Times of Oman - January 19, 2015 by Muscat Media Group

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MONDAY, January 19, 2015 / 28 Rabi Al Awal 1436 AH

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FLIGHT WY131

The ‘Taming of the Shrew’ has spectators in splits

‘A minor incident’ at Paris airport: Oman Air Times News Service

A6 TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Basic salary basis for overtime allowance

The basic salary forms the basis of calculation of overtime allowance. However, if any employer is magnanimous and willing to part with much higher amount, no one will stop them. >A3

OMAN

Dinosaurs ‘roaring’ at Naseem Park

Characters from Steven Spielberg’s massive blockbuster Jurassic Park are roaming the Naseem Park venue of the Muscat Festival. The animated dinosaurs make roaring sounds. >A4

MARKET

Stress on private sector role in rail link

With remote chances of the Gulf-wide railway project becoming proﬁtable in a short period of time, experts have called for a stronger role of the private sector in the project. >B1

MUSCAT: A minor incident on the runway at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport resulted in the late departure of Oman Air ﬂight WY131 from Paris to Muscat on January 15, 2015, Oman Air said in a statement. “The incident took place on Thursday evening, as the Airbus A330-300 was taxing from the runway to its stand, after landing. Early reports indicated that

Clear your fines or face problems leaving Oman Under new traffic

3,889,301

rules which came

traffic ﬁnes were registered in 2013

into effect on Sunday,

3,239,953

expats will not be allowed to leave

traffic ﬁnes were registered in 2012

Oman even for holiday or business

FAHAD AL MUKRASHI

fahad@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: If you are an expatriate leaving Oman on business or vacation, or for good, make sure you have settled fines for traffic violations, otherwise you’ll be stopped in your tracks. New regulations came into force on Sunday to prevent expats from leaving the country until all unpaid traffic fines have been settled, according to officials. On Sunday, the Royal Oman

Police (ROP) began collecting unpaid traffic fines from unwary expats leaving the country at local airports and border posts. “Expats have to pay fines before they leave the country,” an official at the ROP told the Times of Oman. If expatriates are unable to pay, they might not be allowed to board their flights, noted officials. Counters opened However, to ease the way for expats, counters have been opened at airports to pay overdue fines. Further, expatriates’ resident cards, shown at immigra-

MET FORECAST

Dark clouds over Musandam skies; rain, thunder expected REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Different parts of Oman will witness rain and thunderstorm today (Monday), Oman meteorological department predicted on Sunday evening. “Muscat, Buraimi, Fahud, Rustaq, Ibra, Madha, Khasab, Sohar, Saiq, Samail, Bahla, Qalhat, Masirah, Qairoon, Dibba, Ibri, Nizwa, Adam, Salalah, Suwaiq, Mudhaibi, Mahout, Halaniyat, Dhank, Sunaynah, Saiq, Ras Al Hadd, Manah, Duqm and Bidiyah will witness thunderstorm and rain in the coming hours,” the Oman meteorological department said. On Saturday, the meteorological department had predicted rain from Sunday evening until Tuesday. However, till this report was ﬁled, it had not rained as predicted but skies over Musandam were cloudy. “We also heard reports that it will start to rain in the evening. But the skies are cloudy and so far; it has not rained,” Sarju, a resident of Khasab, said on Sunday evening. “I have checked with my friends in several parts of Musandam. So far, it has not rained anywhere,” Sarju added. In its latest weather forecast, the meteorological department said the sea condition would be moderate to rough along Musandam and Oman Sea coast with waves reaching a height of 2.0 to 3.0 metres, the forecast said in its 48-hour outlook. “It may rain late in the evening. It is cloudy in Khasab and surrounding areas,” Bader Ali

part of the aircraft’s landing gear got stuck in grass and mud. It was subsequently towed to the stand, where it was inspected for damage and cleared for ﬂight. The aircraft then departed at 01.10am on January 16,” the statement said. No passengers or crew members were hurt during the incident, nor their lives were at risk at any point of time. The aircraft’s captain thanked the waiting passengers for their patience. >A3

RAIN FORECAST: Oman will witness rain on Monday, Oman meteorological department forecast on Sunday evening.

Al Baddaei, an administrator of www.rthmc.net, a local Webbased forum that discusses weather trends in Oman, said. Meanwhile, the Public Authority of Civil Aviation has urged people to take all precautions while crossing wadis.

It also asked ﬁshermen and seagoers to check weather forecast reports before venturing into the sea. Global weather departments have also predicted rain in Oman on Monday and Tuesday. Last week also, some parts of Oman experienced light drizzle.

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tion counters while exiting the country, are now linked to police computer systems to report unpaid ﬁnes. “Traffic violations by tourists from neighbouring countries will be forwarded to the respective country. On the other hand, if a tourist renting a vehicle com-

mits a violation, the fine will be registered on the rental agency. Most of the rental shops have the credit card number of the clients, so they can deduct the traffic fine from the account of the client,” said the official. “The new measures were established after it was found that some expatriates leave the country for good without paying their traffic fines. All expats have to pay all their financial dues to the state,” the official said, adding, “It’s the country’s right to collect traffic fines. Many countries have already introduced this rule.”

The official also said that traffic fines owed by expatriates leaving the country would not be cancelled. “They will have to pay unpaid traffic fines if they come back to the country again,” noted the official. Additionally, the official reminded expats and citizens that they can pay traffic fines online through the ROP website or cellphone application, without the need to visit ROP counters. Further, expatriates will only be allowed to renew their resident cards after paying overdue traffic fines, said the official. For serious traffic fines, such as repeated jumping of traffic signals, offenders will be jailed for 48 hours and asked to pay a fine of OMR50. Also, their cases will be forwarded to the Public Prosecution. “Expatriates cannot leave the country if legal action has been initiated against them,” the official said. In cases involving citizens, drivers will have to settle pending traffic fines when renewing passports, IDs and vehicle registrations. >A6

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

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The View is more than just an accommodation with dramatic panoramas of Al Hamra’s rugged grandeur. Abdulmunim Al Zawawi, Chairman, The Zahara Group >A3

Oman gains ground in Press freedom index The Sultanate and Bahrain were the only two among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries rising in the Press Freedom Index rankings

REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman has fared well in World Press Freedom index, gaining eight positions in 2014, compared to 2013, a report published by Reporters Without Borders said. Oman and Bahrain were the only two among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, rising in the Press freedom index rankings. Even though Bahrain gained three positions, it was placed at 163rd position on a list of 180 countries surveyed for the report. Oman was at the 134th position in the index. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was in 118th position in 2014, sliding down three points, when compared to 2013; Qatar was in 113th position, losing two points, Saudi Arabia in 164th position, losing one point, and Kuwait in 91st position, losing 13 points. The 2014 World Press Freedom Index spotlighted the negative impact of conﬂicts on freedom of information and its protagonists. “The ranking of some countries has also been affected by a tendency to interpret national secu-

rity needs in an overly broad and abusive manner to the detriment of the right to inform and be informed. This trend constitutes a growing threat worldwide and is even endangering freedom of information in countries regarded as democracies,” the report said. Finland topped the index for the fourth year running, closely followed by Netherlands and Norway, like last year. At the other end of the index, the last three positions were again held by Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, three countries where freedom of information is non-existent. Despite occasional turbulence in the past year, these countries continued to be news and information black holes and living hells for the journalists who inhabit them. This year’s index covered 180 countries, one more than last year. The new entry, Belize, was assigned an enviable position (29th).

World Press Freedom Index 2014 180 countries are ranked in the study. Criteria: Larger index, lesser Press freedom. Index

Noteworthy falls In the Americas, the 13-place fall registered by the United States (46th, -13) was more than doubled by Guatemala (125th, -29), which saw a two-fold increase in the number of physical attacks on journalists, including four murders, and was equalled by Paraguay (105th, -13), where the pressure on journalists to censor themselves keeps on mounting. Paraguay had already plummeted last year, following a coup in June 2012, three years after a coup sent Honduras (129th, -1) to the level where it remained in the current post-election chaos.

2013

2014

Worsened or remained the same

1 Finland (THE BEST)

6.38

UK US

16.89 18.22

Kuwait

28.28

Qatar UAE

32.86 33.49

Iraq

41.51 44.57

Oman

6.40

19.93 23.49 30.71 34.32 36.03 38.83

Good situation

Satisfactory situation Noticeable problems

45.44

Difficult situation Saudi Arabia

56.88

Bahrain

62.75

Yemen

69.22

58.26 58.30

Noteworthy rises Violence against journalists, direct censorship and misuse of judicial proceedings were on the decline in Panama (87th, +25), Dominican Republic (68th, +13), Bolivia (94th, +16) and Ecuador (94th, +25), although in Ecuador the level of media polarisation was still high and often detrimental to public debate.

Country

Improved

Very serious situation 84.83

84.83

90 The index does not look at human rights violations in general, just violations of freedom of information.

Good situation

Satisfactory situation

London’s Lord Mayor set to visit Sultanate MUSCAT: Alderman Alan Yarrow, Lord Mayor of the City of London, will be visiting the Sultanate from January 21 to 24 as part of the efforts to ensure London and the UK remain the regional partner of choice when it comes to financial and professional services. Acting as ambassador for the UK’s financial and professional services, Lord Mayor Yarrow will be meeting senior officials of the government, the Central Bank of Oman (CBO), investment authorities and senior business leaders. The topics for discussion include investment opportunities between the UK and the Sultanate, infrastructure projects, financial technology, Islamic Finance initiatives and bilateral commercial relationships. The Lord Mayor, will be joined

by a wide ranging business delegation from the UK, which includes senior representatives from investment banks, asset managers, insurers and law firms. Speaking ahead of his trip, Lord Mayor Yarrow said: “The UK remains committed in developing our economic relationship with Oman. As the country continues with their ambitious infrastructure plans and presses ahead with diversifying their economy, the UK stands ready to support Oman”. He added: “Our financial and professional services firms have a wealth of expertise and experience in a wide range of financing options which can help the twoway flow of capital. I hope that this closer economic relationship means that the UK remains the partner of choice for Oman on the global financial stage.”– ONA

67.26

80 Eritrea (THE WORST)

DIPLOMACY

Noticeable problems

Source: World Press Freedom Index 2014, Reporters Without Frontiers

Difficult situation

Very serious situation Graphics

DIBA FLOATING BRIDGE Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, in cooperation with the National Ferries Company (NFC), yesterday began the implementation of the project of installing a floating bridge at the port of the Wilayat of Diba, to facilitate transport and shipping of commercial vehicles and cargo. The installation of the bridge is designed to provide specific technical facilities for the reception of the various sizes of fast ferries of the NFC fleet and landing directly under different circumstances at the port in the cases of the tides.— ONA

MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

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CONSUMER ISSUE

C O M M E N TA RY

Basic salary forms basis of calculation of overtime allowance for employees A colleague’s vacation ends on Thursday and he is required to report to work on Friday. However, FridaySaturday are his off days as he works in the administration department. Please advise if Friday-Saturday should be considered as annual leave or taken as off days. The annual vacation will begin and end on the prescribed dates. If any day off is falling before the commencement or after the vacation, such days would be treated as normal off days. Normal off days are integral part of any employee’s rights. My mother holds a valid family visa which will expire in 2016. She is out of the country for the last nine months (from April 2014 until now). I have been informed that if a person is out of the country for more than six months, their family visa gets cancelled. Please clarify whether my mother can reenter the country in January 2015. We would like to clear the doubts once and for all. The lady who was referred to in an earlier answer in this column was not one on family/dependent visa, but a lady employed in

Times of Oman, in association with Khalifa Al Hinai Legal Consultants, will answer the legal queries of readers every Monday. Questions can be sent to readersclub@timesofoman.com

EXPIRED SALT: Company workers admitted to having tampered with the date, a violation of the Consumer Act.–Supplied photo

More than 34 tonnes of salt seized in Barka

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Staff Reporter a private school in Oman. She was set to lose her residence permit once she overstayed out of Oman (more than 179 days), which is the established rule for all employed persons. However, this rule is not applicable to dependents, including wife and children in addition to those holding investor visas. When an employee works for more than the normal working hours, as mentioned in Article 70 of the Labour Law, he is entitled to overtime payment for the extra hours worked. The extra payment should be equivalent to ordinary

salary which he is entitled to work plus 25%. If the extra hours were spent during the night time they are paid normal salary plus 50% and if the same was done on an official holiday, then they get double the salary of such days or compensatory leave. The law is silent on whether the salary is only basic or the gross salary. Hence, my doubt is, while calculating the overtime, do we need to take the basic salary or the gross salary (including housing allowance, conveyance allowance and special allowance)? Kindly advise me.

Normally, the basic salary forms the basis of calculation of overtime allowance. However, if any employer is magnanimous and willing to part with much higher amount, no one will stop them. The sky is the limit as far as granting beneﬁts to the employees is concerned. Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this column are for general guidance purposes only. They are based on facts presented to us and are not substitute for expert legal advice. Readers are advised to seek legal assistance for speciﬁc legal issues. Times of Oman and Khalifa Al Hinai Advocates & Legal Consultancy do not assume any responsibility towards anyone on this matter.

MUSCAT: More than 34,000 kilogrammes of salt from one of the packing stores companies in the wilayat of Barka was conﬁscated by the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) . The company was found to have tampered with the expiry date imprinted on the salt bags by putting a “valid date” on them. Tampering with date An inspection team of PACP visited the company following suspicions about the ‘best for use’ date on some food products. The PACP also suspected that the speciﬁed new date was different from the original one. After taking samples from the

bags, it was found that instead of containing iodine, as mentioned in the written label on the bag, the salt did not have that component. This is a violation of the Consumer Act’s Article 8. Later, the company workers admitted that they had tampered with the date, after they were presented with the evidence, a violation of the Consumer Act Article 16. Ahmed bin Saleh Al Zadjali, director of PACP in Barka, advised the consumers about the need to ensure to read and check the expiry dates while buying any products. He also warned companies and private packing shops about the need to print the correct validity and expiry dates on the products and not to tamper with these.

The View offers luxury amid nature The resort’s location — 1,400 metres above sea level — provides a spectacular view of the surrounding natural grandeur SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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NATURAL LUXURY: The resort was officially reopened under the auspices of Maitha bint Saif Al-Mahrouqi, under secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Oman on Thursday. The

getaway, nestled on the summit of Hail Al Shas in the Wilayat of Hamra, has long been popular with international tourists, as well as weekenders from Muscat.–Supplied photos

Times News Service MUSCAT: The View — a holiday retreat tucked away in the rugged highlands of Al Dakhiliya Governorate — has reopened for business after an extensive makeover that has accentuated its resortlike ambience. Following an eight-month-long refurbishment, The View has been transformed into a charming mountain retreat that, while retaining the appeal of an ecoluxe retreat, now boasts all of the amenities of a high-end holiday destination. It was officially reopened under the auspices of Maitha bint Saif AlPA R I S I N C I D E N T

Oman Air A1 clariﬁes < FROM

“The incident is being investigated as a matter of course by Oman Air’s management. “In the meantime, Oman Air has praised the calm professionalism of the highly trained pilots aboard Flight WY131, whose quick thinking averted any signiﬁcant damage. “The airline also expressed regret at the inconvenience caused by the late departure,” the statement added. MEDIA COURSE

Training held MUSCAT: A training course titled ‘CoRT Thinking’ began at the Ministry of Information today. The ﬁve-day course aims at promoting thinking skills of the participants. About 21 employees from various departments of the Ministry of Information are taking part in the course. -ONA

Mahrouqi, under secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Oman on Thursday. The getaway, nestled on the summit of Hail Al Shas in the Wilayat of Hamra, has long been popular with international tourists, as well as weekenders from Muscat, as it is just two and a half hours drive. Its location, 1,400 metres above sea level, not only affords its guests spectacular views of the surrounding natural grandeur characterised by soaring mountain massifs and plunging canyons, but it also serves as a convenient base from which to explore some of Oman’s most exciting natural and histori-

cal attractions across nearby Al Hamra, Bahla, Nizwa and Jabrin. The average temperature between 15 to 20 degrees is an added attraction for tourists. The 15 tented structures that served as lodgings in the past have been replaced by stylish pods – 30 in all – each tastefully appointed and ﬁtted out to provide guests with a high degree of comfort and convenience. King-size bed, LCD TV and stand alone bathtub are part of an array of modern amenities that await customers at this comprehensively upgraded property.

Furthermore, the pods have been designed and thoughtfully laid out to ensure magniﬁcent canyon-facing views from all 30 lodgings, in contrast to only seven of the 15 tented lodges before the overhaul. This has been possible due to a signiﬁcant expansion of area that now covers 12,000 square metres. What adds to the beauty and the amazing view are the rocky settings that have been left untouched and go a long way to enhance The View’s appeal as a mountain retreat. “Thanks to the extensive re-

vamp, The View is more than just an accommodation with dramatic panoramas of Al Hamra’s rugged grandeur. It’s an oasis that offers reposeful tranquillity on one hand, and a comfortable base on the other – for the visitor to explore some of northern Oman’s ﬁnest natural and historical monuments. Indeed, The View is like no other holiday haven that Oman has to offer,” remarked Abdulmunim Al Zawawi, Chairman of The Zahara Group. The charming walkways also connect the pods to the property’s

popular multi-cuisine restaurant that can cater to more than 40 guests at a time. As the terrace is close to the canyon, the bird’s eye view of the surrounding area is incredible at all times; more so during sun rise and sun set. For corporates, a fully equipped multipurpose conference hall allows for business executives to combine a relaxing holiday with opportunities for some serious brainstorming as well. For the more energetic at heart, there are options for mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing and so on.

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

For Fo F or detailed deetta d aiilleed d ccoverage oveerrag ov age lo llog og on on to to www.timesofoman.com/muscatfestival ww w ww.ti t mesofoman.com/muscatfestival

THE DINOSAUR TRAIL The dinosaur village at Naseem Park, which includes 15 dynamic dinosaurs, accompanied by light and sound effects, is turning out to be a major attraction. — Photos by A R Rajkumar/TIMES OF OMAN

MUSCAT: Characters from Steven Spielberg’s massive blockbuster Jurassic Park are literally roaming the Naseem Park venue of the Muscat Festival. The dinosaur village at the Naseem Park, which includes 15 dynamic and static models showing different sizes of dinosaurs, accompanied by sound and light effects, is turning out to be a major attraction this year. The animated dinosaurs make roaring sounds and movements, and surprise as well as entertain the visitors. “The dinosaur village takes the visitors through a magniﬁcent a journey and literally takes you back to more than 66 million years,” said a parent who had brought his children. “School going children have much to learn from this welcome addition to the Muscat Festival. It aims to deﬁne and educate the visitors about the types of the dinosaurs and periods of the dinosaurs,” the parent said. “Dinosaur’s village has been witnessing a huge turnout

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of visitors. They have been delighting the children and adults alike,” said the organisers. “The life-sized dinosaurs that are being showcased at the dinosaurs village are the replicas of those roamed countries such as South and North America, China and Argentina during the reptilian period,” the organisers added. “The ﬂying dinosaur is a hit with the little ones. They love taking the dinosaur trail. They are being educated in a happy setting ” said a parent. Naseem Park is open from 4pm to 11pm on all days. The dinosaur village will take you back in time. This village will educate the public on different breeds of dinosaurs. Make sure to visit and know about the species that are represented on every continent by both extant species and fossil remains.

MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

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The tie-up will help raise medical standards in Oman, with latest medical facilities being set up

STAFF REPORTER MUSCAT: An agreement for medical cooperation between an Indian and an Omani medical institute has gotten under way, promising best-quality and affordable treatment to patients in Oman. The details of the tie-up between Hatat Polyclinic, one of the oldest private healthcare providers in Oman, and Medanta - The Medicity, one of the largest multi-specialty medical institutes in India, was announced during a press conference held here on Sunday. During the press conference, eminent cardiac surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan, the founder of the Gurgaon-based Medanta, said that the cooperation will help raise medical standards in Oman, noting that new services and equipment will be provided at the Hatat Polyclinic as a result of the initiative. He noted that the world-class facilities and highly skilled and committed specialists in Medanta have a lot to offer to patients in Oman in terms of consultation, treatment, and training. According to him, the tie-up will ultimately lead to the establishment of a full-ﬂedged tertiary healthcare facility in Oman in line with Medanta’s standards. Organ transplant was one of the topics that Dr Trehan touched upon, noting that Medanta is fully prepared to provide all types of

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Hatat Polyclinic heralds new era

HEALTH FIRST: Eminent cardiac surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan with Ibrahim Al Wahaibi, managing director of Said Salem Al Wahaibi Group of Companies.–OK Mohammed Ali/ TIMES OF OMAN

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treatment services and training in this regard within the legal framework in Oman. The press conference was also attended by Ibrahim Al Wahaibi, managing director of Said Salem Al Wahaibi Group of Companies (formerly known as Assarain Group), of which Hatat Polyclinic is a member, and a number of specialists from Medanta. Omani patients It was mentioned that 20 to 25 Omani patients visit the Indian medical institute every month to seek treatment and the new agreement aims to bring those services to them here in Oman. Patients from other Gulf countries also visit the facility frequently. Hatat Polyclinic has carved out a place in the Sultanate’s healthcare industry with nearly 25 years of experience. Staffed with a strong team of specialists, the facility has been

providing patients in Oman with international standard treatment in a wide and diverse range of disciplines, including general medicine, paediatrics, gynaecology, dermatology, cosmetology, cardiology, endocrinology, diabetology, gastroenterology, radiology, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, dentistry, psychiatry, physiotherapy, family medicine and immunisation. Hatat’s collaboration with Medanta would entail regular visits by senior consultants and super specialists from Medanta to the Hatat Polyclinic to provide consultation and treatment to patients in Oman. Any patient who requires further surgical or medical intervention will be referred to Medanta to be treated in Gurgaon. Medanta, which is equipped with all the latest technologies including robotic surgery, is spread over 43 acres and has 1,250 beds with over 350 critical care beds and 45 operation theatres catering to over 20 specialties. It houses six centres of excellence which provide medical intelligentsia, cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure with a well-integrated and comprehensive information system.

H E A LT H I S S U E S

Unhealthy diet, lifestyle triggering obesity in GCC region, says expert Times News Service MUSCAT: Gulf countries have recorded some of the highest numbers of obese residents compared with the rest of the world, and the people of Oman need to be aware of this, stated an expert. Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, founder of Centre for Obesity and Diabetes Surgery in Mumbai who has “operated on some patients with a very high Body Mass Index (BMI) or weighing above 200 kilogrammes, from Oman successfully”, believes that the alarming number of obesity cases in the region is “because of the diet and lifestyle with genetic contributions making it worse.” A new age fridge weighs only 90 to 95 kilogrammes and to weigh 200 kilogrammes is a serious issue. Incidentally, a report published in a medical journal in Oman last year had stated that 30 per cent of the Omani population is overweight and 20 per cent is obese. Dr Lakdawala is credited with starting the e ﬁrst Indian Centre for Excellence (ICE) for bariatric surgery. He is in Oman to participate in the 3rd International Medical and Health Care Exhibition and Conference (IMTEC Oman 2015) being organised under the Patronage of the Ministry of Health from January 19 to 21 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre. Dr Muffazal, who has more than nine years experience in treating obesity cases and 2,500 plus surgeries, is known as one of the only Indian surgeons to have conducted live surgeries in almost every Asian country and has performed the largest number of single incision sleeve gastrectomy surgeries in the world. On what prompted him to create a dedicated bariatric and metabolic surgery centre to battle obesity, he said, “It was the need of the hour. The number of obese patients with side-effects like Type II diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea, gout and infertility, to name a few, is growing at an alarming

The number of obese patients with side-effects like Type II diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea, gout and infertility, to name a few, is growing at an alarming rate Dr Muffazal Lakdawala

Founder of Centre for Obesity and Diabetes Surgery in Mumbai

rate worldwide. At the same time, in India we have the second largest number of Type II diabetics in the world most of them due to abdominal obesity. The results are very satisfying for both the doctor and the patient, most of who are suffering from morbid obesity with no other options.” Asking governments to take the issue of obesity seriously, Dr Muffazal said, “The United Nations, in a statement in 2010, passed a resolution stating that most governments need to focus on noncommunicable diseases especially metabolic syndrome and that is due to obesity. America, Australia and a few other countries have already declared obesity as a disease. It is time for other governments to follow. A controlled diet and exer-

cise for those who are overweight or in the early stages of obesity need to be emphasised. Prevention should start from schools itself to curb and prevent adolescent obesity. We run a programme to prevent childhood obesity and nutrition.” Talking about the advantages of opting for bariatric surgery, the doctor said, “The results of longterm weight loss and maintenance with a non-surgical option for morbid obesity are poor at best. Most drugs are banned and diet and lifestyle modiﬁcations cannot be maintained for long. With bariatric surgery you are assured of long-term effective weight loss along with improvement in the quality of life and in some cases extending life itself for those suffering from morbid obesity.”

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015 It’s never too soon to start teaching children in Oman to respect the environment Bader Al Lawati, a local environmentalist

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The ‘Taming of the Shrew’ has spectators in splits SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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The German ballet’s

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famous piece choreographed by John Cranko in 1969 is a timeless classic; 46 years on it is still fresh and funny

SARAH MACDONALD

sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Laughter isn’t the ﬁrst thing that comes to mind when one thinks of ballet, but the Stuttgart Ballet’s production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew had the audience in stitches on Friday night at the Royal Opera House Muscat. The German ballet company’s famous piece choreographed by John Cranko in 1969 is a timeless classic; 46 years on it is still fresh and funny. Cranko, a South African dancer, choreographer

TIMELESS CLASSIC: Shakespeare’s comedy has been interpreted in a way that it combines energetic ballet moves with lots of expression and characterisation. – Photos - Khalid Al Busaidi, ROHM

and director of the Stuttgart Ballet from its founding in 1961 to his untimely death in 1973, was able to interpret Shakespeare’s comedy in a way that combined energetic ballet moves with lots of expression and characterisation from the dancers. ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ is

the story of Katherina, a hostile young woman who has no interest in marriage and mocks her beautiful younger sister Bianca, who has many suitors. Bianca’s suitors can only win her hand after Katherina is married, the girls’ father tells them, so they challenge the witty Petruchio

to woo Katherina. He manages to seduce her, marries her, and even tames her with the help of various mischievous tricks, and to everyone’s surprise, she becomes a sweet and obedient wife, much better behaved than her sister. Cranko’s retelling of the story featured a very strong cast of principal dancers who brought the characters to life. Spanish ballerina Alicia Amatriain was absolutely hilarious as an angry, spitting, snarling Katherina, who made the aggressive choreography, which included high leaps and kicks, look easy. British dancer Alexander Jones was just as good in the role of Petruchio. With his impish, irresistible grin and athletic grace, he was delightful to watch. The two leads complemented each other well, and had chemistry on stage that made Katherina’s change of heart believable. Other performances worth mentioning were those by Bianca’s suitors, Gremio (Arman Zazyan), Lucentio (David Moore), and

Hortensio (Roman Novitzky). Zazyan and Novitzky were especially entertaining as hopeless, overthe-top characters who stumble into marriages with two “ladies of dubious origins” after Lucentio, whom Bianca chooses to marry, outwits them. The Stuttgart Ballet was accompanied by the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra with the Stuttgart Ballet’s musical director James Tuggle conducting. The music, by Kurt-Heinz Stolze based on Domenico Scarlatti, is arranged to add to the comedy, and it was very well played, with the orchestra getting a thunderous applause. As the events unfolded on stage it was hard not to be impressed and hugely entertained, both by the excellent dancing of the whole company and the silly antics on stage. Whether one was a ballet fan or not, Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew takes ballet to a whole new level, fusing it with slapstick comedy and Shakespeare’s wit. One can only wonder what the world missed out on when Cranko died in a plane crash when he was just 45 years old; no doubt he had many more brilliant ballets in mind that would have entertained the ROHM audience greatly.

N E W R E G U L AT I O N S

‘Heftier ﬁnes A1 will reduce accidents’ < FROM

“For citizens, there is no need to pay traffic fines at the airports and border posts when they are leaving the country,” said the official. However, Wahid Al Kharusi, a road safety expert, told the Times of Oman that expatriates paying traffic fines would not lead to a decline in road accidents in the country. He added that if the ROP charged heftier penalties, there would be a reduction in the number of road accidents. Al Kharusi also noted that sending offenders to jail has not helped in reducing violations, though awareness and public education campaigns could reduce traffic accidents. Also, Daryle Hardie, chief executive officer of Safety First, told the Times of Oman that by introducing such laws, there will be a reduction in the number of traffic offences committed by expatriates. He claimed the law would result in offenders becoming more accountable,as they increasingly abide by traffic rules. According to ROP figures, there were 3,889,301 traffic fines issued in 2013, compared to 3,239,953 in 2012, which was an increase of 20 per cent. Meanwhile, the ROP has built a number of service centres throughout the country to offer more services for nationals and residents.

E D UC AT I N G C H I L D R E N

‘Freezing Omani’ takes environment campaign at the doorsteps of school SARAH MACDONALD

sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: It’s never too soon to start teaching children in Oman to respect the environment, says Bader Al Lawati, a local environmentalist better known as one of the ‘Freezing Omanis’. On Thursday Al Lawati spent the day at United Private School where he shared his passion for reducing plastic bag use in Oman with the grade 3 students. He told them about his voyage to Antarctica two years ago with a group of other international environmentalists and spoke about the need to protect the environment. “They’re kids. They grow up and that’s how they learn. If you teach them when they’re young, they grow into this lifestyle of understanding,” Al Lawati said. He told the students that here in Oman camels, turtles and other animals can die from eating plastic bags. He asked them think carefully about how many bags they use and suggested times when they could not bother using plastic bags at all. “If you teach them that one single, small plastic bag eaten by a turtle could kill it, they get impacted for life and they get really aware of their usage of plastic bags,” Al Lawati said. While the children often have more questions about the pen-

ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS: Bader Al Lawati, environmentalist, spent a day at United Private

School where he shared his passion for reducing plastic bag use in Oman. Photo– Ismail Al Farsi

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guins and seals that Al Lawati saw in Antarctica, they do ask about why people still use plastic bags if they are so bad for the environment, he said. Since he began speaking to school children he has actually

seen some of the kids in supermarkets asking their parents not to use plastic bags, which he says is a sign the next generation of Omanis will be more environmentally-minded. Teacher Joanna Vidler, who invited Al Lawati to speak to the students, said she hoped the children would take his message seriously and start at their young ages to reduce their use of plastic. “Two students using one less

plastic bag would be brilliant. Start small and hopefully it will build,” Vidler said. She said she planned to continue teaching on Al Lawati’s message to the students and encourage them to start being away of how much plastic they use and throw away, as well as having them start cleaning up their playground. “The playground here is a mess. There is a lot of plastic that comes in every day,” she added.

MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

REGION

I asked that the minister strongly reconsider the consequences of moving forward with any action that may be counterproductive to a negotiated solution with the state of Israel John Baird, Canadian foreign minister

Canada blasts ICC over Israel war crimes probe The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said she was opening ‘a preliminary examination’ into Israel’s actions which will cover a period including last summer’s war in Gaza

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Canada’s top diplomat on Sunday denounced a decision by the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary probe into possible Israeli war crimes, as he arrived for talks in Jerusalem. In a brief statement to reporters, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said the ICC’s decision was “deeply regrettable” and would feature in his meetings with Is-

VENTING IRE: A Palestinian policeman reacts after angry Palestinian youths hurled eggs at the motorcade of Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird outside the Foreign Affairs ministry after a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Sunday. - AFP

raeli officials. “We look forward to discussing a range of issues, from trade to security, to the deeply regrettable decision at the ICC,” he said before meeting Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman. Preliminary examination The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said on Friday she was opening “a preliminary examination” into Israel’s actions which will cover a period including last summer’s war in Gaza. Such a procedure “is not an investigation” but a process to de-

cide whether there are grounds to begin a full probe, she said. The Palestinians applied to become a party to the ICC earlier this year, in a process that will take effect in early April. They simultaneously recognised the court’s jurisdiction to retroactively cover a period including the Gaza war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the move as “scandalous” and Washington said it was a “tragic irony” that the Jewish state, which had been hit by “thousands of terror-

ist rockets... is now being scrutinised by the ICC.” Canada played a central role in establishing the ICC and is a key supporter of the court — a fact which was not lost on Israel. “We think it is completely unacceptable that a terrorist organisation like Hamas will be able to ﬁle a lawsuit against Israel,” Lieberman said, standing at Baird’s side. “It’s making a mockery of international law and the opposition of one of the founders of the ICC is very important, maybe crucial,” he said. “If we don’t see a real dramatic change in (the Palestinians’) position, we will ask all our friends to stop any funding for the ICC,” he said. Earlier, during talks in the West Bank city of Ramallah with counterpart Riyad Al Malki, Baird warned the Palestinians against pursuing a diplomatic agenda that could prejudice the outcome of any future talks with Israel. Part of that diplomatic strategy includes the move to join the ICC. “I asked that the minister strongly reconsider the consequences of moving forward with any action that may be counterproductive to a negotiated solution with the state of Israel,” Baird said in a statement issued by the Canadian foreign ministry. - AFP

SECURITY SOURCE

Israeli copter strikes Syrian Golan Heights OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: An Israeli helicopter carried out a strike on Sunday against “terrorists” in the Syrian sector of the Golan Heights who were allegedly preparing an attack on Israel, an Israeli security source said. The source said the strike took place near Quneitra, close to the ceaseﬁre line separating the Syrian part of the Golan Heights from the Israeli-occupied sector, conﬁrming a report by Lebanon’s Al Manar television. The source could not provide details about the identities of the targets or the nature of the attack they were allegedly preparing. The Israeli army would not

comment. According to the source, Israeli drones were present in the area during the attack. Last month, the Syrian army said it shot down an Israeli reconnaissance drone flying over Quneitra province. In August, five rockets fired from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights and in July Israel shelled Syrian army positions after a Syrian rocket hit Israel. Syria and Israel are officially in a state of war, and Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967. The occupation is not recognised by the international community. - AFP

OFFICIAL’S KIDNAPPING

Yemen province to halt oil ﬂow ADEN: The governor of Yemen’s Shabwa province warned on Sunday that oil companies will turn off their taps at midnight unless militiamen in control of the capital free a presidency official. President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi’s chief of staff Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, who was kidnapped on Saturday by the Huthi militias who control Sanaa, is from the southern province of Shabwa.. “Oil companies in Shabwa

will stop production starting midnight if Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak is not released,” said the governor, Ahmed Ali Belhaj. Yemen’s only gas terminal of Belhaf, which is located in Shabwa, would also stop operating, he said. An industry official conﬁrmed to AFP that Shabwa’s oil companies had received orders to halt their operations. Shabwa has three oilﬁelds and produces about 50,000 barrels per day. -AFP

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

INDIA

Had joined the AAP, but at the time didn’t know all that was mere drama. The AAP is responsible for emotional blackmailing Vinod Kumar Binny, Expelled AAP leader

C H E AT I N G P E O P L E

IMMUNISATION DRIVE

A health official administers polio drops to newborn babies during Polio Day at a government hospital in Agartala, the capital of the northeastern state of Tripura, on Sunday. Some 174 million children aged below ﬁve years across the country will be given polio drops as part of a government drive to maintain India’s ‘polio-free’ status, a Health Ministry statement said. - AFP

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Fake PMO website busted, culprit held NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has busted a fake website of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) under the name “Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Yojna” and arrested the mastermind for cheating several people on the pretext of providing them government loans, officials said on Sunday. In a joint operation by Delhi and West Bengal Police, Sudipta Chatterjee, the 43-year-old mastermind of the racket, was arrested Saturday from Howrah, where the network had its base. “The fake website was created with the aim of cheating people of their money on the pretext of providing them loans for various projects and schemes,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav. Twenty mobile phones, hard disks, internet dongles, cheques related to 43 bank accounts, fake project reports, some incriminating documents along with 16 rubber stamps of government offices were recovered from his possession. Details of the server were ob-

COMPLETION OF TENURE

Government dismisses reports of expulsion of RAW official in Colombo NEW DELHI: India on Sunday dismissed reports that the Colombo station chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) had been expelled in the run up to this month’s Sri Lankan Presidential election and maintained that he has moved out after completion of his three-year tenure. Reports from Colombo said that the Sri Lankan Government had asked India to recall the ofﬁcial in December for allegedly helping gather support for joint opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena who won the polls. “The normal tenure of an Indian diplomat in Sri lanka is three years and all officials who have been transferred during last year have completed that. Its a normal transfer. Do not read anything into it unless somebody stands up and says ‘yes’. Using unnamed sources is just hiding behind and obscuring the truth,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said here. Rubbishing the reports, he further said, “If somebody has proof otherwise, I would stand ready to contest that. Otherwise take my view as the last word on that.” Asked speciﬁcally whether

India, Lanka pledge to enhance bilateral ties Samaraweera indicated that

If somebody has proof otherwise, I would stand ready to contest that. Otherwise take my view as the last word on that Syed Akbaruddin

External affairs ministry spokesman

he has denied the report, the Spokesperson replied in affirmative. Sources said the RAW official had completed his three-year tenure in Sri Lanka in September last year. Maithripala Sirisena had trounced Mahinda Rajapaksa in the tightest-ever presidential contest on January 8, ending his 10-year-rule. - PTI

tained on the basis of the fake URL — www.pmay-gov.in. Chatterjee was produced in a court in Bengal and was brought on transit remand to Delhi. According to the police official, Chatterjee created the fake website, projected it as a government one and hosted it on a server based in the US. “To confuse the users, the URL had the reﬂection of a government website and it was listed on priority with Google. Whenever, any online surfer would search this website would ﬁgure in the top hits,” the official said. There were sufficient reasons to believe it was a government website, he said. Chatterjee had employed 17 tele-callers to contact prospective clients and give them the registration number of their application form. The telecallers were specially trained by him and scripts were provided to them which were prepared with great care and caution, so that the prospective client had no idea of being cheated. - IANS

his choice of New Delhi as his ﬁrst destination ‘reﬂects the priority the new Sri Lankan government gives to relations between our two countries’

NEW DELHI: Nine days after President Maithripala Sirisena took office, Sri Lanka and India on Sunday pledged to deepen their relations, with New Delhi agreeing to work “closely and extensively” with Colombo. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj conveyed India’s views to her new Sri Lankan counterpart

STRATEGIC DIALOGUE: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera at the delegation level meeting, in New Delhi, on Sunday. - PTI

Mangala Samaraweera, who arrived here on Saturday on his ﬁrst foreign trip after Sirisena came to power January 9. In three hours of extensive discussions, Sushma Swaraj and Samaraweera covered all issues including enhancing bilateral cooperation and political reconciliation efforts in Sri Lanka. Also discussed were Indian development partnership projects in Sri Lanka and issues related to the alleged trespassing of Indian ﬁshermen into Sri Lankan waters. An External Affairs Ministry statement said the two ministers “had extremely cordial, positive

and substantive discussion”, covering the entire expanse of the “close and friendly (bilateral) relations”. Priority Samaraweera indicated that his choice of New Delhi as his ﬁrst destination “reﬂects the priority the new Sri Lankan government gives to relations between our two countries”. India and Sri Lanka agreed to re-engage on the issue of repatriation of Tamil refugees currently in India. A meeting of officials on this is to be held later this month. The Sri Lankan minister indicated that efforts were underway

to release Indian fishermen’s boats seized by authorities in Colombo. An early meeting of the fishermen’s associations of the two countries has been proposed to discuss issues confronting the two communities. Both India and Sri Lanka feel that a longer term solution needs to be worked out taking into consideration all aspects of the matter, the Indian statement said. The ministers agreed that the matter needed to be dealt with in a humane way as it impacted the livelihood of thousands in both countries. Colombo has accused fishermen mainly from Tamil Nadu of fishing in Sri Lankan waters, affecting the earnings of its own fishermen. The bitter row has often led to clashes in the sea and even deaths. Samaraweera briefed Sushma Swaraj on the constitutional reform efforts initiative by the new government in Colombo.. Sushma Swaraj said India was keen to work “closely and extensively” with the new Sri Lankan government. The India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission, which last met in January 2012 in New Delhi, will meet soon. Sushma has also agreed to visit Colombo. - IANS

DELHI POLLS

Expelled AAP leader Binny joins BJP NEW DELHI: Expelled Aam Aadmi Party leader Vinod Kumar Binny on Sunday joined the BJP. Welcoming him to the Bharatiya Janata Party, its Delhi unit

president Satish Upadhyay lauded the fact that Binny was the “ﬁrst one to raise his voice against undemocratic processes in the AAP”. Talking to reporters, Binny

slammed the AAP . “Had joined the AAP, but at the time didn’t know all that was mere drama. The AAP is responsible for emotional blackmailing,” he said. - IANS

MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

INDIA

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Norms for coverage of terror operations soon The Home Ministry had earlier asked the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to amend rules so that live coverage of antiterror operations by television channels is banned

Jailtley said that intelligence agencies had claimed that real time coverage of 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai had helped the handlers of terrorists to get information about what the security

MAKING A POINT: Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Arun Jaitley delivers a lecture during ﬁrst Justice J.S. Verma Memorial lecture in New Delhi, on Sunday. - PTI

agencies were doing

NEW DELHI: Indicating that there could be soon norms for media coverage of terror-related operations, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said that the issue is under “serious and very advanced consideration” of the government. Delivering the ﬁrst Justice J. S. Verma memorial lecture here, he also said that the age of ban on media organisations was over and technology had rendered censorship impossible. The manner in which anti-terror operations by security agencies was covered is one of the most important issues with regard to responsibility of media in contemporary times, the minister said. Constraints The question is whether to allow the media to go right up to the spot or if there should be constraints, he said. The I&B minister said that intelligence agencies had claimed that

real time coverage of 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai had helped the handlers of terrorists to get information about what the security agencies were doing. “Our security agencies and the Ministry of Defence are clearly of the view that this cannot be allowed. And, therefore, during the limited duration when the security operation is on, a very strict discipline on the kind of reporting which is to take place from the place of the incident will have to be maintained,” Jaitley said. “This issue is under serious and very advanced consideration of the government,” he said. The minister also said that while traditionally it was thought that a newspaper or a channel could be banned, the fact was that the days of ban were long over as it was now hardly possible to “victimise” media outﬁts through denial of advertisements. On the possibility of censorship, Jaitley said technology has made it impossible. “Assuming that there was emergency imposed today under Article 352 of the Constitution, the impact

of the censorship would be nil. “The satellite itself deﬁes geographical boundaries...the email does not allow it, the fax machine does not allow it,” he said. Amend rules The Home Ministry had earlier asked the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to amend rules so that live coverage of anti-terror operations by television channels is banned. Jaitley also referred to a rule which does not allow TV channels to show more than 12 minutes of advertisements. He asked whether the government is supposed to tell newspapers and channels about how much advertisement and how much news to carry. “The government getting into the business of how much news and how much ads is in my personal view a bad precedent,” the I and B Minister said, adding that his officers were also familiar with his views on the issue. Touching on another key issue, Jaitley said there is a need for a debate on the issue of cross-holdings

in the media. There are laws in many countries related to crossholdings but not in India, he said. The Information and Broadcasting Minister said it should be assessed as to what impact there is if all the mediums, including the medium to communicate, are invested in a single individual. He said the time has come for a debate in the media,judicial circles so that the Indian society can form a “mature view” on this issue. Jaitley also said other area where the media needs to contemplate is the concern of privacy while reporting high proﬁle and also cases which are subjudice. The media does not face too much of external threats but the challenges are from within and relate to quality, credibility and that of being competitive as well as being fair, he said. Referring to the recent terror attack in Paris on French magazine Charlie Hebdo, Jaitley said that what happened in Paris against a humour magazine has to condemned. He said if attacks of this kind take place, free speech is likely to very adversely affected. - PTI

S WA D E S H I JA G R A N M A N C H

More FDI outflows than inflows so far, rues RSS-affiliate NEW DELHI: Government’s plan to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) faces stiff opposition from RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) which has demanded a white paper on the issue, claiming there have been more outflows than inflows. The Manch also has concerns over government’s “Make in India” mission and e-commerce, saying it will hurt the country’s interests and there is need to promote ‘Swadeshi’ products. Call for a white paper “Swadeshi Jagran Manch demands that the government comes out with a white paper on FDI,” its national convener Ashwani Mahajan said. “FDI is not a panacea of all ills. It is not a solution for all problems. FDI has done bad and good to the economy. There have been more outflows than inflows of FDI. In 2013-14 alone while there has been $21.5 billion inflows, there has been an outflow of $34.4 billion,” he said. Demand Mahajan said the Manch will put forth its demand before the government and also bring it to the notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the Swadeshi Jagran Manch will also put forth its concerns over e-commerce and

‘Make in India’ mission before the government soon. E-retailing “E-retailing by multinational websites like Amazon and e-bay in India are badly affecting small traders and local businesses in the country,” he said. The SJM convener said e-retail is “killing” domestic market and government should ban not only foreign players but also local e-retailers which are funded from foreign players. The ‘Make in India’ campaign is also viewed sceptically by the SJM, which feels the focus should be on ‘Made by India’ keeping in mind the nation’s sustainable development. Mahajan said they have met Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha last week and are looking forward to meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to put forth their views on key economic issues. The Manch is also not in favour of increasing FDI in Insurance sector, a reform being strongly pushed by the government to rev up the country’s economy and attract foreign investment. The Manch has also been in the forefront of opposing the Bt-Brinjal trials in the country and have met Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on the issue. - PTI

C OU N T E R - I N S U R G E N C Y O P E R AT I O N S

Two militants killed in Sopore SRINAGAR: Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Sopore area of Indianadministered-Kashmir, taking the toll to eight in the last four days of counter-insurgency operations. “Based on speciﬁc input of

police about presence of two terrorists in Saidpura village near Sopore, joint operation was launched by Rashtriya Riﬂes unit of Army and the SOG, resulting into killing of two terrorists,” a defence spokesman said. - PTI

A10

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015 We have decided not to create any sort of difficulties so the government could succeed against the war on terror Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman

PAKISTAN

Imran to end confrontation, pledges to develop province

Pakistani passport ‘third worst’ for global travel

will not create any difficulties for the incumbent government in its ﬁght against terrorism. “We have decided not to create any sort of difficulties so the government could succeed against the war on terror.” Reiterating his earlier stance that the general elections of 2013 were the most rigged polls in the history of Pakistan, PTI chief thanked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for giving him 126 days to awaken the nation. Imran said the people of Pakistan had been awakened, and thanked the workers and supporters of PTI, especially women and the youth for coming in large to support the cause of Pakistan. Taking a jibe at the incumbent government for the current petroleum crisis, he said, “We were going for shutdown but the PMLN government itself shut the entire country by creating a petrol shortage.” He added that no one should remain under any misconception, as PTI will not budge an inch from its principled stand on poll rigging investigation. He also aimed at the former Punjab law minister, vowing to hold him accountable for his party worker’s killing in Faisalabad. “Listen, Rana Sanaullah, you will ﬁnd yourself in prison this very year.” — Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: When looking to travel abroad, your primary travel document — the passport — can sometimes help you narrow your choices given which countries are easily accessible to you, or hidden behind a visa requirement. If, per chance, you have a Pakistani passport, you are in for ﬁlling visa forms for most destinations around the world given how the green passport ranks as the third worst passport for travel freedom. Henley & Partners, a company that assists wealthy clients with residence and citizenship planning and the company behind the Visa Restrictions Index, has ranked countries according to the number of other countries their citizens can travel to without having to obtain a visa. Pakistan shares the spot with Somalia, with citizens of both countries enjoying visa-free access to only 32 destinations around the world. Only citizens of Iraq (31) and Afghanistan (28) are worse off. Ranked number one, citizens of Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United State and the United Kingdom, all have visa-free access to 174 destinations across the globe, followed by Canada and Denmark in second spot with visa-free access to 173 countries. — Express Tribune

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

The real change will come through the local bodies system. Powers will devolved to village-level and no member of National Assembly and member of Provincial Assembly will receive development funds

chief said the 126day long sit-in in Islamabad allowed him to understand the strengths and

Imran Khan

weaknesses

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman

of his party

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said his party will actually prove that governance in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) is better than other provinces in the country, thus making it ‘Naya K-P’. Shunning the politics of confrontation, PTI chief on Sunday announced to pursue all out efforts to improve governance in the K-P. “Now all our energies will be directed to reform K-P,” said Imran while addressing the ‘Dharna Convention’ in Islamabad. Listing de-politicising of K-P as K H Y B E R PA K H T U N K H WA

Provincial police nab 600 in operations PESHAWAR: More than 600 people, including 125 illegal Afghan immigrants, have been arrested and a large quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered during raids by police in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as part of measures to counter terrorism and improve security. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police conducted search and strike operation in different parts of the province against criminals and terrorists. Illegal Afghans A total of 604 people, including 125 illegal Afghan immigrants, were arrested in the past two days. The police recovered 113 arms and 3,034 rounds of different bore. Inspections were conducted at 1,392 educational institution which were advised to further beef up security arrangements. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has beefed up security after Taliban terrorists killed 150 people, mostly children, at Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16 last year. — PTI

one of the major accomplishment of his party, PTI chief said “There has not been a single FIR registered against political rivals.” Cleaning drive Outlining the agenda to improve governance in the province ruled by his party, Imran said a cleaning drive will be launched in the entire province, followed by a treeplantation drive, measures to ensure supply of safe drinking water, as well as improving the systems of government hospitals and educational institutes. Regarding local government

elections in the province, the PTI chief said the province was ready to hold the polls but not the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). “The real change will come through the local bodies system,” adding that, “Powers will devolved to village-level and no member of National Assembly (MNA), member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) will receive development funds.” Talking about change, Imran jokingly added that there had come a change in his personal life as well. Imran argued that the PTI’s 126-day long sit-in at D-Chowk, Islamabad allowed

him to understand the strengths and weaknesses of his party, and hence has decided to reorganise it on district level. Democratic party “People who are not performing will be kicked out and new people will be brought in the party,” he said. “We have to make this party a democratic party.” He asked PTI leaders Arif Alvi and Saifullah Niazi to begin with the party’s membership drive, and also hold intra-party elections if possible. PTI chief clariﬁed that his party

B A D R E P U TAT I O N

B I D T O C L O S E O P E R AT I O N S

PIA alleges harassment by Indian authorities NEW DELHI: Relations between India and Pakistan may suffer another blow as national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has alleged it is being harassed into shutting down its operations in India, The Times of India reported. PIA is allegedly being forced to shut down its India operations over its “illegal” purchase of properties in violation of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) guidelines. The properties in question include four flats on the Barakhamba Road in New Delhi, which house the main PIA office in India. Regarding the properties, PIA was served a notice by both RBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). However, PIA replied to the notice saying that the flats, including the parking lots, were purchased in 2005 as per the Foreign Exchange Management (Acquisition and Transfer of Immovable Property in India) Regulations and that a declaration of the acquisition was filed with RBI within the stipulated 90 days. PIA Manager in North India Saeed Ahmad Khan told The Hindu that the purchases of four office spaces in Connaught Place in 2005 had received clearances at the time. The airline has been operating from there for nearly a decade. “We are at a loss to understand why they are acting now, and how we will operate without marketing

The properties in question include four flats on the Barakhamba Road in New Delhi, which house the main PIA office in India. Regarding the properties, PIA was served a notice by both Reserve Bank of India and the Enforcement Directorate will greatly inconvenience those in other parts of the country,” a Pakistan official stated. DILEMMA: We are at a loss to understand why they are acting now, and how we will operate without

marketing and sales offices, said PIA Manager in North India Saeed Ahmad Khan. — AFP ﬁle photo

and sales offices,” Khan said. PIA has now asked RBI and ED to immediately withdraw their notices “in larger interests of people from both countries” saying these were hampering its operations in New Delhi. PIA operates a weekly ﬂight to Lahore and Karachi from Delhi

and twice to Karachi from Mumbai. It has had its office in India since 1976. PIA, according to Pakistan, will not give in to any “intimidation” and will not stall operations until it is speciﬁcally asked to do so by India. Pakistani officials have stated that the visa of the PIA chief in In-

dia has not been extended and his cellphone has also been disconnected by Indian authorities. “It reﬂects a malaﬁde intent to stop PIA operations and cause a blow to people to people contact. If PIA shuts down, people in northern India may still travel to Pakistan through Wagah but it

After ten years The violation of the RBI guidelines seems odd to come up after 10 years of purchase of the flats, according to Pakistani officials. Reports suggest that it may be related to the change in government in India, now led by Narendra Modi. The first notice to PIA was sent in November 2014. On the contrary, however, Indian government officials said they had nothing to do with the notice. — Express Tribune

H E A LT H C R I S I S

Polio case confirmed in Tank PESHAWAR: Officials confirmed on Saturday this year’s first polio virus case in the southern district of Tank in KhyberPakhtunkhwa (K-P). In 2014, six cases of polio were reported from Tank out of a total of 69 cases recorded in the province. With six new polio cases confirmed last week, the total number of polio cases in the country has reached 303, breaking a 16year old record of 300 cases reported in 1998. Health officials informed that the total number of cases reported from the tribal areas has reached 177, adding that the number of cases from K-P was 69. Total cases confirmed in Punjab were four, whereas the number of cases in Balochistan was 23 and that of Sindh reached 30. Campaigns In a bid to bolster efforts to root out the polio virus from the country, both the federal and provincial health ministries have been carrying out immunisation campaigns.

campaign in Peshawar district’s 97 union councils on January 18.

The first polio virus case of the year 2015 was confirmed in the sample obtained from nine-month-old Rohida The January 3 campaign had to be called off in the wake of security concerns following the Dec 16 attack on the Army Public School. Subsequently, the health department has decided to hold a one-day polio immunisation

One-day drive According to officials, the previous campaign scheduled to be held earlier this month could not be conducted since the department was not prepared. They added that a readiness report has been submitted to the concerned authorities, and the department is all set to hold its one-day drive. Health officials claimed that a vaccination drive was carried out in several union councils of the district on Saturday. They said that since the union councils covered were highly sensitive, the campaign was not publicised. “There are a few union councils adjacent to the provincial capital where polio workers came under attack in the past and that could be the reason why the campaign was not publicised,” a health ofﬁcial said, requesting anonymity. He added that the one-day campaign in the district will be followed by another campaign across K-P on January 21.

MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5 Eurotunnel had another infrastructure problem, an electrical incident around 10 am this morning, and so they shut down the two tunnels from 10:00 am till noon Nicolas Petrovic, Eurostar’s chief executive

WORLD

Rival parliament wants UN Libya talks held in country The Tripoli assembly, known as the General National Congress, proposed to hold the talks in the remote southern city of Ghat

TRIPOLI: Libya’s rival parliament decided on Sunday that it would attend UN-sponsored peace talks only if they were held inside Libya, officials said. Nearly four years after a NATObacked revolt ousted Muammar Gaddaﬁ, Libya is in turmoil. Two rival governments and two parliaments are backed by armed factions who Western governments fear may drag the country into civil war. The UN last week brought factions vying for control of Libya together in Geneva, but key representatives from the self-declared government and associated parliament based in Tripoli stayed

HOSTILITIES: Libyan army soldiers stand atop a tank as heavy

In September, the United Nations held a first round of talks bringing together rival factions in the southern city of Ghadames, but little progress has been made

black smoke rises from Benghazi’s port in the background after a ﬁre broke out at a car tyre disposal plant during clashes with extremist gunmen on December 23 last year. — AFP ﬁle photo

away. The Tripoli assembly, known as the General National Congress (GNC), proposed to hold the talks in the remote southern city of Ghat, its spokesman Omar Hmeidan said. “Talks must be in Ghat, not in Geneva.” GNC member Abduqader Hawaili said 100 of the 110 members attending Sunday’s session of the GNC had voted in favour of the proposal.

The internationally recognised government, under Prime Minister Abdullah Al Thinni, and the elected House of Representatives have operated out of the east since the Libya Dawn faction took over Tripoli in the summer, set up its own government and revived the old parliament, the GNC. In September, the United Nations held a ﬁrst round of talks bringing together rival factions

in the southern city of Ghadames, but little progress has been made. Libya’s conﬂict involves a myriad of militias, factions and armed groups who helped to topple Gaddaﬁ but are loyal above all to local or regional leaders, making any agreement hard to reach or enforce. Thinni’s government is recognised by the United Nations and Western powers, but the Tripoli

CONFLICT

Ukrainian troops retake most of Donetsk airport from separatists KIEV: Ukrainian troops recaptured almost all the territory of Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine they had lost to separatists in recent weeks, even as thousands gathered in Kiev for a state-sponsored peace march on Sunday. The offensive brought fighting close to the industrial city of Donetsk itself, centre of a proRussian rebellion, while shelling intensified in other parts of the region, known as the “Donbass”. With attempts to restart peace talks stalled, pro-Russian rebels have stepped up attacks in the past week and casualties have mounted, including 13 civilians killed in an attack on a passenger bus, which Kiev blamed on the separatists. Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said the army’s operation had returned the battle lines near the airport to the previous status quo and, thus not violated the 12-point peace plan agreed with Russia and separatist leaders last September in Minsk. “We succeeded in almost completely cleansing the territory of the airport, which belongs to the territory of Ukrainian forces as marked by military separation lines,” he told a televised briefing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was concerned by Sunday’s “escala-

OFFENSIVE: Members of the Ukrainian armed forces drive armoured vehicles in the town of Volnovakha, eastern Ukraine, on Sunday. — Reuters

tion” by Ukrainian forces. “This state of affairs in no way contributes to the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the future search for a resolution,” the Interfax agency quoted him as saying. Elsewhere in the region, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said two brothers aged seven and 16 had been killed and their 8-yearold sister injured when a shell struck a house in the governmentcontrolled town of Vuhlehirsk, 60 km (40 miles) from Donetsk. Spokesman Vyacheslav Abroskin said the shelling had come

from the direction of Yenakiieve, which is controlled by the rebels. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed a crowd of several thousand gathered in Kiev for a peace march in memory of those killed on the passenger bus. “We will not give away one scrap of Ukrainian land. We will get back the Donbass ... and show that a very important aspect of our victory is our unity,” he said. Rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko blamed the shelling around Donetsk on the Ukrainian army. “We’re talking about Kiev trying to unleash war

OBITUARY

Egyptian fans bid farewell to film ‘icon’ Faten Hamama CAIRO: Film fans bid an emotional farewell Sunday to Egyptian actress Faten Hamama, a star of Arabic cinema and ex-wife of Omar Sharif, who was buried at her family cemetery in Cairo. Hamama, who made her screen debut at seven years old, died on Saturday aged 83, after a career spanning seven decades and almost 100 films alongside masters of Egypt’s film industry, including Youssef Chahine. “Egypt says goodbye to the lady of the screen,” said a banner carried by fans, as Hamama’s body was taken from a mosque in Cairo’s October 6 neighbourhood for burial at her family cemetery, an AFP photographer said. Some fans took selfies on their mobile phones with film stars and politicians who attended the funeral. “Faten Hamama was an exceptional ambassador for Egypt... she spread love and beauty wherever she went,” said former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who attended the funeral.

Hamama often starred in films with former husband actor Omar Sharif. He had described her as the only love of his life Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab said Egypt’s arts scene had “lost one of its principal pillars”. Arabic awareness “Faten Hamama will remain as one of the icons of Egyptian and Arabic ﬁne arts that has contributed to forming and elevating Arabic awareness,” Arab League chief Nabil Al Arabi said in a statement. The couple appeared together in the 1961 movie River of Love, based on Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. They divorced in 1974 when

Sharif, already famous in his homeland, launched a career in Hollywood. “The lady of the Arabic screen,” as she was known, suffered “a sudden health problem which led to her death,” Egypt’s official news agency MENA reported Saturday. MENA said she had been hospitalised weeks earlier due to illness but had returned home. “Egypt and the Arab world have lost a creative and artistic talent who enriched Egyptian art with her sophisticated performances,” a statement from the president’s office said. — AFP

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again,” Interfax quoted him as saying. A ceasefire agreed at the talks in Minsk, capital of Belarus, in early September has been regularly violated since the start by both sides, and fighting has flared up again since plans for peace talks last week were abandoned. In Donetsk, a coal-and-steel city with a pre-war population of almost a million, residents reported a sharp intensification of fighting. “It was impossible to sleep - explosions, the walls were shaking. It seemed like they were firing from near the building ... The DNR (rebel) army were firing from our district,” 53-year-old advertising executive Alla said by telephone. Forty-year-old plumber Andrey Tkachenko, who lives in the southern part of Donetsk, said the shelling had become noticeably worse in the past 24 hours. “By now we can tell from the sound what’s flying. We’re used to the GRAD missiles, but now something heavier is firing all night and all day,” he said. The World Health Organisation says more than 4,800 people have been killed in the conflict. Despite what Kiev and the West says is incontrovertible proof, Russia denies its troops are involved or that it is funnelling military equipment to the rebels. — Reuters

administration controls ministries, airports, some oil facilities and much of western Libya. Meanwhile, Libya’s army announced a ceasefire. “We declare a ceasefire from midnight (2200 GMT) Sunday,” the army said, stressing however that it would continue to pursue “terrorists”, as UN-brokered peace talks resume in Geneva next week. The army also said it would monitor the situation on the ground “to prevent any change in front lines or transportation of weapons and ammunition,” which it would consider a violation of the truce. Soldiers “have been given the right to defend themselves if they come under fire,” the statement added. Libyan armed forces spokesman Colonel Ahmed Mesmari said the army was “engaged in pursuing its duty to protect the Libyan people”. He said the military would “ensure the security and stability of the country and combat terrorism” in Libya. On Friday, the Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militia alliance said it had agreed to a ceasefire on the condition rival factions respected the truce. — Agencies

ELECTRICAL PROBLEM

Train traffic disrupted as new incident hits Tunnel PARIS: Eurostar travellers faced further disruptions on Sunday after an electrical problem shut down the Channel Tunnel for two hours, a day after a lorry ﬁre forced the closure of the crucial transport link. Eleven trains — two return services between Paris and London and seven trains between Brussels and London — were cancelled. Eurostar services had only just resumed after being suspended on Saturday when another problem surfaced in the tunnel between Britain and France at around 10 am (GMT). “Eurotunnel had another infrastructure problem, an electrical incident around 10 am this morning, and so they shut down the two tunnels from 10:00 am till noon,” Eurostar’s chief executive Nicolas Petrovic told AFP. Return to normal The company, which offers passenger rail services between London, Brussels and Paris, had said schedules would return to normal on Sunday. But the electrical incident caused further disruptions, adding to passenger woes after Saturday’s ﬁre had forced thousands to rearrange their plans. — AFP

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M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

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Terror attacks continue unabated in Nigeria

hey commanded global attention for a fleeting few days last spring. Across the world, millions prayed for and tweeted about the plight of the more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted in north-eastern Nigeria by the vicious militant group Boko Haram. The first lady, Michelle Obama, joined the cause, posting a selfie looking downcast and demanding that the militants “#BringBackOurGirls.” The United States government hastily put together a task force of experts and dispatched drones to search for the hostages. Soon, though, the world largely moved on. In recent months, the horrors in remote districts of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, have multiplied as the insurgent group has taken new hostages, carried out bombings and scorched entire villages in a quest to wrest territory from government control. Newly released satellite images taken in early January corroborate chilling accounts of the recent assaults on Baga and Doro Gowon, two small towns that came under attack on January 3. Researchers with Amnesty International, which released the images, said that roughly 3,720 structures, including homes, were destroyed or damaged by fire. On Jan. 10, a girl witnesses described as being about 10 years old detonated explosives hidden under her veil in a market in Maiduguri, a teeming commercial district in an area controlled by Boko Haram, killing an estimated 20 people. The number of towns under Boko Haram control has expanded from 11 last fall to 17, according to Human Rights Watch. In recent weeks, it has become harder to get an accurate measure of the scale and death toll of attacks because the militants have dismantled telecommunications systems in the areas they have seized. Death toll estimates for the recent attacks on villages ranged from a few hundred to thousands. Until relatively recently, the Nigerian government consistently downplayed the strength of the group, which seeks to establish a caliphate in Nigeria. As it ramped up attacks last year, Boko Haram laid bare the weakness of the country’s security forces, which have failed to mount an adequate response. Washington and others in the international community could do more to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians in areas controlled by Boko Haram by providing humanitarian aid and building up the capacity of the Nigerian security forces. But fighting this insurgency will require a Nigerian government willing and able to take on the security challenge effectively. This will require institutional reforms to bolster governance in remote parts of the country and curb heavy-handed practices by the security forces that have alienated many civilians. The presidential and legislative elections are scheduled to take place next month, but some Nigerians have suggested that the balloting be put off until the violence ebbs. Delaying the elections would be a mistake, however. Newly elected Nigerian leaders might have a chance to chart out a plan to reassert government control in areas lost to the militants. - The New York Times News Service

LIGHT IN THE DARK

In Middle East, hope has not been lost yet

I ABDULLAH GÜL

Improving public health

ublic health services in Pakistan range from the barely-adequate to the almost completely absent with every gradation of deﬁcit in between. Any initiative to improve public health, particularly the health of those most in need is to be welcomed. Health planning is bedevilled by a leaden bureaucracy and inefficient budget disbursal. Planning for anything other than the short term is relatively rare, and fresh approaches and ideas rarer. Both are in evidence in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where there is a proposal to introduce health insurance cards for what are described as “deserving people”. Four districts will see the roll-out of the initiative — Mardan, Malakand, Kohat and Chitral. This will be especially welcome in Chitral, which is far behind on virtually every development indicator. The proposal has a number of innovative features, prominent among those being that patients, who cannot be treated at government hospitals because the appropriate equipment or expertise is not available at government hospitals, can get treated in the private sector. Collection of baseline data is already underway using the considerable databank that is held by the Benazir Income Support Programme. The initiative has support at the federal level — which for reasons beyond reason wanted it delayed but the provincial government went ahead nonetheless — and will widen the footprint of basic health provision in a province where that provision is poor or patchy, particularly outside of the principal towns. In the bigger picture it will feed into the UN Sustainable Development Goals via the universal health coverage system. The new initiative will eliminate some of the corruption that plagues the Baitul Maal, where the applications for free healthcare of the deserving poor were sidelined by those who were in reality able to pay. This is not all going to happen overnight province-wide, and it is estimated that it will be ﬁve years before full coverage is achieved. We wish the best of health to this initiative. - The Express Tribune

On all counts, working in public sector is gratifying This refers to the news story, Government jobs are in high demand (January 18). It is indeed much more gratifying to work in the public sector than in the private sector. While it’s true that several private companies have lately increased their salary structures and the holidays in the private sector are now at par with the public sector, there remains a big difference between the two. The fringe beneﬁts that employees in government offices receive are signiﬁcantly better than those in private companies. Even the salaries in government offices and companies are better than the private companies. Also, work is properly evaluated in the public sector and employees receive better annual

increments which are lacking in the private sector. Sulaiman Al Shoaibi Muscat

Taking frequent leave is unthinkable in the US This refers to the news story, Employers must adapt to new work style (January 18). As an American, I can tell you that there is no company in the United States where you take a sabbatical every three months. Furthermore, entering a job interview with this attitude towards work will guarantee lack of employment. I suggest speaking to Omanis who have actually worked in the US and not just those who attended university there. Kelly Webb Muscat

Though the use of hard power against Isis may not have run its course, the mistakes made in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria must not be repeated: strategies for military exit and political transition must be considered without delay

started my political career in 1991 — the same year as the first Gulf War and the Middle East Peace Conference in Madrid. The leaders of the time were well aware of the complex links between the Palestine problem and other challenges in the Middle East. Unfortunately, those links remain. Since that time, I have witnessed many initiatives, plans, and projects for resolving various Middle East conflicts. Needless to say, my country, Turkey, has always been at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to secure peace, stability, and cooperation in the region, and I contributed to some of them as a member of parliament, prime minister, foreign minister, and finally as president. Unfortunately, despite an immense expenditure of energy and resources spanning a quartercentury, these efforts have not yielded the desired results. Modest progress has been either sabotaged or insufficient, even as thousands of innocent people, both in the Middle East and beyond, have fallen victims to violence, hatred, and vengeance. The massacre of civilians (including many children) in Gaza last summer, the barbarity of Isis, the sundry terrorist attacks across the world — all convey a simple truth: violence is contagious. In 1991, Saddam Hussein was the only regional threat; today, the threats have multiplied, with cumulative effect. In 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union jointly sponsored the Madrid Peace Conference; today, the US and Russia are barely on speaking terms. But, though regional and international actors are deeply frustrated by the further aggravation of the Middle East’s problems, more pessimism will only make matters worse. So let us try to draw some lessons from a scattering of positive signals and trends in recent months. For starters, the removal of chemical weapons from Syria shows that joint efforts can yield positive results. The establishment of a more inclusive Iraqi government — enabled by the common sense and coordinated efforts of actors within and outside of the country — is also a positive sign, as are steps toward resolving disagreements between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the central authorities in Baghdad. The KRG’s decision not to insist on holding a referendum on independence augurs well for stability in Iraq and the region. The same can be said of the coalition formed against Isis. But, though military gains are now visible, “hard” power alone will not be enough to

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All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind ARISTOTLE

defeat the group. Ultimately, the solution lies in patiently building an inclusive political framework that wins the support of local people and leaders who, despairing and fearful, have been lured to the extremists’ cause. Though the use of hard power against Isis may not have run its course, the mistakes made in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria must not be repeated: strategies for military exit and political transition must be considered without delay. Moreover, because Isis is a phenomenon that crystalizes all of the region’s political, ideological, economic, and social pathologies, possible solutions must be bold and comprehensive. Likewise, the decision by some European governments, parties, and parliaments to recognise the state of Palestine is a welcome development. This trend reflects disappointment with the current diplomatic deadlock, for which the blame should be squarely on Israel, not the Palestinians. The hope is that this trend will encourage the efforts of parties in Israel and Palestine that want a just solution. It is in everybody’s interest that Israel’s government acts with restraint regarding West Bank settlement and the status of Jerusalem and its holy sites. Finally, though the Arab Spring has been stifled everywhere (with the sole exception of Tunisia), the expectations, yearnings, and concerns of the region’s people remain alive and valid. The demands that defined the Arab Spring — for democracy, good governance, human rights, transparency, gender equality, and social justice — will continue to shape the regional agenda. The question is how to consolidate these gains and nurture progress. One potentially constructive initiative would be to establish a security system similar to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. This vision, which has been around since the 1980s, should be kept alive, despite — or precisely because of — the unfavourable conditions for its creation. Because such a mechanism would require a strong economic-cooperation dimension, encompassing energy and water issues, it would encourage long-term strategic thinking and anchor multilateral efforts to resolve problems as they arise. For now, the turmoil engulfing the Middle East is like nothing we have seen before. That is why optimism is needed more than ever. Only by building upon positive developments and visions can regional peace and stability be restored and secured. The alternative may be too grim for even a pessimist to imagine. - Project Syndicate

Syria is indeed the biggest tragedy of the century António Guterres’ outburst of anguish is justiﬁed. The UN high commissioner responsible for refugees said, Syria has become the great tragedy of this century — a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history. In fact, the magnitude of humanitarian catastrophe in the country is terrifying. On an average 7,000 people are ﬂeeing the country every day and more than 200,000 people have already perished. Even after four years of continued bloodshed, mass murders and humongous displacements, the civil war in Syria is showing no sign of slowing down. I wonder when will this mayhem stop; when will normalcy return to the devastated country? Given the prevailing

situation, I am sure that even if the President of the country quits, normalcy won’t return. Asadul Iqbal Latiff Mumtaz

Athletes from ISD have performed well in India Congratulations to the sprinters of Indian School Darsait (ISD) for creating a new record by winning gold in the 4x100 meters relay in the CBSE national athletic meet held in Gujarat. Without any doubt the inspiration of the school’s principal was a big factor behind this success story. Rafeek, who is now known as the ‘Usain Bolt of Oman’, should be encouraged more and supported by his parents and the school. Salih Thacher Mabelah

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

T I M E S OF OM AN

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PERSPEC IVE Unsung heroes go back to school in lonely Pakistan O

KAMRAN REHMAT

But merely global indifference — American, in particular — does not, by itself, explain the lonely figure Islamabad now cuts. With the West’s war needs significantly diminished in the region, it was only to be expected. The question is what the leadership at home did

ne month has elapsed since the Peshawar school massacre that shocked the world. Yet, Pakistanis are nearly alone in mourning. While leaders of the “free world” converged in Paris, notwithstanding skeletons in the cupboards of many, rights-wise — global media in tow — forgotten are the 134 schoolchildren amongst 143, including teachers and their principal, who were all butchered in broad daylight only last month. It is a telling commentary on how unfair the world is. Are some of us not really lesser mortals, then? Why just the ill-fated Pakistani students; the same day as Paris took centre stage, the massacre of reportedly, 2000 Nigerians in the worst ever carnage unleashed by Boko Haram appeared little more than a footnote! In Pakistan’s case, the irony is deeply manifest in shallow foreign policy objectives. For more than a decade, the country has fought a self-styled war-on-terror on the world’s behalf with a spectacular baggage — more than 60,000 civilians and military personnel killed and the war itself costing nearly a $100 billion, leaving in its wake a fragile economy which has had to make do with foreign aid to stay afloat. But merely global indifference — American, in particular — does not, by itself, explain the lonely figure Islamabad now cuts. With the West’s war needs significantly diminished in the region, it was only to be expected. The question is what the leadership at home did to safeguard Islamabad’s interests. Even though it is debatable how much a democratic dispensation — in place of military dictator Parvez Musharraf — would have stood up to a furious Washington following 9/11, some sort of a collective decision rather than a personal one taken by a desperate General Musharraf seeking legitimacy, would have directed the national course. To cut to the chase, Pakistan continues to pay a heavy price for an ill-advised, virtually non-negotiated adventure launched by Musharraf, long after he was ousted in 2007. General Raheel Sharif, the incumbent army chief, has however, tried manfully to meet the terror threat at home. The school massacre is evidently an outcome of the crushing losses suffered by the militants thanks to the ongoing military operation. The one perturbing dimension of this apparent paradigm shift is that the civilian leadership has taken a back seat, which is far from ideal. If the establishment of military courts — never a desirable option in a fledgling democracy — have been successfully manoeuvred by General Sharif, the civilian leadership only has itself to blame. Despite Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s bid to forge unity across the political divide, both the

secular and religious parties failed to rise to the occasion — ﬁrst caving in at the All Parties Conference before the military leadership and, then, grumbling outside it. This has reinforced the image of a powerful military as the only united and disciplined entity in the country sincere to the national cause. The civilian leadership continues to lose the battle of the optics as well. When the Army Public School reopened on January 12, General Sharif was on hand to receive the students, their families as well as bereaved parents at a well-choreographed event. Missing from the action were Prime Minister Sharif, who has still not returned to the school, and his nemesis, Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party, which rules the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Even though Khan tweeted that he wanted to be there and was advised (stopped?) for “security reasons”, it is apparent that General Sharif wanted to keep the limelight to himself. Khan did turn up two days later with his newlywed wife Reham, but faced the wrath of bereaved parents who bemoaned his “indifference” — with disbelief at how he had found the time meanwhile to marry when they were still in grief over losing their children. And so the military is winning the battle of hearts and minds as evident even in a moving tribute it produced to mark the reopening of the school in which a young voice inspires fellow students to ﬁght back the enemy whom he mocks and challenges — in a symbolic communion with his mother — thus: What is he searching for, I live on in books I will be found in the promises I made to my mother I am the future, how can he slay me today? He has to be delusional if he believes he can kill such dreams I am your blood, hence I’ve fought valiantly I have proven to the enemy that I am greater than him I am from a nation whose children frighten him Some enemy he is, he who targets children So when you hugged me as I departed You did not call me Amanallah, my son How did he cross into God’s path of peace He came as far as the spot where you used to kiss me, mother I am from a nation whose children frighten him Some enemy he is, he who targets children. The author is a senior journalist based in Islamabad. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely his and not of Times of Oman.

One billion could be in extreme poverty by 2030

lmost one billion more people face a life of extreme poverty if world leaders duck key decisions on inequality and climate change at two critical summits this year, according to a campaign launched. An international coalition of more than 1,000 organisations warned that global poverty could rise for the ﬁrst time rise in a generation if politicians make the wrong calls. The “action/2015” campaign targets the United Nations summit in New York in September, which will discuss a new agenda to replace the millennium development goals set in 2000, which expire this year. It is expected to include ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change and protecting oceans and forests. The new campaign will also demand tough action to tackle man-

ANDREW GRICE

made climate change when UNled negotiations on a new global agreement reach a climax in Paris in December. Research for the campaign by the University of Denver shows that, if world leaders get it right, the number of people living in extreme poverty — less than 82p a day — could be reduced dramatically from more than one billion to 360m by 2030. By then, about 4 per cent of the global population would live in extreme poverty, down from 17 per cent today. This would make eradicating extreme poverty achievable for the ﬁrst time in history. However, if the summits get it wrong, the number of people living in extreme poverty could increase to 1.2bn by 2030 — the ﬁrst rise since 1993, and 886m higher than if strong action is taken. Under this scenario, one in three of the world’s population would live on under £1.32 a day.

The goals of “action/2015” include an end to poverty in all its forms; ensuring fundamental rights, tackling inequality and discrimination and speeding up the transition to “100 per cent renewable energy”. Malala Yousafzai, the 17-yearold who survived being shot by the Taliban in Pakistan and promised the new campaign when she collected the Nobel Prize, said: “People globally want an end to injustice, poverty and illiteracy. Our world is interconnected and youth are ready and mobilised more than ever to see real change take place. Together, we are demanding our leaders take action in 2015 and we must all do our part.” Supporters in more than 120 countries include Queen Rania of Jordan, Bill and Melinda Gates, the rock star Bono, actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and the mobile communications entrepreneur Mo Ibrahim. - The Independent

Mitt Romney the insurgent ROSS DOUTHAT

he idea of yet a third Mitt Romney campaign for the presidency, once the idle dream of a few Romney bundlers and now apparently something embraced by the Man From Bain Capital himself, has been greeted by most Republicans with a mixture of horror, exhaustion and embarrassment. No, please, not this time. And these attitudes are understandable. Romney was not, perhaps, quite as terrible a presidential candidate as memories of his worst moments might lead one to believe: He ran ahead of many Republican Senate candidates; he had the most successful presidential debate performance in recent memory; he persuaded the public that he was closer to the ideological middle than President Obama. But his failures were ... conspicuous. There was the threadbare policy agenda, linked to a self-defeating theory that the election would be decided by the unemployment rate alone. There were the various rich-guy disasters that played into the White House’s effort to portray him as the candidate of the richest 0.47 per cent. And most unforgivable, given his promise of a ruthless private sector competence, there were the polling failures and ground game debacles that let Obama coast to victory. What would Romney reredux offer? Nothing obvious: Romney’s a decade removed from elected office, with nothing on his résumé since except the permanent campaign. As a white, superrich, late60-something male, he’s the walking embodiment of his party’s image problems. He won the last nominating contest because on the debate stage he looked like Aragorn son of Arathorn among a collection of dwarves and hobbits. Unless meteors strike several state capitols and the United States Senate, that won’t be true this time. So a third Romney run will almost certainly be a blind alley for a man who should be thinking of a better way to serve his country and his fellow man. Another run would be genuinely frightening for Republicans — and this is probably why the reaction against it has been so intense — if there were any chance of Romney doing what he did in 2012: monopolising fund-raising to a point where other potentially electable candidates stay out; carpet-bombing his opponents with attack ads; and essentially forcing the party faithful to accept him, ﬂaws and all. But unless GOP power brokers are truly crazy — and based on the response to Romney’s trial balloon they aren’t — that isn’t going to happen.

A third Romney run will almost certainly be a blind alley for a man who should be thinking of a better way to serve his country and his fellow man. Another run would be genuinely frightening for Republicans — and this is probably why the reaction against it has been so intense Not even close. Instead, a Romney candidacy would depend on a small circle of backers while ceding immense fund-raising territory to Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio ... the list goes on. He wouldn’t quite resemble his old rivals Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, each of whose insurgent campaigns were floated by a single megadonor, but he would be closer to their position than to that of the commanding Mitt of old. And he would resemble Gingrich and Santorum in other ways. In 2008, he had the backing of key voices in the conservative movement; in 2012, he had the establishment (however reluctantly) behind him. In 2016, he would be on his own, hanging out in Iowa living rooms and New Hampshire diners, trying to win primaries on the basis of debate performances and flesh-pressing and even (gasp!) ideas, like any other long-shot candidate. Which is why, purely as human drama, Romney 3.0 could actually be interesting to watch. Maybe he’ll campaign more openly as a Mormon, running ads like the moving testimonials that aired just before Clint Eastwood’s prime time weird-out at the Republican convention, in which his faith and works are played up rather than hidden. Maybe he’ll roll out a sweeping policy agenda on poverty, as he claims he wants to do, amid incredibly awkward but maybe touching photo ops with the rural unemployed and inner-city kids. Maybe he’ll sock Mike Huckabee in the jaw during a debate. Or maybe he’ll be wooden, clueless and entitled; finish sixth in Iowa and fourth in New Hampshire; and drop out. In which case he’ll lose some dignity, but we won’t lose anything at all. So Mitt, it’s your call. I wouldn’t do it, you won’t win it, but I respect a Romney’s right to choose. - The New York Times News Service

Syriza declares war on the oligarchs Greece’s far-left Syriza party has pledged to end the practice of governments handing lucrative state contracts, licenses and contentious privatisation sales to a handful of rich political friends

Spiro Latsis Banking, shipping Family has net worth of €1.9 billion and is partner with state in Hellenic Petroleum – Greece’s largest oil reﬁnery. Holds 40% stake in EFG banking group.

Dimitris Copelouzos Energy, construction In Greece’s biggest privatisation deal, Copelouzos – with German airport operator Fraport – bid €1.23 billion to lease 14 Greek regional airports for 40 years.

Michalis Sallas Banking Chairman of Piraeus Bank. Received €5 billion EU-IMF bailout in 2012 after cancelling state debt. Became largest Greek bank in 2013 by taking over assets of three failed Cypriot banks.

George Bobolas Construction, media Founder of Ellaktor – Greece’s biggest construction group. Syriza says it will review Ellaktor’s share of income from Attiki Odos toll motorway. Bobolas family also holds biggest stake in Mega Channel, largest of Greece’s nine national TV stations, and controls Ethnos, loss making daily newspaper Vardinoyannis Oil, shipping Controls Motor Oil Hellas, Greece’s second-largest oil refinery, as well as tanker fleet, bunkering operation on Crete, oil and gas exploration company and five-star Athens hotel. Vardinoyannis group controls Star TV station and holds minority stake in Mega Channel

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TODAY IN HISTORY 1523

In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli publishes his 67 Articles, the ﬁrst manifesto of the Zurich Reformation which attacks the authority of the Pope.

1783

William Pitt becomes the youngest Prime Minister of England at age 24.

1847

New Mexico Governor Charles Bent is slain by Pueblo Indians in Taos.

1915

The ﬁrst German air raids on Great Britain inﬂict minor casualties.

1950

Communist Chinese leader Mao recognizes the Republic of Vietnam.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES SCOUT CAMP BEGINS IN AL MUSANAM

MUSCAT: The 17th Scouts Camp, organised by the National Scouts and Guides Corporation began yesterday at Sultan Qaboos Scouts Camp in Al Musanam. Organised under the banner “Children of Oman’s achievements and future,” the camp will continue till January 18. The camp will include culture, sports, tours and skills contests. The motto reﬂects the corporation’s attention to the children in the Sultanate, particularly the implementation of the International Treaty on Child Rights.

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IRAQ: Iraqi visitors pull their sleds up to the hill at Korek Mountain resort on Saturday near the city of Rawanduz in the Arbil Governorate of Iraqi Kurdistan. The resort is located on top of Korek Mountain at the altitude of 2,000 metres, 100 km (62 miles) north of Arbil, and is the ﬁrst resort of its kind in Kurdistan and Iraq. — AFP

UNITED STATES: A protester holds a sign during an anti-police brutality march in Oakland on January 17. About hundred protesters

disrupted traffic and chanted as they made their way to Oakland Police Station where at least ﬁve people were arrested. — AFP

SYRIA: Syrian citizens are being helped by government forces to evacuate after they ﬂed the besieged rebel town of Douma, 13 kilometres (eight miles) northeast of Damascus. Douma, a rebel bastion northeast of the capital, has been under government siege for more than a year, with residents facing dwindling food and medical supplies. — AFP/Syrian Arab News Agency

UKRAINE: People take part in a peace march in tribute to the victims onboard a passenger bus,

which came under fire near the town of Volnovakha, in Kiev, on Sunday. The bus came under heavy fire in eastern Ukraine on January 13, killing at least 10 people, Ukrainian authorities said, and fighting intensified around the international airport in the city of Donetsk as separatists tried to oust government forces. — Reuters

RUSSIA: Alexander Parfyonov, from Barnaul in the Altai region, works on an ice sculpture called ‘The

Connection’, during the International festival of snow and ice sculptures ‘The Magical Ice of Siberia’ in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, on Sunday. — Reuters

MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

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All the trouble began in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck landed in the Cape Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa

CONTROVERSY

Mandela’s former aide sparks race row in South Africa CAPE TOWN: Nelson Mandela’s former personal assistant, Zelda la Grange, has apologised after sparking an online race row with comments that white people were being made to feel unwelcome in South Africa. La Grange, who published “Good morning, Mr Mandela” last year about her close relationship

with the late anti-apartheid hero, attacked President Jacob Zuma for blaming all the country’s problems on whites. “I’m SICK of Jacob Zuma’s constant go at whites every few months,” she tweeted on Saturday. “Why can’t we co-exist without it having to be at the expense of one another?” Zuma, under ﬁre over an ailing

economy and government mismanagement, had told a rally of the ruling African National Congress: “All the trouble began in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck landed in the Cape.” Van Riebeeck was a Dutch colonial official who established the ﬁrst white settlement in South Africa. La Grange, raised as a conserva-

tive member of the Afrikaner group descended from Dutch settlers,became something of a poster girl for Mandela’s famous policy of racial reconciliation. But she brieﬂy changed her twitter name to Zelda van Riebeeck to launch her diatribe. She was soon the target of a storm of tweets under the hashtag #Zelda-

DoesntEvenKnow accusing her of being a racist who still did not understand the suffering of blacks under the former white apartheid regime. Tsietsi Mashinini tweeted: “#ZeldaDoesntEvenKnow that we’ve never felt welcome in our own country since they arrived!” La Grange later issued an apology “unconditionally and without

reservation to all South Africans who were offended by my tweets this morning”. “Colonisation was a terrible thing that happened to our country, but I cannot erase or change it,” she wrote. “We are all frustrated and angry about the state of affairs for different reasons. But that frustration is not limited to race or culture.” -AFP

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Millions at Pope’s Mass in Manila At another event, the Pope advised men to listen to women’s ideas more and not be male chauvinists. ‘Women have much to tell us in today’s society,’ he said

MANILA: Pope Francis concluded his trip to Asia on Sunday with an open-air Mass for a raindrenched crowd in Manila that the Vatican and the government said drew up to seven million people, the largest ever for a papal event. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the office of the president told the Vatican that between six and seven million attended the Mass in Manila’s Rizal Park and surrounding areas. ‘Listen to women’ At another event, he advised men to listen to women’s ideas more and not be male chauvinists. He made impromptu remarks during a youth rally at a co-ed Catholic university in the Philippine capital, Manila, after he noted that four of the ﬁve people who addressed him on stage were male. “Women have much to tell us in today’s society. At times we men are too ‘machista’,” he said, using the Spanish term for male chauvinists. “(We) don’t allow room for women but women are capable of seeing things with a different angle from us, with a different eye. Women are able to pose questions that we men are not able to under-

RARE OCCASION: People attend a Mass at a park by Pope Francis

during his visit to Manila. -AFP / Philippine Air Force Public Information Office

stand,” he said to more applause. He noted that it was a 12-yearold girl, not any of the four men, who had posed the toughest question, asking why God allowed children to be abandoned. Francis has said that, while the Roman Catholic Church’s ban on women priests is deﬁnitive, he wants to appoint more nuns and other women to senior positions in the Vatican. The 78-year-old Pope, wearing a transparent yellow poncho over his white cassock, was driven to the open-air Mass venue through the ecstatic crowd in a “popemobile” modiﬁed from a jeepney, the most popular mode of transport in the Philippines. Some people in the capital of Asia’s only predominantly Catho-

lic country had waited during the night for gates to open at dawn. The gates opened nine hours before the start of the Mass, which was due to last nearly three hours. Homily In his homily, the Pope urged Filipinos to shun “social structures which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption”, a theme he stressed when he held talks with President Benigno Aquino on Friday. Aquino attended the Mass. Francis also took another swipe at the government’s population control efforts, saying the family was under threat from “insidious attacks and programmes contrary to all that we hold true and sacred”. Organisers had said they had expected 6 million people. -Reuters

W H I T E VA N A B D U C T I O N S

Brother of former Sri Lankan leader accused in editor’s assassination case COLOMBO: Sri Lankan authorities are investigating a claim that the toppled president’s younger brother ran a “death squad” and ordered a high-profile newspaper editor’s assassination, a police spokesman said Sunday. Former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse ordered the hit on Lasantha Wickrematunga in January 2009, ex-public relations minister Mervyn Silva alleged in a formal complaint lodged with police Saturday, the spokesman said. Wickrematunga was fatally shot in 2009, just days before he was due to testify in a defamation case Rajapakse had filed against his paper, which had been highly critical of the then-ruling family. “We have received a complaint that Gotabhaya Rajapakse was responsible for abductions, assaults and murder,” police spokesman Ajith Rohana told AFP. “Three murders have been mentioned and one is that of Lasantha Wickrematunga. He (Rajapakse) is accused of running a death squad.” Rajapakse could not be contacted for comment. Wickrematunga and his Sunday Leader newspaper were vocal critics of Rajapakse’s administration, and had accused Gotabhaya of corruption over the purchase of second-hand aircraft and arms for the military. At the time, the government denied it was behind Wickrematunga’s killing, but Saturday’s complaint reopens the unsolved murder case. Since Mahinda Rajapakse’s defeat during January 8 presidential elections, complaints have flooded a Sri Lankan anti-graft commission alleging huge corruption by members of his administration. The ex-leader himself faces allegations that he tried to use military force and remain in office when it became clear during the vote count that he was headed

Wickrematunga was fatally shot in 2009, just days before he was due to testify in a defamation case Rajapakse had filed against his paper, which had been highly critical of the then-ruling family

for a defeat. Sri Lanka has faced international strictures over its dismal human rights record during the past decade, with rights groups accusing Rajapakse of silencing critics and dissidents. In his complaint, Silva also said Gotabhaya was the “architect of white van abductions”. Being “white-vanned” became synonymous with abductions in Sri Lanka after dozens of people were abducted in white vans, their dead bodies later dumped by the road. The tactic was widely reported to be used by security forces against opponents during and after the island’s drawn-out Tamil separatist conﬂict, which ended in May 2009. Scores of independent journalists and political dissidents are still living abroad in exile. Rajapakse’s administration also faced allegations that his troops killed at least 40,000 Tamil civilians while crushing Tamil Tiger guerrillas in the ﬁnal stages of the ethnic war. -AFP

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PERFORMANCE

Bank Nizwa-OHB pact for housing ﬁnance Bank Sohar full year net proﬁt surges 11%

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Bank Nizwa, the Sultanate’s first full-fledged Islamic bank, has entered into an agreement with Oman Housing Bank (OHB) to offer Sharia-compliant solutions to nationals applying for home financing. Bank Nizwa will provide financing to buy, build or expand on an existing property worth up to OMR60,000 with a payment plan of up to 25 years. Signed by Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, chief executive officer of Bank Nizwa and Adnan bin Haider Darwish, general manager of Oman Housing Bank, the collaboration is a direct response to the increasing demand from Omanis for Islamicbased products and services. “We are delighted to announce

for Omanis to build their dream homes without having to wait for long periods of time,” said Adnan bin Haider Darwish.

our alliance with Bank Nizwa as our latest partner. As an Islamic bank, Omanis will now have an alternative to the conventional ﬁnancing solutions and a reliable Sharia-compliant route to acquire personal properties. This will greatly enhance the ability

Stress on private sector role in rail link Representatives of SMEs also sought guidance and clear directions as to how they can be part of the GCC rail project

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: With remote chances of the Gulf-wide railway project becoming proﬁtable in a short period of time, experts have called for a stronger role of the private sector in the project. At the recently concluded Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Rail and Metro Conference 2015, which was hosted by Muscat with the participation of officials from the Gulf states and other countries, special emphasis was made to the potential contribution of the private sector to the implementation of the initiative. Panelists in various sessions of the conference emphasised that the necessary mechanisms and an ideal environment should be created for the private sector to play a greater role in the project, which will link all the GCC states. Representatives of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) also called on the authorities to provide them with guidance and clear directions as to how they can be part of the project. “We are looking for a (larger) role of the private sector so the public sector should go through all the regulations and look back at them to see how they can offer more ﬂexibility to help us as the private sector to get more opportunities in the market,” said Mohammed Hassan Al Ansi,

vice- chairman of the committee for logistics and transportation affairs at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI). Diversifying economy Speaking to Times of Oman on the sidelines of the conference, he also noted that in light of current low oil prices, Oman should focus more on diversifying its economies through paving the way for the growth of non-oil sectors. Sir Charles Shaw, chief executive officer of ‘Maharat’, an Omanbased company which specialises in providing training in the railway industry, also said that collaboration between the public and private sectors is necessary for the success of the project. Shaw, who is also a representative of Pearson TQ, the leading training and educational company in the world, said that according to his understanding, the conference put great emphasis on the role of the private sector. Different countries use different models in the railway sector to ensure the sustainability of the projects, he said, noting that the proportion of public-private partnership varies from one country to the other. “It (at the conference) was said that the chances of making proﬁt for a long time is very small. Therefore you need a combination of government sponsorship with government subsidy and the involvement of private organisations, who are the experts, to design, implement and maintain the infrastructure, provide training and other things.” The total investment in the GCC railway network has been estimated at over $200 billion. Humaid Saleh Al Muslmani, local partner (Oman) at 3TI Progetti Group, which is specialised in the railway infrastructure design, said that the private sector’s active involvement in the operational phase of the project can lead to successful implementation of it.

Partnered with OHB “We understand how important it is for Omanis to own their home as it provides the security they need to build a comfortable future for them and their families. From this stand point, we have partnered with OHB to support families take their first steps to owning their properties and are confident that we will not only facilitate reduction in the number of applicants on the waiting lists for OHB’s housing financing, but will also give them more choices and transparent products and services,” noted Dr El Jaroudi. Bank Nizwa team is on call at

all branches to field queries and educate customers on every option available for the purchase or building of a property. Through the bank’s strategic branch network, customers from OHB will be able to follow-up on their financing applications and finalise their paperwork from the respective wilayats rather than needing to come to Muscat for updates. Bank Nizwa’s Property Finance has been designed based on the Sharia concept of Ijara, Murabaha and forward Ijara whereby the bank purchases or constructs a property for lease or sale according to the customer’s request and plans. The suite of financing solutions available to customers includes financing of land, financing ready property or those under construction.

Times News Service MUSCAT: Bank Sohar has achieved a OMR29.88 million net profit for 2014, an increase of 11.19 per cent from its OMR26.87 million in 2013. According to the bank’s initial unaudited financial results for the period ended December 2014, the net profit of the bank’s conventional banking business totalled OMR30.22 million in 2014, compared to OMR27.52 million in 2013, showing a rise of 9.79 per cent. The net loss of Bank Sohar’s Islamic banking was lower at OMR338,000 in 2014, against OMR650,000 for the previous year. The bank’s operating income

in 2014 stood at OMR70.32 million as against OMR59.21 million in 2013, an increase of 18.76 per cent. Bank Sohar’s operating expenses were OMR31.33 million in 2014 against OMR27.47 million for the previous year. The report, which is subject to approval of the Board of Directors, also registered the bank’s total assets in 2014 at OMR2.07 billion as against OMR1.88 billion in 2013, increasing by 10.06 per cent. The amount of gross loans and advances showed an increase of 14.25 per cent in 2014, standing at OMR1.45 billion compared to OMR1.27 billion in 2013. Bank Sohar’s net loans and advances stood at OMR1.42 billion.

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

MARKET BRIEFS

Oman Flour Mills net profit up by more than 12 per cent MUSCAT: Oman Flour Mills on Sunday said net profit of the group grew 12.6 per cent to OMR3.67 million for 2014, against OMR3.26 million posted for the previous year. The group’s total revenue stood higher at OMR38.12 million from OMR37.80 million, while net profit margin stood higher at 9.62 per cent by December 2014, against 8.62 per cent for the same period of 2013, the company said in a statement posted on MSM website.

Oman United Insurance profit falls MUSCAT: Oman United Insurance, a leading insurance firm in the Sultanate, on Sunday said its net profit fell 28.9 per cent to OMR3.57 million for 2014 from OMR5.02 million posted in the previous year. The company said that its unrealised investment losses were OMR1.10 million for 2014, against a profit of OMR1.39 million in the previous year, according to a disclosure statement on preliminary results posted by the company on MSM website. - Times News Service

C O R P O R AT E

Bank Nizwa’s losses decline Times News Service MUSCAT: Bank Nizwa, Oman’s ﬁrst dedicated Islamic bank, has recorded a substantial fall in losses at OMR7.7 million for 2014, compared to OMR12.3 million loss registered in the corresponding period in 2013. In its preliminary unaudited ﬁnancial results for the period ended December 2014, Bank Nizwa also reported a OMR7.25 million operating loss before provision and tax in 2014 as against OMR13.56 million in 2013. The bank’s operating income was at OMR7.52 million in 2014 as against OMR2.86 million in 2013, an increase of 163 per cent.

According to the ﬁnancial report, pre-incorporation expenses stood at OMR749,000 in 2013 and pre-operating expenses amounted to OMR3.17 million in the same year. In 2014, operating expenses

were registered at OMR14.76 million compared to OMR12.5 million in 2013, showing an increase of 18 per cent. Bank Nizwa registered an increase in its total assets by 29

per cent to OMR253.1million by end of December 2014 from OMR195.99 million for the same period of 2013. The bank’s ﬁnancing to customers also showed a 343 per cent growth at OMR137.34 million in 2014 from OMR31.02 million in 2013. Bank Nizwa’s customer deposits in 2014 totaled OMR93.72 million compared to OMR28.06 million in 2013, indicating a 234 per cent increase. The report, which is subject to approval of the board of directors and the Central Bank of Oman, also showed that the total shareholders’ equity decreased from OMR139.11 million in 2013 to OMR132.04 million in 2014.

Falling crude prices take toll on Sabic profit The world’s biggest petrochemical maker

Fourth-quarter results are not a surprise for us, we have foreseen the effects of the drop in oil prices on our business

by sales reported a 29% drop in proﬁt in the fourth-quarter

RIYADH: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), the world’s biggest petrochemical maker by sales, reported a 29 per cent drop in fourth-quarter profit as lower oil prices reduced returns from its own products. Net income dropped to 4.36 billion riyals ($1.16 billion) from 6.16 billion riyals a year earlier, the Riyadh-based company known as Sabic said in a statement yesterday. The mean estimate of seven analysts was 5.39 billion riyals, according to data. Sales slipped 10 percent to 43.4 billion riyals. “Fourth-quarter results are not a surprise for us, we have foreseen the effects of the drop in oil prices on our business,” chief executive officer Mohammed Al Mady said at a press conference in Riyadh. Brent crude dropped 48 per cent last year as rising production from North America and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) swelled supply. Saudi Arabia, which depends on crude sales for most of its government income, is seeking to expand output of petrochemicals and refined fuels to diversify its economy. Low oil prices are not good for Sabic since falling revenue squeezes the company’s profit margin, Al Mady said at a conference in Dubai on November 24.

Mohammed Al Mady Chief executive officer, Sabic

Sabic uses natural gas, which it buys at a fixed price, as its main feedstock, he said. The company’s operating profit fell 26 per cent to 7.56 billion, it said. Sabic appointed Yousef Al Benyan as chief financial officer last month after Mutlaq Al Morished left to head National Industrialization Company. Expansion plans Saudi Basic Industries Corporation is likely to review planned expansion of the Saudi Iron and Steel Company (Hadeed), its metals affiliate, following a decline in steel prices. Sabic chief executive Mohamed Al Mady told reporters today that the low steel prices would give the company second thoughts about the expansion projects of Hadeed.

“(Steel) prices are going down... therefore any company would think twice before expansion,” Al Mady said when asked about two Hadeed projects for which feasibility studies are underway, one in Rabigh and one in Jubail. The two plants were envisaged to cost $4.26 billion. Al Mady said the outlook for 2015 was unpredictable and contingent on oil prices. He added that Sabic would stick to its strategic plan for growth up to 2025, with investments focused on China, North America and Saudi Arabia. – Agencies

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Ithraa to lead Omani trade team to Tehran Times News Service MUSCAT: Ayman Abdullah Al Hasani, vice-president of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who is also the board member of Ithraa, will lead a twoday, 16-member trade delegation to Tehran on Tuesday. The Omani delegation will conduct business meetings with Iranian counterparts as well as visit manufacturers in the Iranian capital. Trade discussions will focus on food processing, manufacturing, plastics, metals and chemicals. Iran remains an attractive target for Omani businesses, with highly favourable cross-sector opportunities. Home to a burgeoning middle class, Iran has a long-standing appetite for quality services and goods, offering Oman-based companies potentially rewarding commercial opportunities. The fundamentals of the Iranian economy are as attractive as any emerging market. It has a

population of 78 million, similar to that of Turkey, and more than any of the emerging economies of Eastern Europe. Iran is ranked as the 27th largest economy in the world, similar in size to Argentina and Taiwan and ahead of Austria or Thailand. Non-oil exports “Ithraa plays a crucial role in promoting investment opportunities in Oman, expanding the Sultanate’s non-oil exports and courting the interest of foreign companies, particularly those in emerging economies. Indeed, we are conﬁdent strong leads could result from the sector focused B2B meetings we have planned with our Iranian colleagues,” Al Hasani said. “We’re producing quality goods that are in demand worldwide,” commented Ithraa’s director of Export Facilitation, Taleb Al Makhmari. “Omani companies are increasingly seeking out further opportunities in emerging markets,” he added.

MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

MARKET China’s new home prices slide for fourth month Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showed December’s new home prices fell an average 4.3 per cent year-on-year in 68 of the 70 major cities it monitors. But in something of a policy success for Beijing, property sales volumes in December in 70 major cities hit the highest level seen in 2014, up nearly 9 per cent from November, according to data from the NBS.

With real-estate investment accounting for 15% of GDP growth, it’s a sombre omen for growth data of last quarter expected during the week REALITY BITES: China’s real estate market has been plagued by

falling prices and high inventories, crimping demand in 40 economic sectors ranging from steel to furniture. – File photo

BEIJING: China’s new home prices fell significantly in December for a fourth straight month even as year-end sales volumes surged — a sombre omen for fourth-quarter 2014 economic growth data due later in the week. Yesterday’s gloomy National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) data foreshadowed weak economic figures set for tomorrow, with expansion expected to slow to 7.2 per cent, the weakest since the depths of the global financial crisis. Falling property prices are likely to keep pressure on policymakers to head off a sharper slowdown this year. The expected slowdown in growth of the world’s secondlargest economy, from 7.3 per cent

in the July-September quarter, means the full-year ﬁgure would undershoot the government’s 7.5 per cent target and mark the weakest expansion in 24 years. GDP data If the GDP data proves worse than expected, some analysts say the People’s Bank of China could cut interest rates further or lower reserve requirement ratios for all banks. A reserve ratio cut would give banks greater capacity to lend, but many market watchers question if they would be willing to increase their exposure as economic conditions deteriorate. With real-estate investment ac-

counting for about 15 per cent of China’s GDP growth, a 9 per cent decline in new ﬂoor space under construction in the ﬁrst 11 months of 2014 could take a heavy toll. “We expect China’s GDP growth to slow further in 2015 to 6.8 per cent, as the ongoing property downturn leads to further weakness in construction and industrial production, and related investment,” Tao Wang, China economist at UBS, wrote in a note. China’s real estate market has been plagued by falling prices and high inventories in recent months, crimping demand in 40 economic sectors ranging from steel to cement to furniture. The National

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UNITED KINGDOM

With 20 new models by 2016, Fiat Chrysler to boost spending MILAN: Fiat Chrysler will boost spending in the next two years as the carmaker plans to sell 20 new models by 2016, including the Maserati Alﬁeri sportscar and two new Alfa Romeos. The carmaker’s investments “increases to a peak in 2016 to support the heavy cadence of the new and refreshed product programme,” Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) said in a presentation made to investors at Bank am Bellevue seminar in Flims, Switzerland, posted on its website. Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne targets to boost sales by 60 per cent to 7 million cars in 2018 as the carmaker plans to invest €48 billion ($55.5 billion) to expand Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Jeep into nameplates that can attract customers from Beijing to Berlin to Boston. In doing so, Marchionne is seeking to forge an automaker that’s big enough to challenge General Motors and Volkswagen. Marchionne is boosting spending as FCA sees ‘positive industry outlook’ in every region next year, including an increase of Brazilian and European markets, according to the presentation. The carmak-

Interest rate cut Liu Jianwei, senior statistician at the NBS, said recent policy concessions, including November’s official interest rate cut and cheaper loans, had boosted homebuying interest as developers pushed year-end sales. China Vanke, China’s top listed residential developer, reported a 129 per cent surge in sales in December from a year earlier, while sales over the same period for mid-sized Country Garden leapt 167 per cent. But Wang Jun, senior economist at China Centre for International Economic Exchanges, a Beijing-based think tank, noted: “The oversupply fundamentals of China’s property market have not been changed even though sales improved. - Reuters

60%

Is the sales boost CEO Sergio Marchionne is targetting, which means 7m cars in 2018 as the carmaker plans to invest €48 billion ($55.5 billion) to expand Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Jeep

er expects industry deliveries of cars and light commercial vehicle in Europe, Middle East and Africa to increase to 21.7 million next year from 21.3 in 2014. Fiat sees an expansion of the EMEA market by 2.9 per cent a year to 2018, according to the presentation. The outlook is also positive for North America and Asia. 5 million cars in 2015 The carmaker, created last year by the merger of Fiat with its United States unit, plans to boost sales to over 5 million cars in 2015, Marchionne said. It’s add-

ing over 1,000 new workers at the Italian plant which builds the Jeep Renegade to meet demand for the small SUV. Fiat Chrysler may return to proﬁt in Europe by 2016 as it cut costs and sells new models, Marchionne said. The automaker, now based in London, moved its listing to the New York Stock Exchange from Milan. To sustain the investment plan, Marchionne plans to raise about $5 billion in a strategy which includes the spinoff of its Ferrari supercar division and the sale of a 10 per cent stake in the unit next year. - Bloomberg News

Supermarkets brace for battle LONDON: : Four months into the job, Tesco boss Dave Lewis has wasted no time imposing a range of price cuts and customer service improvements designed to regain the initiative in a tough market. There are already signs customers are noticing. Despite shocks Tesco suffered in the past year, famously prompting investor Warren Buffett to admit buying into the stock was a huge mistake, it remains clear leader in its home market, lending it the clout to squeeze its ‘big four. - Reuters

ECONOMY

IMF lauds India for cutting fuel subsidy WASHINGTON: International Monetary Fund (IMF) had lauded India’s efforts to cut fuel subsidies, saying the fall in global crude oil prices provides a golden opportunity to reduce energy subsidies. While speaking about the outlook for the global economy in 2015, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said that the drop in oil prices provides a golden opportunity to cut energy subsidies and use the savings for more targeted transfers to protect the poor. “We have recently seen a successful decrease in fossil fuel subsidies in countries such as Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Haiti,

India, Indonesia, and Malaysia,” she said. The government, in October last year, deregulated diesel prices. Following the decision, retail prices of the fuel now reﬂects global movement in oil prices. In 2013-14, government provided Rs707.72 billion by way of cash subsidy towards subsidising fuels such as diesel, LPG and kerosene. Aided by global crude oil price plunge — the lowest since 2009 — government expects the oil subsidy bill to be dropped by 60 per cent in 2014-15. Lagarde said India needs to focus on removing bottlenecks in transportation. - PTI

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

MARKET OMAN BOURSE

OMAN STOCKS

MSM index gains MUSCAT MUSCAT: MSM 30 Index continued its strong run and closed at 6,591.13 points, up by 1.11 per cent. MSM Shariah index closed ﬂat at 977.17 points, up by 0.03 per cent. Al Anwar Holding was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. DBIH, up by 9.85 per cent, was the top gainer, while Oman United Insurance, down by 2.92 per cent, lost the most. Altogether 2,253 trades were executed in the day’s session generating turnover of OMR7.5 million with more than 31.7 million shares changing hands. Out of 51 traded stocks, 19 advanced, 9 declined and 23 remained unchanged. Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR243,000 worth

of shares, while GCC and Arab investors, who were net sellers, sold shares amounting to OMR132,000 followed by Omani investors at OMR111,000. Financial Index began the week on a positive note to advance 1.35 per cent and end the day at 8,105.33 points. DBIH, Al Sharqia Investments, United Finance, Al Anwar Holding and Bank Muscat increased by 9.85 per cent, 7.59 per cent, 6.02 per cent, 5.96 per cent and 5.88 per cent respectively. Oman United Insurance, Gulf Investment Services, Al Madina Investments and HSBC Bank Oman decreased by 2.92 per cent, 2.50 per cent, 1.35 per cent and 0.68 per cent respectively. - United Securities

SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ........................................ 6,591.31 ............... 6,517.95 ....................6,591.13 ................... 6,518.82..................72.31 ....................1.11 Financial Index .....................................8,109.85 ...............7,990.68 ................... 8,105.33 ....................7,997.72................107.61 ................... 1.35 Industrial Index ....................................8,543.73 ...............8,535.62 ................... 8,539.60 ................... 8,537.67.................... 1.93 ...................0.02 Services Index ...........................................577.51 ...............3,558.27 .................... 3,577.51 ...................3,558.42..................19.09 ...................0.54 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 977.38 ..................976.56 ....................... 977.17 ...................... 976.86.................... 0.31 ...................0.03 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 31,754,485...................7,579,365 ................. 2,253 ............... 14,861,487,530 ................ 19 ........................9 .................... 23 .........................51

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 18 ISIN ..................................................SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER...................TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE............. HIGH....................LOW...............CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE..........DIFF (RO) .................DIFF %......................LAST PR...............LAST BID.....................LAST OFFER .................MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE

REGULAR MARKET ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 612,976 .........104,008..................... 49 ............0.166 ........... 0.173 ...........0.163 ........... 0.170 ............. 0.158.............0.012 ............. 7.595 ................0.173 .............. 0.173...................0.000 ..................14,708,400 .........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 985,370 ......... 139,324..................... 59 ............0.140 ........... 0.144 ...........0.140............0.141 ............. 0.133............ 0.008............. 6.015 ................0.140..............0.140...................0.142...................38,776,864 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 6,738,265 ....1,555,731...................443 ........... 0.222...........0.236 ...........0.222 ...........0.231 .............0.218.............0.013 ............. 5.963 ................0.235..............0.235...................0.236...................30,145,500 .........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,317,789 .......805,667...................108 ........... 0.590 ...........0.620 ...........0.590............0.612 .............0.578 ........... 0.034............. 5.882 ................0.604..............0.600...................0.604 ............... 1,335,805,171 ......0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 620,008 ..........217,095..................... 77 ........... 0.340........... 0.356 ...........0.340 .......... 0.350 .............0.334 ............0.016 ............. 4.790 ................0.350..............0.350...................0.356..................426,589,625........0.100 OM0000001822............UNITED POWER ............................................................. 1,982 ...............3,278........................3 ............1.625 ........... 1.660 ...........1.625 ............1.655 .............1.580.............0.075 ............. 4.747 ................1.660 .............. 1.650...................1.700 .................... 3,310,000 ..........1.000 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS .............................................................14,600 ...............8,435......................11 ........... 0.580 ...........0.580 ...........0.566........... 0.578 .............0.552 ........... 0.026............. 4.710 ................0.566..............0.564...................0.566...................26,334,497.........0.100 OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ............. 330,000 ..........107,555.....................20 ............0.316 ...........0.330 ...........0.316 ........... 0.326 ............. 0.316.............0.010 ............. 3.165 ................0.330.............. 0.318...................0.330 ..................10,944,293.........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 1,751,168 .......421,963................... 125 ........... 0.234 ...........0.247 ...........0.230........... 0.241 .............0.234 ........... 0.007............. 2.991 ................0.241............. 0.242...................0.244 ................. 48,200,000 ........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 619,000 ......... 149,027..................... 36 ........... 0.242...........0.242 ...........0.238........... 0.241 .............0.238 ........... 0.003............. 1.261.................0.238..............0.235...................0.238..................275,704,000 .......0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 486,690 .........247,228..................... 59 ........... 0.500 ........... 0.512 ...........0.500........... 0.508 .............0.502 ........... 0.006..............1.195.................0.510 ..............0.510...................0.512..................143,303,983........0.100 OM0000002614............ONIC. HOLDING .......................................................... 190,597.............73,371..................... 49 ........... 0.380 ...........0.386 ...........0.380........... 0.384 .............0.382 ........... 0.002............. 0.524 ................0.386..............0.384...................0.386...................66,594,528.........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................29,609 .............51,950......................19 ............1.770 ........... 1.770............1.750 ............1.755 ............. 1.750............ 0.005.............0.286 ................1.760 .............. 1.760................... 1.765 ................1,316,250,000 ......0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION .........................21,200 ............... 7,547........................5 ........... 0.356 ........... 0.356 ...........0.356........... 0.356 .............0.356 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.356..............0.354...................0.356...................33,834,240.........0.100 OM0000001301 ............DHOFAR CATTLE FEED ............................................ 13,700 ...............2,466........................1 ............0.180 ........... 0.180 ...........0.180........... 0.180 .............0.180 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.180.............. 0.175...................0.190...................13,860,000 .........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ............................................................. 400 ..................720........................1 ............1.800 ........... 1.800 ...........1.800............1.700 ............. 1.700............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.800.............. 1.700...................1.800................. 340,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 6,437,278 ...... 886,714...................290 ............0.140 ........... 0.141............0.133 ............0.138 ............. 0.138............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.134 .............. 0.133...................0.134................... 16,818,750 .........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY........................................ 1,500 ...............3,008........................1 ........... 2.005 ...........2.005 ...........2.005........... 2.005 .............2.005 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.005..............1.980...................2.005 .................179,848,500........0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 218,889 ......... 114,063.....................22 ........... 0.522 ...........0.522 ...........0.518 ........... 0.522 .............0.522 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.518 ..............0.510...................0.516 .................. 172,715,555 ........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 166,680 ............54,715..................... 28 ........... 0.328 ...........0.330 ...........0.328........... 0.328 .............0.328 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.328..............0.324...................0.328 ..................40,966,531 .........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ......................................................................77,000 .............18,480........................4 ........... 0.240...........0.240 ...........0.240 .......... 0.240 .............0.240 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.240 .............0.236...................0.240 .................310,916,977 ........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ..................................... 1,000 .............. 2,000........................2 ........... 2.000...........2.000 ...........2.000 .......... 2.000 .............2.000 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.000 ............ 0.000...................0.000 ................ 190,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 555,070 ......... 105,473......................41 ............0.190 ........... 0.191............0.190........... 0.190 .............0.190 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.190..............0.190................... 0.191 ...................50,087,565 .........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ................................................... 230,521 ........... 89,880..................... 30 ........... 0.390 ...........0.394 ...........0.382........... 0.390 .............0.390 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.388..............0.384...................0.388...................23,595,000.........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 373,300 .........249,404..................... 34 ........... 0.668 ........... 0.672 ...........0.664........... 0.668 .............0.668 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.668..............0.668...................0.672..................434,830,746........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 250,000 ........... 36,505......................16 ............0.147 ........... 0.147 ...........0.145 ........... 0.146 ............. 0.147............-0.001 ........... -0.680 ...............0.145 .............. 0.145...................0.146..................292,045,667 .......0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT .................................... 45,000 ...............3,300........................5 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.074 ...........0.073........... 0.073 .............0.074 ...........-0.001 ............-1.351 ................0.073..............0.072...................0.074................... 15,122,051 .........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 121,200 ............ 23,131......................21 ............0.192 ........... 0.193 ...........0.188 ............0.191 .............0.194 ...........-0.003 ........... -1.546................0.188 ..............0.188................... 0.191 .................... 4,011,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES .......................................... 637,654...........214,173..................... 88 ........... 0.340...........0.346 ...........0.332........... 0.336 .............0.342 ...........-0.006 ............-1.754................0.346..............0.346...................0.348 ..................20,564,636.........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 4,140,330......647,247...................224 ............0.155 ........... 0.158 ...........0.154 ............0.156 .............0.160 ...........-0.004 ........... -2.500 ...............0.157 .............. 0.156...................0.157 .................... 9,179,542 ..........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 1,308,840...... 391,895..................... 82 ........... 0.306 ...........0.306 ...........0.296........... 0.299 .............0.308 ...........-0.009 ........... -2.922 ...............0.297..............0.299...................0.300 ..................29,900,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 28,297,616 .6,735,355................1,953 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......31........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................ 18,938 ...............2,746........................4 ............0.145 ........... 0.145 ...........0.145 ............0.145 .............0.132.............0.013 ............. 9.848 ................0.145 .............. 0.145...................0.000 ...................4,350,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL............................................. 235,030 ............21,744..................... 32 ........... 0.093 ...........0.093 ...........0.091 ........... 0.093 ............. 0.091............ 0.002............. 2.198 ................0.093..............0.093...................0.094 ..................16,275,000 .........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................. 308,907 ...........32,922..................... 34 ............0.105 ........... 0.108 ...........0.105 ........... 0.107 .............0.105............ 0.002............. 1.905 ................0.108..............0.108...................0.110 .................... 8,047,256 ..........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 490,932 .........279,984................... 101 ........... 0.562 ........... 0.576 ...........0.562........... 0.570 .............0.560 ............0.010 ............. 1.786.................0.570..............0.570...................0.574...................28,500,000 ........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH................................................72,253 ...........163,152.....................22 ........... 2.250 ...........2.270 ...........2.250........... 2.260 .............2.225 ............0.035 ............. 1.573 ................2.270..............2.270...................2.285 ................. 215,733,261 ........1.000 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 1,368,498 ......239,383..................... 35 ............0.175 ........... 0.176 ...........0.173 ............0.175 ............. 0.173............ 0.002..............1.156.................0.175 .............. 0.175...................0.176 ..................118,105,300 ........0.100 OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING ...........................................100 .....................28........................1 ........... 0.280...........0.280 ...........0.280 .......... 0.273 .............0.273 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.280............. 0.260...................0.280 ................... 1,638,000 ..........1.000 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA .................................................................. 88,136 ...............7,207......................12 ........... 0.082 ...........0.083 ...........0.081 ........... 0.082 .............0.082 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.083..............0.082...................0.083..................123,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK..................................................4,000 .................. 368........................1 ........... 0.092 ...........0.092 ...........0.092........... 0.092 .............0.092 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.092..............0.092...................0.095.................. 92,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ............................ 288,000...........28,224........................7 ........... 0.098 ...........0.098 ...........0.098........... 0.098 .............0.098 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.098..............0.098...................0.102....................9,800,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 301,544 ........... 52,607.....................22 ............0.174 ........... 0.176 ...........0.174 ............0.174 ............. 0.174............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.175 .............. 0.175...................0.176 ..................124,306,703........0.100 OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION ..................................... 600 ...............1,920........................1 ........... 3.200...........3.200 ...........3.200 .......... 3.200 .............3.220 ...........-0.020 ........... -0.621................3.200..............3.000...................3.200 .................. 31,296,691 .........1.000 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................82,100 ...............5,609......................14 ........... 0.069 ...........0.069 ...........0.068........... 0.068 .............0.069 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.449 ...............0.068..............0.067...................0.068....................8,500,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 189,555 ...............7,203........................4 ........... 0.038 ...........0.038 ...........0.038........... 0.038 .............0.039 ...........-0.001 ........... -2.564 ...............0.038..............0.038...................0.039....................3,230,000 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 3,448,593 ......843,096...................290 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......14........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET ........................................................................................................................................................................................ OM0000004487 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES BONDS3.75 ................ 3,925 .................. 455........................1 ............0.116 ........... 0.116............0.116 ............0.115 ............. 0.115 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.116 .............. 0.112................... 0.118 ...................48,661,293 .........0.100

OM0000004594 ...........AL OMANIYA FIN. SER. BONDS 5 ..................................30 ....................... 3........................1 ............0.103 ........... 0.103 ...........0.103........... 0.103 .............0.103............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.103 ............. 0.000...................0.000 ................... 1,040,752 ..........0.100 OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ...........................1,574 ...................165........................3 ............0.105 ........... 0.105 ...........0.105 ........... 0.106 .............0.106 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.105 ..............0.105...................0.000 ..................32,091,406 .........0.100 OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 .................................................. 95 .....................10........................1 ............0.101 ........... 0.101............0.101 ............0.101 ............. 0.101............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.101 ............. 0.000...................0.101 .................... 7,221,500 ..........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 .............................................2,603 .................. 276........................3 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.106 .............0.106 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.106..............0.106................... 0.113 ...................33,882,124 .........0.100 OM0000004982 ...........AL OMANIYA FIN. CONV. BONDS 5 ..............................49 ....................... 5........................1 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100........... 0.100 .............0.100 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100............. 0.000...................0.000 ................... 1,674,802 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: ...................................................................................... 8,276 ...................914..................... 10 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 6........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

EUROZONE

Looking to ECB to move the dial LONDON: After a head-spinning bout of volatility, next week will be dominated by one question: Will the European Central Bank (ECB) take the ultimate policy leap or pull its punches? The ECB could launch a government bond-buying programme with new money as soon as its Jan. 22 meeting, although Greek elections three days later are a complication. With markets in an unusually febrile state — oil

and copper have plunged while the Swiss franc rocketed after Switzerland abandoned its currency cap — it’s a fair bet that if the ECB holds back, there will be an extreme reaction. The eurozone’s central bank would have no problem justifying action. It is mandated to deliver price stability and inﬂation close to 2 per cent whereas this has just turned negative and is likely to fall further given the precipi-

tous oil price drop. The ECB won crucial backing last week for its pledge to do whatever it takes to support the euro when a top European Union court official said there was no legal impediment to buying government bonds to bolster a listless eurozone economy. But politics and German concerns about risk-sharing will trump the law. Sources said the ECB may adopt a hybrid approach. - Reuters

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

SECTION

E-

IMES TECH STUFF

FIXING BOT ON YOUR PERSONAL COMPUTER

If your PC is showing symptoms of having a ‘bot,’ you should scan it with a reputable security programme and remove any malware found. Malware bytes Anti-Malware and Panda Free Antivirus are among the free options around if you do not have a more full-featured paid programme in mind. Malicious software can hijack a computer’s processing power and Internet connection. It does so to send spam, perform remote attacks and it can tax a system’s resources.

Tools for tracking data use to avoid hefty phone fees There are built-in systems on your phone to help you track your mobile data use. But many apps can be even more useful in keeping you on the right side of your monthly data limit

KIT EATON

he smartphone in your pocket gives you the power to chat, text, take selﬁes and do a million other things. But it also burns through your data plan with your wireless carrier faster than you think. And who likes to pay that extra fee when you go over your limit? There are, of course, built-in systems on your phone to help you track your mobile data use. But many apps can be even more useful in keeping you on the right side of your monthly data limit. DataMan Next, an iOS app, is an elegant way of monitoring your iPhone’s data-slurping habit. Its modern design presents information clearly and swiftly. To begin, you enter basic information like your monthly data allowance and when your bill is due. The app’s main screen is very simple: In the middle is a big ﬁgure showing the percentage of your monthly allowance used, and at the top is a large text alert. When this

alert says “safe,” accompanied by a check mark, you’re in the clear. This means the app has estimated that, at your current data consumption rate, you’ll not go over your limit. There’s also a tally of how much total data you’ve used and how much you’ve downloaded over Wi-Fi. Best of all, the app’s backdrop changes color to warn you when you’re using too much; green for good becomes red for bad. Tweaking settings You can tweak several settings in DataMan, including the colour scheme. I love its minimal design, but some users have reported that the app occasionally seems to lose track a little of how much data has been used. It costs $2. An alternative is My Data Manager, which is free for both iOS and Android phones. It has some of the same modern, minimalist design ideas as DataMan. But its reports have more detail, which may suit users keen on knowing exactly how they’re using their phone. The app’s main screen has clear graphics and text to tell you how much of your

monthly data has been used. A few other screens, accessible with a swipe, show your data consumption habits more visually, with graphs. There’s also a map so you can see where you tend to use mobile data more frequently. In some places, you may think you’re connected to WiFi networks but, in fact, you’re not. In the Android version, My Data Manager advises you about which apps are using more data. This information may help you adjust your phone use habits - such as checking Facebook a little less frequently. Setting an alarm My Data Manager also has nice features, such as one for setting an alarm to let you know when you’ve reached your daily budget or a target, like 90 percent of the month’s allowance. It also lets you track data use on shared or family plans so you can tell who’s been using the most data. Onavo Count is also popular, and it is available for both iOS and Android phones. It’s also modern in design, with clear displays so it’s easy to understand how much of your data allowance you’re using and how you’re using it. It works in much the same way as its rivals, although it has a few unusual features like a report on your “data life,” which shows you if you’re spending more of your data budget on categories like music or movies. This information may prompt you to think about how you use apps like Spotify to stream music on the go. The app also lets you see how your data habits compare to other users’ averages. The free Android app Data Us-

age is another good option. Its complexity is similar to that of My Data Manager, and it offers some of the same features, such as tracking shared accounts. But its design is a little more traditional, relying on plain text and simple visualizations to keep you advised on your mobile data consumption. Data usage Data Usage can be customised to suit your particular needs, and this may appeal to people who want to know how much data they use on a daily basis. A few words of caution: This app hasn’t been updated in a while on Android, which could affect how it runs on your particular phone. It costs $1 for iPhones. Individual cellphone networks often also have apps available to help you manage how much mobile data you use, so don’t forget to search the app stores for apps with the name of your carrier. I’ve been stung with high mobile data bills. Perhaps these apps can help you avoid the same problem. Quick Call The team behind the popular notemaking app Evernote has just released a new app for iOS devices that turns your phone into an intelligent, on-the-go document scanner. The free Scannable app automatically rotates and enhances the quality of documents you snap with your phone’s camera and can even recognize and extract contact details from business cards. It is simple, elegant and potentially quite useful. — The New York Times News Service

APP SMART

Various ways of enhancing a new electronic device GREGORY SCHMIDT

OUND yourself with a new tablet, smartphone or ﬂatscreen TV as a holiday gift? These handy products and services will help you get the most out of your new electronic device. SanDisk iXpand ﬂash drive

The iXpand Flash Drive from SanDisk was created for a world obsessed with selﬁes. Photos and videos can hog memory on smartphones and tablets, and the iXpand offers a convenient way to free up space. Available with storage of 16, 32 or 64GB of memory, the ﬂash drive can automatically sync photos and videos when it is plugged into an iOS device. The

ﬁles can be stored on the drive or transferred to a PC or Mac. And movies and music stored on the drive can be played through a downloadable iXpand Synch app. Philips Fidelio B5 As TVs get thinner, they have less room for a high-quality audio system. One way to improve things is with an external soundbar. In 2013, Philips introduced the stylish Fidelio HTL7180 soundbar, which also had a wireless subwoofer and detachable rear speakers, creating an easy surround-sound experience. Now, Philips has announced the Fidelio B5, which has the same design but was upgraded internally to improve the sound and add Bluetooth capability to the detachable speakers. The B5, which

will be available this spring, also features an integrated calibration algorithm that balances the sound no matter where the speakers are placed.

REI outdoor school Sometimes, operating a new gadget can be daunting. The experts at the recreational retailer REI want to help. The national chain offers in-store classes that will help you learn to use popular outdoor and ﬁtness gadgets like the GoPro camera, the Garmin Forerunner, the Mio Fuse and the Fitbit Flex. The free classes are intended for beginners, whether just starting out or getting back on track. Offerings for more advanced athletes, like 10K competitors and long-distance hikers, are available for a fee.

SteelSeries Stratus XL As gaming moves from consoles to mobile devices, tech companies are stepping in to help smooth the transition. SteelSeries recently introduced a wireless game controller, the Stratus XL, that is compatible with iOS devices and is supported by hundreds of popular apps, including FIFA 15 Ultimate Team, Minecraft, Angry Birds Go and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The Stratus XL is larger and less expensive than

its predecessor and more closely resembles the look and feel of an actual console controller. It connects to an Apple smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth and provides 40 hours of gameplay when fully charged.

Mophie Powerstation Plus Mophie products are typically more expensive than those of their competitors, but they also have a longer life span and a better design. Mophie’s latest portable battery, the Powerstation Plus, is no exception. Resembling a sleek business card case, the Powerstation Plus has an aluminum casing with an anodised satin ﬁnish and hinged plate that hides an integrated charging cable inside (either Lightning or micro USB, but not both, so make sure you get the one that is compatible with your smartphone). Mophie says the Powerstation Plus will fully recharge a phone up to two times; for those who want more power, three larger sizes are available.

Ventev Chargesync For devices used at home, cables and docks are crucial, but they tend to crack and fray over time. Ventev has a solution with a line of sturdy accessories that include the Chargedock 2000, a combination desktop stand and portable battery, and Chargesync, a selection of durable, tangle-free cables with micro-USB, 30-pin or Lightning connections. The Chargesync cables come in eight bright colours, which means that you’ll never

accidentally leave one behind. For those seeking versatility, the Chargesync 2-in-1 cable offers connectors for both micro-USB and Lightning charging. — The New York Times News Service

MON DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

ROUND-UP Lean management can lead to efficient, effective healthcare delivery: Willats In an exclusive interview to Times of Oman Peter Willats talked about the challenges of the healthcare sector in general and the forthcoming seminar

Times News Service MUSCAT: Applying lean practices in healthcare sector can lead to efficient and effective delivery of medical services, giving better patient outcomes and lower cost with improved working conditions for healthcare professionals. This was stated by Peter Willats, leading proponent of lean practices, in an exclusive interview to Times of Oman. Willats has been a profoundly inďŹ&#x201A;uential ďŹ gure in the progression of Lean practice around the world. Previously board director of GKN Automotive and GKN Japan, Willats co-founded the Kaizen Institute of Europe, the operations consultancy that pioneered the introduction of lean techniques to Europe in the 1990s. Willats has been responsible over the past 20 years for bringing lean to many leading western industrial companies, new geographies and now to a new sector-healthcare. Peter Willats has a special passion for introducing lean thinking

right ďŹ rst time (avoid surgical site infections, ensure information/ results are available for diagnostic consultations) Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; 0)# Ĺ&#x2014;/(( -- ,3Ĺ&#x2014;1),%Ĺ&#x2014;-)Ĺ&#x2014; that staff can spend time to care directly with the patient. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; - Ĺ&#x2014;1),%Ĺ&#x2014;-. ( , -Ĺ&#x2014;.)Ĺ&#x2014; increase the capacity of critical resources, both physical (OR, Imaging) and human and reduce queues caused by variance. The methods relevant to healthcare have been developed over the past 10 years and take into account that we are dealing with humans and not with metal or plastic!

in healthcare and has worked with leading hospitals in the UK and US to help them improve efďŹ ciencies, avoid wastage through application of lean management techniques. He was last in Oman in 2012 to run a very successful seminar on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lean in Manufacturingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. He will be back in Oman, this time for a seminar â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lean in Healthcareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on February 17, exclusively for healthcare professionals in Oman. Times of Oman are the media partner for this event organised by Adinc DDB. In the interview Peter Willats talked about the challenges of the healthcare sector in general and the forthcoming seminar. Welcome back to Oman in advance. This time for a seminar exclusively dedicated to the application of lean practices in healthcare? Why healthcare in particular? Healthcare is in crisis. A crisis brought about by success. 20th Century medicine has extended our life expectancy and we are dying older and more slowly than in the past. The mixture of hygiene, clean water and antibiotics means that we are living long enough to fall victim to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Modern techniques are turning these diseases from acute, terminal incidents into chronic conditions. So demand for healthcare is outstripping our ability to supply it, the costs of treatments are rising and the ratio of working age population to the elderly is falling, thus reducing our ability to fund it. These trends will continue but are clearly unsustainable. Lean management offers a hope of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery, giving better patient outcomes

and lower cost with improved working conditions for healthcare professionals. Lean is so strongly associated with elimination of waste in manufacturing. Are the principles essentially the same? Manufacturing was the domain where lean ďŹ rst emerged and where the principles and methods were developed. Waste, variability and inďŹ&#x201A;exibility, however, are the enemies of all types of operations. The principles remain broadly the same: Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; -#!(Ĺ&#x2014; 0 ,3."#(!Ĺ&#x2014; ,)/( Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014; patient. This is not easy in healthcare where the scarcest resource is the physician and everything is traditionally organised around them. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; (-/, Ĺ&#x2014;." .Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014;* .# (.Ĺ&#x2014;')0 -Ĺ&#x2014; quickly from one stage of their diagnosis/treatment to the next by eliminating batches (ward rounds), overloading (60% of elective admissions on the ďŹ rst day of the week); striving to do things

Do tell us about the work done by you in the implementation of lean at hospitals, and the outcomes. Over the past decade, I have studied and worked extensively in this area; in the management of existing tertiary hospitals, the design and operation of advanced oncology centres and in the lean construction of healthcare facilities. For ďŹ ve years I was a member of the Transformation Board at the leading childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospital in London. In particular, I worked with the cardio-thoracic surgical group to reduce cancellations and improve the throughput of the unit without increasing nominal capacity. I am a director of the largest, private oncology provider in the UK. We have designed and built eight integrated units, which provide advanced cancer care outside of the big hospital environment, thereby improving the quality of life and outcomes for patients. I helped a charity in Eastern Europe to design a hospital facility to increase the usage of one of their critical and expensive pieces

of equipment. I am currently retained by the National Health Service in England to work with the leaders of the Emergency Departments of 12 hospitals to reduce the waiting/treatment times for patients during the winter peak of demand by using elements of lean management and operations research. I am working with a very large hospital project (over 100,000 visitors per day) to include lean design in the facility and to use best practice from California for the lean construction of the buildings and facilities. Oman has only a dozen private hospitals. The rest government hospitals provide primary as well as specialised care to Omani citizens free of cost. The queues and waiting times for specialists or booking a bed is very long. So, in a situation where the demand is far more than supply, how will application of lean help ease pressures and enhance performance? This situation is quite generally the case and not speciďŹ c to Oman. Some of the solutions we apply include: Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; . "#(!Ĺ&#x2014; * #.3Ĺ&#x2014;.)Ĺ&#x2014; ' ( Ĺ&#x2014; over the day/week/month/year (i.e. ďŹ&#x201A;exibility) Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; * , .#(!Ĺ&#x2014;* .# (.-Ĺ&#x2014;#(Ĺ&#x2014;.)Ĺ&#x2014; streams based acuity, expected length of stay and predictability of outcome. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; ( , -#(!Ĺ&#x2014; * #.3Ĺ&#x2014; 3Ĺ&#x2014; &#'#nating waste and variance form the work of key staff. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; #'*&# 3#(!Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014;*,) -- -Ĺ&#x2014;.)Ĺ&#x2014; reduce the number of handoffs, thereby reducing the queues and potential for error. What are the speciďŹ c areas that you believe wastage of

precious resources really happen? Can these be controlled? The list is sadly rather long. Here are some examples: Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; ( && Ĺ&#x2014;)* , .#)(Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; ( ,/.#&#- Ĺ&#x2014;#' !#(!Ĺ&#x2014; #&#ties despite waiting lists Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; .# (.Ĺ&#x2014;) /*3#(!Ĺ&#x2014; -Ĺ&#x2014; 1 #.ing results or awaiting discharge Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; /,- -Ĺ&#x2014;&))%#(!Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014; +/#*' (.Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; ) .),-Ĺ&#x2014;( !).# .#(!Ĺ&#x2014;*,#),ity access to resources for their patient (ITU, MRI, Admission) Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; ( ),, .Ĺ&#x2014; ) #(!Ĺ&#x2014; ( Ĺ&#x2014; #&&#(! Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; )(-/&. .#)(-Ĺ&#x2014;." .Ĺ&#x2014; #&Ĺ&#x2014;.)Ĺ&#x2014; vance the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s treatment due to missing information Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; # .#)(Ĺ&#x2014;#--/ Ĺ&#x2014; /.Ĺ&#x2014;().Ĺ&#x2014; used due to rescheduling of procedures Let us also include those improvements that directly affect patient safety, such as medication reconciliation errors, prescription errors, reduced waiting times, reduced length of stay. Who will beneďŹ t most from attending your seminar? Hospital administrators or medical practitioners too? During the seminar, we will deal with how to design a healthcare service from the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective, how to ensure best use of resources, how to design and construct a healthcare facility using lean principles to reduce cost and improve outcomes and how to improve the quality and satisfaction of the working lives of healthcare professionals. As such, investors, administrators, policy makers, insurers and healthcare professionals would beneďŹ t from attending. More information regarding participation in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lean in healthcareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seminar, can be had from Radha Mukherji (99365270) or Sami Dalwai (99357834).

RECRUIT QUOTES You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Christopher Columbus If you hear a voice within you say â&#x20AC;&#x153;you cannot paintâ&#x20AC;?, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Vincent Van Gogh

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RECRUI JOB POSTINGS

Eighty percent of success is showing up. — Woody Allen

CAREER COACH

Five video resume branding tips for job-seekers ONE way to reveal your personality is by creating a video resume to enhance your personal brand. It’s a great way to stand out to employers and give your audience a feel of your real-life presence. Before you create your video resume, check out these ﬁve video resume personal branding tips: 1. Have a plan. Before you even touch a camera, you should ask

yourself — who is the audience for this message? What do they want to know about me? How can I tell them my story in a compelling way? You should pull together the most important elements of your personal brand to create a clear and complete story of your professional life. 2. Script it out. Your thoughts will ﬂow much more smoothly if you’ve practiced them beforehand,

so be sure to write out what you’re going to say before you start ﬁlming. This process will help you accomplish a conversational tone and eliminate any distracting “um’s” or other conversation ﬁllers that can indicate nervousness. 3. Keep it compelling. Remember, a resume is a marketing tool, so your video doesn’t have to entail you reciting a boring list of

your professional history. Make it exciting, and add elements of your personality. As long as you don’t choose content that’s too overwhelming or distracts from your key message, you can use your video resume as an opportunity to let your individual personality traits and creativity shine. 4. Pay attention to visuals. Your video resume is an important

tool to demonstrate your personality, but that doesn’t mean you can forget about visual elements like clothing, lighting, and background. Film in an uncluttered part of your home or office, and experiment with lighting to ensure you’re not shrouded in shadow or washed out. Dress professionally — and not just from the waist up — and avoid any patterns or colours that

will look distracting on camera. 5. Spread it around. It’s not enough to just create a video resume — you’ve got to promote it, too. Direct employers to the link to your resume during the hiring process. Include the link in your email signature, on your paper resume, in your cover letter, on your online portfolio or personal website. — Josh Tolan/www.quintcareers.com

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

ROUND-UP

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NBO celebrates 2014 milestones

BARAEM VILLAGE

National Bank of Oman’s CEO celebrates successes and announces bank’s 2015 aspirations

Meethaq promotes savings habit among children at Muscat Festival MUSCAT: Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat, has enlivened Muscat Festival with its Baraem Village to promote savings habit among children. Baraem, the children’s savings account by Meethaq, has lined up fun activities and competitions in Al Amerat Park evoking strong response from children visiting Muscat Festival. Baraem is the first Shari’a based children’s savings account in Oman, says a press release. The Baraem Village activities are aimed at providing a learning experience for children on the basics of financial management, including earning, budgeting, charity, savings and spending. The special savings account is aimed at encouraging the savings culture among children and helping parents to prepare for the future of children. Baraem serves as a foundation for guiding children on prudent financial management in general and familiarising them with Islamic banking principles through the attractive savings product. Baraem offers unique privileges and facilities to children. Baraem savings account targeted at children below 12 years

can be opened by their parents. Baraem encourages children to save pocket money and cash gifts and utilise the same for gainful purposes such as buying books as well as disciplined spending for food and entertainment. Baraem fulﬁls the desire of children to have their own bank accounts like their parents, encouraging them to make savings a regular habit. On signing up, children receive a special welcome kit comprising Baraem Recognition Card which entitles them to discounts at favourite outlets and book stores. An interesting story book and educational aids which spark creativity are also presented to account holders. Proportionate to savings made by children in Baraem account, Meethaq also deposits additional amount in their account. The Baraem savings thus continue to grow. More the saving, more the additional deposit from Meethaq. Notably, no transaction charges are deducted from the Baraem account. Baraem is committed to a secure future for account holders. In the event of the unfortunate demise of parent who has signed up as joint account holder, the child will be entitled to a

monthly allowance of OMR200. Meethaq has created a micro site for Baraem where children can log on to learn more about their account in a friendly environment and also play educational games. 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, is present at Muscat Festival to interact with children and guide them on savings. Barum also keeps company with children at homes in the form of attractive coin boxes. Bank Muscat has extended lead support to Muscat Festival, the Sultanate’s annual tourism and cultural celebration presently under way in Al Amerat Park and Naseem Garden. Bank Muscat presence prominently adorns the festival venues providing the required assistance for visitors. During the 31-day festival, which runs till February 14, Bank Muscat services, including ATMs, are available beyond the normal ofﬁce hours, serving as a boon to the large crowds, including foreign tourists, who visit Muscat Festival every year.

at an inclusive staff gathering

MUSCAT: National Bank of Oman (NBO) recently hosted an all-staff gathering to celebrate the bank’s 2014 milestones and share its aspirations for 2015. The event was attended by NBO Chairman Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi. The staff gathering was inaugurated with a keynote speech by NBO Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Al Musalmi, who highlighted the main developments that National Bank of Oman had witnessed in the past year, especially following the launch of its new internal transformation programme ‘Together We Can’, says a press release. “The past year has been a remarkable year for the National Bank of Oman, with the launch of our new internal transformation program ‘Together We Can’ and the unveiling of our strategic plans to build on our vision: ‘To be the bank of choice’,” said Al Musalmi “As a bank committed to delivering a superior customer experience which also enhances our shareholders’ value, I encourage each and every one of you to adopt the team spirit, as we walk handin-hand towards achieving National Bank of Oman’s ambitious growth plans in 2015 and beyond, with the conﬁdence that anything is possible,” he added.

Al Musalmi also hailed NBO’s commitment to proactively engage with customers and employees via interactive forums, supported by the launch of the bank’s social media sites on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. In addition the bank has launched various services that will support its objective of achieving digital leadership. He also emphasised the importance of employee engagement, which is critical to the success of National Bank of Oman’s transformational strategy, adding that such initiatives will foster greater collaboration among staff for the long-term beneﬁt of the bank. Following Al Musalmi’s speech, various Business Heads at the National Bank of Oman showcased the main developments achieved within their respective operations in 2014, as well as their aspirations for 2015.

The event also saw the participation of Saphia Al Bahlani, an Omani motivational speaker, who provided enthralled attendees with an inspirational address, while two Omani poets — who are also National Bank of Oman staff — recited the bank’s achievements and journey in a poem. The event was concluded with National Bank of Oman staff members engaging in raffles and prize draws for a chance to win an array of valuable and exciting gifts. Al Musalmi was named Chief Executive Officer of National Bank of Oman in May 2014, following a promotion from his previous role as Deputy Chief Executive Ofﬁcer. Since his appointment, Al Musalmi has worked closely with the senior management team to develop innovative plans to build on the success of NBO’s transformational strategies.

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SPOR YOUR GAME

SIX-STAR STARC SHINES AS ROHIT’S TON IN VAIN Paceman Mitchell Starc took 6-43 to help Australia to a four-wicket victory over India on Sunday, their second in succession in the One-day international tri-series, despite a brilliant Rohit Sharma century. >C3

De Villiers shatters record, Windies De Villiers raced to his century off 31 balls — ﬁve balls fewer than the previous record — on the way to an astonishing 149 off 44 balls

JOHANNESBURG: AB de Villiers hit the fastest century in One-Day International history as South Africa overwhelmed the West Indies in the second One-day International at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday. De Villiers raced to his century off 31 balls — five balls fewer than the previous record — on the way to an astonishing 149 off 44 balls. With opening batsmen Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw also hitting centuries in a South African record first wicket stand, South Africa piled up a massive 439 for two. The West Indies were never likely to chase down a world record target but managed a respectable 291 for seven to give South Africa a 148-run win and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The target was never likely to be within the reach of the West Indies, especially after big-hitting Chris Gayle was caught at deep midwicket off Morne Morkel for 19 in the fifth over. Dwayne Smith, caught off a Morkel no-ball in the first over when he had four, made 64 off 65 balls and Denesh Ramdin contributed 57 off 55 deliveries. Amla (153

WORLD’S BEST: South Africa’s captain AB de Villiers was full of aggression on Sunday. – Reuters

not out) and Rossouw (128) put on 247 for the first wicket — a record partnership for any wicket for South Africa. Rossouw was dismissed off the third ball of the 39th over. De Villiers promoted himself to number three and struck the ball out of the middle of his bat from the first delivery he faced, which he thrashed for four past bowler Jerome Taylor. He went to fifty off 16 balls, one fewer than Sanath Jayasuriya’s previous record for the fastest half-century, for Sri Lanka against Pakistan in 1995/96, then powered his way past Corey Anderson’s record for the fastest century. He took five balls fewer than Anderson’s hundred for New Zealand against the West Indies in 2013/14. The South African captain’s innings included 16 sixes, equalling the world record set by Rohit Sharma when he hit 209 for India against Australia in Bangalore in 2013/14. He also hit nine fours in an in-

nings which had a near-capacity crowd at the Wanderers ?bullring? roaring in approval. West Indian players rushed to congratulate him and Gayle, who played a match-winning Twenty20 innings at the Wanderers a week earlier, bowed in salute as De Villiers walked past him. South Africa went past their own previous highest total — the 438 for nine they scored in a record run chase against Australia on the same ground in 2005/06 — and Sri Lanka’s world record of 443 for nine against the Netherlands in 2006 seemed set to fall. But De Villiers hit the fourth ball of the ﬁnal over from Andre Russell to deep cover and Amla could not score off the ﬁnal two deliveries. Amla’s 153 not out was scored off 142 balls with 14 fours, while Rossouw hit his 128 off 115 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. It was a maiden century for the left-handed Rossouw, who had the dubious distinction of having

made ﬁve ducks in his previous ten One-day International innings. Reactions De Villiers’ batting partner Hashim Amla, who hit 153 not out: “He said he was going to have a look for one over but hit his ﬁrst six balls for 24. He is amazing.” Former England captain Bob Willis: “AB de Villiers’ record ODI hundred off 31 balls could make him the best batsman of all time. I’ve been saying for the last 30 years that Viv Richards has to be the best batsman of all time — even better than Sir Don Bradman in my book — but I’m going to have to reassess because this guy is something extraordinary.” Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi, who is third in the list of fastest ODI centuries — hitting 100 off 37 balls against Sri Lanka in 1996. “Happy new year AB de Villiers. Well played mate.” Former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs: “AB showing

TON MAKERS: South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw celebrates his century as another centurion Hashim Amla, left, looks on. – Reuters

SCOREBOARD

SOUTH AFRICA H. Amla not out 153 R. Rossouw c Benn b Taylor 128 A. de Villiers c Carter b Russell 149 D. Miller not out 0 Extras (lb-4, nb-1, w-4) 9 Total (2 wkts, 50 overs) 439 Fall of wickets: 1-247, 2-439 Bowling: Taylor 10-0-95-1 (1w), Holder 9-0-91-0, Benn 10-0-49-0, Russell 10-0-78-1, Sammy 4-0-26-0, Samuels 3-0-28-0, Smith 4-0-68-0 (1nb, 1w) WEST INDIES D. Smith c Duminy b Behardien 64 C. Gayle c Behardien b Morkel 19 L. Johnson lbw b Philander 1

why he’s simply the best.” Former India batsman Aakash Chopra: “I demand a DNA test of AB DeVilliers... this game is only for humans. #superhuman #WhatAPlayer” Former England captain Michael Vaughan: “Have to say AB de Vil-

M. Samuels c Behardien b Philander 40 D. Ramdin c Du Plessis b Morkel 57 J. Carter c sub (Parnell) b Steyn 40 A. Russell c Du Plessis b Imran Tahir 0 D. Sammy not out 25 J. Holder not out 21 Extras (b-4, lb-8, nb-2, w-10) 24 Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 291 Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-63, 3-122, 4-148, 5-231, 6-232, 7-253 Bowling: Morkel 10-0-43-2 (2nb, 3w), Philander 10-0-69-2 (5w), Steyn 10-0-29-1 (2w), Duminy 4-0-39-0, Imran Tahir 10-0-60-1 (1w), Behardien 6-0-39-1 Result: South Africa won by 148 runs Series: South Africa lead ﬁve-match series

liers is the deﬁnition of a cricketing genius. Absolutely incredible. When I watch him bat it reminds me that I really wasn’t that good in comparison.” Zimbabwe batsman Brendan Taylor:”Not the worst entertainment from AB right now. Best in the world without a doubt.” - Agencies

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

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Uzbekistan oust ‘tragic’ Saudis to reach quarters Uzbekistan, who reached the semiﬁnals of the last Asian Cup in 2011, will face South Korea in the last eight on Thursday

MELBOURNE: Uzbekistan reached the Asian Cup quarter-finals after beating Saudi Arabia 3-1 in a nail-biter on Sunday, a bullet header from Vokhid Shodiev helping them over the line. The substitute’s dramatic winner, which came on 70 minutes, averted a controversial denouement after Saudi Arabia had been awarded a soft penalty to cancel out an early strike from two-goal hero Sardor Rashidov. Uzbekistan, who reached the semifinals of the last Asian Cup in 2011, will face South Korea in the last eight on Thursday, while three-times champions Saudi Arabia crash out at the group stage -just as they did four years ago. “I can’t say this is a big tragedy,” said Saudi caretaker coach Cosmin Olaroiu, pressed to explain the Gulf side’s recent fall from grace. “It is a big disappointment, but it’s too much to call it a tragedy. “Saudi Arabia will have to make changes and start building something solid for the future,” added the Romanian manager of Dubaibased Al Ahli, hired on a part-time basis to lead the side through the Asian Cup. “We conceded a very silly goal after one minute and that forced us to play a different way. Uzbekistan fought hard and deserved to go through.” Tempers flared on the touchline after Rashidov killed off the game with a lethal finish 11 minutes from time in Melbourne, as over-exuberant Uzbek substitutes danced for joy in front of the Saudi bench. Saudi Arabia had briefly looked to be heading for the draw they needed to join Group B winners China in the knockout stage

EXCITED AFTER THE WIN: Uzbekistan players, left to right, Odil Akhmedov, Sardor Rashidov, Vokhid

Shodiev, Shavkat Mulladjanov celebrate after winning their Group B match against Saudi Arabia. – Reuters

Sun shines as China make best ever start CANBERRA: Sun Ke scored twice to steal the show again as china defeated North Korea 2-1 in Canberra on Sunday to register their third win and best ever start to an Asian Cup. The in-form Sun, who netted a stunning winner against Uzbekistan, opened the scoring after just 45 seconds when he pounced on a hopeful long pass to poke the ball home. He grabbed his third of the tournament shortly before the break, heading home a cross by full-back Jiang Zhipeng that delighted the majority Chinese crowd at Canberra Stadium. The brace repaid Alain Perrin’s decision to start the winger after his goal off the bench against the Uzbeks sent china into the knock-out stages for the ﬁrst time since 2004.

after Australian referee Ben Williams gifted them a penalty which Mohammed Al Sahlawi converted on the hour-mark. Phantom fouls The official, blasted by Iran coach Carlos Queiroz earlier in the tournament, pointed to the spot after

PERFECT HEADER: China’s Sun Ke poking the ball into the net past a helpless North Korean goalkeeper. – AFP

“Sun Ke is a very good player, extremely skillful with lots of quality, and is playing with very strong self-conﬁdence at the moment,” Perrin told

adjudging that Vitaliy Denisov had brought down striker Naif Hazazi. Replays suggested that Hazazi had slumped to the turf without encouragement from Denisov, who looked to the heavens in anguish as the net bulged. Moments later Williams, who refereed at last year’s World Cup, ruled out an Uzbekistan goal for

reporters after the match. “He is a crucial part of the team and is good with both feet. Because we don’t have many good forwards we play with a

strategy that allows all of our attackers to have a chance to shoot and score,” the Frenchman added.China, who were already assured of top spot in Group B and a Brisbane quarter-final against Australia, have now won all three pool games, their best ever start. China perhaps should have gone into the break 3-0 when a last-ditch clearance on the stroke of half-time looked as if it had crossed the line, but without the benefit of goal-line technology the referee waved play on. North Korea were nowhere to be seen during the opening 45 minutes but emerged from the tunnel a different side for the second half. China’s win underlines their form ahead of Thursday’s quarterfinal against Australia. - AFP

another phantom foul, sparking fury among the players in white. Uzbek coach Mirdjalal Kasimov refused to be drawn on the penalty decision or the disallowed goal, perhaps wisely after Queiroz and Japan playmaker Keisuke Honda were both hit with ﬁnes for criticising referees. “I didn’t see it,” he

said of the penalty. “But it might have been a mistake. The Saudi players were diving all game. They kept diving and appealing for penalties — the referee really should have booked them. The more they dived, the more pressure they put the referee under and he started whistling in their favour.” - AFP

FOOTBALL

Rocky road no problem, says Aussie BRISBANE: Australia coach Ange Postecoglou insisted the hosts can still win their first Asian Cup despite suffering a setback against South Korea in their final group game. After slamming four goals past Kuwait and Oman, the Socceroos faltered on Saturday, losing 1-0 after Postecoglou’s decision to bench Tim Cahill and Robbie Kruse backfired. Australia, runners-up to Japan in 2011, finished behind South Korea in Group A and now face China in the quarterfinals — again on Brisbane’s pudding of a pitch — before a likely semi with defending champions Japan. The Socceroos will be without key central defender Matthew Spiranovic against China after he picked up a second yellow card, but captain Mile Jedinak’s return from an ankle injury will be a a huge boost. “Mile trained this morning, he’ll be right for Thursday -he’ll be fine,” said Postecoglou, while attempting to put a positive spin on his side’s defeat. “The route to the final would be very difficult no matter which way you went,” he shrugged. “We conceded a pretty poor goal, we switched off. “But I can’t fault the players. They gave it everything and right to the end we created chances, but it wasn’t to be. Their goalkeeper made some great saves and we just couldn’t get the result we wanted. We dominated the game but ultimately they get the reward.” South Korea, World Cup semifinalists in 2002 but without a title at Asia’s showcase event in 55 years, take on Uzbekistan in Melbourne on Thursday. Postecoglou, meanwhile, remained defiant. “From now on it comes down to 90 minutes of football,” he said. “If we perform again like that, we will be hard to beat. The only negative for us was the result.” While Australia carved out the best chances, Postecoglou faced questions over opting to rest Cahill and Kruse. “We had three games in eight days and we knew it would be difficult because of the conditions, and it would take a lot out of them,” he said. — AFP

AFC CUP PREVIEW

Belmadi eyes a bright future for Qatar SYDNEY: Coach Djamel Belmadi will be looking to the future when already-eliminated Qatar take on fellow Group C casualties Bahrain at Stadium Australia on Monday in a match where pride will be the main motivator. The young squad arrived in Australia on a high after winning the Gulf Cup last November but a conﬁdence-sapping 4-1 loss to a rampant United Arab Emirates side followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat to Iran brought them back down to ground with a thud. Belmadi has refused to dwell on the negatives and said that the team had learned a lot from the AFC Asian Cup and the experience would stand them in good stead for future tournaments. “The competition looks different for us. We cannot qualify for the quarter-ﬁnals. Bahrain are in the same position as us. They have also lost both games. Like us they will like to leave the competition with a win,” said Belmadi. “This is good preparation for the future. We have a young team and this is a game against an opponent who we may face at in the

Trigger-happy Bahrain to discuss Eid’s future SYDNEY: Bahrain’s triggerhappy FA is set for talks with coach Marjan Eid after the Asian Cup, raising the prospect of another quickfire sacking and their fifth coach in 18 months. Eid said they would hold discussions after his return from Australia, where Bahrain have lost their first two games and play a dead rubber against Qatar on Monday. The 35-year-old Bahraini has only been in charge

Fifa World Cup qualiﬁers. It is motivation for us to give a good performance.” The coach said that Qatar did not have a ﬁrst eleven and there

since November. “I haven’t discussed this with the board of directors or the president because we’re still in the tournament, we have one match left,” Eid said on Sunday about his future. “When we’re back in Bahrain we can discuss these things.” Bahrain’s coaching merrygo-round has been spinning rapidly since Anthony Hudson took over from Argentine Gabriel Calderon in August 2013. - AFP

would be new faces in the team to meet Bahrain, who they drew 0-0 with in group action at the Gulf Cup. “We will make a few changes to the team which played in the

ﬁrst two games. We will see some new players tomorrow (Monday),” he said. “We are not like UAE, a team which has played together for ﬁve years. With a team like that, you know their starting eleven. We do not have a starting eleven. We might see two or three new faces tomorrow. Changes will be based on our tactics for the match.” With Qatar hosting the 2022 Fifa World Cup, there is a lot to look forward to and Belmadi said that victory over Bahrain would put the team back on the right path. “I do not know who will be in the squad in 2022. We have young players now, who might be available for the 2022 World Cup,” he said. “It is important to be competitive because we are the host nation. I will do my best to prepare the players for the 2022 World Cup.” Meanwhile, coach Marjan Eid wants to polish the image of Bahraini football. “We will use this game to continue the positive image of the Bahraini team. We have played two games (Iran and UAE), but we lost due to our own mistakes,” he said. — AFC

OPTIMISTIC

UAE relishing potential Japan showdown BRISBANE: ‘Bring on Japan’ in the Asian Cup quarterﬁnals, United Arab Emirates coach Mahdi Ali said on Sunday ahead of his team’s Group C clash with Iran at Brisbane Stadium. Group leaders UAE are ahead of Iran on goal difference, and a draw will pit Ali’s men against the runners-up of Group D, which defending champions Japan have the best chance of winning. In the event UAE fall to Iran, they could very well get Javier

Aguirre’s side in the last eight but Ali is perfectly comfortable facing any team. “It doesn’t matter which team we have to play,” Ali said. “It’s good to ﬁnish ﬁrst because it gives motivation to the players for the second round. “We have no problem with Japan. We are used to the big atmosphere and our players have played in front of 60,000 against (North Korea), 75,000 at Old Trafford and 80,000 at Wembley during the Olympics.

“Every game against different teams you have different tactics. But we still remember we have our own identity. We will make minor changes to play the Iran team.” UAE have not historically fared well against Iran. In 15 full internationals, the Emiratis have beaten the Iranians just once with three draws. Ali, though, dismissed any advantage Iran might have based on match-ups from the past. — AFC

MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS Six-star Starc the star as Rohit’s ton goes vain SCOREBOARD

In an unexpectedly tense ﬁnish, Brad Haddin and James Faulkner got the Australians home with an unbroken 21-run stand

MELBOURNE: Paceman Mitchell Starc took 6-43 to help Australia to a four-wicket victory over India on Sunday, their second in succession in the One-day international tri-series, despite a brilliant Rohit Sharma century. Sharma’s 138 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground enabled India to post a competitive total of 267 for eight after winning the toss and electing to bat. However, on a placid pitch it always appeared slightly less than required and Australian opener Aaron Finch countered Sharma’s century with a match-winning knock of his own. Finch made 96 as Australia rattled up 269 for six, winning with six balls to spare. He received great support from the in-form Steve Smith (47). The pair put on 101 for the third wicket as the home side appeared to be coasting to victory. However, Finch fell when a century beckoned, caught behind by Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni from the bowling of Umesh Yadav, as the tourists made an unlikely late bid to snatch victory. In an unexpectedly tense ﬁnish, Brad Haddin and James Faulkner got the Australians home with an unbroken 21-run stand. Australian captain George Bailey, who faces a one-match suspension for slow over rates after his

ROHIT SHARMA

138

runs from 139 balls with 9 fours, 4 sixes

TERRIFIC BOWLING: Australia’s Mitchell Starc who claimed six Indian wickets during Australia’s win over India at MCG. – AFP

second breach in under 12 months, admitted he was disappointed the finish was so close. “Would have been nice if we hadn’t left it up to Faulkner,” he said. “We dragged it back really well with the ball. We had the momentum when we came off the field.” In a blow to India, paceman Mohammed Shami was forced off the field with a leg problem after bowling the first ball of the 47th over. Dhoni sought to stress the positives for his team, particularly the way they had responded when the game appeared lost. “That (attitude) will win us tournaments,” he said. India’s innings was dogged by a poor start and a disappointing finish. Beaten by the host nation 2-0 in the recent four-Test series, they found themselves in early trouble at 59 for three. As was the case in Australia’s big win over England

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Djokovic, Federer vie for five crowns MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer begin their quest for five Australian Open titles while Serena Williams is chasing her 19th Grand Slam crown in the year’s first major starting Monday. World number one Djokovic looms as the player to beat in the men’s draw having won four of the last seven Australian editions, and he holds an affinity with the hardcourts in Melbourne. “There are so many players who are contenders to win the title,” said the Serb. “Considering the success that I had in my career in this tournament gives me enough reason and confidence to believe I can go far.” While Djokovic has never lost a final in Melbourne, Federer will be again be the sentimental favourite at 33 years old, pursuing his 18th major title having not won one since Wimbledon 2012. “I would hope that over the years I’ve always improved. I think I’m serving more consistent and stronger than I ever have,” Federer said. “I definitely think the racquet has helped me with that as well, my concentration I do believe is there, better than it’s ever been and I think my backhand is working better than it has in the past as well.” There are question marks over Rafael Nadal’s match fitness after playing few matches since Wimbledon last July following a wrist injury and later an appendectomy.

Roger Federer.

Novak Djokovic.

Nadal suffered a shock defeat in his first match of the season in Doha to German qualifier Michael Berrer on the way to Australia. “I am doing lot of practice and doing the things that we believe we have to do to recover our level,” Nadal said. “Is true that having a Grand Slam this early in the season after injury like I’ve had is not the ideal thing. But here we are.” Nadal has won 14 Grand Slams, but only won one of them in Australia where he also had two runner-up finishes, including in last

year’s final to Stan Wawrinka. Britain’s Andy Murray has lost three finals in Melbourne and will have to get past Federer and Nadal to make his fourth. Women’s top ranking at stake Defending champion Wawrinka, who shocked Djokovic in the quarter-finals on the way to winning last year, is a last start winner, having captured back-to-back Chennai Opens on the way to Australia. “I feel great coming here. Been getting a lot of confidence,

winning the first tournament of the year,” the Swiss said. “I know I can do it, that’s not the question. For me the most important is to be ready for the first match. You have to be ready, take match after match, and see where you can go.” World number one Williams is tied with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova with 18 Grand Slams behind all-time leader Margaret Court (24) but hasn’t won in Australia since 2010, something she is determined to fix. “It would be really great. I’ve been going for number six for a number of years now,” Williams said. It would be really special for me. I would be really happy. I want it I think more than anyone else here. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to get it, so I’ll have to fight hard to get it.” Adding spice to the women’s side of the draw is that the top four seeds — Williams, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova -- all have the chance to end the tournament as world number one. “There’s a lot of players that have an opportunity to get there, and I’m one of them,” said Sharapova. “I am, of course, determined to do that.” China’s Li Na won the women’s crown last year, battling past surprise package Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, but has since retired. - AFP

in the series opener on Friday, left-arm paceman Starc claimed a wicket in the ﬁrst over of the match — Shikhar Dhawan caught by Aaron Finch at second slip for just two. Fellow paceman Gurinder Sandhu, born in Australia to Indian parents, then made a dream debut when he claimed the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane in just his second over. Virat Kohli could not summon up his incredible form of the Test series, making just nine before he was caught off the bowling of Faulkner. Suresh Raina, who made a pair when recalled for the fourth Test against Australia earlier this month, then went out to join Sharma and they rebuilt the innings. Once again the tension between the sides brieﬂy boiled over, when Australian opener David Warner and Sharma exchanged words after the Indians ran an overthrow in the

INDIA R. Sharma c Maxwell b Starc 138 S. Dhawan c Finch b Starc 2 A. Rahane c Haddin b Sandhu 12 V. Kohli c Bailey b Faulkner 9 S. Raina c Maxwell b Starc 51 M. Dhoni b Starc 19 A. Patel lbw Starc 0 R. Ashwin not out 14 B. Kumar b Starc 0 M. Shami not out 2 Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-15, nb-1) 20 Total (8 wickets, 50 overs) 267 Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Dhawan), 2-33 (Rahane), 3-59 (Kohli), 4-185 (Raina), 5-237 (Dhoni), 6-237 (Patel), 7-262 (Sharma), 8-262 (Kumar) Bowling: Starc 10-2-43-6, Cummins 10-052-0, Sandhu 10-0-58-1, Faulkner 10-0-631, Watson 8-0-33-0, Maxwell 2-0-14-0 AUSTRALIA A. Finch c Dhoni b Yadav 96 D. Warner c Raina b Yadav 24 S. Watson b Patel 41 S. Smith c Ashwin b Shami 47 G. Maxwell c and b Kumar 20 G. Bailey c Dhoni b Ashwin 5 B. Haddin not out 13 J. Faulkner not out 9 Extras (lb-3, w-11) 4 Total: (six wickets, 49 overs) 269 Fall of wickets: 1-51 (Warner), 2-115 (Watson), 3-216 (Smith), 4-219 (Finch), 5-230 (Bailey), 6-248 (Maxwell) Bowling: Kumar 9.5-0-44-1, Yadav 10-155-2, Shami 8.1-0-44-1, Patel 10-0-45-1, Ashwin 9-0-54-1, Raina 2-0-24-0 Toss: India Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), John Ward (AUS) TV umpire: Mick Martell (AUS) Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

23rd over. But the Indian batsmen were not distracted and the pair put on 126 before Raina (51) holed out to mid-on to give Starc his second scalp. Sharma continued to lead the way, gliding Starc to third man for a single a few minutes later for his sixth ODI ton. He eventually fell as Starc put the brakes on Indian innings again. — AFP

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

SPORTS

Ahmad’s Al Nabooda Racing aim for top place in Qatar Clemens Schmid and Ahmad Al Harthy, who arrive in Doha holding second place in the team championship, aim to make a decisive move in the title race

MUSCAT: Defending champions Al Nabooda Racing have set themselves a big target as the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East prepares to makes its ﬁrst daylight appearance at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit this weekend. Clemens Schmid and Ahmad Al Harthy, who arrive in Doha holding second place in the team championship, aim to make a decisive

move in the title race in Rounds 5 and 6 on Friday and Saturday and in the double race weekend to follow in Qatar on February 13 and 14. “Our goal is always to take maximum points from the weekends and we will do the best we can, irrespective of the other competing teams,” said Al Harthy ahead of two days of testing at the Losail circuit starting on Wednesday.

“We have more than half the championship remaining, there are many points to gain and many for others to loose, so we need to stay focused and give it our best. Consistency will be the key to winning the team championship.” Trailing current leaders Sky Dive Dubai Falcons by ten points, Al Harthy knows that a big performance this weekend by himself and Schmid, who currently heads the individual drivers’ championship, can put Al Nabooda Racing on top. That is a position they have become accustomed to in dominating the series for the past two seasons, and Al Harthy is feeling comfortable after four races with the team he joined this season. “The adjustment hasn’t been too difficult honestly,” he said. “I’ve shown speed during the testing and practice, and hopefully I can

now take that forward into qualifying and the races as well. “I always knew it was a competitive series. If it wasn’t I wouldn’t have come back. “The higher the levels the better it is for everyone involved. I’ve felt at home from day one and we keep getting stronger – that’s what counts. Everyone wants the best at Al Nabooda Racing.” Team manager Vijay Rao said: “There’s a long way to go in the championship and no single race is going to decide the outcome at this stage. “But we’ll reach the half way point in the season this weekend and we want to be leading when we get there.” The lighting system at the Losail circuit covers an area equal to 70 football pitches, and is said to be capable of providing power simulta-

neously for 3,000 houses, or a street stretching from Doha to Moscow. The lights won’t be needed this time, as after three consecutive seasons of night racing there, the Posche GT3 Cup series has opted for afternoon starts, although no decision has been taken for Rounds 7 and 8 next month. Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East - team standings: 1. Sky Dive Dubai Falcons (UAE) 149 pts; 2. Al Nabooda Racing (UAE) 139 pts; 3. BuZaid GT / BuCharlie GT (KUW) 130 pts; 4. Team Bahrain (BAH) 84 pts; 5. ClassicArabia Racing (KSA) 75 pts; 6. Frijns Structural Steel ME (QAT) 45 pts. Drivers’ championship standings: 1. Clemens Schmid (UAE) 94 pts; 2. Zaid Ashkanani (KUW) 90; 3. Hasher Al Maktoum (UAE) 84; 4. Charlie Frijns (NED) 76; 5. Al Mehairi (UAE) 65; 6. Raed Raffii (BAH) 55; 7. Wolfgang Triller (GER) 52; 8. Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA) 45.

GOLF

Yacoub, Rashid emerge winners at Oman Amateur Open MUSCAT: Bahrain’s Nasser Yacoub, Omani youngster Rashid Al Harthy and Susan McInnes emerged champions at the sixth Oman Amateur Open golf championship at the Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club on Saturday. After overcoming some stiff competition, Yacoub won the coveted men’s gross championship with a score of 147. Rashad carded an impressive score of 168 to take home the junior gross title while McInnes produced a score of 180 to claim the ladies’ title. Experienced golfer Ali Hameed was awarded with the Best Omani Player’s trophy in the two-day competition, which was organised by Oman Golf Committee (OGC). Dr. Mohammed Al Rumhy, the Minister of Oil and Gas and also the Patron of Oman Golf Committee, presided over the ﬁnal day’s proceedings and handed over the trophies. Men’s gross champion Yacoub said after his emphatic victory: “I am really happy with this win. I have taken part in this competition three times. My previous best was a third place in 2010. This time, the competition was tough

WINNERS ALL: Winners in various categories pose for a group photo. – Supplied photo

but I managed to do well. Also, for the ﬁrst time, I paired up against Azzan (Al Rumhy) here. I guess he pushed me to play better.” In the men’s gross category, winner Yacoub was followed on the podium by Tenzin Tsarong and Oman’s top golfer Azzan Al Rum-

hy. Tsarong was runner-up with a score of 153 and Azzan was second runner-up with 154. Azzan said: “It’s been a bad day out for me. Till up to the ﬁfth hole, I was tied with Yacoub. But then I slipped back a bit after the sixth hole and even further back after the ninth hole.”

Tsarong said: “It was much easier today. The opening day was a lot more difficult. I kept my rhythm going and just maintained my own game.” Rashad, the junior gross champion, said it has been a good start to 2015 for him.

He said: “Here, I competed against golfers who I have known and played against quite a lot. Last year, I had some particularly good results and this year, with this positive start, I want to maintain that form.” Mundhir Al Barwani, the chairman of Oman Golf Committee, congratulated the winners. He said: “Over two days, we witnessed some high intensity competition in all the categories. It only goes on to show that the standard of play at the Oman Amateur Open is going up with every passing edition.” Results: Men: Gross winner: Nasser Yacoub (147), Gross runner-up: Tenzin Tsarong (153), Gross 2nd runner-up: Azzan Al Rumhy (154), Nett gross winner: Nasaruddin Mohammed (137), Nett runner-up: Khalifa Daij (148), Nett 2nd runner-up: Charles Dolphin (149). Ladies: Gross winner: Susan McInnes (180), Gross runner-up: Sanjoli Singh (181), Nett winner: Yvoonne Welling (146), Nett runner-up: Samantha Allen (152). Junior: Gross: Rashad Al Harthy (168), Nett: Amjad Al Toky (152). Best Omani player: Ali Hameed (163).

G R E E N I N I T I AT I V E

Bank Muscat to present green playground in Rustaq MUSCAT: The Green Sports initiative, launched by Bank Muscat in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports Affairs to promote Oman as a sporting nation, is making steady progress across the Sultanate as a new playground developed as part of the unique CSR programme will be handed over to Al Hoqain Team in the wilayat of Al Rustaq under the auspices of Ali bin Khalfan Al Jabri, UnderSecretary at the Ministry of Information, on January 23. The Green Sports CSR programme was launched by Bank Muscat in 2012 to lay the foundation at the grass-root level for a sustainable sports infrastructure. In a record time, the bank has achieved notable success in developing green fields in all parts of the Sultanate, thus contributing to realising the sporting dreams of clubs and teams. Till date in the first three years of the programme, 34 sports clubs have been given support to green their playing fields. The bank’s support to the initiative stems from its commitment to giving a helping hand to all deserving teams and clubs in the Sultanate to green their playing fields. The bank recognises that local clubs wield immense influence on neighbourhood communities, especially youth, hence clubs with modern infrastructure facilities can help raise sporting heroes for the country. The funding criteria of the programme, include that sports clubs/teams should have been in existence for three years with a minimum membership of 300 youth from the local community. Bank Muscat will lay turf grass and hand over the fields to beneficiary clubs/teams. The Green Sports initiative reiterates the bank’s support to Oman’s youth who represent the future of Oman. True to its commitment to supporting varied sporting activities in the country, Bank Muscat remains at the forefront in offering the required encouragement to youth.

RUGBY

Muscat put Wasps to the sword MUSCAT: Xodus Wasps travelled to Oman with the bare fifteen for their match with Muscat over the weekend in a rugby match at the Bausher Club ground. In the past two seasons that was enough for an away win but it wasn’t the case this year. Muscat’s scrum was powerful enough to force referee Stuart Hawkins to walk under the posts twice in the opening ten minutes. Things went from bad to worse for the Dubai team as they were handed a yellow card for collapsing a rolling maul. From the resulting scrum, Ronan Glennon powered over the line and gave Muscat a considerable lead of 17-0. Wasps to their credit never stopped trying to create something with their backline but the home side’s defence was broken only once. A quick line out throw caught Muscat flatfooted and Wasps had their first score of the game. The half ended 17-7. Muscat have a habit of letting leads slip away. Against Doha last week they were reduced to slow-

DOMINANT DISPLAY: Action from the match between Muscat Rugby Football Club and visiting Xodus Wasps played at Bausher Club ground . – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

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ing down the game to grind out a two point victory. Against Wasps however, they picked up the pace. Sam Kent and Gautier Ponsar in the backline were impressive in defence and

attack. From the scrum and line out, Muscat could dictate the play. With their backline having their best game this season, they had their tails up. The back row of Braban, Colver and especially Kilian found holes in the Wasps defence and quick offloads to support players meant that the Omani side had ﬁve more tries in the second half. Wasps didn’t drop their heads despite the score line and went in

search of a valuable losing bonus point. They were rewarded in the last ten minutes when two scores along with a breakaway try earlier in the half was enough to take something away from the game. At the ﬁnal whistle, it ended 55-24. Next week sees the oldest clubs in the Gulf go head to head as Muscat travel to take on the Exiles. Wasps are on the road again with a trip to Qatar to face Doha on the cards.

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OMAN CRICKET

Enhance ease to victory over NYDT MUSCAT: Enhance Cricket Team crushed the National Youth Development Team (NYDT) by 61 runs in a Muscat Pharmacy & Stores-sponsored 50 overs-a-side A Division League match in Al Amerat on Saturday. Invited to bat first, Enhance lost wickets regularly and were bowled out for 220 runs in 49.3 overs. Major contributors were Ravi Baradkane (42), C.M. Pradeep Kumar (38), skipper Noorul Riaz (28) and Mazhar Alam 22. Jaspreet Singh was the pick of the bowlers returning with figures of three for 36 while skipper Sufyan Mahmood and Mohammed Ali Akbar bagged two wickets each. NYDT in reply were bowled out for 159 in 43.3 overs. Gayash Priyashan Dias with 38 runs was top scorer while Abdul Al Fayd opening the batting scored 34. Muthupandian ended with figures of three for 29 while Nester Dhamba and Noorul Riaz took two wickets each. C.M. Pradeep Kumar of Enhance was named man of the match. Brief scores: Enhance 220 all out in 49.3 overs (Ravi Baradkane 42, C.M. Pradeep Kumar 38, Noorul Riaz 28, Mazhar Alam 22; Jaspreet Singh 3/38, Sufyan Mahmood 2/36, Mohammed Ali Akbar 2/38) lost to NYDT 159 all out in 43.3 overs (Gayash Dias 38, Abdul Al Fayd 34; Muthupandian 3/29, Nester Dhamba 2/14, Noorul Riaz 2/23). Points: Enhance - 5 (6 games, 16 pts), NYDT - Nil (5 games, 5 pts). FOOTBALL

Oman edge Saudi Arabia at GCC U-23 tournament MUSCAT: Oman began their campaign in the GCC Under-23 Football Championship with a well-deserved victory over Saudi Arabia in Bahrain on Sunday. According to information received here, Oman defeated Saudi Arabia 3-2 in a closelycontested Group B match. The Omanis will now take on hosts Bahrain in their final group match on Tuesday. A draw will be enough for former champions Oman to clinch a place in the semifinals as Bahrain have already lost their opening match by a 2-3 margin to Saudi Arabia. The Group A comprises the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait The tournament semifinals are slated for Friday. The third place play-off will take place on January 25 while the final is scheduled to be held on January 26.

SPORTS

Lakshan lifts Renaissance M. Lakshan smashed a brilliant unbeaten century as Renaissance defeated OCT Al Amerat by 220 runs MUSCAT: M. Lakshan smashed a brilliant unbeaten 109 off 52 balls as Renaissance recorded a massive 220-run win against OCT Al Amerat in a Khimji Ramdas-sponsored B Division 30 overs-a-side match. Opting to bat ﬁrst, Renaissance piled up a mammoth 342 for four wickets in 30 overs. Openers Thuwan R.K. Deen (70) and Mohammed Yaqoob Shaikh (59) laid the foundation with a 138-run partnership in 12 overs. Later, Sajeed Mohammed scored 73. OCT Al Amerat were bowled out for 122 in 22.2 overs. Chadith Lakmal claimed three wickets while Maddumage Jagath and Utuman M. Ansar bagged two each. Brief scores: Renaissance 342 for 4 in 30 overs (M. Lakshan 109 n.o., Sajeed Mohammed 73, Thuwan R.K. Deen 70, Mohammed Yaqoob Shaikh 59) bt OCT Al Amerat 122 in 22.2 overs (Atif Yousuf Al Balushi 32, Said Haider Al Balushi 28; Chadith Lakmal 3/20, Maddumage Jagath 2/11, Utuman M. Ansar 2/12). Points: Renaissance - 2 (6 games, 6 pts), OCT Al Amerat – Nil (5 games, Nil).

Fairtrade defeat OCT Seeb In an Al Ansari Group of Companies-sponsored T20 C Division match, Fairtrade defeated OCT

AL FAISAL STARS: From left Aamir Khan, M.

Ahsan, M. Sufyan.

Seeb by 21 runs. Batting ﬁrst, Fairtrade scored 172 runs for seven in 20 overs with contributions from Salim Shaikh (55), skipper Ibrahim Kutty (37) and Rajesh Kumar Ramesh (35 not out). Younis Murad returned with bowling ﬁgures of three for 19 while skipper Yousuf Rahim Bakhsh picked up two wickets. OCT Seeb in reply managed to reach 151 for seven in 20 overs. Osman Al Zadjali opening the batting top scored with 43. Rajesh Kumar Ramesh claimed three wickets. Brief scores: Fairtrade 172for 7 in 20 overs (Salim Shaikh 55, Ibrahim Kutty 37, Rajesh Kumar Ramesh 35 n.o.; Younis Murad 3/19, Yousuf Rahim Bakhsh 2/43) bt OCT Seeb 151 for 7 in 20overs (Osman Al Zadjali 43, Yousuf Rahim Bakhsh 35, Abbas Al Balushi 31 n.o.; Rajesh Kumar Ramesh 3/23). Points: Fairtrade - 2 (4 games, 2 pts), OCT Seeb – Nil (5 games, 2 pts).

Easy for Design Unit Design Unit Engineering recorded an easy 50-run win against Uday Khimji International in another Al Ansari Group of Companies-sponsored C Division T20 match. Deciding to bat ﬁrst, Design Unit made 178 for three in 20 stipulated overs thanks to a 102-run second wicket partnership between Shehbaz Nazar (69) and opening

R E P U B L I C D AY O F I N D I A

Hockey fest on Jan 24

J.S. Mukul

MUSCAT: Team Coorg Muscat and Friends of Naqvi Group, under the patronage of Indian Embassy and in cooperation with Oman Hockey Association (OHA), will organise the eighth Republic Day of India Hockey Festival on January 24. The event, which is scheduled to take place at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m, will also include two matches. Indian Ambassador J.S. Mukul will preside over the programme while OHA chief Sheikh Mahfoodh Ali Juma Al Juma will be the guest of honour. The event is sponsored by Dr. Mujeeb Hassan of Amana Modern Medical Centre, Seeb,

Sheikh Mahfoodh

Mohammed Raﬁq of Mohammed Raﬁq & Partners LLC, Bellu Kuttappa of Team Coorg Muscat, Friends of Naqvi Group and Mohammed Osama Rawat. Saiyed Inayat Naqvi, a former hockey player from India who is on a visit to the Sultanate, will join the festivities. Former OHA chief Dawood bin Ahmed Al Raisi, Oman Cricket Chairman Kanak Khimji, General Secretary Madhu Jesrani, Al Omania Financial Services CEO Aftab Patel, Asian Hockey Federation Development Committee member Mohammed Shambe Al Raisi and OHA Technical Advisor Mohie Saad Al Zaghlool are among the top dignitaries expected to be present on the occasion.

F DIVISION: Attic Outdoors celebrate their victory. – Supplied photos

batsman Nishanth Menon (58). Skipper Jayaprakash remained unbeaten on 33. Uday Khimji International, playing with 10 men, were bowled out for 128 in 16.5 overs. Opening the batting Ramkumar Gounder top scored with 75 while Navneet Tirpude chipped in with 20. Flourry M.G., Shamas Rana and Rajesh Shetty bagged two wickets apiece. Brief scores: Design Unit Engineering 178 for 3 in 20 overs (Shehbas Nazar 69, Nishanth Menon 58, Jayaprakash 33 n.o.) bt Uday Khimji International 128 in 16.5 overs (Ramkumar Gounder 75, Navneet Tirpude 20; Flourry M.G. 2/13, Shamas Rana 2/23, Rajesh Shetty 2/30). Points: Design Unit - 2 (4 games, 4 pts), Uday Khimji International - Nil (4 games, 2 pts).

Blue Sky International win In a Raha Poly Products-sponsored D Division T20 match, Blue Sky International registered a 18run win against Ooredoo. Blue Sky International, electing to bat ﬁrst, scored 187 for four wickets in 20 overs with contributions from Aadil Mohammed (74 not out) and opening batsman Muhammad Awaiz (48). Skipper Moaaz Juned opening the bating contributed 26 runs. Ooredoo in their turn managed to score 169 for nine wickets in

20 overs. Samir Gurjar top scored with 40 runs. Faisal Khatri, Hannan Mirza and Krunal Ahya took two wickets apiece. Brief scores: Blue Sky International 187 for 4 in 20 overs (Aadil Mohammed 74 n.o., Muhammad Awaiz 48, Moaaz Juned 26) bt Ooredoo 169 for 9 in 20 overs (Samir Gurjar 40, Ramesh Kandachamy 33, Gaurav Suneels 31; Faisal Khatri 2/24, Hannan Mirza 2/26 and Krunal Ahya 2/27). Points: Blue Sky International - 2 (6 games, 7 pts), Ooredoo - Nil (5 games, 4 pts).

Attic Doors deny Al Daam Attic Outdoors defeated Al Daam International by 92 runs in an F Division T20 match despite a brilliant bowling performance by rival skipper Deepesh Unikkoru who ended with ﬁgures of six for 27 in four overs. Invited to bat ﬁrst, Attic Outdoors posted 171 in 20 overs with Qasim Ali top scoring with 59 and Ghufran Anjum chipping in with 20. Anu Sudevan bagged two wickets. In reply, Al Daam International were bundled out for 79 in 14.1. Usama Bhatti and Rajesh Rao claimed three wickets each while Sarfraz Ahmed took two. Brief scores: Attic Outdoors 171 in 20 overs (Qasim Ali 59, Ghufran Anjum 20; Deepesh Unikkoru 6/27, Anu Sudevan 2/23) bt Al Daam International 79

in 14.1overs (Abhilash 46; Usama Bhatti 3/15, Rajesh Rao 3/17, Sarfraz Ahmed 2/24). Points: Attic Outdoors - 2 (5 games, 9 pts), Al Daam International - Nil (6 games, 5 pts).

Al Faisal unbeaten Al Faisal remained unbeaten in the Raha Poly Products-sponsored D Division T20 tournament after registering a 86-run win against TR Engineering. Electing to bat ﬁrst, Al Faisal scored 209 for nine in 20 overs. Major contributions came from Mohammed Ihsan (68), Mohammed Sufyan (27 not out), Shabir Ahmed (24), Mohammed Afrat (23) and opening batsman Mohammed Amjad (20). Sharif Pindook, Sajjad, skipper Javed Shaikh and Tariq Khan took two wickets apiece. In reply, TR Engineering managed to score 123 for eight in 20 overs. Amir Khan and Mohammed Sufyan claimed two wickets each. Brief scores: Al Faisal 209 for 9 in 20 overs (M. Ihsan 68, M. Sufyan 27 n.o., Shabir Ahmed 24, M. Afrat 23, M. Amjad 20; Sharif Pindook 2/24, Sajjad 2/33, Javed Shaikh 2/33, Tariq Khan 2/46) bt TR Engineering 123 for 8 in 20 overs (Hari Prasad 53 n.o.; Amir Khan 2/13, M. Sufyan 2/23). Points: Al Faisal – 2 (5 games, 10 pts), TR Engineering - Nil (5 games, 5 pts).

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

SPORTS

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RACE WEEK

Top Optimist sailors descend on Musannah

Karting winners

MUSCAT: Oman Sail welcomed around 112 young sailors from across the world to Al Musannah Race Week 2015 on Sunday for a week of training and racing at the launch of the first ever Optimist Class Champions League in Al Musannah. Flying in from as far afield as Europe, Asia, South America and Africa, the youngsters who are all Optimist champions in their regions spent their first day settling in to Al Musannah Sports City, getting to know fellow competitors and easing into their Optimist Champions League campaigns with an opening coaching session. Among them are 39 of Oman’s best young home grown sailors, including members of Omani National Youth Squad and selected others from Oman Sail’s Omantel Youth Programme. They include Samiha Al Riyami, one of around 25 girls competing alongside the boys on the race track from Tuesday to Saturday and taking part in the specially developed Corporate Personal Development activities, designed to equip young sailors for success-

ful sporting careers. In between racing and training, there will be a host of ice breaker activities, including an Arabian Night on January 22 where camel owners and breeders across Oman will exhibit their best stock in a camel beauty contest for the best pure–bred camels in the Sultanate. There will also be opportunities to experience camel rides and watch Omani traditional dance performed by professional dancers while a group of Omani handicraft specialists will display traditional ways of making handicraft items that are speciﬁc items to Al Musannah. Salma Al Hashmi, Oman Sail’s Director of Marketing and Events, welcomed the youngsters, their coaches and parents to Al Musannah and wished them all ‘fair winds’ for an excellent contest. The ﬁrst three days of Al Musannah Race Week will be spent in coaching and Corporate Personal Development activities before racing starts on Wednesday. The action continues through to Saturday when the event closes with a special prize-giving ceremony.

Drifting winners

Sean Babington bags back-to-back titles Shihani received a purse of OMR 200. Noor Al Daoud, the only woman competitor in the fray, was presented with a special trophy.

World champion Sean Babington clinched two backto-back victories in Oman-UAE Rotax Max Challenge and Motocross winners

Sanad Al Rawahi had to content with a runner-up trophy and a third-place ﬁnish

MUSCAT: World champion Sean Babington hogged limelight when he clinched two back-to-back victories in the Oman-UAE joint Rotax Max Challenge (RMC) at the Muscat Speedway during the weekend. The UK-born, UAE resident was at his aggressive best as he scorched the technically challenging track in his DD2 kart to win the seventh and eighth rounds of UAE national championship, organised along with the third and fourth rounds of the Oman RMC, on Friday and Saturday. Oman’s Sanad Al Rawahi gave him a tough ﬁght, but a mechanical glitch meant that the home favourite had to content with a runner-up trophy on Friday and a third-place ﬁnish on Saturday. The twin victories put Babington’s campaign to clinch the UAE championship back on track. His

title charge suffered a setback when a technical issue had forced him to quit the fourth round at Al Ain Raceway in November last year. Sanad Al Rawahi, meanwhile, rued the missed opportunity to shine at home. “I noticed the mechanical issue during the qualifying session on the ﬁrst day. We tried hard to rectify it, but all our efforts went in vain. So I continued with the same machine for two days. Somehow, I managed to get good results competing against seasoned drivers like Babington and Emanuele Pagani. I am happy because I didn’t let motorsports fans down in the Sultanate,” Sanad said. Meanwhile, Omani fans found a new hero in Shihab Al Habsi. The sixth grade student at Ahmed Bin Majid School in Muscat began the competition on a bright note with a second place ﬁnish in the Mini Max category on Friday. He made huge amends to his performance on Saturday to romp home in style. “Friday’s runner-up position didn’t make me happy. I always wanted to be on top. So I pushed hard on Saturday and my efforts

paid me the dividends,” said the youngster. Oman’s Faisal Al Zubair (Senior Max) and Hamed Al Wahaibi (DD2 Masters) managed third place ﬁnishes in the event, which was otherwise dominated by the UAE drivers. Ben reigns supreme Seasoned biker from the UAE, Ben Menzis, won the third round of the Oman Motocross on Friday. Ben collected 75 points to win the competition ahead of Oman’s Richard Russell (62 points) and Luke Bassett (57 points). Sami wins drift title Oman’s Sami Al Shibani emerged the hero of the Drift Arena when he won the title in the fourth round of the Drifting Championship on Friday night. He collected 95 points to ﬁnish on top, followed by Jordan’s Ahmed Daham (95 points) and Oman’s Tariq Al Shihani (88 points). As many 31 drivers from Oman and Middle East competed in the event. Al Shibani received a cash prize of RO 600 for his effort, while Daham became richer by RO 400. Al

Friday results (UAE drivers unless speciﬁed): DD-2 (15 laps): 1. Sean Babington (14:09.527), 2. Sanad Al Rawahi (Oman, 14:12.638), 3. Piers Pakenham-Walsh (14:12.814). DD-2 Masters (15 laps): 1. Oliver George (14:19.722), 2. Maurits Knopjes (14:21.263), 3. Andrew Fuller (14:22.517). Senior Max (15 laps): 1. Tom Bale (14:09.371), 2. Alessandro Stura (14:16.796), 3. Faisal Al Zubair (Oman, 14:20.669). Junior Max (12 laps): 1. Taymour Kermanshahchi (11:56.059), 2. Fraser Rose (11:59.289), 3. Lucas Petersson (11:59.843). Mini Max (11 laps): 1. Liam Crystal (11:37.780), 2. Shihab Al Habsi (Oman, 11:38.854), 3. Connor Donovan (11:55.833). Micro Max (10 laps): 1. Jamie Day (11:17.158), 2. Alex Connor (11:24.590), 3. Ziggy Kermanshahchi (11:24.625). Drift Challenge: 1. Sami Al Shibani (Oman, 96 points), 2. Ahmed Daham (Jordan, 95 points), 3. Tariq Al Shihani (Oman, 88 points). Motocross: 1. Ben Menzis (UAE, 75 points), 2. Richard Russell (Oman, 62 points), 3. Luke Bassett (Oman, 57 points). Saturday results: DD2 (16 laps): 1. Sean Babington (12:23.086), 2. Emanuele Pagani (12:25.393), 3. Sanad Al Rawahi (Oman, 12:27.283). DD2 Masters (16 laps): 1. Oliver George (12:30.777), 2. Maurits Knopjes (12:34.447), 3. Hamed Al Wahaibi (Oman, 12:34.948). Senior Max (16 laps): 1. Tom Bale (12:27.608), 2. Giulio Peroni (12:30.811), 3. Patrick Hannah (12:31.091). Junior Max (13 laps): 1. Taymour Kermanshahchi (10:57.450), 2. Lucas Petersson (11:00.798), 3. Ivan Berets (11:01.131). Mini Max (12 laps): 1. Shihab Al Habsi (Oman, 10:32.464), 2. Lachlan Robinson (10:43.642), 3. Hamda Al Qubaisi (10:46.445). Micro Max (11 laps): 1. Jamie Day (10:06.430), 2. Ziggy Kermanshahchi (10:06.953), 3. Theo Kekat (10:12.137).

LA LIGA

Real see off Getafe thanks to Ronaldo double MADRID: Real Madrid moved four points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice in a 3-0 win at Getafe on Sunday. It was hardly a vintage performance from the European champions, who have stumbled at the start of 2015 and were knocked out

of the King’s Cup by Atletico Madrid on Thursday, and they failed to score in the ﬁrst half of a La Liga game for the ﬁrst time this season. Ronaldo broke the deadlock on a chilly afternoon at the Coliseum in the 63rd minute, clipping the ball in from close range after excellent work from Karim Benzema.

Bale made it 2-0 four minutes later when he ﬁnished off a swift break and Ronaldo grabbed his second 11 minutes from time with a powerful header, the Portugal forward’s 28th goal of the campaign in his 17th appearance. Getafe battled bravely against their glamorous city neighbours,

with goalkeeper Jordi Codina on ﬁne form, and almost pulled a goal back four minutes from time but a shot from Alvaro Vazquez bounced away off a post. Real, who have a game in hand, have 45 points from 18 matches, with Barca on 41 ahead of their Deportivo La Coruna clash. - Reuters

SECTION

LIFE & STYLE

When you look at a person, any person, everyone has a story. Everyone has gone through something that has changed their life. Anxiety,depression and panic attacks are not signs of weakness. They are signs of trying to remain strong for way too long

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM MON DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

eepika Padukone is one of Bollywood’s most popular superstar actors. She’s starred in Happy New Year and Chennai Express, two of the highest grossing Bollywood films ever made. In interviews, the former model talks about the glaring pay disparities between male and female stars, and last year, she made headlines when she called out the Times of India after the newspaper published a video clip, for blatantly objectifying her. In Happy New Year, Padukone’s most recent blockbuster, she turned in a trademark confident, magnetic dance performance, so it was surprising Thursday when the Hindustan Times published an account by Padukone detailing her struggles with depression and anxiety. In fact, she revealed that she was dealing with it during the same period when she was filming the Diwali heist comedy. “Every morning it was a struggle to wake up and shoot for Happy New Year’s’ climax,” she said. “Finally, I had a word with Anna aunty. She flew to Mumbai from Bengaluru, and I talked my heart out to her. She concluded that I was suffering from anxiety and depression.” It wasn’t the first time Padukone, 29, addressed mental illness. “When you look at a person, any person, everyone has a story,” Padukone said in a series of tweets on December 31. “Everyone has gone through something that has changed their life. anxiety, depression and panic attacks are not signs of weakness. They are signs of trying to remain strong for way too long. I dedicate this year to supporting Mental Health Awareness. #youarenotalone.” But this was the first time Padukone has discussed her own trials in such detail. Padukone said that she saw a psychologist who treated her depression with therapy and anti-depressants, though initially she resisted pharmacological treatment. After Happy New Year wrapped, she took a two-month break before starting work on her next film, only to learn that a friend suffering from anxiety and depression committed suicide. Padukone said that’s what spurred her to speak publicly. India, in addition to being the world’s most populous country, has the highest number of suicides. A recent New York Times editorial painted a picture of a mental health crisis, especially among Indian youth, who have the highest suicide rate in the world. According to a 2014 report by Human Rights Watch the stigma surrounding mental illness is especially punishing for Indian women: “Instances of violence against women and girls with mental or intellectual disabilities including involuntary confinement, physical abuse, inhumane or degrading treatment, and excessive electroshock therapy remained particularly high in state-run and private residential care facilities, which lack adequate oversight. Within the family and community, women and girls with disabilities also experience violence, including involuntary sterilisation. “ “The most common reaction is, ‘How can you be depressed? You have everything going for you. You are the supposed No. 1 heroine and have a plush home, car, movies — What else do you want?’ It’s not about what you have or don’t have,” Padukone said. “People talk about physical fitness, but mental health is equally important. I see people suffering, and their families feel a sense of shame about it, which doesn’t help. One needs support and understanding.” Padukone’s revelation was greeted on Twitter with a swell of support from fans and colleagues alike. - Soraya Nadia McDonald/ The Washington Post

M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

EXTRA

RESTAURANT O

nce she places the silver platter on the table, the waitress we know as Janine launches into a detailed description of our family-style meal at Rose’s Luxury. She tells us about the expanse of eggplant Parm, the crusty garlic knots and the bowl of fresh greens with red onions, radishes, peperoncini and other submerged pleasures. ‘The only thing I can compare it to,’ Janine says about the leafy side, ‘is a really good Olive Garden salad.’ At that moment, my dining companion just about loses it. His expression hovers somewhere between delight and horror, a response that’s amusing only once you know his profession — Jonathan Crayne is a senior captain at Marcel’s, the Washington institution where chef and owner Robert Wiedmaier proudly flies the fine-dining flag in a city increasingly dominated by restaurants catering to the T-shirt-andsneakers set. Crayne is an increasingly rare breed himself — a server who has been tending to the dining needs of the rich and famous for nearly 40 years. His career stretches back to the mid-1970s, to Windows on the World in New York, where he was trained not just to take orders, suggest wine pairings and recite daily specials. He was trained to be a master of tableside prep — In front of guests, he would prepare Caesar salads, debone Dover sole, chop steak tartare and flame crepes Suzette. In short, he peddled decadence, as largely defined and passed down by the great chefs of Europe.

To Crayne, the idea of invoking Olive Garden as a selling point at Marcel’s is incomprehensible, the equivalent of explaining Wiedmaier’s famous boudin blanc by comparing it to, say, a ballpark frank. When I ask the captain what Wiedmaier would have thought of Janine’s description, he responds with a one-liner, delivered with the timing of a stand-up comic. ‘He would definitely have to take a pill and sit down,’ Crayne cracks. If you want to understand how dining has changed in the past decade, you have to look beyond just the kitchen. You have to look at the people on the dining room floor, too. Like chefs who have incorporated influences far beyond France, servers and front-of-house managers have ventured beyond French and Russian styles of service to embrace latter-day philosophers such as Chicago restaurateur Richard Melman and Danny Meyer, the New Yorker behind Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack and other establishments. The bible for many young chefs and restaurateurs is Meyer’s 2006 book, Setting the Table, in which he explains his notion of ‘enlightened hospitality.’ It’s a philosophy that emphasizes employees over customers, the community, suppliers and even investors; it also draws a clear distinction between ‘service’ and ‘hospitality.’ ‘The service is the technical delivery of a product,’ Meyer writes. ‘Hospitality is how the delivery of that product makes its recipient feel.’ In the realm of enlightened hospitality, managers prefer employees

If you want to understand how dining has changed in the past decade, you have to look beyond the kitchen

who have better emotional skills than technical ones — a person, in other words, who knows how to cater to a diner’s every need over a person who just knows how to refill the water glass. It’s an approach that Meyer appropriated from Melman, founder and chairman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, the company behind restaurants and chains such as Mon Ami Gabi, Maggiano’s Little Italy and Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab. ‘It’s remarkable to me how many businesses shine brightly when it comes to acing the tasks but emanate all the warmth of a cool fluorescent light,’ Meyer writes in Setting the Table. ‘That explains how a fourstar restaurant can actually attract far fewer loyal fans than a two- or three-star place with soul.’ That philosophy has been practically etched into the psyche of some chefs and restaurateurs here, including Aaron Silverman at Rose’s Luxury, Sebastian Zutant at Red Hen and Jeremiah Langhorne at the forthcoming Dabney. Zutant still remembers the day last year when he and Red Hen chef and coowner Michael Friedman were sitting at the bar at Gramercy Tavern, Meyer’s fine-dining institution. Friedman told the bartender he has a shellfish allergy. The food runner who brought his entree — a different Gramercy employee — told Friedman the dish had neither touched nor been anywhere near shellfish. ‘It was such an impressive little piece of service that people overlook,’ Zutant says. ‘But it’s really, really important when you experience it, and that’s something we do

now. Thank you, Danny Meyer.’ The problem, as Meyer wrote in his book, is that ‘training for emotional skills is next to impossible.’ The key, then, is hiring people who exhibit a natural impulse to take care of others and have an ability to intuit a diner’s needs. Short of employing a Myers-Briggs test to determine which personalities make the best servers, the process for identifying such emotionally sophisticated people can be vague. A candidate’s resume and experience often mean less than his or her personality. Silverman offers an example from his own hiring process at Rose’s. He decided to hire a food runner who walked into the interview and immediately radiated warmth. He smiled, he was friendly, he had a good handshake. ‘He had a positive energy about him,’ Silverman says. ‘That’s what we’re looking for: people who are naturally comfortable.’ Silverman says he never even read the employee’s resume. At both Rose’s and Red Hen, if managers don’t personally like a candidate, the applicant is essentially doomed, no matter how qualiﬁed. Michael Richmond, assistant general manager at Rose’s, explains the logic behind the rather subjective process. ‘We’re always looking for personalities, which is one of the keys,’ Richmond says. ‘Are they good? Are they cool? Do they put a lasting impression on us?’ That last quality is paramount — If the employee can’t impress a small handful of managers, how can he or she expect to impress diners ? — Tim Carman/The Washington Post.

MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

ENTERTAINMENT CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA Taken 3 (2D) (Action | Crime) (12+) Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace 3:00, 7:15, 9:30, 11:45 pm I (2D) (Action | Fantasy) (12+) Cast: Chiyaan Vikram, Amy Jackson, Upen Patel; 8:15 pm The Theory of Everything (2D) (Biography | Drama) (PG12) Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior; 5:15, 7:30 pm 13 Sin (2D) (Horror | Thriller) (18+) Cast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye, Tom Bower; 9:45, 11:30 pm The Snow Queen: Magic of the Ice Mirror (2D) (Animation) (TBC) Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan okhlobystin, Anna Khilkevich 2:00 pm The Snow Queen: Magic of the Ice Mirror (3D) (Animation) (TBC) 3:30, 5:00 pm Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Never have Paris (2D) (Com) Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Nancy Marlowe 6:30 pm Seventh Son (2D) (Adv) (PG12) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore 5:15 pm Seventh Son (3D) (Adv) (PG12) 11:45 pm

Snow Queen-Magic Of The Ice Mirror (2D)(Animation) (PG) Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Anna Khilkevich; 2:00pm Snow Queen-Magic Of The Ice Mirror (3D): (Animation) (PG) 03:30 PM & 05:00

P. K (Comedy | Drama | Social) (PG ) Cast: Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt 3.30 pm Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene (Comedy) Cast: Zayed Khan, Rannvijay Singh, 6.30, 8.30 pm Tevar (Action) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PG12 Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha 10.30 pm

The Imitation Game (2D): (Biography/Thriller) (12+) Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode Gold Class: 2:00 pm Taken-3 (2D) (Act/Thriller) (12+) Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker 11:30am, 7:45, 9:45 & 11:45 pm Gold Class: 4:15, 9:00 & 11:15pm 13 Sins (2D): (Horror/Thriller) (18+) Cast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye 1:30 & 11:45 pm The Theory Of Everything (2D): (Biography/Drama) (PG 12) 3:15 & 5:30 pm Gold Class: 6:30 pm Feng Shui (Tagalog) (2D) (Hor) (15+) 6:30 pm I (Tamil) (2D) (Act/Thriller) (12+) 10:30 am I (Hindi) (2D) (Action/Thriller) (12+) Cast: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chiyaanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vikram, Amy Jackson 8:20 pm

Tevar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (PG12) Action Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha 11:15 pm The Snow Queen: Magic of the Ice Mirror â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (PG) Animation Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina 6:15 pm

Seventh Son â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (PG12) (Adv) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore 5:30pm Seventh Son â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3D (PG12) (Adv) 10:00pm Taken 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (12+) Crime | Thriller Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker 3:30, 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 pm The Snow Queen: Magic of the Ice Mirror â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3D (PG) Animation Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan Okhlobystin, Anna Khilkevich 3:30, 5:00 pm I (Hindi) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (12+) (Action) Cast: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan Okhlobystin, Anna Khilkevich 6:30 & 11:00 pm I (Tamil) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (12+) (Action) 7:45 pm 13 Sins â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (18+) Horror | Thriller Cast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye 11:55 pm Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Never Have Paris â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (PG12) (Comedy | Romance) Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Geoffrey Cantor, Nancy Marlowe 3:30, 7:15 pm The Theory of Everything â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (PG12)(Biography | Drama | Romance) Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior 4:00, 5:00, 9:00 pm

SCREEN 1 Shankarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;? - Hindi - (Thriller)(12+) Cast: Vikram, Amy Jackson, Suresh 3.30, 10.00 pm Shankarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tamil (Thr) (12+) 6:30 pm SCREEN 2 Shankarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153; Iâ&#x20AC;? - Hindi - (Thril) (12+ ) 3:30 pm Alone - Hindi - (Thriller | Horror) Cast: Bipasha Basu, Karan Singh 7:00 pm Shankarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tamil (Thr) (12+) 10:00 pm SCREEN 3

Snow Queen 2: Magic Of Ice Mirror (3D) (Animation | Adventure) (PG) Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan Okhlobystin, Anna Khilkevich 3:00, 5:00 pm Taken 3 (Crime | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace 4:30, 6:30, 9:45 & 11:45pm I (Tamil) (Action | Fantasy ) (12+) Cast: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chiyaanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vikram, Amy Jackson, Upen Patel 8:30 pm Tevar (Action | Romance) (PG12) Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Manoj Bajpayee 3:30, 8:00 pm 13 Sins (Horror | Thriller) (18+) Cast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye 3:15, 6:15, 11:45 pm I (Hindi) (Action | Fantasy) (12+) Cast: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chiyaanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vikram, Amy Jackson 6:30 & 10:45pm

Seventh Son (3D) (Adv| Fan) (PG12) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore 9:00pm Seventh Son (2D) (Adv | Fa) (PG12) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore 5:30pm

I (Tamil) (Action | ) (12+) Cast: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chiyaanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vikram, Amy Jackson, Upen Patel; 05:45, 11:00 pm Taken-3 (Action | Crime) (12+) Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm The Snow Queen: Magic of the Ice Mirror (3D) (Anim/ Family) (PG) Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan 4:15 pm

Taken 3 (2D/12+) (Action) Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace 12:00, 3:45, 07:45, 9:45, 11:45pm Seventh Son (3D/PG12) (Adv) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore 8:45pm Seventh Son (2D/PG12) (Adv) 5:45PM The Snow Queen: 2 (2D/PG) (Animation/Adventure/Family) 2:00pm The Snow Queen: 2 (3D/PG) (Animation/Adventure/Family) 3:30, 5:00pm The Theory of Everything (2D/ PG12) (Biography) Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones 2:45, 6:30pm 13 Sins (2D/18+) (Horror/Thriller) Cast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye, Tom Bower 12:45 & 11:30pm I â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (Tamil) (2D/12+) (Action) 5:00, 8:15pm I â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (Hindi) (2D/12+) (Action) Cast: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chiyaanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vikram, Amy Jackson 12:15, 10:45pm

Taken 3 (Action) Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace Cast: 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 2015 /153 (12+) Seventh Son (Adventure/Fantasy) Cast: Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Alicia Vikander Kit Harington 8.15 pm; CP No: 2015/62 (PG 12 ) 13 SIN (Horror-/Thriller) Cast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye 4.15, 10.15 & 11.55pm CP No: 2015/154 (18+) The Theory of Everything (Drama) Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Prior 2.00 & 6.00 pm; CP No: 2015/155 (15+) Snow Queen 2 The Snow King (Animation) Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan Okhlobystin, Anna Khilkevich 2.00 & 6.00 pm CP No: 2015/156 (U)

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

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;? (Tamil) ( Action\Thriller) Cast: Vikram, Amy Jackson and Suresh Gopi 3:00, 6:30 & 10:00pm Cinema Main Mylanchi Monchulla Veedu (Mal) (Rom/Com) Cast: Jayram & Asif Ali 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45pm Cinema 4 Chinnadana Nee Kosam (Telugu) (Com) Cast: Nitin Reddy & Misnti 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30pm Cinema 2 P K (Hindi) (Comedy) Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma and Sanjay Dutt 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 pm Cinema-3 NEXT CHANGE: Nagaravaridhi Naduvil Njaan

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

ACES ON BRIDGE

From the hands of a young player

SUDOKU

HOW TO PLAY Fill the empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column and area. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Seven Galaxies

MARMADUKE

CROSSWORD

B I G NAT E

42 43 44 46 47 49 51 52

Dean Morse click Pub. prosecutor 17 syllables Chop Greasy marks Huge beings Fresh Goes to earth

DOWN 1 Caribbean islands 2 UFO crew 3 Catch some rays 4 New Age practice, brieďŹ&#x201A;y 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and yang 6 Dreads 7 A great deal 8 Environmental preďŹ x 9 After yr. 1 10 Handles dough 11 Razor sharpener 13 Broncos QB John â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 16 Rochesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jane 20 Coast Guard alert 22 Where Florence is 23 Really liked

24 26 27 29 30 31

Not crisp Box-office ďŹ&#x201A;op Leaf-to-be Roast beef au â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Garden spots Steel girders (hyph.) 32 Legolas, for one 33 Lemonade color 34 An antiseptic

35 Royal decrees 36 Motelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prices 38 Common wildďŹ&#x201A;ower 41 Grates on 44 Contains 45 Ick! 46 Scout leader, often 48 Pricing wd. 50 Two, for Livy

Answer to previous puzzle

ACROSS 1 Eccentric, slangily 6 Speckle 11 Deli staple 12 Time of the mammals 14 Slim 15 Groovy! 17 Chicago Loop train 18 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Dawn Chong 19 Birthday no. 20 Got a peek at 21 PreďŹ x for present 23 College profs, usually 24 Ice-cream treat 25 Delinquent (2 wds.) 27 Inclined to be overbearing 28 Summer mo. 29 Bleach bottle 30 Investorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concern 33 More chubby 37 In a skilled manner 38 Insult, slangily 39 Skywalkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jedi trainer 40 Lib. section 41 SurďŹ ng duo â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and

NANDHANA SATHYAN January 19, 2004

Previous puzzle Solution

THE winner of the Richard Freeman Junior Deal of the Year award from the International Bridge Press Association last October was Bob Donkersloot, a 19-year-old from the Netherlands. Donkersloot (South) was in four spades. After West led the diamond nine, what did declarer do? In the auction, Northâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four-club rebid showed four-card spade support, at least game-going values and some sort of club control. Donkersloot realised that he needed the trump ďŹ nesse to work and that the opening lead had to be a singleton. (West would have led the jack or ace if he held a doubleton.) So there was a risk that East would take dummyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diamond queen with his ace and give his partner a diamond ruff. Then a heart shift through dummyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s king, with East holding the ace, would give the defenders the ďŹ rst four tricks. Was there any way to divert the apparent destiny of the contract? Donkersloot found a fantastic play at trick one â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he called for a low diamond from the dummy. East automatically won with his jack and cashed the diamond ace. West, not smelling a rodent, did not ruff and shift to a heart. And then the contract could not be defeated. South won Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club switch in the dummy, discarded a heart on the second high club and conceded a heart. A moment later, declarer ruffed a heart in his hand, took the trump ďŹ nesse, drew trumps and claimed. Now to come clean. This clever play proved unnecessary at the table because West held the heart ace. The contract was unbeatable. But that does not detract from Donkerslootâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imaginative play. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; By Phillip Alder

WITH LOVE

BORN LOSER

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to extra@timesofoman.com

KIDSPOT

H E A LT H C A P S U L E

C10

MON DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

FIND-IT-ALL Y O U R B I R T H D AY

BORN today, you are at times bigger than life, and one of those remarkable individuals who are always able to capture the attention and imaginations of a wide audience, working wonders on the world simply on the strength of charisma, personality, vision and inspiration. This might suggest that you are perfectly at home in the public arena — and this is correct, certainly. However, you can also be a ﬁercely private individual, holding much in your life dear and doing what you can to keep it from becoming fodder for the rumour mill. You never like being talked about, but you understand that being talked about can actually serve you well, professionally. You have great pride, and your conﬁdence in yourself and your abilities is undying — though it is likely to be tested on several occasions throughout your lifetime, as you face formidable obstacles and situations that require you to snatch victory from the hungry jaws of defeat. Also born on this date are: Dolly Parton, singer-songwriter and actress; Jean Stapleton, actress; Janis Joplin, singer; Shelley Fabares, singer and actress; Paula Deen, celebrity chef; Edgar Allan Poe, author and poet; Robert E. Lee, Confederate military leader; Katey Sagal, actress; Robert Palmer, singer; Paul Cezanne, painter; Michael Crawford, actor and singer; Junior Seau, football player.

W E AT H E R

You may ﬁnd yourself obliged to someone you had hoped wouldn’t be so prominent in your life, but all will be well.

You’ll enjoy exploring something new. The dangers you encounter, though minimal, will prepare you for something soon to arrive.

PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20] You may have to work harder than usual to keep up with someone who is enjoying a spike in both energy and productivity.

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19] You’ll have the chance to speak your mind in a new forum. If you don’t take advantage of it, you’re likely to be set back months.

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20] You know more about yourself right now than you have in a while — certainly more than others do, which can be quite an advantage.

GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20] You’re eager to enjoy some time away from the grind, but ﬁrst you must ﬁnish a project that has already taken far too long.

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22] You’ll realise once again that one or two episodes you are eager to forget really did contribute to who you are right now.

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22] You mustn’t waste any time, nor must you move so quickly that you don’t notice what is going on around you. You can strike a balance.

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22] You’re able to keep many balls in the air at once, but such juggling demands more than just mental and physical dexterity.

LIBRA L [[SEPT. [S S 23-OCT. 22] You’ll free yourself from a certain inﬂuence that has been causing you a great deal of unnecessary stress.

SCORPIO S [[OCT. 23-NOV. 21] Advice you receive from experts isn’t likely to prove all that valuable to you. More useful by far is a friend’s handson assistance!

SAGITTARIUS S [[NOV. 22-DEC. 21] You mustn’t shy away from the opportunity to tell it like it is. Such honesty will be appreciated by those on the receiving end.

5:43pm 6.51pm

High tide Low tide

7:38am 2:18am

WORLD

Max 24 Min 16 Max 4 Min -2

Max 22 Min 6

Max 23 Min 15 Max -3 Min -9

Max 17 Min 14

Max 0 Min -4

Max 26 Min 9

Max 26 Min 12

Max 23 Min 11

Max 25 Min 15

Max 27 Min 12

Max 29 Min 20

Max 21 Min 13

Max 29 Min 23 Max 22 Min 21

—www.met.gov.om

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

GULF Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh

20 17 19 16 16 15

17 12 17 10 14 4

WORLD Athens Baghdad Beijing Berlin Boston Cairo Colombo Frankfurt Hong Kong Istanbul Johannesburg Kuala Lumpur Lisbon Paris Perth Singapore Tokyo Toronto

18 17 4 2 6 21 32 2 18 1 25 31 11 4 25 30 11 -2

12 4 -6 0 -3 4 21 -1 11 8 14 21 6 0 16 24 4 -8

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 06:30 Sohar 06:30 Buraimi 08:00 Buraimi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Buraimi 16.00 Sohar 16.00 Buraimi TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily 05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily 05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

20:50

Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 07:00 Sohar 07:00 Ruwi 13:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 17:00 Ruwi TO SINAW (Route 52) 07:00 Ruwi

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

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

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

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (Route 55) 07:30 Sur 14:30 Sur TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62) 06:30 Fahud 06:30 Yibal

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

10:25

Daily

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

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

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

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

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

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

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

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily

16:50

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102) 15:00 Dubai 07:00 TO DUBAI (Route 201) 06:00 Sohar 06:00 Dubai 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Dubai 15:00 Sohar 15:00 Dubai

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

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

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

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

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

LISTINGS

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715 Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766 Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691 Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740 Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 24537080 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel: 23291635 HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052 Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000 Al Musaﬁr Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital: 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic: 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740 Ceregem National Raak: 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217 Elixir Health Centre: 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre: 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274 Hamdan Hospital: 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128, MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000 ROYAL OMAN POLICE Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603 Directorate General of Customs: 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries: 24510228 Public Relations Admin: 24560099 ACCOMMODATION Al Bahjah Hotel: 24424400 Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171 Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400 Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949 Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385 Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311 Al Qurum Resort: 24605945 Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979 Beach Hotel: 24696601 Bowshar Hotel: 24491105 Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121 Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660 Crystal Suites: 24826100 Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300 Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234 Haffa House Hotel: 24707207 Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123 InterContinental Muscat: 24680000 Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900 Marina Hotel: 24711711 Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565 Mina Hotel: 24711828 Muttrah Hotel: 24798401

Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199 Oman Dive Centre: 24824240 Park Inn: 24507888 Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070 Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777 Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399 Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443 Ruwi Hotel: 24704244 Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200 Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772 Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666 The Chedi Muscat: 24524400 The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours): 24519456/24519223 Aeroﬂot: 24704455, Air Arabia: 24700828, Air France: 24562153, Air India: 24799801, Air New Zealand: 24700732, Biman Bangladesh Airlines: 24701128, British Airways: 24568777, Cathay Paciﬁc: 24789818, Egypt Air: 24794113, Emirates Air: 24404400, Ethiopian Airlines: 24660313, Gulf Air: 80072424, Indian: 24791914, Iran Air: 24787423, Japan Airlines: 24704455, Jazeera Airways: 23294848, Jet Airways: 24787248, Kenya Airways: 24660300, KML Royal Dutch Airlines: 24566737, Kuwait Airways: 24701262, LOT Polish Airlines: 24796387, Lufthansa: 24796692, Malaysian Airlines: 24560796, Middle East Airlines: 24796680, Oman Air: 24531111, Pakistan International Airlines: 24792471, Qatar Airways: 24771900, Qantas: 24559941, Royal Jordanian: 24796693, Saudi Arabian Airlines: 24789485, Singapore Airlines: 24791233, Shaheen Air: 24816565, SriLankan Airlines:

MONDAY

Min

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

[JAN. 20-FEB. 18]

Sunset Sunrise (Tomorrow) 8:52am 1:49pm

maximum wave height ranges of 2.0 to 3.0 metres. Slight to moderate along Arabian Sea coast with a maximum wave height of 1.5 metres. HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during rain. THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Partly cloudy skies with chances of rain and occasional thundershowers associated with hail and fresh wind over governorates of Musandam, north Al-Batinah, south Al-Batinah, Muscat, AlDhahira, Al-Buraimi, Al-Dakhliah, north Al-Sharqiya and south Al-Sharqiya. Chances of light isolated rain along the coastal areas of Dhofar and Al-Wusta governorates . Moderate to rough sea condition along Musandam and Oman Sea coasts with a maximum wave height of 2.0 to 3.0 metres.

Max

OMAN

AQUARIUS

12.22pm 3.28pm 5.49pm 7.03pm 5.32am

AIRLINES

artly cloudy skies over the governorates of Musandam and north AlBatinah with chances of rain and occasional thundershowers associated with hail and fresh wind which will gradually extend to governorates of south Al-Batinah, Muscat, Al-Dhahira, Al-Buraimi, Al-Dakhliah, north Al-Sharqiya and south Al-Sharqiya. Clear to partly cloudy skies with chances of light isolated rain along the coastal areas of Dhofar and Al-Wusta governorates. EXPECTED WIND: Along the coastal area of Oman Sea and Arabian Sea wind will be easterly to northeasterly light to moderate while over rest of the Sultanate wind will northwesterly light to moderate. SEA STATE: Moderate to rough along Musandam and Oman Sea coasts with

CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19]

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

24784545, Swiss International Airlines: 24796692, Thai Airways: 24705934, Turkish Airlines: 24703033 MUSEUMS Bait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp ﬁsh market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm Natural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm; Thursday: 9am to 1pm Museum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, Sat-Wed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946 Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707 Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Oman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pm Bait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscat museum@baitalzubairmuseum.com Open from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm. National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Sohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Muscat Gate Museum: at Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

TUESDAY FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

JEDDAH 0005 CAIRO 0005 RIYADH 0005 DACCA-CHITTAGONG 0100 SALALAH 0150 DACCA 0200 ISTANBUL-BAHRAIN 0300 DOHA 0345 DUBAI 0355 BAHRAIN 0405 ABU DHABI 0405 DUBAI 0415 SALALAH 0630 ABU DHABI 0650 ABU DHABI 0650 KARACHI 0700 RIYADH 0700 BAHRAIN 0700 JEDDAH 0730 MEDINA 0745 DUBAI 0805 BOMBAY 0815 LONDON HEATHROW 0820 DUBAI 0850 SHARJAH 0915 DELHI 0920 HYDERABAD 0920 KHASAB 0930 COCHIN 0930 MADRAS 0940 TRIVANDRUM 0940 ISLAM ABBAD 0940 DUBAI 0940 DOHA 1010 ABU DHABI 1015 TRIVANDRUM 1035 LAHORE 1100 JAIPUR 1100 BANGALORE 1100 DUBAI 1110 COLOMBO 1140 DUBAI 1200 MALE 1205 CALICUT 1210 KATHMANDU 1210 LAHORE 1215 SALALAH 1215 BANGKOK 1235 DUBAI 1330 MUKHAIZNA 1330 SALALAH 1415 BAHRAIN 1530 ABU DHABI 1535 DUBAI 1555 BOMBAY 1710 CALICUT 1720 DUBAI 1730 DELHI 1730 MUKHAIZNA 1730 LUCKNOW 1735 HYDERABAD 1740 DOHA 1745 DOHA 1745 DUBAI 1800 BAHRAIN 1810 DUQUM OMAN 1900 KUWAIT 1900 SHARJAH 1915 MADRAS 1920 DUBAI 1945 TEHRAN 2000 DUBAI 2030 BANGALORE-HYDERABAD 2105 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 2120 DUBAI 2125 DELHI 2125 CHITTAGONG 2125 BOMBAY 2130 AMMAN 2135 COCHIN 2140 DUBAI 2145 MADRAS 2200 DOHA 2210 KATHMANDU 2235 BAHRAIN 2240 ABU DHABI 2250 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2250 AHMEDABAD 2300 SALALAH 2305 AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY 2310 DOHA 2315 ZURICH-DUBAI 2320 BOMBAY 2325 BAHRAIN 2330 FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI 2330 DUBAI 2335 SALALAH 2345 DAMMAM 2350 ABU DHABI 2350 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2355 SALALAH 2355

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CAIRO 0005 RIYADH 0005 RIYADH 0005 JEDDAH 0005 KUWAIT 0010 BANGKOK 0015 LAHORE 0130 SALALAH 0150 ISTANBUL 0215 ISLAM ABBAD-SIALKOT 0225 KARACHI 0230 DOHA 0345 ADDIS ABABA 0350 DUBAI 0355 BAHRAIN 0405 ABU DHABI 0405 DUBAI 0415 SALALAH 0630 ABU DHABI 0650 BAHRAIN 0700 AMMAN 0705 DOHA 0710 KUWAIT 0715 MUNICH 0715 FRANKFURT 0715 DAMMAM 0725 JEDDAH 0730 MALPENSA-ZURICH 0745 PARIS 0800 DUBAI 0805 BOMBAY 0815 TEHRAN 0815 LONDON HEATHROW 0820 BEIRUT 0830 DUBAI 0850 SHARJAH 0915 HYDERABAD 0920 DELHI 0935 MADRAS 0940 DUBAI 0940 DOHA 1000 DOHA 1010 ABU DHABI 1015 MUKHAIZNA 1045 JAIPUR 1100 DUBAI 1110 SALALAH 1110 RAS AL KHAIMA 1120 DUBAI 1200 CHITTAGONG 1210 LUCKNOW 1210 CALICUT 1210 GWADUR 1220 CHITTAGONG 1245 KHASAB 1245 DUBAI 1330 KARACHI 1355 KHASAB 1440 MANGALORE-ABU DHABI 1440 SALALAH 1445 BANGKOK 1525 KUWAIT 1525 BAHRAIN 1530 LAHORE 1550 DUBAI 1555 ABU DHABI 1635 BOMBAY 1710 CALICUT 1720 DELHI 1730 HYDERABAD 1740 TRIVANDRUM 1740 ISLAM ABBAD 1745 DOHA 1745 DOHA 1745 DUBAI 1800 BAHRAIN 1810 BANGALORE 1810 DUBAI 1845 MUKHAIZNA 1845 RIYADH 1900 SHARJAH 1915 BANGKOK-KARACHI 1935 DUBAI 1945 DUBAI 2030 SALALAH 2055 DUBAI 2125 DELHI 2125 BOMBAY 2130 COCHIN 2140 DUBAI 2145 COLOMBO 2150 MADRAS 2155 BANGKOK 2200 MADRAS 2200 DOHA 2210 COLOMBO 2225 BAHRAIN 2240 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2240 ABU DHABI 2250 SALALAH 2305 AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY 2310 DOHA 2315 ZURICH-DUBAI 2320 BOMBAY 2325 FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI 2330 BAHRAIN 2330 DUBAI 2335 DAMMAM 2350 ABU DHABI 2350 SALALAH 2355 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2355

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BOMBAY 0005 DUBAI-ZURICH 0020 BOMBAY 0025 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 0025 ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT 0050 RIYADH 0105 TRIVANDRUM 0110 MADRAS 0110 BOMBAY 0120 COCHIN 0125 HYDERABAD 0135 DUBAI 0150 ISLAM ABBAD 0150 LAHORE 0150 DELHI 0155 BANGALORE 0200 ABU DHABI 0205 BAHRAIN 0205 KARACHI 0210 COLOMBO 0210 DOHA 0220 MALE 0235 CHITTAGONG-DACCA 0250 DACCA 0300 BAHRAIN-ISTANBUL 0350 JAIPUR 0350 DUBAI 0455 DUBAI 0510 DOHA 0520 ABU DHABI 0525 KHASAB 0630 BAHRAIN 0745 SOHAR 0800 SALALAH 0800 DUBAI 0800 CALICUT 0920 LUCKNOW 0920 DUBAI 0935 DELHI 0955 HYDERABAD 0955 MUKHAIZNA 1000 SHARJAH 1005 BANGKOK 1010 SALALAH 1020 BOMBAY 1030 DUBAI 1030 CHITTAGONG 1040 MADRAS 1040 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 1045 DUBAI 1055 ABU DHABI 1105 BAHRAIN 1110 DOHA 1115 COCHIN 1135 ABU DHABI 1225 CALICUT 1310 KATHMANDU 1310 LAHORE 1315 DUBAI 1315 AMMAN 1330 LAHORE 1330 DOHA 1330 TEHRAN 1340 KUWAIT 1340 FRANKFURT 1345 MUKHAIZNA 1400 MALPENSA-ZURICH 1405 MUNICH 1415 PARIS 1420 DUBAI 1420 CAIRO 1430 DUQUM OMAN 1515 JEDDAH 1630 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI 1820 RIYADH 1845 DOHA 1845 SALALAH 1850 BAHRAIN 1855 KUWAIT 1900 DOHA 1900 BAHRAIN 1910 DAMMAM 1910 DUBAI 1915 SALALAH 1940 SALALAH 1950 SHARJAH 2005 DUBAI 2025 ABU DHABI 2030 DUBAI 2040 SALALAH 2135 HYDERABAD-BANGALORE 2200 DUBAI 2225 BEIRUT 2230 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 2230 TRIVANDRUM 2240 AMMAN 2240 BOMBAY 2245 MADRAS 2300 DELHI 2310 DOHA 2320 BAHRAIN 2325 SALALAH 2350 JEDDAH 2350 ABU DHABI 2350

AI986 LX243 9W539 BA072 SG062 LH619 WY685 WY251 WY201 WY811 WY235 WY601 WY241 WY431 WY643 WY637 WY313 WY657 WY667 NL769 WY691 TK775 PK282 PK226 WY271 WY267 ET625 EK867 FZ042 QR1133 EY385 WY3301 GF561 WY603 WY903 WY813 WY327 WY325 WY291 WY215 WY823 FZ044 WY231 WY245 G9115 WY815 WY283 WY373 WY203 WY605 WY905 WY347 WY717 EK863 EY383 WY655 QR1129 QR8551 WY917 G9842 PK192 WY337 IX350 FZ038 WY253 WY3931 WY223 WY631 WY663 WY101 BG024 WY405 WY3305 IX818 WY609 KU678 WY675 WY913 FZ046 WY613 WY623 QR1127 WY681 WY907 GF565 WY647 WY661 WY653 WY695 EK865 WY821 WY909 SV535 G9117 WY611 WY635 TG508 FZ048 WY915 FZ050 6.00E+82 AI908 AI974 QR1135 GF567 UL206 EY381 WY901 WY673

BOMBAY 0005 DUBAI-ZURICH 0020 BOMBAY 0025 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 0025 AHMEDABAD 0030 ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT 0050 RIYADH 0105 MADRAS 0110 BOMBAY 0120 BANGKOK 0120 HYDERABAD 0135 DUBAI 0150 DELHI 0155 TEHRAN 0155 KUWAIT 0200 ABU DHABI 0205 CHITTAGONG 0205 BAHRAIN 0205 DOHA 0220 LAHORE 0230 DAMMAM 0235 ISTANBUL 0310 SIALKOT 0325 KARACHI 0330 JAIPUR 0350 LUCKNOW 0355 ADDIS ABABA 0450 DUBAI 0455 DUBAI 0510 DOHA 0520 ABU DHABI 0525 MUKHAIZNA 0715 BAHRAIN 0745 DUBAI 0800 SALALAH 0800 BANGKOK 0805 LAHORE 0920 KARACHI 0920 CALICUT 0920 TRIVANDRUM 0920 KUALA LUMPUR 0930 DUBAI 0935 HYDERABAD 0955 DELHI 0955 SHARJAH 1005 BANGKOK 1010 BANGALORE 1010 COLOMBO 1020 BOMBAY 1030 DUBAI 1030 SALALAH 1030 ISLAM ABBAD 1040 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 1045 DUBAI 1055 ABU DHABI 1105 BAHRAIN 1110 DOHA 1115 DUBAI WORLD CENTRE-DOHA 1130 KHASAB 1140 RAS AL KHAIMA 1210 GWADUR-TURBAT 1305 KATHMANDU 1310 CALICUT 1310 DUBAI 1315 MADRAS 1315 SOHAR 1315 COCHIN 1325 ABU DHABI 1325 DOHA 1330 LONDON HEATHROW 1330 CHITTAGONG 1415 CAIRO 1430 MUKHAIZNA 1515 MANGALORE 1530 DUBAI 1545 ABU DHABI-KUWAIT 1625 JEDDAH 1630 SALALAH 1650 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI 1820 DOHA 1845 RIYADH 1845 SALALAH 1850 BAHRAIN 1855 KUWAIT 1900 DOHA 1900 BAHRAIN 1910 DAMMAM 1910 DUBAI 1915 KUALA LUMPUR 1930 SALALAH 1940 RIYADH 2000 SHARJAH 2005 DUBAI 2025 ABU DHABI 2030 KARACHI-BANGKOK 2040 DUBAI 2040 SALALAH 2135 DUBAI 2225 BOMBAY 2245 MADRAS 2300 DELHI 2310 DOHA 2320 BAHRAIN 2325 COLOMBO 2335 ABU DHABI 2350 SALALAH 2350 JEDDAH 2350

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MO N DAY, JAN UARY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

C11

EXTRA BRIEFS

Lock children’s smartphone if they ignore your call PARENTS please note. If your kids ignore your calls, use this app to lock their smartphones immediately to get their attention back. Called “Ignore No More”, the app promises to help parents get control back over their child’s phone. Just install the app on your phones and your child’s phone. Tap the kid’s name and enter a four-digit code to lock their device. When the smartphone is locked, kids can’t “text, surf the internet, play games or look at Facebook”, Sharon Standiﬁrd, the Texas-based app’s creator, was quoted as saying in media reports. “What they can do is call the parent back to get the password to unlock their phone,” she added. It is not about punishing the child — it is a tool to try and correct the behaviour, Standiﬁrd noted. The app, already available for Android devices, will be available on iPhones from March, Herald Sun reported.

Learn second language early for super brain

Women and ‘misconceived idea of brilliance’ Genius is seen in characters such as Sherlock Holmes, while female intelligence is shown as a result of hard work, exempliﬁed by Hermione Granger, study ﬁnds

omen are less likely to become scientists and engineers because they are taught to believe that these professions require innate intellectual brilliance rather than sheer hard work, a study has found. The academics behind the research suggest that a misconceived idea of brilliance is holding back girls from taking subjects such as physics, engineering and mathematics in favour of “softer” subjects such as humanities, languages and social sciences. They believe the findings are mirrored in popular representations of brilliance, with innate genius represented by fictional male characters such as Sherlock Holmes, while female intelligence is frequently shown as the result of hard work and swatting, as exemplified by Hermione Granger. The researchers support their conclusions with findings from a survey of 1,800 graduate students and university teachers from 30 academic disciplines showing that women are significantly underrepresented in subjects where their teachers put a premium on the need for innate brilliance.

“We’re not saying brilliance, or valuing brilliance, is a bad thing. And we’re not saying women are not brilliant or that being brilliant isn’t helpful to one’s academic career,” said Professor Andrei Cimpian, a psychologist at the University of Illinois in Champaign. “We are also not arguing that women are less brilliant than men. There is no convincing evidence in the literature that men and women differ intellectually in ways that would be relevant to their success in the ﬁelds we surveyed,” Professor Cimpian said. “According to our hypothesis, female under-representation is not the result of actual differences in intellectual ability, but rather the result of perceived or presumed differences between men and women,” he said. “We found that women were indeed less likely to obtain PhDs in ﬁelds that idolise brilliance and genius. This hypothesis was better able to explain the data on women’s representations than several of the prominent hypotheses that a currently available,” he added. The study, published in the journal Science, found that women might be put off by the teach-

Women’s accomplishments are seen as grounded in long hours poring over books, rather than in some kind of raw brilliance ers of subjects such as physics and maths where there is an emphasis on the need to be brilliant in order to succeed — a quality of “unschooled genius” that is widely perceived to be lacking in women, the researchers said. “Women who are portrayed as intellectually accomplished tend, like Hermione Granger, to also be portrayed as incredibly hard working and diligent,” said SarahJane Leslie, a philosopher at Illinois who took part in the research. “Women’s accomplishments are seen as grounded in long hours

poring over books, rather than in some kind of raw brilliance,” Dr Leslie said. The researchers found that women earned fewer PhDs than men in academic fields such as physics and maths that emphasise the need for this kind of intellectual brilliance. Less than 30 per cent of physics, astronomy and computer science doctorates went to women whereas 60 or 70 per cent of PhDs in education, psychology and anthropology went to women. Traditionally, the lack of women in certain scientific professions was put down to three possible causes: the need to work long hours, the need of intellectual aptitude or the need to think abstractly and systematically, Dr Leslie said. “We found that none of these alternative hypotheses were able to predict women’s representations across the entire academic spectrum,” Dr Leslie said. “A strong emphasis on brilliance among practitioners of particular fields was the best predictor of women’s under-representation in those fields,” she explained. -Steve Connor/The Independent

LEARNING a second language after the age of 10 improves cognitive functions in the brain, says a study. Researchers from University of Kent’s school of psychology analysed brain scans from 20 people aged 30 who lived in Britain for at least 13 months. They started learning English as a second language around age 10. The analyses were compared to 25 people who spoke only English. The results showed that the brain’s white matter showed improvement in the people who begin learning English around the age of 10 than those who grow up speaking only English. The higher levels of structural integrity were in areas responsible for language learning and semantic processing. “Everyday handling of more than one language functions as an intensive cognitive stimulation that beneﬁts speciﬁc language-related brain structures by preserving their integrity, and therefore it protects them against deterioration in older age,” said the study, led by Christos Pliatsikas of University of Kent School of Psychology. The study appeared in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Zebra’s stripes actually function like air coolers THE DISTINCTIVE monochrome fur pattern in zebras keep the animals cool under the hot African sun, shows a recent study. The differences in the way the dark and light fur absorb and give off heat create refreshing currents of air that regulate the animals’ temperature, the Daily Mail reported. Scientists from the University of California in the US compared the stripes of zebras from 16 different sites with their living conditions. A link was revealed between temperature and coat pattern, with zebras from the hottest areas having bodies with most stripes. Earlier, it was thought the stripes’ main function is to create an optical illusion that dazzles lions. -IANS

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M O N DAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

EXTRA

‘Ghost in the Shell’ has a Japanese heroine, but Scarlett will star

n the face of it, her casting in Ghost in the Shell makes sense. She’ll play the leader of cyber-terrorist crime-ﬁghting organisation Public Security Section 9. Three cheers for more female action stars! Right? The hitch is that the character in question is Major Motoko Kusanagi. Ghost in the Shell is a Japanese manga series that spawned a 1995 animated movie and 2002 television show. And when news came that DreamWorks would create a live-action version for the US market, fans were excited. But now that Johansson has been cast instead of, say, an Asian actress,

Scarlett Johansson is a formidable action star, and people clearly enjoy watching her brawls. ‘Lucy’, her 2014 movie about a woman with an inordinate amount of brain power and impressive ﬁghting skills, raked in more than $450 million worldwide some are less enthusiastic. One woman started an online petition, accusing DreamWorks of “whitewashing” and asking the production company to reconsider the casting decision. At the time of this writing, more than 15,000 people have signed. It’s not the ﬁrst campaign focused on the ethnic dynamics of casting. Another recent petition demanded that Warner Bros. rethink its decision to cast white actress Rooney Mara in the role

of native American Tiger Lily in the upcoming Pan. About 73,000 people have signed that petition. And more than 20,000 signed another, directed at Ridley Scott, because of his reliance on Anglo actors for Egyptian and Jewish characters in Exodus: .... and Kings. Neither of those petitions did much to sway casting decisions. Mara is still slated to play Tiger Lily. In an interview with Variety in November, Scott responded to

the criticism by saying: “I can’t mount a ﬁlm of this budget, where I have to rely on tax rebates in Spain, and say that my lead actor is so-and-so from such-andsuch — I’m just not going to get it ﬁnanced. So the question doesn’t even come up.” Scott didn’t deliver his comments with the most tact, but his point is worth considering, especially in light of the predominantly white, male make-up of Oscar nominees. If a movie has big stars

attached, it’s more likely to get ﬁnanced. The problem, obviously, is that creates a self-fulﬁlling prophecy in which every movie lead has to be plucked from the same pool of already bankable talent. The role of Tiger Lily is hardly a dominant character in the Peter Pan story, so it would be disingenuous to say the casting for that part has to be a famous face. And the fact that the name of a worthy Native American actress who could play the role doesn’t imme-

diately leap to mind is less indicative that there are no talented Native American actresses and more of a glaring indicator that none have been given a shot. When Ghost in the Shell comes out in 2017, the protagonist — assuming she’s still played by Johansson — will likely not be named Major Motoko Kusanagi. (DreamWorks couldn’t conﬁrm what the character’s name would be.) It will probably be something like Major Ann Smith. It would be ludicrous for the blonde, blueeyed actress to play a Japanese character, and the production company will want to play it safe. That is, after all, what big production companies do best. — Stephanie Merry/The Washington Post

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

SECTION

CONNEC T H E D A I LY G U I D E

RENT

VACANCY

CARGO

M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

OFFICES FOR RENT - Premium offices to let a very good location on the main road very close to Zakher Mall, Al Khawiar. Business Center has offices with sizes of 50m2, 110m2, 180m2, 207m2, 230m2, 437m2. - Showroom also available at Business Center, Area 500m2 with central A/c. - Offices with Central Air-conditions, Security System with CCTV cameras, and Security presence in the building.

Contact: 97377355 / 95530121, Email id: aaleem@ggcoman.com

3BHK, (3 bathroom and big hall) opp. Apollo Hospital, Hamariya R/A (OMR 300/-) Contact 91181761 2 BR flat for rent in Wadi Kabir next to Al Maha Petrol Pump. Rent RO 300 pm. contact 99440826 Fully furnished rooms for rent for family. Contact 99251975, Al Khuwair 1&2 BHK flat & Shop for rent at MBD, Hamriya, Hallat sad, Al Khoudh area. Contact: 24834644, 93994401,02,03 150 Sqm Store, Darsait, RO 300/-. Contact 95076261 1 BHK near Medical, Darsait, RO 175/-. Contact 98748925 2 bedroom fully furnished luxurious flat for rent at Ghala for long term or short term basis. Contact 97762321 Flat for rent in Al Khuwair 33. Contact 99003626

Office space (3 BHK ﬂat – Ample space) located in prime area at 18th November street, Al Azaiba (nr. To Sultan Center). Contact 99261522

2 BHK ﬂats Muttrah near Oman House. Contact 97007934 / 92629232

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khan co. OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and boundary wall will be provided. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

1 BHK at Ghobrah - Near Indian School. Contact: 99014885 Al Qurum heights Sea view. Contact 99249069 / 92888376/ 93201688

Studio, Al Athaibah, ground ﬂoor, 1 BHK, hall, 2 bathrooms, family only. RO 250/-. Contact 92479515

500 Sq Mtrs industrial land, leveled, ready to use with boundary wall, in Misfah industrial Area, block 2 near Baladiyah Camp, RO 600/-, monthly. Contact 94030814

1 BHK with A/C, Al Ghubrah, RO 275/-. Contact 92144045

2 BHK available in Mumtaz area, Ruwi & Ghubra, nr Indian School. Contact 99269751

Office space with cassette type A/C’s with free internet at al Khuwair near KM Hypermarket. Contact 99460330

Flat in Darsait. Contact 99326879

One bedroom ﬂat, Muttrah, Corniche. Contact 99414644

3 BHK with AC, Al Falaj, RO 425/-. Contact 92144045

Twin villa at Al-Kuwair 33. Six rooms with bathrooms. 670 OMR, contact: 99414767. Families only.

Villa Al Athaibah near Oman post, 3 BHK hall, living room, maids room, split A/c, family only, RO 600/-. Contact 92479515

Flat, Al Ghubrah near Indian School, 2 BHK , RO 325, family only, 3 bathroom, living room. Contact 92479515

2 BHK with split A/C in Wadi Kabir, Sana Building furnished. Contact 96635026

Showroom space available in Qurum. Road Facing prime location. commercially viable and affordable. Contact- 98839950

Office space for rent in Ruwi, OMR 500. Contact 91120552

1000 Sq Mtrs, Industrial Land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc. Contact 24700120, 92584715 Flat for rent in Al Hail, North near The Wave, Muscat. Contact 99353433, 99271017

New bldg 3 BR ﬂats located at Darsait, Muscat close to Kims Pvt Hospital. Contact 92020004 / 99800838

New warehouse for rent at Ghala ind. area. 578 & 1200 sqms near. hotel al-madinah holiday, Ghala. Container can enter, immediate access to roads & highways.Contact : 92078090

For rent at Ruwi, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting, dining, kitchen with A/C near Al Falaj Hotel, Ruwi, Way 2116 building 577, rent RO 275, PDC. Contact 99879939

Villa in Al Khuwair 33 close to Technical College with 3 bedrooms, 1 sitting room and shaded balcony. Directly from owner not for brokers. Contact 92814242

For rent at Al Khuwair, 1 room with bathroom (Independent), near Rawasco with split A/C, 2nd ﬂoor, rent RO 125 PDC. Contact 99879939

For rent at Al Khuwair, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sitting, dining, kitchen split A/C near Rawasco, 1st ﬂoor. Rent 480 PDC. Contact 99879939

Family villa & ﬂats at Al Ansab and Awabi. Contact 98458542 2 BHK Commercial, Al Khuwair, RO 375/-. Contact 92144045

Flat, shops, basement, Ruwi-MBD Area, Honda Road. Contact 96942749, 92433127 6 shops in Mabela Industrial Area. Each Front Shop OMR 400 and Side Shop OMR 300Monthly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Family room available for rent at Muttrah Souq. Contact 24712088 / 99022790 Fully furnished one bedroom penthouse Wadi Kabir behind Sana Hassan, weekly RO.140/- Monthly RO 350/- Contact – 99349990

Office space & store, CBD 20059. Contact 99024730 2 BHK, Al Khuwair. Contact 99024730 Spacious well maintained 2 BHK at Rex Road from 1st February. Contact 92227165 2 BHK, CBD. Contact 99024730 2 BHK, Darsait near Kims Hospital. Contact 99024730 1 & 2 BHK & villa 3 BR-Darsait near ISM & ISD. Contact 99024730 1 BHK, 2 BHK, Ghala, new bldg. Contact 99024730 1 BHK, Wadi Kabir. Contact 99024730 Flat for Rent in Ruwi, Bareeq Shatti, Mawalah. Contact 92521080, 98899916 Flat for rent Ghubrah South, ground floor flat, 3 bedrooms, majlis, family hall, RO 425/-. Contact 94669711 6 bedroom villas at Al Ansab (nr Express highway).# 99199365 Villas & flats & stores. Contact 99776071 / 99057348

M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

FOR RENT

BUYING/SELLING Used household & office furniture and electronic items. Contact 99834373, 97102699 Looking for purchase of Used Portable Compressor (350 CFM, 7 Bar Pressure) powered with Diesel run Generator. Kindly Contact 99014686 or operation@khancogroup.com

FOR SALE

Looking for commercial lands for sale in Al Ghobrah North (urgent serious buyers, commercial lands in al Ghobrah North (corners prime location). Contact 91155779

AVAILABLE Established Restaurant for rent with sponsorship. Contact 97628242

2 BHK with window A/C in Al Khoudh rent RO 250/-. Contact 97661432

I room with attached toilet in Al Hail for bachelor, rent RO 100 to RO 130/-. Contact 97661432 Industrial empty plots 1000 – 15000 sqm are available in Misfah / Jiffnain rent for long lease, RO 1.200 per sq mt. Contact 96789522 2 BHK Pent House with split A/C in all rooms, very spacious balcony with sea & city view RO 350, 2 BHK RO 340, Bldg #1619, Way #1322 adjacent to Indian Nursery Darsait. Contact 99476728 / 99831047 1 BHK bedroom flat in Wadi Kabir neat Kuwaiti Mosque RO 200/-. Contact 95094028 Abu Adnan Tower - flat for rent available at Al Mabelah, 2 B/R, 1 hall, 2 toilets, 1 kitchen. Contact 95566475 / 99654252 1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390. Contact 99319880 2 BHK flat for rent RO.350/- at Al Khuwair near Sultan Taimur Mosque. Contact – 98893294 1 BHK residential flat at Honda road. 2 BHK residential flat opposite to Al Nahdha hospital. Contact93219590 1 BHK flat Qurum RO.270/- with split A/C. Contact – 99358589 / 95570288 /97079146 2 BHK flat at Al Khuwair RO.370/with split A/C. Contact – 99358589 / 95570288 /97079146 If require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send messages through Whatsapp or call – 99376454 Luxury 2 bed room villa at BausherAL Ansab Phase 3.Call. 99324456 Villa, ground floor in Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569, 97004265

Constructed warehouse 3000 sq mt with boundary wall & gate in Misfah ready for lease or rent for long term. Rent RO 3.500 per sq. mt. Contact 96789522 2 BHK at Al Azaiba, Building No.5145 Way 4470. Contact 99224748, 99425665 2 BR, 2 toilets, kitchen at Al Mawaleh. #99444786, 99747560 We have 1 BHK, 2 BHK, 3 BHK ﬂats, 4, 5 bedrooms villa, open space offices & shops available in Ghala, Ghobrah, Qurum, Mabela, Ruwi, Darsait, Mumtaz, Wadi Kabir. All brand new buildings & very affordable prices. Contact 93782735 / 99208033 Flat for rent 2 bedrooms one hall in South Al Hail. RO 270. #93221474 For rent apartments: An apartment in old Muscat at Oman Arab Bank’s building. 3 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms, dining room, living room and a kitchen. Air conditioned apartments. 2 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room area and kitchen in an excellent location in Al Khuwair opposite the court of ﬁrst instance. For further information call 97072976 Apartments in Al Khuwair new area each apartment contains (2 bedrooms + living room) for RO 365. # 93181111 3 bedroom furnished Executive Apartment @Al Khuwair 25, 2 BR fully furnished Executive Apartment @Azaiba near Zubair Showroom, 2 BR fully furnished executive Apartment @Al Khuwair 33 near Zakher Mall. Please contact : Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC, 99249069 / 92888376 / 93201688, email : info@alshahiintl.com 2 BHK with A/C near ISM RO.325/1BHK Al Falaj without A/C RO.200/2 BHK with A/C near Kims hospital RO.300/- Darsait commercial or residential with A/C RO.230/Studio at Al Falaj RO.170/-. 2 BHK without A/C at Wadi Kabir RO.300/Contact - 92144045

FOR RENT 1 BHK with attached toilet & bathroom behind Bank Muscat at Wadi Kabir. Contact 99373290, 24815012 Flats and shops. Contact 93009999 For rent (flats), 2 bedrooms +hall+kitchen, location: South Al Mawaleh. Contact 99870020 1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390. Contact 99319880 Show room on the main road Saham center total area 450 m sq. Contact: 99366558 / 99334226 Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat. Contact 99349526 Flats ground floor, 3 Rooms & AC, kitchen, hall, in Al Mabaila South. Contact 99377290 2 B/ R Fully Furnished Executive Apartment @ Al Khuwair 33 Near Zaker Mall. 3 Bedroom Furnished executive apartment @ Al Khuwair 25 5 B/R Luxury Fully Furnished villas at Azaiba with servants, 3 Bedroom Unfurnished Villa @ Mawalah South Area 6 with Servant Quarter, 5 Bedroom Unfurnished Villa @ An Apartment that resembles a penthouse has 2 rooms with 2 toilets, living room & an elegant balcony. Fully furnished, suited for families. Final price RO.300/- Mabela 8 near German University. Contact 99888400 Industrial Land in Misfah. Contact 93009999 New Villa for Rent Two floors newly built villa in Maabillah, 8 Full-fledged Residential Area 6 Rooms, 8 Toilets, excellent finishing spacious Kitchen, Big Dining Rooms in Both Floors, Easy Access to Muscat and Sohar using Maabillah Bridge. Contact 92828303

Party & Wedding equipment rentals. Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. www.tunesoman. com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

FOR SALE If you have any empty land, plot, building, villa to sell. Contact with all information : info@goldenllc.com

ACC.WANTED

A/C spares shop for sale in Seeb. Contact 92693304 / 91445876

Single room or studio ﬂat required in Ruwi area. Contact : 95405033

Villa for sale in new Al Khoudh. Contact 99778773 30 seater Toyota Bus, 2014, white color for sale. Contact 98888999 / 96341946 A running supermarket for sale in Wadi Kabir. Contact 95113037 Running Medical Centre with full equipments is available for sale. Those interested can contact 98994208. Clinic for sale. Contact 99824232, email : modern.medicalclinic@gmail. com Industrial shed / warehouse for immediate lease in Rusayl Industrial Estate. Contact 99263196 / abcon@omantel.net.om Dental clinic for sale in Sohar. Contact immediately 99705760,92625962 New fully equipped 2 chair dental clinic in Seeb area for immediate sale. MOH approved. Contact 94514045 Well running pharmacy. Contact no . 93240949 Flats for Sale in Bowshar: OMR 35 Thousand 1 bedroom. OMR 45 Thousand 2 bedroom. Monthly income 1 bedroom OMR 270 and 2 bedroom OMR 350. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Darsait Business Office furniture, Isuzu 4 ton brand new. Contact 91391363 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka. OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

For sale Professional sound system contact 99353978 3 floor commercial building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 18 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Used furniture bedroom sofa dining A/Cs Majlis washing machine, table keyboard, Expat leaving. #99353978 A newly opened Barber Shop for sale at upcoming industrial zone in Misfah. Expat leaving Oman. Genuine buyers call 93833107 (Sale Price Negotiable) Running Workshop for Tiles / Marble & Granite cutting & skirting in Wadi Kabir for immediate sale. Contact 99105492 Household items on sale. Contact 93833107 Building material shop for sale, near Mars Hypermarket, Al Ghoubra. Contact 93797343 / 99881647 Port cabins – New & refurnished Porta cabin for sale and rent. Contact 96723468 Sale!, all household items, like fridge, freezer, cooking range, washing machine, window/split A/Cs, LCD TV, Laptop, tab and many more for attractive prices. Location : near Toyota service Center, Honda Road. Contact - 97048983, 95293643 Restaurant for leasing/sale in Al Hail. Contact 94148970, 94148972, 97820877

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished single room with separate bathroom near al meera hypermarket, azaiba. Gsm 94288863 Furnished room with AC for expat, Al Khuwair. Contact 99689315 / 97004265 Spacious semi-furnished room with separate entrance, attached washroom for non-cooking Indian Bachelor near ISG. Contact 95146361, 92657598 Single room attached bathroom, kitchen, split A/C, Al Ghubrah near Mars Hypermarket, OR 180/-. Contact 95094028 Single room available for exec bachelor, Muttrah opp Oman House. Contact 93340125 Independent rooms in Qurum/ Al Hail. Contact 95529970 Room with separate entrance, bathroom, A/C, furniture near Al Nahdha Hospital. Contact 93201710 Bath attached room with separate sharing kitchen for rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99378661 2 rooms with 2 bathrooms and sharing kitchen for couple or executive bachelors at hamriya r/abt. ( on the main road side, opp. Apollo hospital ) RO 150. Contact 98232567 Furnished single room with attached bathroom near Mars Hypermarket, Al Ghubrah. Contact 97312111, RO 150/- per month Contd on Pg 6

M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian female, 25 yrs, bachelors of businesses management, having experience of 5 years as a fund/ ﬁnancial administration, on visit visa,looking for suitable placement. Contact 94662416 Apurwaverma@gmail.com Indian Male 25 years B.Com having 3 years of exp of Oman in Accounts/Administration.Well versed with computer knowledge looking for suitable position. Immidiately available. Contact:93207867 email: tambeazhar@gmail.com Indian female, 25 yrs, B.Com with computer Application, 1 yr experience as Accountant, looking for suitable job. Contact 98847165 Chartered Accountant, 10+ yrs experience, B.Com, CA, CIA. Immediate availability. Audit, Finance. Contact 94641805

ADMIN

ENGINEERS

SALES / MARKETING

Urgently required: Receptionist (Omani) - 01 no with 2-4 years experience Marketing Executive - 01 no; with 5 years experience (Location - Mawelah, Muscat) . PRO -02 no with min 10-15 years experience (Location - Muscat & Sohar). Interested candidates may send CV to infoduqumoil@gmail.com

Omani Trainers & OJT’s for Mechanical / Electrical / Instrumentation & Business with suitable qualiﬁcation and min 5 yrs experience in Oil & Gas. Very attractive salary offered. Suitable candidates send your CV to trainingjobsoman@gmail.com

Urgently required Sales Personnel (full time / part time) - 5 to 10 yrs experience in Building Materials, knowledge of Arabic is an advantage, should have car. Email : alnajjardevelopmentco@gmail.com

A leading foodstuff company requires the following : Office Coordinator – with experience in related ﬁelds, female. Interested candidates may send their resumes at jobs.om@outlook.com Construction Company requires female executive assistant, with good computer and communication skills, advanced English, ﬂuent Arabic. Please send your CV harun.koyyar@adaliholding.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Required experienced Accountant Tally, excellent English & driving license. Contact – omanlaw.om@gmail.com / 24497762 / 92192510 Male Accouuntant required in Ghala. Candidates present in Oman only. # 99454425, Email: qamest@omantel.net.om Indian male having 14 years of experience in Various dept. (stockbroking Dealing, Back Office Accounts, Dmat, Settlement, Risk management, Maintaining Books of accounts ETC). Having Good Computer Knowledge seeking suitable placement Email Id: vora_bharat@yahoo.com, +91 9820240094 Urgently required Senior Accountant (exp. required minimum 5 yrs having driving license), Assistant Accountant (exp. req minimum 3 yrs). Contact 99322373 , omanlightsmarketing@gmail.com, alzahraexports@gmail.com. An Accountant with minimum 3 yrs experience in managing ﬁnancial records & administration functions is required for an IT company in Muscat. Send your CV with updates photo to itmuscat2014@yahoo.com

DRIVER Wanted driver. Contact 95112461 An excellent company seeking for experienced male Light Duty Driver to work in Salalah. Contact 92322588 / 99653350, email : sadiq.fm@omantel.net.om

DESIGNER Required part time web designer with experience in CMS background. Send your CV & sample work to hrmedia123@gmail.com

EDUCATION Required English teacher for KG 1 / KG II. Contact 97163777, 99429352 Required Teacher for ISWK student studying in VII & III at Honda Road Ruwi. Contact 99471699

LAWYER Required urgently a Legal consultant /Lawyer for reputed law ﬁrm for SOHAR office. Candidates should have 5-7 yrs exp. as a Legal Consultant/ Lawyer with good knowledge of Computer & should be ﬂuent in English. Contact 99153620 Email C V to shejaanil66@gmail.com or between 8am to 5.30 pm.

MEDICAL

A reputed Electrical Material Company is looking for dynamic & hardworking salesman with minimum 2 yrs experience in same ﬁeld of GCC with valid GCC Driving License for its Mussanah office for Al-Batina Region. Send CV to al.senair@gmail.com, contact : 98534685, 26868984

Wanted female physiotherapist with MOH License. Send CV at Email : info@sagarpolyclinic.com

Looking for outdoor salesman for heavy equipments. Contact- 93292015, 99656542

Required experienced Pharmacist with MOH License for a New Pharmacy in Muscat. Contact 95146957, email : medicare@fusionlogicoman.com

Salesman for Printing Press materials like Printing Press Plates, inks, rollers etc. Must have worked in a printing press and know the products well. Job is in Dubai with visa and good salary. Apply to sales@ies-oman.com

Urgently required a GP Doctor with MOH license for a leading Medical Clinic. Contact 92008272 / 96602188, email : dearnaif@hotmail.com Urgently required an experienced Pharmacist with MOH License for a reputed Pharmacy in Muscat. Please send CV to newcareesr2015@gmail.com Doctor needed for a rehabilitation centre in Muscat. send cv to oman@rochesterwellness.com Reqd 1 Lady Doctor (Internist) with 3 yrs experience in Oman. One female Nurse with atleast 3 yrs experience in Oman. For newly established clinic in Ruwi. Send your detailed CV to mohamedsfarah@ hotmail.com, Tel : 91283188 We are looking for an Optometrist for an Optical with minimum 3 yrs experience. Please contact 99340769 or email : aeooman@gmail.com Wanted MBBS Doctor, Staff Nurse and Lab Technician for a Clinic in Capital Area. Please contact 93431024, send CV to drasyanaseem@gmail.com Required Physiotherapist. Contact: 91453024 Dentist required to work urgently in dreams clinic at Al Khoud and must be resident in Sultanate of Oman. Please send your CV to the following email – towershr70@gmail.com / balushi70@gmail.com / info@towersinternationalgroups.com Mobile – 99882340 / 24545914 General practitioner Doctor is required to work urgently in Dreams Clinic at Al Khoudh and must be resident in the Sultanate of Oman. Please send your CV to the following email: towershr70@gmail.com, balushi70@gmail.com & info@towersinternationalgroups. com, Mobile 99882340, Tel: 24545914

MECHANICAL ENGINEERS Construction Company requires Civil Engineer with degree only with 10 yrs of local or GCC Experience. Email : omaniantrad@gmail.com

Reputed Building Materials Company looking for Outdoor Sales Executive having valid Omani D/L with more than 2 yrs Local Sales Experience in Tiles/Sanitaryware. Please fax your CV to 24798709 / email : united@omantel.net.om

Urgently required AC Mechanic. Contact 97075347 / 99747684

UPVC Doors and Windows Company urgently require Sales and Marketing Person, experience 3-5 yrs in same industry with Oman Driving License. Contact 99475701, email : siju.greentech@gmail.com Required Salesman, Tailor, Barber. Contact 91114884 Highly reputed Perfume Company requires Omani Sales girl promoters. Contact 95663682, 92956876 Urgently required Sales Managers & Sales Executives for the following ﬁelds: 1) Information technology, 2) Gifts & promotion 3) Readymade Garments & textile. Experience required minimum 3 yrs & having valid Oman Driving license. Contact 99322373 , omanlightsmarketing@gmail.com, alzahraexports@gmail.com Leading Construction company requires young purchase assistant with Oman driving license. Email : nikunj@uniqueom.com. Required an experienced person who has ideas to start a new business in electrical ﬁeld or supply with minimum cost. Contact 99426421

SIT.WANTED Filipino Accountant with 13 years working experience in the ﬁeld of accounting looking for a suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 94547323 28 years Indian male with 7yrs of experience in Accounts & Finance up to ﬁnalisation in Construction Oil & Gas and also in Manufacturing industries with Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact me on 97104364 .email: moorthy_cbe@hotmail.com Indian female MA. B.Ed. with One year three months Teaching experience. Subject: English, seeking for a Better placement. Now working in Oman. Contact 93961142, 92184408 Email:anoopkesavan78@gmail.com. MBA with 1 yr experience, Indian looking for job, salary 40000 INR. Contact 96271935

Pakistani Male MBA having 4 years experience in Accounting looking for job.NOC Available. Contact# 95610772 Accountant, B.Com, MBA, Indian male, having 4 yrs GCC exp in similar ﬁeld, valid Omani D/L & NOC available. shinuyesodharan@gmail. com, contact : 91719385

SITUATION WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Indian male, 24 yrs MBA, having 2 yrs of experience in financial accounting finalization, knowledge of Tally, ERP, focus, wings, PEACHTREE, MS Excel, Payroll, currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement available immediately. Contact 91058205, email : aslammohammed10@gmail.com Indian male, 29 yrs, Accounts / Administrator, 1.8 yrs exp in Gulf seeking employment for suitable position. NOC available. Contact 93581182 Pakistani male, 25 yrs, MBA Finance, 1.6 yrs exp in Accounts seeking placement in Accounts, Administration or Business Management. Contact 92651927 / 94250149 Indian Male, looking for job in Accounts & Administration previously, experience 1 yr in Oman, now on visit visa. Contact 97424337 Indian accountant with more than 30 years of experience in construction (financial / cost accounting) with experience in material management ,HR and general administration seek part time/full time assignment. Ready to work any where in Oman. Contact 98598099

Accountant / Auditor, Srilankan male 27, having 3+ yrs experience looking for suitable placement. Contact 93556320

Indian Male, MBA 2 yrs experience in Accounts, Admin & HR on visit visa. Contact 92045306 India Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to ﬁnalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placement. Contact:93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com

ADMIN/HR Indian male MBA 32 yrs having 10 yrs of exp seeking suitable placement in Admin/ HR/ Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics etc. Holding valid Oman D/L .Contact - 99054786

Male, 4 yrs of experience as Financial Analyst looking for suitable position. Contact 94140728 Part time Accountant, up to ﬁnalization, looking for job after 5 pm (Location prefer – Qurum to Al Khoudh). Contact 92917574

HR & Admin Assistant, 26 yrs Indian male having 6+Yrs of experience looking for suitable position. Contact 93264616

Accountant B.Com & CIMA Part qualiﬁed, 8 yrs experience currently in Sri Lanka. Contact +94777222392 or 91126314

Indian male 32 years, B.A Tourism & Travel Management. 2 and Half years Dubai experience in Front office & reservation in a 3 star hotel with good command over English & Hindi, seeking placement in HR or Admin. Contact - 9454 1041.

ACCA, 24 yrs, female, looking for a suitable position, Accounting/ Finance in a reputed firm. Contact 91710657 Indian Accountant: male, B.Com, 6 out of 10 yrs experience in Oman. Having NOC & valid Oman D/L. Can join immediately. Contact 95740191, email : lashks@gmail.com B.Com Graduate, 3 yrs experience in Accounts, Indian male, looking for accounts or suitable job. Contact afsarsabith@yahoo.com, 93975526 Part time Accountant with 15 yrs exp in Accounting, Auditing, Taxation Management. Contact 95857199 Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting . NOC available. Contact 96209331 Accounts part time works upto finalization & finalization works. Contact 96247295 Pakistani Male, 26 yrs, MS-Supply Chain & Project Management, BSFinance & Business Administration, +2 yrs experience in Trading Firm responsible for Supply Chain & Accounts. Skills including strong operation managerial Communication & interpersonal, fluent in English, SAP and EPM. Contact 94663827, email : musadiqfayyaz@gmail.com

Light Driver having own visa looking for job as driver Contact 92303692 Driver with car. Contact 91452930

Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.7 out of 9 years experience in Oman in Accounts/ﬁnance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143, Email: anzarks@gmail.com

Graduate Indian female having 5+ Years Oman experience in Admin/Procurement/Logistics with excellent computer skills(PGDCA). Seeking suitable Placement. NOC available.Contact:95382966

Female Accountant with 4 years experience in Oman seeking suitable placement. Contact 98721909

DRIVER

Indian female with excellent communication skills, conﬁdent, dedicated to work and enthusiastic. Knowledge about ms office. Has 6 years of experience in customer service, telecommunication, HR.Looking for immediate placement. Contact # 97348819

ARCHI./ DRAUGHTSMAN 30Male, 3D Designer, 5 yrs exp, software command in autocad, 3dmax, , illustrator & Photoshop seeks immediate placement GSM 93481811 AutoCAD jobs, Preparing Working/ Shop Drawings & Civil Quantity Surveying jobs. Contact : 92758095

DESIGNER Indian male, 8 yrs GCC experience in 3D & Architectural Designing with D/L. Contact 97263199 Interior Designer, Indian male, have 5 yrs experience with Oman License looking for a suitable job. Email : sijithpattath@gmail.com, 93779308

DRIVER

Indian Driver need job with car. Contact 91254539 Light vehicle driver looking for job, experience 2 yrs. Contact 94195818 LV Driver- 2 yrs Exp-know English- Contact 95292064 Light vehicle driver looking for job. Contact 95141473 Light driver looking for job in any Company Office, experience 2 yrs. Contact 95341768 Pakistani male, having one year exp as light vehicle driver looking for job. Contact 96342684 Bangladeshi Driver seeking job, 3 yrs exp. Contact 99063175 Light Driver looking for job. Contact 92787245 Driver with vehicle, Keralite. Contact 94251067 Driver seeking job. Contact 99805236

EDUCATION English Teacher (M.A, B.Ed) Indian female with 2yrs of experience looking for suitable position 91507099. Indian Female, M.Tech (A.E), B.Tech (ECE) with 1.5 yrs experience in teaching (Asst Professor) in Engineering College, seeking suitable teaching / non teaching jobs in Muscat. Contact 91532690 Email: rin2mary@gmail.com, Indian female MSc costume design & fashion having 3 yrs exp in teaching seeking suitable job. Contact: 97614456 / 95918968

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Seeking job, BTech Instrumentation, 12 years experience Design, FEED, Detailed engineering, Oil & Gas, Instrumentation systems, Oman Driving license. Email :- wilfridsjacob@gmail.com Mobile:- 00968 99048130 B.E Mechanical Engineer, Indian Male, 29, 5 years experience in steel fabrication ﬁeld (piping and structural) as site engineer. Looking for suitable placement. Contact 96115463. Jijoraju085@yahoo.com. Jordanian Engineer Electrical 7 yrs exp. Consulting, site & shop drawing works. Ready to join immediately. Worked in UAE & Saudi Arabia. Contact - 00971555594733 Civil Engineer B Tech, Site Engineer Experienced, Drafting on Visit Visa Ph : 91642050

6 Years experience light duty driver. Contact – 96736744

Looking Part time Job in HVAC93198128

Light driver looking for job. Contact 92791678

Experienced female Electrical Engineer.Contact 93800906

M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian Civil Engineer, M.Tech in Construction Management, Primavera Expert looking for suitable placement. Contact 92550987

Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech, 3+ yrs exp. (2 yrs. in Oman) looking for better prospects. NOC available. GSM: 968 94403484 Email : myopportunities2015@gmail.com,

Indian female, Electrical Engineer (family visa) M-Tech in Power System having 1 yr experience seeking suitable placement. Contact 94306164

Indian B.Tech Mechanical Engineer, 26 yrs, 4 yrs experience in HVAC/MEP. Contact 94669629, rajeevhpd15@yahoo.com

Building Construction Sr. Site Supervisor looking for better opportunity since March 2010 in Oman with Omani D/L. Contact 93061107

Civil Engineer, male, 25 yrs, 3 yrs experience in site, CAD,3D, MS Project, now in India, seeks job in Oman. Contact 92887561, jubincivileng@gmail.com

Diploma in Civil Engineer, 20 yrs in Oman with D/L. Contact 94677220 39, Indian Male, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, 6 yrs experience steel fabrication, maintenance of heavy equipments in Oman, 10 yrs in India, having Omani Driving License, NOC available. Contact 96728805, email : jansanjosep@yahoo.co.in Pakistani male, 41 yrs Electrical Foreman, 9 yrs exp in Gulf seeking employment for suitable position. NOC release. Contact 99562454, 92896190 HSE Officer, 8 yrs experience NEBOSH OSHA having NOC, seeking good opportunity. Contact 98640063 Indian Female, 24, UK Graduate - MSc Digital Communication Network Engineering with B.Tech Electronics and Communication with Omani Driving License, seeks suitable placement. Contact No. : 95408113 Sudanese Mechanical Engineer, 3 yrs experience in HVAC fire fighting, NOC and driving license available. Contact 91135140 B.Sc, Civil Engineer, over 19 yrs experience in construction field with project management skills, seeks suitable placement. NOC available & can join immediately. #92198264, Email : mdrana1970@gmail.com Indian male Mechanical Engineer (M.Tech), Manufacturing Engineering, having 2 yrs Exp with Oman D/L - seeking suitable placement . NOC available. Contact: 98681278; Email : alexyvellara@gmail.com Civil Engineer, Diploma, Sudanese, 5 yrs experience in Oman, have driving license. Contact 96618918 Electrical Engineer, Sudanese male, 8 yrs experience in Construction, operation, maintenance, electrical plants, responsible for electrical installation coordination. Contact 94549609 Civil Diploma Engineer, Indian male, 5 yrs experience in Oman with valid Omani D/L. Contact 98518370 Civil Engineer, 14 yrs exp, 5 yrs in Oman, driving license, NOC release available. Contact 91101892 Telecom Engineer with Bachelor Degree, CCNA female, 1 yr experience in Sales & Marketing seeking suitable job. Contact 97269189 B.E (Civil) Engineer looking for a suitable placement, driving license available. Contact 91253392 Civil Engineer (Diploma) looking for an urgent placement. Contact 95200650 Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech 4 yrs MNC experience, installation commissioning & on-site repairs / maintenance of heavy mechanical equipment. Contact 93387867, mamgain9806@rediffmail.com B.E Production / Diploma Fabrication, 2 yrs experience valid PDO permit holder visa expiry on 26/01/2015. Contact 94270360, +91 9925140499, pankajrathod1985@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, Indian male, seeking suitable job on visit visa. Contact 99796730, 92031312, email : pudsalamilup123@gmail.com Indian male, B.E. Electrical Engineer having 15 months experience in a leading Indian Company, seeking suitable placement. Now in Oman on visit visa. Contact 92453891, email : jestinjose007@gmail.com Diploma of Associate Civil Engineering, Diploma of AutoCad, having 3.5 yrs experience, 2 yrs experience of Oman in Building Construction, valid transferrable ID Card. Contact 94378581

SALES / MARKETING

B.Tech Civil Engineer since 9 yrs in Oman experienced in Project coordination / Quantity surveying, looking forward to work with contractor/ consultants/client. Email: mmali_03@yahoo.com, Contact 93457995 26, female, B.Tech in Electronics & biomedical engineering with 1 And Half yrs experience in medical ﬁeld is seeking suitable job openings. Email : aswathiravirak@gmail.com, ph : 94652908 B.E, Civil Engineer, 7 yrs experience (3 in UAE & 4 in Pak), skilled – MS word. Excel, AutoCAD. Contact 98499008 Email : saadichan1331@gmail.com, Indian male, 25 yrs, Electrical & electronics Engineer, 7.8 CGPA, history of no backlogs, Zonal topper in English Communication, with Cambridge certiﬁcation, looking for suitable position, 2 yrs experience. Contact 93918271, abhilileeeian89@gmail.com

MBA Finance, 6 yrs exp in Sales & Marketing with Omani Driving License seeks suitable placement. Contact 94685706

MEDICAL Home nurse. Contact 99156191

INFORMATION TECH

MISCELLANEOUS

B.Tech IT Professional, Indian Male with 3 yrs of Exp. In System Admin, IT Support, Networking, Installing Active Directory, DHCP, DNS,RAS, conﬁguring maintaining and managing servers, conﬁguring cisco routers, Exp in handling SQL database, With Valid Driving Licence. Contact - 968 98863507

Skipper, ﬁshing vessels, 33 yrs experience as Captain in Indian and International waters, oceanography and ﬁshery related research activities and management. Contact 95775380 / 99616823

IT Prof, MCA having 6+ yrs exp, seeks suitable position. Contact 94543668 IT Professional, Indian male, B.Sc Graduate with 4+ yrs Gulf (UAE) good exp in System Administration, IT Support, Server Desktop, laptop, smartboard, datashow biometric, CCTV, currently on visit visa. Contact 98936548, Email: vaseemj@yahoo.com IT Network Engineer with Bachelor Degree, CCNA, RHCSA, RHCE seeking suitable job in good Company. Contact 99818601

Electrical Project Engineer, 4 yrs experience OHL, Substations, Oil & Gas ﬁeld, AutoCAD. D/L available. Contact 95120225

Indian male Graduate with 20+ years of Administration, Operations & Management experience in IT, Oil & Gas & Hospitality Industry. 12 years in Oman with vast contacts, very strong management, operational, communication and interpersonal skills, can handle any size of business and projects whether it’s in initial stage or established. Can join immediately. Local release available on request. Contact: 9906 4589

Quantity Surveyor (Civil Building) looking for Part time job Contact no:-94391712 E-mail addressinayathhussain@yahoo.com Industrial Electrician with Oman Driving license. Contact 96348016 Indian male, 26 yrs B-Tech (ECE) with MBA in Marketing / HR looking for a suitable placement. Currently on visit visa valid up to 30 January 2015. Contact 93754428, email : shijosirius709@gmail.com Diploma in Civil Engineer, 15 yrs Oman experience (total 28 yrs) looking for senior position with valid D/L, NOC available. Contact 99013465 DAE (Civil) having 3.5 years Experience 2 years from Oman with driving licences, seeking for suitable position in Construction ﬁeld NOC and release available #96968554 Email: mehranahmad26@yahoo.com M. Tech Electrical Eng. Female, now in visit visa. Contact +968-94654481. B. Tech Civil Eng. 3 yrs exp in Oman with driving license. Contact 93733627. Mail id : joinvisam@gmail.com, neethusprakash@gmail.com Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847

INFORMATION TECH BCA Gratuate, Indian male with 1yr of exp in System Admin, IT Support, Network Admin and 1yr exp as sales Executive.CCNA,MCSE .looking for suitable job. # 95938303 email- hafsalhs@gmail.com IT Professional, 7 yrs exp in System Administration, IT Support, Networking etc. currently on visit visa. Contact 94064579, email : preejes01@gmail.com Indian Male 23 yrs – IT / Prepost Sales Consultant / Business Analyst / Web Designing. 2 yrs. exp. Languages-HTML5, WebRTC, Java, CSS, C++, .Net, SQL, Oracle, ERP-Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Looking for suitable job. Contact: 98802504, email:shrihari26@gmail.com IT support Technician, B.Sc computer science, 1 yr experience in Desktop support & 3 months experience as System administrator, Indian male, 25 yrs. Email : rameezkk@outlook.com, Contact 94525218

Project Manager more than 20 yrs experience, 15 yrs in Sultanate of Oman in construction ﬁeld. Contact 93385789 Qualiﬁed Manager: (12+ yrs. Oman Exp.) Vast knowledge in A/c & Admin, Costing, Banking, Credit Control, Insurance, International Purchase/ Logistics & Finance, With D/L looking for suitable position. Gsm: 93826090 Email: jskanchan01@gmail.com Indian female with nine years of experience in 5 Star hotels as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager looking for a suitable placement in a reputed Star hotel. Contact: 91219787 General Manager / working partner 20 years in Dubai adverting agency experience. Contact 93031168

MEDICAL Female dentist with MOH license and with Noc looking for suitable placement in Muscat region Contact no. 99147426 Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378 Male Nurse -prometric exam passed and valid till feb21-5year experience. Allwyn David- allwyndavid123@ gmail.com 94686268, 92800101 Indian female, 26, Pharmacist with MOH license, 3.5 yrs of experience in India, seeking suitable placement. Contact 94474924, Email: suryacprasad88@gmail.com Indian female Pharmacist, 28 yrs MOH license holder with 3 yrs experience seeking suitable placement. Contact 94037178 Veterinary Doctor 4 years experience in Military Cattle farm, Pet Animals & butchery, looking for a suitable placement. #97892349 Indian male Pharmacist (B.Pharma) 5 1/2 years experience in Oman seeking suitable placement in Muscat. NOC from the present employer available. CONTACT +968 98525100 Indian Female, Dentist fresher looking for suitable placement. Contact 98857686, email : drsumbulahmad@gmail.com

Sri Lankan Salesman cum driver with NOC. Contact 97265733 Indian male, 25yrs, MBA in HR/ Marketing.6yrs exp with MNC and pharma. Presently in family visit visa looking for suitable placements. Contact no-94657379/ 96645182 Indian Male, MBA in Marketing and Finance, 10 years’ Sales & Business Development Experience with valid D/L of Oman & UAE looking for a suitable placement. NOC Available. Contact: 93969961 e-mail abhilash.pvrk@gmail.com

Microbiologist & Quality Assurance Executive, BSc Graduate, female, 27 with 4 yrs experience in food industry looking for a suitable placement. Email : nipuni.d.silva@gmail.com

Indian Male, 7 yrs experience in building materials trading having Oman D/L, immediate release available. Contact 98676713

Logistics Officer, Experience in Store keeping. Contact : 99505934

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE MBA Graduate 10+ exp FMCG food serv. Sales channel/ Branch Manager. Contact - 99185205

Young female, having experience of working in Oman with expertise in the ﬁeld of Event Management, Advertising, Marketing and Hotel Management. Currently on a visit visa. Seeking for a suitable Job. Contact 96153578

Quality Assurance Officer, ISO Quality System Internal Auditor, BSc Graduate, female 27, with 4 years experience seeks suitable placement. Contact nipuni.d.silva@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Telecommunication Engineer with 5 yrs experience in the Gulf. Contact 95219822

Civil Engineer with 12 years Experience Looking For Job. Contact 98162295

Indian male, 27 yrs, B.A. Economics, Diploma in Fire & Safety, NEBOSH, IOSH Certiﬁcation, 4 yrs experience as Safety Officer in India, on visit visa. Contact 97209656

Indian male, MBA 9+ yrs Oman exp in Sales & Marketing in FMCG (F & B) sector on a Supervisor / managerial role with D/L & Local NOC available. Contact 97912789

Indian female, well experienced in secretarial, administration, customer care & supervisory jobs. 5 years experience in Muscat. Immediately available for joining. Contact: 92139298

SALES / MARKETING Sales & Marketing Indian male MBA (marketing & sales) business development experience at all levels of management. Currently on visit visa. Contact – 91272819 Graduate, Indian, having 6 yrs experience in Sales with D/L, NOC available. Contact 93410723 Indian male, B.Com, 20 yrs experience in Sales & Marketing having UAE light D/L looking for suitable post. Contact +91 9946699062, email : sajim40@gmail.com Indian male, 26, MBA Marketing, 1 yr GCC experience Oman, license. Contact +91 9946308583, haris.hameedali@gmail.com Indian MBA-Marketing & Systems Manager having 6 yrs experience in Solar System & Inverters seeking suitable placements. Contact 97892269 / 99046313 Pakistani male, 34, College 2 yrs, 2 yrs experience as Sales Representative, 3 yrs experience as Clerk / Office Assistant, 3 yrs experience as Salesman in Oman, Computer Skills : Excel, BUSY, ERP, languages known – English, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu. Contact 96763346 Pakistani Graduate have a two years experience in sales/marketing in Muscat. Have a valid driving license. Fluent in English and Arabic. Need a suitable position. Contact 95919265 Indian male, 30 yrs, 8 yrs + experience in Sales & Marketing, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95601197 Indian Male having 7 yrs in experience in Oman Sales & Marketing Office Automation Printer, Copier, MFP, IT products & Stationery. Looking for Suitable Placement NOC Available Contact :97384748 Oracle certified BE (CS) Indian male with skills in OCA (DBA, SQL10g, looking for suitable placement. Contact 98436022/99848874 Email: rineel2005@yahoo.com Young Energetic Male, with Oman work experience in the field of Sales/ Marketing and Administration. Currently on a visit visa seeking suitable position. Contact 97832289. wakakhan.1@gmail.com 15 years experience in Business Development , marketing, purchase – UAE & Oman-staff coordination, documentation, civil & technical maintenance, -valid GCC license-looking for working partnership or management post. Contact:91568362 / Email vpj555pem@gmail.com

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Civil foreman maintenance D/L, 12 yrs in Oman, 2 yrs in Kuwait. Contact 96405865, 99534138, India - +91 7589248550, +91 9464255409, email: sukhwinder9@yahoo.com

TOUR / TRAVELS IATA Certiﬁed experienced Indian Lady looking for job. Currently on visit. Contact 94613747, 91339846

MISCELLANEOUS Omani Man looking for a job with experience in HR/ Admin/ accounting. # 99767666 Graduate, Indian, having 6 yrs experience in Sales with D/L, NOC available. Contact 93410723 3 Years experienced Administrative Executive seeking for Virtual Admin Opportunities. Can work for 6 hours/day from a virtual location for 100 RO/month. Call: 95811820 Techno - Commercial Manager, well experienced in Oman. Vast knowledge in Operations, Business development, Logistic / Purchase, General administration. Looking for suitable opening. NOC Possible, Contact - 96599704 Indian male 25 B.Tech (IT) Engineer 2.5 years experience in hardware networking. Currently on visit visa, looking for suitable job. Contact - 94359564 26 years male, MBA Finance & Marketing, 1 year experience in marketing. Looking for sales job. Contact: 95437921 Civil draughtsman part time work for job. Contact : 96023726 31 years, male with Gulf Experienced Microsoft Certiﬁed Solution Associate, Have GCC driving license, looking for a suitable job as Network/System Administrator. Phone: +968 93927126, 99853614, Email: khalil837@hotmail.com Indian Female, B. Com, 2year Indian Exp. in Accounts, strong in Tally ERP 9,MS Office, looking for suitable position. Part time/Full time. Contact no: 95939129, 99104579, Email-sreekulaparambil@gmail.com Indian Male, 31 years of Rich Oman experience in Multifunctional Management, Administration, Business Development, Purchase & Operations, seeking suitable Manager/Supervisory Position.Visa transfer/NOC Available. Contact : 95036410 Indian female, Accountant. having +5 years experience in Oman till Nov 2014. seeking suitable placement. NOC available. currently in family visa. Contact :98447045, email:anilavandika@gmail.com IT supports 6 yrs experience, male, Filipino Desktop Support, Backup administrator, Wireless Networking, server admin. #- +96896126502

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male, 26 yrs - MBA Graduate with 3 yrs of Experience in Banking ( Standard Chartered Bank Scope International - Operations) &Coffee Vending Machine (Fresh & Honest Cafe ltd - Operations) on Visit Visa seeking placement. Contact 91267867 Indian male 23 yrs, 4 yrs experienced in Architectural Draughtsman looking for a suitable Post GSM:96023726, Email jayan.mathew009@gmail.com INDIAN, B.E Mechanical Engineer, 2 years job experience in Oman in pipeline field, fluent in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi, with valid Omani driving license (light) searching for job. Contact 99871470 Male 28, seven & half an year experience. Worked as maintenance division co-ordinator, purchaser’s assistant, and office administration works. Valid driving license. Contact 94454847 28 year Indian male with 7yrs of experience in Accounts & Finance up to finalisation in Construction Oil & Gas and also in Manufacturing industries with Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact 97104364 . email:moorthy_cbe@hotmail.com. Indian male, 25yrs, MBA in marketing from Delhi with 1 year experience in operation department, currently on visit visa seeking suitable placements. Ph 97334359 email: mshahinp1@gmail.com Civil Engineer, B.E in civil , Approx. two year experience in Oman, Pakistani age 29 years. Contact : 94389853 Email : faheemdeeer1986@gmail.com Male 28, seven & half an year experience. Worked as maintenance division co-ordinator, purchaser’s assistant, and office administration works. Valid driving license. 94454847 Indian, female, Pharmacist available with NOC and MOH License, preferably in Muscat. #9439 1355. Mechanical Engineer with 10+ years experience currently on visit visa looking for a Operation Manager/Branch Manager position in reputed organizations. #95757845 Senior Accounts Professional, Indian Male, 35 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin) 8 years in Oman, with valid Oman DL and NOC available. Capable to handle accounts up to finalization. Contact 9602 3965. Looking out for the post of Travel coordinator/Senior travel Consultant, 14 years (10 years in GCC Countries) of experience in the travel industry looking for a suitable placement. Contact : 96328687. An Indian driver with car looking for part time job. Contact 91103909 Indian, Female, Pharmacist available with NOC and MOH License, preferably in Muscat. #9439 1355. Indian, 24 years, B.Tech with Diploma in Sound Engineering & Sound Recording seeking suitable placement. Currently on Visit Visa. Contact: 95615436. Email: siddharthsadasiv@gmail.com Indian Female-Tech Electrical, from third best college, Government Engineering College Trissur. Fluent in English. Excellent presentation skill.Engineering, IT, teaching or account sector job wanted. Contact -97724630 / email: vyshnaparthan@gmail.com Indian male, 31 years of Rich Oman experience in Multifunctional Management, Admistration, Business Development, Purchase & Operations seeking suitable Manager/ Supervisory Position. Visa transfer/ NOC Available. Contact 95036410 Well experienced MOH Licensed Indian female staff nurse looking for placement under contract with Schools, Medical Centres, other Institutions. Contact 98140024. Phd – Management, specialization in management, e-marketing and online consumer behavior, 6 years of academic and research experience. Indian lady GSM 97240687 & 93463439 Indian Male having 14 years of experience in HR, Purchase Dept having Oman Driving License looking for a suitable position NOC available. Email –madhuvtk@gmail.com. Contact: 99252635, 99239498

M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

EVERY FRIDAY 2.00PM ON INDIA’S KAIRALI PEOPLE TV

● Worldwide ● Air Ticket ● Car Rental ● Holiday Packages ● Hotel Reservations ● Travel Insurance

Call: +96824790400, +96898569830 Email: info@omanorienttravels.com

SITUATION WANTED Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male, having 8+ years exp. in reputed companies, seeking suitable placement in any gulf region. Contact: +968 99276601 & 97693456. muralimahdav77@gmail.com Indian male, 26 yrs - MBA Graduate with 3 yrs of Experience in Banking (Standard Chartered Bank Scope International - Operations) & Coffee Vending Machine (Fresh & Honest Cafe ltd - , Operations) on Visit Visa seeks placement. Contact: 91267867, Email: jai.ks1988@gmail.com Tunisian women looking for job, khnows english, frensh, Italian and arabic. Contact: 91171838 28 year Indian male with 7yrs(5yrs in Oman) of experience in Accounts & Finance up to ﬁnalisation in Construction Oil & Gas and also in Manufacturing industries with Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact me on 97104364 email: Moorthy_cbe@hotmail.com Looking out for the post of Travel coordinator/Senior travel Consultant, 14 years (10 years in GCC Countries) of experience in the travel industry looking for a suitable placement. Contact:96328687

Indian Male, 31 years of Rich Oman experience in Multifunctional Management, Administration, Business Development, Purchase & Operations seeking suitable Manager/Supervisory Position. Visa transfer/NOC Available. GSM: 95036410 Indian Male, B.COM, ICWA, CMA Australia, 24 years experience in ﬁnance, costing, accounts, internal audit. Valid Oman driving license. NOC available. Can join immediately. Contact 97917136

Indian Female, IATA, BSc looking for suitable placement. Contact 95514305. Email-jitureshmi@gmail.com MECHANICAL ENGINEER (B Tech), Indian Mail, with NDT Level 2(ASNT), Autocad, Solidworks, 2 year above experience (as Mechanical Site Engineer and Design Engineer), Seeking suitable placement(on visit visa). Contact: 91591548, 00919447300022, Email: vishnu300022@gmail.com Indian Female, Graduate having good experience looking for suitable job. NOC available. Contact 91774397

Indian Female. B-Tech Electrical, from third best college, Government Engineering College Thrissur. Fluent in English. Excellent presentation skill. Engineering, IT, teaching or account sector job wanted. GSM-97724630, email: vyshnaparthan@gmail.com

22 Indian Female, BCA (MCA), 4 Years’ Experience in Teaching, Training & Management of Ofﬁce and Computer Applications, looking for suitable vacancy in the ﬁeld of Teaching/IT/Office Management Contact – 94540768, Email – paipreethi01@gmail.com

Structural Engineer with 14 years experience in structural design and supervision ﬁelds with full knowledge of structure design programs, Omani D/L, seeking a reputed engineering consultancy office vacancy Tel. 96248598.

3 Years experienced Administrative Executive seeking for Virtual Admin Opportunities. Can work for 6 hours/day from a virtual location for 100 RO/month. Call: 95811820

Manager Maintenance/Engineering/Purchase, 31 yrs. exp. in mechanical, electrical, electronics, parts fabrication, purchase deptt, oman exp. 5yrs, have NOC, looking for job. Contact pkv2k3@yahoo.com, 99331289 Indian male, 28 yrs in Civil Engineer (Diploma), 3 yrs experience in Gulf seeking suitable chances. Contact 92063150

35.6 cents residential land (plus 4.5 cents area) high proﬁle gated community, 7.2 kms from Sims park, Coonoor kothagiri highway Tamil Nadu, granite wall built facing main road, premium property breathtaking view of valley, for sale price rs.750/per sq.ft. Contact Sukumar Menon +968-94080269

Post Graduate Engineer with 5+ years experience in Project Planning & Management currently on visit visa looking for a Project Co-ordinator/Planning Engineer position in reputed organizations. Please contact (968) 96105079

Female dentist with MOH license and release looking for a suitable placement in Muscat, presently residing in Muscat. Contact: 99147426

Indian female dentist with 4 year experience. Call Nazia 96488737

NRI

Indian Male Graduate 20 yrs in Oman, Accountant / Business Property Management seeking suitable position in Accounts / Administration working knowledge with TALLY. Valid Omani Driving License. Contact 99817183

For Astrological consultation, Jathakam. Contact 99860435 / 97102599

SITUATION WANTED Indian female, 34 yrs, B.A, B.Ed (S.S), DCA, Doing M.A by distance, having 6 yrs experience in School (5 yrs in Indian School, Oman). Contact 98728700, 92458872 B.Tech. (Civil), 2 years experience in designing, and training corporate professionals in Dubai in software, presently working in India, seeks suitable job opening. madhunambiarm@hotmail.com Indian Female 23 years M.Com Graduate on visit visa having four month experience as an Accountant in a company at Muscat. Looking for a suitable job. Immediately available for joining. Contact: 95846642, Email:shreedhanya916@gmail.com Indian female 24 yrs, MBA (ﬁnance) (1 year experience as administrator cum junior level accountant looking for suitable job & holding visiting visa. Contact 97481488, Email: ayeshaowasi12345@gmail.com Hotel Manager, Indian male, 25 years exp. in Budget & 3 Star Hotel, with Omani Driving License , Seeks Placement. NOC/Release Available. Contact: 99799774, Email: smoin_moinsb@yahoo.co.in

28 years male, MBA in Marketing, 5 years experience in Marketing and Brand Promotion. On visit, looking for job. Contact: 96104833

M. Sc. Medical lab technician (Prometric passed) having 6 years experience in India. Currently on visit, looking for a suitable placement. Please contact 97248144, samiullah_ar@yahoo.co.in.

Indian male 2 years experience in Light & Heavy motor vehicle Mechanic. Diesel & Petrol. Seek suitable placement Contact 99421537

Indian male executive secretary having vast experience in Admin, Logistics & procurement well versed with computer .seek suitable placement. Contact: 99514286

Project Manager civil, Indian, seeking suitable placement, having 18 yrs exp (13 yrs in Oman) in tendering, contracting and managing projects, available with release. Contact: 99244245, 95321251 Indian Male 26years BCOM having 5years rich experience in Accounts and Admin looking for suitable placement. Contact : 96897914340, 00919902200486 Email: sudhakaranchan06@gmail.com Mechanical Engineering Post Graduate with 10+ years work experience looking for a suitable immediate opening in construction, oil& gas, and other related companies, currently on visit visa. Contact: 92975815 Indian male -39, Graduate 15 years experience in FMCG sales and marketing and logistics operations with valid driving license looking suitable placement. Contact 92090949

MATRIMONIAL Indian male 39 Christian divorced seeks suitable alliance. Contact: 96059801 Keralite girl, 26 (160), BSC Nurse at South America seeks suitable alliance. Contact 94413100, 98335340

ACC. AVAILABLE Single room at Walja, opposite MBD area available for executive bachelors or single working woman for OMR 100 including Electricity and Water. Contact 93079877 Single furnished room in Ruwi. Contact 24833609 Sharing accommodation available at Mumtaz area, Ruwi. Contact 97612335

Indian Male 24 years, looking for a Suitable Job in Telecom / Networking. 1 year sales experience. MSc. Communications Engineering & Valid Driving license. Ph: 99027504. Email: jackrprasad@yahoo.com

Single room available for a working lady with separate bathroom & sharing kitchen with a family @Rex Road. Contact 95423572

Manager Maintenance/Workshop/Purchase, 31 yrs. exp. in mechanical, electrical, electronics, parts fabrication, purchase dep’t, oman exp. 5yrs, have NOC, looking for job. Pls. contact pkv2k3@yahoo.com, 99331289 Senior Accounts Professional, Indian Male, 35 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin) 8 years in Oman, with valid Oman DL and NOC available. Capable to handle accounts up to ﬁnalization. Contact 9602 3965. Civil engineer B.E, Indian male, having 18 yrs exp 11 yrs in Oman, with valid D/L, seeking suitable placement release available. Contact_95321251, 99244245, kader_fz99@yahoo.co.in

Land for sale, 13.2 cents prime residential land near Perourkada Junction on Vattiyoorkavu Road, Trivandrum at 12L per cent. Contact 92973928

GOOD NEWS

Proposals are invited from parents of professionally qualiﬁed Nair Boys for 24 year old Upper Middle Class Nair girl hail from Trivandrum, (171 cm, Star-Bharani) employed in a reputed Company in Oman. Contact: 0968-9950 2593 /99798041. (KM ID.2844689)

Indian male QA/QC Engineer-Civil (BE,ACQE)on visit visa, 10 years of experience in building construction projects in Qatar & U.A.E., holding valid GCC driving license. Mobile: 93958533, E-mail: sheikhnavid@yahoo.com

BCA graduate, 2 years experience in JAVA and .NET development looking for a suitable job. Mob. 98395032. For CV visit ‘http://muhammedswafuvan.weebly.com

Villa for sale 2200 sq ft in 8 cent. Kottayam. Contact: 92652534

Independent room furnished Executive at Wadi Kabir. Contact 99336206

Accommodation available for rent in SEEH AHMER FANJA near Oman Oil, only 10 mtrs drive from Rusayl industrial area, Please Call on 95200429 or 99224352 Room with separate entrance & A/C in Al Khuwair near Rawasco for non-cooking Indian Bachelor, rent RO 125/-. Contact 97201100, 95397442 Room with separate toilet and WiFi, Wadi Kabir near pencil building. Contact 93416854 Office space near KFC, Al Khuwair, office basement near Mars, Al Ghubrah, double & single bedroom ﬂat Al Ghubrah near Mars and Wadi Kabir near Lulu. Contact 95755551 / 92222045 Rooms for rent in Al Hail, front of the Wave. Contact 95192927 2 Bedroom ﬂat for offices with furniture near Al Manaf Hotel, Ghala. Contact 99525743, 99439705 Excellent 3 bedrooms , 2 sitting rooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen & store with A/C. 92817777

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments & massage, Ayurvedic clinic at Al Khuwair. Contact 24478618 / 97263637 /93309131 FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371554 / 92504980 , www.siddhayur.com Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis, ideal care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba.Contact 99639695 / 99117987

MANPOWER

M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE TOURS

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

TOURS

RENT A CAR

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours # 98029602, 92808636

DRIVING

M.V. FOR SALE

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact 93405941 Labor Pick & drop. Contact 92218001 Transportation. Contact 92306582 Transportation. Contact 98178135 Transportation available. Contact 95570429

FOR HIRE

TRUCK FOR HIRE Isuzu 10 ton cargo body truck (2012 FVR) with UAE experienced driver available for long term / short term rent.

Contact: 95346950 PDO approval truck for hire. Contact 99350915 50 seater bus with PDO speciﬁcation for rent or lease. # 99839898

Renault Safrane 2011, Excellent condition OMR3400. Contact 94015245

Chevrolet van model 2000 for sale, RO 1400/-. Contact 96789522

Pajero 3.8 v6 full option, 2008 model expat driven single owner, excellent condition, accident free, 217k. Contact - 92590781

L/R Discovery, 2003, KM 1,60,000. Contact 99238877

Lexus GS300, 2006. Contact 93218349 Tucson V-6, 2007, automatic RO 2500/-. Contact 99384640

FOR HIRE

Prado 2012. Contact 99336093

M.V.WANTED Required Nissan Tida / Toyota yaris / Suzuki swift / hyundai/Kia hatchback car in good condition. Contact 95405033

Pick & drop anytime in al Khuwair. Contact 99764307 Transportation. Contact 91379976 Transportation with car & driver. (VIP’s only). Contact 95040768 Pick & Drop any time. Contact 97014786 Transportation. Contact 99664703 Transportation available 99159277 Transportation. Contact 96538078

Running truck wash for rent in Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people can. Contact on 97864747

Transportation Available Contact 97180655

M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SITUATION WANTSERVICES

WEBSITE

CLASSES

Al Manar Vocational pleased to announce at vocational short and long term courses in tailoring, cooking and internal design. Contact us now : 24698070 or 91144335

BUSINESS

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price. Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998

GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC all kind of pest control. Contact 92326955

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. # 24793614/ 99314807

Assddin trad. & cont. steel, lathe & welding workshop. services of all type gear making, maintenance, repairing & technical engineering works. Muhammad Sabir, Wadi Al Kabir, Call: 99057248/ 24816390, E mail:gear_oman@yahoo.com

Cheapest Prices, all types window, curtains and blind. Contact 99539521 Computer service/ AMC/ Networking. Contact 93552434 Pest Control Treatments!!! Termites! Cockroaches! Bedbugs! Ocean Centre LLC. #99344723 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722 Door to Door Computers repair specialist laptop software Website cartridges. Contact 99199376 First Grade Building Construction Company registered in Tender Board, MOD, and all Ministries with 120 manpower have current projects of RO 2 million seeking for investor partner to be the Managing Director. Send CV to constructionjop@gmail.com My client needs to buy Residential land or villa in Al Ghubra Bahar Factory area. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

BUSINESS Wanted dentist or investor to buy a well-running dental clinic in Sohar immediately. Contact 92625962, 95904234 We assist in new business set up local sponsorship, real estate services, assist in company formation services. Contact - 93166088

A.M Trading Pest control. Contact 99067923 Split & window A/C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 Carpet & Sofa Shampooing. Ocean Centre LLC. # 99884591 Maintenance – 1) A/C Maintenance, 2)fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, 3)painting & cleaning services, 4)electrical & plumbing carpentry work. # 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house cleaning. Contact 99542979 / 98855815 For All Your Maintenance Solutions, A/c Servicing & Fixing, Painting, Cleaning, Electric. Contact 99002390 Carpet & sofa cleaning, house cleaning. Contact 99542979 / 98855815 For All Your Maintenance Solutions, A/c Servicing & Fixing, Painting, Cleaning, Electric. # 99002390 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Civil Maintenance, Painting Electric, Plumbing, Decor, Tile Fixing, Lecithin Copra Board flat stifling , Carpet Cleaning and A/C Servicing. Contact 97897831 (Indian keralite) Waterproofing, light weight Screed, Antitermite and MS Fabrication. Contact 92888337 Electrical Plumbing Painting Contract and Maintenance. Contact 98456535 House shifting transport. Contact 99657644, 98518013

A/C service, repair and maintenance works. Contact 95356877, 93937368. Al Sahib Modern Projects Split & window unit A/C servicing & repairing. Contact 99557080 PRO services. Contact 99368907 Fast & Right Way - For all PR related works – permanent Visa stamping, family visiting visa holders, clients contacts – with NOC letter with signed & sealed photocopy documents . Contact 91568362 Catering services We do industrial catering service, Canteen/ mess, 3 times packed meals, and all types of catering events. Contact 92188777/99249899 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir AlRizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

Window & split unit A/C servicing & maintenance. Contact 96236476 House shifting. Contact 99557080, 96236476 For HT cable jointing and termination works 33KV/11KV. Contact 99056438 / Email: npgoman@gmail.com Painting Interlock plumbing maintenance. Contact 92142319

LOST Muneer Zaman Abdul Sattar has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. F0161055. Finder please handover to ROP Rosnaeni BT has lost Indonesian Passport No. AS117224. Finder please handover to ROP.