Times of Oman - August 18, 2016

THURSDAY August 18, 2016 14 Dhul Qa’ada 1437 AH

6 085010 120010 FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the occasion of the 12th National Day, 1982

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

MORNING MINUTE

We must ensure that we achieve the greatest possible self-sufficiency in those staple products which are vital to the life of our country.

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 150 | 36 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

SHOWN THE DOOR

‘I AM INNOCENT’ Linson Thomas released after 119 days questioning

Pregnant wife Chikku was found murdered at home

The Indian expatriate praised the policemen during his custody and expressed full faith in Oman’s judiciary

Linson can’t leave the Sultanate as he has to cooperate with the police in the murder probe

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: “During the past four months, it was the memories of her which kept me alive. Every minute while I was under custody, I felt that she was with me.

Still, I can’t adjust to the fact that

she has left me alone.” These were the words of Linson Thomas, husband of Chikku Robert, murdered on April 20 at her apartment in Salalah.

Linson, who was taken into custody following Chikku’s death, was released yesterday after 119 days in custody.

His first taste of freedom from custody came in the shape of a south Indian lunch with friends and legal advisors in Salalah.

He has been told to remain in Oman by the Royal Oman Police, so cannot travel home.

Linson said: “I am innocent. I have not killed my wife. I have full faith in Oman’s judiciary. The police officials were nice with me. I thank everyone who supported me during my tough times.”

Linson and Chikku were working at Badr Al Samaa hospital in Salalah. They had married after they fell in love with each other.

When Chikku was found dead she

ALARMING FIGURES

Tragedies on roads in the Sultanate July

Deaths

Al Khoud

August Adam

Day

31 1

Number of deaths

5 2 1

2

9

12

16 17

5

5

4 4

Ad am

Th Jala n um ra it

Al

Ka Al Hai mi Kh ma l ou d

Ha im

a

Al Kamil Jalan Haima

Thumrait

Source: Royal Oman Police

Graphics

26 road deaths in just 18 days FAHAD AL GHADANI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Twenty six people have been killed in the last 18 days in different fatal road accidents across the Sultanate.

An entire family, including two children aged six and four, died yesterday in a road accident in the Aseela area of Jalan in the Sharqiyah region.

The latest tragedy on Oman’s roads has taken the death toll to eight in less than 24 hours.

A Royal Oman Police (ROP) official said the accident took place as the vehicle had careered

out of control. The bodies of the victims were transferred to the Jalan Hospital.

Four people had died—including a mother and her son—and 10 others were injured in two separate traffic accidents in Thumrait, Dhofar, according to a reliable source at ROP. The first accident took place at 11:40am after a vehicle carrying 10 family members had hurtled out of control. A mother and her son died and eight other family members had suffered medium to serious injuries. They were transferred to a local health centre before being moved to the Sultan

Qaboos Hospital in Salalah.

The second crash, which took place less than two hours later and 10 kilometres away on the same road, resulted in the death of two people from the United Arab Emirates. Two Omanis also suffered injuries in the crash.

The injured were also transferred to the Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Salalah. Last Friday, five nationals had died in a road crash involving three vehicles in Adam.

Five lost their lives and six were admitted to the hospital with injuries. Three vehicles were involved in the accident, according to an ROP official. >A5 TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Proof against beggars

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An anti-begging team will photograph beggars and use video as proof in court.>A3

WORLD

Envoy defects

2

North Korea’s deputy envoy in UK has defected to South Korea. >A10

MARKET

‘Cost-reflective’ tariffs Women of art

A14 3

PAEW plans fully ‘costreflective’ tariff for large industrial consumers. >B1

was five months pregnant.

Taking to Times of Oman, Linson said that he loved his wife a lot and still has confidence in Oman police and judiciary that they will find her killer soon.

Talking about the tragic night which claimed his wife’s life, Linson said that he was frozen for several minutes without knowing what to do when he found her lying dead on their bed.

“She was supposed to come to duty by 10pm on that day. As I was informed that she didn’t turn up, I went to see what has happened. I stay nearby hospital,” Linson added. >A6

Gratuity row: Medics visit Indian embassy REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Hundreds of expat government sector medical staff who have been removed from service and handed reduced gratuity payments have taken their case to the Indian embassy.

Almost 500 expatriate medical staff with government service ranging between 20 and 30 years were told to leave in June this year and their final day in Oman is August 31.

They have been told to take a 12-year gratuity payment even though they have worked for more than 25 years in Oman.

This has left many in the lurch as, banking on the gratuity money, they had many plans and loans. Indra Mani Pandey, the Indian ambassador to Oman, said: “The embassy has been working in close cooperation and coordination with the concerned authorities of the government of Oman to address the grievances of Indian professionals and workers brought to the attention of the embassy.”

Many who took loans from local banks hoping to get full service gratuity to meet family needs are now struggling to repay as banks have issued notices.

“I worked for 29 years. I was told to resign. I am ready for that and did it also. But I got the notice that I will get gratuity equivalent only for 12 years. I have submitted a plea to my higher officials, have sent a request to Indian government seeking intervention and also a plea with the Indian embassy in Oman,” a nurse told

500

expat medics have been removed and told to take only 12-year gratuity though they have served for longer periods

Times of Oman on condition of anonymity.

According to medical staff, up until June 2016, everyone who was told to retire or was retiring voluntarily was supposed to receive full service benefits.

However, they claimed that those who were told to leave after June are not getting full service benefits in line with their service.

“In 1994 a decision came that everyone will get full service benefits. Some of the hospital nurses got it signed. But unfortunately many didn’t get it signed,” one nurse added. >A3

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

OMAN F E AT

Oman wins 4 medals at Asian International Stamp Exhibition Times News Service MUSCAT: Philatelic Society of Oman has won four medals at the Asian International Stamp Exhibition held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Hatem Al Attar, an Omani stamp collector, secured the grand silver medal for his display of the Zanzibar Mails collection dated from 1893 to 1964.

Sultan Al Habsi won the silver gilt medal for a joint Arab edition from 2012, while Malik Al Shukaily won the silver medal for his display of the Gulf Cooperation Council exhibition memorial collection from 2012.

The competition was held at The Mall Ngamwongwan Convention Centre between August 10 and 15 The “Sultanate of Oman Postal System 1966-2016” book bagged the silver medal in the category of Postal Publications.

The competition was held at

The Mall Ngamwongwan Convention Centre between August 10 and 15. It was organised by the Public Federation of Inter-Asian Philately.

VA C A N C I E S

Manpower Ministry’s job portal updated MUSCAT: The portal provided by the Ministry of Manpower, where nationals can apply for private sectors jobs has been updated.

The portal, http://www. manpower.gov.om/jobseekers/jobseekereservicesportal/ searchvacancies/vacancieslist, now allows job seekers to find vacancies available in the private sector.

A job seeker can now benefit from the new update as it allows the user to create a personal folder and add the job vacancies that suit him to his folder. The user can also read the descriptions of all the vacant jobs and follow up with the results of the job interviews.

The move is aimed at facilitating the process of finding employment with private sector companies and also to meet e-government transfers.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

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OMAN

L E G A L LY A L L O W E D

Beggars to be photographed for evidence in Oman court FAHAD AL GHADANI

Fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An anti-begging team will photograph beggars and use video as evidence in court, a reliable source at the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) said.

“We now have the legal power to use video and take pictures of beggars. Such evidence will help us in the courts, and also will make our jobs a bit easier when it comes to presenting at the court,” said Hamad Al Toobi, director of Social Development in Muscat at Ministry of Social Development.

He added that they have processed all the legal procedures to get the approval to click videos and pictures of beggars while begging and soon this will come into effect.

“However, this is not open to the public. No one is allowed to use the same tools and then report to us or maybe other concerned authorities. Such people might get into trouble. The best practice is to report the begging to us and we will handle it,” said Al Toobi.

“In some cases we can’t prove the violation, especially when the beggar denies his crime,” added Al Toobi.

He noted that a new type of begging has recently been report, in which a beggar drives a vehicle

carrying family members, stopping others and pretending he is in need of a small amount of cash to fuel his vehicle and drive home.

The team tasked with finding and capturing beggars has advised the public to avoid helping such people, and report such cases to the hot line of the Ministry of Social Development.

Avoid talking “These types of beggars are quite difficult to catch, since they can deny their crime,” said Al Toobi.

He added that people should be careful with such beggars, as it is better to avoid talking to them.

“This information has to be delivered to us or the nearest police station. Yes, it is difficult to catch them because of the way they look, which doesn’t appear that they are beggars, but the team at the ministry will try their best.

“Moreover, those who report such violations should be ready to testify in court,” said Al Toobi.

He added that such violations need no other way to prove their crimes. “That’s when videos or pictures will definitely help,” said Al Toobi.

Similarly, other beggars pretend that they have products to sell, such as perfumes and watches, though their products are fake.

“Such people have no licence to

RAINFALL IN DHANK Light to moderate rains fell at Altaf and Dout areas leading to overflow of some wadis in the wilayat of Dhank of Al Dhahirah Governorate, yesterday. —ONA

MEDICS

A1 Service benefits < FROM

“As August 31 is my last date in Oman, I don’t know what will happen. I am running pillar to post to get my gratuity,” the nurse said, adding that as she was eligible for OMR23,000 as gratuity, she had taken OMR20,000 loan from a local bank and now is worried about how she will repay it.

Expat doctors who talked to Times of Oman said that they are confused as to what gratuity they will get.

“Some are getting full and some are not. It is a worrisome situation. Many had to leave with slashed gratuity,” one medic said.

The Ministry of Health has declined to comment on the issue.

On Wednesday, Times of Oman reported that in private sector employers are forcing expatriate workers to give up their end of service payments

in return for No-Objection Certificates(NOC).

Meanwhile, Ashley Williams Gois, Regional Coordinator of the Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), a regional network of migrants’ organizations, told Times of Oman that workers in the public sector should be given their full entitlement due to them as first promised in their contract or else the state becomes complicit in wage and benefits theft.

“Revoking benefits after an initial signed contractual agreement would make the state complicit in the practice of contract substitution, a practice strongly frowned up as it leaves the worker with no real choice except to take it or leave it. Changes in a contract should be negotiated and mutually agreed upon,” Williams added.

sell products and are violating regulations. People should not deal with such vendors. Actually, this is an indirect way of begging,” said a reliable source at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Salim Al Sarhani, living in Muscat, said he encountered such incidents in which an expat driving a vehicle and carrying his child stopped and offered to sell him different types of fake perfumes.

“The perfume looked in very bad shape, and the price he asked for was too high. He spoke good English and asked for my help in buying three perfumes from him, because he claimed that was stuck and in need of money just to fuel his vehicle and drive back to his place of living,” said Al Sarhani. He added that the beggar used the children in his car to beg for money.

“I refused to buy anything from him, and advised him to call one of his friends or relatives for help,” said Al Sarhani.

Last June, MoSD arrested 330 beggars in different wilayats in Oman. Most of them were men, but some were women with children.

When asked about the reasons for resorting to begging, some said they were facing difficult circumstances and others said they were just poor.

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

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

OMAN H E L D AT I M P E R I A L C O L L E G E L O N D O N

Three Omani researchers attend London youth science forum HASAN ALI SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Three young Omani researchers returned to the Sultanate recently after participating in the 58th London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF) that was held at Imperial College London from July 27 until August 10 this year.

Hajer Al Kabi, a Computer Science major at the Rustaq College of Applied Sciences, and Rashid Al Badi and Mouayed Al Harrasi, both Mechatronics Engineering majors at Sohar University, had the opportunity to interact with their peers, i.e. other young researchers from 65 countries.

Their participation at the 58th LIYSF, which was sponsored by The Research Council (TRC) and the British Council, along with the Zubair Corporation and Al Habib & Company, was their first such experience of attending a scientific event abroad.

Speaking about her experience, Al Kabi said, “The greatest achievement for me was presenting my research in front of international students and many scientists, which made me feel proud of my country and gave me extra self-confidence. Making new friends from all over the world, exchanging of viewpoints and having the chance to know more about the

and Dr. Ghassan Al Kindi who gave me a chance to represent my country at such a global event,” Al Harrasi said.

PARTICIPANTS: Rashid Al Badi, left, and Mouayed Al Harrasi, centre, studying at Sohar University along with Hajer Al Kabi, who is a student of Rustaq College of Applied Sciences

other cultures, helped me in widening my outlook.”

She added that one of her unforgettable experiences at the forum was visiting the Rothamsted Research Centre and being introduced to things that were outside her major. “It was so great to know the opportunities they are offering to PhD students over there.”

“I would like to thank TRC and the sponsors who gave us the

chance to participate in such a major event. Taking part in the forum was an unforgettable experience,” Al Kabi stated.

For Al Badi, the participation in the forum increased his scientific knowledge and inspired him to search for new information.

“I gained many benefits through developing contacts and learning about the cultures of other countries. Thanks to TRC and sponsors

for their support and to my project mentor Dr. Ghassan Al Kindi as well,” he said.

Al Harrasi believes that engineering information, research projects ideas and the experiences he gathered in London could improve his abilities, knowledge and skills as an engineering student.

“I could develop my communication and decision-making skills.

I am thankful for TRC, sponsors

Science discoveries Amna Al Sinani, marketing specialist at TRC and the project manager for this participation, said she had enjoyed running this project greatly, from the very early stages with the event organisers and sponsors, to the event conclusion, seeing the three Omani students benefit and enjoy their time in London, making new friends beyond borders and getting exposed to the latest science discoveries.

“We hope to make this as an annual participation and would like to invite generous sponsors to approach TRC for next year’s forum,” she added.

Hayyan Ali Malallah Al Lawati, managing director at the Al Habib & Company, said, “It gives us great pleasure to be part of this initiative, and to avail the opportunity

New book highlights unsung modern heroes of Arab world Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi said he believes in the Arab race and that it can do great things even in modern times, replicating their glorious past

Entrepreneur and a board member of the National Bank of Oman, Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi has unveiled a book titled ‘Arabs Unseen’

MESSAGE: The right combination of talent, drive and persever-

SYED HAITHAM HASAN

Haitham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Arabs Unseen, a book written by Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi, highlights the lives of 10 inspirational Arab individuals, including three Omanis, and their exemplary journeys of overcoming challenges and hardships.

During a meeting, the author revealed his motivation and reasons for writing the book. Al Ardhi said he believes in the Arab race and that it can do great things even in modern times, replicating their

glorious past, however most of these go unnoticed because they don’t receive due appreciation and recognition.

“In recent years, I have made deliberate efforts to engage as closely as possible with bright minds from across our region. I have been fortunate to learn of myriad and inspiring success stories, but was surprised to realise that many of the commendable individuals behind these achievements have never been acknowledged on a regional or international scale,” he explained.

ance can enable any individual to rise to impressive heights and make valuable contributions to their field and to society as a whole, said Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi.

that they may receive their long overdue recognition. “I intend for this book to inform readers about the vibrant, creative, compassionate and intelligent minds that exist in the Arab region.

The author, an entrepreneur and a board member of the National Bank of Oman, said his objective was to highlight the unsung heroes and their stories for the world so

Global interest “I would like these stories to ignite a global interest in the great minds of contemporary Arab society,” he mentioned.

The author also accepted the fact that many Arabs have made a notable contribution and difference to the world, but he selected individuals, whose stories appealed to him personally.

“For Arabs Unseen, I selected individuals whose stories spoke to me personally and fit seamlessly with the intended themes and messages that I wished to share with my readers,” he noted.

for our future scientists and researchers to be part of the London International Youth Science Forum. We are glad that the students were able to attend lectures, visit various museums, and research centres, as well us interact with other students from different cultures. We hope that the visit would give them further push to pursue higher goals in their lives and widen their horizons to realise future achievements for our beloved country. We thank TRC for their efforts in making the visit a success, and we look forward to future collaborations,” he added.

Zuwaina Al Mamariya, deputy project manager at the British Council explained the fund provided to participating students to attend the 58th LIYSF are part of the next generation projects that are adopted by the British Council for encouraging youth to exchange experiences with scientists and specialists from different countries of the world, especially in the United Kingdom.

Sharifa Al Hootiya, deputy director of Human Resources at Zubair Corporation, stressed on the Zubair Corporation’s attention to supporting and empowering the Omani youth in order to promote their capacities to represent the Sultanate at global events as part of the organisation’s social responsibility programme.

CRACKDOWN

Anti-drug officials arrest four expats of Arab origin MUSCAT: Four expats of Arab origin, including two women, were caught on charges of possessing and promoting narcotics and psychotropic substances by the Directorate General for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances in Dhofar.

The accused had entered the Sultanate illegally and were arrested in the Taqa area after a consignment of Khat was found in their vehicle, along with five packs of hashish and 58 capsules of narcotics and psychotropic substances recovered from their house.

In another case, a national was arrested while attempting to smuggle 998 capsules of narcotics and psychotropic substances from a neighbouring country by the Directorate General for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances in Dhofar.

In North Al Batinah, four nationals from Sohar were arrested on charge of possessing and promoting narcotics and psychotropic substances.

The accused were arrested for possession of 81 capsules of drugs.

The accused have been referred to the public prosecutors for further legal action.

SEEKING RECOGNITION

Artist Malvika loves to paint superstars, fictional characters HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Based-in-Oman digital artist, Malvika, loves to paints super heroes, the fictional and the real ones.

The young artist has a website that boasts a range of designs on well-known cricket stars, singers, actors and Olympic champions.

Born and raised in the Sultanate, Malvika celebrated Oman’s cricket team’s win against Thailand in the latest T20 tournament by painting a picture of the red team.

The image received a huge response from the national team fans including the players themselves who commented on her artwork.

Illegal to sell However, she doesn’t sell her work locally as it is illegal for her as an expatriate to do business other than her job.

The 23-year-old graphic designer’s portfolio is adorned with brands such as Audi India, MTV, Vaseline, and more.

Her love affair with vivid colours started at 18 and it is safe to say she has now become a fully blown design addict. “I consider colours to be my weakness,” she said.

Apart from her white car, colours, inspired by Holi festival, make a big part of her lifestyle and

CREATIVE MIND: Born and raised in the Sultanate, Malvika celebrated Oman’s cricket team’s win against Thailand in the latest T20 tournament by painting a picture of the red team.

can be seen in the way she dresses.

Malvika’s story as an artist started in 2014, when she was grappling with finding a job in Oman, and decided to start her personal Facebook page to display her work.

More than 4,000 fans liked Malvika’s page and her art is now being sold online in India.

Fan art As the world is watching Rio

Olympics, Malvika created a fan art of the record breaking runner Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.

“It takes around two to three days of “artwork” to finish a painting,” she said.

She is a crazy fan of Hollywood too. Recently, she painted funky images of Batman, Wonderwoman, Wolverine, Iron man and The Hulk. The independent artist admires football superstars as she drew digital paintings of Ronaldo, Messi, Pirlo, Neymar and a team image of Chelsea, her favourite club. Her work has been featured in Creative Gaga, Huffington Post India, and Emerge Festival and of Indian origin to name a few magazines, blogs and festivals.

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EXPRESSIVE: Malvika’s story as an artist started in 2014, when she was grappling with finding a job in Oman, and decided to start her personal Facebook page to display her work.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

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Cyber cell checks crimes against children online Cyber security agency in collaboration with the ministries concerned and lawmakers is trying to protect Oman’s children from crimes MONITORING: People can report cyber crimes or seek advice; users also have a choice to report cases on CERT’s website.

DEEBA HASAN

deeba@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Many parents do not report abuse of their children online as they still see it as taboo, according to experts at the country’s computer security agency.

Oman CERT (OCERT), the country’s cyber security agency, in collaboration with the concerned ministries and lawmakers, is trying to protect Oman’s children from crimes and abuse online, according to a top official at CERT. Amal Said Al Mashaykhi, a cyber security training and awareness specialist and child online protection project supervisor at OCERT, said out of the many different crimes, social media is the main window for online crimes and also poses the biggest threat to the cyber security of children in the country.

Social media “Blackmailers reach children through social media accounts, where they try their best to build a trust channel with the child and then try and take advantage of them. Social media channels are the main thing, abusing children through social media by sending them inappropriate images, sending them content, which is not suitable for their viewing, calling and direct messaging the children are some of ways in which the blackmailers act.”

Oman CERT has an assistance number (24166828), where people can report cyber crimes or seek advice; users also have a choice to report cases on CERT’s website in the cyber security incidence online system, which can be found on www.cert.gov.om.

Despite these systems in place, Al Mashaykhi feels that most cases

of child abuse happening online go unreported.

“We do receive many complaints on a daily basis; however those related to children are very limited. On the hotline number, we mainly get complaints from adults. I think from my personal experience, people in society don’t report cases when it comes to their children, because they think its taboo.”

“Through capacity building, we can reach out to society and if you don’t want to precisely talk about your children, you can reach us through fax and email, or let us know what going on, like a general scenario and then we will assist you with advice like what’s the good thing to do.”

Assistance CERT, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), is trying to provide assistance services.

“We are trying to cooperate with them and impart the services from a cyber security aspect.”

With their outreach programme in place, members of CERT also hold counselling sessions for parents at both public and private schools, inside and outside Muscat, where they advise parents to educate and update themselves with online technology and social media tools.

“We let parents know that they have to educate themselves, because there is no one who will go to their house and give them an A to Z guideline, but they need to educate themselves in this field from different aspects regarding cyber security to protect their children.”

“We also have a newsletter and whoever wants to receive it can

register at the CERT website after which they will be updated almost on a weekly or monthly basis regarding cyber security and social issues.”

Following up with children, and observing their behaviour is very important, according to Al Mashaykhi, if parents need to identify any trouble.

“Parents need to monitor the behaviour of their children and the kind of language they are using with friends and family and if the children are victims of cyber crimes, it would normally appear in their behaviour.”

Apart from monitoring at home, Al Mashaykhi also advised that parents need to be in constant communication with the teachers of the children at school and speak to them about any behavioural changes.

Guidelines “Implementing guidelines at home is one of the most important things, it is challenging if children are older than 10 years, and if they are already used to the technology. However, parents need to put in place such agreements with children and reward them for abiding by the rules,” Al Mashaykhi explained.

Ever since the child cyber security programmes were initiated

by CERT, they have run several programmes for children, including the “Towards a safe cyber environment” campaign in 20092010, and another nationwide workshop for a week in 2013.

They also established the child online protection pillars and the junior ambassadors programmes in both public and private schools since last year. Many other programmes are also in place.

e-MAIL SYSTEM The Ministry of Transport and Communications yesterday launched the e-mail system ‘Saa’ei’, which aims at managing the electronic transactions among the directorates and departments of the ministry. -ONA

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OMAN SAFETY EXPERTS

A1 Drivers advised to follow rules < FROM

On August 9, four Omanis and an Ethiopian housemaid were killed in an accident in Haima. On August 2, an Indian salesman lost his life in an accident in Al Kamil in the Sharqiyah region.

On July 31, five people, including two police officers and two expat from India were killed in a horror smash in Al Khoud. On August 1, two Emiratis, a son and a father, died in a crash in Haima.

Safety experts in Oman advise motorists to follow the traffic rules and avoid bad driving behaviour which might lead to more casualties on our roads.

Mark Pudwell, a road safety expert in Oman, said: “This is tragic news and will come as a huge shock to those hard working road safety campaigners who’s battle to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads now appears fruitless.

Globally there are millions of road traffic incidents every year which results in thousands of people’s deaths however, the actual number of deaths is greatly reduced in those nations who have adopted and embraced the seat belt

culture. Sadly Oman is not one of those nations.”

“Countless studies and surveys have irrevocably shown that wearing a seat belt in the front and rear seats saves lives, sometimes even in the most horrific incidents. All too often drivers and passengers are seen belt less on the road and often the most innocuous of incidents results in terrible injury or death simply because people are not appropriately restrained in their vehicles,” he said.

Rapid deceleration “An adult without a seat belt in the rear seat becomes a missile during a rapid deceleration incident and can kill people sitting in the front seats. Speeding and careless driving can kill, using a mobile phone whilst at the wheel can also kill, not wearing a seat belt will kill,” he added.

“It’s a really alarming situation, when 26 lives are lost in just 18 days and many more are suffering pain at hospitals and home,” said Neelesh Sogani, a road safety expert in Oman.

“Recently, authorities amended the traffic law in Oman and from September 1 it will be implemented with lot of stringent penalties and punishment. But the important thing is that we cannot wait until the new law is implemented - every single life is important and non-replaceable for the families and dependents,” said Neelesh.

Stringent rules “Authorities have done enough by making stringent rules, rolling out campaigns or road shows and now it’s time for us as individual drivers to think seriously, to come forward and make a big difference while riding on roads. “We all need to understand the importance of every single road safety rule and accept them in our hearts and minds.

I have personally investigated many incidents and seen that using seatbelt by all occupants in the vehicles saved their lives whereas ignorance to simple rules costs many lives.

“Whenever we ignore the rules, we need to visualise the pain of the families,” he added.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

OMAN OMANI STUDENT GETS THIRD RANK Juhaina Al Shamsiyah, the Omani student graduate from the University of North Texas, ranked third in the Oman EXPO competition for the scholarship students in the field of hygiene and environment. Al Shamsiah took part in the competition with a research titled “Crises Management Center”, which is based on studies in Muscat and Texas. - ONA

Oman makes good progress in food security The Sultanate currently secures about 60 per cent of its food needs from global markets

MUSCAT: Availability of food, and the ability to bear the cost of food, as well as the quality and safety are the main pillars of food security in the Sultanate.

These three constitute the pillars of Oman National Food Security Strategy for 2010 to 2020.

As per the Public Authority for Stores and Food Reserve (PASFR) report on food security, the Sultanate is one of the food secure countries, in terms of the ability to get food despite its high reliance on imports and fluctuation in prices.

The report also pointed out that the Sultanate has made remarkable progress in some initiatives of its food security strategy, especially those related to agriculture, fisheries, GDP (gross domestic

product) levels, research and development and the improvement of the supply chain.

The Sultanate currently secures about 60 per cent of its food needs from international markets. Growing demand for food is expected to continue to pressure self-sufficiency rates. Population growth, recent salary increments, along with a growing number of visitors, is expected to change consumption patterns.

The Sultanate’s food self-sufficiency rate stood at 41.3 per cent in 2014 as the Sultanate produced 68 per cent of its fruits and vegetable needs, 2 per cent of farm products, 58 per cent of red meat, 33 per cent of poultry, 51 per cent of milk, 15 per cent of egg and 215 per cent of fish.

While seeking to ensure food security, the Sultanate also faces several challenges, the most important of which is the lack of fertile land and limited irrigation water.

The total size of the Sultanate is 309,500 square kilometres, of which 3 per cent is white land, 82 per cent is deserts and wadis, 15 per cent is made up of mountains and 5.7 per cent is agricultural land.

About 90 per cent of water resources are used for irriga-

tion, 8.5 per cent for domestic use and about 1.5 per cent for industrial use.

The rain level is not more than 80 millimetres per year, of which 80 per cent evaporates, 6 per cent goes to sea and the desert and only 14 per cent is absorbed by the soil.

The challenges also include excessive loss of food production; about 30 per cent of the total agricultural production, while as per the food security strategy, it should not exceed 15 per cent by 2020.

Other challenges include growth in food-related diseases despite the sincere efforts being made to control such diseases.

The PASFR has completed its report on food security in Oman.

The report was prepared, in association with a reputed house— The Economist magazine of United Kingdom—and in collaboration with several stakeholders, namely the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in addition to the Royal Oman Police (ROP), the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) and the Oman Foods Investment Holding Company. -ONA

MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

Today last day for municipal poll nomination MUSCAT: Today is the last date for filing nominations for the second term Municipal Council elections, which was announced by the Ministry of Interior on July 31, 2016.

The Ministry of Interior would like to note for those wishing to file nominations that the e-system will continue to receive the applications until Thursday 12 am corresponding to August 18, via the municipal council elections website: www. election.gov.om/mc. -ONA PROPER PLANNING

Seminar on family cohesion SALALAH: A seminar on “Marriage Guidance” reviewed experiences of the Sultanate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and State of Kuwait.

The seminar stresses the importance of proper planning for family budget and its impact on family cohesion, as well as other topics related to marriage.

The fifth family cohesion began at Hilton Salalah Hotel yesterday under the patronage of Sheikh Khalid bin Omar Al Marhoon, Minister of Civil Service, in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Sa’ayid Al Kalbani, Minister of Social Development and a number of officials. -ONA

NEWS OF RELEASE

< FROM

A1

Linson’s family members relieved

“It is just a two-minute walking distance. After reaching the flat, when I saw her lying dead, I was shocked for a few minutes.

Then I ran to hospital for help,” Linson said.

The murder and Linson’s custody were widely reported in both Oman and their native place India. On May 2, when Chikku’s body was repatriated to India for burial, Linson had to stay in Salalah as police continued the investigation.

Linson’s mother, Lissamma Thomas, said that she was “re-

lieved” when she heard the news. “He called me. We talked for a few minutes. We were sure that he will be released. We thank the Almighty for listening to our prayers.

“We were holding special prayers for the last four months.

He is innocent. I know that he will not do such a heinous crime. He is a god fearing person,” Lissamma told Times of Oman.

Liju Thomas, Linson’s brother working in Muscat, said that he will be flying to Salalah to meet Linson.

“Relieved. What else we can say. Spoke to him over phone. We all were worried a lot about him,” Liju added.

Meanwhile, Robert A, Chikku’s father, told Times of Oman that he is happy to hear that Linson has been released.

“I spoke to him. It was only for a few minutes. He told me that he will be calling me again today itself. I have told him to come back soon. I want to see him,” Robert said, adding that Chikku’s mother is not mentally stable after Chikku’s death.

“I have told her about Linson’s release. However, I don’t know whether she has understood it or not. She is not at all stable mentally. She is taking medicines. Still, she talks about Chikku and asks me when Chikku is coming. She has not realized that Chikku is no more even though she attended the funeral,” Robert added.

According to Linson’s lawyers, the case is still continuing and Linson won’t be able to fly to India at this moment as he has to stay back in Oman as part of the investigation.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

A7

REGION Palestinians take tentative step towards local elections The Palestinian Authority has called the elections for October 8, with an estimated two million Palestinians eligible to cast ballots

GAZA/OCCUPIED RAMALLAH: Palestinian political parties began registering candidates for municipal elections on Wednesday, the first step in years towards a democratic vote but one that threatens to re-inflame tensions between the rival Fatah and Hamas movements.

The Palestinian Authority based in occupied Ramallah, in the Israeli- occupied West Bank, has called the elections for October 8, with an estimated two million Palestinians eligible to cast ballots.

Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, has given its backing to the process and is ramping up its electoral machine, hoping to mount as strong a challenge as possible to Fatah led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

In that respect, the municipal ballot is seen as a proxy for legis-

FIRST IN DECADE: A Palestinian man check voting pamphlets in the office of the Central Elections Commission in the occupied West Bank town of El Bireh on Wednesday. – Reuters

lative elections, which were last held 10 years ago. No new date has been set for either legislative or presidential elections, despite the mandates having long since expired.

The electoral process has repeatedly been scuppered by tensions between Fatah and Hamas, which have frequently spilled over into violence, and it remains to be seen whether the municipal vote will in fact go ahead as planned.

“If this election succeeds, it will be the first breakthrough towards reconciliation,” said Hanna Nasser, the chairman of the Palestinian Central Election Com-

mittee. “Better to begin late rather than never.”

The last municipal ballot was held in 2012, although voting only took place in a fraction of the occupied West Bank’s 350 municipalities, and Hamas in Gaza did not recognise it.

The last legislative election was held in 2006 and Hamas scored a surprise victory. That laid the ground for a political rupture Hamas and Fatah fought a short civil war in Gaza in 2007, since when Hamas has governed the small coastal enclave.

While some hope local elections will help mend fences between the

UNOFFICIAL TRANSACTIONS

SAUDI ARABIA

Egypt’s dollar black market resilient despite policing and new threat of jail terms CAIRO: Desperate to elude roving financial police and fearful of new jail terms for black-market money-changing, Egypt’s currency traders are driving with bags of cash to meet clients in discreet locations around the vast capital Cairo.

“The company I used to work for is shut down so now I work from the streets. Many people are worried but only the brave like me are still working,” a trader told Reuters by telephone while on his way to buy dollars from clients in Cairo.

Starved of hard currency since a 2011 uprising and an ensuing surge in violence and instability that have scared off many foreign tourists and investors, Egypt has been fighting a black market for dollars in which the divergence from the official central bank rate has widened to more than 40 per cent.

Egyptian authorities have blamed exchange bureaux for the crisis and have arrested traders, shut dozens of outlets and revoked the licenses of those found to be trading far beyond the official rate of 8.78 pounds to the dollar. On August 9, parliament set prison sentences of up to 10 years and fines of up to 5 million pounds for traders selling foreign currency at black market rates. Previously there were no prison sentences or fines set for violators. Despite the intensifying crackdown, traders say the black market remains active and resilient behind the scenes.

“There is difficulty in making transactions and there are big risks, but with those increased risks come the increase in profit and that is why this market will keep working. One way or another, it will continue in unofficial locations,” said one exchange bureau manager, who like others asked for anonymity.

Gaps in prices “The gaps in prices are big and that is because of the security crackdown. This market is now a market of fear. The price (for dollars) edged down but now it is rising again because the demand is strong while supply is less.”

The price of dollars now varies from one trader to the next by up to 50 piasters as communication between bureaux has gone quiet in response to intensified surveil-

factions, there are doubts whether either party will recognise the outcome and whether it will foster stability.

“Whether they happen or not, it will not change the current status,” said Hani Habib, a political analyst based in Gaza.

“The same factors that have undermined all previous attempts to end the division still exist, first among them the lack of will by either side to end the division,” he said.

While registration has only just begun, the rivals are already exchanging accusations. Hamas says the Fatah-backed Palestin-

There is difficulty in making transactions and there are big risks, but with those increased risks come the increase in profit and that is why this market will keep working. One way or another, it will continue in unofficial locations Bureau manager Money exchange

lance. Four traders this week offered a varied 12-12.5 per dollar range to buy dollars and a range of 12.5-12.7 per dollar to sell. They did not divulge their volume of trade. “I don’t believe the crackdown will help reduce the parallel market rates,” said Hany Farahat, economist at CI Capital. “On the contrary, excessive regulation will increase the opportunity cost of engaging in unofficial transactions and push traders to charge a higher fee, and therefore increase the parallel market premium.”

Egypt devalued its currency by nearly 14 per cent in March to close the gap with the black market rate - but in vain given the acute shortage of foreign currency. Net foreign reserves have shrivelled by more than half since 2011 to $15.536 billion as of last month - enough for less than three months of imports even as

Egypt has kept the pound artificially strong through weekly dollar sales.

The crackdown aims to deter demand for black market dollars and channel them back into bank coffers, but it has done little to increase dollar holdings, bankers said. “The more they set barriers in the market the more ineffective they turn out to be. Currency traders are still trading but off the premises that are being monitored, selling to their big clients,” one banker said. Egypt, he added, needs to find effective solutions to its dollar liquidity problem.

President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi’s government has just struck a preliminary deal with the IMF for a three-year, $12 billion lending programme that it hopes will restore market confidence and lure fresh investment to ease its currency crunch. — Reuters

Gunmen kill policeman DUBAI: A policeman was shot dead by masked gunmen in the Qatif district in Saudi Arabia’s oil-producing Eastern Province on Wednesday, state news agency SPA said, the latest in a string of attacks there this year.

Four assailants opened fire on a police station before dawn, SPA reported. Qatif is is both a city and the name of a district.

Qatif was one of three Saudi cities targeted in coordinated bomb attacks on July 4. A suicide bomber struck near a mosque killing himself and two others.

The Saudi Arabian government said IS was likely behind the attacks. — Reuters

ian Authority is cracking down on rivals in the occupied West Bank, arresting some and hindering its campaign there, while Fatah says Hamas has threatened its members in Gaza.

“Arrests will only increase the support for Hamas and despite our condemnation, we are determined to go ahead with the vote,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.

Fatah’s spokesman, Osama Al Qawasmi, said: “Hamas must stop sabotaging the election. We want these elections to be a road towards unity and not to prolong division.” — Reuters

US CENSURE REJECTED

Russia uses Iran air base to strike Syria militants again MOSCOW: Russia used an Iranian air base to launch air strikes in Syria for a second day running on Wednesday, rejecting US suggestions its co-operation with Tehran might violate a UN resolution.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said that SU-34 fighter bombers flying from Iran’s Hamadan air base had struck IS targets in Syria’s Deir Al Zor province, destroying two command posts and killing more than 150 militants.

Moscow first used Iran as a base from which to launch air strikes in Syria on Tuesday, deepening its involvement in the five-year-old Syrian civil war and angering the United States. Washington called the move “unfortunate” and said on Tuesday it was looking into whether Russia’s move had violated UN Security Council resolution 2231, which prohibits the supply, sale and transfer of combat aircraft to Iran.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday there were no grounds to suggest Russia had violated the resolution, saying it was not supplying Iran with aircraft.

“These aircraft are being used

by Russia’s air force with Iran’s agreement as a part of an antiterrorist operation at the request of Syria’s leadership,” Lavrov told a Moscow news conference, after holding talks with Murray McCully, New Zealand’s foreign minister.

Russia’s use of the Iranian air base comes amid intense fighting for the Syrian city of Aleppo, where rebels are battling Syrian government forces. — Reuters

A8

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

INDIA

The Congress, National Conference and, if willing, the PDP must come together to find a solution: firstly, an immediate solution to stop the violence and, then, a path forward that will bring hope, peace and prosperity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir P. Chidambaram, Congress leader

REPORT

India on 66th spot in most innovative economies, up 15 places NEW YORK: India has been ranked 66th in a list of most innovative economies, jumping 15 places from last year, according to a new UN report which calls for more transparent policies if the country aspires to become a global driver of innovation.

In the report by the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), India moved up 15 spots from 81st last year to 66th this year in the overall global rankings.

The Global Innovation Index 2016, released by the WIPO, Cornell University, and the multination business graduate school INSEAD, said India ranks among the top 50 economies overall in two pillars: Market sophistication,

33, and Knowledge and technology out-puts, 43.

The country maintains stable or improved rankings across all pillars, with the most significant improvements in Human capital and research, up 40 spots and Business sophistication, up 59 spots.

Human capital Within Human capital and research, India data coverage increased, specifically in graduates in sciences and engineering, ranked eighth overall this year while this was a missing value last year, affecting the jump in its ranking. India’s ranking in the Business sophistication pillar is affected most by a substantial improvement in Knowledge workers,

The Global Innovation Index 2016, released by the WIPO, Cornell University, and the multi-nation business graduate school INSEAD, said India ranks among the top 50 economies overall in two pillars: Market sophistication, 33, and Knowledge and technology out-puts, 43

up 46 spots and Knowledge absorption, up 33 spots.

India also improves in the ranking of firms offering formal train-

ing by 56 spots to reach 42nd place.

“Furthermore, India improves across all indicators within the Knowledge absorption sub-pillar

and it turns in a solid performance in the GII (Global Innovation Index) model’s newly incorporated research talent in business enterprise, where it ranks 31st,” the report said. However, India shows weakness in two sub-pillars of business environment, 117th, and education, 118th and within this has potential to improve in the the ease of starting a business and pupil-teacher ratio.

“India has all the ingredients needed to become a global driver of innovation: A strong market potential, an excellent talent pool and an underlying culture of frugal innovation. Innovative countries have demonstrated the leverage of their cultural advantage to capture markets,” the report said.

Militants ambush army convoy in J&K, three dead Normal life, meanwhile, remained paralysed for the 40th consecutive day on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir where 63 persons have been so far killed in the ongoing unrest PATROLLING: Indian army soldiers and police patrol in Baramulla on Wednesday, after an overnight ambush by suspected militants killed two soldiers and a police officer in Jammu and Kashmir. - AFP

SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: Militants on Wednesday ambushed an Army convoy, killing two soldiers and a policeman in Indianadministered-Kashmir where curfew remained in force in Srinagar district, Anantnag town and Magam area.

Two soldiers and a policeman were also injured in the militant attack at Khwajabagh in Baramulla district which took place at 2:30am, a police official said.

He said two soldiers and a policeman were killed in the attack and a massive operation has been launched to track down the attackers, who fled the spot.

Normal life, meanwhile, remained paralysed for the 40th consecutive day on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir where 63 persons have been so far killed in the ongoing unrest.

“Curfew has been imposed in Magam area of Budgam district where four persons were killed in security forces firing yesterday.

Curfew also remained in force in Srinagar district and Anantnag town,” a police official said.

He said restrictions on the

Proposal for foreign secretary-level talks rejected ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday rejected Pakistan’s proposal to hold Foreign Secretary-level talks on Indian-administeredKashmir and asserted that it would like to discuss aspects related to cross-border terrorism which are central to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Responding to Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry’s invitation, India’s Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar expressed his willing-

movement of the people have been imposed in the rest of the Valley.

Heavy deployment of security forces has been carried out in Srinagar city with all roads leading to

ness to travel to Islamabad but maintained Pakistan has no locus standi in addressing any aspect of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, which is an internal matter of India, except to put an end to cross-border terrorism and infiltration.

The response was handed over to Pakistan by Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad Gautam Bambawale.

“Since aspects related to cross-border terrorism are central to the current situation in J&K, we have proposed that

the local office of United Nations Military Observers Group (UNMOG) at Sonawar sealed.

The separatists groups have called for a march to the UN office

discussions between the Foreign Secretaries be focused on them.We have also conveyed that Government of India rejects in their entirety the selfserving allegations regarding the situation in J&K, which is an integral part of India where Pakistan has no locus standi,” the sources added.

Pakistan on Monday had invited India for talks on Kashmir, saying it is the “international obligation” of both the countries to resolve the issue. - PTI

here to impress upon the global body to intervene and resolve the Kashmir issue.

The separatists have threatened a 72-hour sit-in protests if

their proposed march to the UN office is not allowed by the government.Schools, colleges and private offices remained closed while public transport remained off the roads due to the strike called by the separatists.

Normal life has been affected due to protests against the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8.

The separatist camp is spearheading the protests in the Valley over the civilian killings.

Meanwhile, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his top ministerial colleagues of “exacerbating” the crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the state was “sliding into total chaos” and asked the ruling PDP to join hands with the opposition to find a way to end the violence.

“I am concerned that situation in Jammu and Kashmir is sliding into total chaos. The PDP-BJP government is squarely responsible for the sharp deterioration in the last 6 weeks.

“The statements of the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Defence Minister have exacerbated the crisis. Moderation in words and actions alone can retrieve the situation,” he said.

Chidambaram, during whose tenure as Home Minister several confidence building measures, including reducing the presence of security forces in the Valley were initiated, surprisingly extended a welcoming hand to BJP’s coalition partner in the troubled state PDP to join forces with the opposition to find a solution to the unrest there.

“The Congress, National Conference and, if willing, the PDP must come together to find a solution: firstly, an immediate solution to stop the violence and, then, a path forward that will bring hope, peace and prosperity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said in a statement. - PTI

Similarly, India can build on its cultural bias of frugality and sustainability to capture markets not only within its shores but globally.

“For this to happen India’s industries need to have the hunger to be at the top of the value chain, its customers have to be more demanding, its policies have to be more transparent, and its talent pool has to get more hands-on experience while simultaneously growing to leverage the global talent pool,” the report said. - PTI

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ENCOUNTER

Four Naxals killed in Dantewada RAIPUR: Four Naxals, including a ‘commander-rank’ woman cadre and another wanted in the deadly Jiram Valley attack, were on Wednesday gunned down while a jawan was injured in a fierce encounter between security personnel and the ultras in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district.

The encounter took place in wee hours in the restive Dabba-Kunna hills when the joint team of Central Reserve Police Force, District Reserve Group and Special Task Force was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap told PTI. “While four cadres, including two Maoist commanders, were killed, a jawan was also injured in the face-off,” he said.

Based on specific inputs, the operation was launched by security forces on Tuesday night to flush out the ultras hiding in the forests near Dabba and Kunna villages, the SP said.

The two villages are located on top of a hill which lies along the Dantewada and Sukma districts border, about 500km from the state capital Raipur.

A group of armed Naxals opened indiscriminate fire at the security personnel close to Dabba village following which an encounter broke out between the two sides.

“In the face-off, four ultras, one of them a woman, who were clad in ‘uniform’ and armed with weapons and explosives,” were killed, the SP said. The woman cadre was identified as Madkami Deve, commander of 26th Platoon of the outlawed CPI (Maoist).

Besides, another deceased rebel Maasa was commander of Katekalyan area committee.

He was wanted in connection with the Jiram valley attack in which Congress leaders were killed in 2013, Kashyap said.

The identity of the two others was being ascertained.

Besides, a District Reserve Group jawan sustained injuries in the incident. - PTI

SPURIOUS LIQUOR

12 die due to suspected hooch consumption in Bihar GOPALGANJ (Bihar): Twelve persons have died after suspected consumption of spurious liquor in Gopalganj district of Bihar, where prohibition was implemented in April, even as authorities claimed that the reason behind the deaths is not clear and ordered a probe.

“Twelve persons have died so far. The deaths have been reported from different areas of five police stations of the district in the past 24 hours. One person is admitted at a Sadar hospital,” Gopalganj District Magistrate Rahul Kumar said.

Asked whether the deaths were the result of consumption of illicit liquor, he said some family members alleged that the persons had consumed spurious liquor on Tuesday evening after which they died while some other relatives of the deceased gave in writing that they did not die because of spurious liquor.

A single reason may not be the cause of the deaths with the deaths having been reported at different time from different locations under five police stations of Majha,Thawe, Yadavpur, Sidhwalia and kotwali here, Kumar said.

A probe has been ordered into

the deaths to find out if consumption of spurious liquor was the reason in some cases,he added.

“The team would conduct probe from all angles,” he said.

Of the 12, the administration has taken possession of the bodies of five persons from their relatives for carrying out postmortem as the remaining seven bodies have already been cremated by the relatives, Kumar said.

“As of now, we cannot say the exact reason behind the incident.

We can tell you only after getting the medical (post mortem) report, statements of relatives of the deceased and raids,” the District Magistrate said.

Attacking Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his “Tuglaqi” diktat, BJP on Wednesday demanded he take responsibility for the death of 12 persons due to suspected consumption of spurious liquor.

Supported prohibition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain accused the state government of working to cover up the reason for these deaths, but said the

PROBE ON: Policemen recoverd poisonous liquor in a field at Harkhua Khajurbari Village in Gopalganj district of Bihar on Wednesday. - PTI

party supported prohibition.

Taking a dig at Kumar over his prohibition pitch in various parts of the country, he told a press conference that people of Bihar had elected him with a lot of hope and believed his many promises but he “discusses nothing but prohibition”.

“Prohibition can be effective only when there is a rule of law. His (Kumar) responsibility does not end with merely enacting a law.

He has failed in stopping trade of illicit liquor from across the state’s borders.

“Bihar government is busy in covering up these deaths. It is not

about formulating policy but having a clean conscience as well,” he said. Criticising Kumar for the law that entails imprisonment and fine for members of a household or an entire village if prohibition law is violated, Hussain said BJP is not in support of such “Tuglaqi” (dictatorial) edicts.

Asked if BJP supported prohibition across the country, he said it was a state-specific issue and the party was evaluating experiences in different states.

What happened in Bihar is also an experience, he said, referring to the deaths.

Meanwhile, around 300 bottles of foreign liquor were on Wednesday seized from two districts of Bihar where a total prohibition is in place and five people, including two women, were arrested.

Acting on a tip off that a huge consignment of foreign liquor was being smuggled into Bihar from Jharkhand, police increased vigilance at the inter-state border and found 214 bottles in a single car at Nauaghat Mor in Munger district.

District Superintendent of Police Ashish Bharti said police arrested Rohit Singh, who runs an

upscale hotel in Ranchi, and seized 11 ATM cards from him.

He was later sent to jail, the SP said, adding, his two accomplices managed to give police a slip.

Four persons, including two women, were arrested by excise officials for possessing foreign and country liquor while checking a bus at an integrated checkpost at Rajauli in Nawada district.

Excise Department Superintendent Prem Prakash said 83 bottles of foreign liquor, including a bottle of champagne have been recovered from the two women.

The bottles were packed in nine bags and kept in the bus which was on way to Biharsharif from Kolkata. Prem Prakash said the women were identified as residents of Biharsharif, the headquarter town Nalanda district.

One bottle of foreign liquor was seized from another person and and one and half litres of countrymade liquor was seized from another. Both of them were arrested, he said. The first was identified as a resident of Sheikhpura district and the other of Simdega district of Jharkhand, Prem Prakash added. - PTI

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PAKISTAN

Pakistan offers moratorium on nuclear tests to India Pakistan and India both seek a membership of the NSG and have already voluntarily declared that they will not conduct more nuclear tests

ISLAMABAD: As a verbal duel between Pakistan and India heats up in the backdrop of escalation of violence in Indian-administeredKashmir, Islamabad on Tuesday renewed its proposal for a bilateral agreement for a moratorium on testing of nuclear devices.

The bilateral arrangement will send a positive signal to the members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which are currently discussing non-prolifera-

POSITIVE SIGNAL: This handout photograph released by Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations office, shows a Hatf III, (Ghaznavi) short range ballistic missile launched from an undisclosed location in Pakistan on May 10, 2012. Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakria said the bilateral arrangement will send a positive signal to the members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. - AFP/ISPR file photo

tion commitments of non-NPT states in relation to the question of membership, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakria said in a statement. Pakistan and India both seek a membership of

the NSG and have already voluntarily declared that they will not conduct more nuclear tests. But Zakria said the unilateral moratoriums declared by the two countries were legally non-binding and

could be withdrawn unilaterally.

“A bilateral arrangement will be mutually binding and difficult to withdraw unilaterally,” he added.

The spokesperson said that following the nuclear tests in

1998, Pakistan had offered India simultaneous adherence to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The proposal did not elicit a favourable response from India, he regretted.

“Once again, in the larger interest of peace and stability in the region, as also in the global context, Pakistan has indicated the possibility that the two countries may consider a bilateral arrangement,” said the spokesperson.

Zakaria maintained that Pakistan’s move was reflective of its policy of promoting restraint and responsibility in South Asia and its consistent support for the objectives of the CTBT. “The bilateral non-testing arrangement, if mutually agreed, could become binding immediately without waiting for the entry into force of the CTBT at the international level,” he said.

Moreover, he said both countries could consider working out details of the arrangement and mutually agreed confidencebuilding measures in relation to it.

“It could set the tone for further mutually agreed measures on restraint and avoidance of an arms race in South Asia.” - Express Tribune

PA NA M A PA P E R S S C A N D A L

Notices to Nawaz over opposition’s disqualification petition

Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday issued notices to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his son-inlaw Captain (retd) Safdar Hussain and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar over disqualification petitions filed by opposition parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inaf.

The top electoral body has sought responses by September 6 from all those named in the petitions for allegedly hiding their offshore wealth, sources told

The Express Tribune. Earlier, the poll supervisory body had clubbed all petitions filed by PTI, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Awami Muslim League (AML) on July 3 and decided to hear them on August 17.

Through these petitions, these political parties have sought disqualification of Nawaz and his close relatives for not declaring their offshore money that has been revealed in Panama Papers.

N AT I O N A L A S S E M B LY PA N E L

Bill prohibiting people from keeping assets in others’ names approved ISLAMABAD: A National Assembly panel on Tuesday unanimously approved an amended version of a bill that prohibits people from keeping assets in the name of others to avoid taxes and hide ill-gotten money, bringing Benami (unnamed) transactions of the past within the ambit of the proposed law.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance gave the go-ahead to the Benami Transactions Prohibition Bill 2016, which after its approval from parliament would look to put an end to the practice of keeping assets in the name of others.

Member National Assembly (MNA) of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Syed Naveed Qamar and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Asad Umar helped plug the lacunas in the bill, notably the exclusion of past Benami transactions.

Black money Umar highlighted the gap so the government agreed to cover all Benami transactions of the past as well under the proposed law.

The original version of the bill pertained to only future Benami transactions. The government also withdrew the proposal of allowing charitable and religious trusts to keep holding Benami assets. It also took back a proposal that called for proceeding against legal heirs of an accused person in

Benami assets are those that are not in the owner’s name and are aimed at concealing the real ownership. Benami transactions are one of the sources of circulation and investment of black money

case the accused died during trial.

Benami assets are those that are not in the owner’s name and are aimed at concealing the real ownership. Benami transactions are one of the sources of circulation and investment of black money.

However, so far, under different Pakistani laws, Benami transactions have been protected, fully supported and recognised, according to findings of the government-constituted Tax Reforms

Commission. Its report says Section 82 of the Trust Act 1882, Section 66 of the Court of Civil Procedures and Section 41 of the Transfer of Property Act 1882 protect the Benami transactions.

The government had presented the Benami bill in parliament as part of a commitment to the International Monetary Fund in order to curb this practice. Tax authorities were also perturbed as experience suggested that such transactions were often used for dodging taxes.

The legal definition of Benami transaction says that it is an arrangement where a person on behalf of another person, who has paid for it, holds a property. It also includes transactions under fictitious names. The bill prohibits all people from entering into Benami transactions.

Once enacted, the law will give the government powers to confiscate Benami properties and the violators could face imprisonment of up to seven years.

Any person who enters into a Benami transaction will be liable to be taxed at the rate of 25 per cent of fair market value of the property.

The Initiating Officer or the Adjudicating Authority will have the authority to seize or retain any books of accounts that are required for investigation for a certain period. - Express Tribune

KHYBER AGENCY

7 security personnel injured in blast PESHAWAR: At least seven security personnel were injured in a landmine blast in Khyber Agency’s Tirah Valley on Wednesday.

The blast came a day after the Pakistan Army launched Operation Khyber-III in Rajgal Valley to reinforce deployment of troops along the Pak-Afghan border to effectively check movement of terrorists.

The operation was launched in the valley tucked deep in high

mountains with all-weather passes in Khyber Agency, the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

Large dumps of arms and ammunition and terrorist hideouts were precisely targeted in air raids and ground operations in the treacherous terrain, it added. Nine dens of terrorists were decimated.

The military said 14 terrorists were killed and 11 wounded in the

blitzkrieg. However, it would not say which groups the terrorists belonged to.

The Mangal Bagh Afridi-led Lashkar-e-Islam extremist group and some factions of the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had a strong presence in the region before the previous operations were launched. The operation will reduce cross-border movement of terrorists, according to the ISPR. - Express Tribune

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Besides the prime minister, his son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar are named as respondents in the petitions.

Filed in June amid much media hype, the petitions could not be heard for almost two months because the ECP had become nonfunctional with the retirement of its four members not being met.

The Panama Papers scandal

erupted in April, when media outlets around the world published details on dodgy offshore financial dealings gleaned from millions of leaked documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

The leaked documents showed several world leaders as well as the premier’s three children – sons, Hassan and Hussain, and his daughter, Maryam – owning at least three offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands. - Express Tribune

PROBE ON

PIA official handed over to ANF over heroin smuggling charges LAHORE: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Wednesday apprehended a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) official for his alleged involvement in smuggling heroin on various flights, Express News reported.

According to initial reports, ANF arrested Iqbal Ghurki in Lahore for stashing away bags of heroin in several flights of the national flag carrier.

Authorities at PIA were also informed about the arrest.

“Heroin was being smuggled on PIA flights with the help of one of its employees Iqbal Ghurki,” ANF officials said. However, PIA spokesperson Daniyal Gilani did not directly address the arrest, saying some PIA officials had been handed over to agencies for investigation.

“After recent incidents of attempted drug smuggling in PIA aircraft, the security and vigilance department of the airline carried out an in-house exercise to scrutinise the conduct of its staff members. In view of the findings several employees have been shuffled from their places of posting while few have been handed over to agencies for formal investigation,” he said.

Earlier, taking offence at the delay in fixing responsibility for stashing away around 30kg of heroin in two different flights of the national flag carrier, a parliamentary panel in July gave a 60-day deadline to investigating authorities for completing the task.

Slow progress According to details, the matter was taken up by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat with Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan in the chair. During the proceedings, the committee expressed displeasure over the slow progress in investigations. - Express Tribune

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

WORLD LOCAL BANK NOTES

ASIA’S LARGEST SURFBOARD Balinese senior surfer Ketut Menda stands on giant surf board carried on the beach after breaking the Indonesia World Records Museum (MURI) for the largest surfboard in Asia during Indonesia Independence day at Kuta on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Wednesday. — AFP

Zimbabwean police fire tear gas to disperse protesters HARARE: Zimbabwean police fired tear gas and water cannon on Wednesday to disperse about 100 people protesting against central bank plans to re-introduce local banknotes, a Reuters witness said.

The protesters set out to march through the streets of the capital Harare towards the central bank but were stopped by riot police, who broke up the demonstration.

One man sustained deep cuts on the head from batons.

Zimbabweans fear the central bank’s plan to introduce banknotes, or “bond notes”, in October to ease the dollar shortage could open the door to rampant money printing, as happened in 2008 when inflation hit 500 billion per cent, wiping out people’s savings and pensions.

Protesters sang songs denouncing Mugabe, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa and central bank governor John Mangudya, who have backed the measure, and likened the planned “bond notes” to toilet paper. “We know what happens when the central bank prints money. Our message to Mugabe, Chinamasa and Mangudya is that we don’t want those bond notes,” said Promise Mkwananzi, leader of the militant social media movement #Tajamuka. — Reuters

DRUG KILLINGS

Philippines’ Duterte says he’s willing to face probe MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday his government is willing to face any inquiry into the deaths of hundreds of suspected drug dealers and users as human rights groups express alarm over extrajudicial killings.

Nearly 600 suspected drug peddlers and users have been killed in police operations since Duterte took power six weeks ago, police say, but rights groups put the number at more than 1,000. “We are willing to submit ourselves for an investigation before anybody,” Duterte said in a speech at the national police office, adding some of the killings were carried out by drug gangs.

Fight to continue “But do not attribute acts of other criminals upon my government.

The fight against drugs will continue unrelenting until we have destroyed the apparatus operating in the entire country.”

In another public event, Duterte attacked Senator Leila de Lima, who will open a public inquiry next week into drug-related killings, saying she was only playing politics and linked her driver to the drugs trade. “It’s character assassination,” an emotional de Lima told reporters at the Senate.

“It’s so foul. I did not expect the president to do that.”

“I myself, who ordered the campaign against drugs, take full and sole responsibility for it,” Duterte said, cautioning police against using excessive force in making arrests. “Do not kill if you’re not in danger of losing your life.” — Reuters

North Korean diplomat in London defects to South North Korea’s Deputy Ambassador Thae defected due to discontent with the regime of Kim Jong Un and for the future of his child

SEOUL: North Korea’s deputy ambassador in London has defected with his family to South Korea, making him the highest-ranking Pyongyang diplomat ever to flee the isolated regime for the democratic South, South Korea said on Wednesday.

The Unification Ministry in Seoul declined to say when or how Thae and his family arrived, or how many relatives accompanied him. Thae defected due to discontent with the regime of Kim Jong Un in North Korea and for the future of his child, ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee told a news conference. It was not clear in Korean whether Jeong was referring to more than one child.

Motives “We know that Deputy Ambassador Thae is saying that his distaste for the Kim Jong Un regime and yearning for the Republic of Korea’s free democratic system and the future of his child are

MAKING A POINT: Thae Yong Ho, North Korea’s deputy ambassador in London who has, according to media reports, defected with his family, speaks on a podium in London, Britain in the still image taken on Wednesday from a file footage. – Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)/via Reuters

motives for the defection,” Jeong said, referring to South Korea, adding that Thae and his family were under government protection. Impoverished North Korea and prosperous South Korea are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

The announcement came a day after media report that a highprofile North Korean diplomat, later identified by the BBC as Thae, had defected. Quoting an unnamed source, South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper had said the diplomat embarked on a defection journey “following a scrupulous plan” and was in the process of “landing in a

third country as an asylum seeker”. An official at the North Korean embassy in London would not confirm the defection on Tuesday, describing reports of the event as “quite sudden” “If it is appropriate to give a response, then you might hear about our response,” the official told Reuters.

Further calls to the embassy went unanswered. Calls to Thae’s mobile phone were redirected to a voicemail inbox. The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not have an immediate comment after South Korea’s announcement.

Thae’s defection follows a string of recent such flights by North Koreans, including 12 waitresses at a North Korean restaurant in China

who defected to South Korea earlier this year. Among his many responsibilities, Thae was wellknown to the British press, acting as the embassy’s main point of contact for British correspondents travelling to Pyongyang.

Thae lived at or near the North Korean embassy, which is in the leafy west London suburb of Gunnersbury. He spoke regularly at far-left events in London, including meetings of a British communist party where he would make impassioned speeches in defence of North Korea, according to videos of the events. Thae’s son, Thae Kum Hyok, who was known as “Kum Thae”, was a pupil at Acton High School, a short walk from the

embassy. The school term ended on July 22, according its website, around the same time Thae is believed to have defected.

The son, 19, has a place at Imperial College, London, to study maths and computer science, according to one of his school friends cited by the Guardian newspaper.

Debonair and well-spoken, Thae Yong Ho has over ten years experience working on UK and EU-related issues as a diplomat.

He is cited in European Parliament archives as a London-based diplomat joining a North Korean delegation to Brussels.

His measured style was a contrast to the bombastic rhetoric often used by Pyongyang’s propagandists, although at some events he sang revolutionary Red Army Choir songs in Korean.

In regular contact with the media, Thae also spoke publicly about media coverage of the isolated country, including the press appetite for sensationalist stories about North Korea. “I don’t blame reporters,” Thae said during a speech at a left-wing London bookshop in late 2014. “If they broadcast (North Korea) as it is, the editors of these TV stations and newspapers will (change it).

“The more horrifying, the more shocking stories they create, the more they will be viewed by the British public”.

According to an online search of his name, Thae’s son was an avid gamer, and had accumulated 368 hours regularly playing CounterStrike over the last year, under the name “North Korea is Best Korea”.

The account was last active on July 13. — Reuters

POST ELECTIONS

Key South African economic hubs set for minority rule

FAILED TO AGREE: A man pushes a wheelbarrow past a billboard of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Soweto, South Africa on August 5, 2016. The radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the ANC and the main national opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), failed to agree on major policies. – Reuters file

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s biggest parties have failed to form coalition governments in major economic hubs following elections this month, they said on Wednesday, raising the prospect of less stable minority administrations.

Since the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority in major municipalities this month, in its worst electoral performance since it came to power nationally at the end of apartheid, the main parties have been attempting to assemble coalitions.

The radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the ANC and the main national opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), failed to agree on major policies, EFF leader Julius Malema told reporters.

Malema, a fiery former ANC youth leader, said the EFF would vote with the DA at council meetings in order to deprive President Jacob Zuma’s ANC of municipalities that it has controlled since the end of white-minority rule 22 years ago.

With EFF votes, the DA is now likely to form minority administrations in Johannesburg; the neighbouring industrial region of Ekurhuleni that hosts the main airport; and Tshwane, which includes the capital Pretoria, Malema said.

He also said the EFF would assist the DA in the symbolically important Nelson Mandela Bay, which includes the manufacturing hub Port Elizabeth, although the DA said it could rule there without EFF help. Malema sought to stress that the EFF did not support the

policies of the DA. “We are caught between two devils. The DA is a better devil than the ANC,” he told reporters in the Alexandra township in Johannesburg.

“The ANC will not get a single vote from the EFF. We will vote for the opposition because the ANC must be removed from power.”

Confident Malema said his party would work with the ANC only if it removed Zuma, made education free for all, and nationalised banks and mines, among other things — policies that it is highly unlikely to agree to.

The DA’s lead negotiator, James Selfe, said his party was confident the EFF would give it the support it needed to form minority governments. He also said the DA would be able to form a coalition govern-

ment in Nelson Mandela Bay and several other municipalities without the support of the EFF. The EFF and DA both said after the August 3 vote that they would not work with the ANC because their supporters had voted for change - but they are far apart in terms of policy, approach and experience. The DA is pro-business and has a largely white support base, while the EFF wants to redistribute land from whites to blacks without compensation and has been a disruptive political influence since it was formed three years ago. Aubrey Matshiqi, a political analyst at the Helen Suzman Foundation, said it was not out of the question that political instability could trigger re-runs of some municipal elections in two years’ time. — Reuters

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

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WORLD

Trump injects new faces to boost faltering campaign The shake-up comes as Trump faces criticism from many Republicans over a series of controversial statements and opinion polls show him falling behind Hillary Clinton in the race for the November 8 election

WASHINGTON: Republican Donald Trump hired the pugnacious head of a conservative news website and promoted a woman in a shakeup of his troubled presidential campaign, an indication he is determined to maintain his combative style while honing his message to the voters who have taken him this far.

Stephen Bannon, the head of Breitbart News, the conservative website that is seen as one of the unorthodox candidate’s most enthusiastic and steadfast backers, was hired to a new position of campaign CEO. Pollster Kellyanne Conway, who has been an adviser, will take on the role of campaign manager, the Trump campaign announced on Wednesday.

Faces criticism The shake-up comes as Trump faces criticism from many Republicans over a series of controversial statements and opinion polls show him falling behind Demo-

CAMPAIGN RALLY: Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at the Ziegler Building at the Washington County Fair Park and Conference Centre in West Bend, Wisconsin on Tuesday. - Reuters

cratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the race for the November 8 election. Bannon’s appointment suggested that Trump is aiming not so much to tone down his aggressive style but to be more disciplined in emphasizing themes that resonate strongly with the voters he is trying to court, such as his stances on immigration and criticism of Clinton.

Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager who was ousted in June, said on CNN that Bannon was “a street fighter,” like himself.

The campaign statement announcing the changes touted a Bloomberg Politics article that dubbed Bannon “the most dangerous political operative in America.”

Brian Walsh, a Republican strategist who has been critical of Trump in the past, said his embrace of Bannon seemed to indicate the New York businessman had no in-

tention of changing tactics.

“He’s rejecting efforts by political professionals to professionalize his campaign and he’s going the route he went in the primaries: hard right. It’s proven to be a disaster in the general election,” Walsh said.

“Anyone who knows anything about politics would look at the current situation and realise he’s losing because he’s losing moderates, women and minorities.

This would actually take it in the opposite direction from where it should be going.”

Lewandowski said Conway, who ran a group of Super PACs backing US Senator Ted Cruz’s primary campaign, could help Trump with “any gender gap problems that he has.”

A New Jersey-based pollster, Conway has worked in Republican polling since the 1980s, including for former House Speaker Newt

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Gingrich’s unsuccessful presidential campaign. She also worked for vice presidential nominee Mike Pence in his earlier races.

Conway, who presents conservative viewpoints in frequent appearances on political talk shows, has worked to improve the Republican Party’s standing with women voters and to push back on the Democratic accusations that Republicans are waging a “war on women.”

Conway and Bannon may prove to be opposing forces in Trump’s campaign. Conway is analytical and numbers-driven and often offers a more pragmatic approach to winning campaigns. Bannon is brash and bombastic, likes to push the limits of polite conversation and revels in taking the fight up a notch. Trump, a former reality TV star who has never held elected office, drew criticism for comments insulting women, Muslims

and Mexican immigrants during the campaign for the Republican White House nomination, which he formally secured last month.

Since then, he has faced a barrage of criticism from Republicans over his freewheeling campaign style and his refusal to stick to a policy message.

In particular, he has been rebuked for his prolonged feud with the family of a Muslim US Army captain who was killed in the Iraq war, and for his unfounded accusation that President Barack Obama and Clinton were the cofounders of the IS militant group.

Trump later backed off the comments about IS. The campaign’s announcement on Wednesday quoted Trump as saying he was “committed to doing whatever it takes to win” the election. The campaign also said it would make its first major television commercial purchase later this week. The staff changes, first reported in the Wall Street Journal, are the second time in two months that Trump has shifted his campaign’s leadership. In June, he fired longtime aide Lewandowski as campaign manager and handed more power to senior campaign aide Paul Manafort.

Denied any impropriety The statement from the Trump campaign said Manafort would remain as campaign chairman and chief strategist. Manafort drew unwelcome attention to the campaign this week when the New York Times reported that Manafort’s name was on secret ledgers showing cash payments designated to him of more than $12 million from a Ukrainian political party with close ties to Russia.

Manafort denied any impropriety on Monday.

Ukrainian officials confirmed Manafort’s name appeared on a ledger and that more than $12 million had been allocated as an expenditure, but added that the presence of his name did not mean he received the funds. - Reuters

NO TIMELINE GIVEN

Australia, PNG agree to close controversial refugee camp SYDNEY: Australia and Papua New Guinea said on Wednesday they had agreed to close a controversial Australian-funded asylum seeker detention centre on Manus Island, but gave no timeline, leaving the fate of 800 refugees held in the camp unclear.

Under Australian law, anyone intercepted trying to reach the country by boat is sent for processing to camps on the tiny Pacific island of Nauru or to Manus Island off Papua New Guinea. They are never eligible to be resettled in Australia. Some asylum seekers have spent years in the camps, which have been criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups, with numerous reports of abuse and self-harm among detainees, including children.

The announcement came after a newspaper published leaked documents detailing more than 2,000 incidents of physical abuse, assault and attempted self-harm reported over two years at the Nauru detention centre.

The harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse at the camps have drawn wide criticism at home and abroad.

Some in Papua New Guinea are unhappy with the prospect of hundreds of asylum seekers being resettled into their country and there have been reports of asylum seekers being attacked by locals.

“Both Papua New Guinea and Australia are in agreement that the centre is to be closed,” Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said in a statement.

“A series of options are being advanced and implemented. It is important that this process is not rushed out but carried out in a careful manner.” There was no mention of a closing date.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who met with O’Neill on Wednesday to discuss the camp, reiterated Australia’s position that it would not accept any of the refugees detained in Papua New Guinea. - Reuters

DROUGHT-STRICKEN

Southern California wildfire rages unchecked after evacuations

UP IN FLAMES: Flames burn structures and vehicles as the Blue Cut wildfire rages near Cajon Pass, north of San Bernardino, California on Tuesday. - AFP

D I G I TA L W O R L D

Rowling returns to Harry Potter’s world with series of new ebooks LONDON: British author J.K. Rowling is delving back into the world of “Harry Potter” for a series of short ebooks with new stories about some of her characters from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Pottermore, the digital publishing and e-commerce world founded by Rowling for fans of the boy wizard, said on Wednesday it would be releasing three short ebooks starting September 6.

Called “Pottermore Presents,” the series is a collection of Rowling’s writing for Pottermore.com, as well as new stories about characters including Potter’s potions master Horace Slughorn, Hogwarts headmistress Professor Minerva McGonagall and Ministry of Magic bureaucrat Dolores Umbridge.

The ebooks will be available on the Pottermore website as well as through digital book sellers. They are the latest extension of the Harry Potter franchise, which includes seven books, eight movies, three theme park attractions and

ELATED: A woman holds copies of the book of the play of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ parts One and Two at a bookstore in London, Britain on July 31, 2016. - Reuters file photo

the sold-out London stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The ebooks, approximately 10,000 words long, are intended for tablets, cellphones and other mobile devices and as a supplement to the original Harry Potter books, which have sold more than 450 million copies worldwide.

“J.K. Rowling’s writing in these

collections reveals intricate details of her characters’ lives, their histories, as well as her inspiration,” Pottermore chief executive Susan Jurevics said in a statement. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first of three Potter spin-off movies, is due for release worldwide in November. - Reuters

LOS ANGELES: Hundreds of firefighters were battling a wildfire raging out of control in droughtstricken Southern California on Wednesday after flames forced more than 80,000 residents to flee and charred more than 30,000 acres (12,140 hectares) of heavy brush, officials said.

The Bluecut Fire, which erupted on Tuesday morning north of the city of San Bernardino in an area called the Cajon Pass, was zero per cent contained and has destroyed an unknown number of structures, fire officials said.

Authorities on Tuesday issued evacuation orders for some 34,500 homes near Interstate 15, the main freeway between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area, a stretch of

which was closed indefinitely.

Smoke from the fire could be seen and smelled as far away as Las Vegas, more than 200 miles (321 km) northeast, fire officials in the area said early on Wednesday.

Six firefighters were trapped for a time by flames in the effort to evacuate residents and defend homes, but managed to escape after two of the firefighters suffered minor injuries, federal and local officials said in a statement.

Investigation on The cause of the blaze is still under investigation. About 600 miles to the northwest, crews made headway against a Northern California wildfire that has destroyed more than 175 homes and businesses.

The so-called Clayton Fire was 40 per cent contained on Wednesday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It has charred 4,000 acres in and around the community of Lower Lake since Saturday evening, forcing hundreds to flee.

Damin Pashilk, a 40-year-old arrested on suspicion of setting that blaze, and several others in the area over the past year, is set to appear in court on Wednesday.

California Governor Jerry Brown on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County for the Bluecut Fire, which allows state agencies to come to the assistance of local officials.- Reuters

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

WORLD Turkey releasing prisoners to make space for coup suspects The government gave no reason for measure, but its prisons were already straining capacity before the mass arrests that followed the coup

ISTANBUL: Turkey began freeing 38,000 prisoners on Wednesday, after announcing a penal reform that will make space for tens of thousands of suspects rounded up over last month’s attempted coup.

The reform was one of a series of measures outlined on Wednesday in two decrees under a state of emergency declared after the July 15 failed putsch during which 240 people were killed.

The government gave no reason for measure, but its prisons were already straining capacity before the mass arrests that followed the coup. Western allies worry President Tayyip Erdogan, already accused by opponents of creeping authoritarianism, is using the crackdown to target dissent, testing relations with a key NATO partner in the war on IS. Internal threat Angrily dismissing those concerns, Turkish officials say they are rooting out a serious internal threat from followers of a USbased cleric.

Wednesday’s decrees, published in the Official Gazette, also ordered the dismissal of 2,360 more police officers, more than 100 military personnel and 196 staff at Turkey’s information and ST PETERSBURG

Russian special forces kill four militants MOSCOW: Russian special forces troops killed four militants in a shoot-out at a flat in St. Petersburg on Wednesday in a counter-terrorism operation targeting gang leaders from Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) said that three of the four men killed had been senior figures in the criminal underworld responsible for a string of terror attacks and attempted assassinations of police officers. “Special forces from Russia’s FSB security service surrounded the bandits in a flat they were hiding in,” the NAC said in a statement. “When asked to lay down their weapons and give up they opened fire.” Automatic weapons, ammunition, and several improvised explosive devices had been found in the flat, it said.

In a separate incident in the Moscow region, police said two men who had attacked a police sentry point had been killed.— Reuters

SURRENDERING: A man approaching Turkish military with his hands up at the entrance to the Bosphorus bridge during the failed coup attempt’s security shutdown in Istanbul in this file photo.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said 38,000 people would initially be released, but as many as 93,000 could benefit from the programme. – AFP

communication technology authority, BTK. Those dismissed were described as having links to cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan turned enemy.

Erdogan says Gulen was behind the attempt by rogue troops using tanks and jets to overthrow the government. Gulen denies involvement. Under the penal reform, convicts with up to two years left in sentences are eligible for release on probation, extending the period from one year. The “supervised release” excludes those convicted of terrorism, murder, violent or phycial crimes.

“I’m really happy to be released from jail. I wasn’t expecting anything like this,” prisoner Turgay Aydin was quoted by Andolu news agency telling reporters outside Turkey’s largest prison Silivri, west of Istanbul.

“I thank President Recep

Tayyip Erdogan. I’ve come to my senses. After this I will try to be a better, cleaner person.”

In an interview with A Haber television, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said 38,000 people would initially be released, but as many as 93,000 could benefit from the programme. To be eligible for the scheme, prisoners must have served half of their sentences.

Previously they were required to have already served two thirds of their sentences.

According to justice ministry data obtained by Anadolu agency, there were 213,499 prisoners in jail as of August 16, more than 26,000 above prison capacity.

Another measure in the decrees gave the president more choice in appointing the head of the armed forces. He can now select any general as military chief. Previously only the heads of the army, navy

or air force could be promoted to the post. A telecoms authority will also be closed under the moves. Erdogan says Gulen and his followers infiltrated government institutions to create a ‘parallel state’ in an attempt to take over the country. Alongside tens of thousands of civil servants suspended or dismissed, more than 35,000 people have been detained in the purge. Judges, journalists, police, and teachers are among those targeted for suspected links to Gulen’s movement.

Turkish police on Tuesday searched the offices of a nationwide retail chain and a healthcare and technology company, detaining executives who authorities accuse of helping finance Gulen’s network. A prosecutor in the western province of Usak has submitted the first indictment formally accusing Gulen of

masterminding the coup plot, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.

An 11-month investigation focused on alleged wrongdoing by the Gulen movement from 2013, and now includes charges Gulen organised an armed terrorist group to topple the government, scrap the constitution and murder Erdogan on July 15. The 2,257page indictment seeks two life sentences and an additional 1,900 years in jail for Gulen, plus tens of millions of lira in fines, Anadolu said. It names 111 defendants, including 13 people who are already in custody.

US officials have been cautious on the extradition of Gulen, saying they need clear evidence. He has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

Western criticism of the purge and Ankara’s demands that the United States send Gulen home have already frayed ties with Washington and the European Union, increasing tensions over an EU deal with Turkey to stem the flow of migrants.

In another tense exchange, Turkey lashed out at Germany on Wednesday, saying allegations in a media report that Turkey had become a hub for Islamist groups reflected a “twisted mentality” that tried to target Erdogan.

Incensed over a perceived lack of Western sympathy over the coup attempt, Erdogan has revived relations with Russia, a detente Western officials worry may be used by both leaders to pressure the European Union and NATO. Measures in Wednesday’s decrees will also enable former air force pilots to return to duty, making up for a deficit after the dismissal of military pilots in the purge. Turkey declared a threemonth state of emergency on July 21, and decrees since then have dismissed thousands of security force members and shut thousands of private schools, charities and other institutions suspected of links to Gulen. — Reuters

CAPTIVE IN PHILIPPINES

Crewman swims to freedom from militants MANILA: An Indonesian tugboat crewman escaped from his militant captors in the Philippines on Wednesday by swimming out to sea after the militants threatened to cut his head off, a Philippine army spokesman said.

Members of the IS-linked Abu Sayyaf group captured the Indonesian, Mohammad Safyan, 28, and six other Indonesian seamen from their boat as it was passing through waters off southern Philippine islands on June 23.

Residents of Jolo island spotted Safyan floating off the shore after he escaped under cover of darkness, an army spokesman, Major Filemon Tan, told reporters. “We were told he managed to escape by running and swimming to the sea,” Tan said, adding that Safyan had said the militants were about to execute him when he escaped.

“We have no information on the other captives but troops in the area were ordered to use all means to locate and rescue the hostages.”

Abu Sayyaf rebels operating in areas of Philippines have developed a reputation as ruthless kidnappers. They have increasingly been turning their attention to vessels passing through busy shipping lanes in the Sulu Sea as security along coasts has been tightened.

In recent week, the rebels, who have vowed allegiance to IS, beheaded two Canadians they kidnapped from a beach resort after a ransom deadline passed. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte last week ordered the army to destroy the militants saying if not, the Philippines risked being “contaminated” by IS. Indonesian authorities have said piracy in the area, a major sea lane for the world’s top thermal coal exporter, could reach levels previously seen in Somalia.

Analysts say $40 billion worth of cargo passes through the waters a year, including supertankers from the Indian Ocean that cannot use the crowded Malacca Strait.— Reuters

S PA I N

Rajoy drags out suspense on government talks MADRID: Spain’s acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy struggled on Wednesday in his bid to form a government after the centrist Ciudadanos party insisted he meet their demands before talks and the Socialists renewed their pledge to oppose him.

Spain has been in political limbo since two inconclusive national elections in December and June delivered the most fractured parliaments in four decades.

Subsequent attempts by political parties to reach agreement on a government have so far failed but Ciudadanos (“Citizens”) raised prospects of a breakthrough last week when it offered Rajoy their support in return for signing a sixpoint package of political reform.

Rajoy, whose conservative People’s Party (PP) won the most votes in the elections, was expected to accept the reform package but instead emerged from a meeting of PP leaders on Wednesday saying only that he had won a mandate to talk to Ciudadanos.

He did not clarify his party’s stance on the reforms, which

would involve launching a parliamentary investigation into an alleged PP slush fund. “Spain needs a government right now and not new elections,” Rajoy told reporters after the PP gave him a free rein to hold further talks with Ciudadanos. “What Spain needs now is an agreement to form a government.”

Ciudadanos made clear it would only talk to Rajoy if the PP first accept its reform plan, which aims to tackle corruption and change Spain’s voting system.

“As long as Rajoy does not take decisions or accept the conditions, negotiations will not begin and we will remain in the same situation that we were before,” Jose Manuel Villegas, a Ciudadanos leader, told journalists.

Rajoy was due all the same to meet Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera on Thursday.

A pact between the PP and Ciudadanos already faces significant hurdles as the two parties would still be short of a majority in parliament. That means Rajoy would also need the backing of the opposition Socialists in a par-

IN POLITICAL LIMBO: Spanish acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left, and Ciudadanos party leader Albert Rivera before the start of their meeting at the Spanish Parliament in Madrid, Spain on August 3, 2016. – Reuters file

liamentary vote to invest him as prime minister. But the Socialists baulked at this possibility, which both Rajoy and Ciudadanos have proposed. “What Mister Rajoy wants is to govern without opposition,” Socialist leader Pedro

Sanchez said. “We are not going to support what we want to change.”

Sanchez added that forming a stable government “is not done with blackmail, but with dialogue.”

Rajoy insisted that if agreement is not reached quickly, Spain

could face yet another election.

But a third vote would be unlikely to break the deadlock as polls have shown little change. “Ciudadanos has taken a step forward, the Socialist party has not taken a single one,” said Rajoy. — Reuters

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

Earth likely to get respite in 2017 after scorching heat in 2016

RECORD HEAT: A woman shades herself from the sun with an umbrella as she walks on the National Mall during warm weather in Washington, DC. July marked the Earth’s hottest month in modern times, setting a new record for planet-wide heat that has not been seen in 137 years of record-keeping, US government scientists said. – AFP

OSLO: The Earth is likely to get relief in 2017 from record scorching temperatures that bolstered governments’ resolve last year in reaching a deal to combat climate change, scientists said on Wednesday.

July was the hottest single month since records began in the 19th century, driven by greenhouse gases and an El Nino event warming the Pacific. And NASA this week cited a 99 per cent chance that 2016 will be the warmest year, ahead of 2015 and 2014.

In a welcome break, a new annual record is unlikely in 2017 since the effect of El Nino - a phenomenon that warms the eastern Pacific and can disrupt weather patterns worldwide every two-seven years - is fading. “Next year is probably going to be cooler than 2016,” said Phil Jones of the Climatic Research Unit at Britain’s University of East

Anglia. He added there was no sign of a strong La Nina, El Nino’s opposite that can cool the planet.

Record year of heat In 1998, a powerful El Nino led to a record year of heat and it took until 2005 to surpass the warmth.

That hiatus led some people who doubt mainstream findings that climate change has a human cause to conclude that global warming had stopped. “If 2017 is cooler, there will probably be some climate sceptics surfing on this information,” said Jean-Noel Thepaut, head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

“The long-term trend is towards warming but there is natural variability so there are ups and downs.

The scientific community will

have again to explain what is happening,” he told Reuters. The spike in temperatures in 1998 may also have contributed for several years to reduced government attention to climate change, which has been linked to more heat waves, floods, downpours and rising sea levels.

“One thing that the scientific community needs to be careful about is that they are not gearing up for a new ‘hiatus’ event,” said Glen Peters of the Center for International Climate and Energy Research in Oslo.

At a Paris summit last December, governments agreed the most comprehensive plan yet to shift away from fossil fuels, setting a goal of limiting the rise in temperatures to “well below” two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, ideally 1.5 Celsius. — Reuters

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LUCY P. MARCUS

People giving money without a contract is surprising This refers to the report, Fund manager goes missing, expats in Oman lose OMR15,000 (August 16). Apart from this being illegal: Who would give their hard earned money to someone with NO contract in place?

— Jonathan Parkinson , via Facebook

Scan this QR code to send letters to the Readers’ Forum, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com).

It is necessary to follow rules This refers to the report, Fund manager goes missing, expats in Oman lose OMR15,000 (August 16). It is very sad to know that many people who wished to save their hard earned money have lost it as a result of trusting the wrong person. In light of this, we have to understand rules and laws are there only to protect us and we should follow them in all situations.— Subbashini.M , Al Khuwair

IOC and its partners have a history of ignoring the perils that arise from the relationship between coaches and the young athletes they train – a fertile ground for manipulation and abuse. Coaches can use their position of authority to lead young athletes to start doping or to take advantage of them

Government needs to take notice of misuse of NOC law This refers to the report, Give us your gratuity for an NOC, demand private sector bosses in Oman (August 16). The sponsor using this law in the wrong way. If a person asking NOC firstly they refuse in a threatening manner. Secondly if they agree then they demand a huge amount. The government must should take notice. This is our humble request.

— Liaqat Mehmood , via Facebook

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Carlo Ratti & Dirk Helbing

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TIMESOFOMAN.COM/TIMESTV The ROP have reported a total of 76 arrests in the month of July.

INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY

Dangers of big data n game theory, the “price of anarchy” describes how individuals acting in their own self-interest within a larger system tend to reduce that larger system’s efficiency. It is a ubiquitous phenomenon, one that almost all of us confront, in some form, on a regular basis.

For example, if you are a city planner in charge of traffic management, there are two ways you can address traffic flows in your city. Generally, a centralised, top-down approach – one that comprehends the entire system, identifies choke points, and makes changes to eliminate them – will be more efficient than simply letting individual drivers make their own choices on the road, with the assumption that these choices, in aggregate, will lead to an acceptable outcome. The first approach reduces the cost of anarchy and makes better use of all available information.

The world today is awash in data. In 2015, mankind produced as much information as was created in all previous years of human civilisation. Every time we send a message, make a call, or complete a transaction, we leave digital traces. We are quickly approaching what Italian writer Italo Calvino presciently called the “memory of the world”: a full digital copy of our physical universe.

As the Internet expands into new realms of physical space through the Internet of Things, the price of anarchy will become a crucial metric in our society, and the temptation to eliminate it with the power of big data analytics will grow stronger.

Examples of this abound. Consider the familiar act of buying a book online through Amazon. Amazon has a mountain of information about all of its users – from their profiles to their search histories to the sentences they highlight in e-books – which it uses to predict what they might want to buy next.

As in all forms of centralised artificial intelligence, past patterns are used to forecast future ones. Amazon can look at the last ten books you purchased and, with increasing accuracy, suggest what you might want to read next.

But here we should consider what is lost when we reduce the level of anarchy. The most meaningful book you should read after those previous ten is not one that fits neatly

into an established pattern, but rather one that surprises or challenges you to look at the world in a different way.

Contrary to the traffic-flow scenario described above, optimised suggestions – which often amount to a self-fulfilling prophecy of your next purchase – might not be the best paradigm for online book browsing. Big data can multiply our options while filtering out things we don’t want to see, but there is something to be said for discovering that 11th book through pure serendipity.

What is true of book buying is also true for many other systems that are being digitised, such as our cities and societies. Centralised municipal systems now use algorithms to monitor urban infrastructure, from traffic lights and subway use, to waste disposal and energy delivery. Many mayors worldwide are fascinated by the idea of a central control room, such as Rio de Janeiro’s IBM-designed operations centre, where city managers can respond to new information in real time.

But with centralised algorithms coming to manage every facet of society, data-driven technocracy is threatening to overwhelm innovation and democracy. This outcome should be avoided at all costs. Decentralised decision-making is crucial for the enrichment of society. Data-driven optimisation, conversely, derives solutions from a predetermined paradigm, which, in its current form, often excludes the transformational or counterintuitive ideas that propel humanity forward.

A certain amount of randomness in our lives allows for new ideas or modes of thinking that would otherwise be missed. And, on a macro scale, it is necessary for life itself.

If nature had used predictive algorithms that prevented random mutation in the replication of DNA, our planet would probably still be at the stage of a very optimised single-cell organism.

Decentralised decision-making can create synergies between human and machine intelligence through processes of natural and artificial co-evolution. Distributed intelligence might sometimes reduce efficiency in the short term, but it will ultimately lead to a more creative, diverse, and resilient society.

The price of anarchy is a price well worth paying if we want to preserve innovation through serendipity. - Project Syndicate

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES AUGUST 2001 Omani team wins silver medal at Italy photography contest PRATO (ITALY): A delegation from the Photography Club at the Omani Society of Fine Arts won the silver medal in a photography competition held here. The competition was organised by the International Photography Federation with the participation of members from all over the world. Delegates from 52 countries, members of the Italian Photography Society and a large gathering of Italian people attended the prize-giving ceremony. Taha bin Suleiman Al Kashri, director of the Omani Society for the Fine Arts, headed the Omani delegation at the function.

PICTOGRAPH PROPORTION OF POPULATION USING IMPROVED SANITATION FACILITY 1993

2014

95%

99%

TODAY IN HISTORY INVITATION TO WRITERS We invite our readers to write articles on topics related to Oman. The articles should not exceed 800 words.

Send us your article along with your picture to akhtar@timesofoman.com

1759: The French fleet is destroyed by the British under “Old Dreadnought” Boscawen at the Battle of Lagos Bay. 1870: Prussian forces defeat the French at the Battle of Gravelotte during the Franco-Prussian War. 1943: The Royal Air Force Bomber Command completes the first major strike against the German missile development facility at Peenemunde.

0 Source National Centre for Statistics & Information

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

LIFESTYLE CULTURE

STORY MOHAMMED SHAFEEQE PHOTOGRAPHY SHABIN E

A R

F

ive Muscatbased housewives have been making time to pursue their passion, which has now turned into forming a professional art group where they share their enthusiasm, knowledge, and art techniques with similarly eager people and learn new things.

‘Arabs Decorem’, as they call it, is conducting their second successful exhibition of paintings in Muscat. It is a riot of colours and ideas in the lobby of the City Seasons Hotel in Al Khuwair, where the paintings are being exhibited.

The five women – Bincy Lee Binu, Sony Libin, Usha Satheesan, Mita Poddar, and Mahija Suresh – from various regions in India had moved to Oman with their husbands more than a decade ago. It all started when they went to Kalamandalam, an art institute in the city, to admit their children to art classes.

A B “As we spend time there watching our wards learn painting, we also tried our hands at it,” they say. It began slowly; but it was gripping.

“We all met at the institute, became friends and we discussed, learned, and helped each others to form this group.”

Now the group members share their knowledge, techniques, and thoughts and learn from each other. “We often go to famous artists who visit Muscat to learn a lesson or two from them. After chasing my passion in art, life has changed me in so many ways. I have changed from a normal dayto-day working lady to an art professional,” says Bincy.

Motherhood is a full-time job itself, but these women find time to be with the paint and brush, almost every day. For that, they say, ‘‘the support and inspiration we got from our family was enormous.’’

For Usha Satheesan, painting is a childhood dream and a passion. “I started with pencil dur-

S

D E C O R E M

ing my free time and it gave me the confidence to play on canvas with colours. Definitely, encouragement from family and friends played a vital role. Whenever I saw beautiful pictures or sceneries, I tried to copy it. I love painting and enjoy using my free time with paint and brush.”

The group has not yet decided to go commercial with their art and tried to sell their art works. This is for the first time that they’ve attached price tags to their works, which have been displayed in an exhibition at City Seasons Hotel.

“We have poured much emotion into our works and still feel that we don’t want to sell our paintings.

But our lives have taken a turn after such exhibitions as it helped build confidence in us. We feel from within that we have graduated to professionals from amateur painters”, they assert in one voice.

For Mahija Suresh, painting was just a hobby that grew and became a part of her life. “It brings a feel-

ing similar to what a kid feels when it looks to the stars in the night sky. That feeling keeps me going,” she said.

“It is like a new beginning,” they say, “a kind of feeling that we have revived our school days after a hiatus.” All of them had begun painting since their early years in India.

“As a child, I found immense

pleasure in painting and drawing.

This recreational activity soon blossomed into a passionate hobby, as my interest in artistic interpretations and depictions grew,” says Mita Poddar.

“Being an admirer of God’s creations and a nature lover myself, I’d been searching for ways to spend the time of life the way I wanted it

to be. Brushes and colours got into my world as the pursuit of happiness,” says Sony Libin.

“We draw our inspiration from the wonderful landscapes of the Sultanate. Initially we started imitating great masters’ works after getting some basic training at the institute. Later on we have started watching YouTube videos to learn certain painting techniques. On weekends and holidays we used to go out for family picnics and we as a group observed how the sunlight falls on mountains, trees, rocks, and wadis and tried to put that effect into our works. Sometimes we had to revisit those places to get the perfect angle and colour shades,” they said.

The works on display at the City Seasons Hotel are of realistic paintings in acrylic, oil, clay, jute, nib art, pencil, and some of them are in mixed medium. The exhibition is on till the end of this month.

—shafeeq@timesofoman.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

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IN THE NEWS

I WANT TO BECOME A BETTER SINGER: A.R. RAHMAN

H

e has two Oscars, two Grammys and a host of other awards. But showing his characteristic humility, music maestro A.R. Rahman says he wants to become a better singer before he can cut an album of non-film music.

Asked at a news conference in New York if he had plans for such an album, he said: “I want to do that, but I want to become a better singer.” What was the secret to his creativity, he was asked.

Beyond everything, he said: “There is truth; you channelise that in your consciousness.” He added: “Greatness comes from recognising the divine.”

Rahman was in New York for a concert in honour of M.S. Subbalakshmi, who became in 1966 the first Indian to perform at the United Nations. Part of the culture of growing up in Chennai was “looking at the aura” of Subbalakshmi, he said.

About the musical influences, he said he was open to all music influences. “There was Carnatic

and Tamil music all around and Hindustani. “As I grow older, I respect the cultural foundations, with MS (Subbalakshmi) as the foremost,” he added.

Prakash Muthuswamy, who coordinated the UN concert, said Rahman created the Sunshine orchestra not with accomplished musicians, but by going to slums and other places in Chennai and looking for talented young people who have not had the experience of playing musical instruments. He trained them at his own expense, taking care of their living expenses and education, even at the college level, Muthuswamy said.

The Sunshine Orchestra performed at the UN concert on Monday. Syed Akbaruddin said Subbalakshmi’s 1966 performance was like no other at the UN. She had sung the Maaithreem Bhajatha 50 years ago when there was no talk of Sustainable Development Goals or of leaving no one behind, he said. These ideas now dominate global thinking, he added.-IANS

Mohenjo Daro (Hindi) (2D) (Adventure | Romance) (PG12) Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde, Kabir Bedi 5:45, 8:35, 10:30 PM Idi (Mal) (2D) (Action | Comedy) Cast: Jayasuraya, Suryalekha Nair 8:00 PM (TBC) RUWI Screen 1 Mohenjo Daro (Action/ Drama) –PG12 Cast : Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde 2.30, 8.30 PM Rustom (Action/Thriller) –12+ Cast : Akshay Kumar, Ileana, Esha Gupta 5.30, 11.30 PM Screen 2 Rustom (Action/Thriller) –12+ 3.30 PM Happy Bhag Jayegi (Comedy / Drama) –PG12 Cast : Jimmy Shergil, Abhay Deol, Diana Penty 6.30, 9.00 PM Mohenjo Daro (Action) –PG12 11.45 PM Screen 3 Happy Bhag Jayegi (Comedy / Drama) –PG12 3.30, 11.45 PM Mohenjo Daro (Action/ History) Cast : Hrithik Roshan, Pooja 6.00 PM –PG12 Rustom (Action/Thriller) –12+ 9.00 PM SUR Rustom (Thriller- Hindi)(12+) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Ileana,

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Drama) Cast: John Travolta, Kate Bosworth, Devon Sawa 5.15 & 10.00 PM Happy Bhag Jayegi TBC (Hindi) (Romantic| Comedy) Cast: Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Deol, Diana Penty Timing: 7.10 PM SALALAH The BFG (3D) (PG) (Action ) Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby 3:00PM The Secret Life of Pets (3D) (PG) (Animation | Comedy) Cast: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet 12:30/05:10PM Cell (2D) (12+) (Horror| Sci-Fi ) Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman 7:00PM War Dogs (2D) (12+) (Comedy) Cast: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, 2:30, 9:00PM The Legend of Tarzan (3D) (PG12) (Action | Adventure) Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Rory 12:45, 11:45PM Skiptrace (2D) (PG12) (Action ) Cast: Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Bingbing Fan 1:00, 5:00, 9:40, 11:55PM Happy Bhag Jayegi (2D) (PG) (Hindi) (Romantic| Comedy) Cast: Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Deol, Diana Penty 7:10PM Rustom (2D) (12+) (Hindi)

(Action| Thriller) 9:00PM Mohenjo Daro (2D) (PG12) (Hindi) Adventure| Romance) 3:30, 11:15PM Idi (2D) (TBC) (Malayalam) (Action| Comedy) Cast: Jayasuraya, Suryalekha Nair 6:30PM BAHJA CINEMA Film information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com War Dogs (Comedy / Drama) Cast: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller 2.00, 6.00, 10.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CP No : 2041 (12+) Cell (Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller) Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman 4.00, 8.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CP No :2042 (12+) Life on the Line (Action) Cast: John Travolta, Kate Bosworth, Devon Sawa 4.00, 8.00 & 10.00 p.m.

CP No : 2043 (PG12) The Secret Life of Pets (Animation / Comedy) Cast: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet 2.00 & 6.00 p.m.

CP No :2044 (PG)

STAR CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om Idi ( Mal ) (Act \ Drama) ( ) Cast : Jayasurya, Sihivada & Joju George 3-00, 6-30 & 10-00 PM Cinema Main; From Friday: 3-00 & 10-00 pm Cinema Main; 6-45 pm Cinema -3 Babu Bangaram (Telugu ) (Act \ Drama) (PG ) Cast : Venkatesh & Nayantara 3-30 & 6-30 PM Cinema -2 Anuraga Karikkin Vallam (Mal) ( Comedy) (PG 12) Cast: Biju Menon & Asif Ali 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45pm cinema -3; From Friday: 3 45 pm Cinema -4; 9-30 PM Cinema-2 Rustom (Hindi) ( Act) ( 12 +) Cast : Akshay Kumar & Ileana Dcruz 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -4 From Friday : 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -4 Dharma Durai (Tamil) ( Act)( PG) Cast : Vijay Sethupathi & Tamannaah 9-30 pm cinema-2 From Friday : 3-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema-3; 6-30 pm Cinema Main Next Change : A Flying Jatt (Hindi) Aatadukundam Raa (Telugu ) Programmes are subject to change

B

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

OMAN CRUDE EDGES UP

MARKE

Oman Crude (October delivery) edged up by 16 cents to $46 per barrel on Wednesday, said Dubai Mercantile Exchange. The average price of Oman Crude (September delivery) was $43.40 per barrel -$3.20 lower than August delivery 2016. – ONA

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Muscat 5,894.05 + 7.09 + 0.12%

Dubai 3,556.62 - 30.59 - 0.85%

Abu Dhabi 4,540.25 - 2.59 - 0.06%

Kuwait 5,473.62 - 33.43 - 0.61%

Saudi Arabia

6,270.14 - 58.14 - 0.92%

Bahrain 1,147.84 - 4.13 - 0.36%

Qatar 11,327.89 - 43.23 - 0.38%

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 ........................................... 1.97 Indian Rs ............................. 173.58 Pakistan Rs ........................267.24 Bangla Taka......................200.92

Indian Rs ...................................173.35 Pakistan Rs ............................. 271.60 Sri Lanka Rs .................................. N/A Bangla Taka........................... 203.50 Phil Peso ................................... 120.50

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) ........ 17.15

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ........$45.83 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$45.98 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ..........$47.18 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) .........$46.10 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........ $48.76

M U S C AT T R A D I N G

Cement shares surge ahead on hectic trading

* Rates as of August 17 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

* Rates are as of August 17 Source: Bank Muscat

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) .........$46.14

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......16.45 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ........... 162.50 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............152.25 * Rates as of August 17 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

‘Cost-reflective’ tariffs for large consumers on cards

Times News Service MUSCAT: Shares of two cement companies in Oman surged ahead on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM), after both the companies announced their plans to establish a joint venture cement plant in Duqm.

Raysut Cement shares soared by 1.69 per cent to OMR1.505 amid 133,544 shares changing hands, while Oman Cement shares moved up by 1.66 per cent to 490 baisas on better demand for 1.75 million shares. This is over and above Tuesday’s increase of 2.07 per cent and 2.55 per cent in share prices of Raysut Cement and Oman Cement, respectively.

New cement plant Oman Cement Company and Raysut Cement Company on Tuesday said that both firms were planning to build a new cement plant in joint venture within the Duqm Special Economic Zone.

The two cement producers have achieved a 10.78 per cent (an additional 312,545 tonnes) growth in combined cement sales at 3.21 million tonnes in the first half of 2016, up from 2.90 million tonnes for the same period of last year, and despite severe competition from neighbouring cement producers.

The country’s construction projects, that mainly involve building infrastructure, have propped up demand for cement.

Since several mega projects are coming up in Duqm and the transportation cost is high for cement, it is an ideal location for a cement plant to meet the requirements of the Al Wusta region.

State-owned Public Authority for Electricity and Water said it is working along with Authority for Electricity Regulation to introduce a fully cost-reflective tariff for large industrial consumers

A. E. JAMES

REFORMS: It is apparent that the government will introduce reforms that will have far-reaching implications on the economy as the authorities are planning to eliminate electricity subsidy for large industrial consumers. – Bloomberg file picture

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: State-owned Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) said that it is working along with Authority for Electricity Regulation and other agencies to introduce a fully ‘cost-reflective’ tariff for large industrial consumers of electricity.

It is apparent that the government will introduce reforms that will have far-reaching implications on the economy as the authorities are planning to eliminate power subsidy for large industrial consumers. International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised Oman government to introduce reforms aimed at cutting energy subsidies

in a move to eliminate budget deficit amid sluggish oil prices.

Full-scale tariff reform “The ultimate aim of this is to ensure that the correct economic messages are given to large consumers – promoting the efficient use of energy. This work is linked with the wider issue of full-scale tariff reform across all consumer classes as advocated by the National Energy Strategy Study (NESS),” PAEW said in its latest annual report.

Public Authority for Electricity and Water also led (on behalf of

the Ministry of Finance) a major study examining the National Energy Strategy – the NESS study.

This study, which started in 2014 and examined the development of the whole energy system in Oman up to 2040, was completed in 2015 and recommendations have been passed to the Ministry of Finance to progress within government.

“One of the key recommendations of the NESS project was a reform of energy pricing to gradually eliminate subsidies over a number of years.”

Given the potential socio-economic impact of such a change,

PAEW commissioned an international consultant - Maxwell Stamp - to examine the impacts of increases in utility pricing and recommend measures to protect the most vulnerable customer groups, said the PAEW report.

Recommendations This study completed at the end of 2015 and the recommendations have now been passed to the Ministry of Finance for consideration along with the NESS project.

PAEW report also added that in 2015, the Council of Financial Affairs and Energy Resources has

approved a proposal from PAEW to allow the development of renewable energy projects where these are competitive with the Omani gas price in the international markets. The decision has now been passed on to AER for implementation and will allow the increasing use of renewable generation capacity.

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C R U D E S U P P LY

J O B S AT S TA K E

Cisco to make 14,000 workers redundant Conditions are right SAN FRANCISCO: Cisco Systems, the largest maker of networking equipment, will cut as many as 14,000 employees worldwide, or 20 per cent of its workforce, CRN reported, citing people close to the company.

San Jose, California-based Cisco will announce the cuts in the next few weeks, CRN said on Tuesday, without naming its sources. Andrea Duffy, a spokeswoman for Cisco, declined to comment on the report.

Chief executive officer Chuck Robbins, who took over in July 2015, has been working to boost growth by shifting Cisco’s offerings toward software-based networking, security and management products, which customers increasingly prefer because they’re less expensive and more versatile.

Cisco will report fiscal fourthquarter earnings after the close in New York. Analysts project a 2 per cent decline in sales to $12.6 billion. Cisco had about 73,100 employees as of April, according to data. The company last announced a large round of firings in

tions, such as Jasper Technologies, which makes programs that let companies connect all manner of electronic devices.

Sales growth Results released in May showed that Robbins is making headway in rejiggering Cisco’s businesses.

The company projected sales growth of as much as 3 per cent in the period that ended in July, compared to analysts’ projections for a revenue decline.

Even so, Robbins said the company still has a long way to go and that earnings are not where they should be.

Cisco’s biggest division, switching, had third-quarter sales of $3.45 billion, a decline of 3 per SHIFTING STRATEGY: Chief executive officer Chuck Robbins, who took over in July 2015, has been working to boost growth by shifting cent from a year earlier. Its second-largest division, routing, sufCisco’s offerings toward software-based networking. – Bloomberg News fered a 5 per cent drop in sales to $1.89 billion, the company said.

August 2014, when it eliminated early retirement plans have al- Newer units including security, ready been offered to employees, service-provider video and col6,000 positions. laboration all posted sales inThe new emphasis on software the website reported.

Cisco has shown its appetite creases of more than 10 per cent. is requiring staff with a different set of skills, CRN reported. Many for software with recent acquisi- Bloomberg News

FINANCIAL SECTOR

China uncovers $30b illegal banking activity BEIJING: Chinese police have this year uncovered $30 billion worth of illegal banking activity, involving 158 cases of underground banks and money laundering, the official Xinhua news agency reported the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) as saying late on Tuesday.

A special task force, jointly launched by the MPS, central bank, and foreign exchange regulator, uncovered illegal banking

services in 192 locations, the report said.

Beijing started a crackdown on underground banks in April last year and uncovered over 170 cases of money laundering and illegal fund transfers involving more than 800 billion yuan as of last November.

China has been dogged by reports of rogue managers of P2P shadow banking platforms - and has been criticised by local and

overseas investors for being soft on money laundering, prompting authorities to take action.

Crackdown The crackdown included the investigation on the country’s biggest underground banking case that handled $64 billion worth of illegal transactions. Although the crackdown has curbed underground banking to some extent, illegal activities using those “grey

capital” networks are still spreading and becoming more elusive, the report said.

Underground banks are channels for transferring money obtained through illegal activity, including public funds embezzled by corrupt officials, it added. “Criminal activities by underground banks are still rampant. There is increasing collusion among underground banks in different regions,” Xinhua reported. - Reuters

for crude output freeze deal: Former Opec chief LONDON: Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) is on course to strike an outputfreeze deal with fellow oil producers in Algiers next month because its biggest members are already pumping flat-out, the group’s former president said.

While a similar initiative failed in April, an agreement can now be reached as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and non-member Russia are producing at, or close to, maximum capacity, Chakib Khelil said in a Bloomberg Television interview.

Khelil steered Opec in 2008, the last time it implemented an output cut, which was announced in Algeria in December of that year.

“All the conditions are set for an agreement,” Khelil said from Washington. “Probably this is the time because most of the big countries like Russia, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia are reaching their top production level. They have gained all the market share they could gain.”

Probably this is the time because most of the big countries like Russia, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia are reaching their top production level. They have gained all the market share they could gain Chakib Khelil Former head, Opec

Informal talks in Algeria While oil prices have advanced since Opec announced it would hold informal talks in the Algerian capital next month, analysts from UBS Group to Commerzbank doubt any freeze deal will be completed, and comments from Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have kept expectations low.

Talks collapsed in April as Saudi Arabia insisted Iran would have to limit its production, a condition the country rejected as it ramped up exports previously curbed by sanctions.

As producers are almost pump-

ing at full-tilt, the impact of any accord to prevent further increases would essentially be “psychological,” Khelil said. That would nonetheless have a benefit for the market, according to the Algerian, who was also the country’s energy minister from 1999 to 2010.

The global crude oversupply is already diminishing, and markets will probably reach “complete equilibrium” next year, Khelil said.

- Bloomberg News

B2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

MARKET MSM index edges up

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,894.07 ...............5,886.77 ................... 5,894.05 ...................5,886.96.................... 7.09 ................... 0.12 Financial Index .....................................7,588.37 ...............7,578.54 ....................7,581.92 ................... 7,578.88....................3.04 ...................0.04 Industrial Index ....................................7,632.05 ................7,616.73 ....................7,630.12 ................... 7,603.95..................26.17 ...................0.34 Services Index .......................................3,191.44 ............... 3,186.13 ................... 3,186.20 ....................3,191.43.................. -5.23 .................. -0.16 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 899.41 .................. 897.85 .......................898.75 ...................... 896.89.................... 1.86 ................... 0.21 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 21,182,139 ..................5,042,359 ..................1,273 ............... 17,300,218,522 ................ 10 ........................6 .................... 31 .........................47

Bank Nizwa was the most active stock in terms of volume, while Bank Muscat was the

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17

most active in terms of turnover 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: Buying in banking and cement stocks lifted the MSM30 Index to 5,894.05 points, up by 0.12 per cent. Higher than usual foreign participation lifted market turnover to OMR5 million. The MSM Sharia Index ended at 898.75 points, up by 0.21 per cent. Bank Nizwa was the most active stock in terms of volume, while Bank Muscat was the most active turnover-wise. Raysut Cement was the top gainer, up by 1.69 per cent, while Al Jazeera Services was the top loser, down by 1.46 per cent.

As many as 1,273 trades were executed on Wednesday, generating turnover of OMR5.04 million with 21.2 million shares changing hands. Out of 47 traded securities, 10 advanced, six declined and 31 remained unchanged.

GCC and Arab investors were net buyers for OMR357,000 followed by Omani investors for OMR173,000, while foreign investors switched to net sellers for OMR530,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index had marginal gains of 0.04 per cent and closed at 7,581.92 points. Takaful Oman, Al Sharqia Investments, Oman & Emirates Holding and Bank Muscat rose by 0.81 per cent, 0.71 per cent, 0.68 per cent and 0.51 per cent, respectively. Al Izz Bank declined by 1.45 per cent to close at OMR0.068.

Industrial Index rallied 0.34 per cent to close at 7,630.12 points. Raysut Cement, Oman Cement, National Aluminium and Voltamp Energy gained by 1.69 per cent, 1.66 per cent, 1.47 per cent and 1.44 per cent, respectively. Al Anwar Ceramics and Gulf International Chemicals declined by 0.45 per cent and 0.37 per cent, respectively.

Services Index closed at 3,186.20 points, down by 0.16 per cent. Al Batinah Power and Al Suwadi Power gained by 1.02 per cent and 0.51 per cent, respec-

tively. Al Jazeera Services, Renaissance Services and Phoenix Power declined by 1.46 per cent, 1.46 per cent and 0.66 per cent, respectively.

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

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ...................................................... 133,544 .........200,667......................14 ............1.500 ........... 1.625 ...........1.500............1.505 .............1.480.............0.025 ............. 1.689 ................1.625 ..............1.500...................1.625 ................. 301,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 1,749,790........857,167..................... 87 ........... 0.490 ...........0.494 ...........0.486........... 0.490 .............0.482 ........... 0.008............. 1.660 ................0.486..............0.486...................0.490 .................162,127,628 ........0.100 OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ...............39,800 ...............8,248........................6 ............0.210 ........... 0.210 ...........0.205........... 0.207 .............0.204 ........... 0.003..............1.471.................0.205..............0.203...................0.205 ...................6,949,290 ..........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 400,000............79,079........................9 ............0.197 ........... 0.198 ...........0.196 ........... 0.198 ............. 0.196............ 0.002............. 1.020 ................0.198 ..............0.189...................0.198...................133,627,711 ........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 255,901 ........... 36,065......................18 ............0.140 ........... 0.142 ...........0.140............0.141 .............0.140 ............0.001 ............. 0.714 ................0.140.............. 0.139...................0.140...................12,690,000.........0.100

Qatar bourse The rally in Qatar’s stock market may have been too strong for its own good.

The QE Index’s world-beating 2.2 per cent advance on Tuesday left it about 7 per cent above the average of analysts’ price targets, the most among more than 70 gauges tracked by Bloomberg.

The measure’s 14-day relative strength index was at 83 points, above the level of 70 that typically signals a security is poised to reverse direction.

Investors are betting a promotion by index provider FTSE Russell to emerging-market status next month will stoke inflows to Qatari stocks. The shares have outpaced a wider rally across the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council amid a rebound in energy prices. The gains accelerated this week when FTSE relaxed criteria for including the equities.

“People are putting money in the Qatari market not because they’re absolutely convinced of its fundamentals, but to anticipate passive flows following the FTSE upgrade,” said Simon Kitchen, an equity strategist at Cairo-based EFG-Hermes Holding, the Arab world’s largest listed investment bank.

“It’s a one-off event. Some investors are wondering how long the rally can last.”

There are still signs the market is gaining momentum. Qatar National Bank last month reported second-quarter profit that beat analyst estimates by the most in almost five years.

Last week, the QE Index’s 50-day moving average climbed above its 100-day equivalent.

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 1,099,401 .......161,169.....................40 ............0.146 ........... 0.148 ...........0.146 ............0.147 .............0.146.............0.001 ............. 0.685 ................0.146 ..............0.146...................0.147................... 17,915,625 .........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 3,135,756....1,248,541...................368 ........... 0.396 ...........0.400 ...........0.396........... 0.398 .............0.396 ........... 0.002............. 0.505 ................0.398..............0.396...................0.398..................993,507,603........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................... 56,705 .............11,268........................4 ............0.198 ........... 0.199 ...........0.198 ........... 0.199 ............. 0.198.............0.001 ............. 0.505 ................0.199 ..............0.199...................0.212..................142,166,862........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY .....................................................24,472 .............11,203......................14 ........... 0.456 ........... 0.458 ...........0.456........... 0.458 .............0.456 ........... 0.002............. 0.439 ................0.456..............0.456...................0.460 ..................27,709,000 .........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE .................................12,500 ............... 3,750........................4 ........... 0.300...........0.300 ...........0.300 .......... 0.300 .............0.300 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.300 .............0.294...................0.300 ..................30,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ........................... 2,550 .................. 587........................1 ........... 0.230 ...........0.230 ...........0.230........... 0.232 .............0.232 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.230..............0.230...................0.238...................22,049,280 ........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ........................................................... 139,776 ............ 88,367..................... 23 ........... 0.632 ........... 0.636 ...........0.632........... 0.632 .............0.632 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.632..............0.632...................0.636...................34,760,000.........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ........................................ 500 .................. 129........................1 ........... 0.257 ...........0.257 ...........0.257........... 0.255 .............0.255 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.257..............0.255...................0.257..................376,069,225........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 1,731,745 ........176,455..................... 77 ............0.102 ........... 0.103 ...........0.101 ........... 0.102 .............0.102 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.102.............. 0.101...................0.103..................204,031,905 .......0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.................. 8,706 ............... 1,732........................5 ............0.199 ........... 0.199 ...........0.199 ........... 0.199 ............. 0.199............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.199 ..............0.199...................0.202 ..................39,800,000.........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 119,873 .............23,375......................15 ............0.195 ........... 0.195 ...........0.195 ............0.195 ............. 0.195............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.195 ..............0.194...................0.195 ...................34,125,479 .........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 808,357 ......... 216,744.....................60 ........... 0.266 ...........0.270 ...........0.266........... 0.268 .............0.268 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.266..............0.266...................0.269 ..................33,472,653 .........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 150,000 ........... 28,350........................5 ............0.189 ........... 0.189 ...........0.189 ........... 0.189 ............. 0.189............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.189 ..............0.180...................0.189..................269,331,831 ........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ............................................15 .....................29........................1 ............1.915 ........... 1.915............ 1.915 ........... 1.900 .............1.900 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................ 1.915 ...............1.915...................2.090 .................180,500,000 .......0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING .........................17,352 ............... 1,666........................5 ........... 0.096 ...........0.096 ...........0.096........... 0.096 .............0.096 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.096..............0.096...................0.097....................2,880,000..........0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ..............................................................10,000 .............. 2,500........................1 ........... 0.250 ...........0.250 ...........0.250........... 0.250 .............0.250 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.250............. 0.240...................0.250 ................ 424,800,350 .......0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 876,855 ..........109,417.....................40 ............0.125 ........... 0.125 ...........0.123 ............0.125 ............. 0.125............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.123 ..............0.123...................0.125.................... 7,355,402 ..........0.100 OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. .......29,380 .............43,189........................3 ............1.470 ........... 1.470 ...........1.470 ............1.470 ............. 1.470............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.470 ..............1.450...................1.470..................101,430,000........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 188,510 .......... 309,081......................17 ............1.635 ........... 1.640 ...........1.635 ........... 1.640 .............1.640 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................1.640.............. 1.635...................1.640................1,230,000,000......0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT .................... 4,457 ...................771........................2 ............0.173 ........... 0.173 ...........0.173 ............0.175 ............. 0.175............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.173 .............. 0.173...................0.175 ...................35,000,000.........0.100 OM0000003281............TAAGEER FINANCE ................................................... 11,200 ............... 1,366........................3 ............0.122 ........... 0.122 ...........0.122........... 0.122 .............0.122 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.122..............0.120...................0.122...................30,937,980 .........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 3,597,089 .......611,513................... 173 ............0.170 ........... 0.171............0.170 ........... 0.170 ............. 0.170............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.170 ..............0.169...................0.170..................272,764,888........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 235,023 ........... 24,645......................12 ............0.105 ........... 0.105 ...........0.104........... 0.105 .............0.105............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.105 ..............0.104...................0.105...................30,447,967 .........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER................................................................2,000 .................. 560........................2 ........... 0.280...........0.280 ...........0.280 .......... 0.280 .............0.280 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.280..............0.273...................0.280 ..................61,882,800.........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO........................................................................151,131 ...........112,799......................13 ............0.748 ........... 0.748 ...........0.740............0.748 ............. 0.748............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.740..............0.736...................0.740................. 486,906,284 .......0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH................................................31,200 ...............7,394........................6 ........... 0.237 ........... 0.237 ...........0.237........... 0.237 .............0.237 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.237..............0.236...................0.237..................226,233,552 .......0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL...............................................31,400 ...............2,292........................3 ........... 0.073 ........... 0.073 ...........0.073........... 0.073 .............0.073 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.073..............0.072...................0.073...................12,775,000 .........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................. 50,000 .............23,991........................8 ............0.478 ...........0.480 ...........0.478........... 0.480 .............0.480 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.480..............0.460...................0.480 ..................25,200,000 ........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ..............85,000 ............22,900..................... 10 ........... 0.269 ...........0.270 ...........0.269........... 0.269 .............0.270 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.370 ...............0.270..............0.262...................0.269 ...................5,649,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES .................................99,050 ............. 21,771........................8 ........... 0.220...........0.220 ...........0.218........... 0.220 .............0.221 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.452 ...............0.218 ..............0.218...................0.220 .................. 65,167,010 .........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 121,422.............32,742......................21 ........... 0.272 ...........0.272 ...........0.268........... 0.270 .............0.274 ...........-0.004 ........... -1.460 ...............0.270..............0.268...................0.270 ..................80,669,972 .........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ........................................... 54,200 .............10,926......................12 ........... 0.205 ...........0.205 ...........0.200 .......... 0.202 .............0.205 ...........-0.003 ............-1.463................0.200 ............ 0.200...................0.204 ..................12,363,263 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 15,464,660 4,492,451................1,091 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......37........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE .............................117,663 ............. 14,715........................6 ............0.124 ........... 0.126 ...........0.124............0.125 .............0.124 ............0.001 .............0.806 ................0.126 ..............0.126...................0.129...................12,500,000.........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ......................8,000 ..................264........................1 ........... 0.033 ...........0.033 ...........0.033........... 0.033 .............0.033 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.033..............0.032...................0.033....................2,805,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ...................................................2,500 ...............1,544........................2 ........... 0.608 ...........0.620 ...........0.608........... 0.608 .............0.608 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.620..............0.608...................0.620 ..................95,760,000 .........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................25,500 ............... 1,632........................7 ........... 0.064 ...........0.064 ...........0.064........... 0.064 .............0.064 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.064..............0.063...................0.064 ...................8,000,000..........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING................................... 34,900 ...............2,722........................5 ........... 0.078 ........... 0.078 ...........0.078........... 0.078 .............0.078 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.078..............0.077...................0.078....................5,866,224 ..........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 3,812,918 ......289,503......................91 ........... 0.077 ........... 0.077 ...........0.075........... 0.076 .............0.076 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.076..............0.076...................0.077..................114,000,000........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 1,499,146 ......224,798.....................60 ............0.150 ........... 0.151............0.149 ........... 0.150 ............. 0.151 ............-0.001 ........... -0.662 ...............0.150 ..............0.149...................0.150..................219,390,219 ........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 216,350 ............14,680........................8 ........... 0.068 ...........0.068 ...........0.067........... 0.068 .............0.069 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.449 ...............0.068..............0.067...................0.069...................68,000,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 5,716,977.......549,858...................180 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 8........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

- United Securities/Bloomberg News

FOREIGN TRADE

INDIAN STOCKS

Sensex extends losses, falls 59 points MUMBAI: Continuing its downward journey for the second straight day, BSE Sensex on Wednesday fell over 59 points to end at 28,005.37 on selling mainly in IT, Oil & Gas, pharma counters as participants remained cautious amid indication that United States Federal Reserve could raise rates as early as September.

The BSE benchmark index on Wednesday opened marginally lower at 28,061.79 and hovered in a

range of 28,174.30 to 27,960.14 before closing at 28,005.37, showing a fall of 59.24 points or 0.21 per cent.

The gauge had lost 87.79 points in the previous session.

The 50-issue Nifty fell 18.50 points or 0.21 per cent to close at 8,624.05. Intra-day, it hovered between 8,667.10 and 8,603.60. Of the 30-share Sensex pack, 15 today closed in the red.

Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit BNP Paribas Fi-

nancial Services, said, “Comments from Fed presidents playing up chances of even a September US rate hike, kept global markets on a watch mode, especially with FOMC minutes due for release later in the day.”

“Indian stocks continued to get picked up from lower levels, but with few immediate domestic triggers, buyers were seen reluctant to chase prices higher,” he added.

- PTI

Singapore’s exports drop; currency takes a beating SINGAPORE: Singapore’s exports plunged the most in four months as orders from China, Indonesia and the United States dropped. The local currency fell as the report provided more evidence that the economy is slowing.

Non-oil domestic exports dropped 10.6 per cent in July from a year earlier, worse than the median estimate of a 2.5 per cent decline in a survey of 15 economists, a government report showed on Wednesday.

That compares to a revised 2.4 per cent decline in June.

Singapore this month cut the top end of its 2016 growth forecast after the economy expanded less than previously estimated in the second quarter.

The island nation, a financial centre and major trading hub, said the world’s prospects have weakened since May, with the UK’s vote to leave the European Union adding uncertainties and China’s economy at risk from a

potential spike in debt defaults.

Still, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) signaled it’s not ready for a second-round of easing after an unexpected move in April, saying August 11 the “current stance of monetary policy remains appropriate” even as additional downside risks in the global economy remain.

“I’d thought the MAS would stay on hold in October, but the risk of a downward re-centering is rising, considering the GDP forecast revision last week, weakness in exports and sluggish consumption,” said Hirofumi Suzuki,

an economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking. “The Singapore dollar is still strong and continues to hit exports.”

The Singapore dollar fell as much as 0.13 per cent to S$1.3418 against its US counterpart after the report, set for its first decline in three days.

Electronics shipments contracted 12.9 per cent in July from a year earlier, while petrochemical exports fell 35 per cent. Sales to China slid 17 percent, those to the US declined 19 per cent and shipments to Indonesia plunged 23 per cent. - Bloomberg News

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

B3

MARKET DINERS CLUB

Al Omaniya not to proceed with acquisition plan

Traders on Italian bourse bracing for more turmoil

Times News Service MUSCAT: Al Omaniya Financial Services on Wednesday said that it is not proceeding with a plan to acquire operations of the Diners Club Credit Card business in Oman from the Commercial Bank, Qatar. The company disclosed the information in a statement posted on MSM website.

expectedly stalled in the second quarter, missing forecasts for a 0.2 per cent expansion.

The Bank of Italy and the International Monetary Fund have both lowered their projections for the year, predicting an expansion of less than 1 per cent.

But, after a slide of 22 per cent this year for the FTSE MIB, Jasper Lawler, a London-based analyst at CMC Markets, said that some investors may see an upside: valuations on Italian stocks have fallen to about 13 times their estimated earnings, near the cheapest in four years versus the Stoxx Europe 600 Index.

“The referendum doesn’t deserve the kind of concern it has generated,” he said. “Italy is arguably behind the curve with the reforms, but this referendum is part of Renzi trying to catch up and do some things. It’s a question of whether you want to go with the momentum or value.”

With a looming referendum on political reform expected in November and an

C H I N A G AT E WAY

ongoing banking

Link to help Hong Kong Exchange

crisis in Italy, traders are paying up to hedge against more stock turbulence

HONG KONG: Charles Li, chief executive officer of Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, said he believes the link with Shenzhen will help cement his city’s status as the gateway to China’s multi-trillion dollar investor base.

Li said in an interview with Bloomberg Television that he expects that the flow of money from the mainland will increase after Hong Kong and Chinese regulators on Tuesday announced plans to link the city’s bourse to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Doubling daily limits The initiative would double daily limits for equity purchases from the mainland and will scrap total quotas, which were introduced with the launch of the first link, to the Shanghai exchange, in late 2014.

The long-delayed Shenzhen connect is part of China’s efforts to open its capital markets and increase its global influence.

The nation has about $20 trillion deposited in banks, of which about a half will be invested in equities and bonds in the next two decades, Li said.

“The long term significance of the connect is the southbound,” Li told Rishaad Salamat and Haidi Lun. “Hong Kong’s job is to bring the world to Hong Kong, so China can invest in the world at this full stop in Hong Kong.” - Bloomberg News

ZURICH: While most westernEuropean markets have recovered from the Brexit shock, Italy still has a long way to go.

With a looming referendum and an ongoing banking crisis, traders are paying up to hedge against more stock turbulence.

Investors in the Mediterranean nation, already suffering the world’s biggest losses this year, are bracing for a vote on political reform expected in November that could decide the fate of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

They have pushed the price of options protecting against volatility in Italian equities for the next three months to the highest since 2013 versus shorter-term contracts, according to data.

European politics Citigroup has branded the plebiscite the largest risk in European politics this year outside the UK. Italian banks are also suffering as they scramble to shore up capital in the face of €360 billion ($406 billion) of bad debt.

For Kevin Lilley, a manager of euro-area equities at Old Mutual Global Investors in London, the danger is so high he cut his Italian holdings to just one company — defence firm Leonardo-Finmeccanica — after selling shares in-

WORLD’S WORST STOCK MARKET: Investors have pushed the price of options protecting against volatility in Italian equities for the next three months to the highest since 2013 versus shorter-term contracts. – Bloomberg News

the market is heading for a seventh month of outflows in eight.

The FTSE MIB fell 0.3 percent at 9:06 a.m. in Milan.

cluding Banca Popolare di Milano Scarl and Mediobanca.

“Italy has been so oversold in the last year because of the political uncertainty,” said Lilley, whose firm manages about $34 billion.

“The referendum is a completely binary event, it’s a very good thing for Italy if it’s passed because it simplifies the decision-making process. But unfortunately the prime minister has tied his future to the result and banking problems are still in the background.”

Last year, when a China-led selloff erased as much as $8.3 trillion from global equities, Italy bucked the trend. The benchmark FTSE MIB Index reached a near six-year high in July 2015, and surged an annual 13 per cent, as an overhaul of employment laws and expectations of a domestic economic revival buoyed investor confidence. This year, the equity benchmark has slid down the rankings, and one of the biggest exchange-traded funds tracking

Italy’s banks Italy’s banks are leading losses among European stocks amid concern over their levels of bad debt.

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which fared the worst among 51 of its peers subjected to recent European stress tests, has plummeted 80 per cent in 2016 as its plan to offload billions in doubtful loans and increase capital failed to win over investors. Unione di Banche Italiane, which has fallen 62 per cent this year, earlier this month reported a second-quarter loss on higher bad-loan provisions and restructuring costs.

The economic picture offers little comfort: Italian growth un-

R A I S I N G C A P I TA L

TECHNOLOGY

APPLE’S CARPLAY: Hyundai has been among the most aggressive automakers adopting Apple’s CarPlay and Alphabet’s Android Auto, which integrate iPhone and Android handsets with car dashboards. – Bloomberg News

Hyundai Motor discusses partnership with Google SEOUL: Hyundai Motor is in discussions with Google about further partnerships as South Korea’s largest carmaker seeks external expertise to remain competitive.

The two companies have some common areas that may require cooperation, Hyundai Motor president Jeong Jin Haeng said in an interview in Seoul after a meeting between the Trade Ministry and local carmakers.

Hyundai has been among the most aggressive automakers adopting Apple’s CarPlay and Alphabet’s Android Auto, which integrate iPhone and Android handsets with car dashboards.

“Hyundai is lagging behind

the competition to develop autonomous vehicles,” said Ko Tae Bong, senior auto analyst at Hi Investment & Securities.

“It’s not a choice but a critical prerequisite for Hyundai to cooperate with IT companies, such as Google, to survive in the near future,” he added.

Self-driving car Any potential collaboration between the two companies may be aided by John Krafcik, the former Hyundai United States chief who joined Google in 2015 to lead its self-driving car project.

Jeong didn’t give further details or confirm if the automaker is

considering developing autonomous cars with Google.

Unlike rival automakers, Hyundai and affiliate Kia Motors have shunned joint ventures or alliances to make high-cost, low-volume sports cars and electric vehicles.

Hyundai is now seeking to transform its go-it-alone strategy and become more open to tie-ups with tech upstarts and Silicon Valley giants to stay relevant in the coming era of connected cars and autonomous driving. Hyundai’s shares rose 1.5 per cent to 135,000 won in Seoul trading, the biggest gain in almost a week, while the benchmark Kospi Index fell 0.2 per cent. - Bloomberg News

Opportunistic The conglomerate will consider selling around a 5 per cent stake in the unit, for which Aditya Birla Nuvo is currently the holding company, and is open to sovereign funds as well as private equity firms, Adukia said.

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

ECONOMY

Birla to sell 5% finance unit stake before listing MUMBAI: Indian billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla’s group may sell a 5 per cent stake in its financial services unit to help raise capital, providing a valuation gauge for a business it plans to list next year.

The $41-billion apparel-to-aluminum conglomerate sees financial services as the next growth area with traditional businesses such as cement and chemicals expanding at a more subdued pace.

Securing cheaper financing for the lending unit was one of the key motivations behind a group restructuring, announced last week, that would combine Grasim Industries and Aditya Birla Nuvo into a company with $9 billion in revenue.

The proposal triggered a stock rout in both the merging entities.

There is “a provision for raising some primary capital as part of the merger” between Grasim and Aditya Birla Nuvo, according to Saurabh Agrawal, Aditya Birla Group’s chief strategy officer. “For financial services, the requirement is capital. If somebody comes to us and gives us very attractive terms, then we will evaluate it.”

Ashish Adukia, head of group corporate finance, said that a Rs156 billion ($2.3 billion) valuation for Aditya Birla Financial Services, estimated by Religare Capital Markets in an August 12 report, seemed low.

He declined to comment further on the unit’s value.

The group is seeking to raise at least $200 million through the stake sale, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.

Valuation case Still, the valuation case may not be compelling enough to attract investors focusing on banking woes and the potential ramifications of the referendum. Ratings company DBRS, which is used by the European Central Bank for grading collateral for its liquidity operations, said on Aug. 5 that it was reviewing Italy’s credit score, citing political risks and the “fragile recovery.”

“There’s the banking issue and then the referendum issue,” said Thomas Haerter, chief investment officer at Zurich-based consultancy firm Wellershoff & Partners. “It’s difficult to see why stocks should perform without earnings normalisation -- we have sluggish growth and low interest rates, so even if you have a credible bank bailout you are still left with a profitability problem. It’s a mess, and it’s difficult to see the way out.” - Bloomberg News

Kumar Mangalam Birla

“We can do this only towards the end of the merger scheme,” Adukia said. “It’ll be totally opportunistic, frankly.” Aditya Birla Nuvo rose as much as 3.1 per cent on Wednesday trading in Mumbai, the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex traded up as much as 0.3 per cent.

Credit growth Credit growth at the financialservices business has increased to Rs277.3 billion as of March from Rs18.50 billion in 2011, Adukia said. The business needs access to rs10 billion annually for a couple of years, he said.

Aditya Birla Nuvo has invested around Rs60 billion in the financial-services unit, while Birla has invested around Rs25 billion in the holding company, according to Adukia. The billionaire owner said on August 11 that a listing of the lending arm is expected by June.

The merged entity will have a 57 per cent stake in the finance business, the owners will have a 17 per cent stake and the rest will be held by the public, according to an August 11 presentation on Grasim’s website. - Bloomberg News

Russia shelves $5 billion deal as asset sales hit snag MOSCOW: Russia is delaying what would have been its biggest asset sale in a decade after renewed weakness in global oil markets and tensions among potential buyers upended plans to offer a stake in Bashneft.

“The prime minister made the decision, which was approved by the President, to move the Bashneft privatisation to a later date,” Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said by phone, without elaborating.

The sale won’t happen this year, the news website RBC reported, citing a person it didn’t identify.

Bashneft shares dropped 13 per cent in Moscow to the lowest intraday price in two weeks.

The government planned to sell as much as 50.08 per cent of the regional oil producer next month to help plug the budget deficit following the collapse of crude prices that helped tip the economy into its longest recession in two decades.

Crude producers The deal, valued at as much as 315 billion roubles ($5 billion), had drawn the interest of two of the nation’s biggest crude producers and would have been Russia’s largest since Rosneft’s initial $10.7 billion public offering in 2006.

Reasons for the delay included a weak market and the state’s plan to sell other assets this year, including almost 20 percent of Rosneft, Russia’s largest crude producer, RBC reported. While Rosneft was weighing a bid, the government opposed the move, citing President Vladimir Putin’s decision, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Lukoil, Russia’s biggest non-state crude producer, also expressed interest in buying a controlling stake, although it said Bashneft was now overvalued. - Bloomberg News

B4

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

FEATURE VACUUM OF GENUINE LEADERSHIP ON TRADE

T

he liberal economic order created in the second half of the 20th century has rarely seemed in such danger. The United States and Europe led the way in building that system but are no longer its champions.

The next US president, it seems, will be either a timid, wavering defender of trade or an outright protectionist. Meanwhile, Britain’s decision to leave the European Union brings the prospect of new trade barriers within the EU, threatening wider disruption to what’s been up to now a model of economic integration.

The threat is not so much that there will be a headlong retreat from globalisation. The forces pushing the other way — advancing technology, not least — are probably too powerful. Rather, it’s that dithering and incompetent governments will prevent a liberal economic order

from realising its full potential. Unless something changes, excellent opportunities for spreading prosperity farther and faster will be lost.

To seize those chances, leaders need to understand why globalisation works, be willing to make the case to sceptical voters, and do more to support those workers whom international trade — or any other kind of economic disruption — threatens to leave behind.

Globalisation is simply competition writ large. One of the few things economists know for sure — maybe the only thing — is that competition spurs innovation and efficiency, making products better and cheaper, and raising living standards in the aggregate. The wider the scope of this competition, the better. If barriers to trade and competition worked, living standards in the former Soviet empire

would have vaulted past those in the US, leaving American consumers to gaze enviously on the good life, Cuban-style.

What about the rallying cry of the new protectionists — the idea that trade should be fair rather than free? Some rules are needed, of course, to avoid labour and environmental abuses, and to guard against predatory subsidies and exchange-rate policies. Past and prospective free-trade pacts aren’t lacking in such rules.

Yet the claim that trade with low-wage countries is unfair in and of itself is both economically specious and morally bankrupt. When goods are made at lowest cost, it’s a win-win for trading partners. And make no mistake: Free trade is anti-poverty. Denying countries such as China the right to sell Americans cheaper products makes both countries poorer — with the least well-off losing most.

It’s vital that political leaders make this case. When they bow to demands for trade barriers rather than propose help for workers whose jobs are displaced by competition, they abdicate their responsibility.

The right approach is to provide effective safety nets, better vocational education, help with moving and retraining to find new jobs, employment subsidies for lowwage workers, and fairer, simpler taxes.

Get those things right, and you spread the benefits of domestic and foreign competition widely. Get those things wrong, and you only compound the problem by restricting trade — adding slower growth to a rigid labor market and systemic lack of economic opportunity.

One shouldn’t altogether despair about the lack of leadership currently on display in the US and Europe. Whatever governments do, technology will continue to

compress distances and drive competition. In Europe, mutual interest will dictate close economic connections between the UK and the rest of Europe, Brexit notwithstanding. Even President Donald Trump would recoil from the consequences of his promise to hike tariffs, once his supporters began to understand what that would do to their household budgets.

The real danger is in failing to grasp all the benefits that further economic integration has to offer. The prevailing mood jeopardizes opportunities such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and a resuscitated World Trade Organisation. Moving forward on any or all of those projects would boost confidence at a time when the world economy badly needs it.

Leaders in the U.S. and Europe can and should do better. — Bloomberg News

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

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B5

ROUND-UP

‘Power of 5’ campaign highlights Mazda's power-packed features Year upon year, Mazda has consistently upgraded its models to make them the best driving experience possible

MUSCAT: Mazda is world renowned for bringing the latest in Japanese style and manufacturing to the mid-market.

Mazda models are bought for five power-packed reasons: • Smart features: With state-ofart smart features such as head up display, commander control, blind spot monitor, advanced cruise control, lane departure warning etc., Mazda has truly re-defined its driving experience and made it more easy and comfortable.

• Safety: electronic stability control, anti-lock braking system emergency brake assist, six airbags, electronic brake-force dis-

tribution and other active and passive safety features in the allnew Mazda cars ensure greater safety and greater peace of mind.

• Power: Mazda’s revolutionary Skyactiv technology which gives more fuel efficiency, more power, better performance along with convenient Service Intervals makes a Mazda a perfect brand for those looking for efficient, economical and environmentally safe driving partners.

• Connectivity: The cabin of new Mazda cars connects you to the world through the proprietary MZD connect which includes the commander control knob with 7-inch full colour touch screen display and the next generation human-machine interface system based on the heads-up cockpit concept which lets you stay in touch with the road.

• Savings: All the new models of Mazda - Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, Mazda CX-5 and Mazda CX-9 – offer great value for money. Each model has a unique Power of 5 and their performance, quality and safety makes them a perfect choice. Moreover, with Towell Auto Centre’s customerfriendly pricing and regular promotions, one can easily own a Mazda.

A senior spokesperson for Towell Auto Centre (TAC) said,

“Mazda has been one of the most consistent brands winning awards and competing with other luxury international brands. Our convention-defying and customer centric approach is what makes us successful not just in Oman, but globally. We have devised the Power of 5 campaign where we highlight the five strengths that make Mazda what it is today. Mazda keeps on improvising on these five aspects in all its models - smart features, safety, connectivity, pricing and performance. Our innovative fuelsaving Skyactiv technology offers the best of both worlds: Formula 1 like performance and smallengine economy, with a thrilling zoom-zoom driving experience.”

Year upon year, Mazda has consistently upgraded its models to make them the best driving experience possible. The latest Mazda

CX-5 was upgraded to become more than the #PlayMaker. This SUV is more luxurious than its previous models, with redesigned seats, a brand new centre stack with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a sleeker exoskeleton. Its 2.0L and 2.5L Skyactiv engine and 6-speed Activematic Transmission gives it the power to stay ahead.

The award-winning Mazda 6 is widely recognised as the best vehicle available in the mid-size segment complementing its sporty exterior with features that enhance its speed and safety. The Mazda 6 has a 2.5L Skyactiv engine, 6-speed activematic transmission, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning system, forward obstruction warning system with smart brake assist, auto head lamp washer , signature LED Lights,

PAT R I O T I C F E RVOU R

rear vehicle monitoring system, premium leater upholstery, smart key push button ignition, BOSE premium sound system, xenon auto headlamps, 19” alloy wheels, 6 airbags, dual zone AC with rear AC vents, fog lamps, 4-sensor, 3-channel ABS with EBD and a CD MP3, USB and auxiliary input and navigation system available in the luxury variant. These comfort and smart features in the Mazda 6 are all available at a reasonable price making this #Headturner a perfect choice for automobilists.

The new Mazda3 featuring MZD Connect, the company’s new in-vehicle connectivity concept, is available in 1.6 and 2.0l four-door sedan and five-door hatchback models. In the all-new Mazda3, the sculpted seats and the extended wheelbase expand its interiors. It is a right choice for those looking

for #GameChanger model, that too at a rational starting price.

The Mazda2 with the 1.5L Skyactiv engine and class leading 6 speed activematic transmission has a compression ratio of 12:1 that offers excellent fuel economy and performance. A spacious and sporty sedan also features a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and world class features unseen in compact cars. Indeed, the all-new Mazda2 has the power to be more than a #SuperStriker.

Offering the trendiest of Japanese cars, Mazda has brought in a lot of excitement in Oman’s automobile industry with their ‘stylish, spirited and insightful’ branding.

These three unique qualities lie at the core of each Mazda you spot on the streets and form the brand’s DNA and TAC makes owning a Mazda extra pleasant with its efficient after sales service and quick response time.

With a network of 13 service outlets and 10 parts outlets spread across Oman, TAC is the only Mazda distributor in the world to win the Mazda Customer Service award five years in a row.

With 98.2 per cent parts deliverability, TAC also offers quick, efficient service with genuine parts available for all models and have highly trained staff who pride in their quality of service.

INDIAN SCHOOL AL MABELAH

ISAS celebrates 70th Independence Day

MUSCAT: Indian School Al Seeb (ISAS) held a joyous celebration to mark the 70th Independence Day with enthusiasm and respect for the nation.

The ceremony started on the school grounds with a large crowd of parents, staff and students to witness the gala event.

Ravi Jayanthi, the SMC president, along with other members of the school management committee, Nagesh Khelkar, principal

and the vice principals attended the function. To commemorate the sovereignty of the nation, Jayanthi unfurled the tricolour flag. The choir sang the National Anthem in unison and conveyed the joy in freedom, says a press release.

Gayathri Menon, the assistant head girl, formally welcomed the guests and the gathering. Jayanthi read out the message of the President of India to the audience. He motivated the students to admire

the values of respect for nation and its culture and heritage.

The students of the choir group sang the patriotic song, Ho jao tayyar saathiyon which made every individual salute the ones who made it possible for them to breathe in a free environment and asked each Indian to gird up their loins for the service of the nation.

Joshny Mathew of Class XI shared her views on the significance of the day. The students pre-

sented a skit celebrating the spirit of freedom. The skit gave a meaningful peek into Gandhi’s journey of freedom struggle by presenting glimpses of Dandi March, Civil Disobedience Movement, Quit India Movement, etc.

A vibrant dance programme enthralled the audience.

The programme concluded with the vote of thanks by Mishal Mussadique, the assistant head boy, followed by the National Anthem.

MALABAR GOLD RAFFLE DRAW WINNER The raffle draw winner of ‘Win up to 10 kilos of gold’ campaign Rath Ragunath receiving the quarter kg gold prize from Najeeb K., regional head and Muhsin P., branch head, Malabar Gold & Diamonds. — Supplied picture

Independence Day celebrated at ISAM

MUSCAT: Indian School Al Mabelah (ISAM) celebrated the 70th Independence Day of India with patriotic fervour.

The solemn occasion on August 15 began with a prayer, followed by unfurling of the Indian tricolour by the chief guest K. Kumar, chairman of the Purchase Sub Committee, School Management Committee, ISAM. Thereafter everyone present joined to sing the National Anthem, says a press release.

The March Past contingents comprising the four different houses of the school led by the head boy conveyed the message of rhythm and discipline. Welcoming the gathering, P. Prabakaran, principal, remembered the sacrifices made by forefathers for the freedom of the country.

In her Independence Day mes-

sage, the guest of honour, Nirmala Shetty, chairperson, Academic Sub Committee, School Management Committee, ISAM, said, “We must respect and uphold the culture and diversity of our country.”

To keep alive the flame of patriotism, a patriotic song was sung by the school choir. A speech emphasising on the importance of Independence Day celebration was delivered by Anusha T. of Class VII. The highlight of the day was the song, Aye Mere Vatan ke Logon sung by Nakshatra and Anjana. The patriotic folk dance conveyed a message that unity is the greatest strength of India.

The vote of thanks was delivered

by Maariya Raza, the head girl of the school.

The celebration for the day concluded by singing the school anthem by the school choir.

B6

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

ROUND-UP Stylish new 2017 Toyota Camry attracts attention The 2017 model design has been given subtle enhancements to make it look even better, feel even more exciting

MUSCAT: A global favourite, the Toyota Camry has always commended a fan following of not just proud owners but also many enthusiasts that vouch for its performance, quality and safety.

Such is the attention-grabbing, head-turning appeal of the Camry that its stands apart in a league of its own. Indeed, Toyota designed the Camry for those who dare to be bold and with its striking hoodlines; this is one ride that commands attention.

With the 2017 model, the design has been given subtle enhancements to make it look even better, feel even more exciting. Its exterior is now adorned with a chrome pack along with fog lamp garnish, side chrome moulding, rear bumper garnish and a rear fog lamp. The interior is also decked-out with hi-tech additions such as superior TFT screen and high-class leather seat upholstery, says a press release.

In the words of an enthusiast, “The aggressive front grille and bumper makes it stand apart from the crowd. Its headlamps and elegant daytime running lights exude style like never before. The rear is

equally impressive, with combination lamps and bumper giving it a more sporty appearance. The stylish 17” alloy wheels, along with the new tyre pressure monitoring system, further add to its appeal.”

Depending on the model grade, the Camry offers a 7” SD card type navigation system. The premium materials build into an overall richer, roomier feel. The highquality leather upholstery is meticulously crafted, enhancing the Camry’s upmarket appeal.

The centre stack shows off a hi-tech, upscale look that more smoothly integrates with the console. The centre console plays a larger role than ever in modern cars, accommodating all manner of personal items as well as presenting multi-media functions.

The Camry’s console tray offers more storage and a convenient power source in the storage box.

The 2017 Camry has a rigid body structure, enhanced aerodynamics and offers the quietest ride ever. The upscale interior, and advanced instrumentation with intuitive controls help keep the driver safely focused on the road.

This may be the best-handling and most comfortable-riding Camry ever. Beneath the bolder body lines the Camry’s body structure has been bolstered with additional spot welds to enhance rigidity. Refined suspension systems in all models put an edge on handling agility while taking the edge off bumps.

In the areas of performance and safety, the Camry delivers outstanding power coupled with superb efficiency. The key attributes include a 2.5L Dual VVT-i Engine delivering 181HP and 6-speed multi-mode transmission. Safety enhancements in the Camry in-

clude vehicle stability control, traction control (with VSC-OFF switch) ABS, EBD, engine immobiliser, braking assist system, back view monitor with rear parking sensors, which facilitates easy parking and airbags that include the front side and curtain airbags.

The other thoughtful features include an ECO meter for fuel efficient, economic driving and aerodynamic fins to ensure straightline stability while driving.

The Camry embodies the rational values of ‘Quality, Durability and Reliability’ with strong model appeal, superior interior and exterior quality and the top level of equipment and safety. Those who have experienced the Camry may not be surprised to know that it is one of the top-selling cars across the globe for more than a decade.

The 2017 Camry can be seen on display at Toyota showroom.

W I T H A C H O C O L AT E D I A L

Rolex Yacht-Master 40 now available at Khimji’s Watches MUSCAT: Khimji’s Watches, the home of luxury in Oman, is now showcasing the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40 with a chocolate dial, launched this year at the Baselworld.

For the first time, Rolex has launched a new version of the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master, its emblematic nautical watch, in Everose Rolesor (a combination of 904L steel and 18 ct Everose gold), with a chocolate dial, says a press release.

Sleek, sporty and distinguished, the Yacht-Master is just as at home on the deck of an ocean-going yacht as on land in an elegant yacht club lounge. Waterproof, precise and reliable, this watch of the open seas is distinctive for its bidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated bezel in 18 ct Everose gold. The polished raised numerals and graduations stand out clearly against a matt, sand-blasted background.

This characteristic bezel – which enables the wearer to calculate, for example, the sailing time between two buoys – plays a full part in creating the unique visual identity of the model.

The Yacht-Master’s Oyster case, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet), is a paragon of robustness and provides optimum protection for the Yacht-Master’s high-precision movement.

Sachin Malhotra, COO - Lifestyle Group at Khimji Ramdas, said: “Last year at Baselworld 2015, Rolex had released a 18ct Everose Yacht-Master with first time ever Rolex’s own designed Oysterflex strap and a new kind of ceramic bezel finish. This year at Baselworld 2016, Rolex has introduced new flavours to its

Yacht-Master range, especially with the new Everose two-tone chocolate sunburst dial, with ‘Yacht-Master’ printed on it. This has made the timepiece trendier and it will appeal to both male and female Rolex aficionados.

Moreover, it has been certified with the new Superlative Chronometer certification that testifies that the watch has successfully undergone a series of tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria, which exceed watchmaking norms and standards.”

Equipped with calibre 3135, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex, the Yacht-Master is fitted on a solidlink Oyster bracelet in 904L steel and 18 ct Everose gold with an Oysterlock safety clasp that prevents accidental opening.

It features the ingenious Rolex-patented Easylink rapid extension system that allows the wearer to easily increase the bracelet length by approximately 5mm, for additional comfort in any circumstance.

ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

Zubair Automotive organises training programme for Omanis MUSCAT: To equip young Omanis with cutting-edge expertise to tackle the industry’s current and future skills challenges, Zubair Automotive Group has arranged an on-the-job innovative training programme for 28 trainees.

The objective of the programme is to build strong relationships with the community and prepare qualified Omanis to be employed in the automotive sector, says a press release.

Zubair Automotive Group, a flagship enterprise of The Zubair Corporation (Z-Corp), also hopes to enhance its Omanisation figures by retaining the trained Omanis. To implement the programme, the group is coordinating with the National Automotive Higher Institution (NAHI), a private institute that aims to supply the automotive sector in Oman with nationally skilled technical workforce. NAHI aspires to become the primary technical and vocational

educational institute to qualify Omani youth for careers in the automotive industry. NAHI educates its students to develop their professional and interpersonal

skills to meet the demands of the automotive sector. In association with various other leading training institutions, the Zubair Automotive Group has successfully

implemented a number of similar programmes in the past too.

In the previously organised innovative training programme in July, 50 employees participated

and successfully completed the course by gaining expertise to excel in the automotive sector. The innovative training programme, which is preparing 28 trainees in

three technical disciplines, started on August 14 and will last for a period of 10 months.

While the initiative promotes Omanisation and empowers national talent, the administration of Zubair Automotive Group values the lessons the trainees will absorb through these programmes.

The development and qualifying of trainees extends beyond the training programmes itinerary in many ways because it encourages trainees to take advantage of opportunities to develop capacity and help achieve their full potential professionally as well as personally.

As leaders in the sector, Zubair Automotive Group knows the value work-and-learn training programmes bring to an organisation. By understanding the trends emerging in the industry, the company makes it a point to select the right training programme to achieve results, enhance engagement and augment innovation.

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‘Shell Ideas360’ offers a platform for creative students to connect globally Shell Ideas360 is a global competition that invites university and college students from all around the world to create, share and collaboratively develop innovative ideas and solutions that tackle global challenges associated with energy, water and food resources

MUSCAT: In line with Shell Oman’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and developing Omani talents, a memorandum of agreement has been signed between the Ministry of Higher Education and Shell to launch Shell Ideas360 competition for the first time in the Sultanate in September.

Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Sarmi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Higher Education, signed the agreement with Chris Breeze, Shell’s Country chairman in Oman, and Mohammed bin Mahmood Al Balushi, Shell Oman Marketing Company’s chief executive officer following a meeting held at the ministry, says a press release.

Shell Ideas360 is a global competition that invites university and

college students from all around the world to create, share and collaboratively develop innovative ideas and solutions that tackle global challenges associated with energy, water and food resources.

Innovative ideas Commenting on the occasion, Dr Abdullah Al Sarmi, said: “This agreement reflects ministry’s and Shell’s commitment to support creativity and innovation among Higher Education Institution (HEI) students.

This initiative will definitely encourage our creative students to share their innovative and research ideas and compete with their peers

locally and internationally.”

Chris Breeze said, “Shell is committed to support youth development and sustainability in Oman.

This competition will prompt young Omanis to tap into their imagination and creativity in order to develop innovative solutions to the problems facing the society now.

“Successful students will benefit from the connection with the competition mentors to help fine tune their ideas and in doing so develop their entrepreneurial and marketing skills as well as potentially contributing to sustainable development in the country. We are looking forward to the launch of this competition in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and our partners in the Omani universities and colleges.”

Mohammed bin Mahmood Al Balushi stated, “Shell Ideas360 is a global platform for young students from Oman to connect internationally in order to acquire competencies that will help in building their future beyond university years, such as in leadership, collaboration and presentation skills.

Successful entries will have the opportunity to really make a difference in the world by turning their innovative ideas into reality.

“These ideas could also be potentially ‘investment-worthy’ business cases creating successful entrepreneurs in Oman with the support of Shell and subject-matter experts and mentors, and we will definitely be hoping for successful stories from Oman”.

In addition to the prize scheme that will be awarded locally to the qualifying teams from Oman, the winning students will win oncein-a-lifetime National Geographic Adventure. Moreover, the best ideas will be considered for funding by the Shell Game Changer programme, which has invested over $300 million to date, and worked with over 1,500 innovators, turning more than 100 ideas into reality.

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Meethaq to host ‘Back to School with Baraem’ event for children The two-day ‘Back to School with Baraem’ event begins today from 5.30pm to 10pm with fun activities and competitions

MUSCAT: Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat, is hosting an event at Muscat Grand Mall to promote savings habit among children.

The two-day ‘Back to School with Baraem’ event begins today from 5.30pm to 10pm with fun activities and competitions. The programme ends on Friday August 19, says a press release.

Targeted at children below 12 years of age, Meethaq’s Baraem Account is the first Sharia based

children’s savings account in Oman. The account can be opened by parents/guardians on behalf of their children.

Baraem encourages children to save and utilise savings for gainful purposes such as buying books as well as disciplined spending for food and entertainment.

Baraem Account. More the saving, more the Mudarabah profit from Meethaq. Notably, no transaction charges are deducted from the Baraem account.

Baraem is designed to provide a secure future for children.

Meethaq has created a separate micro site for Baraem account where children can visit to learn more about the concept of savings and good financial habits in a friendly environment and also play educational games and quizzes.

Aimed at motivating children, a friendly mascot named Barum is associated with the children’s account to engage them in a world of fun and learning. Barum, the banking friend of children, interacts with children at popular

Special welcome kit Baraem fulfils the desire of parents to save on behalf of their children and at the same time inculcate the savings habit among their children. On opening the account the parents gets a special welcome kit comprising Baraem Recognition Card which entitles them to discounts at various merchants, including book shops, restaurants, children clothing stores, etc.

An interesting activity book and educational aids which spark creativity are also provided to account holders.

The Baraem account comes with attractive profit rates so the bank helps the savings grow with time, moreover the profit is credited on a monthly basis to the

PAT R I O T I C F E RVOU R

hypermarkets and malls, guiding them on savings. Barum also keeps company with children in their homes in the form of attractive money boxes.

Meethaq is well positioned to provide Islamic financial expertise to diverse segments and thereby promote the good of society as a whole. Meethaq offers a full suite of Islamic banking products, including savings account, current account, home finance, auto finance, credit card, mobile and internet banking.

Meethaq has adopted the best practices in Islamic banking and finance worldwide to combine a robust model which protects customers and complements the Islamic banking industry.

HIGH-END TECHNOLOGY

Daimler Buses presents autonomously driving city bus of the future

IS Rustaq celebrates Independence Day MUSCAT: Indian School Rustaq celebrated the 70th Independence Day of India with great excitement and patriotic fervour on August 15 on the school premises.

A special assembly was conducted in the morning. Chief guest P. Abdulla, convener of the School Management Committee, unfurled the tricolour. This was

followed by the National Anthem which evoked a sense of pride and patriotism to the nation.

Suja Jacob, principal, read out the excerpts from the president’s address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day. The chief guest addressed the gathering and extended his warm greetings on the occasion. He gave

a food for thought on the necessity of society to stand together with love, tolerance and respect for India to make it a better place to live free of corruption and terrorism.

Nijo Jose, the senior Hindi teacher from Indian School Muladha also attended the occasion. Sayyid Ahmed Quadri, the head boy of the school, delivered

a speech in Hindi. A dazzling patriotic dance performance by the students stole the show. Anuprabha Mosses, head girl, spoke on the importance of the day.

A memory test and Hindi recitation competition were also conducted. The programme concluded with vote of thanks proposed by Veena Reji.

REAL WORLD TRIALS

Nissan’s Future Lab experiments focus on new vehicle ownership structures DUBAI: Nissan is conducting a series of real world experiments and trials to bring future mobility scenarios to life through several ‘Living Labs’ underway at Nissan Future Lab. The ‘Living Lab’ research provides user data to help Nissan anticipate and evolve to meet future transportation needs.

The difference between traditional research methods and Nissan’s ‘Living Labs’ is the research that relies on networking with external partners – like San Francisco-based Scoot Networks - to uncover opportunities and learn through observing user behaviours, says a press release.

“Working within the ‘Living Lab’ framework allows Nissan to experiment out in the marketplace,” said Rachel Nguyen, executive director, Nissan Future Lab. “By combining our hardware with outside software, services and systems into collaborative beta tests, Nissan has the opportunity to develop new products and service offerings that fit in the new mobility economy.”

Inspired by rapid developments in electric and autonomous technology as well as ride sharing trends, Nissan’s ‘Living Labs’ focus on vehicle ownership structures, the changing marketplace for vehicle technology and new uses for electric vehicles.

With the fast-paced growth of smart technologies and the emergence of the sharing economy,

Nissan Future Lab is studying different sized and packaged vehicle solutions. Last October, Nissan launched its first ‘Living Lab’ with Scoot Networks to bring 10 Nissan New Mobility Concept Vehicles (NNMC) to Scoot’s fleet in San Francisco. The electricpowered ‘micromobility’ vehicles fit between a small motorcycle and a full-size vehicle and are available for rental using the Scoot app sharing platform. Through the pilot, Nissan is gathering data on city dwellers mobility choices for short distance trips, and the role electric vehicles play as shared transportation options.

The sharing economy also pre-

sents new opportunities to leverage vehicle technology.

Studying the emerging mobility markets and understanding new business needs – like redistributing shared vehicles to their points of origin – can lead to new applications for still-developing vehicle technologies. The Scoot ‘Living Lab’ is also providing data on vehicle distribution to help Nissan better understand the distance travelled from the origin, popular origin points and other user behaviours.

Nissan is also actively studying the expanded use of electric vehicles including vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Since 2014,

Nissan has participated in a large V2G pilot programme with the US Air Force. A fleet of modified Nissan LEAF electric vehicles discharge power back into the gird through a series of bi-directional charging stations. The exchange is used to balance the overall load by absorbing excess power, then putting it back into the grid during times of high demand.

“The Future Lab team is exploring ‘Living Lab’ projects designed to help us better understand the real-world benefits of V2G technology for individual electric vehicle consumers and how it fits into their mobility lifestyle in the future,” added Nguyen.

AMSTERDAM: The world’s biggest bus manufacturer, Daimler Buses, is systematically extending its technological leadership.

The Mercedes-Benz Future Bus with CityPilot has driven autonomously for the first time on a route of approximately 20 kilometres in Amsterdam, says a press release.

On a section of the longest bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Europe, the bus drives at speeds up to 70 km/h, stops to the nearest centimetre at bus stops and traffic lights, drives off again automatically, passes through tunnels, brakes for obstacles or pedestrians and communicates with traffic signals. The driver is on board and monitors the system, but with a much easier task than before. Daimler Buses is the world’s first manufacturer to put a city bus into automated operation in a real-life traffic situation.

Dr Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG for Daimler Trucks & Buses, said, “With our Highway Pilot, we showed nearly two years ago that autonomous driving will make long-distance truck transport safer and more efficient. We are now putting this technology into our city buses with CityPilot. The system is a further development of Highway Pilot, especially for big cities. It allows us to drive partially autonomously on specially marked bus lanes. This makes public transport safer, more efficient and more productive. More people can travel from A to B quickly, punctually and in comfort. To the benefit of all: bus operators, bus drivers and passengers.”

Hartmut Schick, head of Daimler Buses, said, “In addition to our strong product range, it’s above all our technological competence and innovative strength that make Daimler Buses so successful worldwide. The MercedesBenz Future Bus with CityPilot once again demonstrates our leading role in the bus business.

We will claim this position also in the future. That’s why we are investing approximately €200 million in the further development of our city-bus portfolio. The ad-

vantages of CityPilot for our customers are clear: Our Future Bus operates fuel efficiently and with minimal stress on the engine.

That has a positive impact on operating and maintenance costs, vehicle lifetime and availability.”

The first step towards fully automated driving with buses in urban traffic consists of BRT lines with separate lanes. The Future Bus recognises whether the route is suitable for automated driving and informs the driver accordingly. The bus driver then presses a button and CityPilot is activated. One condition is that the driver does not press the accelerator or brake pedal and does not steer, because any driver activity overrules CityPilot – the driver is always in charge of driving and can take over at any time. CityPilot comprises current assistance systems, those used in Mercedes-Benz coaches for example, as well as additional systems, some of which have been taken over from Daimler Trucks and further developed for urban traffic. The equipment includes long- and short-range radar, a large number of cameras and the satellite-controlled GPS navigation system. The intelligent connectivity of the cameras and sensors is pioneering, and allows a precise picture of the surroundings and the exact position of the bus.

The advantages of BRT systems are that they are quick to establish for urban and traffic planners, as well as being inexpensive and flexible. They reduce traffic as well as exhaust and noise emissions, increase journey speeds and thus improve the overall quality of life. Daimler Buses has therefore always been a pioneer of such systems.

According to experts, there are now about 180 BRT systems on all continents with a total fleet of approximately 40,000 buses.

They convey some 30 million passengers every day. New BRT routes are being planned and designed all the time, with advice and support from Daimler Buses traffic experts in cities all over the world, providing a service that is unique in the industry.

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Neymar scores fastest goal as Brazil rout Honduras 6-0 get the result. The Netherlands will meet New Zealand or Britain in the final.

Honduras knocked the ball back from the kick-off, but Neymar caught Johnny Palacios in possession on the edge of the box and bravely challenged the keeper to bundle the ball into the net

RIO DE JANEIRO: Neymar scored a brace, including the fastest goal in Olympic history, Gabriel Jesus got two more and Marquinhos and Luan added one each as Brazil swept past Honduras 6-0 into the final of the men’s Olympic tournament on Wednesday.

The home side, playing in front of a packed Maracana stadium and desperately seeking the only international title they have yet to win, got off to the perfect start by scoring after just 15 seconds.

Honduras knocked the ball back from the kick-off, but Neymar caught Johnny Palacios in possession on the edge of the box and bravely challenged the keeper to bundle the ball into the net.

The goal got the famously fickle Brazil fans behind the home side and Gabriel Jesus doubled the score in 26 minutes. Luan freed the new Manchester City signing from the off-side trap, and his assured finish went under the advancing keeper from 18 yards.

The same player made it three eight minutes later, when he ran onto a superb 30-yard pass from Neymar to lift the ball over the keeper and into the roof of the net.

Marquinhos got a fourth in 51 minutes, which he hammered home from three yards at the second attempt when the ball fell kindly to him at a corner.

Luan got the goal his hard work deserved 12 minutes from time, side-footing the ball home from close in after nice set-up work

IN A FLASH: Brazil’s Neymar gets past Honduras goalkeeper Luis Lopez to score the fastest goal in the Olympic history during their semifinal match at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday. – AFP

from Gabriel Barbosa and substitute Felipe Anderson. Neymar made it six when he calmly slotted home a penalty in the final minute after Luan was upended.

The win raises the tantalising possibility of a Brazil-Germany final, and a repeat of the 2014 World Cup semifinal in which Germany hammered the host nation 7-1.

Brazil will play the winner of the Germany-Nigeria match in Saturday’s final.

France win jumping gold France came from behind to win the show jumping competition for its first team gold since 1976, after the four teams that had started the day in a tie for the lead withdrew riders or knocked rails down.

Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands and the United States were level going into the final round of the team competition in Deodoro park, while France started the day with two time faults from the previous round of jumping.

However, its riders left all the rails

up to take gold on a tough course, despite scoring time penalties.

The United States got silver after Olympic veteran Beezie Madden withdrew due to an injured horse, meaning the United States lost the benefit of being able to drop its lowest score of four riders. Lucy Davis had a rail down for four faults on Wednesday in her Olympic debut.

Germany and Canada will jump off for the bronze medal while home-team favorites Brazil finished in fifth.

Kipruto dominant Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto stormed to a dominant victory in the men’s 3,000 metre steeplechase final, ensuring the East African nation maintained its iron grip on the event it has won in every Games since 1984.

The 21-year-old had long been touted as the young pretender to Kenya’s steeplechase crown but he produced a final lap sprint that saw him grab gold in an Olympic record of eight minutes and 3.28 seconds.

A winner of two silver world championship medals, Kipruto was so far ahead of his rivals that he started celebrating and waving to the crowd at the start of the final straight.

“Even before the race I knew I would win,” said Kipruto, who also revealed he had suffered a calf injury days earlier.

The victory was the first time in a major competition that Kipruto had defeated Kenya’s double Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi, who announced his retirement after grabbing a bronze.

Kipruto thanked 34-year-old Kemboi for inspiring him over the years and promised to work hard to ensure Kenya’s record of winning consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 3,000m steeplechase.

“I’m ready to take up the mantle,” he said.

The African nation has now won every 3,000m steeplechase final it has competed in since 1968, having boycotted the 1976 and 1980 Olympics for political reasons.

Evan Jager won a rare medal for

the United States in the race - their first since 1984 - after overtaking Kemboi in the last 50m to take silver.

“I just tried to stay as relaxed as I possibly could and hang on to Kemboi. He kinda looked back at me...on the back stretch, and I knew at that moment I might have him,” Jager said. “That was total joy.”

Kemboi, who won his fourth steeplechase world championship in a row last year, is Kenya’s most decorated athlete and his bronze at Rio saw him become the oldest steeplechase medallist in Olympic history.

“After 18 years I have done my best,” said Kemboi, who won gold at the Athens and London Games.

Dutch eves in final In women’s hockey, the Netherlands came out top in a sudden death shootout against Germany to go into the final and keep the target of a third successive gold medal in their sights.

The shootout ended 4-3 after normal time of the tight contest finished at 1-1. It took 14 shots to

Semenya through In the women’s 800m, Caster Semenya qualified for the semifinals with supreme ease and was immediately plunged into a new gender controversy after a race rival questioned whether it was fair for her to compete. South African Semenya will be hot favourite for Saturday’s final but Frenchwoman Justine Fedronic, who failed to advance from the heats, said although she had sympathy for her rival’s situation, her high testosterone levels meant it was not a fair fight.

“When you line up against someone like that, you know it’s going to be a completely different ball game,” Fedronic said.

“I do feel for her. She is just trying to train and compete just like the rest of us so that is really not fair to her. But it is not fair for others too. So I don’t know what the solution is.”

Semenya won her heat in 1.59.31 and she said it was harder than she made it appear. “It wasn’t easy, It was pretty hot,” she said. “I just tried to hang on and tried to feel my body first so I was comfortable.”

Golden day for Indonesia Meanwhile, Ahmad Tontowi and Liliyana Natsir celebrated Indonesia’s National Day with a “gift” of a gold medal to their country after hammering Malaysia’s Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying in the badminton mixed doubles final.

Theworld No. 3 pairing pounced all over the Malaysians from the first point at the Riocentro and never dropped the pressure in the 21-14, 21-12 win. Tontowi and Natsir’s triumph secured Indonesia’s seventh Olympic title in badminton and first since Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan won the men’s doubles in 2008.

Malaysia have further medal chances in the men’s singles and doubles. Goh V. Shem and Tan Wee Kiong will vie for gold against China’s formidable Zhang Nan and Fu Haifeng on Friday, with world number one and twice silver medallist Lee Chong Wei playing a semi-final against China’s Lin Dan on the same day.

China’s Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei won the bronze medal playoff on Tuesday. - Reuters

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Herath wrecks Australia as Sri Lanka sweep series SCOREBOARD

Chasing 324 in a bid to salvage some pride, Australia surrendered to Herath’s guile and folded for 160 before tea to lose their Number One ranking to India and slip to third place behind Pakistan ECSTATIC: Sri Lankan cricketers celebrate their 3-0 Test series win over Australia at the end of the third cricket Test match in Colombo. – AP/PTI

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka completed a rare 3-0 sweep over Australia after left-arm spinner Rangana Herath spun the hosts to a comprehensive 163-run victory in the final Test in Colombo on Wednesday.

Chasing 324 in a bid to salvage some pride, Australia surrendered to Herath’s guile and folded for 160 before tea to lose their Number One ranking to India and slip to third place behind Pakistan.

Herath (7-64) claimed a 13-wicket match haul to bag the man-of-the-match award while his 28 wickets from three tests also made him the obvious choice for the man-of-the-series award.

“What a fantastic moment,” home captain Angelo Mathews said after lifting the Warne-Muralitharan trophy.

“Credit to Herath, for doing his thing. You just can’t keep him away from the game. He had a groin strain, he couldn’t run, he couldn’t jump. He was fantastic with one leg. One leg was enough for him to have a bowl on this type of wicket.”

Sri Lanka batted for 4.3 overs in the morning to add 35 runs to their overnight score of 312 for eight before declaring.

Improbable target Set an improbable victory target on a final day track, Australia needed a good start and the tourists got that from David Warner and Shaun Marsh who raised 77 runs, the highest opening partnership in the low-scoring series.

Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera

dismissed Marsh for 23 when the batsman defended a delivery and Kusal Mendis thrust out his hands at forward short leg to parry the ball and twisted his body backwards to complete a stunning catch.

Warner brought up his first fifty of the series after lunch before the wheels came off Australia’s challenge with Herath striking a double blow in his 10th over.

The wily left-arm spinner bowled rival skipper Steve Smith (8) for the fifth time in six innings with the first delivery of the over and trapped Adam Voges leg-before with the last.

Perera cut short Warner’s fluent innings at 68, bowling the southpaw around his legs in a dismissal that was a microcosm of the series

ICC RANKINGS

South Africa vulnerable against improving New Zealand DURBAN: Two successive series defeats, the loss of their captain and a dramatic drop from the top of the Test rankings leaves South Africa vulnerable as they prepare to host New Zealand in a two-match encounter.

South Africa, the top-ranked Test nation before defeats by India and England saw them slide to sixth, return to the five-day format at Kingsmead on Friday after a seven-month hiatus without injured skipper AB de Villiers and pace bowler Morne Morkel.

In their absence the hosts face a tough examination against a youthful and confident New Zealand side. Kane Williamson, who has blossomed into one of the world’s top batsmen, started his reign as New Zealand Test captain with two easy wins in Zimbabwe in recent weeks.

The matches on flat surfaces in Bulawayo gave the Kiwi batsmen plenty of time at the crease to prepare for a formidable South African seam attack that is likely to welcome back Dale Steyn after he injured his shoulder in December. Also returning is Vernon Philander who was injured in November playing a game of football.

Kagiso Rabada, who took 13 wickets in South Africa’s last Test outing against England, is set to complete a three-man pace attack. “From a seam bowling point of view they are strong, they have got a lot of variety,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson told a news conference. - Reuters

TEST SERIES

Aussies lose top Test rankings to India COLOMBO: Australia has conceded its number-one ranking to India after Sri Lanka made a clean sweep of the three-Test series in Colombo on Wednesday. Australia had arrived in Colombo in number-one position on 118 points.

But following loses by 106 runs in Pallekele, 229 runs in Galle and

in which the Sri Lankan spinners tormented the touring batsmen on tracks that suited them.

After Moises Henriques ran himself out, Herath mowed down the Australian lower order to complete the whitewash.

“It’s been a tough series,” Smith said after Australia exposed their spin frailties and slumped to their ninth consecutive test defeat in Asia.

“We’ve been outplayed in all three matches in this series. I think Sri Lanka have played some great cricket over this series. Disappointing but a big learning curve for the guys as well.”

The teams will now compete in a five-match one-day series beginning in Colombo on Sunday. - Reuters

Sri Lanka 1st innings: 355 (D. Chandimal 132, D. de Silva 129; M. Starc 5-63) Australia 1st innings: 379 (S. Marsh 130, S. Smith 119, M. Marsh 53; R. Herath 6-81) Sri Lanka 2nd innings: D. Perera lbw b Starc 8 D. Karunaratne st Nevill b Lyon 22 K. Silva c Smith b Holland 115 K. Perera c Nevill b Holland 24 K. Mendis lbw b Starc 18 A. Mathews c Smith b Lyon 26 D. Chandimal lbw b Lyon 43 D. de Silva not out 65 R. Herath c Smith b Lyon 5 S. Lakmal not out 4 Extras (b-8, lb-3, nb-5, w-1) 17 Total (for 8 wickets decl., 99.3 overs) 347 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-44, 3-69, 4-98, 5-156, 6-246, 7-276, 8-297 Bowling: M. Starc 19.3-4-72-2 (nb-5), N. Lyon 37-7-123-4, J. Holland 20-4-72-2, J. Hazlewood 14-2-33-0 (w-1), S. Smith 2-0-13-0, M. Marsh 3-1-3-0, M. Henriques 2-0-9-0, A. Voges 2-0-11-0 Australia 2nd innings: S. Marsh c K. Mendis b D. Perera 23 D. Warner b D. Perera 68 S. Smith b Herath 8 A. Voges lbw b Herath 1 M. Henriques run out (Mathews) 4 M. Marsh c K. Perera b Herath 9 P. Nevill c Mathews b Herath 2 M. Starc c K. Perera b Herath 23 N. Lyon lbw b Herath 12 J. Hazlewood st K. Perera b Herath 0 J. Holland not out 0 Extras (b-4, lb-6) 10 Total (all out, 44.1 overs) 160 Fall of wickets: 1-77, 2-100, 3-102, 4-114, 5-115, 6-123, 7-140, 8-157, 9-159, 10-160 Bowling: R. Herath 18.1-3-64-7, D. Perera 22-3-71-2, D. de Silva 4-0-15-0 Umpires: Chris Gaffaney & Sundaram Ravi TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough Match referee: Chris Broad Result: Sri Lanka won by 163 runs

CRICKET

163 runs in Colombo, Australia has joined England on 108 points but is ranked above Alastair Cook’s side, while Sri Lanka has jumped to 95 points. Australia’s drop means India has become the number-one ranked side on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings, while Pakistan has moved into second position - just

one point behind. India had started the year as the top-ranked side before Australia reclaimed the position following its 2-0 win over New Zealand in New Zealand.

For Pakistan, this is the second time in less than a year that it has peaked to number-two position. — PTI

India eyeing another big win PORT OF SPAIN: On a high after sealing the series with comprehensive victories, an upbeat India will be aiming to complete a 3-0 rout in order to regain its No 1 Test ranking when they meet a listless West Indies in the final Test match of the series, here on Thursday.

Having already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the fourmatch series after their crushing 237-run win in the third Test, Virat Kohli and his men will be aiming to go for the kill in their bid to strengthen their pole position after Australia was displaced

by Sri Lanka in the ICC Test rankings list.

With skipper Kohli making it clear that he will like to have Rohit Sharma at No 5 and promote himself to No 3, it is unlikely that the core batting line-up will have any change in the final Test match.

However with Shikhar Dhawan not having much of a performance barring his 84 in the opening Test, it will be interesting to see if Murali Vijay, who was dropped in the last game despite being fit makes a comeback in the playing XI. The opener’s thumb injury has fully healed, as announced by batting coach Sanjay Bangar previously. At this point of time, Cheteshwar Pujara getting a lifeline seems unlikely.

Even the five-pronged bowling attack could undergo change.

In a long season, where India play another 13 Tests, the workload for the likes of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami needs to be managed.

One of them could be afforded a breather, with a rebounding chance given to Umesh Yadav,

or even newbie Shardul Thakur could get a look-in, if Kohli is in experimental mode.

Away from these permutations and combinations, India look set in their plans. Their energy will be focussed on attaining consistency, and as the skipper put it, in expressing themselves.

The standout performer in the series for India has been Ravichandran Ashwin, who is now world No 1 all-rounder in Test as per the official rankings.

Toast of the team With two centuries and two fivewicket hauls, the Tamil Nadu lad has been the toast of the team.

His 235 runs and 16 wickets have gone a long way to ensure that India have cantered to victory in the two Test matches.

More importantly, Ashwin has scored runs in pressure situations and provided crucial breakthroughs just when it was required.

If Ashwin is a sureshot candidate for the Man of the Series award, one certainly needs to applaud Mohammed Shami for his lion-hearted performances in the three-Test matches after a hiatus of nearly one and half years due to serious knee injury.

Eleven wickets in 3 games may not be much in terms of volume but he has been very effective with the new as well as the old ball.

The most experienced West Indian Test batsmen like Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo had been troubled by the Bengal speedster.

Among the batsmen, opener KL Rahul (236 runs) has been pretty consistent with a big hundred and

a half-century in the two Tests while Ajinkya Rahane has again showed why he is such an important cog in the Indian team’s wheel with 243 runs that includes a ton and a half century.

Skipper Kohli is still top rungetter with 251 runs but it’s more to do with the double hundred that he scored in the opening Test.

There has been this debate whether the visitors have done just enough keeping in mind the relative weaknesses of the opposition and never moved out of third gear.

If the Indian team does take the No 1 Test crown, they will have to be more ruthless, a trait not showcased in this series until days four and five in St. Lucia.

West Indies, meanwhile, will be hoping for some level of improvement in their play after yet another meek surrender.

After Roston Chase’s hundred in Jamaica, things looked upbeat for the hosts particularly after they reduced India to 130/5 in the first innings of the third Test.

An experienced bowling attack would have made that opportunity count, but the inexperienced hosts let chances slip and then the match turned.

For a step forward in the second Test, they have again regressed two back.

As such barring a standout spell, or two, it is tough to expect them to bowl India out twice.

They will hope to put an inspirational effort though, with hopes once again pegged on the experienced duo, Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels.

Any changes, despite the crushing loss in the previous match, look unlikely. - PTI

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

SPORTS PSC all set to organise PIA-Oman hockey tie The Pakistan Social Club are hoping to make a grand success of the match with the ultimate

INDEPENDENCE CUP: Pakistan Social Club Director Aftab Gilani, third from left, speaks during press conference organised to announce the details of Independence Cup hockey match between PIA and Oman teams at Al Falaj Hotel on Wednesday. – O.K. MOHAMMED ALI/Times of Oman

aim of making it a permanent fixture

‘Asian teams, players need more exposure’

A. SESHAGIRI RAO

MUSCAT: The Asian hockey teams like Pakistan, India and South Korea and the players need more leagues to raise their level to that of their European counterparts, according to PIA team captain and Pakistan international goalkeeper Imran Butt.

Iman Butt, who is currently in Oman guarding Al Nasr goal in the ongoing OHA League, stressed the need for the Asian players to be involved in the international leagues in the region.

“The Asian teams and the players need more exposure.

Not just in Pakistan and India, even South Korea, we all need more exposure and more competitions. The players of our Asian countries should be playing in more leagues to improve our standard and be on par with the Europeans.”

“Most of us (the Asian players) don’t get the oppor-

raoas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: The officials of the Pakistan Social Club (PSC) are working round the clock to successfully organise the Independence Cup exhibition hockey match between the visiting Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) team and Oman national squad.

The match, being organised in co-operation with Muscat Beach Trading and Oman Hockey Association (OHA) as part of PSC’s celebrations to mark the 70th Independence Day of Pakistan, will take place at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on August 23.

The PSC officials are all working with one objective — to host a grand event which hopefully will lead to making it an annual affair as well as pave the way for hosting more such hockey matches in the future.

“It has been our dream to host such a hockey match here in Oman,” said PSC vice-chairman A.H. Raja.

Speaking at a press conference organised at Al Falaj Hotel on Wednesday, Raja said: “We are happy to see that dream finally come true. We are working to make it a grand success. We would like to see this event becoming a permanent fixture in the Oman sports calendar.”

“We would like to thank Oman Hockey Association for agreeing to our proposal and extending their support to host this match.

We would also like to thank the PIA for accepting our invitation and agreeing to send their team to Oman and to play this match,” the PSC official added.

Aftab Gilani, Event Co-ordinator and Director of Pakistan So-

cial Club, giving the details of the match, said: “The PIA team will be coming with some of the stalwarts of Pakistan hockey — a couple of legends in the list of officials and some Olympians and internationals among the players.”

“We are expecting a great match which will be played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex from 8.00 p.m. on August 23,” he informed.

Shahzad Piracha, Country Manager of PIA Oman, in his remarks said: “The PIA has always been supporting such sports events. We hope this match will

Imran Butt

tunity to play in the European leagues because of the bridge in the standard. Obviously those teams prefer the players of their standards,” Imran Butt, who is unlikely to play in the PIA-Oman match, said.

“So we need to have our own leagues in Asia where players from all the countries will be able to play. We need to raise our standards,” he said while also stressing the need to have more matches between Pakistan and India.

“It doesn’t matter where we play but we definitely need more India-Pakistan matches,

lead to a new era in Oman and Pakistan sporting relations.”

OHA Treasurer Zuhair Al Ajmi said: “Congratulations to the Pakistan Social Club for arranging this hockey match. We are happy to have PIA team here and we are also happy to field our national team in this match.”

Living legends The PIA team will be arriving with the some of the legends including Shahid Ali Khan (manager), Mohammed Irfan (manager), Qamar Ibrahim (assistant manager), and

not just to improve our standard but for the good of Asian hockey as a whole.”

Lamenting the lack of professional setup in the Asian countries, he said: “We have to adopt the European coaching and training systems to raise our standard. If you don’t want an European head coach, at least you should have an European trainer with a proper professional setup,” he said.

Imran Butt is of the opinion the Asian nations will grow stronger and have their say only when they develop at all levels.

“We have to put aside politics and favouritism as well as our personal interests, to not just improve our game but to get stronger as hockey playing nations. Only then we will have a say at the world level on matters like rule changes and for that matter how the game is run. We need to take the cue from cricket,” he said.

Khalid Bashir (short corner specialist), all Olympians.

The event sponsors include Double Road Tyres, Habib Bank, Mian Riaz and Partners, Lacnor Juices, Omar Al Khayyam Restaurants and Hotel Al Falaj.

PIA team: Ihsanullah, Mohd Zubair, Yasim Islam, Anayat Ullah, Imran Khan, Kashif Ali, Imran Abbas, Aamir Shahzad, Waqas Akber, Ali Haider, Tanzeemul Hassan, Owaisur Rehman, Waseem Akram, Saif Ali Khan (all players), Shahid Ali Khan (manager), Mohd Irfan (coach), Qamar Ibrahim (assisstant manager), Khalid Bashir (short corner specialist).

C3

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

Lin survives Srikanth scare, to play Lee next Chinese Lin Dan, bidding for an unprecedented third successive title, was pushed to the limit in the 68-minute battle with World Number 11 Srikanth Kidambi

RIO DE JANERIO: TwiceOlympic champion Lin Dan survived a huge scare against India’s Kidambi Srikanth in the men’s badminton singles in Rio on Wednesday to set up a blockbuster semifinal with Lee Chong Wei, the man he beat for the gold medal in Beijing and London.

Chinese Lin, bidding for an unprecedented third successive title, was pushed to the limit in the 68-minute battle with World Number 11 Srikanth at the Riocentro before closing out the match 21-6 11-21 21-18.

Top seed Lee was impressive in his 21-9, 21-15 demolition of Chou Tien-chen in the opening match on Wednesday, running the seventh-ranked Taiwanese ragged with a sublime array of disguised drop-shots, lobs and smashes.

The semifinal pits two of the finest players of the modern era against each other in their Olympic swan song, with 33-year-old Malaysian Lee desperate to shake off a losing record at big tournaments to five-times world champion Lin. India’s Kidambi Srikanth played his heart out before going down fighting against two-time defending champion Lin Dan in the quarterfinals of the men’s singles badminton event at the Rio Olympics here on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old from Guntur, who had beaten the five-time World Champion from China in the 2014 China Open final, suffered a 6-21, 21-11, 18-21 loss against the World No. 3 Chinese in

GREAT MATCH: Lin Dan of China talks with Srikanth Kidambi of India over the net after winning the match. – Reuters

a nerve-wrecking match that lasted for an hour and four minutes.

Lin Dan will now take on his long-time rival and two-time Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in a mouth-watering semifinal clash.

The top seed beat sixth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei 21-9, 21-15.

Srikanth thus remained the second Indian male shuttler to reach the quarterfinals after Parupalli Kashyap achieved the feat at the London Games.

A former World No. 3, Srikanth seemed nervous early on and was totally outclassed in the lop-sided opening game which lasted just 16 minutes.

Srikanth struggled with his net play early on to allow Lin Dan lead 4-1 in the first game.

The left-handed Chinese continued to dominate with his controlled stroke play as he engaged in long rallies with the Indian to lead 10-1 after winning a video referral.

With Srikanth once again hitting long, Lin Dan entered the interval at 11-1.

After the break, Srikanth tried to get a hold on his nerves and played long rally but always ended up hitting a wayward shot as Lin Dan continued to surge ahead.

In the end, it was two unforced errors that gifted the game to the Chinese.

There was a visible change in Srikanth’s demeanour in the second game as he raced to a 6-3 lead.

His strokes got better as he caught the celebrated Chinese off guard a few times with his angled

returns and held a six-point advantage at the interval.

Srikanth tried to engage Lin Dan in long rallies with some deep corner returns and then came up with some sublime winners to lead 15-8.

The Indian missed a video referral to allow Lin Dan a point but his forehand smash found Lin Dan napping next.

The Chinese again hit long as Srikanth led 17-9.

A cross court backhand return earned Srikanth another point and with the Chinese going long again, meant he had a 10-game point advantage.

One smash went wide but Srikanth roared back into the contest with a superb return at the forecourt. - Agencies

For more Olympic Games reports from Rio visit www.timesofoman.com M E D A L S TA L LY

(Top 10 countries at 10pm Oman time on Wednesday) Country

G

S

B

T

United States

28

30

28

86

Great Britain

19

19

12

50

China

17

15

19

51

Russia

12

12

15

39

Germany

11

8

9

28

France

8

11

11

30

Italy

8

9

6

23

Netherlands

8

3

3

14

Australia

7

8

9

24

Japan

7

4

18

29

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SITUATION WANTED BUSINESS

Room with attached bathroom and sharing kitchen available for Executive bachelor or small family at wadikabir.

Contact 93049849 1 BHK appartment for rent in Al Khoud Shabiya near mazoon mosque for rent (next to alkhoud medical center and squ) MOB: 93913224 Sharing Accommodation available for working ladies opposite Al Nadhah Hospital. Preferably Indians. Room with seperate toilet and sharing kitchen.RO.90.

Contact: 96524717 Sharing accommodation available for small family or bachelor behind bank Muscat, Ruwi (Keralite only).

Contact : 96290882 / 97001663.

Room available in Mumtaz area 1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room, common bathroom.

Interested please contact 92680041 Mr. Altaf Furnished room attached bath for Indian bachelor, Al-Falaj Ruwi & lady Wadi Kabir near Mars hypermarket. Contact: 96202458/96761960 Furnish bedroom with attach bathroom for executive bachelor.

Contact: 97704794 Room available for Executive bachelor at Al Hail.

Contact 96234708 Room with attached bathroom for a family in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 97167857 Room, bath room for executives in Wadi kabir. Contact 99336206

For a successfully Catering Restaurant Investor cum Partner is required.

Investor with fixed returns also welcome.

Investment opportunity For business in lighting building materials and decoration. Contact : 99421513 WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

NRI

Please contact – 95213273

Email: muscatcoffeeshop@gmail.com Partner available, if u have an established business & looking for partner for expanding or open new branch. Contact: 92010247

DRIVING

NRI owned DTCP approved plot 2000/1840 sq.mt in Chennai, Tiruvalur/orgadam. Clear bank documents with legal, urgent sale. Easy payment options available. Great bargain. ph: 94289050 / 99697989. mail: rajagopalramesh7@gmail.com

AVAILABLE Party & Wedding equipment rentals. Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. ww.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

LOST SURYANI BT TARYN KARIM has lost Indonesia Passport No. AR916042. Finder please handover to ROP

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact: 95190627 Transportation. Contact :96538078 Transportation Engage.

Contact: 92711421 Transportation available Al Khuwair, Ghobrah, Azaiba, Al Hail & Al Khoud. Drop & pick.

Contact 95250161 Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909 Transportation. Contact 99508282

MOHAMMED ABDUL HAKIM has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. BF0466259. Finder please handover to ROP

Transportation required from Qurum to WadiKabir at afternoon only 1 PM. Contact - 99012165

Nisam Pandara Valappil has lost Indian Passport No. L4400053.

Finder please handover to ROP

Transportation. Contact 92015894 Transportation. Contact 94510847

D4

T H U R S D AY, AU G U S T 1 8 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT Required male, female GP, Dentist, Administrator, Nurses, Pharmacist, Lab Technician for a Polyclinic at Ibra.

Contact 71100596, joharaajmal2016@gmail.com

WANTED STORE CO-ORDINATOR 3-5 years experience preferably in Ceramic division (tiles).

Should be with degree, technical knowledge & English fluency.

Send CV to tajallulu.abubaker@gmail.com

ACCOUNTS Wanted Accountant experiences with 5 yrs experience in Oman, Indian only. Contact 95337795 Required experienced Accountant for a restaurant in Muscat.

Contact: 93500992 An Omani Audit firm is seeking audit partner to join the firm, the candidate should be completed any certificate course CIA,CPA, CA, ACC, and 4 years’ experience, interested candidates to submit their CVs to : auditbureau2016@gmail.com

CATERING Urgently required a well experienced Manager for a group of vegetarian restaurants in Oman.

Attractive salary offered. E -mail: md@royalgroupoman.com Restaurant Staff Wanted with NOC. Contact 94871416 Shawarma / grill / Salad / Asian Cook. Contact: 95529970

ENG./TECHNICIAN Well experienced Civil Site Engineer & Senior Site Foreman, age 40 – 45. Send resume: excelgrd123@gmail.com

IT Looking for .NET programmer (male) who can join immediately.

Send CVs to meitbuz@gmail.com Required Shop Sales man + Hardware Technician for IT Company with minimum 2 years experience.

Contact: 98825806 / 98825806, Email: info@rns-group.com

Required candidates for following posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers.

Candidates with Omani driving license preferred.

Contact 99273774/99202278

MEDICAL

House maid for Omani family.

Contact: 99773100

DRIVER Required an Indian Driver with Oman driving license to work in a school in Ruwi. Residence available.

Contact 24705605 Abdul Rahman from 8 AM to 1 pm Required light Driver for site work.

Salary RO 175 + 25 for food & accommodation.

Contact 99454425 Wanted Driver for heavy (sewage vehicle) and light vehicle with valid Oman driving license.

Contact: 97991654 / 97991652 Kindly send CV at Email: construction@remasalseeb.com / remaschandran2020@gmail.com

DESIGNER Interior designer needed urgently.

Email: batrading2014@gmail.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING Required English, computer and science female Teachers up to grad 4. Contact 95054916, Email:- aa77345@gmail.com.time after 5PM

ENG./TECHNICIAN Qualified and experienced Refrigeration Technician required, who can repair cold room, freezer room and all other types of refrigerated equipments.

Email: alsatrading14@gmail.com fax : 24727481 Wanted Civil Engineer with minimum 3 years experience with valid GCC / Oman driving license.

Contact: 97991654 / 97991652 Kindly send CV at Email: construction@remasalseeb.com / remaschandran2020@gmail.com Required Electrical B.Tech with 5 years of Oman experience & D/L. Electrical with ITI -Industrial & MEDC license.

Contact: 99454425

Urgently required Pharmacist (B.Pharm) & Assistant Pharmacist (D Pharm) with trading experience.

Attractive salary & incentives.

Send CV at Email : omanmedical@yahoo.com Required ENT specialist, Orthopedic specialist, Dermatology specialist, Human Resources Assistant Manager.

Send CV : hr11r11hr@gmail.com AlFarooq Polyclinic Barka requires experienced qualified Male & Female GPs. Contact 99526926, 99754628 Wanted Nurse for a Dental Centre in capital area. Contact 93431024 or send CV : drasyanaseem@gmail.com Wanted DENTIST with MOH license to run a clinic. Wanted GYNAECOLOGIST to run a clinic or work on salary. Contact 99334689 Care Medical Centre Al Seeb requires Gynecologist and General Practitioner. Mail CV to: sarita_h23@yahoo.com A medical centre is looking to hire immediately a talented Nurse to join our successful team, required 3 years of experience, Oman prometric, data flow. Send your CV to- issalibi@gmail.com or Whatsapp - 91254820 GP doctor needed for reputed clinic. Preferably with MOH license or with Dataflow & Paramatics pass Contact: 95388934 Wanted Staff Nurse for a dermatology clinic in Muscat .

Must have MOH license and NOC. Attractive salary offered. Email: clinicvacancy2015@gmail.com Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact 95081010 Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Required Indian Mason – 5 nos., eligibility (minimum 5 yrs experience in road construction field).

Contact: 99882127 Email: georgymv@yahoo.com

SALES / MARKETING Required building material Sales Man with Arabic and English language. Tel. 97004186

SITUATION WANTED ACCOUNTS

With MOH Licence and Data Flow for Al Saadi Specilised Medical Centre, Musanna.

Contact # 92025033, Email : dr.srininvas76@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Furniture & décor co. require Outdoor sales team, immediate joining.

Email: batrading2014@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

DOMESTIC HELPER Wanted full time Housemaid preferably Tamilian / Malayalee for Tamil Family at Wattayah, Muscat. Contact 94043238

WANTED Female Gynaecologist, Female GP- Two Female Staff Nurse (From India or Pilipino)and One Female Dental Assist and Female Lab Technician.

Require experienced female Insurance Underwriters & Marketing Executives with fluency in English (Oman Expatriates).

Apply to: insure@dotintl.com Looking for Marketing Executive with D/L. Mail your resume to: info@agloenterprises.com Required min 2 years marketing experience with ODL. Send CV : info@DoOdleZz.com Urgently required a Gulf experienced professional Hair Dresser cum Beautician (Lady) for a reputed Beauty salon.

Immediate appointment Contact : 99816262 / 98557585,fax : 24796211, email: skin. hair.makeup@gmail.com Required Sales & Marketing staff.

Good communication skills, expert in Excel, driving license holder can apply to admin@wacllcoman.com A well establishment Company into courier & logistics requires following urgently : 1) Marketing Executive 2) Customer Support Executive (female) 3) Accountant. Applicant must carry relevant experience of at least 3 - 4 yrs in similar field. Send your resume : info@atsglobex.com Required experienced Outdoor Sales Executive with Oman driving license & release for a reputed Company. Send CV: wop@cpwop.com Wanted auto parts Salesman for Muscat : genuine parts salesman (5) preferable GCC experienced, Office Assistant (2) well experienced. Send CV at Email : genuinepartsjob@gmail.com Required marketing / PR manager for a modern restaurant group in Oman , proficient in illustrator & Photoshop charismatic , proactive , creative & flexible excellent writing / Editing skills degree in relevant area fluent in English.

Send CV to marketingpr2016@gmail.com Required smart, young, dynamic Sales & Marketing Executive having 2-3 years sales experience for a reputed manufacturing company in Oman, having its Head Office in Ruwi. Experience in building materials is an added advantage. Omani Driving License and NOC is a must. Attractive remuneration package.

Apply with photograph to E-mail: salesjobds@gmail.com Looking for Indian marketing lady with journalistic, advertising & media background.

Contact: 93946622 Email: ali.matani2@gmail.com Require Salesman with driving license & NOC Apply: hhabsi55@gmail.com

Chief / Senior Accountant, having 12 years Oman experience looking for a job NOC / Release with D/L available. Contact: 97385562 Indian male having 12 years experience (Gulf/India) in a reputed Money Exchange is looking for suitable placement. Contact 71152798.

Email - binojaeb@yahoo.com Indian male Accountant looking for a suitable placement in Salalah.

More than 20 years experience in Accounting job (upto the finalization of accounts) 8 years working experience in Middle East in Dubai, Muscat & Salalah. Contact : 91325029 Indian male, 25 yrs, B.Com, MBA in Finance & Marketing, SAP (Level -1) Certified, 1 yr exp in Office Administration, good communication skills in English, Now in Oman for visit visa looking for suitable placement.

Contact 97914014 Email : lithin2190@gmail.com Indian female, senior Accountant /ast.Finance manager having 15 years oman experience with d/l and noc looking for a suitable placement . Contact : 94838231 Part time Accountant 13 years experience hourly, daily & contract base accounting upto finalization Contact 79002093 Indian (M), 31 yrs, M Com 9 yrs experience in Oman, looking for Manager or Executive position in Fin & Accounts, NOC Available. Contact: 968 96166178/+919768537435: mohammednajeem@yahoo.com Senior Accountant MBA finance Indian 8 yrs exp in finance & accounts. Knowledge in ERP Tally 9, MS Office having Oman D/L & NOC. Contact: 97366016.

E mail:sonynath009@gmail.com Accountant Indian male B.Com 10 yrs exp in Oman with driving license and NOC, local change in available. Specialized in Tally ERP 9 and focus upto finalization.

Contact 99622639 Indian male 26 B.Com 2 yrs experience in Accounting and 2 yr Salesman in Oman.

Contact: 90922545 Indian (M), 26 yrs B Com, 6 yrs of experience in accounts and finance, 3 yrs in Muscat, Construction Division. NOC Available M:98390113, Email Id: shadabmustafa1990@gmail.com Indian female B. Com Materials Management 9 yrs exp in Purchase & Accounts seeks suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact : 92695946 Graduate from Alexandria University in Accounting has freelance Interior designing experience in different design programs & recorded projects achievements, willing to join suitable job for his qualifications & talents. Contact: + 201003966769 in Oman 99602608 Email: shadyhenaawy@gmail.com Sudanese Accountant, Alexandria University Graduate bachelor of commerce Diploma of Marketing professional photographer worked in PR and social media for 2 years looking for a job in public relations media, social media or marketing.

Contact: 96976240

Indian (M) / B. Com, MBA in Finance, in GCC for 26 years, well experienced in Accounts & Finance, 4 years in L&T , Speaks Arabic, having Driving License & NOC. Contact: 95588565 Indian male, B.Com, MBA in Finance, 4 yrs in Larsen & Tourbo, 26 yrs in Oman, English/ Arabic speaking with driving license. NOC available. Contact 95588565 Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: Anishkhan991867@gmail.

Com Mobile: +968 9565 9415 Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa. Immediately available.

Contact 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com Indian/MBA/male Chief Accountant 18Yrs Experience, MIS, C.Flow, Budgeting, ERP, Cost accounting &Liasing with auditors. NOC available.

Contact: 92254691/97826674 email: khader2305@gmail.com Indian male 27 CA inter completed with 4 years experience in Accounts and Audit currently on visiting visa looking for suitable job. Contact : 99662171 Senior Accountant, M.Com, Indian, 12 yrs experience Accounts upto finalization(5 yrs in Dubai) (5 yrs Oman), NOC available. Contact 95577419, azifinj@gmail.com Senior Accountant/Ast. Finance Manager-M. Com Finance-Indian with 8 years experience in Finance & Accounts Dpt and Banking & Facilitation. Having D/L & NOC. Mob: 94122464, Email: cammk13@gmail.com Accountant B.Com, Tally Indian male, 14 yrs Oman experience with driving licence & NOC seeks suitable job. Contact 97942044 Finance Manager 16 years experienced chartered accountant (Sri Lankan) looking for a suitable post.

NOC available.Contact: 92194926 Email: manomuscat@gmail.com Accountant & sales & marketing.

Contact: 99730968 / 90696269 Accountant B.com Indian male 12 yrs exp seeks suitable job.NOC available . Contact : 91212471 Email: rennyj6@gmail.com Senior Accountant, B Com, Indian, 10 yrs of Finance and Accounts experience (7 yrs Oman and 4 yrs Dubai) , NOC Available.

Contact : 99776450; Email:mobinmum1@gmail.com ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance.

Contact 99284193 Indian female 28 yrs B.Com 4 yrs experience in MNC’s currently in Muscat seeking suitable placement in Finance / Admin.

Contact :94743790 28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

Qualified and experienced MBA post graduate with proven work exposure in Middle East & India, having more than 5.5 years of rich experience in accounts , project coordination and administration in (3.5 years UAE experience) oil and gas projects is currently looking for suitable job.

Contact 93953613, Emailallen.mathew83@gmail.com Indian female, M.Com, 4 yr’s experience in Accounts looking for Accountant/Asst. Accountant job.

Contact: 98418533 / 99338639 CFA level 1 cleared (pursuing level 2) MBA operations research, female, 5 yrs experience as Analyst, have a valid Oman driving license, looking for related openings.

Contact 95818892 Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94879615, Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com 7 Years experience as Financial Analyst, MBA in finance. Responsibilities- research contributor, financial statement analysis, generating MIS & efficiency report, managing TAT, business & clients.

On visit visa in Muscat.

Contact: 90191628 / 96175780 Accountant 8Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact: 97712084 Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman.

Ready to join immediately.

Contact 98263394 Indian female 26 yrs, MBA finance 2 yrs exp with MNC. Email: rilooozmali@gmail.com.

Contact : 90551366.

Accounts part time services available to handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly basis.

Finalization and audit works.

Contact : 96247295 Indian, Kerala Male B.COM & B.PE, Currently on Visit Visa. Looking for a suitable job in Accounts, Store Keeper, Sales etc. Ready to join as early as possible.

Contact 96988923 email:- sajith3969@gmail.com

ADMIN Indian male, rich oman experience as – personal assistant / office manager / executive secretary / administration / business development asst., omani license with valid visa / release available Contact– 99168054 Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+ experience in Administration/HR, Customer Support, Office Coordinator with good Computer skill, Now on Visit Visa,looking for suitable position. Contact 90196235 Filipino HRD especialist / material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817 BBA Male 25 yrs, Administration officer experienced in administration, HR, accounts, procurement with NOC. Contact 91329571

T H U R S DAY, AU G U S T 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED Electrical Engineer (B.Tech), having 7 yrs of Gulf experience, expertise in Project Management, planning, construction activities, testing & commissioning of electrical systems, presently on visit visa, seeks job in Muscat.

Indian Male MBA (UK),

PROJECT MANAGER,

9 years experience in Dubai/London/ Mumbai in Management Consulting, Sales & Marketing, Business Development for Real Estate/Banking seeks similar placement with D/L.

B.Tech, MBA, PRINCE-2, British Citizen now available with NOC in OMAN. 25 yrs. exp in EPC Project Management of Oil & Gas, Pipelines, Refineries & Power Plants. Seeking job immediately/

Contact 91228167

Contact: 95168205

Indian male, MBA,

Hotel/Restaurant/ Hospitality

6 yrs experience in Sales & Marketing, Export / Import, logistics (general trading), holding Oman driving license, presently on visit visa, looking for suitable jobs.

Professional with 21 years of rich experience as CEO/General Manager, in managing business operations/ revenue expansions in hospitality/hotel sector with MBA in Hotel Management and possessing strong business acumen with excellence in executing a wide range of strategies for profitability looking for challenging career opportunity as VP/GM/CEO.

Experienced Software Professional over 20 years in Oman. Involved in system analysis, design, testing and implementing new applications, provide training and helpdesk.

Best suited to produce cost centre, consolidated, MIS reports from various applications. Manage Software, Hardware, Network resources, Wi-Fi/Biometric/CCTV Devices. Expertise in SQL, Crystal Reports, MS Office, Foxpro.

Contact - 91544858

Call 9785 5160

Contact # 92839516

Indian female, MBA, Finance, B.Com & PGDM 2 years experience as Financial Analyst looking for suitable position in Accounts Administration or Executive positions, presently available in Oman.

Contact 96126736 / 95629821 Email: ppreethi006@gmail.com

Senior Accountant B.Com, 18 yrs experience abroad, 12 years in Oman with an excellent grade construction company, handling day to day activities upto finalization, proficient in Microsoft GP, knows AX – 2012, valid D/L, looks for suitable placement in Accounts / Admin. Local release available.

Contact: 968 97702648

ARCH./ INTERIOR DEC.

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Junior Architect, female from NIT, looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 92705130

Interior Designer AutoCAD Draftsman 3D Max, now in Muscat on visit visa. Contact 92714377 / 90865342

Architect Engineer seeking for suitable job, 8 years experience.

GSM : 96075000, Email : haytham_201046@yahoo.com

Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Please Contact: 96489798,(+974) 66653780.

Indian Male 28 yrs, B.E with 6 yrs exp in Marketing Research and business strategy providing PR services looking for suitable placement. Contact: 90801510.

E mail:bijudotson@gmail.com

DRIVER ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Driver looking for job.

Contact: 95892363 Light Driver looking for job.

Contact 94591088 Bangladeshi male light vehicle driver 3 yrs exp. Contact: 90923748 Looking for job Light driver.

Contact : 98503237.

Indian light driver seeks job.

Contact : 96693613 Driver looking for job.

Contact : 90524610 Driver with car. Contact 99716938 Looking for driving job, with 4 yrs driving experience in Oman. Contact: 93521880 Driver with Electrician, 4 yrs experience looking for job.

Contact 92041902 Light vehicle driver 9 yrs exp in Oman. Knows - Arabic, English & Hindi. Contact: 99505887 Looking for light driver job 5yrs exp. Contact: 92817393 Pakistani light vehicle driver with light duty license with 6 yrs exp in Oman looking for job & visa languages known Arabic, Urdu, Pashto, Punjabi & Hindi. Contact : 99834967 Hayat Mohammad.

Bangladeshi male, light vehicle driver, 5 yrs Gulf experience.

Contact 90209473 Pakistani, 3 yrs experience, looking for driving job.

Contact 99647042 Pakistani, light duty driver seeks job. Contact 94356465 / 93782166 Driver available, light duty driver, exp 6 yrs. Contact: 94435912 / 92439315.

BE Civil Engineer, 21 Yrs. Exp in Apartments, Malls, Industrial, Educational, Infrastructure and Fit out Projects. Have DL & NOC Contact: vsssmblr@gmail.com / 97195260 Procurement & Proposal Engineer, 7 yrs Projects exp in Oman, from oil & gas sector, with Oman D/L seeks suitable placement.

Contact 99105049 / 97054083, Email:shahabalikhan@hotmail. com Sales Engineer (male), 7 yrs exp in Oman, from Oil & Gas sector, with Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact 99105049 / 97054083, E mail: madihanaaz316@gmail.com.

Project Manager Civil, with 17 years of experience in building, can handle project independently, strong communication and leadership skills. (+968 91105912) Civil Engineer, B-tech, Indian, 30yrs, Having 8yrs experience in building projects looking for suitable position. Contact: 99819639, email: 999saira@gmail.com Female Chemical Engineer with 1yr exp as a lab technician.

Contact: 90920081 B.Tech Electrical Pakistani male 2 yrs exp with D/L looking for suitable post. Contact : 96752080 23 yrs female Biomedical Engineer with 1 year experience looking for any kind of suitable job in Muscat. Contact 94144084 / 92967174, sujimol.m.s@gmail.com 35 yrs, male, B.A, 4 yrs experienced HSE officer advanced Diploma in fire & safety ISOH NEBOSH course completed seeks suitable job (fluency Arabic). Contact 98973566, saresh10@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine.

Available NOC release.

Contact 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com Quantity Surveyor 14 years exp. seeking suitable placement, NOC & D/L available. Contact: 90936370 mail: muhammedjahan@gmail.com Indian male Civil Engineer 1.6 yrs exp, having Omani D/L, looking for suitable position. NOC available.

Contact – 92157694 / mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Diploma in Mechanical Engg, 10 years exp in steel fabrication site work with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 94696192 Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrs exp seeks suitable position in a reputed company. NOC available.

Contact 96789711 MEP, HVAC Engineer with about 3 years experience, now working in Dubai seeks job opportunity in Oman. GSM +97155285054 Mail id: sreejeshmech123@gmail.com Indian male, 24 yrs, BCA, CCNA, 1 yr experience as Software Trainer, looking for job, on visit visa in Salalah. Contact 91757984, Email : rayjazzeer@gmail.com B.Sc Civil Engineer, 7 yrs experience in Oman, total experience, 9 yrs having D/L, local release available. Contact 98628515, sofiq.sohel02@gmail.com Pakistani male with D/L, Civil Diploma Engineer, 11 yrs experience searching for job.

Contact 97187214 Male Sudanese 33 yrs Petroleum Engineering 7 yrs experience looking for suitable post.

Contact : 97942087 / 71103417 Diploma in Civil Engineering 5 yrs exp in Oman PDO & Port work exp seeking nice job. Contact: 97879383 Email: rabial007@gmail.com

Iraqi Civil Engineer 14 years experience, Resident with Omani driving license searching for suitable job Contact : 91336638

Indian male 25 yrs, with 4 yrs exp as Service Engineer in automobile field, now in Muscat on visit visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 92077172

Indian male 29 yrs B. Tech FTTH Engineer 2 yrs experience in Dubai, with UAE license CCTV projects, Autocad, CCNA now in Dubai seeks placement.

E mail: nikhilps87@gmail.com cont : 00971522504047.

Indian male, 30 yrs, ITC Electronic Mechanic worked as a MSc Technician in TATA Teleservices Trivandrum, now in Cochin, O&M Technician Reliance.

Email: prakeshgg@gmail.com, Contact : 91-7356269929

M/40/Indian, Senior Draftsman, (Civil) 18 yrs Oman exp in Architectural Consultancy, seeking suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact : 92510920 email: pgrajesh25@gmail.com

Indian, fresh B.Tech Mechanical Engineer from Manipal University Dubai, with Omani driving license seeks career opening opportunity. contact 97238952 / sheldondsa@yahoo.com

Revit, Autocad D/man, expected salary 200 OMR PH :92279784

Sales Manager having 25+ yrs of G.C.C exp looking for suitable position. Contact: 95593795 / 93816464

Architectural Draftsmen diploma in construction technology with 6 years experience in drafting and detailing as per British standard in Oman with valid Omani license looking for suitable opportunity Noc available. Call 94375897.

Mechanical Engineer, Indian male, 24 yrs, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering & Quality Control Inspector Certificate looking for suitable job. Contact 99480160 / 99494584, Email : salilren007@gmail.com

Civil Engineer, B.Tech, Indian with 2 yrs experience in Site, QS Estimation, planning & Coordination, currently on visit looking for suitable placement.

Contact 93314353

Driver with car seeks placement.

Contact 93346085 Driver job wanted.

Contact : 96393082 Looking for job driver with car.

Contact 99154473 Light Driver. Contact 92703258 / 99617026

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN CAD/GIS Draughtsman with 15 years experience.

Contacts: 94001764 / Email: jaisonckm@gmail.com

Engg/ Tech/ Mech 24 m, MBA /B. Tech 2 yrs HVAC-fire fighting experience seeking placement.

Contact : 90924711, E mail : prasith.k.aniyan@gmail.com

Contact- 00968-94731728/ josececy25@gmail.com

Oman experienced Indian Lawyer, 35, BA, Arabic, LLB, MBA, knows English, Arabic looking for suitable position in Companies or legal firms., presently working as Legal Advisor. NOC available.

Contact 97351649, Email : advocatesharaf@gmail.com

Indian female 25 yrs M.Sc Biotechnology With 2 yrs experience in Scientific Analysis looking for suitable placement interested in Quality Control in food processing sector & Medical Sector also.

Contact - 98842135, 98030818

IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE WITH NOC HR & ADMINISTRATION PROFESSIONAL With 14 years of Oman experience in Omanization, well familiar with Oman labor laws, employee relations / welfare, Liasion & Coordination, Strategic HR Planning, performance Appraisal & General Administration.

Contact - 96501189 ENGG. / TECH./MECH. B.E Mechanical Engineer, age 24 with almost 1 year experience as Production Shift Engineer, has achieved training on HVAC Engineering design and has good hands on software like AutoCAD and HAP.Currently in Oman on a visit visa, looking for a suitable placement.Contact: 95065955 email: mjs.jazeb@gmail.com Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in designing, assembling, commissioning execution etc having valid GCC license too looking for a suitable. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).Looking for a Suitable position. Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa. # 92157694. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Sr. Electrical Engineer with17+ yrs of exceptional exp in spear heading strategic planning and project management initiatives & executing various high rise residential & commercial building as well as roads and highway project with proficiency in installation, seeking a challenging position in a dynamic organization. Contact 96570891 Construction Machinery repairs Engineer, 5 years, driving license, Contact - 94001961 Indian male B-tech 8 years experience as senior electrical project engineer / QC engineer on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 94094543 Email: anwar425@gmail.com Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784 Mechanical Engineer, Indian, Male, 30yrs. Experienced in Steam turbines and Thermal Power house seek employment.

Contact - +91 8130553668 or mohamedshah7@gmail.com Iraqi Civil Engineer (Road) 4 years experience, 1 year in Oman with driving license & NOC. Contact: 91142290 Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman. Contact: 98921022 Electronics and Communication Engineer with 2 years experience in Telecom Sector as RF Engineer (drive test, RF & LOS survey).

Contact: 93919943 Email: agneljerin@yahoo.com Electrical Engineer having 16 years experience in Switchgear / transformer / over head lines & lines & trading for sales /procurement & project execution, valid Oman D/L. Contact: +968- 95994727, Email : qurm340@gmail.com Electrical Engineer: Indian male 30 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation & utility maintenance in India, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

An Iraqi civil with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C) available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact:97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912 Young Indian, Engineering in Bio-technology, Bio-chemical and Chemical, looking for a challenging placement in Oman.

Contact 97607000. Email: sivasankarjayakumar@gmail.com Civil Engineer (Indian male) 5 years experience in Oman with valid Omani driving license & NOC looking for suitable opportunity.

Contact: 93101283 Project Management and Supervision, expert professional Civil Engineer, 26 years experience in Contractor and consultancy companies with N.O.C & driving license. Contact : 92668679 Seeking suitable job male 33 yrs Expat over 13 yrs exp with PDO as Project Service Engineer, Omani driving license, NOC available.

Contact: 92734174.

Civil Engineer (B.Sc) with 5 years experienced (more than 4 years in Oman) in construction & project management and seeking suitable position (NOC available).

Contact: 99604563, Email: saiful.hasjv@gmail.com Indian male, Structural Engineer looking for job in structural design field. Having 6 years of experience in design field. Residing in Muscat. Contact: 91176187 Email: syam036@gmail.com Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit.

PH: 93837973 Graduate from Alexandria University Mechanical Power Engineering and certified international Procurement Manager CIPM basics of supply chain management B SCM, APICS, seeking suitable job for his qualifications.

Contact: +2001222399139 Oman 99602608 C/O Email: samer_hen026awy@hotmail.com Civil Engineer, young Indian having almost 2 years experience looking for a challenging position seeks suitable position in Oman/ GCC. Please contact 92718490, Email ID: uvais.pk82@gmail.com Indian male 24 ,B.E ( E.C.E ) graduate with 3 years of experience in the fields of BMS and Low current systems and has good knowledge about Electronic Security Systems, currently working in Oman, NOC Available.

Contact:- 94737033/ mohdmuhafez45@gmail.com Mechanical/ Piping Engineer (B.Tech.) on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 94703350 mail: nadeembcoolboy@gmail.com

SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER EDI GIS Indian male, 32 yrs, B.Tech, PGDIT, IBM Sterling Integrator, having 9 yrs experience from IBM, Cognizant & Emphasis, Oman driving license looking for suitable placement.

Contact - 93221395

ENGLISH TEACHER Indian FM, B.A, B.ED English Lit, 4 yrs Teaching experience in Oman and 2 yrs in India, immediate joining.

Contact - 94202122 EDUCATION/TRAINING Mathematics Lecturer , Indian Female, M Sc Mathematics from a Prestigious University, B.Ed qualified, distinction holder with 7 yrs teaching experience in colleges.

Contact: 91360147.

Experienced Maths teacher bilingual AS, A, IB Thanwia Aamaa. Contact: 98016336.

Indian female MSC, BED, MPHIL, IELTS, currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact : 91969756 / 96916534.

Graduate from Tanta University license of Education and Diploma of studies in French language from Ministry of Education in France courses in Picardie University Julesverne & Mont Lambert School from France, has experience in teaching French in Egypt Ministry of Education, seeking job as teacher of French language or translator for French, English & Arabic.

Contact: 99602608 Email: abodody44abohomos@gmail.com Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact 99739415 / 92091528 Mathematics Lecturer , Indian Female, M Sc Mathematics from a Prestigious University, B.Ed qualified, distinction holder with 6 yrs teaching experience in colleges.

Contact: 91360147.

Teacher Female , Phd in Chemistry having 3.5 yrs of Experience in India. Staying here on Family Visa & seeking for a suitable placement. Contact – 99675828, Email Anupam.tiwari67@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY Young, female, diploma in aviation, hospitality, travel management, with family visit visa, seeks suitable placement with employment visa in airlines / hospitality / administration & in any company. Gsm 9092-1438 Housekeeping Supervisor, Hotel Industry seeks placement.

Contact 96152305 Job needed as Restaurant Supervisor having more than 8 years experience in hospitality industry ex: employer Pizza hut Oman certified course in food hygiene and safety.

Contact :+968 96480905 whatsapp:+968 93407177

IT IT field 3 years of experience, female seeking suitable job in Oman.

Contact: 96350234 Email: greeshmavkannan@gmail.com Indian Male, MCA Graduate, 15 yrs exp in ERP, CSM Certified, seeking suitable role.NOC Available.

Contact : GSM : 90189284 Email: meetlibran@gmail.com Indian male, 3 yrs experience in IT as Linux Administrator & 1 yr experience in Amazon EC2 cloud at Wipro Bangalore seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92889678, Email : amalpathikal@gmail.com CFA level 1 cleared (pursuing level 2) MBA operations research, female, 5 yrs experience as Analyst, have a valid Oman driving license, looking for related openings.

Contact 95818892 Indian female M.Sc Computer Science seeking suitable placement in Muscat area.

Contact: 98660672 Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement.

Contact: 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com

D6

T H U R S D AY, AU G U S T 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANTED COMPUTER/WEB./ EDU./CLASSES

IT

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

SALES / MARKETING

MISCELLANEOUS

IT Support Engineer, Exp 3 years in Oman 2 years in India.

Contact: 94672759

Looking for part time job Secretarial / Data Entry / Documentation available every day after 5:00 pm Friday / Saturday full day area preferred Ruwi/ CBD/ MBD / Al Khuwair. Contact: 90414827

Filipino Male, 28 years Old. Looking for job, Have experience in Rent a Car/ Cargo & Logistics / Real Estate/ Customer Care Executive / Sale Executive & Marketing/ Shop In- Charge. Hard working w/ good computer and communication skill.

GSM: 97761075

Civil Engineer with 6 yrs exp. in construction and all related works having Omani license & NOC. looking for job. 94520994

Indian male, B.Tech IT, 4 years Oman Experience in IT & NETWORKING, holding Oman D/L, seeks suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact: 92462578

MEDICAL Pharmacist (female) passed Prometric 80% marks and dataflow completed having 3 yrs experience in Retail and Hospital Pharmacy, education D- Pharmacy seeks job in Muscat. Contact 95575270.

Female Dental Surgeon having 3 yrs experience cleared prometric seeking for suitable position to practice in reputed clinics or hospitals. Contact 99378723 Male Nursing Specialist with more than 3 yrs exp - Pro metric 64 pc - Data Flow accept - seeks job – 97951608 Iraqi Dentist female, MOH license seeks suitable job in clinic in Muscat. Contact 97891219 Filipino male Medical / Sales representative with 3 yrs experience is looking for suitable job in Oman.

Contact: 92610394 Veterinary Doctor: Indian Female looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 96906534 /99014885, Email: monishmajeed@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Indian, 15+ years experience In Purchase looking for suitable jobs in Oman (NOC available). Contact 96388496,ranju.uma@gmail.com Indian male (Storekeeper) having 8 yrs experience in a reputed hospital, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 95857942 / 98239607, Email : rajukayappurath@gmail.com CEO, CEO Assistant looking for senior management position with more than 25 yrs Business developing experience Marketing business planning U.S.A, Africa, Kazakhstan, Saudi & Qatar MBA , TEXAS A &M – USA University.

Contact: 92010247 Indian male, Senior logistics Incharge 20 yrs experienced with oil & gas products with Oman driving license, NOC available.

Contact 95370652, anilsampat3@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Filipino Male, 28 years Old. Looking for job, Have experience in Rent a Car/ Cargo & Logistics / Real Estate/ Customer Care Executive / Sale Executive & Marketing/ Shop In- Charge. Hard working w/ good computer and communication skill.

GSM: 97761075 GYM Instructor 12 years experience single. Contact: 96700192 Indian male, 28, post graduate, 6+ yrs exp in Oman in sales (back office) & credit control with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable lacements. NOC available.

Contact 92066 523

BANKING experienced, Indian Female having 5 Years of Experience in GOVT BANK in India as Officer II looking Jobs. Contact : 95394738 Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment.

Call: 95244761

SALES / MARKETING Indian male with 6 years experience in sales in oman. NOC available, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95364128 Indian male Engineering Graduate 6 years experience in Sales & Marketing in Oman with D/L & NOC seeking suitable openings.

Contact: 94386894 Email: tonykuravackal@gmail.com Indian male Sales & Marketing experience in Dubai, having valid Dubai license seeking suitable placement. Contact : 90214432 7 yrs Dubai, 3 yrs Oman Sales & marketing exp 5 yrs Pakistan accounts experience with driving license MBA marketing & finance Diploma in Marketing Univ. of Varginia USA. NOC available looking for job. Call/whatsapp : 97367321 Indian male, 25 yrs, 3 yrs Marketing & sales experience in Oman, having valid Oman D/L with NOC looking for suitable job in Sales or marketing related field.

Contact 98983247 Indian male 3 yrs exp in Marketing looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 94951234. Email: rakeshrsveliyam@gmail.com Indian female, 6 yrs experience in Cosmetic (Oman) with D/L seeking suitable placement.

Contact 98278522 Indian (M), 29 Yrs B Com, 5 yrs experience, 2 yrs in Oman as Document Controller seeking similar jobs or in sales. NOC Available.

M: +919773310782 Email Id: sajid.shaikh2123@gmail.com Indian male 14 yrs exp in business development, Sales & Marketing, 4 yrs in building material in Oman Contact: 93956234.

Indian male 39 years, 10 years experience in Oman as Marketing, Business Development & Operations with legal background looking for suitable job having Oman D/L. NOC available. Contact : 94942328 / 94266552 Indian male 35 years, B.com and 9 years GCC experience in Sales & Marketing (Transport & Logistic).

Having GCC driving license, looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 92634281 email: shinojkk1224@gmail.com Indian male 42 yrs searching for suitable job, experience in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Saudi D/L holder, fluent in Arabic, English, Hindi Gulf experience 20 yrs manpower co-ordinator, sales & marketing, logistics. Contact: 90518114

Filipino Graphic Designer / I.T. looking for a suitable job with 10 years experience. Very good in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Photography, Knowledge in CCTV & Access Controls.

Pls. Call 79042628.

Indian male age 24, B.Com. having 2 year experience and currently in visit visa. Looking for suitable placement in Sales, Marketing & finance. Contact: 90766307 Email: shhaazz.007@gmail.com

Sudanese male bachelor geology and mining with 3 years experience in MUD logging and training in soil investigation.

Contact 92956848

Oil & gas experienced Indian lady with 6 years in sales & marketing to PDO and having valid Omani driving license. Contact 96143430 / 99875919

B.Sc in Geology, fresher, need job training, on visit visa for 3 months, can speak Arabic and English.

Contact :71125541

Indian male Graduate with 18 years of Marketing experience presently in Oman on family visit visa, looking for best opportunity.

Contact: 96168687 Email: dhibupaul@gmail.com

BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants).

Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Office boy & watchman 8 yrs exp in Dubai looking for job.

Contact: 97636513 Indian, looking for a suitable post 25 yrs exp in Carpentry Foreman with valid D/L seeks placement.

Contact: 95868469

Indian Male, MBA marketing 5 yrs exp. in sales & 4 yrs in FMCG sector, looking for best opportunity. NOC available.

Contact: 96001877 Indian Male, 26 M.Com with 4 yrs of Experience in Accounting & Administration in a Financial Company in India, seeks suitable job, Currently in India.

Contact India:-+918907212253 Akhil:-93626288, Email: Sumeshpsmkr1989@gmail.com

Executive purchase logistics with 10 years experience, NOC available. Contact: 91432512 Indian male 37 years MBA graduate in marketing with 9yrs of experience in UAE in field of brand promotions & marketing with UAE D/L on a visit seeking suitable position. Conatct 95792820 Indian male 26 years of experience of sales & marketing in surgical and laboratory equipments.

Looking for good replacement.

Contact – 92015894 /95774854 Indian female 29 years Post Graduate with computer Knowledge 2 years of Oman experience in coordinator & 5 years of experience in customer service, client relation officer with excellent communication skill seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95337665 Resident in Oman 18 years, 10 years experience in setup marketing plans and strategies, sales, import & logistics, procurement, Omani government tenders, organizing projects & events, import fireworks for festivals, NOC available, have car. Contact 94123939.

Email: 002015r@gmail.com Indian male 1 yr exp in sales automotive (TBL) looking for best opportunity , NOC available.

Contact: 97793879 Email: shyampkn@gmail.com

TOUR Indian female with B Com Tourism and travel management and also with IATA/UFAA foundation Diploma looking out for suitable placement, fresher, 21 yrs old .

Contact: 92300931

MISCELLANEOUS 23 Male Indian 3 year experience in restaurant manager & accountant job & marketing experience looking for suitable job. Contact:90801420 , WhatsApp no :+917411062397, E-mail: anwaar223969@gmail.com TEKLA & AutoCAD.5 years Oman experience in project execution and detail drawing of Steel structures, site and shop erected tanks. Diploma in mech.Engg. Mob: 98486585 sinoshcs@gmail.com.

4 years experience in IT Executive and also ticketing staff, seeking placement contact 94948622.

Email Jarar.haider@yahoo.com Indian Male 23 Photographer searching for suitable job.

Contact: 90801420 WhatsApp: +917411062397 for my sample shots, Email: anwaar223969@gmail.com 28 years, Indian (Kerala )lady seeking job as a primary teacher .

Qualifications : +2 , TTC and Graduation in Sociology. She has 4 years experience in the Teaching field.

Contact +968 94743882 B.E Engineer and also did NEBOSH (IGC), Fire and Safety (HABC) First Aid.3 year of Gulf experience As a Safety Engineer looking for job.

Available to join respective firm.

Contact # 94618504, Email: shan37yousfani@gmail.com B.E Engineer Indian male with total 7+ years experience in the field of telecom projects, operations and sales, 3 years experience in Oman, with license and NOC seeks suitable placement. GSM- 92961033 E MAIL -joalappa77@gmail.com Indian male, 26 years, 3 years’ experience in projects of tanks, boilers and steel structures, aware of int. standards, b tech in Mech engg. contact-rahulkunnath23@ gmail.com, mob-00917350860889 Graduate (C.M.A & B.Com) having 4 yrs experience in U.A.E & Pakistan in accounts/ Audit now in Oman immediate available.

Cell # 94973273 (call & Whatsaap) Female, 25yrs old with 4 yrs experience in admin, HR and Secretary position looking for a job.

Contact neslinmoras@gmail.com 99265759.

Indian male 23 yrs, Diploma in Automobile Engineering have experience in handling accounts and good marketing skill searching for new suitable job.

Contact: 90801420, Email: anwaar223969@gmail.com Indian male Post graduate Dentist with 18 plus years experience with MOH Oman. Fluent in Arabic too.

Contact : 96689064/ amal_sam48@hotmail.com Indian/male (25)/ MBA/3 years experience in administration, sales and marketing with driving license. Fluent in English, Hindi, Arabic. Contact 97291114, MAIL: jawadazeez123@gmail.com Indian female 10 years as cook in Muscat, Oman . South Indian, Gujarati special food ,Looking for part time. Contact 95795971 Senior sales/marketing executive.

Experience in trading industries and thorough knowledge of Oman market. Driving licence and NOC available. Seeks senior position.

Pls contact: 98487311 B.Com Pakistani, 6 years experience of marketing NOC and D.L is available 0096898895739 Indian Female, 28 Yrs, M.Sc Comp Science having 3 years experience as a Lecturer/Teacher/IT Support with excellent computer skills, on family visa looking for suitable position. Pls Contact 92857417.

MBA with 18 years of experience in Procurement, 2 years in Sohar, Oman driving license, looking for suitable position.M:92507430, ahmed16071974@gmail.com, NOC available Indian/male(26)/MBA/2 years experience in procurement, coordination and distribution management, with valid oman license available for immediate joining.

Contact: 92536194 email:suhailbs@gmail.com Experienced Restaurant Manager/ supervisor, direct sales searching for suitable position Indian male 23 Diploma in Automobile engineering. Contact: 90801420, Email: anwaar223969@gmail.com Sr Project Engineer, 30 Years, Mechanical, 8 Yrs. experience in Oman & Qatar, Qatar Petroleum approved, Experienced in EPIC Projects Tanks, Vessels, Piping, Steel structures Mail; snu057@gmail.com, Ph-00974 66772193 Indian female, M.Com, 4 yr’s experience in Accounts looking for Accountant/Asst. Accountant job.

Contact: 98418533 / 99338639 MECHANICAL/PRODUCTION ENGINEER, 3 years’ experience in production industry, B tech in Mech engg, Proficiency in AutoCAD, Primavera certified, Contact- arn9895@gmail.com Mob 00919895233155 MECHANICAL ENGINEER, Indian Male,26 years, 3 Years’ experience in Projects of Tanks, Boilers and Steel structures, Aware of int.

Standards,B tech in Mech engg.

Contact-rahulkunnath23@gmail. com, Mob-00917350860889

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English class for Malayalam Speakers

in Azaiba and Ruwi

Indian 30 years, Autocad Draftsman 10 years experience in India.

2 years Oman experience in MEP Drawings and QS Estimation.

Contact: 9353 1192, 9086 4988 B.E Engineer and also did NEBOSH (IGC), Fire and Safety (HABC) First Aid.3 year of Gulf experience As a Safety Engineer looking for job.

Available to join respective firm.

Contact number# 94618504, Email: shan37yousfani@gmail.com Indian male B.Tech, DCE Civil Engineer 14 years Gulf experience.

Contact 97045409 Civil Engineer with 6 yrs exp. In construction and all related works having Omani license & NOC. looking for job. Contact 94520994 Male Indian current job : call center job, B.E (ECE) searching for suitable job, email: amirraj11691@gmail.com. mobile: +919677642346 / +918428617572 Indian male, 11 years exp. in accounting, knowledge in tally also. looking for a part time job.

Contact . 98983122

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310 Karate and self defense classes at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per month twice a week Monday and Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM. Contact: 98294551

SITUATION WANTED Indian Female 23 Years, B.Sc Nursing , Seeking for Nursing Jobs , Good Communication Skill Contact 96723359, 97470727 E-mail : anaswara271@gmail.com Indian male 23 Diploma in Automobile engineering Experienced restaurant manager/supervisor and Marketing knowledge searching for suitable position in your company currently on a visit visa.

Contact: 90801420, Email:anwaar223969@gmail.com INDIAN FEMALE 28 yrs, M.Sc B.ed Science, Experience 2Years In Teaching In India, seeking suitable Job. Contact 0091 9676814123, Email;bbroshini53@gmail.com

Pakistani Male having 7 years Experience Valid Omani Driving license working as a Transport Manager looking for a suitable position. Salary is negotiable. Email: mohdnaveed043@gmail.com, Mob: +96893363316 / 94202746 Indian male 32 years (MBA) Having 7 years experience in Oman, Seeking for Business Development/ Business Support job, having Valid Oman Driving License.

Mobile No : 00968 98403599 Indian Female, 28 Years - MSc Microbiology, Quality checking food industry, Looking for suitable job. Contact 98170510 Email: lasyapriyaprasanth@gmail.com

T H U R S DAY, AU G U S T 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

D7

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

TOURS Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours contact 98029602, 92808636 We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

RENT A CAR

MANPOWER

GOOD NEWS Coming Eid appointments special offer on all beauty treatments, Varkey’s Gents Spa. Contact 92935679 Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steam bath, obesity, Spondylitis. Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Ghubra.

Contact: 99639695 / 97397320 Car care - care for your car. Stop worrying about your car. Enjoy your vacation peacefully. Here is a solution for safe parking and cleaning your car when you are away on vacation.

Taking very good care of your car, trust us. Contact: 96964767 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact: 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com Pure VEG coffee shop open 3/8/16 Dabeli, VADA PAV, PAV Bhaji many more at Al Khuwair near Rawasco behind NBO. Contact 99066469 / 96951587

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

MATRIMONIAL Keralite RC Christian female (Widow), 27 yrs working as Staff Nurse in a reputed Hospital in Muscat seeks suitable alliance.

Contact 95990527 Naidu Tamil groom, 30 yrs, BE, MBA working as Engineer well educated girl, aged below 28 yrs.

Contact 94177123

RENAISSANCE CATERING & SERVICES LLC PEST CONTROL Control of cockroaches, bedbugs,ants etc..

Odourless and harmless Trained and experienced staffs Quality service in reasonable charge we use quality products approved by Oman Govt. we undertake yearly contracts for commercial & residential bldgs

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP specification for monthly rent & small car with driver. Contact 99839898

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

CALL: 99040032

WE SERVE OMAN

ITI electrical, SSLC, PDC, Christian, 36 yrs, second marriage seeks alliance. Contact 97368596 Female Homeo doctor, 26 yrs 5ft, 8 inch Muslim from Kottayam looking for suitable alliance.

Contact: 92659795 Looking bride for South Indian Boy, 35 years, B.E.,(MS), working in London as a Software Engineer, Christian, Height 5’5 , Ref: Profile ID. 1049, Mobile: 99091975 , whatapps :93485778 www.muscatmatrimonial.com, mail: matrimonialmuscat@gmail.com

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130

Pest control treatments, Ocean center LLC Contact 99344723 A/c Servicing & Maintenance.

Contact Abdul Rehman.

Contact 99382104

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998

Split unit & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance.

Contact 96236476

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807

Split unit & widow unit A.C servicing & maintenance.

Contact 95323517 / 93769089

Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080 Marble crystallization & grinding, Ocean center LLC. Contact 99344723 CONTD ON PG 8

D8

T H U R S D AY, AU G U S T 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTED DINING DELIGHTS

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control building. Cleaning tiles / Marble polishing monthly/ Yearly contracts available.

Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C Furniture shifting with expert technicians. Contact: 99041337

House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644/98518013

Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

CAD drawings Archi/ MEP CAD – comply BIM. Contact: 91233975

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance.

Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722

For any 3d signboard, acrylic works with painting please contact us on 90786240 or follow us in instagram: silver_concepts

Marble crystallization & grinding, cleaning & carpet shampooing.

Ocean center LLC. Contact 99344723

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020 Buildings & painting in and out, best material & good price

by Iranian material.

Contact : 96596487