Times of Oman - June 11, 2015

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THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 / 23 Sha’aban 1436 AH

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PRECAUTION

SUR

P U B L I C , P R I VAT E S E C T O R S

Be prepared for any eventuality, say safety experts Staff Reporter

MUTTRAH

SUR

MUSCAT

STORMY WEATHER: Overcast skies and rough sea ahead of storm arrival. – Supplied/Times of Oman

Foolish storm wadi crossers to face police As tropical storm Ashobaa sweeps into Oman, Royal Oman Police tells Times of Oman that anyone risking their lives, and that of rescuers, will face legal action

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MUSCAT: “Be ready to face strict legal action if you cross the wadis during the storm,” the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has warned the public.

“We have issued an advisory asking people not to cross the wadis, if they do so, they will be violating the rules,” an ROP official told Times of Oman.

With tropical storm Ashobaa closing in on the Sur coast, the ROP has asked motorists to stay away from the dangerous wadis.

The ROP official said, “Most of the deaths and injuries recorded during these weather conditions have occurred when people were trying to cross wadis.”

He added that they put not just

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

their lives but the rescue personnel’s lives in danger too.

A safety expert advised people not to “challenge the nature.”

He said, “People try to behave irrationally while trying to cross a wadi forgetting that even an oil tanker can float and will be swept away by water. They overestimate the power of their vehicle.”

He added, “We can never understand how a vehicle will behave under such conditions.”

In its Wednesday evening’s update, the Public Authority of Civil Aviation (PACA) said that the tropical storm was 220km away from the Southern Al Sharqiyah coast with maximum

sustained surface winds speed between 35 and 45 knots associated with convective clouds band around 120km away from the coasts.

“Heavy rains and strong winds are expected in the coming 48 hours. The wave height will be ranging from four to seven metres. The storm will continue to move towards South Al Sharqiyah coastal areas between Ras Al Hadd and Masirah associated with moderate to heavy rainfall and strong winds over southern Sharqiyah, gradually extending to northern Al Sharqiyah, Al Wusta, Muscat, Al Dakhiliyah and Batinah” the PACA statement said.

Meteorologists from Accuweather.com said Ashobaa would continue to sit off the coast, remaining stationary through Thursday and drifting closer on Thursday night into Friday. “Our forecast is that the storm will weaken as it drifts towards the coast. The heaviest rain will be right along the Sur coast to Masirah Island, between 25 and 75mm. Rough surf of 2-4 metres is expected with wind speed of 50-80 km/hr,” Anthony Sagliani, International Meteorologist at Accuweather.com, told Times of Oman in an email interview. >A6 TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

New E-post service

1

Oman Post Company’s new services aims to enhance the communication system. >A4

MARKET

‘Small urban centres’

3

There is a need to lead investors to smaller urban centres that witness fast growth. >B1

SPORTS Suicide bomber attacks Luxor tourist site

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Le Guen going to UAE?

3

Speculations are rife that Paul Le Guen may take over as the new coach of the UAE football club. >C1

MUSCAT: While the severity of tropical storm Ashobaa is difficult to predict, safety experts have said it is important to be prepared for any eventuality.

“People should be smart and need to be ready for the unexpected,” said a safety expert who has been in the adventure business for many years. He advised people to stock up on emergency supplies.

“Preparing your family and your home for a storm that is predicted is your responsibility. Stock supplies such as flashlight, candles, emergency medicines and first aid kits, apart from nonperishable food items, extra drinking water, cash and a gas cylinder,” he said.

“I would also advise people not to sleep deep at night. It is important to check if everything is alright. For example, you should check if there is water entering the house,” he said.

He also said people must switch off all electrical sockets that are sometimes left on.

In other advice, the safety expert said one must keep buckets around to collect water and put a mesh on the tank, so that water can be collected during this crisis.

He also asked residents to be alert to their surroundings.

An official of the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance on Wednesday said, “We request everyone to remain cautious when it rains and not step out unless there is an emergency.”

In a statement, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said that motorists should check their vehicles and

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US embassy alert MUSCAT: The US embassy in Muscat issued an emergency message to its citizens on Wednesday advising US citizens residing in or travelling through Oman to be vigilant. “Monitor local news reports for updated weather forecasts, ensure they have sufficient food and water for the storm period,” the message says.

ensure that windscreen wipers and headlights are working.

Meanwhile, Mark Pudwell, business development and training manager, Competence HR, said the most important aspect of safety during stormy weather is to obey all instructions from the ROP and Civil Defence.

“Those that choose to ignore this valuable information and then require to be rescued are endangering the lives of the rescuers. These agencies are highly trained and experienced in dealing with such dangerous weather, so all their advice and reminders must be followed. Fortunately, most people do heed the warnings. However, in spite of this, some people can find themselves in a desperate situation through no fault of theirs,” he told the Times of Oman. >A6

Ramadan office hours announced MUSCAT: Official working hours at the ministries, public authorities and other departments of the state’s administrative apparatus during the Holy Month of Ramadan for 1436 AH will be from 9am to 2pm, Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal bin Saud Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court and Chairman of the Civil Service Council, announced on Wednesday.

Ramadan moon-sighting will be announced by the authorities concerned.

Sayyid Khalid extended his heartfelt greetings and best wishes to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on this blessed occasion, praying to Allah the Almighty to protect His Majesty and grant him good health, happiness and long life and for the return of this and similar occasions on His Majesty for many years to come, the Omani people and our dear country further progress and welfare under His Majesty’s wise leadership and blessings to all Muslims.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri, Minister of Manpower, announced reduced working hours in private companies and establishments for Muslims during Ramadan to six hours a day and 30 hours per week.

All private sector employees extended their greetings and best wishes to His Majesty the Sultan on this blessed occasion, praying to Allah the Almighty to protect His Majesty, grant him good health, happiness and a long life and for the return of this and similar occasions on His Majesty, Omani people and all Muslims. -ONA

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

OMAN Indian group to open eye hospital

HEALTH INVESTMENT: The group has also taken the initial steps to open a chain of optical retail stores across the Gulf and a joint eye hospital-optometry college project is under way in the Dubai Healthcare City.– Supplied photo

Equipped with a state-of-the-art optic shop, the Al Salama Eye Hospital in Muscat will be operational within the next six months

A E JAMES businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An eye care hospital is to be set up in Oman by an Indian healthcare group, which has a strong presence in the South Indian state of Kerala, in their first venture in the Gulf.

Al Salama Eye Hospital will set up its eye care hospital in Oman with an estimated investment of OMR150,000 and will provide laser surgery and treatment for diabetic retinopathy, said top-level officials of the group, who were in

Muscat to announce the venture.

Equipped with a state-of-theart optic shop, the eye care hospital will be operational within six months.

The Oman facility will be developed by Al Salama’s fully-owned Dubai-based investment firm – Shone Investment FZE. Shone Investment is the hub for Al Salama’s operations in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Oman and Bahrain.

NRI shareholders The promoters are also looking at Non-resident Indian (NRI) shareholders to raise funds as equity investment for partly funding the Oman venture.

“We are conducting an investors’ meet tomorrow (Thursday) at 7.30 p.m. at the Crystal Suites Hotel to seek investments for the Oman eye care hospital,” A Muhammed Kutty, chairman of Al Salama group, told journalists here.

He said that the company has paid 17 per cent dividend to its shareholders last year and the average dividend payout was around 16 per cent in the recent past.

Al Salama is looking for investments of over OMR300,000 for its plans in Oman and other GCC states. He said the group,

which completed ten years, has a shareholder base of 10,000 people, mostly Non-resident Indians (NRIs).

Thousands of NRIs have holdings in Al Salama and the management believes that overseas ventures will help the group to reach out to its shareholders. Over 500 GCC citizens have already availed treatment at Al Salama, an indication for the widespread acceptance for the group in the region. More than 10,000 people in Kerala have benefitted from its cataract surgeries, which were conducted in their hospitals.

The group has also taken the initial steps to open a chain of optical retail stores across the Gulf and a joint eye hospital-optometry college project is underway in the Dubai Healthcare City.

“The idea behind the joint project is to help the Keralites and students abroad to understand the benefits of optometry courses, which have great job prospects”, said the chairman.

Apart from the chairman, Asharaf, vice chairman, A Samsudeen, managing director, Dr Mohammed Swadique, medical director and Ameerudheen, promoter of the hospital in Oman, also attended the media briefing.

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015 With the Oman Drydock, Oman is blessed with one of the best equipped, most competitive, most strategically located shipyards facing the Arabian Sea Dr Ahmed Al Abri, deputy CEO of Oman Drydock Company

OMAN

Tech boost for postal services

SEMINAR

SMEs urged to tap high growth global economies Times News Service

E-post to upgrade mails; Oman Post to receive residential land applications

Times News Service MUSCAT: With the launch of Oman Post Company’s new version of services to enhance the communication system in the country, the postal services have made a huge leap in the Sultanate.

With this new postal service, the Oman Post Company aims to keep pace with the economic developments in the Sultanate.

Since its launch, after the issuance of the Royal Decree No. 482005, the Oman Post Company introduced several new services in the Sultanate.

It has been working hard to develop postal services in the Sultanate as per a new strategy which aims to introduce more new technologies for the development of postal services and help custom-

SUPPORT SYSTEM: Oman Post will help in transfer transactions, commercial records, visa applications, loans etc.– Supplied photo

ers. The company is looking to increase the number of services and enhance the performance of its human resources. Also, the Oman Post Company seeks to find a strategic partner from the private sector, so as to achieve common goals and serve the nation.

As part of its development programmes, Oman Post has introduced a new service in association with the Ministry of Housing. The service is being offered from this month. With this service, it aims to help the ministry to facilitate housing to all citizens.

Through this service, Oman Post will receive residential land

applications and transfer them to the Ministry of Housing and its departments.

It is part of the company’s other services offered to citizens, including the provision of residential, agricultural and industrial land requests in addition to the change of ownership service.

The new housing and other services are provided exclusively from Oman Post to the ministry.

Apart from these services, Oman Post will help individuals transfer transactions, commercial records, visa applications, loans and redeem commercial transactions through mail.

MUSCAT: When it comes to exploiting new markets through exports, Oman has its fair share of success. But given that two-thirds of growth in global trade is coming from new entrants, there is a constant demand for business advice and support in breaking into the world’s high growth market economies and overcoming barriers, experts said here.

Attracting a large business crowd, Ithraa held a full-day ‘Trade Up Seminar’ on Wednesday at the Grand Hormuz Hotel.

The topic under discussion was the role of standards and specifications in developing trade.

“Our Trade Up Seminars are designed to help Omani SMEs network and guide them on how to improve their exports or export for the first time. We’ve been running these sessions for over a year and they’ve proven to be very popular with Omani exporters and manufacturers,” said Nasima Al Balushi, Ithraa’s Director General of Export Development.

“Meeting internationally recognised standards and specifications is key to any Omani firm looking to break into global markets,” pointed out Saif Khamis Al Mamari, Ithraa’s Director of

Our Trade Up Seminars are designed to help Omani SMEs network and guide them on how to improve their exports for the first time Nasima Al Balushi Ithraa’s Director General of Exports

Export Development. Standards and specifications is a system of references that contain technical information related to products, services and organizations - they guarantee quality and usage capabilities.

The seminar was led by Hiba Al Mazroui, Chemical Standards Specialist at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and

Sameera Jumaan Bait Azjoun, Head of Quality Control System at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

“Standards can vary from one country to another and this is why companies have to be prepared to adapt their products to foreign markets,” remarked Al Mamari. He added: “These standards are sometimes considered by companies as restrictions when they’re actually a tool to access other markets.”

Much of Wednesday’s seminar focused on how meeting standards and specifications can help businesses save time and money, cut production costs and drive economies of scale.

“It’s straightforward, by meeting internationally recognized standards and specifications companies reassure consumers that their products are safe, efficient and good for the environment. In fact, from our experience, we’ve seen businesses who meet the required international standards and specifications punch above their weight, win business and succeed in international markets. Indeed, this was the message we delivered at Wednesday’s Trade Up seminar,” concluded Ithraa’s Director of Export Development.

PUBLIC SERVICE

Private sector’s road safety contest starts on Monday Times News Service MUSCAT: A competition titled ‘Private Sector’s Message for Traffic Safety’, which aims to spread awareness on traffic safety, will be launched on Monday, under the auspices of Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi, chairman of Oman Football Association.

Fourteen vehicles will travel from the starting point at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel at 4p.m. to the designated destination at the Wave Muscat while passing through the Muttrah Corniche, Qurm Heights and Sultan Qaboos Street in Al Khuwair.

Muzna Al Hadi, a member of the organising committee said, “The idea came about keeping in mind His Majesty’s Royal Directives on October 18, 2009, about the importance of making an effort within the community to prevent traffic accidents.”

The competition will also highlight the efforts of the Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI) in co-operation with institutions in the community to promote ways to reduce work-related accidents such as speeding or fatigue while travelling to and from the workplace, she said.

Fourteen companies out of

Muzna Al Hadi, member of the organising committee

twenty have confirmed their participation in the competition.

The companies are chosen based on the number of employees registered with PASI. The teams will have to create and display an awareness message related to traffic safety, which in turn will be voted by the public for the best message via PASI’s social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) by liking or re-tweeting the message on the vehicle.

The first round of the competition will take seven days where only five vehicles will qualify for the final round of the competition.

MARINE MANAGEMENT

Oman Drydock has new deputy CEO Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Drydock Company (ODC) has appointed Dr Ahmed Al Abri, one of Oman’s most experienced maritime professionals, as deputy CEO to help support and increase its rapidly expanding operations.

Dr Al Abri, draws on 17 years experience as a naval architect overseeing major projects in shipyards around the world in the United Kingdom (UK), Holland, Romania and Singapore.

“When I first went to study Naval Architecture at Southampton University in the UK, there were no shipyards in Oman,” he said.

“Now, nearly 20 years later, with the Oman Drydock, Oman is blessed with one of the best equipped, most competitive, most strategically located shipyards facing the Arabian Sea. For me, this is a job which fits in with my experience and academic background. Shipyards are similar in their operations, and I have been very fortunate to work

Dr Ahmed Al Abri

in a wide range of them and learn from many talented people. ” “I am absolutely relishing investing that experience into the ODC working with the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd (DSME) team.

DSME has done a good job with the existing Omani staff getting this shipyard off the ground over the last 10 years. The vision now is to kick-off and build on this bedrock of more than 300 drydockings, repairs and conversions, and take Oman Drydock to the next level.”

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

TIMES O F O MAN

OMAN

OMAN GEARS UP FOR ASHOBAA LANDFALL

T I M E S OF OMAN

T HURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

S TAY A L E R T

A1 Avoid road travel < FROM

SAFETY TIPS

during storm

“In severe weather, people who live in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to shift with their essential belongings to an apartment on a higher level with friends or neighbours and ensure that they make no unnecessary journeys,” said Pudwell.

Road travel is particularly dangerous as not all drivers are accustomed to driving in adverse conditions and simply do not have the skills required to do so safely.

“Social media can provide vital information regarding water levels, but people should not use it to encourage others to venture out,” he pointed out.

Saying that there is also a tendency on the part of some people to try and rush home to avoid floods and check on their loved ones, he said, “This brings another set of issues regarding the volume of traffic on roads. Therefore, people whose work is non-essential must listen to the meteorological bulletins and pre-plan their schedule.

They should inform their employers that they require a day off.”

Everyone should be familiar with the emergency numbers and know how to make an emergency call. Non-essential use of the Internet should be avoided to reduce the likelihood of network systems failure which may hinder civil defence and police operations.

BRACING FOR ASHOBAA

A1 Exams postponed < FROM

Meanwhile, bracing for the cyclone, the Ministry of Education has postponed all its examinations and it has prepared its schools as shelters.

Authorities have opened the dam gates in Quriyat.

Al Nahdha Hospital has closed its doors, and national carrier Oman Air has issued travel advisory. Naval posts at Strait of Hormuz are on alert, hotels in Sur and Masirah have stopped taking guests and many programmes at schools and offices have been postponed. “By afternoon, it started raining in Sur and in its neighboring areas. Rain fell in Tiwi in the morning itself. All are cautious,” residents in Sur said.

Late in the evening, sources in Masirah said that ferry services between Shannah and Masirah has been stopped.

“In all, there are 10 ferries operating between Masirah and Shannah. All have stopped their services,” sources said.

In the afternoon, Al Nahdha Hospital issued a circular stating that in view of the anticipated heavy rain forecast by the weekend, the hospital management has decided to close medical services at Al Nahdha Hospital from June 10 afternoon until June 13.

Emergency OMFS, ENT, and eye cases will be referred to Khoula Hospital,” the circular said. Surgeries booked for June 11 are cancelled and will be scheduled to the nearest date.

The staff would be communicated with updates about the beginning of the service on Saturday.

In the evening, the gates of Wadi Dayqah dam were opened as a precautionary step.

“It is a precautionary move,” Eng. Mahmood Al Azri, director of Dams Department at the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, told Times of Oman. “The gates of the dams

Tropical cyclone

Weather condition for the next 48 hours Moderate to heavy rain ARABIAN GULF

SE

Sohar

AO F OMAN

Muscat Ibri

Samail Qalhat

Tiwi Sur

Qarn Alam

Masirah Duqm Marmul ARABIAN SEA Salalah Mirbat Sea will continue to be rough or very rough along the Sultanate’s coast (Maximum wave height between 4 and 7 m.)

Source: PACA

Graphics

in various parts of Oman are checked to make sure that they are working properly,” the director added.

The director also added that his department is coordinating its efforts with other authorities including the civil defence team to respond to any emergency.

Oman Air, the national carrier, had issued a travel advisory on Wednesday. “Due to unforeseen weather conditions in Oman for next two days, kindly check with airport authorities for any outbound and inbound flights,” the airline tweeted in its official Twitter handle.

Special shelters have been opened at schools in Seeb, Qurayat, Bausher, Muttrah, Amerat and Muscat for emergency. Meanwhile, naval posts in Strait of Hormuz are also on alert.

Steps to avert goods’ scarcity MUSCAT: In preparation for the ‘Ashobaa’ landfall, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has taken steps so that there is no scarcity of consumer goods and fuel in the market.

Mahmoud bin A’mer Al Hatali, assistant director general of commerce at the ministry of commerce and industry, said that steps have been taken in coordination with commercial centres to avoid shortage of goods. -ONA

Many people who find themselves in danger in flooded and wind damaged areas do so because they fail to heed to the advice and warnings of the emergency services. Listen, stay alert and stay alive,” Pudwell added.

Royal Oman Police said, “Always remember the emergency number 9999. Use it in any difficulty.”

Keep candles and working flashlight ready

Cell phone should be fully charged

Fill your vehicle tank

Buy nonperishable and unfrozen food

Store extra food, water and medicines

Seal window air conditioners with scotch tape to avoid leaks

Keep sandbags. They are handy

Update your first-aid supplies

Stock prescription and nonprescription medicines

Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture

Stay away from windows if high winds are predicted

Stay out of basements

Keep copies of important documents saved digitally

Withdraw extra cash from ATMs as they won’t work in case of power cut

Stay in touch with family members

If you need to leave home, turn off electricity

Keep emergency numbers

Check weather updates

Don’t park cars under trees

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

REGION

Fighters opposed to the Houthis advanced from a district of Aden known as ‘workers’ island’ towards the port city’s Houthi-held international airport. Five local fighters and 11 Houthis had died in clashes.

Yemen’s residents and fighters

NAT I O N AT WA R

Clashes between Hadi’s supporters, Houthis kill 43 in Yemen ADEN: At least 43 people were killed in heavy fighting in Yemen overnight and on Wednesday between supporters of exiled President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi and the country’s dominant Houthi group, residents, tribal and medical sources said.

The clashes erupted ahead of UN-sponsored talks in Geneva next week aimed at ending a conflict that has drawn in Saudi Arabia and some of its allies on one

side and the Houthis and former president Ali Abdullah Saleh on the other. Residents and fighters said fighters opposed to the Houthis advanced from a district of Aden known as ‘workers’ island’ towards the port city’s Houthiheld international airport. They said five local fighters and 11 Houthis had died in clashes.

Eight fighters from an antiHouthi force called the Southern Resistance were also wounded in

the clashes, they said. Residents said warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition flew sorties overnight against Houthi outposts in the Bir Ahmed area north of Aden, killing 12 members of the Zaidi group.

Saudi-led air strikes on Houthi fighters in the oil-producing Marib province also killed 10 Houthis, tribal sources said. Separately, in the central city of Taiz, medical sources said five civilians had been killed when they were caught in

the middle of fighting between the Houthis and local resistance fighters aligned with Hadi.

Representatives of Hadi’s government are scheduled to begin talks in Geneva with representatives of the Houthi group and Saleh’s General People’s Congress party on Sunday, amid reports of disagreements about the agenda.

Mohammed Abdel Salam, spokesman for the Houthi group, said late on Tuesday that their represen-

tation at the conference was still under discussion and had yet to be finalised.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting, which escalated sharply after Saudi-led Arab forces waded into the conflict in March to try to shore up Hadi and stop the Houthis advancing.

Houthis deny having any military or economic links. The Houthis say their seizure of the capi-

tal Sanaa in September and their advance south is part of a “revolution” against a corrupt government. Humanitarian conditions have deteriorated sharply, with shortages of fresh produce, poultry, flour, fuel and other basic needs. Residents also complain that uncollected garbage, rotting under sizzling temperatures of nearly 50 degrees Celsius in Aden, has caused the spread of disease such as dengue fever. — Reuters

Bomber attacks Luxor tourist site, four hurt Tourism is one of the top sources of income and foreign currency earnings for Egypt, and the sector has become a target for militants

CAIRO: A suicide bomber blew himself up near Egypt’s ancient Karnak temple in the southern city of Luxor on Wednesday, security sources and witnesses said, the second attack in just over one week targeting Egypt’s vital tourism industry.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in which four Egyptians were wounded, the health ministry said. Gunmen on a motorcycle shot dead two members of Egypt’s tourism and antiquities police force on a road near the Giza pyramids last week.

Attack foiled The Interior Ministry said in a statement it had “foiled a terrorist attack” at Karnak and that two assailants had been killed and a third wounded. It did not give further details. Security sources said the casualties at Karnak included bazaar shop owners and two policemen. No tourists were wounded, according to government officials. Images from the scene of the explosion showed what appeared

SUICIDE ATTACK: Debris is seen near shops damaged during a suicide attack in Luxor, Egypt, on Wednesday. – Reuters

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to be body parts on the ground in front of a tourist shop and atop a public restroom. Uniformed and plainclothes police gathered nearby, and ambulances were parked beside tourist buses.

Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Al Damaty said he had, in coordination with the Interior Ministry, ordered security to be bolstered at ancient sites across Egypt.

Tourism is one of the top sources of income and foreign currency earnings for the Arab world’s most populous country, and the sector has made an effective target for militants. In 1997, 58 tourists and four Egyptians were killed in an attack in Luxor at a woman pharaoh’s temple. There were conflicting reports on the

details of Wednesday’s attack at Karnak, around 2 kilometres (1.6 miles) from the centre of Luxor, although all sources said three attackers were involved.

A senior Interior Ministry security source told MENA the attackers tried to target a tourist bus before security forces engaged them, while security sources and witnesses said the men had tried to storm a barricade to enter the site.

One blew himself up, while the others engaged in the gunfight in which both were badly wounded. One died on the way to hospital. The latest attack could impact Egypt’s efforts to win back foreign tourists scared away by political and economic turmoil since the 2011 protests.

Security sources said two small roadside bombs in the Cairo area were discovered by security forces. Separately, a soldier was killed by gunmen in the North Sinai town of Rafah, bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip, security and medical sources said. — Reuters

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INDIA

BJP must be defeated in Bihar election: CPI Asking BJP to remember that

of poor farmers and

BJP appears to have become a political arm of RSS. As a result, the social and secular fabric of the country is threatened and there seems to be a challenge to the Constitution

being dictated by

D. Raja

India does not have a presidential form of government, Raja charged NDA government with patronising corporates at the cost

CPI National Secretary

‘Sangh Parivar’ outfits BHUBANESWAR: Accusing National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of “undermining” parliamentary democracy and concentrating all powers in the prime minister’s hands, the Communist Party of India on Wednesday said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) must be defeated in Bihar assembly polls.

“Ever since BJP-led NDA came to power, Parliamentary democracy has been considerably undermined while all powers are concentrated with Prime Minister...this is dangerous,” CPI National Secretary D. Raja told reporters here.

Asking BJP to remember that India does not have Presidential form of government, Raja charged NDA government of patronising corporates at the cost of poor farmers and being dictated by ‘Sangh Parivar’ outfits.

“BJP appears to have become a political arm of RSS. As a result, the social and secular fabric of the country is threatened and there

seems to be a challenge to the Constitution,” he claimed.

Under these circumstances, there is a need to stop and defeat BJP in the Bihar assembly election as it would have considerable impact on national politics, Raja said.

CPI, which has taken cognisance of the coming together of some political parties for polls in the east Indian state of Bihar, would consult other Left outfits on the issue before taking a decision, he said.

Stating that the first priority is to strengthen unity and coordination among all Left Parties, he said CPI national council is slated to meet towards the end of the month and a decision on joining the alliance of Janata Dal- United (JD-U) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) could be taken then.

Before that, the party would analyse the situation and see what kind of adjustments the other political parties are interested in, Raja said.

On the question of Congress becoming a part of a secular front, the CPI National Secretary said Congress should review its neoliberal economic policies which, he said, were responsible for soaring inflation and hitting common people hard.

“Congress must change its economic policies,” he said.

Slamming Narendra Modi-Government for making tall claims about its one-year rule, Raja claimed it has done little for the poor and farmers and its promises of ensuring good days and bringing back black money from abroad have been proved hollow.

“Where are the good days?

When will they come? Infact nobody knows. BJP had promised to retrieve black money and stated that every citizen would get Rs1.5 million. However, no such thing has happened so far,” he said.

Claiming that a major achievement of NDA rule was that corporate houses have become very

FIRST OF ITS KIND

Indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant undocked KOCHI: India on Wednesday undocked its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at a simple ceremony at Cochin Shipyard Limited here in Kerala.

The ship, built at CSL, will undergo a series of fitment and trial

processes before it is ready for propulsion and inducted into the Navy, CSL officials said.

India’s largest aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant’s induction into the Navy will be done after a series of static and dynamic trials, they

said. The successful completion of the 40,000 tonne aircraft carrier puts India in the elite group of four nations — the US, Russia, the UK and France — in the world capable of designing and constructing aircraft carriers. - PTI

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powerful as they dictate and influence policies, Raja said Modi government is patronising corporates by way of many concessions and exemptions.

Corporate tax was reduced from 30 per cent to 25 per cent in the budget, he said.

Mounting a scathing attack on the BJP government, Raja said support to social sector was substantially slashed particularly in areas like education, health, welfare and similar other activities.

Describing the Modi government as anti-poor and anti- farmer, the CPI leader said farmers are highly distressed in the absence of remunerative prices for their produce and in the midst of heavy debt burden.

Despite its loud claims, the NDA government has done everything to weaken economic federalism.

Funds for several schemes have been stopped, curtailing the economic powers of the states and their share, he added. - PTI

PA R T Y ’ S S I X T H NAT I O NA L C O N V E N T I O N

Pawar re-elected NCP president, launches broadside against Modi PATNA: Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar was on Wednesday unanimously re-elected as the president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and used the occasion to launch a broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of indulging in game of politics on foreign soil.

Seventy-four-year-old Pawar’s re-election was declared by NCP General Secretary T. P Peetambhar Master at the party’s sixth national convention here.

Pawar has held the post ever since he founded the party in 1999 after parting ways with Congress.

Attacking Modi, he said, “Indulging in the game of politics on foreign soil is a serious issue and in doing so, the country’s image had taken a beating.”

Modi had hit back at the opposition over its criticism about his frequent foreign visits, saying he was being attacked for “tireless” work and had asserted that if it was a “crime” he would continue to do it.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also taken potshots at previous governments which practiced ‘Look East’ policy, saying India has had enough of it and it’s time to ‘Act East’.

Pawar also lashed out at the Modi government for using all means at its disposal to implement its “saffron” agenda and ideology.

Saffron agenda “Recently some experts from IIT met me in Delhi and told me how the saffron agenda was being pushed through in education,” he said.

Speaking at the national convention of the party where he was re-elected president, Pawar said, “In the name of development, saffron ideology is being implemented. It is a challenge and NCP has a national duty to counter it.”

BRIEFING: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar addresses the party’s sixth national convention as others look on in Patna on Wednesday. - PTI

Pawar described the upcoming Bihar assembly elections as the defining moment for politics in the country.

“It is our responsibility to bring all democratic parties on a single platform to ensure huge defeat of BJP,” Pawar said.

Stating that Bihar was the route of every big change that takes place in Delhi, Pawar said reality of false assurances and hollow slogans of Modi government will be exposed in the Bihar polls and BJP would bite the dust.

Stating that lack of social harmony was a big challenge posed

by Modi government in addition to increasing uncertainty in agriculture and economy, Pawar said India was a live example of unity in diversity.

“It will be injustice to the basic characteristic of India to impose uniformity on it”, he said adding, “If not checked strictly, then it will have far reaching repurcussions.” Pawar accused the Centre of ignoring farmers and farming sector.

The budgetary provision for agriculture and allied sectors was slashed this year, he said. The political and economic resolutions adopted at the meeting came down heavily on the Centre’s policies and also reiterated the party’s strong opposition to the land acquisition ordinance. - PTI

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

A 10

FIND-IT-ALL

PRAYER TIMINGS

W E AT H E R

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.11pm 3.30pm 6.58pm 8.20pm 3.52am

LISTINGS

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

Tel. 23291635

PARTLY cloudy skies along the governorates of the Sultanate with chances of moderate to heavy downpour over the governorates of south Al-Sharqiya and north Al-Sharqiya and chances of convective clouds development and thundershowers over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining areas. Chances of late night to early morning low level clouds along the Oman Sea coasts.

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

SEA STATE: Rough along the southeastern coast and Oman Sea coast with a maximum wave height of 3.5 metres and moderate along the western Musandam coast with a maximum wave height of 1.5 metres.

HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during thundershowers and fog formation.

THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Partly cloudy skies with chances of rain along the Arabian Sea coast. Chance of convective clouds developments and thundershowers associated with hail and fresh downdraft wind over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining areas towards afternoon.

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

OMAN Max 41 Min 28

Max 34 Min 29

Ruwi Hotel: 24704244 Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200 Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772 Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666 The Chedi Muscat: 24524400 The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570 Sifawy Hotel +968 24749111 Juweira Hotel +968 23239600

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

MUSEUMS Bait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fish market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm Natural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Museum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, SatWed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946 Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707 Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Sat to Wed: 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 Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Sohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Sat to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Muscat Gate Museum: At Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

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

Max 37 Min 29 L O N G D I S TA N C E B U S T I M I N G S ( O M A N N AT I O N A L T R A N S P O R T C O M PA N Y S A O C ) * S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Max 42 Min 28

Max 43 Min 27

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

Max 32 Min 28

Max 43 Min 27

BERLIN: A man cycles past a lawn sprinkler at the Tiergarten

park. -AFP

Max 33 Min 29 —www.met.gov.om

WORLD

Max 31 Min 21 Max 24 Min 15

Max 42 Min 22 Max 18 Min 12

Max 16 Min 12

Max 23 Min 16

Max 35 Min 29

Max 28 Min 25

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

Max

Min

41 40 43 47 38 44 29 43 31 30 21 30 19 14 33 30 29 17 16 24 21 30 25 27 14

27 25 26 31 27 24 21 27 27 18 13 16 12 6 16 21 26 11 9 13 7 26 17 9 4

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

Max

Min

30 23 24 27 25 25 29 18 42 31 15 28 22 21 21 29 16 29 29 20 16 36 26 25 29

25 14 15 14 28 14 27 12 22 21 10 25 14 13 15 21 8 19 27 14 12 27 19 15 19

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

20:50

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

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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 07:00 Ruwi

10:25

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

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

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

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

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

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

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

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

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

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

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

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

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

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

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

Daily

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

Daily

16:50

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

ISC Kachchhi wing celebrating “Aashadhi Beej”— Kutchi New Year” with Gujarati drama “Wah Mummy Wah” Al Falaj Hotel,Ruwi on 12 June at 7.30 pm. Contact :99064960 and 92577912

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

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

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

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

The Home Show - Oman is a 3 day event being held from 27th

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

International Travel and Hospitality show, 14-16 Dec 2015

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily 07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily LISTINGS 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

Muscat, OIEC.

LISTINGS

October to the 29th October 2015 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre in Muscat, Oman.

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

CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA Jurassic World ( Act ) Cast : Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Ty Simkins 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 & 11:55 pm CP No: 1495 ( PG12 )

Jurassic World (Act, Adv) (3D) (PG12) Cast : Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 9:15, 11:45 pm Jurassic World (Act, Adv) (2D) (PG12) Cast : Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, 02:00, 06:45 pm Spy (Action, Comedy) (18+) Cast : Jude Law, Raad Rawi, 7:15, 9:30 pm Dil Dhadakne Do (Dra, Rom) (TBC) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 05:00, 08:15 pm Insidious Chapter (Horror) (15+) Cast : Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson 03:00, 11:30 pm Better Living through Chemistry (Comedy, Drama) (15+) Cast : Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, 05:30 pm San Andreas (Act, Adv) (3D) PG Cast : Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino 04:30, 11:45 pm A Mouse Tale (Animation) (PG) Cast : Tom Arnold, Drake Bell, Miranda Cosgrove 2:00, 03:45 pm

Hamara Adhuri Kahani (2D)(Dra) (PG) Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajkummar Rao, Sara Khan. 9:00pm San Andreas (3D) (Act) (PG) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario 12:15 & 05:00pm Jurassic World (3D) (Act/Adv) (PG12)

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard 09:30 & 11:45pm Gold Class: 08:45 & 11:15 pm Jurassic World (2D) (Act/Adv) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard 10:30am. Gold Class: 12:45pm.

Spy (2D) (Action/Comedy) (18+) Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, Melissa McCarthy 02:45 & 07:15pm. Gold Class: 03:15 pm Insidious Chapter 3 (2D) (Horror) (15+) Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott 11:45 pm Dil Dhadakne Do (2D) (Dra) (PG12) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 6:00 pm. Gold Class: 05:30 pm A Mouse Tale (2D) (Animation) (PG) Cast: Tom Arnold, Drake Bell, 10:30 am, 12:45 & 02:30 pm.

Better Living through Chemistry(2D) (Comedy/Drama) (15+) Cast: Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Monaghan 4:15 pm

SCREEN 1 Hamari Adhori Kahani (Rom/Dra) – PG Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao 2.30, 5.30, 11.45 pm Dil Dhadakne Do (Rom/Dra ) – PG12 Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shefali Shetty, Anushka Sharma Priyanka Chopra, 8.15 pm SCREEN 2 Dil Dhadakne Do (Rom/Dra ) – PG12 3.00, 6.00, 11.45pm Hamari Adhori Kahani (Rom/Dra) – PG Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao, 9.15 pm Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Rom) – PG

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan 3.45, 6.45, 9.45 pm SCREEN 3 Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Rom) – PG Cast: Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan 3.30, 6.30, 9.00, 11.45pm

San Andreas - 3D (PG) Acti | Dra Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario 9:15, 11:30 pm Spy - 2D (18+) Action | Comedy Cast : Jude Law, Raad Rawi, Melissa McCarthy 6:30, 11:45 pm Dil Dhadakne Do - 2D (PG12) Dra Cast : Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 03:00 pm Jurassic World - 2D (PG12) Act Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 02:40 pm Jurassic World - 3D (PG12) Act | SciCast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, 06:45, 09:15, 11:45 pm Better Living Through Chemistry 2D (15+) Comedy| Drama Cast: Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, 3:00, 07:25pm Preservation - 2D (15+) Horror Cast : Wrenn Schmidt, Pablo Schreiber, Aaron Staton 05:00, 11:50pm A Mouse Tale - 2D (PG) Animation Cast : Tom Arnold, Drake Bell, Miranda Cosgrove, 3:00, 4:45pm Hamari Adhuri Kahaani - 2D (PG) Drama | Romance Cast : Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajkummar Rao, Sara Khan 4:45, 09:10pm

Premam - 2D (M) (TBC) Com | Romance Cast : Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, 08:45pm Romeo Juliet - 2D (T) (PG) Com Cast : Jayam Ravi, Hansika Motwani, Vamsi Krishna, 6:15pm

Jurassic World - 2D (Act/Adv) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Ty Simpkins 3:00 pm Jurassic World - 3D (Act/ Fi) (PG12) Howard, 04:45, 09:15, 11:30 pm A Mouse Tale– 2D (Animation) (PG) 3:00, 05:05pm San Andreas – 3D (PG) (Act, Dr) 6:45, 11:45pm Premam – 2D (Com, Romance) (TBC) Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, 8:45pm Dil Dhadakne Do – 2D (PG12) (Dr) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, 3:30pm Romeo Juliet– 2D (Tamil) (Dr) (PG) Cast: Jayam Ravi, Hansika Motwani, Vamsi Krishna, 6:30pm Hamari Adhuri Kahaani - 2D (Dr) (TBC) Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajkummar Rao, 09:15 pm Spy - 2D (18+) (Action, Comedy) Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, 07:00, 11:45pm

Jurassic World (3D) (Act) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, 4:15, 09:30, 11:45 pm Jurassic World (2D) (Act | Adv) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, 02:45pm

A Mouse Tale (Animation) (PG) Cast: Tom Arnold, Drake Bell 05:00 pm Spy (Action | Comedy) (18+) Cast: Jason Statham, Jude Law 06:45pm Hamari Adhuri Kahaani (Hindi) (Drama | Romance) (PG)9:00 pm Dil Dhadakne Do (Hindi) (Dra) (TBC) 01:15pm Premam (Mal) (Com| Rom) (TBC) 06:30pm

San Andreas (3D) (12+) (Act, Dra, ) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, 5:15, 11:55pm Spy (2D) (18+) (Action, Comedy) Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, 12:30, 11:30 pm Insidious: Chapter 3 (2D) (15+) (Hor) Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, 02:00, 10:05pm Dil Dhadakne Do (2D) (PG12) (Dra) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, 2:15pm Jurassic World (3D) (PG12) (Sci-Fi ) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, 7:15, 09:30, 11:45pm Jurassic World (2D) (PG12) (Sci-Fi ) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, 12:00 pm Romeo Juliet (2D) (PG) (Com) Cast: Jayam Ravi, Hansika Motwani, Vamsi Krishna, 5:45pm Hamari Adhuri Kahaani (2D) (PG) (Drama, Romance) Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajkummar Rao, 07:30pm Better Living Through Chemistry (2D) (15+) (Comedy, Drama) Cast: Sam Rockwell, 5:45pm A Mouse Tale (2D) (PG) (Animation) Cast: Tom Arnold, Drake Bell, 12:15, 04:00pm

Preservation ( Horror /Thriller) Cast: Wren Schimidth, Pablo Schrieber, Aron Staton 1:15 pm & 11:55 pm CP No: : 1496 (15+) San Andreas (Action / Thriller) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Deddario, Carla Gugino 1:00 & 5:15 pm CP No: 1381 (PG) Hamara Adhuri Kahani ( Romance ) Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajkumar Rao 3:00, 7:15 & 9:30 pm CP No: 1497 (PG)

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

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776

Premam (Mal) (Com) Cast: Navin Pauly, Anupama & Sai Pallavi 3:00, 6:30 &10:00pm At Cinema Main Saturday Only: 12:00, 3:00, 6:30 & 10:00pm At Cinema Main Masss (Tamil) (Act/Horr) only Thursday Cast: Surya & Nayantara 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30pm at Cinema -2 Romeo & Juliet (Tamil) (Act/Rom) From Friday Cast: Jayam Ravi & Hansika Motwani 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30pm At Cinema -2 Hamari Adhuri Kahani (Hindi) (Rom) Cast: Emraan Hasmi & Vidya Balan 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 Pm Cinema-3 Chandrettan Evideya (Mal) (Rom/Com) Cast: Dileep, Namitha & Anu Sree 3:45 & 6:45 pm Cinema -4 Next Change: Laila O Laila ( Mal )

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

T HURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY INSTALL WHATSNEWS

‘Myanmar strike will be a lesson for terror groups’ As the pre-dawn cross-border operation appeared to signal a possible change in India’s counter-terrorism approach, the government stressed that it has ‘zero tolerance’ towards terror and terror organisations

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: A day after Army carried out the first of its kind surgical strike in Myanmar, government on Wednesday said India’s response is a “lesson” to all militant groups that it will not hesitate in going beyond its borders to eliminate terrorists.

As the pre-dawn cross-border operation appeared to signal a possible change in India’s counter-terrorism approach, the government also said it has “zero tolerance” towards terror and terror organisations.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, meanwhile, fully backed the Army’s strike on insurgent camps in Myanmar, saying such operations should be continued to completely flush out militants from the region.

SUCCESSFUL OPERATION: BJP workers burst crackers to celebrate the successful operation of Indian Army against militants in neighbouring Myanmar, in Bhopal on Wednesday. - PTI

“The military’s action against insurgents with assistance from the Myanmarese government speaks volumes about India’s resolve to fight terror. This is a lesson and a message to all the terror groups that India will not hesitate in going beyond its geographical borders to eliminate terrorists,” Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

While replying to a query, he, however, refused to comment on if India will carry out a similar strike on Pakistan-based groups plotting terror against India.

Javadekar was speaking to reporters in Mumbai while outlining the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government’s one year in office.

In New Delhi, senior Minister Nitin Gadkari at a briefing on the Union Cabinet meeting initially ignored questions by reporters on whether the ministers congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the cross-border operation.

When pressed further, he said that the issue was not discussed at the meeting and that the Prime Minister was not congratulated

at the meeting. “It is already clear that we have a zero tolerance towards terror and terror organisation. The official spokesperson of military has given detailed information about the action that our military has done,” Gadkari said.

He was asked whether hot pursuit will be the new policy of Government of India in cases of terror strike. Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had on Tuesday said, “This message is now very clear to all those who harboured intentions of terror on our country. Unprecedented though, but our Prime Minister has taken a very bold step and given a go ahead for hot pursuit into Myanmar.”

In the first such cross-border operation, special forces of the army in coordination with the air force on Tuesday carried out a surgical strike inside Myanmar, killing insurgents of the groups believed to be responsible for the ambush in Manipur that left 18 soldiers dead.

A total of 38 insurgents were killed in the strike, according to latest reports. - PTI

INDIA

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TIMES O F O MAN

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

COMMEN ARY ISO 9001:2008

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Founder: Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali Chairman and Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Anees bin Essa Al Zedjali Chief Executive Officer: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali Editorial: 24726666, Fax: 24813153; E-mail: editor@timesofoman.com Advertising: 24726666, Fax: 24812624 Circulation: 24726600, Fax: 24818270; E-mail: circulation@timesofoman.com Printed and published by: Muscat Media Group P.O. Box 770, Ruwi, Postal Code: 112, Sultanate of Oman.

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Don’t mislead students about value of degrees

U

S Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s decision to forgive the federal loans of tens of thousands of students who attended Corinthian Colleges will provide relief for those who were seduced into taking on debt in exchange for degrees and certificates that turned out to be useless.

Corinthian, a for-profit company, filed for bankruptcy last month after finding itself in the cross hairs of federal and state lawsuits and multiple investigations. The Education Department’s decision, announced on Monday, is a rebuke to members of Congress who have steadfastly defended these companies, which have feasted on federal student aid, despite clear evidence that many earn their profits by preying on low-income students and veterans.

The flaws in this system have long been clear. For-profit colleges account for only about 12 percent of student enrollment but for nearly half of student loan defaults. In addition, an analysis of federal data by the Institute for College Access and Success, a nonpartisan policy organization, shows that graduates of for-profit schools are much more likely than graduates of other institutions to have debt of $40,000 or more. In other words, the problem of excessive debt goes well beyond schools that may be guilty of fraud.

The schools compound the problem by misleading students about the value of their degrees. This spring, for example, the Department of Education fined Corinthian $30 million for misrepresenting job placement rates in one of the chains it owns, saying that the company had “violated students’ and taxpayers’ trust.” This came on top of a 2014 lawsuit by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which charged that the school had “lured tens of thousands of students to take out private loans to cover expensive tuition costs by advertising bogus job prospects and career services.”

The Department of Education has broad authority to forgive debt in cases where schools have committed wrongdoing. The pressure on it to do more in this area has been building in the states where attorneys general have taken the initiative in shielding people from predatory schools. In April, nine attorneys general petitioned the department to forgive the debts of students harmed by schools that have broken the law and to pursue large companies that “seem to exist largely to capture federal loan dollars and aggressively market their programs to veterans and low-income Americans.”

Speaking bluntly, Duncan said that some for-profit schools had brought “the ethics of payday lending into higher education.” The department’s proposal promises forgiveness to students who were enrolled in Corinthian schools that closed after June 20, 2014, or who withdrew after that date without completing their program. Students at other institutions who believe they were defrauded by their schools may seek debt relief. — The New York Times

MAKING TRADE WORK

Old business booms in China’s new economy ADAM MINTER

Elections in Gilgit-Baltistan

T

he elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) have passed off relatively peacefully, allegations of rigging appear to be limited.

Fortunately, there do not appear to be any reports of deaths as a result of the electoral process and the final count is still awaited from some polling stations. All of which ought to sound (fairly) positive when compared to the violent shambolic mess that prevailed in parts of Pakistan in recent by-elections. In the wake of a peaceful poll, the unfortunate reality is that for all their worthy and law-abiding intent, the people of G-B still have no parliamentary representation in the federal government in Islamabad. The reason for this is that like Pakistani-administered Kashmir, G-B is not formally a part of Pakistan, has not been since independence in 1947, and shows no sign of being so in the foreseeable future. The region is administered by Pakistan under a UN mandate which gives it a superficial outwards impression of being a province of Pakistan, but in functional terms it isn’t — and there are many in G-B who are far from certain that they want it to be so anyway.

The region was promised a similar status to that of Pakistani-administered Kashmir but it has yet to achieve that kind of self-determination. Although G-B has functional mainstream political parties as well as a plethora of smaller independent political groupings, the G-B Assembly is little more than window dressing.

Leading lights of both the PPP and the PML-N only appear north of Raikot Bridge once in a blue moon, mainly because there is no real political capital to be exploited in an area that is divorced from the powerhouses of Islamabad and Punjab — the two parcels of Pakistan which have provided most of the senior administrators for the last 50odd years to the delight of nobody. The area raises little or no revenue and is heavily dependent on the Centre. The ‘sensitivity’ of the entire region has crippled the tourist industry that once thrived there and it remains politically peripheral. — Express Tribune

People need to be aware of the weather precautions This refers to the news story, Search on for child swept away at Oman’s Seeb beach, (June 9). Prior to this incident, news outlets had already published an alert about the storm to make people aware of the weather situation and also to inform them about the precautions to be taken while going to the beach. May Allah protect the child.

Rashid Nazir Lahore, Pakistan

Family is to blame for the child missing at beach This refers to the news story, Search on for child swept away at Oman’s Seeb beach, (June 9). Such incidents should never happen but the family is to blame for it. While I was driving at Seeb beach, many

families were surfing in the rough conditions.

Vinesh Mandalia Muscat

The news on Sohar sugar refinery plan is welcome This refers to the news story, Oman’s first sugar refinery to start operation in the first quarter of 2018 (June 7). In the past, such a project was to start near the Muscat port. I hope that this plan, too, is not abandoned.

Uday Patankar Muscat

Why is personal trust at such a premium in China? Part of the reason is that consumer rights in China, even when they have a basis in law, are weak, since the country’s court system is mostly inaccessible for people of modest means

L

ast weekend, 90 buses, filled with 4,500 Chinese tourists, roamed the Netherlands courtesy of Perfect (China) Co. Ltd., a direct sales firm specialising in household and beauty products. It was an ostentatious trip, but nothing compared to the early May tour of France that Tiens, another Chinese direct sales firm specialising in health and beauty sponsored for 6,400 of its representatives. And that was smaller still than the 110 flights chartered in mid-May to take 12,700 Chinese tourists to Thailand, all of whom -- that’s right -- work for another Chinese direct sales company, Infinitus, specialising in health and beauty products.

Welcome to China’s booming direct sales sector, where revenues have gone from zero to $18 billion in the past decade. It might seem surprising that such an old-fashioned business model -which revolves around people hawking wares to people they already know -- is succeeding despite facing competition from the world’s largest ecommerce sector. But there’s a reason direct sales have found fertile ground in China: Trust is still a relatively scarce commodity in the country’s business world. The modern direct sales industry began in the West in the late 19th century, when companies began handing out commissions to people who agreed to work their personal social networks for sales. Nearly a century passed before Avon (the direct sales company famous for its Avon ladies) tried expanding to China in 1990.

Amway followed in 1995.

By 1998, Amway was bringing in revenues of $200 million per year. The direct sales model proved ideal for China’s many would-be entrepreneurs who were eager to get into business, but who lacked the capital (or political connections) to start something on their own. The industry also happened to fit seamlessly with China’s business culture, which places a premium on working with people whom you already trust, such as family members, classmates, and people from the same village. Why is personal trust at such a premium in China? Part of the reason is that consumer rights in China, even when they have a basis in law, are weak, since the country’s court system is mostly inaccessible for people of modest means.

As a result, some manufacturers cut corners because they know Chinese consumers have few ways to hold them accountable for selling shoddy

READERS’ FORUM NEW INDIA ASSURANCE New India offers a wide range of HEALTH INSURANCE COVERS to you/family/employee. website: www.newindiaoman.com

Cannot wait long for storm to bring rain to Muscat This refers to the online live blog, Rain in Sur, Ministry of Education postpones all examinations (June

If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good BILL GATES

products. The public has learned they have good reason to be wary of counterfeits and contamination when shopping at their local markets.

Many consumers find direct sales transactions more reassuring -- especially for health and beauty products, like diet supplements -- because they typically come with the endorsement of friends, relatives or someone else they know. Nonetheless, direct sales companies initially faced some resistance from the Chinese government. The country’s growing mid-1990s direct sales networks, supported by foreign companies, were viewed with official suspicion by the Communist Party, which has a history of treating organised social networks -- whether for the purpose of participating in politics or selling makeup -- as potential rivals. In 1998 the government banned direct sales businesses outright. In truth, the sector could have used more government oversight in its earliest years. Some unscrupulous entrepreneurs learned to leverage the trusting relationships that are the foundation of any successful direct sales networks to prop up scams. There have been thousands of cases in China where salespeople were persuaded to invest their savings in worthless inventory (including a notorious ant breeding pyramid scheme that cost investors $385 million, and the organiser his life).

In 2005, under heavy lobbying pressure from US and Chinese direct selling firms, the government legalised the business under a new law that ensured that salespeople don’t have to prepurchase inventory, among other provisions designed to prevent Tupperware parties from becoming criminal enterprises. Today, China is Amway’s leading market(with more than $4 billion in annual sales), and four Chinese companies are ranked in the top20direct sales companies in the world. In the next few years China will almost certainly surpass the US to become the world’s biggest direct sales market.

That’s not to suggest that China’s direct sales successes should be treated as the foundation for the country’s economy. China’s world-beating ecommerce marketplace, which racked up $440 billion in 2014 sales, has a much more promising future. But it’s worth remembering that there are many Chinese consumers who prefer to buy from somebody they know, even if they carry a smartphone in their pockets. At the very least, it’s a reminder that China’s future economy won’t easily leave its past behind. — Bloomberg View

10). Ashobaa is still is far from Muscat. However, I must say that all we need now is some rain. So rain, please come!

Mazhar Javed Muscat

this matter and ensures that its notifications are not ignored.

Abde Ali Saifuddin Bani Bu Ali

Meter readers in taxis will help ensure fair rates Private companies ignore government notifications This refers to the online story, Private, public sector Ramadan timings announced (June 10). Private companies do not follow the rules as they do not even bother to take notice of such announcements.

The government should take action against these companies or inform the employees about how they can complain about them if they ignore the official orders.

However, as employees are afraid of losing their jobs, it is imperative that the government looks into

This refers to the news story, Is 500 baizas more really worth a life in Oman? (June 7). I was once a victim of such a taxi driver while I had just arrived in Oman. A driver asked for OMR4 to drop me from Al Hail North to Muscat City Centre, at which I was simply speechless. Another time a driver asked me for OMR3 for the same route. I laughed at him and only gave him OMR1. It would be a lot better to have meter readers for taxis so it would be fair to the passengers.

Jhimmy Lynne Muscat

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

T HURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

A13

PERSPEC IVE Putin’s image as ‘James Bond villain’ is overblown LEONID BERSHIDSKY

A preoccupation with Putin at this level is far more serious than the Bond villain listicles that have been made about Putin for years.

If policymakers and pundits see Putin as a major, even dominant threat, countering that threat will become a policy priority

D

espite spending hundreds of millions of dollars on foreign-language propaganda, all that President Vladimir Putin has achieved outside Russia is the status of a Bond movie villain.

He may enjoy it, especially since there’s no 007 in sight to tackle him, but his variety of pop stardom is growing into a problem for his country: He is seen as a bigger threat to the West than his actions warrant.

A fresh survey of European and US politicians and policy wonks by the website Politico revealed that Putin is seen as by far the biggest threat facing Europe and its relationship with the U.S. Brexit? Grexit? Economic problems? A million migrants waiting in Libya to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, or the extremist parties that would have these migrants drown rather than resettled? Are these threats really less deadly than one rather short Russian man? “Putin has achieved a pop-culturefueled notoriety rarely bestowed upon world leaders,” McKay Coppins wrote in a BuzzFeed article on Jeb Bush‘s upcoming European tour. The yet-undeclared Republican presidential candidate is expected to attack Putin at each stop, including Poland, where the newly elected President Andrzej Duda campaigned on taking a tougher stand against Putin‘s aggression. Bush will also speak in Estonia, where President Toomas Hendrik Ilves accuses Putin of destroying the post-World War II order in Europe.

Duda‘s anti-Putin rhetoric needed to be tougher than the incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski’s to win. In the same way, Bush‘s rhetoric must be a few degrees hotter than that of President Barack Obama. That isn‘t easy. On Monday, Obama used his public appearance at the end of the Group of 7 summit in Germany to hammer the Russian president. “Does he continue to wreck his country‘s economy and continue Russia‘s isolation in pursuit of a wrong-headed desire to re-create the glories of the Soviet empire?” he asked.

A preoccupation with Putin at this level is far more serious than the Bond villain listicles that have been made about Putin for years. If policymakers and pundits see Putin as a major, even dominant threat, countering that threat will become a policy priority. So far, rearmament in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine has been largely limited to Russia‘s neighbors in Eastern Europe. Still, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation officials are playing up the Russian threat, which has breathed new life into a declining organisation. Doing business with Russia is politically unpopular, so the damage to Western trade with Putin‘s country is likely to go

beyond the Ukraine-related sanctions that will probably get extended later this month.

The perception of the threat Putin poses, and the rhetoric of response to it have outgrown the the threat itself. Taken much further, that response could even feed Putin’s paranoia about the threat the West poses to his regime and Russia more broadly, that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Since the Minsk ceasefire in eastern Ukraine came into effect in February, Russia has not used its regular troops to gain more territory, although the feisty Ukrainian government has provided potential excuses for action. The government in Kiev has imposed a de-facto economic blockade on the rebel-held regions, making it difficult for goods and people to move across the contact line. It has been in no hurry to make the legislative changes required by the Minsk deal to give more autonomy to the eastern regions. Instead of steamrolling the still-weak, underequipped and undertrained Ukrainian military, Putin has been giving it time to recover from previous defeats. Last month, the pro-Kremlin site Gazeta.ru announced that “Project Novorossiya” -- the idea that the two rebel “people‘s republics” in eastern Ukraine would unite to form a pro-Russian unrecognised state -- had been shelved, and that the Russia-based unofficial support structures for the project had been disbanded.

In recent days, the rebels tried to grab the village of Maryinka from the Ukrainian forces, but were pushed back and apparently denied the kind of Russian support that allowed them to claw back a lot of lost territory a year ago and then win the crucial railroad junction of Debaltsevo in February.

None of this looks as though Putin is “re-creating the glories of the Soviet empire”. There is no question he pines for those glory days, but, were he a bona fide Bond villain, he‘d try a lot harder to obliterate Ukraine’s pro-Western government.

As it is, he seems intent on a negotiated solution, even though he is trying to drive a hard bargain. This behaviour is not consistent with plans to invade Estonia or Poland and not compatible with presenting the biggest threat to European order.

Putin is a dictator and respects nobody‘s rights but his own. That doesn‘t, however, mean that he is intent on destroying the world with nuclear weapons unless it bends to his will, or on launching a blitzkrieg in Europe. He will make trouble for the EU, NATO and the US, but he is careful not to unduly endanger the grip that he and his billionaire friends have on Russia. — Bloomberg View

G-7 finally embraces decarbonisation JEFFREY D. SACHS

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his week’s G-7 meeting at Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps marked a major breakthrough in climatechange policy. The seven largest high-income economies (the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Canada) made the revolutionary decision to decarbonise their economies during this century.

For the first time in history, the major rich economies have agreed on the need to end their dependence on fossil fuels. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Barack Obama, and the other G-7 leaders have risen to the occasion and deserve strong global approbation.

The historic breakthrough is recorded in the final G-7 communiqué. First, the G-7 countries underscored the importance of holding global warming to below 2° Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit). This means that the Earth’s average temperature should be kept within 2°C of the average temperature that prevailed before the start of the Industrial Revolution (roughly before 1800).

Yet the global warming to date is already around 0.9°C – nearly

half way to the upper limit.

Then, the G-7 leaders did something unprecedented. They acknowledged that in order to hold global warming below the 2°C limit, the world’s economies must end their dependence on fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas).

Currently, around 80 per cent of worldwide primary energy comes from fossil fuels, the combustion of which emits around 34 billion tons of carbon dioxide.

This level of emissions, if continued in future decades, would push temperatures far above the 2°C upper limit. Indeed, with rising worldwide energy use, continued dependence on fossil fuels could raise global temperatures by 4-6°C, leading to potentially catastrophic consequences for global food production, higher sea levels, mega-droughts, major floods, devastating heat waves, and extreme storms.

The science is clearer than many politicians would like. For humanity to have a “likely” chance (at least two-thirds) of staying below the 2°C threshold, a small reduction in CO2 emissions will not be enough. In fact, emissions will have to fall to zero later this century to stop any further rise in

the atmospheric concentration of CO2. Simply put, the world economy must be “decarbonised.”

The breakthrough at the G-7 summit was that the seven governments recognized this, declaring that the 2°C limit requires “decarbonisation of the global economy over the course of this century.” The G-7 finally stated clearly what scientists have been urging for years: humanity must not merely reduce, but must end, CO2 emissions from fossil fuels this century.

Decarbonisation is feasible, though by no means easy. It depends on taking three key steps.

First, we must become more energy efficient, for example, through modern building designs that reduce the needs for heating, cooling, and energy-intensive ventilation. Second, we must produce electricity with wind, solar, nuclear, hydroelectri, and other non-carbon energy sources, or by capturing and storing the CO2 produced by fossil fuels (a process known as CCS). Third, we must switch from fossil fuels to electricity (or hydrogen produced by zero-carbon electricity) or in some cases (such as aviation) to advanced biofuels. — Project Syndicate

British EU poll debate hijacked JEREMY CORBYN

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hat have we learnt so far from the debate on our upcoming European Union referendum? We know that UKIP wants to zip up our borders, huddle in a corner, and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

We also hear all the time about what business wants from Europe – fewer regulations and fewer protections for workers.

But outside of the discussion, which has been monopolised by xenophobes and boardroom interests, are millions of ordinary British people who want a proper debate about the merits of staying in or leaving the European Union.

There are strong arguments for staying in. I support the free movement of people that has benefited many Brits who have lived, worked or retired abroad.

After all, this EU agreement has also helped us fill skills shortages in our workforce – something made necessary by insufficient investment under successive governments in vocational training and lifelong learning provision.

That said, the EU could and should be doing more on certain issues. Like many others I want to be working in co-operation with our neighbours on issues that cannot be managed within our borders, such as tackling climate change.

The pork barrel politics of the common agricultural policy also need urgent reform. As it stands, taxation from Europe’s citizens is subsidising the incomes of some of the continent’s wealthiest landowners, in-

The EU is too beholden to corporate interests, and the behind-closeddoors negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) confirm this. This poses a huge threat to our environmental standards, consumer protections and workers’ rights

cluding our own.

The EU is too beholden to corporate interests, and the behind-closed-doors negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) confirm this. This poses a huge threat to our environmental standards, consumer protections and workers’ rights.

What’s more, there is clearly a democratic deficit when even elected members of Parliament don’t have access to papers being discussed, and when the proposals include a supranational and unaccountable judicial system to arbitrate on trade policy.

And I’m also concerned by the direction and advance of EU foreign policy development with all new member states required to join North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), which suggests both a militaristic turn in Europe and the block that puts on an independent foreign policy.

Many people are rightly worried by the Conservatives’ eagerness to argue away our hard-won human rights, and protections like the working time directive, as “EU red tape”.

Some people see Europe as a force for social protection, against a UK government that wasted public money taking a failed legal challenge against EU plans to put modest restraints on bankers’ bonuses.

The near million people who have supported the Robin Hood Tax campaign likewise ask why the UK stands apart from those 11 European nations seeking to take forward a financial transactions tax that could deter bad banking practice and raise billions for social good.

I was among only 25 lawmakers who backed it in a parliamentary vote in 2011.

There is a lot wrong with the European Union, a lot of change needed, but I want to hear from the British people about what sort of Europe they want – discussing all these issues and more.

My fellow Labour leadership candidates differ on whether Labour should join a cross-party Yes campaign or run an independent one, but I think it pre-empts the debate. I want Labour to set its own agenda and use this pre-referendum period to discuss this across the country.

My party needs to engage its members and wider society, and welcome a wideranging debate.

That process needs to start now. If we don’t, we vacate the space to the narrow agendas of UKIP or corporate boardrooms, leaving most people disenfranchised, and Europe and the UK a poorer place for it. — The Independent

Apple makes big push into music streaming

TODAY IN HISTORY

Tech giant Apple has unveiled its Apple Music streaming service – designed to challenge rivals such as Spotify, Google and Amazon APPLE MUSIC CATALOGUE More than 30 million songs available for streaming, alongside your own iTunes music library. Service allows content to be downloaded for offline listening

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

CURATION “For You” section provides hand-picked playlists based on your personal tastes.

“New” lists most popular current music across genres SIRI INTEGRATION Ask Apple’s digital assistant to find music you want to hear, such as songs from specific years or genres

king of Castile.

1863

At the Battle of Brandy Station in Virginia, Union and Confederate cavalries clash in the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War.

1942

The Japanese high command announces that “The Midway Occupation operations have been temporarily postponed.

1959

The first ballistic missile-carrying submarine, the USS George Washington, is launched.

OMAN- IRAN JOIN PANNEL CONCLUDES SEVENTH SESSION

BEATS 1 24-hour global radio station hosted by real DJs broadcasting live music and interviews from New York, Los Angeles and London CONNECT Artists can share photos and songs with fans who subscribe, and respond directly to fans’ comments AVAILABLE In 100 countries on June 30 for iOS devices (Android in autumn). After free three month trial, users pay $9.99 per month, or $14.99 for families (up to six people)

Source: Apple

1064 Coimbra, Portugal falls to Ferdinand,

Graphic News /

Graphics

MUSCAT: The Omani-Iranian joint committee, which met here for several days, concluded yesterday its seventh session and signed minutes of the meetings. Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, minister of commerce and industry, signed for the Omani side and Ishaq Jehangiri, Iranian mines and minerals minister, signed for the Iranian side. Maqbool said the seventh session of the Omani-Iranian joint committee discussed trade and economic cooperation, draft trade agreement, protection and encouragement of investment and bilateral cooperation between the governorates of Musandam and Hermuz Jan through annual exchange of visits by governors of the two governorates. Maqbool said the Iranian side welcomed the Omani idea of opening a trade office in Bandar Abbas and was willing to extend necessary facilities in Martyr Rajai Area. The Omani side also promised to furnish a list of the required facilities. He said the Iranian delegation also proposed the establishment of a joint company in the copper industry sector.

HISTORYNET.COM

A 14

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

PAKISTAN

Sorry, the petition is dismissed. This matter has to come to an end someday.

This court has already dismissed the plea regarding age. For the court, the case has already been closed when the review petition was dismissed Nasirul Mulk, Chief Justice

One ‘teen’ killer hanged, another’s appeal rejected went to the gallows in the eastern city of Lahore after more than two decades on death row while hours later the apex court turned down Shafqat Hussain’s mercy plea

Justice system Critics say the country’s criminal justice system is marred by police torture and poor legal representation, meaning many of those now facing the gallows have not had a fair trial.

Hussain’s case has attracted particular attention from international human rights campaigners.

On Tuesday he was granted his

Depleting groundwater threatens food security PAKPATTAN (PAKISTAN): Until recently, Ghulam Mustafa made a living growing sugarcane, rice, barley and wheat on his 10acre farm in Punjab province. But these days he is struggling.

The water available in wells in the area is dwindling, and the cost of pumping it to his crops is rising.

Like many other farmers in the area, Mustafa, 51, now plans to cultivate only half his land and leave the rest for his livestock.

“The groundwater level in our area has gone down around 15 to 20 feet in the last five to six years,” he said. “And unfortunately it continues to decline each year.”

Across Punjab province and two districts of neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, groundwater supplies are depleting at 16 to 55 centimetres (6 to 21 inches) a year, according to a study carried out by the International Waterlogging and Salinity Research Institute (IWASRI), part of the Pakistani government’s Water and Power Development Authority.

Aftab Bahadur Masih

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday hanged a man allegedly tortured into confessing to murder as a minor and rejected an appeal from another also said to have been under-age, in the latest death row cases to draw international condemnation.

Aftab Bahadur Masih went to the gallows in the eastern city of Lahore after more than two decades on death row, prison officials said, despite pleas for mercy from lawyers and church leaders who said he was only 15 when convicted.

Hours later the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Shafqat Hussain, convicted of killing a young boy in 2004 — when his lawyers and family say he was under 18 and therefore not eligible for execution.

Pakistan’s resumption of executions in December after a sixyear moratorium has prompted grave concern from rights groups, the United Nations and the European Union.

A G R I C U LT U R A L W O E S

LOSING BATTLE: Foreign observers leave the Supreme Court after an appeal by lawyers for Pakistani death-row prisoner Shafqat Hussain against his death sentence was rejected in Islamabad on Wednesday. — AFP

Pakistan’s resumption of executions in December after a six-year moratorium has prompted grave concern from rights groups, the United Nations and the European Union

fourth stay of execution in five months. But on Wednesday the Supreme Court rejected an application by Hussain’s lawyers to set up a judicial commission to determine his age.

“Sorry, the petition is dismissed. This matter has to come to an end someday,” said Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, the head of a three-judge panel. “This court has already dismissed the plea regarding age. For the court, the case

has already been closed when the review petition was dismissed.”

The ruling clears another obstacle to Hussain’s hanging, though it was not immediately clear when a new death warrant would be issued.

Hussain’s lawyer Tariq Hassan said two new mercy petitions had been sent to the president. Hussain’s age has proved difficult to prove. His supporters say he was 14 or 15 at the time of the killing

but police insist he was over 20.

Exact birth records are not always kept in Pakistan, particularly for people from poor families like Hussain’s.

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said the country has now hanged over 150 convicts since restarting executions in December following a shocking Taliban school massacre.

Deaf ears In the Masih case, a last-minute plea for clemency from rights groups, church leaders and the Justice Project Pakistan, a human rights law firm handling his case, fell on deaf ears.

He had spent 23 years in prison after being convicted of murder in the eastern city of Lahore in 1992.

Supporters say Masih was tortured into confessing to the crimes as were two of the wit-

nesses against him — including his co-accused Ghulam Mustafa — who have both since retracted their statements.

In a moving essay from his condemned cell, published by Britain’s Guardian newspaper a day before his execution, Masih reflected on his life on death row, during which time he received numerous death warrants.

“I doubt there is anything more dreadful than being told that you are going to die, and then sitting in a prison cell just waiting for that moment,” he wrote. “For many years -- since I was just 15 years old -- I have been stranded between life and death. It has been a complete limbo, total uncertainty about the future.”

British anti-death penalty campaign group Reprieve condemned Masih’s hanging as a “travesty of justice” and a “shameful day for Pakistan’s justice system”. — AFP

Farmers’ efforts Efforts by farmers to find more water are only exacerbating the problem. Muhammad Saeed, director at IWASRI, said that 42 percent of the land in Punjab is irrigated using wells and the excessive pumping of groundwater is quickly lowering the water table.

Mustafa, for instance, said he must deepen his well in Pakpattan district almost every year to get enough water for irrigation. The deeper his well gets, the harder his generator has to work to pump out the water - and that uses more diesel fuel. The farmer’s monthly fuel bill for his pump has increased from 5,000 rupees ($49) to 7,000 rupees ($68) in just the last year.

“Pakistan lacks a water recharge system in the area, as we cannot get water from the Sutlej and Beas rivers under the Indus Water Treaty with India,” Saeed said.

That water-sharing treaty, signed in 1960, divides the Indus River system equally between India and Pakistan, giving each country exclusive use of three of the river’s tributaries.

“In the near future, farmers will no longer be able to grow waterintensive crops like sugarcane and rice,” Saeed predicted. — Reuters

C L I M AT E C H A N G E

Plan unveiled to cut carbon emissions 30 pc by 2025 ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan struggles with the rising risks of floods and melting glaciers, it is crafting a plan to cut its planetwarming emissions under a new global climate deal due to be agreed in Paris in December.

The South Asian nation is currently considering a goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent from 2008 levels by 2025. Senator Mushahidullah Khan, the federal climate change minister, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that Pakistan intended to submit its contribution to the global climate agreement by September 30, an informal UN deadline ahead of the Paris meeting.

Pakistan accounts for less than 1 per cent of total global emissions. “Yet we still see an opportunity in cutting the country’s carbon emissions,” Khan said in an interview. A team of technical experts and government officials is putting together Pakistan’s draft “intended nationally determined contribution” (INDC), as the plans are termed, with international support.

Khan said his ministry would finalise its INDC by July 30, and send it to the prime minister for approval before submission to the U.N. climate change secretariat.

Pakistan’s energy and transport sectors are the country’s largest source of emissions, together making up half of the national total, while agriculture produces 39 percent, according to a 2008 national greenhouse gas inventory.

“For us, the most important target sectors for mitigation efforts include energy, transport, agriculture and industry,” said Sajjad Ahmed, director-general for climate change and envi-

Viable carbon-cutting policies identified for the country include boosting renewable energy, cutting electric power loss during transmission, efficient water use in agriculture to reduce diesel-powered pumping, minimising farm tillage to keep carbon in the soil and using manure to generate biogas ronment at the federal climate change ministry.

At present, the country’s emissions are increasing at an annual rate of 6 percent, or 18.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. Emissions were 147.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2008.

Business-as-usual scenario “Pakistan’s carbon emissions will reach 400 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (per year) by 2030 if the business-as-usual scenario remains intact,” said Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry, author of Pakistan’s climate change policy and former director-general of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Uncurbed emissions would speed up the melting process of glaciers in the north, trig-

ger severe floods and harm the country’s economic growth, he warned.

Syed Badshah Bukhari, former director general of the Pakistan Forest Institute, said forests had major potential to reduce the national carbon footprint, as trees sequester carbon. Emissions could be cut nearly 40 percent by expanding the percentage of Pakistan’s land area under forest from around 5 percent now to 25 percent by 2030, he noted.

“This target can be achieved by involving communities, educational institutions and the private sector in mass tree plantation campaigns,” he said.

“However, this will require political will and a complete ban on tree-cutting during the next 15 to 20 years,” he added.

Asjad Ali, chairman of the Alternative Energy Development Board, said climate change concerns must be integrated across energy policy, because today’s investment decisions would fix the infrastructure, fuel and technologies to be used for decades to come.

The government is promoting energy-efficient systems and LED lighting by removing duties on imports and encouraging investment in the production of energysaving lights.

The transport sector alone is responsible for about a fifth of the country’s total emissions and over half of oil consumed. The introduction of energy-efficient mass transit systems could shrink the sector’s carbon footprint by 30 to 40 per cent by 2025, Abdul Hakeem Baloch, state minister for communications, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Some progress has been made. — Reuters

T HURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

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WORLD Suu Kyi in China ahead of elections The Myanmar opposition leader is visiting her country’s northern neighbour alongside a delegation following an invitation from China’s Communist Party

BEIJING: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in China on Wednesday for a debut visit that will cast an intriguing light on Beijing’s attitude towards the democracy champion and Nobel laureate as she bids to take power.

Suu Kyi emerged from Beijing’s main international airport exit wearing a white top and pink sash and surrounded by police and security, before getting into a black sedan, according to an AFP reporter on the scene.

Beijing was a key backer of Myanmar’s military junta while it was under Western sanctions — most of which have been lifted since 2011 —

H E A LT H

South Korea president Park postpones US trip amid MERS outbreak

PRECAUTION: Women wearing face masks walk on a street in Seoul on Wednesday. - AFP

SEOUL: South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has postponed a planned trip to the United States, her spokesman said on Wednesday, amid growing public alarm at the MERS outbreak which has now claimed nine lives.

The decision to delay the June 14-18 visit came after Park’s administration came under fire for what critics say has been an inadequate response to the crisis.

“President Park decided to postpone the US trip in order to help end the outbreak of MERS and take care of public safety,” her senior press secretary Kim Sung-Woo told reporters.

“We asked for understanding from the US government and both nations agreed to reschedule the trip at the earliest convenience.”

Two new deaths and 13 new cases were confirmed on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths to nine and the number of infections to 108 in the worst outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outside Saudi Arabia. The first infected patient was diagnosed on May 20 after a trip to Saudi Arabia.

The 68-year-old man spread the virus, visiting four medical facilities and infecting other patients and health care workers.

Since then, nearly 3,500 people who were exposed to infected people have been placed under quarantine of varying strictness.

Triggered alarm The outbreak has also triggered alarm elsewhere in Asia.

A woman was rushed to a Hong Kong hospital Wednesday

on suspicion she had contracted MERS, after returning from a trip to South Korea.

Hong Kong had previously quarantined 19 people as a precaution against MERS and had also isolated suspected cases which turned out to be false alarms. Park’s approval ratings have taken a dive as critics accused her administration and health officials of responding too slowly to the crisis.

A survey by polling agency Realmeter showed on Wednesday that more than half of South Koreans opposed her planned trip to the US, a major ally.

The two latest fatalities were a 75-year-old woman and a 62-year-old man. They contracted the virus at Samsung Medical Centre, a major hospital in Seoul.

It has seen 47 infections, the highest number at any single health facility, as well as 10 of the 13 new patients reported Wednesday. The three other new victims had their diagnoses confirmed at three different hospitals, two in the central city of Daejeon and one near a southern suburb of Seoul.

All the infections, however, were limited to hospitals.

The nine dead had pre-existing health conditions, the health ministry said, adding four patients so far have recovered and were released from hospital.

As the number of cases and deaths has risen and public alarm grew, nearly 2,500 schools — mostly in Seoul and surrounding Gyeonggi province — were closed Wednesday, up 300 from the previous day. - AFP

a much needed international ally for a brutal regime that crushed dissent and kept Suu Kyi under house arrest for more than 15 years.

Now the 69-year-old is visiting China both as a free woman and a politician ahead of crunch elections slated for November at which her National League for Democracy party (NLD) are expected to make significant gains, if the vote is free and fair.

Nicholas Farrelly, a Myanmar specialist at the Australian National University, said the former political prisoner will not allow China’s historical support for a junta that imprisoned her to cloud her judgement.

“Aung San Suu Kyi is getting on with the business of trying to win an election. She will be utterly pragmatic about what is at stake and cannot afford to indulge undue sentiment,” he said.

“She knows that China will play a mighty role in Myanmar’s future.” Suu Kyi is visiting Myanmar’s giant northern neighbour alongside a delegation of NLD members following an invitation from China’s Communist Party.

The NLD has said she is expected to meet President Xi Jinping and premier Li Keqiang, but no detailed itinerary has yet been released by the Chinese authorities.

An official at the airport from

Myanmar’s embassy in China, however, said she would meet Xi on Thursday and would be staying at the Diaoyutai State Guest House. The delegation’s arrival comes as China’s once near monopolistic relationship with Myanmar faces competition from a raft of new suitors.

Myanmar President Thein Sein has embraced the international community following the lifting of most sanctions and reached out to the United States, which is hankering after friends in Southeast Asia as part of its Asia “pivot”.

Suu Kyi became one of the world’s most famous political prisoners during her house arrest for

much of the 1990s and 2000s because of her outspoken opposition to military rule.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

But her global image as an upholder of human rights has lost some of its lustre as she has come under criticism for her reluctance to speak out on the plight of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims, who are at the centre of a migrant crisis engulfing the region. While in Beijing, she will likely face calls to raise the case of jailed fellow Nobel laureate Chinese writer Liu Xiaobo, sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for circulating a petition calling for democratic reforms. - AFP

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

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‘Cairo to Cape Town’ pact signed The 26-nation free trade pact was signed

by African leaders at a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

SHARM EL SHEIKH: African leaders signed on Wednesday a potentially historic 26-nation free trade pact to create a common market spanning half the continent from Cairo to Cape Town.

The deal on the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) caps five years of negotiations to set up a framework for preferential tariffs easing the movement of goods in an area home to 625 million people.

Analysts say the pact could have enormous impact for African economies, which despite growth still only account for about two

CREATING A COMMON MARKET: Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, second right, and President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim, left, attend a meeting to sign a pact during an African summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh on Wednesday. – AFP

percent of global trade.

The TFTA pact was signed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia and Mohamed Bilal, vice president

of Tanzania, at a summit in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm El Sheikh. But hurdles remain, with the timeline for bringing down trade barriers yet to be worked out and the deal needing ratification in national parliaments within

two years. “What we are doing today represents a very important step in the history of regional integration of Africa,” Sisi said as he opened the summit.

Addressing the summit, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the TFTA would allow Africa “to make tremendous progress and move the entire continent forward”.

“Africa has made it clear that it is open for business,” he said.

The deal will integrate three existing trade blocs -- the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) -- whose countries have a combined Gross Domestic

Product of more than $1 trillion (885 billion euros).

“The geographical area covers Cape to Cairo... the agreement paves the way for a continental free trade area that will combine the three biggest regional communities,” Desalegn said at the summit. Mugabe said the deal will create a “borderless economy” that would rank 13th in the world in terms of GDP. Members of the three blocs range from relatively developed economies such as South Africa and Egypt to countries like Angola, Ethiopia and Mozambique, which are seen as having huge growth potential. Negotiators drafted the deal this week at Sharm El Sheikh,

and said it had addressed concerns such as management of trade disputes and protection for small manufacturers once the TFTA comes into force. Officials said the agreement envisions the eventual merger of the three blocs. “The ultimate goal is to ensure easy movement of goods in these countries without duties,” said Peter Kiguta, director general of the East African Community.

The TFTA has been widely welcomed by world business leaders, with experts pointing out that only 12 per cent of Africa’s trade is between countries on the continent.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said in 2013 that if Africa is to boost its intra-continental trade, it must focus on creating “more space for the private sector to play an active role”.

Analysts say that although the continent’s growth over the past 15 years outstripped global GDP expansion by nearly three percentage points, falling commodity prices, power shortages, political instability and corruption are still holding back its economies. — AFP

KASPERSKY LAB

‘Virus targeted Iran nuclear talks venues’ GENEVA: A computer virus was used to hack into venues linked to international talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, Russian computer security company Kaspersky Lab said on Wednesday.

The Wall Street Journal said the virus was widely believed to be used by Israeli spies and Kaspersky had linked it to “three luxury European hotels” used in the negotiations involving Iran and six world powers.

Cyber-intrusion Kaspersky said it looked into the “cyber-intrusion” after detecting the “Duqu 2.0” malware in its own systems in early spring this year, which it said was designed to spy on its technology, research, and internal processes.

Other victims of Duqu had been found in Western countries, the Middle East and Asia, it said in an emailed statement.

“Most notably, some of the new 2014-2015 infections are linked to the P5+1 events and venues related to the negotiations with Iran about a nuclear deal,” the statement said.

“P5+1” refers to the six world powers negotiating with Iran on curbs to its disputed nuclear programme — the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.

The talks have been held in Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Munich and Vienna.

In February, the United States accused Israel of using selective leaks from the talks to distort the US position. Israel has denounced the diplomatic opening to Iran, saying it doubts any agreement arising from the talks will sufficiently restrain the disputed nuclear programme of its Iran.

During various rounds of the talks, Israeli officials said they knew what was being discussed from various sources including intelligence gathering and information relayed by allies.

The officials did not elaborate on the latter, but did assert that Israel never spied on the United States, its closest ally.

The unidentified group behind the Duqu malware, according to Kaspersky, was “one of the most skilled, mysterious and powerful threat actors in the APT (advanced persistent threat) world”.

Persistent threats Advanced persistent threats typically refer to sophisticated software created by state-backed cyberspies.

Kaspersky said Duqu was previously used for an unspecified cyberattack in 2011 that bore similarities to Stuxnet, a computer “worm” that partially sabotaged Iran’s nuclear programme in 2009-2010 by destroying a thousand or more centrifuges that were enriching uranium. — Reuters

INSIGNIFICANT CHANGE

Spacecraft glitch shifts orbiting ISS MOSCOW: The orbiting International Space Station (ISS) has shifted in position after an engine glitch on a docked spacecraft which is due to bring astronauts back to Earth this week, Russia said.

The engines of the Soyuz spacecraft “switched on unscheduled which led to an insignificant change in the position of the ISS”, Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, said in a statement on its website.

The Soyuz is docked at the ISS in readiness to take three astronauts home on Thursday, and Russia said “the necessary measures had been taken to stabilise” the space station and the glitch would not affect the astronauts’ return.

No threat “There is no threat to the crew of the ISS, the station itself or the return of the Soyuz TMA-15M ship to Earth on schedule,” the space agency said.

The engines switched on for “less than a minute” during testing of the automatic docking system, a space industry source told the RIA Novosti state news agency. Another source told the Interfax news agency that mission control probably gave the wrong command from Earth,

MALFUNCTION: In this May 29, 2011 NASA photo, the International Space Station is featured against a backdrop of the Earth’s horizon and the blackness of space. – AFP/Handout/NASA

meaning the Soyuz ship did not malfunction.

Russia’s troubled space programme has experienced a series of recent failures. It was forced to delay the departure and landing of astronauts in May after a supply ship fell back to Earth after a rocket failure.

The space agency said the supply craft’s design will be altered to prevent the problem occurring again with that particular type of rocket. The next manned mission to the ISS is due to blast off between July 23 and 25, launching from Kazakhstan and carrying astronauts from Russia, Japan and the United States, Roscosmos said on Tuesday. — AFP

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‘Take investors to the smaller urban centres’ Urban development can help boost the region’s economy and generate job opportunities for Omanis, a study by National Centre for Statistics and Information says

Times News Service MUSCAT: There is an urgent need to lead investors to smaller urban centres that witness fast demographic growth and urban development as this could help boost the regions’ economy and generate job opportunities for locals, a study shows.

The study titled ‘Families in the Sultanate of Oman – Their Social and Economic Characteristics,’ was released recently by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The study noted that urban planners must factor in the increasing number of families in urban clusters, at the planning stages of construction projects for housing and other properties.

Another recommendation is for authorities to adopt effective economic policies for such urban areas so that the stability of local Omani families in the wilayats is not disturbed and internal emigration to other wilayats and governorates in search of jobs, accommodation or services is not forced upon them.

The NCSI study also recommends the expansion of public water networks and water distribution points in the wilayats where increasing number of families source drinking water from wells and aflaj systems so that they have

Al Batinah North governorates accommodate 56.5 per cent of the total expatriate families, and 42.1 per cent of Omani families.

The study also indicates that four wilayats — Muttrah, Bausher, Seeb and Salalah — accommodate about half of the expatriate families (49.5 per cent), while wilayats of Seeb, Sohar, Bausher and Salalah are home to the highest number of Omani families, accommodating 24.3 per cent of the total Omani families.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Planners must factor in the increasing number of families in urban clusters, at the planning stages of construction projects for housing and other properties

Expansion of public water networks and water distribution points in the wilayats needed

More attention should be paid to those wilayats in which less than 20% of Omani families have fixed phone lines

access to safe drinking water.

The study recommends paying more attention to those wilayats in which less than 20 per cent of Omani families have fixed phone lines. Another crucial suggestion is about conducting in-depth studies about families that are headed by women, so as to assess their social, economic and family needs.

Significantly, the study shows that the number of Omani as well as expatriate families logged an increase of 18.3 per cent during the period 2003-2010. Muscat and

Omani family size The average size of the Omani family did not witness any major change during the period between 2003 and 2010. In 2010, the average size of the Omani family stood at 7.8 persons as against 8 persons in 2003. If the expatriate persons such as domestic helps staying with Omani families are excluded; the average size of the Omani family has been recorded to be 7.5.

However, there is a significant percentage of Omani families that do not have computers. As much as 59.6 per cent of Omani families do not have an internet subscription. Also, 75.9 per cent of Omani families do not have fixed phone lines.

More than four fifths of the Omani families (82.2 per cent) own their houses. The percentage of Omani families that own their houses is low in Maqshan (40.7 per cent), Muttrah (57.6 per cent), Dhalkut (58.7 per cent), Shaleem and Al Halaniyat Islands (62.3 per cent), Buraimi (62.4 per cent) and Bausher (63.2 per cent).

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

MARKET MSM index edges down

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ........................................6,477.55 ............... 6,471.17 ................... 6,473.05 ...................6,474.52...................-1.47 .................. -0.02 Financial Index .....................................7,852.23 ............... 7,833.13 ....................7,838.91 ................... 7,860.99............... -22.08 .................. -0.28 Industrial Index ................................... 8,394.70 ...............8,381.00 ................... 8,394.70 ................... 8,336.76..................57.94 ................... 0.69 Services Index ....................................... 3,517.35 ...............3,510.02 ....................3,510.17 ....................3,517.09.................. -6.92 .................. -0.20 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 997.81 .................. 997.47 ....................... 997.72 ...................... 998.08.................. -0.36 .................. -0.04 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 18,313,186 ...................4,477,051 .....................790 ............... 14,973,739,496 .................. 9 ........................7 ....................26 .........................42

The top gainer was Galfar Engineering, up by 9.17 per cent, while Oman United Insurance,

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10

down by 2.03 per cent, was the day’s top loser 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

MUSCAT: Oman’s main index, MSM30 Index, ended the day on a flat note at 6,473.05 points, marginally down by 0.02 per cent.

The MSM Shariah Index closed at 997.72 points, down by 0.04 per cent. Galfar Engineering was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. The top gainer was Galfar Engineering, up by 9.17 per cent, while Oman United Insurance, down by 2.03 per cent, was the day’s top loser.

As many as 790 trades were executed during the day’s trading session generating turnover of OMR4.47 million with over 18.3 million shares changing hands.

Out of 42 traded securities, nine advanced, seven declined and 26 remained unchanged.

GCC and Arab investors were net buyers for OMR827,000 followed by Omani Investors for OMR88,000 while foreign investors were net sellers of OMR915,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index declined 0.28 per cent and closed at 7,838.91 points. Al Sharqia Investments, Al Madina Takaful, HSBC Bank Oman and Gulf Investment Services gained 1.45 per cent, 1.14 per cent, 0.76 per cent and 0.72 per cent, respectively. Oman United Insurance, Bank Nizwa, Al Anwar Holding and United Finance declined by 2.03 per cent, 1.33 per cent and 0.80 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index showed strong gains of 0.69 per cent to close at 8,394.70 points. Galfar Engineering, Al Maha Ceramics, Voltamp Energy and Al Hassan Eng. increased 9.17 per cent, 1.53 per cent, 1.48 per cent and 1.01 per cent, respectively.

Services Sector Index reversed course and ended at 3,510.17 points, down by 0.20 per cent.

Sharqiyah Desalination, up by 1.90 per cent, was the only sector gainer. Renaissance Services and OIFC declined by 1.85 per cent and 1.24 per cent, respectively.

Dubai stocks jump Dubai stocks climbed to the highest level in six weeks as Arabtec Holding soared for a second day.

The DFM General Index advanced 1.8 per cent to 4,187.25 at the close. Arabtec, the United Arab Emirates’ biggest-listed construction company, leapt 12 per cent as more than 200 million shares changed hands, or about seven-times the three-month daily average.

“U.A.E. stocks remain very attractive compared to the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” Amer Khan, the head of asset management at Dubai-based Shuaa Capital PSC, said by phone.

“But the strength of it at this time of year is certainly unexpected.”

Arabtec shares plunged last year amid the departure of senior management and speculation over the support of Abu Dhabi’s government, whose Aabar Investments PJSC was then the second-biggest shareholder.

Until the last hour of trading on Tuesday. Aabar boosted its stake to become the biggest holder a month earlier.

First Gulf Bank First Gulf Bank PJSC plans to raise as much as $3 billion under a euro-commercial paper program as the UAE’s third-largest lender diversifies funding. The Abu Dhabi-based bank’s program will have an original tenor of up to a year and the lender will issue the debt to asset managers in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, it said in an e-mailed statement Wednesday. The debt can also be denominated in most currencies, with US dollars, euros and pounds having the deepest liquidity, it said. “The programme will increase FGB’s liquidity and will help in managing our short term liability profile,” Christopher Wilmot, FGB’s head of treasury and global markets, said.

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

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 9,222,802.......1,203,829 ..............283 ............0.128 ........... 0.132 ...........0.122............0.131 .............0.120 ............0.011 ............. 9.167 ................0.132 ..............0.132...................0.000 .................. 37,987,463 .........0.100 OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION ......................................550 ...............2,063........................3 ............3.750 ........... 3.750 ...........3.750 ............3.750 .............3.680 ............0.070............. 1.902 ................3.750 .............. 3.755...................3.995................... 36,675,810 .........1.000 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 181,949............ 96,362......................31 ........... 0.522 ...........0.530 ...........0.522........... 0.530 .............0.522 ........... 0.008............. 1.533 ................0.530..............0.530...................0.534...................27,825,000 .........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY .....................................................14,828 ...............6,095........................8 ........... 0.404........... 0.414 ...........0.404 .......... 0.412 .............0.406 ........... 0.006............. 1.478 ................0.412 ..............0.406...................0.414...................24,926,000 ........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 557,170 .............78,129......................31 ............0.140 ........... 0.144 ...........0.140........... 0.140 ............. 0.138............ 0.002............. 1.449 ................0.140..............0.140...................0.142...................12,600,000.........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL...............................................85,484 ............... 7,573........................8 ........... 0.088 ...........0.089 ...........0.087........... 0.089 .............0.088 ............0.001 ..............1.136.................0.089..............0.089...................0.090 ..................15,575,000 .........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 122,000 ............ 16,176........................8 ............0.132 ........... 0.133 ...........0.132 ............0.133 .............0.132.............0.001 ............. 0.758 ................0.133 .............. 0.133...................0.135 ..................266,041,601........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 787,040 ..........109,371..................... 45 ............0.139 ........... 0.140 ...........0.137 ............0.139 ............. 0.138.............0.001 ............. 0.725 ................0.140.............. 0.139...................0.140.................... 8,179,207 ..........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 458,104 ......... 149,342........................8 ........... 0.326 ...........0.326 ...........0.326........... 0.326 .............0.326 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.326..............0.324...................0.326 .................437,071,542 ........0.100 OM0000001509............DHOFAR INT.DEV.AND INV. HOLD......................46,907 ............ 22,703........................2 ........... 0.484 ...........0.484 ...........0.484........... 0.484 .............0.484 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.484..............0.472...................0.484 ................. 119,257,600 ........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 458,893 ............ 51,177..................... 25 ............0.112 ........... 0.112............ 0.111 ............0.112 ............. 0.112............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.112 ...............0.111................... 0.112 ...................13,650,000 .........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY........................................4,400 ...............9,680........................3 ........... 2.200...........2.200 .......... 2.200 ...........2.195 ............. 2.195............ 0.000.............0.000 ............... 2.200 ............ 0.000...................2.200 .................196,891,500 ........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 437,433............ 33,939......................21 ........... 0.078 ........... 0.078 ...........0.077........... 0.078 .............0.078 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.078..............0.077...................0.078................... 16,157,808 .........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES .................................... 1,110 .................. 473........................1 ........... 0.426 ...........0.426 ...........0.426........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.426..............0.426...................0.430 ................. 127,371,883 ........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ...................................................................... 79,510 .............16,697........................7 ............0.210 ........... 0.210 ...........0.210........... 0.210 .............0.210 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.210..............0.210...................0.214..................299,257,590........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ................................................. 450 .................. 164........................1 ........... 0.364 ...........0.364 ...........0.364........... 0.364 .............0.364 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.364..............0.364...................0.370...................22,278,355.........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ......................................1,190 ...............2,380........................1 ........... 2.000...........2.000 ...........2.000 .......... 2.000 .............2.000 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.000 ............ 2.000...................2.090 ................ 190,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ....................... 20,000 ...............2,520........................3 ............0.126 ........... 0.126 ...........0.126........... 0.126 .............0.126............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.126 ..............0.126...................0.132....................3,780,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002614............ONIC. HOLDING ...............................................................1,999 ..................948........................2 ............0.474 ........... 0.474 ...........0.474........... 0.472 .............0.472 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.474..............0.474...................0.486................... 81,855,774 .........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 445,529 .........245,090.....................40 ........... 0.550 ........... 0.554 ...........0.550........... 0.550 .............0.550 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.554..............0.552...................0.554................1,260,502,428 ......0.100 OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. .........5,000 .............10,975........................1 ............2.195 ........... 2.195 ...........2.195 ........... 2.190 .............2.190 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.195 ............. 0.000...................2.195.................. 151,110,000 ........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 576,896 ........ 992,224..................... 29 ............1.720 ........... 1.720 ........... 1.715 ............1.720 ............. 1.720............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.720 ...............1.715...................1.720 ................1,290,000,000......0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 1,185,330 ......142,038......................31 ............0.120 ........... 0.120 ...........0.119 ........... 0.120 .............0.120 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.120..............0.120...................0.122.................. 24,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000003281............TAAGEER FINANCE .................................................. 25,000 ...............3,575........................2 ............0.143 ........... 0.143 ...........0.143 ........... 0.143 ............. 0.143............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.143 ..............0.143...................0.148...................36,263,370.........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR..................................................................35,048 ...............6,659........................5 ............0.190 ........... 0.190 ...........0.190........... 0.190 .............0.190 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.190..............0.188...................0.190..................273,873,600........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER............................................................ 137,640 .............52,150.....................20 ........... 0.378 ...........0.382 ...........0.378........... 0.378 .............0.378 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.382..............0.380...................0.390 ..................83,541,780 .........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH.............................................. 264,305 .........699,268......................16 ........... 2.645 ...........2.650 ...........2.640 .......... 2.645 .............2.645 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.650..............2.610...................2.650..................252,484,281 .......1.000 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 464,537 ........... 96,209......................11 ........... 0.207 ...........0.208 ...........0.207........... 0.207 .............0.207 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.208............. 0.208...................0.209 ................. 139,701,698 ........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 417,517 ............ 86,038........................8 ........... 0.206...........0.208 ...........0.206 .......... 0.206 .............0.206 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.208..............0.207...................0.208 ................. 147,167,706 ........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 133,460 ............ 19,517......................11 ............0.146 ........... 0.147 ...........0.146 ........... 0.146 ............. 0.147............-0.001 ........... -0.680 ...............0.147 .............. 0.147...................0.148................... 45,371,681 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 165,625............40,849........................9 ........... 0.246 ...........0.247 ...........0.246........... 0.247 .............0.249 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.803 ...............0.247..............0.246...................0.248 ..................32,233,500.........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 195,000 ...........46,380......................14 ........... 0.238 ...........0.238 ...........0.237........... 0.238 .............0.241 ...........-0.003 ........... -1.245 ...............0.238..............0.238...................0.240 ..................47,600,000.........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES .......................................31,300 ...............9,953........................4 ............0.318 ........... 0.318 ...........0.318 ............0.318 .............0.324 ...........-0.006 ........... -1.852................0.318 .............. 0.316...................0.318...................89,706,036 .........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ................................ 50,000 ............ 14,500........................4 ........... 0.290...........0.290 ...........0.290 .......... 0.290 .............0.296 ...........-0.006 ........... -2.027 ...............0.290..............0.292...................0.296 ..................29,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000002846 ...........GULF INV. SER. PREF SHARES ............................ 183,218 .............21,991..................... 23 ............0.120 ........... 0.121............0.120........... 0.120 ............. 0.133............-0.013 ............-9.774................0.120............. 0.000...................0.120...................10,966,894 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 16,797,224..... 4,297,036 .............. 719 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......35........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING....................................42,496 ...............4,267........................7 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.101............0.100........... 0.100 .............0.099 ............0.001 ............. 1.010 ................0.101 .............. 0.101...................0.102....................7,520,800 ..........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 172,746 ................7,051......................12 ........... 0.042 ...........0.042 ...........0.040 .......... 0.041 .............0.041 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.041............. 0.040...................0.042 ...................3,485,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001426............OMAN REFRESHMENT ............................................30,070 .............75,175........................2 ........... 2.500...........2.500 ...........2.500 .......... 2.500 .............2.500 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.500 ............ 0.000...................2.500 .................125,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ...................................................... 20,000 ............... 1,120........................3 ........... 0.056 ...........0.056 ...........0.056........... 0.056 .............0.056 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.056..............0.056...................0.058....................7,000,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001723 ............OMAN ORIX LEASING ................................................. 1,890 .................. 276........................2 ............0.144 ........... 0.150 ...........0.144............0.139 ............. 0.139............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.150 ..............0.146...................0.150...................33,552,382 .........0.100 OM0000001855 ............MAJAN GLASS .................................................................2,000 ..................488........................3 ........... 0.244...........0.244 ...........0.244 .......... 0.244 .............0.244 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.244 ............ 0.240...................0.258...................10,253,685 .........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 1,246,760 .........91,638.....................42 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.074 ...........0.073........... 0.074 .............0.075 ...........-0.001 ............-1.333................0.073..............0.073...................0.074..................111,000,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 1,515,962 .......180,015......................71 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 7........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

- United Securities/Bloomberg News

JOINT VENTURE FORMED

Al Siraj-Tata Projects venture to provide services in oil fields Times News Service MUSCAT: Al Siraj Holdings, a diversified business business group in the Sultanate, have signed a joint venture with Tata Projects Limited, one of India’s fastest growing infrastructure company, to offer quality inspection services in Oman.

The venture will provide quality inspection and expediting services for oil and gas as well as power and infrastructure sectors.

Technical expertise, systems and processes for the joint venture will be provided by Tata Projects, who have been in quality inspection for over two decades.

Tata Projects-Quality Services SBU has the experience of working in 40 countries. With presence in the UAE, Germany, China, Korea, South Africa and Mauritius, the company is well positioned to serve the global customers for second and third party inspection, expediting and field quality services.

Al Siraj is one of the most reputed enterprises in Oman, playing a key role in the Gulf economy.

It has interests in investments, building management systems, information technology services, construction and related services, energy, education, travel and tourism, real estate and logistics and manufacturing.

Founded by the late Sheikh Mohamed Rashid Abdullah Al Fannah Al Araimi, Al Siraj Holdings was established in 1979 to participate in the local development programme and to take advantage of the associated business opportunities. Today, it has more than 15 companies and affiliated businesses in Oman and overseas.

Speaking on the occasion, Budoor Mohamed Rashid Al Araimi,

PARTNERS IN PROGRESS: Khalid Al Araimi, Director, Al Siraj Holdings, exchanging the joint venture agreement with Tenny Cherian, COO, Tata Quality Services, in Muscat. - Supplied photo

chairperson of Al Siraj Holdings, said, “As a technology savvy and entrepreneurial corporate house, we have been at the forefront of introducing new methods and world-class practices to Oman.

This venture with Tata Projects will enhance our service offerings and would help raise quality compliance standards across various industrial sectors in Oman.”

Global clients New business from TPL-QS’s existing global clients is expected as many of them are planning or executing major projects in Oman.

The joint venture will be incorporated as TQ Services, with its registered office in Muscat.

Vinayak Deshpande, managing director of Tata Projects, said, “Oman is one of the most promising countries in Middle East. It has potential for growth of large infrastructure companies due to strong domestic demand. We are happy to partner with Al Siraj and provide our expertise in this growing economy.”

Al Siraj’ portfolio of companies include Galfar Engineering & Contracting, Al Dastoor Contracting & Trading, Muscat Finance, Delta International Projects and Engineering, Oman Medical College, Caledonian College of Engineering, Travel City and Gulf Plastic Industries among many others.

T HURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

B3

MARKET Galfar shares surge ahead after detailed disclosure pressway and Central Corridor projects now. However, the arbitration may take some time.

Shares gained 9.17 per cent at 131 baisas after the company disclosed detailed information on Muscat Expressway project claims and receivables in their books

A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Shares of Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company surged ahead by 9.17 per cent at 131 baisas on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM), on renewed interest among long-term investors after the company disclosed detailed information on Muscat Expressway project claims and receivables in their books.

Share trading in Galfar Engineering resumed on Wednesday after it was suspended for seven consecutive days.

Galfar on Tuesday said that the

IN GREEN ZONE: As many as 9.22 million Galfar shares changed hand on the Muscat Securities Market on Wednesday, with the turnover touching OMR1.2 million, out of the bourse’s total turnover of OMR4.78 million. – Times file picture

company would try to take arbitration route to recover OMR45 million fund (which is recognised as revenues in books) from the Muscat Municipality.

The Muscat Municipality has offered only OMR29.9 million as final settlement, which was reject-

ed by the board. As many as 9.22 million shares changed hand, with the turnover touching OMR1.2 million, out of the bourse’s total turnover of OMR4.78 million.

“Investors with long-term perspective may be accumulating the stock. There was good volume as

well,” said a market analyst, who does not want to be named. However, the stock is trading at half of its book value since the share was falling for quite sometime.

The market analyst said that there is clarity on the company’s receivables linked to Muscat Ex-

Tender floated to build roads and buildings at Duqm Port

MUSCAT: United Finance has hired KPMG to provide financial advisory services for proposed mergers of the company by National Bank of Oman and Al Omaniya Financial Services, the company said in a disclosure statement posted on MSM website. National Bank of Oman and Al Omaniya have both expressed interest in separately acquiring United Finance, which offers loans and leasing services as well as corporate deposits. United Finance is trying to get the best deal by inviting rival bids from two companies.

Although Bank Nizwa had also shown interest in a merger, the bank withdrew from the bidding a couple of weeks ago.

Turkey’s economy grows faster ISTANBUL: Turkey’s economy grew faster than expected during the first quarter of the year as domestic demand gained speed.

Gross domestic product expanded 2.3 per cent in the January- to-March period, compared with 2.6 per cent during the previous quarter, the statistics agency said on its website on Wednesday.

The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 15 analysts was 1.7 per cent.

Seasonally-adjusted output was 1.3 per cent from the previous quarter.

- Times News Service/Agencies

IDB raises sukuk issuance programme ceiling from $10 billion to $25 billion Times News Service

A. E. JAMES

MUSCAT: A decision to raise the current limit of the Islamic Development Bank’s (IDB) mediumterm sukuk issuance programme from $10 billion to $25 billion has been approved.

The board of executive directors (BOED) of IDB approved the decision at its 305th session which began on Sunday in Maputo, capital of the Republic of Mozambique, under the chairmanship of Dr Ah-

businesseditor@timesofoman.com

Multipurpose port In fact, the port started early operations in 2013, and it has been attracting clients from the gas and oil fields in central Oman for various types of heavy and light cargo. Since the launch of its early operations phase, Port

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United Finance hires KPMG as advisor for proposed merger

SHARIA-COMPLIANT

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

MUSCAT: A major tender to build roads, infrastructure facilities and buildings at Duqm port terminal has been floated by the Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm on Wednesday.

The scope of work also includes multi-purpose buildings, a dry bulk terminal workshop, crane beam and track works and other related projects at Duqm port.

The tender is part of the super infrastructure facilities to be built by the Duqm authorities for completing all port related work by next year. The authorities have arranged a site visit for potential bidders on July 7, while the tenders will be opened on August 7, according to Special Economic Zone Authority website.

Claim Galfar on Tuesday said it claimed OMR100 million for apparent additional cost incurred for building Muscat Expressway and Central Corridor projects for Muscat Municipality few years ago.

The proposed final settlement (OMR29.9 million) of Muscat Municipality, which was rejected

by Galfar board last week, is less

by OMR16 million than the income recognised.

The original contract value of Muscat Expressway project, which was awarded in June 2005, was OMR131.7 million, while Central Corridor project was awarded at a value of OMR10.99 million in February 2006.

The Muscat Expressway project was completed in different phases between January, 2009 and April, 2012, while Central Corridor was ready in January, 2008. The expressway project was subject to a number of substantial variations, redesigning and additional works, according to the company.

BRIEFS

of Duqm has been attracting a steady flow of ships to the newly built multipurpose port. Given its proximity to the oil and gas fields of central Oman and enhanced road connectivity to key project sites, Duqm is now emerging as a key gateway for project cargo destined for locations across the southern half of Oman.

The port’s 9.6 kilometres of

breakwater, 2.25km commercial berth for project cargo, bulk and containers have been completed and a roughly 1km long quay wall is for government vessels.

A water depth of -19 metres in the approach channel and -18 metres at the commercial berths allows safe reception and handling of ships with capacities of up to 150,000 DWT.

mad Mohamed Ali, chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group.

On this occasion, the BOED commended the huge success of programme in all its previous issuances since it began in 2003.

This is a reflection of the high status and confidence the bank continues to enjoy in the international financial arena. The IDB is regarded as one of the few multilateral financing institutions that have been rated for more than 12 consecutive years with “AAA” , the

highest international credit rating available, by the three major international credit rating agencies – Standard & Poor’s, Fitch and Moody’s. This is in addition to the designation of the IDB as ‘Zero-Risk Weighted’ Multilateral Development Bank by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in 2004 and by the European Commission in 2007.

The bank has decided to reintroduce its medium-term sukuk issuance programme.

B4

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

FEATURE

few hours after arriving in this 500-year-old city, with its ocean vistas and dazzling architecture, American visitors often ask: Can I buy a piece of this?

They cannot. The Cuban government doesn’t allow it. The US government doesn’t allow it. Not yet, at least.

But with the two countries moving to restore diplomatic relations and end decades of estrangement, it is not difficult to imagine a day when pentup global market forces will wash over this city’s sagging buildings and mansions in distress. Cubans are already angling to get ahead of the flood.

Three years after Raúl Castro cast aside decades of communist housing dogma and allowed homeowners to buy and sell their properties for the first time since the 1960s, the island’s real estate market is proving to be a powerful engine of economic and social change.

On seemingly every Havana street, contractors are mixing cement, fixing cracks and giving makeovers to moldy facades that haven’t seen paint since the Brezhnev era. New bathroom fixtures arrive in couriers’ suitcases from the Home Depot aisles of South Florida. Havana’s skilled electricians and plumbers earn more in a day than a doctor makes in a month.

“It isn’t only the ability to buy property,” said Magda Mora, 39, who returned to Havana in 2012 after 14 years in Italy and Miami. “It’s buying property that can be used for a business.”

Mora bought a 3,300-square-foot duplex in the heart of the city’s Vedado neighborhood, renovated it and now lives upstairs with her family, converting the lower unit into a minihostel. It has five rooms that rent for $35 a night each, earning good reviews on TripAdvisor.

Anyone who has driven around Havana has seen that a tremendous amount of wealth was invested in stone, marble and mahogany in the years between Cuba’s founding as a republic in 1902 and Fidel Castro’s takeover in 1959. Few cities in the Americas can compare.

Heterogenous city Wealthy and middle-class Cuban families who fled for the United States saw their homes expropriated by the government. Many went to poorer Cubans or the caretakers that the wealthier families had left behind.

The city’s exclusive neighborhoods became racially mixed, and Havana became a much more “heterogeneous city,” according to architect and city historian Miguel Coyula.

Today, many of those families are selling, finding themselves suddenly in possession of a valuable asset. But that trend appears to be re-gentrifying the city along racial lines and class divisions, particularly because lighter-skinned Cubans are more

likely to have relatives abroad with money to invest.

Castro’s 1960 housing reform led to a ban on property sales and a decree that no Cuban could possess more than one urban dwelling while converting hundreds of thousands of renters into owners — albeit owners who couldn’t sell.

Swap deal Although Cubans were allowed to “swap” houses in deals that often involved under-the-table cash, the lack of a formal market and government restrictions on private home construction worsened the shortage.

The problem is exacerbated by a supply crunch, as the Cuban government consistently falls short of its housing-construction goals. More than 130,000 city residents are living in shelters or substandard housing, according to government data. Migrants from poorer eastern Cuba settle in shantytowns on the city’s edge or crowd into crumbling urban tenements that the real estate boomlet has yet to reach.

Meanwhile, elderly Cubans whose children left the island remained in large homes they couldn’t afford to maintain. “There were thousands of homes sitting vacant or half-empty,” Coyula said.

Market forces are now fixing such absurdities, brokers say, allowing older Cubans to easily downsize and get the cash they need to live on, while new investors are transforming tattered properties into boutique hotels before an American tourist surge hits.

Significant restrictions remain.

Cubans are limited to one property in the city and one vacation home. Titleholders must be Cuban citizens or permanent residents, not foreigners.

The deals are almost always done in cash, and the transactions must pass through Cuban banks, though buyers and sellers often agree to exchange additional sums outside the country to minimise tax payments. Communist authorities are in the game too, building high-end condominiums for sale to non-Cuban buyers, with plans to erect more alongside golf courses and yacht marinas in partnership with Chinese investors.

As usual, Cubans have found ways to skirt their government’s attempts to control the market, as have Cuban Americans (and US residents) blocked by the US trade embargo. Some buyers acquire additional properties in the names of their children, while foreigners find Cubans to put on the deed, despite the risk that they would have no legal claim to the property.

At a deeper level, Castro’s limited real estate liberalisation has brought a sea change in Cubans’ regard for their homes, transforming them from yet another domain of state control into a tangible asset whose value needs to be preserved. — Washington Post-Bloomberg News

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B5

ROUND-UP

Exciting cash-in with Geely promotion back

LU C K Y D R AW

The offer which will last until July

Ooredoo picks ‘Join & Win’ prize winner

23 gives you a guaranteed cash gift of OMR1,000 on the Emgrand X7 and Emgrand 8 models, OMR700 on Emgrand 7 model, OMR651 on GC7 model, OMR500 on GX2 model and OMR400 on GC2 model

MUSCAT: To make the Holy Month of Ramadan extra-special for their customers, Towell Auto Centre (TAC), one of the leading automobile distributors in the country, have re-introduced the very popular cash-in with Geely offer.

This exciting offer that will last till July 23 gives you a guaranteed cash gift of OMR1,000 on the Emgrand X7 and Emgrand 8 models, OMR700 on Emgrand 7 model, OMR651 on the GC7 model, OMR500 on the GX2 model and OMR400 on the GC2 model, says

a press release.

A senior spokesperson of TAC comments: “Our aim was to make this holy month very special for our clients and that is the reason for re-launching the cash-in with Geely offer that had earned wide appreciation from all our customers. The Geely range of vehicles is extremely popular in Oman for their trusted quality and great value. In fact, Geely has redefined the meaning of value with its surprising prices without compromising on quality or safety of the passengers. All Geely vehicles have a

5 Star C-NCAP safety rating and embody the latest technologies.

We are sure our clients will benefit from cash-in with Geely offer and it will be a huge success this time as well.”

By bringing the Geely range to the Sultanate, TAC has reinforced its commitment to provide highquality products and services to its customers in Oman. With a network of 11 showrooms, 13 service outlets and 10 parts outlets spread across Oman, TAC is one of the leading automobile distributors in the region.

CONFERENCE

Al Hassan participates in Oman Energy expo MUSCAT: Al Hassan Group LLC operations participated in the recently concluded Oman Energy and Water Exhibition and Conference held at the Oman International Exhibition Centre.

Al Hassan Group’s Hi-tech Services & Supplies Co., Al Hassan Switchgear Co. and Power, Transmission & Distribution division together participated and demonstrated their ability to synergise diverse capabilities of providing portable water and waste water treatment solutions, power transmission and measurement solutions and customised switchgear manufacturing capability to deliver complete end to end solutions, says a press release.

The stall demonstrated the products like Booster Water pump,

Ductile iron Pipe, HDPE pipe, Manholes, 11KV Switchgear and energy meters which were represented and explained by global partners to the visitors. The stall generated heavy footfall and received appreciation from visitors

for unique display of water and power cycle in Oman showcasing the various stages of water extraction, treatment, utilisation, desalination, disposal along with associated activity of power generation, transmission and measurement.

“We believe the Oman Energy and Water Exhibition is an excellent gateway that gives us the opportunity to discuss real issues and solutions to the energy and water challenges and opportunities in Oman.

"It will also help in improving collaboration among local key sectors in both public and private to share information and to forge joint initiatives in order to achieve a sustainable planning for the future. We are very happy with the encouraging response that we received this time. This conference will be a significant platform for us to further strengthen our brand awareness in Oman and to emphasise our commitment to the development of the country,” said Ali Maqbool, company director.

MUSCAT: Ooredoo announced Maryam Al Kashri as the grand prize winner of its ‘Join & Win’ promotion. The lucky lady received the keys of a 2015 Ford Mustang from Sheikh Abdulla Al Rawahi, Chief Alliances and Partnerships Officer at Ooredoo, during an event held at Muscat Grand Mall, after being randomly selected in a prize draw, says a press release.

“I would like to thank Ooredoo for giving me the opportunity to win my dream car! This is a perfect start of the month for my family and me, especially with Ramadan right around the corner. All I did was use Ooredoo’s Shahry service and not only did I receive my usual value added service, I received the gift of a lifetime.” said, Al Kashri.

“The Ooredoo family and I would like to extend its sincere congratulations to Maryam for winning this prize, and hope she thoroughly enjoys it. At Ooredoo,

we continuously work to give our customers more value, a better experience, and reward them for their loyalty. Thank you for choosing Ooredoo and Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family,” said, Feras Al Sheikh, Director of Consumer Sales.

Other gifts distributed to Shahry customers who entered the draw included Jet Skis, Buggies, and 30 iPhone 6s. Ooredoo’s Shahry (postpaid) service gives customers the opportunity to take full advantage of more data, call time or messaging with the Sahra, Sawalif or Mazeed plans. Those on Sahra or Mazeed can also opt in to ‘Shahry Keys’ and use inclusive national minute bundles for international calls (‘International Key’) or to receive calls while roaming in the GCC (‘Roaming Key’). Ooredoo prepaid customers can enjoy great recharge bonuses with the freedom to choose between ‘More Credit’, ‘More Internet’ or ‘More International’.

MALABAR GOLD PROMOTION WINNER RECEIVES 1/2KG GOLD Nour Semida, raffle draw winner of ‘The Great Gold Rush’ campaign by Malabar Gold & Diamonds, receives the 1/2kg of gold from Najeeb K., regional head, in the presence of Muhsin P., branch head and other officials from the leading jewellery house. Nour is the fourth winner in Oman and 16th overall winner. — Supplied photo

C R E AT I V E C H A L L E N G E

Maurice Lacroix offers Barca fans chance to win luxury brand MUSCAT: Maurice Lacroix was the official watch partner of FC Barcelona for the recently held Champions League final.

As a tribute to this team of champions, Maurice Lacroix offers its fans a ‘money can’t buy’ experience of designing their bespoke piece of luxury.

Just like the players it is the fans’ time to demonstrate their creative skills by designing and winning their unique watch and become part of this iconic team!

The five most shared designs will be produced by Maurice Lacroix as a unique timepiece, says a press release.

INTERACTIVE SESSION

Barcelona’s beautiful football.

Once again, this brilliant victory highlights all that FC Barcelona and Maurice Lacroix have in common: a different vision of the game, perfect technique and creativity in all their endeavours that make them one of a kind in their category.

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

W O R L D B L O O D D O N O R D AY

Medi-Talk programme to be held tomorrow MUSCAT: Scripting the history of medical awareness and knowledge addition of the Indian community of Oman, Muscat Science Fest launches the series of programmes with the inauguration Medi-Talk (The Doctor’s Interactive Session) tomorrow, 6pm at Indian Social Club Muscat.

The programme panels about 10 prominent doctors with a wealth of experience of mixed specialities from various hospitals of Oman and will be addressing the queries of the audience on the topic medicine, treatment and physical ailments. The programme is organised in close association with Indian Medical Association Nedumbassery, Kerala branch that has about 100 plus members just in Oman and its spread are growing over time, says a press release.

Muscat Science Fest, has launched the programmes of science and technology to enhance the awareness of people on the distinction between science and myth, the domination of science over the lives of people and rational angle of universal phenomena’s than misguiding interpretations.

With Medi-Talk Muscat Science Fest conducts the second programme this year and the first one was the seminar on topic ‘Alternate Technology and Organisational Forms’ done in early second quarter of this year in association with Costford of India.

Through the platform MediTalk, participants will have the

In an electric and emotional Champions League final, the Catalans displayed all their talent, precision and creativity to beat their Italian counterpart Juventus Turin. Class, control, decision, explosion, the Olympic Stadium of Berlin, packed with over 70,000 spectators, could only applaud FC

Bank Nizwa organises blood donation drive MUSCAT: Celebrating the World Blood Donor Day 2015 themed ‘Thank you for saving my life’, ‘Masoliyati’, Bank Nizwa’s staff volunteerism programme, recently organised a blood donation drive for employees and the public at Beach One building in Qurum.

In association with Muriya Tourism Development, the fullday activity saw volunteers come together to donate blood and

The programme panels about 10 prominent doctors with a wealth of experience of mixed specialities from various hospitals of Oman

increase awareness on the importance of timely access to safe blood, says a press release.

The event is the second blood donation drive organised by the ‘Masoliyati’ programme in the last six months and aimed to support the Ministry of Health’s efforts to increase the current average of blood donations from 50 units to over 100 units per day in Oman.

LITERARY COMPETITION

opportunity to take note of the various case studies on life style deceases, communicable deceases as well the terminal illnesses and the precautions and prevention measures one can take to lead a healthy and quality living.

As it is not a consultation session, rather interactive, on which the organisers have solicited questions on health issues well in advance through dedicated and round the clock telephone numbers and email address. The questions from the prospective audience will be screened, analysed and prepared in form of case studies by the panel as a solution provider. Further, participants will have the opportunity to ask supplementary questions on the case studies presented.

Completely unprecedented in Oman, the Medi-Talk with highflying panel of doctors are unique and of high potential for the people to participate, understand scenarios and enrich their knowledge of medical profession and field, the organisers.

Spelling Bee contest held at ISM MUSCAT: The annual interschool Spelling Bee Competition was held in the school hall recently under the aegis of the Literary Club and the Department of English. Principal Srinivas K. Naidu, Senior Section Vice Principal Deep Wilson, AVP Geeta Chauhan, P. J. Mathew, HOD English, staff representatives from the participating schools and the students attended the event.

Twelve students from six Indian schools in the Sultanate matched their skills in this Spelling Bee Competition, says a press release.

Contestants played and practised words, involved in head to head meetings with each other to know new words, worked out word exercises, dared the manifold spellings of homophones, and endorsed interpretation habits and search for new words.

The six schools participated

were: Indian School Muladha, Indian School Darsait, Indian School Al Seeb, Indian School Mabelah, Indian School Al Ghubra and Indian School Muscat.

The adjudicators of the occasion noted that spelling bee was a stimulating experience, and was one of the best involvements in the student life. The contestants had been drilled extensively before to qualify for the final level.

The rolling trophy for the winning team was bagged by Indian School Darsait. Individual trophies were lifted by: Kriti Rajda of Indian School Al Ghubra - First prize; Aditya Binush of Indian School Darsait - Second prize; Mohammed Murtuza Ali of Indian School Muladha - Third prize.

Deepthi Damodaran of Indian School Darsait received the consolation prize.

ISM conducts five-day yoga camp for staff MUSCAT: Indian School Muscat (ISM) organised a five day yoga camp for its staff recently on the school premises.

On the basis of an initiative taken by the Prime Minister of India, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on December 11, 2014 that International Day of Yoga would be observed on June 21 every year. Pursuant to this, the Government of India has decided that the first International Day of Yoga is commemorated in a befitting manner on June 21, 2015.

As a part of this, Indian School Muscat organised a certified yoga camp exclusively for the ISM family. In the welcome address, the coordinator of the programme, Jacob Zacharias, vice principal, Middle Section stated that yoga is a pathway to life and it energises both body and mind. Dr Thashly Thankachan, a member of the school managing committee also emphasised the need for practising yoga in the busy world of today to maintain the fitness of life and keep oneself healthy, says a press release.

At the end of the five-day camp, the participants felt that it was a life transforming camp and vouched to practise yoga regularly throughout their life.

The yoga instructor and the other volunteers were felicitated at the end of the camp by the school.

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

ROUND-UP New Kia Sorento earns highest safety rating NHTSA’s recent 5-star rating of the 2016 Sorento is a testament to Kia’s commitment to safety

MUSCAT: Kia’s all-new Sorento has proudly earned the prestigious 5-star overall safety rating from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA). The best-selling Sorento has notched up sales of more than 100,000 units in each of the past five years, and offers a long list of standard safety features, says a press release.

“The all new Sorento has an expertly engineered body structure,” remarks an official, “extensive use of advanced high strength steel makes it stiffer and more durable than ever. In fact, the 2016 Sorento combines a strong base with additional design improvements to reduce NVH and provide a comfortable and quiet interior environment.”

“NHTSA’s recent 5-star rating of the 2016 Sorento is a testament to Kia’s commitment to safety.

The Sorento is all-new for 2016 and is Kia’s most capable model ever and offers customers the tremendous value Kia is known for,” said, Orth Hedrick, Vice President, Product Planning.

“Meant for customers with active lifestyles, Sorento is the perfect getaway vehicle for adventurers and families on the go, and they can feel confident knowing their vehicle scored a 5-star NHTSA rating – the highest rating achieva-

ble from NHTSA,” Hedrick added.

The core of the all-new 2016 Sorento is its significantly enhanced platform. The structure increases torsional rigidity by 14 percent over the 2015 Sorento. The unit-body consists of 53-percent Advanced High Strength Steel, a 115 percent increase over the previous model. Liberal application of industrial strength adhesives, the use of dual-seal lip joints as well as large diameter and laser welding techniques combine to make the 2016 model the most robust and durable Sorento ever.

Unique blend The all-new, third generation Kia Sorento 7-seater SUV is a unique blend of style, confidence and practical technology. Its smoother, swept-back profile and deeply sculpted surfaces introduce a greater level of sophistication. The cabin has a ‘Premium’ feel with space for up to seven occupants and numerous innovative features.

The styling of the cabin follows a ‘modern and wide’ theme. This is evident through the horizontal layout of the instrument cluster, interior trim and the wrap-around dashboard, which extends into the door trims. A higher proportion of soft-touch materials and leather creates a modern luxury feel to the

cabin and gives the new Sorento the ambience of a genuinely premium interior space. This 7-seater AWD also has class leading space bigger than its competitors.

One of the most distinctive interior styling features is the Swiss watch-inspired user interface, which incorporates Kia’s latest HMI (human-machine interface) technologies, surrounded by a new silver-look frame. The Smart Power Tailgate automatically opens when the key is ‘sensed’ in close proximity to the trunk, so owners can load their shopping bags or heavy objects straight into the vehicle. The rear tailgate opens automatically when the Smart Key is detected nearby for 3 seconds or more and closes with a simple push of a button. A new 7-inch colour TFT LCD screen, with an electro-luminescent instrument cluster and digital speedometer, further improves the modern form and function of the interior while displaying all relevant journey information which the driver can select from the multi-function steering wheel. Arabic language interface in the supervision cluster can be chosen by the driver for better localisation.

Two engines are available with the new Sorento, offering power outputs ranging from 169 to 267

C H I NA-A R A B C O O P E R AT I O N F O RU M

hp including 2.4-litre and 3.3-litre multi-point injection (MPI) engines. The all-new Sorento is designed to offer greater mid- and low-range torque, providing the smooth operation that drivers would expect from an SUV. The all-new Sorento’s Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system helps ensure the car remains stable when simultaneously braking and cornering, particularly on low-grip surfaces, by carefully controlling both the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and R-MDPS. Both systems are activated as soon as the car’s sensors detect a loss in traction, helping the driver to remain safely in control of the vehicle. The Sorento offers 6 air bags - driver, front passenger, two frontside and two side-curtain airbags to help protect occupants and potentially reduce injuries in the event of collision. It also features Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), one can engage the parking brake simply by operating a button and be certain of whether its properly engaged or not. The third generation Sorento has a wealth of ‘active’ safety technologies; BSD (Blind-Spot Detection); Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS) which steer headlamps in the direction of the steering for making improved night time viewing; and RCTA (Rear Cross-Traffic Alert), which warns against other cars driving behind the Sorento in car parks.

Reliable International Automotive (RIA), the distributor for Kia in Oman provides a rewarding ownership experience for customers. Excellent product attributes and unmatched facilities easily ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way.

No wonder then that Reliable International Automotive has been ranked amongst the top Kia distributors worldwide.

SOCIAL COMMITMENT

Bank Sohar supports Al Noor Association MUSCAT: Stemming from its strong commitment towards the community, Bank Sohar recently supported Al Noor Association for the Blind in Dhofar Region; through providing funds enabling the association purchase essential equipment to further cater to their beneficiaries. The Al Noor Association for Blind have been determinedly working towards serving the interest of the Blind towards their social welfare, education, health, training and placement and teaching of Braille.

The donation cheque was handed over at Bank Sohar’s Salalah Branch to Awadh Rajab Bait Shruba, chairman of Al Noor Association in Dhofar by Munira Abdulnabi Macki, DGM of Human Resource and Corporate Support, Bank Sohar in the presence of Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, AGM & Head of Marketing and Publicity, says a press release.

“As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility programme, we aim to reach out to a wide array of associations that are engaged in the overall development and support of the community.

Bank Sohar has been actively supporting Al Noor Associations since 2009, have recently also extended support to the association’s branch in Nizwa as well as in Muscat in addition to

the Dhofar branch. The association’s passion towards creating a positive environment for the blind in the Sultanate has rippled through this important segment of society, and we look forward to continue supporting them in the future,” Munira commented, speaking on the rationale behind this donation.

Bank Sohar strives to ensure that its contributions are carefully planned and evaluated in order to diversify and reach out to the maximum number of people, especially those in most need of it, offering recipients positive support to make a meaningful change. As a result, the bank’s CSR initiatives have become central to its operational strategy.

“At Al Noor Association, every individual is dedicated towards supporting the blind and ensuring that there is an on-going awareness of the contributions of the blind and their involvement in the community reflecting their productivity within the society.

Any support we receive to further accomplish our goals is a huge step forward, and we are grateful to Bank Sohar for assisting our various branches including the one located in Dhofar region, and hope that other corporates will follow suit to aid our cause,” Shruba said.

I F TA R S A’ I M I N I T I AT I V E

Zubair SEC member visits China BEIJING: Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC), in a new support approach, sent one of its members to the People’s Republic of China, within the exchange programme between the Chinese and Arab youth organised by the China-Arab Cooperation Forum with support of the China Embassy in Sultanate of Oman.

This step comes within the framework of implementing the centre’s strategy to broaden the understanding of entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses by exposing them to their counterparts from developed countries in order to exchange experiences and knowledge and employ it in their projects to open wider business opportunities in foreign markets, says a press release.

Zubair SEC nominated Yousuf Yaqoop Nasser Al Busaidi, from Nizwa, Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, Executive Director and Founder of Asian Food Industries, specialised in mixing and packing tea products through the ‘King’ brand. Yousuf’s participation reflects the centre’s policy to support its outstanding members for their perseverance, demonstrated effort and contribution to achieve success in their businesses.

Yousuf Al Busaidi is one of the winners of the 2015 Direct Support Programme by Zubair SEC, which comes with a package of facilities and advisory services to entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses.

“This initiative reflects Zubair SEC’s approach to enable entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses and introduce them to the

experiences of their counterparts on a global level which will reflect positively on their local projects,” commented, Adel Al Hubaishi, Business Adviser at Zubair SEC. He added: “In addition to being acquainted with the latest practices in business management, Yousuf Al Busaidi will present the newly acquired ideas, observations and views to his colleagues at the centre through a dialogue session to be organised with his colleagues to present his experience and shall be announced during the month of Ramadan.”

“Yousuf Al Busaidi would like to express his gratitude and appreciation to The Zubair Corporation, represented by Zubair SEC for choosing my company to represent the centre in this Arab delegation. The experience has been very fruitful; I learned many important aspects based on the experiences of the Chinese that will most definitely bring benefit to the development of my business. The experience allowed me to meet with a group of entrepreneurs from both private and public sectors, and some officials from the Chinese government,” Adel said.

Adel added: “The trip was coupled by a cultural programme which introduced me to many cultural sites, the culture of China’s trade and the next international projects included in China plans along the economic Silk Road with countries located on the Silk Road.

Also I was exposed to the amazing scientific development taking place in China through the projects we visited during the programme and the level of contracting mechanisms implemented with the medium and small companies outside China. I am hopeful I will be able to convey my experience to my colleagues in Zubair SEC.” The China-Arab youth exchange programme, attended by Yousuf Al Busaidi, is one of the important supporting initiatives within the framework of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum. The programme has been designed to provide Arab youth with more opportunities to learn closely about China and develop the China-Arab relations.

Zubair SEC is one of the initiatives which emanated from The Zubair Corporation’s Social Responsibility strategic vision towards the Omani society.

NBO distributes Ramadan food hampers to families MUSCAT: In advance of the Holy Month of Ramadan, National Bank of Oman (NBO) distributed food hampers to underprivileged families across the Sultanate.

The Iftar Sa’im initiative is part of the bank’s comprehensive CSR programme and has been led by Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Al Musalmi with the support of volunteers from across the organisation, says a press release.

National Bank of Oman launched the initiative to ensure families have the necessary food

staples and supplies in place before the start of the holy month.

Essential food items More than 500 underprivileged families living in every region of the Sultanate have now received hampers filled with essential food items from National Bank of Oman.

“The Iftar Sa’im initiative has engaged and inspired National Bank of Oman employees in every part of the Sultanate to help their communities prepare

for the Holy Month of Ramadan.

I am proud that so many of the team could participate in this CSR programme and have been able to make a positive and lasting difference in their communities, in line with our brand promise: For You. For Our Nation,” said Al Musalmi.

Each hamper has been personally delivered to the families by volunteers from NBO, helping to strengthen bonds and build bridges within the local community during the holy month.

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ROUND-UP

Al Jenaibi announces summer offer on BMW In preparation for an exciting summer, all BMW models will be available with the BMW Service Inclusive Plus package covering all major servicing costs for the first five years or 100,000km — whichever comes first

MUSCAT: Al Jenaibi International Automobiles, the BMW Group importer in Oman, has announced its annual summer seasonal offer.

Running until July 31 and designed for hassle-free ownership, customers can avail from a variety of exclusive offers and benefits on every BMW model purchased, including the much-loved 4 Series, 5 Series and X family, encouraging sheer driving pleasure across the Sultanate, says a press release.

In preparation for an exciting summer, all BMW models will be available with the BMW Service Inclusive Plus (BSI) package covering all major servicing costs for the first five years or 100,000km (whichever comes first). In addition, registration costs in the first year will be covered by the importer, ensuring a convenient and hassle-free start to the customers’ BMW ownership.

Additional benefits include a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty or 150,000km (whichever comes

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TROPICAL STORM

BankDhofar to ensure smooth banking services

first), 1-year complimentary insurance with cash payments or regular finance options, 1-year vehicle registration and a 64GB iPhone 6 as a complimentary gift.

Commenting on the seasonal offers, Divyendu Kumar, Managing Director of Al Jenaibi International Automobiles, said: “As is our tradition at Al Jenaibi International Automobiles, we are constantly looking for opportunities to reward our customers and exceed

their expectations. They are the cornerstone of our continued success, and so we are offering a number of exclusive offers, complete with our usual impeccable service, that will make a difference to the complete life cycle of the vehicle ownership. Customers can now walk away with the BMW Service Inclusive package, various finance options, insurance and registration; we think of the smallest details and make it happen.”

MUSCAT: Following the current weather forecast issued by the Directorate General of Meteorology and the Public Authority for Civil Aviation, BankDhofar’s Business Continuity Management held an emergency meeting to ensure continuity of operations and no disruption of services during the tropical storm Ashobaa over the next few days.

The bank has geared up in preparation for the upcoming weather conditions, ensuring access to BankDhofar services in all parts of the country during the storm and to restate its commit-

ment to offer best customer experience, says a press release.

Ahmed Said Al Ibrahim, Chief Corporate Services Officer at BankDhofar, reaffirmed the bank’s readiness. “Our strategic emergency plan revolves around the continuity of our services despite the weather conditions, and we are always working to provide convenient banking to our valued customers. We made sure that our customers have access to all BankDhofar services through various channels, and we have set our communication plan to keep our customers on the know.”

NOBLE SERVICE

Bahwan Healthcare Centre’s blood donation camp a big draw MUSCAT: Bahwan Healthcare Centre’s (BHC) annual blood donation camp held recently at the Bahwan Medical Centre in Al Khuwair was a big draw once again.

A part of Suhail Bahwan Group’s ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, the camp saw more than several donors from all walks of life, including working professionals, housewives, youngsters and employees of Suhail Bahwan Group companies, donating over 135 units of blood in a span of five hours.

The camp was organised by Bahwan Healthcare Centre in association with Central Blood Bank, Department of Blood Services, Ministry of Health, says a press release.

Amal Suhail Bahwan, managing director and board member of the Suhail Bahwan Group, who inaugurated the camp in the presence of Central Blood Bank officials said, “I am very pleased to see so many people voluntarily coming to donate blood; it shows the care and concern of the donors to help save the precious lives of needy people. By donating a small quantity of blood, we are not only doing a noble service, but also saving precious lives. It is wonderful to see people taking time off during their weekend and volunteering to donate blood.”

Commitment “As a responsible corporate entity, we, at Bahwan Healthcare Centre,

are committed to conduct more such camps in association with the Central Blood Bank,” Amal Bahwan concluded.

Selfless act Amal Bahwan also honoured Ahmed Al Kharousi, who has donated blood more than 100 times, with a memento in appreciation of his selfless act.

Volunteers from Bahwan Healthcare Centre and staff members from Central Blood bank ensured that donors were taken through the process of basic medical check-up and blood collection in a seamless manner. BHC had also made arrangements to serve light snacks to the donors after blood collection.

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SPOR YOUR GAME

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‘WELL PREPARED’ OMAN PLAY ‘IMPROVING’ INDIA Both Oman and India, who clash here on Thursday in the second round of the d Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifier, expressed cautious optimism about the outcome off pD the game. India and Oman are in Group an along with Iran, Guam and Turkmenistan for the preliminary league >C5

Is Le Guen heading to Al Wahda?

Speculations are rife as the rumour mills and media reports in the United Arab Emirates have triggered off news that Oman’s French coach Paul Le Guen is likely to join Al Wahda

T.K. MOHANDOSS sportseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Just the other day, Frenchman Paul Le Guen had announced his commitment to Oman football and its development, but in sudden turn of events, speculations are rife that he might take over as the new coach of the FOOTBALL

Fifa to kick off Blatter succession process in July ZURICH: Scandal-hit Fifa will hold an extraordinary executive committee meeting in July to discuss dates for the election to replace president Sepp Blatter, who announced his resignation last week.

Soccer’s governing body said in a statement that there were “various date options” for the extraordinary Congress and did not confirm a report by the BBC that the election would take place on December 16.

To confirm date Last week, Domenico Scala, head of Fifa’s audit and compliance committee and the man responsible for overseeing the election, said it could take place any time between December and March.

“It requires an extraordinary Executive Committee that needs to confirm a date and agenda for the extraordinary elective Congress,” said a Fifa spokesperson in a statement.

“This extraordinary Executive Committee will convene in July, the precise date to be confirmed within this week. For this extraordinary elective Congress (to elect Blatter’s successor) there are currently various date options for discussion.”

Corruption Sepp Blatter tendered his resignation last Tuesday, less than a week after Swiss police staged a dawn raid on a luxury hotel in Zurich and arrested several officials on corruption charges filed by U.S. prosecutors in New York.

However, Blatter is intent on staying in office until his successor is appointed and wants to lead the effort to clean up his federation.

The BBC said that mid-December was Sepp Blatter’s preferred option for electing a new president.

Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, who lost out to Blatter in the election, is tipped as a possible candidate while Chung Mong-Joon, the billionaire scion of South Korea’s Hyundai conglomerate, is also weighing up a bid to replace Blatter.

Scala said last week that at least four months’ notice was required for a presidential election to be held.

“Fifa must also consider appropriate time to vet candidates and allow them to present their ideas for the organisation that set forth their vision,” he said at the time.

The executive committee must also decide the on the deadline by which candidates must formally declare their intention to stand.

Candidates need to have written backing from five national associations to be eligible. The president is elected

by Fifa’s 209 member associations, which each hold one vote. - Reuters See also >C6

United Arab Emirates’ football club Al Wahda.

According to various tweets and also media reports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the French coach who is currently with the Oman national team in Bangalore, India, is set to take over from the club’s Saudi Arabian coach Sami Al Jaber, whose contract was not

renewed. However, Times Sport could not get confirmation from the Oman Football Association (OFA).

Some of the OFA officials who spoke were in a denial mode stating that these are just rumours and there is nothing more to it.

Man of commitment!

During a press conference last month Paul Le Guen had said that he had received many offers but assured that he will be committed to Oman football.

“I am a man of commitment. I have a contract with Oman football and I respect it,” the shrewd French coach said then.

“As long as the contract is valid, I will be a dedicated soldier of Oman and when it expires, I will leave politely. I did receive many offers but I am obliged to my contract,”

It is learnt that Al Wahda Club will make an official announcement on Sunday or Monday.

Will it be Paul Le Guen? he had said before kick-starting the national team’s preparation for the World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, there is also no

confirmation from Al Wahda Club though according to certain UAE media reports the official announcement will come either on Sunday or Monday.

Oman will play India in the opening qualifier on Thursday, while their next match Group D match is against Turkmenistan at home on September 3.

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

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Dhawan, Vijay flay Bangladesh SCOREBOARD

Shikhar Dhawan was unbeaten on a strokefilled 150 off 158 balls and Murali Vijay was on a more sedate 89 after their captain Virat Kohli won the toss on the easy-paced wicket at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali stadium

TERRIFIC START: Century maker Shikar Dhawan, left, and opening

partner Murali Vijay complement each other during the first day of the first cricket Test match at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Narayanganj. – AFP

FATULLAH: Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay flayed Bangladesh’s bowlers with an unbeaten 239-run partnership on the rain-curtailed opening day of the one-off Test match in Fatullah on Wednesday.

Dhawan was unbeaten on a stroke-filled 150 off 158 balls and Vijay was on a more sedate 89 after their captain Virat Kohli won the toss on the easy-paced wicket at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali stadium. Left-hander Dhawan, who had been dropped for India’s previous Test against Australia in Sydney in January, marked his comeback with 21 boundaries in his third century.

Murali Vijay, lucky to survive a leg-before appeal before he had scored, proved the perfect foil at the other end as Bangladesh employed seven bowlers to try to break the partnership.

Just 56 of the stipulated 90

overs were bowled during the day as rain, which arrived 25 minutes before lunch, washed out the entire post-lunch session.

Floodlights had to be switched on in the morning session to allow play to take place as threatening dark clouds loomed overhead.

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said the tourists were not fretting about the forecast of uncertain weather for all five days.

“Cricket is a game where even if you look to control the controllables, it is sometimes hard,” said Ashwin.

“We can’t really control the weather because that is out of our reach. “But if we put our best foot forward and the time is there, and if we bowl really well, we can enforce a result. We’d just like to control the controllables.”

Dhawan and Vijay attacked the four-pronged spin attack on either side of the interruption to compile

India 1st innings: M. Vijay not out 89 S. Dhawan not out 150 Total (for no wicket, 56 overs) 239 To bat: R. Sharma, V. Kohli, A. Rahane, W. Saha, R. Ashwin, H. Singh, U. Yadav, I. Sharma, V. Aaron.

Bowling: Shahid 12-2-52-0, Sarkar 2-0-70, Shuvagata 13-0-47-0, Shakib 9-1-34-0, Taijul 12-0-55-0, Jubair 7-0-41-0, Imrul 1-0-3-0.

Toss: India Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI) and Nigel Llong (ENG) TV umpire: Sharfuddoula Saikat (BAN) Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

their second 200-plus stand after their 289-run effort against Australia in 2013.

Vijay brought up the doublecentury partnership with a six off leg-spinner Jubair Hossain, but it was Dhawan who dominated the stand with attractive strokes all round the wicket.

Dhawan raced to 74 off 71 balls, but the untimely rain interruption denied him a chance to attempt a century before lunch.

Dropped catch The left-hander was on 73 when he mistimed a shot off left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, but Shuvagata Hom failed to grasp a difficult chance at short mid-wicket after

getting his hands on the ball.

When play resumed after tea, Dhawan was stranded on 98 for seven deliveries before pulling Jubair for a boundary to bring up his third Test century.

The hosts’ gameplan to play four spinners meant Mohammad Shahid was the lone seamer in the side, with part-timer Soumya Sarkar sharing the new ball.

Taijul was the most expensive bowler, conceding 55 runs in his 12 overs, while Jubair went for 41 runs in his seven.

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe insisted his team should not be written off after just one day’s play.

“We still want to win, we are still playing to win,” the former Sri Lankan batsman said. “In cricket anything can happen. Until both sides have batted once, it is not right to judge a game.

“On a wicket like this, it is always a big advantage to win the toss, bat and put up a big total.

“They may have got off to a good start but we can still win the game provided we bowl well tomorrow.”

India brought back Harbhajan Singh after two years to partner fellow off-spinner Ashwin in a two-man spin attack.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who is recovering from a finger injury, took the field as a specialist batsman, with debutant Litton Das taking over wicketkeeping duties.. - AFP CRICKET

Rogers to miss another Test due to concussion MELBOURNE: Australia opening batsman Chris Rogers will go into the Ashes series short of match fitness after being ruled out for a second consecutive test against West Indies due to concussion.

Rogers missed the opening match in Dominica after being struck on the helmet by a ball in training and team doctor Peter Brukner said he had not recovered sufficiently to be selected for the second and final Test in Kingston starting on Thursday.

After finishing in Jamaica, Australia head to England for the five-test Ashes series, starting with the first match in Cardiff on July 8.

“Chris has improved but he is still not 100 percent so we are restricting his training (and) therefore he is unavailable for selection for the second Test,” Brukner said on Cricket Australia’s (CA) website.

“While most concussions resolve within a week there is a significant number who remain symptomatic and require a longer period of recovery. Unfortunately Chris is in this category. We will continue to monitor his progress and hopefully it will not be too long before he is back to full training.”

Shaun Marsh batted in the 37-year-old’s place in the ninewicket win in Dominica.

Selectors have yet to name a team but left-hander Marsh is likely to retain his place, despite his limited contribution in the first Test. While Australia trounced the hosts in three days their traditional struggles against spin continued. West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo captured six wickets.

One of Bishoo’s victims was Steven Smith, considered one of Australia’s best players of spin.

Smith said he hoped Australia’s top six would handle the conditions better at Sabina Park. - Reuters

T HURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

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SPORTS BUSY SCHEDULE

India to kick-off busy home schedule for Zimbabwe HARARE: India will play three One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches in Zimbabwe during a two-week limited overs tour next month, the managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Alistair Campbell said on Wednesday.

That will be followed before September by tours to Zimbabwe from New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies, as the African country enjoys a dramatic upturn in their international exposure. ZC’s managing director Alistair Campbell says the exact dates of the India matches will be released shortly, but confirmed all games will be played in Harare.

“I can confirm that it’s now a done deal. India are arriving on July 7 and will leave on the 20th after playing three ODIs and two T20s,” Campbell told Zimbabwe publication NewsDay. “The schedule for the matches is almost done and should be released later this week. However, I can confirm that all the India matches will be played in Harare.”

Campbell revealed New Zealand will arrive for a limited overs series just days after India depart, while Pakistan have been pencilled in for a reciprocal tour after Zimbabwe went to the sub-continent last month.

“We are very pleased that India are coming and the fact that New Zealand are coming just a week after India’s departure,” Campbell said.

“There’s also Pakistan who are coming in August as part of the benefits for our tour there recently and there is another tour by West Indies.”

The exact dates and venues of the New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies tours have not yet been decided. - Reuters

Skipper Morgan excited by the ‘near-perfect’ England De Villiers the ‘role model’ for Buttler

The victory saw a revamped England side go 1-0 up in the five-match series, having suffered a humiliating eightwicket World Cup defeat by New Zealand in Wellington in February when the teams last met in white-ball cricket AGGRESSIVE: Eoin Morgan

BIRMINGHAM: England oneday captain Eoin Morgan said his side had come close to perfection after their record-breaking 210run win over World Cup finalists New Zealand at Edgbaston on Tuesday, It was England’s biggest victory, in terms of runs, in all ODI cricket, beating their 202-run margin against India at Lord’s way back during the inaugural 1975 World Cup. Quickfire hundreds by Joe Root (104) and Jos Buttler (129) took England to 408 for nine — the first time they had made 400 in an ODI and topping their previous best of 391 for four against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in 2005.

Buttler’s stand of 177 with Adil Rashid (69) was also a new seventh-wicket record in all one-day internationals, overtaking the 130 shared by Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower and Heath Streak against England in Harare in 2001.

England dismissed World Cup finalists New Zealand for 198 with more than 18 overs to spare. Fast bowler Steven Finn (four for 35) and leg-spinner Rashid (four for 55), whose batting and bowling figures were both ODI personal bests, did the bulk of the damage.

“It was as close to the perfect performance in a one-day game as you’ll find,” said Morgan, who showed signs of his old form with a 46-ball fifty.

The victory saw a revamped England side go 1-0 up in the fivematch series, having suffered a humiliating eight-wicket World Cup defeat by New Zealand in Wellington in February when the teams last met in white-ball cricket.

That match formed part of the Black Caps unbeaten run to the World Cup final, where they lost to fellow co-hosts Australia, whereas for England it was one of several defeats during an embarrassing first-round exit.

BIRMINGHAM: Jos Buttler said AB de Villiers was his “role model” but insisted he’d a long way to go to match the standards of the South African star despite a dazzling hundred against New Zealand at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

Buttler’s thrilling century off just 66 balls, which followed an almost as quick 71-ball ton from Joe Root, allowed England to post a mammoth score of 408 for nine in the first of a fivematch one-day series with the Black Caps. It was the first time England had passed 400 in ODI cricket, while their eventual 210-run winning margin was another national record.

England were in danger of undoing all their good early work at 202 for six but Buttler and Adil Rashid (69) belied the team’s reputation for con-

England’s approach at the World Cup was labelled “prehistoric” by their former all-rounder Paul Collingwood and played a key role in the sacking of coach Peter Moores.

But they came up to date in Birmingham, with Buttler and Rashid going for their shots even when England were in danger of squandering Root’s early work at 202 for six.

‘Aggressive cricket’ “For a long time, we’ve talked about playing a different and aggressive brand of cricket — and today (Tuesday) we’ve produced it,” said Morgan.

However, the former Ireland international added: “I think the real test is going to be consistency

WA R N I N G

New Zealand coach wants bowling attack exiled from ‘main street’ BIRMINGHAM: New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has challenged his bowlers to up their game after the World Cup finalists’ colossal 210-run defeat by England in the first one-day international at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

It was England’s biggest victory, in terms of runs, in all oneday internationals, beating their 202-run margin against India during the inaugural 1975 World Cup — when India batting great Sunil Gavaskar bizarrely blocked his way to 36 not out off 174 balls at Lord’s.

Superb centuries by Joe Root (104) and Jos Buttler (129) helped England to 408 for nine, the first time they had made 400 in an ODI. Their total also owed much to a partnership of 177 between Buttler and Adil Rashid (69)— a new ODI world record for the seventh wicket.

With the exception of left-arm paceman Trent Boult, who took four for 55 in his maximum 10 overs, the rest of New Zealand’s attack suffered heavy punishment on Tuesday.

Fast bowler Matt Henry’s 10 wicketless overs went for 73 runs, while Mitchell McClenaghan’s two wickets cost 93 runs.

Hesson, ahead of the second in a five-match series at The Oval on Friday, was clear on where New

There were too many balls down ‘main street’ where you can hit both sides of the wicket Mike Hesson

Zealand needed to improve.

“We’ve got two things to work on: our decision-making, trying to block off parts of the park where we could look to defend and there were too many balls down ‘main street’ where you can hit both sides of the wicket,” he told reporters at New Zealand’s hotel in Birmingham on Wednesday.

“Fail to execute well and you go the distance. We need to look at our decision-making under pressure.”

England’s performance was

in stunning contrast to their lacklustre World Cup, where a first-round exit included an eightwicket thrashing by New Zealand in Wellington in February However, the Black Caps were without Tim Southee — who took a national record seven for 33 in Wellington — on Tuesday after he was rested following the 1-1 drawn Test series between England and New Zealand.

Hesson, asked if Southee would return at The Oval, said: “He’s close, he’ll definitely be consid-

ered. We’ll just have a look and see how he scrubs up in training tomorrow (Thursday).”

Even without Southee, the Black Caps reduced England to 202 for six at Edgbaston after Root, in second ball of the match, was out.

“We had to go hard to get them six down. They were looking at a score close to 400 and we brought Trent back...I thought it was a good, educated risk,” said Hesson.

“We got back in the game. At that stage we tried to attack further and if we got one (wicket) more, they might have got 250, 280. “They didn’t, and then Adil and Jos played particularly well.”

England one-day captain Eoin Morgan said after the match that New Zealand had provided an example to follow, but Hesson wasn’t so sure. “I don’t think anyone owns a style, per se,” he said.

“I think England took advantage of our poor execution and they played extremely well.”

Meanwhile Hesson refused to blame his batsmen for the scale of the defeat — the Black Caps’ second heaviest in terms of runs following a 215-run loss to Australia at the 2007 World Cup in Grenada.

“There’s no point finishing on 250 for seven, you’ve got to have a crack,” he said. — AFP

servative one-day cricket with a stunning seventh-wicket partnership of 177.

Buttler’s ‘360 degree’ approach to batting has invited comparisons with Proteas maestro de Villiers, but the 24-year-old wicket-keeper/ batsman told reporters: “I’m not sure I’m quite at those guys’ level yet. “AB de Villiers is someone who has been a role model for me for a long period of time -- someone who has changed batting, I think, over the past few years -- and everyone is trying to emulate him.

“That’s the role I want to play in English cricket.

“I want to be that guy who can go out like I did and play those kind of innings and try to do that consistently,” added Buttler, now the vice-captain of England’s one-day side. - AFP

for us. We didn’t have to look far for the method in which we had to play — New Zealand have done it for a few years now, and shown that playing consistently like that is possible.

“That’s going to be the challenge for us. But today Jos Buttler and Joe Root were outstanding, as was Adil Rashid.

“Those three guys put in matchwinning performances, well-supported by Steve Finn as well.”

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said his side had been overwhelmed.

“They were special performances from Joe Root and Jos Buttler,” he said.

“To post 400 in any game is outstanding. Credit to England, they

DAZZLING KNOCK: Jos Buttler

blew us off the park.

“I think sometimes you’ve got to admit when you get it wrong at the toss,” said McCullum, who was bowled by Finn in the first over of New Zealand’s reply.

“But I still don’t think it should take away from how outstanding they were with the bat and the ball and in the field.”

McCullum added the approach of both sides meant spectators could look forward to plenty of exciting cricket during the rest of the series, which continues at The Oval on Friday.

“There will be some cliffhangers at some point, no doubt,” he said.

“I think the crowds are going to be in for some outstanding cricket over the next week and a half.” - AFP

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TH UR S DAY, J U N E 11, 2 015

SPORTS Oman Sail’s Al Thuraya newcomers kick off racing careers in France Having trained together in the

We loved the it (the heavy wind). Whatever we do in the regatta, the experience will make us stronger

relatively calm conditions of Oman in recent weeks, the young crew, skippered for the first time by Ibtisam Al

Ibtisam Al Salmi

Salmi, were thrust

Al Thuraya skipper

straight into chilly 25 knot winds and rough waters in Le Havre

NEW EXPERIENCE: A file photo of Oman Sail’s J80 boat. – Supplied photo

MUSCAT: Oman Sail’s new Al Thuraya women’s crew began their international racing careers with the full force of a European breeze at the start of Normandy Sailing Week in France. Having trained together in the relatively calm conditions of Oman in recent weeks, the young crew, skippered for the first time by Ibtisam Al Salmi, were thrust straight into chilly 25 knot winds and rough waters

when they ventured out for their first practice session in Le Havre.

Ibtisam, who has also been named as a member of Oman Sail’s elite MOD 70 crew this summer, is joined for the Al Thuraya summer campaign by Marwa Al Khaifi, Asma Al Alawi and Tumadher Al Balushi who are all members of the Oman Sail Women’s Programme but are newcomers to the race team.

“A couple of the girls had never

been on a J80 before so this is a new experience for them but one they seem to be relishing,” said Mary Rook, coach and mentor who will be racing on Al Thuraya this week and skippered the women’s team in EFG Sailing Arabia — The Tour 2015.

“It was very windy, which made boat handling tough but they coped really well. There are no expectations of this crew because they are new to racing but it is im-

portant they have fun and learn a lot in equal measure.”

Marwa Al Khaifi was with the women’s team during The Tour and has seven years of experience in athletics. Asma Al Alawi also has experience in athletics and handball while Tumadher Al Balushi is a professional basketball and volleyball player who also rides horses.

“The girls will set their own goals but the important thing is

they enjoy themselves and work well as a team. It will be interesting to see how they get on – Ibtisam has taken part in a few regattas now and is used to the pressure so we think that will help the team.”

Ibtisam Al Salmi was amongst Oman Sail’s very first intake of women in 2011 and has taken part in three editions of EFG Sailing Arabia — The Tour.

She is a regular member of Oman Sail’s J80 team and has competed at regattas during the European spring and summers. Before becoming a professional sailors, she was studying at college and tour guiding and she is passionate about

inspiring other young girls to follow in her footsteps.

“The wind really blew today but we all loved it,” she said. “There was some shouting and yelping and we got really wet but there was no broaching so that was good and we came off the water with big smiles.

Whatever we do in the regatta, the experience will make us stronger.”

The girls will spend this week training in the J80 with the weather expected to remain windy and racing starts on Friday and finishes on Sunday. Their next event will be Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week in August where they will compete again in the J80 class.

FOOTBALL

OMAN CRICKET GETS ACC OVERALL CRICKET DEVELOPMENT AWARD Oman Cricket (OC) were rewarded for their cricket development work when the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) declared them the winners of the Best Overall Cricket Development Progamme Award for the Asian region. The award was presented during the ACC AGM held in Malaysia on Tuesday. OC General Secretary Madhu Jesrani and Treasurer Kiran Asher received the award from ACC Vicechairman John Cribbin.

The Oman Cricket was chosen for the award in recognition of their decision to form the National Youth Development Team who recently participated in the A Division League tournament in 2014-15 season. — Supplied photo

Tevez would fit in well at Atletico: Simeone BARCELONA: Juventus striker Carlos Tevez would be a perfect fit for Atletico Madrid and the La Liga club are in talks with the Argentine’s agents, coach Diego Simeone said.

Tevez helped Juve to another Serie A title and the Champions League final this season and Atletico are on the alert with speculation in Italy and Spain that he is looking to leave.

“I know the club is speaking with his agent,” Simeone told Spanish newspaper As on Wednesday.

“It is always good to have a player like Tevez. He is hotblooded, which is a healthy part of this sport, and that is aside from how many goals he is able to score in a season.

“He would be a perfect signing considering the football that Atletico Madrid play.”

Atletico are looking to boost their forward line and Tevez would fit into their determined style based on hard work. They lost Diego Costa to Chelsea last year and while Antoine Griezmann has come in and done well, Atletico were hoping for more from Croatian Mario Mandzukic.

“He (Mandzukic) is a good player and a good guy,” said Simeone. “He himself was unhappy at the way he was unable to continue performing how he had done up to February.

“I said to him, ‘we have to beat the record that you had at Bayern of 28 goals,’ but he was unable unfortunately.”

Villarreal starlet Luciano Vietto is another target for Simeone who gave him his debut at Argentine side Racing Club. “We are close and I hope to have him for next season.” - Reuters

FOOTBALL

‘Fifa’s woes could be clubs’ gain’ LONDON: Leading clubs could benefit from the corruption storm engulfing Fifa if the world soccer body fails to clean up its act convincingly, Aston Villa’s American chief executive Tom Fox suggested on Wednesday.

“I could actually spin it around that there may be partners looking for places to spend money that (they) weren’t prior (to the scandal)”, he told a Sports Industry Breakfast Club meeting.

Fox, previously chief commercial officer at Arsenal, said football’s ability to attract and retain sponsors at club level could even be strengthened by the turmoil on the world stage.

“I don’t think the individual clubs necessarily think that what’s happening in FIFA rubs

off at all on the brand equity of the clubs themselves,” he said.

“One of the partners at Arsenal, Emirates, was also a partner of the World Cup and they chose not to renew that deal when it expired. I’m sure that had quite a bit to do with what they knew about the people they were dealing with and the way that they saw the organisation behaving.”

The FBI are investigating bribery and corruption at Fifa, including scrutiny of how the World Cup hosting rights were awarded to Russia, which won the bidding for 2018, and Qatar, which is due to host the finals in 2022.

Fifa President Sepp Blatter tendered his resignation on June 2, four days after having been reelected for a fifth term.

The announcement came less than a week after Swiss police staged a dawn raid on a luxury hotel in Zurich and arrested several officials on corruption charges filed by U.S. prosecutors in New York.

Fox said none of Villa’s commercial partners had raised any concerns with him about the scandal affecting their relationship and that was because “Villa is a club like the other clubs in the Premier League that acts with a lot of integrity.”

“If this wave of change that looks to be sweeping through doesn’t end up being a wave of change, maybe some of those sponsor dollars that are currently funding that organisation are now available more broadly in the market,” he said. - Reuters

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SPORTS

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC: Oman team captain Ali Al Habsi speaks as coach Paul Le Guen looks on during a press conference in Bangalore on the eve of their joint qualifying round match for the World Cup and Asian Cup in Bangalore on Wednesday. India’s Sunil Chhetri, right in right picture, speaks as coach Stephen Constantine and captain Arnab Mondal look on during their press conference. – PTI

‘Well prepared’ Oman focussed on match against ‘improving’ India On paper, Oman

Asian heavyweights kick off Road to Russia

appear well-placed to pull off a win while the India should be pleased if they can even force a draw

BANGALORE: Both Oman and India, who clash here on Thursday in the second round of the Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifier, expressed cautious optimism about the outcome of the game, with home team coach Stephen Constantine announcing that defender Arnab Mondal will lead the side and striker Sunil Chhetri will be his deputy.

India and Oman are in Group D along with Iran, Guam and Turkmenistan for the preliminary league with top two finishers progressing to the next phase of the competition as 46 Asian countries vie for the four spots in the 2018 World Cup finals to be held in Russia.

While Oman coach Paul Le Guen expressed confidence going into Thursday’s game, Constantine, who has worries enough, especially with the training camp conditions here, announced that the team will be without full-back Sandesh Jhingan who has suffered a shoulder injury.

“We are confident of doing well against Oman on Thursday, but we will be without Sandesh Jhingan who has injured his shoulders. It is a big loss for us,” said Constantine during the pre-match press confernece on Wednesday.

SINGAPORE: Asia’s heavyweight nations kick off their World Cup campaigns in some unusual places over the next six days, with a qualification revamp putting the continent’s minnows in line for some painful thrashings.

Thirty nine of the Asian Football Confederation’s 46 members will compete in the second round, which means rare qualifying matches for Guam, Bhutan and East Timor, but only the winners of the eight groups are guaranteed a place in the third round and also a spot at the 2019 Asian Cup. Asian champions Australia and perennial World Cup qualifiers Japan and South Korea will be heavily expected to take three of the continent’s four guaranteed places for Russia 2018, with a fifth also possible through an intercontinental playoff.

Oman coach Paul Le Guen declared that his team, ranked 101 to India’s 141, is confident of winning Thursday’s tie, but they would be treating their opponents with respect while being aware of the vicissitudes of sport.

“I know that they (India) have a new coach and it is a team that is improving. We have to be respectful of that. They are also very enthusiastic and are physically well prepared for the match,” the Frenchman said.

“I really don’t care about the Fifa rankings. I have told my play-

Iran joined the trio in making it to Brazil last year and will be confident of back-to-back World Cups for the first time having convinced Carlos Queiroz to stay on as head coach.

Australia will begin their campaign on Tuesday in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek, with Group B also offering trips to Tajikistan, Bangladesh and Jordan before concluding in March. “Some people got some geography lessons last night, found out some countries they probably didn’t think existed,” Australia coach Ange Postecoglou joked after the draw was made in April.

Japan also begin on Tuesday with a soft start at home to Singapore with further Group E matches against Cambodia, Syria and Afghanistan unlikely to trouble them.

Singapore requested to

ers to forget the ranking and focus on the game. There are points at stake,” said Le Guen, but declined to elaborate on the team’s tactics and strategy.

Oman captain Ali Al Habsi virtually echoed Le Guen’s views while pointing out that his team has sufficient experience to pull through against India.

“We have been together (as a team) for the past four years. So, we have enough experience. Every player is important and every game is important. We believe in ourselves and we all are well pre-

switch and play Japan away first because the matchday clashes with the closing ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games which it is hosting.

The SEA Games, which features an ongoing football tournament for under-23 sides, led to Thailand and Vietnam playing their opening Group F match early in Bangkok last month which the hosts won 1-0.

Group F, also boasting Taiwan and Iraq, is the only one to have four teams after Indonesia were banned by Fifa last month for government interference of the local football association.

South Korea, fourth at their home World Cup in 2002, are in Southeast Asia for their opener as they take on Myanmar in Bangkok on Tuesday. Myanmar are banned from hosting matches after crowd trouble at a 2014 qualifier.

pared for the qualifiers. We know that India is a good side and we go into the game with full respect for our opponents,” said Al Habsi.

Constantine, while also declining to talk about tactics and strategies, made no bones of the fact that the Indian team has had very little time to prepare and was again critical of the training facilities at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, venue for Thursday’s game.

“We have had what, just four full days of training. At the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, the conditions are not ideal as we had athletes

The Koreans, who lost to Australia in the final of January’s Asian Cup, should breeze through against Laos, Lebanon and Kuwait.

Iran could run up some big scores in Group D matches against India and Guam, who they beat 19-0 in a 2002 qualifier, with Oman and Turkmenistan also in the group.

Saudi Arabia are part of an Arab contingent trying to return to the World Cup before the tournament comes to Qatar in 2022. They will host Palestine on Thursday after telling their opponents they could not travel to the West Bank.

“We don’t care if the match is home or away because our goal is to reach World Cup,” said Saudi midfielder Jamal Bajandouh whose side also face East Timor, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates in Group A. — Reuters

and others running around on the track (around the football pitch), but it is what it is and we have to get on with it.

“As for tomorrow’s match, we all know that Oman is a very good side and much higher ranked than us, but we have gone up a few spots in Fifa rankings (from 147 to 141) and that is a good sign,” said Constantine.

“We will go out there and put up a fight from the very first second.”

Both Mondal and Chhetri admitted that the Indian team has a tough match against Oman.

Renewing the quest Oman, on their part, will be renewing their quest to qualify for a World Cup after narrowly missing a berth to last year’s Brazil World Cup, losing 0-1 to Jordan in their final group game, and given their pedigree, the visitors are expected to put it across India.

Though India will be playing at home in their opening Group D game, the hosts face a difficult task against Oman, who have won two of the four previous meetings, losing only once while drawing the other.

The last time the two teams clashed was in Muscat in February 2012 when Oman won the friendly 5-1, a victory they would be keen to repeat while India would be drawing some confidence from their 2-0 and 0-0 results against Nepal in the first round.

Omani threat The outcome of Thursday’s game is likely to hinge largely on midfield supremacy. India will have to work hard to contain the mercurial Omanis led by goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi.

The Omanis threat comes mainly from Abdulaziz Al Muqbali, who has scored 15 goals for the national team, with support from the experienced Imad Al Hosni, who has struck 36 goals in 112 appearances.

In the midfield, Oman would be dependent on Ahmed Mubarak ‘Kanu’, who can be dangerous whenever he joins the attack. The 30-year old Mubarak has scored 12 goals.

India would be hoping that their two lead strikers Sunil Chhetri and Robin Singh will strike top form and their midfield manned by the likes of Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Jackichand Singh and C.K. Vineeth, among others, will hold tight.

Thus, on paper, Oman appear well-placed to pull off a win while the India should be pleased if they can even force a draw. — IANS

C6

TH UR S DAY, J U N E 11, 2 015

SPORTS

Fifa shelves bidding for 2026 World Cup Fifa SecretaryGeneral Jerome

You want me to take this pen and to hit my head and say ‘Hey! I have been stupid, I should have asked many more questions?

Valcke said during an event in Russia that it would be ‘nonsense’ to start the bidding process for the tournament for the time being

Jerome Valcke Fifa Secretary-General SAMARA: Scandal-plagued Fifa postponed the bidding for the right to host the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday and embarked on the search to find a replacement for outgoing President Sepp Blatter.

Fifa Secretary-General Jerome Valcke said during an event in Russia that it would be “nonsense” to start the bidding process for the tournament for the time being.

Meanwhile, Fifa said its executive committee would hold an extraordinary meeting in July to discuss “various dates options” for the Congress which will elect Blatter’s replacement.

The FBI are investigating bribery and corruption at Fifa, including scrutiny of how soccer’s governing body awarded World Cup hosting rights to Russia, which won the bidding for 2018, and Qatar, which is due to host the finals in 2022.

The extent of the turmoil engulfing Fifa was apparent in an emotional outburst by the usually composed Valcke, who said he was being destroyed by the media in his native France and gave a theatrical defence of his decision to sign off on

a $10 million payment at the centre of the U.S. bribery investigation.

Waving his pen in front of journalists, a visibly impatient Valcke asked: “You want me to take this pen and to hit my head and say ‘Hey! I have been stupid, I should have asked many more questions?”

“You have decided that after Blatter I have to be next head to be cut?” Valcke said at a news conference in the Russian city of Samara, one of the 2018 host venues.

On the 2026 World Cup, Valcke

said: “Due to the situation, I think it’s nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being. It will be postponed.”

The decision on who hosts the 2026 finals had been due to be made in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.

Russia sees no threat Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said he saw no threat to Russia hosting the cup in 2018 and its bid was in line with the law.

Valcke, Blatter’s right-hand man, said Russia’s plans were on track and there had been nothing in its bid to suggest it was not in line with the regulations.

In Paris, Uefa President Michel Platini, holding his first news conference since Blatter’s resignation, welcomed the decision to postpone the bidding for 2026. “It’s normal. There was a process that was launched for a vote in 2017,” said Platini. “There is no leadership at the moment, so it’s normal that it’s suspended. It’s good.”

The German Football Association meanwhile came up with a radical plan for reform of Fifa that is likely to be resisted by many of Fifa’s members outside Europe.

Its president, Wolfgang Niersbach, demanded a clean-up at Fifa, with an end to corruption and greater transparency. He also said Fifa’s voting structure should be based on the “size and sporting relevance” of its member federations. - Reuters

REBRANDED

OGC to be known as Golf Oman MUSCAT: It has been over five years now that the Oman Golf Committee (OGC) has been running and uplifting the sport in the Sultanate. Buoyed by its fast-expanding role in golf development, OGC has now decided to firmly establish itself in various social media forums.

Rebranded as Golf Oman, the committee, which is backed by the Ministry of Sports Affairs (MoSA), has launched its platforms in Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, while upgrading its Facebook page as well.

OGC is also set to give its existing website, golfoman.com, a makeover.

Through its Twitter handle, Instagram account, YouTube video channel and Facebook events page, OGC aims to share all its activities, news, updates and upcoming programmes with fans, media and followers of golf in Oman and the GCC region – a common trend of late among sports bodies worldwide.

Majid Al Toky, OGC’s senior board member, said: “We have been working out various ways in which we can conduct and improve golf in Oman.

“So it is time Golf Oman begins to use the social media platforms to reach out to players, members, followers and fans and keep them

updated with our activities.”

Mundhir Al Barwani, chairman of OGC, explained that the social media presence will help golfers and the fans in Oman keep abreast with the latest developments.

“We will announce details of tournaments, information of our year-round training camps and share photos of Omani golfers participating in competitions. Through our social media presence, we want to make Golf Oman interactive.”

OGC’s Facebook page can page can be accessed as Oman Golf Committee; its Twitter handle is called Oman Golf Committee; its Instagram account can be found as golf_oman.

FA L L E N F I FA O F F I C I A L

Warner blasts US

TENNIS

OTA begins process to appoint head coach MUSCAT: The Oman Tennis Association (OTA) formed a committee to began the process of process of appointing a new national head coach. According to a press release issued by the OTA on Wednesday, a decision to this effect was taken

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during a board meeting held under the chairmanship of association chief Mutassim Al Zadjali.

The team comprises Mohammed Al Balushi, Siddiq Al Hashmi, Said Al Barmani, Salman Al Balushi and Basel Ouajeeh.

The team is entrusted with the task of looking into the CVs of potential candidates in attempt chose a suitable coach for Oman.

During the meeting, the members also discussed recommendations of the first meeting and also

the recommendations made after the third meeting of the coaches and teams committees. The members also approved the request of Al Talee’a Club for OTA membership and the same will be taken up during the General Assembly.

PORT OF SPAIN: Fallen Fifa executive Jack Warner said on Tuesday that US authorities would be unable to give him a fair trial, while an Argentinian businessman indicted in the soccer body’s sprawling corruption scandal handed himself over to Italian police.

Warner, a former schoolteacher and Trinidadian ex-minister of national security at the heart of the criminal case engulfing football’s world body, is the subject of a US request to have him extradited from Trinidad.

The 72-year-old said the United States is not the “appropriate jurisdiction” to handle the matter “fairly” and claimed America is trying to exact revenge because it tried but failed to lobby Fifa to host the 2022 World Cup. “One must be extremely careful to question whether the United States can be fair in taking action against officials of an international body whom it feels has done it wrong,” Warner wrote in an editorial in the weekly Sunshine newspaper, which he owns.

Currently, US prosecutors accuse 14 people of taking part in a sweeping kickbacks scheme going back 20 years involving a total of $150 million in bribes.

The revelations have thrown the soccer world into turmoil and led to the resignation of longserving Fifa President Sepp Blatter last week, just four days after his re-election to a fifth consecutive term.

Warner called the United States two-faced, since he and Blatter had once been welcomed to the White House by President Barack Obama.

“Was the president of the United States seeking a strong lobby from a Fifa vice-president or was he ‘bribing’ a Fifa official with a visit and a meal to the White House? I think not,” Warner said.

“In each case, the answer is no, but it just goes to show how selective this ‘bribe’ issue can be.”

Among those indicted is Argentine sports marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco. He turned himself in to police in Italy after initially fleeing authorities. - AFP

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

OFA honours Bank Muscat for support in promoting football MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, was honoured in recognition of notable initiatives to promote Oman football at the Oman Football Association (OFA) awards ceremony held under the auspices of Shaikh Rashad Al Hinai, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Sports Affairs.

Abdullah Al Rahbi, Head – Events & Sponsorship, received the award from Shaikh Rashad at the ceremony attended by OFA chairman Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi.

In keeping with the passion for football in Oman, Bank Muscat seizes every opportunity to promote the national game. As part of its commitment to promoting the development of youth and the game of football, Bank Muscat joined hands with OFA to make the just concluded His Majesty’s Cup Football Championship a memorable experience for football enthusiasts in Oman.

Besides the lead support as Presenting Partner of His Majesty’s Cup, the bank also presented the ‘Man of the Match’ award in the prestigious championship.

Bank Muscat is a major supporter of the national football team in international tournaments. During the previous editions of Gulf Cup, Bank Muscat led by example being the first private sector institution to announce cash prizes for the na-

tional team. The bank was also the first private sector institution to announce financial support to both the Oman national teams playing in the Asian qualifier for 2012 Olympics in London and 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

As the nation’s leading financial institution, Bank Muscat aims to support varied sporting activities to motivate and provide the required impetus for the country’s

youth to excel in sports and games.

Central to the bank’s corporate social responsibility is the Green Sports initiative launched to promote Oman as a sporting nation in general and the national game of football in particular. The Green Sports initiative was launched by the bank in 2012 to lay the foundation at the grass roots level for a sustainable sports infrastructure.

In a record time, the bank has

achieved notable success in developing green fields in all parts of the Sultanate, thus contributing to realising the sporting dreams of clubs and teams.

Till date in the first three years of the programme, 34 sports clubs have been given support to green their playing fields. The bank remains committed to supporting all deserving clubs and teams to green their playing fields.

C

SECTION

SIGHT & SOUND

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM T H U R S DAY, J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

FAME AND FORTUNE DON’T MATTER

ALICIA KEYS She has sold 30 million albums and played for the US President, but Alicia Keys doesn’t even own a car

S

he’s sung for President Obama at the White House, Bob Dylan says she’s the best singer on the pop music scene.

Rap legend Jay-Z begged to be on her latest album and Stevie Wonder wants to be on the next one.

“Things are going pretty well at the moment,” says 34-year-old Alicia Keys in a masterpiece of understatement, but she admits that glittering success constantly takes her by surprise.

Fact is, the girl from New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, should have got used to it by now — she’s sold over 30 million albums, won 12 Grammy awards, runs her own record production company and as a classically-trained pianist can fill concert halls any time she likes.

Alicia’s new single, We Are Here,

is already high in the US and her sixth studio album, with duets with Pharrell Williams, will be out later this year.

“I don’t try to write chart material, but people seem to like it and that’s great,” Alicia says. “But I would continue to write and record even if no one ever bought another of my songs. It’s in my blood I guess.”

Born Alicia Augello Cook in New York’s seamy Hell’s Kitchen, daughter of a white mother and a black father who walked out when she was two, Alicia was brought up by her mother, an actress and legal secretary.

“She’s been a huge influence on me,” Alicia says. “If I hadn’t seen her battling to support my brother and I and never buckling under all that pressure I would have grown up to be a different — and inferior person.”

They lived in a one bedroom apartment, the children sleeping on a fold-out couch. But her mother, Terri was able to put enough money by for Alicia’s piano and singing lessons from the age of five.

“Music was my refuge, to the point where I would risk everything for it,” she says. “I’ve been on the music scene since I could walk and there’s never been anything more important to me.

“I remember the first time I played a Chopin piece I started shaking. I realised he was speaking to me across the centuries. I strive to get that sort of feeling in my own music. It’s coming straight from me - it’s who I am.”

Alicia says that as far back as she can remember she knew that music would be her life — dropping out of Columbia University at 17 she opted

for music fulltime, took an apartment in New York’s Harlem, and installed her own recording studio.

“It was for the sake of my sanity,” she grins. “I’ve always had an older head on younger shoulders so I had to get out into the real world, make my own mistakes and try to figure it all out.”

What she figured out was how to get into the big-time. She’d already met pop manager Jeff Robinson and accepted his offer to make her a star.

“The first time I heard her I was absolutely knocked out,” he says.

“She’s this absolutely unique mixture of soul, classical, jazz, hiphop and gospel. I had never heard anything like it. I told her: ‘If you come with me, you’ll make millions’, and she has.”

It was Jeff Robinson who got his protégé an initial $500,000

deal with Arista Records but things didn’t quite work out. “They wanted me to grow my hair long and sing these power ballads,” Alicia remembers.” It wasn’t what I wanted to do at all.”

Eventually, Jeff Robinson persuaded Clive Davis, boss of J Records, to buy out Alicia’s contract. “She’s a stunning musical talent,” says Davis, discoverer of Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston and Dido.

Now living in New York, with husband Kasseem Dean (aka hiphop star Swizz Beatz) and their two young sons, Alicia still visits Harlem to see friends she has known since childhood.

“With my family, my life is very real. I don’t surround myself with phoney things. I didn’t get into show business to see how many

Mercedes I could buy.”

For the record, she hasn’t got any — and as she doesn’t drive has no intention of getting one.

“I don’t care about fame and fortune. My only luxury is working for charities,” she says, particularly the charity Keep A Child Alive, for which she has raised millions of dollars to help young AIDS victims in Africa.

Now negotiating a massive new record deal, and working on a seventh album of her own songs, perhaps it’s just as well that Alicia Keys admits she’s a workaholic.

“I know what I want to do and I’m so lucky that I’m being allowed to do it,” Alicia says. “As long as I can go to sleep knowing I didn’t compromise I’ll sleep like a baby .”

- Judson Bennett/Tony James Features

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

ETCETERA

ere minutes into our interview, and Pete Townshend is tucking in with the gusto that has stood him well these 70 years — to anecdotes, to philosophies, to past (and future) plans, to the plate of biscuits and pastries that has been placed in front of us in this drowsy Richmond hotel near his southwest London home.

Well, near one of his homes.

And, given the musician owns seven recording studios, we’re probably also near more than one of those. His 15 boats? As we’re within rowing distance of the River Thames, we’re probably not far from some of that collection, too. “I’d like to say that I’m interested in model train,” he will say. But no. Away from music, collecting studios and piloting boats are what Townshend does for relaxation.

“We used to come here every day for lunch,” says The Who’s brain trust, chomping on shortbread. “They did the most amazing sausage and mash. Rachel once had it every day for two weeks.” Rachel is Rachel Fuller, the songwriter, guitarist, com-

poser’s partner the past two decades. He met the now-41-year-old when he “employed her to do some orchestrations on the Lifehouse Chronicles,” he says of the 1990 box-set iteration of his abandoned 1970s rock opera. The couple have worked together again on one of this summer’s Who-related projects: a classical rendering of his 1973 Mods and Rockers concept record-turned-film, Quadrophenia. It’s being released as an album on classical label Deutsche Grammophon — Lancastrian tenor Alfie Boe takes the place of Who singer Roger Daltrey — and performed at a one-off concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Between album and concert comes another burst of Who action: the band is headlining the main Pyramid Stage on the final night of Glastonbury this month.

Was it an immediate “yes” when the offer came through from Worthy Farm? “I don’t think it was an immediate yes from Roger,” Townshend replies. “I don’t really give a hoot either way,” he adds, perhaps protesting a little too much. “But I think Roger was a little worried that we already had three shows in Europe lined up, and they were

The Who guitarist on Kanye West, and how the charge that led to his arrest ended up helping him

close together. Roger’s been needing quite long periods of days off in between shows.

“And there was doubt because it’s so high-profile — and, of course, it’s televised. So if you do goof, you goof big-time.” But with a little juggling of their schedule, Daltrey was reassured. “We’re playing great, so once he gave us the green light, we were good to go.” Townshend also has a special interest in fellow headliner Kanye West: “I’ve never met him, but I’m about to as he has a business proposal for me.

He makes a big play of the fact that he’s as much a businessman as an artist. But what he’s always been is a bit of a grown-up Grayson Perry — he’s very much a kind of installation guy.

“There’s this desire among R&B performers to create a mystique and sense of danger, but I imagine I’ll probably be disappointed that he’s quite normal.”

Before we can talk further about the ongoing vitality of a band currently celebrating their 50th anniversary with a world tour, Townshend is detouring through a grab-bag of reminiscences. There are quick-smart yarns about Soho in the 1960s; his

musician father’s summer residencies on the Isle of Man; The Who’s 1968 gig at Paisley Ice Rink (“The ice was pink. It was full of blood!”); the 1975 Hollywood premiere of the film of Tommy; and his dalliances with Elton John.

He starred — alongside Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed and Daltrey — in Ken Russell’s film about the pinball wizard and was then at the height of his drug intake.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Townshend nods. “Well, I never did it. Well,” he qualifies, “I did a couple of years of it — not like Elton, but I did a bit around him. And in 1980/81, I was hanging around the New Romantic scene, getting a bit depressed, marriage falling apart. “I was thinking about Steve Strange,” he motors on, now corralling the late Visage singer and New Romantic club promoter, “cos when he died recently I wanted to go to his funeral cos I really liked him.”

Again, in too-too-simple brief — Townshend was testing what was out there, online, so he could confront the credit-card companies for being complicit in their trade and instead was trapped in his own folly. “Lesson learned,” he said.

— Craig Mclean/The Independent

T HURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

C9

ETCETERA BRIEFS

Rowan Atkinson sells car for 12.4 million dollars

ROWAN ATKINSON has sold his McLaren F1 sports car for a staggering 8 million pounds ($12.4 million), making a profit of 7.3 million pounds. The 60-year-old agreed one of the “biggest-ever” vehicle deals in Britain by parting with his 240mph sports car, which was rebuilt in 2011 after a crash, for the huge sum, reported femalefirst. co.uk. Specialist car dealer David Clark, who originally sold Atkinson the rare vehicle, told The Sun newspaper: “Everyone is very pleased with the sale. There was interest from around the world and it has gone to a British buyer who will drive it like Rowan did.

’ T U O E ‘INSID S THE VOICE TOR PROVIDE

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Charlie Sheen hospitalised after food poisoning

CHARLIE SHEEN was admitted in a hospital for severe case of food poisoning. The actor spent a portion of Monday night in the emergency room. “It was clams, bad clams.

Nothing too exciting,” said Ballard. The former Two And A Half Men star had a seafood pasta dish for dinner, reported people.com.

JLo’s Morocco performance to be investigated

SINGER’S performance at Mawazine Festival, aired on Morocco’s 2M network, must be investigated, Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane has ordered. Benkirane called the performance “serious delinquency”, saying it was disgraceful, reported bbc.com. In a letter to the president of Morocco’s High Authority of Audiovisual Communication, the prime minister said it was necessary to “take legal measures against those responsible”. If Lopez is prosecuted, the sentence could be up to two years in prison. - IANS

C10 TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

ETCETERA Giorgio Moroder, the ‘Cat in the Stache’, is back and in the reckoning

G

iorgio Moroder’s living room proudly displays souvenirs from a career as a disco pioneer and pop hit-maker — a career that Moroder, who recently turned 75, is about to resume.

In his high-rise apartment in the Westwood neighbourhood here, a white Yamaha baby grand (with digital recording built in) and a life-size golden statue of Buddha flank glass doors to a terrace with a panoramic view. A few steps away is a subtly high-tech studio with a custom-built high-speed computer and digital keyboard where Moroder works on new songs. Whitehaired and mustachioed, wearing a loose white shirt with gray pants, Moroder greeted a visitor with a fist bump not as a hip-hop pose, he explained, but to protect a broken finger. Jovial and avuncular as he discussed his songs, old and new, Moroder often described himself as lucky before mentioning the work he had put in.

On a glass table were two Oscars, two Golden Globes, a People’s Choice award and three Grammys, including the one he shared for his appearance on the 2013 album of the year, Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. On the walls there are gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums — in the form of vinyl, CDs

and even cassettes - for his writing and production on Donna Summer’s hits, the Flashdance soundtrack and Take My Breath Away, the ballad sung by Berlin for Top Gun. By the end of the 1980s, Moroder had proved himself with disco standards, pop hits and soundtrack scores like Midnight Express and Scarface. But for much of the 1990s and 2000s, he all but retired from music, producing only a handful of songs. Lately, as the fondly remembered beats and atmosphere of disco have resurfaced in pop hits by Pharrell and Robin Thicke, Moroder has found a wave of younger admirers, along with record companies willing to bet that he’ll be profitable.

On June 16, Moroder is to release his first album under his own name in 30 years — Déjà Vu (RCA), featuring vocals from Sia, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Charli XCX, Kelis, Mikky Ekko and others. “When a company offers you a budget to record an album in today’s music life, it’s absolutely impossible to say no,” Moroder said.

Déjà Vu is a dance-pop album from start to finish — a gleaming, effervescent, crafty blend of the disco that gave Moroder his first hits and the electronic dance music that has been extrapolating his ideas for decades. Behind the as-

In what everybody is calling E.D.M. now, probably the most influential people were Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk David Guetta DJ and producer

sorted voices and swelling trance-music chords, the irrepressible pulse that runs through the album is immediately recognisable as Moroder’s sound. So is the sense of melody and counterpoint, of string sections and rhythm guitars teasing the beat, of tension and release.

The preview single from the album Right Here, Right Now featuring Minogue — was Billboard’s No. 1 dance club song in the United States in April.

Charli XCX, whose Diamonds is on the album, said: “Sometimes songs now are very hidden in production tricks.

But with Giorgio’s work, he’s very good at letting the song do the speaking and also making everything around it sound like he wasn’t even trying to make it sound so cool.”

The disco hits Moroder wrote and produced in the 1970s with Dona Summer (and the lyricist Pete Bellotte) are cornerstones of dance music.

She was an American singer living in Munich, and he was a young pop composer from South Tyrol, where Italy borders Austria and Switzerland, with ambitions toward the international market. He learned English from her; later, as her fame grew, he followed her to settle in Los Angeles.

To strengthen the rhythm on Summer’s 1975 international breakthrough,

Love to Love You Baby, Moroder put a thumping kick drum on every beat: a foundation that every club DJ now knows as four-on-the floor. “For people like me, who don’t dance, I need the support of a great kick and a great bass,” he said. “Or I would not be able to dance.”

Two years later, Moroder was trying to envision music of the future and came up with the all-synthesiser arrangement for Summer’s I Feel Love. Its mechanised feel and openly artificial sounds made it an immediate hit and a prophecy of electronic pop to come. Its beat and bass line, and its contrast between human voice and synthetic propulsion.

“In what everybody is calling E.D.M. now, probably the most influential people were Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk,” said the DJ and producer David Guetta, whose single Hey Mama is currently Billboard’s No. 1 Electronic song.

“A lot of kids that are big DJs now, they don’t even know the influence of these people because they’ve been through the filter of people like me already. Or they might be influenced by another electronic producer that they heard a decade before. But they don’t know that all of this is coming from people like Giorgio Moroder.”

-Jon Pareles/The New York Times News Service

T HURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

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ETCETERA CELEBRITY NEWS

Calvin Harris among Taylor Swift’s favourites TAYLOR SWIFT has shared images featuring some of her most loved people, including her beau and Scottish DJ Calvin Harris. The singer posted the photograph on Monday in honour of National Best Friends Day. The black-and-white photograph was posted

by Swift’s best friend Gigi Hadid on photosharing website Instagram. It features Hadid, Harris and Swift’s other close friend Karlie Kloss having fun and laughing in a kitchen. Hadid captioned the image: “There’s not a picture that could fit in everyone that I appreciate, but this post is dedicated to all the friends that light up my life.”

Witherspoon developing Wall Street comedy ACTRESS Reese Witherspoon and Australian producer Bruna Papandrea’s Pacific Standard Banner is developing a film adaptation of Maureen Sherry Klinsky’s forthcoming novel Opening Belle. The film is being adapted for Warner Bros. The novel, which is due to be published later this year, is loosely based on Klinsky’s real life experience working as a managing director at Bear Stearns, New York. It is a comic version of a woman juggling motherhood with a career at Wall Street in 2007. Witherspoon and Papandrea formed Pacific Standard in 2012 in order to fill the vacuum for movies with female protagonists.

THE TWO FACES OF BRIAN WILSON Alter egos Paul Dano and John Cusack play rock icon Brian Wilson at different stages of his tortured life in the new film ‘Love & Mercy’

I

n 1973, following a creative breakdown, a long descent into drug use and the death of his father, Brian Wilson — the primary force in the Beach Boys, among the most significant American rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time — became a recluse.

For the next two years, he spent most of his days in bed, occasionally showing up in public without changing out of his bathrobe.

When he resurfaced in 1975, he was in the care of a controversial therapist named Eugene Landy, who incorrectly diagnosed Wilson’s condition as paranoid schizophrenia and oversaw his every move for the next decade, until the Wilson family — and Brian’s new girlfriend, Melinda Ledbetter, whom he later would marry — won a court order freeing Brian from Landy’s grip.

One might say that Wilson, who later was found to have bipolar schizoaffective disorder, was two different people before and after his years in seclusion. Indeed, this very idea is the premise behind the construction of the film Love & Mercy, which opened on June 5, in which two actors portray Wilson — The film cuts back and forth between Paul Dano, who is 30, playing Wilson at his creative peak and subsequent implosion in the mid-1960s, and the 48-yearold John Cusack depicting his mid-1980s struggle to re-emerge.

It’s an uncommon approach for a biopic, one conceived by the film’s director, Bill Pohlad. The usual challenge of the format — whether an actor can be credible through the stages of a subject’s life — is inverted — Will the two actors read to the audience as the same person? How similar do they need to be to keep consistency, and how different should their interpretations be to enhance the story?

Cusack and Dano sat down over coffee in the lounge of the Crosby Street Hotel in New York’s Soho to discuss in depth, for the first time together, the dual Brian Wilsons of Love & Mercy, which takes its title from a 1988 Wilson song. Although their shooting schedules overlapped for a few days during the production, they never had swapped ideas or hashed out tactics.

“It was just sort of a given that we wouldn’t compare notes or anything,” Cusack said. “I don’t remember anyone saying, ‘Hey, don’t talk to Paul.’ We just didn’t.”

Dano acknowledged the risks of tackling the same character so independently.

“It is weird that trust was there from everybody, because that’s a tough thing to come by,” he said.

“I’m sure everybody privately thought, ‘I just hope this works!’”

The two actors agreed, though, that they instantly understood the intent. “When Brian would talk about the younger version of himself,” Cusack said, “he was completely dispassionate, like it was someone other than him, in a more extreme way than other people look back on when they were 21. Seeing him talking about it, he just had no ownership of himself.”

The idea of a Brian Wilson movie had been kicking around since the 1980s. A few years ago a version of the script reached Pohlad, a producer whose credits include 12 Years a Slave (2013) and Wild (2014). He didn’t much like the treatment, but he became intrigued with the Wilson story and had a notion that multiple actors should play the singer. Initially there were to be three Brians, with the years in bed given a character of their own.

The closest precedent might be I’m Not There (2007), Todd

The film cuts back and forth between Paul Dano, who is 30, playing Wilson at his creative peak and subsequent implosion in the mid-1960s, and the 48-year-old John Cusack depicting his mid-1980s struggle to re-emerge

Haynes’ kaleidoscopic retelling of Bob Dylan’s career with six Dylans of varying races and genders.

“I thought that went too far,” Pohlad said. “It didn’t really work for me, besides being an admirable effort.”

Nonetheless he contacted Oren Moverman, who had written I’m Not There with Haynes, and they began hammering out a take on the Wilson story. Although Pohlad had directed only one feature, Old Explorers (1990), he decided to get behind the camera again.

Eventually he brought the idea to Wilson himself. Pohlad first met the musician in his home studio in Los Angeles. Wilson stopped playing the piano and asked, “So who’s going to play me?”

He soon grasped the concept of parallel stories with different actors, however, and was intrigued.

“I was very thrilled,” Wilson said in a separate interview, speaking by telephone from his home. “I thought it was a great idea, it made sense. One person really couldn’t do it.”

Keeping Cusack and Dano separate was part of Pohlad’s plan.

“The goal was to have them each individually find their own Brian, not just do an impression,” he said.

“It felt too false and forced to have them try to copy his tics or work from some book of mannerisms.”

Instead, to find the essence of Brian Wilson, both actors relied on the music of the Beach Boys, especially the multidisc box sets that contain the complete sessions for the commercially disappointing but landmark album Pet Sounds (1966) and the intended follow-up Smile, which the next year was abandoned when the band lost patience with Wilson’s increasingly insular work.

Dano told Cusack his memory of their first meeting on the set.

“I was almost done, and you were coming in, and I heard you blasting Smile from your trailer,” he said. “I was so obsessed with it, and we immediately started talking about Smile, and I knew we were going to be OK.” As the young Wilson, leading dazzling and confounding recording sessions, Dano has to compete with iconic images of the Beach Boys. In contrast, during his years under the control of Landy (Paul Giamatti), Wilson was so off the grid that Cusack had little material to draw from.

Both actors eventually met with Wilson and were struck by how exposed he is emotionally.

“He’s so raw,” Dano said. “It’s like he just didn’t get that extra layer of skin that most of us build up to be an adult.”

-Alan Light/The New York Times News Service

NICKI MINAJ

Nicki Minaj features in ‘Barbershop 3’ first look RAPPER Ice Cube has shared a behind-the-scenes video for his long awaited movie Barbershop 3. It is recorded in black and white and give fans a look at the cast on set. The nearly-twominute video opens with slideshow of photographs which include President Barack Obama sitting in a barbershop chair, reported aceshowbiz.com.

Other photographs show the location and the condition of the barbershop. It continues with footage where actors and crew members joking and having fun during the filming and also between takes of the scenes.

There are also glimpses of the newly-added cast member singer Nicki Minaj, who stars as the new hairdresser named Draya. She’s seen working on hair extension for a customer. The upcoming

movie comes more than a decade after the second movie, Barbershop 2: Back in Business.

The rapper and actor Cedric the Entertainer, who starred in the first and second installment of the movie franchise, return to reprise their respective roles. Malcolm D. Lee directs the movie with the script written by Black-ish creator Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver. Cube is joined by actors Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Anthony Anderson, Utkarsh Ambudkar and hip-hop artist Common, in the cast.

Cube is also producing Barbershop 3 alongside Matt Alvarez, Bob Teitel and George Tillman Jr. Barbershop 3 will release in 2016. It is a sequel to the 2004 film Barbershop 2: Back in Business and the third film in the Barbershop film series. -IANS

I was always about girl power: Amber Rose MODEL-ACTRESS Amber Rose believes that social media has made her understand the importance of girl power. “I was always about girl power, but I didn’t quite get it because I did always feel like I had to be completely submissive to a man. I was always very unhappy doing that. I think I needed time to grow up,” Rose said. “You get to a certain point in your life where you really find out who you are, and sometimes that happens when you’re 25, but for me, it was 31. I didn’t quite know that before. I guess social media did help create the feminist monster that I’ve become,” she added. -IANS

C12 TH UR S DAY, JU N E 11, 2 015

ETCETERA H O L LY W O O D

Elizabeth Hurley shares a close bond with son ACTRESS Elizabeth Hurley says she and her 13-year-old son Damien share a special bond and are “very close”. The 49-year-old says Damien, whose father is American businessman Steve Bing, is her world, reported femalefirst.co.uk.

“Without doubt, my son is my north, my south, my east and my west. I stopped doing movies and TV for the first eight years of his life and I don’t regret it for a mo-

ment,” Hurley was quoted as saying. “Damien and I are very close.

He’s almost my height now, which is slightly alarming. I am more like an Italian mother than an English one,” she added. Hurley is confident Damien will carry on being a good boy throughout adolescence and she hopes he doesn’t have a rebellious phase like her. “I’m praying he’ll be a good teenager but I was a horror,” she said. -IANS

Jennifer Lawrence is preparing for an epic battle

A

fter tortuous social media teasing from lead stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, the awesome first trailer for the final Hunger Games movie Mockingjay Part 2 has dropped online.

Katniss, played by Lawrence, will continue her epic battle to defeat the Capitol “so we may all be free” as the much-loved franchise reaches its dramatic conclusion.

Francis Lawrence is back in the director’s chair with Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and Julianne Moore also among the starstudded cast.

Mockingjay Part 2 will see Katniss and District 13 engage in “all-out revolution” against the oppressive President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Peeta, Gale and Finnick will all be at

‘Mockingjay Part 1’ proved a box office smash last November, grossing more than $725 million worldwide. Part 2 will follow on 20 November later this year her side as Katniss risks everything to bring victory to Panem and ensure it’s future while Snow is hellbent on killing her.

“Nothing good is safe while Snow’s alive and I can’t make another speech about it” Katniss decides, a look of steely de-

termination on her face. “Snow has to pay for what he’s done.”

A cryptic poster revealing that “the Mockingjay will be heard” was sent to news outlets yesterday along with today’s date “6.9.15”, prompting rumours that the teaser would be arriving. The cast and crew also joined in with the fun, posting some mysterious tweets. Mockingjay Part 1 proved a box office smash last November, grossing more than $725 million worldwide. Part 2 will follow on 20 November later this year. It remains to be seen whether there will be any spinoff Hunger Games films, after Lawrence said last year that he is “definitely open to talking about it” with Lionsgate.

“I think everybody’s thinking about it,” he said. “Everybody loves the world and the ideas.”

-Jess Denham/The Independent

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

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DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

2BHK in Ghoubra South behind Extra (350/- R.O). Contact: 99342661 1BHK in Darsait near ISM (220/R.O). Contact: 99342661 New super deluxe 4 BHK villas, flats Madinat Qaboos, Qurum, Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99369081 / 99142314 Basement Store, 146 SQM, Wadikhabeer, Opposit Al-Hassan.

99441193, 93004802 Deluxe 3 Room Penthouse with Seaview, ideal for office / residence at Qurum near PDO. Contact: 9772 1313 / 9507 0421 1BHK, Darsait, walking distance to ISM, neat and clean building, ground floor, OMR 260/- per month rent.

Contact Iqrar on 99076557 Deluxe 1,2,3,4 bedroom flats, villas at different places.

Contact: 99142314 / 99369081 3BHK & 2BHK in Darsait.

Contact 94268564 2 BHK, M.B.D. RO 300/-. Contact 92144045 2BHK Ghobrah R.O 350/-.

Contact: 92144045 2 BHK Darsait R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045 1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.

Contact: 97799175 2BHK flats in AL Khuwair.

Contact: 97616158 Deluxe 4 bedrooms, living, dining 4 bathrooms with split AC in Ghubra.

Contact: 95282986 / 24707340

1BHK in Ghoubra South behind Extra (280/- R.O). Contact : 99342661 3BHK 8 Nos flats in Ghobrah.

Contact: 97616158

2BHK flat for rent near Muscat Municipality, Darsait, big terrace, nice location, rent OMR 325/-.

Contact: 96241707 Two air-condition flats in excellent condition behind City Center Carrefour Al Seeb no 1: 4 bedrooms & family hall No 2, 2 bedroom & family hall. Contact: 93366421 2 BHK, 2 baths, Split A/C, Wadi kabeer, Near Indian Elementary School.

Contact 99441193, 93004802 Villa for rent villa at Al Fay Housing Complex near Al Khodh main police station 4 bedrooms, servant quarter.

Contact: 96419690 Shop/Office, 56 SQM, Wadikabeer, Opposite Al-Hassan.

Contact 99441193, 93004802 500 sq mtrs office space on mezzanine floor near Royal Hospital. OMR 6.500 per sq mtr. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879

3 bedroom at Al Khuwair 33. House No. 866, Way No. 4712. Contact Mohamed : 99580484, Ahmed : 99486805, Awadh 95525509

2BHK Darsait R.O 325/-, 300/-.

Contact: 92144045

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new flat available at Mabela in front of Modern English School Contact: 96239126

4 BHK single villa in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 97616158 2 BHK apartments AL Khuwair with Balcony 350/- & 4 BHK villa Al Khuwair with Garden 800/-.

Contact: 95178930

3000 sq mtrs Industrial landß, in Barka Sanaiya, with electricity 400KW, shed, staff accommodation and office. Ready to start any kind of factory. Contact 99384255.

MBD area, fully equipped AC Executive office @ RO 200 pm with conference room. Unlimited local calls & internet services. Contact 99451845 / 99232271.

Shop/Office 68 SQM, Wadi kabeer, Opposite Al-Hassan. Contact 99441193, 93004802 1BHK flats at Muttrah near Oman House. Contact: 93231403 Flats and shops for rent in rent, Honda road and Rex Read. Contact: 97293708/ 94579531 /94141943 Flat in Amerat, Phase 5, 4 rooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen with A/C. Contact : 95522405 Well maintained spacious 2 BHK at Rex Road. Contact 92227165 3 BHK Flat in Azaiba. Contact 99792181 2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181 Labour Camp or store in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99792181

Deluxe 1, 2 BHK flats in Darsait, AL Khuwair 1deal for office & residence. Contact 99369081 /99142314 Flats in Wadi Al Kabir Lulu Height Street. Contact: 92022816/ 99468133/ 99719471 3 bedroom well maintained flat (villa type – only 2 flats in one Bldg) in Al Khuwair, Behind Al Akhtam restaurant villa No 1839, Way No 3922, block No 239. Contact: 99462980 Villa of 5 BHK in Al Ansab with split A/C. RO.650/- Contact – 93191111 2 BHK flat in Al Ansab with split A/C. RO.250/- Contact – 93191111

Commercial 3 BHK flat in Al Ghobra 18 Nov Street. RO 700/Contact – 93191111 2 BHK flat in Al Azaiba near sea, with split A/C. RO.340/Contact – 93191111

Furnished flats for rent in Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly.

Contact 97819981 / 93593336

1BHK Ghubra R.O 275/-.

Contact 92144045 3 BHK villa and 2 BHK flat with A/ Cs at Muttrah, near Oman house.

Contact : 95915154 Flat 1BHK for rent, Opp Omani School near Al Tajaweed Furniture, bldg No 1057, Way 5917, Hamriya.

Rent 150/- P.M. Contact: 99350946

Brand new 6 BHK villa in Al Azaiba with split A/C & lift. RO.1200/Contact – 93191111

Villa for rent - Al Seeb/Al Mawelah - Block 5 - 4 bedrooms with attached bathrooms, Majlis, 2 halls, kitchen and storeroom. split Ac and carpark.

Contact 99564616

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

Contact: 99366624

1 BHK Flat in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 92275454

4 Ware house at Barka Falaij.

Contact: 99337857

Flat for rent in Al Khuwair 33.

Contact: 92277419

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

3 rooms with attached bath room, hall Brand new in Mabelah near Sharahe Noor. Contact 99663905/ 99415119

For rent in Darsait new flats.

Contact: 99777351

For rent 3 industrial land.

Contact 92702891/ 95490842

Luxury 3 BHK flat in Al Wattaya with split A/C & private parking.

RO.500/- Contact – 93191111

For rent in Darsait, new flats.

Contact: 99311525

2BHK at Al Azaiba, 2bedrooms, 1 hall & dinning , 3 bathrooms.

Contact : 99224748 / 99425665

Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat. Contact 99349526

506 sqm space with mezzanine available for rent in Al Wadi Al Kabir. Suitable for carpentry / auto workshop and /or electrical shop.

Interested parties may Contact 24703981

Flats for rent Al Ansab (Ghala) 2 bedrooms, 2 toilets, 1sitting room & kitchen. Contact: 94229023

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DAILY GUIDE

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE

Running business material shop for sale good location & profitable business. Contact : 92249983 Super market in (Hairoon Hairithi) Thamrith road. Contact 98189810 / 99675190.

We have planned industrial lands in a prime location (Bowshar / Al Misfah) the space 8575 SQ. M for each plot, meter price 120/- OMR only. Contact: 99883338

SITUATION WANTMANPOWER

AVAILABLE Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

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

Available for longer period : Mig Welder 5 nos, General worker with PDO pass 10 nos, Helper 10 nos, Mason 8 nos. Contact 99610703

FOR RENT 1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.

Contact: 97799175 3 flats for rent 3 bedrooms include A/C, near the highway (Bowshar Amerat). Contact 97777911 / 95533777

Commercial land for sale 3000 m in quriyat road main high way can use as a petrol station license available asking price 350,000 For more information please call on 99070701 with out name

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished single / sharing room for Exe. Bachelor at Rex Road with WIFI available. Contact : 98646514 Family sharing villa room available at Al Khuwair. Contact: 99382008 Furnished single rooms available for Executive bachelors at Ruwi.

Contact: 98049288

FOR SALE Running computer shop for sale Souq Sohar. Contact 99420543 Porta cabin for sale good condition size 12x 3.70x 3.00 meter.

Contact : Deepak 99231715 Beauty parlor for sale near Muscat Palace monthly rent 350/- OMR serious buyers. Contact: 91902154

Fully furnished 1 BHK Flat available in Ruwi 2 months only (July/August) Contact: 99369081 Single bedroom available for veg. family/bachelor at Wadi Kabir, behind Mars. Contact 99877845.

Furnished room attached bath for lady in Wadikabir (Mars Hypermarket) – 95941515

ACC. WANTED Technical Trading Co. LLC is looking for a bachelor accommodation for their 150 staff in Al Hail, Seeb, Maabela, Mawaleh area on immediate basis. Interested parties please contact Mr. Qais Al Rashdi on 99421323

ACC. AVAILABLE Semi furnished room with attached bathroom for Executive bachelors at CBD area behind chamber of commerce. Contact: 96389375/93554942 Independent house with 1 room, kitchen and toilet in Wadi Kabir.

Rent: RO 170. Contact: 96639246

Suzuki Celerio 2012 fully auto 75000 km. Contact: 92588458

Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat driven. Contact 99209285

Swift Desire 2013 manual.

Contact: 97385534

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40 ton petrol tank each working at the moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35 Thousand each. Contact 97000155 or 92688692

Toyota Yaris 2006, 1.3 cc Automatic, Gray, 101000 k.m, accident free, well maintained & sparingly used by diplomat. All services done through Toyota.

R.O. 2000. Contact 96530053 2014 model Toyota Yaris 1.5 fully automatic with power window expat driven Mulkya valid till Nov. 2015 for sale. Contact: 93581825

2 Rooms with separate bathroom & kitchen for executive bachelors.

Gsm 942-888-63

MATRIMONIAL Muslim family seeking alliance for our son interested families. Contact 97664009

TRANSPORTATION Pick & drop with car & driver available any time. Contact: 9615828/96502406/92218001

Land Cruiser 2012.

Contact GSM- 99336093 Hyundai Accent 2004, fully automatic.

Contact: 99045803

LOST Ballal Hossain Shah Alam has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. E 1907130.

Finder please handover to ROP

Sharmeen Shah has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. E 1506958. Finder please handover to ROP

Chakatte Sidhiq has lost Indian Passport No. L 6301462. Finder please handover to ROP

Sadik has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. BB 0954214. Finder please handover to ROP

Mujeeb Rahman has lost Indian Passport No. J 7444147. Finder please handover to ROP

Mahmud Nasir has lost Pakistani Passport No. UB 0156481. Finder please handover to ROP

CHANGE OF NAME

3bedrooms Al Hail. Contact 92817777 Flats shops and store for rent in Ruwi, MBD Honda road.

Contact 97293708 / 92433127 Flats for rent in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact : 92800007 Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569 Labor camp available with all facilities at Sohar Falaij (Near Sohar Sea port) - Contact – 92982172

Training center with license.

Contact: 91121277 Indian restaurant fully furnished and equipped with banquet hall and spacious parking opposite Naseem Garden for sale. Contact Eng: 99771466 Arabic: 99454415 4000 sqm building ware house area for sale or rent next to Express highway also used 40 ft seaworthy container for sale in very good condition. Contact 99771466 Shop for sale in Ibra and Bid Bid. Contact: 95304693

Semi furnished single room for Executive bachelors behind Kamat Restaurant Al Khuwair. #94271085

Pick & drop available. Contact 96913836.

Transportation. Contact: 95190627

Single room at Walja, opposite MBD area available for Executive bachelors inclusive of electricity and water for OMR100/-. Contact: 93079877

Pick & Drop anytime Contact: 91653903

Family room available at Muttrah.

Contact: 24712088 / 99022790

Pick & Drop any time. Contact: 97014786

Room for rent 130/-RO, A/C, E/W kitchen Including bachelor only.

Contact: 95423391

Driver with vehicle. Contact: 99159277

We, Perwez Salam (name of father as per the passport holder of Indian passport No. G 9767149 and Anjuman (name of the mother, holder of Indian passport No. G 4543547) having permanent address in H No. 13/3 Part 1 ST Mool Chand weli Surender Colony , Jharoda Majrs , Burari Delhi -84 (complete postal address in India ) and presently residing at the following address in Muttrah , P.B. No 234 P.C No. 114 , Sultanate of Oman , hereby solemnly affirm and declare to change the name of our child miss Areeba ( name as per present passport) , holder of Indian passport No L 6682360 date of issue 03/03/2014 issued at Muscat . The name of our child will be henceforth known as Areeba Perwez (Given name) Salam (Sur name) (new name for all purposes). Any objection towards change of name of our minor child may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, PB No. 1727, PC 112 , Ruwi , Sultanate of Oman.

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

DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Male 24, B.Com /PGD having 2 years experience in accounts and inventory field looking for suitable job on visit visa. Contact: 94129550 Experienced up-to finalization accountant looking for part time job.

Contact : 99002390 Accounts & finance Indian male B.com M.B.A (F) Tally ERP9, 35 years, 8 years experience 1.5 years Oman family visa N.O.C available.

Contact: 93257426 Email: sibigeorp@gmail.com B.com graduate with NOC more than 4 years of experience in Oman with valid Oman driving license for a suitable job ready to join immediately.

Contact: 98976252 Senior Accountant 13 years experience FMCG & retail Noc available.

Contact: 93473942 Indian male B.Com Accountant 10 years in Oman experience in accounts (upto finalization) & Admin knowledge of tally ERP9, focus RT. Having NOC & D/L looking for suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 93086105

ACCOUNTANT Construction Company in Oman urgently requires following candidates: Accountant with minimum 5 years experience with operating knowledge of tally.

Email: applyforoman@gmail.com

Young, energetic 24 yrs, ACCA finalist, Advanced diploma in Accounting and business, seeking suitable placement in accounts, finance or audit. Contact : 92430152, Email: rau_dey@yahoo.com

A reputed shipping and forwarding company urgently require following personals 1) Accountant 2) Operations Executive valid Omani D/L is must. Experienced hands in shipping field are preferred. Send your CV to applymd2015@gmail.com

Indian female 23 yrs BBM Graduate, diploma in computer application and qualified e-finance in computer, having well knowledge in tally, peach tree, busy software etc. 2 yrs exp in account, looking for suitable placement in any field. Contact: 95601158

CATERING

Indian Female 25 MBA looking for a suitable opening in Accounts, Admin/ Hr. Contact 97013375

Family in Muscat seeking to hire an experienced butler. Hotel experience is preferred. Candidate must hold a valid driver’s license. Please send CV’s on vacancyinmuscat@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Urgently required Advertising & Media Sales Executives with Oman D/L. Trainee positions available for Freshers.

Email: jobs@interacoman.com

DOMESTIC HELPER Required looking for full time Housemaid for Omani family at Mabela, visa available. Contact: 92454170 Urgent required House maid in Mabela. Visa available.

Contact 95200180.

ENGINEER

MISCELLANEOUS

BEAUTICIAN Urgently required Indian experience Beautician (good package) in Al Hail, visa available.

Contact : 92139922 / 92284899 Required Beautician visa available, salary accommodation.

Contact: 91902154

DRIVER Driver & Business co coordinator speaking English urgently required.

Contact : 95327813 Required light driver, Excavator Operators & heavy drivers.

Contact: 99454425 Required Light duty driver from Kerala with construction experience.

Contact : 98294695

A well reputed company is looking for experienced digital Signage Technicians & Managers. Send CV to hr.oman@yahoo.com Required swimming pool Engineer/ civil /M& P / Draughtsman with D/L, Preferred gulf experience.

Email: jvacancy05@gmail.com Mechanical / Civil Site Supervisor; diploma / ITI fitter; 3-4 year’s exp in supervision of Erection work of sheds, customer coordination, and project execution. Omani D/L is must. Contact: hr@khancogroup.com / 99102383 Urgently Required: Civil Engineer with an experience minimum in 5 years in building construction and MUST have NOC. Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com

EDUCATION HOSPITALITY A well known private school is in need of English, Math, Science, Computer and Physics Teachers.

Contact: 96910649 Teachers required (B.A, BEd, BSc, and B.ed) for Omani Pvt. School Al Hail (North).Contact: 95141554/ 96653118

ENGINEER Required full time Social Networker for sites like twitter, LinkedIn, face book.

Email: mhca@mhabibgroup.com Construction Company in Oman urgently requires following candidates: BE Civil Engineer, minimum 3-5 years gulf experience & Civil site foreman, minimum 5 years gulf experience, diploma not required.

Email: applyforoman@gmail.com Construction Company in Oman urgently requires the following: B.Sc Civil Engineer, minimum 3-5 yrs Gulf experience. Civil Site Foreman, minimum 5 yrs experience with operating knowledge of Tally.

Please Email CV ; applyforoman@gmail.com

Chef for Yacht. International cuisine.

Minimum 15 years chef experience. alibadawy@gmail.com

MEDICAL Required full time Nurse for a residence. Contact: 99014435 Required Gynecology, General Physician, Dentist, Staff Nurses, Lab technicians, Pharmacists, X Ray technicians.

Contact : 95133572 / 96064925 Email: kunoozghala@gmail.com Wanted Staff Nurse for a polyclinic in Sohar. Contact :93457270 Required a MOH licensed female Nurse for a private clinic near Al-Suwaiq. Call 93746086 Urgent required staff Nurse in Mabela. Contact- 95200180.

Email: amanammc@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Mason, C.C.T.V, Technician, Electrician cum Plumber. # 99383044

Urgently required: (1) female dermatologist with minimum 3 years experience (2) female Omani reception coordinator for a medical center in Qurum.

Contact: 96062933 Well established and premier music Educational Group in Oman invites teachers in drawing , karnatic vocals, piano and drums interested can candidates can mail their portfolio CV to musicjoboman@gmail.com A company from UAE require 2 merchandisers in retail food supply, store keeper with English and invoicing experience. Email: yesterdaysun@hotmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Omani male Sales Executive with Degree/Diploma in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering Age : 25-35 years. Minimum 2-5 years experience in Sales of Industrial machinery. Apply to careers@teejanequipment.com Fax : 24560806 Required male or female candidate with 5 years experience in renting of properties. Interested candidates may please mail to alqurumprop@gmail.com Urgently required Sales & Marketing Executive for Electrical & lighting products with Oman driving license. Send CV at Email : albasilinternational@gmail.com Urgently required outdoor Sales Executive for furnishing company with valid Oman D/L and minimum 3 years experience.

Contact 93231403 / rainbowfurnishing156@gmail.com Required male candidates to work full / part time in an international Café “franchise”. They will be trained for the job. Contact 97673395 Sales Coordinator : Mechanical Diploma holder with 3-4 yrs exp. in sales department preferably in Metal fabrication Company. Omani D/L is must. Contact: 99102383 hr@khancogroup.com

Required Sales man - 1 Person Qualification. Gulf Experienced - Minimum 5 Years with Oman Driving Licence Language - English Education:- Any Degree Further Contact :Mr. Abdul Hameed Nashabat - Mobile No: 97414307 and -92807399 amn@yaqeeneng.com A leading tissue paper and food stuffs company requires Sales and Marketing person with minimum 5 years exp in Oman with good communication skills & valid Oman D/L. Candidate with Interior market knowledge & experience preferable.

Send CV: allub@alhosnigroup.com Fax: 24451430 Required urgently energetic Marketing Executive for acquiring new customers. Should possess a Valid Omani D/L. Contact 96545020.

Urgently required Sales and Marketing Executive for Graphic designing company. Contact: 96727631 mail: smartgraphic518@gmail.com Salesman experienced 5 yrs in Oman, in the field of industrial & oilfield service, garage equipment tools & spares, safety wears & rescue equipments. Please forward your CV to almaadhi.trd@gmail.com Sales man required for printing press preferable with car.

Contact : 97842797

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Required Office Assistant 160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

SKILLED Urgently required a silk Screen printer with good knowledge and release letter or NOC. Contact: 93280288 or send CV to albayanstamps@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED ADMIN/HR Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR. joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437 Over 14 years of gulf experience in Admin /HR /Logistics, fluent in Arabic & English with D/L looking for suitable position.

Contact 95824598 Filipino Female, 30 yrs, with 8yrs experience in Payroll/Admin/HR and 2yrs experience as Technical Support/Cashier/Secretary. Currently in Muscat on Family Visit Visa, Seeking for suitable placement.

Contact: 96708114 Email: lucy08_tm@yahoo.com Indian, male, 26, Commerce graduate, three years experience as Administrative Assistant in UAE, seeks a suitable job in Oman.

Contact: tkjasbeer@gmail.com; +971-558291437.

Indian female, Postgraduate in HR, with 8 years working experience in Oman(HR and administration), looking for suitable placement.

Contact 97411008 Indian female 29 MBA (HR) BSc, 4 yrs exp in HR& Admin looking suitable placement. Contact : 95619537 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

MBA (international business) from London, 4 years of UK experience in operations with D/L, looking for suitable position. Contact 91710075 Indian female MBA – HR 1 and half years experience seeking suitable job. Contact : 99257214

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE MBA Indian male looking for suitable position having 2 years working experience as an accountant now in Oman a visiting visa. Contact: 99424803 M.Com, CA (Article ship), 15 years Gulf experience looking for suitable position in finance & accounts on visit visa valid up to 10/7/2015.

Contact: 97767828, knowledge of quickbooks, Tally 9, Focus V.5 Email: altabhossain2008@hotmail.com Indian female 25 years married, MBA Finance, Diploma in foreign accounting 3 months experience in a CA firm on family visa.

Contact: 95916769 Email: sikhapadoor@gmail.com An Indian lady Chartered Accountant with five years experience (including article ship) on family visa in Oman looking for a suitable job. Please Contact 9621 0347 / 9943 5346, shincycrajan@gmail.com

Indian male, B.Com, 1 year Exp in Accounts/ Sales, on Visit Visa,..

Contact – 98295101 Indian / Keralite – CMA (US) , CAInter , M.Com, total 20 years experience with 11 years M/ East experience as Finance / A/ Cs Manager, seeks suitable offers from reputed companies in Oman. Sunil V.S. Contact : +91-9526756488 Email: sunil_ramanin@yahoo.co.in Sudanese Accountant seeking job in Nizwa state experience 10 years 3 years in Saudi Arabia, 7 yrs in Sudan.

Contact : 97796394 / 94003247 Senior Accountant 10 years experience 4 years experience in GCC now working with trading & project based concern holding Oman driving license. Well experience all accounting software’s. Contact: 94079432 Indian male B.Com MBA (HR), 2 yrs experience in HR & Accounts department, on visiting visa seeking for job in any field. Contact: 96491347 Email: aswinsajeev@hotmail.com Indian male Graduate 26 yrs 5 yrs experience in Accounts and Administration looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 91301983 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 Accounts part time works up to finalization on monthly basis. Profit & loss A/C and financial statements, MS Reports Etc. Contact: 96247295 ACCA affiliate , BSc Honors in applied Accountancy advance diploma in Accounting and Business, CAT Affiliate 1 year hand on working experience of Oman, with Oman driving license looking for a suitable placement in Audit firm. Having NOC can join immediately.

Contact : 98989970 ACCA & B.Com with Noc more than 5 years of experience in accounts & finance looking for a suitable job can join immediately. # 97012146 MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in finance/accounts/ auditing. Specialized in accounts payable dept, Oracle app user, proficient in Sap (fico) end user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma certified trainer on visit visa.

Contact – 91967213 / 99064780 Indian male, 32 years, M. Com. 7 out of 9 years experience in Oman in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143, Email: anzarks@gmail.com Indian male 25 yrs B.com having experience in accounts for 3 yrs currently on visit looking to job.

Contact: 97937868 Email: rehman.naseer999@gmail.com

T H U R S DAY, J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Indian CA with 15 yrs exp working as Finance Head for MNC looking for suitable job. NOC available. 94047434

Quantity Surveyor with 5 Years experience (one year in Oman) looking for job. Contact 91090036

Tanzanian male, 25 yrs Accountant successful experience in Tanzania looking for suitable placement in any field. Contact : 96710154

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, 24 years with Piping Engineering, Autocad, Ansys NX- Cad, pro-e, Catia & PDMS now on visiting visa seek suitable placement. Contact: 99168054 / 96684345 Email: : mbkishore@hotmail.com

Tunisian lady has Professorship in social and economical sciences and accounting, diploma in Experimental Sciences degree in English for media. Contact 95391050, aysser2013@gmail.com Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331 Indian male with total 5 year experience (2 years experience in Accountant cum sales co ordinator in a FMCG Company in Oman) in accounts field and NOC available. Looking for suitable job Contact 92130188 Indian Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placment. contact 93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com

BEAUTICIAN Indian Beautician looking for job in Oman, with 5 yrs Oman experience.

Contact: 98869716

DRIVER Light duty driver looking for job.

Contact: 94040926 Light duty driver looking for vacancy NOC available. Contact: 97319564 Driver with car. Contact: 97705694/98988208 Looking for job driving Bangladeshi.

Contact : 94077119 Bangladeshi Driver seeks suitable job K. S.A 12 years Oman 3 years 42 yrs. Contact 95796030 Looking for job driving Bangladeshi.

Contact: 97418036 Pick up and drop anytime.

Contact: 96748967 Light driver for job. Contact: 95779594 Light vehicle driver looking for job.

Contact: 91452930 Driver looking for job, light vehicle.

Contact: 95446207 Driver light. Contact: 91020999 Pakistani driving available.

Contact : 96913836 Light Driver having own visa looking for job as driver.

Contact: 97073429 Driver available with or without car.

Contact 96771598 L.T.V driver language, Hindi, Arabic & English. Contact: 98802079 Heavy duty driver valid license Omani need job & visa.

Contact: 91139936 Driver looking for job with visa, release available, 5 yrs driving experience. Contact: 96261895 Faruqu.

Light Driver needs Job. Contact: 93284327

DOMESTIC HELPER Looking for job for House maid.

Contact : 93599302 Laundry Housekeeping professional looking for a opening in Oman with 18 years experience.

Contact : 91957861

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian male 22 Mechanical Diploma holder Engg with HVAC certified, having 1 year exp. seeking suitable position. Currently available on visit visa. Contact - 92835952

BE Mechanical Engineer 2 years experience in fabrication and erection of heavy structures as project Engineer in India, now on visiting visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 92151818 B.Tech Civil Engineer Indian male 13 year’s exp seeking suitable job.

Contact 0091 9640973798 Email: firozbakhtiar2@gmail.com BE (Electrical), MBA, certified PMP and Chartered Engineer with 10 years experience in EPC Project management for substation construction (onshore/offshore) GCC employed Indian, seeking opportunity to lead challenging projects, position in managerial role.

Email ID: jacobmval@gmail.com Site Engineer(Civil) Diploma in Civil Engineering / Supervisor 6 years experience (with N.O.C).

Contact : 99512416.

Electronics and Instrumentation Engineer, Indian female, B. Tech (AE & I), M.Tech (VLSI design), asp.net, c#, c++, core java, android java, presently on visit visa, looking for a suitable placement. contact : 95906935, amalpktu@gmail.com

BE Mechanical Engineer 4/5 years experience in Planning Engineer.

Interested companies kindly contact 95403146 / 99426840 candidate available till 12.06.2015 B.Tech Civil Engineer, Indian female 2 yrs experience in Oman, looking for suitable position.

Contact 91690345 Sr Manager, B.Tech, MBA, PRINCE-2, British National. 24 yrs exp in EPC Project Management of Oil & Gas, Pipelines, Refineries & Power Plants.

Seeking job immediately/on visit/ Contact- 00968-91263952/ josececy25@gmail.com B. Tech Instrumentation Engineer more than 4 year experience SCADA, PLC, DCS, ESD (Honeywell, Yokagawa). Contact: 93670890 Email: mojin.a.kabeer@gmail.com Structural Engineer 4 years experience Indian, will handle projects independently, able to get Municipality approvals easily.

Contact: 91668044

Civil Engineer 7 years experience valid Omani D/L looking for job immediately, ready to join.

Contact : 96936406 B.E (Civil Engineer) with 5 yrs experience, valid Omani driving license.

Noc available. Contact: 91693008 Iraqi Civil Engineer 12 years experience, resident having Omani driving license. Contact : 94695595 Land Surveyor, one and half year experience in India, well handle total station, auto level and AutoCAD. Looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 95140761 / 99208290 Email: binu.brijiv@gmail.com Indian, male, Civil Engineering graduate with 8 years Dubai experience in Estimation, Project/Design Co-ordination seeks suitable job in Oman. Hold UAE driving license.

Contact: shibupnbr@ gmail.com; +971-501426982 Indian male Electronics & Instrumentation Engineer having 5 yrs exp with valid Omani D/L & NOC. Contact: 96082604 Civil Engineer, Indian Female, 3 yrs experience, on visit visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 99195433

MCA, BCA with 2 yrs relevant experience seeking suitable opportunity.

Contact: 96377039

Indian male MBA 7 years experience in Hospitality industry, operation, sales & marketing looking for suitable vacancy. Contact 92115860 Email vibin.py@gmail.com

Indian male fresher BCA young and energetic, seeking good opportunites.email: jlaxmimenon@gmail. com, Contact 00919567722270

IT Indian male, B.E ( computer science engineer), MBA (finance), OCA certified, having 5 years of experience in oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks a suitable position in the field of IT. Contact: 96212062 email: zubairkhan11@gmail.com 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

IT Desktop Support Engineer 2 years Oman 3 years in Indian Exp. Contact 91937060

Indian male 29 years Civil Engineer diploma 4 years Oman experience, 2 years road construction looking placement. Contact: 93298395 N.O.C available

Sudanese Industrial Engineering & Management, experience 12 years in QA/QC and production. Contact: 94041960 / 94044784, Email: mekkimedani@hotmail.com / mekkimedani78@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer Pakistani male 4 years B. Tech & 3 years’ diploma seeking a suitable placement.

Contact: 96752080 Email: ilyasoader97@gmail.com

4 yrs exp (Money Exch. Services & hospitality services in Oman& India) Indian male 27, Graduate in Hospitality Science, fluent in English, Hindi & Arabic seeks job.

Contact 91383167

Indian male diploma in Computer Engineering seeking suitable placement immediately now on visiting visa .Contact 97317844 / 92580948

Indian M 25 yrs B.E Mechanical, 3 yrs exp in Oil & Gas project Engineer now on visit visa. # 96487013 Email: riarun.007@gmail.com

Iraqi male Medical Equipment Engineer one year of exp in Iraq looking for suitable job in Oman.

Contact: 99132159 Email: marwan.saad39@yahoo.com

SALES / MARKETING

Indian female MCA, experience in C#.Net, SQL Server, ORACLE with 4.5 years experience seeking suitable positions.

Contact: 96485923, 99886271. prathibhakp07@gmail.com

Instrumentation Engineer, Indian male having 2 years experience in process instruments and sales seeks suitable placement on visit visa.

Contact: 95954385 Email: irfancisinn@gmail.com

Iraqi female Communication Engineer having 5 yrs of exp in teaching computer program.

Contact : 99132159 Email: marwan.saad39@yahoo.com

MISCELLANEOUS

Quantity Surveyor (Civil Diploma) 2 yrs experience in Oman, looking for full/ part-time job.

Contact 96936793

Interior Architecture Engineer, 7 years experience (5 years in Oman) expert in exterior & interior architecture designs presented by 3D MAX- V ray AutoCAD Photoshop, fluent in Arabic & English.

Contact: 96519172 Email: eng.interiorarchitect@gmail.com

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer Indian 1 year experience HVAC (MEP) available in Muscat on visit visa seeking suitable job. Contact : 93670280 Email: jinv.avm@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 9731 Indian male, B.Tech Mechanical having 4 years experience with QA/ QC / CSWIP looking for a suitable position. Contact: 99447106 Email: dhanubhasi87@gmail.com Btech computer science graduate 2015 passout.. Android application marketing.. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Contact 91024385 Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com Engineer with 3 yrs experience in Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical maintained field on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact 99191535 Email: fareed029@gmail.com Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer skills and 2 years experience as associate research analyst (Media Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seeking growth oriented jobs. Contact 92044603 /918056169148 or angeline.babithac@gmail.com.

Omani Mechanical Engineer, has 3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S, Riggers/Banks men Permit, Drawing / cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership and Initial Fire Response Courses. good with computer and English language looking for suitable job. Contact 99224319-98454500

EDUCATION Indian female MCA, Three years experience in teaching field, seeks placement currently on visit visa.

Contact: 93431567 Email: fivona.mel@gmail.com English Teacher female (M. A. B. Ed) Having 14 years experience with 11 years experience in Oman with reputed institute and school.

Contact: 92289080 / 99318276 Email: babujosev@yahoo.com

Looking for job building maintenance electric and plumbing.

Contact: 99365092 Ware house In charge or store keeper 27 yrs Gulf experience 4 yrs in Oman NOC available.

Contact: 97657823 Email: rusaikmzm_2009@yahoo.com In search of job. Qualification b.com, key skills- MS office, Tally, Internet with valid Oman light driving license. *NOC available.

Contact:92239065 Indian Female with over 9 yrs experience with good communication skills seeks jobs in customer service or sales field. Contact : 96108289, shijipaul84@gmail.com Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant ,doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439 13 Years UAE experienced in MNC & reputed firms logistics distribution looking for a suitable placement, on visit visa contact 99838743, gani.dawood@gmail.com

MEDICAL

Graduate having 6 yrs experience Lubricant sales looking for sales job with D/L. Contact : 93410723 Asst. Manager Purchase / Logistics / Warehouse, B.Com, Diploma in Material Management with 12 yrs experience. NOC available.

Contact 96477638 M.B.S (Management) looking for suitable Marketing job.

Contact: 96487152 Indian male over 5 years experience in media marketing sales collection looking for suitable job.

Contact : 95064202 Indian male, 27 yrs, Post Graduate, 5+ yrs exp in Oman in Sales & Credit Control, with valid Oman driving License, NOC available, looking for suitable placements. Ph: 91993376 Indian male MBA Marketing currently on visit visa seeking for Sales & marketing job 2 years experience.

Contact: 94460405 Email: arshidmohammed222@gmail.com Sales man looking for a opening in Oman with 18 years Gulf experience.

Contact: 91957861

M.C.A Indian male 36 yrs experience in IT Support/ customer serving support with 5 yrs experience seeking suitable position.

Contact: 92041909

Well experienced MOH Licensed Indian GP Doctor looking for locum / permanent position in the Capital area. Contact 98140024 email:drgpoman@yahoo.com

An Indian male having rich experience in procurement, Sales marketing and office administration seeking suitable position.

Contact: 93689602

Male 26 completed acter MBA and have 1.5 years experience, good knowledge of computer, software’s, looking for job in procurement / warehousing. On visit visa till 5th Sep /2015.

Contact: 00968 91795092 Email: jameel6345@gmail.com

Staff Nurse male Nurse 6 years above experience prometry exam 71%, express visa last date 21/06/2015. Contact: 95118841

8 years purchase experienced Indian male looking for job. N.O.C. available. Contact: 98161323

Computer Networking/Facility Mgmt 5 Yrs of Exp Holds B.E(ECE), CCNA Looking for Good Opportunity, Indian - Visit Visa. Contact 91911792/ arafakdnl@gmail.com IT & Media Sales specialist looking for job opportunities also decent exposure to H.R & customer relations currently in Muscat on visit visa kindly. Contact : 96238199 or 99874205 Email Id: m_cadri@rediffmail.com Net work Technician CCTV, UTP, OFC, Flooring work 6 yrs experience (GCC). Contact: +91 9526888134 Network system Engineer B.E / ECE + CCNA & Ms certified with 4+ yrs exp looking for a job. Currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact: 92589502 Email: careersjegan@gmail.com MCA Indian male 24 yrs seeking suitable placement in software / Database support currently on visit visa. Contact 96785261 Email: sudheesh.edakkadan@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Highly Qualified & Experienced Finance Manager Pakistani with USA , UK & Canadian Degrees, CPA , ACCA-UK . MBA-USA ,IFA- Financial Consultants Canada , Corporate Analyst USA Professional of Banking , Audits ,ERPs & Profit Maximizations (NOC available) call 94 504505 – 94403270 MSc qualified female on female joining visa good experience in Administration, Advertising media and branding at managerial level with 13 years experience. Good knowledge in the field of marketing looking for a suitable position. Contact : 91980400 Sr Manager, B.Tech, MBA, Prince -2 from UK. 24 yrs exp in EPC project management of oil & gas pipelines, refineries & power plants. Seeking job immediately / on visit/ Contact: + 00968912639 Email: josececy25@gmail.com

LOGISTICS 10 yrs exp in Oman in logisticshave Oman D/L-looking for suitable placement-contact 96410767 .

Contact email: harishkts@yahoo.com

BSc Staff Nurse with license.

Contact 92765457 Indian female Dentist MOH Oman passed seeking a suitable placement in capital region. Contact– 91377681 hashimsarawat@gmail.com Dentist with MOH license looking for locum post. Contact 93571021.

Indian male Nurse, 31 years Oman prometric passed 6 yrs ICU experience. Contact : 94195150 / 92758895 Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Indian male MBA having 10 years experience in Oman as Document controller and 2+ Years experience as Project Assistant / Executive Secretary seeks suitable placement.

NOC available Contact: 95373198, email: sydnvrng@yahoo.com Indian male more than 10 years Gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin (employees visa processes), Secretarial and purchase coordination with good computer skills. Having Driving license and NOC available. Looking for suitable placement. Contact 99709336

SALES / MARKETING Indian female B.Com Graduate having 8 yrs experience in India & 2 yrs experience in Oman as Customer Service, Office Asst, Sales Coordinator, Secretary seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95433987 Indian male, B.Sc (Mathematics) PGDBM (Marketing). 9 yrs of Oman experience in sales in midlevel management, NOC available.

Valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95278838 Email: anup2p4p@yahoo.com Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as sales supervisor in India looking for indoor sales /stores /cashier or any suitable placement can speak Hindi , English, Malayalam, Tamil, kannada can join immediately on visit visa.

Contact 93086105/33016546 Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermediate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing in Oman. Looking for suitable job.

Contact - 92146864

8 years store experience Indian male looking for placement. N.O.C available. Contact: 98456535 Indian 23 years B.Com Graduate, 2 years experience in Sales knowledge of TALLY, ERP & MS Office.

Contact: 93134643 Email : syedismailnoor@gmail.com Indian Male, B.Com Graduate, 23, with experience in Sales looking for suitable placements.

Contact 98371144

TOURS & TRAVELS 25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion Technology. 5 years experience in textile industry as a merchandiser and good in fashion marketing.

Currently available on visit visa, seeking for a suitable job.

Contact 96990368.

Email: simmy.missy@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian, Male, 23 years, BE Electrical, having 2 years experience in Electrical Works-H.T. cabling etc, & Construction, looking for a suitable placement. # +968 96927880 (Oman), +91 9765376109 (India), Email: rahulrevi6@gmail.com Indian Female M.Com with Computer Skills and Four Month Experience as Accountant ,Currently On Family Visa Looking for a Suitable Placement, Available Immediately.

Contact : 95846642, Email : dhanyashree91@yahoo.com MEP Quantity Surveyor-EstimationProject, 10 Years Experience (3 years in Oman). Having NOC & Oman D/L, looking for suitable job, Contact - 98291626 B.E. Civil Engineer age 27, total 3 years of experience in Mumbai looking for placement asap in oman now on visit visa of 1 month ph 9571 3441 Email. Khatrialeem@gmail.com Indian Female, 24yrs, M.COM (Accounts) having 3yrs experience in Accounts, HR, Administration, Customer Service. Good Computer Proficiency. Seeking Suitable Position. Visa Transfer/NOC Available.

Contact: 99654913 Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP having Bachelor degree and 6 years of experience in Networking looking for job. 96760618 / varghese.manthara@gmail.com

D6

T H U R S D AY, J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

WEBSITE

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

WE ARE PROVIDING ACCOUNTING/ AUDITING TAX/ CONSULTING CONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033

BUSINESS

Well running Bricks Factory for Lease in Seeb. Contact. 99711003

DRIVING

Wanted Sub Contractors : Shuttering work, steel, concrete block work, plastering, tile fixing for Buraimi, School project.

Contact : 99427674/ 24700373/ Fax: 24701368 Scrap business running scrap business sale with 60 Ton Weighing Bridge in Mabellah. # 92295780 New Construction Company required investors for financial project.

Contact: 92959251

Learn driving with professional only automatic. Contact 94022250

SITUATION WANTED Piping Design Engineer, Indian male 27, looking for suitable placement in Piping Design & Engineering. Having 7 years of experience in AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS (11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact : 97351786 / 96143708, E-mail : mohammednazeer07@gmail.com

Indian male seeking suitable vacancy in office works 30 years Muscat experience. Contact: 99024055

ACCA Affiliate, Experience in audit/ finance of 2.5 years in Big 6 Firm and Oil industry, looking for suitable permanent placement, Release NOC available. Contact: #95140445 a.saran891@gmail.com

Indian male, 28 yrs MBA (HR/M) 2 years experience in Indian Oman in HR & admin seeks suitable placements. NOC available.

Contact 97484159 Email: rameshkapa86@gmail.com

B.Tech Computer Engineer Wanted job to work on(IT/Banking/Administrator/Technical/Office works) having NOC with the limited time from (04/06/2015 to 13/06/2015).

Mobile:98402389 email:naresh6672@gmail.com

Indian female , MCA BCA, certification PL SQL , 6months training PHP, date warehouse looking for suitable placement. Contact : 95694330 Email: mondkashyapodl@gmail.com

MCA IT Professional Indian Female seek placement in Teaching/ Non Teaching field. Presently on visit visa. 9588 7051, ashwininakod@gmail.com Highly Qualified & Experienced Finance Manager Pakistani with USA , UK & Canadian Degrees , CPA ,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA ,IFA- Financial Consultants Canada , Corporate Analyst USA Professional of Banking , Audits ,ERPs & Profit Maximizations ( NOC available ) call 94 504505 – 94403270 27 year Indian female who has 4 years of experience with logistics function in distribution of spares for both heavy machinery & wind turbine parts. Kindly contact me on +91 9790769104 E-mail: joemohana@yahoo.co.in Looking for managerial post (full time ), More than Ten years of experience in Team Development ,Training, planning, Administration, Sales & Marketing, Advertisement and Credit Control and Logistics. Contact 91076608 / 99322748. RELEASE & NOC AVAILABLE Indian male MBA (U.K), 10 Years of experience in Admin, Sales, HR, stores and logistics seeks suitable placement. Contact 99271903.

Indian Female MCA, 4 plus Years of experience in Web designing, Admin, P.A, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 99486374 7 and half years experience working accounts / inventory manager looking suitable job. Contact: 96991782 Email: srinivasu.sp@gmail.com

Indain Male MBA Marketing/HRM 3 year experience with Omani D/L, seeking suitable jobs. #97424188 email: dharwesh@gmail.com

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

Part- time accountant, well experience senior accountant , doing all type of accounting works, finalization, budgeting available.

Contact : 98803439 HSE Advisor, NEBOSH IGC, Indian male, 4 years experience in construction and oil fields, seeking suitable jobs. Gsm: 97458900, Mail: miroshbabu@gmail.com Highly Experienced Finance Manager, CPA ,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA , Professional of Banking, Audits , ERPs Sap , Management as Team Leader and Problem Solver call 94 504505 / 94403270 Indian male MBA Finance presently OMAN IN visit visa, 26 years, looking for an accountant job.

Contact 95240641, email Id mohammadabdulazharuddin@ gmail.com

CLASSES

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517

House shifting. Contact 99708138

A/C maintenance split A/C servicing. RO. 10 only. Contact 94217681/ 99210141

Indian male, looking for a part time accounting job. Having additional knowledge & experience in HR admin & purchase.

Contact 99196621

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422 Carpet & sofa cleaning, house cleaning. Contact 99542979 / 98855815

Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male, having 9+ years exp. in reputed companies. Seeking suitable placement in any gulf region. Contact +968 99276601 & 97693456. email : muralimahdav77@gmail.com

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476 Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact 99557080

B.Com with more than 5 yrs exp. looking for an accounts part tome job work. know with tally.

Email-shilpa_62@yahoo.com Indian male Executive Secretary having vast experience in admin, logistics & procurement well versed with computer .seek suitable placement. Contact : 99514286

Specialist available for explosive growth in term of restructuring all modules of businesses with over 30 years of experience across continents with a decade in Oman.

Contact 96733578 Email : profitoman@gmail.com

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089/95323517 House shifting packing.

99657644 / 98518013 Learn Cup cakes, exotic cakes, Icing decorations, handicrafts.

Contact 95941515

Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

NRI

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

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance.Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130 A/C maintenance & servicing. Fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing. Painting & cleaning services & electrical & plumbing. Contact 99447257/97014234/ 24504281

Ready / under construction apartments / villas. Near guruvayur.

Contact: 00919846877773

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

T H U R S DAY, J U N E 1 1 , 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

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

Butter cup rent a car presents fantastic offers all vehicles are model 2016.

Contact : 97249449

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic massage backache, joint pain & neck pain etc.

Contact: 98254909 Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL , CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 / 99117987 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

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com Genuine Ayurvedic treatments & massage, Ayurvedic clinic at Al Khuwair. Contact 24478618 / 97263637 /93309131

D8

T H U R S D AY, J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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