Times of Oman - August 22, 2015

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MAJOR MILESTONE BY ROYAL HOSPITAL DOCTORS A medical team at the Royal Hospital successfully performed innovative therapeutic technology by implanting a device in the left atrial appendage of a patient. >A3

SATURDAY, August 22, 2015 / 7 Dhul Qa’ada 1436 AH

CABLES

His Majesty receives thanks MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of Mongolia in reply to His Majesty’s greetings cable on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In his cable, President Elbegdorj expressed his utmost thanks and appreciation for His Majesty the Sultan’s greetings, wishing His Majesty good health and happiness and the Omani people further progress and prosperity.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has also received a cable of thanks from President Alexander Lukashenko of the Republic of Belarus in reply to His Majesty’s congratulatory cable on the occasion of his country’s Independence Anniversary. In his cable, President Lukashenko expressed his utmost thanks for His Majesty the Sultan’s congratulations, expressing his confidence on enhancing and expanding the fruitful cooperation between the two countries, wishing His Majesty good health and happiness. -ONA TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

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‘Go to doctor, not Internet if you have health issues’ There are many diseases with common symptoms and associating a symptom with a certain disease based on online materials can only make the person anxious and prone to getting sick Dr Deekshith Raj Rasemale

People seeking answers to their questions on the an Internet rather than re visiting a doctor are h risking their health

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Cyberchondriacs are on the rise in Oman, say health experts, and they have cautioned people against the growing trend of turning to the Internet for information about symptoms and illnesses, as it may have harmful consequences.

Looking for information about health issues on the Internet is common and sometimes serves a useful purpose, but excessive or repeated health-related searches

General practitioner at Atlas Hospital

online have sparked a new phenomenon, called ‘cyberchondria’.

It refers to a condition where looking up health concerns online leads to anxiety.

An official at the Ministry of Health says that people who seek answers to their questions on the Internet rather than visiting a doctor are risking their health.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, Dr Fatma Al Hinai, from the ministry’s Directorate General of Primary Health Care said that not all material available online is reliable.

If people have any health prob-

lems, they sho should visit health centres and consult a medical professional instead of looking for information online, said Dr Al Hinai, acting director of the Women and Child Health Department.

Educational materials In addition, the ministry has distributed some educational material that can be used, she added.

Dr Al Hinai said that relying on information online may have serious consequences as some of them are only personal experiences, which may not apply to everybody.

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According to her, self-diagnosis may lead the person to use a certain medicine without the supervision of a health professional, which can cause medical complications, especially if the person already has a medical condition.

Searching information about symptoms and illnesses on the Internet would only make them anxious and worried, said Dr Al Hinai, and added that only medics can provide the correct diagnosis.

Dr Deekshith Raj Rasemale, general practitioner at Atlas Hospital, says that increased accessibility to the Internet is leading to

more people searching for healthrelated material online, a practice which is more common among the younger generation. He said that there are people who look up their symptoms online before visiting a doctor and, as a result, become anxious and distressed.

They want to receive an immediate diagnosis but there are thousands of websites online and not all of them contain correct information, said Dr Rasemale, and added that sometimes web-based information can be ‘misleading’.

The health expert explained that there are many diseases with common symptoms and associating a symptom with a certain disease based on online materials can only make the person anxious and prone to sickness.

According to him, self-diagnosis would not only affect them mentally but also physically, and can lead to negative consequences.

Dr Rasemale added that sometimes people associate a symptom with a serious medical condition and then avoid visiting a doctor due to the fear of getting diagnosed with the disease they have in mind. >A3

R O YA L O M A N P O L I C E

Free passport renewal for Filipinos

Call to follow traffic rules as new school session set to start

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Filipinos in Oman can now extend the validity of their passports for free, according to a notification from the Department of Foreign Affairs of Philippines. Confirming this, a senior official of the Philippines embassy in Muscat, said that they would be extending the validity of passports of Filipinos living in Oman if they wish to renew them. >A3

TARIQ AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: With the new school session set to begin on Sunday, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) stressed the importance of following traffic safety rules and asked parents, teachers, drivers and students to follow them.

Lt Colonel Salim Al Ghafri, assistant to the Director of Traffic in Muscat ROP said, “Many students wait on the street outside their school for buses. They need to be monitored because while waiting for a long time they tend to pass their time by running around and playing.”

He added, “Pushing and shoving to get out of the bus is also a cause for concern since a student, especially the younger ones, can fall down and suffer injuries.”

Al Ghafri also advised students to remain seated while the bus is in motion to avoid falling over fellow students and injuring themselves.

INDIA

India halts NSA-level talks with Pakistan

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India called off the NSA-level talks with Pakistan after Islamabad decided to go ahead with talks with Kashmiri leaders. External affairs ministry spokesman said National Security Advisers Ajit Doval of India and Sartaj Aziz of Pakistan were to discuss terrorism related issues. >A5

MARKET

GCC hopeful of oil price rise in 2016

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US oil prices dived again on Friday, threatening to dip below $40 a barrel for the first time since the financial crisis and notching their longest weekly losing streak since 1986, as a drop in Chinese manufacturing rattled global markets. Some of Opec’s Gulf members are concerned about the latest drop but expect recovery in prices in 2016. >B1

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Stunning beaches and rocky cliffs of Daymaniyat Islands

Responsibility of parents “Primary schooling begins at home and parents have the responsibility to raise the awareness in the child about traffic safety,” said the ROP official.

Parents should infuse an understanding of traffic safety into the minds of children, he added.

Parents have also been advised to leave for school a little early to avoid speeding and possibly putting their and their children’s

New school session is set to begin on Sunday.

lives in danger. Al Ghafri also expressed concern over traffic congestion during the new session.

Abide by rules “Congestion and traffic problems arise at the beginning of every school session due to working hours coinciding with school hours but that does not mean one should not abide by the traffic laws.

“Motorists heading to their workplaces, bus drivers and students, all have to play their part to improve traffic safety and follow them,” he said. >A3

D U T Y F R E E A L L O WA N C E

More than 28% hike in duty free limit by India delights expats Times News Service MUSCAT: Indian expatriates living in Oman are delighted as the Indian government on Wednesday hiked duty free allowance by more than 28 per cent, and the amount of Indian currency that may be carried, by more than 150 per cent.

However, the duty free allowance on cigarettes, cigars and tobacco has been cut by 50 per cent.

“It is great news, as we can now take home duty free goods worth Rs45,000 (OMR265). Earlier, this limit was Rs35,000 (OMR 205).

However, the duty free allowance on cigarettes has been cut to 100 sticks from the earlier 200, which is really upsetting,” said Sushma

Bajaj, an Indian expatriate living in Oman for the past eight years.

New duty free ceilings Currency (in INR)

Goods (in INR)

Indian currency Indian expatriates going home will need to declare Indian currency exceeding Rs25,000, (OMR155) said the Customs Baggage Declaration (Amendment) Regulations, 2015, notified this week by the Finance Ministry.

“This has also been increased from the earlier Rs10,000 (OMR60). That amount was of no consequence as we had to visit the bank again the very next day,” said M Ghosh, another expatriate.

An additional clause has also been inserted in the “Indian Customs Declaration Form,” which

Before Now Change (%)

35,000 (OMR 205) 45,000 (OMR 265) +28%

Cigarettes

10,000 (OMR 60) 25,000 (OMR 155) +150%

200 sticks 100 sticks -50% Graphics

it is mandatory for all passengers entering India to fill, to declare any flat panel (LCD, LED or Plasma) televisions being brought by them.

“However, they should have allowed the duty-free import of flatpanel TVs up to 40 inches as most

of the expatriates like to take home a television set,” felt Ghosh.

A few months back, the Indian government had imposed a punishing 35 per cent duty on the import of LCD, LED or Plasma TVs, blaming the declining Indian

currency for the move.

Before that, non-resident Indians and other airline passengers could carry flat TV (plasma/LED/ LCD) for personal use as part of their baggage allowance without paying any duty. The current form

has space for the declaration of and prohibited goods, gold jewellery and bullion (over free allowance), satellite phone and foreign currency exceeding $5,000 or its equivalent.

Earlier, they had to report to the ‘Red Channel’ for payment of duty if they were carrying any such items.

As per the modified immigration and customs rules, an Indian citizen needs to fill up the immigration form only when he or she goes out of the country.

They do not need to do so while returning. All passengers coming to India need to fill up a separate Indian Customs Declaration Form.

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

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

Daymaniyat’s rock-and-sand charm Located about 18km off the coast of Barka, the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve is a series of nine islands covering 100 hectares, or one square kilometre.

The islands feature stunning beaches and rocky cliffs upon which numerous birds come to nest.

The Daymaniyat Islands are one such place, home to birds, fish, turtles and more.

Jun Estrada captures the beauty of the land.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

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Philippines to renew passports free of cost

H O L I D AY PA S T I M E

of their passports,” said the embassy official.

According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), there were 32,287 Filipino nationals in the Omani private sector as of June 2015, including 10,683 men and 21,604 women, and every day the Philippines embassy in Muscat receives around 15 to 30 passports for renewal.

The DFA also said that passports will be processed and released on the same day after extension. “Passport extensions for all shall be available only until the end of this year,” said the DFA.

Extension of the validity of passports CREATIVE TALENT: During the summer course, the children learnt how to make contemporary bowls from a heritage design, using plastic bowls, cut out papers and glue.– Supplied photo

would be done free of charge for a period of one year as the agency is suffering from a backlog in issuing travel documents

Times News Service

Bait Al Zubair holds summer workshop for children’s group Times News Service MUSCAT: It is that time of the year again when Bait Al Zubair presents different types of arts such as drawing and sculpturing.

Bait Al Zubair hosted the 2015 ‘Children’s Summer Workshop’, a one-week course that took place from August 16 to August 20. The workshop was divided into two groups, with group one comprising children between 7 and 9 years of age from 10am to 1pm, and group two with children between 10 and 14 years from 2pm to 5pm.

The course took place in Bait Al Dalaleel, where history meets art, a space with a touch of the past and a touch of art.

It was the perfect summer course for the children where they learnt how to make contemporary bowls from a heritage design, using plastic bowls, cut out papers and glue.

Heather Ford, the volunteer for this workshop stated, “This is a great opportunity for children to develop new artistic skills in the rich environment of Bait Al Zubair’s Museum. They have been inspired by Omani heritage and I am delighted with the results. I have loved working here as a volunteer and being part of Bait Al Zubair’s team.”

Some children were asked about their experiences during the course and one of them said, “The course was good, I was happy, I learnt so many things about heritage, art and pattern.”

Another participant said, “It helped me to work with other children, it was very nice, and I have learnt so much from this course.”

For more information on Bait Al Zubair events and activities join them on Facebook www.facebook. com/bait.alzubair and Twitter and Instagram on: @Bait_AlZubair

TAKING GOOD CARE : Every day the Philippines embassy in Muscat receives around 15 to 30 passports for renewal.

MUSCAT: Filipinos living in Oman can now extend the validity of their passports for free, according to a notification from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Government of the Philippines.

Confirming this, a senior official of the Philippines embassy in Muscat, said that they would

be extending the validity of passports of Filipinos living in Oman if they wish to renew them.

“The extension of passports will be done for a period of one year without any charge,” he told the Times of Oman on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the DFA an-

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Indian School Rustaq celebrates I-Day Times News Service MUSCAT: Indian School Rustaq celebrated India’s 69th Independence Day with patriotic fervour and enthusiasm, with the school premises adorned with the balloons and flags.

The programme commenced with the unfurling of the national flag by Dr Mathew Varghese, president of the school management committee, which was followed by the national anthem.

Members of the school management committee principal, staff, parents and students were present on the occasion. Suja Jacob, principal, welcomed the gathering. The melodious songs sung by the school choir evoked a sense of pride and patriotism.

SPIRIT OF UNITY: Children dressed as freedom fighters paid tribute to the leaders and martyrs who laid down their lives and contributed to the freedom struggle. –Supplied photo

SCHOOL OPENING

‘Self-treatment can be risky’

He also noted that self-treatment should be avoided as much as possible by a person who does not have a background of medical education.

Any medication can be effective only if it is used in a proper way under the supervision of a medical expert, he said. Abuse of over-thecounter drugs can cause side effects and lead to medical complications in the long run, he added.

Consequences Dr Rasemale also said that the consequences of relying on online information for diagnosis and treatment can be worse if applied to children, who are more vulner-

nounced that the validation would be done free as the agency is suffering from a backlog in issuing travel documents.

“Manila is updating the system, so the release of passports is slow and taking more time, so we are offering extension of the validity

‘Unexpected delays’ This comes as the DFA has reportedly been delayed in issuing thousands of passports from all over the world. “There have been unexpected delays,” Foreign Secretary of the Philippines, Albert del Rosario, had said recently.

He had also attributed these delays to “technical difficulties” as the government was preparing to transfer its passport facilities.

“The government will move these facilities from the current site to a new location and delays should be corrected within a month,” he had said.

PAT R I O T I C F E RVOU R

MEDICAL ADVISORY

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able because of their weaker immune system.

Dr Binu P Pillai, special endocrinologist at International Medical Centre, said that this phenomenon is a ‘growing concern’, while noting that there are many patients who visit him after looking up information on Wikipedia or other online sources.

All this information may not be correct as some of them are written by unexperienced people, he said.

DrPillai added that there is no harm in searching health-related issues online for information but said that people should read genuine websites developed by

reliable associations.

People are urged to visit doctors if they have any health issues as many diseases have common symptoms, he noted.

Common symptom For example, tiredness is a common symptom for many diseases, which could be associated with diabetes, thyroid disease, lack of sleep, anxiety or cancer, said DrPillai.

So those who experience tiredness, may go online, search, see ‘cancer’ and associate the tiredness with this disease, he said, and added that people tend to think of uncommon and severe diseases

first. This would cause them unnecessary worries, he said.

He added that some people visit him saying that they are suffering from hair fall and think they have a thyroid disease.

However, hair fall is not necessarily only linked with a thyroid disease and can also happen due to stress, lack of sleep, vitamin deficiency or other conditions, acknowledged the health expert.

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Call for safety

The school also has a responsibility to teach students about the importance of traffic safety, said the official.

Students must be taught traffic rules, safety and the importance of respecting traffic officers. In addition, the school should teach students the correct way to wait for the bus.

Children will also be taught subjects like Islamic Education and Social studies about the importance of saving one’s self and others from harm.

Students should also share responsibility by avoiding playing on the street while waiting for their parents or buses.

Al Ghafri urged students to comply with traffic laws and use pedestrian crossings, if they are available in front of the school.

Al Ghafri said, “There is continuous co-operation between the ROP and Ministry of Education to raise awareness about this issue, and officers will visit schools and lecture them on traffic safety and awareness.”

He also said that children will have the opportunity to participate in police events such as World Traffic Day through competitions.

Scouts will also participate in practical exercises by regulating traffic flow which is part of their programme on traffic safety.

ACHIEVEMENT

Royal Hospital performs landmark heart operation MUSCAT: A major medical achievement has been added to Oman’s accomplishments in the field of cardiology with a medical team at the Royal Hospital successfully using an innovative therapeutic technology to implant a device in the left atrial appendage (LAA) of the heart of a patient who suffered an Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and Coronary Artery Stegnosis.

The implantation was overseen

by Dr Mohammed Al Mokhaini, heart diseases senior consultant and head of National Heart Centre, Dr Najeeb Al Rawahi, electrical heart diseases senior consultant.

Use of this therapeutic technology has several advantages such as avoiding open heart surgeries, stopping the use of blood thinners after six weeks of the catheter, and has fewer side effects as compared to traditional surgeries. The patient can lead a normal life two days after the catheter.– ONA

INNOVATIVE PROCEDURE: The cardiologists used an innovative therapeutic technology to implant a device in the left atrial appendage (LAA) of the heart of a patient who suffered an Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and Coronary Artery Stegnosis.–ONA

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

REGION YEMEN’S MAIN PORT

Aden receives first cargo ship since war began ADEN: A commercial ship docked in Aden on Friday, the first to reach the former southern capital since Yemen’s devastating war came to the port city in March.

The Venus, operated by United Arab Shipping Co, carried a cargo of 350 containers of products ordered by businesses in Aden, said port deputy director Aref Al Shaabi.“This signals the return of life to the port of Aden and this will benefit the city and southern provinces,” Shaabi told AFP. Shaabi said other ships were expected in Aden, the impoverished country’s main port and capital of the former South Yemen, in coming days.

NEW FRONT: An Israeli soldier stands on top of an armoured personnel carrier stationed in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on Fri-

day, after rockets fired from Syria in northern Israel. — AFP

Israel hits targets in Syria after rocket fire sector of the strategic plateau.

There has not been rocket fire from Syria at the Galilee for a long time, perhaps since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, Israeli media reported. Analysts said it was a potential game-changer.

“The message is clear: this is a new front, a new battleground,” Eyal Zisser of Tel Aviv University told AFP. “The assumption is that they want to send the message that a new front is open now that the situation on the ground is changing,” said Shlomo Mofaz of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism near Tel Aviv.

Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said Friday’s raid hit members of a unit behind Thursday’s rocket fire on the northern Galilee region and the zone Israel occupies on the Golan

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel said it carried out an air raid Friday that killed up to five militants it said were behind a rare rocket attack from across the border in Syria.

The strike came a day after Israel launched a dozen air raids on the Syrian-side of the occupied Golan Heights, raising concerns about a possible escalation.

Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said Friday’s raid hit members of a unit behind Thursday’s rocket fire on the northern Galilee region and the zone Israel occupies on the Golan.

Not tolerate “Elimination of the squad which fired at Israel yesterday is further proof that we shall not tolerate any attempt to disrupt the lives of

DAMAGE CONTROL: Israeli soldiers inspect a field where rockets fired from Syria landed near Kfar Szold, causing fires but no injuries, in northern Israel, close to the Golan Heights and the border with Lebanon, on Thursday. — AFP/STR

Israeli citizens or harm their security,” Yaalon said in a statement.

“Those who want to do so should know that the Israeli military and security forces will pursue them to the end and get our hands on them, anytime and anywhere.”

‘Hurt for hurt’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that it was his government’s policy to “hurt anybody who tries to hurt us”.

“We have no wish to escalate events but we are sticking by our policy,” he said in a statement. “The Israel Defence Forces hit the squad that carried out the fire nd the Syrian forces which allowed it.”

Syrian state television said five unarmed civilians were killed in

Friday’s raids, while an Israeli military source said “four or five” died in the strikes. Each side gave a different account of who was killed. Syrian television identified them as unarmed civilians, the Israeli military source said they were members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group spoke of pro-regime National Defence Forces. Israel earlier said that it hit 14 Syrian army positions in the Syrian-controlled sector of the Golan on Thursday night in response to the rocket attacks.

Previous cross-border fire has frequently been attributed to spillover from fighting inside Syria and to extremist rebels holding ground close to the Israeli-held

Deadly raids According to various sources, since January 2013 Israeli has launched deadly raids inside Syria targeting regime forces as well Hezbollah. Hezbollah, which helps the Syrian regime battle rebels, was the target of a deadly Israeli strike in January in which six of its fighters and an Iranian general were killed on the Syrian side of the Golan.

Several days later Hezbollah retaliated, killing two Israeli soldiers. Yaalon said Thursday’s attack came from positions under the control of President Bashar Al Assad’s forces. “The fire was carried out from territory controlled by the Assad regime, which allows terrorist activity against Israel and which we hold as also responsible,” he said.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it 14 years later, in a move never recognised by the international community. — AFP

Repaired airport Since pro-government forces recaptured the city from Houthi rebels last month, several planes carrying humanitarian aid have landed at Aden’s repaired international airport, which had been the scene of heavy clashes.

And several passenger flights have also arrived, allowing some residents to return home after having fled the violence.

Huthi rebels and troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh attacked and seized Aden in March after taking over the capital unopposed last year.

Retaken Their advance south prompted President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee to Riyadh and sparked a Saudi-led aerial bombing campaign on rebel targets across the country. Bolstered by heavy weaponry and Gulf troops as well as Yemeni fighters trained in Saudi Arabia, the loyalists have of late retaken Aden and four other southern provinces.

Pro-Hadi forces have turned their sights on battling rebels for control of Yemen’s third city, Taez, seen as the gateway to the capital.

With fighting still raging across much of Yemen and a UN warning that the country is on the brink of famine, world powers have voiced

concern over both Saudi-led air strikes and rebel shelling in the western port city of Hodeida.

The European Union joined US criticism of attacks carried out Tuesday on Hodeida, a vital point of entry for relief supplies.

Washington said that the air strikes seemingly targeted Houthi rebels but also reportedly killed dock workers and significantly damaged infrastructure.

“We are deeply concerned by the August 18 attack on critical infrastructure at the port of Hodeida,” National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said.

“The port is a crucial lifeline used to provide medicine, food and fuel to Yemen’s population.”

Shelling of Hodeida The EU said the “recent air strikes and shelling of Hodeida port facilities have created an additional and immediate obstacle to the import of food, fuel, medicines and other critical goods”.

Yemen’s war has killed nearly 4,500 people, many of them civilians, according to the United Nations. UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien said he was concerned the air strikes could have a severe impact on an already dire humanitarian situation. Some 80 per cent of Yemen’s population of 26 million are in desperate need of aid, and over a million have been driven from their homes in the nearly five-month war.

Drone strike Amid the conflict in a country whose government has been exiled, an apparent US drone strike on Friday killed three suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Marib, east of Sanaa, tribal sources said.

The three were in a vehicle struck at dawn by a missile in the oil province’s desert region of Harib, the sources said.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has taken advantage of Yemen’s chaos to seize the southern port city of Mukalla, capital of the vast Hadramawt province. — AFP

REDUCED TO RUBBLE: A man walks on the rubble of houses destroyed by Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen’s central city of Taiz, on Friday. — Reuters/Stringer

DOMESTIC CONCERN

US will act firmly if Iran reneges on nuclear deal: Obama WASHINGTON: The United States will respond firmly if Iran fails to honour the accord aimed at curbing its nuclear programme, President Barack Obama said on Friday, as he works to win over undecided US lawmakers.

“We have a wide array of unilateral and multilateral responses that we can employ if Iran fails to meets its commitments,” Obama said in a letter dated August 19 and

sent to Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat in the House of Representatives who announced that he will vote to approve the accord.

In his letter released by the White House, Obama reiterated his view that the accord reached last month in Vienna is good for the United States, Israel and the Middle East in general.

The president also insisted, as he has many times, that all options

remain on the table if Iran does not abide by the accord.

The agreement lifts economic sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions and other measures designed to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.

“All of the options available to the United States -- including the military option -- will remain available through the life of the deal and beyond,” Obama said.

The letter was released as opponents of the accord wage a fierce campaign against it ahead of a vote in Congress in September.

Spot inspections Opponents say the accord goes too easy on Iran, by not allowing spot inspections of nuclear sites or forcing it to halt support of militant groups, for instance.

So far only two Democratic sen-

ators -- Chuck Schumer and Robert Menendez -- have come out publicly against the accord.

It is unlikely that opponents can muster the two-thirds majority they would to override a certain Obama veto if an initial vote by lawmakers rejects the accord.

Nadler said Friday he supports it.

It is not perfect, but it “gives us the best chance of stopping Iran

from developing a nuclear weapon,” he said in a statement.

Nadler said he had reached this conclusions from his perspective as “an American Jew who is both a Democrat and a strong supporter of Israel.”

The accord, vehemently opposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has sharply divided the American Jewish community. — AFP

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INDIA

Security adviser-level talks with Pakistan in jeopardy Even as it appeared that the prospects of talks have dimmed, Pakistan said that

We are firm on our stand that whatever talks, dialogue are held with Pakistan, that should only and only be on terrorism

hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani would be meeting its National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz at 9.30am on Monday, apparently ahead of his discussions with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval

NEW DELHI: A deadlock over Kashmiri separatist leaders on Friday cast a cloud of uncertainty over the upcoming India-Pakistan NSA-level meeting after the two countries engaged in strong exchanges but neither side was willing to blink.

Even as it appeared that the prospects of talks have dimmed, Pakistan tonight said that hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani would be meeting its National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz at 9.30am on Monday, apparently ahead of his scheduled discussions with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. India having made it clear that a meeting between the separatists and Aziz was not acceptable to it, the scheduling of the Geelani-Aziz meeting introduced a new twist into the drama.

Geelani was among the separatist leaders who was briefly detained in Srinagar on Thursday and it would be a surprise if he is allowed to travel here for the meeting. The onus would then

be on Pakistan on either still going ahead with the talks or calling them off. Drawing a red line, earlier India had made it clear to Pakistan that a meeting between the separatists and Aziz was not appropriate.

Advice rejected Pakistan reacted strongly to insist that it would not depart from the “established past practice” of interacting with separatist Hurriyat leaders, rejecting India’s advice not to go ahead with their meeting with Aziz. India hit back describing the invitation to Hurriyat representatives as a “provocative action” and accused Pakistan of trying to evade its commitment to engage in a substantive discussion on terrorism as had been agreed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Ufa (Russia) last month.

It said that Islamabad’s insistence on meeting Hurriyat leaders as a pre-condition was a com-

Rajnath Singh Home Minister

plete departure from the Ufa understanding.

Moreover, India has always held the position that there are only two, not three, stakeholders in the bilateral relationship. Unilateral imposition of new conditions and “distortion of the agreed agenda cannot be the basis for going forward,” External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. India on Friday asserted that it sticks to the commitment between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Ufa to engage in a substantive discussion on terrorism.

Speaking at an event here, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, “We are firm on our stand that whatever talks, dialogue are held with Pakistan, that should only and only be on terrorism.”

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Intentions clear He also said that talks and terrorism can never go together. The home minister said India’s intentions are clear to have dialogue with Pakistan, but that should be only on terrorism. “We stick to commitment between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Ufa to engage in a substantive discussion on terrorism,” he said, adding, “It is to be seen what our neighbour have to say.”

Abdullah’s stance Meanwhile, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Friday urged separatist leaders not to meet Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz during his visit to India for talks with his Indian counterpart so that the two countries can find a

way of ending hostilities along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir.

“I request them (separatists) not to meet Aziz and let the National Security Adviser-level talks go ahead between the two countries... may be something comes out of these talks that will (deal with) cross-border shelling,” the former Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.

Abdullah was responding to the Ministry of External Affairs’ ‘advice’ to Pakistan not to go ahead with Aziz’s engagement with the Kashmiri separatists during his visit to India for talks with NSA Ajit Doval on August 23. Abdullah said that if the talks are called off by India, cross-border shelling would resume, “may be, with added intensity”. -PTI

TRAPPED

Top politician gets a taste of stuck lift in Patna building PATNA: President Amit Shah and three other senior leaders were trapped in the lift of the state guest house here for around 40 minutes, throwing the security and party officials into a tizzy.

“The lift got stuck between the two floors and its metal doors also got jammed at around 11.30pm last night. There was no lift operator or person capable of handling such emergency around. The mobile phones of those trapped inside were also out of range as they were in a closed box,” BJP state President Mangal Pandey said.

The incident happened when Shah was going from the ground floor of the state guest house to the first floor along with party incharge for Bihar Bhupendra Yadav, Secretary Nagendra Ji and General Secretary Saudan Singh and a couple of security personnel.

He was ultimately rescued by CRPF personnel who were present there as part of his Z+ security cover. They had to tear apart steel doors of the elevator to pull out Shah and other leaders trapped inside. Recounting the horror, Pandey said all attempts to open the doors of the lift failed.

The caretaker of the place was also not of much use in the situation and people waiting on the ground and first floors of the guest house became anxious about the condition of those trapped inside.

“Nothing worked and around 40 minutes passed. It was then that CRPF was asked to break open the doors.It did so and Shah and other leaders were rescued,” Pandey said, adding “Once the doors were broken, the trapped persons came out”. - PTI

E N V I R O N M E N TA L D A M A G E

Green tribunal order upsets Kullu Valley tourism industry KULLU VALLEY (Himachal Pradesh): Its ski slopes are considered among the best in India while its stunning views are a magnet for hikers, horse riders and paragliders in the summer.

But a new ruling by India’s environmental court designed to protect the Kullu Valley from its hordes of visitors now threatens to devastate the tourism industry, according to furious local businesses.

“The vast majority of the people are engaged in tourism activities in and around the Rohtang Pass,” says Anup Thakur, president of the Kullu-Manali Hoteliers Association. “Isn’t the livelihood of the people more important than the environment?” Thakur’s fears are echoed throughout the Himalayan valley, a favourite haunt of the British during the colonial period and now one of India’s most popular tourist hotspots.

The valley is framed by the majestic Rohtang Pass which rises to a height of 13,050 feet (3,978 metres), its roads often gridlocked in the summer months and flanked

Although the state government did introduce a daily limit of 1,000 vehicles on the Rohtang Pass earlier this year, the tribunal said the quotas were rarely enforced.

During the tourist season, the sheer weight of numbers means the 50-km journey from the base of the pass to the town of Manali — which should take around two hours — lasts up to seven.

by a seemingly endless row of stalls selling tea, food and trinkets.

The accompanying mounds of rubbish and other pollution has reached such alarming levels that snow on the slopes has been turning black while glaciers have been melting at a record rate, the court has been told.

Banned commercial activity In a move aimed at reversing some of the environmental damage, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last month banned all commercial activity around the pass and the adjoining ski slopes. The NGT also banned horse riding, snow biking and paragliding on the top of the valley while the food shacks were all ordered to close.

“Except water, everything else is prohibited in and around the pass,” the green court said in a ruling which caught locals by surprise.

“There is a right to tourism but it has to be within the framework of the fundamental rights of the public which takes precedence,” the court added.

SCENIC: Tourists take part in white-water rafting activities on the Beas River in the Kullu Valley, Himachal Pradesh in this photograph taken on May 2, 2015. - AFP

Melting glaciers Scientists from the Pant Himalayan Environment Institute told the tribunal that vehicle emissions and other pollution were causing huge damage to the environment,

including the melting of glaciers.

Campaigners say the situation had been allowed to reach crisis point as authorities in the state of Himachal Pradesh had turned a blind eye for decades.

Dramatic changes The pass can experience sudden and dramatic changes in the weather that have claimed countless lives over the years. In Tibetan, its name translates as ‘heap of dead bodies’. It remains closed to traffic for half the year due to wintry conditions and can sometimes be buried in up to 30 feet of snow.

But once the snow clears, the situation changes dramatically and there is no shortage of local businesses ready to cash in.

There are also close to a 1,000 hotels in the twin resort towns of Kullu and Manali, which have been attracting generations of

Western backpackers as well as Indian tourists.

The hotelier Thakur acknowledged there should be “a check on tourism activities in the area” but said the court had taken no account of “our bread and butter”.

Other businesses, from taxi drivers to tea stall owners, also fear for the future if the bans are not soon lifted. Suresh Acharya, a local resident, said a whole range of outdoor pursuits would be effectively brought to a halt by the ruling. “Hundreds of locals are engaged in paragliding, pony riding, snow scooters and mountain bikes, what will they do after this ban,” said Acharya.

‘All doomed’ But Raju Banon, who runs one of Manali’s oldest hotels, Banon Resorts, said the environment needed to be protected so that tourism could flourish long-term.

“If this court order is not implemented, Manali will finish, and if that happens we are all doomed,” he said. - AFP

A6

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

INDIA

Joint families are fast getting replaced by nuclear families. That is leading to more conflicts in families and personal tolerance is constantly going down Dr Abhay Jain, psychologist and marriage counsellor

A L L E G E D V I O L AT I O N O F S A F E T Y N O R M S

Jet Airways flight lands on ‘fuel emergency’; pilots suspended NEW DELHI: India’s aviation regulator on Friday suspended two pilots of Jet Airways for alleged violation of safety norms after the carrier’s Doha-Kochi flight landed at Thiruvananthapuram airport without the mandatory reserve fuel requirement.

Some 150 passengers and crew were on board flight 9W555, a Boeing 737-800, on August 18.

“Both pilots of Jet Airways flight have been suspended, pending further investgations. This was a Doha-Kochi route. The pilots, as per our initial findings, violated several safety norms,” said a senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

“Such an action could have jeopardised passenger safety,” the official said from Mumbai.

“A team of our senior officials is looking at all the angles of safety violation. This is a serious incident. We have taken cognizance and initiated an inquiry.”

Bad weather The official explained that the flight was scheduled to land at Kochi. But on failing to do so despite three go-arounds due to bad

weather, the pilot sought a diversion to Thiruvananthapuram citing a “fuel emergency”.

“The Air Traffic Control at Kochi had, instead, advised the pilot to go to the nearest airport, which was Bengaluru.” But in a violation of our unscheduled landing norms, the plane was diverted to Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) — not the nearest airport,” an

official said. He said Thiruvananthapuram was also experiencing bad weather at that time. “Even there, the pilot could only land on the fourth attempt.” The aircraft was flying on reserve with only 270 kg of fuel left at the time of landing at Thiruvananthapuram, against the mandatory requirement of 1,500kg, the official said.

Ten minutes of taxiing alone by

Modi pushes for cooperation with Pacific Islands country and Command for the country’s missions in the future.

Addressing the Summit of Forum for India-Pacific Island Conference Prime Minister Narendra Modi said cooperation could immediately begin with research collaboration and capacity building with institutions in India

JAIPUR: Pushing for deeper cooperation with 14 nations of strategically-located Pacific region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a number of initiatives, including setting up of a space station in any of the countries and developing capacities in disaster management.

Addressing the Summit of Forum for India-Pacific Island Conference (FIPIC) here, he said cooperation could immediately begin with research collaboration and capacity building with institutions in India.

FORWARD TOGETHER: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairing the round table meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Island Conference in Jaipur on Friday. - PTI

He offered to create capacity in these Island states in dealing with natural disasters, including through human resource development and application of space technology for early warning system and incident response.

Talking about Indian Navy’s support and capacity building efforts in island states in Indian Ocean, he pitched for goodwill visits by Indian Navy to Pacific

Islands saying the ships could also provide support to the islands in areas like healthcare through medical camps.

Establishing space centre Modi, while highlighting Fiji’s support for India’s Mars Mission, talked about establishing a Space Technology Applications Centre in any one of the Pacific Island countries, for the entire region.

He told the assembly of heads of states and governments and other delegates that efforts would be made to enhance support for training in space applications, including through customised courses.

Modi, who also had bilateral meetings with a number of leaders present here, hoped for continuing support from the Pacific Islands for Telemetry, Tracking

New proposals He also proposed to hold an International Conference on Ocean economy and Pacific Island Countries in New Delhi next year for officials and experts of all the 14 Pacific Island countries.

In the area of human resource development, he announced that Fiji will get 110 slots for the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation and the number of slots for remaining 13 countries will be doubled from 119 to 238.

Modi also announced two scholarships for college education in India to each of the 13 countries that do not receive them yet, while continuing with the 33 scholarships presently offered to Fiji.

We will expand our training courses for Pacific Island diplomats and a two-week business management course at the Indian Institute of Management in Bengaluru, he said.

In a move aimed at saving kerosene worth about a million US dollars and providing livelihood to women, Modi said that India would train 70 women solar engineers from the islands and provide solar electrification to 2,800 houses — 200 houses in each Pacific Island Country.

India, he announced, will also establish at least one information technology laboratory in each Pacific Island country that will not only improve local IT infrastructure, but also enable the countries in fulfilling our commitment to provide tele-medicine and teleeducation to the people. - PTI

such an aircraft can burn over 250 kg of fuel.

The policy The DGCA’s fuel policy mandates that an aircraft should carry taxi fuel, then fuel for the trip, some contingency fuel — at least 5 per cent of the trip fuel —some alternative fuel, as well as holding fuel that can last for 30 minutes. - IANS REPORT

More married people ended lives than singles in 2014 INDORE: Three times as many married persons ended their lives in 2014 as those who were single with experts saying that the finding points to “serious changes” in family ties and a dip in “personal tolerance” levels as the nuclear family continues to gain prevalence in society.

According to a recent report by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), entitled ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’, out of a total of 131,666 suicides reported in the country in 2014, about 65.9 per cent were by those who were married.

Unmarried persons accounted for 21.1 per cent of the suicides reported last year, the data said.

Divorcees and those separated from their spouse made up about 1.4 per cent of the total suicide victims. The proportion of widowed and widower victims was around 2.1 per cent, the NCRB report said.

“These statistics point towards the serious changes taking place among relationships in families,” psychologist and marriage counsellor, Dr Abhay Jain, said.

“Joint families are fast getting replaced by nuclear families. That is leading to more conflicts in families and personal tolerance is constantly going down,” he said.

It has been seen that couples living in nuclear families do not share with each other their professional and personal problems and, amidst the lack of communication, they struggle to tackle their issues alone, Jain said. “That leads them towards depression and, in the end, they resort to taking the extreme step,” he said. - PTI

‘ M A NJ H I — T H E M O U N TA I N M A N ’

Compelling tale of triumph of human spirit hits cinema screens MUMBAI: The remarkable true story of an Indian man who spent 22 years chiselling a massive gap in a mountain out of love for his dead wife hit cinema screens on Friday.

Dashrath Manjhi, an impoverished labourer from India’s lowest caste, embarked on the monumental endeavour after his wife died in 1959 after an accident, because she had not been able to receive urgent medical care in time.

Getting to the nearest town involved going around the mountain, a 55-kilometre (34-mile) journey, and Manjhi didn’t want other villagers to suffer the same fate.

Working day and night he chipped away at the mountain in Gehlour, in eastern Bihar state, using just a hammer and a chisel, to reduce the distance to 15 kilometres by cutting a direct path through rocks.

It took him until 1982 to create the path, which is around 110 metres long and in some places more than nine metres wide.

“The story is beautiful and compelling. He made the impossible possible and his work has helped

thousands,” said Bollywood star Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who plays the lead role in Manjhi — The Mountain Man. “The most difficult aspect was to capture the madness. His work is extraordinary. He should be an inspiration and an icon for the youth,” Siddiqui said.

Manjhi died from cancer of the gall bladder in 2007, aged 73, and was recognised with a state funeral in Bihar.

He has been quoted as saying that when he first started breaking the mountain, locals thought he was crazy but later they changed their minds.

Even after Manjhi had finished, it took the local government another three decades to convert it into a tarred road.

INSPIRING STORY: Actors Radhika Apte, centre, and Nawajuddin Siddique, right, pose for a photograph ‘How did he achieve it?’

Bollywood filmmaker Ketan Mehta said his response was one of disbelief when he first heard the story and he just knew he had to make a movie about it.

“People called him mad but how did he achieve it single handedly? I went there and saw the mountain

during a promotional event for the film ‘Manjhi the Mountain Man’ in Gaya in this photograph taken on August 17, 2015. The remarkable true story of an Indian man who spent 22 years chiselling a massive gap in a mountain out of love for his dead wife hit cinema screens on Friday. - AFP

and the path he had carved. It was inspiring,” Mehta said.

Siddiqui, whose film credits include The Lunchbox, plays Manjhi from a young man right through to

his later years. Indian actress Radhika Apte plays Manjhi’s wife.

“Manjhi — The Mountain Man is a film about the human spirit and a monument to love. Unfortunately

too often we realise the value of a person only after they die,” the director added.

Raising funds for the production, convincing people to support

the film and shooting in remote parts of India were some of the challenges Mehta faced, he said.

The film has also faced controversy. In 2013, filmmaker Dhananjay Kapoor blocked its release, claiming that he had the rights to Manjhi’s story.

However, the court dismissed the petition and ruled in favour of Mehta.

Manjhi’s fame and the subsequent attention has also left members of his family disgruntled, according to a report in the Times of India newspaper, which quoted a relative complaining that many VIPs had visited their home but had broken promises to help them out of poverty.

Mehta pieced his script together based on meetings with villagers and local journalists, and newspaper articles.

But the director was forced to be imaginative when it came to the details of Manjhi’s relationship with his wife.

“The facts are facts but little is known of the love story, which is where we have filled in the blanks,” he said. - AFP

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

A7

PAKISTAN New offensive against militants launched Pakistani troops began pushing deeper into Shawal region of North Waziristan after days of aerial bombing that the army said killed dozens of militants

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistani troops pushed deeper into militant-held areas in the North Waziristan region on Friday, launching a ground offensive against the Pakistani Taliban and other fighters in their last strongholds near the Afghan border.

Since May, the military has stepped up operations in the deeply forested ravines of the Shawal valley, which straddles the regions of North and South Waziristan along the frontier with Afghanistan, and is dotted with militant bases.

Pakistani troops began pushing deeper into Shawal after days of aerial bombing that the army said killed dozens of militants.

“Ground operation in Shawal, North Waziristan begins,” the army’s chief spokesman, Major General Asim Sali Bajwa, announced on Twitter late Thursday night.

Residents remaining in Shawal said many were desperately looking for a way to flee.”In the last

STEPPED UP OPERATION : A Pakistan army convoy heads towards North Waziristan in Bannu district. Troops began pushing deeper into Shawal after days of aerial bombing that the army said killed dozens of militants. -AFP file photo

days, there has been heavy bombardment in the area.

I’m worried for my children,” said Shamal Khan, speaking by telephone from the remote area.

This week’s thrust by the armed forces is described as a final clearing of the militants’ last hideouts in the valley.

Recaptured The Pakistani military recaptured most of North Waziristan in an offensive started in June 2014.

Before the operation began, the army ordered most civilians to leave. Those in the Shawal valley were permitted to stay. Another

resident, Mir Alam, said local officials didn’t tell them to go before this week’s bombardment.

“Now we are in a hurry to get out, but I have hundreds of goats and more than a dozen family members here,” he said.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Muhammed Kurassani denied government claims of dozens of militants killed in the past week.

“We have no losses there because the government does not know where we are,” he said.

Retired Pakistani brigadier general Shaukat Qadir said he doubted this week’s offensive would be the final blow in Pakistan’s fight

against militants.

“Every phase will be final, but it’s not been ended,” Qadir told Reuters, noting that the ideology and recruitment ability of the Taliban and other extremists remained along with the ability to launch militant attacks.

The Pakistani Taliban mainly fight the Pakistani state with the ultimate goal of establishing their strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia as the law of the land.

They are separate from, but allied to, the Afghan Taliban, which is in the throes of a leadership crisis following confirmation of the death of leader Mullah Omar. - Reuters

ACHIEVEMENT

Malala top of the class in British school exams LONDON: Malala Yousafzai, the teenage education rights campaigner who came to Britain after the Pakistani Taliban tried to kill her, has scored high marks in national school exams, her father said on Friday.

Malala, shot in the head three years ago for championing girls’ rights to education, gained six A* grades, the highest possible, and four As, the second highest, in her GCSEs. “My wife Toor Pekai and I are proud of Malala,” her father Ziauddin wrote on Twitter. “Education for every child.”

Her top grades were in biology, chemistry, physics, religious studies and two maths exams.

The 18-year-old was flown to Britain in 2012 for hospital treatment after being shot on a school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley.

She now lives permanently in Birmingham, central England, with her family and attends an allgirls school.

Malala Yousafzai

Malala, who hopes one day to be prime minister of Pakistan, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 jointly with India’s Kailash Satyarthi for promoting education rights for children.

GCSEs are exams in a wide range of subjects usually taken by all children in Britain at the end of their fifth year in high school.

Pupils received their results on Thursday. -AFP

KARACHI

Bullets found in abandoned car KARACHI: Close to 10,000 bullets were found in an abandoned vehicle in Karachi’s Nazimabad area on Friday.

According to Superintendent of Police Asghar Usman, residents alerted the police after they became suspicious of the vehicle that had been parked on a street in the neighbourhood for the past 15 days or more.

After weeks of assuming that

the car belonged to a guest staying in the area, residents became suspicious and called the police, who brought in a bomb disposal unit to ensure that there were no explosives, before discovering the 24 boxes containing bullets.

Usman said the car had a fake number plate and that investigators were going to use the vehicle’s chassis number and engine number to trace the owner. - Express Tribune

P E R S I S T E N T E N E R G Y S H O R TA G E S

‘Inadequate investment, power outages affecting textile industry’ LAHORE: The textile industry has made inadequate investment in upgrading technology and replacing old machinery as it loses competitiveness in the international market, says the Institute for Policy Reforms (IPR) while outlining structural factors that have hurt the industry.

“The import of textile machinery reached the peak of almost $1 billion in 2004-05. Since then, it has fallen to less than $500 million annually,” said the IPR in a fact sheet on the state of the textile industry on Thursday.

Another key factor was persistent energy shortages with frequent outages limiting the effective capacity and raising pro-

duction cost due to power generation through their own means.

Languishing due to neglect According to the think tank, a full-fledged textile ministry is working and the government has also announced textile policy for 2014-19, but despite this the industry appears to be languishing due to neglect and lack of policy implementation.

Exports of the textile sector, which ships over 60 per cent of output to overseas buyers, have stood stagnated below $14 billion annually for the last four years compared to growth of 10 per cent per year from 2001-02 to 2010-11.

“This came despite a cumulative

Of late, the appreciating rupee has left textile products expensive in the international market

depreciation of 19 per cent in the rupee’s value and the recent grant of GSP Plus status by the European Union,” the IPR said, pointing out that the latter had led to some diversion of exports, without

substantially increasing the global volume of shipments.

In the last four years, Pakistan has been steadily losing market share to competitors.

In textiles, India, Turkey and

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

Injectable anti-polio vaccine aims to wipe out scourge by next year ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday formally launched an injectable polio vaccine, an important step to accelerate its polio eradication campaign as the authorities vowed to wipe out the disease by 2016.

More than four million children will benefit from the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which will be incorporated into the country’s routine immunisation schedule and given to children alongside other jabs. Pakistan is one of three countries in the world where polio remains endemic.

Nigeria, which recently marked one year without a case of wild polio, introduced IPV earlier this year and Afghanistan is due to begin using it in the coming weeks.

Pakistan has made substantial progress in reducing the crippling childhood disease, with only 29 cases reported so far this year, compared with 115 in the same period in 2014.

Saira Afzal Tarar, Pakistan’s deputy health minister, hailed the IPV introduction as a landmark.

“We are hopeful that we will intercept the virus by 2016,” she said. Efforts to eradicate polio in Pakistan have been hit by long standing rumours that the traditional oral polio vaccine (OPV) contained harmful substances and was part of a plot to sterilise Muslims.

The injected vaccine is more

SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS: A child receives a drop of polio vaccine at the United Nations-supported Jalozai camp in Peshawar. Pakistan on Thursday formally launched an injectable polio vaccine, an important step to accelerate its polio eradication campaign. - Reuters file photo

expensive than the OPV and needs a nurse or doctor to administer it, but needs only one dose to ensure immunity, unlike the oral vaccine which is administered several times.

Doctor Lamia Mahmoud of the World Health Organization (WHO) said IPV was an important tool to bolster the immunity of infants against poliovirus, especially those who have not had adequate opportunities to receive the oral vaccine.

Attempts to eradicate polio in Pakistan have been badly hit by

opposition from militants, who say the programme is cover to spy on their operations.

Their attacks on immunisation teams have claimed 78 lives since December 2012.

Last year the number of polio cases recorded in Pakistan soared to 306, the highest in 14 years.

Pakistan’s military in June last year launched a ground and air blitz against militant groups in North Waziristan tribal area, forcing millions of civilians to leave their homes and settle in other districts.

All those fleeing North Waziristan were given polio drops as they entered neighbouring Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, allowing health workers a chance to reach families who had not been vaccinated for years.

Tarar said the military offensive had had a major impact.

“Miracles are happening after this (military) operation. Kids who were inaccessible are now coming to us,” she told the gathering which was attended by UNICEF, WHO and senior health officials. - AFP

Vietnam have achieved a significant growth in exports whereas in clothing, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand have edged out Pakistan.

Apart from this, Pakistan’s yarn exports to China, which accounts for almost 70 per cent of total exports of the product globally, fell 20 per cent in 2014-15.

Of late, the appreciating rupee has left textile products expensive in the international market.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan, the rupee is now overvalued by 18 per cent.

On the other hand, many countries devalued their currencies significantly last year .

“What our policy makers prob-

ably do not realise is that there is a low-intensity trade war going on in the face of slow growth in world trade, especially of imports by the European Union, Japan and the US,” the think tank commented.

The IPR recommended two policy options.

Either the government should move away from its policy of maintaining the nominal exchange rate and adjust it downwards, at least to the extent of rise in costs due to recent tax moves and pricing of electricity.

Alternatively, if the government is unwilling to abandon the exchange policy, then it may opt for an export rebate scheme covering most exports. - Express Tribune

A8

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F

orty-three years after Richard Nixon made his famous visit to China, that country has seemingly decided to take a page from the former US president’s Treasury Department. As China lowers the value of the yuan, the country’s economic policy makers are mimicking the blasé attitude of Nixon-era Treasury chief John Connally, who dismissed international complaints about US monetary policy with a curt remark: “It’s our currency, but it’s your problem.”

To be fair, Japan has acted with similar selfinterest since late 2012, when its 35 per cent devaluation began. But that raises a prickly question: What options do Asia’s smaller economies have when the region’s two biggest seem intent on passing their own vulnerabilities onto everyone else?

China will be watching closely for the region’s response, for economic as well as political reasons. Beijing’s designs for regional leadership have always depended on winning the loyalty of its neighbours in order to reduce America’s financial, diplomatic and military role in Asia.

Vietnam has already initiated a devaluation of its own, lowering the value of the dong by 1 per cent on Wednesday in order to keep pace with China.

Less clear are the potential responses of South Korea, Indonesia or the Philippines.

China claims it’s just doing what the International Monetary Fund asked in moving to a more market-determined exchange rate.

But markets have taken so badly to China’s 3 per cent devaluation because no one really believes President Xi Jinping’s government when it says bigger drops aren’t coming.

Take a recent Bloomberg News report that China’s wealthiest investors have been the quickest to bail out of plunging stocks. China would surely deny Communist Party cronies are getting tip-offs on when it’s best to sell, but investors would be forgiven if they felt sceptical.

The government’s obsessive efforts to censor deadly explosions at a toxic-material warehouse in Tianjin have only fed suspicions that Xi’s team is obfuscating on economic matters, too. As Patrick Chovanec of Silvercrest Asset Management told me in a Twitter exchange,

China is facing an “erosion in trust in government (stock bubble, Tianjin blast, etc.)” both at home and abroad.

Former US Treasury secretary Henry Paulson made reference to China’s reality-challenged growth targets in an August 18 speech. Rather than setting unattainable goals like 7 per cent growth, he said, Beijing would do better with international investors if it offered targets that don’t stretch credulity. Others have made similar points about China’s local-government debt. As best JPMorgan Chase can tell, Chinese municipalities face a debt-service burden of about $156 billion this year. What can’t be known (aside from the true debt figure, of course) is the extent to which rising interest payments and falling land revenues are affecting the solvency of local governments.

Beijing still believes money can buy the trust and soft power it craves, which explains the new $100 billion Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank it has sponsored. But as long as analysts don’t feel the Chinese government’s pronouncements are genuinely reliable, scepticism about the yuan will only grow.

Xi should start by informing the world how low, exactly, the yuan might go. Beijing would win further goodwill by reassuring governments and investors that it is trying to efficiently resolve the country’s looming crises in debt and stocks. The absence of such guarantees suggests Beijing is inclined to do the opposite, leveraging the country’s massive state-owned enterprises and banks to meet the government’s own growth targets and exporting its deflation pressures.

Finally, China must act like a true stakeholder in Asia. Until now, China hoped to reap the benefits of becoming a rising power without the responsibilities that accompany that status.

Rather than establish clear rules for diplomatic engagement in disputed areas of the South China Sea, China has preferred to play the bully. That has allowed it to get its way in the short term, but will win it little affection in the long run.

This is China’s moment to show it can be a trusted steward of a global economy that has lost its way. And the yuan is a good place to start. But, by defining its self-interest so narrowly, China is failing to make a positive first impression. — Bloomberg View

READERS’ FORUM In face of collective calamity will people unite?

This refers to the online story, ‘Breathe easy: Asteroid will not destroy Earth next month’ (August 20). I am glad to see that NASA has made attempts to reassure anxious people who are worried life on earth as we know it would be over. However, if this ever was to happen would we humans join hands for a common cause? With the present era of conflicts and betrayal it is hard to imagine people caring about anyone but themselves.

— Carl Burns, Muscat

Fail to understand why people migrate to United States

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

This refers to the online story, ‘US police tear gas protesters after officers kill black man’ (August 20). With the number of such incidents rising across the US, I wonder what the authorities are doing?

It is a pity that the so called ‘land of the free’ has not moved an inch forward since the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

However, even more worrisome is the fact that people from developing countries are not realising it is useless to settle in that country. The treatment towards blacks shows people from communities other than the dominant one will never be fully accepted. — Ahmed Sharjeel, Muscat

Have no future role in team This refers to the online story, ‘Pakistan rules out early return of Butt, Asif, Aamir’ (August 21). They should have no future role in the team as they cannot be entrusted to be the flag bearers of the country. How can be sure what they did will not be repeated. — Zoya Butt, Muttrah

You are sent an email from work; you act upon it. Does it need to be held in a modern Giant Pyramids of Giza? Presuming you’re not the prime minister, who to going inspect your email trail? Would it really matter if your online nattering went up in a puff of lightning-induced smoke? bit.ly/digitalorrealworld

CLIPPINGS

PICTOGRAPH

FROM OUR ARCHIVES AUGUST 2000 Kalbani receives Jordanian delegation MUSCAT: Lieutenant General Khamis bin Humaid bin Saleem Al Kalbani, Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces, received here yesterday Brigadier Ahmed Abdulla Mohammed Al Rashaida, head of the Jordanian Command and Staff College delegation which arrived on a visit to the Sultanate. They discussed ways and means of upgrading training at Command and Staff Colleges in both the Sultanate and Jordan. They also discussed aspects of mutual cooperation.

TODAY IN HISTORY

1 m3

WATER FOR CONSUMPTION During the month of April, the total water production in Oman was:

27,712.4 cubic metres

The equivalent volume to a dice with the length of

30.3 metres

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

1619 The first group of twenty Africans is brought to Jamestown, Virginia.

1914: Russia wins early victory over Germany at Gumbinnen.

1944: United States and British forces close the pincers on German units in the Falaise-Argentan pocket in France.

1991: Hundreds killed in anti-French rioting in Morocco and Algeria.

Source: National Centre for Statistics & Information

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WORLD P O L I T I C A L S TA L E M AT E

Turkish president to call elections as coalition talks fail

PICTURESQUE A visitor poses for a picture at a flower exhibition in Kiev, Ukraine, on Friday. — Reuters

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Friday he would call snap elections likely to be held on November 1, after coalition talks failed in an unprecedented political impasse.

Erdogan, who suffered a rare political setback in inconclusive June polls, said he would meet the parliament speaker on Monday to make the arrangements and then formally call the new elections.

“We will take our country to early elections,” Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul. “God willing, Turkey will have the elections again on November 1.”

A deadline for political parties to agree a coalition following the June 7 election runs out on Sunday, with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) failing to form a coalition.

The AKP remained the largest party but lost its overall majority for the first time since it came to power in 2002, in a blow to ErdogD AY T I M E T H E F T

Bronze bust

by Rodin stolen in Denmark COPENHAGEN: Two robbers have made off with a bronze bust

by French sculptor Auguste Rodin from a Copenhagen museum in a bold daytime theft, the museum said Friday.

“So far we have no indications of where it has gone and police investigations are ongoing,” a spokesman at the Glyptoteket museum, Jakob Fibiger Andreasen, said.

Andreasen declined to put a price on Rodin’s 1863 “Man with a Broken Nose” but Danish media have estimated its worth at around $304,000. The theft occurred on July 16 but the museum has only just announced it.

Surveillance camera footage shows two men taking down the bust from its base, putting it in a plastic bag and then placing it into another bag, before calmly walking out of the museum in broad daylight during normal opening hours.

Visited earlier Another surveillance camera film shows the men had visited the museum over a week earlier, on July 7, to disable the alarm. “They were inside the museum to reconnoitre about a week prior to the theft,” inspector Ove Randrup of Copenhagen police’s robbery and theft unit told daily Politiken.

“Whoever may have taken the statue will have difficulty in moving it, as it has been reported to both Interpol and Europol,” Andreasen said.

“They will meet a wall of refusal. But that depends, of course, on which type of market they may choose. It will, however, be difficult for them to offload,” he added.

Police have issued descriptions of the two men, saying they were “fair-skinned, of east European appearance,” one of whom was wearing a Panama hat and the other a cap. — AFP

an’s authority over the country of 75 million people. Erdogan’s comments indicated that he would use his right to call elections as president, rather than using the alternative route of agreeing the new polls through a motion in parliament.

“Can the president call early elections according to the constitution? Yes he can!” said Erdogan.

Opponents have accused Erdogan of seeking the early election all along and meddling in the coalition talks in the hope the AKP will improve on its vote in new polls.

After Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu failed to agree a coalition led by the AKP, Erdogan notably refrained from offering the second-placed Republican People’s Party (CHP) the chance to do so.

The opposition has accused Erdogan of violating the constitution but the president said he would not meet CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who refuses to set foot in his controversial new presidential palace. — AFP

Syriza rebels form party in Greece ahead of snap polls Tspiras announced his resignation late on Thursday, going on the offensive to defend the tough terms he accepted in the $96 billion rescue package which had triggered a rebellion in his hard-left Syriza party

ATHENS: Rebels from Greece’s Syriza party on Friday formed a breakaway parliamentary group after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned, paving the way for the crisis-hit country’s fourth election in three years.

The fresh political uncertainty shook the markets, with stocks in Athens shedding 2.5 per cent, while Greece’s European creditors urged it to implement the terms of the massive new bailout whoever wins the poll likely to be held on September 20.

Tspiras announced his resignation late Thursday, going on the offensive to defend the tough terms he accepted in the 86-billioneuro ($96 billion) rescue package which had triggered a rebellion in his hard-left Syriza party.

The European Union said Tsipras’s decision was “not a surprise” and that it remained confident the reforms promised by

BIG GAMBLE: Outgoing Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras leaves his party’s headquarters in Athens, Greece, on Friday. — Reuters

Athens as part of the deal agreed last month after weeks of difficult negotiations would be carried out.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, also urged Greece to hold the election “swiftly, to lose as little time as possible”.

“A large majority backed the measures in the Greek parliament and we are waiting for this support to be even bigger (after the election), but let’s wait to see what happens,” said Dijsselbloem, also the Dutch finance minister.

Grece’s conservative New Democracy party -- the second largest party in parliament with 76 of 300 seats -- undertaking a futile search for allies to create a government before new elections are formally called.

According to the constitution,

following the resignation of the premier, the president must give a three-day exploratory mandate to each of the three largest parties in parliament to see if they are able to form a coalition government.

If they fail, the president then names a caretaker administration, usually under a senior judge, to hold early elections.

The Syriza rebels, now calling themselves the Popular Unity group after the alliance that brought Chile’s Salvador Allende to power in 1970, were also to receive an essentially empty mandate.

At least 25 rebels out of a total of 149 Syriza MPs will join the new party, making it the third largest grouping in the outgoing parliament.

“A new power is coming to the

fore. We aim for government... we want to become a great movement that will sweep the bailouts aside,” the faction’s leader Panagiotis Lafazanis, formerly the top eurosceptic in Syriza, told reporters.

Syriza was deeply divided over Athens’ acceptance of the bailout package finally agreed with international creditors last month, the third for Greece in five years.

Minority government Syriza rebels had mutinied in three separate parliamentary votes tied to the bailout, effectively leaving Tsipras at the head of a minority coalition government.

The 41-year-old premier who came to power in January said he had worked hard to secure the best possible rescue deal for his country, but now needed a clear

new mandate from the Greek people after it cost him his parliamentary majority.

“Now that this difficult cycle has come to an end, I wish to submit to your judgement all that we have done,” Tsipras said in a televised address to the nation.

The vote would be the second in just eight months and the fourth since 2012.

Tsipras’ resignation came on the same day the debt-crippled nation received its first tranche of bailout funds, effectively starting the rescue package, the third in five years.

The hard-won package -- which kept Greece in the eurozone but comes with demands for painful spending cuts and tax hikes -proved fatal for Syriza, with those on the eurosceptic left accusing him of betrayal.

It was not immediately clear how much support the new Popular Unity group could steal from Tsipras, who is hoping the snap polls will return him to power in a new position of strength.

Berlin said it expects Athens to implement the reforms agreed under the bailout deal and that Tsipras’s resignation has not changed anything.

“The programme was agreed with the Greek government, and that runs on for three years. That has not changed,” Steffen Seibert, spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, told reporters.

Lafazanis, who was removed from his post during a cabinet reshuffle last month, is an implacable foe of the bailout agreement and has accused Tsipras of betraying the anti-austerity values that brought him to power.

Before the emergence of the new party, the third largest grouping in parliament was the ultranationalist Golden Dawn, which holds 17 seats. — AFP

E S C A L AT I N G M I G R A N T C R I S I S

Clashes as Macedonia bids to push back migrants GEVGELIJA (MACEDONIA): Macedonian riot police on Friday fired stun grenades to drive back thousands of mostly Syrian refugees stuck in no-man’s land between Greece and Macedonia, the latest flashpoint in Europe’s escalating migrant crisis.

At least eight people were hurt near the Greek border village of Edomeni as the police in riot gear beat the migrants back with truncheons and threw the stun grenades, devices that produce a blinding flash of light and a huge noise to disorient their targets.

The grenades set off clouds of smoke, sending panicked refugees running for cover. Some were injured as they fell to the ground; one youth’s face was covered in blood.

Rights group Amnesty International blasted the police response, saying it had received reports that

officers fired into the air in “an unacceptable push-back in violation of international law”.

Macedonia had on Thursday declared a state of emergency and sealed the border, stranding more than 3,000 mostly Syrian refugees who are hoping to travel onwards to northern Europe and start a new life.

But after tensions boiled over on Friday, Macedonia said it would allow a limited number of “vulnerable” migrants to enter and some 500 refugees were able to cross the border, mostly families with children and pregnant women.

In Brussels, the European Commission defended itself against charges that the EU is responding too slowly to Europe’s biggest migration crisis since World War II. Dimitris Avramopoulos, the EU’s Migration and Home Affairs

table that European institutions continue to work at their current slow pace” in finding a joint solution to the crisis.

The numbers on the GreekMacedonian border have been building for a couple of days, and Friday’s clashes broke out as the crowd surged towards the police cordon, shouting “Help us”.

DESPERATE: A woman cries at the border line dividing Macedonia and Greece on Friday. — Reuters

Commissioner, insisted the commission had been working “day and night” to offer funding and other support to states struggling to cope with the influx of migrants

from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere had said Thursday that it was “unaccep-

Barbed wire Macedonian officers fired the stun grenades after hundreds of migrants, including children, tried to cross newly-laid rolls of barbed wire along the frontier, an AFP photographer at the scene said.

Authorities played down the unrest, with interior ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski stressing that tear gas was not used.

“Macedonian authorities are responding as if they were dealing

with rioters rather than refugees who have fled conflict and persecution,” said Amnesty International’s deputy Europe director Gauri van Gulik.

“Every country has the power to patrol its own borders, but this kind of para-military response is an unacceptable push-back in violation of international law.”

Jad, a 25-year-old Syrian who has been waiting at the border for three days, told AFP: “We are very angry because the police had told us they would let us through today.

We are not animals.”

Hundreds of families have set up a makeshift camp in the fields of Edomeni, with some sleeping inside railway cars and on the tracks, and others huddling in tents.

There are only five portable toilets in the area, and a few volunteers providing aid. — AFP

A 10

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015 We evacuated more than 400 people in Cagayan and Batanes provinces, which bore the brunt of the typhoon Norma Talosig, civil defence regional director

WORLD

SINN FEIN DENIES

ECUADOR VOLCANO SPEWS ASH, THOUSANDS AT RISK Cotopaxi volcano spews ash on Friday. Nearly 325,000 people could be affected by an eruption of Cotopaxi, the volcano looming beyond the Ecuadoran capital of Quito, officials said. The biggest risk is from an eruption melting the 5,900-metre mountain’s snowcap and triggering massive melt-water floods and mudflows that could sweep through nearby towns. -AFP

IRA may still be active, says British official DUBLIN: Police have indications that the Irish Republican Army may still be active in some form a decade after its public disbandment as part of a powersharing deal, a senior official in the British province of Northern Ireland said on Friday.

His remark prompted a flat denial from a senior figure in Sinn Fein, the ex-political wing of the IRA and now part of Northern Ireland’s government.

The IRA’s dissolution was a central plank of the 1998 Good Friday accord that ended three decades of violence in Northern Ireland between Catholics who favoured unification with the Republic of Ireland and Protestants wanting to stay British.

Former IRA members are active in a number of small “dissident” militant groups that rejected the 1998 Good Friday accords.

However, if the main IRA was proved to be still operational, the current power-sharing government between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland could collapse.

Northern Ireland Justice Minister David Ford cited indications

North, South Korea head for clash; China urges restraint said. “This time, I will make sure to sever the vicious cycle of North Korea’s provocations.”

The North’s official KCNA news agency said its military was not bluffing.

China said that it was deeply concerned about the escalation of tension and called for calm from both sides

SEOUL: North and South Korea appeared headed towards another clash on Friday as Seoul refused to halt propaganda broadcasts and Pyongyang put its troops on a war footing, prompting China to urge both sides to take a step back.

South Korean Vice Defence Minister Baek Seung-joo said it was likely the North would fire at some of the 11 sites where Seoul has set up loudspeakers on its side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the countries.

The South earlier refused an ultimatum that it halt anti-Pyongyang broadcasts by Saturday afternoon or face military action.

North Korea fired four shells into South Korea on Thursday, according to Seoul, in apparent protest against the broadcasts.

The South fired back 29 artillery shells. Pyongyang accused the South of inventing a pretext to fire into the North.

RENEWED HOSTILITY: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, second left, attends an emergency meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Military Commission at undisclosed place in North Korea on Thursday. -AFP

Both sides said there were no casualties or damage in their territory, an indication that the rounds were just warning shots.

“The fact that both sides’ shells didn’t damage anything means they did not want to spread an armed clash. There is always a chance for war, but that chance is very, very low,” said Yang Moojin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

But China, which remains North Korea’s main economic backer despite diminished politi-

cal clout to influence Pyongyang, said on Friday it was deeply concerned about the escalation of tension and called for calm from both sides.

Exchanging threats Since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, Pyongyang and Seoul have often exchanged threats, and dozens of soldiers have been killed, yet the two sides have always pulled back from all-out war.

But the renewed hostility is

a further blow to South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s efforts to improve North-South ties, which have been virtually frozen since the deadly 2010 sinking of a South Korean navy ship, which Seoul blames on Pyongyang.

Park cancelled an event on Friday and made a visit to a military command post, dressed in army camouflage. Both sides traded harsh rhetoric late on Friday.

The North committed “cowardly criminal acts,” South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo

Frequent threats The North’s shelling came after it had demanded last weekend that South Korea end the broadcasts or face military action - a relatively rare case of following up on its frequent threats against the South.

Its 48-hour ultimatum, delivered in a letter to the South Korean Defence Ministry, was also uncharacteristically specific, said John Delury, a North Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul.

The deadline is around 5 pm on Saturday in Seoul. South Korea began blasting anti-North propaganda from loudspeakers on the border on August 10, resuming a tactic both sides had stopped in 2004, days after landmines wounded two South Korean soldiers along the DMZ. North Korea on Monday began its own broadcasts. Baek told parliament the South’s broadcasts would continue unless the North accepted responsibility and apologised for the mines. Pyongyang has denied responsibility.

“There is a high possibility that North Korea will attack loudspeaker facilities,” Baek said.

KCNA said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had declared a “quasi-state of war” in frontline areas. -Reuters

of the IRA still existing following the murder of Kevin McGuigan, a former IRA member, in Belfast on August 12 that police say may have involved fellow ex-guerrillas.

Ford, from the non-Sectarian Alliance Party, said he was told of police concerns at a briefing about their investigation into the murder of McGuigan.

“The briefing I received from the chief constable... was that they were talking about people who are or were members of the Provisional IRA, so clearly there is a concern ... that there may be current IRA members involved,” Ford told the Irish state broadcaster RTE. “This is the first time in which the police have said clearly and openly the potential for the IRA still existing and members still involved,” said Ford. He cautioned however, that the possibility was only a line of inquiry and police must be given time to establish the facts. Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said if the IRA turned out to be still active, he might have seek the removal of Sinn Fein from government. -Reuters T H O U S A N D S E VA C UAT E D

Typhoon hits Philippines, four killed MANILA: Four people died and hundreds fled their homes on Friday when a category three typhoon bore down on the northern Philippines, disaster officials said.

Packing winds of 170 kph and gusts of up to 205 kph, typhoon Goni was estimated to be 100 km east of Cagayan province in the northern Philippine and was moving slowly at 7 kph west-northwest towards southern Japan.

Civil defence and regional police officials said four people died, one by drowning and three buried by landslides. Three others were injured and another was unaccounted for.

“We evacuated more than 400 people in Cagayan and Batanes provinces, which bore the brunt of the typhoon,” Norma Talosig, civil defence regional director, told reporters. “They were moved to higher and safer ground because of rising floodwaters and possible storm surge.”

Landslides More than 300 people were also evacuated in the mountainous Cordillera region, which was threatened by landslides.

Goni brought heavy to intense rain, causing landslides and floodings in coastal and low-lying areas in the north, said Alexander Pama, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. He said power was cut in wide areas in northern Luzon, sea and air travel were suspended and fishing boats were prevented from going to the sea. -Reuters

G O O D S FA C I L I T Y B L A S T

Four new fires break out in Tianjin, clean up efforts continue BEIJING: Four new fires broke out on Friday in the devastation left by giant explosions in the Chinese port city of Tianjin last week, state media reported, as clean-up efforts continued.

New fires have repeatedly broken out on the site, which is scattered with smouldering chemicals and flammable substances, the official Xinhua news agency said. Pictures of the area have regularly shown smoke rising from various points.

One fresh blaze was in the depot where at least 3,000 cars were torched, and suspected to be caused by fuel in vehicle tanks, it said. There were fires at three other locations in the “central blast zone”, it added.

The explosions at a hazardous goods storage facility last week triggered a giant fireball and killed at least 116 people, officials said, with 60 others missing and hundreds more injured.

The blasts have also sparked fears of toxic pollutants contami-

nating the air and water of the city, which has a population of around 15 million people.

Thousands of tonnes of hazardous chemicals were stored at the site, officials have said, including about 700 tonnes of highly poisonous sodium cyanide, a white powder or crystal which can give off lethal hydrogen cyanide gas.

Officials have sought to reassure the public, but cyanide levels 356 times permitted limits have been found in water at one test point in the site, and the Tianjin environmental protection bureau said on its website cyanide five times permitted limits was detected at an air test point on Friday before falling.

Tianjin’s vice mayor Wang Hongjiang told a press conference that 200 tonnes of sodium cyanide had been collected so far.

Greenpeace said on Friday it had detected low levels of cyanide in surface water at three test points in Tianjin, two of them near the site and one at the Haihe river, where pictures on social media

Rabbits, chickens placed near blast site to calm fears

CLEAN-UP: A People’s Liberation Army soldier of the anti-chemical warfare corps in protection suit sprays liquid on the debris at the site of last week’s blasts in Binhai. -Reuters

had shown thousands of dead fish.

Tianjin officials have said that fish frequently die en masse in local rivers during summer, due to the poor quality of the water, and that they had not detected toxic

levels of the chemical. More than 4,460 soldiers and armed police officers have been deployed to collect the substances and clean the area, said the search and cleanup operation’s commander. -AFP

BEIJING: Chinese authorities placed rabbits, chickens and pigeons near the scene of last week’s massive explosions at a warehouse in the port city of Tianjin, according to Reuters Pictures, in an apparent attempt to calm fears about toxic chemicals in the air and water.

The birds and animals, held in small, brightly coloured cages, survived spending two hours at the site of the blasts, local media reported.

City officials have repeatedly said contaminants found in the wake of the blasts, including deadly sodium cyanide,

pose no risk to the public.

But concern about longerterm environmental degradation and the potential impact on human health has grown this week, particularly after authorities confirmed that more than 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide were stored at the warehouse that blew up.

State media showed pictures of thousands of dead fish washed up on the shores of a river about 6 km from the blast site, though it was unclear whether there was any link to the explosions. The photos were widely circulated on Chinese social media. -AFP

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

S P O R S

Sangakkara and Silva to Sri Lanka’s rescue SCOREBOARD

India 1st innings M. Vijay lbw Prasad 0 L. Rahul c Chandimal b Chameera 108 A. Rahane c Karunaratne b Prasad 4 V. Kohli c Mathews b Herath 78 R. Sharma lbw Mathews 79 S. Binny c Chameera b Herath 10 W. Saha lbw Herath 56 R. Ashwin c Silva b Mathews 2 A. Mishra c Chandimal b Chameera 24 I. Sharma lbw Herath 2 U. Yadav not out 2 Extras (b-8, lb-13, w-4, nb-3) 28 Total (all out, 114 overs) 393 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-12, 3-176, 4-231, 5-267, 6-319, 7-321, 8-367, 9-386.

Bowling: Prasad 24-7-84-2 (w-2), Mathews 15-7-24-2, Chameera 20-2-72-2 (nb-2, w-2), Herath 25-3-81-4, Kaushal 30-2-111-0 (nb-1).

Sri Lanka 1st innings D. Karunaratne lbw Yadav 1 K. Silva c Ashwin b Mishra 51 K. Sangakkara c Rahane b Ashwin 32 L. Thirimanne not out 28 A. Mathews not out 19 Extras (b-2, lb-3, nb-4) 9 Total (3 wkts, 53 overs) 140 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-75, 3-114.

Bowling: I. Sharma 10-2-31-0 (nb-3), Yadav 11-5-34-1, Binny 11-3-24-0 (nb-1), Ashwin 14-2-37-1, Mishra 7-1-9-1.

The hosts recovered from an early setback to close the second day at 140 for three wickets in their first innings, still 253 runs behind India’s total of 393 with seven wickets in hand

COLOMBO: Kumar Sangakkara contributed to a Sri Lankan revival in his final Test as India found wickets hard to come by in the second Test in Colombo on Friday.

The hosts recovered from an early setback to close the second day at 140 for three in their first innings, still 253 runs behind India’s total of 393 with seven wickets in hand.

Sangakkara survived a torrid start to make 32, adding 74 for the second wicket with Kaushal Silva after Dimuth Karunaratne was leg-before to Umesh Yadav in the second over of the innings. Silva, who had been caught behind off Stuart Binny on 14 before replays indicated a no-ball, scored 51.

At stumps, Lahiru Thirimanne was unbeaten on 28 and skipper Angelo Mathews was on 19.

India, seeking a series-levelling win after losing the first Test in Galle by 63 runs, were all out in the third over after lunch with wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha making 56.

Sangakkara, the fifth-highest run-getter in Test history who will quit international cricket af-

CRUCIAL WICKET: India’s Ajinkya Rahane celebrates after dismissing Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, right, during the second day of their second Test match at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on Friday. – AFP

ter the match, walked on to warm applause from some 4,000 home fans and a guard of honour by the Indian fielders.

But the left-hander endured a tough time in the middle after keeping out a first-ball yorker from Yadav. He remained scoreless for 13 deliveries before steering Ishant Sharma to third man for two to get off the mark.

Sangakkara drove Yadav to the point fence for his first boundary, but escaped narrowly on 24 when Ajinkya Rahane failed to grasp a sharp chance in the slips after the batsman slashed at Ravichandran Ashwin.

Sangakkara managed to add only eight more runs before the same Ashwin-Rahane combination got rid of him after tea with the fielder

completing a low catch in the slips.

Silva, who made five and zero in the first Test, defied the Indian bowlers for more than three hours before top-edging a sweep off Amit Mishra to Ashwin at fine-leg.

Earlier, Saha followed his 60 runs in the first innings at Galle with another gutsy half century before he was ninth out, leg-before to left-arm spinner Rangana Herath after lunch.

Saha and Amit Mishra put on 46 for the eighth wicket to frustrate the hosts’ bid to wrap up the innings quickly after India resumed the day at 319 for six. - AFP

UNOFFICIAL TEST NO TIME FRAME

Karun’s ton helps India A earn a draw WAYANAD: Talented Karnataka batsman Karun Nair’s patient hundred ensured a hard-earned draw for India A against South Africa A in the first unofficial cricket ‘Test’ here on Friday.

Chasing a mammoth victory target of 444, the hosts were happy to bat out the day as they ended at 309 for four when the umpires decided to call off the match after consulting the two captains Ambati Rayudu and Dane Vilas.

The highlight of the final day’s play was 23-year-old Nair’s unbeaten 114 off 192 balls, which was laced with 18 boundaries and a big six.

In the company of Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar, Nair added 148 runs for an unbroken fifth-wicket stand to shut out any chances that the Proteas harboured of a win.

Shankar, on his part, contributed 74 off 142 balls with 12 boundaries to his credit.

The duo came together when India were in a bit of trouble at 161 for four in the 64th over of the innings and there was more than 50 overs left in the day at that point of time for the South African side to get the remaining six wickets.

The best part about the NairShankar partnership was their positive intent as they added the runs in 43.3 overs. In fact, the duo played first innings’ wrecker-in-chief Dane Peidt with a lot of ease. The off-break bowler managed one for 125 in 43 overs in the second innings and five for 88 in India A’s first innings.

In the morning, the RayuduAbhinav Mukund partnership yielded 51 runs before the India A captain was snapped up by close-in fielder Theunis de Bruyn off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj’s bowling. - PTI

A S H E S S TA R

Pakistan rules out early return of disgraced trio KARACHI: Pakistan on Friday ruled out an early return to international cricket for the disgraced trio of Salman Butt, Mohammed Aamir and Mohammed Asif ahead of the imminent expiry of their

spot-fixing bans. The players are eligible to return to the sport on September 2 after serving fiveyear bans for bowling no-balls to order during a Test match in England in 2010.

But the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) chief selector Haroon Rasheed effectively ruled out their return against England in October or in a proposed series with India.

“No time frame can be given by

ASHES FINALE

England collapse, Australia in control LONDON: England crumbled to 107 for eight in reply to Australia’s 481 to put the touring side firmly on course for victory in the final Ashes Test after a dramatic second day at The Oval on Friday.

Steve Smith’s patient 143 guided Australia to a formidable total and the bowlers rammed home the advantage in the last session to boost their side’s bid for a consolation win after relinquishing the Ashes by losing the fourth Test in Nottingham.

England’s collapse was not quite as abject as when Australia were bowled out for 60 on the first

morning at Trent Bridge but it was quite remarkable on a sun-kissed afternoon in south London.

Spinner Nathan Lyon bowled England captain Alastair Cook for 22 just before tea to start the rot.

Adam Lyth’s wretched run continued when, on 19, he spooned an attempted pull off Peter Siddle to Mitchell Starc at mid-on.

Siddle, recalled in place of the injured Josh Hazlewood, produced a superb delivery to bowl Ian Bell for 10 and Joe Root nicked Mitchell Marsh to keeper Peter Nevill after labouring for 39 balls to make six.

Jonny Bairstow, on 13, tamely pulled Mitchell Johnson to Lyon at square leg, Jos Buttler was bowled by Lyon for one and Ben Stokes skied Marsh to Nevill for 15. Stuart Broad edged Marsh to Adam Voges at slip for a duck before Moeen Ali and Mark Wood each made eight not out to take the hosts to the close without further loss.

Brief scores: Australia 1st innings 481 in 125.1 overs (S. Smith 143, D. Warner 85, A. Voges 76, C. Rogers 43; Stokes 3/133, Finn 3/90, Ali 3/102) vs England 1st innings 107 for 8 in 40 overs (A. Cook 22; Marsh 3/18, Lyon 2/32, Siddle 2/18).

AL AROUBA FAIL TO TURN UP, FANJA AWARDED SUPER CUP Fanja were awarded the Super Cup as Al Arouba failed to turn up for Oman football’s season opening event at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Friday. As per the rules, the officials waited for fifteen minutes before awarding the match to eight-time league champions Fanja.

Al Arouba, who won both His Majesty’s Cup and Omantel Professional League last season, also refused to attend a pre-match press conference on Wednesday complaining about the date of the fixture, unavailability of key players and financial issues. — JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

the selection committee at this point in time with regards to their future involvement in cricket at any level until and unless proper policy guidelines are issued by PCB,” Rasheed said. - AFP

EXTREMELY FORTUNATE:

Chris Tremlett

England’s Tremlett retires LONDON: Former England fast bowler Chris Tremlett announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Friday after struggling to overcome a back problem.

Tremlett, 33, starred in England’s 2010-11 Ashes triumph in Australia, taking 17 wickets in three Tests including the series-clinching dismissal of Michael Beer at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In total he played 146 firstclass matches for England, Hampshire and Surrey, his latest club, taking 459 wickets at an average of 28.66.

“After sixteen enjoyable years in a game that has given me so much I feel that now is the right moment to call time on my playing career,” Tremlett said in a statement on the Surrey website.

“I have been extremely fortunate to have enjoyed such a fantastic and memorable career and lucky enough to play with and against some of the best players in the world.

“Wearing the Three Lions was the pinnacle and I enjoyed every minute of the challenge, experience and ultimately the success that the team had whilst playing for England.

“Unfortunately injury has hampered me throughout my career and now plays the leading role in my decision to retire.”

Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart said: “Trem has been a valued and popular member of the playing staff throughout his time with us.

“On behalf of everyone at the club I would like to thank him for his efforts and contributions, both with Surrey and England, and wish him well in the next chapter of his career.” - AFP

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

SPORTS SOCCER’S “BIG STORY”

‘FIFA team targets match-fixing, ‘many’ cases of corruption’ Zurich: FIFA’s independent ethics committee is probing “many” cases of suspected corruption, is accelerating its investigations and expects life bans for all but minor offences, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Investigators are probing three main areas: cases related to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process, the distribution and use of development funds and matchfixing, which the source described as soccer’s “big story”.

Ethics investigators say the days when corruption offenders could expect to receive only three-month bans were gone, the source said.

“There are many more cases than people imagined and they are determined to pursue them, be prepared,” the source said.

The investigations are separate from a Swiss probe into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup awards to

Russia and Qatar, which deny any wrongdoing, and a U.S. investigation which has indicted 14 people, including former FIFA officials, on charges of money laundering and racketeering.

Unlike those two probes, FIFA’s investigators do not have police powers. Although suspected corruption among high-ranking officials has attracted the media spotlight and concerned sponsors, FIFA ethics investigators are believed to regard match-fixing as the biggest threat to the sport as well as the most difficult to combat.

“Match-fixing is the big story at the moment,” said the source, adding that it was a crime that went beyond the boundaries of sport and needed collaboration from public authorities around the world.

Match-fixing is usually instigated by criminal gangs who bribe players or referees to manipulate a game

and make thousands or millions of dollars by betting on the outcome.

Dozens of players have been banned around the world over the past few years.

Life bans FIFA has been dogged by suspicions of corruption for years and several dozen officials have been sanctioned since 2010.

These included former presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam, who was banned for life in a cash-for-votes scandal fol-

lowing a meeting in Port of Spain before the 2011 election. However, many of the Caribbean officials involved in the scandal were given bans of a few months or a reprimand.

In response to the scandals, FIFA’s ethics committee was reformed and divided into two chambers, one to carry out investigations and the other to hand out sanctions.

Even so, it still faces suggestions that it is toothless and that FIFA President Sepp Blatter exercises control from behind the scenes.

Blatter and the ethics commit-

Bolt, Gatlin rivalry to provide Beijing worlds explosive start Bolt has dominated sprinting since he claimed a golden treble at the Beijing Olympics while Gatlin is the man in form

BEIJING: Usain Bolt and the controversial Justin Gatlin will get the World Athletic Championships off to an explosive start when they take their rivalry onto the Beijing track in the 100m heats on Saturday.

Bolt has dominated sprinting since he claimed a golden treble at the Beijing Olympics in the Bird’s Nest stadium, winning nine of

10 individual world and Olympic sprint titles since 2008 -- his sole blip being the 100m at the Daegu worlds in 2011.

America’s Gatlin is the man in form but he cuts a contentious figure after serving two doping bans, latterly between 2006-2010 after a positive test for testosterone.

That suspension came after he had won Olympic 100m gold in 2004 and a world sprint double in Helsinki in 2005.

Since his return, he has won 2012 world 60m indoor gold, London Olympic 100m bronze and Moscow world silver, and at 33 is riding an unbeaten streak of 27 races dating back to August 2013.

Bolt leads the head-to-head against Gatlin 6-1, but the Jamaican insisted statistics, and the fact Gatlin was allowed to compete, were far from his thoughts.

“Competition is competition.

It’s always about who’s in the best form and executes,” he said. “Rules

F1

Gatlin “is running very well, as far as I can see”, said Bolt’s teammate Asafa Powell, who has clocked up more sub-10sec 100m runs than any other sprinter.

The former world record-holder, however, has misfired on the biggest stage, but has looked in fine form this season.

“Definitely I’m ready to compete, that’s why I’m here,” said Powell, who is also captain of the Jamaican team. “If my best is not as good as other guys, I just have to be happy I gave my best.”

Another veteran likely to be in the mix is American Tyson Gay, who has served a one-year doping ban and like Gatlin and Powell is also 33, while 20-year-old Canadian Andre De Grasse will also be sure to draw some attention.

De Grasse, a late convert from basketball, ran wind-assisted times of 9.75 and 19.58 in winning the NCAA 100m and 200m titles this year. - AFP

Harold Mayne-Nicholls, who led the teams which inspected bids to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and the Chilean was banned for seven years in July.

Mayne-Nicholls said he would appeal and could not discuss the case.

FIFA did not give any details and the ban appeared severe compared with previous sanctions for officials who had been found guilty of serious offences including bribery.

However, the source said the suspension should be considered as a sign that the ethics committee was getting tougher and that hindsight could give it a different perspective.

“Lifetime bans are now seen by the Court of Arbitration for Sport as the normal sanction for corruption and they consider that lesser penalties should only be handed out in relatively minor cases,” the source said. - Reuters

OMAN U16 TEAM AWAIT BAHRAIN AFTER VICTORY OVER KUWAIT A confident Oman under-16 national team square off against Bahrain in their second match of the GCC Under-16 Championship in Doha on Saturday. Yacoub Al Sabahi-coached Omanis began their campaign on Thursday with a 2-1 victory over Kuwait. The tournament runs till August 29. — OFA

TA B L E T E N N I S

Rosberg fastest despite tyre blowout in Belgium SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS: Nico Rosberg was fastest for Mercedes in Belgian Grand Prix practice on Friday despite an explosive, high-speed tyre blowout that had the German wrestling to keep the car out of the barriers.

After lapping fastest in bright and sunny morning conditions, Rosberg went quicker in the afternoon before flirting with disaster.

“That was definitely not fun,” he told reporters after escaping unscathed from the heartstopping incident in which the right rear tyre shredded in seconds as he approached Blanchimont at full throttle. “It was not a nice

are the rules, he’s served his ban and he can compete. I’m not worried. I never look at statistics. It’s track and field — you never know what’s going to happen.”

Bolt, who has held the 100m and 200m world records since 2009, said he had got over pelvic joint pain that had prevented him from employing enough flex to fully drive the power out of his long legs.

Last month he roared back from that early-season setback, which saw him miss six weeks of competitive action, with back-to-back 100m times of 9.87sec at the London Diamond League meeting.

“I would have liked more competitive races,” Bolt acknowledged.

“But training is more important than competing.”

On 100m times recorded in 2015, Bolt is now ranked number six. Gatlin tops the list with a personal best of 9.74sec set in Doha in May, having also clocked 9.75 twice and 9.78.

tee vehemently deny this but FIFA statutes prevent the watchdog from naming those under investigation, even when the cases are well-known and have been widely reported.

Clearly frustrated by this, the ethics committee last month called for greater powers to publish details of its activities.

“Transparency should be accorded greater importance in the future when weighing up the protection of privacy against disclosure,” Cornel Borbely, chairman of the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, said last month.

He said current rules were “inconsistent with state criminal proceedings in Switzerland and Europe”. His proposal was backed

by Hans-Joachim Eckert, head of the judgment chamber, who is ultimately responsible for deciding on sanctions. One case that attracted particular attraction was that of

experience. A 360-degree spin at 200 mph is not something you expect at all. Luckily I did not hit the wall.”

Hamilton leads Rosberg by 21 points at the midpoint to the season with Belgium the first race after the August break. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen lapped fourth and fifth fastest in the respective sessions.

Sebastian Vettel was fifth and 10th.

McLaren again struggled with Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button languishing well down the field and hit by heavy grid penalties for engine changes. Alonso was given a 30-place drop, while Button was demoted 25 places. - Reuters

Manvi and Neil shine at ISC tournament MUSCAT: Manvi Sarawanan and Neil Joseph scored impressive victories on the opening day of the Annual Table Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club Muscat. The tournament is being co-sponsored by Muscat Insurance Services and Oman United Insurance Company.

Manvi played with confidence and ensured herself of a semi-final berth scoring three straight victories in the round-robin league of the under-10 singles.

In her first match, Manvi scored a confident 11-7, 11-6,11-3 victory over Dimple Malawiya and followed -it up with a convincing 11-2, 11-1, 11-2 win over Kevin Thiyagaseelan and in her third outing,

YOUNG TALENTS: The junior players pictured during the inauguration of the ISC table tennis tournament. – Supplied photo

Manvi faced some resistance before overcoming Shree Rane 11-3, 11-8, 12-10 verdict.

Neil Joseph also showed promise with two brilliant victories. In his first match, Neil showed doggedness and determination when he rallied from two games down to de-

feat Kavineeshwar 6-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-2 and in the second match of the round-robin league, Neil scored a one-sided 11-0, 11-0, 11-3 over the hapless Sahana Kumar.

In other matches of the under-10 singles, Krish Kamath defeated Kevin Thiyagaseelan 11-3, 11-3, 11-8,

Sahana Kumar ousted B. Devarajan 11-7, 11-7, 11-5, Shree Rane shrugged off the loss of the first game to beat Kevin Thiyagaseelan 12-14, 11-5, 11-3, 11-4. Kavineeshwar recorded his first win with a convincing 110, 11-2, 11-3 win over Saha Kumar and Dimple Malawiya beat Krish Kamath with a hard-fought 16-14, 11-9, 11-8 victory. Vedant Bahirat cleared the first hurdle winning the first round in the boys under-13 singles with a fine 11-8, 14-12, 9-11, 11-9 victory over Arjun Sriram. Allan Thiyagaseelan also won his first round match in the boys under-13 after winning 11.-9, 1-5, 11-5 over Madhav Aravind. And M.V. Sai defeated Shree Rane 11-4, 11-0, 11-3 to advance to the second round.

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM S ATU RDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

HP EARNINGS STUMBLES ON WEAK PC DEMAND

MARKE

Hewlett-Packard’s earnings outlook fell short of estimates before a breakup designed to improve growth prospects, disappointing investors looking for signs the new businesses would get a fresh start on solid ground. >B3

SELF-LEARNING OPTIONS

Mobile language apps help millions learn less, more often FRANKFURT: Smartphone apps that help people learn languages for free or nearly free, a few sentences at a time, are piling pressure on established education firms and setting the pace for how to make lessons more engaging.

Phone and tablet-based mobile products from newcomers like Germany’s Babbel, Britain’s Memrise and US-based Duolingo have overtaken names like Berlitz and computer self-learning pioneer Rosetta Stone in terms of audience, if not yet sales or teaching sophistication, market researchers have said.

Tens of millions of users are being drawn to the flexibility of practicing vocabulary or conversation on the go, either as part of a serious course of study or simply CRUDE SUPPLIES

Low oil price threatens wealth of Saudis again DUBAI: Oil price was near its lowest in more than a decade, cash reserves were being depleted, emerging markets were in turmoil and Saudi Arabia was beginning to panic.

“It was a very scary moment,” said Khalid Alsweilem, former head of investment at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (Sama), the country’s central bank. “And luckily at that point, oil prices started going up. Not by design, by good luck.” That was 1998, and now Saudi Arabia’s fortunes threaten to turn again. This time, luck might not be enough as the government tries to protect the wealth the economy that has swelled by five times since then.

Budget deficit Economists are predicting a budget deficit of as much as 20 per cent of gross domestic product and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts a first Saudi current-account deficit in more than a decade. Reserves at central bank tumbled 10 per cent from a year ago, or by more than $70 billion.

As a result, bets on the devaluation of the riyal are surging. The Tadawul All Share Index lost 18 per cent in the past three months and dragged stocks down across the Gulf region. The benchmark’s moving averages made a so-called death cross on August 18, a sign to some investors that more losses are ahead.

With oil prices down by more than half over the past 12 months to below $50, Saudi Arabia faces many of the same financial problems it did in 1998. — Bloomberg News

WIDE CHOICES: The best mobile apps use voice recognition, email reminders and insights from the psychology of mobile games and cognitive science. - Bloomberg file picture

is more easily accessible, anytime, anywhere,” said Ed Cooke, founder of London-based Memrise, whose language apps are mostly free.

The best mobile apps use voice

a more productive alternative to casual video gaming.

“It is a matter of incremental convenience: smartphone apps offer a wide selection of content that

said Sam Adkins, chief research officer of research firm Ambient Insight. “The language-learning market is declining in terms of revenue due primarily to the adoption of less expensive, technology-based products,” he said.

Fears for future Global sales of language tools and services are expected to dip 2.1 per cent to $56.3 billion by 2018, compared with 2014, according to Ambient. Meanwhile, the mobile share should climb 73 per cent to around $14.5 billion by 2019, it estimates.

Under pressure from new competitors, Rosetta Stone, which popularised language self-learning with CD boxsets selling for$200, has been restructuring to focus

more on business and school sales rather than consumers.

To catch up in mobile, it bought LiveMocha, a free online learning site, and created Apple and Android phone apps that give away a bit of content for free in a bid to draw intermediate users to commit to longer courses.

Virginia-based Rosetta’s share price has plunged 77 per cent since its stock market flotation in 2009. Recently, it saw its secondquarter revenue fall 10 per cent to $51.4 million, with sales at its consumer business dropping 26 per cent. Berlitz, another grand name in language training now owned by Britain’s Apa Publishing, gave a bleak assessment of the outlook for many established providers. - Reuters

Gulf Opec members see oil recovering next year Oil heads for eighth straight week of falls on lack of demand

Delegates including from Gulf Opec members who declined to be identified say they expect strong global

– Bloomberg file picture

demand growth will push prices back to $60 next year

DUBAI/LONDON: Some of Opec’s Gulf members are concerned about the latest drop in oil prices which had not been expected, Opec delegates said, but they see little chance of the exporting group diverting from its policy of defending market share.

Brent oil is trading near $46 a barrel, close to its 2015 low after an 18 per cent drop in July, pressured by abundant supplies and concern about the health of the Chinese economy, the world’s second-largest oil consumer.

Despite this, the delegates including from Gulf Opec members who declined to be identified say China is still buying and stockpiling crude and they expect strong global demand growth should push prices back to $60 next year.

“There is a concern about the health of the Chinese economy,

but as numbers have shown the need to import oil is increasing,” an Opec delegate from a Gulf oil producer said. “Oil prices will remain volatile... but they will recover,” the delegate said this month, adding that he does not expect Opec to take any step now “due to unclarity” in the market.

Prices have more than halved since June last year. Opec’s Gulf members, relatively wealthy, are better able to cope with low oil prices than the African members, Iran or Venezuela. Led by Saudi Arabia, the Gulf members drove Opec’s strategy shift last year to allow prices to fall to discourage growth of competing sources.

While non-Gulf members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) have frequently expressed concern since then about the drop in prices, Gulf members have rarely voiced such sentiments. But there is no indication they expect Opec’s policy to change. “Of course everyone is concerned, but we hope by the fourth quarter the market will start recovering,” a second Opec

STOCK MARKETS

Grim China data caps worst week of year for world stocks LONDON: World stock markets tumbled towards their worst week of the year on Friday and commodities got another kicking, as more alarming data from China sent investors scurrying to the safety of bonds and gold.

The data from China showed its giant manufacturing sector slowing at the fastest pace since the depths of the financial crisis in 2009, confirming worries about its health that have been preying on economist’s minds for months. Emerging market assets took another hammering and oil prices were on track for their longest losing streak since 1986, as fears of a China-led deceleration in entire global growth gripped sentiment.

The major developed economy markets were increasingly being dragged into the sell-off. Wall Street was expected to open firmly in red again later having already lost more than 2.5 per cent this week. Europe’s bourses were also being beaten up. The panregional FTSEurofirst was down

recognition, email reminders and insights from the psychology of mobile games and cognitive science to keep entry-level as well as advanced users coming back for a few minutes of practice each day.

These low-cost products are forcing a rethink by publishers, tutors and suppliers of classroom teaching tools who have long counted on charging double-digit dollar prices for books or hundreds of dollars for courses.

Established companies in the sector are scrambling to make their existing print, software and online products more mobile or retrenching to higher-end courses aimed at businesses or schools so as not to have to compete with free or lowcost apps. The rise of mobile apps is denting sales in the overall market,

more than 1.5 percent as traders shrugged off some reassuringly solid euro zone manufacturing and services data in a third straight day of selling.

Britain’s FTSE 100 was 1.2 per cent lower, Germany’s DAX, which is having its worst month since 2011, was down just under 1.4 per cent and France’s CAC 40 was off 1.1 per cent.

“Markets are going to continue to be somewhat disappointed by the implications for Chinese growth ... and I don’t have a great deal of comfort to offer there,” said Michael Kurtz, Global Head of Equity Strategy at Nomura.

In the FX markets, the euro regained some of its overnight momentum having been pushed to a two-month high by those looking to get out of battered Asian currencies and China proxies such as the Aussie and Hong Kong dollars.

The latest rout had been triggered as the Caixin/Markit manufacturing index showed activity in China’s factory sector shrinking at its fastest pace in almost 6 1/2

years in August as domestic and export demand dwindled.

Weaker data That decline, coming on the heels of weaker-than-expected data in July, plus this month’s turbulent changes in the yuan , and a brutal stock market plunge, heightened fears. Shanghai stocks dropped four per cent to below the 200-day moving average for the first time since July 2014. That brought losses for the week to 11 per cent.

The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was down 2.4 per cent for a weekly loss of 7.4 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei declined 2.9 per cent, 5.2 per cent on the week.

China’s woes continued to roil commodities. Oil resumed its downward trend. US crude was at a more than 6-year low, on track for its eight straight weekly decline as it slipped 0.5 per cent to $41. Brent nudged $46 a barrel.

Oil’s torrid run of weekly losses is its worst since 1986 when Opec ramped up production and sent it as low as $10 a barrel. — Reuters

source said, citing the end of seasonal refinery maintenance that will boost crude demand.

China concerns Opec officials reconfirmed its market-share strategy at its last meeting in June. At the time, delegates were expecting a recovery in prices towards the end of 2015, supported by expected higher global demand.

But those sentiments have changed with the latest oil price drop and as concern grows about the demand outlook in China.

“Prices are expected to stay under downward pressure until the expected enhancement in demand next year, then they can reach around $55-60 a barrel,” a third Opec delegate said. Opec currently expects an acceleration of growth in world oil demand next year to 1.34 million barrels per day, from 1.28 million bpd this year, as well as an increase in the demand for its own crude as nonOpec supply expansion slows.

Although China’s crude demand has so far remained strong

LONDON: Oil headed for its eighth straight weekly decline on Friday, as sliding stock markets added to worries that lackluster global economic growth will hurt energy demand in an oversupplied market.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October delivery dropped 16 cents to $41.16 a barrel.

Brent North Sea crude for October slid 35 cents to stand at $46.27 a barrel shortly after midday in London.

On Thursday the WTI

as authorities take advantage of cheap oil to build up strategic reserves and consumers kept spending despite the slowing economy, there are signs of weakening, with the devaluation of the yuan potentially denting fuel imports. Opec delegates and industry sources say it is hard for Saudi Arabia to reverse the policy it championed, particularly at a time when both Iran and Iraq are gearing up to boost their crude exports.

“The Gulf states are worried about the decline but there will be no change of direction unless Saudi was to lead it,” an indus-

September contract closed 34 cents higher at $41.14 before its expiry in New York, scraping off recent six-anda-half year lows.

“Oil prices continue to be plagued by the supply glut problem,” said Bernard Aw, market strategist at IG Markets.

“Sharp falls in global equities, particularly US shares, further contributed to worries that global growth would be sluggish. This suggests that demand for energy may remain tepid,” he further added. — AFP

try source and Opec expert said.

“At the moment, Saudi is still in charge and they will stick with it.”

Adding to the uncertainty over the health of the Chinese economy is concern about rising global oil production in a market that Opec’s own forecasts indicate is already oversupplied by more than two million bpd. — Reuters

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

MARKET EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

ECONOMY

Greece repays ECB as snap poll pressure rises ATHENS: Greece repaid a huge debt to the European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday, effectively starting its third mammoth bailout, as deepening political rifts in Athens pressured Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to call snap elections.

The government cleared 3.4 billion euros ($3.79 billion) owed to the European Central Bank, a source close to the matter said, confirming a truce between leftist-run Athens and its European creditors after a seven-month battle of wills that almost saw Greece thrown out of the eurozone.

Greece won the final green light on Wednesday to start repaying its debts and reviving its crippled economy after eurozone finance ministers formally approved the loans-for-reforms package of up to 86 billion euros.

The all-clear to unblock a first payment of 23 billion euros came once the bailout — the third in five years — was approved by European parliaments, including Germany’s Bundestag.

“This agreement provides per-

REVIVAL: Last week, the eurozone’s finance ministers approved in principle the bailout to keep Greece in the single currency bloc, pay its bills and revive its shattered economy. - Bloomberg file picture

spective for the Greek economy and a basis for sustainable growth,” said Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister who chairs the so-called Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers.

“We are certain to encounter problems in the coming years but I trust we will be able to tackle

them,” he added. The decision unlocked 13 billion euros for Athens and set aside another 10 billion euros to recapitalise the country’s cash-starved banks.

With the bailout now on track, Tsipras came under pressure to call snap elections as early as next month.

Tsipras met with members of his cabinet in Athens as speculation swirled that he was to step down and call early elections in a bid to regain office with a stronger hand.

The Kathimerini newspaper said certain close advisors were urging Tsipras to call elections on either September 20, or September 27 at the latest, so the government can swiftly overcome a rebellion from within his hard-left Syriza party.

Tsipras suffered an unprecedented setback in parliament on Friday, with 43 of his 149 Syriza MPs choosing to either oppose or abstain from the latest wave of creditor-demanded austerity.

Greek stocks fell on Thursday amid the political uncertainty, down 3.5 per cent. Frankfurt and Paris were down by 2.0 per cent.

Last week, the eurozone’s finance ministers approved in principle the bailout to keep Greece in the single currency bloc, pay its bills and revive its shattered economy.

The German parliament voted

by an overwhelming majority on Wednesday to back the third bailout, with Chancellor Angela Merkel spared her own major rebellion of deputies opposing the aid.

But Germany’s top-selling Bild newspaper ran an unforgiving headline denouncing “Merkel’s cowardly performance” after she remained silent during the parliamentary debate.

But it celebrated the 67 lawmakers in her coalition who voted against the bailout, dubbing them the “righteous ones”.

Tsipras rode to power in January on a wave of popular anger against the tax hikes, spending cuts and reforms demanded by creditors in exchange for two previous bailouts costing 240 billion euros.

He has said that Greece’s creditors — the European Union, European Central Bank, International Monetary Fund and the European Stability Mechanism — have agreed to discuss public debt relief measures when a first assessment of reform compliance is completed in November. -AFP

Asian markets tumble as global stocks rout deepens liminary reading of Caixin’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) came in at 47.1 this month, its worst reading since March 2009 and significantly below analysts’ forecasts.

Shanghai shares closed down 4.27 per cent at 3,507.74.

Hong Kong fell 1.53 per cent, or 347.85 points, to finish the day at 22,409.62.

Tokyo shares fell 2.98 per cent, or 597.69 points. Seoul fell 2.01 per cent, or 38.48 points

CLOSE WATCH: An investor looks up in front of an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Fuyang, Anhui province, China, on Friday. - Reuters

HONG KONG: Asian shares slumped on Friday, plunging deeper into the red after weak manufacturing data from China fuelled panic among investors over the clouding outlook for the world economy.

The dollar notched more losses against the euro and yen after minutes from the US Federal Reserve dampened hopes for a rate rise next month, while Asia-Pacific currencies were hit by concerns about regional growth.

Shanghai shares closed down 4.27 per cent, or 156.55 points, at 3,507.74, ending their worst week since 2011 as worries over the

flagging economy and the possibility of weaker government support weighed.

China’s benchmark index closed at almost exactly the same level as the bottom of a recent market rout on July 8, before Beijing stepped in with a vast rescue package for equities.

Hong Kong fell 1.53 per cent, or 347.85 points, to finish the day at 22,409.62 — its lowest point since May 2014 — taking it into a bear market after a more than 20 per cent slump from its April peak.

Tokyo shares fell 2.98 per cent, or 597.69 points, to finish at 19,435.83, a more than three-

month low and down 5.28 per cent on the week.

Seoul fell 2.01 per cent, or 38.48 points, to 1,876.07 as tensions climbed with North Korea, and Sydney dropped 1.40 per cent, or 73.98 points, to close at 5,214.60.

“It seems like we’re seeing the makings of the 1997 Asian financial crisis all over, with emerging-market currencies plunging,” Nicholas Teo, a strategist at CMC Markets in Singapore, told Bloomberg News.

“China’s knock-on effect on the rest of the world is huge and China’s deepening economic slowdown will have an impact for

the next couple of months or so.”

Asia got a negative lead from Wall Street after US shares sank more than 2.0 per cent on Thursday, with the Dow dropping to its lowest level for 2015. Gold gained as investors looked for safer bets, rising to $1,150.67 in Asia compared to $1,138.80 late on Thursday.

Sea of red Market sentiment has nosedived since China’s central bank devalued its currency last week in a surprise move widely seen as aimed at boosting the country’s flagging exports.

Stoking concerns, the pre-

In panic mode “Global markets are in panic mode as the full scale of China’s slowdown becomes clearer and the market pricing for a Fed September rate hike is unwound,” said Angus Nicholson at IG Markets. “China’s currency devaluation, further stock market declines, and now another weak PMI appear to have put it frontand-centre in investors’ minds.”

Commodity shares continued their slide as concerns about a slowdown in China, the world’s top importer of industrial metals and energy, continued to weigh.

A slump in raw materials prices has wiped off some $2 trillion from commodity stocks since the middle of last year.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for October delivery, a new contract, lost 27 cents to $40.78 a barrel in afternoon trade, while Brent crude for October tumbled 32 cents to $46.30 a barrel.

The WTI September contract closed 32 cents higher at $41.14 in New York on Thursday, marginally higher than recent sixand-a-half year lows.

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Haruhiko Kuroda, governor of the Bank of Japan.

- Bloomberg file picture

Economists lower Japan’s growth outlook TOKYO: Economists from Nomura Holdings to BNP Paribas lowered their forecasts for Japan’s economy this week, making the central bank’s growth outlook for this year look increasingly optimistic.

The trigger — a second-quarter contraction reported on Monday — also led Bank of America and NLI Research Institute to trim their projections for the fiscal year through March 2016.

The world’s third-biggest economy is now set to grow 1.2 per cent over the 12 months, according to the median of 13 estimates from economists, less than the 1.7 per cent forecast by the Bank of Japan (BoJ). The upshot is likely to be the BOJ reducing its growth outlook when it provides updated projections on October 30, fanning speculation for another boost in monetary stimulus.

Slower growth would add to headwinds for the central bank, as declines in the price of oil and other commodities dim prospects for the pickup in inflation.

“Lowering its growth forecast will put the BoJ in an even tougher position,” said Masamichi Adachi, an economist at JPMorgan and former BoJ official.”Bets on further stimulus will increase as risks to the BoJ’s inflation target are clearly rising.”

A survey of 37 economists from July 27 to August 3 showed 12 forecasting an increase in stimulus at the October 30 policy board meeting, when the BoJ will release its latest estimates for growth and inflation.

Inflation headwinds Even with a sizable reduction in its economic forecast, the BoJ may choose to maintain the current pace of asset purchases, said Adachi, noting that the economy would still be performing above its 0.5 percent growth potential, stoking price pressures as demand catches up with supply.

Any adjustment to the BoJ’s outlook for achieving the two per cent inflation target would only come after assessing the strength of Japan’s rebound this summer, people familiar with the matter said earlier this month.

Uncertainty Uncertainty about the strength of a pickup in growth this summer is high after declines in consumer spending and exports contributed to the 1.6 per cent contraction in gross domestic product last quarter, said Yoshiki Shinke, an economist at Dai- ichi Life Research Institute.

MARKIT ECONOMICS REPORT

German factory growth puts euro-area recovery back on track FRANKFURT: The euro-area economy picked up momentum this month, with an improvement in Germany lifting a business index to close to its highest level in four years.

Markit Economics said on Friday that its composite Purchasing Managers’ Index of manufacturing and services rose to 54.1 from 53.9 in July, close to the four-year high

reached in June. That’s above the 50 mark that divides expansion from contraction and compares with a median estimate of 53.7 in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

The increase was partly led

by Germany, the region’s largest economy, where a factory index rose to the highest in more than a year. That offset “disappointing” numbers in France, where

manufacturing shrank for a second month.

Ninth straight quarter The 19-nation bloc expanded for a ninth straight quarter in the three months through June. There are nevertheless risks to the recovery, including volatility in emerging markets from China’s currency devaluation and looming interest-

rate increases by the US Federal Reserve and Bank of England.

“The euro zone is still experiencing one of its best periods of economic growth and job creation during the past four years,” said Rob Dobson, a senior economist at Markit. There is “resilience” in the economy, with the PMI suggesting growth of about 0.4 per cent this quarter, faster than the 0.3 per cent

rate in the three months through June, he said.

Manufacturing index Markit’s manufacturing index for the euro region stayed at 52.4 in August and the services measure increased to 54.3 from 54. Both exceeded economists’ forecasts.

In Germany, Markit’s factory index advanced to the highest since

April 2014. While the services gauge slipped slightly, a composite measure of both industries rose to a four-month high.

The improvement is in stark contrast to France, where the economy stagnated in the second quarter. Markit’s latest numbers show the French composite business index at a four-month low. — Bloomberg News

ECONOMY

French recovery takes a blow LONDON: France’s economy may struggle to gain traction this quarter after manufacturing shrank for a second month in August and services growth weakened. A business index by Markit Economics declined to a four-month low of 51.3 from 51.5 in July. A services measure also fell and a factory gauge dropped below the 50 level that divides expansion from contraction.

The numbers are the latest setback for the economy after it

unexpectedly stagnated in the second quarter. That marked the first time in a year that gross domestic product failed to increase and contrasted with the performance in Germany, where growth accelerated, and the 19-nation euro area, where the economy expanded 0.3 per cent.

“Third-quarter GDP may disappoint again following stagnation in the second quarter,” said Jack Kennedy, an economist at Markit in London. “Manufactur-

ing continued to struggle amid a sharper drop in new orders.” The euro pared its advance against the dollar after the report was published and was up 0.2 per cent at $1.1264 as of 8:10am London time. Markit’s measure for services slipped to 51.8 in August from 52 in July. That’s still a seventh month of expansion and expectations among businesses rose to the highest in more than three years. The factory index dropped to 48.6 from 49.6. — Bloomberg News

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

B3

MARKET HP earnings outlook stumbles on weaker PC and corporate demand For the fourth quarter — the last before the separation in November — profit before certain items will be 92 cents to 98 cents a share, HP said on Thursday, below analysts’ average projection for $1

Sales fell across most divisions in the fiscal third quarter — in PCs, services, printers and software — fuelled by continued weakness in the global PC market Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman. - Bloomberg file picture

SAN FRANCISCO: HewlettPackard’s (HP) earnings outlook fell short of estimates before a breakup designed to improve growth prospects, disappointing investors looking for signs the new businesses would get a fresh start on solid ground.

Sales declined across most divisions in the fiscal third quarter — in personal computers (PCs), services, printers and software — fuelled by continued weakness in the global personal-computer

market. For the fourth quarter — the last before the separation in November — profit before certain items will be 92 cents to 98 cents a share, Hewlett-Packard said Thursday, below analysts’ average projection for $1.

“We faced a challenging macroeconomic and IT spending environment in the quarter,” Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman said on a call with analysts. In the PC and printer market, which represents around half of Hewl-

SWEDISH APP-MAKER

Two businesses By creating two businesses — one offering technology and services to businesses, and another selling PCs, printers and other gadgets to consumers — Whitman is seeking to make them more responsive to market changes. That’s also making them more vulner-

able to swings in demand, as seen in today’s earnings results. PC shipments fell 9.5 per cent in the second quarter, and companies are spending less on software and services.

“You’ve got this underlying current of a negative macro within an IT spending environment on PCs and printers,” said Jeffrey Fidacaro, an analyst at Monness Crespi Hardt, who has a buy rating on the stock. “They had a decent quarter given those challenges. More con-

Consumer, enterprise Shares of Hewlett-Packard fell 2.9 per cent to the equivalent of $26.95 in Frankfurt at 9:12am on Friday.

The stock had declined 1.4 per cent to $27.35 at the close in New York, leaving it down 32 per cent this year. Third-quarter net income fell 13 per cent to $854 million from $985 million a year earlier, the company said. For HP, if there are declines in the PC business, only the printer business will be able to make up for it. Similarly, in Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, weak demand for corporate equipment will have to be supported by the troubled services division, instead of the more reliable PC business.

“HP is going to be more of a cash flow and dividend story and HP Enterprise is going to be more of a growth story,” Fidacaro said.

“When does the HP with PCs and printers become an attractive market, and how do they position HP Enterprise?”

Revenue fell 8.1 per cent to $25.3 billion, compared with analyst projections for $25.4 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sales have declined for 15 of the past 16 quarters.

Growth outlook Hewlett-Packard is due to meet with analysts next month, where it’s expected to give more financial details on the post- split companies. At that meeting they’ll update their outlook to give greater clarity on their free cash flow. Sales in three of the company’s four main divisions were down. Revenue in the company’s PC division fell 13 year over year. Printers were down 8.6 per cent on weak commercial demand. “It’s pretty challenging out there right now,” Dion Weisler, the future CEO of HP, said on the call. Services revenues fell 11 per cent. A bright spot was in the Enterprise Group, where revenues rose two per cent, driven by servers and networking.

The software division, considered critical for future sales growth in the enterprise business, saw sales shrink 6.2 per cent to $900 million in the third quarter.

Hewlett-Packard has been reorganizing the software business and expects it to return to growth, Whitman said. — Bloomberg News

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A N T I T RU S T L AW S U I T

Apple Watch boosts downloads at Lifesum STOCKHOLM: Swedish health start-up Lifesum is aiming to double its user numbers by early next year as its app gains popularity in the US, helped by integration with Apple’s watch.

The app, which counts calories and offers healthy recipes and motivation to those trying to get in shape, got a boost as Apple mentioned it in a presentation in October and later endorsed it as a useful feature for its watch. Lifesum seeks 20 million registered users by April, up from almost 11 million now, Chief Executive Officer Henrik Torstensson said in an interview.

Lifesum is up against bigger rivals such as sporting-goods giants, which are gobbling up apps that help users shed unwanted pounds and lead a healthier lifestyle. Adidas bought workout app Runtastic GmbH, and Under Armour Inc. acquired apps Endomondo and MyFitnessPal for about $560 million.

Reaching the user goal “won’t be a walk in the park,” Torstensson said at Lifesum’s headquarters overlooking a canal in Stockholm.

User numbers have more than doubled in the past few months and Lifesum is projecting another growth spurt toward the end of the year, he said.

One of the challenges for Lifesum and rivals is to get those who

ett-Packard’s business today, the company sees “a difficult business environment for several quarters to come,” she said.

cerns are going to be around how are these two companies going to look going forward?”

download and register to continue to use the app — and upgrade to paid-for versions. Torstensson declined to give the number of Lifesum’s active users or those who pay to access the product’s premium features.

“That’s really the product challenge; how do you make it fun, accessible, motivational, easy to use and keep on using,” he said.

Growth plans Lifesum’s app also works on devices such as the iPhone and Android smartphones, and it’s betting on help from the burgeoning smartwatch market as it expands beyond its strongholds of the Nordic region and Germany. The US is set to become its biggest market this fiscal year, Torstensson said. Currently, the US. is its second or third biggest region. — Bloomberg News

Microsoft files US antitrust lawsuit against InterDigital in patent fued SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft filed a lawsuit claiming InterDigital has been violating its pledge to offer fair and reasonable licences on patents related to fundamental mobile-phone technology The antitrust lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, a week before a US trade agency is scheduled to rule on a long-running dispute in which InterDigital is seeking royalties on Microsoft-made Nokia phones.

A US trade judge in Washington said in April that Microsoft has been unwilling to licence InterDigital patents on standardised technology. In the new complaint, Microsoft argues that it’s InterDigital that’s the bad actor.

Microsoft said in its complaint that it wants to stop “InterDigital’s abusive licencing practices and unlawful monopolisation” in the field of third- and fourthgeneration cellular technologies.

It said InterDigital has “engaged in an unlawful scheme to acquire and exploit monopoly power over technology necessary for companies to make 3G and 4G cellular devices.”

The trade case was first filed in August 2007, before Nokia sold its handset business to Microsoft.

While the International Trade

NEW COMPLAINT: A US trade judge in Washington said in April that Microsoft has been unwilling to licence InterDigital patents on standardised technology. In the new complaint, Microsoft argues that it’s InterDigital that’s the bad actor. — Bloomberg file picture

Commission’s main power lies in its ability to block imports of products into the US, Wilmington-based InterDigital has said the primary goal of its litigation is to push for a licensing agreement.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, is crying foul. In addition to the threatening ITC case, InterDigital is trying to force an overpriced license that covers all

of InterDigital’s patents, not just those needed to comply with the industry standard, the software maker contends.

Companies that get together to create the standards for things like how Wi-Fi works pledge to license any patents on reasonable terms, to balance out their advantage in ensuring their inventions get included in the standard.

While industry standard-setting boards had previously been content to let companies duke out among themselves any royalty disputes, the issue has exploded into a policy debate that’s spread across three continents among courts, regulators and the boards themselves.

Microsoft was emboldened by a July 30 appeals court ruling it won in a dispute with Motorola Mobility. There, the court ruled that Motorola, then a standalone company, breached its obligations by demanding an unfairly high royalty rate. Motorola had argued it was just the usual opening gambit to negotiations. US trade Judge Theodore Essex found in April that InterDigital had fulfilled its obligation to make a reasonable offer to license its technology but that Microsoft was unwilling to negotiate. The full commission is considering the judge’s findings and is scheduled to release its final decision on August 28.

Members of the US Federal Trade Commission have taken different sides of this case, with Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, a Democrat, saying Essex was wrong in his analysis, while Republicans Maureen Ohlhausen and Joshua Wright are backing the judge. — Bloomberg News

B4

SATURDAY, S AT URDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Family WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

IN TODAY’S electronic-driven digital age, children are defining a new way to play. As the market for toys boasting the latest in technology continues to grow, companies have become increasingly innovative to deliver toys that tick the tech checkbox for children, while satisfying parents who want options that inspire the imagination and encourage active play.

A new study commissioned by Disney reveals that parents feel nostalgia for the way they used to play growing up and that they also have a desire to keep their children active. The online study of 2,000 families across the US shows that while almost all parents believe in the power of active and creative play, they believe technology is also an important part of growing up today. In fact, 9 out of 10 parents are open to new technology that could play a role in keeping their child active.

STOCK PHOTO

Imagination becomes real The latest evolution of technology play is now on hand to help meet the needs of both kids and parents by bringing digital experiences into the real world.

A new category of play, Disney’s Playmation inspires kids to run around and use their imaginations, but with a digital twist. The system of connected d toys and wearables combines digital and physical play to put kids in the centre of the action where they can actually become the hero or heroine of their favourite Disney stories.

The first system, Playmation Marvel’s Avengers, lets kids join on missions and adventures throughout the Marvel Universe. Purposely not tethered to an Internet connection, Playmation Marvel’s Avengers allowss kids to play anywhere they want – a bedroom, living room or yard.

Children can also login to an app to see progress, explore new locations and characters and unlock new missions. The starter pack, which includes es a Repulsor Gear that connects to the Power Activators and two Smart Figures, is now available for pre-orderr at www.Playmation.com before hitting ng shelves this fall.

Throwbacks with a thrill wi

Art goes electronic

Ano Another win-win strategy: Putting a fresh fre technology spin on old favourites to make them hip once favo more. Take the old-school game of mor tag, for example. With the addition devices, targets and imof infrared in pressive audio, laser tag adds new pres thrill to an old-school game making thri for today’s tech-hungry it relevant re kids. Systems appropriate for home kids use are plenty, but most major cities also boast indoor arenas and citie outdoor ranges for larger scale play. outd A far fa cry from the traditional chase and touch game parents recall, nonetheless, it’s a marriage of tech non and toy that gets kids moving.

When it comes to letting creative imagination run free, there’s a world of high-tech art for kids to explore.

Back-lit tracing pads, projectors for wall-size artistry and vibrantly coloured screens all seem a far cry from yesteryear’s drawing tablets and big box of crayons (with a sharpener built in, if you were extra lucky).

Yet despite the digital approach, at the core these toys inspire the same artistic expression as their tech-free predecessors.

Although technology-enabled toys and devices top most kids’ wish lists, a growing number of these options are designed to pique the imagination and inspire kids to set their physical and creative expression free.

Family Features

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

B6

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

PRAYER TIMINGS

@SHATTI

@SOHAR

11:45PM Madura Naranga – 2D (Action) (PG) 7:15PM

@RUWI

SHATTI The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Action)(12+) Cast : Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer 3:00, 7:15, 9:30, 11:45 pm Fantastic Four (2D)(Action)(PG12) Cast: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, 1:00, 5:15, 11:45 pm Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2D) (Action, Adventure) (PG12) Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy 4:45, 9:15 pm The Nutcracker Sweet (Animation)(PG) 1:00, 3:00 pm All Is Well (Comedy, Drama)(PG) Cast : Rishi Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin 9:30 pm Sinister 2 (Horror)(15+) Cast : James Ransone, Shannyn Sossamon 1:00, 11:55 pm Welad Risk (Action, Crime)(18+) Cast : Ahmed Ezz, Amr Youssef, Karim Qassem 3:00, 7:15 pm Self/Less (Mystery,Sci fi)(18+) Cast : Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode 5:00, 7:15 pm MUSCAT GRAND MALL The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 2D (Action ) (12+) Cast : Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer 10:15AM, 9:45 & 11:55PM Gold Class: 4:15, 9:00 & 11:15PM The Nutcracker Sweet 2D (Animation) (PG) 10:00AM, 1:45 & 3:30PM The Love Affair 2D (Drama, Romance ) (TBC) Cast: Bea Alonzo, Richard Gomez, Eda Nolan 5:15 & 7:30PM All Is Well 2D (Comedy, Drama) (TBC) Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin 12:30 & 7:15PM Fantastic Four 2D (Action, Sci-Fi ) (PG12) Cast: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael Jordan 5:15PM & 9:45PM Gold Class : 12:15 & 2:15PM

10:15AM, 9:45PM & 11:55PM The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Action)(12+) Cast : Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer

5:00 , 7:15 pm Self/Less (Mystery,Sci fi)(18+) Cast : Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode

6:00 pm Madhura Naranga - 2D (M) (PG) Comedy, Cast : Kunchacko Boban, Biju Menon

7:15, 9:35 PM Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation – 2D 2:00, 11:55 PM (PG12) The Nutcracker Sweet – 2D (PG) Animation 1:00, 4:30 PM Sinister 2 – 2D (15+) Horror Cast - James Ransone, Shannyn Sossamon 2:30, 10:10 PM Waled Rizk– 2D (18+) Crime, Action, Thriller Cast - Ahmed Ezz, Amr Youssef, Karim 6:00 PM Fantastic Four – 2D (PG12) (Action) 12:00, 5:45, 11:55 pm Madhura Naranga – 2D (PG) Comedy, Cast - Kunchacko Boban, Biju Menon 3:00 PM

Inside Out 3D (Animation) (PG) 11:15PM Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation 2D 2:45PM & 11:45PM Gold Class: 6:30PM AZAIBA The Man from U.N.C.L.E. – 2D (12+) ActionCast - Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer 4:30, 6:45, 9:00, 11:15 PM Kick 2 – 2D (PG12) Action, Romance Cast: Ravi Teja, Rakul Preeti singh, Ravi Kishan 12:45, 07:45, 10:30 PM Vaalu – 2D (PG) Action, Comedy, Romance Cast - Hansika Motwani, TR Silambarasan, 12:00 PM Self/Less – 2D (18+) Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller Cast - Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode 2:50, 8:00 PM The Love Affair - 2D (…..) Drama, Romance Cast - Bea Alonzo, Richard Gomez, Eda Nolan 5:00 PM All Is Well 2D (….) Comedy, Drama, Romance Cast - Rishi Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin

3.30, 6.30, 9.30PM All Is Well (Drama/ Comedy) – PG Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Asin and Supriya Pathak

4.00, 6.45, 9.45 PM SCREEN 3 Baahubali: The Beginning (Act ) – 12+ 1.00 PM Karachi To Lahore - Urdu (Comedy) – PG Cast: Shehzad Sheikh, Ayesha Omer 3.45, 9.45 PM Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Action/Drama ) – PG 6.45 PM SOHAR Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation - 2D (PG12) Action; 04:20 , 11:55 PM Fantastic Four-2D (PG12) (Action ) 2:30, 5:15, 11:45 PM Brothers - 2D (TBC) Action, Drama 11:30 PM The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - 2D (12+) Action, Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia 12: 15, 3:00, 7:15, 9:30, 11:45 PM Self/less - 2D (18+) Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, 2:15, 7:45 PM The Nutcracker Sweet - 2D (PG) Animation Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Edward Asner 12:45, 2:30, 4:30 PM Sinister 2 - 2D (15+) Horror Cast: James Ransone, Shannyn Sossamon,

RUWI SCREEN 1 All Is Well (Drama/ Comedy) – PG Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Asin and Supriya Pathak 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM SCREEN 2 Drishyam (Thriller/Drama ) – PG12 1.00 PM Brothers (Drama) – 12+ Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff, Sidharth

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

4:00, 10:00 PM All Is Well - 2D (TBC) Comedy, Drama, Cast : Rishi Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin 12:00, 9:35 PM Welad Rizk - 2D (Arb) (18+) Action, Crime, Cast: Ahmed Ezz, Amr Youssef, Karim Qassem 5:45 PM Madhura Naranga - 2D (M) (PG) Comedy, Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Biju Menon 6:00 PM Kick 2 - 2D (Telugu) (TBC) Action, Romance 12:15, 6:45, 8:45 PM BURAIMI The Man from U.N.C.L.E – 2D (Animation) 7:15, 9:30, 11:45PM (12+) Return to Sender – 2D (Thriller) (TBC) Cast: Rosamund Pike, Nick Nolte, 5:30, 10:00PM The Nutcracker Sweet – 2D (Animation) 5:45PM (PG) Fantastic Four -2D (PG12) (Action) 4:30, 7:15PM Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - 2D 11:30PM (Action) (PG12) All is Well – 2D (Comedy, Romance) (PG) Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin 9:15PM Brothers (Hindi) (Thriller) 2D

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

20:50

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

39 30

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

VISHAKA August 22, 2009

0

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

35-75% Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/ her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and 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

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

LISTINGS

ROYAL OMAN POLICE TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 07:30 14:30

Sur Sur

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

Daily Daily

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

Fahud Yibal

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

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

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

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

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

Daily

07:00

Daily

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

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

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

11.45 13.30 14.00

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

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

10:45 19:00

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

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

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

06:00 14:30

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

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

Madura Naranga (Mal) ( Rom/com ) Cast : Kunchako Boban, Biju Menon & 3-45 pm At Cinema-4; 6-30 At Cinema- 2 10-00 Pm At Cinema Main Vasuvum Saravananum ( Tamil ) ( Com ) Cast: Arya, Tamanna & Santhanam 6-30 Pm At Cinema Main; 3-30 & 9-30 Pm At cinema -2 All Is Well (Hindi ) ( Com/Drama) Cast: Abhishek Bachan, Rishi Kapoor & Asin 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema - 3 Kick 2 ( Telugu ) ( Rom/Act) ( From Friday ) Cast : Ravi Teja & Rakul Preet Singh 3-00 Pm At Cinema Main 6-45 & 9-45 At Cinema-4 NEXT CHANGE: Thani Oruvan (Tamil) Loham (Mal) Programmes are subject to change

Minimum

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

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

0

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

STAR CINEMA

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

16:30 18:00 19:30

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation 2D (Action, Adventure, Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy 9.30 pm CP No: 1953 (PG12) Return To Sender ( Thriller ) Cast: Rosamund Pike, Nike Nolte 2.00, 4.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 2112 ( 12+ ) The Nutcracker Sweet (Animation) Voice Overs: Alicia Silver stone, Edward 2.00 & 6.00 pm CP No: 2119 (PG ) Brothers (Hindi )( Thriller ) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shrof 6.30 pm CP No: 2110 (PG) MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. : (Action /Adventure) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Henry Cavil 4.00, 7.45, 9.45 & 11.55 p.m.

CP NO: 2121 (12+)

WITH LOVE

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

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

SALALAH Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation (2D) 10:15AM, 5:00, 11:30PM (PG12) Fantastic Four (2D)(PG12) (Action) 12:45, 3:45, 9:45PM The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2D)(12+) (Action) 10:15AM, 2:45, 7:30, 9:45, 11:55PM Return to Sender (2D) (12+) (Thriller) Cast: Rosamund Pike, Shiloh Fernandez, Nick Nolte 2:00PM The Nutcracker Sweet (2D)(PG)(Arabic) (Animation) Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Edward Asner, Drake Bell 10:30AM, 3:15PM Pound of Flesh (2D) (15+) (Action/Thriller) Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Darren 12:00, 11:35PM All Is Well (2D) (PG) (Comedy/Drama) Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Asin 7:30PM Brothers (2D) (12+) (Action/Drama) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff, Sidharth M 12:30PM Madhura Naranga (2D) (PG) (Mal) (Comedy) Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Biju Menon, Parvathy 4:45PM Kick 2 (2D) (TBC) (Telugu) (Action/Romance) 5:45, 8:35PM

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

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

BAHJA CINEMA

SUR The Man From U.N.C.L.E (Action ) (12+) Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, 12:15, 5:30, 9:45, 11:55 PM Fantastic Four (Action|Sci - Fi) (PG12) 5:00, 7:45 PM Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation 11:45 PM (Action) (PG12) Brothers (Hindi) (Thriller) (12+) CP# Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff, Sidharth 2:15 PM The Nutcracker Sweet ( Animation) (PG) 2:30, 4:00 PM Madura Naranga (Mal)( Comedy ) (PG) Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Biju Menon, Parvathy 6:50 PM All Is Well (Hindi)(Comedy ) (PG) Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Asin.

12:00 PM, 9.25 PM

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68. www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman

Destination

12.15pm 3.42pm 6.40pm 7.54pm 4.26am

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

@MGM

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

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

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

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

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740 Ceregem National Raak 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217 Elixir Health Centre 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274 Hamdan Hospital 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128 MBD 24799077 Al Khuwair 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

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

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

B7

LIFESTYLE STORY TIME

That’s not nice

By Swati Dasgupta

JAMILA WAS SITTING on a chair in the corner of the room and was busy watching TV. Aasila in another corner was doing her craft when the phone rang.

Jamila reluctantly got up. “Hello, who’s this?” she paused for a while and then quickly added: “She’s not at home.”

Saying this she literally banged the phone. Aasila got distracted with the sudden noise and she asked Jamila: “What’s the matter? Why did you bang the phone.”

Jamila made a face and replied: “Oh! That was Shaina Aunty. She always calls at the wrong hours.

She was asking for mom.” Aasila didn’t like the way Jamila spoke but didn’t say anything and continued with her work.

Later during dinner as the family was busy eating Jamila made a lot of fuss about the food. “Oh mom! The curry is so spicy and it’s not tasty too,” she said.

Jamila continued after a while: “You know mom, Shaina Aunty called in the evening when you were not at home. She always does this.

Even Rizeena, her daughter, does this. And Rizeena has such yuck haircut. It looks as if some rabbit has chewed them,” saying this Jamila burst into laughter.

“Stop it Jamila. This is not the

way you talk about others,” snubbed their mother.

Jamila knew her mother was angry and she kept quiet.

This was one bad habit of Jamila that she could not control — the habit of criticising others. From hairstyle and clothes, to others’ behaviour and work Jamila loved to talk ill about others.

In school too Jamila’s friends often would get irritated at her when she would simply sit and criticise. One day during lunch break she told Aaliya: “Did you see Anahita ma’am? Her pink top looks terrible,” said Jamila with a giggle. Jia who was hearing the conversation could not resist and interrupted. “What’s wrong with you Jamila. You go on talking about others little realising that it’s of such bad taste. Anahita ma’am is looking perfectly ok and even if she isn’t it’s none of your business to discuss her,” she said loudly.

Jamila was taken aback at this sudden reaction of Jia but she wouldn’t take it lightly either. “How dare you talk to me like this? It’s my opinion and I have the right to say whatever I want to,” she said showing her stubbornness.

Jia wanted to reply but she knew there was no point talking to her.

Jamila would never admit her fault.

Jia walked away without a word.

Aaliya, who was quietly watching all this, finally spoke. “Jamila, you were pretty rude to Jia. She was right. You should not criticise others. One day it will backfire.”

But Jamila continued with her fault finding habit. Aasila had warned her many a times but she never stopped. The annual function was approaching and Jamila was given the responsibility of coordinating the event. All the students worked hard for the event. While Jia, Matt and Robby got busy practising the dance, Rehman, Aaliya and Aasila along with Natasha and Shyla prepared a short skit. Jamila had the responsibility of arranging the lightings, the seating arrangement and other minute things. On the day of the event everything went off smoothly. The teachers and the parents cheered the children for the wonderful show.

At the end of the show as the children were rejoicing their success Matt suddenly remarked: “Hey guys! Did you see the lighting arrangement? It was so bad that I could not perform properly.”

Robby added: “You are right Matt.

Even I got distracted as the lights flickered. I even stumbled once but thankfully no one noticed. Jamila didn’t do a good job.”

Jamila’s bright face suddenly

dampened hearing this. She wasn’t expecting this and before she could say anything Natasha pouted her lips and said: “I was told that Jamila is a great organiser but sorry to say I don’t think she can do a good job. Did you realise Shyla, while we were performing, the voice was cracking? I felt so embarrassed.”

The children went on passing comments at Jamila’s work. She couldn’t take it further and burst into tears. She ran away without saying a word. That night Jamila could not sleep. The harsh words of her friends kept ringing in her ears.

‘How could they be so rude,’ she thought. Then the realisation set in.

She too had been doing this for so long and have hurt so many people.

“Aaliya was right. She had said my habit of fault finding would backfire.

It certainly has.”

Jamila went to school the next day and said sorry to all her friends. The moment she finished saying everything in one breath Matt burst out in laughter. “We were trying to teach you the fact that how it hurts when you criticise others. Good you understood it.

You did a fantastic job Jamila and we are all very proud of it.” Jamila gave a big smile hearing this. She had learnt the value of appreciation.

-swati@timesofoman.com

Tea Time How to avoid a trolley crash

@winieariany

1

2

3

4

GARAGE

Questions & Answers

One thing that puts me off...

People scolding me

When I’m in doubt...

I ask my mother

If I win a lottery...

I would give half to charity then the rest is for me and my family

HOME STORE

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

Animated movies

Crossword Puzzle The scariest thing that I have done...

Asked my friend to bring tab to my home and show me the full movie of Conjuring the horror movie

If I met an alien I would...

Ask the alien to invent extraordinary things

LALI REJI One skill I would like to learn...

Magic If I had treasures I would hide them...

It’s private

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

Chocolate

I go crazy when...

I see disgusting scenes...

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

It’s better not to argue with...

Elders

ACROSS

1 5 9 12 13 14 15 16 18 20

If I could go back in history, I would like to meet...

Mahatma Gandhi One person I would trade places with (real or ficitional) Elsa and Anna

The best way to my heart is...

Imagination

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 11

Zig opposite Nest-egg letters Whinny Swamp critter It’s often panned Brady Bill opposer Circus routine Ore-Ida’s — Tots Torso muscles Crossing the ocean Godiva’s title

17 19 21 22 23 24 27 29 30 31 33 34 39

Campaign topic — Wiedersehen Bump or knot Board mem.

Creepy McNally partner Doozy Dixie st.

Bullpen stats Auto-body woe Short query Undergrad digs B’way posting of yore

42 44 45 46

Blooms Camel halts Telescope lens Amorphous mass 47 Bonkers 48 Modicum 49 Emulate Etna 51 Wrench target 52 Hula accompaniment 54 — — dare 55 Soaked

Tangy flavour Annoying insect Sidekick Circle size Willy or Shamu Spanish “that” Trot or gallop Pie crust option Prod Long-answer exam 21 Kind of jacket 23 Slips up 25 Yak 26 Type of collar 28 Software buyer 32 Legal document 35 Tall vase 36 Brownish tint 37 Yodeler’s answer 38 Box tops 40 Pay — you go 41 Playboy 43 Chicken’s seat 46 Dirigible 49 Bath cake 50 Chill out (2 wds.)

53 Stash the bags 56 World Series mo.

57 Put in the microwave 58 “— kleine Nachtmusik” 59 Glamorous wrap 60 Rabbit dish 61 Word to kitty

B8

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

LIFESTYLE Children up to the age of 15 who would like to have their art considered for inclusion in “Art for the Ages” can e-mail their drawings or paintings (in jpeg or tiff format) to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Art for the Ages

Children’s Poetry

LIFE Ayesha Shaheena Grade 12 Indian School Muscat

Aarif Tufail Ahmad, Grade 4, ISG

Anmay Bhola, Grade 4, ISM

Kashyab Jayaram, Grade 4, ISAS

Shivam Raju, Grade 7, ISG

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

Praveen, Grade 4, ISM

Dakshin Bharathi, Grade 10, ISM

Life isn’t about the dessert you didn’t eat last night Life is about the last slice of pizza you fought for Life isn’t about how many likes your post on a social app got Life is about the people who will remain in your life when everyone else leaves Life isn’t about the 2 kilos that you have gained Life is about that old jeans that still fits you Life isn’t about the last time you were gloomy Life is about the rainbows you saw and the rains you danced in Life isn’t about the funeral you attended Life is about the baby that held onto your finger like you were life Life isn’t about when love tore you apart Life is about the next time you’re gonna fall in love Life isn’t about the board meeting that bored you Life is about the time when you watched Tom and Jerry with a kid Life isn’t about the party that you were forced to Life is about all the sleepovers you had with your friends Life isn’t about the time you cried Life is about when you laughed so much that you cried Life isn’t about the disagreement you had with your parents Life is about all the times you brought a smile on their faces Life isn’t about the number of birthdays you celebrated Life is about celebrating everyday like your birthday Life isn’t about the regrets you have Life is all about the chances you took.

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.

M R S L N O S E E N I R O C M

G E Y T E I C O S H G I H A C

G N H L A N N A A S S E N A V

N O I A E G S R O L L H B S S

CLUE: NATASHA RICHARDSON

I C T N N O E D I S A A G Y E

R A S L E D J A E T R O F L U

O D A R L O E W I N N T A Y C V I H M E N A A A T T I E HM T L E I R Y S S E U MN L B L

I E T H E B K C A D K N R O A

L A E A J A N E G D S O T D N

P A R E N T T R A P L T C N C

L S A L L Y A M M E J E A O H

TM N A L R H Y A E V L E L N E O H R S A I Z L Z G L N E E

SOLUTION: 9 LETTERS

Actress, Adoring, Anna, Asylum, Blanche, Blues, Cabaret, Carlo, Chelsea, Corin, Daniel, English, Evening, Film, Gothic, Handmaid’s Tale, Haven, Hearst, High Society, Jane, Jean, Jemma, Joely, Kate, Leeds, Liam, London, Lynn, Manhattan, Mary, Micheal, Neeson, Nero, Parent Trap, Patty, Razzle, Redgrave, Reno, Sally, Shelley, Stage, Tony, Vanessa, West, Zelda.

Answer: Millbrook

C

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M S AT U R DAY, AU G U S T 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

SECTION

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

RENT

C2

VACANCY

C4

CARGO

C7

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

C2

S AT U R D AY, AU G U S T 2 2 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

3BR villa, sitting, dining & hall, Azaiba behind Al Meera H- Market.

Contact: 99259977 / 95033008

Furnished room for rent at Al Khuwair R.O 225/- for family only.

Contact: 99251975

1BHK, Darsait, walking distance to ISM , neat and clean building, ground floor, OMR 260/- per month rent Call IQRAR on 99076557

Flats for rent in Al Khuwair, Al hail, Wadi Kabir, Al Falaj, MBD, and Muttrah. Contact: 99119699 / 95250300 / 24813002

4bedroom villa with 3 maid room, big compound & parking area. Ideal for kindergarten or expat tenants residency. Contact:24566217 / 24564686

Flats shops & stores for rent at Al Amerat. Contact: 96278724

Office & retail space available Alasfoor Plaza, Qurum.

Contact: 24566217 / 24564686 1BHK in Darsait, RO 220.

Contact: 99342661 2BHK in Ghubra South 330 R.O with A/C. Contact: 99342661 2 BHK close to Indian School Kindergarten Wadikabir RO 320.

Contact: 99476728 / 98484415 2 BHK pent-house having very spacious balcony with sea & city view RO 325 and 1BHK RO 240, adjacent to Indian Nursery Darsait.

Contact : 99476728 / 98484415 Nice 1BHK penthouse, 2 bathrooms, big terrace in CBD/MBD, OMR 250.

Should purchase ACs. Contact: 99283938 1bedroom attached toilet, kitchen, family in Al Khuwair RO 140.

Contact: 95154331

2 B/R res./comm. Flat directly from owner near Oman Medical College Bausher. Contact 92158031 3BHK Flats & 6BHK Villa in Azaibah.

Contact : 96775026 250 sq mtrs restaurant for rent in Plaza Hotel, Walja Ruwi.

Contact 99326339 Flats in Al Khuwair 33 & Wadi Al Kabir. Contact: 92800007 Showroom for rent at prime location, Ruwi. Contact 94151791 Full fledge workshop/warehouse & yard with tools for rent/sales. Also 5 nos. Volvo/ Mercedes/ Man/Putsmiester concrete pump 2004/2005 model for sale. Contact 93681107 / 96051565

Fully furnished 3 BHK accommodation with all spacious rooms in a villa at Darsait near ISD. Contact: 9526 5289 / 9604 8422

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new flat available at Mabela in front of Modern English School Contact: 96239126

Flat 2bedrooms+majlis in Ghubra.

Contact:99242119

Brand new 2 BHK flats/offices for rent behind Honda Road.

Contact 91165807

4 bedrooms villa with 2 halls, 4 bathrooms in Darsait behind Khimjis mart. Contact: 24700120 / 92584715

1BHK R.O 185 + 2BHK R.O 230 before Medical Darsait, Muttrah House.

Contact: 98748925

Single & double bedroom with toilets at Ghala Industrial area, Coco cola road (for family/ Exec bachelors). Interested parties contact on 92854747

840 sqr mtrs Store & Staff accommodation for Rent in Misfah.

Contact 99792181

5 BHK villa for Rent in Azaiba near Sultan Centre. Contact 99792181

4 bedrooms villa with 2 halls, 4 bathrooms in Darsait, behind Khimji Mart. Contact 92584715 / 24700120

40,000 Sqr mtrs Open Land for Rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99792181

Flat for rent in Amerat.

Contact 99209264

Flat for rent 2BR at Wadi Adai.

Contact 94643380

Flat in Al Khuwair 3 rooms + Majlis ground floor. Contact: 99242119

Spacious 2 BR flat in MBD. Contact 99713489

Flat for rent near Al Nahdha Hospital in Hamriya. Contact: 97380548 / 99680499 3 bedroom flat with 3 attached toilets, split A/C, brand Kims Hospital.

Contact: 95225662 1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity and boundary wall. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Readymade office space for rent (100sm) in Bank Melli Iran building, MBA area Ruwi opposite Center Point. Contact: 99011352 A flat for rent in Al Khuwair 33, 2 rooms and sitting room and all the necessary things. Contact:92277419 2BHK with A/Cs Muttrah, near Oman House. Contact: 95915154 3 BHK, 3 bathrooms, 2 balcony, nr. Al Hassan W/Kabir RO 330/-.

Contact :99384640 Villa for rent in Al Khuwair 33, 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms with parking area near Taimur Mosque.

Contact 99366624 3 Bedroom flat with 3 attached toilets, split A/C, brand new available, behind Kims Hospital.

Contact 95225662 2 BHK villa for rent in Azaiba, near Sultan Centre. Contact 99792181

Villa 2 bedrooms + hall + sitting room in Al Hail South R.O 300/Monthly. Contact: 93993354 I BHK Flat -4 Nos at Hamriya – R.O. 200/- . 2 BHK - 2 Nos / 1 BHK- 2 Nos, at Wattayya R/A near the mosque- for Families. Contact 96457757 9 am to 7 Pm. Shop at Azaiba. Contact 99024730 Fully furnished 2 bedroom luxury flat for rent at Ghala for short or long term basis.

Contact 91786526 / 99881653 1 & two bedroom flats available for rent in wadi-kabir (opp: pencil bldg), ideal for company staff / families bulk corporate deal possible.

Contact 97677170 1 BHK, 2 BHK & shop at Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99024730 2 BHK, 3BHK at Qurum.

Contact 99024730 1 BHK Flat in Honda Road (Ruwi).

Contact 99792181

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DAILY GUIDE

FOR SALE

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE

SELL/BUY Used furniture & Electronic items, office & house. Contact: 99834373 / 96642500 Company maintained cars & furniture for sale. Toyota Yaris, 2009 model RO 1800/-, Mazda 6 model 2009 RO 2300/-. Contact 24636655 / 24636666

FOR EXPATS From owner plot of land near Zanzibar, airport price RO 15000.

Contact 99348943

AVAILABLE Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

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

Spacious 2BHK Flat with Split A/c’s behind Sultan Center, Azaiba – RO.425/- p.m. Contact: 99824803 / 99849325 1 BR flat at Darsait, near ISM. Contact 99237971 / 99320633 Shop/ office, near Khimji H.O. Muttrah. Contact 99233116 2 BHK near Khimji H.O. Muttrah.

Contact 99233116 2BK Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Mosque. Contact 97007934 / 92629232 Brand new bldg in Walja 1 BHK, 2 BHK & shops. Contact 98218279 2 rooms, 2 toilets, kitchen in Al Ansab. Contact 94229023 Basement available in MBD, Ruwi.

Contact 99713489 1 & 2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181 1 BHK, 2 BHK at Al Khuwair.

Contact 99024730 2BHK & 1BHK flats available in Darsait. Contact : 99357586 / 97500025 3 BHK Flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181 Flats for rent at Darsait near to Ministry of Sports.

Interested candidates please Contact : 00968-92225523 House for rent in Sidab at reasonable rent. Contact: 95555162 / 95755953

FOR HIRE Flat for rent in Wadi Kabir near Indian Primary School 2 B & 1K. Contact 92222922 Pent house for rent 1 sitting, 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, 1 kitchen RO 225/-, location Al Khuwair, near DHL Courier. Contact 95620900 / 92976722 3 bedrooms villa excellent area at Mobilah. Contact 99879872 3BHK, 3 bathrooms, 2 balconies, nr Al Hassan Wadi Kabir RO 325/-.

Contact 99384640 4 & 5 BHK villa for rent in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181 3 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair 33.

Contact 99792181 1 Villa & 3 big Flats of 2/3 BHK with hall, Kitchen & ACs Al Khoudh 6, Close to express way, from owner.

Tel 97600322 Email: alnehang@gmail.com Flats for rent near Indian School in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99777122 For rent if require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send me messages through Whatsapp.

Contact: 99376454 1 &2 BHK flats for rent at Wadi Kabir, Wadi Adai, Hamriya and Al Khoud areas, shop for rent at Wadi Adai Round about. Contact: 24834644, GSM 93994401 /02/03 lines

Prime mover, 98, 4 wheel on hire.

Contact 95120774 Volvo 12 Ton Truck for monthly rent. Contact: 98713900

FOR RENT 3 Bedroom flat in Wadi Kabeer and 2 bedroom villa in Sidab- Muscat.

Contact: 95755953 1bedroom in Al Hail South RO 150/monthly. Contact: 93993354 Fabulous AC flat at Al Khoud 3 bedrooms, hall and kitchen RO 270/for rent. Contact: 99334699 4 BHK single villa in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 97616158

Used supermarket Gandola Shelving RO 40.00 per meter.

Contact 96441670 Marshal 1.5 ton A/C, Chest of drawers, sofa set, Nikai AC 1.5 ton, Raha Mattresses, fridge, cooking range, cot 3 nos, dining table with chairs, wardrobe, Samsung washing machine RO 950/-. Contact 24636655 / 24636666 Running laundry CBD. Contact 92841089 / 92868123 Newly built twin villa in Al Ansab Phase 3 for rent or sale, each villa consist of 5 bedrooms, 6 toilets, drawing, dining, kitchen outside, maid room with kitchen.

Contact 96917566 Used Fabrication machinery for sale : Fabrication machinery and tools in excellent condition for immediate sale. Contact 94652485/ 99273774/ 99202278 Shop for sale in Qurum.

Contact 96964767 Restaurant for-sale Very good location, Al khuwayer, 300+sqm, Equipped big kitchen (+bakery), many parking, separate entrance.

OMR50,000 Call 99788291 Shrimps & prawns fillet fish available wholesale & retail.

Contact 97990974

600 sqr mtrs showroom in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99792181

2,560 sq mtrs industrial land in Wadi Kabir main road, First line on way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to make petrol station or hotel. OMR 990 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Flat for rent with AC in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95555162 /95755953

Shop for sale in Ruwi High street, Contact 96078411

Flat for rent in Mabellah 8th.

Contact: 97147240

Wall papers, grass carpets sale & fixing. Contact: 99834373 / 96642500

BHK Flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99385835 / 99428143

Brand new villa Bosher 37, 4 BHK. Contact: 91936034 Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah, can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Toyota Camry 2006, new tyre & new engine, very good condition, location Sohar. Contact 91110270 Jaguar 2004, X-type Expat driven dealer maintained 1,66,000 km, RO 1900, immediate sale.

Contact 99370565 / 97097545

Hummer H3,2006, Expat driven dealer maintained 1,70,000 km, RO 3900, immediate sale.

Contact 99370565 / 97097545 Honda Accord, 2010, No. 1, 105000 kms, expat lady driven, dealer maintained, silver, expected price RO 4700/-. Contact 99330509 Land Cruiser 2012.Contact 99336093 Sportage, 2013. Contact 99336093

Prado ,2012. Contact : 99336093 PAJERO 2015 km1400.

Contact 99336093 Mazda 3,1.6, 2008 Automatic, accident free, single owner.

Contact: 92030516

FOR SALE 5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Permoglaze paint mixer (tinting machine) – 6 months old – in good condition for sale in Rustaq. interested parties may pls call 93223382 / 99874936.

3 floor commercial building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 18 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residential land in Maabela Phase 5 Block 2. OMR 140 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Restaurant for sale, Kadra Suwaiq.

Contact 97433012 A well settled/ well equipped ladies beauty parlor in running position located in Ghubra for sale. Contact immediately on 97498898 Forklift sale.

Contact: 99763831

ACC. AVAILABLE Single room with separate bathroom available near Divine Restaurant, Ruwi. Contact 95149047 / 96567139 Semi furnished 2 BHK sharing in Al Khuwair. Contact 92888337 Semi furnished 2 BHK in Al Khuwair. Contact 92888337 Furnished sharing room with sharing kitchen for Executive bachelor or small family near Mars Hyper market Ghubrah. Contact: 98472758 1 bedroom, hall, kitchen & toilet available for family near ISD Darsait (Indians only) with wi-fi facility.

RO 150/- per month + Electricity & Water. Contact 93661570 Furnished room in new building for working Muslim lady/muslim couple only. Location: AINT, Darsait Contact 99008069 Furnished master room Ruwi.

Contact : 99794399 Room for bachelor couples, Ruwi, Mumtaz on main road. Ruwi tower 80/100. Contact :95084850/ 92230581 One room in a flat for Indian Exe - bachelor near Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99659513 Room attached bath & kitchen Executive bachelor or couple, opp.

Khimji Mart Muttrah.

Contact 97477670 Single rooms with attached bath available at Ruwi.

Contact 98049288 / 93431089 Contd on Pg 6

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DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Accountant, Indian male, B.Com, PGDSE with 12 yrs of experience currently on visiting visa seeks suitable placement. Contact 92750853, email : vinoykjospeh@gmail.com Indian male, B.Com Diploma in office Automation, pursuing ICWA having 6 yrs (India, Oman) exp in Accounts, Audit Finance seeks suitable positions. Familiar with tally, ERP & focus. NOC available Contact : 94706954.

E mail:ajurn33@gmail.com Indian 24 years MBA finance 2 years experience seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98222753 Email - shemeejup@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

ACCOUNTANT Urgently required Junior Accountant. Please send CV: hr.azatllc@gmail.com

BEAUTY Required experienced Hairdressers / full beauticians with exp in Ghubrah. Contact:97964519 / 94241385 Required HAIR DRESSERS / FULL BEAUTICIANS with Gulf experience.

Contact 96180078.

CATERING Chinese/ Arab/ continental cook & helper wanted. Contact 95529970 A fast growing chain of omani fusion restaurants in Muscat is looking to hire experienced waiters and chefs (2 yrs exp).Applicants should have NOCs if applicable.

Forward resume to creativefoodsllc@gmail.com Indian Cook required. Should know Omani traditional foods.

Contact 99209264

DRAFTSMAN K.Design LLC requires “2d & 3d Draftsman” with minimum 3 yrs experience. Send CV to k.designoman@gmail.com Leading Civil construction company requires “MEP DRAFTSMAN” with 4-6 years gulf experience. Send your CV to mep.oman2015@gmail. com. (NOC required).

DOMESTIC HELPER Housemaid required, part time, preferably Keralite for looking after 2 yr old child at Jibroo.

Contact 98162545 Urgently looking for an Expatriate House Boy with Cooking knowledge and experience.

Contact Immediately: 99460564 Require qualify caregiver for an orderly mother. Contact 99425200

DRIVER H.V. Driver for trailer.

Contact 92131483 Driver heavy duty required urgently for trailer. Oman / GCC experience must. Those ready for immediate joining. Contact: 99310859

DESIGN(INTERIOR) Interior design & fit-out company based on Muscat Grand Mall looking for : (part/Fulltime) Project manager , Site Engineer , Site Supervisor CVs to be sent to : alzahi.oman@gmail.com

EDUCATION A private school located at Al Mawaleh Seeb looking for an English Teacher. Contact 98982088 Required female Science & IT Teachers from Pakistan, 4 grade near Ibra. Contact 95810797

ENGINEER Wanted Civil Engineer with 7 yrs and above experience. Email : almoosaengineering@gmail.com Automatic block factory requires qualified Engineer (Electromechanical) degree & diploma to operate new stationary block factory. Contact 97092070, email : alomranmcpllc@yahoo.com Urgently required for leading company: Civil Engineer : 8 yrs experience, Planning Engineer : 8 yrs experience, Surveyor : 8 yrs experience, Draftsman & AutoCAD : 5 yrs experience.

Fax: 24478522, email : gh1.careers@gmail.com Civil construction company looking for fresh Civil Engineering degree holders. Send CV: awahaibitrad@gmail.com Smartphone Technician Required ftt@futuretarget.net GSM: 99110080/9669066 A grade Civil construction company in Muscat urgently requires the following person with minimum 3 yrs experience : 1) Electrical Engineer 2) AutoCAD Draughtsman 3) Purchaser.

Send CV to hr.azatllc@gmail.com MEP Engineer on urgent basis required for immediate placement.

Please contact tgi17@omantel.net.om

IT Leading IT Company in search of computer professionals with hands on experience in PC & laptop repair.

Send CV to vacancyready@gmail.com Indian male, 31 years, looking for job IT/marketing. Experience 7 years (Microsoft certificate) with Hardware & networking. Contact no: 95693351, Email: tmintu10@gmail.com

MEDICAL Urgently Required Experienced GP Doctor, Gynecologist, Female Nurses with MOH license & NOC for a reputed specialized center based in Muscat. Please forward your CV to alqaimtrd@gmail.com A private clinic in Oman requires a Staff Nurse & Lab Technician with MOH license or prometric passed (Indian female preferably) salary negotiable. Interested candidates kindly mail their resumes / CV with contact details : medicalclinic2014@gmail. Com or call 00968 99049381 Wanted Dental Technician (5-8) yrs experience. Good knowledge in computer applications, preferably with CAD/CAM system. Mail your CV to hhabadri@gmail.com Wanted female Nurse for clinic in South Sharkiya. Contact 94783831, medicaljobsoman@yahoo.com Immediately required lady Doctor (DGO) or GP with Gynecology experience & lab technician. #99310590.

Email : tjmaluke@gmail.com Wanted GP Doctor for clinic.

Ph 98115439

MISCELLANEOUS Urgently required for an Insurance broker (preference will be given to Nationals) General Manager, Accountant, Marketing Manager, Marketing Executives & underwriter. Send your CV’s to enquiry@unitedinsuranceoman.com Established real estate company looking for male or female property agents for leasing and sales of the property. Applicant must be Graduate, possess Omani or GCC driving license.

Having oman market experience.

Apply with NOC. Attractive salary +commission. Send your CV: property@ labdmarkmuscat.com Required Salesman, Tailor & Barber.

Contact 96964767 Wanted Diesel Mechanics, foreman for cement block factory, JCB & forklift operators. Salesman for block factory, experienced salesman for logistics, labors for block factory.

Email : smylackal@gmail.com, Contact 94007259 C.C.T.V camera technician, Electrician & plumber, Driver, Mason.

Contact: 99383044 Looking for a foreign staff with experience in Oman in real estate & real estate valuation. Contact 99109094, email : aburashid94dd@gmail.com

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Rig Operator/Technician/Driver/ Security Positions in Musandam.

Must have Oil field experience Good Communication Skills. Please email your resume in Arabic and English to HR@petroteloman.com

SALES / MARKETING Salesman & Merchandisers urgently required for a reputed FMCG Company engaged in manufacturing & trading in Oman. Candidate must have minimum 1-2 yrs experience in the similar field & valid Oman driving license.

Interested candidates may send their CV to sunnex3@gmail.com

Required Indian or Pakistani calligrapher & Painter (staff accommodation) Contact# 24480487/24483493

Management finance professional, 36 yrs experience, 20 yrs in Oman with oil & gas & mining companies can work independently or head the division, Sudanese Nationality.

Contact 98531303

Required urgently Energetic Marketing executive for acquiring new customers. Should possess a Valid Omani DL. Contact 96545020.

Fresh Graduate B.Com with CIMA .

U. K. (Partly Qualified ) looking for a suitable position in the Middle east.

Contact 9470 5767

An excellent grade company wishes to recruit for the post of Marketing Executive for science products. Male candidates only, preferred candidates with bachelors degree in life sciences. Interested candidates may send their CV’s to Email : medical@omanmed.com

Indian male, MBA, 27 yrs, 2 yrs exp. in Oman in Accounts upto finalization of accounts, seeks suitable placement. Contact 91208799, jahafeer@yahoo.co.in

Looking for Outdoor Salesman for heavy equipment spare parts.

Contact - 93292015, Email: mail.om@gulfcenter.co Required Marketing Executive.

Contact 24816774 / 99020458 Sales Executive Industrial products : 2-3 yrs of exp. with good communication & computer skills. D/L is must. Send resume to salescvv@hotmail.com Accomplished Sales Executives/ Telemarketing Executives for leading Digital Media Enterprise. jobs@interacoman.com Furniture field experienced Salesman with license.

Contact - 99345159, 91398378 , E-Mail - agsan2005@gmail.com Urgently required outdoor salesman for building material, shop.

Contact 99867456 / 24501882 A logistics company wishes to recruit experienced Marketing Executives for its clearing & forwarding division. Interested candidates may send their CV’s at Email : medical@omanmed.com Urgently require Indian male/ female Medical sales representative for Cosmetic Company. Email CV to dania@nitrogenmedical.com Business intelligence / Global Marketing management specialist with 9 years of experience developing brand value & managing overall projects to achieve business objectives seeking suitable position on family visit. Contact: 91902154 Required Smart, dynamic Sales & A reputed company in Muscat requires Sales Executive to promote Oil engine products. Candidate must have 2- 5 yrs experience in the related field, with GCC driving license.

Send CV with expected salary at employmentoil2015@gmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Certified Public Accountant, Filipino Male 26 years, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with 5 yrs. of experience now on visit visa, Looking for suitable opening.

Contact: +968 91409308 Email: kennethalcedo07@gmail.com Female (Filipina) Accountant, Audit, Finance, Bookkeeper, 15 yrs experience, on tourist visa, looking for suitable placement, contact: 96944976, email: precyr_tupasi@yahoo.com

MISCELLANEOUS A well known private school require English, Mathematics, Science, Physics & Computer Teacher.

Email : staffing.oman@gmail.com, ph: 96910649

A reputed printing & advertising firm in muscat urgently requires male / female sales executives Contact : 99619552 , email : hocsigns@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED

12 yrs of Oman experienced Chief Accountant looking for immediate placement. Contact 99513082

Accounts finance Indian male 35 yrs B.Com, M.B.A tally exp 9.7 yrs exp 1.5 yr Oman family visa N.O.C available. Contact : 93257426.

Email: sibigeorgep@gmail.com

Finance/ Audit professional with 18 yrs Gulf experience can work independently or head the division looking for opening. Contact 92787747 / 92168401.

Part time accountant services available. Contact:93438100 Part Time Accounting, Accounts Finalization, Audit Preparation, Internal Audit, Monthly Profitability Reports, Onsite Tally Training, Contact : 96975454, email :ibfc.gcc@gmail.com Chief Financial Officer 16 yrs of Management exp with MNCs in Pakistan, expert in financial reporting sap/oracle implementing & optimization, Treasury, taxation, team work and change Management.

Contact: 91936637/ Email : rizwanfarooq.pk@gmail.com M.com, female, good knowledge in computer & tally 1 yr experience in Sales & Accounts seeks suitable placement. Contact 99363721

Part time accountant services available to handle all accounts related work up to finalization.

Contact 96247295 Indian male,, MBA, Finance, 10 yrs exp as Branch Supervisor in a reputed logistics company in Oman with an overall experience of 21 yrs in finance & logistics, with valid Oman D/L, on visit looks for suitable placement. Contact 96567151, girishlalmahadev@yahoo.com FMCG professional with 18 yrs Gulf experience in commercial / operations looking for opening.

Contact 92787747 / 92168401 Senior Document Controller, male, Indian, MCA 9+ yrs experience as Document controller in oil & gas sector seeks job as Senior Document controller. Contact 95388197, Email : rojanchristopher@gmail.com Indian female B.Tech (EEE) MBA finance with 1and half years experience as Bank Officer in India seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 91358676 / 98157895 Email: sujivu88@gmail.com An Indian Lady Chartered Accountant with five years experience (including articleship), on family visa in Oman looking for a suitable job. Contact 9621 0347 / 9943 5346, shincycrajan@gmail.com Jordanian Accountant (ACPA) with more than 15 yrs experience in Oman (Accounts, Purchase & finance).

Contact: 92881223 Email: kamal_sarhan@yahoo.com Motivated and energetic male 25 having 4 years of experience in finance with Master’s degree in Economics and CAT Certified seeking opportunity in Accounts/finance/ audit in a reputable organization.

Cell no: 00968-94626209 E-Mail: omerjawedshah@gmail.com

ADMIN Chartered CIPD HR Professional having 5 years of experience in Oman seeking suitable job.

Call +971552071501.

Indian male having 17 yrs experience in Logistics, Purchase, payroll processing & office Admin, UAE D/L seeks suitable position, valid visa till 24th August’15. . Contact 91219303 Purchase, Admin, Indian male, 15 yrs Gulf experience.

Contact: 95435370 HSE Admin experience for 10 years in GCC with valid D/L seeking to join a reputed firm. NOC available.

Contact: 99626821 Indian female, 29 yrs, MBA (HR) 4 yrs exp in HR & Admin seeking suitable placement. Contact: 95619537 Master degree HRM professional having excellent experience in finance and management and having 8 yrs experience looking for suitable placement. Contact: 92955453 / 91213269

ADMIN Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR. joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437 14 years of Gulf experience in HR / Admin & logistics fluent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact: 95824598 An Indian lady, MBA in HR & marketing with 4 yrs experience in teaching, seeking suitable placement. Contact 91108766 / 97447825 8 yrs exp in Admin & Accounts (3 yrs in Oman), MBA, Indian female, seeks placement. Contact 97243806 Oman/Qatar experienced Indian lady available for immediate placement HR / Admin/ front office/ reception/document controller/ insurance coordinator.

Contact : 0097470057238 shinuemil@gmail.com Indian 16 yrs exp in admin, Office management and have knowledge in accounting looking for job. Release available and have D/L. Contact: 99573353

BEAUTICIAN Beautician from India looking for job. Contact 93554741

DRIVER Driver with car. Contact 91452930 Light Duty Driver with 2 yrs exp. in Oman. Contact 96420742 Light Driver with 2 yrs experience looking for job with visa.

Contact 96794309 Driver, Indian Keralite, 4 yrs experience. Contact 93798442 Driver available, 24 hrs, pick & drop. Contact 95154610 Indian light driver having 1 yr experience in Oman, knowing English, Hindi, Arabic looking for job.

Contact 95214332 Indian male, looking for Heavy Driver job, holding Kuwait driving license. Contact 98136170 H.T. V Driver, Pakistani experience, 6 yrs, seeks work in company only.

Contact 93985087 Indian male 2 yrs exp in (D/L in sales seeker suitable placement.

Contact: 92055093 Light Driver, 9 yrs exp. (Keralite).

Contact 97313562 Looking for a job as Driver, with 9 yrs experience in Oman, language : Arabic/ English/ Hindi.

Contact 92517532 Light driver 5 years exp Education B.A language English, Arabic & Hindi. Contact : 98522914 / 91615715 Heavy & light duty driver valid GCC license looking job from India.

Contact 93554741 Light Driver, 5 yrs experience looking for job. Contact 92617293 Sri Lankan driver. #97387112 Light duty driver, 8 yrs exp.

Contact: 96736744

DRAUGHTSMAN 17 yrs Oman experienced MEP/ Civil Senior Draftsman / Designer seeking placement.

Contact 93130104, Email : designjob2014@gmail.com Draftsman (2D/3D) 3 yrs exp in Oman with light Oman driving license. Contact:95962384

DOMESTIC HELPER Housemaid (Madras tamil speaking) from India looking job.

Contact 95175192

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Civil Engineer B.E, 5.5 years experience with Omani D/L. # 96785311 Electrical Engineer bachelor degree having 6+ years experience of Gulf and professional license available to join. Contact: 98063081 Email: imran.engr08@gmail.com SAP – SCM.MM Consultant B.Tech.

(Chemical), from NIT, working with oil industry, seeks employment.

Contact: 98049288

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

MISCELLANEOUS

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian BE (Mech) Engineer having P.G diploma in oil &gas piping and level two NDT seeks immediate placement in any industry at present on visit visa.

Contact: 92013757/ 99774956 Indian job in procurement & contract have “13” years purchase & contract experience in infrastructure & energy sector. NOC is available.

Contact-91237036 Sudanese Electrical Engineer.

Email : mohamedkarrar.mk@gmail. com, contact 97452159 BE Mechanical Engineer, 22 yrs, Indian male on permanent visa & valid driving license looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact 91652927 / 99680181, Email : fawaris.09@gmail.com Bangladeshi male, BSC Engg in Civil, total 3 years experience, 2 years in Oman, looking for job.

Contact: 00968 94038642 ; email: shaikhhasib.ce@gmail.com Pakistani male, Diploma in civil, total 6 years experience , 4 years in Oman, with valid D/L, looking for job.

Contact: +968 98568934; Emai: eng.arfan54@yahoo.com Indian male, 15 yrs experience in GCC looking for HSE job, NOC, local transfer available.

Contact 93099578, Email : abdulsamad1966@yahoo.com Indian male, 29 yrs, BE Electronics & Communication Engg (5 yrs exp. in Oman) with valid D/L. Contact 96652145 Civil Engineer BSc -7 years experience with constructions companies - 2 years in Oman - qualified as a project Engineer- Fluent in Arabic & English - Contact 98078095 Civil Engineer Indian male 10 yrs exp having Omani D/L looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94194399 (shiblyrock@gmail.com) Indian male, 30 yrs, Diploma in Civil Engineer, 5 yrs exp. at building construction & consulting company with Oman driving license.

NOC available seeks suitable placement. Contact 95989500, cv.shihabedappal@gmail.com HSE Logistics Site Coordination with 10 yrs exp. in Oman seeks placement, with Oman D/L. Contact 92825053 / 92565093 Mechanical Engineer, 2 yrs experience in Automobile services.

Contact 98182081 Indian Mechanical Engineer (QA/ QC) Engineer with 5 yrs of experience in oil & gas, mining & manufacturing sector, keyskills – NDT, Welding Inspection, Quality control, inspection etc. Contact 91176122, Email : khajanaseer07@yahoo.co.in Electrical Engg, suitable for office works, NOC available, experience in maintenance for CB & relays, fluent in English. Contact 97891226 / 95268664 B Tech Mechanical Engineer HVAC Plumbing with 2 yrs exp. in India. Contact : 97654489 nikhilchandpm@gmail.com Indian Civil Engineer, B.Tech, 13 yrs experience in building pipes.

Contact 91342325 Indian male MBA 13 yrs exp in Oman (8 yrs in Tech Documentation 5 yrs in Project coordination) Administration, seeks suitable placement. Visa transfer / NOC available.

Contact : 93069441 Civil Engg, B.Tech, Indian male, having 3 yrs of experience in Construction & EPB looking for suitable placement. Contact 91430851.

Civil Engineer (B. Tech) Indian female, 2 yrs exp (1 yr in Oman) seeks suitable position.

Contact: 93911895 Pakistani Civil Management Engineer, 12+ 2 yrs Oman experience, Oman D/L seeks suitable placement.

Contact 94392616 Engineer with 3 yrs experience in Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical maintained field on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact 99191535 Email: fareed029@gmail.com Civil Engineer, more than 6 yrs experience in Supervision, site management, QS, Engineering software with valid Oman driving license.

NOC available. Contact 91761364, Email : a-shaqfa@hotmail.com

Mechanical Engineer : Indian , male 23 years, 2 years experience, on visit visa . Seeking suitable placement. Contact : +968 91409712 , Email : nibin.nani@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

EDUCATION

MEDICAL

Indian male 25MBA having 4years Gulf experience in Coordination with contracting company .NOC Available.

Looking for(Store,Coordination,Admin ,Backoffice) Jobs Ph:95405885

Male, 32 yrs, M.A English, M.Sc Psychology & B.Ed in English having 4 yrs of experience in teaching. The present company is ready to give the release letter. Contact 99869535, sahadkeyi33@gmail.com

Indian Dentist couple seeking for an opportunity, both Prometric passed, BDS male (80%), BDS female (81%).

Email ppdr2020@gmail.com, Ph: 97985325

Civil foreman, Civil Engineer, Indian exp overseas looking for job.

Contact 95175192 Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineer, 26 yrs, Masters from Singapore, Bachelors from India. Having 2 yrs work experience in Oman, with Valid Oman driving license. available immediately. Contact: 95498953 Mechanical Engineer with 5 yrs exp in which 3 yrs in GCC with valid D/L. looking for suitable placement.

Contact :94172136, Email: allen.mathew@hotmail.com Indian male 24 yrs B Tech Electronics & communication looking for job, having 6 months exp available in Muscat on visit visa.

Contact: 94756280 / 95084905, Email: vivek2573459@gmail.com Civil Engineer : Pakistani male having 4 yrs experience in Oman. Well handle site & guide workers, seeks suitable placement. All the documents available. Contact 96470310.

Electrical and Electronics Engineer with one year experience and GCC licence holder seeking a job mail – shyjalpk@gmail.com Indian male Electronic Technician, 7 yrs experience, CCTV Technician seeks suitable job, now on visit visa.

Contact 98353542 / 99179853 Indian male, B.Tech, B.Tech (Electronics) MBA (Marketing) having 1 yr experience as Deputy Manager Sales in Fortune 100 MNC currently on visit visa seeks suitable job.

Contact 96967234, Email: lijotitus111@gmail.com SUPERVISOR: Indian male site supervisor (AIR CONDITIONING) 25 years of experience with valid Oman Driving license, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97498809, 93391910 Email: hilariankj@gmail.com Civil Engineer BSc-Total Experience 6 years-2 years in Oman, experience in site work & Structural Design & Technical office. Contact 97983610 Indian male, Supervisor Electrician Diploma 8 yrs in Oman. NOC available. Contact 95057068, jratheesh@yahoo.com Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com Civil Project Engineer exp 10 yrs.

Contact: 92673432 Email: arifjamalkhan8@gmail.com Telecommunication Maintenance Engineer Sudanese male 2 years experience in HUAWEI hardware field cabins good communication English & Arabic. Contact :+ 968 96433495 / +968 94756295 Email: muzamilawadalla@gmail.com Electrical Engineer, Indian male, 29 yrs having 5 yrs of experience in industrial automation & utility maintenance in India (MRF tyres) seeks suitable placement. #92789995, Email : akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Electrical Engineer 2 years experience (Indian) construction (building) looking suitable placement.

Contact 00968 92596672 Email: kundara.renjith@gmail.com Btech computer science graduate 2015 passout.. Android application marketing.. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Contact 91024385 Experienced Electrical Technician, with Oman driving license looking for suitable placement.# 96103843

EDUCATION Indian female, B.Sc, B.Ed, 3 yrs experience currently on visit visa looking for suitable placement.

Contact 91330415

HOSPITALITY Diploma holder in Aviation Hospitality & travel management, Indian male seeking for suitable position, presently in Oman. Contact 97309707 4 Years experienced (Money exchange services & Hospitality services in Oman & India) - Indian male 27 years, graduate in Hospitality science, fluent in English, Hindi & Arabic seeks suitable placement.

Contact 91383167

IT NETWORK/NETWORK SECURITY ENGG. Graduate in B.Tech CS. Have 5.3 years of experience in Network and Security devices. Certified on CCNA, CCNP, MCITP and CCIE Sec. Written passed. NOC available. Can join immediately. Contact +974-55297089, e-mail: rejad.hashim@gmail.com Indian female MCA,24 years seeking suitable job. Contact 93439467 Indian female, B.Tech, IT (now in Muscat on visit visa) with total 2 yrs experience (1.3 yrs in TCS, India) seeks suitable placement.

Contact 93949541 / 93738083, email : joantoms91@gmail.com B.E (Computer) degree Engineer, complete schooling in Muscat, male, Indian with 1 yr experience needs job in software / networking / Java/ Web design or Marketing.

Contact 97136248 / 99313821 Sudanese female IT Tech. Support, Demographic, English fluent exp.

11.6 yrs. Contact: 96659392 Indian (f) with 7 yrs exp in software development (2.5 yrs Oman exp) good knowledge in .net and MSSQL Server seeks suitable placement.

Contact : 93276784 email: sanalkumar63@gmail.com

Veterinary Doctor with 10 yrs experience, looking for job.

Contact 92533579 BA degree Nursing professional having excellent looking for suitable placement. Contact:: 92955453 /91213269

PROJECTS Indian male, with 8 yrs exp. in Oman (BA- Graduate) working as a project Sales Coordinator, with Oman D/L, looking for suitable job, ready to join immediately with NOC, open for Sales & Marketing also.

Contact 95245057

SALES / MARKETING Dynamic professional in consumer business/ sales with over 20 yrs of experience in Oman field, FMCG consumer electronics consumer telecom looking for suitable placement.

NOC available. Contact 99360975 / 99049536.

Indian male, MBA, Marketing having 5 yrs experience in Sales/ Marketing in Oman seeks suitable placement. D/L & NOC available.

Contact 93815477 Indian male 27 yrs, Diploma, 3 yrs exp in Oman in Sales & Supervisor, Oman driving license holder, looking for suitable placements.noc available. Contact 93725995 Marketing/Sales, having work experience of 6 years in the hotel sales and tour operations seeking for immediate job placement.

Contact 98078305 Indian male, 30 yrs, 6 yrs Oman exp. outdoor supplier & sales with D/L. Contact 93100297 / 92547440 Indian male Graduate with 2 yrs exp in sales advertising, presently on visiting visa looking for suitable opening. Contact: 95462921

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Male, 29 yrs, MBA, Marketing having 9 yrs experience in Sales, Marketing, customer services seeks job. Contact 98163254, Email : shujaat_ali2014@hotmail.com

Supervisor / Forman interior / electrical with Oman driving license.

Contact: 98767559 MIB Post Graduate /male – more than 9 years of experience in shipping & Logistics in middle east (Liner Section) looking for a suitable job in Oman. .Mob :( India) 91-9400043894, Oman 99899627 Email: jaise81@gmail.com Indian Male 13 years experience in Purchase/Store seeks urgent placement Contact -99609696

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 26 yrs Graduate, 2 yrs exp as logistics Coordinator looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 96944298 36 yrs, Indian, male, X Ray, Welder looking for job, 8 yrs experience in TIG & ARC Welding, presently on visit visa.# 91360190 / 91843992 Management Professional accountable, responsible for profitable management can handle the entire operations, HR/Recruitment, Business development & Sales & marketing & etc, Great organizational skills with over 23+yrs exp. in Bombay, Saudi Arabia, Dubai-UAE & Oman(11yrs) as General Manager - Publications, Printing,Media. open to any industry, can Join immediately w/NOC. Contact : +968 98864706/99574638 Mail : akdas_uae@yahoo.com

Advertising/media executive with 15 years gulf experience with oman driving license. Seeks good opening.

Contact 93031168

M.Sc Microbiologist, Indian female, 3 yrs experience seeking suitable placement in Medical Lab food or water. Contact 92302719

Indian visit visa, Network / System Engineer switches, routers, servers, load balancers 5 yrs of exp holds B.E (ECE), CCNA looking for good opportunity. Contact: 91911792 Email: arafakdnl@gmail.com

Supervisor fabrication. 30 years experienced in oil and gas industry with thorough knowledge of PDO procedures. contact 99365694, 92362946, 99208102 email: tapasroy21@yahoo . com

Babar Ali Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Accounts, IT & Administration, looking for a better position in Oman, No need of Visa, already working in of the Omani Construction Company.

Contact:- 95983711.

Graduate, Indian male, 39 yrs, GCC experienced 9 yrs in Sales logistics with D/L. Contact 98826959 Indian male, Graduate with 18 yrs experience in Sales & Marketing 3 yrs in UAE currently on visit visa, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 91996486 / 99732070 Sudanese young man looking for job with suitable fluent in computers & experience in Sales.

Contact 91318822 MBA Graduate with 1 yr experience in Sales, having D/L seeks suitable placement. Contact 97620084, email : gautamacchu13@gmail.com Bangladeshi male, looking job for salesman. Contact 97756028 Indian male, 2 yrs exp. in Sales with D/L seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92055093 MBA, HR & Marketing, Indian, male, 25 yrs, fresher, on visit visa seeks placement. Contact 94736649 / 98207564, Email : dvengels8191@gmail.com Marketing/Sales, 1 year experience/ Degree holder(BBA) / valid Driving license. Contact;94122944, mail; raashidjabirm@gmail.com Indian on visit visa, having 5 yrs exp. in procurement / purchase in KSA with valid Saudi driving license. Contact 95438201 Male, BA with D/L, 6 yrs exp. in Oman seeks suitable job in Sales & Inventory & procure.

Contact 92191026

Masters in Information Systems and IT with more than 12 years experience seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 98502793, email:jobsrs6@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Indian male 27 years, B.Tech Graduate having good work experience with valid Oman D/L looking for a suitable opening as Sales Engineer.

Contact: 91472953 Email: harees.rasheed.2014@gmail.com Looking for job as Salesman at any shop. Contact 96930922

SKILLED/ UNSKILLED Car audio system technician with package experience in car, fibre glass & wood work designing, subwoofer box repairing & accessories installation. Contact 94346977.

Whatsapp 98818931 Building construction supervisor looking for small Omani company to handle independently or suitable placement in good company with Oman D/L. Contact 93061107 TIG+ARC Welder Indian with 16 yrs Middle East exp. in Copper Nickel, Duplex, Inconel, S.S, CS Now on visit visa seeks suitable placement..

Contact : 96502282.

Email: manuangola88@gmail.com

TOURS & TRAVELS Five years experience in Travel field ,BCom., IATA & pursuing MBA, Presently working in the Travel Desk of (ITC managed) Five Star Hotel in India, looking for a suitable position in the Middleeast. pls contact 9470 5767 11 yrs experience in travel field B.Com, IATA, MCSE working for Qatar Airways, Sales reservation ticketing driving license & NOC available. Contact 92954613

MISCELLANEOUS SALES MANAGER (MECHANICAL ENGINEER)-Over 5 yrs in Oman, with experience in Industrial Products & Services with Noc & driving license looking for the challenging opportunities. Notice period Ends on 27th August -2015 . GSM - 95291830 ACCOUNTANT, Male, 8 years experience .Presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with Oman Driving license. NOC available seeks suitable opportunity. GSM: 98184170 Filipino (male), 37 yrs. old, having 8yrs. experience in Operation (Shipping & Logistics) currently on visit visa looking for suitable job.

GSM: 97121525 Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 30 years, Looking for suitable placement in CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES and OILFIELD INDUSTRIES. Having 5 years of gulf experience in FASTENERS and BUILDING MATERIAL. with good communication skills.

Contact: 00968 97756269, Email: razzakbmt@gmail.com Male available for a part time accounting & admin job, #99196621.

INDIAN MALE 23 YEARS,B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 4 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer, currently on visit visa. Seeking suitable placement. Contact no. 98045482 21 years, B. Com, graduate male ‘fresher’ well versed in English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam with Driving license looking for a suitable job. Contact: 96799287 24 years, ACCA affiliate, 2.5 years of experience in audit, finance in Big6 and oil industry, looking for suitable placement, NOC release available. Contact 95140445, Email: a.saran891@gmail.com

AutoCad Civil Draftsman – Having 3 years- experience, looking for a placement.(Full- time or Part time) 99627427 / 96154564.

Indian Female, 25 years, M.Sc Electronics + Multimedia, having one year teaching experience in Government college in India, seeks suitable placement. Contact GSM 99367448 Indian Male, 37 Years , B Tech Graduate Electrical. Having 12 Years Experience of DCRP Works / Jobs in Oman with Driving License, Looking for an suitable opening, NOC Available. Contact – 92122338, Email saiviharvasanth@gmail.com Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant ,doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact : 98803439 Indian Female Lawyer having 11 yrs experience presently working in Oman seeks placement in Legal/HR/ Admin etc. NOC available Contact-94436960 Email: famidakhan123@gmail.com INDIAN MALE 24 YEARS, B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic).Having 2 years experience as Electrical Site Engineer in Constructions. Done IOSH & NEBOSH- IGC certifications.

Seeking for suitable placement in constructions or in any related industries. Contact no: 98045482/ mastanshaik1008@gmail.com Filipino (male), 37 yrs. old, having 8yrs. experience in Operation (Shipping&Logistics) currently on visit visa looking for suitable job.

GSM: 97121525 Quantity Surveyor-MEP (Estimation/Project) ,Total 10 Years Experience (3 years in Oman).

Having NOC & Oman D/L, Looking for suitable job, Contact - 97906551 Well qualified Indian Female Bsc, Computers diploma 9 years of experience as Executive Secretary seeks placement.

Contact 95423692,91374217 Indian female with MBA in finance on visit visa seeking immediate placement.

Contact :968-93316493 Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 30 years , looking for suitable placement in construction industries and oilfield industries. Having 5 years of Gulf experience in FASTENERS and building material. with good communication skills. Contact: 97756269, Email: razzakbmt@gmail.comIndian Indian male 23 years Graduate, working as a sales coordinator cum purchase & office coordination 2 YEARS in oman Having oman license & NOC looking for suitable job in Muscat. GSM:97475860 Email:yadhukrishnan08@gmail.com Pakistani male 32 years IT network + Computer Hardware professional A+ MCSE Termination Technician work Experience in salalah airport.

10+ years experience in IT field and 2 years Oman working experience valid GCC driving license available looking for a suitable placement contact no 96733205 Email - faisalzaman24@gmail.com B.E Mechanical engineer,2 years job experience in Oman in pipeline field, having ASNT level ll in UT,RT,MT and PT, fluent in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi, with valid Omani driving license (light) searching for job. # +968 92745691 ACCOUNTANT: Indian male senior Accountant, Graduate & CA Article ship completed. 18 Years of experience. Currently on visiting visa. seeks suitable placement. Contact: 97498809, 99769743, Email: hilariankj@gmail.com

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DAILY GUIDE

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

CLASSES

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished room available in Ruwi.

Contact 92435784 Large room with separate entrance, furnished at Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99336206 Independent rooms in Qurum / AL Hail. Contact 95529970

NRI

Single room with attached bathroom for an Executive bachelor at Rex road Ruwi. Contact: 99535300 Furnished room with attached bath separate entrance in Mabela.

Contact :99634841 Sharing accommodation in CBD area for non cooking Executive bachelors, wifi free, advance deposit.

Contact 91852710 Sharing accommodation available for working lady or couples near Ruwi Church. Contact: 92837206

Admission started in a private school, Darsait (Mount Zion Group of Institutions CBSE 1) for KG and grade 1 to 4 please register soonest.

Contact: 92088325 / 24799938

Furnished room for rent at Al Khuwair RO 225/- for family only.

Contact 99251975

COMPUTER Room for rent with sharing bathroom & kitchen at Al Khuwair, behind Golden Spoon Restaurant.

Contact 92994415 Furnished room for Indian Bachelor in Al Falaj area (Ruwi) & Lady in Wadi Kabir (near Al Maya).

Contact 96761960 Fully furnished room for a decent expatriate. independent kitchen, bathroom in Wadi Adai.

Contact 96243086 at 5p.m.

Room attached toilet and kitchen near Indian School Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95345537 Fully furnished 1BHK with all household items in Darsait near Lulu on monthly Basis. Contact : 99378397/99493500

SIT.WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Indian male executive secretary having vast experience in admin, logistics & procurement well versed with computer seeks suitable placement. Contact : 99514286

Plots for sale : 6 cents near UC College Aluva, Kerala, 30 cents Perunna West Changanacherry, Kerala.

Contact 99468907 Thiruvalla at Kattode 300 mtrs .from T.K. Road, 10 cents square plot for sale. Contact: 97229763

MATRIMONIAL Kerala Syro Malabar Catholic girl, 28 yrs, working in Salalah, MOH from Palakkad, seeks suitable alliance from Keralite professionals in Muscat. Contact 99357901 Sunni Muslim girl, Indian origin, 20 yrs BA graduate from Oman, good looking homely with good religious values, seeking alliances from Muslim professionals, well settled in Oman or Middle East.

Contact: 99644760 or Email: ghulamuzma23@gmail.com

WEBSITE

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

Indian male 35 yrs, 10 yrs UAE experience in FMCG, looking for a suitable position in sales and marketing, valid GCC license on visit visa.

Contact 93438747, 95723635.

Indian Male 28 years MSM, B. Com having 6years experience in Gulf and India as a HR and Admin looking for suitable placement. Contact : 97914340.

Email: rajkv30@gmail.com Available for a part time accounting job. Contact 99196621 Having exp in the following, MS Windows Server 2003 & 2008, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 & E-Mail Client Administration,Linux Administration, Service Desk Administration, Network Management, Technical Support. Presently the candidate in India.Mob:97239854

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Software Developer, Indian female, B.Tech (AE & I), M.Tech (VLSI Design), asp.net, C#,.net, C++, Core Java, Android Java, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95906935, Email : amalpkku@gmail.com Electronics / Instrumentation Engineer, Indian female, M.Tech (VLSI Design), B.Tech (applied Electronics & Instrumentation), ASP.Net, C++.Net, C++, Android Java, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95906935, Email : amalpktu@gmail.com Indian male, B.com, MBA, having 5 years experience (3 years in U.A.E) is currently seeking suitable opportunities within finance/ accounts/admin dept.

Contact:93953613, allen.mathew83@gmail.com B.Com graduate, 11 years experience in Accounts, 9 years Oman experience , Oman valid driving license, looking for suitable post.

Mob:92758404 NOC Available.

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, Indian male,29 years.8 years experience .Presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with oman Driving license. NOC available. Seek suitable opportunity. GSM: 97705854

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807 Split window cassette AC unit servicing, maintenance.

Contact: 99540621

Looking for Investor to start steel fabrication unit. Contact 98314531 Invite business proposals on profit sharing basis. Email : contact@absmct.com/ 99221683 Canadian Consultancy Company is looking for a Partner in Oman. For more information please contact +973 39990830

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

DRIVING

New company seek partnership.

Contact: 96996938 General Investors.

Gsm-99674870

GOOD NEWS FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: Driver for Automatic Transmis99425598, 99250777, 99353988, sion. Contact: 99040813 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com

One stop shop business services : Public Relation (PRO) formation new companies, LLC companies, Investor visa, business setup, prepare businesses & companies accounts, legal services, representing you and your company.

Contact: Saleh : 96723485 For AutoCAD drawings and Civil Engg. Q.S works, please contact.92758095 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089/95323517 GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Civil maintenance - plumbing, electrical, painting, and tiling, interior decorations, shop furnishing and all other maintenance works.

Contact: 97897831 / 92112094 (Indian, Keralite) Pest control Treatments, Cockroaches, Ants ,Rodents & Termites. Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99357908 / 99344723.

General cleaning & Shampooing.

Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723 / 99357908

Split & widow unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080 Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476 Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance.

Contact 93769089 / 95323517 Maintenance working interlocks, tiles, fixing painting & others working. Contact: 92179395 All maintenance & repairs. Contact Rizwan: 99429071, RMPM Trading.

A/C Maintenance & servicing, fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing.

Contact: 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281

GOOD NEWS

Air condition maintenance split and window A/C split a/c ducted and package type units.

Contact: 98667326

Fresh flowers Jasmine Roses Marigold & Garlands for Onam & other festivals, advance booking accepted.

Haridas Nensey. Contact 24750784

General cleaning in buildings villas all types interior, exterior, polishing dry cleaning carpets, rugs, marble etc. Contact 94134784 / 98598280

Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

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DAILY GUIDE TOURS

SITUATION WANTCARGO

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

RENT A CAR

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

TRANSPORTATION Transportation.

Contact 99664703 Transportation only in Muscat.

Contact 96736975 Transportation. Contact 98178135 Transportation available.

Contact 95570429 Transport. Contact: 95190627 Transportation. Contact: 96538078 Transportation. Contact:98522914 Transportation. Contact 99508282

Car for rent. Contact: 92516090

Transportation. Contact: 98244078

Butter cup rent a car competitive prices new car 2016. # 97249449

Pick & Drop any time. Contact 97014786

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DAILY GUIDE

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