebrations today at 6pm at their showroom in Ruwi High street.

Ceremonies will also witness and include honouring great associations for the 10 year long golden support to their success.

The inaugural ceremonies at 6pm will be attended by various dignitaries from various walks of life. This will be followed by a session with the customers and media by the celebrity.

A golden decade behind, a million customers beside and many more millions and decades ahead is the saga of Sky Jewellery when it celebrates 10 golden years in Muscat. And customers have literally cherished its presence and have reciprocated it jubilantly. It

The support the region of Muscat has provided to Sky Jewellery brand is beyond words. It has been so steady and pivotal that we could convert any idea into grand success Babu John Chairman, Sky Jewellery Group is one of the biggest showrooms in the region and one of the largest of Sky Jewellery group in the Middle East as well.

“The support the region of Mus-

cat has provided to Sky Jewellery brand is beyond words. It has been so steady and pivotal that we could convert any idea into grand success. Therefore, it is an honour to celebrate it with our customers” said Babu John, chairman Sky Jewellery Group.

The week-long celebrations will witness handful of offers to customers along with launch of few activities from the group.

The concept ‘More Gold Same Value’ highlighting more gold for the same money spent elsewhere due to the lowest making charges structure will be officially launched by the celebrity.

The first 25 customers everyday will get a free gold coin for their purchases during the anniversary days. All purchases of customers will have some surprises as well throughout.

Designer bag, watches, limited edition pendant with chain and one gram free gold for gold and diamond purchases would be the real charm for customers.

All Thursdays and Saturdays during the period will have special Happy Hours between 2pm-5pm

ensuring additional surprises.

“The greatest offer that sky jewellery is again offering is the runaway success ‘Factory Price’ concept in Diamond jewellery. This will give customers the chance to obtain their favourite designs very economically,” added Babu John.

Special anniversary collections in gold, diamonds, Polki and Navaratna also have been launched in this connection. The most trusted name amidst gemologists, Sri Unnikrishnnan Sivas will be available for consultation from today onwards.

A very reliable name in choosing fortune lucky stones, he has travelled extensively all over the world giving guidance in this connection and has been a consultant for many of the celebrities across Kerala.

Above all, Sky Jewellery Holiday Campaign named ‘Gifts at Home’ extending 24 winners home appliances is on wherein customers can get free coupons for purchase of jewellery worth OMR50.

“With the holiday buying season ahead, we are ensuring better than the best to our customers and we invite all our customers to be part of the anniversary celebrations along with the chance to Bag the Best Buy of the season, whether it is gold, diamonds, polky or anything,” stated Babu John.

“The official launch of ‘Sky Gold Plus’ Easy Purchase Plan monthly advance gold buying scheme will also take place and the membership card will be handed over to Honey Rose by the Chairman,” stated Cyriac Varghese, group general manager.

N E W R E TA I L E X P E R I E N C E

Citizen Watches partners with Muscat Watch Centre MUSCAT: Citizen Watches the top Japanese watch maker and Muscat Watch Centre, the leading watch retailer in Oman has entered in to an exclusive retail partnership. The announcement was made in an official launch ceremony of the brand at Muscat Grand Mall, which was attended by top officials of both the companies and also the Citizen Watches distributor in Oman, Al Seeb Technical Establishment, says a press release.

“This partnership will give a new retail experience to Citizen customers in Oman and will increase the accessibility of the brand,” said Takuma Murata, Assistant to General Manager, Citizen Watches Gulf Co. According to Falah Al Lawati, FUN-FILLED EVENING

Goan Wing May Queen to be held tomorrow Times News Service MUSCAT: Indian Social Club Goan Wing announced the 2015 edition of May Queen beauty pageant to be held tomorrow at Civil Aviation Club from 7pm onwards.

Previously Goan community functioned as GCO, but now it is affiliated with the Indian Social Club, which is officially recognised by the Ministry of Social Development. The ISC Goan Wing was officially launched on January 1, 2014.

May Queen is an annual event which is in its third year and the first under the Indian Social Club banner. The May Queen event is open to all Indian community.

Young and charming ladies between the age of 18 and 25 can par-

EVENING OF MUSIC AND DANCE: The organisers of May Queen event from ISC Goan Wing along with the May Queen 2014 during a press brief. – O. K. Mohammed Ali/TIMES OF OMAN

ticipate in the May Queen contest.

Crowning of the May Queen 2015 is the integral part of the event. The queen is chosen by a panel is distinguished judges based on the criteria of beauty and

intelligent which will be evaluated through various rounds such as ramp walk and Q & A. A band is always in attendance for the dance for people to enjoy the Goan music for the May Queen

event. The event will be made lively and enthusiastic by the live band from Goa Crimson Tide.

During the month of May, it is a tradition in various cities in Goa to organise May Queen Ball with pomp and flair. The May Queen event in Muscat conducted by ISC Goan Wing is to bring the essence of the tradition to the Goans residing in Muscat and also to showcase the rich tradition and culture of Goa. As a part of the May Queen event, a two day dance workshop is also conducted by Cecille Rodrigues who is a special guest and a renowned dancer. ISC Goan Wing, through the May Queen Event, also fulfils its CSR activity by extending its support to the Al Noor Association for Blind.

general manager, Muscat Watch Centre, “Citizen is a world class manufacturer which revolutionised the watch industry in 1970s and has been in the forefront of innovation and technology giving the world some of the most technologically advanced time pieces, their Eco-Drive range of watches has always fascinated me and I am glad that we will able to offer them to our customers.”

“What caught me about Citizen is their intricate fusion of technology with style and I am sure that in spite of the large portfolio of international brands we carry Citizen will be appreciated by our customers,” said Khalil Al Lawati, Head of Operations, Muscat Watch Centre.

“Muscat Watch Centre has a

good retail presence in Oman retailing some of the world’s top fashion and Jewelry brands, adding Citizen however will invite all new customers to their stores while giving more choice to their existing customers. This partnership is certainly win win for all,” said Ajay Ganti, CEO, Al Seeb Technical Establishment, the official distributor of Citizen Watches in Oman.

Since its foundation in 1930, Citizen has promoted a multicultural mindset that fosters excellence and creativity. As a true manufacture d’horlogerie, Citizen integrates a comprehensive manufacturing process that extends from creating a watch’s individual components to its final assembly.

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2016 Toyota Camry launched in Oman

With all the aura surrounding this popular Toyota car, the 2016 Camry is athletic, luxurious and intelligent. It’s a smart car for smart people

Times News Service MUSCAT: The new 2016 Camry was thematically unveiled at the Toyota showroom in what was clearly a special moment for the eager audience. The event was attended by Takayuki Yoshitsugu, chief representative, Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation and other members from TMC. With all the aura surrounding this popular Toyota car, the new Camry is athletic, luxurious and intelligent. And that’s just for starters.

The Toyota Camry has a fan following that dots the globe. Loved across Oman, it has a large customer base and numerous enthusiasts.

“The new Camry delivers on the essentials that have made it a favourite. A host of new and exciting design features will now add to the customers’ delight,” said a Saud

Bahwan Automotive spokesperson.

Presenting the new 2016 Camry to the guests, Yoshitsugu said: “Around the world, Camry has established a reputation for value.

It’s simply outstanding in every way with the number one market share in the GCC. So this new Camry has a lot to live up to and it does that remarkably well. It’s stylish. It’s dynamic. It’s a smart car for smart people who want a spacious car that has everything”.

Creating waves and receiving rave reviews, the 2016 Toyota Camry gives customers a lot to cheer about. Its aggressive front grille and bumper makes it stand apart from the crowd. Its new headlamps and elegant daytime running lights making the new Camry exude style like never before. The rear is equally impressive, with new combination lamps

and bumper giving it a more sporty appearance.The distinctive looks are further accentuated by the stylish new design 17” alloy wheels on the new Camry.

Delightful interior Step into it and the interior accoutrements are highly delightful.

The impressive interior is adorned with new black woodgrain finish and the new design steering wheel is laced with audio and bluetooth controls. There is a sophisticated new auto light control system and now even the base grade comes equipped with cruise control. Depending on the model grade, the Camry offers a new 7” SD card type navigation system.

Indeed, drivers will love the Camry interior but so will passengers. Wherever you look and touch, the Camry presents premium ma-

terials, an overall roomier feel and enhanced amenities. The highquality upholstery is meticulously crafted, enhancing the Camry’s upmarket appeal.

The centre stack shows off a hi-tech, upscale look that more smoothly integrates with the console. The centre console plays a larger role than ever in modern cars, accommodating all manner of personal items as well as presenting multi-media functions.

The Camry’s console tray offers more storage and a convenient power source in the storage box.

The new Camry has a rigid body structure, enhanced aerodynamics and offers the quietest ride ever. The upscale interior, and advanced instrumentation with intuitive controls help keep the driver safely focused on the road.

This may be the best-handling

and most comfortable-riding Camry ever. Beneath the bolder body lines the Camry’s body structure has been bolstered with additional spot welds to enhance rigidity. Refined suspension systems in all models put an edge on handling agility while taking the edge off bumps.

In the areas of performance and safety, the Camry delivers outstanding power coupled with superb efficiency. The key attributes include a 2.5L Dual VVT-i Engine delivering 181HP and 6-speed multi-mode transmission.

Safety enhancements in the Camry include vehicle stability control, traction control, ABS, EBD, engine immobiliser, braking assist system, back view monitor with rear parking sensors, which facilitates easy parking and airbags that include the front side and

curtain airbags.

The other thoughtful features include an ECO meter for fuel efficient, economic driving and aerodynamic fins to ensure straightline stability while driving.

According to a renowned automotive blogger, the appeal of the Camry is in its quality.

“The Camry builds on the rational values of ‘quality, durability and reliability’ with strong model appeal, superior interior and exterior quality and the top level of equipment and safety.”

Those who have experienced the Camry may not be surprised to know that it is one of the top-selling cars across the globe for more than a decade.

The new 2016 Camry is on display at Toyota showroom. Customers are welcome to visit the showrooms to get a first-hand feel.

A S I A N B A N K E R AWA R D

SECOND OUTLET

Ooredoo opens franchise store in Sinaw MUSCAT: As part of its commitment to meet the needs of its growing customer-base across Oman, Ooredoo has opened its second franchise store in Sinaw, in partnership with Khimji Ramdas.

Inaugurated by Sheikh Musallam bin Mohammed Al Wahshi, Deputy Wali of Al Mudhaibi, the new franchise store will further support the existing Ooredoo stores in Sur and Ibra, conveniently offering customers of Al Sharqiyah Governorate an exciting world of personal and business possibilities from Ooredoo, says a press release.

“We are always looking for ways to engage directly with our customers and be involved in the com-

munities where we operate,” said Feras Al Sheikh, Ooredoo Director of Sales.

“One of our strongest customer touch-points is our stores. Therefore, 2015 saw the birth of our plans to increase our reach within

the Sultanate by opening franchise stores in partnership with some of Oman’s leading retailers.

This latest Ooredoo franchise store will be managed by Khimji Ramdas and we hope to open more during the year.”

RECOGNITION

OIFC awards best Operations dept staff MUSCAT: Oman Investment and Finance Company (OIFC) organised recently an award ceremony for its distinguished staff of Operations Department of Electricity and Water.

The ceremony was organised at OIFC’s newly established branch at Al Hail and was attended by Eng. Abdulla Al Badri, CEO, Muscat Electricity Distribution Company, in the presence of chairman and deputy chairman of OIFC Board

and the senior management team members, says a press release.

The ceremony included a speech

by Eng. Ahmed Al Subhi, chairman, OIFC, emphasising the importance of sustaining and continuing the improvements and its impact on professional and financial levels.

He appreciated the remarkable progress and achievements by electricity and water operations, and its impact on OIFC’s business at practical and financial levels.

BankDhofar receives award for ‘Best Branch Automation Project in ME’ MUSCAT: BankDhofar and its technology partner Newgen won the award for ‘Best Branch Automation Project in the Middle East for the year 2015’ at The Asian Banker’s 2nd Annual Middle East and Africa Awards.

Faisal Hamad Al Wahaibi, chief retail banking officer, received the award on behalf of BankDhofar at the glittering award ceremony that was held recently at the Ritz Carlton, DIFC, Dubai, says a press release.

BankDhofar implements a retail workflow automation system using the Newgen OmniFlow product suite. The project includes automation of processes, including loan approval, credit disbursal and account opening.

The OmniDocs and OmniScan systems are also used by the bank to manage and digitise documents, including automating, digitisation and consolidation of data, all onto a unified interface.

“The project automated previously manual processes, reducing processing time of personal loans to three days and housing loans to five days with the system automatically checking the

customer’s eligibility based on parameters entered into the system. The project also undertakes risk mitigation and compliance issues, enhancing visibility and control of the process,” said Faisal Hamad Al Wahaibi “The service has reduced the customer onboarding cycle by 80 per cent, costs by 50 per cent and increased efficiency by 90 per cent. Response times have been also reduced resulting in significantly improved customer experience.

The project also lowered operational expenses for the future, increasing revenues with greater productivity,” he added.

The awards programme, administered by The Asian Banker and refereed by prominent global bankers, consultants and academics, is the most prestigious of its kind. The programme is designed to identify emerging best practices as well as to identify implementation goals and challenges from which other banks can learn.

“This award is yet another acknowledgement by the international banking community of our

efforts to provide the best customer experience.

“The automation of our internal processes and the instant services we provide make BankDhofar the bank of choice for customers across the Sultanate, and we aspire to be the best in the Gulf and be synonymous with ‘best customer experience.’”

Aspiring to be the best bank in the Gulf, BankDhofar is considered one of the best banks in the region, catering for customers’ needs and requirements, and setting the standards for the best customers experience within the banking industry in the Sultanate through creative solutions and innovation.

The combination of the thorough vision of BankDhofar’s executive management, the comprehensive operational strategy that revolves around following best international banking practices and providing best customer experience, as well as commitment to community development and contribution to the growth of the national economy, placed BankDhofar on top of the list of best banks in the region.

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BARAKAT IN 100M FINAL AT ASIAN ATHLETICS MEET Oman’s Barakat Al Harthi reached the 100m final at the 21st Asian Athletics Championships in Chinese city of Wuhan on Wednesday. The Sultanate’s star athlete qualified for the eight-strong final after finishing third in the semifinal Heat 3. >C6

POTENTIAL CANDIDATES TO BECOME NEXT FIFA PRESIDENT A combination of file photos shows potential candidates to become the next Fifa president (left to right) Uefa president Michel Platini, Royal Dutch Football Association chairman Michael van Praag, former Portuguese footballer Luis Figo, Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, German football federation president Wolfgang Niersbach and US soccer federation president Sunil Gulati. Sepp Blatter resigned as president of Fifa on June 2 in a stunning capitulation to critics as a mounting corruption scandal engulfed world football’s governing body. French football legend-turned-politician Platini is the best known of the potential runners. The 59-year-old, three time winner of the Ballon d’Or, established his administrator credentials as organiser of the 1998 World Cup. He has headed Uefa since 2007. Platini decided last year not to run against Blatter in the election on Friday. He did not rule out an attempt in 2019 however. — AFP (More Fifa news on C4)

New race opens for Fifa post Blatter said he would remain in office until a new election is held. But the extraordinary congress is not expected until between December this year and March 2016

ZURICH: Sepp Blatter’s shock resignation opened up a new race on Wednesday to become president of Fifa with a mission to reform football’s scandal-tainted world body.

The names of Uefa president Michel Platini, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who challenged Blatter in a vote last Friday, and Portuguese football great Luis Figo were immediately pushed forward.

They were quickly joined in the mix by legendary Brazilian midfielder Zico and highlyexperienced South Korean official Chung Mong-Joon, both of whom said they were considering making a run at the job But no figure made an official declaration. “There will be jostling for position. The election will take time,” commented one Fifa executive member in the hours after the 79-year-old Blatter gave in to pressure to stand down over a bribery scandal that hit the football body.

French football legend-turnedpolitician Platini is the best known of the potential runners.

The 59-year-old, three time winner of the Ballon d’Or, established his administrator credentials as organiser of the 1998 World Cup. He has headed Uefa since 2007. Platini decided last year not to run against Blatter in the election on Friday. He did not rule out an attempt in 2019 however.

But Platini’s own reelection in April to a new term in charge of the wealthiest and most powerful of football’s regional confederations could also hold him back from a bid for Fifa.

Platini praised the “difficult” and “brave” decision made by Blatter to stand down. But he gave no sign of his own intentions.

Jordan’s Prince Ali, who was a Fifa vice president until Friday when he lost the presidential election to Blatter, made it known through a spokesman that he is “ready” for football’s top job. “As for new elections, Prince Ali is ready,” Sala Sabra, vice-president of the Jordanian football federation which the prince heads up, told AFP. The prince, Sabra added, was also ready “to take up the presidency immediately” if asked.

Blatter said he would remain in office until a new election is held.

But the extraordinary congress is not expected until between December this year and March 2016.

In Friday’s election, Blatter won

133 votes — seven short of the required majority — to Prince Ali’s 73 in the first round of voting.

The prince, standing on a reform ticket, withdrew before the second round, allowing Blatter in for his short-lived fifth term.

Luis Figo welcomed Blatter’s departure by saying: “Now we should, responsibly and calmly, find a consensual solution worldwide in order to start a new era of dynamism, transparency and democracy in Fifa.”

Figo was given strong backing by the Portuguese for his own candidacy, withdrawn in the week before voting to give Prince Ali a better chance.

Portuguese Football Federation president Fernando Gomes said a Figo run this time would be “an individual choice”.

Dutch Football Association chief Michael Van Praag also pulled out of the race to help Prince Ali. He told Dutch media he would test opinion at a Uefa meeting in Berlin on Saturday “and then consider my plans”.

Another former footballer mulling his options was Brazil’s Zico who said on his Facebook page: “Why not?

“I don’t have support yet, but if it’s open, I can become a candidate. It’s still an idea. Who knows?”

Zico is currently coach to Indian club FC Goa. Van Praag had said he would be a stop-gap president to carry out emergency reforms if elected last week. Asia, and Africa, strong supporters of Blatter, could also put forward candidates now that the field is open.

Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, the Kuwaiti head of the Olympic Council of Asia, became a new member of Fifa’s executive committee on Saturday. But he would probably have to choose between the OCA and Fifa.

Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa, a Bahraini royal, is also a potential choice, while another possibility from Asia is South Korean Chung, a former Fifa vice-president, who lost his own position on the Fifa executive board to Prince Ali in 2011.

Addressing a press conference in Seoul, Chung said he would decide on whether to run “after meeting with prominent figures in international football and listening to their opinions”. — AFP

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Hesson hails Kiwis’ bold approach The Black Caps

Black Caps won’t top All Blacks, says skipper McCullum

thrashed England by 199 runs in the second Test at Headingley on Tuesday, just over a week after they lost the first of this twomatch series by 124 runs at Lord’s

LEEDS: New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said he was delighted by the way in which his side had “stuck to their guns” after coming from behind to draw a Test series with England.

The Black Caps thrashed England by 199 runs in the second Test at Headingley on Tuesday, just over a week after they lost the first of this two-match series by 124 runs at Lord’s.

The victory, only their fifth in 54 Tests in England, saw New Zealand end level at 1-1 and meant they had now been unbeaten in

LEEDS: New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum accepted even the rare achievement of beating England in a Test match was unlikely to see his side supplant the mighty All Blacks in the nation’s sporting affections. However, he said he hoped one consequence of New Zealand’s 199-run win in the second Test at Headingley on Tuesday would be to broaden the Black Caps’ player base.

New Zealand, the reigning world champions in rugby union, defend their title at the 2015 World Cup in England which starts in September.

For more than a century, the

seven successive Test series.

Both their innings in the second Test saw New Zealand make shaky starts. They were two for two in their first innings and 23 for two in their second, but New Zealand continued to attack England’s bowlers and recovered to post totals of 350 and 454 for eight declared respectively.

“It is challenging because obviously if it doesn’t work out,

GAINING GROUND: Brendon McCullum celebrates winning. – Reuters

All Blacks have been one of the major forces in the 15-man game. They boast an international winning record of more than 76 percent and a near 90 percent success rate since 2012.

you can get exposed,” Hesson told AFP at New Zealand’s hotel on Wednesday.

“We were under pressure a lot of the time and on most occasions we took a step forward. Two for two and two for 23, you are under the pump and you can go into your shell but we didn’t do that. We stuck to the way we want to play and in a short space of time we got the initiative back,” Hesson said.

GAME ON

Tendulkar shares Legends T20 blueprint with ICC CEO DUBAI: Retired greats Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne met ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson at the global body’s headquarters on Wednesday here to discuss their ambitious Legends T20 cricket League, proposed to be held in the USA in August-September.

“Sachin and Warne dropped in at the ICC headquarters this morning and met the ICC CEO Dave Richardson to share their planning and blueprint for the league that they are planning to float,” an ICC Spokesperson told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

However, the official clarified that it is not under ICC’s jurisdiction to clear a private league floated by individuals as it comes under the purview of the home cricket board where the tournament or matches are supposed to be held.

“Look, ICC is not the body to clear the tournament. As per ICC’s constitution, it is the home board that clears the tournament and informs the ICC subsequently about it. For example, it was the BCCI that informed us that the Indian Cricket League backed by Essel Group was not approved by them. So it was dubbed as an unsanctioned league. Similarly IPL, CPL, Natwest T20 Blast are leagues approved by BCCI, ECB and WICB,” the official explained.

The matches are being planned in US cities like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

“The rule remains the same.

There the governing body is United States of America Cricket Association and if it’s being held in the US, they would need their approval.”

The two legends met Richardson to seek guidance from the ICC regarding logistical matters related to conducting a tournament and other nitty gritties. - PTI

By contrast, Tuesday’s win was just New Zealand’s ninth victory in 101 cricket Tests against England.

But with New Zealand having made it all the way to one-day

Hesson, who oversaw co-hosts New Zealand’s run to this year’s World Cup final, was particularly pleased at chalking up an away victory. “It’s seven Test series in a row without defeat. That’s something we are immensely proud of as a group. We are challenging good sides in their own home conditions. It’s another thing to win away from home. That’s what makes this Test victory so special.

cricket’s World Cup final, before losing to fellow co-hosts Australia in Melbourne in March, McCullum said his side were gaining ground.

“We’ll never get near rugby — rugby’s in our blood,” McCullum told reporters after a victory that saw New Zealand share the two-match series 1-1 following England’s 124-run win in the first Test at Lord’s last week.

“When you’re born you’re trying to be an All Black — it’s just the way we are,” said McCullum, who was once picked in a South Island schools rugby team ahead of New Zealand fly-half great Dan Carter. - AFP

“We haven’t won (a Test) here (England) since 1999 and we’ve won five times in 54 attempts, so it’s obviously a tough place to come.”

New Zealand now face England in a five-match one-day international series, starting with the first ODI at Edgbaston on June 9.

During their run to the World Cup final, where they lost to fellow co-hosts Australia, the Black Caps hammered England by eight wick-

ets in Wellington. Tim Southee took a stunning seven for three as England, who crashed out of the tournament without beating a Test nation, were skittled out for just 123. New Zealand then pulverised England’s attack, skipper Brendon McCullum striking 77 off just 25 balls, a they raced to victory in a mere 12.2 overs.

“It’s different conditions, a different tournament,” said Hesson.

“But we certainly played well that day. That’s the way we want to play.

Hopefully conditions allow that but if not, we’ve got to try to skin the cat a little differently.”

England, in a bid to build a new one-day side and also to give some senior players a rest before the Ashes, have dropped James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ian Bell from their squad for the one-day series with New Zealand.

Now the likes of aggressive Surrey batsman Jason Roy and Northamptonshire all-rounder David Willey will be looking to impress against New Zealand.

“I think it’s an exciting squad.

Some of the players have been left out I guess on form, others to rest for the Ashes,” said Hesson.

“But it’s an exciting side, a dangerous side. In areas it’s inexperienced, but sometimes that’s a tough area to scout.

“We’ve got plenty of work to do between now and the start to familiarise ourselves with a few unfamiliar faces.” - AFP

CRICKET

England moving the right way as Ashes loom LEEDS: England will head into this year’s Ashes series against Australia heartened by their performances against New Zealand but with nagging doubts about key areas in the team.

A thrilling 124-win in the first test against the Kiwis was followed by a 199-run defeat in the second which raised familiar concerns. The most obvious problem is a one-dimensional pace bowling quartet which struggled to restrict New Zealand’s scoring rate and to dismiss tail-enders cheaply.

James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes all had their moments in the series but the lack of a left-armer meant the attack always lacked variety.

Moeen Ali proved that despite his success against India last year, he is not a front-line spinner like his predecessor Graeme Swann, failing to tie down one end sufficiently to give the seamers enough rest and posing a limited attacking threat.

The close fielding is also a major concern. Too many catches were spilled in the slip cordon and a repeat against the Australians will prove very costly.

The specialist batsmen generally performed well with the exception of a very vulnerable Ian Bell, who appears to have major technical issues, and Gary Ballance. Alastair Cook’s return to form after a long barren run was a welcome relief and, in Adam Lyth, he finally looks to have found a reliable opening partner.

Lyth scored 107 in his second Test, a compact and composed innings which suggested he has the technique and temperament to succeed where Nick Compton, Michael Carberry and Sam Robson have failed recently.

Joe Root is established at number five, exuding class in any situation, and Ben Stokes made 92 and 101 in the first Test at Lord’s in an explosive manner which hinted at the potential to

England skipper Alastair Cook’s return to form after a long barren run was a welcome relief be England’s next Ian Botham or Andrew Flintoff.

With Jos Buttler and Moeen at numbers seven and eight, England bat deep and Stuart Broad’s 46 in the second Test was his best innings for nearly a year after a dismal run.

New Zealand provided feisty opposition, ahead of the Australians who play at an even higher level of intensity.

Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc are faster bowlers than any of the New Zealanders while in

David Warner, Steven Smith and Michael Clarke the Aussies have batsman of the highest class.

But given the chaotic off-field preparations for the New Zealand series and the fact that England recovered after slumping to 30 for four on the opening day at Lord’s, significant progress has been made. With Australian Trevor Bayliss installed as coach to mastermind the plans to bring down his compatriots, the future looks much brighter for Cook and his team. - Reuters

T HURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015

TENNIS

Federer clings onto Wimbledon lifeline PARIS: Roger Federer surveyed the wreckage of another French Open on Tuesday and insisted he can bounce back by becoming the oldest man to win Wimbledon. The 17-time Grand Slam winner was knocked out of Roland Garros in the quarterfinals in straight sets by Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka — it was the first time in 13 years he had failed to break serve in a match at a major. It was a depressing statistic for a man getting used to being confronted with the numbers game.

Federer will be 34 in August — the oldest man to win Wimbledon in the modern era was Arthur Ashe who was 31 years and 11 months when he triumphed at the All England Club in 1975.

He is likely to finish his career with just one French Open title from 2009 at Roland Garros, the scene of his least successful Grand Slam performances.

The world number two won the last of his 17 majors at Wimbledon in 2012 and in the three years since, he has only contested one Grand Slam final — finishing as runner-up to Novak Djokovic last year in London.

It’s a far cry from the golden days of 2003-2010 when he never went a year without winning at least one major. - AFP BANGLADESH SERIES

Rahim in doubt for India Test DHAKA: Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim may be unable to keep wicket due to injury when the Tigers take on India in a one-off Test match next week, an official said on Wednesday.

The diminutive wicket-keeper has not fully recovered from the finger injury he sustained during last month’s home series against Pakistan, but was fit to play as a specialist batsman, said chief selector Faruque Ahmed.

Ahmed, who announced a 14-man squad for the Test in Fatullah on the outskirts of Dhaka starting June 10, said the uncapped Litton Das had been kept as standby in case Rahim was unable to keep.

“Mushfiqur’s batting is fine but we are not sure if he can be the wicket-keeper,” Ahmed told reporters. “If he can’t keep, Litton will do the job.” — AFP

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SPORTS Murray to play Djokovic in semifinal at Roland Garros While the rest of tennis world was transfixed with the Novak Djokovic-Rafa Nadal blockbuster that was simultaneously being played, Murray went about his task in a businesslike manner to reach the last four

WELL DONE, MATE: Spain’s Rafael Nadal congratulates Serbia’s Novak Djokovic at the end of their men’s quarterfinal match. – AFP

HURRAH: Andy Murray after beating David Ferrer. – Reuters

here for the third time

PARIS: Andy Murray preserved his 100 percent claycourt record in 2015 to reach the French Open semifinals with a 7-6(4), 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 win over Spanish warrior David Ferrer on Wednesday.

While the rest of tennis world was transfixed with the Novak Djokovic-Rafa Nadal blockbuster that was simultaneously being played out on the main Philippe Chatrier stage, Murray went about his task in a businesslike manner to reach the last four here for the third time.

A backhand volley winner gave him the first set, and after squandering a match point in the third set, the British third seed sealed his 15th successive win on red dirt with an unreturnable serve.He will next face world number one Djokovic for a place in the final.

Earlier, Djokovic crushed ninetime champion Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 to move into the French Open semifinals, condemning the great Spaniard to just his second defeat in 72 matches.

It was world number one and top seed Djokovic’s first win over defending champion Nadal in seven meetings in Paris, avenging his defeats in the 2012 and 2014 finals.

It also eased Djokovic, who fired 45 winners to Nadal’s 16, closer to a first French Open title and the completion of a career Grand Slam. He will play his 26th career Grand Slam semi-final on Friday against either British third seed Andy Murray or Spain’s 2013 runner-up David Ferrer.

“I have great respect for Rafa, he’s a true champion and it’s always a pleasure to play him,” said 28-year-old Djokovic.

Serena overcomes French Open doubts with 20th major in sight PARIS: If there were any lingering doubts that Serena Williams could claim a third French Open title at this year’s tournament they were swiftly dispelled in an expertly-executed quarterfinal victory over Sara Errani on Wednesday.

The world number one, a Roland Garros champion in 2002 and 2013, had been troubled in her three previous rounds, but a 6-1, 6-3 crushing of the Italian claycourt ace showed the American was still a clear favourite to claim another Suzanne Lenglen Cup. Williams will now face the 23rd-seeded Swiss Timea Bacsinszky, who beat Belgian sensation Alison van Uytvanck 6-4, 7-5, for a place in Saturday’s final, where either 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic or Czech Lucie Safarova await.

Having lost the first set in her three previous matches at Roland Garros, Williams was

“I knew I had to be aggressive and stay concentrated on every point. That’s not easy to do against a man who had only lost once here in his career. It’s an incredible day, I am very happy and I want to continue like this.”

For Nadal, it was a sobering way to mark his 29th birthday with the comprehensive loss placing a serious question mark over whether he will be able to achieve his dream

POWER-PACKED: Serena Williams reacts after winning her women’s quarterfinal match against Sara Errani of Italy. – Reuters

hoping to get off to a better start which she did, setting the tone by breaking in Errani’s first service game.

A brilliant backhand passing shot handed Errani an immediate break back but Williams was in the groove and dominated the rest of the match.

“I definitely felt more in control, and I felt I had to be again,

of a 10th French Open crown.

The defeat, just his second in Paris in a decade after a fourthround exit to Robin Soderling in 2009, could also see him slip out of the world top 10 for the first time since 2005. “I had my moments, but he controlled most of the match. This can happen when your opponent plays better and is in better shape,” said Nadal.

In a marathon 67-minute first

SRI LANKA TOUR

Shehzad back in Pakistan Test squad

BACK IN TEAM: Pakistan’s maverick opener Ahmed Shehzad has earned a recall in Pakistan’s 15-man Test squad for the threematch Test series in Sri Lanka after being sidelined over disciplinary problems. – AFP

LAHORE: Maverick opener Ahmed Shehzad Wednesday earned a recall in Pakistan’s 15man Test squad for the threematch Test series in Sri Lanka after being sidelined over disciplinary problems.

The talented 23-year-old was not selected for the two Test and three match one-day series in Bangladesh last month, only making the side for the one-off Twenty20 international.

The action came after the team management complained of his lack of discipline and attitude in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where Pakistan went out in the quarter-final.

Shehzad was part of the oneday squad for the three-match series against Zimbabwe which finished earlier this week — Pakistan’s first international series for six years at home — but did not play a game. Chief selector Haroon Rasheed said Shehzad should have learned from his time out of the side. “I hope Shehzad has learned from his mistakes,” Rasheed told AFP. “You can’t keep him out for cricketing reasons and if he doesn’t follow discipline as per the team’s regime he will not keep his place.”

Misbah-ul-Haq will lead the team with one-day captain Azhar Ali as his deputy. Pakistan open the series with the first Test in Galle which starts on June 17.

The remaining two Tests will be in Colombo from June 25-29 and the third at Pallekele from

Ace spinner Saeed Ajmal is again missing from the team after he was seen struggling with his remodelled action on the tour of Bangladesh July 3-7. Pakistan and Sri Lanka will also play five one-dayers and two Twenty20 internationals, for which squads will be announced later. Rasheed said the squad is balanced. “While selecting the squad, the selection committee considered suitability to play in varied playing conditions, potential to perform at international level, current form and fitness,” he said.

Ace spinner Saeed Ajmal is again missing from the team after he was seen struggling with his remodelled action on the tour of Bangladesh. Ajmal will play county cricket in England to adjust with his action, deemed illegal in September last year and needed remodelling to get clearance.

Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Azhar Ali (vice captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan, Ehsan Adil. - AFP

going up against a player who plays well on this surface in particular,” said Williams, who has only been in three previous semi-finals at the French Open.

The American, however, says she is not feeling the strain of chasing her 20th major singles title. “I’m not putting too much pressure on myself... I’m surprised I’m still in the tourna-

set in their 44th career meeting, Djokovic raced into a 4-0 lead, allowing Nadal just four points.

But the sixth seed roared back to 4-4, finally finding his range with his trusty forehand. Nadal faced down three set points in the 10th game, also shrugging off a time warning from umpire Cedric Mourier for exceeding the 20-second limit between points.

After a 12-minute game, Nadal

ment, so this is really cool for me,” she said.

Williams would not have expected to be facing a semi-final against baseliner Bacsinszky, who became the first Swiss woman since Martina Hingis in 2001 to reach the last four at Roland Garros.

“For me, it doesn’t matter who I’m going to be playing against. I just want to have one or two or three tactics and try to put them in the game,” Bacsinszky said.

On the other side of the draw, left-hander Safarova, seeded 13th, will start as favourite against seventh seed Ivanovic.

Safarova’s flat, powerful forehand proved too much too hot to handle for 2014 champion Maria Sharapova in the fourth round.

Ivanovic, however, has matured since winning here in 2008 and seems to have gained in composure. - Reuters

held for 5-5 and saved two more set points in the 12th game before Djokovic sealed it with a low, searing cross-courter which Nadal could only scramble towards in a desperate attempt to reach it, succeeding in only pushing the ball wide.

Despite being a set to the good, the top seed was as unhappy with Mourier as Nadal, complaining over the watering of the court at the break. -AFP

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TH UR S DAY, J U N E 4, 2 015

SPORTS Fifa’s two former officials put on Interpol ‘red notice’ wanted list Andenmatten, told a Swiss newspaper her father’s decision had “absolutely nothing” to do with recent corruption allegations.

But Fifa executive committee member Kozo Tashima of Japan told Japanese media that Blatter should go at once.

Interpol issued wanted person alerts for Jack Warner, a former president of Concacaf, and Nicolas Leoz, the former head of South America’s soccer federation.

Blatter was not on Interpol’s list ON ‘RED NOTICE’: Jack Warner, a former president of Concacaf, and Nicolas Leoz, the former head of South America’s soccer federation.

ZURICH: Interpol put two top former Fifa officials on its “red notice” wanted list at the request of U.S. authorities on Wednesday as their investigation into corruption at soccer’s governing body gathered pace.

South Africa confirmed it had given $10 million meant to help pay for the 2010 World Cup to a soccer official indicted last week in the United States, but said the payment was not a bribe as U.S. prosecutors allege.

The latest developments in the scandal engulfing Fifa came a day after Sepp Blatter stunned international soccer by resigning as the world body’s president shortly before it emerged that he too was under investigation by U.S. law enforcement. Blatter was not on Interpol’s list.

A source close to Fifa said it was Blatter’s advisers who had told him he must reverse course and quit.

Critics pointed to the widening criminal probe, disquiet among sponsors, and pressure from European soccer body Uefa as possible reasons. With Blatter saying he no longer had the mandate he sought, Uefa postponed a meeting due on Saturday where there might have been talk of a revolt against Fifa.

Uefa had opposed Blatter, and Michel Platini, the Uefa president who is favourite to succeed the 79-year-old Swiss national, had urged him not to stand for re-election as Fifa faced the worst crisis in its 111-year history.

“Considering new information is revealed every day, I believe it is wiser to take time to assess the situation, so together we can take a position on this issue,” Platini, a former French soccer star, said.

ON GUARD: Swiss police officers stand in front of the entrance of the Fifa Headquarters in Zurich on Wednesday. – Reuters

As the Fifa crisis unfolds, Interpol, the international police body, issued wanted person alerts for Jack Warner, a former president of Concacaf, which governs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, and Nicolas Leoz, the former head of South America’s soccer federation.

The others subject to the socalled “red notices” — which are not arrest warrants — are Alejandro Burzaco, Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, and Jose Margulies, a Brazilian who headed two offshore companies that were involved in broadcasting soccer matches.

They are among soccer officials and sports media and promotion executives facing U.S. corruption

charges involving more than $150 million in bribes.

Bribe denied Fifa has denied that another senior official, Secretary General Jerome Valcke, was involved in a $10 million payment approved by the South African Football Association (Safa) that lies at the heart of the U.S. investigation.

At a news conference in Johannesburg, sports minister Fikile Mbalula denied the payment to Warner during South Africa’s successful bid for the 2010 World Cup was a bribe. Mbalula said South Africa had not bought votes for the right to host the cup, and the cash was intended for football develop-

ment in the Caribbean, Warner’s home region.

U.S. legal authorities last week announced they are investigating alleged bribery and corruption at Fifa going back 24 years and Swiss prosecutors announced a criminal investigation into the award of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.

The Kremlin said Russia was surprised by Blatter’s resignation but was pressing on with preparations for 2018.

Blatter, who has led Fifa for 17 years, is being investigated by U.S. prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a person who spoke on condition of anonymity said late on Tuesday.

STRONG REACTIONS

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, on a visit to Latvia, declined to comment on whether Blatter is under investigation.

Blatter has not been charged and Fifa did not respond to a request for comment on his being under investigation.

Blatter announced his decision to step down on Tuesday, six days after police raided a hotel in the city and arrested several Fifa officials — and just four days after he was re-elected to a fifth term as president. An election to choose a new president will probably not take place until at least December. Blatter, meanwhile, remains in his position.

His daughter, Corinne Blatter-

Qatar hit back at Dyke European sports officials said Blatter’s resignation was an important step, but that the organisation needed deeper changes, while New Zealand Football Chief Executive Andy Martin said soccer must now rebuild its tattered reputation.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which has been a staunch ally of Blatter, said it would discuss internally the “best way forward for both Fifa and world football”.

As Blatter announced his exit, English Football Association Chairman Greg Dyke suggested that the controversial vote that awarded Qatar the 2022 tournament could be re-run.

Qatar Football Association President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani hit back, indicating the small Gulf state will not give up hosting soccer’s showpiece event without a fight. “We would urge Mr Dyke to let the legal process take its course and concentrate on delivering his promise to build an England team capable of winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar,” he said.

Qatar’s stock index fell as much as three percent to a six-week low amid fears Qatar could lose the World Cup. Among potential candidates to lead Fifa, Platini is the favourite.

Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, who withdrew from last week’s presidential election after winning 73 votes to Blatter’s 133 in the first round, stopped short of confirming he would run again.

Asked if there should be a fresh start at Fifa, he told Britain’s Channel 4 News: “I’m willing to help.”

Chung Mong-Joon, billionaire scion of South Korea’s Hyundai conglomerate, said he would consider running.

Possible candidates include Domenico Scala, independent chairman of Fifa’s audit and compliance committee.

Others could include former Brazil international Zico, Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, Jerome Champagne, a former French diplomat and Fifa deputy secretary general, and German Wolfgang Niersbach, a former Fifa media chief. - Reuters

SURPRISED

Germans cheer Blatter exit, warn against wasting reform chances BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel, who celebrated Germany’s fourth World Cup win with the players in Brazil last year, welcomed the departure of Fifa President Sepp Blatter as an opportunity to boost standards within soccer’s world governing body.

Her sport minister Thomas de Maiziere went further, saying Blatter’s resignation under pressure will be worthless if Fifa fails to enact meaningful reforms and put an end to the cronyism that has tarnished the game.

Germany’s Football Association, with 6.8 million members the largest in the world, had campaigned against Blatter but its president Wolfgang Niersbach was opposed to more radical ideas, such as the England’s FA, to boycott Fifa World Cups.

“I think it’ll now be easier for Fifa’s work to be done more transparently,” Merkel, a regular at important Germany matches, told a news conference when asked about Blatter.

“It’s important news for billions of those who like football — and I’m one of those fans — and can say the organisation that represents world football works according to standards that we’d all wish for.”

End cronyism Blatter’s resignation dominated news broadcasts and front pages across Germany, a country with a visceral attachment to the game ever since West Germany won the 1954 World Cup that helped

Election to be held in Zurich ZURICH: The election to find a successor to outgoing Fifa President Sepp Blatter will be held in Zurich, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

An extraordinary congress will need to be called, some time between December of this year and March 2016, at which elections will be held to find a successor to Blatter,

restore national pride from the shame of World War Two. Mass circulation Bild captured the mood with its three-inch high front page headline: “Blatter goes away, finally resigns.”

De Maiziere, who serves as both interior and sports minister, said Fifa still had a lot of work to do.

He said he believed “external pressure” had forced Blatter to quit on Monday just days after he was reelected to a fifth term.

“Blatter’s retreat will be worthless if the chance presented now isn’t used to break up rigid structures, introduce greater transparency and put an end to cronyism,” de Maiziere said.

“What is now urgently needed is a thorough investigation and that

who announced on Tuesday his intention to step down, just four days after winning a fifth term in office at the scandal-hit world football governing body.

According to Fifa statutes, 79-year-old Blatter must call an extraordinary executive committee meeting to start proceedings to hold an extraordinary congress. - AFP

will be a truly difficult process for Fifa,” he added.

Russia shocked and upset Meanwhile, the Russian press reacted with astonishment to the resignation of Blatter, predicting the country’s right to host the 2018 World Cup would now come under scrutiny.

“They hit Fifa but aimed at Russia,” said the front page headline of Argumenty I Fakty weekly.

“It’s obvious that the campaign against Fifa, which has been initiated by the United States and Britain, is 99 percent based on politics and only one percent on the criminal case, which has been suggested as its main reason,” the newspaper quoted Russia’s lower house of

parliament’s deputy speaker Igor Lebedev as saying.

“The worsening of the relations between Russia and the West has been the true reason for it.

“They currently use the every single opportunity to hurt our country, to damage it as much as possible.”

Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily also blamed the United States for Blatter’s resignation.

“Americans have never abandoned their attempts to overthrow the persons they dislike,” the newspaper stated.

“And they didn’t give up this time as well. Even though Blatter’s advantage looked overwhelming.”

Sovietsky Sport daily also expressed concern about the future of the 2018 world’s football extravaganza in Russia on its front page.

“Sepp is gone. Does the World Cup stay?” asked the newspaper.

AFC seeks way forward The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) pledged on Wednesday to help “find the best way forward” for world football.

In a brief statement, Asia’s football governing body — which has been a key Blatter ally — said it “takes note” of his intention to step down, but refrained from taking a position on the matter.

“The AFC is closely monitoring the situation, and will discuss with its Member Associations and sister confederations in order to find the best way forward for both Fifa and world football,” it said. - Agencies

FIFA MUST CHANGE: Brazilian legend Pele. – Reuters

Legend Pele calls for ‘honest people’ HAVANA: Brazilian football legend Pele called for “honest people” to clean up world football here on Tuesday after the shock resignation of Fifa supremo Sepp Blatter.

Speaking to the BBC on the sidelines of the New York Cosmos friendly match with Cuba in Havana, the 74-year-old threetime World Cup winner said Fifa must change after the corruption scandal that has rocked football’s governing body.

Pele, who had previously voiced support for Blatter following his re-election, described the football chief’s stunning fall from power as “unfortunate.”

“Everybody asks about Sepp Blatter,” Pele said. “Of course, everybody was very surprised, not with Sepp Blatter but with Fifa.

“I mentioned before he was the president for 20 years, unfortu-

nately what happened, happened with everyone. My position is like a player I want to see football put people together and stop wars.

That’s my position. What happened with the corruption, this is not my problem.”

Fifa now faced a critical period as it seeks to clean up its image, Pele said. “It’s an important time for Fifa. Fifa must change now as it moves forward,” Pele said. “I think everything in life changes.

Football changes, life changes. It’s important to have honest people.

“To organise anything you have to have good people.”

Pele was in Cuba to attend his former club’s landmark game with Cuba, the first visit to the Communist-ruled island by a professional American sports team for 16 years. The Cosmos ran out 4-1 winners. - AFP

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LEADERSHIP CHANGE

Opportunity to improve image, White House WASHINGTON: The resignation of Fifa President Sepp Blatter will give the international soccer organisation an opportunity to improve its image, said White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Wednesday.

“It’s apparent from recent news reports they’d benefit from some new leadership and this is an opportunity for that organization to try to improve their public image and to make sure that the actions of that organization are consistent with their mission,” Earnest said at a briefing with reporters.

Standing ovation Meanwhile, Sepp Blatter received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes at the world football governing body’s headquarters in Zurich on Wednesday.

The 79-year-old Swiss, who announced on Tuesday his intention to step down just four days after being re-elected for a fifth term, was said to be emotional while giving a speech to some 400 members of staff.

“He more or less said what he’d already said (on Tuesday) to the press,” said a source.

“He was just normal, expressing himself to the Fifa staff,” the source said.

“There was a long ovation lasting several minutes and Mr Blatter was emotional, although not on the brink of tears,” the sources added.

Blatter’s resignation came amid a new set of corruption accusations against Fifa officials on Tuesday, following the arrest of seven senior Fifa figures last week. - AFP

SPORTS

FBI to investigate Russia and Qatar World Cup bids The review would be part of a probe that goes beyond the allegations of bribery in a U.S. indictment of Fifa officials. Russia and Qatar have denied wrongdoing in the conduct of their bids

NEW YORK/ZURICH: The FBI’s investigation of alleged corruption at Fifa includes scrutiny of how soccer’s governing body awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 competition to Qatar, a U.S. law enforcement official said.

The review would be part of a probe that goes beyond the allegations of bribery in a U.S. indictment of Fifa officials announced a week ago, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

U.S. authorities said at the time they were investigating a $150 million bribery case while Swiss prosecutors announced their own criminal inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 bids. Russia and Qatar have denied wrongdoing in the conduct of their bids.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khaled Al Attiyah said there was no way Qatar would be stripped of its right

NO WRONG DOING: A file photo dated December 2, 2010 shows the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, left, Fifa President Sepp Blatter, cetnre, and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov posing with the World Cup following the announcement that Russia and Qatar will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups at the Fifa Headquarters in Zurich. – AFP

to host the cup because it had had the best bid.

“It is very difficult for some to digest that an Arab country has this tournament, as if this right can’t be for an Arab state,” he said in an interview in Paris.

“I believe it is because of prejudice and racism that we have this bashing campaign against Qatar,” he added.

The decision to host the Cup in Qatar drew particular notice because the country is far smaller than any other that has hosted a soccer World Cup, has little domestic soccer tradition and is

subject to extreme heat in the summer when the tournament is traditionally played. Domestic leagues around the world and broadcasters will have to rip up their schedules if the Cup is played in cooler months.

Most of Qatar’s workforce is made up of foreign migrant labourers, and international human rights groups have raised questions about the treatment of those employed to build World Cup venues. Qatar denies workers are mistreated and says it has improved its safeguards since winning the right to host the cup.

When asked if Qatar could lose

NEW COACH

the right to host the tournament, Al Attiyah said: “No way Qatar can be stripped (of it). We are confident of the procedures and deserve to win it because we presented the best file.”

Not the last chapter He also said Qatar would be able to prove it had done no wrong when the time came. Attiyah’s comments echoed a mood of exasperation and defiance in Doha, where a feeling that Qatar was being made a scapegoat has only deepened with Blatter’s resignation.

“They’re being racist in every

sense of the word,” Majid Khulaifi, editor of Estad Al Doha newspaper, said on his Twitter account.

“The West should know that if it belittles Qatar and its right to organise (the cup), it’s belittling every single Arab state.”

Hassan Homoud, a Qatari from the town of Wakra, said on Twitter that up until the 2022 event “there’s going to be a permanent attack on us from the West on racial grounds with the help of some of their Arab pawns. Blatter’s resignation is not going to be the last chapter.”

Qatar denies any worker has died on its Cup construction projects.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, president of the Qatar Football Association and a member of the ruling family, said that no charges had been found against Qatar in an investigation conducted by Michael Garcia, a former U.S. prosecutor hired by Fifa to look into the bids.

Garcia’s report has never been published. Fifa issued a summary that exonerated both Qatar and Russia, but Garcia quit, saying the summary mischaracterised his report.

For its part, Russia dismissed concerns it might lose the right to host the cup.

“Cooperation with Fifa is going on and, most importantly, Russia is continuing preparations for the 2018 World Cup,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said.

Among issues the FBI is examining is the stewardship of Fifa by its longtime president Sepp Blatter, who unexpectedly announced on Tuesday he was resigning shortly before it emerged that he too was under investigation by U.S. law enforcement. - Reuters

FORMULA ONE

Emotional Benitez takes on greatest challenge at his boyhood club Real MADRID: Rafa Benitez was appointed Real Madrid coach on Wednesday, the much-travelled 55-year-old taking on one of the most demanding jobs in club soccer in which he will be expected to deliver major trophies in short order.

Spaniard Benitez quit Serie A side Napoli last week and returns to his boyhood club to succeed Italian Carlo Ancelotti, sacked after Real failed to either defend their Champions League crown or win the domestic league or Cup. A former Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan and Chelsea manager, Benitez began coaching in Real’s youth academy in 1986 after injury ended his hopes of becoming a professional player.

He is the 10th coach to be appointed by president Florentino Perez during the construction magnate’s two six-year stints at the helm of the world’s richest club by income and appeared close to tears when he was presented to the media at the Bernabeu stadium.

Emotional day “It’s an emotional day returning here to my home,” Benitez said. “I have a good technical team behind me and I hope things go well, that we win titles and the team plays well.”

Benitez, who has signed a threeyear contract, told a later news conference he was aware he would not be given time to bed in and that, given the quality of the squad, which he called the best he had managed, the team would have to be competitive from the start.

“When you have a roster with such quality you have to attack, to try to score goals, and to win if pos-

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DEMANDING JOB: Real Madrid’s new coach Rafael Benitez, left, and club president Florentino Perez smile as they pose with the team’s jersey during a press conference at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Wednesday. – AFP

sible playing attractive football,” he told reporters.

Real Madrid would be monitoring the transfer market to see if there was room to strengthen the team, he added.

Ancelotti was dismissed a year after ending 12 years of Champions League failure by leading Real to a record-extending 10th Euro-

pean crown in 2013-14.

After leaving Real in 1995, Benitez graduated to several modest teams in Spain as he developed his coaching philosophy.

He made his name with Valencia, whom he led to two La Liga titles before leaving for Liverpool, where he won the FA Cup and the Champions League.

He moved on to Inter Milan but was sacked three months into the 2010-11 season and had mixed fortunes during his last job with Napoli. They won the Coppa Italia last term and finished third in Serie A but lost to Lazio in Benitez’s last match in charge to finish fifth, missing Champions League qualification. - Reuters

Montreal offers Hamilton an antidote for Monaco MONTREAL: Lewis Hamilton has the perfect opportunity to get back on the winning track in Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix after going astonishingly awry in Monaco.

Montreal is a favourite race for the double Formula One world champion, a fast track where he celebrated his first pole position and victory in his stellar 2007 debut season with McLaren.

Since then, the Mercedes driver has won twice more in Canada.

“I think everything that needs to be said about Monaco has already been said. Obviously, it was a huge disappointment for me and also for the team,” the Briton said before heading to Montreal.

“But we’ll learn from it and move forwards together like we always do. I just want to get back out there and bounce back — and I could hardly ask for a better place to do that than Montreal.

This is always one of my favourite weekends.”

Hamilton has suffered disappointments too at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with its 300kph blasts and the ‘Wall of Champions’ at the treacherous final corner, and has yet to win there for Mercedes.

But when he has finished, it has been on the podium and his track record eclipses that of team mate and title rival Nico Rosberg.

Three-nil on wins, 4-1 on podium appearances, 3-1 on poles and 6-1 on front row starts, the statistics all point to Hamilton.

“The racing is fantastic, the city is a lot of fun and the crowds are really enthusiastic...and it’s given me some great memories, including my first win,” said the Briton.

“I know I’ve got the car underneath me and the team behind me to do it again, so I’m aiming for nothing less.”

Rosberg, who became only the fourth driver to win Monaco three times in a row after Mercedes blew a surefire victory for Hamilton by calling him in for a needless pitstop while leading, is not to be under-estimated however.

The German star, now only 10 points adrift of his championship-leading teammate after six races, qualified on pole in Montreal last year and is aiming for a hat-trick of victories for the season.

Both Mercedes drivers have new power units, having completed six race weekends on the previous ones, while rivals Ferrari may have upgrades to theirs.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, a first time winner in Montreal last year, can only dream of such reliability but the race — traditionally hard on brakes and engines — can throw up surprises.

The Australian is on his fourth and final penalty-free engine already, with the team leaving Monaco mulling whether to take a hit and use a fifth in Canada.

Ferrari, who have not won since 2004 at a circuit named after their late local hero, will be hoping four times world champion Sebastian Vettel can at least finish on the podium for the sixth time in seven races.

Williams are confident too of a much better showing after failing to score in Monaco while McLaren’s Fernando Alonso aims to open his account for the season two weeks after Jenson Button did the same. - Reuters

TH UR S DAY, J U N E 4, 2 015

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LE GUEN’S OMAN TEAM START TRAINING AHEAD OF INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY MATCH AGAINST SYRIA The Oman national football team started training at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Tuesday ahead of their friendly match against Syria, which will be played on Friday. Frenchman Paul Le Guen-coached Omanis are currently preparing for the joint qualifying rounds of the 2018 Fifa World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Oman are placed in Group D of the qualifiers along with Iran, India, Turkmenistan and Guam. The Omanis begin their qualifying campaign against India in Bangalore on June 11. The team are scheduled to leave for Indian on Saturday. — O.K. MOHAMMED ALI/Times of Oman

OFA teams exchange ideas with QSL staff

LEARNING EXPERIENCE: The OFA Commercial and Communications departments staff during a meeting with the officials of the Qatar

Stars League in Doha on Tuesday. – Supplied photo

OFA’s Commercial and Communications teams spent a day in Doha, meeting with representatives from the Qatar Stars League, as part of a fact finding and relationship building mission

MUSCAT: As part of recent investments made in the training and development of Oman Football Association (OFA) staff, the association’s Commercial and Communications departments visited Doha on Tuesday to exchange ideas and find areas of cooperation with the Qatar soccer body.

According to a press release issued by the OFA on Wednesday, the OFA staff took part in a series of workshops and attended presentations by the Qatar Stars

League (QSL) senior staff.

They also visited a stadium to follow the working of QSL club, and reviewed many areas that the Qatar Stars League is planning to develop further in the future.

The OFA’s commercial team is responsible for everything related to the OFA, including the national team, the Omani Professional League and grassroots development, the statement said.

The visit to the QSL was focused primarily on club opera-

tions and league activity. Nic Cartwright, the OFA’s Commercial and Communications Director, was very pleased with the day.

“My heartfelt thanks go to Khalifa Al Haroon and all his team at the Qatar Stars League, who looked after us so well for the entire day. It was a very valuable learning experience for the OFA staff, and we all took a lot from it.

“Certainly the Qatar Stars League is more advanced, but in many areas, we are following the same path and it was good to see that our plans and efforts are similar to those of the Qataris. It was also very useful for our staff to build networks with experts in what is a high profile league, and I am sure that the relationships we built this week will be useful for all of our staff as we continue to work and grow.”

As well as the site visit to the stadium, and the club, the delegation’s trip also focused on Commercial, Communications, Events, Media and Social Me-

dia issues. The OFA staff divided themselves into their functional roles so as to hold more relevant meetings with their respective counterparts in the Qatar Stars League.

Khamis Al Balushi, the Head of Media at the OFA, was very happy to have been part of the trip.

“We may compete on the pitch, but off it, we are trying to do the same thing as our friends in Qatar.

We want to do all that we can to grow our league and clubs, as well as our national teams and all our other activities.

“To see how other organisations approach similar targets is a very useful way of helping us to continue to improve. It was a really enjoyable and a great learning experience, and my thanks go to Khalifa and his team at the QSL.” The OFA Commercial and Communications team are now preparing for the Oman national team to take on Syria in a friendly on Friday. The match kicks off at 7.15 pm on Friday.

AT H L E T I C S

Barakat in 100m final at Asian championships MUSCAT: Oman’s Barakat Al Harthi reached the 100m final at the 21st Asian Athletics Championships in Chinese city of Wuhan on Wednesday.

The Sultanate’s star athlete qualified for the eight-strong final after finishing third in the semifinal Heat 3.

Though he finished third, his timing of 10.37 seconds helped him make it to the final as one of the two fastest besides the top two from each of the three heats.

The 100m final takes place on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Barakat’s compatriot Khalid Al Ghailani, who also ran in the Heat 3 of the semifinals, clocked 10.68 seconds to finish sixth in that Heat .

The five-day championships conclude on Sunday.

Barakat Al Harthi

BADMINTON

Saina, Srikanth advance JAKARTA: World No. 1 Saina Nehwal disposed off Thai Nichaon Jindapon’s challenge in straight games but PV Sindhu crashed out of the Indonesian Open Super Series badminton tournament after a close first-round defeat, here on Wednesday.

In the men’s singles, both Indians in the fray — Parupalli Kashyap and Kidambi Srikanth — advanced to the second round by registering contrasting victories.

Second seeded Saina got the better of her Thai opponent 21-16, 21-18, in 35 minutes. Sindhu lost a gruelling first round contest 21-16, 15-21, 14-21 in 49 minutes to Chinese Taipei’s Ya Ching Hsu.

World No. 12 Kashyap overcame Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk 21-17, 21-7 in just 29 minutes, while Srikanth had a tough outing against Danish Hans-Kristian Vittinghus before prevailing in a 11-21, 21-14, 24-22 win.

Meanwhile, Indian women’s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa prevailed over Taipei’s team of Ya Ching Hsu and Yu Po Pai 21-17, 19-21, 21-11 in 42 minutes to make it to the second round.

In men’s doubles, Indian duo of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar got the better of Canadian pair of Adrian Liu and Derrick Ng 21-17, 22-20 in 35 minutes to enter the second round. — PTI

GOLF

Muscat courses start Summer Golf Passport programme MUSCAT: In a first of its kind collaboration, four of Muscat’s best golf courses have united offering golfers the opportunity to experience what the capital has to offer through the unique Summer Golf Passport.

In its third year running, the programme, which began on Monday, sees Ras Al Hamra Golf Club join Almouj Golf at The Wave, Muscat, Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club and Ghala Golf Club in offering a total of 16 rounds, four nine-hole games at each course, till September 30.

Each course participating in this year’s Summer Golf Passport

comes with its own signature features, playability, and character that would enchant and challenge the most seasoned golfers.

“We are offering the Summer Golf Passport to golfers from the local and regional markets providing them with a unique opportunity to play at all the grass courses in town and enjoy what each has to offer,” said Simon Duffield, General Manager of Almouj Golf.

“It is not every day that you see such a collaboration materialise among courses adding extra levels of excitement and convenience for the golfing community. The previous two years have been a huge hit

DEAL DONE: Representatives of four golf courses exchange documents after signing a deal on Summer Golf Passport Programme.

and this year, we see the programme expand to offer golfers another challenge at Ras Al Hamra Golf Club.”

Voted as one of the Top 5 Outdoor Activities in Muscat, Almouj

Golf, the Greg Norman masterpiece is Oman’s first signature course and the only 18-hole PGA standard links golf course in the country. The course and its ac-

companying facilities offer an outstanding experience for members, guests and visitors and its location at the heart of The Wave, Muscat offers a superior leisure and sporting lifestyle.

Designed by professional golfer Bill Longmuir, Ghala Golf Club is built in a natural wadi and follows its course through a beautiful setting of views.

Originally created as a sand course in 1971, Ghala Golf Club opened the first nine holes of its grass course in December 2010 and the back nine was completed in 2012 offering a number of tricky holes to keep the game interesting

and challenging for any skill level.

Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club was the first 18-hole grass course to be built in Oman by Paul Thomas from David Thomas Associated and designed to complement its natural surroundings.

Ras Al Hamra Golf Club offers a desert style golf course by Graham Marsh Design.

Originally a sand golf course dating back to 1969, Ras Al Hamra course is Oman’s latest 18-hole golf course with floodlights and given it is not open to the public, joining the Passport means a great opportunity for golfers to play the course.

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SECTION

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

SIGHT & SOUND

T H U R S DAY, J U N E 4 , 2 0 1 5

ANGELINA JOLIE LOOKS FORWARD TO GETTING OLD She’s one of the most beautiful women in the world. It’s hard to believe the actress has turned 40. And just as hard to believe that she doesn’t mind it a bit

N

ot many people have crammed so much into four decades — model-actress — UN ambassador — wife — director — and headline maker.

“This year has been particularly amazing,” she says and who can argue with that? She married long-time love Brad Pitt, directed her first film and underwent life-saving surgery to hopefully prevent the ovarian cancer that caused her mother’s death.

Angelina has always said she’s not worried about the passing years.

In fact she actually welcomes them! “I love to see my face age in different ways,” she says. There is something very comforting about becoming an older woman!

“My mother aged gracefully and hopefully I’ll do the same. I love age on a face. I really am looking forward to getting old!”

After winning an Academy Award for her role in Girl, Interupted in 1919 she’s now going for a best director Oscar for her new movie By The Sea, which she directs and co-stars with Brad as a couple whose marriage is in trouble.

But it’s not in real life — She and Brad finally married last August after nearly a decade together and Angelina is determined to keep

the romance alive. As a friend reveals: “She likes a date night at least once a week. They sometimes go to an exclusive hotel in Beverly Hills and spend a romantic night together away from the hurly-burly of the family.”

There’s no doubt in Angelina’s mind than being a mum is her most important job. “My proudest achievement is my children,” she says. The extended family consists of Maddox 13, Pax 11, Zahara, 10, Shiloh, eight, and Knox and Vivienne, six.

“I never thought I’d have kids,” she once admitted. “Coming from a broken home you come to accept that certain things seem like a fairy tale.” Maddox, Pax and Zahara are adopted and it was Brad who persuaded Angelina to change her mind about having her own children. The result — Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne.

Was it hard to play an unloved wife in By The Sea? “Well I do have two divorces behind me,” Angelina says with a laugh. “But I’m still friends with both my exhusbands. It’s actually easier to play that stuff when you have a strong home-life behind you and Brad is always very supportive.”

But however successful her screen career, Angelina makes sure that her family comes first. “I

haven’t been away on a movie for more than seven weeks for years,” she says. I make sure I have time with Brad and the kids.”

“A lot has happened in the last few years,” says Angelina, who first became a major star in the $100 million movie version of Lara Croft Tomb Raider — the world’s most popular computer game. And that’s a pretty classic understatement.

Unlikely matches Her marriage and divorce from Trainspotting star Jonny Lee Miller after only a few months made lurid Hollywood headlines — as did her next marriage, to four times divorced Hollywood rebel Billy Bob Thornton, 20 years her senior, which involved mingling their blood at a ritzy Las Vegas wedding.

The unlikely match started off well — they had tattoos incorporating each other’s names and spoke to each other on the phone every ten minutes when they were apart. But soon Billy Bob was being accused of having a wandering eye and the couple split after a year.

Angelina takes movies very seriously — for the thriller Taking Lives she went on a high protein diet and worked out two or three times a day to get really tough and fit. “I spent days doing military-

style training from target practice to unarmed combat and shooting different weapons.

“The training was absolutely exhausting but I found it a real challenge.” Angelina also insisted on doing most of her stunts herself in other movies, including riding bulls and swimming with sharks.

“I like active things — I love skydiving and I want to parachute off a high building,” she says.

One thing that delighted Angelina about Lara Croft was having her real-life dad John Voight playing Lara’s father.

Angelina says that working with her Oscar-winning dad — star of Midnight Cowboy and Deliverance — made them much closer. “My parents’ divorce — she has a French mother — meant that I didn’t see so much of my dad and that hurt me a lot.

“Parents who are living apart often don’t seem to know how to communicate with their children, particularly during their teenage years,” she says. “I was going through a lot of bad dark days that my dad knew about and wanted to help me through, but he couldn’t because we didn’t really know how to talk to each other. Brad and I make sure that in our family we’ll never have problems like that.”-John Graham/Tony James Features

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 4, 2 015

ETCETERA

CHRIS PRATT IS

BIG

BUT THE DINOSAURS ARE

BIGGER The actor’s world has changed around him and in a hurry...

H

e’d been working consistently since 2000, and until last year was best known for his longrunning stints as Bright Abbott on Everwood (2002-2006) and Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation (2009-2015), as well as for supporting roles in such films as Strangers with Candy (2005), Moneyball (2011) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012).

Then along came 2014 with a gamechanging two-punch: The Lego Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy. Both movies featured Pratt in leading roles and both scaled the box-office heights, both in the United States and overseas. His profile skyrocketed and the blockbuster offers came fast and furious — and will doubtless do so even more after June 12, when Pratt will open in the starring role in Jurassic World, the fourth film in the popular Jurassic Park series.

“It’s an exciting time,” Pratt said, speaking by telephone from a Manhattan hotel. “I don’t know if I’ve been able to fully digest everything that’s going on around me. I’m just taking it a step at a time, and ultimately I’ve realised — based simply on how fast this has all happened — how temporary this all is.

“So I’m definitely stopping to smell the roses and enjoy what’s happening as it happens,” he said. “And I’m doing that because I know that, as quickly as it comes, it can go away.”

Pratt, who will turn 36 on June 21, also thinks that his ever-so-slow rise through the Hollywood hierarchy has served him well as his star has shone brighter and brighter. “It’s made all the difference in the world, really,” he said.

“I’ve been acting for 13, 14 years, and I’ve been successful that long, I guess, because I wasn’t waiting tables anymore.

So, for me, I’ve never felt any low points.

I was making a living as an actor, which was my dream. I did 11 years of television, and that felt great.

“Obviously my career has changed drastically in the past couple of years, with Guardians of the Galaxy and The Lego Movie, and with the anticipation for Jurassic World,” Pratt continued.

“Things have definitely changed for me, and I recognise that, but from the time before that, when I was basically a working actor, I was able to see friends go through big moments. I’d see how it could be exciting, but it could be stressful too, and I’d think to myself, ‘If I ever get followed by people, or the paparazzi take my picture, I’m never going to complain about it.’

“Of course, now that’s not true,” he admitted. “I complain about it sometimes.

It’s different when you’re in it. But I don’t complain about it that much.”

It helps to be grounded. Pratt met actress Anna Faris in 2007, while making the film Take Me Home Tonight (2011), and they married in 2009. Their son, Jack, will turn 3 in August.

“I have a good, stable foundation,” Pratt said. “Thank God, because if I were single and didn’t have that structure in my life, it’d be a very scary and wild place to be. I also have relationships with people that are not new, so they’re not based on where I am now, on this new structure.

“That’s all very comforting,” he continued, “because I imagine for teens

who suddenly get famous, they’re questioning these new people in their lives and their motives. I’m happy to make new friends, but I have got my core group of friends, and they were with me when I was starting out.”

Pratt laughed. “Somebody wrote — either online or on a T-shirt, I don’t remember where I saw it - something really great,” he said. “It read, ‘If you don’t accept me at my Andy Dwyer, you don’t get me at my Star-Lord.’”

Pratt will reach for the brass ring again with Jurassic World. It takes place 22 years after the events of the original film, which was directed by Steven Spielberg, who’s on board Jurassic World as an executive producer, with Colin Treverrow directing.

As always in the franchise, people are meddling with nature for financial gain and in the name of entertainment — and, as always, there’s a price to be paid for such hubris. “In this instance people are bored with dinosaurs,” Pratt said.

“Going to Jurassic Park is like going to the zoo. Kids would rather just play with their mobile devices. They’re not captivated by the dinosaurs.”

Desperate to bring the “wow” factor back to Jurassic Park, the folks at Masrani Global Corporation have created a fearsome Frankenstein’s monster of a dinosaur, the Indominus rex. Of course the Indominus rex runs amok, and it’s Owen (Pratt), a resourceful animal behaviourist, who must ride to the rescue.

“Owen is a guy with a past and some darkness to him,” Pratt says. “He lives on an island for a reason. The big thing for me was to not get into funny-guy

mode. Colin didn’t want that. He didn’t want Andy Dwyer in Jurassic Park. I liked that challenge.”

Pratt saw the original Jurassic Park (1993) in a theatre as an impressionable teenager, and it helped shape the path he chose to take toward acting.

Mission 1 on Jurassic World was to not tarnish the reputation of that first film, a tough task considering the cynicism surrounding the endless parade of reboots, remakes and reimaginings of beloved movies in recent years.

“I hear that, and I share in some of that,” Pratt said. “Sometimes I want to see something original too. But when Colin pitched this idea to me, I wanted to get on board. And ... ” Pratt stopped dead in his track. He’d gotten a little ahead of himself. Remember, he said, Guardians of the Galaxy had yet to be released when he began negotiations for Jurassic World. At the time Pratt simply thought Owen could be a great role to play.

“You can’t be too critical when you’re not there yet,” the actor said. “You get to be more critical when more things are offered to you. There was a time in my career when I couldn’t be critical at all. I was essentially at the mercy of other people’s decisions, and I’d do anything anyone hired me to do. I just wanted to work. “But I was shooting Guardians and starting to cross over, so it was important to me that Jurassic World be as good as Jurassic Park,” he said. “I didn’t want to be part of the team that ruined it up. Colin told me the pitch, the reasoning behind this story and how it was relevant to now. It

just made such sense. I thought, ‘Wow, buddy, you really cracked the code.’

“This is timely and relevant and scary and fun,” Pratt concluded. “And I think it ultimately does a good job of doing the original film justice.”

Up next for Pratt is The Magnificent Seven, which is in production now. Pratt spent months riding horses, shooting guns and reading Larry McMurtry books to prepare for the western, which co-stars Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington.

There also are rumblings that he’ll play Indiana Jones in a new series of Indy adventures, but Pratt dismissed the rumours as rumours — for now, teasing that he has had no official conversations about that, but that he missed a telephone call recently from “a number I didn’t recognise,” and it might have been Steven Spielberg.

Odds are that, after he wraps The Magnificent Seven, Pratt will reprise his role as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Until recently, Pratt noted, he had no idea what returning writer/director James Gunn had planned for the sequel. Now he does.

“James has given me the pitch for exactly what Guardians 2 is going to be,” the actor said, “and all I hope to do is give myself 100 per cent, completely over to James, because the idea is so (incredibly) amazing.

“I just want him to direct me to fulfil his vision, because it is just so awesome,” Pratt concluded. “I cannot wait for everyone to see what he has in store for us.”

-Ian Spelling/The New York Times News Service

T HURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015

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NO SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE The world’s richest female pop star has more than 50 people at her beck and call and has sold 200 million records. Yet, she can’t find love

S

ince husband of six years Nick Cannon walked out last December, friends say that the world’s richest female pop star is desperate to find love again. Says an insider: “Mariah feels incredibly lonely since the split.

Her whole world has collapsed since Nick left and she feels so insecure that she’s taking refuge in diva-style behaviour like never before.”

As a result, her requirements for her current two-month Las Vegas residency are the talk of the US gambling capital. We were told: “Mariah has stunned staff with her demands. In the past they’ve coped with things like butterfly-shaped confetti, a basket of puppies and a special attendant to dispose of used chewing-gum.

“But this time she’s asked for 40 humidifiers in her dressing-room so she can prepare for her shows in rain-forest-like conditions — the moisture is believed to help her vocal cords. She’s banned anyone from coming within two feet of her if they are

wearing man-made fibres and has asked for 15 butterflies in gold leaf to be painted on her dressing-room wall.”

And when Mariah took her four-yearold twins Monroe and Moroccan to Disneyland last week she was flanked by an entourage which included three nannies, four bodyguards, three guides and an umbrella-carrier.

Friends say that the grief of the breakup has caused Mariah to seek comfort in food — she’s put on over one-and-a-half stone — and she has now hired four personal chefs to help her get back into shape.

A source adds: “Mariah’s itching to look her best again and knows she needs to get her diet back on track. She has told her chefs to prepare only blue and purple-coloured organic food such as aubergines and blackberries, for her to snack on. “Her chefs have been instructed to make sure she doesn’t cheat and to always have a healthy meal ready for her to eat after her show.”

Friends say that Mariah is at pains to

Friends say that the grief of the break-up has caused Mariah to seek comfort in food — she’s put on over one-anda-half stone - and she has now hired four personal chefs to help her stay on good terms with TV host Nick Cannon for the sake of their children but privately is still hurt and bewildered by the break-up. The couple took their children on an Easter egg hunt this year and Nick has generous access to the twins.

Recently he said: “Sadly the marriage just didn’t work out for reasons we want

to keep personal and private but the children will still have a great childhood. I will never say anything negative about Mariah.

We will always be a family rooted in love and I hope we can move forward.”

Mariah’s Las Vegas stint — her first at the famed Caesar’s Palace — will earn her over $45 million. The sell-out show features all 18 of Mariah’s number one hits and fans are said to be paying up to $1,500 for a ticket.

The superstar has always maintained that she never asks for all the lavish attention. “I’m just a simple girl at heart,” she says. “Quite often I have to stop people making a fuss of me. I have a humble background and I don’t need all that luxury.”

Since the break-up, Mariah has spent much of her time with her children on the private island she owns in the Bahamas, where she says she tries to live “the really simple life.” The former waitress from the poorest quarter of Long Island, who now has over 90 gold and platinum discs — double Elvis Presley’s total — told a friend:

H I S T O RY O F A F E S T I VA L

“After what has happened, relaxing is hard for me, but I’m getting better. What relaxes me is having fun and feeling safe.”

Mariah has the widest vocal range of any pop singer in history — her voice spans five octaves (a piano covers seven) and it’s claimed that some of her notes are so high they can only be heard by bats!

“My mother was an Irish opera singer and I get my voice from her,” Mariah says.

“She encouraged me to sing — I was singing opera when I was two.” Her father left the family home when Mariah was three and she has only recently met him again.

“We had a very bohemian upbringing — we moved 13 times before I was ten.”

“Mariah’s always yearned for the sort of happy and stable life she didn’t have as a kid,” says an old family friend. “She thought she had it with Nick and then everything went wrong. It’s ironic that a woman who has made millions singing about love has had so little of her own.”

-Judson Bennett/Tony James Features

CELEBRITY NEWS

How Bob Dylan missed Woodstock IN A JOURNEY every bit as unlikely as that of the tin can that had taken men to the Moon less than a month earlier, Bob Dylan and his family were boarding the QE2 in New York to sail to a little island off the south coast of England, snubbing the festival that had been set up in Dylan’s backyard in order to tempt him out of three years’ retirement.

In one of the greatest coups, naïve but earnest youngsters were unwittingly stealing the planet’s biggest rock star from the most famous festival in rock history.

One of those youngsters was Ray Foulk, now a bubbling but unassuming chap with an air of eternal optimism who doesn’t look anything near the 70 years he has spent on the planet. In 1968 Foulk was a 23-year-old newspaper printer, living on the Isle of Wight with his wife and two children.

With his brother Ronnie he had organised gigs on the island, culminating that year in an outdoor festival headlined by San Francisco’s hippest hippies, Jefferson Airplane. It drew 10,000 people, but Ray and Ronnie weren’t satisfied.

They wanted an act for next year’s festival that would be big enough to pull people across the Solent. So they started thinking ridiculously big. “We needed a giant,” Ray tells me, “and the giants at the end of 1968 were Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Bob Dylan.

The Stones didn’t have a hippie following then — it was the Hyde Park thing that changed their image.” The Dylan die was cast when, that Christmas, someone

gave Ronnie Foulk Dylan’s John Wesley Harding album, and he began playing it to death.

But there was a problem. The whip-thin, Ray-Banned, voice of a generation hadn’t played a proper gig since a mysterious motorcycle accident in 1966. He was living in Woodstock in domestic seclusion with his wife Sara and four children. “We knew there were big bids for him, but we didn’t know what they were for.

We only found out about Woodstock about three days after it had happened,” says Ray. A trip to London to consult underground magazines revealed Dylan’s management and Ray made contact via a crackly latenight transatlantic telephone call. He was told Dylan might be interested in performing. But they had no chance of competing with big money US promoters. “We started thinking how we could appeal. The Isle of Wight has this great heritage of Tennyson, Keats and Edward Lear that might appeal to a modern-day poet. So we got this idea of selling him a holiday in the Isle of Wight for him and his family.”

It worked. When Ray flew to the States to finalise the deal, Dylan came to his hotel room. “He was wearing shades, leather jacket, jeans, boots, generally that kind of hipster character, but he was very quiet and gentlemanly, and most of the conversation with him was about the sound system. He was very interested in that.” They agreed a fee of nearly £40,000 for an hour’s set.

-Simon Hardeman/The Independent

Niall Horan splits from his Australian girlfriend ONE DIRECTION band member Niall Horan has reportedly split from his Australian girlfriend Melissa Whitelaw after struggling to make their long distance relationship work. The pair met while the British boyband One Direction toured Australia in February and while the two still enjoy each other’s company, it is thought and they have now decided just to be friends.

Actor Ryan Gosling, wife Mendez in a ‘tug-of-war’ ACTOR RYAN GOSLING and wife Eva Mendes are reportedly in a “tug-of-war” over their pre-nuptial agreement. The couple, who have eight-month-old daughter Esmeralda together, are embroiled in a battle over how to split their fortunes if they ever called it quits on their relationship, reported femalefirst.co.uk. “It’s just business, but it’s a real tug-of-war — she has more money than he does.

Ryan just wants 50/50 all the way, end of story, but it’s not as simple as that,” a source told OK! .

Iggy Azalea is officially engaged to Nick Young IGGY AZALEA has got engaged to Nick Young, who popped the question to her at his birthday party with a $500,000 ring.

The 24-year-old pop star has agreed to marry Young, whom she has been dating since October 2013, after the Los Angeles Lakers player proposed at his 30th birthday party on Monday. Video footage of the proposal has already surfaced online, and showed the sportsman get down on one knee to ask: “Would you marry me?”

Azalea instantly said “yes”, leading the guests at the party to cheer. Young presented the Fancy hitmaker with a 8.15 carat diamond ring. -IANS

C10 TH UR S DAY, JU N E 4, 2 015

ETCETERA

oming into the April 14 release of Halestorm’s new album, Into the Wild Life, there was plenty of reason for the rock quartet to be on edge.

The 13-song set certainly faced high expectations and not a little pressure. Amid lamentations about rock’s diminishing impact in the pop-music marketplace, Halestorm’s album The Strange Case of ... (2012) had debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart, spawned five top-20 Mainstream Rock hits and won a Grammy Award for the song Love Bites (So Do I). Hard touring vaulted the Pennsylvanian quartet to headliner status, while singer Lzzy Hale continued her reign on Revolver magazine’s coolest lady in Metal list.

The Strange Case of ... also made enough of a dent for the Gibson Guitar Corporation to create a signature model named after Hale in 2014.

So a high bar had been set by the time Hale and her bandmates — guitarist Joe Hottinger, bassist Josh Smith and drummer Arejay Hale, the singer’s brother — began preparing material for Into the Wild Life. Nonetheless, the 32-year-old Hale said, the group did its best not to be intimidated by the anticipation for the album.

“We kind of pushed a lot of that out of our minds for this record,” Hale said, speaking by telephone from her current home in Nashville. “One thing that has kind of been our proven gauge for any type of success, whether that means ‘Omigosh, we’re headlining this club we’ve always wanted to’ or winning a Grammy, has also kind of started or ended with whether or not we enjoy a song or we enjoy what we do.

“So basically the mission statement for this record was to err on the side of ourselves,” she said. “Be unapologetic about what we love and the types of sounds and types of songs that we enjoy, and also just make sure that we’re chasing after whatever gets us excited. That was the start and end of it.

“Honestly, when we get on the other side of a record, the bottom line is that, if we don’t fully love this record and every single song, then nobody else is going to,” Hale said. “That’s just the way it is. We’re very bad liars and can’t necessarily get up there every night and play songs and things that we’re bored with and don’t enjoy.

“Again, that being the bottom line, we made the record the way it is.”

Halestorm made some significant changes for Into the Wild Life. After making its first two albums in California with producer Howard Benson, the group switched to Jay Joyce and recorded in his convertedchurch studio in Nashville.

Hale said that the band has nothing but love for Benson and his team — “I don’t think we could’ve made this record without having done the last two records the way we did, with Howard,” she insisted — but that a desire for growth required the quartet to try something different this time out.

“It was just a natural progression,” Hale said. “With Howard Benson and his team, there was a process. You do everything more assemblyline style. It’s very clean, making sure that everything has a pocket, has a groove. We’d do it piece by piece and make a great record.

“If we hadn’t been on the extreme end of it, we really wouldn’t have had the confidence and the drive to shake things up on this record,” she said. “They kind of showed us the ropes.”

With Joyce, Hale continued, things were more organic, with the four band members often playing together.

“It didn’t even feel like we were making a record,” said Hale, who between albums also lent her vocals to albums

by Device and Lindsay Stirling. “We’re all standing, the four of us, in this circle, like we used to do in my parents’ basement, but this just so happens to be the congregation room in a church and we’re recording all these songs live and as a performance.

“There was something about going in there every day that made us feel so comfortable, made it feel like it was our place and we were just jamming, having fun,” the singer concluded. “So really there was no real rule book and, if there were any rules, we were trying to break them in all the ways that were appropriate.”

That looseness carried over into the song writing, including short, between-song segues that Halestorm often came up with on the spot in the studio.

Hale said that some of the new album’s songs had been around for some time, including Dear Daughter, which she had written in January 2014. “(I kept it) in my back pocket for a while because it’s an odd song,” she explained. “I don’t have a child, a daughter, so, when I presented it to the band and label and producer, they were either going to be like, ‘Omigod, we love this!’ or everyone was going to be like, ‘Lzzy, do you have something to tell us?’”

Most of the album’s songs were written during the summer of 2014, Hale said, but Joyce’s method left room for plenty of spontaneity — notably on Gonna Get Mine, which the group wrote only two days before wrapping the album.

“I was sitting in the apartment we were staying in and had this riff,” she recalled.

“I started playing it and Joe started playing it with me, and we all kind of wrote the song in a matter of 15 minutes. And I’m like, ‘The record’s done, why are we writing new songs?’

“But, for the (heck) of it, we went into the studio the last day and said to Jay, ‘Hey, by the way, we wrote this song. You want to hear what we did?,’” Hale continued. “And we played it for him and he’s like, ‘Oh, (heck), get everything set up. We’re going to record that song!’

“But that was the way the whole record went,” she said. “‘Does it feel good?’

‘Yeah.’ ‘OK, let’s do it.’

There wasn’t a lot of overthinking.” — Gary Graff/The New York Times News Service

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W

orking in an editing suite at the Brill Building earlier this month, Seinfeld was finetuning a new episode of his online series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, recording audio for a segment in which he and Steve Harvey cruise around Chicago in a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible.

Like his live act and his consecrated NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1989-1998), the making of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which began its new season on Sony’s digital channel Crackle, appeals to Seinfeld’s obsession with minutiae and his tendency to see problems as jigsaw puzzles.

By putting pieces in their right places, he said, “You can make it something that it really wasn’t, but almost was.”

“Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” which in zippy installments tracks Seinfeld’s freeform conversations with peers and pals such as Tina Fey, Sarah Jessica Parker and Jon Stewart, also has helped its creator fit into a post-Internet world and a popular culture that could have moved on without him.

At 61, Seinfeld is at a point when he could coast on the unexpected online value of his past achievements. Next month Hulu will add all nine seasons of Seinfeld to its library as the streaming service buttresses itself against competitors such as Amazon and Netflix. The deal, which reportedly cost $130 million to $180 million, will further enrich Seinfeld, a series co-creator who receives part of its profits.

Instead he has taken what could have been a glorified side project and fully committed himself to it, turning Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee into a stealth powerhouse.

Its episodes have been streamed nearly 100 million times since its 2012 debut, and now it is a central part of Sony’s ambitions to make Crackle a more formidable combatant in the arena of online content.

While it is to be expected that a younger class of comedians who came of age with the Internet, such as Aziz Ansari, Chris Hardwick or Amy Schumer, would naturally adapt to it, Seinfeld could not say precisely why he was thriving with digital content when his own peers — say, David Letterman, or acolytes like Chris Rock largely were absent from it.

No two paths unfold similarly, Seinfeld said, and there was little that well-established stars could teach one another.

“The first 10 years of a lot of careers, you

Defying one of the hoariest laws of show business, Jerry Seinfeld is enjoying a career second act with ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’

could say, ‘This is pretty similar,’” he said. “(At this point) I can’t look at Jay Leno’s career, or Louis C.K.’s career or Chris Rock’s career, and learn anything. I can’t model anything on what they do. Precedents are not helpful.”

Even as he applies his standup comic’s approach to his online work, Seinfeld makes no assumptions that his stage and television career should guarantee him success in this new realm.

“The Internet is the least forgiving medium of anything,” he said. “Even at a nightclub, an audience can’t all get up and leave. On the Internet they can.”

If detractors want to dismiss his latest passion as a vanity project, Seinfeld said, he’ll happily embrace that label.

BRIEFS

Taylor Swift not worried about perfection TAYLOR SWIFT no longer feels the need to appear perfect because she knows her image won’t be destroyed.

The 25-year-old admits she used to be scared of trying to maintain her sweet image, but now believes her success won’t disappear overnight if she does something wrong. “One thing I’ve gotten a little better at is the idea that I could do one thing wrong and all of this would completely disappear. Like, all of my work from my entire life, every album I’ve put out in the last 10 years, all of it would be wiped from the record and no one would appreciate what I’ve done that’s good,” she said.

Sharon Stone soaks her face in ice water ACTRESS Sharon Stone says she soaks her face in ice water on days where she feels as though she looks “awful”. The 57-year-old says knowing that she’s not the only woman who struggles with looking good while working and raising children makes her feel better, but that she also has a few tricks to get rid of puffy bags under her eyes. “I know that there are in the world literally millions of other women who feel like I feel,” she said.

Vanessa Hudgens likes cuddling her dog ACTRESS Vanessa Hudgens says she only hits the “snooze” button on her alarm so she can spend more time in bed cuddling with her dog Darla. “I actually like getting out of bed. I wake up every morning excited about the day. Sometimes I hit snooze, but it’s normally to cuddle with my dog. Her name is Darla she’s a rescue and she’s just the sweetest little ragamuffin I’ve ever met. She’s a terrier mix, she’s a mutt. We think she’s one and a half years old,” Hudgens said. -IANS

“What’s wrong with that?,” he asked.

“That’s what we’re supposed to be doing. If there’s no vanity, that’s the end of show business.”

The following afternoon Seinfeld was eating lunch at a West Side restaurant, dressed casually in a T-shirt, his hair cropped short and his money clip near him on the table. A $1 bill, visible on the outside, concealed an unknown wad of cash within.

He has a relaxed manner but is unafraid to speak his mind, and his sense of humour is more cutting than his vintage-1990s television persona. Freely admitting that he does not prepare for the celebrity interviews on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, he said with a laugh: “There’s nothing

I really want to know.”

The show has been criticised for a lack of nonwhite, non-male guests, and also for a perceived inability to relate to viewers who are not as prosperous as its creator.

However, a promotional video that Seinfeld helped oversee at the editing session encapsulated its quirky, unrushed spirit.

In quick cuts, set to jaunty jazz music, it showed him at a variety of diners and coffee shops, peppering guests such as Stephen Colbert, Jim Carrey and his former Seinfeld co-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus with absurdly precise questions and observations “Have you noticed that orange juice now comes in a variety of pulps?”

Steve Mosko, president of Sony Pic-

tures Television, said in a separate interview that the show is “authentic to Jerry, and viewers feel it whether they know it or not. His fingerprints are on every single piece of this.”

Seinfeld is neither a technophobe nor a hard-core geek. He tweets occasionally, but doesn’t listen to podcasts. He admired another restaurant patron’s Apple Watch, but said that he preferred to wear a more traditional timepiece.

“I need the gears,” he explained.

A few years ago, when he began pitching Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee to media sites such as Hulu, Netflix and Youtube, he recalled, he repeatedly was told that no one would watch videos more than a couple of minutes long.

Envisioning episodes that were 10 to 15 minutes or more, Seinfeld baulked.

“The less you know about a field,” he said, “the better your odds. Dumb boldness is the best way to approach a new challenge.”

He found a receptive home at Sony, which handles the distribution of “Seinfeld” and was happy to give Seinfeld the autonomy he sought.

Why Seinfeld wants to have a Web presence at all is a trickier question.

Although it predates the modern-day Internet, the aesthetic of Seinfeld, which celebrated over-the-top specificity and punch lines that could be boiled down to a word or two — “shrinkage” and “serenity now” — was tailor-made for an online environment that thrives on insular, easily digestible memes.

“It’s locating those tiny little things that render Seinfeld immortal, where generic sitcoms don’t have that lasting power,” said Jason Richards, the author of @seinfeld2000, a Twitter account that uses the catch phrases and characters of that show to comment on current events. “It’s almost like it unknowingly anticipated Internet culture.”

Seinfeld dismissed that idea as “farfetched,” adding: “You’re really off the farm now.”

Friends of Seinfeld say that there is some irreducible part of him that craves reinvention and untried experiences.

“Since I have known him, he has, quite by design, complicated his life to an unbearable level, again and again and again, until it knocks him to his knees,” said the actor James Spader, who met Seinfeld in the 1990s. “He can’t resist his curiosity and enthusiasm for something new.”

-Dave Itzkoff/The New York Times News Service

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EDDIE REDMAYNE to star in a ‘Harry Potter’ spin-off movie JK Rowling will make her screenwriting debut with ‘Fantastic Beasts’

E

ddie Redmayne has been confirmed to star as ‘magizoologist’ Newt Scamander in upcoming Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The Oscar-winning actor will take the lead in the Warner Bros movie trilogy, which will mark author JK Rowling’s screenwriting debut. David Yates has been announced as director after his work on the final four Harry Potter films.

“Eddie Redmayne has emerged as one of today’s most extraordinarily talented and acclaimed actors,” Warner Bros’ Greg Silverman said. “We are thrilled to welcome him into JK Rowling’s Wizarding World where we know he will deliver a remarkable performance.”

Yates added that he “couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of working with Redmayne”. “Eddie is a fearless actor, brimming with invention, wit and humanity,” he said. Based on a 42-page textbook set for Hogwarts pupils and published in 2001, Fantastic Beasts follows the adventures of Scamander, who dedicates his life to the search for magical creatures in an “extension” of Potter’s fantastical world.

The release date for the first film is slated for 18 November 2016, two days before the 15th anniversary of Rowling’s first book, Harry Potter and the Philosophical Stone. The subsequent movies are currently planned for 2018 and 2020. Rowling revealed

some details to fans last September: “The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films,” she wrote. “But Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.”

The Harry Potter franchise remains the most successful in history, having grossed a massive $7.7 billion in worldwide box office earnings.

Elsewhere, Redmayne recently finished filming his role as an artist Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl. Based on David Ebershoff ’s fictionalised account of Elbe’s life, the story follows Danish painter Einar Wegener’s journey from posing in women’s clothes for his wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander) after a model failed to show up, to becoming a woman.

Redmayne picked up the Best Actor gong at the Oscars in February for his acclaimed portrayal of physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

- Jess Denham/The Independent

INTERVIEW

Dwayne Johnson’s stocks are rising IN HIS new film San Andreas, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays a helicopter rescue pilot leading the evacuation of Los Angeles following an earthquake along the notorious fault. And natural disaster aside, life recently imitated art for the 6 feet 4 inches, wrestler turned action hero; California-born Johnson, 43, has fled La La Land, relocating to South Florida.

“I sold my home because I was in LA for 10 years and I got to a point where business cannot only continue to run but can grow being down here,” he says, referring to film and TV projects that he is developing in Miami.

“Every meeting I take, everybody flies in. I’ve gotten to that place now.”

The business operates underneath the umbrella of Johnson’s production company Seven Bucks. Currently it is co-producing new HBO American football comedy Ballers, in which Johnson also stars (of which more later) and which has been filming in Miami.

In the grand, self-starting American tradition, the company name refers to the sum total of Johnson’s life savings when he was a struggling sportsman two decades ago. By contrast, in 2013, Johnson’s films earned $1.3 billion, making him the year’s highest-grossing actor, a feat he’s on course to repeat in 2015, having already starred in last month’s Furious 7 which has

grossed over $1.5 billion globally.

Ballers, a prestigious cable TV project, is an indication of Johnson’s rising stock in the industry.

Yet for all his physical and commercial clout, Johnson’s ascent to Hollywood’s top ranks has gone remarkably unheralded since he made his acting debut in 2001 in The Mummy Returns, following five years on the World Wrestling Entertainment circuit.

Perhaps it’s because his films are not the kind that tend to play well with critics. But Johnson’s cheerful admission of why he got

out of Hollywood indicates that he is more nuanced and complicated than he is often given credit for.

In the last decade-and-a-half he has revealed unexpected depths — he hosted NBC’s Saturday Night Live four times, doing an acclaimed impersonation of President Obama, and sent himself up in Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales and the Elmore Leonard adaptation Be Cool. San Andreas also stars Carla Gugino, Paul Giamatti, Ioan Gruffudd and The Good Wife’s Archie Panjabi. - Tom Teodorczuk/The Independent

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CONNEC T H E D A I LY G U I D E

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T H U R S D AY, J U N E 4 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

We have 2 BHK Flat in Ghubra near sea, 2 rooms with sitting hall, kitchen & 3 bathrooms only 350/-R.O. Contact 93782735 / 99208033

3 bedroom well maintained flat (villa type – only 2 flats in one Bldg) in Al Khuwair, Behind Al Akhtam restaurant villa No 1839, Way No 3922, block No 239. Contact: 99462980 Luxury 3 BHK flat in Al Wattaya with split A/C & private parking.

RO.500/- Contact – 93191111 Commercial 3 BHK flat in Al Ghobra 18 Nov Street. RO 700/Contact – 93191111 Villa of 5 BHK in Al Ansab with split A/C. RO.650/- Contact – 93191111 2 BHK flat in Al Ansab with split A/C. RO.250/- Contact – 93191111 2 BHK flat in Al Azaiba near sea, with split A/C. RO.340/Contact – 93191111 Brand new 6 BHK villa in Al Azaiba with split A/C & lift. RO.1200/Contact – 93191111

2BHK in Ghoubra South behind Extra (350/- R.O). Contact: 99342661

Villa for rent with 4 bedroom at Al Khodh, Rent 600/-RO.#92888115

1BHK in Darsait near ISM (220/R.O). Contact: 99342661

2 BHK (with split AC) residential flat at Honda road.

Contact 98087644 / 99795241

1BHK in Ghoubra South behind Extra (280/- R.O). Contact : 99342661 We have, 2BHK flat in Mabela 7, 2 rooms, sitting hall, kitchen & 2 bathrooms only 200/- R.O. Contact 93782735/ 99208033 2 BHK near Oman House Khimji H.O. Contact: 95865686 2 rooms, 1 bath room for Indian near Ruwi church. Contact: 99746379 Shop / office near Oman house Muttrah. Contact: 99233116 Office space in new building at MBD South. Contact : 94460790 / 24714625 Two bedroom flat at Al Hamriya, Ruwi. Contact: 99767783 Furnished 2BHK Amerat 200 rent.

Contact 95113797

We have 2 BHK flat in Ghala, 2 rooms, large sitting hall, huge kitchen & 3 bathrooms only 350/- R.O our building no water problem.

Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 1 BHK flat in Honda Road (Ruwi).

Contact 99792181 500 sq mtrs office space on mezzanine floor near Royal Hospital. OMR 6.500 per sq mtr. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 3 bedroom at Al Khuwair 33. House No. 866, Way No. 4712. Contact Mohamed : 99580484, Ahmed : 99486805, Awadh 95525509 1 BHK flat for Rent in Ghobra Near Indian School. Contact 99792181 2BHK at Azaiba 2 rooms, 1 hall, dining, 3 bathrooms. Contact: 99224748 / 99425665

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879

Deluxe 1, 2 BHK flats in Darsait, AL Khuwair 1deal for office & residence. Contact 99369081 /99142314

New building, residential apartments and offices, in Al Khoud Souq. Contact 95202340

Showroom for rent 200 m in Al Misfah, Bousher facing the main road. Contact 95202430

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new flat available at Mabela in front of Modern English School Contact: 96239126

Big flats in Darsait near Al Falaj hotel, 3BHK living room, dining room, 2 bathrooms, Kitchen AC FAMILY only 500/-R.O .Contact : 92479515

2000 sqm Commercial land for lease in Ghala. Please contact 98154444

2 BHK Apartment for rent near MSQ area. Please contact 92888063 2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181

For rent in Darsait new flats.

Contact: 99777351

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair 33, 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms with parking area near Taimur Mosque.

Contact: 99366624

For rent in Darsait, new flats.

Contact: 99311525

2 BHK near Medical Darsait R.O 250/-. Contact : 98748925

4 Ware house at Barka Falaij.

Contact: 99337857

Room for rent family /ex bachelor/ sharing in Ruwi. Contact : 99777496

Nice two bedrooms flat near Lulu Seeb split A/Cs R.O 300/- P.M .

Contact: 95278815

4 BHK Villa in Al khuwair. Contact 99792181

We have 5 BHK villas in Al Khuwair near Taymour Mosque commercial villa good for office, companies & families. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 Flats in Wadi Al Kabir Lulu Height Street. Contact: 92022816/ 99468133/ 99719471

3000 sq mtrs Industrial landß, in Barka Sanaiya, with electricity 400KW, shed, staff accommodation and office. Ready to start any kind of factory. Contact 99384255.

5000 sqm prime indusial land in Misfah, Bausher, with 550 sqm of covered warehouse and office space, for rent only. Contact: + 968 – 99264162

Flat for rent with 2 bed rooms and hall, attach bath rooms, split A/C near bridge stone Ghalla top of Majan Hyper Market. Contact: 95928800 Flats for rent in Muttrah near Oman house 2 BHK. Contact: 97009734 / 92629232 Villa for rent at Al Ansab 3rd 4 bedrooms total 230 sqm, air conditioned 1 living room, 3 toilets, kitchen, store only RO 700/-. Contact 99299689

Flat in Darsait, Mumtaz behind Ministry of Sport 2 bedrooms, living room, 3 bathrooms & kitchen split 400/- R.O . Contact: 92479515 Flats in Al Ghubra near 18 Nov .St, 1 bedroom, living room, bathroom, and kitchen with AC 280/- R.O family only. Contact: 92479515 3 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair 33.

Contact 99792181 Labour Camp for Rent in Wadikabir.

Contact 99792181

2 BHK Flat in Rex Road. Contact 99792181 2 BHK Flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181 Executive 3 bedroom flat all attached with bathroom, air condition curtains, sitting room and big varanda R.O 400/- Athaiba round about behind bank Muscat Sohar Building way No 4216 HSE No 1067. Contact: Owner 99331413 / 99105169 1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity and boundary wall.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Apartments for rent Ghubra : near Indian School Ghubra & Al Maha International Hotel (2BHK with 5 split A/C units).Contact 99273774 / 99202278 /94652485

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DAILY GUIDE

FOR RENT AVAILABLE Furnished flats for rent in Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly.

Contact 97819981 / 93593336

2BHK flat with store room, split A/cs in CBD, Ruwi near QNB. Rent 400/-.Contact 99603696

One BHK flat for rent in Ghobra with attach and common bathroom. For Indian family. Contact 92322096

Flats for rent in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact : 92800007

Villa for rent - Al Seeb/Al Mawelah - Block 5 - 4 bedrooms with attached bathrooms, Majlis, 2 halls, kitchen and storeroom. split Ac and carpark.

Contact 99564616 Flat for rent in Ruwi, CBD. Contact: 92820734 1 BHK Flat in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 92275454 Flat or rent in Al Khuwair 33.

Contact: 92277419 3 rooms with attached bath room, hall Brand new in Mabelah near Sharahe Noor. Contact 99663905/ 99415119 2 bedroom flat new building in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99313274 3 bedrooms flat for rent near NIT Institute Darsait. Contact 93494098 506 sqm space with mezzanine available for rent in Al Wadi Al Kabir. Suitable for carpentry / auto workshop and /or electrical shop.

Interested parties may Contact 24703981 Ghubra near Al Maha hotel & Indian school (2BHK with 5 split ac units). Contact 94652485/ 99273774 / 99202278

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing 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: info@tunesoman.com

2BHK at Al Azaiba, 2bedrooms, 1 hall & dinning , 3 bathrooms.

Contact : 99224748 / 99425665 Flats shops and store for rent in Ruwi, MBD Honda road.

Contact 97293708 / 92433127

ACC. WANTED Required villa for office in Mawallah. Contact : 96996938

Flat for rent 1 & 2 bedroom available behind Zaker Mall Al Khuwair.

Contact - 99530405

ACC. AVAILABLE

Labor camp available with all facilities at Sohar Falaij (Near Sohar Sea port) - Contact – 92982172

Single room at Walja, opposite MBD area available for Executive bachelors inclusive of electricity and water for OMR100/-. #93079877

Labour camp for Rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99797422

Room for rent 130/-RO, A/C, E/W kitchen Including bachelor only.

Contact: 95423391

Room main road, Al Khuwair R.O 110/-. Contact 97799175

Furnished single room for Exe. bachelor or small family at Rex Road. Contact 92873832

2 BHK & studio flat at Darsait 1SM. Contact 99024730 For rent 3 industrial land.

Contact 92702891/ 95490842 1/3 BHK Flat Ghubrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390.

Contact 99319880

FOR SALE

Studio flat Wadi Kabeer 160/-O.R. Contact - 99358589 / 97079146/ 95570288

Shfandish & tables for sale.

Contact 99368907

Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Flat with 2 rooms, toilet & kitchen in second floor in Souk Al Khoud behind bank Al Ahli 200/- R.O .

Contact : 99738881

1BHK flat near star cinema with split A/C 230/- O.R. Contact - 99358589/ 97079146/95570288

Coffee shop for sale in North Al Ghubra. Contact 95256009

1& 2BHK for rent at Wadi Kabir, Hilal Al Sad and Al Khoud areas .

Contact Office: 24834644 Mobile: 93994401/02/03

Villa in Al Khuwair and Seeb.

Contact 95250300/ 99119699 / 92125648

If require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send me messages through whatsapp or call 99376454 3 flats for rent 3 bedrooms include A/C, near the highway (Bowshar Amerat). Contact 97777911 / 95533777 1st floor flat in Amerat Phase 5, 4 rooms, bathrooms (3), kitchen with A/C for family.

Contact 95522405 Spacious 2 BHK flats in Ruwi MBD area only on 350/- OMR. Contact – 95122188 / 96441499

FOR SALE

Industrial land for rent in Wadi Kabir 7000 Sq mtrs.

Contact 99354340

Super market in (Hairoon Hairithi) Thamrith road. Contact: 98189810 / 99675190.

Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat. Contact 99349526

Shop for sale in Ibra and Bid Bid. Contact: 95304693

FOR SALE 3 floor commercial building in Muttrah 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

Restaurant for sale well running with open area and good parking area. 3 new clearance also in Wadi Kabeer near Mars hyper market.

Contact 99656863 2,560 sq mtrs industrial land Wadi Kabir Main Road, First line on way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to make petrol station or hotel. OMR 990 Thousand Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Well equiped and running condition Restaurant for sale. Contact: 97710015 / 92934027 near Missfah Khanco Road Cement Factory

Ice Cream & Juices shop in Ruwi good location for sale 1.5 mt fish display machine unused for sale.

Contact: 92150455

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

We have planned industrial lands in a prime location (Bowshar / Al Misfah) the space 8575 SQ. M for each plot, meter price 120/- OMR only. Contact: 99883338

558 Sq mtrs residential land in Barka (Al Jenainah) near Lulu and near to school. OMR 32 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Running restaurant going for sale in Ibri. Contact: 96774871 Best Investment opportunity in Muscat a brand new furnished show room for electronics building, material mobiles etc available for sale at prime location.# 91710624 / 98873484

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah, can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Shopping center for sale at Bousher by good price 400 m2 with all equipment. Reason for selling part-time. Contact 92916490

Independent flat (1 Bed Room + Bath) is available at Mawaleh (Behind City Centre) for a Non Cooking Executive Bachelor. #95931004 Family room available at Muttrah.

Contact: 24712088 / 99022790 Fully furnished room attached bath for Executive bachelor behind Al Meera hypermarket Azaiba R.O 150/-Contact : 99455735 Furnished room available for Executive bachelor in Ghala near Oman LNG building. Contact: 93980990 Sharing for non-cooking Executive bachelor in CBD area wi fi free, advance deposit. Contact 95934642 Furnished room attached bath for Indian bachelor - Al Falaj area & for lady at Wadi kabir (Al Maya) 95941515.

Accommodation available for South Indian family, one bedroom with attached toilet, kitchen, hall in a villa, Al Ghubrah. Contact 99209160 Sharing family accommodation in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99335057 Sharing accommodation available opposite Mars at Al Ghubra for Executive bachelor or small family sharing, kitchen.#94474351 / 96237050 Sharing acc. Available in Muttrah behind Oman house. # 99354340

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T H U R S D AY, J U N E 4 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

SALES / MARKETING

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

BEAUTICIAN

Urgent required Sales staff with good communication skill for Building materials showroom.

Attractive salary + incentives. Contact: 91408823/91408817, ECC Mart, Opposite Al-khuwair Garden, Near Rawasco. eccoman@eccholding.com

MBA Indian male looking for suitable position having 2 years working experience as an accountant now in Oman a visiting visa. Contact: 99424803

Indian Beautician looking for job in Oman, with 5 yrs Oman experience.

Contact: 98869716

Urgently required Marketing Executives male / female Acrylic bender. Contact: 95453949 Sales Coordinator : Mechanical Diploma holder with 3-4 yrs exp. in sales department preferably in Metal fabrication Company. Omani D/L is must. Contact: 99102383 hr@khancogroup.com Urgently required Advertising & Media Sales Executives with Oman D/L. Trainee positions available for Freshers.

Email: jobs@interacoman.com Urgently required Sales and Marketing Executive for Graphic designing company. Contact: 96727631 mail: smartgraphic518@gmail.com

ADMIN Indian Manager is required to work an administrative and real estate valuer in properties office in Shatti al Qurum. He has to be qualified and speaks English with experience in Oman. Contact : 99109094 Omani lady HR Manager for a leading metal fabrication company. Min. 5 yrs exp, familiar with Oman labor Laws. Responsibilities – Making HR policies, Training of Omanis, liaising with various Ministries. Contact: operation@khancogroup.com

ACCOUNTANT A reputed shipping and forwarding company urgently require following personals 1) Accountant 2) Operations Executive valid Omani D/L is must. Experienced hands in shipping field are preferred. Send your CV to applymd2015@gmail.com Required an Accountant B.Com + Tally. Fluently English speaking & computer. Having valid N.O.C. Send CV and contact information to arrange interview.

Email: info@alrabiyahrealestate.com A leading Company in Ruwi looking for Accounts Assistant, B Com with min 3 years of exp. Female candidate preferable. Please send your CV’s to hrruwi2015@gmail.com Assistant Accountant experience: 2 years. Contact: 24703484 / 96918100 Email: om.omanlights@gmail.com

BEAUTICIAN Urgently required Indian experience beautician, good salary + Accommodation + Food visa Available location Al Hail.

Contact: 92284899 / 92139922

CATERING A leading Company in Ruwi looking for Accounts Assistant, B Com with min 3 years of exp. Female candidate preferable. Please send your CV’s to hrruwi2015@gmail.com Looking for a Restaurant Manager for a well known restaurant in Muscat, with atleast 2 years of work experience in Oman. Candidate must have a valid Omani driving license, excellent marketing and communication skills and an eagerness to work. For enquiries and interview Contact: 92978956 or 94027151.

Shawarma /Arabic/Chinese/ cook & helper. Contact 95529970

DOMESTIC HELPER Wanted full time Indian Housemaid for Indian Muslim family. Should be skilled in preparation of Non-Veg dishes. Preferably from Hyderabad, India.

Company visa, good salary + bonus, air –ticket for leave travel provided by company. Contact 99349924.

An Indian family in Al Ghubra requires a full time living housemaid.

Contact : 97084023 Required looking for full time Housemaid preface Indian / Sri Lanka for Omani family at Mabela, visa available. Contact: 92454170 Urgent required House maid in Mabela. Visa available.

Contact- 95200180.

DESIGNER Urgent required Offset printer / binder / designer. Good experience in printing press industries. Please send C.V to fax: 24453227 Contact: 92872940 Email: kkh104@hotmali. com / mgayaz19@gmail.com

DRIVER Heavy duty driver Oman experience. Contact: 99453617

EDUCATION Qualified female Teacher required for Maths & Science with 3 years minimum experience and IELTS school in Al Khuwair.

Contact : 99353961 Teachers required (B.A, BEd, BSc, and B.ed) for Omani Pvt. School Al Hail (North). Contact 95141554/ 96653118

ENGINEER Indian male, B.E ( computer science engineer), MBA (finance), OCA certified, having 5 years of experience in oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks a suitable position in the field of IT. Contact: 96212062 email: zubairkhan11@gmail.com Sudanese Electrical Engineer, 2 years experience.

Contact: 91211592 Email: aymanhamza1990@gmail.com Mechanical / Civil Site Supervisor; diploma / ITI fitter; 3-4 year’s exp in supervision of Erection work of sheds, customer coordination, and project execution. Omani D/L is must. Contact: hr@khancogroup.com / 99102383 Reputed consultancy office required a Mechanical Engineer with 10 to 12 years experience in design of HVAC Systems and plumbing services.

Please send your detailed resume to: info@designunitoman.com

IT Urgently required Omani IT Software professional fluent in Arabic and English with 2 years experience email: mhca@mhabibgroup.com, fax: 24564459 Website Graphic Designer, .Net/ Oracle Certified Developer, Systems Analyst, Software Business Developer/Marketer. hr@takweenit.net

MEDICAL Wanted Female Nurse with or without MOH license for a Polyclinic. Salary negotiable.#97091664, 97327175.

Email: mmcmuscat@gmail.com Female dentist vacancy in a private clinic. Send CV to dentalclinic1212@gmail.com Wanted Nurse for MCT area for GP Clinic Cont: 9670 9401 Required a MOH licensed female Nurse for a private clinic near Al-Suwaiq. Call 93746086 Wanted Nurse for a dental centre in Mawaleh South. Interested may contact 93431024 Email: drasyanaseem@gmail.com Urgently required a Staff Nurse for a clinic at Hamriya area who has passed prometric exam with 60% or more. Contact: 99031408 Email: ranjitbarua63@yahoo.com Urgent required staff Nurse in Mabela. Contact- 95200180.

Urgently required Staff Nurse, Pharmacist and endodontist Female Staff nurse, Pharmacist and endodntist with MOH License/Prometric exam passed with 60% and above.

Contact 24780088, 97374459 Email : karamadental@gmail.com Immediate placement ( with or without MOH) A. Pharmacist 3 nos B. Asst.pharmacist - 2 nos Contact Tel.99338219 , 93240949

Urgently Required: Civil Engineer with an experience minimum in 5 years in building construction and MUST have NOC. Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com

Wanted Lady Doctor GP or Gynecologist with MOH license.

Immediate opportunity. Contact 99310590

Required a diploma holder in Mechanical Engineering. Fluently English speaking & computer, having valid Omani driving license & N.O.C. Send CV and contact information to arrange interview.

Email: info@alrabiyahrealestate.com

Mason, C.C.T.V, Technician, Electrician cum Plumber.

Contact: 99383044

A leading business group in Omanis looking for Civil Engineers (Diploma/Degree Holders) with 4-5 yrs experience for their Civil Engineering division. Please apply to kumar@muscatsteel.com MEP Contractor in Muscat looking for AC Foreman with minimum 5 years experience in Split AC installation. Contact: 92472326 Email:info@4dengineering.net Construction Company require Civil Engineer, minimum 2 year’s Gulf experience. Contact: 93806556 A reputed water treatment company is looking for 10 years experienced Civil Engineer with driving license.

Knowledge of civil works, QS. Apply : md.mohamed@gmail.com Electrical Engineer having 3 years gulf experience with driving license.

Contact: 24703484 / 96918100 Email: om.omanlights@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Required Office Assistant 160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

TOURISM Required experience (minimum 3 years) holiday staff for an IATA Approved Travel agency for the holiday department. Preferably Arabic speaking please forward the CV : kttjobs@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

Required Sales man - 1 Person Qualification. Gulf Experienced - Minimum 5 Years with Oman Driving Licence Language - English Education:- Any Degree Further Contact :Mr. Abdul Hameed Nashabat - Mobile No: 97414307 and -92807399 amn@yaqeeneng.com Sales man for electrical and building material Items, experience: 2 years with driving license.

Contact: 24703484 / 96918100 Email: om.omanlights@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian CA with 15 yrs exp working as Finance Head for MNC looking for suitable job.

NOC available. 94047434 Male 24 years MBA in Accounts and Finance with 2 year experience looking for job in Oman. Knows about accounts and Business related reports. Contact me Name: Saqib Shakeel, GSM: 94374745 and E.mail:saqibshakeel5@gmail.com M.Com, CA (Article ship), 15 years Gulf experience looking for suitable position in finance & accounts on visit visa valid up to 10/7/2015.

Contact: 97767828, knowledge of quickbooks, Tally 9, Focus V.5 Email: altabhossain2008@hotmail.com Indian female 25 years married, MBA Finance, Diploma in foreign accounting 3 months experience in a CA firm on family visa.

Contact: 95916769 Email: sikhapadoor@gmail.com ACA,ACMA & ACS qualified with rich experience in Finance & Accounts, more than 14 years in gulf, seeks suitable opening.

Contact: 00968-95591523 Email:anush123@hotmail.com ACCA & B.Com with Noc more than 5 years of experience in accounts & finance looking for a suitable job can join immediately. Contact: 97012146 Indian male, 27 M.Com, MBA, 4.5 years experience in finance & accounts, tally & SAP currently on visit visa. Contact: 93484048 Male 24, B.Com / PGD having 2 years experience in accounts and inventory field, looking for suitable job, on visit visa. Contact: 94129550 Indian male 26 years having 2 years of experience in financial accountant looking for accountant job.

Contact: 00968 97483234

Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate 1 year exp in Accounts, currently on visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94341848 / Email – mohdhaji7272@gmail.com Sr. Accountant M.com (finance) 15 years experience (2years in Oman with a reputed firm) NOC available.

Contact: 92404608 Email: jin_75@rediffmail.com Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331 Indian male with total 5 year experience (2 years experience in Accountant cum sales co ordinator in a FMCG Company in Oman) in accounts field and NOC available. Looking for suitable job Contact 92130188 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, Email: anzarks@gmail.com MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in finance/accounts/ auditing. Specialized in accounts payable dept, Oracle app user, proficient in Sap (fico) end user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma certified trainer on visit visa.

Contact – 91967213 / 99064780 Indian Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placment. contact 93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com Tanzanian male, 25 yrs Accountant successful experience in Tanzania looking for suitable placement in any field. Contact : 96710154 Tunisian lady has Professorship in social and economical sciences and accounting, diploma in Experimental Sciences degree in English for media. Contact 95391050, aysser2013@gmail.com

ADMIN/HR Indian female MBA, 3 Years experience in Admin MIS, Family Visa.

Contact 98234427, jkjsmith01@gmail.com Indian female 29 MBA (HR) BSc, 4 yrs exp in HR& Admin looking suitable placement. Contact : 95619537 MBA (international business) from London, 4 years of UK experience in operations with D/L, looking for suitable position. Contact 91710075 Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR. joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437 Over 14 years of gulf experience in Admin /HR /Logistics, fluent in Arabic & English with D/L looking for suitable position.Contact 95824598 Indian female post Graduate with 5 years experience in HR and Admin looking for good opportunity.

Contact: 94692244 Indian female MBA – HR 1 and half years experience seeking suitable job. Contact : 99257214 Indian female with 10 yrs of experience in HR/Banking/Operations seeks a suitable placement.

Can be contacted on 98919015 or sherianne.coelho@gmail.com

AUTO CAD/ARCHITECT

Indian male M.Com 6 yrs experience in accounts up to finalization in Oman having Oman D/L available to join immediately with NOC. Contact : 98363897 Email: prince9496@hotmail.com

Indian Female 23yrs, Autocad draftsman with 3ds max & rivet , 3yrs exp, Looking for suitable vacancy in Muscat, now in visit visa .Contact:95601266 Email : reshmanb121@gmail.com

Accountant having 8 yrs, experience looking for part time job.

Contact: 99867456

Indian Female Architect (Interior Design), Knowledge in AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe Photoshop, 3D Max Studio, Adobe in design, Google Sketch up, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Office etc.. Currently on family dependent visa up to November 2015.

Contact: 95959494 , E-Mail: rasha.k973@gmail.com

Indian male 25 yrs B.com having experience in accounts for 3 yrs currently on visit looking to job.

Contact: 97937868 Email: rehman.naseer999@gmail.com

Required Indian Salesman for a Spare parts Company, Good salary package and visa will be offered for suitable candidates. Can send CV on alrabhe@omantel.net.om

Part time Accounts job & finalization work Muscat. Contact: 92917448

Salesman experienced 5 yrs in Oman, in the field of industrial & oilfield service, garage equipment tools & spares, safety wears & rescue equipments. Please forward your CV to almaadhi.trd@gmail.com

An Indian lady Chartered Accountant with five years experience (including article ship) on family visa in Oman looking for a suitable job. Please Contact 9621 0347 / 9943 5346, shincycrajan@gmail.com

Autocad D man, Gulf exp in major projects, knows arch, structural, MEP, NOC available ph: 98225740 Female architect (27) 4 years experience seeking for suitable job in Oman experience in Oman, India & UK. Contact: 96146645 Email: anjuovil@gmail.com

DRIVER L.T.V driver language, Hindi, Arabic & English. Contact: 98802079 Light Driver having own visa looking for job as driver.

Contact: 97073429 Heavy duty driver valid license Omani need job & visa.

Contact: 91139963 Driver looking for job with visa, release available, 5 yrs driving experience. Contact: 96261895 Faruqu.

Light vehicle driver looking for job.

Contact: 91452930 Driver looking for job, light vehicle.

Contact: 95446207 Driver looking for job, with driving license of Oman. Contact : 98007513 Driver 6 yrs exp knowing English, Arabic, Hindi Education B. A. Contact: 99512270 Driver with car 10 years experience part and full time looking for job light driver. Contact: 95897233 Light Driver needs Job. Contact: 93284327 Driver light. Contact: 91020999

DOMESTIC HELPER Looking for job for House maid.

Contact : 93599302 Laundry Housekeeping professional looking for a opening in Oman with 18 years experience. Contact : 91957861 Housemaid & houseboy, Indian with 4 yrs exp looking for job.

Contact 91299288

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian male 24 years, Mechanical Engineer,pdms.1 yr experience in pipeline,16years in oman seeking immediate placement # 95775742 Omani Mechanical Engineer, has 3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S, Riggers/Banks men Permit, Drawing / cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership and Initial Fire Response Courses. good with computer and English language looking for suitable job. Contact 99224319-98454500 Indian male 22 Mechanical Diploma holder Engg with HVAC certified, having 1 year exp. seeking suitable position. Currently available on visit visa. Contact - 92835952 Electrical Engineer, 2 years as Project Engineer office works proposals / contracts site jobs installations/ maintenance. Contact: 96209298 English/ Arabic languages Graduate Electrical Engineer having 6 years experience of Gulf and professional license available to join. Contact: 98063081 Indian Civil Engineer (building) available immediately as supply contract. Contact : 95218004 Electrical Engineer 10 years experience in underground cables extension and distribution substation and terrestrial station available in Oman, on visit visa.

Contact : 95471606 Btech computer science graduate 2015 passout.. Android application marketing.. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Contact 91024385 Engineer with 3 yrs experience in Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical maintained field on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact 99191535 Email: fareed029@gmail.com Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer skills and 2 years experience as associate research analyst (Media Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seeking growth oriented jobs. Contact 92044603 /918056169148 or angeline.babithac@gmail.com.

T H U R S DAY, J U N E 4 , 2 0 1 5

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

SALES / MARKETING

ENGG. / TECHNICAL BE Mechanical Engineer 4/5 years experience in Planning Engineer.

Interested companies kindly contact 95403146 / 99426840 candidate available till 12.06.2015 Sr Manager, B.Tech, MBA, PRINCE-2, British National. 24 yrs exp in EPC Project Management of Oil & Gas, Pipelines, Refineries & Power Plants. Seeking job immediately/on visit/Contact- 0096891263952/ josececy25@gmail.com Toms Davis-Indian, Diploma in Mech Eng, 4+yrs exp in Projects & co-ordination, 1yr exp in HVAC Design & Draughting, Mob-92068508, tomsdavispullan@gmail.com B.Tech Civil Engineer, Indian female 2 yrs experience in Oman, looking for suitable position.

Contact: 91690345 Structural Engineer 4 years experience Indian, will handle projects independently, able to get Municipality approvals easily.

Contact: 91668044 Quantity Surveyor (Civil Diploma) 2 yrs experience in Oman, looking for full/ part-time job.

Contact: 96936793 Indian male diploma in Computer Engineering seeking suitable placement immediately now on visiting visa . Contact : 97317844 / 92580948 BSC. Mechanical Engineering, 17 yrs exp in Oman, 30 yrs exp in production management, erection and maintenance of refineries, stock piling equipments, belt convoying systems structures, power transmission equipments gear boxes contact 98214442; Email: mohusak@gmail.com Indian male 29 years Civil Engineer diploma 4 years Oman experience, 2 years road construction looking placement. Contact: 93298395 N.O.C available Adarsh.B , B. Tech Mechanical N.D.T ASNT level 2, 2 years 10 months experience in New Delhi. Contact adarsh320480@gmail.com Indian male 28 years Electronics & Instrumentation Engineer 4+ years experience in Industrial automation (SCADA) seeking suitable job.

Contact: 93154156 / 98416190 Network Engineer, Security Engineer with a Bachelor degree seeking a suitable job in a good company.

Contact: 98129846 Sudanese Industrial Engineering & Management, experience 12 years in QA/QC and production. Contact: 94041960 / 94044784, Email: mekkimedani@hotmail.com / mekkimedani78@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, Indian, 24 years with piping engineering, autocad & PDMS now on visiting visa seek suitable placement. Contact : 99168054 / 96684345 email: mbkishore@hotmail.com Indian male B.Tech Electronics Instrumentation, studied till 12th in Oman, presently on family visa seeking suitable position.

Contact: 99639646 / 99067950 Email: prajeeshpp12@gmail.com Electrical Engineer : Indian male 29 years , having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Civil Foreman, maintenance, 15 years Oman, 2 yrs Kuwait with Oman driving license.

Contact 00968-96405865 / 91 9464255409 Email: sukhwinder9@yahoo.com

Indian male 30 years Mechanical Engineering Diploma with 4+ years of Experience in Fabrication drawings using CAD Software’s in India, now on a visit visa seeking for a suitable placement in OMAN. Will be available till 12/6/15 for interview.

Contact 99013952, vineetf56@gmail.com Instrumentation Engineer, Indian male having 2 years experience in process instruments and sales seeks suitable placement on visit visa.

Contact: 95954385 Email: irfancisinn@gmail.com Indian male B.Tech (ECE), currently working in HCL Chennai India, as Engineer Product Support Officer with 2.5 yrs experience looking for a suitable placementMobile: 92625379 ; Email: mekala.kashyap@gmail.com Sales Engineer (37), 15 yrs (12 yrs Oman) experience in structured cabling fiber optics, data centers, security & AV, Telecom, Network & datacom, OSP, Industrial Connectivity. Contact: 99771815, Noc. Indian male, B.Tech Mechanical having 4 years experience with QA/ QC / CSWIP looking for a suitable position. Contact: 99447106 Email: dhanubhasi87@gmail.com 24 years Indian EEE Diploma with Auto CAD, B.Com completed required any suitable job.

Contact : 94015346 / 93276916 Civil Engineer male 13 years exp Indian seeking suitable job.

Contact: +919640973798 Email: firozbakhtiar2@gmail.com Diploma in Civil Engineer with 10 yrs experience, valid Omani driving license, NOC available.

Contact: 94052815.

5 years experienced Q.S ENG with driving license looking for suitable position. Contact: 98142595 Indian male 25, Diploma Civil Engineer 2 years experience insite Engineer looking for suitable placement. Contact: 96750429

HOSPITALITY Indian male/30 years with hotel management degree, 02 years experience in F&B service at 5 star hotel in Dubai and 05 years in American 6 star cruseliner as butler.

Contact 91135371 4 yrs exp (Money Exch. Services & hospitality services in Oman& India) Indian male 27, Graduate in Hospitality Science, fluent in English, Hindi & Arabic seeks job.

Contact 91383167 Indian male fresher BCA young and energetic, seeking good opportunites.email: jlaxmimenon@gmail. com, Contact 00919567722270

IT Software Engineer 6+ Exp.(MCA with Distinction) interested in IT/ Teaching Contact-92656246 27 years Pakistani male, having bachelors B.Com IT and Nebosh IGC – Level 3 looking for placement in HSE in construction for experience having valid visa with NOC. Contact: 92064233 MCA Indian male 24 yrs seeking suitable placement in software / Database support currently on visit visa. Contact 96785261 Email: sudheesh.edakkadan@gmail.com 25 yrs, Omani male, 5 years exp seeking job in IT and AutoCad all info in website.

Contact: najeeb719.weebly.com

Indian female 28 yrs having 2 yrs experience as Estimation and Design Engineer (BMS) with valid Omani driving license seeks suitable placement. Contact: 99047570

Indian female 27 yrs B.Tech (IT) MBA one years of experience as a software analyst.

Contact 91234864 Email: ashwinirathnam2011@gmail. com

Electronics Engineer with 4 years experience in product development looking for in instrumentation and industrial automation now in Oman visit visa. Contact : 968 95218030 Email: ronymreji@gmail.com

Networking technician with driving license, with Noc, having 2 experiences in data & telephone structured cubing EPABX & CCTV installation is looking for suitable jobs. Contact: 96027516

IT Net work Technician CCTV, UTP, OFC, Flooring work 6 yrs experience (GCC). Contact: +91 9526888134 Network system Engineer B.E / ECE + CCNA & Ms certified with 4+ yrs exp looking for a job. Currently in Oman on visit visa.

Contact: 92589502 Email: careersjegan@gmail.com

MEDICAL Indian female Dentist MOH Oman passed seeking a suitable placement in capital region. Contact– 91377681 hashimsarawat@gmail.com Well experienced MOH Licensed Indian GP Doctor looking for locum / permanent position in the Capital area. Contact 98140024 email:drgpoman@yahoo.com Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Indian male MBA having 10 years experience in Oman as Document controller and 2+ Years experience as Project Assistant / Executive Secretary seeks suitable placement.

NOC available Contact: 95373198, email: sydnvrng@yahoo.com Indian male more than 10 years Gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin (employees visa processes), Secretarial and purchase coordination with good computer skills. Having Driving license and NOC available. Looking for suitable placement. Contact 99709336

SALES / MARKETING Indian male 10 years experience in Welding Supervisor NDT Technician, MIG Welding specialist seeking suitable job. Contact 96771841 Indian male MBA 7 years experience in Hospitality industry, operation, sales & marketing looking for suitable vacancy. Contact 92115860 Email vibin.py@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR B.Com Graduate with 12 years experience in overseas / local purchase, logistics, warehouse seeks suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact: 94657319 Sr Manager, MBA, 18 yrs professional exp in building material, tiles, sanitary wares, bath, turnkey projects, interiors, modular kitchens, hardwares & tools. Project sales in Gulf countries with GCC license on visit visa looking for job assignment.

Contact 93364846 Sr Manager, B.Tech, MBA, Prince -2 from UK. 24 yrs exp in EPC project management of oil & gas pipelines, refineries & power plants. Seeking job immediately / on visit/ Contact: + 00968912639 Email: josececy25@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Female 30 Yrs (Master in Hospital Administration) Lead Auditor ISO 9001:2008 QMS; ISO 14001:2004 EMS Certified Having Total Exp. of 6+ years ( Last 3 Years In Oman ) In Healthcare Administration ,Quality , Training , HR & Healthcare Audit .Well versed In JCI (U.S.A.) Accreditation/NABH Accreditation .

Seeks Opening in Quality /Training / Auditing /HR&A Department.Currently on Family Visit Visa (Received NOC). GSM: 96683277 / 93747007 E-Mail: smsraza819@gmail.com Ware house In charge or store keeper 27 yrs Gulf experience 4 yrs in Oman NOC available.

Contact: 97657823 Email: rusaikmzm_2009@yahoo.com MCA, BCA with 2 yrs relevant experience seeking suitable opportunity.

Contact: 96377039 Indian Female with over 9 yrs experience with good communication skills seeks jobs in customer service or sales field. Contact : 96108289, shijipaul84@gmail.com Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant ,doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available. Contact 98803439 13 Years UAE experienced in MNC & reputed firms logistics distribution looking for a suitable placement, on visit visa contact 99838743, gani.dawood@gmail.com

Indian female B.Com Graduate having 8 yrs experience in India & 2 yrs experience in Oman as Customer Service, Office Asst, Sales Coordinator, Secretary seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95433987 Indian male MBA with versatile dynamic target driven personality having rich and In-depth experience of 5 years in marketing, sales, office, administration team handling and recruitment looking for challenging and suitable position. Contact: 96145933 Sales man looking for a opening in Oman with 18 years Gulf experience.

Contact: 91957861 Indian male 22 years, B.Com graduate (fresher) Well versed in English, Arabic & Hindi with Oman D/L , seeking a suitable job in Oman . Now on visit visa. Contact:- 97660518 Indian male, 32 years having 3 yrs exp in sales & marketing in Oman, holding valid Oman driving license.

NOC available. Contact: 97615497 / +919894436645 Email: faraj7@gmail.com Result oriented male M. Com 25 yrs experience sales marketing, admin building material seeking immediate suitable placement having L /D. Contact : 92882408/ 92715831 Indian female 28 years experience Sales Coordination, Administration, Secretarial and Accounting Software knowledge with Oman D/L. Contact : 96751993 8 years purchase experienced Indian male looking for job. N.O.C. available. Contact: 98161323 Graduate Indian male 25 yrs, looking for a suitable placement for an Executive or Sales support job in a reputed organization.

Contact : 98558648 Email: risham54@gmail.com Salesman cum Driver 6 yrs exp Know English, Arabic, Hindi, Education B.A. Contact: 98522914 33 years male looking for a suitable position holding driving license, sales man by nature, experience in storekeeping, supervision skills, well aware of health & safety management, fluent in English, familiar with MS Office & good communication skill .Contact : 93556794 Email: faisal.khan2092@gmail.com Indian male 5 years gulf experience in Admin / vehicle insurance coordinator and sales having driving license looking for suitable placement. Contact : 95870476 Email: mubaris.abdul@gmail.com

GOOD NEWS

Indain Male MBA Marketing/HRM 3 year experience with Omani D/L, seeking suitable jobs. # 97424188 email: dharwesh@gmail.com

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments & massage, Ayurvedic clinic at Al Khuwair. Contact 24478618 / 97263637 /93309131

Indian male 32 yrs, 6 years experience instore in charge with Indoor salesman looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97385874

Ayurvedic massage backache, joint pain & neck pain etc.

Contact: 98254909

An Indian male having rich experience in procurement, Sales marketing and office administration seeking suitable position.

Contact: 93689602 Indian 23 years B.Com Graduate, 2 years experience in Sales knowledge of TALLY, ERP & MS Office.

Contact: 93134643 Email : syedismailnoor@gmail.com 8 years store experience Indian male looking for placement. N.O.C available. Contact: 98456535 Indian Male, B.Com Graduate, 23, with experience in Sales looking for suitable placements.

Contact - 9837 1144 Indian male, B.Sc (Mathematics) PGDBM (Marketing). 9 yrs of Oman experience in sales in midlevel management, NOC available.

Valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95278838 Email: anup2p4p@yahoo.com Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as sales supervisor in India looking for indoor sales /stores /cashier or any suitable placement can speak Hindi , English, Malayalam, Tamil, kannada can join immediately on visit visa.

Contact 93086105/33016546 Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermediate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing in Oman. Looking for suitable job.

Contact - 92146864

TOURS & TRAVELS Indian male, IATA qualified & English graduate on family visit looking for a suitable job. Contact no.

93449151, 99475217.

25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion Technology. 5 years experience in textile industry as a merchandiser and good in fashion marketing.

Currently available on visit visa, seeking for a suitable job.

Contact 96990368.

Email: simmy.missy@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male MBA Finance presently OMAN IN visit visa, 26 years, looking for an accountant job.

Contact 95240641, email Id mohammadabdulazharuddin@ gmail.com Indian male, looking for a part time accounting job. Having additional knowledge & experience in HR admin & purchase. Contact 99196621 Indian male MBA (U.K), 10 Years of experience in Admin, Sales, HR, stores and logistics seeks suitable placement. Contact 99271903.

Indian Female MCA, 4 plus Years of experience in Web designing, Admin, P.A, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 99486374 B.Com with more than 5 yrs exp. looking for an accounts part tome job work. know with tally.

Email-shilpa_62@yahoo.com Indian Male. 27, Post Graduate, 5+ yrs exp in Oman in Sales & Credit Control, with valid Oman driving License, NOC available, looking for suitable placements. Ph: 9199 3376 Indian male Executive Secretary having vast experience in admin, logistics & procurement well versed with computer .seek suitable placement. Contact : 99514286 MEP Quantity Surveyor-EstimationProject, 10 Years Experience (3 years in Oman). Having NOC & Oman D/L, looking for suitable job, Contact - 98291626 B.E. Civil Engineer age 27, total 3 years of experience in Mumbai looking for placement asap in oman now on visit visa of 1 month ph 9571 3441 Email. Khatrialeem@gmail.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. Contact 99639695 / 99117987 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 Taimour Ayurvedic Clinic, Ruwi offers genuine & effective treatment for back pain, paralysis, cervical and lumbar spondylitis, osteoarthritis, joint pains, sinusitis, migraine, allergic problems, varicose vein and all other health related problems. Kerala massage and rejuvenation package available. For details please Contact 92197920/ 24799689

MATRIMONIAL Alliance invited for a nair boy 28 yrs 165cm working with a leading business group in Muscat.

Contact : 91717912 Alliance invited for a Hindu Ezhava girl 24 years, 5’ 2”, slim, B.Tech, MBA (Star Makayerium) joining shortly to an international firm for work , reputed family of Thrissur dt. currently settled in Muscat, from parents of well educated & employed Ezhava boys preferably from Thrissur, EKM, Palakkad. Contact : 98986547 We are Muslim family seeking alliance for our son interested families. Contact 97664009 Hindu Ezhava family, settled in Muscat looking for suitable groom working within Oman for their daughter 25 yrs (MBA) working with a reputed company in Muscat.

Contact : 98689663

CHANGE OF COMPANY NAME Shuaa Al Etehad Al Shamilah for Trad joint company which is recorded under the commercial register number 3133036 in the treading & industry Al Batinah is going to change its legaly shape from joint company to Limited Responsibility company And in accordance with Article 13 of the Commercial Companies Law No. 4/74. And change name to Wadi Dofya L.L.C company.

This is to inform any body who concerns about that to 2 months from the date publishing this advertising

CHANGE OF NAME We, Raju Kallarakkal Joseph (name of father as per the passport, holder of Indian passport No M 5715840 and Laizy Raju (name of mother, as per the passport, holder of Indian Passport No. K 9306892) having permanent address in India Kallarakkal - House, Kanimangalam, Thrissur -21, Kerala (complete postal address in India) and presently residing at the following address in Al Ghubrah, P.B No. 364 P.C No. Villa 5, Sultanate of Oman, hereby solemnly affirm and declare to change the name of our child Master Terin (name as per present passport), holder of Indian passport No. K 9306874 date of issue 2/3/2013 issued at Muscat. The name of our child will be henceforth known as Jerin Kallarakkal Raju (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, PB No. 1727, PC 112, Ruwi , Sultanate of Oman.

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DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

WEBSITE

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

WE ARE PROVIDING ACCOUNTING/ AUDITING TAX/ CONSULTING CONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033

NRI

NRI Ready / under construction apartments / villas. Near guruvayur.

Contact: 00919846877773 Ready / under construction apartments / villas / row houses / shops, available for sale in North / South Goa (India). tel # 95867021 E- mail tonynoronha@rocketmail.com

BUSINESS

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

Specialist available for explosive growth in term of restructuring all modules of businesses with over 30 years of experience across continents with a decade in Oman.

Contact 96733578 Email : profitoman@gmail.com

New Construction Company required investors for financial project.

Contact: 92959251 Software development based on requirements such as: Web development & cloud computing, SAP implementation & services. Android App development networking.

Contact 97423932

SITUATION WANTMANPOWER

CLASSES Scrap business running scrap business sale with 60 Ton Weighing Bridge in Mabellah.

Contact: 92295780

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517 A/C maintenance split A/C servicing. RO. 10 only. Contact 94217681/ 99210141 Tailoring churidar, anarkali, salwar kameez dance co stumes shop 32 Dhofar bldg, Ruwi.

Contact: 99740196

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact: 95190627

Churidar, Anarkali, Salwar Kameez, Dance costumes, shop 32, Dhofar building, Ruwi.

Contact 99740196

Pick & Drop anytime @ 91653903 Transportation available.

Contact: 99867456

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house cleaning. Contact 99542979 / 98855815

Transportation. Contact: 91310107

Available for longer period : Mig Welder 5 nos, General worker with PDO pass 10 nos, Helper 10 nos, Mason 8 nos. Contact 99610703

Driver with vehicle. Contact 99159277

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance.

Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422 Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact 99557080 Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089/95323517 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 House shifting. Contact 99708138

DRIVING

A/C maintenance & servicing. Fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing. Painting & cleaning services & electrical & plumbing. Contact 99447257/97014234/ 24504281

P.R.O services. Contact 99368907 Carpet & sofa shampooing. Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99884591 / 92682970

Pick & Drop any time. Contact 97014786 Learn Cup cakes, exotic cakes, Icing decorations, handicrafts.

Contact 95941515

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476

Pest Control Treatments, Termites, Cockroaches, Bedbugs. Contact Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99344723

Learn driving with professional only automatic. Contact 94022250

T H U R S DAY, J U N E 4 , 2 0 1 5

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours Contact- 98029602, 92808636

TOURS

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

MV. SALE

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40 ton petrol tank each working at the moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35 Thousand each. Contact 97000155 or 92688692

Toyota Yaris 2006, 1.3 cc Automatic, Gray, 101000 k.m, accident free, well maintained & sparingly used by diplomat. All services done through Toyota. Contact 96249208.

Land Cruiser 2012. Contact 99336093

Hyundai Accent 2004, fully automatic.

Contact: 99045803

Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat driven. Contact 99209285

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DAILY GUIDE

Indian, Arabic, Chinese dishes, BuďŹ&#x20AC;et Lunch (On Friday) Indoor & Outdoor, Catering, Party hall available Take Away & Home Delivery

Party booking & sugges ons 99320065, 99341643

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624