Times of Oman - October 17, 2015

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FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

Address to SQU students

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ You must avoid letting anyone take away your freedom of thought in any way whether on religious or other grounds.

People must use their minds and think, and there are situations where the use of the intellect is necessary so that excessive fantasy or fancy can be held in check.

SATURDAY, October 17, 2015 / 3 Muharram 1437 AH

E X PAT S E X E M P T E D

Citizens won’t get identity cards on Sunday: ROP

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8 dead, several missing as wadis overflow with rains

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Identity cards (IDs) will not be issued on Sunday to Omani citizens, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has announced.

“We will stop issuing ID cards on Sunday. We will be issuing only resident cards (for expats), birth and death certificates,” according to the ROP statement.

The rule will be applicable only until November 19.

C R O AT I A N WAT E R S

Oman Sail calls off search for missing sailor

With so many deaths having been reported in wadi-related incidents, people would do

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Oman Sail has called off search operations for its sailor Mohammed Al Alawi, who went missing nine days ago in Croatian waters. “It is an immensely sad decision that today; nine days after the incident, the search has been stopped. Today, we will accompany Mohammed’s father and uncle back to Muscat to be with their family at this tragic time. The Italian and Croatian coastguards remain on alert,” a statement from Oman Sail said.

“We are completely devastated,” said David Graham, Oman Sail’s chief executive officer.

“Mohammed, 26, has been a sailor and sailing instructor with Oman Sail for many years. He was a cherished member of the team with a hugely positive approach and passion for the sport. He was also a highly respected colleague and will be greatly missed. We are doing everything that we can to support his family at this difficult time,” Graham added.

Al Alawi was reported as the man overboard on Wednesday, October 7, at pre-dawn, just south of Pula in Croatia. The MOD70 trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail was on a delivery from Lorient, and was sailing from France to Trieste in Italy and to Barcelona.

well to stay away from them as more rains

Man drowns in Salalah, body found

have been predicted on Saturday Staff Reporter

FAHAD AL GHADANI

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SAVING LIVES: Rescue operations are on following rains in parts of Oman leading to overflowing wadis. –PACDA/ONA/Supplied pictures

MUSCAT: At least eight people have died and several others are missing after several parts of Oman were hit by heavy rains.

According to a reliable source at the Royal Oman Police (ROP), all the deaths occurred in wadi (valley)-related incidents.

A depression, which had formed in the Arabian Sea, resulted in heavy rains in different parts of the Sultanate, leading to overflowing of wadis. Sad accounts of people drowning and being trapped in vehicles in wadis have emerged after some parts of the Sultanate were hit by a heavy downpour on Thursday and Friday.

Four members of a family, including a mother and her three children, all girls, were washed away in a wadi. In another incident a child got stuck in a vehicle in a wadi in Rustaq and died, according to civil defence officials.

In a separate incident, an Asian national was washed away, along with his vehicle in the wadi Al

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

Maidan on Thursday and was found dead yesterday.

While one person was reported dead in the wadi Al Mamor in Behla, another man was found dead in wadi Ghol in Al Hamra. Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) teams are continuing with their rescue operations in several parts of Oman.

Civil defence officials, as well as citizens, have rescued several people stuck in the wadis.

“It has been a busy weekend for civil defence officials. From the time it started raining, they have been out rescuing people. As citizens and residents, we need to be more responsible. It is important not to have ignored the safety warnings that were issued as soon as the rain was predicted,” said a reliable source from PACDA. Aslam Salim, a Nizwa resident, said heavy rains and strong winds

MUSCAT: A man reportedly drowned at Al Dahariz beach in Salalah on Thursday night, Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance officials tweeted. “On receiving a call, the civil defence officials rushed to the spot. The team recovered the body,” the PACDA tweet said.

had hit Nizwa on Thursday, which had also resulted in widespread loss of property. “Tens of vehicles were washed away by the wadis,” said Salim. “It is best to stay indoors during rains,” he added. PACDA also urged people not to cross the wadis even if the water level is low.

Meanwhile, Oman’s Meteorology (Met) Department has predicted more rains on Saturday in places, such as Muscat, Khasab, Sohar, Nizwa, Ibra, Buraimi, Ibri, Rushtaq, Jabal Shams, Saiq, Sur and Masirah. >A2

FLOURISHING IN THE MOVIE INDUSTRY

Omani women carve a niche for themselves in film world ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Several Omani women have carved out successful careers in the film industry, but there is still remains great untapped potential, said an accomplished member of the Oman Film Society.

People’s attitude towards cinema has changed for the better and Omanis, especially women, are flourishing in the movie industry, said Fatma Al Salmi, a member of the society’s Board of Directors and vice president for Technical Affairs.

Speaking to the Times of Oman on the occasion of Omani Women’s Day, she said the positive change is reflected in the growing number of women on the Board of Directors of the Oman Film Society, which brings together beginners and professionals in the field.

With a Bachelor of Arts in Television Broadcasting and an asso-

ciate Degree in Public Relations, both from the Al Bayan College, Al Salmi became the youngest member to join the society’s Board in 2014 at the age of 23, thus raising the number of female board members to three.

Respect for Women Women have become more ‘active’ and ‘precious’ in various fields and Omani Women’s Day, dedicated

by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, is a time to celebrate their achievements, Al Salmi said, expressing hope to see more active women, particularly in the film industry.

She believes that men and women are equal in Oman as women are getting almost all their rights and appreciated the fact that the Omani society holds women in high respect.

Al Salmi considers making movies a great way to showcase Oman’s culture and traditions to the out-

Volunteering is my life. I like volunteering because it is like giving from your heart and there is no money involved. Some people just like to rest after studying or working, but I like to accomplish things Fatma Al Salmi Member of the Oman Film Society

side world, especially in places where Oman is less known.

Many people are impressed by Oman’s heritage, especially when they come to know more about the country and its friendly and peace-

loving people, said Al Salmi, who directed the first short documentary film about Muscat and won the judges’ prize for production at the Muscat documentary short film competition in 2015.

‘Volunteering’ has been an integral part of Al Salmi’s life and she has gone to great lengths to pursue her passion for contributing to the society in various fields.

“Volunteering is my life. I like

volunteering because it is like giving from your heart and there is no money involved. Some people just like to rest after studying or working, but I like to accomplish things,” she said.

Al Salmi has volunteered and gained experience in many places and events, such as Dar Al Atta’a charity association, the Alrahma Charity team, at the Hope Volunteering Forum, as part of the Shabab Full Option Volunteer team and at the Big Give Competition, as well as many environmentrelated events.

Passion for learning Her enthusiasm for learning is what sets her apart and makes her a role model for all her peers.

Throughout her life, Al Salmi has been seeking to enhance her knowledge and skills by participating in workshops and being involved in varied stints in different places. >A2

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

A welcome escape from the real world

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OMAN

REGION

MARKET

Futaisi signs pact for Tanzania port project

Turkey downs drone, Syrian rebels attacked

Indian group bags Sohar Bitumen deal

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Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport & Communications participated in the signing ceremony of the agreement on construction and development of the Port of Bagamoyo in Tanzania and the laying of the foundation stone of the project. >A2

Turkey shot down a drone in an incident highlighting the dangers of multiple air combat operations over Syria, where government troops and their allies backed by Russian jets have launched an offensive against rebels near Aleppo. The army offensive south of the city, backed by Hezbollah, further expands its counter-attack. >A4

India’s McNally Bharat Engineering Company said its 50:50 special purpose vehicle with Oman’s EMC Group has bagged a $315 million contract from Sohar Bitumen for building its bitumen refinery in Sohar. The bitumen project is linked to the Sohar Refinery Improvement Project. >B1

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

OMAN

People in Attapadi are unaware of effective and modern farming techniques Uma Preman, India’s noted social worker

Futaisi signs pact for Tanzania port project The project would offer investment opportunities to the Omani companies and businessmen

BAGAMOYO: Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport & Communications, participated yesterday in the signing ceremony of the agreement on construction and development of the Port of Bagamoyo in Tanzania.

Jakaya Kikwete, President of Tanzania was also present during the signing of pact and laying of

NEW AVENUES: The investment in project is expected to generate revenues for the Sultanate. – ONA

foundation stone of the project.

The Sultanate, represented by the State General Reserve Fund along with the Government of Tanzania and China Merchants Holdings (International) Group

RESPECT THE AFFECTED

would invest in the construction and development of the Bagamoyo Port Project, which includes the port’s duty free zone.

The investment in the construction and development of the port

and its free economic zone is expected to generate revenues for the Sultanate.

The project would offer investment opportunities to the Omani companies and businessmen along with the expansion in the new African markets and help in the import of raw materials.

The signing ceremony was attended by Said bin Hamdoon Al Harthy, undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport & Communications for Maritime Affairs; Sheikh Yahya bin Abdullah Al Fannah Al Araimi, head of economic affairs sector at the foreign ministry; Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Ruqiashi, the Sultanate’s ambassador to Tanzania; Sheikh Abdullah bin Saleh Al Saadi, the Sultanate’s ambassador to China; Abdulsalam bin Mohammed Al Murshidi, Executive President of the State General Reserve Fund representative of the Ministry of Finance and a number of officials. -ONA

TRIBUTE TO JAGJIT SINGH

Jasvinder regales Muscat audience Times News Service MUSCAT: Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for a younger artiste is to perform as a tribute to a legendary singer.

And when that singer happens to be a world figure, such as the late Jagjit Singh, someone who has come to personify ghazal singing in all its charm and grace, the task can be much more daunting and difficult.

With his solo performance as a tribute to the late Jagjit Singh, ghazal singer from India, Jaswinder Singh proved his mettle with his innate ability to carry forward the best traditions of the genteel art of ghazal singing.

Jasvinder’s “Tribute to the Legend Jagjit Singh” is the first in a series of concerts titled: October Festival, presented by Minara and organised by Light and Shadow Enterprises, featuring worldclass, global fusion musicians, at Stringstruck II on October 17, the heart-stopping Arabian music of

Lebanese singer Aala Zalzali on October 24 and Bollywood singers Amit and Sumit Kumar paying a tribute to their father, the late Kishore Kumar. In all fairness, Jaswinder can be called a worthy disciple of Jagjit Singh.

While his voice lacks the rich, tonal quality, depth and pitch of the late Jagjit Singh, in his style and technique, he does show a rare flair for recreating the old magic of the maestro, with consummate artistry.

Listening to him for a short while, you can’t help but feel that the tribute to the legend is being paid by the right person after all.

Among his first set of ghazals, some of which have become Jagjit Singh’s immortal classics, Jaswinder sang Pyar ka pehla khat likhne mein waqt to lagta hai, Naye parinde ko udhne mein, waqt to lagta hain (Writing the first love letter always takes a lot of time just as a fledging bird takes a lot of time to spread its wings and fly).

W E L FA R E W O R K

Social activist urges NRIs to help uplift underprivileged in India MOBIN MATHEW BLESSON

mobinmathew@timesofoman.com

LIVING WITH DIGNITY: The counselling and psychology departments came together to organise the event at ISM with the motto of raising awareness about the issue and spreading the message among the masses. Photo-Supplied

ISM marks world mental health day to raise awareness Times News Service MUSCAT: Indian School Muscat (ISM) observed the World Mental Health Awareness Day recently.

The theme for the day, which is observed globally by the World Health Organization (WHO), was “Dignity in Mental Health.”

As per the WHO website, the organisation plans to raise awareness this year on what can be done to ensure that people with mental health conditions are able to continue living with dignity with the help of a human rights-oriented policy and laws, training of health professionals, respect for informed consent to treatment, inclusion in decision-making processes, and public information campaigns.

At ISM, the counselling and psychology departments came together to organise the event with the motto of raising awareness about the issue and spreading the message among the masses.

Mental health A detailed message on the theme was read out among all students of the senior, middle and primary sections during the morning assemblies. The school’s public

display systems also streamed messages related to mental health throughout the day.

Promoting mental health Banners displaying the observance of the day were put up at different locations. Stickers with messages promoting mental health and well-being in connection with day-to-day life were also worn by the school’s 9,400-plus students, 500-plus staff members and the visitors, including parents.

Sticker badges, with ten different messages were distributed, which included - “Stop Stressing Start Living, Mind Your Mental Health,” “Love Your Mind, Mind You Mental Health,” “I Will Take Care of My Friends, I Will Ask Them How They Are and Will Keep Them in Cheerful and Healthy Spirits,” “Asking for Help Is A Sign of Strength,” “Say Hello…

Say Hi… Stop Exclusion – We Support Mental Health Awareness,” “Connect, Give, Take Notice, Keep Learning, Be Active,” “Take Care Of Yourself And Everyone Around You,” “Open Your Mind, You Can’t Live A Positive Life With A Negative Mind, So Be Positive,” “Stand Up Against The Stigma” and “Mental Health Begins With Me.”

MUSCAT: Non-resident Indians (NRIs) have been urged to do more for the underprivileged in their home country by noted social worker Uma Preman.

Preman, who runs a charity called the Santhi Medical Information Centre (SMIC) in India, is currently working for the welfare of the tribal community in Attapadi in the Palakkad district of the South Indian state of Kerala.

As part of her welfare work, she has been travelling across Indian and other countries to talk and bring focus on the tribal people, who live in 192 hamlets.

In Oman, she met with NRIs to highlight the plight of the tribals, who are under the grip of poverty, disease and lack basic living standards.

Eighteen years ago, Preman would have never imagined that she would be at the forefront of a movement that is leading light among many kidney patients in South Indian states, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

As the Managing Director of SMIC, a charitable institution founded by Preman in 1997 in Kerala, the organisation now acts as a resource centre for those, who seek medical information, treatment and financial assistance for life threatening ailments.

SMIC also focuses on tribals under the Attapadi Welfare Project started in 2014. At present, SMIC deals with two hamlets in Attapadi: Agali Thazhe Ooru and Kandiyoor.

“We are running the project with the support of a few good hearted people,” Preman said.

Speaking about the areas that need immediate attention in Attapadi, she said, “hygiene and sanitation, health, education, self-sufficiency, agriculture are the core areas to develop.”

According to Preman, tribal homes are built in poor hygiene and sanitation conditions. “A sense of hygiene is lacking among

People have to be made aware about the importance of education, including vocational education

Uma Preman Noted social worker

the people, which makes them vulnerable to contagious diseases,” she said.

SMIC has built 18 toilets for tribal homes in the Agali Thazhe Ooru, where it also spreads hygiene awareness among the residents. Preman and her supporters have also refurbished the houses with good facilities and cleanliness and tried to solve the drinking water problem by establishing a water storage tank and taps.

Affected by disease The residents of Attapadi are also severely affected by several diseases and health problems, such as sickle cell anaemia, infant death due to malnutrition, cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, etc.

To help them, SMIC conducts medical camps and has appointed staff to impart continuous medical support to the people in the area. They have also established a community kitchen to ensure diet-based nutritional food and supplements are distributed among the community. SMIC has also set up a free and subsidized haemodialysis unit at the Kottathara Tribal Speciality Hospital.

OMAN FILM SOCIETY

A1 Awareness on importance of movies

Most active member Since then, she has continued her cooperation with the Oman Film Society and, in 2014, made the honour roll as the most active member. Now that the organisation is making special efforts to raise public awareness about the importance of movies, Al Salmi encourages those interested in the film industry to join the society to make a difference and learn new things.

Dr Khalid Al Zadjali, chairman of the Oman Film Society, has al-

Low cost cultivation suitable for the geographical conditions of Attapadi has been implemented

by SMIC on the available land.

“We are trying to show them a role model of how to cultivate their land with the new techniques,” she said.

Support and generosity SMIC currently helps only two hamlets in the Attapadi, and expects the considerable support and generosity of people to help make this project a successful one. “We are trying our best to transform the tragic life of the tribal community by 2020,” Preman said.

SMIC’s Attapadi welfare project is expected to cost a lot and Preman has sought the help of good people and companies around Oman to help the underprivileged community become self-sufficient and civilized.

She also invited NRIs to invest in agriculture in Attapadi so that the folks there get a job, which they are capable of doing and which will make them selfsufficient. Preman will be here in Muscat until October 17.

WA R N I N G

< FROM

In 2012, Al Salmi joined the Oman Film Society as a volunteer in the public relations department and helped facilitate several tasks during the 7th Muscat International Film Festival.

The organisation is also taking care of the education of the children in the tribal community.

“Children seldom go to school, the people have to be made aware about the importance of education,” Preman said.

“Also, vocational education and training has to be provided among the youth,” she added.

SMIC provides necessary infrastructure facilities for 20 multi-grade learning centres in Attapadi. “We have selected 12 students and send them to the PC Thomas Centre for higher education entrance coaching,” Preman explained.

To make the tribal people self-sufficient, SMIC has also established three units to provide training and guidance for self employment and small-scale undertakings for those who have discontinued education after 18 years of age.

Preman’s SMIC is also planning to introduce productive cultivation techniques for villagers on the land available in the village.

“People in Attapadi are unaware of effective and modern farming techniques,” Preman said.

ways supported young talent and the door is always open for new members, she said.

Various Activities The society is engaged in many activities and is now preparing for the 2016 Muscat International Film Festival, as well as the Omani convoy cinematic stations and Oman Film Meet, which will feature short and long films, documentaries, commercials and animation.

Omani film-makers have been participating in various events outside the country and there are many subjects that need to be covered by film-makers in the Sultanate, said Al Salmi, who has taken part in several international festivals.

A1 Met predicts < FROM

more rains

For the next 24 hours Oman’s Met Department has predicted partly cloudy skies over most of the northern Governorates of the Sultanate, with chances of occasional thundershowers associated with fresh downdraft winds and hail over the governorates of south Al Sharqiya, Muscat, Musandam north Al Sharqiya, Al Dakhilia, north and south Al Batinah, Al Buraimi and Al Dahirah and clear to partly cloudy skies in the Al Wusta and Dhofar governorates.

A statement from the Public Authority for Civil Aviation advised the public to take precautions and stay away from low ly-

ing areas, and to avoid crossing wadis. It also advised fishermen and sea goers to avoid venturing into the sea and keep following weather bulletins.

Rainfall The amounts of rain recorded by the Public authority for Civil Aviation on Thursday at weather stations was pegged at 35mm in Ras Al Hadd, 29mm in Bahla, 24 mm in Saiq, 21mm in Rustaq, 16mm in Sur, 9mm in Yanqul and 8mm in Al Hamra.

Four persons, who got stuck in wadis in Rustaq, were rescued by citizens on Thursday, PACDA revealed.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

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OMAN

More rains predicted in Sultanate

While rains lead to overflowing of wadis in several parts of the Sultanate , Oman’s Meteorology Department has predicted more rains on Saturday in places, such as Muscat, Khasab, Sohar, Nizwa, Ibra, Buraimi, Ibri, Rushtaq, Jabal Shams, Saiq, Sur and Masirah.

Here are some of the images taken from a number of sources including ONA, PACDA, @wolfeye82, Moosa Al Shamsi/Twitter, @ WeatherOman@ONN_1, Bader Nasser @ badershine, Khalil Al Hinai/Twitter

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

REGION

Control of Aleppo, still home to two million people, is divided between the government and rebels.

Friday’s offensive appeared to be aimed at an area south of Aleppo, rather than the city itself.

Turkey shoots down a drone as Syria launches Aleppo assault senior military source in Syria said of the offensive backed by foreign forces, which he said had made some gains on the ground.

“The main core is the Syrian army,” the source said.

Rami Abdulrahman, director of UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said there were heavy clashes near the Jebel Azzan region, about 12km (8 miles) south of Aleppo city.

The area that the army and Russian jets were targeting was close to a main road heading south towards the capital Damascus, Abdulrahman said.

A US official said Washington believed it was of Russian origin, but the Russian defence ministry said all of its planes in Syria had safely returned to base and that all its drones were operating as planned

BEIRUT/ANKARA: Turkey shot down a drone on Friday in an incident highlighting the dangers of multiple air combat operations over Syria, where government troops and their allies backed by Russian jets have launched an offensive against rebels near Aleppo.

The army offensive south of the city further expands its 10-day-old counter-attack in western Syria against insurgents battling to overthrow President Bashar Al Assad.

The army campaign has been coordinated with Russian jets, which began air strikes in support of Assad on September 30, and Syria’s own air force.

Combat missions A US-led coalition of Western and Arab forces has been flying combat missions over Syria for more than a year, while Israeli jets have also struck targets in Syria during the four-year-old civil war.

That has left Syria’s airspace

STRICT VIGIL: A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency shows a Syrian soldier pointing to a road in the northwestern countryside of Hama on Thursday. – AFP/HO/SANA

crowded with warplanes from rival, or even hostile powers, pursuing competing military strategies, heightening the risk of aerial confrontation. Turkey’s military said its jets shot down an unidentified drone in Turkish air space near Syria on Friday.

A US official said Washington believed it was of Russian origin, but the Russian defence ministry said all of its planes in Syria had safely returned to base and that all its drones were operating “as planned”.

NATO said Turkey was investigating where the drone came from.

RISING VIOLENCE

Russia had set up a hotline between a base used by its air force in Syria and the Israeli air force command centre to coordinate on Syria flights.

The ministry also said it had agreed the technical details for an agreement with the United States on flight safety over Syria and a final memorandum would be signed soon. Russia’s air strikes in Syria appear to have struck mainly foreign-backed rebels rather than the IS militants which Moscow say are the target of its campaign.

On Friday, Russian warplanes hit areas in support of the army’s

offensive south of Aleppo, which lies around 35km (20 miles) from the Turkish border.

The assault means the army is now pressing insurgents on several fronts near Syria’s main cities in the west, control of which would secure Assad’s hold on power even if the east of the country is still held by IS. Control of Aleppo, still home to two million people, is divided between the government and rebels.

Friday’s offensive appeared to be aimed at an area south of Aleppo, rather than the city itself.

“This is the promised battle,” a

NAT I O N AT WA R

Palestinians set fire to tomb; Israeli soldier stabbed OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Palestinians set fire to a Jewish shrine in the occupied West Bank and an attacker disguised as a journalist stabbed an Israeli soldier on Friday as tensions ran high after more than two weeks of violence.

Israel’s military said about 100 people converged on the tomb in the Palestinian city of Nablus and set parts of it ablaze before Palestinian security forces arrived and pushed them back.

Hours later, a Palestinian posing as a journalist wounded an Israeli soldier with a knife before being shot dead near the town of Hebron, the Israeli military added.

Reuters television footage showed the Palestinian rolling on the ground and surrounded by Israeli troops after the attack. He was holding a knife and wearing a fluorescent yellow vest over a Tshirt marked “PRESS”.

The foreign press association in Israel and the Palestinian territories said it deplored the attack and called on Palestinian media organisations to verify all staff credentials.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack. He ordered the damage to be repaired and opened an investigation into the arson.

The Turkish military said the aircraft it shot down had continued on its course despite three warnings, in line with Turkey’s rules of engagement. Broadcaster NTV said it had come 3km (2 miles) into Turkish air space.

Turkey has already complained of Russian warplanes violating its air apace along the border with Syria earlier this month.

The Russian Defence Ministry said later on Friday it had established direct contact with the Turkish military to avoid incidents with flights near the border, Interfax news agency reported.

Recaptured The army had recaptured the village of Abtin from rebel fighters, he said, as well as a tank battalion base close to Sabiqiya village. Both villages lie close to Jebel Azzan.

Rebels had hit one army tank with a US-made TOW anti-tank missile.

The military source said the rebel fighters were mainly from the extremist group Ahrar Al Sham and Al Qaeda’s Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, as well as the Suqour Al Sham and Failaq Al Sham insurgent groups.

The head of another rebel brigade, Fursan Al Haq, which is backed by Assad’s foreign opponents and operates under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army, said his fighters had sent more TOW missiles to the Aleppo area to try to stem the attack. “The battle is ongoing, and the resistance is stronger than the attack,” Fares Al Bayoush, told Reuters.

Since Russia launched air strikes in support of Assad, the army has waged offensives against several insurgent-held regions in western Syria, starting with areas of Hama, Idlib and Latakia provinces taken by the rebels over the summer. — Reuters

A statement from his office said Abbas “stressed his rejection of these actions and all actions that violate law and order, and which distort our culture, our morals and our religion”.

Violence also broke out in the Gaza Strip when Palestinians approached the border fence with Israel. They threw stones at soldiers, who opened fire, killing a Palestinian and wounding 27 others, Palestinian medical officials said.

The Israeli military said hundreds of people gathered along the border, some hurling rocks and burning tyres at the fence.

A military spokeswoman said troops “are operating to prevent further escalation of violence using riot dispersal means and firing towards main instigators.”

The unrest has erupted mostly in occupied Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank and is the most serious in years, claiming the lives of 35 Palestinians and seven Israelis.

The Palestinian dead include 11 knife-wielding assailants, police said, as well as children and protesters shot during demonstrations. One man died in Gaza on Friday from wounds sustained in a clash a week ago. The Israelis were killed in random attacks in the street or on buses. — Reuters

Bombing, guns and grenades attack by Al Qaeda rebels kill 12 in western Yemen SANAA: A suspected Al Qaeda suicide bombing, accompanied by an attack with guns and grenades, killed 10 soldiers guarding an intelligence building in the western Yemeni city of Hodaida on Friday, security sources said.

The sources said two of the assailants were also killed.

“Gunmen believed to belong to Al Qaeda attacked the main gate of the political security building with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns after a car bomb driven by a suicide bomber attacked the back gate,” one of the sources said.

Al Qaeda and IS have both gained ground in Yemen, where a war has been raging for the past seven months between a Saudiled military coalition and Houthi militiamen.

The militant groups view the Houthi movement, which controls Hodaida and much of Yemen’s north, as apostates deserving death. But IS has also hit out against the Arab military alliance supporting Yemen’s embattled government.

Series of suicide attacks In a series of suicide bombings on October 6, IS killed 22 people, including several troops from the United Arab Emirates, at the government headquarters in the southern port of Aden and military bases in the city.

Ground fighting and Saudi-

RECOVERED: Explosives kept inside barrels in a seized car that police sources said they suspected of belonging to Al Qaeda, who used them to attack an intelligence building in Yemen’s western city of Hodaida on Friday. – Reuters

led air strikes have killed at least 5,400 people in Yemen’s multisided conflict, which started as a civil war among competing factions.

Jets from a Saudi-led military coalition bombed the house of Yemen’s speaker of parliament on Friday, residents said, as part of a

wave of attacks aimed at influential politicians.

The attack hit the residence of Yahya Al Ra’i in central Dhamar province, leaving him unscathed but killing his son.

Residents of the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa reported around 60 coalition air strikes in

the last two days on military bases and houses belonging to family members of Ali Abdullah Saleh, a former president and important ally of the Houthis.

Five civilians were killed in the bombardment of the capital on Thursday, residents said, including at least two children. — Reuters

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INDIA

UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Supreme Court quashes new rule for appointment of judges NEW DELHI: In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Friday declared as unconstitutional the law brought by the NDA government to replace the over two-decade-old collegium system of judges appointing judges in the higher judiciary.

The apex court, which quashed the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act in an unanimous verdict, also declared as unconstitutional the 99th amendment to the Constitution to bring in the Act to replace the collegium system.

The unanimous verdict quashing the NJAC Act was delivered by a five-judge Constitution bench comprising justices J. S. Khehar, J. Chelameswar M. B. Lokur, Ku-

rian Joseph and A. K. Goel which also rejected the plea of Central government to refer for review to larger bench the 1993 and 1998 verdict of the apex court on the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary.

While four judges held as unconstitutional the 99th amendment of the Constitution, Justice J Chelameswar differed with them and gave his own reasons for upholding its validity.

Justice Khehar, who pronounced the judgment for the bench, said that the system of appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice and judges of the high courts and transfer of judges from one high court to another has been exist-

ing in the Constitution prior to the 99th amendment.

Suggestions The bench also said it was willing to take suggestions for improving the collegium system of appointment of judges and posted the hearing for November 3.

Justice Khehar said each one of us have recorded their reasons and order has been jointly signed.

The five-judge bench had reserved its judgment on July 15 on a bunch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the NJAC Act and the 99th amendment in the Constitution after a marathon hearing for 31 days on the issue.

The petitions challenging the new legislation were filed by Su-

preme Court Advocates on Record Association (SCAORA) and others contending that the new law on the selection and appointment of judges was unconstitutional and aimed at hurting the independence of judiciary.

However, the Centre had defended the introduction of the new law saying that the two-decade-old collegium system where judges appointed judges was not free from defects and got the support of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

The measure was also supported by 20 state governments which had ratified the NJAC Act and the constitutional amendment.

One of the contentious provisions of the new law was the inclusion of two eminent persons to

the NJAC which included Chief Justice of India, two senior most judges of the apex court and the Union Law Minister.

Under the law, two eminent persons will be nominated by a committee consisting of the Chief Justice of India, Prime Minister, and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha or where there is no such LoP, the leader of single largest Opposition Party in the House.

Further, it envisaged that of the two eminent persons, one would be from the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes or OBCs, minority communities or a woman.

As per the Act, the eminent persons shall be nominated for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for re-nomination.

55% voting in second phase of Bihar assembly elections SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

ARTICLE, PHOTOS

An estimated 55 per

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

cent of the electorate cast their votes in 32 constituencies in Maoist-affected districts of Bihar in the second phase of assembly elections which passed off peacefully MAKING A CHOICE: Voters wait in queues to cast their vote during second phase of Bihar elections at

Gaya on Friday. - PTI

PATNA/DELHI: Braving presence of improvised explosive devices in Naxal-hit areas, people in Bihar on Friday came out in large numbers to vote in the second phase of Assembly elections, where the Election Commission used UAVs to keep an eye on troublemakers.

The Cobra units of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) defused two IEDs in Gaya where

polling was on. While one of them weighed 10kg, the other 12kg.

“Despite the presence of IEDs, people came out in large numbers to vote. The incidents did not deter them... it was one of the most peaceful elections in these areas,” Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha, who is in charge of Bihar, told reporters here.

The security forces also detect-

ed what he described as a “cane bomb” which later turned out to be fake. Three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and two helicopters were deployed in the six districts of Kaimur, Rohtas, Arwal, Jahanabad, Aurangabad and Gaya to keep an eye on extremists.

“An air ambulance was also kept on standby,” said Sinha.

An estimated 55 per cent of the

electorate cast their votes in 32 constituencies in Maoist-affected districts of Bihar on Friday in the second phase of assembly elections which passed off peacefully.

More women voters Like the first phase on October 12, Friday’s polling also saw more women voters turning out than the menfolk.

P R E S E N TAT I O N

British MPs charmed by Kerala’s backwaters THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s time-tested Ayurveda and the enchanting backwaters charmed British parliamentarians in a first-time presentation by an Indian state tourism board at Westminster.

Kerala Tourism made the presentation about the state for British MPs at a special meeting held in British Parliament complex on October 11, a press release said here on Friday.

The meeting was led by State Chief Secretary, Jiji Thomson and Tourism Secretary G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, who met the British MPs, including many Indianorigin members of the British Parliament.

Thomson and Rao were in the British capital to take part in the ‘Mayor of London’ event to showcase ‘God’s Own Country’ to a British audience.

The cultural extravaganza, which had ‘Mohiniyattam’, ‘Thiruvathirakali’ and ‘Kathakali’ performances, was held at the iconic Trafalgar Square the same day.

“It was an honour for Kerala to address the British MPs in the

ENCHANTING BEAUTY: Kerala had received 151,497 travellers from the United Kingdom. – Photo: A.R. Rajkumar/Times of Oman

parliament complex,” Thomson said. “The MPs evinced great interest in Kerala and admired our top status on the global tourism map,” he added.

Among those present were Virendra Sharma, Indian-born MP of the West London constituency Ealing, Southall, and Stephen Timms, MP from the suburban East Ham seat.

“We wanted to directly address the British parliamentarians and tell them why the United Kingdom is the biggest tourism market

for Kerala in the world,” Thomson said. Two years ago, the British royal couple, Prince Charles and wife Camilla Parker Bowles, had visited Kerala, watching Kathakali in Kochi and celebrating the 65th birthday of the Prince of Wales at the backwaters resort of Kumarakom.

Last year, Kerala had received 151,497 travellers from the UK. Kerala Tourism’s London visit is aimed at increasing the figure substantially during the ‘Visit Kerala’ year.

The presentation in the British Parliament complex assumed significance because of the many Indian-origin politicians elected to the House of Commons.

“The Indian community members in Britain are the greatest ambassadors of our country,” Thomson said, while inviting them to visit and invest in Kerala’s tourism sector.

The meeting, held in a Parliament conference hall, was also attended by several prominent members of the large Indian diaspora in Britain.”

Kerala is a very enchanting land,” said Ealing MP Sharma, recalling his visit to the state.

Offering his support, he appreciated the efforts of Kerala Tourism in leading an energetic campaign across the world to promote tourism in the state.

Kerala Tourism will take part in the WTM, London, the leading travel and tourism fair in the world attended last year by more than 50,000 participants and 5,000 exhibitors from 186 countries. The WTM 2015 will be held during November 2-5. - PTI

Their turnout has been estimated at 57.5 per cent.

Friday’s polling figure is three per cent higher than the 2010 assembly election in the state, Chief Electoral Officer Ajay V. Nayak told reporters in Patna.

As the second phase of Bihar polls was underway, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday anticipated a victory for Nitish Kumar and claimed that the BJP, led by Narendra Modi, was all set to “badly” lose the elections.

The AAP convenor said that incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will get another shot at power.

Kejriwal has openly endorsed Kumar’s candidature.

“As per my information, Modiji is losing Bihar elections badly. Nitishji is winning the polls,” Kejriwal tweeted.

Kejriwal had extended full support to his Bihar counterpart’s candidature at a conclave organised by the Delhi government in the capital in August. However, he did not campaign for the JD (U) in the ongoing polls. - PTI

The issue of eminent persons on the panel was a major bone of contention between the parties and, on final day of hearing, the bench had differed with the Centre, saying inclusion of laymen in the new system of judicial appointments “cannot work”.

Defending the provision for inclusion of two eminent persons, Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi had said, “If we can have laymen in some other Commissions and Tribunals then why not in the sixmember NJAC.” Noted jurists like Fali Nariman, Anil Divan and Ram Jethmalani were among prominent senior advocates who had argued against the NJAC replacing the collegium system. - PTI V O LU N TA RY U S E

Top court order on Aadhaar a positive step forward: Jaitley NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said the Supreme Court order on Aadhaar is a positive step forward and will encourage voluntary use of the identification number.

The apex court had on Thursday permitted citizens to voluntarily use Aadhaar card for availing benefits under schemes like MGNREGA, Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana and all types of pension schemes and provident fund.

Voluntary use “Supreme Court order permitting voluntary use of Aadhaar is a positive step forward,” Jaitley said in a tweet. Aadhaar, an unique identification number, is used by the government to transfer subsidy directly to the bank account of beneficiaries. The use of Aadhaar helps in checking pilferage.

The Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan too had welcomed the ruling on use of Aadhaar on Thursday, saying that it will help in financial inclusion drive and provide easy access to loans.

Financial inclusion “The Supreme Court ruling on Aadhaar card will be quite helpful, making us use it in banking services. It will make easier for financial inclusion,” Rajan had said. -PTI

A6

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

INDIA

If a question is asked by a citizen there must be some issue in government that the need for question arose.

A small RTI question can force you to change policy Narendra Modi, Prime minister

Secrecy is a thing of past in modern governance: Modi as the Indian society is concerned.

“It has transformed us during the last few decades and particularly in the last decade, from a society that relished in secrecy,” the finance minister said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Right to Information Act has given the common man the right to question those in power and stressed on bringing transparency ‘proactively’

NEW DELHI: Asserting that secrecy has no place in this time and age, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said RTI process should follow ‘3-T’ mantra of timely, transparent and trouble-free access to information to people.

Speaking at the 10th annual Convention of Central Information Commission, Modi noted that Right to Information Act has given the common man the right to question those in power and stressed on bringing transparency “proactively”, saying the faster “we move towards transparency”, the stronger will be the faith of people in democracy.

“The process of accessing in-

ENGROSSED: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the inauguration of the 10th Annual Convention of Central Information Commission, in New Delhi on Friday. - PTI

formation should be transparent, timely and trouble-free. Delayed information does not help to solve the problem but increases it. Timely information can halt a wrong decision. We will emphasize this,” he said.

Stressed Highlighting ambitious Digital India, the prime minister said the scheme is complementary to the spirit of RTI as the more things become online, the more transparency comes in.

He also stressed that RTI should be used to bring improvement in governance.

“If a question is asked by a citizen there must be some issue in government that the need for

question arose. A small RTI question can force you to change policy,” he said.

Modi said the Right To Information Act is a tool through which the common man has got not just the right to know, but also the right to question those in power.

He said there should be trust between the Government and people and it comes through transparency. The prime minister said effort should be to introduce transparency in a proactive manner.

“Why can’t we bring transparency proactively? Why should anyone make effort to get information. The effort of the government should be that citizen should get information easily,” he said.

Talking about introduction of

self-attestation of documents, the Prime Minister said “we have to trust people”.

“Secrecy could have been the norm during some old times but I don’t think there is need of such secrecy now. Transparency brings in simplicity and speed in the working of the government,” he said.

“The awareness of people gives strength to government and not only government, an aware society becomes an asset to the nation.... The process of evolution of RTI Act will continue which will strengthen it,” he said.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion Finance Minister Arun Jaitley termed the RTI Act as an “exemplary law” which has been “a very successful experience” as far

‘Exemplary law’ Jaitley said the administrators of the RTI Act will have to use their discretion whether the Act is being used for empowerment, to avoid harassment, for the benefit of the common man or is it being used by busy bodies for collateral purpose.

Jaitley said the administrators will have to do a balancing act between “strengthening the exercise of this Right and preventing possible abuse in the implementation of this particular legislation.” “...whatever be the evolution which takes place either by the virtue of case law being developed by superior courts or further improvements by legislative intervention, I think our wisdom will certainly prevail and this Act will certainly continue to grow and mature,” he said.

Jaitley said every time a decision is now taken, one of the constraints in the mind of the decision-maker is that there is a possibility that this decision would eventually become public.

There is further possibility that this decision then would be questioned and therefore the decision must speak out for its own case.

The finance minister also said the role of technology in furnishing information can make it cost effective and “less time consuming”. - PTI

EXCESS LEAD

Maggi clears all Bombay High Court mandated laboratory tests NEW DELHI: Nestle India on Friday said all samples of Maggi have cleared tests conducted by three laboratories, as mandated

by Bombay High Court, paving the way for the instant noodles brand to be back in the market after it was banned over the presence of excess lead.

The company said it will now commence manufacturing and will sell “only after the newly manufactured products are also cleared by the designated three laboratories”.

“We have received test results from all three laboratories mandated by the Hon’ble Bombay High Court to test Maggi Noodles samples. All the 90 samples, covering six variants, tested by these laboratories are clear with lead much below the permissible limits,” Nestle India said in a statement.

The company, which had earlier said it was planning to bring back the Maggi noodles in the market by this year end, further said that it is committed to reintroducing Maggi noodles “at the earliest”.

Challenged ban Nestle India had challenged the ban by FSSAI in the Bombay High Court. In August, the court lifted the nation-wide ban imposed by the Indian food regulators on Maggi noodles but ordered a fresh test of samples of the product in three independent labs across India.

A division bench comprising Justices V M Kanade and B P Colabawalla also set aside the June 5 order of the Central government’s Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). - PTI

D A D R I LY N C H I N G

Political row over Haryana chief minister’s comment on Muslims CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI: A political row erupted on Friday over Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s reported comments that Muslims can live in the country but will have to give up eating beef with Congress calling it unconstitutional and a “sad day” for India’s democracy.

As the remarks sparked an outrage, BJP dissociated itself from Khattar’s views, calling it “wrong” and asserted this was not the party’s stand while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded sacking of the chief minister.

Khattar on his part sought to do damage control, saying his words have been distorted but he was ready to express regret if he has hurt the sentiments of people.

Damage control “My words have been distorted.

I never made such a statement.

But if the sentiments of anyone have been hurt with my words, I am ready to express my regret,” Khattar said.

The Chief Minister’s Advisor Jawahar Yadav said that Khattar never made such a statement in the interview given to Indian Express. “The chief minister has himself denied that he made such a statement. He did not say what has been published by a newspaper,” he said.

The newspaper later released an audio tape of Khattar’s interview in which he’s heard making the controversial statement.

In the interview carried by the newspaper, Khattar had said, “Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef” because “cow is an article of faith here”.

My words have been distorted. I never made such a statement. But if the sentiments of anyone have been hurt with my words, I am ready to express my regret Manohar Lal Khattar Haryana chief minister

Coming close on the heels of controversial statements made by a few BJP leaders over the lynching of a Muslim by villagers in Dadri over rumours that he had eaten and stored beef, Khattar’s reported comments invited a backlash from the opposition parties.

“Sad day for India’s democracy!

CM Khattarji will now decide qualifications for Indian citizenship. Is this new model of governance Modiji?” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked, taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav attacked BJP, saying its leaders keep taunting Muslims and ask them to go to Pakistan but

what will they do with people in northeast where beef is eaten?

Diverse country “They will have to understand that India is not Europe or China.

It is a diverse country,” he said.

Another Congress leader Rashid Alvi said Khattar’s comments were unconstitutional and he had no right to continue as the chief minister.

“The views expressed by Khattar are not that of the party. I will talk to him and will advise him. It is wrong to say like that,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, adding that it is not correct to link anyone’s eating habits to religion.

“This is not the BJP’s position....

It is not correct to link eating habits to religion. People have to keep in mind the sentiments of others and eating is a personal choice of people,” he said. Jawahar Yadav said the chief minister has himself denied that he made such a statement.

“He did not say what has been published by a newspaper. The CM has said cow is a subject of faith for crores (tens of millions) of people in the country. Khattar had given an example of his recent visit to Mewat where Gau Shalas are being run by Muslims and where some people expressed views that Muslims should avoid eating beef,” he said. - PTI

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

A7

PAKISTAN G L O B A L W E A LT H R E P O R T

SEARCH OPERATION Police officials hold a press conference beside recovered suicide vests in Peshawar on Friday. Police recovered at least six suicide vests from a private school during a search operation on the outskirts of Peshawar. - AFP

Pakistan has 18th largest ‘middle class’ in the world KARACHI: Pakistan’s middle class consists of over 6.27 million people, according to Credit Suisse, a global financial services company.

In its Global Wealth Report 2015 released on October 13, Credit Suisse said Pakistan has the 18th largest middle class worldwide.

The study revealed that 14 per cent of world adults constituted the middle class in 2015 and held 32 per cent of world wealth.

The share of middle-class adults in Pakistan’s total adult population of 111 million was 5.7 per cent in 2015 as opposed to India’s 3 per cent and Australia’s 66 per cent in 2015.

Middle-class Pakistani adults constituted 0.9 per cent of the worldwide middle-class population. The highest concentration of middle-class population in 2015 was in China (108.7 million), followed by the United States (91.8 million) and Japan (62 million).

Economic corridor work progressing fast: Nawaz Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said

Transparency is the hallmark of our government’s projects and we are spending public money with utmost honesty

although it took almost two years to sort it out but now China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is fast progressing

Nawaz Sharif Prime Minister JHANG: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif claimed on Friday that work on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is being carried out swiftly and it will soon be completed.

“Although it took almost two years to sort it out but now CPEC is fast progressing,” Nawaz said while addressing a gathering in Haveli Bahadur Shah near Jhang.

The premier’s statement came after a ground-breaking ceremony

of a 1,230MW gas power project.

The prime minister informed the participants of the gathering that the LNG power project is one of the three power projects which will be completed by 2017 and will save Rs37 billion in the next thirty years.

“Transparency is the hallmark of our government’s projects and we are spending public money

with utmost honesty,” Nawaz said, claiming that the three projects will save around Rs570 billion in total. While Nawaz hailed the Islamabad High Court’s decision to set aside the Election Commission of Pakistan’s earlier order to stop parts of the National Kissan Relief Package, he also announced reduction in the price of fertilisers such

as DAP, Nitro-phos and Urea to aide farmers.

“Now that the IHC’s verdict has been announced we will not waste any more time in providing relief to our farmers,” he said, announcing Rs500, Rs218 and Rs150 price cut on DAP, Nitro-phos and Urea respectively. The premier went on to say that the government is working on a number of projects in the country, including wind, gas and water-based projects.

“Load shedding is the main reason of most of our country’s problems and we are working to address this issue with utmost sincerity,” he said.

However, Nawaz lamented that some people are still criticising the government’s efforts.

Regarding Karachi, the prime minister claimed that peace and prosperity has returned to the city, adding that trade activities and industries are now thriving.

Meanwhile, China has called for better security provision for its workers engaged in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion dollars project aimed at starting new economic opportunities in the South Asian region. - Express Tribune

KARACHI

Tight security for Muharram amid terror threat KARACHI: Law enforcement agencies claim to have undertaken special security measures for the month of Muharram, in the wake of rising incidents of sectarian violence in the port city.

In 2015 alone, at least 86 people have been killed in incidents of violence believed to be motivated by sectarian strife.

One of the most devastating attacks on minority community in the city’s history was the Safoora Goth bus carnage, when gunmen boarded a bus transporting members of the Ismaili community and shot dead 45 people, leaving another six injured.

An internal reported prepared by intelligence agencies, which was later dispatched to the law enforcement agencies, states that the

Karachi operation has brought a noticeable change in the city, with a marked improvement in law and order and a decrease in all manifestations of violence or crime.

Nevertheless, much more efforts are required to eradicate sectarian and religion-motived violence, plaguing the metropolis for about three decades, stated the report.

The report goes on to identify Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Mehdi Force, affiliates of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jundullah, Al Qaeda and a foreign militant organisation that are active in Karachi.

Though the spokesperson for the Sindh police has denied the existence of any such list, the report, a copy of which is avail-

able with The Express Tribune states that the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) works in close coordination with the TTP and the proscribed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) to target members of the minority sect.

The organisation was involved in some of the worst sectarian attacks in Karachi. Sleeper cells of the outfit are still in a position to carry out terrorist activities in the city.

The report states that they are SMP and Mehdi Force are involved in the targeted killings of their rivals but have surprisingly never remained in the requisite focus of the law enforcement agencies. Consequently, their networks are lesser known.

The report also notes that most activists of the SMP and Mehdi

Force also work for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Besides, the Jafferia Disaster Cell (JDC) is also suspected of financing their activities.

Hardcore activists of these organisations may resurface in case of any activity on the part of their rivals or on the direction of their handlers. The report also shares details of the known commanders and members of different factions of the TTP. It also points out the presence of a ‘Foreign Militant Organisation’ (an apparent reference to the IS), warning that the said organisation has successfully penetrated the extremist elements and educated youth of Karachi through the Internet or social media. - Express Tribune

Defining ‘middle class’ Economists use a variety of methods, such as income and standard of living, to define what constitutes the middle class.

Credit Suisse uses the measure of ‘personal wealth’ – or a ‘wealth band’ instead of an ‘income range’ – to determine the size and wealth of the middle class around the world.

Taking the United States as the benchmark country, Credit Suisse considers an adult to be part of the middle class if they have wealth between $50,000 and $500,000 valued at mid2015 prices.

Credit Suisse came up with the minimum and maximum figures for the US middle-class wealth band based on its median earnings and the amount of capital a person close to retirement age needs to purchase an annuity paying the median wage for the remainder of their life.

For the rest of the countries, Credit Suisse uses the IMF series of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) values to derive equivalent middle-class wealth bounds in local terms.

Being a lower per-capita country, Pakistan has lower prices and consequently a reduced middleclass threshold.

To be a member of the middle class in 2015, according to Credit Suisse, a Pakistani adult must have wealth of at least $14,413.

In terms of the local currency that buys one dollar for Rs104 these days, a Pakistani adult

The share of Pakistani adults with wealth between $10,000 and $100,000 in 2015 was 9.8 per cent while only 0.1 per cent adults owned wealth in the range of $100,000 and $1 million

should be considered part of the middle class if they have wealth of between Rs1.5 million and Rs15 million.

With $14,413, Pakistan has the third lowest “middle-class lower bound wealth” for 2015, followed by India ($13,662) and Ukraine ($11,258).

This suggests Pakistan has lower prices in general, which enables people to join the middle class by crossing a relatively lower threshold of wealth band.

According to Credit Suisse, total wealth in Pakistan amounted to $495 billion in 2015.

Given that the figure stood at $170 billion in 2000, total wealth in Pakistan has increased at an annualised rate of 7.4 per cent for the last 15 years.

Total wealth of the world increased on average by 5.2 per cent annually over the same 15-year period, the report shows.

Share of wealth A little more than 90 per cent Pakistani adults had wealth less than $10,000 in 2015.

The share of Pakistani adults with wealth between $10,000 and $100,000 in 2015 was 9.8 per cent while only 0.1 per cent adults owned wealth in the range of $100,000 and $1 million, the report revealed. - Express Tribune

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Clarity needed on role of US in Afghan war

Location: Muttrah/Photo: Tyrone Usana

hy is US in Afghanistan, again? President Obama says he knows. “We have clarity about what our mission is,” he declared on Thursday as he announced that a few more US troops would stay there a little longer than anticipated. I hope that’s true -- and that he shares his vision soon.

Because the original point of invading the world’s most unfortunate country was to depose the Taliban government and render Al Qaeda impotent to attack the West. Missions accomplished -- in 2002.

At this point Obama would do well to offer a comprehensive explanation of why he thinks the US needs to continue the mission.

And there are good reasons. But when it comes to Afghanistan the head fights the heart.

The argument to maintain or even increase the force relies largely on less tangible considerations: A debt to the people of Afghanistan after 14 years of warfare; hope that a US- friendly, somewhat democratic state can have a beneficial effect on the region; a loathing of the Taliban’s desire to take the country back a millennium,destroying a rich cultural legacy and the educated class, imposing persecution and vindictive, bloodthirsty justice. Making that case persuasively, though, requires an honest accounting of the strong arguments for a full withdrawal. Here are three of the most powerful ones.

The future of Afghanistan is not going to be decided on the battlefield. For years, we have believed that the Taliban’s strategy has been to wait for the US to leave before truly challenging the Kabul government. The harsh uptick in attacks in recent months shows that day of reckoning is approaching.

Keeping a dwindling force makes American casualties more likely.

The Afghan military has proven hopeless at taking responsibility for national security, most recently running away from the fight for Kunduz. American success at training competent forces in places like Colombia and Somalia hasn’t been transferable to Afghanistan. That’s because the continued presence of American combat troops made Afghans think the US would hang around to protect them.

This is an argument for removing all Americans except those directly involved in training, and limiting them to the relative safety of military facilities.

Reconciliation talks are almost certain to fail.

Whether the Afghan military is able to reach maturity or not, many feel the most promising course

of action still would be encouraging negotiations between the Kabul government and Taliban leadership. The latter, in fact, sent out feelers this week about re-starting the talks that broke off after the death of Taliban founder Mullah Omar was announced this summer.

While the hope for a peaceful resolution is an argument for keeping more US troops present, as leverage to bring the Taliban to the table and force concessions, a rational approach dictates that this is wishful thinking. One of the few bright spots in Afghanistan has been the ability of President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah to put a contested election behind them and form a unity government with popular legitimacy. There is no way the Taliban, to whom democracy is anathema, can be integrated into this system, no matter how decentralised federal power becomes.

A more practical avenue is to pull out all US forces and give the Taliban a de facto state in its southern heartland. It’s a depressing prospect: dignifying Osama bin Laden’s enablers and abandoning Afghans to rulers who hate polio vaccines, paved roads and modernity itself. But Afghanistan has historically functioned best as a loose confederation of tribes and city states, and as a way of forging an uneasy peace, dividing the state has more promise than fantasies of democratic compromise. If that’s the endgame, why continue to risk US and Afghan lives securing those provinces?

Taliban control wouldn’t create a cradle of terrorism. The US doesn’t even technically consider the Taliban to be a “terrorist group.” Its alliance with bin Laden ended in disaster, and most of the Taliban’s interactions with extremist terrorists since being ousted from power after the attacks of September 11, 2001, have been with local groups such as the Haqqani network.

Now it’s up to Obama to make a convincing case that those hard truths are outweighed by other considerations of US interests. If he can’t, it will be hard to avoid suspicion that slowing the drawdown of US forces is meant to do little more than save presidential face -- delaying the collapse of Afghanistan until somebody else moves into the White House. It’s hard not to be cynical.

Those of us who favour keeping US troops in Afghanistan and those who feel it is a waste of lives and money deserve the same thing: Presidential clarity. Tell us what, exactly, we still hope to accomplish. - Bloomberg View

READERS’ FORUM Need to probe US claims of collateral damage This refers to the online story, MH17 crash report shows no side was innocent (October 15). The report released by the Dutch Safety Board is uncertain who is to be blamed for this unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of almost 300 people. When such an incident happens in a conflict zone it is difficult to evaluate the root cause.

The report has been released more than a year after the incident but only raises the concern of the families. By using innovative technology, it should not have been difficult to find out the origin of the attack that brought the civilian plane down with hundreds onboard.

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

Niceness is absolutely central to a feminine character, one that is ideally accommodating, diplomatic, uncomplicated and submissive. Leave the slugs and snails and puppy dogs’ tails, the ugliness of wage disputes and the dirty arena of politics to the boys bit.ly/jenniferlawrencelearns

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES OCTOBER 2000 Ma’amari meets UK sports minister MUSCAT: Sheikh Mohammed bin Mahroon Al Ma’amari, president of the General Organisation for Youth, Sports and Cultural Activities, who is on a visit to the United Kingdom, has met the British minister for sports. They held talks on promoting Oman-UK cooperation in the fields of sports and youths.

PICTOGRAPH

EXPORTS OF GOODS AND SERVICES IN GCC % of GDP, 2001-2012 2009

2010

2011

2012

Bahrain

68.5

69.5

79.0

74.3

Kuwait

59.5

66.7

73.2

74.7

OMAN

50.6

57.1

68.7

63.6

Qatar

51.4

60.0

71.7

75.6

Saudi Arabia

47.1

49.7

56.2

54.4

UAE

79.7

78.8

90.6

97.9

Pietersen excluded because of origin not about performance This refers to the online story, I should not have been England captain, says Pietersen (October 16). If what Kevin Pietersen is saying about being forced into captaincy; then the English cricket board has no justification to not select him. In my opinion, the reason behind this is that the exclusion is more about him not being an English but a South African — Robin Stuart, Muscat

Boon for music lovers This refers to the online story, Cost-effective music studio in Oman soon (October 15). This is very good news for music lovers in the Sultanate. It is hoped Ronnie Matthew Manappallil will continue to teach for the benefit of students. — Nadia Hassan, Muscat

TODAY IN HISTORY

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

1793: Queen Marie Antoinette is beheaded by guillotine during the French Revolution.

1908: The first airplane flight in England is made at Farnsborough,

by Samuel Cody, a US citizen.

1940: Benjamin O Davis becomes the US Army’s first African American Brigadier General.

1995: Skye Bridge opens over Loch Alsh, Scotland

Source: The World Bank

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WORLD

China seeks to hold naval drills with Asean nations Media reports say the United States has decided to conduct freedom-of-navigation operations inside 12 nautical-mile limits that China claims around islands built on reefs in the Spratly archipelago.

Chinese defence minister said he is willing to hold joint exercises with ASEAN nations next year in the South China Sea on rules about accidental encounters at sea

BEIJING: China’s defence minister said on Friday that he is willing to hold joint drills in the disputed South China Sea with Southeast Asian countries, covering accidental encounters and search and rescue, striking a conciliatory tone over an increasingly tense spat.

China’s relations with several Southeast Asian countries, especially the Philippines and Vietnam, have been strained over Beijing’s increasingly assertive tone in pushing territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea. Trade China has overlapping claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne WHO REPORT

Two new Ebola cases in Guinea GENEVA: Two people have fallen ill with Ebola in Guinea after two weeks with no new confirmed cases of the disease in West Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a UN briefing in Geneva that one case was in Forecariah, western Guinea, and appeared to be linked to a previously known chain of infection, while the other was in the capital Conakry.

Ebola transmission is considered to be over once a locality has gone 42 days without a new case of the disease. The other two countries that were worst hit by the epidemic were Liberia, which was declared transmission free on September 3, and Sierra Leone, which is counting down another 22 days until it is clear.

“On the bumpy road we keep talking about, the high risk of recurrence, once again we are navigating a few bumps,” WHO spokeswoman said. — Reuters

INFORMAL SUMMIT: Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan, fourth right, claps next to his counterparts from South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the China-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Beijing, China, on Friday. – Reuters

trade passes every year.

Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan told his counterparts from all 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the start of an informal summit in Beijing that all parties needed to push for the “correct” development of ties.

Chang said the biggest common need was to maintain stability.

In a statement carried by the Defence Ministry on its microblog, Chang was cited as saying that all sides should man-

age and control the risks from their disputes.

China is willing to hold joint exercises with ASEAN nations next year in the South China Sea on rules about accidental encounters at sea, search and rescue, and disaster relief, the statement added, without providing further details.

China stepped up the creation of artificial islands in the South China Sea last year, drawing strong criticism from Washington. The Philippines welcomed the possibility of joint naval drills

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with China, especially if they provide an opportunity to verify that China’s man-made islands in the South China Sea have no military purpose, a senior naval commander told Reuters.

“That’s a good idea, we welcome that proposal,” the commander said, declining to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

“It would be good if China will open its artificial islands, allow us to dock there and visit these islands.”

Violations China denies it has militarised the South China Sea, saying construction work is mostly for civilian purposes, and has warned that Beijing would not stand for violations of its territorial waters in the name of freedom of navigation.

The United States says, under international law, that building up artificial islands on previously submerged reefs does not entitle a country to claim a territorial limit and that it is vital to maintain freedom of navigation.

Chang, speaking in front of reporters, said there were other areas to work together on, too.

“At present the regional situation is generally stable, but there are obvious downward economic pressures and non-traditional security challenges are increasing,” he said, pointing to the threat from terror groups.

“Forces from outside the region are using the Internet, social media and other means to carry out incitements against countries in this region, threatening social stability,” Chang said, without elaborating. China says it faces a threat from militants in its far western region of Xinjiang, who it says often use the Internet to spread propaganda, link up with groups outside of China and encourage attacks. — Reuters

THE PHILIPPINES

Record high Filipinos register to run for president MANILA: Commission on Elections, elections agency of the Philippines, said a record 130 Filipinos registered as candidates to succeed Benigno Aquino as Philippine president in next year’s general election by Friday’s deadline.

A man who registered his name as Lucifer, a woman who heard voices from heaven and commanded her to run for public office and another who claimed to be an extraterrestrial ambassador are among the hopefuls.

“This is a symbol or a representative of a vibrant democracy, where more people feel empowered to cast their vote, and to put themselves forward as candidates,” said James Jimenez, spokesman for the Commission on Elections.

“We are giving people the opportunity to file their candidacies, but we reserve the right to really cut (the number) down to those with a reasonable expectation of victory.”

In the 2010 presidential election, 99 people registered to run for president but only 10 people were allowed to compete. Aquino, only son of democracy icons Benigno Senior and Corazon, won with 42 per cent of the votes.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who ran twice and lost in 1992 and 1998, was among the last to register.

Meanwhile, a report said that a typhoon was heading straight for the main Philippine island of Luzon on Friday, prompting storm alerts in nearly 20 provinces and placing army and police units on standby. — Reuters

F R O M C A R E E R S T O FA R M I N G

Thai military to launch rural education plan BANGKOK: Thailand’s junta will send soldiers to rural areas to educate villagers on topics from careers to farming, a junta spokesman said on Friday, but critics say the scheme is a thinly veiled attempt to re-educate dissenters.

The plan will see troops offering advice to villagers, said Colonel Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the junta, or National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), but it is mostly aimed at telling villagers “the truth” about military rule.

“The NCPO will send soldiers to every village to create understanding so that villagers are not listening to information that is different from the truth,” Winthai told Reuters.

“In terms of farming, if there is not enough water, we might ask them to stop farming or switch to another crop.”

Thailand has been locked in an information war since the army took power last year with official news from the junta and allegations of rights abuses against those who do not adhere to the official line.

AMBITIOUS PLAN: Thai police officers present their rifles during National Police Day in Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat. The rural education plan will see troops offering advice to villagers, said Colonel Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the junta, or National Council for Peace and Order. – AFP

The military set up so-called “reconciliation centres” across the country aimed at healing a decade of political division shortly after taking power in a May 2014

coup. It has said elections are likely in 2017, though the date keeps getting pushed back.

The centres, many of which are still running more than a year

after the coup, mostly targeted the northeast, a stronghold of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Since the army toppled Thaksin in 2006, Thailand

has been sharply divided between his supporters in the north and northeast and the traditional establishment, dominated by the royalist military, in the capital and the south.

Thaksin’s sister, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was ordered by a court to step down days before the 2014 coup after she was found guilty of abuse of power.

The junta has since stifled dissent, barring political discussions and debate.

Winthai denied allegations that the rural education plan was an attempt to re-educate villagers.

“This is about genuinely helping farmers and others who might need advice,” he said. “We also want them to understand the work that the NCPO does and what our roadmap to democracy is.”

Sunai Phasuk, Thailand researcher at Human Rights Watch, said junta members saw themselves as guardians of the country.

“And they see the country falling apart as a result of western democracy,” he said. — Reuters

S U P P LY I N G TA R G E T S F O R I S

Malaysian police arrest man for hacking US security data KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has arrested a man on charges of hacking into the personal information of more than a thousand US security officials and handing the database to the IS militant group in Syria so it could target the individuals.

The 20-year-old from Kosovo, who entered Malaysia in August 2014 to study computer science and forensics at a private institute in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, will be extradited to the United

States, police said in a statement on Thursday night.

Investigation “Early investigation found the suspect communicated with one of the right hand man (leader) of IS terrorist group in Syria to hack a few servers containing information and details of US security personnel and team,” Malaysian police said.

“The details were then trans-

ferred to the operation unit of the IS group for further action.”

The US Justice Department said the man, Ardit Ferizi, a citizen of Kosovo and a known hacker, had been charged with hacking the personal information of 1,351 US military personnel and federal employees and supporting IS. Ferizi, believed to be the leader of a Kosovar internet hacking group called Kosova Hacker’s Security (KHS), hacked the com-

puter system of a US company and stole the personal identification information (PII) of thousands of individuals, the department said in a statement on its website on Thursday.

Between June and August 2015 Ferizi allegedly provided the PII to an IS member, who in turn posted a tweet titled “NEW: US Military AND Government HACKED by the IS Hacking Division!” which contained a hyperlink to a 30-page

document. The document said in part: “we are in your emails and computer systems, watching and recording your every move, we have your names and addresses.”

It said that information would be passed on to IS fighters “who soon will strike at your necks in your own lands!”

The US Justice Department statement said: “This posting was intended to provide IS supporters in the United States and elsewhere

with the PII belonging to the listed government employees for the purpose of encouraging terrorist attacks against those individuals.”

Although Malaysia has not seen any significant militant attacks, it has arrested more than 100 citizens this year on suspicion of links to IS. Authorities are cracking down on people with IS links and have so far identified several Malaysians who have gone to Syria and Iraq to join the group. — Reuters

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

WORLD

WARF declined to provide any of its staff to be interviewed for this article, citing the ongoing trial. Apple also declined to comment.

US troops withdrawal delay can’t save war, says Taliban The Afghan militants said the forces would not be enough to halt its advance

KABUL: Taliban on Friday brushed aside a US decision to delay withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, saying it would do nothing to save an “unwinnable war” and promising to step up its campaign against the Westernbacked government in Kabul.

President Barack Obama’s decision to drop plans for a radical reduction in US forces next year was greeted with relief by the administration in Kabul, which had feared being abandoned by its most powerful ally.

Afghan forces, who took over from international troops after NATO ended most combat operations last year, have struggled to contain the spreading insurgency and remain dependent on allies for air and logistical support.

The US will maintain a 9,800-strong force for most of next year, and instead of reducing it to a token presence based around the fortified US embassy in Kabul, will keep 5,500 troops from 2017 for training and counter-terrorism operations.

The Taliban, which showed its growing strength last month by seizing the key northern city of Kunduz and holding it for three days, said the forces would not be enough to halt its advance.

“Maintaining American troops in Afghanistan can in no way slow down the rapid process of our Jihad and struggle,” the militant group said in a statement that promised further attacks on US troops and installations.

FIRST INCIDENT

Afghan migrant trying to enter Bulgaria shot SOFIA: An Afghan asylum seeker was fatally wounded by Bulgarian border police when a warning shot ricocheted, Bulgarian officials said on Friday, in what the United Nations said was the first incident of its kind in the current migration crisis.

The man was travelling with a large group of refugees from Afghanistan when confronted late on Thursday by a police patrol near the southeastern Bulgarian town of Sredets.

“We, at UNHCR, are deeply shocked by this incident,” said Boris Cheshirkov, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency.

“We deplore the death of an Afghan asylum seeker, trying to reach safety across the border. We call on the Bulgarian authorities to conduct an immediate, transparent and independent investigation.

Seeking asylum is an universal human right and not a crime.”

Bulgarian prosecutors are investigating the incident. — Reuters

TOKEN PRESENCE: A US army special forces soldier takes cover in the Balakino Bazar neighbourhood of the Afghan town of Marjah.

Kabul welcomed the US decision to keep thousands of troops in Afghanistan past 2016,. – AFP files

“If the invaders lost the war in Afghanistan with the presence of hundreds of thousands of troops, their hopes of reversing the tide with five thousand troops are also misguided,” it added.

US fears over the growing influence of the ultra-radical IS militant group in Afghanistan, as well as concerns that denying support to President Ashraf Ghani would risk the rapid collapse of his government, prompted Obama to drop a promise to pull troops out before his presidency ends in January 2017.

But there was no word on what political solution may be possible to end a 14-year conflict.

One militant commander close to the Taliban’s leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour said Obama’s

move destroyed any hope of a revival in the stalled peace process.

“It means they aren’t sincere about a peaceful solution to the Afghan crisis,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“It’s a joke. They will have to leave Afghanistan, but they will damage the peace process through these tactics,” he said.

Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, said Afghan troops needed more support, but he added: “The war cannot be won, otherwise 140,000 US and other troops should have won it. Conclusion?

The solution must be political.”

Ghani’s national unity government with Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah has come under growing strain in the crisis, par-

ticularly in the wake of the fall of Kunduz and ongoing attacks in the capital Kabul.

For some Afghans, Obama’s move was welcome.

“As the war continues all over Afghanistan, the presence of US troops is hugely needed and they should stay here,” said Kabul resident Haji Fahim.

But there was little optimism among Western analysts and diplomats that the troop contingent would do much to reverse a deteriorating situation, given the lack of a peace process.

Without talks involving neighbouring powers including Pakistan and a sustained assault on corruption which has blighted government, there would be no lasting stability, said Afzal

Ashraf, a consultant fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

Afghan security forces, theoretically numbering almost 350,000, have suffered heavy combat losses and desertions and still need their international allies.

US military support for the Afghan army has been in the spotlight following a deadly US air strike on a hospital in Kunduz run by medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, prompting calls for tighter controls over such attacks.

The Taliban’s ability to strike outside its main heartlands in the south and east of the country was amply demonstrated by its success in Kunduz, a region where it has traditionally not been strong.— Reuters

POVERTY

Africa’s poor grow by 100m since 1990 JOHANNESBURG: The number of Africans trapped in poverty has surged by around 100 million over the past quarter century, the World Bank said on Friday, despite years of economic growth and multimillion dollar aid programmes.

The report’s figures, described as “staggering” by the bank’s Africa head Makhtar Diop, showed widespread malnutrition, and rising violence against civilians, particularly in central regions and the Horn of Africa.

“It is projected that the world’s extreme poor will be increasingly concentrated in Africa,” Diop added in a foreword.

A surge in population meant the proportion of Africans in poverty had actually fallen since 1990, but the actual numbers were up.

In a major study of households taking stock of African economies and societies after two decades of relatively strong growth, the Bank said 388 million - 43 per cent of the sub-Saharan region’s 900 million people - lived on less than $1.90 a day. In 1990, at the start of the study period, the ratio was 56 per cent, or 284 million.

The findings present a mixed bag for countries that, on average, enjoyed economic growth of 4.5 per cent over the last two decades, dubbed the era of ‘Africa Rising’ in contrast to the post-independence stagnation, war and decay that typified the 1970s and 1980s.

A child born in Africa now is likely to live more than six years longer than one born in 1995, the study found, while adult literacy rates over the same period have risen 4 percentage points.

However, the Bank defined Africa’s social achievements as “low in all domains” - for instance, tolerance of domestic violence in Africa is twice as high as other developing regions - and noted that the rates of improvement were levelling off.

“Despite the increase in school enrolment, today more than two out of five adults are unable to read or write,” the report said. — Reuters

REFUGEE CRISIS

EU woke up late on migrants crisis: Erdogan ISTANBUL: President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday the European Union had woken up too late to Turkey’s importance in stemming the flow of refugees from Syria and accused it of insincerity in talks on Turkish membership despite its recent overtures.

A spokesman for the ruling AK Party meanwhile said there was no conclusive agreement yet on a possible 3 billion euro ($3.4 billion) EU aid offer, which European leaders said overnight they had agreed with Erdogan under a migration “action plan”, and that negotiations were continuing.

Erdogan made clear Turkey would not roll over easily on the issue, arguing that his nation’s proximity to Syria and its key role in handling the refugee crisis had strengthened its case for EU membership. “The West and Europe’s security and stability is contingent on our security and stability. They have accepted this now. In the talks I held in Brussels last week they accepted all this.

It can’t happen without Turkey,” Erdogan told a conference in Is-

CAUSE FOR DIVISION: An elderly woman is pictured after arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey, on Thursday. – AFP

tanbul on gender equality. “So if it can’t happen without Turkey, why don’t you take Turkey into the EU? The problem is clear but they are not open. They are not clear. They say ‘We made a mistake on NATO, let’s not make the same mistake on the EU’. That is the problem,” he said.

The action plan aims for greater

cooperation with Turkey, a NATO member which has a 900 km (560-mile) border with Syria, on improving the lives of the more than 2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey and on encouraging them to stay put.

Though the plan put no figure on “substantial and concrete new funds” the EU would offer, Ger-

man Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will meet Erdogan in Istanbul on Sunday, said the figure of 3 billion euros, which EU officials said Ankara had requested, had been discussed and seemed reasonable.

“We have spent $8 billion until now. How much support did the world give us? $417 million,” said Erdogan, a pugnacious leader whose opponents accuse him of growing authoritarianism and whose relations with Europe have been increasingly turbulent.

Erdogan said Europe had only woken up to the scale of Syria’s refugee crisis when pictures of the tiny body of 3-year old Aylan Kurdi, whose family was trying to reach Europe, washed up on a beach near the Turkish resort of Bodrum last month. “When that toddler Aylan washed up on the Bodrum shores, they started using that photo on the front of their magazines and started questioning themselves,” Erdogan said.

“Ok, but how long have we been shouting and calling? In Turkey now there are 2.2 million Syrians alone. There are 300,000 Iraqis,”

he said. AK Party spokesman Omer Celik said the migration crisis and Turkish accession negotiations were two separate issues and that membership talks should not be “a matter of political bribery”.

In formal conclusions agreed by the 28 national leaders at a latenight meeting, Turkey was offered an accelerated path to giving its citizens visa-free travel to the EU, provided it met previously agreed conditions.

Clinching such a deal could be a boon to Erdogan ahead of a parliamentary election on Nov. 1 at which the ruling AK Party he founded is trying to win back a majority it lost in June for the first time in more than a decade.

For many Turks, travelling to Europe without a visa is far more important than EU membership itself. “It might make sense for Erdogan to give the good news to Turkish citizens that, thanks to his efforts, they can travel to Europe without visas, with the possibility of turning this into votes,” columnist Murat Yetkin wrote in the Hurriyet Daily News.. — Reuters

I N F R I N G E M E N T O F PAT E N T

Court returns verdict against Apple in lawsuit filed by university NEW YORK: As a veteran of the global smart phone wars, Apple is used to courtroom battles with fierce competitors such as Samsung and Nokia.

This week, however, a federal jury returned a verdict against Apple in a lawsuit brought by a different kind of adversary: a public university. The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s licensing arm, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, convinced a jury that Apple had infringed its patent for improving chip efficiency when the company incorporated the technology into some of its phones and tablets.

Research institutions and universities have not traditionally been major players in patent litigation, and even now schools still launch relatively few patent suits compared to private companies

- about 40 to 50 cases per year, according to preliminary research

by University of Alberta professor Tania Bubela.

But within that world, WARF has become an aggressive litigator. Since 2000, the foundation has filed 33 lawsuits against 31 different defendants, according to a Reuters analysis of federal court data maintained by RPX Corp, a patent risk management firm.

In the current case, WARF is claiming $400 million in damages from Apple. As the dispute over how much the iPhone maker owes is hashed out, critics are questioning whether schools receiving public money for research should be engaged in hostile patent litigation. WARF, however, has argued that such lawsuits are key to monetising inventions created at research universities, and

that protecting patents encourages innovation. The Apple trial is now in the damages phase, and if WARF gets anywhere close to what it is asking, it would be one of the largest patent payouts ever to a university.

Attorney Michael Ng, who has represented Australia’s national science agency in US courts, said that universities are feeling forced into litigation. “In recent years there has been a greater reluctance, for example in high-tech, to do voluntary licensing deals, and that sometimes leaves holders of intellectual property with no other recourse.”

In its current lawsuit, WARF hired one of the country’s top patent litigators, Morgan Chu, to go head-to-head with Apple attorney William Lee. And last month WARF sued Apple again over the

same patent, this time targeting the company’s newest products, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, and iPad Pro. WARF also sued Intel Corp in 2008, but the case was settled the following year on the eve of trial. WARF, housed on the university’s Madison campus, has been around for 90 years and helps patent and commercialize the university’s inventions. In 2014-15 alone, it provided more than $100 million in direct and in-kind support to the university, it said.

WARF declined to provide any of its staff to be interviewed for this article, citing the ongoing trial.

Apple also declined to comment.

The patent at issue in the Apple suit was granted in 1998 and covered a “predictor circuit” to boost microchip performance developed by a computer science professor, Gurindar Sohi, and three of his

students. Sohi declined to comment. In the years leading up to the invention, Sohi’s research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research, which provided about $200,000 annually, according to court documents. In 1995, he and another professor also received a $2.3 million grant over three years from the NSF and the Advanced Research Projects Agency.

All three of those agencies are credited in the patent itself, which notes: “The United States has certain rights in this invention.”

Some legal experts have criticized lawsuits over patents developed with public funding. “Government funding is being used to go after some of our most innovative companies,” said Robin Feldman, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of

Law. “Do we want taxpayer money to fund this behaviour?”

Though universities are legally able to obtain patents, considered a private right, on research funded by public dollars, “This policy is being turned on its head,” she said.

But WARF has argued in the past, as it did to the Federal Trade Commission in 2009, that companies that infringe on university patents should have to pay monetary damages.

Such penalties, the foundation says, encourage companies to license patents, providing revenues on which universities depend on to create startups and commercialise their inventions. “In short, strong patents and a high cost for infringement stimulate innovation,” its managing director, Carl Gulbrandsen wrote in a letter to the FTC. — Reuters

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

S P O R S

Cook finally succumbs but England surpass Pakistan Cook batted for 836 minutes — or just short of 14 hours — over three days before succumbing on 263, the England skipper’s secondhighest Test score

ABU DHABI: Alastair Cook completed the third-longest innings in Test history and the longest by an Englishman as his side ended on 569-8 on the fourth day of the first Test on Friday, 46 runs ahead of Pakistan.

Cook batted for 836 minutes — or just short of 14 hours — over three days before succumbing on 263, the England skipper’s secondhighest Test score.

Joe Root (85) and Ben Stokes (57) provided ample support as the tourists sought to make Pakistan regret declaring on 523-8, although with one day’s play left and both teams still to bat again a draw seems likely in the first of a threematch series. England began Friday on 290-3, Cook and Root at the crease and seemingly imperious as test cricket’s top scoring duo in 2015 reeled in Pakistan’s total.

The sparse crowd, overwhelmingly supporting Pakistan, were boisterous despite the lack of wicket chances on Abu Dhabi’s flat, slow pitch as England reached lunch without further loss.

Those fans would rue Sarfraz

CAPTAIN’S KNOCK: England’s Alastair Cook acknowledges the crowd after being dismissed for 263 runs. – Reuters

Ahmed’s sluggishness, the wicketkeeper failing to reach Cook’s nick off an inside edge from Wahab Riaz’s in-swinger in the day’s fourth over when the 30-year-old was on 173.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ulHaq used his fast bowlers sparingly in the stifling heat with slow left-armer Zulfiqar Babar leading the host’s attack for long spells despite none of the first 13 wickets in this test falling to spin.

Root eventually walked early in the afternoon after trying to cut an out-swinging Rahat Ali delivery, edging to Sarfraz Ahmed who made some amends for his earlier mistake by executing a nimble diving catch to his right.

Root frustrated Root kicked at the stumps in frustration, a 14th Test half-century and 141-run partnership with

Cook scant consolation for missing a ninth Test century on such a benign surface.

Jonny Bairstow (8) lasted 39 balls, falling lbw to Wahab as the tourists slipped to 443-5.

Ben Stokes was Cook’s next partner as England’s batsmen went on the offensive after tea, seeking to reverse a run rate that had sagged to 2.62 runs per over post-lunch from a relatively brisk 3.33 in the morning.

Stokes was bowled by Shoaib Malik to become this Test’s first spin casualty but only after scoring a brisk 57 in an 87-ball knock.

Cook was next to be dismissed, sweeping a top edge from Malik to Shan Masood at square leg for an easy catch as England slipped to 549-7, although replays showed it should have been called no-ball.

His 263 was his third Test dou-

ble-century and second only to his 294 against India in 2011.

Joss Buttler (23) then dollied up a simple catch for Zulfiqar’s first wicket before bad light stopped play. Zulfiqar finished with figures of 1-180 after bowling 70 of PakiSCOREBOARD

Pakistan 1st innings: 523 for 8 decl (S. Malik 245, A. Shafiq 107, M. Hafeez 98; B. Stokes 4-57) England 1st innings: A. Cook c Masood b Malik 263 M. Ali c S. Ahmed b I. Khan 35 I. Bell c Hafeez b Riaz 63 M. Wood b Riaz 4 J. Root c S. Ahmed b R. Ali 85 J. Bairstow lbw b Riaz 8 B. Stokes b Malik 57 J. Buttler c Shafiq b Babar 23 A. Rashid not out 6

TEST SERIES

S. Broad not out 0 Extras (b-7, lb-5, nb-10, w-3) 25 Total (for 8 wickets, 196.3 overs) 569 Fall of wickets: 1-116, 2-281, 3-285, 4-426, 5-443, 6-534, 7-549, 8-563 To bat: J. Anderson Bowling: R. Ali 26.3-1-73-1, I. Khan 25-6-721, Z. Babar 70-17-180-1, W. Riaz 33-3-116-3 (nb-10 w-3), A. Shafiq 7-0-19-0, S. Malik 35-4-97-2 Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and Paul Reiffel TV umpire: Sundaram Ravi Match referee: Andy Pycroft

INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE

Six-star Herath leaves West Indies reeling

CHIEF WRECKER: Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath celebrates claiming one of the six wickets during the third day of the opening Test match against West Indies. – AFP

stan’s 196 overs while Wahab finsihed with 3-116.

The three-match series heads to Dubai next for the second Test from October 22 with Sharjah hosting the third contest from November 1. - Reuters

GALLE: Rangana Herath took six wickets first-innings wickets to put West Indies in a spin as Sri Lanka enforced the follow-on on the third day of the opening Test at Galle on Friday.

The wily left-arm spinner picked up four wickets on the third day to complete his 23rd fivewicket haul in Tests.

Herath inflicted more misery on the hapless touring side by dismissing opener Kraigg Brathwaite lbw for 34 in West Indies’ second innings and they finished the day on 67 for two, still needing 166 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Shai Hope (six) was the other opener out when he was bowled

by Milinda Siriwardana to become the debutant all-rounder’s first Test victim. Darren Bravo (20) and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo (six) were at the crease at stumps.

Bravo (50) had offered resistance in the first session too, making his 12th half-century in tests before falling to Herath, Dinesh Chandimal completing a brilliant acrobatic catch at mid-wicket to dismiss the left-hander.

Herath struck in his second over of the day with an innocuous delivery which Marlon Samuels (11) made a mess of.

The batsman failed to con-

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka 1st innings: 484 West Indies 1st innings: K. Brathwaite lbw b Herath 19 S. Hope b Herath 23 D. Bravo c Chandimal b Herath 50 M. Samuels b Herath 11 J. Blackwood c Siriwardana b Prasad 11 D. Ramdin c K. Perera b Pradeep 23 J. Holder c K. Perera b Prasad 19 K. Roach st K. Perera b Herath 22 J. Taylor c Mathews b Kaushal 31 D. Bishoo not out 23 S. Gabriel b Herath 0 Extras (b-5, lb-6, nb-7, w-1) 19 Total (all out, 82 overs) 251 Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-49, 3-70, 4-111, 5-132, 6-165, 7-171, 8-217, 9-251, 10-251 Bowling: D. Prasad 15-6-38-2, N. Pradeep

nect on a pull shot and the ball, going way down the leg side, hit his thigh and went on to disturb the stumps.

Jermaine Blackwood (11) did not last long either, edging Dhammika Prasad to Siriwardana at slip where the fielder juggled a catch but held on.

Jason Holder (19), leading the side for the first time in tests, gave Prasad his second wicket when he edged behind to wicketkeeper Kusal Perera after hitting

Mendoza brace in Chennaiyin’s win over Mumbai City

15-4-56-1, R. Herath 33-9-68-6, T. Kaushal 14-4-65-1, M. Siriwardana 5-2-13-0 West Indies 2nd innings K. Brathwaite lbw b Herath 34 S. Hope b Siriwardana 6 D. Bravo not out 20 D. Bishoo not out 6 Extras (nb-1) 1 Total (for 2 wickets, 27 overs) 67 Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-60 Bowling:D. Prasad 3-1-4-0, R. Herath 7-317-1, N. Pradeep 4-1-7-0, M. Siriwardana 6-1-30-1, T. Kaushal 7-3-9-0 Umpires: Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth TV umpire: Simon Fry Match referee: David Boon

the paceman for two consecutive boundaries. Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin fell in similar fashion to fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep before Kemar Roach, who was dropped on five by Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews at slip off Herath, and Jerome Taylor (31) launched a counter-attack.

Taylor hit four boundaries and a six in his 31-ball knock and his 46-run stand for the eighth wicket with Roach gave West Indies hope of saving the follow-on. — Reuters

MUMBAI: Forward Steven Mendoza scored a brilliant brace to steer visitors Chennaiyin FC to a convincing 2-0 win over hosts Mumbai City FC at the D.Y. Patil Stadium here on Friday.

After the first half went goalless, the Colombian footballer broke the deadlock in the 60th minute, followed by his second in the 66th minute to help his side to their second win of the season.

With this win, Chennaiyin climb to the third spot with two wins and two losses, whereas Mumbai are now struggling at the seventh spot with two losses and a draw from three games.

Playing their first match at home, the Nicolas Anelkamanaged side went in with a 4-4-2 formation after a loss and a draw in the previous two matches.

On the other hand, the visitors under Marco Materazzi too went with the same formation after a 4-0 victory against FC Goa in the previous encounter. — IANS

A 12

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

SPORTS Umesh has potential to fill my shoes if his talent is maximised: Zaheer The 37-year-old Zaheer Khan ended

Among the Indian pacers I think, pace is important and balance needs to be maintained

his 14-year-long international career due to a series of injuries, the latest being a shoulder complain

MUMBAI: Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan’s retirement from international cricket has posed a serious question to India: who can be the next Zaheer? But the man himself believes that current speed star Umesh Yadav has the potential to step into his shoes but only if his talent is nurtured and maximised.

The 37-year-old pacer ended his 14-year-long international career due to a series of injuries, the latest being a shoulder complaint. He made his India debut in 2000 and played his last game for the country in 2014 against New Zealand at Wellington.

“Umesh is good with pace and the movement he gets. He definitely has got potential and that potential needs to be maximised F I FA S C A M

Zaheer Khan Former Indian fast bowler

is what I have been saying,” Zaheer told IANS in an exclusive interview here, after announcing his retirement.

Umesh, who made his debut for India in May 2010 against Zimbabwe, has so far played 15 Tests, picking up 48 wickets. He has also appeared in 52 One Day Internationals (ODIs), claiming 72 victims.“Among the Indian pacers I think, pace is important and balance needs to be maintained. The attack needs to be settled, its a process, you will find the right guys to do the job and right guys who are in the rhythm,” he said.

Zaheer has left the stage after playing in 92 Tests and 200 ODIs, claiming 282 and 311 wickets respectively.

He has also taken 17 wickets in as many T20 Internationals.

“I think the whole journey has been special, outstanding and cricket has been my life. It is very difficult to pinpoint one incident.

Walking away with lot of fond memories, good friendships, so everything has happened to me at the right moment. But I can say winning the 2011 World Cup here was a great moment for me,” he said.

He announced his retirement after a shoulder injury that has

put paid to his efforts to return to action, capping a 14-year career punctuated by considerable success as well as crippling injuries.

“It was the right time for me to call time on my international career, that’s how the whole thought process had happened. As I was preparing for the season, I realised that yes in terms of playing at the international level is what I am not looking at now. The realisation happened and that was the right time when I decided it is the right time to call it a day,” the bowler from Shrirampur, Maharashtra, said.

TENNIS

played under. “John Wright and Gary Kirsten were the best coaches I have played under. They were the ones who got the best out of me during their tenure with the team,” he said.

Speaking about his stint under various captains including Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Zaheer said, “I enjoyed bowling under all captains, Ganguly, Dravid, Dhoni. I was happy to get the fields which I wanted all the time as a bowler that’s what you look for. And all the captains share a very good rapport with me and supported my unconventional way of setting field at times. I am very grateful to them.”

The left-armer thanked all the people who played a big part in his career adding that he would not have been the person he is today without their support during tough times.

“The list of people to thank is a big one. If one link would have been missing I would not have been standing here and talking to you.

They all know that I am grateful to them and thankful to them for their support during crucial stages of my career,” Zaheer said. - IANS

FOOTBALL

Raul’s eye for goal earned him respect

Blatter fighting to return for FIFA handover in February ZURICH: Sepp Blatter, suspended president of soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, said he aimed to return to office in time to hand over power to a successor to be elected at a special congress in February.

Blatter, 18 years in office, was suspended for 90 days amid the worst corruption scandal in FIFA’s history. He had previously announced he was standing down but had hoped to retain his post for the formal handover, asserting his innocence of any wrongdoing.

“If I run away now and let everything fall, then I denigrate myself,” Blatter told RROTV, a regional broadcaster based in the canton of Valais.

“That’s my goal, that I can lead the Congress.”

Swiss and U.S. authorities are running corruption investigations that have so far led to the indictment of 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives. Among other things, they are examining the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini, who is a candidate to succeed the Swiss at the presidential election on Feb 26, were suspended for 90 days by FIFA’s Ethics Committee on Oct 8, with a 2011 payment from FIFA to Platini under scrutiny.

Platini has said the payment was for work he carried out under a contract for FIFA as an advisor to Blatter between 1999 and 2002. The Frenchman said the nine-year delay in payment was due to FIFA’s financial situation. — Reuters

“Things happen when you have such a long career, injuries happen and we again make a comeback.

From that after being dropped (dropped in 2012 after third Test against England at home) I have come out of that situation, is how I look at my career. The fact that I did make my comeback, worked hard, played some domestic games and performed there has always been a process. And I am happy about all things that went for me,” he said.

The 37-year-old has had onfield tussles with a number of opposition batsmen, but the on-field confrontations with former South Africa captain Graeme Smith are unforgettable.

Zaheer stayed defensive when asked about the toughest batsmen he has bowled to, pointing out that any in-form batsman on a given day is tough to bowl to.

“Any batsman who is in form is tough to bowl to. It varied from series to series. If the best of the batsmen are not in-form it is right that you should be attacking,” he said.

Zaheer termed former New Zealand cricketer John Wright and former South Africa batsman Gary Kirsten as the best coaches he has

CONVINCING WIN: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates his victory against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during their men’s singles quarterfinal match at the Shanghai Masters. – AFP

Nadal trounces Wawrinka, Djokovic tames Tomic SHANGHAI: Former world number one Rafa Nadal displayed more signs of a return to top form with a ruthless 6-2 6-1 hammering of Stan Wawrinka and was joined

by Novak Djokovic in the Shanghai Masters semifinals on Friday.

World number one Djokovic, twice champion in Shanghai, was tested by Australian Bernard Tomic before winning 7-6(6), 6-1 to stay on course for a ninth title of the year having picked up his eighth last week in Beijing.

“It was a very good first set,” Djokovic told the ATP website (www.atpworldtour.com). “High quality tennis from both of us.

“Obviously it was a huge relief for me to win the first set, and started off the second with a break.

That gave me more confidence.”

Djokovic will face third seed Andy Murray, who barely broke a sweat in defeating Tomas Berdych 6-1, 6-3, for a place in the final.

Nadal, a winner of 14 grand slam titles, suffered a second-round defeat by Dustin Brown at Wim-

bledon and was ousted in the U.S. Open third round by Fabio Fognini but has enjoyed a resurgence since arriving in China.

The 29-year-old Spaniard, seeded eighth in Shanghai, reached the final in Beijing last week and needed little more than an hour to breeze past French Open champion Wawrinka, who toiled for close to three hours late on Thursday to get past Marin Cilic.

Great result “Being in the semifinals is a great result for me,” said Nadal.

“I hadn’t played the semi-finals on hard court all year and now I am playing two weeks in a row in the final rounds.

“That’s a big improvement for me. In terms of confidence, in terms of level of tennis, I am playing better.

“Very happy for that because I am working so hard.”

Swiss Wawrinka, who had won his last two matches against Nadal, avoided the ignominy of suf-

fering a bagel in the second set by claiming the sixth game after his opponent had raced to 5-0 on the back of a nine-game winning run.

Nadal, hoping to grab one of the four remaining ATP World Tour Finals spots in London, will next meet Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in Sunday’s title decider.

Tsonga got the better of South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in a gruelling 7-6(6) 5-7 6-4 match between two of the circuit’s biggest hitters.

The Frenchman saved three set points during the tiebreaker and secured an early break in the deciding set to carry him through to the last four.

“It is a court that he likes to play on,” Nadal said of Tsonga. “The court is quick. He feels comfortable on these surfaces because he has a huge serve, very, very good forehand.

“He’s a very competitive player.

When he’s in the semi-finals it’s because he’s playing well. So it will be a very tough match.” - Reuters

MADRID: Among the glitz and glamour at Real Madrid, Raul was the rarest of commodities — a home grown talent with an elegant style of play that earned him respect at every Spanish football ground he graced.

On Thursday, the prolific striker announced that he would bring down the curtain on a 21-year career that will always be defined by his exploits at Real, a club he left in 2010 having made 741 appearances and as the club’s top scorer on 323 goals.

Portuguese marksman Cristiano Ronaldo has since equalled that tally and could surpass Raul with a goal against Levante on Saturday. The 38-year-old, who moved to Schalke and Al Sadd in Qatar before arriving at the New York Cosmos in the NASL, will retire at the end of this season in November.

Raul and Ronaldo share a common legacy of having defined eras at the Bernabeu but that is where any similarities end.

While Ronaldo is a model of power and efficiency who demands to be in the limelight, Raul was more understated, a leader nonetheless but will be remembered for his poise and ruthless finishing. Like a Spanish bullfighter he would weigh up the moment and deliver the killer blow.

In the heat of the El Clasico clashes against Barcelona when matches often turned ugly, Raul would remain unruffled and sportsmanlike, traits admired even by the opposition when playing at the Camp Nou. Glacticos era Following initial concerns over his waif-like physique, he quickly emerged as lethal finisher as Real ended the dominance of Johan Cruyff ’s Barcelona of the early

1990s. Then with the arrival of president Florentino Perez in 2000, he continued to be an instrumental figure in the team despite the influx of money and high-profile players during the ‘Galaticos’ period.

He was the cutting edge of a swashbuckling side that included Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and the Brazilian Ronaldo in its ranks.

Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson memorably put Raul ahead of his Real team mates when praising the striker after a 3-1 Champions League defeat at the Bernabeu in 2003, when he struck twice.

“We know Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo are great players but we could have handled that.

Raul was very difficult,” Ferguson told reporters. “Real Madrid have brought some great players over the last few years but at the moment Raul is the best in the world.”

When Raul left for Schalke in 2010, he could boast six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies among his many successes.

The biggest disappointment for Raul will be on the international stage, however, where he was part of a Spain side renowned for underachieving and was ruthlessly dropped by coach Luis Aragones during qualifying for Euro 2008.

Aragones built a youthful side based on Barcelona’s short-passing game that won the following two European championships and the 2010 World Cup with Raul making his last appearance for his country back in 2006.

So far, he is leaving his future open and there is a possibility that he could remain in New York for a while before returning to Spain with his wife and five children. — Reuters

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM S ATU RDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

MARKE

DREAMLINER GETS BOOST FROM TAIWAN’S $8B DEAL Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, whose sales have slowed since its 2013 unveiling, is getting a boost as Taiwan’s EVA Airways adds the plane in a wide-body deal valued at more than $8 billion. >B3

Sohar bitumen refinery to start operation in 2017 India’s McNally Bharat Engineering said its 50:50 special purpose vehicle with Oman’s EMC Group has bagged the bitumen refinery contract in Sohar

A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: India’s McNally Bharat Engineering (MBE) Company on Thursday said its 50:50 special purpose vehicle (SPV) with the Sultanate’s EMC Group has bagged a $315 million contract from Sohar Bitumen for building its bitumen refinery in Sohar.

“The share of MBE in the order shall be $157 million. The delivery period of the project is 24 months from the date of receipt of advance from the customer,” the company said in a Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) filing.

The bitumen project is linked to the multi-billion-dollar Sohar Refinery Improvement Project as the feedstock will be from the refinery and Oman is going to produce

IN DEMAND: Bitumen is in demand due to road infrastructure projects across the country, especially in fast developing industrial hubs like Duqm. Picture is used only for illustrative purpose. – Bloomberg News

bitumen for the first time.

A senior official of Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) last month said that the bitumen project will meet the entire demand of bitumen in the country. Bitumen is in demand due to road infrastructure projects across the country, especially in fast developing industrial hubs like Duqm.

Oman’s imports Oman has been entirely dependent on imports, primarily from neighbouring Iran and the United Arab Emirates, for its requirements of bitumen which is used for mainly asphalting in road construction projects.

Imports of bitumen have burgeoned on the back of escalating investments in road construc-

tion and related infrastructure programmes.

According to earlier reports, the bitumen project will have an installed capacity of around 300,000 tonnes per annum, which is aimed at meeting the entire demand of Sultanate’s yearly requirement of bitumen, particularly for road asphalting purposes.

A joint venture of Daelim In-

dustrial and Petrofac International is currently executing the expansion and modernisation of Orpic’s Sohar Refinery.

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

M O B I L E PAY M E N T S

Sony wants to expand mobile payments in Asia TOKYO: While Sony is scaling back its global smartphone ambitions, the company still wants to contend with Apple and Samsung on mobile payments in Asia. Its method for getting there is public transportation.

Sony is trying to make its FeliCa contact-less payment technology as ubiquitous in the rest of Asia as it is on Japan’s railway network.

The system uses chips that can be embedded in smartphones and wallet-sized plastic cards, and Sony wants to expand their use in Southeast Asia, starting with an Indonesia train system by March.

Transit networks Transit networks can be a springboard for attracting merchants into the FeliCa system, as a wide commuter base encourages retailers in train stations or bus depots to participate, said Kazuyuki Sakamoto, a Sony senior general manager in charge of FeliCa operations. The potential market is huge: Southeast Asia needs to spend $60 billion annually on roads, rails and other infrastructure, according to the Asian Development Bank.

“Our approach is different from Apple’s,” Sakamoto said in an interview. “Without real-life situations where the payments can be used, it doesn’t matter how many handsets you have out there.”

Sony’s shares rose 2.2 per cent to ¥3,250 versus the benchmark TOPIX index’s 1 per cent climb.

Hong Kong’s Octopus system for payments in trains, buses and convenience stores already uses Sony chips, as do the Pasmo and Suica railway cards in Japan. - Bloomberg News

CRUDE OIL

Energy giants lining up to tap low cost oil fields in Iran LONDON: The world is awash in crude, but big oil companies are lining up to develop new fields in Iran even as they slash spending and abandon exploration elsewhere. One thing explains this paradox: cost.

The Middle Eastern country is one of the cheapest places in the world to tap new oil fields and pump from existing wells. The slump in crude prices makes Iran even more attractive to investors, assuming its nuclear deal with world powers leads to an easing of sanctions, said the International Energy Agency (IEA).

“Costs are low because they have giant fields which produce economies of scale, the terrain is mostly straightforward and reservoirs are highly prolific,” Robin Mills, a Dubai-based analyst at Manaar Energy Consulting, said by e-mail.

If prices stay low, production costs

boost output by about 2 million barrels a day, NIOC managing director Roknoddin Javadi said in Berlin. The country pumped 2.8 million barrels a day last month, according to data. The Gulf nation has worked up a “vastly improved version” of its oil contracts to attract international oil companies, according to the IEA.

could drop even further in Iran and its neighbour Iraq, he said.

Production cost Cheaper barrels are a significant lure to companies as they eliminate jobs and defer expensive projects following a 40 per cent plunge in oil prices in the past year.

Royal Dutch Shell abandoned its exploration campaign in the Arctic last month, citing high costs, while Total reduced production targets after a fresh round of investment cutbacks. Both companies have dispatched executives to Tehran in recent months for talks with the National Iranian Oil Company.

While the capital cost of developing oil sands in Canada or light, tight oil in the United States can range from $59,000 to $114,000 per barrel of daily production capacity, the expense in Iran doesn’t exceed $31,000, the IEA said in

LOW PRODUCTION COST: While the capital cost of developing oil sands in Canada or light, tight oil in the United States can range from $59,000 to $114,000 per barrel of daily production capacity, the expense in Iran doesn’t exceed $31,000. – Bloomberg News

a report. While the data show Saudi Arabia also has low costs, the country is largely off limits to foreign investment in oil. Brent crude, the international bench-

O K I NAWA P O R T

Saudi Arabia strengthens use of leased oil-storage tanks in Japan TOKYO: Saudi Arabia is boosting its use of leased oil-storage tanks on a small island in a region of Japan better known for its white sandy beaches and holiday resorts.

The world’s largest crude exporter is seeking to reduce freight costs and increase shipping flexibility as it competes with Middle East suppliers for market share in Asia. The Okinawa port where state-run Saudi Arabian Oil Company, known as Saudi Aramco, leases storage has received about 6.13 million barrels from the country this year, near the highest level since the Middle East supplier started leasing the tanks in 2010, according to data from Japan’s Finance Ministry.

Saudi Arabia is expanding investments in refining and petrochemicals and bolstering ties with Asia customers as part of its strategy to lock in demand for its oil amid a global glut.

Aramco may spend as much as $80 billion on overseas acquisitions and investments the next five years, people with knowledge

of the matter said in May. Japan’s Okinawa prefecture consists of about 150 islands approximately 1,530 kilometers (950 miles) southwest of Tokyo.

The subtropical island chain is a popular summer holiday destination spot for Tokyoites and famous for its coral reefs. The oil storage tanks are on reclaimed land between the islands of Henza and Miyagi.

Supplies to Asia Over the past decade, crude flows from the Middle East to Asia have increased and both Japan and South Korea have held stockpiles for suppliers from that region, according to a July report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Lease agreements have given Middle East producers “strategic sites with which to facilitate their supplying of Asian customers” and monthly volume changes indicate the tanks are used for “commercial operations,” according to the IEA. “When a market is oversup-

plied that puts a premium on flexibility. If you can make your supply more flexible you are better positioned to tap pockets of demand if and when they pop up,” said Emma Richards, an oil and gas analyst with BMI Research.

“The shipping distances are smaller and that can lower your freight and also your insurance costs, and that can shave $1 or $2 a barrel off your price. When oil is at $50, that is quite significant.”

Saudi Aramco didn’t immediately answer e-mailed questions about its use of the Japan storage capacity. An official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Tokyo declined to comment on Friday because the information is private.

Saudi Aramco’s use of the Okinawa tanks is a part of the company’s strategy to gain a bigger foothold in Asia through investments in midstream and downstream oil assets, and help secure demand for its crude against other Middle East suppliers, according to Richards. - Bloomberg News

mark, traded at $48.33 a barrel at on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange on Thursday.

Iran will offer about 50 energy projects to investors and plans to

Iraq’s revival Iran’s neighbour Iraq offers a good illustration of the rewards, but also the hazards, of chasing low-cost barrels in the Gulf.

After decades of neglect due to war and sanctions, international oil companies started to redevelop aging oil fields and explore for new resources after the US-led invasion in 2003. Output has doubled in the past decade to a record 4.3 million barrels a day in September, turning the nation into the second-

biggest oil producer in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, IEA data show.

Genel Energy, which operates in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, says it can pump oil for as little as $1.50 a barrel. “Our operations are therefore profitable even during a time of a sustained fall in the oil price,” Andrew Benbow, a spokesman for London-based Genel, said by e-mail.

The company’s gross oil production from its two main fields in Kurdistan surged by about two thirds to 194,000 barrels a day between 2013 and 2014. Yet its shares fell about a third over the period as a dispute between the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil and the federal government in Baghdad meant international companies didn’t receive any payment for crude exports from December to August. - Bloomberg News

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

MARKET ECONOMY

Greek banks to discuss possibility of debt swaps ATHENS: Greek banks have met a group on Monday and discussed the possibility of debt swaps to help repair their balance sheets, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Eurobank Ergasias and Alpha Bank are considering asking investors to swap notes for shares, said the people who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. National Bank of Greece, which also attended the meeting in Athens, may also consider a bond swap, depending on the price in its sale of Turkish unit Finansbank, the people said.

Bonds of the lenders and Piraeus Bank, which has announced the terms for an exchange, jumped as investors saw a chance of swapping notes that were quoted as low as 43 cents on the euro this week for shares in recapitalised banks, As much as €25 billion ($28 billion) from Greece’s latest bailout

pen this year, because of the Greek banks’ very low price-to-book ratios, he said.

Spokesmen for Eurobank and Alpha Bank declined to comment.

National Bank of Greece spokesman Dimitris Spyropoulos said the lender has no immediate plans to pursue a bond exchange.

BONDS RALLY: Bonds of the lenders and Piraeus Bank, which has announced the terms for an exchange, rose as investors saw a chance of swapping notes that were quoted as low as 43 cents. – Bloomberg News

has been earmarked to backstop recapitalisations, and euro-area finance ministers said in August that bondholders may have to take losses before public money is used.

“The banks and the regulators would like this sort of arrangement because it’s an easier cleanup and reduces the risk of litigation if a hard bail-in process were

ECB review A review of the balance sheets of Greek lenders is under way through the auspices of the European Central Bank (ECB), after six months of wrangling between the government of Alexis Tsipras and the country’s creditors brought the country’s financial system to the brink of collapse. The ECB is scheduled to announce the results of the exercise around the end of the month.

The Greece has said that filling any capital holes identified in the ECB’s comprehensive assessment will pave the way for lifting capital controls next year. - Bloomberg news

Elecrama forum to focus on power sector in Oman

HIGH-SPEED

Event aims to

China to build $5 billion railway line in Indonesia

create business opportunities for industry players in the Sultanate

JAKARTA: China won the rights to build a $5.5 billion railway line in Indonesia as the Southeast Asian nation tries to upgrade its infrastructure to drive economic growth.

China Railway International and a consortium of Indonesian state companies will build the rail line from Jakarta to Bandung, and plan to compete for other projects in the region, Sahala Lumban Gaol, chairman of the joint venture, said on Friday in Jakarta. Three quarters of the funding will come from China Development Bank, and the project won’t carry an Indonesian state guarantee, he said.

Indonesia’s first high-speed train project comes after the government last month rejected bids from China and Japan and decided to scrap plans for a state-funded bullet train, leaving only China interested in a business-to-business deal. President Joko Widodo is planning to revive flagging growth in Southeast Asia’s largest economy by building infrastructure, though budget revenues are falling short of targets this year.

“This is a new episode that means in the future Indonesia’s infrastructure development won’t burden the government and state budget,” Gaol said. “We hope this new company will compete outside Indonesia for high-speed railway projects.”

The Indonesian companies forming the joint venture, PT Pilar

imposed,” said Jakub Lichwa, a financial credit analyst at Daiwa Capital Markets in London.

Bond buyers may have a “good chance” of profiting if swaps hap-

Alpha Bank Alpha Bank is considering targeting holders of more than €1 billion of notes, the people said. The lender and Eurobank have a combined €1.94 billion of outstanding senior and junior unsecured bonds.

Piraeus Bank proposed a swap covering almost €600 million of bonds on Thursday. Holders of 2017 notes were offered shares equal to 100 per cent of the bonds’ face value, or cash equal to 43 per cent.

The lender’s €365.2 million of March 2017 notes rose 9 cents on the euro to 60 cents, after climbing

4 cents on Thursday, according to data. Alpha Bank’s €400 million of notes due in June 2017 jumped to 80 cents, the highest since February. Eurobank’s €294.8 million of June 2018 bonds rose to 58 cents, versus 43 cents on Monday.

Sinergi BUMN Indonesia, include state construction company PT Wijaya Karya, railway operator PT Kereta Api and toll-road builder PTJasa Marga. Jasa Marga shares were up 4.3 per cent to 5,450 rupiah, while Wijaya Karya fell 1.3 per cent to 2,965 rupiah in a steady Jakarta market.

Three years Construction can begin early next year and end in 2018, with the line to start operating in the first half of 2019, Bintang Perbowo, chief executive of Wijaya Karya, told reporters recently.

Wijaya Karya is considering a global bond issue as the Indonesian companies need to fund the remaining 25 per cent of the project, he said. The line’s $5.5 billion value could ultimately be lower depending on the speed of the trains used, he added.

Trains are expected to run at 250 kilometres an hour, with eight stops and a fare of around $16.

An existing train run by Kereta Api costs about $8 and takes more than three hours, winding its way through rice paddies and mountains to a city popular with local tourists for shopping and cooler air.

Indonesia decided not to pursue an even faster train, disappointing Japan, because it wanted extra stops so it could develop more places along the route, Rizal Ramli, the minister coordinating transport policy, has said. - Bloomberg News

MUSCAT: Elecrama 2016, the world’s largest trade and networking forum for the electricity industry, will be organising a networking event for the benefit of key industry stakeholders and decision makers in Muscat.

The event is being held to widen awareness of the enormous business potential afforded by the burgeoning Indian electricity secEUROPEAN UNION

Ukraine cuts gas imports LONDON: Ukraine slashed natural gas purchases from the European Union as it resumed imports from Russia, relying mainly on its eastern neighbor for gas to fill its reservoirs as temperatures decline.

Imports through Slovakia on October 6 fell to their lowest since they started in September 2014, and on Friday were less than half of the average level in the second quarter, according to data from Slovak grid operator Eustream.

No flows via Poland were nominated. - Bloomberg News

tor, according to a press release.

The networking event will be held at the Al Batinah Banquet Hall, Radisson Blu, Muscat on Sunday at 7pm. Featuring presentations from senior representatives from the Indian electricity industry and interactive sessions with the invited delegates, the event is open to power and water professionals, suppliers and manufacturers, independent water and power developers and contractors, engineers, construction managers and engineering, procurement and construction contractors, government representatives, investors and media.

Those from the above-mentioned sectors interested in participating can do so on the presentation of their business cards at the venue.

“The event provides a great opportunity for electricity industry stakeholders in Oman to network and interact with representatives

of one of the world’s most exciting electricity markets and open up myriad business opportunities,” said Heba Al Mansoori, Middle East Director for Elecrama 2016.

Electricity industry Recent research estimates that India is currently the third largest producer of electricity in the world and is expected to add a whopping 700 GW of capacity by 2030. The electrical industry in India is expected to be valued at $250 billion by 2030.

Since its beginnings in 1990, Elecrama has grown into an allinclusive trade and networking mega event that is today the world’s largest exposition of electric transmission and distribution equipment. Elecrama 2016 will be held in February next year at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre and attract the who’s who of the electricity industry.

Heba Al Mansoori, Middle East director for Elecrama 2016.

A G R I C U LT U R E

Women in Cameroon leading the way in commercial rice farming NDOP (Cameroon): Women farmers in western Cameroon are leading the way in commercial rice production, benefiting from new seeds and marketing opportunities that are helping them cope with climate stresses and provide for their families.

A programme run by the Upper Nun Valley Development Authority (UNVDA), a government agro-industry body, aims to help rice farmers adopt better crop varieties, use water more efficiently and adapt to climate change.

“I have been able to pay school fees for my children and medical bills from the sale of my rice crop, unlike before when the harvest from my vegetable farm was uncertain,” said Bridget Ngang, one of over 300 female commercial rice farmers in Ndop.

Her vegetables were often ruined when heavy rains brought floods, she explained. Cameroon’s Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), together with international partners, has developed improved rice varieties that are more resistant to climate extremes, as well as farm technologies to increase rice productivity.

In the last 15 years, scientists have released 18 varieties under

a line called New Rice for Africa (NERICA), developed by the Africa Rice Center which crossed an African species tolerant to local stresses, including drought and pests, and a high-yielding Asian species.

Varities “These varieties can resist submersion, droughts and high temperatures including pests and diseases,” said UNVDA General Manager Chin Richard Wirnkar.

The local development authority is involved in a project led by the Africa Rice Center which has established a “rapid impact” seed programme to distribute new highyield seed varieties to farmers.

It also promotes post-harvest

technologies like rice milling and packaging, processing activities, and stronger links with input dealers and micro-finance institutions.

The project gives households opportunities to raise their income by developing new ricebased products like rice flour and husks for fuel, and exploring the use of rice in fortified foods, including vitamin-rich cereals.

The government acknowledges that achieving its plan to make Cameroon an emerging economy with double-digit growth by 2035, and implementing the new U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty and hunger depend largely on the economic empowerment of women. - Reuters

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

B3

MARKET AV I AT I O N

Boeing plans to assemble choppers in India: Official NEW DELHI: American aviation giant Boeing on Friday said it plans to assemble either its Chinook heavy-lift helicopters or Apache attack choppers in India even as it gears to offer the possibility of manufacturing a fighter jet aircraft in the country.

“We are much closer to have assembly (of) one of those airplanes (choppers) here. That will play out and that’s our strategy. This market is too important, capability is too high and commitment is significant and that kind of commitment is important for us,” Boeing chairman Jim McNerney McNerney said.

India had last month signed a contract for 15 Chinook and 22 Apache helicopters. “Large sections of the Chinook fuselage are already manufactured in India and discussions are ongoing with our Indian partners to make Apache parts,” Boeing India President Pratyush Kumar had then said.

Fighter aircraft At a seminar organised here by Boeing, McNerney hoped that India will over the next couple of years call for bids for a fighter aircraft. “Our approach is going to be to take a current, state-of-the-art fighter and bid.

The quantities are uncertain...

Our bid will include a proposal to make the plane here,” he said.

“The value to India is a very modern production system integrated to make a very sophisticated machine. That kind of industrial base capability is as important as the fighter itself. These modern manufacturing techniques can go into many different industries,” he said.

Several foreign aircraft manufacturers have offered to build their fighter planes in India after the government scrapped the global tender for 126 medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA).

While India is in talks with France for a formal agreement for off-theshelf purchase of 36 Rafale jets (two squadrons). - PTI

Dreamliner gets boost from Taiwan’s $8 billion new deal EVA Airways plans to purchase Boeing’s 24 of the 787-10 models and two 777-300ERs. The first delivery of the 787-10 is targeted for 2018

CHICAGO: Boeing’s stretched version of the 787 Dreamliner, whose sales have slowed since its 2013 unveiling, is getting a boost as Taiwan’s EVA Airways adds the plane in a wide-body deal valued at more than $8 billion.

EVA plans to take 24 of the 78710 models and two 777-300ERs, Boeing has said in announcing the carrier’s intentions, which aren’t yet a firm purchase. The airline settled on the Dreamliner after considering a competing Airbus model, the A350.

The transaction underscores customers’ interest in the -10, the longest and newest of three Dreamliner models, after the lull that followed the initial flurry of orders. Only three fresh orders have come in since 2013. Boeing’s backlog of 146 jets for the -10 is only about 13 per cent of the tally so far for the Dreamliner, the world’s first jetliner built chiefly of composite materials.

Share gains “There are people who had doubts,” said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with consultant Teal Group. “It’s good to have an endorsement.”

EVA climbed 1.4 per cent to NT$18.55 in Taipei trading. Boeing rose 2.4 per cent to $137.39 at the close in New York on Thurs-

REVIVING SALES: Only three fresh orders have come in since 2013. Boeing’s backlog of 146 jets for the 787-10 is only about 13 per cent of the tally so far for the Dreamliner. – Bloomberg News

day. Shares of the planemaker tumbled a day earlier when Delta Air Lines chief executive officer Richard Anderson said he sees a ‘bubble’ for wide-body jetliners.

Analysts called Wednesday’s drop an overreaction.

Boeing is counting on the -10 to help reach profitability on the 787 programme, whose commercial debut in 2011 ran more than three years late.

Earlier orders The 787-10 retails for $306.1 million before the discounts that are customary in the industry, and Boeing should benefit from more efficient factory processes honed with the earlier versions.

$306m Is the retail price of 78710 before the discounts that are customary in the industry, and Boeing should benefit from more efficient factory processes honed with the earlier versions

The EVA deal also helps ease concerns that the twin-aisle jet market is saturated with new aircraft, Aboulafia said by phone.

EVA, an offshoot of the Ever-

VO L AT I L E C O N D I T I O N S

Production costs Production and inventory costs for the 787, Boeing’s marquee jet, have ballooned to $27.7 billion as the planemaker speeds output to a record pace of 12 jets a month by the year 2016.

Boeing has said it expects costs to level out with the rate increase and then fall sharply as facto-

ries shift to the higher margin -9 and -10 models from the first version, the -8.

The first delivery of the 78710 is targeted for 2018, with Air Lease, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines and British Airways among the initial customers. The plane is designed to carry 330 travelers in a typical two-class configuration, and fly as far as 6,430 nautical miles (11,900 kilometers). - Bloomberg News

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

STOCK MARKET

Nestle cuts forecast, cites volatile conditions in emerging markets ZURICH: Nestle said it will fall short of its long-term growth target for a third consecutive year, highlighting the volatile conditions in emerging markets that continue to weigh on European consumer-product companies and retailers alike.

Sales will probably rise about 4.5 per cent on an organic basis in 2015, less than the company’s previous target of about 5 per cent, the Vevey, Switzerland-based maker of Nespresso coffee and Cailler chocolate said on Friday.

Nine-month revenue advanced 4.2 per cent on that basis, hurt by a recall of Maggi noodles and weakness in China, its secondlargest market. Analysts expected a 4.7 per cent gain. The stock fell as much as 3.1 per cent.

The KitKat maker’s performance is in contrast to Unilever, the producer of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, which said on Thursday full year-sales growth will be near the top end of its forecast.

The British-Dutch company said it had double-digit growth in China, bolstered by online sales.

Nestle has a long-term average goal of annual sales growth of 5 per cent to 6 per cent.

“This is exactly the opposite of Unilever yesterday,” wrote Andrew Wood, an analyst at Sanford

green Line container-shipping company, announced five orders for 777 freighters at the Paris Air Show in June.

The airline’s fleet now includes 21 777-300ERs, the world’s biggest twin-engine jet and a workhorse model on long-haul international routes.

RECALL OF MAGGI NOODLES: Nine-month revenue advanced 4.2 per cent, hurt by a recall of Maggi noodles and weakness in China, its second-largest market. – Bloomberg News

C. Bernstein. “The comparisons are stark. The Maggi noodles withdrawal seemed to bite much harder.”

Stock drops Nestle shares declined 3 per cent to 72.90 francs as of 9:01 a.m. in Zurich.

India’s recall of Maggi noodles wiped about 0.3 percentage points off nine-month sales growth, Chief Financial Officer Francois-Xavier Roger said at a press conference.

The company is working on reintroducing the products after being

off the shelves for six months.

Sales in Nestle’s Asia, Oceania and Africa region fell 0.5 percent, after revenue in those markets rose 0.8 per cent in the first half.

The food company said the Chinese market is recovering slower than it expected. Nestle got 6.6 billion francs of revenue from Greater China in 2014, 7.2 per cent of its total sales.

“This is a real disappointment and questions around the Nestle model of 5 percent to 6 percent organic growth will only increase,” wrote Warren Ackerman, an ana-

lyst at Societe Generale.

Nestle also said its skin health unit took a one-time charge in the third quarter as it adjusted its prescription drug rebate policy in the U.S., taking a more “conservative” approach. Excluding that adjustment, Nestle’s nine-month organic sales growth was 4.5 per cent, estimated Jean-Philippe Bertschy, an analyst at Bank Vontobel in Zurich.

The company’s definition of organic sales growth excludes acquisitions, divestments and currency shifts.- Bloomberg News

Silicon Valley initial share offer boom winding down SAN FRANCISCO: Last year, many tech initial public offerings (IPOs) enjoyed soaring valuations in their Wall Street debut, raining cash on the companies and their investors and boosting concerns about another Silicon Valley bubble.

Now, the party is winding down, according to data analysis: Five of the 12 United Statesbased tech companies that went public this year, or 42 per cent, priced their shares at a valuation below or nearly the same as their private market value, compared to 24 per cent of the 29 that went public in 2014.

“People are no longer out of their minds with valuations and expectations,” said Adam Marcus, managing partner at OpenView Venture Partners in Boston.

Pure Storage A recent example is Pure Storage, whose IPO earlier this month gave the data storage company a $3.1 billion market cap that almost matched its valuation in the private market.

The shift in the investing climate comes as payments company Square filed this week for its own IPO later this year, becoming one of the most prominent of the so-called “unicorns,” or private companies valued at more than $1 billion, to try to go public.

Even when valuations increase, they are growing by a smaller amount, according to the data, which was provided by Ipreo, a market intelligence company, and Pitchbook, a venture capital, private equity and M&A data provider.

Values grow Among the companies that saw their values grow in an IPO in 2014, the median increase from their value in the private market was 61 per cent. Some companies saw increases of three-, four- and even five-fold.So far this year, that gain is 32 percent.

The data excludes eight companies that went public in 2014 because there was insufficient information to calculate their pre-IPO valuations. The shrinking difference affects every corner of the pre-IPO market, compelling some companies to delay or withdraw their public-offering plans, bankers and industry analysts said.

And some late-stage investors — while they will still get paid — may see smaller returns than they gambled on.

Those who invested in rounds with an eye on a 30 or 40 per cent return will more likely get a return similar to the S&P 500 over the past year — about 8 per cent, sources said. - Reuters

B4

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

FEATURE

HEART AT W RK WHY YOUR BOSS WANTS TO TRACK YOUR HEART RATE

uture f the high-perf rmance w rkplace is taking shape behind cl sed d rs and kept quiet by n n-discl sure agreements.

Acr ss Britain, hedge funds, banks, call centres and c nsultancies are installing tracking systems t link bi sensing wearable devices with analytics t ls nce the preserve f elite sp rts.

“There isn’t a c mpetitive sp rts team in the w rld that d esn’t ad pt high-end analytics tracking the athletes n the field, ff the field, at h me, when they’re sleeping, when and what they’re eating,” says Chris Brauer, Direct r f Inn vati n at G ldsmiths, University f L nd n. “The w rkplace is heading t wards that kind of m del.”

The new t ls help link human behavi r and physi l gical data t business perf rmance. It’s a departure fr m typical wearable techn l gy strategies, which tend t f cus n perati nal efficiency r safety.

The p wer f the new t ls is being evaluated privately, partly t av id accusati ns of intrusive behavi ur, partly because th se running the tests believe it gives

them a c mpetitive edge.

“Yes, it’s already happening, starting ff with s me of the big hedge funds,” says J hn C ates, a Cambridge neur scientist and f rmer G ldman Sachs trader, wh is actively w rking with c mpanies t link bi l gical signals t trading success.

His academic research f cuses n understanding the they physi l gical drivers f risk preferences.

“It used t be assumed that m st things that y u learned at business sch l were pure c gnitive activity and if y u’re n t d ing well y u need better inf rmation r psych l gical training,” he says. H wever, science is starting t sh w that s me h rm nes — including naturally pr duced ster ids and test ster ne — increase c nfidence and make us take m re risks. Meanwhile stress h rm nes like c rtis l pr duce the pp site effect.

Wearable techn l gy — be it heart-rate m nit rs or skin resp nse sens rs — can give this underlying influence m re visibility, says C ates. “Y u need t figure ut whether y u sh uld be trading r whether y u sh uld g h me.

If y u are trading, sh uld y u d

uble up y ur p siti n because y u’re in the z ne?”

C ates says he is w rking with three r f ur hedge funds t implement such an early-warning system: “A l t of smart managers think their alg s have g ne as far as they can g . The next step is human ptimisati n.”

While much is happening in secret, s me c mpanies acr ss a range f sectors are pen ab ut their experiments with bi -sensing wearables.

Equivital wireless human m nit ring equipment c mes fr m the battlefield. The firm’s Black Gh st chest-mounted wearable sens r measures heart rate, stress levels, breathing, skin temperature and b dy p siti n. The c mpany is currently w rking n a predictive system t flag when s me ne is 20 minutes away fr m heat stress.

Equivital’s systems are n w creeping int industry, starting with il and gas, mining and c nstruction — still m stly f r health and safety purp ses. Chief Executive Anm l S d says that’s changing: “C mpanies are always l king at data t ensure their wn business m dels are as effec-

tive as p ssible — it makes sense t bring that data from individuals w rking at the c mpany.”

Humanyze’s smart w rk badges c ntain micr ph nes and and precisi n p siti ning techn l gy.

“We’re d ing v ice analysis in real time,” says CEO Ben Waber.

The system l ks at h w much individuals talk, h w l udly they speak, whether they interrupt r s und stressed. “We als l k at h w much y u m ve ar und and interact with ther teams.”

Bank f America used Humanyze’s techn l gy within its call centers t find ut what made empl yees m st pr ductive in terms f numbers f c mpleted calls. Yet it f und that the biggest predict r f pr ductivity was h w staff sp ke t their c lleagues. Th se with the cl sest ties t thers in their gr up were m re pr ductive and less likely t quit than th se wh w rked al ne. The bank added a 15-minute shared c ffee break t daily r utines: pr ductivity increased by 10 percent and staff turn ver dr pped by 70 percent.

McLaren Applied Techn l gies w rks n evidence-based systems t maximise human efficiency,

and c unts KPMG and GSK am ng its clients. Internally the c mpany has been expl ring h w t get its Formula ne teams t rec ver from jet lag most effectively. “ ur teams are travelling ar und the w rld a l t. S me f them have t change wheels in the pit st p and be alert and fit, while thers have t l k at reams f data and need t be c gnitively alert,” explains Duncan Bradley, By pl tting data relating t travel schedules with heart rate variability m nit rs and tests t m nit r c gnitive alertness, the c mpany was able t re rganise j urney times and teams t suit the way different individuals c ped with jet lag and stress.

Behavi ur utside the w rkplace impacts perf rmance as well — including exercise, sleep, f d, alc hol c nsumpti n and caffeine intake.

Peak Health w rks with high-p tential leadership within financial rganisati ns n j ining the d ts between health and perf rmance. F under Dan Zelezinksi has w rked with pe ple at G ldman Sachs, Bank of America and vari us hedge funds. He gives clients wearables t track stress

physi l gy while keeping a j urnal f activities.

“High net-worth individuals, p rtf li managers and wners f rganisati ns n the buy side are l king f r any kind f edge,” he explains. The “easiest wins” tend t f cus n rec very — eating well and getting g d quality sleep.

J hn C ates agrees: “The real pr blem is signal pr cessing: having a deep insight int h w y ur physi logy is affecting y ur perf rmance. N t a l t of pe ple are d ing that science. H w d y u link the data you are c llecting t questions like, ‘Sh uld I be trading t day?’ ” “Y u can’t all f a sudden tell pe ple t wear a l ad f sens rs.

That’s creepy,” says Humanyze’s Waber. “High achievers are very c mpetitive with themselves as well as thers. S all wing them t track when they are m st pr ductive, f cused and satisfied will help them understand the c nditi ns when they are perf rming at best,” he says.

“The idea that y u can augment y urself with techn l gies will bec me abs lutely c mm nplace and a natural pr gressi n.”

— Washington Post-Bloomberg News

B

SECTION

LIFESTYLE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

Family WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

It has been said that distance makes the heart grow fonder.

When the demands of life make it tough to get away, you can actually find your escape closer to home – right in your home, even – by carving out a corner to create a retreat just for you

A SPECIALITY ROOM FOR YOU A

room dedicated to you and all of your hobbies or personal interests can serve as a welcome escape from the real world if only for a little while. These tips make it simple to get started planning your big escape with ideas centred on some of the most common speciality rooms, as well as a solution for fitting the ideas into a smaller home.

Photos: Supplied

Create a space for crafts If you find your frazzled senses defraying with a little threading therapy, look to create a space that celebrates this pastime. With the rise in popularity of websites such as Pinterest, which feature a plethora of DIY ideas, you’ll have ample opportunity to distract your mind and busy your hands.

A room designed to let you explore your crafty side can help prevent the kitchen or dining room table from becoming a creative centre or wrapping station around the holidays, and allows those areas to remain dedicated to family, food and friendship.

It doesn’t have to be just for crafts, though. It can also be a place to settle down with a good book and just relax.

Keep your space clutter-free and ready to enjoy with a craft

room such as those designed by Wellborn Cabinet, Inc., which can feature spacious storage and expansive countertops, providing ample space to create projects that help decorate both the interior and exterior of the home, or simply to unwind and relieve stress.

Don’t dismiss cars, and sports If a room free of frou-frou decor where you can just unwind is more your ticket, a man cave may be just the answer.

Man caves come in all shapes and sizes, from rowdy dens for sports fanatics to workshops decked out with the tools of your trade. Even if decorating isn’t your thing, look for ways to make the place your own, whether you display trophies from your hunting excursions or decor emblazoned with the logos of your favourite sports teams. This is the room that allows you to relish in the hobbies you enjoy most.

If there isn’t a spare room or basement available, the garage can serve as a good alternative. With specific spots for tools and lawn care products – or even that car or motorcycle collection – the garage can meet the same needs as a more traditional man cave.

When two rooms become one Whether space limitations prohibit separate quarters, or you simply prefer to share your hobby time with a partner, you can create a speciality room that accommodates both your interests with a little creativity and planning. Working as a team, you can find the right accessories and storage to design a getaway for two. For example, a creative room from Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. offers more than 600 door styles, wood types and combinations. The result is a chance to combine two rooms, such as the man cave and craft room, for a sanctuary you can build together.

Find more inspiration for personal spaces and tools to maximise your space and storage at wellborn.com.

Accessorise your personal space If creating a space all on your own feels like a daunting project, these clever tips from the experts at Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. will help get you closer to a room you can get ready to enjoy: Charging Solutions: Install a charging station in a drawer for phones or other handheld devices.

Power and docking stations can easily hide devices and ports yet keep them readily accessible.

Accessory Racks and Holders: Hooks for tools or coats keep them off of other furniture, including countertops where they can pile up and detract from your workspace.

Cubby inserts and baskets help keep your things organised on shelves.

Sliding Shelves: Sliding shelves, drawers and baskets let you organise tools or crafting accessories while providing easy access to the items you’ve tucked away. — Family Features

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

B6

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

PRAYER TIMINGS

@MGM

@SOHAR

@RUWI

SHATTI Crimsom Peak (Drama, Horror)(15+)(2D) Cast : Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston 2:45, 7:00, 9:15, 11.30 pm War Pigs (Action, War) (12+) Cast : Luke Goss, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Liddell 4:00, 8:00 pm The Martian (3D) (Action, Sci-Fi) – PG Cast : Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain 2:15, 4:45, 11:45 pm Pet Pals in Windland (Animation) (PG) Voice Overs: Gerolamo Alchieri, Nanni Baldini 12:45, 2:30 pm 99 Homes (Drama) (PG) Cast : Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon 6:00 pm Legend (Biography, Crime, Thriller) – 12+ Cast Tom Hardy, Emily Browning 9:15 pm Before We Go (Comedy, Drama) (15+) Cast : Chris Evans, Alice Eve, Emma Fitzpatrick 7:30 pm Momentum (Action, Thriller) (15+)(2D) Cast: Olga Kurylenko, James Purefoy 12:30, 5:00, 9:45, 11:45 pm MUSCAT GRAND MALL Momentum 2D (Action, Thriller) (15+) 12:15, 7:15 & 11:45PM Crimsom Peak 2D (Drama, Horror) (15+) Cast : Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, 9:15 & 11:30PM Gold Class : 2:30, 6:30 & 8:45PM Pet Pals In Windland 2D (Animation) (PG) 10:30AM, 1:00PM & 7:00PM Gold Class : 4:45PM Pan 3D (Adventure | Family | Fantasy ) (PG) 10:45AM & 2:30PM The Martian 3D (Action| Adventure) (PG) 4:30 & 9:00PM

Crimsom Peak (Drama, Horror)(15+)(2D) Cast : Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston Timing: 2:45, 7:00, 9:15, 11.30 pm

Gold Class: 11:00PM The Walk 3D (Adventure) (PG) Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt 2:15PM Etiquette for Mistresses 2D (Tagalog) Cast: Kris Aquino, Claudine Barretto (TBC) 4:45PM

Cast: Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman 2:00 PM Crimsom Peak - 2D (15+) Drama, Fantasy, Cast – Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston 4:00, 11:55 PM Life of Josuty – 2D (PG12) Family, Drama Cast: Dileep, Jyothi Krishna , Kalabhavan Mani 8:50 PM The Fighter – 2D (TBC) Action Cast: Ram Charan, Rakul Preet Singh 7:00 PM

AZAIBA Momentum – 2D (15+) Action, Thriller Cast: Olga Kurylenko, James Purefoy, Morgan Freeman 2:15, 11:50pm Pyar Ka Punchnama – 2D (PG12) Comedy, Cast - Sunny Singh Nijjar, Sonalli Sehgal 2:15, 6:15, 8:45, 11:15 PM Pet Pals In Windland – 2D (PG) Animation 4:45 PM Jazbaa – 2D (12+) Drama, Action, Adventure Cast – Aishwarya Rai Bacchan, Irrfan Khan, 2:15, 6:15, 8:30, 10:45 PM The Martian – 3D (PG) Action, Adventure, 2:10, 6:15 PM Wedding Pullav – 2D (PG) Comedy Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Upasna 4:45, 9:35 PM Pan – 3D (PG) Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Before We Go – 2D (15+)Comedy| Romance Cast : Chris Evans, Alice Eve, Emma Fitzpatrick 2:45, 7:15 PM

Pyaar Ka Punchnama-2 (Comedy) – PG12 Cast : Kartik Aaryan, Nushrat Bharucha, , Sunny Singh Nijjar 3.30, 9.30 PM

Momentum : 2D (Action, Thriller) 15+ Cast : Olga Olga Kurylenko, James Purefoy, Morgan Freeman Timing: 12:15, 7:15 & 11:45PM

Screen 3 Talvar (Mystery/Thriller) – PG12 Cast: Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Tabu 3.45, 9.45 PM Jawani Phir Nahi Aani (Comedy) – 12+ 6.45 PM SOHAR The Martian - 3D (PG) Action, Adventure Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen 2:15, 9:00, 11:40 PM Crimsom Peak - 2D (15+)Drama, Horror Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, 5:00, 9:15, 11:3 PM Momentum -2D (15+)Action | Thriller Cast: Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman 7:00, 11:30 PM Before We Go – 2D (15+)Comedy| Romance Cast: Chris Evans, Alice Eve, Emma Fitzpatrick 2:45, 7:15 PM Jazbaa - 2D (12+) Drama, Action & Adventure 4:30, 9:00 PM Pet Pals In Windland - 2D (PG) Animation 2:45, 4:15 PM War Pigs - 2D(12+)Action | War Cast: Luke Goss, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck

RUWI Screen 1 Pyaar Ka Punchnama-2 (Comedy) – PG12 Cast : Kartik Aaryan, Nushrat Bharucha 3.30, 9.30 PM Jazbaa (Action / Drama ) – 12+ Cast : Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Irrfan Khan 6.30 PM Screen 2 Jazbaa (Action / Drama ) – 12+ 3.45, 9.45 PM Singh Is Bling - 2D (PG12) Action |Comedy 6.45 PM

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

2:30, 11:45 PM Wedding Pullav - 2D (TBC) Romance| Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Upasna 12:00, 4:30, 6:45 PM Life of Josutty - 2D (M) (PG12) Family Cast: Dileep, Jyothi Krishna , Kalabhavan 6:00 PM The Fighter 2D (Telugu) (TBC) Action Cast: Ram Charan, Rakul Preet Singh 12:00, 8:45 PM BURAIMI Momentum – 2D (Action, Thriller) (15+) Cast: Ogla Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman 2:30, 6:30, 10:00, 11:45PM Crimsom Peak – 2D (Drama, Fantasy (15+) Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, 2:00, 4:15, 11:30PM Kung Fu Jungle – 2D (Action | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Donnie Yen, Charlie Yeung, Baoqiang 4:45, 8:15, 9:45, 11:45PM Life of Josutty – 2D (Drama, Action) (PG12) Cast: Dileep, Jyothi Krishna, Kalabhavan Mani 6:45PM Jazbaa – 2D (Drama, Action ) (12+) 4:30, 7:00PM

The Martian (3D) (PG) (Action, Sci-Fi) 2:15, 5:05PM Crimsom Peak (2D) (15+) (Drama) 10:00AM, 2:00, 7:40, 11:45PM Momentum (2D) (15+) (Action/Thriller) Cast: Olga Kurylenko, James Purefoy, Morgan 12:00, 4:05, 9:50, 11:30PM Pan (3D) (PG) (Adventure/Family/Fantasy) 12:15PM Pet Pals In Windland (2D) (PG) (Animation ) Voice Overs: Gerolamo Alchieri, Nanni Baldini 10:45AM, 1:45PM War Pigs (2D)(12+) (Action/War) Cast: Luke Goss, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck 10:15AM, 11:35PM Jazbaa (2D)(12+) (Drama/Action/Adventure) Cast: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Irrfan Khan, 7:00PM Kung Fu Jungle (2D) (12+) (Action/Thriller) Cast: Donnie Yen, Charlie Yeung, Baoqiang 12:05, 3:15PM Wedding Pullav (2D) (PG) (Romance/) Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Upasna 4:45, 9:15PM Life of Josutty (2D) (PG12) (Mal) (Family) 8:30PM The Fighter (2D) (PG12) (Telugu) (Action) Cast: Ram Charan, Rakul Preet Singh 6:00PM

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

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

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

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

31 28

ARAHANT VISHAL DEOGADE October 17, 2014

Minimum

0

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

55-85%

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

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

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

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

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

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

LISTINGS

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

Sur Sur

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

Daily Daily

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

Fahud Yibal

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

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

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

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

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

Daily

07:00

Daily

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 07:30 07:30 13:00 13:00 15:30 15:30

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

11.45 13.30 14.00

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence 24569603 Directorate General of Customs 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries 24510228 Public Relations Admin 24560099 EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

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

10:45 19:00

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

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

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

06:00 14:30

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

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

Life Of Josutty (Family Ent) Cast: Dileep, Joythi Krishna, & Rachana Narayanan 3-30 Pm Cinema -2 ; 6-30 & 10-00 Pm Cinema Main Jamna Pyari (Mal) (Com/Rom) Cast: Kunchako Boban, Roja, Gayatri & Anu Moi 6-45 Pm Cinema-4 Pulli (Tamil) (Act) Cast: Vijay & Shruthi Hassan, Sri Devi & Hansika Motwani 3-45 & 9-45pm Cinema-3 Kunji Ramayanam (Mal) (Drama/Com) Cast: Vineeth Srinivasan, Aju Verghese & Srinda 3-45 Pm At Cinema -4 The Fighter (Brucelee) (Telugu) (Act) Cast: Ramcharan, Rakul Preet Singh & Bramanandan 3-00 Pm Cinema Main ; 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema -2; 6-45 Pm Cinema-3 ; 9-45 Pm Cinema-4 Next Change: Ennu Ninte Moideen 10 (Mal), Endrathu Kulla (Tamil) Programmes are subject to change

0

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 20:50

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

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

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

STAR CINEMA

WITH LOVE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36) Daily Daily Daily

Crimsom Peak (Drama, Horror)(15+)(2D) Cast : Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston 4.00, 7.30, 9.45 & 11.55 pm CP No: 2785 (15+) Momentum (Action / Thriller ) Cast: Olga Kurylenko, James Purefoy, Morgan Freeman 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CP No: 2786 (15+) Before We Go (Comedy / Drama / Romance) Cast: Chris Evans, Alice Eve, Emma Fitzpatrick 2.00 & 6.00 pm CP No: 2787 (15+) Pet Pals in Windland (Animation / Comedy ) Voice Overs: Belinda Keller, Anthony Lawson 2.00 & 6.00 pm CP No: 2788 (PG)

SALALAH

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

16:30 18:00 19:30

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

SUR Momentum (Action | Thriller) (15+) Cast: Olga Kurylenko, James Purefey 12:15, 2:15, 4:00, 5:45, 11:55 PM Crimson Peak (Drama | Horror) (15+) 7:30, 11:55 PM War Pigs (Action | War) (12+) Cast: Dolph Lindgren, Luke Goss, Chuck 2:00, 3:45, 5:30, 10:10 PM Jazbaa (Hindi) (Action | Drama) (12+) Cast: Aishwarya Rai Bacchan, Irrfan Khan, 12:00, 9:45 PM Life of Josutty (Mal) (Family) (PG12) 7:15 PM

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Quriyat Sur Jaalan

BAHJA CINEMA

Singh is Bling– 2D (Action/Comedy/) (PG) 2:15, 9:15PM

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68. www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman

Destination

11.57pm 3.17pm 5.45pm 6.56pm 4.49am

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

@SHATTI

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

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

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

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

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

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

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

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre 24485052 Atlas Hospital Ruwi 24811743/ Ghubra 24504000 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi 24563641 Azaiba 24499269 Sohar 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740 Ceregem National Raak 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217 Elixir Health Centre 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274 Hamdan Hospital 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128 MBD 24799077 Al Khuwair 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

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

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

B7

LIFESTYLE STORY TIME

By Swati Dasgupta

A

lice D’Souza, Robby and Aleeta’s mom, walked inside the hypermarket on a lazy afternoon. The place was buzzing with activities, as it was a weekend and most of the shoppers chose this time of the hour to shop. Mr D’Souza and Robby were at home busy watching the cricket match.

Aleeta was getting bored at home and so Alice took her along with her.

Aleeta was six years old and she was the darling of the family. Robby was also very fond of his little sister and most of the time would buy her chocolates and ice creams with his pocket money.

As Alice walked up and down the aisles of the supermarket to buy her monthly provisions, Aleeta gazed at the chocolate counter. “Mum, I want the one with the blue wrapper.

Redha got it in school the other day,” Aleeta exclaimed.

Alice looked at her daughter with a smile and loaded her trolley with two bars of chocolates. As they headed to the frozen section Aleeta suddenly squealed. “Mum, there’s the strawberry flavoured ice cream.

Buy me one,” she said.

Alice D’Souza who normally gave in to all the demands of Aleeta didn’t want to buy her the ice cream. She was suffering from a bad cold and

Don’t throw tantrums the doctor had warned her to stay away from cold stuff.

‘No sweetheart, you aren’t well.

We will buy it sometime later,” she pacified her. Aleeta was in no mood to listen. She raised her voice and loudly said “I want it right now.”

No my child, Alice said again and before she could say anything further Aleeta stomped her feet and started rolling on the floor. She screamed on top of her voice, “I want it now”.

The passers-by looked at Aleeta and wondered what troubled the child so much. One gentleman came to Alice and even enquired about the matter.

Alice felt ashamed and quite embarrassed too as people passing by watched her bad behaviour.

“Aleeta, stop doing that. You know I never say no to you. But there’s a reason. How can I let you have an ice cream when you have been told not to,” she tried hard to explain.

Aleeta hardly paid heed to her mother’s words. She was so used to having whatever she wanted that she couldn’t take no for an answer.

“I don’t like you mom,” she wailed for the next 15 minutes.

Alice was already getting late. In the evening her friends were coming home for tea and had to prepare some snacks. Moreover she could not tolerate others watching her

daughter misbehave. One elderly lady walking with a stick in her hand couldn’t help but even condemned her to act up like that.

So, as expected, she gave in to her tantrums and bought her the strawberry-flavoured ice cream that she insisted on having.

Seeing the ice cream Aleeta gave a broad smile. She grabbed the ice cream and happily relished it on the way back home.

Alice was quite upset at her

daughter’s behaviour and felt guilty for giving in. But she knew she had no choice. How long she could allow others to see her child’s misbehaviour. This was a usual incident whenever Aleeta went out for shopping with her parents. Her temper tantrums were so much that she would start misbehaving anywhere.

All that mattered to Aleeta was she got what she wanted.

Summer vacations had just started and the family were all set to visit

the grandparents but just few days before their holidays Mr D’Souza got an urgent assignment and he could not go for the leave.

“It’s ok dear,” Alice consoled her upset husband. “There’s always a way out. If we can’t go we will call your parents here and we can then have a good time,” she added.

Mr D’Souza thanked his wife for coming up with such a fantastic idea and soon the grandparents arrived.

Robby and Aleeta were overjoyed.

With both their parents working they used to get bored at home but not anymore.

One evening Robby and his grandpa got busy playing chess.

Grandma wanted to go for a walk so she took Aleeta along with her. They both chatted for long and Aleeta told her granny all that she did in school.

Suddenly granny remembered that they needed to buy milk. She went to the nearby shop. The moment they stepped in Aleeta ran near the chips rack and picked up a big packet.

“No Aleeta, you just had doughnuts and milk. Don’t eat chips now or else you won’t be able to have your dinner,” she said. “Come on. It’s time to go home,” she called.

But Aleeta refused to budge. “I will not go. I want chips,” Aleeta’s voice got louder with each word.

But granny remained firm with

her no. Suddenly Aleeta flung her hand. She stamped her feet and started wailing. Aleeta was sure that like mum granny too would give in.

But this time nothing of that sort happened. Her granny quietly picked up the shopping basket and walked away. She went to the fruits section to buy mangoes, without even looking at Aleeta. Aleeta continued crying. Soon people were watching her. A little girl came to her and asked “Why are you acting like a baby? You are a big girl now?”

Aleeta suddenly felt embarrassed.

She heard that little girls’ mum telling her “she is a spoilt child”. She regretted for her bad behaviour but did not know what to do and was also hurt at granny for leaving her alone. “Granny,” she called. “Oh dear, so have you finished with your tantrums,” she asked.

Aleeta didn’t say a word and silently walked back home with her granny. She didn’t get out of her room the rest of the evening. During dinner Alice peeped inside her room to check on Aleeta.

“Come my child. Everyone’s waiting for dinner,” she said. Aleeta suddenly burst into tears and hugged her mum. “I will never misbehave like this mum,” she said.

Alice comforted her darling daughter. Since then Aleeta never threw a tantrum. swati@timesofoman.com

Tea time KEEP SAFE

by Isidore

Questions & Answers It’s better not to argue with...

Teachers

One thing that puts me off...

Not respecting your teachers

I go crazy when...

Exams come When I’m in doubt...

I Google it

If I win a lottery...

I will never donate it

One movie/book I can watch/ read over and over again...

Titanic

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

Crossword Puzzle The scariest thing that I have done...

I’m not scared of anything

If I met an alien I would...

Take his UFO and go somewhere away from Earth

ACROSS

1 5 8 12 13 14 15 16

If I could go back in history, I would like to meet...

Joseph Sir (Art teacher) One skill I would like to learn...

Kung Fu

SAMEER MD

If I had treasures I would hide them...

It’s a secret If I have to describe myself as a flavour it would be...

Chocolate

One person I would trade places with (real or ficitional) Kapil Sharma

The best way to my heart is...

Laughter

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

DOWN 1 Relaxation station 2 Post of control on a ship 3 Culturally pretentious 4 Certain hut 5 Coke rival 6 Showery mo.

7 — chi ch’uan 8 Hidden valley 9 Yours and mine 10 Stage award

11 17 19 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 32

Credit card balance Broom companions Gulped down Stock market upswing TV band Damp and chilly Wear and tear Seattle hrs.

Help-wanted abbr.

Go out with EMT’s skill At any time, poetically

33 35 36 38 39 40 41 42 44 45 47 48 50

Hold Blissful spot Boombox platters Walkway Lugosi of horror flicks — — for keeps Not us Little kids Forearm bone Pizazz Mechanical tooth Fleece giver Get older

18 20 21 24 27 28 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 43 46 49 51 52 53 54 55 56

Hoops nickname Reassure Rover Tasty Brazil neighbour Eco-friendly feds Garage job Deep-voiced lady Steakhouse order (2 wds.)

Caged talkers Day one Cause trouble (2 wds.)

Madras money Happy sighs PC button Off. helper Keebler baker, in ads Quick look More than damp Conger Dove or pigeon Wood nymphs Please, in Potsdam Half of GI Touches up Miss Cinders of the comics Fibbed It gives a hoot Projection They need a PIN Golly!

Not daft

B8

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015

LIFESTYLE IN THE NEWS

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

Art for the Ages

Dharmik Maniyar, Grade 5, ISWK

Oeshi Chowdhury,Grade 10, Indian School Salalah

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

SOLUTION Answer to previous puzzle

Basin Jääskeläinen, Grade 9, BSM

Paragon Designs Show at Mrunal’s Boutique

J

ewellery designer Aruna Pathreeker’s Paragon Designs will be on display at Mrunal’s Boutique at Qurum on October 17 and 18.

Aruna Pathreeker has been designing jewellery for almost two decades. She established her company Paragon Designs at the turn of the century. Her designs show a classic blend of both purist and trendy – be it in jhumkas, kadas or necklaces. Her concept of using bajuband (armbands) as a neck piece has been widely appreciated.

She has been conducting international shows in many cities across the world. In the Middle East region Dubai is her regular stop. She comes to Oman with her affordable Nawabi and American Diamond Collection.

Mrunal’s Boutique is a pioneer in fashion scene of Oman for the past several years, promoting culture and heritage from India and around the world.

For details, log on to: mrunalsboutique.com Contact: +968 2456 7599.

Nandana Vinod, Grade 5, ISG

Bavisha Pankaj, Grade 6, ISG CBSEi

Lopamudra, Grade 9, ISM

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

The leftover word spells the Teleword.

T I S D A Z A L P A L T S A C

Y M T C N B U R A A J Y S E H R O W W T N O O I C R A H E R

M B A N K S A L E C M N T N I

CLUE: ‘30 ROCK’ (TV SERIES)

K O E R E D N A L D E I R F E

E Y R H T E V I L T L W E S I

N H J G O O L G T K Z D L S L

N G E A A R N A R W I L L O R

E A N G C N N A N I L A E B I

T N N S A K K B T O Z B F M G

H O A D N O L R E I I Z E A D

S O D O R R A S WK A I K T OW E N R N S G T S K C R C Y O

J R F I K C E H VM I O N N N D E F N E I Y EM O R I R L F

SOLUTION: 6 LETTERS

Adsit, Alec, Arnett, Awards, Baldwin, Banks, Boss, Brown, Cast, Cerie, Donaghy, Fey, Fictional, Floyd, Frank, Friedlander, Girlie, Grizz, Hornberger, Jack, Jane, Jaunty, Jenna, Jordan, Josh, Kenneth, Kevin, Krakowski, Live, Liz Lemon, Lonny, Lorne, Marci, McBrayer, Miner, Morgan, Plaza, Powell, Richmond, Rockefeller, Rossitano, Show, Skit, Song, Tina, Tracy, Will.

Answer: Sketch

C

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M S AT U R DAY, O C T O B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 5

SECTION

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

RENT

C2

VACANCY

C4

CARGO

C6

C2

S AT U R D AY, O C T O B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

Workers’ campus, shops, workshops, stores in a building in Al Misfah, Wilayat Bausher.

Contact 98918090 02 BHK commercial / residential (with split AC) Flat at Honda road.

Contac: 99342733 / 99795241

Flat for rent, 3 bedrooms, kitchen & bathroom in wadi kabir for 280 RO. Contact : 97771444

02 BHK residential flat opposite to Al Nadha Hospital. Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

3 BHK Penthouse Flat with Split A/ Cs, Free Unlimited Broadband WiFi, Security access system, Pvt. Terrace & Secured car park, Opposite Kims Hospital Al Falaj, Monthly Rent: 625/-.

Contact: 99657906 or 24702141

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

Contact: 99251975

1000sqm industrial and with compound well & two rooms at Misfah.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241 Readymade office space for rent (100sm) in Bank Melli Iran building, MBA area, Ruwi, opposite Center Point. Contact: 99011352 Shop / store for rent about 250 sq mtrs area in the heart of Ruwi City good for restaurant, store or general sale. Contact 99326639 One /two, B/R, Res / comm. flats near Bank Muscat Bausher from owner directly . Contact: 92158031 AL Khuwair 17/1, 2 single bedroom flats at 150/-, 1 big studio at 120/- , 3 small studios at 90/- with electricity & water. Contact: 99441798 Wadi Kabir 8 studios, each at 80/with electricity & water.

Contact 99441798 Mawaleh 3 bedrooms flat at 450/with electricity, water.

Contact: 99441798 Brand new 2 bedroom flat split ACS near Sultan Center Arjan towel project R.O 450/- PM. Contact: 95278815

1000 sq mtrs industrial land in Ghala suitable for ware house, work shop etc. Contact : 24700120 / 92584715 200 sqm basement available for rent in AL Khuwair near Rawasco.

Contact: 93782735 / 93329476 We have 1BHK in Mabela 7 new buildings 175/- R.O. Contact: 93782735 / 93329476 We have 3BHK villa fully furnished in Ghubra 18th November street 650/- R.O. Contact : 93782735 / 93329476 1BHK R.O 190/- & 2BHK R.O 225/near Medical Darsait Muttrah house.

Contact: 98748925 For rent one bedroom Majlis, 2 toilets, kitchen, balcony Greater Muttrah near Muscat Electricity distribution new building rent R.O 230/-. Contact: 99243059 Deluxe 2 bedroom flats MBD, Ruwi, Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99472457 / 24707340

We have 2 BHK in Ghubra 18th November street 2 rooms, 3 bathrooms, large sitting, hall& Kitchen 325/- O.R. Contact : 93782735 / 93329476

We have 3BHK villa near Grand Mosque villa with 3 rooms, sitting hall, majlis & car parking 700/- O.R. Contact : 93782735 / 93329476

We have shops for rent in Ghala & Ghubra. Contact : 93782735 / 93329476

We have 2 BHK flat in Al Khuwair new Rawasco brand new building 325/- O.R. # 93782735 / 93329476

We have 100 sqm for rent in Ghala new building 350/- R.O. Contact 93782735 / 93329476

We have small building for rent in Bousher, 4 studio & 1 shop building commercial & residence can be used for family, bachelors or store 750/O.R. contact : 93782735 / 93329476

We have 3BHK flats in Ghala new building flat with 3 rooms, 4 bathrooms, large sitting hall& kitchen 425/-. Contact: 93782735 / 93329476

Flat 2bedrooms, 2 toilets, kitchen and sitting room in Al Ansab.

Contact: 95302993 / 95216161

Al Hail Villa & Flats.

Contact: 95282986

Office/Shop 28 SQM, Wadikhabeer, Contact 93004902

Apartment for rent, have flat in South Al Hail consists of 3 bedrooms + 3 baths + hall + kitchen car parking.

Contact: 92602050 / 93214010

2BHK with Split Unit A/C , Wadikhabeer near Indian School, 99441193, 93004802

Bedroom ground floor apartment with sitting, 2 baths, big richen close to Indian School near to Mars hypermarket Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 98011224

2BHK with Split Units , WadiKhabeer, 93004802.

Flats and shops for rent in Ruwi, MBD Mumtaz area. Contact : 97293708 / 92433127

2 BHK available Ghubra near Al Maha hotel. Contact: 99269751 Brand new deluxe flats located near Seeb fly over on the right hand side of the main road coming from the Seeb palace roundabout, two bedrooms family, hall, kitchen, 3 toilets, balcony & split unit AC. Contact: 97755586 1BHK , 3BHK flats at Wadi Al Kabir new building with split unit and lift behind Muscat Bakery.

Contact: 99338133 3 rooms, Majlis, living room, kitchen, 4 toilets & swimming pool in Amerat Heights (phase one).

Contact: 99277377 Villa in Al Khuwair 17 /2 for rent, near Ibis hotel, 2 spacious bedrooms, spacious hall, Maid room front yard , private entrance kitchen and 3 bathrooms. Contact: 97056443 Um Obelah 5/1 just walking distance from the Nesto hypermarket and opposite the new pullman mall, 2 bedrooms with two toilets and seating area on 4th floor. only 250 omani rial. Contact 99203381

1BHK Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99024730 1& 2 BHK C.B.D. Contact: 99024730 2 flats with air-conditions in Al Bustan each flat has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, family hall, kitchen, store laundry. Contact: 98919037 Duplex flat Al Athaiba, near Sultan Center 3BHK, 3 Bathrooms, hall & living room family only 500/-R.O. Contact: 92479515 Flat available for rent, 2 bedrooms, hall, 2 toilets, 1 kitchen and balcony with proper sun light & ventilator, location on Mabela North very close to Indian School Al Seeb.

Contact: 99432496 Flat AL Ghubrah near 18 Nov ST, bedroom, living room, 2 bathrooms, first floor without ac family only 325/- R.O. Contact: 92479515 Villa Al Amerat behind Al Raffah Hospital 5BHK, living room, hall, 6 bathrooms, split ac family only 425 R.O. Contact : 92479515

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DAILY GUIDE

FOR RENT Showrooms/ Offices at prime location on the main road, near Police Station, Al Seeb.

Suitable for Travels, Money Exchange and Textile shops etc.

CONTACT - 99888007 FOR SALE

FOR RENT Commercial land on the main road in Nakhal for rent or invest. Contact 92804888 2 BHK flats with split units in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99720021 Flat Al Khuwair near Bader AL Samaa, 2 BHK living room, 2 bathrooms, Kitchen split ac family only 350 R.O. Contact 92479515 Flat 3 mint from Indian School, 2 BHK, living room, 3 bathrooms without A/c, Ground floor family only 340/-R.O. Contact 92479515 Staff accommodation / 2 storey full building available for rent in Rusayl, near Industrial area. Contact: 99352441 / 98116480 / 99358724 2 bed room flat at Al Khodh commercial Street Souq. Contact : 99224748 / 99332297 First floor flat in new building and pent house, each 3 bedrooms servant room, laundry and 5 toilets very spacious halls and family lounges Al Khuwair 39.# 99207840 / 24494243 New Building in Mutrah, 2 B/D Room Flat + Setting Room,3 Baths+ Kitchen with split unit Ac’s. Behind Khimiji’s main office/opposite to Oman House Call 99419712 1,2,3 BHK Flats. Contact: 97799175 2bed room villa in Sidab, 2 Bedroom villa in Wadi Kabeer. Contact : 95755953 / 95555162 Brand new residential flats in Wadi Kabir near Muscat football club, have 2 bedroom family hall, 2 toilets, Kitchen with spilt AC for 250/- R.O. Contact: 95999904 / 98585889 / 92383886 Villa for rent four spacious bath attached bed room private swimming pool gymnasium (common) with electrical equipment and free maintenance secured compound at Madinat Al Allam. Contact: 98027975

FOR SALE Institution for sale, well furnished institution for sale in Muscat. Contact 93657915

FOR RENT 2 BHK Commercial Al Khuwair R.O 375/-. Contact : 97799175 1BHK Ghubra R.O 275/-.

Contact : 97799175 Furnished flat for rent, 3 rooms with attached bathroom, 1 dining room, 1 sitting room, 1 kitchen at Al Hail South. Contact 99835995 For rent a full office building of 3100 sq mtrs opposite to Central Bank in CBD (Ruwi) for R.O 4 per Sq mtrs. Contact: 95330200 600 SQT commercial flat for rent opposite Oman flourmill Darsait more details. Contact 91214849/ 99364735 1 room, 2 rooms, 3 rooms with all supplements including water electricity and sewage. Also we provide the following services free 1plumber, electrician for any failed center for garbage on price call on Farahat 98020768 , Hilal 96541263 New flats for rent At Darsait near to Ministry of Sports, Mumtaz area the flats includes1 living room, 2 bedrooms, Kitchen, 3 toilets, every rooms with split A/C, high quality finishing, rent RO 340 /-.

Contact: 00968 92225523 Fully furnished 2 BHK apartments available at Bareeq Al Shatti.

Contact 92888063

Office for rent in CBD. Contact : 92820734 / 95345909

1, 2 BHK in Azaiba. Contact: 99385835 / 99428143

Villa for rent in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact: 95562646 / 99059333

1BHK flats available for rent in CBD area. Contact: 98116480

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.

Contact: 97799175

1bedroom attached, toilet & kitchen in AL Khuwair R.O 140/-.

Contact: 95154331

1BHK Commercial M.B.D R.O 280/-.

Contact: 97799175 2BHK Wadi Kabir RO 300/Contact: 97799175 1& 2 BHK Darsait. #97799175 2BHK Ghubra R.O 350/-.

Contact: 97799175

3BHK , 3bathrooms , 2balconys NRAL Hassan W/ Kabir R.O 320/-.

Contact: 99384640 1 & 2 bedroom flats available for rent in wadi-kabir (opp: pencil bldg), ideal for company staff / families bulk corporate deal possible.

Contact: 97677170

Well running shop at Hamriya (5 yrs old), for immediate sale. With 2 visa activity printing & stationery, designing, corporate gift items, signage work. Contact: 96395770 An Amazing excellent residential land for sale in Barka at Al Muraysi attached to road open from 3 sides and surrounded by houses & shops.

Ready for construction to build twin villa good investment in Barka 677 SQM, price RO 21000/-. contact 91010668 Institution for sale. well furnished institution for sale in Muscat.

Contact 93657915 Bunk Bed with a large study table and plenty of storage space.

Purchased from IKEA. Can be flat packed for transportation. RO 75.

Pictures can be shared on whatsapp.

Call – 99226485 Ready coffee shop for sale or rent available in Al Khuwair near Rawasco Golden chance. Contact: 93782735 /93329476 A well running Pharmacy at prime location for immediate sale. Contact 92548672 / 99627621 / 99516236 Attention to wholesalers, retailers & manufacturers. We can Sell/Buy your dead stock. Contact : 99742983, 95226989 Split A/C -2, Window A/C- 25, Iron cot- 120, cupboard - 130, water cooler - 2, Gas big - 2, small-3 , Grinder-1 , Chapatti tava-1 , stove-2, kitchen equipment etc .

Contact: 99328223 Office for sale in Ruwi Chamber Oman. Contact : 94241385 / 97244766 Excellent running building materials shop cum Showroom and store for sale in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 98871548 / 93412622

Private School License & Furniture available for sale.

KG to IVth Grade Bilingual.

Contact - 99261773 Email:

Ladies beauty parlor sale at Muttrah.

Contact - 91135930

burjschool@alhakkim.com

FOR SALE Used furniture and steel racks at Daiso showroom in Ruwi for immediate sale. Contact 93411561 / 93991322 (Mr. Naveen) New dishwasher LG 2013 for sale at 100 or. Contact-98125422

ACC. AVAILABLE

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

Furnished master b.room with attached bath ,and Furnished room with sharing bathroom fully equipped kitchen immediately available in N. Azaiba. 95450250

Fast food style well furnished coffee shop for sale in new Salalah.

Contact: 91121215 / 97484825 Comm. & Res land in the heart of Ruwi 2400 sq mtr for sale.

Contact : 91155779 Port cabin and Wooden pallets new, used and renovated porta cabin Wooden & steel sandwich panel Wooden pallets and packing for marble packing available.

Contact no. + 968 99318152 Tel. +968 24458759 Email: ahastco@gmail.com Comm. & Res land in Darsait, opp.

Pakistani School, 900 sq mtr for sale.

Contact: 91155779 Used Fabrication machinery for sale : Fabrication machinery and tools in excellent condition for immediate sale. Contact 94652485/ 99273774/ 99202278 Comm. & res. land for investment for 25 years in Ghala heights.

Contact: 91155779 Comm. & Res land in Ghala heights 400 sq mtr for sale. Contact: 91155779 Shop for sale or rent at Ruwi City.

Contact: 99103077 For sale land in Amerat 3000 Sq.mt with petrol pump permission.

Contact 99323957 / 92702891

Semi furnished two Bed room flat immediately available in N.Azaiba .Contact -95450250 Furnished room for rent Indian family near Honda road.

Contact: 99076546 Sharing accommodation available at Darsait near ISD specious room, bath, passage sharing kitchen. Preference Vegetarian. Contact: 99419390 Room available at Walja. Contact: 96246625 Furnished room for IND EXE bachelor near Al Khuwair.com R/A. Contact : 99659513 Single room for Executive bachelor with attached toilet & bath, for rent including water & electricity in Ruwi.

Contact: 99327158 Sharing accommodation for family or bachelors near Indian school Ghubra. Contact : 99836676 / 99056701 Room available with kitchen from first November 2015 onwards at Rex Road near Golden Oryx Restaurant.

Contact: 99768952 1 BHK available at Al khud in Baskin Robbins building. R.O.200. Contact: 97261418, 94194876, 99478492

SITUATION WANTM.V. FOR SALE

Single room attached bath S/ kitchen at Mumtaz area.

Contact: 95212017 / 96916398

Toyota Corolla 1.6, 2012 model.

Contact: 98402616

Studio flat MBD Ruwi.

Contact : 95698714

Honda Civic 97, manual.

Contact 99045803

Independent rooms in Qurum / Al Hail. Contact 95529970

Homegym with cross trainer for sale.

Contact 95367937 Industrial land Wadi Kabeer 3470 sqr mtrs with warehouse + office + labor accommodation price 900,000 R.O . Contact : 99792181 / 99473751

Running furniture showroom for urgent sale.

Running furniture showroom for urgent sale.

Ladies beauty parlor sale at Muttrah.

Contact - 91135930 Room for Rent Alkhuwair - Behind Al Aktham Restaurant. 120 RO. With elec. and water.For executive bachelors only. Contact : 98803261 Flat for rent available in CBD near Costa Coffee. Mobile no.92820734 Private room with toilet near Qurum park incl. W& E, monthly RO 220/-.

Contact Hassan 99349990 Accommodation available for indian executive bachelor’s (no kitchen).RO:125 including water and electricity Contact no. .. 98145825, 98949724

AVAILABLE Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

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

DRIVING

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S AT U R D AY, O C T O B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT Multinational Group is looking for a

Walk-In Interview on 18/10/2015 Applications are invited for the post of

Gynaecologist, Pediatrician, General Practitioners (Male & Female), Insurance Coordinators, Sales & Marketing Representatives, Sales & Marketing Director and Receptionist.

FINANCE MANAGER For their corporate office.

Ideal candidate should have 7-10 years experience in handling Banking & Treasury functions, feasibility studies.

Ex Bankers shall be preferred

Walk in interviews for these posts will be held at our head office, building no 404, 18 th November Street, Opposite Baskin Robins, Al Athaiba on 18/October/2015 between 10:00 Am to 5 pm.

Interested candidates can also send resume to athirababylon@gmail.com,

Please apply with a detailed CV to - recruitin15@gmail.com

info@babylonmedicalcentre.com.

For more information call 24613069.

ADMIN/ HR

EDUCATION

URGENTLY REQUIRED

Urgently required HR Manager Omani National: Minimum 2 years experience good command over English & Arabic. Should be capable of handling Administration, all type of correspondence & routine office works independently, and good skill in MS-Office is must. Interested candidates may send in their CVs to Fax # 24600217 or email on: starmail@omantel.net.om

Required English Teachers (native speaker), candidates for teaching should have minimum bachelor degree and having experience not less than 3 years. Please submit your CV through email till 15th of October 2015 for more information please Contact: 24498423.

Email: info@omrantraining.com

GYM Instructor (Lady), Waitress (Lady), Carpenter (Male), Painter (Male) For a reputed four star hotel 2 Years of Experience in the same field Please send cv at hoteljbs@gmail.com Fax -24593277

Post Graduate researcher required.

Contact 99229700

ACCOUNTANT

MEDICAL ENGINEER/TECH/MECH

An Omani construction co. located at Muscat looking for an expert Accountant with minimum five yrs. experience with wide knowledge of using tally and other software and GCC driving license. Send C.V to kwk585@gmail.com Required Accountant present in Oman. Not for candidates on visit.

Contact: 99454425 Wanted Accountant.

Contact: 94007259 Email: smylackal@gmail.com Required ACCOUNTS OFFICER to ensure accurate processing of revenue data into ERP systems and invoicing module. Posting of invoices to customer SAP portal and delivery to customer offices and interface with Country Manager / Reporting to Regional CFO. Qualifications : BSc Accounting. Relevant experience and knowledge on Online Accounting Systems especially the customer SAP system. SUBMIT CV to : me-job@interwell.com

CATERING A fiberglass products manifesting company required experienced South Indian Cook. Interested candidates. Please email CV to alhosnif@gmail.com or call on 99871101 Chinese/ Arab/ Continental Cook & helper wanted. Contact 95529970

Turning or Mechanical Engineer wanted to work in workshop if interested please call: 96996884 / 98021385 / 99745330/ 95179003 Experienced construction Civil Engineer with qualification (attested) certificates & with Omani driving license.

Contact: slayhawk@yahoo.com Aluminum Foreman – with minimum 5 years experience in aluminium fabrication, MUST have NOC and immediately join. Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Urgently Required: Mechanical Engineer for a steel fabrication welding workshop 10 yrs exp he should know how to design drawing with auto cad estimate & quotation he must have exp to supervise job of workshop & sites.

Contact: 97130671 Required foreman for a steel welding workshop 10 yrs exp.

Contact :97130671 A signage company looking urgently for Mechanical Engineer with 3 years experience in internal and external signboards. Candidate with knowledge of estimation / BOQ, AutoCAD 2d /3d Sales experience, will be preferred. Pls send CV to rdawwad2@gmail.com

Looking for quality assurance / Supply Chain Lead. 25-35 years old with good communication skills, with experience related to food processing or food service minimum of 5 yrs. experience. Please send CV’s to: admin-dept@daud.om

SALES / MARKETING Required Sales Executive with corrugated cartons manufacturing background. Minimum 3+ years experience. Omani D/L is a must.

Please send CV to this email: corrugatedpackagingoman@gmail.com Urgently required: Sales Executive- with 5 years experience in aluminum and sales, MUST have NOC and immediately join. Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com Required Sales Executive for a leading building material manufacturer in Oman having valid Omani Driving License and 1-2 years of sales experience. NOC from the current sponsor is required.

Contact: 95646844 Sales & Marketing Executive for travel and tourism.

Contact: 92890506

Required hydraulic Mechanic with experience in Trucks & Heavy machinery. Contact : 99454425

Software development and Sales company in Oman, looking for a male / female, Marketing / Sales Executive with Oman driving license. Please send the CV to hr@ozoneunited.com

Reputed electrical contracting company requires an Oman experienced, capable “Electrical Contracts Manager”. Ideal candidates should have relevant market experience & connections.

Contact 94400671/ 91272871

A trading company in Muscat requires Sales Executive with minimum 1 yr experience & Oman driving license & welding machine / electronics / power tools technician with min. 1 year experience.

Email: jobs.trading2015@gmail.com

Urgently required a Indian Diploma Civil Engineer with 1-2 years of experience and should valid G.C.C driving license. Email: smtcoman@gmail.com

Sales Co-Ordinator Required Urgently – Any Graduate with 1-2 years experience in DTP work with good knowledge of MS Office and Internet, Age: 21-28 years can apply to careers@teejanequipment.com

DOMESTIC HELP Wanted full time maid for Indian family. Visa provided. Contact : 97448484 / 95539842 Urgently required a full time Indian Housemaid to work in Sharqiya - for an Omani family (local recruits preferred) please contact : 95164139, between 8 am – 5 pm Looking for an Mangalorean Konkani speaking Housemaid for Mangalorean family to look after baby at Wadi Kabir.

Contact 96449951 / 95147107

DRIVER Urgently requires Heavy Duty Driver with valid Oman driving license and electrical foreman (Diploma holder with 6 years over head line experience.

Fax: 24814699 , Email: info@sajgloballlc.com GSM : 93210740 Required light driver.

Not for candidates on visit.

Contact: 99454425 Urgently Require good English speaking Omani drivers.

Contact: 92870992 Required Indian driver with Omani driving license and experience to work in house.

Contact : 96255558 Driver with Oman driving licence needed. Visa available.

Contact 94288863

DRAUGHTSMAN Wanted a Autocad Draftsman fulltime or part time Contact 98963963 BY SMS

MEDICAL Required MOH licensed Laboratory Technician for a reputed Medical center at Azaiba ready to join by 1st Jan 16. Please contact any time: 92724345 evening only: 99676812

Looking for 3+years Exp in Insurance for Insurance Broker, Barka.

Email : lizjoseph27@gmail.com A leading trading Group is looking for Outdoor Sales Coordinator with driving license & release / NOC. Email CV to alhajoil@omantel.net. om or fax: 24701683

Wanted Staff Nurses (female) with or without MOH license for a polyclinic near Sohar. Excellent salary & accommodation. Contact 99006915, email : alhinaee.clinic@yahoo.com

Wanted Sales man (experienced in transporting etc). #94007259 Email: smylackal@gmail.com

Required Nurse for a clinic in Al Buraimi S.O. Oman. Contact: 00968 92737149 CV to drpkabbas@yahoo.co.in

Primedia International is looking for experienced Sales Executives having strong background of digital and print media. Send your Cv’s at SihamHalloubi@primedia-oman. com or contact on 97002356

Medical care center, Multispecialty clinic, Seeb requires General Practitioner, medical lab technician & pharmacist. Mail CV to sarita_h23@yahoo.com or Call - 97884856

Required experienced Sales / Marketing Executives having light license. Send your CV ocean@omantel.net.om

Required Pharmacist or Asst Pharmacist in a locum basis for one month period in capital area from 15th Oct 2015to 15th Nov 2015.

Contact : 99372860 / 99008379 Immediate Opening for laboratory technician. Should have MOH license to work in medical centre in capital area. Excellent Package, Accomodation will be offered.

Contact 99340135

SEC/OFFICE Sir Lankan Secretary with experience in recruitment field.

Contact: 92809528

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Sr. Accountant M.Com (finance) 15 years experience (2 years in Oman) with a reputed firm, NOC available.

Contact: 92404608 Email: jin_75@rediffmail.com Accountant Indian male Charted Accountant and bachelor in Commerce having 3.5 years experience in Auditing presently in Muscat and seeking for suitable position.

Contact: 91656202 Email: sanoopvarghese90@gmail.com Accountant, Indian female on visit visa degree: B.Com, exp 6+ years in tally ERP-9 (latest), finalization of account, Tax, Accounting, Stock maintenance payroll etc. Contact: 91551164 / 91175456 Email: jothipriya@gmail.com MBA(3.5) years specialty in finance with an advance research in Islamic and conventional banking experienced remain an internee and remittance officer and currently accountant looking for post Assistant finance / Accountant. Contact: 94515020 Accountant Indian male 32 years B.Com 5 Plus years experience in Oman, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 94410485 / 98008164 10+ yrs UAE experienced Fin. Controller looking for job change.

Contact: 98006226 Indian male 22 years B.Com done tally ERP-9 Accounting and Inventory, looking for suitable position.

Contact: 96067602 Email: saif24293@gmail.com Accountant with 3 yrs exp in Oman having driving license and Noc. Contact: 91307632 MBA (F&M) experience 1.3 year.

Contact: 97445488 Email: abinbabygeorge@gamil.com Part Time Accounting, Accounts Finalization, Audit Preparation, Internal Audit, Accounting System for New Companies, Contact: 96975454, email : ibfc.gcc@gmail.com Sri Lankan Male Accountant, Age 26, BBA Spl, CA Inter, Having more than 5 years’ Experience in accounting field seeking for Suitable Placement NOC Available Contact: 97250638 msmnaja@gmail.com Sr. Accountant (finance) 14 yrs Gulf experience in trading & contracting, valid UAE driving license (visit visa) looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 98110814 / 99055679

ACCOUNTANT, Indian male 28 years, 6 plus years of GCC experience, presently working in Oman as an Accountant, seeking for a suitable job position, NOC available, Contact: 95089869 E-Mail: anuchunda@gmail.com CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT, Indian male having 7 years experience as functional finance head, presently working in Muscat as Asst. Finance Manager seeking for a suitable position. NOC available, Contact 9178 9950 / Email: igneshmlazar@gmail.com SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with 13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in manufacturing, trading & contracting Cos, capable of handling all accounting, finance, banking, L/C, import, export & finalization seeks placement. NOC Available. Call+968-98932752, mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com Finance Manager, 13 years experience B.Com, MBA, CMA (currently).

Contact: 92243552 Finance Manager 26 years experience (22 years Oman) with NOC. Contact: 91335205 / 91302906 Part time Accountant accounts finalization auditing.

Contact: 98157999 Indian male 25 years MBA finance having 4 years experience in accounts looking for suitable placement presently on visit visa.

Contact: 95291085 Email: atharali9849@gmail.com CIMP qualified Accountant 5 yrs exp immediately joining with NOC. Contact: 95522109 Indian male, 8 yrs experience in Oman looking for any suitable vacancy Accountant / Asst. Accountant/ Office Admin local release available. Contact 98492752 Email: atiquehazique@rediffmail.com Indian male MBA finance with 3 years experience in Accounts, Admin, HR, on visit visa.

Contact: 91520930 Indian male, 8 yrs experience in Oman looking for any suitable vacancy Accountant / Asst. Accountant / Office Admin local release available. Contact: 98492752 Email: atiquehazique@rediffmail. com Finance Manager, 12 years experience in leading Construction and manufacturing companies (9 years in Oman) have strategic vision and proven leadership ability. B.Com, CPA- USA & modern accounting certificate from “AUC”. “NOC” in hand. Contact: 97220505

Indian male with B.Com, MBA finance & marketing 14 yrs exp seeking suitable placement.

Contact : 0091 8697292219, Email : rejesh.nair@gmail.com

CA (Ind) & CPA (Aus) qualified Indian male with more than 20 years experience (12 years in Oman) in senior positions, currently on visit, seeks immediate and suitable position in a dynamic organization.

Contact : 93910095 Email: reji.thomas07@gmail.com

Indian male 8 years experience having B.Com and MBA ready to work in HR customer service, Admin banking & related field.

Contact : 97436890 / 96939803.

Email: girimub@gmail.com

20 yrs exp in non Banking finance co in Oman as Branch Manager, credit analyst, risk, Debt Collect, BR- operations, documentation, etc with valid D/L now on visit.

Contact: 99055123

Indian lady, bachelor degree in Preparatory Programme (BPP) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), completed training course in MS Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook from KTI looking for full time / part time job opportunity in Oman.

Contact 92437568, 96795853, Email: linda_navs@yahoo.com

Accountant with 8 years experience in Oman with D/L & NOC , seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 92994825. Email: sanuchithranjali@gmail.com

Accountant, Indian Male, 15 Years experience (8 Years in Oman with Driving License & NOC) Seeks suitable placement, Contact 94117616, 91238272 praveen78oman@gmail.com Male, business Graduate having an experience of 10 years in the field of banking & finance, administration , currently employed at EPC Contracting Company as Finance & Admin manager is looking for a suitable position, NOC available can join within 2 weeks. Contact : 93235690

SECRETARIAL Office Assistant required in trading company male and female 25 to 35 years old with good communication skills, confidence, smart and computer skills. Visa provided.

Send your CV to vacancy807@gmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Chief Accountant, 12 years of Oman experienced looking for suitable placement. Contact: 99513082 Part time accountant, senior accountant, doing all type of accounting works, up to finalization. contact.95254864 Part time accounting works up to finalization on monthly basis.

Contact: 96247295

Indian female 28 years M.Com, Accountant having 6 years experience in Accounts, finalization, Tally currently on visit visa.

Contact : 95595083 Email: merlinfernandes16@yahoo.in

ADMIN Indian female graduate fluent in English/Arabic(work purpose) with 5+ experience in Admin, Logistics and 2 years in Insurance handling, looking for suitable opportunity.

Contact 93221054, email: nurinabhavania@ymail.com

ARCHITECT Senior Architect, Indian male 15yrs exp. having DL& NOC, Looking for suitable position. Contact: 97239313 Email: abdul_muq2000@yahoo.co.uk

DRAUGHTSMAN Draughtsman Civil with AutoCAD. Contact 97105408 Autocad D/man Exp in Arch , Interior , knows 3D, Photoshop Ph : 93837973 Indian male 28 yrs, Master degree in Computer Application and CCNA certified, 2 years exp in Oman looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 93295112 Email: syedsadathali.mca@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELP Indian House maid looking for job.

Contact: 91834383

DESIGNER Interior designer, advanced diploma interior, 3dmax maya coreldraw, photoshop. Contact : 93837973 Interior designer with 6 years exp 3D design MEP architectural with sound knowledge in AutoCAD Sketch up with VRAY, 3D Max looking for suitable position. Contact: 96789770 Email: sachinratnan@gmail.com

DRIVER Indian Driver need job. #91254539 Light driver looking for job.

Contact: 96942547 Light driver Pakistani, Arabic & English. Contact 95435008 Light driver looking job exp. 4 years. Contact: 94208089 11 years experience as Driver in Embassy, looking for suitable placement. Contact: 92191698 20 years experience Driver D/L in Oman, seeks suitable job.

Contact : 99775728 Light driver for job 5 yrs exp.

Contact: 92171166 Light driver for job 1yr exp.

Contact: 95582571 Bangladeshi male driver, 48 yrs, exp 14 years, 9 years need job & visa, got release letter. Contact: 99165961 Pakistani driver seeks for job, holding license of Oman exp in driving in Oman 6 years. Contact : 92604918 Indian male light vehicle driver, 10 yrs GCC exp looking for job.

Contact : 93060050 Indian driver 13 yrs exp. looking for fulltime or part time jobs.

Contact: 91103909 12 years experience light duty driver with car. Contact: 96467373 Driver. Contact: 95084826 Pakistani male light vehicle driver looking for job. Contact: 96474528 Driver with car. Contact :91452930

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. ACCA finalist, Recent B.Com Graduate, Indian female, looking for full time employment in Accounting and Audit. +968 96964379, sangeethaumesh5@gmail.com

ADMIN 10 years Gulf & 4 years Oman experience in HR / Admin & logistics fluent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position.

Contact: 95824598 HR/ Recruitment specialist with 8 years Oman experience in entire gamut of HR functions like resource planning, recruitment, HR policies & procedures performance appraisal, expatriate affairs, exit interviews & ticketing. Contact 93825307 Email: jarthath@rediffmail.com

Civil Engineer (Diploma) seeking for placement. Contact: 95200650 Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com C-SWIP 3.1 ASNT level 2 QC Mech.

Engr 5+ yrs exp Indian male 26 seeks suitable placement.

Contact : 91823331 Email: kannasekhar46@gmail.com Electrical and Electronics Engineer with one year experience and GCC licence holder seeking a job mail – shyjalpk@gmail.com Indian male BE Mechanical currently on 2 yrs free visa with NOC & local release. Looking for suitable job in Muscat.

Contact – 90296975 / ali.syedausaf@gmail.com

S AT U R DAY, O C T O B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 5

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

ENGINEER Indian B. tech Civil, 19 years exp , seeks suitable position.

Contact: 98365910 Email: kks.pkd1969@gmail.com Omani Mechanical Engineer with 2years Experiences looking for new opportunity . Contact:95993315, alrus7idisaif@gmail.com Electrical Engineer, B.Tech, with 8 years GCC experience (5 years in Oman) in MEP & Oil/gas construction/Inspections side with NOC, is seeking new assignments in Oman.

Has attested degree certificate and Oman D/L. Contact No.96083636, Email:tobineasow@gmail.com Quantity Surveyor: 11 years Experience (8 years Gulf & 3 years India)NOC & DL Available, Contact 99806801 / 95899345, Mail:asmani1984@gmail.com Building Site Supervisor with Omani D/L since Mar 2010 in Oman looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 93061107 A senior professional with Engineering background is available for Executive lead in Contract Management, Coordination, Execution in construction establishments and consultancies. Contact: 99703972 Experienced Civil Engg professional 12/26 years ran a company as Working partner have estimation, tendering of high rise building infrastructure steels conc. Products seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95360102 / 94460357 Civil Structural Engineer professional in R.C Structural design & Q.S & shop drawings. C.N (97983610) Project Engineer (Electrical) 5 years experience in Oman primary substations + OHL, oil & gas, AutoCAD design driving license. NOC available.

Contact: 93210528 / 99410588 Civil Engineer, having 8 years experience in field, 5 years in Oman & 3 years in EV with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 96534115 B.Tech Software Engineer nearly 2 yrs Engineer nearly 2 yrs experience seeking job in Oman, currently on visit visa. Contact: 95184451 B.Sc Electronics (course completed) and holder at A+ Grade in mobile phone technology & computer hardware and Network Engineering looking for suitable job in mobile servicing / software and hardware servicing / sales man.

Contact: Binu .B.G. 93607271 Indian B.E Electronics Communication Engineer available in Muscat on visit visa 3+ years experience in automation system. Contact: 97439738 Civil Engineer with 8 yrs exp in construction field & all related work, having Oman driving license & NOC. Contact: 97613084

Indian female, 30 yrs, Interior Designer

Project/ Program Manager/ Finance professional Qualification MBA PMP six sigma (GB) Countries exposure Canada & Middle East, Industry any (experienced in bank, telecom, transport.

Nationality-Canadian. On visit in Oman.

Bachelor degree with 5 yrs working experience seeking suitable placement in Oman.

Contact 98499975, Email : swasdesigner@gmail.com

Contact - 97203531

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

IT

Indian diploma Civil Eng, 2 yrs Infrastructure Projects (4G, Towers, substation) landscaping & Auto CAD. Contact: 94756183 Email: indianexpat1@gmail.com Electrical Engineer (B.E) with 5 years experience (3 yrs in Gulf) NOC available. Contact: 92119851 Email: mayurdevadiga@gmail.com Resident Engineer B.E civil 25 years exp 12 yrs in Architecture consultancy having Oman Dubai D/L NOC available. Contact: 95732453 Email: milindj951@gmail.com Electrical Engineer Indian male 2.5Years Of experience Looking for suitable Job. Contact:91845173 Email:er.joshidhaval@gmail.com

Jordanian Engineer in MECHANICAL & MANUFACTURING Good experience Sheet Metal Fabrication, AutoCad, Solidworks 3D, Storage Tanks & Silos, Sales - Speaking Arabic/English/Russian -GSM#90198575 / 99201710

NOC / Network Engineer, Indian male 27 years Indian having 5 years experience as NOC/ Network Engineer with CCNA certified seeks for suitable placement currently on visit visa. Contact 97663834

Civil Engineer, Indian M 29 5yrs exp. having DL & NOC Looking for suitable position. Contact: 94576233 Email: suhailmullah@gmail.com

Filipino male 29 Graduate of BS IT with GCC experience as Document Controller and Executive Secretary looking for employment.

Contact: +968 93929569

SUPERVISOR: Indian male site supervisor (AIR CONDITIONING) 25 years of experience with valid Oman Driving lic Contact: 97498809, 93391910 Email: hilariankj@gmail.com Civil Engineer Pakistani 12+2 years Oman experience D/L required placement. Contact: 94392616

Indian Electrical & Electronics Engineer + MBA (29 years) having 7 years experience (2 years in Gulf) & having valid international driving license, seeks suitable placement. Contact Ajay Haridas (00971528254782)

Engineer with 3 yrs experience in Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical maintained field on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 99191535 Email: fareed029@gmail.com

B.Sc. Civil Engineer having 3 years experience (2 years in Oman) with construction companies seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97409350 Email: kamrul07cuet@yahoo.com

Electrical Engineer Indian male 29 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres), seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

B.Sc Civil 9 years experience looking for suitable placement as a Residence Engineer having valid Omani D/L. Contact : 94431917 Email: gmssohel.ce@gmail.com Indian male, MEP Manager, Diploma Electrical having 15 years experience in Oman looking for a suitable post in a reputed firm, NOC available. Contact : 99061823 Mechatronics (Electrical, Mechanical) Engineer, 3 years of experience. Contact: 91234024 Email: ammar.r.elerris@gmail.com Pakistani DAE civil with experience in Oman 2 years also holding license of Oman seeks for job in Oman exp in SAMAQADA & STFA. Contact : 93542055 / 99053438 Diploma Civil Engineer 11 yrs experience (9 yrs building construction + 2 yrs O&G) with valid Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact : 97669006 / 99142744 Email: shafiqueam@gmail.com Bangladeshi female Project Engineer Civil having 5 years experience or construction site currently or visit visa looking a suitable position.

Contact 91207329 Email: dipabangladesh@yahoo.com

4 years experience Electrical Engineer electrical primary substations UG cables and OHL, fluent in English and Arabic. Contact: 91204243

Male Project Engineer (Civil) 12 years experience Dubai + SA in construction & water supply field with valid UAE D/L Currently on visit visa looking suitable position.

Contact: 91206763 Email: delwar.civil.97@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer 4 years experience oil and gas electrical substation water project fluent in Arabic and English primavera p6 operator.

Contact: 99525856

Young Indian male 23 yrs, BE Electrical Engineer 1.4 years experience in India, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 93924395 Email: thomaspallathn19@gmail.com

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer with MBA in marketing & HR 3 yrs exp seeking suitable placement.

Contact :0091 9846568080 / 0091 4772702080, Email: jbabu4@gmail.com M.Tech having 3 years experience in Mechanical Engineering department looking for any University to hire.

Contact: 90150913 Email: rahmanmechengg@yahoo.in Civil Engineer, Indian male 29, having 7 years exp in construction field& Auto Cad in Oman. Having valid driving license. Fluent in English & Arabic. Looking for suitable job in reputed firm. Contact - 99650569 Indian male, 26 yrs, B. Tech Computer Science, 4 years experience as System and Network Engineer looking for suitable job.

Contact : 93125669 Email: amritrajgt18@gmail.com B. Tech Bio Tech. Experience in food & water industry, expert in chemical & microbiological labs Ph : 92940218 B. Tech, Engineer Civil exp total 12 yrs, Gulf exp 6 yrs, PDO exp 3yrs D/L Oman. Contact: 96242773

With 18 years of exp in Oman with proven records.

Excellent contacts for major training & Omanisation projects.

Seeking for challenging positions in reputed organizations.

NOC available,

Contact - 92406488 Mail: ttrg.mgr.oman@gmail.com

Btech computer science graduate 2015 passout.. Android application marketing.. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Contact 91024385 Indian BE (MECH) aviation BE degree diploma in material quality management 17 years Navy aviation 13 years construction purchase stores professional on visit.

Contact: 90205082 /98796982 BE Electrical Engineer 8 years experience 4 years in Oman with Oman driving license.

Contact 96942032

EDUCATION M. Com B. Ed Indian lady looking for suitable openings.

Contact: 97668603

HOSPITALITY Experience MBA (Hospital Management) looking for a suitable position. Contact: 95958597 Email: vipinpthomas28@gmail.com

IT B.Tech Elec., Engineer, 8 yrs exp in Oman valid D/L. Contact : 91456023

Centre Manager for Training Institute/ In House Training Manager Ministry approved Manager,

Indian male, 26 yrs, 4 years experience diploma in Civil Engineering field on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 95585564 Email: safvanullal6644@gmail.com Civil Engineer B.Sc -6 years experience with constructions companies - 1 years in Oman - qualified as Site Engineer & Planning Engineer.

Contact+968-94682217 Degree Civil Engg total 9 yrs experience, 7 yrs in Oman Construction Company with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 99721926 Email: tanvircivil@gmail.com Civil Engineer degree, diploma, Staad pro, Auto CAD 18 months Indian exp seeks suitable opportunity.

Contact: 93682529 Aeronautical Engineer Indian female 22 yrs, currently on family visa looking for suitable position in any air line / Engineering Industry.

Contact: 91705598 Email: nikhimnoushad@gmail.com Engineer with 4 years Telecom experience in Oman, having Oman driving license looking for a suitable opportunity. Interested in marketing, NOC available. Contact : 98513495

Male 25 years B.E (CSE) 3.5 years experience in System and Networking / IT support currently in visit visa looking for a suitable job. Contact: +968-98914760 IT System Administrator MCSA Sudanese UAE experience.

Contact: 91302074 B.Tech prince 2 certified IT Proff. with 16+ yrs experience, 8 years experience in banking IT projects and risk management, support vendor management looking for a suitable position on visit visa.

Contact: 92703635, email : anilsingh@live.in 25 years old Indian male, BE, ECE,MCITP,MCSA,CCNA with 3.5 years experience in system and networking/IT support. Currently on visit visa, Looking for a suitable job.

Contact no -98110873. Email: blessonvvarghese@hotmail.com Software Developer / Consultant Manager 7+ yrs Experience Mobile 92694166 Indian female (29), BCA, MCA, ASP. Net certification, SAP ABAP Certification, 2 yrs of experience, seeking placement, family visa.

Contact 99109121 Email: ashamaryphilip@gmail.com Indian male, M. Sc Electronics, Diploma in Network Engineering with 2 years experience including GCC experience in networking, IT support and server support. Computer hardware , MCITP and CCNA, MCITP certified , Having Saudi driving license, now in Muscat on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact : 96133981 , Email: obinkavumkal@gmail.com

Indian male 28 yrs, Master degree in Computer Application and CCNA certified, 2 years exp in Oman looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 93295112 Email: syedsadathali.mca@gmail.com Computer & Network Engineering.

11 yrs experience looking for suitable job. Contact 92811179/95882614 Email: khalido24@yahoo.com

MEDICAL Indian female MDS Endodontics, 9.5 yrs experience recently cleared Oman prometric 84% looking for suitable placement. Contact: 95624156 / 97233074 MSc Nurse specialized in OBG, 3 years experience-certified ACLS, BLS, on visit visa, seeking suitable opportunities Contact: 90125347 Indian female B. Sc Nurse with 3 years experience prometric passed seeks suitable placement.CONTACT 95782544 Indian female Bsc nurse with 3year experience prometric passed seeks suitable placement.# 95782544 Indian male Nurse, prometric passed seeks suitable placement.

Contact 97284508I

MISCELLANEOUS BA Export Management, GCC, D/L 12 years Muscat experienced in purchase / commercial seeks any placement. Contact: 99775988 Maintenance foreman looking for suitable position in real estate or MEP work. Contact : 99526958 Indian male as building care taker, 8 yrs exp looking for job.

Contact: 99716008 Indian male 25 years, M.Sc Chemistry, 1 yr. experience in Quality Control and assurances done HACCP level 3 certificated course seeking job in suitable placement. #99185354 Email: alexbabu199@yahoo.com Indian female Diploma in Indian & foreign Accounting having 1 year experience in Oman seeking suitable placement. Contact: 95714285

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Manager- Media & Advertising industry-15 yrs Gulf exp - seeks suitable opening- 93031168 Highly skilled Transport Manager Experienced in Oman & UAE, required for Reputed Mining Company Located at Sultanate of Oman.

Contact: workatoman@gmail.com Senior Project Manager approved

by Ministries with 23 years experience (Oman) in buildings and infra structure available for placement.

Contact: 99608299

PROJECTS Civil Engineer, Indian male, 25 years, B.Tech, have 3 years experience in building construction seeks suitable positions. 92609893, alenalexander123@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Indian male 10+years of Gulf experience as a Sales Executive in FMCG Industry with valid GCC license.

Contact: 93512696 Indian male 41 yrs Sales Coordinator 16 yrs experience owing valid Oman D/L. Contact: 93412622 BBA Keralite, male, 23 yrs, experienced in Automotive Sales & Admin on visit. Contact 94742679, Email: jafarj4@gmail.com Indian male, 4 years experience in Sales. Oman experience with NOC & driving license seeking suitable.

Contact: 96607645 Indian male, U.K Post Graduate M.A, MBA, 3 years Experience, looking position within Marketing, Branding, Business Development & PR. Contact: 91-8939165131 Email: greetings111@hotmail.com Indian female 2+ years of experience in marketing / Sales business development in Oman with D/L seeks suitable position.

Contact: 98989784, Email: alamelusara@hotmail.com Male 24 years MBA Marketing B.Com 2 years experience in the field of sales, marketing, business development looking for suitable position presently in Muscat. # 93268245 Email: gregjose1991@gmail.com MBA qualified sales and marketing candidate having an experience of 1 and half years available in Oman on visit visa seeks placement.

Contact: 97436706 Email: anshusamue10001@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Experienced skilled candidate with driving license seeks position sales in Salalah. Contact: 98579382 Sales Executive experience in Oman 4 years, has driving license.

Contact: 96039024 Marketing and Sales candidate with 8 years experience in GCC looking for suitable position. Having NOC and valid Oman diving license.

Contact: 96669152 Indian male more than 8 years experience in UAE in Office , Sales Marketing with good computer skills having driving license looking for suitable placement. Contact: 99369081 Email: shazulashraf60@gmail.com Indian Marketing & Sales professional for telecom, hyper stores & FMCG with over 7 years Oman experience is seeking change / suitable placement. Contact: 99360975 Email: howru73@yahoo.com Indian worked as Sales Supervisor 7 years MNC now working as Marketing Manager from 8 yrs with visa D/L. Contact : 90205082 Indian female holding Omani driving license M.B.A in Marketing and finance from Birla Institute, Muscat, 1 yr. working experience in India.

Contact: 91746962 Email: aarathiajith@gmail.com Indian male 28 B.Com M.Com, MBA experience 2 years Ventex Global UAE Marketing Executive, experience 1 year Al Majeed Group Marketing Executive with valid UAE D/L. Contact : +968 92871946 Marketing or Purchase Executive, 1.5 yrs in Oman Indian male 27 yrs, MBA with valid Oman D/L available for immediate placement.

Contact: 96300958 / 24796010 Email: ashwanihegde@gmail.com Male BS, with D/L having 7 years exp in Oman wanted suitable job in Sales inventory & procure.

Contact: 92191026 Indian male having 8 years experience in business development retail sales logistics currently on seeking job in Oman. Contact: 99052340 Email: pradee.ys@gmail.com Indian female Graduate holder valid driving license knowledge about all kinds of cosmetic products seeks suitable placement.

Contact 98697656 Indian male having 10 years work experience ( Customer Service/ Back end sales/stores)and 1 year work experience in Oman NOC in hand, looking for Suitable Position Contact no: 96526228 / sravan.kumaraj@gmail.com Indian male Sr. Sales Executive, 15 years exp in retail sector looking for vacancies. Contact: 96768382 Sales and marketing - male 27 yrs, 2 years experience seeking suitable placement with Oman D/L. Contact: 95642740 Email: shaijichakkara@gmail.com

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Indian male 21+ years Managerial experience in Oman in FMCG Industry seeking suitable placement with NOC can head any Business / working partner. Contact: 95264562

Welder 6G, 3G ARC , Fabrication gulf exp ph : 92858985

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Indian HSE Manager, Grad IOSH & I Dip Nebosh aged 43 years with more than 20 years of experience working in reputed oil & Gas / construction at Oman seeking suitable HSE Position (Manager / Trainer / Advisor). NOC available. Contact: 97926801 Email: johnkjoseph630@yahoo.com

Expatriate currently working as Supply Chain Executive with an intensive 8 years Oman experience in IM & T sector proficient in Procurement Sales support and logistics capable to manage large scale clientele oil & gas utilities and public sectors. Contact 97755488

Indian male more than 10 years gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin, Secretarial and purchase with good computer skills.

Having Driving license and NOC available, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95149624

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S AT U R D AY, O C T O B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

TOURS

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

FOR HIRE Available for rent 1500 sqmt, secured plot, suitable for keeping containers, construction equipments, trailers etc, near Sohar AirportContact 98236616

RENT A CAR

Bobcat Grader and roller for rent.

Contact: 94584688

MANPOWER

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

Contact: 91103909 Transportation available.

Contact: 99867456 Pick & drop any time.

Contact: 93598436 / 96743215 Pick & drop any time. Contact: 92218001/ 96502406 Transportation. Contact98505294 Transportation in Muscat.

Contact: 95530908

We offer labour for loading and unloading if any one required we are providing this service. Contact: 95208185 /95456022 Leading manpower agency to hire Recruiter from India housemaids.

Contact: 99226093, Email: fesalwardi48@gmail.com

FOR LADIES GOOD OFFER for ladies: (Golden facial Golden bleach, Haircut-10 RO. Only) this offer started from 10th October to 10th November. #99619409, Hattat Modern Parlour

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SIT.WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Well experienced management finance specialist having 18 years experience available for placement.

Contact.95602518 23, Male, ACCA Affiliate, OBU Bsc, 2.5 years of experience in audit and finance in Big 6 Firms, Looking for permanent placement in similar field. Release NOC available. Contact: #95140445, a.saran891@gmail.com 22, Male, Indian, BBA (Marketing), 1 year experience in India, Looking for suitable placement in Sales and Marketing. #91897046, azzamsiddique1@gmail.com Indian Male,27,ACCA Part Qualified,B.COM with 7+ yrs exp in receivables and credit control in Oman looking for suitable placements. NOC available. # 9657 4343.

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

CLASSES WEBSITE

Indian Female, Science Graduate, 3 years Experience in Teaching back home. Looking for a suitable job opportunity as a teacher, in Schools in Muscat Region. Contact : 96431456 / 95704814 Looking for a suitable job as Jr. Accountant/ Jr. Administration in a reputed company. NOC Available.

GSM # 93004738.

ACCOUNTANT, Male, 8 years experience, presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with oman Driving license. NOC available, seek suitable opportunity. GSM: 97705854 Chemical Engineer Indian 2 years of experience in production field Contact: 91247222 Email:sahadpoonchola@gmail.com Syrian male 3yrs. exp in IT support, Networking, Security systems, Server support, IT sales and marketing.

Valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact 91033395 Civil Autocad Draughtsman part time work for job mob : 96023726 Indian female, MBA, 25yrs Having 4yrears of experience in MNC, hands of experiences in recruitment and administration, flexible for any suitable job placements currently in visting visa. Contact Tel : 98864639 Email : neethuvijayan06@gmail.com Indian Male, 25, Chartered Accountant, working with ICICI Bank India.

On a Visit Visa in Oman. Staying with parents at Azaiba. Ph: 24492638.

Email: shyamal008@gmail.com Indian Male, 26 Yrs, Business Management, 6 years in Oman.

Knowledge of MS Office and Arabic Language. Seeks suitable position.

Contact 93931935 Indian Mechanical Engineer, 30, having 8yrs of UAE Sales/Business Development. experience in Electromechanical and Irrigation sectors. Contact no- +971558763220 email id-sangowri@outlook.com Indian male, with finance and Law degree, having more than 25 years of experience in Finance/ Accounts / Audit (5 years of Oman experience) seeks suitable placement. NOC available. Contact: 98421619.

E-mail: talemadhamu@yahoo.com.

Indian male Executive Secretary having vast experience in admin, logistics & procurement well versed with computer seeks suitable placement. Contact : 99514286 Pakistan Male: 24 years,M.Com Finance having 2.5 year experience as a accountant & marketing executive looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 97670816, E.mail: naeem.ahsan68@gmail.com ACCOUNTANT: Indian male 25 having 4 years experience in accounting & having well knowledge in tally.

Contact:968094535881, 0091 9037622048, Email: vishnuraj889@gmail.com SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, 8 years experience ,Oman driving licence,Noc available. Seek Suitable opportunity.

GSM- 98184170 Senior Accountant. 8 Years experience. NOC available. Oman driving license. Seek suitable opportunity.

GSM- 98184170 31 year Indian male PG in HR ,with 5 yrs Professional experience in HR in Construction Oil & Gas Oman seeking for a suitable placement. Kindly contact me on 93488914, emailKaarthickshankar@gmail.com MBA Finance with more than five years of experience in Finance & Accounts including GCC, looking for a suitable opening. Having UAE driving license. Contact no..

91391802.

We want finance for 3 (three) months or renewable every 3 months from Omani nationals or expatriates for trading business.

Contact: 99462591 or 93525028 Ware house space for rent at Ghala and Barka up to 20000/- Sqm. Contact: 99509460 / 93731363 Want regular financing for profitable business. Contact 91087526

NRI 3BHK+Puja Room, East Facing, 1549 Sq Ft, Independent Floor, Ansal Palam Vihar, Gurgaon, Contact:99381769 Architect designed 5000 Square feet exquisite Villa in 16 cents of land at a scenic location on Aakkulam Road, Ulloor, Trivandrum for sale. Contact +968 95372011

Investors needed for well functioning company Engaged in manufacturing and supply of heating solutions.

Contact: 98871548 / 93412622

MATRIMONIAL

SIT.WANTED

Looking for alliance from Tamil Muslim grooms for working girl 28 years 5 FT. Wheatish Contact: 93263185 Email: mrtgifts@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian female with MBA in finance seeking immediate placement.

Contact: 968-93316493 Sudanese/26/Bsc Computer Science /3 years exp/skills Excellent knowledge in operating systems and maintaining computers Java Programmer Web Developer Linux SMS solutions Android developer/ email khalid.omx@gmail.com/ contact no 944958080 and 99758186.

Malankara Catholic girl Alappuzha Dist BSc Nurse 28 yrs working with M.O.H in Buraimi 28 yrs seeks alliance from Keralite professionals Orthodox Marthoma. Contact: 93264638 Seeking alliance for our son from Muslim families. Interested families Contact: 99889590

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

GOOD NEWS

Indian male B.Eng. in IT,CCNA, MCSA,MCSE, 2.5 yrs + exp. in IT support, networking and server support valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532 Indian B.E Computer Science graduate 2012 passout. 1 .5 yrs exp. in Accounting. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Having NIIT certificate in Diploma in Java Technology. # 97767894 Email: jinsonjacobjohn@gmail.com Indian male 24 YEARS, B.Tech (Electrical & Electronics), having 2 yrs. exp as Electrical Site Engineer. Done IOSH & NEBOSH- IGC certifications, seeking for suitable placement in any related industries. Contact 98045482, Email: mastanshaik1008@gmail.com Indian male, 24 years, HSE Engineer having 2 years of Indian experience.

Done IOSH & NEBOSH- IGC certifications, seeking for suitable placement in any related industries.

Contact 98045482 27, male, ACCA finalist, have professional experience up to finalization of Accounts, Statutory and internal audit, expertise in using tally and focus & Oracle Software, have 3.5 years experience in accounts till finalization, seeking for permanent replacement , GSM-97654769, email idabdullah.nooralam@yahoo.com Indian male 22yr BBA with LOGISTIC Diploma, exp in tally and data entry seeking in suitable placement.

Contact; 90151739 email shakeeb.mp280gmail.com Mechanical Draftsman, Indian male 27, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering having 7 years of experience in Auto CAD looking for a suitable placement. contact 97351786 / 96143708 mohammednazeer07@ gmail.com

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments & massage, Ayurvedic clinic at Al Khuwair. Contact: 24478618 / 97263637 / 93309131 FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com Ayurvedic Treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis , IDEAL CARE Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba Contact: 99639695 / 98342990 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

LOST Sanjuctta Kumar has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. BC 0020946.

Finder please handover to ROP

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. #24793614/ 99314807

Asif Mohammad has lost Pakistani Passport No. AL 1883592. Finder please handover to ROP Mohammed Feroz Rahil has lost Indian Passport No. K 3688686. Finder please handover to ROP Shaheb Uddin has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. F 0433359. Finder please handover to ROP

CHANGE OF NAME

Split & widow unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080 Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. #96236476 Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517

Air condition maintenance installation window AC, split a/c, ducted AC and package type units.

Contact: 98667326 Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517 Pest Control Gulfa Intl .LLC. Contact: 92326955

SIT.WANTED MISCELLANEOUS ACCA Affiliate, OBU Degree, 2.5 years experience in audit and finance in Big6 firm, Looking for permanent placement. NOC release available. Contact: #95140445, a.saran891@gmail.com B.E Mechanical Engineer with 2 years’ experience in HVAC field on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 93442296 Email Id: sal201091@gmail.com.

I TersamLal Fakirchand (holder of Indian passport No. J 6459000) Son of Fakirchand Sadhuram having permanent residence in V.Gosal, P.O Saidowal, DT. Kapurthala, Punjab (complete postal address in India ) and presently residing in P.O Box: 600, Buraimi – 512, Oman (complete postal address in Oman) intend to change my name from Tersam Lal Fakirchand (old name) to Tarsam Singh Fakir Singh ( new name) for all practical purpose. Any objection towards my name change may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P.Box No. 1727 Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 Cleaning & Carpet Shampooing, Ocean Center LLC. #99884591 Pest Control Treatments.

Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722 House shifting & packing.

Contact: 99657644 /98518013

Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 One stop shop business services : Public Relation (PRO) formation new companies, LLC companies, Investor visa, business setup, prepare businesses & companies accounts, legal services, representing you and your company. Contact Saleh: 96723485 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & antitermite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

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S AT U R D AY, O C T O B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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