Times Of Oman - March 10, 2015

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TUESDAY, March 10, 2015 /19 Jumada Al Ula 1436 AH

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SAUDI ARABIA

His Majesty receives thanks

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

SOLAR IMPULSE 2 LANDS IN MUSCAT

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His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Advisor to His Majesty the Sultan, greets the two pilots of Solar Impulse 2 plane that landed at Muscat International Airport yesterday after taking off from Al Bateen airport in Abu Dhabi earlier in the day. - Cio Datan/Times of Oman >A3

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

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), in reply to His Majesty’s condolences cable on the death of the late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

In his cable, King Salman expressed his thanks for His Majesty the Sultan’s generous feelings and sincere prayers, praying to Allah the Almighty to rest the deceased’s soul in peace and protect His Majesty against all harms. -ONA

Three die in accident

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Three people were killed in a road accident in Al Naman area of Barka wilayat on Monday. >A4

Down Syndrome

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Parents of children with Down Syndrome are asking the government to support them. >A5

MARKET

Power sector push

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The Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation has predicted rain, thunderstorms, hail and strong winds in several parts of the Sultanate over the next three days

MUSCAT: With rain, thunderstorms, hail and strong winds set to sweep the Sultanate once again, emergency services are warning motorists not to risk their lives.

With the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (DGMAN) predicting moderate to heavy rains in several parts of Oman from Tuesday to Thursday, experts are urging citizens to exercise caution on the roads.

Rain, heavy at times, will continue until Thursday in the northern parts of Oman including

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Don’t risk your life, say police as rain forecast

Staff reporter

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Muscat. “We are again calling on everybody to not risk their lives by driving through fast moving waters,” said Daryle Hardie, CEO of Safety First Oman.

In the recent past, accidents and casualties have been frequently reported in Oman due to careless vehicle drivers indulging in daredevilry on slippery roads and while crossing overflowing wadis. Hardie said that motorists should exercise caution while driving.

“Citizens and residents should drive slowly on slippery roads and maintain a distance between

two vehicles as they have to think about themselves, their family and their vehicle while driving in such adverse conditions,” he told the Times of Oman on Monday.

According to the DGMAN, a low pressure system, brought on by a trough in atmospheric pressure over Iran, is likely to bring rain to different parts of the country for the next three days.

“It will start from Musandam on Tuesday and then slowly cover areas like South Batinah, Dhairah, Dakhiliyah, South and North of Sharqiyah, as well as the Muscat and Al Hajar Mountains,” said a senior DGMAN official.

A senior official of the Royal Oman Police also called on drivers to exercise caution. “Wadis can fill up very quickly with rainwater and result in flash floods. So, we urge everyone to be cautious and follow the weather forecast and warnings issued,” he said.

“People should stay away from the wadis and fishermen should not venture into the sea till Thursday, as the waves could reach three metres. Weather will gradually stabilise by Friday,” he added. >A4

Nama Group firms will invest OMR430m in distribution, transmission projects in 2015. >B1

JABAL AL AKHDAR

Pregnant teenager allegedly shot dead by brother Staff Reporter MUSCAT: A 17-year-old girl was allegedly shot and killed by her brother in Al Ain village of Jabal Al Akhdar two weeks ago, confirmed an official of the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

The girl, a Grade 12 student, was allegedly shot after the family discovered that she was pregnant.

The ROP official confirmed that a forensic examination indicated that the deceased was pregnant.

However, the official added

that the investigation into the murder was still on and the girl’s brother had been detained.

The girl’s brother had also been referred to the Public Prosecution for further investigation and trial, it was reported.

The incident came to light when a resident reported the shooting to the ROP. Speaking to Times of Oman, one of the sheikhs of Jabal Al Akhdar said, “We were shocked to hear of the incident. Nobody should take law into their own hands.” >A6

Arab League for joint terror force

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TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

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Oman’s natural harbours, positioned at the entrance of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf, and its proximity to the sub-continent, provide a major advantage over its competitors in the region Paul Gregorowitsch, Oman Air’s Chief Executive Officer

R E A L E S TAT E

Bausher residents seek land to ease housing crunch STAFF REPORTER MUSCAT: Hundreds of residents of Bausher wilayat have demanded plots in the wilayat from the Ministry of Housing, on which they could build proper houses for themselves.

The residents said they have been waiting for the past 20 years to get plots from the ministry.

They have even sent a letter to the Minister of State and the Governor of Muscat to intervene in the matter since there are no legal impediments preventing the ministry from disbursing plots.

Moreover, the residents have said they are suffering because they have to live in very small houses, which they have to share with other families due to the limited space in the area, and are, therefore, demanding an end to their suffering.

The wali of Bausher said that he was doing his best to find schemes for residents in coordination with the ministry. He pointed out that the Minister of State and Governor of Muscat will meet with the Bausher residents at the earliest to discuss the situation.

Land schemes A resident said, “All that indigenous inhabitants of Bausher want is a plot allocated to them in large land schemes in areas close to their present homes.”

“More than a thousand families are looking forward to receiving plots after years of suffering and the dismantling of the social fabric in Bausher,” he added.

The residents claimed that many of these plots were distributed to other nationals from outside Bausher.

SAYYID FAHD REVIEWS TIES WITH SAUDI MAJLIS AL SHURA CHAIRMAN His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, on Monday received Sheikh Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh, Chairman of Majlis Al Shura of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The dignitary conveyed the greetings of the leadership of the Kingdom along with their best wishes to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the Omani people.

Sayyid Fahd hailed the fraternal relations binding the two countries and the growing cooperation between them in several fields. They reviewed the developments in the region and cooperation among the GCC countries.

Sayyid Fahd also talked about the development of the Shura march in Oman and the GCC countries.—ONA

Oman Air inks pact for India cargo Times News Service

The pact signifies Oman Air’s latest step in expanding its cargo operations.

It follows earlier initiatives, which include the launch of the pan-GCC and pan-European trucking services

MUSCAT: Oman Air has signed a Letter of Intent with Cargolux Airlines International S.A. to enable the freight specialist to use Oman Air’s facilities in Muscat, Salalah and Sohar.

The agreement includes the launch of Cargolux’s full freighter services from Luxembourg to India via Oman on April 15. The formal signing of the pact will take place when the first Cargolux flight arrives in Muscat on April 16.

The agreement signifies Oman Air’s latest step in expanding its cargo operations. It follows earlier initiatives by the national carrier of the Sultanate, which includes the launch of the pan-GCC and pan-European trucking services, and a joint cargo service with DHL

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS: The agreement signifies Oman Air’s latest step in expanding its cargo operations.– Supplied photo

between Oman and Dubai.

Cargolux intends to increase the number of services it operates to Oman during 2015 to several flights per week, with onward connections to multiple Indian cities, including Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Additional services to cities in India are being considered

and connections to China, Europe, Africa and the United States are also planned.

In addition, Oman Air will provide Cargolux with access to the freight capacity of its passenger fleet, which flies to 11 destinations in India and three in Pakistan, as well as to destinations in Nepal,

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This will give the Luxembourg–based carrier the opportunity to feed consolidated freight to Oman from a number of larger markets.

Announcing the agreement with Cargolux, Oman Air’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Gregorowitsch said, “Oman Air has extensive and long-term experience of operating flights to numerous destinations across the Indian sub-continent and East Africa. Cargolux is a leader in air freight and offers huge capacity. This agreement, therefore, represents an important strategic partnership that will give an important boost to Oman’s standing as a major hub for the movement of freight between Europe, Asia and Africa.”

“In addition, Oman’s natural harbours, positioned at the en-

trance of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf, and its proximity to the sub-continent, provide a major advantage over its competitors in the region. Furthermore, under the guidance of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, Oman has invested in the development of state-of-theart logistics facilities — including ports, freight terminals and airports — not just in Muscat, but also in Salalah, Duqm and Sohar.” he noted.

“Oman, therefore, has an excellent logistics chain for Cargolux to leverage and Oman Air is pleased and proud to be working with them to further expand the country’s cargo sector,” said Gregorowitsch.

“We offer a warm Omani welcome to Cargolux and we look forward to working with them on this exciting enterprise,” he added.

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Solar Impulse lands; makes history ZERO FUEL FLIGHT Solar Impulse 2 Solar cells: Only 135 microns thin – like an average human hair

Cockpit 3.8 cubic metres. Unpressurised, unheated, but highly insulated cabin designed to support solo pilot for 5-6 days

On Monday evening, the Solar Impulse landed in Muscat and the team is now preparing for the Arabian Sea crossing to reach Ahmedabad and continue with the amazing flight

Total 17,248 solar cells Total Weight: 2,300kg (same as a family car) Carbon fiber gondolas

Maximum power of 70 hp

Each gondola contains a motor, a lithium polymer battery and a propeller Solar cells recharge batteries – total mass 633kg – to allow plane to fly at night

Antenna Continuous transmission of technical parameters via satellite data-link to mission control centre.

Maximum speed

Take off and landing

at sea level

Scheduled at night to avoid turbulence.

Take-off speed: 35km/h

90 km/h 140 km/h

at maximum altitude

During day

Toilet

During night Descends to 1,500m and slows to conserve power and reduce pilot stress

Aircraft climbs to 8,500m as it stores solar energy.

Top speed: 140km/h

Boeing 747-81: 68 m Abu Dhabi

human scale

Al Ain

Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg

Ergonomically designed seat allows room for exercise and 20-minute catnaps during five-day ocean crossings

Oxygen supply for high altitude flight

Wingspan

Pilots

Parachute and life-raft packed into seat-back

Cockpit

Structure: Carbon fibre, three times lighter than paper

16 LED landing lights consuming less than 2 bedside lamp-bulbs

Autopilot alerts pilot of anomaly via wrist-mounted buzzer

To ensure the pilot’s dietary needs the rations are packaged to keep them fresh despite extremes of temperature.

Muscat

Route Pilot has to remain alert while flying the plane for flights up to 5 days

First leg completed

START

FINISH

Abu Dhabi

Atlantic crossing

Pacific crossing

Muscat Ahmedabad (India) Varanasi (India)

Clothes made of intelligent nylon fibers which stabilise the pilot’s body temperature

Monaco (Control centre)

Nanjing (China) Chongoing (China)

Hawaii (US)

Phoenix (US)

Mid US

New York (US)

Abu Dhabi Southern Europe or Northern Africa

Mandalay (Myanmar) Mandatory landings every few days to switch pilots.

Graphics

Source: Solar Impulse Press Corner, Graphic News

Solar Impulse 2, the landmark flight aimed at promoting green energy, landed in Muscat at 8.14pm Monday evening. It took off from Abu Dhabi at around 7.12 in the morning

TARIQ AL HAREMI MUSCAT: For people gathered at the Muscat International Airport it was a special opportunity to witness aviation history being made. The first leg of the attempt to fly around the world using a solar power plane Solar Impulse 2 was completed last night when the flight landed at 8.14pm local time.

The landmark flight aimed at promoting green energy was launched in Abu Dhabi at around 7.12 am on Monday morning.

“It is so wonderful to have

landed in #Oman for the first leg of the round the world. With the @solarimpulse team, we aim to explore new solutions and ideas,” tweeted Andre Borschberg, who piloted the Solar Impulse 2 from Abu Dhabi to Muscat.

As he emerged from the flyer he was greeted by a welcoming reception presided over by His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Advisor to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos.

Congratulating the pilots on their safe arrival in Oman, His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Advisor to His Majesty the Sultan and Chairman of The Research Council noted, “We are proud that Muscat international airport is the first stop for the Solar Impulse 2, the solar powered aircraft set to journey around the world and considered to be the pivotal moment in our quest towards a more sustainable environment-friendly future with the use of clean energy. I hope the reception of such a brilliant technological innovation in Oman will motivate the next generation of Omanis to be more creative and innovative in order to develop our vision for the future; as well as help the Sultanate play its part in contributing towards the growth and development of human civilization as a whole. We are delighted to welcome both

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

pilots; Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg to Muscat, and for them to share with us their unique experience in human endeavour.”

The landing marks the completion of the first leg of the global circumnavigation for the innovative solar-powered aircraft. Piloted in turns by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, the Solar Impulse is designed to fly continuously day and night powered only by sunlight collected by solar cells and stored as electricity in onboard lithium batteries.

The ground-breaking aircraft will travel to 12 countries in an historic attempt to fly around the world without using a drop of fuel, travelling approx. 35,000 kilometres over the course of its journey.

The Solar Impulse project is the fruit of 13 years of research and testing by co-founders Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, two Swiss pilots whose idea was initially thought to be an impossible dream.

Welcoming his fellow countryman upon their arrival in Muscat, Christian Winter, the Swiss Ambassador to Oman commented,

“The arrival here this evening of the Solar Impulse underlines the close cooperation and mutual understanding between the Sultanate of Oman and Switzerland.

“Through this relationship we seek to foster close collaboration in the areas of science, technology and education with the aim of strengthening cooperation in terms of research and innovation.

The free exchange of ideas between scientific institutions and universities is of mutual benefit to both our countries, and I hope the stopover by my fellow countrymen Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg and their amazing Solar Impulse flyer will inspire the people of Oman on how the use of clean renewable energy plays an increasingly important role in the future of the planet we all share.”

Commenting on the safe completion of the first leg of their circumnavigation, Bertrand Piccard, co-founder and co-pilot of Solar Impulse flyer noted, “With our attempt to complete the first solar powered round-the-world flight, we want to demonstrate that clean technology and renewable energy can achieve the impossible. We want the youth of Oman, leaders, organisations and policymakers to understand that what Solar Impulse can achieve in the air, everyone can accomplish on the ground in their everyday lives.”

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TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

OMAN AUTOMOBILE GUTTED

W E AT H E R C O N D I T I O N S

Shinas car fire mystery baffles owner, police but said, “If this was a deliberate act and in front of my house then it could happen to anyone in the future,” he said. Police are investigating the case.

FAHAD AL GHADANI fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: A car parked in front of a house “mysteriously” caught fire in the early hours of Monday morning in the Shinas.

Speaking to Times of Oman, Khalid Al Abri, owner of the car, said, “I woke up with start to realise my car was on fire. However, the car was completely gutted in front of me and I was unable to do anything,” he said.

Inflammable material “I called the Civil Defence, who rushed to the spot in quick time, but the car had inflammable material and it was completely destroyed,” said Khalid.

The fire broke out at around 4.30am yesterday.

ROAD COLLISION

Three killed in accident

SECURITY ISSUES: The car was parked in front of the house when it was set ablaze on Monday morning. –Supplied photo

“I had parked the car at 8.30pm the previous day. So there was no way that the car could have caught fire because the car had heated up or so. It was sort of mysterious,” he

said, unable to explain why the car caught fire. He said he had bought the car in 2013.

While he could not confirm if someone had set fire to the car

I E LT S T E S T S

Language test norms for UK visas changed

Staff Reporter Times News Service MUSCAT: Three people were killed in a collision accident in Al Naman area of the wilayat of Barka on Monday afternoon.

The accident took place when one of the drivers tried to wrongly overtake a vehicle but collided with another vehicle in the service lane.

Meanwhile, another accident involving two heavy trucks in the wilayat of Buraimi resulted in injuries to the occupants on Monday evening.

The accident led to a gridlock in the area, according to the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

Meanwhile, a five-year-old boy was killed in a runover accident in Al Taf area of the wilayat of Dhank on Monday.

Official records show that there were 64 cases of runover accidents involving children in the country in 2014 alone.

MUSCAT: UK government has announced important changes to language testing for visa applications, reducing the number of tests accepted for visa purposes and bringing in new requirements for the way the tests will be administered.

Under the new arrangements, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests for UK visa applications will be offered throughout the year in more than 100 key locations throughout the world.

A new test – IELTS Life Skills – will be introduced for people who need to prove their speaking and listening skills at level A1 or B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

The tests for visa purposes can only be taken at authorised centres and the centre must follow proce-

dures specified by the UK government. IELTS tests for UK visas and immigration are managed by the IELTS SELT Consortia, which comprises British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment.

This test is applicable for immigration to the UK and other countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

IELTS, which is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment, has played a key role in language testing for immigration purposes throughout its 25 year history and is recognised by more than 9,000 organisations around the world, including universities and employers in many countries, as well as by professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies. More than 2.5 million IELTS tests were taken in 2014.

Similar cases In other similar cases, one person was arrested for setting two vehicles on fire in Qarhat Al Balush area in Barka wilayat.

An official of the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said the accused committed the act late at night in November last.

Four more people were arrested on the charges of setting ablaze a police officer’s vehicle at Majees in Sohar. They were arrested by officers of the Inquiries and Criminal Investigation Department from North Batinah.

According to Article 270 of the

law, a person who deliberately sets fire to land, sea or air transport properties, oil fields and public or private firms, will be handed down a jail sentence ranging between seven and 15 years.

Commenting on the case, Muscat resident Ali Al Bahri said that it was difficult to say whether it was a mistake or it was intentional.

“Nobody knows, but these days we hear about strange and scary crimes happening everywhere,” he said. It is not because of poor security but due to a lack of awareness, especially among teenagers, he added.

“Parents should educate their children and make them aware them on how to become good citizens and work for the benefit our country,” said Ali.

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A1 PACDA on alert over rains However, authorities at the Al Nahda Hospital are yet to decide whether they are going to shift the patients elsewhere.

“No call has yet been taken in this regard,” said an official.

Flooding The hospital was flooded for the second time in the recent years a couple of months ago after very heavy rain.

When asked about the measures being taken, a senior official of the Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) said that they are always on alert.

“In case of an emergency people can contact phone number 9999,” advised an official.

Japanese youth show their art

CULTURAL CONNECT: Ambassador Hisaeda said art is a strong platform for sharing culture as it reflects a lot about a country’s values, spirituality and history. –OK Mohammed Ali/TIMES OF OMAN

The show features work by 14 artists on a variety of mediums — from watercolours, to drawings, to video and sound installations

SARAH MACDONALD sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An exhibition of art by group of young Japanese artists opened at the Omani Society for Fine Art on Sunday, revealing the way they perceive their country’s life, both traditional and modern.

The exhibition, called ‘Winter Garden: The Exploration of the Micropop Imagination in Contemporary Japanese Art,’ was hosted by the Embassy of Japan in cooperation with the Japan Foundation Traveling Exhibition.

Curated by art critic Midori Matsui, it featured work by 14 artists representing a variety of mediums, from watercolour paintings and drawings to video

and sound installations.

“Modern art experiments with new ways of seeing and interpreting the ordinary and everyday life.

It invites us to examine elements of our lives and surroundings through a new lens, with fresh ideas,” said George Hisaeda, ambassador of Japan in Oman, about the exhibition.

Hisaeda said art is a strong platform for sharing culture as it reflects a lot about a country’s values, spirituality, history and psyche. This exhibition documents through art the balance between Japan’s vibrant pop culture and the traditional and ancient Japan which its people still value and celebrate, he noted, adding that the harmony between tradi-

tional ways of life and modernity is something Oman and Japan share.

Examples of these two worlds reflected in the art included bright acrylic paintings by Mahomi Kunikata filled with anime characters that reveal the issues faced by adolescents, playful and innocent upon first glance but with darker struggles in the details. Elements of the past were noticeable in stunning pencil and acrylic drawings by Hiroe Saeki, of plants in shades of grey and black, with tiny touches of red, that draw on more traditional techniques. “It is my hope that this exhibition will communicate something of modern Japan to you,” Hisaeda told the guests.

The exhibition was inaugurated by guest of honour was HH Sayyid Mohammed Salim Al Said, Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event was also attended by His Highness Sayyid Tariq bin Shabib Al Said, Vice-Chairman of Tawoos L.L.C. and Patron of the Environment Society of Oman, as well as other dignitaries and ambassadors.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

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‘Children with Down Syndrome need support’ Down Syndrome (DS) should not be treated as a disease as it doesn’t need a cure, said a parent, while adding that children with DS need support, love and care

TARIQ AL HAREMI MUSCAT: Parents of children suffering from Down Syndrome are asking the government to support them and the Oman Down Syndrome Association (ODSA) to better the life of their children.

Down Syndrome (DS), also known as Trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is mainly associated with growth delays, typical physical appearances and mild to moderate intellectual disability.

“They treat it (DS) as a disease when it is not. It does not need a cure. It needs support, love and care,” said Zuwaina Al Barwani, one of the parents.

The parents encourage their children to be enrolled in regular schools as they are aiming to make a point that their child is like any other, as well as having them take on “normal” everyday tasks and work with other students to form a bond of understanding and connectivity.

“Some people feel they are different which results in a lack of acceptance,” said Fatma Al Barwani. “My son goes to regular, mainstream school and is treated just as the other children. We do not want special treatment for our children because it gives them a chance to learn how the other

children interact and get on with whatever they are doing. But, we strongly need educational support,” she added.

The call for government support has been the aim of parents and members of the ODSA for years, but it has not been taken into consideration by the authorities. “We are constantly calling for the government to recognise that there are in fact children with Down syndrome who are hidden away from society for lack of proper understanding and guidance,” stressed Zuwaina.

No breakthrough Speaking to Ahmed Al Jabri, chairman of the ODSA, about the cause of the defect, he said, “To this day, scientists have not determined why it occurs. As has been the common conception of some, it has nothing to do with kinship marriage, nor with smoking or treating the pregnant body badly in general. It just happens. The children are not bad and certainly not mad.”

Approximately 1 in 380 newborns are diagnosed with Down Syndrome in Oman where there are just over 1,400 children with Down Syndrome in different parts of the Sultanate according to OSDA. “We get one or two appli-

cations a week from parents who have children with Down syndrome. So far we have 217 registered in the OSDA,” said Al Jabri.

“We are trying to grow and we want to educate the parents and children about this deficiency.

Here we have speech therapy, sign language and other forms of communication training. We want them to be with other children and be a part of the society. It will give them self confidence, but we also need government support,” he said.

The ODSA are celebrating the launch of a new association which is officially endorsed by the Ministry of Social Development on March 21, otherwise known as World Down Syndrome Day, at the Sawadi Beach Resort. WDSD is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the UN since 2012.

The event will feature a talk by a religious scholar, a Royal stables horse show, games for children and adults as well as an art and craft competition among other fun day activities. One thousand people are expected on this special occasion.

Tickets are available at Hot Pot and Grills (Bareeq Al Shatti), Chatime (Opp Shatti Cinema), Al Sawadi resort (Barka).

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OMAN PUBLIC SERVICE

Free sewer facility for poor families Times News Service MUSCAT: Public Affairs Committee of the Municipal Council of Muscat has decided to implement the recommendation of the Council to exempt families coming under social security of sewer service charges.

They also recommended helping families that are not connected

to a sewerage network, to provide them with sewage tanks to pump the sewage from their homes without charging fees.

The Municipal Council discussed the mechanism that would sort the families under social security in coordination with the concerned authorities to create a comprehensive list of those eligible for the exemption.

Dumping law The Legal Committee at the State Council on Monday discussed the draft Unified Law of Combating Dumping and Compensatory and Preventive Measures. The law defines the methods and measures to protect the GCC industries against dumping. It also covers the subsidy and negative effects of increase in imports on these industries.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 Excellent academic opportunities, great internships, a tolerant society and welcoming culture are few reasons an international student should consider study in the UK Kate Clarke, Managing Director & Education Advisor at Al Ahlam Higher Education Services

OMAN

Dar Al Atta’a kayaking challenge on March 20 Musandam Kayak Charity Challenge, will help fund the pre-school project of Dar Al Atta’a

TARIQ AL HAREMI

KAYAKING FOR A CAUSE: The fund-raiser will see a team of kayakers circumnavigate the coast of the Musandam peninsula. – Jun Estrada/Times of Oman

Circumnavigation Brian Wilson, a retired civil engineer, team leader and resident of Oman said, “We have been planning the circumnavigation since 2014, with Musandam being the first and most challenging. We are doing it for the children.”

Funds from the first leg will go to the children of Musandam,” he added.

Among Brian’s team is Almunthir Abdul Latif, a hopeful firsttime-Omani-to-circumnavigateMusandam, who will start the course together from Tibat to Khasab for two days starting on March 20 and will be joined later by experienced British kayakers Laura and Greg Fawkner-Corbett, Dan Stephens and Kate Sharples, to complete the final eight days from Khasab to Dibba covering a dis-

tance of more than 150 kilometres.

When asked about the challenges the British team members might face, Brian said, “The biggest challenge I would say is the heat. They are coming out of the winter in the United Kingdom to the heat of Oman.”

The Dar Al Atta’a Musandam Kayak Charity Challenge is sponsored by OTI, Oman Arab Bank, Shell, United Power Company, Enzio Group, Cluttons and Muscat hills.

Dar Al Atta’a is an inclusive charity organisation and it caters to anyone who is poor in the Sultanate. It is a non-profit volunteerbased charity that was formed in 2002 and was formally registered in 2006 with the Ministry of Social Development.

This enabled Dar Al Atta’a to officially raise funds as well as organise events, hire staff and get organised to cater to the needs of the underprivileged.

H I G H E R E D UC AT I O N

CRIME

A1 Shooting case being probed < FROM

“The murder took place about two weeks ago. We heard that the girl was taken to a health centre in Jabal Al Akhdar for a check-up when she complained of stomach pains,” he added. “Apparently, the medical check-up revealed that the girl was pregnant. The family is said to have taken her to a private clinic in Nizwa for a second opinion which confirmed the earlier diagnosis,” added the sheikh.

The family then allegedly tried to terminate the pregnancy by forcing the girl to consume petrol, but when they could not do that,

MUSCAT: Dar Al Atta’a announced on Sunday that the Musandam Kayak Charity Challenge will be held on March 20.

The fund-raiser, where a team of kayakers will circumnavigate the coast of the Musandam peninsula, will help fund the pre-school project of Dar Al Atta’a, where the development of schools and facilities

will help improve the education of students in the remote areas of the Sultanate.

the brother allegedly shot her in the neck using a conventional weapon, he revealed.

“We heard that one of the residents reported the shooting to the ROP leading to the arrest of the whole family the next day for investigations,” he said.

The police apparently showed up in the early hours and took the brother, the father and another family member to the police station. “I really wish the brother had controlled his temper instead of taking the law into his own hands,” said the sheikh.

A resident in Jabal Al Akhdhar confirmed that only the brother was in jail and the other suspects had been released. “I went to the mosque to comfort the family, but nobody asked about the case and nobody asked about the reason for the girl’s death,” said the resident.

The resident had also heard that the brother, while confessing to his crime, said he had murdered his sister fearing the stigma and to save the family’s honour. The ROP official pointed out that very few cases on these lines have been registered in Oman.

UK Education Expo to offer students a range of options MUSCAT: Offering an opportunity for students, parents and working executives to meet with institution officials the 2015 edition of UK Education Expo will be held in Muscat and Salalah from March 23 to 26.

The Expo in Muscat will be held at the InterContinental Muscat on March 23 and 24 while the Expo in Salalah will be held at the Hilton Salalah Resort on March 25 and 26.

The expo has established itself as a unique event dedicated to UK higher education institutions and language schools since its inception in 2011. The most comprehensive UK educational event of its kind held in the Sultanate, the expo provides a perfect opportunity for students, parents and working executives interested in education at all levels to meet and discuss with institution international officers.

The UK Education Expo will attract over 2,000 visitors to explore education opportunities from more than 30 institutions offering many academic options for coming academic year.

Addressing the media, Said bin Amir Al Rahbi, Director of Qualifications, Equivalence and Recognition at the Ministry of Higher Education said: “Higher education and training play a vital role in the Sultanate’s development and there has long been a strong relationship between the UK and Oman. UK has always been the most preferred destination for Omani students to pursue their higher education and enhance their English language skills”.

He added that the Ministry has noticed a sharp increase in the enrolment of Omani students in British institutions for both scholarship, as well as privately funded students. He pointed out that each year, the Omani graduates from the UK return to the

OPPORTUNITIES: UK Education Expo will be held in Muscat on March 23-24 and in Salalah on March 25-26. – Cio Datan/Times of Oman

Sultanate and are highly sought after as leading public and private companies seek to attract them for decent careers.

Lola Lam, Commercial Attaché at the UK Trade & Investment said: “Omani students have been studying in the UK for many years and each year we welcome many more new students. The relations between the United Kingdom and Oman are strong and strategic and an increasing number of UK institutions now have programmes in affiliate colleges in Oman”.

Great place to study Kate Clarke, Managing Director & Education Advisor at Al Ahlam Higher Education Services quoted: “UK is the number one destination for English language study and ranks second in the world for university education. The UK is a great place to study whether it is for undergraduate, post-graduate, or language development. Excellent academic opportunities, great internships, a tolerant society and welcoming culture are few reasons an international student should consider study in the UK. For students who like a little extra travel, it is also a gateway to Europe”.

Salim Omar Al Hashmi, Chairman of Al Nimr Expo said: “The

Expo team has worked extremely hard to plan and organise a variety of activities to ensure maximum exposure for the exhibitors participating at the exhibition.

I would like to acknowledge our thanks and appreciation to UK Trade & Investment, British Embassy, the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhofar Governorate to come forward and support this important event.

I wish all the UK institutions a busy and successful Expo”.

The expo will be organised

by Al Nimr Expo, in association with Al Ahlam Higher Education Services; Oman’s leading UK student counselling service office licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education. The UK Education develops knowledge and skills, provides freedom to be creative, and supports students achieve their full potential.

UK language schools, colleges and universities offer a worldclass education – the chance to follow passion for learning and gain qualifications that are valued by employers and academics worldwide. Students benefit from state of the art facilities and excellent teaching due to strict quality standards set by the UK government and education bodies. - ONA

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 Manila’s embassy in Tripoli reported four Filipinos were among foreigners had been snatched Charles Jose, Philippines foreign department spokesman

Call for unified Arab force to fight terrorism Arab League chief Nabil Al Arabi said there is an urgent need for the creation of a multi-purpose common Arab military force to fight terrorism and terrorist groups

CAIRO: Arab League chief Nabil Al Arabi called on Monday for the creation of a unified Arab force to battle the spread of extremist groups.

“There is an urgent need for the creation of a multi-purpose common Arab military force... able to intervene rapidly to fight terrorism and the activities of terrorist groups,” Arabi told a meeting of league foreign ministers in Cairo.

He also stressed the importance of “cooperation in areas related to security protection and the exchange of information between Arab countries”.

Arab League deputy chief Ahmed Ben Helli told reporters last week that the bloc’s leaders are expected to focus on the creation of such a common force when they meet for its annual summit on March 28-29 in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh. He had said such a force was important as a “symbolic” show of deterrence at times of “conflict or disasters”.

CONFRONTING THREATS TO SECURITY: Foreign ministers of the Arab League take part in an emergency meeting at the League’s headquarters in Cairo on Monday. – Reuters

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has also called for such a force, saying it is needed to confront security threats in a region where the militant IS group holds swathes of Syria and Iraq and has gained a foothold in Egypt’s neighbour Libya.

He has suggested that a number of Arab League members, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, are considering supporting the idea.

Meanwhile, the Swedish foreign minister accused Saudi Arabia of blocking her speech at the Arab League meeting due to her stance on human rights in the region, Swedish media reported.

“The explanation we have been given is that Sweden has highlighted the situation for democ-

racy and human rights and that is why they do not want me to speak,” Foreign Minister Margot Wallstroem told news agency TT in Cairo.

“It’s a shame that a country has blocked my participation.”

An Arab diplomat confirmed to AFP that Riyadh had stopped the Swede from making her opening speech. Wallstroem had been invited as an honorary guest to the Arab ministers’ meeting in praise of her government’s decision to recognise Palestine in October.

Her cancelled opening speech — published by the Swedish foreign ministry — mentioned neither Saudi Arabia nor Wallstroem’s feminist foreign policy agenda but stressed women’s and human rights.

“Freedom of association, assembly, religion and expression are not only fundamental rights and important tools in the creation of vibrant societies,” it read and noted that “women’s rights do not only benefit women, but society as a whole.” - AFP

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REGION KIDNAPPING

IS militants seized foreigners after attacking Libyan oilfield VIENNA/BENGHAZI: IS group militants in Libya seized a group of foreigners at the Al Ghani oilfield last week, a spokesman for the Austrian foreign ministry said citing “secure information” on Monday, adding that they were alive when taken.

There has been no sign since of the nine oil workers from Austria, the Czech republic, Bangladesh, the Philippines and at least one African country who went missing, the spokesman said. “We know that they were not injured when they were transported away from the Al Ghani oilfield,” the spokesman said, adding Austria had information the

group was taken by IS militants.

Bangladesh on Monday confirmed one of its citizens was among the foreign workers taken hostage by IS, calling the incident a kidnapping. “Unfortunately one Bangladeshi has been kidnapped and our embassy in Tripoli has engaged all its efforts to find out and release him with safety,” junior foreign minister Mohammad Shahriar Alam said. Bangladesh’s foreign ministry identified the abducted citizen as Helal Uddin, a resident of Jamalpur.

The Philippines government said four Filipinos were among abducted foreigners. Philippines

foreign department spokesman Charles Jose said Manila’s embassy in Tripoli reported four Filipinos were among foreigners had been snatched.

The nine foreigners worked for oilfield management company Value Added Oilfield Services (VAOS).

The company said it did not know which militia group was responsible and said it would not publish the names of its employees. “We are working in very close cooperation with the crises team of the Austrian foreign ministry,” VAOS said in an emailed statement, adding it did not know where its employees had been taken to. — Agencies

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TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

INDIA BJP-PDP row escalates over Hurriyat leader Under intense attack from BJP, Peoples

We fully defend the decision of the government to release Alam. The courts have ordered his release and the state government is implementing it Firdous Tak

Democratic Party (PDP) defended the decision saying the step was taken to facilitate creation of a conducive atmosphere for talks with separatists DEFIANT: Hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam at his home in Srinagar on Monday. - PTI

JAMMU: The row between the ruling coalition partners in Jammu Kashmir over the controversial release of Hurriyat leader Masarat Alam escalated on Monday with PDP saying such “day-today affairs” need not be discussed first with the BJP which, however, demanded his re-arrest.

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators in the north Indian state also lodged a strong protest with Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and opposed the “unilateral” decision taken last week.

Under intense attack from BJP, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defended the decision and said the step was taken to facilitate creation of a conducive atmosphere for talks with separatists.

Under obligation On the issue of not consulting the BJP before releasing Alam, senior PDP leader and Member of Legislative Council (MLC), Firdous Tak said, “Home Ministry is under obligation to implement the law that is why the ministry has taken the decision. In such issues it is a

day-to-day affair and people like Masarat have been arrested and released several times in the past from time to time.

“I do not think day-to-day affairs need to be discussed within the coalition first and then implemented,” he told reporters.

“We fully defend the decision of the government to release Alam.

The courts have ordered his release and the state government is implementing it,” he said.

The PDP said that these steps are being taken under reconciliation policy to create a conducive atmosphere to facilitate talks with separatists.

“For undertaking reconciliation, we have to start from some where. We have to understand, when we to have talk to separatist leaders, we have to create conducive atmosphere for talks (to commence)”, Tak replied to a question on the steps taken by the government soon after taking over.

The PDP also maintained that the government has no reason to keep Alam under detention.

“Quote me one legal provision under which Masarat Alam should have been detained. We have been time and again saying that there is a difference between detention under Public Safety Act (PSA) and detention for life imprisonment.

It has been explained well by the Union Home Minister that PSA is meant for six months and can be extended for one year,” Tak said.

“In Alam’s case, there have been seven extensions. There was no legal justification for the state government to keep him in detention, that is why he was released,” he said.

On PDP’s urgency to release Masarat, he said, “This is the main problem. An impression is being created that Masarat Alam was released out of turn. There was no reason to detain him. The grounds were illegal that is why government has released him.”

The BJP Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) led by state party General Secretary Rajiv Jasrotia met Sayeed at his residence and submitted a memorandum.

“We have lodged a strong pro-

PDP leader

test with the chief minister and expressed our deep concern over the unilateral decision (of release of the Masarat Alam),” Jasrotia told reporters. He said that Sayeed assured them that their concerns would be addressed.

The BJP also asked Sayeed to consider re-arrest of Alam in view of the statements made by him soon after his release.

“BJP strongly opposes and rejects the decision to release Masarat Alam and believes that the conduct of Alam, after his release and the statements made by him and situation existing now, are fresh inputs to consider his fresh detention under PSA immediately in the interest of the security of the state,” Jasrotia said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday denounced the release of separatist leader Masarat Alam by the J&K government of which BJP is a partner, saying he shared the “outrage” over the unacceptable decision and would take whatever action is required. - PTI

O R D I NA N C E T O A M E N D L AW

Land bill will affect food security, say opposition parties NEW DELHI: Opposition parties on Monday attacked the central government over the land acquisition bill even as the government said amendments would be brought in to address their concerns.

As the government moved The Right to Fair Compensation, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2015 for discussion, leader after leader of the opposition questioned the urgency of the government in bringing in an ordinance to amend the 2013 law in December last year.

Many parties in the Lok Sabha on Monday, including the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, demanded that the bill be sent to the standing committee.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said the government has brought in the amendments after extensive consultations with the state governments. “It was suggested that the act was flawed and we have tried to improve it. We will come out with further appropriate amendments to the bill from the government side,” he said.

“It is not a unilateral decision.

It is a decision taken after proper consultation by the states. The government felt that there was a need to make certain amendments”.

Naidu assured that the Modi government will not take any step which will go against the weaker sections. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, argued that taking away farmers’ lands will affect the country’s food security.

“Farmers in our country do not have water for irrigation and fertilizers; now they will also not have any land,” Congress member Jyotiraditya Scindia said.

Asserting that the Congress will oppose the new law from the streets to parliament, Scindia said: “It will affect the food security of the country.”

“If you take tribal land, then be prepared for a spurt in Maoist activities,” the member said, adding the country cannot have islands of prosperity.

The Right to Fair Compensation, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2015, would replace an ordinance which was promulgated by the government in December 2014.

Scindia also asked if the government respects the president.

“The president had said ordinances need to be promulgated in emergency situations only.”

“This bill should have been sent to the standing committee, but you vetoed it as you have a majority,” he said.

Detrimental to farmers Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee said: “We are opposing the bill 100 per cent.”

“In 2007, our leader fasted for 26 days to protect the interests of farmers in Singur in West Bengal,” he said.

Biju Janata Dal member Tathagat Satpathy said the bill was detrimental to farmers owning small tracts of land in rural India.

“Are we in 2015, or have we been dragged back to the British era? Development for whom?

That is a basic question that troubles my mind.”

NCP’s Supriya Sule said: “An ordinance is brought in only when there is an emergency. Who is pressurising you? Please tell us,” she said.

“We are not against development, but I haven’t been able to understand what is the hurry”, she said. “There is no hurry... please send it to the standing committee,” Sule said.

BJP ally Shiv Sena also opposed the bill. “Farmers’ land should not be taken without their consent,” Arvind Sawant of the Sena said. - IANS

SNOWMAN AT DAL LAKE A man makes a snowman at the bank of Dal Lake after season’s heaviest snowfall in Srinagar on Monday. The arterial Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the eighth day after heavy snow and rains triggered land slides along the mountainous national highway. - PTI

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CONTROVERSIAL FILM

NDTV protests rape documentary ban with blank screen for an hour NEW DELHI: An Indian news network ran a blank screen for an hour in protest at a controversial government ban on airing a documentary about the savage gangrape of a Delhi student.

NDTV broadcast a blank screen with only a flickering lamp in the background for an hour from 9pm to 10pm on Sunday, when it was due to have shown the documentary, India’s Daughter, to mark International Women’s Day. The channel has made no public comment about the ban, but its editorial director Sonia Singh tweeted ahead of the protest, “we won’t shout but we will be heard”.

India obtained a court order banning the film, which included an interview with one of the convicted rapists, Mukesh Singh, on Tuesday on the grounds it risked fuelling public anger.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said comments in which Singh blamed the 23-year-old victim

and said she should not have been out at night were “highly derogatory and an affront to the dignity of women”.

Move welcomed The ban triggered a storm of protest in India, and many people welcomed NDTV’s move.

“Well done NDTV for deciding to go off air for one hour... Very innovative and powerful,” Rifat Jawaid tweeted.

“Wish I could post a blank tweet in solidarity with NDTV’s protest,” tweeted Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of India’s independence hero Mahatma Gandhi.

India’s Daughter, by awardwinning British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, was due to be shown in seven countries including India and Britain on Sunday.

The BBC brought forward its showing of the film to Wednesday after India announced its ban, citing intense public interest.

The father of the victim, who died of injuries sustained during the shocking attack in 2012, has said everyone should watch the documentary, which showed “the bitter truth” about attitudes to women in India.

Officials at the jail where Mukesh Singh is being held said they had asked the BBC not to show the documentary, claiming Udwin had violated the terms of the agreement allowing her to interview the prisoner.

But Udwin said on Monday she had complied fully with the agreement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a vocal champion of women’s rights in India, has so far made no comment on the row.

On Sunday he urged an end to all forms of discrimination against women, tweeting that “our heads hang in shame when we hear of instances of crime against women”. - AFP

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INDIA

India flays Sri Lankan PM for justifying firing on fishermen India-Sri Lanka ties have been strained over the shooting of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lanka navy in the narrow sea which divides the two countries

PARLEYS: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj meeting Sri Lanka’s PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo on Saturday. - PTI

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: India on Monday criticised Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for justifying the firing on fishermen from India and sought a “permanent solution” to the dragging row.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament that she was in Colombo when Wickremesinghe made the controversial remarks, days ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka.

“He said two things... one, that

the Tamil fishermen released by the (Sri Lankan) president, he compared them with Italian marines (who shot dead two Indian fishermen). And the second, he justified the killing of Indian fishermen,” she said.

“My meeting with Wickremesinghe was already fixed, so I raised these two issues strongly with him.

“I told him the two cases you have compared are incomparable.

I told them the Indian fishermen released went through the whole legal procedure. They were tried, they were punished.

“As far as the Italian marines (are) concerned, they are not allowing the legal process...He said (he) did not know these facts.”

Sushma Swaraj added: “I said if we justify firing, we will keep firing on each other.”

Permanent solution The external affairs minister said she reminded the Sri Lankan leaders that the Indian Coast Guard had a few days back arrested 19 Sri Lankan fishermen.

“But we gave orders to release them.” Swaraj said India wants a

LEGAL TENDER

Re1 note released after 20 years NEW DELHI: After a gap of over 20 years, Re1 note has been released in the country and it bears the signature of Finance Secretary of India Rajiv Mehrishi.

Incidentally, the note was released at Shrinathji temple at Nathdwara in north Indian state of Rajasthan, on March 6 by Mehrishi.

Other currency notes in India bear the signature of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor.

Earlier last week, RBI had said that it will soon put into circulation one rupee currency notes and would be legal tender as provided in The Coinage Act 2011.

Circulation Alongwith the circulation of new Re1 notes, the existing currency notes of the same denomination will also continue to be legal ten-

In November 1994, printing of Re 1 note was stopped mainly due to higher cost and for freeing capacity to print currency notes of higher denomination

der. The re-launched one rupee notes will be made up of 100 per cent cotton rag content.

It will weigh 90 grams per square metre and have thickness

of 110 microns. As watermarks, it will bear Ashoka Pillar symbol in the window without words ‘Satyamev Jayate’, carry a hidden numeral in the centre while hidden word Bharat (in Hindi) will be on the right hand side of the note.

The colour of one Rupee Currency Note is predominantly pink green on obverse and reverse in combination with others.

On the obverse, the note carries bilingual signature of Mehrishi.

In November 1994, printing of Re1 note was stopped mainly due to higher cost and for freeing capacity to print currency notes of higher denomination.

Printing of Rs 2 and Rs 5 notes too were discontinued in 1995.

Since then, only coins have been issued for these denominations. - PTI

A9

“permanent solution” to the dragging dispute involving fishermen from both countries who often enter the waters of each other’s country in search of marine life.

Indian fishermen find the Sri Lankan waters attractive as the marine life there is rich because of the long years of ban on fishing on account of the armed ethnic conflict that ended only in 2009.

When Wickremesinghe suggested deep sea fishing so that Indians remained within Indian waters, Swaraj sought “an interim arrangement” until that happened.

“That interim arrangement cannot be based on technicalities, it can only be on humanitarian ground. Fishermen of both sides must sit together and decide how to stop these arrests under an interim arrangement. That can only be the solution.”

In Chennai, DMK president M. Karunanidhi described Wickremesinghe’s comments as a snub to Prime Minister Modi, who is set to visit Colombo on March 13-14.

“It is condemnable,” the former Tamil Nadu chief minister said.

According to Karunanidhi, Modi should also urge the Sri Lankan government to let Tamils displaced by the years of conflict to return to their homes, demilita-

rize Tamil areas and devolve more powers to provinces.

India-Sri Lanka ties have been strained over the shooting of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lanka navy in the narrow sea which divides the two countries.

Expectations A solution for the decades old Tamils issue, ending the travails of Tamil Nadu fishermen, are among the several expectations in the state over Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka.

“We hope for a permanent solution to end the serious problems faced by our fishermen.

“Till such time it happens, we urge Prime Minister Modi to try and arrive at a framework which allows our fishers to peacefully carry on their profession,” U Arulanantham of the Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen said.

During his visit, Modi is set to inaugurate a slew of development projects in Sri Lanka and will meet the entire spectrum of political leadership in that country, including those of Tamil National Alliance and All Ceylon Tamil parties.

“We expect that the talk would help evolve consensus inresolving the fishermen issue permanently,” Bhartiya Janata Party National Secretary H. Raja said. -Agencies

APOLOGY TENDERED

‘Rape problem’ costs Indian internship in Germany NEW DELHI: An Indian student’s internship request was rejected by a professor in Germany citing “rape problem” in India, prompting a sharp reaction from the German envoy here who condemned it saying India was not a “country of rapists”.

Professor Beck-Sickinger of Leipzig University in Free State of Saxony had rejected the internship application, saying she does not accept any Indian male student for internship.

“Unfortunately I don’t accept any Indian male students for internships. We hear a lot about the rape problem in India which I cannot support. I have many female students in my group, so I think this attitude is something I cannot support,” Sickinger said in a reported email.

Taking note of the incident, German Ambassador Michael Steiner wrote a strong-worded letter to the professor following which she apologised for her “unwarranted remarks”in the rejection letter to the student whose identity is not known.

“I have made a mistake. I sincerely apologise to everyone whose feelings I have hurt,” Sickinger was quoted as saying by the German embassy here. - PTI

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TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

PAKISTAN ISLAMABAD

Official caught on video asking for bribe at airport ISLAMABAD: A customs official at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad was caught on video engaging in attempted bribery, following which an entire shift of customs officers on duty at the airport has surrendered, Express News reported on Monday.

Earlier, a video emerged of an elderly official on duty at the airport, speaking to a passenger, telling him his luggage wont be checked in return for a bribe, the Sunday Mirror reported.

Filmed by UK businessman In the three-minute long video, which was filmed by a Birmingham businessman, the official can clearly be heard saying, “Do you want us to not open the suitcases?”

To this the passenger can be heard telling him to go ahead and check his bags, in fact, he asks the official to hurry up as he is getting late.

“If you want to check, you’re more than welcome. That’s your right. Please check them. I’m getting late,” the passenger said.

Bribe offer The official can then be seen looking around, moving closer to the passenger he is supposed to check, and saying, “Checking is compulsory. But if you give me a drink, we won’t open your bags.”

“Sort me out and I’ll look after you as well,” the official said.

The passenger asked the official if he would have to pay ahead as well, to which the official tells him, “Ahead is the military, they have their own system.” The passenger refused to go ahead with the bribe and insisted his bags are checked instead. — Express Tribune

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Reporters and other members of the public were not allowed into Monday’s hearing. Mumtaz Qadri’s lawyer could not be reached for comment immediately.

Several TV channels reported the verdict and footage showed police sealing the court building with barbed wire soon after the verdict was announced

Court upholds Taseer killer bodyguard’s death sentence The ruling was a surprise to many who had expected Mumtaz Qadri’s sentence might be reduced amid growing threats to lawyers and judges hearing blasphemyrelated cases

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court upheld the death sentence on Monday for the killer of the governor of Pakistan’s largest province after he had called for reform of a law against blasphemy, media said.

The ruling was a surprise to many who had expected the killer’s sentence might be reduced amid growing threats to lawyers and judges hearing blasphemyrelated cases.

Mumtaz Qadri was a bodyguard for Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and was convicted of shooting him dead in Islamabad in January 2011.

Taseer was an outspoken critic of Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy law - which carries the death penalty.

Qadri is viewed as a hero by many people who thought Taseer himself was at fault by calling for the law’s reform.

Some lawyers threw rose petals at Qadri when he arrived in court days after the killing.

The judge who convicted Qadri was forced to flee the country after death threats.

FURIOUS: Supporters of a religious political party block the road during a demonstration against the sentence of convicted killer Mumtaz Qadri, outside the High Court in Islamabad on Monday. — Reuters/Stringer

The killing highlighted a growing gulf between conservatives and more liberal elements in society

An anti-terrorism court handed down double death sentences for murder and terrorism to Qadri in late 2011. He appealed the sentences, but on Monday, Islamabad High Court upheld the murder sentence — though it struck down the sentence for terrorism.

Reporters and other members of the public were not allowed into Monday’s hearing. Qadri’s lawyer could not be reached for comment immediately.

Several TV channels reported the verdict and footage showed police sealing the court building

with barbed wire soon after the verdict was announced.

Last year, gunmen posing as clients shot dead a prominent human rights lawyer defending a professor accused of blasphemy.

The blasphemy law mandates the death penalty and is often used in poor, rural areas to settle personal scores. Presenting evidence in court can be considered a new infringement, so judges are reluctant to hear cases. Those acquitted have often been lynched.

Taseer had championed the cause of a Christian woman sentenced to death in a blasphemy

case, which arose out of a dispute.

Taseer had said the law was being misused and should be reformed.

Two months after Taseer’s murder, Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian, was murdered by the Taliban for demanding changes to the blasphemy law.

Blasphemy accusations have spiked in Pakistan recently, according to a 2012 study by the Islamabad-based think tank, the Center for Research and Security Studies, that documented 80 complaints in 2011, up from a single case in 2001. — Reuters

S H A H E E N I I I S U R FA C E - T O - S U R FA C E M I S S I L E

2,750km-range nuclear capable missile test-fired ISLAMABAD: Pakistan testfired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile on Monday, the military said, less than a week after the first high-level talks with archrivals India for nearly a year.

The military said the Shaheen III surface-to-surface missile had a range of 2,750 kilometres and can carry nuclear and conventional warheads.

Weapon system “The test launch, with its impact point in the Arabian Sea, was aimed at validating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system at maximum range,” the military said in a statement.

Pakistan’s most recent missile test came last month with the launch of a low-flying, terrain-hugging cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead India and Pakistan have routinely carried out missile tests since both demonstrated nuclear weapons capability in 1998.

Pakistan’s most recent missile test came last month with the

launch of a low-flying, terrainhugging cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

Talks with India Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Islamabad last week for talks with his Pakistani counterpart.

It was the first senior-level dialogue between the nuclear-armed rivals since their prime ministers met in New Delhi last May. Ties between the two countries, always fraught, soured further last August amid a rise in clashes along their borders and a row over a Pakistani diplomat meeting Kashmiri separatists. — AFP

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We now have to ensure that Ebola stays at zero

T

here is certainly reason to celebrate with Beatrice Yardolo, the last known Ebola patient in Liberia. She survived the terrible disease and was released from a hospital on Thursday. Only five months ago, the virus was raging through Monrovia, the Liberian capital, killing thousands, overwhelming the national health system and sparking riots as authorities tried to quarantine entire neighbourhoods. Now, if no new case appears for 42 days, the epidemic will be considered finished in Liberia. This is a testament to international efforts to contain the virus and the work of the Liberian government.

But it’s not over yet. In Sierra Leone and Guinea, a spike in new cases was reported in the last week of February, though it involved far fewer cases than last summer and fall. The latest outbreaks are in areas where residents have been hostile to health workers, often in the confused belief that the workers were spreading the disease. These are also areas where people have often failed to heed warnings against washing the bodies of Ebola victims, a traditional ritual that exposes all participants to infection.

Health authorities warned about difficulties in the struggle to reach zero cases. The leader of the United Nations Missions for Ebola Emergency Response, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, told a conference on Ebola in Brussels last week that the greatest danger at this stage is complacency and “a certain degree of fatigue.”

And even once zero is achieved, which could happen by summer, major tasks remain. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will certainly need considerable help in recovering from the economic and psychological damage of the outbreak. The virus infected about 24,000 people and killed at least 9,600. That may not match the apocalyptic predictions that circulated several months ago, but the damage to these poor countries was devastating. Governments and international organisations must also acknowledge that the world was far too slow in acting, and that it is imperative to create a system of rapid response before the next germ strikes.

Finally, there’s the troubling fact that a vaccine that proved effective in protecting monkeys from Ebola had been developed a decade ago, but further work was dropped, in part because earlier outbreaks of Ebola were relatively small, and in part because drug companies are reluctant to invest the huge sums required to produce medicines and vaccines for diseases that largely afflict poor countries. Ebola demonstrated that oceans are no longer an obstacle to a raging virus. As this outbreak winds down, all involved must ensure that the next germ never gets as far as this one did and that, once zero is reached, Ebola stays at zero. - The New York Times News Service

WASHINGTON WATCH

It was indeed an ugly week in Washington JAMES J. ZOGBY

The mystery of MH370

N

o large modern passenger aircraft has ever disappeared so completely as the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished seemingly without trace, a year ago. There has been no wreckage, no bodies and none of the seat squabs and backrests that invariably and eventually surface after an aircraft comes down in the sea. The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared over the South China Sea on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers and crew aboard. The joint agency overseeing the ongoing search is led by the Australians. The Australian Defence Chief, Sir Angus Houston, stated on March 5 that he remains hopeful of finding the aircraft, and bring closure to the relatives of those on board.

The search has now covered 43 per cent of the high-priority area where the aircraft is presumed to have come down, and Sir Angus said that he was “still quietly optimistic” of success, and that any scaling back of the search would be in consultation with the Malaysian authorities and the Chinese government. The governments of Australia, Malaysia and China are due to meet to review the search in April, and may reformulate their plans.

In the early stages, the Malaysian government appeared indecisive and was criticised by relatives for the inept way it handled the disaster. There was confusion about who would do the searching and further confusion about the radar tracking of the aircraft. Conspiracy theorists were much to the fore and everything from hijacking to abduction by aliens was at one time or another posited as the reason for the plane’s disappearance. A view currently in vogue is that the pilot, for whatever reason, may have committed suicide.

In the entire history of civil aviation, there are believed to be only eight instances where pilots deliberately crashed aircraft, killing themselves and whoever else was on board — so a very rare event statistically but not unknown. Again, statistically, air travel remains the safest form of mass transportation; but in the 21st century it should be possible to track every airliner everywhere — a level of surveillance unlikely to find many detractors. - The Express Tribune

What parents need most are safe school bus drivers

Many salons do not even sterilise razors, scissors

This refers to the news story, Safety equipment must for public school buses (March 9). There is no doubt that the move to make the public school buses safer is perhaps the best the schoolgoing children and their parents can ever expect. I also agree with the road safety experts that the safety norms must also be made mandatory for all private school buses which transport children.

However, what is needed more urgently is safe driving and drivers who are responsible and drive safely. Drivers are the most critical factor in efforts to make the school buses safe for children. Most of the school bus drivers are not safe drivers and must not drive school buses.

S.K. Tyagi Muscat

This refers to the news story, Salons in Muscat asked to use disposable razors only (March 9). This will certainly guarantee the customers a high degree of safety from contamination. But, the question is how many will follow the guideline. I have seen many salons in Muscat that do not even use their sterilisation machines; in fact, barbers at many salons do not even cover their mouths and noses; many do not wear the white coat.

Sadiq Jahangir Seeb

Violence against women continues unabated This refers to the article, Women’s day: Time to challenge hypocrisies (March 8). I

Netanyahu uses Congress to sabotage the president, and Congress uses Netanyahu to insult the president. Watching all this play out establishes so clearly why Arab public opinion of the US is so low. Rather, it’s because we behave so stupidly and slavishly toward all things related to Israel

I

f “l’affaire Netanyahu” weren’t bad enough, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell added insult to injury when he announced that early next week he will move for a vote on a bill requiring the White House to secure Congressional review and approval of any agreement concluded between the P5+1 negotiators and Iran.

McConnell’s surprise move may have made AIPAC (the pro-Israel lobby) and Netanyahu happy, but in acting unilaterally he may have driven a nail in the coffin of bi-partisan cooperation on Iran.

Shortly after McConnell announced his intentions, key Democratic Senators who were among the original co-sponsors of the bill denounced his move as partisan, raising doubts that it would get the votes it needs to be debated on the Senate floor.

The way the GOP has handled this entire week has been both sordid and shameful. It was mortifying to see hundreds of US law-makers bobbing up and down in rapturous applause at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s not too gentle coaxing.

Since the speech contained no new insights and was a mix of platitudes, shop-worn diatribes, and shameless appeals to the “Constitution, Moses, and the holocaust” — the Republican applause were not so much prompted by the brilliance of Netanyahu’s words as they were intended as repeated jabs at President Obama.

And the smirk on Netanyahu’s face as he waved at the cheering crowd appeared to be saying — “keep up the applause guys, because this scene is playing well back home”. As if to accent this unseemly misuse of Congress as a hammer used to clobber the President and as a prop in a Netanyahu re-election video, there was the disturbing sight of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson sitting self-satisfied in the first row of the House Gallery. The scene reminded me of those Hollywood “fat cats” who buy the ridiculously expensive front-row seats at Los Angeles Lakers basketball games — but with a twist. The Hollywood types just buy the seats for the season.

Adelson, on the other hand, had the look of the guy who not only paid for the seat, but owns the team and arranged for the game to be played. After all, he did pour over $100 million into the effort to defeat Obama in 2012 and many millions more to support the GOP takeover of the Senate in 2014.

And since he also has a piece of Netanyahu and his erstwhile Ambassador, Ron Dermer, Adelson can be excused for looking like the “Father of the Bride” at the wedding he arranged and for which he paid.

It doesn’t matter whether one respects President

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Where is there dignity unless there is honesty?

CICERO

Obama’s leadership, what the Republicans and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did was wrong, on so many levels. In the eyes of the world, it wasn’t the president who was hurt — it was the prestige of the United States of America that took a severe hit. In June of 2011, I was in the Middle East during Netanyahu’s last address before a joint session of Congress. He used that occasion to reject President Obama’s effort to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and received 29 standing ovations for his efforts. On that trip, I was repeatedly asked

by Arab friends and officials “how could your Congress invite a foreign leader to insult your president and then cheer him on?”

This recent appearance, being more of the same, establishes the pattern — Netanyahu uses Congress to sabotage the president, and Congress uses Netanyahu to insult the president.

Watching all this play out establishes so clearly why Arab public opinion of the US is so low. With apologies to George Bush — it’s not because “they hate our values of freedom and democracy”. Rather, it’s because we behave so stupidly and slavishly toward all things related to Israel. The entire affair also made clear why the American public has such a miserable view of Congress.

The silly fawning over the Prime Minister and the “frat party” behaviour in the chamber of the “most important legislative body in the world” demonstrated so little self-respect that the 9 per cent approval rating the American public gives to Congress seemed a bit too generous.

Ignored by Congress and the media, alike, was the fact that Netanyahu’s insults and condescension, while directed at the president, also took aim at the other members of the P5+1.

Republicans may want to hurt President Obama, but when they strike out at a “deal” that has not yet been completed and say they don’t trust the president, the GOP is also insulting America’s major European allies like the UK, France, and Germany who are members of the P5+1 and who are also involved in the negotiating process. Israel may be wearing out its welcome in Europe, but that’s no reason for Congress to want to join Israel’s increasing isolation by jeopardizing relations with our trans-Atlantic partners. Sordid, shameful, embarrassing, demeaning, and damaging—all in all, a pretty ugly week.

The author is the president of Arab American Institute.

All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman.

totally agree with the views of the writer that we are not yet in a position to celebrate Women’s Day. A handful of women enjoying the freedom of holding opinion, choice of career and education doesn’t justify the day to be celebrated by the whole nation. Violence against women is a common feature in India. Female foeticide isn’t only a felony in itself but is an outcome of the copiousness of crimes against women. It’s just a small part of the bleak status across all social strata. The struggle for females starts right from the school and continues to work place while finally reaching its pinnacle after marriage where she is expected to make infinite compromises.

To put an end to all this, the nation should stop scoffing at the predicaments endemic to the female section of the society.

Then only can women be emancipated and unshackled and we can celebrate Women’s Day. Subia Musheer Sohar

Women still denied their rightful place in society Sophia Cannon’s article, They are the two faces of the same coin (March 8) is a grim picture painted to show the world how a woman is still abused and assaulted. It is painful that even in the 21st century women are subjected to not only inequality but also to some cruel and heinous abuses. It is unfortunate that a hapless rape victim so often becomes a suspect in the eyes of the public as well prosecution even in the Western world.

Usha Devi Rao Suddapalli Ruwi

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

T I M E S OF OMAN

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

A13

PERSPEC IVE IS has done worse things than demolishing ancient cities ROSIE MILLARD

Vandalism is being done as a tactic to enrage foreign societies who hold culture and tourism and history dear, societies which foster people who support arts institutions

Y

ou could, of course, take the long view. As we digest newspaper front pages with yet more pictures of buildings from ancient cities in Iraq now threatened with bulldozing, one could compare their fate to English, Gothic churches with their defaced and depopulated facades, to Fountains Abbey, once the largest Cistercian monastery in the country, dismantled in 1539, or ruined Rivaulx, rendered uninhabitable by Henry VIII a year earlier — or indeed to the tiny scraps of alabaster and wood which, bar a few precious examples, are all that is left of pre-Reformation English ecclesiastical rood screens and altarpieces.

These things were deliberately destroyed by a ruthless, incoming force wishing to insist on its absolute supremacy over an old regime. History has an ominous circularity.

Equally, we could reflect, somewhat smugly, that thanks to British colonialism and our interest in owning stuff, our institutions are quite well stocked already with publicly accessible Assyrian winged lions and statues from the ancient city of Nimrud, targeted last week by Isis militants.

As my son, 10, trundled off on a school trip to the British Museum last Friday I asked him what he was going to see. “Treasures of Islam,” he responded, cheerily. All of which makes our husbandry of the Parthenon Marbles the more defensible, does it not? Am I really suggesting that Athens is the next target for the Isis wrecking ball? Stranger things have happened, and Greece is quite a lot nearer Iraq than Bloomsbury.

Does this mean that we in the West, while wringing our hands over the destruction of World Heritage Sites, which the UN has called “a war crime against heritage” should pat ourselves on the back for looking after precious things an awful lot better than the volatile, violent East?

Perhaps. Although, thanks to our desire to see everything, all the time, we tourists in the West have done quite a lot of damage to precious sites, even if pollution via breath condensation (the Sis-

tine Ceiling, Lascaux caves) or footfall (Pompeii, the Pyramids of Giza) might be classed as damage wrought from excessive love, rather than anything else. Furthermore, is bulldozing an amphitheatre as bad as murdering someone by throwing them off a building, or decapitating them? It is not. Cultural “cleansing” is an abomination for it is an attempt to erase memory and history. But it is not as horrendous, surely, as blindfolding a human being and cutting his head off. Or stoning her. Or any of the other atrocities Isis has brandished before us.

What the vandalism of ancient cities does do is strike at another part of our collective soul, namely the advocacy that certain places are special, because we have been taught about them and because we value art. It is a belief which most of us have signed up to; it strides across travel brochures, it makes people put the Taj Mahal on bucket lists, it carries camera-toting Westerners over Abu Simbel at dawn in hot-air balloons. I am not suggesting that locals do not love and value these ancient buildings, sculptures and artefacts, and take great succour by living alongside them.

However, I suspect this vandalism is being done as a tactic to enrage foreign societies who hold culture and tourism and history dear, societies which foster people who support arts institutions, buy broadsheet newspapers and listen to the likes of Radio 4, where the attacks on Hatra led the bulletins last week. People who will jump up and down and say Something Must Be Done. You can achieve global impact, quite quickly, by targeting these people, because they are the gatekeepers to power and communication. Perhaps the answer is to turn away completely. To withhold publicity to these doomed cities, their terracotta colonnades and their perfect arches. To console ourselves by remembering that the world has conserved much from these ancient civilisations already, and to focus on halting what surely is a more urgent cause, namely the terror, torture and murder being wreaked on living people. - The Independent

Give women the true equality ALICE JONES

I

t’s the most wonderful time of the year. I refer, of course, to International Women’s Day. I had never heard of International Women’s Day until I lived in Russia. Over there, it’s a big deal. Such a big deal that Artem, the sullen son of my landlady, knocked on my bedroom door on the morning in question and silently handed me a red rose with a leopard-print silk scarf wound around its stem.

Later, when I ordered my blinis in my local café, they came with a side order of wilted rose. And so it went on — a day of random roses, cowed men handing out flowers in the street, and women on the metro, buckling beneath bouquets and teddy bears.

It was all quite nice in a slightly creepy way. So that is how I’ve always thought of 8 March, if I’ve thought of it at all: a rather retrograde celebration of femininity, a chance for men to show the women in their lives that they care on this one day, if not on all the rest.

In fact, its roots lie in radicalism, and, not surprisingly, in remarkable women. The first Women’s Day was organised by the Socialist Party of America in 1909 in remembrance of the previous year’s strike of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.

It spread as a socialist political event, with 8 March demonstrations and rallies playing a prominent part in the fight for women’s suffrage throughout Europe.

In 1917, the women of St Petersburg went on strike for “Bread and Peace”, demanding the end of the war, food shortages and tsarist

rule, among other things. Their actions kick-started the revolution and, in return, Lenin made 8 March an official day.

In 1965, it was upgraded to a public holiday in the USSR, “in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in defence of their Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace”. For all that, they surely should have made it a Women’s Month, not a Day. So that explains why Russia celebrates IWD. It does not explain the flowers and teddy bears, nor the day’s global spread, which is an altogether vaguer phenomenon. In the mid-1970s, the UN adopted the date as a time to celebrate women’s rights and world peace. Since then it has grown and grown. It is now an official holiday in some 28 countries.

With greater prominence comes greater truculence. Tomorrow one will find as many people mewling “What about an International Men’s Day?” on social media as one will see sisters proclaiming solidarity and adding an IWD hashtag or a purple ribbon to their profile picture.

The riposte to that silly question is that every other damned day of the year is Men’s Day, if one is to judge by things like pay, people in power, arranged marriages, rape convictions and so on.

It is a valid point, but there is still, however churlish it sounds, something about IWD that jars.

It is not simply the sight of men giving roses to strangers in memory of revolutionaries, nor the absurdity of an Afghan woman, who has been banned from working, getting a day off to celebrate being female. It is its lack of focus — the idealism of a day dedicated to women in a world where much is still far from ideal for women.

On the positive side, in the UK at least, there are more women MPs than ever before (still not enough); a new book by a new feminist is released every week; everyday sexism has become a hashtag and a campaign got women on to the banknotes. Fourth-wave feminism is everywhere, every day now — one paltry day a year looks a bit old-fashioned. This year’s theme, according to the UN website, is “Make it happen”. The key messages are to “celebrate women’s achievements” and “call for greater equality”. Great! How? This year in the UK there are a bewildering 343 events listed on the IWD website, from showcases of women in technology and business to a Ladies’ Night Out at a casino — “a fabulous, funfilled evening of pampering and gaming”, complete with style tips from experts.

The argument runs that as long as there are equality wars to wage, there should be an International Women’s Day. I see battles all around, but 24 hours of ladies’ nights and roses is not the way to win them. - The Independent

Machiavelli in Euroland may force them to change their minds — and their policies — without warning.

Machiavelli saw a need for the appearance of consistency, with officials projecting the virtues that would underpin that image, thereby creating a solid foundation for effective policies.

“To those seeing and hearing him, the ruler should appear to be all mercy, all faithfulness, all integrity, all humanity, and all religion.

And there is nothing more necessary than to seem to possess this last quality.”

In other words, politicians should never seem — much less say — that they do not believe in anything.

Yet modern politics tends to begin with pragmatism and proceed to broken promises. Europe likes to style itself as a postmodern construct, but one of the features of postmodernism is the reduction of political life to the playing out of cosmetically charged narratives or the convening of constantly changing focus groups.

The malleability of postmodern politics stands in stark contrast to the resoluteness that prevailed under Winston Churchill, Konrad Adenauer, Charles de Gaulle, Alcide de Gasperi, and even Jacques Delors.

The perception that fundamental convictions guided these leaders is what enabled them to engage in political trickery effectively.

Of course, the politics of conviction cannot thrive on words alone. The only way to be consistently and deeply Machiavellian is to take action to build and maintain the right reputation.

This lesson could be key for European leaders today, at a time when so many are groping for a sense of what being European really means. The notion that, at its core, Europe should be focused on something as mundane as tweaking fiscal rules seems disappointing, to say the least — especially as the continent confronts an intensifying humanitarian crisis, caused by the influx of refugees from warravaged countries like Libya and Syria.

With the IS threatening to drive an ever-increasing number of such refugees to Europe, and the crisis in Ukraine likely to add to the human flood, Europeans are feeling pressure to think beyond the fiscal challenges they face. That pressure is all the more intense, given that the countries most affected by this humanitarian challenge — Greece, Italy, and Spain — also incurred the most damage from the financial crisis.

It is time for European leaders to step up, showing the kind of conviction that Machiavelli would have promoted, to end the humanitarian crisis. - Project Syndicate

HAROLD JAMES

N

iccolò Machiavelli is trending. More than 500 years after writing his famous treatise The Prince, Machiavelli has re-emerged as one of Europe’s most popular political thinkers. And, indeed, his book — one of the earliest political “how to” manuals — has some useful advice for economic policymakers at a time when they are facing extraordinarily confusing challenges.

Monetary authorities have turned to Machiavelli to help them understand European Central Bank President Mario Draghi’s policy approach. France’s new economy minister, Emmanuel Macron, is likely using Machiavelli’s ideas — on which he wrote his master’s thesis — to help shape his plan to modernise his country’s economy.

An influential Moscow think tank called Niccolo M. advises the Kremlin on policies like offensive military communication technologies and hybrid warfare.

But Machiavelli is poorly understood. The most notorious chapter of The Prince, Chapter XVIII, which explains the circumstances in which it is permissible — and even desirable — for rulers to break promises, appears to argue that the most successful rulers think “little about keeping faith” and know “how cunningly to manipulate men’s minds.”

The chapter has been widely interpreted to mean that leaders should lie as often as possible.

Machiavelli’s message, however, was more complex.

With an expert analysis of the wider implications of deception and “spinning” the truth, he demonstrates that manipulation can work only if the ruler can convincingly pretend not to be engaging in it.

In short, leaders must cultivate a reputation for being dependable and sincere — a lesson that Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly never took on board.

Democratic politics and modern policymaking are based on promises. Political parties and candidates use promises to woo voters, and then to win support for policies.

People will not respond to implausible pledges, especially if the politicians making them seem unreliable.

A variation of this conundrum emerges in monetary policymaking. In the jargon of modern monetary technocrats, the issue is how to “anchor expectations.”

Forward guidance (a promise about future interest rates) is not effective when policymakers have to admit that circumstances

WHO calls on countries to cut sugar intake Daily Average Sugar Consumption Per Person (Grams) Top 25 Countries In Survey (Out Of 54) United States Germany Netherlands Ireland Australia Belgium United Kingdom Mexico Finland Canada Austria Sweden Norway New Zealand Saudi Arabia Switzerland Denmark Argentina Czech Republic Spain France Slovakia Chile Italy Poland Source: WHO, Euromonitor, wire agencies

126.4 102.9 102.5 96.7 95.6 95.0 93.2 92.5 91.5 89.1 88.1 86.1 83.1 82.9 80.7 76.1 75.1 WHO recommends daily intake of roughly 72.7 50 grams (12 teaspoons) 71.6 of sugar for person of 70.1 normal weight. Further 68.5 reduction to roughly 25 66.7 grams (6 teaspoons) 58.6 per day would 57.6 provide additional 56.8 health benefits Graphic News /

Graphics

TODAY IN HISTORY 241 BC The Roman fleet sinks 50 Carthaginian ships in the Battle of Aegusa.

49 BC Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon and invades Italy.

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1806

The Dutch in Cape Town, South Africa surrender to the British.

1814

Napoleon Bonaparte is defeated by an allied army at the Battle of Laon, France.

1848

RThe treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo is signed which ends the United States’ war with Mexico.

MUSCAT: The number of Omanis employed in the private sector through labour offices and departments reached 26,846 in 1999, according to Sheikh Amer bin Shuwain Al Hosni, minister of social affairs, labour and vocational training. The minister said that figure included all new requirements for the year, irrespective of specialisation or educational standard. The minister said that figure indicated an increase in employment of Omanis in the private sector by 36 per cent.

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WORLD

Strikes must ‘be very precise’ to avoid ‘additional suffering’. While the priority has been protecting people, it may also be possible to use air power to defend Iraqi heritage sites being targeted by the militants General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff

Iraqi forces press to retake Tikrit SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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officer General Martin Dempsey visits Baghdad, vows the IS group militants will be defeated

BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces pressed their largest operation yet against the militants as the top US military officer vowed in Baghdad on Monday that the IS group will be defeated.

Some 30,000 men have been involved in a week-old operation to recapture Tikrit, one of the militants’ main hubs since they overran large parts of Iraq nine months ago.

Brutal lengths But in a sign of the brutal lengths to which IS will go to maintain control, the group executed 20 men in Iraq’s northern province of Kirkuk and strung up more than a dozen of their victims’ bodies in public.

US General Martin Dempsey’s visit also coincided with the start of an offensive by Kurdish peshmerga forces in Kirkuk that fur-

FIERCE FIGHTING: A militia fighter launches a rocket during clashes with IS group militants on the outskirts of Al Alam, on Sunday. – Reuters

ther increases the pressure on the last IS strongholds east of the Tigris river. “IS will be defeated,” Dempsey, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, vowed at a news conference in Baghdad.

The United States began carrying out air strikes against IS in August, the first of what is now a 60-nation coalition of mostly Western and Arab states supporting Baghdad’s fightback.

Dempsey emphasised that strikes must “be very precise” to avoid “additional suffering,” also

saying that while the priority has been protecting people, it may also be possible to use air power to defend Iraqi heritage sites being targeted by the militants.

Iraq’s tourism and antiquities minister, Adel Fahad Al Shershab, called on Sunday for the coalition to protect such sites from IS, after the militants smashed priceless artefacts at the Mosul museum, bulldozed one ancient city and may have attacked a second.

During a visit to a French aircraft carrier in the Gulf taking part

in the air campaign, Dempsey appealed for “strategic patience” in the fight against the IS group in Iraq and Syria. “Carpet bombing through Iraq is not the answer,” he said on Sunday.

Stressed Dempsey stressed that training the Iraqi army, which imploded when IS attacked in June 2014, would take more time, as would initiatives to bring Iraq’s minority back into the fold.

“I do think it’s going to require

some strategic patience,” he said, adding that “these underlying issues have to be resolved”.

Iraqi soldiers, police and the increasingly influential paramilitary Popular Mobilisation units, which are dominated by militias, have been closing in on Tikrit in recent days. On Sunday, those forces retook the village of Albu Ajil, where some tribesmen have been accused of involvement alongside IS militants in the June 2014 massacre of hundreds of new, mostly militia recruits from the nearby base of Speicher.

The leader of the Popular Mobilisation units, Hadi Al Ameri, had described the Tikrit operation as an opportunity for revenge, sparking fears for civilians in the area.

Militia commanders have since toned down their language and publicly urged their fighters to exercise restraint.

Dozens of families displaced by the fighting fled to Samarra, the other main city in Salaheddin province where Tikrit is also located, to receive assistance and be sheltered in camps.

“I am a farmer, I left my sheep and my cows behind,” said Atta Abu Alaa, a 50-year-old who had

fled with 12 members of his family from a village near Albu Ajil.

“We did not have any relations with IS, we were oppressed,” he said, adding that those who fled were held and interrogated by the Asaib Ahl Al Haq militia for a day before being released.

The militia’s leader, Qais Al Khazali, spoke to his fighters on the front line Sunday and urged them not to do anything that could tarnish a victory over IS in Tikrit, where the militants are holding out with only a few hundred men.

In the Kirkuk province town of Hawijah, IS executed 20 men who wanted to join the Popular Mobilisation units, a police intelligence officer and two local officials said on Monday.

The executions could not be independently confirmed, but a gruesome series of photos posted online and shared on social media are evidence that they took place.

The photos show the bodies of more than a dozen different men -- said to be Popular Mobilisation members -- strung by their feet from light poles, what appears to be a communications or electricity tower, and under a massive sign featuring the IS flag and name.

Iraqi Kurdish forces that control other areas of Kirkuk launched an operation backed by coalition air support on Monday that aims to push IS back south and west of the provincial capital, piling further pressure on the militants. — AFP

TIME FOR OUTING A polar bear cub, born on November 26, 2014, and its mother Flocke spend time outdoors on Monday at the Marineland animal exhibition park in the French Riviera city of Antibes. — AFP

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UNUSUAL INTERVENTION

Republicans warn Iran against nuclear deal with Obama WASHINGTON: Republican senators warned Iran on Monday that any nuclear deal made with US President Barack Obama could last only as long as he remains in office, in an unusual intervention into US foreign policy-making.

The letter, signed by 46 US senators, says Congress plays a role in ratifying international agreements and points out that Obama will leave office in January 2017, while many in Congress will remain in Washington long after that. “We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons programme that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei,” the letter read.

Revoke “The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of an agreement at any time,” it read.

The letter, first reported by Bloomberg News, followed a

speech to a joint meeting of Congress last week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned that the United States was negotiating a “bad deal” with Tehran.

It comes as world powers have been negotiating with Iran to try to reach some form of understanding by the end of March before a final deal in June that could ease crippling sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.

The US Constitution divides foreign policy powers between the president and Congress. The executive branch is responsible for negotiating international agreements and lawmakers rarely intervene directly with the leaders of another nation while the president’s administration is negotiating a pact.

Republicans want any US nuclear agreement with Iran to be approved by Congress. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who signed the letter released on Monday, agreed to postpone a vote on a bill requiring Obama to submit any deal for congressional approval amid outcry from Democrats. — Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

WORLD

The White House remains committed to the safe return of Levinson and asked Iran to help investigate his disappearance.

US President Barack Obama’s National Security Council

SINAI PENINSULA

Bomb kills three Egypt soldiers

Riyadh to host Yemen talks Yemen’s President

CAIRO: Three Egyptian soldiers were killed on Monday and three others critically wounded in a roadside bomb attack in the restive Sinai Peninsula, police and medical officials said.

Egyptian security forces have been battling an insurgency in North Sinai since the army ousted president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

“Gunmen remotely detonated a roadside bomb when a military vehicle drove by, near a security checkpoint in Sheikh Zuweid city,” east of the provincial capital of El Arish, a police official said.

A health ministry official in North Sinai said three soldiers were killed and three others critically wounded.

Militant attacks in Sinai are spearheaded by a group called Ansar Beit Al Maqdis, the Egyptian affiliate of the IS militant group that has seized chunks of Syria and Iraq. — AFP

Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi made the request after failing to reach agreement with Houthis at a venue inside Yemen

RIYADH/SANAA: Gulf countries have agreed to a request by Yemen’s president to host talks in Riyadh aimed at pulling their neighbour out of crisis, the Saudi royal cabinet said.

Yemen’s President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who has been based in Yemen’s second city Aden since escaping the Houthi militia-controlled capital last month, made the request after

PLEA FOR HELP

US offers $5m for American missing in Iran WASHINGTON: The United States increased the reward from $1 million to $5 million on Monday for helping to find Robert Levinson, an American who disappeared in Iran eight years ago, and appealed to Tehran for help in locating Levinson.

Also on Monday, US President Barack Obama’s National Security Council said on Twitter that the White House remains committed to the safe return of Levinson and asked Iran to help investigate his disappearance.

US Secretary of State John Kerry in a statement said, “We ask the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to work cooperatively with us on the investigation into Robert Levinson’s disappearance so we can ensure his safe return.”

Levinson, a former FBI agent disappeared from Kish Island, on March 9, 2007, while on a business trip as a private investigator. Friends of Levinson said that, around that time, he had been investigating the counterfeiting of cigarettes, though mainly in Latin America.

The FBI has been investigating Levinson’s disappearance. In 2012, it offered a rare $1 million reward for any information that could lead to his safe return. The FBI increased the award by $4 million on Monday.

“Year after year, the family has endured the pain of his absence.

It is time for him to come home,” Kerry wrote, also expressing concern for Levinson’s health.

The latest plea for Iran’s help comes as world powers are trying to reach a deal with Iran to curb that nation’s nuclear program in exchange for easing some of the crippling sanctions that the global community has imposed

We ask the Iranian Government to work cooperatively with us on the investigation into Robert Levinson’s disappearance so we can ensure his safe return John Kerry US Secretary of State

on Tehran. In November 2010, a video surfaced in which Levinson asked for help in winning his freedom but did not say who was holding him or where he was.

The Iranian government has repeatedly said it knows nothing about Levinson’s disappearance or whereabouts. - Agencies

D O M E S T I C A L LY P R O D U C E D

Iranian Navy gets ‘faster, more agile’ destroyer Damavand TEHRAN: Iran’s Navy took delivery on Monday of what a top admiral said was a “faster and more agile” domestically produced destroyer which will be used in the Caspian Sea. The ship, named Damavand after the country’s highest mountain, is 90 metres (yards) long, weighs 1,300 tonnes and is armed with cruise missile systems, torpedos and electronic warfare equipment.

Anti-drugs operations As state television showed pictures of the ship, Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan said it would be used to aid anti-drugs smuggling operations and counter-terrorism.

The Caspian, the largest en-

A15

closed sea in the world, is bordered by Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan but there is as yet no definitive legal regime governing its waters.

Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, commander of Iran’s Navy, said the Damavand was “faster and more agile than the Jamaran,” referring to Iran’s other new class destroyer, a slightly bigger vessel deployed in waters.

The Damavand was originally due into service by August 2013 but no explanation was given for the delay in delivery.

Much of Iran’s naval equipment dates before 1979. Three other destroyers of the same type as the Damavand are currently under construction in the south, according to Iranian media. — AFP

REQUEST: Yemen’s President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. – AFP/HO/Yemeni Presidency

failing to reach agreement with the militia and their backers on a venue inside Yemen.

UN-brokered reconciliations talks, which had been taking place in Sanaa, have broken down since Hadi’s flight to Aden.

Yemen’s president insists they can no longer be held in the capital and the Houthi militia and their supporters have threatened to boycott talks anywhere else.

“The secretariat general of the

The secretariat general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is going to make the necessary arrangements for the talks which Hadi requested in a message to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, said the Saudi Arabia’s royal cabinet

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is going to make the necessary arrangements” for the talks which Hadi requested in a message to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, the royal cabinet said.

It did not give a date for the talks.

Hadi proposed that the Riyadh meeting convene “all the Yemeni political parties anxious to pre-

serve the security and stability of Yemen”, said the statement carried by the official SPA news agency late on Sunday.

He underlined that the conference should reject “the coup d’etat” of the Houthi militia, who seized power in Sanaa on February 6 after overrunning the capital last September.

Several GCC states, led by Saudi Arabia, have moved their embassies to Aden after an exodus of

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

foreign diplomats from Sanaa in February over security concerns.

Tribal sources said 22 militiamen were killed in fighting in Al Baida province during Sunday night but the toll could not be independently verified.

At least two militants and two soldiers died in an Al Qaeda assault on an army base in southern Yemen early on Monday, officials and residents said.

The assault on the base in Mahfad in Abyan province was a setback for the country’s splintered military which, alongside local militiamen, had largely expelled Al Qaeda from the area’s towns in 2013.

Local sources said the battle was ongoing and army reinforcements backed by dozens of the armed “popular committees” had come to the soldiers’ aid. — Agencies

A 16

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

WORLD DENIAL

‘Extremist motive behind Nemtsov killing nonsense’

Dubai’s Emaar group announced plans more than eight years ago to invest $1.4 billion in developing the Oukaimeden resort together with 11 hotels and the world’s highest altitude 18-hole golf course, but the project remains on standby

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MOSCOW: Suggestions that Russian politician Boris Nemtsov was killed by Chechen extremists are nonsense designed to deflect suspicion from President Vladimir Putin, associates of the slain opposition figure said on Monday.

Investigators have charged two men, including a former Chechen police official, over the shooting of Nemtsov within sight of the Kremlin walls on Feb. 27. Three more men have been arrested, and another blew himself up late on Saturday as police in Chechnya tried to detain him, Russian media said.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said the charged ex-policeman, Zaur Dadayev, was religious who had been angered by publication of caricatures in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Charlie Hebdo attack Nemtsov had condemned an attack on Charlie Hebdo in which extremist militants killed 12 people in January.

But friends reject this as a motive, saying they do not believe extremist gunmen acting alone could have shot him dead in one of the most closely guarded areas of central Moscow unless they had powerful and well-connected backers.

These associates believe it was Putin who stood to gain from his killing, though Russian officials have denied involvement and the president has called it a shameful tragedy.

Worst fears “Our worst fears are coming true,” Ilya Yashin, the co-leader of Nemtsov’s small liberal opposition party, said on Twitter late on Sunday.

“The trigger man will be blamed, while those who actually ordered Nemtsov’s killing will go free.”

“Investigators’ nonsensical theory about extremist motives in Nemtsov’s killing suits the Kremlin and takes Putin out of the firing line,” Yashin added on Monday.

Shot in the back Nemtsov, a 55-year-old former deputy prime minister, was shot in the back four times as he walked home with his girlfriend after dining next to Red Square.

He was the most prominent of a string of Kremlin critics to be killed during Putin’s 15 years in power.

Dadayev and four other suspects, all ethnic Chechens, appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday. — Reuters

CORRUPTION CHARGES

Mubarak, sons retrial on April 4 CAIRO: The retrial of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and his two sons on charges of corruption will open on April 4, a judicial official said on Monday.

In January, the Court of Cassation overturned Mubarak’s conviction on corruption charges and ordered that he and his sons Alaa and Gamal be tried again.

A lower court had sentenced

Mubarak to three years and his sons to four years for allegedly embezzling 16 million dollars (14 million euros) earmarked for the maintenance of presidential palaces.

Alaa and Gamal -- symbols of corruption during their father’s three-decade rule -- were released in January after they served the maximum pretrial detention period pending their retrial. — AFP

ARTICLE, PHOTOS

The Moroccan ski

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

resort of Oukaimeden private school in Marrakesh, agrees Oukaimeden does not have enough beds for visitors.

He had taken 50 schoolchildren on a day trip to the resort, leaving Marrakesh at dawn. “I had to urge the ski federation to provide us with a place where the children can have some breakfast before hitting the slopes,” he said.

is located in the High Atlas Mountains, a mere 50 kilometres from the popular tourist destination of Marrakesh with

TIME TO ENJOY: A woman skis at the Oukaimeden ski resort, in the Atlas Mountains, 30 kilometres from the popular tourist resort of Marrakesh, on February 17, 2015. — AFP

Paragliding to beat heat Driving to Oukaimeden is a challenge, along a narrow road that winds its way up.

“The road’s too small and it can be closed for four to five days when there’s heavy snowfall,” said ski instructor Hazzan Azougagh.

A weekend escape can turn into a nightmare when up to 5,000 cars head the same way.

Authorities in El Haouz province, where the resort is located, have built several open-air car parks and set up a bus station to help ease traffic.

Work is also under way to open a second road.

Locals make a modest but brisk business from November to March when, snow permitting, skiers spend money for lessons or to hire ski gear. Off-season, local entrepreneurs offer trekkers the chance to climb up to Mount Tubkal, one of the highest peaks of the Atlas range reaching an altitude of 4,000 metres.

most visitors coming from Marrakesh only to spend the day.

“It’s like when people go to the beach for the day,” he said.

Oukaimeden has only three small hotels, including one with 15 rooms run by a French family, and a handful of chalets.

Bouzekri Attifi, who runs a

Everyone comes here Paragliding is also being promoted, especially when temperatures in the Marrakesh plain below soar to 45 degrees Celsius.

“Everyone comes here. The French, the British ... really, everyone, including many Moroccans,” said Brahim Chah, who also gives skiing lessons. — AFP

its luxury hotels and pools

OUKAIMEDEN (MOROCCO): On a clear day, skiers can see the dunes of the Sahara desert shimmer in the distance from the Moroccan ski resort of Oukaimeden, the highest in North Africa.

The view is impressive, even on a cloudy day, but ski instructors say a lack of infrastructure and hotels stands in the way of growth.

The resort is located in the High Atlas Mountains, a mere 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the popular tourist destination of Marrakesh with its luxury hotels and pools.

Oukaimeden in southern Morocco is perched at an altitude of 3,600 metres (about 11,800 feet).

Joumayna, a visitor from Britain who took the only chairlift to climb 1,000 metres to the summit, said: “We are at the top, so close to the clouds. It’s magnificent.”

Six T-bar tows and 18 pistes were covered by a heavy carpet of snow this year for the first time in nearly two decades.

Local officials say a record number of visitors — some 30,000 a day — visited Oukaimeden during the first weekends of the winter

season. “But that is not enough.

Much more needs to be done to build the infrastructure so that we can compete with Europe,” said Mohamed Bennani, a ski instructor with the Royal Moroccan Ski Federation.

Bennani said the shortage of hotels and chalets resulted in JOINT OFFENSIVE

Chad, Niger troops eject Boko Haram from Nigerian towns NIAMEY: Troops from Chad and Niger have freed two towns in northern Nigeria previously held

by Boko Haram militants, the first gains made in a joint offensive launched at the weekend, Niger military sources said on Monday.

About 30 Niger and Chadian soldiers were injured in fighting

over Malam Fatouri and Damasak, a day after thousands of troops crossed the border to retake areas held by the extremist group, whose insurgency has forced Nigeria to delay an election and neighbours to mobilise their armies.

“We have kicked the enemy out

of these areas and they are now under our control,” one of the military sources said.

Damasak, the town furthest into Nigeria, is 10 km (6 miles) south of the Niger border, where Niger and Chadian troops have been massing in recent weeks ahead of the offensive. — Reuters

B

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM TU ES DAY, MARCH 10, 2015

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CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

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GOLD PRICES*

Type ............................Delivery...........Price

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.37 Pound ............................................ 1.71 Indian Rs .............................162.34 Pak Rs ...................................259.88 Bangla Taka.......................199.36

Indian Rs ................................... 161.25 Pakistan Rs ............................ 263.00 Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 343.65 Bangla Taka.............................201.70 Phil Peso ...................................... 14.20

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.00

Oman Crude............. (Spot) .........$57.20 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) .........$57.24 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$59.38 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........ $58.97 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........ $59.47 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........ $49.77

* Rates are as of Mar. 9 Source: Bank Muscat

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Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.45 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ........... 142.00 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 134.75 * Rates as of Mar. 9 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

Oman to invest OMR430m in electricity projects this year This year, we have budgeted OMR430m for distribution and transmission projects for the whole group, said CEO of Nama Group (formerly known as Electricity Holding Group)

BUSINESS REPORTER

MUSCAT: Electricity companies in Oman, which are subsidiaries of Nama Group, will together invest OMR430 million in distribution and transmission projects in 2015, said an official.

In 2014, the group spent more than OMR370 million on trans-

mission and distribution projects to extend the network to reach out to more customers and enforce the existing networks, Eng. Omar bin Khalfan Al Wahaibi, chief executive officer of Nama Group (formerly known as Electricity Holding Group), said here on Monday.

He was speaking at the second annual forum of contractors and suppliers in the electricity sector, organised by the Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP), which came up with certain recommendations to enhance the performance of the sector and ensure the sustainability of power supply.

“This year, we have budgeted OMR430 million for distribution and transmission projects for the whole group,” noted Al Wahaibi.

He also said that the company’s customers are increasing by eight to 10 per cent every year and the demand for electricity is going up by the same percentage.

In addition, the official emphasised the importance of the application of health, safety and environmental (HSE) rules by contracting companies operating in the electricity sector and the application of InCountry Value (ICV).

“We had several fatalities in 2014 and all of those fatalities

pete with local or global companies, pointing out that DCRP sought to find highly efficient local companies in order to be at the level of international companies and therefore compete globally. He said also that

the forum came out with many recommendations and proposals that would be adopted by DCRP in order to raise the quality of performance of the companies.

Eng. Omar bin Khalfan Al Wahaibi. — Cio Datan/Times of Oman

were among the contractor community,” said Al Wahaibi.

He also stated that the electricity companies can contribute to the sector through localising manufacturing of certain items and employing Omani workers.

Registration Engineer Hamad bin Salim Al Maghdari, chief executive officer of the Rural Areas Electricity Company (RAECO) and chairman of the DCRP, said that the conditions adopted by the panel for the process of registering companies were not as difficult as some people thought, but in reality they helped them to com-

Approved companies DCRP approved 70 companies operating in the electricity sector during 2014, and approved 16 companies since the beginning of this year until February, so the total number of companies approved

by DCRP was 203 companies comprising contractors and suppliers.

According to Eng. Sultan bin Said Al Qatabi, director of DCRP, the panel approved 13 electrical products during last year from among 60 products approved during the period from 2005 to 2014.

DCRP also re-evaluated more than 80 electrical products that were approved before the restructuring of the electricity sector according to the Omani and international standards, in addition to developing and updating the list of approved products.

SMEs to get 10% of power project work from big firms BUSINESS REPORTER

MUSCAT: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will be awarded 10 per cent of the total electricity projects implemented by big companies, according to the new approval of the Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP).

The participants of the second annual forum of contractors and suppliers in the electricity sector, held under the theme ‘Sustainability of Performance, Quality and Standards’ on Monday, called for continuing support to Small and medium enterprises operating in the electricity sector, which amount to 47 companies registered with DCRP. As a result, DCRP unanimously approved awarding

of electricity tenders to SMEs, provided that they are technically qualified and are able to carry out the projects awarded to them without delay, in addition to awarding them 10 per cent of the total electricity projects implemented by big companies.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Eng Hamad bin Salim Al Maghdari, chief executive officer of the Rural Areas Electricity Company (RAECO) and chairman of the DCRP, said that there is co-operation between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in the field of renewable energy.

This co-operation is both in terms of investment and exchange of knowledge and expertise, said the official.

B2

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

MARKET Japan economy records less than anticipated growth rate Cabinet Office said economy expanded just 0.4% in the October-December

Al Hassan gets letter of intent for Abu Dbabi project MUSCAT: Al Hassan Engineering Company Abu Dhabi, which is controlled

by Al Hassan Engineering owning 49 per cent of its share capital, has received a letter of intent from GS Engineering & Construction for $26.6 million SMP Part A works for Rumaitha/ Shanayel phase III project in Abu Dhabi. The project is to be completed in 17 months from June this year..

Chief executive of DME to take new responsibilities

from the previous quarter, down from an initial estimate of 0.6%, with corporate capital investment shrinking

TOKYO: Japan’s economy grew less than initially thought in the final quarter of 2014, revised government data showed on Monday, revealing an even weaker emergence from recession than previously believed.

The poor data could put the Bank of Japan under pressure to launch more stimulus, economists said, as the world’s third largest economy struggles to rid itself of two decades of lassitude.

The Cabinet Office said the economy expanded just 0.4 per cent in the October-December period from the previous quarter, down from an initial estimate of 0.6 per cent growth, with corporate capital investment shrinking.

Despite the downgrade, the data still confirmed the Japanese economy had crawled out of recession at the end of 2014, after two consecutive quarters in which gross domestic product (GDP) contracted. “The result showed that

BRIEFS

STIMULUS: The poor data could put the Bank of Japan under pressure to launch more stimulus, economists said, as the world’s third largest economy struggles to rid itself of two decades of lassitude. – AFP

Japan’s economy bottomed out from a ‘technical recession’ following the April value added tax (VAT) hike in October-December quarter, while the pace of recovery was still limited,” Credit Suisse economists said in a note.

Japan’s economy stuttered last year after an April sales tax rise cut off the flow of consumer spending, which had shown healthy growth until then.

Monday’s figures, if annualised, show GDP growth revised down to 1.5 per cent from the previous figure of 2.2 per cent.

That places Japan well behind the United States, where revised data showed the economy growing an annualised 2.2 per cent in

the fourth quarter. Over the full calendar year the Japanese economy logged zero growth, a significant slowdown from an expansion of 1.6 per cent in 2013.

More stimulus Capital Economics said the revised GDP data support the case for more easy cash from the central bank. “We still think that the Bank of Japan will announce more stimulus next month” to achieve its inflation target of 2 per cent, said Marcel Thieliant, Japan economist at Capital Economics.

Sustained inflation is a key measure of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s pro-spending growth blueprint, dubbed Abenomics,

which was set in motion in late 2012, sending the yen plunging and boosting stock prices.

The central bank expanded its already massive asset-purchasing programme in October. But inflation rate has now dropped to its lowest level since just after Abenomics was unleashed.

Core inflation Core inflation in January came in at 2.2 per cent, but once the effect of the tax hike is stripped out, prices were seen squeaking up just 0.2 per cent from a year earlier, the worst reading since a zero percent rate in May 2013.

While they’ve not helped the inflation cause, lower oil prices have

combined with a fall in the value of the yen to bolster Japan’s current account balance — the broadest measure of trade with the rest of the world, including trade in goods and services as well as tourism and returns on foreign investment.

Data released Monday from the finance ministry showed Japan posted a current-account surplus of ¥61.4 billion ($508 million), reversing the year-before deficit of ¥1.59 trillion. - AFP

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MUSCAT: Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME) announced on Monday that its chief executive Christopher Fix will be taking up new responsibilities from June onwards. Fix will become chairman of DME Asia and will also take up a role as managing director, head of Asia-Pacific, for DME’s core shareholder CME Group. In addition, he will be appointed to the board of directors of Dubai Mercantile Exchange.

Fix has been asked to relocate from DME’s headquarters in Dubai to Singapore in order to drive the further expansion of DME’s Asian operations.

McDonald’s sales decline in the US NEW YORK: McDonald’s posted a worse-than-predicted drop in February sales after competition grew fiercer in the United States, a sign its new chief executive officer will have a deeper hole to dig out of as he works on a comeback. US sales at stores open at least 13 months fell 4 per cent in February, the Oak Brook, Illinois-based company said in a statement on Monday.

- Times News Service/Agencies

CRUDE MARKET

Oil imbalance will even out later this year: Opec chief

Abdalla El Badri. – Bloomberg News

MANAMA: The global crude oil market will return to balance in the second half of this year from an oversupply of 2 million barrels a day that has caused prices to plummet, Opec secretary-General Abdalla El Badri said.

Speaking on Sunday at a conference in Manama, Bahrain, El Badri said demand growth in 2014 was weaker than expected “at just below 1 million barrels a day” and usage will rise by 1.2 million barrels a day this year.

Crude has lost half its value since

June as the United States producers pumped oil at the fastest pace since 1983. Prices collapsed after organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (Opec) decision on November 27 to maintain production rather than sacrifice market share in the face of a glut.

Non-Opec supply has grown by 6 million barrels a day since 2008 while production by members of the Oepc has remained at about 30 million barrels, he said. Brent oil futures, a benchmark for more than half of the world’s oil, dropped

0.7 per cent on Monday to $59.30.

Opec pumped 30.6 million barrels a day in February, an increase of 163,000 a day that was led by gains from Saudi, the world’s biggest crude-oil exporter. It was the ninth straight month that the 12-member group has produced more than its collective target of 30 million barrels, the data show.

Shale output Opec can’t cut production because of the rise in shale and non-Opec output, El Badri said. He urged

Opec nations to continue investments and diversify their economies, many of which rely mostly on oil revenue. “If we made a cut in the November meeting, then we would have needed to make another cut in January, and then we would need another cut in June as supply will keep increasing from non-Opec,” he said.

Kuwait is in a ;critical situation’ because crude oil accounts for 94 per cent of the Gulf nation’s gross domestic product, Oil Minister Ali Al Omair said at the confer-

ence. Over the next 25 years, the oil industry will need to invest $10 trillion to meet a forecasted 60 per cent increase in energy demand, El Badri said.

“The world will need huge investments in oil to meet growth in demand by 2040 and our projections show that we will need around $10 trillion between now and 2040,” El Badri said. “Energy demand will keep growing and it will increase by 60 per cent between now and 2040 and fossil fuel will remain.” - Bloomberg News TOUGH TIMES

Tourism firms

count cost of recession in Russia PARIS/BERLIN: Russia’s lurch into recession has hit many tourism and luxury goods firms hard, forcing them to cut prices — and in turn costs — in an attempt to limit the damage.

And there are few signs things will get better soon, with a fragile ceasefire in eastern Ukraine doing little to ease international tensions over Moscow’s support for pro-Russian separatists in the region.

Currency takes beating The rouble lost almost half of its value against the United States dollar last year after oil prices crashed and the West imposed sanctions on Moscow.

That has crushed Russians’ spending power, forcing them to cut back and put pricey holiday plans on hold.

Spending on international travel by Russians fell by 6 per cent in 2014, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation, a sharp drop from growth of more than 20 percent previous years.

Russian tourists are major buyers of luxury goods, particularly in European capitals such as Milan where they are regular customers of brands such as Ferragamo, Moncler and Kering’s Italian tailor Brioni. - Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

B3

MARKET Oman-Brunei aviation leasing firm to eye major Gulf and Asian carriers ping stone towards the continued efforts to diversify Oman’s economy,” stated Abdulsalam Al Murshidi, executive president of SGRF, while commenting on the strategic partnership. “SGRF has always strived to support such initiatives presented from joint venture companies,” he added.

Oman Brunei Aviation Leasing Company, with an authorised capital of OMR200m, will be formed by Oman’s State General Reserve Fund and Oman Brunei Investment Company

A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An alliance to set up Oman Brunei Aviation Leasing Company (OBALC) with an authorised capital of OMR200 million was jointly announced by Oman’s State General Reserve Fund (SGRF) and Oman Brunei Investment Company (OBIC) here on Monday.

The newly-formed joint venture,

which will be based in Muscat, will acquire aircraft on outright purchase and place it on lease to major airlines, including the Sultanate’s national carrier Oman Air. “We have set up this company to buy and manage aircraft and lease it to airlines and in turn receive a return,” Abeer Mohammed Al Abduwani, chief executive officer of OBIC, told Times of Oman.

She said that Oman is set to expand its fleet strength for starting

OIL PRODUCTION

Crude price forecast at $40 could be too low, says Goldman TOKYO: Goldman Sachs said its forecast for oil to trade at $40 a barrel for two quarters may be too low while its outlook through 2016 remains bearish because supply is set to increase.

Prices are ‘skewed to the upside’ in the near term as gains in global crude inventories have stalled amid weather disruptions and stronger-than-expected demand, Goldman said in an emailed report dated March 8.

US companies Still, the United States companies are raising equity and reducing debt, signalling that they plan to boost exploration and production activity later this year, it predicted.

“While we reiterate our outof-consensus view that demand growth will be strong in 2015, on the back of better economic growth and low oil prices, we did not expect demand to be so strong this soon,” Goldman analysts including Damien Courvalin in New York said in the report. “Net, we reiterate our view that prices need to decline relative to the current forward curve.”

Brent crude, a global benchmark grade, has risen 3.6 per cent this year after losing almost half in 2014 as US production surged to the most in more than three decades.

More than 3,000 drilled wells in the nation have yet to be tapped, according to Wood Mackenzie and RBC Capital Markets.

Initial new output could be as much as 3 million barrels a day, estimates compiled by

Bloomberg Intelligence showed.

Futures rise Futures rose in February for the first time in eight months as sandstorms disrupted Iraqi exports, while cold weather in the United States and a drought in Brazil bolstered consumption, according to Goldman.

Global oil demand will expand by 1.35 million barrels a day this year amid stronger economic growth, it said.

Oil may not reach Goldman’s forecast of $65 a barrel in 2016 as United States producers have showed a faster-than-expected focus on financial discipline and “building an uncompleted well war chest,” according to the report.

“Producers will be better positioned to deliver strong production growth in 2015 and into 2016, undermining the market re-balancing,” it said. - Bloomberg News

services to several new destinations like Singapore. There is a time lag between the time of placing orders for new aircraft and taking the delivery. This new venture will invest in and manage the purchase and lease of modern and fuel-efficient commercial aircraft operated by airlines in the Middle East and globally.

All major airlines in the Gulf region are also expanding their fleet strength and therefore, there are a

lot of opportunities in these markets. “All of them (like Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways) are investing in aircraft,” she said, adding: “The Gulf countries are also investing heavily on airport development.”

“There is a huge demand for aircraft from Asian airlines as well.”

“As chairman of Oman Brunei Investment Company, I am very proud of this promising investment as it represents a step-

Aviation leasing fund “After we came up with the business plan for an aviation leasing company, we looked for a strong founding and strategic business partnership and accomplished both by having SGRF as a founding-partner,” noted Al Abduwani.

“Aircraft leasing represents an attractive investment product and in due course, we will be offering institutional investors the opportunity to participate in the sector through an aviation leasing fund,” added Al Abduwani.

Oman Brunei Investment Com-

pany is a private equity company jointly capitalised by State General Reserve Fund of Oman (50 per cent) and the Brunei Investment Agency (50 per cent). The company has been created to promote financial and economic benefits to Oman, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Brunei.

The company undertakes investments in aviation finance, infrastructure, transportation, education, food, healthcare, manufacturing and oil and gas by targeting attractive private equity investments in medium sizedbusinesses that offer opportunities for growth and value creation.

OBIC’s focus is on acquiring strategic stakes in new projects and existing operating companies; through direct participation and joint venture investments which cater to building a diversified portfolio across the vital sectors of the economy and industries.

B4

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

MARKET Index falls marginally

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ........................................6,521.60 ...............6,513.02 ................... 6,521.60 ................... 6,525.73.................. -4.13 .................. -0.06 Financial Index ..................................... 8,117.03 .............. 8,094.55 .................... 8,114.76 ................... 8,124.21.................. -9.45 .................. -0.12 Industrial Index ....................................8,659.54 ............... 8,615.01 ....................8,615.47 ...................8,636.22................-20.75 .................. -0.24 Services Index ...................................... 3,548.24 ...............3,541.82 ....................3,547.79 ................... 3,541.82....................5.97 ................... 0.17 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................994.75 ..................993.26 ...................... 993.26 ......................994.22.................. -0.96 .................. -0.10 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 16,485,716 .................. 4,609,773 ..................1,218 ................ 15,077,258,611 ................ 12 ......................14 ....................20 .........................46

Gulf International Chemicals, up by 6.69 per cent, was the top gainer of the day

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR MONDAY, MARCH 9

while National Aluminium, down by 8.82 ISIN ..................................................SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER...................TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE............. HIGH....................LOW...............CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE..........DIFF (RO) .................DIFF %......................LAST PR...............LAST BID.....................LAST OFFER .................MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE

per cent, was the top loser REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 2,809,946 .....762,272...................247 ........... 0.263 ...........0.277 ...........0.263............0.271 .............0.254 ............0.017 ............. 6.693 ................0.268..............0.268...................0.269 ............... 5,691,000 ........0.100

MUSCAT: The MSM30 Index declined marginally by 0.06 per cent to close at 6,521.60 points.

The MSM Sharia Index ended at 993.26 points, down by 0.10 per cent. Gulf International Chemicals was the most active in terms of volume while Al Anwar Holding was the most active in terms of turnover. Gulf International Chemicals, up by 6.69 per cent was the top gainer of the day while National Aluminium, down by 8.82 per cent, was the top loser of the day.

A total number of 1,218 trades were executed during the day’s trading session generating turnover of OMR4.60 million with more than 16.48 million shares changing hands. Out of 46 traded stocks, 12 advanced, 14 declined and 20 remained unchanged. At the session close, GCC & Arab Investors remained net buyers for OMR350,000 followed by Omani investors for OMR93,000 while Foreign Investors were net sellers for OMR444,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index Financial Index ended the day down by 0.12 per cent to close at 8,114.76 points. Al Batinah Development, Ominvest, ONIC Holding, Global Financial Investment and Al Anwar Holding increased by 2.75 per cent, 2.59 per cent, 2.44 per cent, 1.89 per cent and 0.36 per cent respectively. Al Madina Takaful, Bank Sohar, Oman & Emirates Holding, Gulf Investment Services and NBO declined by 2.27 per cent, 1.91 per cent, 1.43 per cent, 1.23 per cent and 1.12 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index closed at 8,615.47 points, down by 0.24 per cent. Gulf International Chemicals, Al Hassan Engineering, Galfar Engineering and Al Maha Ceramics increased by 6.69 per cent, 3.20 per cent, 2.00 per cent and 1.33 per cent

respectively. National Aluminium, Al Anwar Ceramics, Al Jazeera Steel and Oman Flour Mills decreased by 8.82 per cent, 1.61 per cent, 1.14 per cent and 0.69 per cent respectively.

Services Sector Index gained 0.17 per cent to end the day at 3,547.79 points. Sembcorp Salalah, Omantel and Al Jazeera Steel increased by 1.73 per cent, 0.57 per cent and 0.53 per cent respectively. Ooredoo, Renaissance Services and Port Services decreased by 0.56 per cent, 0.46 per cent and 0.33 per cent respectively.

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 158,000 ........... 75,068..................... 25 ........... 0.464 ...........0.488 ...........0.464........... 0.476 .............0.464 ............0.012 ............. 2.586 ................0.480..............0.470...................0.480 .............160,289,668......0.100 OM0000002614............ONIC. HOLDING .......................................................... 138,400 ............58,128........................7 ........... 0.420 ...........0.420 ...........0.420........... 0.420 .............0.410.............0.010 ............. 2.439 ................0.420..............0.420...................0.424 .............. 72,837,765 .......0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 1,040,097 ...... 159,032..................... 96 ............0.152 ........... 0.155 ........... 0.151 ............0.153 .............0.150............ 0.003.............2.000 ................0.155 .............. 0.153...................0.155 ...............40,333,670.......0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ..................21,250 ...............2,288........................6 ............0.113 ........... 0.113............0.106........... 0.108 .............0.106 ........... 0.002............. 1.887 ................0.106..............0.107...................0.108...............21,600,000.......0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 260,762 .........459,496......................17 ............1.760 ........... 1.765............1.760 ............1.760 ............. 1.750.............0.010 ............. 0.571 ................1.760 .............. 1.750...................1.760 ............1,320,000,000....0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ........................................... 30,000 .............11,332........................7 ........... 0.378 ........... 0.378 ...........0.376........... 0.378 .............0.376 ........... 0.002............. 0.532 ................0.376..............0.370...................0.376............... 23,135,215 .......0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 2,770,175 ......777,200................... 133 ........... 0.280...........0.283 ...........0.279........... 0.281 .............0.280 ............0.001 ............. 0.357 ................0.280............. 0.280...................0.281...............36,670,500.......0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS .............................................................33,664 ............. 15,816.....................20 ........... 0.470 ........... 0.474 ...........0.466........... 0.470 .............0.470 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.470..............0.466...................0.470............... 21,413,865 .......0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ........................................................20,564 ............ 35,890........................5 ............1.745 ........... 1.750............ 1.745 ............1.745 ............. 1.745 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.750 .............. 1.750...................0.000 ............ 349,000,000 .....0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN ......................................................16,864 .............. 2,294........................1 ............0.136 ........... 0.136 ...........0.136 ............0.136 ............. 0.136............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.136 .............. 0.135...................0.136..............272,042,539 .....0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 169,000 ........... 39,099......................17 ............0.231 ...........0.232 ...........0.230............0.231 ............. 0.231............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.230..............0.229...................0.230 ..............46,200,000 ......0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 340,912 .......... 175,911......................13 ............0.516 ........... 0.516 ...........0.516 ............0.516 ............. 0.516............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.516 ............. 0.000...................0.516 .............. 170,730,318 ......0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT .............................................90 ....................... 6........................1 ........... 0.070 ...........0.070 ...........0.070........... 0.070 .............0.070 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.070..............0.067...................0.070...............14,500,597 .......0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .........................................................................5,461 ................1,158........................3 ............0.212 ........... 0.212 ...........0.212........... 0.212 .............0.212 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.212............. 0.206...................0.212..............274,643,330 .....0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ...............................................................50,751 .............18,270........................3 ........... 0.360 ...........0.360 ...........0.360........... 0.360 .............0.360 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.360..............0.328...................0.360 .............483,567,197 ......0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER................................................................4,800 ...............1,824........................4 ........... 0.380 ...........0.382 ...........0.380........... 0.380 .............0.380 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.380..............0.380...................0.390 ..............83,983,800.......0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ............................7,521 ...............2,252........................4 ........... 0.296 ...........0.300 ...........0.296........... 0.299 .............0.300 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.333 ...............0.300 ............ 0.300...................0.304 ..............28,416,960 .......0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 199,110 .............85,617.....................22 ........... 0.430 ...........0.430 ...........0.430........... 0.430 .............0.432 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.463 ...............0.430..............0.430...................0.438.............. 121,300,615 ......0.100

Emerging stocks drop Emerging-market stocks extended the longest losing streak in almost three months as speculation the Federal Reserve will start raising interest rates sooner weighed on Asian equities and currencies. Turkey’s lira rose from a record.

Shares in Indonesia and South Korea, which were shut when data on Friday showed a biggerthan-projected increase in US payrolls, declined at least one per cent. The won weakened 1.2 per cent against the dollar. The lira ended an eight-day rout, while the koruna climbed 0.3 per cent versus the euro after Czech consumer prices unexpectedly rose in February. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China gained 4.2 per cent as regulators said they may allow lenders to enter the brokerage business.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index decreased for the seventh day as all 10 industry groups declined, led by technology shares.

The odds for a US rate increase

by September surged to 59 per cent from 49 per cent on Thursday, futures showed, a move that will potentially damp the appeal of riskier assets.

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 101,561 .............72,792..................... 10 ............0.720 ........... 0.720 ...........0.716 ............0.716 .............0.720 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.556 ...............0.720.............. 0.716...................0.720..............466,076,069 .....0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 826,385 .........484,936..................... 85 ........... 0.584 ........... 0.588 ...........0.584........... 0.586 .............0.590 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.678 ...............0.586..............0.584...................0.586............ 1,279,055,278 ....0.100 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS .................................................15,000 ...............8,640........................3 ............0.576 ........... 0.576 ...........0.576........... 0.576 .............0.580 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.690 ...............0.576............. 0.000...................0.576...............90,720,000.......0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING .............21,800 ...............3,892........................5 ............0.177 ........... 0.180 ...........0.177 ............0.179 ............. 0.181............-0.002 ............-1.105................0.180.............. 0.178...................0.180............... 15,487,080 .......0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ....................................27,110 ...............9,533........................4 ........... 0.352 ...........0.352 ...........0.350........... 0.352 .............0.356 ...........-0.004 ............-1.124................0.352..............0.350...................0.352..............429,027,280 .....0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ..........................25,820 ...............8,910........................7 ........... 0.348 ...........0.348 ...........0.344 .......... 0.346 .............0.350 ...........-0.004 ............-1.143................0.344..............0.322...................0.344 ..............43,214,694.......0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ...........................83,300 .............13,328......................11 ............0.160 ........... 0.160 ...........0.160........... 0.160 .............0.162............-0.002 ............-1.235................0.160..............0.160...................0.163.................9,414,915 ........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 268,600 ............37,012..................... 27 ............0.138 ........... 0.138 ...........0.137 ............0.138 .............0.140 ...........-0.002 ........... -1.429 ...............0.138 .............. 0.137...................0.138............... 16,818,750 .......0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 744,289 ......... 364,817....................118 ........... 0.494 ...........0.494 ...........0.488........... 0.490 .............0.498 ...........-0.008 ........... -1.606 ...............0.490..............0.488...................0.490 .............120,953,920 .....0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 1,709,105.......350,343..................... 73 ........... 0.205 ...........0.205 ...........0.204 .......... 0.205 .............0.209 ...........-0.004 ............-1.914................0.204 ............ 0.202...................0.205 ............ 234,520,000 .....0.100 OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ...............23,500 ................7,271........................3 ........... 0.306 ........... 0.310 ...........0.306........... 0.310 .............0.340 ...........-0.030 ........... -8.824 ...............0.310 ..............0.314...................0.338............... 10,407,150 .......0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 11,923,837.......4,044,425.............977 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......30..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................. 135,453.............17,504.....................24 ............0.125 ........... 0.130 ...........0.125 ........... 0.129 ............. 0.125............ 0.004.............3.200 ................0.129 .............. 0.127...................0.129................ 9,701,832 ........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...................... 1,390,967 ......259,579...................144 ............0.190 ........... 0.191............0.180............0.187 .............0.182............ 0.005............. 2.747 ................0.180.............. 0.174...................0.180................ 5,610,000 ........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH...................................................2,755 ...............6,474........................2 ........... 2.350 ...........2.350 ...........2.350........... 2.350 .............2.310 ........... 0.040............. 1.732.................2.350..............2.310...................2.470............. 224,324,408 .....1.000 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................48,298 ............ 29,349......................11 ........... 0.604 ...........0.608 ...........0.604........... 0.608 .............0.600 ........... 0.008............. 1.333 ................0.608..............0.604...................0.608 ..............30,400,000 ......0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................21,000 .................. 777........................2 ........... 0.037 ........... 0.037 ...........0.037........... 0.037 .............0.037 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.037..............0.037...................0.038................ 3,145,000 ........0.100 OM0000001855 ............MAJAN GLASS .................................................................2,000 ..................460........................1 ........... 0.230 ...........0.230 ...........0.230........... 0.244 .............0.244 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.230..............0.225...................0.230 .............. 10,253,685 .......0.100 OM0000002671............GULF STONES.............................................................. 2,585,754 ......212,405......................13 ........... 0.082 ...........0.090 ...........0.082........... 0.082 .............0.082 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.090..............0.085...................0.090 ...............2,976,600 ........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 161,000............ 14,324......................12 ........... 0.089 ...........0.089 ...........0.088........... 0.089 .............0.089 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.089..............0.088...................0.089..............133,500,000 .....0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK..................................................3,500 ..................308........................1 ........... 0.088 ...........0.088 ...........0.088........... 0.088 .............0.088 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.088..............0.085...................0.088...............88,000,000 ......0.100 OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION ......................................232 .................. 766........................1 ........... 3.300 ...........3.300 ...........3.300........... 3.300 .............3.300 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................3.300..............3.300...................3.450............... 32,274,713 .......1.000 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................. 25,240 ...............4,568........................6 ............0.181 ........... 0.181............0.181 ............0.181 ............. 0.181............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.181 ..............0.180................... 0.181 ..............122,154,625......0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ....................................................29,107 ...............5,268........................6 ............0.181 ........... 0.181............0.181 ............0.181 ............. 0.181............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.181 .............. 0.181...................0.182..............129,307,548......0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL............................................. 153,000 ............13,213......................12 ........... 0.088 ...........0.088 ...........0.086........... 0.086 .............0.088 ...........-0.002 ........... -2.273 ...............0.086..............0.086...................0.088...............15,050,000 .......0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 4,558,306......564,995...................235 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......13..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BOND MARKET .................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 .......................... 1,602 ...................170........................3 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.108 .............0.108 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.106..............0.108................... 0.111 ...............32,696,904.......0.100 OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 .............................................1,597 .................. 144........................1 ........... 0.090 ...........0.090 ...........0.090............0.101 ............. 0.101............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.090..............0.090...................0.110 ................ 7,221,500 ........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 .................................................374 .................... 40........................2 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.106 .............0.106 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.106..............0.106...................0.108...............33,882,124 .......0.100 .............................................SUM: ...................................................................................... 3,573 .................. 353........................6 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 3..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

— United Securities/Bloomberg News

I N T E R NAT I O NA L S T O N E FA I R

Omani companies get strong response in China stone fair Times News Service MUSCAT: In an effort to capitalise on the global construction boom, Ithraa has taken a group of six Omani marble and stone producers to exhibit at the Xiamen International Stone Fair in China, from March 6 to March 9, 2015.

The four-day fair attracted thousands of industry professionals

and showcased companies from across the world.

Taleb Al Makhmari, Ithraa’s Director of Export Facilitation, said: “global construction is a multi-trillion dollar industry and Xiamen is the biggest importer and exporter of stone in China. So, if Omani companies want to get a foothold in Asia’s construction sector, then Xiamen is the tradeshow to be at.

In fact, over the course of the event we’ve had more than 8,000 visitors walk on to our pavilion.”

Joining Ithraa in Xiamen have been representatives from Al Rawas Stone & Granite; Al Turki Enterprises; Hamood Al Rashidi & Bros Trading Company; Gulf Mining Materials Company; Al Shanfari Marble Company; and Al-Zerabi Trading Establishment.

“It’s been a remarkable experience,” said Essam Al Qaffaf, General Manager, Hamood Al Rashidi & Bros Trading Company. “We didn’t expect it to be this good. We’ve had a lot of visitors on the pavilion, and frankly, we’ve been overwhelmed by the interest. We’ve got 35 potential immediate deals in China, seven of which are almost sealed.

What we need to do post-Xiamen

is look into increasing production to meet strong Chinese demand,” he added.

Emerging economies in Asia remain the fastest growing region for construction. It is estimated that by 2030 more than 55 per cent of Commenting on Zerabi Trading’s participation in Xiamen, Osamah Al Rasbi, Purchasing Manager said: “We came here to

expand our business network, find new buyers and review the latest industry machinery. We met with existing clients, Omani marble specialists from Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, as well as Chinese firms looking to forge new business ties.”

“We’re pleased that we made the effort to attend, it’s been very worthwhile,” Al Rasbi added.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

B5

ROUND-UP Ooredoo launches new loyalty programme Ooredoo has teamed up with Landmark Group and VOX cinemas to offer customers Shukran points and movie tickets in exchange for points earned through their revamped loyalty programme, ‘Nojoom’

MUSCAT: As part of its commitment to bring new and inspiring services to customers, Ooredoo has teamed up with the Landmark Group and VOX cinemas to offer customers Shukran points and movie tickets in exchange for points earned through their revamped loyalty programme, ‘Nojoom’.

The new programme is available exclusively through the Ooredoo Oman app — available on any smart device — and brings with it a whole host of exciting new offers. The app is compatible with iOS and Android

and can also be accessed online by logging in at http://selfcare.ooredoo.om, says a press release.

By selecting the ‘Nojoom’ area, customers can now exchange their loyalty points for Shukran points by entering their Shukran membership card number. Discounts are available at participating Landmark Group Stores including Centrepoint, Homecentre, Max, Emax, Babyshop, Lifestyle, Splash, Fun City and Shoe Express. For VOX movie tickets, points can be used to purchase tickets for movie

of choice at either Muscat City Centre or Qurum City Centre screens.

The Ooredoo Omanapp also allows customers to recharge, check data, SMS or call time, send international credit, sign up for plans, view their bills and exchange their Nojoom points for offers or discounts at leading retailers across the Sultanate. Customers can also redeem points for or for open credit, which will be added to their balance and used for international calls, calls to any local network, or to subscribe to one of Ooredoo’s great data bundles.

“The new loyalty programme and updated app gives customers

S AV I N G S S C H E M E

Rajasthani Food Fest is back at Kamat MUSCAT: The ever popular Rajasthani Food Festival is back at Kamat Ruwi which will last till the end of March.

Rajasthani Food Festival has become an annual feature on the Kamat menu and its popularity seems to increase every year with the patrons of the restaurant, says a press release.

Rajasthani menu consists of mouth-watering dishes that come from the kitchens of Maharajas and Nawabs, the typical vegetarian Rajasthani Food which Jodhabhai, the sister of Raja Mansingh, used to serve her husband Akbar, the great Moghul emperor. That’s what the menu says, hinting at a similar ‘innovative surprises’ which was the order of each meal at the court of the Nawab of Awadh.

The chefs at Kamat take special care to create the authentic taste of Rajasthani cuisine by using the best quality ingredients and follow the authentic recipes passed on from generations to generations.

This year, in addition to the popular dishes like Dabka Kadhi,

– Photo: Shabin E.

Rasbharimotiyaan, Methi corn rolls and others, there have been new additions to the menu and Jaipuri Paneer Pasanda, unique for its paneer sandwiches instead of the usual plain paneer pieces, has been the most popular dish amongst the customers.

The Qabooli rice biryani is another new addition to the menu this year. No meal is complete without the sweet endings. The Phirni & Kesar Rabbadiis the perfect way to finish your meal.

H E A LT H C A R E

BankDhofar holds weekly draw at Buraimi branch BURAIMI: In continuation of the success of its flagship savings scheme, BankDhofar recently conducted the weekly prize draw at Buraimi branch under the patronage of Sheikh Abdullah Ahmed Mashari Al Shamsi, Member of State Council.

One lucky BankDhofar customer from MBD branch won the weekly general draw of OMR20,000, while five lucky winners from MBD, Rustaq, Al Ees Sur, Mabelah, Al Amerat and Muscat Grand Mall branches wining OMR2,000 each as part of the daily general draw, says a press release.

Khalid Al Amri, Head of Retail Products, Business& Segments Department at BankDhofar, commented on the weekly draw: “Since the launch of the savings scheme we have witnessed an increasing participation from BankDhofar customers across the Sultanate.

complete control of their account at their fingertips. Now, with just a tap of the screen, customers can exchange their Ooredoo Nojoom loyalty points for Shukran points and VOX move tickets and other exciting retail offers, whenever and wherever they are, with complete confidence and security. The new functions also allow customers to manage multiple accounts from a single platform and stay up to date with the latest information, offers and services from Ooredoo.

Every time they recharge or make a payment they can enjoy new ways to spend their loyalty points,” said, Feras Al Shaikh, Director of Consumer Sales.

“We are delighted to partner with Ooredoo and believe that this new relationship will benefit each and every customer. The new partnership will enable both organisations to deliver a more fulfilling experience to all of our customers,” said, Clive Freeman, COO, Landmark Group Oman. Every Ooredoo prepaid and postpaid customer is eligible to join Nojoom.

M O U T H -WAT E R I N G D I S H E S

The automated draw system used in our draws ensures transparency of the process and is fully compliant with the regulations.”

“This scheme was introduced to cater for our customers’ needs and requirements, and we pledge to provide them with the best customer experience through a wide

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

array of innovative products and creative services,” he added.

BankDhofar customers who save a minimum of OMR100 in their accounts are eligible to enter the daily general draw and have a chance to win a share of OMR 10,000 cash prize (OMR2,000 each). Customers who keep a minimum balance of OMR100 for a week also have the opportunity to win a cash prize of 20,000 (one weekly winner) as part of the weekly general draw.

BankDhofar has been investing millions of Omani Rials to enrich the lives of customers and promote a culture of saving among all members of society. To further enhance their customers’ banking experience, the bank has an extensive network of branches across the Sultanate, in addition to ATM and CDM facilities located in all parts of Oman.

Health camp hosted by Lifeline creates awareness among people SALALAH: The health camp which was held at Lifeline Hospital in coordination with Indian Social Club Charity Wing at Salalah gave a good health related awareness among the public at large.

The health camp and the blood donation camp was held under the heads of Dr Asif Gani, Operation Director and Dr S. M. Amanulllah, Ambulatory Director of Lifeline Hospital. N. Balaji, the Co Convenor of Tamil Wing, Salalah welcomed the gathering who had come from various companies and wilayats for the free medical checkup and explained the importance of the periodical checkup, says a press release.

The camp was held in coordination under the head of Sultan Qaboos Hospital Blood Bank H. M. T. Ansari and Manivannan.

Jeganathan from ISC Tamil Wing and Shoba Maiya from ISC Karnataka Wing explained

to the gathering about blood sugar, blood pressure, diabetes and hypertension and the ways to prevent them.

Advocate M. U. Solomon, an active member of ISC, Salalah in his welcome speech thanked Retnakumar Janardanan, the CEO, Lifeline Hospital and Manpreet Singh, the Chairman of Indian Social Club as they organised the health camp for the welfare of the public including the labourers. He

MUSICAL CONCERT

further added that these kinds of programmes are made possible because of the generous minded people like S. Srihar, the group CEO of Shanfari & Partners Co. Rammohan from ISC, Salalah gave the vote of thanks. He thanked the team of doctors, nurses, consultants and volunteers from the Indian Social Club Charity Wing and the Tamil Wing to make this programme a successful event.

SOCIAL COMMITMENT

Attaullah Esakhelvi thrills fans in Muscat with smashing hits

BAE Systems strengthens education links in Oman MUSCAT: BAE Systems has this week continued to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to knowledge transfer in Oman.

Young BAE Systems apprentices were in Muscat to share their knowledge and experience of learning while working in a global engineering company with school children attending local schools.

This initiative is part of BAE Systems ongoing commitment to supporting education and training in Oman, says a press release.

During the week, Zac Smith and James Birch, two BAE Systems’ apprentices, who work at RAF Coningsby in the United Kingdom, together with Vicky Eastham, a BAE Systems’ graduate, shared their experiences of working in a large, global engineering company and on the Eurofighter Typhoon aeroplane with students in Oman.

Zac, James and Vicky visited four Omani schools to excite the students about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and to encourage them to consider engineering and technology as viable career choices.

They described how such a career could be both interesting and fun, as they would be able to work on the latest technology and with best-in-class equipment.

These sessions incorporated a fun, hands-on, engineering challenge, led by the presenters, who gave the students the opportunity to build a tower out of paper that could support a water bottle. They were held with the support of the Ministry of Education and the British Council in Muscat and the University of Central Lancashire from the United Kingdom.

“The company has a global strategy to support educational initiatives and as part of our longstanding relationships in Oman, where we have been working for over four decades, we are committed to sharing knowledge, as exemplified by our partnership with the MTC and our links with Omani students studying at the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom. Events such as those held this week are a further example of these educational activities and I am sure that the infectious enthusiasm of our young employees as they shared their experiences of engineering will help students in Oman understand the range of opportunities available to them. We look forward to continuing sharing our knowledge for many years to come,” said, Sir Simon Bryant, Vice President (Oman), BAE Systems.

MUSCAT: Attaullah Esakhelvi Live in Concert turned out to be an absolute show stealer where people danced to the fast numbers of the iconic singer until the late hours of night at the Grand Hall in Al Falaj Hotel recently.

His Highness Sayyid Mohammed bin Salim Al Said, chief of Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the chief guest, while the special guest was Sheikh Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, CEO, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, says a press release.

Ayaz Hussain, ambassador of Pakistan, J. S. Mukul, ambassador of India, Azim Nasser-Zia, ambassador of Afghanistan, Nawabzada Aminullah Khan Raisani, former ambassador of Pakistan, Syed Fayyaz Ali, chairman, Syed Fayyaz Group and Mian Muhammad Munir, chairman, Pakistan Social Club-Oman were the guests of honour at the function.

Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, well known Omani businessman and A. H. Raja, Muhammad Nadeem Azeemi, Muhammad Rafique Chaudhry and Muhammad Ali Fazal, prominent Pakistanis were also present among the guests. The mega musical family oriented event was organised by Alpha Events Oman in association with Majan Events.

In the beginning comperes Azra Aleem and Deeba Hassan welcomed the gathering and Pakistani legal consultant Arshad Ali Khan paid tribute to legendary and world renowned folk and ghazal singer Attaullah Esakhelvi. Esakhelvi sang some of his smashing hits with a six-member troupe in front of a packed audience and carried the energy on until he left the stage. The enthu-

siasm didn’t cease when Esakhelvi stopped humming his songs as people were seen queued up backstage only to catch a glimpse of their favourite singer up close after the concert was over.

Some songs and ghazals which the most famous singer in the Indian and subcontinent Esakhelvi sang included Piaar Naal Naah Sahi, Ni Oothaan Waalay, Qameez Teri Kaali, Idher Zindagi ka Janaaza, Ae Thewa Mundri Da, Khat Likhaan, Way Bole Saanwal, Woh Bahar Ka Zamaana and Maahi Wassay Mera, all of which enraptured the audience. Apart from his own songs, Esakhelvi also sang noted local Urdu poet Qamar Riaz’s ghazal.

During the concert, people were seen clapping, standing and dancing to the mesmerising melodies sung by Esakhelvi which sent the mercury rising up, and also showed the love and energy of the audience present. Families and individuals were seen queuing up at the entrance much before the show started just to get the right seating for them to be able to enjoy the concert better.

Fahad Awais Munir, the chief organiser of the event and man-

aging director at Alpha Events Oman spoke on the success of the show, “It was a very happy moment for me and my team when we saw the audience enjoying every minute at the concert. Of course this sort of feedback encourages us to bring more of such singers to the Sultanate and create celebratory moments for one and all. I specially thank Omani and other dignitaries and excellencies for their presence and I also thank the sponsors for having faith in our project and supporters who made this concert a great success.”

Stars Light and Sohar Poly Industries were the main sponsors while other sponsors include A’Saffa Foods., Ittfaq Travel & Tourism, Bridgestone, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Friendi Mobile, Zubair Electric Group, Oman UAE Exchange, Oman International Exchange LLC , Lulu Hypermarkets, Badr Al Samaa , Khurshid Trading & Contracting EST, Sharooq Al-Wahat Trade LLC, Total Engineering Solutions LLC, Alpha Graphics, Rahat Computer Services, Meerath Restaurants and Punjab Sweet House-Ruwi.

National Private School hosts annual charity bazaar MUSCAT: Believing in the importance of social solidarity, National Private School Al Khwair branch, hosted its charity bazaar whose earnings were given to the charitable associations in Oman.

This day included a variety of entertainment, social and art activities presented by the Arab Asian communities who are well-known for exclusive eastern sweets, amusing games, unique clothes and archaeological objects, says a press release.

The Omani corner participated effectively in welcoming and hosting the vast number of guests and visitors who enjoyed watching various displays.

Students performed a famous Palestinian folklore dance, “Dabkah”.

The event was held under the auspices of Suliman Al-Hamdi, the general manager of National Private Schools.

B6

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

ROUND-UP Al Hajiri opens new headquarters building

GRAND SHOW

PROUD MOMENT: The chairman and managing director with general managers of all divisions during the soft opening of Bait Al Hajiry building. – A. R. Rajkumar/ TIMES OF OMAN

Bait Al Hajiry consists of 10 floors, including the basement and penthouse, with state-of-the-art IT and security systems

MUSCAT: Al Hajiry Group of companies inaugurated its headquarters building, Bait Al Hajiry, in Ruwi yesterday.

Bait Al Hajiry was inaugurated by chairman, Nasser bin Khamis

bin Al Hashar and managing director, Sam Varghese, the two people whose vision and hard work made this dream a reality.

This 6,357sqm building, which was completely developed by inhouse companies, consists of 10 floors (including the basement and penthouse) with state-of-theart IT and security systems, says a press release.

It houses office space for each division, a board room with a seating capacity of 25, conference rooms on each floor, a dedicated training room, showrooms and a cafeteria for the employees catered for by Palm Restaurant.

The building has ample car parking space for employees and furnished with trendy office furniture imported by their furniture division. Each floor is diversely designed and furnished according to the requirements of the compa-

nies’ occupied in each floor which also serves the purpose showcasing the range of office furniture available with Al Hajiry Furnishing Division.

“We started from scratch and now we are one of the successful business groups in the Sultanate. This head office building is a dream come true. This is truly the house of Al Hajiry, where our employees of diverse nationalities work together towards a common goal,” said Sam. Now the business partners will be able to find the following services and products under the same roof Al Hajiry Group Head Office & Corporate Office, Al Hajiry Mechanical Engineering Division, Al Hajiry Projects Division, Al Hajiry Roads & Bridges Division, Al Hajiry Electronics Division, Middle East Media & Advertising LLC (MEMA), Al Hajiry Oil-

field Supplies & Services Division, Industrial Products & Services Division, Al Hajiry International LLC (FMCG), Technical Cleaning Services LLC (Tidytec), Al Hajiry Furnishing Division, Office furniture, modular partitions and modular kitchen showroom, Industrial Products showroom – showcasing pumps & fountains, Construction Equipment’s – Al Hajiry Equipment’s Trading Showroom and Air Travel and Tours Ticketing and booking office.

“We reflect today on the decade long story of Al Hajiry’s growth and think ahead to a future of continued success. As we look to the promise of tomorrow — for this organisation, for this country, and for this region of the world — we realise that long journeys start with small but solid steps, and that each success we achieve will contribute to future progress,” added Sam.

U N PA R A L L E L E D LU X U RY

Mercedes-Benz unveils new models at Couture Show

MUSCAT: True to its elegance, sophistication and beauty, Mercedes-Benz turned heads at the 2015 Signature Couture Show when it unveiled the new curvy, progressively designed four door coupé, CLA-Class, and its first crossover model, the GLA-Class.

Held at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, the event provided a window into the ideology of innovation and the love of design and style that are the new Mercedes-Benz models, says a press release.

Announcing the much anticipated unveiling, Clive Hammond, CEO of Zawawi Trading CompanyAutomotive, Authorised General Distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Oman said, “We do not just sell cars; we sell a lifestyle of unparal-

leled luxury, comfort and power.

Like in fashion, design plays a key role in the automobile world, as we look to create a timeless elegance that will live through the ages.”

He added, “Paying homage to a long standing history between Mercedes-Benz and the fashion industry, the Signature Couture Show represented an ideal runway for the launch of our newest models. The CLA-Class is set to establish a new segment and we expect to attract a new target group of drivers and owners. As for the GLA-Class we are expanding our comprehensive range with an emotionally appealing variant and we are fulfilling the requirements of many customers who are looking to drive an emotionally appealing crossover vehicle featuring off-

road capabilities combined with the typical qualities of a MercedesBenz: innovation, efficiency, safety and excellent value retention.”

A style rebel, the CLA-Class, possesses a unique design idiom and has exceptional performance that holds strong appeal. In line with its sporty aura, the CLA-Class is available with high-torque turbo engines rated at up to 155 kW, sports suspension and offers a 4MATIC all-wheel drive option. The technical highlights of this new design icon include a new world record in aerodynamics for series production automobiles and numerous driving assistance systems.

Five lines and packages which vary greatly in character are available to individualise the striking compact mid-range coupé.

In keeping with the digital lifestyle of the CLA-Class, social media-savvy target group, smartphones can additionally be fully integrated into the vehicle’s display and operating system.

The new GLA-Class reinterprets the crossover segment in convincing style and is crafted for comfort, both on road and on difficult terrain, indulging its occupants with worldclass comfort and luxury. The highquality appointments, developed with a loving attention to detail, and the flexible interior clearly position the GLA as a premium crossover vehicle. Additionally, the modern four-cylinder engines provide turbocharging and direct injection, along with a standard ECO start and stop function that makes for superior efficiency.

Star-studded Naatia Mushairah on Friday Times News Service MUSCAT: It is all set for a starstudded Grand Annual Naatia Mushairah 2015 with world renowned poets like Iftikhar Arif of Pakistan and Manzar Bhopali of India leading a galaxy of big names for the 10th edition of this much-awaited event.

The organisers are expecting a full house at Sapphire Ballroom of Hotel Crystal Suites in Wadi Kabir (next to Khimji’s Mart and Lulu Hypermarket) on Friday, March 13.

Syed Ayaz Hussain, Ambassador of Pakistan, will be the chief guest while Iftikhar Arif will preside over the Mushairah.

Like Iftikhar Arif, Manzar Bhopali too has a huge fan following throughout the world. A star attraction in urdu Mushairahs around the world, Manzar has always attracted large audiences whenever he has come to Muscat.

His powerful poetry, combined with his unique style of melodious delivery, makes him a huge draw at every Mushairah. Author of 10 books in Urdu poetry, Manzar is being eagerly awaited for another memorable performance in the Omani capital.

Having written many books that sell like hot cakes, Iftikhar Arif is a recipient of many top awards including every literary honour worth its mention and

is admired by people of all ages.

Apart from Iftikhar and Manzar, Dr Akhtar Hashmi, Badar Munir Qadri and some of the leading local poets will participate in the Mushairah.

“As per our tradition of inviting leading literary figures to our event, we are glad to announce that once again highly popular and respected poets are coming to take part in Naatia Mushairah. I am sure Urdu poetry lovers will turn out in big numbers to watch their favourite poets in action. Entry is free and all are welcome,” said Jameel Zaidi, the chief organiser.

The event is presentd by Mian Mohammad Munir of Ittefaq Travels and supported by Al Hassan Group, Raha Poly Products , Habib Bank Ltd , Al Ansari Trading Company, Mustafa Sultan Enterprises, Abu Sidra Trading , Al Haikal Restaurant, Meerath Restaurant, Sohar Polyproducts and Industries, Khursheed Trading, Shaheen Al Jabal, Baqa Modern Trading and Abu Reem Trading.

The Mushairah will start at 8pm. Further details can be had from Zaidi at 99383935.

Renowned poets like late Muzaffar Warsi, Saleem Kausar, Manzar Bhopali, Ijaz Rehmani, Nawaz Deobandi, Prof. Riaz Majeed and many others have participated in its previous editions.

COMPETITION

Muscat Codex hosts India Quiz 2015 MUSCAT: The team comprising Anush Iyer, Sumanth Shankar and D. Krishnamurthy won the first prize for the India Quiz 2015 organised by Muscat Codex in partnership with Indian Social Club. The principal sponsor was Chaithanya Khimji, CEO of Al Turki Enterprise.

The quiz was themed around Mobile Networks of India which made the audience go in awe. The runners up team consisted of Mu-

rali Ramaswamy, Ananthakumar and Animesh. Second runners up were from Indian School Al Gubrah Adithya Chandrashekhar, Rupsha Debnath and Srivaths Mahadevan, says a press release.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

B7

ROUND-UP Bank Muscat campaign aims at creating safe driving environment The ‘value life, drive safely’ campaign is a natural progression of the health and safety measures adopted by the bank

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, as part of its commitment to road safety in the Sultanate, has launched a series of initiatives to inculcate responsible

driving behaviour by motorists.

GCC Traffic Week The ‘value life, drive safely’ campaign initiatives coinciding with the GCC Traffic Week include four

video clips which powerfully communicate four aspects responsible for majority of accidents — speeding, fatigue, driving distraction and negligence of wearing seat belt. Beginning this week, one video highlighting the major causes of road accidents will be posted on the bank’s social media channels, building up the campaign aimed at creating a safe driving environment in Oman, says a press release.

The ‘value life, drive safely’ campaign is a natural progression of the health and safety measures adopted by the bank. The bank considers human capital as the

EXHIBITION

most valued asset and any loss or disruptions caused by accidents lead to major setbacks for the affected persons.

As ambassadors for health and safety in the banking community in Oman, the bank remains committed to proactive measures to maintain a safe environment for all on Oman roads.

The campaign focuses on the four major aspects linked to road accidents — speeding, fatigue, driving distraction and negligence of wearing seat belt. The bank will organise programmes in all regions to engage employees and

customers in road safety awareness. Defensive driving training programmes will also be arranged for employees to motivate them to follow safe driving practices. The campaign will highlight the tragic consequences of negligent driving.

HSE initiative Bank Muscat, as part of HSE initiatives, is the first to create a safety management system in the banking sector in Oman. In line with the Royal directive of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to enhance road safety and reduce traffic accidents, Bank Muscat

has launched various initiatives to spread traffic safety awareness among employees and other stakeholders.

The bank vehicles are monitored under the in-vehicle monitoring system (IVMS) aimed at ensuring safety and avoiding accidents, thereby contributing to efficient use of fuel and corresponding reduction in carbon footprint.

Bank Muscat remains committed to road safety in partnership with the government and the ROP, aimed at educating people, especially employees, to make safer choices when using the roads.

IMPROVING TEACHING SKILLS

TTC set to showcase innovative HSBC Bank and British Council products and solutions at ORPEC launch SEN training workshops MUSCAT: Technical Trading Co LLC (TTC), flagship company of Al Sulaimi Group Holding announced participation of their Fire, Safety & Security Division (FSSD) in the ORPEC 2015 Exhibition which will be held at the Oman International Exhibition Centre from March 16 to 18.

“This year objective of FSSD to participate in ORPEC Exhibition is to showcase the strength of widest innovative product range we have in fire, safety & security to serve the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical Industries in Oman.

We have many innovative and advanced solutions from our various business partners in the world to meet the increasing needs of oil and gas and petrochemical sectors, said Yusuf Tambawala – assistant general manager – Fire, Safety & Security Division.

Angus Fire in Oil & Gas Sectors will deliver 2 hours seminar on March 18 from 2pm to 4pm on the sidelines of the exhibition, showcasing and launching their new innovative product range mentioned below.

• Integrity Foams: An explanation to the new range of foams with improved environmental footprint and enhanced firefighting performance.

• Jetfoam: A new generation, high performance, fluorine free foam for aviation.

• Angus Fire Engineering Capability for bespoke systems.

• Layflat hose technology hose handling and large diameter hose.

• CoolFire: A new concept in firefighting, combining high pressure cutting jet and fine spray technology.

• A new Lightweight Portable

Pump designed with help from UK Fire Brigades.

The Fire & Safety business was established in Oman in the year 1970 and since then has been protecting people and property in Oman. It has the widest product range and represents some of the world’s most reputed manufacturers in Oman. The product range includes fire & gas detection and protection systems products, Professional Fire Brigade Products and Safety Products for HSE Markets. Over the years, the division is known for introducing innovative and technologically advanced fire and safety products in Oman.

Now, in the current year 2015, the division has launched Security System Product Range in the Oman market.

The FSSD is a specialist turnkey local contractor providing engineered, intelligent, and integrated solutions in fire protection and security systems. All known fire and security risks and market segments are covered. They

are specialised in doing the larger size projects where detailed design engineering, QA/QC and project management is required, built on a professional knowledge and long years of experience. The greatest assets lie in their ability to engineer and design projects to the highest international standards. FSSD business activities are civil defence (PACDA) approved and registered with all major clients, consultants and contractors (MEP / EPC).

The FSSD employs a professional engineering team of skilled and experienced workforce for installation, testing and commissioning of large turn key projects.

FSSD is offering a wide range of services in fire fighting, fire alarm, gas detection & security systems covering oil & gas, petrochemical, power, industrial, commercial, infrastructural market sectors.

The division has to its credit Oman’s first ISO 9001:2008 Accredited service centre providing maintenance & servicing of fire protection & security systems and safety & rescue equipment. it has modern fully equipped service centre with a team of qualified, experienced and well trained engineers & technicians to provide annual maintenance contracts and periodic service jobs both at service centre and at sites.

The service centre has hydrostatic pressure testing rigs for both breathing apparatus & transportable gas cylinders.

“Under our policy of “we service what we sell” – all products and systems sold are supported by a fully equipped service center with professional service team,” said Yusuf.

MUSCAT: In association with the Ministry of Education, HSBC Bank Oman and the British Council welcomed a specialist from the United Kingdom (UK), Marie Delaney, to deliver a series of Special Education Needs (SEN) training workshops to teachers across a number of the Sultanate’s government schools in Batinah South and North, Dakhiliya and Muscat.

Delaney’s visit aims to strengthen the skills of more than 120 teachers and supervisors, along with 30 local SEN educators, who have already participated in the SEN online training programmes that took place between December 2014 and January 2015, says a press release.

The face-to-face training workshops provided additional SEN guidance in the areas of classroom behaviour as a mode of communication, education and mental health with an emphasis on Dyslexia and Autism Spectrum Disorders, in addition to the motivation of gifted students to drive high-level achievement.

The first of these workshops took place in the training centres of Nizwa, Rustaq, Sohar and finally in Muscat, at Al Mahana School in Wilayat Baushar.

“As part of HSBC Bank Oman’s corporate sustainability objectives, we remain committed to supporting educational initiatives like this that add real value to teachers and benefit a substantial number of intellectually challenged students,” said Andrew Long, chief executive officer of HSBC Bank Oman. “Helping young people reach their potential has always been at the top of the bank’s community centred

WORKSHOP

OABC boosts student employability in CSR initiative MUSCAT: In its latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the Oman American Business Council (OABC) partnered with Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) to enhance students’ occupational prospects through an employability workshop.

Prior to SQU’s annual Career Fair, OABC members conducted presentations and coached students on writing a Curriculum Vitae and on performing successfully in interviews, says a press release.

Representatives of OABC member companies attended the workshop and shared their expertise, with representation from Amideast, American Express, Dentons, Dover Middle East, Grand Hyatt Muscat, Octal, Oman

Arab Bank and RA Logistics.

“Omanisation has put the employability spotlight on young Omanis as the Sultanate’s key demographic, and as new employment opportunities arise for local students, they are seeking ways to showcase their abilities effectively. The OABC is honoured to partner with SQU’s Career Guidance Centre in advising the next gen-

eration of Omani employees on how best to apply for jobs, which simultaneously enhances the effectiveness of the recruitment process for our members,” said Sarah Jackson, Amideast/Oman Country Director and OABC Board Member.

Mutassim Al Zadjali, Head of Corporate Communication in Oman Arab Bank, another mem-

ber of the OABC, added, “CSR is an important pillar of our operations and the human element has always been among the priorities and interests of the bank. The OAB continually seeks to support Oman’s development through many different activities targeting youth and culture.

The OABC’s workshop was conducted on March 4 in an effort to engage students in preparation for SQU’s Career Fair, which took place at the same time.

The event aimed not only to enhance the capabilities of the participating students, but also to aid representatives of the public and private sector to recognise the potential of students with greater ease and to meet their recruiting needs efficiently.

The face-to-face training workshops provided additional SEN guidance in the areas of classroom behaviour as a mode of communication, education and mental health with an emphasis on Dyslexia and Autism Spectrum Disorders, in addition to the motivation of gifted students to drive high-level achievement

initiatives and by investing in educational partnerships such as this with the British Council, we can commit time, money and resources to make a long term positive contribution to the communities we serve.”

Research into mental health as a barrier in education has been undertaken in recent years by the Directorate of Research & Studies at the Ministry of Health, and the Department of Behavioural Medicine at Sultan Qaboos University. The investigations undertaken to date note a severe lack of identification and treatment of mental health disorders, which is now recognised as a key challenge in the educational sector.

Paul Hilder, Country Director of the British Council in Oman, commented: “The British Council is honoured to have been involved in this initiative in collaboration with HSBC Bank Oman and the Ministry of Education. Over 5,000 students across the country are set to benefit from this Special Educational Needs training for teachers, and we look forward to supporting further work in this important area.”

B8

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

ROUND-UP

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Ford Fusion bags ‘Mid-Size Car of the Year’ award from Automan According to one of the judges from Automan, Fusion’s sleek, Europeaninspired design and a wide choice of powertrain options make it an attractive choice in a fiercely competitive segment

MUSCAT: Ford’s expressive and fun-to drive Fusion has managed to make an impressive mark with a win that is set to give it a prominent place in history.

In the recently concluded ‘Car of the Year 2014’ Awards by Automan, the Fusion was judged the best Mid-Size Car of the Year, says a press release.

According to one of judges from

Automan, “The Fusion’s sleek, European-inspired design and a wide choice of powertrain options make the Fusion an attractive choice in a fiercely competitive segment.”

Key contributors to how the Fusion feels are the ride and handling components that maximise vehicle dynamics.

Fusion is even more fun to drive with specially tuned electric power-assisted steering (EPAS), a McPherson strut front suspension and an all-new premium-level multilink rear suspension.

The Ford Fusion comes standard with antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, driver and passenger airbags, front knee airbags and side curtain airbags.

Also standard is Ford’s MyKey, which can be used to set and limit certain parameters such as vehicle speed and audio volume for teenage drivers. Engineers increased its body strength by 10 percent, using more high-strength steels such as boron and added dual first-row knee airbags and adaptive front airbags that vent and tether to conform to a specific occupant’s size, position and seatbelt usage.

The Ford Fusion is available in three trim levels to begin with: S, SE and the exclusive SE SporTech.

The Fusion comes standard with

speaker sound system and reverse perimeter sensing system.

The SE SporTech adds 18” sport alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, moonroof, fog lamps, dual zone electronic climate control and ford’s class exclusive Myford touch (which includes a 8” LCD screen in the centre stack and 2 driver configurable 4.2” LCD’s in the instrument cluster, 2 USB ports, SD card reader and a dedicated A/V Input).

The SE SporTech also features a Charcoal Black “Eco-Cloth” Seating Surface with unique Red Stitching to give it a more sporty appearance.

a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre 4-cylinder i-VCT engine and eight Standard Airbags including driver and passenger knee airbags.

Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The Fusion S comes standard with 16-inch wheels, automatic headlights, keyless entry, cruise control, airconditioning, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, a trip computer,

60/40-split-folding rear seats, the voice-activated (SYNC) audio and cell phone interface and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player, Auxiliary Audio Jack and a USB Port/iPod interface.

The Fusion SE has 17-inch alloy wheels, exterior touch sensitive keypad entry, heated mirrors with integrated turn signal indicator, a 10-way power driver seat (with power lumbar), rear air ducts, 6 -

Interior tranquillity Fusion interior tranquillity reaches a new level with acoustic under body shields and weight-saving sound-absorption material; both minimise road and powertrain noise while boosting aerodynamic efficiency to help save fuel.

The all-new Fusion offers the latest iteration of Ford’s SYNC, the voice activated communications and entertainment system through a driver’s mobile phone and interaction with the car’s audio system. It also offers the MyFord Touch that allows drivers to interact with vehicle systems through voice control, a touch

screen tap or a conventional button. Combine these with standard safety items such as AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control, 4-Channel Disc Brakes with ABS and a host of others and you’ll quickly see why the new Fusion is being touted as a “driver’s car.”

Fusion features the Personal Safety System with new safety belt technologies and front impact airbags. The Personal Safety System is a network of components that work together to tailor the deployment of the front airbags during frontal collisions.

The restraint control module (RCM) translates information collected by the front crash sensors, front outboard safety belt buckle switches, driver-seat track position and passenger seat weight sensor. Using this information, the RCM activates the safety belt pretensioners and determines how the dual-stage front airbags will deploy. This tailored airbag deployment is based upon system inputs received about the size, seat track position and safety belt usage of the front seat occupants.

Customers can now experience the Ford Fusion at their nearest Ford Showroom. In Oman, Ford vehicles are brought to you by Arabian Car Marketing Co. LLC.

SOCIAL COMMITMENT

RBK J&J DIVISION POSTS RECORD SALES Ramniklal B Kothary (RBK) J&J division has posted record sales in January 2015. Celebrations were held in different places of Oman to mark the big achievement with RBK directors and staff and J&J principals from Dubai office. — Supplied picture

Bank of Beirut takes part in Dar Al Atta’a charity event

MUSCAT: Bank of Beirut, Oman, supported Dar Al Atta’a in its third Annual Charity Treasure Hunt held recently. Partnering with Dar Al Atta’a in this event, is a continuation of the bank’s support for the many sports and cultural events that it has been sponsoring over the years, says a press release.

The treasure hunt aimed to raise funds for the Dar Al Atta’a initiative of partial scholarships for less fortunate college and university students. Funds will be allocated to alleviate the housing and transportation expenses of around 20 students.

“Our success is dependent G R A D UAT I O N

ANNUAL EVENT

Local talents join Vale

SOHAR: Vale in Oman has welcomed 73 young Omanis from the local communities of North Al Batinah to join its Pelletising Plant and Distribution Centre in Liwa, after completing a twoyear training and development programme with the company.

Under the patronage of Mohammed bin Ali bin Sanad Al Maamari, Assistant Director General of the Ministry of Manpower in Sohar, a special graduation ceremony was held to mark the fourth batch of trainees’ first steps towards building a solid foundation for a promising career at Vale, says a press release.

Sergio Espeschit, Vale in Oman’s Chief Executive Officer said, “Human capital is what makes an economy thrive, and therefore our business strategy is to establish a highly-trained and professional local workforce in Oman. Through a specialised training programme, we transferred our 70-years’ worth of knowledge in the industry and retained local talent from various educational backgrounds to help

upon helping people succeed.

Students are the future of the nation and in helping out disadvantaged students we are supporting the educational and economic development of the Sultanate.

“The Dar Al Atta’a Charity Treasure Hunt provides the bank with one more opportunity to build meaningful relationships with the community. In addition, our involvement will increase the employability and improve the financial prospects of these students, helping them fulfil their potentials and achieve their goals,” said Ramy Zambarakji, CEO Bank of Beirut, Oman.

us build this legacy.”

Vale invests in capacity building as part of its shared vision with the nation for a future-ready workforce. Strongly advocating talent generation across its business, the company uses its extensive global experience to implement programs that educate and build leaders. On-the-job training is also offered both in Oman and abroad for employees to gain firsthand-experience and learn from their peers at different sites around the world.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower in Sohar and Jusoor, the training programme required participants to complete a year of theoretical and practical courses designed to develop technical, professional and social skills. This included General and Technical English, HSE, Basic Math, Interpersonal Skills and Basic Information Technology, followed by a year of on-the-job training for a firsthand insight into Vale’s various departments from maintenance and operations to the laboratory.

Shell Rimula cricket match ends with a thrilling finale

MUSCAT: Another exciting chapter was added to the Shell Rimula Cricket tournament as the 4th edition of the annual event concluded recently, marked by an exciting finale.

Held in a playground at Knowledge Oasis Muscat, this event that was organised and sponsored by Shell Oman, says a press release.

The Shell Rimula Cricket Cup witnessed the participation of 16 teams from the transport and construction sector in Oman and was watched by hundreds of enthusiastic spectators. Towell Engineering emerged as the winner of the highly celebrated tournament while Enhance came in second place.

All necessary arrangements were made by Shell for the participants and the fans to enjoy every minute of the event. Exciting prizes and trophies were offered to the winning team by Shell Oman.

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM TU ES DAY, MARCH 10, 2015

SECTION

SPOR YOUR GAME

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Sultanate’s shooters open medal account The Omani girls clinched the silver in the 10m air pistol team competition while Dhuha Al Balushi bagged the individual bronze in the the same category

BANGLADESH KNOCK OUT WOEFUL ENGLAND Mohammed Mahmudullah became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a World Cup century as woeful England crashed out of the tournament with a 15-run loss to the Tigers at the Adelaide Oval on Monday. >C5

FOOTBALL

UAE gets the rights to host 2019 Asian Cup MANAMA: United Arab Emirates were, as expected, named hosts of the 2019 Asian Cup on Monday after beating outsiders Iran to stage the expanded 24team tournament.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced the safe bet decision after a meeting of their executive committee in Bahrain on Monday.

Iran’s hopes were always hindered by the unwillingness to allow women to attend matches at home, a decision Fifa President Sepp Blatter labelled “intolerable” on Friday after he claimed he had been given hope in 2013 that it would be overturned.

Iran is also subject to western sanctions over its nuclear programme, which has made it

difficult for the country’s football association to host friendly matches, a vital source of income for the federation, which has hit the men’s team.

The UAE have proved to be a safe pair of hands in organising global soccer events, having staged the 2009 and 2010 Fifa Club World Cups and the Fifa under-17 World Cup in 2013.

The UAE and Iran were the only runners to host the Asian Cup after early interest from China, Bahrain, Lebanon, Malaysia, Oman, Thailand and Saudi Arabia failed to materialise into a concrete bid.

The UAE will use six stadiums in three cities, two in Abu Dhabi, two in Dubai and the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Ain. - Reuters

FIRST MEDALS: Oman shooting team pose on the podium after winning the 10m air pistol bronze.

MUSCAT: Omanis shooting team opened the Sultanate’s account as the medal hunt began in the fourth GCC Women’s Games on Monday.

In the first day of shooting action at Ghala Shooting Range, the Omani girls clinched the silver in the 10m air pistol team competition while Dhuha Al Balushi bagged the individual bronze of the hosts in the the same category.

In the team comeptiton, Bahrain won the gold after garnering 1,109 points thanks to the efforts of Samir Abduljalil (376 points), Moza Abdulrahim (370) and Lubna Abdulaziz (363).

The hosts took the silver with 1,097 points with Dhuha Al Balushi scoring 382 points, Suhair Al Zahmani 363 and Marwa Al Jalboobi 352.

The bronze medal went to Qatar, who won with 1,089 after good showing by Dana Al Mubarak

(366), Hanadi Mubarak (364) and Nasra Mahmood (359).

In the individual competition, the top honours went to Bahraini girl Moda Abdulrahim who shot 192 points for the gold. Qatar’s Hanadi Mubarak took silver with 186.5 points while Oman’s Dhuha Al Balushi scored 170.5 for the bronze.

More sports at Qatar Games Meanwhile, the delegations of all five countries praised the colourful ceremony that marked the opening of the 11-day Games at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Sunday.

Sheikha Naeema Al Sabah, chairperson of GCC Women’s Sports Organising Committee, said she is delighted to be in the Omani capital and be part of the GCC Women’s Games.

Expressing delight at the growth

of the Games, she said: “This is for the first time we are having 10 disciplines. When we launched the GCC Women’s Games back in 2008 in Kuwait, we had only five sports.”

“The next Games in Qatar will be even bigger. We are hoping to have 13 to 15 sports then,” she said.

While thanking the Omani officials and the dedicated team of Oman Women’s Sports Committee under chairperson Sayyida Sana Al Busaidi for making excellent arragements for the Games, Sheikha Naeema said she is hoping to see the GCC girls coming up with excellent performances to lead to the rise in the standard of the women’s sports in the region.

Fatma and co start in style Monday also saw the start of tennis action at the Sultan Qaboos Sports

Complex, when Oman teams launched their bid for medals.

In a doubles match, local star Fatma Al Nabhani and her teammate Sarah Al Balushi brushed aside the challenge of Qatari duo of Aula Mura and Mubaraka Al Nuaimi for a 6-1, 6-0 first round win.

Another Omani pair of Maryam Al Balushi and Samar Al Bakri also tasted success, defeating Sarah Al Bahbahani and Fatma Al Janahi of Kuwait 6-1, 6-2. On the second day of the basketball action, the UAE team beat Bahrain 50-40.

On Sunday, Kuwait had defeated hosts Oman by a43-20 margin. In Tuesday’s matches, Bahrain face Kuwait and Qatar take on the UAE. In the handball matches to be played on Tuesday, Oman will taken on Kuwait and Bahrain will square off against Qatar.

OFA CHIEF ATTENDS AFC MEETING Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, chairman of Bahrain Football Association, and Hisham Al Jawdhar, chairman of Bahrain Public Authority for Youth and Sports, received Oman Football Associaton chairman Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi on his arrival in Manama on Monday. The Omani football chief is in Bahain to take part in the 14th meeting of the Executive Office of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). — Supplied photo

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TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

SPORTS

SLSM defeat MCCC B In their last outing of the season, SLSM defeated MCCC B by nine wickets

MUSCAT: Sri Lankan School Muscat (SLSM) recorded an emphatic nine-wicket win against Muscat Cricket Coaching Centre B (MCCC B) in their last outing in the Junior League Under-13 tournament.

Opting to bat first, MCCC B were bowled out for a measly 99 runs in 18.2 overs. SLSM, in reply, reached their target scoring 102 for the loss of just one wicket in 7.3 overs.

Brief scores: MCCC B 99 in 18.2 overs (Nishanth Sridhar 28; Udantha Palihawadana 4/20, Arfar Ramees 2/10) lost to

GCC STAR: Arjun Rajesh

ISWK STAR: Shah Nouman

SLSM 102 for 1 in 7.2 overs (Yazid Nabil Makoon 57 n.o., Udantha Palihawadana 26 n.o). Points: SLSM - 2 (11 games, 12 pts), MCCC B - Nil (11 games, Nil).

four in 16 overs. Opening batsman Arjun Rajesh top scored with an unbeaten 73.

GCC end season with win Gulf Cricket Centre (GCC) defeated Bosher Olympic Centre (BOC) by six wickets in their last match of the season in the Junior League T20 Under-13 tournament.

Batting first BOC were restricted to 131 for five wickets in 20 overs. In reply, GCC scored 132 for

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Kabir (ISWK) to a massive 209run win against Muscat Cricket Coaching Centre A (MCCC A) in another under-13 match.

Electing to bat first, ISWK posted 266 for one in 20 overs thanks to an opening partnership of 75 in 6.4 overs between Vishnu Gopalakrishnan (63 not out) and Tushar Awasthi (58). Vishnu and Shah Nouman added another 191 runs for the second wicket.

MCCC A were then bundled out for 57 in 13.1 overs. Tushar Awasthi claimed four wickets.

Brief scores: BOC 131 for 5 in 20 overs (Rushil Dadwal 24, Atharva Bhide 21 n.o., Swastik Moolya 21) lost to GCC 132 for 4 in 16 overs (Arjun Rajesh 73 n.o.; Swastik Moolya 2/25). Points: GCC - 2 (11 games, 5 pts), BOC - Nil (11 games, 2 pts).

Brief scores: ISWK 266 for 1 in 20 overs (Shah Nouman 115 n.o., Vishnu Gopalakrishnan 63 n.o., Tushar Awasthi 58) bt MCCC A 57 in 13.1 overs (Muzahir Raza 34; Tushar Awasthi 4/10). Points: ISWK – 2 (11 games, 19 pts), MCCC A – Nil (11 games, 9 pts).

Nouman slams ton Skipper Shah Nouman smashed a brilliant unbeaten 115 off 45 balls to steer Indian School Al Wadi Al

Indian School Muscat A had already emerged champions while Indian School Al Seeb finished runners-up. Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir won the third place.

WINTER CUP

Al Faisal, top, and Coastal teams with their trophies.

Al Faisal lift title at HCC tourney

OMAN CRICKET

Trust Oilfield record big win against MSE MUSCAT: Trust Oilfield Services recorded a 114-run win against Mustafa Sultan Enterprises (MSE) in an Oman Cricket-organised I Division T20 match.

Invited to bat first, Trust Oilfield Services piled up a mammoth 249 for three in 20 overs. In reply, MSE managed to score 135 for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs.

Brief scores: Trust Oilfield Services 249 for 3 in 20 overs (Wajid Akram 73, Mushir Nazir Khatib 53 n.o., Talal Al Balushi 46 n.o., Shahid Mohd 33, Sayed Azam 33; Hillary D’Souza 2/30) bt MSE 135 for 5 in 20 overs (Abdullah Alam 45, Muhammad

Adnan 23, Pratik P. Ramesh 20 n.o.; Shahid Mohammed 2/5, Muhammed Ilyas 2/24).

Points: Trust Oilfield Services - 2 (7 games, 10 pts), MSE - Nil (8 games, 9 pts).

Atkins defeat Orange Mart In an F Division T20 match, Atkins beat Orange Mart by five wickets.

Brief scores: Orange Mart 110 in 17.2 overs (Gopakumar 24; Tasleem Khan 3/9, Raja Gunasekar 2/15, Michael Ignatius Winston 2/18) lost to Atkins 113 for 5 in 16.3 overs (Michael Ignatius Winston 25, Sayyed Waseem Raja 24; Habib 2/13).

Points: Atkins - 2 (8 games, 7 pts), Orange Mart - Nil (8 games, 5 pts).

HUGE VICTORY: Trust Oilfield players celebrate their win.

MUSCAT: Al Faisal recorded a thrilling super over victory over Coastal to lift the HCC Winter Cup cricket tournament title for the third consecutive year.

Ajay Ganti, CEO of Sarco, and Bindhu Ramesh, Country Manager of Kimberly Clark from RBK, were the chief guests at the prize distribution ceremony. The tournament was sponsored by Sarco, Genserv, RBK and Shamel.

Badr Al Samaa, Muscat Pharmacy (Pocari Sweat) and 4Square restaurant were the co sponsors.

Results: Sendan Smasher 51 for 6 in their 8 overs (Robin 15, Sharath 3/16)) lost to Coastal 52 for 3 in 5.5 overs. Man of the match: Sharath of Coastal. Al Faisal 75 for 9 in their 8 overs bt Royal Challengers 70 for 7 (Amir 3/2) in 8 overs.

Man of the match: Amir of Al Faisal.

Semifinals: FCC 31 all out in 6.5 overs (Saad 14; Ashvith 3/3) lost to Coastal 32 for 3 in 5 overs. Man of the match: Ashvith of Coastal.

Al Faisal 67 for 6 in 8 overs (Irfan 21) bt Asad XI 44 for 8 in 8 overs. Man of the match: Irfan of Al Faisal.

Final: Al Faisal 67 for 9 in 8 overs tied with Coastal 67 in 8 overs. Super over: Coastal 9 in 1 over lost to Al Faisal 9 in.4 balls. Man of the match: Zaheer of Al Faisal 4/25.

Individual honours: Best player: Imran Mani of Asad XI (Samsung 40” LED TV). Best batsman: Imran of Al Faisal. Best bowler: Zaheer of Al Faisal. Best wicketkeeper: Anup Sendan Smasher. Emerging player: Eby of Sendan Smashers. Maximum sixes: Satish of Sarco (Casio watch).

CYCLING

UCI hid dope test of Armstrong, says Cookson PARIS: Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong would not have won seven Tour de France titles without receiving favourable treatment from the International Cycling Union (UCI), the current head of the world governing body said on Monday.

A report by the Independent Reform Commission published on Monday said previous UCI management were more concerned about their own image rather than tackling doping as the American rode his way to Tour de France glory from 1999-2005.

“The style of leadership is pretty much criticised in the report and led to major errors,” Brian Cookson said.

“Clearly, a rider like Lance Armstrong, in 1999, had a positive test for cortisone (during the Tour de France) and UCI assisted him in covering that up,” the Briton said.

The UCI is now taking the problem “seriously while other sports are not taking it seriously,” Cookson added. - Reuters

TIMES OF OMAN BASKETBALL TEAM BAG HONOURS Times of Oman Basketball Team won six awards in the recently held Filcosoc-FMB Winter Cup basketball league tournament. Besides finishing as ‘overall second runner-up champion’, the team also won an award for ‘best in uniform’ among the 10 participating Teams.

Romwel Galang and Anton Tan were selected as Members of League’s Mythical Five (5).

Romwel Galang also emerged as Three Points King and Maan Guinto won the Best Muse against the 10 candidates title. Team coach Clarence Carlos thanked the Times of Oman for their continued support. The coach also extended his gratitude to Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals, Kuwait Airways and Khimji Ramdas Group.

MRI BALL EVENT

PSC to host cricket tourney in April MUSCAT: Following a demand from community cricket lovers, the Pakistan Social Club (PSC) have decided to organise an MRI Ball Cricket Tournament in April.

The matches will be played at Al Ghubra Power Plant Ground on April 3, 4, 10 and 17.

With a number of attractive prizes on offer, the tournament

is likely to be a big hit just like the tournaments conducted by the PSC in the past.

The tournament draw will take place at PSC office on March 29.

For further details contact Tahir Mahmood (92893063), Ch. Abbas (99344649), Kaleem Akhtar (95262759) or Jamil Zaidi (99383935).

OPEN TO ALL

ISC to host open table tennis coaching camp MUSCAT: The Indian Social Club (ISC) Muscat will organise an open table tennis coaching camp from March 15 to 31.

According to a press release issued by the ISC on Monday, The camp is open to all and is being held to enable children to utilise their free time during the holidays.

The coaching camp will be conducted by Sharmila Mauskar, former Maharashtra state player and an experienced coach.

Those interested may should register at the Indian Social Club in Darsait by 6 p.m. on March 13.

Further details can be obtained from the Indian Social Club (Tel. 24701347 or 24703263).

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

TODAY’S MATCH POOL B: INDIA V IRELAND (5:00AM OMAN TIME)

Mohammed Mahmudullah became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a World Cup century as the Tigers delivered England the knock-out punch at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.

> Match report on C5

IT GERS RO A R

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TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

A boost for Bangladesh, says captain Mortaza The World Cup has seen Bangladesh

I know fans back home expected us to progress in the tournament, but we know how difficult it is to win in Australia

playing matches in Melbourne and Adelaide for the first time because they had been confined to Cairns and Darwin on previous tours

Mashrafe Mortaza

of the country

Bangladesh skipper ADELAIDE: Jubilant Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza hoped Monday’s stunning 15-run win over England that earned his side a quarter-final berth in the World Cup, will give a fillip to cricket back home.

Mohammad Mahmudullah became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a World Cup century as the Tigers piled up 275 for seven and then bundled England out for 260 in the penultimate over.

The win ensured a top four finish for Bangladesh in Pool A and knocked England out of the race for the quarterfinals.

“This is a very significant win for us,” said Mortaza, who braved pain in his injury-prone legs to lead his side from the front with two wick-

ets as fellow seamer Rubel Hossain claimed four. “I know people back home and our fans expected us to progress in the tournament, but we know how difficult it is to win in Australia because we have not played here much.”

The World Cup has seen Bangladesh playing matches in Melbourne and Adelaide for the first time because they had been confined to Cairns and Darwin on previous tours of the country.

“It was not easy to adjust to these grounds, but the boys worked really hard and I am really grateful and must thank the players and the support staff for the fine job so far.

“This was a great win, a great boost for us. In the past we have

been accused of being inconsistent, but we have played well all through this tournament and hopefully we will keep going.”

This was Bangladesh’s third win over England in their last four one-day internationals, including the two-wicket success in Chittagong during the previous World Cup four years ago. Victory meant Bangladesh assured themselves of a place in the knockout phase even before their last pool match against co-hosts New Zealand on Friday.

It was only the second time in five attempts they have moved beyond the first round, with the Tigers stunning India to move to the round-robin Super Eights at the 2007 edition in the Caribbean.

Bangladesh are likely to face defending champions India in the quarterfinal at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 19.

Mortaza said he was worried when England’s lower order fought back through Jos Buttler.

“It was a bit frustrating when it was getting close, but such things happen in cricket. At the end of the day we won so everything is okay.”

Mortaza hoped his seamers will be taken seriously now, following a four-wicket haul for Rubel and two wickets each for Taskin and himself. “I am sorry to say people talk rubbish about our pacers. They think only our spinners are good.

But hopefully the quicks will now get respect and perform better.” - AFP

FEELING GUTTED

We were not good enough: Morgan ADELAIDE: England captain Eoin Morgan said a failure to perform consistently well led to his side crashing out of the World Cup following a 15-run defeat to Bangladesh at the Adelaide Oval on Monday. Morgan, struggling with his own batting form and dismissed for zero in the key game, said he was extremely disappointed at the team’s early exit.

“Ultimately it’s come down to the way we’ve performed and today was another example of us not performing or putting together a game of cricket,” he said.

“I am extremely disappointed, because within the group there was a lot of belief and expectation to go further than this. I think it’s more a surprise than anything else,” the former Ireland batsman added. “You need guys scoring runs, weight of runs, you need guys threatening with the ball or building pressure. We have not done that consistently.”

Morgan, parachuted in as fulltime England one-day captain shortly before the World Cup

after Test skipper Alastair Cook was axed from the squad, said he still enjoyed leading the team and wanted to continue playing.

“I certainly want to play one-day cricket,” he said. “I am still inspired to play Test cricket. The captaincy is something I’ve enjoyed. Working with Peter (coach Peter Moores) has been brilliant. I’ve learnt a lot from him and a lot about myself working with the team.”

Morgan, usually a fluent lefthanded batsman, admitted his form had been poor throughout the tournament. “My form has not been great since the end of our summer for a number of reasons. Today I hit the ball and if it had been a couple of yards on either side of the fielder it would have been a four or six.”

Morgan rubbished suggestions England lacked one-day players of sufficient quality. “I think the players are good enough,” he said. “Guys have put in individual performances, but they have not been consistently good enough to make it a team performance. — AFP

C O M M E N TA RY

Let Bangladesh celebrate & England drown in agony

I

t was a scene of agony and ecstasy at the Adelaide Oval.

Every cricket aficionado knew well, especially after witnessing England’s horrendous run in this edition, that an early exit was in the offing.

And the ultimate humiliation came at the hands of Bangladesh.

It’s indeed a big achievement for the ‘Asian tigers’ on a world stage and making it to the knock-out stage is more than what they could think of.

Deservedly they celebrated wildly.

Maybe they will come up against their cricketing big brother and neighbour India, but that comes later.

Now it’s time to be euphoric until they play co-hosts New Zealand in their final Pool A game on March 13.

Bangladesh plotted the victory well, especially after Jimmy Anderson provided England a dream start with two early wickets.

Two valuable partnerships thereafter took the Tigers to a respectable total, thanks to ‘Pocket Dynamo’ Mushfiqur, who has been a revelation in this edition and also the man of the day — Mohammed Mahmudullah, who churned out a fantastic hundred, the first by a Bangladesh batsmen in a World Cup. Later they bowled with discipline and once they got the crucial wicket of Jos Buttler the disaster for England was written large on the wall.

Paceman Rubel Hossain gave the finishing touches delivering two beauties that castled the wickets sending tremors in the England camp and triggering celebrations from Dhaka to the rest of the world.

This achievement for Bangladesh should be rated higher than the Irish win over the Caribbeans, one that is sure to enhance their reputation.

In fact, this was Bangladesh’s second knock-out punch on Great Britain, having done it against Scotland first and now England.

The agony for England has compounded further and the heads are sure to role. Another shame will be that Ireland, who come from the same region, are set to prolong their stay Down Under.

Criticisms were plenty when England decided to shunt out Alistair Cook and rope in Eoin Morgan as the captain.

Cry to sack Peter Moores, the coach who returned to the job for the second time less than a year ago will grow and target of anger will be Paul Downton, the

Two valuable partnerships took the Tigers to a respectable total, thanks to ‘Pocket Dynamo’ Mushfiqur, who has been a revelation, and also the man of the day — Mohammed Mahmudullah, who churned out a fantastic hundred, the first by a Bangladesh batsmen in a World Cup managing director of England cricket, who appointed Moores.

It has been disappointing to see England being overwhelmed by all but Scotland in the matches so far.

Well, we can see them once more in action against Afghanistan, but I think many would have started to write a script of yet another upset.

Don’t be surprised if the chorus grows for a recall of Kevin Pietersen.

Leaving Bangladesh to celebrate and England to drown in agony, I need to mention about another stalwart from the subcontinent.

Yes I am referring to Kumar Sangakkara, who deserves to be billed the legend of modern era.

Being from Sri Lanka may have pulled his reputation down in comparison to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis, but I would prefer to put him up there, especially after his masterclass (three consecutive centuries) in this World Cup. Yes it is true he is quitting ODI cricket soon after this edition (he had retired from T20 earlier) and will be hanging his boots from Test cricket after home series against India and Pakistan.

A peek into Sangakkara’s statistics will speak volumes in all forms of cricket and it would be a delight if he continues this momentum and end on a high.

My salute, Mr. Sanga.

— sportseditor@timesofoman.com

PRECAUTION

India may ban autographs on corruption fears NEW DELHI: India’s cricketers have been asked not to give autographs to fans during matches because of fears they will pass on illegal information to bookmakers, a newspaper report said Monday. The BCCI is under pressure to crack down on corruption following a series of betting and fixing scandals that rocked its Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.

“We have asked cricketers not to give autographs” while the cricket body considers introducing an outright ban, BCCI official K.S. Madhavan told the Times of India. The time-honoured tradition could be stopped at all matches organised by the BCCI including the highly popular IPL and the Champions League Twenty20, he said.

As the World Cup moves towards quarterfinal showdowns Madhavan said the BCCI was also trying to ban autograph signing during matches held overseas. — AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

C5

ENGLAND KNOCKED OUT S TA N D I N G S POOL A

This was Bangladesh’s third win over England in their last four One-

Teams *New Zealand *Australia *Bangladesh *Sri Lanka England Afghanistan Scotland

M 5 5 5 5 5 5 4

W 5 3 3 3 1 1 0

L 0 1 1 2 4 4 4

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

N/R 0 1 1 0 0 0 0

Pts 10 7 7 6 2 2 0

Net RR +3.090 +1.597 +0.211 -0.151 -1.001 -1.881 -1.423

4 5 5 4 5 5 4

4 3 3 3 2 1 0

0 2 2 1 3 4 4

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

8 6 6 6 4 2 0

+2.246 +1.462 -0.194 -0.820 -0.511 -0.595 -1.691

POOL B

day Internationals, including the twowicket success in Chittagong during the

*India South Africa Pakistan Ireland West Indies Zimbabwe UAE

previous World Cup four years ago

ADELAIDE: Mohammed Mahmudullah became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a World Cup century as woeful England crashed out of the tournament with a 15-run loss to the Tigers at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.

Mahmudullah scored 103 and brother-in-law Mushfiqur Rahim made 89 as the Tigers recovered from eight for two to post a challenging 275 for seven after being sent in to bat in overcast conditions.

England, needing a win to stay afloat after winning just one of their previous four Pool A matches, were bowled out for 260 as seamer Rubel Hossain claimed four wickets and wicket-keeper Rahim held four catches.

Ian Bell made 63 but England slipped to 163 for six before Jos Buttler (65 off 52 balls) and Chris Woakes (42 not out) briefly revived their hoped with a 75-run stand for the seventh wicket.

But the dismissals of Buttler and Chris Jordan off successive balls in the 46th over turned the match Bangladesh’s way.

“It was pretty poor, to be knocked out of the World Cup is unbelievably disappointing,” said England captain Eoin Morgan, whose side will bow out having failed to beat a Test nation at the tournament with their only win thus far against Scotland.

“I’m gutted, we’ve struggled and fallen away since we arrived here.

We wanted to get to the quarterfinals and from there fight through three games.”

Mortaza pride This was Bangladesh’s third win over England in their last four One-day Internationals, including the two-wicket success in Chittagong during the previous World Cup four years ago.

“I feel very proud,” said Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who led his side superbly in the field. “Mahmudullah scored his first hundred for Bangladesh, and Mushfiqur was also brilliant at

Player of the match Mohammed Mahmudullah became an instant hero as he laid the foundation for Bangladesh’s great win

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the end. I think Rubel Hossain will be very happy now as he picked up four crucial wickets. I’m really happy for all those people back home who have wanted us to make it this far. We had a good combination today, especially with the seven batsmen. They showed their guts today, and the bowlers then did a very good job.”

Victory meant Bangladesh assured themselves of a place in the knockout phase even before their last pool match against co-hosts New Zealand, only the second time in five attempts they have moved beyond the first round, with the Tigers stunning India to move to the Super Eights at the 2007 edition in the Caribbean.

England will return home after their closing ‘dead’ league match against Afghanistan in Sydney on Friday. Mahmudullah and Rahim, who are brothers-in-law, put on 141 off 144 balls for the fifth wicket after Bangladesh were struggling at 99 for four in the 22nd over.

Mahmudullah, who hit seven fours and a six in his maiden Oneday International century, surpassed the previous highest individual Bangladesh score at a World Cup of 95 by team-mate Tamim Iqbal against Scotland in Nelson last week.

Rahim’s 77-ball knock contained eight boundaries and a six.

Soumya Sarkar, a 22-year-old

left-hander playing only his fifth ODI, teamed up with Mahmudullah to retrieve the situation with an 86-run stand for the third wicket. He made 40.

Bell and Moeen Ali gave England a flying start with an opening stand of 43 off 44 balls when a messy run out cost them a wicket.

Bell turned his back at the nonstriker’s end as Ali charged down the wicket for a sharp single and failed to beat Sarkar’s throw to the wicket-keeper from mid-on.

Alex Hales marked his first appearance in the tournament by helping Bell add 52 for the second wicket, before he was caught behind off skipper Mashrafe Mortaza for 27.

Rubel, returning for a second spell, broke England’s back with the wickets of Bell and Morgan (nought) in four deliveries to make it 121 for four in the 27th over.

Bell’s 82-ball vigil, in which he hit seven fours, ended when he edged a catch to Rahim aiming towards cover.

Morgan’s poor form in a tournament in where he managed just 90 runs in four previous games continued as he hooked Rubel to fineleg where Shakib Al Hasan took a well-judged catch.

England lost their third wicket in the space of 22 balls when James Taylor edged seamer Taskin Ahmed to Imrul Kayes in the slips after scoring just one run.

The fourth ball at the start of the batting powerplay in the 36th over produced a wicket for Mortaza, who had a settled Joe Root (29) caught behind by Rahim. - AFP

ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS: Bangladesh batsman Mushfiqur Rahim plays a shot against England during the Pool A match against England at the Adelaide Oval. – AFP

MOHAMMED MAHMADULLAH

103 runs from 138 balls 7 fours, 2 sixes

BANGLADESH Tamim Iqbal c Root b Anderson 2 Imrul Kayes c Jordan b Anderson 2 Soumya Sarkar c Buttler b Jordan 40 Mohd Mahmudullah run out (Woakes) 103 Shakib Al Hasan c Root b Ali 2 Mushfiqur Rahim c Jordan b Broad 89 Sabbir Rahman c Morgan b Jordan 14 Mashrafe Mortaza not out 6 Arafat Sunny not out 3 Extras: (b-1, lb-4, w-8, nb-1) 14 Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 275 Did not bat: Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Kayes), 2-8 (Tamim), 3-94 (Sarkar), 4-99 (Shakib), 5-240 (Mah-

mudullah), 6-261 (Rahim), 7-265 (Sabbir) Bowling: Anderson 10-1-45-2; Broad 10-052-1; Jordan 10-0-59-2 (5w); Woakes 10-0-640 (1nb, 2w); Ali 9-0-44-1 (1w); Root 1-0-6-0.

ENGLAND Moeen Ali run out (Sarkar) 19 I. Bell c Rahim b Rubel 63 A. Hales c Rahim b Mortaza 27 J. Root c Rahim b Mortaza 29 E. Morgan c Shakib b Rubel 0 J. Taylor c Kayes b Taskin 1 J. Buttler c Rahim b Taskin 65 C. Woakes not out 42 C. Jordan run out (Shakib) 0 S. Broad b Rubel 9

J. Anderson b Rubel 0 Extras: (lb-4, nb-1) 5 Total (all out, 48.3 overs) 260 Fall of wickets: 1-43 (Ali), 2-97 (Hales), 3-121 (Bell), 4-121 (Morgan), 5-132 (Taylor), 6-163 (Root), 7-238 (Buttler), 8-238 (Jordan), 9-260 (Broad), 10-260 (Anderson) Bowling: Mortaza 10-0-48-2; Rubel 9.30-53-4; Sunny 8-0-42-0; Shakib 10-0-41-0; Taskin 9-0-59-2 (1nb); Sabbir 2-0-13-0; Result: Bangladesh won by 15 runs Man of the match: Mohammed Mahmudullah Umpires: Billy Bowden and Paul Reiffel TV umpire: Simon Fry (AUS) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

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Bangladesh erupts in joy Impromptu victory processions broke out across the country, with some of the loudest celebrations taking place at Dhaka University where around 5,000 people had been watching on a big screen

DHAKA: Cricket-mad Bangladesh erupted in joyous celebration Monday after the national team dumped England out of the World Cup, with fans hailing the dramatic victory as the country’s greatest sporting triumph.

Impromptu victory processions broke out across the country, with some of the loudest celebrations taking place at Dhaka University where around 5,000 people had been watching the match in Adelaide on a big screen.

The crowds, including hundreds of girls, started dancing and chanting “Bangladesh, Bangladesh” as Rubel Hossain clean-bowled last man James Anderson to guide the Tigers to a 15-run victory their first ever place in the quarter-finals.

The Tigers have been international cricket’s whipping boys for much of the last two decades and few experts expected them to get out of a group that included joint hosts New Zealand and Australia, as well as Sri Lanka.

“I can’t believe that we’ve pulled it off. We’ve finally shaken off the tag of minnows. Two more victories and we’ll be in the final!” said Rashid Ahmed, a 22-year-old student.

CELEBRATION IN DHAKA: A Bangladesh cricket fan holding the national flag celebrates the national team’s win against England in the ICC World Cup 2015 in Dhaka. – AFP

Fellow student Tamir Islam, who is a keen cricketer, said: “I am sure no petrol bombs or molotov cocktails will go off today. We’re united in cherishing the biggest triumph in our sports history.”

Social media was flooded with people celebrating and photos of a Bengal tiger chasing James Bond starring Daniel Craig.

‘Every rickshaw-wallah is cheering’ “There’s screaming and whooping from every yellow hat on a con-

struction site,” Australian SarahJane Saltmarsh, who lives in Dhaka, wrote on her Facebook page.

“Every rickshaw-wallah (cycle rickshaw drivers) is cheering, the guards outside my building almost hug me as I come in...Bangladesh is through to the World Cup Quarter Finals for the first time!” .

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a cricket buff herself, sent a message of congratulations to the team just moments after the victory in Australia while the sports minister announced bo-

nuses for each player.

The country’s opposition leader Khaleda Zia, who has been confined to her office in Dhaka for the last two months as part of a longrunning chapter of political unrest, also congratulated the team.

Former national team captain Akram Khan, who skippered Bangladesh in the Tigers’ first World Cup appearance in 1999, rated the victory over England as one of the team’s finest moments.

“Let’s be clear, we were stronger than England in every department.

It’s one of the most historic occasions in our cricket history,” Khan, who led Bangladesh to a controversial win over Pakistan in 1999, told AFP. Local television channels broadcast footage of young men honking the horns of their bikes and cars in Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong. There were similar scenes in the cities of Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal and Mymensingh, the hometown of man-of-thematch Mohammed Mahmudullah.

Female university students came out of their dormitories and sprin-

kled colours at each other well into the night. “No one can stop the Tigers now. It’ll be our World Cup,” said a female fan, according to local Somoy television.

Some of the loudest cheers were reserved for Rubel Hossain, who grabbed the last two wickets, but whose World Cup chances looked remote after he was accused of rape by a 19-year-old film actress. Rubel was allowed to travel to Australia, while the actress reportedly said she would withdraw the case if the cricketer agreed to marry her. - AFP

HOPE

Not the final fling for Scots HOBART: Given that Scotland still have a mountain to climb to win their first ever cricket World Cup game, it is a pity that tales of bowler Iain Wardlaw scaling Mount Everest turned out to be nothing more than a joke that got out of hand. Cricket’s global showpiece has confirmed the Scots are a way from being able to compete with the top test playing nations but they have shown glimpses of quality and been involved in some of the tournament’s most enjoyable games.

After briefly threatening cohosts New Zealand in their opener, Scotland were beaten handily

by England and Bangladesh but were on the verge of a milestone win against Afghanistan, losing a nailbiter in the final over.

Their six-wicket loss to Bangladesh on Thursday also featured the first World Cup century by a Scotland batsman, Kyle Coetzer smashing 156 at Saxton Oval in Nelson. A bowling unit that impressed in a comfortable win over Ireland ahead of the World Cup has been picked apart at times during the tournament but both Josh Davey and Wardlaw have enjoyed some success and collected some high-profile victims.

Right-arm seamer Wardlaw took three wickets against New Zealand, including those of inform openers Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum. However, while he has been far from em-

For me what is even more important is what happens in between every World Cup Preston Mommsen Scotland captain

barrassed on the field, Wardlaw has somewhat sheepishly had to set the record straight about his claim to fame — that he climbed Everest. “A couple of years ago, when I first started with Scotland, we had a bit of a joke. Somehow it got misconstrued, put on the website and it spiralled out of control,” he told the BBC. “It got totally out of hand. I had people from Nepal tweeting to say ‘good luck, I’m sure it won’t be as tough as climbing the mountain’.”

No joke While Wardlaw’s Everest claim was made in jest, Scotland have been no joke at the World Cup.

With the ICC set to cut the number of teams at the next tournament to 10 from the current 14, qualification will become that much harder.

Scotland played 24 matches between the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, with just four of those against test nations, and a continued lack of exposure to top level cricket could leave them caught up in a vicious circle.

One of four non-test playing nations at the World Cup alongside Ireland, Afghanistan and United Arab Emirates, “associates” Scotland needed more bigmatch experience between the elite four-yearly tournament, said skipper Preston Mommsen.

“For me what is even more important is what happens in between every World Cup and the fixtures that are made available to associate nations and the ... amount of cricket they’re playing at a high quality level,” he said.

Coetzer, Aberdeen born and bred despite the South African-sounding name, was disappointed at the defeat to Bangladesh but hoped his performance with the bat had helped Scotland stake a claim for inclusion at future tournaments.

“It’s nice to show the world what we’re capable of,” he said.

If the ICC go ahead with its plans, however, it may be some time before we see the likes of Scotland at the World Cup again. - Reuters

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OPINION

Mohit Sharma wary of ‘slog overs’ pressure

WARMING UP: India players during training ahead of their 2015 Cricket World Cup Group B match against Ireland, in Hamilton. – AFP

Ireland target shock India win to qualify FA C T B O X

Non-Test playing Ireland have already hunted down two Full Members — the West Indies and Zimbabwe — in Pool B so far on their way to six points from four matches but know they will expect no mercy

INDIA Captain: Mahendra Singh Dhoni Coach: Duncan Fletcher Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, Akshar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma Results so far at 2015 World Cup: Beat Pakistan by 76 runs Beat South Africa by 130 runs Beat United Arab Emirates by nine wickets Beat West Indies by four wickets Remaining Pool B matches: Zimbabwe (March 14) Best performers so far: Dhawan (233 runs); Ashwin (nine wickets) IRELAND Captain: William Porterfield

against India who have won all four matches so far to comfortably reach the last-eight

HAMILTON: Ireland face defending champions India on Tuesday where a shock victory would put them into the World Cup quarterfinals and leave either Pakistan or West Indies facing elimination.

Non-Test playing Ireland have already hunted down two Full Members — the West Indies and Zimbabwe — in Pool B so far on their way to six points from four matches but know they will expect no mercy against India who have won all four matches so far to comfortably reach the last-eight.

“I don’t think their guard will ever be down and they’re not go-

ing to look to lose any momentum from their point of view. Whatever they decide to do is out of our control,” said Ireland captain William Porterfield.

Ireland are no strangers to upsetting big teams.

They famously ousted Pakistan from the 2007 World Cup held in the West Indies on their way to the Super Eights where they beat Bangladesh and then defeated England in the 2011 tournament.

Ireland started their campaign with a shock four-wicket win over former champions the West Indies and then outlasted United Arab Emirates by two wickets.

They came down with a nasty bump against rampaging South Africa in their third match, losing by 201 runs, before they upset Zimbabwe in a five-run thriller in Hobart on Saturday.

“We’ve just got to keep all the momentum and keep improving the little things and keep taking things forward,” said Porterfield, whose team play Pakistan in their

Coach: Phil Simmons Squad: William Porterfield, Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O’Brien, Andrew Balbirnie, Gary Wilson, Kevin O’Brien, John Mooney, George Dockrell, Max Sorensen, Andrew McBrine, Peter Chase, Alex Cusack, Stuart Thompson, Craig Young Results so far at 2015 World Cup: Beat West Indies by four wickets Beat UAE by two wickets Lost to South Africa by 201 runs Beat Zimbabwe by five runs Remaining Pool B match: Pakistan (March 15) Best performers: Joyce (233 runs); Alex Cusack, Kevin O’Brien (six wickets) Head-to-head: June 23, 2007 - India won by nine wickets in Belfast March 6, 2011 - India won by five wickets in Bangalore

The short boundaries in New Zealand will be a bit of a concern, but overall, again, it will be good exposure for the bowlers, the reason being we are nicely positioned in the table right now, but we would still like to give our best and I think the contribution of all our bowlers is superb

last group match in Adelaide on March 15.

“We’ve been able to win three from four so we’re doing something right along the way,” said the Irish captain whose team has lost both their One-day Internationals against India — the last in the 2011 India captain World Cup. Porterfield hopes his bowlers lift their performance against a the new ball, and it gives Mohit batting power-house like India (Sharma) a bit more time in the after conceding 304 runs against middle order with a bit more feel, the West Indies and 411 against and he has been very consistent.”

Dhoni admitted the shorter South Africa.

In contrast, India captain Ma- boundaries in New Zealand, where hendra Singh Dhoni is pleased they play their first match after with his bowling which was con- four in Australia, is a concern.

“Yes, the short boundaries will sidered a weakness before the be a bit of a concern, but overall, tournament.

“I feel the contribution of all the again, it will be good exposure for bowlers is superb,” said Dhoni of the bowlers, the reason being we his attack who bowled the West are nicely positioned in the table Indies out for just 182 in their last right now, but we would still like to give our best,” said Dhoni. game and South Africa for 177.

It’s understood that India will “Umesh (Yadav) is bowling well, he is bowling quick. (Mo- try their bench strength before hammad) Shami has taken the ex- the quarterfinals by resting one of tra responsibility of bowling with their frontline fast bowlers. - AFP

M.S. Dhoni

HAMILTON: India seamer Mohit Sharma warned on Monday that the defending World Cup champions’ razor-sharp attack will only be judged fully once they are exposed to a desperate, late innings assault.

India have already qualified for the quarterfinals after seeing off Pakistan, South Africa, the UAE and West Indies and a win over Ireland at Seddon Park on Tuesday will guarantee top spot in Pool B. The pace trio of Mohammad Shami (nine wickets), Umesh Yadav (six) and Sharma (six) have been instrumental in their team’s success, but Sharma is still braced for potential run gluts in the closing overs of matches. “We have performed well as a unit,” said the 26-year-old right-arm fast bowler.

“But there is no limit to doing well, I feel that we have not faced the pressure of the slog overs and there is a lot to do.”

Sharma said the shorter boundaries in New Zealand will not be a concern despite India having played all four games so far in Australia, at the major Test venues of Adelaide, Melbourne and twice in Perth. “It makes a little bit of difference in the mindset of the bowlers,” said Sharma.

“You have to adjust your line and length but it’s the same for both teams. We don’t want to disturb our momentum by thinking that, so we will concentrate on our strengths.”

Sharma is being utilised by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a first change bowler once Shami and Yadav have had the early overs.

“Shami and Umesh are bowling well with the new ball and putting on a lot of pressure. My job is to maintain that pressure.

CONFIDENT: Mohit Sharma

“I keep that pressure on so that spinners (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja can take them on,” said the bowler, who was a late call-up to the squad to replace experienced paceman Ishant Sharma. Mohit, who has played just 16 ODIs, was generous in his praise of Ishant.

“When I came in, Ishant helped me a lot. He told me what length to bowl with the new ball and then with the old ball. All of us share experiences with each other.”

Sharma admitted India will have to play well to beat Ireland, who have six points from four matches and are also well-placed to make the quarterfinals, with the non-Test nation concluding their pool campaign against Pakistan in Adelaide on Sunday. “They played good games earlier,” said Sharma.

South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies are also in the hunt.

Pakistan and South Africa have six points each from five games while the West Indies have four in five. “Ireland have a chance to qualify. They have a good team,” said Sharma. “We will have to play well to beat them, and we’ll try to do it.” - AFP

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TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

Dhawan’s free-style batting is the key to his success, says Ganguly The elegant lefthander of yesteryears feels that Ravindra Jadeja’s role as second specialist spinner in this World Cup will be needed as he expects India to reach the summit round

HAMILTON: Former India captain Saurav Ganguly feels that key to opener Shikhar Dhawan’s success in the cricket World Cup is about playing freely which was not happening during the Australia series.

“I believe it is about playing freely in the World Cup that can be attributed to Shikhar’s success as it was not happening earlier during the Australia series,” Ganguly said during an interaction, here on Sunday.

“Look, the moment you are not playing Australia everytime, you don’t have those thoughts at the back of your mind that ‘Oh I will have to face (Mitchell) Johnson again, oh I will have to face (Mitchell Starc) again’,” he added.

The 42-year-old said he was always confident of India doing well at the World Cup. “The World Cup was always going to be a different ball game. You don’t need to play Australia in Australia everyday during the World Cup. India was always going to do well in the World Cup,” Ganguly, who is known for his straightfor-

WORKING OUT: India’s Shikhar Dhawan warms up during training ahead of their 2015 Cricket World Cup Group B match against Ireland. – AFP

ward assessment, said.

Ganguly, like most people believe, that the bowlers have done a great job in the tournament.

“Indian bowlers have done a splendid job. They have surpassed everyone’s expectations. Mohammed Shami has been consistent and Umesh Yadav has been brilliant. It’s good to see a bowler hitting 145 kmph consistently. Mohit Sharma turned out to be the surprise package in the line-up. The way he has improved with each match is phenomenal,” said the man, who led India to World Cup final in 2003 in South Africa.

Ganguly feels that India is a very good ODI side and that has been proved yet again in the global tournament.

“India are a better ODI bowling unit than what they are in Test cricket. It’s a shorter format where you don’t have to bowl those long spells,” said Ganguly.

The elegant left-hander of yesteryears feels that Ravindra Jadeja’s role as second specialist spinner in this World Cup will be needed as he expects India to reach the summit round.

While the ball swings in Hamilton, Ganguly is of the opinion that there is no need to change the playing XI for the next two matches.

“I don’t think there would be any change in the playing XI. Since India are likely to play their quarterfinal at Melbourne and the semifinals and finals will be held in Sydney and Melbourne respec-

tively,” he said. “On those tracks, one would need a second spinner and that’s the reason Jadeja can’t be dropped.

“And since Jadeja would be needed there, they might as well play him in these two matches.

In any case, we would be winning these two matches comfortably,” Ganguly explained.

One of India’s most successful captain, however, refused to draw a comparison between Dhoni’s team and his ‘Class of 2003’.

“You can’t compare teams from two different times. This is a very good team as much as the team of 2003 was a good one. Both teams have good players,” said Ganguly.

Among the other teams, Ganguly termed South Africa’s loss

DIFFERENT GAME: India’s vice-captain Virat Kohli plays football to warm up ahead of the training session in Hamilton. – AFP

against Pakistan as a ‘good thing” for the Proteas.

“Over the years, South Africa has been a team that has generally been brilliant at the group stages and then losing that crucial quar-

ter-final or semi-final. I think they won’t mind losing a few here as long as they win in the knock-out stages. But they do need to sort out their fifth bowler problem,” concluded Ganguly. - PTI

E L AT E D

De Villiers wicket pumps up Sohail AUCKLAND: Pakistan paceman Sohail Khan said Monday that taking the wicket of South African master blaster AB de Villiers would inspire him to greater heights at the World Cup. Sohail, who turned 31 on Friday, celebrated his birthday in style a day later when he dismissed the South Africa skipper who was threatening to take the Pool B match away from Pakistan in Auckland. Sohail produced a back of a length delivery which de Villiers edged to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed to end a blistering innings of 77.

It was a dismissal that all but sealed Pakistan’s third win in five pool matches, leaving South Africa nine wickets down, before Pakistan-born No 11 Imran Tahir was last man out as Misbah-ulHaq’s side won by 29 runs.

“He (de Villiers) was taking the match away, so when I came to bowl with around 30-odd runs left to defend I bowled one full length delivery and then a back of a length and my word, I was thrilled to see he edged it to the keeper,” Sohail told AFP. “It was a big wicket, the biggest of my career so far because his is a big name, the world’s top batsman,” the seamer added. “That helped us win the game and we were all delighted with that wicket.”

Sohail said he believed de Villiers’ wicket would act as as a springboard for further success.

INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENT: Pakistan’s Sohail Khan, left, celebrates dismissing South Africa’s AB de Villiers with Rahat Ali, right, during their match in Auckland. – Reuters

“Now I have more confidence and I want a five-for in the next game,” said Sohail of Pakistan’s group-stage finale against Ireland in Adelaide on March 15.

That game will decide Pakistan’s fate in Pool B with Ireland, the West Indies and South Africa also in the hunt for a quarter-final spot behind already qualified de-

fending champions India.

Sohail, who took five for 55 in the team’s tournament-opening loss to India, said Pakistan’s bowlers had performed with plenty of passion against South Africa.

“We bowled as per the plan given to us by the coach (Waqar Younis) and the skipper (Misbah) and bowled with a lot of heart and

energy,” said Sohail who finished with one for 36 in his five overs.

He added that if the Pakistan attack maintained that form they would go far at this World Cup. “We have that will and the passion, so if we keep bowling like that, support each other, then we can go a long way in the tournament.” - AFP

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

LIFE & STYLE

The rock lady is more than happy to talk about her wild past and family life — just don’t ask what her age is WITH HER earthy laugh and warm Essex accent, former model and rock chick turned television personality Jo Wood is the kind of woman you can ask just about anything. Well, almost anything.

There’s one subject she definitely doesn’t want to talk about and surprisingly it isn’t her exhusband, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie. The couple divorced in 2009 after 35 years together, a split prompted by Ronnie’s liaison with a teenage cocktail waitress.

Since then she has written about their rock ’n’ roll life together in her autobiography Hey Jo, and he has remarried.

Now, six years on, she seems to be well and truly over all the heartache. So if it’s not the errant rock star ex that’s off limits, then what is it? Jo is celebrating a milestone birthday on Sunday. “No,” she squeals, when I mention the big sixo. “I can’t stand to hear that word.

It’s horrible.” It’s fair to say that Jo is not exactly embracing the idea of entering her 60s. “I just can’t believe it,” she says. “I just don’t feel like I should be that age.”

And she certainly doesn’t look it either. Slim and bright eyed, Jo looks great and it is no surprise that as a teenager, she took the modelling world by storm.

But her youthful looks are not simply the result of good genes.

“I’ve really looked after myself,” she insists. “It’s what everyone should do.” But it hasn’t always been that way, as her younger years were an endless stream of parties.

Jo’s rather nomadic life with Ronnie took her to Los Angeles and New York and for a while she embraced her husband’s lifestyle.

But she stopped pretty quickly

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

when she almost died from a ruptured appendix in 1991, experienced a healthy living epiphany and then turned completely organic.

These days she doesn’t eat dairy and barely any wheat, refuses to touch anything processed and hates fast food.

“I haven’t had a takeaway burger for more than 20 years now and I feel great,” she says laughing.

But joking aside, Jo is passionate about healthy eating.

“You really are what you eat,” she says. “This is a message I have drummed into my kids and I’m proud to say they have all taken it on board.” Jo’s children, Jamie, 41, from her first marriage, Leah, 36 and Tyrone, 30, who she had with Ronnie, and stepson Jesse, 38, who is expecting his second child with his TV presenter wife Fearne Cotton, will all be joining her for a huge Mother’s Day and birthday bash at a hotel in Bath. “My mum and my sister and brothers and all the grandchildren will be there too,” says Jo. “It’s going to be fantastic.

“Family is so important to me. It is everything really.”

She had Jamie, now the owner of an art gallery and a father of three, when she was just 18.

While she admits that she didn’t have much idea what she was doing at that age, her love for Jamie carried her through. Her stepson Jesse was only one when she met him and she loved him from the start. “He is a gentle soul and he has turned into a wonderful man.

He really does feel like a part of me, just like the others.” But it is former model and musician Leah, her only daughter, who is, she says, most like her. “We both have a rather cheeky outlook on life and we love to have fun and to look on the bright side,” she says.

“She lives around the corner from my house in London and we are very close.” Jo has eight grandchildren, ranging in age from 15 to almost two, and along with Fearne and Jesse’s new addition, Jamie and his wife Jodie are also expecting another child.

“I absolutely adore them all,” says Jo, who admits that yesterday she spent most of the day curled up in her wardrobe playing hide and seek with her two young

grandsons Leo and Kobe. It was great fun,” she giggles. “I love all the playing and the cuddles.”

But she insists she is strict too.

“I tell them off for playing football in the house and I simply won’t tolerate bad manners,” she says. Jo tries to see as much of her grandchildren as she can and loves being involved in their lives.

“I wouldn’t see my grandmother from one year to the next,” she recalls. “But I want to be close to my grandchildren.” If her autobiography is anything to go by, Jo and Ronnie were real hell-raisers when their children were young.

So, does she have any regrets?

“I used to worry sometimes that they could smell the alcohol on my breath in the mornings but they all had an amazing childhood,” she says.

“I don’t think it did them any harm.” Jo’s younger son Tyrone hasn’t had children yet but she says the other three are wonderful parents. “What impresses me most is the way men and women share the responsibility these days,” she adds. “I think that’s great. It wouldn’t have crossed my mind to leave a baby with Ronnie.”

She mentions his name without a hint of malice and as she approaches her milestone birthday it is very clear that she has put the pain of the past behind her. “I am someone who likes to look forward,” she stresses. And she is full of plans for the future. Jo plans to relaunch her organic beauty range and to write an organic cookery book. She also hopes to bring some romance back into her life.

“I am actually seeing a lovely, lovely man at the moment,” she says coyly. “He is not in the entertainment industry and he treats me very well but it is early days so I can’t say too much.” And with that, she is off to meet her personal trainer before picking up her granddaughter from school. Turning 60 has never looked like so much fun.

-Lucy Benyon/Daily Express

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FIND-IT-ALL Y O U R B I R T H D AY

BORN today, you are a strong individual in character, will, intellectual capacity and, very likely, physical prowess as well. When you enter a room, people notice — not just because you are a physical specimen to be appreciated, but because the force of your personality is felt even before you interact directly with others or speak a single word. It is important for you to learn how to control the kind of influence you have over people and their environment; without such control, your personal power can run amok and actually do you more harm than good in the long run. With judiciously exerted control, however, your natural life force can be used as a tremendous tool — an agent for good that can make the whole world a better place.

You don’t always feel the need to be front and centre. Indeed, you sometimes do your best work — and influence those around you best — when you play a supporting role and let others take the lead. You are never at risk of being overlooked, however, so get that thought right out of your mind!

Also born on this date are: Chuck Norris, actor and martial artist; Carrie Underwood, singer; Robin Thicke, singer; Harriet Tubman, civil rights activist; Olivia Wilde, actress; Sharon Stone, actress; Prince Edward of Great Britain; Jasmine Guy, actress; Paget Brewster, actress; Jon Hamm, actor; Shannon Tweed, model and actress.

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Max 30 Min 16 Max 8 Min 6

Max 23 Min 11

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Max 32 Min 18

Max 33 Min 16

Max 29 Min 17

Max 29 Min 17

[Feb. 19-March 20] Max 28 Min 21

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—www.met.gov.om

GULF Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh

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WORLD Athens Baghdad Beijing Berlin Boston Cairo Colombo Frankfurt Hong Kong Istanbul Johannesburg Kuala Lumpur Lisbon Paris Perth Singapore Tokyo Toronto

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8 8 -5 2 0 14 24 3 13 5 15 23 9 7 18 24 2 0

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

[March 21-APRIL 19]

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20] One of those old habits that you you’re reading a bit too much into things at this time, forging opinions that are based on bias, not on the evidence at hand.

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Time Time 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 15:00 Sur 18:00 15:00 Jaalan 19:30 TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 06:30 Sohar 06:30 Buraimi 08:00 Buraimi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Buraimi 16.00 Sohar 16.00 Buraimi TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

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Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

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Daily Daily

GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20] Give a friend some encouraging words, and you’ll find that such simple gestures are worth more than you ever might have expected.

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22] You’re waiting for someone to give you his or her honest opinion, but you may find yourself waiting for much longer than expected.

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22] Certain things are likely to be much more complex than you are used to, but a friend comes to the rescue just in time.

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

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

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

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

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

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

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

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

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

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

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

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

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

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

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

Daily

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

Daily

16:50

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

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22] Someone you know and trust will be asking you to up your game. You can do it, provided you follow his or her lead, of course.

LIBRA L [[SEPT. [S S 23-OCT. 22] You may fall behind quite by accident — or is it? The truth is, you have been procrastinating in a way that is easily disguised.

SCORPIO S [[OCT. 23-NOV. 21] Someone may be waiting for you to make that difficult decision, but you mustn’t let anyone or anything cause you to be hasty.

SAGITTARIUS S [[NOV. 22-DEC. 21] You’ll see only what you want to see — at least until someone who loves you reveals the reality of the situation.

CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19] You may be hiding from something that you know will reveal you in a way that you have been trying to avoid.

AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18] You may be unusually scattered. As a result, you’ll find it difficult to tend to all those items on your to-do list.

Sunset Sunrise (Tomorrow) High tide Low tide

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

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily 07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

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

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily 16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily 16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

LISTINGS

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715 Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766 Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691 Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740 Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 24537080 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah.

Tel: 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 ROYAL OMAN POLICE Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603 Directorate General of Customs: 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries: 24510228 Public Relations Admin: 24560099 ACCOMMODATION Al Bahjah Hotel: 24424400 Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171 Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400 Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949 Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385 Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311 Al Qurum Resort: 24605945 Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979 Beach Hotel: 24696601 Bowshar Hotel: 24491105 Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121 Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660 Crystal Suites: 24826100 Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300 Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234 Haffa House Hotel: 24707207 Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123 InterContinental Muscat: 24680000 Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900 Marina Hotel: 24711711 Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565 Mina Hotel: 24711828 Muttrah Hotel: 24798401

Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199 Oman Dive Centre: 24824240 Park Inn: 24507888 Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070 Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777 Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399 Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443 Ruwi Hotel: 24704244 Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200 Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772 Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666 The Chedi Muscat: 24524400 The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570 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:

TUESDAY

Min

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

You’re used to working in tandem with a certain favourite partner, but you may have to go your separate ways for a time.

12.22pm 3.46pm 6.18pm 7.28pm 5.06am

11:37am 5:32pm

6.13pm 6.21am 11:34pm 6:07am

THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Partly cloudy skies over Musandam governorate, the coastal areas of Oman Sea and Al Hajar mountains and adjoining areas with chances of isolated rain occasionally thundershowers associated with fresh down draft winds. Moderate to rough sea along Musandam and Oman Sea coasts with maximum wave height range between 2.5 to 3.5 metres. Chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches along the Governorates of South Al Sharqiyah, Al-Wusta and Dhofar.

Max

OMAN

ARIES

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

AIRLINES

usty weather over most of the Sultanate with chances of late night to early morning low level clouds and fog patches over governorates of Musandam and north al-Batinah may give isolated light rain.

EXPECTED WINDS: Over most of the Sultanate winds will be easterly to southeasterly light to moderate.

SEA STATE: Slight to moderate along most coasts of the Sultanate with maximum wave height of 1.5 metres. Moderate over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog.

PISCES You’re developing a curious habit that may require some serious study — starting, perhaps, when the unexpected happens.

PRAYER TIMINGS

24784545, Swiss International Airlines: 24796692, Thai Airways: 24705934, Turkish Airlines: 24703033 MUSEUMS Bait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fish market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm Natural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm; Thursday: 9am to 1pm Museum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, Sat-Wed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946 Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707 Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Oman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pm Bait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscat museum@baitalzubairmuseum.com Open from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm.

National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Sohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Muscat Gate Museum: at Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

WY636 WY406 WY682 WY676 WY648 WY816 WY910 WY916 NL768 PK281 PK225 TK774 QR1132 ET624 EK866 EY384 GF560 FZ041 WY658 4H562 WY638 WY902 WY678 WY686 WY412 WY114 WY144 WY154 WY692 WY674 WY668 WY132 WY602 WY202 WY432 WY102 FZ043 WY272 G9114 WY236 WY242 WY346 WY252 EK862 QR1128 EY382 WY3302 QR8550 WY604 WY918 G9841 GF562 WY424 WY372 FZ037 IX337 WY904 WY818 PK191 WY606 BG023 WY324 IX817 WY920 WY906 WY3304 KU677 WY632 FZ045 G9119 WY328 WY204 WY292 WY246 WY610 WY264 WY232 WY216 QR1126 WY664 EK864 GF564 WY3306 SV534 WY822 G9116 WY646 TG507 FZ047 WY338 WY614 WY224 WY124 WY386 4H561 AI973 WY624 6.00E+81 WY374 WY312 WY914 FZ049 WY254 AI907 QR1134 WY928 UL205 GF566 BA073 EY388 WY672 WY908 AI985 WY662 LX242 9W540 LH618 WY612 WY654 WY696 WY717

WEDNESDAY ETA

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

ABU DHABI 0005 CAIRO 0005 RIYADH 0005 JEDDAH 0005 KUWAIT 0010 BANGKOK 0015 SALALAH 0030 SALALAH 0125 LAHORE 0130 ISLAM ABBAD-SIALKOT 0200 KARACHI 0215 ISTANBUL 0215 DOHA 0345 ADDIS ABABA 0350 DUBAI 0355 ABU DHABI 0405 BAHRAIN 0405 DUBAI 0415 BAHRAIN 0640 JEDDAH 0645 ABU DHABI 0650 SALALAH 0655 MEDINA 0700 RIYADH 0700 AMMAN 0705 FRANKFURT 0715 MALPENSA 0720 ZURICH 0720 DAMMAM 0725 JEDDAH 0730 DOHA 0735 PARIS 0800 DUBAI 0805 BOMBAY 0815 TEHRAN 0815 LONDON HEATHROW 0820 DUBAI 0850 JAIPUR 0855 SHARJAH 0915 HYDERABAD 0920 DELHI 0920 ISLAM ABBAD 0930 MADRAS 0940 DUBAI 0940 DOHA 1010 ABU DHABI 1015 MUKHAIZNA 1045 DOHA 1050 DUBAI 1110 KHASAB 1115 RAS AL KHAIMA 1120 BAHRAIN 1130 BEIRUT 1130 COLOMBO 1140 DUBAI 1200 CALICUT 1210 SALALAH 1215 BANGKOK 1305 GWADUR 1320 DUBAI 1330 CHITTAGONG 1345 KARACHI 1355 MANGALORE-ABU DHABI 1440 KHASAB 1445 SALALAH 1445 MUKHAIZNA 1445 KUWAIT 1525 ABU DHABI 1530 DUBAI 1555 SHARJAH 1555 LAHORE 1600 BOMBAY 1710 CALICUT 1720 DELHI 1730 DUBAI 1730 LUCKNOW 1735 HYDERABAD 1740 TRIVANDRUM 1740 DOHA 1745 DOHA 1745 DUBAI 1750 BAHRAIN 1810 MUKHAIZNA 1845 RIYADH 1900 KUALA LUMPUR 1910 SHARJAH 1915 KUWAIT 1925 BANGKOK-KARACHI 1935 DUBAI 1945 KATHMANDU 2010 DUBAI 2030 COCHIN 2045 MUNICH 2105 MALE 2110 DACCA 2115 DELHI 2125 DUBAI 2125 BOMBAY 2130 COLOMBO 2140 CHITTAGONG 2140 SALALAH 2140 DUBAI 2145 MADRAS 2155 MADRAS 2200 DOHA 2210 SALALAH 2220 COLOMBO 2225 BAHRAIN 2240 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2240 ABU DHABI 2250 MEDINA 2250 SALALAH 2305 AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY 2310 DOHA 2315 ZURICH-DUBAI 2320 BOMBAY 2325 FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI 2330 DUBAI 2335 BAHRAIN 2340 DAMMAM 2350 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2355

WY636 WY406 WY682 WY676 WY648 WY816 WY910 WY916 PK229 TK776 QR1132 EK866 GF560 EY384 FZ041 WY114 WY658 4H562 WY638 WY902 WY686 WY144 WY674 WY668 WY644 WY132 WY602 WY202 WY432 WY102 NL768 FZ043 G9114 WY342 WY242 WY236 WY226 EK862 WY252 WY282 IX443 QR1128 EY382 IX549 9W530 WY3922 WY604 WY918 G9841 GF562 WY372 FZ037 WY384 IX337 WY904 PA450 WY3302 WY818 WY606 WY324 WY906 WY920 WY632 FZ045 WY348 WY3304 WY656 WY216 WY204 WY292 WY246 WY610 WY264 WY274 WY232 QR1126 WY664 EK864 GF564 WY822 G9116 WY254 WY646 FZ047 WY338 WY614 WY848 WY124 AI977 WY386 KL441 AI973 WY624 6.00E+81 9W534 WY312 FZ049 AI907 WY914 QR1134 GF566 BA073 EY388 WY414 WY908 AI985 WY662 LX242 9W540 LH618 WY612 WY654 WY928 WY696

ABU DHABI 0005 CAIRO 0005 RIYADH 0005 JEDDAH 0005 KUWAIT 0010 BANGKOK 0015 SALALAH 0030 SALALAH 0125 LAHORE 0215 ISTANBUL-BAHRAIN 0255 DOHA 0345 DUBAI 0355 BAHRAIN 0405 ABU DHABI 0405 DUBAI 0415 FRANKFURT 0610 BAHRAIN 0640 JEDDAH 0645 ABU DHABI 0650 SALALAH 0655 RIYADH 0700 MALPENSA 0720 JEDDAH 0730 DOHA 0735 KUWAIT 0735 PARIS 0800 DUBAI 0805 BOMBAY 0815 TEHRAN 0815 LONDON HEATHROW 0820 LAHORE 0830 DUBAI 0850 SHARJAH 0915 LAHORE 0920 DELHI 0920 HYDERABAD 0920 COCHIN 0930 DUBAI 0940 MADRAS 0940 BANGALORE 1000 COCHIN 1010 DOHA 1010 ABU DHABI 1015 TRIVANDRUM 1020 TRIVANDRUM 1035 DUQUM OMAN 1035 DUBAI 1110 KHASAB 1115 RAS AL KHAIMA 1120 BAHRAIN 1130 COLOMBO 1140 DUBAI 1200 MALE 1205 CALICUT 1210 SALALAH 1215 LAHORE 1215 MUKHAIZNA 1230 BANGKOK 1305 DUBAI 1330 KARACHI 1355 SALALAH 1445 KHASAB 1445 ABU DHABI 1530 DUBAI 1555 ISLAM ABBAD 1625 MUKHAIZNA 1630 BAHRAIN 1630 TRIVANDRUM 1705 BOMBAY 1710 CALICUT 1720 DELHI 1730 DUBAI 1730 LUCKNOW 1735 JAIPUR 1740 HYDERABAD 1740 DOHA 1745 DOHA 1745 DUBAI 1750 BAHRAIN 1810 KUALA LUMPUR 1910 SHARJAH 1915 MADRAS 1920 KUWAIT 1925 DUBAI 1945 KATHMANDU 2010 DUBAI 2030 JAKARTA 2055 MUNICH 2105 BANGALORE-HYDERABAD 2105 MALE 2110 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 2120 DELHI 2125 DUBAI 2125 BOMBAY 2130 COCHIN 2140 CHITTAGONG 2140 DUBAI 2145 MADRAS 2200 SALALAH 2205 DOHA 2210 BAHRAIN 2240 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2240 ABU DHABI 2250 AMMAN 2255 SALALAH 2305 AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY 2310 DOHA 2315 ZURICH-DUBAI 2320 BOMBAY 2325 FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI 2330 DUBAI 2335 BAHRAIN 2340 SALALAH 2345 DAMMAM 2350

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

AI986 LX243 9W539 BA072 SG062 LH619 WY685 WY251 WY423 WY201 WY235 WY601 WY345 WY241 WY431 WY271 WY657 WY821 WY637 WY123 WY371 WY667 NL769 WY691 WY901 PK282 TK775 PK226 ET625 EK867 FZ042 QR1133 EY385 WY3301 4H562 GF561 WY903 WY603 WY917 WY323 WY263 WY215 WY291 WY327 FZ044 WY385 WY245 WY231 G9115 WY815 WY203 WY905 WY605 WY373 WY337 WY717 EK863 WY311 EY383 WY3303 QR1129 WY919 G9842 GF563 QR8551 WY927 WY631 WY223 IX350 WY253 FZ038 WY663 WY101 WY113 WY645 PK192 WY143 WY131 WY609 WY405 BG024 WY3305 IX818 WY671 KU678 WY675 G9110 WY613 FZ046 WY913 WY623 QR1127 WY681 WY907 GF565 WY661 WY647 EK865 WY695 WY653 SV535 G9117 WY909 WY611 WY635 TG508 FZ048 WY915 4H561 FZ050 WY817 6.00E+82 AI908 AI974 QR1135 GF567 UL206 WY673 EY381

BOMBAY 0005 DUBAI-ZURICH 0020 BOMBAY 0025 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 0025 AHMEDABAD 0030 ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT 0050 RIYADH 0105 MADRAS 0110 BEIRUT 0115 BOMBAY 0120 HYDERABAD 0135 DUBAI 0150 ISLAM ABBAD 0150 DELHI 0155 TEHRAN 0155 JAIPUR 0200 BAHRAIN 0205 KUALA LUMPUR 0205 ABU DHABI 0205 MUNICH 0210 COLOMBO 0210 DOHA 0225 LAHORE 0230 DAMMAM 0235 SALALAH 0240 SIALKOT 0300 ISTANBUL 0315 KARACHI 0315 ADDIS ABABA 0450 DUBAI 0455 DUBAI 0510 DOHA 0520 ABU DHABI 0525 MUKHAIZNA 0715 DACCA 0745 BAHRAIN 0745 SALALAH 0800 DUBAI 0800 KHASAB 0815 KARACHI 0920 LUCKNOW 0920 TRIVANDRUM 0920 CALICUT 0920 LAHORE 0930 DUBAI 0935 MALE 0940 DELHI 0955 HYDERABAD 0955 SHARJAH 1005 BANGKOK 1010 BOMBAY 1030 SALALAH 1030 DUBAI 1030 COLOMBO 1040 KATHMANDU 1040 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 1045 DUBAI 1055 CHITTAGONG 1100 ABU DHABI 1105 MUKHAIZNA 1115 DOHA 1115 KHASAB 1145 RAS AL KHAIMA 1210 BAHRAIN 1215 DUBAI WORLD CENTRE-DOHA 1220 SALALAH 1220 ABU DHABI 1220 COCHIN 1235 CALICUT 1310 MADRAS 1315 DUBAI 1315 DOHA 1330 LONDON HEATHROW 1400 FRANKFURT 1400 KUWAIT 1405 GWADUR-TURBAT 1405 MALPENSA 1415 PARIS 1420 DUBAI 1420 CAIRO 1430 CHITTAGONG 1500 MUKHAIZNA 1515 MANGALORE 1530 MEDINA 1535 ABU DHABI-KUWAIT 1625 JEDDAH 1630 SHARJAH 1645 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI 1700 SALALAH 1735 DUBAI 1820 DOHA 1845 RIYADH 1845 SALALAH 1850 BAHRAIN 1855 DOHA 1900 KUWAIT 1900 DUBAI 1905 DAMMAM 1910 BAHRAIN 1920 RIYADH 2000 SHARJAH 2005 SALALAH 2015 DUBAI 2025 ABU DHABI 2040 KARACHI-BANGKOK 2040 DUBAI 2040 SALALAH 2110 JEDDAH 2215 DUBAI 2225 BANGKOK 2235 BOMBAY 2245 MADRAS 2300 DELHI 2310 DOHA 2320 BAHRAIN 2325 COLOMBO 2335 JEDDAH 2350 ABU DHABI 2350

AI986 LX243 BA072 9W539 LH619 WY685 WY251 WY201 WY225 WY235 WY601 WY341 WY281 WY431 WY241 WY643 WY821 WY657 WY637 WY123 WY371 WY667 WY383 WY901 WY847 PK230 TK777 EK867 FZ042 QR1133 EY385 WY3921 GF561 4H562 WY903 WY603 WY3301 WY917 WY215 WY263 WY323 WY291 WY347 NL769 FZ044 WY385 WY245 WY231 WY843 G9115 WY815 WY273 WY905 WY605 WY203 WY253 WY337 EK863 WY311 EY383 IX554 QR1129 IX442 9W533 WY919 WY655 G9842 GF563 WY631 WY3303 IX350 PA451 FZ038 WY663 WY113 WY101 WY153 WY645 WY927 WY143 WY609 WY405 WY413 WY675 FZ046 WY613 WY913 WY623 QR1127 WY681 WY907 GF565 WY647 WY661 EK865 WY695 WY653 G9117 WY909 WY611 FZ048 WY635 WY915 AI978 FZ050 KL442 WY817 WY411 9W529 6.00E+82 AI908 AI974 WY677 QR1135 GF567 WY673 EY381

BOMBAY 0005 DUBAI-ZURICH 0020 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 0025 BOMBAY 0025 ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT 0050 RIYADH 0105 MADRAS 0110 BOMBAY 0120 COCHIN 0125 HYDERABAD 0135 DUBAI 0150 LAHORE 0150 BANGALORE 0150 TEHRAN 0155 DELHI 0155 KUWAIT 0200 KUALA LUMPUR 0205 BAHRAIN 0205 ABU DHABI 0205 MUNICH 0210 COLOMBO 0210 DOHA 0225 MALE 0235 SALALAH 0240 JAKARTA 0245 LAHORE 0315 BAHRAIN-ISTANBUL 0350 DUBAI 0455 DUBAI 0510 DOHA 0520 ABU DHABI 0525 DUQUM OMAN 0740 BAHRAIN 0745 DACCA 0745 SALALAH 0800 DUBAI 0800 MUKHAIZNA 0800 KHASAB 0815 TRIVANDRUM 0845 LUCKNOW 0920 KARACHI 0920 CALICUT 0920 ISLAM ABBAD 0920 LAHORE 0930 DUBAI 0935 MALE 0940 DELHI 0955 HYDERABAD 0955 MANILA 1000 SHARJAH 1005 BANGKOK 1010 JAIPUR 1030 SALALAH 1030 DUBAI 1030 BOMBAY 1030 MADRAS 1040 KATHMANDU 1040 DUBAI 1055 CHITTAGONG 1100 ABU DHABI 1105 TRIVANDRUM 1110 DOHA 1115 COCHIN 1115 COCHIN 1135 KHASAB 1145 BAHRAIN 1210 RAS AL KHAIMA 1210 BAHRAIN 1215 ABU DHABI 1220 MUKHAIZNA 1300 CALICUT 1310 LAHORE 1315 DUBAI 1315 DOHA 1330 FRANKFURT 1400 LONDON HEATHROW 1400 ZURICH 1405 KUWAIT 1405 SALALAH 1415 MALPENSA 1415 DUBAI 1420 CAIRO 1430 AMMAN 1455 JEDDAH 1630 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI 1700 SALALAH 1800 DUBAI 1820 DOHA 1845 RIYADH 1845 SALALAH 1850 BAHRAIN 1855 KUWAIT 1900 DOHA 1900 DUBAI 1905 DAMMAM 1910 BAHRAIN 1920 SHARJAH 2005 SALALAH 2015 DUBAI 2025 DUBAI 2040 ABU DHABI 2040 SALALAH 2110 HYDERABAD-BANGALORE 2200 DUBAI 2225 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 2230 BANGKOK 2235 AMMAN 2240 TRIVANDRUM 2240 BOMBAY 2245 MADRAS 2300 DELHI 2310 MEDINA 2310 DOHA 2320 BAHRAIN 2325 JEDDAH 2350 ABU DHABI 2350

ETD

ETA

ETD

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

C11

ENTERTAINMENT CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA Outcast (2D) (Act/ Adventure) (15+) Cast: Nicolas Cage, Hayden Christensen, Andy On 9:30, 11:30 PM American Heist (2D) (Act/Adv) (15+) Cast: Adrien Brody, HaydenChristensen 9:45, 11:45 PM Chappie (2D) (Action / Sci Fi) (12+) Cast: Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman 3:00, 5:15 PM The Protector 2 (2D) (Action) (15+) Cast: Tony Jaa, RZA, 7:30 PM Project Almanac (2D) (Sci Fi)(PG12) Cast: Amy Landecker, Sofia BlackD’Elia, 3:45, 5:45 PM Still Alice (2D) (Drama) (PG) Cast: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, 5:30 PM Asterix (2D) (Animation) (PG) Cast: Roger Carel, Lorànt Deutsch 2:00 PM Kidnapping Mr. Heineken (2D) (Action/ Crime) (12+) Cast: Sam Worthington, Anthony Hopkins, 9:45, 11:45 PM Life After Beth (2D) (Com/Dr) (15+) Cast: Aubrey Plaza; 7:45 PM Focus (2D) (Comedy | Crime) (18+) Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie 3:15, 7:30 PM

Focus (2D) (Comedy/Crime) (18+) 6:00 PM, Gold Class: 9:00 PM The Protector (2D) (Action) (15+) Cast: Tony Jaa, RZA; 12:15 & 4:00 PM Gold Class: 3:00 PM The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water (2D)(Animation) (PG)

SCREEN 3

12:00 & 4:00 PM American Heist (2D)(Action) (12+) Cast: Hayden Christensen, Adrien Brody; 2:15, 10:00 & 11:45 PM Gold Class: 1:00, 7:00 & 11:15 PM Kidnapping Mr. Heniken (2D) (Thriller) (12+) Cast: Anthony Hopkins; 8:15 PM Asterix (2D)(Animation) (PG) 10:15 AM & 2:00 PM Chappie (2D) (Action/Sci Fi) (12+) Cast: Sharlto Copely, Dev Patel, Watkin Tudor Jones; 5:45 PM Project Almanac (2D) (Act) (12+) Cast: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black D’Elia 8:00 PM Life After Beth (2D) (Hor/Com) (15+) Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Dane Dehaan 10:00 PM Outcast (2D) (Act/Adevnture) (15+) Cast: Nicolas Cage, Hayden; 11:45 PM Still Alice (2D) (Drama) (PG) Cast: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin Gold Class: 5:00 PM

Still Alice – 2D (PG) (Drama) Cast: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart; 5:00 PM

Enakkul Oruvan (Tamil) (Thriller ) – PG12

Dirty Politics – 2D (15+) (Drama) Cast: Jackie Shroff, Om Puri 8:45 PM

Cast: Siddharth, Deepa Sannidhi, Srushti Dange, Aadukalam Naren 3:45, 6:45, 9.45 pm

Chappie – 2D (12+) (Act | Sci-Fi) Cast: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel 3:15, 7:45, 11:45 PM American Heist– 2D (15+) (Action) Cast: Adrien Brody, Hayden Christensen, Jordana Brewster 2:45, 5:30, 8:00, 10:00, 11:45 PM Outcast (I)– 3D (15+) (Act | Adv) Cast: Hayden Christensen, Nicolas Cage; 4:30, 6:15, 9:45 PM Kidnapping Mr.Heineken – 2D (12+) (Action | Crime |Drama) Cast: Sam Worthington, Anthony Hopkins, Jim Sturgess 3:45, 9:45 PM

SCREEN 1

Life After Beth – 2D (15+) (Com |Hor) Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan 5:30, 11:30 PM

Dirty Politics – Hindi (Drama) (15+) Cast: Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Om Puri, Nassaruddin Shah, Mallika Sherawat 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 pm SCREEN 2

Enakkul Oruvan – 2D (T) (PG12) (Thriller) Cast: Siddharth, Deepa Sannidhi 7:15 PM

Badlapur – (Action | Drama) (15+) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Huma Qureshi, Yami Gauthami 3:45, 6:45, 9.45 pm

Project Almanac – 2D (PG12) (Science Fiction) Cast: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black D’Elia 3:00, 6:45, 11:15 PM

American Heist – 2D (15+) (Act/Adv) Cast: Adrien Brody 4:45, 6:30, 10:00, 11:45 PM Life After Beth – 2D (15+) (Com/ Hor) Cast: Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon 4:45, 8:15, 10:00 PM Clash of Empires: Bloodlines - 2D (12+) (Action/Adventure) Cast: StephenRahman Hughes, Gavin Stenhouse, Jing Lusi, Rahim Razali, Ummi Nazeera 2:50, 6:15, 11:45PM Kidnapping Mr. Heineken – 2D (12+) (Drama/Act) Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jim Sturgess, Sam Worthington, Ryan Kwanten 3:00, 5:15, 8:15 PM Chappie – 2D (12+) (Action/Adventure) 3:00, 7:00, 9:15, 11:30 PM

Clash of Empires: Bloodlines (Action | Adventure) (12+) Cast: Stephen Rahman Hughes, Gavin Stenhouse, Jing Lusi 4:30, 11:45 PM

Life After Beth (Comedy)(15+) Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly 6:30, 8:15 PM American Heist (Action) (15+) Cast: Adrian Brody, Hayden Christensen, Jordana Brewster 4:30, 8:00. 9:45 PM Kidnapping Mr. Heineken-3 (Action | Crime | Drama) (12+) Cast: William Brookefield, Anthony Hopkins, Jim Sturgess 6:15, 10:00, 11:30 PM

Focus (2D) (18+) (Com | Crime) Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie 12:45, 2:00 PM American Heist (2D) (15+) (Action) Cast: Adrien Brody, Hayden Christensen; 12:30, 4:15, 9:30, 11:15PM Outcast (2D)(15+) (Act/Adventure) 11:00AM, 9:45, 11:45 PM Chappie (2D)(12+) (Act| Sci-Fi) Cast: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman; 10:30AM, 2:15, 11:45 PM Kidnapping Mr. Heineken (2D)(12+) (Action| Crime | Drama) 2:30, 6:00, 7:45 PM Project Almanac (2D)(PG12)(Thr) Abkarian; 10:45AM, 4:15 PM Life After Beth(2D)(15+) (Com |Hor) 12:30, 4:45, 6:00 PM Enakkul Oruvan (2D)(PG12) (Thr) Cast: Siddharth; 6:30 PM Dirty Politics (2D)(15+) (Drama) Cast: Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah 9:00 PM Youm Maloush Lazmah (2D)(12+) (Com) Cast: Noah Taylor, Jacki Weaver 7:30 PM

American Heist (Action) Cast: Andrien Brody, Hyden Christense, Jordana Brewster 2.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 598 (PG 12) Project Almanac (Thriller)(PG12) Cast: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black 2.00, 8.00 & 10.00 pm, CP No: 600 Life After Beth (Horror/Comedy) Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Dany DeHan, John C.Reilly 6.00 & 11.55 pm, CP No: 601 (15+) Still Alice (Drama) Cast: Julianna Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart 6.00 pm, CP No: 599 (PG) Asterix (Animation) Cast: Rogger Carel, Lorant Deutsch 4.00 pm, CP No: 602 (PG) Focus (Comedy/Thriller) Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie 4.00pm, CP No:559 (18+)

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

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776

Fireman (Mal) (Act/ Thriller) Cast: Mammootty, Nyla Usha 3:30 & 9:30pm at Cinema Main 6:30pm at Cinema -2 Kakki Sattai (Tamil) (Com/Rom) Cast: Shiva Karthikeyan, Sri Diya 3:30 & 9:30pm at Cinema-2, 6:30pm at Cinema Main Ennakul Oruvan (Tamil) (Com/Rom) Cast: Sidarth and Deepa Sannidi 3.45, 6.45 & 9.45pm at Cinema 3 Temper -Telugu (Act) Cast: Jr Ntr, Kajal Agarwal 3:45 & 6:45pm at Cinema 4 Badlapur (Hindi) (Act) Cast: Varun Dhawan and Yami Gauthami 9:45pm at Cinema-4

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

ACES ON BRIDGE

SUDOKU

An entry destroyer for the optimist

8 5 6

1 4 7 1 8 6 3 7 9 4 3

3 5 6 3 7 2 5 8 4

HOW TO PLAY Fill the empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column and area.

— Seven Galaxies

5 8 9

4

5 6 2 7 2 4 3 5

2 9 3 4 1 8 5 7 6 8 7 6 2 9 5 3 4 1 5 4 1 3 7 6 9 2 8

3 8 5 6 4 2 1 9 7 9 1 2 5 8 7 4 6 3 4 6 7 9 3 1 8 5 2

MARMADUKE

CROSSWORD

B I G NAT E

49 50 52 54 57 60 61 62 63

Remnant Tattered cloth Broadcast portion Reflects deeply Indiana or Casey “Norma —” After expenses Hotel offering Make a wrong move 64 Vega rocket org.

65 A word to kitty DOWN 1 Pond maker 2 Nest-egg letters 3 Kind of ball 4 Clicked “send” 5 Outback dweller 6 Thoughtful murmur 7 Weigh anchor 8 Jamaican music 9 Wide st.

10 Egg source 12 Nay opposite 17 24-hour period 19 CA neighbour 21 Moon stage 22 Relieved

24 26 27 29 31 35 37 40 42 44

Pet shop sound Window sill Scraping by Big flop Galahad’s title Teachers’ org.

Boring Breadwinner Kind of daisy Satirical, maybe

46 48 51 53 54 55 56 58 59

Infuriated Gold, in the lab DNA component LP spinners Opposite of postRowboat need In medias — LAX info Arm the alarm

Answer to previous puzzle

ACROSS 1 Explore sunken ships 5 Happy sighs 8 Bleacher shout 11 Savoury smell 13 Ms. Thurman of film 14 Festive night 15 Singapore native 16 Iota 18 Debt securers 20 Hang back 21 Flake off, as paint 23 By way of 25 Ivy League member 28 Made bales 30 Uh cousins 32 Startled cry 33 Pay — you go 34 Hassle a debtor 36 Emotional outburst 38 Roman 501 39 Have a look 41 — Moines, Iowa 43 Wear the crown 45 Red-waxed cheese 47 Gotcha!

M. MOHAMMED FUZAIL March 10, 2007

7 2 8 1 5 4 6 3 9 1 3 4 7 6 9 2 8 5 6 5 9 8 2 3 7 1 4

Previous puzzle Solution

DANIEL J. Bernstein, a highly regarded mathematician and computer programmer, said, “The most important function of a bibliographic entry is to help the reader obtain a copy of the cited work.”

The most important function of a bridge entry is to help the declarer or a defender obtain at least one extra trick.

That has been our topic this week. To end, we have a tough deal for declarer and a possible chance for a defender to be a genius. Can you see the key plays? South is in three no-trump, and West leads the heart queen.

South starts with seven top tricks: one spade, two hearts, two diamonds and two clubs. He might be able to get one more trick from spades if they break 3-3. Aiming instead to get four diamond tricks is more sensible. But how should declarer handle the diamonds?

It looks natural to cash the king, then to play a diamond to dummy’s jack. That works fine when the suit splits 3-2, but less well here. Now South gets only three diamond tricks and goes down.

The best play for declarer is to lead a low diamond from his hand at trick two and also to play low from the dummy. When he wins the next trick, he cashes his diamond king, sees the split and knows to finesse dummy’s jack.

Are you thinking that South could cash his diamond king first, then duck a diamond? That will work, but he might fall to a brilliant ruse by West. On the second diamond, West should play his queen, looking like someone who started with queen-doubleton.

Declarer might carelessly win that trick and fall to defeat.

— By Phillip Alder

WITH LOVE

BORN LOSER

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

KIDSPOT

H E A LT H C A P S U L E

C1 2

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015

EXTRA BRIEFS

Rihanna rumoured to be in talks for DiCaprio next SINGER RIHANNA is said to be in talks for a role in her rumoured beau Leonardo DiCaprio’s next movie.

DiCaprio, 40, will play schizophrenic criminal Billy Milligan in the dark film The Crowded Room and singer Rihanna, 27, is being lined up to play one of his victims, reports mirror.co.uk. A source said: “Leo has been working intensely on this project and chatting about it with Rihanna and they both think it would make sense for her to be in the movie. They want to spend as much time together as possible and this would be a huge bonding experience as she’s already been helping with his research into the character.” The couple are rumoured to be dating and they have been spotted together looking cosy several times in the past few weeks. And it doesn’t just stop at acting - she’s also playing around with the idea of writing for the movie’s soundtrack.

Miley Cyrus plays Kim’s stylist in cryptic image

NO SOB STORY: THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT CRYING M

ore than for any other reason, I cry — even sob — at tales or images of rescuers: sometimes I have only to see a fire truck, and don’t get me going on working firemen. I worry about crying too easily and so was reassured to see the steel-encased tissue box at the Newseum’s 9/11 exhibit. There I was not alone.

Besides emotional tears, there are basal tears that clean and lubricate the eyes, and reflex tears caused by irritants like the compounds in onions or pollen. Tears start at the lacrimal glands, located on the upper eyes; and most tears flow over the surface of the eyes and drain out through the tear ducts, which lead into the nasal cavity — the reason copious tears can cause a runny nose.

Emotional tears may have evolved to protect us from predators, because they make it harder to tell where we are gazing, according to evolutionary biologist Oren Hasson. Or they could show others we are vulnerable and would prefer to make peace, signalling our willingness to trust and join a supportive community.

Whether or not animals cry to express emotions is debated. Elephants appear to cry when family members die, and chimpanzees have also shed tears — though some insist that animal tears are released only to cleanse the eyes.

Crying has been shown to have real benefits: it relieves stress — which over time can damage the heart and brain — and tears can remove chemicals that build up during stress; it can lower blood pressure, and it reduces manganese, a mineral found in the highest concentrations in tears, according to William Frey, a Minnesota neuroscientist who spent some 15 years studying crying and tears. Because manganese affects mood, there is some thought that shedding manganese helps you feel better. Frey also found that more tears are shed between 7 and 10pm; and the average length of crying bouts is six minutes.

Crying habits in the population as a whole are on a spectrum, probably related to temperament: those who feel more comfortable crying are usually more extroverted and empathetic. Women feel less sad and angry after crying than men. And on average, women cry 47 times a year while men cry only 7 times, according to Frey’s research.

Women who say they feel more comfortable crying are those who report anxiety, according to psychologist Jonathan Rottenberg and colleagues at the University of South Florida in Tampa, who analysed over 3,000 reports of sobbing.

Criers are helped more if they are comforted by others, but re-

The sorrow which has no vent in tears may make other organs weep Henry Maudsley British psychiatrist sponding to crying can be difficult.

Many people feel uncomfortable around criers, because they exhibit vulnerability, and that shifts “the level of intimacy of the environment,” California psychologist Stephen Sideroff told WebMD. “Just being in that more intimate environment makes the other person uncomfortable in some cases.”

Doing nothing can make the crier feel worse: even in a large group, criers welcome support from those they don’t know well. But Sideroff cautioned: “the less intimate the relationship, the more it is appropriate to begin by asking how you can help,” Studying crying, the Tampa researchers found that lab-induced crying is different: those who cried

at a sad movie clip reported feeling worse afterwards than those who did not. Others who feel worse after crying are those who score higher on measures of depression, as well as those who try to suppress their crying or feel shame as they cry.

As Dr Maudsley famously noted, there are perils of not crying: suppressing tears can make us deaden ourselves, “to suppress or not even notice we have those feelings inside,” said Sideroff.

“When you cry it’s a signal you need to address something,” according to Tampa neuropsychologist Jodi DeLuca. Crying can prevent new hurts from getting buried or release old ones — as in “getting it out of your system.”

Some people cry in response to beauty, to good news, to seeing loved ones — maybe because crying calms us, it may help regulate “overwhelming positive emotions,” Yale psychologist Oriana Aragon told Scientific American.

Feeling “too positive” can interfere with decision making and cause people to act impulsively.

For those who don’t cry easily, there are endless Youtube entries under “crying.” Or there’s Adweek’s entreaty to “Watch the Thai Commercial that has Half the World Sobbing uncontrollably.” I didn’t go there.

-Mary Carpenter/The Washington Post

SINGER Miley Cyrus has poked fun at reality TV star Kim Kardashian’s new platinum blonde look. The 22-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday to show off her creative bag of tricks by posting a photoshopped image which shows her standing behind Kardashian and colouring her hair, reports dailymail. co.uk. Cyrus’s face, which was superimposed onto the body of the hairdresser, looks dismayed as she applies the blonde colour onto Kardashian’s hair. She captioned the image: “Omg @anderssonjj @kimkardashian.” Cyrus then superimposed a crying Kardashian sitting on the hair chair, clearly horrified by the new shade. This isn’t the first time Cyrus has spoofed Kardashian.

Margherita Missoni unveils children’s wear FASHION HEIRESS Margherita Missoni has launched a new children’s wear collection titled Margherita, separately from her family’s Missoni brand. The 32-year-old has teamed up with retailer Yoox.com and Los Angeles-based Neige to create the line which went on sale from March 7, reports femalefirst.co.uk. The collection has no ties to her family’s high fashion Missoni brand, where she designs accessories. It will feature garments for both girls and boys from newborns to age seven, reports vogue. co.uk. “I have a very close and long-standing relationship with Yoox.com and in the past years we have worked together on very special projects,” said Margherita. “After these great collaborations, I have chosen yoox.com as my global partner,” she added.

Ailing boxer Ali is active on the social media BOXING LEGEND Muhammad Ali, rumoured to be battling ill health, is reportedly active on social media. In a Twitter post, the Parkinson’s patient has posted a photograph — his second on social media in three months.

Also, in his latest tweet, Ali praised youngest daughter Laila Ali, who has become a TV boxing pundit, reports mirror.co.uk. He tweeted: “So proud of @TheRealLailaAli, my baby girl.

1st female boxing analyst with NBC Premier Boxing Champions. #AliTweet”. It comes after the father-of-nine was admitted to hospital in December 2014, due to pneumonia. He was released from hospital in time to celebrate his 73rd birthday with his family. Ali’s last public appearance was in September 2014 at the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards. — IANS

D

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

SECTION

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

RENT

D2

VACANCY

D4

CARGO

D7

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Contact : 24 702 666 / 24 700 247. Fax: 24 703 666.

Email: manju@alhabib.om

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

D2

T U E S D AY, M A R C H 1 0, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

OFFICES FOR RENT Premium offices to let a very good location on the main road very close to Zakher Mall, Al Khawiar. Business Center has offices with sizes of 50m2, 110m2, 180m2, 207m2, 230m2, 437m2.

Showroom also available at Business Center, Area 500m2 with central A/c.

Offices with Central Air-conditions, Security System with CCTV cameras, and Security presence in the building.

Contact: 97377355 / 97307476, Email id: aaleem@ggcoman.com

Villa for rent with 4 bedroom at Al Khodh, Rent 750/-RO. Contact 92888115

Shop for rent in Ruwi at prime location. Contact 98825805 / 98825806 1 bedroom attached toilet in Al Khuwair bachelors/ family R.O 140/-. Contact 95154331 Flat for rent, 2BHK in Sidab Muscat. Contact 92440012

Full furniture for rent for family.

Contact 99251975 2bed room /18 flats Madeenath Al Nahda Phase 6. Contact 99061408 / 99024039 Single room RO 100/- including A/C, water, electricity Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99376454

Industrial /commercial shops at Wadi Kabir 4 x 5.6 x 4.6 MTR height.

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Contact 99792181

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Contact 99474197 / 95403957

Flats & shops for rent at MBD, Wadi Kabir, AL Khoud & villa at Azaiba.

Contact 93994401/02/03

Villa in Mawallah rent, 2 bedroom, 2 bath room, 1 sitting room & kitchen with parking. Contact 99595866

Villa 2 bed rooms, hall, sitting room in AL Hail south R.O. 320/Monthly. Contact 93993354

Upper portion of beautiful villa for rent in prime location of Mawalah Ahmed clinic three bedrooms, attach bathroom, kitchen, Majlis, living room. Contact 95526871

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Full staff accommodation for rent in Azaiba, 15 rooms with attached bath and kitchen with parking and yard.

Contact 95526871 4 BHK villas for rent at Al Ghoubra North 18th November Street near new mars hyper market.

Contact 97681599

2 shop in prime location with material one north Ghobrah & on Honda road. Contact 94676848 Flats consists of 2 toilet and a kitchen in the southern Al Mawalah to call 96935360 Small office room for rent Azaiba Nov 18 street. Contact 98563322 Room for rent Honda road. Contact 92540125/ 97605342/ 94053366

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Contact 99792181

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Contact 98458542

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Contact 99792181

Room for rent Al Khuwair.

Contact 99743569/97004265

200 sq mtrs store in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99792181

2 Bedrooms flat in Al Ghobrah near Oman oil 18 November Street.

OMR 330. Monthly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

4 BHK villa for rent in Madinat Ilham. Contact 99792181 1BR/BTR, kitchen for Indian family ladies near Ruwi church.

Contact 99746379

Flat for rent in Amerat and fifth region 5/2 ground floor two-bedroom and two bathroom and a kitchen to call 99196066 Abdul Amir

We have commercial villa in Al Khuwair 33 New villa 2 floor bedroom, with lift very nice location, ideal for big company. Contact 93782735 We have 150 sqm office in Ghubra main road prime location Glass partition ready with 2 toilets & pantry, ideal for office. Contact 93782735 2BHK with split A/C in W.K behind Sana furnishing. Contact 96708000 85 SQM shops in Ruwi only on 350/- OMR. Contact – 95122188 / 96441499 Spacious 2 BHK flats in Ruwi MBD area only on 350/- OMR.Contact – 95122188 / 96441499 Beautiful office space available in Ruwi MBD area only on 2/- OMR per sqm.Contact – 95122188 / 96441499 For rent in a quite area in South Mabela commercial services, kids area, near the Masjid close to Al Noor round about, spacious apartment separate entrance. Contact 99766760 Deluxe 3 bedroom apartment for rent in Mumtaz area for more information. Contact 99336263 1& 2BHK at Honda road Ruwi.

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We have brand new villa in ANSAB, for rent 4 bedroom, sitting hall, majlis, dining hall, maid room laundry room covered car parking.

Contact 93782735 We have 2BHK, 3BHK, flats, office & 4 BHK villas available for rent at Ghubra, Ghala, Ruwi , Mabela7 and Darsait. Contact 93329476 5BHK Semi furnished villa, Qurum 29.R.O 950/-. Contact 97799175 1BHK flats at Muttrah.

Contact 93231403

500 SqM Built up Area well divided with 85(SqM) Office space ACP cladding front, 85 SqM Covered Workshop/Store space, compound and gated. Partly construct Labor accommodation, ample open space available for rent at Misfah opposite Al Maha Fuel Station.

Call: 93850385 or 96060699 Al.Khuwair studio behind platinum hotel rent 130/-R.O PDC. Contact 99879939 AL Khuwair behind platinum hotel 4 BHK, 3bathrrom, sitting dinning split AC. Contact 99879939

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OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and boundary wall will be provided. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

2BHK flat in Muttrah for rent (R.O 290/-) immediate occupancy.

Contact 99321580

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Contact: 99436348/97600322

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OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and boundary wall will be provided. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Flats shops and store for rent in Ruwi, Honda road, Rex Road. Contact 95902218/ 92433127 / 97293708

Flat Wadi AL Kabeer, 2BHK, sitting room, 3 bathroom balcony split /AC 300/- R.O Contact 99324402

Room with A.C Al Khuwair R.O 110/-.

Contact 97799175

Villas & flats at Ansab.

Contact 98458542

3BR top class fitting flat ideal for top executives Mumtaz area, Ruwi.

Contact 91287824

Family flats and villas at Ansab.

Contact 98458542 Industrial Land in Misfah.

Contact 93009999 Deluxe 1 bedroom flat, ideal for office / residence at Qurum near PDO. Contact: 97721313 / 95070421 2BHK in Muttrah near Oman house with split ac. Contact 97007934 / 92629232 1000 sq mtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for Ware house workshop. Contact 24700120 / 925 1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390.

Contact 99319880 Villa Al Khuwair, 8 bedroom, 7 bathroom, 3kittchen. 950/-.

Contact 99358589/ 95121126/95570288

Prim location, nice finishing villa for RENT. 2 big bedrooms . Main large sitting room. Small maid room. Kitchen and 3 bathrooms.

At Alkhuwair. near Holiday Inn & Oman Club. 99426662, PDC only. For families & college girls.

Flat Wadi AL Kabeer, 2BHK, sitting room, 3 bathroom balcony split /AC 300/- R.O Contact 99324402 6 bedroom villa for rent at Al Mawalah near City Center Seeb.

Contact 99654252 2BHK flat Al Khuwair with split A/C. 350/- Contact 95121126/99358589/97079146 If require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send messages through Whatsapp or call – 99376454 Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat.

Contact 99349526

AVAILABLE Established Restaurant for rent with sponsorship.

Contact 97628242 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

BUYING/SELLING Looking for purchase of Used Portable Compressor (350 CFM, 7 Bar Pressure) powered with Diesel run Generator.

Kindly Contact 99014686 or operation@khancogroup.com

FOR SALE Commercial registration with excellent name Grade A for business software for sale. Contact 92959251 Shop for sale prime location at Al Khoud Souq Tejari.

Contact 99083308 Shop for sale at Ruwi.

Contact 99103077

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DAILY GUIDE

FOR SALE

FOR SALE Established Running Restaurant for sale in Salalah. Contact casualdining767@gmail.com Double burner Shawarma machine at Ruwi for sale. Contact 95395378 / 91374871 Building Material shop for sale at Suwaiq A running 5 shutter building material shop with two paint machines available for immediate sale. Also available warehouse and yard at the same place. Interested parties please contact the following numbers: 93223382 / 99874936 New barber shop on sale at Misfah.

Contact 93833107 For sale laundry shop in Azaiba 4 clearance for sale work shop carpenter Wadi Kabir, 4 clearances.

Contact 99345137 Steel scrap, old tyres, empty oil drums & batteries etc for sale in our yard, at Azaiba. Interested parties may visit our site & forward quotations in sealed envelopes, with a deposit of ro.50/- & marked “head finance (rmc)”, p.o. box 1099, pc-111, within 7 days. Contact person: mr. Hafez on 99628486 Dental clinic for sale or rent running last 2 yrs in center of Sohar.

Contact: 97004100 Coffee shop for sale a well running coffee shop for at Wadi Kabir Sanaya. Contact 94159356/91039293 5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 3 floor 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

Brand new highly finished luxury twin villa for sale in Mawaleh Phase -1 land area for each villa 300,00 m2 builtup area for each villa 433.50 sqm both villas with separate krooki.

Contact 99164959 Port cabins – New & refurnished Porta cabin for sale and rent.

Contact 96723468 Shop for sale or rent in Ruwi.

Contact 99103077 Unused spare parts for early models of ken worth, fiat, cifa, putzmeister pumps, caterpillar are for sale in our yard, at Azaiba. Interested parties may visit our site & forward quotations in sealed envelopes, with deposit of ro.50/- & marked “head finance (rmc)”, p.o. box 1099, pc-111, within 7 days. Contact person: mr. hafeez on 99628486 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Shop for sale Honda road.

Contact 94053366 / 97605342 Fuel tanker, fork lift.

Contact 99199374 Ladies parlour for sales at Al Ansab.

Contact 98281849 A Reputed & profitable restaurant located strategically in Mabela in industrial state road no 6 is available for immediate sale interested parties may. Contact Mr. .Faisal Khan at phone 99059013 for details & visit.

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40 ton petrol tank each working at the moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35 Thousand each. Tel: 97000155 or 92688692 Dental Clinic with license for sale in Sohar. Contact 92816015

ACC. AVAILABLE Room for executive bachelors (no Kitchen) including W/E. 125 RO. Contact 98949724

M.V. FOR SALE

WANTED Clinic required, One Established new Clinic in Muscat, with Valid License & Clearance is required to purchase interested Parties can contact 91283188 or send your inquiries to mohamedsfarah@hotmail.com

ACC. AVAILABLE Room for SRI LANKAN Executive at Al Khuwair. Contact 96536307.

Executive bachelor near Mars one room with bath furnished room R.O 125/-. Contact 98376464 / 92446858 Semi furnished room for bachelor at Muttrah rent R.O 75/- .

Contact 92828615 Sharing room with A/C available behind Oman house.

Contact 99354340 100% furnished sharing acc. brand new and perfectly maintained attached bath room, spacious kitchen etc for couples or upper class executives. Contact 99013344 Room for rent at Al Ansab.

Contact 98806430 Sharing accommodation with attached bathroom, in W/K. Contact 97167857 Sharing accommodation available in Al Khoudh. Contact 98292798

ACC. AVAILABLE Flats in Darsait of 1 room, hall, 2 toilets and kitchen.

Contact 99357586 / 97500025 One bedroom flat with hall for rent in AL Khuwair area near Radisson blue hotel. Contact 97646492 Sharing accommodation available near Walja School for Indian bachelor. Contact 99459121 Spacious 3 BR long hall, 3 bathrooms new spit A/Cs - Qurum (PDO Road) Direct owner.

Contact 99431708/ 24571963 Furnished rooms for Indian bachelor in Al Falaj Ruwi & lady in Wadi Kabir. Contact 95941515.

Gubrah furnished room, attached bath dish TV, WIFI, kitchen available for Executive single person, couple.

Contact 99658689 Room in CBD area for non cooking Executive bachelors free WIFI, Advance deposit. Contact 95934642 Accommodation available for South Indian family, one bedroom with attached toilet, kitchen, hall in a villa, Al Ghubrah. Contact 99209160

LOST Alamgir has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. AD 6284489. Finder please handover to ROP.

Dodge Nitro 4.0 ltr engine 2007 model 130000 kms, red colour, registration valid for one year. RO.2700/-.

Contact - 91251966 Car for sale Toyota Yaris 1.3, 2008 model 90000 km, hatchback.

Contact 99354340 Prado 2009. Contact 99336093

Toyota Camry white 2011 km -51000 R.O 4800/-.

Contact 99561562 Honda CRV , 2012 EX 2012 model , twilight blue liters , 34000 Km , free service package up to 60000 km expat single owner , insurance valid Oman & UAE up to August 2015 , R.O 7750/- . Contact 99069741

CHANGE OF NAME I Noor Muhammed Riyaz (name exactly as in present passport) son of Noor Muhammed presently residing at the following address in Madinat Sultan Qaboos P.B No. 787 P.C 112 Sultanate of Oman and having following permanent address in India Plot. No : 167 Thiruvallur Nagar in Main road Kodungaiyur, Chennai (pin: 600118) (Tamil Nadu) Chennai (as per present passport) holder of Indian passport No. L1176598 date of issue 30/05/2013 place of issue Muscat hereby solemnly affirm and declare that Aysha Shaheen (name of my wife appearing as my passport) and the name of my wife Asha Shayin appearing as her Indian passport No. M0701502 are the same individuals and not two different individuals.

Any objection towards name change of my wife may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair P. Box No. 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

I Ebrahim Valiyakath House, holder of Indian Passport No Z1014305, son of M. Hussain having permanent residence in Peruvayal Post, Mandoor,670501,Kannoor Dist, Kerala, India and presently residing in P.B.No 490, PC 311,Sohar, Sultanate of Oman, hereby intend to change my name from Ebrahim Valiyakath House to Ebrahim Valiyakath for all practical purposes. Any objection towards my change of may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, PO Box 1727, PC 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

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T U E S D AY, M A R C H 1 0, 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

SITUATION WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian male postgraduate 7.5 yrs experience in Admin /accounts /HR logistics and procurement seeking suitable placement immediately available. Contact 93164413 Female M.com with tally seven years Indian experience in audit and accounting on family visit.

Contact 93213138 Indian male 34 years b.com with 7 years experience in Oman. accounting upto finalization. management accounting, budget looking for suitable post. NOC not available.

Contact 97427897.

Indian female post Graduate MIB, B.Com 2 years experience in accounting field well versed in tally, ERP-9 Peach tree, MS Office.

Contact 97235401

SALES / MARKETING Urgently required Omani national Sales Executives (indoor & outdoor) for marble & granite company in Muscat. Please send your CV to nimmu.n@gmail.com or Contact 94552924

ADMIN Urgently Required: Purchaser, Administration and Accountant with NOC and immediately join.

Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Urgently needed sales and marketing personal with logistic experience in the Sultanate of Oman pls. sent your c.v. to kttoman@omantel.net.om or P. O. Box. 505, P.C114, Jibroo, S. Of Oman tel. : 24711071/fax :24711064

BEAUTICIAN Urgently requited Indian experience Beautician in location Al Hail near Al Khamis Shoes.

Visa available Good salary + food + accommodation.

Contact 92284899/ 92139922

CATERING Wanted experienced Indian Chef for reputed house in Qurum.

Knowledge & experience in Indian, Continental and Chinese food is must. Contact 99466062

DRIVER Expatriate heavy duty drivers / crane operators and forklift operators with PDO icense and Noc. Contact 99465358/99348352

ENGI./ELECT./TECH..

IT

Urgently required experienced Civil Project Managers site Engineers, MEP draughtsman, MEP quantity surveyor for an excellent grade Civil Construction company.

Interested candidates can contact on 00968-99885931 / 99881459 and send CVs on mohamed@oasisgrace.com Contact 24826566 Fax: 24812226

Urgently required following vacancies for a well established company: Computer Technician cum Sales Executive, data & voice networking technician, account assistant. Contact 91227407 Email id: info@fathimallc.com

Urgently required Civil Engineer - Graduate with 12 to 15 + years experience preferably in managing building construction company.

Arab nationals with good command in English only. Send CV to Email: chtrecruitment.ka@gmail. com / khadeer.cht@gmail.com

Wanted driver. Contact 95112461 Required a private driver from India. Contact 92345861

DOMESTIC HELPER Part time maid at Al Ansab-3.

Contact 98458542 Required Housemaid for Indian family, Visa will be provided.

Contact: 94291473 Wanted urgently an Indian House Driver and a Part Time cook for an Omani family. Kindly send your cv to alraid@alraidgroup.com or contact on 24567070 Require House maid in Mabela.

Contact. 95200180

ENGI./ELECT./TECH..

Required Salesman cum Hardware Engineer for computer shop at Ruwi with minimum 2 years experience.

Contact 98825805 / 98825806 Email:strns1@gmail.com Urgent requirement Civil Engineers 8 nos for Supervision 5 yrs experience. Contact: 99244481 Email: secons.engineers@gmail.com Required MEP Engineer with minimum Diploma or degree 5 yrs experience & with driving license.

Fax : 24478522, Email : gh1.careers@gmail.com Wanted Computer Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Communication Engineer & Commercial Manager 10 yrs experience salary for each RO 1500.

Email:lulubd2012@gmail.com

Urgently Required: Civil Engineer experience in building construction with NOC and immediately join. Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com.

A Fast Growing Construction Company Requires, Site Engineer (1no) (Diploma)- 3 to 5 yrs Oman exp, Civil Foreman (1no) 6 to 8 yrs Oman Exp, Light duty Expatriate Driver (1no), Omani Driver (3Ton) - 1no. Those are having Oman driving license & NOC / Release can apply Contact # 96920919 and send your CV to builtinsharp@gmail.com A/C Mechanic, Electrician plumber, computer hardware etc.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 mansur75@hotmail.co.uk A leading MEP Contracting Company urgently requires the following with minimum 3-4 yrs experience. 1) HVAC Estimation Engineer. Those who are interested may contact on 99221471, Email : Kevin@airmechoman.com , fax 24447061 Leading metal fabrication group requires Sales Engineer, minimum 2 yrs exp. with valid Oman D/L. Contact: 99102383 Email: hr@khancogroup.com

IT Urgently required Omani IT software professional fluent in Arabic and English with 2 years experience Email: mhca@mhabibgroup.com fax: 24564459

Required IT Technician for computer shop. Send your CV at khalid@rayyancomputer.com

MEDICAL Urgently required a female nurse with MOH license to work permanent or leave vacancy for a reputed clinic.

Salary Negotiable.

Contact 94618483 Wanted labs Technician to work in a polyclinic. Candidates who have passed their prometric examination can also apply. Attractive salary offered. Contact 99173571 Urgently required exp Pharmacist with MOH license and NOC. Contact: 97164554 or royalmedicalservice@gmail.com Urgently required an Orthodontist with MOH to work at a reputed Dental Center in Muscat.

Contact 968 99694723, Email : dr.bdohc@gmail.com Require female Nurse with MOH License urgently for Clinic in Ruwi.

Contact (99013455) Wanted Pharmacist (B Pharm), Staff Nurses (female) with or without MOH license for a polyclinic near Sohar. Excellent salary package. Contact 99006915, email : alhinaee.clinic@yahoo.com Urgently required Pharmacist.

Contact 94200385/ 95206905/ 97433142 Email: anitho@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Wanted Salesman with driving licence and car. Gsm : 98805474 or email id: jobssales2015@gmail.com Required promoter for promoting Perfumes in shopping centre please.

Contact 95663682 or send CV atugt15@gmail.com Marketing Executive for digital printing company. Contact 94356769/ 96936564

We Al Mayar Co LLC are seeking talented experienced Sales Executive for the FMCG, Electrical and Electronics sale. The interested persons can send their CV s to ultrasales@almayarllc.com and pnoman@gmail.com Required Salesman.

Contact 96964767 Our company CHABROS LLC is seeking for Indian salesman.

Have an experienced in building materials. Please send CV to chabros@omantel.net.om Urgently required out door sales executive for furnishing company with valid Oman license and minimum 3 years experience in furniture field. Contact 93231403 or mail: rainbowfurnishing156@gmail.com Urgently required an excellent grade construction firm based in Muscat has immediate vacancy for Marketing Executive minimum 5 years experience with D/L. Email your CV to info@omannc.com

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Shawarma/BBQ/ Tandoor / helpers wanted. Contact 95529970 Urgently required experienced store keeper who can look after store and logistics for a reputed company in Muscat. Pls forward your CV to accounts@ies-oman.com For a reputed contracting company urgently required, tiles Mansons, general Mansons, furniture carpenters, painters, carpentry foremen, civil foreman with license, accountant, and electrician cum plumber. Contact: - 99889450/99343461, fax no: 24619716. E mail:goldenrayconstruction@gmail.com

TOURS Sales Manager for luxury yacht in Muscat. Experience in Oman market preferred. Email cv and photo: alibadawy@gmail.com.

India Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placement. Contact:93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com B.Com India. Languages : English, Hindi & Malayalam. # 92954613 Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331 Indian female, M. Com with 6 years experience in finance, HR & Administration with Oman D/L . On family joining visa. Contact 99864846 Email: b_ralitha@yahoo.com

Indian female 28 MBA (HR) B. Sc, 3+ years exp India & Oman HR/Admin looking for suitable placement.

Contact 95619537

Part Time Accounting, Accounts Finalization, Audit Preparation, Internal Audit, Onsite Tally Training, Inventory Management Contact : 96975454, email : ibfcoman@hotmail.com

Indian male 26 years, 2 years experience in Accounts at Oman, total 5 years experience in same department. NOC available.

Contact 91354849

Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate 1 year exp in Accounts, currently on visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact – 94341848 / Email – mohdhaji7272@gmail.com

Accountant Indian male M.B.A, B.com having 5 years GCC exp with valid Oman driving license & Noc available. Contact 91719385 mail: shinuyesodharan@gmail.com

Part time Accountant, up to finalization, looking for job after 5 pm (location prefer - Qurum to Al Khoudh). Contact 92917574

Indian, MBA finance looking job in accounts, finance, cost controlling 9 years experience 3 years in GCC. Contact 97138592 on visit visa.

Seeking for a job on Indian male aged 23 years qualification are BCA bachelor & computer application & accountant 1 years experience.

Contact 95386434 Email: mohammedshanid5@gmail.com MBA finance graduate Indian male on visit visa one year’s internship experience in financing/marketing looking suitable marketing /finance position. Contact 95394938 safeer. buzz@gmail.com Part time Accountant with 15 years exp in Accounts, finance, audit tax management. Contact 95857199 Accountant (B.Com, MBA pursuing) Indian male 25 years, 2 years experience in India, seeking better placement on visit visa.

Contact 97709327 Indian male 27 yrs MBA HR & marketing 1 yr exp in HR supporting looking for suitable job.

Contact 97484159 Indian Practising CA from Mumbai on visit Enquiry, advice & follow up of all Indian taxes, filing returns, investments, project finance, housing loan, company formation ref www.ca-nka.com Email: aminnaveen7@gmail.com Ph:+968 97246270 (Oman) +91 9820457219 (India) Young Indian graduate, experience in Logistics and Accounting/ Sales and Marketing seeks placement.

Immediate availability.

Call: 97374480 Indian male, B.COM, currently in Oman on Visit Visa, Urgent seeking suitable Job Accountant / Administrative/ HR dept. have 6y. UAE experience, Valid Driving License, Knowledge of Internet ,Tally ERP9, Microsoft Office. MS EXCEL, immediately available.

Contract +968-92718733 , Email : sahashankar@gmail.com Indian M.Com Finance exp 1 year now in visiting visa.

Contact 96970734 FCCA- Qualified from UK with 9 years of experience in Big 4 & Top 30 UK firms. Currently working as Manager Finance & Accounts for more than 2years. NOC available, please contact 9259 3748.

Indian female B.com CA Inter 3 years internship completed 2 years accounting experience currently on visit visa seeking for suitable job . Contact 94682798/95736496 Email: giby2605@gmail.com

Wanted experience candidate for tours and rent a car.

Email: almoosarentacar@gmail. com, Fax: 24796040

Indian male with one years experience in logistics, cargo operation and accounts seeks suitable placement. Contact 97826180 Email: nihalsiddheeque@gmail.com

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

Male, total 17 years experience in India & Oman - India - 9 years & Oman - 8 years In the field of procurement, material controller and accountancy - Local release available (Noc) Cont no. 91680124 , 98606546

Indian 34 yrs B.Com CA Inter pass 12 yrs exp in Audit A/C, Finance on visit seeks suitable placement.

Contact 95585069 Indian male, 25 yrs,MBA (Finance) 3 years experience as Accountant immediately available.

Contact 968 99485943, Email : hyd.mushu@gmail.com Pakistani male, 25 yrs, MBA Finance, 1.6 yrs exp in Accounts seeking placement in Accounts, Administration or Business Management. # 92651927 / 94250149 MBA Finance (Indian) with 3 years experience in Accounts & Finance field. Looking for suitable position.

Contact- 94276956/ irshadbhk@gmail.com Indian male 26 years, with 4 years experience in accounts and administration looking for suitable placement. Contact 93008891 Female with MBA finance, financial and tax professional four and half years of experience seeks suitable opportunities in reputed organizations. Contact- 99792457 Email: msparveen1@gmail.com Indian male, B.Com, Accountant – 6yrs exp in Oman, NOC availableReady to join.contact: 98162671 ; email: prasanths3@gmail.com Indian Male, 25 yrs currently in Oman on visit looking for suitable vacancies in accounts, B.Com completed 1 yr experience.

Contact 92024380 B.com doing CA Accounts/ office job male now working in Oman Noc, release available. Contact 92715465 Email: alsabathehm@gmail.com Indian male, 32 years, M. Com. 7 out of 9 years experience in Oman in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. # 98277143, Email: anzarks@gmail.com Indian Male, MBA 2 yrs experience in Accounts, Admin & HR on visit visa. Contact 92045306 Accounting up to finalization, auditing & contact for tally ERP software Contact– 91720465 Indian male- B.Com/B.Ed/15 years Exp – 5 in Oman, seeks job in Accts/Sales/Logistics have NOC and Oman D/L with car. Contact – 92919625/93511425/ 93424828; Email- seshadricpioman@gmail.com 22 years of experience in Multinational Companies & reputed firms in Financial Management, Project Management, Budgeting and Cost control, seeking a strategic Financial/Management Accounting role in a dynamic organization . Please contact Mob. +971-506178139, Email.georg_vargis01@yahoo.com ACCA finalist and BSc from Oxford Brookes University UK, having 18 months working experience, currently in Muscat on visit, seeking immediate and suitable position.

Contact : 95375282 A Fresh ACCA Affiliate, Pakistani male, 24 yrs, open for positions of Accounts, Audit and finance.

Contact 94541539

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED ADMIN/HR

INFORMATION TECH

Indian male MBA 32 yrs having 10 yrs of exp seeking suitable placement in Admin/ HR/ Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics etc. Holding valid Oman D/L .Contact - 99054786

MCA, MBA, CCNA, MCSE, Indian male with 10 years of experience, holding Oman driving license on visit visa seeks any suitable placement. Contact 92716116 / 91266535 Email: sijuayur@gmail.com

Smart, excellent English, double masters, 10 years Oman experience.

Immediate NOC. Contact 91229392 Indian female, MBA (HR) and B. Sc Microbiology holder, with computer knowledge confident and enthusiastic. 6 months experience looking for immediate placement in any sector.

Contact 97151308 M.Sc / MBA. Over 12 Years including GCC Experience in Admin/HR/ Operation/Procurement and Logistic.

Valid GCC DL. Looking for Suitable Position. Contact 99706618 Indian, Male, 30 Years, B.COM, 8 Years’ Experience as HR / Administration in Oman, seeks suitable placement, NOC Available, Contact No. 00968 94652591 Over 14 years of gulf experience in Admin /HR /Logistic fluent in Arabic & English with D/L , looking for suitable position. Contact 95824598 Indian female with excellent communication skills, confident, dedicated to work and enthusiastic.

Knowledge about ms office. Has 6 years of experience in customer service, telecommunication, HR.Looking for immediate placement. Contact # 97348819 Young Indian male with 5 years Muscat experience in admin, purchase & Masters from UK seeks placement. Possess driving license.

Contact 94400671 Indian male MBA 35 years having 12 years of experience in Oman seeking placement in Admin /HR operations /accounts holding valid Oman D/L. Contact 96055815 Noc available can join immediately Email: shaiks111@gmail.com

ARCHI./ DRAUGHTSMAN AutoCAD operator, Indian male 3 yrs experience in Auto CAD 2D & 3Ds Civil Draftsman, MAX and Photo shop, presently on visit visa seek suitable placement.

Contact 91764358 Email: mohdsiraj02@yahoo.com Auotcad knows 3D,REVIT, MAX Ph : 97103168

CATERING Indian cook, Tandoori cook, male, 32 yrs, having 4 yrs of experience in Muscat in India, looking for a cook job in Hotel. Contact 93753523 / 98744307 / 92175119.

DESIGNER Modular kitchen designer with 4 years Bahrain /Dubai experience plus 10 years AutoCAD, 3D, Photoshop& 20-20 Fusion.

Contact +968-96467673 cristobabu@gmail.com Keralite Bachelor professional building designer with AutoCAD, 3D Max & Accounts.

Contact 96535497, email : bhaviwky90@gmail.com Indian female, 25yrs BscFASHION DESIGNING, 3yers experience in designing field and teaching. looking for a sutable placement. Contact: 98785310.

Email: vinaya.m.nair@gmail.com

DRIVER Light duty driver looking for job 2 yrs exp. Contact 98356230 Light duty Driver wanted.

Contact 95667138 Experienced driver Indian with 4 wheel driver landcruiser.

Contact 91690870 Looking for job LVD experience, 2 years in Oman. Contact 96534239 Driver available 5 years experience Oman driving light. #92505581 With car driver available and only driver. Contact 96771598 Light driver looking for job.

Contact 92791678 Light driver looking for job.

Contact 91376612 LV Driver- 2 yrs Exp-know English- Contact 95292064

DRIVER Light Driver having own visa looking for job as driver.Contact 92303692 Driver available in Ruwi.

Contact 97460056

Chemical Engineer B.Tech Indian male 2+ years of experience seeking suitable placement.

Contact 92545630 Email: vkarun77@gmail.com

B.E Mechanical Engineer, Indian male, 4 yrs experience in sales, Seeking suitable job on visit visa.

Contact 96137079 , 93095565, Email : elangovivek@yahoo.co.in

Indian male Qatar GCC heavy driver license holder looking for a good placement now on a visiting visa.

Contact 98739710.

MS in Engg Management (UK), B. Tech in CS, 5+ years of exp in project management /sales /business development, MOB: 92798469

Looking Part time Job in HVACContact - 93198128

Light driver job. Contact 96756014

BE Mechanical 3 years experience in maintenance of ship, boiler & desalination unit. Contact 99795073, Email : sankarvijayan.mace@gmail. com

Light duty driver with 3 years experience in Oman +5 years in Saudi Arabia speaking Hindi Arabic English. Contact 96088707

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian male 24 years, Mechanical Engineer,pdms.1 yr experience in pipeline,16years in oman seeking immediate placement # 95775742 BE Civil Engineer looking for suitable placement.

Please contact - 98478376 Graduate Indian male with 19 yrs experience in civil projects, commercial and procurement departments in oil & gas sector seeking suitable position. Contact 91251912 Email: suprarmct1975@gmail.com Civil Engineer 7 years experience in building line in Oman valid Oman D/L. NOC letter available looking for suitable placement.

Contact 96936406 Civil Engineer B.Tech Indian Female with knowledge of Autocad, STAAD and MS office seeks placement.

Ph:94688515 DAE Civil, Diploma of Associate Engineer Civil 3 yrs, Pakistani. Total 10 yrs experience, Pakistan experience 04 yrs, Oman experience 6 yrs.

Contact 92286164 BE Mechanical 3year experience in shipboiler, engine maintenance & desalination 99795073 Indian male B.E / B.Tech Civil /Site Engineer 3 years experience NOC D/L available. Contact 93883136 mohammedcivilengineer.mct@ gmail.com Mechanical Engineer seeking a senior position having 15 years of GCC experience operating in markets Oman, Kuwait , Bahrain & Saudi Arabia speculated in gas analysis and detection systems for Oil & Gas and petrochemical industries.

Contact 99230888

Civil Engineer 4 years exp (3 in Oman as a Quantity Surveyor & planning engineer for road works & bridges in a big project) fluent in English & Arabic. Contact - 93477660 Indian male B-Tech Civil having 2 year experience in Visit visa seeks suitable position. Contact 92609893 Computer Engineer holding bachelors degree in Computer Science with 7 years of total experience with 2 years in UAE, looking for a suitable job in Oman. Contact 92076362 Elet.Engr 9+ yrs exp Noc available can join immediately.

Contact 99148940 Email: jobluk.om@gmail.com Civil Engineer (Diploma) 23 yrs, Indian male 1 yr exp. Contact +919645285855 / 97050267 mail id: unnikrishnan1334@gmail.com HVAC Engineer (heating ventilating air conditioner) qualification B.E (Mechanical Engineer) 3 years experience (India) presently family visa. Contact +968 94271486 Indian female, 25 yrs, M.Sc Software Engineering having 2 yrs experience in IT & Admin, on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 96985150, Email : anucherian@gmail.com Indian male with 5 yrs experience in CCTV, (AV technician) and 4 yrs experience as Supervisor / billing section on visit visa. Contact 93570126 Indian male 27, B.A Economics, Diploma in fire & safety engineering, NEBOSH, IOSH, OSHA, certification, 4 years experience as Safety Officer in India on visit visa. Contact 91092826 Qualified Chemical Engineer over twenty years experience in water and waste water with Oman driving license and Noc available for suitable job. Contact 94479435

Quantity Surveyor (Civil Building) looking for Part time job Contact no:-94391712 E-mail addressinayathhussain@yahoo.com Indian B.Tech Mechanical Engineer, 26 yrs, 4 yrs experience in HVAC/ MEP. Contact 94669629, rajeevhpd15@yahoo.com Indian male, 28 diploma in fire and safety Engineering computer hardware net working 1 yr customer service experience trouble shooting technical support on visit visa.

Contact 91025050 / 98856803 Email: purujith8797@gmail.com BE/EEE Electrical Engineer Indian male 25 years having 2.5 years experience currently on visit visa looking for suitable placement.

Contact 00968-96522624 / 92770316 contact India +91- 9994024477 / 9597539520 Electrical Engineer Indian male 29 years, having 5 years of experience in Industrial Automation & utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement. #92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Sudanese Mechanical Engineer 11 years exp in oil & gas industry.

Contact - 95928035 Bachelor in Telecommunication Engineering from CCE ,CCNA certificate IELTS, score 7 experience certificate from Central Bank of Oman.

Contact 95331455 / 92210958 B.Tech Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, female with approximately 2 years in medical field is seeking any job position. # 94652908 mail id: aswathiraviraj@gmail.com Telecom Engineer with 4.5 years Oman experience looking for a suitable opportunity, interested even in Marketing also. Possess valid Oman driving license. Contact 94145460 DAE (Civil) having 3.5 years Experience 2 years from Oman with driving licences, seeking for suitable position in Construction field NOC and release available . Contact 96968554 Email: mehranahmad26@yahoo.com

B.Tech electronics & instrument, Indian male having 4 years exp in oil & gas field one years experience in Saudi, looking for suitable vacancy.

Contact 98854946 Email: alfredtjose@gmail.com

B.E /B.Tech civil 2-3 years.

Contact 93850875/95283064

24 years Indian female diploma in computer science and engineering now on visit visa seek suitable placement. Contact 96314974/99107369

Civil Engineer B Tech, Site Engineer Experienced, Drafting on Visit Visa Ph : 91642050

Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

Chartered Electrical Engineer 5 yrs experience with core strength in design, installation, commissioning and testing effective skills in preparation of BOQ. Estimations, switchgears substations commercial and residential buildings Contact 94638744/ 96473165 Email : ceng.shaz@gmail.com

Quality Assurance Design, BTech Elec, MBA (TQM) , IT Infrastructure(WLAN , TETRA) Security systems(CCTV AACS),Project control Engineering, Document Control / CAD Managing /Change management, Exp in Major projects, NOC available Ph : 99506977

Mechanical Engineer, Gulf Exp in Design and Manufacturing Ph: 97097688

H.S.E & ELE Engineer have electrical license 4 years experience.

Contact 96076470 Email: aiashf@yahoo.com D.A.E Civil 4 years experience D/L Oman. Email: qamarsaleem52@ yahoo.com . Contact 96719649 Male 27 diploma in civil engineering, 8 years experience in building constriction, 6th years in Oman now looking for the job permanent base or contract base immediately also I have a Noc for permanent base.

Contact 94619501/98925718 Email: engineertanoli@gmail@gmail.com Diploma in Architect 2.5 years experience in Oman having driving.

Contact 92967404 Civil Engineer (Diploma) 3 yrs exp seeking for placement.

Contact 95200650 Electrical Engineer B.E Engineer, 6 years experience in Dubai, Bahrain with G.C.C. professional licenses holding GCC driving license.

Contact 98063081 Email: imran.engr08@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Civil Engineer having 4 and Half years experience in building construction looking for suitable placement valid D/L available.

Contact 91253392 Project Engineer Indian male 3yrs dip12 yrs experience all kind mechanical civil, interiors decoration job Oman driving license.

Contact 93260559 Aircraft Maintenance Technician with one year experience seeks suitable placement. Contact amaljohn2002@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer 30 years experience fabrication erection production on visit visa. Contact 93663121 Project Engineer, civil engineer BSC, Building Construction 5 Years Exp in Oman fluent Arabic, English and good Indian .Contact - 97858589 B.Tech Mechanical Engineer (Automobile)&Diploma in QC with 2yrs experience in oil & gas company seek suitable placement job currently on Visit Visa. Contact no.96071081, 99214308 , Email: rahulvarikkat@gmail.com

EDUCATION Pakistani Female: looking for job as English lecturer, having 5 years teaching experience in Pakistani universities, qualification M. phil English linguistics Contact no 93534255 Indian Female, BE (Electrical and Electronics), M.Tech (VLSI Design and Embedded Systems) with 3.5 yrs experience in teaching/education field, seeking suitable teaching/ non-teaching job in Muscat.

Contact 93686493 Email: n.akshatha12@gmail.com Indian Female (M.Com, B.ED) 2Yrs Experience in teaching seeks suitable placement . Specialization in ( Accounting, Business studies, Human resource management, Economics). Presently in Visit Visa Status. Contact:97342709, Email: sininair27@gmail.com Indian female 25 years MSC polymer chemistry holder seeking suitable placement. Currently on visit visa. Contact 96128290 Email ID: najeeb27@gmail.com

INFORMATION TECH Omani citizen searching a job in the field of computer Especially in data base professional in operating oracle SQL , PL/ SQL , form6i , Report 6i .

Contact 96977368 Email: talaloml@yahoo.com Indian male IT prof, MCA 2 yrs exp in Oman and 3+ yrs exp in India (system admin, hardware, networking, SharePoint, PHP, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Ajax MySQL).

NOC available.

Contact 97496998 Indian male MBA (marketing & IT) with 1 yr exp looking for suitable placement presently on visit visa.

Contact 97327997 Email: irshad.alimc@gmai.com Indian Male M.Sc Electronics, having 7.5 years of experience in IT Computer Hardware and Networking seeking job placement. Contact: 97202522 email:connectjinomjohn@yahoo.com India, Male BCA, IT Engineer, hardware, networking MCSA, CCNA, ITIL, Office administration, Accounts Contact 97496998 Email: e.mustafa@live.com Required suitable possistion for the experinced B Tech (hard ware) Engineer. Contact: - 99343461/ email: msureshbabumct@g mail.Com ERP Software professional, Indian male, 20 yrs (5 yrs Oman) experienced. Interested in ERP/ CRM, Development, Implementation, support position. Contact 93501977 Email: go4nadeem@gmail.com

Indian male M. Sc Graduate with telecom AV experience for 6 years looking for suitable position. Contact 00971-557041574 / 95135218 email: nazid83@gmail.com Logistics Officer, Experience in Store keeping. Contact : 99505934

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR 19years UAE experience in management sales and business development, additional Indian experience valid UAE D/L, on express visa.

Contact 91602809 Email: thomasalexander210@gmail.com Indian male, looking for a senior management position, 25 years of experience in GCC with multinational consulting firms, currently working as contracts/project manager, seeks immediate placement.

Contact 99376691 Emails: 1962jobs@gmail.com Smart, excellent English, double masters. 10 years Oman experience immediate, NOC . Contact 91229392 10 years experience in Supermarket as a Manager. Fluent in English, Arabic, Bengali & Hindi presently on visit visa, looking for an opening in the similar field. Contact 91747258 Projects/ contracts Manager total 31 yrs (26 yrs in Oman) experienced in managing & coordination of multi-million R.O projects of government & private sector, post Graduate Structural Engineer with structural & QS Background looking for senior position.

Contact +00968-91400599 Indian female with nine years of experience in 5 Star hotels as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager looking for a suitable placement in a reputed Star hotel. Contact: 91219787 Qualified Manager: (12+ yrs. Oman Exp.) Vast knowledge in A/c & Admin, Costing, Banking, Credit Control, Insurance, International Purchase/Logistics & Finance, With D/L looking for suitable position.

Gsm: 93826090 Email: jskanchan01@gmail.com

MEDICAL Female Dentist Indian, 28 years Dental Surgeon, 3 years of experience, Oman prometric passed with 64%, looking for a suitable placement in Muscat region.

Contact 91377681 Email: hashmisarwat@gmail.com 33 years, Indian Dentist with 7 years of experience in India and passed prometric exam seeking for suitable placement in Oman.

Contact 91022744 Email: praveengp_82@yahoo.com

Generator maintenance in charge with 4 yrs experience with Cummins, caterpillar, kirloskar and voltas. Contact - email: shibinmundakkal@gmail.com

Indian male 25 B.Tech (IT) Engineer 2.5 yrs exp in hardware networking.

Currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact – 94359564

Medical- Indian female, 27 yrs, masters in hospital administration, fellowship in HTA studied in a super specialty medical sciences and research center in India and done project in an established hospital in sultanate of Oman.

Contact 93200827, 91026506

Diploma of Associate Civil Engineering, Diploma of AutoCad, having 3.5 yrs experience, 2 yrs experience of Oman in Building Construction, valid transferrable ID Card.

Contact 94378581

SAP BO/BODS consultant 6 years experience with EMBA (IT) B. Tech (IT) OCP, OCA, ITIL & AIX qualified seeks suitable posting.

Contact 92532996 / 95740250 Email: elango2840@gmail.com

Indian male Pharmacist (B.Pharma) 5 1/2 years experience in Oman seeking suitable placement in Muscat. NOC from the present employer available.

Contact +968 98525100

Experienced female Electrical Engineer. Contact 93800906

Hardware specialist B.Tech M.Tech electronics with 10 years experience seeks suitable opportunities in reputed organizations.

Contact 91289459 Email: shrn.shrf@gmail.com

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378

Civil Engineer with 12 years Experience Looking For Job. # 98162295 Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Indian male, 26 yrs B-Tech (ECE) with MBA in Marketing / HR looking for a suitable placement. Currently on visit visa valid up to 30 January 2015. Contact 93754428, email : shijosirius709@gmail.com

EDUCATION 1 year experience in teaching all subject to KG classes, currently working as a teacher in Oman, seeking suitable placement, Family visa.

Contact 92178304 / 99036256

B.Tech IT Professional, Indian Male with 3 yrs of Exp. In System Admin, IT Support, Networking, Installing Active Directory, DHCP, DNS,RAS, configuring maintaining and managing servers, configuring cisco routers, Exp in handling SQL database, With Valid Driving Licence.

Contact - 968 98863507 IT Prof, MCA having 6+ yrs exp, seeks suitable position.

Contact 94543668 Looking for job Tunisian Bachelor with experience 5 years in Network/IT. Cont.:91368102

Female pharmacist with 3 years experience and MOH license currently in Oman, CONTACT 92455124

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Welder, 3G, 6G, TIG, Exp in Fabrication , Gulf Exp Ph : 97103168 Care taker, Gulf Exp knows Hindi, Arabic Ph: 94238840

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Tunisian women looking for job, knows english, frensh, Italian and arabic. Contact: 91171838

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T U E S D AY, M A R C H 1 0, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED

SALES / MARKETING Indian Male, 34, 9+ years extensive experience in digital / online marketing, strategies for top corporate houses and brands in India. Also 9 months experience in Oman. NOC Available. Looking for a senior management position. Immediate Joining. Contact: 93137300 MBA (marketing & operations) with 2 years experience in marketing & operations looking for suitable placement, presently on visit visa.

Contact 97920125 Email: hareeshg111@gmail.com MBA with Oman D/L seeking marketing or sales jobs.

Contact 94143154 email: rinojnathen008@hmail.com Indian male 9+ years experience in GCC and Indian in hardcore sales and customer service looking for buffer opportunity, holding valid Oman driving license visit visa.

Experience shipping, banking, safety products (PPE) Contact : 97132606 Indian male, 33 years having 10 yrs experience in software applications looking for openings as project manager/senior business analyst.

Contact 98383246, vishnu.cm@gmail.com Indian male 25 yrs M.B.A having More than 2 years experience in sales & marketing good communication skills Looking for a suitable job. Contact 92152913 email: May4senthil@gmail.com 10 years experience in medicine & surgical equipment sales. Fluent in English, Arabic, Bengali & Hindi .

Presently on visit visa, looking for an opening in the similar field.

Contact 91747258 Indian male, with 3.5 years Oman experience in Sales looking for a suitable placement NOC available.

Contact 99142951 Indian male Graduate with 7 years of experience in Hospitality industry, Sales & Marketing good communication skill looking for a placement in any field. Contact +968- 92115860 Indian male, with 8 yrs exp in Sales Operations & accounts handling, expert in SAP & ERP applications seeks job. Contact 93345990 10 years experience in sales & customer service having Oman D/L seeking suitable position.

Contact 94480533 Experience in sales seeking suitable placement N.O.C & D/L available.

Contact 91269031 Experience in sales seeking suitable placement D/L and NOC available.

Contact 99196353 Indian male Graduate 4 years experience in Sales & marketing in Oman, with Oman D/L holder seeking suitable placement. Contact 92878855 Indian female 7 yrs experience in Admin /Sales Coordination in Oman with valid Oman driving license urgently seeks suitable placement.

Contact 94176308 Indian male, B.Com, 20 yrs experience in Sales & Marketing having UAE light D/L looking for suitable post. Contact +91 9946699062, email : sajim40@gmail.com Indian Male having 7 yrs in experience in Oman Sales & Marketing Office Automation Printer, Copier, MFP, IT products & Stationery. Looking for Suitable Placement NOC Available Contact :97384748

MISCELLANEOUS

Young female, having experience of working in Oman with expertise in the field of Event Management, Advertising, Marketing and Hotel Management. Currently on a visit visa. Seeking for a suitable Job. Contact 96153578

Female Executive Assistant/Executive Secretary with 27+ experience, worked with top management/Board in financial services with shorthand skills & Omani driving license, seeks suitable placement. Call 95941515

Indian Male, 7 yrs experience in building materials trading having Oman D/L, immediate release available. Contact 98676713

Indian Female, 24 yrs MS. Software Engg. Currently on family visa, 1 year experience in SAP WM & IT seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95490105

6 years Oman experience in Sales seeking suitable placement. NOC available. Contact 99669137 Well experienced restaurant Manager with Ample knowledge of sales and operations seeking suitable placement Noc available.

Contact 92953199

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Indian Male more than 10 years gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin (employees visa processes), Secretarial and purchase with good computer skills. Having Driving license and NOC available.

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact 99709336 Indian female with 10 yrs of experience in HR/Banking/Operations seeks a suitable placement. Can be contacted on 98919015 or sherianne.coelho@gmail.com Indian female, well experienced in secretarial, administration, customer care & supervisory jobs.

5 years experience in Muscat.

Immediately available for joining.

Contact: 92139298 Indian male, graduate with 7 years experience in hospitality industry, sales & marketing .M.B.A in human resource management.

Contact 92115860

MISCELLANEOUS Planning Engineer 7 years of Experience in project planning and control in oil and gas, PDO & QP Approved Planner,PRIMAVERA-6,B. Tech in Mechanical engineering from CUSAT Contactullasprabhakaran@yahoo.co.in, ph-00974 70230223 Indian male total 17 yrs exp in field of procurement, inventory, controlling & accountancy. Local release available, seeking suitable placement. Contact – 91680124 / 98606546 British Beauty Therapist Looking for suitable position Mob: 97175240 ACCA-UK, B.Sc (OBU-UK) having 2.8 years of experience in Accounts, Bookeeping and Audit.

Looking for job in Accounts/Finance department. Also worked on Oracle R12, Tally, Quick Books and Peach Tree. Email: AliRiazMughal@Outlook.com, Gsm: +968-95459936 Part- Time Accountant, well versed with all accounting, Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact : 98803439 Indian Male 28yr age having 6year gulf+ Indian experience in HR field, looking for suitable placement. Contact:97914340,Email: rajkv3086@gmail.com Indian male, 11 years exp.

In accounting, knowledge in tally also. Looking for a part time job.

Contact . 98983122

Senior Accounts Professional, Indian Male, 35 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin) 8 years in Oman, with valid Oman DL and NOC available.

Capable to handle accounts up to finalization. Contact 9602 3965.

Indian female, Graduate, Certified in IATA, with 8 months experience in Travel and 2 and half years experience in Operations and HR looking for job in Field of Travel/ Office Management. Contact -92816803/ 92459686. Emailvijetadevilishangel@gmail.com MBA (international business) with 2.5 years experience in sales and also experience in vehicle spare parts (in-charge) looking for a suitable job presently on visit visa.

Contact 93539456, 95765868, E mail: mathewsantony936@gmail. com INDIAN FEMALE ,Graduate, Certified in IATA, with 2 and half years experience in Admin/ Accounts and Office coordinator looking for job in Field of Travel/Office Management. # -92459686/ 92816803, Emailkrupa_patel1984@yahoo.com Indian female, B.Com. knowledge of Ms .Office & Tally, 4yrs experience in A/Cing & admin dept .looking for good placement in any field. Contact.98928220 Part Time Accounting Job Complete Data Entry, Reporting and Finalization. Any Time Available.

Location Ruwi to Bharka. Please Contact- +968-92049215 Email:- aiafe.oman@gmail.com Accountant , Indian Male,24 years , 3+ years experience in Finance and Accounts, M.com Finance , Exposure in SAP & Tally ERP 9 , Good communication skill, on visit Visa. Contact 95366407 CAT (UK) , ACCA (UK) , 3 year experience. (including one year experience in EY world 3rd largest audit firm) looking for reputed company for a job of Internal Audit, Finance and Accounting.

Contact no: 00923008833525 Indian female B.Com Graduate, 4yrs experience in accounts, admin dept looking for placement in any field 98928220 Sudanese/Bsc IT/ 2 years experience/ excellent English-Arabic speaking/ Omani driving license/ Contact: 96387227, henrykarrar@gmail.com Indian female, 24yrs, M.Com (Accounts) having 3 yrs experience in Accounts, HR, Administration, Customer Service. Good Computer Proficiency seeks suitable Position. Visa Transfer/NOC Available. Contact: 99654913 Indian Female, B.tech bio-technology graduate. Knowledgeable in food processing techniques, having 2 yrs experieince as associate research analyst(media monitoring) in Nasdaq Omx, seeking for growth oriented job. Contact 92044603, angeline.babithac@gmail.com.

MATRIMONIAL

GOOD NEWS

Taimour Ayurvedic Clinic, Ruwi offers genuine & effective treatment for back pain, paralysis, cervical and lumbar spondylitis, osteoarthritis, joint pains, sinusitis, migraine, allergic problems, varicose vein and all other health related problems. Kerala massage and rejuvenation package available. For details please contact: 92197920/ 24799689 Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL , CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November street, Azaiba.Contact 99639695 / 99117987 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 / 92504980 , www.siddhayur.com

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com

Keralite Syrian Christian Parents seeking alliance from any Syrian Christian Denominations Graduated working girls preferably in Oman or UAE for their son MBA 29/175-born brought up in Muscat working in a reputed organization.

Contact 97226324 email: m4proposal@yahoo.com

NRI

Well qualified Christian girls looking for suitable alliance from well qualified and born again Christians (age 40 & 43). Contact 92560192 Email: pastorphilipmathew@gmail.com

Spacious, 2BHK flat for sale at Hebbal Bangalore. Contact 96263157 Attractive, savings, investments and insurance plans from SBI life (A Group Co of State Bank of India) Contact Mr. John Moras (95778431)

Suitable alliances invited from Executive professionals with family status for a good looking Nair girl employed in super specialty, Hospital at Cochin preferred from Malappuram Cochin TCR, Palaghat.

Contact 91530992 Email: gskumarmct@gmail.com We are looking for a Muslim Girl for our son interested parents or daughter May. Contact 97664009 Female BSC Nurse Christians RC Kannur Kerala inviting proposals from employed boys . Contact 00919496840556 /0096892490393

T U E S DAY, M A R C H 1 0, 2 0 1 5

D7

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

TOURS

TOURS

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact 99664703 Picking and drop. Contact 96743215 Transportation. Contact 98518979 Transport to ISWK. #93172589 Transportation . Contact 98178135 Transport available. #95356877 Transportation available.

Contact 95570429 Contd on pg 8

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DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

WEBSITE

MANPOWER

COMPUTER

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

DRIVING

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 Available construction workers, hospital staff with Oman parametric, housemaids Indian, Uganda.

Contact 9629417/98408488 Email: alkubratrading@gmail.com

BUSINESS

CLASSES

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807 Cheapest prices all types window, curtains and Blinds.

Contact 99539521

FOR HIRE

TRUCK FOR HIRE

Carpet & sofa shampooing. Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99884591 / 92682970

Isuzu 10 ton cargo body truck (2012 FVR) with UAE experienced driver available for long term / short term rent.

Cleaning services, carpet & sofa shampooing, marble restoration (grinding) and polishing, pest control, fogging service. Contact 99448057, 95401996

Contact: 95346950 Running truck wash for rent in Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people can. Contact on 97864747

Cheapest Prices, all types window, curtains and blind.

Contact 99539521

50 seater bus with PDO specification for rent or lease.

Contact 99839898

Computer service/ AMC/ Networking. Contact 91339882 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722

SIT.WANTED Female, MSc Chemistry, BEd, with 1.5yrs of experience as research officer in a chemical manufacturing company in India.

Ph: 95243584 Diploma in Fire and Safety Engineering, 3.5 year experience as a Safety Advisor in Carillion Alawi 27 year Indian male also having valid Omani driving license, looking for job Email:govindansreejit@gmail.com, Contact 968 9808527, 96176872

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722 House shifting. Contact 99708138

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

Learn Baking cakes, cup cakes & Icings, Handicrafts. # 95941515.

House shifting packing.

Contact 99657644, 98518013

Tutoring ACCA/CAT subjects, passing exams by expert lectures.

Contact +( 968) 99229700

Door to Door Computers repair specialist laptop software Website cartridges. Contact 99199376

Split & window unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact 99557080

AC service repair and maintenance.

Contact 95356877

Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

Cheap website / software development, SEO, SMO, SMM, APP store optimization, apps for IOS, Android, windows, blackberry.

Contact 9552687, www.ashterzsoft.com

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130 A/C maintenance & servicing & washing machine & dish washing repairing, painting & painting & cleaning services & electrical & plumbing. Contact 99447257/97014234/24504281 Pest control & cleaning services professionals in pest control service bedbugs treatment, rodent, treatment, snake treatment and termite treatment, pre and post construction. Contact 93098450, 96408964, fax : 24472116 A/C maintenance split A/C servicing. Contact 94217681/ 99210141

Window & spilt unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 96236476 Pest Control Treatments, Termites, Cockroaches, Bedbugs. Contact Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99344723 Carpet & sofa shampooing. Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99884591 / 92682970 GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC. all kind of pest control. #92326955 Feasibility study, market research, financial analysis of companies.

(968) 99229700

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact 91379976

Marble polishing & crystallization, building cleaning floor, floor polishing, carpet, sofa shampooing, pest control, anti termite shifting, maintenance. Contact 99504275

Pick & Drop any time. #97014786 Pick & drop anytime in al Khuwair.

Contact 99764307