Times of Oman - June 18, 2015

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RAMADAN PRAYER TIMINGS IFTAR 7.00PM FAJR 3.53AM

THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 / 1 Ramadan 1436 AH

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HM exchanges Ramadan greetings MUSCAT: On the advent of the Holy Month of Ramadan, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has exchanged cables of greetings with the leaders of the Arab and Islamic countries.

In his cables, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere greetings along with his best wishes of good health, happiness and long life to the leaders and the people of their countries further progress and welfare.

His Majesty the Sultan has prayed to Allah the Almighty to bestow His blessings and bounties on all Muslims and endow them with good faith, security, peace and stability to prevail over all Muslim countries. >A6

Assistant Grand Mufti of the Sultanate says Oman’s tolerance can be an example

H O LY M O N T H

to other nations

Ramadan begins today

RAMADAN GREETINGS The Chairman and staff of Muscat Media Group extend their heartiest greetings to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on the advent of the Holy Month of Ramadan.

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Call to donate blood

OMR292m deals

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Blood donation during Ramadan will not affect a person’s ability to observe a fast, said an Omani official. >A5

The Ministry of Housing said that until May trade contracts worth OMR292m were received. >A6

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‘Oman’s message of peace to world’

WORLD LEADERS

MUSCAT: Thursday will be the first day of Ramadan, the Main Committee of sighting the new moon of Ramadan 1436 AH, announced.

The main committee announced the sighting of the new moon in a number of governorates in the Sultanate.

After the sighting, the committee declared that Thursday will be the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan 1436 AH. The statement is as follows: >A6

12.13pm 3.31pm 7.00pm 8.23pm 3.53am

Fires at petrol stations ring alarm bells

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Al Qaeda in Yemen executed two Saudi accused of spying for the United States. >A7

SARAH MACDONALD

sarah@timesofoman.com ASTANA: Oman can be an example to other countries on how to build a society in which there is no terrorism or extremism, said Sheikh Dr Kahlan Nabhan Al Kharusi, Assistant Grand Mufti of Oman.

Al Kharusi, who spoke to Times of Oman on the sidelines of the fifth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana, Kazakhstan, says he attributes the peaceful nature of

Omani society to several factors such as its long history as a nation to which the population closely identifies, and the moderation with which Omanis are raised.

“Omanis are confident of their identity. This is one of the lessons we need to understand. Let the new generation of Muslim youth be confident of their identity,” he said. Al Kharusi, an Oxford-educated scholar of Islamic Studies, says Oman also has a long history as a state so it knows how to run its internal politics and foreign affairs as a nation and state, whereas other countries may not have the same experience.

“It’s also the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. For any nation to avoid such negative phenomenon, they do need a wise leadership, a leadership that comprehends all the components of society in the process of development and progress of the society,” he added.

Moderation in all aspects of life is also an important antidote to extremism and this is a value Omanis are raised with, learning this from their history and their religion, said Al Kharusi. >A6

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 18, 2 015

T HURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

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Petrol pump station fires ring alarm bells incidents at petrol pumps, concerns have grown over the dangers involved in refuelling and implementation of rules and regulations

MUSCAT: More than three incidents of vehicles catching fire at petrol stations in the last 15 days have once again highlighted the fire and explosion risks while refuelling.

On June 3, a car caught fire while refuelling in Bidbid at around 8a.m.

In another incident, on June 2, a car caught fire at a petrol station in Yanqul.

This Tuesday, two people were injured and some vehicles were damaged in a fire at a petrol station in Al Ghubra.

Daryle Hardie, CEO of Safety First Oman, said it was shocking to learn of so many incidents happening during the last fortnight.

“I believe there are a specific set of rules and my advice is to follow these rules and regulations,” he told the Times of Oman.

He also said that there are several statutory warnings like switching off mobile phones and vehicle engines, and not smoking, etc. while filling petrol, which customers tend to violate most of time. “Not many customers heed

ROP ACTION

Citizen arrested for setting car ablaze Times News Service MUSCAT: A citizen was arrested

by Al Khaboura Police for setting a vehicle ablaze.

A source from the Royal Oman Police (ROP), said that they received a call from the Omani owner of the vehicle, stating that an unknown person had set his car on fire after he had parked in front of his house.

After gathering all the information and leads, the ROP was able to identify and arrest the accused.

The suspect confessed to setting the vehicle on fire.

With the spate of fire

RAHUL DAS rahuldas@timesofoman.com

DANGER SIGNALS: Poor maintenance and overheating of engines are the other causes of fires in summer.–OK Mohammed Ali/TIMES OF OMAN

these warnings, which are displayed prominently at all fuel stations for their own safety,” he said.

The PACDA also advised motorists to exercise caution while filling petrol every day.

“People should switch off the vehicle’s engine while refuelling, and they should also not smoke or talk on mobile phones. The petrol station attendants should also ensure that the fuel pump nozzle is disconnected from the fuel tank before the vehicle leaves,” it said.

Mark Pudwell, business development and training manager, Competence HR, said that one worrying issue arising out the recent petrol station fires is the apparent lack of conformity to regulations.

Staff training “Staff at petrol stations must receive appropriate and regular training to ensure that they understand the risks, how to mitigate them and what to do in the event of a fire. Another area of concern is that of educating customers.

Notices are clearly displayed at all

petrol pumps regarding switching off car engines, no smoking, and not using mobile phones, and customers who flout these vitally important regulations must be reminded by the pump staff without fear of being abused or ridiculed.

Petrol delivery “The most contentious issue regarding the dispensing of petrol is the method of delivery from the pump to the car. All pump dispensers appear to be fitted with a trigger lock which allows the person dispensing the fuel to leave the pump connected to the car tank and walk away to attend to other customers. Not only is this risking a large fuel spill but also the lives of those in the car and outside. These locks cannot and should not be depended upon to function correctly at all times and at no time, should the attendant leave the pump while the fuel is flowing. This is not permitted anywhere in Europe and pumps are not fitted with these locks deliberately.

“The entire process and level of

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equipment needs immediate review in order to protect valuable assets and lives,” he added.

Workers in garages say loose battery cables in cars are also a major cause of fires.

“Loose cables and old wiring can cause sparks, which is especially dangerous if it occurs near oil pipelines. Bare wires are extremely dangerous and can definitely ignite a fire. Fuel pumps that are not fixed properly can also be a cause,” said a mechanic.

Poor maintenance and overheating of engines are other causes of fires in summer.

“I have seen people neglect coolant leaks, simply filling water in the radiator when the temperature starts rising. This will ultimately lead to the engine overheating at some point and cause a fire,” he explained.

He also said a fire can erupt in a car in a matter of seconds, especially if it is near the fuel pump, adding, “Motorists should keep a fire extinguisher handy at all times. You never know when it will be required.”

Legal procedures were taken before presenting him to court.

Smuggling foiled The Directorate General of Combatting Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances at the Muscat International Airport foiled an attempt by a passenger arriving from an Asian country to smuggle in narcotics.

On being thoroughly frisked, narcotics were discovered in the passenger’s stomach. A source at the ROP said that they recovered 90 capsules from the suspect and referred him to the public prosecution for further investigations.

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TODAY’S DUAA ‘ALLAH, on this day make my fasts the fasts of those who fast (sincerely), and my standing up in prayer of those who stand up in prayer (obediently), awaken me in it from the sleep of the heedless, and forgive me my sins, O God of the worlds, and forgive me, O one who forgives the sinners’.

Welcome O Ramadan!

The blessed month of Ramadan adheres to the magnanimous principles of empathy and sharing.

From sunrise to sunset, there is a purging of emotions, surrender of ego and an understanding of human suffering, AFTAB H. KOLA writes

B

eginning today, a special month has dawned upon us. A month of blessings, Ramadan is a period wherein Muslims worldwide, not only abstain from food, drink and sex from sunrise to sunset, but also spend more time in prayer, giving charity, doing good deeds, reciting the Holy Quran for long hours, and other acts which entail rewards from Allah.

The idea behind this abstention is not to experience hunger and thirst only, but to inculcate taqwah (fear of Allah). The Holy Quran has explained taqwah in some 160 verses and there are hundreds of Hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him) describing its meaning and significance. In fact, this fear of Allah, the taqwah, is the essence of all Islamic ibadahs (worships).

Fasting is a process of self-purification, self-righteousness, and spiritual development of the self. Besides the religious angle, it is a surest prescription for securing good health and having a positive mind which can lead to a peaceful life. Let us pray that we inculcate the real spirit of Ramadan in our lives, in our homes and in our communities.

The Holy Quran says, “O Believers, prescribed for you is the Fast, even as it was prescribed for those that were before you... The month of Ramadan, wherein the Quran was sent down to be a guidance to the people, and as clear signs of the Guidance and Salvation.

So let those of you, who are present at the month, fast it; and if any of you be sick, or if he be on a journey, then a number of other days... And eat and drink, until the white thread shows clearly to you from the black thread at dawn; then complete the Fast until the night.”

— Surah II: 183-187 Thus, in the Quran, Allah has ordained us to keep fast for the full month. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said, “There are three people whose supplication is not rejected: the fasting person until he breaks fast, the just leader, and the supplication of the oppressed.”

(Narrated by Al-Tirmdhi and Ibn Majah).

Reward of fasting Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Messenger (PBUH) said, “The reward of each good act may be ten to seven hundred times, but the reward of fasting is an exception as Allah says, ‘Fasting is for My sake and I will reward for it as much

as I like.’ A fasting man gives up food and drink for His sake. He will have two great joys: one, at the time of breaking fast; and the other on meeting his Lord.

The smell of the fasting person’s mouth is better than that of musk before God and fasting is a shield against evil. A fasting man should not indulge in obscene talk or noisy demonstrations or rioting. If anyone abuses him, he should excuse himself from retaliation saying that he is fasting.” (Bukhari, Muslim) Intention for fasting Like in all actions, intention is the action of the mind, hence nothing needs to be said if one’s mind is clear about one’s intention. Saying specific words can help focus one’s mind and has thus been recommended by scholars. There is no need for these words to be in Arabic unless you speak Arabic. The following is what should be in your intention: “I intend to keep the fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadan.”

The greatest achievement is that a person’s soul is liberated from the shackles of their wishes and desires and moves a step further towards the lofty summits of knowledge and intellect. They move a step closer to the Kingdom of Allah by rising above all mundane needs. For this purpose, fasting puts a restriction on all things that cause an enhancement of our desires and take us towards pleasure. When a person endures such constraints, he is able to break his bond with this world and come closer to his Creator. It is this aspect of fasting due to which it is said that fasting is for God and He alone will bestow the reward for it.

The second achievement of fasting is that the doors of temptation and revolt are closed to a great extent.

It is the tongue and the private parts on which the devil attacks the most. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said that whosoever could give him guarantee of two things: one between the two cheeks and the other between the two legs, he would guarantee him Paradise.

Fasting puts a check on both these instincts and weakens all inclinations of going overboard with these two.

It makes it easy for a person to do all things that are pleasing to Allah and refrain from those that are displeasing to Him. It is this, which caused Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) to say that Satan and his army are chained during the month of Ramadan.

The third aspect that a person gains from fasting is

Hadith of the day ABU HURAIRA related that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven.

And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven.’

(Bukhari, Muslim)

that his actual distinction — freedom of will — is given a great chance to develop and strengthen so that his character becomes adorned with the qualities of resolve and determination. He gets disciplined enough to control all sorts of emotions and reactions rising in his self. If a person’s willpower is weak, he can neither control his wishes from exceeding the limits nor can he remain steadfast on the Shari’ah.

The fourth thing a person gains from fasting is that he inculcates and strengthens the spirit of sacrifice in himself. This urges him to show compassion towards people who are less privileged. Experiencing hunger and thirst in fast brings him closer to the underprivileged and makes him realise their needs. Fasting affects everyone according to his own disposition.

The fifth thing that a person achieves in Ramadan is solitude and isolation which make them to spend more time in reciting the Holy Quran with a view to understanding and practicing its teachings.

It was during this sacred month that the first revelation of the Holy Quran was made to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) as the guidance for mankind and for disciplining life and restoring the life stream to its pristine purity.

The social aspect of fasting in Ramadan is that the whole atmosphere is suffused with religious piety and devotion to Allah. There is one extra congregational prayer, Taraweeh, during the night. The sadaqat (voluntary charity) is also given with greater zeal and fervour in this month.

Thus, the whole Muslim society is inspired by the love of Allah. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) as saying: ‘When Ramadan begins, the gates of Heaven are opened, the gates of Hell are locked, and the devils are chained.’

This is the month of the Holy Quran, and in this month falls the Night of Qadr, which is better than one thousand months. Allah chose this month and a particular night in this month to grace humanity with His Final Testament. The moment of this revelation became a sacred moment, and that time and month became an eternal time for us. Allah chose this time, and He has filled it with His countless blessings.

Ramadan is a special time to get closer to Allah and to seek His blessings and bounties. Wishing you all a blessed Ramadan.

T HURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

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‘Safe to donate blood while fasting’ ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI elham@timesofoman.com

Medical experts have clarified that blood donation is safe after breaking the fast in the evening and the donor will have no problem fasting.

Blood donation drive will be held in Muscat and central blood bank will receive donors from 7.30p.m. to 11.30p.m. every day in Ramadan

Ramadan 2015 mobile blood donation drive June

MUSCAT: Blood donation is safe after breaking the fast in the evening and the donor will have no problem fasting the following day, a senior Omani health official, told the Times of Oman.

Blood donation during Ramadan will not affect a person’s ability to observe a fast, said Dr Sabria Al Hashami, director of the Department of Blood Services at the Ministry of Health, while encouraging people to donate blood given the anticipated reduction in supply in the fasting month.

According to her, blood donation drives will be conducted and the central blood bank will receive donors from 7.30p.m. to 11.30p.m. every day during Ramadan.

Mobile units Mobile units will be operating during the same hours in different locations throughout the month.

Commenting on the demand for blood during Ramadan, Dr Al Hashami said, “The demand is a

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City Centre Sultan Qaboos Lulu Jawaharat Seeb Mosque, Seeb Al-Shatti, Ruwi Qurum Corniche Hilal Al-Khalili Muttrah City Mosque, Center, Bausher Seeb

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dynamic process and sometimes difficult to predict. However, the main issue is the marked reduction in the supply because of the fasting hours and the fact that not enough donors come for donation to the centre in the evenings or mobile units and blood donation drives outside.”

The gap between blood supply

SAFETY FIRST: The ROP has urged drivers to stop and rest if they feel tired or sleepy.

they are also on the verge of falling asleep,” the statement said.

During the last few days of the month there have been cases of people being run over on the inner streets and markets as a result of the rush of families who are out shopping for Eid Al Fitr holidays.

Pedestrian movement increases during this time and the ROP has urged drivers to be careful when driving in congested areas.

RELIEF EFFORTS

PDO supports Nepal quake-hit Times News Service

HELPING HAND: The PDO staff organises an appeal and then voluntarily made contributions from their salaries.–Supplied photo

to the OCO at its headquarters in Muscat.

He said, “There is a great spirit of compassion in the PDO and many of our staff members were very moved by what happened in

Al-Hijra Mosque, Al-Ansab

July

Times News Service

MUSCAT: A total OMR114,000 has been raised by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) after a staff appeal to help victims of the Nepal earthquake.

More than 1,300 employees donated money after the earthquake struck Nepal in April impacting thousands of families and causing widespread devastation.

The funds raised will be used to rebuild homes. The PDO has been working with Oman Charitable Organisation (OCO), which is under governmental financial supervision, to ensure all donations are used as effectively as possible.

Abdul Amir Al Ajmi, PDO’s external affairs director, handed over a cheque for OMR114,000

Rawasco, Al-Khuwair

Al-Zawawi Said bin Taimur Mosque, Mosque, Al-Khuwair Al-Khuwair

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Exhaustion, speeding main cause of Ramadan accidents

stop and rest if they feel tired or sleepy. “If the driver feels sleepy, he should immediately engage in some activity to stay awake, such as opening the car window, speaking to a co-passenger, changing the posture, or stopping the car and walking a few paces. The driver must also focus on other vehicles and note the way they are driving. If they are weaving or are not driving at a steady pace, then

Al-Seeb Souq

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ADVISORY

MUSCAT: Most accidents that happen during the holy month of Ramadan are due to exhaustion and speeding, a Royal Oman Police (ROP) statement said.

“During Ramadan, the driver is exhausted as he stays up late which directly affects his driving ability. The body works involuntarily when exhausted, which in turn forces the eyes to shut for a few seconds. Those few seconds can force the vehicle off its path and cause an accident,” the release said.

Saying that speeding is also a reason for a mishaps during Ramadan, ROP release said, “Drivers tend to speed before the Maghrib prayers to get home for iftar with their families and this, without doubt, results in numerous fatal accidents,” the statement said.

It added, “It is during Ramadan every year that a lot of accidents have been reported”.

The ROP has urged drivers to

City Tariq bin Taimur Centre Mosque, Al-Khodh Al-Amerat Park

Nepal, especially as the country is still dealing with the aftermath of the disaster. Our staff asked us to organise an appeal and then voluntarily made contributions from their salaries.”

and demand can be ‘severe’ during Ramadan for these reasons, she added.

The official also noted that all blood groups during Ramadan are in short supply, specifically O and A blood groups.

Asked how many units of blood the central blood bank should have per day, Dr Al Hashami said that

a minimum of 200 units per day is required.

On the 95 per cent target for voluntary donation, she said, “In 2014, an overall 87 per cent of the total donations were from voluntary donors across the Sultanate, but some of the blood banks of governorates are close to 90 per cent.”

She also said that the society is a

‘partner’ in the health-care system and the Department of Blood Services will certainly advocate and support such a partnership.

In addition, Dr Al Hashami referred to the World Blood Donor Day, which was observed on June 14, saying that the allocation of a global day for blood donors is considered recognition of the entire world for the important role played by non-remunerated voluntary blood donors.

Misconception Commenting on blood donation during Ramadan, Dr Ahmed Hamed Al Wahaibi, senior consultant in Family Medicine at the Ministry of Health, said that some people are under the misconception that donating blood while fasting will invalidate their fast, but in fact you are not putting anything in the blood vessel that would break the fast.

It can be done both while fasting and after breaking the fast but the donor should be examined to make sure that he or she is fit to donate blood, he told Times of Oman.

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Oman Air is very happy with the Thales in-flight systems offered in our aircraft.

Their innovative graphical user interface enables business and economy passengers to control the same impressive list of entertaining and informative features Engineer Abdulaziz Al Raisi, chief officer, management affairs, Oman Air

Oman Air to install Thales in-flight system in its fleet The AVANT Android system will enable a fully customised experience for Oman Air passengers BEST FACILITIES: Passengers will have access to a wide selection of on-demand entertainment. –Supplied photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Air has announced that it has selected the Thales AVANT in-flight entertainment system for its fleet expansion. The national carrier of the Sultanate selected the AVANT Android system, enabling a fully customised passenger experience for Oman Air.

The announcement was made at the Paris Air Show on June 15.

It covers a total order of 25 aircraft — 16 B737s, three 3 A330s, and six B787s. These include the latest additions to Oman Air’s fleet, as well as the airline’s forthcoming B787 Dreamliners, enhancing both its narrow-body and

wide-body capacity.

The technology that Oman Air has selected will feature the state-of-the-art AVANT Android system and Thales’ Touch PMU handset. As a result, passengers will have access to a wide selection of on-demand entertainment delivered through a passenger ex-

perience interface developed specifically with Oman Air. Engineer Abdulaziz Al Raisi, chief officer, management affairs, Oman Air said, “Oman Air is very happy with the Thales in-flight systems offered in our aircraft.

Their innovative graphical user interface enables business and economy passengers to control the same impressive list of entertaining and informative features.”

“Oman Air is currently undergoing an expansion programme that will see us operate 70 aircraft by 2020. As our fleet grows, we remain committed to ensuring the highest standards of passenger experience.

The in-flight entertainment systems we deploy are a key part of that experience and we have already received very positive customer feedback,” he said.

“Thales’ systems and services match well with what we want for

our passengers and operations.

We found them to be the right company to work with and the whole team at Thales truly supports our vision,” added Al Raisi.

Every day, 750,000 passengers across 75 partner airlines use Thales InFlyt Experience systems, making the company one of the most successful developers of in-flight entertainment systems in the world.

Dominique Giannoni, chief executive officer, Thales InFlyt Experience said, “We are pleased that Oman Air selected our Android Avant system for their fleet of B787s, B737s and A330s. Oman Air is undertaking significant expansion of their fleet.

“Their choice of equipping their newest planes with the latest generation AVANT is a testament to our long lasting partnership in delivering a premier passenger experience.”

TURKEY

HM sends condolences MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of condolences to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Turkey on the death of former Turkish President Suleyman Demirel. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere condolences and sympathy to President Erdogan, the government and the Turkish people, praying to Allah the Almighty to rest the deceased’s soul in peace and grant his family patience. -ONA SEYCHELLES

HM sends greetings MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President James Alix Michel of Seychelles on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Michel and his country’s people. -ONA

C A L L S F O R R E C O N C I L I AT I O N

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A1 Oman helps resolve world conflicts “These are probably the elements that are required to prevent youth from joining such extremist groups,” Al Kharusi said.

He said Oman can also be a peaceful leader by continuing its role as a neutral political player that helps countries in conflict seeks solutions rather than being party to the conflicts itself, as it has done with Iran and the USA and now with Yemen. This is not just good for world peace but for the Omani society.

“I think this is what Oman is trying to do — bring people together and try to make reconciliation between them and try to solve whatever troubles or problems might occur in a peaceful manner.

This benefits your own society as well as giving a good example for others,” he said.

Al Kharusi was able to represent Oman’s peaceful and tolerant nature at the congress in Astana, which was a good opportunity for religious leaders from all backgrounds to work together to find solutions to global problems.

Inter-faith dialogue to promote peace and tolerance is important, but now world religious leaders need to put their words into action, he said.

The congress brings together religious and political leaders from many different faiths and philosophies including Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and Baha’i, including leaders from within the different sects and cultures of these religions.

The congress, an initiative that was started by Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2003, is held every three years with the aim of fostering peace and tolerance among different religious

Sheikh Dr Kahlan Nabhan Al Kharusi, Assistant Grand Mufti of Oman.

groups and in the world as a whole.

This year much of the discussion focused on limiting religiouslyinspired violence and extremism.

Irresponsible extremists “It is important and necessary for us to participate and give our thoughts and share our experiences and to listen, also, to people of other faiths and experiences, get their insights, and see what are the underlying elements of what we are witnessing now of irresponsible extremist activities all around the world,” Al Kharusi said.

According to him, there is great value in listening to the other participants because they are influential, high-ranking religious representatives of their faiths. These leaders can give accurate portrayals of their own religions and teach their own followers about other belief systems without relying on stereotypes.

“In every faith there are, unfortunately, some people who mislead their people and they present a distorted image about other faiths so unless you listen to people who are concerned,

who know about their own faiths, people of knowledge and profound experience, we wouldn’t be able to correct the stereotyped image we have about other religions,” he said.

Many leaders spoke of the basic concepts of most religions, taken from their teachings and values, which tend to share the goals of peaceful coexistence, tolerance, combating extremism, and countering violence and terrorism.

While Al Kharusi sees the discussions between leaders of different faiths as very important, he said positive talk isn’t enough.

“This means that the concepts that we are trying to present at such meetings are going to be no more than just theories. They aren’t going to find their way to be implemented and be practised.

This means we wouldn’t be able to counter terrorism. We wouldn’t be able to achieve peaceful coexistence because we wouldn’t have any programmes. We don’t have any practical plans,” he noted.

Al Kharusi said that religious leaders need to put more emphasis on the goals and create plans and strategies to reach them, rather than just speaking about the basic concepts of their faiths. He sees a need for short, medium and long-term plans to tackle current problems like terrorism.

“We have to be more ambitious and call for projects and plans and strategies to tackles problems like terrorism, to elevate high the level of implementing these recommendations in these societies,” he said.

Al Kharusi said one important change would be including youth in these discussions and addressing their needs. There is a need to engage those who are at higher risk of being recruited by extrem-

ist groups because of their poverty, unemployment, lack of education, and lack of political and social involvement, he noted.

Extremism needs to be studied and analysed to find out why youth join and correct misconceptions youth have and get them engaged in thoughtful activities and enlighten them about their religion and life, he said.

Causes of extremism Al Kharusi is optimistic that change is possible because he has noticed many leaders from different Islamic sects and cultures not just denouncing terrorism and blaming it on others, but acknowledging that there are causes for extremism within their own societies. More than 20 representatives of Islam spoke at the congress and he said they all admitted their societies’ failures.

“They are confessing, let’s say, that Muslims are suffering from terrorism and extremism and they admit the fact that there should be something to be done. I think this confession is the first step towards handling correctly the issue of terrorism,” said Al Kharusi.

Going forward, Al Kharusi said he and the other participants from the congress would take home the message of peace and tolerance and the need to make changes in their societies. They will share what they have learned with their followers.

“They are all convinced now they have to pass this message to their people and we have all agreed on this. We can’t underestimate such a role. If we, all of us participants from different faiths, traditional faiths and worldly faiths, if we are to do so and bear this responsibility, I think we can change a lot,” Al Kharusi said.

RAMADAN

MINISTRY OF HOUSING

OMR292m realty A1 Greetings deals inked in May < FROM

Times News Service MUSCAT: Trade contracts worth OMR292,211,518, were received along with fees totalling OMR5,791,470 during May, Dr Ali Azzan Al Hashami, deputy registrar for transactions and auditing of real estate in the Ministry of Housing, has said.

He said 32,597 real estate deals were inked in the same month which included sale, gift, inheritance, and swap, apart from mortgage, foreclosure and dismantling transactions as well as visas.

Dr Al Hashami said the total value of sale contracts was OMR149,562,081 from 7,049 transactions across all the governorates, and OMR4,398,257 was received as fees for those transactions. Dr Al Hashami also revealed that during May, 20,853 ownership titles were issued with some owned by other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals.

Of these, 4,694 titles were issued in Muscat, 3,498 in North

Al Batinah, 3017 in South Al Batinah and 2,777 in Al Dakhiliya, in addition to 1,948 titles in North Asharqiyah, 1,415 in A’Dhahira, 1,253 in South Asharqiyah and 1,200 in Dhofar.

Buraimi accounted for 530 ownership titles, Al Wusta for 342 and Musandam Governorates for 179 of them, apart from 4,786 new land plots that were registered. Al Hashmi also stated that 157 GCC nationals bought real estate in the Sultanate in May, of which UAE nationals owned 71 properties accounting for 45 per cent of the real estate owned. They were followed by Kuwait with 53 and 34 per cent, Bahrain with 21 and 13 per cent, Qatar with 11 and 7 per cent, and Saudi Arabia with one.

Most of the properties owned

by GCC nationals are situated in North Al Batinah.

These totalled 46, or 29 per cent of the real estate compared to other governorates, with both Muscat and South Asharqiyah accounting for 15 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.

The leaders expressed their warm greetings along with their best wishes to His Majesty the Sultan, praying to Allah the Almighty to protect His Majesty and grant him good health, happiness and a long life to achieve the aspirations of progress and prosperity for the Omani people. They prayed to Allah the Almighty for the return of this occasion on His Majesty, the Omani people, the Arab world and Islamic nations with bounties and blessings. -ONA RAMADAN

< FROM

A1

Moon sighting

On this occasion, the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has sent its congratulations and blessings to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on the advent of the Holy Month, praying to the Almighty Allah for the return of the Holy Month on His Majesty for many years to come. The ministry also congratulated Omani people and the Islamic Ummah (Nation) on this occasion. -ONA

T HURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015 Qassem Al Rimi, the new military commander of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

Al Rimi, aka Abu Huraira Al Sanaani, was among the Yemen-based group’s founders and its military chief who has recruited a generation of fighters. He succeeds to top ranking Yemeni militant Nasir Al Wuhayshi who was killed in a US drone strike in Yemen.

A7

REGION

YEMEN

Al Qaeda kills two Saudis accused of spying for America

INFORMANTS EXECUTED: A man walks in the old quarter of Sanaa, Yemen on Tuesday. Residents said Al Qaeda charged the men with planting chips which pinpointed the location of several Al Qaeda commanders slain in recent months. – Reuters

ADEN: Al Qaeda militants in Yemen killed two alleged Saudi spies on Wednesday, residents said, accusing them of planting tracking devices which enabled the assassination of the group’s leader in a suspected US drone strike last week.

Residents said Al Qaeda charged the men with planting chips which pinpointed the location of several Al Qaeda commanders slain in recent months, including its boss Nasser Al Wuhayshi, whose death along with two other militants the group announced on Tuesday.

Images posted on social media

by Al Qaeda supporters showed armed militants on a beach carrying banners surrounding two

blindfolded men kneeling on the sand. “They executed two Saudis, named Al Mutairi and Al Khaledi.

They put the two men on the corniche in the city of Mukalla... they opened fire at them in front of a big group of residents,” one resident, who was present on the beach, told Reuters by telephone. He asked to stay anonymous for his own safety.

Corpses The men’s corpses were later pictured tied to wooden planks and hung from a bridge beneath a banner.

Later on Wednesday, residents reported that a suspected US drone bombed a Mukalla hotel used by Al Qaeda militants, killing six people.

Wuhayshi, a former aide to Osama bin Laden, also served as deputy leader of Al Qaeda’s global organisation, and his assassination deprives Al Qaeda of a charismatic leader who directed a series of ambitious attacks.

AQAP has plotted foiled bomb plots against international airliners and claimed responsibility for the deadly shooting at the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. It has also orchestrated attacks inside Yemen in recent years, targeting government ministries, military camps and soldiers, killed hundreds of people.

Despite evacuating its embassy and intelligence officials from Yemen this year, the United States

has killed five other senior figures in AQAP in 2015, but the organisation may be empowered by civil war raging in the country.

Analysts and Yemeni government officials say the strikes often rely on local informants.

Saudi Arabia has used a network of tribal and family connections to infiltrate AQAP in Yemen, and a tip-off from Riyadh helped foil a planned suicide bomb attack on a plane over Detroit in 2009.

The Yemeni off-shoot of Al Qaeda has operated openly in Mukalla, the capital of Yemen’s southeastern province of Hadramout, since army forces withdrew in April, taking advantage of months of political chaos and violence. — Reuters

A8

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 18, 2 015 Why did Swaraj help him get a long term visa or a residency of Britain when he was facing serious criminal charges in India P. Chidambaram, Congress leader

INDIA

‘Government should ensure Lalit returns to face probe’ Congress leader P. Chidambaram said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s action in helping the tainted former IPL boss to get travel documents from the UK was in violation of rules and a case of favouritism shown to someone she knew PROTEST: Congress activists protest against the central government over the Lalit Modi controversy in Kolkata on Wednesday. - PTI

CHENNAI: Rejecting allegations of vendetta levelled against him and the UPA, former finance minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday demanded that the government should ensure that Lalit Modi returns to India to face the probe by Enforcement Directorate on various charges, including money laundering.

Addressing a press conference, he said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s action in helping the tainted former IPL boss get travel documents from the UK was in violation of rules and a case of favouritism shown to someone she knew.

He also demanded as to who decided not to appeal against the Delhi High Court decision to restore the passport of Modi last year as normally a reversing decision is always challenged in a higher court.

The Congress leader wanted the government to release the let-

ters exchanged between him as Finance Minister and the Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne in which he had urged for sending Modi back to India since he was facing criminal charges here.

He said after the reply to his first letter, he had written a second letter couched in stronger words to Osborne that Modi was facing investigations in India, his passport has been revoked, he had no right to live in the UK and he should be sent back to India.

Humanitarian gesture Chidambaram raised the question if Swaraj wanted to help Modi as a humanitarian gesture as was being claimed why did she not write to the Indian High Commission and ask for the issue of Indian travel documents to him instead of recommending issue of UK travel documents.

Chidambaram demanded disclosure of file notings in the MEA about who decided not to appeal against the High Court order.

“Someone had taken the decision and I would like to know who took it. When a division bench of the high court sets aside cancellation of Lalit Modi’s passport, who took the decision not to file an appeal in the Supreme Court. Was ED at whose instance the passport was cancelled consulted in the matter.

“Furthermore, who took the decision to issue a fresh passport to Lalit Modi. Will the government make public file notings,” he said.

The former minister said Modi was an Indian passport holder and his stay in London without visa was in violation of all rules and that was one of the grounds on which his return was demanded.

“Why did Swaraj help him get a long term visa or a residency of

Britain when he was facing serious criminal charges in India,” Chidambaram said.

If it was a question of humanitarian ground, then why did she not stress on Modi’s return to India to face charges while helping him get travel documents, he said adding it was clearly a case of abuse of authority and violations of rules.

The charges under provisions of FEMA and Money Laundering Act were serious criminal offences levelled against Modi, he said.

On the charge of vendetta he said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s reply on Tuesday that notices in 15 of the 16 cases against Modi still stood spoke for itself.

Asked why Modi was not barred from leaving India in 2010, the former finance minister said, “At that time there was no ban on his travel and that it was only a stage of in-

quiry. Why do you assume he will not return.”

Asked about the prime minister’s silence, he referred to Jaitley’s reply on Tuesday that the whole government shared a collective responsibility for decisions taken by a minister and said, “I assume that the Prime Minister takes responsibility as PM.” Replying to other questions, Chidambaram said on the basis of facts disclosed so far it was an abuse of authority and violation of rules.

To a question about the defence

by BJP of Swaraj after RSS came out in her support, he said, “It shows who is the master.”

To a BJP charge that Congress has raked up the issue because there are woman leaders, he said it was rubbish and told journalists not to lend dignity to such allegations by raising them. -PTI

SHARING IDEAS

Prime Minister launches ‘Narendra Modi Mobile App’ to connect with all NEW DELHI: Stepping up his digital presence, the prime minister on Wednesday launched ‘Narendra Modi Mobile App’ to provide instant updates and an opportunity to receive messages and emails directly from him.

The Android-based application is also aimed at giving a chance to people to interact with him and share ideas and suggestions.

“Launched ‘Narendra Modi Mobile App’. Come, lets stay connected on the mobile! The Mobile App has several innovative features. You can download it from Play Store. Feedback is welcome,” Modi tweeted.

The application description said, “download the app and get the latest updates anywhere, anytime! Highlights of the Narendra Modi app include receiving the latest news and updates, exclusive opportunity to receive e-Mails & Messages directly from the PM and ‘Mann Ki Baat’ with the PM.” It further said, “small Tasks, big satisfaction: contribute and earn Badges through to-do tasks.”

Interaction Apart from providing a chance to interact with the Prime Minister and share ideas and suggestions, it will also give latest thoughts from Modi and his blogs.

“Know more about PM Narendra Modi through unique insights in the Biography section as also his governance initiatives and achievements,” the description said, adding learn more about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts augmenting India’s global recognition and how governance was improving lives through infographics. - PTI

TA R G E T E D K I L L I N G S

J&K shuts down over Sopore killings SRINAGAR: Shops and schools shut down in parts of Indianadministered-Kashmir on Wednesday to protest against a string of apparently targeted killings that has triggered fear in the restive region.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary troops in riot gear patrolled Kashmir’s mostly deserted main city of Srinagar after separatist groups called a strike over the killings which they have blamed on undercover security forces.

Unidentified gunmen have killed four separatist activists including two former rebels in the last week in the Sopore area of northern Kashmir.

“The effect of the strike is widespread across towns in the Kashmir valley and other Muslim majority areas of the state also,” a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity.

The killings began on June 9 when gunmen shot and killed a member of a group led by top separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani.

That was followed by the killing of three more activists — one a sympathiser of the same group

DESERTED: A security jawan stands guard at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Wednesday during a strike against the recent killings in Sopore town of Jammu and Kashmir. - PTI

and two former rebels — a few days later. Police said initial investigations indicated rebel group Hizbul Mujahideen was behind the attacks and announced a reward of two million rupees for information.

“Many people whose political leanings are known are fleeing

Sopore,” a former rebel from the area, who wished not to be named, said. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Syed called a meeting of top generals and top security officials for Wednesday, after earlier ordering a probe into who was behind the deaths. - PTI

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 18, 2 015

A 10

FIND-IT-ALL

PRAYER TIMINGS

W E AT H E R

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.13pm 3.31pm 7.00pm 8.23pm 3.53am

LISTINGS

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

Tel. 23291635

PARTLY cloudy skies over governorate of Dhofar with chances of isolated rain and mainly clear skies over the rest of the Sultanate. Chance of late night and early morning low level cloud or fog patches over most of the coastal areas of the Sultanate and chance of convective clouds development over Al Hajar mountains and adjoining areas associated with isolated rain occasionally thundershowers and downdraft winds during afternoon.

EXPECTED WIND: Along the coastal areas of Dhofar and Al Wusta governorates wind will be southwesterly moderate to fresh, while it will be easterly to southeasterly light to moderate occasionally fresh over the rest of the Sultanate.

SEA STATE: Rough along the southeastern coast with a maximum wave height of 4 metres and moderate along the rest of Oman’s coast with a maximum wave height of 2 metres.

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

THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Partly cloudy skies over governorate of Dhofar with chance of intermittent drizzle over mountains and the coastal areas. Chances of convective clouds developments over Al Hajar mountains and adjoining areas during evening and chances of rain occasionally thundershowers may be associated with hail and fresh wind.

Chances of late night and early morning low level clouds or shallow fog over most of the coastal areas.

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

OMAN Max 40 Min 33

Max 35 Min 29

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

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

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

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

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

Max 34 Min 30 L O N G D I S TA N C E B U S T I M I N G S ( O M A N N AT I O N A L T R A N S P O R T C O M PA N Y S A O C ) * S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Max 43 Min 28

Max 46 Min 30

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

Max 41 Min 28

Max 43 Min 28

CHINA: A cycle-rickshaw driver rides through a puddle following

heavy rain in Beijing. -AFP

Max 33 Min 29 —www.met.gov.om

WORLD

Max 27 Min 18 Max 23 Min 14

Max 41 Min 23 Max 18 Min 12

Max 17 Min 13

Max 28 Min 16

Max 36 Min 29

Max 34 Min 27

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

Max

Min

38 40 39 44 40 44 31 44 31 31 19 20 19 11 40 24 29 15 20 22 23 31 23 32 13

29 28 28 30 30 26 20 23 27 19 11 15 11 3 19 15 27 11 10 11 6 27 18 13 -2

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

Max

Min

31 33 23 28 34 21 29 18 41 27 15 32 21 22 18 29 21 30 30 14 17 37 24 23 22

24 19 14 15 27 15 27 12 23 18 12 26 15 15 12 22 10 18 28 11 13 27 18 17 16

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

20:50

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

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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 07:00 Ruwi

10:25

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

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

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

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

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

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

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

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

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

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

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

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

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

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

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

Daily

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

Daily

16:50

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

Indo- Pak Mushaira on July 31 at Al Bahja Hall in Qurum.

Art of Living Foundation to organise Yogathon on June 21 at Bowsher Sports Complex Muscat supported by Ministry of Sports Affairs, Ministry of Health and Embassy of India.

Mobile mammography unit of the Oman Cancer Association will be offering its screening services throughout Ramadan. The unit will be available for free mammography at the OCA headquarters in Al Ghubra between 9.30 am to 1 pm and 10 pm to 11.30 pm. For further information call 24498716 and 80077477.

Blood donation schedule, apart from the central blood bank, people can donate in other locations based on the following schedule in Ramadan: June 18: Lulu Hypermarket, Bausher (mobile unit) June 19: Mars Hypermarket, Al Ghubra (mobile unit); June 20: Rameez Hypermarket (mobile unit) and Lulu Hypermarket, Wadi Kabir (mobile unit); June 21: Said Bin Taimoor Mosque, Al

Khuwair (mobile unit); June 22: City Centre and Al Amerat Park (mobile unit); June 23: City Centre and Al Amerat Park (mobile unit); June 24: Al Saed Tariq Mosque, Al Khodh (mobile unit) and Rawasco, Al Khuwair (mobile unit).

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

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

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

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

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

LISTINGS

CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA Jurassic World (Action / Adventure) Cast: Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Ty Simkins 9.30 pm CP No: 1495 (PG12)

Dead 2 India (Horror) (18+) Cast: Joseph Millson, Meenu Mishra, Anand Krishna Goyal 11:30 pm Jurassic World (Action, Adventure) (3D) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 9:00 /11:15 pm Spy (Action, Comedy) (18+) Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, Melissa McCarthy 9:15 pm He Who Dares Downing Street Siege (Action) (12+) Cast: Tom Benedict Knight, Simon Phillips, Russell Kilmister 11:45 pm ABCD 2 (Dance, Musical) (PG) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudheva, Raghav, Dharmesh 9:00 pm

Spy (2D) (Action/Comedy) (18+) Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, Melissa McCarthy 11:15 pm He Who Dares Downing Street Siege (2D) (Action) (12+) Cast: Tom Benedict Knight, Simon Phillips, Russell Kilmister 11:30 pm ABCD 2 (2D) (Dance/Romance) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudheva,Raghav, Dharmesh 9:00 pm The Homesman (2D) (Drama) (12+) Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer 11:45 pm

SCREEN 1 ABCD 2 (Dance/Musical ) – PG Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudeva, Raghav and Dharmesh 9.45 pm SCREEN 2

Jurassic World (3D) (Action/Adventure) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 9:15 pm Gold Class: 9:00 pm

Hamari Adhori Kahani (Rom/Drama) – PG Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao 9.45 pm

SCREEN 3 Dil Dhadakne Do (Romance/Drama/ Comedy ) – PG12 Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shefali Shetty, Anushka Sharma Priyanka Chopra 9.45 pm

Jurassic World - 3D (PG12) Action |Adventure | Sci-Fi Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 9:15, 11:45 pm Premam - 2D (M) (PG) Comedy | Romance Cast : Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, Jude Anthany Joseph 9:00 pm He Who Dares: Downing Street Siege - 2D (12+) Action Cast : Tom Benedict Knight, Simon Phillips, Russell Kilmister 11:45 pm ABCD 2 - 2D (TBC) Dance | Musical Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudheva,Raghav, Dharmesh 9:00 pm Kaaka Muttai - 2D (T) (PG) Comedy, Drama Cast : Ramesh, Vignesh, Iyshwarya, Babu Antony, Silambarasan, Dhanush 9:15 pm Eli - 2D (T) (PG12) Comedy Cast: Vadivelu, Sadha, Pradeep Rawat, Kitty 11:15 pm

The Dead 2: India - 2D (18+) Horror Cast: Joseph Millson, Meenu Mishra, Anand Krishna Goyal 11:55 pm

Jurassic World - 3D (Action/Adventure/ Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 9:15 pm He Who Dares: Downing Street Siege – 2D (Action) (12+) Cast: Tom Benedict Knight, Simon Phillips, Russell Kilmister 11:30 pm Premam – 2D (Comedy, Romance) (PG) Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, Jude Anthany Joseph 9:00 pm Manglehorn – 2D (Comedy, Romance) (12+) Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine 11:55 pm Kaaka Muttai- 2D (Comedy, Drama) (PG) Cast: Ramesh, Vignesh, Iyshwarya, Babu Antony, Silambarasan, Dhanush 9:30 pm

Jurassic World (3D) (Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 9:05, 11:15 pm He Who Dares Downing Street Siege

(Action ) (12+) Cast: Tom Benedict Knight, Simon Phillips, Russell Kilmister.

11:55 pm Premam (Mal) (Comedy | Romance) (TBC) Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, Jude Anthany Joseph 9:00 pm

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PAKISTAN

‘Politicians are better suited to run country’ Warning the security establishment,

Anyone who tries to disturb us will get a befitting response. Be wary! If this doesn’t stop now, I shall come out with a list of generals who have been accused starting from the time Pakistan came into being. And then you’ll spend the rest of your lives providing explanations

which he accused of tarnishing PPP’s and his image, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said, ‘Anyone who tries to disturb us will get a

Asif Ali Zardari

befitting response’

ISLAMABAD: In a surprising outburst ostensibly against the powerful security establishment, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Cochairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Tuesday that politicians were better suited to running the affairs of the country.

“You are here for only three years,” he said in an apparent jab at the army chief.

Addressing an oath-taking ceremony for PPP office-bearers from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Zardari said, “I know the art of war better than anyone else.”

Organised by former lawmaker and Pakistan Peoples’ Party Fata President Akhunzada Chattan, the event was attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other prominent leaders of the former ruling party.

The PPP co-chairman expressed annoyance at the purported character-assassination campaign against him and his party.

“It needs to stop! There is a limit to everything.”

Warning the establishment, which he accused of tarnishing PPP’s and his image, Zardari said, “Anyone who tries to disturb us will get a befitting response. Be wary! If this doesn’t stop now, I shall come out with a list of generals who have been accused starting from the time Pakistan came

Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman

into being. And then you’ll spend the rest of your lives providing explanations.”

In an apparent reference to the power he is supposed to wield, the former president said he could bring the whole country to a standstill on a single call.

“If I give one call, the whole country from Karachi to Khyber will come to a grinding halt.

“The lockdown will continue until I call it off.”

Zardari said he wanted to support the Pakistan Army since it was “being challenged by the neighbouring India on the borders while terrorist organisations and India’s primary foreign intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing, were creating chaos within Pakistan”.

In the same vein, Zardari said he was aware who pulled the strings of banned outfits and clerics, alluding to their alleged collusion with the establishment.

Lashing out at his political rivals, the PPP co-chairman said had he supported Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf when it arrived in Islamabad with a sitin to topple the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, Imran would have succeeded.

“Being a supporter of democracy, I wanted the PML-N government to complete its tenure,” he said. “It would make me happy if the incumbent administration

could improve the economy.”

The ruling party will have no excuse that they were not given enough time, said Zardari. “I am not in a hurry. I can wait for the sake of democracy.”

He also lashed out at former president Pervez Musharraf, who has been in Karachi for the past several months and has been politicking from the platform of his party, the All Pakistan Muslim League.

“I spent years in jail… but the commando could not spend three months in prison.”

Zardari’s speech comes days after paramilitary Rangers Sindh chief Major-General Bilal Akbar blamed a nexus of political leaders, civil servants and gang lords of fostering and harbouring organised crime and terrorism in Karachi, as well as amid reports that the authorities were mulling over extending the scope of the ongoing operation in Sindh, the province that the PPP has been governing since 2008.

PPP leaders have been making angry speeches in parliament after the Rangers chief’s statements, but pundits are attaching much importance to the timing of Zardari’s speech, since the former president had been in a conciliatory mode on a number of issues after his party lost the 2013 general elections after completing their five-year tenure. — Express Tribune

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Nawaz condemns outburst ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday censured former President Asif Ali Zardari for his tirade against the army, saying the PPP co-chairman’s speech was unacceptable in times of war.

“Criticising the army will only strengthen elements who want to destabilise Pakistan,” said the Nawaz.

“The army and soldiers are fighting Operation Zarb-e-Azb and the entire nation supports them,” he said.

Unacceptable Holding a consultative meeting at the Prime Minister’s House to discuss Zardari’s statements, the PM said, “Criticism against the armed forces is unacceptable.” — Express Tribune

SINDH

Minister accuses his officials of corruption KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Inquiry and Inspection Haji Muzzaffar Ali Shujra on Tuesday levelled serious allegations of corruption against officials working under his own government.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Shujra said officials working at various provincial government departments, particularly finance, education and health, had developed a strong coordination to loot and plunder the public money. Shujra – who is coordinator to Sindh chief minister’s inquiry and inspection team and has the status of a provincial minister – said the officials working in these departments had siphoned off funds by violating the rules.

“An example of corruption is offered by some officials in the home department who disfigured an amount mentioned in a summary moved by chief minister and misappropriated Rs200 million,” he said. He said Sindh chief minister had ordered not to build new police stations but home department amended his summary and ordered to establish more police stations, while renovating preexisting ones in various districts.

“Some time ago, the chief minister directed officials of home department not to build a police station except in Shikarpur district, but officials changed the order. We have started inquiry into the affair to find out as to who did this and on whose orders,” he said, adding that he had recorded the statement of three former home secretaries in this regard.

Shujra, who was flanked by officials of his department, said that chief minister has given him full authority and around 284 inquiries of various government depart-

An example of corruption is offered by some officials in the home department who disfigured an amount mentioned in a summary moved by chief minister and misappropriated around Rs200 million Haji Muzzaffar Ali Shujra Sindh Minister for Inquiry and Inspection ments and officials have been initiated by him.

Talking about the illegal appointments in local government department, he said hundreds of jobs had been given against the rules. “Around 1,500 employees were appointed in Tando Ghulam Hyder in a day. The local officials involved in it received hefty amount,” he said.

“Some 105 fake employees were also appointed in education department in Naushehro Feroz. Not only these people were appointed, but they were given huge amount in the name of outstanding dues,” he added. The CM’s coordinator said officials of food department stocked government wheat in a private factory and then got a government loan, showing the wheat as their property. — Express Tribune

R AWA L P I N D I

Seven killed in house fire RAWALPINDI: A family of seven burned to death Wednesday when a fire broke out in their home due to a short circuit, in Rawalpindi’s Chaklala Scheme-III, Express News reported.

According to Radio Pakistan fire erupted in the double-storey house while Shaukat Cheema, 35 and his wife Aisha, 32 were asleep in the house with their five young

children. Excessive suffocation subsequently lead to the death of all seven family members. The eldest of the children, Hasan, was 14, while Fatima being the youngest was four years old.

Rescue teams and police arrived at the scene and shifted the family to District Headquarters Hospital where they were pronounced dead. — Express Tribune

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Deal or not, Greece to remain in trouble

F

or an event which has been looming for many months, indeed years, the possible exit of Greece from the euro still possesses an unusual capacity to spook financial markets. Shares across Europe have been dropping sharply all week, which does raise the question as to whether equity investors are an unusually inattentive bunch. According to the latest German figures, the continuing doubts about Greece’s ability or willingness to honour its debts is having a depressing effect on business confidence in Europe’s largest economy.

In so many Greek dramas in the past, there was a feeling that, in the end, the can would be kicked further down the road, to employ an overused phrase.

This time, though, there is a nervousness that a reckoning is upon us. The rhetoric of the Greek government does not help. On Monday, the Prime Minster Alexis Tsipras was defiant as ever, declaring that his mandate from the Greek people was to end austerity, as if simply voting for an anti-austerity party is enough for a nation to have its debts forgiven by the rest of the world. He said that Europe wishes to “humiliate” Greece, with the ECB wanting financial “strangulation”.

Tsipras speaks as though Greece had been somehow forced into taking on this vast mountain of debt in the first place, as if it were a kind of reparations imposed on it after a war. It was not. The debt was freely taken on by Greece as one of the benefits of joining the euro, and being able to borrow on international markets at low, German-style interest rates. Those funds were then, by and large, consumed rather than invested in the Greek economy.

That, in essence, is why Greece is in a mess now, and why its economy desperately needs reform. It is true that the austerity packages attempted by successive Greek governments may have made matters worse; but there has always been a basic problem of indebtedness, in point of fact pre-dating Greek entry into the euro, or the European Union for that matter. So much of the debate about Greece has, understandably, been about whether the Greek people would be better or worse off leaving the euro, that this more fundamental issue has been neglected. Inside the eurozone there will be continuing austerity, whatever happens. Outside the eurozone, Greece will find life no easier, at least in the short term.

Its debts in what would then be a foreign currency, the euro, will be revalued, and the nation will be liable to experience a bout of severe inflation and unemployment with the new drachma. In the end, every nation has to learn to live within its means, or face the consequence that no one will lend to it, which forces the issue anyway. Greece is very near that moment, and not for the first time in the country’s history. — The Independent

CRIME AGAINST NATURE

Close zoos, in tribute to dead lion of Tbilisi LEONID BERSHIDSKY

Is the GOP ‘Trumped’?

A

fter nearly two decades of flirtation, Donald Trump has finally put his considerable money into a presidential campaign, which will make the race more entertaining.

Outside of professional wrestling, no one mixes ego with bravado quite like Trump.

But say this for Donald Trump: He is a brilliant salesman. It is a useful talent to have in politics. The man himself may have had his share of financial and professional challenges, but the Trump name endures as a distinctively American brand of gaudy luxury.

Whether Trump is worth the $8.7 billion he claims — and most estimates are far lower — hardly matters. He has enough money to self-finance his campaign, enough to stay in the race for as long as he wants.

That could prove to be a nightmare scenario for the Republican Party, not only because of Trump’s eagerness to attack his fellow party members, but also because of his penchant for appealing to the party’s basest instincts. His announcement speech was heavy on saber-rattling toward China and Mexico. In Trump’s view, the two countries are destroying the American economy because US leaders are terrible negotiators. Luckily, Trump knows “the smartest negotiators in the world” — he may even be one himself — who would do things like threaten auto manufacturers with massive tariffs if they move jobs overseas.

This, despite pronouncing himself a supporter of free trade.

Trump’s comments on Mexican immigrants (“They’re bringing crime,”) stood in sharp contrast to the inclusive tone that Jeb Bush set in his announcement speech on Monday. If the Republican candidate with the biggest megaphone is also the most hostile to Mexico, it will be difficult for the party to win over Hispanic voters. With any luck, his Republican rivals will realise they cannot trump Trump’s jingoism and feel compelled to refute it. — Bloomberg View

More awareness needed on petrol stations safety rules This refers to the news story, Two injured as Ghubra petrol station catches fire (June 17). The frequent incidents of fire at petrol stations are a source of great concern. Whiles some serious introspection is needed, the fact remains that high temperatures also contribute to the frequently reported fires. It is time that we end the flouting of guidelines laid down for the petrol stations and begin finding scientific solutions to this problem that haunts all of us, especially during the summer months. The scientific reasons behind these incidents should be brought to wider public attention. The filling station attendants should make sure that every aspect of the rules is being followed.

While a car is being re-fuelled,

nobody should be inside it. Such an approach might help in preventing major injuries in the case of a fire at a petrol station.

Anna Kavalam Muscat

Those littering should be made to clean the roads Like every year, a large number of people will be travelling to Salalah by road during the forthcoming Eid holidays including tourists and residents. After a long drive when one reaches Qitbit and stops over for refreshment in the only service area, it is sad to see solid waste spread all over the road.

One can see the waste even in the white sand dunes along the road.

There is no arrangement to collect the garbage and dispose it off. I urge the authorities concerned to

One has to wonder, though, what the lion, the penguins and the apes (all among the 300 zoo animals that perished in the floods) were doing in cages and fencedoff enclosures in a narrow valley in the middle of a city — as defenceless in the flood as prison inmates would have been

A

crocodile swimming down a city street. A bear hugging an air conditioner outside a second-floor apartment window. A hippo loitering outside a Swatch store. Penguins drowned. And a young white lion dead from a police bullet to the head. Those are images from Tbilisi, the capital of the Republic of Georgia, where flash floods last weekend killed 12 people and devastated the local zoo.

The elements will sometimes do worse things to a city. One has to wonder, though, what the lion, the penguins and the apes (all among the 300 zoo animals that perished in the floods) were doing in cages and fencedoff enclosures in a narrow valley in the middle of a city -- as defenceless in the flood as prison inmates would have been. Zoos these days say their goals are conservation and biological research, but they are really the same inhumane menageries that existed 100 and 200 years ago. The tragedy should make governments review the rules for keeping wild animals in captivity.

The Tbilisi Zoo was set up in 1927 in the valley of the Vere River, which flows through the Georgian capital.

After the weekend’s floods, Georgia’s spiritual leader, Patriarch Ilia II, blamed the Communists for the disaster, saying the zoo had been financed with money from the sale of melted-down church bells. “The zoo must be closed and a new one built in a different place because this one is built on sin,” Ilia II said.

More likely, the problem was that the zoo was just too close to the river. In the last years of former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s reformist administration, there was talk of relocating the zoo to a safer place. A new road had been built in the valley, and traffic noise and exhaust made conditions even worse for the animals, already living in cages and enclosures too small to allow the big cats or wolves enough exercise. Then Saakashvili’s party lost an election in 2012 to a bloc led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, and most infrastructure investment in Tbilisi stopped.

Ivanishvili himself keeps a menagerie in his native village of Chorvila. He is especially fond of his penguins. I was told an apocryphal story about them in Tbilisi. Apparently, one of the penguins choked on a swallow. “What was the swallow doing down the penguin’s gullet?” Ivanishvili supposedly yelled at his menagerie keeper. “The real question is what the penguin was doing in Chorvila,” the man replied.

That question applies to Tbilisi and, in fact, to any big city that has a zoo full of exotic animals.

Zoo defenders say the establishments have evolved into important science and conservation centers.

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“The work that organisations like the Wildlife Conservation Society -- headquartered at the Bronx Zoo -- do is invaluable in the fight against species decline and extinction,” John Scott of Fordham University wrote in a 2012 paper. “Therefore the modern zoo serves as a vessel both for the conservation of the animal kingdom, but also to inspire and foster a new generation committed to the preservation of all species.”

The Tbilisi Zoo, too, lists conservation as its No. 1 purpose, and recreation only as an afterthought. Still, zoos are primarily financed by the sale of tickets and concessions, and conservation doesn’t require that animals be removed from their natural habitats and locked up. The penguins that died in the Tbilisi flood were of a rare African variety teetering on the edge of extinction. Why couldn’t conservationists take care of them in South Africa, where they can be reintroduced into the wild without traveling 7,600 miles?

The Tbilisi Zoo initially housed mainly local species, and its researchers did a lot of hybridisation work aimed at breeding. For example, they tried but failed to produce a cross between a peacock and a turkey. This kind of thing may sound funny, but it actually makes some sense. In contrast, keeping a lion in a cage half a world away from where wild lions roam does nothing for conservation. Theoretically, it could serve a legitimate educational goal, but it didn’t in Tbilisi: The police who simply shot many of the animals that escaped during the flood seemed to know nothing of their expected behaviour toward humans. That’s how Shumba, a white lion that was a favourite with the local kids, died. “I know for sure there were no orders to kill,” Zurab Gurielidze, the zoo’s director, said. In the debate over the modern zoo’s split personality, there’s plenty for professionals to argue about. Given that they never have enough funding for their research, the loss of revenue from zoos could hardly be welcome.

What’s more, companies that run zoos will fight tooth and claw against their closure, as a firm called the Pro Zoo Foundation did in Costa Rica. Last year, Pro Zoo prevailed, winning the right to manage the country’s two zoos for another 10 years.

Despite this opposition, the world should move away from the zoo industry’s inhumane legacy. Travel is getting cheaper and easier, and documentaries can easily show kids lions that aren’t locked in cages. Scientists would hardly argue against setting up government-funded research bases near the animals’ habitats as an alternative to big-city zoos. What happened in Tbilisi shouldn’t be written off as just another natural disaster: For the animals that died, there was nothing natural about it. — Bloomberg View

take notice of this situation and take corrective measures. I can’t understand why travellers throw so much rubbish there. Apart from this, we are yet to see action against the offenders who throw items from their vehicles while driving. Do they care about the negative impact of this act? It is high time that littering is treated as a crime and the offenders are slapped with punishments. They should be made to clean the roads, parks and malls or slapped with hefty fines.

Abdullah Hussain Muscat

website: www.newindiaoman.com

Drug pricing system needs to be reviewed in country

I do not seek. I find PABLO PICASSO

This refers to the online story, Oman’s Health Ministry to monitor drug pricing (June 16). In my

view, the pricing concept adopted by drug distributors is totally wrong. My question is, why are the medicines so expensive? I agree that a price correction was done by the Ministry of Health recently but more needs to be done because this is about our health.

Jaison Mathai Muscat

Install network jammers in cars to stop use of mobiles This concerns the ubiquitous use of smartphones while driving.

The need of the hour is to make car manufacturers install phone network jammers on the whole of a car’s front portion. This is the only way by which phone use by drivers can be stopped.

Aoun Naqvi Mawaleh

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

T I M E S OF OMAN

T HURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

A13

PERSPEC IVE Greece economic woes to spread to Spain, Italy O

ne reason European Union officials are allowing Greece to toddle dangerously close to the cliff top of exiting the euro is their oftasserted belief that the situation is ring-fenced. A Greek default or departure from the single currency would be its own affair, the argument goes, without spillover effects. But that’s turning out to be not quite as true as Europe’s leaders would like to have us all believe.

With the European Commission discussing what Valdis Dombrovskis, vice president for euro policy, euphemistically calls “less favorable scenarios,” investors are betting on contagion. And by driving Spanish and Italian yields higher, at the same time as US and German levels decline, they’re suggesting that complacency over Greece’s exit may be misplaced at best. It’s not just financial markets that are taking fright at the brinksmanship between Greece and its lenders. With the common-currency project at risk of unravelling, the real economy is also having a conniption. Figures today show German confidence slumped for a third month in June to its lowest level since November, and was significantly weaker than economists had forecast.

It’s possible the current contagion could reverse no matter which way the Greek crisis gets resolved. It may turn out that it’s the uncertainty that’s rattling investors, and that they’re indifferent to whether Greece stays in the euro or goes, so long as there’s some finality to the outcome.

“We are pretty much waiting for almost any outcome to

MARK WHITEHOUSE

It’s not just financial markets that are taking fright at the brinksmanship between Greece and its lenders.

With the commoncurrency project at risk of unravelling, the real economy is also having a conniption

buy,” Luca Paolini, who helps oversee about $460 billion as chief strategist at Pictet Asset Management, told Bloomberg reporters Inyoung Hwang and Sofia Horta e Costa. “If there is a Grexit or a default, there will be a final selloff, which will be a good entry point for us. The fundamentals of QE and earnings growth would then reassert themselves.” Greece contributes less than 2 per cent of the euro region’s gross domestic product, and European banks have slashed their exposures to Greek assets in recent years -hence the argument that a car crash involving Athens might leave bystanders unscathed.

That’s dangerous thinking, though, since its departure would pose an existential threat to the euro. European Union Economic and Monetary Commissioner Pierre Moscovici obliquely characterized the risk that dare not speak its name, when he said on Tuesday that “I’m attached to two characteristics of the euro. The first one is integrity and the second one is irreversibility. To me, the euro is more than a fixed-rate zone. It’s more than that; it’s really a single currency.”

By abandoning the currency, Greece would disprove the “irreversibility” part of the equation, which would fatally wound the “single-currency-not-justcurrency-pegs” conclusion.

And that, in turn, could induce traders to try to force more euro members to quit the club the next time there’s a whiff of economic trouble on the periphery of the continent. That’s the risk that the euro’s guardians are taking as they flirt with Greece’s exit. — Bloomberg View.

Marx’s likely views on US productivity

N

ot long ago, the US was beginning to look ominously like the dystopia described

by Karl Marx. Companies appeared to be freeing themselves of the need for workers, relegating the latter to chronic joblessness and penury.

Lately, though, US employers seem to be hiring more workers than they know what to do with. Troubling as that may be for productivity, it suggests that Marx will have to wait a while longer for his vindication.

Typically, labour productivity is seen as a crucial driver of prosperity. The more goods and services people produce for each hour worked, the more there is to go around. With plenty of supply to satisfy demand, the economy can keep growing, and income per capita can keep rising, without stoking damaging inflation.

Around the time the US economy hit bottom in 2009, however, things got turned upside down. Companies slashed costs and workers

MARK WHITEHOUSE

so quickly that productivity rose even as the broader economy languished. Output per hour grew faster than it had in the same part of any of the last six major recessions.

This created a decidedly Marxian picture, in which corporate profits boomed, aided in part by the growing ranks of the unemployed, whose desire for jobs kept downward pressure on wages. Productivity began to look like the enemy of prosperity: If companies could keep increasing output without hiring new workers, millions of people might be condemned to permanent unemployment.

Here’s how Marx described the phenomenon back in 1867: “The condemnation of one part of the working class to enforced idleness by the over-work of the other part, and vice versa, becomes a means of enriching the individual capitalists.”

Happily, the situation in the US has changed somewhat. While still far from normal, the economy has

added 5.6 million jobs over the past two years, and wage growth is showing signs of picking up its meager pace.

Because the broader economy hasn’t grown as fast as employment, the job gains have translated into a decline in productivity.

Overall, annualised growth in output per hour has been slower in the current recovery than in previous expansions. The productivity slowdown has engendered much concern among economists.

Some hope it’s a data glitch.

Others worry that the benefits of the information age may be waning, or that the economy has somehow lost its entrepreneurial dynamism.

That said, the US has bounced back before. The country’s history of innovation, together with constant advances in automation, strongly suggest companies will keep figuring out ways to produce more with fewer humans. Whether that leads to a time of abundance or a Marxian dystopia is another question. — Bloomberg News

How to grade a teacher?

JOE NOCERA

D

eborah Loewenberg Ball, the dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Education. believes the training that teachers get while they are in school needs to be drastically improved. Last year, I wrote about her effort to develop a professional training curriculum that would allow beginning teachers to be far better grounded in their craft than they are now.

Recently, I learned about another effort she has led, which I also think deserves wider attention. It tackles one of the most divisive topics in K-12 education: How to evaluate teachers so that the best can be rewarded and the worst fired.

In New York - a state where the issue has been especially contentious - Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier this year pushed through legislation that calls for student test scores to count for as much as 50 per cent of a teacher’s evaluation, up from the current 20 per cent. The teachers’ unions were incensed, believing that test scores are a simplistic and unfair means of assessing teachers. So were many parents, who joined a boycott movement that resulted in an estimated 165,000 students opting out of this year’s standardised tests.

A teacher evaluation system “is only good if the teachers respect it and trust it,” says Vicki Phillips, a director of education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Teachers are convinced that evaluation systems that overly rely on test scores are punitive, which the political rhetoric often underscores. For instance, Cuomo’s stated reason for changing the state’s teacher evaluation was that some 96 per cent of teachers got top grades under the old process.

He scoffed at those results as “baloney.” That’s hardly going to get teachers to buy into your new evaluation system.

Which brings me back to Michigan. In 2011, the state Legislature there changed the tenure law, making it easier to fire incompetent teachers.

But it also set up the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness, which was charged with coming up with its firstever statewide evaluation system. Ball was named chairwoman of the council. Two years later, it came back with its recommendations.

The first thing I noticed about the council’s recommendations is that they completely avoid the divisive political language that has alienated teachers. Instead of casting teacher evaluation as primarily being about getting rid of bad teachers, they instead recast it to put the emphasis on teacher improve-

ment. An evaluation system that stresses improvement instead of punishment has a much better chance of being embraced by teachers.

Such an emphasis isn’t just good politics. It’s also an important way to help make schools better. “Very few teachers can’t improve,” Ball told me recently. And most teachers want to improve - but have no means of getting useful feedback. The council’s idea was that the evaluations could be used not just to rid the system of incompetent teachers - though it would certainly do that - but also to give all the other teachers critical feedback. It also envisions transforming professional development, which is now mostly a wasteland, into a mechanism to put that feedback into practice.

There are two fundamental pieces to the Michigan council’s plan. The first piece is teacher observation. In most schools, it’s the principal who observes the teacher, often haphazardly, and rates him or her based on personal biases, which may or may not be sound. Ball and her colleagues would instead rely on observers who have been trained in using certain tools that have been proved effective. These observations would be the basis for the teacher’s feedback - feedback meant to encourage and help, rather than threaten.

The second piece is what the council calls evaluating “student growth.” Here the point would be not to measure student achievement in absolute terms - Does Johnny read at a fourth-grade level? - but rather to measure whether Johnny had made a year’s worth of improvement from the level he was reading at when he was in the third grade. This would be a more accurate representation of the difference the teacher made, and would take into account the wide range of learning levels teachers often have to contend with.

Some of this growth evaluation would undoubtedly be done through tests. But not all of it, or even most of it. “You have to look at objectives for students for the year and see if they made progress,” says Ball. There are ways to do that that don’t require standardised testing.

I wish I could tell you that this story has a happy ending, but it doesn’t. Legislation that embodied the work of the council failed to pass the Michigan Legislature in the last session. More recently, the chairman of a related Senate committee, Phil Pavlov, has essentially tossed the council’s work aside in favor of “local control.”

That is Michigan’s loss.

But perhaps other states and school districts can look at the work of the Michigan council and learn from it. In which case, it could still be America’s gain. — The New York Times

Russia warns US over plans for border troops Moscow has said it will strengthen its forces in Eastern Europe if the US decides to station tanks and heavy weapons in NATO states on Russia’s border for the first time since the end of the Cold War

TODAY IN HISTORY

Russian response Says move would violate tacit agreements of 1990s Moscow could speed up deployment of Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad, and beef up forces in Belarus

US plans To store equipment for brigade of up to 5,000 US troops in Baltic and East European states to deter possible Russian aggression 1 Estonia 2 Latvia 3 Lithuania Each to store equipment for company of 150 soldiers 4 Poland

2 3

UK BELARUS GERMANY

Controlled by Russianbacked rebels

4 UKRAINE

NATO members

FRANCE

Former Warsaw Pact countries

US plans to store around 1,200 vehicles, including M-2 Bradley fighting vehicles, armoured howitzers, and M1-A2 tanks

7 ITALY

5

Crimea Annexed

by Russia

6

SPAIN

Deveselu US missile base to open October 2015 M1A2 Abrams

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

1

Redzikowo US missile defence base to open 2018

5 Romania

6 Bulgaria 7 Hungary storage for battalion of around 750 soldiers

Iskander-M (SS-26 Stone)

Kaliningrad

1579

Sir Francis Drake claims San Francisco Bay for England.

1856

The Republican Party opens its first national convention in Philadelphia.

1912

The German Zeppelin SZ 111 burns in its hangar in Friedrichshafen.

1926

Spain threatens to quit the League of Nations if Germany is allowed to join.

1953

Millions of Americans watch former football player O.J. Simpson–facing murder charges–drive his Ford Bronco through Los Angeles, followed by police.

NATIONAL HERITAGE COMMISSION MEETING

MUSCAT: His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Ali bin Faisal Al Said, minister of national heritage and culture, yesterday presided over the sixth meeting of the National Commission for the Conservation of National Heritage. The committee discussed, among other aspects, the regular publishing of the Omani studies journal. Sayyid Faisal said the eleventh issue of the journal, which was being printed at present, would contain topics on various aspects of Omani heritage and environment. He noted the ministry had already published ten issues and that the subjects in the journal included results of archaeological research conducted by the British, French, German and Italian missions operating in the Sultanate. He said the ministry welcomed and encouraged such kind of researchers.

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MERS outbreak in S. Korea a ‘wake-up call’, says WHO Organisation urged all countries to be more vigilant as South Korea reported

Forgiveness “I invite you all to ask forgiveness for the persons and the institutions who close the door to these people who are seeking a family, who are seeking to be protected,” he said.

France and Austria have stepped up border controls on migrants coming from Italy, turning back hundreds and leaving growing numbers camped out in train stations in Rome and Milan.

its 20th death from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, and criticism grew of its efforts to contain the crisis

Warning The warning came as alarming reports emerged in South Korea of new cases that had slipped through quarantine measures that already affect thousands.

And on Tuesday, German authorities reported that a national had died after contacting MERS during a trip to Middle East, but said there was no indication the virus had spread.

Pope Francis urges respect for migrants VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Wednesday called for respect for migrants and suggested that “people and institutions” who close doors to them should seek forgiveness.

The pope’s appeal, made at the end of his weekly general audience, came amid growing debate in Europe on how to deal with an immigrant crisis that has included clashes at the French-Italian borer between police and migrants.

The World Health

GENEVA: The MERS outbreak in South Korea is a “wake-up call”, the World Health Organisation warned on Wednesday, saying that a lack of knowledge and substandard controls in hospitals had contributed to the spread of the disease.

The WHO urged all countries to be more vigilant as South Korea reported its 20th death from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus, and criticism grew of its efforts to contain the crisis.

“The outbreak really should serve as a wake-up call for countries,” WHO assistant director general Keiji Fukuda said after an emergency committee meeting.

“All countries should always be prepared for the unanticipated possibility of outbreaks like this and other serious infectious diseases,” a WHO statement said.

IMMIGRANTS CRISIS

PREVENTIVE MEASURES: South Korean workers spray antiseptic solution at the customs, immigration and quarantine office (CIQ) of Gimpo International Airport in Seoul on Wednesday. - AFP

The WHO’s emergency committee meeting held on Tuesday concluded that a lack of awareness about the virus among health workers and the public in South Korea was a major contributing factor to its rapid spread.

Others included the fact that MERS patients had been kept in crowded emergency rooms for long periods, and the practice in South Korea of going to multiple hospitals for second and third opinions on diagnoses and treatment — socalled “doctor shopping”.

The custom of many visitors and family members staying with infected patients in their hospital rooms also facilitated the spread of the virus, the committee found.

However, the UN health body said that “conditions for a public health emergency of international concern have not been met”.

The virus appeared in South Korea on May 20 when a 68-yearold man was diagnosed after returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia. Fukuda described surveillance footage of the crowded hos-

ferry disaster in April 2014 which left more than 300 dead and saw the prime minister resign.

Almost all infections so far have been restricted within hospitals, but several patients diagnosed in recent days were not among those put under quarantine.

pital emergency room where he stayed for several days.

“It’s clear that the person was coughing a lot and was also mobile in the emergency room... You really get a sense of how one person can lead to so many infections,” he said.

South Korea’s health ministry said that a 54-year-old woman who died on Wednesday had become the 20th victim of the outbreak. It also reported eight new cases including four infected at the Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul, considered the epicentre of the outbreak.

That took the total number of infections including those who

have died to 162, the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia.

The number of new infections had fallen for three days in a row from 12 on Friday to four on Tuesday, when the ministry said it was cautiously optimistic the worst was over, but the latest number dashed those hopes.

“We think that more new cases can sporadically occur en masse in hospitals other than Samsung,” Kwon Joon-Wook, a senior health ministry official, told reporters in Seoul.

Critics say the government’s handling of the crisis shows it has done little to improve lax public safety standards since the Sewol

Preventing the spread One patient reported on Tuesday in the southeastern city of Daegu developed symptoms on Saturday but continued his normal activities, including going to work and visiting a public bathhouse. Another patient, a 55-year-old ambulance driver at the Samsung hospital, continued to go to work by subway for days after developing symptoms including fever and came into contact with hundreds of people.

President Park Geun-Hye earlier this week said it was “important to prevent the spread of excessive public anxiety” but the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper slammed the government for playing down the magnitude of the outbreak. - AFP

Persisting discord In a sign of persisting discord over how to deal with the migrant crisis, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi threatened retaliation if other EU countries did not agree to take their fair share of refugees that land on Italy’s shores.

Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing Northern League which has won votes from people fearing migrants bringing diseases and leeching resources from a long-stagnant economy, hit back at the pontiff.

“Out of curiosity, how many immigrants are there in the Vatican State?” northern Italian broadcaster Radio Padania Libera quoted Salvini as asking. The pope said “these brothers and sisters of our are seeking refuge far from their lands, they are seeking a home where they can live without fear.”

Human dignity He asked for prayers that their “human dignity always be respected” and urged the international community to “work together and efficiently to prevent the causes of forced migration”.

France, Italy and Germany agreed on Tuesday to join forces to identify migrants arriving by sea and to swiftly relocate them across the European Union or send them back to their home countries if their claims for asylum in Europe are rejected. - Reuters

ACCIDENT

Ireland mourns six killed in California balcony collapse

HOMAGE: Flowers and a framed photograph mark a makeshift memorial near the scene of a fourthstory apartment building balcony collapse in Berkeley, California on Tuesday. - Reuters

DUBLIN: The Irish national flag flew at half mast and parliament was suspended on Wednesday in tribute to the six young people who died when an apartment balcony collapsed during a 21st birthday party in California.

“The flag of our country flies at half mast as a mark of respect and sympathy to the families of the bereaved,” Irish Prime Minster Enda Kenny told parliament.

Five Irish citizens and an IrishAmerican woman, all aged either 21 or 22, died after a fourth-floor apartment balcony collapsed at a building in Berkeley, located two blocks from the University of California campus.

At least seven people were injured, with some in a critical condition, during the accident in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Three of the dead were stu-

dents from University College Dublin, Ireland’s largest university. “It is a disastrous day for UCD,” the university’s student union president Marcus O’Halloran told Irish media on Wednesday.

Condolences Parliament held a minute’s silence after statements of condolences from all parties before proceedings were suspended for 90 minutes in tribute.

The victims were identified as 22-year-old Ashley Donohoe, an Irish-US dual citizen from California; and Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai Schuster, Lorcan Miller and Eimear Walsh, who were 21 and from Ireland.

Ashley Donohoe and Olivia Burke were cousins.

The Irish students were all on the J1 work-study summer visa

programme, which allows them to teach, study, conduct research and work legally during their stay in the United States. About 8,000 Irish students applied for the J1 programme this year, with California the most popular destination.

The accident dominated the front pages of all Irish newspapers on Wednesday and radio programmes have dedicated entire broadcasts to covering the story.

“A nation left heartbroken” read the headline in the Irish Daily Mail, accompanied with smiling pictures of the six dead.

“When you look at the papers this morning, don’t you see the faces of your own children?” Kenny said in parliament. The Irish flag, the tricolour, flew at half mast at all state buildings across Ireland.

The US flag was also at half mast at the US embassy in Dublin. - AFP

T HURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

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Muscat 6,468.52 - 25.26 - 0.39%

Dubai 4,087.99 + 8.94 + 0.22%

Abu Dhabi 4,580.12 + 35.01 + 0.77%

Kuwait 6,266.95 + 8.25 + 0.13%

Saudi Arabia

9,543.22 - 1.29 - 0.01%

Bahrain 1,367.21 + 2.30 + 0.17%

Qatar 11,884.28 + 10.73 + 1.09%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

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

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.28 Pound ...........................................1.65 Indian Rs .............................166.20 Pak Rs ....................................260.15 Bangla Taka.......................199.52

Indian Rs .................................. 166.40 Pakistan Rs ............................. 263.10 Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 344.25 Bangla Taka.............................201.70 Phil Peso .................................... 116.35

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) ........15.15

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ........$62.48 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$62.08 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) .........$64.41 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) .........$61.68 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) .........$63.81 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$60.08

* Rates are as of June17 Source: Bank Muscat

bination of both. Details such as the volume of the offer, price and timing will be finalised and announced after receiving those approvals. Al Anwar shares rose 1.89 per cent to 270 baisas amid 4.41 million shares changing hand.

Market sources said that the insurance regulator Capital Market Authority (CMA) last year asked national insurance companies to go public within three years (in line with an amendment in Insurance Companies Law) and that is one of the reasons for Falcon’s proposed share offer.

Also, Falcon has to raise its paid-up capital to OMR10 million in line with the CMA stipulation

A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Falcon Insurance, a subsidiary of Al Anwar Holding, plans to float an initial public offering on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM), the parent company said in a disclosure statement on Wednesday.

The flotation is subject to approval by regulators and shareholders, Al Anwar Holding, which has a 51 per cent stake in Falcon, said in the statement. However, the company did not make it clear whether the issue will be additional shares or disinvestment of existing shareholders or a com-

‘Banks should get more time to meet SME loan target’ Central Bank of Oman rule requires banks to allocate 5% of their loans to small and medium Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy.

– A. R. RAJKUMAR/Times of Oman

elham@timesofoman.com

NEW PROPOSAL

MUSCAT: Banks should be given more time to comply with the decision of the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) that requires them to allocate 5 per cent of their total loans to small and medium enterprises (SME), said a senior Omani official.

“It is nearing 3 per cent now (while) they have to reach 5 per cent. The reason is that our definition of the SMEs is very strict,” Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, the minister of commerce and industry, told reporters on Tuesday.

He made the comments after an agreement signing ceremony in which a number of companies joined hands with the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Riyada) to support entrepreneurs through special offers on their products and services.

Minister commented on a proposal that would allow government employees to get leave for a period not exceeding four years without salary to manage their enterprises

5 per cent target In 2013, CBO stipulated that commercial banks’ loans to SMEs must account for at least 5 per cent of their total loans, in a bid to contribute to the development of the entrepreneurship sector

Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............135.25 * Rates as of June 17 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

BONDS

Falcon Insurance plans initial public offering

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............142.50

* Rates as of June 17 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

PRIMARY MARKET

enterprises

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.55

in the country. Al Sunaidy said that the banks are growing so the 5 per cent is becoming a greater amount and they have been requesting that the definition of SMEs be revised. “We have not agreed on expanding the definition. We are still putting pressure on the banks,” the minister added.

He said that there are several options to address this issue, namely revising the 5 per cent, giving them a longer period to meet the target or changing the definition.

“My opinion is (to) give them a longer period. Keep the 5 per cent. Do not change the definition for now and do not push them to (reach) the 5 per cent very aggressively,” Al Sunaidy noted. The minister believes that another extension may be necessary.

Extension They have already been given a one-year extension until the end of 2015, he said, adding, “I think there is no harm in giving them one more year… I do not think we need to put more pressure on the banks.” Al Sunaidy said that he thinks the authorities, including CBO officials, will discuss and review the decision this year.

In 2013, CBO asked commercial banks to meet the 5 per cent target by December 2014.

However, they were given a one-year extension until December 2015 following requests from the banks.

Leave for starting business The minister also commented on a proposal that would allow government employees to get leave for a period not exceeding four years without salary to manage their enterprises.

The Ministry of Civil Services and the Ministry of Finance are discussing the issue, he said, adding that he thinks the Ministry of Finance has an objection related to the issue of who should pay for the social security for them during the four-year period.

SME section In addition, the minister highlighted the need to dedicate a special ‘section’ for SMEs in government bodies to follow up compliance with the allocation of 10 per cent of the governmental purchases and tenders for small and medium enterprises and accelerate the payment of their outstanding dues.

Al Sunaidy also welcomed the initiatives by the Ministry of Education to promote the culture of entrepreneurship at schools, saying that the society’s ‘mindset’ should be changed.

on minimum capital.

As many as eight locally incorporated insurance companies, including a reinsurance firm, will offer shares to investing public within three years to comply with the recent amendments in insurance law.l Apart from Falcon, the national insurance firms that are expected to float shares on the local bourse are Al Ahlia Insurance Company, Muscat Insurance, Muscat Life Insurance, National Life Insurance, Oman & Qatar Insurance and Vision Insurance.

Further, the Sultanate’s only reinsurance firm — Oman Reinsurance Company - will issue shares to investing public.

Although the Sultanate has 22 insurance companies, only four companies — Dhofar Insurance, Oman United Insurance, Al Madina Takaful and Takaful Oman — are listed.

Of this, Al Madina Takaful and Takaful Oman are Islamic insurance firms. Of the 22 companies, 16 firms do not have the stipulated OMR10 million minimum capital and six firms have either OMR10 million or more paid up capital.

Currently, only new companies are required to have a minimum capital of OMR10 million and need to go public when listing shares on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM).

NBO picks arrangers for bond issue DUBAI: National Bank of Oman has mandated four banks for a potential capital-boosting bond issue that it plans to print after the summer, banking sources said.

The country’s third largest bank by market capitalisation has picked Citigroup, Credit Agricole, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Standard Chartered to arrange investor road shows, Reuters said.

The US dollar-denominated bond would boost the bank’s Tier 1 (core) capital. Earlier this month, shareholders of the bank approved the issuance of a Tier 1 instrument of up to $300 million. - Agencies

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MARKET BRIEFS

Al Jazeera Steel forms joint venture in Saudi Arabia MUSCAT: Al Jazeera Steel has entered into a joint venture agreement with a local business entity in Saudi Arabia and formed a limited liability company named Al Jazeera Oman Steel Products Company LLC. The joint venture company will sell and market the company’sproducts in the Saudi market. Al Jazeera owns 51 per cent of the share capital in the joint venture effective from June 15, 2015.

Boeing strikes deal with Russian firm PARIS: Boeing said it struck a $7.4 billion deal to sell 747-8 freighters to Russia’s Volga-Dnepr, providing a much-needed boost to the jumbo-jet programme amid flagging demand for fourengine aircraft. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding that will add 20 cargo variants of the hump-backed 747 to Volga- Dnepr’s fleet, Boeing announced on Wednesday at the Paris Air Show, the aerospace industry’s largest trade expo.

Singapore’s exports decline SINGAPORE: Singapore’s overseas sales unexpectedly fell for the first time in three months, signaling a weakening growth outlook for the export-dependent nation.

Non-oil domestic exports fell 0.2 per cent in May from a year earlier as shipments of petrochemicals and electronics declined, data on Wednesday showed.

- Times News Service/Agencies

Opec exports revenue takes a beating; drops below $1tr Revenue drop shows the strain on Opec as they increase pumping at a time of oversupply, following a Saudi Arabia-led strategy of defending market share instead of prices PRODUCTION: If Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries keep pumping at current rates through the third quarter, production will LONDON: Opec nations’ revenue have exceeded demand for the longest period in at least three decades, International Energy Agency (IEA) data show. – File picture from petroleum exports plunged below $1 trillion last year for the year low of $45.19 in January. in calling for a production cuts to first time since 2010, highlighting Arabia-led strategy of defending If Opec keeps pumping at cur- support the oil price, has changed how slumping crude prices hurt market share instead of prices. rent rates through the third quar- its stance. The country’s Oil countries reliant on oil sales to Opec nations agreed on June 5 to ter, production will have exceeded Minister Asdrubal Chavez said keep a production limit of 30 milfund their economies. demand for the longest period in on Tuesday the oil market will The group’s 12 members earned lion barrels a day, a level they have at least three decades, Interna- stabilise by the end of this year $993.3 billion in 2014, a decrease exceeded every month since June was the fall in tional Energy Agency (IEA) data and called the June 5 meeting of 11 per cent from a year earlier, last year, according to data.

12-member group’s show. Almost all the group’s mem- ‘very successful’. according to the Organisation of “Given the weakness in the first earnings in 2014 at bers aren’t earning enough from Venezuelan President Nicolas Petroleum Exporting Countries’ half of the year, another sub-one$993.3 billion, compared current oil prices to balance their Maduro announced last month to a year earlier, says (Opec) annual report published trillion-dollar revenue year replans for joint investments with budgets, according to data. the Opec annual report on Tuesday. mains on the table,” Hamza Khan, Russia of over $14 billion in doTheir combined current ac- an Amsterdam-based senior compublished on Tuesday mestic oil projects. - Bloomberg News Venezuelan President count balance slumped by 35 per modity strategist at ING Bank, “Opec members may have been cent to $273.6 billion as the drop said by e-mail on Wednesday. blind-sided by lower revenues in exports was accompanied by an The impact on the government increase in imports. finances of some Opec members gained 1.2 per cent to $64.43 a last year, but they appear to be HAVE YOUR SAY The revenue drop shows the could be mitigated by increased barrel on the London-based ICE mitigating risks moving forward,” Send us your comments at strain on the group’s members as production and foreign direct in- Futures Europe exchange. The Khan said. facebook.com/timesofoman benchmark crude has rebounded Venezuela, which had been one they increase pumping at a time vestment, he said. blog.timesofoman.com of oversupply, following a Saudi Brent for August settlement 43 per cent since reaching a six- of the most vocal Opec members haveyoursay@timesofoman.com

11%

COST OF LIVING

Asia becomes one of the costliest expat destinations: Survey HONG KONG: Asia has become one of the most expensive regions for people working abroad, shows a new survey, with its major cities accounting for half of the top 10 costliest expat destinations.

Hong Kong climbed one place from last year to become the world’s second most expensive place for expats, Mercer said in its annual Cost of Living Survey on Tuesday, with Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul also making the shortlist.

Much of the change in rankings is down to currency fluctuations, with the appreciation of the yuan against the dollar pushing up the cost of living in China, which now accounts for nine of the top 30 most expensive expat cities in the world. “Chinese cities jumped in the ranking due to the strengthening of the Chinese yuan along with the high costs of expatriate consumer goods,” said Mercer executive Nathalie ConstantinMetral in a statement.

Tokyo city By contrast Tokyo, ranked the most expensive city for expats in 2012, fell four places from last year to number 11 due to a slump in the Japanese currency after a massive easing programme by its central bank.

“Japanese cities have continued to drop in the ranking this year as a result of the Japanese yen weakening against the United States dollar,” added Constantin-Metral.

Overall, the cost of living in Western European cities dropped due to a slide in the euro. The

LUANDA LEADS Leading the rankings was the Angolan capital Luanda, which retained its top spot due to the high price of imported goods and security services used by many foreigners

three cities that made the top 10 — Zurich, Geneva and Bern — use the Swiss Franc, which jumped in January after the central bank removed a ceiling on its strength.

Leading the rankings was the Angolan capital Luanda, which retained its top spot due to the high price of imported goods and security services used by many foreigners.The survey by the Mercer consulting group compares the cost of over 200 items in 207 cities, including housing, food, transport and entertainment.

It takes New York as its base city for comparison, and measures currency movements against the dollar, which has appreciated significantly from a year ago as the health of the US economy has improved. - AFP

T HURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

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MARKET Weak trend continues

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 30,601,551.................. 5,524,398 .....................928 ............... 14,981,786,875 .................. 6 .....................20 ....................20 .........................46

Al Maha Ceramics, up by 2.93 per cent, was the top gainer, while Renaissance Services, down by 4.19 per cent, lost the most

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,495.04 ...............6,466.70 ................... 6,468.52 ................... 6,493.78................-25.26 .................. -0.39 Financial Index .....................................7,930.43 ...............7,892.38 ....................7,895.12 ...................7,922.80................ -27.68 .................. -0.35 Industrial Index ....................................8,420.75 ...............8,407.69 ....................8,419.65 ....................8,419.72.................. -0.07 ...................0.00 Services Index ....................................... 3,516.73 ...............3,497.86 ....................3,497.86 ................... 3,515.20................ -17.34 .................. -0.49 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 999.21 ..................997.44 .......................998.57 ...................... 998.35....................0.22 ...................0.02

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 ISIN ..................................................SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER...................TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE............. HIGH....................LOW...............CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE..........DIFF (RO) .................DIFF %......................LAST PR...............LAST BID.....................LAST OFFER .................MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE

MUSCAT: Weakness in heavyweight stocks dragged down the MSM 30 Index to 6,468.52 points, down by 0.39 per cent. MSM Sharia Index closed at 998.57 points, up by 0.02 per cent.

Al Anwar Holding was the most active in terms of volume and turnover. However, Wednesday’s top gainer was Al Maha Ceramics, up by 2.93 per cent, while Renaissance Services, down by 4.19 per cent, lost the most.

As many as 928 trades were executed in the session generating a turnover of OMR5.52 million with over 30.6 million shares changing hands. Out of 46 traded securities, six advanced, 20 declined and 20 remained unchanged.

Omani investors were net buyers for OMR1.75 million, while foreign investors were net sellers for OMR1.48 million followed by GCC and Arab investors for OMR270,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index declined 0.35

per cent to close at 7,895.12 points. Al Anwar Holding and Taageer Finance gained 1.89 per cent and 0.70 per cent, respectively.

Al Izz Islamic Bank, Al Sharqia Investments, Al Madina Investments, Al Madina Takaful and Bank Sohar declined 2.44 per cent, 2.16 per cent, 1.25 per cent, 1.11 per cent and 1.08 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index continued its tepid trend to close unchanged at 8,419.65 points. Al Maha Ceramics, Al Anwar Ceramics and Oman Cables increased 2.93 per cent, 0.93 per cent and 0.91 per cent, respectively. Construction Materials, Gulf International Chemicals, Galfar Engineering and Raysut Cement fell 2.44 per cent, 0.85 per cent, 0.76 per cent and 0.65 per cent, respectively.

Services Sector Index retreated strongly by 0.49 per cent to end the session at 3,497.86 points. – United Securities

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

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 186,910..........105,230..................... 75 ........... 0.546 ........... 0.568 ...........0.546........... 0.562 .............0.546 ............0.016 .............2.930 ................0.562..............0.562...................0.566...................29,505,000.........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 4,412,272 ... 1,190,183...................236 ........... 0.266 ...........0.272 ...........0.266........... 0.270 .............0.265 ........... 0.005............. 1.887 ................0.268..............0.268...................0.270 ..................35,235,000.........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ................................. 87,473 .............37,938........................5 ........... 0.432 ...........0.434 ...........0.432........... 0.434 .............0.430 ........... 0.004.............0.930 ................0.434..............0.432...................0.434 .................128,556,738 ........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY......................................50,600 .......... 112,332........................4 ........... 2.220...........2.220 ...........2.220 .......... 2.220 .............2.200 ........... 0.020.............0.909 ................2.220 .............2.230...................2.300 .................199,134,000........0.100 OM0000003281............TAAGEER FINANCE ................................................... 10,779 ............... 1,555........................3 ............0.145 ........... 0.145 ...........0.144........... 0.144 .............0.143.............0.001 ............. 0.699 ................0.144..............0.144...................0.157 ...................36,516,960 .........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 877,735 .......... 213,680..................... 69 ........... 0.242...........0.246 ...........0.241........... 0.243 .............0.242 ............0.001 ............. 0.413 ................0.243............. 0.242...................0.243 ..................48,600,000 ........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 677,440 ..........197,125..................... 37 ............0.291 ........... 0.291 ...........0.290 .......... 0.291 .............0.291............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.291 ............. 0.290...................0.291...................29,100,000.........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ............................................................... 1,500 .................. 597........................1 ........... 0.398 ...........0.398 ...........0.398........... 0.400 .............0.400 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.398..............0.398...................0.400 ................. 20,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001509............DHOFAR INT.DEV.AND INV. HOLD........................ 1,000 .................. 472........................1 ........... 0.472 ........... 0.472 ...........0.472........... 0.484 .............0.484 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.472..............0.472...................0.482 ................. 119,257,600 ........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 1,989,092 ...... 237,578..................... 64 ............0.120 ........... 0.121............0.118 ............0.119 ............. 0.119............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.118 .............. 0.118................... 0.119 ................... 14,503,125 .........0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ............................................................30,694 .............16,882......................11 ........... 0.550 ...........0.550 ...........0.550........... 0.550 .............0.550 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.550..............0.550...................0.556.................. 181,979,991 ........0.100 OM0000001889............SALALAH MILLS.......................................................... 24,000 ............ 35,880........................1 ............1.495 ........... 1.495 ...........1.495 ............1.495 ............. 1.495............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.495 ..............1.430...................0.000 ..................72,003,781 .........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 252,000...........62,244......................18 ........... 0.247 ...........0.247 ...........0.247........... 0.247 .............0.247 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.247..............0.245...................0.247 ..................30,849,796 .........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 162,757 ............ 34,479........................7 ............0.210 ........... 0.213 ...........0.210........... 0.212 .............0.212 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.210..............0.210...................0.212..................302,107,663........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ............................................15,000 ...............5,520........................2 ........... 0.368 ...........0.368 ...........0.368........... 0.368 .............0.368 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.368..............0.368...................0.386...................22,523,172 .........0.100 OM0000002614............ONIC. HOLDING ...............................................................1,485 ...................701........................2 ........... 0.472 ........... 0.472 ...........0.472........... 0.472 .............0.472 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.472..............0.472...................0.478................... 81,855,774 .........0.100 OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. ......... 1,000 ...............2,190........................1 ............2.190 ........... 2.190 ...........2.190........... 2.190 .............2.190 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.190............. 0.000...................0.000 ................. 151,110,000 ........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 109,025 ............85,912........................7 ............0.788 ........... 0.788 ...........0.788 ........... 0.788 .............0.788............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.788 ..............0.780...................0.788..................512,944,053........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER.................................................. 37,100 ................7,531........................6 ........... 0.203 ...........0.203 ...........0.203........... 0.203 .............0.203 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.203............. 0.200...................0.203 .................137,002,148 ........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 120,865 .........209,730..................... 29 ............1.740 ........... 1.740............ 1.735 ............1.735 ............. 1.745 ............-0.010 ........... -0.573 ...............1.735 .............. 1.730................... 1.735 ................1,301,250,000 ......0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ...................................99,988 .............33,373........................6 ........... 0.330 ...........0.336 ...........0.330........... 0.334 .............0.336 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.595 ...............0.336..............0.332...................0.336..................447,797,224 ........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ........................................................54,303 .............82,812........................9 ............1.525 ........... 1.525 ...........1.525 ............1.525 ............. 1.535............-0.010 ............-0.651................1.525 .............. 1.525...................1.535 ................. 305,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 280,000........... 41,940......................21 ............0.148 ........... 0.151............0.148 ........... 0.150 ............. 0.151 ............-0.001 ........... -0.662 ...............0.151 ...............0.151...................0.152................... 46,614,741 .........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 127,000.............18,032........................5 ............0.142 ........... 0.142 ...........0.141 ........... 0.142 ............. 0.143............-0.001 ........... -0.699 ...............0.141 ..............0.140................... 0.141 .................... 8,355,737 ..........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 251,000 ......... 137,260......................17 ........... 0.546 ...........0.550 ...........0.546........... 0.546 .............0.550 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.727 ...............0.548..............0.546...................0.548................ 1,251,335,138 ......0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 197,500............ 26,393........................6 ............0.134 ........... 0.134 ...........0.133 ........... 0.134 ............. 0.135............-0.001 ............-0.741................0.133 ..............0.132...................0.133..................268,041,914........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 248,223 ........... 32,221..................... 30 ............0.132 ........... 0.132 ...........0.129........... 0.130 ............. 0.131 ............-0.001 ........... -0.763................0.130 ..............0.129...................0.130................... 37,697,483 .........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ..........................9,000 ............... 1,143........................4 ............0.127 ........... 0.127 ...........0.126............0.127 .............0.128............-0.001 ............-0.781................0.126 ..............0.126...................0.128.................... 3,810,000 ..........0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 1,112,000 ...... 133,500........................7 ............0.121 ........... 0.121............0.120........... 0.120 ............. 0.121............-0.001 ........... -0.826 ...............0.120.............. 0.119...................0.120.................. 24,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS .............. 35,758 ...............8,362........................6 ........... 0.234 ........... 0.235 ...........0.233........... 0.234 .............0.236 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.847 ...............0.235..............0.233...................0.235....................4,914,000 ..........0.100

C O N S U LTA N C Y

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 197,054 ............ 36,265........................7 ............0.185 ........... 0.185 ...........0.184........... 0.184 ............. 0.186............-0.002 ............-1.075................0.184..............0.184...................0.188................. 265,224,960 .......0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL..................................................9,521 .................. 843........................3 ........... 0.089 ...........0.089 ...........0.088........... 0.089 .............0.090 ...........-0.001 ............-1.111 ................0.088..............0.088...................0.090 ..................15,575,000 .........0.100

Oman bourse signs pact with Taipei Exchange

OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 306,154 ...........24,226..................... 23 ........... 0.079 ...........0.080 ...........0.079........... 0.079 .............0.080 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.250 ...............0.079..............0.078...................0.080 ..................16,364,959 .........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH...................................................1,733 ...............4,506........................2 ........... 2.600...........2.600 ...........2.600 .......... 2.600 .............2.645 ...........-0.045 ............-1.701 ................2.600............. 2.600...................2.645..................248,188,707........1.000 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ....................................................94,102 ............. 19,163......................19 ........... 0.206...........0.206 ...........0.203........... 0.204 .............0.208 ...........-0.004 ........... -1.923................0.203..............0.203...................0.208 .................145,738,893 ........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 341,599 ............46,419......................41 ............0.137 ........... 0.137 ...........0.134............0.136 ............. 0.139............-0.003 ........... -2.158................0.134 ..............0.134...................0.136...................12,240,000.........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 2,461,416 ...... 730,341......................61 ........... 0.300...........0.300 ...........0.292........... 0.297 .............0.310............-0.013 ........... -4.194 ...............0.294..............0.292...................0.295...................83,782,053 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 14,875,078 .3,934,555...................846 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......37........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Tims News Service MUSCAT: Capital Market Authority of Oman and Taipei Exchange have signed an agreement for providing expert consultancy services to the former.

The contract covers consultancy assistance to be provided by the Taipei Exchange to assist in the design and development of capital market products and services in Oman aimed at supporting the growth of small and medium enterprises.

Abdullah Al Salmi, executive president of the Capital Market

Authority (CMA), signed a contract at the 40th annual meeting of the international securities market regulators (IOSCO) in Londoon on Tuesday.

The signing session was also attended by Yahya Abdullah Al Jabri, chairman of the CMA and chairman of Duqm Special Economic Zone authority, and leading members of the Taiwanese financial services sector.

The CMA undertook a review of many SME markets and SME consultants before selecting the Taipei Exchange as its expert consultant advisor.

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

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ....................................................... 31,363 ...............1,849........................8 ........... 0.059 ...........0.059 ...........0.058........... 0.059 .............0.059 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.059..............0.057...................0.059.................... 7,375,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001855 ............MAJAN GLASS ............................................................. 250,000 ........... 61,000........................1 ........... 0.244...........0.244 ...........0.244 .......... 0.244 .............0.244 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.244 ............ 0.224...................0.244 ..................10,253,685 .........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ..................................................................40,825 ...............2,972........................8 ........... 0.073 ........... 0.073 ...........0.072........... 0.073 .............0.073 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.072..............0.072...................0.073..................109,500,000 .......0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................14,080 .................. 563........................2 ........... 0.040...........0.040 ...........0.040 .......... 0.040 .............0.041 ...........-0.001 ........... -2.439 ...............0.040 ............ 0.040...................0.041....................3,400,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK................................................31,200 ...............2,506........................6 ........... 0.082 ...........0.082 ...........0.078........... 0.080 .............0.082 ...........-0.002 ........... -2.439 ...............0.078..............0.079...................0.082 ..................80,000,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 367,468............ 68,890..................... 25 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 5........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 .......................... 2,635 .................. 279........................1 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.104 .............0.104 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.106..............0.106...................0.108...................31,485,908 .........0.100 OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 ..........................................98,859 ............. 10,175........................4 ............0.102 ........... 0.103 ...........0.102........... 0.103 .............0.103............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.103 ..............0.103...................0.106....................7,364,500 ..........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ............................................. 2,635 .................. 266........................1 ............0.101 ........... 0.101............0.101 ........... 0.102 .............0.102 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.101 .............. 0.101...................0.000 ..................32,603,553 .........0.100 OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 ................... 15,254,876. 1,510,233......................51 ........... 0.099 ........... 0.100 ...........0.099........... 0.099 .............0.099 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100..............0.097...................0.100...................32,092,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 15,359,005 .1,520,953..................... 57 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........4........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

INDIAN MARKETS

Sensex rises; rupee recovers MUMBAI: Notwithstanding the market trimmed half of its late afternoon session gains, good progress in monsoon amid last half-an-hour buying ahead of the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee monetary policy meeting helped the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex rallied by 146 points to end at one-week high of 26,832.66, despite weak European cues.

Bulls seemed to be steadily tak-

ing control of the market after recent bearish trend, extending gains for the fourth straight session. Wary operators preffered to cover their short positions.

Rupee recovers The rupee snapped its last fourday losing streak, recovering 14 paise to close at 64.12 per dollar on fresh dollar selling by exporters due to weakness of dollars in the overseas market. Persistent

rise in the equity market also boosted the rupee value against the dollar.

The rupee resumed higher at 64.18 per dollar as against the Tuesday’s closing level of 64.26 per dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange Market and firmed up further to 64.09 before ending at 64.12 per dollar, disclosing a gain of 14 paise or 0.22 per cent. It had dropped by 42 paise in previous four trading days. - PTI

B4

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 18, 2 015

FEATURE

B I L L I O N A I R E K E N F I S H E R , A U T H O R O F “ B E AT T H E C R O W D ”

AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF FISHER INVESTMENTS,

S A Y S T H E T R I C K T O N A V I G A T I N G T H E M A R K E T S U C C E S S F U L LY I S T O T U N E I T A L L O U T

T

raders often look at the news to anticipate what their next move should be. When will the Federal Reserve raise rates?

Is the housing market coming back? Is the jobs report going to be a disappointment?

But Ken Fisher, author of “Beat the Crowd” and chief executive of Fisher Investments, says the trick to navigating the market successfully is to tune it all out. Fisher, whose firm manages more than $64 billion, says investors are wasting time by worrying about the wrong things. He recently spoke with The Washington Post about what investors should focus on instead. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How can investors figure out which headlines matter and which ones should be ignored?

Markets are very effective at pre-pricing information that will happen in the next three to 30 months. They are not very interested in things 10 to 15 years from now, and they are not really interested in things next week.

That would include things like the bankruptcy of Social Security or global warming’s impact or how millennials are no damn good. It doesn’t matter what the answers to those questions are.

Markets won’t price that now.

It’s too far off in the future. Likewise, things that are coming at you too soon, they’re behind you so fast that they cause nothing but very minor ripples.

How can people train themselves to think of events that way?

You start with the presumption that if everybody is worrying about something, you don’t have to worry about it — because they’re doing it for you.

You should worry about something else.

Investors are obsessing about when the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates. Is that a mistake?

There’s endless discussion about what will happen when the Fed raises short-term rates.

Most people leap to a conclusion, whatever the conclusion is, as opposed to the way I would have them think about it, which is to say: Have they ever raised short-term interest rates before for the first time in a business cycle? And what have markets done after that? That’s thinking independently.

I can tell you for fact the Fed has raised short-term interest rates for the first time in a cycle, every single cycle.

And you can find every single one of those, and you can measure what happens three months, six months, 12 months, 36 months, 60 months after.

And you know what? Increasing interest rates for the first time in a cycle has never been predictive of anything.

People are worrying about something they’ve worried about many times before. Yet history shows us we don't have to worry about it.

Is it ever possible to know what's really driving the stock market? Should we bother?

A simple lesson that I think young people in particular should know is that it’s easier in life to determine “what” than “why.” Even in things as discrete as medicine, they’ll find that something works to solve a problem, but they won’t necessarily know why it works.

So why is it that the initial spike in interest rates has no impact in markets that we can discern in any way? I’ve got my theories, but they're all

For your failures, look for what you did wrong

Ken Fisher Chief executive of Fisher Investments

“whys,” and it’s harder to prove them. Instead of worrying about it, worry about something else. It forces you to look at what are the other goods and bads [in the market] and be an independent thinker.

Any advice for young investors who are just starting out?

Young people don’t have experiences to bias them any which way, but the bad part is they don’t have any helpful experiences either. That’s all the more reason for the young person to read — to learn the lessons of the past as a replacement for the experience.

The question that perennially is asked is: If you were a young investor, what would you invest in? If you’re a young investor, the best thing to invest in is yourself.

Build your capital. Learn your capabilities.

How can people get better at learning from their mistakes?

Our natural human propensity is to do what’s called shunning regret and accumulating pride.

Accumulating pride means “I bought it, I’m smart.” Shunning regret is, “I bought it, it went down, I was victimised, it’s not my fault.” You want to reverse that. Take your successes and presume that they were at least partly luck. For your failures, look for what you did wrong.

That’s counter to the way humans normally want to behave, but this is tailored to reducing your error rate.

How should investors plan around that, knowing that they’re going to be wrong on a pretty regular basis?

Don’t take too big a bet to try to hit big, because you risk ending up just going home. Whatever it is you’re doing, you should do something that would perform relatively well if your hypothesis is dead wrong and you do really poorly. Therefore, while I tend to believe those categories are the ones that should lead the market, that doesn’t leave me in a position of wanting to not be exposed at all to the other sectors.

How can people try to go “against the crowd” without taking on too much risk?

The most important part of investing is not the investment.

The most important part is coming to know yourself.

If you know your skill set, your interests, your needs and who you are, you won’t make too many mistakes, because you won’t outstep what you know how to do. Are you really trained to do this? Have you really studied it enough? Or are you taking a crazy risk because you don’t really know what you’re doing and all of your friends told you to do it? This is adult peer pressure.

Warren Buffett has this great line about how it’s a little bit like baseball. You don’t have to swing at everything. It’s about knowing yourself and knowing what you can do with a bat and what ball you can’t hit successfully.

— Washington Post-Bloomberg News

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B5

ROUND-UP E X PA N S I O N

Al Wisal FM radio now offers greater listener penetration

Apparel Group opens Empora in Sultanate Empora encompasses a wide selection of brands and categories in a compact, shoppingfocused format offering shoppers a relaxed yet exciting shopping experience catering to entire family and ages

MUSCAT: Apparel Group, a leading retailer and one of Middle East’s fastest growing business conglomerates, has announced the opening of Empora multi-brand fashion department store at Oman Avenues Mall.

Empora encompasses a wide selection of brands and categories in a compact, shopping-focused for-

mat offering shoppers a relaxed yet an exciting shopping experience catering to entire family and ages, says a press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Nilesh Ved, chairman, Apparel Group, said: “At Apparel Group, our strategy is to bring to the market unique retail concepts and lifestyle experiences to provide our

customers the best product and customer service in the industry.

"The launch of Empora multibrand fashion department store concept marks yet another milestone in the history of Apparel Group and brings us a step closer to opening 1,200 stores by the end of 2015.”

Empora as a concept works towards leveraging the growing potential of the mid-segment market, with a head turning new take on fashion and beauty.

Affordable cost The concept has been envisioned around customer’s happiness on availing high quality international brands at an affordable cost, with an aim of innovating their shopping experience. It is a one stop destination covering all requirements under one roof offering fashion, beauty, kids range, foot-

wear, accessories and fragrances.

Empora boasts a collection of 100 plus international brands under one roof with an exceptional mix of established labels such as such as Codentry, ADL, Kenneth Cole Reaction, Bimbus, Name It, Only, Vero Moda, Beverly Hills Polo Club, Hush Puppies, alongside accessible everyday collections such as Aeropostale, Palladium, Birkenstock and Garage to name a few.

The brand’s next store launch is scheduled at Al Naeem Mall, Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE and will gradually expand its retail presence across the GCC region in prominent markets with an aim of opening 25 stores by 2019.

Attracting customers from across the region, the iconic department store offers an unparalleled shopping experience to all who walk through its doors!

MUSCAT: With Al Wisal FM’s radio station expansion into Al Sharqiyah Governorate, covering the whole of the governorate including the north and the south, the advertisers will now be able to reach a much broader segment of Oman’s local and expatriate population with complete broadcast coverage spanning the capital Muscat, Batinah, Dhofar and Al Sharqiyah, in line with the station’s well-known and established connection with the listeners.

Through out-of-the-box and innovative concepts, ideas, programmes and custom-made shows for its wide range of clients, Al Wisal seeks to maximise its reach on the national level in order for advertisers to effectively achieve their objectives and implement highly successful marketing campaigns, says a press release.

Reaching 2.1 million listeners across the nation, Al Wisal’s robust expansion efforts will enable a much greater and more diverse audience base to tune in to Al Wisal’s rich, entertaining and socially-responsible content and programming.

Eihab Abutaha, CEO of SABCO Media said, “We are confident that our expansion into Al Sharqiyah will further boost our national presence and add substantial value to our current and potential client base. Our advertisers have always had a very keen interest and belief in advertising on radio with both Al Wisal FM and Merge FM due to strong content, community-driven approach and solid geographical reach to Oman’s most populated governorates and regions.

Feroz Khan, director of Sales and Marketing added, “Al Wisal’s underlying objective in terms

of its listeners is to effectively engage all segments and demographical components of Omani society into the rich and entertaining Al Wisal experience, by maximising the station’s penetration figures and ultimately covering the entire Sultanate.”

Since its foundation, Al Wisal FM has continued to serve the various strategic marketing needs and expectations of Oman’s top sectors and industries, along with specialized niche sectors through its diverse and broad roster of clients from the private and public sectors including banking, telecom, automotive, FMCG and ministries, among others.

Over the years, Al Wisal has played a strong and visible role in trailblazing social media in Oman and was recently ranked among the top twitter accounts on the national level with over 208,000 followers. It was also ranked No. 1 within all local media - according to the official new media website: socialbakers.com Representing more than 71% of the entire Sultanate, Al Wisal’s expansion into Al Sharqiyah will enhance Al Wisal’s total geographical spread to reach more than 2.1 million people. Al Wisal’s on air and online content will actively cater to the vibrant governorate and its people through a variety of means which include hosting more officials from the region for various interviews, an increased focus on the governorate’s events and activities, in addition to a range of community-related topics and issues.

Al Wisal has also increased its popular live coverage shows and reporting in various wilayats of Al Sharqiyah North and South governorates in efforts to engage its people on all levels.

RECOGNITION

CASUAL DINING

Pizza Hut expands network with Malabar Gold & Diamonds wins 35th outlet at Oman Avenues Mall superbrand status for third year MUSCAT: Pizza Hut, the iconic global brand and Oman’s favourite pizza place, has further expanded its presence by opening its 35th outlet at Oman’s newest shopping destination - Oman Avenues Mall, in Bausher. The Pizza Hut casual dining restaurant is located on Level 2 of the Avenues Mall and has been welcoming pizza lovers with its classic interiors, exclusive seating and inviting ambience, says a press release.

“It is our pursuit to make Pizza Hut as accessible to our valued guests as possible. The brand new sit-down restaurant in the Avenues Mall, brings us even closer to our customers as we provide a pitstop, to refresh and refuel, amidst their leisurely shopping and entertainment activities,” stated Vivek Pande, CEO, Khimji Ramdas Lifestyle Group.

Pizza aficionados can treat themselves to their favourite dishes ranging from garlic bread, chicken wings, pizzas, pastas and much more. The menu, in addition

to the classics, also includes ‘great value combos’, which are perfect as quick eats.

“Our menu has been designed to meet the palates and preferences of the entire family, offering something special for everyone and this trend continues at our brand new outlet in the Oman Avenues Mall. We take this opportunity to welcome our patrons and all food lovers in Oman to spend a few delicious moments with us at our new restaurant,” stated Yogesh Shah, general manager, Khimji

Restaurant Division.

Pizza Hut outlets are spread across the length and breadth of Oman; both in the capital and interior regions. The brand has over the years established itself as a popular dining hotspots with its diverse formats ranging from restaurants to delivery and express outlets. In addition to the Oman Avenues Mall, Pizza Hut is present in other popular malls in the Sultanate namely, Qurum City Centre, Muscat City Centre, Lulu Nizwa, Lulu Salalah and Safeer Mall Sohar.

C E L E B R AT I O N

MUSCAT: Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one of the leading jewellery retailers with a strong retail network of 134 retail outlets spread across nine countries, achieved the Superbrand status third time in a row.

Superbrands organisation, the independent authority and arbiter of branding, announced the achievement in the 11th annual Superbrands tribute event, which was held to honour the UAE’s strongest brands at Intercontinental Hotel Dubai Festival City on Monday, says a press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Shamlal Ahamed, managing director, International Operations said, “This is a great collective achievement for us and I take this opportunity to thank our customers, team members and investors without whose wholehearted support this remarkable feat would not have been possible.”

Malabar Gold & Diamonds offers impeccable jewellery, widely accepted and popular among all

class of customers alike. Since their inception in 1993, the jewellery chain strives to deliver more than they promise. In a world of competition, excellence matters everything else.

Outstanding brands such as Malabar Gold & Diamonds distinguish themselves from the competitors through creative marketing strategies, customer friendly policies, showrooms with warm and inviting interiors,combination of cutting

edge designs, unmatched grace combined with style, attractive prices, superior customer service and distinctive after sales servic.

The Superbrands Council in each country comprises individuals who have shown exceptional aptitude in business and who have a thorough knowledge of that particular country’s markets and methods of business. With such high standard set for the brand, every progress to reach a milestone will be a success story.

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE

Al Shomoukh Nursery conducts Omani law firm sweeps the graduation day for pre-schoolers board in legal 500 rankings MUSCAT: Al Shomoukh Nursery held its first graduation ceremony for its pre-schoolers on the nursery premises.

The ceremony included a sweets buffet and refreshments. It was a major success as it is the first graduation ceremony for Al-Shomoukh Nursery since it opened its doors for children on January 11, says a press release.

It was hats off to children at Al Shomoukh Nursery as they left to begin their new journey in a big school. Children wearing tailormade graduation caps and gowns were treated to a special graduation ceremony, where every child was presented with a certificate as a souvenir of the occasion.

The children performed a short skit of Little Red Riding Hood, and then sang few songs. Certificates were then handed out amid cheer-

ful applause from parents, friends, and teachers.

Meriam Sabra, director of Al Shomoukh Nursery, said, “It is really sad to say goodbye to our preschoolers but we are so proud of them. Their days in the nursery were full of exploration, creation, laughter, discovery, growth, and fun. A big thank you goes for the

hard work, dedication, and nurturing ability of our staff that has equipped children with opportunities to achieve their full potentials for the next milestone in their life.”

Al Shomoukh Nursery is a place where families feel confident that their children are getting adequate child care to foster the development of the whole child.

MUSCAT: Independent law firm, Al Busaidy Mansoor Jamal & Co. (AMJ) has consolidated its market leading position after recording another impressive performance in the 2015 edition of The Legal 500 EMEA. Released in April, this prestigious annual guide to law firms in Europe, Middle East and Africa ranks AMJ as a top-tier firm across all five practice areas under review.

The rankings make AMJ the only law firm operating in Oman to achieve top-tier status across the board in banking and finance, corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, projects and energy and shipping, says a press release.

The Legal 500 also names two of the firm’s partners on the elite ‘leading lawyers’ list and recommends four lawyers in the editorial commentary. Managing partner Mansoor Jamal Malik has

won the unique accolade of leading lawyer for his projects and energy as well as corporate and M&A practice and is described in the guide as ‘a prominent figure in the Oman legal market’.

Senior partner, Dr Said Al Busaidy, referred to as ‘one of the greatest legal figures in Oman’, is recommended for dispute resolution. Partner Marcus Pery is recognised as a leading lawyer for banking and finance and recommended for corporate and M&A.

Partner Ardeshir Patel is recommended for both corporate and M&A and banking and finance and Special Counsel Graham Mouat for shipping.

Malik remarked, “We are delighted to have retained our toptier rankings of previous years in four practice areas and to have tier 1 ranking restored for dispute resolution. This very strong Legal 500 result is an outstanding achievement and reflects hard work and dedication of the whole firm.”

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ROUND-UP Meshan Sweets opens new outlets in cooperation with Zubair SEC The new shop reflects the spirit of innovation and creativity found in Meshan’s various products, while maintaining its authenticity and adopted philosophy

MUSCAT: Meshan Dates and Sweets opened its new sales outlets and coffee shop under the patronage of Dr Ali Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, as it expands its business in the local Omani market. The ceremony was held in the presence of a number of government officials and reputable business people including entrepreneurs and supporters of small enterprises, says a press release.

This step is in conformity with the objectives drawn by “Meshan” and its strategy for commercial expansion in response to the require-

ments of the market and sales volume recently achieved. The four sisters — Wafa, Shatha, A’hed and Wa’ed Al Jabri — have announced, at the very beginning of the start of their project, their firm and ambitious desire to position “Meshan” as market leader in the field of Omani dates and sweets. After four years in the small enterprises arena, they proudly succeed in opening a new commercial outlet which is new and different in its design, vision and internal structuring.

The new shop reflects the spirit of innovation and creativity found in Meshan’s various products, while maintaining its authenticity and adopted philosophy. Today, “Meshan” presents a new model of a shop and café that offers pastries with Omani and oriental flavours, thus standing out with its unique features amongst other brands in the local market. Its contemporary atmosphere highlighted through the cafe space blends between the fragrance of the past and the elegance of modernity.

Meshan Dates and Sweets has proven its seriousness in the path of entrepreneurship through the hard work and efforts made by the four sisters, Wafa, Shatha, A’hed and Wa’ed Al Jabri, for their zeal and confidence in establishing their own independent economic entity. They undertook a set of leading steps that are exemplary for each entrepreneur. The sisters benefit-

ed from the various opportunities and experiences made available by the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Riyada), and Al Rafd Fund. Two years ago, “Meshan” joined Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) and shortly after won Zubair SEC’s Direct Support Programme, which provided “Meshan” the opportunity to take advantage of the intensive strategic, technical, administrative, financial and legal advisory services made available by the Centre to enable entrepreneurs to grow and overcome any obstacles in their way for development.

Brand development Meshan has collaborated with Zubair SEC to further develop its brand and corporate identity and organise its products to reflect professionalism in the market.

S T R AT E G I C PA R T N E R

Moreover, it expanded its partnerships to insure permanent outlets for their products with other renowned trademarks in the local and foreign markets. After having worked on the effective marketing strategy with the Zubair SEC advisors, “Meshan” has today become an Omani brand led by four Omani entrepreneurs marketing an Omani product with an innovative way characterised by sophistication and high standards of creativity and quality.

Khalid Muhammad Al Zubair, Managing Director of The Zubair Corporation, said: “Today we have a successful example of Omani women entrepreneurs who were able to prove themselves in the private sector. Their determination and will were evident as they developed themselves and skills, learned from the experiences of

others, and invested in real opportunities to build their project”.

“Both the public and private sectors did not spare any effort in supporting entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium businesses while proving their effort, determination and perseverance to achieve success.

“It is a priority for both sectors, in compliance with the directives of His Majesty, may Allah protect him, to enable owners of small and medium enterprises to achieve success and contribute to this vital sector by enabling it to progress, prosper and compete with their counterparts in the global markets,” he added.

Collaboration between Omani entrepreneurs Meshan new sale outlet was designed and executed by Shumookh

Engineering Consulting, founded and managed by Jokha Al Husainiya, who is also one of the members of Zubair SEC and winner of its Direct Support Programme. The Centre worked to establish communication and cooperation between its members to join efforts for the progress and development of their projects.

During the launch ceremony, Shatha Al Jabri gave an introduction on the new marketing plan for the company and the approach followed in marketing and promotion to align with the new launch of the new outlet; a clear indication of sophistication, creativity and persistence to achieve success.

Wafa Al Jabri, Founding Partner of Meshan, said: “In the beginning I thank everyone who believed in Meshan and supported us and shared today our celebration of this new outlet. I thank Dr Ali Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry. I also extend my gratitude to Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair for everything he made available for us, along with Zubair SEC for the genuine support, guidance, and assistance for the last two years till today.

“I also thank all official institutions that facilitated and contributed to our success as entrepreneurs and owners of small business. We are happy to inaugurate the new Meshan outlet today in collaboration with Zubair SEC”.

SIXTH TIME IN A ROW

Joyalukkas remains Superbrand

BankDhofar completes launch of its brand at new Salalah Airport SALALAH: Reaffirming its position as a strategic partner and key contributor to the major development projects in the Sultanate, BankDhofar has completed the launch of its brand at the new Salalah Airport which started operations on June 15.

Earlier, the bank signed an exclusive strategic partnership agreement with JCDecaux — the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide — to exclusively reserve strategic advertising and media spaces at Salalah Airport, says a press release.

“Being part of this magnificent project gives us the opportunity to further amplify our communication channels and extend our public outreach. This emphasises our commitment to be the best bank in Oman and in the Gulf, and goes in line with our continuous efforts to provide world class banking products and services. Such massive project will definitely enrich the tourism in the region and will

boost local businesses. We are very proud to welcome Salalah visitors through this new gateway,” said Abdul Hakeem Omar Al Ojaili, Acting CEO at BankDhofar.

BankDhofar works constantly to reach out to customers through diverse channels, restating its commitment to provide best customer experience and innovative banking solutions, products and services. BankDhofar brand has always been associated with the best customer experience and aspires to always be the best in all its operations and business practices.

On his part, Sebastien Soares, managing director of JCDecaux Oman, said: “Salalah new airport is one of the large-scale developmental projects in the Sultanate and JCDecaux Oman is honoured to be part of it in association with OAMC. Our long term strategic partnership with BankDhofar underlines JCDecaux Oman’s commitment to

provide its clients with premium and tailor made advertising solutions that meet the brand’s communication strategy.”

Samer Ahmed Al Nabhani, general manager of Commercial Operations at Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), also noted: “The increase of airport passengers’ traffic experienced in the last years demonstrates that Oman is growing fast. The opening of the new Salalah Airport comes within OAMC strategic plan to expand with ambitious infrastructure developments in order to cope with this passengers’ growth.

OAMC is proud to provide the best passenger experience to the visitors of Dhofar region travelling through the new Salalah Airport. We are also pleased to have BankDhofar on board with their airport branding. We believe this opportunity will give BankDhofar an extended reach to local and international audience.”

DUBAI: Joyalukkas, one of world’s leading jewellers, has now been recognised as a Superbrand for sixth time in a row by the panel of judges at this year’s Superbrand award ceremony.

Joyalukkas has been bagging the Superbrand award continuously since 2010.

Joyalukkas was deemed a Superbrand at the Superbrand’s Tribute Event, an award ceremony that witnessed the presence of the best in media and peers. John Paul Joy Alukkas, executive director, Joyalukkas Group and Sonia John Paul, director, accepted the award on behalf of Joyalukkas Group, says a press release.

The Superbrand’s organisation is an independent authority that is acclaimed worldwide, and is dedicated to paying tribute to exceptional brands from across the globe. This laurel encourages brands to maintain their superiority in terms of branding and services. It is only the best global brands chosen by the Superbrand Council that feature in the Superbrand’s UAE book, and Joyaluk-

kas will appear in it for the 6th consecutive year.

“It is a proud moment for us at the Joyalukkas Group. We would sincerely like to thank the esteemed panel of judges for this great encouragement. We are honoured, humbled and more driven than ever, to achieve our single goal since inception of being ‘the world’s favourite jeweller’,” said Joy Alukkas, chairman and MD, Joyalukkas Group.

“Being recognised as a Superbrand for the sixth consecutive year is a great achievement for us

at the Joyalukkas Group. But this title has also added responsibility as we strive to bring our valuable customers the best in choice, services, value and design. I’d like to thank the judges for this prestigious award and promise to continue the good,” said John Paul.

The Joyalukkas brand has come a long way, with a humble beginning of one showroom to now being a globally recognised jewellery retail chain with over 105 showrooms. It has revolutionised the jewellery retail industry with its innovative schemes and offers.

EMPLOYMENT TRAINING

Trainees at BIIT complete course MUSCAT: Bahwan International Institute of Technology (BIIT), part of the Bahwan CyberTek (BCT) Group, has created job opportunities across various industries within the private sector and imparted training to Omani nationals, tailored to the job requirements of the various employers in the Sultanate, after a detailed analysis that clearly identified the gaps in the industry needs versus the existing skill level of the job seekers.

Over 30 potential Omani nationals of leading global and local exchange companies in the Sultanate, Travelex and Hamdan Exchange recently completed a

7-month training programme, says a press release.

Training objective The objective of the training was to prepare Omani youths for their jobs in the above organisations through providing handson skills and exposure to customer service, English language skills, information technology, core job specialisation skills in the foreign exchange trade, personality development programmes and soft skills, projectbased work, on-job training, and relevant case studies within the forex industry.

The trainees demonstrated

their learning skills during the final day presentation through concepts and role plays, during which they showcased immense understanding of their job roles by applying the skills gained through the tailored intensive programme.

In his closing remarks, C. K. Bharathi, BIIT, emphasised to the trainees the importance of customer service excellence and briefed about BCT’s services in competency building and skills enhancement which are focused towards national initiatives of the Government of Oman in the areas of Omanisation among public and private organisations.

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FOOTBALL

Copa America 2015 live on beIN Sports MUSCAT: Copa América 2015, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, will be broadcast in high definition, live on beIN sports channels. beIN Sports, which is a leading provider for sports channels is broadcasting all live action of global sports events, says a press release.

The 44th edition of the Copa América competition will be organised by CONMEBOL, South America’s football governing body. The tournament will be held in Chile till July 4. The participating teams are: Chile (host nation), Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Jamaica and Mexico.

Mustafa Sultan Electronics – Entertainment Factory (PayTv) division is pioneer in Pay TV business for more than 20 years and is the distributor for beIN SPorts in Oman. Besides BeIN sports, MSE-EF is a leading distributor for OSN. They have a showroom in Al Khuwair and three kiosks in Muscat City Centre, Qurum City Centre and MGM and also offer the Pay TV services through their sub dealers spread across in Sultanate.

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ROUND-UP

Ooredoo to launch 3rd cycle of Arab Mobile Challenge The Global Mobile App Challenge enables teams of up to six members under the age of 35 to develop mobile apps designed to make an impact in the education, health, entertainment and employability/ entrepreneurship sectors

MUSCAT: Ooredoo announced yesterday that it will extend its support for the Arab Mobile Challenge, which has already completed two successful cycles and has now kicked off its third cycle for 2015-2016.

Originally launched in 2013 as a pilot programme covering five countries, the Arab Mobile Challenge, co-founded by Ooredoo, welcomed nearly 700 regional teams from 14 Arab countries in 2014.

The Global Mobile App Challenge enables teams of up to six members under the age of 35 to develop mobile apps designed to

BENEFICIAL SCHEME

make an impact in the education, health, entertainment and employability/entrepreneurship sectors, says a press release.

Ooredoo’s role has been critical for the sustainability of the programme and its continued outreach, and in 2015 the company plans to invite young people to participate in the challenge from Algeria, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Ooredoo supports a rich portfolio of youth entrepreneurial initiatives as part of its strategy to provide opportunities for youth across the Arab world.

Dr. Nasser Marafih, Group CEO,

Ooredoo said: “Ooredoo supports young talent through initiatives like the Arab Mobile App Challenge because we want to enrich the lives of young people and encourage them to reach their full potential. Last year’s challenge introduced a range of life-changing apps to the marketplace, with particular focus on the traditions and aspirations of the Arab world.

This year will deliver a host of new innovations and ideas that make a real impact on their respective communities.”

With continued support from eco-system partners across the

region, special endorsement from the GSMA, and a presence at the Mobile World Congress, the Arab Mobile Challenge is the largest platform of its kind in the region.

It is the regional chapter in the Global Mobile Challenge, which hosts young, innovative minds from around the world.

Greg Young, CEO of Ooredoo Oman, said: “We are very excited about being part of this innovative challenge. One of our missions is to support and enable the development of young Omani talent, and there are many budding ‘tech’ enthusiasts out there, who are just waiting for the right opportunity to showcase their abilities. We are looking forward to seeing the inspiring ideas they come up with”.

Graduating from the Arab Mobile Challenge 2014-15, the team behind the innovative game “Heroes from the Past”, took part in the Global Mobile Challenge in Barcelona. This team won first place and showed the world that young Arabs’ innovation and entrepreneurial spirit can take a lead on the world stage.

This year, the Arab Mobile Challenge is introducing two tracks, one for ideas and one for early

stage start-ups. This will enable people with technical skills and also people with great ideas that can translate into viable solutions to participate. This approach has been adopted to engage a larger pool of talent in the region and ensure that teams are being judged as fairly as possible based on their level of development.

For the MENA region, AMC 2015 will run one-day boot-camps in different countries and provide remote acceleration with a toolkit covering the same material for participants who cannot attend.

By registering on www.arabmobilechallenge.com, teams can receive up-to-date information on events.

Partners on the programme include IE Business School, GSMA, Oasis500, Supcom, Wamda, The Space, Qatar Living, and The Queen Rania Centre for Entrepreneurship. Finalists will be invited to Regional Finals in January 2016. Winners are eligible for either financial prizes or the opportunity for a fully-paid invitation to compete at the Global Mobile Challenge in Barcelona, also founded by the Applied Innovation Institute (AII), and hosted by the Mobile World Congress.

M A D I NAT QA B O O S OU T L E T

Third SPAR supermarket opens

Joyalukkas unveils ‘Easy Gold Purchase’ MUSCAT: Now buying Joyalukkas jewellery is easier than ever.

Joyalukkas has introduced new and most beneficial Easy Gold Purchase scheme.

Get one month instalment as cash gift voucher with one year scheme. Pay in easy monthly instalments of OMR10, or multiplication of 10 for 12 months and get one month’s instalment as additional benefit only for jewellery purchase, says a press release.

Joyalukkas is the world’s most desirable and fastest growing jewellery brand. Joyalukkas easy gold monthly purchase plan brings you the best instalment plan for ever, leading to easy purchase of jewellery of your choice.

Under this plan, you get more than you pay for and also get attractive price for your shopping!

When you invest in gold, you secure your family’s future with the guarantee of purity and trust.

MUSCAT: The world’s largest food retailer SPAR has opened its third supermarket in Oman, this time in Madinat Qaboos. The recently renovated 1,200sqm retail space in the Assarain Building in Madinat Sultan will deliver a wide assortment of fresh produce including fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, deli, bakery and foodto-go range from Kitsu.

Customers can expect good value food and non-food products imported from different countries with high standards of hygiene, friendly customer service giving them a premium quality shopping environment which is truly international, says a press release.

Speaking on the occasion, M. Sridhar, CEO, SPAR Oman, said: “Standing high on the pillars of service, freshness, value, range and assortment, SPAR supermarket in Madinat Qaboos will offer its customers a rewarding experience like none other. SPAR Middleast has worked closely with SPAR Oman to design a customer friendly layout and ambience, that brings both convenient and pleasurable shopping experience for customers in Muscat.”

The store’s main focus is on freshness with more than 400 sqm dedicated to fresh fruits and vegetables, butchery, fish, fresh bakery and kitsu – food on the go. To maximise customer delight from day one, SPAR is offering free home delivery. To celebrate the Ramadan spirit SPAR has launched its “Shop & Win” promotion across its three outlets in Bausher, Al

SPECIAL COLLECTION

Centrepoint embraces Ramadan spirit MUSCAT: With the holy month of Ramadan upon us, the warm spirit of togetherness and festivity can be felt at the Centrepoint store where a warm and ethnic shopping environment has been created to symbolise the festive spirit.

Traditionally, Ramadan sees a rise in the number of families meeting for suhoor and iftars and with the holy month coinciding with the summer holiday months, Centrepoint stores have launched a Ramadan and Eid specific collection which are comfortable for this heat while exhibiting the festive season spirit, says a press release.

“Centrepoint has worked carefully towards providing its customers with products that blend in the festive spirit while retaining the fresh summer look across

its brands. We have embraced the spirit of Ramadan and what shoppers will be able to experience will yield a vibrant yet ethnic feel in our stores,” said Vinod Talreja, director, Centrepoint.

Highlighting a wide spectrum of colours, designs and mix-and-

match options at affordable prices, the Baby Shop collection provides kids between 0 – 16 years with several fashion options to choose from this festive season.

Moving from children to adults, Splash’s festive collection ranges from statement pieces for men and women this season with a special emphasis on sequins in the designs, which is bound to make the designs special for any occasion. With trends such as white romance and rogue passion for women, this festive collection is aiming to include elegant and sophisticated items of clothing. The trends surround colours such as white, red and floral prints, which is perfect for Ramadan and includes pieces such as wrap skirts, kaftans and palazzo pants. For

men, expect dapper and opulent pieces which include smart jackets and crisp printed shirts that will be ideal to wear for an occasion.

No outfit is complete without dressing up the feet, hence, head to Shoe Mart for comfortable and on trend footwear that will get you all glammed up with glittering stone-studded heels, suave muted styles and exotic animal prints. Gents can seek comfort and style with a classic touch in traditional Arabic slippers made out of genuine leather.

When done with all, then head to Lifestyle to shine like a diva with their new range of premium hair styling brands that include Amika & Juicy and Torontobased celebrity hair stylist, Marc Anthony’s ‘True Professional’.

Khuwair and MQ. Every OMR5 spent at any SPAR store in this Ramadan, can reward customers with LG LED TVs, home theater and SPAR gift vouchers. Themed ‘Shop & Win promotion is set to run until August 8.

“Being a customer-centric organisation our focus has been on providing maximum value addition through our diverse product

offerings combined with excellent customer service,” stated Devendra Kumar, Head Retail for SPAR. “Keeping in tune with the Ramadan festivities, “Shop & Win” merges well with pre-Ramadan festivities, which enables our loyal shoppers to win, making this promotion more noteworthy. For more on this customer friendly initiative patrons can dial 24692315.”

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ROUND-UP

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FURNITURE SHOWROOM

Unbeatable deals at Bait Al Ahlam MUSCAT: This Ramadan the Khimji Ramdas Group is offering unbeatable deals at its spanking new furniture showroom Bait Al Ahlam in Seeb.

The 4,000 sq metre show space for the most eclectic furniture from around the world is now offering customers OMR25 gift vouchers for every OMR100 spent.

What’s more these vouchers can be redeemed instantly, which means that shoppers get more value for every purchase made at the store, says a press release.

Says N. S. Vijaya Kumar, CEO, KR Infra, “We want customers to come and experience style and comfort in style. If you’ve been to Bait Al Ahlam you will see a wide range of furniture showcasing the best designs and craftsmanship from all over the world. Our pieces project the higher standards of living and luxury that we see today in homeowners; they cater to contemporary tastes and guarantee the best in terms of quality and durability of materials used. What sets us apart is our uniqueness in the choice of furniture; the items that you see here are exclusive to Bait Al Ahlam to give customers a choice of something extraordinary and exceptional.”

Believed to be one of the largest of its kind in Oman, Bait Al Ahlam opened its doors in February this year and is already the talk of the town for its wide range of furniture displayed across a sprawling,

Bait Al Ahlam actually means ‘All about your Dream Home’. And that is exactly what we convey with our furniture. Each display area is designed to represent the home of everyone’s dreams. Whether it is furniture for a villa or an apartment, customers can be sure to find quality at the right price

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Bank Muscat wins Best Self Service award In recognition of innovative technological initiatives, the bank’s Call Centre

Prem Anand

was honoured at

Divisional Head, Bait Al Ahlam Home Furniture

the Middle East & sublimely decked out show space.

The Ramadan promotion will give customers choice pickings from an eclectic selection of custom designed furniture.

“Bait Al Ahlam actually means ‘All about your Dream Home’. And that is exactly what we convey with our furniture. Each display area is designed to represent the home of everyone’s dreams. Whether it is furniture for a villa or an apartment, customers can be sure to find quality at the right price. With

more than 50 per cent of our merchandise sourced from Europe, there is a wide variety of choice for furniture to suit all tastes,” says Prem Anand, Divisional Head, Bait Al Ahlam Home Furniture.

The showroom is open from Saturday to Thursday from 9.30am to 9.30pm and on Friday from 4.30pm to 9.30pm. Ramadhan timings are from Saturday to Thursday 10am to 1pm and 7pm to 12am and on Friday from 7pm to 12am.

Africa Technology Implementation Awards ceremony hosted by The Asian Banker

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, has won the ‘Best Self Service Banking Project in the Middle East 2015’ award by The Asian Banker.

In recognition of innovative technological initiatives, the bank’s Call Centre was honoured at the Middle East & Africa Technology Implementation Awards ceremony hosted by The Asian Banker, says a press release.

Bank Muscat operates the largest Call Centre in the banking sector in Oman. Featuring the best in class technology, the Call Centre handles on average 200,000 calls a month. The automated integrated voice response (IVR) system handles 60 per cent of the calls received by the Call Centre and the

remaining calls are answered by phone bankers. The language options for the IVR facility include Arabic, English and Hindi.

Of late, the Call Centre is witnessing increased levels of IVR calls. The enhanced IVR facility does not require pre-registration and customers can log in for the service with their 16 digit debit card and 4 digit ATM PIN numbers. The revamped phone banking service was introduced as part of the bank’s commitment to excellence in providing innovative banking solutions. Driven by the latest technological features offering a wide range of options, the phone banking presents a unique facility that allows customers to bank at convenience from ‘anywhere, anytime’. For people constantly on the move, the service is a boon.

The phone banking services include fund transfer to own account, third party account within Bank Muscat and third party account outside Bank Muscat.

Customers can also utilise the service for speed transfer of funds to India. The service can also be availed for utility bill payments such as water, electricity, telephone, internet, Ooredoo and Omantel mobile top-up, school fees and credit card payment.

The service also includes real time balance enquiry for saving and current accounts, loans, credit card and deposits.

Customers can also generate and receive mini or detailed account statement on registered email addresses.

The Call Centre assistance becomes critical, especially during non-banking hours to report card loss or any other urgent matter. In case of lost or stolen card, customers can block the card themselves against misuse. The Call Centre is on constant vigil against card fraud as the centre is equipped to detect fraudulent card transactions. Transactions at high risk vendors and PoS are always monitored.

Other services include request for cheque book and application forms; real time deposit and exchange rates for select currencies using exchange rate calculator and branch locator to identify the nearest branch, in addition to special services.

To use the phone banking IVR facility, customers are required to follow the audio instructions after contacting the Call Centre on 24795555. The Call Centre has achieved 100 per cent Omanisation with a healthy 50:50 male, female ratio.

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ALI AL HABSI HEADING TO NOTTINGHAM FOREST! Several UK-based websites have posted news linking the Omani hero m with Championship side Nottingham Forest while some have reported about Ali expressing his desire to stay in England. >C6

Team India wary of buoyant Bangladesh in one-day series Bangladesh may have lagged behind in fiveday Tests but they have enjoyed considerable success in limited-overs cricket, having stunned England to make the World Cup quarterfinals in March before trouncing Pakistan 3-0 at home a month later

DHAKA: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s India expect a close contest when they clash with fast-improving Bangladesh in a three-match one-day series starting in Dhaka on Thursday.

Bangladesh may have lagged behind in five-day Tests but they have enjoyed considerable success in limited-overs cricket, having stunned England to make the World Cup quarter-finals in March before trouncing Pakistan 3-0 at home a month later.

India have lost only three of 29 One-day Internationals against Bangladesh, but senior batsman Suresh Raina refused to take victory for granted in the upcoming series.

Raina, who led an understrength Indian side to a 2-0 win over Bangladesh last year, said his team had begun taking Bangladesh more seriously following their recent success.

“As you can see we are fielding our best team despite the hectic schedule,” he said.

“It shows how much importance we give to this one-day series because it is not easy to beat Bangladesh now.”

Raina was happy that unlike the one-off Test last week, when more than nine sessions were lost due to rain, the ODI series has reserve days for all three games.

If a match is abandoned or cannot be completed on the first day, play will resume on the following day from the point where it left off.

“It’s a good thing, but it means we have to plan for play to split on two days,” said Raina.

“The rain is not in our hands.”

A series win — or even a narrow 1-2 loss — would help Bangladesh leapfrog the West Indies into seventh place in the world rankings, boosting the country’s chances

of reaching the 2017 Champions Trophy. Hosts England, plus the next seven highest-ranked sides on September 30, 2015, qualify for the tournament.

Pace bowler Taskin Ahmed, who made his debut against India with a five-wicket haul last year, said the hosts were confident of doing well in the ODI series.

“Our team is strong, everyone is doing well,” he said.

“If we can continue to be consistent, I hope something good will come out of it.”

Rookie Rahman Bangladesh have called up rookie left-arm pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman for the series after he impressed in his Twenty20 international debut against Pakistan in April.

Rahman will join skipper Mashrafe Mortaza, Ahmed and Rubel Hossain in the pace attack that has become Bangladesh’s new strength in limited-overs cricket.

All three matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, with the second and third games scheduled for June 21 and 24.

Teams: Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Rony Talukdar, Mustafizur Rahman, Litton Das. India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Axar Patel, Mohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. - AFP

ENJOYING A LIGHT MOMENT: Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, right, Shikhar Dhawan, and Suresh Raina share a light moment during a practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. – AFP

Mortaza upbeat about team’s chances of beating India MIRPUR: Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Mortaza says they are going into the three-match series opener with the belief that they have the wherewithal to beat India in Thursday’s game.

Mortaza said his side has gone from strength-to-strength in the last few years and that gives them the confidence of playing hard against much fancied rival like India.

“I firmly believe India are favourites but when we get on the field, we don’t think who is favourite or who is not. I hope we can play our best cricket.

After the 2007 World Cup, we started to believe that we can beat any team,” Mortaza said on the eve of the series-opener.

“We never lost our mental strength despite losing matches. Of course, if we are playing against a higher-ranked

MUSCAT CLUB EMERGE CHAMPIONS Muscat Club outlasted Ahli-Sidab to emerge the champions of the Ministry of Sports Affairs Oman Handball Championship at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Wednesday.

In a keenly-contested final between the two capital-based team, Muscat kept their cool at the crucial junctures to win the match 26-20 and with that the title. Earlier, Majees got the better of Seeb to take the third place. Said Hamdoon Al Harthy, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Transport and Communications for Ports and Maritime Affairs, presided over the final day’s proceedings and handed over the trophies. — JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

UPBEAT: Bangladesh ODI cricket captain Mashrafe Mortaza speaks to the media. – AFP

team they will be the favourites but we don’t think that we can’t beat them,” Mortaza added.

The Bangladesh captain said the recent-past records are encouraging for them and all they need is to fire in unison.

“Bangladesh is one of the

teams doing well in ODIs right now apart from Australia, England, India and New Zealand.

I have told the boys to look at the statistics that we are not far behind any of these teams.

“Everyone believes in themselves. We have to show it on

the field, but this is no pressure.

One or two could have a bad time but if many of us are in form, we can have a good time,” he said.

The skipper wants his players to adopt the one-match-at-onetime approach.

“We should take it match by match which is more important for us. We have to do well and then think about the next game and so forth.

“We have to learn how to deal with such pressure too. We are improving so we must handle this sort of pressure. Taking pressure won’t be good for us.

We faced similar pressure at the World Cup where even those who believed in us could only hope that we would reach the second round.

So just like we did it there, we will take it match by match,” he said. - PTI

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TH UR S DAY, JU N E 18, 2 015

SPORTS ODI SERIES

Williamson stars again as Kiwis amass huge total NOTTINGHAM: Kane Williamson took a toll of England’s attack for the second match in a row as New Zealand scored 349 for seven in the day/night fourth one-day international at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.

Williamson just fell shy of making back-to-back hundreds following his 118 in New Zealand’s three-wicket win at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl ground on Sunday that gave the World Cup finalists a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Opener Martin Guptill made 53 and all-rounder Grant Elliott an unbeaten 55 off 52 balls.

New Zealand, after winning the toss, had threatened a huge score at 187 for two off 30 overs.

England fought back well with the ball, fast bowlers Mark Wood (one for 49 in 10 overs) and Steven Finn (one for 51 in 10) returning fine figures.

But Mitchell Santner smashed 44 off just 19 balls, including 28 off one over from leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

England also didn’t help their cause by dropping several catches, albeit a number were difficult chances.

The most England have made batting second to win a one-day international is 306 for five, needing 305, against Pakistan at Karachi in 2000.

Both England and New Zealand were unchanged on Wednesday and, given the general dominance of bat over ball this series, it was no surprise when Blackcaps skipper Brendon McCullum opted to

bat first after winning the toss.

Guptill had made 18 when he checked a drive off Finn, who couldn’t hold the low caught-andbowled chance to his left, despite getting both hands to the ball.

England managed a breakthrough when McCullum, on 35, undone by the bounce trying to cut Wood, was caught behind by Jos Buttler.

England finally saw the back of Guptill for 53 when they held the most difficult of the three chances he gave when Finn, running back from mid-on, made light of an awkward chance over his shoulder after the batsman had been deceived by a Ben Stokes slower ball.

Williamson and Taylor, who made 110 at the Rose Bowl, had shared a stand of 206 on Sunday.

They managed ‘just’ 101 between them on Wednesday with Taylor, deceived by Finn’s slower ball, lbw for 42 as he aimed across the line.

Williamson, who struck Rashid for six, fell for 90 when he drove left-arm paceman David Willey to a leaping Rashid at mid-on.

He faced just 70 balls, including 12 fours and a six.

Williamson’s 73rd innings at this level saw the 24-year-old became the fifth-quickest batsman to score 3,000 ODI runs.

Rashid, having been struck for four sixes and a four by Santner in the 48th over, conceded just five in the 50th and last over of the innings. - AFP

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Dhoni hasn’t changed Mahendra Singh Dhoni might have quit Test cricket six months ago but his philosophy of adapting as per the demands of the situation remains the same

DHAKA: It’s been six months since Mahendra Singh Dhoni quit Test cricket but the manner in which he used to approach the shorter format “would not change” as his philosophy is to adapt as per the demands of the situation.

Questioned if his approach has changed at all, Dhoni responded in negative.

“No, it will be quite the same because what’s important is for the team to win. And we will have to see what kind of roles and responsibilities suit the individuals playing in the XI, and accordingly, we will decide.

“Being adaptive and constantly looking to improve is something that’s important at the international level,” Dhoni said today at the pre-match press conference on the eve of the first ODI against Bangladesh, here tomorrow.

“The regime is still the same. As I said it’s the demand of the game.

Its not about me but as to what the team demands from me and what the situation is when I go into bat.

So it will still be the same. It also depends on where I am batting. If I am batting at 5 and 6, the demands are very different compared to if I am batting at 3 and 4,” Dhoni said.

Recently Dhoni trained at Delhi’s National Stadium for a day under local coach M P Singh.

“Let us not make it complex.

It’s a small thing that keeps on going. It’s a lot to talk about but it’s very basic and very simple.

You can have your own idea,” the skipper said.

While the target is to win the series but Dhoni also stressed on the importance to switch off during rain-breaks as it can hamper the momentum.

“Our target first and foremost is to win the series by taking one game at a time. That is something that makes our job slightly easy.

Because there is also chance of rain, so it is important to remain focussed. If we gather some kind of momentum, it’s important that we switch off at the right time

The regime is still the same. As I said it’s the demand of the game. Its not about me but as to what the team demands M.S. Dhoni, India ODI skipper

with the rain break. And once the time comes for us to switch on, we should be able to do that and try to get as many runs as possible.”

Asked if he has followed Bangladesh’s performance during their 3-0 series win against Pakistan recently, Dhoni sounded a bit dismissive. “Frankly its very difficult for us to watch any other nation playing because we play throughout the year. Yes, I have said “thank you” to one of the formats but still the amount of cricket that has happened its very difficult to follow any other series. As far as videos are concerned, we have the luxury of video analyst. More than that I cant really comment on it,” said Dhoni.

Dhoni said that Bangladesh can do even better provided they have good first-class teams providing a supply line of players.

“It’s more important to have a good first-class team and I feel the upcoming players in Bangladesh, most of them have done well whenever they have got an opportunity to play. That’s definitely good for them because to have a bigger pool of players is something that’s important so that if a few of your top players get injured because of the amount of cricket they are playing, somebody is replaced.”

Dhoni also did not divulge anything about playing XI. “We will see whatever the best XI is. Not start new season. It’s

closing towards end of last season. One more series after this.

Then officially, you can say it’s offseason. Then a new season starts after that.”

The Indian skipper also praised the Bangladesh ODI side, “They are a very good ODI team. Also if you see they have been playing ODI cricket for a long time. And also with their T20 coming in, it gives the guys more exposure and at the same time it gives them the right kind of calculative power as to when they can take the risk and when its important to back off. I have always felt they had a very good ODI side.

“They have shown improvement when it comes to Test cricket but obviously its played over 5 days, couple of innings each so you have to play bit more consistent cricket. As time progresses you will see them improving.”

Dhoni also made it clear that the core of this team will be going into the 2017 Champions Trophy in England as well as the 2019 World Cup in Old Blighty.

“If you look at the top four or five batsmen, it seems that if they are fit and are in decently good form, they are the ones who may go into the next World Cup or the Champions Trophy. But maybe, we need to improve is the bottom three, maybe after the first four.

5,6 & 7 and particularly 7 because they are very crucial.”

“The reason being more of often that the No 7 batsman for you, 90 percent of the time he has to bowl you 10 overs. So we are still looking (at an all-rounder). Last one and a half years, I don’t think our bottom order has got a lot of opportunity to bat specially in teh subcontinent,” the skipper added.

“The top-order has done a remarkable job because of which 5,6 & 7 haven’t had many opportunities to bat. It becomes a bit difficult, the reason being if somebody is batting at 7, if he goes in one game where we are 5 or 6 down and he has to score that 50-60 runs. You get an opportunity like that maybe in 10-15 games.”

While there was liberal praise for Bangladesh crowd who throng in large numbers at the stadiums to the support the ‘Tigers’, Dhoni was not particularly amused about the traffic problems as the city moves at slow pace.

“The people here love their cricket. They come to support their team, they enjoy their cricket and I feel that’s something very important for an international side if you have people of your country loving your sport coming to back you in the stadium. It just pushes you to do even better, give in more than 100 percent.”

“Yes, the traffic has gone worse from what it was but other than that the people are nice. It’s a good place, provide the traffic.” — PTI

PLAY WASHED OUT IN SRI LANKA-PAKISTAN TEST Bad weather washed out the opening day’s play without a ball being bowled in the first Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Galle on Wednesday. The umpires abandoned play at 2pm (0830 GMT) after incessant rain showed no signs of abating and the large covers at the Galle International Stadium became waterlogged. Play will start 15 minutes early on the second day, weather permitting. But rain has been forecast over this southern coastal town on all five days. Sri Lanka and Pakistan are due to play three Tests, followed by five One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches. — AFP

FOOTBALL

Pakistan football federation chief Hayat denies reports of dismissal KARACHI: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Faisal Saleh Hayat on Wednesday denied local media reports that he had been dismissed following an extraordinary meeting of the ruling body.

“I am still the president of the PFF,” Hayat said. “The reports are completely untrue. It is all just lies for political ends.”

The PFF met in Islamabad on Tuesday and local newspaper Dawn reported that Arshad Khan

Lodhi had been appointed the acting president in place of Hayat.

“Today’s congress meeting saw majority of members deciding to take action against the PFF president and secretary due to their incompetence and financial embezzlement,” Kashmala Tariq, who was elected chairman of the PFF women’s wing, was quoted as saying.

Hayat, however, said Tariq had no authority within the PFF. “First of all, who are these peo-

ple in legal terms? We should understand that they are nonentities in the PFF,” the former politician said.

The 62-year-old Hayat, who sits on Fifa’s strategic committee, is planning to stand as president again in the PFF elections on June 30.

He faces competition from Zahir Ali Shah in the vote, which will take place at PFF headquarters in Lahore after previously being moved to Abbottabad district. - Reuters

T HURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

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SPORTS FOOTBALL

Neymar named in fraud lawsuit linked to Barca transfer

TIME TO IMPRESS: Oman Sail’s Ranking Race provided stern test for young Optimist and Laser 4.7 sailors. – Supplied photo

Zakariya, Khamis win titles in Al Musannah Oman’s gold medal winners at the GCC Championships led the way with Zakariya Al Wahabi coming out on top in the Optimist class and Khamis Al Wahaibi emerging victorious in the Laser 4.7 class

MUSCAT: Oman Sail’s Ranking Race in Al Musannah concluded on Tuesday after three days of intense racing helped to give the Sultanate’s most promising young sailors a chance to impress coaches as national selection draws ever closer.

At a closing ceremony and prize-giving, sailors, parents and Oman Sail coaches gathered together to celebrate the achievements of Oman Sail’s Youth Programme and look forward to the forthcoming Optimist and Laser 4.7 events.

Oman’s gold medal winners at the GCC Championships led the

KEEN COMPETITION : Young Omani sailors in action at the Oman Sail’s Ranking Race organised in Al Musannah. – Supplied photo

way after nine rounds of racing with Zakariya Al Wahabi coming out on top in the Optimist class and Khamis Al Wahaibi emerging victorious in the Laser 4.7 class.

Overall, The Wave, Muscat Sailing School proved most successful, with Al Musannah in second, Sur narrowly behind in third and Marina Bander Al Rowdha a close fourth.

The Optimist and Laser 4.7 races were preceded by a five-day training camp to gauge the performance and progress of 55 sailors

from the Oman Sail Youth Programme, sponsored by Omantel and Oman Shipping Company.

Oman Sail’s Ranking Races provide regular updates as part of Oman Sail’s established Performance Pathway, a roadmap that outlines the stages of progress from youth level to professional sailing, culminating in the ultimate goal of winning a medal for Oman in sailing at the 2024 Olympic Games.

The Ranking Races are the start of a busy summer season for

ANNUAL EVENT

PSC all set to host Omantel Ramadan cricket tourney MUSCAT: Pakistan Social Club (PSCB) has been organising frequent sports, cultural and social events since many years for the people residing here in this beautiful country Oman. One of our most popular event is Ramadan tape ball floodlight cricket tournament that starts every year on the first day of Ramadan and lasts till end of the month.

PSC is pleased to announce the much-awaited annual ‘The Ramadan Cricket Tournament 2015’ with lots of spectacular cash prizes and rewards. This year’s tournament will start on Friday.

“People of all ages in Muscat, Sohar and Salalah simultaneously will enjoy this healthy and colourful event that will last about a

month,” Muhammad Zaeem, PSC General Secretary, said while announcing the event.

“PSC appreciates Omantel contribution in promoting healthy activities in Oman and to be the presenter of our most favourable and much-awaited sports event for the fifth consecutive year,” PSC vice-chairman Raja added.

“This year PSC aims not only to welcome cricket players and fans from across Oman but also people with varying interests by the addition of more games and more prizes for spectators and sports lovers especially for families. The events include musical chair, balloon blow, tug of war and mini basketball games,” Kaleem Akhtar, director of the tournament, said.

The mega event will be kick off on Friday on lush green ground at the Pakistan School Muscat, and on Saturday in Sohar. “We are sure that this tournament will be another unforgettable event for sports lovers,” Muhammad Munir said.

“This is the fifth consecutive year of Omantel presenting this tournament with Pakistan Social Club and Omantel is delighted to be part of this major sports event of the country,” Mohammed Hassan Al Lawati, Manager Events at Omantel, said.

For further details contact: Abbas (99344649), Kaleem (95262759), Tahir (92893063) in Muscat, Haji Soukat (9786040) in Sohar and Fazal (99499225) in Salalah.

the youth sailors as the best in the Optimist class head to Cyprus for a two-week training camp in July in preparation for the National Optimist Championship at the beginning of August and World Optimist Championship in Poland at the end of August.

The four top performing Laser 4.7 sailors will attend a training camp in Sur before heading to Holland for a training camp and World Laser 4.7 Championships that take place from August 6 to 14 in Medemblik, Holland.

MADRID: A Spanish judge has accepted a legal complaint filed

by Brazilian investment fund DIS that alleges it was the victim of a fraud perpetrated in Barcelona’s signing of forward Neymar from Santos.

DIS, which owned 40 percent of Neymar’s rights when he was at Santos, alleges it was paid less than half the cash it was entitled to when the player agreed to join the Spanish and European champions in 2013.

Barcelona, former president Sandro Rosell, incumbent Josep Maria Bartomeu, who is standing for re-election, Neymar, his father, Santos and two of the Brazilian club’s executives were all named in the lawsuit, according to a court statement published on Wednesday.

The complaint is the latest twist to a saga that has resulted in Barcelona, Rosell and Bartomeu facing trial for tax fraud over the Neymar deal.

However, this is the first time that Neymar himself has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit linked to the transfer.

Bartomeu was a vice-president under Rosell when Neymar was signed in 2013 in a complex deal involving multiple contracts with the player and his father.

Bartomeu, Rosell, who resigned over the allegations, and the club have been accused of defrauding the tax office of some 13 million euros ($14.7 million).

Prosecutors have asked for a prison sentence of two years and three months for Bartomeu and

WRONG FIGURE! Neymar

seven and a half years for Rosell, plus fines and payments of outstanding taxes totalling more than 60 million euros.

The tax probe was launched after a club member questioned the figures given for the Neymar deal.

Barca initially said they paid 57.1 million euros but later admitted the cost was nearer 100 million.

The court said on Wednesday that as part of the probe into the DIS complaint, English clubs Chelsea and Manchester City, Barca’s Spanish rivals Real Madrid and German side Bayern Munich had been asked for details of offers they made for Neymar when he was at Santos between 2009 and 2013. - Reuters

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TH UR S DAY, J U N E 18, 2 015

SPORTS

GRAND SLAM GLORY SO CLOSE FOR MICKELSON The popular American is already in the record books with his six runner-up finishes to the year’s second major leading the all time list

TACOMA: Phil Mickelson turned 45 on Tuesday still seeking to overcome what he calls the “huge obstacle” of finally winning the US Open and completing his career Grand Slam. The popular American is already in the record books with his six runner-up finishes to the year’s second major leading the all time list. The last of those came two years ago at Merion outside Philadelphia and he admits it was the most painful of his near misses as mistakes late in his final round let in Justin Rose for the victory.

But Mickelson, a five-time major winner, insists that far from being demoralised by his US Open agonies, he takes heart from his performances. “I’ve always been somebody, ever since I was a kid, that got motivated by failure, that worked harder because of failure,” he said.

“Some people get discouraged by that, and it almost pushes them away. But for me it’s been a motivator to continue to work harder and get over that hump, whether it was

trying to win my first major championship that took significantly longer than I thought it would, whether it’s trying to win an Open Championship or whether it’s trying to win a US Open championship.

“The fact that I’ve come so close is actually a motivator for me to work harder. And it’s encouraging that I’ve done well in this tournament.

“It’s encouraging that I’ve had success and that I’ve played some of my best golf in this event and that I’ve had a number of opportunities.”

Touted as a major winner from his amateur days, Mickelson had to wait until he was nearly 34 before winning his first major at the 2004 Masters. He followed that up with the PGA Championship in 2005 and a second Masters triumph the following year.

After a gap, a third Masters title came in 2010, by which time he had finished second, or tied for second, five times in the US Open.

To general surprise, his fifth major title came in the British Open in

2013, just a month after his Merion mistakes. That left him just a US Open win away from becoming just the sixth man - after Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen - to win all four of the Grand Slam titles during the course of his career.

His first bid at that accolade ended tamely last year when he could only tie for 28th at Pinehurst, but, despite a poor season so far, he believes that his game is back together.

And then there is the venue for this year’s US Open. Chambers Bay, south of Seattle, breaks with US Open mould in that its a links-type course similar in many ways to the championship courses of Scotland - St Andrews, Turnberry, Troon and Muirfield where he clinched his British Open success with a closing 66, the best round of his career, he said on that occasion.

The memory of that day and that win, Mickelson believes, could spur him to Grand Slam glory this week.

“I think that’s a good point in that having success at Muirfield, when the course was dry and firm and fast and brown, much like it is here, gives me much more confidence that I’m going to play well,” said Mickelson, who closed with a 65 for a share of third place at last week’s St. Jude Classic in Memphis.

“I had a good week last week and I’m hoping to carry some of that momentum into this week.” - AFP

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

FOOTBALL

Blues start title defence against Swansea

City raise Sterling bid to £40 million MANCHESTER: Manchester City have made a fresh and much improved offer of £40 million to Liverpool for want-away England international Raheem Sterling, according to reports in the English press.

Liverpool are thought to value the livewire 20-year-old winger at £50 million (69 million euros) and they are likely to turn down the offer even though Sterling has told Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers he wants to leave Anfield. City offered £25 million plus add ons last week and this second approach for Sterling is unlikely to be their last. The club’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has promised “high-quality” signings after Manuel Pellegrini’s charges failed to meet expectations during their failed defence of the Premier League title.

For their part the once-mighty Merseyside outfit remain keen to convince Sterling to sign a new

contract, although he rejected a deal that would have paid him around £100,000-a-week earlier this year.

Sterling’s refusal to commit to Liverpool has angered the club’s supporters, who jeered him at an end of season awards dinner.

Agent Aidy Ward’s subsequent claim his client would not even sign for “£900,000-a-week” prompted Liverpool to cancel a scheduled meeting to reopen talks in May. Sterling says his issue is not about money, stating in an April interview not sanctioned by the club, that he did not want to be viewed as a “moneygrabbing 20-year-old”. Liverpool’s sixth-place finish means they cannot offer him Champions League football next season and a disjointed campaign on the pitch personally has not helped.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are also reported to be interested in Sterling. - AFP

LONDON: Chelsea will start the defence of their Premier League title with a home game against Swansea when the 2015/16 season gets underway on August 8.

Next season’s calendar released Wednesday gives Liverpool a chance to banish memories of their 6-1 drubbing at Stoke on the final day of last season, as they return to the Britannia on day one of the new campaign.

Another highlight of the opening weekend is Tottenham’s visit to Manchester United.

Manchester City start out at West Brom, while Arsenal kickoff against new West Ham boss Slaven Bilic at the Emirates.

Promoted Bournemouth begin life in the top flight at home to Aston Villa, with fellow newcomers Watford and new manager Quique Sanchez Flores at Everton.

Play-off winners Norwich host Crystal Palace.

Elsewhere on day one, Steve McClaren — one of three new bosses — starts out as Newcastle manager against Southampton at St James’ Park and Leicester are at home to Sunderland.

Once the opening weekend is out of the way Chelsea head to Manchester City for an earlyseason blockbuster, followed by clashes at West Brom and at home to Crystal Palace.

Manchester United are at Aston Villa on week two, followed by a home game with Newcastle and a trip to Swansea.

For City, Chelsea are followed

by Everton (away) and Watford (home), with Arsenal taking in Crystal Palace (away), Liverpool (home) and Newcastle (away) after their opener.

The first Manchester derby of

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: File photo of Chelsea celebrating triumph.

the season comes at Old Trafford on October 24, with the Etihad clash penned in for March 19.

United face Chelsea in a tastylooking festive clash on December 28 and meet them at Stamford Bridge on February 6.

McClaren’s first taste of the north-east rivalry with Sunderland will come at home on October 24, the first Merseyside derby is set for October 3 at Anfield, with November 7 the date for the first

meeting between Arsenal and Tottenham. Chelsea face Arsenal first on September 19, playing the reverse fixture at the Emirates on January 23.

Bournemouth and their 11,700-capacity stadium can look forward among other home ties to December 12 (Manchester United), February 6 (Arsenal), April 2 (Manchester City), April 16 (Liverpool) and April 23 (Chelsea).

The season runs to May 15, with

Chelsea closing at home to Leicester. Manchester United close at home to Bournemouth — a fixture which could have implications at both ends — with Arsenal at home to Villa and Manchester City at Swansea. Liverpool go to West Brom and Everton host Norwich.

Elsewhere on the final day it will be Newcastle v Tottenham, Southampton v Crystal Palace, Stoke v West Ham and Watford v Sunderland.- AFP

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SPORTS

Red Bull have plenty to beef about Last season, when Austria’s scenic Spielberg circuit returned to the calendar after an 11year absence, the hosts revved up the fans

SPIELBERG: However good the party turns out to be, Red Bull are feeling far from bullish as Formula One descends on their home Austrian circuit in search of excitement this weekend.

Last season, when Austria’s scenic Spielberg circuit returned to the calendar after an 11-year absence, the hosts revved up the fans by winning in Canada with Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

This time, with both their drivers sure to collect penalties in the next few races for exceed-

ing the engine allocation, there will be a lot more criticism than optimism wafting around in the mountain air.

Neither Ricciardo, whose permanent smile has been tested to the full, nor Russian team mate Daniil Kvyat have come close to winning and former champions Red Bull, now fourth overall, have not been shy in blaming engine partners Renault.

Mercedes have won six of seven races and qualified on pole in all of them, with double world cham-

pion Lewis Hamilton and title rival team mate Nico Rosberg — last year’s race winner — again clear favourites.

“Unfortunately, the Red Bull Ring is a real power track so we won’t be with the front-runners,” Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko told the official Formula1.com website.

“But even if our drivers will hardly see the podium this year, the fans will get entertainment at its best,” added the Austrian.

The sport could do with that,

after the most recent race in Montreal proved a rare letdown and last weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hours drew a record crowd of 263,500 spectators to watch an endurance series that is fast gaining in popularity.

Le Mans winner Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, who won Le Mans with Porsche team mates Earl Bamber of New Zealand and Britain’s Nick Tandy, can expect plenty of attention as he returns to the regular job.

While his car has a Mercedes

L O S S F O R AT H L E T I C S

engine, and team mate Sergio Perez set the fastest race lap last year, Force India are treading water until an upgraded chassis debuts in Silverstone next month.

Mercedes, with Hamilton 17 points clear of Rosberg and aiming for his fifth win of the season, can expect to set the pace.

“I feel good, the race was strong for me in Austria last year and my qualifying is better this year so I plan to take that there and try to rectify the loss I had last year,” said Hamilton, who needs one more

pole to equal his 2014 tally.

Williams, who swept the front row in Austria last year with Brazilian Felipe Massa on pole alongside Valtteri Bottas, can hope to be challenging Ferrari for a podium place.

“The atmosphere is going to be great again I’m sure,” said Bottas, third in Montreal, of a rural circuit situated against a backdrop of Alpine pastures and distant peaks.

“With the upgrades we are bringing here, we are expecting another strong weekend.” - Reuters

FOOTBALL

Australian great Clarke dies aged 78 SYDNEY: Australian distance running great Ron Clarke, who set 17 world records in the 1960s, died in a Gold Coast hospital after a short illness on Wednesday morning. He was 78.

Clarke never won a gold medal at the Olympics, taking home a bronze from the 10,000 metres in 1964 and finishing fifth in the 5,000 and sixth in the longer distance in Mexico in 1968.

At his peak in 1965, however, Clarke redefined distance running by destroying record after record from the two-mile race through to the one-hour run.

He was the first man to run under 28 minutes in the 10,000m and his time of 27:39.4 in Oslo that year stood as the record until Finn Lasse Viren bettered it at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

“Today is a very sad day for athletics in Australia, with news of the passing of legendary runner Ron Clarke after a battle with illness,” Athletics Australia president David Grace said.

“Ron will forever be a legend of our sport and we are grateful for his extensive contribution to the sport of athletics, as well as to public service during a life that should be celebrated.”

Clarke was selected to light the cauldron at the 1956 Olympics in his home city Melbourne as a teenager but retired three years later to study accountancy.

He returned to the track in 1962 and claimed his first world mark the following year in Melbourne, taking the 10,000m and six mile marks in one race.

Third place in the 10,000m be-

Ron Clarke was the first man to run under 28 minutes in the 10,000m and his time of 27:39.4 in Oslo that year stood as the record until Finn Lasse Viren bettered it at the 1972 Munich Olympics

NO MORE: This file picture taken on April 24, 2008 shows Austral-

ian Ron Clarke running with the torch during the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Canberra. Australian athletics mourned the loss of champion distance runner. – AFP

hind American Billy Mills at the Tokyo Olympics followed in 1964 before his extraordinary 1965 saw him win the coveted Track & Field News men’s Athlete of the Year award. Clarke ran nearly 50

races and improved world records 12 times, starting by claiming the 5,000 metres record in Hobart in January and taking 39 seconds overall off the 10,000m mark.

Despite training in the Alps for

the Mexico Games, Clarke was unable to compete against athletes better used to the altitude and did well to finish the 10,000m at all.

He won his fourth Commonwealth Games silver medal in Edinburgh in 1970 and although he never claimed a title at a major multi-sports Games, he did own an Olympic 10,000m gold medal given to him by Emil Zatopek.

“Look after this. You deserve it,” the Czech told him in 1968 after handing over one of the three gold medals he won in distance events at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

Clarke later served as mayor of the Gold Coast, the resort city which will host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

“Ron was a great man,” said 1960 Olympic 1,500 metres champion Herb Elliott.

“His contribution to athletics was enormous. He was also a wonderful contributor to public health through lifestyle programs and gymnasiums and the communities in which he lived. Ron will be greatly missed.” - Reuters

UNDER FIRE: Russia’s coach Fabio Capello. – Reuters

Capello facing sack as Russia manager MOSCOW: Under-fire Fabio Capello’s reign as Russia manager looks doomed after the country’s sports minister said a decision on the Italian’s future had already been taken.

“There’s no secret, we’ve already taken certain decisions (about Capello’s fate),” ITAR-TASS news agency quoted minister Vitaly Mutko as saying on Wednesday.

“All the questions concerning national team management will be settled before the end of the month,” the minister said.

Ex-England manager Capello — reputed to be the highest paid international coach — has come under increasing pressure following a dismal run of results in Russia’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

The R-sport agency quoted an unnamed football union source as saying that the official announcement of Capello’s departure will be made once the two

sides hammer out the vast sum it will likely cost to buy him out of his contract.

“The decision has already been taken. But there are still some technical details concerning the size of compensation for cancelling Capello’s contract,” the agency report said.

Press reports also said that the RFU were considering three new candidates, naming CSKA head coach Leonid Slutsky, FC Krasnodar manager Oleg Kononov and former Russian assistant coach Alexander Borodyuk.

Meanwhile, the RFU said Wednesday that no official decision about Capello’s fate has been taken yet.

“In connection with the information about the possibility of Capello’s retirement the RFU would like to inform that no official decision upon the case has been taken,” the organisation official site stated. — AFP

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TH UR S DAY, J U N E 18, 2 015

SPORTS

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Ali Al Habsi heading to Forest!

Several UK-based websites have posted news linking the Omani goalkeeping hero with Championship side Nottingham Forest while some also reported about Ali Al Habsi expressing his desire to stay in England

MUSCAT: Is Omani goalkeeping hero Ali Al Habsi heading for Nottingham Forest?

The answer is: Yes. That is if one believes what the sports and football news portals in England have been writing about.

Several websites, including that of Nottingham Post, have been reporting about of the Omani legend being linked with Forest.

Former Wigan Athletic goalkeeper was released by relegated Wigan and now Nottingham Forest are reported to be keen on the 33-year-old stopper, reported www.nottinghampost.com.

“Goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi is the

IN DEMAND: Ali Al Habsi

FOOTBALL

Qatar paid Caf $1.8m to make World Cup bid PARIS: Qatar paid the African Football Confederation $1.8 million to present its bid for the 2022 World Cup at a congress, the continent’s top football official told a French magazine.

Caf President and Fifa vicepresident Issa Hayatou said he saw nothing wrong with the payment made before the confederation held a congress in the Angolan capital Luanda in January 2010.

Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup later the same year at a controversial Fifa vote now under investigation by Swiss authorities.

Paris-based Jeune Afrique magazine asked Hayatou about the donation from Qatar. “It was $1.8 million, not one million. Paid in two times 900,000 dollars,” the controversial Caf chief replied.

“The Qataris gave it to us to be able to show their plan (for

this does not exclude interviewing the secretary general of Fifa.”

Lauber said his team had obtained evidence on 104 bank-client relationships, each of which represented several accounts.

Switzerland’s Financial Intelligence Unit anti-money laundering agency had identified the 53 suspicious transactions flagged up from information supplied by banks.

Blatter was re-elected to a controversial fifth term just two days after the graft probes became public. However, he announced the following week that he would step down and a new presidential election is due between December and February.

Garcia report Swiss authorities have said their criminal investigation specifically targets the decisions to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Both Russia and Qatar deny wrongdoing and say they are preparing to hold the tournaments as scheduled.

Asked whether the Swiss investigation could derail Russia’s plans, Lauber said that decision was not his problem.

Lauber said his work was com-

the 2022 World Cup) during the congress.”

Hayatou insisted he had not expected other candidates, including the United States and Australia, to pay for a similar privilege.

“Not necessarily. We didn’t ask Qatar to do it. They proposed it. We did not ban the other candidates from taking part in the presentation,” he was quoted as saying, while also denying that it was a bid to buy African votes.

Clear conscience “I convened immediately after a meeting of the Caf executive committee to say that what had happened did not commit us to anything. I did not make any recommendation and everyone voted according to their soul and conscience.”

Hayatou also denied there was any corruption in the vote which gave the 2010 World

pletely independent of the ongoing U.S. cases.

While Switzerland had received and fulfilled a request for legal assistance from the United States, it had not asked for any such help in return, he added.

His investigation was looking closely at material generated by Michael Garcia, an American lawyer hired by Fifa to investigate ethics violations who spent years examining the Russia and Qatar bids.

Garcia’s report has never been published and Fifa has released only a summary which exonerated the Russian and Qatari bids of serious wrongdoing.

Garcia quit saying the summary mischaracterised his report. However, it resulted in proceedings being opened against unnamed individuals which his successor Borbely said he has continued.

“The (ethics committee) is carrying out several proceedings into football officials on suspicion of breach of the Fifa Code of Ethics based on the findings of the investigation into the decision for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups,” Borbely said in a statement.

Cup to South Africa.

Asked about the payment, a Caf spokesman said that Qatar “wanted to have this privilege exclusively” to make its presentation.

“A proposition was made to the executive committee which adopted it. Qatar presented its bid. The money was paid to Caf and is noted in the confederation’s accounts,” the spokesman added.

Qatar did not comment on the report but has in the past strongly denied any wrongdoing connected to its bid.

Hayatou also denied any knowledge of bribes paid to secure the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.

U.S. investigators believe that a $10 million payment made by South Africa to a disgraced Caribbean football official was a bid to buy votes.

South Africa has strongly denied any wrongdoing. - AFP

“Should new evidence come to light, the investigatory chamber will widen the group of suspects.

(It) is prepared to increase its staff numbers at any time if needed.”

Lauber said the U.S. authorities had not asked for Garcia’s report.

Lauber said his office had seized nine terabytes of data. By comparison, the U.S. Library of Congress estimates on its website that its entire collection of printed works amounts to 10 terabytes.

However, a single personal computer hard drive may hold several terabytes, which can be quickly filled up with material like high definition video.

He said he had no complaints about Fifa’s cooperation to date.

Fifa said in a statement that the Swiss investigation was based on a complaint that it had made itself last November.

“Fifa is cooperating fully as an injured party in the actions by Swiss authorities,” it said.

“Fifa itself instigated these proceedings in November 2014 when it presented the file on the 20182022 Fifa World Cup bidding process to the Swiss Office of the Attorney General.” - Reuters

FOOTBALL

Wilshere fined £40,000 for anti-Spurs chants LONDON: Arsenal star Jack Wilshere was fined £40,000 on Wednesday and warned over his future conduct after being charged with making controversial remarks about rival club Tottenham.

The 23-year-old England player had taken to the microphone and led fans in two crude chants about

Wants to stay in England Meanwhile, Wigan Today website said Ali is hoping to stay in England as he weighs up his options.

Oman international Al Habsi says he is in no rush to secure his future, it said. “I would like to stay in England, I hope there is an option for us to do that,” the website quoted Ali as saying.

“But I will take my time, hopefully there will be more good times ahead.”

TENNIS

Swiss Fifa inquiry investigates 53 suspicious bank transactions BERNE: Swiss prosecutors looking into corruption at global soccer body Fifa have identified 53 suspicious bank transactions, the attorney general said on Wednesday, stressing that the investigation may take time.

Michael Lauber told journalists he would not rule out interviewing Fifa President Sepp Blatter and General Secretary Jerome Valcke, although Switzerland had so far targetted no individuals in the scandal that has rocked international soccer.

Switzerland, where Fifa is based, announced its criminal investigation and seized computers at Fifa headquarters last month on the same day that the United States shook the sport with the announcement of indictments of 14 soccer officials and businessmen as part of a separate probe into corruption.

“We are faced with a complex investigation with many international implications,” Lauber said in his first public comments since his office obtained the computer data last month.

“The world of football needs to be patient. By its nature, this investigation will take more than the legendary 90 minutes,” he said, referring to the length of a soccer match.

Fifa’s ethics committee confirmed it was conducting its own investigation into individuals suspected of breaking the rules in relation to bidding for the right to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which were granted to Russia and Qatar respectively.

It said it was prepared to investigate more suspects and take on extra staff if needed.

Also on Wednesday, Switzerland’s third largest listed bank, Julius Baer, said it had launched an internal investigation in connection with Fifa. It said it was cooperating with the authorities and did not say when its own probe had begun.

Swiss private banks have been buffeted by a storm of scrutiny and regulation in the past five years, largely linked to accusations of helping rich American and European clients avoid tax by stashing money in secret accounts in the past.

The attorney general was clear that Blatter and Valcke could be among those summoned for questioning: “There will be formal interviews of all relevant people. By definition, this does not exclude interviewing the president of Fifa and

latest player to be linked with a move to the City Ground as Dougie Freedman’s search for a number one keeper continues,” it said.

The Omani captain joined the Latics on loan before sealing an estimated £4million transfer fee soon after and he immediately established himself in the first team.

Ali, who is now a free agent, had an outstanding penalty save record during his time at Wigan, saving 50 per cent of all penalties faced. He also won FA Cup with the Latics.

And that earned him links to Arsenal and Liverpool.

Meanwhile, website www.allsportsnews.co.uk said Nottingham

Forest are now been linked with a move for Al Al Habsi and he could be playing his trade at the City Ground next term.

“Now 33-years-old Al Habsi could be the answer to Dougie Freedman’s prayers as the Nottingham Forest manager steps up his search to find a man in between the sticks for the up and coming season,” it said.

For Ali, who made over 150 appearances for Wigan, Nottingham Forest could be his next port of call.

“He has the experience to enjoy a successful run at Forest and could really contribute to their promotion bid for Premier League football,” it said.

their arch-rivals during an opentop bus parade, a day after Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup final last month.

“Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere has been fined £40,000 and severely warned as to his future conduct after admitting to a charge of misconduct,” said a statement re-

leased by the Football Association.

“Wilshere was found guilty of making and/or inciting certain comments during the club’s open bus trophy tour after their FA Cup Final victory, with his conduct deemed to be improper and bringing the game into disrepute.”

Wilshere, who came through

Arsenal’s youth system, had already expressed regret over his behaviour.

“Sharing back2back Cup wins with so many amazing Gooners is a dream come true. Apologies if I upset or offended any of u with my celebrations,” he tweeted in the aftermath of the incident. - AFP

Wawrinka latest star to fall at Queen’s Club LONDON: Stan Wawrinka became the latest star to suffer a shock exit from Queen’s Club as the French Open champion was beaten 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (13/11) by South Africa’s Kevin Anderson on Wednesday.

Just 24 hours after Rafael Nadal’s first round defeat against unheralded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov, it was Wawrinka’s turn to succumb to an unexpected loss at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London.

The Swiss second seed had swept through his first round clash against Australian Nick Kyrgios in just 49 minutes as he looked to follow his memorable final triumph over Novak Djokovic in Paris with his first ever grass-court title.

But, in the second round, Wawrinka couldn’t find a way to subdue the big-serving Anderson, who fired down 22 aces en route to his first win over a top five ranked opponent this year.

Wawrinka had been hoping to extend his winning run to nine matches, but the towering 6ft 8in Anderson had won their last three meetings, all in 2014, and he proved a thorn in the 30-yearold’s side again. A hard-fought first set looked to have swung Wawrinka’s way when he secured two set points at 6-5, only for the Swiss to let Anderson off the hook as the

29-year-old raced through the subsequent tie-break.

The superstitious Wawrinka was still wearing his ‘lucky’ pair of garish red, white and grey checked shorts that caused a stir during his triumphant run in Paris, but his fortune took a turn for the worse in the second set.

Anderson had brought Lleyton Hewitt’s Queen’s farewell to a premature and painful end after saving a match point during his first round victory against the fourtime champion.

He claimed a more high-profile scalp on this occasion thanks to a dramatic second set tie-break which saw Wawrinka save five match points and Anderson rescue two set points before the South African finally sealed his win.

In the quarterfinal, Anderson will play either world No. 79 Dolgopolov or Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Earlier, French seventh seed Gilles Simon ended Thanasi Kokkinakis’s emotional Queen’s Club debut with a 6-4, 6-2 second round victory over the Australian teenager.

Kokkinakis has spent much of this week in the air after making the long flight back to Australia to spend a day at home with his sick grandmother before an unscheduled return to Queen’s. - AFP

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SIGHT & SOUND

T H U R S DAY, J U N E 1 8, 2 0 1 5

LAUREN GRAHAM ON ‘MAX: MOVIE WITH A DIFFERENCE’ auren Graham was on a trip to Japan with her friend when she got a call from her agent.

Director Boaz Yakin needed someone to play a wife and mother in his upcoming movie Max, about a family struggling to survive the loss of a son in Iraq.

“I was told, ‘The filmmaker wants to talk to you, but they’ve already asked Thomas Haden Church’s opinion of who should play his wife, and he really responded to you,’” she recalled.

Graham is a veteran of two popular television series, Gilmore Girls and Parenthood, but she insisted that she had only one thought.

“I was hit with this horrible feeling that he thought I was Heather Graham,” she said, sitting for an interview at a Los Angeles hotel.

“It was inconceivable to me that Thomas even knew who I was. I couldn’t believe he ever watched an episode of Gilmore Girls. I was sure he didn’t watch Parenthood.

“I do have to say that his comments gave me the street cred that I needed in that moment,” Graham added with a laugh.

The title character in Max, set to open on June 26, is a pre-

The actress’ new drama is about a soldier’s family struggling to deal with his death cision-trained military dog who eats, fights and sleeps at the side of US Marine Kyle Wincott on the front line in Afghanistan until Kyle is killed. A traumatised Max is discharged and sent stateside, where he connects with Kyle’s grieving family, including his mother (Graham), his father (Church) and his teenage brother, Justin (Josh Wiggins).

The transition isn’t easy for any of them. Max is a dog who doesn’t trust strangers, while Justin has his own issues with Kyle’s death and doesn’t want to have to deal with his brother’s troubled dog.

“I was struck at how poignant the story was,” Graham said. “We really delve into the world of these military dogs and how vital their work is for our military. This is also a story about a family healing from loss. They come together over this dog.”

There is a poignant scene during Kyle’s funeral in which the grieving dog lies down by the casket.

“We did research,” Graham said, “and that’s what these military dogs do when they lose their people in war. They actually won’t leave the casket.”

Graham based her character on members of her own family. “She reminded me of my grandmother, who was a missionary and Southern Baptist,” the actress said. “She was a kind woman, but an incredibly strong one. I also based her on certain traits of my grandfather, who was a man of few words, but had this quiet strength.”

This mother isn’t like her television alter egos, Graham added.

“I always play these flaky, extremely verbal people,” she said.

“This was different. This woman felt like a part of my childhood.”

Relating to the dog who played Max was easy for Graham, who considers herself a dog person.

“I had a wonderful German shepherd,” she said. “I remember getting my Hannah from a Burbank rescue.

It didn’t take long for her to find Hannah, though. “I found the girl in the next cage,” Graham recalled.

“It was a crazy, instant connection and the best, smartest, sweetest dog I could ever find as a friend.

She was with me during tough times, and I even had someone drive her to New York to be with me when I was working.

“This was a major dog friendship,” she said. “I haven’t been able to get another dog since she passed. I’m working on it.”

A two-year-old dog from Kentucky named Carlos played Max, along with several stunt doubles.

Carlos is a Belgian Malinois, one of the breeds most favoured by the military. They are lean and highly focused, and can sniff out drugs, bombs and dead bodies. They have a 270-degree field of vision and a bite force that equals 1,400 pounds per square inch, and can run 30 miles per hour.

“There is something really special about that breed,” Graham

said. “They’re more intense and restless than German shepherds, but they also have this extreme intelligence and the adaptability. I was around Carlos and knew there was so much going on with him. All of us really bonded with him.”

Born in Honolulu, Graham grew up in northern Virginia and was raised by her father, Larry Graham, longtime president of the National Confectioners Association, the main lobbying arm of the candy industry.

She earned a degree in English from Barnard College in New York and a master’s in fine arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Graham began her career on the television series Townies, and went on to roles on Caroline in the City and News Radio, as well as such films as Bad Santa,The Pacifier, Because I Said So, It’s Kind of a Funny Story and A Merry Friggin’ Christmas.

Her breakout role was Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. “The fan

base still knocks me out,” she said.

“It’s so interesting to see how people still embrace the show so many years later. The enthusiasm never dies down.”

There are rumours of a Gilmore Girls movie in the works. Graham denies them, but sounds intrigued.

“It’s not up to me,” she said.

“We didn’t have a last season, and the fantasy would be to finish the show the way the show’s creator wanted to do it.”

Parenthood did have a planned ending, but Graham still felt sorry to say goodbye to Sarah Braverman. “It was really difficult to think that the show is over,” she said, “but really nice to have a great ending. I felt really sentimental.

Every moment counted. It was that melancholy feeling of senior year of high school, where you don’t want to leave your friends behind, but it’s time to move on.”

The finale featured a flash-forward to the family’s later years, which Graham found disorienting.

At 48, the actress said, she doesn’t feel like someone who’s been around for nearly a half-century. “I feel so young,” she said.

“I guess I’m playing out the next chapter.” — Cindy Pearlman/The New York Times News Service

TH UR S DAY, JU N E 18, 2 015

ETCETERA T H E A C T O R P L AY S A S E C R E T S E R V I C E A G E N T I N T H E N E W A C T I O N M O V I E ‘ B I G G A M E ’

W

hen the camera is rolling, the 6-foot-4-inch British actor doesn’t hold anything back. “I popped my shoulder out when I fell off a horse in Rome (20052007),” he said. “I broke two fingers in King Arthur (2004) when I hit the stunt guy, who was wearing a brass helmet at the time. It was a fight scene, and I punched his helmet.

“I ruptured my meniscus when I was running about in The Three Musketeers (2011),” Stevenson added. “I had a crutch or a stick for two or three weeks, but I never missed a day of filming.”

In Big Game, an action film scheduled to open nationwide on June 26, the 51-year-old actor doesn’t treat himself gently.

“I got to hang outside of a helicopter,” he said with some glee, “although my stunt double did the best shot because he got to do it at 2,000 feet up.”

Stevenson also jumped out of an airplane - or at least he made it look as if he did.

“I had to fall backward into the void,” he said. “The wind machine was going, and all I had to do was not let my feet come bouncing back up into the shot. I dropped about five feet. My dignity and pride got hurt a lot more than my body.”

In Big Game Stevenson plays a sleek, gray-haired Secret Service agent guarding the president of the United States (Samuel L. Jackson). When Air Force One is shot down in the wilds of Finland by a group of rogue Americans, the survivors must rely on the wilderness skills of the 13-year-old Finnish boy who finds them.

“When I opened the script, I thought, ‘What on earth is this?,’” Stevenson said, speaking by telephone from his home on Ibiza, an island off the coast of Spain. “I couldn’t stop reading it. It’s got just enough tongue-in-cheek that says, ‘Don’t take me too seriously, but enjoy the ride.’”

The villains consider killing the president “the ultimate act of patriotism,” Stevenson said. “They’re getting rid of someone they feel is undermining America by reducing the costs of the military. ‘He’s not being a strong leader, so let’s make room for someone else. It’ll benefit the country.’”

The film, which was shot on location in Finland, reminded the actor of the adventure films he watched as a boy growing up in the North of England. The middle son of a Royal Air Force pilot, he spent Saturday afternoons at the movies with his brothers.

Stevenson considered becoming an actor but, not knowing how to proceed, went to art school instead.

“I would sit in front of a blank piece of paper and literally imagine myself walking around in a world that hadn’t been created yet,” he recalled. “It’s not that much different from filming.”

His interior-design career was flourishing when a chance encounter with an actor in a pub led him to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He was 27.

Stevenson worked steadily through his 30s, but didn’t

really make an impact until Rome. The hit series cast him as Titus Pullo, a soldier who enjoyed his food while finding himself in the middle of important historical events.

It was a stressful time for the actor, who was in the process of divorcing his first wife, actress Ruth Gemmell.

“A lot of things were going on in my life then,” Stevenson recalled. “I was going through a divorce. It wasn’t acrimonious, it was just very sad. It had run its course. I quickly realised that this profession had better mean more, had better be worth something. It was all I basically had.

“It taught me to get out of my own way,” he added. “I learned not to concentrate on other actors’ careers as a calibration as to how I’m doing. I decided, ‘This career I’m having better be enough.’”

Since Rome ended eight years ago, Stevenson has focused mostly on action pictures such as Punisher: War Zone (2008), The Three Musketeers, Thor (2011) and its sequel Thor: The Dark World (2013), and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013). He played Marcus Eaton in Divergent (2014) and Insurgent (2105), and will return for Allegiant, now shooting. He also spent a season on Dexter (2012).

In September Stevenson will appear in the crime thriller The Transporter Refuelled, a reboot of Jason Statham’s The Transporter (2002).

“I’m playing the Transporter’s dad,” he said. “I’m like a ham-

my old James Bond, staying in the kitchen cooking in a pinny (apron) while my son goes out and saves the world.

“It was a barrel of laughs to do,” the actor added. “Of course I save the day, although junior may claim the glory. We can’t put an old spook down.”

Stevenson’s other big upcoming project is the Starz series Black Sails. He’s fresh from two months in South Africa filming the show’s third season, which will air next year. He plays pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard.

“I jumped at the chance,” he said. “Blackbeard was 6-foot4, and this was back in 1715. He was probably like Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones. He had that much presence.”

Stevenson clearly is fascinated with Blackbeard.

“Men born of his low station in life would never leave behind any great legacy or name to be remembered,” the actor said. “That was left to the landed gentry. These people forged their own lives and became much more notorious than a lot of people. Your status and position in society were very important in those days.”

Stevenson’s career in Hollywood is a long-distance affair: He and his partner, Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia, have been based in Ibiza for much of their relationship.

They have three sons ranging in age from 11 months to 7 years old. - Nancy Mills/The New York Times News Service

KNOWS HOW TO SELL A STUNT

T HURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

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ETCETERA H O L LY W O O D

COREY STOLL: A BOXER’S TOUGHEST FIGHT COMES OUTSIDE THE RING

Katy Perry ‘faked’ confidence SINGER KATY PERRY says she had to “fake” her confidence when she started her career in the music industry. The 30-year-old has had a multitude of hit tracks and is known for her daring live performances but she says she suffered from selfesteem issues when she entered showbiz, reports femalefirst.co.uk. “There’s an intense level of confidence that sweeps over me and I can really command a stage, and back then, I could do it, too. I just had to. I had to fake it until I made it,” USA Today magazine quoted Perry as saying.

No big B’day plans for Nicole NICOLE KIDMAN will be turning 48 on Saturday, and while several stars plan lavish birthday parties much in advance, the actress says she prefers quiet celebration with family over a “big birthday thing”. “I don’t really celebrate a big birthday thing.

I always say I get enough attention so I don’t need anymore. I just like to have my family really close and snuggle,” eonline.com quoted Kidman as saying.

Kidman and Keith Urban’s ninth wedding anniversary is also coming on June 26. The 47-year-old actress says she will spend the day with her husband.

“Keith is doing a gig so I’m going with him. I’ll be dancing on the side of the stage,” she said.

Boxing is not unlike acting. They’re both professions in which one can zoom from zero to 60 in an instant

C

orey Stoll’s upcoming projects include two studio movies, AntMan and Black Mass, a trio of indie features - Glass Chin, Dark Places and Anesthesia - and a second season of the cable-television series The Strain.

Back in 2013 he co-starred on House of Cards, which is streamed online, and in 2010 he shared the stage with Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson in a Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge.

He clearly is a man of many media. “It’s nice that all of these projects get out there somehow, but I get as much enjoyment out of doing a reading for a room with 10 people,” Stoll said during a recent telephone interview from California. “I think it’s a really great time to be an actor. There are so many different outlets and so many different types of roles to play, and I’m happy to go where the opportunities are.”

The first out of the box of those upcoming projects will be Glass Chin, set to debut in theatres and video on demand on June 26. Stoll assumes leadingman status in the drama, which chronicles the downfall of Bud Gordon (Stoll), a once-promising boxer from New Jersey who still is haunted by his last fight. Life isn’t terrible, and Bud’s girlfriend Ellen (Marin Ireland) adores him, but he wants more.

When he reconnects with J.J. (Billy Crudup), a slick, seemingly worldly loan shark, Bud gets in way over his head.

Boxing is not unlike acting, Stoll said: They’re both professions in which one can zoom from zero to 60 in an instant.

“You can be picked from obscurity at a very young age, in boxing and acting, and suddenly be very rich and very famous and at the centre of that world,” he explained.

“And so a lot of people fixate on that hierarchy, and on attaining and retaining that status. Bud is re-

Eli to direct shark thriller ‘Meg’

ally a victim of that, because it can all go away just as quickly.”

Anyone contemplating seeing Glass Chin should know, going in, that it’s a moody, dark little film. It’s also, oddly enough, a boxing film in which Bud never is glimpsed in the ring and a murder tale in which most of the violence is perpetrated off screen.

“It was funny,” Stoll said, laughing, “because the S.A.G. rep kept on showing up on set, like every other day, because they didn’t believe that there weren’t any stunts set up for the day’s work. But there really weren’t, because it’s a character study. It follows a lot of those noir, pulpy tropes, but really it is about the characters.

“I like that,” he said. “I hope people come to it knowing what to expect. We’ve got an incredible cast that (writer/director) Noah Bushel pulled together. He’s got a great eye for casting, and the dialogue that he wrote is pretty brilliant.

“So the story is set within this violent world, but it’s about the power dynamics and the relationships, the things that happen before the violence,” Stoll added.

“Those are our action scenes.”

While Stoll hopes that Glass Chin will find an audience, the only question with his next film, AntMan, is how big its audience will turn out to be. The latest install-

ment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man will open on July 17. Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang, a redemption-seeking ex-con who, with the help of some outlandish secret technology, emerges as the superhero Ant-Man. Michael Douglas plays Hank Pym, Lang’s mentor and the original Ant-Man, with Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Pym’s estranged daughter. She has joined forces with Darren Cross (Stoll), Pym’s competitor and former protege. Cross possesses an evenmore-advanced miniaturisation suit and quickly evolves into AntMan’s archenemy, Yellowjacket.

“Despite however many tens of millions of dollars the film cost to make,” Stoll said, “it was one of the most collaborative film experiences I’ve ever had. I really felt invited to come and play, and we had the time to shoot every scene in a number of ways, to show a certain weakness or vulnerability in the character, while also making him the scary bad guy that you crave in this kind of movie.

“I loved the whole experience,” he said. “You enter a movie like this understanding that you’re part of a machine, but, as giant franchise machines go, I think Marvel has succeeded in finding idiosyncratic actors and directors to come and do what they do. You get the sense

that they know that’s part of the formula, is allowing people to play a little bit.”

In the second season of The Strain, Stoll will return as Dr Ephraim Goodweather, the C.D.C. entomologist desperate to stop the spread of a vampire contagion.

In the based-on-fact Black Mass, he plays Fred Wyshak, the hardnosed attorney who prosecuted gangster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp). The Strain will be back on July 12, while Black Mass is scheduled for release on Sept. 18.

It’s a heady prospect for Stoll, whose rise to prominence has been slow and steady. At 39 the native New Yorker boasts dozens of film and television credits, most notably North Country, Midnight in Paris, The Bourne Legacy, House of Cards and Homeland.

Back when he attended a high school for the performing arts, Stoll recalled, he didn’t realise what working would encompass.

“Without being too deliberate about it,” he said, he assumed that he’d act mostly in theatre productions, with occasional small roles on television shows or in movies.

“That was really an exciting prospect, just being able to do that,” Stoll said.

“The more I worked, and when I started to work professionally, the idea of working with great people

and playing interesting roles became the two most exciting things.

That really hasn’t changed.”

What has changed is that now he’s occasionally No. 1 on the call sheet. It’s a gift, Stoll said, but for a reason that may surprise people.

“The luxury is not having to make every scene count, which is a great feeling,” he explained.

“Every scene counts, all the time, but, when you have a smaller role and you’re either coming into somebody’s already-established television show or it’s a small role in a film, there can be a certain pressure to justify your presence.

That’s what I mean.

“If you only have a handful of scenes, you really want to go all out,” the actor said.

“That can be a lot of fun, and you sometimes get a license to play your scenes more theatrically or in a broader way, in a more transformative way. But, being No. 1, you show up every day and you’re just there, and you can take your foot off the gas a bit and let the character emerge more organically, from an accumulation of scenes, instead of packing everything into every minute.

“So that’s a real luxury, being the lead,” Stoll concluded.

“In many ways that makes it easier than being a supporting actor.”

-Ian Spelling/The New York Times News Service

DIRECTOR ELI ROTH will reportedly direct the film adaptation of Meg, which is about a giant, prehistoric shark, for Warner Bros. According to sources, Roth is in talks to direct the film. The book revolves around two men who band together to neutralise an ancient shark that’s threatening the California coast. In the film, the shark will be terrorising the coast of China rather than California.

Andrew Fischel and Cate Adams will oversee development for Warner Bros.

Chickens named after Aniston, Theroux HOLLYWOOD COUPLE Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux have had two chickens named after them. Aniston, who got engaged to Theroux in August 2012, says they couldn’t come up with names for all of their livestock because they have 17 chickens at their Bel Air mansion, reports people. com. “We attempted to do that, but there are 17 of them now. We did get two baby chicks as a gift named Justin and Jen. I’ve lost track because they all look alike,” said Aniston.

“We use the eggs every day. Justin makes great pasta. They taste delicious,” she added.-IANS

C10 TH UR S DAY, JU N E 18, 2 015

ETCETERA

is yiwa Famu k c i gster rR ’s gan irecto 0 d 9 ’, y e l ar ‘Dop ist the e With ge to wn tw a m o his o h g a n i g d n maki ile ad es wh i v o m

W

hen Sham of Malco eik Moore got th lm e part world at , the soft guy in wasn’t sh th a he had a e heart of the film tough tive of a ot from the pe The mov rspecpr gangs ob Dope, lem. ie is an th e music- ter,” said William a reconci answer to and-fash li , s, rio who io of the ea ation with the stre a repudiation of n impres Dope not serv rl an only reca but also (1992), M y 1990s, Boyz N et-wise black cin d executive pr ed as one of the asts the ou ema pr the Hood peel od enace II fi lm’s ts u cers and to oduced it (1991), Ju Moore, w Society (1 u gh-guy ch s back the oute ider as hero an al so wrote ho is only s ic 99 m r layer of e ar d 3) u ac si an mentality and mor c. “It hom ter to reve complex d in Christ 20 an the bo self-determinat d e. . spent mu al of someo es in on M ia But not ion is fa th Q and ch ne thumb of alcolm finds h something more th dational n schools, hadn’t miliar fr T imself u Dom (A.S films. So seen any of his youth it of there. And it do who’s from ther e om These ge re. nder the of those fo for a wee e but includes .A.P. Roc he embark esn’t excl “I knew st u re k, ky th s u u be e n ed ), T ar Rocky w de the ‘h ‘hood. It’s a drug de hey also fore film en’t sim on a cras M muyiwa, w ou oo u en in al ch ple hom hat thos encouragi h course d, ld subver er. g began, courage like thos the write ol ag e gu de n t a e. e early-’9 ‘90s ‘O-D g.” so much r ided by R fr on a rela r/director represen What Moo 0s of vuln movies by unde esh reading of th og ’ ty ick Fati of te rs e erability ures. Aft vely small budget films, Dope was m speaking, re found was co Dope. the antih d,” Famuyiwa sa pe characters that was coring a streak er its prem ade , in the lo ntext, bu inspiratio tr id er e, , o re of h al of id be fe w ie w ing behin Menace rring to came one

by Laren t not, stri re at Sun ays at th seven fign.

“I think II d z ei ct da of T the blust r cenS ly fest Those m er. ival circu the most lauded nce in January, it Malcolm than S ate, “In many way ociety, played ited it, m what Rick did, how ak fi it, startin s Rocky is was at film ovies crested w What Fam hameik.” tributo g a biddin lms of this year’s performed es it similar,” Moo he shot it and ed hen Fam more school at u yi er w g war am uyiwa re said, “b - lion rs - Open Road a th n is totally an - who w e Univ Califor d spen - and rece F on ut how w opposite That’s be joring in nia in Los Ange ersity of Southiving a st ilms won, paying g dis- fornia, t his teenage ye ill turn 42 this m e .”

Part of cr an w ar le a sort of cause Dope set to on $7 it h di s, s ic er th m n in do al e g uble-m studies under ph op with its its resonance u ovation at Cann il- a sympathy Dope is set - wan Inglewood, Cal their stru oto negative of th en on June 19, is re i- Boy the tutelage of th and film product aes ndoubted to the ci ct ose films, even a w d, who la ion ly has to . rcumstan ted to capture was e fiery pr to pop-cu vision of a world tions - al ure while upen el ke lte of in ce m ep r lt do es te u h s ad in re sor el n th re e g reinvi tioned yo pe di m ctorial de engravin familiar irreversib ung pers at could lead gorate th thanks g. What but, The d write Famuyiw Todd Are Dead ost a Rosencrantz ng their convenle path. on W at D W a’ approach an ope does down a ba oo s dimilieu w h “Kids I gr perspect films are to that er d Guildenstern ith is d, the ile there was a pa d (1999). iv ew up w sp a. films of th lp (Kiersey es. Malcolm and new characters to are still aliv it harshnes rinkled through Winks to those Clemons) e, they ’re h who weren’t O and de e day, Famable excitement ab his two fr w as out Dope, s of that er de ad de is -D an ie out u fi e ep into th nds, Dig yiwa reca or in pr nitel og that d Jib (T 1990s h ster narra a, and its but the at now, or lled, “ther There w y skepticism. reliance ti “But in m ison,” he said. pronoun ip-hop, play in a ony Revolori), feti gy they ’re e as a lot of on gangand wit. ves, largely are ce pu y sh d m n “o in k be reo” - an ing open replaced T ble. They d try to st band - Awreeoh, see them the sam d they were regu , but who discussion about with joy arm’s len hey ’re relatives, ar e on la st ee e th r or th th w r clear of kids. I do but ones e door was gth. ies being e do ay everyo e bottom That spea chain, larg n’t trou kept at ne of open to an or ks In the ea When he told.” cled by th ely anonymous ex the high-school fo - as films such to some of the n else does.” d the left, he w appealin rly 1990s the an e local hoo uance th cept when od ciet as Boyz N br id an tiheroes g, if not m ge at te y d dl be the Hood w Malcolm d became ums. ing muswer ore contrast, and Men as lost the crit both parts of his st to make movies In the ea phenomena.

Dope take so, than the heroe e as to an unli aspires to get into ac ic that u e di al II Sokely series was effec s a charac H s. By hi that were . He was inspired es, the practical an be was a ga rly 1990s “the mos ti of events arvard, which lead suddenly by those d t pop thin ngster,” sa black ner vely invisible in ter type that ans friends into a ca th s at fi in bl lm pr br ack the s su g yo op id ot per that ta th d d drug un kes them els him and ety, her Albert wrote Allen Hughes, wh u could and B ch as Wes Ande mainstream, but films like fash - and imbues it, in at time - the de rw or lds an in io ow al ot Jo th rs A black co n, with glory. It’s hn Hughes- h ll the usual crim they’ve spent year to the gang “Th e bleakest and ro d directed Menac ith his when tle Rocket (1996) on’s Rushmore so by A m (1 ere wasn e a ow in s ’t any opti wdiest of that era’ II Soci- like D nderson screened , which Famuyiw 998) which th ing-of-age tale fo modern-day pu ever: They use th al touchstones ar avoiding.

S op s om m e heroes a saw it e m ei te r e, is u on e scenes r school’s ovies. r labs as w m at all in pended, an era in features ca m are more pu ative expe in pa s, an sc ork spac our film Dope re an rtnership generat ience an cilita like ri . “It’s only unlikely, bumblin d which, Kanye W menters like Don ly to be cre- ch te distribution, e and use the Inte d com- colm ion of movies. T call key moments .” fe el g now that crim ildren, an pr es in his be h rnet to fa droom is e opening scene in that organic those two worlds that I made Dope inal d the spoi imarily to subu the gangs t and Pharrell W ald Glover, rban wh - his bedroom have com th Th ls way,” he sa ter illiams th ite a fi in the op a nod to Q (Omar of Male together at I an a fu roughout this M end up largely as id “There arrappers of decade .

W il lm en li E am in an al pp bi in ll antiher about fo s pa e some ur friends g scene of Juice s) in Dope. “W s emphasized o. Rather colm never quite tcoins.

M gangsters st. al ex co pe th (1 lm becom he, like h ctatio is broad 992), torn , but it an that ther at we were tryi reading the situat ns, shifting attitu the film, plays w es from the B d his friends ar apart by violence n e g w of to comm ere so man lood des and ap e ions war . the gh it unic y le rant. etto and proaches h Boyz N the H s, much as Ricky forever running urbanised nses and ways to ate is as and Tre “I ’m Near the ood . look plac just were in ’hood’ an so happy to be ab es,” he explained at in a tough end of Dope, when . d le to use situation Malcolm the term same con the phrase ‘an , the tug pulls a gu A ‘th text.” -Jon merican of war be n Times Caraman film’ in th e tween fe News Se ica / Th rv ice e e New ar York

T HURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

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ETCETERA BRIEFS

‘Pitch Perfect 2’ is set to hit the screens MUSICAL COMEDY film Pitch Perfect 2 will be released in India by Universal Pictures India on June 26. The movie, directed by Elizabeth Banks, stars Academy award nominee Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld and Brittany Snow. “I was so proud to see our poster go up after the Fast & Furious poster. I think it’s important for women to see that someone wants to tell their story and make a movie that’s not about who’s going to get married and have a boyfriend,” Banks said in a statement while talking about the film. Considering the popularity of the previous instalment, the expectations are running high with the release of the sequel too.

Salman Khan shares ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ painting

Orson Welles centenary It is entirely in keeping with the life and career of Orson Welles (1915-1985) that the centenary of his birth is being marked in such excessive fashion

A

s we are bombarded with new documentaries and tributes to the great man, there may be a sense of Too Much Welles. There are three rival new documentaries about him. Several of his films are being rereleased. An online campaign has just been launched to raise money to complete his unfinished late feature, The Other Side of the Wind, about a macho, Hemingway-like film director.

Magician: the Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles, Chuck Workman’s new documentary about Welles, begins with the celebrated sequence from Citizen Kane of magnate Charles Foster Kane (Welles) as a dying old man in his Xanadu retreat, dropping the snow globe and whispering hoarsely “rosebud”. Unpicking what he means is supposed to be the key to Kane’s personality.

Welles wasn’t keen on the rosebud idea, which had apparently been thought up by the film’s cowriter Herman J Mankiewicz.

“It was the only way we could find to get off, as we used to say in vaudeville,” he later told Peter Bogdanovich. Nonetheless, it is still the narrative device that is referred to most frequently when film-makers and historians are trying to understand Welles himself. One of the paradoxes about Welles is that he still seems as mysterious as ever in spite of the huge amount of information that continues to be unearthed about him. He is far too slippery a figure for biographers or critics ever fully to be able to explain.

Many countries have a claim on Welles. When Hollywood turned its back on him, he was forced to look outside the US for opportunities. “Like the fruit pickers, I go where the work is,” he once joked.

With his taste for blarney, Welles often seemed like an honorary Irishman. It was to the Gate Theatre in Dublin he came as a penniless teenager at the very start of his career, lying about his age and claiming to its founder Michael

WORLD RECORD

Jurassic World breaks box office records

JURASSIC WORLD has stormed into the global record books to score the highest worldwide opening weekend in history. Colin Trevorrow’s much-hyped fourth movie in the franchise about a dinosaur theme park that goes terrifyingly awry when the Indominus Rex escapes, grossed a massive $511 million (£330m) over its first weekend of release, Rentrak reports.

Final Harry Potter instalment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 held the previous world record opening at $483.2m in 2011, making Jurassic World the first to open above the $500m mark. Jurassic World took $204.6m in the US putting it just behind Marvel’s The Avengers, which earned $207.4m in 2012, as the second-highest domestic opening ever. The last Jurassic film came 14 years ago with Jurassic Park III - the threequel to Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic.

Analysts had predicted a box of-

fice smash for Jurassic World given this long wait but estimations of a $125m opening have been far exceeded. One possible reason for Jurassic World’s success is likely its appeal for multiple generations - those aged under 25 today and those who were fans of the Nineties original.

The 3D format proved popular with 48 per cent of US audiences opting to don the glasses, while lead star Chris Pratt is a familiar face, having starred in Guardians of the Galaxy and The Lego Movie last year. Jurassic World dwarfed competitors, with Melissa McCarthy’s Spy adding $16m and earthquake movie San Andreas $11m. No studio tried to rival Universal by releasing a new film, in what proved a wise move.

Will Jurassic World go on to become the highest-grossing film of all time, beating Avatar and Titanic? We need to wait and watch. -Jess Denham/The Independent

Many countries have a claim on Welles. When Hollywood turned its back on him, he was forced to look outside the US for opportunities. ‘Like the fruit pickers, I go where the work is,’ he once joked MacLiammoir that he was “a noted actor from the Broadway stage”.

The Spanish think Welles is one of their own. He clearly loved Spain, worked there frequently and his ashes were buried there, in a well in Ronda. He identified strongly with Cervantes’s daydreaming Spanish knight Don Quixote, the subject of one of

his many unfinished films. The former Yugoslavia has its claim on Welles too. He shot The Trial and The Deep in Croatia and met his collaborator, muse and girlfriend Oja Kodar there. He also appeared in cameos in various movies shot in the Balkans.

“I often make bad films in order to live and I’m sorry to say quite a lot of these bad films were in your country,” he explained to local interviewers. Mexico has its claims on Welles and so does Brazil (where he made his ill-fated foray to film It’s All True). There have long been rumours that a print of his original version of The Magnificent Ambersons, before it was savagely cut by editor Robert Wise after a disastrous preview in California, is lurking somewhere in South America. In the latter part of his life, Welles seemed almost part of the British establishment.

He was a regular fixture on chat shows. He had influential British friends, among them John Gielgud.

- Geoffrey Macnab/The Independent

BOLLYWOOD SUPERSTAR Salman Khan, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, shared a black and white painting of a couple on micro-blogging website Twitter. The black and white painting shows a couple in love. The woman is seen sporting a red bindi in the artwork. Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Salman captioned the post. The 49-year-old Dabangg star also shared the Hindi poster of the upcoming film, which is directed by Kabir Khan and co-produced by Salman and Rockline Venkatesh. The film, which also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Kareena Kapoor Khan, is set to hit screens on Eid-ul-Fitr which is likely to be celebrated on July 18.

Preity Zinta says she’s not quitting ‘Nach Baliye 7’ ACTRESS Preity Zinta, a judge dancebased reality show Nach Baliye, has denied rumours that she is quitting.

The 40-year-old took to micro blogging website Twitter and wrote: “2be honest I’m quite surprised 2hear rumors that I’m quitting the show & not there on time when I’m always the first 1to arrive. Strange na (sic)” Ekta Kapoor, the producer of the reality show, had also denied the rumours on Monday saying “news about her leaving the show is absolutely rubbish.”

Meanwhile, Preity is excited about Salman Khan starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan and can’t wait for the film’s release. She wrote on Twitter: “Cannot wait to see this movie real soon @BeingSalmanKhan as usual you are killing it Muaah #bhajrangibhaijaan”. -IANS

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T H U R S D AY, J U N E 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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Villa for rent - Al Seeb/Al Mawelah - Block 5 - 4 bedrooms with attached bathrooms, Majlis, 2 halls, kitchen and storeroom. split Ac and carpark.

Contact 99564616

Used & refurbished Porta cabins, Toilets unit available for sales. Contact: 99215560 Email:omegaunitedoman@gmail. com

Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

A/C 2 ton, window type for sale, 3 years old, Samsung, RO 45/-.

Contact 98564647

3BHK 8 Nos flats in Ghobrah.

Contact: 97616158 Flats for rent Al Ansab (Ghala) 2 bedrooms, 2 toilets, 1sitting room & kitchen. Contact: 94229023 3 bedroom at Al Khuwair 33. House No. 866, Way No. 4712. Contact Mohamed : 99580484, Ahmed : 99486805, Awadh 95525509 Commercial 3 BHK flat in Al Ghobra 18 Nov Street. RO 700/Contact 93191111 2 BHK flat in Al Azaiba near sea, with split A/C. RO.340/Contact – 93191111 Brand new 6 BHK villa in Al Azaiba with split A/C & lift. RO.1200/Contact – 93191111 4 Ware house at Barka Falaij.

Contact: 99337857 1BHK Ghubra R.O 275/-.

Contact 92144045 For rent 3 industrial land.

Contact 92702891/ 95490842 1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.

Contact: 97799175

Building material shop for sale at al Ghubrah with two clearances.

Contact: 91295985 2,560 sq mtrs industrial land in Wadi Kabir main road, First line on way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to make petrol station or hotel. OMR 990 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah, can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 3 floor commercial building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 18 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

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DAILY GUIDE

ACC. WANTED Required a room or studio flat in Darsait / WadiKabir /Ruwi area.

Contact : 95405033

BUSINESS

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE

AVAILABLE

ACC. AVAILABLE Excellent big room, with A/C kitchen available near Ontc busstation (Ruwi). Conatct 95569740

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. www.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com Yaris 2008, 1.3, 229 kkm full option 2100 expected. Contact: 93289652

NRI Tata bus - 66 seater model -2008 KM, 85, 673, dealer service. Contact: 99444341 & 99352790

Independent rooms in Qurum / Al Hail. Contact 95529970 Acc. opp. OK Center for non cooking bachelor. Contact 95126452 between 2 pm & 4 pm only.

Contact 95126452

FOR SALE Ice cream & juices shop in Ruwi, good location for sale, 1.5 mt fish display machine for sale.

Contact: 92150455 Beauty parlor for sale near Muscat Palace monthly rent 350/- OMR serious buyers.

Contact: 91902154 Training center with license.

Contact: 91121277 Commercial land for sale 3000 m in quriyat road main high way can use as a petrol station license available asking price 350,000 For more information please call on 99070701 with out name Super market in (Hairoon Hairithi) Thamrith road. Contact: 98189810 / 99675190 Shop for sale in Ibra and Bid Bid. Contact: 95304693

General Investors. Contact 99674870

One room separate bathroom for Indian Executive bachelor near Al Khuwair R/A. Contact: 99659513

TRANSPORTATION

Furnished single / sharing room for EXE bachelor at Rex Road with WIFI available. Contact 92873832

Ready / under construction apartments / villas. Near guruvayur.

Contact: 00919846877773

Furnished attached bathroom at Mumtaz area. Contact: 93103337 / 95212017

Available Duplex flat 1900 sqmt with 3 bedroom and complete POP made at Manipal (Indrali) also fittings and accessories are branded from Gulf. #96440811 / 93804434

Spacious bedroom, toilet & kitchen in Wadi Kabir.

Contact : 96098443 Furnished single rooms available for Executive bachelors at Ruwi.

Contact: 98049288 Sharing flat in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99335057 Semi furnished single room for Executive bachelors behind Kamat Restaurant Al Khuwair.

Contact 94271085 Furnished room attached bath for lady in Wadikabir (Mars Hypermarket) – 95941515

MATRIMONIAL

Pick & drop any time. Contact: 98522914 / 99512270 Required 40 feet open trailers to UAE, on trip basis for transporting our goods. Contact: 99352790 / 98037854 Transportation. Contact: 98178135 Transportation. Contact: 98505294 Transportation. Contact: 98244078

RC girl (28 yrs) hailing from kanjirappally dioces working in Royal Hospital looks for suitable alliances. Contact: 92801093 / 97498373 Hindu Ezhava family, settled in Muscat looking for suitable groom working within Oman for their daughter 25 yrs (MBA) working with a reputed company in Muscat.

Contact : 98689663

Transportation. Contact: 95190627 Pick & Drop anytime Contact: 91653903

Expatriate driven Yaris 2008 model 100,000 kms & land rover 2005 model 93000 Kms, excellent conditions. Contact : 97094797 Ford Explorer 4WD, 2010 XLT, automatic km 72000, 4 yrs old, under warranty. Agent serviced. Owned by one owner (expat) white colour, very good condition.

Contact 92824047

TATA bus make model 2012 & Peugeot boxer van make model 2013. Contact: 93895941 Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat driven. Contact 99209285 2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40 ton petrol tank each working at the moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35 Thousand each. Contact 97000155 or 92688692 Land Cruiser 2012. Contact 99336093 Hyundai Accent 2004, fully automatic. Contact: 99045803

CHANGE OF NAME We, Anil Vashishta, (name of father as per passport, holder of Indian Passport No. M5715859) and Meera Vashisht, (name of mother as per passport, holder of Indian Passport No. G7947937) having permanent address in VPO Dehlan, District Una, H.P. – 174306 (complete postal address in India) and presently residing at the following address in Al Khuwair P.B. No. 799, PC No. 133 Sultanate of Oman, hereby solemnly affirm and declare to change the name of our child Master KARTIK VASHISHT (name as per present Passport), holder of Indian Passport No. J 3756445 date of Issue 18/09/2010 issued at Muscat. The name of our child will be henceforth known as KARTIK VASHISHTA (new name) for all purposes. Any objection towards change of name of our minor child may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P. Box No. 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

Pick & Drop any time. Contact: 97014786 Pick & drop with car & driver available any time. Contact: 9615828/ 96502406/92218001

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

D4

T H U R S D AY, J U N E 1 8 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED

ADMIN Vacancy for Omani PRO for Customs duties in Sohar. Email: arabianseabridge@gmail.com, Mob: 97990844

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Male 24, B.Com /PGD having 2 years experience in accounts and inventory field looking for suitable job on visit visa. Contact: 94129550

ACCOUNTANT Required Accountant with 3 yrs. exp. in construction company.

Email : wadcocareers@gmail.com A leading excellent grade company at Muscat looking for Junior Accountant with min.1 year Gulf experience. Please send CV to pmjino@gmail.com Urgently required Junior Accountant.

Please send CV: hr.azatllc@gmail.com

CATERING Urgently required baker (tandoori bread maker) for a restaurant.

Contact 92764880 Chinese / Arab / Continental cook & helper wanted. Contact 95529970 Family in Muscat seeking to hire an experienced butler. Hotel experience is preferred. Candidate must hold a valid driver’s license. Please send CV’s on vacancyinmuscat@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELPER Cook required for an Omani family having experience in preparing all kinds of Omani & Arabic food.

Minimum 5 years experience. Send CV to abfarsi@omtel.net.om or fax to 24706990, Tel. 24786072 Housemaid wanted for an Indian family in Al Hail. Must be able to cook and take care of baby. Full-time position. 96532872 Required looking for full time Housemaid for Omani family at Mabela, visa available. Contact 92454170

DRIVER Indian driver required for light vehicle with construction experience.

Contact: 92888337

DESIGNER Required Large format printer operator – for HP. Graphic Designer.

Send CV to hr.oman@yahoo.com

EDUCATION Teachers required: Teachers for KG, Grade I to IV class in English, Maths, Science, Computer & Art. Qualification: Degree in relevant subjects & B Ed; IELTS or TOFEL plus two years experience preferred. Please apply to: burj@alhakkim.com Required professional Teachers for teaching Science, Mathematics, Accountancy, Business Studies & English IELTS/ TOFEL in schools & Universities.

Contact 99674870

Indian male, well experienced in Accounts & Admin looking for a suitable vacancy. NOC available.

Contact 98717938

ENGINEER Required Site Supervisor with 5 yrs. exp. in construction company, electronic technician with 3 yrs experience in gate motors systems.

Email : wadcocareers@gmail.com Leading Construction company requires HSE Officer with minimum 4 to 5 years experience in building construction line. Send your CV : hseoman2015@gmail.com (NOC require).

Mechanical / Civil Site Supervisor; diploma / ITI fitter; 3-4 year’s exp in supervision of Erection work of sheds, customer coordination, and project execution. Omani D/L is must. Contact: hr@khancogroup.com / 99102383 Construction Company in Oman urgently requires following candidates: BE Civil Engineer, minimum 3-5 years gulf experience & Civil site foreman, minimum 5 years gulf experience, diploma not required.

Email: applyforoman@gmail.com Construction Company in Oman urgently requires the following: B.Sc Civil Engineer, minimum 3-5 yrs Gulf experience.

Civil Site Foreman, minimum 5 yrs experience with operating knowledge of Tally. Please Email CV ; applyforoman@gmail.com Required swimming pool Engineer/ civil /M& P / Draughtsman with D/L, Preferred gulf experience.

Email: jvacancy05@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY Chef for Yacht. International cuisine.

Minimum 15 years chef experience. alibadawy@gmail.com

MEDICAL Wanted urgently General practitioner, Gynecologist, Dentist, Staff Nurse and Lab Technician.

Contact : 92603863 Email us to: ruwistar@hotmail.com Required Gynecology, General Physician, Dentist, Staff Nurses, Lab technicians, Pharmacists, X Ray technicians.

Contact : 95133572 / 96064925 Email: kunoozghala@gmail.com Wanted Staff Nurse for a polyclinic in Sohar. Contact :93457270 Urgently required G.P doctor with or without MOH license for one month from 01/07/2015.

Contact: 93824902

ENGINEER MISCELLANEOUS Urgently required for a first grade construction company Graduate Civil Engineer (5 years experienced) shuttering carpenter mason (Block, Plaster, Tile Fixing) Civil Foreman building work.

Contact: 24700373/ 99427674 Fax: 24701368 Email: rajma@omantel.net.om

A company from UAE require 2 merchandisers in retail food supply, store keeper with English and invoicing experience. Email: yesterdaysun@hotmail.com Mason, C.C.T.V, Technician, Electrician cum Plumber.# 99383044

MISCELLANEOUS Urgently required: (1) female dermatologist with minimum 3 years experience (2) female Omani reception coordinator for a medical center in Qurum. Contact: 96062933

SKILLED Urgently required a silk Screen printer with good knowledge and release letter or NOC. Contact: 93280288 or send CV to albayanstamps@gmail.com

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Required Office Assistant 160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

SALES / MARKETING Real estate company looking for experience leasing agent /property consultant. male and female . with driving license. Must be graduate in sales and marketing .apply with NOC. Clearance is available . property@landmarkmuscat.com Wanted Sales man with Oman driving license in advertising company visa ready. Contact: 96440587 / 94055643 A leading trading company is looking for Sales Executives & outdoor sales coordinators with driving license & release /NOC. Email CV: alhajoil@omantel.net.om or fax: 24701683 Urgently required outdoor Sales Executive for furnishing company with valid Oman D/L and minimum 3 years experience. Contact 93231403 / rainbowfurnishing156@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Required Counter Salesman for building materials in Salalah.

Contact 99496142 Urgently required Sales & Marketing Executive for Electrical & lighting products with Oman driving license. Send CV at Email : albasilinternational@gmail.com Required Sales man - 1 Person Qualification. Gulf Experienced - Minimum 5 Years with Oman Driving Licence Language - English Education:- Any Degree Further Contact :Mr. Abdul Hameed Nashabat - Mobile No: 97414307 and -92807399 amn@yaqeeneng.com Sales Coordinator : Mechanical Diploma holder with 3-4 yrs exp. in sales department preferably in Metal fabrication Company. Omani D/L is must. Contact: 99102383 hr@khancogroup.com Looking for Outdoor Salesman for heavy equipment spare parts.

Contact - 93292015, Email: mail.om@gulfcenter.co Required male or female candidate with 5 years experience in renting of properties. Interested candidates may please mail to alqurumprop@gmail.com Urgently required Sales and Marketing Executive for Graphic designing company. Contact: 96727631 mail: smartgraphic518@gmail.com Urgently required Advertising & Media Sales Executives with Oman D/L. Trainee positions available for Freshers. Email: jobs@interacoman.com Marketing Executive for digital printing company. Contact: 94356769 / 96936564

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Motivated and energetic male 25 having 4 years of experience in finance with Master’s degree in Economics and CAT Certified seeking opportunity in Accounts/finance/ audit in a reputable organization.

Cell no: 00968-94626209 E-Mail: omerjawedshah@gmail.com Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting . NOC available. Contact 96209331 Indian male, 32 years, M. Com. 7 out of 9 years experience in Oman in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143, Email: anzarks@gmail.com M.Com, CA (Article ship), 15 years Gulf experience looking for suitable position in finance & accounts on visit visa valid up to 10/7/2015.

Contact: 97767828, knowledge of quickbooks, Tally 9, Focus V.5 Email: altabhossain2008@hotmail.com

An Indian lady Chartered Accountant with five years experience (including article ship) on family visa in Oman looking for a suitable job. Contact 9621 0347 / 9943 5346, shincycrajan@gmail.com Indian male with total 5 year experience (2 years experience in Accountant cum sales co ordinator in a FMCG Company in Oman) in accounts field and NOC available.

Looking for suitable job Contact 92130188 Indian male 25 yrs B.com having experience in accounts for 3 yrs currently on visit looking to job.

Contact: 97937868 Email: rehman.naseer999@gmail.com Indian Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placment.

Contact 93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com

Accounts part time, up to finalization of monthly accounts. Handled by a CA. contact 96293120 Indian male, with B.Com 1 year experience in Accounts or Sales, on visit visa, Cont... 98295101 Indian male M.Com 6 yrs experience in accounts up to finalization in Oman co having Oman D/L, available to join immediately with NOC. #98363897 Email: prince9496@hotmail.com Senior Document Controller MCA Indian male 9+ year’s total experience 5+ years experience in Gulf in oil & gas sector and construction field on visit visa in Oman. Contact: 95388197 Email: rojanchristopher@gmail.com Indian male, B.Com, well experienced in Accounts & Admin, knowledge of Tally ERP 9 experience in Oman with valid Oman driving license. NOC available, looking for suitable job in Oman, join immediately.

Contact 94245039 Accounts & finance Indian male B.com M.B.A (F) Tally ERP9, 35 years, 8 years experience 1.5 years Oman family visa N.O.C available.

Contact: 93257426 Email: sibigeorp@gmail.com Senior Accountant 13 years experience FMCG & retail Noc available.

Contact: 93473942 MBA Indian male looking for suitable position having 2 years working experience as an accountant now in Oman a visiting visa. Contact: 99424803 Sudanese Accountant seeking job in Nizwa state experience 10 years 3 years in Saudi Arabia, 7 yrs in Sudan.

Contact : 97796394 / 94003247 Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate 1 year exp in Accounts, currently on visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94341848 / Email – mohdhaji7272@gmail.com B.com graduate with NOC more than 4 years of experience in Oman with valid Oman driving license for a suitable job ready to join immediately.

Contact: 98976252 MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in finance/accounts/ auditing. Specialized in accounts payable dept, Oracle app user, proficient in Sap (fico) end user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma certified trainer on visit visa.

Contact – 91967213 / 99064780 Accounts part time works up to finalization on monthly basis. Profit & loss A/C and financial statements, MS Reports Etc. Contact: 96247295 ACCA affiliate , BSc Honors in applied Accountancy advance diploma in Accounting and Business, CAT Affiliate 1 year hand on working experience of Oman, with Oman driving license looking for a suitable placement in Audit firm. Having NOC can join immediately. Contact : 98989970 Indian male, B.Com, 1 year Exp in Accounts/ Sales, on Visit Visa,..

Contact – 98295101

ADMIN Indian Female M.C.A 4 years of experience looking for suitable position as as programmer/lecturer/Web Designer/Admin.

Contact No: 99486374.

Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR. joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437 MBA (international business) from London, 4 years of UK experience in operations with D/L, looking for suitable position. Contact 91710075 Indian Female 25 MBA in HR looking for a suitable opening in Admin/ Hr. Contact 97013375 Indian female 29 MBA (HR) BSc, 4 yrs exp in HR& Admin looking suitable placement. Contact : 95619537 Indian female MBA – HR 1 and half years experience seeking suitable job. Contact : 99257214 Over 14 years of gulf experience in Admin /HR /Logistics, fluent in Arabic & English with D/L looking for suitable position.

Contact 95824598 Indian female with 10 yrs of experience in HR/Banking/Operations seeks a suitable placement.

Can be contacted on 98919015 or sherianne.coelho@gmail.com

BEAUTICIAN Beautician exp Gulf, looking job from India. Contact 99531802

DRIVER Indian male office driver with 15 years of experience in Oman with NOC / Release seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98381826 Light driver. Contact: 99035942 Light driver looking for job, 4 yrs exp in Oman. Contact: 94241385 Driver looking for job. Contact 94195818 Light driver. Contact: 96313100 Driver looking for job.

Contact: 99507039 Paksitani Driver with 6 yrs experience looking for job.

Contact: 93985087 Driver with car 3 years experience looking for job. Contact: 92041902 Driver available with car and without car. Contact 96771598 Pakistani male light vehicle driver with 2 yrs exp looking for job.

Contact : 96342684 2 years experience driver looking for job in companies or residence, release available.

Contact: 98051400 Pakistani, male light vehicle driver looking for job. Contact 97943750 Driver light with 5 yrs experience, knowing English, Arabic, Hindi, education B.A. Contact 98522914 Light driver valid GCC license looking for job. Contact 99531802 Indian male, 3 yrs exp. as Driver in Oman looking for job.

Contact 98238043

T H U R S DAY, J U N E 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

DRIVER Light duty driver looking for job.

Contact: 94040926 Driver with car. Contact: 97705694/98988208 Looking for job driving Bangladeshi.

Contact: 97418036 Light driver for job. Contact: 95779594 Driver light. Contact: 91020999 Pakistani driving available.

Contact : 96913836 Light Driver needs Job. Contact: 93284327

DOMESTIC HELPER Looking for job for House maid.

Contact : 93599302 Laundry Housekeeping professional looking for a opening in Oman with 18 years experience.

Contact : 91957861

DRAUGHTSMAN Indian female 23 yrs, Autocad Civil Draftsman with 3ds max & rivet, 3 yrs exp. looking for suitable vacancy in Muscat now on visit visa.

Contact: 95601266.

20years exp CAD Drafts man looking for suitable post.

Contact: 94027838 / 99020636

DESIGNER Architect designer experience in Architecture design in 2D, 3D visiting to site : 2 years experience (in Oman), fluent Hindi & English. Email: zhussain9950@gmail.com Contact: 94253074

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Quantity Surveyor with 5 Years experience (one year in Oman) looking for job. Contact 91090036 Mechanical Engineer, Indian, 24 years with Piping Engineering, Autocad, Ansys NX- Cad, pro-e, Catia & PDMS now on visiting visa seek suitable placement. Contact: 99168054 / 96684345 Email: : mbkishore@hotmail.com BE ,Electrical Engineer with 5 Years Gulf Experience in Underground cable & Overhead line in HT and LT, Distribution Substation, MEP. Oman D/L available. NOC available. Contact:95054644, 00918807888109, speninsam@gmail.com Indian male B.Tech (ECE), MBA (HR) 2 years of experience in CCNA, CCNP and hands on practice in Linux and MCSE, looking for suitable job.

Contact: 93487225 Quantity Surveyor or Site Engineer in civil, 5 years experience in Oman have valid Oman driving license looking for suitable posts, NOC available. Contact: 96394948/ 98294919.

Email: asvinsha@gmail.com Civil Engineer, Expatriate Female, 3 yrs experience, on visit visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 99195433

Architect and Interior Designer 8 years experience design and execution working with 3D max, AutoCAD, photo shop, BOQ, NOV available looking for suitable placement. #95273166

Iraqi Engineer specialized in telecommunication net working & PC experience in nuking network and security systems. Contact: 92898329 / 99249124

Graphics Designer/ prepress C.T.P Pagination 3 yrs exp. in Muscat Photoshop Illustrator, Indesign, CorelDraw autocad premier preps appoge Indian male now on visit visa. Contact 97436606

Electronics & communications Indian male, 2 years experience seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 99456725 / 94678625

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian male Diploma, civil engineer 4.3 year experience at building construction and consulting company with Oman driving licence and N.O.C available seeking suitable placement contact 95989500 email cv.shihabedappal@gmail.com Indian male 47 years DM Civil, PG PGDMM, I& M, having 25 years of experience Manager in Civil, Stores Purchase, Inventory, cargo, transports, Admin , looking for best job in Muscat. Currently on visit visa. Contact: 91170749 / 97672647 Email: gdp4767@gmail.com Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Indian male, B.Tech Mechanical having 4 years experience with QA/ QC / CSWIP looking for a suitable position. Contact: 99447106 Email: dhanubhasi87@gmail.com Btech computer science graduate 2015 passout.. Android application marketing.. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Contact 91024385 Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com Engineer with 3 yrs experience in Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical maintained field on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact 99191535 Email: fareed029@gmail.com Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer skills and 2 years experience as associate research analyst (Media Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seeking growth oriented jobs. Contact 92044603 /918056169148 or angeline.babithac@gmail.com.

D.A.E Civil 4 years exp in land surveyor and building work worked on AutoCAD, T.S and G.P.S 1 year exp in Oman looking for placement.

Contact: 92140890 / 98780156 Email: engrsafiullah91@gmail.com Indian male 24 yrs B. Tech (Mech.

Eng) on visit 1 yr experience in production field looking for suitable placement. Contact: 98925685 Indian male, 28 yrs, Electronics & Instrumentation Engineer with 4 yrs experience in Industrial Automation (SCADA) seeking suitable job.

Contact 93154156 / 98416190 Indian male 23 yrs B.Tech Civil having 2 years exp, currently on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 98031034 Email: musheer786.mm@gmail.com B.Tech in Electronics Engineering, Indian male 26 years with around 5 years of experience (Including work experience in Japan) looking for a job in any field & can join immediately. Contact: 91902646 Email: ajumalmajeed@gmail.com Indian male Diploma in Mechanical Engineer with 14 years Gulf experience in heavy equipments and vehicles valid Oman driving license.

NOC available looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 91985028 / 95463430 Electrical Engineer Pakistani male 4 years B. Tech & 3 years’ diploma seeking a suitable placement.

Contact: 96752080 Email: ilyasoader97@gmail.com Structural Engineer 4 years experience Indian, will handle projects independently, able to get Municipality approvals easily.

Contact: 91668044 Indian male 29 years Civil Engineer diploma 4 years Oman experience, 2 years road construction looking placement. Contact: 93298395 N.O.C available

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

LOGISTICS

SALES / MARKETING

Omani Mechanical Engineer, has 3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S, Riggers/Banks men Permit, Drawing / cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership and Initial Fire Response Courses. good with computer and English language looking for suitable job. Contact 99224319-98454500

10 yrs exp in Oman in logisticshave Oman D/L-looking for suitable placement-contact 96410767 .

Contact email: harishkts@yahoo.com

Indian Male, M.B.A. (U.K) 10 Yrs of Experience, looking for suitable position in Sales/Marketing/Retail/ H.R/ Admin. Contact No: 99271903.

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian male MBA 7 years experience in Hospitality industry, operation, sales & marketing looking for suitable vacancy. Contact 92115860 Email vibin.py@gmail.com

Indian male 22 Mechanical Diploma holder Engg with HVAC certified, having 1 year exp. seeking suitable position. Currently available on visit visa. Contact - 92835952

EDUCATION Experienced, competent, English teacher for high school and college.

Contact: 91954541 English Teacher female (M. A. B. Ed) Having 14 years experience with 11 years experience in Oman with reputed institute and school.

Contact: 92289080 / 99318276 Email: babujosev@yahoo.com Indian female MCA, Three years experience in teaching field, seeks placement currently on visit visa.

Contact: 93431567 Email: fivona.mel@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY Indian Lady 24 yrs with 5 years experience as cabin crew in National & International airlines seeking suitable job vacancy in good position.

Contact: 97623267

IT Indian male, B.E ( computer science engineer), MBA (finance), OCA certified, having 5 years of experience in oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks a suitable position in the field of IT. Contact: 96212062 email: zubairkhan11@gmail.com Omani Citizen searching a job in the field of computer especially in data base professional in operating Oracle SQL, PL/ SQL, form6i, Report 6i. Contact 96977368 Email: talaloml@yahoo.com B.E Computer Science, Indian lady, with 2 years experience in Oman looking for suitable job in Muscat having valid GCC driving license.

Contact: 97738624 Indian male, completed diploma in Computer technology fresher, seeking suitable position, currently on visit visa. Contact : 93596096 M.Sc 3+ years exp from France & India in IT Support Engineer / Hardware & Networking / Server support / scientific system support looking for suitable position. Indian, male on visit visa, contact 98898781/ anoopys@gmail.com Computer Networking/Facility Mgmt 5 Yrs of Exp Holds B.E(ECE), CCNA Looking for Good Opportunity, Indian - Visit Visa. Contact 91911792/ arafakdnl@gmail.com IT Desktop Support Engineer 2 years Oman 3 years in Indian Exp. Contact 91937060 Network system Engineer B.E / ECE + CCNA & Ms certified with 4+ yrs exp looking for a job. Currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact: 92589502 Email: careersjegan@gmail.com Male 26 completed MBA and have 1.5 years experience, good knowledge of computer, software’s, looking for job in procurement / warehousing. On visit visa till 5th Sep /2015. Contact: 00968 91795092 Email: jameel6345@gmail.com IT & Media Sales specialist looking for job opportunities also decent exposure to H.R & customer relations currently in Muscat on visit visa kindly.

Contact: 96238199 or 99874205 Email Id: m_cadri@rediffmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS 13 Years UAE experienced in MNC & reputed firms logistics distribution looking for a suitable placement, on visit visa contact 99838743, gani.dawood@gmail.com

MCA, BCA with 2 yrs relevant experience seeking suitable opportunity.

Contact: 96377039 Ware house In charge or store keeper 27 yrs Gulf experience 4 yrs in Oman NOC available.

Contact: 97657823 Email: rusaikmzm_2009@yahoo.com Indian Female with over 9 yrs experience with good communication skills seeks jobs in customer service or sales field. Contact : 96108289, shijipaul84@gmail.com Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant ,doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available. # 98803439

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR B.Com Diploma in Material management having 12 years experience in local / overseas prelease, logistics, ware house. NOC available.

Contact: 96477638 Project / Construction ManagerElectrical 15++in OMAN and UAE,45 yrs, married,D/L Oman, Qatar & UAE),Manage with Arabic, Good Knowledge in Metro Viaduct, UG & OG stations, Live airport projects, multi cuisine hospital project (Cleveland clinic Abu Dhabi,). Holding of FEWA, ADCC and OMAN electrical license. Contact Venkatesh on +97477394707/ geetvenkat2002@gmail.com Indian male, with 8 yrs exp. in Oman (BA- Graduate) working as a project Sales Coordinator, with Oman D/L, looking for suitable job, ready to join immediately with NOC. Contact 95245057

MEDICAL MBBS lady Doctor experienced in Medical insurance, direct billing, preauthorization’s life rating, claims registration, client query handling & hospital insurance queries seeking suitable placement.

Contact : 97763918 Email: minmaths@yahoo.com Well experienced MOH Licensed Indian GP Doctor looking for locum / permanent position in the Capital area. Contact 98140024 email:drgpoman@yahoo.com Indian female Dentist MOH Oman passed seeking a suitable placement in capital region. Contact– 91377681 hashimsarawat@gmail.com Indian male Nurse, 31 years Oman prometric passed 6 yrs ICU experience. Contact : 94195150 / 92758895 Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378

Indian worked MNC 15 years Oman experience as Marketing FMCG / TRAD Purchasing with visa license.

Contact: 98796982 MBA Graduate with D/L looking for sales or marketing jobs.

Contact 94143154 Email: rinojnathen008@gmail.com Male BA with D/L having 6 years exp Oman wanted suitable job in sales, inventory, procure.

Contact : 92191026 Indian female MSc, MPHIL (Chemistry) 3 years Teaching experience currently on visit visa seeking suitable position. Contact : 96916534 / 91969756 Omani female exp in PRO with Oman D/L. Contact: 91161736 Looking for good job 2 years experience Oman sales marketing valid driving license Indian Kerala.

Contact : 98626682 Indian male, MBA with 5 yrs of experience as a Lecturer in Department of Marketing & Business Management, looking for suitable position. Contact 93126770 Sales & marketing professional having 5 yrs exp with D/L. Contact 92262680 Outdoor salesman with car looking for job. Contact 91615715 Indian male, 34 yrs, 10 yrs exp. in UAE in sales & merchandise with valid GCC license, looking for suitable position. #93438747 / 93033252 Indian male, 39 yrs having 15 yrs Gulf experience (UAE, Qatar, Oman) in sales & marketing looking for a suitable position with NOC. Contact 94054730 Sales man looking for a opening in Oman with 18 years Gulf experience.

Contact: 91957861 8 years store experience Indian male looking for placement. N.O.C available. Contact: 98456535 8 years purchase experienced Indian male looking for job. N.O.C. available. Contact: 98161323 Indian male, B.Sc (Mathematics) PGDBM (Marketing). 9 yrs of Oman experience in sales in midlevel management, NOC available.

Valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95278838 Email: anup2p4p@yahoo.com Indian Male, B.Com Graduate, 23, with experience in Sales looking for suitable placements. # 98371144

Indian female looking for suitable position 2nd rank in MSC microbiology, fresher now on visiting visa.

Contact : 91633089 Email: mansytk4@gmail.com

Pakistani Female Bachelor of Information Technology with 8 years’ experience in Banking, Sales, business development, retail & customer service seeking for a suitable placement. Having valid D/L& NOC available. Contact 94699970 shehla. chohan@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

SKILLED/UNSKILLED

Content Executive, freshers with good communication skills and willingness to learn may apply on job@socioholics.com

Experience skilled candidate with driver license seeks position in sales in Salalah. Contact: 98579382

Business development Manager/ Executive. Preferably minimum of 2 years experience. Valid driving licence can apply on job@socioholics.com Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as sales supervisor in India looking for indoor sales /stores /cashier or any suitable placement can speak Hindi , English, Malayalam, Tamil, kannada can join immediately on visit visa.

Contact 93086105/33016546 Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermediate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing in Oman. Looking for suitable job.

Contact - 92146864

Mason, sh/carpenter, steel fitter, looking job. Contact 95175192 Electrician, Plumber, Welder , exp gulf and india looking job.

Contact 99531802 Helper /cleaner looking for job.

Contact 95175192

TOURS & TRAVELS 25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion Technology. 5 years experience in textile industry as a merchandiser and good in fashion marketing.

Currently available on visit visa, seeking for a suitable job.

Contact 96990368.

Email: simmy.missy@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Tunisian women looking for a job, khnows english,frensh, italian and arabic. Contact: 91171838 B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer Sudanese 3 yrs of exp. In industrial field available in Muscat on visit visa seeking suitable job .

Contact: 95868922, Email: almouthanaosman@yahoo.com Indian Male MBA with two year experience in H.R as a H.R Assistant, Now in India, Seeking for an urgent suitable position.

Contact:-98620260 / 93895992 , Email:-deepakmb4@gmail.com 8 years successful experience.

Senior Accountant, Indian male, 29 years, presently working in oman as a senior accountant with oman driving license. NOC available. seek suitable opportunity. gsm: 97705854 Sudanese male (B.Sc Computer science) (diploma computer engineering) 6 yrs. experience DBA Oracle plsql, MS sql-server ,ms visual studio vba, network. Contact :91415886 Indian male with 8 yrs experience in FMCG in Oman as Sales Supervisor looking for suitable placement.

NOC available. Gsm: 96495206 B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer Sudanese 3 yrs of exp. In industrial field available in muscat on vist visa seeking suitable job .

Contact: 95868922, Email: almouthanaosman@yahoo.com IT system and Printer engineer ME, 5Years bank IT Management exp in India looking for full time job visit visa contact 94462150 24 year Indian Chartered Accountant male with 3yrs of experience is seeking suitable placement in Muscat, currently on visit visa & ready to join immediately. Contact him on 98201476 or email at lokeshkaluri@gmail.com MCA IT Professional Indian Female seek placement in Teaching/ Non Teaching field. Presently on visit visa. 9588 7051, ashwininakod@gmail.com ACCA Affiliate, Indian, 2.5Years experience in Audit/ Finance in Big 6 Audit Firm and Oil Accounting in PDO, For Permanent Placement for Finance or Accounts or Audit. Release NOC Available on hand.

Contact #95140445, a.saran891@gmail.com Finance ACCA Affiliate, Worked as an Auditor with 2.5 Years Experience in reputed firm, Handled independent audit/finance assignments, Looking for permanent placement, NOC available. #95140445. a.saran891@gmail.com Piping Design Engineer, Indian male 27, looking for suitable placement in Piping Design & Engineering. Having 7 years of experience in AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS (11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact : 97351786 / 96143708, E-mail : mohammednazeer07@gmail.com Indian Male, Graduate, 11 years Sales experience in Lighting / Industrial products, ready to join immediately. GSM: 9710 5356 Indian heavy duty driver with 8 years experience in oman available with NOC. GSM : 93601943 GSM : 94496457

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

Over 15 years experience in Gulf.

Interior Architect, Lebanese Nationality, on visit visa seeking a suitable Placement. 96268005.

Indian female completed computer literacy program (patiently fundamental, MS Office, word processing) and offset printing, seeking suitable job in Muscat. Contact : 97236545 Email: sun2giri@gmail.com

Indian male, 28 yrs MBA (HR/M) 2 years experience in Indian Oman in HR & admin seeks suitable placements. NOC available.

Contact 97484159 Email: rameshkapa86@gmail.com

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T H U R S D AY, J U N E 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

WE ARE PROVIDING ACCOUNTING/ AUDITING TAX/ CONSULTING CONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033

WEBSITE

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED M.Sc 3+ years exp from France & India in IT Support Engineer / Hardware & Networking / Server support / scientific system support looking for suitable positions. Indian, male on visit visa, contact 98898781/ anoopys@gmail.com Indian male, 34years having 10 years of experience in Sales, Sales Coordination and Administration.

Experienced in SAP and MS Office. NOC available.

Contact # 94686594

ACCA Affiliate, Experience in audit/ finance of 2.5 years in Big 6 Firm and Oil industry, looking for suitable permanent placement, Release NOC available. Contact: #95140445 a.saran891@gmail.com B.Tech Computer Engineer Wanted job to work on(IT/Banking/Administrator/Technical/Office works) having NOC with the limited time from (04/06/2015 to 13/06/2015).

Mobile:98402389 email:naresh6672@gmail.com

Indian Male MBA Marketing/HRM 3 year experience with Omani D/L, seeking suitable jobs.

Contact: 97424188 email: dharwesh@gmail.com

Highly Qualified & Experienced Finance Manager Pakistani with USA , UK & Canadian Degrees , CPA ,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA ,IFA- Financial Consultants Canada , Corporate Analyst USA Professional of Banking , Audits ,ERPs & Profit Maximizations ( NOC available ) call 94 504505 – 94403270

Indian, Male, 23 years, BE Electrical, having 2 years experience in Electrical Works-H.T. cabling etc, & Construction, looking for a suitable placement. # +968 96927880 (Oman), +91 9765376109 (India), Email: rahulrevi6@gmail.com

27 year Indian female who has 4 years of experience with logistics function in distribution of spares for both heavy machinery & wind turbine parts. Kindly contact me on +91 9790769104 E-mail: joemohana@yahoo.co.in

Indian Female M.Com with Computer Skills and Four Month Experience as Accountant ,Currently On Family Visa Looking for a Suitable Placement, Available Immediately.

Contact : 95846642, Email : dhanyashree91@yahoo.com

Looking for managerial post (full time ), More than Ten years of experience in Team Development ,Training, planning, Administration, Sales & Marketing, Advertisement and Credit Control and Logistics. #91076608 / 99322748. Release & noc available

British Beauty Therapist looking for suitable position. please contact :97175240

Specialist available for explosive growth in term of restructuring all modules of businesses with over 30 years of experience across continents with a decade in Oman.

Contact 96733578 Email : profitoman@gmail.com

House shifting. Contact 99708138

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact 99557080

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house cleaning. Contact 99542979 / 98855815

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089/95323517

Carpet, curtain, sofa, floor, cleaning, shampooing, marble & mosaic tiles grinding, polishing and painting. Contact : 93630133 / 95821193 House shifting packing.

99657644 / 98518013

Available for longer period : Mig Welder 5 nos, General worker with PDO pass 10 nos, Helper 10 nos, Mason 8 nos. Contact 99610703

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

CLASSES

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517

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

SITUATION WANTMANPOWER

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998

Air condition maintenance split and window services AC specialist ducted and package type unites.

Contact: 98667326 Ramadhan Gifts with company name printable advertisement on t-shirt, clock.

Contact: 98796982 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

Learn Cup cakes, exotic cakes, Icing decorations, handicrafts.

Contact 95941515

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance.

Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722

noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

T H U R S DAY, J U N E 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

TOURS

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

Butter cup rent a car presents fantastic offers all vehicles are model 2016.

Contact : 97249449

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL , CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 / 99117987

Available car with driver daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Contact : 95518612

GOOD NEWS Genuine Ayurvedic treatments & massage, Ayurvedic clinic at Al Khuwair. Contact 24478618 / 97263637 /93309131

Ayurvedic massage backache, joint pain & neck pain etc.

Contact: 98254909

DRIVING

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

Learn driving with professional only automatic. Contact 94022250

D8

T H U R S D AY, J U N E 1 8 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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