Times of Oman - May 23, 2015 by Muscat Media Group

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JAYA TO RETURN AS CM OF TAMIL NADU TODAY

AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa will be sworn-in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the ﬁfth time on Saturday. >A6

SATURDAY, May 23, 2015 /4 Sha’aban 1436 AH

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K U WA I T

HM sends condolences

AL AROUBA CLINCH HIS MAJESTY’S CUP Al Arouba rode on Eid Al Farsi’s brace to clinch the SCAN THIS QR CODE prestigious His Majesty’s Cup for football beating TO INSTANTLY VISIT Sur Club 2-0 in the ﬁnal at the Sur Sports Complex ARTICLE, PHOTOS on Friday. Incidentally, Al Arouba had also emerged W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N .C O M champions in the Omantel Professional League, a few days ago. On Friday, Eid Al Farsi’s brilliance ensured them the second top title of the season. Eid was on target in the 17th minute and 47th minute of play. The prize-giving ceremony was presided over by Shaikh Nassr bin Hamoud Al Kindi, Secretary-General of the Royal Court Affairs, in the presence of other dignitaries. — Ismail Al Farsi

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of condolences to His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait on the death Jassim Mohammed Al Kharaﬁ, former speaker of Kuwait’s parliament. In his cable, HM the Sultan has expressed his heartfelt condolences and sympathy to Sheikh Al Sabah and Kuwaiti people, praying to the Almighty Allah to rest his soul in peace and grant his family patience to bear the loss. —ONA

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Days to be longer and hotter this Ramadan

>See also A4

A scholar in Oman

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

has said that longer

Bangladeshi passports from mobile units

fasting hours will pass on smoothly

For issuing machine readable passports to Bangladeshis, the country’s embassy in Muscat has deployed mobile units. >A2

with the recital of the

REGION

of Ramadan

Several die in Saudi mosque suicide blast

REJIMON K

Holy Quran during the Holy Month

reji@timesofoman.com

A suicide attacker detonated a bomb at mosque in Saudi Arabia on Friday, killing and wounding several people. >A4

MARKET

Opec to favour market share over prices

Opec will stick with the strategy of favouring market share over prices when it meets next month. >B1 W O R L D H E A LT H O R G A N I S AT I O N R E P O R T

Truck driver from Oman tests positive for Mers coronavirus in Abu Dhabi Times News Service MUSCAT: A 29-year-old expatriate in Abu Dhabi has tested positive for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus Mers-CoV, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported. The patient works as a truck driver and frequently transports camels from Oman to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “He travelled to Ibri in Oman on May 6, and transported camels to Abu Dhabi on May 9. As part of the national policy of testing all imported camels for Mers-CoV, on May 9, laboratory examinations were carried out on the camels that the truck driver was

transporting. The animals tested positive for MERS-CoV on May 10. This triggered an examination of the truck driver, which started on the same day,” the WHO said in an update. “Following his admission to the hospital, the patient was examined and tested positive for Mers-CoV on May 12. He was asymptomatic at the time of laboratory testing. The patient has no comorbidities and no history of exposure to other known risk actors in the 14 days prior to detection. Currently, he is asymptomatic in a negative pressure room of a ward,” added the update. The WHO said that contact tracing of household contacts and

The patient has tested positive for Mers-CoV.

healthcare contacts is going on with regard to the case. “The National IHR Focal Point in the UAE informed the National IHR Focal Point in Oman to undertake the necessary investigations,” it said. Globally, the WHO has been no-

tified of 1,118 confirmed cases of Mers-CoV, including at least 423 fatalities. In its advisory, the WHO said, based on the current situation and available information, it encourages all member states to continue their surveillance for acute respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns. “Infection prevention and control measures are critical to prevent the possible spread of Mers-CoV in healthcare facilities. It is not always possible to identify patients with Mers-CoV early because like other respiratory infections, the early symptoms of Mers-CoV are non-specific,” said the organisation. >A2

MUSCAT: Higher summer temperatures and longer days from mid-June will make it difficult for devout who start their fast during the Holy Month of Ramadan. While global weather predictions have revealed that summer will be hotter as the sea surface temperatures are rising due to the El Nino phenomenon, time and date calculations say that from June 15 to June 28, a day will be of 13 hours and 30 minutes duration. On June 15, the duration of the day will be 13:34:56 and on June 27 it will be 13:35. By July 17, it will be down to 13 hours and 26 minutes. Ramadan fasting is expected to begin on June 15. “If a person is targeting a good amount of the Holy Quran to read, learn or even memorise during Ramadan, one will realise that the days are not boring and will pass by quite quickly,” said Mohammed Ali Faizi, an Islamic scholar in Muscat. ‘Special time’ “Ramadan is a very special time for Muslims, but the feelings and lessons we experience should stay with us throughout the year. In the Holy Quran, Muslims are commanded to fast so that they may ‘learn self-restraint’. This restraint and devotion is especially evident during Ramadan, but we must ensure the feelings and attitudes stay with us in our daily lives. That is the true goal and test of Ramadan,” added the Islamic scholar. Safeera PK, an Indian Muslim

15 June is the expected date of beginning of the Holy Ramadan fast this year

in Muscat, said that being hungry or thirsty for a large part of the day makes you realise how blessed you are. “You feel grateful for the life that the Almighty has bestowed upon you. A long, hungry day brings you closer to the not-soblessed, poor and the impoverished,” said Safeera. ‘Consult a doctor’ Meanwhile, Hameed Parappil, a medic at Badr Al Samaa, said that before fasting for Ramadan, a person should consult a doctor about the precautions to take keeping in mind the individual’s health. “Even if you are healthy, recognise the fact that Ramadan could take a toll. Plan your schedule and meals ahead of time to ensure you get the nutrients, hydration, and rest that your body needs,” added the medic. “From a health perspective, during Ramadan it is better to consume food with rich ﬁbre content that gets digested slowly. It would be prudent to avoid oily and spicy food. The ratio of protein intake should remain unchanged more or less. Our body is capable of adapting to most of the changes over a short period of time during Ramadan,” he said.

TRAGEDY ON BEACH

Experts ask beachgoers to be wary of tides, ensure children wear life vests TARIQ AL HAREMI

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Facets of Nizwa caught on camera

MUSCAT: After the death of three-year-old Marwa, swept away at Shinas beach, swimming experts and surfers have issued advice to beachgoers. Foremost, they say, is not to let children play unsupervised and to be aware of changing tides. A number of stretches of beach have hidden riptides which can be dangerous to non-swimmers and even those who can. Anyone caught in a riptide is advised not to ﬁght the current, which can exhaust a swimmer, but to go with it and then swim parallel to the shore before attempting to swim back. Experts have suggested a series of dos and don’ts to avoid such tragedies on beaches. “Never let children play in the water alone, even if they know how to swim. Dealing with waves is serious, and even if it is a small one you will never know how power-

SAFETY TIPS: Parents have been advised not to let children play in water alone, even if they know swimming. – Supplied picture

ful it is,” Juan Migel Cruz, a surfer, told the Times of Oman. Alex Sosa, an expatriate, also called for more lifeguards on the popular beaches and added, “Another way of preventing fatalities is through public awareness campaigns.” Experts said beachgoers should be aware of the changing tides. “The tide varies at different

times of the day. So, swimmers should understand that the spot they were in earlier may not be as safe later in the day,” said an expert. Vishal Sonawane, another surfer, said that one person should remain ashore to keep a head count of those in the water. “More importantly, we should keep an eye on the weather and

always watch the sky, as well as note the changes in the wind and currents,” he said. An official from the ROP Coast Guard said that if someone is drowning, the ﬁrst thing to do is to call for help. “Rescuers must swim quickly to the victim keeping in mind that time is a factor, but not risk their lives if conditions are not favourable for a rescue, or if the person cannot swim. Once the rescuer approaches the victim, he must wrap his arm around the neck or chest and pull the victim out of the water,” he added. The ROP advised parents to ensure that children wear lifesaving jackets at all times in the sea or in a pool. They also warned children against swimming in stagnant bodies of water since depth is difficult to determine. “Parents must forbid their children from swimming in areas of high tide since those looking after children may be unable to rescue them without putting their own lives at risk,” he said.

S ATUR DAY, M AY 23, 2 015

OMAN

We are proud of this success the Sultanate has achieved by winning two prestigious awards among the region Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA

Omani photographers’ expo at Gallery Sarah except for one word, have become a means of expressing her narratives as she seeks to capture the weight of this word within their portraits. Al Kindi has developed narratives that contrast humour and nostalgia within a generation of young Omanis. Playful and sometimes disturbing, he takes everyday objects that are of great signiﬁcance to Omanis and juxtaposes the object with another to create a hybrid meaning.

Conceptual photography is a type of photography that illustrates an idea and these Omani photographers have presented the artistic practice of their concept by carefully constructing their photographs

Times News Service MUSCAT: Three emerging Omani conceptual photographers Amina Al Bakri, Abdulrahim Al Kindi and Hajer Al Subhi, have joined forces to hold an exhibition called ‘Expressions of Ideas’, which opened at on May 20. Conceptual photography is a type of photography that illustrates an idea and these Omani

INNOVATIVE EXPLORATION: Amina Al Bakri’s portrayal of these

women, their haunting eyes, speechless except for one word, have become a means of expressing her narratives. Photo– Supplied

photographers have presented the artistic practice of their concept by carefully constructing their photographs. Al Bakri has explored the concept of loss and identity in women. Al Kindi has developed narratives that contrast humour and nostalgia within a generation of young Omanis while Al Subhi is exploring staged photography, carefully creating and manipulating her photographs that are endearing and sometimes shocking. Al Bakri’s current body of work revolves around one question,

MERS-COV

NEW FACILITY: Md Abul Hasan Mridha, counsellor and head of the Chancery at the Bangladesh embassy, in front of a computer at the mobile passport issuing unit. – Supplied picture

Mobile units issue machine readable Bangladesh passports REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: In order to issue machine readable passports to all Bangladeshi citizens in Oman, the country’s embassy in Muscat has pressed into service mobile units, said a senior embassy official. “The ﬁrst unit has been deployed in Buraimi on Friday. It will be in Buraimi for two days and then move to other places. These mobile units will be operational on weekends to help Bangladeshis staying in the interiors and are unable to access the embassy on working days,” Md Abul Hasan Mridha, counsellor and head of the Chancery at the Bangladesh Embassy, told the Times of Oman. The Bangladesh government

has set a 2015-end deadline to issue the new passports to all its citizens. “In Oman, we started the process in 2012, and so far we have issued machine readable passports to 100,000 Bangladeshis. Some, 300,000 already have the new kind of passport issued from Bangladesh itself. For the rest in Oman, we will be able to issue the passports before the deadline,” he added. There are around 540,000 Bangladeshis in Oman, according to government statistics. “The mobile units will be deployed in Khasab, Salalah, Masirah and Jalan. We will be able to issue passports to each and every Bangladeshi citizen in Oman before the deadline. The unit can issue 100 passports per day,” he added.

P R E S T I G I O U S AWA R D S

A1 Avoid drinking < FROM

raw camel milk

“Therefore, healthcare workers should always apply standard precautions consistently with all patients, regardless of their diagnosis,” added the organisation. “Droplet precautions should be added to standard precautions when providing care to patients with symptoms of acute respiratory infection. “Contact precautions and eye protection should be added when caring for probable or conﬁrmed cases of Mers-CoV, and airborne precautions should be applied when performing aerosol generating procedures,” it said. Until more is learnt about Mers-CoV, people with diabetes, renal failure, chronic lung disease, and immune-compromised persons are considered to be high risk. “Therefore, these people should avoid close contact with animals, particularly camels,

“What do you fear losing most in this life?” Her fascination with human nature leads her to ask a group of women all of whom come from different backgrounds, this one question. Identities withheld, their source of communication covered, the answer becomes the woman. Having acknowledged Amina’s own answer, she looked to other women to break down her concept of loss, identity as a woman and self-reﬂect. Amina’s portrayal of these women, their haunting eyes, speechless

Subtle humour His objective is to draw the viewer in with subtle humour, but once the viewer has investigated why he has married these objects together the concept appears sometimes sad yet always thought provoking. Al Subhi is an experimental photographer. She develops scenes and narratives for her photographs in order to shoot. These carefully created images are sometimes quiet and serene, yet others are quite distressing, ensuring the viewer is either delighted or shocked. Hajer then manipulates the photo to capture the right effect. Sometimes challenging, sometimes beautiful this exhibition presents the new generation of Omani artists exploring contemporary Omani culture in an innovative manner.

M AC H I N E R E A D A B L E PA S S P O R T S

when visiting farms, markets, or barns where the virus is known to be potentially circulating. General hygiene measures, such as regular hand-washing before and after touching animals and avoiding contact with sick animals, should be adhered to,” it added. Food hygiene practices should be observed. People should avoid drinking raw camel milk or eating meat that has not been properly cooked. The WHO does not currently advise special screening at points of entry with regard to this issue and nor does it recommend the application of any travel or trade restrictions.

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ROP, ITA bag two excellence awards Times News Service MUSCAT: Two prestigious awards went into the kitty of the Sultanate, represented by the Information Technology Authority (ITA) and Royal Oman Police (ROP), at the 20th Middle East Smart Government and Smart Services Excellence Awards held on May 20, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dubai. The ITA and the ROP have received the “eLegislation Excellence Award” and the “Integrated Services Award”. Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA said, “We are proud of this success the Sultanate has achieved by winning two prestigious awards in the region. The Sultanate has been always part of any regional or international award event in the ﬁeld of ICT which, in return, encourages all of us to work even harder.” On the ROP’s win, Lt. Colonel Ahmed Abdullah Al Hadhrami, director of the Department of

HONOUR: The ITA and the ROP have received the “eLegislation Excellence Award” and the “Integrated Services Award”.– Supplied picture

Administrative and Financial Affairs at the General Directorate for Information Technology said, “This honour is in recognition of the ROP’s efforts to develop electronic services as well as the cooperation with other government authorities in neighbouring coun-

tries to ensure data exchange and integration of various services to facilitate the necessary measures for travellers entering and leaving the Sultanate.” The 20th Middle East Smart Government and Smart Services Excellence Awards aims to en-

courage the public and private sector to develop a culture of excellence in eService transactions and eKnowledge and raise it to the highest global standards in all the e-government sectors to build effective communication and exchange experiences in regions.

GLOBE CAMP

Students study environmental impact, waste management Times News Service MUSCAT: As part of the co-operation between the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and different stakeholder institutions, a group of SQU students participated in an international student environmental GLOBE camp organised by the Ministry of Education (MoE) for students from six countries. Students and teachers More than 300 students and teachers from Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon, in addition to Bahrain and Pakistan, participated in the camp at the Yitti beach in Muscat recently. It was hosted by the Ministry of Education this year. GLOBE stands for Global Learning and Observation to Beneﬁt Environment initiated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Over 110 member countries are participating in this event. The students of GLOBE schools in these countries collect environmental data, share and exchange it on a global platform, and interact, discuss and learn from each other. Inculcate research The initiative was aimed to inculcate the interest for research in the minds of school students at a

GLOBAL PLATFORM: Three hundred students and their teachers took part in the discussion, which was moderated by Dr Hameed Sulaiman. Photo-Times of Oman

young age. Ahmed Al Rubaie and Hamed Al Batashi, two master’s students in environmental science from the SQU, participated in a panel discussion at a camp during the three-day event. Three hundred students and their teachers took part in the discussion, which was moderated by Dr Hameed Sulaiman. The team shared research data

on solid waste and discussed its major environmental impact in Oman. The participants from other countries shared the solid waste management experience in their respective countries. On the closing day, the moderator from the SQU team, along with other experts, evaluated the research projects of the students and gave their inputs and feedbacks.

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015 SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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

FACETS OF NIZWA CAUGHT ON CAMERA Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman and a great centre for trade, religion, education and art. Set amid a verdant spread of date palms, it is strategically located between Muscat and Dhofar. The Nizwa Souq lies in the vicinity of the walls of the famous Nizwa Fort. Its building embraces both traditional and modern architectural lines. Through its many alleys and divisions, Nizwa Souq has remained for hundreds of years, home to a number of local industries and handicrafts like dagger making, copper work and spinning. It is also a prominent livestock, ďŹ sh and vegetables trading centre. Times of Oman photographer A R Rajkumar captures some images of the Nizwa fort and souq.

OMAN

S ATUR DAY, M AY 23, 2 015

REGION

The IS militants, who now control roughly half of Syria, reinforced their self-declared transfrontier by seizing Syria’s Al Tanaf crossing on the Damascus-Baghdad highway late Thursday

Suicide bomber kills several in attack on Saudi mosque The mufti of Saudi Arabia, the highest-ranking cleric, denounced the attack in a statement broadcast on state television. “It is a criminal act aimed at dividing the sons of the nation... and at sowing trouble in our country,” he said.

An individual detonated a bomb he was wearing under his clothes during Friday prayers at Ali Ibn Abi Taleb mosque in Kudeih in Qatif province, said Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry spokesman

RIYADH: A suicide bomber on Friday detonated an explosivesﬁlled vest during weekly prayers at a mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, killing and wounding several people, officials said. The kingdom’s Eastern Province has been hit by previous attempts by extremists to foment sectarian tensions, including a deadly shooting in November. The interior ministry said a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the mosque in Qatif, SPA news agency reported. “An individual detonated a bomb he was wearing under his clothes during Friday prayers at Ali Ibn Abi Taleb mosque in

DEADLY ATTACK: People look at debris scattered around the ﬂoor of a mosque in Al Qadeeh, Saudi Arabia in this image taken from a video courtesy of Abo Kadi Al Numer. One witness said there were at least 30 casualties in the attack on the mosque where more than 150 people were praying. – Reuters

Kudeih in Qatif province,” the ministry spokesman said in a statement. No specific figure He did not give a specific casualty toll but said several people were killed and wounded in the attack. An activist said at least four worshippers were killed and oth-

IS miltants’ grip over Iraq-Syria border tightens

Exodus It has sparked an exodus of tens of thousands of civilians in both countries and raised fears IS will repeat at Palmyra the destruction it has already wreaked at ancient sites in Iraq’s Nimrud and Mosul. The United Nations said at least 55,000 people had ﬂed Ramadi alone since mid-May. President Barack Obama has played down the IS advance as a tactical “setback” and denied the US-led coalition was “losing” to IS. But French President Francois Hollande said the world must act to stop the extremists. UNESCO chief Irina Bokova said, “The 1st and 2nd Century ruins belong to the whole of hu-

Qatif, said worshippers were celebrating when the blast occurred. “The people are very angry,” she said, adding that they tried to stop police from entering the Kudeih area. Residents had feared such an attack was coming, she said. “We don’t want a repeat of what is happening in Syria or Iraq here. This is our country and we love it.”

END OF ERA: Kuwait’s Parliament Speaker Jassem Al Khoraﬁ waving as he leaves the Kuwaiti National Assembly in this ﬁle picture taken in 2012. – AFP

Kuwait’s parliament ex-speaker Khorafi dies KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s richest independent businessman, Jassem Al Khorafi, who served as speaker of the Gulf country’s parliament for a decade, has died at the age of 75, his family said on Friday. Kuwaiti media said he had suffered a heart attack while flying home from a private visit to Turkey. Jassem Al Khorafi served as speaker from 1999 to 2011. He was finance minister from 1985 to 1986. He and his siblings inherited their wealth from their father Mohammed Al Khorafi who established Al Khorafi Group in 1956. Expansion The family business developed into the financial, telecommunications and industrial sectors, and it is now estimated to be worth more than $10 billion. Khorafi’s funeral was to be held later Friday. — AFP

YEMEN

OFFENSIVE

DAMASCUS: The IS militant group consolidated its control of the Iraq-Syria border on Friday after capturing an Iraqi provincial capital and a famed Syrian heritage site in an offensive that has forced a review of US strategy. The militants, who now control roughly half of Syria, reinforced their self-declared transfrontier “caliphate” by seizing Syria’s Al Tanaf crossing on the DamascusBaghdad highway late Thursday. It was the last regime-held border crossing with Iraq. Except for a short section of frontier in the north under Kurdish control, all the rest are now held by IS. The militant surge, which has also seen it take Anbar capital Ramadi and the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra in the past week, comes despite eight months of US-led air strikes.

ers wounded, and news websites in eastern Saudi Arabia posted photographs of bodies lying in pools of blood. Qatif hospital issued an urgent call for blood donations after the attack and called in off-duty staff to cope with the high number of casualties, the activist said. Naseema Assada, a resident of

Interior ministry statement The interior ministry spokesman said Saudi Arabia would “hunt down anyone involved in this terrorist crime carried out by people seeking to undermine national unity”. The website of Arryadh newspaper posted pictures showing bloodied prayer rugs and part of the ceiling of the mosque that had caved in. First reports by witnesses said the suicide bomber appeared to be from Pakistan but others said he was wearing traditional Afghan clothes. Kudeih is in the oil-rich Eastern Province, home to most of Saudi Arabia’s minority sect. Saudi police have made a string of arrests in recent months of extremists suspected of plotting attacks aimed at stirring sectarian unrest in the Eastern Province. Last November, gunmen killed seven people, including children, in the eastern town of Al Dalwa. Four men carried out the attack after killing a man from a neighbouring village and stealing his car to use in the shootings, the interior ministry said. In April, authorities said they arrested 93 militants, including 62 suspected of links to the IS militant group who were plotting attacks to “incite sectarian sedition”. — AFP

PA S S E D AWAY

manity and I think everyone today should be worried about what is happening.” In Palmyra, at a strategic crossroads between Damascus and the Iraqi border to the east, IS executed at least 17 suspected loyalists of the Damascus government on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. IS proclaimed Palmyra’s capture online and posted video and footage of its ﬁghters in the city’s air base, but not of the UNESCO world heritage site’s colonnaded streets, elaborately decorated tombs and temples. Syria’s antiquities director Mamoun Abdulkarim urged the world to “mobilise” to save the treasures. Also on Thursday, a Syrian priest and his colleague were kidnapped from a monastery between Homs and Palmyra, the French NGO L’Oeuvre d’Orient said. Father Jacques Mourad was preparing aid for an inﬂux of refugees from Palmyra. IS now controls “more than 95,000 square kilometres (38,000 square miles) in Syria, which is 50 per cent of the country’s territory,” the Observatory said. Fabrice Balanche, a French expert on Syria, said “IS now dominates central Syria, a crossroads of primary importance” that could allow it to advance towards the capital and third city Homs. Matthew Henman, head of IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre, said the militant advance “reinforces IS’s position as the single opposition group that controls the most territory in Syria”. — AFP

Air raids pound Houthis in three cities SANAA: Warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition pounded Houthi rebels across three Yemeni cities on Friday, as Riyadh reported the death of a Saudi child from crossborder fire. The coalition has stepped up its raids on positions held by the Houthi rebels and their allies since a humanitarian ceasefire ended late Tuesday. The latest violence came as the United Nations’ human rights agency said that at least 1,037 civilians have been killed in Yemen since the start of the air campaign on March 26. Spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said 234 children and 134 women were among the dead and that 2,453 others were wounded over the past eight weeks in a war that has heavily damaged infrastructure. Huge explosions rocked the outskirts of the capital Sanaa after Friday’s air strikes. There were also raids on second city Aden in the south and Marib province east of the capital, residents said. Morning of terror “It was a morning of terror,” one resident of a southern suburb of Sanaa said after a wave of attacks on military bases in the Dhabwa and Rimat Hamid areas. In north Sanaa, coalition warplanes targeted a stadium and a camp of the Republican Guards loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has sided with the Houthis. In all, eight rebel and allied targets were hit in and around Sanaa, including Dalaimi air base near the international airport, witnesses said. Residents said coalition raids also struck Houthi positions in Marib. There were no immediate tolls available for Sanaa and Marib. But in Aden, at least 16 Houthis and allied fighters were killed

HIT HARD: Smoke billows from an army arms depot under Houthi rebel control east of Yemeni capital Sanaa following an air-strike by the Saudi-led coalition on Friday. – AFP

in raids and ﬁghting on Friday, sources said, adding that three militiamen who back President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi also died in clashes. Hayef Al Bakri, a local militia official in the port city, urged the Saudi-led coalition to intervene on the ground in Aden “to save residents”. He said that civilians in Aden were facing “abuses” at the hands of the rebels. Across the border in Saudi Arabia, a mortar round ﬁred from Yemen killed a Saudi child, a civil defence official in the Jazran region said. Another three civilians were wounded, he added. On Thursday, one civilian was killed and three wounded in

cross-border shelling into Najran province, Saudi state television reported. The coalition has said it was determined to pursue its air campaign against the Houthis in order to restore the authority of Hadi, who has ﬂed to Riyadh with members of his government. Warning The United Nations, which has warned that Yemen is on the verge of total collapse, will host a conference next week in Geneva hoping to relaunch political talks on Yemen, despite uncertainty over who will attend. Meanwhile, a bomb exploded at a Houthi mosque in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Friday, wounding

13 people, a security source said, and the IS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Twitter. “Members of the caliphate in Sanaa have detonated an explosive device in a Houthi mosque in the people’s district...which lead to the death and injury of many of them “ said the IS. According to a security source in Sanaa two out of the 13 wounded were in critical condition. The source added that the bomb was planted inside the mosque before Friday prayers. Earlier this year, a group of hardliners in Yemen renounced their loyalty to Al Qaeda’s leader and pledged allegiance to the head of the IS militant group. — AFP

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015

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INDIA

Searing heat claims 66 lives across country Forty-three people have so far died due to hot weather conditions in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while in Odisha, the heatwave has claimed 23 lives

NEW DELHI: Searing heat intensiﬁed across the country with the mercury maintaining its upward trend and heatwave sweeping across large parts, claiming over 65 lives in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha. Forty-three people have so far died due to hot weather conditions in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while in Odisha heatwave claimed 23 lives. Temperature crossed the 45 degrees Celsius mark in many areas of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while northern states reeled under dry and hot weather conditions. In the national capital, the mercury shot up to 43.6 degrees Celsius, the highest of this season. According to MeT officials, Friday’s maximum was four notches above normal. The minimum temperature settled at 27 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. Blistering heat wave in many areas of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has claimed 43 lives even as people continued to reel under

HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS: A man holds an umbrella as he walks across a dried-up pond on the outskirts of eastern Bhubaneswar on Friday. According to the MeT Department, the mercury will continue its upward trend in the next few days. - AFP

torrid weather. According to the MeT Department, the mercury will continue its upward trend in the next few days. Khammam, Nalgonda, Nizamabad and Karimnagar in Telangana, and Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh were worst hit. In Khammam, the mercury touched 47 degrees Celsius on Friday, weather officials said, adding in other areas it hovered around 45 degrees Celsius. “As per the information received till yesterday the toll in Telangana is 21,” Revenue Secretary B.R. Meena said. According to reports from Andhra Pradesh districts, 22 people have died due to the heat wave in the state so far. Telangana Government has issued a list of ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ for the people, asking them not to venture outside when day temperatures are high. In Odisha, heat wave-like condi-

tions prevailed in large parts forcing people to remain indoor and prompting the administration to take precautionary measures. Maximum temperature According to officials, as many as 23 died allegedly due to sun-stroke in the state, where Jharsuguda recorded the maximum temperature at 45.8 degrees Celsius. In Punjab and Haryana, intense heat wave swept across the two states with mercury soaring sharply in many areas. Hisar in Haryana sizzled at 45.5 degrees, four notches above normal, while in Bhiwani, mercury settled at 44.8 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh registered a high of 41.7 degrees. In Punjab, Amritsar’s maximum settled at 43.2 degrees while Ludhiana and Patiala recorded their maximum at 42.7 degrees Celsius. In West Bengal, the mercury crossed 40 degrees Celsius mark

in many parts with heatwave blowing across the western part of the state. Two persons died reportedly due to hot weather conditions. While an under-trial died in a court lock-up in Barrackpore, a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) employee died while working in office. In central India also, there is a heat wave situation from where the hot winds are blowing in. In Himachal Pradesh, Una in the Shivalik foothills experienced the hottest day of the season as the mercury breached 42.0 degrees Celsius mark, while temperatures rose by one to two degrees in other mid and lower hills. People reeled under scorching sun in lower hills with Una recording a high of 42.1 degrees Celsius, followed by Bilaspur 39.4, Sundernagar 37.3, Nahan 36.3, Bhunter 35.2,Dharamsala 31.8, and Shimla 28.1 degrees Celsius. - PTI

TA K I N G S T O C K

Government could miss tax reform deadline: Jaitley NEW DELHI: India’s finance minister acknowledged on Friday that the government could miss its deadline to implement a key tax law amid criticism of the pace of economic reforms after a year in office. Arun Jaitley said he was “conscious” that delays in parliament in passing long-awaited legislation on a national sales tax meant the government was “cutting (it) too fine to reach the deadline” for its rollout next year. “(But) the government is going to make every effort to ensure that there is no delay and we meet the deadline,” the minister told reporters while marking a year in government. He meanwhile trumpeted a string of his government’s achievements in the last 12 months, including shrinking inflation and the fiscal and public deficits, combating corruption and speeding up decision-making which have long held back economic growth. The government set a deadline of April 1, 2016, for introducing the key goods and services tax (GST), which will replace overlapping state and federal levies and create a common market to boost the economy. But the opposition, which has a majority in the upper house, forced the government this month to send the GST bill to a parliamentary panel for further scrutiny along with legislation on making it easier for businesses to buy land, another crucial initiative. In a special India edition published on Friday, The Economist criticised a lack of big-bang reform by the government in its first 12 months, including easing

ONE YEAR ON: Minister of Finance Arun Jaitley addressing the media on one year of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, in New Delhi, on Friday. - PTI

strict labour laws, overhauling inefficient state-owned giant Coal India and introducing a more predictable and lower tax regime. “Mr Modi’s government is missing a rare chance to launch some bold reforms,” the magazine said to mark the ﬁrst anniversary. Jaitley defended the pace and level of reform since his party won a landslide at elections last May, saying his government had revived Asia’s third largest economy with growth heading towards eight percent. But he also said the government should work to tax companies at more competitive rates, amid a blazing row with foreign portfolio investors over demands they pay another tax for which they were not previously liable. “We must... remove discretion, phase out exemptions and bring the effective rate down to global levels,” Jaitley told the press conference. - AFP

EYE SURGERY

Question mark on RJD-JD(U) merger as Nitish skips meet NEW DELHI: Putting a question mark on the ‘Janata Parivar’ merger, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday skipped a crucial meeting called to iron out the differences with RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who mooted the idea of roping in Jitan Ram Manjhi, a known Nitish detractor, in the anti-BJP alliance. Nitish, who was in Delhi, sent JD(U) president Sharad Yadav for talks with Lalu and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been designated as the leader of the proposed entity after a formal merger of six ‘Janata Parivar’ outﬁts. Nitish’s aides said he had undergone a minor eye surgery and advised rest. Suggested Lalu, who had on Thursday suggested bringing in Manjhi in the ‘grand alliance’ to take on BJP, on Friday formally broached the idea

at the meeting, sources close to the development, said. Sources said Lalu, instead of focusing on a merger between RJD and JD(U), talked about forming a ‘grand alliance’ against BJP that would include all non-NDA parties, including the Left, something that would not go down well with Nitish Kumar. Despite JD(U) on Thursday deprecating any move to forge ties with Manjhi, who was ousted and replaced by Nitish after he refused to step down as chief minister, Lalu’s insistence on his inclusion in the alliance is being seen as an attempt at procrastination. Lalu, according to sources, was not keen on a merger and wanted the two parties go to the hustings as alliance partners, with his party getting a larger share of tickets to contest. Though the Nitish Kumar government is surviving on the RJD

prop in Bihar, Lalu has consistently refused to project him as the future chief minister. JD(U), on the other hand, wants Lalu to back Nitish as the chief ministerial face of the merged entity. The ﬁrst strong signal of the merger not fructifying had come a few days ago when SP National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav declared that it was not possible before the Bihar Assembly polls due to “technicalities” involved and any move taken in a hurry would amount to signing the “death warrant” of his own party. SP believes it has little to gain from any merger between the two Bihar-centric parties with many of its leaders fearing a loss of stature in the new party. Lalu too does not want to play a second ﬁddle to JD(U) despite his party having a larger support base. Lalu’s insistence on roping in Manjhi, a Mahadalit leader whose

party has made it clear that it will not be part of any formation involving Nitish, is being seen as sign that the RJD boss is intent on driving a hard bargain. For the record, Lalu said attempts at unity are on and brushed aside reports that Nitish was unhappy with the recent turn of events. “I have no differences with anybody,” he said. After prolonged negotiations, six splintered parties of the socialist fraternity--Samajwadi Party, RJD, JD(U), JD(S), INLD and Samajwadi Janata Party--had last month announced their merger, with SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav as the leader of the proposed entity. Their leaders had expressed the hope that the new entity would materialise before the Bihar polls to put up a strong ﬁght against BJP. However, enthusiasm waned as differences cropped up between RJD and JD(U). - PTI

CALLING THE SHOTS: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav speaks to reporters after a meeting with Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, in New Delhi, on Friday. The leaders reportedly met to sort out seat sharing issues ahead of the Bihar state elections, expected later this year. - PTI

S ATUR DAY, M AY 23, 2 015

INDIA

There may be a possibility of personal rivalry as he was shot from a close range... We are investigating from all angles and shall probe if he had got any threats in the past Fatehsinh Patil, Additional Police Commissioner

PROBE ON

GUJJARS’ SIT-IN FOR RESERVATION HITS TRAIN, BUS TRAFFIC Passengers stranded at Mathura Railway Station following cancellation of many trains due to an agitation by members of the Gujjar community on Friday. Rail services were hit as thousands of Gujjars continued to sit on the railway tracks in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district for the second day demanding ﬁve per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. Road traffic was also affected. - PTI

Firing near Amitabh’s shooting site, leaves man seriously injured MUMBAI: In a real life shootout, a Bollywood security contractor was shot and critically injured inside the Film City in Goregaon East here on Friday, barely a few metres away from a set where megastar Amitabh Bachchan was shooting. Additional Police Commissioner Fatehsinh Patil told reporters that two people arrived on a motorbike and ﬁred at least three shots at Shrikant alias Raju Shinde from close quarters, stunning the people around. A seriously injured Shinde, 45, was rushed to the Nanavati Hospital in Vile Parle where he is undergoing treatment. “There may be a possibility of personal rivalry as he was shot from a close range... We are investigating from all angles and shall probe if he had got any threats in the past,” Patil said.

POWER TUSSLE

Lieutenant Governor gets power to appoint bureaucrats in Delhi NEW DELHI: In the midst of a raging row over his powers vis-avis Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor has been given absolute powers by the Centre in appointment of bureaucrats for which he need not “consult” the chief minister on subjects like senior staff, police and public order. The Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Delhi government has also been barred from registering any case against officers and political functionaries of the central government. This decision is apparently aimed at preventing the AAP government from filing cases similar to the one against former Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily and a few central government officials in the natural gas issue in February 2014. Gazette notification The gazette notification issued by the Home Ministry late on Thursday night said the LG will have jurisdictions over matters connected with services, public order, police and land and he may consult with the chief minister whenever he thinks necessary on issues of services using his own “discretion”. It is well established that where there is no legislative power, there is no executive power since executive power is co-extensive within legislative power, it said. “Public order, police, land and services fall outside purview of legislative assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and consequently the Government of NCT of Delhi will have no

Jaya to return as CM of Tamil Nadu today The swearing-in ceremony would be held on Saturday at 11am at the Madras University Centenary Building. A total of 29

Najeeb Jung

executive power” on such matters, accordingly to the notification. The gazette notification said the LG shall in respect of matter connected with public order, police, land and services exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the central government to the extent delegated to him from time to time by President provided that the LG may in his discretion obtain view of the Chief Minister of Delhi in regard to the matter of “services” wherein he deems it appropriate. The notification made it clear that it superseded a 1998 notification which had allowed the LG to “consult” with the chief minister in all matters except in those cases where he did not consider “expedient” to do so. The appointment of senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary by LG last week had triggered a full-blown war between the ruling AAP and Najeeb Jung, with Kejriwal questioning the LG’s authority and accusing him of trying to take over the administration. - PTI

Shortly after the shootout at 2 pm, near the Gate No 2 of Film City which is situated inside the Aarey Milk Colony, police erected road blocks all the way upto the Western Express Highway and at all the exit points from Mumbai. Among other things, Shinde also served as a security contractor, runs a cable television network, construction, supplying timber to film sets and into assorted social activities. However, the motive behind the attack or its perpetrators are still not clear and being investigated, Patil added. Amitabh, 72, tweeted: “Okay!! Shooting at Film City...and a gang war shootout 20 feet from where we are...!! 1 dead... cops all over.” The Filmcity is an integrated film studio complex with multiple locations that serve as the venue of many Bollywood film and TV show shootings. - IANS

ministers, including Jayalalithaa, would be sworn-in

CHENNAI: AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa will be sworn-in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the ﬁfth time on Saturday, within less than a fortnight of the Karnataka High Court upholding her appeal and acquitting her in a disproportionate assets case. Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah’s office, in a statement, said the governor has approved the recommendation made by chief minister-designate Jayalalithaa regarding allocation of portfolios among the council of ministers. The swearing-in ceremony would be held on Saturday at 11am at the Madras University Centenary Building. A total of 29 ministers, including 67-year-old Jayalalithaa, would be sworn-in. Coming out of her home after more than seven months on Friday, Jayalalithaa called on Rosaiah and exchanged pleasantries.

PAYING TRIBUTES: AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa after paying ﬂoral tributes at the statue of former chief minister and party founder MGR, in Chennai, on Friday. - PTI

She also handed over the list of ministers to be sworn in at the swearing-in ceremony slated for Saturday, party officials said. Resignation Earlier in the day, Rosaiah accepted the resignation of Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and his council of ministers and invited Jayalalithaa to form a new ministry at the earliest. Jayalalithaa had to relinquish the post of chief minister and her Srirangam assembly seat after she was convicted and given a fouryear jail term along with Rs100 crore ﬁne by a trial court in Bengaluru in the disproportionate assets case. Jayalalithaa on Friday paid ﬂoral tributes at the statues here of party founder late M.G.Ramachandran (MGR), DMK founder late C.N. Annadurai and Dravidar Kazhag-

am founder late E.V. Ramaswamy. Thousands of party cadres from several parts of the state, despite the scorching summer heat, lined up along the route she took to have a look at their leader. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) cadres from different parts of the state were arriving in the city since early morning to greet Jayalalithaa and assemble at the party head office. Traffic in Anna Salai, a major road, was thrown out of gear due to the huge crowd. Hundreds of party ﬂags, posters and banners with Jayalalithaa’s photo were put up on the route she took. People climbed trees by the roadside to have a glimpse of their leader. It was a day of fast-paced political developments — along expected lines — since morning. At 7 am. the AIADMK lawmakers in a meeting at the party head-

quarters elected Jayalalithaa as leader of the legislature party. Panneerselvam proposed Jayalalithaa’s name amid enthusiastic clapping by all the law makers. He said he would resign as chief minister and leader of legislature party. It is expected that Jayalalithaa would contest for reelection from Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency since on May 17, P. Vetrivel, a party legislator representing Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency, resigned from his post and the same was accepted by the speaker. With Vetrivel’s resignation, the AIADMK’s strength in the 234-member assembly comes down by one to 150, excluding the speaker. A close aide of AIADMK founder-leader MGR, Jayalalithaa became the party’s propaganda secretary in the early 1980s. In 1984, she entered the Rajya Sabha. Jayalalithaa was elected to the Tamil Nadu assembly for the ﬁrst time in 1989. Two years later, she became the chief minister, sweeping the election held after the 1991 assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Her party was voted out in 1996 amid corruption charges, but she returned to power in 2001. Jayalalithaa again led the AIADMK to a thumping victory in 2011. This time, she announced a string of populist measures that have proved to be hugely popular in Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa studied in Bengaluru and Chennai, and ventured into acting. She made her debut at the age of 16 in a Kannada movie, and went on to act in over 140 ﬁlms. - IANS

THRIVE IN SMALLER CITIES

Street dentists fill gap for poor who can’t afford expensive treatment BENGALURU: Ignoring noisy buses and curious onlookers, street dentist Allah Baksh plunges his hands into a patient’s mouth to fit a sparkling set of dentures for $12 in the Indian city of Bengaluru. With his plastic stool, mirror and glass cases of teeth on display, Baksh is among hundreds of such dentists frowned upon by their licenced counterparts in rapidly modernising India. But the 54-yearold insists he is providing an essential service to poor who cannot afford a visit to a sterilised clinic. “There are millions of poor people in this country who cannot pay for expensive dental treatment,” Baksh said in between customers at his makeshift clinic where his tools include a large, metal file. “But they also have a right to be treated and look good,” he said as he mixed pink gum paste with his bare fingers on a teaspoon. “I know this is not hygienic at all but if I start using sophisticated tools, the poor man won’t come here.” From dentists to shoe shiners, barbers and chefs, street services are an engrained part of life in India, particularly for the poor.

Never formally trained Baksh never formally trained as a dentist, instead learning his skills from his father, who came in 1984 to the southern, sleepy backwater now transformed into a regional IT hub and thriving metropolis. Alongside his younger brother, son and nephew, Baksh set up their clinic 14 years ago outside a bus stand, where together they make and ﬁt dentures for some 20 customers a day. A full set of teeth, moulded and ready to ﬁt in 30 minutes, costs as little as Rs800 ($12), while a single false tooth sells for Rs50 (80 cents). Tools are thoroughly washed in soap and water — but not disinfected. The teeth in all shapes and sizes are made in China and in India from dental cement. Soft pink adhesive is then moulded for gums and the teeth stuck in, with the dentists saying their handiwork lasts for at least four years. India passed a law in 1948 allowing only licensed dentists to treat patients, but the legislation’s vague and outdated wording about exactly what constitutes a dentist

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Numerous posters advertising his services are propped up around him, as a multitude of vendors jostle for space.

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

MAKESHIFT CLINIC: Traditional Indian dental worker Allah Baksh (lower right) takes measurements for dentures of a customer at his roadside stall at K.R. Market bus stand, in Bengaluru, recently. - AFP

has allowed many unregistered ones to operate. In big cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai, street dentist numbers have dwindled in recent years on growing awareness of contracting HIV/AIDS and other diseases, rising customer income levels, and a surge in dentist graduates.

But they still thrive in smaller cities as well as towns, although few perform root canals, ﬁllings or other operations. “There must be thousands of them,” Ashok Dhoble, secretary general of the Indian Dental Association, a private body of licensed dentists, said.

“The oral healthcare (industry) is in its infancy and surprisingly we don’t have even ﬁgures on qualiﬁed dentists in India.” Dhoble said 30,000 graduates join the profession every year, but India still has only one dentist per 10,000 people in urban areas and about 250,000 in rural areas, according to the US National Library of Medicine. Dhoble branded unlicensed dentists quacks who were not worth the risk, despite a lack of ultra cheap services offered by licenced professionals for the poor. “Ban them and they will be forced to look for another job. “We can’t have cheap treatment as an excuse to continue this practise,” he said. Status symbol In Delhi’s crowded old quarter, third-generation dentist Satvinder Singh, 48, takes a lunch break from treating patients on the pavement.

Dying profession Singh said his profession is slowly dying because of the growth of India’s formal dentist industry along with more hygiene-conscious customers. “A few decades ago I used to get 30 customers a day. I hardly see two now,” said Singh. “At my age I can’t change my profession. My sons are in a different business. I don’t want them here,” he said. Singh said a few decades ago, traders from a nearby spice market, Asia’s largest, would line up for his false silver and gold teeth, considered a status symbol. “Earlier rich and poor would equally visit us but now we are looked down on,” he said. For his part, Baksh remains adamant he is improving the lives of the poor, and that his family will continue the tradition. “We have thousands of satisﬁed customers, who not only pay us but give us their blessings.” -AFP

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015 Women turned up in great numbers at polling stations during the 1970 general elections but later regressive circles deprived them of their rights Hamida Shahid, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf official

PAKISTAN

Sharif for stronger energy relations with Central Asia The 1,200-km-power line, which would also supply 300 megawatts to conflict-torn Afghanistan, “would ease the electro-energy deficit” of his country of 185 million people, Nawaz Sharif said

In a meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Temir Sariyev on Thursday, Sharif discussed an electricity project that would see Pakistan import up to 1,000 megawatts from mountainous Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

BISHKEK (KYRGYZSTAN): Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif concluded a visit to the Central Asian region on Friday, pushing to expand energy ties with the former Soviet states to tackle Pakistan’s chronic power shortages.

In a meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Temir Sariyev, in the capital Bishkek on Thursday, Sharif discussed an electricity project that would see Pakistan import up to 1,000 megawatts from mountainous Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Sariyev promised his country’s “active participation” in the project, known as CASA 1000. Sharif also met Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev during the visit. Though the World Bank is ﬁ-

nancing half the project, CASA 1000 faces challenges since Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan can produce an energy surplus only in the summer when their mountain rivers fill with water. Politically contentious The project would therefore only partially solve Pakistan’s politically contentious deficit. Sharif flew to Bishkek from the Turkmen capital Ashgabat, where he spoke with Turkmenistan’s leader Gur-

banguly Berdymukhamedov on Wednesday. Little detail was disclosed from negotiations in secluded gas-rich Turkmenistan, but they were likely focused mainly on TAPI, the ambitious pipeline project valued at up to $10 billion that would pump Turkmen gas to the South Asian country and India, also via Afghanistan. The planned 1,800-kilometre link could deliver 33 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas annually to

the growing Indian and Pakistani markets with Afghanistan likely to absorb no more than 0.5 bcm. After the talks, Sharif said that he hoped to “intensify work on the TAPI project that would bring advantages to the entire region.” The pipeline however faces security concerns in Afghanistan and ballooning costs while it lacks a commercial investor. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in April the project may take ﬁve years to complete. —AFP

AIR STRIKES

15 suspected militants in Shawal killed PARACHINAR: Air strikes killed at least 15 suspected militants in Pakistan’s northwestern Shawal Valley on Thursday, intelligence officials said, a week after security forces moved toward Taliban strongholds there. The deeply forested ravines are a major smuggling route from Pakistan into Afghanistan and are dotted with Taliban bases used to launch attacks on Pakistani forces. A local security commander and two intelligence officials said that between 15 and 16 suspected militants were killed in Thursday’s strikes in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan. Afghan border The Taliban used to control all of North Waziristan, a mountainous region that includes the Shawal Valley and runs along the Afghan border. But the Pakistani military launched an operation there last June and has recaptured most of it. NATO forces had long urged Pakistan to launch such an offensive, saying Taliban safe havens in Pakistan were being used to attack NATO and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. Now locals say that the military is gearing up for an operation in Shawal Valley, where the Taliban still freely operate. — Reuters

SUFFRAGE

Political parties sign pact on women’s right to vote in Upper Dir UPPER DIR: Five of the province’s primary political parties have vowed to support women’s suffrage and signed an agreement to that effect in Upper Dir on Thursday. The pact was inked at a meeting arranged by NGO Friedrich Naumann Foundation at a hotel. Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the two

frontline participants in the “men only” Provincial Assembly seat PK-95, Lower Dir-II by-polls, also vowed to uphold women’s right to vote and encourage them to participate in the local government electioneering. Jamiat Ulemae-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP )were represented by local leaders.

Talking on the occasion, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Malakand Coordinator Hamida Shahid rubbished theories that women have never voted in Dir. “Women turned up in great numbers at polling stations during the 1970 general elections but later regressive circles deprived them of their rights,” said Hamida. JI’s member of National Assem-

Suspect Aziz confesses to activist Sabeen’s murder

TRAGIC END: Pakistani civil society activists hold pictures of rights campaigner Sabeen Mahmud during a protest in Islamabad on April 28, 2015 against her killing in a drive-by shooting in Karachi. — AFP ﬁle photo

foora incident. Sabeen, along with her mother, was returning home from T2F in Defence Phase-II Extension when her car was attacked near the Defence Central Library traffic signal. Hours earlier, she had hosted a seminar on the troubled province of Balochistan, featuring Mama Qadeer, the chairperson of Voice for Missing Baloch. Friends recall that Saad was a ‘normal’ kid. He played football for IBA United and had a GPA

stations for women so they are can exercise their right to vote. Controversy The long-standing controversy was fuelled during the aforementioned by-polls when reportedly women were barred from voting. Fingers were pointed towards ANP and JI, the main parties in the fray – both denied any involve-

ment. An estimated 48,000 women were denied the right to vote during the by-elections held for the seat vacated by JI party chief Sirajul Haq following his elevation to the Senate. A similar agreement was penned by nine political parties in Peshawar on May 9. They vowed to uphold women’s suffrage across the province. — Express Tribune

C O M M E N TA RY

K I L L E D O V E R VA L E N T I N E ’ S D AY R A L LY

KARACHI: Saad Aziz, one of the suspects arrested for involvement in The Second Floor café director Sabeen Mahmud’s murder confessed on Friday to killing her, Express News reported. “We shot her for holding a Valentine’s Day rally,” Aziz reportedly said in his statement to the police. “My friend was riding the motorcycle but I was sitting at the back and I shot her,” he added. The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) graduate added, “When she sat in the car after her Balochistan seminar, I followed her and when her car stopped at Sunset Boulevard signal I shot her.” Aziz claimed he was a regular attendee at seminars held at Mahmud’s café and was also present at the seminar on ‘Unsilencing Balochistan’ following which she was shot dead. “We followed her for days and gathered information on her before killing her,” the 27-year-old, father of one said. Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday while announcing that four men had been arrested claimed, Aziz, who had studied in the Bachelors of Business Administration programme at the IBA Karachi, was the mastermind of Mahmud’s murder, and the main accused in the Sa-

bly Sahibzada Tariqullah and ANP leader Riaz Anjum also addressed the gathering. Dir local government general councillor candidate Saeeda and Sheringal candidate Sahira were also present. Only 10 polling stations for women have been planned for Upper Dir. Speakers voiced concerns and urged the commission to ensure more separate polling

above 3.0. “For the ﬁrst two years, he was a burger kid. He had girlfriends and we would have shisha at Indulge. “He was funny, acted in plays and danced,” said a young man who was once a close friend. But that all ended in his third year and his friends began noticing the radical nature of some of the changes Aziz made in his life. He stopped talking to girl and , began bunking classes and grew his beard out. — Express Tribune

ATMs for drinking water BY SYED MOHAMMAD ALI

The provision of safe drinking water is one of the most pressing needs in Pakistan. Given that nearly 40 per cent of deaths per annum are attributed to water-borne diseases, the lack of clean drinking water has become a major public health issue. Focusing on the need to ensure that all the citizens have access to an adequate amount of water is imperative but it requires a shift in political priorities as well as an overhaul of governance practices related to water management. There is, unfortunately, little evidence available that there is effective management of our freshwater resources and their equitable access. Water scarcity Instead, we continue to see tokenistic measures to address the growing water scarcity. The Punjab government formed the Punjab Saaf Pani Company (PSCP) this past year, with a mandate to provide safe drinking water solutions for under-served areas in rural and peri-urban areas of the province. One recent project initiated by the PSPC, in collaboration with the Lahore-based research entity, the Innovations for Poverty Alleviation Lab (IPAL), has recently been highlighted in the press. This proposed attempt aims to install ‘water ATMs’ on a series of water ﬁltration plants. Using

The use of innovative technology to provide clean water to the marginalised seems like a good idea. Such systems have been put to use in India to provide water to underserved communities ATM-like cards, beneficiary families would be entitled to collect 30 litres of clean drinking water daily from selected filtration plants. PSCP-IPAL are currently seeking British aid to put up a prototype with plans to install more of the dispensing machines at other existing water filtration plants in three districts of Punjab: Bahawalpur, Rajanpur and Faisalabad, in areas with particularly serious water contamination issues. The plan is to install the water ATMs at 20 filtration plants initially, to benefit some 17,500 families. The use of innovative technology to provide clean water to the marginalised seems like a good idea. Such systems have been put to use in India to provide water to underserved communities. Yet, there is reluctance of poor communities in taking up the

scheme, especially when it involves a small fee. The proposed scheme in Pakistan also aims to ask beneﬁciary communities to pool money each month to pay for the maintenance of the ATMs and ﬁltration plants. Whether poor communities will be able to make such payments on time remains to be seen. While the solution of water ATMs may be useful for underserved communities where pipe networks cannot be laid down for a variety of reasons, providing enough water ATMs to meet the drinking water needs of the entire population is not going to be a very feasible idea. It is, therefore, imperative that our policymakers pay more attention to the issue of water conservation, stop water wastage, especially in agriculture, and put in place safeguards to prevent more pollution of existing freshwater supplies. There is also need for more effective water infrastructure, water storage and implementation of better standards for water supply and water quality, which in turn requires better excreta management, and better maintenance of pipelines to curb water losses and contamination. The problem of illegal water connections must be addressed more effectively. There is also need to ensure more equitable distribution of drinking water facilities across socio-economic and urban-rural divides. — Express Tribune

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The rising geopolitical implications of parallel ports

ituated on the same coastline but separated by less than 200 kilometres, Gwadar and Chabahar are both Baloch towns but the former belongs to the Pakistani Balochistan and the latter to the Iranian one. So as seaports belonging to two separate but neighbouring countries, the two are physically too close for comfort as competing seaports. More so because both are located almost at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz through which pass about 35 per cent of the world’s sea-borne oil shipments and 20 per cent of the oil traded worldwide. More than 85 per cent of these crude oil exports go to Asian markets — Japan, India, South Korea and China. The geopolitical implications of these two upcoming seaports in such close physical proximity are enormous as their respective sponsors, China and India — two regional rivals — could either step on each other’s toes while competing, sending the region into an economic tailspin or cooperate for achieving the potential of the Asian century. The rivalry between India and Pakistan could also muddy the seawaters in the region in case the two try to turn competition into confrontation. However, the Chinese presence in the equation is likely to help avert such a crisis. Just as India wants to build up Chabhar to open up new trade routes and economic exchanges through Iran and northward, China wants to build up Gwadar to open up trade routes and economic exchanges through Pakistan and northward back to China. The main reason India wants to develop Chabahar is to allow itself easier access to Afghanistan and Central Asia, an access that Pakistan ostensibly for its own security reasons, has consistently denied to India by refusing to let it use Pakistani territory for transit to and from Afghanistan. India, Iran and Afghanistan have signed an agreement to give Indian goods, heading for Central Asia and Afghanistan, preferential treatment and tariff reductions at Chabahar. A strategic partnership between India, Iran and Russia is intended to establish a multimodal transport link connecting Mumbai with St. Petersburg, providing Europe and Central Asia access to Asia and vice versa. India and Iran are also discussing building a gas pipeline between the two countries along the bed of the Arabian Sea to bypass Pakistan, using the Chabahar port. The Gwadar Port is expected to start operating full steam by the end of 2015. It is owned by the Gwadar Port Authority, a public sector entity, and operated by a state-run Chinese ﬁrm — China Overseas Port Holding Company. China has both ﬁnanced and constructed the port because it opens up a route for transporting Middle East oil by a 3,000km-long land route from the Gwadar port to Kashgar, the northwestern Chinese city. Oil from the Middle East is to be unloaded at Gwadar and transported to China by rail and road. China is building the much talked about economic corridor costing around $12 billion connecting Gwadar to China’s Xinjiang via roads, railways and pipelines to transport oil and gas. This would also act as a bridge for China’s planned maritime Silk Route meant to link more than 20 countries as part of a trans-Eurasian project. - The Express Tribune

To see or not to see

“T

here’s no art”, King Duncan says early in the Scottish play, “to find the mind’s construction in the face.” Macbeth will prove his point by murdering him. Shakespeare’s warning words, though, are lost on the zealots and cranks who – along with genuine scholars – have scoured the archives to discover what the playwright really looked like. Country Life magazine has announced that it had unearthed a new likeness of the Bard. According to botanist and historian Mark Griffiths, who has “cracked a many-layered Tudor code”, a shaggily handsome depiction of Shakespeare appears on the frontispiece of John Gerard’s Herball: an influential plant encyclopaedia from 1598. According to Griffiths, we can now gaze on the only contemporary portrait of the dramatist. Both of the widely accepted representations – Martin Droeshout’s engraving for the 1623 First Folio, and the funerary statue in Stratford-upon-Avon – were post-mortem productions. Country Life, however, overlooks the compelling claims made for the Chandos Portrait of 1610 in the National Portrait Gallery. Does it matter whether The Herball’s title-page shows the writer – or what he looked like anyway? Decrypting Shakespearean enigmas always counts as good box-office, especially for the snobs, crackpots and conspiracists who believe he did not write his plays. The Griffiths proposition does less mischief. The quarrels will continue. The face may never quite come into focus. The plays, however, require no decipherment, and contain no secret code beyond the perennial mysteries of every human life. - The Independent

America left Iraq toothless against a pack of wolves It is time today to take a stock of what America’s long war in Iraq achieved. And as Washington quit the theatre of violence leaving behind its exclusive presence in the form of a large embassy and a few diplomats it actually left behind a dangerous legacy and an entire gamut of diplomatic quagmire. The full and final pullout of the US troops from Iraq definitely did not “bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end”. To the Americans the exercise was more like escaping without fulfilling what they had promised and to millions of Iraqis it was a betrayal as they have be en left alone, virtually toothless, to defend themselves against packs of wild wolves. Much like the invasion, American departure

from Iraq too will remain deeply steeped in controversy — a horror that will haunt America for years to come. Daliah Mustafa Muttrah

Politics in India is now caught in malestorm Polity in India is currently caught in a maelstrom, potent enough to induce a deep structural change threatening, more than ever, to turn the country’s traditional political system, structure and the conventional power structure absolutely redundant. Or, at least, replacing them with an emerging alternative — the civil society. Unlike the Arab Spring, the ‘transparency movement’ in India is not to bludgeon any radical change. It doesn’t seek to pull down any

COMMENTARY

Modi government completes one year SHASHI THAROOR

Modi has not kept his vow of “minimal government, maximum governance”; on the contrary, he has created the most centralised, topdown, bureaucracydriven, personalitycult-dominated central government since Indira Gandhi’s emergency rule in the mid-1970s

ndia’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will mark its first anniversary in office this month. While it is too early to assess its overall performance, the overwhelming sentiment across India so far is one of disappointment. The BJP rode to power on a wave of expectations after a decade in opposition to the United Progressive Alliance government, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Congress party. (Full disclosure: I was a member of that government.) Support for the BJP was so strong, in fact, that the party became the first in 30 years to win a majority in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s parliament). Early enthusiasm for the BJP government was based on the perceived contrast with its predecessor. Here, at last, was a strong single-party government led by a decisive “man of action,” rather than a fractious coalition led by a reticent octogenarian, who was often unfairly caricatured as uncertain and vacillating. Modi was marketed to voters through a clever (and lavishly financed) campaign that portrayed him as the business-savvy leader who had transformed the state of Gujarat into a lodestar of development – and who would do the same for the country as a whole. Attracting young people with the promise of jobs, and older voters with the prospect of reform and growth, Modi won a mandate that stunned the country’s pollsters. Congress, meanwhile, recorded its worst-ever performance. Since the election, Modi has energetically strutted the global stage, touting his government as more hospitable to investors and urging foreign manufacturers to “Make in India.” Yet his foreign travels have achieved little, beyond improving his personal standing, which had suffered considerably following accusations that, as Chief Minister of Gujarat, he had been at least negligent as more than a thousand people were killed in a 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom. Modi’s domestic performance has also been underwhelming. Although his speeches and sound bites continue to impress fans of his Hindi oratory, the gap between rhetoric and reality widens by the week. Indeed, despite speaking eloquently of tolerance and accommodation, Modi has remained largely silent in the face of hate speech by BJP ministers and MPs that is alienating India’s non-Hindu minorities. The BJP may preach development, but it is practicing bigotry – a contradiction that Modi could resolve only by repudiating the forces that helped ensure his electoral victory. Likewise, Modi has not kept his vow of “minimal government, maximum governance”; on the contrary, he has created the most centralised, top-down, bureaucracy-driven, personality-cult-dominated central government since Indira Gandhi’s emer-

READERS’ FORUM NEW INDIA ASSURANCE New India’s PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY and PUBLIC LIABILITY POLICIES safeguard the professional hazards of Doctors/Engineers/ Architects/Hospitals/Hotels etc. website: www.newindiaoman.com

It’s not the voting that’s democracy, it’s the counting TOM STOPPARD

gency rule in the mid-1970s. Those who decried the alleged “paralysis of decision-making” under Modi’s excessively democratic, consultative, and consensual predecessor are now faced with a different kind of paralysis, as files pile up in Modi’s office, the only place where decisions are made. Senior positions – including two on the indispensible three-member independent election commission – stand vacant, leaving vital institutions unable to function effectively. Despite his talk about transparency and accountability, Modi has failed to appoint a central information commissioner, vigilance commissioner, or lokpal (the ombudsman who has jurisdiction over all corruption cases involving MPs and central-government employees). With Modi too busy to keep up with all of the decisions he – and only he – can make, the government is adrift. In some cases, it is pursuing blatantly contradictory approaches. Consider economic policy. Although Modi has declared that “the government has no business to be in business,” he has failed to question his government’s ownership and control of airlines and hotels. Indeed, privatization of major public-sector behemoths is no longer mentioned. Furthermore, labour-market liberalization, once considered indispensable to attract investors and promote industrial growth, is on the back burner. Optimistic talk of reform has been replaced by officially articulated respect for “graduated incrementalism.” Likewise, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who once derided “tax terrorism,” has unleashed the taxman on entirely new categories of victims, including the foreign institutional investors Modi is trying to attract. Unsurprisingly, investor sentiment, which perked up during Modi’s campaign, has dampened considerably. Modi’s government has also revealed a fine talent for announcing grandiose schemes and failing to finance them. Worse, budgets for health, education, sanitation, and women’s security – all major talking points of the BJP’s election campaign – have been cut. None of this has been lost on the public. India’s farmers, for example, are up in arms, because the land-acquisition law passed by the previous government has been gutted through a series of amendments imposed by fiat of the election campaign, who had sacrificed domestic bliss to serve the nation, into an omnipresent, gaudily attired celebrity hobnobbing with other bold-face names. The nadir was reached in January, when Modi received US President Barack Obama – “my friend Barack” – in a pinstripe suit with his own name embossed in gold on every stripe. The public, appalled by this display, promptly humiliated the BJP in polls for the Delhi Assembly, which the party had nearly won the previous year. Needless to say, the opposition, flattened electorally a year ago, is back on its feet. - Project Syndicate

government. It is a movement to instil greater degree of probity in politics — to reclaim the moral foundations of both administration and politics, which seems to have evaporated in India in the past 63 years of independence. Nirmala Srinivas Wadi Kabir

fast evolving ﬁeld, there is there a way the government can make its dissemination of information even more efficacious? Could privatisation of the management of all its websites be a worth considering? Asadul Iqbal Latif Muscat

Oman has achieved high level of digital evolution

Youth too must remain vigilant about health

In keeping with time and evolving technology the government of Oman has long ago revolutionised its information dissemination system from paper to digital. And this has helped the Sultanate to make all its targeted information accessible from any part of the world within minutes. And the results have been stunning. But in this

Promoting healthy practices and health consciousness at an early stage is extremely important. Admitted, parents and even teachers have a critical role in inculcating the awareness, but youths too need to remain much more vigilant about their health. B. B. Gurumurthy Muscat

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

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015 In Bangkok, police detained 13 members of the Young People for SocialDemocracy student group who were protesting against the coup. The activists were later released, the group said on its Facebook page. Later, police detained around 30 more young people outside the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre

ASIA

Myanmar rescues more than 200 Bangladeshi migrants are still stranded on boats with dwindling supplies, says UN refugee agency

Discovered Myanmar’s navy discovered two Thai boats on Thursday, one carrying migrants and the other empty, the Rakhine state government said in a press release on Friday. “One is loaded with around 200 Bengali people,” it said, using the government term for illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

COUP ANNIVERSARY

Thailand junta detains opposition activists BANGKOK: Thai authorities detained dozens of student activists protesting against military rule on Friday, a year after the army seized power from an elected government. The military has quashed public demonstrations and any sign of resistance to the May 22, 2014 coup which it says it was forced to undertake to end violence between rival factions. The military government has promised a general election next year but critics worry about a new constitution they say is undemocratic. Activists staged small shows of deﬁance to mark the anniversary of the takeover. Soldiers detained seven students, some who held anti-coup signs, after they gathered in the northeastern city of Khon Khaen. “We invited them to talk but they would not back down so we are sending them to the police,” said a soldier in the area who declined to be identiﬁed.

Some 3,500 migrants

YANGON: Myanmar’s navy has brought ashore 200 Bangladeshis found in a boat off its coast, after its military chief said some of the thousands of migrants that have landed in Malaysia and Indonesia this month are pretending to be Rohingyas to get UN aid. In response, a senior US official said on Friday that the majority of the more than 3,000 migrants that have come ashore are Rohingya ﬂeeing desperate conditions in Rakhine State in western Myanmar. Southeast Asia’s migrant crisis blew up after a Thai crackdown on human trafficking led criminals to abandon overloaded boats in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea rather than risk trying to smuggle or traffic them through preferred transit routes in Thailand. The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR estimated on Friday that some 3,500 migrants are still stranded on boats with dwindling supplies, and repeated its appeal for the region’s governments to rescue them.

UNENDING ORDEAL: A Rohingya migrant woman, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, cries as she talks on the phone to her mother in Malaysia, inside a temporary compound for refugees in Aceh Timur regency, Indonesia’s Aceh Province, on Friday. – Reuters

“The people on the boat were all from Bangladesh,” said Rakhine State government executive secretary Tin Maung Swe. “We will deport them.” Myanmar has faced international criticism for not doing enough to help those at sea or stem to ﬂow of migrants. US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited Myanmar on Thursday and Friday, called on the country to address the racial and religious discrimination and violence that Washington says is one of the root causes of the migration. “The majority are, in fact, from Rakhine State, are Rohingya and have left because of the desperate conditions they face in Rakhine

State,” Blinken told reporters on Friday, speaking of the thousands of migrants that have come ashore in the region. Stateless Most of Myanmar’s 1.1 million Rohingya are stateless and live in apartheid-like conditions in the state. Almost 140,000 were displaced in deadly clashes with majority Buddhists in Rakhine in 2012. They are denied citizenship and have long complained of state-sanctioned discrimination. Myanmar denies discriminating against the group and has said it is not the source of the problem. It classiﬁes the group as Bengalis, a term rejected by most Rohingya for implying they are illegal immi-

grants from Bangladesh, despite having, in many cases, lived in Rakhine for generations. Myanmar military chief General Min Aung Hlaing cast doubt on the origin of many of the refugees in comments carried in Myanmar’s state media on Friday. He “hinted that most victims are expected to assume themselves to be Rohingya from Myanmar in the hope of receiving assistance from UNHCR” during a meeting with Blinken on Thursday, the statebacked Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported. “He stressed the need to investigate their country of origin rather than to accuse a country,” the newspaper said. Scores of Rohingya are paying

off people smugglers and returning to the squalid camps they used to live in after being held for months on overcrowded ships off the coast of Myanmar. As well as Rohingya, many Bangladeshis seeking to escape poverty at home are also on the boats. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday pledged assistance and ordered the navy to rescue thousands adrift at sea, and a Thai official said Myanmar had agreed to attend an emergency conference on the crisis on May 29. Malaysia and Indonesia have said they would allow the thousands still at sea to come ashore temporarily, but Thailand has said it would not follow suit. — Reuters

Released later In Bangkok, police detained 13 members of the Young People for Social-Democracy student group who were protesting against the coup. The activists were later released, the group said on its Facebook page. Later, police detained around 30 more young people outside the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre, a Reuters witness said. The group had gathered and locked hands at 6 p.m. (1100 GMT) in front of the centre, which was the location of small daily protests in the days following the coup, the witness said. Thailand has been mired for a decade in rivalry between the Bangkok-based establishment and ousted premier Thasksin Shinawatra, a former telecommunications tycoon whose policies won him the support of the poor but the hostility of the elite. The government ousted last year was led by Thaksin’s sister, the country’s ﬁrst woman prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra. — Reuters

LUXURY FRUIT

Single pair of melons fetch $12,400 at Japanese auction TOKYO: A single pair of premium melons fetched an eye-watering $12,400 (1.5 million yen) at an auction in Japan on Friday. The winning bid was placed by a local fruit wholesaler for the first Yubari melons to go under the hammer this year at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market in northern Hokkaido, officials said. The figure — enough to buy a brand new car in Japan — is some way short of the record for the luxury fruit, which fetched 2.5 million yen last year. High prices are the norm for the opening auction of the season and reflect buyers’ desire for prestige. Yubari melons are considered a status symbol in Japan with many being bought as a gift for friends and colleagues.

PRIZE PRODUCE: A pair of Yubari melons with a price of $12,400 is displayed at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market in Sapporo, Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, on Friday. Right: The successful bidder, centre, shows the Yubari melons. – AFP

The best-quality Yubari melons are perfect spheres with a smooth, evenly patterned rind. A T-shaped stalk is left on the fruit, which is usually sold in an ornate box. While the prices they fetch at

auction are very high, melons are not the only expensive fruit in Japan. A single apple from a supermarket can cost more than $3 and a presentation pack of 20 cherries might sell for over $100. — AFP

A10

S ATUR DAY, M AY 23, 2 015

WORLD

Up to 400 new cases of the deadly disease were emerging every day, the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR said, mainly in Tanzania’s Kagunga peninsula where tens of thousands of Burundians have taken refuge, often in squalid conditions

H E A LT H W O E S

WAVE AND GOTH FESTIVAL Revellers attend the Victorian Picnic during the Wave and Goth festival in Leipzig, Germany, on Friday. The annual festival, known in Germany as Wave-Gotik Treffen (WGT), features over 100 bands and artists in venues all over the city playing Gothic rock and otherstyles of the dark wave music subculture. One of the biggest of its kind, the event attracts a regular audience of up to 20,000, the organisers said. — Reuters

FOR MORE PHOTOS

3,000 Burundi refugees in Tanzania hit by cholera GENEVA/BUJUMBURA: About 3,000 refugees ﬂeeing political turmoil in Burundi have been infected in a cholera epidemic in neighbouring Tanzania, the United Nations said on Friday, stoking fears of a growing humanitarian crisis in Africa’s Great Lakes. Up to 400 new cases of the deadly disease were emerging every day, the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR said, mainly in Tanzania’s Kagunga peninsula where tens of thousands of Burundians have taken refuge, often in squalid conditions. Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision last month to stand for a third term has triggered protests, a failed coup and sent refugees, many from Burundi’s Tutsi minority, into Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two-term limit Opponents have accused Nkurunziza of breaking a two-term limit in the constitution and a deal that ended an ethnically-fuelled civil war in 2005. Regional leaders, fearing that the unrest could reopen ethnic divides, have scrambled to end the standoff. A Tanzanian health official told Reuters on Wednesday that at least 33 people had died from cholera in Tanzania near Lake Tanganyika. — Reuters

CONFLICT

UN accuses South Sudan of targeting civilians UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations on Friday accused South Sudan’s rebel and government forces of targeting one of its bases sheltering civilians during a flareup of fighting, and demanded that those responsible face justice. Senior peacekeeping official Edmond Mulet told reporters that 22 shells had hit the base in Melut, in Upper Nile State, over the past two days, killing eight civilians, in what could amount to a war crime. Mulet said he had been in touch with both the government and the rebel sides to urge them to “stop targeting UN premises and our protection sites” and stressed that the field commanders “know where the protection site is.” A formal note has been sent to the UN Security Council over the violence targeting the UN base at Melut, which is sheltering 1,600 civilians. Investigation A UN investigation is under way to determine who fired at the compound, said Mulet, the assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping. “We want to know who is responsible,” Mulet said. The base is being protected by some 150 UN police and military personnel, but most of the nonessential civilian staff have been evacuated. UN officials have asked the government of President Salva Kiir and rebel chief Riek Machar to “redirect their fire”. — AFP

Confident of EU reform deal by 2017: UK prime minister broader concerns around immigration, the direction of the EU,” one official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In Eiga, the British prime minister

I’m confident because in the end I think it’s in everybody’s interests

kicked off months of negotiations to persuade other European leaders of

David Cameron

the need for reforms

Britain’s Prime Minister

which he says will require treaty change

RIGA: Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday he was “confident” of striking an EU reform deal to put before British voters by 2017 but warned of “ups and downs” in the process. On his first overseas trip since winning a general election two weeks ago, Cameron kicked off months of negotiations to persuade other European leaders of the need for reforms which he says will require treaty change. “I’m confident because in the end I think it’s in everybody’s interests,” Cameron told reporters after a summit of the 28-nation bloc and six former Soviet states in Riga. But he also warned there would

be “lots of noise, lots of ups and downs along the way” from other European states questioning his proposals. Facing pressure from eurosceptics two years ago, Cameron promised to allow Britons to vote in a referendum by the end of 2017 on whether to leave Europe if he won this year’s election. Outright majority Having secured victory with a surprise outright majority, he will now campaign to stay in the EU as long as he can secure reforms such as making it harder for EU migrants to claim state beneﬁts in Britain. Opinion polls currently indicate that Britons will vote in favour staying part of the EU. Cameron’s preliminary talks with a string of leaders will be fol-

lowed by a spell of intense diplomacy next week. He will host European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker at his country residence, Chequers, on Monday, before travelling to Paris and Berlin for talks on Thursday and Friday respectively. The British leader’s main goals include controlling migration by making it harder for EU migrants to claim state beneﬁts in Britain, opting out from the EU’s commitment to “ever closer union” and handing powers back to national parliaments. In Riga, he met leaders including Poland’s Ewa Kopacz and Hungary’s Viktor Orban for brief, general discussions on his reform agenda, British officials said. “It was a pitch about why these issues matter to the British people, why he needs to address them,

Not the time, place But French President Francois Hollande said he had not spoken to Cameron about the reforms. “It was not the place and it was not the time,” Hollande added of the summit focused on developing the EU’s partnerships with former Soviet states including Ukraine, highlighting that the two would meet next week. Britain, Europe’s second largest economy and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is a member of the EU but has kept its own currency rather than adopting the euro. Neither is it part of the Schengen Area, the group of 26 European countries which have abolished passport and border controls at common borders. The main focus of the Eastern Partnership summit was on developing the EU’s relationship with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. In their ﬁnal declaration, European leaders reaffirmed the “high importance” of building stronger relations with the states. But EU president Donald Tusk said afterwards that, while the EU would be a “partner for the long haul”, the partnership would not lead to automatic EU membership. “Nobody promised that the

Eastern Partnership would be automatically the way to membership of the EU... it will be a long process,” he said. The summit declaration also urged the full implementation of the Minsk peace accords in Ukraine and reaffirmed its position on the “illegal annexation” of Crimea by Russia last year. The leaders met following a 2013 summit which ended in chaos when Ukraine’s then president, pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych, balked at signing an EU association accord alongside Georgia and Moldova. His refusal sparked massive pro-EU protests that led to his ouster in February 2014, then to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and a bloody conﬂict in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s current pro-Western President Petro Poroshenko completed the agreement last year and wants ultimately to join the EU but this is a long-term objective at best. Greece’s precarious debt bailout was also on the agenda as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s leftist government races to obtain fresh funding from international creditors demanding more austerity measures before a June deadline. Following talks between Tsipras, Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, Merkel said there was “still a lot to do” in the negotiations. — AFP

OPINION POLL

AKP seen losing Turkey parliament majority in June poll

OUTRAGE: A giant election banner with a portrait of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reading ‘Turkey’s choice for continued growth’ hangs on the Valens Aqueduct in Istanbul on Friday. AKP outraged archeologists by nailing the banner into an over one-anda-half-millenium-old aqueduct in Istanbul which is one of the city’s most famous landmarks. — AFP

ISTANBUL/ANKARA: Turkey’s ruling AK Party may lose its parliamentary majority in a June 7 election and be forced to form either a coalition or a minority government, according to a poll privately commissioned by Turkish business and cited in newspapers on Friday. The poll by research ﬁrm Konda showed support for the AK Party dropping to 40.5 percent from 49.8 per cent at the last general election in 2011, according to bankers who have seen the research and highlights published by Turkish newspapers. The poll, which has not been made public by Konda, also showed the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) would garner 11.5 per cent of the vote,

above the 10 per cent threshold needed to enter parliament. The prospect of the AK Party being unable to form a singleparty government unnerved ﬁnancial markets, with Turkish assets underperforming emerging markets peers. But a senior AKP official dismissed such an outcome, saying his party would see little more than a slight fall in support. No reason “Even if there is a fall... there is no reason to expect a fall as sharp as Konda predicts,” Naci Bostanci, AK Party’s parliament group head said. “I’d think AK Party’s vote would be far above 40 per cent. We can win around 46-47 per cent.”

Konda has built a strong reputation over years for its research on parliamentary elections, although it overestimated support for Erdogan in a presidential election last August. Very difficult A drop in support to the level it forecast would make it very difﬁcult for the AK Party to push through the constitutional changes sought by its co-founder, President Tayyip Erdogan, who wants stronger executive powers. Should it be forced into coalition, the AKP’s most likely partners are seen as the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), with which it shares some rightleaning ideology. A coalition with the HDP is also

seen as a possibility, but HDP coleader Selahattin Demirtas has ruled out such a move. Simple majority Economists and traders say markets have been pricing in a simple majority for the AK Party, albeit a weaker one than in 2011, and the Konda poll jangled investor nerves. The lira weakened to 2.6050 to the dollar by 1345 GMT, underperforming major emerging markets peers. The main stock index was down 0.88 per cent. The Konda poll predicted less than 29 per cent of the vote for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and less than 15 percent for the MHP. — Reuters

S ATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015

S P O R S

Kiwis make England toil Replying to England’s 389, the pair shared an unbroken third-

ACTION CONTINUES: Women participants are full of comcentration.

wicket partnership of 155 to give the touring side the ascendancy in the match

GOOD KNOCK: Williamson was unbeaten on 92 at stumps. – AFP

Pouya holds slender lead over Ehsan

SCOREBOARD

Times News Service LONDON: Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor mastered a lifeless England attack to lift New Zealand to 303 for two at the close on the second day of the first Test at Lord’s on Friday. Replying to England’s 389, the pair shared an unbroken thirdwicket partnership of 155 to give the touring side the ascendancy in the match. Williamson was 92 not out at the close with Taylor on 47 and New Zealand will look to build a big lead on Saturday to put pressure on the hosts in their second innings. Tom Latham and Martin Guptill also made fluent half centuries in a solid opening partnership of 148 before the former, on 59, was trapped lbw by spinner Moeen Ali. Three balls later Guptill drove Stuart Broad loosely to cover where Gary Ballance took a fine sprawling catch to dismiss the elegant right-hander for 70. That was England’s last success of the day, however, as the compact Williamson went about his work.

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE

England 1st Innings A. Lyth c Watling b Southee 7 A. Cook c Watling b b Henry 16 G. Ballance c Southee b Boult 1 I. Bell b Henry 1 J. Root c Latham b Henry 98 B. Stokes b Craig 92 J. Buttler lbw b Boult 67 M. Ali c Latham b Boult 58 S. Broad c Latham b Boult 3 M. Wood not out 8 J. Anderson c and b Henry 11 Extras (b-16, lb-6, w-2, nb-3) 27 Total (all out, 100.5 overs, 433 mins) 389 Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Lyth), 2-25 (Ballance), 3-25 (Cook), 4-30 (Bell), 5-191 (Stokes), 6-251 (Root), 7-354 (Buttler), 8-363 (Ali), 9-368 (Broad), 10-389 (An-

He pushed the ball around cleverly and efficiently dispatched loose balls to the boundary, reaching his ﬁfty off 78 deliveries. Taylor started watchfully but he played a couple of signature sweetly-timed drives in the ﬁnal session to signal his return to form after a poor run. England captain Alastair Cook rotated his bowlers but none of the seamers extracted any move-

derson) Bowling: Boult 29-6-79-4; Southee 24-1104-1 (3nb, 1w); Henry 24.5-3-93-4 (1w); Craig 18-2-77-1; Anderson 5-1-14-0 New Zealand 1st Innings M. Guptill c Ballance b Broad 70 T. Latham lbw b Ali 59 K. Williamson not out 92 R. Taylor not out 47 Extras (b-14, lb-20, nb-1) 35 Total (2 wkts, 77 overs, 332 mins) 303 Fall of wickets: 1-148, 2-148 Bowling: Anderson 16-4-46-0; Broad 16-2-42-1; Wood 13-0-60-0 (1nb); Stokes 13-2-63-0; Ali 17-3-52-1; Root 2-0-6-0 Match position: New Zealand are 86 runs behind England with eight ﬁrst-innings wickets standing.

ment and the hosts were sloppy in the field, Ian Bell spilling a catch in the slips and Jos Buttler missing a late stumping chance. New Zealand took three wickets in the first hour to wrap up the England innings after the hosts resumed on 354 for seven. Moeen reached his fifty before edging left-arm seamer Trent Boult to stand-in wicketkeeper Latham for 58. — Reuters

TWENTY20

It’s Chennai vs Mumbai in final RANCHI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) reached the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the sixth time as they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by three wickets in the qualifier 2 of the Twenty20 tournament at the JSCA International Stadium on Friday. Put in to bat, two-time runners-up RCB could only manage a modest total of 139/8 with lefthanded opener Chris Gayle topscoring with 41. Sarfaraz Khan also played a handy innings of 31. Left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra was the pick of the bowlers for CSK as he picked up 3 for 28 from his four overs. In reply of the small target, two-time champions CSK were driven by a patient knock from veteran Michel Hussey, who scored 56 from 46 balls. The lefthander shared a useful 47-run stand with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) to help his side reach home with three wickets and a ball to spare. With this win, CSK set up Sunday’s title clash with Mumbai Indians, who won the qualifier 1 against the same opponents on Tuesday. Earlier, veteran pacer Nehra once again came good for CSK as he clinched 3/28 in his four overs, including the vital wickets of RCB skipper Virat Kohli (12) and explosive batsman AB de Villiers (1). Nehra was well assisted by offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who ended with brilliant bowling figures of 4-0-13-1, scalping Mandeep Singh (4). The duo did not allow the RCB batsmen to accelerate at all. Though left-handed opener Chris Gayle top-scored with 41, it wasn’t his usual innings as he played 43 balls and hit only two boundaries and three sixes. Two important cameos from wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh

CHESS

SCOREBOARD

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE C. Gayle c & b Raina 41 V. Kohli c Sharma b Nehra 12 AB de Villiers lbw b Nehra 1 Mandeep c Hussey b Ashwin 4 D. Karthik c Sharma b Nehra 28 S. Khan c Negi b Bravo 31 D. Wiese c Bravo b Sharma 12 H. Patel run out (Dhoni) 2 M. Starc not out 1 S. Aravind not out 0 Extras (lb-2, w-5) 7 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 139 Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-25, 3-36, 4-80, 5-107, 6-125, 7-138, 8-139 Bowling: A. Nehra 4-0-28-3; R. Ashwin 4-0-13-1; M. Sharma 4-0-22-1; S. Raina 3-0-36-1; D. Bravo 3-0-21-1; P. Negi 1-04-0; R. Jadeja 1-0-13-0 CHENNAI SUPER KINGS D. Smith c Starc b Aravind 17 M. Hussey c Patel b Wiese 56 F. du Plessis b Chahal 21 S. Raina c Wiese b Chahal 0 M. Dhoni c Karthik b Patel 26 P. Negi run out (Khan) 12 D. Bravo b Starc 0 R. Jadeja not out 0 R. Ashwin not out 1 Extras (b-3, lb-1, w-3) 7 Total (7 wickets; 19.5 overs) 140 Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-61, 3-61, 4-108, 5-135, 6-135, 7-139 Bowling: M. Starc 4-0-27-1; S. Aravind 4-0-25-1; H. Patel 3.5-0-26-1; D.Wiese 4-0-30-1; Y. Chahal 4-0-28-2 Man of the match: A. Nehra

Karthik (28) and Sarfaraz Khan (31) helped augment RCB’s total at the end, but the top order failed to make an impact when it mattered the most. Good bowling changes and ﬁeld placements by CSK skipper Dhoni also proved signiﬁcant as Mohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Dwayne Bravo also clinched a wicket each to slow down the run rate and restrict RCB to 139 for 8. — IANS

GOOD START: Pakistani batsmen Ahmed Shehzad, right, and Mukhtar Ahmed run between the wicket during the ﬁrst International T20 cricket match at the Gaddaﬁ Cricket Stadium. – AFP

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe for emotional victory at home LAHORE: Pakistan marked international cricket’s return to the trouble-torn country with a fivewicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first Twenty20 International at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. Openers Mukhtar Ahmed (83) and Ahmed Shehzad (55) added 142 runs before captain Shahid Afridi hit a boundary off the first ball he faced to seal an emotional victory with three balls to spare.

Earlier, Hamilton Masakadza (43) shone upfront and captain Elton Chigumbura (54) provided the late assault to help Zimbabwe post a strong 172-6 having opting to bat ﬁrst. Six years after an attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore left six Pakistani policemen and a van driver dead, Zimbabwe became the ﬁrst test-playing nation to tour the country for a limited overs series. — AFP

SCOREBOARD

Zimbabwe H. Masakadza b Sami 43 V. Sibanda c Ahmed b Sami 13 C. Coventry c Ahmed b Riaz 14 E Chigumbura b Riaz 54 S. Williams c Riaz b Malik 16 Sikandar Raza c Ahmed b Sami 17 R. Mutumbami not out 4 G. Cremer not out 2 Extras (lb-3, nb-1, w-5) 9 Total (for six wkts; 20 overs) 172 Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-58, 3-73, 4-100, 5-142, 6-168 Bowling: Ali 3-0-18-0, Sami 4-0-36-3 (1w), Bhatti 3-0-37-0 (1nb), Riaz 4-0-38-2 (4w), Afridi 3-0-28-0, Malik 3-0-12-1 Pakistan M. Ahmed c c Mutumbami b Cremer 83

A. Shehzad c Mutumbami b Williams 55 M. Hafeez c Coverntry b Cremer 12 S. Malik b Panyangara 7 U. Akmal c Sibanda b Vitori 4 S. Ahmed not out 3 S. Afridi not out 4 Extras: (lb-5) 5 Total: (for ﬁve wkts; 19.3 overs) 173 Fall of wickets: 1-142, 2-144, 3-157, 4-162, 5-169 Bowling: Panyangara 2.3-0-28-1, Vitori 4-0-24-1, Mpofu 3-0-32-0, Williams 4-033-0, Cremer 4-0-28-2, Raza 2-0-23-0 Result: Pakistan won by ﬁve wickets Toss: Zimbabwe Umpires: Ahsan Raza (PAK) and Shozab Raza (PAK) Tv umpire: Ahmed Shahab (PAK)

MUSCAT: Iranian Grandmaster Pouya Idani managed to stay ahead of the pack with a crucial victory in the men’s category while three women are on same points as the competition is heating up in the ongoing Asian Zonal Chess Championship (Zone 3.1) for men and women on Friday. In the seventh of the nine-round competition, Pouya Idani despite playing with black defeated compatriot and fellow Grandmaster Pouri Darini in 64 moves to take his tally six points. With just two rounds left to decide who will seal the lone berth available for the Fide Chess World Cup. It will be difficult for Pouri, on four points at present, to catch up with Pouya. However, close on the heels on Pouya is another Iranian Grandmaster Ehsan Ghaem Maghani who moved to ﬁve points thanks to his victory over Attallah Tamra of Palestine. Just half a point behind Ehsan is Iraqi FM Ahmed Abdulsattar Abdulwahad who accounted for Yemeni International Master Basheer Al Qudaimi. A further half a point behind is Qatari International Master Husein Aziz Nezad, who defeated Maher Ayyad of Bahrain. In other games, Lebanon’s Ibrahim Chahrour defeated Khaled Hashem of Kuwait, Bahser Iyti of Syria defeated Abdulrahman Al Masrhi. Basheer, Ibrahim and Basher also have four points each like Pouria. Meanwhile, Amin Al Ansi defeated Mohammed Salim Al Mamari in all-Omani clash. Amin has so far earned three points.

Three-way race The competition in the women’s category is getting even fiercer with former world champion Chen Zhu of Qatar and Iranians Atousa Pourkashiyan and Mitra Hejazipour making it a three-way contest for the lone qualifying spot. In Friday’s seventh round, Grandmaster Zhu Chen defeated Iraq’s Iman Hasan Mohammed Al Rufaye. Zhu Chen now has six points, same as Atousa and Mitra. Atousa, playing with black, took 5 moves to get the better of Omani girl Wafia Al Ghafri while Mitra defeated another local girl Mariya Al Balushi in just 29 moves. Behind the leading trio in the 10-strong field is UAE’s Abeer Ali on 4.5 points. She defeated Suad Al Kanderi of Kuwait. In another game, Afamia Mir Mahmoud of Syria defeated Yara Faqeeh of Palestine to take her points to four points. Standings Men (after seventh round): Pouya Idani (Iran) 6 pts, Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (Iran) 5.5 pts, Ahmed Abdulsattar Abdulwahab (Iraq) 5 pts, Husein Aziz Nezad (Qatar) 4.5 pts, Basheer Al Qudaimi (Yemen) 4 pts, Pouria Darini (Iran) 4 pts, Ibrahim Chahrour (Lebanon) 4 pts, Basher Iyti (Syr) 4 pts, Maher Ayyad (Bahrain) 3 pts, Attallah Tamra (Palestine) 3 pts, Amin Al Ansi (Oman) 3 pts, Khaled Hashem (Kuwait) 2 pts, Abdulrahman Al Mashri (Saudi Arabia) 1 pt. Women (after seventh round): Chen Zhu (Qatar) 6 pts, Atousa Purkashiyan (Iran) 6 pts), Mitra Hejazipour (Iran) 6 pts, Abeer Ali (UAE) 4.5 points, Afamia Mir Mahmoud (Syria) 4 pts, Iman Hasan Mohammed Al Rufaye (Iraq) 3.5 pts, Yara Faqeeh (Palestine) 2 pts, Wafia Al Ghafri (Oman) 2 pts, Mariya Al Balushi (Oman) 1 pts.

A 12

S ATUR DAY, M AY 23, 2 015

SPORTS

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Nadal and Djokovic placed on French Open collision course Expect Nadal to step it up in Paris, says McEnroe

Nadal is seeded a lowly sixth this year after slipping to seven in the rankings and as a result was always likely to face one of his major rivals in the last eight

PARIS: Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal and world number one Novak Djokovic were placed on a French Open quarterfinal collision course in Friday’s draw. Nadal is seeded a lowly sixth this year after slipping to seven in the rankings and as a result was always likely to face one of his major rivals in the last eight. “It’s very strange,” admitted Nadal, promoted to the sixth seeding after the injury-enforced pull-out of Canada’s Milos Raonic. “It’s never happened before. “But I have to play four matches to get to the quarterfinals. I have to be ready for the first round.” Nadal defeated Djokovic in the 2012 and 2014 finals, but the topseeded Serb, who turned 28 on Friday, is the overwhelming favourite for a maiden Roland Garros title this year. Djokovic goes into the French Open, which starts Sunday, riding a 22-match unbeaten streak and has already captured a fifth Australian Open and Masters crowns in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome this year. Djokovic, bidding to become only the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam, starts his F I FA E L E C T I O N S

It’s Blatter vs Prince Ali as Figo, Van Praag exit PARIS: Luis Figo and Michael van Praag pulled out of the race for the Fifa presidency Thursday, leaving controversial incumbent Sepp Blatter in a straight ﬁght with Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al Hussein. Former Portugal captain Figo withdrew with a bitter broadside at the contentious election campaign which will culminate in a vote on May 29 where Blatter is widely expected to hang on to a post he has held since 1998. “I do not fear the ballot box, but I will not go along with nor will I give my consent to a process which will end on May 29 and from which soccer will not emerge the winner,” Figo wrote on his Facebook page. “My decision is made, I will not stand in what is being called an election for the Fifa presidency.” Dutch Fifa presidential candidate van Praag also announced he was dropping his bid, saying he will back Prince Ali instead. Van Praag, a former Ajax chairman announced his candidacy in January, saying he wanted to modernise the world governing body “which has lost all credibility.” Fifa had become ridden with suspicion, conﬂicts of interest and allegations of nepotism and corruption, he said at the time. - AFP

DRAW CEREMONY: Russian star Maria Sharapova, President of the Federation Francaise de Tennis Jean Gachassin and Spanish champion Rafael Nadal pose after the draw for the ﬁrst round of the Roland Garros 2015 French Open Tennis championships in Paris. – AFP

campaign in Paris against experienced Finn Jarkko Nieminen while Nadal begins against French wildcard Quentin Halys. The other potential quarterﬁnals could see second seed Roger Federer, the 2009 champion, face Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka. Third seeded Andy Murray was drawn for a potential clash against David Ferrer while Tomas Berdych could tackle Japan’s Kei Nishikori. Federer, the 2009 champion,

starts against a qualifier. Murray is a potential semifinal opponent for Djokovic and Nadal with the Scot, the champion on clay in Madrid this year, starting against a qualifier. In the women’s singles, top seed Serena Williams was handed a tough draw which could see the American taking on old rival Victoria Azarenka and sister Venus before the quarter-finals. Williams, the 2002 and 2013

S PA N I S H L E AG U E

thing wrong with him.” Former world number one McEnroe says everything points to Novak Djokovic winning his first French Open and says the only player capable of stopping the in-form Serb is Nadal. “It’s hard to think that there’s anyone who could beat Novak other than (Nadal) in a five set match based on what I’ve seen,” said McEnroe, who let slip a two-set lead against Ivan Lendl in the 1984 French Open final and was never the same again. While McEnroe’s career decline was triggered by the early retirement of great rival Bjorn Borg at 25, Nadal, according to McEnroe, is suffering the consequences of his physical style. Where Pete Sampras used to serve players off court, 17-times grand slam champion Roger Federer dazzles and Djokovic clinically dissects them, Nadal’s magnificent career has been built on warrior-like instincts. “He’s had such an unbelievable record but he’s a human being,” the 56-year-old said. “It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly that will happen but he doesn’t seem like he’s himself. “Maybe on the clay where you have to grind more than on other surfaces, you can get exposed a little sooner and people start wondering what’s going on.” - Reuters

FORMULA ONE

Relegation, Europe to play for on final day MADRID: Almeria, Deportivo la Coruna, Eibar and Granada will fight it out to avoid the two remaining relegation places when the Spanish league season comes to a close on Saturday. The makeup of Spain’s representatives in next season’s Champions League will also be decided with Valencia and Sevilla still vying for fourth place, whilst Atletico Madrid need a point to secure third and avoid a tricky qualifier in August. Deportivo and Granada hold the advantage in the battle to avoid the drop as they lead Eibar and Almeria by two points. However, they both face tough tasks this weekend as Depor travel to champions Barcelona, whilst inform Granada host Atletico. “It is difficult to get anything at the Camp Nou. We are facing the best team in the world, but we need to show that we are playing for our lives,” said Deportivo striker Oriol Riera. Barca, though, may not be in a forgiving mood despite having the title sewn up as the Camp Nou is expected to pay homage to Xavi Hernandez on his final league game for the club after a 17-year playing career. Having previously won just twice in the league since September, Granada have won their last three games since Jose Ramon Sandoval took charge earlier this month to keep their survival hopes alive.

champion, starts against a qualifier but could meet sister Venus in the last 16. Two-time Australian Open winner and former number one Azarenka is a potential third round opponent for Williams. Adding extra spice to the draw is the presence of bitter American rival Sloane Stephens in Serena’s half of the draw. Stephens could face the two-time champion in the last 16 but she starts against Venus. In contrast, second seeded defending champion Maria Sharapova starts against experienced Estonian Kaia Kanepi and could tackle Spanish claycourter Carla Sanchez Navarro in the quarterfinals. Former number one Caroline Wozniacki is a possible last-eight opponent for Williams. Third seed Simona Halep could meet Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the quarterfinals. - AFP

LONDON: Seven-times grand slam John McEnroe knows how it feels when a tennis career starts going in the wrong direction. That’s why he is paying careful attention to Rafa Nadal’s current travails as the Spaniard prepares to try and win a record-extending 10th French Open. At nearly 29, Nadal is already four years older than McEnroe was when he claimed his last grand slam title. And after a season in which once rare defeats on his favoured claycourts have arrived with alarming frequency, no wonder many believe Nadal has reached a tipping point. McEnroe, however, thinks it is foolhardy to dismiss the Mallorcan as a fading force and fully expects him to find his ‘A game’ in the days ahead. “He obviously wants to try to peak for the French,” McEnroe, who will form part of Eurosport’s commentary team at the championships, told Reuters by telephone on Thursday. “He was out for a while, he came back, he figured he would work his way back to the sort of level he needs and the confidence level he needs to win again. “I guess by Madrid or Rome he would at least liked to have won one or two but it’s hard not to think that he’s gonna take it up to another level (at the French) unless there’s physically some-

“A month ago it was almost impossible to survive and now we are just one game away from achieving it. A draw could do us and everyone believes we will do it,” said Ruben Perez, who looks set to feature against his parent club. Atletico will definitely achieve their objective of qualification for the Champions League group stages with a point, but could still be usurped should they lose and Valencia win at Almeria. “It is difficult to think that one game could define a season, but it is true that for us this point is very important,” added Atletico midfielder Tiago. Almeria’s chances of staying up could be decided both on the pitch and in the court room in the coming days. Even should they beat Los Che to avoid the drop, a final decision on whether they are to be docked three points for unpaid sums to Danish club Aalborg for the transfer of Michael Jakobsen in 2010 will be made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Tuesday. A Valencia slip-up in Almeria would also have consequences at the top as Sevilla could move into fourth with victory at Malaga. However, Sevilla also have a second chance at Champions League qualification as they will go straight into next season’s group stages even if they finish fifth should they retain the Europa League against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on Wednesday. - AFP

Hamilton clocks top times MONACO: Lewis Hamilton oozed all the authority and skill of a champion on Thursday as he marked the confirmation of his new three-year contract with Mercedes by dominating both opening practice sessions for this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. The 30-year-old Briton, who was beaten into second place by his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg of Germany at the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago, delivered a consummate performance in cool, treacherous and wet conditions on the unforgiving streets of the Mediterranean principality. It was a perfect riposte to Rosberg’s revival and confirmed Hamilton’s intention to win Sunday’s classic 78-laps race and wreck his rival’s bid for a rare hat-trick of successive victories on his home town road track. “It’s been great, a good day so far,” said Hamilton after completion of an afternoon session interrupted by a heavy rain shower and a red-flag following an accident when Spaniard Roberto Merhi lost control of his Manor Marussia car at the exit of the tunnel. He hit the barriers, but was unhurt. “You need to get on the pace quickly and find the time and be very specific with any changes you make,” said Hamilton. “And it is better not to make too many. “The simulations can help sometimes, but here today the balance was not far off so for me it was just a case of tweaking it here and there.

GOOD PRACTICE: Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain talks with his staff during the second practice session of the Monaco Grand Prix in Monaco. – Reuters

“The ﬁrst session was really good and this one was good, too... So, so far; so good... I happy with the balance.” Hamilton did one lap after the rain, in wet conditions, and said: “I think that the only thing I learned was that the white lines, which are painted black now, are slipperier than ever! This black paint is more slippery than the white... Other than that, you know, this is the hardest track to drive in the wet.” His Mercedes team-mate Rosberg was second fastest at the end of the day by more than seventenths of a second ahead of four-

time champion German Sebastian Vettel and his Ferrari team-mate Finn Kimi Raikkonen. Rosberg, 29, who is 20 points behind Hamilton in the title race, survived a ‘moment’ during the morning’s opening session when he brushed the barriers at Tabac. The incident ruined that lap and caused him to return to the pits, but left his car with no serious damage. “It wasn’t a perfect day,” he said. “Not perfect weather for practice and I think that was a complete surprise. We all put on ‘supersofts’ for second practice and the rain came.” — AFP

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM S ATU RDAY, M AY 23, 2015

MARKE

STATE BANK OF INDIA’S PROFIT TOPS ESTIMATES State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender by assets, posted a bigger-than-estimated increase in fourth-quarter proﬁt as bad loans fell and interest income rose. >B2

OIL SUPPLIES

Opec seen protecting market share in ﬁght with shale LONDON: Opec will stick with the strategy of favouring market share over prices when it meets next month because rival producers are already starting to buckle. All but one of the 34 analysts and traders surveyed by Bloomberg said the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec ) will maintain its daily production target of 30 million barrels when it meets in Vienna on June 5. Saudi Arabia, the biggest of Opec’s 12 members, shaped the strategy at the last meeting in November, arguing that the usual response of cutting output to boost prices would not address the threat from shale and other higher-cost suppliers. Prices rose by about $20 since mid-January as

posed the November 27 decision to maintain production, several Opec officials have signalled this month the group will continue with its current course. Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Roknoddin Javadi said on May 18 that that the existing production target is appropriate.

producers cut spending plans and the number of active US drilling rigs fell by the most ever. Dramatic cuts “Dramatic cuts in spending and drilling are ﬁnally having an impact, so why on earth would Saudi Arabia change course now their strategy is just starting to bear fruit,” Mike Wittner, head of oil research at Societe Generale, said by phone from New York on May 19. “Anyone who expects anything to happen at this meeting is going to be sorely disappointed.” Brent crude, an international benchmark, traded at $66.32 a barrel at 9:19am London time. While that’s 43 per cent below last year’s high, it’s 47 per cent more than the

– Bloomberg ﬁle picture

low reached on January 13. Opec’s 12 members pumped about 31.2 million barrels a day of crude in April, almost 3 million a day more than the what the world requires

from the group this quarter, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA). While some members, such as Iran and Venezuela, said they op-

Biggest drop since July US oil producers idled more than half of the country’s drilling rigs since October, according to data from Baker Hughes. The nation’s crude production fell 1.2 per cent to 9.3 million barrels a day last week, the biggest drop since July, Energy Information Administration data show. Global investment in oil production might fall by $100 billion this year, according to the

US inﬂation inches closer to Federal Reserve goal Core consumer-price index climbed 0.3 per cent, the biggest gain since January 2013, reﬂecting broad-based increases, a Labour Department report showed on Friday

WASHINGTON: The cost of living excluding food and fuel rose at a faster pace than expected in April, indicating inflation is inching toward Federal Reserve’s goal. The core consumer-price index climbed 0.3 per cent, the biggest gain since January 2013, reflecting broad-based increases, a Labour Department report showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 84 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 0.2 per cent advance. Prices including those of food and fuel rose 0.1 per cent. Costs will probably continue to increase as fuel expenses stabilise and a lack of apartments pushes up rents, one of the biggest categories. Further firming in price pressures should help Federal Reserve policy makers gain confidence inflation will move toward their

WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONS: Costs will probably continue to rise as fuel expenses stabilise and a lack of apartments pushes up rents, one of the biggest categories. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

two per cent goal as they consider their first interest-rate rise since 2006. “Potentially, things are building in terms of inflation faster than we thought,” said Guy Berger, an economist at RBS Securities in Stamford, Connecticut. “If core inflation really is firming, then all of a sudden that starts putting pressure on the Fed.” Stock-index futures and Treasury securities dropped after the report on concern a pickup in inflation would cause Fed policy makers to raise interest rates later this year. The contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index maturing in June declined 0.2 per cent to 2,124.6 at 9:01am in New

York. The yield on the benchmark Treasury 10-year note, which moves inversely to prices, climbed to 2.22 per cent from 2.19 per cent late on Thursday. Survey results Estimates for core consumer prices in the Bloomberg survey ranged from little changed to a 0.3 per cent advance. At a year- over-year rate, they rose 1.8 per cent in April, the same as in the prior month. Consumer prices including all categories were projected to rise 0.1 per cent, with estimates ranging from a 0.4 per cent drop to a 0.4 percent advance. The CPI declined 0.2 per cent in the 12

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

EU scrutinises Greece bank plans as debt crisis drags on BRUSSELS: The European Commission is preparing contingency plans for the Greek banking system in the event government leaders fail to agree to a deal to help the indebted nation, according to two people familiar with the talks. Officials are looking at how to manage the failure of financial firms in Greece and other events that may cause widespread investor losses, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private. The four largest banks in Greece, including the National Bank of Greece and Alpha Bank, all received notifications from independent auditors questioning whether they can continue as socalled going concerns, according to earnings reports. The financial firms have suffered after the economy in Greece contracted for six straight years, a 2012 debt exchange forced the institutions to take large losses and the prolonged recession led

– Bloomberg ﬁle picture

to an increase in non-performing loans. “You cannot truly break the vicious circle of the bank- sovereign link if the sovereign is not ready to play ball,” said Nicolas Veron, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. “You can mitigate it, but you cannot break it entirely.” Spokespeople for the European Commission and the National Bank of Greece declined to comment. A spokesman at Alpha Bank didn’t immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

The FTSE/Athens Banks Index, which measures the performance of the bank sector of the Greek Stock Exchange, fell 0.7 per cent to 682.6 at 3:48pm in Athens, down 96.5 per cent since 2010. Optimism that Greece could reach an accord with its creditors to unlock the remaining 7.2 billion euros ($8 billion) of its bailout funds waned on Friday after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said greater efforts were needed. German Finance Minster Wolfgang Schaeuble mentioned the possibility that Greece may need a parallel currency alongside the euro if talks fail, according to people familiar with his views. The banks themselves are warning investors, with the National Bank of Greece signaling that it faces restrictions in accessing the capital markets and is dependent on the ECB and the Bank of Greece for funding, according to a May 18 ﬁling with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. — Bloomberg News

months ended in April, the biggest year-to-year drop since October 2009. That mainly reﬂected the plunge in energy costs that has recently abated. Energy costs decreased 1.3 per cent in April after rising 1.1 per cent a month earlier. Food costs were little changed. Restrained food and energy costs are helping prop up Americans’ spending power. Hourly wages adjusted for inﬂation increased 2.3 per cent over the past 12 months on average, compared with a 2.1 per cent gain in the year ended March, according to a separate report from the Labour Department issued Friday. The ad-

vance in the core index last month was bolstered by prices for rents, used cars and trucks, and medical care, which showed the biggest increase since January 2007. Inflation will need to keep rising in order for Fed officials to be “reasonably confident” that progress on their price stability mandate is sufficient to allow for an increase in the benchmark interest rate. The officials’ preferred measure of price growth, the personal consumption expenditures gauge, rose 0.3 per cent in the year ended March and hasn’t met the Fed’s goal since April 2012. Many of the participants in the central bankers’ April 28-29 meeting “thought it unlikely that the data available in June would provide sufficient confirmation that the conditions for raising the target range for the federal funds rate had been satisfied,” according to minutes of the gathering released on Wednesday. The Fed officials will announce the start of interest-rate increases at their September meeting, according to 42 of 54 economists surveyed by Bloomberg May 8-13. A rout in oil markets in the second half of 2014 still might be keeping airfares from rising at a faster pace as airlines enjoy cheaper fuel costs. American Airlines is among carriers ready to issue discounted tickets if the competition demands it. — Bloomberg News

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IEA. Demand growth will accelerate to 1.3 million to 1.4 million barrels a day this year, Chris Bake, an executive director at Vitol Group, the world’s largest independent oil trader, said at a conference in London on May 20. Lower prices and economic growth increased demand in Europe, the Middle East and India, he said. Global oil demand rose 700,000 barrels a day last year, according to the IEA. “Opec doesn’t really have a need to change course,” Francisco Blanch, Bank of America Corp.’s head of commodities research, said by phone from New York. “The strategy has achieved its goal of reining in supply and stimulating demand.” — Bloomberg News

PROJECT FINANCING

‘Iran petrochem firms in talks with foreign banks for loans’ TEHRAN: Iranian petrochemical companies are in talks with international banks including Deutsche Bank to secure $6.6 billion in loans to complete unfinished projects, Iran’s official leading the effort said. “We are in almost daily contact with reputable international banks,” Issa Mashayekhi, managing director of NPC International, said in an interview in Tehran. The banks include Credit Agricole, Societe Generale, HSBC Holdings and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, he said. HSBC denied it was in talks with NPC International, according to Paul Harris, a Dubai-based spokesman. Deutsche Bank spokesman in Dubai Stuart Haslam declined to comment. Officials in the Middle East for Societe Generale, Credit Agricole and Japan Bank for International Cooperation couldn’t be reached for immediate comment. Mashayekhi said NPC International is talking with foreign banks on behalf of about 80 companies. Iran’s petrochemicals industry needs about $70 billion in total investment, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on May 6. The nation is the fifth-biggest producer of the Opec and holds the world’s largest reserves of natural gas. Iran’s petrochemical makers need loans to finish building ammonia and urea plants at Hormuz and Hengan in southern Iran as well as facilities for natural gas liquids, Mashayekhi said. International sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme have deprived the industry of funds, but foreign banks will only lend if the curbs are removed, he said. — Bloomberg News

S ATUR DAY, M AY 23, 2 015

MARKET China, India to be biggest shareholders in new bank founding members, throwing together countries as diverse as Iran, Israel, Britain and Laos. The United States and Japan have stayed out of the institution, seen as a rival to the US-dominated World Bank and Japan-led Asian Development Bank, citing concerns about transparency and governance, although Tokyo for one is keeping its options open.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank said the meeting in Singapore ﬁnalised the articles of agreement, which are expected to be ready for signing by the end of June, but did not give details

SINGAPORE: China is likely to hold a 25-30 per cent stake in the new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) while India will be the second-biggest shareholder, delegates said on Friday after a three-day meeting of the bank’s STRATEGIC MEET: China’s Vice Minister of Finance Shi Yaobin (second right) listens to delegates during a break in the Fifth Chief Negotiators’ meeting on draft agreements for the China-backed founding member-nations. AIIB said in a statement that it Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, in Singapore, on Wednesday. — Reuters expected to be operational by the end of the year. It said the meeting “It is uncertain if we can start pean and other nations will own in Singapore ﬁnalised the articles China’s share of agreement, which are expected China’s share in the $100 billion the rest. Another delegate said from early next year,” said one of to be ready for signing by the end lender would be less than 30 per that each country representative the delegates. “China hopes that members cent, an Asian delegate told Reu- would take the proposals back to of June, but did not give details. No details of the ownership ters. A second delegate said India’s their governments for a ﬁnal deci- will get such approvals by yearend and the operations start from structure were disclosed, but del- share would be between 10 and 15 sion on the matter. egates told Reuters that China per cent. Both spoke on condition Some were sceptical of the the next year. But I wonder if it is timeline for the bank to start run- possible, given domestic political would likely take a 25-30 per cent of anonymity. stake in the bank, and India was In all, Asian countries are ex- ning, as each member will need to situations in each country.” likely to be the second-largest pected to own between 72 and 75 obtain cabinet and legislative apA total of 57 countries have joined AIIB as its prospective shareholder. per cent of the bank, while Euro- provals at home.

AIIB’s launch AIIB’s launch is coming at a time when the space for infrastructure lending is already crowded due to the presence of major multilateral lenders and Japan’s latest move to provide $110 billion for Asian infrastructure projects. The amount of Japanese funds, to be invested over ﬁve years, tops the expected $100 billion capitalisation of the AIIB. Jahangir Aziz, head of emerging market Asia economics at JPMorgan, said spending on infrastructure was a great idea on paper, but it was unclear how the AIIB or the New Development Bank, a lender promoted by China and other members of the BRICS group of nations, would be structured. “We will have to wait for the actual structure of governance before we can see how successful these (institutions) will turn out to be,” he said. “The proof of the pudding will be in the eating.” - Reuters

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F O U R T H - Q U A R T E R R E S U LT

Arundhati Bhattacharya. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

State Bank of India’s profit beats estimates MUMBAI: State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender by assets, posted a bigger-than-estimated increase in fourth-quarter profit as bad loans fell and interest income rose. Net income climbed 23 per cent from a year earlier to Rs37.4 billion ($589 million), or Rs5.01 a share, in the three months ended March 31, the Mumbai-based lender said on Friday. That beat the Rs35 billion median of 26 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The result underscored Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya’s progress in bolstering profit by curtailing soured loans while boosting credit growth. SBI joins Bank of Baroda, India’s secondlargest lender by assets, in bucking a trend of increases in bad debt at the country’s banks. “The sharp improvement in asset quality surprised most investors,” Hatim Broachwala, a banking analyst at Nirmal Bang Institutional Equities in Mumbai, said by phone. “We’ll wait for another quarter to see whether this improvement is sustainable.” — Bloomberg News

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

No need to start tapering quantitative easing: ECB minutes

European Central Bank. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank (ECB) revealed on Thursday that its governing council believes its contested bond purchase programme is working and there is no talk of scaling it back just yet. “Members generally agreed that a steady hand and the ﬁrm implementation of the measures decided in January 2015 would best serve to support the economic recovery and a return of inﬂation towards 2.0 per cent,” according to the minutes of the governing council’s meeting on April 14 and 15 released on Thursday. “There was hence no need to consider any change in the monetary policy stance at present”, or to reconsider any of the parameters

of the purchase programme, the minutes stated. Bond purchase scheme The ECB announced in January that it would embark on a programme of so-called quantitative easing or QE, a massive 1.14-trillion-euro ($1.3-trillion) sovereign bond purchase scheme aimed at bringing area-wide inﬂation back up to levels consistent with healthy economic growth. Under the QE programme, the ECB aims to buy 60 billion euros of bonds per month until September 2016. The ECB actually launched the programme in March and its top officials are convinced that the purchases are having the desired effect and inﬂation rates in coun-

tries such as Germany and France are gradually moving upwards. Nevertheless, QE has its critics, not least the head of the German central bank or Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, who fear it will lessen pressure on governments to get their economies and ﬁnances in order. And given its early success, there is some speculation that the programme’s opponents on the ECB governing council could argue for an early roll-back as the eurozone recovery picks up speed. Caution required But according to the minutes of the April 14-15 meeting, this is not the case. “While there was a case for guarded optimism on the short to medium-term outlook for the euro

area economy, taking into account initial evidence that the monetary policy measures were proving effective, it was important to remain cautious,” the minutes said. Outlook for growth The governing council pointed out that it was only one month into the programme “and that the outlook for growth and inﬂation was conditional on the full implementation of all the monetary policy measures that had been decided.” Moreover, the economic recovery still faced headwinds. The governing council therefore felt it was “important to implement ﬁrmly the (purchase programme) as announced in order to reap its full effects,” the minutes said. - AFP

M O N E TA RY S T I M U LU S

Bank of Japan slightly more upbeat on economy, no need for more easing TOKYO: The Bank of Japan (BoJ) offered a slightly more upbeat view of the economy on Friday and its governor shrugged off the need for more monetary stimulus, dismissing market concerns that the recovery is too slow to accelerate inflation toward the bank’s target. Signalling its confidence the world’s third-largest economy is out of the doldrums, the central bank revised up its assessment on private consumption and housing investment - areas hardest hit by last year’s sales tax hike. Underscoring the optimism, a Reuters poll showed retailers’ mood turned positive in May and hit the highest level since June last year, when sales were reeling after the tax increase. That followed data on Wednesday which showed Japan’s economy expanded at the fastest pace in a year in January-March due to modest increases in private consumption, which makes up roughly 60 per cent of GDP. Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said consumption is set to increase as wages rise, keeping Japan on path to hit the BoJ’s two per cent inflation target around the six months to September 2016. “Both for households and companies, a positive cycle is kicking in,” where increases in income are leading to higher spending, he told reporters after the meeting. “We

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

expect trend inﬂation to improve steadily, so we’re not thinking about additional monetary easing now.” Kuroda reminded markets, however, that the BoJ was ready to expand stimulus again if the economy falters and threatens to disrupt the broad uptrend in inﬂation. Glimmer of hope As widely expected, the BoJ maintained its pledge of increasing base money at an annual pace of 80 trillion yen ($662 billion) through aggressive asset purchases. “Japan’s economy continues to recover moderately,” the central

bank said, a slightly more optimistic tone than last month when it said the economy was recovering moderately “as a trend.” Consumption is ﬁrm and housing investment is bottoming out with some signs of a pick-up, the BOJ said, offering a brighter view than last month. Some analysts, however, were puzzled with the BOJ’s optimism given the modest pace of recovery, particularly in consumption. “If you look at the data, the trend for the economy has not improved as much as the BOJ’s upgrades would suggest, so I ﬁnd this move a little hard to understand,”

said Shuji Tonouchi, senior fixed income strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. “We still expect the debate about additional easing to heat up again this autumn, because consumer prices are not likely to rise as fast as the BOJ expects.” Barclays Capital also expected the BOJ would have to ease policy again, although following Kuroda’s comments it pushed back its forecast for the timing of such a move from July to April 2016. The Reuters Tankan, which closely tracks the BoJ ‘s quarterly tankan survey, showed on Friday that manufacturers are more upbeat about business and expect conditions to improve further. An index measuring servicesector sentiment rose to the highest level since April last year. The BoJ bought itself some breathing space last month when it pushed back the timing for hitting its inflation target. But the move also put its credibility on the line as it jarred with its commitment to achieve the price target in “roughly two years” since deploying the stimulus in April 2013. Kuroda has voiced confidence the stimulus was succeeding in keeping the economy on track to hit the price target. But markets are unconvinced, with a majority of analysts in a Reuters poll betting on further easing in October. - Reuters

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015

MARKET TRENDS

Montblanc to Apple: Our Swiss smartwatch will outlast yours

ELECTRONIC WATCHBAND: Montblanc has developed an electronic watchband for Swiss luxury timepieces that tracks steps, reads emails and even helps take selﬁes. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

PERFORMANCE

Lenovo’s annual revenue rises 20% HONG KONG: China’s Lenovo said on Thursday revenue rose 20 per cent in its past fiscal year, helped by its purchase of Motorola, but net profit growth slowed to just one per cent. The world’s biggest personal computer maker, which is diversifying into the smartphone market, said revenue reached $46.30 billion for the year ending March 31. But net profit was up only one per cent for the period at $829 million, owing to increased operating expenses, which increased almost 40 per cent at $5.57 billion, the company said in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The profit figure was slightly below the net average of $830.2 million expected by 26 analysts polled by Bloomberg News. It represents Lenovo’s slowest net profit growth in five years, Bloomberg said. The Hong Kong-listed PC maker had seen its net profit rise 29 per cent in the previous financial year, driven by record smartphone sales. “The rise of new technology and market trends, particularly the social mobile Internet, has posed market opportunities and challenges as consumer behaviour is changing,” the company said in the filing. The group’s non-PC revenue contribution rose to 28 per cent from 18 per cent in the same period last year. Revenue from the mobile business including Motorola increased 71 per cent year-on-year to $9.14 billion, making up about a fifth of the revenue total. Smartphone shipments worldwide also grew more than 50 per cent year-on-year to 76 million, “driven by aggressive business expansion in emerging markets outside of China from Lenovo brand products and strong growth of the Motorola brand products”, the company said. But the group’s PC revenue represented the lion’s share, or more than 70 per cent, of the to-

ZURICH: By the end of the decade, smartwatches from Apple and others might elicit guffaws rather than envy. At least that’s the view of Montblanc’s Alexander Schmiedt, who’s developed an electronic watchband for Swiss luxury timepieces that tracks steps, reads emails and even helps take selﬁes. The speed at which gadgets evolve poses a design challenge to the four-century-old Swiss watchmaking industry, Schmiedt, Montblanc’s managing director for watches, said in an interview. High-end wristwatches are made to last, while electronic devices become disposable within years, as seen in the demise of the 1980s calculator watch. “Our products should have very

long life cycles,” Schmiedt said at Montblanc’s watch factory, housed in an Art Nouveau villa in the rural Swiss town of Le Locle. “In modern technologies the life cycle is exactly the opposite. It may be the hottest thing today, and in one year it’s already outdated, and in two years you’re made fun of for still using it.” Montblanc, owned by South African billionaire Johann Rupert’s Richemont, has created a luxury item with high-tech appeal by putting the electronics in the watchband rather than the timepiece. Montblanc’s $390 “e-Strap” goes on sale next month and accompanies its TimeWalker watches, which cost $3,700 to $5,800. The device is the ﬁrst luxury Swiss product to directly com-

pete with the Apple Watch, which costs $349 for the most basic version and $17,000 for an 18-karat gold model. The e-Strap and compatible timepieces will appear in Montblanc boutiques and retailers such as Bloomingdale’s in the US. “The pricing is reasonable,” said Patrik Schwendimann, an analyst at Zuercher Kantonalbank. “If it turns out to be just a fad, at least the consumer still has a nice, normal watch they can continue to wear.” The e-Strap consists of a stainless steel display attached via a leather strap and designed to be on the backside of the wrist when the watch is on the front. A twoline touchscreen displays e-mails when they arrive. When connected to a smartphone, Montblanc’s device can

select songs and jump through playlists. It has an activity tracker that allows users to set targets for calories burned and steps taken. The e-Strap can also trigger the phone’s camera, facilitating easier “selfie” shots and group photos. Apple compatible The watchband is compatible with phones from Samsung, Apple and others. The e-Strap also has a function to help the wearer find the watch or smartphone as long as they’re in a 30-metre (98-foot) range. It needs a recharge every five days. While it does make a Swiss watch smart, the e-Strap isn’t flawless, according to Mario Ortelli, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein in London. — Bloomberg News

HP to sell China unit stake for $2.3 billion US tech giant said it would sell the stake for $2.3 billion, creating a new business called H3C worth $4.5

Yang Yuanqing. — Bloomberg ﬁle

billion that would

picture

be the leader in tal revenue — rising ﬁve per cent year-on-year to $33.35 billion. Simsen Financial Group associate director Jackson Wong said the results were a good sign, but investors are hoping the company will speed up the development of its mobile business. Lenovo’s CEOYang Yuanqing told reporters at a Hong Kong press conference on Thursday that he was not worried about growth in the smartphone business. “We had a very strong performance from all of our businesses. “For smartphone business growth is not a problem. Every year every quarter we are growing rapidly so this is not our concern,” he said. “For the last year it (Motorola) has grown rapidly and it has enjoyed very good momentum. We are also seeing potential for the Motorola business to grow.” Lenovo’s share price was up 1.05 per cent at the close in Hong Kong at HK$13.5 ($1.74), while the benchmark Hang Seng Index was down 0.22 per cent. In its third quarter results published in February, Lenovo said mobile phone shipments had surged almost 80 per cent thanks to its $2.9 billion purchase of Motorola from Google in October. — AFP

China in computer servers, storage and technology services

NEW YORK: Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced on Thursday it was selling a 51 per cent stake in its China-based server business, BOLD MOVE: HP said the deal would not affect its existing China-based enterprise services, personal creating a joint venture with Tsin- computer business and other operations. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture ghua Holdings that will be a sector leader in China. The American technology gi- its existing China-based enter- statement. The new ﬁrm compris- $1.01 billion, slightly better than ant said it would sell the stake for prise services, personal computer es the existing HP unit called H3C expected. $2.3 billion, creating a new busi- business and other operations, Technologies and HP’s Chinaness called H3C worth $4.5 billion which would remain 100 percent based server, storage and technol- Revenues down But revenues were down 6.8 per ogy services businesses. that would be the leader in China owned by the California group. “The transaction for H3C will cent year-over-year to $25.45 bilThe new H3C will become a in computer servers, storage and subsidiary of Unisplendour, a pub- also release great potential in the lion, below most forecasts. technology services. “I’m pleased with where we The deal brings together HP licly traded unit of Tsinghua Hold- China market,” said Weiguo Zhao, with the investment arm of Chi- ings, the asset management arm of chairman of Tsinghua Unigroup ended the quarter, the continued success of our turnaround, and the and Unisplendour Corporation. na’s Tsinghua University in a com- Tsinghua University. HP, which remains one of the progress we’re making on separapany with some 8,000 employees largest makers of personal com- tion,” said Whitman. and $3.1 billion in annual revenue. Two companies “Despite some tough challenges, “HP is making a bold move to The move comes with HP in the puters, has been undergoing a maswin in today’s China,” said Meg midst of a plan to break itself into sive reorganisation to cope with we executed well across many Whitman, HP’s chairman and two companies, one with a focus the move away from traditional parts of our portfolio, sustained on personal computers and print- PCs to mobile devices. It had been our commitment to innovation, chief executive. “Partnering with Tsinghua, one ers, and the other on software and shifting to emphasise software and delivered the results we said and services before announcing we would.” HP said its split is on of China’s most respected institu- enterprise services. track for November and that the Once the deal closes, the new the breakup plan last year. tions, the new H3C will be able to HP separately reported that company expects savings or “disdrive even greater innovation for H3C will be the exclusive provider for HP’s server, storage and net- earnings for the past quarter fell synergies” of some $400 to $450 China, in China.” HP said the deal would not affect working services, according to a 20.6 per cent from a year ago to million from the move. - AFP

S ATUR DAY, M AY 23, 2 015

FEATURE THE 14,385 ROOMS UNDER CONSTRUCTION WILL INCREASE SUPPLY BY ABOUT A FIFTH.

LEADS IN HOTEL GROWTH

he Burj al Arab. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The palm island’s Atlantis. All unmistakably Dubai, the Gulf emirate that turned itself into a luxury tourist destination. Now Dubai is doubling down by building hotels at the fastest pace of any city, putting pressure on occupancy and rates that are among the highest in the world. The 14,385 rooms under construction will increase supply by about a fifth, according to industry researcher STR Global, and thousands more are planned. “There is concern around Dubai that we won’t see the same high rates as before,” Philip Wooller, Middle East and Africa director at STR Global, said in an interview. “But there is a bigger picture here and Dubai’s room rates need to soften to keep people coming and to allow the market to evolve.” From the Roman columns of the soon-to-open Palazzo Versace to the Ottoman domes of Zabeel Saray, Dubai is adding to a collection of monuments that serve as tourist attractions in their own right. City authorities show no sign of impeding the rush toward growth, with plans to almost double rooms by 2020. Profitability is flagging even before the new rooms hit the market. Revenue per available room, or revpar, declined 8.1 per cent in the first quarter from a year earlier. Occupancy dropped 2.2 percentage points to 85.7 per cent, while the average daily room rate fell 6.1 per cent, according to STR Global. Demand is growing year on year, however supply is currently increasing at a faster pace, Wooller said. Big earners For now, owners and managers might find it easy to shrug off a few points of declines. Revpar for the city stands at 839 dirhams ($228), the highest in the world. Hong Kong and Paris, which have more rooms overall and more mid-and low-priced hotels, come in second and third at $185 and $165 respectively. “Even if occupancy softens by 5 or 6 percentage points, that is a very strong market and any other city in the world would give its right arm for that,” Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director of Marriott International Inc. for the Middle East and Africa. “Dubai is still a highly desirable market to be in.” The rooms being built are part of a total pipeline of 25,949 under contract, second to New York, according to STR Global data. About 75,000 are already available. JLL, the Chicago-based real estate adviser, says 28,000 rooms will be added by the end of 2018. Ruble surprise A drop in Russian tourists last year served as a warning that events outside Dubai could quickly hurt demand. The city is stepping up efforts to woo tourists with marketing initiatives, additional flights and easier visa policies after the ruble’s decline caused Russian visits to drop by about a quarter, Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said at a conference in Dubai. Consultant PwC sees annual occupancy falling 1.4 percentage points this year before rebounding by 4.3 points to 80.7 per cent in 2016, according to a study of Middle East hotels. It also predicted a 2.4 per cent decline in revpar in 2015 followed by a 6.6 per cent rise next year. Hotels and restaurants contributed 5.5 per cent to Dubai’s economy in the first half of 2014, Dubai Statistics Center says on its website. The Dubai Department for Economic Development expects tourism to grow 4.1 per cent this year. Keep building Dubai authorities, who estimate that the city already has 93,000 rooms, would like to see supply grow by 8 per cent to 12 per cent annually, Almarri said. That’s realistic, said Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, head of hotel advisory for the Middle East and Africa at JLL. “Tourism isn’t a matter of local demand, it’s something you create. Who would have thought 15 years ago that Dubai would have more than 13 million visitors?” Building more hotels is key to reducing rates and making the city accessible to a wider range of visitors, he said. “For a destination to grow, it has to be competitive. Large conventions still prefer Barcelona and Hong Kong to Dubai and that’s because hotels there are less expensive.” Most of Dubai’s main developers have hotel projects, from the publicly traded Emaar Properties PJSC to privately held Jumeirah Group and Al Habtoor Group LLC. Owners of the 1,539-room Atlantis, The Palm, are building another 800-room property nearby to be completed by the end of 2017. The $1.4 billion project will feature two buildings joined by a sky pool about 100 meters (328 feet) above the ground. To fill beds, hotel operators must focus on strengthening relationships with businesses such as tour operators and credit- card companies, said Serge Zaalof, president and managing director of the Atlantis. They also need to increase direct marketing in different places to avoid a collapse if one market suddenly slows. Euro worry “We hope the euro doesn’t decline further because people are really shopping these days and many would probably vacation in Europe,” he said. “As long as Dubai keeps providing value for money, it will keep growing.” Dubai is building attractions such as the world’s tallest Ferris wheel and Hollywood-and-Bollywood-inspired theme parks and providing incentives for builders of cheaper hotels to boost the city’s appeal to families. In January, Dubai’s airport surpassed London’s Heathrow as the world’s top international air hub at a time local carrier Emirates is steaming ahead with its expansion of routes. “Dubai is going to drive demand again through mid-range hotels,” said David Clifton, regional development director at Faithful & Gould. “There is massive need for three-and-four star hotels that cater to business travellers and conferences, rooms that can be rented for $75 to $150.” An explosion in operating costs, especially housing for hotel staff, will probably be the biggest difficulty for hoteliers, said Filippo Sona, director of hotels in the Middle East and North Africa at Colliers International. The rooms under construction would require the hiring of at least 20,000 employees, he said. “Where are they going to put all these people?” he said. “Most affordable places are full and to go further into other emirates would mean higher transportation costs and time wasted on the roads.” — Bloomberg News

B SECTION

LIFE & STYLE

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM S AT U R DAY, M AY 23, 2 0 1 5

DOES SOCIAL MEDIA FEED

ANXIETY? But while my experiences have been largely positive, social media can also have negative impacts on those who suffer with anxiety

t was around 2am and I still couldn’t sleep. Feeling alone I decided to send a tweet, “Insomnia - friend of anxiety. Is anybody out there still awake?” Within minutes I was ﬂooded with words of support from people all over the world. I couldn’t believe it! The power of the Internet is deﬁnite, one that provides a connection to strangers that the previous generations didn’t have. The truth is, we’re never really alone, which is a comforting thought. In general, I have a love/hate relationship with the social media. It’s both liberating and oppressive. I originally began blogging in 2013. I wanted to share my experiences with anxiety and panic attacks, and prevent others from feeling as lost as I had. Mental health is a legitimate concern and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Through blogging I also encountered some excellent websites, resources and communities, including Anxiety Coach and Walking on Custard. Nicky Lidbetter, the CEO of Anxiety UK believes that exchanging stories and advice is a powerful tool:

“Social media has made massive inroads in helping those who have felt isolated and on the margins of society feel connected. Indeed before Twitter and Facebook people living with anxiety would’ve had to join a formal support group or organisation. The avenues to connect with others and share information were much more limited.” But while my experiences have been largely positive, social media can also have negative impacts on those who suffer with anxiety. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest – there are a whole variety to choose from. We can and do share everything. As of 2011, if you don’t have a Facebook account then technically you didn’t exist. Finding out about somebody’s background has never been easier. But is such easy access to so much information a good thing? Did you really want to know that your ex isn’t in fact pining over you as you’d originally hoped, but married to a supermodel and living in Dubai? Or that some colleagues went to the local pub without you? The problem with a photo or tweet is lack of context, and without admitting that you stalked a person (we all do it), then you will not receive this precious context. So it’s therefore natural to presume that your colleagues hate you and your ex has the perfect life. Talk about anxiety provoking! For a person who is prone to over-thinking, it’s a playground of stress. The digital revolution has changed the world forever. Previously we’d go home, watch TV and eat our dinner in peace. Now we’re constantly updating our statuses, adding new photos and

‘checking in’. The pressure to be interesting has never been more paramount. Twitter is a battlefield of competition; how many followers do you have? How many favourites or retweets? Cyberbullying is on the rise with teenagers unable to escape from their tormentors. The age of ‘selfies’ and perfectly edited Instagram photographs is enough to make even the most confident person feel insecure. “The reality is that most of us cannot live up to this perfect image, because not even the top models can,” says Lidbetter. As somebody who suffers with anxiety and taking all of the above into consideration, would I ever pack up and leave the world of social media? No. We adapt to change and ultimately I have gained more from my experiences and shared sense of community. Although, I have established some strict rules that I would urge others to follow: Don’t check Facebook on a Friday or Saturday night. Why do it to yourself ? I often leave my phone in another room. When you lose a Twitter follower try not to take it to heart. I’m afraid they ‘just weren’t that into you’ – so move on. Make sure that your Facebook is set to ‘private’ (no brainer). We wouldn’t want your new employer to see that horrendous photo with the pole and greased up men. Don’t click on your ex’s profile. Especially when drunk or alone. Beware - if you click on somebody’s LinkedIn profile it automatically informs them. So don’t spy on them unless you’re prepared to be exposed! — Claire Eastham/The Independent

S ATUR DAY, M AY 23, 2 015

ENTERTAINMENT CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA Mad Max Fury Road (Act)(2D) 12+ Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron 9:30 & 11:45pm Piku (Comedy, Drama)(PG) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan. 4:40 pm Poltergeist (Horror, Thriller) (2D/15+) Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kennedi Clements. 2:45 pm Poltergeist (3D/15+) Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kennedi Clements. 12:00, 9:40 & 11:30 pm Spooks The Greater Good (Action, Drama) (12+) Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, Jennifer Ehle. 2:00 & 11:45 pm Danny Collins (Comedy, Drama) (12+) Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner. 7:20 pm Tomorrowland (Action, Adventure) (PG) Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie 12:15, 3:00, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15 pm Omar (Arabic) (Drama, Thriller) 12+ Cast: Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany, Eyad Hourani. 5:30 pm Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Comedy, Romance) (TBC) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz Khan 12:20, 7:00 pm

Kennedi Clements 12:45 & 11:45 pm Gold Class: 11:15 pm Poltergeist (2D) 15+ Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 12:45 pm Tomorrowland (2D) PG Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie. 10:15 am, 2:30, 9:15 & 11:45 pm Gold Class: 11:30 am, 2:00 & 8:50 pm Robosapien: Rebooted (2D) PG Cast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann Miller, Bobby Coleman. 11:00 am Spooks The Greater Good (2D) 12+ Cast: Car Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, Jennifer Ehle. 5:00 pm Danny Collins (2D) 12+ Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner. 7:15 pm. Gold Class: 4:20 PM Tanu Weds Manu Returns (H) (2D) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz 9:15 pm Gold Class: 6:20 pm Omar (2D) (Arabic) (Drama, Thriller) 12+ Cast: Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany 5:30 pm

SCREEN 1 Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Rom/Drama/ Comedy) – TBC 1.00, 3.45, 6.45, 9.30 pm Cast: Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan SCREEN 2

Avengers Age Of Ultron (3D) PG12 Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo. 3:00pm Mad Max Fury Road (3D) 12+ Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult. 12:45 & 7:00pm Poltergeist (3D) 15+ Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt,

Piku (Drama/Comedy) – PG 1.30, 4.00, 6.45, 9.45 pm Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan SCREEN 3 Bhaskar the Rascal (Malayalam)(Comedy/

Drama ) – PG Cast: Mammootty, Nayantara 1.00, 3.45, 6.45 pm Gabbar - Hindi (Action/Drama) – PG Cast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti K. Haasan, Kareena Kapoor 9.45 pm

Mad Max: Fury Road - 3d (12+) Action, Adventure, Thriller Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult 7:00, 9:20, 11:45 pm Piku - 2D (PG) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan 4:45 pm Spooks: The Greater Good - 2D (12+) Action | Drama | Thriller Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, Jennifer Ehle 5:00, 11:45 pm Danny Collins - 2D (12+) Com |Drama Cast: Al Pacino, Jennifer Garner 2:30, 5:15 pm Robosapien: Rebooted - 2D (12+) Adventure |Drama | Family Cast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann Miller, Bobby Coleman 3:30 pm Poltergeist - 2D (15+) Horror | Thriller Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kennedi Clements 12:30, 4:30 pm Poltergeist - 3D (15+) Horror | Thriller Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 9:45 & 11:30 pm Bhaskar the Rascal - 2D (M)(PG12) Comedy Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara, Isha Talwar, 12:30, 6:15 pm Tomorrowland - 2D (PG) Act |Adv | Cast : George Clooney, Britt Robertson

12:05, 2:30, 7:15, 9:05, 11:30 pm Tanu Weds Manu Returns (H) (2D) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz 12:00, 2:15, 9:15 pm Demonte Colony - 2D (T) (TBC) Horror Cast: Arulnithi 7:00 pm

Spooks: The Greater Good - 2D (12+) Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton 3:00, 11:40pm Mad Max: Fury Road – 3D (12+) (Action) Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron 4:30, 9:30 pm Danny Collins – 2D (12+) (Com, Drama) Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner. 2:45, 5:00 pm Robosapien: Rebooted – 2D (PG) (Adventure); 2:45, 4:15 pm Cast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann Miller Poltergeist - 3D (15+) (Horror, Thriller) Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 7:50, 11:50 pm Tomorrowland - 2D (PG) (Action) Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson 7:00, 9:30, 11:45 pm Bhaskar the Rascal - 2D (PG12) (Com) Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara, Isha 6:45 pm Tanu Weds Manu Returns – 2D (Com) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan 9:20 pm (PG) Demonte Colony - 2D (TBC) Horror 5:45 pm

Mad Max: Fury Road (3D) (Act ) (12+) Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron 2:45, 9:30 pm Spooks: The Greater Good (Act) (12+) Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, 7:05 pm Poltergeist (3D) (Horror |Thriller) (15+)

Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, 5:00, 11:45 PM Tomorrowland (Act | Adv) (PG) Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson 4:45, 11:30 PM Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Hindi) (Comedy | Romance) (TBC) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz 12:00, 2:15, 9:05 pm Bhaskar the Rascal (Mal) (Com) (PG12) Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara, 12:00, 6:45 pm

Mad Max Fury Road (Action) Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult 1:45, 7:30 & 9:45pm; CP NO: 1273 (12+) Spooks: The Greater Good ( Action/ Drama/Thriller ) Cast: Kit Harintion, Elyes Gabel, Jennifer Ehle 4:00, 8:00, 10:00 & 11:55pm CP No: 1343 (12+) Danny Collins (Comedy/Drama ) Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner 2:00 & 6:00pm CP No: 1346 (12+) Offender (Thriller) Cast: Joe Cole, English Frank, Kimberly Nixon 3:45 & 11:55pm; CP No: 1344 (18+) Captain Masr (Arabic) (Comedy) Cast: Mohamed Emam, Edward Bayoumi Fouad 5:45pm; CP No: 1345 (PG)

Spooks: The Greater Good (2D) (12+) (Action) Film Information - 24540856 / Advance Booking - 24540855 Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com 11:00 am, 5:00pm Danny Collins (2D) (12+) (Com, Music) Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner; 1:00, 4:45 pm Robosapiens: Rebooted (2D)(PG) (Adventure, Drama, Family) Cast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann Miller 11:00 am, 1:30 pm Offender (2D) (18+) (Thriller) Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Cast: Joe Cole, English Frank; 3:10pm Bhaskar The Raskal (Mal) (Rom/Com) Poltergeist (2D) (15+) (Horror, Thriller) Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara & Isha Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt Talwar 3:00 pm 6:30 & 10:00 pm at Cinema Main Poltergeist (3D) (15+) (Horror, Thriller) 7:15, 11:30 pm 3:45pm at Cinema -3 Tomorrowland (2D) (PG) (Act) 36 Vayadhinile (Tamil) (Family/Drama) Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson Cast: Jyothika, Rahman & Abhirami 11:15 am, 2:45, 7:00, 9:20, 11:45 pm 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30 pm at Cinema -2 Mad Max: Fury Road (3D) (12+) (Act) 9:45 pm at Cinema -3 12:30, 5:00, 11:45 pm Lion (Telugu) (Act/Rom) Tanu Weds Manu Returns – 2D (Com) Cast: Balakrishna, Trisha Krishnan, Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan Radhika Apte & Prakash Raj 9:00 pm (PG) 3:00 pm at Cinema Main Bhaskar the Rascal (2D) (PG12) (Co) 6:45 pm at Cinema -3 Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara Oru Vadakka Selﬁe (Mal) (Com\Drama) 9:00 pm Cast: Navin Pauly, Manjima & Vineeth Demonte Colony (2D) (Horror) Sreenivasam; 3:45 pm Cinema -4 6:45pm Piku (Hindi) (Drama\Com) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Deepika Padukone & Irfan Khan 6:45 & 9:45 pm Cinema -4 Next Change: Demonte Colony (Tamil)

STARS CINEMA

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

ACES ON BRIDGE

When unsure, play probabilities

gnes de Mille, a former dancer and choreographer, said, “Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. ... We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.” At the bridge table, we do have to guess occasionally, but more often there are sufficient clues to make the right choice clear. In today’s deal, cover the South and West hands. South is in four spades. West leads the heart two. How should East plan the defence? In the auction, West used the Unusual No-trump,

showing at least 5-5 in the two lowest-ranking unbid suits: clubs and diamonds. North just blasted into four spades, hoping that if the opponents sacriﬁced in ﬁve clubs, partner would be able to double. When West leads the heart two, East knows that it is either a singleton or from three cards. When you face an either-or position like this, usually the bidding will tell you which it is. Here, if West started with 0-3-5-5, South would have begun with an unlikely 7-1-1-4. If West held 2-1-5-5, though, South would have 5-3-1-4, which

is much more probable. So, East wins the ﬁrst trick and (tries to) give his partner a heart ruff at trick two. And because East’s potential re-entry is in clubs, the lower-ranking of the other two side suits, he carefully leads his heart three, which sends a so-called suit-preference signal. Now the pressure is on West. After ruffing at trick two, he must trust his partner and shift to a low club. East will win with his king and deliver a second heart ruff to defeat the contract. - By Philip Alder

MARMADUKE

CROSSWORD

B I G NAT E

Answer to previous puzzle

ACROSS 1 5 9 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 26 28 32 34

Laptop fare Beaver habitat Travel mug topper Down Under birds Proposal Vega rocket org. Word processor choice Commitments High peak Come what may (3 wds.) Nonsense! Longing Low-lying clouds Old cloth Tunes in Motor lodges CD preceders

36 Calendar abbr. 37 Astronaut’s garb (hyph.) 39 So! 41 Grendel, to Beowulf 42 Trash bag accessory 44 Electronics mfr. 46 Money, e.g. 51 Vast expanse 52 Opec country 53 Online auction site 55 Paycheque abbr. 56 Running shoe name 57 Swit co-star 58 Oater answer 59 Turns right 60 Classroom ﬁxture

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 19 20 23 24 25 27

Rock’s — Leppard Love, to Claudius Luncheon salad In a ferment Of vital importance Hound’s track Full of the latest info Ruined, as hopes In shape Castaway’s refuge Skip stones Also not Rolling — — (rich) Sticky fruit Add- — (extras) Wildebeest Student stat

29 30 31 33 35 38 40 43 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 54

— Wiedersehen Zodiac sign Compass dir. Web locale Pagodas and lamaseries Strenuous Fake it Hair-raising Yet to come Wolf lead-in Luggage fastener Boat follower Ready and willing partner Youths Not forward Tibetan beast of burden

BORN LOSER

WITH LOVE SAI T. ADITHYA

GARIMA GHOSHAL

May 23, 2003

May 23, 2000

DEEPAK KUMAR N.

MAAZIN NIRAVIL

May 22, 2007

May 20, 2011

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

KIDSPOT

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

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Y O U R B I R T H D AY

BORN today, you won’t be known for just one important contribution to the human race — or even two, for that matter. Instead, you’re likely to do so much throughout your lifetime that you will be considered a true Renaissance man or woman. You will be remembered for doing all manner of valuable things for yourself, for those in your inner circle, for acquaintances and even for strangers and the world at large. It’s not so much that you are determined to be philanthropic in your approach to life, but rather that you are compelled to do things that are, quite naturally, of value to others. Though you may have many friends, the truth is that you may also remain something of a mystery to most, and this excites you in a very basic way. You enjoy being the kind of person that others can’t readily ﬁgure out — for you know that the more they try to do so, the more attention you will get! Also born on this date are: Drew Carey, comedian and television personality; Kelly Monaco, actress; Joan Collins, actress; Rosemary Clooney, singer and actress; Douglas Fairbanks Sr., actor; Scatman Crothers, singer and actor; Artie Shaw, bandleader and musician; Ambrose Burnside, military leader and politician; Jewel, singer-songwriter.

12.09pm 3.30pm 6.50pm 8.10pm 3.57am

Sunset Sunrise (Tomorrow) High tide Low tide

6:45pm 5.22am

12:59pm 7.07pm

FIND-IT-ALL

12:03am 6.43am

W E AT H E R

AIRLINES

artly cloudy skies over the southeastern coast with chance of isolated rain over Dohfar coasts. And mainly clear skies over rest of the Sultanate with chance of cloud development along Al-Hajar mountains during afternoon. Chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches over governorate of south al Sharqiyah. EXPECTED WINDS: Along the coastal areas of Oman Sea winds will be northeasterly light to moderate during day becoming southwesterly light at night and over the rest of the Sultanate winds will be southerly to southeasterly light to moderate and fresh along the coastal areas of South Al-Sharqiyah. SEA STATE: Moderate along the Southeastern coasts with maximum

wave height of 2.0 metres. And slight along the rest of Oman’s coast with maximum wave height of 1.25 metres. HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog. THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Partly cloudy skies over the southeastern coast with chances of isolated rain. Chances of convective clouds development and rain occasionally thundershowers over AlHajar mountains during afternoon. Chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches over governorate of south al Sharqiyah and along the coastal areas of the southeastern coast.

Max

OMAN

WORLD

Max 41 Min 27 Max 21 Min 13

Max 43 Min 29

Max 39 Min 32 Max 18 Min 9

Max 39 Min 31

Max 22 Min 13

Max 41 Min 28

Max 42 Min 29

Max 41 Min 27

Max 42 Min 32

GEMINI

Max 36 Min 29

[MAY 21-JUNE 20] You may attract the wrong kind of attention at ﬁrst, but later you can be quite effective at changing people’s minds.

Max 32 Min 29

Max 21 Min 14

Max 33 Min 29 Max 19 Min 11

Source: www.met.gov.om

GULF Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh

41 43 39 44 41 43

28 31 30 29 29 28

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

29 37 33 18 19 37 32 22 29 26 22 32 26 22 21 32 27 20

18 24 17 8 11 23 29 10 20 19 7 24 16 12 9 27 17 11

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

[JUNE 21-JULY 22] There are many details to be sorted out, but you must start with an overall picture in your mind that is clearly in focus.

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22] Someone who has been out of the picture for quite a while is likely to inﬂuence you in ways that you might never expect. Be ready.

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Time Time 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 15:00 Sur 18:00 15:00 Jaalan 19:30 TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 06:30 Sohar 06:30 Buraimi 08:00 Buraimi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Buraimi 16.00 Sohar 16.00 Buraimi TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

20:50

Daily

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

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

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

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

10:20 12:30

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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

10:25

Daily

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

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

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

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

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

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

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

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22] You are far more interested in organisation than effectiveness, yet one leads to the other, as you well know.

LIBRA L [[SEPT. [S S 23-OCT. 22] Nothing is carved in stone — not yet, anyway. You’ll have some room to manoeuvre as you try to sort out a quickly developing situation.

SCORPIO S [[OCT. 23-NOV. 21] You can do what you are asked — and more. Once you start, you’ll actually ﬁnd it quite difficult to stop.

SAGITTARIUS S [[NOV. 22-DEC. 21] If you insist on keeping score, you’re sure to be disappointed. There is more to consider than the tally at day’s end.

CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19] You may have to tell a friend a piece of unpleasant news, but you know how to do it better than anyone else.

16:50

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

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

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

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

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

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

LISTINGS

AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18] Let things develop in a way that is beneﬁcial to as many people as possible. You don’t want to impose an inappropriate agenda.

PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20] You are surrounded by those who want to know what you know, but you may be reluctant to share everything.

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19] You may slip and reveal something that you’ve been working hard to keep under wraps. Ill effects are very few, in fact.

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20] A certain endeavour is far more challenging than you had expected, but if you stick with it, you can learn an important lesson.

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715 Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766 Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691 Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740 Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 4537080 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel: 23291635 HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052 Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000 Al Musaﬁr Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital: 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic: 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740 Ceregem National Raak: 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217 Elixir Health Centre: 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre: 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274 Hamdan Hospital: 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100

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

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

SATURDAY

Min

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

CANCER

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

SUNDAY

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

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CAIRO 0005 KUWAIT 0005 JEDDAH 0005 MEDINA 0005 RIYADH 0010 SALALAH 0020 SALALAH 0120 SALALAH 0130 ISTANBUL 0135 DACCA 0200 SIALKOT 0200 KARACHI 0210 BAHRAIN 0325 DOHA 0345 ADDIS ABABA 0350 DUBAI 0350 ABU DHABI 0400 DUBAI 0415 FRANKFURT 0515 DOHA 0600 LUXORE 0635 BAHRAIN 0635 ABU DHABI 0640 SALALAH 0645 KARACHI 0650 KUWAIT 0650 RAS AL KHAIMA 0655 RIYADH 0655 ZURICH 0700 MALPENSA 0705 DAMMAM 0715 DOHA 0715 JEDDAH 0735 PARIS 0735 LONDON HEATHROW 0740 DUBAI 0800 DUBAI 0805 LAHORE 0830 JAIPUR 0830 BOMBAY 0835 SOHAR 0840 HYDERABAD 0900 SHARJAH 0905 BANGALORE 0910 COCHIN 0920 DUBAI 0930 GOA 0935 DELHI 0935 TRIVANDRUM 0950 MADRAS 0955 TRIVANDRUM 0955 DOHA 1000 MANGALORE 1010 ABU DHABI 1010 COCHIN 1020 TRIVANDRUM 1045 DUQUM OMAN 1045 MUKHAIZNA 1110 DUBAI 1110 KHASAB 1115 BAHRAIN 1130 DUBAI 1140 CALICUT 1155 MALE 1210 KUALA LUMPUR-SINGAPORE 1215 BANGKOK 1220 ABU DHABI 1220 SALALAH 1230 DOHA 1250 KARACHI 1300 KATHMANDU 1305 BAHRAIN 1330 DUBAI 1340 KUWAIT 1405 SALALAH 1440 KHASAB 1445 ISLAM ABBAD 1515 DUBAI 1535 MUKHAIZNA 1550 LAHORE 1605 DOHA 1650 BOMBAY 1655 ABU DHABI 1710 CALICUT 1710 LUCKNOW 1740 DOHA 1745 DUBAI 1745 DELHI 1750 HYDERABAD 1750 DUBAI 1800 BAHRAIN 1810 BAHRAIN 1820 BANGKOK-KARACHI 1900 SHARJAH 1905 COLOMBO 1915 KUWAIT 1920 DUBAI 1940 SALALAH 2000 DUBAI 2025 JAKARTA 2035 KATHMANDU 2040 MALE 2045 TEHRAN 2055 DUBAI 2100 MUNICH 2105 COCHIN 2115 DELHI 2125 BOMBAY 2130 MADRAS 2135 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2140 DUBAI 2150 COLOMBO 2155 MADRAS 2200 CHITTAGONG 2210 DOHA 2225 ZURICH-DUBAI 2225 BAHRAIN 2240 FRANKFURT-DOHA 2245 ABU DHABI 2300 AMMAN 2300 SALALAH 2310 BOMBAY 2315 BOMBAY 2325 DOHA 2335 BAHRAIN 2340 ABU DHABI 2340 SALALAH 2345 BANGKOK 2350 DAMMAM 2355 DUBAI 2355

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BOMBAY BOMBAY AHMEDABAD BAHRAIN ABU DHABI BANGALORE HYDERABAD BOMBAY MADRAS KUWAIT ISLAM ABBAD DUBAI TEHRAN MUNICH SALALAH DELHI DOHA DAMMAM ISTANBUL MALE GOA DACCA LAHORE KATHMANDU ADDIS ABABA DUBAI ABU DHABI CAIRO DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN SALALAH DUBAI KHASAB DOHA KARACHI DUBAI COLOMBO ABU DHABI TRIVANDRUM BANGKOK LAHORE CALICUT ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR MALE SHARJAH MUKHAIZNA HYDERABAD TURBAT-GWADUR SALALAH DUBAI BOMBAY DELHI DUBAI TRIVANDRUM KATHMANDU DOHA ABU DHABI COCHIN CHITTAGONG KHASAB COCHIN BAHRAIN COCHIN BAHRAIN JAIPUR DUBAI CALICUT MADRAS LAHORE FRANKFURT DAMMAM ISLAM ABBAD ABU DHABI PARIS DOHA MALPENSA LUCKNOW CHITTAGONG-DACCA LONDON HEATHROW ZURICH SALALAH SIALKOT CAIRO KUWAIT SALALAH JEDDAH DUBAI RIYADH RIYADH-JEDDAH MEDINA DUBAI DOHA KARACHI RIYADH DUBAI KUWAIT BAHRAIN DUBAI DAMMAM DOHA BAHRAIN SHARJAH SALALAH ABU DHABI DUBAI DUBAI ABU DHABI KARACHI SALALAH SALALAH DUBAI DOHA-AMSTERDAM BANGKOK TRIVANDRUM BOMBAY MADRAS COLOMBO DELHI DUBAI-ZURICH BAHRAIN DOHA ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW

0020 0020 0030 0055 0105 0110 0110 0115 0120 0120 0125 0145 0155 0200 0215 0215 0225 0225 0230 0230 0255 0300 0315 0350 0450 0450 0500 0510 0510 0515 0645 0715 0750 0750 0815 0835 0835 0845 0900 0900 0900 0905 0915 0915 0940 0945 0945 0955 1000 1000 1015 1020 1020 1025 1040 1045 1045 1050 1100 1105 1120 1140 1145 1145 1215 1215 1220 1220 1225 1255 1310 1315 1320 1330 1335 1345 1345 1350 1350 1400 1400 1400 1420 1430 1430 1440 1440 1540 1615 1620 1620 1650 1705 1710 1750 1810 1840 1840 1845 1855 1910 1915 1920 1920 1955 2000 2015 2025 2035 2045 2100 2100 2110 2145 2220 2225 2230 2245 2300 2305 2310 2325 2325 2330 2330

AI986 9W539 WY657 WY225 WY637 WY235 WY281 WY211 WY685 WY201 WY643 WY251 WY271 WY601 WY123 WY325 WY847 WY241 WY901 WY691 WY667 WY383 TK775 WY209 4H585 PK260 NL772 WY331 ET625 EK867 EY385 FZ042 QR1133 WY3931 4H586 GF561 WY3921 G9842 WY903 WY603 WY3301 CV732 WY917 WY347 WY669 WY323 FZ044 WY373 WY815 WY291 WY343 NL769 WY651 WY263 WY821 WY843 G9115 WY231 WY605 WY905 WY203 WY385 WY245 EK863 IX554 WY337 QR1129 IX818 EY383 IX442 WY311 9W533 WY919 GF563 FZ038 WY3303 WY253 IX350 WY633 WY113 WY663 WY631 WY143 WY645 WY655 WY101 WY153 WY927 WY405 WY413 WY433 WY609 KU678 WY907 WY675 FZ046 WY671 WY613 QR1127 WY623 WY681 WY647 WY909 GF565 EK865 WY695 WY653 WY661 G9117 WY913 TG508 WY635 FZ048 WY611 WY915 FZ050 WY421 WY817 9W529 6.00E+82 AI908 UL206 AI974 WY705 GF567 LX243 QR1135 BA072 WY673 EY381 LH617

BOMBAY 0020 BOMBAY 0020 BAHRAIN 0055 COCHIN 0105 ABU DHABI 0105 HYDERABAD 0110 BANGALORE 0110 TRIVANDRUM 0110 RIYADH 0115 BOMBAY 0115 KUWAIT 0120 MADRAS 0120 JAIPUR 0135 DUBAI 0145 MUNICH 0200 KARACHI 0210 JAKARTA 0215 DELHI 0215 SALALAH 0215 DAMMAM 0225 DOHA 0225 MALE 0230 ISTANBUL 0230 GOA 0255 DOHA 0300 PESHAWAR 0310 PESHAWAR 0330 KATHMANDU 0350 ADDIS ABABA 0450 DUBAI 0450 ABU DHABI 0500 DUBAI 0510 DOHA 0515 SOHAR 0635 DACCA 0700 BAHRAIN 0715 DUQUM OMAN 0745 RAS AL KHAIMA 0745 SALALAH 0750 DUBAI 0750 MUKHAIZNA 0800 HONG KONG 0800 KHASAB 0815 ISLAM ABBAD 0830 DOHA 0835 KARACHI 0835 DUBAI 0845 COLOMBO 0900 BANGKOK 0905 CALICUT 0915 LAHORE 0915 LAHORE 0930 BAHRAIN 0935 LUCKNOW 0940 SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR 0945 MANILA 0955 SHARJAH 0955 HYDERABAD 1000 DUBAI 1020 SALALAH 1020 BOMBAY 1025 MALE 1040 DELHI 1040 DUBAI 1045 TRIVANDRUM 1045 KATHMANDU 1050 DOHA 1100 MANGALORE 1100 ABU DHABI 1105 COCHIN 1120 CHITTAGONG 1140 COCHIN 1145 KHASAB 1145 BAHRAIN 1215 DUBAI 1225 MUKHAIZNA 1230 MADRAS 1255 CALICUT 1255 ABU DHABI 1300 FRANKFURT 1320 DOHA 1330 ABU DHABI 1345 MALPENSA 1350 KUWAIT 1350 BAHRAIN 1400 LONDON HEATHROW 1400 ZURICH 1420 SALALAH 1430 CAIRO 1440 AMMAN 1440 TEHRAN 1445 DUBAI 1445 ABU DHABI-KUWAIT 1505 SALALAH 1540 JEDDAH 1615 DUBAI 1620 MEDINA 1705 DUBAI 1710 DOHA 1750 DUBAI 1840 RIYADH 1840 KUWAIT 1845 SALALAH 1850 BAHRAIN 1855 DUBAI 1910 DAMMAM 1915 BAHRAIN 1920 DOHA 1920 SHARJAH 1955 SALALAH 2000 KARACHI-BANGKOK 2005 ABU DHABI 2015 DUBAI 2025 DUBAI 2035 SALALAH 2100 DUBAI 2145 BEIRUT 2215 BANGKOK 2225 TRIVANDRUM 2230 BOMBAY 2245 MADRAS 2300 COLOMBO 2305 DELHI 2310 DARESSLAM-ZANZIBAR 2310 BAHRAIN 2325 DUBAI-ZURICH 2325 DOHA 2330 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 2330 JEDDAH 2350 ABU DHABI 2355 DOHA-FRANKFURT 2355

WY673 EY381 LH617

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EXTRA BRIEFS

‘Tanu Weds Manu’ sequel gets B-Town thumbs-up

WITH HER ‘swagger’ in Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Kangana Ranaut has once again proved why she’s called the ‘Queen’ of Bollywood! The actress’ double role in her latest release has her fans and friends from the film fraternity giving her and the film a thumbs up. Directed by Anand L. Rai, the sequel of 2011 film Tanu Weds Manu marks the return of the whole cast of Kangana, R. Madhavan, Jimmy Shergill, Deepak Dobriyal, Eijaz Khan and Swara Bhaskar. The first day buzz of the film makes it look like it will turn out to be a box office treat. Here’s what B-Town has to say about the film: Irrfan Khan: @TWMReturns @Shaileshrsingh @aanandlrai @ActorMadhavan is earnest #deepak dobrial is electric. Dhanush: Tanu weds manu returns is a perfect family entertainer.@aanandlrai strikes d right chord yet again. kangana at her very best. Congrats team Huma Qureshi: Saw #TanuWedsManuReturns outstanding!Respect @aanandlrai #Kangana @ActorMadhavan #Deepak and the whole cast... best film in a long long time. Preity Zinta: Saw TanuWedsManuReturns & cannot tell U how much I loved it. I’m sure it will rock the box office & all the awards #kangana #madhavan wow. Farah Khan: Just saw #TanuWedsManuReturns n it is just Outstanding! Diana Penty: You guys should catch #TanuWedsManuReturns this weekend...super fun film!! All the best to @aanandlrai and the team! Arbaaz Khan: Just saw “Tanu weds Manu returns” outstanding film!!! One of best films in recent times. Hats off to the entire team. Blockbuster!

Azharuddin trains Emraan Hashmi for biopic ‘Azhar’ FORMER Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin finds Emraan Hashmi as the perfect fit to portray him in his biopic Azhar, while the actor says the cricketer is helping him learn the nuances of the game. “Emraan is very apt for the role. He has worked very hard. A lot of people asked me ‘Why Emraan is doing my role in the film?’ But Emraan is my favourite,” Azharuddin said at the teaser launch of the biopic. “I have watched almost all his films, and I think he is apt for the role. After this film, he will be called Azhar most of the time,” he added. Directed by Tony D’Souza and produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and MSM Motion Pictures, Azhar will be on the life of Azharuddin, who led the Indian cricket team for most of the 1990s. Meanwhile, Emraan said that playing Azhar on screen is a challenge for him as he has no footwork in the cricketer’s “unconventional style of playing the game”. However, he is happy that Azhar himself is training him to learn all the nuances to look convincing on screen. Azhar will release worldwide on May 13, 2016.

Nano memory cells could let scientists create bionic brains Such a cell can store different strands of information at the same time, making human-like computers that could keep us alive

cientists have created an electronic memory cell that mimics the way that human brains work, potentially unlocking the possibility of the making bionic brains. The cell can process and store multiple bits of information, like the human brain. Scientists hope that developing it could make for artiﬁcial cells that simulate the brain’s processes, leading to treatments for neurological conditions and for replica brains that scientists can experiment on. The new cells have been likened to the difference between having an on-off light switch and a dimmer, or the difference be-

B O L LY W O O D

I was called silly for doing ‘Fashion’: Priyanka Chopra With the success of content-driven films led by women like Anushka Sharma and Kangana Ranaut, one lady who is sitting back and smiling is Priyanka Chopra, who recalls how she was called “silly” for choosing to do a movie like Fashion back in 2008. Having watched Anushka’s production NH10, Priyanka was all praise for the latter for keeping the flag of “girl power” flying high. “Der aaye durust aaye. Just saw NH10 @AnushkaSharma! So proud of you... As a woman, an actor and a producer. Keep the flag flying high babe #GirlPower,” the actress posted on Twitter. She added: “So good to see such amazing content driven films led by girls!it was so hard to get people 2 believe in us when I started. We were always 2nd. “I was called silly for doing Fashion. As if it would harm my career! Hah! Look at us now! This movement will soon be a revolution! #ProudFemale.” So happy is Priyanka with this whiff of change in the industry that she is eager to watch Piku and Kangana in Tanu Weds Manu Returns. -IANS

Salman Khan’s hero is Sylvester Stallone ACTOR Salman Khan, who has won the hearts of many in India and the world, says Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone is his hero. The Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor called upon his 12 million fans on micro-blogging website Twitter to follow the legendary actor. “Agar kisi ko follow karna hai? Bahar ka... Inko follow karo @TheSlyStallone. Aapke Hero ka hero Sylvester Stallone (If anyone has to follow a Hollywood star, then follow Sylvester Stallone. He is the hero of your hero),” Salman tweeted on Friday. Stallone has also had a Bollywood stint. He did a cameo in Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor starrer Kambakkht Ishq in 2009. -IANS

tween black and white pictures or those with full colour, including shade light and texture. While traditional memory cells for computers can only process one binary thing at a time, the new discovery allows for much more complex memory processes like those found in the brain. They are also able to retain previous information, allowing for artiﬁcial systems that have the extraordinary memory powers found in human beings. While the new discovery is a long way from leading to a bionic brain, the discovery is an important step towards the dense and fast memory cells that will be needed to imitate the human brain’s processes.

“This is the closest we have come to creating a brain-like system with memory that learns and stores analogue information and is quick at retrieving this stored information,” Sharath Sriram, who led the project, said. “The human brain is an extremely complex analogue computer… its evolution is based on its previous experiences, and up until now this functionality has not been able to be adequately reproduced with digital technology,” Sriram added. The cells could eventually be stitched together to create a web that imitates the neural networks of the human brain. In doing so, scientists could make what is es-

sentially a perfect copy of a human brain without ever having to create one organically. “If you could replicate a brain outside the body, it would minimise ethical issues involved in treating and experimenting on the brain which can lead to better understanding of neurological conditions,” Hussein Nili, who was the leader author of the study, said. The study, named ‘DonorInduced Performance Tuning of Amorphous SrTiO3 Memristive Nanodevices: Multistate Resistive Switching and Mechanical Tunability’, was published in Advanced Functional Materials. — Andrew Griffin/The Independent

H E A LT H

Our growing appetite for avocados is endangering their existence IF THERE were a Kim Kardashian of the berry world, I feel confident it would be the avocado (yes, it is indeed a berry). Consider the evidence. When the avocado set out on the road to megastardom, few people wanted to touch it with a barge pole. It was thought fit only to act as a receptacle for that most déclassé of things, the prawn cocktail. Today, though, it has grown into a world-girdling culinary colossus, without which half the pictures on Instagram would be denuded of their ability to make us salivate. There are tumblrs dedicated to avocados and, as a quick Google of the words “avocado tattoo” reveals, a roaring trade in more permanent reminders of their virtues. We can only speculate as to why they have risen without a trace so successfully. Is it that they are a “superfood”? Is it that they are an indulgence, full of fat, albeit of the best sort? Or the fact that they photograph so well on an iPhone? Whichever, there is no denying that they are the food of the moment. But, the question is, for how long? The avocado may soon be endangered. The reasons are simple: water and drugs. On a trip to LA recently, I climbed Runyon Canyon and looked down over the city and to the hills around it. It was all dry. In fact, it looked like that planet Luke Skywalker grew up on in the first Star Wars film. Ninety-eight per cent of the state of California is officially classed as being in drought. And California produces a billion pounds of avocados through the March-to-September season. The problem is, it takes 318lt of

water to produce 1lb of avocados. Not only does that mean water is drawn away from more essential public uses – it also means that water costs more for the farmers. Meanwhile, the amount of land used for avocado farming in Chile has increased eight-fold in 25 years and, as an article in Mother Jones magazine pointed out in October, the process is draining the groundwater and village wells. In Mexico, the problem isn’t so much water, but that most of the groves are within the state of Michoacan, which is largely controlled by the Caballeros Templarios cartel. Murder and extortion are so common in the industry that one security expert refers to them as “blood avocados”. Admittedly, anything produced in Michoacan is open to the suggestion that it helps support organised crime and there is no denying that dairy farms use more water than avocado farms. But still, it is not a rosy picture. Death

Death and drought are two words you don’t want to hear while eating a salad and drought are two words you certainly don’t want to hear while eating a salad. And even if you are unmoved by such ethical considerations, there is one thing you can’t ignore: avocados are likely to continue getting more and more expensive. The English language mostly seems unusually cruel in enclosing both the desire for something and its absence in the word “want”. But, in this instance, the double meaning is apt: our driving desire for avocados might mean we soon won’t have any. — Samuel Mustom/The Independent

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Contact : 24 702 666 Fax: 24-703666. Email: manju@alhabib.om

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DAILY GUIDE

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FOR RENT

One BHK flat for rent in Ghobra with attach and common bathroom. For Indian family. Contact - 92322096 2 BHK with split A/C in Grand mall. Contact 96708000 1BHK with split A/C in Azaiba 16 Nov Street. Contact 96708000 Spacious 1& 2 BH flats having good finishing A/C kitchen etc, AL Khuwair near Al Zawawi mosque. Contact: 99385075 Flat ( ground floor ) with living room + 2 big room & hall , big kitchen & store , 3 toilet with car parking in Mabela South with new split AC only 240/- R.O. Contact 93295953 Flat for Rent- Contact No 99315515 AL- Khuwair 33/1 3 Bedrooms. Dining room. Family hall. 3 Bathrooms. Kitchen with store. Split A/C units. Restaurant available for rent brand new fully equipped restaurant on Barka- Nakhal-Rustaq Highway , ideal for Pakistani /Indian /Omani Cuisine , available for rent and management excellent opportunity for those who are in restaurant business in Oman /UEA. Only serious and experienced parties need to Contact on: 99337991

2 BHK (with split AC) residential flat at Honda road. Contact 98087644 / 99795241 5000 sqm prime indusial land in Misfah, Bausher, with 550 sqm of covered warehouse and office space, for rent only. Contact: + 968 – 99264162 1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new flat available at Mabela in front of Modern English School Contact: 96239126 2BHK flat with store room split A/Cs in CBD, Ruwi near QNB. Contact 99603696 3 bedrooms flat for rent near NIT Institute Darsait. Contact 93494098 1BHK flat with split A/C in front of ISM for rent. Contact: 93215939 One bedroom, house for rent Wadi Kabeer. Contact: 92424800 1& 2 BHK at Honda road. Contact: 99224748 / 99332297 2 BHK at AL Azaiba, 2 bedrooms, 1 hall & dinning 3 & bath rooms. Contact: 99224748 / 99425665

Deluxe 2 BHK in Mumtaz area Ruwi Contact 97707007 Furnished spacious single room in a new building with attached bathroom for executive bachelor at South Al Mawaleh (Behind Seeb City Center). Gsm 99221067 Villa 12 rooms and a lounge Council in citrus 11 ﬁrst line along with Omantel serve as a school or as liaison offices: 91256340 Flats for rent south AL Mabela. Contact: 95331177/95230355 For rent special price 3 BHK Al Falaj area 270/- , 3BHK South AL Hail 275/Contact: 24707340/95282986 1 Bedroom bachelors, sharing K & T in Al Khuwair R.O 100/-. Contact 95154331 Flats 2 bedrooms, hall in Mumtaz way no 3352 building no 3774 /3668. Contact 99341138 / 98003444 2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181

Villa for rent with 4 bedroom at Al Khodh, Rent 600/-RO.#92888115 Showroom for rent 200 m in Al Misfah, Bousher facing the main road. Contact 95202430 New building, residential apartments and offices, in Al Khoud Souq. Contact 95202340 Deluxe 1, 2 BHK ﬂats in Darsait, AL Khuwair 1deal for office & residence. Contact 99369081 /99142314 Independent rooms in Qurum / AL Hail. Contact 95529970 2 BHK Flat in Azaiba. Contact 99792181 2bedrooms ﬂat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Ruwi near boys school. Contact : 92584715 / 24700120 506 sqm space with mezzanine available for rent in Al Wadi Al Kabir. Suitable for carpentry / auto workshop and /or electrical shop. Interested parties may Contact 24703981

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879 3000 sq mtrs Industrial landß, in Barka Sanaiya, with electricity 400KW, shed, staff accommodation and office. Ready to start any kind of factory. Contact 99384255. Labor camp available with all facilities at Sohar Falaij (Near Sohar Sea port) - Contact – 92982172 1BHK flat in Wattaya with split units A/C. Contact: 98802343 10 BHK Villa in Al Khuwair 25 for Executive bachelors. Contact 99792181 1 Villa & 4 big apartments of 3 BHK with big hall & Kitchen Al Khoudh 6. Tel 97600322 alnehang@gmail.com New 3 bedroom flats split AC, attached toilets available behind Kims Oman hospital. Contact 95225662 Mezzanine floor office space for rent area 200 sq. Contact 97175979 / 99001341

Flat with 2 rooms, toilet & kitchen in second floor in Souk Al Khoud behind bank Al Ahli 200/- R.O . Contact : 99738881 2 & 3 BHK in Qurum, with split AC, Near PDO Gate 2. Contact 94057023 7 BHK Flat in Azaiba for Executive Bachelors. Contact 99792181 Villa for rent in Khuwair 33, 8 bedrooms, 5 Bathrooms with parking area near Taimur Mosque. Contact 99366624 2BHK flats in Al Khuwair-33 with split AC. Contact: 94057023 Flats for rent in Wadi Kabeer. Contact : 92800007 3 flats for rent 3 bedrooms include A/C, near the highway (Bowshar Amerat). Contact 97777911 / 95533777 1st floor flat in Amerat Phase 5, 4 rooms, bathrooms (3), kitchen with A/C for family. Contact 95522405

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DAILY GUIDE

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FOR RENT

1& 2BHK for rent at Wadi Kabir, Hilal Al Sad and Al Khoud areas . Contact Office: 24834644 Mobile: 93994401/02/03 Flat for rent, 2 BK near Kuwaiti Mosque, Wadi Kabir. Contact 97007934 / 92629232 Flat for rent 2 BK near Oman House Muttrah. Contact 97007934 / 92629232

1 BHK flat in Honda Road (Ruwi). Contact 99792181 2 & 3 BHK flat in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181 200 Sqr mtrs office space in CBD. Contact 99792181 Furnished flats for rent in Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly. Contact 97819981 / 93593336 1st floor flat in Amerat Phase 5, 4 rooms, bathrooms (3), kitchen with A/C for family. Contact 95522405 2BHK at Al Azaiba, 2bedrooms, 1 hall & dinning , 3 bathrooms. Contact : 99224748 / 99425665 1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and boundary wall will be provided. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Flats shops and store for rent in Ruwi, MBD Honda road. Contact 97293708 / 92433127 For rent flat 3BHK 390/-R.O in North Al Ghubrah. Contact 97004127 Labour Camp for Rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99792181 2 BHK flat in Rex Road. Contact 99792181 Studio & 1BHK flat in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99376454 Labour camp for Rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99797422 2 bedroom apartment in Ruwi for rent or sale for information. Contact: 99360303 1 BHK new bldg with A/C, curtains near Khimji Mart MBD. Contact: 99061408 / 99024039 We have flats for rent in South Al Mabella stage -8 along the highway. Contact 95121222 Room main road, Al Khuwair R.O 110/-. Contact 97799175 For rent 3 industrial land. Contact 92702891/ 95490842 1/3 BHK Flat Ghubrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390. Contact 99319880

1BHK ﬂat near star cinema with split A/C 230/- O.R. Contact 99358589/ 97079146/95570288 Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569 2 BHK & studio ﬂat at Darsait 1SM. Contact 99024730 Apartments for rent Ghubra : near Indian School Ghubra & Al Maha International Hotel (2BHK with 5 split A/C units).Contact 99273774 / 99202278 /94652485

WANTED Treadmill –motorized. Contact: 99378397 Required used portacabin 12’ x 40’ without partition 2 Nos, used ablution unit 12 ‘x 30’ -1 no required at Misfah. Contact: 99340205

FOR SALE

Household items for sale, all items are in a very good condition. For more details contact 97287410

Shfandish & tables for sale. Contact 99368907 Restaurant for sale well running with open area and good parking area. 3 new clearance also in Wadi Kabeer near Mars hyper market. Contact 99656863

Coffee shop for sale in North Al Ghubra. Contact 95256009

Ghubra near Al Maha hotel & Indian school (2BHK with 5 split ac units). Contact 94652485/ 99273774 / 99202278

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 29 per Square Meter. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Shop for sale ladies beauty parlour AL Hassan Company near top up super market AL Wadi Kabir, good Running condition. Contact 91207003 /96700192

Port cabin new & refurbished – porta cabin for sale & rent. Contact: 96723468 / 97775501 / 97775502

Flat for rent 1 & 2 bedroom available behind Zaker Mall Al Khuwair. Contact - 99530405

2,560 sq mtrs industrial land 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

FOR SALE

Residential land for sale 21000 sqm, best for housing complex at Al Harm – Barka, opp to Khimji logistic. Contact 99438397

Industrial land for rent in Wadi Kabir 7000 Sq mtrs. Contact 99354340

FOR SALE

Chevrolet Lumina 2004, automatic good condition. Contact 98571309

ACC. AVAILABLE

Villa in Al Khuwair and Seeb. Contact 95250300/ 99119699 / 92125648

Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat. Contact 99349526

Subaru Impreza 2008, good conation. Contact: 99453837

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40 ton petrol tank each working at the moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35 Thousand each. Contact 97000155 or 92688692

Spacious 2 BHK ﬂats in Ruwi MBD area only on 350/- OMR. Contact – 95122188 / 96441499 Studio ﬂat Wadi Kabeer 160/-O.R. Contact - 99358589 / 97079146/ 95570288

Nissan Sunny 2010. Contact : 98602323

Toyota Camry Expat driven fully automatic KM 107000. #93892126

If require ﬂats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send me messages through whatsapp or call 99376454

For rent ﬂat 2 BHK 350/- R.O in North Al Ghubrah. Contact 97004127

Fork Lift for rent or sale Nissan 3.5 Ton. Contact: 94102899

Shop for sale, at Al-Khoudh 6, suitable for perfume and watches. Contact 98545994 Used Furniture of Ready made showroom for Sale.contact 24704370, 99798452 (Ashwin) A well equipped running dental clinic in Ruwi for sale. Contact 93769963 Coffee shop equipment and furniture for sale call 95207741 . Coffee shop & BBQ running Wadi Kabir, open parking having clearance. Contact: 97161811 3800SQM, industrial land Wadi Kabir near OTE Ruwi good for store. Contact 92726558

3 tents used for six months, PVC type, 850 GSM, water proof and ﬁre resistant (one tent size 11x30meter, two tents size 15x25 meters). For clariﬁcation call 99507508

We have ﬂats for sale in south Al Mabella stage -8 along the highway. Contact 95121222

558 Sq mtrs residential land in Barka (Al Jenainah) near Lulu and near to school. OMR 32 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Ice cream & Juices shop in Ruwi good location for sale, 1.5mt ﬁsh display machine unused for sale. Contact: 92150455

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 60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah, can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 27 Per Square Meter. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Shopping center for sale at Bousher by good price 400 m2 with all equipment. Reason for selling part-time. Contact 92916490 5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in Bousher: OMR 35 Thousand each. Monthly income OMR 270 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 2 residential Lands together, one 610 and the other 600 sq mtrs, in Al Haram on way to Barka. OMR 49 Thousand both. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka. OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Fully furnished room with attached Bath for executive bachelor, behind Al Meera Hypermarket Azaiba R.O 150/-. Contact: 99455735 Sharing single room with separate bathroom available for executive bachelor near Grand Hypermarket, Ruwi. Contact 95149047/96567139 Well furnished single room / sharing for Ex .Bachelor at Rex Road. Contact 92873832 Sharing accommodation for executive bachelor near Sadolin Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99016230 Furnished single rooms available for bachelors at Ruwi. Contact: 98049288 ACC. OPP, OK center for non- cooking bachelor. Contact - 97900642 after 5 pm Room with attached bath in Mumtaz area. Contact: 99743709 Attached room with kitchen at Azaiba. Contact : 99334770 Sharing accommodation available opposite Mars at Al Ghubra for Executive bachelor or small family sharing, kitchen. Contact 94474351 / 96237050 Executive bachelor room with attached toilet near Al Nahda Hospital, Hamriya. Contact - 96474313 Sharing for non-cooking Executive bachelor in CBD area wi ﬁ free, advance deposit. Contact 95934642 Accommodation available for South Indian family, one bedroom with attached toilet, kitchen, hall in a villa, Al Ghubrah. Contact 99209160 Family room available for rent at Muttrah Souk. Contact 24712088 / 99022790 Single room & AC attached bath at Mumtaz area. Contact 95212017 & 93103337 Sharing acc. Available in Muttrah behind Oman house. Contact 99354340 Sharing family accommodation in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99335057

Land Cruiser 2012. Contact 99336093 Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat driven. Contact 99209285

BUYING / SELLING Investors required for a Running hotel in AL Khuwair. Contact 98049288 Used household & office furniture and electronic items. Contact 99834373, 97102699

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

CHANGE OF NAME I Mahesh Kumar (holder of Indian passport No. F 4431069)son of Nathu Ram having permanent residence in 24/111, Ratangarh House , Near CRZ school , Gur Mandi Sonepat – 131001, Haryana , Indian (complete postal in India) and presently residing in ﬂat No. 21 , Way No. 3307 , bldg No. 177 , AL Khuwair , Muscat( complete postal address in Oman ) intend to change my name from Mahesh Kumar (Old Name) to Mahesh Kumar (given name) Bhardwaj (sur name)( new name) for all practical purpose. Any objection towards my name change please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, AL Khuwair, PB No. 1727, PC 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman. I Nikhat Ishtiyaq (name exactly as in present passport ) daughter of Husna Altaf presently residing at the following address in Muscat P.B No. 413 P.C No.118 Sultanate of Oman and having permanent address in India # 365, Ist F Main , 8th Block , Koramangala, Bangalore - 560095 ( as per present passport) , holder of passport holder of passport No. F 4597373 date of issue 05-09-2005 place of issue Bangalore solemnly affirms and declare that my Mother’s name is Haseen Banu for all purpose. Any objection towards my name change may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, diplomatic Quarters, AL Khuwair, P.O Box No, 1727 postal code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

*Classiﬁed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

SITUATION WANTED MEDICAL ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Medical CARE Centre, Al Seeb, requires Gynecologist, General Practitioners and Medical Lab Technicians. Mail CVsarita_h23@yahoo.com or call 97884856 Urgently required (All female only) Radiographer, Physiotherapist, Echo Technician, EEG technician & Nurses. Contact: 99374223, 22081700 email: hr@gshoman.com

ACCOUNTANT Reputed Construction Company required Draughtsman / Accountant experience in Construction Company with accountancy degree. Email: jvacancy05@gmail.com Urgently required a Senior Accountant 1 no. at least 5 years experience, 2 sales executive, 2 nos at least 3years experience and having valid Omani driving license interested candidates may email their CVs at ﬁndjobs2015@hotmail.com Urgently required female Accountant, should have 3 -5 years experience. Send CV with passport size Photo and expected salary on cv.hrcharity@gmail.com

BEAUTICIAN Beautician required with good experience visa available. Contact: 95867900

We are looking for a Staff Nurse, who is having 60% or above in prometric exam. Contact : 99235643 /99463609 Email: abuahamedclinic@gmail.com Urgently required Staff Nurse, Pharmacist and endodontist Female Staff nurse, Pharmacist and endodntist with MOH License/ Prometric exam passed with 60% and above. Contact 24780088, 97374459 Email : karamadental@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Cast Aluminium & Windows Company looking for the skilled and experienced personnel for the following categories: Sales Executive with D/L, professional Accountant, Aluminium fabricator, Cast Aluminium Site worker. Contact: 99654863 / 99197060 or Email your CV/Resume to tdnewgates@gmail.com

Male 24, B.com / PGD having 2 years experience in accounts and inventory ﬁeld. Looking for suitable job, on visit visa. Contact 94129550 Indian male MBA, Finance, 6 years experience in Finance & Accounting spatially in Oil & Gas , Now on visit visa . Contact: 94327063 Email: shabab3939@yahoo.com

SALES / MARKETING Requirement counter Sale & Marketing sale for work in building material shop in Saham. Contact: 99352829 / 99417418

Looking for outdoor Salesman for heavy equipment spare parts. Contact- 93292003. E mail: mail.om@gulfcenter.co

Looking for Electrical Salesman with diploma certiﬁcate. Contact 97616265 email: brightsilverllc@gmail.com

A leading UPVC window manufacturing company require Sales Executive (Graduate) 3 years minimum experience and Omani D/L. Required candidates with local release only apply. Contact: 99100738 / 94247257. Send CV to info@perfectwindowllc.com

Required Sales man - 1 Person Qualiﬁcation. Gulf Experienced - Minimum 5 Years with Oman Driving Licence Language - English Education:- Any Degree Further Contact :Mr. Abdul Hameed Nashabat - Mobile No: 97414307 and -92807399 amn@yaqeeneng.com A leading Tissue paper & food stuffs company require sales & marketing person with minimum 5 yrs exp. in Oman with good communication skills & valid Oman D/L. candidate with interior market knowledge & experience preferable. Send CV : allub@alhosnigroup.com, fax : 24451430

Salesman experienced 5 yrs in Oman, in the ﬁeld of industrial & oilﬁeld service, garage equipment tools & spares, safety wears & rescue equipments. Please forward your CV to almaadhi.trd@gmail.com

TOURS & TRAVELS Urgently required experienced Travel Agent for a reputed rent a car & tourism co. Contact: 24701070/77 Email: muscatcaravan@gmail.com

SITE FOREMAN CATERING Shawarma /Arabic/Chinese/ cook & helpers. Contact 95529970

DOMESTIC HELPER Required looking for full time Housemaid preface Indian / Sri Lanka for Omani family at Mabela, visa available. Contact: 92454170 Urgent required House maid in Mabela. Visa available. Contact- 95200180.

DRAFTSMAN Leading Construction company requires MEP Draftsman and Civil Draftsman with 5 to 7 years gulf experience with NOC available. Send your CV to recruitment1947@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED Required experienced Site Foreman for the construction and Maintenance Company with Oman driving license. Contact 99378663

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Required Office Assistant 160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

SALES / MARKETING Situations vacant at a reputed company in Oman for their TLB(Tires, Lubes & Battery) division. 1. Sales Executives. 2. Showroom Executives. 3. Sales Co-ordinators. 4. Store Keepers. Minimum 3-5 yrs experience in the same ﬁeld or from the Automotive industry with market exposure, holding valid Omani driving license or GCC. Rush your CV’s to careers@diamondwealth.org

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian male, MBA finance, presently working as branch supervisor in a reputed logistics co. For past 10 years with an overall experience of 21 years in finance& logistics, looking for a suitable placement. NOC available. Contact: 96567151 Email: girishlalmahadev@yahoo.com Accountant Indian male 10 years experience in Oman looking for a suitable position, up to finalization NOC available can join immediately. Contact: 94134085 Email: muscatoman95@yahoo.com Sr. Accountant M.com (finance) 15 years experience (2years in Oman with a reputed firm) NOC available. Contact: 92404608 Email: jin_75@rediffmail.com

MEDICAL Immediate placement ( with or without MOH) A. Pharmacist 3 nos B. Asst.pharmacist - 2 nos Contact Tel.99338219 , 93240949 Urgently required a female Dentist with a valid MOH license interested candidates may email their CVs at ﬁndjobs2015@hotmail.com Position for a full time home Health Nurse seeking for a dedicated and reliable Staff Nurse or Assistant Nurse to provide total care for an elderly sick patient for immediate interview. Contact : 99331369 A private clinic in Oman requires a staff nurse (Indian female preferably) salary negotiable interested candidates kindly mail their resumes/ CV with contact details to medicalclinic2015@gmail.com or call 00968-91941373

Required a Sales Man for a building material showroom in Honda road, salary 150 onward with a graduate degree. Contact: 24831052 Urgently needed Marketing Executive for kitchens, Sales Assistant for kitchens and sanitary ware, Office Assistant ( all male) for a marketing company, graduates with 3 to 5 yrs relevant experience please email CV to yourfutureinoman@gmail.com Sales Coordinator (Male) required for a reputed company in Oman with D/L, and with good knowledge of MS Office , Please send CV with photo to; saheer@paramountmuscat.com / saheer.pto@gmail.com Sales Executive (Male) with D/L for a reputed company in Oman,with 3 yrs experience . Please send CV with photo to; saheer@paramountmuscat.com / saheer.pto@gmail.com

Indian B.com graduate doing MBA with NOC is looking for a job in accounts. Contact- 94627418 Chief Accountant Indian male 36 yrs, M.Com, 14 yrs experience at Senior position in leading MEP companies, 9 years in Oman. Available Noc, D/L & ready to join. Contact 98407501 Indian male 22 years B.Com Graduate having the knowledge of Tally ERP9 and Peachtree and with a valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable job. Contact 98504698 Indian male, 30 yrs, MBA having 5 years GCC experience holding valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable job. Contact : 94547511 Email: pnvineeth01@gmail.com Accountant B.Com, MBA (pursuing) Indian male 25 years, 2 years experience in India, seeking better placement on visit visa. Contact: 97709327

Indian Female 25 MBA looking for a suitable opening in Accounts, Admin/Hr. Contact 97013375 Indian male 25 yrs B.Com PGDBM currently on visit visa, looking for suitable opening in accounts, store and Admin. Contact: 96986349 Email: gafoordawre@gmail.com Indian male 23 yrs B.Com 1yr experience in Accounts and sales looking for suitable placement on visit visa. Contact: 96068174 / 98912870 Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting . NOC available. Contact 96209331 Indian male, 32 years, M. Com. 7 out of 9 years experience in Oman in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143, Email: anzarks@gmail.com Indian male with total 5 year experience (2 years experience in Accountant cum sales co ordinator in a FMCG Company in Oman) in accounts field and NOC available Looking for suitable job Contact 92130188 India Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placment. contact 93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in finance/accounts/ auditing. Specialized in accounts payable dept, Oracle app user, proficient in Sap (fico) end user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma certified trainer on visit visa. Contact – 91967213 / 99064780

Part Time Accounting, Accounts Finalization, Audit Preparation, Internal Audit, Onsite Tally Training, Inventory Management Contact: 96975454, Email: ibfc.gcc@gmail.com

Finance Manager (M.Com. MBA) with start-up skill & group consolidation, Baking,corporate funding, restructuring of ﬁnance and accounts with new system and procedure.amritaa.m2002@gmail.com 3 yrs experience, Indian female, 26 years, Masters in Financial Management, B.com, Seeking suitable placement. Contact: 99345132 Email: Sandhya1735@gmail.com MBA (international business) from London, 4 years of UK experience in banking operational, looking for suitable position. Contact 91710075

Indian Female, 34 yrs, B.Com, Knowledge in MS Office & Tally, exp in accounting & admin seek suitable placement 99199710/96744965

Indian male, B.Com Graduate having 10 years exp 6 years in Oman looking for an Accountant job. #93830171 Email: nidbivtl@yahoo.com

Indian female B.com Graduate over 8 years experience in Finance, customer relation, sales coordinator, secretary, Bank Office seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95433987

Indian male M.Com, 5 years experience in ﬁnance /HR and Purchase department in Oman companies having valid D/L available to join immediately with NOC. Contact 98363897 Email: prince9496@hotmail.com

Indian male graduate B.com looking for suitable in Account Finance / sales marketing release available with 2 years working experience. Contact: 94574596 Indian male 2 years experience in account cum sales coordinator NOC available looking for suitable job. Contact: 91298422/96458189 Bachelor of Banking and Insurance. Experience: Has 6 months experience in marketing firm1 month internship with wiz craft international on project “Farah ki dawat”Seeking a suitable job in advertising, event, banking firm. Contact - 99505290 / 96696183 djs007.93@gmail.com An Indian lady Chartered Accountant with five years experience (including article ship) on family visa in Oman looking for a suitable job. Please Contact 9621 0347 / 9943 5346, shincycrajan@gmail.com MFA (Master of finance and accounting), B.com. 6 months experience, looking suitable position in finance and accounts. Contact: 97829315. Email: muhsin1819@gmail.com Indian Female 25 MBA looking for a suitable opening in Accounts. Contact- 97013375. Accountant: Indian male 10 years experience, 6 years in Oman with Oman driving license, seeking suitable job. Contact 96012973 Analyst accountant knowledge & skill excel Advance misreport account & finance administration work document oracle advertising knowledge degree MBA, BBM. Contact 91840109/99783953 Email: mohd.rashid19@gmail.com Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate 1 year exp in Accounts, currently on visit visa. Looking for suitable job. Contact 94341848 / Email – mohdhaji7272@gmail.com Part time Accounts job & finalization work Muscat. Contact: 92917448 Indian male 25 yrs B.com having experience in accounts for 3 yrs currently on visit looking to job. Contact: 97937868 Email: rehman.naseer999@gmail.com Audit external internal and finance & Admin qualified CA Indian more than 13 years experience in Oman tax banking NOC available. Contact: 95140332 /98956603

Finance Manager, 16 + years Gulf exp. in accounts , MIS, budgets, strategic planning, cost control, working capital management, seeks job pls call 95379211 e mail :- vijay.564@hotmail.com

ADMIN/HR Indian male 29, MBA (HR & Admin), six years experience in UAE as sales coordinator and office / Administrator valid GCC driving license. Now on visit visa looking for suitable placement. Contact: 98466505/93061079 Indian female 24 yr ,MBA in HR and management with one yr exp, ready to join immediately, Contact 97895004, Email: naziyabanu705@gmail.com Indian Female MBA, 3 Years experience in Admin MIS, Family Visa. Contact 98234427, jkjsmith01@gmail.com Indian female, 28 yrs, experience in Admin / sales coordination / accountant and secretarial. Knowledge in accountant software, with Oman D/L, looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 96751993 Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR. joing immediatly. release available. Contact :93671437 Indian female, 29 yrs, MBA (HR) 4 yrs exp. India & Oman in HR & Admin, seeks suitable placement. Contact 96759820 Indian female with 10 yrs of experience in HR/Banking/Operations seeks a suitable placement. Can be contacted on 98919015 or sherianne.coelho@gmail.com Over 15 years of gulf experience in Admin /HR /Logistics, ﬂuent in Arabic & English with D/L looking for suitable position.#95824598 Omani national ﬂuent in English looking for suitable placement. Contact 91908052

DOMESTIC HELPER Indian, 45 years, Housekeeping working one of ﬁve star hotel 10 yrs experience and health club exp also, experience in Oman. Contact: 99628602 /98693655

S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

AUTO CAD/ARCHITECT Draughtsman-Civil: Diploma in Architecture with 3 years experience. Proﬁcient in AutoCAD, Google Sketchup, Photoshop and MS Office. Email: dilshadmayas@gmail.com Mob: +91 9645124241, 93004426 Female architect (27) 4 years experience seeking for suitable job in Oman experience in Oman, India & UK. Contact: 96146645 Email: anjuovil@gmail.com

CATERING Indian male, MA multimedia, 25 yrs presently working in Bangalore as visual layout / Graphics designer having 2 years experience, seeks suitable placement. Currently on short visit. Contact 92368969 Email: donoo7james@gmail.com Indian male 38 yrs senior chef de parst pastry & bakery 15yrs experience one of the ﬁve star hotels in Oman experience 10 yrs Oman looking job. Contact: 96460519 Email: venagovindhan@yahoo.com

DESIGNER Expert in all types of 3D modeling, building layout, walk through & Broucher designing. 3 yrs exp. in Oman & 6 yrs exp. in India seeking for better opportunity. Contact 91282841

DRIVER Indian male looking for job as driver. Have 08 years experience in Oman. Contact 95256489 Driver light. Contact: 91020999 Driver light 20 exp PDO license. Contact 99504122 Light driver with 10 yrs experience with car or without car, Pakistani National. Contact 91038352 House driver /(overseas) looking job with valid GCC D/l. Contact 99531802 Heavy & light duty driver valid GCC (overseas) job. Contact 95175192 Light driver looking for job. Contact : 94208089 (Adman) Heavy Duty Driver looking job & visa. 3 years experience. Release Available. 96238930/92744341 Pakistani male looking for a light vehicle driving job. Contact: 95149231 Driver looking for job. Contact 92137431

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Electrical Engineer : Indian male 29 years , having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement. Contact 92789995, Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Sr. Instrumentation Engineer: 8+ years Exp. (Oman 6+ Yrs) OIL & GAS, Sales & Marketing in Automation, Instrumentation, Calibration, BMS & FOC - Project Planning, Erection, Commissioning, O & M. NOC Available Oman D/L G: +968 97296534 M: jaganmohan_ks@yahoo.com Indian male with ITI certiﬁcation in Mechanical Drafting with good Experience Looking for good opportunity contact 9194 9181 BE Mechanical Engineer -NDT level 2, Quality Control (Oil & Gas) . 1 year exp ph: 95908293 Sudanese Civil Engineer, 2 yrs experience. Contact 96077482, Email : ebraheemann@gmail.com

Indian (Kerala) male 37yrs, B.com graduate seeking for suitable employment one year experience. Preferably as an office assistants. Contact 96701495

SALES / MARKETING ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian male, B.E ( computer science engineer), MBA (finance), OCA certified, having 5 years of experience in oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks a suitable position in the field of IT. Contact: 96212062 email: zubairkhan11@gmail.com Indian male 25 years civil Engineer diploma, 4 years experience for site supervisor seeks suitable placement. Contact 99346121/93127076 Indian Male B.Tech Civil having 17+ years of experience, including 4 years oman experience as a consulting engineer seeking suitable position anywhere in Oman MAIL: subpal60@gmail.com, MOB:91622490 Indian male, Mechanical Engineer, 2 years experience in fabrication & erection of heavy structures as Project Engineer in India, now on visiting visa seek suitable placement. Contact: 91251818 Email: krishnakumarkk9@gmail.com BE Electric & telecom Eng: 4 yrs exp in Oman , exp in AV system design integration & telecom work with D/L , looking for better opportunity field of electronic & telecom. Contact 97423932 Email: mzeeshanshaikh89@gmail.com Indian male, 27 yrs B. Tech (Aeronautics) with MBA in airport management /international management, having 2yrs of experience in aerospace field, looking for suitable job, currently on visit visa valid up to 25 June 2015. Contact - 98107797 email - njnikhiljoy@gmail.com Indian male 26 yrs mechanical 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 Female, 3 yrs experience in structural design, on visit visa seeking suitable placement. Contact: 99195433 Pakistani BSC Electrical Engineer seeking for suitable job. Contact: 91384864/99326294 Indian male 28 yrs electronics & instrumentation Engineer with 4+ years experience in Industrial automation (SCADA) Seeking suitable job. Contact: 93154156 Sudanese Electrical Engineer, 2 years experience. Contact: 91211592 Email: aymanhamza1990@gmail.com BE in Textile, MS in Environmental Sciences (Fresh graduate) , Safety officer (02 years of experience) Waste Water Treatment/Industrialsolid Waste management (intern). waste management and disposal. Environment sustainability Projects/ NGO. on visit visa available on immediate bases till 10 of June. Ahmed uzair khawar, 97042404, email: ahmeduzair1803@outlook.com Indian male specialised in business analysis and project management, 29, B-Tech, MBA is looking for suitable position. Contact Tel 98661709 and 99330419 20 years Experience in Mechanical Process industry as Maintenance Engineer for SPM’s like Cold Rolling Mills, Heat Treatment Furnace, Punching, Edge- Grinding and Packaging Machines seeking suitable position with reputed firm. E-mail: sanjeevareddy138@gmail.com, Contact no: 93912928

Indian male 24 years, Mechanical Engineer,pdms.1 yr experience in pipeline,16years in oman seeking immediate placement # 95775742

Indian male 25, BSE computer with MBA, 3 years experience in IT, in visit visa seeking a suitable post. Contact: 92364368

Indian male B.Tech Mechanical having 4 years experience with QA/ QC & CWSIP looking for suitable position. # 99447106 / 24483297

Network system Engineer B.E / ECE + CCNA & Ms certiﬁed with 4+ yrs exp looking for a job. Currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact: 92589502 Email: careersjegan@gmail.com

Omani Mechanical Engineer, has 3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S, Riggers/Banks men Permit, Drawing / cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership and Initial Fire Response Courses. good with computer and English language looking for suitable job. Contact 99224319-98454500 Indian male 22 Mechanical Diploma holder Engg with HVAC certiﬁed, having 1 year exp. seeking suitable position. Currently available on visit visa. Contact - 92835952 Mechanical Engineer (B.E) : Four years of experience (3 years in Oman). NOC available. Contact :92530471 Indian male, 24 yrs B.Tech (MECH) on visit 1 year experience as PPC Engineer looking for suitable placement. Has, HVAC, AutoCAD and CATIA designing skills. Contact 98925685 Indian male Instrumentation Engineer having 2 years experience in process instruments, seeks suitable placement. Contact 95954385 Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer skills and 2 years experience as associate research analyst (Media Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seeking growth oriented jobs. Contact 92044603 /918056169148 or angeline.babithac@gmail.com. Diploma in electronics & Telecom, Engineering with 5 years experience in Engineering & sales, marketing. Contact 95932219 Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp. Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

IT Indian male fresher BCA young and energetic, seeking good opportunites.email: jlaxmimenon@gmail. com, Contact 00919567722270 Indian male 25 yrs B.SC computer science 2 yrs exp in computer hard ware and networking & CCTV work & windows administration currently in Muscat on visit visa. Contact: 93243372 Indian male, 20+ years experience in IT management, ERP implementation, seeks suitable opening. Contact: 96101779 2 Years of Experience as Java Software Developer. Looking for the suitable job in IT. Call: 97897616 IT Network and Security Engineer with a master degree, CISCO and Linux red hat certiﬁed seeking a suitable job in a good company. Contact 99818601 Networking technician with driving license, with Noc, having 2 experiences in data & telephone structured cubing EPABX & CCTV installation is looking for suitable jobs. Contact 96027516 Gulf experienced Software Developer & certiﬁed professional in English looking from a Job with vast experience in sales and Management + D/L. Contact 00968 96701312 Email: farhanaslam586@yahoo.com

Network / system Engineer B.E / ECE + CCNA & Ms certiﬁed with 4+ yrs exp looking for a job, currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact : 92589502 / 96216397, Email : jeganscareer@gmail.com

Young Energetic Indian male, 7 years Oman experience in retail wholesale, sales including electronics, building materials with Oman D/L. Contact: 98465550

Electrician, Plumber, exp in India Gulf (overseas) job. Contact 99531802

Auto Electrician with car a/c with medical. Contact 95175192

IT Support Engineer Indian male with 6 years experience in system Admin IT support seeks suitable opportunities. Contact 94549589 / 99817516. Email: dhaneeh87@gmail.com

Sudanese Petroleum Engineer, 4 yrs experience looking for job, MC office, C, Exlips. Contact 96039290

Indian male I.T.I diesel mechanic experience 4 yrs Qatar (11 yrs in India) seeking for suitable placement carpentry on visiting visa. #91969224 Email: anilk6102@gmail.com

Indian male, 25 yrs, M.Tech (Computer Science) 3 yrs exp. in networking (MCSE-CCNA) certiﬁed currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 91006851

Indian male B.Tech Mechanical three years varietal experience in piping Engineering & management of retail mobile phone shops seeking sales engineering job with Oman D/L. Contact 94401234

Indian 25 yrs male diploma Computer Engineer 5yrs experience in hardware and networking, looking for another jobs in oman. Contact- 91082046, Email: renston34@gmail.com

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Electrical Engineer (B.E) : 5 years of experience (4 years in Oman) with valid Omani D/L. NOC available. GSM: 92260391

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Indian male 29 yrs, M.sc post graduate having 7 years experience in healthcare Industry presently working in orthopedic Implants company (MNC) in Indian ( trauma & spine ) on visiting visa seeking suitable job opening. Contact: 93083553 Email: prakash05629@yahoo.com Arab female 30 sales marketing business development manager 9 years experience in Oman UK University graduate talented enthusiastic well – groomed MS Office social media expert bilingual Arabic & English having driving license able to join immediately. Contact 96612369 Indian- B.E.-MBA having 25 years Experience. Last 12 years in Oil & Gas Sector in Oman. Business Development /Sales. Looking opening in Oil Gas Trading/Drilling Service Companies as GM/ Country Manager/ Business Development Manager / gmbdm2015oilandgas@gmail.com; Contact -94688594 Indian male, B.Com, with 12yrs exp in construction & building materials purchase/logistics/warehouse, seeks suitable placement. NOC available. Contact: 94657319 Indian male, Graduate, with 12yrs solid exp in construction & building materials purchase / logistics/ warehouse seeks suitable placement. NOC available. Contact: 94657319 Warehouse In charge or store keeper 26 yrs. Gulf exp 4 yrs in Oman. NOC available. Contact 97657823 / Email:rusaikmzm_2009@yahoo.com Projects/ contracts Manager 31 yrs (26 yrs Oman) experience in management & coordination of multi-million R.O projects of government & private sector, Post Graduate Structural Engineer with structural & QS Background looking for senior position. Contact +00968-91400599

MISCELLANEOUS Graduate 1 yr experience in India, Clerk now in Oman on visit visa. Contact 92933431, princemathew2813@gmail.com

MEDICAL 29 Indian male Nurse.B.SC prometric exam passed on a visit. 10 years experience in India & Italy seeks a suitable placement in multinational hospitals & clinics. Contact 96071773 – sanukochiparampil@gmail.com Dentist Indian male well experienced with M.O.H license and release, looking for immediate placement. Contact: 91237537 Indian female Dentist MOH Oman passed seeking a suitable placement in capital region. Contact– 91377681 hashimsarawat@gmail.com Well experienced MOH Licensed Indian GP Doctor looking for locum / permanent position in the Capital area. Contact 98140024 email:drgpoman@yahoo.com Male Nurse on visit visa looking for a suitable position. Mob#96071526 Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Indian male more than 10 years Gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin (employees visa processes), Secretarial and purchase coordination with good computer skills. Having Driving license and NOC available. Looking for suitable placement. Contact 99709336

Indian male 10 years experience in Welding Supervisor NDT Technician, MIG Welding specialist seeking suitable job. Contact 96771841 Having 20 years experience in Gulf area for sales, marketing distribution, having Oman D/L looking for suitable work, speaking Arabic & English. Contact: 94639053 Indian male, B.Sc (Mathematics) PGDBM (Marketing) 9 yrs of Oman experience in sales in mid lend management, NOC available. Valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95278838 Email: anup2p4p@yahoo.com Indian male B.com, 5 years experience in shopping center can manage purchase / sales and admin functions valid Oman driving license NOC available. Contact 95459944 BE computer science 6 years experience software developer and support Engineering exp sales and management Oman D/L, NOC available. Contact: 98097722 Indian male M.B.A graduate having 10 years experience in sales and marketing currently on visit visa seeking suitable job opening. #96065164 Indian male 18 yrs FMCG sales experience in UAE is looking for a suitable placement in Oman on visiting. Contact: 91905053 Indian male 30- holding Oman D/Lexp in sales/marketing, seeks suitable placement-Release available. Contact: 95863373 Indian male Graduate in business management having work experience of 12 years looking for a suitable position. Contact : 93431567 Sales / Marketing Executive 24 years, Indian male having Oman valid license, seeking suitable position, working as a Supervisor of the leading hypermarket in Oman, NOC available.Contact 98060984 / 93089757 Email: rishadkeethadath@gmail.com Indian male looking job in sales or marketing having 2 years experience. Contact 96660936 Male MBA (General) from Cardiff Metropolitan University London) looking for a suitable placement. Contact 92819301 Email: adicbhat@outlook.com Indian male 31 years, MBA, 7yrs experience in sales & marketing with valid driving license seeking suitable placement. Contact 98719219. EMAIL: recruitme1984@gmail.com Indian male 24 years, MBA in Marketing looking for suitable placement currently in Muscat on visit visa. Contact: 93507063 Email: zamer_124@yahoo.com Indian 23 years B.Com Graduate, 2 years experience in sales knowledge of tally E.R.P & MS Office. Contact 93134643 Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermediate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing in Oman. Looking for suitable job. Contact - 92146864 Indian male MBA 7 years experience in Hospitality industry, operation, sales & marketing looking for suitable vacancy. Contact 92115860 Email vibin.py@gmail.com Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as sales supervisor in India looking for indoor sales /stores /cashier or any suitable placement can speak Hindi , English, Malayalam, Tamil, kannada can join immediately on visit visa. Contact 93086105/33016546

TOURS & TRAVELS 25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion Technology. 5 years experience in textile industry as a merchandiser and good in fashion marketing. Currently available on visit visa, seeking for a suitable job. # 96990368. Email: simmy.missy@gmail.com

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MISCELLANEOUS Sr. Manager, MBA, 18yrs professional exp in Building materials, interiors, tiles, sanitary wares, Gypsum in gulf, seeking job immediately/on visit/ Contact - 93364846 / mgrprofessional@hotmail.com Civil Engineer, Diploma, Male 25, 3 years experience in site, CAD, 3d, MS Project, Seeking job in Oman. Contact 92875345, jubincivileng@gmail.com Indian female B.ED & BCA looking for a suitable placement in school or admin office, having 5 yrs exp in same field. Contact – 97384206 / rani_sweet786@live.com Electronics and instrumentation Engineer 28 year Indian male, electrical, electronic, industrial, building & automation exp of 4+ yrs in India. Contact - 93154156 CCNP Network Professional with 6 years experience having Bachelors degree on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 96760618 email: varghese.manthara@gmail.com Indian female with MBA (Finance) on visit visa, seeks immediate placement. Phone: 968-98430089 Indian female, IATA, Bsc, Looking for suitable placement. Contact-95514305, email idraveendranmala@gmail.com Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3 year Diploma in electrical engineer, 5 year experience in different activities. Contact; +96894549609 Male, 30 years Accountant, 1 year Oman experience in accountants, finance. Seeking suitable position in Muscat .Can join immediately, NOC available. Email: lalitbls1@gmail. com Call: 97903175 CCNP Network Professional with 6 years experience having Bachelors degree on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 96 76 06 18 Indian male 60 years old have 30 years Muscat experience in all office works with Omani driving license. Contact: 99024055 Indian female, B.Com. knowledge of MS Office & Tally, 4yrs experience in Accounts &admin dept. looking for good placement in any field. Contact.98928220 Indian male, total experience is 5 years in Retail industry. Currently supervisor in Sun and sand sports Muscat City centre. Contact : 96994345. Email : jsp.jsr85@gmail.com More than Ten years of experience in Sales & Marketing, Advertisement and Credit Control and Logistics& Administration. Contact 91076608 / 99322748 MCA IT Professional Indian Female seek placement in Teaching/ Non Teaching field. Presently on visit visa. Contact 9588 7051, Email: ashwininakod@gmail Indian male, Engineer, BE Mechanical, having with 21 years of experience in India and 13 years in Oman, In production, project management, quality control and assurance and MR for ISO and API Standards looking out for a suitable placement in Oman. GSM: 00968 97311616. E-MAIL: fahazasa@yahoo.com Indian male, MBA marketing & finance with B com & diploma in IFRS seeks job.# 99469726 / 99469729 Indian Male 34 years Mechanical Engineer 3 years of Experience seeking suitable placement immediately Contact: 91991435, 93310821 Key Account Executive, Indian male, currently working with a reputed FMCG company Oman is looking for a placement asap, NOC will be given. Valid Omani driving license. Total experience in Oman is 12yrs and particularly in Sales is 8 1/2 years. Contact 95589765 Email : agnelfrancis@yahoo.co.in 25 Indian female, B.Sc fashion technologist, 5 years exp in merchandising, familiar with fashion marketing & designing. Currently available on visit visa, seeking for a visual merchandising job. Contact : 96990368, email jumshi@gmail.com Sudanese male BSC Telecommunications Engineer , 4 years experience in telecom field # 97783092, Email: Alrsheed88@hotmail.com Indian male, 28 years, 7 years experience in transporting & heavy equipment renting company. Having Omani driving license seeks suitable positions. Contact 94410485

S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

WEBSITE

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

NRI

46 cents of land kattakada peyad road (malapanan code) near E.M.S academy expecting 1 lakh percent. Contact: 99016230

WE ARE PROVIDING ACCOUNTING/ AUDITING TAX/ CONSULTING CONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033

DRIVING

Learn driving with professional only automatic. Contact 94022250

BUSINESS

2 Bedrooms flat for sale in Cochin. Contact: 99743709 Flats on distress sale near Goa approx area 1 BHK 720 with , 2 balcony 4 flats , 2 flats ground floor without balcony approx area 620, 2 nos studio 300 sqft at sawant wadi at 2500 per sqr ft. Contact : +9119320517730/ +919769051996

MATRIMONIAL Alliance invited for a Nair girl 24 yrs, 5ft, 1”, fair, slim, B.Tech graduate reputed family of Ernakulam dist. (Star Thiruvonam Sudhajathakam) ﬁnancially sound, from parents of B.Tech nair boys from Trissur, Palakkad and Eranakulam dist. . Contact :00919495924302 email: raveendrandr@yahoo.com

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

CLASSES

Kerala Nair girl, B.Com, 22 yrs, 5.2” very fair, slim, (Star Uthrattathi) Presently working in infosis, Chennai. Financially sound, from parents of nair boys from Trissur, Palakkad and Eranakulam & Calicut dist. . Contact :0091 8301865688 email: raveendrandr@yahoo.com Kerala nair boy working with reputed company in Muscat, Star Revathy (Sudhajathakam), age 28, 163 cm. seeking suitable alliance from nair girls. Contact no 92760901 Indian Muslim brother Muscat alliance for sister 20 yrs BSC, very fair, good looking ,boys respected families from hyderabad & A.P send biodata & pic, Email: mdfazal.ksa@gmail.com, GSM: 91258586.

COMPUTER

Hindu Ezhava family, settled in Muscat looking for suitable groom working within Oman for their daughter 25 yrs (MBA) working with a reputed company in Muscat. Contact : 98689663 We are Muslim family seeking alliance for our son interested families. Contact 97664009

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Working as Senior Accountant, 4 yrs.exp.in oman, relevant computer skills, Audit, Accounting upto ﬁnalization, valid oman driving license, languages known Arabic, Hindi. NOC available can join immediately. Tel: (+968) 96339599, E-mail(ahmedmohdkhan@gmail.com) Mechanical Engineer, Indian, (B.E.) on visit visa, seeking suitable post. Contact :99534733 Email: rajesh92prince@gmail.com Indian male, post graduate, currently in Oman on visit visa. Seeks suitable placement.# 92388346 Male, 19 years of experience in Finance and Administration currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 99720132/ abidraﬁ33@hotmail.com

Software development based on requirements such as: Web development & cloud computing, SAP implementation & services. Android App development networking. Contact 97423932

Specialist available for explosive growth in term of restructuring all modules of businesses with over 30 years of experience across continents with a decade in Oman. Contact 96733578 Email : proﬁtoman@gmail.com

We have some companies for rent with the following activities: press publishing & advertising, information consultancy, organizing event management & conference, real estate, landscaping, maintenance etc. # 93946622 / 91408005

A/C maintenance & servicing. Fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing. Painting & cleaning services & electrical & plumbing. Contact 99447257/97014234/ 24504281

Required business Researcher. contact 99229700 Email: kjaaraimi@hotmail.com

We do building maintenance all kind of works. Contact 99247663

Business Consultant, feasibility study. Contact 99229700

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house cleaning. Contact 99542979 / 98855815

TRANSPORTATION FOR LADIES House shifting & transporting. Contact 92490422 Pick & Drop any time. # 97014786

Beauty package for vacation for ladies 10/-R.O, 15/-R.O, 20/-R.O. Contact : 99410160

P.R.O services. Contact 99368907 Electric, Plumbing, painting & all kinds of building maintenance. Contact 93896787 / 97924862

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807 House shifting packing. Contact 99657644/ 98518013 Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Carpet & sofa shampooing. Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99884591 / 92682970 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

Air condition maintenance split and window services AC specialist ducted and package type unites. Contact: 98667326 Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517 A/C maintenance split A/C servicing. RO. 10 only. Contact 94217681/ 99210141 House shifting. Contact 99708138 Pest Control Treatments, Termites, Cockroaches, Bedbugs. Contact Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99344723 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance.Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

TOURS

GOOD NEWS

RENT A CAR

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

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact 99077348 Transportation Contact 99159277 Transportation. Contact 99508282 Transport to ISWK. Contact 93172589

Taimour Ayurvedic Clinic, Ruwi offers genuine & effective treatment for back pain, paralysis, cervical and lumbar spondylitis, osteoarthritis, joint pains, sinusitis, migraine, allergic problems, varicose vein and all other health related problems. Kerala massage and rejuvenation package available. For details please Contact 92197920/ 24799689

S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Indian, Arabic, Chinese dishes, BuďŹ&#x20AC;et Lunch (On Friday) Indoor & Outdoor, Catering, Party hall available Take Away & Home Delivery

Party booking & sugges ons 99320065, 99341643

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