Times of Oman - May 21, 2016

SATURDAY May 21, 2016 14 Sha’aban 1437 AH

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HM SENDS CONDOLENCES

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable condolences to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for the victims of Egyptian plane crash. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere condolences to the president, the bereaved families and the Egyptian people, praying to Allah the Almighty to rest their souls in peace and grant their families patience to bear the loss.—ONA >A4

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 76

On the occasion of the 7th National Day, 1977

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ Oman has continued to play a full part on the international scene in cooperation with all like-minded countries, in the defence of the freedom and dignity of mankind.

| 28 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

I N T E R - PA R L I A M E N TA RY M E E T I N G

CRIME

Body of citizen found in Barka

TRAINING CENTRE INAUGURATED The Council of Oman launched its training centre under the auspices of Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs in the presence of Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of State Council, and Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of Majlis Al Shura. -ONA

FAHAD AL GHADANI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: A citizen’s body was found buried in Hai Asim area in the Wilayat of Barka, according to a source at the Royal Oman Police. According to investigators, the accused, also citizens, are in custody. The source added that the Directorate General of Inquiry and Criminal Investigations represented by the Crime Combat Management in North Batinah is probing the case.

Meanwhile, police have sought help to find a missing person in Sur. They said that the person’s name is Said Salim Al Amri and he is mentally ill.

EU team hails Oman peace effort Times News Service MUSCAT: A European Union (EU) delegation touring the Sultanate has hailed Oman for its “consistent efforts” in mediating between the parties involved in various regional conflicts, an official communiqué of the European Parliament said.

“Oman plays a very prominent diplomatic role in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. The delegation expresses its appreciation for Oman’s consistent efforts to mediate between the parties in various conflicts, notably Yemen and Libya,” the statement read.

The EU delegation was led

by Michèle Alliot-Marie, Chair,

EXCHANGING VIEWS: The delegation is led by Michèle AlliotMarie, Chair, Gilles Pargneaux and Alyn Smith from the EU.

Gilles Pargneaux and Alyn Smith from the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula for an eighth inter-parliamentary meeting between the European parliament and the Majlis Al Shura.

The delegation also welcomed Oman’s conviction that each of these conflicts can only be solved by peaceful means through an inclusive political process with the parties concerned, the statement said. >A3

CALL FOR JOINT EFFORTS TO FIGHT CYBER ATTACKS

It is everybody’s responsibility to protect Oman’s assets against cyber attacks

ERIK PRINS

erik@timesofoman.com Muscat : Oman was targeted with more than 5 million cyber attacks in 2015, according to the Annual Report 2015 by the Information Technology Authority (ITA), which was published last week.

The report said ITA’s Information Security Division had prevented more than 4.8 million attacks against government networks and more than 398,000 attacks against

government portals in Oman.

Oman needs joint efforts to protect itself against these cyber attacks, as the country’s private and government sectors are increasingly focusing on internet technologies to serve their customers, said attendees at the IT Security Roadshow held in Muscat on Thursday. The event was organised by International Data Corporation (IDC) in association with ITA, and was aimed at creating awareness on cyber security in both

the government and private sectors. Dr. Badr Al Mandhari, director general of the Information Security Centre at ITA, told the Times of Oman (TOO) that everyone in Oman is under threat.

“Oman has been targeted many times by cyber attacks, both from inside and outside, both government networks and individuals. It is not only the government that is being targeted, everyone is being targeted,” he said.

Dr. Salim Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA, said Omanis have become dependent on Information Communication Technology (ICT), as has the government in its dealings with citizens, therefore, cyber security has become a top priority.

“ICT has become our lifestyle, but also a threat. If we

Cyber attacks in Oman (2015)

398,000 attacks against government portals

4,800,000

attacks against government networks

Total cyber attacks

5,198,000 Source: Information Technology Authority

don’t put cyber security at the top of our list, the attackers and hackers will take control.

They could shut down governments’ infrastructure or even our homes, our cars, which are

OMR1,500

are the technical requirements and standards to counter cybercrime,” he said.

Kalle Bjorn, Director of Systems Engineering Middle East at Fortinet, told TOO that collaboration within the private sector, even between competitors, is needed to protect Oman against cyber attacks. “There’s a lot of security spending in Oman, but the problem is that you can never be a 100 per cent secure,” he said. Bjorn said more advanced protection than for example firewalls is needed and even competitors in the market have to integrate their cyber security strategies.

“The idea is to share information among different vendors. The other side, the bad guys, is also teaming up, they are sharing information.”

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Ice hockey match raises funds for the victims of wildfire in Canada DEEBA HASAN

deeba@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: A team of Canadian expats organised an ice hockey match in Oman to raise money for the wildfire ravaged Fort McMurray region of their homeland.

The Canadians enlisted the help of friends from around the world – including two Omanis – to compete against the Sultanate’s national ice hockey team – then went on to beat them 6-5.

About OMR1,500 was raised at the charity ice hockey match which saw the participation of the Omani Khanjars, the national

increasingly connected. Without collaboration among all of us, we’ll be the weakest link in the chain,” he said.

Al Mandhari also referred to the recent cyber attacks targeting banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council, such as in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman.

“It’s a serious concern and we have to work very hard to address cyber security in the country and all efforts must be joint. “It’s not only ITA which is responsible, but it’s everyone’s responsibility.

Al Mandhari also pointed to the anti-cybercrime law, which has been developed by ITA in association with the Ministry of Legal Affairs. “We need to work with other government and non-government entities to understand what

ice hockey team and a team of expatriates, most of them from Canada, who had gathered to play the friendly at the ice skating rink at Fun Zone in Qurum.

“We have recently formed the Canadian social club of Oman, and at one of our meetings a member mentioned the idea of donat-

ing money to people affected by the fires in Northern Alberta. I am a member of the expat hockey team, so I thought we could use that as a venue to raise some awareness. Entry was free, and donations were not mandatory,” said Aaron Grimley, chairman of the Canadian Social Club.

Omani Khanjars were defeated by a close 6-5 margin, and the event managed to raise over 5,000 Canadian dollars for Fort McMurray evacuees in the process.

In total about 30 players participated in the exciting game.

The Omani national team age ranged between 17 to 25. >A3

SAI–Times contest

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The SAI Group has congratulated all the participants. >A3

SPORTS

Fatma loses in Korea

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Omani star Fatma Al Nabhani bowed out of the South Korea tourney. >A11

MARKET Beautiful Barr Al Hikman

‘Saudi bond sale’

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Saudi Arabia plans to sell its first bonds in global capital markets.>B1

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SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

OMAN ROYAL NAVY OF OMAN RECEIVES RNO VESSEL AL MUBASHIR Within the Royal Care His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, accords to SAF, the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) celebrated the receipt of the RNO Vessel Al Mubashir. The receipt document was signed during the ceremony held in Perth, Australia after the ďŹ nal acceptance tests. The vessel is expected to arrive in Oman in Mid-June. -ONA

Beautiful Barr Al Hikman Located about 500 kilometres south of Muscat, Barr Al Hikman in Al Wusta Governorate (the central region), is considered one of the most important bird migration stations both in Oman and the region. In addition to being a sanctuary for birds and ďŹ sh of all kinds, the existence of coral reefs off its shores make it a favourite destination for divers. These pictures taken by Tariq Ziad Haremi provide glimpses of the striking beauty of the place

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

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VA L U E - B A S E D C O M P E T I T I O N .

Judges praise skills of SAI–Times essay, poster contest winners Times News Service MUSCAT: Results of the muchawaited 13th edition of the SAITimes of Oman Open Essay Writing and Poster Making Competition have been announced, after the completion of a thorough and systematic three-tier evaluation process. From 4,517 students registered for the event representing 353 schools from all over Oman, 408 students made it to the prize winners’ list.

The list of prize winners in the contest held for school children, in cooperation with Ministry of Education, on ‘Value themes’ under the title, “Spreading The Light Through Human Values - 2016” has already been published in the Times of Oman and Al Shabiba newspapers.

The SAI Group congratulated

CREATIVE CROWD: The SAI Group congratulated all the participants and the winners, for their creative efforts. – Supplied picture

all the participants and the winners, for their thought-provoking and creative efforts and also their institutions, families and friends, who have guided the children to

participate in the value-based competition.

“Every participant is a winner as he or she has utilised an opportunity to contemplate core human

values, which by itself is an enriching experience,” said a SAI Group coordinator.

The winners’ list has also been uploaded on the website www. saivaluesoman.org. Three prizes are awarded in each group, as well as in every category of schools, in each region. In addition, consolation prizes are also awarded. A participation certificate is handed to all participants.

The award presentation ceremony for the Muscat Governorate will be held at 6 pm on Monday at the Indian School Ghubra (ISG). The winners are requested to be present at the venue by 5.00 pm. Dr. Sana Sabeel Al Balushi, director general, National Career Guidance Centre and Head of Specialised Centre for Professional Training of Teachers, Ministry of Education, Oman will be the chief

Beat the heat through domestic tourism deal ‘Discover Oman’s Beauty’ exhibition was opened by Sayyid Faisal bin Turki

Times News Service MUSCAT: ‘Discover Oman’s Beauty’ exhibition, organised by the Ministry of Tourism, was inaugurated by His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Turki Al Said, director general of Investment Promotion in the Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development—Ithraa—at the Mus-

cat City Centre, Seeb on Thursday in the presence of dignitaries from the Ministry.

The three-day exhibition, which will continue until May 21, has over 30 hotels and travel partners showcasing their travel packages and offering attractive deals for domestic tourists this summer.

The promotional packages give you the option to visit the cooler and greener parts of the country, and engage in activities that are perfect to beat the summer heat.

There are packages that suit everyone’s interest and are meant to bring family and friends together. If one is adventurous, there are offers that include a trip up the Hajar Mountains where one can reach up the mouth of the canyon of Wadi Al Mu’aydin and hike into the heart of the deep ravine, past

POLITICAL DIALOGUE,

palm groves and turquoise pools and camp on the Saiq Plateau.

To experience something off the beaten track, one can follow that looping path that takes one to the tiny village of Ar Russ.

Or one can go up Jabal Al Akhdar and learn about bush craft and navigation, and all the basic survival skills required for a good camping experience, including how to start a fire with flint and steel. You can spend a day indulging in abseiling practice, followed by a 20 metre abseil Jebel.

There are also tours that take one to the cultural capital of Nizwa to explore its famous Souq and Fort, followed by a trip to the village of Tanuf to admire the old ruins or one can choose to walk along the riverbed for a tranquil experience.

Other options, such as a trip to DISPLACED PEOPLE

< FROM

Donations A1 EU delegation calls A1 for closer relations < FROM

“Oman’s actions are complementary to the European Union’s diplomatic efforts,” it said, adding that the EU delegation has exchanged views with its Omani counterparts on a number of issues, including the political, economic and social situation in the Sultanate.

Issues in the Middle East region and the prospects for deeper relations between the EU and Oman and the Gulf Cooperation Council were also discussed.

“The relations are excellent, including at the inter-parliamentary level,” the statement said, adding, “There is space for more intense political dialogue, cooperation in security issues, closer economic and commercial rela-

tions and more extensive people to people contact.”

“The wisdom of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said is a source of inspiration for this policy,” said Michèle Alliot-Marie.

The EU delegation also held meetings with higher authorities in the Sultanate, including with His Highness Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood Al Said, Chairman of the Majlis Al Shura, Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, and other senior government officials.

The delegation called for closer economic relations, including direct investments between the EU and Oman.

The expat team, which consisted of 70 per cent Canadians and a mix of people from the US, UK, Norway and two Omanis, was aged between 18 and 45.

“We have a lot of people here who have friends or family back in Fort McMurray, it’s a diverse town and the residents are from various parts of Canada.

A large majority of us have families and friends that are in some way associated with that area,”Grimley added.

“We are continuing our request for donations, and people came to us separately after the event to donate more. We will send all the money through the Canadian Red Cross next week as we are still accepting donations. One of the things that surprised me was the diversity.

People from different countries made donations.”

Salalah and places, such as Job’s Tomb, Mughsayl Beach, Sarfayt and Frankincense trees are also attractive. One can even choose to take a four-wheel tour to Bahla, Jibreen Fort, Jabal Shams or go to Wadi Bani Khalid and see how dhows are created at the Sur Dhow Factory.

Boarding a ferry to head to Masirah Island and spending time kite surfing in the beautiful coastline is another option. There are arrangements in place for beginners to learn the basics of kite surfing at the kite camps.

Speaking about the exhibition, Salim Adi Al Mamari, director general for Tourism Promotion at the Ministry of Tourism, said, “We want our citizens and residents to come in big number to the three-day exhibition to participate and avail these packages.”

guest at the ceremony and give away prizes to the winners.

For the interior regions (other than Muscat), the prizes will be handed over to the schools through the MoE in the respective regions. Participation certificates (for those who have not yet received the same) can be collected from the organisers on the award ceremony day. The top three winning essays and posters will be displayed at ISG during the award ceremony.

The contest, which was held on April 9, 16 and 23 in three phases and at different locations—Muscat, Sohar, Ibri, Nizwa, Sur, Salalah and Buraimi—was meant for schools in the respective regions and attracted overwhelming and enthusiastic participation from the students of Omani Arabic, Omani Private (Bilingual, Mono-

lingual and Global), Special Education and International Schools in Oman.

The judges, who evaluated the entries have been all praise for the children, who displayed their writing and drawing skills in dealing with the topics, “How to be happy and make others happy” (Grades 1 to 3); “Be a good friend to get a good friend” (Grade 4 to 6); “Value of Time” (Grade 7 to 9) and: “Effects of Media” (Grade 10 to 12).

Each entry was evaluated by three judges, drawn from among professionals and experts in these areas of arts and literature, MoE officials, as well as members of the SAI Group, said.

For further details, contact GSM: 95149226 or 99410683 or email: saitimesoman9@gmail. com or refer to the website www. saivaluesoman.org

IMPOSING EDIFICE The rays of the setting sun pierce the cloudy canopy to remain visible for a few moments before disappearing into the horizon in the background of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The manicured greenery of the garden and stone-studded pathways add to the beauty of the picture. Photo by Jithin. K

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SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

REGION Human remains, belongings found at the site of EgyptAir plane crash Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said that it was too early to rule out any cause for the crash as the aviation minister said a terrorist attack was more likely than a technical failure

CAIRO: Egypt said on Friday its navy had found human remains, wreckage and the personal belongings of passengers floating in the Mediterranean, confirmation that an EgyptAir jet had plunged into the sea with 66 people on board.

President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi offered condolences for those on board, amounting to Egypt’s official acknowledgement of their deaths, although there was still no explanation of why the Airbus had crashed.

“The Egyptian navy was able to retrieve more debris from the plane, some of the passengers’ belongings, human remains, and plane seats,” the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement.

The navy was searching an area about 290 km (180 miles) north of the port city of Alexandria, just south of where the signal from the plane was lost early on Thursday.

There was no sign of the bulk of the wreckage, or of a location signal from the “black box” flight recorders. EgyptAir Chairman Safwat Moslem told state television that the current radius of the search zone was 40 miles (64 km), giving an area of 5,000 sq miles (13,000 sq km), but that it would be expanded as necessary.

A European satellite spotted a 2 km-long oil slick in the Mediterranean, about 40 km southeast of the aircraft’s last known position, the European Space Agency said.

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said that it was too early to rule out any cause for the crash.

GRIEF AND PAIN: A relative of one of the victims of the missing EgyptAir flight MS804 reacts after a sympolic funeral in a mosque, in Cairo Egypt on Friday. – Reuters

The aviation minister said a terrorist attack was more likely than a technical failure.

Suspicion Although suspicion pointed to militants who blew up another airliner over Egypt seven months ago, no group had claimed responsibility more than 36 hours after the disappearance of flight MS804, an Airbus A320 flying from Paris to Cairo.

Militants have been fighting Egypt’s government since Sisi toppled an elected leader in 2013. In October, the IS group claimed re-

GREEN ZONE

sponsibility for blowing up a Russian airliner that exploded after taking off from an Egyptian tourist resort. Russian investigators blamed a bomb smuggled on board.

That crash devastated Egypt’s tourist industry, one of the main sources of foreign exchange for a country of 80 million people, and another similar attack would crush hopes of it recovering.

Three French investigators and a technical expert from Airbus arrived in Cairo early on Friday, airport sources said.

Officials from a number of US agencies told Reuters that a US

review of satellite imagery so far had not produced any signs of an explosion. They said the United States had not ruled out any possible causes for the crash, including mechanical failure, terrorism or a deliberate act by the pilot or crew.

The plane vanished just as it was moving from Greek to Egyptian airspace control. Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said it had swerved radically and plunged from 37,000 feet to 15,000 before vanishing from Greek radar screens.

Ultra-radical hardliners have targeted airports, airliners and

tourist sites in Europe, Egypt, Tunisia and other Middle Eastern countries over the past few years.

Khaled Al Gameel, head of crew at EgyptAir, said the pilot, Mahamed Saeed Ali Shouqair, had 15 years’ experience and was in charge of training and mentoring younger pilots.

“He comes from a pilot family; his uncle was a high-ranking pilot at EgyptAir and his cousin is also a pilot,” Gameel said. “He was very popular and was known for taking it upon himself to settle disputes any two colleagues were having.”

A Facebook page that appeared

to be Shouqair’s showed no signs of sympathies. It included criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood, repostings of articles supporting President Sisi and pictures of Shouqair wearing aviator sunglasses.

The aircraft was carrying 56 passengers, including one child and two infants, and 10 crew.

They included 30 Egyptian and 15 French nationals, along with citizens of 10 other countries. The plane had made scheduled flights to Tunisia and Eritrea on Wednesday before arriving in Paris from Cairo. — Reuters

MOVE TO REPLACE

Israel’s defence minsiter quits, warns of extremist’s rise under Netanyahu VIOLENCE: A supporter of cleric Moqtada Al Sadr hurls a tear gas shell back at security forces during clashes on Friday. – AFP

Curfew in Baghdad after protesters clash with police BAGHDAD: Iraqi security forces opened fire on protesters who stormed into Baghdad’s heavilyfortified Green Zone and entered at least one government building, witnesses said.

Dozens of people incurred injuries from tear gas and live fire, witnesses said.

The thousands of protesters included supporters of powerful cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and people from other groups upset with the government’s failure to approve anti-corruption reforms and provide security.

The government imposed a curfew on Baghdad in response to the violence at the Green Zone, which houses parliament, government buildings and many foreign embassies.

A Reuters witness said the protesters were stopped at the gate of the cabinet building but witnesses later said they had entered. Unverified online photos showed protesters holding Iraqi flags and flashing peace signs in front of the insignia of the prime minister’s press office and inside a meeting room.

The protesters began withdrawing from the Green Zone to Tahrir Square, but witnesses said an Interior Ministry force and unidentified gunmen opened fire there. State television said Baghdad Operations Command was imposing a curfew in the capital “until further notice”.

“Riot police are dealing with anyone trying to damage state institutions in accordance with the law,” the military said.

State television said Baghdad Operations Command was imposing a curfew in the capital “until further notice.”

Sadr supporters protesting parliament’s failure to approve a non-political cabinet also stormed the Green Zone on April 30. They have added to their grievances the government’s failure to provide security after a wave of bombings claimed by IS in Baghdad this month which killed more than 150 people. Sadr did not explicitly call for Friday’s demonstration. “Oh army, the country is hurt! Don’t side with the corrupt!” the demonstrators chanted. — Reuters

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s defence minister resigned on Friday, saying the nation was being taken over by “extremist and dangerous elements” after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved to replace him with a far-right politician in an effort to strengthen his coalition.

Political sources say Netanyahu has offered long-time rival Avigdor Lieberman the defence portfolio, a post crucial for a country on a perennial war footing.

The Defence Ministry also runs civil affairs in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians struggling for statehood live in friction with Jewish settlers.

“To my great regret, I have recently found myself in difficult disputes over matters of principle and professionalism with the prime minister, a number of cabinet members and some lawmakers,” outgoing Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said, reading, grimfaced, from a statement at his Tel Aviv office.

“Israel is patient and tolerant toward the weak among it and minorities... But to my great regret extremist and dangerous elements have overrun Israel as well as the Likud party, shaking up our home and threatening harm to those in it,” he said, hinting he might quit the ruling party.

National leadership “In the future I will return to contend for Israel’s national leadership,” he said.

Netanyahu rebuffed Yaalon’s criticism.

“The reshuffle in portfolios did not result from a crisis in faith between us. It resulted from the need to expand the government so as to bring stability to Israel given the

DISSENTING VOICE: Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, centre, arrives to announce his resignation in a press conference on Friday, in Tel Aviv. – AFP

great challenges it faces,” he said in a video statement.

Netanyahu, who doubles as foreign minister, added that he had offered the top diplomatic post to Yaalon but was refused.

“I reckon that had (he) not been asked to leave the Defence Ministry, he would not have quit,” Netanyahu said, defending the Likud as a “liberal nationalist party” and arguing that a broader government could better pursue a peace strategy. However, Yaalon’s departure could put a new dent in domestic and Western confidence in the Netanyahu government.

A former chief of Israel’s armed forces, Yaalon had shored up relations with the Pentagon that

provided a counter-weight to Netanyahu’s policy feuds with US President Barack Obama over peace talks with the Palestinians and Iran’s nuclear programme.

By contrast, Lieberman - whose appointment has not yet been confirmed - is inexperienced militarily and famed for his past hawkish talk against Palestinians, Israel’s Arab minority and Egypt - an important regional security partner for Israel.

An Egyptian official told Reuters on Thursday that Cairo was “shocked” at the prospect of Lieberman as Israeli defence minister. Washington struck a more optimistic note on Friday. While praising Yaalon, US State Depart-

ment spokesman John Kirby said Washington looked forward to working with his successor.

“Our bonds of friendship are unbreakable and our commitment to the security of Israel remains absolute,” he added.

Netanyahu’s offer of Yaalon’s cabinet post to Lieberman emerged this week after talks failed on bringing centre-left opposition leader Isaac Herzog into the government.

The inclusion of Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party in the coalition, which has also yet to be confirmed, would give Netanyahu’s sixparty coalition 67 of parliament’s 120 seats, up from its current razorthin majority of 61. — Reuters

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

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ASSAM

BJP to elect leader of party in legislature on Sunday GUWAHATI: Newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators in the north-east Indian state of Assam will meet on May 22 to elect Sarbananda Sonowal as the leader of the legislature party formalising the choice as new chief minister of the state.

The new BJP members of the Assam Assembly on Friday informally met under the leadership of 53-year-old Sonowal, who is now Union Minister of Sports, at the party headquarters, spokesperson Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Sonowal, who came into politics as a student leader belonging to All Assam Students Union (AASU) in the 1980s during the agitation against influx from Bangladesh, had joined BJP five years ago, and was made its chief ministerial candidate in the election. The BJP and its allies AGP and Bodo People’s Front scored a landslide victory, cornering 87 seats in the 126-member Assembly.

Victorious The victorious BJP legislators decided to have the first official meeting of the legislature party on May 22 where Sonowal will be elected as their leader, Sarma said.

BJP’s alliance partners, AGP and BPF, will meet the next day to elect Sonowal as the leader of the alliance, he said. The new government will be sworn in on May 24 here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, all the chief ministers of NDA, including those in the northeast, besides senior central BJP ministers, Sarma said.

Sonowal will meet Modi and Shah on the election outcome and government formation, he added. The BJP won 60 seats on its own, up from 5 last time. The AGP bagged 14 seats while the BPF secured 13 seats. Last time, the AGP had 10 and BPF 12.

The Congress, which had 78 seats in the outgoing Assembly, could bag only 26 this time. — PTI

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INDIA

Pinarayi Vijayan to be next chief minister of Kerala The decision to nominate 72-year-old Vijayan was taken at the state secretariat which met at the CPI(M) headquarters, said party sources

THIRUVANANATHAPURAM: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan will be the next chief minister of the south Indian state of Kerala.

The decision to nominate 72-year-old Vijayan was taken at the state secretariat which met at AKG Bhavan, the CPI(M) headquarters, on Friday morning, party sources said. A formal announcement is expected by 4 PM on Friday after the state committee most likely ratifies the decision.

Ninety-three-year-old CPI(M) veteran V S Achutanandan, who was also in the race for the post, was called to the state secretariat and informed about the decision.

He soon left for his Cantontment house. The CPI-M secretariat and party’s Kerala committee met on Friday in the presence of General Secretary Sitaram Yechury to decide the chief ministerial candidate after LDF romped home in the assembly polls.

Unanimous decision The state secretariat unanimously decided to make Vijayan the next CM and report it to the state committee. It will ratify the decision, party sources said.

Achuthanandan, who was the face of LDF campaign, and

ALL SET FOR NEW INNINGS: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury with party leader Pinarayi Vijayan who is set to be new Chief Minister of Kerala, in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. – PTI

Pinarayi Vijayan were elected to the assembly from Malampuzha and Pinaryi, respectively.

Vijayan is the only politburo member who has been elected to the assembly this time.

In the 140-member state Assembly, CPI(M)-led LDF won 91 seats, UDF headed by Congress got 47 while BJP and Independents bagged one each.

Soon after the decision to nominate Vijayan to the chief minister’s post became known, party workers at AKG Bhavan started celebrations and began distributing sweets. Hailing from a poor toddy tapper’s family, the 72-year-old CPI-M leader belongs to the politically dominant Thiyya community like his party rival Achuthanandan, who is an Ezhava from South Kerala. Popularly known as ‘Pinarayi’, Vijayan is perhaps the only communist leader in recent years to have had a complete control over the party for 16 years till he stepped down

from the post of state secretary last year. A man of few words, he proved his organizational capability in the state during this period.

He had a short stint as the state’s power Minister during 1996-1998.

Cloud of graft case The cloud of a graft case in connection with awarding of contract to a Canadian company SNC-Lavalin for modernization of three hydel projects during that period haunted him with his rivals using it to target him.

Vijayan has always maintained that it was a politically motivated case and there was no wrong doing. While his critics described him as a leader “with no smile on his face, and the most feared politician in Kerala”, his party rivals have often accused him of deviating from the party line.

During his rule as state secretary, the infighting in the party between Vijayan and his bete noire Achuthanandan came to the fore.

His elevation to the Chief Minister’s chair is also seen as a victory in the bitter power struggle with Achuthanandan, a popular leader who campaigned extensively during the Assembly election and was in the race for the top post. Vijayan was suspended from the politburo in 2007 along with Achuthanandan after the two openly criticised each other through the media.

Later they were reinstated in the politburo. However, Achuthanandan was again dropped from the highest party body for breaching party discipline.

Vijayan proved his mettle as an able administrator during his short stint as power minister in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) ministry headed by late E K Nayanar during the period 1996-1998.

During his tenure, the state witnessed a giant leap in power generation and distribution capacities due to the productive measures taken by him as a min-

ister. Apart from the SNC-Lavalin case, the murder of RMP leader T PChandrasekharan, a former CPI(M) leader, at Onjiyam in Kozhikode in 2012, when he was the party state secretary, dented Vijayan’s image.

Vijayan was born on March 21, 1944 to Mundayil Koran and Kalyani in Pinarayi in Kannur district, the place where the Communist movement in Kerala began.

He became the Kannur district secretary of the Kerala Students Federation while studying for BA (Economics) in Brennen College in Thalassery and also worked as a handloom weaver after his schooling for a year before being able to continue his higher studies.

He went on to become its state secretary and, later, state president of the KSF. In 1968, at the age of 24, Vijayan even found a place in the Kannur district committee of the CPI(M).

Two years later, the party gifted Vijayan a sure ticket at Koothuparambu and he became MLA at the age of 26. Vijayan was elected to the state Legislative Assembly three times later in 1977, 1991 and 1996. He rose to prominence when he won in 1977 and again in 1991 from the same constituency.

With better grip on the party, he became the CPI(M) district secretary in Kannur in 1978.

Vijayan, who took part in various agitations, was subjected to torture during the Emergency and during earlier agitations. He once recalled that six policemen continuously beat him on the night of September 28, 1975 till he fainted in the lockup.

After his release, he came to the Assembly and made a powerful speech holding up the bloodstained shirt he wore during the assault on him in the police lock-up.

His speech attacking then Home Minister and senior Congress leader late K Karunakaran was considered to be a glorious chapter in the legislative papers. — PTI

KERALA CHIEF MINISTER

Chandy resigns, attributes ‘false propaganda’ to debacle

SUBMITTING RESIGNATION: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy submitting his resignation to Governor P Sathasivam, following the defeat of Congress-led UDF in the Assembly elections, on Friday in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. – PTI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday submitted his resignation following the defeat of the ruling Congress-led UDF in the assembly election and attributed “false propaganda” against his government among the reasons that led to the debacle.

Chandy, who drove up to Raj Bhavan, handed over the resignation letter to Governor P Sathasivam. Later talking to reporters, Chandy said the governor had asked him to continue until alternative arrangements are put in place.

In the last five years, Chandy said he had faced lot of challenges and the Congress and the front gave him full support. He also en-

joyed people’s support, he said.

About media reports that he would not be taking over as opposition leader in the assembly, Chandy said he had clear views on the matter which he would convey to the party high command. There was lot of false propaganda against the government, which the party failed to overcome, he said.

Support He said it was due to the people’s support the United Democratic Front(UDF) enjoyed, that 14 ministers and he were elected in the polls. But the media was projecting only the defeat of four ministers, he said.

“False propaganda against the government, divisive forces at

work and strong undercurrents led to UDF’s debacle,” Chandy said. But, he said he was not blaming the people.

Besides, there was a lapse in conveying government’s achievements to people, he added.

“The party and UDF faced the polls unitedly, but due to some undercurrents, leaders, including me, failed to counter it,” he said, adding such a setback was completely unexpected.

Agenda He said in the last five years, UDF had set an agenda in Kerala-- development, new programmes for a section of the people which should be continued. It should be further improved and UDF will provide all

support, Chandy said.

“At the earliest, let the new government come and UDF willgive all constructive help,” Chandy said. He also took a dig at the media, saying, “you should give all the support to the new government, but not the way you have lent your support to me,” he said, amid laughter.

On the liquor policy failing to have any impact on the electorate, he claimed CPI(M) was trying to torpedo the policy which envisages total prohibition in the next 10 years. “They have officially stated so in their advertisement.” Pointing fingers at some organisations who stood for prohibition, Chandy said, “Those who were supposed to react, failed to do so.” — PTI

A6

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

INDIA

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will announce the results for all its regions at 12 noon and candidates will be able to access it on three websites-www.

Results.Nic.In, www.Cbseresults.Nic.In and www.Cbse.Nic.In.

Modi’s Iran visit to witness Chabahar project takeoff Indian prime

Prime minister to visit Qatar on June 4

minister’s first visit to Iran will also feature discussions on terrorism and extremism in the region as well as on India’s desire to secure energy assets for a fast growing economy

NEW DELHI: In a bid to open a route to landlocked Afghanistan, India will sign a contract to develop Phase-1 of Iran’s Chabahar port during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran beginning on Sunday.

Modi’s first visit to Iran will also feature discussions on terrorism and extremism in the region as well as on India’s desire to secure energy assets for a fast growing economy. Also, discussions would feature the mode of clearing the $6.4 billion Indian refiners like Essar Oil and MRPL owe to Iran in past oil dues.

Meetings During the two-day visit, he will call on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hold bilateral talks with President Hassan Rouhani and witness signing of two agreements, said Gopal Baglay, Joint Secretary (PakistanAfghanistan-India) in the Ministry of External Affairs.

“The visit of Prime Minister to

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day visit to Qatar from June 4, in continuation of efforts to recast India’s ties with the strategically important Gulf region.

Modi will hold extensive talks with His Highness Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on a range of bilateral issues including ways to further boost economic ties, particularly in the hydrocarbon sector.

They will also deliberate on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Qatar is an important trading partner for India in the Gulf region with bilateral trade in 2014-15 exceeding $15 billion.

It is India’s largest supplier of LNG requirements, accounting for 65 per cent of the country’s total imports in 2015-16. It is also one of In-

Iran will focus mainly on connectivity and infrastructure, energy partnership with Iran, boosting bilateral trade, promoting regular consultation on peace and stability particularly in our region and extended neighbourhood and encouraging people-to-people contacts and relations between the two countries,” he told reporters.

Indian Ports Global Pvt Ltd - a joint venture between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Kandla Port Trust, will sign a contract with Arya Bandar Company of Iran for developing two terminals and five multi-cargo berth in Phase-1 of the Chabahar port project.

BOOSTING TIES: Prime Minister Narendra Modi. – File photo

dia’s key sources of crude oil.

Qatar is hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and a number of Indian companies are involved in construction work in that country.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has been focusing on improv-

Chabahar in southeast Iran will help circumvent Pakistan and open up a route to landlocked Afghanistan where New Delhi has developed close security ties and economic interests.

From Chabahar port, the existing Iranian road network can link up to Zaranj in Afghanistan, about 883 km from the port.

The Zaranj-Delaram road constructed by India in 2009 can give access to Afghanistan’s garland highway, thereby establishing road access to four major cities - Afghanistan-Herat, Kandahar, Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif.

He said the Indian investment

ing ties with the countries of the Gulf region which is crucial for India’s energy security.

The prime minister had already visited United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

“India’s historical and close relations with Qatar are marked by mutually beneficial commercial exchanges and extensive people-to-people contacts,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said while announcing the visit.

There has been regular exchange of high-level bilateral visits in the recent past. The Emir of Qatar had visited India in March 2015. Previously, the then Emir of Qatar had visited India in 1999, 2005 and 2012. “Their positive contribution in the progress and development of their host country is well recognised,” said Swarup. — PTI

in Phase-1 will be in excess of $200 million including $150 million line of credit from Exim Bank, an agreement for which would be signed too during the visit.

Besides signing of commercial contract for Chabahar Phase-1, Modi will witness signing of a trilateral agreement on transport and transit corridor among India, Afghanisatan and Iran.

On securing rights to develop the offshore Farzad-B gas field, which was discovered by ONGC Videsh Ltd, he said discussions have moved towards commercial conclusion and financial closure.

The trilateral agreement “will

be a gamechanger for regional connectivity especially for Afghanistan which can find an assured and reliable alternate route to assess to India via sea,” Baglay said.

The route will also significantly enhance prospects of India’s connectivity with Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond such as North South corridor, he said.

Besides, “a host of measures will be discussed to promote bilateral trade including expanding and strengthening the legal framework and more businessto-business interactions,” he said adding matters pertaining to restoring effective banking channels with post-sanction Iran will also be discussed.

US visit Modi will undertake a two-day visit to the United States from June 7 during which he will address a joint meeting of the US Congress and hold talks with President Barack Obama to review the progress made in key areas of defence, security and energy.

At the invitation of the US President Barack Obama, the Indian prime minister will visit Washington DC on June 7-8, 2016, the External Affairs Ministry announced on Friday.

“The main objective of the forthcoming visit of the prime minister would be to consolidate the progress made in diverse areas such as economy, energy, environment, defence and security, and to intensify cooperation for the future,” it said.

The prime minister has also been invited by the Speaker of the US House of Representative, Paul Ryan, to address a joint meeting of the US Congress which he has accepted, it added. Modi, who was invited by Obama for a bilateral visit when Modi travelled to the US for the nuclear summit in March, will be the fifth prime minister of India to address a joint meeting of US Congress. — PTI

MEETING WITH OBAMA

CBSE to anounce class XII results today NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will announce the result for class XII board examination on Saturday.

The Board will announce the results for all its regions at 12 noon and candidates will be able to access it on three websites-www.

Results.Nic.In, www.Cbseresults.

Nic.In and www.Cbse.Nic.In. The schools will automatically get their entire schools results on email ID’s already registered with the Board.

“Starting this year, CBSE will also provide Class XII digital mark sheets in DigiLocker at www.Digilocker.Gov.In. The DigiLocker account credentials will be sent to students via SMS on their mobile number registered with CBSE,” an official statement said.

“The results will also be available via Android mobile app-DigiResults. As per previous years, the board will also be disseminating its results through IVRS also,” it added. The second phase of telecounselling will also commence along with the announcement of the results and will continue till June 4, 2016. The CBSE exams began on March 1 and concluded on April 22. This year, a total of 10,67,900 candidates registered for the Class 12 exam as against 10,40,368 in 2015.

HRD Minister Smriti Irani had earlier this week assured students during a Facebook chat that the result for CBSE Board exams for class X and XII will be declared “on time” before the end of this month and, as per a decision taken earlier, state boards are also expected to declare their results by May 31. “Schools under the Delhi region are advised to collect the results from the office of the respective Zonal office after declaration of the result. People are advised not to visit Board’s office for collection of results,” the statement said adding, the process of verification will be displayed on CBSE’s website shortly. — PTI

FUND TRANSFER TO TERROR OUTFIT

IM operative sent to 7-day custody NEW DELHI: A special court on Friday sent alleged Indian Mujahideen’s (IM) key operative Abdul Wahid Siddibapa to National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody for seven days after the agency said he was required to be interrogated in connection with fund transfer to the terror outfit.

Thirty-two-year-old Siddibapa, a resident of Bhatkal in the south Indian state of Karnataka, was produced before Special NIA Judge Rakesh Pandit, who said, “It is appropriate to say that custodial interrogation is required. I grant his custody to NIA for seven days”. In the application, NIA

sought 15 days custody of Siddibapa, submitting that he was in Dubai and had assumed the name of Khan and he was an important cadre of IM organisation for regularly transferring funds for terror activities. The agency also told the court that the accused was in touch with several IM members through electronic devices.

Opposed Advocate MS Khan, who appeared for Siddibapa, opposed the plea for NIA custody saying that the NIA has already concluded arguments on charge in the case in which the accused has been

arrested. He also argued that his client’s name never appeared anywhere in the charge sheet filed by NIA or in the list of proclaimed offenders or wanted persons.

Siddibapa, cousin of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, was held at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday after his arrival from Dubai.

According to NIA’s FIR lodged in September 2012, members of IM, in association with other IM sleeper cells based in the country and others, were conspiring to commit terror acts, by making preparations for targeting various important and prominent places

in India especially in Delhi by causing bomb blasts with the active aid and support from their operatives and associates, thus, waging war against the government of India.

NIA had alleged that Siddibapa played an active role as the main conduit in the chain of fund supply to other IM operatives based in India for the commission of terrorist acts. The court had on November 6, 2013 issued a nonbailable warrant against Siddibapa which was extended time to time and thereafter, a Red Corner Notice was issued against him on December 3, 2013. — PTI

WEST BENGAL

Mamata stakes claim to form government KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee was on Friday unanimously elected as the leader of the Trinamool Congress legislature party at its meeting.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee, who was re-elected from Behala Paschim seat, proposed her name which was seconded by all the newly-elected legislators of the party.

Banerjee later met Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi at Raj Bhavan (Governor House) to stake claim to form the new government in the east Indian state of India West Bengal.

After meeting the Governor, Banerjee said, “May 20 (today) is an auspicious day because it was on this day in 2011 our government took oath after the ‘poribortan’ (change)... So we have come to meet the governor and give him a letter on behalf of our party.”

TMC leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Subrata Bakshi, Saugata Roy and Mukul Roy accompanied her to Raj Bhavan.

Banerjee, who met all newlyelected MLAs of the party at her residence, exhorted them to reach out to the people. “At the meeting our leader Mamata Banerjee told us to reach out to the masses as there is no place for complacency.

She said those who were defeat-

PARTY MEETING: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a meeting with her party legislators at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata on Friday. – PTI

ed, lost due to their arrogance and advised us to be down to earth,” a TMC MLA who was present at the meeting said.

TMC sources said the party has decided that it would aim to play a deciding role in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

“Our aim is now 2019 Lok Sabha polls, so our party leadership has decided that after this year’s Durga Puja, we will work towards that. Our leaders will frequently visit Delhi,” sources said.

Meanwhile, the new 294-member state assembly of West Bengal

will have only 40 women Members pf Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Of them 29 are from Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. Four from Congress, six from its ally Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI M) and one from Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

Besides Banerjee, who was the chief minister also held a number of other portfolios like home and health in the last government, there is only one more woman minister who has been re-elected this time.

Shashi Panja, who was the

Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare and Social Welfare, has managed to retain her Shyampukur seat in north Kolkata by a margin of over 13,000 votes.

Two women ministers who were in the fray this time – Chandrima Bhattacharya and Sabitri Mitra lost out.

Baishali Dalmiya and Mahua Moitra are two new entrants in the corridors of power.

Baishali, daughter of former BCCI president late Jagmohan Dalmiya, debuted in the world of politics with a victory from Bally constituency in Howrah district on a TMC ticket.

Moitra, on the other hand, is a former investment banker who quit her lucrative job as vice-president of JP Morgan in London to join politics in 2008. She contested on a TMC ticket this time and won the Karimpur seat in Nadia district by 15,989 votes.

Bengali film actress and TMC leader Debasree Roy, who is also known as an animal rights activist retained her Raidighi seat.

Other prominent women TMC leaders who made it to the house this time also are Nayna Bandopadhyay (Chowringhee), Smita Bakshi (Jorasanko) and Sonali Guha (Satgachia). — PTI

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

A7

PAKISTAN E X T R E M E W E AT H E R

Karachi readies graves, hospitals, as repeat heat wave feared

PRECAUTIONS: A man drinks a cup of water at a water distribution point set up on a street corner as preparations are made in case of another heatwave in Karachi, Pakistan on last Sunday. — Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistani grave digger Shahid Baloch is taking no chances.

Like many people in the port city of Karachi, he was caught out by the severity of last summer’s heat wave which killed more than 1,300 people, and has hired a digger to excavate three elongated trenches big enough for 300 bodies.

“Thanks to God, we are better prepared this year,” said Baloch, 28, who works with three brothers at the vast Karachi cemetery run by the charitable organisation Edhi Foundation.

When the heat wave struck in the summer of 2015, hospitals, morgues and graveyards in the city of 20 million people were overwhelmed, and drug addicts, day

labourers and the elderly were the biggest victims of the searing heat.

Temperatures hit 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit), their highest since 1981 and above normal summer levels of around 37C (99F).

Intervention by the army and charity groups staved off an even worse disaster, locals said, but the crisis exposed the shortcomings of Pakistani emergency services in coping with environmental disasters that scientists say will become more common in the future.

Pakistan’s meteorological office is not predicting a repeat of last year’s extreme conditions, but, like Baloch in the cemetery, officials are preparing for the worst just in case.

‘Afghan army must block Taliban gains’ Islamabad talks had told him Taliban gains in an offensive this year were not as big as the insurgents had hoped.

The first formal talks with the Taliban since their 2001 ouster collapsed in 2015 after it was announced that their founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had been dead for two years, throwing the militant group into disarray.

The movement has since split on whether to participate in talks.

Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said efforts to persuade the Taliban to talk directly to the Kabul government could only bear fruit if the Afghan army stopped the Taliban from gaining the upper hand Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan must limit military gains by the Taliban and offer incentives to the insurgents to revive a faltering peace effort, Pakistani’s top foreign ministry official said, after the latest round of talks yielded little progress.

The Afghan Taliban control or contest more territory than at any time since they was ousted by a US-led intervention in 2001.

Taliban no show The militants did not show up at talks on Wednesday in Islamabad, which also involved China and the United States.

Afghanistan declined to send a full delegation to Islamabad in

protest against what it says is Pakistan’s unwillingness to do more to pressure Taliban leadership, including those on Pakistani soil, to join talks.

Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, the ministry’s top bureaucrat, said efforts to persuade the Taliban to talk directly to the Kabul government could only bear fruit if the Afghan army stopped the Taliban from gaining the upper hand.

“We believe that there should be effective action by Afghan national security forces to ensure that there are no military gains by the Taliban,” Chaudhry told Reuters in an interview late on Thursday.

The Taliban “need to realise they would have more to gain on the table than they can do on the battlefield”, he said.

Afghan security forces have struggled to contain the Taliban since NATO-led forces pulled out of combat operations in 2014.

Fighting has been fierce and more than 6,600 Afghan soldiers and police were killed last year, according to the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

However, despite the brief capture by the militants of the northern city of Kunduz last year, they have not been able to capture and hold on to any provincial capital.

Chaudhry said officials at the

RAIDS

Senior Al Qaeda militant among 14 killed in Punjab LAHORE: Pakistani security forces have killed a senior Al Qaeda commander and 13 other militants this week in raids aimed at weeding violent extremists out of the heartland province of Punjab, security officials said on Friday.

The two raids in the south of Punjab were part of a sweeping operation that authorities launched after a suicide bomber killed 72 people and wounded hundreds in Punjab’s provincial capital of Lahore on Easter Sunday.

For years militants have held sway in remote northwestern regions on the Afghan border but some have also established networks in Punjab, Pakistan’s richest and most populous province and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s power base.

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), which carried out the sweeps with intelligence agencies, identified the Al Qaeda commander as Tayyab Nawaz,

The Counter-Terrorism Department, which carried out the sweeps with intelligence agencies, identified the Al Qaeda rebel as Tayyab Nawaz

and said he was killed on Thursday with seven other Al Qaeda militants in the city of Multan.

Six Al Qaeda operatives were killed a day earlier in the Muzaffargarh district of Punjab, the department said. One department official said the eight men killed in Multan had been planning an

attack on a university, similar to one in January in which 20 people were killed.

The army launched a sustained offensive against militants along the Afghan border in 2014, and the new sweep in Punjab has raised hopes that authorities are at last serious in tackling all militants, even the ones security agencies have in the past seen as useful assets to be used against old rival India.

Police in Punjab have rounded up thousands of militant suspects since the Easter bombing in Lahore.

Before that attack, Sharif’s ruling party had opposed militarised operations against militants in Punjab.

Analysts say Al Qaeda’s presence and ability to stage attacks in Pakistan has been greatly reduced since 2001, when the United States launched a global campaign against the group following the September 11 attacks. — Reuters

Haqqani network Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of harbouring militants seeking to topple the Afghan government, including the notorious Haqqani network, blamed for high-profile attacks in Kabul.

Pakistan denies that but nevertheless, the United States has also urged Pakistani to do more against militants on its soil.

The US Senate on Thursday passed a defence policy bill increasing restrictions on military aid for Pakistan over frustrations it has failed to crack down on the Haqqani network.

Chaudhry said the bulk of the Afghan Taliban leadership was in Afghanistan and Pakistan was using all “leverage and influence” at its disposal to get them to the table. — Reuters

“It will not get out of control the way it happen last year,” said Karachi Commissioner Asif Hyder Shah, adding that nearly 60 hospitals now have spare capacity for 1,850 heat wave patients.

Heatstroke Last summer patients slept on ward floors and long queues formed outside Karachi’s main state hospitals at the peak of the heat wave.

Shah said nearly 200 first response centres have been set up across the city, offering basic heatstroke treatment to swiftly stabilise patients.

There are also 700 makeshift relief centres, dishing out drinking water and rehydration salts.

“This will save lives. It’s a comfort,” said street vendor Muhammad Mahmood, 32, after downing a cup of water at one centre.

Next to him, children in school uniforms queued to quench their thirst.

Edhi Foundation, at the heart of efforts to limit the suffering caused by the heat wave last year, said it was expanding its huge fleet of ambulances, anchoring extra shelves in its morgue freezer and buying ice machines to keep patients and corpses cool.

Last summer, the Edhi morgue ran out of freezer space after about 650 bodies were brought in the space of a few days. Ambulances left decaying corpses outside in sweltering heat. — Reuters

A8

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ven amid the chaos and catastrophes caused by war, there are internationally recognised limits on combatants’ behaviour. And yet recent deliberate attacks on refugee camps and hospitals, in Syria and elsewhere, demonstrate an absolute disdain for basic humanitarian norms.

Indeed, such behaviour – which also includes obstruction of humanitarian aid and attacks on medical and humanitarian personnel – has become all too common.

Today, the United Nations estimates that approximately 125 million people are in need of humanitarian aid – a number that increases every year.

More than 60 million people – half of them children – are currently displaced as a result of violence or conflict. In the past decade alone, the cost of humanitarian aid has increased 600 per cent, making it practically unsustainable.

With this concern in mind, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has convened a World Humanitarian Summit, the first in the UN’s 60-year history. The meetings and talks taking place in Istanbul on May 23-24 will address the five core items comprising the Agenda for Humanity: Preventing and ending conflicts; defending humanitarian norms; reducing displacement, protecting women and girls, and providing education in conflict zones; reinforcing national and local capacities to provide aid; and increasing investment in human development.

While the needs caused by natural disasters (some related to climate change) or epidemics are pressing, those related to conflicts are no less urgent.

Given the length and the magnitude of many of today’s conflicts – in which great powers are frequently involved – a bold and comprehensive international commitment is urgently needed for prevention and humanitarian response.

In addition to heads of state and government from all over the world, the summit will bring together civil-society and private-sector organisations, because, when it comes to meeting humanitarian needs, everyone must be involved. But while the responsibility for upholding humanitarian norms does not concern only governments, they are essential in enforcing them.

In order to prevent humanitarian disasters resulting from war, the first priority is to respect the

norms aimed at safeguarding civilians. The Geneva Conventions concern those people and areas that should remain beyond the scope of armed conflict and that should be guaranteed aid. The fact that non-governmental actors, such as terrorists, disregard this law of war should under no circumstances be a pretext for countries to behave similarly.

What is at stake are both the lives of thousands of civilians and the enduring effectiveness of the multilateral system, by which these norms have been agreed and mechanisms to enforce them established.

On May 3, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for the protection of civilians in conflicts and strongly condemning recent violations of international humanitarian law. These messages must be implemented concretely, especially among members of the Security Council.

This summit must, at a minimum, serve as a powerful call to states to uphold the established norms, but also to impel others to do so. If we are to avoid losing a century of progress in promoting respect for human dignity, we must recognise that a country’s responsibility cannot be limited to its own behaviour in conflicts; it should extend to the actions of its allies.

We embraced these norms to avoid barbarism; if we want them to be respected, we need unflinching commitments from the great powers, such as a pledge not to support or remain in coalitions with those who hold humanitarian norms in contempt.

One of the measures, proposed in the summit’s preparatory report and aimed at effective enforcement of the norms, is the creation of a specialized monitoring body. Moreover, all countries should recognise the authority of the international courts, such as the International Criminal Court, to facilitate prosecution of those who violate humanitarian law. The report also supports a request made some time ago: that the Security Council’s five permanent members renounce their right to veto when measures to avoid mass atrocities are being decided. This proposal is crucial to making the Security Council an essential and effective body in matters of global security.- Project Syndicate

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FROM OUR ARCHIVES MAY 2001 Sultanate, Bahrain mull information cooperation MUSCAT: Nabil Yaqoub Al Hamr, Bahrain minister of information, arrived here today on two-day official visit. He was received at the airport by Abdul Aziz bin Mohammed Al Rowas, minister of information, Hamed bin Mohammed Al Rashidi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Information; Sheikh Mohammed bin Ali Al Khalifa, Bahraini ambassador to the Sultanate, and a number of ministry officials. In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA) Al Hamr said he was happy to visit the Sultanate and meet Rowas.

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1991: In Madras, India, a suicide bomber kills the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.

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ASIA

L I K E LY S TA N D O F F W I T H I N D I A

Pakistan applies for Nuclear Suppliers Group membership ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has made a formal application to join a club of nuclear trading nations, the foreign ministry said on Friday, a move likely to lead to a showdown in the group which has also been facing calls to induct India as a member.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a 48-nation club dedicated to curbing nuclear arms proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that could foster nuclear weapons development.

Diplomats quietly launched a new push last year to induct India into the club last year.

“Pakistan has the expertise, manpower, infrastructure, as well as the ability to supply NSG controlled items, goods and services for a full range of nuclear applications for peaceful uses,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement announcing its formal application.

The campaign for India’s membership is viewed as carrying the risk of antagonising Pakistan as well as its ally China, which could

SOUTH KOREA ANTI-TERROR DRILLS South Korean rescue team members wearing chemical protective suits walk past a monster character, right, during an anti-terror drill as part of a disaster management exercise at the COEX shopping and exhibition centre in Seoul on Friday. South Korea is holding its 2016 Safe Korea anti-disaster exercise this week against terrorist threats and natural disasters. — AFP

veto any application by India.

China could also insist, as a condition of India’s membership, that Pakistan also be allowed to join, a potential hard sell due to Islamabad’s development of new tactical nuclear weapons.

Criteria-based “Pakistan has stressed the need for NSG to adopt a non-discriminatory criteria-based approach for NSG membership of the countries that have never been party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” Pakistan’s foreign ministry added.

Neither India nor Pakistan has signed the NPT, generally seen as a prerequisite to NSG membership.

US President Barack Obama urged Pakistan last October to avoid developments in its nuclear weapons programme that could increase risks and instability.

Washington has been concerned about Pakistan’s development of new nuclear weapons systems, including small tactical nuclear weapons. — Reuters

Drop baggage of history, new Taiwan president tells China President Tsai Ingwen was sworn in as Taiwan’s first woman president, said Taiwan would play a responsible role and be a ‘staunch guardian of peace’ with China

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s new president urged China on Friday to “drop the baggage of history” in an otherwise conciliatory inauguration speech that Beijing’s Communist Party rulers had been watching for any move towards independence.

President Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in with Taiwan’s exportdriven economy on the ropes and China, which views the self-ruled island as its own, looking across the Taiwan Strait for anti-Beijing sentiment that could further sour economic ties.

Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has traditionally favoured independence, won parliamentary and presidential elections by a landslide in January on a voter backlash against creeping dependence on China.

Responsible role It takes over after eight years under China-friendly Nationalist Ma Ying-jeou. Tsai, Taiwan’s first woman president, said Taiwan would play a responsible role and be a “staunch guardian of peace” with China.

“Cross-Strait relations have become an integral part of building regional peace and collective security,” she told thousands outside the presidential office.

“The two governing parties across the Strait must set aside

UPBEAT: Taiwan’s new President Tsai Ing-wen, centre, gestures as her Vice President Chen Chien-jen, right, looks on during her inauguration ceremony in Taipei on Friday. — AFP

the baggage of history and engage in positive dialogue for the benefit of the people on both sides.”

China, which has never renounced force to take control of what it considers a renegade province, said this month the new Taiwan government would be to blame for any crisis that might erupt. Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists fled to Taiwan after losing the civil war to the Communists in China in 1949. China has pressured the new government to stick to the “one China” principle agreed with the Nationalists.

That allows each side to interpret what “one China” means.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Tsai’s remarks were an “incomplete answer”, warning that

China saw any push for Taiwan independence as “the biggest menace to peace across the Taiwan Strait”, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

One China policy Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked about the inauguration, merely praised the record of the “one China” policy.

“Regardless of what internal changes take place within Taiwan, China will uphold the one China principle and oppose Taiwanese independence,” she told a briefing.

In a sign of a deteriorating economy, Taiwan’s export orders fell more than expected in April, their 13th straight month of decline,

according to data released on Friday, as demand in China and other global markets remained weak.

Taiwan markets reacted calmly to Tsai’s speech.

The main stock index reached an intraday high as she spoke, before closing 0.4 percent higher.

Tsai pledged to abide by the constitution of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s formal name, and promised to safeguard the island’s sovereignty and territory.

She also mentioned the East China and South China Seas, where an increasingly muscular China has been at odds over territorial claims with its neighbours.

“Regarding problems arising in the East China Sea and South China Sea, we propose setting

aside disputes so as to enable joint development,” she said.

The American Institute in Taiwan, which represents US interests in the island in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, said it looked forward to working with the new government.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979 but is also Taiwan’s biggest ally and arms supplier. China is deeply distrustful of Tsai’s DPP, whose charter includes a clause promoting “a sovereign and independent Republic of Taiwan”. Voted in by a Taiwanese public equally distrustful of growing economic dependence on China, the DPP also champions Taiwan’s own history. — Reuters

EXTREMISTS BLAMED

Bangladesh doctor hacked to death in rebel attack DHAKA: Machete-wielding assailants hacked to death a village doctor and wounded a university teacher in Bangladesh on Friday, in what police suspected was the latest in a series attacks by extremists.

The attackers rode a motorcycle, which they used to block the victims’ motorcycle in the western district of Kushtia, 150 miles (245 km) from Dhaka, said district police chief Mohammad Sahabuddin Chowdhury.

The homeopathic doctor, Mir Sanaur Rahman, 55, was killed on the spot, and his companion, identified as Saifuzzaman, 45, suffered serious wounds.

Police found a bloody machete at the scene.

“We suspect Islamist militants are behind the attack,” Chowdhury said.

Police were checking whether the victims had any particular enemies or if other factors could have been a motive but media reported associates of the doctor saying he had a reputation for progressive views.

Friends of the wounded university teacher said he too was known for being progressive-minded.

The doctor was on his way to a weekly free clinic he operated when he was attacked.

Over the past year, the South Asian nation of 160 million has seen a surge of attacks on atheist bloggers, academics, members of religious minorities and foreign aid workers.

At least 26 people have been killed including five secular bloggers, a publisher and two gay right campaigners have been among those milled since February 2015.

Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent has claimed some of he attacks.

Members of IS have also claimed responsibility for some attacks, including the killings of two foreigners last year, and a university professor and a Hindu last month.

The government has denied that IS or Al Qaeda have a presence in the country and says home-grown extremists are responsible. — Reuters

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SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

WORLD N G U Y E N VA N LY

KATE GOES SAILING Britain’s Kate, The Duchess of Cambridge, joins Ben Ainslie, front right, and the Land Rover BAR team, who are in the race for the 2017 America’s Cup, on board their training boat as they run a training circuit on the Solent in Portsmouth, Britain, on Friday. — Reuters/Frank Augstein/Pool

Vietnam frees political prisoner ahead of Obama visit HANOI: Vietnam freed a Catholic priest on Friday, one of its longestserving political prisoners, just a few days before a visit by US President Barack Obama in which human rights is expected to be a key talking point.

Nguyen Van Ly, who has spent most of the past two decades in detention due to his relentless pursuit of democracy and religious freedom, was released from a prison in central Hue province after his fourth stint behind bars.

“They released him in a special amnesty by Vietnam’s president before the Obama trip,” Catholic priest Phan Van Loi told Reuters by phone.

The communist country’s statecontrolled media has made no mention of Ly’s release Loi said that he met Ly after his release and that although he appeared weak, he was in high spirits.

Other dissidents The US embassy in Hanoi welcomed the release of Ly but said other dissidents should be freed too.

“We call on the government to release unconditionally all prisoners of conscience and allow all Vietnamese to express their political views peacefully without fear of retribution,” an embassy spokesman said. — Reuters

CHAOS

Security chief of Venezuela opposition leader arrested CARACAS: Venezuelan authorities have arrested congressional president Henry Ramos’ head of security on allegations of masterminding the beating of police officers, including a female agent, during a protest march this week.

Videos showed half a dozen youths attacking three officers with their fists and sticks on a road during chaotic scenes at Wednesday’s opposition rally demanding a referendum to recall socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

“The intellectual author who paid those terrorists to beat that young policewoman is in jail,” Maduro said late on Thursday, referring to opposition leader Ramos’ security boss Coromoto Rodriguez.

“He will be judged and sent to a maximum security jail.”

Ramos’ aides said Rodriguez had nothing to do with Wednesday’s beating of the police officers, at least one of whom was a woman, according to state media.

Attempt to intimidate They described his arrest as an attempt to intimidate the head of the National Assembly.

Rodriguez was taken on Thursday in a cafe near his house, they said, and was being held on Friday at the Caracas headquarters of Venezuela’s intelligence service.

“Typical cowardly attitude.

As they don’t dare with me, they persecute humble people who work with me,” Ramos tweeted. — Reuters

Turkish parliament strips lawmakers of immunity Turkish democracy” and that “the gulf with European norms and values is widening”.

HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtas told Reuters this month that the lifting of immunity was likely to create more violence and stifle democratic politics.

President Tayyip Erdogan has accused the pro-Kurdish HDP, parliament’s third-biggest party, of being the political wing of militants and wants to see them prosecuted

ANKARA: Turkey’s parliament on Friday approved stripping its members of immunity from prosecution, a move likely to see the pro-Kurdish opposition sidelined, ease President Tayyip Erdogan’s path to stronger powers, and raise concern among Western allies.

Erdogan has accused the proKurdish HDP, parliament’s thirdbiggest party, of being the political wing of militants who have waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey’s largely Kurdish southeast, and wants to see them prosecuted.

The HDP denies such links and says its parliamentary presence could be all but wiped out if prosecutions go ahead. “They will have to arrest us, take us by force.

We will resort to all possible measures to challenge the decision, including taking it to the constitutional court,” the party’s

UPROAR: Lawmakers of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) shout slogans as they leave a debate to protest the statement of Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman who said in the Turkish parliament on Friday that the country needed a religious constitution. — AFP

co-leader Selahattin Demirtas told reporters outside parliament.

In the third and final vote of a secret ballot, 376 MPs in the 550seat assembly backed the plan to lift MPs’ immunity, a high enough level of support to change the constitution directly without needing to hold a referendum.

Erdogan on Friday stressed his support for the bill, which will become law once approved by him and published, paving the way for the launch of judicial proceedings.

“My nation does not want to see guilty lawmakers in this country’s parliament. Above all it does not want to see those supported by the

separatist terror group in parliament,” he told a crowd in the Black Sea town of Rize, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group.

Out of parliament Erdogan’s opponents say the lifting of immunity is part of a strategy to push the HDP out of parliament, strengthen the ruling AK Party, and consolidate support in the assembly for the executive presidential system he has long desired. The legislation has caused concern in Europe, which is trying to hold together a controversial deal with Turkey meant to stop il-

legal migration despite what many European politicians see as the country’s deteriorating record on human rights.

Responding to the decision by the Turkish parliament, which is heavily dominated by the AKP, a German government spokesman said Berlin was concerned by the increasing polarisation of Turkey’s domestic political debate.

Chancellor Angela Merkel would discuss the issue with Erdogan at a meeting in Istanbul on Monday, he said.

European Parliament President Martin Schulz said on Twitter the immunity move was a “blow to

Terrorist group Conflict between the state and the PKK, deemed a terrorist group by Ankara, the European Union and United States, is at its most intense since the 1990s.

Thousands of militants and hundreds of security force members and civilians have been killed since a 2-1/2 year ceasefire collapsed in July.

Lawmakers currently enjoy immunity from prosecution.

The new law will allow prosecutors to pursue members of parliament who currently face investigation: that includes 138 deputies, of whom 101 are from the HDP and main opposition CHP. The HDP has said an overwhelming majority of its 59 deputies could be jailed, mostly for views they have expressed.

Friday’s vote came a day after Transport Minister Binali Yildirim, a close Erdogan ally, emerged as the likely new AKP leader and therefore the next prime minister.

Yildirim, seen as a champion of the presidential system Erdogan wants, will be the sole candidate to lead the AKP at a party congress on Sunday.

Erdogan said on Turkish broadcaster ATV late on Thursday he planned to give Yildirim the mandate to form a new government that evening. — Reuters

BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY

Father of missing ‘Chibok girl’ hears ordeal from rescued friend

LUCKY TO BE ALIVE: This handout picture taken in Damboa and released by the Nigerian army on May 18, 2016 shows Amina Ali, one of 219 girls abducted from their school in Chibok more than two years ago, alighting from a Nigerian Army helicopter, after her release. — AFP/Nigeria’s army/Stringer

ABUJA: The father of a missing Chibok schoolgirl who spoke privately to Amina Ali Darsha Nkeki, rescued this week in remote northeastern Nigeria, said that after hearing about her ordeal at the hands of Boko Haram he told her not to repeat the horrific story to other parents.

Yakubu Nkeki, whose daughter Maimuna was among the 219 girls abducted from a school in the town of Chibok more than two years ago, spoke to Amina on Thursday after the she met President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I called her ‘Kwadudu’,” he said, describing how Amina smiled and grabbed his hand as soon as she heard her pet name from child-

hood, which means ‘only daughter’. “She looked relieved.”

For an hour he listened to Amina, who was found on Tuesday by soldiers and vigilantes with her four-month-old baby, recall some of her experiences over the past two years, he said.

“She told me that she last saw my daughter about a year ago before the girls were separated,” said Nkeki who lives next door to Amina’s family in Mbalala village near Chibok.

Once he had heard her story, “I told her not to tell anybody some of the things she told me. I told her that she should stop talking,” he said.

But other parents from Chibok,

whose daughters were abducted

by Boko Haram’s extremist militants in April 2014 said they were eager to hear more from Amina.

See her “I want to see her so that she can tell me about my daughter,” said Samuel Yaga, who a few years ago moved his family from Chibok to Banki, a town on the border with Cameroon, but left his daughter Sarah behind at school on the advice of a teacher who said her education should not be disrupted.

But the threat of Boko Haram violence forced him to move again, to a village on the outskirts of the capital Abuja.

“I want to know if my daughter is

alive or not,” said Yaga, who plans to formally wed Rebecca, Sarah’s mother and his wife under customary law, at a church ceremony on Sunday.

Back in Chibok, the news of Amina’s rescue has given some parents hope of their own daughters being found, according to Yana Galang, the women’s leader of the parents association campaigning for the rescue of the girls.

“As long as we can get correct information from her (Amina’s) mouth, I think the government will do something about it,” said Yana, whose daughter Rifkatu, is among the missing.

“She can tell the true story about these girls.” — Thomson Reuters Foundation

S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

S P O R

FIFA wants two-year ban for Germany’s Niersbach FIFA ethics committee’s adjudicatory chamber said it had opened formal proceedings against Wolfgang Niersbach — who was a vice-president of the 2006 organising committee — following the investigatory chamber’s recommendation

A report from the investigatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee found Niersbach had violated of its ethics code and recommended he be banned for two years from all footballrelated activity and fined $30,300

ZURICH: Former German football association (DFB) chief Wolfgang Niersbach faces a possible two-year ban from soccer following an investigation by FIFA into alleged irregularities over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup. Niersbach, who still sits on the world soccer body’s Council, re-

signed from the DFB presidency in November after he was unable to explain a 6.7 million euro ($7.52 million) payment from the German World Cup organisers to FIFA. On Friday a report from the

investigatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee — an independent body — found Niersbach had violated of its ethics code and recommended he be banned for two years from all football-related

activity and fined 30,000 Swiss francs ($30,300). Niersbach has denied all wrongdoing.

The committee’s adjudicatory chamber said it had opened formal proceedings against Niersbach —

who was a vice-president of the 2006 organising committee — following the investigatory chamber’s recommendation.

Niersbach is also under investigation by the Frankfurt prosecutor for suspected tax evasion over the payment to FIFA. He will be invited to submit his position including any evidence with regard to the final report of the investigatory chamber and may request a hearing, it said.

A DFB-commissioned report revealed in March that while there was no evidence of Germany paying FIFA members in return for their votes, payments were made to at least one former FIFA official through a web of accounts involving several other firms or individuals, including Franz Beckenbauer.

Beckenbauer, a World Cup-winning player and coach who headed the 2006 World Cup bid, admitted to making mistakes but denied any wrongdoing over the tournament in Germany.

The German great is not suspected of tax evasion.

The World Cup affair, which has shocked soccer-mad Germany, was triggered by the payment from the DFB to FIFA which the DFB said last year was the return of a loan via the ruling body from former Adidas chief Robert LouisDreyfus. - Reuters

CRICKET

S DOPING

WADA chief urges Russia not to obstruct anti-doping investigators LONDON: WADA president Craig Reedie has urged Russia to give World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) drug testers unfettered access to athletes in its so-called ‘closed cities’.

Reedie wrote to Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko two weeks after a German WADA official was threatened with deportation by Russia’s FSB intelligence service for trying to test a Paralympic athlete in the closed city of Tryokhgorny, according to a report in The Times of London.

“These kinds of actions are totally unacceptable and full access to these ‘closed cities’ must be guaranteed,” WADA chief told The Times.

The term refers to towns where Russia restricts the movements of foreigners because they are home to national security installations.

WADA suspended Russia from taking part in athletic events after an investigation revealed a large-scale, state-sponsored doping programme.

Reedie, who has been criticised in some media for appearing to take a soft line towards Moscow on the issue, said Russia was dragging its feet over improving its anti-doping system and ruled out compliance in time for the Rio Olympics, which start in August.

“We are having to deal very firmly with a never-ending set of issues in Russia.”

“I think it highly unlikely they will be compliant by the time of the Olympic Games. Our roadmap could take two years to implement at the current rate,” he said. - Reuters

Fledgling UAE T20 league vows to pay overdue wages DUBAI: The CEO of a fledgling Twenty20 cricket league for retired greats in the UAE on Friday promised its players will receive their final wages that were due more than two months ago and vowed the competition would return next year.

The Masters Champions League (MCL), which boasted West Indies batsmen Brian Lara and Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan among its ranks, staged its maiden season in Dubai and Sharjah from January 28-February 13.

The MCL sold six franchises for a combined $90 million, with each team named after an astrological sign. This sextet pledged about $5.5 million in player wages, but only one team — Gemini Arabians

— has paid its players in full, MCL chief executive Zarah Shah said.

The other teams’ players are owed their final wage packet, which was due 30 days after the tournament finished, said Shah. Clubs receive a share of gate money, central sponsorship revenues and broadcast income, plus prize money, and are responsible for players’ salaries.

“It’s late and will be a bit delayed still. We’re working with the team owners to get it resolved as speedily as possible,” said Shah.

She said the delay was because the clubs had cash flow issues and were most likely waiting for money from sponsors.

“They’re looking for more time, that’s the communication we’ve had,” said Shah, declining to pre-

dict when the wages would be paid.

The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) criticised the MCL’s failure to settle its wage bill.

“Cricket is a career, and just like other professionals, players make decisions based on the contracts they sign,” FICA executive chairman Tony Irish said. “We hope that given the potential of this

ITF PRO CIRCUIT

Fatma loses in quarterfinals of South Korea ITF tourney

DISAPPOINTED: A file photo of Fatma Al Nabhani speaking during a press confernce.

MUSCAT: Omani star Fatma Al Nabhani bowed out of the $25,000 Goyang ITF Pro Circuit tournament in South Korea when she was beaten in the quarterfinals on Friday.

In her last eight match, seventh seeded Fatma came up against Harriet Dart of Great Britain, who proved too strong for the Omani

girl. Fatma managed to win just three games in all as the British girl went on to win the match in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.

Doubles loss On Thursday, Fatma defeated South Korea’s San Hee Park 6-4, 6-4 for a place in the quarterfinals. Earlier, in the first round she

got the better of another local lass Kim Dabin 6-2, 7-6 (6).

Fatma also took part in the doubles competitions in the company of Thai girl Patcharin Cheapchandej. But their challenge ended in the first round when they were beaten 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) by South Koreans Seung-Yeon Hong and Seo-Kyung Kang.

event, MCL pay the outstanding amounts to players immediately.”

MCL’s Shah vowed the 2017 tournament would take place but organisers would try and avoid the logistical problems faced this year due to a clash in dates with the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL), which used the same venues as the MCL and was staged from February 4 to 23. With the

two events overlapping for 10 days, it caused difficulties on some match days as venues had to host back-to-back contests.

“The crowds were divided we had to go every day back-to-back and most days had double headers,” said Shah, adding the two leagues’ schedules will not clash next year.

Ahead of the league’s launch, she predicted it would generate $500 million revenue over 10 years and would break even in year three.

She declined to reveal its turnover for this year, saying the final figures had still to be calculated, but described Sharjah attendances as good. During the final three days in Dubai, the 25,000-capacity International stadium was about half full. - Reuters

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SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

SPORTS Sri Lanka 91 all out after Bairstow ton SCOREBOARD

England captain Cook enforced the followon and the touring side negotiated two deliveries to reach one for no wicket before bad light ended play. Sri Lanka trail by 206 runs SUPERB TON: England’s Jonny Bairstow celebrates after completing his century at Headingly on Friday. – Reuters

LEEDS: The England pace attack ripped out Sri Lanka for 91 after Jonny Bairstow made an excellent century to put the hosts in complete control of the first Test on the second day in Leeds on Friday.

Bairstow’s superb knock of 140 lifted England to 298 in their first innings before James Anderson and Stuart Broad took nine wickets between them in favourable conditions for seam bowling at Headingley.

England captain Alastair Cook enforced the follow-on and the touring side negotiated two deliveries to reach one for no wicket before bad light ended play. Sri Lanka trail by 206 runs in the opening match of the three-Test series.

England had resumed in the morning on 171 for five and Bairstow and Alex Hales extended their sixth-wicket partnership to 141. Hales, on 86, was in sight of

his maiden Test century when he skied spinner Rangana Herath to deep extra cover.

Moeen Ali (0) and Broad (2) were dismissed by Dushmantha Chameera in the same over but Bairstow, dropped on 70, completed his second test hundred and celebrated the achievement enthusiastically on his home ground.

Bairstow found a solid partner in Steven Finn, the pair adding 56 for the ninth wicket before the former skied a catch to mid-on off Chameera. Sri Lanka made a dreadful start to their reply as experienced fast bowlers Anderson and Broad exploited the conditions superbly.

Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva and Kusal Mendis all edged catches to wicketkeeper Bairstow, leaving the tourists in deep trouble at 12 for three.

PREVIEW

Dinesh Chandimal, on 15, was well held by James Vince at third slip off Ben Stokes before Anderson trapped captain Angelo Mathews lbw for 34 and then dismissed Dasun Shanaka first ball with a peach of a delivery that the batsman nicked to Bairstow.

The dismissal of Mathews was Anderson’s 435th in tests, taking him past India’s Kapil Dev into sixth place on the all-time list.

Herath was smartly caught by Stokes in the slips off Anderson for one, Chameera (2) drove Broad to Finn at mid-off and Lahiru Thirimanne, on 22, was caught by Finn at mid-on off Broad.

Anderson completed his 19th five-wicket haul in Tests and outstanding figures of five for 16 when he had Shaminda Eranga caught by Bairstow down the leg-side. - Reuters

England 1st innings A. Cook c Chandimal b Shanaka 16 A. Hales c Chameera b Herath 86 N. Compton c Thirimanne b Shanaka 0 J. Root c K. Mendis b Shanaka 0 J. Vince c K. Mendis b Eranga 9 B. Stokes c Mathews b Pradeep 12 J. Bairstow c Pradeep b Chameera 140 M. Ali c K. Mendis b Chameera 0 S. Broad b Chameera 2 S. Finn st Chandimal b Herath 17 J. Anderson not out 1 Extras (lb-8, nb-3, w-4) 15 Total (all out, 90.3 overs) 298 Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-49, 3-51, 4-70, 5-83, 6-224, 7-231, 8-233, 9-289.

Bowling: S. Eranga 19-4-68-1 (nb-2, w-1); N. Pradeep 19-7-56-1 (w-1); A. Mathews 11-2-31-0 (nb-1); D. Chameera 17-0-64-3 (w-1); D. Shanaka 13-3-46-3 (w-1); R. Herath 11.3-1-25-2.

Sri Lanka 1st innings D. Karunaratne c Bairstow b Broad 0 K. Silva c Bairstow b Anderson 11 K. Mendis c Bairstow b Broad 0 D. Chandimal c Vince b Stokes 15 A. Mathews lbw Anderson 34 L. Thirimanne c Finn b Broad 22 D. Shanaka c Bairstow b Anderson 0 R. Herath c Stokes b Anderson 1 D. Chameera c Finn b Broad 2 S. Eranga c Bairstow b Anderson 1 N. Pradeep not out 0 Extras (nb-5) 5 Total (all out, 36.4 overs) 91 Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-12, 3-12, 4-43, 5-77, 6-81, 7-83, 8-90, 9-91.

Bowling: J. Anderson 11.4-6-16-5; S. Broad 10-1-21-4 (nb-2); B. Stokes 7-2-25-1 (nb-1); J. Vince 1-0-10-0; S. Finn 7-0-19-0 (nb-2).

Sri Lanka 2nd innings D. Karunaratne not out 0 K. Silva not out 0 Extras (lb-1) 1 Total (no loss, 0.2 overs) 1 Bowling: J. Anderson 0.2-0-0-0.

PREVIEW

Mumbai Indians face Gujarat Lions in do-or-die clash KANPUR: Nothing but a win will keep their play-off hopes alive as defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) take on Gujarat Lions (GL) in a do-or-die battle match in the Indian Premier IPL here on Saturday.

With seven wins in 13 matches, Mumbai are currently placed fifth, tied on 14 points with Royal Challengers Bangalore (3rd) and Kolkata Knight Riders (4th) — both having better net run-rate with one match to go.

A loss will knock them out of the race for play-offs and Mumbai will hope to pull the rug from under the feet of the Lions this time after suffering a defeat during their home leg on April 16.

Gujarat, on the other hand, are at the second spot with 16 points from 13 matches and a victory will seal their play-off berth.

However, a slip-up will keep the door open for the other teams to sneak in at the last moment and the IPL debutantes will be eager to avoid any such situation after doing all the hard work this season.

Two-time champions, Mumbai have failed to build a winning momentum this season and all their victories have been mostly followed by losses.

A massive 80-run win against Delhi Daredevils in their last outing on May 15 has boosted Mumbai’s confidence and they would want to carry on the momentum this time.

Mumbai have depended on captain Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu to score bulk of the runs this season though it was young all-rounder Krunal Pan-

IPL

VISAKHAPATNAM: Their pride bruised following disastrous campaigns, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) will look for a graceful exit from the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) when they square off against each other for one last time, here on Saturday.

Supergiants are coming into the contest after a victory over Delhi Daredevils at the same venue, their home ground, while Punjab have lost their last two outings -- against RCB and tabletoppers Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Punjab’s fourth and last win this season had come at this very ground, when they had got the better of Mumbai Indians.

To make an early exit from this tournament is a completely different zone for Supergiants skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has excelled as a leader in all the previous editions. But never before has he been saddled with the kind of injury crisis that he dealt with this year.

The debutantes had hoped for better results after packing their squad with star performers such as Kevin Pietersen, Steve Smith, Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Marsh apart from handing the reins of the team to charismatic Dhoni.

However, none of the overseas players could last the length of the tournament, exiting on account of injuries. There was little Dhoni could do given the acute scarcity of resources he faced.

For Punjab, it was a repeat of the previous seasons. Neither a change in captaincy nor the late addition of a overseas players could lift the team. They continued to be laggards, lacking enough firepower and impact players to trigger a turnaround of fortunes. Adding to their woes was reports that there was a tiff between the team management and the owners.

Punjab have certainly missed quality players in their ranks and non-performance of the bighitting David Miller has affected them badly. Losing Glenn Maxwell and Shaun Marsh, among their most consistent players, added to the problems. Now that they will take field for the last time this season, knowing that they have nothing to lose, going out of the event with a win is what both the teams would be hoping for.

KXIP (from): Murali Vijay (C), Hashim Amla, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Gurkeerat Mann, Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis, Sandeep Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Anureet Singh, Manan Vohra, Shardul Thakur, Nikhil Naik, Mitchell Johnson, KC Cariappa, Farhan Behardien, Arman Jaffer, Kyle Abbott, Pardeep Sahu, Swapnil Singh, Mitchell Johnson.

RPS (from): MS Dhoni (C), A. Rahane, U. Khawaja, G. Bailey, R. Ashwin, Saurabh Tiwary, Thisara Perera, Rajat Bhatia, Adam Zampa, Ashok Dinda, RP Singh, M. Ashwin, Baba Aparajith, Ankit Sharma, Ankush Bains, Deepak Chahar, Scott Boland, Peter Handscomb, Jaskaran Singh, Albie Morkel, Ishwar Pandey, I. Pathan and Ishant Sharma. - PTI

Mumbai Indians (from): Rohit Sharma (C), Corey Anderson, Jasprit Bumrah, Jos Buttler, Unmukt Chand, Marchant de Lange, Shreyas Gopal, Martin Guptill, Harbhajan Singh, Kishore Kamath, Siddhesh Lad, Mitchell McClenaghan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Parthiv Patel, Kieron Pollard, Deepak Punia, Nitish Rana, Ambati Rayudu, Jitesh Sharma, Nathu Singh, Tim Southee, Jagadeesha Suchith, Jerome Taylor, Vinay Kumar, Akshay Wakhare.

Gujarat Lions (from): Suresh Raina (C), Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Dale Steyn, James Faulkner, Ishan Kishan, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shivil Kaushik, Dwayne Bravo, Sarabjit Ladda, Amit Mishra, Akashdeep Nath, Paras Dogra, Eklavya Dwivedi, Shadab Jakati, Pradeep Sangwan, Jaydev Shah, Umang Sharma, Pravin Tambe, Andrew Tye. - PTI

FRENCH OPEN

Pune and Punjab Karun stars in Daredevils’ look to end IPL 9 thrilling victory over SRH on winning note RAIPUR: Young Karun Nair smashed an unbeaten 83 to guide Delhi Daredevils to a thrilling six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Friday night.

Opting to bowl, Daredevils restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 158 for seven, and then chased down the target of 159 in the last ball of the match at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

Earlier, David Warner struck yet another half century to guide Sunrisers Hyderabad to 158 for seven. Skipper Warner led from the front and struck eight boundaries and a six in his 56-ball knock. This was Warner’s eight fifty in the ongoing ninth season of the cash-rich T20 league.

The in-form opener added 46 runs for the first wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (10) before the Indian fell to a brilliant piece of work by Carlos Brathwaite.

As Dhawan hit one towards mid-on, Brathwaite made a diving save off his own bowling and then fired an accurate throw at the striker’s end to run out the batsman who was on the lookout for a quick single.

Deepak Hooda (1), too, was run out while going for what seemed like a needless attempt.

Yuvraj Singh (10) was bowled

by Brathwaite as Sunrisers Hyderabad slumped to 66 for three in the 10th over.

Warner tried to forge a partnership with Moises Henriques (10) and added 39 runs for the fourth wicket before the latter was sent

dhya’s 37-ball 86 which did the trick for them in their last match.

Jos Butler and Kieron Pollard will be the other batters who will look to step up and perform in Saturday’s match, which otherwise might turn out to be Mumbai’s last appearance this season.

In bowling, seamer Mitchell McClenaghan has led the attack well with 17 wickets in 13 matches and remains the top wickettaker this season. He has been supported well by Jasprit Bumrah with 14 scalps.

Gujarat, on the other hand, made a rampaging start to the season before facing a slump early this month but they have managed to bounce back in time with a win over Kolkata last night after an embarrassing 144-run loss against Bangalore.

CRUCIAL WIN: Delhi Daredevils’ Karun Nair, second right, and

Sanju Samson leave the ground after guiding their team to victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Raipur on Friday. – AFP

back by JP Duminy. Even as wickets fell around him, Warner stood firm at the other hand and kept finding the ropes. He was especially fluent in the off side to start with and scored a few boundaries in that direction.

However, Sunrisers were dealt a body blow when they lost their captain in the 16th over to leave them struggling at 117 for five.

Brathwaite bowled one short outside off and Warner top-edged to give Amit Mishra an easy catch.

Down the order, Eoin Morgan

(10) Naman Ojha made (16 not out) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (12 not out) made useful contributions to help the the team reach a modest total. Returning to the side, Brathwaite picked up two wickets for 27 runs in his four-over spell, while was one apiece for JP Duminy and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Brief scores: Sunriser Hyderabad 158/7 in 20 overs (David Warner 73; Craig Brathwaite 2/27) lost to Delhi Daredevils 161/4 in 20 overs (Karun Nair 83 n.o.; Barinder Sran 2/34). - PTI

Federer pullout puts Djokovic and Nadal on collision course PARIS: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is on a French Open semifinal collision course with nine-time champion Rafael Nadal after the draw was made on Friday.

The Serb, who holds 11 Grand Slam titles but is still chasing his first win at Roland Garros, will start his campaign against Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun. Nadal has been paired with big-serving Australian Sam Groth.

The Spaniard, promoted to fourth seed after Roger Federer pulled out citing fitness concerns, could meet France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals.

In the other half of the draw, second-seeded Briton Andy Murray is on course to meet Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori in the last eight and defending champion and third seed Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals.

French hopes of lifting the trophy for the first time since Yannick Noah won in 1983 took a hit when former semifinalist Gael Monfils -a perennial crowd favourite in Paris -- pulled out because of a virus.

In the women’s draw, top seed, defending champion and strong favourite Serena Williams takes on Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova in the first round.

She faces a potential quarterfinal against former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and last-four clash with German third seed Angelique Kerber, who beat her in this year’s Australian Open final.

The French Open starts on Sunday and ends on June 5 with the men’s final. - Reuters

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM S ATU RDAY, MAY 21, 2016

HSBC TO CLOSE HALF OF BRANCHES IN INDIA

MARKE

HSBC Holdings plans to shut almost half its branches in India and rely more on digital banking to expand its consumer business in the South Asian nation. The bank will cut 24 of its 50 branches, HSBC said to an e-mailed statement. >B3

$5-BILLION BID

Chinese firm’s bid for German robot maker poses a dilemma BERLIN: A $5-billion bid by Chinese home appliance maker Midea Group to buy German industrial robot manufacturer Kuka poses a dilemma for Angela Merkel.

The conservative chancellor champions domestic innovation of the so-called industrial Internet and her ruling coalition has made “Industrie 4.0”, the digitisation of industry, a core part of its strategy for building Germany’s economic future.

Germany also has a lead in the cutting-edge technology that would be passed to Midea if it buys Kuka, but Merkel is loathe to meddle in takeovers, even if the suitor is foreign.

“I think the government is concerned about how we can keep this (industrial) leadership, but so far I don’t see a very coordinated approach of protecting this leadership because that’s not the way we do industrial policy in Germany,” said Mikko Huotari, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

“Despite the strategic considerations that might play a role, it’s very clear that the German government will continue to be open to Chinese capital or any kind of cap-

ital that is flowing into Germany.”

Merkel has said nothing in public of Midea’s bid, which was launched on Wednesday and valued Kuka at around 4.5 billion euros ($5.05 billion).

Michael Fuchs, deputy leader of the coalition group in Germany’s lower house of parliament, indicated shortly after the bid was announced that the government would not intervene to stop it.

But government sources also say Berlin will examine how critical Kuka’s technology is for the digitisation of industry.

Merkel’s praise for Kuka Merkel praised Kuka as a model for Germany’s industrial future as it computerises manufacturing when she visited its plant in the Bavarian town of Augsburg in March 2015.

“I think here is an exciting piece of German production for ‘Industrie 4.0’,” she said.

“We must develop this further, if we want to stay in front.”

Merkel, whose Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and their Bavarian allies govern with the leftleaning Social Democrats (SPD), said a month earlier that the next

10 years would decide “whether we remain a leading industrial nation or whether we perhaps do not make the change.”

Industrie 4.0 Both Merkel and SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel are committed to Industrie 4.0, which is being promoted by his Economy Ministry.

The United States leads the field in software and data, but Germany sees China as the leading hardware producer. It believes its industry can retain its prowess only if it fuses IT into manufacturing processes to use data to the greatest effect.

Germany depends on manufacturing for a larger share of the economy than any of its western European neighbours, with tens of thousands of family-owned businesses building the bedrock of its export-driven success.

Along with industrial giants Siemens and Bosch , Merkel’s government has seen Kuka with its robot technology as a model for German pioneering in what is known as the fourth industrial revolution.

One of Kuka’s strengths is in the communication between robots and people, an area of innovation that will allow “big data” to help

ROBOT FOR ACTION: A staff member stands next to robots at a plant of Kuka Robotics in Shanghai,

China.

— Reuters file picture

generate new products to meet customers’ wishes. Kuka Chief Executive Till Reuter has welcomed a pledge from Midea that the company will remain independent.

A reform of Germany’s foreign trade law in 2008 gave the govern-

ment the right of veto to protect strategic companies. But such is Berlin’s commitment to free trade that it would have to present grave misgivings to prevent a takeover on such grounds.

When in 2014 Canada-based

‘Saudi Arabia planning international bond sale’ The kingdom has sent invitations to banks to arrange the sale, according to three people familiar with the plans.

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia is preparing to sell its first bonds in the international capital markets as it seeks foreign financing to plug its budget deficit.

The kingdom has sent invitations to banks to arrange the sale, according to three people familiar with the plans. It expects an issue of a “significant” amount and banks are expected to respond VITAL FUND RAISING: Saudi Arabia has been financing its budget deficit by selling local debt and drawing down foreign with proposals next week, one reserves. — Bloomberg file picture person said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The sale will probably Dhabi raised $5 billion in a Eu- market debt at Frankfurt-based ular working hours weren’t an- lion this year. Saudi Arabia sealed a $10 billion facility last month, take place after the Muslim holy robond sale last month and Qatar Union Investment, said by e-mail. swered or returned.

Saudi Arabia has been financ- three people with knowledge of month of Ramadan ends July 5, is meeting investors this week be- “I am sure price sensitivity of Saufore a possible deal, its first after a di sovereign is a very important is- ing its budget deficit by selling the matter said. he added.

Saudi Arabia’s credit rating local debt and drawing down forsue to them.”

Saudi Arabia is poised to join five-year break. was reduced last week to A1 from Qatar will seek to raise about $5 eign reserves. other countries from the sixThe central bank’s net foreign Aa3 in the second cut this year by billion in multiple tranches, three nation Gulf Cooperation Council Price sensitivity (GCC) in tapping foreign markets “Fear of potentially rising funding bankers familiar with the trans- assets have tumbled by more than Moody’s Investors Service as the in a sign the world’s biggest oil- costs in the third and fourth quar- action said this month. Govern- SR500 billion ($133 billion) since decline in oil prices may lead to a exporting region wants to move ters and the announcement of ments of Bahrain and Oman are the start of 2015 to SR2.19 trillion “material deterioration” in the nation’s credit profile. away from plundering rainy-day Qatar issuing next week or week also raising money from privately in February.

The kingdom’s rating was also The debut bond sale will follow funds to bridge the $900 billion after caused some re-thinking on placed bonds, people familiar with the country’s first loan in at least lowered by Fitch Ratings and fiscal shortfall the International Saudi side,” Sergey Dergachev, a the plans said this week.

Calls and e-mails to the Saudi 15 years as it seeks to fill a budget S&P Global Ratings earlier in Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates senior money manager who helps they will face through 2021. Abu oversee $13 billion of emerging- Finance Ministry outside of reg- hole estimated at about $100 bil- 2016. — Bloomberg News I N T E R NAT I O NA L A S S I S TA N C E

IMF agrees to provide $5.4b standby loan for Iraq

RISING DEBT: Iran’s national debt as a percentage of GDP hit 53 per cent last year and will reach 77 per cent this year. - Bloomberg file picture

AMMAN: Iraq has reached a $5.4 billion standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that could unlock $15 billion more in international assistance over the next three years, Finance Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Thursday.

Iraq’s economy has been hit by the plunge in oil prices since mid2014 and the country is expected to have a financing gap of $17 billion this year unless it can secure more funding, an IMF document obtained by Reuters showed.

The cost of fighting Islamic State militants is another burden on the budget.

Zebari said the deal agreed after a week of talks with the IMF in neighbouring Jordan could allow Iraq to borrow again in interna-

tional markets. “The programme will help us get bonds and improve our international credit rating,” he told a news conference in the Jordanian capital. “In this programme we will win time to do much-needed reforms to push our resources.

“It’s not the end of the road but the deal is crucial to allow us to overcome the crisis Iraq faces.”

Iraq’s existing dollar bond, due 2028 traded almost one cent higher after the IMF deal was announced. Christian Josz, head of the IMF’s Iraq mission, told reporters the agreement was an important first step that would give confidence to other donors to extend more financing.

He said the standby loan would be disbursed in 13 tranches over

the three years to June 2019, with payment over eight years including a three-year grace period. The interest rate will be between 1 and 1.3 per cent depending on how much Iraq borrows.

Zebari said the standby loan was conditional on cutting Iraq’s budget deficit and other measures like reducing the billions of dollars in arrears owed to foreign oil companies.

Iraq, a major Opec exporter, is planning to lower the oil price assumed in its budget, widening the fiscal deficit of 24 trillion dinars ($21 billion) by several billion dollars. The agreement still needs the approval of the IMF board, which meets in June. A decision is expected either at the end of June or in July. — Reuters

BlackBerry took over Duesseldorfbased Secusmart, a maker of encrypted communication devices for the German government, Berlin was able to win some guarantees but did not want to endanger the takeover. — Reuters US RESTRICTIONS

Many European banks still wary on Iran trade LONDON: European banks are holding back from business with Iran partly due to worries they might breach remaining sanctions, despite assurances from US and European politicians that they can legally resume ties, officials said on Thursday.

International measures against Iran — including banking restrictions — were lifted in January as part of the deal with world powers under which Tehran curbed its nuclear programme.

But the Islamic Republic is struggling to access financing from abroad as many large banks fear breaking the remaining US restrictions, which prohibit trade with Iran in dollars or Iranian access to New York’s financial system. The banking industry has been left cautious over fines incurred for sanctions breaches in recent years.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told Europe’s top banks last week they have nothing to fear from resuming business with Iran, as long as they make proper checks on accepted trade partners.

Justine Walker, director of financial crime with the British Bankers’ Association (BBA), which represents the industry, said the session with Kerry and UK officials, including Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, had enabled bankers to express their concerns.

“There was no document provided which gave indemnity, but we hadn’t expected this. However, there was an agreement to continue the dialogue to try and address in more detail those issues that were raised,” she told Reuters on the sidelines of a Euromoney Iran conference in London.

“The issue for the European banks is just the reality of carving out a non-US nexus, which is incredibly complex. How do you do international business without accessing the major international payment platform? For banks, it is a pretty complex one.”

Iran’s Central Bank Governor Valiollah Seif told the conference there was fear among banks that even if they received assurances from the US Treasury, prosecutors and regulators “might adopt a different and stricter interpretation of the rules”.

“It is a moral and contractual obligation of the West to deliver on what they committed themselves in the JCPOA (nuclear deal), even if it means helping banks with revised regulations, guidelines and policies.”

In a separate interview, Seif said Iran’s slowed re-entry to international capital markets was stalling efforts to unify its official and market exchange rates. — Reuters

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SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

MARKET G7 forum agrees monetary policy alone is insufficient As years of aggressive money printing stretch the limits of monetary policy, the G7 policy response to anaemic inflation and subdued growth has become increasingly splintered.

SENDAI, (Japan): A rift on fiscal policy and currencies is likely to set the stage for G7 advanced economies to agree on a “go-yourown-way” response to address risks hindering global economic growth at their finance leaders’ gathering on Friday.

As years of aggressive money printing stretch the limits of monetary policy, the G7 policy response to anaemic inflation and subdued growth has become increasingly splintered.

Finance leaders gathering in Sendai, northeast Japan, sought advice from prominent academics, including Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller, on ways to boost growth in an informal symposium ahead of an official G7 meeting on Friday.

TWO-DAY MEETING: Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso, centre, speaks during a meeting of finance ministers and heads of central banks of the Group of Seven in Sendai, northern Japan, on Friday. Top finance officials of the G7 industrialised economies kicked off their two-day meeting over discussions on revitalising the global economy on Friday. At right is International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde. - AP/PTI

Participants of the symposium agreed that instead of relying on short-term fiscal stimulus or monetary policy, structural reforms combined with appropriate investment are solutions to achieving sustainable growth, a G7 source said.

If so, that would dash Japan’s hopes to garner an agreement on the need for coordinated fiscal action to spur global demand.

Germany showed no signs of re-

sponding to calls from Japan and the United States to boost fiscal stimulus, instead warning of the dangers of excessive monetary loosening.

“There is high nervousness in financial markets” fostered by huge government debt and excess liquidity around the globe, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Thursday.

But G7 officials have signalled that they would not object if Japan

were to call for stronger action using monetary, fiscal tools and structural reforms — catered to each country’s individual needs.

That means the G7 finance leaders, while fretting about risks to outlook, may be unable to agree on concrete steps to bolster stagnant global growth.

“I expect there to be a frank exchange of views on how to achieve price stability and growth using monetary, fiscal and structural

policies reflecting each country’s needs,” Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda told reporters on Thursday.

The risk of a British vote to exit the European Union in a June referendum, or Brexit, will be high on the agenda at Friday’s G7 session on the global economy.

“A Brexit could, in the shortterm, lead to turbulence in financial markets,” the G7 source said. — Reuters

D E B T R E PAY M E N T S

EU, IMF at odds over when Greece should get debt relief

ALL EARS: Euclid Tsakalotos, Greece’s finance minister, left, speaks with Bruno Bezard, executive director of France’s treasury, right, and Michel Sapin, France’s finance minister, ahead of roundtable talks during a Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday. - Bloomberg News

BRUSSELS: The euro zone and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are struggling with Greece’s debt crisis — not with Athens this time, but with each other over when to give Greece a break on its future massive debt repayments.

The euro zone has begun talks on debt relief for Greece but wants to postpone the final decision until 2018; the IMF insists Greek debt repayment is unsustainable and investors need clarity now.

Euro zone finance ministers are likely to forge a tentative plan when they meet next Tuesday — what in Brussels-speak is known as a political agreement. But their offer is unlikely to be anything but highly conditional, euro zone

officials preparing the talks said.

The gist is to find a way to lower Greece’s debt-repayment burden without actually cutting the debt itself via a so-called haircut. Instead, Greece’s debt would be “re-profiled” — less interest, longer maturities, limits based on growth etc. On May 9, the ministers asked their deputies to explore such specific measures which could be offered to Greece “if necessary” at the end of the bailout in 2018 if Greece implements all the agreed reforms.

The caveat “if necessary” has appeared in all euro zone statements on Greek debt relief since November 2012, mainly on the insistence of countries led by Germany, which do not believe it is needed at all.

The IMF has no such qualms.

“To restore debt sustainability ... decisive action by our European partners to grant further official debt relief will be essential,” it has said. The euro zone, however, has its competing members’ views to deal with, which they will attempt to satisfy next week.

Even with the “if necessary” phrase still in, officials say Greece and its euro zone lenders could both call it a victory.

“Greece can go home and say that the Eurogroup has decided ‘in principle’ to grant debt relief after 2018,” one official said, while Berlin’s hardline finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble can tell Germans that what will matter is the state of Athens’ finances only in 2018 and beyond. — Reuters

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

China clears plan to clean up its online finance sector BEIJING: China’s government has approved a sweeping plan to clean up the country’s online financial sector, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, including rules to limit the activities of P2P lending firms, the source of recent fraud scandals.

The government plan, which was drafted by China’s central bank, follows a mid-April videoconference with 14 ministries and regulators organised by the State Council, the country’s cabinet, which approved the plan document seen by the sources.

The plan outlines stricter rules for peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms, where lending increased 300 per cent last year to 440 billion yuan ($67 billion), according to Citigroup research, forbidding them from holding their clients’ capital in house.

Instead, client funds must be deposited with a qualified thirdparty banking institution and kept separate from a P2P platform’s own corporate funds, the plan said, while firms must also set up “firewalls” to manage transactions with affiliates.

In February, authorities arrested 21 officials of Ezubao, once China’s biggest P2P lending platform, which collected $7.6 billion in less than two years from more than 900,000 investors.

Ezubao used savvy marketing, authorities said, to fund “a complete Ponzi scheme”, that used investor funds to support a lavish lifestyle for company executives.

Internet lending has made headlines not just in China recently, with the US Department of Justice opening an investigation into San Francisco-based Lending Club Corp. this week after the online lender admitted it had falsified documentation when selling a package of loans.

Collaboration China’s State Council is urging the 14 ministries to work together and share more information to clean up the online finance sector, according to the same sources.

The government is also calling for the establishment of a centralised registration system for Internet financial products and a unified platform for internet bank accounts. The plan restricts the activities that online financial platforms will be allowed to undertake without a licence, including raising cash to fund real estate projects or engage in financial services such as asset management.

It also creates additional responsibilities, such as a requirement to match a client’s risk profile to the investment products they sell. — Reuters

FINANCIAL MARKETS

European Central Bank has no plan to trim deposit rate FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank (ECB) does not currently have any plan to trim its deposit rate further, executive board member Benoit Coeure said on Thursday, although he added that a cut remained a possibility “in principle”.

The ECB’s negative deposit rate — effectively a charge on banks for hoarding cash — has been criticised by banks and investors, particularly in Germany, for squeezing their profits and distorting financial markets.

While maintaining that banks had so far largely benefited from the policy and markets continued to work smoothly, Coeure said no further cut was on the cards for the

moment, despite zero inflation in the euro zone.

“It is in principle possible to cut this rate further, but there is currently no plan to do so,” Coeure told Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun.

ECB deposit rate The ECB deposit rate is currently -0.40 per cent.

ECB President Mario Draghi sent financial markets into a tailspin in March when he said he did not envisage any further rate cut, confounding investors’ expectations at the time.

The ECB has since repeated its guidance that rates will remain at present or lower levels for a long

time, although officials have talked down the chances of imminent moves after the March rate cut and stimulus package.

Yet savers, banks and some German policy makers have grown increasingly vocal in their criticism of the central bank’s ultra-low rates and money printing.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble even argued they were partly to blame for the rise of the right-wing anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Minutes of the ECB’s April policy meeting showed rate setters agreed they needed to defend the bank against a growing number of critics questioning its policy and credibility “There was general

agreement that there was a need to counter the perception that monetary policy could no longer contribute to a return of inflation (to the ECB’s target),” the ECB said in the account of the meeting.

“In light of recent public criticism ... in a Member State, it was viewed as important to reaffirm collectively the independence of the ECB in the pursuit of its mandate,” the minutes said.

Since then, several ECB policy makers, including President Mario Draghi and the head of the Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, defended the bank’s policy in the German press, saying it was a reaction to rather than a cause of weak economic growth. — Reuters

ECB MOVE: The ECB’s negative deposit rate — effectively a charge on banks for hoarding cash — has been criticised by banks and investors, particularly in Germany, for squeezing their profits and distorting financial markets. — Bloomberg file picture

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

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MARKET ACQUISITION

Bayer to buy Monsanto in global agro-chemicals shakeout NEW YORK/FRANKFURT: German drugs and chemicals group Bayer made an unsolicited takeover offer for US seeds company Monsanto, aiming to create the world’s biggest agricultural supplier and integrate pesticides and seeds markets.

Monsanto disclosed the approach on Wednesday before Bayer confirmed its move, though neither gave the proposed terms.

Sources said Bayer would pay Monsanto shareholders with cash and stock, though the offer price could not be learned.

Bernstein Research analyst Jeremy Redenius estimated the price at 41.9 billion euros ($47 billion), plus 6.7 billion euros in assumed debt. He said Bayer might need a 27 billion euro share issue to help to fund the purchase.

Bayer would probably need to pay 14-16 times Monsanto’s core earnings, implying a takeover price including debt of 57 billion euros ($63.87 billion) to 65 billion euros ($72.83 billion), according to Citi analysts.

Bayer shares slid 8 percent to

about the burden on Bayer’s finances from a takeover. It preferred that the companies agree on a joint venture or use prices before the deal was announced.

Deutsche Bank analysts said a deal could shift Bayer’s centre of gravity to agriculture, accounting for about 55 per cent of core earnings, up from roughly 28 per cent last year, excluding the Covestro chemicals business Bayer plans to sell. Bayer’s healthcare-focused investor base would be unhappy about the shift, the bank said.

– Reuters file picture

a 2-1/2 year low of 88.39 euros as some investors worried about the potential cost.

Monsanto was up 4.7 per cent at $101.77 in afternoon trading in New York.

The $42 billion market capitalisation of Monsanto meant the deal would likely eclipse ChemChina’s planned acquisition of Swiss agrichemicals company Syngenta and could face US antitrust hur-

dles. Monsanto itself pursued Syngenta last year. Monsanto said its board was reviewing the proposal, which would be subject to due diligence, regulatory approvals and other conditions. There was no assurance that any transaction would take place, it added.

UBS Global Asset Management, which Reuters data showed is among Bayer’s 30 biggest investors, said it was “deeply concerned”

Price estimates Bayer, with a market value of $90 billion, said the merger would create “a leading integrated agriculture business,” referring to Bayer’s push for more synergies by combining the development and sale of seeds and crop protection chemicals.

Most major agrichemical companies are aiming to genetically engineer more robust plants and custom-build chemicals to go with them — selling them together to farmers struggling with low com-

modity prices. A sale of Bayer’s stake in foam chemicals maker Covestro could bring about four billion euros, while its animal health business, which Bayer might put on the block, could fetch up to seven billion euros.

The proposal comes as US regulators review ChemChina’s deal for Syngenta on concerns about the security of the US food supply.

Any marriage between Bayer and Monsanto could raise US antitrust concerns due to an overlap in the seeds business, particularly in soybeans, cotton and canola, according to antitrust experts.

Bayer’s proposal, which would be its largest and dwarf the 17 billion euro takeover of drugmaker Schering in 2006, comes less than three weeks after Werner Baumann took over as Bayer chief executive officer, a sign of the power base he built in his previous role as strategy chief.

Bayer, the inventor of aspirin and maker of Yasmin birth control pills, is more diversified than Syngenta or Monsanto, selling cancer drugs, flea and tick collars for pets

and Coppertone sunscreen. A deal with Monsanto could lead to a breakup of the group, according to analysts.

Bayer’s crop science division has businesses in seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control, potentially complementing Monsanto’s seeds assets.

Bayer, Basf ambitions Both Bayer and German rival BASF have been looking to build scale in agrichemicals.

Bayer is ranked No. 2 in crop chemicals, with an 18 percent market share, just behind Syngenta at 19 per cent, according to industry data.

Monsanto leads in seeds, with a 26 per cent market share, followed by DuPont with 21 per cent.

DuPont agreed last year to merge with Dow Chemical. Any BayerMonsanto deal would reduce the number of major players in seeds and pesticides to four from six.

Morgan Stanley and Ducera Partners are financial advisers to Monsanto, while Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is legal adviser. — Reuters

HSBC to close half of its branches in India

EUROPEAN UNION

The London-based bank will cut 24 of its 50 branches as it seeks “the VITAL UNION: GE, Airbus CEOs are among business chiefs urging

Britain to stay in EU. — Bloomberg file picture

Business chiefs urge Britain to stay in EU LONDON: The heads of 15 major international companies, including GE, Cisco, Mars, EMC, Airbus, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have signed a letter to the Financial Times calling for Britain to remain in the EU. Representatives from many of the companies, which the government said together employed more than 170,000 people in Britain, also met Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday to discuss Britain’s June 23 EU membership referendum.

“We see Britain’s EU membership as a win-win situation: the single market offers us seamless access to a market of 500 million people, giving us instant possibility to scale up our investment,” the business leaders said in the letter, published in the newspaper on Thursday.

Jeff Immelt, chief executive of GE; Tom Enders, chief executive of Airbus Group; Chuck Robbins, chief executive of Cisco; Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman of Hitachi Ltd and Grant Reid, president of Mars, among others, signed the letter. The signatories said if Britain were to leave the single market, major international businesses’ future investment decisions could be affected.

A spokesman for Cameron said that during Thursday’s meeting, many of the companies said they had located their European headquarters in Britain knowing they would have free access to the EU’s single market.

Concerns were also voiced at the meeting about the uncertainty

that would be caused by a vote to leave, he said. “The prime minister and others (made) the point that it could take much longer than two years to settle the UK’s trade relationships outside the EU, and that uncertainty would cause enormous damage to UK inwards investment,” he said.

Supply chain “There was also concern voiced about the impact on the supply chain, with several business representatives pointing to the huge number of small and mediumsized businesses involved in their supply chain that would be affected by a vote to leave.”

Those attending the meeting included Siemens UK Chief Executive Juergen Maier, IBM’s UK and Ireland Chief Executive David Stokes and Ford Executive Vice President Jim Farley, the government said.

Microsoft said on Tuesday that Britain should stay in the European Union if it wanted to get more investment, while Ryanair said last week it would withdraw some investment if Britain opts to leave the EU. Sterling hit a three-month high against a trade-weighted basket of currencies on Wednesday, after a poll gave an 18-point lead to supporters of Britain staying in the EU. — Reuters

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

right mix of digital versus physical branch distribution,” according to an e-mailed statement on Thursday

MUMBAI: HSBC Holdings plans to shut almost half its branches in India and rely more on digital banking to expand its consumer business in the South Asian nation.

The London-based bank will cut 24 of its 50 branches as it seeks “the right mix of digital versus physical branch distribution,” according to an e-mailed statement on Thursday. The outlets to be closed account for less than 10 per cent of HSBC’s retail customer base in India, the lender said in the statement.

“This move suits HSBC as their target retail customers are mostly in urban centers and are affluent with access to digital-banking channels,” Rethish Varma, head of research at Bengaluru-based

The outlets to be closed account for less than 10 per cent of HSBC’s retail customer base in India, the lender said in the statement. — Bloomberg file picture

Aditya Trading Solutions, said by phone. “Most of the banks in India will need to continue to scale up their branch network” because many customers have limited access to electronic banking, he said.

Chief Executive Officer Stuart Gulliver is paring back HSBC’s sprawling global network and shutting money-losing businesses to improve earnings hurt by compliance costs. Since 2011, the bank has slashed more than 87,000 positions, exited at least 80 businesses and reduced its footprint to about 71 countries and territories from 88.

HSBC said it remains commit-

ted to India, where it is also shutting its global private-banking operations. The country was the fourth-biggest contributor to group earnings before tax in 2015.

Pretax profit for the India branches rose 6.7 per cent to Rs28.7 billion ($426 million) in the year ended March 2015, filings from the bank show.

Among HSBC’s foreign competitors in India, Singapore’s DBS Group Holdings is also pursuing a digital strategy in the country, with the announcement of a mobile-banking initiative last month. DBS, Southeast Asia’s largest lender, has sought central-

bank approval to set up a wholly owned unit in India, where it has 12 branches.

State Bank of India and ICICI Bank have been leading the push

by Indian lenders into digital banking. SBI, which has launched as many as eight banking applications, accounted for about 38 per cent of India’s mobile-banking transactions and ICICI had 18 per cent as of December, Reserve Bank of India data show.

HSBC’s origins in India date back to 1853 when the Mercantile Bank of India was established in Mumbai, according to the UK lender’s website. — Bloomberg News\

HOSTILE OFFER

Gameloft shares rise as Vivendi ups bid PARIS: Gameloft rose as much as 11 per cent after Vivendi raised its bid for the maker of mobile games to 8 euros a share as the French media group seeks to build support for a hostile offer that expires next week.

The offer was raised automatically from 7.20 euros under French rules after Vivendi purchased a small amount of stock on

Thursday at the higher price, market regulator AMF said in a statement. Vivendi said it now owns 29.4 per cent of Gameloft’s capital and controls 26.5 percent of the votes. Gameloft shares rose 9.9 per cent to 7.89 euros at 9:02am in Paris as trading resumed. The stock was suspended on Thursday in light of the new offer.

Vivendi upped its price to win

over other shareholders before the offer closes on May 27, according to people familiar with the matter. That will put additional pressure on the Guillemot family, which controls both Gameloft and larger gamemaker Ubisoft Entertainment. Analysts at Bryan Garnier have speculated that Gameloft may be a way for Vivendi and its chairman, Vincent Bollore,

to force talks with the Guillemots and eventually negotiate a friendly takeover of Ubisoft. Officials at Vivendi and Gameloft declined to comment. Gameloft will hold a board meeting in coming days to evaluate the Vivendi offer, said a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing internal company deliberations. — Bloomberg News

B4

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

FEATURE

PHYSICAL DEMAND DETERMINES GOLD RALLY

I

f we all just join hands, close our eyes and think hard enough about gold hitting $1,300, then it will get there.

Ever since a sharp rally in February, gold has been yo-yoing in the upper-$1,200 range without ever quite making it to the next round number. That may be because, while the spirit has been very willing, the flesh, so to speak, has not.

The World Gold Council has recently released its figures for demand in the first quarter.

The biggest buyers of gold are traditionally people who want to wear it and people who want to lock it in a safe (or, if you are buying exchange-traded products, have someone else lock it up for you). That held true in the first quarter, but something interesting happened.

Gold’s rebound in the first quarter had everything to do with investors freaking out about the global economy and suddenly deciding US interest rates were staying put. This becomes crystal clear if you look beneath the investment demand number a little further at how much was in the form of exchange-traded funds and other “paper” gold products.

This is mirrored in the positions of speculators in Comex gold futures and options.

What flows in, though, can of course flow out, especially

when what you have bought is not a nice, heavy lump of metal that you can at least occasionally fondle, but instead a position floating out there in the financial either.

For this rally to really push on, physical demand has to pull its weight. As seen in the chart above, consumption of gold jewelry has fallen to its lowest level since the third quarter of 2012.

One hopeful interpretation of this concerns India, the world’s second-largest market for gold baubles after China.

Demand there fell to its lowest level in seven years as the jewelry industry went on strike in response to a government proposal to raise a tax on jewelry sales. This suggests Indians should get back to buying bling as the year progresses.

That is a sound argument, but not one to take completely at face value. Jewelry demand is very sensitive to price.

For Indians, it probably was not just the strikes that kept them from buying.

Priced in greenbacks, gold is a third below the peak it hit in 2011. In rupees, though, it is only 14 per cent lower -- not exactly a bargain. The more investors keep willing gold to break higher, the less inclined people who actually use it will be to go shopping. — Liam Denning / Bloomberg News

B

SECTION

LIFESTYLE

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

Family WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

BRIGHTEN UP YOUR HOME USING COLOUR AND LIGHT

Summer is the perfect time to make our homes comfortable and bright to chill while it's very hot outside.

I

n summer, it’s so warm outside that we just want to chill inside our homes.

Therefore, it’s important to have a bright space to feel comfortable in, with a pleasant temperature and still enjoying the sunlight. To help you to have a brighter home here are five smart and easy tips to use light and colour to do the trick.

1. Use mirrors to light up a room Brightening the place up is a balancing act between light and colour, and when done well, it can be extremely effective. Perhaps the most valuable and easy tip is the positioning of your mirrors. Placing a mirror on the wall opposite to a large, light receiving window will reflect plenty of natural light back into the room. This helps to illuminate the room and the wall containing the window, giving your room an all-round burst of brightness. Of course this also works if the window only receives indirect light, just not as efficiently. A similar effect can be achieved through adding metals. The more surfaces that reflect light the better: Few silver bowls on your sideboard or a golden vase on your table work well.

2. Add colours but don’t go too crazy Once you’ve done everything to maximise the natural light in your house, you can think of other ways to add “stimulation”. Because having a bright and airy room is all well and good, but that alone is extremely boring. Don’t go too sterile, dare to add a bit of colour. Consider adding colourful upholstery to the seat of the armchair in the corner, a stand-out painting or a colourful fleece throw to one of the sofas. Another way to make your place more homely could be a little bit of botanic action; a well placed flower arrangement can bring a space to life, adding both colour and warmth to the room. Remember that

flower petals can extend their colour everywhere — for example when natural or artificial light shines through them and spills their colour onto a light wall behind them. This can affect the entire ambience of the room — so be selective.

3. The floor plays an essential role This is obviously no simple step to bring more light into your room quickly. But if you are already thinking on changing the floor to add warmth and brightness to your flat, avoid dark colours in your flooring, as they absorb a lot of natural light — go for lighter colours instead.

However, not all bright flooring is suitable — bright tiles or lino can give a room a cold feeling and although they contribute to making the room brighter, it may feel really clinical and sterile. Instead you could opt for light wooden floorboards, as that both helps to reflect the light and gives the room a warm atmosphere.

If you have no possibility to change your dark flooring, think about brighten it up with a rug.

But be careful not to ruin everything; rugs are subtle articles, exaggeration may make your decor seem a little naff.

4. What about the walls?

Don’t forget your walls. Of course you don’t find yourself painting your home too often, which is why the colour of your walls should be chosen carefully. Keep in mind: Light is naturally reflected more by light colours. If you want to give your room a splash of colour, you can paint one of the walls in a more striking colour, e.g. red, while leaving the others white. Be careful though to choose a wall which is not opposing a window to prevent it from absorbing the light shining in. Clear and minimalistic paintings will also bring light spots.

5. Keep it clean Allowing for the above tips to happen is only the first step to have a bright and cosy home. It’s all very well having a lot of manipulation of light and colour indoors, but nothing will really work unless you observe order. And by order, we mean cleanliness. A mirror won’t shine, unless well polished, and the floor won’t gleam if it is covered in dust. — Courtesy of Helpling.ae.

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

B6

PRAYER TIMINGS

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

Screen 3 Baaghi(2D) (Action) –PG 3.45, 6.45, 9.45 PM

@ AZAIBA

@PANORAMA MALL

SUR X-Men : Apocalypse 3D (Crime ) ( PG12 ) Cast : James Mc Avoy, Michael Fassbender 3:45, 8:45, 11:30 PM Our Kind of Traitor ( Thriller ) ( 15+ ) Cast : Ewan Mc Gregor, Damian Lewis 3:00, 7:00, 11:55 PM King Liar ( Malayalam | Comedy ) (PG12) Cast : Dileep, Madonna 9:00 PM The Angry Birds Movie - (3D) ( Animation) Cast : Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess ( U ) 5:00 PM Marudu ( Tamil | Action ) (PG12) Cast : Vishal, Sri Divya, Radha Ravi 6:30 PM

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI X-Men: Apocalypse (3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 3:30, 6:15, 9:00 & 11:45PM Our Kind of Traitor - (2D) (Thriller ) (15+) Cast: Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis, Naomie Harris 3:30, 9:30 & 11:30PM Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead - (2D) (Comedy | Horror) (15+) Cast: Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradley, Leon Burchill 11:55PM Correspondence - (2D) (Comedy) (12+) Cast: Olga Kurylenko, Jeremy Irons, , Shauna Macdonald 5:30PM Hassan We Bo2loz - (2D) (Comedy) (12+) 7:30PM (Arabic) The Angry Birds Movie - (3D) (Animation) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 3:30 & 7:20PM (U) Captain America: Civil War - (PG) (Action) Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr 9:15PM (3D) The Jungle Book - (3D) Drama| Family) (PG) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 5:15PM MUSCAT GRAND MALL X-Men: Apocalypse – 3D (Pg12) Action Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 2:00, 8:45, 11:30 PM Gold Class: 3:00, 5:45, 8:30, 11:15 PM Our Kind of Traitor – 2D (15+) Thriller Cast: Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis 4.30, 9.30, 11.45 PM Ratchet and Clank – 3D (PG) Animation Cast: James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye 2:30 PM Jungle Book – 3D (PG) Drama| Family Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 12:30, 4:45 PM

X-Men: Apocalypse (3D) (Action / Adventure/ Sci Fic) –PG12 Cast : James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence 3:30, 6:15, 9:00 & 11:45PM

Our Kind of Traitor - (2D) (Thriller ) (15+) Cast: Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis 3:30, 9:30 & 11:30PM

Sarabjit (Hindi) (2D) (Sports | Drama) (PG12) Cast: Aishwarya Rai Bacchan, Shiwani Saini, Randeep Hooda 3:30, 6:15, 8:45, 11:15 PM

The Angry Birds Movie – 3D (U) Animation Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 12:00, 6:45 PM Captain America: Civil War– 3D (Action ) Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr 6:45 PM (PG12)

Captain America: Civil War - (PG) (Action) 8:45PM (3D) Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. The Man Who Knew Infinity - (2D) (PG) Cast: Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons 5:30PM The Jungle Book - (3D) Drama| Family) (PG) 4:45PM Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley

Sarabjit (Hindi) (2D) (Sports | Drama) (PG12) Cast: Aishwarya Rai Bacchan, Shiwani Saini, Randeep Hooda 3:30, 6:15, 8:45, 11:15 PM Azhar (Hindi) (2D) (Action) (PG) Cast: Nargis Fakhri, Emraan Hashmi 10:30 PM Brahmot Savam (Telugu) (2D) (Comedy) Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kajal Aggarwal, Tanikella 6:00 PM (TBC) Maruthu (Tamil) (2D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Vishal, Sri Divya, Radha Ravi 7:45 PM

PANORAMA MALL X-Men: Apocalypse(3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 3:30, 6:15, 9:00 & 11:45PM X-Men: Apocalypse (4D) (Action) MX4D Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 3:15, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30PM (PG12) X-Men: Apocalypse(3D) (Action) (PG12) VIP LOUNGE 3:15, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30PM Our Kind of Traitor - (2D) (Thriller ) (15+) Cast: Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis 3:30, 9:30 & 11:30PM This Time - (2D) (Tagalog) (PG12) Cast: James Reid, Nadine Lustre 7:30PM Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead - (2D) (Comedy | Horror) (15+) Cast: Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey 11:30PM The Angry Birds Movie - (3D) (Animation) 3:00 & 6:45PM

AZAIBA X-Men: Apocalypse (3D) (Action ) (PG12) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 3:15, 9:00, 11:45 PM Our Kind of Traitor (2D) (Thriller) (15+) Cast: Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis, Naomie 3:45, 11:45 PM The Angry Bird Movie (3D) (Action) (U) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 3:45 PM Chakravyuh (Kannad) (2D) (Action (PG) Cast: Puneeth Rajkumar, Rachita Ram 6:00 PM The Jungle Book (3D) (Family) (PG) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 5:45 PM King Liar (Mal) (2D) (Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Dileep, Madonna Sebastian, Lal 8:45 PM

RUWI Screen 1 Sarbjit(2D) (Drama ) –PG12 Cast : Aishwarya Rai, Randeep Hooda 3.30, 9.30 PM X-Men: Apocalypse(2D) (Action) PG12 Cast : Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn 6.30 PM Screen 2 X-Men: Apocalypse(2D) (Action) –PG12 Cast : Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn 3.45, 9.45 PM Sarbjit(2D) (Drama ) –PG12 6.45 PM

SOHAR X-Men: Apocalypse PG12 (3D) (Action) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 3:15, 6:00, 8:45, 11:30PM Jungle Book PG (3D) (Adventure) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley.

5:00PM The Angry Birds Movie U (3D)(Comedy) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 3:00, 7:00PM Our Kind of Traitor 15+ (Thriller) Cast: Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis 3:45, 9:15, 11:45PM Sarbjit PG 12 (Hindi)(Biographical drama) Cast : Shiwani Saini, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 11:15PM King Liar PG12 (Malayalam) (Comedy) Cast: Dileep, Madonna Sebastian, Lal 9:00PM Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead 15+ (Horror) Cast: Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey 11:55PM Captain America: Civil war 3D PG12 9:00PM Captain America: Civil war 2D PG12 3:45PM Maruthu PG12(Tamil/Action/Romance) 6:15PM Brahmot Savam(Telugu/Comedy/Romance) Cast: Kajal Aggarwal, Mahesh Babu, Tanikella Bharani 6:30PM BURAIMI Maruthu PG12 (Tamil) (Action / Romance)

Cast: Vishal Krishna, Sri Divya, Radha Ravi 6:30 PM X-Men: Apocalypse PG12 (3D) (Action) 3:30, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30 PM Jungle Book PG (3D) (Adventure) 5:00 PM The Angry Birds Movie U (3D)( Animation) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess, Jason Sudeikis 3:15 & 7:00 PM Our Kind of Traitor 15+ (Thriller) Cast: Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis, Naomie Harris 3.45 & 9.15 PM Sarbjit PG 12 (Hindi)(Biographical drama) Cast : Shiwani Saini, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Randeep Hooda 11.15 PM King Liar PG12 (Malayalam) (Comedy) Cast: Dileep, Madonna Sebastian, Lal 8:45 PM Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (Comedy) Cast: Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon 11:45 PM 15+

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 06:30 08:00 13:00 13:00 16.00 16.00

07:00 07:00 13:30 13:00 13:00 13:00 17:00

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

43 33

0

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

50-15%

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62) 06:30 06:30

Fahud Yibal

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

20:00 20:30 23:30 07:40

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

19:50 13:15 22:30 07:30

LISTINGS

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

Daily

07:00

Daily

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 07:30 07:30 13:00 13:00 15:30 15:30

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

11.45 13.30 14.00

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence 24569603 Directorate General of Customs 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries 24510228 Public Relations Admin 24560099 EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 06:00 06:00 13:00 13:00 15:00 15:00

10:45 19:00

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100) Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

06:00 14:30

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100) 07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

AARAV VINEET May 20, 2011 Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/ her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to extra@timesofoman.com

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) Sur Sur

King Liar ( Mal) (Comedy) Cast : Dileep ,Siddique & Madonna Sebastian 6-30 & 10-00 pm Cinema Main; 3-30 pm Cinema-2 Brahmotsvam (Telugu) ( Drama) Cast : Mahesh Babu, Samantha & Kajal Agarwal 3-00 pm Cinema Main ; 6-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema-2 Marudhu (Tamil) ( Act) Cast: Vishal & Sri Divya 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema-4 Jacobinte Swargarajyam ( Mal) (Comedy\ Drama) Cast: Nivin Pauly Renji Panicker & Lakshmi 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -3 Programmes are subject to change

Minimum

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 07:30 14:30

Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

HARSHAL KUMAR ANCHAN May 21, 2015

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54) 08:00 08:00

08:55 Daily 11:40 Daily 20:20 Daily via Ibri 14:55 Daily 17:40 Daily 19:20 Daily 22:15 Daily

STAR CINEMA

0

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 20:50

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54) 14:30 14:30

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

The Trust (Crime / Thriller) Cast: Nicolas Cage, Elijah Wood, Sky Ferreira 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CENSOR PERMIT NO : 1119 (15+) Term Life (Crime / Drama) Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CENSOR PERMIT NO : 1120 (15+) Correspondence (Drama / Romance) Cast: Olga Kurylenko, Jeremy Irons, Shauna 2.00 p.m. & 6.00 p.m.

CENSOR PERMIT NO : 1125 (12+) Ratchet & Clank (Animation) Cast: James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Jim Ward 2.00 p.m. & 6.00 p.m.

CENSOR PERMIT NO : 1126 (PG)

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

16:30 18:00 19:30

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

WITH LOVE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36) Quriyat Sur Jaalan

BAHJA CINEMA

SALALAH X-Men: Apocalypse (3D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence 6:00, 8:45, 11:30PM X-Men: Apocalypse (2D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, 1:00, 3:45PM Captain America: Civil War (3D) (PG) (Action | Adventure| Sci-Fi) Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson 3:15, 11:15PM The Jungle Book (3D) (PG) (Adventure) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 2:30PM The Angry Birds Movie (3D) (U) (Animation) 12:30, 4:30PM (Eng) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess, Jason Sudeikis Our Kind of Traitor (2D) (15+) (Thriller) Cast: Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis, Naomie Harris 1:15, 6:30, 11:55PM Sarbjit (2D) (PG12) (Biographical Drama) Cast: Shiwani Saini, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, 8:30PM King Liar (2D) (PG12) (Malayalam) (Comedy) 9:00PM Maruthu (2D) (PG12) (Tamil) (Action ) Cast: Vishal Krishna Reddy, Sri Divya, Radha 6:15PM

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

12.08pm 3.30pm 6.49pm 8.09pm 3.58am

CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

@SHATTI

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

Afghanistan Algeria Bahrain Bangladesh Brazil Brunei China Cyprus Egypt France Germany India Indonesia Iran Iraq Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya South Korea Kuwait

24698 791/4 24605 593 24 605 074/133 24 698 660 24640100 24 603533 24 696782 24 699815 24 600 982/411 24681 800 24835000 24684500 2469 1050 24 696 944/7 24603642 24693727 24 601 028 24692760/1/3 24 692418 24 697664 24 691490 24 699628

Lebanon Libya Malaysia Morocco Nepal Netherlands Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Senegal Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Switzerland Syria Tanzania Thailand Tunisia Turkey UAE United Kingdom United States Yemen

24 693208 24603466 24698329/643 24696152/3 24696177 24603706 24603439 24601312 24605335 24 691 153/2/4 24602894 24601705 24694139 24697977 24647300 24691101 24697841/2 24697875 24603267 24697904 24601 174 24 602684/5 24603486 24697050/1/2 24400000 24609000 24643400 24600815

PHARMACIES (ROUND THE CLOCK) Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334 Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi Salalah Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya Muscat, A Seeb Market Muscat, Al Khuwair Muscat, Al Hail South Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre 24485052 Atlas Hospital Ruwi 24811743/ Ghubra 24504000 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi 24563641 Azaiba 24499269 Sohar 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

Capital Polyclinic 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740 Ceregem National Raak 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217 Elixir Health Centre 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274 Lifeline Hospital Salalah 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 International Hospital, Al Ghubra 22004000, 94267068/97049520 Al Hayat Clinic, Al Hail 22009455

AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

Air New Zealand 24700732 Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128 British Airways 24568777 Cathay Pacific 24789818 Egypt Air 24794113 Emirates Air 24404400 Ethiopian Airlines 24660313 Gulf Air 80072424 Indian 24791914 Iran Air 24787423 Japan Airlines 24704455 Jazeera Airways 23294848 Jet Airways 24787248 Kenya Airways 24660300 KML Royal Dutch Airlines 24566737 Kuwait Airways 24701262 LOT Polish Airlines 24796387 Lufthansa 24796692 Malaysian Airlines 24560796 Middle East Airlines 24796680 Oman Air 24531111 Pakistan International Airlines 24792471 Qatar Airways 24771900 Qantas 24559941 Royal Jordanian 24796693 Saudi Arabian Airlines 24789485 Singapore Airlines 24791233 Shaheen Air 24816565 SriLankan Airlines 24784545 Swiss International Airlines 24796692 Thai Airways 24705934

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

B7

LIFESTYLE

(Exploring History, Science, and Nature)

FACT FILE

Birds That Don’t Fly T

oday there are about 40 species of birds that have lost the ability to fly.

Some grew too large and heavy to fly; others simply lost the need to fly because food was plentiful and they had no predators to avoid.

The ostrich is the world’s largest bird.

It is native to the savannas and deserts of Africa. Strong and fast runners, these birds can sprint up to 43mph (70kph). Their

small wings are used like rudders to help change direction when running. Ostriches grow up to 9 feet (2.7m) tall and weigh up to 345 pounds (156kg). The ostrich lays the biggest egg in the world. A kick from this large bird can kill.

The rhea, also known as the nandu, is native to the forests of South America. These fast runners gather in flocks of 20 to 30.

Found in the rainforests and grasslands

of New Zealand, the kakapo is critically endangered and has been living on the edge of extinction for the past 60 years. They are also known as “owl parrot”.

Penguins lack flight feathers and have flipper like paddles instead of wings. Depending on the species, penguins can range from 1 foot to 3 feet (30cm to 90cm) tall.

The kiwi grows to about 1 foot (30cm) tall. Found in five species, unlike other

birds, kiwis have their nostrils on the tip of their bills, instead of at the base.

Found only in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, the flightless cormorant evolved on isolated, predator-free islands. This cormorant grows to about 40 inches (1m) long.

Another critically endangered species, the Junin grebe is found only in Lake Junin in Peru. The Junin grebe grows up to 15 inches (38cm) long. —lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Likes and dislike

Questions & Answers

1

2

“Keyboard.”

“Box.”

3

4 “TV remote.”

One thing that puts me off...

Studying

When I’m in doubt...

I tap my head

The first thing I notice in a person...

His dressing The scariest thing that I have done...

Playing Slender Origins 1 & 2

One skill I would like to learn...

Swimming and diving

!!

NO

If I win a lottery...

I will buy PS4 and PS5 for my parents

“V l ” “Vacuum cleaner.”

One movie/book I can watch/ read over and over again...

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Winie Ariany

Crossword Puzzle ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

It’s better not to argue with...

My friends

If I met an alien I would...

Ask is there oxygen on Mars?

If I have to describe myself as a flavour it would be...

Spicy and sour

If I could go back in history, I would like to meet The people on the Titanic

AGRIM N. PANDEY One person I would trade places with (real or fictional) Bill Gates

Questions for quirky questions 1. It’s better not to argue with…

2. When I’m in doubt…

3. I go crazy when…

4. One thing that puts me off…

5. If I meet an alien…

6. If I win a lottery…

The best way to my heart is...

Kindness and friendship

7. One person I would trade places with…

8. If I had treasures I would hide them in…

9. One movie/ book / I can watch /read over and over again…

10. One skill I would learn…

If I had treasures I would hide them...

Under my bed

11. The best way to my heart is…

12. If I have to describe myself as a flavour it would be …

13. The scariest thing that I have done…

14. If I would go back to history I would like to meet …

Send your contributions to lifestyle@timesofoman.com. A good quality photo is compulsory. Lifestyle reserves the right to publish the contributions.

DOWN

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Quagmires Eurasian range Orchid-loving Wolfe King of gorillas EMT’s skill Comanche kin Diameter halves Incorrectly Arizona tribe Evelyn Waugh’s brother 11 About half of us 16 Latin I verb

20 22 23 24 25 26 29 30 31 33 35 38 40

Switch positions Kyser or Starr Articles Friar’s title Above, to poets — Dawn Chong Open-wide word Sugar Ray stat D.C. zone Spring festival “must” Crackpot Take in Did a salon job

43 44 45 47 48 49 50

Unrehearsed (hyph.)

Metal thread Author Dinesen Type of synthesizer Greed’s kin “Faint heart — won ...”

Early James Bond foe (2 wds.)

51 Stylish 53 Moon or eye 54 Snare

ACROSS 1 Cowhand’s bed 5 Mongrel 8 Pow! 12 Sandwich cookie 13 “Harper Valley —” 14 Walk-on, maybe 15 Stored up 17 Sign on a door 18 Trudges 19 Column type 21 Olympic sport 24 Not opposed 27 Pig out 28 Metamorphic rock 32 500 sheets 34 Craving 36 Wild oxen of Tibet 37 Regions 39 Beauty pack 41 Dog days weather 42 On the rise?

44 Used a doormat 46 Make changes to 51 Japanese soup 52 Brolly owner 55 Aloud 56 Novelist — Levin 57 Bakery fixture 58 Hockey feint 59 Consumer org.

60 Pita treat

B8

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

LIFESTYLE

Children up to the age of 16 who would like to have their art considered for inclusion in “Art for the Ages” can e-mail their drawings or paintings (in jpeg or tiff format) to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Art for the Ages

Children’s Poetry

The Little Things Ankit Baral Grade X, Indian School Wadi Kabir It’s the most important lesson in life That occurs to a person one time or another, That it’s not the big things in life that matter But the little things that shape us altogether.

Karthika Vinod, Grade 3, ISG

Nidhi Nihara Sabish, Grade 3, ISWK

Dakshin CK Bharathi, Grade 10, ISM

Lying on our backs staring at clouds Will give more happiness than we can imagine, As the breeze blows across our face And our nose fills with the scent of pine.

As we hear the waves lapping against the rocks A sense of peace fills our heart, And the sunset makes us understand That life is but a beautiful piece of art.

It is best painted in the eye of the beholder As he wields his paintbrush with pride, And not always is it necessary That by life’s rule we must abide.

We must let go of the worldly pleasures And find happiness in small things, For the truth is always in the eyes of the ‘painter’ Of what fate to the paintings he brings.

Abhinand Sudheer, Grade 5, Indian School Sohar

Milan M., Grade 3, ISWK

Sudoku How to play Fill empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column and area.

SOLUTION Answer to previous puzzle

Send your contributions for Children’s Poetry to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Teleword All the words below appear in the puzzle - horizontally, vertically, diagonally, even backward. Find them and circle their letters.

The leftover word spells the Teleword.

E A A M Y S T E R I E S G A B

G C C B A C K U P P L A N I S

N O I T E H Y R U G R A T S N

CLUE: TOM BOSLEY

I L T R O A G C H A N N E L E

L WO D L E R O S A E B WW D T U P R A R A U O U AM B N T D K E I Y I C D N T I J A N O F O W V R E S A N D C T R A G

X I L E F P T C H O E U A A R

D F G E O R G E H R S Y C R E

Y A W D A O R B D A L O V E D

N E L I O T N A T A L I E Y N

O S E G A P P U L I T Z E R I

T H D L E O T G A A R N R O A S N A AM E Y V R A R N E K P

SOLUTION: 9 LETTERS

Actor, Backup Plan, Bags, Beast, Beauty, Beck, Boat, Broadway, Carey, Case, Channel, Cunningham, Dowling, Drew, Eliot, Father, Felix, Fiorello, George, Glad, Honor, Howard, Island, Jane, Kindergarten, Knave, Logan, Love, Maurice, Murder, Mysteries, Narrated, Natalie, Pages, Perry Mason, Pulitzer, Radio, Rugrats, Saturn, Tony, Voice, Wrote.

Answer: Happy Days

C

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

SECTION

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

RENT

Nassar Hilal 5x9

C2

VACANCY

C4

CARGO

C7

C2

S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

FURNISHED OFFICES FOR RENT

COLD STORE ROOMS

Available at a prime location on Azaiba Service Road (Previously Occupied by A’Saffa Foods) near Al Turky and Mazda showroom.

Available at a prime location on azaiba service road (previously occupied by A’Saffa Foods) near Al Turky and Mazda showroom

Contact: 95215289, 99229263, 93221054

Contact: 95215289, 99229263, 93221054

Two modern fully furnished & equipped offices available for rent at Jasmine Complex Al Khuwair:

FOR RENT

1) 152 M2 with reception, 1 GM Office, 2 meeting rooms, 26 working stations, pantry, network connection.

2) 132 M2 with reception, 7 offices, 6 working stations, 1 conference room, network connection.

Contact - 99469698

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

Commercial Space Commercial Space For Rent

OFFICES & OUTLETS IN PRIME LOCATIONS: MAIN ROAD – MIDDLE OF THE MARKET AT: WALJA – HAMRIYA – SEEB - BARKA

CALL: 99332242 / 99106193 khamisco@alkhamis.com.om We have 2BHK flats for rent in Azaiba near Sultan Center new building 350/- OMR. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 We have 1BHK, 2 BHK flats for rent in Ghala near Al Nahda towers. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 We have 2BHK flats in Ghubra.

Contact : 93782735 / 99208033 We have 1BHK, 2 BHK flats for rent in Mabela 7 new building.

Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 3 Rooms, 2 Toilets Flat for Rent.

18 November Street. Near Mars Hypermarket and The Chedi.

Ghobrah -Good for Commercial or Residential use. OMR 295/- month.

Call 94477222 Flats for rent near Indian school in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99777122 1 bedroom family / bachelors in Al Khuwair R.O 100/-.

Contact: 95154331 Flats for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99376454

1 BHK and 2BHK Flats available near Lulu Darsait (Main road, Opp. to Min. of Defense). Contact : 93202733 Flat for rent : flat available at Hamriya & Wadi Kabir. Contact: 97380548 / 99680499 Two bedroom flat near ISM Darsait R.O 300/-. Contact: 99423273 7 rooms villa at split AC 18th November road Azaiba.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

Contact: 96775026 1BHK flat in Ruwi for family.

Contact- 92947251 1BHK Flats for rent, behind Sheraton hotel in Ruwi, rent R.O 250/per month. Contact: 96051941

Just 2 OMR / Sqm, Showroom / store for rent Ground floor & basement, area - 1100 Sqm, location Seh Al Ahmer, 20 km to Rusayl.

Contact: 97714433 / 93437982

Flats for rent at Just RO 160/- 2 Bed room, hall, kitchen , 2 toilets, location Seh Al Ahmer, 20 KM to Rusayl, including AC & roof Garden.

Contact: 97714433 / 93437982

Office space for rent. Saravana Bhavan Building. Contact 91120552.

2BHK Flat near Indian School, Wadi Kabir. Contact: 91173997 /24714625

Flats in Wadi Kabir. Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Flat for rent Al Hail North to the Wave Muscat ground floor with furniture the price RO 250/-.

Contact: 99353433

New flats Wadi Al Kabir.

Contact: 92130703

For rent Gym & Health club for rent in Al Khoud near Al Ruwad International School.

Contact: 99447002 / 99352441

1 B/R Fully Furnished Luxury Apartment @ Al Khuwair 33.

2 B/R Fully Furnished Luxury Apartment @ Al Khuwair 33. 4 B/R Unfurnished Apartment with attached Split A/C @ Azaiba. Contact: Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC : 99249069 / 94617563/ 99436312, Email: info@alshahiintl.com

5 bedroom brand new villas for rent in Al Khoud, near Al Ruwad International School.

Contact: 99447002 / 99352441

Deluxe 1 & 2 bedroom flats, ideal for office / residence at Qurum near PDO. Contact: 97721313 / 95070421

Well maintained 2 bedrooms flat in CBD prime location.

Contact: 24714625 / 94460790

Flat for rent 2 bedrooms in Ruwi Mumtaz area. Contact: 91409667 / 24291500

2 BHK at Mawaleh North, near Sadiq Al Amin Mosque.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

in Al Khuwair. Ideal for Coffee Shop / Restaurant / Office Space / Showroom 27sqm / 68sqm / 128sqm

1+2 BHK Ruwi, C.B.D & Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99024730 2+3 BHK Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99024730 Flat in Al Bustan in Muscat, 4 rooms, 3 bathrooms, family hall, kitchen with spilt unit air conditioner 400/- O.R. Contact: 96228232 / 92776303 2/3 B/R flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99776071 / 99057348 Flat in Al Bustan in Muscat, 3 rooms, 3 bathrooms, family hall, kitchen, store, laundry with spilt unit air condition 350/- O.R. Contact : 98919037 Flats for rent, rooms in Al Khuwair. Contact: 93830111

Ware house in Ghala for rent (400/ 800/ 1200/ 3300 SQM).

Contact: 91155779 Hotel for investment.

Contact: 91155779 2/3 BHK in Al Khuwair for rent.

Contact: 91155779

1BHK near Oman house behind Khimji HO. Contact: 95865686 Flats in Darsait. Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Flat for rent 2 BHK 2 split A/C, 2 toilets, Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Masjid. Contact – 97007934 / 92609232 Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35). Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Four bedroom two floors luxurious and spacious residential villa in Al Hail North, near to the sea and Oman oil. Each room has its own bathroom. It has splits A/C’s and shaded car park. OMR 750 monthly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955

1BHK at Hamriya near Muscat Pharmacy & 2 BHK at Mawaleh near Mosque Sadiq Al Amin.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

2BHK split A/C 200/- Monthly & 1BHK spilt A/C 150/- monthly new building good location Barka Market. contact 99342661

Flats, shops & store for rent in MBD area Ruwi, Mumtaz area.

Contact: 97293708 / 92433127

S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

C3

DAILY GUIDE

INVESTOR PARTNER REQUIRED

FOR RENT

For a successfully Catering Restaurant Investor cum Partner is required.

Flat for rent near Royal Hospital.

Contact: 99346793 2 bed rooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715/ 24700120

Investor with fixed returns also welcome.

FOR SALE

Flat for rent in South Mabela.

Contact: 95331177 / 95230355 Studios flats starting from 120 in Qurum near Mars supermarket Call 96755180, 96755181 Fully furnished offices in Ghala main Street. Contact: 94300909 Offices & Showrooms in Al Khood.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Flats In Qurum.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

FOR RENT 4 BHK Villa in Bowsher Heights.

Contact 99792181 1700 sqr mtrs open Land + small store + garage for Rent in Ruwi.

Contact 99792181 5 BHK Villa in Al Khuwair, for Staff Accommodation.

Contact 99792181

2BHK Big Size Flat Behind Bank Muscat, Wadi Kabir. Near ISWK. 97826454, 24815012.

For rent and investment Land industrial shops in Rusayl.

Contact: 99323957 / 95490842 Flats in Ghobrah. Contact 94051789 / 97201688

LLC Company for sale with one investor visa approval.

Contact: 98532470, Email: ttchvac01@gmail.com 2 Shops for sale at prime location in Ghobra. Contact: 96381294 Bozlur Two properties for sale at Salalah Urban plot no 7- 44 – 006 - 06995, Residential, area 726 sqm & Abu Nakheel , Barka (near Naseem Garden) plot No 3-04-002-01-031, Agricultural, area 29, 207 sqm.

Contact: Mr. Akbar Rafay Mohd Rafay, Mobile No. 99346265, Preferred time: 8 am to 2 pm Building in Al Khuwair at prime location for sale.

Contact: 91155779 Commercial /R land in Al Khuwair for sale. Contact: 91155779

2 & 3 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair & Ghubra. Contact 99792181

Shops / flats available in Honda Road, Ruwi & Mabellah Industrial area. Contact 24833972/ 24833974/ 99367448

Luxury Apartments in Boucher (35). Contact 95056808 / 97201688

3000 Sqr mtrs compound land in Misfah. Contact 99792181

Flat for rent in Al Khuwair 33.

Contact: 92277419

Shop for sale near Oman House, Muttrah. Contact 99024362.

Flat for rent : 3 Bedroom villa with servant room and Majlis at Wadi Kabir available from 1st June 2016.

Contact: Mr. Mathew 99648728

1 BHK flat for rent R.O 180/Near Medical Darsait.

Contact: 24705742

Ware house in W/K for Sale.

Contact: 91155779

Flat for rent 3 bedrooms flat at Wadi Kabir available from 1st June 2016. Contact: Mr. Mathew 99648728 Shop for rent good location main road behind wholesale hyper market Amerat space 11 MT long, 4 MT Width. Contact: 92877449 Flats for rent, 6 brand new 3 BHK Flats with split ACs in Ruwi market. Contact: 99428284 / 98605556 Two bedrooms flat in Al Ghobrah near Oman Oil of 18 November Street. OMR 330 Monthly.

Contact 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955.

Villa in Al Khoud consists of 6 bedrooms, 1 sitting & living room.

Contact: 91153933 Flats in Muttrah. Contact 94051789 / 97201688 2BHK split A/C for rent Muttrah near Oman House.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 Offices and Flats in Ghala.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688 2 BHK flat at Ruwi Mumtaz area RO 320/-. Contact: 99358589 / 97079146 / 95570288 Villa in Bousher consists of 5 rooms, 1 hall & living room.

Contact: 91153933 Office for rent in Mabela.

Contact: 99355330 Villa in Al Ghubra consists of 5 bedrooms, 1 hall and living room.

Contact: 91153933 Room with 9 bathrooms in Bousher for rent. Contact: 91153933 Apartment in Al Khoudh consists of 2 room & hall.Contact: 91153933

2BHK split A/C for rent Muttrah near Oman House.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 1BHK Studio flat near Star Cinema RO 180/-. Contact: 99358589 / 97079146 / 95570288 Flat for rent in Ruwi, Mumtaz area 2 bedrooms. Contact: 24291500 / 91409667 Flat for Rent 2 bed room Near ISM muscat Indian Scoole Dar sate Tel : 00 968 95158570 Furnished office (61M2) for sale / rent Al Khuwair near Zawawi Mosque. Contact: 95611569 02 BHK residential flat opposite to Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact: 99342733 /99795241 Brand new double bed room flats with two and three toilets, split ac, elevators available at Al Khoudh next to Al koudh health center.

Contact 99022675 Warehouse at Wadikabir - total area 3500 sqm - covered warehouse (500sqm), office, accommodation (1000sqm), open area (2000sqm) please contact: 99273774 - 99202278 Flat for rent 2 BHK 2 split A/C, 2 toilets, Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Masjid. Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100, 2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O 200/- in AL Khuwair.

Contact: 95154331 Flat in Al Khuwair opp grand mall 4 room 3 toilet + hall kitchen in 3 floor 400.

Contact 99420346 Flat for rent in South AlGhubrah 3 rooms, hall and 3 toilets, kitchen rent 450/-.

Contact: 99335580

Single colorful Bed and Sofa for Sale at Al Khuwair.

Contact 92881849 / What`s up No 97290565 400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residential land in Mabela Phase 5 Block 2. OMR 165 Thousand.

Contact 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955 Steel rack sets (Godown shelf’s).

Contact: 94521205 Commercial /R land in Ghala (Industrial area) for sale.

Contact: 91155779 Villa in Al Qurum / Azaiba/ Mawaleh for sale.

Contact: 91155779 Dental chairs for sale sparingly used dental units for sale.

Contact Mr. Ansari 92616343.

Kumar 99570284 Ladies beauty parlour for sale in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 96392978 / 96700192 Steel Scrap materials for immediate sale. Contact 99273774/ 99202278 10 Shops in ground floor of 8 floor building in Bausher near Muscat Private Hospital. Have income of about 2,700 monthly. OMR 268 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955 6 Villas of six bedrooms each under construction in one compound in Bausher near Muscat Private hospital. Prices range from 165 thousand to 179 thousand for each villa. Each villa has three floors and 369 sq mtrs build up area.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955 Coffee shop for sale in Al Khuwair 33. Contact: 92994415 Working beauty parlour for sale at Al Ghubra. Contact: 98178135

Double Shutter 80 sq mtrs corner textile shop in Seeb Souq for sale.

Contact 99326339 20 x40 containers. Contact: 99354909 Space for printing press available at wadikabir with or without machinery. Contact 99328430 A well running pharmacy for sale at prime location.

Contact 99627621, 93240949 HD Scaffoldings, Shuttering Jacks, Wooden Planks, Shuttering wood assorted, Tower hoist (lift), Concrete Mixer, Bending Machine, Steel Fabrication Machinery (Searing/Cutting, lathe & Welding) including tools for immediate sale: Contact 99273774/ 99202278 Urgent sale of steel scrap only serious buyers kindly contact +968 96725423 for viewing the items.

Almost new beach/ garden lounge chairs /bar stools/ counter.

Photos can be sent 95865457

NRI

20 cent of Land at Irinjalakuda, Trichur Dist besides road side

for sale.

Contact on

+968 93978378 / 0091 9947461230 8 Cents of Res. land in Mannanthala Trivandrum near ST. Thomas School. Contact: 99410993

Crane trailer, hiab. Contact: 99354909

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished apartment for rent, two rooms, majlis, hall, kitchen.

Near Carrefour al-mawalah.

Contact 99336776

1 BHK appartment for rent in Al Khoud Shabiya near mazoon mosque for rent (next to alkhoud medical center and squ) MOB: 93913224

Furnished room attached bath for Indian bachelor, Al-Falaj Ruwi & lady Wadi Kabir near Mars hypermarket. CONTACT 96202458/96761960

Small old house for rent in Ghobra. Contact: 97165972

Room available in Mumtaz area 1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room, common bathroom. Interested pleasecontact 92680041 Mr. Altaf

Room with attached bathroom and sharing kitchen available for Executive bachelor or small family at wadikabir Contact 93049849 Furnish bedroom with attach bathroom for executive bachelor.

Contact: 97704794 Sharing accommodation near ISD. Contact: 99657340 1 BHK for rent, Ideal for small family or two bachelors, easy access to main road with AC near Sheraton hotel, CBD. Contact: 96444400

Sharing acc. available for bachelor in Al Khuwair opposite Muscat Pharmacy R.O 90/- only.

Contact: 95250161

MV SALE Car for sale Mitsubishi Lancer, 2008 model, 1.3 CC. Contact: 92815138 Diesel tanker 1600 gallon, Volvo model 1987. Contact: 92836774 Nissan path finder, 2012 model.

Contact: 99467005

Villa for rent in South Mabellah, 3 bedrooms, sitting room, family Lounge, kitchen, three Toilets Contact 92212212 between 10 AM to 5 PM.

Lexus ES350 - 2010 Model Expat driven. Very well maintained and in good condition. RO 6000/(Negotiable). Contact for more information GSM : 99446573

Room available for Executive bachelor at Al Hail. Contact 96234708

Jeep – Chirokee - 2008 model, Expat driven and well maintained.

RO 3000/- (Negotiable) .

Contact for more information GSM : 99446573

Sharing Accommodation available for working ladies opposite Al Nadhah Hospital. Preferably Indians. Room with seperate toilet and sharing kitchen.RO.90.

Contact 96524717

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299 Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

WANTED IELTS Coaching (academic) required nearby wadi Kabir area.

Please call on mobile or msg on Whats up. Mobile no: 92927880/ 99012165

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

Spacious semi furnished room with separate bathroom for executive bachelor Opp. O.C. Centre Ruwi . Call : 90611670

Room with attached bathroom for working ladies in a flat in M.B.D. Contact: 99764307

BUYING

AVAILABLE

FOR HIRE

Room with attached bathroom for a family in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 97167857

Email: muscatcoffeeshop@gmail.com

Kallettumkara,

ACC. AVAILABLE Room with bath AC furnished at Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

Please contact – 95213273

Wanted Toyota Yaris 2010 or 2011, automatic white.

Contact: 99089441

Marriage proposal invited for Urdu speaking Muslim girl, from Chennai based family living in Muscat.

Seeking a Chennai based boy, employed in Muscat, Urdu speaking and from Muslim family. Interested parties may email their family bio data @ sirluj@yahoo.com or Contact 91761223.

Seeking Alliance for Urdu Speaking Beautiful, Intelligent and religious girl aged 23. Pursuing M.Tech, I.T. (Final) from Lucknow.

Looking for Sunni Deobandi boy working in reputed firm. North Indian Families preferred.

Interested families contact at azizdr74@gmail.com Wanted Groom - Pakistani parents living in Muscat are seeking suitable alliance for their 30-year old educated and good looking divorced daughter having 3-year old girl. Pakistanis working in Oman with family joining visa can contact email: abunoor1154@gmail.com Indian male Roman Catholic 40yrs divorcee working in Muscat.

Seeks suitable alliance from widow/ divorcee/ single.

Contact 96059801.

RC Girl (29) hailing from Kanjirappally Dioces working in MOH looking for suitable alliances.

Contact: 92801093 Sunni Muslim family seeks proposal for their 24 year old daughter from well settled Urdu speaking Indian family. Pls call on 93521249 / 99374371 Parent of Thrissur based Hindu Ezhava girl aged 20, Slim,Atham star, Studying for B. Pharm seeking alliance from well employed Graduates, preferably in Engineering Contact :96425102 Malankara Catholic Male Nurse (28) from Thiruvalla working in Nizwa Private Co. Alliance invites parents/nurses working in Oman.

Contact 968 98267338, 0091 9287215726

LOST Mohammad Asadu Zzamah has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. AD 0182006.

Finder please handover to ROP

C4

S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

CANADA - Free Consultancy For Legal Job For Hotel Staff, Construction Staff, Medical, Gas & Oil Staff Free recruitment - free tickets, accommodation, work visa, contract for 2 (two) years.

Contact Number: 93392630/24618069 Pls send CV on muslimatservices@gmail.com

REQUIRED URGENTLY An experienced Cold Store Technician

Applications may be mailed to the HR Manager:

nationalcoldstores@gmail.com

omanjobsdcg@gmail.com

SITUATION VACANT

LEASING OFFICER Qualifications: - 5 years minimum experienced in leasing field in Sultanate of Oman - Valid Omani driving license Qualified applicant may send their Curriculum Vitae (CV) at hr.asrdi@gmail.com

Apply : hr@alraazioman.com

an Accountant

Experience in Sales/Marketing of Building Materials(Sanitary wares & Kitchens). Not less than 5 yrs exp Sound customer Base

Send your CV: info@styletrading.net Fax: 244 95 411

rgeorge@omantd.com & atalibus@omantd.com

ADMIN/HR

IT

SALES PERSON wanted for tools and hardware shop in Barka. Must be switched on, self starter with a pleasing personality. Experienced preferred but not essential.

Contact 97472750 Filipino female Receptionist required for play area in Azaiba.

Good English & high energy required. Immediate start. Send CVs: playareaom@gmail.com

ACCOUNTS & FINANCE Required Candidate with Masters in Finance 3 Years experience in accounting. Person should be available in Oman for interview.

Preference will be given to the candidates having knowledge in Focus accounting software. Submit CV at jobws2000@gmail.com

BEAUTICIAN Require Employee for Saloon in Al Amerat, should have experience.

Contact: 90600688

DOMESTIC HELPER Required Office Boy. Contact : 91120552 A full time living Housemaid required for an Indian female in Ghobrah. Contact: 97335255

DRIVER Required Omani Driver for a restaurant. Contact 95929911

Wanted driver. Contact: 97165972

Sales & Service Engineer – Air conditioning , Experience: Minimum 4 - 5 years, Should have knowledge about Oman market Valid Oman Driving License must.

Forward CV to hr@barikgroup.com An International design consultant office require qualified & experienced Staff : Quantity Surveyor / Civil Engineer / Structural Engineer. Candidates should send their CVs and summary portfolio to corduff@corduffoman. com clearly stating their expected remuneration package.

NOC availability & commencement date.

A well established Ready-mix Concrete Company needs an experienced ‘Maintenance Engineer’ to look after its multi-facility workshop and supervise / coordinate site wise operations.

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Contact email-

Required Shop Sales man + Hardware Technician for IT Company with minimum 2 years experience.

Contact: 98825806 / 98825806, Email: info@rns-group.com

Wanted Nurse for a dental centre at Qurum. Interested candidates may contact the below or mail : drasyanaseem@gmail.com or Contact 99458844 Urgently required GP, Gynecologist, Dentist, Staff Nurse, Lab Technician, Pharmacist, for a medical centre in Muscat.

Email ruwistar@hotmail.com.

Tel: 92603863 Urgently required Office Staff/ Manager for medical equipment import office in Ruwi. email: ruwistar@hotmail.com.

Tel: 92603863 Oman licensed GP doctor & Nurse required for a polyclinic in Sohar.

Remuneration to be best in the field.

Contact : 93828382 / 93678494, Email: alshifamodern@gmail.com Wanted Staff Nurse for a dermatology clinic in Muscat .

Must have MOH license and NOC. Attractive salary offered. Email: clinicvacancy2015@gmail.com Required Lab Technician, X- Ray Technician, Staff Nurses & Doctors.

Contact: 99681325 Email: pmsunilkumar@hotmail.com GP doctor needed for reputed clinic. Preferably with MOH license or with Dataflow & Paramatics pass Contact: 95388934 Require a qualified Nurse to take care of an elderly female.

Contact: 99425200

MISCELLANEOUS Required candidates for following posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers.

Candidates with Omani driving license preferred.

Contact 99273774/99202278

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Required Indian Mason – 5 nos., eligibility (minimum 5 yrs experience in road construction field).

Contact: 99882127 Email: georgymv@yahoo.com

Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: Anishkhan991867@gmail.Com Mobile: +968 9565 9415

Indian CA, male 34yrs and 14+ Yrs exp. in A/Cs, finance, auditing, consultancy and knows SAPB1,Tally ERP etc. , Oman D/L .Currently in Oman. NOC available.

Please contact: 94704800, Email: omanjobca@gmail.com.

Indian (Male) having 17+years Experience in Trading & Healthcare seeking senior Position in Accounts (11 years GCC Experience ) currently on Resident Visa (NOC Available ) and has a valid Omani Driving Licence. Contact: 91335026; skumartp@gmail.com

Accountant available with NOC, plus 10 years experience up to finalization of Accounting inventory control on Tally ERP9, ready to join immediately. Contact: 97667273 Email: babujashid@gmail.com

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact: 95081010 Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com Care Medical Centre Al Seeb requires Gynecologist and General Practitioner.

Mail CV to:sarita_h23@yahoo.com

Indian Accountant with 15 yrs experience / driving license 8 yrs in Oman local release available.

Contact: 93477447 Email: s4svpai@gmail.com

Indian male 26 years MBA experience in Accountant & Administration in a MNC company currently on visit visa ready to join.

Contact: +968 92194987 email: achal1989@hotmail.com

MEDICAL

ENGINEER/MECHANIC. Required for a leading Engineering Consultancy firm experienced Office Secretary. Send CV to: mail@abdullamukadam.com Fax: 24614398

SITUATION WANTED

REQUIRED Marketing manager/ Sales Executives

With minimum 3-5 years Oman / GCC experience for a reputed Trading & Contracting Co. located in Azaiba.

Candidate must have Oman D/L & NOC.

FINANCE MANAGER Qualified candidate with 20+ years of experience, able to manage group of companies. Job responsibility will be managing the company finances, plan financial strategy, new investment opportunities,. new ventures, interact with banking officials and related.

Interested candidates may mail their resume on

For a well-established Muscat based Frozen Foods Distribution Company.

Must have sound knowledge of cold room installation/ maintenance and air conditioning maintenance experience.

General Practitioners, General Dentists, Staff Nurses, Lab Technicians, X-ray Technicians, Physiotherapists (female), Pharmacists etc for a medical group at Salalah.

Candidate with 3 years experience, Prometric and Dataflow (OMSB).

Urgently required

URGENTLY REQUIRED

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

SALES / MARKETING

Female Executive Secretary for MD Indian / Philippine Minimum 5years experience in HR and other administration work. Immediate appointment & attractive package.

Send your CV with passport size photo to E-mail: dsjob913@gmail.com

Sales person with 10 years experience in logistics sales. Attractive salary and incentive scheme.

Required for the fastest growing logistics company in Oman. Will be required to recruit and develop a sales team.

Email: telljobs@gmail.com

Female Executive Secretary for MD. Minimum 5years experience in HR and other administration work. Immediate appointment & attractive package. Send your CV with passport size photo to E-mail: dsjob913@gmail.com

Required Sales Merchandiser Age 21-30 status: Single, English speaking, experience 2 years minimum, Salary RO 300/(Accommodation+ transportation).

Contact: 93875654

SALES / MARKETING Required fresh Graduate in Sales / marketing with valid D/L. Send CV on Email : citycom213@gmail.com Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Interior Designer, Telecom Engineer, Finance Controller & Sales Manager with 3 to 5 years of experience in Oman with driving license who can execute and manage to get projects kindly.

Contact: gcpel16@gmail.com with monthly expected salary.

Required smart, young, dynamic Sales & Marketing Executive having 2-3 years sales experience for a reputed manufacturing company in Oman, Experience in building materials is an added advantage. Omani Driving License and NOC is a must. Attractive remuneration package.

Apply with photograph to E-mail: salesjobds@gmail.com Required marketing / PR manager for a modern restaurant group in Oman , proficient in illustrator & Photoshop charismatic , proactive , creative & flexible excellent writing / Editing skills degree in relevant area fluent in English.

Send CV to marketingpr2016@gmail.com Salesman required for electrical equipments with driving license & 5/7 years working experience.

Fax your C.V 24833043 (Jinan Enterprises)

Required smart, young, dynamic Sales & Marketing Executive having 2-3 years sales experience for a reputed manufacturing company in Oman, having its Head Office in Ruwi. Experience in building materials is an added advantage. Omani Driving License and NOC is a must. Attractive remuneration package. Apply with photograph to E-mail: salesjobds@gmail.com

SITUATION SIT. WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian, Kerala Male B.COM & B.PE, Currently on Visit Visa. Looking for a suitable job in Accounts, Store Keeper, Sales etc. Ready to join as early as possible.

Contact: 96988923 email:- sajith3969@gmail.com Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement. contact 94879615,Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com Senior Accountant Indian male 10 years experience (8 yrs in Oman) with D/L & NOC, Accounts upto finalization.

Contact: 99582979 / 97373853 Indian male M.Com, PGDCA, 10 years of experience in Oman as Senior Finance Executive good experience in finance and accounts looking for suitable placement with reputed organizations. # 95392251 ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance.

Contact: 99284193

Indian male Accountant looking for a suitable placement in Salalah.

More than 20 yrs experience in Accounting job (upto the finalization of Accounts), 8 yrs working experience in Middle East in Dubai, Muscat & Salalah. Contact 91325029.

Sri Lankan, Senior Accountant with 6 Years experience, 2 years in Oman, BBA, Reading MBA , CA Inter Looking for Suitable Job, have Valid Oman Driving License, NOC Available. Contact 97250638 msmnaja@gmail.com Part Time Accountant for Book Keeping, Monthly Accounts & Accounts Finalizing Mob: 94073446 Omani female looking for job exp in accounts date entry customer service & PRO. Contact: 91161736 Indian male 43 yrs, M.Com – Finance with 5 yrs experience in Accounts in India, presently in visiting visa looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 93671785 Email: jeyan903@gmail.com Qualified CA & CS, CISA (pursuing) Indian male 10 yrs managerial experience, working in bank seeking suitable placement open to any GCC. Contact: 90788509 Email: kartirevy@gmail.com Indian/MBA/male Chief Accountant 18Yrs Experience, MIS, C.Flow, Budgeting, ERP, Cost accounting & Liasing with auditors. NOC available. Contact: 92254691/97826674 email: khader2305@gmail.com Accountant Assistant BBA, exp, Tally have 2 yr valid VISA PH : 98269281 Young Indian male ACCA finalist with B.Sc (Hons) in applied Accounting with 3 years experience & holding valid Omani driving license seeks immediate placement, NOC available. Contact: 92851056 Sudanese Accountant, Alexandria University Graduate bachelor of commerce Diploma of Marketing professional photographer worked in PR and social media for 2 years looking for a job in public relations media, social media or marketing.

Contact: 96976240 Senior Accounts Executive, B.Com, 05 years experience in India, seeking urgent job in Oman. Contact 919900077458, +968-98444359, Email:syedtou23@gmail.com.

Qualified and experienced MBA post graduate with proven work exposure in Middle East & India, having more than 5.5 years of rich experience in accounts , project coordination and administration in (3.5 years UAE experience) oil and gas projects is currently looking for suitable job.

Contact 93953613, Email-allen.mathew83@gmail.com Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa.

Immediately available.

Contact 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com Sudanese accountant holding BSC, CIB 8 Post Graduate Diploma in financial management with Banking experience in projects finance. Contact: 99061339 Indian male Chartered Accountant with 2 years experience looking for suitable placements. NOC available. Contact: 96357827 Email: ubaiskeeran@gmail.com Indian male 28 Accountant / Senior Audit Associate ACCA finalist Having 6 years experience in accounting up to finalization currently on visit visa.

Contact: 95193650 or 99078853 Junior Accountant available (ACCA). Contact: 99854384 Email: syedimtiaz1234@gmail.com Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman.

Ready to join immediately.

Contact 98263394 Senior Accountant/Ast. Finance Manager-M. Com Finance-Indian with 7 years experience in Finance & Accounts up to Finalization. experienced in facilitations & banking, having D/L & NOC. Contact 94122464, cammk13@gmail.com Accountant, Indian male, BBA with tally having 2 plus years of experience as an Accountant and 2 years experience in hardware networking seeking for suitable placement. Contact: 98201244 Senior Accountant MBA Finance with 7 years experience in Accountants & finance good knowledge of payroll, Peachtree tally, audit handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly Basis.

Contact: 99430421 Email: muhammadammad188@gmail.com Accountant 8Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084 Fresher 24, ACCA Affiliate, Advanced diploma in Accounting and Business seeking suitable placement in Accounts, Finance or Audit with Oman driving license.

Contact - 92430152 Email - raju.rd619@gmail.com

S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

C5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED Mechanical Engineer & Project Manager Sudanese 29 yrs, more than 3 yrs experience in Mining Company, Profession:Production & manufacturing, safety, fire fighting designing, Engineering Management, sales – Muscat, Oman.

Contact 968 93642704, Email : mohamedfdl87@gmail.com

With 13 years experience in GCC and Oman. Competent in Sales, Marketing, Business operation and administration.

Interested employer please call

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

An experience Finance Manager M.Com, CA, with 13 years varied industries presently working with a reputed group in Oman looking out for a suitable change. NOC available.

Contact: 95251987 Indian male MBA (F) with 6 years of experience as an Accountant proficiency in various A/C software & SAPFI seeking for suitable placement. Contact: 95920740 Email: abdulhameed1527@gmail.com Accounts part time services, available to handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly basis.

Finalization and audit works.

Contact: 96247295 28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement.Contact 90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com Accountant Indian male with 7 years experience up to finalization in tally & accounts receivable SAP R/3, good knowledge of payroll having Oman D/L, NOC. Contact 93733996 Email Id: thmsb182@gmail.com Indian female M.Com with Oman driving license having 10+ years experience in Accounts & Administration in Oman seeking suitable job, NOC available. Contact: 91609799

MANAGER, CIPD HR

97728418

Autocad works, free lancer / part time, experienced, arch, MEP, structural. Contact : 97103168 Civil Draftsman for roads skills preparation of plan & profile, XSEC Structural drawings (Culvert, Retaining wall, Line side drain etc). Contact: 94034544 / 97840515 Architectural Draftsmen diploma in construction technology with 6 years experience in drafting and detailing as per British standard in Oman with valid Omani license looking for suitable opportunity Noc available. Call 94375897.

Revit, Autocad D/man, expected salary 200 OMR PH :92279784 Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Please Contact: 96489798, (+974) 66653780.

DRIVER License light heavy duty, PDO license experience 8 years mechanical experience vehicle.

Contact: 92091528 3 years experience looking for job.

Contact: 96457875 Driver want job. # 93822195

ADMIN

Light vehicle driver. #95891087

With 15 years of Gulf experience in HR / Admin / logistics looking for suitable position. Fluent in Arabic / English with D/L. Contact: 95824598

Driver with Car. Contact: 95892363

Indian male Post Graduate in HR 19 years (8 Years in Oman) well experienced in HR / Admin in Oil & Gas, Construction fields with Oman D/L seeks suitable position. Release / NOC available. Contact 92854993.

Light driver with 6 years experience looking for job. # 92617293

Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+ experience in Administration/HR, Customer Support, Office Coordinator with good Computer skill, Now on Visit Visa,looking for suitable position. Contact: 90196235 Dynamic Indian male with 5 years Oman & Indian experience in Administration, purchase, marketing with valid Oman driving license seeks placement, also a certified SAP SD. Contact: 93846053 Filipino HRD especialist / material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817

Light duty driver Pakistani more than 3 yrs exp seeks placement.

Contac: 97732728

Driver looking for job.

Contact: 96371945 / 94575111 Light duty driver 2 yrs exp.

Contact: 96393805 Light duty driver, vehicle license of Oman, can drive Commercial vehicle wants job. Contact: 95980506 Driver with car 3 years experience looking for job. # 92041902 Bangladeshi, looking for light driving job. Contact: 97224035 Light duty driver, 2 yrs exp seeks placement. Contact: 95207068 Driver with car. Contact: 95353830 / 91701223 Driver with car. Contact: 93346085

Indian female MBA (HR) 4 yrs exp in HR & Admin in India & Oman looking suitable placement.

Contact: 95619537

GCC driver 10 yrs exp. #93722881

Indian male 25 yrs BBA & Diploma in travel and tourism with India & Gulf experience seeking job in Admin and travel industry.

Contact: 95891687

Family driver. Contact: 97196448

Indian female with nearly 10 years of Oman experience in Administration and HR, seeking suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact: 99242841 Young Omani male have experience 12 years as P.R.O, CLERK Helper Supervisor Admin Supervisor, H.R Manager have diploma in H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license, looking for H.R position or P.R.O part time or full time. Contact: 95933288

ARCHITECT

Driver with light duty license, 10 yrs experience. #92742722

EDUCATION/TRAINING Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact : 99739415 / 92091528 Indian, Kerala Male B.PE & B.COM ,13 yrs of exp as Sports Teacher.

Currently on Visit Visa, looking for a suitable job in Schools & Institutions etc. Ready to join as early as possible. cont:- 93301023 email:- sajith3969@gmail.com Pakistani male Graduate in Economics looking for tution up to Secondary Standard preferably in Sanaya area. Contact: 98133520

INDIAN MALE, MARKETING & HR SPECIALIST, 25 yrs, Master degree with 2 yrs of experience both HR & Marketing, now on visiting visa.

Contact 96972939 / 96096723 Email : lijubn@gmail.com, jerrin007@gmail.com

B.E Mechanical Engineer, age 24 with almost 1 year experience as Production Shift Engineer, has achieved training on HVAC Engineering design and has good hands on software like AutoCAD and HAP.Currently in Oman on a visit visa, looking for a suitable placement.Contact: 95065955 email: mjs.jazeb@gmail.com Project Manager Electrical with 6 years experience with EHV & MV substation projects. NOC available.

Contact 91398559 B.E Mechanical Engineer, age 33 with 6+ years experience in GCC in MEP building construction field (execution and design of HVAC,firefighting,plumbing), with D/L, NOC available 96978380;prajithks@gmail.com Civil & MEP Sub contractor we are doing all types of civil electrical & plumbing works. Contact: 98040451 /94109760 Auto CAD Drawings & program chart we are doing all types of civil, electrical, plumbing shop drawings & program chart for approval.

Contact: 98040451/ 94109760 Electrical Engineer Indian male 30 years having 5 years of experience in industrial automation & utility maintenance in India, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Civil Engineer B.E 6 years experience with Omani driving license.

Contact: 95964048 / 99554461 Email: adnan002@yahoo.com DIP Mechanical Engineer tool & die, CAD course Pro Engineering ROPE Access level 1 experience 3 years in Hyundai Motor Chennai.

Contact: 93550661 Email: feroz1391@gmail.com B.Tech in Electrical & Electronics Engineering experience 3 years in central industries Ltd Chennai as Project Engineer in oil & gas industry in installation Erection, commissioning & maintaining terminal Automation system.

Contact: 93550661 Email: rashiqrahuman@yahoo.in Electronic and instrumentation B.Tech Indian male 04 years with 2 years Indian experience looking for suitable position available in Oman on visit visa.

Contact: 91228010 Indian male BE Mechanical with 11 years experience in Automotive engineering and Industrial maintenance in Oman. With valid driving license seeks suitable job.

On release in Oman. 92880593 Diploma Civil Engineer (8 years Exp.) with driving license.

Contact 92429006, francisprem123@gmail.com

Architect female 5 years experience seeking job. Contact: 96146645, Email: anjuovil@gmail.com

Teacher Female , Phd in Chemistry having 3.5 yrs of Experience in India. Staying here on Family Visa & seeking for a suitable placement.

Contact – 99675828, Email Anupam.tiwari67@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 6 years experience.

Contact: 90183630

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Electrical & Electronics Engineer 1 year experience currently on visit visa, available immediately.

Contact: 90654844 / 90491353 Email: feyizmohamed@gmail.com

Electrical B.Sc Engineer Pakistani male 24 years looking for a job.

Contact: 94049812 / 92958112

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

IT

Mechanical Engineer, 05 years Experience, India. #+968-98444359.

Seeking urgent job in Oman.

Indian female, MSc Physics, B.Ed, 5+ years experience in Oman seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 93992958 / 96203570

South Indian, North Indian Cook having 13 yrs experience in cooking field, now on visiting visa seeking for suitable job. Contact: 94598934 / 94638875 Email: bindyaneesh4@gmail.com

Contact - 96491030

Diploma Engineering Instrumentation Technician, 2 years experience skills calibration & installation etc.

Contact: 98963344 / 96946408 Email: anfeeranfu4@gmail.com

Civil Engineer, B.Tech, 6 yrs experience with Omani driving license, local release available.

Contact: 91693008

Sudanese Civil Engineer 6 years experience in Oman.

Contact: 95212902

Petroleum Engineering looking for job experience 4 years refinery NDT Inspector Safety (OSHA) rig tools inspection. Contact: 97927380

With over 25 years in varied industries, presently working with a reputed group in Muscat, looking out for a suitable change.

Contact 96960991, Email : sunap1968@gmail.com

Indian male Civil Engineer with 15 Years experience in Oman with Valid Oman driving license & NOC seeking suitable placement in reputed firms. Contact : 97643290

HVAC Engineer 20 yrs exp Tendering, estimation & installation.

Contact: 98532470 Email: ttchvac01@gmail.com

An experienced Chartered Accountant

Indian male, Diploma Engineer with BBA & 16 yrs experience in Oman, worked with MNC in retail (Telecom/ Lubricant sales) and with construction industry handling various products & subcontract projects.

Holding valid Oman D/L, NOC available.

Indian Graduate Civil Engineer having over 19 years Gulf experience in contracting consultancy firms seek immediate employment. NOC available. Contact: 93251306 / 99446786

Architect looking for a private & freelance work in design & modeling in 3ds max & architecture.

Contact: 96041201

CATERING

Sr. Sales & Marketing Specialist

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp seeks suitable position ina reputed company. NOC available.

Contact 96789711 Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine.

Available NOC release.

Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in designing, assembling, commissioning execution etc having valid GCC license too looking for a suitable.

Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com HSE Engineer (B.E Mech+Diploma Safety+NEBOSH+OSHA) over 10yrs. Exp, (Visa Release Letter (NOC) available), seeking suitable placement, Mob:97061817, Email:jayanammu1977@gmail.com Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact 92835952. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Telecommunication Engineer resident in the Sultanate, Sudanese Nationality. Contact : 95000024 Civil Diploma Engineer cum quantity Survey male 7 years experience in Oman valid Oman D/L. Contact: 93356736 Email: jaleelvanimalkp@gmail.com Indian male QC inspector diploma in Instrumentation, 6 yrs experience in Gulf.

Contact: 968 95930978 Email Id: savioaj@gmail.com Automobile Mechanic ITI 3 years experience marine mechanical fitter 2 yrs experience. Contact: 93674847 Electrical Power Engineer looking for an entry level in an establishing organization. Contact: 90114053 Email: umairrehan90@gmail.com B.Sc Civil Engineer, MBA experience 5 years (15 months in Oman) English & Arabic, driving license looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 94162443 Indian male 26 yrs, B.Tech Diploma in AutoCAD, Site Engineer experience in Oman. Contact: +968 92529312 / 968 98665963 Sudanese Civil Engineer 6 years Experience in roads projects.

Contact : 97942699 Senior Graduate Civil Engineer having 12 years construction experience in Oman seeking suitable position in Civil contracting company. Sound technical knowledge & managerial skills, well versed in Oman construction standards excellent commutation skills.

Contact: 98852797 Mechanical Engineer 28 years, 3 years experience 1 year in Oman with NOC looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94887665 Email: mechatron_mt@yahoo.com BE Civil Engg having 10 years Oman exp looking for a suitable job presently in India. NOC available. Contact: 0091 9963320768 Mechanical Engineer 2 years experience as HVAC design and drafting MEP Engg. Contact: 90150913 Young Indian, Engineering in Bio-technology, Bio-chemical and Chemical, looking for a challenging placement in Oman.

Contact 97607000. Email: sivasankarjayakumar@gmail.com Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman.Contact:98921022

Indian male 26 B.Tech Civil Engineer 3 year’s 8 months Experience at building construction. In Oman 2 year’s experience N.O.C available seeking suitable placement Contact : 97396269 Email : usmanshaik42@gmail.com An Iraqi civil with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C) available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact:97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912 Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit.

PH: 93837973 Construction Machinery repairs Engineer, 5 years, driving license, Contact - 94001961 Indian male, Structural Engineer looking for job in structural design field. Having 6 years of experience in design field. Residing in Muscat.

Contact: 91176187 syam036@gmail.com Sr. Electrical Engineer with17+ yrs of exceptional exp in spear heading strategic planning and project management initiatives & executing various high rise residential & commercial building as well as roads and highway project with proficiency in installation, seeking a challenging position in a dynamic organization. Contact 96570891 Electrical Engineer experience 9 years in Oman. Contact: 98148034 Indian 14 yrs exp SR MEP – Elect Engg with NOC, searching suitable job, in field PMC, Fire consultants , Testing & com, project supervision.

Contact: 92437865 Email: maimran.mtech@live.com Indian 24 yrs exp SR civil Engg with NOC, searching suitable job, in any project Supervision.

Contact: 96602718 mishteyaqh@yahoo.co.in Indian male B-tech 8 years experience as senior electrical project engineer / QC engineer on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 94094543 Email: anwar425@gmail.com Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784

IT 10 Years experienced IT Business Development Manager with good marketing and communication skills looking for suitable position, GCC driving license holder. Contact: 96201485 Indian Male, MCA Graduate, 15 yrs exp in ERP, CSM Certified, seeking suitable role.NOC Available.

Contact : GSM : 90189284 Email: meetlibran@gmail.com IT Support Engineer, Exp 3 years in Oman 2 years in India.

Contact: 94672759 System IT Engineer with Linux & UNIX System Administration skills transferable visa. Contact: 99109332 INDIAN FEMALE(24), B.Tech (CS), having 2 yrs experience in IT firm in India for java software development, on visit visa seeks suitable placement. Contact number: 93617427,92635670 Omani 26(m) seeks placement 6 yrs experience IT specialist.

Contact: 99025044 Machinist I.T.I experience in lathe, engine boring, cylindrical grinding, welding and fabrication valid driving license.

NOC available. Contact: 96297691 Indian female M.Sc Computer Science seeking suitable placement in Muscat area. Contact: 98660672

Indian female M.Sc Biotechnology, 3 years experience seeking for suitable position, part / full flexible for research, teaching business development IT hospitals.

Contact: 94710931 Email: skystars.hm@gmail.com

MANAGER Workshop Manager having 30 years gulf and abroad experience in plants & machineries, heavy duty trucks, readymix batching plants & crushers, water well drill rigs, rock blasting machineries etc. kindly contact @ 97145088.

Advertising media manager trading, M.Com with 20 years GCC experience in ATL+ BTL Brandy.

Contact: 93031168

MEDICAL Indian female dentist (BDS) looking for suitable post prometric & dataflow completed.

Contact: 90377433 D- Pharm Pharmacist 17 years experience Ayurvedic Panchakarma Masseur’s 3 years experience.

Contact: 93672452 General Dentist with NOC, 5 years experience seeking for suitable job. Contact: 98956747 / 91159996 (Brother) Email: dramjad32t@gmail.com Licensed Pharmacist with experience want job in Buraimi or Sohar.

Contact 93608698 Indian female Dentist specialized Endodontist looking for suitable placement, prometric completed.

Contact: 96410448

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Female, 25 Years - MSc Biotechnology. Looking for suitable job. Mobile: 92619048, Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants).

Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com Indian male 34 yrs in Oman on visit visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 97702082 Food Analyst Indian 30 yrs, 4 years experience in Oman (D/L) milk and milk product, juices water, biscuits, cooking and whole types of food analysis, NOC available. Contact: 93192009 5 years experienced (Front office & Banking), Indian Male (28 years. Hotel Management graduate), searching for suitable position. English, Hindi, Malayalam, Arabic fluent.

Noc available. Contact:91383167 B. Tech Electronics with MBA in Marketing management, 27, Indian male, 3 years in oman, looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 90638539 Indian male, 28, post graduate, 6+ yrs exp in Oman in sales (back office) & credit control with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable placements. NOC available.

Contact: 92066 523

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Indian Male more than 10 years gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin, Secretarial and purchase with good computer skills. Holding Oman Driving license. Looking for suitable placement. Contact 99709336 Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment.

Call: 95244761 Looking for part time job Secretarial / Data Entry / Documentation available every day after 5:00 pm Friday / Saturday full day area preferred Ruwi/ CBD/ MBD / Al Khuwair. Contact: 90414827

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

MANPOWER

SITUATION WANTED SALES / MARKETING Indian Male 22 years, Having experience in indoor sales/site supervisor Looking for suitable Placement.GSM: 97435306.

Email: zuhebnakhwa94@gmail.com Indian male Graduate with 18 years of Marketing experience presently in Oman on family visit visa, looking for best opportunity.

Contact: 96168687 Email: dhibupaul@gmail.com Graduate looking for suitable replacement. NOC available. Experience in Oman 15 + years. Field : Executive - Sales & Marketing / Executive Secretary.

Contact : 95798149 35 years male, Lebanese holding British passport, 10 years of experience in procurement, Omani Government tenders, setup marketing plans & strategies, importing, Organizing events, management, have car, NOC available. Contact 94123939 Email: 002015r@gmail.com Indian male MBA Sales Marketing business development with 10 years of vast experience 5 years GCC 5 years India excellent communication skills presently in Oman on visit visa looking for best opportunity.

Contact: 97946069 mail: faizanahmad2308@yahoo.com Indian male BBA & aviation currently on visit looking for suitable job in logistics, travels, sales etc.

Contact: 91350188 Email: farsheennaseer@gmail.com

Required Sales Executive / Merchandiser for consumer products with minimum 3 years experience and with valid Omani driving license. Apply with full details to scorpion@alhosnigroup.com Fax : 24597945

Indian male Graduate with 18 years of marketing exp, presently in Oman on family visit visa, looking for best opportunity. Contact – 96168687 / dhibupaul@gmail.com

The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, exp. 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: construction(Very strong and qualified to bringing business for civil work Or any type of the construction work for many million per year with a good exp. in pricing and collect payment and cash flow & marketing projects & investments & tenders & real estate. Contact :- 92385033

Indian male Diploma in Electronics, having 3 years of experience in the hardware and networking field, also worked in construction company Mabela for 6 months as supervisor, trying to get driving license.

Contact: - +96897017866.

10 years ICT Business development & project management exp in Oman looking for suitable senior position.

Contact: 98987654 Indian Male, 26 M.Com with 4 yrs of Experience in Accounting & Administration in a Financial Company in India, seeks suitable job, Currently in India.

Contact: India:-+918907212253 Akhil:-93626288, Email: Sumeshpsmkr1989@gmail.com Indian male 37 years MBA graduate in marketing with 9yrs of experience in UAE in field of brand promotions & marketing with UAE D/L on a visit seeking suitable position.

Conatct 95792820

MISCELLANEOUS

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, Male,5 years experience in GCC & India, looking for permanent placement in Oman. NOC Release Available. Contact: 00968-95140445; noorullahanas@gmail.com Indian female (27 yrs) MBA(IT),BCA,CCNA.2year experience in IT operations in Oman. Graduated from Oman with good analytical, communicating & programming skills, presented in international conference, seeking suitable positions.contact:93672143.e-mail id:fathima.shoukath@gmail.com Indian Female seeking a job in Back Office and Accountancy, 8+ years proven experience as a dynamic candidate with excellent Excel & Communication skills.

Quick learner and Team player.

Currently on Family Visa.

Contact 94093154, 91746890, Email: joyjohn_hhh@yahoo.com

SIT.WANTED Sri Lankan Male, 31 years. 6 years experience as an Accounts Executive, (Languages can speak Urdu/ Arabic, English written & spoken) .

Contacts: 99782930/ lalindra1st@yahoo.com HSE Engineer, Indian male, 5.5 Plus years experience in Oil & Gas.Working in Shclumberger.

NEBOSH, IOSH, & NDT Certified, M Tech in HSE. CONTACTkrish.569@gmail.com Mobile- +91 9867016808 Sri Lankan Male, 31 years. 6 years experience as an Accounts Executive, (Languages can speak Urdu/Arabic, English written & spoken). Contact 99782930/ lalindra1st@yahoo.com

SITUATION WANTED EDUCATION/CLASSES/COMP./WEB.

Indian male with 10+ years of working experience (security solutions, event management) on visit visa seeks suitable placement. Contact – 97945269, hkkrishna@gmail.com Indian male Network Cabling Technician (19-years gulf experience) seeking for suitable placement. mobile no: 0091-8089909265 (India), email: mohithavp@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English class for Malayalam Speakers

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control building. Cleaning tiles / Marble polishing monthly/ Yearly contracts available.

Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C Split unit & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance.

Contact: 96236476

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

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080

A/C Maintenance & Servicing, Fridge, Washing machine & Dish washer repairing, Painting & Cleaning services, Electrical & plumbing.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281

CAD drawings Archi/ MEP CAD – comply BIM. Contact: 91233975

Regular container transportation from Sohar sport to anywhere in Muscat area OMR 100 per container. Contact: 93731363 Marble crystallization & grinding, Ocean center LLC Contact: 99344723 A/C servicing maintenance.

Contact: 92279370 House shifting.

Contact 99708138

CCTV, Computer Services at best price. Contact 91289330 We do building maintenance all kind of works. Contact 99247663 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. contact 24793614/ 99314807 Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517 House Shifting Packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 /94285064 Pest control treatments, Ocean center LLC Contact 99344723 Marble crystallization & grinding, cleaning & carpet shampooing.

Ocean center LLC. Contact 99344723

Split unit & widow unit A.C servicing & maintenance.

Contact: 95323517 / 93769089 Service & maintenance of split & window A/C. Contact: 95273713

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steambath, obesity, Spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba.

Contact: 99639695 / 97397320 FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

Coming soon in Muscat for Omani & Expatriate Students Hospital Service course (Mandatory 1700 hrs) enhanced International Accreditation & certificate options form Hussein Technical Training Al Khodh & Sohar branch locations 1st Batch from 1st August’16. Web: www.httiomn.com / Email: careers@goldenapplete.com / Contact: (Whatsapp) +968 96412252 (Mobile) + 968 93287717 / +968 96412251

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact: 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

Karate and self defense classes at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per month twice a week Monday and Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM. Contact: 98294551

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DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

TOURS

TOURS

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours contact 98029602, 92808636 We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

DRIVING SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

RENT A CAR

TRANSPORTATION Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909 Transportation. Contact: 94510847 Transportation. Contact: 95190627 25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP speciďŹ cation for monthly rent & small car with driver.

Contact: 99839898

Transportation. Contact 9508282 Transportation.

Contact 92015894

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

Picking and drop Al Khuwair to Rusayl. Contact 91287470 / 98957524

Required partner investor to build an apartment in Al Mobelah.

Contact: 99355330

Transportation required from Qurum to WadiKabir at afternoon only 1 PM. Contact - 99012165

Need investor for pure Veg. Coffee shop, Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99437869

Transportation available in Ruwi, MSQ, Al Azaiba, Al Hail, Al Khoud, Al Mabela drop & pick.

Contact: 95250161

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

Investment opportunity for lucrative building and decorative product. Contact: 99421513 Email: borderlineomn@gmail.com

RENT A CAR Best Rates for Saloon Contact: 97869042 / 95730550 sales@modernreem.com

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SITUATION WANTED DINING DELIGHTS

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