Times of Oman - August 9, 2015 by Muscat Media Group

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SUNDAY, August 9, 2015 / 23 Shawwal 1436 AH

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‘Better to boost skills of jobless than to dole out’ Everything cannot be served on a

This positive step assisted job seekers until they got jobs, and, on realising that the initiative has achieved its goal, the government stopped disbursing this grant by the mid of 2014

‘silver platter’ to the unemployed for long as they have to ﬁnd jobs on their own and shouldn’t rely on

Yousuf Said Al Mutawa

government grants,

Assistant director general of employment at the Ministry of Manpower

say business leaders ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: There is no need for a renewal of grants to job-seekers as it would be an extra burden on the government and would not help improve the work culture in Oman, say representatives of the business community. They believe that enhancing the skills of job seekers through training is a better option than giving them a monthly allowance. An official at the Ministry of

Manpower said that the government’s initiative to allocate a monthly grant to job-seekers was meant to enable and encourage ‘the initiators and active ones’ among them to take up available job opportunities. “This positive step assisted job-seekers until they got jobs, and, on realising that the initiative has achieved its goal, the government stopped disbursing this grant by the mid of 2014,” Yousuf Said Al Mutawa, assistant director general of employment at the

Ministry of Manpower, told the Times of Oman. Abdullah Al Jufaili, general manager of the Fund for Development of Youth Projects (Sharakah), believes that the ministry’s decision is a step forward to reduce the dependence of job seekers on the government. “Not everyone has the motivation to be completely independent,” he said, and added that some may be just relying on receiving everything on a ‘silver platter’.

So, stopping the allowance would mean that people have to stop being dependent and ﬁnd a source of income, said Al Jufaili. The official believes that continuing to provide job-seekers with a regular allowance would only increase the ‘burden’ on the government as their number would keep increasing. Al Jufaili also said this was not a viable option as the government is investing in a number of projects in various sectors and is seeking ways to cover the ex-

penditure and recover from the unfavourable market conditions in 2008 and 2014. “So, I think there is enough of a burden on the government to cover such expenses. We should work towards empowering the nationals to be active and independent,” he said. Wrong message Amer Al Fadhil, managing director of Competence HR, one of the 30 successful candidates for the National CEO Programme, also believes that providing jobseekers with a monthly grant is not helpful. Giving a certain amount to people who are looking for a job does not send a positive message, he noted. Najim Al Kitani, managing partner at Biyaq Laboratories, a 100 per cent Omani-owned analytical laboratory service provider, says he personally thinks the government made the right decision by stopping the grant. More efforts There was a period when there was a need to support those seeking for jobs, especially the young people, and now ending it means encouraging job seekers to put in more efforts, he said. >A6

J U LY W O R S T M O N T H

High temperature, humidity pose greater heart health risks: Experts

SINGAPORE

HM sends greetings MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of the Republic of Singapore on his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere greetings and wishes to the president and his country’s people. —ONA TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Firms must adhere to social responsibility

International companies operating in Oman must contribute more towards the cause of CSR to justify millions of rials worth of contracts they get awarded by the government every year. Clearly, they do not do enough towards their responsibility for the good of the society, their clients, staff and stakeholders. >A3

OMAN

Sultanate to make its mark at sailing regatta

SARAH MACDONALD sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Hot temperatures and high humidity this summer in Oman and the other GCC countries are resulting in more serious health risks for people with heart disorders, experts say. The latest ﬁgures from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that almost 40 per cent of mortality in the region was caused by cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), making the disease a prominent issue in Oman. The WHO estimates that 49 per cent of deaths from non-communicable diseases in Oman are due to cardiovascular diseases. Dr Benny Panakkal, chief cardiologist and group medical director, Badr Al Samaa said July was one of the worst months he’s seen for the number of heart attacks, due partly to the heat and to complications caused by people with CVDs fasting during Ramadan. “Last month we had a peak of

ISO 9001:2008 Certiﬁed Company

Cowes Week, one of the longest sailing regattas in the world, began at the Solent, an area of water between southern England and the Isle of Wight. The regatta will see 8,500 competitors who range from Olympic and world class professionals to complete novices. >A4

MARKET

Capital market mops up OMR900m funds

CAUSE OF SERIOUS CONCERN: The WHO estimates that 49 per cent of deaths from non-communicable diseases in Oman are due to cardiovascular diseases. – Times of Oman

heart attacks. It was one of the worst months. Even the end of July was quite high, I think because of the seasonal change,” Panakkal said. Panakkal said many people with CVDs don’t realise how important it is to stay hydrated, es-

WA D I A L M A AW E L

pecially in the summer. People taking diuretics and people with kidney diseases are at an even higher risk, he added. “Things can go wrong especially if you’re not taking two litres of water which can affect it,” he noted. >A6

No shortcuts to healthy living

Oman’s corporate sector mopped up funds worth OMR907 million from the capital market last year through initial public offerings, bonds, right issues and bonus shares, almost matching the ﬁnance provided by the banking sector. >B1

SAFETY TIPS

Omani dies, six others Drive safely during fog in Salalah: ROP injured in road accident TARIQ AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com FAHAD AL GHADANI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An Omani was killed and six others were injured in a road accident at the Al Marigha intersection in Wadi Al Maawel wilayat yesterday. All the injured were admitted to the hospital. Meanwhile, in an accident earlier in Khares in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), some of those who were critically injured, and admitted to hospitals in the Saudi Arabia, were brought back to the Sultanate. Nine Omanis were killed and 39 others were injured in the accident. The collision between a bus carrying 54 Omanis who were returning from Makkah after the Umrah pilgrimage and a truck parked at the road shoulder resulted in the death of seven people at the Al Oyoon Hospital in Al Ahsa. Two others died at the King Fahd Hospital. The bodies were brought back to Oman in a Royal Oman Air Force plane, while another plane brought

TRAGEDY: The mangled remains of the car involved in the accident. –@ONNN-1/Twitter

back injured and their relatives, as per the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Fire A ﬁre broke out at a factory in Al Ansab in the Muscat Governorate, according to the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA). The blaze was extinguished and no casualties were reported in the incident.

SALALAH: From tweeting emergency phone numbers to messaging safety tips and warnings about fog condition throughout the Khareef season in Salalah, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) is constantly using social media to engage and communicate effectively with the citizens and residents and help them keep safe. As a large number of visitors travel to and from Dhofar Governorate, the ROP strives to keep road travellers safe and promote road safety. Speaking to the Times of Oman, an ROP official said, “We came out with timely updates through social media to keep citizens informed and safe.” With Khareef Salalah almost coming to an end and Salalah Festival beginning, the ROP officials continue to be on high alert. The ROP’s Twitter account continues to issue messages to spread awareness, speciﬁcally targeted at drivers and visitors to Salalah, in view of sudden showers and fog. A driver can meet with an unfortunate situation

POOR VISIBILITY: Tourists to Salalah are apprised about safety regulations in view of foggy conditions in the region. – Supplied photo

if he is not careful while driving along the mountains. The ROP constantly urges citizens to follow safety guidelines during their visit. They tweeted a post on how to enjoy a tour of the Dhofar Mountains and hills while remaining safe. The ROP said in the tweet, “While touring the mountains, follow the regulations for safety

during autumn and always drive carefully while negotiating the mountain because fog can lower your visibility.” Advice against swimming In addition to road safety, the ROP advises visitors against swimming in the sea. With many deaths reported because of drowning due to negligence, one must raise

awareness on this count. “The ROP keeps informed those venturing into the sea about the height of waves and rough conditions,” said the tweet. According to the latest statistics from the National Centre for Statistics and Information, between June 21 and August 1, 238,675 people visited Salalah while Omanis comprised 67 per cent of total visitors. A total of 86 per cent of the trips were made by land whereas 14 per cent travelled by air. Furthermore, the NCSI also reported that 99 per cent of this year’s visitors to Salalah are from the GCC, including the Sultanate. Since most visitors arrived by land, it is safe to say that some could be speeding to cut the amount of time to reach their ﬁnal destination. The ROP said in a tweet, “Did you know that speeding is the most common cause of deadly accidents? It’s better to arrive late to your destination than arrive on a stretcher.” “We strive for safety in order for you to enjoy your time in Salalah. Cooperate with us to keep you safe and secure,” said the tweet.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015 The largest quantity of unloaded ﬁsh by artisanal ﬁshing was recorded in the Al Wusta Governorate, followed by North and South Al Sharqiyah Governorates

OMAN NAT I O NA L E C O N O M Y

NAT U R A L R E S OU R C E S

Agreement inked to extend continental shelf boundaries MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman has signed a contract with Gardline CGG for conducting maritime surveys for the project of extending the boundaries of the Sultanate’s continental shelf. The contract was signed at the Foreign Ministry on behalf of the Government of Oman by Salim bin Abdullah Al Alawi, Head of

National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI)

the Office of Continental Shelf and Marine Affairs while it was signed on behalf of the company by Maxim Evan. The contract signing ceremony was attended by members of the Committee assigned with following up the action plan for extending the Sultanate’s continental shelf. –ONA

E X PAT R I AT E A F FA I R S

Traditional fishing output grows MUSCAT: Total quantity of fish unloaded by those involved in artisanal or traditional fishing in Oman reached 78,145 tonnes by the end of last April, a 12.8 per cent increase, compared to 69,284 tonnes during same period last year. The total value of fish unloaded by artisanal fishing in the Sultanate during the same period touched OMR62.56 million, a 1.4 per cent

increase compared to OMR61.68 million last year, according to the statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) as per the preliminary data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The largest quantity of unloaded ﬁsh by artisanal ﬁshing was recorded in the Al Wusta Governorate at 22,333 tonnes, followed

by North and South Al Sharqiyah Governorates at 21,117 tonnes. The Dhofar Governorate was third with 13,202 tonnes, while the governorates of South and North Al Batinah were fourth with 10,354 tonnes. Some 7065 tonnes of ﬁsh was unloaded in the Musandam Governorate, while the ﬁgures reached 4,084 tonnes in the Muscat Governorate. –ONA

Pakistan Social Club extends registration

Times News Service MUSCAT: Following the new directive from the Ministry of Social Development, Pakistan Social Club (PSC) has extended until August 15, 2015 the deadline for registration of new members. “All Pakistanis, aged 25 years and above, having a valid resident card are invited to join the PSC as members. Registration forms are available for applicants in the PSC office and at the Embassy of Pakistan (CWA office),” A H Raja, vice chairman of Pakistan Social Club, told the Times of Oman. “All Pakistani community members must note that Pakistan Social Club has extended the deadline to register new members after receiving further directives from the Ministry of Social Development. The applications received to register new members till August 15 will be processed and the applicants would become eligible to cast their votes in the forthcoming AGM, scheduled to be held in January 2016,” he added. “The renewal of membership will also remain open until December 15 for those members who intend to attend the AGM to cast their votes or contest election,” he explained. “Applications received after December 15, 2015 for either new membership or for renewal will be kept pending for action at a later date as these will not qualify to be added in the voters’ list for the forthcoming AGM,” he noted.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

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Oman-based global ﬁrms must play bigger role in social responsibility

Consumer body’s Dhofar crackdown Times News Service

SUNDAY BEAT

SALEH AL SHAIBANY saleh@timesofoman.com

nternational companies operating in Oman must contribute more towards the cause of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), to justify the millions of rials worth of contracts they are awarded by the government every year. Clearly, they do not do enough towards their responsibility for the good of the society, their clients, staff and stakeholders. For example, multibillion dollar projects in Sohar owned by global companies are raking in tens of millions of rials every year in profit but they give back very little in return to the environment and the people around them. Coastal pollution Established industries in the coastal areas such as Salalah, Duqm and Sohar considerably pollute the sea to leave visible sediments floating in the water. The disposal of their chemical waste, noted by fishermen in these towns, depletes the fish stock. Pollutants from their factories escape in the environment to reduce the quality of the air. The government is very keen to attract foreign investments but global companies must take the responsibility of adhering to international safety

Established industries in the coastal areas such as Salalah, Duqm and Sohar considerably pollute the sea to leave visible sediments floating in the water. The disposal of their chemical waste, noted by fishermen in these towns, depletes the fish stock. Pollutants from their factories escape in the environment to reduce the quality of the air

standards to make sure the environment in the areas they work is protected. However, coastal areas are not the only places that bear the brunt of pollution in the intolerable scale. In the desert towns, where foreign companies have oil and gas concessions, need a closer scrutiny, too. These companies ﬂush out oil from the deep using millions of gallons of water. The water, which is contaminated by crude oil is not always ﬁltered or reused and gets dumped to the wadis. Also, big companies in the Sultanate do not adequately dispose of their office waste the way it is required. At the end of

the day, while they make huge revenues, they leave the environment in a bad shape. They will tell you that they generate jobs but again a closer inspection will reveal that the wages of local employment takes up only a small percentage of their operating costs. Preserving environment To preserve the environment at an acceptable level requires a big budget. Global companies are not prepared to erode their income to protect local communities from potential harm. It is time they have a different business view for their adopted country by safeguarding its

YOUR BIGGEST ROAD HAZARD IS IN YOUR HAND A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

interest — and theirs in the long run, for that matter. It is also time consumers look at the products from such companies with a different view. Questions should be asked not only how they treat their employees, but how ethical they are and the way they engage with the people who live close to their projects or businesses. In other words, our perception towards companies that have the environment protection low on their priorities should be based on their ethical reputation and genuineness to care for the communities. If we are not convinced, we should not buy their product, invest in them or do business with them. Most of these companies acknowledge that their customers are the most important stakeholders and the communities are not. Multi-million projects They also do not acknowledge that the communities need help to get out of the problems these companies impose in their towns. Fishermen, farmers, retail business owners and people engaged in handicraft trades are affected by the environmental damages due to the presence of multi-million projects. These companies must contribute ﬁnancially to the good causes to offset the inconvenience they cause to the lives of residents, especially those who ply their living in the same areas. That way, they can earn the respect of consumers, employees, shareholders and all stakeholders. It is a great platform to stand on when they start to invest on communities and solve their social issues. Moreover, to behave ethically and in a transparent way will foster good relationship both with the government and communities around them.

DHOFAR: During the ﬁrst half of this year, the Directorate of Consumer Protection in Dhofar Governorate was able to recover OMR78,493 from product companies and services after receiving complaints from consumers. Ali Salim Al Basrawi, director of consumer protection in Dhofar, said, “We have recovered the money from different sectors based on the number of complaints received from consumers.” He added that OMR36,316 was recovered from the automotive industry, OMR9,807 from electric

appliances and electronics sector, and OMR5,765 from the furnishing industry. The various complaints about products that the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) received ranged from those for car spare parts, car tyres, and electronics, in addition to contractors and shops stocking building material. Complaints were also received about phones and services, furniture stores, clothing stores, and watches apart from and jewellery and beauty salons. Adding to that were complaints towards labour services and travel and tourism services.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

OMAN SUMMER WORKSHOP

Traditional craft classes for new generation of artists

ART CONNECTIONS: For Bait Al Baranda, the workshops are a way to engage the local community as many of the students are from Muttrah and Jibroo, and they help inspire a new generation of Omani artists and creators.–TIMES OF OMAN

SARAH MACDONALD sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: More than 200 children are taking art classes at Bait Al Baranda, where they are learning traditional Omani clay skills and other arts and crafts. The workshop, now in its ninth year, is aimed at giving the children a chance to explore their creativity. The workshops are being taught both by professional artists, including sculptor Essa Al Mafargi, and students from the Fine Arts Education program at SQU and the Scientiﬁc College of Design. The annual summer workshop has attracted more children than ever who have spent the mornings of the ﬁrst week making clay dishes, vases, and decorations. The students are also learning how to make hand-stitched dolls and draw cartoons. “I have fun and learn many things to use in my future. Art shows the people what we feel inside,” said Yaseen Al Lawati, who was enrolled in the workshop for

the second year in a row. Yaseen, whose favourite art form is drawing with oil pastels, said he would like to have a job that is creative and artistic when he grows up. He said he was learning a lot from the instructors and quickly improving his skills working

You try new things. You meet new people. It’s something to work on in our free time

I have fun and learn many things to use in my future. Art shows the people what we feel

Muntaha Al Lawati

Yaseen Al Lawati

6th year workshop participant

2nd year workshop participant

with clay. He had made a plaque and a small brick house. Muntaha and Marooj Al Lawati, sisters aged 14 and 11 years, are regulars in the Bait Al Baranda workshops. Muntaha, who is taking the workshop for the sixth year in a row, said they enjoy it because

it’s something different to do during the summer holidays. “You try new things. You meet new people. It’s something to work on in our free time,” she said. Kholoud Al Shaibi, a ﬁne arts student from the Scientiﬁc College of Design, said she was enjoying

Oman set to make its mark at sailing regatta

teaching the students how to work with clay. Her studies in sculpture were being put to good use as she showed the children how to make cups and plates, ﬂowers, buildings and other objects from clay. “It’s been very good. They really like using their hands,” she said.

Three of Awn Al Ajmi’s children and four of his nephews are taking the workshops. Al Ajmi said it’s much better for the children to be doing something creative with their hands and imaginations than simply staying home and watching TV or playing video games as so many children do these days. Learning new things “They learn a lot of things here, not just in the classes, but in the museum itself. They can look at the design, the colourful windows, the museum displays. They also build their skills and learn an Omani traditional craft,” he said. For Bait Al Baranda, the workshops are a way to engage the local community, since many of the students are from Muttrah and Jibroo, and they help inspire a new generation of Omani artists and creators. “We look forward to a successful and fun period with the young ones. May the arts ﬂourish!” commented the museum’s director, Malik Al Hinai.

ANCIENT ART FORM

ART CONNECT: Tanjore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting native to the town of Thanjavur.– Supplied photo

Tanjore artist adds colour to Oman forts Times News Service

SAILING TIME: The regatta will see 8,500 competitors who range from Olympic and world class professionals to complete novices.

Apart from the sailing activities, the event includes a large number of onshore events – Supplied photo

The ‘Visit Oman’ marquee opened on Saturday to provide information on Oman. The Sultanate’s ﬂagship MOD70 Musandam–Oman Sail will compete in the Artemis Challenge and the Rolex Fastnet Race with a crew of ﬁve sailors

Times News Service MUSCAT: Cowes Week, one of the longest sailing regattas in the world, began on Saturday, at the Solent, an area of water between southern England and the Isle of Wight. The regatta will see 8,500 competitors who range from Olympic and world class professionals to complete novices. Apart from the sailing activities, the Week includes a large number of onshore events in the renowned town of

Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The ‘Visit Oman’ marquee, opened on Saturday and will last until August 15, with both English and Omani representatives to provide detailed information about Oman’s tourist sites and business potential. The Sultanate’s ﬂagship MOD70 Musandam–Oman Sail will compete in the Artemis Challenge and the Rolex Fastnet Race with a crew of ﬁve sailors, including Irishman Damian Foxall and three Omanis. Oman Sail works closely with

the Ministry of Tourism and its overseas representatives to showcase the beauty of Oman – both visually and through its people, directly engaging with visitors around the world. The ‘Visit Oman’ marquee is present at every event, taking visitors on a journey across Oman with the aroma of frankincense filling the air, and coffee and dates served by Omani hosts, which represent the Omani hospitality. Visitors also have the opportunity to get complimentary henna paint applied and to learn about Omani culture items on display, in addition to Omani brochures. Oman Sail, a non-profit organisation, was established in 2008. The Oman Sail flagship boat, the MOD70 Musandam-Oman Sail, broke the Round Britain and Ireland record by over 16 minutes in 2014, thrusting Oman Sail into the international limelight. In 2015, Musandam-Oman Sail also broke a 20-year record by completing the Round Ireland speed challenge in a new record time of 40 minutes and 57 seconds – shaving almost four hours off the previous time.

The Oman Sail national sailing scheme offers a range of sailing courses at each of its four sailing schools in Oman. These are at Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, Millennium Resort Mussanah, The Wave, Muscat and Sur Marina. The national sailing scheme, created and launched by Oman Sail, is recognised by the world governing body for sailing, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and delivered by a team of highly qualiﬁed Omani coaches. Oman annually holds a range of sailing events of its own for spectators to enjoy. The Extreme Sailing Series – a type of Formula 1 on the open sea – begins its annual year-long competition around the globe from Muscat each February, and every November yachts compete in the Dubai to Muscat Race, navigating the Straits of Hormuz en route. Oman welcomes 147,000 British and Irish visitors a year from the United Kingdom and Ireland, which constitute its number one European market. For more information on sailing in Oman please visit, www.omantourism.om.gov

MUSCAT: An Indian artist who practices the traditional art of Tanjore painting has selected Oman forts as the theme for her latest work. Kavitha Ramakrishna has been popularising the ancient Indian art form of Tanjore paintings that dates back to 1600 AD for some time now. Incidentally, since she lives in Oman, many of her paintings have been based on topics related to the Sultanate. “I selected the forts in Oman because I found the structures fascinating. As an artist I wanted to capture the beauty of the structures through this classical art form,” she said. Tanjore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting native to the town of Thanjavur in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Kavita has been practicing this intricate art for the last 10 years and has close to 60 paintings to her credit already. She exhibited close to 40 of her Tanjore art works at the Ministry of Tourism that portrayed the Omani jewellery commemorating the 44th National Day of the Sultanate, and also at the Indian Embassy commemorating the 60 years of diplomatic relations between Oman and India. During the Oman National Day, Kavitha had also dedicated her paintings to the health and wellbeing of His Majesty Sultan Qa-

Kavitha Ramakrishna

boos Bin Said. She recently launched her website kavithavedanthi.com She had also successfully blended the two cultures Indian and Islamic though her work. The Tanjore work completed a couple of years back, portrayed the important aspects of the Islamic religion. The process of making a Tanjore painting involves many stages and also uses semi-precious stones and gold foils. “Each piece can take between 12 days and one month,” said Kavitha. She has trained numerous students as well as parents in the Sanskrit language. For the last seven years Kavitha has been spreading and promoting this ancient language as well as the Tanjore painting art.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

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Islam gives new meaning of life to Filipino man If you leave something for the sake of Allah, He will give you more than you expect, in return, says Mohammad Yousuf who embraced Islam last year

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Mohammad Yousuf Nabong became estranged from his family, had to break up with his long-term girlfriend and saw friendships end when he converted to Islam but there is one thing that has kept the ﬂame of hope alive in his heart. “If you leave something for the sake of Allah, He will give you more than you expect, in return,” says Mohammad Yousuf, recalling the time when he was a Christian and known as Patrick John Nabong. He was living in his home country, the Philippines, before moving to Oman two years and ﬁve months ago, and was under the impression that Muslims are all associated with terrorism. “I myself was afraid of Muslims,” 25-year-old Mohammad Yousuf told Times of Oman, sitting in Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque before Friday prayers. Becoming a priest Born to devout Christian parents — both preachers — he wanted to become a priest, but observing Muslims that were around him and the many questions that he had in mind about Christianity kindled his interest in studying Islam. His interest began to grow when he moved to Oman and interacted with more Muslims here. “The Muslims I saw here were very different than what you see on TV,” Mohammad Yousuf said, adding that the kindness and generosity of true Muslims in

FINDING PEACE: Embracing Islam has given Mohammad Yousuf Nabong peace of heart and mind and has also helped him give up some bad habits. – Times of Oman

Oman helped dispel his false notion of Muslims. After studying more about Islam, he found ‘clear’ answers to his questions and ﬁnally embraced Islam last year. However, he had to make many sacriﬁces along the way to follow his heart. When he decided to become a Muslim, his girlfriend told him that she would break up with him. “I was afraid of breaking up the relationship because it had been going on for a long time. But at the same time, I was thinking that this is my faith,” Mohammad Yousuf said. He told her that there is no problem in being a Christian but asked her to study it properly. They eventually broke up when he converted to Islam. He continued to cherish his belief that if you leave something for the sake of Allah, He will compensate you in a better way. “After I became Muslim, I met my lady,” Mohammad Yousuf said, adding that she is a Muslim from the Philippines who lives in Oman. They plan to get married soon. Family issues The main problem for him is now his family who do not want to accept him and do not want him to go back. “Even my sister stopped sending me messages after I embraced Islam,” he said. However, Mohammad Yousuf has not lost hope and keeps praying for the situation to change as he believes that prayer can move a mountain. Embracing Islam has given him peace of heart and mind and has also helped him give up some bad habits, such as drinking and smoking. “When I was not tensed, I used

to smoke seven to eight cigarettes a day and when I was tensed, I used to smoke one pack a day,” he said, adding that now he truly believes in the Islamic teaching that you should not hurt yourself. Drinking and smoking means hurting yourself and is not the way of life of a true Muslim, said Mohammad Yousuf. Some of his friends stopped talking to him after he refused their offers to smoke or drink. “Despite all this, I am satisfied myself. Everybody will go except Allah,” he said. Misrepresentation Mohammad Yousuf says he respects all religions and his message to those who are interested in knowing more about Islam is that they should not rely on what they see on TV. He is disappointed at the fact that when a Muslim commits a crime, emphasis is put on his religion, but when a follower of another religion commits a crime, he is called by name. Are jails only filled with Muslims?, he asks. He believes that people should learn about Islam from the Holy Quran and primary sources and feels lucky that the Islamic Information Center of Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is supporting him and answering his questions. Those who may want to convert to Islam, should study their own religion thoroughly first and then make a decision, he said, adding that he respects all religions. “If you want to embrace Islam, do not be afraid. In the Judgement Day, you will be standing all alone before Allah. No parents, no friends will be there,” said Mohammad Yousuf.

OMAN F O R O M A N I S C H O O L G R A D UAT E S

National automotive institute opens doors for registration Times News Service MUSCAT: Registration for various programmes of the National Automotive Higher Institute (NAHI) for Omani school graduates begins today (August 9). The registrations will be open until August 30, 2015. Being the first institute of its kind in the Sultanate, NAHI aims to supply the automotive sector in Oman with skilled and qualified national technicians. The first semester will commence its foundation programme in September 2015. The NAHI offers diploma and advanced diploma certificates and provides state-of-the-art educational and training programmes that are in line with latest international technologies in the field of automotive. The programmes offer theoretical and practical technical education as well as interpersonal skills required for developing the workforce in the automotive field. Furthermore, the institute will award diploma programmes and other educational programmes in the form of training courses. High standards The diploma programmes consist of engineering studies (light vehicle service and maintenance, heavy vehicle service and maintenance, vehicle body repair and vehicle painting) as well as business studies (sales and marketing, spare parts management, and customer services). The programmes offered by the institute are certified and based on high quality international education standards. “We would like to congratulate our students on their passing out from schools and embarking on a new educational journey. We are pleased to invite those interested in the automotive industry to seize the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge and register with us to ensure professional success and a promising career path,” said Haji bin Faqeer Al Balushi,

BOOSTING SKILLS: National Automotive Higher Institute offers diploma and advanced diploma certiﬁcates. – Supplied photo

Hajji Al Balushi, general manager of NAHI

general manager at NAHI, during the opening of registrations. “Major car dealerships in the country are affiliated with the Royal Court Affairs after co-ordinating with all stakeholders to found this institute and provide all its basic requirements in order to commence its services offered to young Omanis who are looking forward to joining this ﬁeld. We aim to see this institute bring an added value to the vital automotive specialisations in which Omanis can excel and master if they get adequate and effective training,” added Al Balushi. The NAHI will admit 390 stu-

dents by September 2015 to start their educational journey with a foundation programme. It is afﬁliated with the Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) and City and Guilds (C&G) to conduct diploma and advanced diploma programmes, competency based training, and various short courses. Furthermore, it is also affiliated academically with the German University of Technology (GUtech). These affiliations aim to produce internationally recognised and skilled national automotive technicians. As part of its promotional efforts, the NAHI participated recently along with a number of higher education institutions in the Higher Education Exhibition 2015 held at the Oman International Exhibition Centre. “This is our ﬁrst public participation since the official opening of the institute last month. We aim to introduce the institute as well as its programmes, activities and available opportunities to the public and to answer their inquiries,” explained Al Balushi. Registrations will be received through the institute’s official website: www.nahioman.com or at the institute’s building in South Mabelah in Wilayat Seeb.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015 When external temperatures rise, the body works hard to maintain a normal temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius Dr. El Hakim, Senior Advisor to Cinfa

OMAN Animate Dubai invites entries from Sultanate This is a good opportunity for talented professionals, amateurs, and students from the country to submit their work, said a ﬁlmmaker based in Oman

Times News Service MUSCAT: Entries have been invited from Oman for GCC’s first international animation film festival that kicks off in December. The first edition of Animate Dubai will take place from December 3 to 5, at Dubai Design District, the city’s novel creative hub. The three-day festival offers a weekend packed with animated films, themed talks, fun activities for all ages, and a chance to meet animation pioneers from all around the world. “Until the closing date we will not be revealing the location from which the entries have come from,” said the organisers. Following an overwhelming response with over 1,000 sub-

missions earlier this year, the Animate Dubai team has extended the deadline for entries until August 20. Arab and international animation professionals, amateurs, and students, are invited to submit features, shorts, series, experimental, and commercial work across all genres before the new deadline. “This is a good opportunity for talented professionals, amateurs, and students from Oman to submit their work,” said a ﬁlmmaker based in Oman. Independent art form Animate Dubai seeks to promote animation as a vital and independent art form that the region has yet to embrace.

“This all-inclusive festival comes as a natural progression to our work,” said Lina Younes, founder and director of The Animation Chamber. “In the past three years, we have grown and looked after a dormant sector here in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), cropping up considerable talent and stimulating creative potential across a range of animation practices and techniques. The time has come to bring a punctual, tangible showcase of quality animation to UAE-based makers and fans alike,” she added. Animate Dubai is supported by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and has proudly partnered with prestigious environments, including d3, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Film & TV Commission, as well as some of the world’s greatest animation festivals, such as Annecy (France), Ta7rik (Tunisia), and Cyber Sousa in Xiamen (China) and regional ASIFA. Plans to advocate the genre across the UAE’s universities and institutions are also underway, beginning with AUD, AUS, and Zayed University, with the aim to encourage the participation of emerging local talent and provide

HIGHER RISK

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A1 Heat and heart ailments He said the month of Ramadan proved to be especially dangerous for people with CVDs because of the combination of extreme heat and the long fasting hours. People were fasting in the humid and hot conditions without proper hydration and sometimes without taking their medication at the regular times, he said. Panakkal said people need to take extra precautions to protect themselves and their hearts in this hot season such as drinking extra water, staying out of the sun, and consulting a doctor if they have any symptoms. Heart problems are often mistaken for gas or indigestion, so his advice is for people to play it safe and get checked at a hospital. Health experts from Cinfa, a European drugs maker with a history of leadership in providing accessible care for CVD patients, say that the lifestyle plays a key role in the high number of CVD cases in the region. The experts say that the unhealthy eating habits, together with inadequate physical activity levels, and a high number of tobacco consumers, are major risk factors that are causing heart related problems in the GCC. With the addition of intense heat and humidity levels of the harsh GCC summers, CVD patients are at even higher risk with added stress on heart functionality. “When external temperatures rise, the body works hard to maintain a normal temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius. This is done in two ways; through radiating the heat away from the body, and evaporating sweat molecules,” said Dr. El Hakim, Senior Advisor to Cinfa. “Both of these natural methods of cooling down require the heart

them with an opportunity to expand their proficiency and widen their horizons. ANIMATE DUBAI’s film market intends to become an annual meeting point for novice animations, fresh talents, distributors, buyers, recruiters, and funding bodies. Speaking of the partnership, Jamal Al Sharif, chairman of Dubai Film and TV Commission and Managing Director of Dubai Studio City said, “Animation is an extremely important segment of film, and it is great to see an event focussed purely on this sector for the first time in the region. The competition will not only raise awareness about the practices and techniques used within animation, but will also bring together local and international talent, as well as students, to network, share ideas, and to meet animation pioneers from around the world.” “We are extremely excited for the first edition of Animate Dubai” said Younes adding, “Our international selection jury has delved into watching films and from the looks of it so far, we will surely have a wicked programme for both children and adults!”

S U I TA B L E C L I M AT E

Coconut palms add to Dhofar charm SALALAH: Thanks to its suitable climatic conditions, the Governorate of Dhofar is unique in the Arab and Gulf region for the planting of palm trees. As per the agricultural census 2012/2013, the number of coconut palm trees is estimated at 148.869, excluding coconut palm trees in public parks and places and private houses. As per the same census, there are about 132,909 coconut palm trees in Salalah and 5,463 in Taqah region, 37 km from Salalah, and 10,489 coconut palm trees in other wilayats of Dhofar. The annual production of coconut from palm trees is about 6,551 tonnes. The output of coconut fruit comes second after banana in Salalah. Salalah streets and tourist sites are adorned with palm trees. The Dhofar Municipality and the Directorate General of Agriculture and Animal Wealth in Dhofar is very keen on planting palm trees in the governorate due to its economic beneﬁts, historic importance and multiple uses in daily life. Coconut palm trees’ produc-

to pump faster and harder in order to eliminate the heat, and are made more difficult with high humidity levels. While people with normally functioning hearts can more easily adapt to these changes, CVD patients must take precautionary measures to ensure their hearts are able to cope with the added strain. CVDs can limit the heart’s ability to provide enough blood to assist the cooling processes and can increase the risk of dehydration with certain medications,” he added. El Hakim strongly advises CVD patients to avoid going out between 12pm and 3pm; when the temperatures are at the highest, and to wear loose-ﬁtting clothing that allow air to ﬂow easily. He also stressed the importance of staying hydrated at all times by increasing water intake, and avoiding caffeinated drinks and salty foods. While physical activity is always recommended, CVD patients should avoid placing too much stress on their hearts by opting for less strenuous activities, and should remain indoors while exercising. Panakkal said many people who prefer exercising outdoors stop exercising altogether during the summer, which is also bad for their health. He suggested they wait till after 8pm when it’s cooler. Warning signs of heat-related health problems to look out for include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headache, disorientation and muscle twitches. If any of these symptoms appear, the sufferer must immediately be transferred to a cooler place and drink cold water. If the symptoms persist, professional advice must be sought.

JOB PROSPECTS

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A1 ‘Skilful will get jobs’ The government has supported them long enough, added Al Kitani. He says that there are some job seekers who, when offered a job, say ‘We do not want this. We do not want that,’ and also there are some workers who create problems for their employers with their poor attitude and lack of punctuality. “Personally, I do not think a serious, hardworking Omani in this country will fail to get a job,” said Al Kitani, adding that employers are always looking for such employees. However, Tonia Gray, general manager at Competence HR, says that providing support to job seekers by the government is a ‘positive practice’ but there needs to be boundaries and effective systems in place to manage this. “For example, if an individual is offered a job that they are able to do, at the appropriate level and

ECONOMIC BENEFITS: Dhofar Municipality and the Directorate General of Agriculture and Animal Wealth in Dhofar are keen on planting palm trees in the governorate due to its economic beneﬁts, historic importance and multiple uses in daily life. -ONA

tion is used in extracting oil, butter and in the production of pastries, cosmetics (soap, shampoo, ointments and beauty creams), ropes, mats, and beds, in addition to cleaning materials, wood and furniture. The production is also used as fodder. Production of coconut differs according to the region, the type of tree and the climate condition,

as well as the care provided to coconut palm trees. The average production of one coconut palm tree in Salalah is 75 to 120 fruits per year compared to 200 at the best places in the world. The Dhofar Governorate is also known for its craft industries made of coconut palm trees. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries also develops the

coconut palm trees by expanding its genetic base and introducing new types of this tree from Sri Lanka. These trees are known for its relatively short stature, which makes the collection and pest control easier. It should be noted that the types imported from Sri Lanka and planted in Dhofar gave encouraging results. -ONA

in an area that they can get to, and they refuse, the allowance should be withdrawn for a certain period (for example six months perhaps),” she said. She added that there are some people who genuinely cannot ﬁnd a job probably because the job is undertaken by an expatriate who will accept the low salary offered. Gray believes that a review of procedures, effective management of registers, understanding the skills of those on the registers, consideration of the implication of the minimum wage and changing the belief that a job in government is the better option may be the way forward to reduce those seeking to receive the allowance. However, there will always be some individuals who need, and should receive, government support, she noted.

SURVEY

Job prospects bright in MENA region Times News Service MUSCAT: Nearly two out of five employers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will definitely be hiring in the next three months, according to the latest Bayt.com Middle East Job Index Survey conducted by Bayt.com, a job site in the Middle East, and leading research and consulting group, YouGov. Forty-five per cent of those surveyed in MENA believe that their country of residence is more attractive as a job market in comparison to other MENA countries. Moreover, 47 per cent of working respondents in the MENA region rate their industry as being more attractive as a potential employer in comparison to other industries. Sixty-five per cent of MENA employers will be hiring in the next three months, with 40 per cent definitely hiring and 25 per cent probably hiring. According to them, only 4 per cent of MENA companies are definitely not hiring. Moreover, in a year’s time, 37 per cent of MENA current employers state that their companies will definitely be hiring, and 38 per cent will probably be hiring. Sixty-per cent of those looking to hire candidates in the MENA region will be opening up 10 new positions to potential employees in the next three months. The majority of these jobs will be for junior executives (43 per cent) and executives (36 per cent). Only a minority are seeking top-level candidates.

HIRING PANORAMA AT MENA Hiring expectations

25% will be probably hiring 40% will be deﬁnitely hiring 65% will be hiring in the next 3 months

Most popular candidate positions Human resource professionals Accountants Sales managers Mechanical engineers

20% 18% 15% 15%

Data collected in

Morocco

Tunisia

Algeria

Lebanon Syria

Egypt

Pakistan

GCC

When looking at speciﬁc roles in MENA, according to working respondents, the most popular candidate positions will be for human resource professionals (20 per cent) and accountants (18 per cent), followed by sales managers (15 per cent) and mechanical engineers (15 per cent). Some 40 per cent of MENA working respondents said that their company is generally seeking candidates with managerial experience, while almost one third

Source: Bayt.com

of them said they are looking for candidates with computer skills. Moreover, 30 per cent are ideally looking for candidates with administrative skills and mid-level experience respectively. A graduate/post graduate degree in Business Management (33 per cent) is the most sought-after academic qualiﬁcation when looking for candidates in MENA. This is followed by a degree in Engineering (27 per cent) and Administrative Qualiﬁcations (25 per cent).

Graphics

Some 63 per cent of MENA working respondents mentioned their company values candidates with good communications skills in Arabic and English. The ability to work under pressure (49 per cent) and being a team player (48 per cent) are also highly esteemed. When asked which industry is attracting top talent in MENA, 37 per cent of respondents replied that it was the banking and ﬁnance industry, followed by construction (35 per cent).

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015 The armed forces have the most concerns about the effect of the deal on Iran’s defence capabilities... but this agreement and the UN Security Council resolution have many advantages that the critics ignore Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, Iran’s military chief

Father of Palestinian toddler dies of injuries Hundreds of Palestinians rallied at Dawabsheh’s funeral in Duma and called on ﬁghters’ factions to take revenge for the deaths

OCCUPIED RAMALLAH: The father of a Palestinian toddler killed in an arson attack on his home a week ago died on Saturday of wounds sustained in the ﬁre. Suspected Jewish attackers torched the home of Saad Dawabsheh in the occupied West Bank village of Duma on July 31, killing his 18-month-old child and seriously injuring his wife and a second son, an act that Israel’s prime minister described as terrorism. A spokeswoman for Soroka hospital in Israel where Dawabsheh had been receiving treatment said he died early on Saturday. Hundreds of Palestinians rallied at Dawabsheh’s funeral in Duma and called on ﬁghters’ factions to take revenge for the deaths. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet has come under growing pressure to crack down on violent far-right Jewish groups since the attack, and the government decided to allow harsher interrogations of suspected Jewish militants with methods once reserved for Palestinian detainees. It also said it would start detaining citizens suspected of political violence against Palestinians without a trial, another practice previously used only on Palestinian suspects. Dawabsha’s wife Riham and

PAIN AND GRIEF: Relatives of Palestinian Saad Dawabsheh mourn during his funeral in Duma village near the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Saturday. – Reuters

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four-year-old son Ahmed are still ﬁghting for their lives in another Israeli hospital after the arson attack which killed 18-month-old Ali on Friday of last week. Israeli media reported that there had been signs of improvement in Ahmed’s condition, although his life remains in danger. They said that doctors at the Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv on Friday removed the respirator to which he had been attached for the previous week and that he opened his eyes and recognised those around him. “Nothing will stop these murderous settler attacks and... we cannot wait until they come into our villages and our homes,” Hamas spokesman Hossam Badran wrote on Facebook

from his base in Qatar on Saturday. “Our people in the occupied West Bank have only one choice: that of open and comprehensive confrontation against the occupation.” The United Nations called on both sides to work together for calm. “Political, community and religious leaders on all sides should work together and not allow extremists to escalate the situation and take control of the political agenda,” UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov wrote in a statement. “I reiterate the secretary general’s call for the perpetrators of this heinous terrorist act, which was universally condemned, to be brought swiftly to justice,” he added. Palestinian officials said that Saad Dawabsha was to be buried in Duma after a post-mortem in the nearby city of Nablus. One official told AFP that the pathologist’s ﬁndings would be submitted in evidence to back up a complaint to

ENDORSEMENT

Iran’s military chief ‘supports’ nuclear deal with world powers DUBAI/TEHRAN: Iran’s military chief and a close ally to the Supreme Leader expressed his support on Saturday for the country’s nuclear deal with world powers, a key endorsement for the accord that faces strong opposition from hardliners. Conservative members of the Iranian parliament and chief commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Ali Jafari, have sharply criticised the deal, saying it undermined the country’s military capabilities. While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not publicly approved or disapproved of the deal, he has told officials and experts to take legal procedures to ensure the other

side does not breach it, saying some of the world powers involved were untrustworthy. Advantages Major General Hassan Firouzabadi listed 16 “advantages” to the deal, which Iran signed in Vienna in July, without detailing any drawbacks. “The armed forces have the most concerns about the effect of the deal on Iran’s defence capabilities... but this agreement and the UN Security Council resolution have many advantages that the critics ignore,” Firouzabadi was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency. The agreement, a major initiative for both US President Barack Obama and Iran’s pragmatic

President Hassan Rouhani, has been met with resistance from hardliners in both countries. “The tone of the UN Security Council resolution has changed compared to the previous ones. Regarding Iran’s missile activities, it doesn’t order but only asks for Iran’s compliance,” Firouzabadi said, referring to an international resolution passed in the wake of the deal. Approval Iran’s procedures for ratifying the accord are not known in any detail. Whatever the eventual role of parliament or the National Security Council, the deal will have to be approved by Khamenei, the country’s highest authority. — AFP

the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The Palestinians on Monday submitted a request to the ICC to probe the ﬁrebombing and “settler terrorism”. At a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday, Arab foreign ministers agreed to call on the UN to protect the Palestinians from “terrorist crimes” by Jewish settlers. The domestic intelligence service named him as Meir Ettinger, a grandson of Meir Kahane, a rabbi who founded the racist anti-Arab movement Kach and was assassinated in 1990 in New York. He was arrested in Safed in northern Israel “because of his activities in a Jewish extremist organisation”, a Shin Bet spokesman told AFP. Police said Ettinger, who is aged around 20, was suspected of “nationalist crimes” but did not accuse him of direct involvement in the ﬁrebombing. — Agencies

REGION D I R E H U M A N I TA R I A N S I T UAT I O N

Red Cross head in Yemen to assess cost of conflict SANAA/ADEN: The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross began a three day visit to Yemen on Saturday to assess the dire humanitarian situation in the war-torn country. Peter Mauer flew into the rebel-held capital Sanaa where he was welcomed by Houthi rebel officials, an AFP correspondent reported. Mauer will hold talks with Houthi leaders and with their allies from the General People’s Congress party of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The ICRC said in a statement ahead of the visit that his trip would focus on the “dire humanitarian situation” in Yemen and that he would hold talks with unidentified “leading officials”. More than four months of ferocious fighting in Yemen between the rebels and loyalists of the exiled government have devastated the impoverished country. The loyalists have been backed by air strikes and an air and sea blockade by a Saudi-led coalition. The United Nations says that nearly 4,000 people have been killed, half of them civilians, while 80 per cent of the 21 million people are in need of aid and protection. The ICRC says that 1.3 million Yemenis have been displaced by the conflict. “The human cost of this conflict is such that no family in Yemen today has been left unaffected,” Mauer said in a statement ahead of his visit. Concern “We are particularly concerned about attacks on medical facilities and personnel. Moreover, deliveries of food, water and medicine must be facilitated not hampered,” he added. It was not clear if Mauer will visit loyalist-held second city Aden during his trip. The southern port has been devastated by the fighting. Pro-government

THREE-DAY VISIT: Peter Maurer, right, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, walks with Hamid Al Awadhi, Undersecretary of Yemen’s Foreign Ministry, upon his arrival at the international airport of Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Saturday. – Reuters

forces in Yemen strengthened by tanks newly supplied by a Saudiled coalition launched an offensive on Saturday to retake the rebel-held capital of Abyan province, military sources said. A two-pronged drive on the southern province’s capital of Zinjibar was launched from the north and south, the sources said. It came two days after tribal and military sources said Saudi Arabia, leading an Arab coalition air war on the Houthi rebels, had sent new military equipment including tanks to Yemen. The tanks were part of a package of reinforcements including armoured vehicles and personnel carriers as well as hundreds of Yemeni soldiers trained in kingdom, a military source said. This week has seen heavy ﬁghting in Zinjibar and heavy coalition air strikes against positions of the 15th Army Brigade allied to the Houthis. The coalition has since March 26 supported loyalists with air strikes to halt advances by the Huthis, who seized Sanaa last year before pressing south into the port city of Aden. — AFP

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

INDIA

50,000

direct jobs to be generated by Foxconn’s proposed investments in India

UNIQUE SPORT

Jawahar Thayankari win Kerala’s famous Nehru Boat Race SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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ALAPPUZHA (KERALA): Close to 40,000 people - young and old, domestic and international tourists - on Saturday witnessed the 63rd edition of the Nehru Boat Race here. For the ﬁrst time, this edition of the race, one of Kerala’s most popular events, saw a change in its schedule as the heats of the various events was held in the forenoon session and the afternoon session began around 2.30 pm. This season saw more than 60 boats of various shapes and sizes besides the 16 snake boats, which are probably the only one of its kind in the world, and hence their race is the most keenly-awaited. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari was the chief guest for the event while the special guest was Chinese Ambassador Le Yucheng. Winners The 63rd Nehru Trophy boat race was won by Vembanad Boat Club’s Jawahar Thayankari, which was helmed by Jameskutty Jacob, at Punnamada Lake on Saturday. Mahadevikkattil came in second

SPECTACULAR: The snake boat race is the main tourist attraction with 120 oarsmen going ﬂat out on

boats whose length stretches from 120 feet to 140 feet to win the coveted trophy. -AR Rajkumar/Times of Oman

and Sree Ganesh ﬁnished third, followed by St Pius 10th. Jawahar Thayankari, which debuted in 1977, marked their ﬁrst victory in the same year and repeated it in the following year, 1978. Later, they had won in 1985 and 2010. In 2014, the trophy was won by Kainakary United Boat Club’s Champakkulam Chundan. Ka-

richal Chundan has the highest number of victories (13), followed by Champakulam (10). “This is incredible and by far the best ever boat race that we have ever witnessed. We have travelled a bit across the world and this is our ﬁrst visit to this event and it has ﬂoored us,” said a middle-aged German couple present at the event. The snake boat race is the main tourist

attraction with 120 oarsmen going ﬂat out on the boats whose length stretches from 120 feet to 140 feet to win the coveted trophy. Keenly-awaited The most keenly-awaited event were its ﬁnals, the last event of the evening. By then excitement had been steadily mounting and every inch of space on either side of the

THE WINNER: Chinese Ambassador Le Yucheng presents the trophy to Jameskutty Jacob who helmed Vembanad Boat Club’s winning boat Jawahar Thayankari. – -AR Rajkumar/Times of Oman

nearly one kilometre track race track on the banks of the river was overﬂowing. The history of the event dates to 1952, when then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the state and a small ﬂotilla of decorated boats accompanied him from Kottayam to Alappuzha on the famed backwaters. An impromptu race was con-

Foxconn announces India FDI, offers to pump in $5b The biggest-ever single foreign direct investment announcement in Maharashtra and probably one of the largest in the country will offer direct jobs to 50,000 people, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said MUMBAI: World’s largest electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology on Saturday announced a USD 5-billion investment in Maharashtra over the next ﬁve years to set up manufacturing, research and development facilities. The facilities will be located either near Mumbai or Pune, and 1,500 acres will be allocated for this purpose, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters here after the state government signed an agreement with the Taiwanese giant. The proposed investments, when completed, will offer direct jobs to 50,000 people, Fadnavis said. He said this is the biggest single FDI announcement in Maharashtra and probably one of the

largest in the country. The agreement with Foxconn, the trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, covers manufacturing of ‘TFT screens and semiconductors’, he said. Digital India The announcement, also the biggest since the launch of the Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ initiatives, means the country can finally boast of a fab manufacturing plant after struggling to get multi-billion dollar investment needed to make chipsets. Asked if the agreement also entails manufacturing mobile phones, one of the biggest businesses for the Taiwanese firm, Foxconn founder and Chairman Terry Gou declined to comment, citing confidentiality clauses. Terry, who earlier this week announced intention to invest USD 2 billion to set up over 10 plants in the country over the next one decade, said he had been in discussions with Maharashtra for over two months. ‘Strong leadership’ “I have personally met Fadnavis seven times in the last two months,” Terry said, identifying strong leadership, along with Maharashtra’s other strengths like being a centre of finance, strong talent pool and an ability to integrate software and hardware, as factors that clinched the mega pact. Fadnavis said he visited Foxconn’s manufacturing facilities during his recent China trip and invited the company to invest in the state, which has fructified with Saturday’s announcement. A team of 70 people had been working for the last two months

BREAKING NEW GROUND: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with founder and chairman of Foxconn Technology Terry Gou (centre) at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Taiwanese electronics major with filmmaker Subhash Ghai’s (left) film school Whistling Woods in the country’s financial capital Mumbai on Saturday. -PTI

on the deal, which was “finalised at 3 this morning”, Terry added. This is the first specific investment announcement by Foxconn, the manufacturer of iconic Apple i-Phones, after it left the country following the closure of the Nokia plant in Tamil Nadu on tax woes earlier this year. Last month, the company had announced to pump in USD 20 billion in the solar sector, along with Japan’s SoftBank and Bharti Enterprises. Over the past week, there have been announcements involving Foxconn of a joint venture with the Adani group and possible tieups with other companies like e-commerce player Snapdeal, mobile phone-maker Micromax and refurbished goods e-tailer Greendust. Terry said the MoU signed on Saturday is different from the JV

Manufacturing unit The ﬁrst will be a 900-acre manufacturing unit, for which the state has suggested a land parcel near Talegaon in Pune while the second will be a research and development hub, along with a smart city which will house its employees, schools and colleges, among other facilities. The second set of facilities could be placed together or in close vicinity of each other, the official said, adding that the state has earmarked land at Khalapur and on Pen-Khopoli Road (both on Mumbai’s outskirts) for this.

The official, however, declined to elaborate, citing the nondisclosure agreement. Fadnavis said officials from Foxconn have already been shown land parcels and will be taking a call on the exact location soon. Terry said Foxconn will be looking at local partners for the investment in Maharashtra. He met officials from Tata Sons, TCS, Bharat Forge, Shapoorji Pallonji and also visited the IIT-Bombay, which he admired as one of the best technology schools in the world, during his Mumbai visit. Foxconn on Saturday also entered a partnership with ﬁlmmaker Subhash Ghai-promoted Whistling Woods International by making a donation for a media lab at the ﬁlm, fashion and media institute located in suburban Mumbai. -PTI

I N V E S T I G AT I O N

Two arrested, 3 detained in Udhampur terror case SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: At least two persons have been arrested and three others detained for allegedly helping Mohammed Naved Yakub, an alleged Pakistani terrorist of Lashker-e-Taiba who had ambushed a BSF convoy near Udhampur in Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The arrests followed interrogation by central security agencies of Yakub, who was caught alive by villagers after the Wednesday attack in which two constables of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) were killed. Nearly a dozen people were being examined by the agencies based on details provided by Naved, a 23-year-old Pakistani national hailing from Faislabad in Pakistan. So far, two people have been placed under arrest, official sources said, adding the first one was the truck driver who drove them to Samroli in Udhampur from Kulgam and other one was a bakery owner at Pulwama, who is alleged to be an over ground worker of Lashker-e-Taiba. Interrogation The three others who were being questioned at the highly-fortified interrogation centres and there was a possibility that they may be arrested, the sources said. NIA, which is investigating the case as per directions of the Union Home Ministry, has placed a team of its officers led by Inspector General S K Singh in Srinagar. A case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and various sections of Indian Penal Code has been registered against Naved and his accomplice who has been identified by him as Noman alias Momin. -PTI

BIHAR, HIMACHAL

MONSOON SESSION

Parliament deadlock persists NEW DELHI: Congress on Saturday threw the ball in the government’s court on the issue of smooth functioning of Parliament next week in the monsoon session which largely remained paralysed over Lalit Modi and Vypam issues, saying if it was interested in its running, then it will reach out to the opposition. “If BJP Government is interested in running Parliament, then it will reach out to the opposition which has been agitating for the cause of people and raising the issue of corruption,” Party spokesman RPN Singh said in reply to a volley of questions. He, however, parried the questions from reporters whether the party MPs would again be show-

it had announced with Adani Enterprises last week. A senior official from Maharashtra Industries Department said presence of the company will be divided across either two or three sites.

ducted in Nehru’s honour and, thrilled by the performance of the oarsmen, Nehru jumped into a snake boat. On returning to Delhi, he donated a silver trophy, a replica of a snake boat placed on a wooden abacus with an inscription and his signature. This trophy is awarded to the winner of the snake boat category. -IANS

ing placards after the return on Monday of the 25 suspended MPs in the Lok Sabha. The monsoon session is concluding on August 13. He said the deadlock in Parliament would be a thing of the past when the Prime Minister takes action against those being targeted on matters of gross impropriety and corruption. ‘Lot of scariﬁces’ Replying to a question, he hit out at Union Minister Smriti Irani for targeting Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over their attack on Sushma Swaraj in the Lalit Modi issue. He reminded Irani that the Gandhi-Nehru family has made lot of sacriﬁces for the

cause of the country, which was unparalleled. BJP appeal Earlier Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said that following the clariﬁcation by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the Lalit Modi issue, Congress should end the “tit for tat” approach and allow the Parliament to function for the remaining four sittings. Countering opposition attack over “undemocratic action” against 25 Congress MPs, the Parliamentary Affairs minister said the government was always ready to back revocation of their suspension but Congress was unwilling to return to the House. -PTI

New governors in two states NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader Ram Nath Kovind and educationist Acharya Dev Vrat were on Saturday appointed as Governors of poll-bound Bihar and Himachal Pradesh, respectively. Sixty-nine-year-old Kovind, who had been a two-time Rajya Sabha member between 1994 and 2006, hails from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. His appointment comes barely a few months ahead of the Assembly elections due in Bihar. West Bengal Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi was holding additional charge of Bihar. A lawyer by profession, Kovind had also been BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha chief. Whereas, Vrat imparts modern and traditional education through a ‘gurukul’ in

Acharya Dev Vrat

Haryana’s Kurukshetra. The institution is run by Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Rohtak, Haryana without any ﬁnancial aid from the government, its website says. 56-year-old Vrat has been work-

ing as Principal in the Gurukul since 1981. He has been a recipient of American Medal of Honor awarded by American Biographical Institute towards selﬂess dedication in the ﬁeld of social service, the website says. “The President has been pleased to appoint Ram Nath Kovind as the Governor of Bihar and Acharya Dev Vrat as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh,” a press release issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said. The appointments will take effect from the dates the incumbents assume charge of their respective offices, it said. Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh was holding the additional charge of Himachal Pradesh. -PTI

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INDIA

Mysore cleanest city, Patna dirtiest among the capitals local bodies in the national capital, Delhi Cantonment was ranked 15th on the list and New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) Corporation of Delhi was at 398th position

CRYING NEED: Swami Biswatmananda (2nd R), general secretary, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, with monks and volunteers of the Sevashram take part in ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ at Ballygunge station in Kolkata on Sunday. -PTI

leads the list of capitals at 7th rank while Patna came at the bottom at 429th. Among the bottom 100 cities, 74 are from North, 21 from East, three from West and two from South. The top 10 ranked cities are Mysore, Thiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), Navi Mumbai, Kochi (Kerala), Hassan, Mandya and Bengaluru from Karnataka, Thiruvananthapuram, Halisahar (West Bengal), and Gangtok (Sikkim). Damoh (Madhya Pradesh) came at the bottom at 476th, preceded by Bhind (MP), Palwal and Bhiwani -- both in Haryana, Chittaurgarh (Rajasthan), Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh), Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh), Rewari (Haryana), Hindaun (Rajasthan) and Sambalpur in Odisha at 467th rank. All the 476 Class-1 cities in 31 States and Union Territories, each with a population of above

Thirty-nine cities from the southern states were among the top 100, followed by 27 from East, 15 from West, 12 from North and seven from the North-East

one lakh were surveyed for assessing total sanitation practices covering a set of parameters including the extent of open defecation, solid waste management, septage management, waste water treatment, drinking water quality, surface water quality of water bodies and mortality due to water borne diseases. The survey, conducted during 2014-15, was commissioned by the Ministry of Urban Development as required under the Na-

P R O G R A M M E C O D E V I O L AT I O N

Show-cause to channels on Yakub hanging coverage NEW DELHI: Unhappy with the coverage related to hanging of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yaqub Memon by three leading news broadcasters, Information and Broadcasting Ministry of India has issued show-cause notice to them, asking why action should not be taken against them. Official sources said that it was felt that some parts of the coverage of these news channels were inappropriate following which they have been asked to explain how their coverage does not violate the sections of the Programme Code. Officials said that sections of the Programme Code lay down that no programme should be carried which contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths. As per other sections of the Code, no programme should be carried which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes. Another section also tells channels not to carry anything which contains aspersions against the integrity of the president and judiciary. Provisions Officials said that in view of these provisions of the Programme Code, the ministry felt that there was a need to seek explanation from these channels. A unit under the I&B ministry, Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC), monitors the content of around 600 channels. Two of the broadcasters to whom notices have been sent had reportedly aired phone-in interviews of underworld ﬁgure

Nagaland CM: Border states needn’t worry about territory

Main issue He said the question of disturbing anyone’s territory does not arise as the issue was just about solving the Naga problem that has prevailed for decades. “The government is steadily solving the problem of the Nagas... The insurgency problem will also be solved slowly,” he said.

16th, while Municipal

South ahead The city of Mysore leads the cities with minimal open defecation and extensive adoption of solid waste management practices. Thirty-nine cities from the southern states were among the top 100, followed by 27 from East, 15 from West, 12 from North and seven from the North-Eastern states. Fifteen of the 27 capital cities surveyed ﬁgured among the top 100 performers while ﬁve were ranked beyond 300. Bengaluru

PEACE ACCORD

NEW DELHI: Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the states bordering Nagaland do not have to worry about their territory as the content of the Naga peace accord was not yet out. “Nagaland’s bordering states do not have to worry about their territory as the content of the Naga accord is not known to anybody. I also do not know anything about the accord. There is a need for the government to solve the Naga issue and it is doing it steadily,” Zeliang told a television channel after meeting Modi.

Among urban

NEW DELHI: Mysore has topped the Swachh Bharat rankings among 476 cities in the country with three more places from south Indian state of Karnataka ﬁguring in the top 10. Among urban local bodies in the national capital, Delhi Cantonment was ranked 15th in the list and New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) 16th, while Municipal Corporation of Delhi was at 398th position. The eastern state of West Bengal has done well in the rankings with 25 cities/towns ﬁnding a place in the top 100. These rankings are based on the extent of open defecation and solid waste management practices, according to a government release.

CONTROVERSY: 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yaqub Memon who was hanged in Pune jail on July 30. - Times of Oman ﬁle photo

After the channels reply to the show-cause notice, an inter-ministerial committee which is headed by Additional Secretary in the I&B ministry and includes officials from several ministries, will consider the matter Chhota Shakeel. Another channel is learnt to have telecast remarks of Memon’s lawyer. After the channels reply to the show-cause notice, an interministerial committee which is headed by Additional Secretary in the I&B ministry and includes officials from several ministries, will consider the matter. Memon was hanged in Pune jail on July 30 morning, hours after

three Supreme Court judges rejected his appeal to stop his execution in an unprecedented hearing that took place in the middle of the night. Memon was convicted in 2007 as the driving spirit of the deadly attack in Mumbai in 1993 in which 257 people were killed as bombs exploded back to back at landmarks across the financial capital. -PTI

tional Sanitation Policy of 2008. Since the Swachh Bharat Mission is being implemented in urban areas with focus on construction of individual household, community and public toilets to eradicate open defecation and ensure door-to-door collection and disposal of municipal solid waste, all the 476 Class-1 cities have been ranked based on the data pertaining to these elements. This helps in assessing the present situation in these cities so

that they can undertake necessary interventions to meet Swachh Bharat Mission targets in urban areas. Overall sanitation rankings of these cities based on a total of 100 marks assigned to different parameters covering all aspects would be announced later. The Swachh Bharat rankings are based on a total of 42 marks including 20 for open defecation indicators and 22 for solid waste management indicators. Number of cities surveyed in major states include : UP (61), West Bengal (60), Maharashtra (43), Madhya Pradesh (32), Gujarat (30), Andhra Pradesh (30), Tamil Nadu (29), Rajasthan (28), Bihar (27), Karnataka (26), Haryana (20), Punjab (16), Telangana (11), Odisha (10), Jharkhand (10), Chhattisgarh (9) and six each from Kerala, Uttarakhand and North-Eastern states. -PTI

Exact content Zeliang said though he and the other northeastern states were consulted by the central government over the accord, nobody knew about the exact content of the accord. He said he will meet the Naga peace talks interlocuter R.N. Ravi on August 16 over the issue. On August 3, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IsakMuivah (NSCN-IM) and the central government signed the Naga peace accord, settling an almost 20-year-old peace negotiation process that started in 1997 after the group signed a ceaseﬁre agreement. The northeastern states with Congress governments on Friday said Prime Minister Modi did not consult the chief ministers of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with whom Nagaland shares its boundaries. -IANS

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PAKISTAN K A R AC H I O P E R AT I O N

Rangers’ policing powers extended for four months KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has extended the policing powers conferred to Rangers in Karachi by 120 days. Shah made the decision on Saturday under the Anti-terrorism Act as the powers, handed over to the paramilitary force some four months ago, reached their deadline today. The chief minister said he hoped that Rangers would continue in their efforts to establish peace in the metropolis with the same zeal and zest. Speaking to The Express Tribune, chief minister’s spokesperson said the Sindh Assembly would ratify these powers through a bill that is to be moved in the assembly. Without warrants Earlier, on July 8, the Sindh government granted a 30-day extension to Rangers, allowing the paramilitary force to conduct raids without a warrant and detain suspects for 90 days. Further, on the same day, in-

CROSS BORDER FIRING A girl, affected by cross border ﬁring, shows pieces of mortar shells at her home in Dhair Bazar in Madarpur sector on the Line of Control (LoC), some 150 kilometres from Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir, on Saturday. India and Pakistan often accuse each other of violating a 2003 ceaseﬁre agreement. — AFP

terior ministry Chaudhry Nisar said the Sindh government would not allow Rangers to be targeted. Operating under rules “Rangers is our own force and operating under rules and regulations,” he said adding, “The paramilitary force has become an object of political criticism which will not be allowed.” The statement came as the Sindh chief minister claimed that under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the provincial government was bound to seek the legislative assembly’s approval before allowing extension in the powers of Rangers, in an apparent reference to raids at offices of different government departments. Detaining suspects The paramilitary force had been conferred policing powers and the authority to detain suspects for 90 days four months ago with an aim to establish law and order in Karachi. — Express Tribune

Return of Khyber displaced set to commence tomorrow

PM allocates Rs200m for water scheme in Mianwali MIANWALI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday more dams were required to prevent ﬂoods, and announced Rs200 million for a water scheme in the Mianwali’s Isakhel area. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the area and my prayers are with your families,” Nawaz said while addressing the flood victims as he arrived in the region.

The return of temporarily displaced persons of the Malik Din Khel tribe to their homes will be completed by

Economic corridor He said the undergoing ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor project will pass through the affected area in Mianwali, which will generate employment opportunities and bring prosperity and development. He also announced that Rs1.30 billion will be spent to prevent ﬂooding caused by hill torrents. During his day-long visit, PM Nawaz took an aerial view of the flood-hit area and also visited relief camps where he distributed food and other relief goods to the victims.

September 5, sources in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas Disaster Management Authority said

ISLAMABAD: Monday will mark the day temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) belonging to Malik Din Khel tribe of Bara, Khyber Agency return home, Radio Pakistan reported. “The return of TDPs of the Malik Din Khel tribe to their homes will be completed by September 5,” sources in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Disaster Management Authority said. While the federal government is providing ration for six months, and Rs35,000 as assistance to each displaced family, TDPs of Bara are currently residing at Jalozai camp, Nowhsera, and in different areas of Khyber Agency. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said China

MORE DAMS

EXODUS: Pakistani civilians, ﬂeeing from a military operation in North Waziristan tribal agency, arrive at the Bannu Frontier Region registration centre for internally displaced people in Saidgai on June 22, 2014. Pakistani helicopter gunships pounded militant targets in the country’s northwest June 21, killing up to 30 rebels, as the number of civilians ﬂeeing an long-awaited offensive there surpassed 300,000. — AFP

Relief activities Earlier, the district coordination officer Mianwali gave a detailed briefing to the premier on the destruction caused by floods, as well as the continuing relief activities in the area. On August 4, the prime minister had announced Rs1 billion relief package for the rehabilitation of flood-affected areas of Sindh. — Express Tribune

would provide $10 million to Pakistan for rehabilitation of TDPS. Dar said the government was paying complete attention to the rehabilitation of TDPs. Secretary Economic Affairs Division Saleem Sethi briefed the

meeting about arrangements for rehabilitation of the displaced. Dar also sought details of development projects being executed in Fata in cooperation with the Chinese government. He also called for speeding up work on

B I D T O AV O I D I N T E R N A L S T R I F E

projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Meanwhile, the World Bank has also committed to deliver $75 million it promised to help the TDPs in the continuing month. Last month, Dar called on Army

chief General Raheel Sharif at the General Headquarters (GHQ) to discuss issues related to early return of TDPs and their resettlement. The meeting also discussed the execution of development works in Fata. — Express Tribune

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IBSF WORLD 6 RED SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS

Afghan clerics likely to issue ruling soon on Omar successor ISLAMABAD: Afghan religious scholars, who are mediating between Taliban factions over the election of the group’s new chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, are likely to announce a decision within the next couple of days. Abdul Manan Niazi, a spokesman for Mullah Omar’s family and opponents of the late Taliban leader’s successor, said the delegation of ulema has held discussions with them and was scheduled to meet Akhtar Mansoor’s representatives on Friday. The family of Mullah Omar and some other senior Taliban members had refused to endorse Mansoor as the new Taliban chief on grounds that he was not elected unanimously.

“We have given full powers to the ulema to make any decision. We hope they will make such a decision which will be in favour of the Muslims and those who are capable of running the system,” Niazi said by telephone from undisclosed location. Decision of scholars “We will accept the decision of the scholars and are conﬁdent the other side will also respect their decision. We expect the decision will be announced by Saturday,” added the Taliban leader who served as the governor of Kabul under the Taliban government. According to Niazi, Mullah Abdul Razzaq and Muhammad Rasool explained their reasons

for opposing Mansoor’s election to the scholars. Dissidents say Razzaq and Rasool are members of the Taliban shura but were not invited to participate in the new chief’s election. When asked about the insistence of Mansoor’s supporters that he was elected by the majority of the leadership council and religious scholars, Niazi said this was not true as some members were not invited and some had boycotted the meeting. Abdul Hayee Motmaen, a senior adviser of the Taliban political affairs and former spokesman for Mullah Omar, rejected the dissidents’ claim and said nearly 95 per cent of the leadership council elected Mansoor. — Express Tribune

SNOOKER TOURNEY: Pakistan’s Mohammad Majid Ali plays a shot during his snooker match against Hong Kong’s Fung Kwok Wai during the IBSF World 6 Red Snooker Championships in Karachi, on Saturday. — Reuters

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WORLD

BLOODY CRACKDOWN

Myanmar activists open museum to mark 1988 uprising YANGON: More than 200 democracy activists gathered in Yangon on Saturday to launch a museum marking a 1988 uprising against military rule that ended in a bloody crackdown as Myanmar prepares for its freest elections in decades. Dozens of members of the 88 Generation activist group attended the opening to commemorate the start of mass student-led protests 27 years ago which were brutally crushed by the then-junta, leaving thousands dead. The 8888 Memorial Hall, set across two storeys in a building in the outskirts of Yangon, showcased archive photographs from the period as well as a documentary about the students involved. ‘’This is the ﬁrst museum to remember the democracy movement,” Ant Bwe Kyaw, a key ﬁgure in the 1988 protests and a leader of the 88 Generation, told AFP, adding that the group aimed to open a

larger venue in the future. The 88 Generation also released a statement calling for the ‘’unconditional release” of political prisoners still languishing in jails before November’s polls as well as of the dozens of activists detained over recent student-led protests over education reform. Call for democracy On August 8, 1988 Myanmar saw hundreds of thousands take to the streets across the country in a call for democracy, protests that came to a violent end the following month in an army crackdown that killed more than 3,000. The demonstrations also heralded the rise to prominence of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) opposition party. Suu Kyi, who was then living in London, returned to Yangon in 1988 to nurse her sick mother but

quickly adopted a leading role in the democracy movement, delivering speeches to the masses at the city’s Shwedagon Pagoda. There has been huge speculation over whether members of the 88 Generation will stand for elections for the NLD in November 8 polls, which are seen as a key test of Myanmar’s transition to democracy after decades of junta rule. But almost all of those who had expressed an interest in contesting for the party, including prominent 88 student leader Ko Ko Gyi, have been left off the NLD’s recently-released list of candidates. The 27th anniversary of the student uprising comes as Myanmar battles to reach the hundreds of thousands of people affected by mass ﬂooding in recent weeks, a crisis that Ant Bwe Kyaw said had left memorial events subdued as people focus on relief efforts. — AFP

HONOUR: Visitors take photos at 8888 memorial hall which was opened in Yangon to mark the 27th anniversary of 1988 democracy uprising in Myanmar on Saturday. — AFP

S E V E R E W E AT H E R

6 killed, millions without power as powerful typhoon batters Taiwan

CONFLICT: Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu uses binoculars to look at the Syrian side of the border during his visit to Dag

military post on the Turkish-Syrian border near Kilis, Turkey, on Saturday. — Reuters/Hakan Goktepe/Prime Minister’s Press Office/Handout via Reuters

Pro-Kurd leader urges end to Turkey violence The militant PKK announced it was stepping up attacks in mid-July, saying Turkish forces were violating a 2013 ceaseﬁre. Turkey began an air campaign against

Mainland China Although the eye of Typhoon Soudelor passed Taiwan, and was heading towards mainland China, rain was expected to lash the island until Sunday morning. “This is one of the worst typhoons I have ever seen,” said a sewage station engineer surnamed Jiang, who was inspecting pumping stations early on Saturday in eastern Taiwan. “My car was shaking when I was driving. There are too many trees down, and I even saw six downed power poles.” In the capital, Taipei, large steel sheets and rods were blown off a half-constructed stadium and city

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authorities shut down much public transport. “The metal roof of the house next door to mine was completely blown away,” said resident Jack Lin. “I saw a car crushed to bits.” Mud trapping people Authorities issued ﬂood and mudslide alerts and television showed mud trapping people and murky water nearly covering the roofs of cars in some areas. Among the dead was one person who drowned in his ﬂooded home and another who was killed by a falling tree. Earlier, authorities said one adult and one child had drowned at sea, while a foreign worker was killed by a falling sign and a rescue worker was hit by a car and killed while clearing downed branches from a road. Taiwan Power, the island’s main power company, said 3.62 million households had lost power. While some supplies had been restored, 1.5 million households were still without power on Saturday afternoon, it said. Typhoon Morakot Fears that Soudelor would be as devastating as Typhoon Morakot in 2009 were unfounded. Morakot cut a path of destruction over southern Taiwan, leaving about 700 people dead or missing and causing $3 billion worth of damage. — Reuters

EXTREMIST INSURGENCY

PKK camps in Iraq on July 24

DIYARBAKIR/COLOGNE: The leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP urged the militant Kurdistan Workers Party on Saturday to “remove its finger from the trigger” and said the government should launch talks to halt a surge in violence. The militant PKK announced it was stepping up attacks in mid-July, saying Turkish forces were violating a 2013 ceasefire. Turkey began an air campaign against PKK camps in northern Iraq on July 24. Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) leader Selahattin Demirtas told reporters: “Today we call to both sides: The PKK must immediately remove its finger from the trigger and declare it will observe the ceasefire.” Speaking in the southeastern city of Van, a day after six people were killed in clashes between security forces and militants in the mainly Kurdish southeast, he said the government must halt security operations and revive a peace process launched with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in 2012.

TAIPEI/YILAN: A powerful typhoon battered Taiwan on Saturday with strong wind and torrential rain, cutting power to 3.62 million households as the death toll rose to six. Four people were missing and 101 were injured, authorities said. Hundreds of ﬂights were delayed or cancelled and more than 9,900 people were evacuated from their homes. Television footage trees uprooted and power poles toppled over, a moped being swept into the air by wind and shipping containers piled on top of each other at a port. “The storm will weaken but we expect more rain, particularly in southern Taiwan,” said Wang Shih-chien, an official with the island’s Central Weather Bureau. The storm made landfall early on the island’s east-coast counties of Yilan and Hualien, bringing more than 1,000mm of rain in mountainous areas and wind gusting up to 200kph.

END OF THE WORLD: Women mourn during a funeral ceremony for three Turkish Kurdish men, who were killed during clashes between security forces and PKK on Friday, in the southeastern town of Silopi in Sirnak province, Turkey, on Saturday. — Reuters

Demirtas’ HDP won 13 per cent of the vote in a June 7 election which has yet to produce a coalition government. He had regularly visited Ocalan in his Imrali island jail south of Istanbul. Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said the state was continuing talks with Ocalan but the HDP could no longer visit him because it had “betrayed” the process. In comments to Milliyet newspaper published on Saturday, he said tactical PKK declarations on halting violence were unacceptable. “Their withdrawal from Turkey and a complete halt to activities is now a pre-requisite,” he said. “A coalition may be formed or not but peace is urgent. Mr Davutoglu, we are not requesting this from you. You are obliged to do it,” Demirtas said in comments addressed to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. As well as PKK targets, Turkish

jets have hit IS positions in Syria. Ankara has also allowed the USled coalition targeting the IS militants to use its air bases. In a show of support for the army, Davutoglu on Saturday visited a border outpost in Kilis province near where a soldier was killed in clashes with IS militants on the Syrian side of the border last month. On Friday evening militants ﬁred a rocket at an armoured car in the town of Cizre, killing a police officer and wounding another, security sources said. Earlier that day, three people were killed and seven wounded during clashes between police and PKK in the town of Silopi. Both towns are close to Turkey’s borders with Syria and Iraq. In Van and Agri provinces, militants killed two soldiers, bringing the death toll among Turkish security forces since July 20 to at least 21. The PKK, designated a terror-

ist group by Ankara, the United States and European Union, launched its insurgency in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conﬂict. Protests in Europe Meanwhile, several thousand people marched on Saturday through the western German city of Cologne in protest at continued Turkish air strikes against Kurdish separatists. Some 5,000 people demonstrators gathered in the centre of the city, police said, with organisers hoping that more of the region’s substantial Kurdish and Turkish populations more would join them later. Another much smaller protest was held in Brussels. The rallies were called by an alliance of pro-Kurdish groups to say “No to the war”, after the two weeks of Turkish air raids on Kurdish separatist targets, mostly in northern Iraq. — Agencies

Twelve killed in Mali hotel siege BAMAKO: Twelve people including a South African and another foreigner were killed in a hostage siege at a hotel in central Mali that ended early Saturday when government troops stormed the building, the army said. “There are 12 dead in all,” an army officer told AFP after the operation at the Hotel Byblos in Sevare, listing the fatalities as five “terrorists”, five soldiers and two “white people”. The body of one of the foreign victims had lain in front of the hotel since Friday when the gunmen stormed the building, the officer said. South Africa’s foreign ministry said a 38-year-old man from Pretoria was killed in the siege while two other South Africans were safe. Local media identified the man as Roelof Janse van Rensburg. A foreign ministry spokesman said he was working for an aviation company hired by the United Nations contingent in Mali. A source told AFP that “a num-

ber of hostages” had been freed from the hotel, including ﬁve foreigners, although their nationalities were not speciﬁed. UN contractor UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack which “led to the death of at least one UN contractor,” his spokesman said in a statement. “This attack will not lessen the determination of the United Nations to accompany the Malian people in their efforts to implement the peace agreement,” the statement said, referring to the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA. Located a few kilometres from the regional capital Mopti, Sevare is a key staging post on the road to Mali’s desert north which fell to extremists in 2012. Sources said three South Africans, a Frenchman and a Ukrainian had been registered at the hotel at the time of the attack. A Russian diplomat said a Russian was among the hostages. — AFP

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n important parliamentary session in India — one that gets its name from the country’s monsoon rainfall season — is set to be a total washout. The session, which ends next week, has been disrupted, stalled and otherwise rendered non-functional by parties opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. They’re insisting Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and two state chief ministers who belong to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party resign on charges ranging from minor misdemeanors to serious corruption. Modi and the BJP have ﬂatly refused. To be fair, in India’s federal system, the fate of state chief ministers doesn’t lie in Modi’s hands. Swaraj is accused of a relatively minor transgression: enabling a fugitive Indian tycoon to obtain travel documents. And the opposition Congress Party can be accused of using only barely legitimate tactics — the speaker of Parliament has suspended 25 Congress legislators for unruly behavior — to block a party which has six times as many seats in India’s lower house from enacting legislation. Regardless, the reality is this: Modi’s government looks unlikely to be able to pass crucial economic legislation — including an amended land acquisition law and a new goods-and- services tax — anytime soon. The delays will have serious repercussions on India’s economy. It’s Modi’s job to ﬁnd a way out of this impasse before Parliament’s next session. In the meantime, he needs to refocus his energies on using all instruments available to him outside Parliament. That means proceeding much more rapidly on two parallel tracks — in Delhi and in state capitals. The most crucial task before the government, for instance — ramping up infrastructure spending — doesn’t entirely depend on Parliament. It requires executive action and faster implementation. Consider the railways. The government-owned sector is hungry for investment. The railways ministry doesn’t need Parliament’s nod to lay new tracks (the amount of new land required for this is limited), to lease out stations to private- sector players for redevelopment, to introduce new and faster trains or to invest in better passenger amenities. Yet the ministry and its top bureaucrats have hardly set a scorching pace: Their preferred approach seems to be to appoint committees and

await the recommendations before proceeding. While the government has displayed greater energy in building new roads and highways, decisive executive action could speed up construction even more. Privatizing India’s stagnant and inefficient ports would require legislation. But that doesn’t mean the government couldn’t restructure their management. Most of India’s major governmentowned ports are organized as trusts. If they were converted into companies instead, they would be better placed to raise finance from the markets and monetize their most substantial asset -- land. That would bring in much needed investment to boost standards and infrastructure. At the same time, crucial areas of reform — whether in education, health, skills, farming, rural roads, irrigation, even land and labor laws — largely remain the domain of state governments. While Modi can’t simply issue orders to the states, he can use two avenues to influence them. First, several of the biggest states are run by chief ministers from his own party or his alliance. Most of them preside over single-party governments that can pass legislation easily. They could give their local economies a huge boost by pushing ahead with investment-friendly, consumerfriendly policies. Rajasthan, a BJP-ruled state in western India, has already implemented several such policies, including new labor laws. States that host more established manufacturing sectors may be more reluctant to introduce such reforms. But hopefully if investment begins to flow to Rajasthan as expected, they’ll fall into line. The second avenue is the government’s NITI Aayog -- a policy commission that replaced the erstwhile Planning Commission. Modi chairs the commission and uses it as a forum where the central government interacts directly with all 29 chief ministers. He can use NITI Aayog to help states create templates for smarter governance, including on contentious issues such as land. After all, non-BJP states also have great incentive to come up with productive policies: Indian voters reelect governments that deliver even a modicum of good governance. And if more states grow, India will grow. Ultimately, the only way for Modi to counter the opposition’s obstructionist strategies is to ensure that he continues to execute policies that boost India’s economy. Otherwise, when he seeks a second term in 2019, he too may be washed away. –Bloomberg View

READERS’ FORUM Global warming leading to global ‘mental warming’ This refers to the news story, Myanmar flood toll rises to 88 (August 8). I have finally realised that the unpredictable weather conditions are a result of global warming. It is possible that the effect of these patterns is being manifested in the bellicose behaviour of leaders worldwide. The result of this could be the senseless conflicts enveloping the world. Like global warming, this should be called ‘mental warming’. — Sohail Mehtab, Seeb

Music boosts creativity leading to a healthier old age

Scan this QR code to send letters to the Readers’ Forum, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi).

This refers to the news story, ‘Music can help in aesthetic growth’ (August 8). I completely agree with the view of the experts that musical activity leads to enhanced creativity. Creative pursuits, if carried out until a late age, helps people to have a healthier old age. Such activities include playing different types of musical instruments or undertaking creative writing like writing poetry. The latter revolves around notes and rhythms just like a piece of music. It will certainly be a boon for children everywhere to learn such skills and adopt a healthy lifestyle. — Musarrat Omar, Ruwi

England just a mediocre side as Waugh would have easily won This refers to the news story, Five-star Ben Stokes puts England on brink of victory (August 8). In this Ashes series the ever-pompous Australians have looked severely diminished. In my opinion, England are actually a mediocre side and would have been soundly beaten if Steve Waugh’s men had descended on the grounds. — Hamid Bhatti, Muscat

In a week where there will be no dearth of political games, perhaps, it’s time to check out a real one, for a change; the one played on the ‘Roof of the World’ — polo. Northern Pakistan is home to it, showcasing an annual festival called Shandoor Mela

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES AUGUST 2000 Gulf Air goes no-smoking from september 1

bit.ly/shandoorfestivalpolo

MUSCAT: Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the UAE, has decided to extend its no smoking policy to all its flights from September 1, 2000. The decision is an extension of the smoking ban currently adopted by Gulf Air on intra-Gulf routes, said a press note from the airlines yesterday, Australia and Singapore, some European and Middle East flights. The airline has progressively introduced no-smoking rules on many of its flights since 1994.

PICTOGRAPH INFANT MORTALITY IN OMAN Number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births 2012

9.5

2013

9.8

TODAY IN HISTORY

NEW INDIA ASSURANCE Protect the welfare of your workforce through New India’s WORKMEN COMPENSATION POLICY. www.newindiaoman.com

1636: The invading armies of Spain, Austria and Bavaria are stopped at the village of St.-Jean-de-Losne, only 50 miles from France.

2014

7.9

1876: Thomas Edison patents the mimeograph. 1937: The Japanese Army occupies Beijing. 1988: Angola, Cuba and South Africa sign ceaseﬁre treaty in the border war that began in 1966.

Source National Centre for Statistics and Information

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

A13

SPECIAL

When people see his expression change, it reveals certain things. To me, this war is different from all others because it is built on a lie Daria Marchenko, A young Ukrainian artist

A portrait created out of bullets

UNIQUE ART: Ukrainian artist Daria Marchenko’s portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in her studio in Kiev on Friday. – AFP

Daria Marchenko’s ‘The Face of War’ — a remarkably realistic and politically tinged depiction of Russian President Vladimir Putin in a dark suit and red tie — stands more than two metres tall and dominates the artist’s studio apartment

KIEV: A young Ukrainian artist has captured global media attention by creating a striking portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin out of 5,000 bullet shells collected in the separatist east. Daria Marchenko’s “The Face of War” — a remarkably realistic and politically tinged depiction of Putin in a dark suit and red tie — stands more than two metres (nearly seven feet) tall and dominates the artist’s studio apartment. “Sleeping in the same room with him was a bit scary at ﬁrst,” says the 33-year-old artist and graphics designer. “But I got used to it.” Changing face She draws the window curtains and picks up a hand-held lamp to reveal how the 62-year-old Russian leader’s face changes expression under different light. His deep-set eyes turn from gloomy to more lighthearted as Marchenko — her own right eyebrow pierced and ﬁngers weighed down by heavy metal rings — shines the lamp around her unusual work. “He can be proud, confused or serious,” says the artist. “He can look like a person on a Soviet poster or he can be Superman.” Her story has been covered by Britain’s top media outlets as well as major European and Australian papers and television channels.

Barely a mention But the artist has received barely a mention in Russia — Ukraine’s giant neighbour where Putin’s approval rating is huge and denial of any involvement in the 16-month conflict is ever-present in the state-dominated media. Only Russia’s popular Moskovsky Komsomolets broadsheet broke ranks by devoting a two-sentence paragraph to Marchneko’s work last month. Marchenko does not conceal her deep-seated suspicion that Putin personally instigated a conflict that has killed nearly 7,000 people since breaking out after Kiev’s ouster of a Kremlin-backed president. “When people see his expression change, it reveals certain things. To me, this war is different from all others because it is built on a lie”. Buckets and wooden crates filled with bullet cases occupy the centre of the artist’s small room. Her first handful of shells came from her friend — an active member of the Euromaidan movement that toppled the corruptionstained and deeply unpopular president Viktor Yanukovych and forced him into self-imposed Russian exile. But her peculiar art supplies now come from friends fighting across the war zone in eastern Ukraine’s industrial heartland.

SYMBOL OF AN INTERRUPTED LIFE: Ukrainian artist Daria Marchenko holds bullets in her hands in front of her portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in her studio in Kiev on Friday. – AFP

“A bullet shell is a symbol of an interrupted life,” she says gravely. “The world does not realise just how much my country has lost. So this desire to work with more and more shells came naturally.” Putin’s portrait is the ﬁrst in a series entitled “The Five Elements

of War”. Two others — to be possibly constructed out of weapons or other battle remnants from the devastated front — will be dedicated to the “heart and spirit” of warfare, Marchenkpo says. Another might be called “The Brains Behind the War” but she says the

ﬁnal work’s title is still a secret. “Unfortunately, war gives artists like me a lot of material to work with,” she says. Putin often denies paying much attention to the media or thinking about his historic legacy. But Marchenko is certain that the Rus-

sian leader — more and more portrayed as a hero in Moscow’s art galleries — has already seen images of her work. “I might be too naive, but I do hope that he at least thinks about it and asks himself whether this is how he would like to be remembered,” she says. — AFP

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

GLOBAL EYE

SPAIN: Volunteers wade across the lagoon at dawn to gather flamingo chicks and place them inside a corral at the Fuente de Piedra natural reserve, in Fuente de Piedra, near Malaga, southern Spain, on Saturday. Around 600 flamingo chicks were tagged and measured before being placed in the lagoon, one of the largest colonies of flamingos in Europe, according to authorities of the natural reserve. — Reuters

JAPAN: Fireworks explode over small ships on Tokyo’s Odaiba bay during the Tokyo bay ﬁreworks

festival in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday. — Reuters

THAILAND: A farmer clears the rice ﬁeld using a motorised plough, instead of the traditional slash-and-burn method, in Nakhonsawan province, north of Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday. — Reuters

MEXICO: Partial view of the hill ‘Las Palmitas’ in Pachuca, Hidalgo state, Mexico on August 06, 2015. An initiative made in coordination by the national and local governments changed the face of this small, violent neighbourhood located hundred kilometres from Mexico city, by asking graffiti artists to paint the biggest mural of the country. — AFP

REUNION ISLAND: Police officers from Saint-Benoit’s gendarmerie look for debris from the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines ﬂight MH370 on a beach in Sainte-Marie de la Reunion, on the French Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, on Saturday. France launched a hunt for more wreckage from the ill-fated MH370 plane off Reunion island on August 7 in a fresh effort to shed light on one of aviation’s biggest mysteries. The tiny French Indian Ocean territory has been under intense scrutiny since a beach cleaner found a washed-up wing part last week, which Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak later declared was part of the Boeing 777 that mysteriously vanished 17 months ago. — AFP

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Bedouin Palestinians ride camels as they stage a traditional wedding for Bedouin couple in the northern Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestinian Territories on Friday. — Reuters

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015 The 22-year-old, Bobbi Kristina Brown, the only child of pop legend Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown, died on July 26, after being found unconscious in a tub in her home in January, in an eerie repeat of her mother’s death in 2012.

WORLD

Attacks on Afghan police, army and US forces kill 50 SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

ARTICLE, PHOTOS

The bloodshed began

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

with a truck bomb that exploded in a heavily populated district of the capital and ended with an hours-long battle at a base used by US special forces

KABUL: A wave of attacks on Afghan army, police and US special forces in Kabul on Friday killed at least 50 people and wounded hundreds, dimming hopes that the Taliban might be weakened by a leadership struggle after their longtime leader’s death. The bloodshed began with a truck bomb that exploded in a heavily populated district of the capital and ended with an hourslong battle at a base used by US special forces. It became the deadliest day in Kabul for years. Responsibility claimed The radical insurgents claimed responsibility for both the police academy attack and the battle at the US special forces base, though not for the truck bomb. The scale of the violence heightened obstacles to reviving the stalled peace process and conveyed a no-compromise message from the Taliban at a delicate time following last week’s revelation of Mullah Mohammad Omar’s death and an ongoing dispute over leadership of the radical insurgency. “The question is, who is send-

TRAGIC: An Afghan man cries as he searches for his relatives near Camp Integrity, a base housing

US special forces that was attacked by militants, in Kabul on Saturday. – AFP

ing the message?” Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts Network said. The number of casualties from Friday’s attacks was expected to rise as details continued to emerge from the authorities. On Saturday, NATO-led coalition forces conﬁrmed that one international service member and eight Afghan contractors were killed in the attack on Camp Integrity, a base used by US special forces near the main airport. The blast outside the base was powerful enough to ﬂatten offices

inside, wounding occupants who were airlifted by helicopter to military hospitals during the night. “There was a big explosion at the gate...(The gunfire) sounded like it came from two different sides,” said a special forces member who was wounded when his office collapsed. The initial blast caused by a suicide car bomb at the gate was followed by other explosions and a firefight that lasted a couple of hours, he said. Camp Integrity is run by US security contractor Academi, which

MURDER

PAIN AND GRIEF: Asha Moni, right, the wife of murdered Bangladeshi blogger Niloy Chakrabarti, who used the pen-name Niloy Neel, weeps outside her home in Dhaka on Saturday. – AFP

Bangladesh vows to ‘hunt down’ killers of blogger DHAKA: Dhaka vowed on Saturday to hunt down the killers of secular blogger Niloy Chakrabarti who became the fourth such writer to be murdered in Bangladesh by suspected militants this year. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the nation’s intelligence agencies went straight to work after a gang of machetearmed attackers hacked the blogger to death at his home in the capital on Friday. “We hope we’ll catch the killers soon. They’ll be hunted down,” the minister told AFP, adding that the perpetrators appeared to have been well-prepared for the assault. Confirmed Police confirmed Chakrabarti, 30, was murdered at his home in the capital’s Goran neighbourhood by a group of four people who had pretended to look for a place to rent. Asha Moni, wife of the slain blogger, later told reporters that one of the men attacked her husband shouting slogans. She has filed a murder case against “four unidentified attack-

ers” over the killing, local police chief Mustaﬁz Bhuiyan told AFP. The Bangladesh branch of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Ansar Al Islam, claimed the murder and warned of more to come, according to monitoring group SITE. Chakrabarti is the fourth secular blogger to be killed in the nation since February, when Bangladeshi-born US citizen Avijit Roy was hacked to death in Dhaka. Nur Alam, assistant police commissioner in Dhaka, said the killing bore the hallmarks of other bloggers’ murders. “It seems that it (murder) was carried out by an extremist Islamic group,” he told AFP. Forensic expert Habibuzzaman Chowdhury, who conducted the autopsy on Chakrabarti, told reporters that multiple attackers had hacked him at least 12 times. The latest killing sparked outrage as hundreds of activists joined protests, decrying a culture of impunity in the country. Amnesty International said the government had to do more

to stop “this spate of savage killings”, while the US State Department condemned it as a “cowardly murder”. The home minister rejected criticism that his government was not doing enough for the safety of secular writers, adding that it was “trying” to protect hundreds of them. In a Facebook post on May 15, Chakrabarti said he had been followed by two men after protesting the murder of another blogger, Ananta Bijoy Das, but police refused to register his complaint and instead told him to leave the country. But Khan said the blogger “did not ﬁle any general diary (complaint with police)”. Most secular bloggers have gone into hiding, often using pseudonyms in their posts, and at least seven have ﬂed abroad, according to Canada-based atheist blogger Farid Ahmed, who has helped several of them. Chakrabarti, who used the penname Niloy Neel, wrote against fundamentalism on a variety of websites and blogs. — AFP

A15

was known as Blackwater before being sold to investors. Academi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. “The helicopters went on for hours... medevacing people out,” a US contractor at a camp nearby said. The Camp Integrity assault followed a suicide bombing at a police academy on Friday evening that killed and wounded over 40 people, the Afghan interior ministry said on Saturday. A police source said the ﬁnal tally was higher — 26 killed and 28 hurt. Police uniform “The bomber was wearing a police uniform and detonated his explosives among students who had just returned from a break,” a police official said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents launched both the police academy and Camp Integrity attacks, but

he earlier refused to comment on Friday’s early morning truck bomb that tore through buildings in central Kabul, killing and wounding over 250 people. The Taliban, who were toppled from power by the US-led military intervention in 2001, rarely admit to attacks that kill a high number of civilians. Divisions have broken out within the Taliban high command following last week’s appointment of Mullah Akhtar Mansour asnew leader. Previously seen as open to reviving peace talks, the Taliban have since pledged to press on with the insurgency that has killed and wounded thousands this year. Ruttig said that with the latest attacks in Kabul, Mansour could be sending a message of resolve to the militant rank and file as well as to the Afghan government. On the other hand, Taliban factions opposing Mansour’s leadership could be seeking to kill any hope of future talks by launching their own wave of violence. “The hope of some people was that the death of Mullah Omar would put the Taliban in disarray and possibly weaken them,” Ruttig said. “I think that was a little over-optimistic.” The coalition death at Camp Integrity marked the second of an international service member in Afghanistan this year after most foreign troops withdrew at the end of 2014. The service member’s nationality was not released. The conflict between the Western-backed government and the Taliban has intensified since the NATO combat mission ended last year, but Afghan security forces and civilians have borne the brunt of the violence. — Reuters

L AW S U I T

Bobbi Kristina’s boyfriend gave ‘toxic cocktail’ LOS ANGELES: A lawsuit filed on Friday by an estate administrator for Bobbi Kristina Brown accuses her boyfriend of giving her a “toxic cocktail” and putting her face down in a bathtub before she went into a six-month coma and died. The 22-year-old, the only child of pop legend Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown, died on July 26, after being found unconscious in a tub in her home in January, in an eerie repeat of her mother’s death in 2012. The complaint was originally filed on June 24 in Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia by a court-appointed administratrix, and an amended complaint was submitted on Friday. It accuses Brown’s boyfriend at the time of her death, Nick Gordon, of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and stealing more than $11,000 from her after she went into a medically-induced coma, the lawsuit said. The amended complaint also accuses him of wrongful death. The document describes an argument that allegedly took place between Brown and Gordon after he came home in the early hours of January 31 after a night out, when her body was found in a bathtub. The lawsuit said Gordon had been “out all-night” and that he came home and accused Brown of cheating on him during a “loud argument” that last about 30 minutes. According to the complaint, Gordon then “gave Bobbi Kristina a toxic cocktail rendering her unconscious and then put her face down in a tub of cold water causing her to suffer brain damage.” A guest in the house allegedly found Brown in the bathtub, and according to the lawsuit she was “unresponsive, unconscious with a swollen mouth and a tooth hanging loosely from her mouth.” Gordon then came in and said “clean up, clean up” to the guests, who attempted to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the document said. — AFP

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM S U N DAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

MARKE

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH THE VIDEO

DIGEST VIDEO Top stories in one minute with our new daily Digest

Oman’s capital market enables OMR900m in project funding Funds raised by listed and closely-held companies in 2014 (In million rials)

Corporate sector

68.19

Bonus share

raised the funding

78.03

Rights issue

241.72

Private placement

by way of initial

Capital enhancement

public offerings,

5.27 74.76

Initial public offering

bonds, right issues

227.54

New issues from SAOC

and bonus shares

233.64

Bonds

last year. The year 2014 witnessed four

Capital reduction

21.79

Total

907.35

Graphics

offerings valued at the total market value of all public listed companies and 55 per cent of the total annual unaudited profits for 2014,” Al Salmi added..

OMR74.76 million

A E JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman’s corporate sector mopped up funds worth OMR907 million from the capital market last year through initial public offerings, bonds, right issues and bonus shares, almost matching the finance provided by the banking sector. “The capital market was able to provide financing at the same level as that provided by the banking sector. The year 2014 witnessed four offerings at OMR 74.76 million. The oversubscription reflects the high liquidity in the market which, in some cases, exceeded ten folds as in the case of Al SawadiPower and Al Batinah Power companies,” stated Abdullah Salim

Abdullah Salim Abdullah Al Salmi. — Times ﬁle picture

Abdullah Al Salmi, executive president of Capital Market AUthority (CMA), in its annual report. The companies that ﬂoated initial public offerings last year were Al Maha Ceramics, Al Sawadi Power, Al Batinah Power and Takaful Oman Insurance. Also, private placements totalled OMR240.97 million, while bonus shares accounted for OMR67.21 million, new listing

of closely held companies contributed OMR227.54 million and bond issues contributed another OMR233.64 million. Market capitalisation The market capitalisation of Muscat Securities Market (MSM) grew by three per cent to OMR14.56 billion, compared to OMR14.16 billion in the previous year. The good performance of the

market and public listed companies had an effective role in realising good returns and proﬁts for investors. “Listed companies were able to distribute OMR 450.18 million worth of dividends in cash, or as bonus shares and/or convertible bonds. Cash dividends were 92 per cent of the total dividends” Al Salmi said. “Dividends were ﬁve per cent of

Level of return The level of return for dividends to shareholders in Muscat Securities Market was ﬁve per cent in 2014, which is higher than the global rate for the emerging and advanced markets. The Omani capital market enjoys a lower price-earning ratio, compared to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets. Price-earning ratio indicates the approximate time during which the investor can redeem the amount paid for buying the shares of listed companies through dividends paid by such companies to the shareholders. The Omani capital market enjoys low price-earning ratio at 10.5. This is an indicator that the prices of the shares of the Omani

listed companies were good and attractive to investors. Small market size However, the Omani capital market is smaller in size among GCC bourses due to small capital base of the listed companies. This capital base totalled OMR 2.56 billion at the end of 2014, which is small compared to the capital of the listed companies in the Saudi market, estimated at OMR50.15 billion last year. There were only four offerings in the Omani market in 2014, claiming a value of OMR74.76 million while the Saudi market witnessed six offerings during the same period at OMR2,597.09 million.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

MARKET NBO acts as joint lead manager in Renaissance’s bond issuance portance over the years, including projects in the oil and gas, manufacturing, tourism, transport, infrastructure, power and water sectors, such as the Orpic expansion project, Octal Petrochemical Company, Electricity Holding Company, GlassPoint Solar, Duqm Development, and many other multimillion rials projects including $116.24 million ﬁnancing for Dalma Energy’s Petroleum Development Oman project.

This is the ﬁrst perpetual equityeligible corporate bond from an Omanheadquartered business group

Times News Service MUSCAT: National Bank of Oman (NBO) will act as joint lead manager in Renaissance Group’s recent pricing of $125 million dual-currency subordinated perpetual bond issuance. Raised through a wholly-owned overseas subsidiary of Renaissance Services, the issuance marks a series of first-to-market accomplishments, including being the first ever perpetual equityeligible corporate bond from an Oman-headquartered business group. This was also the first dualcurrency bond (with US dollar and Omani rial tranches) out of GCC and the first international bond by a Muscat Securities Market-listed Omani corporate entity. Coupon rate 7.90% Priced with a coupon of 7.90 per cent, the bond saw strong demand from Omani investors, achieving a balanced investor distribution profile, comprising banks, pension funds, government entities, family offices and private banking demand. The bond issuance, which was placed on a private offering basis, will enable financing the repurchase of Renaissance’s

DUAL-CURRENCY: The $125 million dual-currency bond issuance, which was placed on a private offering basis, will enable ﬁnancing the repurchase of Renaissance’s mandatory convertible bonds. - Supplied

mandatory convertible bonds. Ahmed Al Musalmi, chief executive officer of National Bank of Oman, said: “Our strong Wholesale Banking franchise, combined with our unrivalled expertise in Oman, is not only positioning NBO as the Sultanate’s foremost financial institution but also demonstrating the major role we are playing in further contributing to the country’s economic growth and diversification.” Sayyid Wasfi bin Jamshid Al Said, deputy general manager and deputy head of the Wholesale Banking Group at National Bank of Oman, added: “This transac-

tion extends National Bank of Oman’s exceptional track record of supporting the ﬁnancing needs of the Sultanate’s largest corporate entities. It also once again demonstrates the bank’s ﬁnancial strength and the technical expertise of our people.” Wholesale Banking National Bank of Oman’s Wholesale Banking Group has witnessed rapid growth over the past few years underscored by its approach in offering customised solutions. Business units within the Wholesale Banking division include: corporate banking; busi-

ness banking; government banking; financial institutions group; investment banking; treasury; and transaction banking. In addition, as the only Omani bank with operations in the UAE, National Bank of Oman is able to facilitate trade flows between Oman and the UAE, to support mediumsized Omani companies with their cross-border trade finance requirements. National Bank of Oman has played a pivotal role in supporting the Sultanate’s economic development and diversification strategy, and has financed numerous national projects of strategic im-

Awards and accolades The bank also won several prestigious awards and accolades in recent months for its contribution to the Sultanate’s economy and banking industry. It was named Oman’s top bank in the 2015 Business Today–Ernst & Young survey, it has also been ranked amongst the top 1,000 banks in the world by the ‘Banker Magazine’ in 2015. Last year, the bank’s Asset Management business grew its maiden quoted GCC equities fund signiﬁcantly to make it the largest equity fund in Oman as on December 31, 2014 among all the private sector managed funds. The bank also received the ‘Oman Asset Manager of the Year’ award in 2015 by the prestigious Mena Fund Manager Magazine, UK, for the third year running against very strong competition. National Bank of Oman’s efforts in delivering a superior customer experience were also recognised when it won two prestigious titles at the Customer Experience Benchmarking Index awards.

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S TA N D A R D & P O O R ’ S

Islamic finance could help plug infrastructure gaps in Africa Times News Service MUSCAT: Development of an Islamic finance industry in Africa could help plug the region’s large infrastructure gaps over the coming decade, says Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service in a report. However, a framework of regulation and fiscal adjustments will be necessary to foster African sukuk markets, provide wider investment options for potential Islamic investors, and attract a pool of Islamic liquidity, the note says. To date, African sovereigns have issued about $1 billion of sukuk instruments, compared to global sukuk issuance of an average $100 billion per year over the past five years. Meanwhile, widening fiscal deficits and large infrastructure gaps will likely require multibillion-dollar additional financing needs over the next decade. Experience in South Africa and Senegal has shown that a significant amount of time can elapse between governments’ announcement of intent to issue sukuk and their effective issuance, as governments gauge market interests and try to address the legal hurdles and cost of issuance. “We believe legislation gaps are the main causes of delay between a country’s intent to issue and its effective issuance of sukuk,” said Standard & Poor’s credit analyst Samira Mensah. The success of Malaysia in South-East Asia as a hub for Islamic finance lies, among other things, in the strong regulatory framework to support the sector’s growth. Malaysia also moved quickly in 2009 to address the standardization of instruments and interpretation of Sharia law. Tax regimes are equally important to consider when encouraging sukuk issuance.

SHIPPING

Hanjin Shipping directly links Sohar to vital ports in Asia Times News Service MUSCAT: Hanjin, one of the world’s top ten shipping lines, will directly link its new 8,600 twentyfoot equivalent unit (TEU) service from Sohar to the Far East. Hanjin Shipping started its container service to Sohar from Far East, which is a significant addition in terms of direct connectivity for Sohar. Hanjin is the second major shipping line to join Sohar in the last three months, with the port welcoming the arrival of the EGL Messini from global line Evergreen, in May 2015. The new Hanjin service will facilitate direct links to include South Korea, China, Malaysia, and Singapore. “The past year has been of huge significance for Sohar Port and specifically for our container business with Oman International Container Terminal (OICT); the growth in both size and efficiency at OICT has led to more new lines

IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY: Hanjin is the second major shipping line to join Sohar in the last three months, with the port welcoming the arrival of the EGL Messini from global line Evergreen, in May 2015. – Supplied photo

and, most importantly, more direct connections. These direct calls help us to sink costs, savings that can be passed on all the way through the supply chain,” said Sohar chief executive Andre Toet. The port held a special ceremony to welcome the arrival of the container ship M.V. Hanjin Ham-

burg into the Port on Wednesday. Dr Ahmed Mohammed Salem Al Futaisi, the Sultanate’s minister of transport and communications, representatives of Hanjin Shipping, as well as executives from OICT and Sohar Port and Freezone, were present to welcome the arrival of the South Korean

container vessel. The inaugural ceremony marked the continued and successful growth of the port, where handling capacity at the state-of-the-art container terminal, operated by OICT, has doubled over the past year. With the relocation of all commercial traffic from Muscat to Sohar in 2014, and the

newly expanded Terminal C now fully operational, Sohar is now equipped to manage 1.5 million TEUs per year. “Our goal is ultimately to secure that all imports and exports from and for Oman go through Omani ports, and adding this new direct service is another impor-

tant step on that journey. Sohar Port Authority is actively working together with OICT and our other terminals on strategies to achieve this,” added Sohar Freezone chief executive officer Jamal Aziz. “It is with great pleasure that OICT welcomes the maiden call of the Hanjin Hamburg running on a new direct service connecting Sohar to the Far East. This service is evidence of shipping lines’ conﬁdence in OICT’s growing prominence as Oman’s gateway for international trade in addition to its position as a hub for container carrier connections. A combination of the latest IT systems and technology, a highly-skilled workforce and continuous investments in facilities allow us to offer customers the highest standards of service and efficiency and we will continue to build for the future of trade in the region,” noted Albert Pang, chief executive of Oman International Container Terminal.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

MARKET JOINS HANDS WITH CBFS

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners forms Oman chapter MUSCAT: Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) has formed a local chapter comprising over 90 members in the Sultanate. The formalisation of ACFE Oman chapter was done with the signing of an agreement at the College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS) in the presence of Dr Ahmed Mohsin Al Ghassani, Dean of CBFS. The ceremony was attended by senior representatives of the Sultanate’s banking, financial and corporate sectors. Congratulating the ACFE Oman chapter, Dr Ahmed Al Ghassani said: “CBFS is proud to support the ACFE activities in Oman, thereby strengthening co-operation and coordination among

various stakeholders to adopt the best practices for learning and exchange of knowledge to check the spread of financial fraud in all arenas. CBFS has been helping the financial services industry in the Sultanate for its various training needs and will extend all support to ACFE to complement government efforts aimed at achieving financial stability and security in the country.” Anti-fraud training ACFE is an internationally reputed anti-fraud organisation and provider of anti-fraud training and education, with its focus on reducing business fraud worldwide and inspiring public confidence in the

Dr Ahmed Mohsin Al Ghassani

Thomas Totton

integrity and objectivity within the profession. The CBFS will support and provide its services for ensuring the smooth functioning of the Oman chapter.

Thomas Totton, General Manager - Internal Audit, Bank Muscat and President of the Oman chapter of ACFE said: “The Oman chapter of ACFE is thankful to CBFS for

Public expenditure declines in the first five months of 2015 The drop is attributed to a slump in oil revenue. Average price of Oman crude oil barrel plunged by 43% in ﬁrst half of 2015

MUSCAT: Government’s public expenditure declined in the first five months of this year by 5 per cent as a result of rationalisition in response to a slump in oil revenue, which contributes 84.3 per cent to the state’s revenues, reveals official statistics. The National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) said that public expenditure during the first five months of the year stood at OMR4,809,200,000 compared to OMR5,061,200,000 in the corresponding period of 2014. The average price of Oman crude oil barrel plunged by 43 per cent during the first half of the year to reach $ 59.3, compared to the corresponding period last year when it recorded $103.23. As per the official statistics, the expenditure in 2014 budget

stood at RO 15,171,800,000 compared to RO 13,949,500,000 in 2013. The expenditure is estimated at RO 14,1 billion. NCSI pointed out that over the past five months of this year, the total revenue declined by 36.2 per cent to touch OMR3,858,100,000 compared to OMR6,044,100,000 in the samed period last year. The monthly bulletin issued by NCSI said that the investment expenditure dropped by 4.1 per cent to stay at OMR1,078 billion during the first five months of the year compared to OMR1,124,500,000 during the same period last year. The development expenditure for the civil ministries stood at OMR579.1 million, a drop by 10.7 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year, which recorded OMR648.3 million.

The capital expenditure for these ministries dropped by 6.3 per cent to register OMR8.9 million. The investment expenditure for oil and gas production sectors stood at OMR490 million including OMR309.5 million for oil production compared to OMR298.5 million during the first five months of last year, an increase of 3.7 per cent. The expenditure on gas production sector stood at OMR180.5 million, an increase by 7.3 per cent compared to the first five months of last year. The subsidy and contributions as of the end of last May stood at OMR484.3 million, a decline by 31.7 per cent compared to the corresponding period, which stood at OMR709.3 million. The monthly statistical bulletin said that the public expenditure in current expenditure sector registered a marginal increase by 0.6 per cent during the first five months of this year due to the increase in the current expenditure of oil and gas production by 80.4 per cent and 75.3 per cent respectively. The total current expenditure as of the end of May 2015 stood at OMR3,246,900,000 compared to OMR3,227,400,000. - ONA

facilitating a unique opportunity for networking of certified fraud examiners through professional interaction and education, raising the level of competence within the profession. The mission of ACFE is to reduce the incidence of fraud and white collar crimes, and to assist members in its detection and deterrence. At a time when financial crimes are widespread around the world, the strengthening of co-operation and coordination among various government, banking and financial institutions is vital to prevent and control crimes through the latest technological applications and exchange of expertise in this area.” Financial crime or white-collar

crime covers a wide range of criminal offences, which affect individuals, companies, organisations and nations, and have a negative impact on the entire economic and social system through considerable loss of money. Financial crimes mainly relate to payment cards, money laundering, counterfeit currency and fraud. These crimes often have an international dimension and are committed through a variety of channels, including the Internet. To accomplish its mission, the ACFE provides bonafide qualifications for certified fraud examiners through administration of the CFE examination; requires practitioners to adhere to a strict code.

I ATA R E P O R T

Middle East airlines’ passenger demand remains strong in June Times News Service MUSCAT: Middle East airlines’ passenger traffic in June climbed 10.5 per cent but this was eclipsed by a 19.5 per cent jump in capacity that caused load factor to plunge 5.7 percentage points to 74.3 per cent, said International Air Transport Association (IATA). Although June traffic growth was slower than in May (14 per cent), this was partly owing to the timing of Ramadan, which started in June this year but occurred mostly in July in 2014. The holy month tends to subdue demand for air travel, the report said. The IATA said global passenger traffic results (revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) for June

showing a 5.7 per cent increase in demand compared to June 2014. This was a slowdown compared to the 6.9 per cent year-over-year growth recorded in May, in part owing to the timing of Ramadan, which depressed travel demand in the Middle East. June capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) climbed 6 per cent, and load factor dipped 0.2 percentage points to 81.1 per cent. International passengers “June was another healthy month for demand for air connectivity, although slower trade activity in emerging Asia-Paciﬁc markets and the impact of the Greek debt crisis on European travel remain worrisome,” said Tony Tyler,

IATA’s director general and CEO. June international passenger demand rose 5.3 per cent compared to June 2014. Airlines in all regions except Africa recorded growth although there was wide variation between regions. Capacity climbed 6 per cent pushing down load factor 0.5 percentage points to 80.4 per cent. European carriers saw demand climb 4.1 per cent in June versus June 2014, which was below the 5.7 per cent rise in traffic in May. Although business activity indicators suggest that the region’s economic recovery is on track, consumer sentiment has been hampered by events in Greece including the potential consequences of the country exiting the Eurozone.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

FEATURE

Shipments surged 9.5 per cent to 9.73 million metric tonnes in July from June and were up from 8.1 million tonnes a year earlier, customs data show. That’s the third-highest total ever CHINA’S STEEL exports climbed to the highest level since January, adding to a surplus that’s hurting global producers and prompting trade disputes worldwide. Shipments surged 9.5 per cent to 9.73 million metric tonnes in July from June and were up from 8.1 million tonnes a year earlier, customs data show. That’s the third-highest total ever. Sales rose 27 per cent to 62.13 million tonnes in the first seven months. Iron ore purchases advanced to the year’s high. Mills in China are facing slower domestic demand for the first time in a generation. They’re boosting exports, raising competition and pushing down prices. China produces half the world’s steel and exports are similar to output in Japan, the second-biggest producer. The industry is “bleeding to death,” Gary Klesch, chairman of Klesch Group, said on August 4 after pulling out of talks to buy a Tata Steel UK business. “It’s because of weakness in domestic steel demand, which has led mills to push their excess out into the international market, and that’s something which is not going to change,” Ivan Szpakowski, commodities strategist at Citigroup in Hong Kong, said by phone on Saturday. China’s set for the slowest expansion since 1990. Steel demand is poised to shrink this year and next for the first annual contractions since 1995 amid a property slump, according to the World Steel Association. With mills maintaining output, exports may rise to 111 million tonnes this year, says Colin Hamilton, head of commodities research at Macquarie Group. Earnings drop Some mills may even be ramping up output before the government orders production cuts to ensure clean air for a parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, according to UBS Group. China boosted imports of iron ore by 15 per cent to 86.1 million tonnes in July, the highest level since December, as mills in the world’s largest buyer replenished inventories. Purchases were 539 million tonnes in the first seven months, little changed from a year earlier, customs data show. Global steelmakers are battling lower earnings as prices slump. Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp., Asia’s biggest producer, forecast the first drop in full-year earnings in three years last month, while US Steel Corp. posted a quarterly loss. South Korea’s Posco reported a profit slump and announced plans to cut staff and refocus on its main business. Prices are retreating The average US rate of hot-rolled coil, used in buildings and automobiles, fell 33 per cent to $456 a tonne in the second quarter, according to The Steel Index. In China, rebar sank to the lowest level since 2003 last month. There were eight trade probes on Chinese steel products in the first half, while a further five were added in July, according the China Iron & Steel Association. ArcelorMittal South Africa, a unit of the world’s biggest producer, said last month it was going to fight steel from China, which is being sent to the country’s ports at prices as much as 25 per cent below local output costs, and asked the government to impose tariffs. — Bloomberg News

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ROUND-UP

NBO extends support to Khareef Festival Conﬁrming the signiﬁcance of the Salalah Tourism Festival, the bank will be a gold sponsor and will offer its core banking services and run various competitions, enabling thousands of visitors to enjoy essential banking services

SALALAH: National Bank of Oman (NBO) announced that it is once again supporting the Salalah Tourism Festival (Khareef Festival), Oman’s annual tourism and cultural celebration. Conﬁrming the signiﬁcance of the Khareef Festival, the bank will be a gold sponsor and will offer its core banking services and run various competitions, enabling thousands of visitors to enjoy essential banking services, says a press release. At this year’s event, which is held from July 23 to August 31, the bank’s dedicated presence at

the Salalah Tourism Festival will showcase a host of services including its retail banking proposition, Muzn Islamic banking, and Sadara wealth management offering. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to win a 60-inch LED TV by registering their details at National Bank of Oman’s stall on the festival grounds to enter the weekly draw, which will run concurrently with the Khareef Festival. The Salalah Tourism Festival is a celebration of culture and tradition, and attracts families from the Sultanate and the wider GCC

who come to enjoy the monsoon season. Having played a crucial role in ensuring the success of the festival in previous years, National Bank of Oman will be present in Salalah to provide customers with cash withdrawal services and a full range of banking transaction facilities. Representatives from the bank will also be available to answer any ﬁnancial questions that visitors may have. National Bank of Oman’s support for the Salalah Tourism Festival once again reinforces its commitment to customers whilst allowing the bank to capitalise on the huge potential of the Khareef Festival as a major travel destination in the region. Its dedicated presence at the festival ensures that visitors have access to essential banking services while on holiday. In addition, the bank’s stall situated in a prime location makes it easier for patrons to ﬁnd out more about the bank’s offerings, including its Sadara Wealth management and Muzn Islamic banking services.

PA R T N E R S I N P R O G R E S S

Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian enhance ties with new code sharing agreement DOHA: Qatar Airways has further enhanced its ties with oneworld partner Royal Jordanian, through the launch of a new code-share agreement, which is set to further expand travel opportunities for both airlines’ customers. Through the new agreement, Qatar Airways’ passengers travelling between Doha and Amman in Jordan, on both Royal Jordanian and Qatar Airways, will benefit from the same airline code and a streamlined level of service from these oneworld partners, says a press release. Members of the airlines’ frequent flyer programmes will also be able to collect points on each other’s flights, with this initial route paving the way for additional code share expansions in the near future between the airlines across destinations in the United States and Asia. Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive, Qatar Airways, said: “Becoming a member of oneworld has enabled Qatar Airways to strengthen its competitive offering, while expanding travel options to passengers around the world within this leading global alliance

network. The launch of this new code share agreement with our fellow oneworld member airline, Royal Jordanian, demonstrates this and will allow passengers to beneﬁt from seamless journeys around the globe.” Captain Haitham Misto, Royal Jordanian President/CEO, said: “Royal Jordanian and Qatar Airways enjoy a strong relationship, and they are both keen on pro-

viding superb on-board and onground services. This agreement will further enhance the cooperation between our two companies, thus offering our passengers more travel options and frequencies to cities around the world.” Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 18 years of operations, and is currently ﬂying a modern ﬂeet of 162 aircraft to more than 150 key business and

leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Paciﬁc and the Americas. Royal Jordanian, the national carrier of Jordan, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013. Eight years ago it became a public shareholding company, with a vision to connect Jordan and the Levant with the world. In 2007, Royal Jordanian was the ﬁrst Arab carrier to join any of the three global airline alliances.

E X PA N S I O N

Starbucks opens new outlet at MGM MUSCAT: Global coffee giant Starbucks opened its newest outlet in the heart of the city during Eid Al Fitr, with its latest retail store in Muscat Grand Mall giving cause for celebration to coffee enthusiasts in the capital. The newly opened Starbucks is conveniently located to the cinema and food court areas and is directly adjacent to the heart of the mall where events and promotions give prominence to its location, says a press release. The Starbucks kiosk is unique in its design, materials and layout, carefully studied to complement both the elements in its surrounding context and also the inspiration of the Omani landscape into the design concept. The contemporary feel, partially enclosed with natural wood elements seen in the balustrading details and casework carrying English and Arabic burnt text compliment the localised coffee story to the store. The opening of the new Starbucks kiosk added to the mall’s Eid Al Fitr celebrations, which witnessed an enormous turnout during the holiday period, welcoming visitors not only from the Sultanate, but from across the region. Hassan Jaboub, general manager of Muscat Grand Mall commented on the opening, “At Muscat Grand Mall, we wanted to provide easy access to coffee lovers everywhere to the brands that they love, and this new Starbucks outlet adds to our already existing diverse options available to customers.” Since 1971, Starbucks has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of speciality coffee in the world. Through an unwavering commitment to excellence and strong guiding prin-

The Starbucks kiosk is unique in its design, materials and layout, carefully studied to complement both the elements in its surrounding context and also the inspiration of the Omani landscape into the design concept

ciples, Starbucks brings a unique experience to life for every customer through every cup. The MGM store arrangement focuses on functionality both in layout and seating styles displaying comfort and café style arrangements for all visitors to enjoy. The Starbucks iconic word mark and ‘green dot’ prominently located to give the brand prominence and visibility for all Starbucks loyal customers of the Sultanate. MGM is Oman’s most dynamic shopping destination. It is the fastest growing lifestyle hub in the Sultanate, offering choice and convenience for shoppers and residents, as part of a combined leisure experience. Boasting more than 142 stores, a three-screen cinema, high-end residences and office space, in addition to hosting the largest food court in Oman, Muscat Grand Mall is also home to leading global brands such as Carrefour, Happy Land, City Cinema, Sharaf DG, HomesRUs, PAUL and Chili’s and Patchi among others.

T E C H N O L O G I C A L I N N O VAT I O N

Ferrari 488 Spider offers effortless driving for maximum drop-top fun MARANELLO: Ferrari has finally announced the launch of the 488 Spider, its most powerful ever mid-rear-engined V8 car to feature the patented retractable hard top along with the highest level of technological innovation and with cutting-edge design. Ferrari was the first manufacturer to introduce the RHT (retractable hard top) on a car of this particular architecture. This solution ensures lower weight (-25kg) and better cockpit comfort compared to the classic fabric soft-top. Just like all previous spider versions of Ferrari’s models, this is a car that is aimed squarely at clients seeking open-air motoring pleasure in a high-performance sports car with an unmistakable Ferrari engine sound, says a press release. Every area of the car has been designed to set new technological benchmarks for the sector: from the aluminium spaceframe chassis and bodyshell to the new turbo-charged V8, aerodynamics that reconcile the need for greater downforce with reduced drag along with the specific cabin air flow demands of an open-top car, and vehicle dynamics that render it fast, agile and instantly responsive. The world premiere of the 488 Spider will be at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September. The heart of the 488 Spider Beneath the engine cover throbs the 3902 cc turbo-charged V8 that debuted just a few months ago on the 488 GTB. Its performance lev-

buttresses which optimally channel air ﬂows to the engine cover, the ribbing on the engine cover and the air intakes with sculpted mesh grilles which lend that area of the car a sense of incredible dynamism. To achieve this result the Ferrari Styling Centre completely reworked the aesthetics compared to the 488 GTB.

els are nothing short of extraordinary: a maximum power output of 670 CV combined with maximum torque of 760 Nm at 3000 rpm send the 488 Spider sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in 3 seconds ﬂat and from 0 to 200 km/h in 8.7 seconds. This is also an exceptionally efﬁcient engine as it is not only 100 CV more powerful than the previous naturally-aspirated V8 but also has lower CO2 emissions. The turbo V8 has a unique character, delivering increasing levels of power right across the rev range, and completely eliminating the traditional turbo lag with a throttle response time of just 0.8 seconds. This is thanks not merely to components such as the turbos, but also to a sophisticated production process only made possible by Maranello’s leading-edge facilities which are shared with the Scuderia to foster the transfer of racing technologies to the road cars.

In line with Ferrari tradition, this model has its own absolutely distinctive soundtrack created using solutions such as exhaust headers with longer, equal-length piping and a ﬂat-plane crankshaft. It was also further enhanced by an in-depth study of harmonics and tonality at different engine speeds. The sound is seductive but never invasive when the top is dropped, with both volume and clarity increasing as the engine instantly responds to the accelerator pedal and revs rise, reinforcing the sensation of massive performance.

achieve both goals simultaneously by introducing several innovative devices, including a blown spoiler and an aerodynamic underbody incorporating vortex generators. The air ﬂow studies also took into account factors relating to in-car comfort. The electric glass rear wind stop can be adjusted to one of three positions to guarantee maximum comfort when the top is lowered. Fully lowering the wind stop allows the occupants to enjoy the engine soundtrack even with the roof raised regardless of the weather or driving conditions.

Sculpted by the wind This is also the most aerodynamically efficient Ferrari spider ever built, thanks to a series of complex aero solutions designed to guarantee optimal downforce whilst reducing drag, two normally mutually-exclusive objectives. Maranello’s engineers managed to

Form and function sculpted in aluminium Designed around the concept of the retractable hard top, the 488 Spider has a spaceframe chassis made of 11 different aluminium alloys combined with other noble metals, such as magnesium, each one used in a highly speciﬁc way.

This yields the same torsional rigidity and beam stiffness figures as the coupé, improving the chassis’ performance by 23% over that of its predecessor. An extraordinary result, given that the roof is structural, that is only possible thanks to the expertise of the Scaglietti centre of excellence that engineers Ferrari’s aluminium chassis and bodies. The RHT folds backwards in two overlapping sections to rest flush on the engine in a very compact solution. The mechanism is exceptionally smooth and takes just 14 seconds for the top to fully retract or deploy. Working with aluminium is important not only in functional terms but also because, by tradition, it demands every detail be treated sculpturally to express the technical excellence of the project through its beauty. Cases in point are the flying

Speed and control across the board The introduction of a sophisticated simulator, similar to the one used by the Formula 1 Scuderia, allowed the human factor to influence the car’s design from the earliest stages by giving the engineers instant feedback from the test-drivers long before the first 488 prototype was physically built. To make its dynamic behaviour even more engaging, the development team honed the car’s mechanical set-up in tandem with its electronic systems which are now fully integrated with the SSC2 Side Slip Angle Control System, resulting in 12% faster acceleration out of corners than the 458 Spider. Over all, response times are 9% more rapid than the previous Spider without any compromise whatsoever being made in comfort. The car’s design was adapted to efficiently meet the typical the demands of open-top driving and use. In fact, the Spider’s dynamic behaviour is effortless on even the most challenging routes. It is remarkably easy to drive on the limit thanks to flawless handling even on the most demanding of roads.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

ROUND-UP Stylish Sentra now on special offer With an exciting offer for grabs, customers can now avail EMI rate starting from OMR96 on the Nissan Sentra

MUSCAT: After gaining rave reviews from auto enthusiasts, the Sentra now comes in a new 1.6 SV CVT P26 from the house Suhail Bahwan Automobiles which is set to create another milestone. The new Sentra boasts of top of the range options that focuses on class-above design standards inside and out. Loaded with full options, the Sentra 1.6 SV is an edge over competitors in its segment making it an enticing option for patrons. With a special offer for grabs, customers can now avail EMI rate starting from OMR96 on the Nissan Sentra, says a press release. Easy ﬁnancing options Nissan customers can also avail easy ﬁnancing option of a loan term up to eight years with attractive interest rates from Bank Muscat. Flexible EMIs can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team. The presence of the Nissan Sentra vehicles on the road is aptly supported by Nissan Oman’s world-class service facilities and trained manpower. The Nissan Sentra offers drivers the spaciousness and comfort of cars usually found in the larger segment, as well as technology usually associated with much more expensive cars. Apart from Nissan Sentra 1.6 and 1.8L engine options, the Sentra 1.6 SV has an engine capacity of 113hp, Dimensions (LxWxH) – 4615 x 1760 x 1495mm and Xtronic CVT Transmission. Powering ahead The Sentra Sentra 1.8L engine is designed to excel. With its longer stroke and Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control) System on intake and exhaust valves, it offers greater combustion efficiency and maximum fuel economy. Sentra’s engine is very durable but lightweight, giving great performance and power without being a burden to the car. The Sentra 1.6L engine takes

a leap with its lead performance. Equipped with a Dual Injector System and Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control), it provides a smoother ride with great control and responsiveness, along with superior fuel economy – making it an ideal road companion for all types of driving conditions. The Sentra 1.6L SV features rear window defroster with timer, it comes with power window (both front and rear), central lock, keyless entry, driver seat manual height adjuster, roof console sunglass holder, map lamp, manual A/C + rear vent in CTR console, 1CD, AM/FM, MP3, Aux, 2-Speakers, Power steering speed sensitive with manual tilt and telescopic, tachometer, drive computer and outside temperature display. The Sentra 1.6 SV features rear LED combination lamp, side turn lamp on fender, it comes with 16” alloy wheels, rear window glass antenna and Fr headlamp with LED accent lamp. The steering features state of the art audio and drive computer, Intelligent key w/push engine starter, rear headrest, rear seat CTR armrest, armrest through, wood trims, 4 speakers, audio with USB/I-pod connectivity and bluetooth, navigation with 5.8” display and nissan connect and rear view camera. Best in-class fuel efficiency From the Sentra’s 130-hp, 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder engine with advanced valve timing to its next-generation Xtronic CVT transmission, Sentra is a technical tour de force aimed at providing the best of both worlds – efficiency and performance. The result — Best-in-class fuel economy that sets the standard — and if you’re wondering how it handles on the road, one smile-inducing test drive is all you’ll need. The Sentra 1.8 wears the Pure Drive badge, meaning it meets, or exceeds, Nissan’s global criteria for environment friendliness. The Pure Drive initiative is just one aspect of Nissan’s commitment to developing more environmentally friendly transportation for all of us. The biggest change in efficiency doesn’t come from technology; it comes from how you drive. In the Sentra, that extra quick start won’t go unnoticed – an Eco Pedal Indicator in the instrument cluster gives drivers instant feedback on how they are driving – helping them become a smarter, more efficient driver. And on models equipped with manual transmission, an indicator light will help when to upshift for maximum fuel efficiency.

state-of-the-art facilities in strategic locations. Their practice of Total Ownership Experience and customer-centric approach will ensure that customers of Nissan are given par excellence professional services for all car related needs.

Moving with conﬁdence Sentra offers a holistic approach to safety and security; agility combined with advanced technology can help the driver easily avoid a situation. And if an accident does occur, an advanced airbag system combined with zone body construction, helps reduce injury. A. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) - The standard ABS pumps the brakes faster than you possibly can in panic-braking situations, to help prevent wheel lockup and allow you to maintain steering control around obstacles, while braking heavily. B. Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) - Designed to send extra force to the rear brakes when there’s additional weight in the back. C. Immobiliser - Rest easy knowing the Immobiliser system only allows ignition with a particular code key. D. Zone Body Concept - Worldclass safety, thanks to a super strong chassis structure, reduces shock impact and protects passengers. E. Brake Assist - If you need to slam on the brakes, Brake Assist detects how hard you’re braking, and if it senses you are in an emergency, it will automatically help to apply maximum braking force. Top Safety Pick from IIHS In the recently held Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) test, the 2015 Nissan Sentra won the ‘Top Safety Pick’ vehicle safety rating. The Institute’s ‘Top Safety Pick’ award recognises passenger vehicles that excel in protecting passengers in moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests and also achieve a ‘Good’ or ‘Acceptable’ rating in the small overlap frontal test. The 2015 Sentra scored ‘Good’ in all ﬁve of the ‘Top Safety Pick’ categories.

“Nissan is committed to safety and innovation, and Nissan is proud to achieve the IIHS Top Safety Pick rating for the 2015 Sentra,” said a senior SBA Official. “As a compact sedan, Sentra is a critically important vehicle in Nissan’s lineup and with its standard safety features we’re bringing a high level of safety and security to a growing consumer segment.” Safety and security features standard on all 2015 Sentra’s include the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt and occupant classiﬁcation sensors; front seat-mounted side impact supplemental air bags; roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental air bags for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection; three-point front and rear seatbelts, front seat belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters and adjustable upper anchors; and LATCH System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children). Every Sentra comes with Antilock Braking System with Electronic Brake force Distribution and Brake Assist; Vehicle Dynamic Control with Traction Control System; Zone Body construction featuring front and rear crumple zones and occupant zones; Energy absorbing steering column; Child safety rear door locks; Nissan Immobiliser system and antitheft alarm system; Tyre Pressure Monitoring System with position monitoring and Bluetooth Handsfree phone System. Sentra SV, SR and SL also come standard with Nissan’s innovative and class-exclusive Easy Fill Tyre Alert, which sounds the car horn to notify a person ﬁlling a tire with air when the recommended tire pressure has been reached. The Nissan Sentra’s lightweight body surrounds an interior offering class-leading roominess. All

passengers can spread out comfortably whether in the front or the rear which boasts legroom to match models in the higher mid-size sedan segment. Luggage is equally well accommodated thanks to Sentra’s 510-litre boot – again, much bigger than models in its class and matching those in the mid-size sedan segment. The Nissan Sentra comes standard with antilock brakes, stability control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and active front head restraints. Most Sentra models come with rear drum brakes, although rear discs are an option. Interior technology Push Button Ignition - The engine activates just by turning the ignition knob (or pressing the engine start switch), without taking the key out and inserting it. • Lockout Protection - In order to avoid a key being shut up inside the vehicle cabin or trunk, the technology detects the status of the door lock and whether the key is inside the vehicle, it alerts drivers via a buzzer and simultaneously automatically unlocks the door or opens the trunk. Nissan’s Intelligent Key • This technology allows owners to lock and unlock the door just by pressing the ‘Request Switch’ on the door while just simply carrying the key. Drivers can also open and close the trunk, and can start the engine without having to insert the key, making departure seamless. By cutting out the trouble of putting in the key, there is no need to search for the key inside a bag or pocket. It also eliminates the fear of accidentally shutting the key inside the vehicle or trunk Suhail Bahwan Automobiles offers wide range of after sales service with modern technology and

Nationwide presence Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, the exclusive importers and distributors of all Nissan vehicles in Oman, have their Nissan showrooms spread across the Sultanate. Their showrooms are strategically located all across the country in Muscat, Sohar, Sur, Salalah, Shinas, Samail, Ibra, Ibri, Nizwa, Buraimi, Barka, Bahla, Jalan Bani Bu Ali, Seeb, Mabelah, Sinaw and Bidaya. This goes to show that Nissan Oman has been successfully growing in operations and is consistently spreading its network throughout the Sultanate of Oman. SBA customer excellence Suhail Bahwan Automobiles over the years have institutionalised robust systems and people processes to continuously monitor and measure Customer Satisfaction levels at point of sale and Vehicle Service. This is done through periodic surveys with customers, analysing key consideration factors for improving customer satisfaction and implementing them. Good reliable customer service has helped SBA to build a loyal following thus ensuring additional revenue streams and enhanced its reputation in Oman. At sales showrooms Suhail Bahwan Automobiles’ sales executives take the customer through a needs analysis process whereby asking focused questions the sales executive identifies customer needs. Based on the needs thus identified the sales executive then proposes the correct vehicle. At service centres the customer service staff is available from the time customers book a service appointment at any of our service centres across the Sultanate till they receive their vehicles ready after service. Additionally, an oncall staff person is available during evening, weekend, and holiday hours for emergency-situations. SBA has recently introduced Employee Suggestion scheme, with a focus on enhancing participation of employees in improvement of customer service delivery. SBA also has a Hall of Fame Award scheme that includes customer first champions and customer super stars schemes. SBA is largely committed to supporting Nissan’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

IMPRESSIVE GROWTH IN ME

Infiniti continues to build on success with record breaking performance DUBAI: Infiniti in the Middle East continued to build on its Q1 success registering an impressive first half performance for 2015. As one of the fastest growing premium automotive brands in the region, Infiniti delivered 4,200 vehicles to customers at a growth rate of 24.6 per cent — which is four times the pace of the premium automotive market, says a press release. “Our numbers are testament to the premium motoring experience that our vehicles continue to deliver to customers across the Middle East,” said Juergen Schmitz, managing director, Infiniti Middle East. Numbers for the month of June were of particular note as Infiniti delivered 825 vehicles to customers at a comparative growth rate to the previous year of 63 per cent — making it the best June in the history of Infiniti in the Middle East. “We recently launched our

new Q70 luxury sedan which we believe will help further these impressive results. In addition we will also look to focus on our network expansion with a couple of exciting new announcements in the pipeline. At Infiniti we are confident that we will continue to deliver great results, but more importantly ensure that our customers truly enjoy Infiniti’s promise of a premium motoring experience,” added Schmitz. Resounding success Infiniti’s all-new Q50 has been a resounding success here in the Middle East. Equipped with two new world’s first production performance technologies – Infiniti Direct Adaptive Steering technology and Active Lane Control, 889 units were delivered to customers in the first half of 2015 at a growth rate of 314 per cent. Infiniti’s SUV line-up continued to build on its regional successes.

The Inﬁniti QX50 led the way with a growth of 60 per cent, whilst the QX60 accounted for a growth of 29 per cent. The iconic QX70 and fullsize QX80 continued to improve

on year on year performance with increases of 7 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. The network expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last year

has also started to show dividends with sales in the market increasing by 322 per cent compared to the same period from the previous year. Schmitz, concluded: “It is great to see impactful results in Saudi as this continues to be a key focus market for Infiniti. The launch of our new facilities there has been a clear success as evidence from our results in the Kingdom. We will continue to build on our strong platform and continue the momentum for the year ahead.” Globally, Infiniti sold a record 103,500 new vehicles around the world in the first half of 2015, up 13% over the same period last year. On the back of a best-ever sales performance in 2014, Infiniti delivered another all-time-high result and for the first time sold more than 100,000 vehicles in the first six months. Infiniti has laid out plans to further expand its portfolio based on

the much acclaimed concept cars that had been introduced during the last two years: Q30 Concept, Q60 Concept and QX30 Concept. The Q30 production version will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September this year. The car will go on sale in Europe towards the end of the year with other markets following shortly after. Q30 will mark Infiniti’s first-ever entry into the compact segment. Along with the expanded product portfolio, Infiniti is also growing its manufacturing footprint and dealer network. In 2014, Infiniti began vehicle production in Xiangyang, China and engine production at the Infiniti Powertrain Plant in Decherd, Tennessee, in the US. Later this year it will begin manufacturing the Q30 in Sunderland, UK. The brand has also grown its dealer network by about 9 per cent in 2014 to 490 globally and continues the expansion aggressively around the world.

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ahlibank picks MyHassad daily winners MUSCAT: ahlibank announced the names of the MyHassad daily prize draw winners recently. Juma Ali Hamed Al Kamyani from Seeb branch, Said Abdullah Said Al Zaabi from Sohar branch, Hamood Hilal Ahmed Al Busaidi from Avenues Mall branch, Nasser Yousuf Juma Al Sinanai from Avenues Mall and Said Abdulla Salim Al Kharousi from Nizwa branch were the lucky winners of OMR1,000 each for the week, says a press release. MyHassad Saving Scheme was introduced in July 2008 as an extension of the bank’s tradition of product innovation. Opening MyHassad Saving account is simple and easy. Customers need only to open their MyHassad account with OMR100 for their chance to win OMR1,000 in the next working day’s draw hence their chance to ‘open today and win tomorrow’ continues. Further enhancements in March 2009 allows customers to participate in the OMR10,000 monthly draw, by maintaining a minimum OMR250 during the month. Effective from June 2010 customers can also transfer their salaries to MyHassad savings account and will be eligible to enter in the daily, monthly draw as per the balance maintained.

ROUND-UP

Powerful Prado emerges as an outstanding performer for occupants in a Prado. DAC (Downhill Assist Control), HAC (Hill-start Assist Control), Airbags, VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) and A-TRC (Active Traction Control) are some of its advanced protection systems. Prado’s strong chassis offers excellent impact protection while the long wheelbase and wide wheel track give excellent handling and stability.

Born with the Toyota Land Cruiser DNA in its bloodline, the Prado is superior in performance, both on-road and off-road

MUSCAT: Powerful, tough and stylish, Toyota’s Prado has lived up to its reputation of being legendary. No wonder its customer base has continued to witness rising numbers year after year. Born with the Toyota Land Cruiser DNA in its bloodline, the Prado is superior in performance, both on-road and off-road, says a press release. Indeed, the Prado stands apart — and looks quite bold doing so! An imposing grille and bumper guard adorned with LED Headlamps and clearance lamps add to its macho stance. Toyota Prado’s thrilling power and performance are comple-

mented by its class leadingfeatures These include display audio with nine speakers, Steering-mounted audio, Bluetooth and MID controls, Optitron meter with TFT info display and Cruise control. Its safety features include a rear view camera and driver, passenger, curtain, side (front) + knee (driver) airbags. Packed with a host of high-end luxury features, the Prado features leather upholstery, Woodgrain

panelling, chrome-coloured side protection moulding; muffler-cutter; chrome rear-lamp garnish and impressive alloy wheels. Prado’s interior is not just reﬁned but also has plenty of room to accommodate up to seven occupants. Cushioned seats offer wonderful under-thigh support. Secondrow seats fold in a 40:20:40 split, offer enhanced utility with a slide function and walk-in accessibility for facilitating easy ingress and

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

Oman LNG partners with Al Noor to provide Braille device training MUSCAT: In support of the local community, Oman LNG partnered with the Al Noor Association for the Blind to provide education on visual impairment and provid Braille device training recently in Sur. Throughout the week, participants unaccustomed to Braille and in need of these devices joined the training. On the last day of the training, Oman LNG donated Braille devices to the participants who have been using the devices throughout the week. Those who attended the event were Sheikh Hamad bin Sultan Al Busaidi, deputy wali of Sur, Hilal bin Ali Al Sinani, manager Corpo-

rate Social Responsibility, Oman LNG, and Sultan bin Ahmed Al Sabahi, deputy chairman of Al Noor Association for the Blind, says a press release.

“We are proud to be partnering with Al Noor Association to contribute to the society of Oman. This is a rewarding initiative and marks the start of a great part-

nership,” said Khalid Al Massan, chief executive of Oman LNG Development Foundation. “Our aim is to serve our community and contribute to all segments of society where we can. We feel privileged to be part of this journey and to enhance the lives of the visually impaired in Sur.” As part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, Oman LNG signed agreements in May this year to assist the visually impaired by purchasing numerous Braille sense devices and provide training on Braille. The agreement was signed by Rashid bin Suliman Al Farsi, chairman of Al Noor Association for the Blind in Sur.

C U LT U R A L C E L E B R AT I O N

McDonald’s participates in Salalah Tourism Festival SALALAH: This is that special time of the year when Salalah prides itself as the best summer getaway in the region. The surging tide of tourists that ﬂock to Salalah to enjoy and participate in the Khareef Festival gives the city a new vibrant and festive mood that is all pervasive. What adds to this happy and celebratory ambience is the

iconic global brand, McDonald’s, that welcomes guests coming to Salalah with its usual warmth and joy, providing customers with a delightful eating-out experience, says a press release. “The Salalah Tourism Festival has been an international festival that presents a world of tradition and entertainment during the Khareef season.

“McDonald’s participation in the festival demonstrates the company’s support to the Ministry of Tourism and the Dhofar Governorate in their efforts to promote the country’s rich cultural heritage. “For the second consecutive year, McDonald’s Oman is proud to be part of the festival that offers an exciting and enriching mix of

unforgettable experiences. “McDonald’s restaurants in Salalah and the McDonald’s kiosk at the festival cater to guests and customers from various communities with great tasting food, value for money, convenience and an enjoyable place for the whole family,” said Ali K. Daud, development licensee and president of McDonald’s Oman.

egress for the third-row seats. The third-row seats, fold in a 50:50 split. The Prado also offers steering angle display, active headrest, electric tilt and telescopic steering column, side step with illumination, smart entry and start / stop system, parking sensors and retractable outer mirrors (with turn signal). A reassuring combination of active and passive safety systems ensures optimum protection

Unparalleled prowess Prado’s unparalleled prowess is apparent on smooth as well as rough terrain. It has the power to hold its own and the performance to make its own path. In short, not much stands in the way of a Prado both on the road and off. All specifications listed above are standard Toyota equipment. Safety kit (fire extinguisher, warning triangle, tyre pressure gauge and first aid kit) is a dealer installed non Toyota item provided on Toyota models as standard equipment. The vehicle specifications may change without prior notice. For further details and to ascertain availability of stocks, please visit your nearest Toyota showroom. The above disclaimer is applicable only to 2015 YM / 2015 production vehicles.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

ROUND-UP K N O W L E D G E - E X C H A N G E P L AT F O R M

Bank Nizwa hosts delegation from Khartoum stock exchange MUSCAT: With the aim of surveying Oman’s progress in capital markets, a delegation from the Khartoum stock exchange visited Bank Nizwa’s head office in Shatti Al Qurum for an overview of the Islamic banking sector. The visit comes as a result of Bank Nizwa’s pioneering role and expertise to date and was received by the bank’s senior managers, says a press release. The visiting party attended presentations organised by the bank’s management team touching upon the ongoing challenges and opportunities of Islamic banking in Oman, as well as the development of the country’s ﬁrst sovereign Sukuk, and the potential of Islamic private investment Sukuk as a new avenue of economic development. The presentations also covered the bank’s Shari’a-compliant trade ﬁnance products and its focus on ethical conduct, in addition to a tour of day-to-day operations. The

trip was organised as a part of the delegation’s ongoing tour of Oman, hosted by MSM. Dr Jamil El Jaroudi commented: “The Islamic banking industry in Oman is in its infancy, yet it has much to offer. This visit provided a platform for knowledge-exchange allowing us to showcase the role Shari’a-compliant banking plays in the economy, the myriad of opportunities it brings and the potential it holds in years to come. Sitting down with like-minded industry professional, we were able to share our journey over the past two years, highlight our progression and demonstrate how adapt-

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TeO is hiring to prepare for new mobile service launch

able and versatile Shari’a-compliant products and services are to meet the evolving needs of today’s globalised customer.” He concluded, “As we strive to cement our position as the forerunner of Islamic banking in Oman, we will continue to maintain open communication with leading ﬁnancial institutions from around the world learning from one another to improve together.” The visit is the second to Bank Nizwa by an international ﬁnancial delegation this year, coming after the visit of the Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Roger Gifford, in January 2015.

At TeO, we are looking to recruit dynamic individuals who are motivated to perform well in the world of telecommunications. Right from fresh graduates to professionals with work experience in related fields, we welcome individuals to enhance their careers and grow with the company. As a young and ambitious company, we are focused on development of national resources, capabilities and competencies Khalil Al Balushi Senior HR manager at TeO

TeO is looking for indigenous talent and has been regularly participating in various career fairs and recruiting and training Omani nationals MUSCAT: Telecom Oman (TeO), a fast growing telecom player in the country, is expanding its workforce and hiring for various positions ahead of its MVNO service launch later this year, says a press release. Khalil Al Balushi, senior HR manager at TeO, explains: “At TeO, we are looking to recruit dynamic individuals who are motivated to perform well in the world of telecommunications. We are having multiple openings with exciting career prospects, especially for Omani nationals. As a

company we are very supportive to the Omanisation objectives of the Sultanate and committed to building an Omani company run by Omani nationals at all levels. TeO’s Class I and Class II Omanisation rates are expected to reach 90% before the end of the year.” “Right from fresh graduates to professionals with work experience in related ﬁelds, we welcome individuals to enhance their careers and grow with the company. As a young and ambitious company, we are focused on development of national resources, capa-

bilities and competencies,” Khalil Al Balushi adds. TeO is looking for indigenous talent and has been regularly participating at various career fairs and recruiting and training Omani nationals. Currently there are 20 vacancies open for Omani nationals for the positions of customer care / call centre executives and retail outlet executives. Ten vacancies for sales executives/merchandisers and one position for a marketing executive is also available. TeO is Oman’s ﬁrst private Class I licensee international gateway operator, a mobile services reseller and a ﬁrst of its kind international calling service provider. It has a young, dynamic and a multi-cultural team in place with a vision to create and offer integrated telecommunication experiences to its customers. TeO currently operates with its consumer product brand “Allo” and its endorsed brands “TeOGlobe” and “TeO Business”.

ISLAMIC INSURANCE PROVIDER

Al Madina Takaful opens new branch MUSCAT: Al Madina Takaful, Oman’s ﬁrst Islamic insurance provider opened its new branch in Ruwi, expanding its branch network, bringing convenience and ease to its customers. This fully operational branch, located near the CBO roundabout, opposite Modern Oman Bakery in Ruwi offers all of Al Madina Takaful’s services and products. Be it new policies, renewals

or claims, the branch is open from 8am to 4pm on all week days to cater to customer needs, says a press release. The new branch is an addition to the existing network of branches in SQU, Seeb, Nizwa, Sohar and Salalah. Al Madina Takaful has been looking at ways to bring new levels of customer service that offers immeasurable ease. “With this new branch, we ex-

tend our network and reaffirm our commitment to our customers to constantly offer them services and products at locations that can be conveniently accessed. We welcome our customers to this new branch,” said Gautam Datta, CEO, Al Madina Takaful. The new branch comes close on the heels of the launch of Oman’s ﬁrst mobile app for insurance by Al Madina Takaful.

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SPOR YOUR GAME

CLARKE TO RETIRE AFTER FINAL ASHES TEST Australia captain Michael Clarke, described by Cricket Australia (CA) as one of the “all-time greats”, will retire after the ﬁnal Ashes Test against England this month. >C4

Ruthless England destroy Australia to regain Ashes

EUPHORIC: England players celebrate after defeating Australia by an innings and 78 runs to win the Ashes during the third day of the fourth Ashes Test match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Saturday. – AP/PTI

SCOREBOARD

The England players celebrated in a huddle before going on a lap of honour to strains of “Rule Britannia” and “Land of Hope and Glory” as the crowd basked in the sunshine

NOTTINGHAM: England ripped out the last three Australia wickets for 12 runs to win the fourth Test by a crushing innings and 78 runs and regain the Ashes at a euphoric Trent Bridge on Saturday.

Australia 1st innings 60 England 1st innings 391-9 declared Australia 2nd innings C. Rogers c Root b Stokes D. Warner c Broad b Stokes S. Smith c Stokes b Broad S. Marsh c Root b Stokes M. Clarke c Bell b Wood A. Voges not out P. Nevill lbw b Stokes

and the way they’ve taken this opportunity,” he said.

52 64 5 2 13 51 17

Ben Stokes had Mitchell Starc caught by Ian Bell at second slip for nought and Mark Wood bowled Josh Hazlewood for a duck. Wood produced another ferocious full-pitched delivery to shatter Nathan Lyon’s stumps for four and complete the rout, sparking wild celebrations on the pitch and around the ground. The England players celebrated in a huddle before going on a lap of honour to strains of “Rule Britannia” and “Land of Hope and Glory”

M. Johnson c Cook b Stokes 5 M. Starc c Bell b Stokes 0 J. Hazlewood b Wood 0 N. Lyon b Wood 4 Extras (b-20, lb-16, w-1, nb-3) 40 Total (all out, 72.4 overs) 253 Fall of wickets: 1-113, 2-130, 3-136, 4-136, 5-174, 6-224, 7-236, 8-242, 9-243. Bowling: Broad 16-5-36-1; Wood 17.4-3-69-3 (nb-2, w-1); Finn 12-4-42-0 (nb-1); Stokes 21-8-36-6; Ali 6-0-34-0.

as the crowd basked in the sunshine. “It’s unbelievable. I couldn’t be happier,” England captain Alastair Cook told reporters. England were whitewashed 5-0 in the last Ashes series in Australia in 2013-14 and the touring side had been strong favourites to retain the famous urn. “For what we’ve been through over the last 18 months, to play like we did has been fantastic,” captain Cook said. “I’m so proud of this young team

A N A LY S I S

Vibrant England find perfect blend NOTTINGHAM: England’s comprehensive Ashes victory over Australia was built on a purposeful and well-drilled team that combined the perfect blend of youth and experience. Series draws against West Indies and New Zealand showed glimpses of promise but also worrying inconsistencies which suggested stalwarts like Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior and Kevin Pietersen had not been adequately replaced. The vibrant cricket that won back the Ashes, however, proved that the new team has come of age. Alastair Cook adopted a more aggressive approach as captain, James Anderson and Stuart Broad led the pace attack, while Joe Root and Ben Stokes provided the youthful energy to deliver at key moments of the series. Although he did not make a century in the first four Tests, Cook is back to his best at the top of the order, a calming presence for the players around him. Anderson produced an inspired spell at Edgbaston, taking advantage of favourable conditions to complete figures of six for 47 which set up an eight-wicket win. England’s leading wicket-taker was ruled out of the fourth test with a side injury but Broad assumed responsibility, bowling an inspired spell on the first morning at Trent Bridge to complete career-best figures of eight for 15 and skittle the Australians for 60. Root, 24, confirmed himself to be a batsman of the highest class.

The vibrant cricket that won back the Ashes, however, proved that the new team has come of age as Cook adopted a more aggressive approach

His composed 134 set up the first Test victory in Cardiff and it was the Yorkshire right-hander who capitalised on Broad’s heroics with a fluent innings of 130 to lay the platform for the seriesclinching win. Cameo contributions Stokes, who batted superbly in the first Test against New Zealand, was subdued against Australia before springing to life with the ball at the perfect moment on the second afternoon at Trent Bridge. Chris Rogers and David Warner were compiling a patient opening partnership that could have dragged Australia back into the match when the firebrand allrounder put his hand up. Three quick wickets before tea and a magnificent catch to dismiss Steve Smith turned the game firmly back England’s way.

Other players made cameo contributions to the triumph. Ian Bell, under pressure for his place and promoted to number three, made two half-centuries at Edgbaston, the second guiding England calmly to a modest victory target of 121. Key moments Moeen Ali proved once again what a useful weapon he is at number eight in the order, a quickfire 38 on Friday lifting his team after Australia grabbed five early wickets. Jos Buttler had a disappointing series with the bat but kept wicket well, taking a couple of superb diving catches at key moments and energising the team. Mark Wood and Steven Finn also contributed with the ball. Finn bowled a superb spell at Edgbaston to complete figures of six for 79 and confirm his re-emergence as a test bowler while the livewire Wood claimed three wickets in the second innings at Trent Bridge and had the honour of delivering the ball that sealed the Ashes. Jonny Bairstow scored a fluent 74 at Trent Bridge after being recalled in place of Gary Ballance and the only England player to fail to make a significant contribution was opener Adam Lyth. He endured a difficult series and must be under pressure after failing to get past fifty, although there are few alternatives and he will surely get another chance at The Oval to cement his place as Cook’s long-term partner. - Reuters

Test-best figures Adam Voges was left unbeaten on 51 in Australia’s total of 253 and Stokes finished with test-best figures of six for 36. “Our goal was to come here and try and have some success,” Australia captain Michael Clarke said at the presentation ceremony after announcing he will retire from international cricket at the end of the final Test in the series. “Alastair Cook and the England team deserve a lot of credit — they’ve shown us how to execute good swing and seam bowling. “It’s not for want of trying but the boys have been beaten by a better side. “England when they’ve had momentum have grabbed it with both hands and run with it. James Anderson and Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes in this game showed what you need to do in games like this. Once you find the edge you need to

hang on to those chances and England have done that really well.” England won the ﬁrst Test in Cardiff by 169 runs but Australia bounced back to level the series with a crushing victory by 405 runs at Lord’s. The hosts dominated the third Test at Edgbaston and won by eight wickets inside three days before dismissing Australia for 60 on the ﬁrst day at Trent Bridge to set up another overwhelming victory. “When you lose 5-0 there’s a big turnaround and a new side develops pretty quickly,” Cook said. “There’s a lot of talent and the guys have come in and done incredibly well. It all comes down to hard work. A lot of that work has been done over the last 18 months,” Cook said. “I had to take a big step forward as captain. I am quite stubborn and it took a while. But ultimately you are only as good as the other 10 players.” England lead the series 3-1 with one match to play at The Oval starting on August 20. - Reuters

SURPRISED

Beyond belief, says Cook NOTTINGHAM: England captain Alastair Cook said he didn’t think his side were ready to win the Ashes after an innings and 78-run victory in the fourth Test against Australia at Trent Bridge on Saturday saw them regain the urn. “From the team’s point of view to win like we’ve done is just beyond belief,” Cook told reporters as he savoured an Ashes series win completed inside 14 days. “I didn’t think we were quite ready to win the Ashes at the beginning because I thought you needed a group of players who were match-hardened. “We have won really critical moments and the players have really stepped up which shouldn’t surprise me but it has,” he added. “I know it sounds a bit silly when you are 2-1 up but the pressure was on that first morning,” said Cook. “Every one of those guys can be very proud about the way they have handled the pressure, clearly led by Stuart. “To bowl a team out for 60 you’ve pretty much won the game...The guys stood up to the pressure without Jimmy leading the bowling attack.” Man-of-the-match Stuard Broad was on target right from the first over of the match, taking his 300th Test wicket with the third ball of the game. The paceman paid tribute to the input of Bayliss and the ‘getting to know you’ training camp the squad had with their new coach in Spain just prior to the Ashes that was organised by England managing director Andrew Strauss. “In my wildest dreams I never thought we would be 3-1 up here at Trent Bridge,” said Broad. “Maybe we should start every series with a golfing trip if Straussy wants to do it!” “Trevor Bayliss has only just turned up, so let’s not give him too much credit,” joked Cook, before adding: “No, he’s been brilliant. I had to take a big step forward as captain. I am quite stubborn and it took a while.” Bayliss, the first Australian to coach England, said: “I just do things the way I’ve always done them. I say to the players ‘Go out and play your own game’ and that’s something I try to stick to as a coach.” - AFP

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

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Bowlers impress as Indians dominate in drawn match While the batsmen did not exactly set the stage on ﬁre in the second innings getting all out for 180 but the bowlers kept the pressure, restricting hosts to 200 for six in 54 overs

COLOMBO: Indian cricketers got much-needed match practice as they enjoyed an upperhand on all three days against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI in the tour opener that ended in a tame draw here on Saturday. While the batsmen did not exactly set the stage on ﬁre in the second innings getting all out for 180 but the bowlers kept the pressure, restricting hosts to 200 for six in 54 overs as they chased an unachievable victory target of 411 runs. Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (three for 38 in eight overs) warmed up nicely for the Test series while Harbhajan Singh (one for 26 in eight overs) and Amit Mishra (one for 42 in 12 overs) also got crucial overs under their belt. Earlier, India started off from their overnight score of 112 for three but both the unbeaten batsmen KL Rahul (47 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (31 not out) retired to give the lower order a chance to get some decent hit. Ashwin (0) was bowled off the ﬁrst ball he faced from Lahiru Gamage (one for 20). Harbhajan (4) too lasted only three more

BATTING PRACTICE: India’s Amit Mishra and Harbhajan Singh, right, in action during the ﬁnal day of their three-day warm-up match between Sri Lanka Board President’s XI at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on Saturday. – AFP

overs edging one to slips off Nisala Tharaka (one for 14). Mishra (7) faced 29 balls in a bid to get in some practice after missing out in the ﬁrst innings. At the other end, Bhuvneshwar Kumar made good on this opportunity given to him even as Mishra and Varun Aaron (2) were dismissed in quick succession. Ku-

mar stroked five fours and scored 37 runs off 56 balls, helping India cross the 150-mark. Kumar added 37 runs for the final wicket with Umesh Yadav (17 not out) before he was last man dismissed, falling to Milinda Siriwardana (one for five). Board President’s XI thus required 411 runs for an outright victory, but that was never the

purpose of their second innings. Instead, it was about batting time for their Test team members and for the Indians, it was about sending down a few overs. Yadav (one for 19) and Aaron (none for 29) were handed the new ball and they didn’t disappoint. Yadav bowled with consistency in line and length, and used the

new ball to good effect. He was rewarded with the wicket of opener Dhananjay de Silva (6) as KL Rahul took a super catch at third slip diving to his right as the hosts went to lunch at 14 for one. After the break, Harabhajan Singh (one for 26) dismissed Lahiru Thirimanne (18) as Ajinkya Rahane took a sharp catch at ﬁrst slip. - PTI

HOCKEY

Indians start preparations for Asia Cup NEW DELHI: Following their fourth place finish in the recently concluded Under-21 Volvo Invitational, the Indian junior hockey team will take part in a preparatory camp at Shilaroo, Himachal Pradesh, from August 9 to September 11. A total of 32 players will be part of the camp to train for the fifth Sultan of Johor Cup and eighth Junior Asia Cup, scheduled in October and November, respectively. Both tournaments will be played in Malaysia. “The young boys have huge talent and capabilities and can deliver under a tough situation at any given day,” coach Harendra Singh said. “The next two tournaments in October and November are very important for us and we will aim to win both. This camp will help us work on our team coordination along with working on different areas which will help us deliver better in crucial matches.” The Indian team for the Sultan of Johor Cup, slated from October 11 to 18, will aim to defend their title. The Junior Asia Cup will be played from November 14 to 22. List of 32 probables: Goalkeepers: Pankaj Kumar Rajak, Suraj Karkera, Subodh Tirkey, Vikas Dahiya, Karan Thakur, Krishan B. Pathak, Syed Naseenuddin Shahbaz; Defenders: Abhishek Pratap Singh, Anand Lakra, Dipsan Tirkey, Gurinder Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Nilam Sanjeeep Xess, Varun Kumar; Midfielders: Vikramjit Singh, Abhay Ekka, Ajay Yadav, Baljeet Singh Boparai, Manpreet, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajat Sharma, Santa Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Harjeet Singh, Vivek Sagar; Forwards: Gurjant Singh, Sumit Kumar, Raushan Kumar Paswan, Ajit Kumar Pandey, Armaan Qureshi, Parvinder Singh, Raju Pal. - IANS AFTER BREAK

TRI-SERIES

India A, South Africa A hope to post victory CHENNAI: After being outplayed by Australia A in their respective matches, both India A and South Africa A will look to register a much-needed win when they faceoff in a 50-over tri-series match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday. Australia A drubbed India A by 119 runs on Friday, thanks to centurions Joe Burns (154) and Usman Khawaja (100). Earlier on Wednesday, a superlative all-round performance from Australia A helped their side to a nine-wicket victory over South Africa A. After the conclusion of tri-series, South Africa A will play a couple of unofficial Test matches against India A.

Both Indian A and South Africa A, who were handed huge defeats by Australia, will be looking for a crucial win when they clash in Chennai on Sunday

The South African senior team for four Tests and ﬁve One-Day International (ODI) series against India starting late September will be announced soon and the selectors might view this series as a trial for some of the fringe players. But the visiting players are yet to impress the selectors both with

bat and ball, following their loss against Australia A. Despite failing with the bat in the opener, skipper Dean Elgar will again be the key batsman as far as South Africa A are concerned. In the bowling department, Marchant de Lange, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, David Wiese make a

healthy pace bowling line-up. Whereas India A bowlers after being hammered by Australia A batsmen will have to come back strongly on Sunday. Medium pacers Sandeep Sharma and Dhawal Kulkarni backed up by spinning trio of Axar Patel, Parvez Rasool and leg-break bowler Karn Sharma will have to make the most use of the pitch to restrict the opposition. It will be test of character for the former star Rahul Dravid-coached India A side. However, the talented young players in the squad are willing to prove their credentials. With captain Unmukt Chand, Manish Pandey and Sanju Sam-

son in the batting line-up, India A are expected to bat aggressively upfront. India A squad: Unmukt Chand (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Kedar Jadhav, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Parveez Rasool, Karn Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Sandeep Sharma, Rush Kalaria, Mandeep Singh, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Rishi Dhawan. South Africa A squad: Dean Elgar (captain), Cody Chetty, Theunis de Bruyn, Marchant de Lange, Cameron Delport, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Eddie Leie, Keshav Maharaj, Omphile Ramela, Mthokozisi Shezi, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Dane Vilas, David Wiese, Khaya Zondo. - IANS

Sports coaching resumes at ISC MUSCAT: After the summer break, coaching at the Indian Social Club (ISC) Muscat resumed under the supervision of professional coaches and trainers. The ISC is providing coaching in cricket, badminton, table tennis, karate and tennis all under one roof at its facilities in Darsait. The club’s busy sports calendar will continue with the annual table tennis and the junior table tennis league which will commence soon. Open tournaments in tennis and table tennis are in the pipeline. Further details on the club’s coaching programmes can be obtained from the Indian Social Club in Darsait (Tel: 24701347/24797921 or e-mail : indiansc@omantel.net.om

CRICKET

‘We are very excited about World T20’

YED Jameel Zaidi was the team manager of the history making Oman cricket team which recently booked its place for the 2016 World T20 tournament to be held in India. Oman pulled off a major upset by beating Namibia in the fourth place Qualifying PlayOff in Dublin in July 2015. The win achieved a long held target for the Oman cricket team and Jameel Zaidi is a person who can claim to have been involved in this project from the very start. Jameel Zaidi has had a longstanding association with Oman cricket and has been its Team Manager for the past three years as it emerged into a team that shocked everyone by beating a fancied Namibia side in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualiﬁer. Zaidi has had a long association with not only cricket in Oman but cricket in general. He grew up in the port city of Karachi in Pakistan and had a love for the game since an early age. In the 1970s, he was seen as a young cricketer with serious potential and represented both Karachi and Sindh at Under-19 level besides captaining Pakistan Universities. Interestingly, he was only a year

Al Saadi to preside over OC Gala MUSCAT: The Oman Cricket (OC) will organise their 36th Annual Awards Gala on September 16. The event, which honours the achievers of the 2014-15 season, will take place Al Falaj Hotel from 7 pm. Shaikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Mardhouf Al Saadi, Minister of Sports Affairs, will be the chief guest. OMAN TEAM MANAGER:

Syed Jameel Zaidi.

junior to the legendary Javed Miandad. However, his professional life took over and before he could progress further in his cricket career he moved to Muscat in 1980 to take up a role at a Bahrain based ﬁrm. Jameel Zaidi’s love for cricket did not leave him though and he continued playing at whatever level he could. He played a great part in promoting cricket in the country and represented the country as well. Even before his appointment as the Team Manager, Jameel Zaidi has maintained a close link to the development of the game in Oman. He served as the Technical Advisor and at times had to take upon the duties of a chief selector for six years

prior to his current position. A cricket team like Oman has access to limited funds and in a situation like this the role of the team manager becomes even more important as he had to ensure that the players have access to the best available training equipment and facilities. In an exclusive interview, Syed Jameel Zaidi said: “We are very excited about the 2016 World T20. The work does not stop. Every day is hard day and we have to prepare to get at the level to be able to compete.” Jameel expanded on the trials and tribulations that the team had to go through in order to realise their dream of playing in an ICC

world event. “We were 29th in the rankings. We worked very hard in the searing heat where temperatures went up to 50 Celsius at times. We used to train at 4am in the morning. “The training was intense with sessions in the evening too. The guys worked hard and had a lot of determination. By qualifying we ﬁnally achieved what we wanted.” Oman is a team which has big ambitions. If the team can keep on building the progress it has seen under Jameel Zaidi and the team management then their opponents should keep in mind that they will not be at the World Twenty20 to just make up the numbers. - pakpassion.net

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

SPORTS BADMINTON

Chen chases second world crown to cap stellar season JAKARTA: Defending champion Chen Long heads into next week’s World Badminton Championships in Indonesia as firm favourite, but faces a challenge from a gutsy Lee Chong Wei who has come back strong after a recent doping ban. Chen, 26, is in superb form having swept four titles this year and enters the Jakarta tournament a convincing top seed, with Danish star Jan O Jorgensen a distant second. The world No. 1 won’t cross top rivals Lee or Lin Dan in the early stages — they are in different halves of the draw — and is expected to cruise to the quarterfinals without incident. But from there things could get trickier for the Chinese star with a likely clash against seventhseeded Dane Viktor Axelsen who nearly overpowered him in the Australian Open finals in May. Chen prevailed in that contest but it hasn’t all gone smoothly this season, with a series of shock defeats marring his otherwise impressive run, including at the Indonesian and Singapore Opens. “It doesn’t matter if you are number one or number two. You have to prepare for everything,” he

told Indian media after his narrow victory over Axelsen in Sydney. Much attention will be on Malaysia’s Lee at the week-long tournament, which starts on Monday. He was runner-up in last year’s world championships but was stripped of his silver medal and slapped with an eight-month ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance. Former world number one Lee’s ranking plunged during his stint in the wilderness, but he has gained ground since returning to the circuit in May, winning back-to-back titles at the U.S. and Canada Open. The 33-year-old will be unseeded for the first time in years at next week’s tournament but the shuttler, sporting a new blue hairdo, believes that will work in his favour as he chases his first world title. “In recent years I’ve been competing as top seed and the man to beat but now I’m an underdog,” Lee told Malaysian media. “This is my year.” Luck on Lee’s side Lee’s hopes of winning a world crown were crushed in the last three world championship finals, with long-time foe Lin defeating

Home favourite and 15th seed Tommy Sugiarto has a ﬁrstround date with European Games victor Pablo Abian from Spain, while fourth-seed Kento Momota from Japan squares off against Germany’s Dieter Domke.

FIRM FAVOURITE: Chen Long. – AFP

him twice and Chen dashing his hopes last year. But Lee might have luck on his side this time. Thanks to a favourable draw, the Malaysian is sepa-

rated from his arch-rivals in the early stages and won’t face Lin until the semiﬁnals — if he makes it that far — and Chen until the ﬁnal. Many seeds have opening round

byes but Jorgensen must navigate his way past Thai shuttler Boonsak Ponsana at the outset if he’s to have any chance of becoming the ﬁrst European winner since 1997.

‘I am in the form of my life’

FEELING GOOD: Parupalli Kashyap

India’s reigning Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap says he is in the form of his life and is eager to make a mark at the World Badminton Championships

NEW DELHI: Reigning Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap says he is in the form of his life and is eager to make a mark at the World Badminton Championships in Jakarta from August 10 to 16. “I am at the peak of my career. I mean look at Lin Dan or Lee Chong Wei: they reached their best shape

at 28. I am 28, I am in the best form of my life, I see no reason of not doing well. I am feeling good about my body; I am perfectly ﬁne. I will be ﬁghting hard to win matches,” Kashyap said. The world No. 10 will be starting his campaign at the worlds against world No. 81 Erik Meijs. The Hyderabadi has a 1-0 lead in career

meetings over the Dutchman but following the first round, the going will get tougher. “It depends on how I play. I am playing well at the moment. The draw is quite tough. I might end up facing Kento Momota in the prequarterfinals,” said Kashyap. “He has won a couple of tournaments this year; so he will be confident. Before that I will be facing Erik and the winner of the match between Tien Minh Nguyen and Lee Dong Keun. Both are very tough competitors. Let us see what happens,” said Kashyap. “I will be taking it round after round and not be silly to just dream that I will achieve this or that. The play will depend on my form and the conditions there. Of course, every one wants a World Championship medal at the end of the day.

I will try everything in my capability to win it.” The former world No.6 had a brilliant start to the year when he won the India Grand Prix Gold in January. But the three-time Commonwealth Games medallist has not been able to maintain the same level since then. “It has been tough as I have been playing with injuries. Twice, post the title win, I injured myself and both times I was out for around two to three weeks,” said the 28-year-old. “Then obviously you take time to get back in shape. I ﬁrst had an abdominal tear and later in the year I pulled my hamstring.” “That win in Lucknow was very good because it gave me a lot of conﬁdence. But unfortunately the injuries just took everything away

and I had to start from scratch. I almost did not play for a month then and I became rusty. In the following tournaments I played well but had some very close matches.” The right-handed Kashyap will be trying his best to become only the second Indian male to clinch a world championships medal after the legendary Prakash Padukone. Indian shuttlers have won four bronze medals at the annual world championships till date. Padukone became the ﬁrst to clinch the medal in 1983 in the men’s singles. India next brought home a medal after 28 years when women’s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa clinched the bronze in 2011. Women’s singles specialist P.V. Sindhu then won two consecutive bronze medals in 2013 and 2014. - IANS

Out for revenge In the women’s draw defending champion and world number one Carolina Marin will be looking to cap a tremendous season with her second straight world championship crown. India’s Saina Nehwal only just trails the top-seeded Spaniard, while China’s Li Xuerui will be out for revenge after Marin upstaged her in last year’s world championship ﬁnals in Copenhagen. There could be history in the mixed doubles if local star Liliyana Natsir wins gold with partner Tontowi Ahmad and claims a record-breaking fourth world championship. But to get there the Indonesians will have to fend off polished pairs from Hong Kong and South Korea, and a berth in the ﬁnal would almost certainly mean a showdown with one of the Chinese pairs seeded one and two. - AFP BADMINTON

After 22 years, a Delhi shuttler at world event NEW DELHI: After 22 years, a Delhi shuttler will take part in the World Badminton Championships - to be held this year in Jakarta from August 10 to 16. Mohita Sahdev will become the first Delhi shuttler to take part in the annual event after Ajay Kanwar participated in men’s doubles with Vijaydeep Singh at the 1993 worlds in Birmingham. Though there have been other shuttlers who were residents of the national capital or were born here, they did not play for Delhi at the national level, representing Railways or Petroleum boards, among others. “The first time I became a state champion at the Under-13 level, I had a dream of playing for India at the World Championships. It has taken almost 14-15 years to realise the dream and I do not have words to express my feelings,” the 27-yearold Mohita said. Mohita, who trains at the Surjit Singh Badminton Academy here, will be partnering friend Dhanya Nair in the Indonesian capital. They will take on the French pair of Delphine Lansac and Emilie Lefel in the first round of women’s doubles on Tuesday. “I had been trying for many years to qualify for the World Championships and it has finally come true,” Mohita, whose husband Tanvir Gill is also a national-level badminton player, said. “I have been playing with Dhanya for almost two-and-half years... Our efforts have finally borne fruit... We need to play more international tournaments for exposure and to gain ranking points.” Mohita and Dhanya are ranked No. 94 in the world while their upcoming French opponents are No. 39 — but that doesn’t deter the Delhi girl. “Though they are ranked above us, doubles is a different ball game... We have a good chance of winning. We believe in ourselves and we will give it our best shot,” said Mohita. Apart from Mohita and Dhanya, two more Indian pairs — Jwala Gutta-/Ashwini Ponnappa and Pradnya Gadre-N. Sikki Reddy — will take part in women’s doubles at the worlds. - IANS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

SPORTS Clarke to retire after final Test Precision timing deserts as Clarke falls on his sword

Clarke said ‘the decision is never easy. I started playing

this great game at six years of age. I’m 34. I wish I could play for another 30 years’

NOTTINGHAM: Australia captain Michael Clarke, described by Cricket Australia (CA) as one of the “all-time greats”, will retire after the ﬁnal Ashes Test against England this month. Clarke announced his decision to quit international cricket after England won the fourth Test at Trent Bridge by an innings and 78 runs on Saturday to regain the Ashes. “I want to play the last Test at The Oval and give it one more crack. The time is right,” said the 34-year-old, who stepped down from One-day Internationals (ODI) in March. “You never want to walk away. My performances over the past 12 months have not been acceptable to me. Test cricket is about the Ashes. We tried our best, I certainly tried my best, but we got outplayed.” Clarke has played 114 Tests and scored over 8,000 runs, including 28 centuries. “I certainly don’t want to jump ship and leave the boys now,” he said. “I pride myself on leading from the front so (my form has) been disappointing. “One-day cricket is about the World Cup, Test cricket is about the Ashes. We got outplayed, we got beaten. “It’s time for the next generation of players, the next captain, to have his opportunity to try to build the team again and get them ready for the next Ashes series.” Clarke revealed that he made the decision to retire from Test cricket on Friday evening. “I felt my performances weren’t as good as I wanted them to be,” he said. “The decision is never easy. I started playing this great game at six years of age. I’m 34. I wish I could play for another 30 years.” Cook tribute England captain Alastair Cook

‘TIME FOR NEXT GENERATION’: Michael Clarke

FA C T B O X

Factbox on Australia captain Michael Clarke who announced on Saturday he was retiring from international cricket after the final Ashes Test: Born on April 2, 1981 at Liverpool, New South Wales Nickname: Pup, Clarkey Made his Test debut against India at Bangalore in 2004, hitting a century in the match. Has played 114 Tests, scoring 8628 runs with 28 centuries and 27 half centuries and averaging just under 50 His highest Test score of 329 not out came against India in Sydney in 2012 A brilliant slip fielder, Clarke has taken 131 catches in Tests and 106 in ODIs. Groomed as a future leader, Clarke took over as Australia captain after Ricky Ponting quit after the 2011 World Cup. One of the best players of spin bowling, Clarke has often held together Australia’s innings Made his ODI debut against England in Adelaide in 2003 Ended ODI career after leading Australia to World Cup victory in March Scored 7,981 runs from 245 ODI matches with eight centuries and 58 half centuries Clarke averaged more than 44 in ODIs and his highest score of 130 came against India at Bangalore in 2007 A part-time left-arm spinner, Clarke has taken 31 test wickets and 57 in ODIs His best bowling figures, six wickets for nine runs, were also against India, in Mumbai in 2004 Also played 34 Twenty20 Internationals, before quitting that format in 2011 to focus on the longer versions of the game. - Reuters

paid tribute to his Australian counterpart. “To Michael from the England team you were a fantastic player, fantastic leader,” Cook said. “You should be remem-

TORONTO TOURNEY

opportunity to try and build the team and get them ready for the next Ashes series,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to play over 100 Test matches for Australia. “I’ve always said the game owes me nothing, I owe it everything. I’m thankful I’ve been able to play it for so long.” Polarising figure At times a polarising figure in cricket-mad Australia, Clarke made his Test debut against India in 2004, scoring a hundred in his first innings. Clarke, who hails from Sydney’s working-class western suburbs, took over as Australian Test captain in 2011 and a year later he scored his first triple century. In 2013-14, he led Australia to a 5-0 cleansweep at home to regain the Ashes but the first signs that things were starting to fall apart came last summer when he hurt his hamstring playing against India. Troubled by hamstring and back issues since he was a teenager, Clarke retired from the match and did not play again during the series. Still mourning the death of his team mate and close friend Phillip Hughes, he hinted that he might walk away from the game. He briefly changed his mind but not his form and the pressure started to build. Clarke joined a long list of Australian captains whose last year in the job has been a constant struggle after the emergence of a natural successor. In Clarke’s case, his replacement as skipper will be Steve Smith, who led the team against India and has already been appointed as ODI captain. Smith, who will become Australia’s youngest test captain since Kim Hughes, has been on a golden run of form with the bat, including a double century in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s. - Reuters

TENNIS

Sharapova withdraws TORONTO: Maria Sharapova’s U.S. Open preparations took a major blow with the Russian world No. 2 forced to withdraw from next week’s WTA event in Toronto. The 28-year-old Russian withdrew due to a right leg strain, the Toronto tournament organisers announced on Friday. The Russian great has not played since she lost to American

bered as a great captain.” CA chairman Wally Edwards acknowledged Clarke’s contribution to the team. “When Michael made his stun-

ning test debut in Bangalore back in 2004, Australian cricket knew it had found a very special talent,” Edwards said in an Australian Cricket Board statement. “He was earmarked as a future leader and as his reputation grew it was clear that he was the right man to one day captain Australia. “Throughout his captaincy, he has been a thoroughly professional player, a brave and daring leader who has given his all for our country.” Edwards praised Clarke’s handling of the death of his close friend and former teammate Phillip Hughes last year after he was struck on the head while batting in a domestic match. “His innings against India in Adelaide last summer stands as one of the most memorable and emotional episodes in the history of Australian sport,” Edwards said. “His leadership throughout that tragic time was a mark of his character. He leaves the game as one of our all-time greats and as an excellent example to young Australians about what they can achieve through dedication to their chosen craft.” - Reuters

iming is everything in the cut-throat world of international cricket and Australian captain Michael Clarke knew the game was up for him. Clarke announced on Saturday that he was quitting the Australian Test captaincy after his side suffered a humiliating loss in the Ashes series against England. One of Australia’s greatest batsmen, with 28 Test centuries to his name, Clarke could hardly have imagined a worse way to exit the game he graced for more than a decade. Struggling with his own form, and trying to rally a team that was badly outplayed, the 34-year-old fell on his sword, knowing that if he did not jump he would eventually be pushed. “I’ll have one more Test and that will be the end of my career,” Clarke said. “I’m retiring from international cricket. I certainly don’t want to jump ship and leave the boys now, so I’ll play the last Test at The Oval, give it one last crack, but the time is right now.” For Clarke, it was a bittersweet way to end his career. Earlier this year, he was on top of the world, leading Australia to an emotional victory in the World Cup ﬁnal on home soil. The signs were already there. Plagued by a hamstring injury, he had almost missed the World Cup but made it back just in time and played a starring role in the ﬁnal, top-scoring with 74 in what was his last one-day International. He was tempted to quit then but the lure of the Ashes was too much. Clarke said he would continue playing tests but his lean run with the bat, coupled with losing the Ashes, convinced him it was time to give it up, even if it was not the ending he wanted. “Now it’s time for the next generation of players, the next captain to have his

world No. 1 Serena Williams in the Wimbledon semiﬁnals on July 9 and played just 10 tournament so far this year. The Rogers Cup in Toronto is a key stop on the North American hardcourt circuit before the year’s ﬁnal Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows in New York. The U.S. Open takes palce from August 31 to September 13. - Reuters

Djokovic makes return in Montreal MONTREAL: A month after winning Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic will pick up a racquet once again as the world No. 1 plays as top seed in the Montreal Masters, which begins on Monday. The Serb, who won the first of his three Canadian titles in 2007 in Montreal, also added another in 2011 and a 2012 honour in Toronto to his list of North American success stories. Since beating Roger Federer -who will not compete next week but will save his energies for the Cincinnati Masters and US Open to follow — Djokovic has seemingly done everything possible to keep his distance from tennis. He missed the Davis Cup quarter-finals last month to rest and was seen on holiday with the family and on the golf course in and around his base of Monte Carlo. The 28-year-old had said following Wimbledon that he would be decompressing after a tough first half of the ATP Tour season which yielded four Masters 1000 titles and a third Wimbledon. “There is no reason not to be satisfied with what I have achieved. In contrary, I’m thrilled and very proud with all the success that I had so far in the career, everything I reached,” Djokovic said after his All England Club success. “If you would ask me as a 14-year-old back in Serbia trying to find my way, that this is how I’m going to end up at 28, of course I would sign the deal and take it right away.” Murray to become a dad The Serb and the remainder of the leading seeds benefit from firstround byes in the Quebec City whose tennis stadium was carved from what was originally a baseball pitch. With world No. 2 Federer miss-

If you would ask me as a 14-year-old back in Serbia trying to find my way, that this is how I’m going to end up at 28, of course I would sign the deal and take it right away

Novak Djokovic World No. 1

ing, Andy Murray takes the second seeding, with the Scot trying to put aside an embarrassing opening-match loss in the Washington Open. He won back-toback Canadian trophies in 2009 and 2010 but has not been past the quarterﬁnals since. Murray is about to join fellow tennis elites Federer and Djokovic as a new father, with British tabloids reporting wife Kim Sears is due to give birth in February. Stan Wawrinka, the French Open champion, takes the third seeding, with the Swiss now healed from a shoulder injury which bothered him at Wimble-

don and forced him from an appearance on home clay in Gstaad. Japan’s Kei Nishikori, seeded fourth, is in a similar situation after weeks of leg muscle problems which seem to be improving. Newly married Czech Tomas Berdych is seeded fifth, ahead of US Open winner Marin Cilic. Rafael Nadal will be on seventh as the Spaniard takes his first tentative steps onto the hard courts which have been so damaging to his body. The Spaniard built up a small store of confidence by winning the Hamburg clay title this month, but that will likely count for little on the gruelling cement.

Canadian Milos Raonic, also returning from injury after foot surgery in May, is seeded eighth and will carry local weight after losing the 2013 ﬁnal to Nadal and going out to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez last year in the quarters. French players take four seeding spots, with Gilles Simon on ninth, 2014 holder Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on tenth and Richard Gasquet seeded 11th. Gael Monﬁls is seeded 15th. Spain’s David Ferrer withdrew due to a long-running elbow injury which has kept him off court since the week prior to Wimbledon Championships. - AFP

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SPORTS FOOTBALL

Van Gaal wants Man United’s best player De Gea to stay

Louis van Gaal

NEW POWER: Juventus’ players celebrate with the trophy after winning their Italian Super Cup match against Lazio in Shanghai on Saturday. – Reuters

Juventus new-look strike force clinches Super Cup Croatian international striker Mario Mandzukic and Argentine Paulo Dybala, signed this summer for a reported 19 million euros and 32 million euros respectively, breached Lazio’s net in the second half with two well-taken goals

SHANGHAI: Juventus’ two new strikers both scored on their debut as the Turin club beat Lazio 2-0 to lift the Italian Super Cup in China on Saturday. Croatian international striker

Mario Mandzukic and Argentine Paulo Dybala, signed this summer for a reported 19 million euros and 32 million euros respectively, breached Lazio’s net in the second half with two well-taken goals.

Both sides fielded strong sides in a match played in front of a large crowd at 60,000-capacity Shanghai Stadium, but there was little entertainment on offer for much of the evening, save for a half-time performance by a trio of Chinese traditional musicians. It took until the 26th minute before either goalkeeper was called into action, when Juventus’ Stephan Lichtsteiner unleashed a long range shot which flew over the Lazio bar. The first half was a torrid midfield battle which saw Juventus’ Paul Pogba heavily involved in much of the action, but he was unable to create any clear-cut chances for his side. In the second half, the teams appeared to toil somewhat in the humid 32-degree evening heat.

But not long after the restart Pogba again made his presence felt with a spectacular 30-yard drive which flew just wide of Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti’s right post. Emphatic finish The deadlock was finally broken in the 69th minute when Mandzukic rose majestically to head home a dangerous cross. An unperturbed Lazio almost equalised just moments later when Brazilian playmaker Felipe Anderson unleashed a powerful half volley from edge of box which Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon saved well. However, Juventus wasted no time in extending their lead, when in the 73rd minute Pogba neatly controlled a high ball and laid it off in the box to Dybala. The Argentine striker, who

AT H L E T I C S

IAAF attacks ‘naive’ doping experts PARIS: World athletics’ ruling body the IAAF on Saturday condemned as ‘naive’ the two blood experts at the centre of mass doping allegations. Australian scientists Michael Ashenden and Robin Parisotto have claimed hundreds of athletes had returned “suspicious” doping test results. Their allegation was based on the examination of a leaked database provided to them by Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper and German broadcaster ARD containing more than 12,000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes between 2001 and 2012. This week the IAAF robustly denied any negligence in its testing procedure. And in their latest defence world athletics’ rulers accused Ashenden and Parisotto of arriving at “seriously incorrect assertions”. “Of most concern to us is that the two scientists continue to defend their statements that the IAAF did nothing to act on “suspicious proﬁles”. “And that the scientists also continue to believe that they were in a position to make this analysis based on their background and involvement in a number of Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) cases related to the sport of athletics,” the IAAF contended. According to the IAAF, Ashenden and Parisotto “also conveniently ignore the fact that more than 60 athletes have been sanctioned on the basis of abnormal blood values collected after 2009.”

Kersee wants same-day testing for top athletes NEW YORK: Long-time U.S. sprint coach Bob Kersee wishes anti-doping protocols were changed to ensure athletes were equally tested, said in a telephone interview on Friday. “I’ve always said that if you were going to test one of my athletes who was competitive in the sport, that everybody else (in that event) should be tested on the same day,” said Kersee, who has coached numerous Olympic champions, including his wife Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the retired heptathlon world record holder. “For example, if Jackie was going to be tested in the long jump, and she was in the top eight, the top eight athletes should be tested on the same day.” Kersee, who is preparing

And the organisation added: “The two scientists were not, and still are not, in a position to know which cases have been sent to the independent panel for review, nor

Olympic 200 metres gold medallist Allyson Felix for the 400 at the August 22 to 30 IAAF world championships in Beijing, also said there should not be a wide variation globally in the number of times an athlete is tested. “I have had athletes such as Jackie, such as Allyson, to name a few, that were tested and tested and tested and I have worked with a couple of foreign athletes,” he said. “In the same period of time, we (his U.S. athletes) were tested three times and they (the foreign athletes) haven’t been tested yet. “If you are asking me is the testing protocol fair? I don’t believe it is, not internationally. Why that is, I don’t know. It might just be the roll of the dice, but I don’t know.” - Reuters

to know which cases are currently under review or under appeal. “More importantly, they do not have access to the IAAF testing records and are therefore not able to

know whether proper testing follow-up was conducted by the IAAF. “On this basis, how can these experts claim that no action was taken by the IAAF without checking which athletes were sanctioned, and without any possible access to the IAAF’s extensive out-of-competition targeted testing information?” The IAAF “condemn the fact that two experienced scientists were naive enough to place themselves in a situation where their analysis of incomplete data is being used against athletes in the public domain.” ‘IAAF criticised unfairly’ It called for the two men to supply the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) with any evidence they have of doping. “If they do not have evidence, then we urge that they refrain from making assertions of wrong-doing.” Later, Arne Ljungqvist, a former kingpin in the Olympic’s ﬁght against doping cheats, gave his full support to the IAAF’s efforts to root out dopers. “The IAAF has historically been at the forefront of all important developments in the ﬁght against doping and has always taken its responsibilities seriously when it comes to catching cheats and protecting the integrity of its sport,” said Ljungqvist. “The IAAF did more than others, before the others, but is now criticised by people, who have no insight into the work of IAAF, for not having done enough.” - AFP

joined Juventus from fellow Serie A side Palermo, then scored by smashing the ball into the net from the middle of the box. Dybala’s emphatic finish killed the game somewhat, and Juventus went on to lift the trophy in a lively ceremony after the final whistle which delighted the club’s numerous Chinese supporters cheering on from the stands. The Italian Super Cup is traditionally the curtain-raising fixture to the country’s domestic season and is contested between the reigning league champions and current Italian Cup holders. In recent years the fixture has been increasingly held outside of Italy, and was hosted in China at the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing in 2009, 2011 and 2012. - AFP

LONDON: Louis van Gaal was adamant on Saturday that he wanted to keep goalkeeper David de Gea at Old Trafford because the Spaniard was still Manchester United’s best player. As uncertainty continued to swirl around the future of the brilliant stopper, long linked with a move to Real Madrid, Van Gaal, who dropped him for United’s opening Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We cannot let him go so easily.” After United’s 1-0 victory in which De Gea’s replacement, newly-signed Argentine Sergio Romero, played an impressive part, the Dutchman also made it clear that, if the Spain keeper does leave United will expect a proper reward for his signature. De Gea was considered by Van Gaal not to be mentally ready for Saturday’s match at Old Trafford because of all the speculation surrounding a possible move and the 24-year-old ended up watching the game from the stands. When asked if De Gea could ever play for the club again, Van Gaal had no hesitation in telling reporters: “Of course.” He added: “He’s our best player for two years or three years, chosen by the fans, so we cannot let him go so easily. “We have to pay a lot of money for all the players we want so we want to sell at the same level.” Romero, one of ﬁve United debutants, had an excellent afternoon, making some key saves, with 22-year-old keeper Sam Johnstone on the bench. “We have observed (De Gea) in preparation and that was not the same David de Gea as last year,” Van Gaal said. “Of course, when the situation has been cleared after September 1 we will look again. But I’m happy Sergio did well. He saved us twice.” - Reuters

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

SPORTS

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United win on Walker’s own goal in undistinguished season opener firmly in control until Nabil Bentaleb carelessly gave away possession in midfield allowing United to rampage down the right flank. Ashley Young’s cross looked to have put Rooney in at point blank range only for Walker to dash back madly to rescue the situation before his attempt to rob the United captain saw him nudge the ball into the corner of his own net. Watford, back in the top flight for the first time in eight years with another new manager, Quique Sanchez Flores, and a completely revamped line-up, enjoyed a thrilling return at Goodison with Mexican Miguel Layun scoring his first goal for the club in the 14th minute. After Ross Barkley had equalised with a dazzling effort, Odion Ighalo put the visitors ahead with seven minutes remaining before Arouna Kone equalised two minutes later.

Never before had the competition begun with a player putting the ball into his own net until full back Walker inadvertently prodded the ball past Michel Vorm in the 22nd minute when desperately trying to dispossess Rooney

LONDON: The Premier League kicked off in unique fashion on Saturday as an own goal by Tottenham Hotspur’s Kyle Walker gave Manchester United a 1-0 victory in an undistinguished season opener at Old Trafford. Never before had the competition begun with a player putting the ball into his own net until full back Walker inadvertently prodded the ball past Michel Vorm in the 22nd minute when desperately trying to dispossess Wayne Rooney. The victory for one of the title contenders was followed by a tough afternoon for the League’s unfancied newcomers with newlypromoted Watford pegged back to a 2-2 draw at Everton after twice leading and Norwich City losing 3-1 at home to Crystal Palace. Bournemouth, the romantics’ favourites after their extraordinary six-year march from near-bankruptcy to the Premier League, had their fairytale rudely

WOEFUL MOMENT: Tottenham Hotspur’s Kyle Walker, centre, scores an own goal during their English Premier League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday. – Reuters

interrupted at a vibrant, emotional Dean Court as Aston Villa defeated them 1-0 in their first-ever match in the top flight in 125 years. Marquee match The marquee match of the day had seen Tottenham dominate early on until the goal enabled United, with five expensive debutants

in their ranks, to take the points even though they only had one shot on target. A late attacking ﬂurry from Spurs was repelled by the hosts’ new Argentine keeper Sergio Romero. Even if the fare was mediocre, Walker’s present on a warm, muggy lunchtime was the ideal 64th birthday gift for manager

Louis van Gaal after a huge close season investment took United’s spending to about £230 million ($356.39 million) in his 12 months at the helm. Romero, replacing David De Gea, dropped because Van Gaal felt his mind would not be on the job amid speculation over his possible transfer to Real Madrid, made three late

FOOTBALL

FIDE EVENT

Southampton Saints could show McClaren’s Newcastle the way NEWCASTLE: Steve McClaren returns to the Premier League on Sunday when Newcastle United take on Southampton, who represent the ideal blueprint for his attempt to transform a team who were only 90 minutes away from starting this season in the Championship. Southampton, in contrast, finished in seventh place in May thanks to coach Ronald Koeman’s shrewd signings, players who came mainly from mainland Europe and possessed the quality and character required to handle the demands of the Premier League. Now, with Southampton starting the new season at St James’ Park, Koeman’s team offer an examination of McClaren’s progress since he took over at a club in danger of relegation until the final day of last season. McClaren is aware he will face intense scrutiny on his return to the Premier League nine years after he left Middlesbrough to take charge of England. “I’m coming back into a Premier League that’s pretty much as it was before,” said McClaren. But he will find the pressure is even more intense, particularly from supporters who have embraced social media as a means of criticising managers and players. A sizeable proportion of Newcastle followers are still to be convinced about McClaren, whose

saves. Italian defender Matteo Darmian, French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin and Dutch striker Memphis Depay also made useful first starts. Germany’s World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, United’s highest-profile summer recruit, also gave a robust halfhour cameo in which he received a booking for a foul. Spurs had been

Smallest ground Bournemouth, playing in the smallest ground ever to stage Premier League football, saw their party pooped by Rudy Gestede, Villa’s new signing from Blackburn Rovers who headed home a 72nd minute winner. Championship playoff winners Norwich felt aggrieved after Crystal Palace carried on where they left off last season under Alan Pardew with goals from Wilfried Zaha and Damien Delaney either side of half time. Nathan Redmond pulled one back and Norwich appeared to have a perfectly good goal by Cameron Jerome disallowed and a strong penalty appeal turned down before Yohan Cabaye sealed the victory in the dying minutes. Sunderland’s manager Dick Advocaat, persuaded to shelve his retirement plans, could have been forgiven for rethinking his decision as they were hammered 4-2 at Leicester City. - Reuters

McClaren will find the pressure is even more intense, particularly from supporters who have embraced social media as a means of criticising managers and players. A sizeable proportion of Newcastle followers are still to be convinced about McClaren, whose failure with England was followed by success at FC Twente before he was subsequently sacked by Wolfsburg and Derby and resigned at Twente and Nottingham Forest

failure with England was followed by success at FC Twente in Holland before he was subsequently sacked from jobs at Wolfsburg and Derby and resigned at Twente and Nottingham Forest in the wake of poor results. Instant impact McClaren is aware of at least one change in the Premier League since his Middlesbrough days where he had the consistent backing of owner Steve Gibson: managers and coaches no longer survive bad results — unless you are Alan Pardew at Newcastle last season, of course.

“The pressure is on me from the outset, without a shadow of a doubt,” he said. “I know it will take time, but in the real world of football and the Premier League, you are judged on every game.” McClaren has brought in four new players, although the latest signing, teenager Ivan Toney, is an investment in the future. Anderlecht’s Chancel Mbemba and Aleksandar Mitrovic and PSV Eindhoven’s Georginio Wijnaldum, are expected make an instant impact in the same way as Koeman’s imports adapted to the Premier League last season. Dusan Tadic, Graziano Pelle,

Florin Gardos, Shane Long, Sadio Mane and Fraser Forster all remain at the club, while Ryan Bertrand’s loan from Chelsea has turned into a permanent deal. They are joined by Malaga’s Juanmi, Feyenoord’s Jordy Clasie, FC Twente’s Cuco Martina and Sporting Lisbon’s Cedric Soares following the departure of Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne, to Manchester United and Liverpool respectively. Koeman also has defender Steve Caulker and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg on loan and another “new” player in the forward Jay Rodriguez, who has been out for 16 months because of a knee injury and returned in in Thursday’s Europa League 2-0 win at Vitesse Arnhem. Koeman believes his squad has sufficient depth to handle the twin demands of Europe and the Premier League. “I have a full and strong squad with balance of the team to manage both competitions,” said the coach, who may miss the trip to Tyneside because of an Achilles tendon injury. “We didn’t let as many players leave as last season, which is very important. We lost quality players but the replacements were the same quality. “We are in a good place. The new guys have showed already they have a lot of quality so I am really relaxed on that aspect.” - AFP

Bank Muscat gives lead support to Salalah chess championship MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, as part of its commitment to promoting sports and games, extended lead support to Salalah International Chess Championship hosted by Oman Chess Committee. As the nation’s leading financial institution, Bank Muscat aims to strongly convey the message of support to varied sporting activities so as to encourage a healthy lifestyle covering both body and mind and provide the required impetus for the country to excel in sports and games. The bank seeks to motivate others to follow suit and provide the required support vital for developing a sporting nation. The rapid chess tournament held from August 3 to 6 as part of Salalah Festival attracted over 80 participants, including enthusiasts from the neighboring Gulf countries. Supported by the Ministry of Sports Affairs, the tournament came within the framework of OCC’s efforts to promote the game of chess in the Sultanate. The Salalah event was recognised by FIDE, the world body of chess.

Bank Muscat attaches great importance to initiatives aimed at contributing to the country’s progress and development in all arenas, including sports and games. The bank has adopted a series of measures to support sporting activities and develop the potential of youth. Notable among the bank’s support to sports activities is the Green Sports CSR initiative, which is an ongoing project aimed at developing a sporting nation and supporting Oman’s youth who represent the future of Oman. The partnership with Salalah Festival is an earnest attempt by Bank Muscat to propagate the core family values held dear by Omanis. As main sponsor of the annual festival, Bank Muscat aims to unite citizens, residents and visitors in sharing the good times and discovering the joy of being connected. The bank seeks to serve as a focal point in the preservation of Oman’s rich heritage and culture, encouraging people to maintain a strong link to the glorious legacy, thereby reinforcing the Sultanate’s distinct cultural character.

SECTION

LIFESTYLE

Health WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM WWW W.TI .T .TIM T I ME TI MES M ES E ESO S OF O F O MAN.COM

World of Weight Loss I n many parts of the world, manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ancient struggle to stave off hunger has been replaced by the particularly modern issue of trying to control or even lose weight. To this end, all kinds of crazy fad diets, from the grapefruit juice cleanse to all-meat carnivore diets have emerged over the last few decades. But, time and time again it is proven that there are no shortcuts to healthy living; the basics of exercise, limiting calories, drinking plenty of water, and nourishing yourself with vitamin and ďŹ bre-rich fruits and veggies still stands. That said, by looking at weight conscious cultures around the world, one can learn all kinds of great tips and tricks to make the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle a little bit easier. Story Tariq Al Haremi

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

LIFESTYLE

UK - Eat Smaller Portions

Brazil - Rice & Beans

Poland - Eat At Home More Often

South Africa - Rooibos Tea

“Supersizing your meal, supersizes you,” the blunt, extremely British statement on portion sizes is succinct but undeniably true. At dinnertime, ﬁll half your plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with complex carbohydrates like potatoes or brown rice, and the ﬁnal quadrant with a portion of meat or other protein, no larger than a deck of cards.

A staple dish in Brazil, rice and beans are one of the most nutritionally perfect meals one can consume as the combination of complex carbohydrate and ﬁbre stabilises blood sugar levels (which wards off cravings) and eating the meal daily can lower one’s risk of obesity by 14%. This power food undoubtedly plays a role in the famously ﬁt Brazilian physique.

Polish people spend only about ﬁve percent of their family budget on eating out, compared to 12 per cent in the US. People who eat out often typically end up consuming foods that are higher in fat and salt and more processed than meals cooked at home, and so it is no surprise that there is some correlation between this spending percentage and the percentage of overweight citizens.

Rooibos tea, which grows in South Africa, is more robust than green tea and is naturally sweet. Swapping your favourite coffee with cream or tea with sugar for a cup of unsweetened Rooibos tea can save you thousands of calories a month.

Netherlands - Riding Bikes

Finland - Nordic Walking

Japan - Take a Nap

Malaysia - Add Turmeric

40% of the Dutch population has swapped bikes for cars as their main mode of transportation. Riding a bike for errands, work, or pleasure can help fend off weight gain as casual riding can burn around 500 calories an hour. If you’re willing to go the extra mile and add some hill climbing to your route, then you can burn up to 1,000 calories in just 60 minutes.

While regular walking is good, Nordic walking is even better. All you need to amp up your stroll is a pair of lightweight walking poles. The poles force you to use muscles in your shoulders, arms, and torso, promoting a complete body workout. Nordic walking can increase the number of calories you burn by 65%.

Many people from the “land of the rising sun” enjoy a 20-30 minute nap each day. Sleep deprivation increases the risk of weight gaining since the less sleep you get the more out of sync your leptin and gharelin hormones become. Leptin, decreases when you are sleepy, and gharelin, skyrockets. So if you’re sleepy and feel hungry, instead of reaching for a snack, get some shut-eye.

According to some early research, scientists believe that turmeric (a yellow spice made from a ground root that is said to have originated in Malaysia), suppresses the growth of fat tissues. It’s unconﬁrmed, but worth adding a shake to your next curry.

France - Don’t Rush Your Meals

Russia - Grow Your Own Food

Hungary - Eat More Pickles

Mexico - Big Lunch

92% of svelte French families dine together every night and each meal lasts between 30-45 minutes. Though it sounds illogical, lengthy meals actually encourage less eating as it often leads to slower eating, which gives the body time to realise it is full, and the leisurely pace can reduce stress hormones, which some theories purport cause weight retention.

51% of Russians spend their vacations in country houses that have small vegetable gardens on-site. One-up them and start growing your own fruits and vegetables in your backyard. These little gardens are good for the earth and for your body, as they will no doubt help you truly appreciate your salad bowl.

Hungarians love all things pickled. Acetic acid, which is the main component of vinegar, helps reduce blood pressure, blood sugar level, and fat formation. Check the product label if you’re watching your sodium intake since pickles can be high in salt.

Traditionally, Mexicans eat their biggest meal of the day at lunch time, which gives you many more hours to burn off the calories before going to bed. Eating less at night will make you wake up hungrier and more likely to eat breakfast, encouraging the habit of consistent meals throughout the day that will keep your blood sugar levels stable and prevent crazy cravings from getting out of control.

Germany - Eat Breakfast

United States - Yoga

Thailand - Eat Spicy Food

Swiss - Have a Bowl of Muesli

Nutritionists agree that eating breakfast is hazardous for anyone on a diet as studies have shown that skipping the meal causes the brain’s “reward centre” to light up more intensely when one sees a high calorie meal. So do like 75% of Germans who eat breakfast daily, whether its whole-grain cereals, fruit, or sausage and eggs (go for lean chicken sausage and egg whites if you want the protein and the meaty treat with half of the fat).

You might be surprised to learn that the US has more yoga studios per capita than India, where the practice originated over 5,000 years ago. So do like a Californian “Valley Girl” and strike a pose, because yoga isn’t just a stress buster and a ﬂexibility enhancer, it actually facilitates weight loss. Yoga devotees have a lower body mass index (BMI) than other exercisers.

Thai cuisine features some of the spiciest dishes in the world. Thai people also feature some pretty slender waistlines (on average). This might be thanks in part to the fact that hot peppers raise your metabolism. Adding a little spicy punch to your meal has the added bonus of slowing down your eating. Since the brain and the stomach take 15 minutes to get on the same page about feeling full, eating slowly is the best way to avoid overeating.

The classic Swiss breakfast porridge, Muesli, is a nutritional powerhouse of oats, fruit, and nuts topped with milk or yoghurt. The high ﬁbre content can reduce cholesterol levels up to 10% when eaten daily, and the combination of ﬁbre and protein digest slowly, which helps you feel fuller longer.

At dinnertime, fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with complex carbohydrates like potatoes or brown rice, and the final quadrant with a portion of meat or other protein, no larger than a deck of cards.

Norway - Spend Time Outdoors Norwegians of all ages spend their weekends hiking with their family and friends in this uber-active country. Try creating an active weekend tradition of your own, taking your family for a walk in the park, swimming at the beach, or enjoying a good hike in the hills surrounding Muscat when weather cools down.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

LIFESTYLE BRIEFS

Try

Drug abuse reduces grey matter in women but not men New York: Drug abuse has long-term effects on brain volume in women but not in men, a study says. The researchers found that brain structures involved in reward, learning and executive control showed vast changes in women even after a prolonged period of abstinence from drug use. “We found that after an average of 13.5 months of abstinence, women who were previously dependent on drugs had significantly less grey matter volume in several brain areas compared to healthy women,“ said senior study author Jody Tanabe, neuroradiology section chief at University of Colorado. These brain areas are important for decision making, emotion, reward processing and habit formation. The team analysed structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams in 127 men and women. — IANS

W hy Here are a few simple, time-tested foods, techniques, and remedies to try, and a bit about why. Have you tried any of these tricks? How did you like them? Do you have a favourite remedy of

Skinny Dairy Yogurt is cultured milk, which contains natural probiotics (good bacteria) that aids digestion, and reduces bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. It is said to be extremely beneﬁcial in all weight loss programmes to reduce belly fat, so if you are trying to trim your waist, add 15-18 ounces of yoghurt a day to your diet.

your own? Tell us about it at lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Brain’s wrinkled layer reveals genetic heritage

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

Working the Angles Maintaining a good sitting posture while working at a computer is the best way to prevent the onset of back pain. When sitting at your desk, arms should rest comfortably with a 75 to 90 degree angle bend at the elbow. Knees should be even with the hips (or slightly higher), and both feet must be kept ﬂat on the ﬂoor with the knees bent at 90 degrees.

An Apple a Day Research has closely associated two nutrients found in apples with heart health: their water-soluble fibre content, and their unusual mix of poly phenols (an anti-oxidant). By regularly consuming apples, the fibre can help to significantly reduce total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, while the antioxidants provide protection from the oxidation of fats, including fats found in the bloodstream, like triglycerides, which can aid in overall heart health.

DECODING DOCTOR

Hubert Vaz chats with Dr Hussein Al Saadi, Public Health Specialist, Al Hayat International Hospital

TRAVELLERS’ DIARRHOEA (TD) is the most common affliction that strikes travellers. Each year 20%-50% of international travellers, (around 10 million people) develop diarrhoea while away from home. The onset of TD usually occurs within the first week of travel, but could hit at any time during a trip, or even after returning home. At particular high-risk are young adults, people with suppressed immune systems, those with inflammatory-bowel disease or diabetes, and those taking H-2 blockers or antacids. The primary source of infection is ingestion of contaminated food or water. With many preparing to take summer trips, we sat down with Dr Hussein Al Saadi, a Public Health Specialist at Al Hayat International Hospital to find out more about TD and how to avoid it.

New York: The three-dimensional shape of the cerebral cortex — the wrinkled outer layer of the brain controlling many functions of thinking and sensation — strongly correlates with one’s ancestral background, says a study. The study opens the door to more precise studies of brain anatomy and could eventually lead to more personalised medicine approaches for diagnosing and treating brain diseases. In their study, published in Current Biology, the researchers found they could predict with ‘a relatively high degree of accuracy an individual‘s genetic ancestry based on the geometry of their cerebral cortex’. — IANS

Travellers’ diarrhoea

What are common symptoms of TD? Most TD cases begin suddenly, with an increase in the frequency, volume, and weight of stool (bowel movements). Altered stool consistency also is common. Typically, a traveller experiences four to ﬁve loose or watery bowel movements each day. Other commonly associated symptoms are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, bloating, fever, and malaise. Most cases are benign and resolve in 1-2 days without treatment. TD is rarely life-threatening, except in the cases of extreme dehydration. What causes travellers’ diarrhoea? Bacterial cause approximately 80% of TD cases, the most common of which is Escherichia coli (ETEC), which produces watery diarrhoea with associated cramps without either no fever or a low-grade one. (The absence of a fever is a signal that it is not a case

of the ﬂu.) Less commonly, a variety of viral and parasitic enteric pathogens could cause TD. How can I avoid TD when I travel? TD is a direct result of eating and drinking unsanitary foods and beverages, so being careful what you consume is the key. • Avoid tap water, ice, unpasteurised milk, and dairy products, which are at a higher risk for contamination. •Drink bottled water, bottled carbonated beverages, hot tea or coffee (in extreme conditions you can safely drink boiled water or water that is appropriately treated with iodine or chlorine). • Avoid eating foods or drinking beverages purchased from street vendors or other establish-

ments where unhygienic conditions are present • If handled properly, well-cooked and packaged foods usually are safe. • Avoid eating raw or under-cooked meat and seafood. • Avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables unless you peels them yourself. How can I treat TD if I do contract it? TD usually is a self-limiting disorder and often resolves without speciﬁc treatment. However, hydration is the most important thing, to replace lost ﬂuids and electrolytes. A trip to the doctor for antibiotics is only necessary in case of fever, blood in stools, and dehydration.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

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Inside Out - 3D (Animation, Comedy) (PG) 3:00, 5:20PM Cop Car - 2D (Thriller) (12+) 3:00, 9:45PM The Gift- 2D (Mystery, Thriller) (12+) 7:00, 11:45PM Bajrangi Bhaijaan - 2D (Drama, Action) (PG) 9:00PM

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11:45AM, 4:00, 9:30, 11:55PM Gold Class: 11:30AM, 4:00, 8:45, 11:15PM Ant-Man 3D (Action) (PG12) Cast : Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll 11:45PM; Gold Class: 6:30PM Ant-Man 2D (Action, Sci-Fi ) (PG12) 2:45PM Drishyam 2D (Drama, Mystery) (PG12) Cast : Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran 6:30PM Minions (3D) (Animation, Comady) (PG) 10:00AM Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2D) ( Action ) (PG) 8:45PM

MUSCAT GRAND MALL Inside Out 3D (Animation) (PG) 12:45PM, 5:00PM Gold Class: 2:00PM Inside Out 2D (Animation ) (PG) 10:45AM Cop Car 2D (Thriller) (12+) 2:15PM Eldonia Ma2looba 2D (Comedy) (12+) Cast: Bassem Samra, Ola Ghanem, Ahmed 7:00PM Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation 2D (Action, Adventure, Thriller ) (PG12)

AZAIBA Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation – 2D (PG12) (Action, Adventure, Thriller) Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy 11:45 AM, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30, 11:55 PM Bajrangi Bhaijaan - 2D (PG) (Drama, Action) 3:45, 8:30 PM Inside Out – 3D (PG) (Animation, Adventure) 2:00, 4:00 PM Inside Out – 2D (PG) (Animation, Comedy) 12:00 PM The Gift – 2D (12+) (Mystery, Thriller) Cast - Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel

12:45 pm, 5:00 pm Gold Class: 2:00 pm INSIDE OUT (Animation)(3D) PG Voice Overs: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis

2:00 pm, 7:45 pm COP CAR (Thriller)(12+) Cast: Kevin Bacon, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim

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11:45am, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30, 11:55pm

Idhu Enna Maayam - 2D (TBC) Romantic, Cast : Vikram Prabhu, Keerthy Suresh, Kavya

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation 2D (Action) (PG12) Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson

12:45, 6:45 PM Bangistan – 2D (Comedy) Cast: Jacqueline Fernandez, Riteish Deshmukh 2:45, 8:45 AM Idhu Enna Maayam (Tam) – 2D (Romantic) Cast: Vikram Prabhu, Keerthy Suresh, Kavya 6:00 PM Exists – 2D (15+) Horror Cast: Samuel Davis, Dora Madison, Roger 5:15, 11:45 PM Cop Car – 2D (12+) Thriller Cast: Kevin Bacon, Shea Whigham, Camryn 2:00, 6:45 PM Ant-Man – 2D (PG12) Action, Sci-Fi 11:45 AM Ant-Man – 3D (PG12) ActionSci-Fi 2:45, 11:30 PM Srimanthudu (Telugu) - 2D (TBC) Action Cast - Shruti K. Haasan, Mahesh Babu, 8:45, 11:15 PM

6.30 PM Drishyam (Thriller/Drama ) – PG12 9.30 PM SCREEN 2 Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Action/Drama ) – PG Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Harshaali Malthotra 3.45 PM Drishyam (Thriller/Drama ) – PG12 6:45 PM Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (Action, Adventure, ) – PG 12 Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg 9.45 PM SCREEN 3 Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (Action, Adventure, Thriller) – PG 12 3.45 PM Baahubali: The Beginning (Act ) – 12+ Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty 6.45, 9.45 PM

4:15 PM Ant-Man- 3D (PG12) Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi 7:00, 11:30 PM Drishyam- 2D (Hindi) (PG12) Drama, Thriller 9:00 PM Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation - 2D (PG12) Action, Adventure, Thriller 2:00, 4:30, 6:00, 9:15, 11:45 PM Inside Out - 3D (PG) Animation, Adventure, 2:15, 4:00 PM Cop Car - 2D (12+) Thriller 2:35, 11:55 PM The Gift - 2D (12+) Mystery, Thriller 2:00, 9:30 PM Bangistan - 2D (TBC) Comedy 6:30 PM Idhu Enna Maayam - 2D (TBC) Romantic, Cast : Vikram Prabhu, Keerthy Suresh, Kavya 6:45 PM Srimanthudu - 2D (Telugu) (TBC) Action Cast : Shruti K. Haasan, Mahesh Babu 11:30 PM

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BURAIMI Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - 2D 3:00, 4:45, 7:15, 9:20, 11:45PM (Action) (PG12) Ant Man - 3D (Horror, Thriller) (PG12) 5:00, 7:15, 11:30PM

Dept time

Destination

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 06:30 08:00 13:00 13:00 16.00 16.00

07:00 07:00 13:30 13:00 13:00 13:00 17:00

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

40 32

SIDDHANT KHULLAR August 9, 2005

Minimum

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

30-37%

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to extra@timesofoman.com

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 20:50

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

LISTINGS

ROYAL OMAN POLICE TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 07:30 14:30

Sur Sur

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

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

Fahud Yibal

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

20:00 20:30 23:30 07:40

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

19:50 13:15 22:30 07:30

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

Daily

07:00

Daily

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 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

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

11.45 13.30 14.00

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 06:00 06:00 13:00 13:00 15:00 15:00

10:45 19:00

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100) Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

06:00 14:30

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100) 07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om Baahubali (Tamil) (Action) 10-00 pm Cinema Main, 3-45 & 6-45 pm Cinema-3 Idhu Enna Maayam (Tamil) (Drama) 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema -2 Srimanthudu (Telugu ) ( Act ) Cast: Mahesh Babu & Shruthi Hassan 3-30 & 6-30 pm at Cinema Main; 9-45 Pm Cinema -3 Acha Din (Mal) (Drama/Act) 3-45 & 9-45 pm at Cinema -4 Drishyam (Hindi) (Drama) 6-45 Pm Cinema -4 (NEXT CHANGE: Love 24 X 7) (Mal) Brothers (Hindi) Vasuvum Saravananum (Tamil)

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

16:30 18:00 19:30

STAR CINEMA

WITH LOVE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36) Quriyat Sur Jaalan

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation 2D (Action, Adventure, Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy 11.30am, 2.00, 4.30, 7.00, 9.30 & 11.55 pm CP No: 1894 (PG12) COP CAR (Thriller) Cast: Kevin Baccon, Shea Whigham, Camryn 11.30 am, 3.15 & 10.15 pm CP No: 1895 ( 12+ ) THE GIFT ( Horror/Thriller) Cast: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel 1.15 & 6.30 p.m. CP No: 1896 (12+) EXISTS ( Horror ) Cast: Samuel Davis, Dora Madison Burgue 5.00 & 11.55 p.m. CP No: 1897 ( 15+ ) The Night Crew ( Action/Thriller) Cast: Danny Trejo, Jason Mewes, Luke Goss 8.30 pm; CP No: 1886 (15+)

SALALAH Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation (2D) 11:55AM, 2:00, 9:30, 11:30, 11:55PM (PG12) Ant-Man (2D)(PG12) (Action/ Sci-Fi ) 10:00AM Ant-Man (3D)(PG12) (Action/Sci-Fi ) 4:20/9:15PM Inside Out (3D)(PG) (Animation/Comedy) 12:10/4:50PM Inside Out (2D)(PG) (Animation/Comedy) 10:00AM Cop Car (2D)(12+) (Thriller) 10:15AM/ 8:40 PM Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2D) (PG) (Drama/Action) 6:30/11:45PM Exists (2D) (15+) (Horror) 2:45/ 10:15PM Eldonia Ma2looba (2D)(12+)(Arabic) 4:15PM Bangistan (2D)(TBC) (Comedy) 6:45PM Drishyam (2D)(PG12)(Hindi) (Drama) 11:45AM Wrong No. (2D)(PG)(Urdu) (Romantic) Cast Javed Sheikh, Danish Taimoor, Nadeem 2:15PM Idhu Enna Maayam (2D)(PG)(Tamil) (Romantic); 6:00PM Cast: Shruti K. Haasan, Mahesh Babu 6:00PM

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

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

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

SUR Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation (Action / Adventure / Thriller) (PG12) 4:30, 09:15, 11:45 PM Cop Car (Thriller) (12+) 9:45 PM ANT MAN (3D) (Action / Sci-Fi) (PG12) 7:00 PM Inside Out (3D) (Animation) (PG) 5:00 PM Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Hindi) (Action ) (PG) 11:30 PM Drishyam (Hindi) (Action) (PG12) 6:50 PM

SHATTI Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2D) (Action, Adventure) (PG12) Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner 1:45, 6:30, 9:00, 11:30 PM EXISTS (Horror)(15+) Cast: Samuel Davis, Dora Madison 5:00, 11:45 PM THE GIFT (Mystery, Thriller)(12+) Cast: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, 3:00, 6:45 PM COP CAR (Thriller)(12+) Cast: Kevin Bacon, Shea Whigham, Camryn 2:00, 7:45 PM INSIDE OUT (Animation)(2D) PG Voice Overs: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis 1:00 PM INSIDE OUT (Animation)(3D)PG 2:00, 3:45, 5:45 PM Ant Man (3D)(Action, Adventure) (PG12) Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll 9:30, 11:45 PM Ant Man (2D)(Action, Adventure) (PG12) 4:15 am BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN (Drama)(PG) Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, 8:45 PM

BAHJA CINEMA

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

Appolo 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 Hamdan Hospital 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

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

C11

LIFESTYLE Integrated Physical Therapy

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Integrated Physical Therapy

(IPT) is a conventional health care method, dealing with diagnosis, treatment and management of conditions affecting muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves. It is a combined therapy based on acupressure along with deep tissue therapy and stretching exercises. According to Dr Nazir Tarafdar, an internationally renowned therapist at Al Harub Medical Centre who has been practising acupressure and IPT in Oman for the past 15 years, the most common ailment for which patients come in for IPT treatment is back pain and neck pain. However, acupressure, a Chinese technique by which pressure is applied on definite pressure points or areas to remove obstructions in the meridian channel through which energy (Chi) flows, provides permanent cures for a host of other ailments, too, he says. Effective for many ailments The aim of Integrated Physical Therapy (IPT), says Dr Nazir, is to maximise your wellbeing and fitness by removing aches and pains from muscles and joints and restoring flexibility to prevent chronic and acute ailments,

enabling one to lead a stress-free, healthy life. IPT is best suited to treat ailments like back pain and neck pain, muscles strains, sports injuries, spondilitis, migraine, sciatica, arthritis, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, joint pains, herniated disc, multiple sclerosis and many other conditions. In Oman, patients mostly come for treating back and neck pain and sports injuries. The treatment After a thorough diagnosis, patients will have to undergo at least six to eight 30-minute sessions at the clinic. IPT utilises techniques like deep tissue massage, joint mobilisations, trigger point release, myofascial release, counter strain technique, acupressure, stretching, soft tissue mobilisations, muscle energy techniques and other methods for aligning bones, releasing spasms, loosening muscles, decreasing pain and improving functions. ITP is available at Al Harub Medical Centre Way No 2830, House 2258 Al Sarooj, Shatti al Qurum +968 24600750 info@alharubmedical.com

FITNESS MOVE OF THE WEEK

FA M I LY A D V I C E

ASK DR. GERRY BOARDING SCHOOL

Dear Dr. Gerry, My daughter is 14 and in the 10th grade. So far, she has been an A1 student. She plans on taking up Engineering after the 12th. So for her 11th and 12th grade we’d planned that she and I will move back to my home country. Last month, we visited a boarding school in our country and she surprisingly liked it. Now, I feel, if we do put her there, I can continue to live here with my husband and our younger daughter and the family won’t get separated. Lately, she has been behaving difficult and has to be coerced to study. I’m afraid that in a hostel she may not study well. She’s been all her life here in Muscat and has seen a very secured life. Not sure what to do. If I put her in a hostel, it makes life easy for me. If I move with her, I split the family. Am I being selfish? Please help me out. — Confused Mom Dear Confused Mom, This is an interesting question that every parent worries about. What do we do? What’s the correct decision? On one hand we need that our child study well and on the other hand we have adolescence and freedom. It’s natural for children during adolescence to try and create an identity and space for themselves. In this case your daughter would like to stay and continue her studies in a boarding school. This is a big step for her to be willing to go forward and commit herself to this plan. I would definitely first talk with her, I would reaffirm my confidence and pride in her making this decision. If she wants to move to boarding school then I would clearly give her my support with the understanding that it’s her responsibility to keep her grades up. I would make sure she understands that her parents are there for her and in case of any problems she shouldn’t hesitate to contact us. As a parent I need to instil confidence in my child but there’s always going to be fear and concern when our child steps away. We would all like to keep our children protected but part of life is letting them fly. I don’t believe you are selfish in letting her go to boarding school, let her know you’re there for her always but let her live her life. Studying alone and facing life herself, would help her personality growth. In case of any difficulties or problems in her studies, be prepared to reconsider your decision but let her take her steps into life with the clear confidence that her parents back her. There are no black and white answers in life but I believe you will make the correct choice. Dr Gerry D’Costa has an MD in psychiatry and a special interest in the areas of anxiety, depression, addiction, and children’s psychiatry. He has practiced as a specialised psychiatrist at Badr Al Samaa hospital in Ruwi for the last 9 years. Starting next week, Dr D’Costa will begin offering his advice and professional insights to the readers of Times of Oman. Send your mental health questions to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

PUSH UPS 1 Come to a hands and knees position or hands and toes on the mat with your hands directly under your shoulders, fingers facing forward or slightly inward, your body making a straight line. 2 Engage the abdominals and pull the shoulder blades down your back. 3 Slowly bend the elbows, lowering your body until your chest or chin touches the floor. 4 Then, press upward through your arms, straightening the elbows, as if pushing the floor away from you. Do not allow your lower back to sag or your hips to hike upward while going down or coming up. Repeat.

In your 40s: You can try doing up to

push ups

Challenge yourself by seeing how many push ups you can do in

In your 20s: You should be able to do up to

2 minutes

a good goal is 45

push ups at a time Guinness Record:

138 push ups in one minute (achieved by Canadian Roy Berger – Feb 2004)

At 60s: Never attempt more than

push ups

C1 2

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

LIFESTYLE

Back pain is the number one documented work-related injury. Active stretching throughout the day help prevent tight muscles as well as neck and back pain for Shoulder Reach Sit tall in your chair and reach your left hand up behind your back, between your shoulder blades, palm facing out. Reach your right hand up toward the ceiling, then bend your arm and try to place your right palm on your left palm. Hold for 10 seconds. (If you cannot reach your left hand, simply reaching for it will give you some relief.) Switch arms and repeat.

Neck Shrug Inhale deeply and shrug your shoulders, lifting them up toward your ears. Hold for a second and then drop them. Repeat three times.

those who sit in front of a computer all day. As a bonus, you’ll even burn 5-10 calories per minute of stretching. Do the following once every two hours, or when you feel tense.

Seated Cat-Cow Stretch Begin by sitting up straight in a chair. Keep your feet flat on the floor and roll your shoulder blades back and down, arms relaxed at your sides. Pull your belly in to engage your abs, and as you inhale, arch your back (leading with the chest) and look up toward the ceiling. Lift the chin and allow your arms to relax next to you. As you exhale, round your spine and let your head drop forward. Tuck the chin and allow your shoulders to roll. Repeat five times.

Wrist stretch Stretch your arm out in front of you with the palm up. With your other hand, grab your ﬁngers and lightly pull them down to stretch your forearm.

Yes and No Shake your head slowly up and down and side-to-side. Move your head up and down three times, “Yes, yes, yes,” and then side to side, “No, No, No,” ﬁve times or until you feel the tension in your neck beginning to release.

Carpal Tunnel Stretch Those who spend long hours at the keyboard, often develop carpal tunnel syndrome. This simple move can help. Stand at your desk, place the backs of your hands on the desk with your ﬁngers pointed toward you (this will look and feel strange, that means you are doing it right), lean your body onto your hands slowly until you feel the stretch. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat as needed.

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M S U N DAY, AU G U S T 9, 2 0 1 5

SECTION

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

RENT

VACANCY

CARGO

S U N D AY, AU G U S T 9, 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

We have 2BHK flat in Mabella 7 for family. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 We have 2BHK, flats available in Ghala for families, staff & Execution. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 We have 2 BHK flats in AL Khuwair near Rawasco, can use as office or for families. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 We have offices in Ghala new building affordable price. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 3BR villa, sitting, dining & hall, Azaiba behind Al Meera H- Market. Contact: 99259977 / 95033008 1BHK, Darsait, walking distance to ISM , neat and clean building, ground floor, OMR 260/- per month rent Call IQRAR on 99076557 3 BHK Flat in Azaiba. Contact 99792181 1 BHK Flat in Honda Road (Ruwi). Contact 99792181 1 & 2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181 4 & 5 BHK villa for rent in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181

We have 230 sqm showroom in Ghubra main road, prime location suitable for wholesale business or bank or insurance company. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 We have 5 BHK villa in Al Khuwair can use as commercial or residence villa with large sitting hall , 5 rooms, 6 toilets & kitchen with 2 cars parking. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 We have 2 BHK ﬂats in Ghubra 18th November near new Mars hypermarket, ﬂat with 2 rooms, large sitting hall, kitchen & 3 bathrooms. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 840 sqr mtrs Store & Staff accommodation for Rent in Misfah. Contact 99792181 Flat for rent near Al Nahdha Hospital in Hamriya. Contact: 97380548 / 99680499 Flats, shops & store for rent in rent MBD Honda road. Contact: 97293708 / 92433127

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new ﬂat available at Mabela in front of Modern English School Contact: 96239126 We have 1BHK ﬂat in Wadi Kabir good price. Contact 93782735 / 99208033 We have shop for rent in Al Khuwair near Rawasco prime location. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 1bedroom in Al Hail South RO 150/monthly. Contact: 93993354 1BHK R.O 190/- & 2BHK R.O 240/near Medical Darsait. Contact 98748925 3 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair 33. Contact 99792181

2BHK with Split AC. AL-KHUWAIR Near MARS HYPERMARKET – 92880107

Well maintained spacious 2 BHK at Rex Road. Contact: 92227165

Villa 2 bedrooms + hall + sitting room in Al Hail South R.O 300/Monthly. Contact: 93993354

2BHK & 1BHK ﬂats available in Darsait. Contact : 99357586 / 97500025

We have small building for rent in Bowsher suitable for staff accommodation & store building have 4 ﬂats & 1 shop commercial building. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 For rent new apartment in Al Mawaleh close to Al Bahja Center consisting of 3 bedrooms, 1council, kitchen, hall, 3 bathrooms, 1 computer room, parking for car. Contact: 93214010 / 92602050 For rent in South Al Hail 1 bedroom, sitting room, bathroom, kitchen, balcony, car parking 175/- R.O Monthly. Contact: 92602050 / 93214010 Room attached, bath room, kitchen in Muscat O.R 65/-. Contact: 98049086 One & two bedroom apartment available for rent, at South Ghubra near Atlas hospital next to Diwan’s Office. Contact: 99833747 Flats for rent near Indian School in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99777122

Fully furnished 3 BHK accommodation with all spacious rooms in a villa at Darsait near ISD. Contact: 9526 5289 / 9604 8422

Flats for rent in Al Khuwair, Al hail, Wadi Kabir, Al Falaj, MBD, and Muttrah. Contact: 99119699 / 95250300 / 24813002

Furnished room for rent at Al Khuwair R.O 225/- for family only. Contact: 99251975

Readymade office space for rent (100sm) in Bank Melli Iran building, MBA area Ruwi opposite Center Point. Contact: 99011352

3BHK , 3 bathrooms, 2 balconies, nr. Al Hassan, W/ Kabir 330/- R.O. Contact: 99384640

Flat for rent in Wadi Al Kabeer behind Muscat club. # 92222922

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair 33, 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms with parking area near Taimur Mosque. #99366624

2 BHK Flats for rent in Muttrah near Oman house. Contact: 97009734 / 92629232

2 BHK Apartment for rent near MSQ area. Contact 93193109.

2BHK ﬂat available behind Majan College / Darsait. Contact 24705742

2 & 3 BHK big Flats with Big hall, Kitchen & new split ACs at Al Khoudh 6, Close to express way, from owner. Tel 97600322 alnehang@gmail.com

1 &2 BHK ﬂats for rent at Wadi Kabir, Wadi Adai, Hamriya and Al Khoud areas, shop for rent at Wadi Adai Round about. Contact: 24834644, GSM 93994401 /02/03 lines

2BHK near Oman house behind Khimji H.O. Contact: 95865686

2BHK ground ﬂr in Darsait Near Muscat Municipality, walkable distance from Indian School Muscat, Rent: OMR.275/- Contact : 99451845

Flats for rent at Darsait near to Ministry of Sports. Interested candidates please Contact : 00968-92225523 Spacious 2BHK Flat with Split A/c’s behind Sultan Center, Azaiba – RO.425/- p.m. Contact: 99824803 / 99849325

2BK Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Mosque. Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 600 sqr mtrs showroom in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99792181

S U N DAY, AU G U S T 9, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

FOR RENT

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE

3bed room well maintained ﬂat (villa type only 2 ﬂats in one bldg) in Al Khuwair behind Al Akhtam Restaurant, Villa no 1839, Way No 3922, block No 239. Contact: 99253125

Nissan Tiida, F. automatic 2011, R.O 2800/-. Contact: 93835318

2BHK available Mumtaz area Ruwi. Contact: 99269751 1 BR flat at Darsait, near ISM. Contact 99237971 / 99320633 250 sq mtrs restaurant for rent in Plaza Hotel, Walja Ruwi. Contact 99326339 2BHK flat in Al Khuwair with A.C 350/- Riyals. Contact: 92888337 Flat for rent in Hay Shatti Al Qurum. Contact: 99315150 Flat for rent in Darsait near Indian School 1 bedroom, living room, 2 bathrooms & kitchen. Contact: 95806611 / 94694662 Flat for rent in Ruwi, 1 bedroom (Walja) 1 bedroom, living room , 2 bath rooms, kitchen. Contact: 95464607 / 95464608 Furnished offices for rent in prime location in Ruwi (Mumtaz) with free electricity, water and internet for lease long & short term. # 99331181 Shop for rent prime location in Ruwi Mumtaz near Al Burj hotel. Contact: 99331181 500 sq mtrs office space on mezzanine floor near Royal Hospital. OMR 6.500 per sq mtr. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Godown for rent Approx: 4500 sqm area with building materials in Barka for rent with workers accommodation etc. Showrooms also for building materials available. Contact: 99808868 House for rent in Sidab at reasonable rent. Contact: 95555162 / 95755953 Flats shops for rent in Ruwi MBD area Mumtaz area. Contact: 97293708 / 92433127 Flat for rent with AC in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 95555162 /95755953 Flat for rent in Mabellah 8th. Contact: 97147240 Fabulous AC flat at Al Khoud 3 bedrooms, hall and kitchen RO 270/for rent. Contact: 99334699 4 BHK single villa in Al Khuwair. Contact: 97616158 3 Bedroom flat in Wadi Kabeer and 2 bedroom villa in Sidab- Muscat. Contact: 95755953

550 sqm built up area Deluxe villa 7 BR with 3 sitting halls located at prime commercial location North Al Ghobrah. Contact: Owner 99411607 / 99892238 2BHK, 2 Baths, Split A/C, Wadi kabeer, near Indian Elementary School. Contact 99441193, 93004801

Honda Accord 2010, 10,5000 kms, expat lady driven, dealer maintained, new tyres. Contact 99330509

Mazda 3, 2007 KM 1,43000, full automatic R.O 1900/-. Contact 99781671

Honda CRV 2008 model, expat driven, 2.4L, 78000 kms, OMR 5200/(Negotiable). Contact: 99867670

Prado ,2012. Contact : 99336093

Touareg 2011 Oman cars, 114000 KM, silver, 8500/-R.O. Contact 92857111

At Al Hail 2BHK 260/- & 1BHK 180/- , shop or store space RO 240/-. Contact: 96072686 Flat for rent in Wadi Kabir with 3 rooms. Contact : 98555580 / 92800007

Mitsubishi 10 ton, truck 2006 model for sale. Registration valid. Contact: 99366474

Hyundai Tuscon 2.4 Full option (including Moon roof) for sale in Muscat, Model 2013 , Single Owner (University Lecturer) driven, 39,600 kms, in excellent condition, for sale. Contact 99653760.

SELL/BUY

Two bedrooms ﬂats in Wadi Kabir near Indian School. Contact 99313274 Commercial Space 68 SQM, Wadi kabeer, near Indian Elementary School. Contact 99441193, 93004802

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity and boundary wall. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 House in Amerat near to Makah hypermarket with three room, 5toilets, kitchen and hall 430/-. Contact: 92747078 Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569 Villa with two ﬂoors in (Hay Al Arjan) in AL Khoud with 4 bedrooms, hall, Majles, kitchen & one room in ground ﬂoor. Contact: 93219597 Brand new villa Bosher 37, 4 BHK. Contact: 91936034 1 Villa & 3 big Flats of 2/3 BHK with hall, Kitchen & ACs Al Khoudh 6, Close to express way, from owner. Tel 97600322 alnehang@gmail. com

Sportage, 2013. Contact:99336093

AVAILABLE Party & Wedding equipment rentals. Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chaﬁng Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. www.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

FOR SALE

BHK Flat in Azaiba. Contact 99385835 / 99428143

For rent if require ﬂats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send me messages through Whatsapp. Contact: 99376454

Land Cruiser 2012. Contact 99336093

FOR HIRE House hold items. Contact: 97094797 Spare parts heavy for sale at Ghala with stock worth 50000 R.O. Contact: 99263071 A well running security solutions company & a perfume shop for sale at Al Hail. Contact: 93664357 / 95372501 Auto spare parts shop for sale in Mobella. Contact: 99765905 Running Polyclinic, 20 yrs, with VISAMEDICAL, available for SALE/LEASE. Contact.94596677 / 99343280 Workshop sale / rent Full ﬂedge workshop for / sale at prominent location at Misfa near Cement factory around 900 sq meter along with tools, equipments and manpower. Also 5 Nos Volvo / Mercedes / Man /Putsmiester concrete pump 2004/2005 model for sale. Contact: 93681107 / 96051565 / 98541936

Running established for sale including industrial licenses for marble & granite, fully furnished kitchen showroom and fully equipped factory. Contact: 99337670 / 92623665 Ladies beauty Saloon for sale at Amerat on prime location with two clearances. Contact : 95867900 400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residential land in Maabela Phase 5 Block 2. OMR 140 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 3 floor commercial building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 18 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Ice Cream & Juices shop Ruwi good location for sale suitable for beauty parlor also. Contact: 92150455

A fully equipped furnished and licensed private polyclinic for sale or rent in excellent location in Sohar - Falaj al Qabail opposite to life line hospital Departments are GP clinic, Dental, Medical lab, X-ray And Working Pharmacy. Contact 95603395

Wall papers, grass carpets sale & ﬁxing. Contact: 99834373 / 96642500

Brand new Panasonic 60” full HD LED, TV TH60A430M R.O 350/- . Contact: 99628819

Volvo 12 Ton Truck for monthly rent. Contact: 98713900 Used furniture & Electronic items, office & house. Contact: 99834373 / 96642500

FOR SALE 2560 sq mtrs industrial land in Wadi Kabir main road, First line on way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to make petrol station or hotel. OMR 990 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Shop for sale in Ruwi High street, Contact 96078411 60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah, can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each. Monthly income OMR 270 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka. OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished room for Indian Bachelor in Al Falaj area (Ruwi) & Lady in Wadi Kabir (near Al Maya). Contact 96761960 Sharing accommodation available with Kerala family, nr. Wadi Kabir Indian School. Contact 95882866 / 96575016 Furnished single /sharing room for EXE bachelor at Rex Road near Kamat with WIFI. Contact 92873832 Room with A/C, independent toilet & sharing kitchen (4th ﬂoor) for Indian Ex. Bachelor near Majestic hotel, Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99242984 New rooms available in Seeb for couple / ladies only. # 96996938 Sharing accommodation available for a family near Ruwi Church. Contact: 92308110 / 92837206 Furnished single room attached bath in Mumtaz area. #95212017 Contd on PG 6

S U N D AY, AU G U S T 9, 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

ENGINEER

ACCOUNTANT Urgently required Junior Accountant. Please send CV: hr.azatllc@gmail.com Urgently required male Accountant & Office Admin. Contact: 96339339 Email CV on info@eigllcoman.com Urgently required cash investors for company’s proﬁtable projects. Contact: 92950082

BEAUTY Wanted experience Beautician for beauty parlor in Muscat. Contact: 94241385 Urgently required gulf experienced female professional Beauticians and storekeeper for a reputed high end beauty centre in the capital area. Interested please ensure release letter and send your CV to email: linnujiya@gmail.com or contact 99500330 Wanted experience henna designer for beauty parlor. Contact 93571312

DOMESTIC HELPER Urgently required housemaid. Contact: 96339339 Email CV on info@eigllcoman.com Required part time Indian Housemaid. Contact: 95370653 Require qualify caregiver for an orderly mother. Contact 99425200 Indian House Maid with experience required to work in Sohar, visa ready. Contact 99417418

DRIVER Required Indian national Light Duty Driver for Omani house. Contact: 99420752 L.D Driver Indian required preferably Keralite. Contact : 92888337 Wanted driver. Contact: 95112461 Driver heavy duty required urgently for trailer. Oman / GCC experience must. Those ready for immediate joining. Contact: 99310859

EDUCATION Required English Teacher , Hindi teacher, Science Teacher. Contact: 99705799

ENGINEER Required Architectural Engineer for consulting company. Contact: 99077856 Email: rgeorge@omantd.com MEP Engineer on urgent basis required for immediate placement. Please contact tgi17@omantel.net.om

Civil Construction company in Muscat looking for SUB Contractors for 3 ﬂoor commercial building (4 Nos – 3000 m2 each) project at Mabellah ready to start. For enquiries mail to awahaibitrad@gmai.com A leading civil construction company in Muscat requires Project Manager (BE. Civil) with minimum 10 years experience (Gulf experience preferred). Please send C.V to hr.azatllc@gmail.com Service & Parts Manager with 3-5 years GCC experience in heavy Equipment / cranes, good communication skills, Mechanical Engineering background. Please send your CV to info@almisfat.com or call 96996938 AC Technician with minimum 5 years experience, should have experience in installation & commissioning of Ductable & split AC units, with knowledge of GI ducting & pre insulated ducting, experience in interior ﬁt out industry is preferred Interested candidates can apply by mail: info@smartvisionoman.com Fax: 24818818

IT Software developer with experience in asp.net, sql server and crystal reports required for a software development ﬁrm. Email CV to hr@ promisworld.com

MISCELLANEOUS Urgently required house maid for Malayalam family in Rustaq. Contact: 99810765 Established real estate company looking for male or female property agents for leasing and sales of the property. Applicant must be Graduate, possess Omani or GCC driving license. Having oman market experience. Apply with NOC. Attractive salary +commission. Send your CV: property@ labdmarkmuscat.com Required Indian or Pakistani calligrapher & Painter (staff accommodation) Contact# 24480487/24483493

MEDICAL Required prometric passed or MOH license holder for the following posts Indian male & female GP Doctor, Indian Female dentist, Female Staff Nurse & Pharmacists. Contact: 97985325 Email: polyclinicomanhr@gmail.com Need urgently MBBS Doctor with or without MOH license. #95395070 Urgently required Lab Technician male / female, Receptionist female Omani (ﬂuent in English and Arabic) at Sinaw – Hala Medical Center. Contact : 95969249 / 94580112 Email: halamedicalgroup@gmail.com Urgently required Pharmacist (B. Pharm) with MOH license for a reputed organization in Oman. Email Id: goodpharma2015@gmail.com

MEDICAL

SALES / MARKETING

Wanted laboratory Technician with MOH License to work in medical center in capital Area Contact 99340135

Sales Executive with valid D/L & 5 year experience in office furniture and interior ﬁt out projects interested candidates can apply by mail: info@smartvisionoman.com Fax: 24818818

Required MBBS Doctor with or without MOH license. Contact 95395070 Wanted female Staff Nurse with MOH license for a dental clinic in sur. Email : dentoman2000@gmail. com Urgently required for MOH license Gynecologist specialist & Staff Nurse clinic at Sumail, Muscat. Kindly sends C.V to saemomar@gmail.com or GSM: 95498105 Wanted Lab Technician, Staff Nurse, Pharmacist for a polyclinic in Sohar. Contact 99767605 Immediately required lady Doctor (DGO) or GP with Gynecology experience & lab technician. Contact 99310590. Email : tjmaluke@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING A REPUTED TRADING & CONTRACTING CO. requires urgently sales Executive (male) having at least 3 years experience of construction materials in Oman/GCC with valid driving license . Send CV through Fax 24495411 or email: info@styletrading.net A leading trading group is looking for Sales Executives having experience in building materials / tools with driving license & release / NOC. Email CV to alhajoil@omantel.net.om or Fax: 24701683 A leading building materials Trading CO. Urgently required (1) Business Development Manager – (minimum 10 years experience in same ﬁeld in Oman / GCC with driving license (2) Branch Incharges & Salesman, with minimum 3 years experience in building materials sales in Oman / GCC. Contact Fax: 24704921 Email: hilalbm@omantel.net.om Spare parts (Heavy Equipment) Salesman with 3 years experience. Please send your CV to info@almisfat.com or call 96996938 Outdoor Salesman (heavy Equipment) Sales man with 3 -5 years experience. GCC driving license required Please send your CV to info@almisfat.com or call 96996938

Sales Executive with valid D/L & 5 year experience, in the ﬁeld of demountable aluminum & glass partition systems. Interested candidates can apply by Fax: 24818818 mail: info@smartvisionoman.com Sales Executive Industrial products : 2-3 yrs of exp. with good communication & computer skills. D/L is must. Send resume to salescvv@hotmail.com Urgently required : Counter Service Assistant (male) for a fast food outlet in a food court in Sohar. Email: aliyanational@gmail.com Wanted Marketing Managers and Executives, candidates with minimum 2 years experience in Oman holding valid driving license May only Apply 94151791/ 22050729 or Email: sales@dewdropoman.com Wanted designer & Salesman for Advertising CO. With Oman D/L. Contact: 96440587 / 94055643 A leading building materials shop required Marketing Executive (Omani National only) 1No with minimum 2 years experience and driving license. Contact: 99808868 Email: aalfarsi2020@gmail.com Experienced Marketing representative – interlock blocks with light Omani driving license is required. Contact 99222086 Looking for Outdoor Salesman for heavy equipment spare parts. Contact - 93292015, Email: mail.om@gulfcenter.co

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Indian Family looking out for the following experienced candidates 1) House maid (Indian) 2) Driver (Indian) Contact : 92800073 / 99247040

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

SITUATION WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian male, 10 years experience, 6 years in Oman with Oman driving license with NOC seeking suitable job. Contact: 96012973 12 years of Oman experienced Chief Accountant looking for immediate placement. Contact : 99513082 Filipino Male 26 years old, Certified Public Accountant, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with 5 yrs of experience now on visit visa, Looking for suitable opening. Contact: +968 91278583 Email: kennethalcedo07@gmail.com Accountant Indian male B.Com with 2 years of experience currently on visiting visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 94649272 Email ID: sherin.am01@gmail.com Indian female Inter CA, strong in Tally ERP 9, MS Office, 7 years experience in accounts upto finalization looking for suitable position. Contact 91759501 Indian male, 30 years, CMA (Inter),M.com.4 out of 7 years experience in Oman in Auditing/ Accounts/ Finance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. Contact: 96746420 , Email: sijuthampi@ymail.com Indian female, B.com with 2 years of work experience, currently on family visa in Oman and seeking suitable placement for immediate joining. Contact 94647421 Looking for a job in UAE as a Senior Accountant Indian male, 31 yrs, CA Inter 8 yrs exp good in all aspects of accounts. Good command over English valid driving license (Oman) Contact: 94737231 Indian male M.Com holder with one year working experience as an Accountant in Kerala looking for suitable opening now on visiting visa. Contact: 96947500 Email: mohamaedshafikk5@gmail.com Indian female B.Tech (EEE) MBA finance with 1and half years experience as Bank Officer in India seeking suitable placement. Contact: 91358676 / 98157895 Email: sujivu88@gmail.com MBA finance Indian male (Account & finance), seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97372624 Email: sivaraj.gurukripa@gmail.com

Indian male, 27 years, M. Com, having 2years experience in Accounts looking for suitable position. Presently on visit visa. Contact 93455055| gibingeorge88@gmail.com 23 yrs, Indian B.Com, Graduate male ‘Fresher’ well versed in English, Hindi, Arabic & Malayalam with D/L looking for a suitable job. Now on visit visa valid for 1 more month only. Contact 97660518 Part time accountant services available to handle all accounts related work up to finalization. Contact: 96247295 Accountant Indian male 31 yrs Accounts up to finalization, 9 yrs experience (7 yrs in Oman) with D/L & NOC seeks suitable placement. Contact: 99582979 An Indian Lady Chartered Accountant with five years experience (including articleship), on family visa in Oman looking for a suitable job. Please Contact 9621 0347 / 9943 5346, shincycrajan@gmail.com CA , Inter, M.Com Indian 7 years experience in Audit / finance handled independent audit / finance assignments on visit looking for suitable placement. Contact: 91148139 Email: smurug@live.com Accountant having 4 yrs experience looking job. Contact: 99867456 Email: ashkar7673@gmail.com Part time Accountant with 15 yrs exp in accounts, finance audit taxation. Contact: 95857199 Indian female 25 yrs B.Com MBA / 3months experience looking for job in Accts /Mktg. Contact: 94657403 / 99355931 Seeking for a job completed B.Tech in ECE under Anna University knowledge in hardware troubleshooting ready to work with accounting & software section holding one year experience in India. Contact: 96142153 Energetic Finance & Audit Manager / Chief Accountant, C.A , MBA ,ACCA , CPA..15 yrs in GULF , Expert in Banking, Financing, Profit Maximizations, Admin, Biz Developments ,All ERPs Software’s, 15yrs Audit Exp. with Big 5 , NOC & Driving License Call 94403270 – 94504505

S U N DAY, AU G U S T 9, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED IT

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

DRIVER

Indian female Accountant with 5 yrs Gulf exp in accounts, audit, Admin payroll. Contact: 96263157

Light driver 5 years exp Education B.A language English, Arabic & Hindi. Contact : 98522914 / 91615715

Indian 24 years MBA ﬁnance 2 years experience seeking suitable placement. Contact: 9822253

Indian (Kerala) light driver seeking for job 4 years exp in Oman. Contact 95844147

Accountant, Indian male, 10 years experience in Oman, having knowledge of Tally ERP9 & able to do upto ﬁnalization and can be joined immediately with NOC. Contact: 94134085 Email: muscatoman95@yahoo.com

Driver available with car. Contact: 96652352

Jordanian Accountant (ACPA) with more than 15 yrs experience in Oman (Accounts, Purchase & ﬁnance). Contact: 92881223 Email: kamal_sarhan@yahoo.com

Sri Lankan driver. Contact: 97387112 Light duty driver 9 years experience wanted visa. Contact: 97313562 Light duty driver seeks job. Contact: 99748264

MBA, B.Com CA (ﬁnalist) 7 years experience (2 years in Oman) looking for suitable placement in a reputable organization. Expertise in ERP, Tally Quickbooks, peachtree and Excel. NOC available. Contact: 97736404 Email: adnantahir1990@gmail.com

Looking for light driving job, Indian, 4 years experience & language knowing Arabic, English & Indian. Contact: 94241385

Motivated and energetic male 25 having 4 years of experience in finance with Master’s degree in Economics and CAT Certified seeking opportunity in Accounts/finance/ audit in a reputable organization. Cell no: 00968-94626209 E-Mail: omerjawedshah@gmail.com

Looking job for driver, experience 6 years. Contact: 96246794

ADMIN HSE Admin experience for 10 years in GCC with valid D/L seeking to join a reputed firm. NOC available. Contact: 99626821 Indian male MBA having 10 years experience as Document Controller and 2+ years experience as Project Assistant/ Executive Secretary in Oman seeks immediate placement. NOC available. Contact: 95373198 Indian Male 18 years ( 7 years in Oman ) experience in HR / Admin in Oil & Gas , construction fields with Oman D/L seeks suitable position. Visa Transfer / NOC available. Call 92854993. Keralite 47 years, having 20 years of rich experience in office administration and 6 years of Warehouse Management looking for a suitable opening. Email: rajeshkorathatt@gmail.com Training coordinator Indian male, 17 yrs experience with Training & Consultancy Company. Well knowledge in admin works. Release available and have D/L. Contact: 99573353 Indian male 36 years MBA experience as AS. Manager seeking suitable job in HR/ Marketing in Oman on visit visa. Contact : 98200741, Email: phmnsudheesh857@gmail. com Indian male having 15 years Gulf experience in purchase Admin on visit. Contact : 95435370 Indian male B.Com & Tally with 2.5 years Admin/HR Experience in Oman with 2 years employment Visa seeking placement. Release Available 96796477 14 years of Gulf experience in HR / Admin & logistics fluent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact: 95824598 Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR. joing immediatly. release available. Contact :93671437 Indian female 24 years MBA (HR) having 3 years experience in HR Administration, payroll seeking suitable placement. Contact: 91104352 / 99012861 Indian male looking for company job, 2 years visa light Oman D/ License experience in office works also & driving. Contact: 92233068 Indian female, 29 yrs, MBA (HR) 4 yrs exp in HR & Admin seeking suitable placement. Contact: 95619537 Master degree HRM professional having excellent experience in finance and management and having 8 yrs experience looking for suitable placement. Contact: 92955453 / 91213269

Light duty driver, 8 yrs exp. Contact: 96736744

Driver for job experience 1 year. Contact: 94071286 Pakistani Light Duty Driver seeks placement. Contact: 95746203 Looking for driving job light driver. Contact : 96913836 Looking for driving job light driver. Contact :92787245 Looking for driving job light driver. Contact :94648986 Driver with Car. Contact: 99716938 Driver with 2 yrs exp looking for job. Contact: 98487511 Light duty driver ,driving license, Experienced. Ph: 92814816 Driver with car (Fortuner). Contact: 95365938 Light driver, 10 yrs experience looking for job. Contact 93060050

DRAUGHTSMAN 3D Draughtsman 25 years Indian male having 4 years experience. Contact: 93746877 Land surveyor: Indian male having two years experience, well handled total station, auto level and Auto cad, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 95140761 /99208290 Email: binu.brijiv@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELPER Experienced Indian lady is looking housemaid job looking full time job for European family total experience : 9 years, 2 years exp. with European family 6 years worked with Indian family language English & Hindi. Contact: 93392788

DESIGNER Sr Designer, Civil & Structural (oil & gas) / Site Supervisor Indian male, 21 years experience in design ﬁeld with driving license seeks suitable placement N.O.C available. Contact: 92684051 Email: babyshibu@yahoo.co.in

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Electrical Engineer Indian male 29 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com SAP – SCM.MM Consultant B.Tech. (Chemical), from NIT, working with oil industry, seeks employment. Contact: 98049288

NETWORK/NETWORK SECURITY ENGG. Graduate in B.Tech CS. Have 5.3 years of experience in Network and Security devices. Certiﬁed on CCNA, CCNP, MCITP and CCIE Sec. Written passed. NOC available. Can join immediately. Contact +974-55297089, e-mail: rejad.hashim@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Egyptian Civil Engineer-total experience 6 years - 1 year @ Oman-I have good experience in Technical office & site Works. Contact number: 00968 94682217 B.Com MBA, Indian male 2 years experience looking for suitable job. Contact: 94718663 Email: naveelkhan524@gmail.com 24Yrs, B.E (Mechanical), having 3 Yrs experience as a Piping Engineer, Seeking suitable job in Oman. Contact: +919965885511 (India), +96898989716(Oman), Email : nandhamek@gmail.com Indian female (M. Tech – power system) having Gulf experience, currently on family visa seeking suitable placement in Oman. Contact: 94306164 Indian female 26 yrs, B.Tech in Electrical and Electronics with two years experience in Ministry of Electricity Kerala govt , as Operating Assistant Engineer presently on visit visa seeks placement. Contact 98657132 / Email: pinks1819@gmail.com B.Tech Mechanical Engineer (HVAC) 2 years experience in India. Contact: 97654489 Email: nikhilchandpm@gmail.com Electrical Engineer 5 years of exp in construction companies, NOC available Indian. Contact: 92641757 BE in ECE Indian female currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 94767662 Email: chaithanyankotian10@gmail.com Civil Engineer B.E 12 years experience with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 93843448 Indian female, Electronics and telecommunication Engineer, currently on family visa looking for suitable openings. Contact: 95020425

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Engineer BE (Electrical, Electronics), Indian male 24 years, having 2 plus years of experience, seeking for suitable placement. Contact: 98201244 Indian male 24 years B.E mechanical 2 years exp. or visit visa. Contact: 99247326 Indian (M) B.Tech (civil) with 2 yrs exp in Structural Designing using Etabs, Staad, Safe, excel looking for suitable position. Contact: 96698342 / 98768045 Email: qadeertom@gmail.com Indian male 27 years, Mechanical Engineer (B.E) having experience seeks suitable placement holds valid Oman driving license, on visit visa. Contact: 98847638 Indian male 25MBA having 4years Gulf experience in Coordination with contracting company .NOC Available. Looking for(Store,Coordination,Admin ,Backoffice) Jobs Ph:95405885 Indian male 25, BTech (Mechanical), CSWIP 3.1, Welding Inspector, 3 years experience in Oil & Gas (piping and Equipment as QC inspector) now on visit visa seeking suitable opportunities. Contact: 98228262 Email: megbinvetticattu@gmail.com Electrical Engineer 2 years experience (Indian) construction (building) looking suitable placement. Contact 00968 9259662 Email: kundara.renjith@gmail.com M. Tech, Applied Electronics Indian female looking for full time or part time job presently on family visit visa. Contact: 92499312 Email: ann.ashhy@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer, Indian, exp. in MEP (AutoCAD). Contact 99079140 / 98205818

Indian male B.Tech Mechanical Engineer 1 year experience seeking suitable placement, available immediately. Contact: 93907707 Email: jubinkasim@gmail.com

Civil Project Engineer exp 10 yrs. Contact: 92673432 Email: arifjamalkhan8@gmail.com

Computer Engineer Iraqi Nationality 7 years experience seeking suitable placement. #94694146

Telecommunication Maintenance Engineer Sudanese male 2 years experience in HUAWEI hardware ﬁeld cabins good communication English & Arabic. Contact :+ 968 96433495 / +968 94756295 Email: muzamilawadalla@gmail.com

Indian male diploma Civil Eng with 2 yrs experience on site as QS & AutoCAD seeking on site or - off site position. Contact: 94756183 Email: indianexpat1@gmail.com

2 years experienced Electrical Engineer looking for suitable placement. Contact: 98480509 Engineer with 4 years Oman experience in telecom operations, having valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable opportunity, interested in Marketing also. Contact 98513495 Indian male B.Tech (ECE) CCNA 1 yrs exp in broadcast Engg having hands on exp in harris ADC,PPC, Velocity & Invenio, avid inews, vizrt,nexio farad, grass, valley kayak HD 300. also having on practice in PLC (AB,ABB, Siemens) DCS & scada systems. Contact: 00919846990093 / 99235291 Indian job in procurement & contract, have “12” years purchase & contract experience in infrastructure & energy sector. NOC is available. Contact-98009274 Looking for job as Electrician, Gulf 7 years exp. Contact: 93015630 Mechanical Engr, B. Tech, exp in QA/QC, In Piping Design, Its softwares Ph:96539085 Indian male 23, Mechanical Engineer, 1 year experience, knowledge in HVAC currently on visit visa looking for suitable placement. Contact: 95434381 Email: shuhaibusman313@gmail.com

Btech computer science graduate 2015 passout.. Android application marketing.. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Contact 91024385

Male, BE (Mechanical holder) 1 yr exp in Indian & 4 months in Oman NOC available, embassy attested certiﬁcate . Contact: 95721521 / 96625245 (Salalah) Email: sajukoippallil@gmail.com

Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp. Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847

Sudanese male Telecommunication Engineer looking for job. Contact: 94537607 Electrical Engineer bachelor degree having 6+ years experience of Gulf and professional license available to join. Contact: 98063081 Email: imran.engr08@gmail.com Indian 24 yrs male, 2 years experience in Site Engineer (Diploma in Civil Engineering), Now on visit visa in Oman. Contact: 94050311 Civil Engineer B.E, 5.5 years experience with Omani D/L. # 96785311 Indian Male, Diploma in Civil Engineer working as a Project engineer with 7years of experience looking for suitable job. Contact- 92636569 Engineer with 3 yrs experience in Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical maintained ﬁeld on visit visa looking for suitable job. # 99191535 Email: fareed029@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY 4 Years experienced (Money exchange services & Hospitality services in Oman & India) - Indian male 27 years, graduate in Hospitality science, ﬂuent in English, Hindi & Arabic seeks suitable placement. #91383167

B.C.A, 7 years Operations Management procurement supply chain team handling lean six sigma certiﬁed on visit visa. Contact: 99826634 Email: nairsatheesh1984@gmail.com Indian female MCA, 24 years seeking suitable job. Contact 93439467 Male, 28 years IT Engineer from India having good hands on experience in networking, switches and routers. Moreover having certiﬁcation Redhat, Linux (RHCE) and Oracle DBA (OCP). Contact: 95406864 Email Id: saad.m.ali79@gmail.com IT System Support: Indian Male 2 years exp in Oman & 3 years in India. Contact 91937060 Communications networks, Technician specializing in the main divider and ADSL VDSL system experience of STC. Contact 93398796 Indian visit visa, Network / System Engineer switches, routers, servers, load balancers 5 yrs of exp holds B.E (ECE), CCNA looking for good opportunity. Contact: 91911792 Email: arafakdnl@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR MIB Post Graduate /male – more than 9 years of experience in shipping & Logistics in middle east (Liner Section) looking for a suitable job in Oman. . Mob :( India) 91-9400043894, Email: jaise81@gmail.com, Oman 99899627 Indian with license looking job safety officer, camp boss. Supervisor or marketing. Contact: 94003617 Facility / Project Mgmt, 4+ yrs of exp holds B.E (ECE) Indian visit visa looking for suitable opening. Contact: 98580569 Email: arafacareer@gmail.com

MEDICAL Medical - Staff Nurse (male) with NOC and license, experience 6+ yrs. Contact: 98680299 Email: georgevaikom@gmail.com Female Nurse- Indian, Total 14 yrs. experience,6 yrs. in KSA, Prometric passed, ready to join immediately. Contact 95525004 & 98146565 Looking for job as office boy + driver going to visit within this month Oman Muscat working experience 10 years. Contact: 968 97859837 Indian male MDS Doctor specialized in Endodontist with 7 years experience prometric passed, seeking suitable placement. #98843139 Email: ppdr2020@gmail.com Doctor seeking job an experienced female Indian Doctor (DHMS NAET USA), 49 yrs, specialist in Homeopathy and Allergy Elimination Technology seeks suitable placement. Contact: 919447110003 Oman 96439091 Email: anithabaydr@gmail.com Male Staff Nurse looking for job passed Prometric 63% + 3 years experience. Contact: 94035637 / 95068075 BA degree Nursing professional having excellent looking for suitable placement. #: 92955453 /91213269 GP Doctor Yemeni national-male, with 4 years of work experience. Mobile:00966531598754 Email: alsyaniramzy@gmail.com A Pakistani lady, having M.A Islamiyat at B.ED Degree, 7 years Teaching experience. All documents are ready, looking for job in school or private ﬁrm. Contact: 96534115 Email: alex_ali1@yahoo.com

MISCELLANEOUS EDUCATION Indian lady M.Com, B.Ed looking for openings in teaching. #97668603 Filipina ESL Teacher for 13 years BEED major in English knowledge in IB, PYP and independent school curriculum computer literate, IELTS qualiﬁed, looking for reputable school. Contact: 98938272 Email: m.ann7875@gmail.com

Indian female, having 9 years experience in Logistics and Sales co ordinator. Experience in SAP, MS office, holding Oman driving license. Currently on Visit Visa, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95251911 10 yrs exp in Oman in logistics-have Oman D/L-looking for suitable placement. Contact 96410767 ; email: harishkts@yahoo.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Female POST GRADUATE . One Year experience seeking suitable Job Contact :97792820 Email: pnjli.1991@gmail.com Management Professional accountable, responsible for proﬁtable management can handle the entire operations, HR/Recruitment, Business development & Sales & marketing & etc, Great organizational skills with over 23+yrs exp. in Bombay, Saudi Arabia, Dubai-UAE & Oman(11yrs) as General Manager - Publications, Printing,Media. open to any industry, can Join immediately w/NOC. Contact : +968 98864706/99574638 Mail : akdas_uae@yahoo.com Seeking for job ﬁre and safety completed 2.5 years experience language known Hindi, English & Tamil seeking suitable job. Contact: 98431032 Indian material controller / store keeper with 9 years exp , seeking job in Oman NOC/ Release available. Contact: 91946174

SALES / MARKETING MBA (Marketing/ HR) with 4.5 years exp in Business development and marketing, having valid Oman driving license seeks suitable placement currently available on family visa. Contact: 97618033 Email: vjgeorge12@gmail.com MBA, BBA (Marketing), Certiﬁcates in NEBOSH, IOSH, MEDIC FIRST AID. 2 years work experience as BDE in HSE ﬁrm. Phone - 94362502, Email libinakurisinkal@gmail.com 7 years Purchase experienced total 17 years Oman with driving license looking for suitable position, Indian with N.O.C. Contact: 96574390 Indian male with 14 years of experience in Business development / sales & marketing seeks suitable placement, 6.5 years of work experience in Oman. Contact: 93400177 Female, 5 yrs experience in software and 1 yr experience in administration, looking for any official job full time or part time or work from home. Contact: 00968 91711326 Email: shetty.sapna22@gmail.com Indian female high School Teacher having 30 years experience, currently on visit visa, looking for suitable openings. Contact: 95020425 B.Com Graduate having 5 years of experience in purchase & sales with valid Oman driving license looking for suitable job. Contact: 97302353 Sales man, experience in Saudi, Good in Arabic. Ph: 97103168 Indian male B.Com & MBA Graduate 11 years experience airline travel & tourism, Sales & Marketing in Dubai & Oman with driving license NOC available. Contact: 92552612 Email: mazmanu1@gmail.com Indian male 27 years, B.Tech Graduate having good work experience with valid Oman D/L looking for a suitable opening as Sales Engineer. Contact: 91472953 Email: harees.rasheed.2014@gmail.com Procurement / Purchase Executive 1.6 yrs exp in Oman construction industry Indian male 27 yrs, MBA with valid Oman D/L, available for immediate placement. Contact: 96300958 / 24796010 Business intelligence / Global Marketing management specialist with 9 years of experience developing brand value & managing overall projects to achieve business objectives seeking suitable position on family visit. Contact: 91902154 Indian male 35 yrs, 10 yrs experience in FMCG Sales & Marketing in UAE with valid GCC license looking for suitable position on visit. Contact: 93438747 / 93033252 Indian male MBA (Marketing) 26 on visit visa, with experience in stores looking for suitable position in warehouse stores logistics or in sales. Contact: 96915871 Email: ajanadoor@yahoo.com Indian female 35 years MCA, MBA six sigma black belt, 14 years Gulf experience in business analytics, Marketing business development qualities seeks placement. NOC available, Omani driving license available. Contact: 95783792 Indian 44 yrs, 16 yrs Indian Army 5 and Half years in Oman exp ware house, seeks suitable placement in store, ware house or sales having Oman driving license. #94050311

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DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED MISCELLANEOUS

SALES / MARKETING Sales and marketing - male 27 yrs, 2 years experience seeking suitable placement. Contact: 95642740 Email: shaijichakkara@gmail.com

Indian male,Accountant, B.com, 1 yr experience in auditing and having knowledge in tally. #94733824/95769355

Sudanese Business development Manager, long experience International trade in Oman (import /export / marketing) seeking suitable placement full / part time in reputable company. Contact: 91173146

Indian male Chartered Accountant having 10 years of experience in Process audit, Risk assessment and Internal Audit is urgently looking for a suitable opportunity. Cell: +96897327343 Email: cabalkrishnadubey@gmail.com. NOC available

TOURS & TRAVELS Indian female 24 yrs, Bachelor in Travel & Tourism and 1 year exp in Oman as ticketing executive. GDS-Sabre, Amdeus, Galilio seeking suitable job. Contact- 95883404 B.Com IATA MCSE working for Qatar Airways, Sales Reservation, ticketing English, Hindi, and Malayalam, Marathi NOC is available. Contact: 92954613

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 32 years post Graduate , working as Purchaser cum office coordinator 4 years in Oman having Oman driving license & NOC looking for suitable job in Muscat. Contact : 98399415 Email: thankansam@gmail.com Indian, presently on visit visa in Salalah looking for job B.com failed UAE experience in accounts, commercial Admin & warehouse. Contact: 92754071 /93346931 Email: sathyanathanuk@gmail.com

Light driver 5 years experience language English, Hindi, Arabic education B. A. Contact: 98522914 Pick & drop any time. Contact: 91615715 B-tech Electrical Engineer with more than 2 years of experience in erection and designing of HT and LT electrical systems. Seeking for suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 98269366. Email: sijincleetus@gmail.com Project Manager / Senior Engineer, Indian Male BE Civil, 21yrs experienced including Oman looking for the Job Contact +918939295181 Email I’D sanja_bala@yahoo.co.in Indian male 26 , graduate in mechanical engineering having 2 years experience in fabrication production ﬁled in India, looking for a suitable job. mobile: +968-91384621 EMAIL : rmekhil@hotmail.com

Indian male, 39 yrs, MSC Computer Science 10 years experience IT support, FMS Engineer, bank experience looking for suitable job. Contact: 94276449

Sr. Sales Executive, Indian Male, Holding Valid Oman DL. Total experience in Oman of 15 years with 4 years Rent a Car Co. experience. Looking for Opportunities in any Industry for similar sales role. GSM - 95703233 email id “khetani_r@yahoo.com

MBA (Marketing /HR) with 45 years exp in business development and marketing, having valid Oman driving license seeks suitable placement currently available on family visa. Contact 97618033 Email: vjgeorge12@gmail.com

INDIAN MALE 23 YEARS,B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic). Done IOSH & NEBOSH- IGC certiﬁcations. Looking for HSE engineer job in Oil Gas Sector, constructions or in any related industries. Contact no. 98045482

Indian male 63 years have 30 years Muscat experience all office work sales business development insurance administration accounts with Oman driving license. Contact : 99249412

Indian male. M.com holder with two year working experience as an accountant in India. Now at Muscat on visiting visa. Seeks suitable placement. Gsm:96947500,99463120, Email:mohamedshaﬁkk5@gmail. com

Driver 5 years exp know English, Arabic,& Hindi Education B.A. Contact : 91615715 / 99512270 Driver looking for job exp 2 yrs. Contact: 98522914 Indian female LLB (Advocate) 2 years experience looking for suitable post legal advisor company secretary etc. # 93343190 / 94476387 Email: shafu1019@gmail.com Indian lady 30 years Graduate having work experience in India and Oman looking for Admin or any other suitable job. Contact : 95676957 Male Graphic designer cum animation, non linear editing VFX, seeking suitable position. Contact: 97792661 / 96229406 B.E (IT) 1 year exp complete schooling in Muscat needs job in software / net working / java/ WEB design or marketing. Contact: 97136248 / 99313821 Indian male 22 years ACCA affiliate , BSc, Graduate in applied accounting 2 months working experience seeking suitable placement in Finance / Accounts / audit immediately. Contact: 97378607 / 92558734 HR.Admin..indian male..2+ Oman exp..joining immediately..#93671437

Indian male, ERP Functional Consultant (SCM, MM, HRMS), Seeks employment.Contact: 98478928, Email: anand.desai2408@gmail.com Indian female, B.Sc, PGDCA, currently on family joining visa, 2 years working experience in oman as customer care / sales co-ordinator, immediate joining seeks suitable placements. Contact no. (968) 95573205 / 95949230 / 95800792 ACCOUNTANT, Indian male,29 years.8 years experience .Presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with oman Driving license. NOC available seek suitable opportunity. GSM: 97705854 29 years Indian female (MBAFinance) with 4+yrs experience (Oman) in Accounts, seeking suitable placement in Accounts/Admin. Contact:96141283 B-tech Electrical engineer with more than 2 years of experience in erection and designing of HT and LT electrical systems. Seeking for suitable job in Muscat. Contact:98269366. Email:sijincleetus@gmail.com Indian Female B.Sc., B.Ed.(Maths), M.C.A residing in Al-Ghubra seeking a teaching position as a Math Teacher GSM.- 94231633

INDIAN MALE 23 YEARS, B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 4 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer. Looking for suitable job in Oil Gas Sector or in related industries. #98045482 Indian male , 14 yrs Experience in maintenance & Supervisor in hotel field ( Electrical . Ac Mechanical & Plumber ) N O C available mob : 95 25 36 40 . email = hareeshma24@yahoo.com Indian male 28YRS, 7Years exp. in Architectural & structural Draughtsman & 3d visualization, looking for a suitable Post GSM: +971551965944. Email:aboosufiyan@gmail.com Indian, male, 41 years, CA Inter, Persuing CA final. Now on express visa. 7 years of Experience in OMAN as Finance and Accounts Manager in Trading , Construction and Firefighting industry. 21 Years of exp. seeking suitable Managerial positions. No visa issues. Immediate joining. #98469311 Email:sebin30@yahoo.co.in Piping Design Engineer, Indian male 27, looking for suitable placement in Piping Design & Engineering. Having 7 years of experience in AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS (11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact : 97351786 / 96143708, Email : mohammednazeer07@gmail.com BSC Female Nurse having 8 years of experience ( 3 years in gulf). Prometric passed - 57%. Currently in Oman. Contact : 98034384 Indian Female, M.Com & MBA with 1.5 years of experience in Reinsurance Treaty seeking a good job opportunity in Insurance & Reinsurance Accounts or General Accounts. Contact: +968 91920189, Email:neethumano.manohar@gmail. com ME. Civil Engineer, Structural Designer, 3 Years Structural Design, 6 Years Str Supervising Experience, Looking For Structural Designer Position. Iranian Male. Contact: 93696929 Email: mhsaz1359@gmail.com Female, Indian, 35 Yrs- house maid available for Full/Part time work in Muscat. Please contact- 96754303. ACCOUNTANT, M.Com holder with 2 year working experience as an accountant in Kerela-India, seeks suitable placement. GSM NO:96947500,9 9463120, Email:mohamedshafikk5@gmail. com 8 yrs exp 2d, 3d draughtsman (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LICENSE) seeking job. Contact : 93790601 CCNA MCITP network support / network technician with 2 years experience Indian male having bachelors degree on visit visa. # 93080871 sean.f.peters@outlook.com Indian Male 22 Years, Graduation In Electronics Seeking Jobs In Supervisory , Sales & Sales Co-ordination Fields , Good Communication Skill Contact 96141317, E-mail: akhilek5@gmail.com Chartered Accountant with 7 years of post qualification experience, seeking challenging job opportunity. Experience in auditing/accounts & finance/taxation/IFRS, etc. GSM +968 95763680 Indian Female Interior Designer, 4.5 yrs experience, seeking immediate mid-senior level position with firm having lady clearance. NOC Available. Contact 93033072

SITUATION WANTED Driver with car seeking suitable post. Contact : 91660291 Sudanese.male 32 years.B.SC mechanical engineer.7years experience.5 years experiance in Gulf. working now in water pipeline projects.fluent Arabic and English.have Omani driving license.looking for good opportunity TEl:91117089 Indian Male 22 years, ACCA Affiliate with B..Sc. Degree in Applied Accounting having three months working experience seeking suitable placement in Finance / Accounts / Audit. Holding valid Oman D/L. Contact 97378607 / 92558734 Indian female Nurse, Prometric passed 64%, 5 years of experience, MOH licensed, presently working in Oman seeking a suitable placement in reputed Hospitals, NOC available. Contact: 98329941, Email: ancyanish2011@gmail.com. Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant, doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available. Contact 98803439 Female from India -MA. B.Ed. with One year three months Teaching experience. English seeking for a urgent better placement, Now working in Oman. Contact:: 93961142, 92184408 Email:-anoopkesavan78@gmail.com. Video Editor 29 years Indian male with 8 years experience on visit visa looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 91275969 / leomoorkoth@gmail.com 8 yrs exp 2d, 3d Draughtsman (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LICENSE) seeking job. # 97449630 Tunisian shoes designer wuth 40years expereince in designing and manifacturing loocking for a job in a related field contact : 97816917 Indian male MBA + TALLY , 29 years & 7years experience in Administration and Manager level in Reputed companies, Seeking suitable placement.Contact 96297709 / +91 9066130371, Email: jomonjohnm9@gmail.com Indian female MBA Finance currently on visit visa seeks immediate placement. Phone: 968-98430089

ACCOUNTANT, Indian male, 29 years.8 years experience .Presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with oman Driving license. NOC available. Seek suitable opportunity. GSM: 98184170 Indian Male, 28, B.Com, 6+ yrs exp in Accounts, 2 yrs in Oman with Valid Oman D/L, NOC available. Contact: 9719 4864 Indian male post graduate.2 years experience in sales. currently in oman on visit visa.seeks suitable placement.Gsm 92388346 Civil site coordinator, Diploma, Male 25, now present in Oman, Seeking job in Oman. Contact: 92875345, jubincivileng@gmail.com Syrian male 3yrs. exp in IT support, Networking, Security systems, Server support, IT sales and marketing. Valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact 91033395

ACC. AVAILABLE Fully furnished room for a decent expatriate. independent kitchen, bathroom in Wadi Adai. Contact 96243086 at 5p.m. Room for rent available in CBD near Papa John’s Restaurant. # 96568110 Fully furnished 1BHK with all household items in Darsait near Lulu on monthly Basis. Contact : 99378397 Sharing accommodation available for working lady or couples near Ruwi Church. Contact: 92837206 Room attached toilet and kitchen near Indian School Wadi Kabir. Contact: 95345537

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

Male Indian 27, working as ﬁnance analyst having two years Oman experience with Driving license looking for suitable position. Mob: 98097009, rameesnm@gmail.com FRESH - B.Com Graduate on Family Visa, looking for any suitable Job. Contact : 92567020 / 95322175, Email: shwayanad@gmail.com Admin Executive, Indian Female having 10 years Gulf experience in seeking suitable placement currently working in Muscat. Email: meenafajar@yahoo.com, Mobile 0096893211402 Having 9+ years exp. in Administration & HR in reputed companies. Presently working in Muscat and seeking for suitable placement. Contact No.: 97693456. Email : muralimahdav77@gmail.com

Seeking ﬁnancial investor / partner for short term Governmental construction projects of 1.5 million R.O. Contact: 99881303 The investor is required for successful Educational project to pay 25,000/- Thousand. Email: bussiness.om9@gmail.com

MOH Indian Dentist 10 years experience in Oman. Can speak Arabic, has driving license. Contact 98995321 or ventureoman007@gmail.com

New company seek partnership. Contact: 96996938

Omani , female, have diploma in quantity survey, bachelor in Constitution management, seeking situated placement at Sohar. Tel 94454180, Mail nhlmct@yahoo.com

Serious investor needed for succeeded furniture company for expansion purposes. Contact: 99041337

General Investors. Gsm-99674870

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DAILY GUIDE TOURS

SITUATION WANTCARGO

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

RENT A CAR

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

TRANSPORTATION Transport. Contact: 93637289 Transportation available. Contact 95570429 Transport. Contact: 95190627 Transportation. Contact: 91310107 House shifting, transporting. Contact : 94229277 Pick & drop anytime in Al Khuwair. Contact 99764307 Transportation. Contact: 96538078 Transportation. Contact:98522914 Transportation. Contact 99508282 Car for rent. Contact: 92516090 Silver Car, car for rent. Contact: 96166155 / 98402662

Butter cup rent a car competitive prices new car 2016. Contact: 97249449

Transportation. Contact: 98244078 Pick & Drop any time. Contact: 97014786

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DAILY GUIDE

CLASSES

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SITUATION WANTMANPOWER

Spoken English IELTS & Computer classes. Contact: 92088325 / 24799938

COMPUTER

Admission started in a private school, Darsait (Mount Zion Group of Institutions CBSE 1) for KG and grade 1 to 4 please register soonest. Contact: 92088325 / 24799938

DRIVING

Driver for Automatic Transmission. Contact: 99040813

NRI

WEBSITE

MATRIMONIAL 24 yrs, Keralite Christian girl Engineer working in Oman looking for alliance from good looking, well educated. Contact: 92467948 Roman Catholic girl 31 yrs Indian origin working in U.A.E seeking alliances from Christian family well settled in Oman or Middle East. Contact: 97622011 24 years old, Sunni Muslim girl Bombay origin, BSc, Hons (Accts) with religious values seeking alliance. Email: morning_star9128@gmail.com

House shifting & transporting. Contact 92490422 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807

Keralite Roman Catholic girl, 27 yrs, M.Fam seeks suitable alliance. Contact: 99253120

House shifting. Contact 99708138

Kerala Hindu boy 28 (star â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chitra) Engineer with MBA working in a reputed co. in Oman looking for alliance from good looking, well educated , religious and veg. girl of reputed family. Contact : 99426627

Split window cassette AC unit servicing, maintenance. Contact: 99540621 House shifting packing. 99657644 / 98518013 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

Christen boy 31-170. Contact: 95131495 Sunni Muslim girl, Indian origin, 20 yrs BA graduate from Oman, good looking homely with good religious values, seeking alliances from Muslim professionals, well settled in Oman or Middle East. Contact: 99644760 or Email: ghulamuzma23@gmail.com

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

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

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089/95323517 GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 A/C Maintenance & servicing, fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing. Contact: 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281 Air condition maintenance split and window A/C split a/c ducted and package type units. Contact: 98667326 Water prooďŹ ng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Civil maintenance - plumbing, electrical, painting, and tiling, interior decorations, shop furnishing and all other maintenance works. Contact: 97897831 / 92112094 (Indian, Keralite)

Split & widow unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080

GOOD NEWS

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

Rakhees Raksha Bandhan available thousands Designs. Also special offer at Haridas Nensey Ruwi. Contact 24750784

Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 93769089 / 95323517 Auditing formation new companies foreign investors visa. Contact Salah Eldin : 99378379 General cleaning, cleaning contract, cleaner supply. Contact: 95764290 /95113037 Pest control Treatments, Cockroaches, Ants ,Rodents & Termites. Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99357908 / 99344723. General cleaning & Shampooing. Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723 / 99357908

Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com 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 Genuine Ayurvedic treatments & massage, Ayurvedic clinic at AL Khuwair. Contact: 24478618 / 97263637 / 93309131