Times of Oman - December 5, 2015 by Muscat Media Group

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FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the occasion of the 28th National Day

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

WONDERFUL WINTER

We want positive investments which will yield attractive returns to the investor while, at the same time, contributing to the development of the country, and enabling the citizens to acquire technical expertise and skills in all ﬁelds.

Winter is the most pleasant season in large parts of the Sultanate. >A3

SATURDAY, December 5, 2015 / 23 Safar 1437 AH

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CABLE

HM sends greetings to Thailand MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand on his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the

Sultan has expressed his sincere greetings and wishes of good health and happiness to the King Bhumibol and his country’s people further progress and prosperity. —ONA

H E AV Y R A I N S

Tamil expatriates in Oman worried as Chennai ﬂooded HIGH RATES: Muscat airport taxi drivers want complete monopoly over ferrying ﬂyers.

Muscat airport taxi fares highest in GCC Justifying the high fares, airport taxi drivers said that they employ premium brand and latest model cars which consume more fuel but give complete comfort to travellers

RAHUL DAS HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

rahuldas@timesofoman.com hasan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Omani capital tops the GCC region in airport taxi fares where rates begin from OMR 6. That’s over two times as high as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha where the fares begin from OMR 2.5. The Times of Oman carried out the research as airport taxi drivers call for their orange and white colleagues to be banned from picking up passengers at Muscat’s airport. The call comes at a time when competition for fares is increasing following launch of the city’s new bus service which passengers have hailed as a success. Justifying the high fares, Nasser Al Gurumi, an airport taxi

driver, said Oman’s airport taxis provided luxurious service with latest cars of premium brands. “We recently bought a ﬂeet of 2016 Lexus cars,” said Talal Al Shibli, another airport taxi driver, who pointed out that all airport taxis have V6 engines, which consume more fuel but ensure more comfortable trips for passengers. Exact fares Abdullah Al Shibli, another airport taxi driver, said, “Here, the customers get their bill ﬁrst so that they come to know about the exact fare. So the taxi driver here takes the shortest route, but in other countries taxi drivers take the longer routes so that the fares go up and eventually people end up paying more. Customers are frequently complementing our

WORLD

UAE shares special OPEC fails to agree ties with Oman: Envoy on oil output cuts

Oman and the UAE share special ties and a historic relationship, said UAE’s ambassador to Oman, Mohammed Sultan Al Suwaidi, said. >A2

Taken for a ride Citing another example, he said there had been instances where the orange and the white taxis had charged OMR46 to take one person from airport to Mabela and OMR40 for a ride to Azaiba. “This is why we want them to be banned from the airport,” he said. According to the UBS Prices and Earnings 2015 report, the Norwegian capital of Oslo has the most expensive taxi fares in the world, where a ﬁve-kilometre ride will cost $32 (OMR13.2). Oslo is closely followed by Zurich ($27.59), Luxembourg ($22.34), Geneva ($20.58), Auckland ($19.72), Stockholm ($18.56), Montreal ($17.57), Milan ($17.3) and Amsterdam ($16.22). Among the Gulf countries, Dubai and Doha are included in the UBS Prices and Earnings 2015 report. In Dubai, the airport taxi rates start from $6.26 (OMR2.4),

while in Doha the rates start from $3.66 (OMR1.4), the UBS Prices and Earnings report said. The report also indicated that taxi fares charged at the New Delhi airport in India are the cheapest in the world, with fares starting at $1.54, followed by Kiev ($1.59), Bogota ($1.71), Mumbai ($1.81) and Bangkok ($1.81). The report said prices for a taxi include a ﬁve-km ride during the day within city limits, including a service tip. According to the Dubai Taxi Corporation, taxis are available 24 hours a day and the starting meter charged at the Dubai Airport is 25 dirham and 1.75 dirham per km. In Abu Dhabi, airport taxis fares start from AED25. In Doha, all taxis are metered and the starting fare from the Hamad International Airport is QAR25. In Kuwait, taxi fares start from 4 Kuwaiti dinar, according to Directorate General of Civil Aviation-Kuwait International Airport. In Bahrain, 1 Bahraini dinar is the taxi meter’s starting fare during the ﬁrst period and BD1.250 during the second period, according to the Bahrain International Airport.

RAIN WOES: People look for drinking water after several areas

were inundated in Chennai due to rainfall on Thursday. -PTI

BABA UMAR

babaumar@timesofoman MUSCAT: Heavy rains and subsequent flooding in India’s southern city of Chennai have left expats in Oman worried. A number of them said, they had been unable to make contact with their relatives back home amidst a deteriorating situation. The massive flooding—believed to be the worst in the last century—has forced airlines to cancel their flights and some mobile service providers to shut down operations. More than 270 persons have been killed in the natural disaster so far. “I am worried not just because my family is in Chennai, but also because many other relatives are trapped in the ground floors of their houses,” A R Srinivasan, an Indian expat living in Oman told the Times of Oman (TOO). “I am told that some of them have shifted to my home. It was

after a long time that I got to hear from my daughter, a medical student, who was trapped in her college.” Srinivasan said the Tamil people in Oman are “restless”. “We don’t know how to provide relief since all flights to Chennai have been cancelled. We are hopeful that the rains will end soon and that the Indian army will be able to rescue all the affected,” he added. More flights cancelled Oman Air operates 14 flights a week (daily two flights) and Air India operates one flight daily to and from Chennai, where the main airport has been shut down after rains inundated the entire airstrip. No flight has taken off or landed from the marooned airport since Monday, November 30. Indian airport officials said on Friday that Chennai airport would be opened partially from today. >A2

O R AT O R I C A L P O W E R

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

new cars and services,” he added. Airport taxi drivers in Muscat also complained that the orange and the white taxis are taking their business away. “We want the taxi business at the airport to be exclusive to us as the orange and the white taxis charge higher than us,” taxi driver Al Shibli said.

OPEC members failed to agree on an oil production ceiling at a meeting that ended in acrimony, after Iran said it would not consider any curbs. >A10

MARKET

Strong job growth in US boosts rate hike case

US job growth increased solidly in November in a show of the economy’s resilience, which most likely paves the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month for the ﬁrst time in nearly a decade. >B1

Omanis stump Dubai with debating skills Times News Service MUSCAT: Four teams of Omani higher education students were praised by the expert panel in the United Arab Emirates for their exceptional oratorical skills at this year’s annual Inter-College Environmental Public Speaking Competition. Today, Times of Oman is carrying the story of young Omani debaters as part of its #OmanPride campaign. Held recently at Dubai’s Knowledge Village in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Omani students joined 51 teams from across the region for the debate.

TOPPERS’ TALK: The Inter-College Environmental Public Speak-

ing contest is a two-day regional event. -Supplied photo

Jordanian teenager drowns in Mughsayl

‘OPAL Team’ The ‘OPAL Team’ from the Rustaq College of Applied Science won the second place with their presentation on, “Environment and Development: Conﬂict or Harmony?” and team “Hayati ﬁ Be’ati” from the Oman Dental College secured second spot for its presentation on “Sustainability our Responsibility—It’s no longer an option!” On the second day, team “Green Environment” from the Rustaq College of Applied Sciences won second place for debating on the theme, “Overpopulation vs. Overconsumption: Where should we focus?” and team “Protect to Protect us” from the Ibra College of Technology gained third spot for debating on the theme “From Global to Local: Environmental Regulation and Economic Integration.”

Nuhaila Shukry Al Sulaimani, ESO’s education coordinator said, “We are very proud of our Omani students. This has been an empowering and invaluable experience that has helped them further their personal development at all levels, build critical thinking skills, and make important connections that will last for lifetime. Their journey to the regional ﬁnals has been very rewarding and enabled them to interact with their peers on a regional scale.” Platform for young minds The Inter-College Environmental Public Speaking Competition is a bilingual two-day regional event that serves as a platform for young minds to introspect, analyse, debate and question environmental issues.

Held annually, the contest gathers students from universities and colleges. The competition begins with a series of national contests, where students are asked to present research and debate four environmental topics in front of an expert judging panel. Emirates group The winning teams in each category then advance to the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG)’s regional grand ﬁnale, where they are pit against regional competition. The four teams that represent Oman have qualiﬁed for the regional event after winning the Sultanate’s edition of the competition. They were coached by an expert from Toastmasters Oman

and the Khimji Training Institute in preparations for their trip to Dubai. The winning teams also met with Mohammed bin Salim Al Tobi, Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs, prior to their travel to Dubai. The national contest, held earlier this month, was organised by ESO and sponsored by Occidental of Oman, Inc. (Oxy Oman) and BP Exploration (Epsilon) as Gold Sponsors. The bronze sponsors included Oman LNG, Oman International Development and Investment Company (OMINVEST), Khimji Ramdas, and the Al Ansari Group of Companies with support provided by Crowne Plaza Muscat Hotel, Carillion Alawi LLC, TRACCS Public Relations, and Pro Group Oman.

SATU RDAY, DECEMB ER 5, 2015

OMAN

Jordanian teenager drowns in Mughsayl The victim was identiﬁed as a Jordanian national, aged 18 years and her body was ﬂown back to Jordan by her relatives on Thursday DROWNING INCIDENT: The Public Authority of Civil Defence and

Ambulances tweeted that a Jordanian woman had drowned in Mughsayl. Photo– Soumya N Ghosh REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An 18-year-old Jordanian girl drowned in the Al Mughsayl waters, some 40km from Salalah, on Wednesday evening, sources said. On Wednesday, late in the evening, the Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulances (PACDA) tweeted that a Jor-

danian woman had drowned in Mughsayl. Sources at Salalah’s Sultan Qaboos Hospital said the victim had been identiﬁed as a Jordanian national, aged 18 years and that her body had been ﬂown back to Jordan by her relatives on Thursday. In 2014, seven expatriates had drowned at the Yiti beach in Mus-

cat and at the Mughsayl beach. Person rescued Meanwhile, the police also rescued a person, who fell from a mountain in Nakhal. The injured person has been admitted to a hospital by the police. On Wednesday, the police had urged people to stay safe during

4 4 T H N AT I O N A L D AY O F T H E UA E

the holidays as four people had been killed in two different road accidents on Tuesday. In a tweet posted on its official Twitter handle, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) had urged people to be safe during the four-day-long National Day holiday. On Tuesday, four people were involved in two different road accidents. While in Kabourah, an Omani driver was killed when his car plunged into a wadi (valley), in Buraimi, an Omani teacher and two Egyptian teachers, were killed when their car met with an accident involving a truck. According to PACDA’s statistics from 2014, the ambulance team had to respond to 10,517 cases during the year 2014, up from 9,889 cases in 2013. Some 7,905 of those cases were trauma-related and included road and construction-related accidents, occupational injuries and ﬁre injuries; whereas 2,612 were reported as medical cases. Road accidents topped the list with 7,705 cases, followed by accidents at home, prison and during recreation.

GOODWILL VISIT

WELCOME: A reception was organised at the Cochin Port in Kerala under the auspices of Hamad bin Saif Al Rawahi, the Sultanate’s ambassador to India. -ONA

Shabab Oman ship docks at Indian port COCHIN: In implementation of the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and as part of its second world tour (2015 Omani-Indian Friendship Bridge), second Shabab Oman Vessel of the Royal Navy of Oman ( RNO) arrived at Cochin Port. The vessel is accompanied by a training sailing boat that will participate in the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the opening of Indian Embassy in Oman. A reception was organised at

the Cochin Port in Kerala under the auspices of Hamad bin Saif Al Rawahi, the Sultanate’s ambassador to India in the presence of a number of officials and senior officers of the Indian navy and Royal Navy of Oman ( RNO). In his speech, Al Rawahi pointed to the role the 2nd Shabab Oman has played in building the bridges of friendship, love and peace between Oman and India. He also said that the visit of the vessel to India came in response to His Majesty the Sultan’s directives. -ONA

C O N S E RVAT I O N E F F O R T S

Stress on soil conservation to achieve food security Times News Service

CELEBRATION: UAE’s Ambassador to Oman Mohammed Sultan Al Suwaidi thanked His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for the cooperation extended to the Emirates. – O K Mohammed Ali

UAE shares special ties with Oman, says envoy Staff reporter MUSCAT: Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) share special ties and a historic relationship, the UAE’s ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, Mohammed Sultan Al Suwaidi, said. “Oman and the UAE are like one family,” said the ambassador while addressing the guests gathered to celebrate the 44th National Day of the UAE. The ambassador thanked His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for the cooperation extended to the UAE. He also appreciated Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, minister of

Foreign affairs and Mohammed bin Salem Al Said, chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their hard work in maintaining a good bilateral relationship with UAE and the Sultanate. Martyr’s Day As per the order of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, president of UAE, November 30 will be celebrated as Martyr’s Day. “November 30 will be observed as Martyr’s Day to mark and celebrate their sacriﬁces made in service to the country and its people,” Al Suwaidi said. “In order to support the legal government in Yemen, we gave up

many martyrs to express loyalty to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayeed Al Nahyan,” the ambassador said. According to him, UAE is the top country in the Arab world and said it has developed rapidly in various sectors. “UAE has developed nationally and internationally; economically, politically, and in various sectors, such as infrastructure, energy, space, technology,” Al Suwaidi said. Cabinet ministers, government officials, ambassadors of other friendly countries and ofﬁcials from other embassies also attended the celebration held at the UAE Embassy.

MUSCAT: A workshop was organised on Thursday by the Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering (SWAE) at the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences (CAMS) at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) to celebrate “2015 International Year of Soils” on Thursday. The event was organised under the patronage of Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al Bakri, undersecretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The 68th United Nations (UN) General Assembly has declared 2015 as the International Year of Soils (IYS). The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has been nominated to implement IYS 2015 within the framework of Global Soil Partnership and in collaboration with the governmental and the secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertiﬁcation. IYS 2015 aims to create awareness and understanding about the importance of soil for food security and essential ecosystem functions. During the opening ceremony of the workshop, El Zein Mustafa El Muzamil, representative of FAO, spoke about the importance of soil conservation to achieve food security and environmental protection. “Healthy soils are the foundation for food, fuel, and ﬁbre. Soils are also essential to our ecosysSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

HM award for voluntary work today MUSCAT: Winners of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos 4th Award for Voluntary Work will be announced at Majan Ball Room of Al Bustan Palace Hotel by the Ministry of Social Development on Saturday. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications will preside over the function. Honour During the event, winning individual and civil establishments and companies supportive the voluntary work will be announced and honoured. Ninety-nine projects; 50 individual projects 38 projects of civil establishments and companies and 11 projects of the companies supportive to social responsibility will compete for the 15 winning places covering different ﬁelds. The award reﬂects the vision of His Majesty the Sultan on voluntary work and its activities in the society. —ONA

SUSTAINABLE USE: The 68th United Nations General Assembly has

declared 2015 as the International Year of Soils. – Supplied photo

tems, playing a key role in the carbon cycle, storing and ﬁltering water, and improving resilience to ﬂoods and droughts,” he explained. “The International Year of Soils is an effort to raise awareness and promote more sustainable use of this critical resource. Soil is also the largest pool of organic carbon, which is essential for mitigating and adapting to climate change. In an era of water scarcity, soils are fundamental for its appropriate storage and distribution,” El Muzamil said. Commenting on man-made and natural threats to soils, he said that 33 per cent of our global

soil resources have been degraded and human pressure on soils are reaching critical limits, reducing and sometimes eliminating essential soil functions. D. Salim Ali Al Rawahi, associate professor, SWAE, spoke about soils as a major resource contributing to food security and environmental sustainability. Dr. Hamdan Salem Al Wahaibi from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, soil and land resources for agriculture production in the Sultanate also spoke. Ahmed Al Mayahi spoke about the urban soils of Oman and the effects of anthropogenic activities.

F L O O D S I T UAT I O N

Expats following A1 Chennai ﬂoods < FROM

Those planning to visit Oman are boarding planes from the nearest cities of Coimbatore and Bangalore, the expats said. On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew to Chennai take stock of the flood situation. “…The PM is taking an overview of the flood relief operations at INS Rajali, Arakkonam,” the official Twitter handle of the Prime Minister’s Office wrote. Desperate times Meanwhile, expatriates of Indian origin said they are anxiously following the developments though news channels and social media. For Mohamed Nayaz, an Ernst & Young staffer in Muscat, two days of desperation to reach his parents in Chennai ended on Wednesday, when a relative called to inform about their safety. “People have spent many days without electricity. Luckily a relative whose cell phone batteries lasted longer was able to

bring news from home,” Nayaz told TOO. Nayaz, who is following the developments on television channels and social media, said he can’t imagine the magnitude of rain in places, where he used to travel with friends or relatives. “The rains have changed the map of Chennai. The pictures I am seeing from Chennai are horrible. My college, the park I would play cricket in are all submerged. It’s just unbelievable,” he stated. The expats in Oman said they are facing difficult times and that “social media rumours” must end immediately. “Just two days ago a message on WhatsApp claimed that 40 crocodiles have escaped the ﬂooded zoo. It’s ridiculous. Now, who counted the escapees?” Srinivasan mocked.

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WONDERFUL WINTER WINTER is the most pleasant season in large parts of the Sultanate with the cooler air bringing down the daytime temperature in the otherwise hot regions. It is a good time for international and domestic tourists to visit those areas. The October to April weather of Oman can be compared to a European summer. According to Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book publisher in the world, the peak tourist season in the north is from November to midMarch as for “the rest of the year, much of Oman is hot and hazy, particularly between May and August.” Times of Oman brings to its readers a selection of images taken by our contributors Faiz Ahmad, Mujahid Karim, Dr. Shahriar Ferdous and Dr. Jearnnie Panes. SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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SATU RDAY, DECEMB ER 5, 2015

REGION PLOT UNVEILED

ANGER AGAINST SHOOTING

A Palestinian protester, standing in front of burning tyres, uses a slingshot to hurl stones towards Israeli security forces during clashes along the border with Israel in the eastern suburbs of Gaza City on Friday. Israeli troops shot and injured two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip near its heavily-guarded border with the Jewish state, Palestinian health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al Qudra said. — AFP

Two arrested in Tunisia for plotting suicide attacks TUNIS: Tunisian police have arrested two suspected militants planning suicide attacks in the capital Tunis, the Interior Ministry said on Friday, 10 days after a suicide bombing killed 12 presidential guards. IS militant group claimed that bombing, which was the third major militant attack in Tunisia this year and prompted the government to reimpose a state of emergency that had been lifted only a few weeks before. “Security forces arrested two extremists planning to carry out suicide attacks in the capital, including one in Habib Bourguiba Avenue”, the ministry said in statement. Habib Bourguiba Avenue is the capital’s main thoroughfare and is crowded with shops and cafes, as well as being the location of the Interior Ministry. Several thousand Tunisians are ﬁghting with IS and other groups in Iraq and Syria. The gunmen who targeted foreign tourists in attacks on the beach resort of Sousse and Tunis’s Bardo Museum this year are all believed to have trained at militant camps in Libya. Tunisia has increasingly become a target for militants after being hailed as a beacon of democratic change in the region. — Reuters

Molotov cocktail kills 16 at Cairo restaurant

A R S O N AT TA C K

INNOCENT VICTIM: Ahmed Dawabshe’s grandmother Satira stands by his bed in the Tel Hashomer hospital near the city of Tel Aviv, on Thursday. – Reuters

‘Too early to try suspects over torching of Palestinian home’ OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel is still trying to gather evidence against far-right Jews arrested for a lethal arson attack in July on a Palestinian home in the occupied West Bank, the public security minister said on Friday, playing down prospects of an imminent trial. A police announcement on Thursday that several “youths belonging to a Jewish terror group” were in custody stirred speculation of a breakthrough in the killing of three members of the Dawabsheh family, which raised Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Palestinian anger over the attack in Duma village has been a factor fuelling a wave of street assaults since October 1. Stabbing In the occupied West Bank on Friday, a Palestinian stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier and was then shot dead, and in a separate incident a Palestinian motorist was shot dead after injuring two soldiers in a ramming attack, the army said. Details on the arson case have been kept under wraps by Israel, drawing Palestinian allegations of footdragging, while lawyers for the

suspects said their clients were pressured by interrogators to confess. Israeli authorities deny both charges. “There are not many investigations that get as high a priority as the investigation into the murders in Duma village,” Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told Israel’s Army Radio. But he described the suspects as “very, very difficult” to crack because they had often eluded state surveillance. “For example, these are not people who go around with mobile telephones. They are people who really live in the hills, disconnected from their close families.” Still, Erdan said, “the Shin Bet (security service) and police made progress in this investigation in recent months and we are doing everything in order that we might also have evidence that would allow prosecution and indictments”. More than two months of Palestinian knifings, car-rammings and occasionally shootings have killed 19 Israelis and a US citizen. Israeli forces have killed 102 Palestinians in the same period, of whom 63 were identiﬁed as assailants, while most others were killed in clashes with police. — Reuters

THE INCIDENT SITE: People and investigators gather in front of the restaurant that was attacked in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday. – AFP

The victims were burnt to death or died from smoke inhalation as the restaurant, was located in a basement, offering no escape route

CAIRO: A Molotov cocktail hurled at a Cairo restaurant killed 16 people and wounded two on Friday, Egyptian security officials said. One of the officials said the attacker was an employee who had been ﬁred from the restaurant in the Agouza area in the centre of the Egyptian capital. The victims were burnt to death or died from smoke inhalation. The restaurant, also a nightclub, was located in a basement, offering no escape route, the officials said. The Ministry of Interior, in a statement, said a preliminary investigation indicated that the attack happened after a dispute between

the nightclub staff and a group of youths, who then threw Molotov cocktails at the main entrance of El Sayad nightclub-cum-restaurant, located about 5km from the iconic Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. Three injured The incident was apparently not motivated by terrorism, the ministry said, adding that 11 men and ﬁve women were killed and three others injured in the attack. Police have launched a manhunt to nab the attackers who carried out the attack on the nightclub in the Agouza district because they

were previously not allowed to enter, state news agency MENA reported. A thick cloud of smoke was seen billowing from the ﬁreravaged nightclub. The youths had attacked the main entrance of the nightclub with about 15 Molotov bottles and birdshots. They used motorcycles to escape after the incident. Cairo has previously been rocked by a series of attacks on security forces and civilians carried out by suspected militants. An insurgency intensiﬁed in the wake of the overthrow of former president Mohammed Morsi in 2013. — Agencies

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PROTEST IN KOLKATA OVER RADIO CAB PERMITS

A deserted view of Vidyasagar Setu ﬂyover during taxi strike in Kolkata on Friday. Taxi operators’ unions in the east Indian city are protesting against the state government’s decision to give more permits to radio cab operators and big private players. - PTI

‘India to ensure peace, stability in maritime neighbourhood’ NEW DELHI: As a responsible maritime nation, it is obligatory for India to ensure peace and stability in its maritime neighbourhood, President Pranab Mukherjee said here on Friday. Extending greetings to all members of Indian Navy and their families on the occasion of Navy Day 2015, he said that the country’s geostrategic location, extended coastline, economic pursuits and civilisational links make India a maritime nation whose prosperity, strategic independence and development are linked to the seas. Pivotal role “The Indian Navy, as the primary instrument of India’s sea power, has played a pivotal role in safeguarding India’s maritime interests and promoting national prosperity. The Navy has also been our nation’s ambassador of goodwill and friendship across the globe. As a responsible maritime nation, it becomes incum-

Delhi to restrict vehicles on road to curb rising pollution Delhi Government on Friday announced

It was noted that a large number of school buses operate for a limited period of the day. Transport Department/ DTC shall consider hiring these and similar buses for meeting additional public transport needs

that private vehicles bearing odd and even registration numbers will be allowed to ply only on alternate days starting January 1, which drew mixed reactions

NEW DELHI: In a radical step to curb air pollution that has assumed “critical” level, Delhi Government on Friday announced that private vehicles bearing odd and even registration numbers will be allowed to ply only on alternate days starting January 1, which drew mixed reactions. In an emergency meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kerjriwal, a day after the High Court compared Delhi to a “gas chamber”, the government also decided a series of steps to cut pollution which included shutting down of a thermal power plant and making it mandatory for vehicles to have Euro VI emission norms from 2017. The odd/even number scheme, similar to the one in place in Chinese capital Beijing and Singapore, allows vehicles with number plates ending with an odd number to be driven one day while those ending with an even number can be plied the next day, meaning that a motorist will be able ply his vehicle only for 15 days in a month. Announcing the decision, Chief Secretary K. K. Sharma said emergency services like ambulances and public transport will not be under the ambit of the restriction. In its reaction, Congress described the move as “anti-people” while BJP, adopting a cautious

K. K. Sharma

Chief secretary GOOD MOVE: A view of traffic jam on the Ring Road near ISBT in New Delhi recently. - PTI ﬁle photo

approach, said it supported measures to curb pollution but wondered if the step was practical. Environmentalists welcomed the decision. “We welcome any step to curb pollution but it should be practical,” Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, adding that it should not happen that such a measure is rejected outright. Cheap publicity Congress general secretary and spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad said that Arvind Kejriwal government’s decision was aimed at cheap publicity and will harass the common man. However, the move got a near unanimous welcome from green experts, most of whom stressed that the situation called for “drastic measures”. Environmentalist Sunita Narain supported the move, saying pollution in Delhi was at a health emergency level and such steps were needed. Director General of Centre for Science and Environment Sunita Narain said it will have imple-

mentation challenges but was imperative as the city’s air pollution has reached the level of “public emergency”. Chief Project Scientist of the Centre’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) Gufran Beig said it would lead to a reduction in Vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT). It is an aggregate estimate of the distance travelled by vehicles and the principle unit of measurement to assess road traffic volume. “It was noted that a large number of school buses operate for a limited period of the day. Transport Department/DTC shall consider hiring these and similar buses for meeting additional public transport needs,” said Sharma. He said the DTC will operate their buses at higher frequency and for a longer period of time. A request will go to Delhi Metro for extending the timing of its operations in evening. The Delhi Government also has decided to crowd-source complaints relating to visibly polluting vehicles and burning of bio-

mass, garbage, leaves. The Urban Development department will modify its Swachh Bharat App so that these complaints can be received from the public. Car free day The Kejriwal government has been focusing on improving public transport and introduced “car free day” in select areas. The government has announced that it will organise ‘Car-Free Day’ across the national capital on January 22. The government said it aimed at cutting down vehicular pollution in the city by half with the measures it announced on Friday. “Every year pollution level increases in winter. From January 1, 2016, odd and even numbered vehicles will run on alternate days. “Alternate arrangements are being made to bolster public transport. DTC buses, Metro services will ply extra. We are still working out the modalities,” said the Chief Secretary. The pollution levels in Delhi have risen signiﬁcantly in the last

few weeks. On Thursday, the Delhi High Court had observed that the current air pollution levels in city have reached “alarming” proportions and it was akin to “living in a gas chamber”. It had directed the Centre and city government to present comprehensive action plans to combat it. A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva termed the action plans filed by the environment ministry and Delhi government as “not comprehensive” as they did not contain specific responsibilities of each authority and the timeline for carrying them out. Need of the hour It directed them to file comprehensive action plans, which are the need of the hour, by December 21. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday had said air quality in Delhi has been going from bad to worse and the situation was “serious”, claiming the government has prepared a one-year plan to improve it. -PTI

bent upon our country to ensure peace and stability in our maritime neighbourhood. Commitment “It is a matter of great pride that the Indian Navy has discharged this responsibility with complete commitment, dedication and alacrity,” the president said in his message. He lauded the Navy for being at the forefront of promoting indigenisation and self-reliance. “It has successfully ensured construction of many warships and submarines over the years. This would enable the Navy to maintain constant vigil, handle additional responsibilities and ensure that our national interests are protected. “On the occasion of Navy Day, I extend my greetings and good wishes to all officers, sailors and civilian personnel of the Indian Navy and their families. I wish the Navy Day every success,” the President added. - PTI 400% HIKE

BJP, Congress attack Kejriwal over salary hike to lawmakers NEW DELHI: A day after Delhi Assembly approved a whopping 400 per cent hike in basic salary of MLAs, Congress and BJP lambasted the Arvind Kejriwal government for the move, terming it a shocking turnaround by the AAP. Slamming the hike, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said the decision was “very difficult to digest” as there was no justification for raising the salary by 400 per cent. “There should be salary hike. But the hike they have approved is difficult to digest especially when they are flip-flopping on giving salaries to the sanitation workers. It is a shocking turnaround by AAP,” Dikshit, said. The Delhi Assembly on Thursday cleared a bill providing for hefty hike in salaries of MLAs and ministers. As per its provision, the basic salary of legislators will rise from current Rs12,000 to Rs 50,000 and their overall monthly package will be around Rs 210,000 as against Rs 88,000 at present. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also attacked the AAP government for the hike, saying the party has forgotten its ideology after coming to power. The hike will come into effect only after the Centre approves the bill. However, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu reacted cautiously saying the issue needs judicious analysis. “As Parliamentary Affairs Minister, I feel that there is a reasonable reason to enhance the salary and emoluments of elected representatives across the country, depending on the financial liability of the state and the region, including members of Parliament,” he said. Naidu said it has become a fashion just to focus on salary of elected representatives and ignore what is happening in others sectors. In this regard, he also referred to recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission and government’s endeavour to hike salary of its employees. “In the backdrop of that, one has to see how much this (hike) is done in judicious manner without giving scope for criticism. But, some people criticise others forgetting what they are doing,” he said without elaborating. - PTI

SATU RDAY, DECEMB ER 5, 2015 We as an elected government have to look at it in addition to the economic principles with a sense of political pragmatism Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister

INDIA

Rains batter Chennai again, 325 dead as water begins to recede As rains halted on Thursday and early Friday, some shops opened in parts of ﬂooded Chennai including Mylapore and Teynampet.

Thousands of military personnel and social activists were engaged in operation of supplying food, water and blankets to thousands trapped in water-logged neighbourhoods — and rescuing the still

INUNDATED: A view of ICU at the MIOT Hospital in which several people lost their lives after ﬂoods due to heavy rainfall in Chennai on Friday. - PTI

marooned

CHENNAI: Heavy rains battered Chennai again on Friday evening just as life began to limp back to normal amid persisting power cuts and food shortages here and three other Tamil Nadu districts where ﬂoods and downpour have claimed 325 lives. Thousands of military person-

nel and social activists were engaged in a major operation of supplying food, water and blankets to thousands trapped in water-logged neighbourhoods — and rescuing the still marooned. Widespread destruction There was relief as water levels in the main reservoirs and rivers began to fall. But numerous areas were still under water, residents

across the city said. The rains have caused widespread destruction in the districts of Chennai, Cuddalore, Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur in Tamil Nadu. By all accounts, the state capital bore the brunt. Officials said they expected the death toll to rise once the water levels go down, revealing drowned bodies. Fourteen patients admitted at an intensive care unit of

MIOT Hospital near here died due to power failure following ﬂoods, an official said. Prithivi Mohandas, the hospital’s managing director, told the media that lights and other equipment ceased to work due to power failure. The hospital’s back-up power system also failed. Power supply has been cut off in ﬂood affected areas in Chennai and the neighbourhood.

Electricity restored Electricity supply was restored in some areas. Most areas were, however, without power. Drinking water was in short supply and so were basic essentials including milk and vegetables. Officials at the power utility said that electricity supply would be restored as the waters — which have turned virtually the whole of Chennai into a lake — recede. Skeletal public transport was operational from Friday morning in some areas. Auto-rickshaws plied but commuters complained that they were being ﬂeeced by drivers. Residents said supplies of essential commodities were difficult to come by. “Water-logging continues. The only mercy is that there are no fresh rains,” said Vishwanath, a south Chennai resident. He spoke too soon. By evening, the rains began to lash again, worrying both residents and the authorities. The water ﬂow in the Adyar river has come down as the quantum of surplus water released

into the river from Chembarambakkam lake fell. Several voluntary organisations and NGOs supplied food, water bottles and blankets in flood-hit areas. The army, navy and air force continued rescue and relief work in the more heavily flooded Kanchipuram district. Army chief General Dalbir Singh visited Chennai on Friday to review the rescue and relief operations. The Southern Railway has announced special trains to Tirunelveli, Rameswaram and Howrah from Chennai Beach station in a bid to clear the large number of train travellers who have got stranded in the city. Communication lines — landlines and mobile connections — are still disrupted. The official web site of the Tamil Nadu government crashed on Friday. Chennai — where schools and colleges have been shut— has seen extensive water logging, with water gushing into homes, causing misery and acute problems to residents. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday undertook an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas and announced Rs1,000 crore as immediate relief. Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, however, demanded Rs.5,000 crore. - IANS

PROTECT VULNERABLE SECTIONS

Government will cut rates on small savings cautiously, says Jaitley NEW DELHI: Government will cut interest rates on small savings “cautiously” so as to protect vulnerable sections like retired employees, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Friday while expressing confidence that 7th Pay Commission report will not upset the fiscal deficit targets. He said the government is using more than three-fold increase in cess on petrol and diesel to fund infrastructure projects like highways, but it will be a challenge to fund higher social sector spending due to increased outgo on salary and pension. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, he cited the example of the girl child scheme launched last year to saying that “if after one year you immediately slash it (interest rate) down radically, (it) may not be very politically prudent and therefore you have to move in that direction but you have to move a little cautiously”. As a lot of people depend on small savings schemes, the finance minister said, “we as an elected government have to look at it in addition to the economic principles with a sense of political pragmatism”. Bankers have passed on as little as 20 per cent of the biggest rate cut effected by RBI since 2009 as

ELATED: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley shakes hands with Robert

Vadra during ‘Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2015’ in New Delhi on Friday. - PTI

they fear becoming uncompetitive to small savings like PPF and Post Office deposits. Most small saving instruments pay an interest rate of 8.75 per cent, compared to 7.5 per cent on deposits at SBI. Bank deposit rate has to be lowered if the lending rate is brought down to allow transmission of 1.25 per cent interest rate cut by RBI. Jaitley said the impact of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations for higher salary and pension for central government employees, which will result in an additional annual burden of

Rs 1.02 lakh crore on exchequer, would last for two to three years. The recommendations are to be implemented from January 1. “I am not particularly worried about the fiscal deficit target,” he said. The government, he said, was confident of keeping spending within the targeted fiscal deficit of 3.9 per cent for the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2016. Besides meeting the target, the quality of fiscal deficit too will be improved, he added. Jaitley expressed optimism that the economy would grow by 7.5 per cent

in the current fiscal and the rate would accelerate further in the coming years resulting in more revenue for the government. “If you achieve a fiscal deficit by either cutting down expenditure or withholding tax returns, then you may strictly have statistical figure, but the quality of the fiscal deficit will always be a suspect... We have concentrated on the quality of the deficit and we will probably be able to maintain it,” Jaitley said. On whether it was possible to cap GST rate by mentioning it in the Constitution, the finance minister argued that it would not be prudent as sin products and polluting goods were needed to be taxed at higher rates. “One of the arguments also is that there are several kinds of products which will always have to be taxed higher, sin products will have to taxed higher and polluting products will have to be taxed higher. Therefore you can’t have any mercy shown to them by accepting Congress party’s suggestion that 18 per cent cap on all these products in the Constitution itself,” he added. The GST Bill, which is being touted as the biggest reform in indirect taxes since Independence, is stuck in the Rajya Sabha because of political logjam. - PTI

POLITICS

Mulayam as PM, Rahul his deputy: Akhilesh’s formula NEW DELHI: An alliance between Samajwadi Party and Congress is possible under which Mulayam Singh Yadav is the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi Deputy PM, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav suggested on Friday but the opposition party debunked it saying no tie-up is being planned “as of now”. Akhilesh made the comments in the course of a conversation at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here in the presence of the Congress vice president. However, Rahul, who was seen smiling, refused to comment when asked to respond. The UP Chief Minister was replying to a question on whether he was ready to extend his “good” personal relationship with Gandhi to a political level with the Congress. “You are asking me because I am a Samajwadi (socialist) and you also say that I get rebuked by my father (Mulayam).I also want that Netaji’s dreams are fulﬁlled and that I work for him. He be-

Akhilesh Yadav

comes the Prime Minister and he (pointing at Rahul) Deputy Prime Minister. I am in agreement with this and will make an alliance now,” if it is found acceptable, Akhilesh said, smiling. No intention “As of now, Indian National Congress has no intention of tying up or having any understanding with the Samajwadi Party so the subsequent question does not

arise”, party spokesperson Sushmita Dev told reporters on being asked about the suggestion by Akhilesh. Akhilesh sidestepped a question on whether an alliance with its rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), like the one in Bihar where Janata Dal(United)JD(U) and Rashtriya Janata Dal came together, is possible in UP for the 2017 Assembly polls. “Her (Mayawati) choice is that stone made elephant statues come up. So how is that possible? I have already told you my formula,” was Akhilesh’s response, referring to his conditions for a possible alliance with Congress. Earlier, he categorically said, “there is no talk of any coalition at this point. It’s better if we don’t talk of it now.” The 42-year-old chief minister of India’s most populous state asserted that any relationship with the BJP or any of its associate organisations was not possible “because of the kind of divisions they produce and the language they use.” - PTI

S AT U R DAY, D E C E MB E R 5, 2 0 1 5

PAKISTAN UNITED OPPOSITION

LOOKING BRIGHT

A man sells colourful lights at his stall in the market in Peshawar, Pakistan on Friday. The overall business conﬁdence in the country has improved relative to March 2015, stated a survey result that is part of the Business Conﬁdence Index (BCI) Survey Wave 11, a biannual assessment sponsored by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI). — Reuters

PPP, PTI in talks over alliance PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are in talks over forming a united opposition bloc to challenge the ruling party. “The parties have the same agenda and are facing the same issues,” Khurshid Shah, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, told media on Thursday. “The alliance of opposition leaders against the ruling party would be ﬁnalised soon.” The senior PPP leader said he had met with PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi to devise a future course of action to force the government into adopting “people-friendly policies”. Despite the fact the PPP has lost popularity in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Shah claimed the party still had a strong vote bank and could regain its lost glory. He was addressing a press conference at the residence of PPP leader Syed Zahir Ali Shah in Peshawar. About the announcement of a Rs40 billion mini-budget, he criticised the government for imposing further taxes. “The new back-breaking taxes will have a negative impact on the economy of the country,” PPP leader believed. The PPP leader claimed to have opposed the taxes in the National Assembly, adding the party had submitted an adjournment motion as well. “The national budget is a sacred document submitted once a year,” he said. — Express Tribune

DEAL

Sipah tribe agrees to hand over wanted rebels JAMRUD: Sipah tribesmen from Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency on Thursday agreed to hand over ‘wanted’ clan members after hammering out a deal with the political administration. Elders and maliks from the Sipah and other tribes of Bara met with the political administration in Peshawar on Thursday. Jirga Following the jirga, the elders announced they will not allow terrorists to use their lands and will back the government in the ﬁght against terrorism. Lashkar-e-Islam chief Mangal Bagh also hails from the Sipah tribe. An 80-member ‘peace’ militia will be raised. If a criminal involved in kidnapping or murder should return, they would be ﬁned between Rs1 million and Rs3 million while their houses will also be demolished according to tribal customs. Further, they pledged that all wanted tribesmen will be handed over by December 25. — Express Tribune

Afghan Taliban leader’s fate unclear after ﬁreﬁght Insurgent group rejects reports that

Well, we are trying to locate him through our people to get his voice and release to the media to kill these rumours

leader was wounded or killed near Quetta

PESHAWAR: Conflicting reports have deepened uncertainty surrounding the fate of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, after the insurgent group repeatedly denied he had been wounded in a gunfight after a dispute with other senior leaders. Several sources in the Taliban have said that Mansour, whose claim to the leadership is rejected by a rival faction, was seriously wounded and possibly killed in a shootout at the house of another Taliban leader near Quetta in Pakistan on Tuesday. Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said on Twitter Mansour was wounded in a firefight

NO CLEAR PICTURE: Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Man-

sour was wounded in a ﬁreﬁght near Quetta, in western Pakistan, but there has been no direct evidence. – File photograph

near Quetta, in western Pakistan, but there has been no direct evidence. The Taliban’s main spokesman has dismissed the reports as propaganda from Afghan intelligence services meant to create divisions within the movement, saying Mansour is alive and well.

However, scepticism has been fuelled by the secrecy that surrounded the death of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, which was only conﬁrmed in July, two years after he had died. There has been no statement from Mansour himself so far and

Zabihullah Mujahid Taliban spokesman

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said enhanced security measures meant it was taking some time to contact him directly. “Well, we are trying to locate him through our people to get his voice and release to the media to kill these rumours spread by

the Afghan puppet government,” Mujahid said. The uncertainty has clouded prospects for any resumption in a peace process facilitated by Pakistan after talks broke down in July following the confirmation of Omar’s death. Afghan officials are cautious about what the signs of increasing fragmentation in the Taliban could mean. “The rift is certainly weakening the movement and if they are not one united force, it could be easier to convince them for peace or eliminate them,” said one official, who asked not to be identified. Other Taliban members close to Mansour have confirmed he had been hurt in the gunfight, which followed a dispute over how to deal with the factional split in the movement, and had apparently been taken to a private hospital for treatment. “We even don’t know where he was taken but some of our people later told us he was admitted in a private hospital and that his condition was still critical,” said one senior Taliban member close to Mansour. — Reuters

D ATA

63 women commit suicide in 22 months across Hazara Division HARIPUR: At least 63 women committed suicide across Hazara Division during the last two years, with more than half of them taking place in Haripur, according to data with The Express Tribune. The data of the last 22 months, compiled by Human Development Organization (HDO), suggests various methods of suicide were recorded, including consuming poison, shooting oneself,

hanging to death and drowning. HDO clinical psychologist Saira Khan, told The Express Tribune, “The most number of deaths were caused by ﬁrearms.” She said, “Around 34 women took their lives in 2014, of them the highest number of suicides was reported in Haripur with 25 cases (90 per cent) of all deaths,” adding, “Mansehra stood second with six reported cases, while

the remaining deaths occurred in Abbottabad where three women committed suicide.” She said 20 women were single while 14 were married. Sharing statistics from January to October 2015, Saira Khan revealed, “At least 33 cases of suicide were reported in which four attempted suicides were unsuccessful. Among these, a staggering 16 women hailed from Haripur.” She

said, “From Mansehra, 13 cases of suicidal deaths were reported while four ended their lives in Abbottabad.” She added, “Of the total, 18 women were married and 15 were single.” Citing factors behind the state of mind which leads to ending one’s life, she said, “Economic stress and abuse by the husband are key factors that contribute to increasing cases of suicides,” she added.

The HDO focal person said, “It is often a result of sheer frustration and depression which is a result of disturbance in marital relations, forced and early marriages, being childless, and, in some cases, results after giving birth to a girl.” Saira said in most cases, single girls committed suicide after they failed to get married to the men of their choice. Some cases of combined sui-

cides by lovers were also reported in 2015, she shared. In some cases, she said, “Suicides are not properly investigated because of a patriarchal mindset.” She argued in many cases a murder is often presented as suicide. The psychologist demanded a proper mechanism to investigate deaths by suicide so true motives and reasons could be documented further. — Express Tribune

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READERS’ FORUM Need to focus on better road safety norms to reduce the number of accidents This refers to the report ‘Oman behind Saudi in GCC road fatalities’ (December 3). Even though the revealing of the road safety situation in Oman is quite alarming, the statistics released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Royal Oman Police (ROP) is are contradictory. The statistics released by the ROP indicates that road safety awareness campaigns being organised have been helping in reducing the accidents. It is equally important for the road users as well to realise that the Scan this QR code campaigns are helping everyone using the to send letters to the roads and emphasising the signiﬁcance of Readers’ Forum, adhering to traffic guidelines. According to containing not more than 200 words with the statistics, one of the genuine causes of full name, address most of the fatal accidents is carelesness of and telephone the drivers, of which using mobile phones number, may be sent while driving is the most important single by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, cause. Even though use of mobile phones P.C. 112, Ruwi). while driving is strictly prohibited by law, the inclination to use the device continues to be a threat to road safety. Although speeding has been identiﬁed as the top killer in the country, it has certain controls within the city limits; whereas the accidents being reported in the interiors are mostly due to speeding. We must appreciate the extended patrols and vigilance on the part of authorities concerned to improve awareness focusing on the importance of complying with road safety norms. - Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi

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Britain’s ‘ﬁre and forget’ IS policy

LARS CHRISTIAN LILLEHOLT

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atching last night’s debate, it was impossible not to be impressed — not with the weakneed case for air strikes laid out by the Prime Minister, but the MP’s who hour after hour began to unpick his policy. Again an example to the world of our great parliamentary democracy. Amid the political sniping there were many in the Chamber able to unpick the seams of this dangerously reckless policy; reckless not because IS do not deserve to be bombed, or that military action is or is not necessary to defeat them, but because Cameron, asking for his bombing mandate, had no plan, no strategy to go with it but just the desire to be seen to symbolically act. Even before the questions began to drill home, he was reduced to admitting that the 70,000 ‘friendly’ rebels, a dubious assertion, might not be an effective fighting force which actually in fact depended on an unlikley decision by Bashar Al Assad to step down within months. But why would he when Russia and Iran back him unequivocally? Four years of talks have failed to get even the 50 plus rebel groupings to agree with each other on the way forward. Russia’s arrival in strength takes the democracy option and replacement of Assad off the table, as the Prime Minister must well know but cannot bring himself to admit. Cameron was at his best outlining why British jets are needed: the Brimstone missile is indeed a precision weapon other allies, Saudi Arabia excepted, do not possess. It is special precisely as it allows for pin point strikes, without wiping out city blocks, that is why the Americans and French are keen to have the RAF utilise it, albeit there are only a hand full of such aircraft available. But the British PM put his foot in his mouth when asserting that likely success could be gauged by what has happened in Iraq since RAF jets were deployed 15 months ago, with the front against IS at least stabilised. Stabilised? I have been there, and the comparison is false and just not true; Iraq is fighting a straight-up fight against the “death cult” and we are not winning. Labour’s Gisela Stuart MP was among the first to point out that the king was wearing no clothes, stating: “Ground troops that we can work with will be absolutely essential for his (the PMs) longterm strategy. At the moment he has not shown to me that as we defeat IS, we will not simply create a vacuum into which Assad or someone else will move and we will be fighting another enemy(s).” In the end, the Prime Minister was forced on the

defensive, his “hope for the best” rhetoric far short of any Churchillian tones saying “the real plan is that as we get a transitional Government in Syria that can represent all the Syrian people, there will be more ground troops for us to work with to defeat IS and the caliphate, which will keep our country safe” — Sounds like what he said about Libya — He added, “I know that will take a long time and that it will be complex, but that is the strategy, and we need to start with the first step, which is going after these terrorists today” It is not much of a plan, and those in the know, know it. From senior defence types giving anonymous briefings, some of them friends of mine, to parliament’s own foreign affairs committee, and even, yes, the voters, who polls show swinging ever more away from air strikes as the obvious vagueness of what follows swims into focus. For me, it was the questions that went unanswered that really drilled home the folly of this air strike vote. Cameron could offer nothing on Russia and its importance. Would we be working in tandem with Her, or in isolation? Either would do, but the House of Commons got neither, only the fairly confident assertion, to one MP’s question, that technical systems are in place to stop British and Russian jets colliding with each other in Syria’s ever more crowded skies. Nor did he elaborate on the 800 pound gorilla in the room: Turkey. IS derives most of its income by oil shipped in hundreds of road tankers across the border. Behind the scenes, British Foreign Office officials mutter about how Turkey is in precarious enough a position anyway, having to face so many problems, its government having just escaped near defeat in elections; awash with refugees, it knows that cutting the oil and arms and volunteers pipeline invites IS attack on its own soil as well. In turn, Turkey is only one of a myriad of players, a veritable alphabet soup of competing terrorist and nationalist factions from various MENA countries; IS is special only because it, along with Al Qaeda, is ready to indiscriminately bomb western cities and any nationality, but in the chaos that would follow even in its defeat, the Prime Minister seemed unsure whether other equally nasty groups might slip in to take its place. It was left to his own backbencher, Sir Alan Duncan, to rather eloquently spell out the obvious: “.... painful experience of past decisions and by the complexity of the unfolding disorder across the Arab world.” Means all understanding of the Middle East is problematic. Scarcely a solution nor an explanation.

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES DECEMBER 2000 ROP to hold seminar on security of ﬁnancial institutions MUSCAT: The Royal Oman Police in cooperation with the Central Bank of Oman, will organise a seminar on ‘Security of banks and ﬁnancial institutions’ at the CBO conference hall today, a press note from the ROP said. Hamoud bin Sangour bin Hashim Al Zadjali, executive president of the CBO, will preside over the opening which will be attended by Major General Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Riyami, assistant inspector general of police and customs for operations. A number of international experts will address the seminar.

TODAY IN HISTORY INVITATION TO WRITERS We invite our readers to write articles on topics related to Oman. The articles should not exceed 800 words. Send us your article along with your picture to akhtar@timesofoman.com

PICTOGRAPH

AMBULANCE SERVICE By type, 2014

Trauma

7,905

(75.2%)

TOTAL

10,517 Medical

2,612

(24.8%) 1904: The Japanese destroy a Russian ﬂeet at Port Arthur in Korea. 1950: Pyongyang in Korea falls to the invading Chinese army. 1978: The Soviet Union signs a 20-year friendship pact with Afghanistan. 1983: Military junta dissolves in Argentina.

Source: National Centre for Statistics & Information

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Thai migrant crisis meeting ends without any solution BANGKOK: Thailand called on Friday for concerted action to tackle “irregular” migration in the Indian Ocean, but no substantial solutions emerged from a regional meeting aimed at preventing this year’s “boat people” tragedies in which hundreds drowned. Representatives from Southeast Asian countries met in Bangkok to hash out a framework to deal with tens of thousands of migrants, most from Myanmar and Bangladesh, who make perilous voyages across the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea every year. The meeting ended with a plan put forward by Thailand which ﬁve directly affected countries, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Bangladesh, would consider. “There is still no clarity. We have discussed but not agreed,” Apichart Chinwanno, permanent secretary at the Thai Foreign Ministry, said. The document being considered, as European countries struggle to cope with refugees ﬂeeing war in Syria and Iraq, focused on protection of migrants, prevention of irregular migration and prosecution of human smuggling and trafficking networks, he said, but gave few details. “They focused on an information campaign, that’s all. Not about helping people at sea and not about humanitarian assistance,” a UN official, who declined to be named, told Reuters. — Reuters

T E M P O R A R Y H A LT

Philippines suspends ride-sharing services MANILA: A Philippine court on Friday ordered a 20-day temporary halt on the operations of ridesharing companies such as Uber in the country’s capital, adding to the firm’s global struggles against regulatory and competitive obstacles. The Philippines was the first country to regulate these types of app-based services, to help make up for inadequate mass transport in Manila, Southeast Asia’s second most congested city after Jakarta, according to research firm Numbeo. The Philippine regional court blocked permission by the transport department for Uber, and competitor GrabCar, to ply Manila’s streets, pending a hearing next week to decide a petition to ban them in the capital. “There is extreme urgency to issue a temporary restraining order to the petitioner to prevent grave and irreparable injury and damages because their claim that they suffer less or low incomes and earnings is found to be persuasive,” the court said. In a statement, Uber said it was not a party to the court proceedings and was weighing the impact of Friday’s ruling. “Uber is studying the implications of this decision,” it said, adding that it expected to get all the government permits needed. In their petition to the court, a group of taxi operators and drivers said Uber and GrabCar had been given special treatment to operate without a franchise. “The income of taxi drivers was slashed by up to 50 per cent because of the app-based transport, which does not follow tariffs imposed by the government,” said Jun Magno, leader of the group, the Stop and Go Coalition. — Reuters

‘10 IS-linked men in Thailand to attack Russian interests’ Suspects linked to IS militant group believed to have gone to two tourist spots and Bangkok

BANGKOK: Ten Syrians linked to IS militant group entered Thailand in October to attack Russian interests, Thai police said in a leaked document citing information from the Russian Federal Security Service. In the document, Special Branch police urged an intensiﬁcation of security around “target areas that Russian authorities are concerned about”, including venues associated with allies that have taken part in attacks on IS in Syria. Russia began air strikes in Syria on September 30 and has stepped up attacks in recent weeks. An IS affiliate claimed responsibility for downing a Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai peninsula in October, killing all 224 people on board. Thailand’s Special Branch, which deals with national security issues, circulated the document to other police units. Document on social media Marked “Urgent” and dated November 27, the Special Branch police said intelligence from Russia warned that 10 Syrians “related to” IS entered Thailand between October 15 and October 31. The document was circulating on so-

STRICT VIGIL: A security guard checks a car entering the Russia embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday. – Reuters

cial media on Thursday. “The document is real. We received it from Special Branch,” said a police officer who handles international crime matters. He declined to be identiﬁed because of the sensitivity of the matter. “The original communication was by word of mouth between Russian and Thai police. I don’t know how the document leaked.” The Special Branch said four of the suspects travelled to the seaside city of Pattaya, two to the tourist island of Phuket, two to Bangkok and two to an unknown destination. Police had not received warnings about IS

activity from any other foreign intelligence agency, Deputy Police Spokesman Songpol Wattanachai told reporters, adding that police had no information about their whereabouts, identity or possible targets. “We’re still trying to work out whether they even came in,” he said, when asked if they could still be in the country. National Security Council Chief General Thawip Netniyom said security units had been told to be vigilant. “We have yet to ﬁnd any unusual movement,” he told reporters. “Everything is safe, rest assured.” A press officer at the Russian

Embassy in Bangkok could not be reached for comment. The Immigration Bureau had found no irregularities among the 21 Syrians who remain in Thailand of the 231 that entered in October, bureau commissioner Nathathorn Prausoontorn told Reuters on Friday. “There is no information linking them to IS,” he said. The National Security Council asked the bureau two weeks ago to check on Syrians that had entered since October 1, he said. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates there are 700 to 1,000 foreign ﬁghters in the region.

“There is a deﬁnite connection between Southeast Asia and Syria,” UNODC regional representative Jeremy Douglas said on Friday, adding Thailand would need to work with its neighbours to deal with the threat. “It’s very plausible that foreign ﬁghters could transit through Bangkok to and from the Middle East,” he said. The warning comes three months after a Bangkok bomb attack killed 20 people. Authorities said the blast was in retaliation for a crackdown on human smuggling gangs and said it was not a terrorist attack. — Reuters

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SATU RDAY, DECEMB ER 5, 2015 Justices Celso de Mello and Gilmar Mendes rejected two appeals from lawmakers in the ruling coalition, including one ﬁled by congressmen from Rousseff’s Workers’ Party. A third appeal ﬁled by the Brazilian Communist Party (PCdoB) was still awaiting a decision, a court spokeswoman said.

WORLD

Xi pledges $60b aid to boost infrastructure in Africa China to step up investment in factories manufacturing goods for export in Africa, in addition to building roads, ports and railways

JOHANNESBURG: Chinese President Xi Jinping told African leaders on Friday his country would pump $60 billion into development projects, cancel some debt and boost agriculture under a three-year plan that will extend Beijing’s inﬂuence in the continent. Xi also said China would not interfere in African countries’ internal affairs, a stance that drew strong applause from leaders such as Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe who have faced strong Western criticism of their human rights record. But China too has irked some Africans in the past for using Chinese ﬁrms and labour to build state-funded roads and railways in Africa while buying up commodities and leaving little for local economies, an image Xi is keen to change during a two-day conference in South Africa that ends on Saturday. Implementation “To ensure the successful implementation of these 10 cooperation plans, China has decided to provide a total of $60 billion of funding support,” Xi told the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. “These plans (are) aimed P O L I T I C A L B ATT L E

Brazil top court rejects appeals against Dilma’s impeachment BRASILIA: Brazil’s Supreme Court on Friday quashed appeals from President Dilma Rousseff’s allies to stop an impeachment process launched this week, increasing the likelihood of a drawn-out battle as Latin America’s largest economy remains mired in recession. Rejected Justices Celso de Mello and Gilmar Mendes rejected two appeals from lawmakers in the ruling coalition, including one ﬁled by congressmen from Rousseff’s Workers’ Party. A third appeal ﬁled by the Brazilian Communist Party (PCdoB) was still awaiting a decision, a court spokeswoman said. The opposition has said Rousseff broke budget laws to safeguard economic stimulus during her successful re-election campaign last year. The president, in office since 2011 and re-elected a year ago, denies any wrongdoing. — Reuters

CEMENTING TIES: China’s President Xi Jinping, left, shakes hands with Zimbabwe’s President, right, Robert Mugabe while South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma looks on during a Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Friday. – Reuters

at addressing three issues holding back Africa’s development, namely inadequate infrastructure, lack of professional and skilled personnel and funding shortages,” said Xi, who this week also visited Zimbabwe. Despite its own slowing economy, Xi said China would step up investment in factories manufacturing goods for export in Africa, in addition to building roads, ports and railways on a continent long seen as a major commodities source for China. South African President Jacob Zuma, co-chair along with Xi of the summit, said African countries needed Chinese help to process their abundant natural resources, which he said had made the continent vulnerable to exploitation in the past. “That way what is buried in

the belly of the soil will translate into benefit for the bellies of our citizens,” Zuma said. China is Africa’s largest trading partner and the trade volume between them amounted to $220 billion in 2014, according to China state news agency Xinhua. Its investments in Africa amounted to $32.4 billion at the end of 2014, according to London-based BMI Research. Chinese influence is broadly seen by Africans as a healthy counterbalance to the West, though Western governments accuse China of turning a blind eye to conflicts and rights abuses as they pursue trade and aid policies there. Sticking to that Chinese tradition of non-interference in local politics, Xi said on Friday: “China strongly believes Africa belongs

to the African people and African problems should be handled by the African people.” Mugabe, whose government signed 10 economic accords with China this week including on expanding Zimbabwe’s largest thermal power plant, praised Beijing’s role in Africa, contrasting it favourably with that of Western nations. “Here is a man (Xi) representing a country once called poor. A country which never was our coloniser... He is doing to us what we expected those who colonised us yesterday to do,” said Mugabe, who is also chairman of the African Union, to loud applause by the delegates. In his speech, Xi said China would cancel existing debts with zero interest loans for least developed countries that mature by the

end of 2015. He did not elaborate. African countries were expected to push for loan moratoriums following weak metal and crude prices that have weakened their currencies. Xi announced plans to help African countries improve agriculture through large-scale farming and fight diseases by establishing an African Centre for Disease Control, adding that China had also helped fight an Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The Chinese leader Xi also vowed greater cooperation with African countries in the fight against violent extremism and said its troops would take part in UN peacekeeping forces on the continent. An attack last month by militants in Mali killed 19 people, including three Chinese citizens. — Reuters

F I NA L S TAT E M E N T

OPEC fails to agree on production ceiling VIENNA: Conference of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members failed to agree an oil production ceiling on Friday at a meeting that ended in acrimony, after Iran said it would not consider any production curbs until it restores output scaled back for years under Western sanctions. A ﬁnal statement was issued with no mention of a new production ceiling, apparently allowing member countries to continue pumping oil at current rates into a market that has been oversupplied. OPEC’s secretary general Abdullah Al Badri said the body could not agree on any ﬁgures because it could not predict how much oil Iran would add to the market next year, as sanctions are withdrawn under a deal reached six months ago with world powers over its nuclear programme. Most ministers left the meeting without making a comment. Iranian oil minister Bijan Zangeneh had said before the meeting that Tehran would be prepared to discuss action only when his country reached full output levels, if and when Western sanctions are lifted. Saudi oil minister Ali Al Naimi earlier had said he hoped growing global demand could absorb an expected jump in Iranian production next year: “Everyone is welcome to go into the market”. Iran has repeatedly said it would boost production by at least 1 million barrels per day when sanctions are lifted. Without curbs elsewhere, this would add to a global glut, as the world is currently consuming up to 2 million bpd less than it is producing. When asked if there would be a meeting before June 2 if prices continue to fall, Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said: “Yes, potentially yes. We did say that we’d watch prices.” — Reuters

NORTHERN ENGLAND

Britain’s Labour Party wins parliamentary seat OLDHAM (ENGLAND): Britain’s opposition Labour Party held on to a parliamentary seat in northern England on Thursday with an increased share of the vote, a relief to the party’s new leader, Jeremy Corbyn, in his first electoral test. Left-winger Corbyn has split Labour since his election as leader less than three months ago, prompting infighting that threatens to tear the party apart. Labour won the vote in Oldham West and Royton, triggered by the death of the incumbent lawmaker, with 17,209 votes, or 62 per cent. Its main challenger, the anti-European Union United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), came second, with its 6,487 votes representing almost a quarter of those cast. Better than prediction Corbyn hailed the result, which was better than many pundits had predicted, as a “vote of confidence” in Labour. “It’s a clear demonstration that Labour is the party working peo-

STRONG SUPPORT: Newly elected member of parliament for Oldham West and Royton, Jim McMahon, right, is greeted by supporters as British opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, centre, looks on outside Chadderton Town Hall in Chadderton, Oldham, northwest England,. – AFP

ple trust,” he said in a statement. “This ﬁrst electoral test in the new parliament has made clear Labour is the real alternative for Britain.” “It shows just how strong, how deep-rooted and how broad our party, the Labour Party, is for the

whole of Britain,” Corbyn said on Friday in Oldham. The newly elected lawmaker, Jim McMahon, fought a very local campaign - with little mention of Corbyn - focusing instead on his four years leading the local coun-

cil in what some said was a move to distance himself from Labour turmoil in London. Labour has held the former industrial town outside Manchester for decades and in May’s national election won it with a majority of more than 14,000. While its majority slipped to 10,722 on Thursday this was in large part due to a lower turnout, at 40 per cent, and the party increased its share of the vote by more than seven percentage points from May. Political scientist John Curtice said Labour’s win was “nothing exceptional”, adding that the rise in its share of the vote was in line with by-election increases during the last parliament in 2010-2015. During the campaign, UKIP targeted voters disaffected with politics and concerned about immigration and jobs. It also sought to highlight Labour’s lack of unity on security, warning that Corbyn’s paciﬁsm would leave Britain undefended from attacks by Syria-based IS militants. “No doubt, there is a white

working class disaffected vote there which is what UKIP is picking up, but given that 30 per cent of people (in the constituency) are ethnic minorities, inevitably there is a limit to what (UKIP) could hope to achieve,” Curtice said. Voting in Oldham took place a day after 66 Labour lawmakers, including some in his senior team, rebelled against Corbyn to back the government on extending British air strikes to Syria. UKIP questioned the legitimacy of the postal votes following their defeat, with party leader Nigel Farage describing the result as “perverse” on Twitter. Because postal votes are cast at home, vote anonymity can be compromised and there have been previous instances in Britain of people ‘harvesting’ unused postal votes to ﬁll in, although signature checks have been introduced to tackle this. Prime Minister David Cameron’s ruling Conservatives trailed in third place in Oldham, as had been expected in a constituency where they lack strong appeal. — Reuters

D E A D L I E S T AT TA C K

California shooter’s allegiance to IS leader being investigated SAN BERNADINO: One of the two people accused of killing 14 at a holiday party in California apparently pledged allegiance to a leader of IS militant group, two US government source said on Friday. Tashfeen Malik, 27, and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, were killed in a shootout with police hours after the Wednesday massacre at the Inland Regional Center social services agency in San Bernardino, about 60 miles (100 km) east of Los Angeles. The attack was the deadliest mass shooting the United States has experienced in three years. FACING ETHICS PANEL : Ammunition conﬁscated from last

Wednesday’s attack in San Bernardino, California are shown in this San Bernardino County Sheriff Department handout photo from their Twitter account released to Reuters on Thursday. – Reuters/San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department/Handout

Evidence US investigators are evaluating evidence that Malik, a Pakistani native who had been living in Saudi Arabia when she married Farook, had pledged allegiance to IS

leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, two US officials told Reuters. They said the ﬁnding, if conﬁrmed, could be a “game changer” in the investigation. CNN reported on Friday that one US official said Malik had pledged allegiance to Al Baghdadi in a posting on Facebook made on Wednesday, the day of the attack, under an account that used a different name. The investigation has been focused on the motivation for the attack with officials including President Barack Obama and San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan saying it may have been motivated by extremist ideology. IS claimed responsibility for the November 13 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and injured hundreds. The group has called on

its supporters around the world to strike targets in the West. Malik and Farook left behind a 6-month-old daughter. Farook’s brother-in-law, Farhan Khan, told NBC News he had begun legal proceedings to adopt the girl and was “very upset and angry” at Farook. “You left your 6-month-old daughter,” Khan said. “In this life some people cannot have kids. God gave you a gift of a daughter. And you left that kid behind... What did you achieve?” Wounded Twenty-one people were wounded in the attack, the worst gun violence in the nation since the December 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Farook, a US citizen born in Illinois, was the son of Pakistani im-

migrants, said Hussam Ayloush, head of the Los Angeles area chapter of the advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations. Christian Nwadike, who worked with Farook for ﬁve years, told CBS that his co-worker had been different since he returned from Saudi Arabia. “I think he married a terrorist,” Nwadike said. Investigators are reviewing the couples’ computers and cellphones to see if they had browsed militant websites or had contact with militant groups, according to officials in Washington familiar with the investigation. Police said the couple had two assault-style riﬂes, two semi-automatic handguns and 1,600 rounds of ammunition in their vehicle, with 12 pipe bombs found in their home. — Reuters

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

S P O R S CRICKET

Kohli, Dhawan to play under Gambhir NEW DELHI: India Test captain Virat Kohli, premier batsman Shikhar Dhawan and speedster Ishant Sharma have been named in the Delhi one-day side which will be led by Gautam Gambhir for the North Zone leg of the Vijay Hazare Trophy between December 10 and 18. The trio has been selected keeping in mind that India’s tour of Pakistan looks unlikely at the moment and there is a one month window before the team travels to Australia in January for the limited-overs series. However, the selection committee chaired by Vinay Lamba could not give a convincing answer as to why India’s current Test captain and a proliﬁc one-day player like Virat Kohli was not named captain if he is available. “We had announced Gautam as the captain for the whole season as the international players were not supposed to be available. I don’t think one should make a big issue if Virat plays under Gautam,” Lamba said after the meeting was held at the Roshanara ground on Friday. — PTI

Rahane, Jadeja hand India big advantage in Delhi Test Rahane (127) crafted the ﬁrst century in the low-scoring series over ﬁve painstaking hours and also featured in a 98-run eighthwicket stand, the highest in the series,

JUBILANT: India’s Ajinkya Rahane raises his bat as he celebrates

after completing a century. – AFP

CELEBRATION: India’s Ravindra Jadeja with teammates celebrates the wicket of South African batsman Hashim Amla. – PTI

with Ravichandran Ashwin (56)

NEW DELHI: India rode Ajinkya Rahane’s cultured century to post a series-high 334 before returning to skittle out South Africa for 121 to take full control of the fourth and final test on Friday. Rahane (127) crafted the first century in the low-scoring series over five painstaking hours and also featured in a 98-run eighthwicket stand, the highest in the series, with Ravichandran Ashwin (56). Spinner all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (5-30) then orchestrated South Africa’s rout in glorious sunshine at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium as the hosts thoroughly dominated the second day’s play but did not enforce the follow-on. India paceman Umesh Yadav dismissed Dean Elgar (17) to draw first blood but it was Jadeja’s triple strike soon after the tea break which completely unhinged the visitors. Temba Bavuma (20) dragged a Jadeja delivery onto his stumps, Hashim Amla (three) fell after his 34-ball ordeal and Faf du Plessis recorded his third duck of the series after playing an outrageous scoop shot. The India pacers, content playing the second fiddle to their spin colleagues in the series, drove home the advantage with Yadav uprooting JP Duminy’s off-stump and Ishant Sharma castling Dane Vilas. With wickets tumbling at the other end, AB de Villiers waged a lone battle before holing out for 42. Earlier, India resumed day two on 231-7 and Rahane, on 89 overnight, stitched a third 50-plus partnership in the match with Ashwin before bringing up his fifth

SCOREBOARD

Determination, patience is Rahane’s success NEW DELHI: Ajinkya Rahane on Friday became the ﬁrst batsman in the ongoing IndiaSouth Africa Test series to score a century. And the key to this success was keeping a blank mind and planning for one ball at a time, according to the Mumbai player. “When I was batting, I just wanted to stay blank and play one ball at a time. I wanted to build partnerships with the other batsmen. It feels really special that I batted with (Ravichandran) Ashwin while getting my hundred,” Rahane, who scored a superb 127, said. “In the ﬁrst two Test matches, I was looking to play shots initially and that’s why I got out. I knew I was batting well. I spoke to Sanjay Bangar and Ravi bhai (Ravi Shastri) and they said ‘You have just got to take your time initially, play one ball at a time. If you are 25 to 30, your instincts will take over’.” The stylish batsman said

Test century with an immaculate straight drive past fast bowler Kyle Abbott. An industrious batsman in a lineup teeming with ﬂamboyant strokeplayers, the 27-year-old raised his arms and looked skywards in a mixed sense of relief and elation, having failed to go past 15 in the ongoing series. Celebration followed with Rahane launching off-spinner Dane Piedt over mid-wicket and long on for two sixes in three deliveries.

there was nothing wrong with his technique but he was playing too many shots too early. “There was nothing wrong technically or mentally. I was just playing shots close to my body. I was slightly hurrying as I was trying to play my shots straightaway. Here I just wanted to take my own time and play as close to my body as possible, wait for loose balls. Patience was key over here. Determination and patience helped me in this innings,” Rahane revealed his secret of success. For Rahane, the hundred is indeed a special one as he made his Test debut at this venue.“Yes, it is a very special hundred for me because I made my debut in Delhi against Australia. So I had a few things in my mind. Those memories against Australia (were revisited). I was pretty determined to bat well as I knew that I was batting really well in the series.

The number ﬁve fell to a soft dismissal, driving Tahir to AB de Villiers at cover to depart after crafting a stellar knock over ﬁve hours with the help of four sixes and 11 boundaries. “I felt (I should be) spending time in the middle -- taking my time and just playing normal cricket, rather than look to play some attacking cricket,” Rahane said. “It was not easy for shotmaking but it was not difficult (to bat) ei-

“But important was to spend time in the middle and later on look for big innings. So really happy for the hundred but especially for the partnerships, which I got with Ashwin, Virat and Jadeja. That took us to 330 plus,” said the soft-spoken Rahane. Rahane also toed the team line that they did not discuss about the pitch conditions. “We were not thinking about that. In the dressing room, we are not talking about the wickets. It is important for us to win the match and win the series. There is nothing wrong with the wicket. You should give credit to our bowlers especially Umesh and Ishant. “That three-over spells each spells from both of them was pretty crucial. Because in the dressing room, we never think about how good or bad the wicket is. It’s team effort that we played really well,” said Rahane. - PTI

ther.” Ashwin, currently the leading wicket-taker in the series, hit Tahir for a six to bring up his sixth Test fifty to prove he was no dud with the bat either. Abbott dismissed Ashwin and Ishant Sharma in three deliveries to finish with 5-40 but the visitors could not stop India from posting the first 300-plus score in the series. “It’s a good thing when your lower order is batting well. That partnership was crucial,” said Rahane.

India 1st innings: M. Vijay c Amla b Piedt 12 S. Dhawan lbw b Piedt 33 C. Pujara b Abbott 14 V. Kohli c Vilas b Piedt 44 A. Rahane c de Villiers b Tahir 127 R. Sharma c Tahir b Piedt 1 W. Saha b Abbott 1 R. Jadeja c Elgar b Abbott 24 R. Ashwin c de Villiers b Abbott 56 U. Yadav not out 10 I. Sharma lbw b Abbott 0 Extras (b-8, nb-3, w-1) 12 Total (all out, 117.5 overs) 334 Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-62, 3-66, 4-136, 5-138, 6-139, 7-198, 8-296, 9-334, 10-334 Bowling: M. Morkel 24-5-58-0 (nb-1, w-1); K. Abbott 24.5-7-40-5 (nb-1); D. Piedt 38-6-117-4 (nb-1); I. Tahir 16-2-66-1; D. Elgar 11-0-33-0; J. Duminy 4-0-12-0 South Africa 1st innings: D. Elgar c Saha b U. Yadav 17 T. Bavuma b Jadeja 22 H. Amla c Saha b Jadeja 3 A. de Villiers c I. Sharma b Jadeja 42 F. du Plessis c Rahane b Jadeja 0 J. Duminy b U. Yadav 1 D. Vilas b I. Sharma 11 K. Abbott lbw b Ashwin 4 D. Piedt c Rahane b Jadeja 5 M. Morkel not out 9 I. Tahir c sub b Ashwin 1 Extras (b-5, nb-1) 6 Total (all out, 49.3 overs) 121 Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-40, 3-56, 4-62, 5-65, 6-79,7-84, 8-103, 9-118,10-121 Bowling: I. Sharma 12-5-28-1(nb-1), U. Yadav 12-3-32-2, R. Ashwin 13.3-5-26-2, R. Jadeja 12-2-30-5 Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena and Bruce Oxenford TV umpire: CK Nandan Match referee: Jeff Crowe

“Guys at eight, nine, 10 and eleven -- if they can contribute, the opposition’s morale goes down. The partnership with Ashwin was really important.” - Reuters

TEST SERIES

Once put under pressure, we fell apart badly: Domingo NEW DELHI: South Africa’s coach Russell Domingo on Friday admitted that his team has fallen apart whenever the Indians have applied the pressure on them during the ongoing Test series. It was yet another pathetic batting show by the South Africans as they were bowled out for 121 in 49.3 overs in reply to India’s ﬁrst innings score of 334. “Once we’ve been put under pressure, we’ve fell away badly, and they haven’t. Their lower order and their

middle order have fought back, and have managed to give them good scores, and we haven’t been able to do that. We didn’t bat very well this afternoon and we have a lot of thinking to do. It just wasn’t good enough as a performance,” Domingo was critical of his team’s show in the four-Test series. “It may have started late yesterday when we had them 139 or six. At 139 for six, you are very much in the game. They had some strong partnerships at the back end. We

missed a few chances, and a few decisions didn’t go our way. So it wasn’t a very good last 40-50 overs with the ball. And not a good 45 overs with the bat today. “There’s no dead rubber when you play international cricket, and the players were all keen to play good cricket, which we haven’t done in the last few weeks. It has been a long tour, but that is no excuse. There is a lot of pride in that change-room, and a lot of hurt players after than performance

that we put up today,” a dejected Domingo said. The coach said that some of the soft dismissals did hurt them. “There were a few dismissals that could be deemed as a bit soft, but a good few were from very good bowling, if you think of Dane Vilas dismissals and Temba Bavuma. So it is a bit of both, and we have to give credit to India’s spinners because they have bowled well throughout the series, but we also have to take responsibility for

some very soft dismissals.” Well aware that only a miracle can save them from defeat now, Domingo put up a brave front. “You’ve got to keep believing. Cricket is a strange game, though you may be foolish for putting money on South Africa to win this game, if we can do something special with the ball, bowl them out for 120, and chase 320, then we are in the game. We know we are a long way behind, but we are optimistic,because cricket is a funny game.” - PTI

A12

SATU RDAY, DECEMB ER 5, 2015

SPORTS Platini to miss start of the expanded Euro 2016 party major tournament,” he added. “The qualiﬁers have been a success so far and we are sure the ﬁnal tournament in France next year will be the most competitive to date.”

Platini is serving a 90-day provisional suspension from football, imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee concerning an alleged payment authorised by the president of world soccer’s governing body, Sepp Blatter,

STAGE SET: UEFA Euro 2016 president Jacques Lambert poses in front of the Henri Delaunay Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the Championship, during an event to promote Euro 2016 in Paris. – Reuters

who is also banned

LONDON: UEFA chief Michel Platini opened the door to an expanded Euro 2016, with more ﬁnalists than ever, but in one of the great ironies of modern European soccer he will be absent when delegates descend on Paris next week. Platini is serving a 90-day provisional suspension from football, imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee concerning an alleged payment authorised by the president of world soccer’s governing body, Sepp Blatter, who is also banned. So when the coaches from the 24 ﬁnalists arrive under heavy ISL

Mumbai bow out with victory KOLKATA: A late strike from Mumbai City forward Sony Norde helped his side win their last match of their Indian Super League (ISL) season against Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) 3-2 at the Salt Lake stadium here on Friday. For Mumbai, Norde scored a brace and Sunil Chhetri netted the other, while for the losers it was Hume and Izumi who got on the scoresheet. After 14 games each, ATK are still at the top with 23 points and Mumbai City ﬁnish their campaign at seventh place with 16 points. The loss now opens the door for Delhi Dynamos and FC Goa to go atop the points table with a win in the last game. It was a lively start to the ﬁrst 45 minute as both sides came close to scoring. First it was Sameegh Doutie for ATK who slipped near and the edge of the six-yard box but could not guide the ball in the back of the net, next it was Sunil Chhetri whose shot was kept out by Atletico custodian Juan Calatayud. Hume, in the 9th minute, was through on goal but his effort was just whiskers away from the right post. A few minutes later it was Doutie again who tried to give his team the lead after latching onto a delightful long ball from Gavilan Martinez. The South African after running a few yards tried to curl in the ball with his right foot but his shot went just wide. However, in the 26th minute mark, Mumbai’s Haitian forward Norde who also plies his trade for city football giants Mohun Bagan smashed the ball in after receiving it from teammate Selim Benachour. — IANS

security following last month’s Paris attacks for the draw in the French capital on Dec.12, Platini will probably be watching events unfold on television instead of being there. The 60-year-old Frenchman, synonymous with his country’s Euro ‘84 triumph on home soil as a player and chief organiser of the 1998 World Cup which ended in French glory in Paris, was widely criticised when UEFA expanded the ﬁnals from “the perfect number” of 16 to 24 teams six years ago. Many berated him for reducing the qualiﬁers to a run-in for the major nations, but that is not how it turned out. The Netherlands,

World Cup semiﬁnalists last year, failed to qualify after losing home and away to Iceland in their group. “The decision to expand was taken in the interest of promoting and developing football across Europe,” Platini, the head of European soccer’s ruling body, told Reuters in June.

“We have been delighted with the positive impact the new format has had across the continent. “We have seen extremely competitive groups with several teams fighting for qualification, a high quality of football played and great enthusiasm in several nations who have never or rarely qualified for a

First time Among those who have reached the finals are first time qualifiers Albania and Iceland, Wales - back in a major tournament for the first time since the 1958 World Cup Northern Ireland and Hungary, who both last appeared in a major tournament at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Apart from the Dutch, the usual heavyweights are in place with holders Spain seeking a record third straight title. Hosts France, designated in position A1 in the draw, will open the tournament at Saint-Denis on June 10, before playing in Marseilles five days later and in Lille on June 19. If they win Group A their round of 16 match will be in Lyon on June 26. With France already allocated A1, there are five other top seeds with Spain, world champions Germany, highly-fancied Belgium, England, the only team to win all of their 10 qualifiers, and Portugal among the elite group. There are some dangerous floaters in Pot 2 with Italy, Russia and the newly-invigorated Austria, the teams to avoid. The 24 teams will be split into six groups of four with the top two in each section and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the last 16, leaving eight teams eliminated after the group stage. The final will be in Paris on July 10. - Reuters

FOOTBALL

Real Madrid thrown out of King’s Cup MADRID: Real Madrid have been thrown out of the King’s Cup after they used an ineligible player in Wednesday’s last 32, first leg match at third-tier Cadiz, Spanish radio station Cadena Ser reported on Friday. Real included Denis Cheryshev in their starting lineup for the match and the Russia forward opened the scoring in his side’s 3-1 victory, even though he should have been serving a one-match suspension. Cadena Ser, which did not identify the source of its information, said the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) had told Cadiz of the decision to expel Real, who had said they would appeal if they were thrown out of the competition. The RFEF is expected to announce its decision later on Friday. Cheryshev earned a third yellow card, which carries an automatic one-game ban, playing on loan at Villarreal in last season’s Cup. Real took him off at halftime when they apparently realised their error but Cadiz filed an official complaint. Real president Florentino Perez said on Thursday he believed the club had not broken the rules as neither Cheryshev nor the club were notified he was banned. It is the latest embarrassment for the world’s richest club by income, whose attempt to sign Spain goalkeeper David De Gea from Manchester United on the final day of the transfer window in August ended in farce when the paperwork did not arrive on time to complete the deal. - Reuters

HOCKEY

India eye steady performance against Belgium RAIPUR: Inconsistency has been India’s bane for a long time and the biggest task for Sardar Singh and Co. would be to come up with a steady performance when they take on a dangerous Belgium in the semifinal of the Hockey World League (HWL) Final, here on Saturday. After a poor start to the tournament— a 0-3 loss to Argentina — India produced a fine show to hold Olympic champions Germany 1-1 before dishing out another mediocre performance to lose 1-3 against title-holders Netherlands. But an unpredictable India then saved BOUNCING BACK: India will face Belgium in the semifinal to be their best for the tough quarterfinal played on Saturday, clash against world no.4 Great Britain and eked out a close 2-1 win to play-off match of the Hockey talismanic skipper Sardar Singh. progress to the last four stage. The performance of the mid- World League Semifinal earlier The up and down showing is worrying India’s chief coach field, the link between forwardline this year. But it will be easier said than Roelant Oltmans and the Dutch- and defence, is key to any team’s man was candid enough to say that success in international hockey and done as the Red Lions looked more he can’t guarantee a consistent the likes of Sardar, Kothajit Singh consistent in the tournament than performance from his wards in the and Manpreet Singh have stood their opponents. Although Belgium new coach upto the occasion, atleast here. next match. Defence has always been India’s Shane McLeod identified India’s “If you ask me whether we will be able to give a performance like weak link and has wilted under grey areas, he said the hosts would this (against Great Britain) again, pressure on numerous occasions. be a tough nut to crack. “I thought they (India) played then frankly speaking I am not But against Great Britain yestersure about it. But of course in the day, the backline managed to stand well. I think in the other games next two days we will work to- tall to thwart relentless pressure the grading games - they were a bit wards that,” Oltmans said about in the fourth and final quarter. inconsistent. But I thought they India’s inconsistent performance. India coach Oltmans too under- played well (against Great Britain) Barring a few glitches, the Indi- stands the significance of tomor- and they are going to be a really ans were near perfect against Great row’s match when he said it’s time tough opponent,” McLeod said. The Belgium coach said comBritain on Thursday. The hosts for the past masters of the game sparkled in all departments of the to shine in major international ing into the tournament it was his wish to play India in their own game to produce their best perfor- events. “It’s nice to be in the semifinal backyard. mance of the tournament so far. “A secret wish of mine was havIndia’s misfiring forward line but it’s time to win a medal in a mafinally showed some promise with jor tournament and this is a major ing the guys experience playing Talwinder Singh scoring a fine tournament and that’s what we are India in India. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the guys and there field goal and Ramandeep Singh aiming for,” he had said. Going by world ranking, there is will be big crowd in. We are looking hitting the post on one occasion against Great Britain on Thursday. hardly anything to separate sixth- forward to it,” McLeod said. “Look it’s tough but you can’t Young Mohammad Amir Khan too placed India and Belgium who are buy that experience. You can only a rung below the hosts. impressed with his performance. The match will also provide In- get that by winning and by achievBut what has been inspiring for India in this tournament is the dia a chance to avenge their 0-4 ing what we have achieved so far. performance of its midfield led by thrashing in the bronze medal No matter how much money you

Australia crush Netherlands’ title defence hopes, enter final RAIPUR: World champions Australia got the better of defending champions The Netherlands 3-2 in a high-voltage first semifinal to progress to the title clash of the ongoing Hockey World League (HWL) Final at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Stadium, here on Friday. It was a match between world’s two top teams and it turned out to be an exciting affair as Australia scored through Dylan Wotherspoon (8th minute), Daniel Beale (22nd minute) and Matt Gohdes (42nd), while Constantijn Jonker (29th) and Mirco Pruijser (33rd) were the goal getters for Netherlands, who slumped to their first defeat in the tournament. Australia started strongly

spend you can’t ﬁll a stadium. To be fair, all of them are going to root for India. So it’s going to be interesting to see how my players cope with it,” he added.

and had the better share of possession and shots at the goal in the first 25 minutes of the game. Australia secured as many as four penalty corners in the opening two quarters but utilised just one. Australia earned their first penalty corner as early as in the second minute but Kieran Govers flick was saved by Netherlands goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann. Stockmann again came to Netherlands rescue two minutes later when he denied Trent Mitton after he was set up by a fine pass from veteran Jamie Dwyer. Two minutes later Dwyer again combined with Mitton to set up another scoring opportunity but the latter pushed the ball wide with only Stockmann to beat. — PTI

Meanwhile in the other match of the day, Olympic champions Germany will play lowly Canada in the ﬁfth to eighth place classiﬁcation match. - PTI

B SLOW DOWN ENJOY THE RIDE

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM SATUR DAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

MARKE

INVESTOR WANTS YAHOO TO SELL CORE BUSINESS

An activist investor on Thursday renewed its push for Yahoo to abandon its plans to spin off its valuable stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding and instead sell its core business “at the highest price possible.” >B3

FOUR-YEAR PROBE

Banks escape antitrust charges as EU shuts down swaps investigation BRUSSELS: More than a dozen banks including Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase will escape fines after European Union regulators dropped a fouryear investigation into suspicions they conspired to shut exchanges out of the credit-default swaps market. The European Commission said evidence “was not sufficiently conclusive to confirm” its concerns, according to a statement on its website on Friday. It will keep investigating data provider Markit Group and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA). EU’s firing line Regulators opened the case in a blaze of publicity in 2011, fighting for news attention with Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton the same day in London. Banks quickly found themselves also in the EU’s firing line over the rigging the London interbank offered rate, racking up huge fines and lambasted by EU officials for their “shocking” misbehaviour. “A case closure at this late stage is quite a surprise,” said Al Mangan, a lawyer at Addleshaw Goddard in London. “The industry has been braced for another round of high fines. The 1.7 billion euros ($1.85 billion) imposed in respect of Libor and Euribor two years

European lenders Barclays, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse Group, HSBC Holdings, Royal Bank of Scotland Group and UBS Group were targeted by the EU in the case. The other US banks are Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and Bear Stearns, which JPMorgan acquired in 2008

ago is still fresh in its mind.” The probe centered on allegations that banks abused their leverage over data provider Markit and the ISDA from 2006 to 2009 to block Deutsche Boerse’s Eurex and CMDX, a CDS electronic trading platform planned by the CME Group and Citadel Investment Group, to maintain more lucrative over- the-counter trading. European lenders Barclays, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse Group, HSBC Holdings, Royal Bank of Scotland Group and UBS Group were targeted by the EU in the case. The other US banks are Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and Bear Stearns, which JPMorgan acquired in 2008. The banks declined to comment on the decision.

“This is very unusual,” said Marc Israel, a lawyer at Macfarlanes in London. The case against the banks may have been “more speculative because the charges against Markit and ISDA haven’t been dropped.” Not bound by legacy The EU was “struggling with the case,” said Jeremie Jourdan, a lawyer at White & Case in Brussels. Closing it “shows that the commission can and does” listen to companies’ arguments and that Margrethe Vestager, who became the EU’s antitrust chief last year, doesn’t feel bound by her predecessor’s legacy to pursue probes to completion. Once the EU sends formal objections, it often moves on to ﬁne

the companies it is targeting. Banks received formal antitrust objections in 2013 and defended themselves at a hearing last year. “Today’s closure decision regarding the 13 investment banks is based on a thorough analysis of all information received from the parties in their replies and during the oral hearing of May 2014, as well as on documents obtained through additional fact- ﬁnding,” the EU said. While the case against the banks is being dropped, “this closure does not prejudge the outcome of the commission’s investigation regarding Markit and ISDA, which is ongoing,” it said. The EU said it will also continue to monitor the practices of investment banks in ﬁnancial markets, including in credit default swaps. “ISDA believes it has acted properly at all times,” the company said in an e-mail. “We will continue to cooperate with regulatory authorities to resolve this matter.” Markit didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

FIRST WASHABLE SMARTPHONE

This picture taken on Thursday shows Japanese telecom giant KDDI’s washable smartphone “Digno rafre”, produced by Kyocera at a presentation in Tokyo. Waterproof smartphones have been on the market for awhile. But telecom company KDDI says its new “Digno rafre” phone — to be launched in Japan next week — is the only one that can withstand a soapy bath. — AFP

— Bloomberg News

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Strong job growth in US boosts case for rate hike Nonfarm payrolls increased 211,000 last month, the Labour Department said on Friday. September and October data were revised to show 35,000 more jobs than previously reported.

ANXIOUS MOMENTS: Labour force participation rate, or the share of working-age Americans who are employed or at least looking for a job, rose to 62.5 per cent from a near 38-year low of 62.4 per cent. Bloomberg ﬁle picture

WASHINGTON: US job growth increased solidly in November in a show of the economy’s resilience, which most likely paves the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month for the first time in nearly a decade. Nonfarm payrolls increased 211,000 last month, the Labour Department said on Friday. September and October data was revised to show 35,000 more jobs than previously reported. The unemployment rate held at a 7-1/2-year low of five per cent, even as people returned to the labor force in a sign of confidence in the jobs market. The jobless rate is in a range many Fed officials see as

consistent with full employment and has dropped seven-tenths of a percentage point this year. “We cleared the last hurdle for a rate increase. The Fed was looking for some positive movement on wages, and we got a little bit of that. There is absolutely nothing in this report that will keep the Fed from raising rates,” said Chris Gaffney, president at EverBank World Markets in St. Louis. The closely watched employment report came a day after Fed Chair Janet Yellen struck an upbeat note on the economy when she testiﬁed before lawmakers, describing how it had largely met the criteria the US central bank

has set for the Fed’s ﬁrst rate hike since June 2006. Yellen said the economy needs to create just under 100,000 jobs a month to keep up with growth in the working age population. The Fed’s policy-setting committee will meet on December 15-16. Market-based measures of Fed policy expectations assign a probability of 79.1 percent to the central bank’s raising interest rates at that meeting, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch site. The dollar extended gains against a basket of currencies, while prices for US government bonds fell. US stock futures extended gains.

The second month of strong job gains should allay fears the economy has hit a soft patch, after reports showing tepid consumer spending in October and a slowdown in services industry growth in November. Manufacturing contracted in November for the ﬁrst time in three years. Though wage growth slowed last month, economists say that was mostly payback for October’s outsized gains, which were driven by a calendar quirk. Anecdotal evidence, as well as data on labour-related costs, suggest that tightening job market conditions are starting to put upward pres-

sure on wages. Average hourly earnings increased four cents, or 0.2 per cent from 0.4 per cent in October. That lowered the year-on-year reading to 2.3 per cent from 2.5 per cent in October. The average workweek, however, dipped to 34.5 hours from 34.6. Other labour market measures that Fed officials are eyeing as they consider lifting the benchmark overnight interest rate from near zero were mixed. The labour force participation rate, or the share of working-age Americans who are employed or at least looking for a job, rose to 62.5 per cent from a near 38-year low of 62.4 per cent. But a broad measure of joblessness that includes people who want to work but have given up searching and those working part-time because they cannot ﬁnd full-time employment rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 9.9 percent. Employment gains in November were broad-based, though manufacturing shed 1,000 positions and mining lost 11,000 jobs. Manufacturing has been crippled by a strong dollar, efforts by businesses to reduce bloated inventory and spending cuts by energy companies scaling back well drilling and exploration in response to sharply lower oil prices. Mining employment has declined by 123,000 since reaching a peak in December 2014. Three quarters of the job losses over this period have been in support activities for mining. — Reuters

ECONOMY

Trade deficit of US widens WASHINGTON: US trade deficit widened unexpectedly in October as exports fell to a threeyear low, suggesting that trade could again weigh on economic growth in the fourth quarter. The Commerce Department said on Friday the trade gap rose 3.4 per cent to $43.9 billion, a sign that the worst of the drag from a stronger dollar was far from over. September’s trade deficit was revised up to $42.5 billion from the previously reported $40.8 billion. The government revised trade figures going back to April to incorporate more comprehensive and updated quarterly and monthly data. Economists had forecast the trade gap shrinking to $40.5 billion in October. When adjusted for inflation, the deficit increased to $60.33 billion from $57.37 billion in September. Trade subtracted 0.22 percentage point from gross domestic product in the third quarter, which expanded at a 2.1 per cent annual rate. The dollar’s 18.6 per cent appreciation against the currencies of the United States’ main trading partners since June 2014 has eroded export growth. Exports fell 1.4 per cent to $184.1 billion, the lowest level since October 2012. Exports of goods were the lowest since June 2011. Food exports were the lowest since March 2012, while exports of industrial supplies and materials were the weakest in five years. Petroleum exports hit their lowest level since December 2010. Imports dipped 0.6 per cent to $228.0 billion in October. Imports of industrial supplies and materials fell to the lowest level since May 2009. Petroleum imports were the lowest since November 2003. — Reuters

GREEN-LIGHT

Porsche to invest $1.09b to make its ﬁrst all-electric vehicle FRANKFURT: Porsche committed to making its ﬁrst all-electric vehicle, taking on Tesla Motors Inc. with a model that’s set to accelerate faster than the German company’s 911 sports car and recharge in 15 minutes. Porsche green-lighted a one billion-euro ($1.09 billion) project to produce the battery-powered sports car, which will be manufactured near division headquarters in Stuttgart and create 1,000

jobs, the Volkswagen unit said on Friday in a statement. The model, based on the low-slung Mission E concept unveiled in September at the Frankfurt auto show, will enter showrooms at the end of the decade, it said. “With Mission E, we are making a clear statement about the future of the brand,” Chairman Wolfgang Porsche said in the statement. “Even in a greatly changing motoring world, Porsche will maintain

its front-row position with this fascinating sports car.” Electric cars The step is part of efforts by Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automaker, to move beyond a scandal over rigged car-emissions tests. Chief Executive Officer Matthias Mueller, who ran Porsche until late September, has vowed to accelerate and widen development of electric cars amid a reorganisation that

delegates more decision-making to the Volkswagen group’s brands and regional units. Porsche caused a stir at the Frankfurt show with the fourseat Mission E electric sportscar concept, whose acceleration to 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour in less than 3.5 seconds beats the 911’s 4.2 seconds to reach that speed. The new electric vehicle will complement a lineup comprising

the 911, the smaller Cayman sports car, the Boxster roadster, the fourdoor Panamera coupe and the Cayenne and Macan sport utility vehicles. Porsche’s high-performance 918 Spyder has been sold out as production was limited to safeguard exclusivity. The division is set to sell more than 200,000 vehicles for the ﬁrst time this year, driven by demand for the $52,600 compact Macan. Palo Alto, California-based Tesla,

maker of the battery-powered Model S sedan and Model X SUV, is targeting 50,000 to 55,000 deliveries in 2015. The 600-horsepower Mission E will be designed to drive more than 500 kilometres before needing a recharge, Porsche said. The battery can reach 80 per cent of capacity in about 15 minutes, about half the time needed by Tesla’s Model S to recharge for a 270-kilometre driving range. — Bloomberg News

SATU RDAY, DECEMB ER 5, 2015

MARKET EUROPEAN UNION

Greek banks could get ECB funding before bailout review FRANKFURT/ATHENS: Greek banks could return to normal European Central Bank (ECB) funding before international lenders conclude a first review of the country’s new bailout programme early next year, the euro zone’s central bank said on Thursday. The ECB shut Greek lenders out of its liquidity operations in February after a radical leftist government won power vowing to tear up a previous bailout agreement and reverse austerity. Liquidity assistance The banks were kept afloat by more costly, ECB-authorised emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) from the Greek central bank, enabling them to survive massive deposit outflows and the imposition of capital controls in late June. ELA peaked at 91 billion euros in July after banks were shut for three weeks. The ceiling has been reduced gradually since a third bailout was agreed in August. The ECB lowered it by 7.8 billion euros to 77.9 billion euros

Council will be satisﬁed that the country is complying with the programme. “That could even happen before the conclusion of the review, if we would be close enough to that end of the review and we would be convinced that the review would become successful.” First review Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and a senior EU official said they expected the ﬁrst review to be completed in February once Greece enacts pension, tax and labour reforms. The government also wants the ECB to include Greek sovereign bonds in its quantitative easing asset-purchasing programme. But Constancio made clear that was a more distant prospect than restoring the waiver for Greek banks. “Regarding the participation in QE, it’s more complex, and it does not depend only on the successful completion of the review,” he said. He did not spell out the other factors, but the ECB only buys

CASHING OUT: Customers use automated teller machines (ATM) outside a shuttered National Bank of Greece bank branch in central Athens, Greece. - Bloomberg ﬁle picture

on Thursday “reﬂecting the improvement of liquidity in the Greek banks”. The country is just completing an operation to recapitalise the four systemic banks before

new EU bank resolution rules come into force in January which would force big depositors to share losses before lenders could receive rescue aid. Asked when the ECB would re-

store a waiver to let Greek banks participate in its liquidity tenders, ECB Vice-President Vitor Constancio told a news conference in Frankfurt: “The main condition is that the (ECB) Governing

ECB cuts key interest rate, but disappoints on stimulus Delving deeper into the bank’s monetary toolbox, ECB chief Mario Draghi said the bank would not only include euro-denominated regional and local debt in its purchases

Earlier the bank cut its deposit rate to -0.3 per cent from its existing -0.2 per cent, effectively charging banks more for parking cash with the central bank, reversing its earlier guidance that rates had bottomed out.

but would also look to reinvest principal payments in the scheme

FRANKFURT: European Central Bank (ECB) cut a key interest rate on Thursday and announced an extension of its monthly asset purchases but the euro leapt higher as ﬁnancial markets signalled they had been expecting yet more stimulus. Delving deeper into the bank’s monetary toolbox, ECB chief Mario Draghi said the bank would not only include euro-denominated regional and local debt in its purchases but would also look to reinvest principal payments in

the scheme. “This will contribute both to favourable liquidity conditions and to an appropriate monetary policy stance,” Draghi told a news conference, without saying how much that could add to overall purchases currently hitting 60 billion euros a month. He said the ECB did not add to its monthly asset purchase programme because extending the scheme and reinvesting proceeds were deemed sufficient. “Our asset purchase programme is ﬂexible. It can always be adjusted. We decided the extension of our horizon and especially the re-investment of principal would be sufficient,” he said. Draghi said the quantitative easing asset-buying programme would continue “until the end of March 2017 or beyond if neces-

sary”, he added, spelling out that the central bank’s priority of hitting a medium-term target of inflation at just under two percent. It had been due to end around September 2016. Earlier the bank cut its deposit rate to -0.3 per cent from its existing -0.2 per cent, effectively charging banks more for parking cash with the central bank, reversing its earlier guidance that rates had bottomed out. But the euro hit a four-week high of $1.0894, over two percent up on the day, and the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 fell deeper into negative territory in a sign financial markets had been expecting Draghi to provide more stimulus. “Bear in mind that Super Mario has accustomed market participants to surpass their lofty expec-

tations,” Stephane Ekolo, chief European strategist at Market Securities, said, using a common Draghi nickname. “Maybe Super Mario is saving ammunition for another occasion,” Ekolo added. Draghi stressed that risks to the world economy and to the inﬂation outlook remained skewed to the downside and added that he did not rule out the use of other instruments if needed. Responding to reporters’ questions over possible future action and whether interest rates were now at their lower bound, Draghi said: “We are not going to be hampered in this by technical issues.” With inﬂation running near zero and likely to miss the bank’s target of nearly two per cent for years to come, the ECB had all

but committed to action. The bank’s governing council had also been expected to have discussed more extreme ideas, possibly a two-tier deposit rate that would punish banks parking too much cash with the central bank or the purchase of municipal and corporate debt. But many of those proposals were seen meeting resistance within the council. Critics of easing, led by the Governing Council’s two German members, argue that monetary policy is already exceptionally loose and the biggest reason inﬂation is hovering near zero is the fall in oil prices, which is a boost for growth as lower energy costs leave households with more to spend. The US Federal Reserve’s expected interest rate hike this month also complicates ECB action. Fed Chair Janet Yellen said on Wednesday she was “looking forward” to a US interest rate rise but an unexpectedly weak manufacturing survey this week has also raised fresh doubts about the Fed’s rate path. Indeed, business activity in the euro zone picked up at its fastest pace since mid-2011 last month, third quarter economic growth was running at a respectable 1.6 per cent and lending is increasing at the quickest rate in four years. — Reuters

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bonds of euro zone governments that are ranked at investment grade by at least one credit rating agency. No agency currently rates Greece at that level. Participation issue The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it would consider in January whether to participate in the bailout programme when inspectors from Greece’s lenders review its compliance with the conditions. “That’s the ﬁrst point when we could begin to think about participation,” IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told a brieﬁng in Washington. Any IMF role would be “in the context of a new programme”, he said, making clear the global lender would not extend the 16 billion euros of unused funds left from an incomplete programme that expires in March. He repeated the IMF’s position that participation depends both on Greek compliance with the programme and on euro zone lenders granting sufficient debt relief to Athens. — Reuters FA C T O RY O U T P U T

Germany’s manufacturing orders rebound HAMBURG: German factory orders rose for the first time in four months, climbing more than economists anticipated, as demand for investment and consumer goods jumped amid an economic recovery in the country and the 19-nation euro region. Orders, adjusted for seasonal swings and inflation, rose 1.8 per cent in October after a revised 0.7 per cent drop in September, data from the Economy Ministry in Berlin showed on Friday. The increase follows three consecutive monthly declines and compares with an estimate for an expansion of 1.2 percent. Orders fell 1.4 per cent from a year earlier. Record-low unemployment, a solid wage outlook and increased immigration is driving private consumption in Europe’s biggest economy that is expected to lead to above-potential mid-term growth, the Bundesbank said in its latest monthly report. The euroarea recovery is benefiting from unprecedented stimulus by the ECB, which cut its deposit rate on Thursday and increased the size of its asset-purchase programme. “After a rough patch for manufacturing orders in the third quarter, the latest data signal a timid recovery,” Germany’s Economy Ministry said. “Especially demand from the euro area is picking up markedly, suggesting a continued recovery in our European partner countries,” it added further. Consumer-goods orders from the currency bloc jumped 9.2 per cent in October, according to the report. Domestic investment-goods demand rose 4.2 per cent from the previous month. — Bloomberg News

M O O D Y ’ S WA R N I N G

‘British EU exit to hurt economy’ LONDON: Ratings agency Moody’s said on Thursday that a British exit (Brexit ) from the European Union would hurt the country’s economy by damaging trade and investment and could put its credit rating at risk of a downgrade. Moody’s, spelling out its thinking about a so-called Brexit in more detail than before, said Britain would face a long period of

uncertainty if it had to negotiate a trade deal with its former EU partners following a vote to leave the bloc. Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to hold a referendum on Britain’s EU membership before the end of 2017. He is seeking to negotiate new rules for the bloc before holding the vote. Moody’s called into question some of the purported beneﬁts

of leaving the EU, saying the ﬁnancial savings from no longer contributing to its budget would be modest at about 0.6 percent of economic output per year. Furthermore, Germany’s success in exporting goods to China and other emerging markets showed that being in the European Union was no hindrance to trade with countries outside it, Moody’s said. — Reuters

S AT U R DAY, D E C E MB E R 5, 2 0 1 5

MARKET FINANCIAL CRUNCH

Air India planes grounded amid shortage of Boeing parts NEW DELHI: Air India, the staterun carrier that has survived on a Rs300 billion ($4.5 billion) taxpayer-funded bailout, is struggling to pay for spare parts, forcing it to ground two Boeing Dreamliners. The planes were not operational for about 10 months each as worldwide demand for parts outpaced supply from Boeing, and a “ﬁnancial crunch” prevented Air India from procuring components on credit, Mahesh Sharma, India’s junior aviation minister, told parliament on Thursday. The carrier kept paying rentals of $1 million every month for each of the two planes, in addition to losing money while they were out of operation, he said. Grounded planes The grounded planes underline the woes of Air India, which has been unproﬁtable since its 2007 merger with state-owned domestic operator Indian Airlines. The carrier’s share in the local market has shrunk to 16 per cent from 35 per cent a decade back, placing it

grounding of the global ﬂeet in 2013 after battery meltdowns on two planes.

third in the national ranking, even as competition has intensiﬁed with foreign airlines buying stakes in local carriers and new ventures starting operations. Dreamliner operators across the world are facing problems due to “high rate of failures of components,” Sharma said. He added that Boeing “could not support the demand of failed units on various 787 aircraft, since demand was more than supply.” Compensation wanted The airline said last year it was demanding compensation from Boeing for delivering Dreamliners that didn’t meet promised fuel-efﬁciency targets because the planes were heavier than planned. Earlier in 2014, Boeing said Air India was not happy with the reliability of the aircraft and the Chicago-based planemaker was upgrading software and changing components on some of Air India’s planes whenever they could be taken out of service. One aircraft was grounded from

FIXING UP: Air India and some other carriers such as Norwegian Air built their growth plans around

the composite-material Dreamliner, which promised more fuel-efficient operation. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

April 2014 to February this year, while another has not been operational since January, Sharma said. Dinesh Keskar, a Boeing senior vice-president based in Singapore, said there had been “some issues” with Air India’s Dreamliners earlier this year but the problems

mostly had been ironed out. “We continue to work with Air India on the challenges of spare parts and all, but we feel that both reliability and availability of the aircraft has reached a good stage in the Air India operation right now,” he said. “The Dreamliner ﬂeet has

been the cornerstone of Air India’s turnaround plan and over the last few months it has been reiterated that it’s working.” The Dreamliner, Boeing’s marquee jet, has experienced a series of malfunctions since its 2011 debut, including a three- month

Ambani brothers in talks to widen airwave sharing deal Mukesh’s Reliance Jio Infocomm, which is spending $15 billion to build the service, seeks to add two more circles in the 800 megahertz frequency band over the next couple of months to the

EXPANDED ACCORD: Expanded accord between the brothers is crucial for Reliance Jio to start services, which have been delayed by a quarter. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

spectrum sharing pact with younger brother Anil Ambani

MUMBAI: Billionaire Ambani brothers are in talks to expand their wireless airwave sharing pact to nine regions from seven as Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man, prepares to start his fourthgeneration mobile phone services

in 2016, people familiar with the matter said. His Reliance Jio Infocomm, which is spending $15 billion to build the service, seeks to add two more circles in the 800 megahertz frequency band over the next couple of months to the spectrum sharing pact with younger brother Anil Ambani, the people said, asking not to be identiﬁed as the talks are private. Reliance Jio is awaiting regulatory approval to share airwaves in the seven re-

C O R P O R AT E OV E R H AU L

gions with the latter’s Reliance Communications. The expanded accord between the brothers is crucial for Reliance Jio to start services, which have been delayed by a quarter. Mukesh Ambani had indicated a December start in Reliance Industries Ltd.’s annual shareholder meet in June. The airwaves controlled by Reliance Communications are suitable for transmitting data at high speeds, while bulk of the frequencies Reliance Jio bought for $5.1 billion

are in higher bands, which require more investment to transfer movies, documents and voice over the Internet. Getting access “Reliance Jio’s business model and proﬁtability is contingent on their getting access to frequency bands below 1,000MHz,” said Naveen Kulkarni, an analyst at PhillipCapital India in Mumbai, since higher bands hinder heavy data and voice transmission. “It

also gives Reliance Communications a good opportunity to monetise its spectrum.” Reliance Jio declined to comment on the deal in an e-mail response. A Reliance Communications spokesman didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail. Jio has spectrum across 800 megahertz, 1,800 megahertz and 2,300 megahertz bands, according to the latest financial presentation by its parent Reliance Industries. The year to March 2017 will be Jio’s first full year of commercial operations, it said. Reliance Jio’s 4G service is expected to shake up a sector where as many as dozen operators fight for 996 million subscribers by slashing tariffs and crimping profit margins. Idea Cellular announced last month that it was buying spectrum in two circles from Videocon for Rs33.1 billion ($500 million) — the first such deal since the government allowed carriers to trade and share airwaves in August. Bharti Airtel is spending Rs600 billion over three years to improve its voice and data quality alongside exploring spectrum purchase deals from other operators. Vodafone Group’s Indian unit too is in the market if the pricing was right, its chief executive officer Sunil Sood said. — Bloomberg News

Growth plans Air India and some other carriers such as Norwegian Air built their growth plans around the composite-material Dreamliner, which promised more fuel-efficient operation. The Indian airline, which in 2O12 received the taxpayer-funded bailout, needs to meet cost, revenue and load-factor targets to keep getting money from the government through 2021. The state-run carrier pays higher interest rates on its overseas loans compared with other Indian companies, as lenders remain unimpressed with the airline’s turnaround. It probably lost $900 million to $920 million in the year through March 2015, according to estimates by CAPA Centre for Aviation, after losing about $810 million in the previous 12 months. — Bloomberg News

PHYSICAL ASSETS

Singapore’s top subway operator mulls sale of trains SINGAPORE: Singapore is studying options for subway operator SMRT, including having the company sell its trains to the government, and plans to propose recommendations as soon as the ﬁrst quarter of next year, people with knowledge of the matter said. Possibilities under discussion include SMRT, which has a market value of S$2.4 billion ($1.7 billion), selling its physical assets to the government so it can focus on the business of operating subway services, according to the people. State investment company Temasek Holdings is also considering whether it needs to keep control of SMRT, though it has no immediate plans to sell its 55 per cent stake, the people said, asking not to be identiﬁed as the information is private. Service disruptions SMRT has faced public criticism for service disruptions in the past four years even as it expanded its network. Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan appointed an engineering specialist in October to advise on rail transformation and said the government was discussing changes in the industry structure to bring about “better alignment of incentives.” — Bloomberg News

ACTIVIST INVESTOR

German firm RWE Investor wants Yahoo to sell core business bets big on wind and solar power DUESSELDORF, (Germany): RWE could triple investments in wind and solar power in a big expansion of its renewables business, its CEO told Reuters, days after the company announced it would break itself up to cope with a crisis in conventional energy generation. Germany’s second-largest utility unveiled the major overhaul on Tuesday; it plans to hive off its healthiest divisions — renewables, grids and retail — into a separately listed entity. The aim is to shield them from a crisis that has beset its conventional energy production business, stemming from the German government’s decision to close nuclear plants by 2022 and a slump in wholesale power prices that has hit the profitability of its coal and gas-fired plants. In his first interview after the announcement of the restructuring plan — welcomed by investors as a smart move — Chief Executive Peter Terium said on Thursday that investments in renewable energy could triple to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) per year. Terium, who took over as RWE boss in 2012, did not specify a timeframe for the increase, and said the group would not seek expansion at any price.

“We won’t burn money. It’s about being profitable.” A latecomer to renewables, RWE is trying to catch up with rivals in what is currently the strongest-growing part of an otherwise shrinking power generation industry, where solar and wind power is fast replacing coal and gas-fired plants. RWE made eight per cent of its core earnings (EBITDA) from renewables last year, compared with 18 per cent at larger German peer E.ON, for example. Terium gave the company’s first rough estimate of how the hived off business including the renewables division would perform, saying it could have annual earnings growth in the singledigit percentage range. Growth at its renewables division will primarily be driven by further expansion of its onshore and offshore wind business, the 52-year-old Dutchman said. He said he planned to expand RWE’s European onshore wind business by an average of 200 megawatts per year, with a focus on Germany, the Netherlands and Britain. RWE currently has about 2,000 MW of onshore capacity across the continent. The chief executive officer did not give any targets for the planned offshore expansion. — Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO/BENGALURU: An activist investor on Thursday renewed its push for Yahoo to abandon its plans to spin off its valuable stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding and instead sell its core business “at the highest price possible.” The pressure from Starboard Value came as Yahoo’s board, in a three-day meeting that started on Wednesday, was reportedly weighing a number of options for the troubled company. That includes selling the core business, a source told Reuters, encompassing features like Mail, its news site and other Web services. Alibaba, seen by some as a potential buyer, is unlikely to be interested, according to the Wall

– Bloomberg ﬁle picture

Street Journal. Citing a person familiar with the matter, the Journal said Alibaba felt the core business is not attractive, “given the difficulties successive managers have had in turning it around.” Yahoo’s board, which includes co-founder David Filo, Wal-Mart

Stores former Chief Executive H. Lee Scott Jr. and Charles Schwab Corp Chairman Charles R. Schwab, was also expected to discuss the planned spinoff of Yahoo’s 15 per cent stake in Alibaba. Alibaba will be interested in buying back its shares from Yahoo only at a steep discount, the WSJ said, citing the person. After earlier urging the company to spin off the Alibaba stake, Starboard reversed course. It had ﬁrst urged the sale of the core business in a November letter to Yahoo. It is unclear what the board’s decision will mean for the future of Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer, who has pushed for the spin-off of the Alibaba stake but has not publicly commented on

the possible sale of the core business. Yahoo shareholders could end up paying billions in taxes if the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) deems a spin-off taxable. The company had sought a private letter ruling from the IRS to conﬁrm a spin-off would be tax-free, but the agency denied the request in September. The board is “seriously considering” pausing on a spin-off until there is more clarity on the tax implications, Re/code reported, citing sources. Yahoo had earlier planned to complete an Alibaba spinoff by the end of December. But the company said in October the transaction was expected to close in January. Alibaba and Yahoo did not respond to requests for comment. — Reuters

SATU RDAY, DECEMB ER 5, 2015

FEATURE

W H O W I L L W I N D R I V E R L E S S

CAR WARS? YES, BUT WHICH COMPANY WILL BE DRIVING THE INDUSTRY?

hen it comes to the glorious new future of self-driving cars, I am something of a bear. Not a radical skeptic, mind you: I think self-driving cars are coming, eventually. I just think that “eventually” might be further off than people suggest. Getting to “level-four” automation -- where the car drives itself, all the time, with no human input -- is still a formidable challenge. Getting to level-three automation, where the car mostly drives itself most of the time, seems imminent. But the actual advantages of level- three automation over cruise control and early warning systems seem dubious. If people are distracted when the car needs them to take over, then level-three automation could end up being more dangerous than the older systems. And if people aren’t distracted, which is to say they are grimly staring at the road with nothing to do for hours at a stretch, then it seems worse than actually driving the car. Nonetheless, I do think fully self-driving cars are coming; I just think they’ll be coming closer to 2030 than 2020. Even a fashionably late arrival, however, raises an interesting question: Who will own the business? The candidates are essentially four: Uber, Tesla, traditional car companies, or traditional Silicon Valley firms such as Apple and Google. Below I’ll sketch out the main strengths and weaknesses each candidate brings. But first I want to explain why the answer is not necessarily “the company that’s leading the field right now.” And that answer starts with a question: Why does General Electric control so much of the market for Com-

puted Tomography scanners? Yes, I know you’re confused, so let me get to the point: GE didn’t invent the CT scanner. That honour goes to EMI laboratories. Godfrey Hounsfield, the inventor, eventually received a Nobel prize in medicine and a knighthood. Yet the market share went to three manufacturing giants founded in the 19th century, rather than the comparative upstart. Why should this be the case? Actually, it is not that rare. Innovators often see some other company reap the fruits of their invention. Sometimes that innovator is outdone by another innovator (think Henry Ford and his assembly line), but established companies also horn in on the market. They have a lot of what economists call “complementary assets” to help monetise the invention: manufacturing expertise, distribution networks, sales forces. This is one reason that biotech firms so often end up getting bought by Big Pharma: The small firm may have a great drug candidate, but the big firm has the cash and experience to take the drug through clinical trials, the manufacturing expertise to make the stuff in large amounts, and the distribution networks to put the stuff in the hands of patients. So remember that when we ask, “Who is going to control this market?”, that is different from “Who is going to have the breakthrough that gives us a level-four self-driving car?” That company may end up owning the market, or it may end up pushed to the side as less innovative firms copy the advances, and push them out to the market using their complementary assets. So let’s look at the complementary assets of our various candidates.

Apple, Google The first asset Apple and Google have is enormous piles of cash. They can afford to push a blue-sky project like selfdriving cars almost indefinitely, and to subsidise them for a good long while if they want to bring them to market. The second big asset they have is brand; people love their products. And the third asset they have is that both companies are, in their own way, really good at building user interfaces people like. They already have their own mapping systems well developed, and that will be crucial when it comes to moving those self-driving cars around. Drawbacks: Neither company has much experience with direct manufacturing, and auto manufacturing, with its combination of very expensive products and high minimum efficiency of scale (a fancy term for how close to capacity you need to run the plant in order to make money), is a direct manufacturing business. That is very different from the one they are in, along nearly every axis you can imagine, from design culture to labour force management. If either of these companies places in the race to self-driving cars, expect them to license out the technology, or sell just the systems, not a whole car. An even bigger lack is experience in dealing with the regulatory oversight and liability issues that define the modern automobile industry. Yes, these companies already worry about lawsuits and regulators. But the difference between the level of compliance and liability that a consumer software company has to worry about, and the level that you need to worry about if you make machines that regularly kill tens of thousands of people a year, is so great as to be a difference in kind, not just in degree. Finally, there’s distribution. It would be hard to sell an Apple car out of an Apple store. State laws about auto franchises make direct distribution difficult, as does the need to provide service, and to sell a highly-customised product that costs a lot more than a mobile phone. But dealing with a dealer network is a huge management headache. That’s another reason that I think you’re more likely to see a Toyota with iDriver than an Apple car.

Drawbacks: Many of the same problems as the companies above, except that Uber has never managed anything. And its “ask forgiveness rather than permission” approach to regulation is not going to ﬂy with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nor with the judges who certify the inevitable mass torts over accidents involving its cars. The biggest problem, however, may simply be that Uber is not yet proﬁtable, and its bountiful private equity funding may not sustain it long enough to put a self-driving car on the road.

Drawbacks: Like Uber, Tesla has a decent-sized bankroll, but also like Uber, it is still burning cash. If you assume that this is a marathon, they are going to need to ﬁnd some way to fund a long gap between today’s cars and the dream car of the future. They also do not manufacture at huge scale, with all the various headaches that this brings. And while I do think that self-driving cars will make it easier to move to a ﬂeet-based model for a lot of transportation, there are also going to be folks who want and need their own cars for various reasons: rural residents, people who are in their cars all the time, people who need to be 100 per cent sure that they can get a car right now. Tesla and Uber are not quite so well positioned to compete in this market.

Uber Uber has one thing the other companies cannot match. An existing network for dispatching company-owned self-driving cars. If self-driving cars enable a switch to a model of short-term rental rather than ownership, as a lot of people predict, then Uber is well positioned to take advantage of the new technology. They also have a phenomenal amount of data about where people want to go, which could help them stage the release of self-driving cars in a way that others cannot. Map a few highly travelled routes ﬁrst, and then a few more, and gradually convert your ﬂeet to fully automated.

Tesla Tesla knows how to make a car and take it through the regulatory process. They’re a leader in electric vehicles. And self-driving car ﬂeets, which can simply send a car back to the warehouse to recharge whenever the batteries get low, seem an optimal place to go all-electric.

Traditional carmakers Oh, I know. They’re sticks in the mud. No vision. How can they compete with companies that are as hip, with-it, and modern as next week? Actually, they’ve got a lot of ammunition. For starters, they are used to working the regulatory system. They’re good at it (okay, sometimes a little better than we’d like). They understand liability defense down to their bones. They are already very good at manufacturing large numbers of automobiles. And they have a vast distribution network in place for both fleet and consumer sales. Drawbacks: The biggest one is, in fact, their wealth of assets. Unlike the other firms, car companies already have a large internal constituency devoted to cars-as-they-are, not cars-asthey-might-be, and in various ways, those constituencies are likely to fight efforts to convert to self-driving cars, meaning that the traditional manufacturers are likely to be late to market. Precisely because they spend a lot of time worrying about liability, they are likely to be more cautious than upstart firms. — Megan McArdle/Bloomberg News

LIFESTYLE

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THE Ċ Make a plan. When you’re running through your list of daily obligations the morning of, it’s easy to forget a thing or two, especially if you have children running around, phones ringing or dogs barking to distract you. Instead, plan out the upcoming day the night before. Make a list of everything you have to do and check these items against one another. Can two trips be combined? Are you prioritising the most important things ﬁrst? The better you can plan out your schedule, the more organised you’ll be the next day.

Ċ Limit multitasking. Many people look to multitasking as an efficiency solution, but doing several things at once means it takes longer to accomplish any one task. And when the ﬁrst task is completed, the result is often poorer because of it. Instead of trying to do several things at once, focus on the most important thing, accomplish it and move on. With today’s hectic schedules, ﬁnding the opportunity to do everything you’re supposed to do may seem impossible.

Ċ Set priorities & Make a list. You don’t have time to do it all and maybe you don’t have to. Sit down and make a list of every social or professional group and obligation you belong to. Once you’ve made the list, look at it and ask yourself honestly how important this obligation is to you or your family. If you ﬁnd the obligation is not essential, you’re better off to abandon it and save your time for the responsibilities that are more important to you.

Ċ Get the news and information you need ASAP. You are bombarded by digital content every day and some of it is really important - but who has time to sift through it all? To help you ﬁnd the information you need as quickly as possible, Fresly LLC launched a new app, iNews Photo. Whether you are on the go, or gathering news in your office this application allows you access to global and local news. -Courtesy of Brandpoint

STEPPLANTOMAKEYOUR DAYMOREEFFICIENT

emember free time? You used to have so much of it. But these days, work and family obligations have you running around constantly and you don’t know what to do ﬁrst. You don't even have time to do everything you have to do, let alone what you want to do.

So how do you take back your day? How do you ﬁnd the time to get things done and bring back some semblance of order? It is possible if you focus on making yourself more efficient. To help you accomplish all of your goals and ﬁnd some free time as well, here are four ways you can improve your efficiency every single day.

SATU RDAY, DECEMB ER 5, 2015

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

PRAYER TIMINGS

@SHATTI

@AZAIBA

Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette 2:00, 5:30, 9:30 PM Tamasha( Hindi) (Drama) (PG12) Cast: Ranbir kapoor, Deepika Padukone 2:30 PM Pathemari ( Malayalam) (Drama) ( PG12) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 12:15, 7:15, 9:30 PM

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI In the Heart of the Sea (3D) (Action | Adventure | Biography) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 2:15, 5:00, 6:45, 9:15, 11:45 PM Bridge of Spies (Biography | Drama) (PG) Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 8:45, 11:30 PM Bus 657 (Action | Crime | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 2:45, 9:30 PM Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implausible (3D) (Animation | Comedy) (PG) Voice Overs: Karra Elejalde, Janfri Topera 3:00 PM The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 (3D) (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 6:15 PM Victor Frankenstein (Horror | Sci-Fi) (12+) Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy 4:30, 7:15, 11:30 PM Arbaa A Kotchina (Arabic) (PG) CP# Cast: Oka, Ortega 4:30 PM MUSCAT GRAND MALL In The Heart of The Sea (Action)(3D)(PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan 11:45AM, 6:30, 9:00 & 11:30PM Gold Class : 3:30, 8:30 & 11:00PM Bus 657 (Action | Crime | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 2:00 & 11:45PM Creed (Drama | Sport) 15+ Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 4:00 & 9:15PM Gold Class :6:00PM The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 : 3D (Adventure/Sci-Fi) PG12

Victor Frankenstein (Drama)(2D)(12+) Cast : Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Jessica Brown Timings : 7:15 , 11:45 pm

Bus 657 (Action | Crime) (12+) CP# Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista, Robert De Niro Timing: 2:45, 9:30 PM

1:45PM & 6:45PM Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implausible (3D) (Animation | Comedy) (PG) 12:00PM A Second Chance (Roamance / Drama) PG12 Cast : Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz 4:15PM

2:30, 4:45, 6:45 pm Bridge Of Spies (Drama)(2D)(PG) Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 11:30 pm Victor Frankenstein (Drama)(2D)(12+) Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 7:15, 11:45 pm

PANORAMA MALL In The Heart of The Sea (Action)(3D)(PG12) Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan 5:00, 9:15, 11:30 pm In The Heart of The Sea (Action, Adventure) (MX4D)(PG12) 2:45, 5:45, 8:30, 11.30 PM In The Heart of The Sea (Action, Adventure) (3D)(PG12)- VIP LOUNGE 3:45, 6:30, 8:45, 11:00 PM Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 (3D) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 2:30, 7:15 pm (Action, Adventure) (PG12) Bus 657 (Action, Crime)(2D)(12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 2:30, 9:45 pm Creed (Drama, Sport)(2D)(15+) Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone

AZAIBA In the Heart of the Sea (3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 12:00, 4:45, 9:15, 11:30 PM Hate Story-3 (Hindi) (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Daisy Shah 2:00, 4:20, 6:40, 9:05, 11:45 PM Tamasha (Hindi) (Romance | Comedy) (PG) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15, 11:30 PM Pathemari (Mal) (Drama) (PG) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 11:50 AM, 7:00, 9:30 PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Hindi) (Romance) 2:45, 6:00 PM (PG) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 (3D) (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) 2:15, 11:45 PM

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

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TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 08:30 11:30 15:30 18:30 17:35 20:55

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

07:30 07:30 13:00 13:00 15:30 15:30

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

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Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

BURAIMI In the Heart of the Sea– 3D (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 2:45, 6:45, 9:00, 11:30PM

28 22 Minimum

11.45 13.30 14.00

STAR CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

Pathemari (Mal) (Rom/Drama) Cast: Mammootty, Jewel Mary, Joy Mathew, Srinivasn 3-00, 6-30 & 10-00 Pm Cinema Main; From Sunday 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Main Cinema Anarkali (Mal Rom/Drama) Cast: Prithviraj, Biju Menon & Priya Glor 6-45 Pm Cinema -3 Amar Akbar Anthony (Mal) (Act/Drama) Cast: Prithviraj & Jaya Surya 3-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema -3 Inji Iduppazhagi (Tamil) Cast: Arya & Anushka Shetty 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema -2 Shankara Bharanam (Telugu) Cast : Nikhil Siddharth and Nanditha 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm Cinema-4 Programmes are subject to change

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BHAVAN D. December 4, 2005

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Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

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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 EMBASSIES IN OMAN

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DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

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TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62) 06:30 06:30

SUR In the Heart of the Sea 3D (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 5:00, 7:15, 11:45 PM Bus 657 (Action | Crime | Thriller ) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 12:15, 3:45, 11:45 PM Krampus (Horror | Fantasy) (12+)

In the Heart of the Sea (Action / Adventure) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan 3.30, 7.30, 9.45 & 11.55 p.m. CP No : 3031 (PG12) Krampus (Comedy / Fantasy / Horror) Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner 4.00, 8.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 3032 (12+) Bus 657 (Action / Crime / Thriller) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Robert De Niro 2.15, 6.00 & 10.00 pm CP No : 3033 (12+) The Keeping Room (Drama) Cast: Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld 1.45 & 5.45 pm; CP No : 3033 (15+) Hunting the Phantom (Action / Adventure) Cast: Kristanna Loken, Armand Assante 11.45 a.m; CP No : 3027 (12+) Creed (Sports / Drama) Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 12.00 p.m; CP No : 3026 (15+)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 07:30 14:30

RUWI Screen 1 Hate Story 3 (Thriller) – PG12 Cast : Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Karan Singh Grover 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM Screen 2 Tamasha (Romance/Drama) – PG12 3.45, 9.45 PM Pathemari (Drama) – Tamil – PG Cast : Mammootty, Jewel Mary 6.45 PM Screen 3 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Family) – PG Cast : Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 3.45, 9.45 PM Tamasha (Romance/Drama) – PG12 6.45 PM

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

SALALAH In the Heart of the Sea (3D) (PG12) (Action Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 1:45, 6:35, 11:30PM In the Heart of the Sea (2D) (PG12) (Action Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 10:30AM Bridge of Spies (2D) (PG) (Biography Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 11:15AM, 4:00, 8:55PM Bus 657 (2D) (12+) (Action| Crime | Thriller) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 12:00, 3:15, 11:55PM Creed (2D) (15+) (Drama | Sport) Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, 12:45, 5:00, 11:45PM Krampus (12+) (Comedy | Fantasy | Horror) Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette 7:35PM Mortadelo and Filemon: (3D) (PG) (Animation |Comedy) Voice Overs: Karra Elejalde, Janfri Topera 10:15AM, 2:00PM Tamasha (2D) (PG12) (Romance| Drama) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Javed Sheikh 6:30PM Hate Story 3 (2D) (PG12) (Thriller) Cast: Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Daisy Shah, 9:00PM Rangi Taranga (2D) (PG12) (Kanada) Cast: Nirup Bhandari, Radhika Chetan, 3:45PM Pathemari (2D) (PG12) (Malayalam) (Romance / Thriller) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 9:30PM

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54) 08:00 08:00

08:55 Daily 11:40 Daily 20:20 Daily via Ibri 14:55 Daily 17:40 Daily 19:20 Daily 22:15 Daily

Pathemari (Mal) (Drama) (PG) CP# Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan, Jewel Mary Timing: 11:50 AM, 7:00, 9:30 PM

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54) 14:30 14:30

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

SOHAR Bridge of Spies - 2D (PG) Drama | History Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 4:15, 11:45 PM Tamasha - 2D (PG12) Romance| Drama Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 6:30 PM Creed - 2D (15+) Drama | Sport Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson 2:45, 9:15 PM In the Heart of the Sea - 3D (PG12) Action Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 12:30, 2:30, 9:30, 11:45 PM In the Heart of the Sea - 2D (PG12) Action Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 7:00 PM Victor Frankenstein - 2D (12+) Drama Cast : Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy 4:45, 6:45, 11:45 PM Pathemari - 2D (M) (PG12) Drama Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 12:15, 9:15 PM Mortadelo and Filemon - 2D (PG) Cast : Voice (Karra Elejalde, Janfri Topera 2:45 PM Arbaa A Kotchina - 2D (Arb) (PG) Cast : Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz 4:30 PM Bus 657 - 2D (12+) Action| Crime | Thriller Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 2:30, 11:30 PM The Keeping Room - 2D (15+) Drama Cast : Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld 5:15 PM Hate Story 3 - 2D (PG12) Thriller Cast : Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Daisy Shah, Karan Singh Grover 12:15, 7:00, 9:00 PM

BAHJA CINEMA

Bus 657 – 2D (Action, Crime, Thriller) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 3:30 5:00, 10:00, 11:45PM The Keeping Room– 2D (Drama) (15+) Cast: Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld 5:30, 7:15, 11:15PM Krampus – 2D (Comedy, Fantasy) (12+) Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette 5:15PM Tamasha– 2D (Romance, Drama) (PG12) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 2:45, 7:30PM Pathemari– 2D (Romance, Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 9:00PM

WEATHER

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

17:30

12.02pm 3.04pm 5.25pm 6.40pm 5.14am

CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

@PANORAMA MALL

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

Afghanistan Algeria Bahrain Bangladesh Brazil Brunei China Cyprus Egypt France Germany India Indonesia Iran Iraq Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya South Korea Kuwait

24698 791/4 24605 593 24 605 074/133 24 698 660 24640100 24 603533 24 696782 24 699815 24 600 982/411 24681 800 24835000 24684500 2469 1050 24 696 944/7 24603642 24693727 24 601 028 24692760/1/3 24 692418 24 697664 24 691490 24 699628

Lebanon Libya Malaysia Morocco Nepal Netherlands Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Senegal Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Switzerland Syria Tanzania Thailand Tunisia Turkey UAE United Kingdom United States Yemen

24 693208 24603466 24698329/643 24696152/3 24696177 24603706 24603439 24601312 24605335 24 691 153/2/4 24602894 24601705 24694139 24697977 24647300 24691101 24697841/2 24697875 24603267 24697904 24601 174 24 602684/5 24603486 24697050/1/2 24400000 24609000 24643400 24600815

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi Salalah Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya Muscat, A Seeb Market Muscat, Al Khuwair Muscat, Al Hail South Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre 24485052 Atlas Hospital Ruwi 24811743/ Ghubra 24504000 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 1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274 Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128 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 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

Air New Zealand 24700732 Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128 British Airways 24568777 Cathay Pacific 24789818 Egypt Air 24794113 Emirates Air 24404400 Ethiopian Airlines 24660313 Gulf Air 80072424 Indian 24791914 Iran Air 24787423 Japan Airlines 24704455 Jazeera Airways 23294848 Jet Airways 24787248 Kenya Airways 24660300 KML Royal Dutch Airlines 24566737 Kuwait Airways 24701262 LOT Polish Airlines 24796387 Lufthansa 24796692 Malaysian Airlines 24560796 Middle East Airlines 24796680 Oman Air 24531111 Pakistan International Airlines 24792471 Qatar Airways 24771900 Qantas 24559941 Royal Jordanian 24796693 Saudi Arabian Airlines 24789485 Singapore Airlines 24791233 Shaheen Air 24816565 SriLankan Airlines 24784545 Swiss International Airlines 24796692 Thai Airways 24705934

S AT U R DAY, D E C E MB E R 5, 2 0 1 5

STORY TIME By Swati Dasgupta

LIFESTYLE Too Much TV Is Bad For Your Eyes

t was 11 o’clock and everyone in the Rizvi’s house were fast asleep except for one. It was Rehman. He remained glued to the television set with his eyes ﬁxed on the small screen. He was engrossed in watching Kids Next Door. He snuggled the TV remote in his hands and surfed different channels of his interest. First he watched Kids Next Door and then he went on to watch Doctor Who and later something else. Rehman was feeling extremely sleepy but didn’t want to miss his favourite programmes. The next day was a holiday and he knew he wouldn’t have to wake up at dawn. Rehman continued watching the programmes till late in the night. The next morning Rehman was as usual late as he had stayed awake late even the previous night. Mrs Rizvi, his mother kept on calling him as the family were having their breakfast but Rehman slept like a log. Not a word reached his ears. Even at 11am Rehman lazed on the bed and Mrs Rizvi was extremely upset. “Rehman, why are you sleeping so late? By now you should have been up,” she said in annoyance. But Rehman was feeling too lazy to say anything. He brushed his teeth and washed his face in a jiffy and straight headed towards the dining table for his breakfast. “Do you think this is the time

for breakfast. In an hours’ time or so we would be having our lunch,” said his mother. Rehman happily munched the toast and the omelette, hardly hearing his mother. He slowly looked at his mother and said: “Mom, I was watching Doctor Who. It’s such a wonderful programme. It’s about a mysterious alien time-traveller known as “the Doctor” who travels in his space and time-ship. With his companions, he explores time and space, solving problems, and facing monsters,” Rehman continued

with his explanation. “I know dear that you like to watch that programme but at the same time I always see you watching other programmes too,” his mom said. “But they are all so very interesting. How can I not see them,” he said with a smile. Rehman’s mother looked genuinely worried. It was evident that Rehman was not taking the matter seriously. But one thing that bothered her truly was Rehman’s eyesight. She knew that if he would not stop watching TV for such long durations Rehman’s eyes would

surely get affected. She told Rehman in a warning tone: “Rehman, be careful. Too much of TV harms the eyes and I am sure you wouldn’t like to wear those thick glasses.” “Certainly not mom,” Rehman quickly replied. Rehman decided to cut down on his TV watching but couldn’t for long. Every time some favourite programme of his was shown he would forget all the warnings of his mother and sit and watch them for hours. And what Mrs Rizvi dreaded ﬁnally happened. Rehman started complaining of

watering of eyes. In school at times he couldn’t read what was written on the blackboard. While reading his text book he had to bring the book closer to his eyes. One day he came back from school looking all tired.“What happened dear?” asked his worried mother. “Nothing mom.” It’s just that my eyes are itching a lot today,” he said. That day the geography teacher had jotted down some notes on the blackboard but Rehman could not read anything. He knew that if he told his mom everything in details she would simply get worried. So he didn’t tell her anything. Rehman quickly went to the washroom and splashed water on his face and went for a nap. In the evening he felt better and his eyes too didn’t itch. While he was doing his homework he remembered about his favourite serial and as usual sat glued to the TV. Mrs Rizvi, who was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner, walked in haste hearing the sound of the TV. “What is this Rehman. You had itchy eyes just this afternoon and now you are straining your eyes by watching TV,” she said in an angry tone. Rehman quickly said in defence: “Oh mom, don’t worry. I am perfectly ok and it’s my favourite serial. If I miss one episode I wouldn’t be able to understand the story.” And Rehman ended up watching many programmes back to back, without a stop. Mrs Rizvi

had gone to the neighbour’s house and Rehman took full opportunity of the situation. One day Mrs Rizvi got a call from Rehman’s teacher and got to know that Rehman was finding it very difficult to read the notes written on the blackboard. “He even finds it difficult to read the book properly and makes so many mistakes while reading,” she added. Mrs Rizvi was extremely upset, first because of Rehman’s eyes and also because of the fact that Rehman hadn’t told her anything. That evening she fixed up an appointment with the eye specialist. “Rehman I am sorry to say but you need to wear glasses from now on,” said the doctor. Rehman looked miserable hearing this. The thought of wearing glasses put him off. But now it was too late. Wish he had listened to his mother. He was almost in tears when the doctor smiled. “I was joking with you Rehman. You just have some eye infection but if you do not stop your habit of watching TV for long the day is not far when this joke will become true.” Rehman gave a faint smile hearing it. He had almost reached the exit door when the doctor remarked: “Also do not forget to get your dose of vitamin A. Lack of vitamin A causes eye diseases so don’t miss carrots, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin, and more in your diet.” —swati@timesofoman.com

Happy Rains

@winieariany

Happiness is...

le izz

...RAIN!

izz

Questions & Answers

One thing that puts me off... When I go mad

When I’m in doubt... I ask my mother

If I win a lottery... I will use the money to buy dresses and toys

I go crazy when... I just lie down on bed One movie/book I can watch/ read over and over again... Tinkle

Crossword Puzzle ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

It’s better not to argue with... Myself

izz

The scariest thing that I have done... Killed a cockroach If I met an alien I would... I ask him not to bring his family here and settle down

One skill I would like to learn... Cooking

If I have to describe myself as a ﬂavour it would be... Sour, spice and sweet

ACROSS

1 5 8 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 21 24 26 28 29 32 33 35 36 37

If I could go back in history, I would like to meet The Guptas from The Gupta Dynasty

G. KEERTHANA

If I had treasures I would hide them... In my cupboard

One person I would trade places with (real or ﬁcitional) My small cousin sister

The best way to my heart is... Creativity

Send your contributions to lifestyle@timesofoman.com. A good quality photo is compulsory. Lifestyle reserves the right to publish the contributions.

DOWN

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Lightning — Tavern order Ms. Farrow Conductor’s place Romance in France Mr. Mineo of song and ﬁlm Grasshopper Hindu mystic “Free Willy” whale Wis. neighbour Sundance Kid’s

16 20 21 22 23 25 27 29 30 31

wife A famous Derek Staff members Boxing wins Grab a cab Air France destination Zipping through One more time Ear cleaner (hyph.) Gutter locale Ape studier — Fossey

34 39 40 41 43 44 45 47 50 51 52

Come apart Jeered “Hasta la —!” Young screecher Ceremonial ﬁre Wide sts. Circus arena Half a laugh? Use plastic Dorm coverer Civil War general 53 Wrap up

38 40 42 43 46 48 49 54 55 56 57 58 59

Gangplank Make inquiry A few Hodgepodge Goat quote Judicial order Type of lock Checkbook no. Unlucky gambler’s note Harley competitor You, once Wheel spokes Lennon’s “Instant —!” British FBI Proof conclusion Provide lubrication Travel book Mai — (drink) Conniving Ms. Reinking of “All That Jazz” Brahma, Vishnu and — Libra neighbour Unfenced Copper “rust” Sci-ﬁ Doctor Actor — Montand Like acetone and alcohol Sublet Flock member Squared away Is, to Pedro — on (pretend) Did batik

SATU RDAY, DECEMB ER 5, 2015

LIFESTYLE Children up to the age of 15 who would like to have their art considered for inclusion in “Art for the Ages” can e-mail their drawings or paintings (in jpeg or tiff format) to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Art for the Ages

Children’s Poetry

My Dream in Passion

Eshant Kumar, Grade 2, ISS

Krishiv Parekh, Grade 2, ISWK

Joanna Jobin, Grade 4, ISG

Aleena Sabu Koshy Grade VI Indian School Wadi Kabir I wish, a world with glooming flowers, I wish, a world with pollution-free, I wish, a world with people in honey-dew, As I wish all my dreams come true. I wish, a world with candies around, Where I could simply gobble in, I wish, a world with books around, Which I could always read in passion, As I wish all my dreams come true. I wish, I could take a voyage to the Moon, As my ambition is. I wish, if I had huge-glittery wings, I could flutter my wings like a butterfly. As I wish all my dreams come true. I wish, a world where I am the star, Which I could command anything. Watching all my dreams, I know my dreams are in passion.

Rutuja R.N., Grade 8, ISWK

Sudoku How to play Fill empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column and area.

SOLUTION Answer to previous puzzle

Edwin Shaju Malakaran, Grade 5, ISD

Abdullah Anverdeen, Grade 6, Pakistan School, Musanna

Send your contributions for Children’s Poetry to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Teleword All the words below appear in the puzzle - horizontally, vertically, diagonally, even backward. Find them and circle their letters. The leftover word spells the Teleword.

S P A C E S H I P P D E E E G

A Y O J M A S C O T U N V N C

S I N G E R I D U C O O I I D

CLUE: KANYE WEST

Y T R T A E S O N G L Z S O L

MM S Y R P P O H L C E Z I D Y O I O M A M U G O U Y G T U

A E E G N A S H A O A A L R O

R K N A D G Y I C T N R I A P

G L Y M L E E F Z L L A I D O

Y K A E R B T R A E H A R U R

AWY WH O W E C E A O L R L Y T D R L E I E S C S T S S S R MA U E B N EW A T I D P A

MV O R T Z H Y E A R J E L G O G C I K D D D O LW O N G P

SOLUTION: 8 LETTERS

Airplay, Amazing, Atlanta, Bear, Chicago, Coldest, Cudi, Diamonds, Dropout, Drums, Feel, Game, Gold Digger, Gone, Good, Graduation, Grammys, Heartbreak, Heartless, Jay Z, Jeezy, Keys, Live, Lockdown, Loud, Love, Lyrics, Mascot, Mother, Music, My Way, Omari, Paranoid, Power, Rapper, Real, Song, Soul, Spaceship, Stronger, Synthesizer, Vocal, Wayne. Answer: Word Play

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M S AT U R DAY, D E C E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 5

SECTION

CONNEC T H E D A I LY G U I D E

RENT

VACANCY

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CARGO

S AT U R DAY, D E C E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

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FOR RENT AVAILABLE SHARED FULLY FURNISHED OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT WITH SEPARATE ENTRANCE PRIME LOCATION IN AZAIBA. TOTAL AREA 201sq.m. FOR FUTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT ON

95621492/96554579 New ﬂats for rent Darsait Al Sahel. Contact: 99311525 / 92533356 2 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33 1 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33 1 B/R Flat - Fully Furnished @ Salalah Near New Lulu. 2 B/R Flat - Fully Furnished American standard @ Salalah. 5 B/R Villa - Fully Furnished @ Madinat Al Ilam, 5 B/R Villa Unfurnished @ Madinat Al Ilam 5 B/R Villa - Unfurnished @ Al Mawalah North Brand New Please Contact: Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC. 24834888, 99249069 / 92888376/ 92888374 Email: info@alshahiintl.com

Furnished room for non – cooking bachelor near Softy ice cream Ruwi. Contact: 93120054/91107383 1 Bedroom with attached Bath, fully furnished, separate entrance at Mabela for ladies only. #99634841 For Rent Flats in Wadi Kabir 94051789-97201688 For Rent ﬂats in MuttrahContact – 94051789-97201688 Offices for Rent GalaContact –94051789-97201688 For Rent Duplex villa in Qurum 29- 94051789-97201688 For Rent offices in Qurum opposite city center- 9405178997201688 For Rent Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud- 94051789-97201688

Furnished rooms attached bath for Indian bachelor in Al Falaj Ruwi & lady in Wadi Kabir. Contact 96202458 /96761960 1BHK fully furnished spacious for rent CBD, ideal for family or two bachelors easy access to Main road near Sheraton hotel with all electronics & furniture. Contact: 96444400 /5pm -10pm Single bid room with attached bath, separate entrance, Honda road near NBO for ex bachelors.# 91410434

For Rent Flats in Mawalah south-94051789-97201688

Big room available near Hamriya R/A for Muslim couple / small family / Executive bachelor rent 150/- per month including W+ E. Contact : 99495131

For Rent brand new villas in Al Ansab- Contact 9405178997201688

1 Bedroom with bathroom available for rent. Only Indian female. Contact - 92394614

For Rent Flats in Darsait 94051789-97201688

For Rent Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah -Contact - 9405178997201688

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting room, Kitchen & store including utilities bills at Al hail. # 92817777

For Rent Flats in Ghala Heights 94051789-97201688

2 BHK ﬂat available for rent in Darsait. Contact: 99357586

Large room with separate bathroom, sharing available in Al Khuwair. Contact - 95250161

For Rent Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) 94051789-97201688 For Rent Mini Furnished Apartment in Qurum- 9405178997201688

AVAILABLE Available office space in Prime location on 18th November Street, Azaiba Kindly. Contact: 99288664

Single room bathroom in Darsait R.O 140/-. Contact: 93289652 Room with bath for executive bachelor near A/C ﬂat, hotel. Contact: 99643845

ZƵŶŶŝŶŐ ĨƵƌŶŝƚƵƌĞ ƐŚŽǁƌŽŽŵ ĨŽƌ ƵƌŐĞŶƚ ƐĂůĞ͘ >ĂĚŝĞƐ ďĞĂƵƚǇ ƉĂƌůŽƌ ƐĂůĞ Ăƚ DƵƩ ƌĂŚ͘

ŽŶƚĂĐƚ Ͳ ϵϭϭϯϱϵϯϬ FOR SALE Immediate sale of well running pharmacy at prime location. Contact- 99627621, 99516236

NRI

Building material and jotun paint shop for sale at Ruwi and Ghala. Contact: 99421228

royal castles

vakathanam, kottayam Luxurious villas in a Gated community with all the modern facili es at Vakathanam By-Pass (MC road-NH 220) Web: www.royalcastles.in email: info@royalcastles.in +968 92855909, +91 9961 11 9988

Urgent shop sale in Wadi Kabir Sanaya. Contact: 95949668 Porta cabin for sale. Contact: 99883502/95398929 We have complete office furniture for sale very nice like new rare use. Contact: 93782735 93329476 Fully equipped running café for sale at Wadi Al Kabir. Contact: 99636550

Plot, propeties for sale in prime location in pune 95272138,(+918390982975)

MV SALE

Coffee shop Mabela industrial area for sale. Contact: 92253080

MAZDA 626, 2001, VGC, full service history, expat single user RO 1100, Contact: 99296768/ 93033072

Beauty Salon for urgent sale in Azaiba prime location behind Al Fardan building. With sponsor and 1 staff and 1 ready visa clearance. Call: 95318629 / 95169411

FOR SALE or rent Tata Dawoo Truck 12 ton 2014 Model. Contact: 92719681

Ladies saloon with 2 staff for sale in Mawalah. Contact 94197589 Sale house & office furniture & electronic items. Contact : 99834373/ 96642500/22010080 For Sale Luxury Apartments in Bousher (35) -Contact 9505680897201688 For sale Fully Furnished apartments in Bousher (35) Contact- 95056808-97201688 A running restaurant for sale near Oman oil petrol Pump Al Uqdah (Barka). Contact: 99059013 Beauty parlor for sale Muttrah. Contact: 93142676 For sale villas in Al Khoud 95056808-97201688

ACC. AVAILABLE Single room for expat Indian bachelors near Al Aktham restaurant Al khuwair for RO 120. Water and electricity included. Contact : 98803261

Chaverlet Epica 2004 model RO -700, for sale. Contact 92194205 Cat – D8K, Model 1985, Scania water tanker, model 1993, Mitsubishi bus s28 seat, Model 2003, Hamm roller, model 2003. Contact: 99207592 & 99882570

Available on rent 2 Bedroom furnished ﬂat in Koregaon Park, Pune and Maharashtra, India. Contact 99374187.

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage steambath, obesity, Spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street Azaiba. Contact: 99639695 / 98342990

BMW 318/ 2003 for sale. Contact 96364990

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

Ford focus, automatic, 2010 model, silver colour, expat driven, 58000 kms, dealer serviced, registration till sep 2016, price ro 2750. Contact- 93207590

Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

MATRIMONIAL 27 years Kerala boy, Hindu Ezhava (Atham) diploma holder working in Oman seeking suitable alliance. Contact: 95606132 Ezhava divorcee, 37, 5.3”, pharmacist in Muscat. Contact - suryakv2010@gmail. com,+919961176066 Indian male christian 40yrs. working in muscat.looking for life partner.divorced or single. Contact :91429811

FOR LADIES Home service for ladies only facial, waxing, body massage, (if you not waxing menicure pedicure) only 20 Riyal, Contact 9243 0239

MATRIMONIAL Keralite R.C. Boy, 30yrs, 161cm, MBA (Finance) Working in Oman seeking suitable alliance. Contact: 92290247 / 97302978 35 Christian male, LLB, working as project executive divorce. Contact: 97413778

S AT U R DAY, D E C E M B E R 5, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

Z Yh/Z ^hW Zs/^KZ FŽƌ dƌĂǀĞů ŐĞŶĐǇ ǁŝƚŚ ŵŝŶŝŵƵŵ ϱ ǇĞĂƌƐ͛ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ^ĂůĞƐ͕ ŵĂƌŬĞƟ ŶŐ ĂŶĚ dŝĐŬĞƟ ŶŐ͕ ǁŝƚŚ KŵĂŶ ƌŝǀŝŶŐ >ŝĐĞŶƐĞ͕ /ŶƚĞƌĞƐƚĞĚ ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ĐĂŶ ƐĞŶĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ s ƚŽ͗

ũŽďǀĂĐĂŶĐǇŚŽΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ

REQUIRED for a Contracting Co.

- Civil Engineer / Buildings (with not less than 5 years experience).

- Mechanical Engineer Email: haldun.yildirim@icc-oman.com A reputed Dairy Company in Oman is looking for following Vacancies.

ACCOUNTANT A leading Company in Oman looking for Accountant, B.Com with min 3 -5 yrs of exp required. Female preferred. Please send your CV to :

Mail your CV at: wps1986@yahoo.com

REQUIRED

A Leading Marble Manufacturing Company in Sultanate of Oman having a vacancy for the post of

for a Contracting Co.

Freelance Civil Engineer / QS Required for preparation of BAR BENDING SCHEDULE for completed project of approx. area 10,463 Sq. M, GF only.

WANTED

hZ' Ed>z Z Yh/Z &ĞŵĂůĞ ^ĞĐƌĞƚĂƌǇ

3 Year experience with NOC

Qualification: BE in Civil Engineering Electro Mechanical Engineer (Building Services)1 No.

ǀĂĐĂŶĐǇϬϵϳΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ WASTE MANAGEMENT AND WATER TREATMENT SPECIALIST Looking for dynamic and talented individuals to join our team in Oman for the position of “waste management and water treatment specialist” with at least 5 years experience in the relevant field. And one in-house specialist issa@nibrasholding.com

em-o@nassarstone.com or seniorpro@nassarstone.com Or Fax –on: 24446049 Nationality – Indian or Philippines (better if available in Oman)

Drivers – Omani National Only:

Omani National with 4 years experience with Valid Omani D/L Please forward your CV’s to

Electrical Engineer The candidate must be an university qualified engineer or a higher degree diploma holder with a minimum industry experience of 3 years. Fluent in written & spoken English, knowledge about power, CPU, inverters & electrical panels isrequired. Suitable candidates may submit their complete CV with certificates to:

Contact – 97257060

Van Salesman:

Debt collector:

for IGCSE & CIP for (English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, IT, lab assistant for Chemistry and Physics) - MSc / BSc and M.Ed / B.Ed with (IELTs / TOFEL) and at least 3 years of teaching experience with attested documents.

cvoman5@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (Building Construction) 2 Nos

2 year experience with Valid Omani D/L

A group of well reputed Private Schools associated with Cambridge Programs in Muscat – Sultanate of Oman Requires following teaching posts: WELL QUALIFIED TEACHERS

Qualification: BE in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Send detailed resume to sskpvr@gmail.com

>ŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ǆĞĐƵƟ ǀĞ ^ĂůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ^ĂůĞƐ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌƐ

KŵĂŶ ďĂƐĞĚ >ĞĂĚŝŶŐ DĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌŝŶŐ ŽŵƉĂŶǇ ŚĂƐ ŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞ ZĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚ 'ƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŵŝŶ ϱ ǇĞĂƌƐ ŽĨ ǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĐĂƉĂďůĞ ƚŽ ŚĂŶĚůĞƐ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ Kĸ ĐĞ ǁŽƌŬ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚůǇ Θ ^ĞĐƌĞƚĂƌŝĂů ǁŽƌŬ͕ ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ ŽĨ ĐŽŵƉƵƚĞƌƐ Θ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚƐ ǁŝůů ďĞ ĂŶ ĂĚǀĂŶƚĂŐĞ͘ ŐĞ >ŝŵŝƚ ƵƉƚŽ ϯϬǇƌƐ

^ĞŶĚ sƐ ƚŽ ǀĂĐĂŶĐǇŝŶŽŵĂŶϭϮϯΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ

VACANCY 1. Service Administrator: A qualified Electro/Automobile/Electric Diploma holder with minimum 2 years’ experience on deskjobs such as preparing quotation, supplier correspondence, warranty claims etc. Age between 25 – 30.

2. Accountant:

ǁŝƚŚ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ĞĂƌƚŚŵŽǀŝŶŐ ĞƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ĐƌƵĐŚĞƌƐ͕ ƋƵĂƌƌǇ Θ ŵŝŶŝŶŐ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌǇ͘ ŵĂŝů͗

Candidates with NOC or on visit visa can apply, please drop your CV at

Kevin.dodd@oasismaritimeservices.com

ĂƉƉůǇŝŶŐŐĐŚƌΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ

careerhr1972@gmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ENGINEER

We are looking for Chief Financial Officer, Male 40- 45 years old, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with 5 - 15 yrs. of experience. Contact: +968 24702133 Email: admin-dept@daud.om

MEP Engineer with minimum ﬁve years PDO / ministry experience. Please send CV to info@globaltechinternational.com Contact: 99150203/91404425

BEAUTY Branded salon in Muscat requires a beautician with skills of: Manicure, Pedicure, Nails techniques, Massage, Facial and waxing. Contact- 98500222

Civil Engineer with minimum ﬁve years, PDO Experience, earth work and building construction (PDO driving license preferred. Please send CV to info@globaltechinternational.com Contact: 99150203/91404425

A qualified B.Com/M.Com/C.A. Inter accountant with minimum 4 years’ experience in accounting with banking knowledge. Age between 25-30. Attractive Salary and terms Offered

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ϵϮϯϮϱϱϰϮ ͮ ϵϯϲϱϳϵϭϱ ͮ ϵϭϯϮϭϴϴϬ ĞŶŐŽŵŝŶƐƚΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ

MEDICAL Wanted Lab Technician with MOH license for Ibra clinic. Contact – 99373493/ Email: jmjmedicare@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Sales man / Interior Designer wanted for prestigious interior design and office furniture Supply Company. Experience and drivers license needed excellent remuneration package. Email: tony@materials-plus.com

SECT. /OFFICE Personal Assistant, 5yrs experience in Oman or GCC. MBA or equivalent. Part-time preferred. Call 95364625.

LAWYER DRIVER Required locally available Indian national light duty driver for Omani House. Visa readily available. Contact: 99420752 Wanted heavy driver. Contact 91770195 Wanted driver. Contact 91025698

DESIGNER Media company need Graphic Designer Male - Female no need experience, need to have experience on Graphic Design Programs. magicﬁngerprint1@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELP Need excellent cook & housekeeper. Contact Whatsapp: 95887572 Small Omani family in Muscat requires an educated House maid. Contact – 98500222

Full time living House maid required for an Indian female in Al Ghobrah. Contact: 97084023

ENGINEER Civil Site Supervisor for telecom tower projects across Oman. Send CV to fyjo@spec-link.com or call +968 9946 7227 Seeking a well experienced diploma Engineer (electrical) with valid Oman driving license kindly. Contact: 99288664 Engineering consultancy ﬁrm in Sur looking for graduate Civil Engineers. Interested candidates apply to babupj@ gmail.com or call 99318205

Arab lawyer fluent in English with five years experience for law firm. Contact: 92424593

Wanted GP Doctor with MOH license, job location in muscat with good salary and beniﬁts. Drop ur cv at careerhr1972@gmail.com.

MEDICAL

Urgently required Philipina Nurse with MOH license at prometric parsed. Contact: 99724013

Medical CARE Centre, Al Seeb, requires General Practitioners and Pharmacist, Please Mail CVsarita_h23@yahoo.com or call 97884856.

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Required General Physician, Gynecology, Lab Technician & Pharmacists. Contact: 95133572 Email: kunoozghala@gmai.com Lab Technician Wanted A Polytechnic in Sohar is looking for a lab technician with or without MOH license Contact 93828382 or sajapharmacy@gmail.com Wanted Staff Nurses (female) for a polyclinic with or without MOH license. Excellent salary & accommodation. Contact – 99006915 / dxbclinic@yahoo.com Wanted Canary clinic MBBS Doctor with 3 years experience MOH license holder gets, Good offer salary. Contact 94395199 Email: canarymoh@gmail.com Required for urgent appointment with MOH license and valid NOC against the following vacancy in a polyclinic in Muladdah (Musanah) radiologist cum sinologist, Gynecologist & obstetrician & pediatrician & Lab Technician. Contact: 99110254 Wanted a female staff Nurse with MOH license to work in a polyclinic good salary offered. Contact: 97121359/96493058 (2 to 4 pm)

Wanted Business Development Exe/ Sr.Exe with customs clearance & shipping exp. Contact: 91204131 Email: daralhamael@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Urgently required for a reputed company in Oman (Tyre, Battery & Lubricant division) Sr. Executives/ Executive-5 nos (Sohar, Nizwa & Muscat), Techno Commercial Professional-5nos, Driver (Omani)-1no. Required minimum 3-5 yrs experience in the same ﬁeld with market exposure holding valid Omani driving license or GCC. Kindly fwd your CV’s to ashwin@taasintl.org Contact: (+968)93891700 Urgently require two caretakers for a building in capital area. Contact: 93888666/99228454/24493666 A reputed construction company in Muscat urgently requires the following candidates (Omani Nationals only) Civil Engineer & P.R.O & light duty driver. Send C.V to hr.azatllc@gmail.com or call 99344896 Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com or call Ph:+968 99450811

TECHNICIAN /MECH. Urgently required cold room refrigeration Technician must know up to commissioning gulf experience preferred .Pls forward CV to nasmatmasirah@gmail.com Contact: 97982623/ 95183616 Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license call Ph:+968 99450811 Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ACCA affiliate, fresher, Indian male, valid driving license, looking for full time employment in Accounting and Finance, also open to other opportunities, Contact +968 91291520, Email: shahidazeez5@gmail.com Sr. Accountant ( CA- inter) Indian male 31 years having 9 years experience in finance & accounts looking for suitable placement. NOC available and valid Oman D/L. Contact: 94108678 Email: vijeshvasu@gmail.com SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with 13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in manufacturing, trading & contracting Cos, capable of handling all accounting, finance, banking, L/C, import, export & finalization seeks placement. NOC Available. Call+968-98932752, mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com Indain male Accountant, 8 years experience 4 years In dubai,4 yrs in Muscat. Additional knwoledge in JDE and Tally.9, NOC available ready to join immediately. Contact: 95364896 /92912347 Email: bsdv1978@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa. Immediately available. Contact – 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com CA Final (Group I), Indian Female, Accountant, 5+ year’s exp, in A/ Cs, Audit, Tally, ERPs. Available in Muscat & looking job in A/Cs. Ph:94704800 email id: vinithsavith@gmail.com Senior Accounts Admin Manager B.com M.com 25 years experience accounts up to finalization holding light duty license seeks suitable placement. Contact: 93064975 Accountant Bachelor of commerce English, 2 years experience visit visa. Contact: 98584398/ 95539923 Male Indian with 7 years experience in accounting & 6 years experience in sales and marketing very good knowledge of tally currently in Muscat on a visit visa. Contact: 96148427 Email: jijokurianp@gamil.com Indian lady, bachelor degree in Preparatory Programme (BPP) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), completed training course in MS Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook from KTI looking for full time / part time job opportunity in Oman. Contact 92437568, 96795853, Email: linda_navs@yahoo.com Accountant with more than 30 years experience in construction (experience in accounting/administration/HR/material management) and with own car seeks part time or full time assignment preferably in construction either in Oman or UAE. Contact 94674031 Accountant Indian female 23 years M.com graduate 2 and half years of experience as accountant in Indian, now on visit visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 91358654 Email: rizwanagul92@gmail.com Indian female accountant 5 years of experience in accounting tally,sales coordination, and admin, currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement Contact :95684179

Accountant Indian 10 years experience in Oman, capable for handling all accounting functions and ﬁnalization good knowledge of tally ERP9 NOC / release available with immediately joining. Contact: 94134085 Email: muscatoman95@yahoo.com Indian female, MBA HR & Finance, having 1 year experience, seeking suitable placement. Currently in Oman. Contact: 96052366.

ADMIN Senior HR , professional MBA , 12 yr GCC experience at managerial recruitment, administration , policy formulator working with a leading construction co (4000 plus employees) looking for a immediate change over , NOC available. Contact: 94017306 Email: saneesh9181@gmail.com 10 years Gulf & 4 years Oman experience in HR / Admin & logistics ﬂuent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact 95824598 Male BBA graduate 5 years admin HR document controller purchaser account assistant (tally) experience NOC. Contact: 97015178 Indian female graduate over 6 years experience admin operations service looking for suitable job. Contact: 94231020 Indian male - 25 years - MBA (HR & marketing) with one year experience on visit visa looking preferably for suitable HR/ ADMIN / marketing jobs .contact : Mr. Harish Ravindranathan / mail ID : payyazhihari1990@gmail.com / 90189964 Indian female, Masters in HR, having 4 + years Oman experience in media management and HR, looking for openings in HR, Education, Admin, Corporate communications. Contact 98252030 Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf exp in Administration/ HR & Public relationship. Fluent in Arabic/ English with D/L. Looking for suitable position. Contact - 99897280

12 years of Oman experienced chief accountant looking for suitable position. Contact: 99513082

Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+ experience in Administration/ HR, Customer Support, Office Coordinator with good Computer skill, Now on Visit Visa, looking for suitable position. Contact: 90196235

Accountant job wanted 8 years experience, 5 years in India, 3 years in Oman knowledge of tally ERP 9 NOC available. Contact: 91162503

26 yrs male, MBA, 3+ years experience in Administration in MNC, seeks suitable placement. Contact 95041201 Email: noyel55@gmail.com

Indian male 9 years experienced in storekeeper cum accountant with D/L Oman & UAE. # 97085435 Email: sudhimohd@gmail.com Indian male MBA ﬁnance 12 years experience in Muscat seeking suitable position can join immediately. Contact: 96055815 Email: shaiks111@gmail.com 28/ male MBA – ﬁnance /B.com – accountant with 4 years of Dubai / India experience looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 90187483 Email: shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

ARCHITECT /AUTOCAD AutoCAD D/man Experienced. Contact : 93837973 Interior Designer Experienced knows 3D max Photoshop: Contact 93837973 Architect (B. Arch) 5 years experience seeking job. Contact 96146645 Email: anjuovil@gmail.com

S AT U R DAY, D E C E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CATERING Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp looking job. Contact: 99531802

DRIVER Experienced Light Duty Driver, Fluent in English, Arabic Well knowledge of Oman Areas Seeking Suitable placement 97950869 2 years exp Light driver. Contact: 97132269 Light driver personal driving, office boy, driver visa required 10 yrs exp N.O.C ready. Contact: 96693290

WŚŽŶĞ ͗ нϵϭ ϵϳϳϯϴϮϴϲϲϯ͕ EŵĂŝů ͗ ũǀƉϮϵϭϯϲϳΛǇĂŚŽŽ͘ĐŽŵ

Well experienced team available to provide feasibility reports & business solutions, product development, risk management methods for startups, progressive, defunct operations. Creating of ERP modules. Contact - 93343251 (PDLO SUR¿ WRPDQ#JPDLO FRP

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŽƌŝĞŶƚĞĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ͘ ͘;DĞĐŚͿ͕ ϯϬн ǇĞĂƌƐ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ WƌŽũĞĐƚƐ͕ &ĂďƌŝĐĂƟ ŽŶ͕ Z Θ D ĂŶĚ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͘ ^ĞĞŬŝŶŐ ũŽď ĂƐ 'D͕ K͕ ŽƵŶƚƌǇ ,ĞĂĚ͘ EK Θ ŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞ ĂǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚǇ͘

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2 years experience as HVAC design engineer rev IT M.E.P AutoCAD. Contact: 91050913 Email: rahmanmechengg@yahoo.com

Light duty driver looking for job. Contact: 98356230

Chemical Engineer, valid Oman driving license, Indian 2 years of exp in industrial production, seeking suitable placement Contact: 91247222

Looking for driving job. Contact 98219182

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman with license. Contact: 98975518

Driver looking for job. Contact 91354803 Light driver, looking for job. Contact: 98372745/99090362 Light driver. Contact: 95084826 Looking for Job driving. Contact: 97418036 Driving with car, looking for job. Contact: 97095200 Driver with new car looking for job.contact: 95873286 Heavy duty driver (Exp 3years) seeking suitable job. Contact: 91372623 Driver (light & heavy duty) valid gulf /Indian) looking job. Contact: 95175192

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN 25 years male BA. English , Qualiﬁed as mast in digital animation having 5 yrs ex in character animation specialized Auto Desk mago and motion building software knowledge, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97917357 Professional architect 3ds max (interior, exterior) looking for private work. Contact: 96041201

EDUCATION American female Master’s TESOL 12 yrs teaching exp. EFL Curriculum Developer & Teacher Trainer. Professional Development Specialist & Educational Activity Coordinator. Available February 1st 2016. Email: dellacorte.esl@gmail.com Contact: 99630244 Indian female M.SC B.Ed, 3 years experience looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94420033 Email: binitathanki@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Sudanese female Electrical Engineer graduated with distinction excellent knowledge and interested in protection. Contact: 98133281 B.E Biomedical Engineer 5 years experience in the subﬁeld (hospital / company) looking for suitable placement. Contact 92084807 Email: bonnygeorge1005@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: akhilabrahmlktr@gamil.com M.Tech Civil, certiﬁcate attested, Indian, 18.8 year experience seeks suitable position. Contact: 98327311 Email: sen.pangode@gmail.com Civil Engineer 11 years experience in construction, having driving license & NOC. Contact: 94194399 Email: shiblyrock@gmail.com B.E civil Engineer having 11 years experience with NOC looking for job. Contact: 95690780 Email: sadiq.asrar81@gmail.com Indian male 24, B.E. Civil Eng’g with 2 years experience as Structural Engineer looking for suitable job in Muscat. 97355352 Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon) Mining / Geotechnical Presently in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.91295802 / acmfaslan123@gmail.com

Civil Engineer B.E , 06 years experience in Oman having D/L seeking for a suitable position . Contact 95961336 Email: eyousuf04@yahoo.com Indian male, 29 years electrical engineer, having 5+ years of experience in oil / gas and construction ﬁeld (GCC) having valid GCC license too, looking for a preferable job. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani@gmail.com Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certiﬁed in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad). Looking for a Suitable position. Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa. Contact: 92835952. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Structural Draughtsman having 10 years experience in engineering consultancies N.O.C available. Contact: 00968 97612846

Mechanic Tractor Diesel Engines & Hydraulic, 25 years Experience in Multinational Companies. Contact - 91685048

HOSPITALITY Dutch male qualiﬁed commercial pilot (Faa-ME-IR certiﬁed) is looking for job openings in middle east. rutjestom@outlook.com

IT Female 26, B.E in computer science, having 4 years MNC experience as software developer, seeking suitable position in Muscat. Contact: 96784320 Email: preethasathya@yahoo.com Age 28 years experience 2years & 8 month in IT accounting technical skill, java, J.S.P tally Peachtree M.S excel, SQL ,Working java programmer India , accountant , Dubai ,Qualiﬁcation MCA, B.C.A mathematic visit visa. Contact: 95673451 Indian male MC.A 2 years experience in software knowledge of Java ASP Net, network in techno park Kerala. Contact: 99210940 Male 31 Years, IT 6 year’s online marketing experience in India seeks suitable placement. Contact-91175265

MEDICAL

Indian male diploma civil engineer 13 years of professional experience in projects and operations, seeking suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 96328643/96234670

An experienced Sudanese female GP with MOH license looking for job. Contact: 96436517 /97396088

Civil Site Supervisor for telecom tower projects across Oman. Send CV to fyjo@spec-link.com or call +968 9946 7227

Palestinian dentist looking for job in Muscat privet hospitals , polyclinics or dental centers – 15 yrs experience out Muscat at privet hospitals or polyclinics. Contact: 96951750

Indian male 27yrs, mechanical engineer (energy engineering M.Tech & HVAC diploma) with 4 yrs experience on visit visa, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98791735 Email: anilengandiyur@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects. Contact – 90164912 7Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in the ﬁeld of Building Const. Oil & Gas Seeking Job.94625598 Electrical Engineer, B-Tech, with 4 Yrs experience in India, 3 YEARS IN MRF and one year in KSEB. Available in Visit Visa looking for suitable Placement as an Engineer. Contact: 94741401 Email:sobinthomask05@gmail.com. B.E .Mechanical & Production, Indian male with (QA / QC mechanical) 6 months exp as sales engineer, seeking suitable placement on visit visa. Contact: 94818333 / 99789512/ Email: fred61l@gmail.com BSc Civil Engineer having 3 years experience with Construction Company seeking suitable placement. GSM-97409350. GIS Certiﬁed Pipeline Engineer with 3 years experience in diesel power plants and heavy industry. Contact: 93504812 Male, Electrical Engineer, ages 53 yrs, working since 8 years in Oman. With a consultant, exp in drawing / MAS work inspections, post contract activities, with NOC & valid Oman D/L, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 968 96243401 Email: sathyugk@yahoo.com B.E civil Engineer, 07 years experience in Oman having D/L, N.O.C available looking for a suitable position. Contact 95961336/93523507 Email: eyousuf04@yahoo.com B.E Electrical Engg with 5 yrs exp in Oman with D/L. Contact: 98425155 Email: rajeevkalaivanan@yahoo.com Hygiene Officer/QC, B.Tech Bio tech. HACCP LVL. 2 &3.Experienced in Food & water industry. 92940218

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Indian male 25 yrs of exp in construction field Oman. Good knowledge in same field worked as foreman + 15 yrs of driving exp looking for job, with visa. Contact: 93718164 The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: construction(Very strong and qualified to bringing business for civil work Or any type of the construction work for many million per year with a good experience in pricing and collect payment and cash management of the company & marketing projects & investments& tenders & real estate. Contact: - 92385033 MBA (marketing) with 17 years experience in freight forwarding/ logistics industry in GCC & Oman. Presently working as branch manager in Muscat. Looking for a suitable position. Release and NOC available. Contact: 99856331

SALES / MARKETING Sales Engineer 5 years experience looking for a placement. Contact: 91411043 Sales Manager having 12 years experience M.B.A in sales & marketing having valid GCC driving license seeking suitable placement, NOC available. Contact: 98125226 Indian Male 32, MBA (Marketing & Finance) with 10 years experience in Marketing of Banking Products & Insurance Industry. Seeking for a Job in Oman. Contact: 93576980, 97750460 Email: senthil.cbe83@gmail.com Indian male MBA marketing 2 years Oman experience with valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable position NOC available. Contact: 91202335 Email: mrishad90@yahoo.com Marketing Executive/Merchandiser, Omani License, BA 8 years Experience in Multinational Groups. Contact 97601343

SALES / MARKETING SKILLED / UNSKILLED 12 years of experience in Oman; marketing strategies & operations, logistics, government tenders, public relations & dealing with international companies -4 years of experience in UK, engineering CNC & industrial areas, have dual nationality, ﬂuent in English & Arabic speaking and writing , (I can travel abroad easily without visa, for ﬁnalizing business or any other purpose). Contact: 94123939 Indian male, MBA 25 yrs. 1 year experience in auditing and 10 month in sales. Currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement. Contact: 92054304 Indian male, 24, MB Marketing and HR, I year experience. On visit visa. Looking for suitable job. Contact 94014073

26 yrs Indian Male - fluent in Eng/ Arabic, qualified network technician seeks job: 98675047 / 98138750 Indian male, having 15 yrs of exp in site supervising, telephone line, supervising with valid D/L, looking for job. Contact: 93931162 8 years exp body fitter and electric welder. Contact: 93015630 Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fitter gulf & Indian exp looking job. Contact: 95175192 Electrician, plumber (exp gulf / Indian) looking job. Contact 95175192

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 23yr BA TTM(Travel and Tourism Management) with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logistics and Shipping Management, exp in Logistics(CHA) seeking in suitable placement. Currently on visit visa (Oman) contact; 90291092 email:iyas.adhur@gmail.com Indian male auto cad draughtsman (civil) 8 years experience .seeking for job in Dubai & Qatar. Contact - 00968-99070584 (Mct):0091-9895061474 (India) email: remluvp@gmail.com Indian Female Accountant 5 Years of Experience in Accounting Tally, Office coordination, And Admin, Currently on Visit Visa Seeking Suitable Placement. Contact: 95684179 Indian male B.Eng. in IT, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/ Server support. Contact 92607532 Indian male, 11 years exp. in accounting, knowledge in tally also. Looking for a part time job. Contact. 98983122 Manager / Working Partner. Indian M.Com with 20 years Dubai experience in media advertising industry, client service, marketing, production, gifts trading, branding with D/L. Contact -93031168 Indian male BE Electrical & electronics and pg in power systems (transmission & distribution) on visit, Seeking placement. Contact – 94669679 Email prsabarish@gmail.Com Sales & Marketing executive MBA with 3 years of experience looking for suitable placement. Contact: 91345727

10 yrs exp in Oman in logistics/ purchase-have Oman D/L-looking for suitable placementcontact 96410767 email: harishkts@yahoo.com

Indian 32 years completed M.A. English, having three years experience in teaching ﬁled searching for the suitable job.# 99869535 Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com

Indian male 42, 20 years experience building material sales man sales manager seeks suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 97457331

Indian male 25 age, MBA marketing (fresher) PGDM (HR) ﬂuency in English, Arabic, Hindi looking for suitable job currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact: 97127799 Email: vijnvijioo@gmail.com

Accountant Indian male B.Com 15 years (8 years I Oman with valid Oman driving license) experience in accounts up to ﬁnalization NOC available. Contact: 94117616/ 91238272

Indian homeopathic doctor, 34 years, 8 years experience in medical industry, seeking job as insurance medical officer / heath care. Contact: 92428547 Email: ushus3@gmail.com

Male Nurse, Experienced, Pass Prometric (Oman) 93837973

RENT A CAR

MISCELLANEOUS Indian female , M.com gradate , 7 years of experience in Oman in accounts administration , secretarial and sales coordination with valid Omani driving license, looking for a suitable placement. Gsm 95134495 Purchase Officer with 8 years exp in Oman having D/L & NOC looking for urgently placement. Contact 96174564 email: azhar_5012@yahoo.co.in Graduate, computer literate, experienced in sales, credit control, accounts, omani d/l , seeks suitable placement. Gsm 9880-5474 24 years Indian female MSC Biotechnology 1 year exp.in clinical microbiology, worked in icrisat for project work as Trainee, looking for suitable job. Contact: 92619048 Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com Indian female, 26, M.sc biotechnology now in family visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95210498/ 99850321/93093466 Omani national with bachelor in management looking for suitable placement please call: 91908052 or Email: saidoburndi257@yahoo.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: tenders& real estate& construction & marketing projects& investments& transportation & Marine services& companies management& develop business. Contact :- 92385033 Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants Dynamic result oriented hospitality professional with 20 years of international exp. MBA in Hotel Management, specializing in Hotel/ Restaurant start ups, concepts & Franchise development with proven records. Seeking for Challenging positions in reputed groups as GM/ COO/CEO/Business Head. (NOC available) Contact: 96059470

Best Rates for Saloon. Tel: 99826300 / 97869042, rentacar@modernreem.com

TRANSPORTATION Muttrah to Bausher. Contact: 99022790/24712088 Transportation. Contact: 96538078 Transportation. Contact 99508282 Transportation. Contact: 95190627

TRANSPORTATION Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba. Contact: 91103909

S AT U R DAY, D E C E M B E R 5, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

TOURS

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours contact 98029602, 92808636

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

ABDULHAKIM AL BIMANI TRADING & CONTRACTOR Expert in Shipping cargo by sea & air to Zanzibar, Pemba, Dar es Salam in Tanzania, Burundi, The Philippines, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Reasonable price.

Contact: 97440625/95416662 Email: abdulhakimalbimani@hotmail.com

*Classiﬁed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

S AT U R DAY, D E C E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

FOR HIRE WITH OPERATORS 1. Back Hoe Loaders (Shovels): 5 Nos 2. 10 Tons Vibratory Roller Compactor: 1 No. 3. 42 Mtrs. Concrete Pump Putzmeister: 1 No. 4. 45 Cbm Tippers: 2 Nos 5. 50 M height, 50 Boom tower cranes: 5 Nos.

Please contact – Mr. Ravi on 96529679 Email – ravi@alliedoman.com / narayan@alliedoman.com

WEBSITE

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

CLASSES

IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

Classes for Spoken English TOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed EAGLES INSTITUTE 92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | Email: engominst@gmail.com

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English class for Malayalam Speakers

in Azaiba and Ruwi earn in two months tion guaranteed

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price. Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

IELTS & TOEFL Academic / General Target Band 8 TQT Institute.

Tel: 95244310

Ph # 24480800 / 99347202

Classes for bakery, cup cakes, icing decorations. Contact: 96202458 /96761960

DRIVING

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

^ Zs/ ^

Karate and self defense classes at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per month twice a week Monday and Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM CONTACT 98294551

tĞ WƌŽǀŝĚĞ ůĞĂŶĞƌƐ͕ Kĸ ĐĞ ďŽǇƐ͕ ůĞĂŶŝŶŐ ŽŶƚƌĂĐƚƐ͕ 'ĞŶĞƌĂů ĐůĞĂŶŝŶŐ ĞƚĐ͘ ů DƵĚĂŬŚŝƌ EĂƟ ŽŶĂů Ɛƚ͘ >> ŽŶƚĂĐƚ ͗ ϵϰϮϳϳϬϮϬ

MANPOWER

D EWKt Z dŝůĞ DĂƐŽŶƐ͕ DĂƐŽŶƐ͕ ůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝĂŶƐ͕ WůƵŵďĞƌƐ͕ &ĂůƐĞ ĞŝůŝŶŐ ͬ 'ǇƉƐƵŵ tŽƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ ĂƌƉĞŶƚĞƌƐ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ ŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞůǇ ŽŶ >ĂďŽƌ ƐƵƉƉůǇ ďĂƐŝƐ͘

Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080

Learn driving with professional. Contact: 94022250

Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476

CHANGE OF NAME

House shifting & transporting. Contact 92490422

/ŶƚĞƌĞƐƚĞĚ ƉĂƌƟ ĞƐ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ

'^D͗ ϵϲϳϳϱϬϮϯ ͬ ϵϲϳϳϱϬϮϰ

LOST Santhosh Kumar has lost Indian Passport No. J 2317576. Finder please handover to ROP

I Stube Pearl Nirajini Jayakumar (holder of Indian passport No. G 8908659) Daughter of Stube Jeremiah Williams having permanent residence in No. 66, 3rd main road Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Vellore 632002 ( complete postal address in India ) and presently residing in Rustaq (complete postal in Oman) intend to change my name from Stube Pearl Niranjini Jayakumar (old name) to Pearl Niranjini ( new name) for all practical purpose. Any objection towards my name change may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, diplomatic Quarters, AL Khuwair, P. Box No, 1727 postal code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807

SITUATION WANTSERVICES

Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517

A/C Maintenance & servicing, fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing. Contact: 99447257 /97014234 / 24504281

Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. Contact: 93769089 / 95323517

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

House shifting. Contact: 99657644/98518013

Cleaning & carpet shampooing, Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99884591 Pest control treatments. Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723

A/C maintenance, installation spilt A.C and maintenance window A/C and ducted and package the reunites. Contact: Asad Abbas 98667326 GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 Cleaning Sofa shampoo carpet shampoo house. Contact: 92179395 Debt collection services your money we collect value commercial services. Fax: 0096824783669 Contact: 009682479815 /00968- 24701422 /00968- 94665476 Email: salim@valuedbtcollection.com Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130

S AT U R DAY, D E C E M B E R 5, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiďŹ eds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624