Times Of Oman - March 12, 2015

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N C S I S TAT I S T I C S

HM receives thanks message MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in reply to His Majesty’s condolences cable on the death of Prince Fahad bin

Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

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

Accident rate in Oman declines by 15% January 2014 Accidents

568

January 2015

Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to President Rajkeswur Purryag of the Republic of Mauritius on the occasion of his coun-

try’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Purryag and his country’s friendly people. — ONA

Deaths (January 2015) Females

Males

Omanis

483

HM sends greetings to Mauritius MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan

MUSCAT: Accident rate in the Sultanate has declined by 15 per cent, along with a decline in the mortality rate by 14.5 per cent and injuries by 68.7 per cent.

Road accidents

The preliminary statistics released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) showed 483 accidents by the end of January 2015, down from 568 reported in the same month last year.

39 Expats

Deaths

69

20

59

Source: NCSI

Graphics

There were 59 fatalities reported in traffic accidents during the same period, down from 69 in the same month last year. The deceased included 39 Omanis, of whom 30 were males.

The number of deaths from traffic accidents involving expatriates in January 2015 totalled 20, comprising 13 males and seven females.

Traffic accidents The National Centre for Statistics and Information statistics also further pointed out that 278 persons were injured in traffic accidents in January 2015, which included 207 Omanis comprising 143 males and 64 females, whereas 71 expatriates comprising 49 males and 22 females suffered injuries. – ONA

Expats should get ‘life in Oman’ lessons

W E AT H E R

Embassies should play a major role in educating their citizens about life and laws GATHERING CLOUDS: Met department had forecast rains as clouds were passing the coastal areas. – Photos Azza Al Dhahoori, Hasan Kamzari & Twitter

Many roads flooded as rain sweeps back into Sultanate Times News Service MUSCAT: Light to moderate rain hit parts of Oman on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (DGMAN), which monitors weather conditions in the Sultanate.

While residents in Buraimi and Musandam witnessed light rains, Sohar and its adjoining areas witnessed moderate rains on Wednesday evening. “Some of the interior roads were flooded,” said residents in Sohar. The meteorological department had forecast rains in Oman as a huge trail of clouds were passing the coastal areas.

The weather is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains in the northern governorates as well as poor horizontal visibility.

For the next 48 hours, the DGMAN has predicted partly cloudy skies over the governorates of Musandam, Northern and southern Al Batinah, Muscat and Al Dakhiliah in addition to northern and southern Al Sharqiya, with chances of rain, thundershowers with winds and hail. “There are chances of late

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Al Nahdha Hospital shutdown is precautionary: Health official

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night to early morning low-level clouds or fog patches along most of the coastal areas,” it said.

The sea will be moderate to rough along the Oman coast and Musandam governorate with waves at a maximum height of 4 metres. The DGMAN has also called on motorists to use extreme caution on wet roads and in areas where there is low visibility, and refrain from venturing into wadis.

“The rains will also bring down the temperature significantly in some areas of Oman,” added the official. Meanwhile, law-enforcement agencies have advised campers to follow safety measures during their trips in the next few days.

“The measures include avoiding camping near wadis and keeping the children away from troughs,” said an official. Public was advised to follow weather updates issued by the meteorology department.

MUSCAT: Al Nahdha Hospital has issued a notice to the public informing them that it will be closed from Wednesday and that all appointments have been rescheduled.

The notice also informed that in-patients have been transferred to Khoula and the Royal Hospitals.

Decision The decision has been taken following the prediction of rain in Muscat on Wednesday and Thursday.

An official source at the Ministry of Health said that due to the weather conditions affecting the Sultanate these days, it was decided to shut down Al Nahdha Hos-

pital and delay the visiting hours for specialised clinics at the hospital on Thursday as a precautionary measure.

Shifted The source also said that some in-patients at the internal medicine ward were transferred to the Royal Hospital and some in-patients at the surgical ward were shifted to Khoula Hospital.

Source said that emergency cases for ophthalmology, ENT and dental clinics should proceed to Khoula Hospital while emergency cases for dermatology, internal medicine and paediatrics should visit the Royal Hospital. - ONA

FAHAD GHADANI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Embassies should be educating expatriates about life and laws in Oman before they arrive here to start working, said the Ministry of Manpower.

An official from the ministry recently met with the Bangladeshi embassy and discussed the issue, according to a statement by the ministry.

In the statement, the official said that embassies should play a major role in educating their citizens and that the ministry is ready to co-operate with them.

There are 1,575,298 expatriates working in the private sector in the Sultanate and 59,952 in the government. Out of the 1,575,298

expatriates, 605,543 are Indians, 543,377 are Bangladeshis, 214,106 are Pakistanis and 13,510 are Sri Lankans, apart from 33,221 Ethiopians, 38,144 Indonesians and 31,378 Filipinos.

There are also 23,329 Egyptians, 12,751 Nepalese and 59,939 others of various nationalities working in the Sultanate.

Welcoming the idea, embassy officials have said that their respective countries have various kinds of programmes to inform citizens of the regulations in the country they are heading to.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, a senior official of the Bangladesh embassy in Muscat said they in-

1.57m is the total number of expatriates working in the private sector in the Sultanate of Oman

sist that workers get orientation training in Dhaka before joining the Sultanate job market. All the workers joining the Sultanate have to undergo three weeks of training before taking up any job in Oman, he said.

Unskilled and semi-skilled Sri Lankan nationals looking for jobs do have to undergo a five-day training schedule in Sri Lanka before taking up a job in Oman.

“For housemaids coming for the first time, the training is for 21 days which is organised by the Foreign Employment Bureau of the Sri Lankan government,” said an official of their embassy in Muscat.

Naheed Naveed, head of chancery, Embassy of Pakistan said, “All relevant authorities in Pakistan are informed about such information. Regarding this particular question, we have already informed the Federal Ministry of Labour and Manpower and other relevant authorities. >A6

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

Solid start for The Wave, Muscat

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REGION

MARKET

Musical evening to honour Kerala singer

Iraqi forces, militias push into Tikrit

Oman’s realty sector adds 10% to economy

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Oman’s real estate sector accounted for around 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) last year, contributing about OMR1.3 billion to the economy, said an official of the Oman Real Estate Association (ORA). The sector’s contribution to the GDP was 0.9 billion in 2009, said ORA’s vice chairman on Tuesday. >B1

Unique Diamond Entertainment is all set to organise an evening filled with music and dance on Thursday at Al Falaj Hotel at 7:00pm. The event is being organised to celebrate the 25 years of musical journey of renowned Indian singer Biju Narayanan who will be honoured for contribution to music industry. >A4

Iraqi security forces and militias fought their way into former president Saddam Hussein’s home city of Tikrit on Wednesday, advancing from the north and south in their biggest counter-offensive so far against IS group militants.

The provincial governor said the army and militia fighters captured part of the northern district of Qadisiya. >A7

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T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

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FAHD MEETS GCC HIGHER EDUCATION MINISTERS His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers on Wednesday received heads of the delegations taking part in the 17th meeting of the GCC Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research Committee.

The talks focused on joint investment in education, establishing a Muscat–based office for education quality and academic accreditation in the GCC countries, and methods of dealing with fraudulent universities and associations. -ONA

Smuggling bid foiled Personnel of the customs department seized illegal smuggled goods at a border post and ports of Al Buraimi and Wadi Al Jizzi

Times News Service MUSCAT: Personnel from the General Administration of Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle goods, comprising furnishings, electronics and garments on a truck at the border.

An official at the General Administration of Customs said that the seized items include 20 cigarette cartons containing 1,000 packets; 16 cartons of chewing tobacco weighing 416 kilogrammes; 20 boxes of nuts and 30 boxes of olive oil; which were not listed in the purchase document in order to avoid paying duties. The goods have been seized and the case is under investigation.

IT training course The Directorate General for Information Technology concluded a training course in mobile computer maintenance of laptops for personnel of the Royal Oman Police. The three-day course aimed at providing participants with the skills and knowledge to help them perform their duties.

Buraimi police arrest six Customs officers at Hafeet port in Al Buraimi governorate arrested six persons who were trying to smuggle prohibited materials in and out of the Sultanate. An Arab national was arrested while trying to smuggle 33 bullets. The accused had concealed the items in the trunk of the vehicle.

In another case, a national was arrested for attempting to smuggle three e-air devices which are attached to cameras installed in a vehicle. Another national was arrested while trying to smuggle fireworks inside a box. The police arrested a third accused attempting to smuggle 10 scorpion nets.

Illegal firearm The police in Wadi Al Jizzi port arrested a citizen trying to smuggle a firearm made in Canada.

The accused was arrested and sent to the Public Prosecution for further legal action.

The ROP has called upon citizens and residents to report any such attempts.

CUSTOMS’ HAUL: The seized items include 20 cigarette cartons containing 1,000 packets; 16 cartons of chewing tobacco weighing 416 kilogrammes; 20 boxes of nuts and 30 boxes of olive oil; which were not listed in the purchase document.–ROP

I N T E G R AT E D P L A N S

Efforts to boost food security MUSCAT: Dr Fu’ad bin Ja’afar Al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries said that the Sultanate continues to implement a number of important projects to enhance food security in accordance with the integrated plans and studies.

He added that it also taking steps to avoid the impact of any crisis in the food sector at the global level. —ONA

OMAN Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN. Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

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OMAN GCC MEET

HM receives cable of thanks MUSCAT: On the conclusion of the 17th meeting of the GCC Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research Committee held at Muscat, the participants sent a cable of thanks and gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to them in the Sultanate.

They hailed the support of His Majesty the Sultan and the GCC leaders for the cooperation in higher education endeavours.

They wished the Oman’s Government and people further progress. –ONA

7pm

today would witness the inaugural of an evening filled with music and dance, ‘Pathu Veluppinu’ at Al Felaj Hotel

PAT H U V E LU P P I N U

Musical evening to celebrate Biju’s 25-year career Times News Service

My first song was given music by Raveendran Master (sic) and I was destined to sing for his last film as well Biju Narayanan Popular Indian singer

MUSCAT: Muscat Unique Diamond Entertainment is all set to organise a music and dance event on Thursday at Al Falaj Hotel.

The event, which begins at 7:00 p.m. is being organised to celebrate 25 years of the musical journey of renowned Indian singer Biju Narayanan who will be honoured for his contribution to music industry.

The show titled ‘Pathu Veluppinu’ will also feature some prominent names such as singers Kannur Sherrif, Sindu Premkumar and Abid Kannur, who are expected to bring in the distinct flavour of ‘Mapillapattu’ while popular television actress Sonu Satheesh will

bring in the element of grace with her dance performances.

Speaking to the Times of Oman soon after arriving in Muscat, Biju Narayanan said he is looking forward to performing in front of a large audience. “I had been to Muscat many times and this is more like a second home to me. I have some good friends here. It is good to perform in front of them once again,” said Biju.

Biju stormed the Malayalam film music scene in 1993 with ‘Pathu Veluppinu’ from the movie Vengalam. The song continues to win hearts of Keralites. Since then, Biju has recorded more than 400 songs in different Indian languages. For Biju, this song will always be special for its association with

Raveendran Master, the music director who gave him his first break in films.

“There must be something divine about this. My first song was given music by Raveendran Master (sic) and I was destined to sing one for his last film as well,” he said.

Looking back at his 25-year old music career, Biju had this to say, “I do not have any regrets. Looking back, I had some moments that I cherish. I had the opportunity to sing for some of the biggest names in the Indian music industry. It has been a fascinating journey for me,” said Biju, who has rendered 200 songs in other Indian languages.

The event is directed by Lakshmi Kothaneth and managed by Jijin Jith.

Arab symphony spices jazz show

ARABIC JAZZ: The concert, called ‘A Night of Arabic Jazz,’ showed how two seemingly different genres of music can be united to create something moving and beautiful.–Photos: Khalid Al Busaidi, ROHM

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The concert featured

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Tunisian violinist, Yasmine Azaiez and Syrian clarinettist, Kinan Azmeh, both of whom turn to their Arab roots to add different rhythms and melodies

SARAH MACDONALD sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Two talented Arab musicians and their bands played unique Arabian influenced jazz at the Royal Opera House Muscat on Tuesday, impressing the audience with their innovative music.

The concert featured Tunisian violinist, Yasmine Azaiez and Syrian clarinettist, Kinan Azmeh, both of whom turn to their Arab roots to add different rhythms and melodies to their jazz compositions.

Azaiez took to the stage for the first half of the concert, accompanied by her band which included Peter Godart on piano, Steve Langone on drums, Phil Aelony on guitar, Brad Barrett on electric bass and Mohammed Abdelkather Bel Haj Kacem on percussion.

Though she is a classically trained violinist, Azaiez clearly has a passion for improvising and her music is an adventurous exploration of Arab, Latin and jazz rhythms. While it doesn’t always sound like jazz, it is upbeat, interesting and new. The real strength in her music is the play between the jazz drummer and Arab percussion, whose rhythms blend together beautiful.

Azaiez is loaded with talent and plays with obvious joy. Her weaknesses, which perhaps can be attributed to her youth, included neglecting to introduce her band and prompting the audience to clap for the other musicians, rather than letting them decide when to applaud based on their own reactions to the performances.

Following the intermission Azmeh and his ‘Cityband’, which includes guitar player Kyle Sanna, drummer John Hadfield and bass

player Josh Myers, played a set of smoother, mellower jazz. Azmeh’s music is sensual and seductive, laden with emotion and experiences of being Syrian, from being detained in airports for carrying a Syrian passport to happy memories of wedding celebrations.

Azmeh, who is based in New York City, has been deeply affected by the four-year conflict in Syria, and paid tribute to those suffering with his music. He dedicated one of the songs to Syrian refugees and one to the Syrian people who have still found love despite the ongoing war.

Subdued mood Though the overall mood of the evening was subdued, as the concert was good but not great, there were a couple of highlights.

Azaiez delighted the audience with her rendition of a traditional Tunisian song Sidi Mansour.

Azmeh and his band also played a song composed by their guitar player, Kyle Sanna, called Woods, a dreamy piece that begins with a bass intro, followed by gentle percussion, soft guitar and finally smooth clarinet, which was simply sublime.

The concert, called ‘A Night of Arabic Jazz,’ was an example of how two seemingly different genres of music can be united to create something moving and beautiful.

T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

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MINISTRY OF MANPOWER

Labour law violations cases stand at 487 MUSCAT: The weekly report of the joint inspection team at the Ministry of Manpower has informed that the number of workers violating the labour law during the ďŹ rst week of March stood at 487.

This included 398 commercial workers, 33 farm workers and 56 housemaids and their equivalents.

The inspection teams caught 457 workers, including 228 absconding workers, 203 astray workers and 26 workers referred from other departments.

The Governorate of Muscat witnessed the largest number of workers violating the law with 224 cases, followed by the Governorate of Dakhiliyah with 72 cases.

The competent authorities at the Ministry of Manpower are taking the legal procedures against them.

On the other hand, statistics of the Ministry of Manpower showed that 214 expatriate workers were deported for violating provisions of the Labour Law and ministerial decisions executing the law. –ONA

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We always try to have a varied repertoire. We try to sing secular music and popular music. We will take probably two new songs from here to Hamburg Gesa Werhahn, Hamburg Girls’ Choir conductor

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O F F I C I A L LY O P E N E D

SQU starts centralised applied reseach unit Times News Service MUSCAT: The Central Analytical and Applied Research Unit (CAARU) at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), was officially opened this week under the patronage of Dr Ali bin Saud Al Bimani, vice-chancellor of SQU. The unit, which is under the office of the dean of the College of Science, has established itself on the basis of its expertise in the field of advanced instrumentation and developing the capabilities with the most cutting edge technologies.

Ahlam Al Azkawi, head of

CAARU, said that the idea of the unit was first proposed in 2004 with the aim of centralising the different set-ups in the College of Science for multidisciplinary use. Since then, the college has purchased new instruments and replaced the old ones to cover research and industry’s demands.

To insure proper operation and good maintenance of the instruments, the college has also identified some technical staff from each contributing department to be trained. CAARU consists of over 16 instrumentations covering different type of analyses from different fields of science.

MUSIC UNLIMITED: The 49-member Hamburg Girls’ Choir includes members ranging in age from 14 to 22 years. – Shabin E./TIMES OF OMAN

Girls’ choir rocks school SARAH MACDONALD sarah@timesofoman.com

Though the Hamburg Girls’ Choir members are German, their choice of music is global, with songs from Scandinavia, Africa, the Baltic countries and beyond

MUSCAT: Angelic voices filled the Bosch Center for the Performing Arts at TAISM on Wednesday morning when the Hamburg Girls’ Choir sang for the middle school students.

The 49-member choir, which includes members ranging in age from 14 to 22 years, sings mainly a-cappella music, using just their voices to create beautiful music.

Though they are German, their choice of music is global, with songs from Scandinavia, Africa, the Baltic countries and beyond.

“We always try to have a varied repertoire. We try to sing secular

music and popular music. The girls love to sing these pieces,” Gesa Werhahn, the choir conductor, told Times of Oman after their concert.

Because there are girls with many different personalities and interests in the choir, it’s easy to introduce a wide range of music, Werhahn said, adding that she makes an effort to travel broadly in search of interesting choral music.

This concert revealed just how adventurous the choir is, since they included a cover of American heavy metal band Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters, a song that included bird songs, and a catchy tune about cooking chili con carne.

The German choir was on their final leg of a three-country tour that included Qatar, the UAE and Oman, during which they gave a number of performances, held workshops at various schools, and had a chance to do a bit of sightseeing and learn some local music.

“We will take probably two new songs from here to Hamburg,” Werhahn said.

This was their first visit to the GCC. “We are interested in this region and we try to give our girls an opportunity to see a lot from the world. This is a particular culture and it’s very special and interesting for them to come to the Middle East,” said Christoph Pillat, the choir manager.

H O L I D AY D E A L

Shangri-La offers special discounts

LUXURY GALORE: The offer includes 20 per cent discount on food and beverage and 20 per cent discount at CHI, The Spa.– File photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: If you are looking for a last minute retreat this week where you can relax, refresh and revitalise with friends or family Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa has an exclusive offer.

A release from Shangri La informs: “Come and visit the stunning Shangri-La Muscat, before Sunday and receive this exclusive offer, 20 per cent discount on food and beverage and 20 per cent dis-

count at CHI, The Spa. This offer is only valid for this week so book now to avoid disappointment!,” said a release from Shangri La. “Call (968) 2477 6262 or email reservations.slmu@shangrila.com and quote ‘MARCH2’ to qualify for this special offer.

Booking in advance essential.

Food and beverage discount valid on all day dining restaurants only and excludes specialtiy restaurants. Subject to availability,” the release added.

O R I E N TAT I O N

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‘Expats need to be aware’

“The embassy does not have any orientation programme in place but we are accessible to all Pakistanis who want to come to Oman. Many Pakistanis seeks such information from us on a regular basis through emails and we do guide them and provide every possible help.”

Tonia Gray, general manager, Competence HR, said it is important that expatriates are made aware of as much information as possible regarding Oman before they move here.

This information should give a brief idea on the culture, religion, and for example, how to get a driving licence, and of course, the Omani Labour Law, he said.

“This is particularly important given that some of the rules today may make an expatriate seriously reconsider whether he or she wishes to come to Oman. The requirement to have a no-objection certificate (NOC) before you can move positions or face a two-year ban from working here, or the ban on female labour clearances, is information that an expatriate should be aware of,” she added.

“I feel that the responsibility for this does not just lie with the embassies but information should be shared and it really does not

matter if is duplicated. Embassies currently have little or no visibility on who is coming to Oman.

However, they could add a page to their website giving an overview (which some already do).

“Companies who have websites can also add information giving links to relevant sites. Additionally, recruitment companies like Competence HR, can take responsibility too and we will be adding information to our website soon. I also think companies could have a briefing note that could be issued with the job description (if that is done) or at the latest with the offer letter.

“I believe it is better that the expatriate gets too much information than nothing at all, and knows as much as possible before entering into such a commitment,” she added.

Tawfiq Al Lawati, a Majlis Al Shura member, said a majority of expatriates working in the Sultanate do not have serious issues on this count. “It is very difficult to educate expatriates in their countries as the Sultanate does not have embassies and sometimes there are not enough staff to deal with the huge number of expatriates wishing to come to Oman,” said Al Lawati.

T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

REGION

The president already has statutory authority to act against ISIL, but a clear and formal expression of your backing would dispel any doubt anywhere that Americans are united in this effort John Kerry, US Secretary of State

Iraq forces and militia fighters push into Tikrit Iraqi army and militia fighters capture part of the northern district of Qadisiya; five killed in seven IS suicide car bombings in Ramadi

BAGHDAD: Iraqi security forces and militias fought their way into former president Saddam Hussein’s home city of Tikrit on Wednesday, advancing from the north and south in their biggest counter-offensive so far against IS group militants.

The provincial governor said the army and militia fighters captured part of the northern district of Qadisiya, while in the south of the Tigris river city a security officer said another force made a rapid push towards the centre.

“The forces entered Tikrit general hospital,” an official at the main military operation command centre said. “There is heavy fighting going on near the presidential palaces, next to the hospital complex.”

Offensive IS militants who stormed into Tikrit in June during a lightning offensive through north and central Iraq have used the complex of palaces built in Tikrit under Saddam as their headquarters.

More than 20,000 troops and Iranian-backed militias known as Hashid Shaabi, supported by local tribes, launched the offensive for Tikrit 10 days ago, advancing from the east and along the Tigris river.

On Tuesday they took the town of Al Alam on the northern edge of Tikrit, paving the way for an attack on the city itself. “The governor of Salahuddin announces the purging of half of Qadisiya

READY FOR ACTION: Iraqi fighters of the government-controlled Popular Mobilisation units flash the sign of victory as they take part in a military operation to take control of Tikrit, from militants from the IS group, on Wednesday. – AFP

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district, the largest of Tikrit’s neighbourhoods,” a statement from governor Raed Al Jubouri’s office said.

The army and militia fighters raised the national flag above a military hospital in the section of Qadisiya they had retaken from the militants, security officials said. After pausing while helicopters attacked IS snipers and positions, the ground forces were progressing steadily, taking “one street every 30 minutes” the security official said. He said there was fierce fighting around Tikrit police headquarters just south of Qadisiya. To the northwest, troops and Hashid Shaabi fighters were clashing with IS militants in the city’s industrial zone, he added.

If Iraq’s government is able to retake Tikrit it would be the first city clawed back from the insurgents and would give it momentum in the next, pivotal stage of the campaign - to recapture Mosul, the largest city in the north.

Mosul is the biggest city held by the ultra-radical IS militants, who now rule a self-declared cross-border caliphate in regions of Syria and Iraq.

Over the past few months IS has gradually lost ground in Iraq to the army, militias and Kurdish peshmerga forces, backed by air strikes carried out by a US-led coalition of mainly Western and Arab countries.

The United States says Baghdad did not seek aerial backup from the coalition in the Tikrit campaign. Instead, support on the ground has come from Iran which has sent an elite Revolutionary Guard commander to oversee part of the battle.

In the western province of Anbar, suicide car bombers in seven vehicles attacked Iraqi army positions in the provincial capital Ramadi, about 90km (55 miles) west of Baghdad, police and medical sources say.

A total of five people were killed in the attacks, including two policemen, and 19 were wounded, a medical source said, stressing that the toll was only preliminary.

One of the car bombs exploded near a bridge in the west of the city and damaged part of the bridge, a police source said.

In the north, an IS suicide bomber struck a position of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the town of Sinjar. After the bombing around 70 militants attacked but were driven back by coalition airstrikes, according to a senior Kurdish security official in the area. — Reuters

AUTHORISING OBAMA

Kerry calls for war powers to strike IS group WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry urged lawmakers on Wednesday to give President Barack Obama updated war powers to go after IS group at “a pivotal hour” in the battle against the militants.

“Our nation is strongest when we act together — and we simply cannot allow this collection of murderers and thugs to achieve its ambitions,” Kerry told Congress.

He said the IS group which has captured a swath of land in Iraq and Syria wanted to ensure “the death or submission of all who oppose it” as well as “the incitement of terrorist acts across the globe”.

Appearing at the Senate foreign relations committee, Kerry as well as Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and the top US military officer, General Martin Dempsey, called for a united vote in favour of a new authorisation for use of military force (AUMF) to take on IS. Political cover Tantamount to a declaration of war, the authority would provide Obama political cover at home and a firmer legal basis on which to prosecute the fight, particularly among allies abroad who have joined a US-led international coalition. “The president already has statutory authority to act against ISIL, but a clear and formal expression of your backing would dispel any doubt anywhere that Americans are united in this effort,” Kerry said.

He urged the divided body to come together and “speak with a single powerful voice”. — AFP

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FIND-IT-ALL

PRAYER TIMINGS

W E AT H E R

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.22pm 3.46pm 6.19pm 7.29pm 5.04am

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 over Governorates of Musandam, Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, northern and southern Al Batinah, Muscat, Al Dakhiliyah, northern and southern Al Sharqiyah with chance of isolated rain occasionally thundershowers associated with fresh downdraft winds and hail.

Mainly clear skies over rest of the Sultanate with chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches along the southeastern coast.

EXPECTED WIND: Over Musandam Governorate winds will be northeasterly moderate to fresh. Over most of the Sultanate winds will be southeasterly to easterly light to moderate occasionally fresh.

SEA STATE: Rough along the coastal areas of Oman Sea and Musandam Governorate with maximum wave height of 3.5 metres and slight along Arabian Sea coast with maximum wave height of 1.25 metres.

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

THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Partly cloudy skies over governorates of Musandam, Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, northern and southern Al Batinah, Muscat, Al Dakhiliyah, northern and southern Al Sharqiyah with chances of rain occasionally thundershowers associated with fresh down draft winds and hail. Chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches along most of the coastal areas of Arabian Sea.

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 22 Min 13

Max 22 Min 18

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

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

MUSEUMS Bait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fish market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm Natural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm Thursday: 9am to 1pm Museum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, SatWed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946 Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707 Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Oman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Bait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscat museum@baitalzubairmuseum.com Open from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm.

National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Sohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Muscat Gate Museum: At Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

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

Max 21 Min 15 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 30 Min 13

Max 29 Min 13

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 28 Min 17

Max 32 Min 14

INDIA: Youths sit in a snow covered park after heavy snowfall at

Ghanta Ghar, in the heart of Srinagar on Monday. - PTI

Max 29 Min 22 —www.met.gov.om

WORLD

Max 9 Min -1 Max 13 Min 7

Max 27 Min 14 Max 6 Min -1

Max 28 Min 21

Max 28 Min 17

Max 31 Min 17

Max 31 Min 22

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

25 23 24 25 24 27 15 23 28 11 6 5 11 33 22 11 33 6 10 10 27 17 9 13 23

19 17 14 17 18 14 8 13 23 -4 0 -5 5 23 9 1 25 1 3 2 14 15 5 5 14

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

32 17 13 20 31 17 26 6 27 9 6 23 12 33 6 29 31 6 31 5 28 17 14 3 9

22 10 7 6 22 9 24 -1 14 -1 -2 18 7 19 0 25 14 -2 23 0 21 16 4 -3 3

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

The Indian Social Club with the Embassy of India is organising a musical concert by Santoor player Dr. Varsha Agarwal on Saturday 14 March at the Embassy of India at 7pm. ‘‘Sasneham Muscat Malayalees’, an exciting entertainment to all the music lovers, with live orchestra, by the local talents in Oman from 6pm tomorrow at Al Falaj Grand Hall, Ruwi.

If you are craving for the best one off deals, save the date for a rendezvous with Khimji’s House of Travel for the Travel Fest on Saturday at the Crowne Plaza from 10-4:30pm.

Holiday Souq, Bahwan Tourism LLC, is back with its second edition of Holiday Souq event on Saturday 14 March at the InterContinental Hotel, Qurum.

Al Nimr Shopping Exhibition from March 12-18 behind Oman International Exhibition Centre. From 10am -1:30pm and 4: 30pm till 10pm. Friday 4:30-11pm.

Muscat Energy Healing Centre will be conducting ‘Your health is in your hands’ seminar on March 14 at the Al Bahja Hall, next to Jungle Restaurant from 10am to 12pm.

10th edition of Naatia Mushairah will be held at Sapphire Ballroom of Hotel Crystal Suites in Wadi Kabir on Friday.

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

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

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

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

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily 16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily 16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

LISTINGS

CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA Run All Night (2D) (Action)(15+) Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris 2:45, 5:00, 9:30, 11:45 pm Cinderella (2D) (Adventure) (PG) Cast: Lily James, Hayley Atwell 3:45, 5:45, 7:45 PM Superfast! (2D) (Comedy) (15+) Cast: Lili Mirojnick, Dale Pavinski 2:00, 8:15 PM Walking on Sunshine (2D) (Musical) Cast: Greg Wise, Adrian Quinton 6:20 PM(12+) Before I go to Sleep (2D) (Mystery) Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong (12+) 2:00, 9:45 PM Outcast (3D) (Action) (15+) Cast: Nicolas Cage, Hayden Christensen, Andy On 11:30 PM Demonic (2D) (Horror I Thriller) (12+) Cast: Maria Bello, Frank Grillo, Cody Horn 10:10, 11:45 PM American Heist (2D) (Action/ Adventure) (15+) Cast: Adrien Brody, Hayden Christensen, Jordana Brewster 4:00, 7:15 PM

Cinderella (2D)(Adventure) (PG) Cast: Lily James, Hayley Atwell 10:00am, 12:00, 4:15 & 7:40pm Gold Class: 1:30 & 7:30 pm Run All Night (2D) (Action) (15+) Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris 5:30, 9:35 & 11:45pm Gold Class: 5:15 & 11:15 pm

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water (3D) (Animation/Comedy) 10:05am (PG) American Heist (2D) (Action) (12+) Cast: Hayden Christensen, Adrien Brody 11:05 am Superfast!(2D) (Comedy) (15+) Cast: Lili Mirojnick, Dale Pavinski; 8:15pm; 2:00 & 6:10 pm Before I Go TO Sleep (2D) (Mystery) (12+) Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong 3:45 PM; Gold Class: 3:30 PM Cairo Time (Arabic) (2D) (Comedy) Cast: Ayten Amer, Mervat Amin 2:05PM(12+) NH 10 (Hindi) (2D) (Crime/Drama) Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil Bhoopalam, Ravi Jhankal, Darshan Kumaar 8:00 PM Demonic (2D) (Horror/Comedy) (12+) Cast: Maria Bello, Frank Grillo, Cody Horn 10:15 PM & 11:45 PM Gold Class: 9:30 PM

SCREEN 1 NH 10 – Hindi (Suspense/ Thriller) Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil Bhoopalam, Ravi Jhankal, Darshan Kumaar 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30 PM Screen 2 Badlapur – (Action | Drama) (15+) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Huma Qureshi, 3:30 pm Run All Night (Action/Suspense) (15+) Cast: Genesis Rodriguez, Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman 7.00, 9.15, 11.30 PM

SCREEN 3 Run All Night (Action) (15+) 3.30 PM Badlapur (Action | Drama) – 15+ Cast: Varun Dhawan, Huma Qureshi, Yami Gautamhi 6.15, 9.00, 11.45 pm

Run All Night – 2D (15+) (Action) Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman 3:15, 7:30, 9:15, 11:30 PM Before I Go to Sleep – 2D (12+) (Mystery | Thriller) Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth 5:30, 9:30 PM Cinderella – 2D (PG) (Adventure) Cast: Lily James, Hayley Atwell, Richard Madden 3:30, 5:30, 6:45 PM Superfast! – 2D (15+) (Comedy) Cast: Lili Mirojnick, Dale Pavinski, Andrea Navedo 3:45, 9:45 & 11:45 PM Cairo Time – 2D (12+) (Comedy| Drama | Romance) Cast: Ayten Amer, Mervat Amin, Nour El-Sherif 5:15 PM Demonic – 2D (15+) (Horror | Thriller) Cast: Maria Bello, Frank Grillo, Cody Horn 5:30 & 11:15 PM Apartment 143 – 2D (15+)(Horror | Thriller) Cast: Kai Lennox, Gia Mantegna, Michael O’Keefe 5:00 PM NH10 – 2D (TBC ) (Crime | Drama | Mystery)

Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil Bhoopalam, Ravi Jhankal, Darshan Kumaar 9:00 & 11:15 PM American Heist– 2D (15+) (Action) Cast: Adrien Brody, Hayden 3:00 & 7:15 PM

Run All Night – 2D (15+) (Action) Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman 3:45, 7:45, 9:45, 11:45PM Cinderella – 2D (PG) (Adventure) Cast: Lily James, Hayley Atwell, 3:15, 5:45 PM Before I Go to Sleep – 2D (12+) (Mystery, Thriller) Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth 3:15, 5:00PM NH10– 2D (Hindi) (Crime, Drama) Cast: Neil Bhoopalam, Ravi Jhankal, Darshan Kumaar 6:45, 9:00, 11:15 PM Demonic – 2D (12+) (Horror, Thriller) Cast: Maria Bello, Frank Grillo, Cody Horn 5:15, 8:30, 11:45PM Superfast! 2D (15+) Comedy Cast: Lili Mirojnick, Dale Pavinski, Andrea Navedo 6:45, 10:00 PM

Superfast! (Comedy) (15+) Cast: Lili Mirojnick, Dale Pavinski, Andrea Navedo 4:30, 7:45, 11:45 PM Run All Night (Action | Crime | Drama) (15+)

Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 PM Cinderella (Adventure/ Family) (PG) Cast: Lily James, Hayley Atwell, 3:45, 5:40 PM Demonic (Horror | Thriller) (TBC) Cast: Maria Bello, Frank Grillo, Cody Horn 3:00, 6:15 PM NH 10 (Hindi) (Crime |Mystery) Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil 9:30 PM

Before I Go to Sleep (2D)(12+) Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth 5:00, 9:30 & 11:30PM (Mystery) Run All Night (2D)(15+) (Action) Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris 3:00, 7:00, 9:00 & 11:15PM Cinderalla (2D)(PG) (Adventure) Cast: Lily James, Hayley Atwell 11:00AM, 1:00 & 4:15 PM Superfast! (2D)(15+) (Comedy) Cast: Lili Mirojnick, Dale Pavinski 11:00AM, 12:45 & 2:30PM Walking Sunshine (2D) (Musical) Cast: Greg Wise, Adrian Quinton 6:15PM(12+) NH10 (2D) (Crime/Drama/Mystery) Cast: Anushka Sharma, Darshan 8:00PM Outcast (3D)(15+) (Action) Cast: Nicolas Cage, Andy 11:30AM, 1:15 & 5:15PM Youm Maloush Lazmah (2D)(12+) (Comedy) Cast: Noah Taylor, Kodi Smit-McPhee, 3:00 & 7:30PM Demonic (2D)(12+)(Horror/Thriller) Cast: Maria Bello, Frank Grillo 10:15 & 11:50PM

Run All Night (Action/Crime / Drama ) Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, John C’ Reilly 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CP No: 668 (15+) Before I Go TO Sleep (Thriller) Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong 2.00 pm & 6.00 pm CP No: 6669 (12+) Superfast! (Comedy) Cast: Lili Mirojinick, Dale Pavanski, Andrea Navedo 2.00, 4.00, 8.00 & 10.00 pm CP No: 667 (15+) Apartment 143 (Horror/Thriller) Cast: Kai Lenox, Gia Mantegna, Michael O’Keefe 6.00 & 11.55 pm

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

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776

NH 10 (Hindi) (Action\Thriller) Cast: Anushka Sharma, Deepti Naval & Nril Bhoopalam 6:30, 10:00pm Cinema Main\3:30 pm Cinema – 2 Kakki Sattai (Tamil) ( Com\Act) Cast: Shiva Karthikeyan, Sri Divya & Prabhu; 3:00pm Cinema Main\ 6:30 & 9:30pm Cinema -2 Fireman (Mal) (Act \Thriller) Cast: Mammootty, Unni Mukundan & Nyla Usha 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45pm Cinema -3 Temper (Telugu) (Act) Cast: Jr Ntr, Kajal Agarwal & Prakash Raj; 3:45pm Cinema-4 Picket 43 (Mal) (Act) Cast: Prithviraj, Javed Jafry & Renji Panikker 6:45 & 9:45pm Cinema -4

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

T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

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India, Seychelles sign four pacts The four pacts are on cooperation in hydrography, renewable energy, infrastructure development and sale of navigation charts including electronic ones

VICTORIA: Cementing its strategic partnership with Seychelles, India on Wednesday signed four agreements with the Indian Ocean island nation to boost security and maritime partnership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived here on Tuesday on a brief visit on the first leg of his three-nation tour, held talks with Seychelles President James Alix Michel and said Seychelles “is a vital partner in our Indian Ocean neighbourhood”.

“Short it may be, but this visit has been very productive. It is no surprise that Seychelles is my first destination in the Indian Ocean Region,” Modi, the first Prime Minister to visit Seychelles in 34 years, said.

Late premier Indira Gandhi had visited the country in 1981.

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Meeting the press after his meeting with Michel, Modi announced that India will give a second Dronier aircraft to the country. He also launched the Coastal Surveillance Radar Project, describing it as another symbol of the cooperation between the two countries. “Our security partnership is strong. It has enabled us to fulfil our shared responsibility to advance maritime security in the region,” he said, calling the country as a trusted friend and strategic partner.

“It is a privilege to be a partner

of Seychelles in the development of its security capabilities,” Modi said, adding these steps will enable Seychelles to secure these beautiful islands and the vast expanse of waters around them.

“Seychelles will also continue to make an enormous contribution to the safety and security of the Indian Ocean Region,” he said.

Modi and Michel witnessed the signing of four agreements on cooperation in hydrography, renewable energy, infrastructure development and sale of navigation charts including electronic ones.

“Our agreement today on hydrographic survey adds a new dimension to our maritime cooperation. I thank Seychelles for their confidence in India,” Modi said.

“We also hope that Seychelles will soon be a full partner in the maritime security cooperation between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka,” he said.

Prime Minister also announced that India would grant free visas for three months to the citizens of Seychelles.

“We will also extend to you the facility of visa-on-arrival,” he said. Modi said he was deeply touched by the extraordinary hospitality and warmth he received in the country. - PTI

A9

INDIA GOODWILL GESTURE

Lanka to release 86 Indian fishermen COLOMBO: As many as 86 Indian fishermen arrested for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters are set to be released as a goodwill gesture to mark Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, the first by an Indian premier to this country in over 25 years.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s office said the decision to release the fishermen had been taken.

Prime Minister Modi, who is due in Colombo on Friday, will be the first Indian Prime Minister since Rajiv Gandhi in 1987 to make a bilateral visit to the island.

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa had also ordered the release of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody as a goodwill measure to mark the swearing-in of prime minister Modi in May last year.

Ahead of his Sri Lanka visit, Modi had said, “I am delighted with the opportunity to visit one of our most important neighbours...

We will work together to forge a new partnership between our countries.”

The prime minister would be visiting the Mahabodhi Society in Colombo, and travel to Anuradhapura, Talaimannar and Jaffna during his trip. - PTI

A10

TIMES O F O MAN

TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 12 , 2 015

INDIA Court summons to Manmohan in coal field scam case as an accused Congress says Singh’s integrity unquestionable, slams BJP

A prosecution lawyer said former prime minister Manmohan Singh has not been charged with any crime but is being investigated for criminal breach of trust, criminal and corruption

DEJECTED: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh looks on during the opening ceremony of the 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2014 (Overseas Indian Conference) in New Delhi, in this photograph taken on January 8, 2014. - AFP file phpto

NEW DELHI: An Indian court summoned former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday over accusations of criminal conspiracy and corruption in the illegal award of a coal field, a blow for the Gandhi dynasty that ruled India until last year.

A special court under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ordered the 82-year-old Singh, billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla and another official to appear on April 8, a source at the agency said.

“I am upset, but this is a part of

life,” a visibly distressed Singh told reporters in parliament, where he sits in the upper house.

It is rare but not unknown for former Indian prime ministers to be called into court.

Known for his personal integrity and humble lifestyle, Singh has not been charged with any crime but is being investigated for criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption, a prosecution lawyer said on condition of anonymity.

The CBI had earlier excluded Singh from the investigation.

conspiracy, cheating

His Congress party called the summons a backlash against its opposition to economic reforms that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to push through parliament.

In the past, the Supreme Court has accused the CBI of acting on the wishes of the government.

The summons coincided with a debate in the upper house on a bill to allow coal-field auctions.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the issue was a blot on Congress and called on the party to end its opposition to the bill.

NEW DELHI: Throwing its weight behind former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, summoned by court as an accused in a coal scam case, Congress on Wednesday charged the Bharatiya Janata Party with making cheap political capital out of it to divert people’s attention from the “black law” on land acquisition.

“Manmohan Singh’s integrity, fairness, impartiality and adherence to transparency is unquestionable”, party’s

“I hope reason will prevail,” Javadekar said. He denied any vendetta or political interference in the judicial process.

Maximum sentence The maximum sentence for criminal breach of trust is life imprisonment. Singh said he was evaluating his legal options, which include seeking a stay on the summons from a higher court.

The mild-mannered economist implemented 1990s free-market reforms that unshackled India from its socialist past.

communication department in-charge Randip Surjewala told reporters.

Fair and transparent He said even the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found the 15 per cent share to Hindalco in Talabira II and III in Odisha including recommendation of the then Coal Secretary P C Parakh to Singh as Coal Minister “to be above board, completely fair and transparent”. - PTI

Recognisable in his trademark blue turban, glasses and beard, he played a prominent role managing the 2008 financial crisis.

His second term at the helm of a Congress-led coalition was mired in corruption scandals and accusations that party leader Sonia Gandhi called the shots, tarnishing his image.

“We have done nothing wrong and we have nothing to hide,” said Ambika Soni, a senior Congress leader close to the Gandhis.

The Gandhi lineage stretches back to India’s first prime minis-

ter, Jawaharlal Nehru. The family ruled for much of the period from independence in 1947.

Awards illegal Most coal block awards made by Singh’s government, which ran India for a decade, were overturned late last year by the Supreme Court, which ruled the process illegal.

The case known as “Coalgate” came to light in 2012 after a government auditor said the exchequer had lost up to $33 billion due to collusion between officials and private firms to depress the cost of coal-field awards.

Modi, who ousted Singh last May, issued an executive order to re-auction the fields in a process key to reducing India’s dependence on coal imports.

He needs to pass legislation to make the decree permanent.

Auctions of the first 32 blocks have brought in a projected $32 billion, Coal Secretary Anil Swarup told Reuters.

The summons relates to the allocation of a coal field in 2005 to Hindalco Industries, part of the $40 billion Aditya Birla Group.

Kumar Mangalam Birla is the chairman of the group.

The company declined to comment.

Shares in Hindalco, an aluminium company, fell by 5 per cent to their lowest in nearly a year - extending falls over the past week to nearly 20 per cent. - Reuters

ON A MISSION

Solar Impulse 2 pilots want Indians to support clean energy drive AHMEDABAD: Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, two Swiss pilots who are attempting to fly around the-world in a solar-powered plane, want 1.2 billion Indians to support their campaign for use of renewable energy for protecting the global environment.

Piccard, who piloted the Muscat-Ahmedabad leg of the Solar Impulse flight on Tuesday night, said, “Most important thing for us is that we could put this badge on.

We could put India on our sleeves.”

A psychiatrist by training, Piccard said a lot of hard work from innovation to technology to engineering and seeking government permissions in many countries has gone into the Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) project.

The wings of the Solar Impulse 2 are covered by more than 17,000 solar cells that recharge the plane’s batteries.

It flies ideally at around 25

knots, or 45kph (28 mph). It will next fly to Varanasi and is then slated to make 12 stops during its 35,000-kilometre journey, including in China and Myanmar, before it crosses over the Pacific Ocean.

“We can hardly believe that we are on our way,” he said after the solar-powered plane made successful flight from Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad via Muscat.

Challenges He said the world was faced with new challenges like medical research, fighting poverty, protection of environment, better governance and human rights and the Si2 flight was about spreading the awareness about these issues.

He hoped to garner support from Indian population for their campaign ‘Future is Clean’.

“We have launched a campaign on our website. We can have 1.2 billion signatures from India,” he said.

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FOR A CAUSE: Ground staff prepare to push the ‘Solar Impulse 2’, a solar powered plane, into a hangar after it landed at the airport in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. - Reuters

“When we go to UN conferences and other forums, we want to tell them that climate change is not an expensive problem but an opportunity to put new technologies (renewable energy technologies) on the market,” Piccard, a third

generation innovator, said.

Piccard said there were many prominent persons who supported the campaign of Solar Impulse team but it was important that more and more people announce their support for this cause.

Borschberg, an Engineer by training and a military pilot by hobby, said using renewable energy, impossible things can be achieved.

“This is what we want to show,” Broschberg, who flew the maiden leg of the flight from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, said. He said India was not a random choice for the Solar impulse team but reflection of close cooperation between companies based out of the country for making the Si2 possible.

“India was not a random choice.

It is important for us personally.Last year, we initiated contact (with stakeholders in India) and the response was truly fantastic.

There is Ahmedabad in the plane because you have research and products that come from here,” Borschberg said.

Among the 80 global partners, Aditya Birla group, Solway and ABB India have provided key support to the Solar Impulse team to make the flight a success.

Subir Pal, ABB’s president for the Discrete Automation and Motion in India, thanked the Solar Impulse team for taking on the challenge of putting the focus on renewable energy.

Pal said there were other areas where renewable energy could be used to improve the lives of the people while protecting the environment at the same time.

Three engineers from ABB India are part of the Solar Impulse crew with two of them stationed in the control room in Monaco while the third travels with the mobile hangar for the aircraft. -PTI

T I M E S OF OMAN

T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

A11

INDIA CONFIDENCE VOTE

Nitish wins trust vote comfortably in Bihar, BJP walks out PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying the united secular forces in the state had “unmasked” its game plan of creating a situation for imposing President’s Rule by propping up Jitan Ram Manjhi against him.

“Today they stand unmasked after their game plan has been foiled by a strong unity among secular forces of JD(U), RJD, Congress and CPI,” Nitish said while answering nearly four-hour debate on his confidence motion in state Assembly.

Nitish, who was sworn-in as chief minister of eastern Indian state of Bihar for the fourth time on February 22 last, passed floor test comfortably.

While a total of 140 votes were cast in favour of the confidence motion none was against it.

BJP with 87 members had staged a walk out in the House before the motion was put to vote.

The trust vote was first approved by voice vote and later on insistence of the treasury bench by lobby division.

Nitish said Delhi election had heralded the “downhill electoral journey” of BJP which would gain momentum from Bihar where poll was due later this year.

Nitish attacked BJP for propping up outgoing Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi against him and tore into saffron party claim on welfare of mahadalits.

“If you are sincerely in favour of mahadalit than why don’t you change your slogan from’ Jai Sri Ram’ to ‘Jai Jitan Ram’,” he said mockingly.

Defended Nitish also defended his joining hands with RJD of Lalu Prasad and instead questioned BJP tie up with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Are you feeling happy today when terrorists are being freed by your partner PDP?” Nitish taunted

IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE

Three killed, 21 hurt in Manipur blast

ELATED: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is greeted by party legislators during the first day of Bihar Assembly’s Budget session in Patna on Wednesday. - PTI

BJP members. He alleged that by giving a go bye to its stand on Article 370, “BJP caused ideological death of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who had given the slogan one flag one constitution.”

Nitish hit out at BJP for “interfering” in the affairs of JD(U) by extending support to former Chief

Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

“Changing CM is a priority of a party, but what for you (BJP) were meddling in our affairs to gain politically?” he questioned BJP. “Though the mandate was for Keshubhai Patel in Gujarat, but Narendra Modi was made CM in his place by BJP in 2002.

Likewise in Madhya Pradesh the

vote was won in the name of Uma Bharti but first Babu Lal Gaur and later Shivraj Singh Chauhan were made CM there,” Nitish said to justify JD(U) deciding to bring him in place of Manjhi midway.

“I know you (BJP) are readying audio tapes of my comments on RJD chief Lalu Prasad when we were separate and his views on me at that time to play during Bihar poll later this year.

We are also preparing to play comments on your new found friend (LJP) whose leader Ram Vilas Paswan had proudly told Pakistan president that he is the leader who broke away from NDA on 2002 Gujarat riot,” he said.

“We share the same background and has parted ways due to difference on question of certain issues in Bihar. Now seeing the present situation when secularism has been under threat we have joined hands to defeat BJP,” Nitish said.

The Bihar CM alleged that BJP had been playing foul with old as-

AAP Mumbai face quits on horse-trading report Immediately after the controversy broke,

‘Nothing ‘illegal, immoral’ in contacting Congress MLAs’

Anjali Damania, senior party leader from Mumbai, quit the party saying she has backed the AAP CRIME SCENE: Security personnel inspect the scene of an improvised explosive device blast at Khwairamband Bazaar in Imphal, Manipur on Wednesday. - PTI

IMPHAL: Three people were killed and 21 others injured in a powerful blast at a market here in the Manipur capital on Wednesday, police said.

“An IED (improvised explosive device) that was planted near a chicken shop at Khwairamband Keithel exploded killing three people and wounding 21 others, including women,” Inspector General of Police Clay Khongsai said.

He said the injured were rushed to the Regional Institute of Medical Science and Hospital. The condition of some of the wounded was critical.

Among those killed, two were

non-locals. One was identified as Mithu Yadav, a resident of Bihar, while the identity of the other person was yet to be ascertained.

The third person killed in the blast was identified as Mohammed Suman Khan, a resident of Kshetri Awang Leikai of Imphal East district.

Police officials along with additional security forces have rushed to the spot and launched a combing operation to nab those responsible for the blast. No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast. Manipur Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh condemned the blast. -IANS

sociates like Shiv Sena and Shrimoni Akali Dal (SAD).

Earlier, leader of Opposition in Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav attacked Nitish Kumar for putting “sushasan” (good governance) which was invented during NDA rule to satiate his ego and in the lust to become prime minister.

He said Nitish claim of good governance was “self contradictory” as he has joined hands with RJD and Congress.

Yadav refuted any efforts by his party to facilitate ground for imposition of President rule in Bihar and said after six months the party would come to power in the state.

RJD Legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui launched a scathing attack at BJP while supporting trust vote in favour of Nitish Kumar government.

His Congress counterpart Sadanand Singh echoed similar views.

Lone CPI member Awdesh Roy also supported confidence motion of Nitish. - PTI

chief for ‘principles’ not ‘horse-trading’

NEW DELHI: Besieged by infighting, the Indian political party Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was on Wednesday hit by twin blows with a former party MLA accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of trying to poach six Congress MLAs to form government last year following which its prominent Mumbai face Anjali Damania quit the party.

Allegations AAP’s former MLA Rajesh Garg also alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was in touch with the Congress MLAs to try to lure

NEW DELHI: Dismissing the allegations of horsetrading, Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday lashed out at “disgruntled” former party MLA Rajesh Garg saying there was nothing “illegal and immoral” being in touch with Congress MLAs who, the party claimed, anyway wanted to break away.

AAP leader Ashish Khetan tried to justify the move saying that such type of political realignments keep on happening in the country and it cannot be considered as “poaching”.

“Using the term horse-

them to float another political party and extend support to AAP from outside as Kejriwal was not ready to face the assembly polls.

As Garg levelled the allegations, an audio tape of purported conversation between Kejriwal and the former legislator from Rohini surfaced in which the AAP leader was heard talking about splitting

trading is far too harsh and irresponsible. We neither lured them with money nor did we offer them with any gains.

Political realignments are not new in this country.

Political realignment is not poaching. It is a truth in the country while horse-trading is fallacious,” Khetan told reporters, adding BJP and PDP are poles apart ideologically and yet have formed government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Khetan alleged that it was the BJP which was involved in horse-trading while they were always in favour of polls. - PTI

the Congress. “We are ready to form the government, but Congress is not ready to support us.

Manish (Sisodia) is in touch with the Congress.

Do one thing, split the Congress and ask their six MLAs to float a new party and support us,” Kejriwal was purportedly heard saying in a telephonic conversation with

Garg. Congress had eight MLAs in the previous assembly and to escape anti-defection law, six MLAs would have required to form a breakaway group.

“Congress won’t support us.

We have been trying for the last one and a half months. These six Congress MLAs would have supported BJP, but three of them are Muslims. They won’t support the BJP. Those six MLAs should support us,” Kejriwal was heard telling Garg in the audio clip.

Immediately after the controversy broke, senior party leader from Mumbai Damania quit the party saying she has backed the AAP chief for “principles” and not “horse-trading”.

Inquiry sought Announcing her resignation on the twitter, Damania said, “I quit...I have not come into AAP for this nonsense. I believed him...I backed Arvind for principles not horsetrading. I demand inquiry in 48 hours into all these allegations.

Vols (volunteers) have given their sweat & blood. It is not for the party...It is for the country,” she said in another tweet.

The new controversy hit the party at a time when it was grappling with dissent by two senior leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav who have openly criticised Kejriwal for his style of functioning. - PTI

A12

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The prospect of peace in Colombia is brightening

O

ver the past decade, American intelligence and military personnel, drawing little attention or controversy, have helped the Colombian government make substantial inroads in the fight against a guerrilla group in the mountains of the country. The United States has spent $9 billion supporting that government’s efforts to defeat the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, one of the longest-running insurgencies in modern history. With the FARC markedly weakened, its leaders have been negotiating with the government of President Juan Manuel Santos since the fall of 2012 to end the conflict. That ambitious and complex effort appears to be reaching a make-or-break phase. The delegations, which are negotiating in Havana, are wrestling with the terms of disarmament for the rebels as well as with questions of punishment for atrocities committed by both the Marxist-inspired group and government-backed forces.

If a deal were to be signed by fall, it would be presented to voters in a referendum. Only then could the Colombian government start carrying out the agreements that they have reached, which include land reforms that would boost the agricultural sector and expand opportunities for farmers. The teams have also reached tentative agreements on counter narcotics policy and a political role for the insurgent group.

Over the weekend, negotiators announced that they would start collaborating on an effort to clear land mines.

After five decades of war, the prospect of a negotiated deal, not surprisingly, has many critics, particularly among those whose family members have been killed or maimed in the conflict. Some worry that guerrilla leaders who have committed atrocities could escape punishment. Others warn that even if the FARC were to nominally disband, its factions would continue to carry on kidnapping and trafficking cocaine. Still, an agreement is the best alternative to ending the fighting, which has ebbed as the talks have progressed, and giving Colombians in war-torn districts hope for a brighter future.

The Obama administration recently signalled its strong support for the process by naming Bernard Aronson, a former senior diplomat with expertise in the region, as an envoy to the peace process. Aronson, who is not expected to participate directly in the talks, recently travelled to Bogotá to meet with Santos, who deserves credit for pursuing a peace process that nearly cost him re-election. Aronson also visited Havana to meet with the chief negotiators of both teams.

The backing of the United States is undoubtedly helpful. Since the American government has the top leaders of the FARC under indictment for drug trafficking, it should be involved in discussions about the future of drug interdiction policy and could play a role in a postconflict era. But getting to a deal depends mainly on the willingness of Colombians to make tough compromises. - The New York Times News Service

COMMENTARY

Get job, gain experience, then seek higher salary

A

TONIA GRAY

For the greater good

I

t is always a welcome development, especially in our political context, to see parties acting for the greater good of the country.

This has happened with the ruling party declaring on March 10 that it would be voting for the PPP’s Raza Rabbani for the post of Senate chairperson when voting takes place on March 12. Yes, the development may have come after it was clear that the PML-N could not muster the required strength needed to win the vote in the 104-member Senate. Voting for 52 members of the Upper House took place a few days ago.

The results have produced 27 members for the PPP, one more than the number of senators with the PML-N. PPP Co- Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari was able to garner support of key opposition parties, including the MQM, the ANP, the PML-Q and factions of the BNP in a bid to win the slot of the Senate chairperson for the PPP. His efforts took the number of PPP supporters in the Upper House to 53.

However, even so, the PML-N has made a magnanimous gesture by not contesting the post. The show of unity will go down well and prevent further divisions emerging in the country. It will also halt the process of horse-trading and corruption that many had feared we may see as a new round of polling for the leader of the House began. There have already been allegations of such buying of votes in the balloting for Senate seats. In such a climate, the decision by the PML-N is one that we should welcome. We hope, too, that this will mark the advent of greater maturity in the Senate, which must play a key role in maintaining the balance of power in parliament. The PML-N’s sensible move has made it more possible for this to happen. Perhaps, the gesture will bring political parties closer together and demonstrate why they must work in cohesion for the multiple crises facing the country to be resolved and for us to move forward step in step rather than in a state of discord. - The Express Tribune

Fresh job seekers expect high salary but work less This refers to the news story, ‘Get real over pay’, Omani recruits advised (March 11). Often the Omani job seekers ask for a high salary but do not offer output commensurate with the wage. Many of them quit the job as soon as they get a fresh offer with a trifle more salary.

Yumna Mohammed Muscat

Many don’t get jobs due to unrealistic wage demands This refers to the news story, ‘Get real over pay’, Omani recruits advised (March 11). The problem is not what the fresh job seekers in Oman expect or demand. If there are deserving and qualified candidates and they demand more than what the company is offering

there should be no problem in accepting the demand. But often, not only in Oman, everywhere in the world, new recruits expect or demand unreasonably high compensation. In the process, many land up being rejected. They remain unemployed. If one is rational he or she will accept a job which does not offer the compensation they desire if only to gain experience and skill. They can then move on and can demand better packages because they will then be skilled and competent enough to deliver.

Eric Stromayer Azaiba

Can solar power be the future of aviation?

This refers to the news story, Solar Impulse 2 takes off from Oman;

Companies, however, should take responsibility for ensuring that nationals are trained with programmes that actually deliver a return on their investment and are appropriate for the learner

s GM of a local HR consultancy, where we offer both recruitment and training services, it was refreshing to read Elham Pourmohammadi’s excellent front page article yesterday. It is good to see that there are so many likeminded individuals working in the private sector.

As a recruitment consultancy, we undertake many recruitment campaigns for a vast array of clients from different sectors and are regularly faced by fresh graduates who say they do not wish to be considered for a job because the salary is less than 1,000 OMR. I recall speaking to one fresher who told me that he was worth 1,200 OMR, not the 800 OMR being offered, and on asking him why, his only response was “because I have got a degree”.

We have also faced fresh graduates ringing us up and shouting at our recruiters because they were not selected to be interviewed for CEO’s vacancies.

We have had the opportunity for graduates to undertake excellent graduate development training programmes for some of the largest international organisations turned down because, and I quote “it will be too hard work”.

Where is the culture of ‘you reap what you sow’, why don’t many youngsters understand that they need to work their way up and that gaining experience helps them to reach higher positions in the long run. We all know what happens to the ‘forced flower’ – it doesn’t grow so well.

Partly it is the fault of the education system as I have heard it said that they tell the students that ‘we are grooming you to be managers’ and not we are grooming you for work and to gain the necessary experience to become managers and I think partly the Government has a part to play in changing this situation. Although I am a great advocate for Omanisation (and at Competence HR our target is 35 per cent but we are at 75 per cent), this has to be undertaken in a planned way.

Whilst higher Omanisation targets are pushed through without consideration of whether the necessary skills and experience are available this will force companies into taking people who are not the best qualified for the job.

Further it enables nationals to artificially inflate salaries – not because of actual worth and value to the company, but because of ‘supply and demand’. The demand is high, the supply is short, so salaries go up.

There is an additional factor and that is one of performance whilst in the job. Unless Omanis are expected to perform at the levels set by the com-

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Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst MARCUS VALERIUS MARTIALIS

pany, and unless low performing or low motivated employees can be dealt with through a fair disciplinary process, then efforts may not be made by some individuals to deliver to the best of their ability and the business will ultimately suffer.

We do however find that Omanis are very keen to learn and undertake personal development and for most they understand the days of the ‘jolly to Malaysia’ to undertake a programme that can be delivered in Muscat, are gone.

In our experience, Omanis engage well in training programmes and are willing to take on new ideas and to try and implement new skills.

Companies, however, should take responsibility for ensuring that nationals are trained with programmes that actually deliver a return on their investment and are appropriate for the learner.

Too many training programmes are undertaken to ‘tick a box’ with no checks to ensure that the learning has been taken on board by the individuals and no refresher training (vital with health and safety programmes for example) or knowledge that the new skill has been implemented once the employee is back in his seat.

Often we find individuals are on a programme that they have been told to attend and they do not know what to expect or why they are attending. Also the content and level of the programme should be better aligned with the individual’s needs and with the objectives of the company.

My advice to freshers is to get that first job, learn as much as you can from it, irrespective of the salary offered, because whilst you are living at home your outgoings will be less. Too soon there will come a time, when you need to earn a better salary to support your family and the more experience you have, the better salary you can ultimately achieve.

Learn from your more experienced colleagues, irrespective of their nationality, ask for training and development that aligns both with the business needs and your own development and then aim high.

There is nothing stopping you reaching the heights of CEO, but take your time to do this so it is a job you well deserve and not a job given to you because of your nationality.

The author is the General Manager of Competence HR in Muscat, having worked in Oman for five years. She has over 30 years international experience in human resources management and consultancy, including specialising in employment law and training and development related matters. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely hers and not of Times of Oman.

starts second leg of epic roundthe-world bid (March 11). With the experimental flight this is just the very beginning of our reliance on solar energy to make use for flight operations as it proves that renewable energy has the power to make the impossible very much possible. It’s stopover in Muscat brings pride to the Sultanate as it has been designated as a location for the round-the-world-tour of Solar Impulse 2. I wish the mission a great success.

Ramachandran Nair Ruwi

A minor incident has been blown out of proportion This refers to the sports article, Dhoni’s moment of imperfection (March 8). The author’s views on a minor incident are misleading

and blown out of proportion. The author should rewind and watch the incident once more. Contrary to what he said, Dhoni actually refused the second run initiated by Ashwin, well aware that it would lead to a run out. Dhoni indicated to Ashwin to keep his eyes open and not to run blindly. I am sure all of you cricket lovers who watched that match would agree with me.

P.V. Venugopal Barka

Sangakkara has set a new world record of centuries Hats off to Kumar Sangakkara for his fourth century in a row in the ICC World Cup 2015! He has set in a new world record. He can now retire on a high note.

T.V.S Murthy Al Khuwair

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, MARCH 12, 2015

A13

PERSPEC IVE Apple Watch: Let’s face it, this is a really stupid idea A

pple, which once put a U2 album on everyone’s iTunes without asking, announced the release date for its much anticipated Apple Watch yesterday. The device is a smartwatch, so sort of like a phone, but with a much smaller screen. And you wear it on your wrist.

According to some tech experts, “it’s not unreasonable to imagine a potential 90m Apple Watches on wrists globally by the end of 2016.”

This is a message to those 90m people: don’t do it. Please. There are better things to spend $17,000 (or £13,500 in the UK) on.

To be fair, not all of the Apple Watches will cost $17,000 — only the luxury “Apple Watch Edition” model will. Some of the cheaper watches will cost as little as $349 (£299). But the $17,000 price is important, because it signifies a betrayal of Apple’s previous commitment to producing high quality products at a mass-market level.

The price positions the Apple Watch as a luxury, which indicates that the watch itself is essentially useless. Luxury products are not distinguished by their utility, but by their price tag. Their point is not to be useful, but to show how much money their owner has, and, indeed, they are more effective at demonstrating wealth the less useful they are: only the very rich can afford to spend thousands of dollars on nothing at all.

The Apple Watch falls perfectly into this category. Its use is best currently described as “it can do all the things your smartphone does, but on your wrist, and on a smaller screen.” It can’t actually work without an iPhone; it is a $17,000 iPhone accessory. Worse than being useless, it may actually be inconvenient. Some early users have complained that the interface is not particularly intuitive, and takes a while to learn. The watch is meant to stay dark until the wearer raises her arm, and might require users to wave their arms around a lot.

Added to the social stigma associated with checking a watch, I can’t see this waving requirement endearing many Apple Watch

TIMOTHY KENNETT

Worse than being useless, it may actually be inconvenient. Some early users have complained that the interface is not particularly intuitive, and takes a while to learn. The watch is meant to stay dark until the wearer raises her arm, and might require users to wave their arms around a lot

users to those around them. Imagine sitting in a meeting or on a date, waving your arm around for a bit, then casually looking at your watch to see whether you’ve got any emails. I think it’s safe to say there may be some social teething problems.

The Apple Watch may not be that convenient when you’re on your own either. It has an 18 hour battery life given a normal day’s use, so you’ll need to charge it every day (and the Apple page on battery life uses the phrase “actual results may vary” an awful lot). To charge it, you’ll need a special cable that won’t be compatible with anything else you own, and you’ll have to carry it around with you too, unless all your friends have Apple Watches as well.

Buying the Apple Watch might also prove arduous. Before its release, it will be available by appointment to try on, and after release you will only be able to buy it in stores by reservation. These minor inconveniences mask more insidious problems. A device that functions as a gatekeeper for people who receive too much information on their iPhones will inevitably encourage more information to be sent.

Also, Cook isn’t lying when he says the Apple Watch was “the most personal device [Apple] have ever created. It’s not just with you, it’s on you.” This very intimacy is problematic: it represents a further intrusion of the busy world of notifications and ads into modern life.

The watch will normalise, with its soft notifying vibrations on your wrist, the connection of the world of data and the physical body.

“Wearable” computing is the start of the drift from owning computers to have computers inside of us: it is not a great conceptual leap from Google Glass to eye implants, or from the Apple Watch to having a chip in your arm that gives you a small electric shock every time your boss sends you a message.

These dystopias are all in the future though.

For now, the Apple Watch is a weird luxury, and the question remains: do you really want to pay $17,000 — or even $349 — to get more email? - The Independent

A silent epidemic of violence against children

A

bigail’s words will stay with me. “My father hurt me every day. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday”, she told me. Just ten years old, she bore the physical scars from a man that was meant to protect her. Her teacher raised the alarm when she noticed Abigail’s incontinence. From the age of six, Abigail had been abused by a man she called dad.

Abigail lives in Nairobi, in Kenya. But her harrowing story is shared by millions of children in every corner of the world. We are rightly concerned about the sexual abuse in war-zones — but sexual violence permeates the everyday too.

According to Unicef, one in ten girls under the age of 20 worldwide have been sexually abused at some point in their lives — some 120 million girls. Across the world, children are victims of a silent epidemic of violence, which has been unaddressed and ignored for too long.

The stories of survivors often seem unspeakable and too difficult to tell — so we don’t tell them — which in turn allows the cycle of violence to continue.

In Nairobi, a father told me about the rape of his two and half year old daughter. “I never lie to my children but now I have to lie to them” he said, “how can I ex-

DOREEN LAWRENCE

plain to a 7 or 8 year old boy that his younger sister was raped.

How do I put it?”

The effects of violence on children can last a lifetime. Child victims of abuse are more likely to drop out of school, less likely to be employed, and more likely to have mental health difficulties than those who didn’t suffer from violence.

In fact, a recent Unicef UK report revealed that the brain development of children who are victims of violence can be affected — with some showing similar brain activity to soldiers exposed to combat.

Violence also feeds off social inequality. It preys on the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society wherever they are in the world.

This is the reality for Isaac a seven-year-old orphan who lives with his four siblings in Nairobi’s largest slum, Kibera.

His brother told me that Isaac had been beaten with a stick by one of the city officials for selling the groundnuts on the streets.

His family felt that they had no power to stop this.

As someone who has lived with the consequences of violence, I want to see 2015 as the year of change. In September, world leaders will agree new global goals that will guide world develop-

ment for the next 15 years.

It is vital that these goals include a robust target to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children, so that this becomes a priority for all countries.

This will help unlock the action and investment needed to prevent violence against children, support survivors, and ensure that they get justice.

In Kenya, I saw the vital work Unicef is doing to help victims. I visited a Kenyan version of Childline, a 24/7 helpline where children were able to report physical and sexual abuse and get the psychological and legal support they needed.

I listened to Abigail’s support group, which brings child survivors of violence together to help them recover. It is this sort of work that could be expanded and replicated in other countries, if we prioritise ending violence on a global level.

The next Government will have a critical role to play in making a target become a reality. UK party leaders must take a stand and commit to keeping every child safe and secure. The children I met aren’t statistics. Their eyes tell a story that won’t leave them.

A new global target to end violence would help keep these children’s hopes alive. - The Independent

The messy habits of Hillary Clinton FRANK BRUNI

H

illary and Bill Clinton have one home in Washington, DC, another in Chappaqua, NY and a whole wide world that opens its arms and wallets to them.

But their permanent address is on the fault line where defiance meets self-destruction.

They know what the caricature of them is and they play right into it. They’re familiar with the rap against them and generously feed it.

And they tune out their critics, at least the ones they’re not savaging.

Although they’ve long been derided for a surrender of principle when they’re on the hunt for donations, their foundation has raked in money in a manner that opens them up to fresh, predictable accusations of that.

Although they’ve long been cast as greedy — remember the china, flatware and furniture carted out of the White House? — they hit the speaking circuit in a way that only strengthened that impression.

Audiences of Wall Street bankers, fees in the hundreds of thousands, extra coddling: They have demanded, received and inevitably been blasted for all of that.

And now, from Michael Schmidt’s story, we learn that Hillary’s response to her reputation for flouting rules and operating in secrecy was to put what could be construed as a cloak over her communications as secretary of state by using only a private email account.

There’s pushback from her defenders over how rare this really was.

There are explanations and information still to come.

But this was reckless, given the questions that would surely be asked if it came to light, the likelihood that it would, and how she’d wind up looking.

Does she have a political death wish? Until a month ago, one of the arguments I frequently heard in favour of her presumed candidacy for the presidency was that she’d been vetted like nobody’s ever been vetted, with no surprises left.

All the skeletons had been tugged from the Clintons’ labyrinthine closets. All the mud had been dug up and flung.

But that assessment shortchanged the couple’s ability to make new messes.

It ignored the “Groundhog Day” in which they star.

Republicans are having a field day.

The dominant figure at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week wasn’t Jeb Bush, Rand Paul or Scott Walker. It was Hillary Clinton, in absentia.

Referring to the controversial sources of funds raised by the Clinton Foundation in recent years, Ted Cruz joked that she wasn’t present because the conference’s organisers “couldn’t find a foreign nation to foot the bill.”

Reince Priebus added: “Hillary barely comes out in public these days. If there’s not a private luxury jet and a quarter-million-dollar speaking fee waiting for her, you can forget about it.”

That jibe was over the top.

But it touched on a worry that many Democrats have: Can Hillary, of all Democrats, persuasively style herself as a champion of the struggling middle class?

It also demonstrates how much ammunition she’s needlessly giving a future Republican rival.

That is, if she runs and if she gets her party’s nomination.

Democrats should look closely at the revelations of recent weeks and think hard about finding a primary opponent for her, one more fearsome than those who have stepped forward so far.

Only then would she get the practice she may need in answering the latest charges against her.

Only then would Democratic voters see how well she handles that. Only then would they be forced to reckon fully with her habit of clinging to her ways.

She and Bill have lived their entire political lives under fire, some of it deserved, some of it not. It’s as if they decided at a certain point that they’d never get a fair shake and should cut the corners that they could and behave as they wished.

Their foes would storm the gates regardless.

But there are times when the Clintons are their own worst enemies. Insistent that his persecutors would find misdeeds even where none existed, Bill gave them a blue dress and Monica Lewinsky.

Aggrieved by the way her detractors saw her as haughtily above it all, Hillary decided on an approach to emails as secretary of state that has made her look haughtily above it all.

Is that entitlement? Or hubris? An inability to change?

Or a refusal to?

I approached someone who knows the Clintons well, asked how to make sense of this and got an answer that echoed observations about them from the past: “They’d rather seek forgiveness than permission.”

Because they have passion and talent, forgiveness has routinely come. But the longer they live on that fault line, the greater the chance of an irredeemable misstep, and the taller the odds that they’ll reclaim a temporary address: 1,600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

- The New York Times News Service

Foreign troops battle Nigeria’s Boko Haram Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) Fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria Nigeria

3,500

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Chad

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PAKISTAN

The Rangers said there was no resistance during the raid, but television footage showed Rangers soldiers firing gunshots while leaving the offices

MQM workers arrested, arms seized in raid The raid on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement headquarters sparked an angry response from the party, with workers shutting down large parts of Pakistan’s biggest city Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistani security forces raided the offices of the main political party in Karachi on Wednesday, seizing a “huge quantity” of weapons and arresting activists, including one accused of murdering a journalist.

The raid on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) headquarters, known as “Nine-Zero”, sparked an angry response from the party, with workers shutting down large parts of Pakistan’s biggest city.

At least one supporter of the MQM, the fourth-largest party in parliament, died as government paramilitary Rangers opened fire on protesting activists. Rangers personnel raided the offices in central Karachi acting on an intelligence tip-off that convicted criminals were hiding inside.

“We have arrested five to six people who had criminal backgrounds,” Colonel Tahir

NO NONSENSE: A paramilitary soldier, right, stands beside detained Muttahida Qaumi Movement supporters during a raid on the party’s headquarters, in Karachi on Wednesday. — Reuters

Mahmood, who was leading the team, told reporters outside MQM headquarters.

“There were some criminals to whom the court has handed down the death sentence.”

Probe into weapons find A Rangers statement said those held included one man sentenced to death for the murder of a television news journalist in 2011.

The statement said a “huge quantity of weapons and ammo” were seized in the raid.

“The finding of weapons carries a question mark and we will investigate it,” Mahmood said.

MQM condemned the raid and insisted that the weapons were all legally held.

MQM, whose leader Altaf Hussain lives in exile in London, holds 23 seats in the National Assembly, almost all in Karachi.

Senior police officer Tahir Noorani said that Waqas Ali Shah, an MQM activist, was shot dead.

Petrol stations, schools and colleges were closed and public transport vanished from the roads during the protests by enraged MQM supporters.

Hussain, addressing party workers by phone over a loudspeaker, condemned Shah’s killing. “He was a bright young man, why they shot that innocent boy, what was his sin?” Hussain said.

“The language which was used, and the discriminatory treatment meted out on us, is highly deplorable.” But he also issued a reprimand for harbouring criminals at party HQ. “You should have handed the criminals, if there were any, over to the law enforcement agencies -- why did you put innocent workers’ life in danger?” he said. — AFP

T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

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WORLD

The determination of these anti-ISIL forces and our precision airstrikes enabled us to deny IS this key terrain in Syria Army Lieutenant General James Terry of US-led alliance

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on Tuesday, attacking Kurdish forces using tanks and heavy weapons around Ras Al Ain town near the Turkish border

BEIRUT: Hundreds of IS militants have launched an attack on Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, triggering fierce fighting that has killed dozens on both sides, a group monitoring the war said on Wednesday.

The Kurdish YPG militia,

backed by US-led air strikes, had made significant gains in recent weeks against IS militant group in the region, cutting an important supply route from territory controlled by the militant group in Iraq.

IS appeared to try to seize back

the initiative on Tuesday, attacking Kurdish forces using tanks and heavy weapons around Ras Al Ain town near the Turkish border, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Heavy clashes An official in a Kurdish-run defence council in the area also reported heavy clashes in the area of Ras Al Ain and said the Kurdish forces had been forced to withdraw from a nearby village.

A L L E G AT I O N

‘Bangladesh police were near scene of US blogger attack’ DHAKA: The wife of an American blogger and critic of extremism who was hacked to death in Dhaka last month said police nearby failed to act when the couple were attacked on a university campus in the Bangladesh capital.

Avijit Roy, an engineer of Bangladeshi origin, was killed by machete-wielding assailants when returning from a book fair.

His wife, Rafida Bonya Ahmed, suffered head injuries and lost a finger.

“While Avijit and I were being ruthlessly attacked, the local police stood close by and did not act,” Rafida told Reuters by email. “Now, we demand that the

Bangladeshi government do everything in its power to bring the murderers to justice.”

Investigating Mohammad Masudur Rhaman, a deputy police commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said authorities were investigating Rafida’s allegations.

The US FBI is also helping with the investigation, with four officers in the country. DNA evidence was handed over to the FBI on Wednesday, after a Dhaka court ruling.

Avijit’s killing follows a string of attacks on bloggers in the nation.

Media group Reporters Without

Borders rated Bangladesh 146th among 180 countries in a ranking of press freedom last year.

Rafida urged the government to “stop a legal culture of impunity, where writers can be killed without the killers being brought to trial”.

Arrest Bangladesh’s anti-terrorism unit said last week it had arrested Farabi Shafiur Rahman in connection with the attack.

Rahman had previously been jailed for his ties to the Hizbut Tahrir hardline group. Rafida has been flown back to the United States for treatment. — Reuters

“There are martyrs and dead but the number of martyrs is unknown so far,” said the official, speaking via Skype.

The fighting continued into Wednesday. It was not clear exactly how many fighters had been killed on both sides.

The Kurdish campaign in northeastern Syria has been closely coordinated with the US-led coalition that is fighting to roll back IS in Syria and Iraq.

The YPG has emerged as the main partner for the US-led alliance fighting IS on the ground in Syria. Backed by Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters and air strikes, the YPG defeated IS in the border town of Kobane in January.

After rapid advances against IS,

the YPG announced on February 27 it had seized the strategically important town of Tel Hamis from IS. The US-led alliance said in a statement on Tuesday that forces opposed to IS had seized key territory near Tel Hamis last week. It did not identify them as the YPG, instead describing the fighters as “anti-ISIL forces”.

The statement said the operation in northeastern Syria had “denied (IS) access to primary travel routes historically used to move its personnel and materials into Iraq namely Tal Afar and Mosul”.

It said it would continue to support efforts to attack and defeat IS. “The determination of these anti-ISIL forces and our precision airstrikes enabled us to

deny IS this key terrain in Syria,” Army Lieutenant General James Terry said.

The battle for Kobane was the first publicly-declared example of US-led forces closely coordinating militarily with a ground force to battle IS. The United States says it wants to train and equip non-militant groups to fight IS elsewhere in Syria. The training is due to get underway in Jordan this month. The US military has not identified which rebels it plans to train.

Meanwhile, Turkey on Wednesday closed two border crossings with Syria as a security precaution as fighting around the northern Syrian city of Aleppo intensifies, Turkish officials said. — Reuters

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WORLD

The city walls were razed, and some elements of the temples, but we don’t know the exact extent of the damage. Looting took place, and then the razing Qais Rasheed, Iraq antiquities director

KHORSABAD

PROTESTS ROCK TURKEY

IS rebels ransack Assyrian capital BAGHDAD: IS militants have desecrated another ancient Iraqi capital, the government said on Wednesday, razing parts of the 2,700-year-old city of Khorsabad famed for its colossal statues of human-headed winged bulls.

Officials have said for several days they were checking reports of damage at Khorsabad following attacks on the cities of Nineveh, Nimrud and Hatra by the extremists who control much of northern Iraq.

On Wednesday the head of Iraq’s antiquities board and the country’s antiquities minister both confirmed that damage had been inflicted in recent days at Khorsabad.

A man runs away after throwing a projectile, on Wednesday in Istanbul, Turkey, during clashes following a protest in memory of a teenager killed in the 2013 antigovernment demonstrations and whose death has become a rallying cause for opponents of President Tayyip Erdogan. — AFP

“The city walls were razed, and some elements of the temples, but we don’t know the exact extent (of the damage),” antiquities director Qais Rasheed told Reuters. “Looting took place, and then the razing”.

IS rules large parts of Iraq and Syria which contain some of the richest archaeological treasures on earth, where ancient Assyrian empires built their capitals, Graeco-Roman civilisation flourished and Muslim and Christian sects co-existed for centuries.

The group has systematically destroyed historic temples, shrines, manuscripts statues and carvings. — Reuters

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IMF nod to $17.5b aid for Ukraine billion in planned support from the international community, including bilateral loans and a significant contribution from restructuring the country’s debt with private creditors.

The new loan is “based on a comprehensive economic reform program supported by the Fund as well as by additional resources from the international community, the IMF said.

The new loan, with $5 billion to be disbursed immediately, replaces an IMF programme less than one year old

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW: The International Monetary Fund approved Wednesday a $17.5 billion aid plan for crisis-wracked Ukraine, whose economy is reeling from a pro-Russia insurgency in its industrial heartland.

The new loan, with $5 billion to be disbursed immediately, replaces an IMF programme less than one year old that proved inadequate to stabilise Kiev’s finances.

US MILITARY AID: Soldiers ride in a Humvee during a training exercise near Custer, US, in this June 12, 2012 photo. US will send unarmed drones and more than 200 Humvees to Ukraine, a US official said on Wednesday. — AFP/Handout/US Aarmy/ Sgt. 1st Class Theanne Tangen

“This new four-year extended arrangement will support immediate economic stabilization in Ukraine and a set of deep and wide-ranging policy reforms aimed at restoring robust growth

over the medium term and improving living standards for the Ukrainian people,” said IMF managing director Christine Lagarde in a statement.

The IMF aid is part of about $40

Protracted nature Lagarde said the new IMF programme is better-suited to the more protracted nature of Ukraine’s balance-of-payments needs and “will provide more funding, more time, more flexibility, and better financing terms.”

But she added that the program “is ambitious and involves risks, notably those stemming from the conflict in the east of the country.”

Ukraine’s government has forecast the economy to remain mired in a deep recession this year, contracting by 5.5 percent.

Much of the potential $40 billion aid package will go toward boosting its gaping foreign currency reserves.

Last week Ukraine’s central bank moved to shore up the country’s battered currency by hiking interest rates to 30 percent as the government pushed through draconian reforms needed to clinch the new IMF bailout.

The bank said the enormous jump in the benchmark refinancing rate, from 19.5 per cent, was aimed at “stabilising the macroeconomic situation” pending the IMF’s decision on the aid.

Political provocation Meanwhile, Moscow said on Wednesday it was baffled by fresh sanctions imposed by Washington on Crimea’s biggest bank and a Russian nationalist group, calling the move a “political provocation”.

The US Treasury released the new blacklist, which also included eight pro-Russian separatist leaders operating in eastern Ukraine

where a ceasefire is seen as largely holding despite sporadic clashes.

“It’s difficult to understand what is guiding the US Treasury Department and other authorities in introducing sanctions and expanding the sanctions lists,” said Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov, cited by the Interfax news agency.

“We see no logical link that would in some way explain such decisions, given Washington’s declaration that it is interested in the situation returning to normal,” Ryabkov added.

He also described Washington’s continued accusations that Moscow is backing the separatists in eastern Ukraine as “dreary and pointless.”

“Over this whole period, not once have we received any proof from the Americans that Russia is in some way supporting the people fighting for their freedom in the southeast (of Ukraine). It’s embarrassing even just talking about it,” Ryabkov said. — AFP

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Japan ex-PM praises ‘happy life’ in Crimea Yukio Hatoyama on Tuesday arrived in Crimea on a threeday trip despite opposition from Tokyo, saying he wanted to see life on the peninsula for himself

SIMFEROPOL: A controversial former Japanese prime minister on Wednesday praised life in Crimea as “happy” as he slammed Tokyo’s position on the seizure of the peninsula by Russia during a contentious visit.

“The Crimeans live a happy, peaceful life,” former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama told reporters in Simferopol, the regional centre in Crimea.

Hatoyama on Tuesday arrived in Crimea on a three-day trip despite opposition from Tokyo, saying he wanted to see life on the peninsula for himself.

Tokyo joined the West in introducing sanctions against Russia for seizing Crimea from Ukraine last March.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters earlier the government had tried to stop the gaffe-prone former prime minister from travelling to the annexed peninsula.

Speaking to reporters, Hatoyama said that last year’s referendum which saw a majority in Crimea vote to split from Ukraine was conducted in accordance with democratic norms despite being rejected internationally.

“The fact that a Japanese delegation is visiting Crimea amid sanctions is naturally perceived as unacceptable behaviour,” he

SEEKING THE TRUTH: Japan’s former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama leaves after a news conference in the Crimean capital Simferopol yesterday. — Reuters

Russia asserts right to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea MOSCOW: Russia has the right to deploy nuclear arms in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine last year, a Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday, adding he knew of no plans to do so.

added in comments translated into Russian.

“The Japanese government may criticise our actions but I believe that the very existence of this criticism stresses the significance of this work.”

Hatoyama added he felt ashamed for the Japanese media, saying Japan was taking its cue from “the West, first and foremost the United States.”

“It’s shameful that information from Japanese and Western media is one-sided. You have to have courage to let the public know real facts that do exist.”

Mitsuhiro Kimura, leader of

“I don’t know if there are nuclear weapons there now.

I don’t know about any plans, but in principle Russia can do it,” said Mikhail Ulyanov, the head of the ministry’s department on arms control, was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency. — Reuters

the right-wing political group Issuikai who travelled with Hatoyama, called their delegation’s visit “historic.” “Maybe it will give us a chance to influence Japan’s foreign policies and change them.”

Part of Soviet Russia Crimea, which was part of Soviet Russia until 1954, was formally annexed by Moscow on March 18, triggering international condemnation.

Russian television this week revealed how President Vladimir Putin gave the secret order for his troops to move into Crimea in February last year. — AFP

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WORLD J U N TA- E R A TA C T I C S

Myanmar activists in court after student rally crackdown LETPADAN (MYANMAR): Dozens of Myanmar activists shouted messages to relatives from packed prison vans outside a court Wednesday after being detained in a violent student protest crackdown that sparked international condemnation and fears of a return to junta-era repression.

Student-led rallies calling for education reform have twice been brutally suppressed in recent days, drawing fierce criticism from overseas and Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition, which said the tactics echoed those used under the former military government.

In chaotic scenes on Tuesday,

police armed with batons lashed out at students and activists in the central town of Letpadan, arresting 127 people and carting them off to prison by the truckload.

Rights violated Scores of activists appeared at a court in the town Wednesday for a hearing that was inaccessible even to family members.

“Our human rights have been violated!” shouted the detained activists, some sporting visible injuries, as they were whisked away from the court, a eyewitness said.

Family members said the group of 20 women and 40 men faced five

separate charges relating to the protests, with another hearing on March 25. It was unclear whether the other detainees have already been to court or are set to do so.

Myanmar’s information ministry late Wednesday said “action will be taken” against those activists considered “masterminds” of the rally, in a statement on its website.

But current university students would be released “with kindness so they can continue their education” in the care of their parents, it said without giving further details.

Ten monks are also set to be sent back to their monastery. — AFP

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WORLD

This gives cause for great mourning. The entire country has been shaken Jakaya Kikwete, Tanzanian President

Japan commemorates 2011 quake-tsunami disaster nities were turned to matchwood and whole families drowned.

“The situation surrounding disaster victims remains severe. “It is important to continue making efforts to build a safer land without forgetting this lesson,” the emperor told the ceremony ” The National Police Agency said a total of 15,891 people are confirmed to have died in the disaster, with another 2,584 listed as missing. Human remains are still occasionally found.

Remembrance ceremonies were held in towns and cities around the disaster zone and in Tokyo, where Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko led tributes to the dead

SHICHIGAHAMA (JAPAN): Japan marked the fourth anniversary on Wednesday of a quake-tsunami disaster that swept away thousands of people and sparked a nuclear crisis, a tragedy that has left visible scars on the landscape and continues to wreak misery for many.

Remembrance ceremonies were held in towns and cities around the disaster zone and in Tokyo, where Emperor Akihito and Em-

PRAYERS: People offer silent prayers for 2011 tsunami victims at the time of the earthquake during a memorial service at the former Yuriage junior high school in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture on Wednesday. — AFP

press Michiko led tributes to those who died in Japan’s worst peacetime disaster.

Television footage showed victims and volunteers joining hands in prayer near the shell of a tsuna-

mi-hit building in the northeastern port town of Minamisanriku, one of the many stark reminders of the destruction. A national minute of silence followed the wail of tsunami alarm sirens at 2:46 pm

(0546 GMT), the exact moment a 9.0-magnitude undersea quake hit.

Its gigantic force unleashed a towering wall of water that travelled at the speed of a jet plane to the coast. Within minutes, commu-

Absence of body For thousands of relatives, the absence of a body to mourn makes the process of moving on much harder, and some continue to carry out their own physical search.

“Somebody needs to do this, walking along the shore,” said Takayuki Ueno, who at the weekend combed a desolate winter beach for the bones of his three-year-old son.

In the central coastal town of Shichigahama, 28 police and coastguard officers offered a silent prayer Wednesday morning before they began their search for the bodies of two townspeople still missing.

“We have found bones on the beach but they are mostly from animals,” said Hidenori Kasahara, a police officer who was sifting through the sand. — AFP

M I L I TA RY T I E S C U T

Saudi Arabia recalls envoy to Sweden STOCKHOLM: Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador to Stockholm, the Swedish Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, as a rift between the two countries deepened with Sweden cutting military ties after a row over a speech.

“Diplomatic relations are not broken. But Saudi Arabia’s ambassador has been recalled,” foreign ministry spokesman Erik Boman told AFP. Sweden scrapped a long-standing military deal with the Saudis on Tuesday after accusing the country of blocking Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstroem from speaking at an Arab League meeting in Cairo on Monday.

Saudi Arabia is the third largest non-Western buyer of Swedish arms. In 2014, Riyadh bought equipment worth 338 million kronor (37 million euros, $39 million).

Wallstroem had been invited as an honorary guest to the Arab ministers’ meeting in praise of her government’s decision to recognise Palestine in October.

But the speech she was cancelled.

The speech was later published by the Swedish Foreign Ministry.

The day after she was prevented from speaking in Cairo, her government scrapped its military cooperation deal with the Saudis after coming under intense domestic pressure. — AFP

ON THE CATWALK A model presents a creation by Pakistani designer Tehreem at South Asia fashion exhibition fashion show in Karachi on Tuesday. -AFP

TRAGEDY

Bus, truck collision kills 40 in Tanzania DAR ES SALAAM: At least 40 people were killed and 23 seriously injured on Wednesday in a collision between a bus and a truck in central Tanzania, officials said.

A statement from the president’s office said the packed passenger bus was travelling between the western town of Mbeya and the economic capital and coastal city of Dar es Salaam when it was crushed by a container truck travelling in the opposite direction.

“The container fell on the bus... when the truck carrying the container swayed while attempting to avoid potholes along the road,” said regional police commander Ramadhani Mungi, suggesting reckless driving was the cause of the road disaster.

He said at least 40 passengers

on the Majinjaa Express-owned bus were confirmed dead, many of them crushed under the toppled container, and that 23 were in a serious condition.

Hospital mortuary Iringa Regional Commissioner Amina Masenza said the bodies had already been moved to a district hospital mortuary, and those with serious injuries moved to a regional hospital.

The accident occurred near Changarawe in the centre of the country, and around 550 kilometres west of Dar es Salaam.

“This gives cause for great mourning. The entire country has been shaken,” the East African nation’s President Jakaya Kikwete said in a statement. — AFP

T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

Afghan women cyclists whizz past roadblocks The women’s cycling team is pushing ahead, despite not having been paid for several months

KABUL: Malika Yousufi lined her bike up alongside her teammates on a lonely road outside the Afghan capital, getting ready for her weekly training ride away from the disapproving stares of Kabul.

Yousufi is part of Afghanistan’s Women’s National Cycling Team, a group that has been breaking new ground for women’s sports in Afghanistan and pushing the boundaries of what is - and is not acceptable for young women in the country.

Under the Taliban in the 1990s, women in Afghanistan were excluded from public life, banned from going to school or stepping outside their home without a male family member.

Progress at risk Women’s rights have made gains since the hardline group’s ouster in 2001, but observers worry that progress is at risk as violence against women persists and women remain under-represented in politics. “We are resolved to keep our commitments to women and we will protect and reinforce our achievements,” President Ashraf Ghani’s office said in a statement released after the president made a speech ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.

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DETERMINED: Frozan Rasooli, left, and Masooma Alizada, members of Afghanistan’s Women’s National Cycling Team train on the outskirts of Kabul. – Reuters

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While Afghanistan’s national men’s cricket and football teams have enjoyed the spotlight, women’s sports have made more halting progress, with athletes facing family pressure and patchy public support.

Last year, the women’s cricket team was quietly dissolved amid Taliban threats and a shortage of players. The women’s cycling team is pushing ahead, despite not having been paid for several months, a problem for many Afghan athletes.

Shield To clock the distances needed for training, team members pile their bikes in cars and drive outside the capital, where their uniform of loose-fitting tops and long pants won’t draw stares. During the ride, the coach leads the pack in a car.

“The coach is like a shield for us,”

Yousufi said. “If he wasn’t there, we couldn’t ride.”

Even so, drivers sometimes shout profanities at the riders, and their team captain grapples with a back injury from a crash after a man on a motorbike reached out to grab her.

Not overly concerned Abdul Sadiq Sadiqi, the coach and president of the Afghan Cycling Federation, is not overly concerned. “These are people who don’t let their children go to school,” Sadiqi said.

More than 40 women train with the group, and the core team has competed in several international competitions.

On a recent morning, team members leaned into the curves in the road, whizzing past a checkpoint where a group of soldiers watched them pass. Yousufi said she was determined to become the first Afghan woman to compete in the Tour de France, a cycling race dominated by men since its first event in 1903. “Nothing will stop us,” she said. — Reuters

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ANTI TOBACCO MEASURE

British Parliament approves ban on branding cigarette packs LONDON: Britain’s Parliament approved legislation on Wednesday to ban branding on cigarette packs, drawing immediate threats of legal action from the country’s $29 billion tobacco industry.

Aimed at improving public health and cutting the number of child smokers, the measure is likely to crimp tobacco company profits and emulates Australia, which in 2012 enacted a law forcing cigarettes to be sold in plain olive green packaging with images showing the damaging effects of smoking.

British lawmakers (MPs) effectively ended years of political debate, private lobbying and public

consultation by passing the legislation by a margin of 367 votes to 113.

“We want all children in our country to grow up free from the burden of disease that tobacco brings,” Public Health Minister Jane Ellison said in a statement, adding that the legislation should come into force

by May 2016.

The proposal must still be debated and passed by the upper house of parliament before becoming law.

Imperial Tobacco Group said that if the measure became law the firm would be “left with no choice but to defend our legal rights in court”.

The new rules would initially take effect in England only, though

the Welsh government has said it will follow suit and Northern Ireland and Scotland are considering a similar step.

Tobacco is responsible for 6 million deaths a year globally and the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that number could rise beyond 8 million by 2030.

“The government, and MPs from all parties, are to be congratulated for resisting the bully-boy tactics and misinformation of the tobacco industry and for implementing the most important public health reform of this parliament,” said antismoking charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). — Reuters

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Indian Rs .................................. 162.90 Pakistan Rs ............................ 263.25 Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 343.65 Bangla Taka.............................201.70 Phil Peso .................................... 114.55

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......14.90

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ........$54.80 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) .........$53.74 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) .........$56.51 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........ $53.55 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........$56.42 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$48.45

* Rates as of Mar. 11 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

* Rates are as of Mar. 11 Source: Bank Muscat

Oman’s realty sector adds 10% to economy The Sultanate’s real estate sector

Second Oman real estate conference to be held in May

contributed OMR1.3b to the economy in 2014, against merely OMR0.9b in 2009

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman’s real estate sector accounted for 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) last year, contributing about OMR1.3 billion to the economy, said an official of the Oman Real Estate Association (ORA).

The real estate sector’s contribution to the GDP was OMR0.9 billion in 2009, said Hassan Mohammed Juma, vice-chairman of ORA at the association’s second real estate event on Tuesday.

The meeting was chaired by Mohammed Salim Khalifa Al Busaidi, the association’s chairman, and was attended by Saleem Al Balushi from the Ministry of Housing’s directorate general for real estate, board members and representatives of some real estate companies.

Transactions The vice-chairman of ORA, a nongovernment organisation committed to promoting professionalism and best practices in the real estate sector, said that real estate transactions in 2014 increased by 27 per cent and stood at over OMR2.9 billion compared to OMR2.3 billion in 2013.

Juma noted that the growth drivers in Oman’s real estate CRUDE OIL PLUNGE

Exxon, Shell expected to withstand oil price fall LONDON: Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, the world’s two biggest oil firms, may withstand the oil price collapse better than their rivals because they are closer to finishing expensive investment projects while others must keep spending.

The near halving of oil prices since June is likely to send all the biggest listed oil companies into negative cash flow this year, and has sparked a rush to cut costs across the sector as a result. But depending on where they are in their spending cycles, some companies are finding those cuts easier to make than others.

Lower spending phase “Both (Exxon and Shell) had already entered a lower spending phase, with major projects reaching completion and coming on stream over the next two years,” Moody’s said.

Exxon started eight major oil and gas production projects last year in locations ranging from Papua New Guinea to the Gulf of Mexico and Abu Dhabi.

Shell started four big production start-ups last year in the Cardamom and Mars B oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico as well as other oil fields in Nigeria and Malaysia. - Reuters

BUSINESS REPORTER

MUSCAT: Oman Real Estate Conference will be held on May 4 and 5 to discuss the market’s outlook and trends for 2015 and beyond, said a senior official at Oman Real Estate Association (ORA).

The two-day conference will be held at Al Bustan Palace – A Ritz Carlton Hotel and is supported by Al Nimr, said Mohammed Salim Khalifa Al Busaidi, chairman of Oman Real Estate Association, at a meeting of the

market include the upsurge in business activities, rapid urbanisation, momentous rise in consumerism and financing options at affordable interest rates apart from low rates and certain tax exemptions on foreign direct investment (FDI), the growing number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and railway, port and free zone projects.

In his speech, he also explained the market trends in residential, commercial and retail sectors.

Residential sector The official said that the demand is expected to grow sharply in the residential land and property market, citing rapid urbanisation, rising disposable incomes, the rapidly growing middle class, ease of availability of housing loans and low interest rates as the key drivers.

“The land transaction volume is increasing in the residential

association on Tuesday.

According to him, the event will also discuss the strategies and best practices in real estate brokerage, real estate development, investment and affordable housing policies. It will also have new features this year such as site visits, awards, workshops and a bigger exhibition area.

Al Busaidi also announced other plans of the association for 2015, saying that the first real estate magazine and the real estate price index will be issued.

segment,” he added.

Juma also noted that the residential sector is expected to grow not only in big cities but also in surrounding regions and added, “The suburb areas are even developing at a faster pace.”

Commercial sector According to him, other driving factors include the interest of Gulf investors in Oman’s real estate market and the investment by other foreign nationals in integrated tourism complexes (ITCs) in the Sultanate. He added that currently, Al Mabela and Al Amerat land segments are witnessing ample transactions.

Commenting on the trend in the commercial sector, he said that there is moderate demand for Grade A space throughout the capital and a saturation of the leasing market is expected over the next two years.

“Opportunities exist for smaller sized quality office space offering proper car parking facilities and other amenities and facilities,” he said. The demand for Class B office space is high, noted Juma, adding that the rental market in this segment remains volatile and under pressure.

According to him, the key drivers in this segment are the growth in the SME sector and rising demand from multinational corporations for Grade A smaller offices.

Retail sector In addition, ORA vice-chairman said that the retail sector is likely to see growth, citing the increasing consumer appetite, changes in shopping habits, entry of international retailers and the growing number of retail malls as the key drivers. “Currently, there is approximately 350,000 square metres of retail space in purposebuilt retail centres,” he added.

The official noted that the advantages of the real estate market in Oman include stable growth projections, a well-defined regulatory framework, a liberal foreign investment regime, demand for affordable housing and rapid evolution of the sector.

Asked about the impact of lower oil prices on the real estate market, Juma said that the sector will ‘definitely’ be affected but the extent of the impact depends on whether the prices will bounce back or not. “It is difficult to predict,” he added.

Juma also said that there is demand for studio-type flats in Oman but it is not clear how strong the demand is and for how long it will last.

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

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.35 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............ 140.75 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 133.75 * Rates as of Mar. 11 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

PRIMARY MARKET

MSM to see two initial share offerings soon ABU DHABI: Oman’s stock market is likely to see two initial share sales before the summer, by a utility firm and a family-owned business, the director-general of the Muscat Securities Market (MSM) said on Wednesday.

“We are expecting some initial public offerings (IPOs) this year, and two may happen by summer,” said Ahmed Saleh Al Marhoon on the sidelines of a securities meet in Abu Dhabi. He declined to give the identity of the firms involved.

Two power companies, Al Suwadi Power and Al Batinah Power, listed on the Muscat Securities

Market in June 2014 after each offering 35 per cent of their shares to the public in IPOs worth a combined OMR62.7 million ($162.9 million). The listing of familyowned businesses has been a key aim of bourses across the Gulf region, including the Sultanate, as they make up a large proportion of the business sector.

Seeking to encourage them to list by allowing them to hold onto more of their businesses post-IPO, Oman is amending its Commercial Law to reduce the minimum free float to 25 per cent from 40 per cent currently. - Agencies

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T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

B3

MARKET Ithraa, Ooredoo join hands to aid small business

I N - C O U N T RY VA L U E

His Highness Sayyid Faisal Al Said said

Small industries to get a boost from convention centre Times News Service MUSCAT: Small and medium enterpries will get business oppportunities at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC).

Oman convention centre is ramping up its engagement of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by exploring business and commercial opportunities to generate incountry opportunities and maximise local benefits.

Working closely with the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprise Development (Riyada), the OCEC has already begun identifying SMEs that have showcased quality services in priority sectors such as food and beverage, transport and operations.

The compilation of a comprehensive database of qualified SMEs and entrepreneurs will not only support the operations of the OCEC but will also provide necessary services to potential clients, said a press release. “It is not about what we are doing, but how we are doing it. The OCEC is not only working to globalise Oman’s business meetings and events industry, but also wants to provide a sustainable platform that will

it is imperative that with Ooredoo to make it easier for Omani businesses to reach

High growth potential “By utilising locally sourced products and services, the OCEC presents an opportunity for businesses to develop niche markets with high growth potential. This will not begin in 2016 when the OCEC is launched, but it is happening now, as we begin to employ the services of professional and capable local businesses for our own needs, in addition to that of our clients and the wide variety of events which will be held within the venue. Omani SMEs will be required to meet international standards of service and customer engagement and will be continually evaluated to ensure consistency,” he added.

A study conducted by Booz & Co suggests that by 2030, the OCEC, along with the entire supporting precinct, will boost longer-term business propositions for Omani SMEs, contributing between OMR200 million and OMR240 million to the GDP and generating about 24,000 job opportunities.

jobs and economic

international markets, create growth

Times News Service MUSCAT: Ithraa, Oman’s inward investment and export promotion agency and Ooredoo, Oman’s telecom service provider, on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a number of fronts to support local companies in Oman.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Ooredoo. Today’s MoU provides the framework for our two organisations to collaborate on a number of fronts, all to the benefit of Oman,” explained His Highness Sayyid Faisal Al Said, Ithraa’s director general of marketing and media.

“Growing business is an important topic for CEOs of companies

PARTNERS IN PROGRESS: Local companies rely on a multitude of service providers to produce their goods, from telecom and travel services to connect workers in global networks. - Supplied photo

of all types across Oman right now — and if you talk about where growth is going to come from in the next decade, it’s going to be in tackling overseas opportunities. In this regard, local companies rely on a multitude of service providers to produce their goods, from telecom and travel services to connect workers in global production networks, through to logistics providers, banks and IT service providers,” he said.

“Indeed, it’s imperative that we work closely with service providers, like Ooredoo, to make it easier for Omani businesses to reach international markets, create jobs and grow our economy as a whole,” added Sayyid Faisal.

Ithraa’s support Raed bin Mohammed Dawood, Ooredoo’s Director of Government Relations and Corporate Affairs, said: “We salute the vital work Ithraa is doing in helping atDEBUT DEVICE

SEMINAR

OnePlus sells over 1m units of smartphone

India’s budget focuses on cutting fiscal deficit: Expert Times News Service MUSCAT: Indian budget 201516 is growth-oriented and the government policies are being formulated to promote India as an investment destination, said J. S. Mukul, Indian ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman.

Mukul, who was the chief guest at the event, also discussed the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Indian government, at a seminar on Indian budget 2015-16 on Monday, hosted by Muscat Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), in association with Modern Exchange.

H. R. Khan, deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India, highlighted the global economic scenario and emphasised on the role of emerging economies in the world and the impact of volatile commodities prices, especially the oil on the world economies and how India can manage those situations.

Tax expert Eminent tax expert Homi Ranina, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India, discussed the fiscal scenario and appreciated the initiatives proposed in the budget.

He elaborated about salient features of the Indian budget.

Umesh Kumar, chairman of ICAI Muscat Chapter, emphasised on the implementation of policies for the overall benefit of Indian economy.

Mubeen Khan, secretary of the ICAI Muscat stated that the challenge to the Indian government is to reduce fiscal deficit from the current 3.9 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) to 3 per cent in the next three years, which needs to be closely monitored.

Indian GDP growth, which has fallen down from 10.26 per cent in 2010 to 5.63 per cent level, is a cause of concern and the economy needs to be back on track.

Bourse discusses share sale with Qatar Holding DOHA: Qatar Exchange is considering selling shares in an initial public offering (IPO) and held talks with its main shareholder Qatar Holding about a potential sale, according to chief executive officer Rashid Al Mansoori. “The discussion is there yes, but there is no timeline,” Al Mansoori said in an interview on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai today. “It is something for the shareholders when they decide, but yes it has been discussed.”

Thai central bank cuts key rate to support economy

Ithraa works closely

directly impact Omani SMEs who represent a fundamental part of the Sultanate’s economic fabric,” said Trevor McCartney, general manager of the OCEC.

BRIEFS

BEIJING: Xiaomi became one of the world’s most valuable startups by selling cheap, features-packed smartphones to its home market of China. OnePlus is trying to match that success by doing the opposite.

Shenzhen, China-based OnePlus sold more than a million units of its debut device, the One, last year by favouring overseas markets such as the United States, the UK and India. Almost two-thirds of those phones were shipped abroad, where a $299 price tag, an invite-only sales system and an easy-topronounce English name fostered early buzz.

The company expects to more than triple sales this year.

“We are going to be a lot more aggressive in our international expansion,” Pete Lau, OnePlus co-founder and chief executive officer, said. “Some companies look at overall sales volume. We look more at word of mouth.”

OnePlus’s early push abroad shows the growing confidence Chinese smartphone makers, including Lenovo and Huawei, have in the broad appeal of their devices. Xiaomi and now OnePlus are showing they can coopt supply chains set up by giants such as Apple and Samsung Electronics. - Bloomberg News

tract companies to set up and export from Oman. Recognising the important role that telecommunications can play in furthering these efforts, we are delighted to be signing today’s memorandum of understanding and have Ooredoo play its part in contributing to these efforts.

“In fact, services play an increasingly important role in Oman’s international trade. It would be difficult for any economic activity to take place without services such as telecommunications, banking and freight logistics, areas in which Oman has a real competitive advantage,” said Dawood.

“Now, more than ever before, Omani companies are selling internationally and we should like to further support this important growth. Signing today’s MoU with Ithraa will, we believe, go a long way in helping us achieve that goal,” he added.

BANGKOK: Thailand unexpectedly cut its key interest rate for the first time in a year, joining a global wave of monetary easing after the economy grew at its slowest pace in three years. The Bank of Thailand cut its one-day bond repurchase rate to 1.75 per cent, with monetary policy committee members voting four-tothree in favour, it said in Bangkok on Wednesday.

Turkey’s January current-account gap narrows ISTANBUL: Turkey’s current-account deficit narrowed more than estimated from a year earlier in January as imports dropped. The gap in the current account, the broadest measure of trade in goods and services, shrank to $2 billion from $4.98 billion a year earlier, the central bank in Ankara said in a statement on Wednesday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was $2.75 billion. The gap narrowed as weak domestic demand curtailed imports.

- Agencies

B4

TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 12 , 2 015

MARKET Slackness continues on MSM

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,455.08 .............. 6,404.12 ...................6,404.20 ...................6,462.04................-57.84 .................. -0.90 Financial Index .................................... 7,986.90 ...............7,865.66 ....................7,865.66 ...................8,002.14..............-136.48 ...................-1.71 Industrial Index ....................................8,615.82 .............. 8,563.64 ................... 8,565.88 ....................8,615.77................-49.89 .................. -0.58 Services Index .......................................3,538.77 ...............3,518.43 ....................3,518.43 ................... 3,538.77............... -20.34 .................. -0.57 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................991.54 .................. 990.16 .......................990.16 .......................991.33...................-1.17 .................. -0.12 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 20,314,978 ................. 5,394,438 .................. 1,171 ............... 14,934,693,011 ...................1 ..................... 24 ....................22 .........................47

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 As many as 1,171 trades were executed during the day’s trading session generating turnover of OMR5.39 million with more than 20.31

ISIN ..................................................SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER...................TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE............. HIGH....................LOW...............CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE..........DIFF (RO) .................DIFF %......................LAST PR...............LAST BID.....................LAST OFFER .................MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE

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

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ....................................................... 50,000 .............87,250........................8 ............1.745 ........... 1.745............ 1.745 ............1.745 ............. 1.745 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................ 1.745 ...............1.745...................0.000 ................ 349,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ........................................................................ 1,248 .................. 594........................1 ............0.476 ........... 0.476 ...........0.476........... 0.476 .............0.476 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.476..............0.464...................0.470..................160,289,668........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY........................................... 300 .................. 588........................1 ............1.960 ........... 1.960 ...........1.960........... 2.005 .............2.005 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................1.960..............1.900...................1.960..................179,848,500........0.100

million shares changing hands

OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ............................................................55,480 ............ 28,628........................8 ............0.516 ........... 0.516 ...........0.516 ............0.516 ............. 0.516............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.516 ..............0.510...................0.516 .................. 170,730,318 ........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ................................. 36,914 .............17,962........................9 ........... 0.490 ...........0.490 ...........0.484........... 0.486 .............0.486 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.484..............0.484...................0.488.................. 119,966,541 ........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ..............................................2,000 ..................720........................2 ........... 0.360 ...........0.360 ...........0.360........... 0.378 .............0.378 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.360............. 0.000...................0.374................... 23,135,215 .........0.100

MUSCAT: Sustained weakness in large cap stocks drove down the MSM30 Index to 6,404.20 points, down by 0.90 per cent.

The MSM Shariah Index declined by 0.12 per cent to close at 990.16 points. Al Anwar Holding was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. The only gainer of the day was Gulf Stones, up by 10 per cent, while Oman Foods International, down by 8.11 per cent, was the top loser of the day.

As many as 1,171 trades were executed during the day’s trading session generating turnover of OMR5.39 million with more than 20.31 million shares changing hands. Out of 47 traded stocks, one advanced, 24 declined and 22 remained unchanged. Omani investors remained net buyers for OMR277,000 while GCC and Arab Investors were net sellers for OMR224,000 followed by foreign investors for OMR53,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index dropped below the 8,000 mark to close at 7,865.66 points, down by 1.71 per cent. Al Anwar Holding, Oman & Emirates Holding, Gulf Investment Services, Oman United Insurance and National Bank of Oman declined by 6.96 per cent, 5.88 per cent, 5.45 per cent, 3.43 per cent and 2.94 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index closed at 8,565.88 points, a loss of 0.58 per cent. Gulf Stones, Gulf Stones, up by 10 per cent, was the only sector gainer.

Oman Foods, Galfar Engineering, Al Jazeera Steel, Al Maha Ceramics and Gulf International Chemicals decreased by 8.11 per cent, 4.49 per cent, 2.98 per cent,

2.63 per cent and 0.75 per cent, respectively.

Services Sector Index declined by 0.57 per cent to end at 3,518.43 points. National Gas, Renaissance Services, OIFC, Port Services and Omantel fell by 3.45 per cent, 3.30 per cent, 3.08 per cent, 0.67 per cent and 0.29 per cent, respectively.

Emerging stocks fall Emerging-market stocks headed for their longest rout since September after data showed China’s economy is weakening and bets mounted the Federal Reserve may soon raise interest rates.

Russia’s ruble fluctuated.

China Shenhua Energy Co. plunged to a 20-month low as a gauge of Hong Kong-traded Chinese shares sank 0.8 per cent.

The ruble depreciated as much as 0.8 per cent before trading little changed as the Finance Ministry sold floating-rate bonds. Equities in Dubai lost 1.5 per cent, while Turkey’s lira climbed from a record low.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index slipped 0.3 per cent to 940.75 at 11:43 a.m. in London, the ninth day of losses. Chinese industrial output, investment and retail sales growth missed estimates in January and February.

Better-than-expected US jobs data are spurring bets that the Fed will bring forward rate increases.

“China’s macro figures today were weakish, and that should mean that the monetary-policy easing will continue,” said Hertta Alava, the head of emerging markets at FIM Asset Management Ltd. in Helsinki.

- United Securities/Bloomberg News

OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. ...... 20,000 ............45,200........................2 ........... 2.260...........2.260 ...........2.260 .......... 2.260 .............2.260 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.260 .............2.250...................2.300 .................155,940,000........0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 1,030,000...... 108,150........................5 ............0.105 ........... 0.105 ...........0.105 ........... 0.105 .............0.105............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.105 ..............0.103...................0.105...................21,000,000.........0.100 OM0000003141 ............ACWA POWER BARKA ............................................. 219,500 .........184,380......................15 ........... 0.840...........0.840 ...........0.840 .......... 0.840 .............0.840 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.840..............0.840...................0.852................. 134,400,000 .......0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 778,096 ..........155,619..................... 43 ........... 0.200...........0.200 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.200 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.200 ............ 0.200...................0.204 ................ 228,800,000 .......0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ...........................................................474 ...................191........................1 ........... 0.402 ...........0.402 ...........0.402............0.418 ............. 0.418............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.402..............0.402...................0.420 ..................25,289,000.........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER.............................................................. 22,110 ...............8,402........................5 ........... 0.380 ...........0.380 ...........0.380........... 0.380 .............0.380 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.380..............0.380...................0.390 ..................83,983,800.........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO........................................................................... 2,557 ................1,831........................1 ............0.716 ........... 0.716............0.716 ............0.716 ............. 0.716............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.716 ..............0.700................... 0.716 ..................466,076,069 .......0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION .......................... 38,313 .............66,919..................... 33 ............1.750 ........... 1.750............ 1.745 ............1.745 ............. 1.750............-0.005 ........... -0.286 ...............1.750 ...............1.745................... 1.750 ................1,308,750,000 ......0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR .............................................................. 11,936 ...............4,273........................4 ........... 0.360 ...........0.360 ...........0.356........... 0.358 .............0.360 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.556 ...............0.356..............0.350...................0.356..................480,880,713........0.100 OM0000003281............TAAGEER FINANCE ................................................. 1,606,082 ......256,669..................... 45 ............0.161 ........... 0.161............0.159 ........... 0.160 ............. 0.161 ............-0.001 ........... -0.621................0.159 ..............0.160................... 0.161 ...................40,574,400.........0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ......................... 13,479 ...............4,001........................5 ........... 0.300...........0.300 ...........0.275........... 0.297 .............0.299 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.669 ...............0.275..............0.270...................0.298 ..................28,226,880.........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 776,100 ......... 203,791..................... 56 ........... 0.264 ...........0.265 ...........0.259........... 0.263 .............0.265 ...........-0.002 ............-0.755................0.259..............0.258...................0.260 ...................5,523,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 496,000........... 69,906......................31 ............0.141 ........... 0.143 ...........0.140............0.141 ............. 0.143............-0.002 ........... -1.399................0.140.............. 0.139...................0.140...................38,776,864 .........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 990,552 .........203,073.....................40 ........... 0.208...........0.208 ...........0.205........... 0.205 .............0.208 ...........-0.003 ........... -1.442 ...............0.205............. 0.200...................0.205 .................265,574,918........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 242,172 ............31,989......................13 ............0.134 ........... 0.134 ...........0.132 ........... 0.132 .............0.134............-0.002 ............-1.493................0.132 ..............0.132...................0.133................. 264,041,288 .......0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,205,122 ...... 678,180................... 145 ........... 0.570 ...........0.570 ...........0.560........... 0.562 .............0.574 ...........-0.012 ........... -2.091 ...............0.566..............0.564...................0.566................ 1,226,670,762 ......0.100 OM0000002614............ONIC. HOLDING .......................................................... 282,200......... 112,880......................15 ........... 0.400...........0.400 ...........0.400 .......... 0.400 .............0.410............-0.010 ........... -2.439 ...............0.400............. 0.400...................0.406 ..................69,369,300.........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 2,452,394 .....809,388..................... 32 ........... 0.334 ...........0.334 ...........0.328........... 0.330 .............0.340 ...........-0.010 ........... -2.941 ...............0.330..............0.328...................0.330 .................402,213,075........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 165,008 ............53,799......................17 ........... 0.334 ...........0.334 ...........0.324........... 0.326 .............0.336 ...........-0.010 ........... -2.976 ...............0.324..............0.320...................0.324 .................. 40,716,735 .........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 251,059 ........... 55,233......................14 ........... 0.220...........0.220 ...........0.220 .......... 0.220 .............0.227 ...........-0.007 ........... -3.084 ...............0.220 ............. 0.215...................0.220 ................. 44,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 234,853 ........... 96,394........................6 ........... 0.420 ...........0.420 ...........0.410........... 0.410 .............0.424 ...........-0.014 ........... -3.302 ...............0.410 ..............0.410...................0.418.................. 115,658,726 ........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE .................................52,500 ............. 17,695........................8 ........... 0.348 ...........0.348 ...........0.334........... 0.338 .............0.350 ...........-0.012 ........... -3.429 ...............0.334.............. 0.316...................0.338...................33,800,000.........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS .............................................................28,360 ............. 12,712......................11 ........... 0.454 ...........0.454 ...........0.446........... 0.448 .............0.464 ...........-0.016 ........... -3.448 ...............0.446..............0.444...................0.448 .................. 20,411,513 .........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 848,469 .........126,444..................... 59 ............0.147 ........... 0.150 ...........0.146 ........... 0.149 ............. 0.156............-0.007 ........... -4.487 ...............0.150 ..............0.150................... 0.151 ................... 39,279,195 .........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 346,594 ........... 54,098..................... 29 ............0.158 ........... 0.158 ...........0.155 ............0.156 ............. 0.165............-0.009 ........... -5.455 ...............0.155 ..............0.154...................0.155 .................... 9,179,542 ..........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 747,337............ 95,926..................... 48 ............0.131 ........... 0.131............0.126........... 0.128 ............. 0.136............-0.008 ........... -5.882 ...............0.127 ..............0.126...................0.127...................15,600,000 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 5,710,455........1,450,525 ...............344 ........... 0.269 ...........0.270 ...........0.248........... 0.254 .............0.273 ...........-0.019 ........... -6.960 ...............0.250..............0.249...................0.250 ..................33,147,000 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 18,717,664......5,043,408 ...........1,056 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......33........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000002671............GULF STONES................................................................10,000 ..................990........................2 ........... 0.099 ...........0.099 ...........0.099........... 0.099 .............0.090 ........... 0.009............10.000 ...............0.099..............0.099...................0.000 ................... 3,593,700 ..........0.100 OM0000001269............COMPUTER STATIONERY IND. ..............................2,800 .................. 812........................1 ........... 0.290...........0.290 ...........0.290 .......... 0.279 .............0.279 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.290............. 0.000...................0.290 ...................2,790,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ......................5,000 .................. 180........................1 ........... 0.036 ...........0.036 ...........0.036........... 0.037 .............0.037 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.036..............0.036...................0.037.................... 3,145,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 989,000 ............87,032..................... 29 ........... 0.088 ...........0.088 ...........0.088........... 0.088 .............0.088 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.088..............0.087...................0.088................. 132,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER..................................................75,449 .............13,656..................... 10 ............0.181 ........... 0.182 ...........0.181 ............0.181 ............. 0.181............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.181 .............. 0.181...................0.182..................122,154,625 ........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................... 69,251 .............12,534......................18 ............0.181 ........... 0.181............0.181 ............0.181 ............. 0.181............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.181 .............. 0.181...................0.182..................129,307,548 ........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH................................................29,934 .............70,195......................12 ........... 2.345 ...........2.345 ...........2.345........... 2.345 .............2.350 ...........-0.005 ........... -0.213 ...............2.345..............2.310...................2.350 .................223,847,122........1.000 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL...............................................56,547 ...............4,807........................9 ........... 0.085 ...........0.086 ...........0.085........... 0.085 .............0.086 ...........-0.001 ............-1.163................0.085..............0.085...................0.086...................14,875,000 .........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................62,120 .............36,756..................... 27 ........... 0.600 ...........0.604 ...........0.586........... 0.592 .............0.608 ...........-0.016 ........... -2.632 ...............0.592..............0.590...................0.592...................29,600,000.........0.100 OM0000002010 ...........OMAN FOODS INTERNATIONAL ....................... 248,896 ..........118,474........................2 ............0.476 ........... 0.476 ...........0.476........... 0.476 ............. 0.518............-0.042 ........... -8.108 ...............0.476............. 0.000...................0.518 ......................952,000 ...........1.000 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 1,548,997 ......345,437....................111 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......10........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000004487 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES BONDS3.75 ..............37,500 .............. 4,500........................1 ............0.120 ........... 0.120 ...........0.120........... 0.120 .............0.120 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.120..............0.120...................0.122................... 50,777,001 .........0.100 OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ................................34 .......................4........................1 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.106 .............0.106 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.106..............0.106...................0.110 ...................32,091,406 .........0.100 OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 .......................................... 10,749 ...............1,086........................1 ............0.101 ........... 0.101............0.101 ............0.101 ............. 0.101............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.101 .............. 0.101...................0.110 .................... 7,221,500 ..........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ...................................................34 .......................4........................1 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.106 .............0.106 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.106..............0.106...................0.108...................33,882,124 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: ....................................................................................48,317 ...............5,593........................4 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........4........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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ROUND-UP

Bank Sohar award event honours top performers Tokens of appreciation together with certificates were handed over to the 14 winners of the Savings Deposits Mobilisation Competition among all branches

MUSCAT: As a part of its philosophy to recognise the outstanding efforts put in by member of its staff, Bank Sohar recently organised an award ceremony for top performers from various branches for its in-house Savings Deposits

Mobilisation Campaign.

The awards ceremony took place at the bank’s head office in MBD, and was led by Rashad Ali Al Musafir, Acting CEO, along with R Narasimhan, DGM and Head of Retail Banking; Salim Khamis Al Maskry, Senior AGM of Branches; and Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, AGM and Head of Marketing and Publicity; including other senior management members of the retail team, says a press release.

The ceremony began with a welcome note addressed by Redha Al Lawati, Head of Liabilities followed by a speech by Narasimhan who thanked and congratulated

the winners, and also emphasised the need to continue the positive efforts in 2015 and beyond.

Tokens of appreciation together with certificates were then handed over by Al Musafir to all the top 14 winners of the Savings Deposits Mobilisation Competition among all branches.

Appreciating the effort put in by the winners of the competition, Al Musafir said, “We strongly believe that external customer satisfaction is deeply rooted in employee satisfaction. Furthermore, we encourage self-development as much as we follow industry best practices, training, and development

A M AT E U R G O L F C H A M P I O N S H I P

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processes, and hence the introduction of the in-house campaign. I am very pleased with the efforts put in by our staff and would like to congratulate them on their stellar achievements.”

The in-house Savings Deposits Mobilisation Campaign challenged staff to come up with innovative ideas and bring in higher levels of savings deposits to the bank. “We are always looking for ways to develop objective-based methods to enhance performance and results; the Savings Deposits Mobilisation Campaign for the period November, 2014 to January, 2015 was one such example that we developed,” added Narasimhan.

“I would also like to congratulate all the winners and encourage them to share with their colleagues the best practices they adopted in order to achieve such outstanding results. Doing so will not only drive forward the bank’s vision for improved customer service, but will also foster effective teamwork within the bank’s retail team.”

PROMOTION

Get extra free minutes with FRiENDi recharge MUSCAT: Always coming up with the most exciting of promotions, FRiENDi mobile has launched yet another thrilling campaign for their customers.

The promotion which is valid till March 24 enables FRiENDi mobile customers every time they recharge to get free minutes to call all FRiENDi mobile customers all day, says a press release.

The offer is designed for all budgets starting from OMR 1 recharge which supplements the customer account with 5 free minutes and goes up to 75 free minutes on OMR10 recharge to encourage higher recharges.

The free minutes are added to the users account instantly as and when a recharge is done.

The free minutes can be used to call all FRiENDi mobile numbers and are valid for a period of seven days.

With no restriction on the number of times a customer can avail the offer; users can pick denominations as per their requirements and enjoy the privileges of these free minutes with every recharge. The offer is also valid

The free minutes are added to the users account instantly as and when a recharge is done on electronic recharge vouchers as well as online recharge and therefore customers have the liberty to recharge from anywhere and exploit this advantageous deal from FRiENDi mobile.

“Customers have numerous demands, requirements and usage. At FRiENDi mobile, we try to come up with offers that benefit them in varying ways.

The free minutes promotion is another exclusive campaign that we offer our valuable customers. No matter what kind of user our customers might be, we make sure that they get to draw their benefits from this deal,” said Adnan Al Alawi, COO, FRiENDi mobile.

C U S T O M E R - F R I E N D LY

Ram Mohan, Girish Chawla Global Car strengthens digital clinch Audi Quattro Cup title presence with new website MUSCAT: The Oman round of the Audi Quattro Cup was action packed and concluded with partners Ram Mohan (course handicap 27) and Girish Chawla (course Handicap 29) clinching the first place (team handicap 27.8 with 40 stableford points).

The Audi Quattro Cup is the world’s premier competition for amateur golfers and 2015 is the fourth tournament hosted by Wattayah Motors in conjunction with the Oman Golf Committee, says a press release.

Second place in the tournament was secured by Kevin D’Amours (course handicap 10) and Karen D’Amours (course handicap 25), with a team handicap of 16 with 37 stableford points.

Third place went to William Welsh (course handicap 20) and Danny Renihan (course handicap 17), with a team handicap of 18 with 36 stableford points.

During the prize-giving ceremony, Ahmed Shariefi, general manager for Audi Oman, congratulated the winning duo on their outstanding achievement and thanked all the other participants

in the tournament.He commented, “On behalf of Wattayah Motors, it is my pleasure to congratulate the winning team for proving themselves as champion amateur golfers. The goal of the Audi Quattro Cup here is to help raise the profile of golf in Oman and to recognise the finest golfers in the Sultanate; and today, we have done just that. We are grateful to Almouj Golf and the Oman Golf Committee for helping us organise the tournament and we wish Ram Mohan and Girish Chawla the best of luck for the World Final in Mexico later this year.”

The fourth edition of the tour-

MILESTONE

nament in Oman is part of the Audi quattro Cup competition series. As the Sultanate is pioneering a rapid investment in golfing facilities and in nurturing player talent, the Audi quattro Cup offers the ideal platform for golfers to demonstrate their skills and competitive spirit.

Audi represents sports competition, precise technology and passion. Audi connects the enthusiasm for golf with the fascination of Audi automobiles in the Audi Quattro Cup. Being established in 1991, the Audi Quattro Cup is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2015. It is the largest amateur golf tournament series in the world.

MUSCAT: The new website of Global Car Rental offers all the right reasons to choose a car.

A versatile fleet, 24 hours customer support, what’s more for those who need chauffeur driven vehicles, Global offers a thoroughly trained team that is courteous and safety driven. Combine all this and the best deals in car rental, in Oman, are now just a mouse click away, says a press release.

“Now it’s easy to reach us,” a Global Car Rental official says “just click a few buttons and you can choose to rent a vehicle best suited for your needs from our website www.globalcarrentaloman.com. Our professional team is always ready to support. And we are sure you will come back to us, again and again, because not only our service, but our terms are also very customer-friendly!”

“Our website is an interactive medium for our customers to communicate with us. Digital presence is a basic requirement for any business today, we are happy to throw open the digital doors through our new portal. We hope our customers and patrons will find it more convenient,” the

official adds.

With offices in Muscat, Sohar and Salalah, Global is uniquely placed to offer the best deals to customers. “These are high volume areas and we are present here to serve customers efficiently…and with a smile,” the official reiterates, “Convenience is key and all the possible options are clearly spelled out on our website to help customers make an informed decision.”

Driven to deliver a new level of customer care Global has built itself up into a professional car rental and leasing service of the highest quality and standards.

Within Oman, some of the best options for renting, leasing or hir-

ing a car are best tackled by Global. Sporting an impeccable fleet of latest vehicles from economy to luxury categories, be it a sedan an SUV, MPV or 4WD, Global offers the best options. Global also provides Limousine Transfer and Chauffeur Driven services.

Lease contracts usually range from periods of 12 months to three years. However Global can cater for extended periods even up to five years. Short term contacts (less than 12 months) are also entertained.

Global Car Leasing offers the most convenient solution for transportation needs with the promise of consistency and onestop, easy contact point.

STYLISH

SsangYong launches all-new Tivoli at Geneva Motor Show GlassPoint demonstrates technology robustness during severe sandstorm MUSCAT: GlassPoint Solar, the leader in solar enhanced oil recovery (EOR), recently achieved an impressive performance milestone at its pilot project with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). The solar steam generator operated without fail during a two-day sandstorm that hit PDO’s Amal West oil field, says a press release.

Even with peak winds reaching 53 km/h (33mph), the solar field successfully produced more than 50 tonnes of steam each day, exceeding rated capacity. The sandstorm performance demonstrates the robustness and reliability of GlassPoint’s enclosed trough technology. A fully automated washing system was deployed at night to restore optical efficiency.

When wind speeds returned to normal the following day, the solar field produced 76 tonnes of steam, achieving 100.4 per cent of modelled performance.

GlassPoint’s technology was designed to overcome the harsh desert operating challenges common throughout Gulf oil fields. The mirrors and other vulnerable components are sealed inside a glasshouse structure to protect them from wind, sand and dust. Other solar technologies with exposed mirrors require expensive cleaning processes and risk degrading the mirrors in severe storms.

GlassPoint’s pilot project with PDO has been operating successfully since late 2012 and continues to exceed contracted performance targets. The system serves as an operational baseline for large-scale projects in Oman and throughout the region.

GlassPoint is exhibiting at the Middle East Oil & Gas Show (MEOS) this week in Bahrain. A model of its enclosed trough technology is on display at the Shell booth, 811.

MUSCAT: With its dynamic urban design, Tivoli is an all-new B-segment SUV using a monocoque construction, and based on SsangYong’s development philosophy of robust, speciality and premium. It features an all new platform, new body and two new engines, and competes in the global compact SUV market with its European styling, class leading levels of safety, interior space, equipment and options.

Ssangyong Tivoli was presented to the world at the recently concluded Geneva Motor Show and is expected to be launched in Oman during the early second quarter of 2015, says a press release.

Tivoli offers the fusion of great design and sensible practicality and convenience, and will attract the style conscious customer who seeks form and function from their new car.

The global trend has been towards increasing demand for ecofriendly and highly fuel-efficient cars, and to meet this, Tivoli offers highly competitive fuel economy and CO2 emission levels. SsangYong will therefore be able to compete with the major automotive manufacturers and increase its market share, not just in the SUV B-segment but also in the whole SUV market including Europe.

The newly developed 1.6 litre e-XGI160 petrol engine designed for fuel efficiency and combined

with the choice of manual or automatic transmission, and either a 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive system.

For those customers needing practicality, Tivoli provides one of the largest cabins and boot volumes in its class, while also offering a generous number of storage spaces. Particularly for the younger driver, there’s the opportunity for individualisation with the ability to change the background colour of the instrument cluster to any of six colours.

There are eight attractive exterior colours which can be teamed with either a beige or black interior, the choice of cloth, TPU/ cloth or leather upholstery, and also an exciting red interior colour way which is also available as a special option. Thanks to its Smart Steer system, there’s further choice with three different steering settings available.

This all-new car takes its name from Tivoli, the Italian town near Rome with a reputation for style. Noted for its cultural heritage and beautiful location, the gardens at Villa d’Este have inspired others to use the name, including the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. For SsangYong, the new Tivoli is designed to provide inspiration and excitement with style and performance.

Tivoli features a dynamic, urban look with a contemporary silhouette, and embodies the rhythmical motion of SsangYong’s design language, ‘Nature-born 3 Motion’ - Rhythmical, Dynamic and Dignified.

The interior offers the modernity of a luxurious living space, with a stylish and contemporary look. Designed to offer driver and passengers easy connectivity to their IT devices, it also brings

style, practicality and plenty of storage space. Tivoli offers occupants all the advantages of an SUV with the comforts and convenience of a saloon car. Its wide interior space for passengers in the front and rear makes Tivoli the perfect vehicle for everyday use and leisure activity.

SsangYong places great emphasis on safety, and to maximise passenger protection, Tivoli comes equipped with seven airbags: dual front airbags and driver knee airbag, and side & curtain airbags for side protection. There’s an advanced Safety Restraint System to keep passengers safely in their seats in a collision, and dual pretensioners which automatically tightened the seat belt to help restrain passengers during an impact. There is also multi-function ESP (Electronic Stability Program), Active Rollover Protection, Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist and ESS (Emergency Stop Signal), a tyre pressure monitoring system and a warning reminder on all five seat belt positions.

Tivoli is the first new model to be launched following the merger of SsangYong and Mahindra & Mahindra. OTE Group is the exclusive distributor for Ssangyong range of vehicles in Oman. With a nationwide network of sales and aftersales outlets, OTE Group ensures that their customers are never far from getting a high quality after-sales service.

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TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 12 , 2 015

ROUND-UP Captur display at MGM draws huge response In line with the Renault Captur that is impressively upbeat and powerful in stance; the new urban crossover boasts comfortable and attractive styling

MUSCAT: Renault’s newly launched Captur, a uniquely personal expression of style, is on display at Muscat Grand Mall (MGM) and is drawing huge appreciation from mall visitors.

In line with the Renault Captur that is impressively upbeat and powerful in stance; the new urban crossover boasts comfortable and attractive styling. It embodies a new kind of appeal thanks to its powerful and seductive lines, along with the originality of the two-tone paintwork resulting in

an attractive contrast between the roof and pillars and the rest of the bodywork, says a press release.

It is a crossover packed with a turbocharged engine for those occasional bursts of controlled fun.

The engine producing 120 BHP and 190 Nm of torque is mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Made in Spain, the Renault Captur stands out from the crowd by delivering the best of three different worlds: The expressive styling and driving position of an SUV, the cabin space and modular interior of an MPV and the agility and driving enjoyment of a compact saloon car.

It is a good option for those wanting small hatchback dimensions and costs, but with a shadow of thrill. It offers much greater

personalisation with its ‘themed collection’ — The adventurous and exciting ‘Arizona’ collection, the vibrant blue ‘Miami’ collection and the urban inspired ‘Manhattan’ collection. Each of the three themes is then split into four packs – colour, exterior gloss, interior touch and style — offering abundant personalised possibilities according to each customer’s preference and interest.

The Captur draws on Renault’s extensive expertise and long lasting history in car manufacturing, which is apparent through its superb design, functionality and the latest in terms of technology.

The Captur has an attractive design, including an original twotone paint, giving it a strong personality. Its compact size with

high ground clearance, large wheels and underbody protection allows you to explore all facets of everyday life.

At almost 1,100kg, the Renault Captur is a relatively light car. Despite its SUV looks, all models are two-wheel drives. Add in the turbocharged petrol engine and the Captur is a monster to reckon.

All models are well equipped, with air conditioning, cruise control and hill assist as standard, while the top-of-range models add a TomTom-based sat-navigation system, larger wheels and heated seats. Furthermore, the Captur is equipped with a highend audio and navigation system, Bluetooth phone and MP3 player connectivity plus removable and washable seat covers and a full keyless go option.

Little wonder, with such fabulous features, the Renault Captur has attracted huge positive response from Muscat Grand Mall. A full time consultant is also there to help inform the customers about the strong points of the vehicle.

SBA is largely committed to supporting Renault Oman’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

PROMOTION

TAC offers Mazda at an unbelievable price MUSCAT: Mazda has indeed brought in a lot of excitement in Oman’s automobile industry with their trendiest of Japanese cars and ‘stylish, spirited and insightful’ branding.

Towell Auto Centre (TAC) – the sole distributors of Mazda range in Oman — has added to this excitement by giving its customers an opportunity to own a Mazda at an unbelievable price.

The Mazda range is currently available at a competitive price, so buy now and save more, says a press release.

The very popular Mazda3 praised for its combination of superb handling, overall ride comfort, and well-proportioned design globally can be bought at a starting price of OMR5,850.

And Mazda6 — the winner of the prestigious Red Dot Award, embodying pure form of excitement, craftsmanship, sports driving and proactive safety — is available at an unbelievable price of OMR6,950 only.

Along with these models, Mazda CX-5 and ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ design theme is available at a starting price of OMR8,499 only.

And Mazda CX-9, a seven-passenger All Wheel Drive SUV with captivating design, advanced features and evolved automotive technology can be purchased at an unbelievable starting price of OMR10,900.

A senior spokesperson of TAC comments: “At TAC, we want to take all possible steps to get closer to our customers. Always enhancing our relations with consumers and satisfying them at every point of purchase through our innovative promotions is a vital part of our marketing strategy.

“By offering them at fantastic prices, we want to move a step closer to our goals of customer satisfaction and delight.

“But these prices will not last very long, so the prospective buyers of Mazda should avail this unique opportunity as soon as possible.”

A L M U M AYA Z S AV I N G S C H E M E

Bank Sohar announces weekly draw winner in Bahla MUSCAT: Conducting its fifth successful OMR5,000 weekly draw and OMR1,000 Branch Dedicated Weekly Draw in its Bahla branch. Bank Sohar continues to offer more chances, more winners and more prizes for its customers as part of the 2015 Al Mumayaz Saving Scheme.

In its most recent weekly draw, Bank Sohar announced Shamis Al Ghammari from its Al Amerat branch as the OMR5,000 winner and Jokha Al Alawi from Bahla branch as the OMR1,000 Branch Dedicated Weekly winner, says a press release.

The fifth prize draw event was held in the bank’s Bahla branch under the auspices of Eng. Salim Mohammed Al Adawi, the Engineering Project Expert at the Ministry of Sports Affair, and was attended by Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, AGM and Head of Marketing and Publicity, and Thuraiya Al Hashmi, Manager of Liabilities from the Head Office.

In attendance from the branch were Ghadhiya Said Al Hinaai, the Assistant Manager of the Bahla Branch, together with other Bank

Bank Sohar announced Shamis Al Ghammari from its Al Amerat branch as the OMR5,000 winner and Jokha Al Alawi from Bahla branch as the OMR1,000 Branch Dedicated Weekly winner Sohar senior staff amidst a number of customers. The event was inaugurated with a welcome speech

by Ghadhiya Said Al Hinaai followed with an overview of the 2015 Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme by Thuraiya Al Hashmi. Following the presentation, the chief guest announced the names of the two winners. The event concluded with the handover of a token of appreciation to Eng. Salim Mohammed Al Adawi on behalf of the bank.

Commenting on conducting the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme Weekly Draws, R. Narasimhan, DGM and Head of Retail Banking said, “With the 2015 edition of the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme, we wanted to offer our customers even more opportunities to be rewarded for their savings by offering more prizes and subsequently more chances to win. The new dedicated branch draws were introduced

specifically for this purpose and also serve to ensure that we have winners from all of our branches.”

“On behalf of Bank Sohar, I would like to congratulate Shamis Al Ghammari and Jokha Al Alawi for winning with us OMR5,000 and OMR1,000 respectively. I would also like to wish all our customers the best of luck in the upcoming draws of the year and encourage them to save more for even more chances to win,” he added.

SUPPORT

Volkswagen Oman to sponsor SQU’s Chem-E-Car competition MUSCAT: Volkswagen Oman, represented in Oman by Wattayah Motors, will sponsor the 10th Chemical Engineering Gathering hosted by the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) taking place in the Exhibitions Hall at the Deanship of Student Affairs from March 15 to 18.

Volkswagen Oman will also sponsor the university’s ChemE-Car competition focusing on the development of environmentally-kind car models by the local students, says a press release.

The Chem-E-Car competition, which is to be held on March 15, will see participating students design small-scale car models that operate through environmentally friendly means, along with a poster outlining their research. The models will each be put on display prior to a dynamic performance highlighting the model car capabilities. During the competition, each participant must drive their car a fixed distance while towing up to 500 ML of water.

“Volkswagen is renowned as innovative and affordable but overall, responsible. The ChemE-Car competition is aligned with our sustainable mobility initiatives and is intended to motivate and carry forward innovative thinking among today’s youth, while its highly competitive nature fosters the development of leadership skills.

“Supporting such valued events

The contest will see participating students design small-scale car models that operate through environmentally friendly means, along with a poster outlining their research

is not only vital to ensure its continued success but also to shed light on the incredible local talent that makes up the student body of Sultan Qaboos University,” commenting on the event, Andrew Squires, the general manager of

Wattayah Motors said.

Preceding the Chem-E-Car Competition is the 10th Chemical Engineering Gathering.

The event is designed to provide an opportunity for the students to showcase their projects to the public, while at the same allow the university to display the true scope and diversity that exists within the chemical engineering field.

“Volkswagen is committed to sustainability and responsibility as well as youth development. We see the students of today as the leaders of tomorrow.

“It’s important to get the student community excited about innovations and technologies for future generations of cars, and through our support of events such as there, they are provided with a platform on which to showcase their skill, talent and hard work,” added Andrew.

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Bank Muscat highlights career opportunities at SQU job fair Highlighting the career development and training opportunities available to qualified Omani nationals, the bank personnel were on hand to meet enthusiastic job seekers and interact with them on various career options

MUSCAT: The appeal of Bank Muscat as the ‘best place to work in Oman’ attracted a large turnout of prospective job seekers to its stall at the three-day Career and Training Opportunities Fair, which ends today at Sultan Qaboos

University (SQU).

Highlighting the career development and training opportunities available to qualified Omani nationals, the bank personnel were on hand to meet enthusiastic job seekers and interact with them on

various career options. Hundreds of youth, especially the graduating students this year, submitted CVs, expressing keen desire to work with the Sultanate’s leading financial institution, says a press release.

A regular participant at the SQU career fair, Bank Muscat seizes

every opportunity to extend support to Omani nationals seeking career development and training opportunities. Over the years, Bank Muscat has adopted innovative strategies to equip Omani staff to take up leadership positions in tandem with future challenges.

‘ M A X I M I S I N G O M A N I TA L E N T ’

The bank has developed a comprehensive Learning & Development strategy for skill and knowledge enhancement vis-à-vis the requirement of various departments.

The bank continuously invests to build human capacity and create career opportunities for highly-qualified Omani nationals.

The bank has been able to derive maximum mileage out of its HR processes as most of its middle and senior management cadres are drawn from within the bank.

Bank Muscat has achieved qualitative advance in the human resources sector as it attracts the best Omani cadres for employment at all levels. The bank’s women empowerment strategy is also notable as 42 per cent of staff are women holding various positions,

including senior management positions. Bank Muscat is keen to develop its leadership pool from among the young Omanis, and thereby contribute to Oman’s future by investing in talent which is the real wealth of the nation.

Bank Muscat is the first bank in the world to win the prestigious Level 3 People Capability Maturity Model certification by Carnegie Melon University, USA. The PCMM certification groups Bank Muscat with an elite group of global organisations which have achieved benchmark HR standards. Bank Muscat is also an Investor in People certified organisation, endorsing its human resources management practices in conformity with benchmark international standards.

SPORTS

BP Oman announces research results MUSCAT: BP Oman unveiled yesterday the results of the ‘Maximising Omani Talent’ research that was conducted by Oxford Strategic Consulting. The event was held under the patronage of Dr Muna bint Salim Al Jardani, the undersecretary at the Ministry of Manpower for Technical Education and Vocational Training, in tandem with the Career and Training Opportunities Fair at Sultan Qaboos University, says a press release.

The report focuses on maximising the development of Omani talent in engineering, with a specific focus on the private sector. BP, a major employer in the Sultanate’s energy sector, commissioned the report as part of its commitment to prepare Omani youth for vital technical and leadership roles within the industry The research found that young Omanis are most motivated by

‘helping the country’ (76%). The ‘Maximising Omani Talent’ research report captures additional groundbreaking insights from young Omanis preparing to enter the Sultanate’s workforce.

“As a committed investor and partner, we need to learn about the most effective ways to attract, develop and retain talent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). BP has supported this important research project with Oxford Strategic Consulting

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to capture insights from young Omani individuals, who might be interested in pursuing education in STEM subjects. The research provides valuable lessons to ourselves in recruitment and human resources development and we hope the findings are helpful also for our host government, partners, the industry and our staff,” said, Dave Campbell, Chief Operating Officer for BP Oman.

Scott Druck, CEO of Oxford Strategic Consulting, explained that:

“The private sector, especially, is in a great position to attract and retain great local talent; however, employers must understand the motivations and attitudes of Omani youth in order to attract the best talent.

Our research identifies these key motivations and aspirations.”

While both students and employers admitted that money is an important motivator, employers significantly overstated its importance (83%), whereas only 54% of students believed money to be a key motivator. Similarly, 61% of employers believed that young Omanis are after an ‘easy life’; however, ‘contributing to society’, ‘challenge’ and ‘development’ actually represented the most influential motivators for Omani students (at 76%, 40% and 38% respectively). Only 19% of Omani students listed ‘easy life’ as an important motivator.

MUSICAL CONCERT

Innovative equipment Santoor maestro to to be shown at trade fair perform on Saturday MUSCAT: Technical Trading Co. (TTC), flagship company of Al Sulaimi Group Holding will showcase GRACO and RIDGID products during ORPEC 2015 scheduled to take place from March 16 - 18 in Oman International Exhibition Centre in Seeb, says a press release.

RIDGID, a leading manufacturer of innovative tools and equipment for the professional trades will be showcasing their tools range serving the oil and gas industry. During the event, trade professionals will have the opportunity to experience the latest innovative solutions from RIDGID. Highlights include pipe threading cutting models, pipe grooving machines, cutting and drilling machines, pipe bending machines, drain cleaning machines etc.. and many other models. Attendees will be able to participate in interactive demonstrations and ask specific questions about RIDGID products and technologies.

Apart from RIDGID, TTC will also display GRACO products which are specialist in airless spray painting used by oil and gas companies for their management of fluids and coatings in both industrial and commercial applications. It designs, manufactures and markets systems and equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray fluid and powder materials. A recognised leader

in its specialities GRACO serves customers around the world in the manufacturing, processing, construction and maintenance industries. GRACO will introduce the Ecoquip technology for the Oil and Gas sector which will help them to optimise their blasting jobs. It can help clients save 75% of media and it emits 92% less dust.

“We are very excited to participate in ORPEC this year, each day provides tradesmen a chance to experience the latest RIDGID innovations and the beauty of airless spray painting. We care about the specific job needs of our customers and we are always interested in what ultimately helps them to do their jobs better and more efficiently. Our evolving technologies help our clients solve today’s problems, while our advanced engineering capabilities always manage to anticipate their future needs as well,” said Haitham Al Fannah, Chief Operations Officer, Al Sulaimi.

MUSCAT: The Indian Social Club in association with the Indian embassy is organising a musical concert by renowned Santoor player Dr Varsha Agarwal on Saturday at the Embassy of India at 7pm, says a press release.

Dr Varsha is one of the rare breed of female Santoor players from India and her performances leave the audiences spellbound while she reaches the zenith of expression during her performance. She will be accompanied on stage by Shri Lalit Kumar Mahant on the Tabla and Shri Asit Goswami on the Sitar. She has been recently nominated to perform at the prestigious ‘Soorya Festival’.

ANNIVERSARY

40th Parish Day celebrated MUSCAT: The 40th Parish Day and the Valedictory Meeting of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Mar Thoma Church in Oman was held on March 6 at the St. Thomas Church, Ruwi immediately after the Holy Communion Service.

The most Rev. Dr Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan and J. S.

Mukul, Ambassador of India were the chief guests. The meeting was presided over by Rt. Rev. Thomas Mar Timotheos Episcopa of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam Diocese. Government officials, Rev. Mathew Varghese the first Vicar and representatives of the community also attended the occasion.

Golf tournament held MUSCAT: Hyundai Construction Equipment, the fastest-growing construction equipment by brand, and Al Wasit Machinery organised Golf Tournament and Customer Open Day at Ghala Golf Club, recently. The tournament started with a first hit by Al Wasit Group Chairman Abdul Qader A.

Mohd, says a press release.

During the event around 72 golfers participated. Al Wasit displayed their earthmoving and construction equipment at Ghala Golf Club. The and general manager of Hyundai Middle East, Tony Cho presented the prizes to the winners.

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Exciting deals at Khimji’s Travel Fest on Saturday The public will get a chance to avail exclusive deals and offers.

A potpourri of holiday souqs combined into one, Khimji’s Travel Fest will be larger and superior in its offerings to the public

MUSCAT: If you are craving for the best one off deals, save the date for a rendezvous with Khimji’s House of Travel. Twenty of the world’s famous tourism boards and hotel chains will attend the Travel Fest event this Saturday at the Crowne Plaza.

The public will get a chance to avail exclusive deals and offers. A potpourri of holiday souqs combined into one, Khimji’s Travel Fest will be larger and superior in its offerings to the public, says a press release.

The big question as the holiday season approaches is “Where are you travelling to this Summer”? Khimji’s Fest 2015 has the answers custom-fit just for you.

Tourism Board representatives from the Seychelles, Hamburg, Malaysia, and Abu Dhabi; Luxury hotel chains including Taj Group, Peninsula Group, Jumeirah Group will also make their presence felt.

Minor group of hotels from the Far East and the Steinberger group of hotels from Germany will also be present at the fest.

Khimji’s Travel Fest 2015 will offer customers discounted shopping vouchers in Europe, access to value added products like sporting events, live concert tickets from across the world. Special deals will be available for children on Disneyl and Paris and Disney Cruises.

Cruise lovers can avail the expertise of our cruise holiday experts at the Costa Cruise stand.

“Swisstours” will be a one stop shop for all clients interested in holidaying in Switzerland. Those who wish to make new friends, and travel with other like minded people, can visit our experts at the KUONI-SOTC stand. Offering detailed itineraries to the Far East, Europe, USA and Australia SOTC is offering some exciting deals for the day.

“Khimji’s Travel Fest 2015 is an unmissable event for the entire family. It will offer value and choice for those who are planning their travel itinerary for summer or winter holidays. We invite the people of Oman to experience first hand the exciting tourism products, packages and attractions from 20 of the worlds best exhibitors,” Cashio Vettom, Sr. Divisional Manager, House of Travel, said.

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MUSICAL PROGRAMME

‘Muscat Malayalees’ event tomorrow MUSCAT: Oman’s leading Facebook Collaborative Forum for Keralites ‘Muscat Malayalees’ [MM] enters its third successful year. This is being celebrated in a splendid way in the name ‘Sasneham Muscat Malayalees’, an exciting entertainment to all the music lovers, with live orchestra, by the local talents in Oman, who in spite of their busy schedule finds time to nurture their art.

The programme commences at 6pm tomorrow at Al Falaj Grand Hall, Ruwi, said Rakesh Vaipooru, the admin of the FB group, in a press release, who also added that the programme is intended to encourage the local Malayalee talents.

In 2012, a small group of Malayalees started this Facebook group under the administration of Rakesh. The group was mainly intended to bring all the Malayali community residing in Oman, irrelevant of religion, caste, creed or political views, under one umbrella. The group

now has more than 13,000 members. With the timely postings in the group, MM gets involved in various charitable activities like blood donations, financial help for the deserved job postings, giving awareness on various rules and regulations to the expat community and a recently added women’s wing to get deeper to the problems of women.

MM stands apart from its peer groups for its unique fact that no members of this group exercise any special power or privilege. All members are equally important, and it is a group of kind hearted people with a common ideology of working for the betterment of the society.

Apart from the music show, comedy skits and cinematic dances are also on the cards.

The event is organised by Desert Technology LLC in association with The Ultimate Services.

To avail free pass for the program contact Muscat Malayaless Facebook Group.

I N N O VAT I V E M AT T R E S S

iCollection mattress ensures cooler and superior sleep MUSCAT: Dubai Furniture Manufacturing Company LLC (DFMC), a market leader in premium mattress segment in Middle East, has recently announced the launch of iCollection Sleep System by Serta in Muscat, designed to solve the problems of present memory foam mattresses, says a press release.

The new iCollection Sleep System is a series of innovative mattresses which are smarter, cooler and superior than most of the present memory foam mattresses available in the market which produce a lot of heat and make sleeping uncomfortable and sweaty. The collection has the world’s first memory foam mattresses which are equipped with MicroSupport Gel Infused Visco Foam known as Cool Action Gel Infused Visco Foam that provides a cool and comfortable surface all the time and also releases pressure from the differential body zones. These mattresses don’t sink in too much and maintains the same temperature throughout the night.

Sundar Rajan, CEO, Dubai Furniture Manufacturing Company, manufacturer and marketer of the Serta brand, said, “Serta’s Cool Action Gel Infused Visco Foam is far superior than the traditional memory foam as it dissipates the heat and provides very cool sleeping surface. This a very superior product and customers will benefit from the extra comfort and support. ” Customers can choose from four different grades of this series namely Twilight, Oasis, Fortune and Paradise. The Twilight mattress provides advanced support and extreme comfort. The Oasis mattress offers the perfect balance of cooling and unchanging comfort. The Fortune mattress provides the appropriate comfort to the differential body zones, delivering proper and targeted support that body needs. The Paradise mattress offers the perfect blend of coolness, support, comfort and relief. The iCollection products are available in Serta showrooms in Al Khuwair near Safeer International Hotel.

C E L E B R AT I O N

ISC, Karnataka Wing hosts musical show

MUSCAT: The Karnataka Wing of Indian Social Club embraced New Year and Sankranthi festival 2015 with a vibrant musical mega event Sankranthi Sanje recently at Al Bustan Palace hotel.

This event kicked off with a sizzling welcome to Dr Shivrajkumar who was the chief guest of the event which was followed by a welcome speech by S.D.T. Prasad, Convener of Karnataka Wing, and this four hours musical evening commenced with a local young Omani talent Haitham Rafi singing Kannada numbers for the first time in the history of ISC- KW taking India – Oman relations to a different platform and leaving Kannada audience spell bound, says a press release.

During the occasion, Shivrajkumar, Kannada film industry actor who is well known as Hattrick hero, son of Kannada film industry legend Rajkumar was felicitated along with his wife Geetha Shivarajku-

mar with a Mysore Peeta (traditional turban of South India shawl and a memento by Kannada Sangha committee.

It was followed by felicitating Indian ambassador of Oman J. S. Mukul, Abdullah Taman Al Maashani, Balaji Srinivasan, Dr Satish Nambiar, G. V. Ramkrishna, M. K. Kuttappa, Dr Anchan, Ravimumar Rao, Mahesh Purohit and Parekh.

This beautiful musical night mesmerised the audience by an orchestra led by RJ Mayur who is well known RJ on 92.7 BIG FM with his “Retro to Metro – Unplugged with RJ Mayur” as Kannada folks put it – ‘Life super guru!!! The best of Music’. This power packed event also featured 45 minutes of comedy show by SihiKahi Chandru and talk show with Dr Shivrajkumar.

Main sponsors for this mega event were Bank Muscat, S & T, AL Turki, GPS, Areeg Veg and, Lulu.

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SANGA BREAKS RECORD, LANKANS ROUT SCOTS Kumar Sangakkara became the first batsman to score four consecutive One-day International centuries as Sri Lanka thrashed Scotland by 148 runs in the World Cup in Hobart on Wednesday. >C5

GCC WOMEN’S GAMES

Fatma and Sarah fetch doubles gold for Oman MUSCAT: The Sultanate’s star athlete Fatma Al Nabhani and Sarah Al Balushi bagged one of the two tennis gold medals on offer at the fourth GCC Women’s Games on Wednesday.

In the doubles action at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (SQSC) courts, Fatma and Sarah combined well to defeat compatriots Maryam Al Balushi and Samar Al Bakri 6-2, 6-0 to win a deserving gold medal.

In the competition, which saw the participation of four teams, Maryam and Samar had to settle for bronze after losing their second match to Qatar Ola Mourad and Mobaraka Al Nayeemi 6-1, 6-1.

Oman can also expect another gold medal with Fatma continuing her dominant display in the singles competition.

Seven-medal show Meanwhile, the Sultanate’s athletes with special abilities bagged seven medals of different colours to make it a special day for the hosts late on Tuesday.

On the first day of the athletics action at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, the Omanis won both gold and silver in the F54 shot put event with Raya Khamis Al Abri taking the top honours and Sheikha Abdullah Al Ham-

SPECIAL DAY: Omani athletes with special abilities display their medals at the SQSC. – Supplied photo

madi finishing second. In the F55 shot put competition, Rayan Al Mazeini settled for silver behind Bahrain’s Ruba Al Amri.

In the shot put competition of the F32 category, Oman won another silver thanks to the efforts of Fateiya Al Harthi. The gold went to Sarah Al Kabaisi of the UAE.

In the F57 javelin competition, Omani girl Galia Al Jabri took silver behind Siham Al Rashidi of the UAE. Qatar’s Fatima Ishaq took the bronze.

Oman also won a silver medal in the 100m race when Maisa Jameel finished behind Samirah Al Balushi of the UAE. The bronze was

bagged by Samirah’s compatriot Fatma Sabeel.

In the F37 discus throw competition, Oman’s Zainab Mohammed won the bronze. The gold went to Bahrain’s Zahara Abdullah while Thaigia Ali of Qatar took the silver medal.

In the shooting competitions,

GOLDEN GIRLS: Fatma Al Nabhani and Sarah Al Balushi.

Oman missed out on a medal as Qatar went on to win the gold in the 25m air pistol competition with 1,668 points.

Bahrain took silver with 1,623 points while the UAE won the bronze with 1,608 points.

At the SQSC indoor stadium, Oman tasted success in the hand-

ball competition when they handed a 16-11 defeat to Kuwait. In another match, Qatar got the better of Bahrain for a 34-10 victory.

In the basketball tournament, hosts Oman suffered a loss when they went down to Bahrain 46-60.

Qatar, meanwhile, defeated Kuwait 56-32.

Solid start for The Wave, Muscat TO WATCH LIVE STREAMING OF EXTREME SAILING SERIES ACT 2 IN MUSCAT SCAN THIS QR CODE

The Wave, Muscat had an outstanding opening day and topped the Extreme Sailing Series Muscat leaderboard while Oman Air are in third, building pressure on the leaders

MUSCAT: Leigh McMillan’s crew on The Wave, Muscat were firing on all cylinders in home waters on Wednesday closing an outstanding opening day on top of the Extreme Sailing Series Muscat leaderboard with third-placed Oman Air building pressure on the leaders.

Oman Sail have dominated the Muscat event for the past three years with The Wave, Muscat taking the 2013 and 2014 crowns and Oman Air winning in 2012.

The consistent Muscat breeze combined with Omani expertise and knowledge on board both Extreme 40s have proved crucial to their success in previous years and once again underpinned a promising opening day to the 2015 event, kicking off with a resounding win in a stunning first race for The Wave, Muscat.

“It was not a bad day,” commented happy skipper McMillan, who overnight has a four-point lead

DOMINANT DISPLAY: The Wave, Muscat, left, in the lead in one of the six races on the opening day of the Extreme Sailing Series Act 2 on Wednesday. – Supplied photo

over rivals SAP Extreme Sailing Team after six races. “It was a great performance by the whole The Wave, Muscat team in conditions that we really enjoy. It was nice to be racing on this open water track and flying our hulls and it was good to have some consistent breeze.

“But we will need to keep pushing hard to keep hold of the lead. And hopefully we can continue what we have started — we will be closer to the shore tomorrow so people will be able to enjoy the spectacle. It was fantastic to be back in home waters in front of sponsors and friends,

McMillan added. “We would love to race in Muscat more often. It is one of the best sailing venues on the circuit and we always get some good racing here.”

The Wave, Muscat’s powerhouse bowman Nasser Al Mashari is finding his local knowledge is proving invaluable with the rest of his team who are not so familiar with the waters. “I sail here a lot so I’m trying to help with tactics,” he said.

“I am always looking for the wind and where it’s coming from.

The wind shifts a lot here so it is hard. The guys on The Wave, Mus-

cat are all world class sailors but I can tell them where there are shallow waters or fishing nets which is sometimes useful.”

Seeing an Omani at the front of the Extreme pack should guarantee a bumper crowd for the second day’s racing and they could be in for a real treat, Al Mashari said.

“If we have some wind tomorrow it will be really exciting for everyone to watch these boats with lots of spray and close action.

We are working very hard to make sure we keep on winning — this is our home town and we have to be

in the leading group.”

One of the biggest surprises of the day was the improved performance of Oman Air, racing in only their second event, they posted two podium places and are just six points behind leaders The Wave, Muscat and two points behind SAP with three days racing still to go.

“In Singapore, I’d never even sailed a catamaran before and this is only my sixth day on a cat,” explained skipper Stevie Morrison.

“But I get more confident every time I manage to get the boat off the dock. We came into the event wanting to improve — we have been working on our communications and things like that and I think we were solid today — only two or three silly mistakes but everyone stayed calm and we worked well as a team.

“Our understanding as a group is growing and we are working things through. It was good fun.”

On Thursday, the free to enter public Race Village opens and the Extreme 40 fleet will race in the circuit’s action packed ‘stadium’ from the Almouj Golf Club offering outstanding views of the racecourse from the Race Village.

Oman Sail receive award Meanwhile, Land Rover Oman presented the winners of the global Land Rover Above and Beyond Award with the keys to their vehicle during the launch of Land Rover’s new Discovery Sport, the world’s most versatile and capa-

ble premium compact SUV. The presentation took place at the exclusive Almouj Golf Club on the waterfront in Muscat.

Oman Sail’s The Wave, Muscat and Oman Air together won the Land Rover Above and Beyond Award for demonstrating the best in skill, sportsmanship and strength of mind throughout the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series.

The Oman Sail sailors and shore crew, Suleiman Al Manji and Hilal Al Zadjali, either won or were cited in five of the six individual awards during the Series.

Presenting the keys to the winning team, Land Rover Regional Manager, Johnny Amiouni said: “We are delighted to be on home territory to present Oman Sail with the keys to their new Discovery Sport – the latest addition to the Land Rover family.

“The team has shown just what it means to go Above and Beyond both on and off the water and we look forward to watching them perform again, here in Muscat, at this second Act of the Extreme Sailing Series.”

Receiving the prize on behalf of the winning team, David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail, said: “I am extremely proud to accept the keys to this Discovery Sport on behalf of both our racing teams - The Wave, Muscat and Oman Air.” “The expertise, determination and commitment of all members of the team, from the sailors to the shore crew, has been truly inspirational. I have no doubt that their actions on the water will continue to set a fantastic example to budding Omani sailors everywhere.”

Land Rover is represented in Oman by Mohisin Haider Darwish LLC.

FOOTBALL

Sabco to support OFA in establishing Club Skills Development Academies MUSCAT: The Oman Football Association (OFA) signed a partnership deal with Sabco LLC, who have now joined the Sultanate’s football governing body as the key partner for the OFA’ Club Skills Development Academy Programme.

According to a press release issued by the OFA on Wednesday, the partnership will see investment in all 43 of the country’s football clubs, with the OFA providing education, guidance, training and support to establish a series of academies focused on eight to 12 year old children.

Jim Selby, the OFA’s Technical Director, established the pro-

gramme as part of the OFA’s Technical Development Game Plan 2014 to 2018, that was approved at the OFA AGM in 2014.

The programme was launched late in 2014, with an initial number of clubs signing up to start in 2015. With Sabco’s support, the programme can now be rolled out across all clubs in coming months.

The academies are established to provide year round opportunities for young children to get involved in football and take part in a series of structured and organised sessions, designed to improve their skills and to build confidence and personality.

Jim remarked: “The CDSA (Club Skills Development Academies) are a key part of our overall Development programme. We are focused on building the stars of the future, by increasing the number of participants and by improving the quality that they are able to achieve.

“The Academies will provide a good level of training and fun activities, and we are sure they will help build our future base.

My extreme thanks to the people at Sabco for their support, it is invaluable.”

Sayyid Aymen Al Busaidi, ViceChairman of Sabco Group, is happy

to confirm their support to the OFA. “As a group, we already have a great relationship with the association and we see the work that the people in the association put in to drive football forward. This is a great programme to help develop the children of our country and we urge more companies to step forward and take up similar projects.

Supporting the Omani community is a key part of our business, and we look forward to working hard with the OFA to achieve our business (and community) goals.”

All of the 43 clubs in Oman are eligible to establish a Club Skills Development Academy.

SEEB EDGE AHLI-SIDAB Seeb edged Ahli-Sidab 2-1 in the first of their double leg quarterfinal match at the Seeb Sports Stadium on Wednesday. The other first leg matches involving Sur against Al Nahda and Al Nasr vs Al Khabourah will be played on Saturday. All second leg matches are scheduled for April 8. — ISMAIL AL FARSI/Times of Oman Oman

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SPORTS

Omantel teams hope to challenge the best Omantel Hayyak, Omantel Makasib and Omantel Mada are expected to pose huge challenge to many fancied teams in the 24-hour SWS

CONFIDENT: Omantel’s three team pose for a group photo.

Endurance Race

MUSCAT: Omantel will field three teams in the 24-hour SWS Endurance Race, to be held at the Oman Automobile Association’s Muscat Speedway on Friday and Saturday.

Three teams — Omantel Hayyak, Omantel Makasib and Omantel Mada — are expected to pose huge challenge to many fancied teams in the race, which will test the physical and mental strengths of the drivers.

Cedric Vansteenkiste, manager of Omantel teams, expressed confidence in the calibre of the drivers.

“We are happy to enter three teams in the 24-hour endurance race at the Muscat Speedway. All the drivers are Omantel employees and I am sure they will showcase their best performance. All of them are capable of turning the tables on fancied teams.”

Two teams will have five drivers each while the third team will utilise the services of six drivers.

“We formed the karting team after the Omantel Olympics. Later, we participated in the 12-hour endurance race earlier this year and the results gave us the confidence to take part in the longer version,” Cedric said.

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All the drivers have been practicing hard with an aim to put up good show, and Cedric believes that they will reap the dividends on Saturday. “It will be a good learning experience for the drivers who can get a feel of the endurance race.”

Marshalls ready As many 30 experienced marshalls from Oman will be seen in action during the 24-hour race. And leading the strong contingent will be Loay Al Bijaly, the chief marshal and assistant Clark of the Course.

The marshalls will work in four shifts of six hours each.

“As many as 12 marshals will

oversee the competition for six hours. The next batch will take over later, while the members of the first batch will take rest. We have kept six marshals on standby,” said Loay.

It will not be a tough task for the Oman marshals, who have plenty of experience under their belt, to successfully conduct the event.

It may be recalled that the team did an excellent job in organising the 24-hour race last year and the 12-hour endurance race earlier this year, apart from many karting competitions.

“The boys have undergone plenty of training and they are ready for the challenge. The event provides an opportunity for them to polish their skills.”

Activities for fans With plenty of motorsports aficionados expecting to throng the venue, the Oman Automobile Association has planned a plenty of activities to keep them engaged for 24 hours.

“We expect many motorsports enthusiasts during the race days.

So we have planned many leisure activities besides opening up the coffee shops for 24 hours,” OAA Managing Director Suleiman Al Rawahi said.

‘DISGRACE’

Ronaldo’s record overshadowed by poor Real showing MADRID: Two-goal Cristiano Ronaldo may have become the record scorer in European competition on Tuesday but the Real Madrid forward was left seething by another poor performance from the stuttering European champions.

Television cameras captured a grim-looking Ronaldo shaking his head and apparently mouthing “disgrace” to Karim Benzema shortly before the end of Real’s 4-3 defeat to Schalke 04 at the Bernabeu, the holders squeaking through to the quarterfinals 5-4 on aggregate.

Ronaldo’s two first-half headers had helped keep hopes of a record-extending 11th European crown alive and took his tally in European competition to a record 78 goals, surpassing Barcelona forward Lionel Messi (76) and former Real striker Raul (77).

However, they were one of the few bright spots in a generally weak showing that came hard on the heels of the 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao at the weekend that cost Real top spot in La Liga.

The reverse to Schalke was their first home defeat in the Champions League in 22 matches since April 2011 and the play-

ers were whistled off the pitch by the angry home fans, many of whom waved white handkerchiefs in the traditional sign of discontent.

Ronaldo gruffly announced to reporters he was not going to speak to the media again until the end of the season, leaving captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas to try to explain the team’s recent slump.

“The team has again failed to reach the level of recent months but what’s important is that we realise that,” the Spain international said. “We have to understand the Madrid fans and today we weren’t up to the standards of Real Madrid and the Champions League last 16.”

“We were made to sweat too much but what we have to do is be more united than ever. Although we fell short of what was required, we did enough to get through.”

Real have little time to set things right with a trip to Barca for the La Liga ‘Clasico’ looming on March 22. They host Levante on Sunday, when they could find themselves four points behind their great rivals, who play at Eibar on Saturday. The draw for the Champions League quarterfinals is on March 20. - Reuters

SUCCESSFUL TESTING

‘Awesome’ Mercedes team to launch Formula One dynasty bid in Australia MELBOURNE: Brimful of confidence after successful pre-season testing, Mercedes’ bid to build a Formula One dynasty kicks off at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this week, with world champion Lewis Hamilton hungry for a third title.

Though the cars are yet to roll out of the Albert Park garages, the ‘Silver Arrows’ might be forgiven for bringing some early-season swagger to the paddock.

An ominous pre-season was the launch-pad to last year’s triumph, and eye-catching lap times in this year’s tests suggest rivals could be again playing catch-up at the Melbourne street circuit.

“We’re looking good, we’re very optimistic for this season,” Nico Rosberg, who won at Albert Park last year and was world runnerup to teammate Hamilton, told reporters in Melbourne on Wednesday. “We just have an awesome team at the moment, really.

“We are the best in F1 now. We have the best individual departments, we have the best overall team, we have the best engine factory — they’re just doing an awesome job.”

Frequently exhilarating though sometimes volatile, Hamilton and Rosberg’s battle for intra-team supremacy was a highlight of Mercedes’ championship, which broke the four-year domi-

Newey’s son to team up with Schumacher junior LONDON: Formula One designer Adrian Newey’s teenage son Harrison will be team mate to Michael Schumacher’s 15-year-old son Mick in German Formula Four this season.

Dutch outfit Van Amersfoort Racing announced on Wednesday that 16-year-old Newey junior had signed for them in

nance of Sebastian Vettel-led Red Bull.

Though Hamilton ultimately crushed Rosberg’s challenge, winning 11 races to five, the rivalry between the flashy Briton and his more reserved German team mate could again prove decisive.

Legal challenge The race will be the 20th in Melbourne and organisers will hope local boy Daniel Ricciardo can become Australia’s first home champion after grabbing three race wins last year.

Third in last year’s drivers’ championship, Ricciardo was hugely impressive in his first year with Red Bull and has unfinished

the Fia-approved series.

Schumacher, whose seventime Formula One world champion father suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013 and is still recovering, joined last week.

“This has been one of the most pleasant weeks in our four decade history,” said team

business at Albert Park.

Pipped for pole position by Hamilton, he was also relieved of his maiden podium spot hours after the race and disqualified by stewards for a fuel flow problem.

Ricciardo out-shone Vettel in the German’s last year at Red Bull but the four-times world champion will re-boot with Ferrari, who parted ways with Spaniard Fernando Alonso.

Now driving for McLaren, two-times champion Alonso will be absent from Australia on doctors’ orders as he recovers from his crash in testing in Barcelona last month.

Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen will serve as a stand-in.

owner Frits van Amersfoort, who has worked with a number of top drivers in the past including both Jos and Max Verstappen. “We’re extremely honoured to have some of auto racing’s most credible persons choosing to entrust our team in the development of two promising young talents.” - Reuters

After Caterham folded last year to leave 10 teams, the smaller F1 outfits will be under the microscope in Melbourne amid fears financial pressures may see further casualties.

Among them, Sauber’s preparations have been overshadowed by a legal challenge from disgruntled Dutch driver Giedo van der Garde, who has accused the Swiss team of reneging on a deal to give him a race seat.

Van der Garde’s 11th-hour bid to force the team to let him drive for them was upheld by an Australian court on Wednesday, though a final appeal by Sauber to over-turn the verdict will be heard on Thursday. - Reuters

AL SAKOOR CLINCH OFA NESCAFE MY CUP FOOTBALL TITLE Nestlé and the Oman Football Association (OFA) ran a superb day of fun community football last weekend, with over 80 teams playing at the Seeb Sports Stadium from dawn through to late evening. Nestlé and the OFA partnered to put on a full day of five-a- side football matches at the NESCAFÉ My Cup last Saturday to help promote the brand. Over 1,000 people attended the day which saw over 80 teams taking part in a series of games culminating in an exciting final. Al Sakoor walked away with the winning prize of OMR. 1,500 while Falcon were second winning OMR. 1,000 and Etihad Al Khoud were third taking home OMR. 500.

The day also saw 128 contestants take part in a new penalty shootout style event. — Supplied photo

T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

TODAY POOL B: SOUTH AFRICA V UAE (5:00AM OMAN TIME) TOMORROW POOL A: NEW ZEALAND V BANGLADESH (5:00AM OMAN TIME) POOL A: ENGLAND V AFGHANISTAN (7:30AM OMAN TIME)

MAN ON MISSION 496 runs from 6 matches

ODI career:

39

v New Zealand

7

v Afghanistan

*105

v Bangladesh

*117

v England

501 dismissals First player to 500 dismissals

104

v Australia

54 dismissals (most in World Cups)

124

v Scotland

14,189 runs in ODIs 25 hundreds

*Unbeaten knock

Kumar Sangakkara continues to script his incredible farewell from One-day International cricket. He has become the ďŹ rst man in ODI history to score four centuries in consecutive World Cup games > Match report on C5

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TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 12 , 2 015

Sanga craves for records despite ‘creaking’ joints Kumar Sangakkara

Sri Lanka fret over Mathews’ injury in Scotland win

is the leading scorer at this World Cup with 496 runs from six games, followed in second place by 38-year-old Dilshan with 395 runs. He admitted age was catching up, but the routine he followed on the field appeared to be working

HOBART: Sri Lankan veteran Kumar Sangakkara said on Wednesday he loved chasing records after becoming the first batsman to score four consecutive one-day centuries during a World Cup game against Scotland in Hobart.

The 37-year-old left-hander hit 124 off 95 balls and Tillakaratne Dilshan made 104 as the Islanders piled up 363 for nine and then bowled out the Scots for 215 at the Bellerive Oval.

Sangakkara also took two catches to overtake Adam Gilchrist as the most successful World Cup wicket-keeper with 54 dismissals.

The Australian had 52 victims to his name. “Records do matter, I think,” Sangakkara told the BBC. “I would love to say records never enter my mind, but they do. There are certain things that you chase — you try to keep those goals.

“They are not the only things you chase, but as long as you do the right things, those things will fall into place and come along.”

Sangakkara, who will retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup, had made 105 not out against Bangladesh, an unbeaten 117 against England and 104 against Australia earlier in the tournament. He is the the leading scorer at this World Cup with 496 runs from six games, followed in second place by 38-year-old Dilshan with 395 runs.

Sangakkara admitted age was catching up with him, but the routine he followed on the field appeared to be working.

“Once you get used to a certain routine of ‘keeping and batting in

HOBART: Angelo Mathews is to undergo a scan on his Achilles tendon on Thursday after the Sri Lanka captain hurt himself in the 148-run victory over Scotland to join his team’s fast growing list of injured players at the ongoing World Cup. Mathews blasted six sixes in his 21-ball 51 with the bat but spent much of the second half of the team’s last Pool A match at Bellerive Oval in the dressing room. “I have got sore Achilles tendon,” the 27-year-old all-rounder told the presentation ceremony after his team’s comprehensive win in their last pool match.

“So management felt it was wise to stay out of the field and take bit of caution.”

The 1996 champions are already battling with a spate of injuries that has already forced a fourth injury replacement.

Batsman Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal, allrounder Jeevan Mendis and fast bowler Dhammika Prasad have had their World Cup campaigns cut short by injuries but Mathews had no such fears. “I don’t think so. It was pretty sore but then the physio thought just not risk, got to assess in the next couple of days.”

His deputy Lahiru Thirimanne shared his optimism as Sri Lanka bid for their second World Cup title.

“I think he is cramped up at the moment. Hopefully he will be ok. I think he’s going for a scan tomorrow,” Thirimanne told reporters after the match.

Amid the injury gloom, outgoing hero Kumar Sangakkara’s red-hot form was a source of inspiration for the Sri Lankan players.

ODIs, it isn’t so bad, but now that I am 37, the joints are creaking,” he said at the post-match ceremony.

“I consider myself lucky to be part of such a good side. Sometimes things just fall in place. Everything clicks. I am not sure what that one thing is (which keeps him going), but it is definitely working for me at the moment.

“Hopefully I can keep on to it.”

Sri Lanka ended the league with four wins from six matches and now await an undecided opponent in the first quarter-final at the Syd-

THROWN OUT

Scotland’s Haq axed from World Cup for racial tweet HOBART: Scotland allrounder Majid Haq has been thrown out of the World Cup for posting a racial tweet after being dropped from Wednesday’s match against Sri Lanka in Hobart.

Haq, Scotland’s leading ODI bowler with 60 wickets and three half-centuries to his name, had played in his team’s four previous matches taking just three wickets and making a top-score of 31 against Afghanistan.

“Always tougher when your in the minority!! #colour #race” tweeted 32-year-old Haq, who was born in Scotland and is of Pakistani descent.

The post was later deleted.

“Following a breach of Cricket Scotland’s internal code of conduct, international team member, Majid Haq, is travelling home from the ICC World Cup,” a statement from the Scottish board said. “No further statement will be issued until internal processes have been completed in due course.”

Scotland, who have lost all their five matches so far, play Australia in their last league match in Hobart on Saturday. - AFP ILL

SORE ACHILES TENDON: Angelo Mathews who scored a quikfire fifty was in pain while fielding and fuelled worries for the already injury-hit Sri Lankans. – AFP

Sangakkara, who will quit one-dayers after the World Cup, became the first batsman to hit four consecutive ODI hundreds and fans believe Sri Lanka would sorely miss their batting mainstay who is still good

ney Cricket Ground on March 18.

Sangakkara said Sri Lanka, who were champions in 1996 and made the final in the last two editions in 2007 and 2011, were ready to reach the summit. “As long as we enjoy ourselves and believe we can do it, then we can go far,” he said.

“The key for us is the way we enjoy our cricket. As long as there is a smile on our face, then that is what matters most. I would love to see myself, and all of us, on the winning podium, but you can’t want it too much. We just need to keep

enough to carry on.

“Sangakkara is getting better and better each and every game,” Mathews said of the 37-year-old stumper-batsman.

“I’ve almost gone on my knees and begged him not to

focused on the present and work hard each day.”

Sangakkara leapfrogged six players who had scored three ODI centuries in a row — Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar of Pakistan, the South African trio of Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock, and Ross Taylor of New Zealand. Sri Lanka’s captain Angelo Mathews said he had gone down on his knees to beg Sangakkara not to quit after the World Cup, but the star batsman seemed to have made up his mind.

retire but unfortunately he has called it a day and we got to respect his decision.

“He’s served the team, the country for such a long time, we’re really thankful for the service.” - Reuters

“Retirement is not about form, it is about time and place and whether it feels right,” said Sangakkara, who has been playing international cricket since 2000.

“It is never about whether you can play or not.”

Sangakkara’s long-time compatriot Mahela Jayawardene, who retired from Test cricket last year, will also quit one-day matches after the World Cup. But Sangakkara himself has not announced any retirement plans from Test cricket. - AFP

Williamson laid low by gastroenteritis HAMILTON: New Zealand’s Kane Williamson missed training on Wednesday due to gastroenteritis but the team is confident the star batsman is not in danger of missing any matches at the World Cup. New Zealand face Bangladesh on Friday with both sides having already qualified for the quarterfinals.

Williamson, spinner Daniel Vettori and all-rounder Grant Elliott caught the bug after New Zealand’s last match against Afghanistan in Napier on Sunday.

Williamson was rested on Wednesday while Vettori and Elliott had recovered.

The 24-year-old Williamson is key to the co-hosts’ batting as he has scored 182 runs at 60.66 with a best of 57 against Sri Lanka. He hit an unbeaten 45 in the game against Australia, clinching the narrow one-wicket win in Auckland with a six. - AFP

ANGER IN ENGLAND

Remove Moores and ‘put him in charge of kids’ LONDON: England coach Peter Moores should be removed from his current position and put in charge of the “kids”, according to former captain Michael Vaughan.

Moores, handed a second stint as head coach last April, has come under intense fire since England’s defeat by Bangladesh on Monday condemned them to an early return from the World Cup. Vaughan believes Moores’ talents have been wasted. “Moores was at his best working with the Lions (development team) many years ago,” Vaughan said in the Daily Telegraph.

“The job of England coach has become about man management, helping with tactics and picking the right team. “At international level you do not have time to

coach. What is the best thing for English cricket going forward? I believe it is time to remover Peter Moores from his current position and put him in a job where he can have the biggest impact on English cricket.”

“I always say the best coach works with kids and development programmes between the age of 15 and 20.”

Vaughan said England’s conservative approach to the oneday game had resulted in them IN TROUBLE: Peter Moores being left behind by the likes of Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lan“(Managing director) Paul ka and India, while even Ireland, Vaughan said, were playing better Downton said last night England One-day cricket. “England started needed more players appearing in the tournament by picking a Test T20 leagues around the world to match batting line-up for one-day gain experience. Well, Alex Hales has been doing that but England cricket ,” Vaughan said.

did not pick him. Ravi Bopara, Michael Carberry, Luke Wright, Ben Stokes and Jason Roy, they all played Big Bash cricket but were ignored. England should have looked at these guys last year.

“You do not need five gears any more, you need eight. England do not get the fact that you need four Jos Buttlers, not one. You need four or five who have the ability to strike it at a rate of 120 per 100 balls.”

Vaughan said the World Cup had been a wasted opportunity for England to change tack.

“I felt they had a free hand here, with no expectation of success,” he said. “They had the chance to play expansive cricket and press “G” for gamble. Instead they played the safest, and most timid way.” - Reuters

T HURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

C5

Record-breaking Sangakkara leads Sri Lankan rout of Scots

CELEBRATION: Sri Lankan players celebrate claiming a Scotland wicket. – AFP

S TA N D I N G S POOL A

The Islanders piled up 363 for nine and then bowled Scotland out for 215 in 43.1

Teams *New Zealand *Sri Lanka *Australia *Bangladesh England Afghanistan Scotland

M 5 6 5 5 5 5 5

W 5 4 3 3 1 1 0

L 0 2 1 1 4 4 5

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

N/R 0 0 1 1 0 0 0

Pts 10 8 7 7 2 2 0

Net RR +3.090 +0.371 +1.597 +0.211 -1.001 -1.881 -1.769

5 5 5 5 5 5 4

5 3 3 3 2 1 0

0 2 2 2 3 4 4

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

10 6 6 6 4 2 0

+2.157 +1.462 -0.194 -1.014 -0.511 -0.595 -1.691

POOL B

overs in the Pool A match at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart

HOBART: Kumar Sangakkara became the first batsman to score four consecutive one-day centuries as Sri Lanka thrashed Scotland by 148 runs in the World Cup in Hobart on Wednesday.

The left-hander hit 124 off 95 balls and Tillakaratne Dilshan made 104 as the Islanders piled up 363 for nine and then bowled Scotland out for 215 in 43.1 overs in the Pool A match at the Bellerive Oval.

Skipper Preston Mommsen (60) and Freddie Coleman (70) put on 118 for the fourth wicket but they provided the only Scottish challenge as seamers Nuwan Kulasekara and Dushmantha Chameera grabbed three wickets each.

Sangakkara also took two catches to overtake Adam Gilchrist as the most successful World Cup wicket-keeper with 54 dismissals.

The Australian had 52 victims to his name.

Sri Lanka ended the league with four wins from six matches and now await an undecided opponent in the first quarter-final at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 18.

Scotland’s fifth successive defeat means they will take an early flight home after their final league match against Australia at the same venue on Saturday.

Sangakkara, 37, who will retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup, had made 105 not out against Bangladesh, an unbeaten 117 against England and 104 against Australia.

He is the the leading scorer in the ongoing tournament with 496 runs from six games, followed in second place by 38-year-old Dilshan with 395 runs. The pair put on 195 for the second wicket after Lahiru Thirimanne had been snapped up in the slips off Alasdair Evans in the sixth over after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.

Scotland had to wait till the

*India South Africa Pakistan Ireland West Indies Zimbabwe UAE

Don’t quit, Mathews tells Sanga HOBART: Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said on Wednesday that he has gone down on his knees to beg record-breaking batsman Kumar Sangakkara not to quit after the World Cup. Sangakkara, 37, will call time on his ODI career at the end of the tournament but he is still in a rich vein of form.

“I’ve been on my knees asking Kumar not to retire but we have to respect his wishes because we are thankful for all the times he has represented the country,” said Mathews.

35th over for their next success as Sangakkara and Dilshan toyed with the bowling in good batting conditions.

Both batsmen reached their centuries off successive balls from Kyle Coetzer in the 34th over, Dilshan taking a single to record his second hundred in the tournament before Sangakkara followed next ball with two runs.

Sangakkara leapfrogged six players who had scored three ODI centuries in a row — Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar of Pakistan, the South African trio of Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock, and Ross Taylor of New Zealand.

Dilshan followed his unbeaten 161 against Bangladesh with his fourth World Cup century before he holed out in the deep off seamer Josh Davey. Davey struck two quick blows soon after, getting rid of Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara off successive balls as Sri

The skipper added: “The boys played really well and credit should go to Dilshan and Sangakkara, they are getting better and better with age. We have to take one game at a time and play positive cricket. If we can improve our bowling and fielding, it will be great but the batters have posted 300 four times in a row. That is never easy.

“Retirement is not about form, it is about time and place and whether it feels right. It is never about whether you can play or not,” he said. — AFP

Lanka slipped from 216 for one to 244 for four. Jayawardene, 37, who will also retire after the World Cup having already quit Test cricket, made two when he was caught at mid-off by Calum MacLeod.

Sangakkara edged the next delivery to the wicket-keeper, sparking wild celebrations among the Scottish supporters in the stands.

Skipper Angelo Mathews smashed 51 off 21 balls at the end, slamming four sixes in a row off spinner Matt Machan before being caught next ball on the mid-wicket fence. Sri Lanka, who were 216 for one at one stage, lost eight wickets for 147 runs as the later batsmen attacked the inexperienced Scotland attack. Sri Lanka go into the knockout rounds beset with injuries, with seamer Dhammika Prasad ruled out of the tournament before it started and Jeevan Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal sidelined. - AFP

KUMAR SANGAKKARA

TILLAKARATNE DILSHAN

124

104

runs from 95 balls 13 fours, 4 sixes

runs from 99 balls 10 fours, 1 six

SRI LANKA L. Thirimanne c Mommsen b Evans 4 T. Dilshan c MacLeod b Davey 104 K. Sangakkara c Cross b Davey 124 M. Jayawardene c MacLeod b Davey 2 A. Mathews c Coleman b Machan 51 K. Perera c MacLeod b Taylor 24 T. Perera c Coleman b Berrington 7 S. Prasanna c Coleman b Evans 3 N. Kulasekara not out 18 L. Malinga c Leask b Berrington 1 D. Chameera not out 12 Extras: (lb-3, w-10) 13 Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 363 Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Thirimanne), 2-216 (Dilshan), 3-244 (Jayawardene), 4-244 (Sangakkara), 5-289 (K. Perera), 6-326 (Mathews),

7-328 (T. Perera), 8-331 (Prasanna), 9-336 (Malinga).

Bowling: Taylor 10-0-46-1, Evans 10-0-72-2 (w3), Davey 8-0-63-3 (w5), Berrington 6.131-2, Leask 7-0-63-0, Coetzer 4.5-0-39-0, Machan 4-0-46-1 (w1).

SCOTLAND K. Coetzer c and b Malinga 0 C. MacLeod b Kulasekara 11 M. Machan lbw b Dilshan 19 P. Mommsen c Thirimanne b T. Perera 60 F. Coleman c T. Perera b Kulasekara 70 R. Berrington c Kulasekara b Chameera 29 M. Leask c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 2 M. Cross c Sangakkara b Chameera 7 R. Taylor c T. Perera b Malinga 3 J. Davey c Thirimanne b Chameera 4

A. Evans not out 1 Extras: (lb-2, w-6, nb-1) 9 Total (all out, 43.1 overs) 215 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Coetzer), 2-26 (MacLeod), 3-44 (Machan), 4-162 (Mommsen), 5-189 (Coleman), 6-192 (Leask), 7-200 (Cross), 8-209 (Taylor), 9-210 (Berrington), 10-215 (Davey).

Bowling: Malinga 9-0-29-2 (w2), Kulasekara 7-0-20-3 (w1), T. Perera 7-0-41-1 (w2), Dilshan 5-0-15-1, Prasanna 8-0-57-0, Chameera 7.1-0-51-3 (nb1, w1) Man of the match: Kumar Sangakkara Results: Sri Lanka won by 148 runs Umpires: Richard Illingworth, Joel Wilson TV umpire: Michael Gough (ENG) Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)

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TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 12 , 2 015

Black Caps braced for Bangladesh challenge Bangladesh currently occupy fourth place in the table after Sri Lanka, also through to the knockout rounds, trounced Scotland

HAMILTON: Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi warned New Zealand not to under-estimate fellow quarter-finalists Bangladesh when they meet Friday with the Asian side desperate for a win which could help them avoid facing champions India.

Co-hosts New Zealand have already qualified for the last-eight as Pool A table-toppers with ten points from five wins while Bangladesh made the quarterfinals for the first time with a shock win over England on Monday.

Bangladesh currently occupy fourth place in the table after on Wednesday Sri Lanka, also through to the knockout rounds, trounced winless Scotland.

The fourth-placed team will take on India, who have five wins in five, for a spot in the semifinals.

“They are playing some good cricket and they have lost just one game so far in the World Cup,” said Ronchi.

“They are consistent and playing well and winning games so we have to be on our money to beat them and play well.”

Bangladesh, who can include four capable spinners in their starting side, defeated England with pace and swing in Adelaide with their fastest bowler Rubel Hossain taking four wickets in their dramatic 15-run triumph.

“The thing obviously is that it doesn’t turn as much in New Zealand as in Bangladesh. It could still be a force for them but it’s not as big a force as we play in New Zealand and if it spins we have to work through it,” added Ronchi.

Asked if New Zealand will be motivated enough to face Bangladesh after already guaranteeing top spot in the table, Ronchi replied: “It’s a World Cup and you are playing for your country so if you need more motivation than that you probably shouldn’t be here. Everybody will be up for it.”

Ronchi, 33, also insisted that

They (Bangladesh) are consistent and playing well and winning games so we have to be on our money to beat them and play well Luke Ronchi New Zealand

he has no real fears over his patchy batting form at the World Cup where he has scored 29 not out against Sri Lanka, 12 facing Scotland and six in the thrilling one-wicket win over Australia.

He never got the opportunity to bat against England and Afghanistan. “We are doing well in batting and I am not complaining at all as I am hitting them in the nets and enjoying that stuff,” said Ronchi.

The wicketkeeper/batsman praised New Zealand’s bowling attack led by Tim Southee and Trent Boult who both have 13 wickets at the tournament as well as veteran Daniel Vettori (12 wickets).

“I think the consistency and self-belief is growing more and more and Tim and Trent are both Test bowlers, one-day bowlers and they bowl together. They are getting better and better.”

Ronchi said New Zealand were not thinking of the quarter-final at Wellington on March 21 where their opponents are still to be decided with Pakistan, Ireland and West Indies remaining in the shake-up. - AFP

S TA N D O U T O F T H E T O U R NA M E N T

Cartwheeling Hassan an unlikely star MELBOURNE: At a World Cup where millionaires and refugees share the same stage, it is little surprise that one of the standouts of the tournament is also one of the most unlikely.

With his face covered in warpaint and his hair kept in place by a bandana in the Afghan flag colours, Hamid Hassan has emerged as one of the cult figures of the World Cup. Few cricket supporters had even heard of the Afghanistan fast bowler before he arrived at the World Cup but he has quickly won over the crowds in Australia and New Zealand with his unbridled enthusiasm and clumsy celebrations.

Like most of his team mates, Hassan came to cricket by accident, learning the game as a child in Pakistan, where his family moved in exile because of the war in their homeland.

His family did not initially share his love of cricket, preferring that he spent his time on his studies, so he played and trained in secret.

A natural talent, he was picked to play for his national team in 2006 for a tour of England and caught the eye of the Marylebone Cricket Club.

He was offered a job as a groundsman and a year later he became the first Afghani to play at Lord’s. The following year, he joined the Lancashire League and was picked to play for Afghanistan in the 2009 World Cup qualifiers.

Afghanistan failed to qualify for the World Cup but were awarded One-Day International status for four years on the back of their results, which included a win over Ireland.

Hassan took 5-23 against the Irish and was named man of the match. His family, who had finally warmed to the sport, celebrated his achievement by sacrificing a lamb and giving it to the poorest people in their village.

Hassan played at the 2010 T20 World Cup and had a key role in helping Afghanistan qualify for the 50-over tournament. The 27-yearold has captured seven wickets in the tournament, including three against Sri Lanka.

His biggest scalp was Kumar Sangakkara, which he celebrated with an attempted cartwheel that didn’t exactly go to plan but went viral on the internet and added to his cult following.

“I didn’t know what I should do so I just went for it,” he explained to cricket.com.au.

“I was just enjoying that wicket because everyone knows that Sangakkara is the number one batsman in the world.

“I feel very proud that I got him and also then (Mahela) Jayawardene later on.

“I was very excited, I didn’t know what to do and it just happened. It was amazing.”

Afghanistan’s World Cup adventure ends on Friday when they play England at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Drawn in the same group as Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Scotland and England, they were never expected to reach the knockout stage.

But they will return home with at least one win after defeating Scotland by one wicket in a thriller in Dunedin with Hassan taking a wicket, a vital catch, scoring an unbeaten 15 and sharing an unbroken 10th wicket stand of 19 to seal the victory.

“There’s been so many amazing moments that have happened in the past 10 years and we never knew we would become an international team and qualify for the World Cup,” he said.

“It’s been an amazing journey and for me there’s been some unforgettable moments and right now I’m part of this World Cup with my team.” - Reuters

NATURAL TALENT: Hamid Hassan of Afghanistan.

Anger to fuel England against Afghanistan: Jordan SYDNEY: England allrounder Chris Jordan said the anger the team felt at their early World Cup exit would fuel the side in their final pool match against Afghanistan in Sydney on Friday. Monday’s 15-run loss to Bangladesh in Adelaide meant England were no longer able to qualify for the quarterfinals.

It also meant that, for the first time in the tournament’s 40-year history, England had failed to beat a single Test nation with their lone win of the tournament so far coming against Scotland.

Now Afghanistan, like the Scots a non-Test nation, await for a match where the best England can hope for is to avoid further embarrassment.

Jordan, brought into the team for the Bangladesh match after sitting out the rest of the tournament, insisted the fact England knew they were going home soon would have no bearing on Friday’s Pool A fixture. “Every game you play for England should be competitive and you should be up for it,” he said on Wednesday.

“It’s another opportunity for guys to impress and every time you step on the field you are looking to make an impact. We’ll be treating this game as we would any other. We want to win it.”

Asked about the mood in England’s dressing room after the Bangladesh match, Jordan — who took two for 59 and was

ANGER IN MIND: Chris Jordan warns Afghanistan.

run out for a duck — replied: “There’s probably a bit of anger inside some people, probably thinking about every single moment in the game that could have affected it, could they have done something different, that’s only natural.

“There wasn’t really much to say. Everyone was hurting, everyone was gutted and a time for each person individually to reflect on the game itself and how they want to rectify it in the future. That can only get us up for Friday and hopefully we can put in a good performance then,” the Barbados-born Jordan added.

‘Gutting’ In the aftermath of England’s exit, attention has focused on the under-fire pair of coach Peter Moores and skipper Eoin Morgan. But Jordan said

the players were to blame for England’s plight.

“Pete and Morgy have, effectively, had a great partnership thus far. They’ve prepared everyone as best as they possibly can and then simply we didn’t perform as well as we have done. That’s gutting.

“It’s so hard to put a finger on exactly what it is. I thought we prepared as best as we possibly could both mentally, physically and technically, coming into the World Cup. “In the tri-series (in Australia before the World Cup) we beat a team that’s flying high at the top of their table in India and we came in with real good confidence and real high hopes.”

England have been accused of playing ‘fearful’ cricket but Jordan said: “I don’t detect that at all. “All the signs were there for us to express ourselves and do as best as we possibly could.

It just didn’t happen.”

This World Cup has seen England on the end of thrashing by Australia (111 runs), New Zealand (eight wickets) and Sri Lanka (nine wickets).

Asked what other teams were doing to win that England were not, Jordan said: “There are some phenomenal players in the tournament, guys who’ve been doing what they’ve done for years and teams who’ve been on runs now, who actually have a real good formula and know how to win. - AFP

ALL GEARED UP

Pakistan ready to take on big guns: Misbah KARACHI: Pakistan are ready to take on the big guns in the knockout stage of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, their captain Misbah-ul Haq said on Tuesday. “I have told the players there are no more second chances for us in the remaining matches of the tournament and we go in for every match having burnt our boats and with a fearless attitude,” Misbah said.

Pakistan, with six points and a superior run-rate, play Ireland in their last group match on Sunday and are in a three-way race to qualify for the last eight along with with Ireland and West Indies. “To win matches in a big tournament like the World Cup your bowling must fire and the good thing for us is that all four of our pace bowlers

delivered in our last three games,” Misbah added.

Misbah, who has been in charge of the Test side since late 2010 and the one-day team since mid2011, said Pakistan’s focus was on beating Ireland in Adelaide.

“We are than ready to play either New Zealand or Australia in the quarterfinals and we are quietly confident now we can beat any team,” he said. “I have told the players to be mentally prepared to play without fear and be ready to cope with the pressures of a knockout match,” he said.

Misbah, who has scored four half centuries in five World Cup matches, said the only area of concern for Pakistan remained the form of the middle-order batsmen. “It is time for young players

like Umar Akmal, Haris Sohail, Sohaib Maqsood to grab their opportunities in a big event like the World Cup and become household names in the world of cricket,” he said.

Misbah, 40, said it was hard captaining the side because of the criticism the team received back home. “We all want to do well for Pakistan but at times some of the criticism and tongue lashing on the channels is below the belt and its affects the players,” he said. “It adds to the pressure on them.

“Cricket is a big sport in Pakistan and it is everyone’s duty to keep it there and ensure the criticism does not get out of hand and put people off the game,” he added.

Meanwhile, The 1992 champions will play Ireland on Sunday in

Pool B to decide a three-way battle for a spot in the quarter finals.

West Indies, who take on United Arab Emirates, the same day are the third team in contention for the knockout stage.

Former Zimbabwe batsman Flower, who was appointed to the Pakistan role last year, said the best was yet to come from the team’s batsmen. “They are yet to fire and I would like to think their best is still to come and if not then we wouldn’t go too much further,” Flower told Pakistani reporters in Adelaide. “I expect top order to show some more spine.”

Flower said that players like Umar Akmal and Sohaib Maqsood, who have failed to get big scores, needed to do more to showcase their talent. — Reuters

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Proteas aim for consistency The Proteas were

United Arab Emirates take heart from South Africa stumbles

many pundits’ tip to lift a maiden World Cup this year but their inconsistency means they are now ranking them behind co-hosts Australia and New Zealand

WELLINGTON: AB de Villiers wants consistency and commitment in South Africa’s final pool match against the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, aware the Proteas’ stop-start form cannot continue as the tournament’s knockout phase looms.

At their best, de Villiers’ men have looked like world beaters, becoming the first team in history to post successive One-day International totals of 400-plus in Pool B wins over the West Indies and Ireland.

But they have also been skittled out for 177 and 202 in losses to India and Pakistan respectively, reviving memories of the hated “chokers” tag that has haunted previous World Cup campaigns.

The Proteas were many pundits’ tip to lift a maiden World Cup this year but their inconsistency means bookmakers are now ranking them behind co-hosts Australia and New Zealand.

With a quarterfinal against a dangerous Sri Lanka appearing likely, the UAE match presents a final chance for some South African fine-tuning.

It also has the potential to provide crucial practice for seamer Vernon Philander, who has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury.

De Villiers was at a loss to explain the Pakistan defeat and said he wanted to see an improvement against the UAE. “Nothing was really happening at 100 percent,” de Villiers said after the 29-run loss. “It was almost like a car that’s been stuck in second or third gear.

“That’s not going to win you cricket games, especially not under pressure and in big tournament’s like this. So we need to have a chat about what maybe went wrong... and try to get to fifth gear again against the UAE.” Victory against the UAE would most likely see South Africa finish second in Pool B behind India, set-

WELLINGTON: United Arab Emirates captain Mohammed Tauqir on Wednesday said South Africa’s shock loss to Pakistan last week had given them a glimmer of hope as they prepare to face the Proteas.

Tauqir jwoked before South Africa’s 29-run defeat that the only way the UAE could prevent Abraham Benjamin de Villiers’ men from scoring 400-plus was to win the toss and bat first.

But he said Pakistan’s win showed the South Africans were not invincible and UAE had taken note ahead of their Pool B match in Wellington on Thursday. “We were not expecting South Africa to lose against Pakistan, so it’s a funny game. It gave us a bit of hope,” he said.

“We have good bowling and fielding. If we take some early wickets they can be put under pressure. I don’t see them scoring 400 runs against us.”

While the UAE’s emphasis might be on containing South Africa, rather than outright

ting up a last eight showdown with Sri Lanka.

The amateurs of the UAE, many of them Pakistani expatriates, are winless so far in the tournament and should not present a hurdle if South Africa are anywhere near their best.

The teams have met only once before, when South Africa posted a 169-run win at the 1996 World Cup. UAE’s best performance so far at this year’s tournament was a gutsy two-wicket loss to fellow non-Test nation Ireland and captain Mohammed Tauqir admitted he was wary of South Africa’s batting power.

Tauqir said there would be no shame in conceding 400-plus runs to a line-up that includes the likes of de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis, who are all in the top 10 run-scorers at the tournament.

Asked about his strategy to stop a South Africa run-fest, he quipped: “It seems the only way they cannot score 400 runs is (we) win the toss and bat.”

“The way they are going, they’re scoring 400 runs against West Indies and Ireland. I think we need to bowl well, need to field well to restrict them.

“Now even considering 400 is not an embarrassing total, you know. So, yeah. We will be putting in a lot of effort against South Africa.” - AFP

victory, Tauqir said they would play positive cricket.

He said the World Cup had been “a good learning experience for the boys” who are all amateurs and will return to their day jobs after the tourna-

ment. But he echoed calls from other “associate” non-Test playing nations for more matches against cricket’s major nations, saying it was the only way they could improve their game. “The more exposure we get, the better

Holder forced to play waiting game We’ve got to sit and wait and see how the table looks before our last game, and then we come up with a plan and a strategy how we go forward. I can assure that we will beat UAE Jason Holder West Indies captain both their final pool matches to reach the knockout stage, even if they beat United Arab Emirates in Napier next Sunday.

“I can only control what I can control,” Holder said at the WACA. “Whatever happens in those last preliminary games is beyond my control.

“We’ve got to sit and wait and see how the table looks before our last game, and then we come up with a plan and a strategy how we go forward.

“What I can control is the game against UAE, and I can assure you that we are going to win that game by all means, and we just need to be aggressive and finish this pre-

Cup from 14 to 10 in 2019, saying it risked hindering the game’s development.

“That’s not good news for our cricket... the World Cup is an ultimate goal, to participate in this event,” he said. - AFP

PRACTICING HARD: Hashim Amla of South Africa plays a shot watched by teammates during a training session ahead of the 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool B match against UAE at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. – AFP

CARIBBEAN HOPE

SYDNEY: West Indies captain Jason Holder already had one of the toughest jobs at the World Cup but this week faces the hardest assignment for any sportsman — waiting to see if other results will send his team into the quarterfinals.

The 23-year-old fast bowling all-rounder was a shock selection as captain for the tournament, if anything in the chaos that has been West Indies cricket for the last few years can still be described as a surprise.

Despite his efforts, the twice former champions have been consistent only in their inconsistency in their first five Pool B matches.

A meek defeat to Ireland in their opener was followed by a thrashing of Pakistan and then a victory over Zimbabwe on the back of Chris Gayle’s double century.

The momentum from those victories was lost, however, in a 257-run humbling at the hands of South Africa and a fourwicket defeat to India in Perth last Friday.

The loss to India would have been worse had Holder, batting at number nine, not scored a career best 57 runs to give the team some sort of total to defend.

Holder came under some criticism for his management of the bowlers, however, as West Indies let the world champions off the hook after reducing them to 107 for five in the 23rd over.

The result means West Indies are now reliant on Ireland losing

we become. We cannot learn by just simply watching them on TV,” he said. “We need to play more cricket against them.”

Tauqir also urged the ICC to review its decision to cut the number of teams at the World

liminary round in a good manner.”

Good relationships A player with just 26 one-day international matches under his belt coming into the tournament would normally have been allowed to concentrate on his own game in his maiden World Cup. Instead, Holder has been tasked with galvanising cricketers up to 12 years his senior with reputations that far exceed his own in a playing group that has a reputation for divisions and discontent.

He has received some help from West Indies fast bowling great Curtly Ambrose, the squad’s bowling coach, but the buck ulti-

mately stops with Holder.

“I have a very good relationship with most players,” Holder said. “It may not require me to be speaking to them in a team setting. I may just pull them one-onone and just have a chat.

“We just sort of unlace things, try to work out stuff. Obviously we didn’t bat well in (Perth) so we just need to address a few areas.

“But there are ways that I will go about doing it, but we just need to be honest with ourselves and we just didn’t bat well enough in these last two games, and the batsmen just need to be accountable for putting runs on the board.” - Reuters

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PRAISE

Shami, Yadav on course to become world class, says Shoaib Akhtar

HAPPY BUNCH: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and vice-captain Virat Kohli in friendly chat during their match against Ireland. – AP/PTI

I look best when ‘my bowlers are in form’ Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s bowling unit

Ashwin is a statistically motivated cricket tragic, comments Fleming

has been the best in the World Cup 2015, handing his side five wins in as many games

AUCKLAND: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has received rich praise for his captaincy so far in the World Cup but he feels it is the performance of his bowlers that makes him look like a commanding leader.

Since spinners were in operation for 30 overs against Ireland, Dhoni was asked at the post-match media conference if he is at his best as a captain when he is experimenting with his bowling options.

He smiled and gave a swift reply.

“No, I am best when the bowlers are bowling well,” he said.

Dhoni then went on to explain why it makes a captain’s job easier when you have a plan.

“It makes the job slightly easy for me because you have a plan. But unless it is executed well it can’t make you look like a good captain.

It all depends on execution.

You may have two slips, but if the bowler bowls on the pads, it doesn’t really look good. I feel that is where the remarkable difference has come from the bowlers’ end.

They are bowling according to the plans,” said Dhoni. In his own inimitable style which is laced with a bit of dry humour and sarcasm, Dhoni said, “You keep telling them “bowl to one line, bowl one line” and that creates pressure. But it was more said than heard by them.

But now they have seen it and they have tasted it.”

“So when they come back for the Test series outside the sub-continent, they will still have the memories that outside the sub-continent a lot of time you have to stick to good lines and lengths, and that is something that rewards you.

That will definitely change a lot of things for us. A lot of trouble that we have been having, that will be

AUCKLAND: He has worked with Ravichandran Ashwin for six years as the coach of the Chennai Super Kings and former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming dubbed the Tamil Nadu tweaker as someone who is “statistically motivated” and bit of a “cricket tragic” due to his work ethic and sincerity.

Ashwin has been one of India’s prime performers with 11 wickets from five games at an economy rate of less than four.

“I have always been impressed with Ashwin as he is such a good student of the game with great work ethic.

Look at the manner in which he creates a new delivery. He loves the game, thinks very hard, he is in one way cricket tragic, statistically motivated,” Fleming said during a promotional event of the World Cup. “He needs confidence from the team and he gets that with seam bowlers taking wickets upfront. That enables him to attack,” Fleming said.

It was at Chennai Super Kings, in 2013 that Mohit Sharma’s emergence started and no wonder Fleming is happy with his development.

“India has always had a weakness as far as their third seamer is concerned.

They turned it to one of their strengths. Ishant Sharma went home, it could have been

sorted. “Hopefully, they will retain all the things that they have learnt here,” were the words of wisdom from the skipper.

Dhoni has time and again spoken about the flexibility required from him as well as his players and that is exactly was the recipe for his team’s success against Ireland despite a poor start by the bowlers.

“I think that is very crucial because if this was a very important game for us, maybe I would have

MUMBAI: Impressed by Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav’s “mature performance” in the ongoing cricket World Cup, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels the duo are on the path to become ‘world class’ bowlers and have been the key to India’s success in the tournament.

The pace duo shared four wickets between themselves as India humbled Ireland by eight wickets in their previous league encounter to register nine consecutive World Cup wins and also confirm their top spot going into the quarterfinals.

India have also had the distinction of bowling their opponents out in all the five outings and Akhtar is all praise for the pace duo’s contribution.

“50 wickets in 5 matches is an incredible task. I am glad to see such matured performances from Shami and Umesh in all the matches and I believe its not long before they are regarded as world-class bowlers,” Akhtar, who is part of the Star Sports Hindi commentary panel, said.

Shami, who picked three wickets in Hamilton to restrict the Irish side to 259 all out, has bagged 12 wickets from four matches in the tournament so far.

Umesh, on the other hand, has bagged seven scalps from five games and has exuded confidence and pace in his bowling so far.

And Akhtar said it’s a treat to watch the duo bowl. “It is truly a joy to watch them bowl so beautifully and enjoy their cricket,” the

Rawalpindi Express said.

Akhtar added that even though the Seddon Park wicket complimented the bowlers, the Indians did well to cut the Irish surge.

“The pitch complemented the playing conditions very well today. The ball was coming on to the bat nicely and it was a true test for the Indian bowlers against a very decent Irish side,” said Akhtar, who bagged 247 wickets for Pakistan in 163 ODIs. Eventually, it was Shikhar Dhawan who stole the show with his batting as he recorded his second century of the tournament to help India chase down the target in just 36.5 overs.

Recently Shami had also credited Akhtar for bringing back rhythm into his bowling after the former Pakistan speedster advised him to shorten his run-up, which has helped him increase his pace.

“The recent change in run-up has surely increased my pace. So I am continuing with it and hoping that it pays rich dividends. I did have a chat with Shoaib (Akhtar) bhai and he suggested that I should reduce my big strides.

So shortened my stride and it has worked. It (the new run-up) is smooth and comfortable and it has also increased my pace,” Shami had said. The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side leads the Pool B standings with 10 points, followed by South Africa, Pakistan and Ireland.

The Men in Blue will face Zimbabwe on March 14. — PTI

GOOD SHOW: Ravichandran Ashwin has been one of India’s prime performer for India.

difficult for India. I have seen Mohit’s development closely and his work with Andy Bichel (CSK bowling coach) has been impressive.

“He started with good performance against Pakistan, he has got confidence. Indian pacers are now all in 140 kmph to 145 kmph mark and they are relishing bowling at that pace,” he said.

Just like skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had said that a lot is being made of Suresh Raina’s susceptibility against short-ball, Fleming also spoke in same vein.

brought in the spinners closer to the fourth over because we fell from behind. It (pitch) definitely had a bit of bounce.

“By bounce, I mean just gripped on to the surface and there was a bit of bounce for them.

So if it was a really crucial game for us, the spinners would have come on really early,” Dhoni tried to explain as to what exactly he meant by flexibility.

He further added, “But I wanted

“I don’t think he (Raina) has any problems as such.If he initially spends some time, he can actually work that to his strength. May be there is an anxiety but it won’t be a problem as far as the smaller grounds of New Zealand is concerned. May be a bit of problem if he goes to the big grounds of Australia, as he tends to hook up rather than roll his wrists. He can get better and he knows that. I don’t think it’s as big a weakness as people make it out to be,” Fleming firmly backed his CSK player. - PTI

the fast bowlers to have a bit more go also, the fact that they bowled well. I thought maybe I can still use the new ball, get a few nicks if possible. But new ball was coming nicely on to the bat. So I said, let’s go ahead with the fast bowlers for a bit more time and then bring on the spinners. That is what I really did. Flexibility from the bowlers’ side was also there. They quite understand you. They don’t question you too much,” added Dhoni. - PTI

IMPRESSIVE: Mohammed Shami has been the pick of Indian bowlers during the World Cup so far.

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

SIGHT & SOUND

A new Madonna album is a fresh reminder that we’re all going to die

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hat probably isn’t the take-away the pop matriarch was aiming for with her 13th — and 13thbest — studio album, Rebel Heart. But as time continues to march us all toward our respective expiration dates, we’ll continue to crave art that distracts us from our terminal destiny by making us feel young. And while the line between the bliss of escapism and the unseemliness of denial can be a blurry one, which side this album falls on is not.

And it hurts! Back in 1989, this conquering pop queen was rallying for confidence, freedom and excellence with such ease: “Don’t go for second best, baby!” Now, her music sounds so tentative, so trapped, so shabby.

Ageism is a cruel and formidable force in popland, but Madonna’s desire to live forever young isn’t exactly the problem, here. It’s the fact that she takes pains to sound so juvenile. The lyrics on Rebel Heart feel almost violently resistant to wisdom, as if espousing even the slightest

But when things go especially awry, they do so in perversely interesting ways. Like when boxing legend Mike Tyson shows up to play the hype-man on Iconic.

Or when rap great Nas materialises for Veni, Vidi, Vici, a duet in which Madonna raps the autobiographical highlights from her Wikipedia page. For an album so lacking in personality, these quirks go a long way.

Overall, the spackle holding Rebel Heart together is the fact that Madonna is still intent on making dance music

she’s simply trying to make her longtime followers feel as if they’re connecting with 2015 kiddo-culture. But that’s a charitable hypothesis, and for those of us who don’t need Madonna to hold our hand on a tour through today’s teeming pop scene, Rebel Heart will sound like a string of poor decisions made by an icon with evaporating confidence and deteriorating taste. Even secondbest has never felt this far away. — Chris Richards/The Washington Post

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air of sophistication might remind the planet that Madonna is now 56 years old. As she did on her last album, 2012’s almost-as-bad MDNA, Madonna has called on a hodgepodge of hitmakers to help produce these tunes.

And this time the list includes Diplo, Avicii, Kanye West and Ariel Rechtshaid, all names skimmed off the top of today’s pop marquee. Accordingly, Rebel Heart sounds dispassionate and incurious about the world it’s trying so hard to participate in.

— perhaps for a dance floor that now exists only in her imagination. Or maybe it’s stadium filler. When she hits the road later this year, we’ll be reminded that Madonna has only two living peers: Bruce Springsteen and Prince.

The trio rose to ubiquity in the ‘80s, exploiting the black magic of MTV to cement the enduring ideal of pop-staras-character.

Today, all three of those characters enjoy very different relationships with their flocks. Prince delights in defying expectations, while Springsteen fulfils them with plenty of gusto and little imagination. As for Madonna, it’s trickier.

From the launch of her career through her last great album, 2005’s excellent Confessions on a Dance Floor, Madonna has been throwing her parties in spaces her fans might not otherwise visit. And maybe that’s what’s happening on Rebel Heart: Instead of actually forging a meaningful dialogue with contemporary pop music,

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world staying Shailene Woodley y is 23, and she really does want to save the world.

She not only has made her own soap, but also tells fans to pick up a few pieces of trash every day and advises interviewers on how to do their own composting.

“And please turn off the water when you brush your teeth,” added the actress, fresh-faced and makeup-free for an early-morning interview in Los Angeles. “We’re in a drought.”

It’s not as hands-on as leading a revolution against a government, as she does in Insurgent, the new sequel to her hit Divergent (2014), but Woodley does what she can, on or off the screen.

The actress resumes her role as multifaceted survivor Beatrice “Tris” Prior in Insurgent, which is due to open on March 19. Again based on the popular series of young-adult books by Veronica Roth, this instalment forces Tris to confront her inner demons while on the run with her boyfriend, Four (Theo James), as war looms.

Clad in black pants and a matching shirt with a large, white collar, a red-string bracelet on one wrist, Woodley said that finding her way back into the character wasn’t the cinch she expected.

“Getting back into Tris was much more difficult than I anticipated,” the actress admitted.

“I figured that going back into her world would be simple, but what I didn’t take into account was that I had grown. My personal mindset had progressed in my own evolution. I had to go back into who

the saving while real Shai was, a year ago, to get back into Tris’ mind.”

She also had to deal with other changes in the Divergent world.

Neil Burger, who had directed Divergent, was gone, replaced by Robert Schwentke, best known for Flightplan (2005) and RED (2010).

Woodley had never met Schwentke.

“It was strange to wrap your head around a new director,” she said. “Neil created this visual world which took Divergent from the page to the screen. He breathed life into the work.

“When I first met Robert, I was thrilled that he was a genuinely warm human being,” Woodley continued. “He made me feel

instantly comfortable. He also doesn’t have an ego and was very open to collaboration. If someone had come in and didn’t care about what the rest of us thought, there might have been an intensity to the situation, because we knew this world so well.”

The sequel’s action scenes match the first film’s in their intensity and visual flair, Woodley said. “There is one really rad scene when Tris is chasing a burning house and both the house and Tris fly away and are mid-air,” she said.

“We had four or five stunt doubles on the set. A bunch of women with short hair were walking around, and that was really funny.

“I got to do a lot of that stunt,” she continued, “which meant that there was a house tilting on wires with me on wires hanging on. At one point the house was tilted at a 90-degree angle, and that was pretty bad. Flames were coming

out of the windows. I had to swing around and grab a pole.

“If I didn’t grab the pole,” Woodley added with a laugh, “I would have been dangling in the air with a crazy-bad wedgie!”

Amid the action, Insurgent also further develops the love story.

“One of the reasons I fell in love so deeply with Divergent was the relationship between Tris and Four,” Woodley said. “It’s grounded in truth, respect and authenticity. It’s not just the basic infatuation based on surface-level young love. These two people see each other as individuals, which heightens the curiosity about the other, because each also carries a strong mystique.”

Moviegoers shouldn’t expect romantic scenes this time out, though. “I love that their relationship is rocky in this film,” Woodley said. “It’s not a case where, every time they see each other, they run into each other’s arms and feel instantly safe.

They put up walls, which is what happens in partnerships. Eve-

rything has an ebb and flow in a relationship. “It’s real because relationships aren’t perfect.”

Tris can’t bring herself to tell in The Fault in Our Stars (2014), which grossed roughly $300 million apiece worldwide and landed her squarely on Hollywood’s A-list.

So far, her Insurgent co-stars say, it doesn’t seem to have gone to her head.

Octavia Spencer, who is new to the franchise as Faction leader Johanna, says that Woodley made sure to welcome her to the set.

“There was a letter waiting for me in my hotel room from Shai,” Spencer recalled. “She couldn’t have been more open and real.”

“She is an open book, but a very complex person,” said Ansel Elgort, who plays her brother in the Divergent films and was her love interest in The Fault in Our Stars. “The thing is, most fans don’t know much about her, which is a good thing. I think she keeps things private in order to stay herself.”

Born in California’s Simi Valley, Woodley is the daughter of educators: Her father is a school principal and her mother a middle-school counsellor. At 4 she was acting in commercials, and at 8 she made her acting debut in the television movie Replacing Dad (1999). She went on to recurring

roles in The Districtt (2001-2003), Crossing Jordan (2001-2004) she played the younger version of the title character (Jill Hennessy) - and The O.C., and guest roles on numerous other shows.

The history of child actors in Hollywood is studded with cautionary tales, but Woodley seems to have emerged intact.

“There were a few rules,” she recalled. “My parents told me that basically I had to remain a nice person, keep up my grades and just have fun with the acting.”

In 2008 she was cast as Amy Juergens, the title character on the ABC Family series The Secret Life of the American Teenager, which led to her first substantial big-screen role as the daughter of George Clooney’s character in Alexander Payne’s The Descendants, which in turn led to starring roles in The Spectacular Now and The Fault in Our Stars.

Woodley was among the actresses who were up for the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. Jennifer Lawrence won the part, of course, but, when Woodley landed her own franchise in Divergent, she turned to Lawrence for advice.

On Woodley’s upcoming slate is Allegiant, the two-part conclusion of the Divergent series, and a supporting role in Oliver Stone’s Snowden. “For me it’s about finding work that means something to me and gives something to the audience,” she said.

Woodley keeps her personal life rigorously private. She will say, however, that spending much of her life on sets or staying with friends has helped her learn to be a great house guest. “I’ve learned urban-survival skills,” she said, “because that kind of thing interests me. It’s a fun hobby to teach yourself how to survive anything.”-Cindy Pearlman/The New York Times News Service

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COMEBACK TIME FOR THE

BOYS IN BLUE A few months after making a comeback tour, launching a new album, and making a disastrous appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest (they came eleventh), Blue disappeared again

A

decade ago they were the world’s top boy band with 20 million album sales and superstar lifestyles.

Then suddenly, to the dismay of devoted fans, pop-group Blue suddenly called it a day.

“We’ve done it all as a boy band,” said lead singer Duncan James.

“It’s time to try something new.

We’ve all got exciting new projects to pursue. I don’t see us ever getting back together again.”

Then, six years ago, after watching the amazing return of deadly rivals Take That to the top of the charts, Duncan and the boys changed their minds. But not for long.

A few months after making a comeback tour, launching a new album, and making a disastrous appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest (they came eleventh), Blue disappeared again. “It just hasn’t worked out,” Duncan James said. “But maybe we’ll have another try.”

Now they have. Their new studio album Colours – their first for new label Sony - is already high in the charts and a major tour starts soon.

And Duncan, Lee Ryan, Simon Webbe and Antony Costa are all honest enough to admit that life after Blue wasn’t quite what they had expected and their solo careers, while starting off with a bang, had started to fade away.

Now they are hoping to give fierce rivals Take That a run for their money in the charts. First indications are that the boys in Blue still have a massive fan-base. And Strictly Come Dancing finalist Si-

mon Webbe thinks that Colours is the best thing they’ve done.

“Writing it happened very naturally and quickly. It’s been an amazing experience,” he says. “Our voices have improved so much and we are heading in a different direction. It’s a new chapter for us and we’ve got much more to write about as we get older.

“I can’t wait to get back on the road again. Touring is what it’s all about – seeing your work coming to life. We’re all a bit older and wiser,” Duncan adds. “We won’t be burning the candle at both ends.

We’re going to be sensible and not take everything for granted.

And Lee says: “We’ve all kept in touch and have met up from time to time. Contrary to the stories in the papers, we never fell out and we’ve always been the best of friends. We just wanted to try new things.”

Simon was the most successful solo artist in his time away from Blue, with several R&B pop hits and tours. He’s also been managing two bands and running a property company and a modelling agency.

He also has an interest in several major clothes companies.

“How have I found time for all that? I have great business partners but I only get about four hours sleep a night if I’m lucky!”

Simon originally had his heart set on being a professional footballer and was offered terms by several leading clubs before he decided to quit football and move to London to join Blue.

He knows all about family life — he became a dad at 18 when

I can’t wait to get back on the road again. Touring is what it’s all about – seeing your work coming to life. We’re all a bit older and wiser

BRIEF

It’s not about weight; it’s about being confident, comfortable, says Bhumi DEBUTANTE BHUMI PEDNEKAR, who is being appreciated for her performance in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, says it doesn’t matter if a girl is thin or voluptuous as long as she’s confident and comfortable.

“More than being voluptuous or thin, it’s more about being confident and comfortable. The girls today are not the type who would starve themselves. Whether they are plump or overweight, they are very comfortable with their body,” Bhumi told IANS. Bhumi was seen playing an overweight girl in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, directed by Sharat Katariya. The film features Ayushmann Khurana as her on screen husband.

Bhumi said it was Yash Raj Films’ casting director Shanoo Sharma who egged her onto acting in films.

She said: “I have been working with Yash Raj Films for many years and this was my sixth year casting for them. Shanoo was a big inspiration. She always said that I should take up acting. I was very shy at first but this is how it happened.”

“There were a lot of people who encouraged me to get into acting,” she added. -IANS

he and his childhood sweetheart Nichola Jones had a daughter, Alanah — but he has no steady partner at the moment.

“I’m always looking for the right person,” he says. “But being so career-driven makes it difficult. When I was eight I told my mum I would be a millionaire by the time I was 25. In fact I did it three years early.”

Blue got together in 2000 when Duncan and Antony left other boy bands and joined Lee and his flatmate Simon. Their debut single, All Rise, went straight to number four and stayed in the Top Ten for five weeks, and their second single Too Close, reached the number one spot in less than a week.

After that they had had two more platinum-selling singles and several number one albums.

“It was a crazy and exciting time,” Duncan remembers. “We worked really hard — often to the detriment of our personal lives.”

“When we broke up it was really strange not being with the other guys — we were always together and we had some really good times.”

Insiders say that it’s Lee who has been the driving force behind the Blue comeback. “I went to see the TV show An Audience With Take That and thought ‘If they can do it so can we’,” he says.

He reveals that Duncan was the hardest to convince that a third Blue comeback was a good thing. “I just

kept on at him until he gave in!” I can be very persuasive when I’m after something I really want. And I was convinced it was high time Blue got back on the road again.”

Lee admits that he has had problems with record bosses over his solo albums. “Sometimes I haven’t been allowed to sing the way I wanted to or pick the songs that best suited me. “At least with Blue there are three other people to provide support. You never feel you are on your own.”

So will Blue now be together for good? “Who can say?” is Anthony’s reaction. “We said we would never come back — and look what’s happened.”- Judson Bennett/Tony James Features

C12 TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 12 , 2 015

ETCETERA

WHAT WILL DEV SAY TO HIS MUM? The star whose fairy tale romance has ended after seven years...

A

t least once a week 24-yearold Dev Patel gets a phone-call from his mother Anita, and the question is always the same: “Is it true what I’m reading in the papers?

“She wants to know if I have got back together with Frieda,” Dev says. “And I have to tell her that sadly it’s over for good.

The trouble is, she won’t believe me...”

She’s not alone. Friends still find it hard to believe that after seven years together, Dev and his Slumdog Millionaire co-star Freida Pinto, 30, have finally gone their separate ways and have sold the oceanside $1.5 million home that they bought together in Santa Monica, California.

The pair have not revealed the reason for the break-up but both are enjoying being single again, according to outsiders.

Freida has been seen at parties and premieres with several dishy men and Dev took a stunning blonde to the premiere of his new movie Chappie, in which he plays a humanised robot.

Insiders believe that pressures of their booming careers eventually wrecked the relationship and certainly Dev has never been busier following his hit performance in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, set in

India and co-starring movie legends Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy.

It follows a group of British retirees who move into an Indian hotel, thinking it is a luxury establishment — and get something of a shock. Dev plays a member of the hotel staff — and had to learn how to speak Indian-English.

“Being brought up in London I had to remember how the language is spoken in India,” Dev says. “It was great playing with such marvellous actors. I was a bit scared at first but everyone was so friendly that I soon relaxed.”

Soon to start a Marigold Hotel sequel, Dev is now in constant demand in both Europe and Hollywood, and it’s hard to believe that the boy from a leafy London middle-class suburb, the son of a successful IT consultant, only went into acting “because they said at school that I was useless at everything else!”

It didn’t take Dev long to prove them wrong. He became the star of school plays and got top marks in his GCSE drama exam. His drama teacher Niamh Wright remembered: “Dev gave a wonderful performance which actually moved the GCSE examiner to tears.”

I knew I had found what I was looking for.

Dev was funny and had a good presence.

He was really committed and you could tell there was an actor there.

Danny Boyle Director - Slumdog Millionaire

After leaving school Dev joined the TV teenage drama series Skins as “total goofball” Anzac Kharral, a British Pakistani teenager, after his mother encouraged him to go for an audition despite never having taken an acting class.

Dev says: “I was so hyper as a kid, my parents thought that acting would be good for me. My mum saw an ad for auditions for Skins and persuaded me to go even though I was supposed to be studying for my exams.”

The role in Skins led directly to Slumdog Millionaire. “I was really scared and nervous — it was the first proper audition I’d ever had.

“It seems that all the other guys were all macho and good-looking but the director, Danny Boyle wanted an average guy, an underdog that everyone could root for. So that’s why he picked me!”

In fact Dev is much tougher than he looks — he’s a judo black belt and a world championship medal winner. “I just do it to keep fit,” he says. “I’m not a particularly aggressive guy...”

“I knew I had found what I was looking for,” Danny Boyle says. “Dev was funny and had a good presence. He was really

committed and you could tell there was an actor there.”

Cast as the lead in his first-ever movie, Dev was really thrown in at the deep end.

“I was just a 17-year-old kid plucked from my home in London and having to carry the story of an expensive movie.

“I was so worried I would let people down and be the weakest link, but hopefully I wasn’t too bad.”

Dev’s already had the answer to that...

And critics have hailed him as a major new star and predict a glittering future.

After The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel sequel, Dev’s hoping to co-star with Will Smith and there’s a possible project with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Still living in LA, Dev says he is thinking about getting a second home in London.

Most of my old friends are there and you do need people with whom you can be real when you have been playing movie characters all day,” Dev says.

“Being famous is both a blessing and a curse. It’s such an invasive industry. Everyone’s writing about you and you can’t get away from it. Particularly when your mum believes every word!” — John Grisham/ Tony James Features

H O L LY W O O D

Even Helen Mirren gets nervous sometimes WE CAN’T imagine that much unsettles Dame Helen Mirren.

She has commanded the stage and screen (big and small) for decades and won every award going. We certainly wouldn’t want to take on that steely gaze in a blinking content.

But Mirren has admitted that she still gets nervous when she is working. In her latest film, The Hundred Foot Journey, she plays the feisty (and frosty) Madame Mallory, the Michelin-starred owner of a prestigious restaurant in a sleepy French town.

The gentle comedy drama was produced by Hollywood titan Steven Spielberg — and Mirren

admits to being a little overawed.

“We were all a bit nervous because you know he’s watching dailies,” she says.

Luckily, Spielberg sounds like a benign leader. “Then you get a good response back from one of the great masters of cinema and you know you’re in good hands,” Mirren adds. “If he did have notes, they always came from a point of great knowledge and great understanding, which provided us with a great sense of security.”

The 69-year-old legend was also impressed by working with another one of the film’s starry producers, Oprah Winfrey.

“Then, there’s Oprah Winfrey

with her great sensitivity and understanding of women. She has an instinctive, wonderful understanding of people in general.

Just to have that life force around is a great experience.”

But it’s not just the big hitters who inspire this dame.

Mirren says that she always appreciates the chance to work with new talent. “I always find inspiration from the actors with whom I’m working, and the younger and less experienced they are, the more I find them inspirational.

“There’s a freshness of attitude, openness and a freedom that I always find encouraging.”

—Stefan Kyriazis/Daily Express

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

SECTION

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

RENT

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VACANCY

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CARGO

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T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

6 bedroom villa for rent at Al Mawalah near City Center Seeb.

Contact 99654252 2BHK flat Al Khuwair with split A/C. 350/- Contact 95121126/99358589/97079146

Industrial /commercial shops at Wadi Kabir 4 x 5.6 x 4.6 MTR height.

Showroom with mezzanine & office at Al Noor Street near Switz bakery & Al Masa hall corner building all on roads & parkings in front of shops & show room. Contact 99065900 or 99354975

Full furniture for rent for family.

Contact 99251975

1 bedroom attached toilet in Al Khuwair bachelors/ family R.O 140/-. Contact 95154331

2BHK with split AC in W.K behind Sana Fashion. Contact 96708000

Flat for rent, 2BHK in Sidab Muscat. Contact 92440012

2BHK in Al Ghubra near Indian School. Contact 96708000

2 Bedroom flats at prime location of Azaiba Contact: 92197959

Independent rooms in Qurum / Al Hail. Contact 95529970

New building near the Bousher -Al Misfah high way, with showroom, offices, and shops. Great for banks, medical clinics and companies 95202430

NEW WAREHOUSE For rent at Ghala Ind. Area. 578 & 1170 approx sqms Near Hotel Al-Madinah Holiday, Ghala. Container can enter. Immediate access to roads & highways.

Contact : 92078090

500 SqM Built up Area well divided with 85(SqM) Office space ACP cladding front, 85 SqM Covered Workshop/Store space, compound and gated. Partly construct Labor accommodation, ample open space available for rent at Misfah opposite Al Maha Fuel Station.

Call: 93850385 or 96060699

2 B/R Luxury Fully Furnished @ AZAIBA, 2 B/R Luxury Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33, 1 B/R Luxury Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair, 3 B/R Luxury Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 25. 5 B/R Fully Furnished villa @ Madinat Al Ilam. For Daily, Weekly, monthly or Yearly contract. Contact: Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC 99249069 / 99436312/92888376, Email: info@alshahiintl.com Room for rent for family or working lady at Mabella Sanaya.

Contact 94330490 Flat 4 rent south Al Mabelah.

Contact 95331177 / 95230355 Villas & flats. Contact 92144045 3BHK Wattaya. Contact 92144045 2BHK Wadi Kabeer R.O 325/- & 300/-. Contact 92144045 2BHK Al Khuwair 350/- .

Contact 92144045 1BHK with A/C Ghubra R.O 275/-.

Contact 92144045 2 BHK Mumtaz. Contact 92144045 Commercial Villa in Al Khuwair with Private Parking’s,7 Rooms Hall and Reception and Kitchen 95202430 Villa for rent in Halban in a compound, 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms living room, 400/- OMR Monthly.

Contact 92500225 Villa in Mawallah rent, 2 bedroom, 2 bath room, 1 sitting room & kitchen with parking. Contact 99595866

Commercial /Non - commercial double story villa for rent in Al Khuwair suitable for offices.

Contact 95526871 New building under construction in Bowshar consists of three rooms and a hall and the sitting room, 4 bathrooms, at the second floor.

Contact 92711504 finishes 2bed room /18 flats Madeenath Al Nahda Phase 6. Contact 99061408 / 99024039 Single room RO 100/- including A/C, water, electricity Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99376454 Show room with sales counter attached with store and racks location near Wadi Kabir old Round about.

Contact 99474197 / 95403957 Upper portion of beautiful villa for rent in prime location of Mawalah Ahmed clinic three bedrooms, attach bathroom, kitchen, Majlis, living room. Contact 95526871 Full staff accommodation for rent in Azaiba, 15 rooms with attached bath and kitchen with parking and yard.

Contact 95526871 4 BHK villas for rent at Al Ghoubra North 18th November Street near new mars hyper market. #97681599 2 BHK flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181 2 Bedrooms flat in Al Ghobrah near Oman oil 18 November Street.

OMR 330. Monthly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

2BHK with split A/C in W.K behind Sana furnishing. Contact 96708000 200 sq mtrs showroom in CBD. Contact 99792181 Labour camp for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99792181 200 sq mtrs store in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99792181 4 BHK villa for rent in Madinat Ilham. Contact 99792181 4 & 5 BHK villa in Madinat Qaboos.

Contact 99792181 Flats & shops for rent at MBD, Wadi Kabir, AL Khoud & villa at Azaiba.

Contact 93994401/02/03 Villa 2 bed rooms, hall, sitting room in AL Hail south R.O. 320/Monthly. Contact 93993354 1 Bed room in Al Hail south R. O 160/- Monthly. Contact 93993354 1BHK flats at Muttrah.

Contact 93231403 2 shop in prime location with material one north Ghobrah & on Honda road. Contact 94676848 Flats consists 2 Rooms, 2 toilet and a kitchen in the southern Al Mawalah to call 96935360 Small office room for rent Azaiba Nov 18 street. Contact 98563322 1BHK near Oman house behind Khimji, HO. Contact 95865686 Room for rent Honda road. Contact 92540125/ 97605342/ 94053366 Bachelor villa at Ansab.

Contact 98458542 Room for rent Al Khuwair.

Contact 99743569/97004265

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879 Flat for rent in Amerat and fifth region 5/2 ground floor two-bedroom and two bathroom and a kitchen to call 99196066 Abdul Amir 85 SQM shops in Ruwi only on 350/- OMR. Contact – 95122188 / 96441499 Spacious 2 BHK flats in Ruwi MBD area only on 350/- OMR. Contact – 95122188 / 96441499 Beautiful office space available in Ruwi MBD area only on 2/- OMR per sqm. Contact – 95122188 / 96441499 Deluxe 3 bedroom apartment for rent in Mumtaz area for more information. Contact 99336263 Furnished room available on Seeb share with small family for couple working ladies. Contact 96996938 1 Bedroom attached toilet Al Khuwair area only for ladies or husband and wife without children. Contact 9:00 pm to 7:00 am 95765719 3BR top class fitting flat ideal for top executives Mumtaz area, Ruwi.

Contact 91287824 Flats shops and store for rent in Ruwi, Honda road, Rex Road. Contact 95902218/ 92433127 / 97293708 1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390.

Contact 99319880 Single room with A/C having separate entrance for non –cooking Indian Executive, near Rawasco, Al Khuwair rent 130/- including (W& E). Contact 92888691/95397442/97201100 Deluxe 1 bedroom flat, ideal for office / residence at Qurum near PDO. Contact: 97721313 / 95070421

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khan co. OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and boundary wall will be provided.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

If require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send messages through Whatsapp or call – 99376454 Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat.

Contact 99349526

FOR SALE

Established Running Restaurant for sale in Salalah. Contact casualdining767@gmail.com

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khan co. OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and boundary wall will be provided.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Double burner Shawarma machine at Ruwi for sale. Contact 95395378 / 91374871

Flat Wadi AL Kabeer, 2BHK, sitting room, 3 bathroom balcony split /AC 300/- R.O Contact 99324402

Well furnished with net and phone connection ready to occupy office in prime location in AlGhubra South on Sultan Qaboos Road, kindly contact 93441134

Villas & flats at Ansab. #98458542 Al.Khuwair studio behind platinum hotel rent 130/-R.O PDC. #99879939 AL Khuwair behind platinum hotel 4 BHK, 3bathrrom, sitting dinning split AC. Contact 99879939 Flats and shops. Contact 93009999 Family flats and villas at Ansab.

Contact 98458542 Industrial Land in Misfah.

Contact 93009999 2BHK in Muttrah near Oman house with split ac. Contact 97007934 / 92629232 1000 sq mtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for Ware house workshop.

Contact 24700120 / 925 Villa Al Khuwair, 8 bedroom, 7 bathroom, 3kittchen. 950/-. # 99358589/ 95121126/95570288 Flat Wadi AL Kabeer, 2BHK, sitting room, 3 bathroom balcony split /AC 300/- R.O Contact 99324402

Food counter for sale new bainmary with glass cover suitable for food Court and restaurant 2 pcs.

Contact 99656863 Restaurant for sale well running with open area and good parking area. 3 new clearance also in Wadi Kabeer near Mars hyper market.

Contact 99656863 Window A/C. Contact 96441670 For sale laundry shop in Azaiba 4 clearance for sale work shop carpenter Wadi Kabir, 4 clearances.

Contact 99345137 Building Material shop for sale at Suwaiq A running 5 shutter building material shop with two paint machines available for immediate sale. Also available warehouse and yard at the same place. Interested parties please contact the following numbers: 93223382 / 99874936 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

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DAILY GUIDE

WANTED Clinic required, One Established new Clinic in Muscat, with Valid License & Clearance is required to purchase interested Parties can contact 91283188 or send your inquiries to mohamedsfarah@hotmail.com

FOR SALE New barber shop on sale at Misfah.

Contact 93833107 Dental clinic for sale or rent running last 2 yrs in center of Sohar.

Contact: 97004100 Coffee shop for sale a well running coffee shop for at Wadi Kabir Sanaya.

Contact 94159356/91039293 5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 3 floor building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 18 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Commercial registration with excellent name Grade A for business software for sale. Contact 92959251 Shop for sale prime location at Al Khoud Souq Tejari. # 99083308 Shop for sale or rent in Ruwi.

Contact 99103077 Shop for sale Honda road.

Contact 94053366 / 97605342 Fuel tanker, fork lift. # 99199374 Ladies parlour for sales at Al Ansab. Contact 98281849 2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40 ton petrol tank each working at the moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35 Thousand each. Tel: 97000155 or 92688692 Dental Clinic with license for sale in Sohar. Contact 92816015 Shop for sale at Ruwi.

Contact 99103077

BUYING/SELLING Looking for purchase of Used Portable Compressor (350 CFM, 7 Bar Pressure) powered with Diesel run Generator.

Kindly Contact 99014686 or operation@khancogroup.com

AVAILABLE ACC. AVAILABLE Established Restaurant for rent with sponsorship. # 97628242 Party & Wedding equipment rentals. Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. www.tunesoman. com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

ACC. AVAILABLE Available furnished single room with attached bath sharing Kitchen for Exe- bachelor near Mars Hyper market Al Ghobrah. Contact 94478424 Sharing family accommodation in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99335057 Sharing accommodation available for working lady or small family near Ruwi Church. Contact 99318980 Sharing accommodation available near Kuwaiti Mosque Wadi Kabir attached room sharing, kitchen. Contact 95882866 / 96575016 after 6 pm.

Room, hall, kitchen toilet in South Mabela RO 140/-. Contact 98869198

1B/R available for bachelors in REX ROAD, Ruwi. Contact 99889590 100% furnished sharing acc. brand new and perfectly maintained attached bath room, spacious kitchen etc for couples or upper class executives. Contact 99013344 Furnished single / sharing room for Exe. Bachelor at Rex road (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu) Contact 92873832 Semi furnished room for bachelor at Muttrah rent R.O 75/- .# 92828615 Sharing room with A/C available behind Oman house.#99354340 One bedroom flat with hall for rent in AL Khuwair area near Radisson blue hotel. Contact 97646492 Sharing accommodation available near Walja School for Indian bachelor. Contact 99459121 Spacious 3 BR long hall, 3 bathrooms new spit A/Cs - Qurum (PDO Road) Direct owner. #99431708/ 24571963 Room for rent at Al Ansab.

Contact 98806430

Fully furnished single room available in CBD area. Contact 92162623

Gubrah furnished room, attached bath dish TV, WIFI, kitchen available for Executive single person, couple.

Contact 99658689

Executive bachelor near Mars one room with bath furnished room R.O 125/-. # 98376464 / 92446858

Room in CBD area for non cooking Executive bachelors free WIFI, Advance deposit. Contact 95934642

FOR HIRE

TRUCK FOR HIRE Isuzu 10 ton cargo body truck (2012 FVR) with UAE experienced driver available for long term / short term rent.

M.V. FOR SALE

Contact: 95346950 Hire Generators, Air conditioners.

Contact 98927220 Running truck wash for rent in Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people can. Contact on 97864747 50 seater bus with PDO specification for rent or lease.

Contact 99839898

M.V. FOR SALE Dodge Nitro 4.0 ltr engine 2007 model 130000 kms, red colour, registration valid for one year. RO.2700/-.

Contact - 91251966 Car for sale Toyota Yaris 1.3, 2008 model 90000 km, hatchback.

Contact 99354340 Toyota Camry white 2011 km -51000 R.O 4800/-. # 99561562 Honda CRV , 2012 EX 2012 model , twilight blue liters , 34000 Km , free service package up to 60000 km expat single owner , insurance valid Oman & UAE up to August 2015 , R.O 7750/- . Contact 99069741

Mazda 3 hutch back, Model 2014(registered in May), automatic, white colour, with full warranty, expat lady driven single owner and km 2100.

Price RO.5800. Call 99230708 / 99312201.

LOST Karasnagala Kawkanamlage Inoka Thushari has lost Sri Lankan Passport No. N 3905711. Finder please handover to ROP Muhammad has lost Pakistan Passport No. GS 5141931. Finder please handover to ROP

CHANGE OF NAME I Paramjit Arora (holder of Indian Passport no. K0736179) S/O Harjit Singh having permanent residence in Plot 155, II Cross Street, Sembakkam, Chennai - 600073 and presently residing in Way # 3358, Building No. 3921, Mumtaz Area Ruwi, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman intend to marry Ms. Idylla Carmin Santamaria (holder of Indian Passport No. Z1319155) D/O Mrs. Benita Santamaria in Embassy of India, Muscat. I swear that I am marrying her at my own free will and not under any stress and intimidation. Any objection to this marriage may be please communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, PO Box No. 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman, within 30 (thirty) days of publication of this newspaper advertisement.

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T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

SITUATION WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE C.A with 11 yrs experience (6 years in Oman) as Finance Manager. Contact 93731296 CA India, CPA (Australia) Qualified Indian male with more than 20 years experience in Senior position (12 yrs in Oman with valid D/L) currently on visit, seeks immediate & suitable position in a dynamic organization.

Contact 93910095 Email: reji.thomas07@gmail.com Indian male 32 years M.B.A, 5 years experience as Accountant in Qatar and 3 years experience in Marketing and Purchase department valid Qatar license is advantage, seeking suitable placement. # 93011814 Mail: shajusr@yahoo.com Accountant male 25 CA finalist from Pakistan having 4 years experience looking for suitable position in accounts /audit currently on visit visa. Contact 98845617 Email: usmanmaqsood.ca@gmail.com CA Finalist having big four experience of more than three years seeking suitable position currently on visit visa. Contact 94663269 Email: rizwan_ravian@yahoo.com Indian male postgraduate 7.5 yrs experience in Admin /accounts /HR logistics and procurement seeking suitable placement immediately available. Contact 93164413 Female M.com with tally seven years Indian experience in audit and accounting on family visit. #93213138 Indian male 34 years b.com with 7 years experience in Oman. accounting upto finalization. management accounting, budget looking for suitable post. NOC not available.

Contact 97427897.

ADMIN Urgently Required: Purchaser, Administration and Accountant with NOC and immediately join.

Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com.

ARCHITECTURE Urgently required, Architect with knowledge of interior design.

Minimum 2-3 years experience.

Interested candidate may please send CV to fax: 24694998 Email: fareedadesign@gmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Required Accountant (1 no.) B.Com with 10 yrs Exp. or M.Com with 5 yrs.

Exp .Fax : 24501448, Email- nandacvl@omantel.net.om

CATERING Required a Bakery man for a catering company to be posted in interior site. Apply with NOC. #95332694, Email : ccs_oman@yahoo.com Shawarma /BBQ/Tandoor /helper wanted. Contact 95529970 Required urgently Yemani Cook.

Contact 99443236 muscat@oigoman.com Wanted experienced Indian Chef for reputed house in Qurum.

Knowledge & experience in Indian, Continental and Chinese food is must. Contact 99466062

DRIVER Wanted one light driver. Indians only should apply. #95451713 Expatriate heavy duty drivers / crane operators and forklift operators with PDO license and Noc. Contact 99465358/99348352 Wanted driver. Contact 95112461

DOMESTIC HELPER Part time maid at Al Ansab-3.

Contact 98458542 Required Housemaid for Indian family, Visa will be provided.

Contact: 94291473 Require House maid in Mabela.

Contact. 95200180

ENGI./ELECT./TECH..

Required for Construction Co. Site Engineer (1 no.) with min. 5-8 yrs. experience. Fax : 24501448, Email - nandacvl@omantel.net.om Required MEP Engineer with minimum Diploma or degree 5 yrs experience & with driving license.

Fax : 24478522, Email : gh1.careers@gmail.com

Indian female post Graduate MIB, B.Com 2 years experience in accounting field well versed in tally, ERP-9 Peach tree, MS Office.

Contact 97235401

ENGI./ELECT./TECH..

Indian female 28 MBA (HR) B. Sc, 3+ years exp India & Oman HR/Admin looking for suitable placement.

Contact 95619537

Urgent requirement Civil Engineers 8 nos for Supervision 5 yrs experience. Contact: 99244481 Email: secons.engineers@gmail.com Wanted Computer Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Communication Engineer & Commercial Manager 10 yrs experience salary for each RO 1500.

Email:lulubd2012@gmail.com Urgently required experienced Civil Project Managers site Engineers, MEP draughtsman, MEP quantity surveyor for an excellent grade Civil Construction company.

Interested candidates can contact on 00968-99885931 / 99881459 and send CVs on mohamed@oasisgrace.com Contact 24826566 Fax: 24812226 Urgently required Civil Engineer - Graduate with 12 to 15 + years experience preferably in managing building construction company.

Arab nationals with good command in English only. Send CV to Email: chtrecruitment.ka@gmail. com / khadeer.cht@gmail.com Urgently Required: Civil Engineer experience in building construction with NOC and immediately join. Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Leading metal fabrication group requires Sales Engineer, minimum 2 yrs exp. with valid Oman D/L. Contact: 99102383 Email: hr@khancogroup.com

IT Urgently required following vacancies for a well established company: Computer Technician cum Sales Executive, data & voice networking technician, account assistant. Contact 91227407 Email id: info@fathimallc.com Required IT Technician for computer shop. Send your CV at khalid@rayyancomputer.com

MEDICAL Wanted Pharmacist (B Pharm), Staff Nurses (female) with or without MOH license for a polyclinic near Sohar. Excellent salary package. Contact 99006915, email : alhinaee.clinic@yahoo.com Urgently required Pharmacist.

Contact 94200385/ 95206905/ 97433142 Email: anitho@gmail.com

MEDICAL Temporary Pharmacist required in Ibra. Candidates with License & NOC, contact 98883100 Require GP doctors and Staff Nurse for a medical centre in Mabela. Contact 95200180, amanammc@gmail.com Urgently required a female nurse with MOH license to work permanent or leave vacancy for a reputed clinic.

Salary Negotiable. # 94618483 Wanted labs Technician to work in a polyclinic. Candidates who have passed their prometric examination can also apply. Attractive salary offered. Contact 99173571 Urgently required exp Pharmacist with MOH license and NOC. Contact: 97164554 or royalmedicalservice@gmail.com Urgently required an Orthodontist with MOH to work at a reputed Dental Center in Muscat.

Contact 968 99694723, Email : dr.bdohc@gmail.com Require female Nurse with MOH License urgently for Clinic in Ruwi.

Contact (99013455)

SALES / MARKETING Sales Executive with 2 years experience in corporate sales and driving license. Working experience with IT or Security systems preferred.

Contact 99351673 Email: tgmuscat@outlook.com Oil marketing and trading company require Sales Executives. The desire candidate should have Oman driving license, with Oman experience and required on urgent basis for oil company. Please post the CV on fakhare@gmail.com Office no 00968-24467177

Male, total 17 years experience in India & Oman - India - 9 years & Oman - 8 years In the field of procurement, material controller and accountancy - Local release available (Noc) Cont no. 91680124 , 98606546 India Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placement. Contact:93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com B.Com India. Languages : English, Hindi & Malayalam. #92954613 Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331 Indian female, M. Com with 6 years experience in finance, HR & Administration with Oman D/L . On family joining visa. Contact 99864846 Email: b_ralitha@yahoo.com Indian 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 Part time Accountant, up to finalization, looking for job after 5 pm (location prefer - Qurum to Al Khoudh). Contact 92917574 Indian M.Com Finance exp 1 year now in visiting visa. #96970734 Indian male, 25 yrs,MBA (Finance) 3 years experience as Accountant immediately available.

Contact 968 99485943, Email : hyd.mushu@gmail.com Pakistani male, 25 yrs, MBA Finance, 1.6 yrs exp in Accounts seeking placement in Accounts, Administration or Business Management.# 92651927 / 94250149 Indian male 26 years, with 4 years experience in accounts and administration looking for suitable placement. Contact 93008891

Accountant Indian male M.B.A, B.com having 5 years GCC exp with valid Oman driving license & Noc available. Contact 91719385 mail: shinuyesodharan@gmail.com

Female with MBA finance, financial and tax professional four and half years of experience seeks suitable opportunities in reputed organizations. Contact- 99792457 Email: msparveen1@gmail.com

Required promoter for promoting Perfumes in shopping centre please.

Contact 95663682 or send CV atugt15@gmail.com

Indian, MBA finance looking job in accounts, finance, cost controlling 9 years experience 3 years in GCC. Contact 97138592 on visit visa.

Indian male, B.Com, Accountant – 6yrs exp in Oman, NOC availableReady to join.contact: 98162671 ; email: prasanths3@gmail.com

We Al Mayar Co LLC are seeking talented experienced Sales Executive for the FMCG, Electrical and Electronics sale. The interested persons can send their CV s to ultrasales@almayarllc.com and pnoman@gmail.com

Seeking for a job on Indian male aged 23 years qualification are BCA bachelor & computer application & accountant 1 years experience.

Contact 95386434 Email: mohammedshanid5@gmail.com

Indian Male, 25 yrs currently in Oman on visit looking for suitable vacancies in accounts, B.Com completed 1 yr experience.

Contact 92024380

SALES / MARKETING

Our company CHABROS LLC is seeking for Indian salesman.

Have an experienced in building materials. Please send CV to chabros@omantel.net.om Urgently required out door sales executive for furnishing company with valid Oman license and minimum 3 years experience in furniture field. Contact 93231403 or mail: rainbowfurnishing156@gmail.com Urgently required an excellent grade construction firm based in Muscat has immediate vacancy for Marketing Executive minimum 5 years experience with D/L. Email your CV to info@omannc.com

TRAVEL/TOURS Wanted an experienced person in reservations and ticketing using airlines Sabre system for a new travel agency; please send your CV to sunairways1@gmail.com Wanted experience candidate for tours and rent a car.

Email: almoosarentacar@gmail. com, Fax: 24796040

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

MBA finance graduate Indian male on visit visa one year’s internship experience in financing/marketing looking suitable marketing /finance position. Contact 95394938 Email: safeer.buzz@gmail.com B.com doing CA Accounts/ office job male now working in Oman Noc, release available. Contact 92715465 Email: alsabathehm@gmail.com Part time Accountant with 15 years exp in Accounts, finance, audit tax management. Contact 95857199 Accountant (B.Com, MBA pursuing) Indian male 25 years, 2 years experience in India, seeking better placement on visit visa. Contact 97709327 Indian male 27 yrs MBA HR & marketing 1 yr exp in HR supporting looking for suitable job.#97484159 Young Indian graduate, experience in Logistics and Accounting/ Sales and Marketing seeks placement. Immediate availability. Call: 97374480 Indian male, B.COM, currently in Oman on Visit Visa, Urgent seeking suitable Job Accountant / Administrative/ HR dept. have 6y. UAE experience, Valid Driving License, Knowledge of Internet ,Tally ERP9, Microsoft Office. MS EXCEL, immediately available. # +968-92718733 , Email : sahashankar@gmail.com

Required promoter for promoting Perfumes in shopping centre please.

Contact 95663682 or send CV atugt15@gmail.com

Indian male, 32 years, M. Com. 7 out of 9 years experience in Oman in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. #98277143, Email: anzarks@gmail.com

FCCA- Qualified from UK with 9 years of experience in Big 4 & Top 30 UK firms. Currently working as Manager Finance & Accounts for more than 2years. NOC available, please contact 9259 3748.

Urgently required Omani national Sales Executives (indoor & outdoor) for marble & granite company in Muscat. Please send your CV to nimmu.n@gmail.com or Contact 94552924

Indian male- B.Com/B.Ed/15 years Exp – 5 in Oman, seeks job in Accts/Sales/Logistics have NOC and Oman D/L with car. Contact – 92919625/93511425/ 93424828; Email- seshadricpioman@gmail.com

Indian female B.com CA Inter 3 years internship completed 2 years accounting experience currently on visit visa seeking for suitable job . Contact 94682798/95736496 Email: giby2605@gmail.com

Indian Male, MBA 2 yrs experience in Accounts, Admin & HR on visit visa. Contact 92045306 Accounting up to finalization, auditing & contact for tally ERP software Contact– 91720465

ADMIN/HR Indian female, MBA (HR) and B. Sc Microbiology holder, with computer knowledge confident and enthusiastic. 6 months experience looking for immediate placement in any sector.

Contact 97151308 M.Sc / MBA. Over 12 Years including GCC Experience in Admin/HR/ Operation/Procurement and Logistic. Valid GCC DL. Looking for Suitable Position.

Contact 99706618 Smart, excellent English, double masters, 10 years Oman experience.

Immediate NOC. Contact 91229392 Indian, Male, 30 Years, B.COM, 8 Years’ Experience as HR / Administration in Oman, seeks suitable placement, NOC Available, Contact No. 00968 94652591 Over 14 years of gulf experience in Admin /HR /Logistic fluent in Arabic & English with D/L , looking for suitable position. Contact 95824598 Indian female with excellent communication skills, confident, dedicated to work and enthusiastic.

Knowledge about ms office. Has 6 years of experience in customer service, telecommunication, HR.Looking for immediate placement. Contact # 97348819 Young Indian male with 5 years Muscat experience in admin, purchase & Masters from UK seeks placement. Possess driving license.

Contact 94400671

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Young Indian male, MBA, around 5 years experience in a reputed multinational company as branch head well experience in management and coordination, looking for suitable position in Suwaiq, Barka, Sohar area. Contact 92700670 Email fardhaan@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

ADMIN/HR MBA in Marketing and HR seeking suitable jobs. Contact 91250149 Email: hameem.husain@gmail.com Indian male, 27 yrs, MBA having 3 yrs. experience in advertising company and have through knowledge in office Co-ordination& administration, good computer proficiency on visit visa looking for suitable placement. Contact 91361534 sreejith. mv63@gmail.com

ARCHI./ DRAUGHTSMAN Indian male AutoCAD, 3ds Max , 5 years of experience here on visiting visa looking for a job.

Contact 98360268 / 99881264 Autocad D/man, Civil Engg Diploma 3 yrs, Gulf exp in architectural, structural, interior, security systems, knows 3d , NOC available.# 98225740 AutoCAD operator, Indian male 3 yrs experience in Auto CAD 2D & 3Ds Civil Draftsman, MAX and Photo shop, presently on visit visa seek suitable placement.#91764358 Email: mohdsiraj02@yahoo.com Auotcad knows 3D,REVIT, MAX Ph : 97103168

BEAUTICIAN Beautician gulf exp (overseas) looking job. Contact 95175192

CATERING Arabic conti Indian B.B.Q salads Gulf experience 10 years looking for good opportunity. NOC available. # 97004585 / 95451027 Indian cook, Tandoori cook, male, 32 yrs, having 4 yrs of experience in Muscat in India, looking for a cook job in Hotel. Contact 93753523 / 98744307 / 92175119.

DESIGNER Modular kitchen designer with 4 years Bahrain /Dubai experience plus 10 years AutoCAD, 3D, Photoshop& 20-20 Fusion. #+96896467673, cristobabu@gmail.com

DRIVER Light Driver having own visa looking for job as driver.Contact 92303692

Elet Engr (13+yrs exp.) Diploma presently working as Site Engr HV & LV OHL, U/G having NOC & valid Oman D/L . # 96274568 / 95129698 Quality Assurance Design / Design coordinator BTech Elec, MBA (TQM) , IT Infrastructure, Security systems,Project controls/Document Control Mgmt / CAD Managing / Change management, NOC available for local transfer Ph : 99506977 Indian- B.E Mechanical with MBA, 25 years experience last 12 years in Oil & Gas Sector in Oman. Skilled in Business Development, Sales & Marketing looking opening in oil gas trading or drilling or service companies as General manager/ country manager/ Business Development Manager. Contact -94688594 gmbdm2015oilandgas@gmail.com Indian B.Tech Mechanical Engineer, 26 yrs, 4 yrs experience in HVAC/MEP. Contact 94669629, rajeevhpd15@yahoo.com Mechanical Diploma Engineer Indian male 17 yrs experience include 6 yrs in Oman. Steel structural fabrication & maint. in heavy equipments. Oman driving license & NOC available seeking suitable placement. Contact 96728805 Email: jansanjosep@yahoo.co.in Indian male Mechanical Piping Engineer (BE) Done NDT course fresher on visit visa looking for job.

Contact 97359171 Keralite bachelor with B.Tech Mechanical Engineering looking for job in oman with three year of experience. on visiting visa. mob-91296354 manurpr88@gmail.com Graduate Indian male with 19 yrs experience in civil projects, commercial and procurement departments in oil & gas sector seeking suitable position. Contact 91251912 Email: suprarmct1975@gmail.com Civil Engineer 7 years experience in building line in Oman valid Oman D/L. NOC letter available looking for suitable placement. #96936406 DAE Civil, Diploma of Associate Engineer Civil 3 yrs, Pakistani. Total 10 yrs experience, Pakistan experience 04 yrs, Oman experience 6 yrs.

Contact 92286164 BE Mechanical 3year experience in shipboiler, engine maintenance & desalination 99795073 Indian male B.E / B.Tech Civil /Site Engineer 3 years experience NOC D/L available. Contact 93883136 mohammedcivilengineer.mct@ gmail.com

ENGG. / TECHNICAL D.A.E Civil 4 years experience D/L Oman. Email: qamarsaleem52@ yahoo.com . Contact 96719649

Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

BE Mechanical 3 years experience in maintenance of ship, boiler & desalination unit. Contact 99795073, Email: sankarvijayan.mace@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer, Gulf Exp in Design and Manufacturing Ph: 97097688

Civil Engineer 4 years exp (3 in Oman as a Quantity Surveyor & planning engineer for road works & bridges in a big project) fluent in English & Arabic. Contact - 93477660 Indian male B-Tech Civil having 2 year experience in Visit visa seeks suitable position. Contact 92609893 Computer Engineer holding bachelors degree in Computer Science with 7 years of total experience with 2 years in UAE, looking for a suitable job in Oman. Contact 92076362 Elet.Engr 9+ yrs exp Noc available can join immediately. #99148940 Email: jobluk.om@gmail.com Civil Engineer (Diploma) 23 yrs, Indian male 1 yr exp. Contact +919645285855 / 97050267 mail id: unnikrishnan1334@gmail.com Civil Engineer B Tech, Site Engineer Experienced, Drafting on Visit Visa Ph : 91642050 Quality Assurance Design, BTech Elec, MBA (TQM) , IT Infrastructure(WLAN , TETRA) Security systems(CCTV AACS),Project control Engineering, Document Control / CAD Managing /Change management, Exp in Major projects, NOC available Ph : 99506977 Indian female, 25 yrs, M.Sc Software Engineering having 2 yrs experience in IT & Admin, on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 96985150, Email : anucherian@gmail.com Civil Engineer having 4 and Half years experience in building construction looking for suitable placement valid D/L available. #91253392 Aircraft Maintenance Technician with one year experience seeks suitable placement. Contact amaljohn2002@gmail.com Project Engineer, civil engineer BSC, Building Construction 5 Years Exp in Oman fluent Arabic, English and good Indian .Contact - 97858589 B.Tech Mechanical Engineer (Automobile)&Diploma in QC with 2yrs experience in oil & gas company seek suitable placement job currently on Visit Visa. Contact no.96071081, 99214308 , Email: rahulvarikkat@gmail.com

Light driver. Contact 91376612 15 years experience in ABU Dhabi driving heavy vehicle, heavy tractor, heavy Bus, fork lift with valid license.

Contact 96298020 now on visit visa expire 15/04/15. # 96298020 Light & heavy duty driver JCB, Shovel operator valid GCC license Indian Pakistani looking for job.

Contact 95175192 Driver available in Ruwi.

Contact 97460056

Mechanical Engineer seeking a senior position having 15 years of GCC experience operating in markets Oman, Kuwait , Bahrain & Saudi Arabia speculated in gas analysis and detection systems for Oil & Gas and petrochemical industries.

Contact 99230888 HVAC Engineer (heating ventilating air conditioner) qualification B.E (Mechanical Engineer) 3 years experience (India) presently family visa. Contact +968 94271486

Light driver job. Contact 96756014

B.Tech electronics & instrument, Indian male having 4 years exp in oil & gas field one years experience in Saudi, looking for suitable vacancy.

Contact 98854946 Email: alfredtjose@gmail.com

Light duty driver with 3 years experience in Oman +5 years in Saudi Arabia speaking Hindi Arabic English. Contact 96088707

H.S.E & ELE Engineer have electrical license 4 years experience.

Contact 96076470 Email: aiashf@yahoo.com

Light duty driver looking for job 2 yrs exp. Contact 98356230

Male 27 diploma in civil engineering, 8 years experience in building constriction, 6th years in Oman now looking for the job permanent base or contract base immediately also I have a Noc for permanent base.

Contact 94619501/98925718 Email: engineertanoli@gmail@gmail.com

Indian male Qatar GCC heavy driver license holder looking for a good placement now on a visiting visa.

Contact 98739710.

Light duty Driver wanted.

Contact 95667138 Experienced driver Indian with 4 wheel driver landcruiser.

Contact 91690870 Light driver looking for job.

Contact 92791678 Light driver looking for job.

Contact 91376612 LV Driver- 2 yrs Exp-know English- Contact 95292064

Indian male, 28 diploma in fire and safety Engineering computer hardware net working 1 yr customer service experience trouble shooting technical support on visit visa.

Contact 91025050 / 98856803 Email: purujith8797@gmail.com BE/EEE Electrical Engineer Indian male 25 years having 2.5 years experience currently on visit visa looking for suitable placement.

Contact 00968-96522624 / 92770316 contact India +91- 9994024477 / 9597539520 Electrical Engineer Indian male 29 years, having 5 years of experience in Industrial Automation & utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement. #92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Sudanese Mechanical Engineer 11 years exp in oil & gas industry.

Contact - 95928035 Telecom Engineer with 4.5 years Oman experience looking for a suitable opportunity, interested even in Marketing also. Possess valid Oman driving license. Contact 94145460

Diploma in Architect 2.5 years experience in Oman having driving.

Contact 92967404

DAE (Civil) having 3.5 years Experience 2 years from Oman with driving licences, seeking for suitable position in Construction field NOC and release available . Contact 96968554 Email: mehranahmad26@yahoo.com

Electrical Engineer B.E Engineer, 6 years experience in Dubai, Bahrain with G.C.C. professional licenses holding GCC driving license. #98063081 Email: imran.engr08@gmail.com

24 years Indian female diploma in computer science and engineering now on visit visa seek suitable placement. Contact 96314974/99107369

B.E /B.Tech civil 2-3 years.

Contact 93850875/95283064 B.E Mechanical Engineer, Indian male, 4 yrs experience in sales, Seeking suitable job on visit visa.

Contact 96137079 , 93095565, Email : elangovivek@yahoo.co.in Looking Part time Job in HVACContact - 93198128 Quantity Surveyor (Civil Building) looking for Part time job Contact no:-94391712 E-mail addressinayathhussain@yahoo.com Generator maintenance in charge with 4 yrs experience with Cummins, caterpillar, kirloskar and voltas. Contact - email: shibinmundakkal@gmail.com Diploma of Associate Civil Engineering, Diploma of AutoCad, having 3.5 yrs experience, 2 yrs experience of Oman in Building Construction, valid transferrable ID Card. # 94378581 Experienced female Electrical Engineer. Contact 93800906 Civil Engineer with 12 years Experience Looking For Job. # 98162295 Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Indian male, 26 yrs B-Tech (ECE) with MBA in Marketing / HR looking for a suitable placement. Currently on visit visa valid up to 30 January 2015. Contact 93754428, email : shijosirius709@gmail.com

EDUCATION Indian Female (M.Com, B.ED) 2Yrs Experience in teaching seeks suitable placement . Specialization in ( Accounting, Business studies, Human resource management, Economics). Presently in Visit Visa Status. Contact:97342709, Email: sininair27@gmail.com Pakistani Female: looking for job as English lecturer, having 5 years teaching experience in Pakistani universities, qualification M. phil English linguistics Contact no 93534255 1 year experience in teaching all subject to KG classes, currently working as a teacher in Oman, seeking suitable placement, Family visa.

Contact 92178304 / 99036256

HOSPITALITY 27 yrs Indian male, Hospitality science, Graduate with New zealand business diploma having Oman experience in money exchange firm, looking for suitable opportunities in reputed organization.NOC available.

Contact.91383167

INFORMATION TECH Indian male MBA (marketing & IT) with 1 yr exp looking for suitable placement presently on visit visa.

Contact 97327997 Email: irshad.alimc@gmai.com Indian male 25 B.Tech (IT) Engineer 2.5 yrs exp in hardware networking.

Currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact – 94359564 Hardware specialist B.Tech M.Tech electronics with 10 years experience seeks suitable opportunities in reputed organizations.

Contact 91289459 Email: shrn.shrf@gmail.com B.Tech IT Professional, Indian Male with 3 yrs of Exp. In System Admin, IT Support, Networking, Installing Active Directory, DHCP, DNS,RAS, configuring maintaining and managing servers, configuring cisco routers, Exp in handling SQL database, With Valid Driving Licence. Contact - 968 98863507 IT Prof, MCA having 6+ yrs exp, seeks suitable position. #94543668

Restaurant /Catering Manager – Operations with 21 years experience with 2 years in Saudi is available on visit. Contact 98894682

INFORMATION TECH Omani citizen searching a job in the field of computer Especially in data base professional in operating oracle SQL , PL/ SQL , form6i , Report 6i .

Contact 96977368 Email: talaloml@yahoo.com Indian male Graduate IT Engineer Hardware networking MCITP, CCNA RHCE 3 years of experience on visit visa seeking job. Contact 94647824 Email: azharpo@gmail.com Indian female IT professional (B.Tech) on visiting visa, 1.5 yrs experience in .Net, worked in MNC, seeks suitable positions.#94389666 Indian male IT prof, MCA 2 yrs exp in Oman and 3+ yrs exp in India (system admin, hardware, networking, SharePoint, PHP, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Ajax MySQL).

NOC available. Contact 97496998 Indian Male M.Sc Electronics, having 7.5 years of experience in IT Computer Hardware and Networking seeking job placement. Contact: 97202522 email:connectjinomjohn@yahoo.com ERP Software professional, Indian male, 20 yrs (5 yrs Oman) experienced. Interested in ERP/ CRM, Development, Implementation, support position. Contact 93501977 Email: go4nadeem@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Looking for job of Salesman, office boy or helper. I can speak Hindi and Arabic but can read English.

Contact 94432608 Helper, Electrician, Plumber, exp Gulf & India looking for job.

Contact 95175192

Purchase Manager with 14 years experience in construction industry with valid D/L & NOC . #92884811 Email: bati.rajesh@gmail.com Smart, excellent English, double masters. 10 years Oman experience immediate, NOC . Contact 91229392 10 years experience in Supermarket as a Manager. Fluent in English, Arabic, Bengali & Hindi presently on visit visa, looking for an opening in the similar field. Contact 91747258

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Welder, 3G, 6G, TIG, Exp in Fabrication , Gulf Exp Ph : 97103168 Care taker, Gulf Exp knows Hindi, Arabic Ph: 94238840

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Indian female with 10 yrs of experience in HR/Banking/Operations seeks a suitable placement. Can be contacted on 98919015 or sherianne.coelho@gmail.com Indian female, well experienced in secretarial, administration, customer care & supervisory jobs.

5 years experience in Muscat.

Immediately available for joining.

Contact: 92139298

SALES / MARKETING Indian male, 15 years experience in managing department stores, in Karnataka, India, looking for placement.# 93086105 or 99016546 MBA (marketing & operations) with 2 years experience in marketing & operations looking for suitable placement, presently on visit visa.

Contact 97920125 Email: hareeshg111@gmail.com

Indian male M. Sc Graduate with telecom AV experience for 6 years looking for suitable position. Contact 00971-557041574 / 95135218 email: nazid83@gmail.com

18 yrs Oman experience in building materials seeking suitable placement, NOC available #93105775

Logistics Officer, Experience in Store keeping. Contact : 99505934

Indian B.Com 2.5 years back office, 1.5 yrs sales, 27 yrs, MS Office, MS word, Excel. Contact 95612321 Email: jkadavil@gmail.com

MEDICAL Female Dentist Indian, 28 years Dental Surgeon, 3 years of experience, Oman prometric passed with 64%, looking for a suitable placement in Muscat region. Contact 91377681 Email: hashmisarwat@gmail.com 33 years, Indian Dentist with 7 years of experience in India and passed prometric exam seeking for suitable placement in Oman. # 91022744 Email: praveengp_82@yahoo.com Medical- Indian female, 27 yrs, masters in hospital administration, fellowship in HTA studied in a super specialty medical sciences and research center in India and done project in an established hospital in sultanate of Oman.

Contact 93200827, 91026506 Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378 Female pharmacist with 3 years experience and MOH license currently in Oman, CONTACT 92455124

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Projects/ contracts Manager total 31 yrs (26 yrs in Oman) experienced in managing & coordination of multi-million R.O projects of government & private sector, post Graduate Structural Engineer with structural & QS Background looking for senior position. Contact +00968-91400599 Indian female with nine years of experience in 5 Star hotels as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager looking for a suitable placement in a reputed Star hotel. Contact: 91219787 Qualified Manager: (12+ yrs. Oman Exp.) Vast knowledge in A/c & Admin, Costing, Banking, Credit Control, Insurance, International Purchase/ Logistics & Finance, With D/L looking for suitable position. #93826090 Email: jskanchan01@gmail.com

Salesman, building materials, Gulf exp, knows Hindi, Arabic & English.

Contact : 95516807 Indian male 9+ years experience in GCC and Indian in hardcore sales and customer service looking for buffer opportunity, holding valid Oman driving license visit visa.

Experience shipping, banking, safety products (PPE) Contact : 97132606 Indian Male having 7 yrs in experience in Oman Sales & Marketing Office Automation Printer, Copier, MFP, IT products & Stationery. Looking for Suitable Placement NOC Available Contact :97384748 Indian male 25 yrs M.B.A having More than 2 years experience in sales & marketing good communication skills Looking for a suitable job. Contact 92152913 email: May4senthil@gmail.com 10 years experience in medicine & surgical equipment sales. Fluent in English, Arabic, Bengali & Hindi .

Presently on visit visa, looking for an opening in the similar field.

Contact 91747258 Young female, having experience of working in Oman with expertise in the field of Event Management, Advertising, Marketing and Hotel Management. Currently on a visit visa. Seeking for a suitable Job. Contact 96153578 Indian male, with 3.5 years Oman experience in Sales looking for a suitable placement NOC available.

Contact 99142951 Indian male Graduate with 7 years of experience in Hospitality industry, Sales & Marketing good communication skill looking for a placement in any field. Contact +968- 92115860 Indian female 7 yrs experience in Admin /Sales Coordination in Oman with valid Oman driving license urgently seeks suitable placement.

Contact 94176308

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T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

WEBSITE

MANPOWER

COMPUTER

Canada, Legal Job for Construction staffs, Gas & Oil, Hotel Staffs & Medical staffs. Free Recruitment.

Please send CV to margholdingimmigration@gmail.com

CLASSES WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

Available construction workers, hospital staff with Oman parametric, housemaids Indian, Uganda.

Contact 9629417/98408488 Email: alkubratrading@gmail.com

Split & window unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact 99557080 Window & spilt unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 96236476

DRIVING

AC service repair and maintenance.

Contact 95356877

SIT.WANTED SALES / MARKETING

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998

MBA with Oman D/L seeking marketing or sales jobs.

Contact 94143154 email: rinojnathen008@hmail.com

Lady Trainer available for driving classes in Seeb area. Knows Hindi, English, Arabic & Baluchi.

Contact 98869198

Indian male, with 8 yrs exp in Sales Operations & accounts handling, expert in SAP & ERP applications seeks job. Contact 93345990

BUSINESS

Experience in sales seeking suitable placement D/L and NOC available.

Contact 99196353

Tutoring ACCA/CAT subjects, passing exams by expert lectures.

Contact +( 968) 99229700

Cleaning services, carpet & sofa shampooing, marble restoration (grinding) and polishing, pest control, fogging service. Contact 99448057, 95401996

NRI

Cheapest Prices, all types window, curtains and blind.

Contact 99539521

Well experienced restaurant Manager with Ample knowledge of sales and operations seeking suitable placement Noc available.

Contact 92953199

Tunisian women looking for job, knows english, frensh, Italian and arabic. Contact: 91171838

Air conditioning split A/C, Ducted split & package A/C, maintenance & installation. Contact 98667326

Carpet & sofa shampooing. Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99884591 / 92682970

Indian male, B.Com, 20 yrs experience in Sales & Marketing having UAE light D/L looking for suitable post. Contact +91 9946699062, email : sajim40@gmail.com

Indian male, graduate with 7 years experience in hospitality industry, sales & marketing .M.B.A in human resource management. Contact 92115860

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

Cheapest prices all types window, curtains and Blinds.

Contact 99539521

Experience in sales seeking suitable placement N.O.C & D/L available.

Contact 91269031 Indian Male, 7 yrs experience in building materials trading having Oman D/L, immediate release available. Contact 98676713

GOOD NEWS

Computer service/ AMC/ Networking. Contact 91339882 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722

Spacious, 2BHK flat for sale at Hebbal Bangalore.

Contact 96263157

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722

Attractive, savings, investments and insurance plans from SBI life (A Group Co of State Bank of India) Contact Mr. John Moras (95778431)

Cheap website / software development, SEO, SMO, SMM, APP store optimization, apps for IOS, Android, windows, blackberry. Contact 95526871, www.ashterzsoft.com Door to Door Computers repair specialist laptop software Website cartridges. Contact 99199376 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting.

Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading.

L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130 Pest control & cleaning services professionals in pest control service bedbugs treatment, rodent, treatment, snake treatment and termite treatment, pre and post construction. Contact 93098450, 96408964, fax : 24472116 A/C maintenance split A/C servicing. Contact 94217681/ 99210141 Marble polishing & crystallization, building cleaning floor, floor polishing, carpet, sofa shampooing, pest control, anti termite shifting, maintenance. Contact 99504275 Pest Control Treatments, Termites, Cockroaches, Bedbugs. Contact Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99344723 Carpet & sofa shampooing. Ocean Centre LLC. #99884591 / 92682970 GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC. all kind of pest control. #92326955

House shifting. Contact 99708138 Coffee shop business partner required. Contact 95212017

House shifting packing.

Contact 99657644, 98518013

Feasibility study, market research, financial analysis of companies.

(968) 99229700

Taimour Ayurvedic Clinic, Ruwi offers genuine & effective treatment for back pain, paralysis, cervical and lumbar spondylitis, osteoarthritis, joint pains, sinusitis, migraine, allergic problems, varicose vein and all other health related problems.

Kerala massage and rejuvenation package available. For details please contact: 92197920/ 24799689 Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL , CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 / 99117987 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 / 92504980 , www.siddhayur.com FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com

MATRIMONIAL Tamil Muslim parents looking for boys from good reputed family B.S.C smart, 23 yrs. Contact 99443236 after 6 pm Well qualified Christian girls looking for suitable alliance from well qualified and born again Christians (age 40 & 43).

Contact 92560192 Email: pastorphilipmathew@gmail.com

T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

TOURS

TOURS

RENT A CAR

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact 98505294 Transport with driver available in Muscat region any time any where with luxury cars very low price.

98294551 Transportation. Contact 99664703

RENT A CAR

Picking and drop. # 96743215 Transportation. Contact 98518979 Transport to ISWK. #93172589 Transportation . Contact 98178135 Transport available. # 95356877 Transportation available.

Contact 95570429 Transportation. Contact 91379976 Pick & Drop any time.

Contact 97014786 Pick & drop anytime in al Khuwair.

Contact 99764307

MATRIMONIAL We are looking for a Muslim Girl for our son interested parents or daughter May. Contact 97664009 Female BSC Nurse Christians RC Kannur Kerala inviting proposals from employed boys . Contact 00919496840556 /0096892490393

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T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Indian, Arabic, Chinese dishes, BuďŹ&#x20AC;et Lunch (On Friday) Indoor & Outdoor, Catering, Party hall available Take Away & Home Delivery

Party booking & sugges ons 99320065, 99341643

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