Times Of Oman - March 26, 2015

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‘Honour HM with work not holiday’

CITIZENS SUPPORT

CELEBRATIONS AT MUTTRAH CORNICHE: On the occasion of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said returning to his homeland, the Wilayat of Muttrah represented by the office of Muttrah’s wali organised a celebration on the Corniche in Muttrah. Nationals as well as expatriates participated in the celebration. — Shabin E/ Times of Oman

No public holiday is needed to celebrate His Majesty’s return,

World leaders greet HM on return MUSCAT: World leaders have greeted His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on the occasion of his safe return to Oman after spending eight months in Germany undergoing medical treatment.

His Majesty received a cable of greetings from His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates on the safe return of His Majesty to the homeland. In his cable, Sheikh Khalifa expressed his sincere greetings, and that of the brotherly people of United Arab Emirates, on this happy occasion.

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Sheikh Khalifa prayed to Allah the Almighty to perpetuate good health and continuous wellbeing on HM and bestow blessings of security, stability, peace and prosperity on Oman and its people.

In his cable of greetings, Iran’s President Dr Hassan Rouhani expressed his happiness at receiving

the news of His Majesty’s return to the Sultanate, coupled with his good health and wellbeing.

Constructive role The Iranian president said, “Undoubtedly, the constructive role of your Majesty in your country and the region to achieve welfare and security will continue once again with your presence.”

The president also expressed his happiness over the good relations between the two countries, praying to Almighty Allah to grant His Majesty good health and well-

say many sections of Oman society

being and the Omani people happiness and success.

Wishing HM through a cable, President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine, chairman of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, expressed his “sincere greetings and best wishes to His Majesty on this cheerful occasion, praying to the Allah the Almighty to grant His Majesty good health and success to continue his prosperous march in leading his subjects towards further progress, peace and prosperity while serving the issues of his nation.” >A6

Staff Reporters MUSCAT: Parliamentarians, citizens, economic experts and industry heads said that people should double their efforts and be committed to work towards nation-building instead of demanding or expecting public holidays to celebrate the return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the Sultanate.

“It is His Majesty’s vision and commitment that has placed this

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Employees of the KOM 2 building at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) were evacuated after a maintenance inspection of the building revealed cracks, said a press statement from the KOM. The KOM is committed towards the safety of its community, the statement added. >A4

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A sea of lit candles and flowers covered the front steps of a German school deep in mourning on Wednesday after 16 of its students who died in a plane disaster in the French Alps. Bereaved pupils wept near the makeshift memorial of candles to share the pain of losing their friends. >A22

Muscat Securities Market has reconstituted its Sharia Index by adding three more companies and removing one firm from the basket of companies that constitute the index. The included firms are Al Batinah Development and Investment, Oman Cables Industry and Computer Stationary Industry. >B1

country in a commendable position among developed nations. For the last four decades, he had been toiling for the progress of the nation.

So, as a sign of respect for His Majesty’s efforts and for the cause of nation-building, we should not demand or look for holidays to mark his return. Rather, we should work harder to make His Majesty’s vision come true,” Tawfiq Al Lawati, a Majlis Al Shura member, told the Times of Oman.

Soon after His Majesty’s arrival on Monday, unofficial messages claiming to be from the government stated that holiday had been declared to mark HM’s return.

The unofficial message circulated through Whatsapp and posted on social networking sites created confusion among the public.

“If we look into the total number of holidays, we will find that in Oman, on an average we get a holiday every second day. This is not the time to revel. It is time to work for the fulfilment of HM’s vision,” added Tawfiq. >A6

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ACE P , R E W O P ND GRACE A ‘Some flights could be shifted from Muscat to Sohar Airport’

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HM the Sultan receives thanks cable MUSCAT: Participants at the meeting of the Global Policy Group (GPG) of the World Health Organization (WHO), and hosted by the Sultanate have sent a cable of thanks to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on conclusion of their meeting.

In their cable, the participants expressed deepest thanks to His Majesty for the warm reception and generous hospitality they

received during their stay in the Sultanate.

They also expressed their appreciation and respect to His Majesty for the comprehensive development witnessed by the Sultanate in all fields under his wise leadership.

The WHO hailed the development witnessed by the health sector in the Sultanate and the steady efforts made by the Omani

government to promote this vital sector and render high quality and efficient health services.

It also appreciated the Sultanates’ continuous and constructive cooperation with world health organisations and institutions.

The participants also expressed their joy for their meeting’s coincidence with His Majesty the Sultan’s safe return home while enjoying good health.–ONA

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

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CRIME REPORT

Asians held for liquor smuggling Times News Service MUSCAT: Two Asians were arrested at the Wadijizi border post while trying to bring in liqour concealed in the trunk of their car, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has said.

The ROP also said that Omani was arrested while trying to smuggle 32 beehives, while personnel at the Hafit border post arrested another national trying to smuggle speed radar detectors. Yet another Omani was arrested for trying to bring in six Asians illegally via the Wadijizi border post.

In Hamriyah area, two Asians were arrested for drug trafficking and 149 capsules of heroin were recovered from them. Another person was arrested for smugGLOBAL CONFERENCE

Education technology meeting held MUSCAT: Omani Society for Educational Technology (OSET) on Wednesday organised the 3rd International Educational Technology Conference at the Gulf College in Seeb.

Dr Said bin Hamad Al Rubaie, Secretary General of the Council of Education, who was the chief guest of the event, said we live the era of modern knowledge and technology.

He pointed out that the outcome of this conference will help in developing of the educational process and the conference will give participants the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in education technologies to use them in the educational aspects.

Earlier, six workshops about how to apply modern methods in education and other learning techniques were conducted before the opening of the conference.–ONA

DRUG HAUL: Two Asians were arrested for drug trafficking and 149 capsules of heroin were recovered from them.–ROP

gling 95 capsules of narcotics hidden in his vehicle via the same border post.

Twelve persons were arrested on charges of prostitution in the Wilayat of Salalah of Dhofar governorate.

An official at the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said that the accused were arrested in Aljadida area of Salalah following a raid on their flat.

All the legal actions have been taken against the accused.

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KOM 2

building at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) were evacuated after a maintenance inspection of the building revealed cracks

TOURISM SECTOR

Misfat Al Abreyeen beckons honeymooners Times News Service

DREAM LOCATION: The village has clung to its traditional roots and remains a cosy and intimate area that celebrates the flavours and authenticity of the Sultanate.–Supplied photo

MUSCAT: Attractive travel and tourism packages, particularly highlighting Misfat Al Abreyeen in Al Hamra region as a romantic and exotic destination for honeymooners from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be showcased by Oman in the ‘The Bride Show 2015’ which began at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre on Wednesday,

the Ministry of Tourism has announced.

Striking landscape Misfat Al Abreyeen is an oasis surrounded by lush date trees amidst a striking landscape which once housed a centre of trade, religion education and art.

The village has clung to its traditional roots and remains a cosy and intimate area that celebrates

the flavour and authenticity of the Sultanate.

The ministry is participating in the three-day event alongside Al Rais Tours. It aims to enhance its presence within the UAE market and attract different markets.

Al Rais Tours, is a top travel agency dedicated to providing efficient, safe and cost-effective travel solutions to a diverse clientele.

Bride Show 2015 provides a use-

ful platform to promote awareness on the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Oman.

Leading event As the leading wedding and lifestyle event, the exhibition showcases the latest in bridal fashion, jewellery, make-up, accessories as well as venues, destinations and accommodation from participating vendors and representatives.

Cracked building evacuated

RISK MANAGEMENT: The companies in the building were informed about the cracks and suitable space was provided to the majority of the companies in other buildings.– Supplied photo

It was recommended that the building be evacuated as a precaution and detailed examination of the building be undertaken for maintenance work

Times News Service MUSCAT: Employees of the KOM 2 building at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) were evacuated after a maintenance inspection of the building revealed cracks, said a press statement from KOM. “Derived from the commitment of KOM towards the safety of its community from the staff to the operating companies, international specialised consultants have been appointed to study these cracks,” added the release.

Following the initial tests, it was recommended that the building be evacuated as a precaution and detailed examinations of the building be undertaken in order to facilitate maintenance work, and to avoid any inconvenience to the companies and clients.

The competent authorities were notified of the matter, and the evacuation process got underway from March 17. The operating companies in the building were informed about the cracks in detail. Suitable space was also provided to the majority of the companies in other buildings in KOM, and work is underway to accommodate the others as per their requirements.

Alternative site The companies were moved to the alternate offices without any interruption in their schedules.

The transfer and evacuation was done entirely at KOM’s expense.

The building was closed starting from Tuesday morning, and no one was allowed inside without permission from KOM’s Department of Operations and under its supervision.

Meanwhile, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, (PEIE) represented by KOM, has commenced legal action.

KOM said it would like to extend its appreciation for the significant co-operation and efforts of the competent authorities and service providers in the evacuation process which was completed in record time.

“KOM would also like to thank the operational companies for keeping in mind the public interest,” said the press release.

KOM said it would issue updates on the developments, while confirming that the action undertaken was a precautionary measure keeping in mind the safety of employees.

FA M I L I A R I S AT I O N

State Council hosts school students Times News Service MUSCAT: Young students from the Al Hassan Bin Hashim School and Al Imam Jaber Bin Zayed School got an insight into the working of the State Council.

Earlier, the Council, which hosted the students, welcomed them to its premises on arrival for a familiarisation tour.

Ahmed bin Humaid Al Shibli, Deputy Manager of Legal Affairs Committee, gave them a presentation which detailed the organisation set-up of the Council, its various organs, its responsibilities and tasks assigned to it.

The presentation detailed the special provisions of the State Council as mentioned by the Basic Law of the State, which stipulates the number of members, the mechanism of appointment, the qualifying conditions for mem-

bership, and outlined the difference between the State Council and the Majlis Al Shura’s terms of reference, membership and members.

The students received a detailed explanation about the functions and powers of the Council, and the tasks and responsibilities entrusted to it.

The presentation highlighted the compatibility and integration between the two councils, and the critical role played by the joint meetings between the State Council and the Shura Council.

The students’ visit concluded with the queries of students being answered. The Council officials emphasised their keenness to activate and enhance their relationship with the local community through lectures and seminars, supported by the website, and social media.

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

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EASING CONGESTION

Oman Air chief for shifting some flights to Sohar

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Oman Air to service 75 destinations by 2020 Oman Air CEO said their top priority is to

But we want fly to more places in India... We are looking at places like Kolkata in the Eastern part of India

reduce losses. By 2017 the national carrier hopes to break even

Times News Service

AVIATION UPGRADATION: The Oman Airports Management Com-

pany opened the First International Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer Conference ‘The HIVE’ at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa on Wednesday. –Jun Estrada/TIMES OF OMAN

Times News Service MUSCAT: Some international flights could be shifted from Muscat to Sohar Airport to reduce congestion, suggested Oman Air CEO, Paul Gregorowitsch.

Speaking on the sidelines of the first International Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) conference, the CEO said, “If Muscat is getting too many passengers, like what is happening today, to maintain safety and to save those airlines who are already having tailends here from Doha and Dubai, and not bringing in too many passengers, they can be shifted to Sohar.”

He also said that airlines which bring in “economy” to Oman should be allowed to expand at the Muscat International Airport. “Airlines like Oman Air which contribute to the economy of Oman should not be held back by the lack of infrastructure at Muscat,” he said.

The conference was opened under the auspices of Dr Ahmed Mohammed Salem Al Futaisi, minister of transport and communications. The Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) opened the First International Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) Conference ‘The HIVE’ at the ShangriLa’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa on Wednesday. The first-of-itskind conference in the Sultanate, aims to achieve a number of goals including building and activating channels of communication between experts and specialists in the field of airport management with a focus on successful operations of the new airports, discussing and sharing ORAT concepts and methodologies through bringing together key organisations from across the world.

Dr Khalfan bin Said Al Shueili, general manager of readiness said, “We are honoured that the timing of this conference coincides with the national celebration for the safe return and good health of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.”

He added, “‘The Hive’ conference has attracted aviation industry speakers and delegates from around the world, and has been organised by the OAMC in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Public Authority for Civil Aviation, with Oman Air as the platinum sponsor. This conference is very timely as five new international and regional airports, all developed in accordance to the highest international standards, will soon become operational throughout the Sultanate.”

The first speaker of the day was Patti Chau, regional director of the Airports Council International (ACI) who highlighted the transformation of the Middle East into aviation’s next international hub and the need to continue the momentum of growth to capitalise on the region’s strategic geographical location.

She was followed by Gregorowitsch who spoke of Oman Air’s renaissance, its journey to become operationally profitable by 2017 and its objective to become a regional leader in the aviation industry.

This was followed by a panel discussion on the impact of new airport projects on the business growth of airport operations. Moderated by renowned journalist and chairman of New Arab Debates Tim Sebastian, the panel comprised regional and international airport management leaders including Eng Saeed bin Khamis Al Zadjali, acting CEO of OAMC, Eng Ahmed Al Haddabi, COO of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Dr Mustafa Sani Sener, president and group CEO TAV Airports Turkey and Marcel Hungerbuehler, COO of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

The second session of the conference was opened by Sally Blackwell, retired ORAT director from Heathrow Airports Group who spoke of lessons learnt from the opening of Heathrow’s Terminals 5 and 2.

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MUSCAT: Oman Air will be flying to 75 destinations by 2020, the national carrier of Oman announced on Wednesday.

Replying to a question by the Times of Oman, Paul Gregorowitsch, CEO of Oman Air, said that they would be flying to 75 destinations in Asia, Africa and Europe by 2020. “By that time we will have 70 aircraft to fly to these destinations,” he said.

Currently, Oman Air is flying to 47 destinations worldwide.

Regarding the destinations, he said that they are looking at launching China flights by winter. “We are

Paul Gregorowitsch CEO of Oman Air

also looking at flying double daily to London by winter,” he said.

He also said that the existing rights between India and Oman will get over with the launch of Goa flights. “But we want fly to more places in India and we want these rights to be increased,” he said, on the sidelines of the First International Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) Conference ‘The HIVE’ on Wednesday

at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa today.

For this, the airline is looking at newly built airports, which provide more facilities. “We are looking at places like Kolkata in the Eastern part of India,” he said.

He also said their team is working hard to reduce the losses and added, “By 2017 we should be able to break even.”

Last year, the airline made a loss

of OMR100 million, and he wants to bring that down to OMR60 million this year.

He also hopes to add 70 per cent of Omanis to the workforce in the next few years. “Currently we have staff strength of 6,200 and we are looking to make that 7,000 by the year end as per our expansion plans,” he said.

Oman Air has 59 per cent Omanis on board right now.

Gregorowitsch, however, ruled out the possibility of a low cost airline being launched as he had doubts over the sustainability of such a venture. “It will be tough to run a low cost airline as the operating costs will be similar to that of a full-fledged airline,” he said.

With the government moving towards issuing a second licence for a second airline in the Sultanate, the CEO of Oman Air said that the airline will welcome any competition and may even participate in the process.

Gregorowitsch said that they are already facing serious competition as far as outbound passengers from Muscat are concerned.

“Around 60 per cent of the market share from Oman is with our competitors. We are operating in a competitive environment even at the moment,” he said.

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His Majesty is our model and we should read the direct and indirect messages he has conveyed to us in avoiding the formalities of his arrival Maitha Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary of Ministry of Tourism, Oman

LOGISTIC SERVICES

C E L E B R AT E W O R K

Dedicated Muscat Container Terminal opens for business BARKA: Muscat Container Terminal, which is the first approved land port in the Sultanate, was opened at the wilayat of Barka, under the auspices of Said bin Hamdoon Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications for Ports and Maritime Affairs. The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Hilal bin Said Al Hajri, Governor of South Al Batinah.

Al Harthy, said that Muscat Container Terminal is the most important logistic services terminals in the Sultanate. He added that the Sultanate is interested in the logistic services and logistic

strategy as it serves the aims of the national economy.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications for Ports and Maritime Affairs and the attendees toured the departments and reviewed the procedures used to receive and handle containers. He also reviewed the services provided by the Public Administration for Customs with regard to inspecting the retail goods.

While the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries provides the vet and agricultural quarantine services, the Ministry of Health provides health quarantine ser-

vices and Muscat Container Terminal provides the retail goods’ container handling, storing empty containers, offloading container services. It also provides the transportation services for goods of different sizes and provides the electricity service to the chilled containers.

Muscat Container Terminal aims at increasing the inflow of goods, the development of business movement and increasing the efficiency of logistic services and supply chain so that they can contribute to supporting the national logistic services strategy 2040. — ONA

Picture by Talib Al Wahaibi/Times of Oman

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for the economic growth

His Majesty was being given medical treatment in Germany for the last eight months and on the last National Day, which falls on November 18, he had to give a televised message to the people wishing them prosperity and reassuring them about his health.

An official from a government trade body said that people should be committed to work and they can celebrate at their offices.

Celebrate at workplace “It is time for celebration, but people should try to do that at their workplace. Even if leave has been granted, it should not be a long one. Like it is done in European countries, it should be a twoday holiday either following the weekend or before the weekend,” said Mohammed Hassan Al Ansi, vice-chairman of the Committee of Logistics and Transportation Affairs at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI).

“Long holidays are not good for the country’s economy,” added the official.

An official from the tourism department said that it is a chance to reward HM by working hard and the people know numerous other

ways to express their happiness instead of bringing work to a stop.

is to continue working and building the nation,” said Al Hinai.

“His Majesty is our model and we should read the direct and indirect messages he has conveyed to us in avoiding the formalities of his arrival,” said Maitha Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary of Ministry of Tourism, said.

“Our gift to His Majesty should be to work even harder, something we should have learnt from him,” said Al Mahrouqi.

A top official of an investment firm said that no holidays should be declared.

Mohammed Al Mashani, general manager of corporate affairs, Port of Salalah, said that there was no point in demanding public holidays on the occasion. People should work harder to show their dedication to the development of the Sultanate.

“I do not think we require a holiday. Actually, we should work harder to give a boost to the economy,” said the official at Port of Salalah, the largest port in the Sultanate.

However, Hussain Al Noumani, an employee at PDO, said a holiday would be a good chance for Omanis to celebrate His Majesty’s return with their loved ones.

He added, “I think a holiday will be a great way to celebrate HM’s return. That way, it will allow Omanis to be with their families to interact together and celebrate HM’s achievements.

“Plus, we never really celebrated his birthday on November 18 as he was away. So, there is nothing better than celebrating a belated birthday!” — With inputs from Reji-

“It is time to work. We should keep our eyes open. We have a long way to go to achieve progress. HM has put in his efforts and now it is our responsibility to take it forward,” said Anwar Al Balushi, chairman of Anwar Asian Investment.

“There is no reason to demand public holidays on the occasion and people should instead double their efforts,” said Abdullah Al Saddi, a government official.

An Omani national Malik Al Hinai also said that a holiday was not necessary.

“We are extremely happy that HM is home, but I am not in favour of a holiday. The best gift as citizens

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Leaders greet HM

Congratulating His Majesty, Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Al Tayyeb, grand sheikh of Al Azhar said, “I pray to Allah to perpetuate good health, wellbeing and long life on His Majesty for the good of the Arab and Islamic nations and bestow blessings of continuous security, stability and prosperity on the Omani people.”

Comoros President Dr Ikililou Dhoinine expressed his sincere greetings and best wishes and that of the Comorian people to His Majesty and the Omani people. He prayed to Allah to protect His Majesty and grant him a good health, wellbeing and a long life, and protect Oman against all harm.

President of Somalia His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said has received a cable of greetings from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the Federal Republic of Somalia on the occasion of the auspicious return of His Majesty to the homeland.

In his cable, President Mohamud expressed his sincere greetings and that of the brotherly people of Somalia, praying to Allah to grant His Majesty a continuous health, wellbeing and a long life, and the Omani people further progress and prosperity under His Majesty’s wise leadership. — ONA GLOBAL POLICIES GROUP

GPG meeting concludes MUSCAT: Global Policies Group meeting (GPG) concluded its sessions on Wednesday. The meeting, hosted by the Sultanate’s Ministry of Health, was organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and participated in by Dr Margret Chan, WHO Director General along with her deputy and regional directors of the six WHO regions. — ONA

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

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People rejoice over HM’s return Celebrations and loyalty marches were organised in all parts of the Sultanate to mark the return of His Majesty the Sultan.

Schools also held prayer meetings for his good health

CELEBRATION TIME: Both nationals and expatriates attended the celebrations at the Corniche in Muttrah in large numbers. Similar events were held at Bausher and Sohar too.–Shabin E/TIMES OF OMAN

Times News Service

dances, folklore shows, national music and fireworks. Nationals as well as expatriates attended the celebrations in large numbers.

Celebratory events were held at Bausher and Sohar too.

Schools across Oman to held prayers and celebrations for His

MUSCAT: On the occasion of His Majesty the Sultan returning to his homeland, the Wilayat of Muttrah held a celebration on the Corniche.

The celebrations included special programmes like traditional

Majesty. Indian School Darsait held a common prayer meeting at the school auditorium to celebrate the return of His Majesty the Sultan, the architect of modern Oman and to express their solidarity with the people of Oman. Verses from the Holy Quran were recited by the

Omani staff for the good health and long life of His Majesty the Sultan and sweets were distributed.

Bangladesh School Muscat (BSM) organised a special prayer for His Majesty the Sultan. Sekander Ali, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Oman along with other of-

ficials paid homage to His Majesty the Sultan in the prayer.

Sekander Ali said, “On behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh I am happy to express my gratitude on the great occasion of His Majesty the Sultan’s great return to His beloved country and

people. We were praying and waiting for his grand homecoming, now we are extremely happy by the joyful presence of His Majesty in the Sultanate.”

Students and staff of Bangladesh School Sohar also prayed for His Majesty’s wellbeing. Bangladesh Schools Ja’lan, Sinaw and Saham also conducted prayer meetings.

A cake cutting ceremony was held at Pakistan School Muscat on Tuesday by the school management to celebrate the return of His Majesty the Sultan to his homeland after his successful treatment in Germany. The school hall was decorated with Omani flags and His Majesty’s portraits. The ceremony started with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Qari Muhammad Rahim followed by a warm welcome address by the Principal PSM Khalid Jadoon.

They wished His Majesty the Sultan a long life and paid him tributes for his services to his nation and expatriates. They expressed their heartfelt gratitude for his selfless concern for all the residents of the Sultanate of Oman.

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TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 2 6, 2 015 I would like to say as an expatriate living in this beautiful country for over thirty years, my family and I have much to be grateful for Bridget Ganguly, Indian expatriate living in Oman for over 30 years

OMAN MESSAGES

HM receives thanks cable from India MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Pranab Mukherjee of India in reply to His Majesty’s greetings cable on the occasion of his country’s 66th National Day. President Mukherjee expressed his utmost thanks, wishing His Majesty good health and happiness. –ONA

HM sends wishes to Bangladesh MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Mohammad Abdul Hamid of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on the occasion of his country’s Independence Anniversary.

His Majesty expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes to President Abdul Hamid and the friendly people of his country.–ONA

Outpouring of joy on return of HM After enjoying the blessings of His Majesty’s dynamic leadership, expatriates said that Oman under his wise leadership has earned a unique place of respect in the comity of nations

Times News Service MUSCAT: People in Oman continued to express their happiness over the return of His Majesty the Sultan.

Calling it a moment of joy, Dr Nigel Kuriakose said, “He is the visionary behind the Renaissance of modern day Oman. I was born in Khoula Hospital in the 1980’s and now work at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital. The development of world-class healthcare facilities for citizens over the years was a priority for him which is indeed commendable, as only a few countries today can afford free quality healthcare for all.”

“I keep hearing my dad (who has been in Oman since the early 1970’s) proudly saying about how this nation has progressed from having one 10-kilometre stretch of road to currently having world class highways. There is no doubt that his foreign policy, religious tolerance and insistence on existing as a peaceful country puts him in the frontline of probables to win the Nobel Peace Prize in the coming years,” said Dr Kuriakose.

Javed Nawaz, former chairman of the Pakistan Social Club said, “After living in Oman for over three decades, enjoying the blessings of His Majesty’s dynamic leadership, I can proudly say that Oman under his wise leadership has earned a unique place of respect in the comity of nations where Omanis as well as expatriates are fully enjoying the fruits

RIDING HIGH: Not only the Omani citizens but also expatriates living in this beautiful country have much to be grateful for to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.–Talib Al Wahaibi/TIMES OF OMAN

of peace, security, justice and fair legal system.”

“In a short span of 40 plus years Oman has uniquely developed infrastructure that deserves high appreciation. Under His Majesty’s kind governance education and training of Omani citizens, which are the keys to real progress, have been given utmost priority. With a single school in 1970, Oman has developed thousands of schools and several universities which kindle the light for future progress,” he said.

Guidance and vision Yusuf Nalwala, managing director and partner at Al Ansari, said, “Any society or any family always yearns for the welfare and wellbeing of its head. His Majesty is not just the head of the state but also a sincerely revered one by every citizen. His philanthropic nature, his guidance and vision in leading this country have far reaching impact on Oman and also in the region.”

Bridget Ganguly said, “Welcome home! Hamdellah Assalamah! Aapka bahut swagat hai!

Khushamdeedh! Soyez le bienvenue! Herzlich willkommen zu Hause! Along with the symphony of voices resounding with the “Welcome Home” message, and prayers of gratitude going up to the Almighty for His Majesty’s good health, I would like to say as

an expatriate living in this beautiful country for over thirty years, my family and I have much to be grateful for.”

“Although Oman has been blessed with natural beauty, His Majesty’s management of its resources is what has made this country what it is today. A leader who cares deeply for his people, while respecting and honouring the guests who come here, is a reflection of what is possible when one has the interests of the larger community at heart.

“His quiet dignity, the religious tolerance practiced in this country, and his openness to dialogue are some of the reasons why people love and respect this great leader,” she said.

T. Bhaskaran said, “The safe return of His Majesty to the Sultanate is the most heartening news to the citizens and the residents of Oman. Like the people of Oman, His Majesty has many admirers and well wishers across the world. The contributions made

by His Majesty in many areas for promoting peace, harmony and brotherhood are well recognised and accepted by the world. The world is now passing through a turbulent state of affairs. The peace initiatives driven by HM in maintaining peaceful co-existence in the region, is by far the more important decision in a time of ugly situations.”

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Yemen’s Houthi militia close in on Hadi’s Aden Houthis captured defence minister as President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has been taken to a safe haven within Aden

ADEN: Yemen’s leader was rushed to a “secure location” on Wednesday as Houthi forces bore down on his southern stronghold and a warplane attacked his presidential complex, prompting pleas for urgent intervention.

The escalating turmoil has stoked fears that Yemen — a front line in the US battle against Al Qaeda — is teetering on the brink of all-out civil war.

A top aide of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said the leader had been taken to a safe haven “within Aden”, the southern port city where he fled last month.

Earlier a source in the presidential guard said that Hadi had flown overseas, but the aide denied he had left the country.

Yemen has been gripped by growing turmoil since the Houthi rebels launched a power takeover in Sanaa in February.

In a major blow to the embattled leader, the Houthis said they had captured his defence minister in their push southwards.

Several missiles were fired by an unidentified warplane at Hadi’s complex in Aden but missed his residence and hit an abandoned building, a presiden-

ESCALATING TURMOIL: Houthi fighters ride a patrol truck in Sanaa on Wednesday. Houthi forces in Yemen backed by allied army units seized a key air base and appeared poised to capture the southern port of Aden. – Reuters

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tial security official said. Large crowds of Aden residents could be seen running to take up arms at a weapons depot in preparation for the expected rebel advance, an AFP photographer said.

Operations suspended As the security situation worsened, Aden’s international airport suspended operations.

Hadi appealed to the UN Security Council on Tuesday to “shoulder its responsibilities... to safeguard Yemen from sliding into more chaos and destruction”.

His plea followed a warning from UN envoy Jamal Benomar that Yemen was sliding towards a “civil war”.

Rebel forces seized a key airbase just 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Aden on Wednesday,

days after US military personnel were evacuated from the site.

Yemen has allowed Washington to wage a long-standing drone war against Al Qaeda militants in the country, which borders Saudi Arabia and lies close to key shipping routes.

The Houthis took control of Al Anad airbase following “limited clashes” with forces loyal to Hadi, an official told AFP. Rebel forces advanced deep into Lahej province, which is adjacent to Aden and where the rebels said they had seized Hadi’s defence minister, General Mahmud Al Subaihi.

Subaihi escaped house arrest at the hands of the Houthis in Sanaa this month. He had been seen as a vital ally of Hadi in charge of organising defence lines aimed at averting the fall of Aden. Dozens of people have been killed as the Houthi militia, backed by troops allied to former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, have clashed with pro-Hadi forces as they push southwards. — Agencies

REGION

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FIND-IT-ALL

PRAYER TIMINGS

W E AT H E R

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.18pm 3.44pm 6.25pm 7.35pm 4.50am

LISTINGS

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334 Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666 Muscat Pharmacy Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635 Atlas Pharmacy Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715 Muscat Region Al Hashar, Ruwi1 24 Hr Br. Tel. 24537080 Muscat, Al Sarooj. Tel: 24695536 Belqees, Al Khoudh (OIB) Tel. 24535398 Belqees, Ma’abelah. Tel: 24454624 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah.

Tel. 23291635

CLEAR to partly cloudy skies over most of the governorates of the Sultanate, chances of convective clouds development with isolated rain occasionally thundershower associated with downdraft wind over Al Hajar mountain and adjoining areas towards afternoon. Chances of late night to early morning low level clouds and fog patches along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea. EXPECTED WIND: Over most governorates of the Sultanate winds will be northerly to northwesterly light to moderate and southeasterly light to moderate along Arabian Sea coast.

SEA STATE: Moderate along western Musandam with maximum wave height of 2.0 metres, and slight to moderate along the rest of Oman’s coast with maximum wave height of 1.5 metres.

HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog formation and rain.

THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Clear to partly cloudy skies over northern governorates with chances of isolated rain over governorate of Musandam and the coastal areas of Oman Sea. Chance of convective clouds developments and thundershower over Al Hajar mountains and adjoining areas.

Chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea.

HOSPITALS 1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274 Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052 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 Hamdan Hospital: 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128,

OMAN Max 29 Min 23

Max 29 Min 23

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

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

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, SatWed 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, Thursday: 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

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

Max 27 Min 23 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

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Max 34 Min 22

Max 34 Min 22

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

Max 31 Min 27

Max 35 Min 21

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

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

CHILE: A forest fire rages in the Conguillo National Park, Chile, on

Tuesday. Massive wildfires in drought-stricken southern Chile have wiped out hundreds of plant species, and are now threatening animal life and a national park as well, officials warned. — AFP

Max 30 Min 25 —www.met.gov.om

WORLD

Max 15 Min 5 Max 12 Min 5

Max 37 Min 15 Max 7 Min 3

Max 26 Min 17

Max 33 Min 19

Max 35 Min 20

Max 32 Min 25

Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh Athens Baghdad Barbados Beijing Berlin Boston Brussels Buenos Aires Cairo Chicago Colombo Copenhagen Dublin Frankfurt Harare Hong Kong Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg

Max

Min

26 26 25 24 26 25 20 26 28 19 8 12 8 22 35 6 34 6 8 9 30 21 19 21 21

20 18 20 17 19 14 13 10 23 5 3 1 4 14 19 -3 23 -3 2 3 17 19 11 11 13

Kuala Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Manila Mexico City Miami Moscow New Delhi New York Oslo Panama Paris Perth Prague Rio de Janeiro Santiago Seoul Singapore Stockholm Sydney Taipei Tokyo Toronto Vienna

Max

Min

33 17 12 11 32 23 27 7 37 15 0 23 10 31 13 28 12 14 31 2 26 22 14 6 17

23 11 5 5 25 12 25 3 15 5 -1 18 6 17 5 23 9 2 24 1 17 18 5 -3 8

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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily 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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

20:50

Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 07:00 Ruwi

10:25

Daily

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

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

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

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

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

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

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

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

TO SUR (Route 55) 07:30 Sur 14:30 Sur

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

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

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62) 06:30 Fahud 06:30 Yibal

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

Daily

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

Daily

16:50

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102) 15:00 Dubai 07:00 EVENTS

Vacations holds The Big Summer Sale on March 26 and 27 at Salalah Grand Mall from 10 am to 10pm.

The Environment Society of Oman (ESO) is organising a family event designed to educate and increase awareness about climate change on March 28th from 5-7pm at Al Mouj Golf Course.

Orbit Events Management organises Indian Classical Music Concerts on March 27, 2015 at Al Bustan Palace at 10 am and 6 pm.

Talent Hunters Oman to host Musical Journey IV ‘Romance’ on April 4, at the Grand Hall, Al Falaj Hotel, at

7pm. Entry is by invitation only.

Tulu drama Medime to be staged on April 10 at the Grand Hall, Al Falaj Hotel, at 6.30pm.

SAI Group presents Times of Oman Open Essay Writing & Poster Making Competition 2015 on April 11, 18, 25 at different venues. Last date for submission of entry forms is March 31.

Times of Oman Inter School Quiz Contest (TOOISQC).

The final of the quiz is slated for Friday, April 24 at the City Amphitheatre, the mega prelims will be held on April 22.

The prelims will start from April 15.

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 LISTINGS 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

CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA Get Hard (2D) (Comedy) (15+) Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison 1:45, 5:30, 9:45 PM Home (2D) (Animation) (PG) 3:45 PM Home (3D) (Animation) (PG) 5:30 PM Ex-Machina (2D) (Drama/Sci fi) (15+) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson 7:30, 9:30 PM Theeb(2D) (Adventure/Drama) (15+) Cast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Jack Fox 6:00, 7:50 PM Clown (2D) (Drama I Horror) (18+) Cast: Eli Roth, Peter Stormare, Laura 4:00, 11:45 PM A Little Chaos (2D) (Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, 7:15 PM The Lovers (2D) (Action) (12+) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton 9:30 PM Insurgent (3D) (Adventure I Sci Fi) (PG12) Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, 11:30 PM Insurgent (2D) (Adventure) (PG12) 1:45 PM The Gunman (2D) (Action) (15+) 11:30 PM

Insurgent (3D) (Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort 11:45 PM. Cinderella (2D) (Adventure) (PG) Cast: Lily James, Hayley Atwell, Richard 3:30 PM Home (2D) (Animation) (PG)

10:30 AM Home (3D) (Animation) (PG) 2:15 PM & 4:00 PM Gold Class: 1:15 PM Ex Machina (Sci-fi /Drama) (15+) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall 12:15 PM, 5:50 PM & 9:45 PM. Gold Class: 7:15 PM & 11:15 PM. Crazy Beautiful You (2D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo, 5:30 PM Get Hard (2D) (Comedy) (15+) Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison 7:45 PM & 9:45 PM Gold Class: 3:15 PM & 9:15 PM A Little Chaos (2D) (Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman 11:15 AM Clown (2D) (Horror) (18+) Cast: Eli Roth, Peter Stormare, Laura 1:30 PM & 11:45 PM Theeb (2D) (Adventure) (12+) 5:30 PM Gold Class: 7:45 PM

SCREEN 1 NH 10 – Hindi (Suspense) (12+) Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil 2.30, 5.30 PM Valiyavan – Tamil (Action) PG Cast: Andrea Jeremiah, Jai, Bala Saravanan 8.30, 11.30 PM SCREEN 2 Dilliwali Zalim Girlfriend – Hindi (Comedy/Romance) (12+) Cast: Divyendu Sharma, Jackie Shroff, Prachi Mishra, Ira Dubey 3.30 PM Valiyavan – Tamil (Action) PG

6.30 PM NH 10 – Hindi (Suspense) (12+) 9.00, 11.45 PM SCREEN 3 100 Days of Love – Malyalam (Romance) – PG Cast: Dulquer Salmaan , Nithya Menen 3.15, 6.00, 9.00, 11.45 pm

Insurgent – 3D (PG12) (Adventure) 7:15 , 11:30 PM The Gunman – 2D (15+) (Action) 11:45 PM Ex Machina– 2D (15+)(Drama) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall 3:45, 5:45, 9:45 PM Get Hard – 2D (15+) (Comedy) Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison 4:30, 7:45, 9:30 PM Home – 2D (PG) (Animation) 2:00 PM Home – 3D (PG) (Animation) 3:45, 5:30 PM Charlie Countryman – 2D (15+) (Comedy) Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood, 3:40 PM Haz West El Balad – 2D (Drama) Cast: Elham Shahein, Horeya Farghaly, 3:40 PM Theeb – 2D (12+) (Adventure) Cast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Jack Fox 7:15 PM Valiyavan – 2D (Tamil) (Romance) Cast: Jai, Andrea Jeremiah 9:15 PM The Lovers – 2D (12+) (Action) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton, 2:30, 11:45 PM Clown – 2D (18+) (Drama |Horror) Cast: Eli Roth, Peter Stormare, Laura

6:30, 11:30 PM 100 Days of Love – 2D (Malayalam) (TBC ) (Comedy | Romance) Cast: Nithya Menon, Sekhar Menon, Dulquer Salmaan 8:30 PM

The Lovers – 2D (12+) (Action) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton 5:45, 9:30 PM Theeb – 2D (12+) (Adventure) Cast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Jack Fox 7:15 PM Ex Machina – 2D (15+) (Drama) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall 3:30, 8:00, 11:45 PM Get Hard – 2D (15+) (Comedy) Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison 6:15, 7:45,10:00 PM Home – 3D (PG) (Animation) 4:00, 5:30 PM 100 Days of Love – 2D (PG) (Romance) Cast: Nithya Menon, Sekhar Menon, Dulquer Salmaan 9:00 PM The Gunman – 2D (15+) (Action) Cast: Javier Bardem, Sean Penn 11:45 PM Insurgent – 3D (PG12) Adventure, 4:00, 11:30PM

Insurgent – 3D (PG12) Adventure, 11:30 PM The Gunman – 2D (15+) (Action) Cast: Javier Bardem, Sean Penn 3:00 PM Get Hard (Comedy) (15+)

6:00, 9:40 PM Ex Machina (Drama | Sci-Fi) (15+) 5:00, 11:45 PM 100 Days of Love (Mal) (Romance) Cast: Nithya Menon, Sekhar Menon 6:55 PM (PG) Theeb (Arabic) (Adventure) (12+) Cast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Jack 7:50 PM The Lovers (Action ) (12+) 9:45 PM Home(3D) (Animation) (PG) 2:30, 4:15 PM

Ex Machine (2D)(15+) (Sci-Fi) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall 2:00/4:00/9:45PM The Lovers (2D) (12+) (Action) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton 12:15/9:30PM Insurgent (3D)(PG12) (Adventure) 11:45PM The Gunman (2D)(15+) (Action) 11:30PM A Little Chaos (2D)(PG12) (Comedy) 11:45AM Cinderella (2D)(PG) (Drama/Family) 10:15AM/4:00PM Get Hard (2D)(15+) (Comedy) 12:00/5:30/7:30PM Home (2D)(PG)(Animation) 10:15AM Home (3D)(PG)(Animation) 2:00/3:45/6:00PM Clown (2D) (18+) (Drama/Horror) 2:15/11:15PM 100 Days of Love (2D) (PG) (Mal) 8:20PM (Comedy) Valiyavan (2D) (Tamil)( Action) 5:50PM Theeb (2D) (12+)(Arabic) 7:45PM

The Lovers (Action) (12+) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 &11.55 pm A Little Chaos (2D) (Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman 2:00 PM Has West El Balad (Arabic/ Drama) Cast: Elham Shahein, Zeina, Fathy Abdul Wahab 2.00 & 6.00 pm CP No: 817 (15+) Ex- Machina (Thriller/ Sci:Fic) Cast: Oscar Isac, Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson 6.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 815 (15+) Get Hard (Comedy) Cast: Will Farell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie 4.00 & 8.00 p.m.

CP No: 814 (15+)

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

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776

100 Days Of Love (Mal) (Comedy) Cast: Dulquer Salman & Nithiya Menen 3-00 & 10-00 pm Cinema Main\ 6-30pm Cinema -2\ 6-45 pm Cinema -3 Valiyavan (Tamil) (Action) Cast: Jai & Andrea Jeremiah 6-30 pm Cinema Main \9-30 pm Cinema -2\9-45 pm Cinema- 3 From Friday: 6-30 pm Cinema Main; 3:30 & 9:30pm Cinema -2; 9:45 pm Cinema -3 Kakki Sattai (Tamil) (Com\Act) Cast: Shiva Karthikeyan, Sri Divya & 3:45pm Cinema -3 (Thursday only) Temper (Telugu) (Act) Cast: Jr Ntr, Kajal Agarwal 3:45pm Cinema-4 Nh 10 (Hindi) (Act) Cast: Anushka Sharma, Deepti 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -4

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

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TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 2 6, 2 015

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Certified Company

Founder: Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali Chairman and Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Anees bin Essa Al Zedjali Chief Executive Officer: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali Editorial: 24726666, Fax: 24813153; E-mail: editor@timesofoman.com Advertising: 24726666, Fax: 24812624 Circulation: 24726600, Fax: 24818270; E-mail: circulation@timesofoman.com Printed and published by: Muscat Media Group P.O. Box 770, Ruwi, Postal Code: 112, Sultanate of Oman.

Subscription: RO70 per year.

The extent of mass surveillance in Britain

E

dward Snowden exposed the extent of mass surveillance conducted not just by the United States but also by allies like Britain. Now, a committee of the British Parliament has proposed legal reforms to Britain’s intelligence agencies that are mostly cosmetic and would do little to protect individual privacy. In a report published on March 12, the Intelligence and Security Committee acknowledged that agencies like MI5 collect, sift through and examine millions of communications. Most of this is legal, the committee said, and justified by national security. It proposed a new law that would tell people more about the kind of information the government collects about them but would not meaningfully limit mass surveillance. That is hardly sufficient for a system that needs strong new checks and balances. Separately, a legal filing by the British government made public recently showed that its intelligence agencies maintain the right to hack into the computers, phones and other devices owned not just by suspected terrorists and criminals but also people who “are not intelligence targets in their own right.” The filing was published by Privacy International, one of several advocacy groups that have challenged government surveillance in court. As things stand now, intelligence agencies can monitor vast amounts of communications and do so with only a warrant from a government minister to begin intercepting them. Lawmakers should limit the amount of data officials can sweep up and require them to obtain warrants from judges, who are more likely to push back against overly broad requests.

The parliamentary committee, however, did not see the need to limit data collection and concluded that ministers should continue to approve warrants because they are better than judges at evaluating diplomatic, political and public interests. That rationale ignores the fact that ministers are also less likely to deny requests from officials who directly report to them. After the attack against the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January, British Prime Minister David Cameron asked technology companies to help his government monitor encrypted communications and warned that those who refused to do so could be banned from doing business in Britain. In the meantime, legal cases challenging British surveillance practices filed by groups like Privacy International and Liberty are expected to end up at the European Court of Human Rights. In the past, that court has taken an expansive view of the individual’s right to privacy under the European Convention on Human Rights. Governments certainly should have the ability to intercept communications to investigate crimes and terrorist plots. But lawmakers should place sensible limits on surveillance and require government officials to meet a high burden of proof before they are allowed to listen in on phone calls, read emails and troll through the web browsing histories of individuals. - The New York Times News Service

TRAITORS

They have brazenly betrayed their class TIMOTHY EGAN

A beacon of the Left

T

he death of Tahira Mazhar Ali on March 23 is a sad loss to the women’s movement in Pakistan. Over decades, she had been a rallying point for women of the Left, and had struggled for the rights of the marginalised for most of her life. Her origins may have been in the affluent and privileged political strata of Punjab politics, but her life’s work was always oriented towards those less fortunate, the underprivileged and the oppressed. She married early, only 16, to Mazhar Ali Khan and whilst having a family life that saw the birth of a daughter and two sons it was she who was responsible for raising the profile of International Women’s Day. In 1950, she formed the Democratic Women’s Association (DWA) and became a thorn in the side of the establishment. The DWA was the first women’s organisation to emerge after Partition, and the first to engage with women at a grass roots level.

It would have come as little surprise to the DWA to find itself banned in the oppressive era of Ayub Khan and General Ziaul Haq, and the DWA did not find life much easier in the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto era either. It evolved into the Women’s Action Forum in 1981 in reaction to the creation of the Hudood ordinances. She was active into her elder years, participating in rallies and demonstrations and was true to the cause of the Left until the end. Fragile in her later years owing to a stroke she is now being commemorated across all media platforms as a woman that Pakistan can and should be proud of.

She worked for peace in the post-Partition period when it was not fashionable, and she brought discomfort to the misogynists of the political and social right-wing. The Left has never been a large force in national politics which is largely made up of fifty shades of crepuscular obscurantism, but Tahira Mazhar Ali brought a bright splash of political red to the table and more courage than most political men ever muster. - The Express Tribune

Return of His Majesty will stimulate Oman afresh

Oman has indeed found a new sense of purpose

It is needless to say that I am very happy that His Majesty has come back home after eight months in Germany. I am sure that his return will now bring a sea change in Oman both in terms of economic activities and social vibrancy.

Fareed Al Balushi Muscat

This refers to the article, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has given Oman a sense of purpose (March 25). I agree with the author that His Majesty’s return has given Oman a fresh purpose to work for more prosperity. The social media in Oman was abuzz with the news of His Majesty’s since early afternoon. People burst into celebration and making arrangements to welcome their most revered and loved leader the moment official announcement came confirming the return of His Majesty.

Lateef Shahdad Qurum

Oman is full of joy over the return of His Majesty It is indeed a joyous occasion for the citizens and residents of Oman. The return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said fills us all with happiness. We wish him good health. May he live long and guide Oman to further glory.

Muhammed Husain Watayya

The German plane crash has saddened the world It was extremely sad to learn about

In the case of the three Republican leaders cited above, and most of those who aspire to be the GOP presidential nominee next year, these Horatio Algerians for the new Gilded Age are working to keep the downtrodden down.

They are traitors to their class

Y

ou probably know from his weepy reminiscences that the speaker of the House in the United States, John Boehner, once worked as a bartender and a janitor, and took seven years to get out of college.

Maybe you’ve heard that Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin is a preacher’s son who churned out burgers and fries at McDonald’s.

And you had to catch that bit from Senator Joni Ernst about putting bread bags over her shoes while growing up kind of poor in rural Iowa.

People from humble beginnings often carry an extra load of empathy through the success of their later lives, a sense that, with a few bad breaks, things could have gone the other way.

In the case of the three Republican leaders cited above, and most of those who aspire to be the GOP presidential nominee next year, these Horatio Algerians for the new Gilded Age are working to keep the downtrodden down. They are traitors to their class, with all the strutting moral superiority that comes with the conversion. Ernst, the lump-ofcoal-hearted new senator from Iowa, and Walker, who always seems to be promoting something that needs actuarial tables to disguise, at times sound as if they actively despise the poor.

Last fall, Walker opposed raising the minimum wage in Wisconsin from the poverty-level $7.25 an hour. After a group of workers claimed that the threshold violated a state mandate to offer a “living wage,” Walker’s administration slapped them down. Even though a minimum-wage worker would have to put in 81 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Wisconsin, Walker’s people saw no need to offer a few pennies more to those earning the least. What’s behind this? Part of it is Walker’s fealty to the restaurant industry. Part of it is his inaccurate belief that raising the minimum wage kills jobs. And part of it is dewy-eyed nostalgia for the days when he was a lad earning his first pay cheque under the Golden Arches. He made it. Why can’t they?

“In America, it is one of the few places left in the world where it doesn’t matter what class you were born into,” Walker said in Iowa in January. “It doesn’t matter what your parents do for a living.”

Much of the new evidence on the causes of inequality finds that moving up from one class to the other in America has gotten far more difficult. The rich, even members of said class, get the right tutors

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A smile is the shortest distance between two people VICTOR BORGE

that get them into the right schools where they make connections to get the right jobs. They never face the peril of losing everything because of say, a large medical bill, or the dead weight of a college loan. As for Walker’s outdated take on wages and prosperity, he could look to states that have raised their minimum wage and are creating jobs at a faster pace than the states holding to the lowest pay.

Meanwhile, Walker’s low-wage fortress of Wisconsin lags behind the national average in job creation. If paying people next to nothing at the entry level were such a design for growth, employers would be flocking to the Badger State. Even Walmart, which built the original business model for how to make billions on the backs of people who need state assistance for the basic things in life, will soon be paying its serfs more than Scott Walker thinks is necessary to live on. Senator Ernst loves to talk about growing up in the rosy patina of near-poverty. “My mom made all our clothes,” she wrote on her campaign website. “We went to church every week, helped our neighbours when they needed it, and they did the same for us.”

Bartender Boehner was probably a decent dude at happy hour. But Speaker of the House Boehner has no tolerance for the kind of folks who might have wandered into his family tavern, Andy’s Café, after losing a job. As people in one state after another vote to raise their minimum wage — red states and blue — Boehner will not allow a simple vote on that most basic pay principle to take place in the House. He once said he’d commit suicide rather than vote to raise the minimum wage.

Giving the people who flip burgers, clean floors and stock grocery shelves a few dimes more an hour is not a handout. Offering working people some help on their insurance premiums does not promote dependence. Nor do those things hurt the economy — just the opposite.

So where is this coming from? The class traitors guiding the Republican Party, and the harsh new federal budget unveiled this week, usually promote their policies using personal anecdotes. Their condescension toward the poor springs from their own narratives: They are virtuous because they made it, or vice versa. Those who haven’t made a similar leap are weaklings. It’s a variant of Mitt Romney’s view that forty seven per cent of Americans are moochers. Stripped to its essence, it’s a load of loathing for their former class, delivered on a plate of platitudes. - The New York Times News Service

the crash of a German plane with 150 on board. Perhaps it is for the first time an airplane crashed into such a distant and inaccessible terrain of the French Alps, leaving absolutely no chance for any rescue operation. I extent my deepest condolence to all the bereaved families and pray for peaceful rest of the 16 students who were on board the flight returning home.

Let’s hope the black box will reveal some data about the cause of the accident.

Ramachandran Nair Ruwi

Supreme Court of India upholds rights of people The land mark judgement of the Indian Supreme Court striking down Section 66 A of the Information Technology Act yet again proves

that the judiciary in the country is the true guardian of the constitution and its democracy. People from all walks of life have welcomed the judgement as it has restored our faith that there will, at least, be the judiciary of India which will protect our fundamental rights.

Suddapalli Bhaskara Rao Ruwi

South Africa lost because luck was not with them It was just that the day was not in favour of South Africa And that was why they lost to New Zealand in the semifinal match of the ICC World Cup on Tuesday. They missed a few run out chances and dropped a few catches. But rain sealed their fate the most.

Ashok Panicker Seeb

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

T I M E S OF OMAN

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

A13

PERSPEC IVE De-escalating the politics of Can-do Lee resentment in Europe Kuan Yew A

German television presenter recently broadcast an edited video of me, before I was Greece’s finance minister. The fallout has shown the potential impact of an alleged gesture, especially in troubled times.

Indeed, the kerfuffle sparked by the broadcast would not have happened before the 2008 financial crisis, which exposed the flaws in Europe’s monetary union and turned proud countries against one another.

When, in early 2010, Greece’s government could no longer service its debts to French, German, and Greek banks, I campaigned against its quest for an enormous new loan from Europe’s taxpayers to pay off those debts.

I gave three reasons.

First, the new loans did not represent a bailout for Greece so much as a cynical transfer of private losses from the banks’ books onto the shoulders of Greece’s most vulnerable citizens. How many of Europe’s taxpayers, who have footed the bill for these loans; know that more than 90 per cent of the €240 billion ($260 billion) that Greece borrowed went to financial institutions, not to the Greek state or its people?

Second, it was obvious that if Greece already could not repay its existing loans, the austerity conditions on which the “bailouts” were premised would crush Greek nominal incomes, making the national debt even less sustainable. When Greeks could no longer make payments on their mountainous debts, German and other European taxpayers would have to step in again. (Wealthy Greeks, of course, had already shifted their deposits to financial centres like Frankfurt and London.)

Finally, misleading peoples and parliaments by presenting a bank bailout as an act of “solidarity,” while failing to help ordinary Greeks — indeed, setting them up to place an even heavier burden on Germans — was destined to undermine cohesion within the eurozone. Germans turned against Greeks; Greeks turned against Germans; and, as more countries have faced fiscal hardship, Europe has turned against itself.

The fact is that Greece had no right to bor-

YANIS VAROUFAKIS

The fact is that Greece had no right to borrow from German — or any other European — taxpayers at a time when its public debt was unsustainable. Before Greece took any loans, it should have initiated debt restructuring and undergone a partial default on debt owed to its private-sector creditors

row from German — or any other European — taxpayers at a time when its public debt was unsustainable. Before Greece took any loans, it should have initiated debt restructuring and undergone a partial default on debt owed to its private-sector creditors. But this “radical” argument was largely ignored at the time.

Similarly, European citizens should have demanded that their governments refuse even to consider transferring private losses to them. But they failed to do so, and the transfer was effected soon after.

The result was the largest taxpayer-backed loan in history, provided on the condition that Greece pursue such strict austerity that its citizens have lost one-quarter of their incomes, making it impossible to repay private or public debts. The ensuing — and ongoing — humanitarian crisis has been tragic.

Five years after the first bailout was issued, Greece remains in crisis. Animosity among Europeans is at an all-time high, with Greeks and Germans, in particular, having descended to the point of moral grandstanding, mutual finger-pointing, and open antagonism.

This toxic blame game benefits only Europe’s enemies. It has to stop. Only then can Greece — with the support of its European partners, who share an interest in its economic recovery — focus on implementing effective reforms and growth-enhancing policies. This is essential to placing Greece, finally, in a position to repay its debts and fulfil its obligations to its citizens. In practical terms, the February 20 Eurogroup agreement, which provided a four-month extension for loan repayments, offers an important opportunity for progress. As Greece’s leaders urged at an informal meeting in Brussels last week, it should be implemented immediately.

In the longer term, European leaders must work together to redesign the monetary union so that it supports shared prosperity, rather than fuelling mutual resentment.

This is a daunting task. But, with a strong sense of purpose, a united approach, and perhaps a positive gesture or two, it can be accomplished. - Project Syndicate

Learning through our museums T he British, through the offices of the Asiatic Society, opened South Asia’s first museum in 1814 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Within a short span of time, the establishment of museums, parks and zoos became a slow and steady movement in all parts of British India. After Partition, Pakistan inherited two museums, namely the Lahore Museum and the National Museum, Karachi.

The former’s most popular curator was John Lockwood Kipling, the father of the famous author Rudyard Kipling. The National Museum was initially known as Victoria Museum and was established in 1865 by the citizens of Karachi in honour of Sir Bartle Frere, the then commissioner of Sindh.

Pakistan has a limited number of museums, which display this region’s history, geography, art, heritage and flora and fauna. The exhibits in our museums can be used as tools of education if they are presented in a way that caters to the learning needs of our younger generation.

However, neither government departments nor NGO-managed learning set-ups have realised the potential of converting the museums they operate into useful hands-on learning outlets. With a

ZAFFAR JUNEJO

little effort, these establishments could be converted into pleasant education outlets.

Before walking the path of using museums as education outlets, however, there are some prerequisites that should be fulfilled.

For instance, our teachers need to have some prior working knowledge about museums and allied fields such as geology, archaeology, history, geography and zoology.

They need to widen their own knowledge about museums and their management and should know how museums are organised, how labels on the exhibits depict the context and the times, and how designed exhibits portray historical events.

Learning through museums also depends upon the teacher’s own worldview. If, for example, a teacher believes in the scientific, rational approach to understanding life and the universe, then the teacher and his/her students might opt to study the Pakistan Science Museum in Islamabad.

The teacher could suggest to his/her students to keep in mind that they have to learn something new that was missed in their textbooks.

Students may be asked to prepare a list of extinct animals and their habitats or they might be assigned a task to prepare a list

of nearly extinct birds and also find out the reasons for their extinction.

Most public educators agree that museums help students learn. This happens at two levels: one, when exhibits induce visitors to fill in knowledge gaps by posing questions to them; and second, the displayed items push visitors to formulate their impressions about the items and contextualise them, which could lead towards certain conclusions.

It is proven that young learners enjoy freedom, which makes learning though museums a value-added point, as they could be an attractive avenue of learning compared with classroom learning.

Continued efforts by enlightened educationists may pave the way for using the museum-education path as an integral part of public education. If such efforts succeed, the spirit of inquiry can be unleashed among our children.

This will be a triumph, which would also trigger a child’s curiosity and would lead towards self-learning and continued education.

Assuredly, the museum-education path, even at latter stages of life, can transform individuals into informed and passionate citizens. - The Express Tribune

ROGER COHEN

T

he Vietnamese, like many Asians, flock to Singapore to shop.

They hit those cool, fragrant malls on Orchard Road. A few among the affluent go there to see a dentist or a doctor or have a baby. They are drawn, also, by something less tangible, the sense of prosperity and purring efficiency, as if by some miracle the Alpine order and cleanliness of Switzerland had been conjured up in the tropics.

They exhale, freed from the raucous agitation of modern Asian life, and are rocked in a Singaporean cradle of convenience where, it seems, nothing can go wrong.

The achievement of Lee Kuan Yew, the nation’s founding father, who died at the age of 91, is immense. The 20th century produced few greater statesmen and perhaps no greater pragmatist.

The measure of that achievement is that the ingredients of disaster abounded in Singapore, a country that is “not supposed to exist and cannot exist,” as Lee said in a 2007 interview with The New York Times. “We don’t have the ingredients of a nation,” he noted, “the elementary factors: a homogeneous population, common language, common culture and common destiny.”

Instead, it had a combustible ethnic and religious hodgepodge of Chinese, Malays and Indians gathered in a citystate of no natural resources.

Yet Lee made it work, where many nations with far more of those attributes of nationhood — Argentina prominent among them — failed, and where, from the Balkans to the Middle East, sectarian differences have proved insurmountable and often the catalyst of war and national unravelling.

The fact that the elements for cataclysm exist does not mean that cataclysm is inevitable. Lee demonstrated this in an age where the general cacophony, and the need to manage and spin every political minute, makes statesmanship ever more elusive.

The determining factor is leadership. What defines leadership above all is conviction, discipline in the pursuit of a goal, adaptability in the interest of the general good, and far-sightedness.

Lee’s only religion was pragmatism. Any ideology that abhors facts is problematic. Lee had one basic yardstick for policy: Does it work? It was the criterion of a forward-looking man for whom history was instructive but not imprisoning. He abhorred victimhood and corruption. He prized opportunity, meritocracy, the work ethic of the immigrant and education.

Western democracy was not

Lee had one basic yardstick for policy: Does it work? It was the criterion of a forwardlooking man for whom history was instructive but not imprisoning for him. It was too volatile for a nation that had to be forged and then fast-forwarded to prosperity. He was authoritarian, harsh when necessary.

Free speech and political opposition were generally suppressed; the only liberalism was of the economic variety.

Lee tapped into an Asian and Confucian inclination to place the communal good above individual rights; he also cowed Singaporeans into fear.

Overall, it worked. Singapore became a booming commercial and banking centre. Prosperity elided differences, even if the yawning gap between rich and poor is a growing issue, as throughout the world.

There is no single model for all humankind, even if there is a universal aspiration for freedom and the means to enjoy it. Technological hyper-connectedness does not produce political consensus.

Pragmatism also involves accepting this, weighing the good against the bad and exercising patience.

If Asia has been pragmatic about conflict — notably in the handling of tensions between India and China — it owes much to Lee. China’s model — authoritarian, free-market, economically open but politically closed — was plainly influenced by Lee’s Singapore.

Narendra Modi’s push to clean up India has led to talk of an Indian Lee Kuan Yew. One measure of Lee’s greatness is that, as Singapore’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Tommy Koh, put it to me in an email, the strong institutions he planted ensure that “his passing will have no negative impact on the future of Singapore.”

How much more demanding of open political systems will prosperous Asians be? We will see, but I would not bet on rapid change.

Desirability does not equal necessity, at least not yet. Lee made one other big Asian contribution: He valued American power, believed in its stabilising regional influence.

He was not an American declinist, once telling the political scientist Joseph Nye that China could draw on a talent pool of 1.3 billion people, but the United States could draw on the world’s seven billion people and recombine them in a diverse culture that exudes creativity in a way that ethnic Han nationalism cannot.

In this, too, Lee was right.

- The New York Times News Service

Last moments of flight 4u 9525 GERMANY

FRANCE

TODAY IN HISTORY

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1799

Napoleon Bonaparte captures Jaffa, Palestine.

10:45: Reaches cruising altitude of 38,000 feet 10:53: Disappears from radar

1804

Congress orders the removal of Indians east of the Mississippi River to Louisiana.

Do you think the foreign investors will now feel more confident about investing in Oman?

Debris found at 2,000m, spread over 100-200m

1913

The Balkan allies take Adrianople.

1918

On the Western Front, the Germans take the French towns Noyon, Roye and Lihons. .

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Dusseldorf Flight due to arrive at 11:49am

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Barcelonnette MONACO Digne-lesBains

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50km Marseille ANDORRA

Gulf of Lion

10:01, Barcelona: Plane departs 30 mins late MEDITERRANEAN SEA

S PA I N

All times local

Altitude and Speed of flight Altitude (Feet 000s)

1942 Speed (km hr)

40

Peak altitude 38,000ft / 11,580m 1,480

30

926

20 10 0

09:55

10:00

Source: Flightradar24.com

10:05

10:10

Mont Blanc 15,781ft / 4,810m 10:15 10:20

740

Disappears from radar 6,800ft / 2,072m 10:25

10:30

10:35

370 10:40

Graphic News /

1953

The Germans begin sending Jews to Auschwitz in Poland.

Eisenhower offers increased aid to the French fighting in Indochina.

DIRECTORS OF AGCC INDUSTRIAL ESTATES HOLD MEETING

MUSCAT: Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, undersecretary for commerce and industry, at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, presided over the third meeting of the AGCC industrial estates’ directors, at Crowne Plaza Hotel here yesterday. The meeting is organised by the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consultations, every two years, in a Gulf state.

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Will the return of His Majesty from Germany galvanise Oman to face all challenges?

A 14

TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 2 6, 2 015 We are trying to trace the source of the letters.

It’s too early to comment on the authenticity of the letters but we are taking no chances Celling Simik Lepcha, District police chief

INDIA

India, Qatar sign six pacts SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

H I G H E S T C I V I L I A N AWA R D

Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee on Friday

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Besides bilateral

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

ties, the discussion between the two sides also focused on the latest developments in the Middle East region

NEW DELHI: India and Qatar inked six agreements, including on transfer of sentenced prisoners, as visiting Emir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on energy, investment and peopleto-people ties on Wednesday.

The emir, who is here on a twoday visit, was accorded a ceremonial reception in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in the morning.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on him, after which he held talks with Modi at Hyderabad House.

Besides bilateral ties, the discussion between the two sides also focused on the latest developments in the Middle East region.

Qatar, the largest source of In-

BOLSTERING TIES: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani witness the exchange of documents between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Wednesday. - PTI

dia’s LNG imports at 86 per cent, is keen on boosting energy ties.

Bilateral trade stands at $16 billion, heavily weighted in favour of Qatar due to the LNG imports.

Qatar has expressed interest in Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

India is also seeking to invest in major infrastructure projects in

the Gulf country which is hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

The six agreements, besides transfer of sentenced prisoners, were: an MoU for cooperation in information and communication technology, an MoU between the ministry of earth sciences and Qatar Meteorological Depart-

ment for scientific and technical cooperation, an MoU between the Diplomatic Institute of the ministry of foreign affairs of Qatar and the Foreign Service Institute of India’s external affairs ministry, an MoU for cooperation in the field of radio and television and an agreement for mutual coopera-

tion and exchange of news. External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted: “IndiaQatar discuss energy, investment & people to people ties. Six agreements signed.”

Under the agreement on transfer of sentenced prisoners, Indian prisoners convicted in Qatar can be brought to India to serve the remaining part of their sentence.

Similarly, Qatari citizens convicted in India can be sent to their home country to serve their sentence. This agreement would enable the sentenced people to be near their families and would help in their social rehabilitation, said an official statement.

The Emir is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and captains of industry.

He arrived here on Tuesday night from Colombo.

The former emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, had visited India thrice — in 1999, 2005 and 2012. India’s then prime minister Manmohan Singh had visited Qatar in November 2008.

Around 600,000 Indian nationals work in Qatar, comprising the largest expatriate community in the country. - IANS

Atal Behari Vajpayee

NEW DELHI: Former Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, a veteran Parliamentarian and founder member of Bharatiya Janta Party who is held in high esteem across the political spectrum, will be conferred Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, on March 27.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among a host of VVIPs who are likely to be present at the Krishna Memon marg residence of Vajpayee in Lutyens’ Delhi where he will be honoured.

The announcement for the prestigious award for Vajpayee, the first prime minister from outside the Congress party to serve a full five-year term, came on December 24, a day before he turned 90. -PTI

R E S C U E O P E R AT I O N S O N

Two pilots missing after navy plane crashes into sea MUMBAI: A naval aircraft crashed off the western Indian coast leaving two pilots missing, the navy said Wednesday, in the latest of a string of accidents which have hit the force.

Rescue operations were underway after the Indian Navy’s Dornier aircraft plunged into the sea some 25 nautical miles off the western holiday state of Goa around 10pm IST on Tuesday.

“Last evening a navy Dornier during a routine training sortie off Goa ditched into sea,” a navy statement said early Wednesday.

“One survivor rescued. Full scale search and rescue opera-

tion launched to locate two more officers (one pilot and one observer),” it added.

It is the latest in a series of deadly disasters to hit the navy, and comes just months after a naval ship sank off the southeastern coast of India leaving one worker dead and four others missing.

A fire aboard a nuclear submarine killed two officers off the Mumbai coast last February which led to the immediate resignation of the navy chief.

Eighteen sailors were also killed in August 2013 when INS Sindhurakshak burst into flames in Mumbai harbour. - AFP

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

Police probe threat to burn down Christian school KOLKATA: Police in eastern India said on Wednesday they are investigating letters found at a Catholic school which threaten to burn it down, renewing fears about the safety of the Christian minority.

Police have stepped up security at St. Capitaneo School in West Bengal state after the discovery of the five letters, threatening arson unless it was closed and its 13 nuns removed from the area.

“We are trying to trace the source of the letters. It’s too early to comment on the authenticity of the letters but we are taking no chances,” district police chief Celling Simik Lepcha said.

The incident comes just over a week after an elderly nun was raped during a robbery at a separate convent school in the same state, sparking anger and protests.

Staff alerted police on Sunday to the letters which were found in the compound of the school’s hostel, said West Bengal police Inspector General Anuj Sharma.

The letters, written in Hindi, have sparked fear among staff and the wider Christian community, said Father Dominic Gomes, spokesman for the Kolkata Archdiocese.

“The letters were tossed inside by unknown people and police are trying to identify them. They have assured us foolproof security at the school,” he said.

“We are concerned over the safety and security of our institutions and people... there is fear in the minds of the community.”

The incident comes in the wake of a series of attacks on churches or Catholic schools, and despite a pledge by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the safety of religious minorities.

The school near the border with Bhutan has around 1,700 students, mostly from poor tribal groups. Police have come under fire for a lack of arrests over the attack on the nun, aged in her 70s, whose convent was also ransacked by the gang of robbers.- AFP

A C C U S E D I N V YA PA M S C A M

MP governor’s son found dead LUCKNOW: Shailesh Yadav, son of Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav, was on Wednesday found dead under mysterious circumstances at his house here in the Uttar Pradesh capital, police said.

Shailesh Yadav was an accused in the scam in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board or Vyapam, and was reportedly under severe stress for the past few weeks.

While family sources said

Shailesh Yadav died due to brain haemorrhage, police officials taking up investigation into the death said that an autopsy would be conducted to ascertain the cause.

Shailesh Yadav, sources said, was evading notice from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing the Vyapam scam, and was holed up in the private residence of his father Ram Naresh Yadav in Mall Avenue in Lucknow. - IANS

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 We are urging and advising our nationals to leave the country immediately through available commercial means External Affairs Ministry spokesperson

Singh moves top court over notice in coal scam case The plea said that there was nothing on record to point out that former prime minister Manmohan Singh has done any acts which may constitute any offence

NEW DELHI: Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against a special court order summoning him as accused in the case of allocation of Talabira-II coal block in Odisha in 2005 to Aditya Birla group company Hindalco.

Hindalco Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and former Coal Secretary P. C. Parakh, who were also summoned as accused in

Manmohan Singh

the case, have also filed petitions challenging the trial court order.

Singh has sought quashing of the summons issued to him to appear as an accused on April 8 by Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar on the ground that the order was passed without application of mind.

“There is complete non-application of mind,” the petition said about the March 11 order.

A team of senior advocates, led

by Kapil Sibal, has settled Singh’s petition which is likely to be mentioned for urgent hearing in a day or two. One of the advocates, associated with the filing of the Special Leave Petition, said there are several other grounds to show that the summoning order was “bad in law”.

The plea also said that there was nothing on record to point out that Singh has done any acts which may constitute any offence.

The former prime pinister had only taken a decision as a competent authority on allocation of Talabira-II coal block to Hindalco on the representation of Odisha government, it said.

The advocate said there may be a fault in decision making but there is no evidence to show that there was an abuse of power and moreover, taking a decision in government is not an offence.

The trial judge, on March 11, had said, “I am taking cognisance of offences under Sections 120B (conspiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the IPC and under Sections 13(1)(c) and 13(1)(d)(3) of PCA against six accused, M/s Hindalco, Shubhendu Amitabh, D. Bhattacharya, Kumar Mangalam Birla, P. C. Parakh and Dr Manmohan Singh.”

Section 13(1)(c) of PCA relates to a public servant dishonestly misappropriating property entrusted to him or allowing any other person to do so.

Section 13(1)(d)(3) relates to a public servant obtaining any pecuniary advantage for any person without any public interest. -PTI

THIRD ADVISORY

India asks citizens to leave Yemen NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday asked all its nationals to leave Yemen immediately given the “fragile”security situation in the conflict-hit country.

“We are urging and advising our nationals to leave the country immediately through available

commercial means,” Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry said.

While noting that it was the third such advisory by the government, he hoped that the Indians, most of whom are nurses in Yemen, will understand the

“seriousness” of the situation and will return.

He added that the government was working with the nurses for their return while putting number of Indians in Yemen at 3,0003,500 who are living in various provinces including Sana’a. - PTI

INDIA

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PAKISTAN

Moody’s upgrades rating of bonds from stable to positive Bank reached to $11.2 billion up to March 13, from just $3.2 billion in January 2014.

Militant-plagued

Required reforms The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has voiced satisfaction with Pakistan’s progress on reforms required under a $6.6-billion bailout agreed in 2013.

The loan came on condition that Pakistan -- which was suffering an energy crisis -- would carry out extensive economic reforms, particularly in the energy and taxation sectors.

Pakistan has been trying to boost its flagging economy since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was elected nearly two years ago

KARACHI: Moody’s upgraded Pakistan’s dollar bonds rating one notch from stable to positive on Wednesday on the back of the country’s improving macroeconomic indicators.

The financial ratings firm said its decision came in view of Pakistan’s strengthening foreign exchange reserves.

Militant-plagued Pakistan has been trying to boost its flagging economy since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was elected nearly two years ago.

“Moody’s Investors Service

BOOST: Pakistani stockbrokers chat alongside the share price board during a trading session at the

Karachi Stock Exchange in Karachi on May 20, 2013. Net foreign currency reserves with the State Bank of Pakistan reached $11.2 billion on March 13, from just $3.2 billion in January 2014. — AFP file photo

has revised the outlook on Pakistan’s foreign currency government bond rating to positive from stable,” the company said in a statement.

Pakistan issued $1 billion in five-year Sukuk Bonds, the Islamic version of eurobonds, in November last year to boost foreign exchange reserves.

A17

In April 2014, the country issued $2 billion worth of eurobonds, in five and 10 year terms, Pakistan’s net foreign currency reserves with the central State

Upward triggers Moody’s further said that continued success under the IMF programme would act as “upward triggers to the rating”.

The central State Bank of Pakistan on the weekend slashed its benchmark interest rates by half a percentage point to eight percent.

The bank noted that the economy was now on a more stable footing and was benefiting from the drop in world oil prices. — AFP

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SINDH

13 killed as bus collides with truck in Khairpur ISLAMABAD: At least 13 people, including women, were killed and 15 others injured on Wednesday when an overspeeding Karachibound bus collided head-on with a truck in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.

The accident occurred when a passenger bus, going from capital Islamabad to Karachi, had a head-on collision with a truck in Satharja area of Khairpur district, police said.

Thirteen people were killed and 15 others injured, a police official said, adding that the rescue team reached the accident site and retrieved bodies from the wreckage of the bus.

Emergency declared An emergency was declared at Khairpur Civil Hospital where doctors confirmed that 13 people had died and 15 others, including women and children, were wounded in the mishap.

The accident was caused by over-speeding, police said.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan. Most of them are caused by rash driving and bad roads.

Last year, 58 people were killed in a similar road mishap when a bus rammed into a truck in Khairpur district. — PTI

T I R A H VA L L E Y

30 rebels killed in fresh airstrikes in insurgency-hit NW PESHAWAR: At least 30 suspected militants from a pro-Taliban outfit, including its spokesman, were on Wednesday killed when Pakistani fighter jets pounded their hideouts in the volatile northwest tribal region near the Afghan border.

The aerial strikes were carried out in remote Tirah Valley of

Khyber Agency where militants of Lashkar-i-Islam have strongholds, Pakistan Army said in a statement.

The dead also included some foreign militants.

At least 30 militants were killed and two ammunition depots were also destroyed in the area where a major military campaign is underway.

There were unconfirmed reports that Lashkar-i-Islam spokesman Salahuddin Ayubi, was among the dead. The outfit announced an allegiance to the Taliban earlier this month.

The toll could not be verified through independent sources as the region is out of reach of media.

Security forces source said jets

bombed militants’ compounds in the valley and destroyed several hideouts.

Six militants were also injured in the latest bombings.

Around 80 militants and seven soldiers were killed in fierce clashes between security forces and terrorists in aerial and ground operations in Khyber district on Sat-

urday. The key commanders were among those killed in the bombing, said the security official without disclosing their identities.

Khyber is one of Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous regions governed by tribal laws and lies near the Afghan border.

The ongoing Khyber-1 operation launched by the military in the

tribal region is part of its steppedup efforts following the massacre of 150 people, mostly students, by Taliban gunmen at an army-run school in Peshawar in December. Militants are believed to have fled to various tribal regions that borders Afghanistan, where they operate on both sides of the border. — PTI

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TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 2 6, 2 015

WORLD

Lee Kuan Yew has done so much for us. We used to live in squatter (colonies) in Sembawang, my husband was a bus driver. Now my three sons have good jobs and nice houses. The children all go to school. What will we be without Lee Kuan Yew? R. Tamilselvi, Singapore resident

Emotions flow as Singaporeans bid adieu to Lee More than 26,000 had filed past the coffin before sundown and thousands more were in line outside despite warnings that it could take them up to 8 hours to view the casket

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans wept on the streets and queued in their thousands on Wednesday to pay tribute to founding leader Lee Kuan Yew after his flag-draped coffin was taken on a gun carriage to parliament for public viewing.

More than 26,000 had filed past the coffin before sundown, a government spokesman said, and thousands more were in line outside despite warnings that it could take them up to eight hours to view the casket.

After a two-day private wake for the family, Lee’s coffin was taken early on Wednesday from the Istana government complex, Lee’s workplace for decades as prime minister and cabinet adviser, to the legislature.

It will lie in state there until the weekend.

The 91-year-old patriarch died on Monday after half a century in government, during which the city-

FAREWELL: Members of the public queue near Cavenagh bridge at dusk to pay their respects to Singapore’s late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew at Parliament House on Wednesday. — AFP

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state was transformed from a poor British colonial outpost into one of the world’s richest societies.

The government led by his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, apparently surprised by the heavy turnout on day one, announced that Parliament House would stay open for 24 hours a day until Saturday night due to the “overwhelming response from members of the public”.

Lee will be cremated on Sunday after a state funeral expected to be attended by several Asia-Pacific leaders even though he was just an MP when he died.

Applause and shouts of “We love you!” and “Lee Kuan Yew!” broke out as the dark brown wooden coffin, covered by the red-and-white

Singapore flag, emerged from the Istana in a tempered glass case perched on a gun carriage pulled by an open-topped military truck.

Earlier, in scenes that evoked Singapore’s colonial past, the carriage stopped in front of the main Istana building, from where Britain administered the island, as a bagpiper from the local Gurkha Contingent played “Auld Lang Syne”.

As the motorcade left the government complex, many in the crowd along the route to parliament were in tears as they raised cameras and mobile phones to record the historic event.

Some threw flowers on the path of the carriage, while office workers watched from high-rise buildings.

President Tony Tan and his wife Mary were the first to pay their respects, bowing three times before Lee’s closed coffin in the parliament’s foyer.

Queues snaked around the central business district despite the tropical heat and humidity. — AFP

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

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Japanese navy inducts biggest copter carrier

BOOSTING DEFENCE: The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force’s new helicopter-carrying destroyer ‘Izumo’ at the Japan Marine United Corp’s factory in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture on Wednesday. – AFP

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The Izumo with a

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crew of 470 sailors is an example of how Japan is expanding the capability of its military to operate overseas

YOKOHAMA: Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force on Wednesday took delivery of the biggest Japanese warship since World War II, the Izumo, a helicopter carrier as big as the Imperial Navy aircraft carriers that battled the United States in the Pacific.

The Izumo with a crew of 470

sailors is a highly visible example of how Japan is expanding the capability of its military to operate overseas and enters service as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks lawmaker approval to loosen the restraints of Japan’s pacifist postwar constitution. The 248 metre (813 feet) long Izumo resembles US Marine Corp amphibious assault carriers in size and design but it is designated as a helicopter destroyer, a label that allows Japan to keep within the bounds of a constitutional ban on owning the means to wage war. Aircraft carriers, because of their ability to project force, are considered offensive weapons.

“The vessel can serve in a wide range of roles including peace keeping operations, international

disaster relief and aid,” Gen Nakatani, Japan’s Minister of Defence said standing beside the vessel after a handover ceremony at the Japan United Marine shipyard in Yokohama. “It also helps improve our ability to combat submarines.

Japan is also adding longerrange patrol aircraft and military cargo planes to its defence capability, and buying Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, amphibious assault vehicles and Boeing’s Osprey troop carrier, which can operate from the Izumo.

The Izumo does not have a catapult necessary to launch fixedwing fighters, but a planned vertical-take-off-and-landing (VTOL) variant of the F-35 could fly from the Izumo’s flight deck.

Based at Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo, also the home port of the US Seventh Fleets carrier battle group, the Izumo will join two smaller helicopters carriers already in service, that are also classed as destroyers. — Reuters

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WORLD EGYPT

TV journalists’ trial adjourned CAIRO: An Egyptian court said on Wednesday it adjourned until April 22 the trial of two Al Jazeera television journalists.

The pair are charged with aiding a terrorist organisation, a reference to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Mohamed Fahmy, a naturalised Canadian who has given up his Egyptian citizenship, and Egyptian Baher Mohamed were released on

bail last month after spending more than a year in custody.

Meanwhile, a former interior minister under Egypt’s ousted leader Hosni Mubarak was freed from jail on Wednesday after being cleared of graft charges, the state news agency reported, the latest senior official of the old regime to be released. While Egyptian courts have been gradually ab-

solving Mubarak-era figures, they have been handing down lengthy sentences to liberal and hardline activists in cases ranging from political protests to acts of violence.

A court last week acquitted the former minister, Habib Al Adly, of charges of illegal profiting and squandering $23.72 million (181 million Egyptian pounds) of public funds. — Reuters

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WORLD

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German school mourns 16 teens killed in crash Bereaved pupils wept and hugged one another near the makeshift memorial of candles to share the pain of losing their friends

H A LT E R N/ S E Y N E - L E S ALPES: A sea of lit candles and flowers covered the front steps of a German school deep in mourning on Wednesday after 16 of its students died in a plane disaster in the French Alps.

Bereaved pupils wept and hugged near the makeshift memorial of candles, some arranged in heart shapes, to share the pain of losing their friends in Tuesday’s tragedy. “Yesterday we were many, today we are alone,” read a handpainted sign at the school, decorated with 16 crosses -- one for each of the victims, most of whom were around 15 years old.

The teenagers, 14 girls and two boys, were among at least 72 Germans who made up nearly half the disaster’s total death toll of 150.

The students and their two female teachers had been on a weeklong exchange trip near Barcelona, paying a reciprocal visit after Spanish youngsters came in December to the northwestern town of Haltern.

Compounding the tragedy, it emerged that those killed had won the trip in a lottery of their classmates, reported local daily the Hal-

PAYING TRIBUTES: From left to right: Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, France’s President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and officials on a field near the crash site of Germanwings Airbus A320 near Seyne-les-Alpes on Wednesday. – Reuters

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terner Zeitung in its online edition.

“Life dreams were shattered from one minute to the next,” an ashen-faced headmaster Ulrich Wessel said during a televised press conference. He said the students’ deaths left “a wound that will heal very slowly and leave deep scars”. Across Germany flags are to fly at half-mast for three days to mourn the victims.

Condolences Condolence books were opened in Haltern’s town hall, Berlin’s Protestant Cathedral and at Duesseldorf airport, where the doomed jet had been due to land.

Staff of Lufthansa and its subsidiary Germanwings worldwide observed a minute’s silence, many weeping quietly, at 0953 GMT, the

moment radio contact broke off with the jet.

Leaders visit In France, the leaders of France, Germany and Spain visited a makeshift rescue base near the Germanwings air crash site on Wednesday, as investigators ramped up their probe into the mysterious disaster that killed 150. French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel flew over the crash site to see the devastation for themselves before meeting rescue workers outside the crisis centre.

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also visited the centre to be briefed on the gruelling rescue operation in difficult mountain terrain where Flight 4U9525 crashed early Tuesday, scattering debris over a wide area.

Investigators were combing through the pulverised wreckage and examining its badly damaged black box for clues as to what caused the mysterious crash. — AFP

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

WORLD

Bosra Al Sham’s historic sites include a citadel built around a second century Roman amphitheatre. It was the capital of the Roman province of Arabia

CONFLICT

IS militants take on rival forces in Libya TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI: Militants claiming allegiance to IS fought forces loyal to Libya’s two rival governments in the central city of Sirte and further east in Benghazi, a Libyan news agency and residents said on Wednesday.

In Sirte, IS militants killed five members of a force loyal to the government that controls Tripoli, a Tripoli-based news agency said. Two military sources said the attack near a power station on Sirte’s western outskirts appeared to be a suicide bombing, but gave no further details.

Fighters loyal to the Tripoli government, sent to Sirte from the western city of Misrata, have clashed several times with the militants and had set up checkpoints near the power station.

Fighting in east There was also heavy fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Libya’s internationally recognised government, which is based in the east in Benghazi, after IS rebels claimed a suicide attack on an army post in the port city.

War planes attacked extremist positions early on Wednesday, residents and military officials said. Gunfire and rocket propelled grenades could be heard in several districts. — Reuters

Syria rebels seize ancient town An alliance of mainstream rebels said they had taken Bosra and declared the start of a new attack against government forces in another area of Deraa province

BEIRUT: Insurgents have seized a historic town in southern Syria from the government, a group monitoring the war said on Wednesday, part of a rebel counter-attack to stop Damascus reclaiming the border zone near Israel and Jordan.

A Syrian military source reported heavy fighting with armed groups on Tuesday night in and around Bosra Al Sham, whose ancient city is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. “We are inves-

tigating the facts in the field,” the source said.

An alliance of mainstream rebels who are backed by Western and Arab foes of President Bashar Al Assad said they had taken Bosra and declared the start of a new attack against government forces in another area of Deraa province to the northwest.

Bosra’s historic sites include a citadel built around a second century Roman amphitheatre. It was the capital of the Roman province of Arabia.

Israel, Jordan Syria’s southwestern corner is of strategic importance due to its proximity to Damascus and neighbouring Israel and Jordan. It is also the last significant foothold of mainstream rebels, who have mostly been crushed elsewhere in Syria by government forces or extremist groups. An offensive launched by Assad’s forces in early February made quick gains but its territorial advance then slowed.

The mainstream rebels, known as “The Southern Front”, say they have received more military support from Assad’s foreign foes since the start of the push by the Syrian army and allied militia including the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

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Support to the Southern Front groups has been channelled via Jordan, a staunch ally of the United States.

Washington says Assad has lost legitimacy and must leave power, although its focus has switched to fighting the IS that has seized swathes of northern and eastern Syria as well as chunks of Iraq.

The monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said 21 insurgents had been killed in four days of fighting for Bosra, some 20 km (12 miles) north of the border with Jordan.

The spokesman for the Southern Front alliance said 85 percent of the fighters who took part in the attack were from mainstream rebel groups and the rest from extremist factions.

The Nusra Front, Al Qaeda’s wing in Syria, did not take part, said spokesman Issam Al Rayyes.

“We liberated the whole city, even the old castle and old city,” he said.

The Southern Front launched the attack because the army had been mobilising pro-government militia in Bosra for a new stage of its offensive in the south, he added.

The new attack announced by the Southern Front on Wednesday was aimed at taking Jadieh, 80 km to the northwest of Bosra. — Reuters

C E A S E F I R E V I O L AT I O N

Kurd fighters, army clash in Turkey ISTANBUL: The Turkish military exchanged fire with Kurdish rebels in southeast Turkey on Wednesday in a rare violation of a two-year old ceasefire, part of a peace process between the militants and Ankara.

The clash occurred four days after jailed Kurdistan Workers Party

(PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan said the group’s 30-year insurgency against Turkey had become “unsustainable” and urged it to hold a congress on laying down its weapons.

The lira weakened against the dollar on concern about the ceasefire breaking down. — Reuters

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, M ARC H 26, 2015

MARKE

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Muscat 6,274.58 - 7.92 - 0.13%

Dubai 3,434.65 - 78.22 - 2.23%

Abu Dhabi 4,371.68 - 18.99 - 0.43%

Saudi Arabia

9,040.20 - 290.99 - 3.12%

Kuwait 6,374.49 - 32.40 - 0.51%

Bahrain 1,454.87 - 4.41 - 0.30%

Qatar 11,503.72 - 169.73 - 1.45%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

Type ............................Delivery...........Price

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.35 Pound ............................................1.73 Indian Rs ..............................161.32 Pak Rs ...................................260.42 Bangla Taka.......................199.64

Indian Rs ....................................161.75 Pakistan Rs ............................ 264.00 Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 343.65 Bangla Taka............................ 201.25 Phil Peso .....................................115.75

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.25

Oman Crude............. (Spot) .........$53.74 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) .........$52.61 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$55.38 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........ $55.57 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) .........$55.77 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ......... $47.75

* Rates are as of Mar. 25 Source: Bank Muscat

Sharia Index reconstituted New firms in the index include Al Batinah Development and Investment, Oman Cables Industry and Computer Stationary Industry

A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Muscat Securities Market (MSM) on Wednesday reconstituted its Sharia Index by adding three more companies and removing one firm from the basket of companies that constitute the index.

The newly-included companies in the index are Al Batinah Development and Investment Holding, Oman Cables Industry and Computer Stationary Industry, while Port Services Corpora-

tion has been removed from the basket of stocks that constitute the index. Port Services Corporation was removed from the list due to an increase in non-permissible income beyond 5 per cent of realised income.

Sharia Index has 32 sample companies now and the reconstitution was on the basis of financial results of companies in the fourth quarter of 2014. The newly constituted index will be effective from March 29, according to a circular released by the Muscat bourse.

Muscat Securities Market’s Sh-

aria-compliant index comprises companies that are complied with Sharia law.

The sample companies are reviewed by the bourse every three months to add or remove companies according to their compliance with the criteria.

Islamic index will attract new category of investors who prefer to have reliable references that ensure compliance of their investments to the Sharia rules and regulations. This in turn contributes to the development and growth of the Islamic capital market sector as it provides nontraditional investment tools.

The index now include Al Anwar Ceramic Tiles, Al Jazeira Services, Al Madina Takaful, Al Maha Ceramics, Al Izz Islamic Bank, Bank Nizwa, Construction Materials Industry, Dhofar Beverages and Foodstuff, Gulf Mushroom Products, Majan Glass, Muscat Gases and Muscat Thread Mills.

FOREIGN TRADE

Ithraa chief to lead Oman’s trade delegation to Ethiopia Times News Service MUSCAT: A high-powered Omani trade delegation will leave for Ethiopia on Tuesday to explore new business and investment opportunities.

Led by Ithraa chairman Dr Salem ben Nasser Al Ismaily, the two-day visit to Addis Ababa will include a series of meetings with key Ethiopian business and government officials designed to enhance bilateral trade relations between the two countries.

The fast growing Ethiopian

economy is generating a lot of interest among Omani firms looking to do more business in subSaharan Africa.

Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of 90 million and its gross domestic product has grown at an average of 9.1 per cent over the last 10 years, making it Africa’s second fastest-growing economy and the sixth fastest-growing economy in the world.

“One of the ways Ithraa helps Omani businesses take advan-

tage of mutually-beneficial commercial opportunities in Africa, and around the world, is through trade missions, exhibitions and business-to-business meetings.

The objective in Addis Ababa is to help Omani companies find new opportunities, partners and customers,” said Nasima Al Balushi, Ithraa’s director general for export development.

Dr Al Ismaily will lead the delegation of 20 companies in different sectors like plastics, food and beverage, furniture, marble, chemicals and others.

* Rates as of Mar. 25 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.65 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............144.25 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 137.00 * Rates as of Mar. 25 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

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MARKET MSM index ends lower

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,287.20 .............. 6,274.58 ................... 6,274.58 ...................6,282.50.................. -7.92 .................. -0.13 Financial Index .....................................7,742.68 ............... 7,707.86 ....................7,708.82 ................... 7,742.68................-33.86 .................. -0.44 Industrial Index ................................... 8,329.36 .............. 8,294.53 ................... 8,316.44 ...................8,320.57.................. -4.13 .................. -0.05 Services Index .......................................3,447.52 .............. 3,442.93 ...................3,442.93 ................... 3,447.52.................. -4.59 .................. -0.13 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 977.27 .................. 971.76 ....................... 971.76 ...................... 976.86.................. -5.10 .................. -0.52 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 10,777,369 .................. 2,304,158 .................... 644 ...............14,782,454,509 .................. 4 ......................18 .................... 19 .........................41

Al Anwar Ceramics, up by 2.16 per cent, was the top gainer, while Oman Flour Mills, down

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

by 9.86 per cent, lost the most on Wednesday ISIN ..................................................SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER...................TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE............. HIGH....................LOW...............CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE..........DIFF (RO) .................DIFF %......................LAST PR...............LAST BID.....................LAST OFFER .................MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE

MUSCAT: Amid weak trading activity, the MSM 30 retreated by 0.13 per cent to close at 6,274.58 points. The MSM Shariah Index closed at 971.76 points, down by 0.52 per cent.

HSBC Bank Oman was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. Al Anwar Ceramics, up by 2.16 per cent was the top gainer, while Oman Flour Mills, down by 9.86 per cent, was the top loser.

As many as 644 trades were executed in the session generating a turnover of OMR2.3 million with more than 10.77 million shares changing hands.

Out of 41 traded securities, four advanced, 18 declined and 19 remained unchanged. GCC and Arab investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR90,000 worth of shares, followed by foreign investors at OMR62,000, while Omani investors, who were net sellers, sold stocks amounting to OMR153,000.

Financial Index declined 0.44 per cent to close at 7,708.82

points. DBIH, Oman & Emirates Holding, Gulf Investment Services, Al Madina Investments and HSBC Bank Oman decreased 5.19 per cent, 3.10 per cent, 2.74 per cent, 1.56 per cent and 1.52 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index ended the day at 8,316.44 points, down by 0.05 per cent. Al Anwar Ceramics and Salalah Mills gained 2.16 per cent and 0.67 per cent respectively.

Oman Flour Mills, Galfar Engineering, Al Maha Ceramics, Gulf International Chemicals and Al Hassan Engineering decreased 9.86 per cent, 4.26 per cent, 4.06 per cent, 1.15 per cent and 0.83 per cent, respectively.

Services Sector Index closed the session at 3,442.93 points, down by 0.13 per cent.

Al Batinah Power and Sembcorp Salalah gained 1.70 per cent and 1.52 per cent.

Port Services, OIFC, National Gas and Ooredoo decreased 5.17 per cent, 1.81 per cent, 0.93 per cent and 0.55 per cent respectively.

– United Securities

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

OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 522,906 .........246,462..................... 54 ........... 0.470 ........... 0.476 ...........0.470........... 0.472 .............0.462 ............0.010 ............. 2.165 ................0.470..............0.468...................0.476...................116,510,715 ........0.100 OM0000001889............SALALAH MILLS...........................................................30,501 .............45,801........................7 ............1.490 ........... 1.510............1.490........... 1.500 .............1.490.............0.010 ............. 0.671 ................1.510 ..............1.490...................1.635 ...................72,244,596.........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 120,000 ........... 39,440........................5 ........... 0.328 ...........0.332 ...........0.328........... 0.328 .............0.328 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.332..............0.330...................0.332..................399,775,420........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ........................................................................5,000 .............. 2,400........................1 ........... 0.480 ...........0.480 ...........0.480........... 0.480 .............0.480 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.480..............0.476...................0.486..................161,636,640 ........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ............................5,000 ............... 1,495........................1 ........... 0.299 ...........0.299 ...........0.299........... 0.299 .............0.299 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.299..............0.271...................0.299 ..................37,344,490 .........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING .........................................650 ............... 1,235........................1 ........... 1.900 ........... 1.900 ...........1.900............1.995 ............. 1.995............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.900.............. 1.855...................2.200 .................189,525,000........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 997,645..........526,557..................... 62 ........... 0.530 ...........0.532 ...........0.524........... 0.528 .............0.528 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.526..............0.526...................0.528................ 1,210,082,331 ......0.100 OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. .............165 .................. 347........................1 ........... 2.100 ........... 2.100 ...........2.100........... 2.120 .............2.120 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.100..............2.100...................2.200 .................146,280,000 .......0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................29,040 .............48,787........................5 ............1.680 ........... 1.680 ...........1.680 ........... 1.680 .............1.680............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.680 .............. 1.655...................1.660................1,260,000,000......0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ........................740 .....................78........................1 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.106 .............0.106 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.106..............0.106...................0.107...................21,200,000.........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES .........................................3,000 ............... 1,140........................2 ........... 0.380 ...........0.380 ...........0.380........... 0.384 .............0.384 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.380..............0.380...................0.384 .................108,324,270 .......0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ........................................................1,656 .................. 656........................3 ........... 0.396 ...........0.396 ...........0.396........... 0.396 .............0.396 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.396..............0.396...................0.428 ..................23,958,000.........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER.................................................................2,110 ...................781........................1 ........... 0.370 ...........0.370 ...........0.370........... 0.380 .............0.380 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.370..............0.370...................0.380 ..................83,983,800.........0.100 OM0000004248 ...........SMN POWER HOLDING ..............................................2,000 ...............1,320........................2 ........... 0.660 ...........0.660 ...........0.660........... 0.660 .............0.660 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.660..............0.660...................0.672.................. 131,759,496 ........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO.........................................................................97,000 .............69,752........................4 ............0.720 ........... 0.720 ...........0.716 ........... 0.720 .............0.724 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.552 ...............0.716 ..............0.704...................0.720..................468,679,846 .......0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ................................................................6,000 ...............2,088........................3 ........... 0.348 ...........0.348 ...........0.348........... 0.348 .............0.350 ...........-0.002 ............-0.571................0.348..............0.344...................0.348 .................467,448,290 .......0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ....................................................... 73,174 ...............9,047........................7 ............0.120 ........... 0.125 ...........0.120........... 0.124 ............. 0.125............-0.001 ........... -0.800 ...............0.124..............0.120...................0.124...................38,534,853 .........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS .............................................................42,720 .............18,254......................13 ........... 0.432 ...........0.432 ...........0.426........... 0.428 .............0.432 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.926 ...............0.426..............0.424...................0.426 ..................19,500,285 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 422,078 ..........113,031..................... 49 ........... 0.269 ...........0.269 ...........0.267........... 0.268 ............. 0.271............-0.003 ............-1.107................0.268..............0.267...................0.268 ..................34,974,000.........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 438,480 ..........112,883.....................42 ........... 0.258 ...........0.258 ...........0.255........... 0.257 .............0.260 ...........-0.003 ............-1.154................0.255..............0.254...................0.255.................... 5,397,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 4,591,000......598,474..................... 82 ............0.132 ........... 0.132 ...........0.130........... 0.130 .............0.132............-0.002 ............-1.515 ................0.130 ..............0.128...................0.130................. 260,040,663 .......0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 207,513 ............. 13,061......................14 ........... 0.063 ...........0.063 ...........0.062........... 0.063 .............0.064 ...........-0.001 ............-1.563................0.063..............0.062...................0.063................... 13,050,537 .........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 178,652............ 38,834......................21 ............0.217 ........... 0.219 ...........0.215 ............0.217 .............0.221 ...........-0.004 ............-1.810................0.215 .............. 0.215...................0.217...................43,400,000 ........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 722,647 ......... 102,754..................... 35 ............0.144 ........... 0.144 ...........0.141 ........... 0.142 .............0.146............-0.004 ........... -2.740 ...............0.142.............. 0.141...................0.142.................... 8,355,737 ..........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 1,553,012....... 193,482..................... 82 ............0.130 ........... 0.130 ...........0.121 ............0.125 .............0.129............-0.004 ............-3.101................0.122..............0.122...................0.124...................15,234,375 .........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 504,419 ............68,319......................71 ............0.135 ........... 0.140 ...........0.133 ............0.135 ............. 0.141............-0.006 ........... -4.255 ...............0.135 .............. 0.133...................0.135 ...................35,588,533 .........0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ........................ 23,000 ...............6,335........................7 ........... 0.290...........0.290 ...........0.265........... 0.275 .............0.290 ...........-0.015 ............-5.172................0.265..............0.262...................0.265...................26,136,000 .........0.100 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ................................................... 5,100 ............... 2,613........................2 ........... 0.530 ...........0.530 ...........0.512 ............0.512 .............0.568 ...........-0.056 ........... -9.859 ...............0.512 ............. 0.000...................0.546...................80,640,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 10,585,208 2,265,426...................578 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......28........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

INDIAN MARKETS

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

Indian stocks, rupee fall

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER.................................................. 10,453 ................1,871........................4 ............0.178 ........... 0.180 ...........0.178 ............0.179 ............. 0.176............ 0.003............. 1.705.................0.180.............. 0.179...................0.180..................120,804,850 .......0.100

MUMBAI: Ahead of March derivative contract expiry, the benchmark Sensex on Wednesday closed 50 points down to nearly 10-week low of 28,111.83 on losses in capital goods, power and metal stocks, extending its string of losses to the sixth straight session.

The BSE 30-share barometer resumed better and improved further to a high of 28,249.60 before falling back to a low of 28,031.42. It finally, closed at 28,111.83 — a loss of 49.89 points or 0.18 per cent. In straight six sessions, the Sensex has plunged by 624.55 points or 2.17 per

OM0000001426............OMAN REFRESHMENT .............................................. 1,000 ...............2,450........................1 ........... 2.450 ...........2.450 ...........2.450........... 2.450 .............2.450 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.450..............2.450...................2.600 ................ 122,500,000 .......0.100

cent. Previously,it had settled at 28,075.55 on January 15, 2015.

OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH.................................................. 2,612 ...............6,098........................3 ........... 2.335 ........... 2.335 ...........2.330........... 2.335 .............2.300 ............0.035 ............. 1.522 ................2.330..............2.330...................2.340 ................ 222,892,550 .......1.000 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ................... 44,300 ............... 1,557........................8 ........... 0.035 ...........0.036 ...........0.035........... 0.035 .............0.035 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.035..............0.035...................0.038....................2,975,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................14,900 .................. 954........................6 ........... 0.064 ...........0.064 ...........0.064........... 0.064 .............0.064 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.064..............0.063...................0.064 ...................8,000,000..........0.100 OM0000002051............GULF PLASTIC INDUSTRIES ............................... 25,000 ............... 9,750........................1 ........... 0.390 ...........0.390 ...........0.390........... 0.390 .............0.390 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.390............. 0.400...................0.000 .....................390,000............1.000

Rupee edges down The Indian rupee on Wednesday snapped its seven-day winning spree against the United States dollar, declining 7 paise to end at 62.33 on month-end dollar demand from banks and importers.

The rupee’s longest run of gains since June 2011 ended amid renewed dollar demand in view of a higher dollar in the international market, a forex dealer said.

The rupee resumed lower at 62.32 per dollar as against Tuesday’s closing level of 62.26. - PTI

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA .....................................................................6,821 .................. 585........................3 ........... 0.086 ...........0.086 ...........0.084........... 0.086 .............0.086 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.084..............0.084...................0.085..................129,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .......................................................7,376 ...............1,328........................4 ............0.180 ........... 0.180 ...........0.180........... 0.180 .............0.180 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.180..............0.180...................0.182.................. 128,593,141 ........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING....................................12,500 ............... 1,503........................4 ............0.121 ........... 0.121............0.120........... 0.120 ............. 0.121............-0.001 ........... -0.826 ...............0.120...............0.115...................0.120....................9,024,960 ..........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK................................................15,600 ............... 1,295........................4 ........... 0.083 ...........0.083 ...........0.083........... 0.083 .............0.084 ...........-0.001 ............-1.190................0.083..............0.083...................0.088...................83,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................10,209 ............... 5,318......................17 ........... 0.522 ...........0.522 ...........0.520........... 0.520 .............0.542 ...........-0.022 ........... -4.059 ...............0.522..............0.522...................0.530...................27,300,000.........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................41,000 ...............5,987..................... 10 ............0.148 ........... 0.148 ...........0.145 ........... 0.146 .............0.154............-0.008 ............-5.195................0.145 .............. 0.141...................0.150....................4,380,000..........0.100 .............................................SUM: ...................................................................................191,771 ............ 38,693..................... 65 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......12........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET ........................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 ................................................390 .....................39........................1 ............0.101 ........... 0.101............0.101 ............0.101 ............. 0.101............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.101 ..............0.090...................0.108.................... 7,221,500 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: ..........................................................................................390 .....................39........................1 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

EXPLORING SOLUTIONS

Protiviti’s annual forum set to discuss digital age challenges Times News Service MUSCAT: Main challenges in the digital world will be discussed at the fourth annual forum ‘Leadership in the Digital Age’, orgainsed by Protiviti’s office in Oman, on April 5 at the InterContinental Muscat.

The forum will be held under the patronage of Salim Al Ruzaiqi, chief executive officer of Information Technology Authority (ITA).

The theme of this year’s forum is ‘Disruptive Leadership

by Design’ and it is organised by Protiviti for senior business professionals to share their success stories, engage in thought provoking debates and explore solutions to their challenges around strategy, governance, growth, security, social impact, innovation and talent crunch in the digital age.

The event is sponsored by the Platinum sponsor ‘Oman Arab Bank’, Gift Sponsor ‘Tamrah’ and Media Sponsor Oman Economic Review.

This forum delivers untold insights on emerging trends and highlights pragmatic solutions to embrace disruptive leadership and support sustainable business growth by adopting competitive advantages in today’s dynamic and fast-paced environment.

The delegates will have the opportunity to engage and interact with experts from various fields and walk away with practical solutions and proven frameworks to manage sustainable change.

Global experts Senior leaders and international experts from organisations such as Mira-cle, GUTech, Oman Data Park, Cosmic Surrounding and others will be presenting their perspectives on how information and communication technologies are influencing and leading lives, essence of talent management and retention of knowledge workers, governance around cloud computing, smart learning and crowd disruption.

“Each year, we were commended and encouraged to keep organising this annual forum to engage and discover the emerging trends of the digital age. Protiviti is always delighted to open a platform and welcome speakers from a wide range of sectors who are committed to innovate at a competitive edge,” said Shatha Salim Al Maskiry, country managing director of Protiviti.

“Protiviti’s annual forum for leadership always brings an extraordinary platform where leaders and experts gather to share their challenges in leadership.

We, in Oman Data Park, believe that leadership and learning are indispensable to each other, where leadership has to pay a great deal of attention to innovation and the art of focus. Today governance and security of cloud computing is critical to the Industry. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all,” said Maqboul Al Wahaiby, general manager of Oman Data Park.

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

B3

MARKET ‘Female entrepreneurs in tourism need of the hour’ Stronger presence of women entrepreneurs in SME sector, especially in the tourism industry, will further strengthen the ‘backbone’ of Oman’s economy, says an Omani businesswoman

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Strong presence of women entrepreneurs in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, especially in the tourism industry, will further strengthen the ‘backbone’ of Oman’s economy, says Zuwaina Al Badaa’i, a female Omani entrepreneur.

The perseverance of Zuwaina along with the support of her business partner Captain Said and their families, gave birth to the ‘Star of the Sea Tourism’ in 2011, which offers dhow cruise services with a vision to promote Oman’s tourism and become the primary authentic sea cruise company in the Sultanate.

Zuwaina could start her own business with the support of the Fund for Development of Youth Projects (Sharakah) and now hopes to see the challenges facing entrepreneurs addressed so that more aspiring individuals, in particular women with good business

ENTERPRISING: Zuwaina Al Badaa’i (left); and Captain Said.

Zuwaina and business partner Captain Said, gave birth to the ‘Star of the Sea Tourism’ in 2011, which offers dhow cruise services with a vision to promote Oman’s tourism. - Supplied photo

ideas, can set up their own companies. “We have seen many female workers outperforming their male counterparts and have witnessed many female entrepreneurs empowering other women. In general, SMEs are the backbone of the country’s economy. It is a pity that I have seen very few women in the tourism industry,” she told Times of Oman in an interview.

Challenges Asked about the challenges facing entrepreneurs in Oman, she said that according to her personal experience, they are related to policies and regulations, shortfall of capital, lack of support systems and similar issues.

“To our surprise, we found the procedure for start-ups too cumbersome and tedious. Acquiring all the necessary approvals was painful and time-consuming,” said Zuwaina, adding that Sharakah’s evaluation of the project and its risk assessment and business monitoring tools played an important role in establishing the company.

RIGHTS OFFER

Tata Motors plans to raise $1.2 billion MUMBAI: Tata Motors, India’s biggest automaker, said it plans to raise as much as Rs75 billion ($1.2 billion) in a rights offer to boost capital.

The company will offer six shares for every 109 held at Rs450 apiece, according to an exchange filing. That’s a 15 per cent discount to the closing price on Tuesday. Holders of the so-called differential voting rights will be offered stock in the same proportion at Rs271 apiece.

Tata Motors has said it expects to spend about Rs40 billion annually at its India business over the next two to three years, and as much as £3.7 billion ($5.5 bil-

lion) a year over the same period at its Jaguar Land Rover unit on product development and expansion. The stock offering will help partly fund its plans.

Shares of Tata Motors rose 1.3 per cent to Rs539.10 in Mumbai.

The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex Index advanced 0.02 percent.

The automaker’s board also approved the buyback of non-convertible debentures valued at Rs12.5 billion.

Tata Motors’s India business has posted a loss in six of the past nine quarters amid weak demand for its trucks and passenger cars.

It introduced new models called Bolt and Zest. - Bloomberg News

Commenting on the challenges facing female entrepreneurs in Oman, she said that they are more or less similar worldwide.

“We have contextual obstacles that include matters such as educational choices, traditional views and stereotypes. Then we have the financial obstacles, including the need for substantial investment amount. Also, there are soft obstacles that include lack of time, general business network or entrepreneurship skills,” she added.

Zuwaina believes that locals are the best ambassadors of tourism in any country and more ‘effective’ training programmes with a ‘hands-on’ approach should be developed to equip them with the necessary skills to work in this sector, which is a major source of economic diversification.

Training programmes She said that in the beginning, only a few destination management companies existed and now more SME companies have been established, supported by tourism projects and mega infrastructure

development in the country. In Muscat, there are about four other companies who own and run dhow cruises, she added.

Commenting on the development of the local workforce, Zuwaina said, “It is good that training programmes exist. Unfortunately, not all are effective.

The programmes need to have a follow-up strategy to measure the In-Country Value (ICV).”

She also noted that incentives are welcome and should be allocated where they are most needed, but at the end of the day, it boils down to the employee and the entrepreneur and without business discipline and dedication, no amount of incentives will be enough.

Adding value Asked what SMEs should do in return for the support they receive, she said, “SMEs need to add value to their services and products and venture more into manufacturing type of projects. The expertise earned over the years, need to be passed on to younger generations.”

“SMEs also need to abide by the acceptable regulations and build stronger collaboration and ties between authorities and SMEs. They should also give back to the community and help build a healthy and diversified economy,” said Zuwaina.

Zuwaina also argues that follow-up mechanisms should be in place to ensure the business capability, maturity and sustainability of the companies. Besides, Oman needs more role models, whose success stories can motivate others to step out of their comfort zones, she added.

Commenting on the activities of the ‘Star of the Sea’, she said that the company provides reliable, safe and authentic sea cruise services with the motto ‘Explore Oman waters, the Omani way’, and the response to its services has been positive so far.

ANNUAL MEETING

Sharakah sets record with OMR814,000 in funding small units Times News Service MUSCAT: Fund for Development of Youth Projects, also known as Sharakah, has exceeded the target investment in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), reaching an all-time-high of OMR814,000, said officials from the company.

This was revealed at Sharakah’s annual general meeting (AGM) for the financial year ended December 2014, which was held on Monday.

Said Salim Al Sahib, vice-chairman of the board of directors, presided over the meeting which was attended by the directors, shareholders and officials from the concerned authorities.

Reviewing Sharakah’s achievements in 2014, Al Sahib said that the performance of the projects supported by Sharakah shows signs of positive growth.

Regarding the growth of SMEs, the official mentioned that six projects pre-paid the loan amount during the year, namely Salim Al Mawali Cement Project, Khalid Al Suwaid Enterprises (Love at First Bite), Said Al Shahri Law Office (SASLO) and United Arab Catering, (Venezia Restaurant) in addition to Hamdan Al Ruwaishi (Abu Luwaida) and Jasim Al Mamari

(Lab Scientific).

The total amount received was OMR250,216.

He added that Sharakah received an invitation to be a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Entrepreneurship Union, a regional organisation that brings together heads of all SME development agencies in the gulf.

Local enterprises In addition, invitations were received from the Emirates Foundation of the United Arab Emirates and Silatech of Qatar to act as their local representative for their regional initiatives.

Sharakah strives to accommodate the need of local SMEs, and, as a step towards achieving this, the strategy for the next five years has been revisited and the firm has developed a more robust strategy for future.

Al Sahib noted that SME development still remains Sharakah’s top priority and the focus will be on providing more post-financing support and strengthening the collaboration with the existing business partners.

In addition, the AGM discussed and approved the audited financial statements for 2014.

B4

TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 2 6, 2 015

FEATURE In September 2011, Switzerland pegged its currency to the euro to set a ceiling to the Swiss franc’s rapid appreciation. But on January 15, the Swiss National Bank suddenly and surprisingly abandoned the peg

ince the European sovereign-debt crisis erupted in 2009, everyone has wondered what would happen if a country left the eurozone. At first, the debate focused on crisis countries — Greece, or maybe Portugal, Spain, or Italy. Then there was a rather hypothetical discussion of what would happen if strong surplus countries — say, Finland or Germany — left.

Through it all, a consensus emerged that an exit by one country could — like the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 — trigger a wider meltdown. Now, in Switzerland, we have a demonstration of just some of the risks that might emerge were a surplus country to leave the eurozone.

In September 2011, Switzerland pegged its currency to the euro to set a ceiling to the Swiss franc’s rapid appreciation in the wake of the global financial crisis that erupted in 2008.

The country thus became a temporary adjunct member of the European monetary union. But, on January 15, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) suddenly and surprisingly abandoned the peg.

Obviously, exiting a real currency union is far more complex and legally fraught than ending a temporary exchange-rate arrangement; the effects of such a move would be greatly magnified. Nonetheless, the Swiss move reveals at least some of the uncertainties that a fullfledged exit could create.

The SNB was not forced to act by a speculative run. No financial crisis forced its hand, and, in theory, the SNB’s directorate could have held the exchange rate and bought foreign assets indefinitely. But domestic criticism of the SNB’s large buildup of exchange-rate reserves (euro assets) was mounting.

In particular, Swiss conservatives disliked the risk to which the SNB was exposed. Fearing that eurozone government bonds were unsafe, they agitated to require the SNB to acquire gold reserves instead, even forcing a referendum on the matter. Though the initiative to require a fixed share of gold reserves failed, the prospect of large-scale quantitative easing by the European Central Bank, together with the euro’s recent slide against the dollar, intensified the political pressure to abandon the peg.

Whereas economists have modeled financial attacks well, there has been little study of just when political pressure becomes unbearable and a central bank gives in. The SNB, for example, had proclaimed loyalty to the peg just days before ending it. As a result, markets will now hesitate to believe central banks’ statements about future policy, and forward guidance (a major post-crisis instrument) will be much more difficult.

There is historical precedent for the victory of political pressure, and for the recent Swiss action. In the late 1960s, the Bundesbank had to buy dollar assets in order to stop the Deutsche mark from rising, and to preserve the integrity of its fixed exchange rate. The discussion in Germany focused on the risks to the Bundesbank’s balance sheet, as well as on the inflationary pressures that came from the currency peg.

Some German conservatives at the time would have liked to buy gold, but the Bundesbank had promised the Fed that it would not put the dollar under downward pressure by selling its reserves for gold.

In 1969, Germany unilaterally revalued the Deutsche mark. But that was not enough to stop inflows of foreign currency, and the Bundesbank was obliged to continue to intervene. It continued to reduce its interest rate, but the inflows persisted. In May 1971, the German government — against the wishes of the Bundesbank — abandoned the dollar peg altogether and floated the currency.

Politics had prevailed over central-bank commitments. Within three months, the fallout destroyed the entire international monetary system, and US President Richard Nixon took the dollar off the gold standard. The credibility of the entire system of central bank commitments had collapsed, and international monetary policy became extremely unstable. The Deutsche mark appreciated, and life became very hard for German exporters.

Today, the global ramifications of a major central bank’s actions are much more pronounced than in 1971. When the Bundesbank acted unilaterally, German banks were not very international. But now finance is global, implying large balance-sheet exposures to currency swings.

Big Swiss banks fund themselves in Swiss francs, because so many people everywhere want the security of franc assets. They then acquire assets worldwide, in other currencies. When the exchange rate changes abruptly, the banks face large losses — a large-scale version of naive Hungarian homeowners’ strategy of borrowing in Swiss francs to finance their mortgages.

Though the SNB had given many warnings that the euro peg was not permanent, and though it had imposed a higher capital ratio on banks, the uncoupling from the euro came as a huge shock. Swiss bank shares fell faster than the general Swiss index. — Project Syndicate

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OAB staff celebrates His Majesty’s return The joy and excitement the Oman Arab Bank employees are feeling reflects on the love and respect they have for their leader, said Amin Al Husseini, Chief Executive Officer

MUSCAT: Oman Arab Bank (OAB) employees celebrated yesterday the return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to his beloved nation.

The celebration was held at the OAB head office in north Al Ghubra and was attended by employees and the CEO Amin Al Husseini, says a press release.

“I am truly honoured to be standing with our OAB staff family members celebrating the return of His Majesty to his nation and the people of Oman. The joy and excitement the OAB staff members are feeling reflects on the love and respect they have for their leader,” Al Husseini said.

The event, which was held in the

OAB reception area and organised

by OAB’s Social Committee members, started with employees singing the national anthem with pride and was followed by thanksgiving prayers to Almighty Allah for re-

SOCIAL MEDIA

During the Annual General Meeting of Sweets of Oman held on March 15 the share holders approved the distribution of 50% of the nominal value of each share (50 baisa per share) as dividend. The Chairman Redha Baqir Al Lawati informed that during the year 2014 the company registered a value growth of 7% compared to the year 2013. The net profit of the company after taxation was OMR901,420 for the year. — Supplied picture

turning back His Majesty to the people of Oman. The event commenced by reciting a poem on the location by one of the staff members, which was recited back by all the employees in unison.

the features available for visitors on the website. The website also includes seamless integration of its actively followed social media sites, offering links to Mitsubishi Oman’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channels right on the homepage.

As a result of its popularity and the freedom it offers, social media has become a powerful marketing tool for Mitsubishi in Oman and has provided a medium through which General Automotive Company can receive direct feedback from customers on its new and existing initiatives, products and services. Beginning with its Facebook page in August 2013, and with Twitter, Instagram and YouTube launching shortly thereafter, Mitsubishi’s local social media channels help followers get a deeper insight into the Japanese automotive giant’s activities in the Sultanate. Ranging from vehicle debuts to showroom activities, fans and owners are able to continuously stay up-to-date on programmes, product news and company information. Mitsubishi also engages with existing and potential customers through regular interactive online contests, held throughout the year across all social media channels, reaching out to thousands of Mitsubishi fans across the Sultanate.

“Social media, at its core, is a communication channel like email or phone calls. Through our channels, which are monitored carefully, we offer a direct line to our fol-

lowers to answer any complaints as well receive compliments. It offers us an opportunity to publicly demonstrate our customer service level whilst at the same time enrich our relationship with them; offering a more personalised experience that clearly shows that we care about them,” added Rajesh.

More recently GAC took online interaction with its customers to an entirely new level with the launch of a new mobile app specifically designed to provide a wealth of services in a simple, easy to use format assistance to both Mitsubishi fans and owners.

Available for free on Android and iPhone, the app called ‘Mitsubishi Oman’, gives its users quicker access and a faster response to numerous services that would normally require the user to either visit the webpage or the showroom directly, such as booking a test drive, booking a service and much more, right in the palm of their hand. And finally in March 2015, GAC launched their new Diamond Approved Used Cars website, www.diamondusedcars. com. The website was launched to complement Mitsubishi’s dedicated used vehicles division, offering visitors a comprehensive and convenient vehicle locator together with several unique features such as prices displayed in OMR, AED, EUR, USD and GBP, detailed images of the interior and exterior of all vehicles listed, the option to share individual results with their friends via social media and much more.

“Our foray into digital space is a constantly evolving one. Each interaction on our website or social media channels provide us with an opportunity to obtain valuable information about what our customers are interested in and what they think of our vehicles and company as a whole. It is this feedback that guides us on our path towards maintaining Mitsubishi’s position as one of the leading brands in the country. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank all our followers and fans for their continual support and feedback they have provided us with over the past two years and we look forward to growing our business hand-in-hand with your success,” concluded Rajesh.

NDC's annual general meeting approves 40 per cent dividend MUSCAT: The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Detergent Company (NDC) was held at Grand Hyatt Hotel recently in the presence of the Board Chairman Redha Baqir Al Lawati, Board members and the company’s top officials.

The AGM approved distribution of 40 per cent dividend for the year 2014. It also approved the report of the board, the auditor’s report, balance sheet, profit and loss statement for the financial year ended December 31, 2014, says a press release.

For 2014, the company posted total sales revenue of OMR23.38 million as compared to OMR21.70 million in 2013, registering a positive growth. Consolidated profit

from operations for the year was OMR1.13 million when compared to OMR1.40 million for the previous year. Profit before tax for 2014 was OMR0.91 million as compared to OMR1.19 million in 2013.

NDC’s flagship brand Bahar and all other major products have performed well in local and

export markets during the year.

The powder and liquid plants in Sohar have become fully operational. The company is setting up a new non-tower detergent powder plant in Sohar, which will help in improving NDC’s presence in detergent powder segment in the years to come.

EXHIBITION

Young IPS students display innovative working models MUSCAT: International Pioneers School (IPS) organised its ‘Exhibition 2015’ recently on the school premises. It was a scintillating event which opened the doors of knowledge to the public.

The two-day event was declared open by Dr Stuart Colesky, Sr. Manager, GEMS Education.

Dr Stuart Colesky along with his colleague Raquel Nahas, Associate, GEMS Education were both amazed and impressed by the way the children displayed their creative, scientific and aesthetic talent showing innovative and brilliant projects and working models meticulously put together after undertaking intensive research work, says a press release.

For two days, the school exhibited students’ output and performance inside the class room across all scholastic subjects.

Apart from these, the school displayed amazing work of arts by students in the art and craft room which showcased ‘Wealth out of waste’. The school is keeping up the challenges of modernity. The

DEVELOPING SKILLS

students presented ‘Embracing Cultural Diversity’ in ‘Multicultural Display Area’ in which they represented Oman, Japan, Australia, China, India and Pakistan.

The Ecosystem room not only entertained the invitees but also promoted social awareness to the public about the reality of animals, birds, plants and people being connected to each other for healthy living. To complete the school’s big event is the ‘Walk Down Memory Lane’ which was intentionally created for people to know how the school has evolved.

The event was headed by the Founder Principal Juliet John and curated by the dedicated teachers and parents. The young learners were assigned a task wherein they should speak about a certain project. The application of imagination of the students was such a great success.

The quality of effort that teachers, parents and students put up was the evident of this unique and holistic experience that everybody has taken a keen interest for the growth of children both academically and socially.

C E L E B R AT I O N

Mazoon Electricity commences leadership development programme for 14 managers MUSCAT: Mazoon Electricity Company (MZEC) recently commenced an initial phase of the Leadership Development Programme (LDP) for 14 managers as part of the leadership development strategy of the company.

The 14 managers are key talents across various divisions of the company responsible for driving business growth and managing change, says a press release.

For this programme, MZEC has partnered with Utilities Center for Competences Development (UCCD) which is a private company co-owned by the Nama Group (formerly Electricity Holding Group ) and Veolia Environment.

UCCD will employ an advanced suite of qualitative and quantitative tests as well as business simulation exercises in order to assess the managers across various lead-

SWEETS OF OMAN REGISTERS VALUE GROWTH OF 7 PER CENT

MEETING

Mitsubishi boosts online presence MUSCAT: Maintaining its presence as one of the leading automotive brands in the Sultanate and recognising of rapid growth of the social media connectivity in Oman, General Automotive Company (GAC) has in the last two years made great strides in the online space in Oman with the Mitsubishi brand — completely revamping its local brand website, actively embracing social media, introducing a dedicated Mitsubishi Oman mobile app and launching a dedicated website for its used cars division, says a press release.

“In the past few years the broadband user base, and subsequently social media users, has been growing exponentially. In 2014 alone the number of Fixed Broadband Subscribers increased by 14.8 per cent and the number of Active Mobile Broadband Subscribers increased by 18.4 per cent to 177,063 users and a staggering 2,893,561 users respectively. As a result, a digital presence is an absolute must for any company that wants their brand to stay relevant and recognised by consumers in Oman,” said Rajesh Sharma, the National Marketing Manager for GAC, commenting on the growth of digital media in Oman. “Due to its growing influence, brands that engage with customers through social media channels enjoy higher levels of engagement with their customers. This is why we revamped our local brand website and set in motion a strategic and open social media plan to take advantage of the tools digital and social media provides us to actively connect with Mitsubishi fans and customers.”

Mitsubishi’s digital overhaul in Oman began with the launch of its revamped brand website www. mitsubishioman.com. The new website not only to delivers rapid information access and smooth navigation but also adheres to corporate brand guidelines. It reflects Mitsubishi’s design experience and offers a range of useful tools and links for customers right on the homepage. Special promotions, used vehicle specials, scheduling service appointments, test drive bookings and customer service, as well as a detailed and continually monitored customer feedback area are just some of

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ership parameters. The objective of the LDP programme is twofold; one is to assess the existing leadership competency gaps and secondly to implement a holistic and customised leadership training programme for each of the managers. This programme is specifically designed to incorporate a culture of leadership development at par

with global levels and to further enhance the feeling of accountability, quality and customer focus across the company to address the dynamic growth of the electricity sector in the country.

Eng. Zahir Al Abri, CEO at MZEC said,” It is an exciting time for Mazoon with many planned strategic initiatives to address

our stakeholder expectations. I truly believe that effective leadership can drive the sector to higher levels in the years to come and the leadership development programme serves as a critical tool in our vision to be recognised as a safe, reliable and sustainable electricity provider to customers.”

Masoud Al Maskari, Senior HR Manager, MZEC said,” Human Resources development continues to be the backbone of our strategic endeavours and the company remains committed to providing best in class learning and development interventions to all staff. We believe that the company has a responsibility towards the country in nurturing future leaders and the LDP is one of the many such initiatives we have undertaken to support the business in our endeavor to make MZEC an employer of choice.”

Catholicos to be chief celebrant for holy week Times News Service MUSCAT: Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, Catholicos of the East and Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Metropolitan, will be the chief celebrant for this year’s Holy Week services for Mar Gregorios Orthodox Maha Edavaka (MGOME).

The Primate of the Indian Orthodox Church will present the first Thanal Charity Award instituted in the name of Dr Stephanos Mar Theodosius (19242007) to Fr Davis Chiramel, chairman of the Thrissur-based Kidney Federation of India. On March 27 evening, the Primate will inaugurate the valedictory of Thanal Charity Project during which J. S. Mukul, Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate or Gloria Gangte, Deputy Chief of

Mission, will preside. The Muscat parish launched the Thanal charity project for 2014-15 called ‘Rays of Hope’ to help the needy kidney patients.

The Holy Week begins on March 27 with a Holy Eucharist followed by Catholicate Day celebrations and release of the parish directory by the Catholicos.

The Supreme Head of the Church will be the chief celebrant for the Palm Sunday Service on March 28 evening, Maundy Thursday on April 1, feet washing service on April 2, Gooda Friday Service on April 3 from 8 am to 4.30pm. The programmes will conclude with Holy Easter Service on April 4 from 6pm after which the Catholicos will depart for Kerala. Elaborate arrangements have been made for the Holy Week services.

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TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 2 6, 2 015

ROUND-UP Foreign ambassadors greet HM on his return Some ambassadors were interviewed by the management of His Majesty’s personal website — the first Omani website that highlights the life and achievements of His Majesty the Sultan and which have been translated into more than 25 languages

MUSCAT: To mark the occasion of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s return to Oman from Germany, a number of foreign ambassadors accredited to the Sultanate have expressed their sincere congratulations and heartfelt sentiments to His Majesty and the citizens of Oman, on behalf of their governments and the people of their homelands.

Some ambassadors were interviewed by the management of His Majesty’s personal website, the first Omani website that highlights the life and achievements of His Majesty the Sultan and which have been translated into more than 25 languages. The ambassadors all expressed their love and respect for His Majesty and prayed for his good health, says a press release.

Barbara Joziasse, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands On behalf of the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Embassy in Muscat, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, to the government, and to the citizens of Oman for their ongoing support and efforts in deepening the strong relationship and long-term commitment between the Netherlands and the Sultanate of Oman.

Juan José Urtasun, Ambassador of Spain Heartiest congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the architect of the Blessed Renaissance,

on the occasion of his safe return to his homeland. We pray for His Majesty’s continued guidance in carrying the nation forward.

Narciso T. Castañeda, Ambassador of the Philippines The Embassy of the Philippines congratulates the Sultanate of Oman on the safe return of His Majesty.

The friendship between the people of the Philippines and Oman has led to a strong partnership between our two countries in many fields.

We wish His Majesty Sultan Qaboos good health as he continues to guide Oman towards a brighter future. The Philippines looks forward to strengthening its ties with Oman in many fields.

Sheikh Sekander Ali, Ambassador of Bangladesh I, along with my fellow Bangladeshi compatriots, convey our heartfelt greetings to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the brotherly people of the Sultanate.

Oman made impressive strides in all spheres of life under the wise and prudent leadership of His Majesty the Sultan, which are well recognised by the world community. As global citizens we owe much to His Majesty and take this opportunity to pay our sincere tributes to His Majesty for his unparalleled contribution to mankind.

Pornchai Danvivathana, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand On the occasion of return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to the Sultanate of Oman, I have the honour to extend, on behalf of the Royal Thai Embassy and the Thai community in the Sultanate, my sincere congratulations and utmost appreciation to His Majesty the Sultan for the successful development and progress of the Sultanate of Oman for the betterment of the people. May His Majesty be blessed with happiness and good health as the leader of the nation.

Paola Amadei, Ambassador of Italy On the occasion of safe and sound arrival of Sultan Qaboos, I have the honour to present my sincerest congratulations to the people of Oman. It is an occasion that shows the importance of this great historic day in Oman, life in the hearts of Omani people and their gratitude to their beautiful and beloved country under the wise leadership

of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It is an occasion as well to celebrate the impressive achievements fulfilled. I take this opportunity to renew my appreciation of the Oman Qaboos Website, which provides ample information about the vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to bring about peace, prosperity and harmony. I will spare no effort to strengthen the relations between Italy and Oman.

Hans-Christian Freiherr von Reibnitz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Upon the return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the country, I am conveying warmest greetings on behalf of the German government and all the staff of the German embassy. I am adding my personal best wishes for the health and well-being of His Majesty and continued peace, stability as well as further progress and prosperity for all the people of Oman.

George Hisaeda, Ambassador of Japan On the auspicious and joyful occasion of the great leader Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s return, I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the government and citizens of Oman, on behalf of Japan. May His Majesty continue to be blessed with the best of health, and the Omani nation continues to flourish and thrive in peace, prosperity and harmony under His Majesty’s sagacious leadership. As Ambassador of Japan to Oman, I will continue to avail myself of every opportunity to further strengthen the warm and robust relationship between the two friendly countries. I would also like to commend the developments of His Majesty’s personal website and wish it every future success.

In this modern and technical global era, I believe the website will play a very important role in further enhancing good relations between the friendly nation of Oman and the international community and deepen Oman’s enduring friendship with the hi-tech nation of Japan.

Daesik KIM, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea On the occasion of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s return home, I, on behalf of the Korean community in Oman, would like to first and foremost extend our warmest welcome to him and pray that may His Majesty always

be blessed with dynamic energy, good health and long life. It is my sincere wish that His Majesty is always healthy and strong and that under his distinguished leadership our friendly and cooperative relations may continue to strengthen further in the future. Wishing the Omani people continued progress and prosperity in the years to come, I would like to take this opportunity to applaud the team of ‘HM’s Personal Website’ especially Hamoud Al Azri for all the hard efforts put by him in making this unique website which introduces the life and personality of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and his achievements for the people of Oman to the outside world. I hope that this website will continue to grow and wish the team good luck in the coming years.

Helen Sayers, Manager/trainer, Oasis Life-Skills Training Services It is an honour for me to be given this opportunity to express my congratulations on His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s return home, along with these heartfelt messages from the ambassadors accredited to Oman, who play such an important role in building bridges of harmony between nations. As a member of the expatriate community in Oman, I hold His Majesty in high esteem. He is a great inspiration to us — a shining light in the world, who upholds the highest human values; values that include courage, integrity, humility, inner peace, compassion, dignity, wisdom, respect, inclusiveness and kindness — to name but a few. The world is in need of values such as these, and the best way that we can truly appreciate His Majesty for his unparalleled efforts is to aspire to emulate those same values that we admire in our great leader. It has been a privilege to contribute in a small way to the continued development of the Oman-Qaboos website with Hamoud Al Azri and his dedicated team.

Hamoud Al Azri, General Supervisor, HM’s website Let me express with pride my sincere congratulations to His Majesty and to the people of Oman on the occasion of HM’s return.

The Sultanate has seen enormous achievements and enjoys security and stability as well as happiness since the blessed Renaissance. I would like to convey my gratitude to the ambassadors for their unwavering support in supervising the process of translating the updated biography of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, and their cooperation in the ongoing development of the project. My sincere thanks to Helen Sayers for her role in overseeing the editing of the biography of His Majesty the Sultan.

M I X E D A N D M AT C H E D

Max launches fresh Spring Collection MUSCAT: As winter transits into the glorious colours of a fresh new season, Max is going into full bloom with the hues of everything blue for their latest Spring Collection. A delight for the lovers of this beautiful colour, Max will display its awe-inspiring line of clothing, mixed and matched with this beautiful shade of spring, says a press release.

Paisleys are all the rage this season, finding themselves textured in prints for both men and women.

Monochromes, with their pleasing shades are also ruling the runways taking an evergreen stand with their historic design.

Always blessed with an abundance of choice, the women’s spring collection will give in to light flowing dresses as they catch the sweet breeze of freshness. Soft, yet modern and edgy, the silhouettes drape perfectly in body flattering cuts. Marking a huge comeback, prints make its way into the wardrobes of fashion-lovers as a season’s favourite with floral and feminine motifs, polka dots, stripes and even bolder tribal patterns and vivid colours. Offering a plethora of designs even for the men folk, the collection will witness mono paisleys and solid monochromes.

Keeping the spirit of the season, men’s polo tees, vests, graphic tees, printed shorts, joggers and

casual jackets will see colours that are fresh and vibrant from black, grey, blue, indigo, red and shades of pink.

Shades of blue contrast with the vivid colours of yellow, red, pink, blue white and indigo to attain the vibrancy of youth in a fun collection for the Max teens.

The trendy young girls get to enjoy an urban-inspired journey into delicate prints, soft floral designs, textured fabrics, crochets, laces, stripes and some even funky patchwork. For the fun-filled boys on-the-go, it’s all about skaters with sporty, athletic, tropical and animal faces; designs that are primed for a streetstyle-worthy statement.

Kids, spring and colours; the three go in absolute harmony with each other. Matching the theme of the season, the camovarsity-aquatic-inspired pieces can’t miss the eye. Prints in tropical, paisley, stripes, checks, city graphic and numerical contribute to an exciting line-up for the spring shelves. Floral–inspired prints, heart shaped graphics, polka dots and bird prints form an exciting collection for the creative young girls. Mirroring the silhouettes of the Max woman, now even the six-year-old girls get to flaunt everything from pretty skirts and high and low dresses to skinny pants and crop tops.

B E AT I N G T H E H E AT

MSE launches free service campaign on cooling appliances MUSCAT: Mustafa Sultan Electronics (MSE) recently announced a month long free service campaign across the country from March 15 for its cooling products including air conditioners, chest freezer and refrigerators ahead of the scorching summer season.

The free service campaign is MSE’s way of reassuring their customers that the relationship with them continues well beyond the sale of the product. The free service campaign would not only nurture the trust reposed on MSEC by the existing customers, but instil confidence in the minds of the indenting buyers also, says a press release.

The free service campaign just ahead of the summer season will benefit the consumers im-

mensely and they are expecting a very positive response to this initiative from their consumers.

Consumers can avail this service by dialing MSE’s service centre numbers 00 968 24818018 and 00 968 24818039 and registering their complaints.

Mustafa Sultan Electronics Co. (MSEC), one of the leading electronics company in Oman, is the distributor for Philips along with Brands like Haier, Whirlpool, and Westpoint etc. MSEC has two showrooms in the capital at Al Khuwair and Ruwi.

MSEC’s Service Centre at Wadi Kabir is fully equipped with all ultra modern infrastructure and company trained engineers to cater to any of the requirements of the valued customers.

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ROUND-UP

Bank Muscat celebrates HM’s return

Brightly decorated with the national colours of red, green and white, a festive atmosphere prevailed at the head office where the employees joined a loyal salutation to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, marked the auspicious return home of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said as the head office and branches across the Sultanate lined up various celebrations reflecting the Omani sentiments associated with the loyalty, pride, admiration and respect for the beloved leader of Oman.

The bank’s senior management team joined the celebrations in honour of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos at the head office. Brightly decorated with the national colours of red, green and white, a festive atmosphere prevailed at the head office where the employees joined a loyal salutation to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, says a press release.

A photography exhibition titled ‘Oman Celebrates’ tracing His Majesty’s historic and special moments

On the auspicious return home of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Bank Muscat is honoured to extend best wishes for the well-being and a long life to His Majesty the Sultan to lead Oman to greater prosperity, progress and development

AbdulRazak Ali Issa Chief Executive

I N F O R M AT I V E

GRAND OCCASION

was another highlight of the celebrations. The bank also released a special song in tribute to the glorious achievements of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. The audio CD of the patriotic song was distributed to the bank employees and customers across the Sultanate.

“On the auspicious return home of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, Bank Muscat is honoured to extend best wishes for the well-being and a long life to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to lead Oman to greater prosperity, progress and development. Bank Muscat owes its gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for the opportunity to join hands in building a nation with opportunities for all,” said AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief Executive.

“True to its identity as the Sultanate’s flagship bank, Bank Muscat strives to reflect the Omani values and culture in all operations.

The bank’s widest reach across the country is helping to play a pivotal role in the development process of Oman in line with the farsighted vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. In order to sustain the impressive achievements made by the Sultanate under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos in the last 45 years, Bank Muscat remains committed to contributing to further progress of the nation, prosperity and welfare for all,” he added.

As the nation’s flagship bank, Bank Muscat seizes every opportunity to join the nation in celebrating auspicious occasions characterizing the glorious development march led by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. The corporate philosophy of the bank is underpinned by the rich Omani culture and traditions which finds true expression on such national occasions.

NEW ROLE

Special celebration at Bank Sohar to mark HM’s return to Sultanate

Risk Management Services host insurance seminar

NBO appoints new chief retail banking officer

MUSCAT: As part of the joyful celebrations throughout the Sultanate in welcoming His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Bank Sohar organised a special celebration at its head office in Ruwi to express happiness on His Majesty’s return.

The celebration was attended

by Rashad Ali Al Musafir, Acting CEO, members of executive management and the bank staff. The building was also decorated with national flags and pictures of His Majesty, says a press release.

Sharing in the joy of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s return home, the bank’s celebrations included a collective singing of the national anthem, and a traditional band, together with welcoming poems of His Majesty by the staff congratulating Omanis on this dignified occasion in addition to a cake cutting ceremony by members of the executive management and staff.

“On behalf of the Chairman and members of the Board and all the staff of Bank Sohar, I would like to send warm sentiments and sincere congratulationsto all the people of Oman on the occasion of the highly anticipated return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. This occasion has had a positive effect on every individual living in the Sul-

MUSCAT: Oman’s leading insurance broker Risk Management Services recently held an insurance seminar for many of its major clients entitled ‘Removing the Mystery of Risk Management’.

This very informative event was conducted by Ray Mattholie, a world renowned professional risk management consultant, and gave a comprehensive overview of the origins, applications and current best practices in Enterprise Risk Management.

It also provided valuable links to sources of reference to assist top management executives in understanding and implementing relevant risk management models and tools such as Heat Maps, Risk Registers and Risk Matrices, says a press release.

This one-day insurance seminar briefed the delegates on the historical development of the discipline of risk management and also highlighted the current trend of global corporate entities in focusing on a more holistic approach in the identification, assessment, mitigation and transfer of risks to which modern businesses are exposed.

MUSCAT: National Bank of Oman, the Sultanate’s leading financial institution, recently announced the appointment of John Chang as its new General Manager-Chief Retail Banking Officer. With a career spanning over three decades, John brings international experience and ability to the role having worked in senior retail banking positions with GCC financial institutions, says a press release.

He also has a strong trackrecord working across different continents and, during a 20-year stint at Standard Chartered Bank between 1984 to 2004, worked in various financial destinations including Singapore, Malaysia, Ghana, and Bangladesh. John has a MBA from The City University, London, UK and an Advanced Management Programme from INSEAD, France.

“We had a very strong and positive 2014 and the appointment of John as our new General Manager-Chief Retail Banking Officer will allow us to continue our focus on further growth. It is encouraging for NBO to attract talent of John’s calibre, especially to such a strategically important role which will drive the bank’s future success. This appointment

tanate and we are honoured to celebrate the arrival of His Majesty,” said Rashad Al Musafir.

“Over the past four decades, His Majesty was able to build a modern country that stands proud amongst other nations with its rich culture and ancient heritage.

“This has resulted in garnering the love and loyalty of every Omani along the way. Today we renew our covenant to continue on our path towards building a glorious and prosperous future for our beloved nation. Our celebration was

just a small part of a much grander collective celebrations that encompassed the entire country, including Omanis and non-Omanis residing in the Sultanate, showcasing the nation’s indisputable love and loyalty to His Majesty,” he added.

Additionally, all Bank Sohar branches across the Sultanate also shared in the celebrations of this national occasion while the bank staff shared their wishes and prayers for His Majesty on the bank’s social media pages.

will augment the bank’s leadership team, boosting the mix of local and international experience and expertise of our management, which will inspire and benefit our dedicated employees,” said Ahmed Al Musalmi, CEO of National Bank of Oman.

“John brings a great deal of experience and a strong track record working within the retail banking sector, a division that National Bank of Oman is continuously growing. His appointment will boost our proposition to all of our valued customers and we welcome him to the National Bank of Oman family,” he added.

In January, NBO announced the appointment of nine Omanis to key senior positions within the bank as part of its strategy of delivering high-quality service and operational excellence.

ACCOLADE

Bank Nizwa named ‘Best Islamic Bank’ at Islamic Finance Awards MUSCAT: Bank Nizwa has been named ‘Best Islamic Bank’ in Oman at the 6th annual Islamic Finance Awards 2015, organised

by World Finance magazine, for its pioneering approach towards spreading greater awareness of Islamic banking in the Sultanate and achieving outstanding growth throughout its two-year journey.

The award was based on nominations submitted by banking practitioners and readers of World Finance, a leading publication on financial analytics and global economics based in the UK, says a

press release.

“We are committed to building a solid foundation for Islamic banking in Oman that is based on the highest levels of service, transparency and dedication,” said Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, chief executive officer of Bank Nizwa.

“This recognition reflects our team’s steadfast efforts to position Bank Nizwa as a trustworthy and innovative institution that leads by example within the global banking community.

“We are leading the way towards a sizeable and thriving future for

the Islamic Banking industry, while continually spearheading its growth as a competitive alternative to conventional banking.”

Bank Nizwa continues to obtain awards from the global finance market for its fully-fledged range of Shari’a-compliant solutions, its knowledge-based empowerment of local communities in raising the level of awareness in Islamic banking and its proven professionals and their level of expertise.

In addition, the bank has recently achieved its two-year expansion strategy opening 10 branches

across Oman.

To date, Bank Nizwa has won a number of prominent awards including ‘Best Islamic Bank in Oman’ from Islamic Finance News in 2014, ‘Best Islamic Financial Institution in Oman’ from the London Sukuk Summit, and the World Finance 100 Award to name a few.

World Finance Awards celebrate achievement, innovation and brilliance on an annual basis with a judging panel featuring experts and industry veteran in finance and business.

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, M ARC H 26, 2015

SECTION

SPOR YOUR GAME

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SUPERPOWERS COLLIDE IN SYDNEY BLOCKBUSTER Sparks can be expected to fly when confident, well-balanced teams from cricketing superpowers Australia and India clash in a mouthwatering World Cup semifinal at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. >C3

Oman team hope to emerge stronger Oman captain Ali looking beyond English leagues

Le Guen’s Oman team are now focussing on the preparations for the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers, which start with

LOOKING TO FUTURE: Oman captain Ali Al Habsi, second right, speaks during a press conference on the eve of their friendly match against Malaysia on Wednesday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

a friendly against Malaysia on Thursday

A. SESHAGIRI RAO

raoas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Despite the disappointing results in the recent regional and continental tournaments, Oman are hoping to emerge stronger from the experience as they start their preparations for the 2019 Asian Cup and 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

Oman’s not so impressive performances in the 22nd Gulf Cup and the 2015 Asian Cup — both played in a space of three months, when Paul Le Guen’s boys finished a poor fourth in the first event in Riyadh back in November and then at the beginning of the New Year they failed to make it to the knockout stages of the continental tournament in Australia — drew flak from all quarters.

A few clubs even went to the extent of using the team’s poor performance as one of the major tools to strike at the root of the Sultanate’s soccer — the Oman Football Association (OFA) board, demanding an extra-ordinary meeting with the aim of bringing down the body. The eventuality, though, was averted and better sense prevailed

thanks to the world football governing body, Fifa’s seeing no reason to intervene in the matter.

But Oman team, putting behind all that criticism and those unsavoury episodes linking to their performances, are now focussing on their preparations for the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifications, which start with a friendly match against the visiting Malaysian team on Thursday. The match, to be played at the Seeb Sports Stadium, will kick off at 6.30 pm.

“It is important for us to focus on work on hand and look to the future,” Le Guen said.

Speaking at the match-eve press conference, the Frenchman said: “What happens outside the field is not in our control. What we can and what we want to do is focus on our game and work on it.”

Oman coach admitted it was disappointing to ‘lose the matches which we could have won’ at the Asian Cup’.

“We are disappointed like everyone. But there is nothing to be ashamed of as far as the team’s performances were concerned,” he said. “We lost the matches we could have won and those losses came against the two finalists,” Le Guen said referring to defeats Down Under to South Korea and eventual champions Australia in the group stage.

“But we won our final group match against Kuwait. So we want to keep that momentum going and it is important to build on that confidence,” he added.

“No doubt we need to improve, improve further. When I took over the team four years ago, we needed a fresh start. Now what we require is to keep the ‘backbone’ of the current squad and built around it.”

“This team now have the experience which is vital for the future of Oman football.”

“We are beginning with the Malaysia friendly. Then we will travel to Doha (on Monday) to play another match against Algeria.”

“Then we will wait for the draw of the Asian and World Cup in June before making future plans,” the Frenchman added.

His Malaysian counterpart Dollah Salleh said his team will try to match the standard of Omani squad. “Oman are a strong team.

Their standard is high. For us it is important to give opportunity for to as many players as possible to play a big team like Oman.”

“Our aim to prepare the team for the challenge and try to get them to match the standard of the Omani team,” he added.

More stronger Meanwhile, Oman captain Ali Al Habsi also brushed aside the criti-

cism that followed Oman’s performance in the Asian Cup. Echoing his coach’s views ‘what happens outside is not in our control’, the star custodian of English Championships side Wigan Athletic said: “We are professional players and we need to behave that way — focus on football, our game and forget about other things.”

“We all love our country and our football. We want to do well when we represent our country,” the Omani goalkeeping hero said.

“It is up to us — the manager (coach Le Guen), the players — to work for the future.

“Our job is to give 100 percent.

We will try to give 100 percent.”

Ali is also confident the team will bounce back.

“I know everyone is disappointed. We are also disappointed we couldn’t progress further (in Asian Cup). For all the experience, we will be all the more stronger. We believe in future of Oman football,” he added.

Asked whether his aim is to keep a clean slate against Malaysia, he said: “Of course, that will be my aim and that will be good for the team. But we have to be cautious, we can’t take Malaysia lightly. In today’s professional era, there are no easy teams.

“But I want the team as a whole to work well and give their best.

MUSCAT: Omani captain and goalkeeping star Ali Al Habsi is looking beyond the English leagues, keeping his career options open as his contract with Wigan Athletic draws to a close.

Ali will become a free agent when his current contract with the English Championship side ends in June this year and the Omani great is looking at the possibility of continuing his career in other European leagues.

“I am 33 (years) now and I have to plan for the next four years. I have to see what is good for my football, myself, and my family as well as what is good for Oman football.”

Ali, who made a return to the Wigan playing eleven in the recent matches and who expressed confidence in the team staying up in the Championship, said: “I will be a free agent in June. That gives me a little bit of advantage to explore other possibilities.

“I am keeping my options open. May be Spanish, Italian, French or other leagues. I have to see how things work out,” he said while making it clear ‘as of now there no of-

That is very important as we look to the future, the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers.”

Oman, the seventh ranked team in Asia, are given a direct entry into the second round of the 2019

fers from any clubs’.

An FA Cup winner with Wigan, the only player from the GCC region to get that honour, Ali moved to England via Norway where he started his professional career with Lyn Oslo.

After three successful seasons with Lyn and a best goalkeeper of the season award in 2004, he moved to England to join ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers in 2006.

Though he did not get first team place in his first year at Bolton, he went on to star in League Cup and Uefa Cup matches in 2007-08 season.

And when he finally made his Premier League debut it was against his future employers Wigan Athletic whom he joined in 2010 on loan before the deal was made permanent in July 2011.

Ali played his part in helping Wigan win their maiden FA Cup in 2013 though he missed the final against Manchester City. The following season Wigan were relegated to the Championship during which he was also loaned Brighton & Hove Albion for a month.

Asian Cup qualifiers. The first two of the three-round qualifiers also serve as the qualifiers of the 2018 World Cup. The draw is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur on April 14.

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SPORTS

Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews

Iraq launch campaign with rout of Lebanon

D U R I N G M A L AY S I A M AT C H

OFA to celebrate HM’s return with host of activities Times News Service

Yahya Alwan’s side

MUSCAT: The Oman Football Association (OFA) has big plans to celebrate the return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to Oman.

The celebrations will be held on the sidelines of the international friendly match between Oman and Malaysia at the Seeb Sports Stadium tomorrow.

Speaking to Times Sport, Alister D’Silva, head of marketing, brand and events at OFA, preparations are being held to celebrate His Majesty’s return. “We have special plans to celebrate this in

started their AFC U-23 Championship qualification campaign with an easy 4-1 victory over Lebanon

MUSCAT: Iraq made a winning start in their campaign to qualify for next year’s AFC U-23 Championship with a comfortable 4-1 win over Lebanon at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Wednesday.

Aymen Hussein’s strike one minute before the interval put Iraq 1-0 up but it wasn’t until the last 18 minutes that Yahya Alwan’s side would put some distance between themselves and the Lebanese, who were looking to build on their 2-1 victory over the Maldives in their Group A opener on Monday.

Mahdi Kamil, who was part of the Iraq senior team that reached the semifinals of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, doubled the advantage in the 72nd minute before the Al Shorta midfielder grabbed his second and Iraq’s fourth in the 85th minute, four minutes after Amjed Waleed had weighed in with number three.

Iraq were denied a clean sheet when substitute Mahmoud Siblini, who came on at the start of the second half in place of skipper Mahdi Fahs, scored a consolation

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY INSTALL WHATSNEWS

AERIAL TUSSLE: Action from a match between Iraq and Lebanon in the AFC U-23 Championship Group A qualifiers played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Wednesday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

for Lebanon three minutes into stoppage time.

Ten group winners and five best second-placed teams from all groups will join hosts Qatar at the AFC U-23 Championship 2016, with January’s 16-team competition also serving as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio. Oman ref administration Meanwhile, a final meeting has taken place as Oman’s participation in the AFC Pilot Member Association Project for Refereeing Development concluded.

The meeting was held at the Oman Football Association (OFA) headquarters to discuss various aspects of the Gulf nation’s

involvement in the AFC project which aims to assist participating Member Associations improve their refereeing administration.

Chairman of the OFA Referees Committee Humaid Al Jabri headed the OFA delegation, while AFC Head of Referees Operation Section Abdul Razak Anuar led the team from the continental football body during the meeting.

During the meeting, Al Jabri expressed his satisfaction over the fact that the AFC project had greatly helped Omani referees administration improve and stated that the OFA management had supported the recommendations made by the AFC under the project.

“Within a period of two years, the OFA Referees Department has

implemented all the recommendations made by AFC and they have learned many things,” said Al Jabri. “We still have more things to implement and are looking forward to more support from AFC even after this project ends.”

OFA Acting General Secretary Sultan Ameen Al Zadjali during the meeting also conveyed the same message and was happy that the AFC had come forward to assist in Oman’s refereeing administration.

Several matters were discussed during the meeting including the OFA Strategic Plan introduced last year, better teaching material and referees performance review, improved training for referee instructors and assessors and more. - AFC

a big way,” Alister said without revealing details.

The OFA will also give away three return air tickets to Malaysia, three Apple Ipads and 20 national team jerseys signed

by Oman’s football superstar Ali Al Habsi.

“We will be holding a raffle draw tomorrow during the course of the match and will decide the winners,” Alister said.

A special fun zone is also being organised to entertain the football fans. “Even though this is a friendly match, we are looking to promote this match in a bigger way,” he added.

ROYAL CAVALRY’S VOLCAN AND MYRA FOR DUBAI WORLD CUP Royal Cavalry’s Volcan De Close and Myra De Monlau will compete in the most important and highest prize race in the world - DubaiKahayla Classic Word Cup. Volcan De Close will compete under the supervision of Ibrahim bin Zaher Al-Hadrami, a local trainer, while Myra is under the supervision of Mosabah Al Muhairi.

“Despite the severe competition in Kahayla race where top word horses will take part, I am optimistic that Royal Cavalry’s Volcan De Close and Myra De Monlau will secure high results,” Brigadier-General Abdulrazak bin Abdulkader Al Shahwarzi, Commander of the Royal Cavalry, said. — Supplied photo

ASIAN BEACH SOCCER

Oman thrash Qatar 8-0 to top group MUSCAT: Oman thashed hosts Qatar 8-0 to complete their group engagements with an all-win record at the ongoing Asian Beach Soccer Championship in Doha on Wednesday.

According to information received here, Gaith Abdullah led

the rout of Qatar with four goals in their Group A match.

The other goals were scored by captain Hani Al Dhabit, Yaqoob Rabia, Yahya Al Araimi and Abdullah Masoud.

The Omani squad, who are coached by Talib Hilal, had earlier

defeated Bahrain 3-2 and Laos 8-3.

In Thursday’s quarterfinal, Group A toppers Oman take on Group B runners-up China.

China finished runners-up in their group after losing their final league outing 5-0 to Japan on Wednesday. Japan play their quar-

terfinal against Group A runnersup Bahrain.

Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates also reached the last eight stage.

The semifinals are scheduled for Friday and the final will be played on Saturday.

DIAMOND LEAGUE

Bolt to race in New York NEW YORK: World 100- and 200-metres record-holder Usain Bolt will compete in the New York Diamond League meet on June 13, the Jamaican star’s first race in the Big Apple since 2008, organisers announced on Wednesday.

Bolt set his first world record in winning the 100 metres in 9.72 seconds at Icahn Stadium on May 31, 2008, and since then has won six Olympic gold medals, eight world championship titles and broken seven more world records.

“No one could ever forget their first world record, and I will never forget the crowd in New York that night,” Bolt said.

“They had to wait for an hour during a thunderstorm delay before our race, and I don’t think a single person left the stadium,” he said.

“They deserved a great performance and I’m glad I was able to give it to them.

“I’m looking forward to running in New York again.” - AFP

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

TODAY’S MATCH (SECOND SEMIFINAL) INDIA V AUSTRALIA (7:30AM OMAN TIME)

BLOCKBUSTER as superpowers collide The match pits four-times champions Australia, the topranked team in one-day cricket, against title holders India, the dominant financial power in world cricket

SYDNEY: Sparks can be expected to fly when confident, well-balanced teams from cricketing superpowers Australia and India clash in a mouthwatering World Cup semifinal at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

The match pits four-times champions Australia, the top-ranked team in one-day cricket, against title holders India, the dominant financial power in world cricket.

The winners will go on to face the other co-hosts New Zealand next Sunday in another of the great arenas of the game, Melbourne Cricket Ground. While Thursday’s clash will have to go some way to match the tense climax of New Zealand’s victory over South Africa on Tuesday, Australia’s meetings with India are rarely dull.

If familiarity between the two sides has not quite bred contempt, the frequent heated exchanges in their clashes indicates at the very least a fierce competitiveness.

“The fact we’re playing India now is extremely special,” Australia captain Michael Clarke said on Wednesday. “I think you’ll see two teams at the top of their game wanting to play their best cricket, I’m really confident both teams will put on a great show.”

In the test arena at least, home advantage has been the decisive factor in their meetings in recent years.

It has less of an impact in the one-day game and there is good reason for India to have some confidence it

will not mitigate too heavily against them on Thursday.

Clarke admitted it was a “no brainer” that Indian fans would outnumber those of Australia, while the SCG has always offered something for the one area of the game where the visitors can be said to have a distinct edge, spin bowling. Australia can look to their record of having lost just one of 14 one-day internationals at the ground against India and to their utter dominance of their meetings since the tourists arrived Down Under last November.

India have been transformed since the start of the World Cup, however, with a newly potent bowling attack firing alongside their always fine batting to take them to the last four unbeaten.

That has given the side such confidence that batsman Rohit Sharma said it was irrelevant whether there was spin on offer at the SCG or not. “If you look at the tournament, we’ve taken 70 wickets in seven games, distributed between the spinners and the fast bowlers,” he said.

“So it doesn’t matter how the wicket behaves. If it suits the fast bowlers or the spinners, we’ve got everything covered in those two areas.

“We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing.

We’ve played some really good cricket in the World Cup and it’s just a matter of two more hurdles.” Australia, by contrast, would clearly welcome a wicket to favour their quick bowlers Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood.

Hazlewood, who took 4-35 in the quarter-final victory over Pakistan, looks likely to get the nod ahead of spinner Xavier Doherty to keep Australia unchanged for the first time in the tournament.

India have only altered their line-up during their title defence because of an injury to paceman Mohammed Shami and are also likely to be unchanged.

“We’ve played a lot of cricket against India,” Clarke added.

“We know their strengths, we know their weaknesses, and we know they’re a very good team. “We have to execute our skills as well as we possibly can, and if we do that, I have confidence that we can beat any team we play against.” - Reuters

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Spin or seam? India confident of passing Sydney test, says Rohit The wear and tear at the end of a long

We have taken 70 wickets in seven matches, bowled out the opposition every time, so we know what we need to do.

Our seamers have done well and so have the spinners

season was evident when the covers were removed at the Sydney Cricket ground on Wednesday, revealing a dry, brown pitch that would gladden India more than their rivals

Rohit Sharma Team India

SYDNEY: India will go into Thursday’s World Cup semi-final against Australia in Sydney confident of success irrespective of whether the wicket took turn or assisted fast bowlers, opener Rohit Sharma said.

The wear and tear at the end of a long season was evident when the covers were removed at the Sydney Cricket ground on Wednesday, revealing a dry, brown pitch that would gladden India more than their rivals.

South African spinners Imran Tahir and JP Duminy shared seven wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka for 133 in the quarterfinal at the SCG last week, setting up a nine-wicket win for the Proteas.

But the bat dominated the ball in previous World Cup games at the venue, with Australia piling up 376 for nine against Sri Lanka and South Africa smashing 408 for five off the West Indies’ attack.

Australian coach Darren Leh-

mann predicted a high-scoring game, but Sharma said India were not sweating over the nature of the wicket.

“It does not worry us what sort of wicket we get because we are confident of doing well on any surface,” said Sharma, who scored a century in the quarterfinal against Bangladesh in Melbourne.

“We have taken 70 wickets in seven matches, bowled out the opposition every time, so we know what we need to do.

“Our seamers have done well and so have the spinners. We are ready for anything that we get.”

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men have confounded critics by recovering from a winless bilateral tour of Australia before the World Cup to brush aside all-comers in the tournament.

Starting with two wins against Pakistan and South Africa, India

won all six group matches to top Pool B and then downed spirited Bangladesh by 109 runs in the quarter-finals.

Besides bowling out their rivals in all games, India have piled up 300-plus scores every time they have batted first.

India have beaten Australia just once in 35 years in a one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the hosts have won all six semi-finals they have contested since the inaugural event in 1975.

But Sharma, who hit a record one-day score of 264 against Sri Lanka last year, said the past will have no bearing on Thursday’s result and insisted Australia were not unbeatable.

“Of course we can win, no question about it,” he said. “Australia is a good batting side but they struggled against good quality bowling when they played New Zealand or H AY D E N S AY S

Australia favourites SYDNEY: Ahead of the do-ordie cricket World Cup semifinal between India and Australia, former explosive opening batsman Matthew Hayden was on Wednesday confident that the co-hosts will beat India to enter the final.

“Obviously I think Australia will defeat India,” Hayden, member of Australia’s World Cup winning squads in 2003 and 2007, was quoted as saying by news.com.au on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old said India’s two spinners Ashwin and Jadeja will play a big part considering the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch which might assist the spinners. — IANS

Pakistan. “They have also bowled well, but then we have batted well too.”

Australia were shot out for 151

by New Zealand in Auckland and it was only a six-wicket haul by Mitchell Starc that saw the Black Caps lose nine wickets before surpassing the modest target.

Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz had the Australian batsmen hopping with shortpitched deliveries in the quarterfinal in Adelaide before the hosts won by six wickets.

Sharma, who had heated onfield exchanges with David Warner during the preceding tri-series, said he expected a fiery contest between two strong rivals.

“Look a bit of sledging is okay as long as boundaries are not crossed,” he said. “The Indian team will not cross the line, but we will not back down either.” - AFP

FINE TUNING: India’s Ravichandran Ashwin bowls during a practice session in Sydney. – AFP

AU S T R A L I A C A P TA I N S P E A K S

Clarke backs Warner to behave, Johnson leads the battle cry SYDNEY: Australia captain Michael Clarke expects temperamental opener David Warner to be on his best behaviour in Thursday’s World Cup semifinal against India, but Mitchell Johnson is ready to step up the sledging war.

Warner, who has already been warned twice for on-field verbal sledges, faces suspension from the final, should Australia qualify, if he is found guilty of another misdemeanour at the Sydney Cricket ground. “David will be fine,” Clarke told reporters on Wednesday. “He knows the rules, as we all do, and his rules are no different than the rest of ours.”

But fast bowler Johnson said he did not expect any let up in Australia’s aggressive approach, and was even willing to take the lead if Warner did not sledge.

“I heard Davey (Warner) say he was not going to get involved in all that stuff,” Johnson told Fox Sports. “Someone has got to do it and I think I might put my hand up. It’s part of the game.”

Meanwhile all-rounder Shane Watson accepted he too was on thin ice after being fined for exchanging words with Pakistan paceman Wahab Riaz during Australia’s quarterfinal victory.

“I don’t want to get fined again or get suspended so I know I’m going to have to be even more diligent with what I say, when I say it and how I say it,” Watson said.

“Based on my last fine, I am just about on my last warning.”

‘Don’t want kids to see it’ The International Cricket Council faced criticism for being heavy-handed in fining both Wahab and Watson, but chief executive David Richardson insisted they had done the right thing.

“I enjoyed the competitiveness ... it was just a pity it extended later in the game to something you wouldn’t want your kids to see,” said Richardson.

“Things get heated — we actually like them to get heated from time to time. On the odd occasion, you lose your cool and you say something you shouldn’t — perhaps you should get a fine or you

I think the SCG in general is a really good wicket for both batting and bowling Michael Clarke Australia captain

might get suspended.”

Australia and India have had a tumultuous relationship on and off the field in recent years.

The bad blood showed up during India’s Test and one-day series in Australia prior to the World Cup when heated on-field exchanges led to several players being penalised.

Three Indian players, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, and Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc were charged for a breach of the ICC’s code of conduct.

Warner was reported both in the Test and one-day series, and was publicly told off by Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland to “stop looking for trouble.”

Meanwhile, Clarke did not expect the SCG wicket to throw up any surprises for Thursday’s semifinal, saying it will prove to be a good cricketing pitch.

There is growing speculation that the dry, brown wicket will suit India more than the home

team’s fast bowlers, but Clarke said: “I think the SCG in general is a really good wicket for both both batting and bowling.”

India have beaten Australia just once in 35 years in a one-day international at the SCG and the hosts have won all six World Cup semifinals they have contested since the inaugural event in 1975.

Australia will start as favourites, but Clarke insisted the expectations from home fans will not put undue pressure on his side.

“Expectations will be there because we are the number one oneday team in the world,” he said. “The reason you have that expectation on you is because you’ve performed.”

Organisers expect Indian fans to outnumber their Australian counterparts at the the 42,000-capacity SCG, but Clarke said: “That’s fine.

We have played in India a number of times and they out-support us there as well. It’s a fantastic feeling to have the opportunity to play in your own backyard and to play in Australia.” - AFP

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

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C O M M E N TA RY

The pressure could well be the key dictator

A

STRETCHING: Indian cricketers warm up before a training session ahead of their 2015 Cricket World Cup semifinal match against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. – AFP

India to battle tide of history in Sydney FA C T B O X

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men have confounded critics by recovering from a winless bilateral tour of Australia before the World Cup to brush aside all-comers in

SYDNEY: Defending champions India will hope the law of averages does not catch up with them when they clash with hosts Australia in a widely-anticipated World Cup semifinal in Sydney on Thursday.

India have beaten Australia just once in 35 years in a one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground when a Sachin Tendulkar century helped them win the first of the three-match tri-series final in 2008.

But Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men have confounded critics by recovering from a winless bilateral tour of Australia before the World Cup to brush aside all-comers in the tournament.

Starting with two wins against Pakistan and South Africa, India won all six group matches to top Pool B and then downed spirited Bangladesh by 109 runs in the quarter-finals.

Amazingly, India have piled up 300-plus scores every time they have batted first and dismissed the opposition in all seven matches so far.

India now confront a side that has won seven of their 10 World Cup meetings against them, although Dhoni’s men secured a five-wicket win in the quarterfinal at home in Ahmedabad four years ago.

Four-time champions Australia have won all six semifinals they have appeared in since the inaugural event in 1975, but India will consider the SCG as the best venue to halt that record.

Groundsman Tom Parker has kept both teams guessing on the nature of the pitch he will unveil for the semi-final, but the wear and

AUSTRALIA Captain: Michael Clarke Coach: Darren Lehmann Squad: Michael Clarke, Aaron Finch, David Warner, Shane Watson, George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc Results so far at 2015 World Cup: (Matches 7, Won 5, Lost 1, 1 abandoned) Beat England by 111 runs (Opener Aaron Finch’s 135 and a 5-33 from paceman Mitchell Marsh gave the co-hosts an easy win) Match abandoned against Bangladesh (Match called of due to heavy rain in Brisbane) Lost to New Zealand by one wicket (Mitchell Starc’s 6-28 could not compensate for a batting collapse) Beat Afghanistan by 275 runs (David Warner top-scored with 178 in an Australia’s run-feast) Beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs (Glenn Maxwell smashed 102 in 53 balls to outshine Kumar Sangakkara’s ton) Beat Scotland by seven wickets (Starc led Scotland’s rout and Australia chased down target in 15.2 overs) Beat Pakistan by six wickets (Hazlewood’s 4-35 restricts Pakistan to 213 and Australia chases down target after a few hiccups) Top performers: Maxwell (301 runs): The middle-order batsman has been in red-hot form, smashing bowlers to all corners of the ground and often with unconventional shots. He has scored 66, 1, 88, 102 and 44 not out in five knocks and also took five wickets with his off-spin.

Warner (288 runs): Warner made the most of the Afghanistan bowling, scoring 178 against them in Perth and has averaged 57.60 in the tournament.

Starc (18 wickets): The left-arm seamer is second in the list of wicket-takers and has taken wickets at an average of 9.77. He has bowled fast and accurate.

Key to beating India: Starc will have to make early inroads and the frontline batsmen need to deliver against India’s bowling attack which has dismissed opponents in all seven matches so far.

INDIA Captain: Mahendra Singh Dhoni Coach: Duncan Fletcher

tear at the end of a long season indicates spin-friendly conditions.

South African spinners Imran Tahir and JP Duminy shared seven wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka for 133 in the quarterfinal at the SCG last week, setting up a nine-wicket win for the Proteas.

But the bat dominated the ball

Squad: MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, Akshar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma Results so far at 2015 World Cup: (Matches 7, Won 7) Beat Pakistan by 76 runs (Kohli ton secured win against arch-rivals) Beat South Africa by 130 runs (Dhawan’s hundred and some tight bowling sunk South Africa) Beat United Arab Emirates by nine wickets (Ashwin spun web around UAE to set up a small chase) Beat West Indies by four wickets (Shami led a strong bowling display to beat West Indies) Beat Ireland by eight wickets (Dhawan century helps chase down modest target) Beat Zimbabwe by six wickets (Unbeaten 196-run stand between centurion Raina and Dhoni bails India out) Beat Bangladesh by 109 runs (Rohit Sharma’s 137 took India to 302-6 and Bangladesh were all out for 193 with Yadav taking 4-31) Top performers so far: Dhawan (367 runs): Has batted himself back into form and will have to continue the good work. His partnership with Sharma at the top will be crucial for the holders against the formidable pace attack of Australia.

Kohli (304 runs): He has failed to convert his starts after scoring a ton against Pakistan in the opening match. He had gone without a half-century since that 107.

Shami (17 wickets): Has impressed in World Cup debut with his ability to bowl at a lively pace and clever use of the bouncer.

Yadav (14 wickets): He has bowled short and fast and has been able to swing the new ball with good control.

Key to beating Australia: Need to bat well against Starc in the opening overs and Kohli needs to bat long against the co-hosts who have been unbeaten against India in the four months across all formats.

Head-to-head Total played: 117 Australia won 67, India won 40, no result 10 At Sydney Cricket Ground: Played 14, Australia won 12, India won 1, no result 1 Last match: January 26, 2015 - Rain washed out play after 16 overs.

in previous World Cup games at the venue, with Australia piling up 376 for nine against Sri Lanka and South Africa smashing 408 for five off the West Indies’ attack.

Australian coach Darren Lehmann expected a wicket similar to the one his team got for the match against Sri Lanka and predicted a

high-scoring encounter.

“I think the pitch will be very similar to the one we used in the game against Sri Lanka when almost 700 runs were scored, so I think this will be another highscoring affair,” Lehmann wrote on the official Cricket Australia website www.cricket.com.au.

Enthralling contest “But finals seem to have a way of working out differently sometimes. So even if the pitch is a belter, you have to do the basics well enough to produce a high score. And then bowl well enough to defend it.”

Lehmann felt that constant meetings with India over the summer would “add an extra element to what already looms as an enthralling contest.”

“India are really starting to gain some confidence on the back of some good performances since the tournament began, but we know them inside out — just as they do us.

“Everyone in the Australia squad is excited that we’ve reached the final week of the World Cup and are now within striking distance of a goal that we set ourselves more than a year ago.”

With organisers estimating that 70 percent of the tickets have been picked up by Indian fans, Australia would feel as if they were playing an away game on their own soil.

India will once again bank on a sound start from openers Shikhar Dhawan, who has 367 runs in the tournament with two centuries, and Rohit Sharma, who hit 137 against Bangladesh.

But it will be Virat Kohli the Australians will be wary of after the elegant right-hander hit four centuries in the preceding fourTest series, including 147 and 46 at the SCG. Kohli’s form dipped after a match-winning century against Pakistan, but Dhoni was confident of his star batsman coming good when it mattered.

“A big one is just around the corner because big players always score in big games,” Dhoni said of Kohli. India’s pace trio of Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma have claimed 42 wickets between them, but it will be the off-spin of Ravichandran Ashwin that Dhoni will turn to if the pitch takes turn.

The winner of Thursday’s match will face New Zealand in the final in Melbourne on Sunday. - AFP

USTRALIA might have reason to feel buoyed by their dominance over India in the tri-series which preceded the World Cup, but they’d be the first to acknowledge that a totally different Indian side awaits them at the SCG today.

With every match in this tournament, the current champions have increasingly distanced themselves from the side we saw in the tri-series. That was a team playing without much confidence, their bowling was a mess, though you have to wonder if their focus was already on the World Cup judging by the way they switched on as soon as the big one got underway. In their seven outings so far, they’re firing in all three departments, which in a large way explains their undefeated streak heading into this massive clash.

It’s the Indian bowlers who have impressed me the most when you think back to the tri-series when most of us would have had this department down as a weakness which, over the course of this cup, has turned into a key strength.

Mohammed Shami has been hitting the high 140s consistently and bowled with purpose while enjoying good support from Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma. Their early strikes have allowed the spinners, Ashwin and Jadeja to be at their effective best in the middle overs. I can imagine how satisfying it must be for skipper MS Dhoni to see his bowlers performing as a unit.

Though today’s toss won’t necessarily be decisive, either side wouldn’t hesitate to bat first. The wicket has generated plenty of intrigue with some suggesting spin could come into play. It certainly didn’t spin much dur-

ing the Australia-Sri Lanka fixture. I’m actually expecting the pace bowlers to have more of a say. Any hint of swing would surely delight someone like Mitchell Starc or even Mitchell Johnson who gradually appears to be finding his best rhythm.

Of course, if it does begin to aid turn as the game wears on, then Ashwin and Jadeja would be well poised to capitalise.

Make no mistake, though.

There will be loads of runs in this strip, but the pressure of a World Cup semifinal could well be the key dictator of how high scoring a game it turns out to be. Both sides possess tremendous depth and quality in their batting and the key to a 300 plus total lies in ensuring you haven’t lost more than two or three wickets by the 30th over.

The New Zealand-South Africa semi was a perfect illustration of how the pressure of a big occasion can get to you. South Africa were surely a bit hard done by the weather which intervened at a horrible time but they did squander some great chances in the final stages to win the game. The outpouring of emotion from the South African players at the end told you just how badly they wanted it.

Unfortunately sometimes, the desire to go all out can backfire as we saw it happen with the Proteas. That said, full credit to Grant Elliott and Dan Vettori for holding their nerve which earned the Kiwis a maiden appearance in a World Cup final. Australia are my favourites to join them, but by the tiniest of margins! - PMG

‘Bit of sledging is ok’ W

ho’s saying what about the World Cup semifinals between India and Australia and also New Zealand’s win...

“David will be fine. He knows the rules, as we all do, and his rules are no different than the rest of ours.”

— Australia captain Michael Clarke backs temperamental opener David Warner to behave himself in Thursday’s semifinal against India in Sydney. *** “I heard Davey (Warner) say he was not going to get involved in all that stuff. Someone has got to do it and I think I might put my hand up. It’s part of the game.”

— Australia fast bowler Mitch Johnson offers to step in on Warner’s behalf for sledging duties. *** “Look a bit of sledging is okay as long as boundaries are not crossed. The Indian team will not cross the line, but we will not back down either.”

— India batsman Rohit Sharma *** “I talked to Dale Steyn today in Auckland and must say that my respect for him is enormous. True cricketing gentleman.”

— Former England spinner Graeme Swann on encountering the South African fast bowler, whose side were knocked out of the World Cup by New Zealand. *** “He did say when I saw him at the end ‘does this mean I get to come to Melbourne?’ There’s a bit of irony there, I suppose.

He’s shown how he important he is to us so I’m sure he is looking forward to Melbourne.”

— New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum on semifinal star Grant Elliott, whose chances of being picked in the World Cup squad were considered to be slim. *** “The bigger the expectation, the more that’s asked, the bigger they stand up. I honestly don’t think this World Cup final is going to daunt these guys.”

— Former New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram.

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Australia seek Warne’s spin mantra for semifinal boost Australia take on India at the Sydney Cricket Ground and their weak spin attack has been the talking point. Shane Warne, the spin wizard, was roped in to help the team

SYDNEY: Ahead of their crucial cricket World Cup semifinal match against India on Thursday, Australian leg-spin legend Shane Warne bowled to national captain Michael Clarke at Wednesday’s practice session to prepare him against the defending champions’ spinners.

One of the greatest bowlers of all time, Warne rolled back the clock, and his arm over a few times, when he bowled to Clarke at the nets at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), reports foxsports.

Warne’s involvement comes in the wake of a buzz around the SCG pitch. Although, it has not been cleared whether it will be a greenish or a flat track, the two-time Cup champions will look to unleash their spin duo of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and leftarmer Ravindra Jadeja.

If the SCG lays a dry track, Australia’s left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty may get a look in. However, that ploy might play into the hands of the Indians, who are more comfortable facing slow bowling.

Apart from the spinning duo, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also prefers using part-time slow bowlers Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma in helpful conditions.

Interestingly, Warne, who had some magic moments at the SCG as he took 64 Test wickets in 14 games and 43 One-Day International (ODI) scalps in 26 matches there, had an inauspicious debut here 23 years ago.

Bowling against India, he was belted to all corners by the World Cup team’s manager Ravi Shastri, conceding 1-150. A year later he went for 1-116 against the West Indies and his career was on the ropes but a match-winning performance later that summer firmed his place in the squad. And in the SCG Test of 1993-94, he claimed 12 South African wickets for 128. - IANS

SPIN SCARE: Australia captain Michael Clarke, left, chats with former player Shane Warne, right, during a training session at the Sydney Cricket Ground. – AFP

Kohli hails ‘wonderful’ Indian bowling ahead of Sydney clash SYDNEY: The transformation of India’s bowlers at the World Cup has been “wonderful to watch” and the reigning champions will have a great chance of reaching the final if 10 Australian wickets tumble on Thursday, says Virat Kohli.

India’s bowlers were hammered all over Australia from the start of December to midFebruary as the team lost a test series 2-0 and failed to win a single match in the following Tri-series, which also featured England.

Fast bowlers Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma have upped their game considerably at the World Cup, however, and have combined with the strong spin-bowling department to forge a potent attack.

With the help of a sprinkling of run-outs, the Indian bowlers have dismissed the opposition in all seven matches on their

OBLIGING FANS: India’s Virat Kohli signs autographs after a practice session in Sydney. – AFP

way to the semifinals.

Kohli, the leading light in the much-vaunted Indian batting line-up, said everyone was aware of the areas where

improvement was required and he was gratified by the way the pacemen had responded.

“The way the bowlers have reacted and the way they have

performed with the composure and the confidence and the aggression all together, it’s been wonderful to watch,” he told Cricket Australia’s website.

“So we expect the bowlers to step up if you want to beat quality sides in the world and the way they have done this in this World Cup has been commendable.

“We’ve played the right kind of cricket and the difference now is how our bowling attack has come into play in this World Cup taking 70 wickets in seven games.

“That’s probably been the difference, and if we continue to do that we have a great chance come game day.”

India have not beaten Australia in any format since they arrived Down Under in late November but Kohli thinks Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground is the perfect opportunity to break that cycle.

“There couldn’t be a better time for us,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for us to do justice to the way we’ve played so far in Australia, and we haven’t had the results.” — Reuters

WA R N I N G S H O T

Bowl short at your risk: Smith SYDNEY: Ahead of their highvoltage semi-final clash against India, Australia’s batsman Steve Smith on Tuesday said India’s target to play on a supposed Australian vulnerability against the short ball could backfire on the defending champions.

Pakistani fast bowler Wahab Riaz’s wonder spell in the quarterfinal prompted some people, led by former Pakistan captain and 1992 World Cup winning team member Inzamam-ul Haq, to say the left-armer had exposed an Australian weakness against short and express bowling.

Australia’s future captain is adamant they do not have any headaches in general against short stuff and doubts the ploy

will work at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

“I don’t think so.

“A couple of guys have got out to the short ball and that is just part and parcel of the game.

“You have got to get out some way,” Smith was quoted as saying

by The Sydney Morning Herald.

“For us, we are expecting them to come out and potentially bowl a little bit too short for this wicket.

‘It will suit us’ “If they try and jam them on this wicket, it might suit us with these quick boundaries.

“It could play into our hands,” he added.

About his current form, Smith said: “I didn’t feel out of form.

I just felt like I was out of sync a little bit with a few of my movements.”

“But that’s back, my swing’s back where I want it to be, so hopefully I can continue crunching India around the park.”

The 25-year-old now marks his guard just outside leg, an approach he admits has stumped some teammates during the World Cup. “I ask for leg stump and then I just pull it this way a little bit (towards leg side), so there is a mark in the middle of nowhere out there,” he said.

“It has fooled a few people, ‘Pup’ (Clarke) came out... and said ‘what’s going on out there?” - IANS

Steve Smith.

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

ONE OF THE MISTAKES: South Africa’s JP Duminy, left, collides with teammate South Africa’s Farhaan Behardien and drop a catch chance during their defeat to New Zealand in Auckland. – AP/PTI

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AFTER THAT WINNING SIX: New Zealand’s match-winner Grant Elliot, right, helps stunned South African bowler Dale Steyn up before consoling him. – Reuters

South Africa’s comedy of errors is no laughing matter Tuesday’s dramatic four-wicket defeat by New Zealand in a rain-affected clash at Auckland’s Eden Park was the fourth time the Proteas had made it to the last four — and the fourth time they hadn’t reached the final

SYDNEY: Another World Cup semifinal but another failure to get to the final has left many South Africa fans questioning what their side must do to reach One-day International cricket’s showpiece match.

Tuesday’s dramatic four-wicket defeat by New Zealand in a rainaffected clash at Auckland’s Eden Park was the fourth time the Proteas had made it to the last four — and the fourth time they hadn’t reached the final.

In 1992 they were undone by the unfairness of the rain rule then in force which left them needing an impossible 21 off one ball to beat England, while in 2007 they were swept aside by Australia.

However, Tuesday’s clash had echoes of South Africa’s 1999 tie with Australia — a result that saw the Australians into the final on superior net run-rate — in that the Proteas squandered chances

to win the game. But this time around a selection decision may have hampered South Africa even before the match started.

Fast bowler Kyle Abbott, who took an excellent one for 27 off a tight six overs during the quarterfinal victory over Sri Lanka, was dropped to make way for Vernon Philander — who missed several matches including the last eight clash this World Cup with a hamstring injury. Philander’s first over was savaged for 14 runs by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and he was taken out of the attack, with none of his eight overs on Tuesday producing a wicket.

“You’ve got an in form bowler (Abbott) who’s got bounce and he’s got pace and has bowled so well in the last couple of days.

You’ve got to be so brave to change that bowling line-up,” former South Africa spinner Pat Symcox told local radio.

HALLMARK

Balance and composure keys to NZ progress AUCKLAND: The calm, assured manner in which New Zealand chased down South Africa’s imposing total on Tuesday to advance to their first cricket World Cup final is a hallmark of a team that has developed into a cohesive unit over the last two years.

Brendon McCullum’s side sealed a four-wicket win over South Africa when Grant Elliott swatted Dale Steyn over deep mid-wicket for a six, igniting euphoric scenes rarely seen at a New Zealand sporting event.

“I looked around the group and saw that everyone was pretty calm,” McCullum told reporters on Wednesday of how his team dealt with the intense pressure of the match situation.

“I was pretty calm for most of it but towards the end I started hoping ... the boys would be able to pull it off.

“I had immense faith in them.”

Faith is exactly what coach Mike Hesson had in Elliot, whose innings of 84 not out justified his inclusion in the World Cup squad after somewhat surprisingly having been out of the team for 14 months. The 36-year-old was also a reassuring voice for powerful youngster Corey Anderson as they put on 103 runs for the fifth wicket, which ultimately gave

New Zealand the win. The partnership highlighted the strength of New Zealand’s batting lineup, with a top order of McCullum, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson offering contrasting approaches to run scoring.

Guptill is technically proficient but can also blast away when needed, as was evident in his World Cup record 237 not out against West Indies in the quarterfinal.

Williamson is the classic accumulator while McCullum’s swaggering aggression puts opposing attacks off their rhythm and gives New Zealand a flying start.

The players from four to seven — Ross Taylor, Elliott, Anderson and wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi — are a highly competent engine room designed to take the team through to imposing totals or to chase down targets.

All have contributed to helping their side to victory over New Zealand’s domestic summer.

Opening bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee are arguably the best new-ball pair at the tournament.

“We have been confident all along in terms of what we do,” Hesson said. “We know the brand of cricket we want to play, we are pretty confident. We have got a chance to put on a good show on Sunday and we will prepare for that.” - Reuters

AGHAST: World’s best bowler Dale Steyn of South Africa is stunned after he was hit for a six, which spelt doom for his team. – Reuters

‘T-CUP’ test Dale Steyn is widely acknowledged as the best fast bowler of his generation, his Test average of just over 22 runs per wicket placing him among cricket’s all-time greats.

But a return off 11 wickets in eight matches at this World Cup was modest for a man of his class and on Tuesday his 8.5 overs cost an expensive 76 runs.

Steyn also needed lengthy treatment for a leg problem during the final over, and this was a further setback for a South Africa side who throughout the tournament, had to ‘fiddle’ 10 overs from a fifth bowler — reviving a longstanding criticism they had been excessively cautious in selecting an extra batsman rather than an additional bowler.

The Proteas may well have made

a 350-plus score had not rain intervened, but a total of 281 for five, which left New Zealand needing a revised 298 in 43 overs, looked enough when the Black Caps were 149 for four.

Yet it was from then on that the worth of England 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward’s oft-repeated phrase of ‘T-CUP’ (Thinking Clearly Under Pressure) became apparent,

with captain AB de Villiers fumbling a run-out of Corey Anderson and Grant Elliott benefitting from another failed run out attempt and a dropped catch.

Corey Anderson (58) helped Elliott added 103 for the fifth wicket before the South Africa-born Grant Elliott, raising his game, completed a match-winning 84 not out.

“I didn’t take that (run-out chance) unfortunately, but yes if you want to see it that way that I cost us then I’ll gladly take it,” said a distraught de Villiers.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, writing on the ICC’s website, said: “The Proteas missed the half-chances that counted and it ultimately cost them.

“Most tellingly they seemed to deviate from their pre-planned bowling strategy to McCullum by bowling poor lengths which allowed him to dictate the pace of the game,” he added.

Inevitably, South Africa’s latest World Cup loss will revive accusations of “choking”, yet in recent years they have won Tests from improbable positions against sides as good as Australia — not the act of a bunch of mentally weak players.

However, blows often come thick and fast in the one-day game, with the fall-out from this latest loss leaving South Africa with four more years of World Cup hurt. - AFP

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VICTORY LAP: Daniel Vettori leads New Zealand players as they thank their fans after the semifinal victory in Auckland.

Eyeing fairytale send-off for Vettori Vettori was in the middle at Auckland’s Eden Park on Tuesday night when the Black Caps clinched a spot in Sunday’s title decider in Melbourne with a dramatic one-ball-tospare victory over South Africa

WELLINGTON: Brendon McCullum on Wednesday conceded Daniel Vettori had probably played his last international innings on home soil, saying New Zealand were intent on giving the veteran a fairytale send-off in the World Cup final. Vettori was in the middle at Auckland’s Eden Park on Tuesday night when the Black Caps clinched a spot in Sunday’s title decider in Melbourne with a dramatic one-ball-to-spare victory over South Africa.

The 36-year-old Vettori, who scored a crucial boundary at the death to help seal the four-wicket win, has been coy about his future plans but McCullum said “this was

potentially his last game on New Zealand soil”.

“Last night with him out there at the end, that’s a memory he’ll never forget,” McCullum told reporters. “Hopefully we’ve got one more game, one more big fairytale finish for him and then we’ll have a few bubblies.”

The Black Caps skipper said Vettori, who claimed his 300th One-day International wicket earlier in the tournament, was still experiencing pain from a back injury that almost ended his career.

“He’s played a lot of his cricket with bumps and bruises and niggles and strains,” McCullum said.

“People probably don’t realise

but he’s had to overcome quite a bit to continue to back up and get out there and represent New Zealand.

He’s a tough customer and he’s been an amazing servant for New Zealand cricket.”

McCullum said he was still savouring the “special” semi-final win, New Zealand’s first in seven attempts, and had not yet thought about the tournament decider.

“We’ll deal with the final in the next couple of days. Today it’s all about letting (the South Africa win) sink in,” he said. “When you’ve achieved something as special as we have, you don’t want to park it too quickly. You have to allow yourself the opportunity to stop and smell the roses and identify what’s been the catalyst to your success.”

The New Zealand skipper, who scored a Test triple century last year, said the feeling when Elliott smashed a six to send the Black Caps into the final was the best of his career. “That was without doubt the best feeling I’ve been a part of,” he told reporters. “I’ve had many people congratulate us today and say it was the single greatest sporting event that they’ve ever been to, which is pretty amazing, to be a part of that.” - AFP

Jubilant Kiwis daring to dream of glory WELLINGTON: New Zealanders hailed the Black Caps’ cliffhanger World Cup semifinal win over South Africa as one of the country’s top sporting moments Wednesday and finally began dreaming of even greater glory in the tournament decider on Sunday.

“One to go,” trumpeted the front page of the New Zealand Herald, while the Dominion Post’s back page headline described victory over the Proteas at Eden Park as “The stuff that dreams are made of”.

There was also relief at a four-wicket win achieved with just one ball to spare that propelled New Zealand into the final for the first time after a run of six losses in the semis.

Former Black Cap bowler Jacob Oram said Brendon McCullum’s men had shown their class against a dangerous

South African side and should be favourites in a tournament where they remain undefeated after eight matches.

“It looks at the moment like nothing daunts them,” he told commercial radio.

“The bigger the expectation, the more that’s asked, the bigger they stand up. I honestly don’t think this World Cup final is going to daunt these guys.”

“Dare to dream, New Zealand” advised Fairfax cricket writer Fred Woodcock, adding: “If you didn’t think these Black Caps had the mental strength to go the whole way, you should now, because they stood up under the pressure that defines teams.”

NZ Herald columnist David Leggat even suggested the spectacle at Eden Park exceeded the Rugby World

Cup final at the same venue in 2011, when New Zealand edged France 8-7 — unheard of praise in the All Blacks-obsessed nation. “Rugby people will swear the 2011 final can’t be beaten for drama and sheer occasion,” he wrote.

“Fair enough, but to these eyes, this was special.”

There was also praise for Johannesburg-born Grant Elliott whose 84 not out, capped with a stunning six off the penultimate ball, made him an unlikely match-winner.

The Herald’s Dylan Cleaver pointed out Elliott was a lastminute inclusion and many, including himself, had favoured youngster Jimmy Neesham over the 36-year-old.

“It will now be remembered as one of the most inspired selections in New Zealand cricket history,” he said. - AFP

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SIGHT & SOUND

With more awards than any other Hollywood actor, 77-year-old Morgan Freeman has had to confirm the fact that he is alive and kicking at least six times in the past 12 months

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he latest was last week when Morgan was reported dead in a car-crash in New York. “That would be difficult, as I was in Hollywood at the time,” he says. “I just don’t know where these rumours come from. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking!

The problem is these stories get on the Internet and they’re round the world in seconds.

“The truth is I haven’t been busier or healthier for years.” At an age when most stars are beginning to rest on their laurels, Morgan shows no sign of slowing down. He has no fewer than four movies out this year — Momentum, London Has Fallen, Ted 2 and Last Knights — and three scheduled for 2016.

“As a child I was taught to keep busy and I’ve just carried on!” he says.

Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, on the banks of the Mississippi, and at 10 went to the cinema to escape the grinding poverty of his family home and the stigma of racism and segregation. “People called me a no-hoper and a born loser,” he says. Not surprisingly, I wanted to be a film star. I thought it was the only way I could escape from Memphis and make something of myself.”

Today, over 60 years later, Morgan Freeman’s wildest dreams have come true. He has a $10 million ranch just a few miles from where he was born, a $6 million home in New York and a luxury yacht in California. He also flies his own private plane and has a posh restaurant and a fashionable nightclub. Not bad for someone who went for years without acting work, and who remembers being sent to bed hungry as a child, “because there simply wasn’t enough food in the house to give us all a meal.”

But one of the richest men in movies has one thing missing in his life – a wife. He divorced his childhood sweetheart Myrna in 2010 and says he is in no hurry to find a new permanent partner.

When he left school, Morgan decided that his movie star dream would never be realised so he joined the US Air Force instead and did four years as a radar mechanic.

But acting was still foremost in his mind and he spent $10 to join the New York Negro Actors’ Guild and spent the next two years trying to keep himself alive. “I got by washing cars and working in clothes shops,” he remembers. Eventually he landed a few small roles in TV and finally moved to Hollywood. What kept me going was other people’s faith in me,” Morgan says. “On the other hand, everyone has to take responsibility for their own destiny.

After a few minor TV roles, Morgan made his breakthrough in a children’s TV show, The Electric Company, in 1985, going on to play a number of acclaimed off-Broadway stage roles including an all-black version of Hello Dolly opposite the great Pearl Bailey. It wasn’t until 1987 that Morgan Freeman made any impact in Hollywood — and then he certainly made up for lost time...

His performance in Street Smart got him an acting award, and his first starring role, as the kindly black chauffeur in Driving Miss Daisy, brought an Oscar nomination. He’s been getting his quota of good guys ever since, particularly in Lean On Me, in which he plays school principal, and Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves.

And there are more to come. “The audience seems to have an image of me being a pretty good guy,” Morgan says. “ I suppose I feel more at home in these roles, but don’t forget I’ve also played some pretty nasty guys, too.”

Today, Morgan Freeman never forgets the struggle he’s had to reach the top. “Only recently have I been able to walk into posh hotels without feeling that I shouldn’t really be there because I’m black,” he says.

His impoverished childhood makes him very careful with money. “I still hoard my loose change in coffee jars,” he grins. “I derive great strength from living in Mississippi because it reminds me of where I came from and who I was. “It helps me keep in perspective who I am today, whatever people in Hollywood tell me. But I can’t deny that my life really has been a fulfilled fantasy.

“All my dreams seem to have come true. And not many people can say that. I’m the first to admit that for a born loser I’ve turned out to be a pretty lucky guy.” - John Graham/Tony James Features

DEAD AGAIN?

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

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ETCETERA JASON STATHAM STEPS ON THE GAS He’s back at it again in ‘Furious 7’, wrenching the wheel, stomping on the gas pedal and relying on his underrated acting ability

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n his years of driving in action movies and pushing speeds to the max for stunts, the 47-year-old Brit has burned more than his share of rubber. He’s back at it again in Furious 7, op opening on April 3, wrenching the wheel, stomping pedal and relying on on the gas ped his underrated acting ability to secret: He conceal a shameful sh actually ffailed his driving test as a teen, and not only once. ““I failed it two or three times,” he admitt ted. t . “I drove to the test, ted failed f led and then drove fai home. home The secret is out!” Statham laughed cheerfully. chee Furious 7 is the latFu est instalment in the 14-year-old franchise 14-y that began with tha The Th Fast & Furious (2001) and has grossed a worldwide gros box office of $2.4 billion. The current instalment is directed by stalm James Wan, best known for the horror movies Insidious (2010) and The Con(20 juring (2013).

(2013) This time around it’s been a year year since Dom (Vin Diesel), Brian (P (Paul Walker) and their crew returned to the United retur States with thei their pardons. They’re transitioning back into life as b law-abiding cit citizens, with Dom trying to reco reconnect with Letty (Michelle Rodr Rodriguez) and Brian living the suburban life with sub Mia (Jordana Brewster). They don’t have long in the slow lane, though: A cold-blooded British cold black-ops assassin named Deckassas ard Shaw (Stath (Statham) has vowed to hunt down anyo anyone involved in the death of his lit little brother, Owen (Luke Evans), which took place in w Fast & Furious 6 (2013).

Statham actually introduced act the character in an after-thecredits scene in that film.

“I heard from a lot of people that the fans went absolutely bonkers for that cameo,” Statham said cam in his deep, gravelly voice during gra a telephone interview.

“It’s good int when they go n nuts, right? As an actor, it really made me happy that people are thrilled to just see me show up in what was about a minute or two o of film.”

Accordingly, he spent the past year being extr extremely careful not to leak too much much. “So many people want to talk to m me about this movie,” he said, “bec “because it’s such a fan favourite, but II’ve been keeping my character u under wraps. “I’m there to do my thing,” Statham said cautiously. “I’ll do what I do.

I’m just not going goin to tell you what I’m going to do. I won’t be spilling the beans too m much, because that spoils the fun.”

He’s determin determined not to be tricked into letting slip a few plot spoilers.

“You’re not the first to try to pinpoint, ‘Are you tthe villain? Are you there to blow everything up?,’” he e said, and would say s no more.

Fortunately U Universal Pictures is willing to reve reveal a bit more than Statham. As fa fans already know, Shaw blows up the Toretto house, leading Dom to t involve a highlevel governme government operative (Kurt Russell) as he seeks vengeance.

The Fastt crew turns the key in the ignition again as they try to ag secure a proto prototype tracking device for the US government. The deal is that, if they th can capture it,

I’m someone who can’t wait to jump into the next project.

As long as it’s right for me.

So, when you get a call to come to work on ‘Furious 7,’ it’s exciting.

It would be insane to not do it they can use it to find Shaw before he can strike again.

That much is on the money, right? “Here is the thing: I hate when someone spoils a movie for me,” Statham said. “I don’t want to know the plot. Everyone involved pretty much agrees that it’s important for me to just keep my mouth shut, because you never know, in this franchise, what will happen.”

He was thrilled to get the role, though. That much Statham will say. “For starters,” the actor said, “James Wan is a terrific director and such a talented chap.

“I’m also someone who can’t wait to jump into the next project,” he continued, “as long as it’s right for me. I’m not that guy who just likes sitting around, so, when you get a call to come to work on Furious 7, it’s exciting. It would be insane to not do it.

“I knew that there would be cutting-edge, mind-blowing action, which is a good day’s work,” he added. “Plus I love cars, and I’ve never seen a movie do what this film does with cars involved.”

Statham, a master of mixed martial arts, kickboxing and jiujitsu, said that action films are among his favourites.

“There is just something primal about the good action films,” he explained. “It’s about survival by any means possible. I love the scenes where you have the cars and the ’copters, but even more I love just the fists and kicks. I love going back to basics.”

Many of the cast and crew of the Fast and Furious franchise have been working together for a decade or more, but Statham said that he had no trouble fitting in. “Everyone was very welcoming,” he recalled. “These people know what they’re doing. It’s a great ensemble. It’s also an ever-expanding ensemble that welcomes the newcomers like you’re just another member of the family.”

The franchise lost a key player when Walker died in a car accident during a break from filming. There was enough footage of Walker to use in the film, with his brothers Cody and Caleb working as doubles for the scenes that hadn’t yet been filmed. “I have so many good memories of Paul,” Statham said. “He was an amazing chap. We went to the racetrack, and it was a really great time.”

Statham grew up in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, where his father worked as an auctioneer and singer and his mother as a dancer.

As a teenager he became one of Britain’s best divers, competed at

the Commonwealth Games and several Olympic trials, and placed 12th in the World Championships.

When his sports career faded, he sold perfume, jewellery and other items on the streets of London. That was what he was doing when a talent scout spotted him and offered him modelling work, which led to campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Levis and French Connection. A video for the group Erasure led to a British commercial for Kit-Kat. Then director Guy Richie cast him as a tough guy in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), which kicked off Statham’s bigscreen career. He went on to action-packed roles in Snatch (2000), The Transporter (2002) and two sequels, The Italian Job (2003), Crank (2006), The Expendables (2010) and two sequels, Homefront (2013), Parker (2013) and Wild Card (2014).

Next up is Paul Feig’s caper comedy Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy and set for summer release. McCarthy stars as a deskbound CIA analyst who goes undercover to infiltrate a ring of arms dealers. Statham plays a spy whose motives might be murky, or maybe not. “I tip my hat to Paul,” he said, “because he can get you to do anything.”

Though he’s used to seeing his name above the title, Statham insists that he doesn’t mind playing supporting roles to the likes of McCarthy or Sylvester Stallone, top banana of the Expendables series. “It’s a rush for me,” he said, “because just being with these people makes it a good day for me.

Plus there is less pressure when you’re part of the team. It leads to great acting choices, because the stress is off to open the movie just based on your name.”

In his free time Statham lives in the Hollywood Hills and in London. He’s mum about his life with his girlfriend, actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, best known for Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). “I love being home,” he said.

“It’s a way to connect with friends and loved ones. I hang out, go surfing, go skiing. I eat good food.”

He works hard to maintain that body. “I’m only human and I have bad-eating days,” Statham admitted. “You must spoil yourself a bit in life. But when I’m good, I feel strong. So my good days are eating brown rice and salmon and broccoli or veggies and chicken.

“You won’t see a pizza box outside of my house,” he added, “and I know that sugar is the worst thing in the world for you. It’s addictive and you feel tired, plus then you want more sugar. My sugar comes from raisins, apples and other fruits.”

Statham burns that off in the gym. “In a perfect world I’d be in the gym six days a week,” the actor said, “with a day off here and there on the weekends. It’s hard, because I’m travelling and working so much.”

His routine isn’t focused on cardio. “I never do any treadmill,” Statham said. “I’m always throwing weights around or doing some kind of fight training with my stuntman. We try to keep it fun, so you want to be back in the gym.”

After working out, he added, he likes to jump in the car.

“I take a long drive by the ocean,” Statham said. “ ... going slow, obeying the speed limit, thinking that I’m a very lucky chap.” -Cindy Pearlman/The New York Times News Service

BRIEF

‘Furious 7’ should win Best Picture Oscar, says Diesel

ACTOR Vin Diesel, who is gearing up for his highly anticipated action thriller Furious 7, believes the tribute to the late Paul Walker should win the Best Picture award at next year’s Oscars.

“Universal is going to have the biggest movie in history with this movie. It will probably win best picture at the Oscars, un-

less the Oscars don’t want to be relevant ever,” variety.com quoted Diesel as saying.

The seventh instalment in the Fast and Furious franchise, which is slated to release in India on April 2, has received rave responses for its previous parts. But does Diesel really think that the film could be the next Birdman?

“This will win Best Picture.

There is nothing that will ever come close to the power of this thing,” Diesel added. In addition to welcoming back almost all of the franchise’s principal cast members, Furious 7 features the last big-screen appearance by Paul Walker, who died while they were still filming. -IANS

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

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ETCETERA B O L LY B U Z Z

Shraddha Kapoor eyes National Film Award SHRADDHA KAPOOR, the lead actress of Haider, feels proud that the film has bagged five National Film Awards — and even she hopes to get one some day. “It will be nice to get a National Award. Every actor wants to get a National Award for one of his or her films in a lifetime,” Shraddha said at an event to celebrate the National Award win of Haider. “So, keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully that happens,” added the actress, who has been applauded for her performance in films like Aashiqui 2, Ek Villain and Haider as well.

Karan Johar confirms ‘Kapoor and Sons’ cast

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence reunite for ‘Serena’ W

hen frequent collaborators Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper signed on to the small independent movie Serena, they hadn’t yet become two of America’s most recognisable actors, much less Academy Award contenders. You would think the rising profiles of the movie’s stars would be a huge boon for Susanne Bier’s dark drama. But you’d be wrong.

The pair’s reputations began to grow while they were filming Serena in 2012 — just before Silver Linings Playbook was hitting theatres — and the attention meant that expectations for the movie ballooned. It took Bier a long time — about 18 months — to assemble the footage for the adaptation of Ron Rash’s 2008 novel, and the final result is a real slog.

The movie is set during the Great Depression around the Smoky Mountains, where George Pemberton (Cooper) runs a timber enterprise with hopes of expanding his business to South America.

But first he has to sort through

some complications. Given the era, the bank isn’t doling out dollars the way it used to. And then there’s the resistance from some of George’s neighbours in North Carolina.

A small but vocal group wants the surrounding mountains to be a national park rather than the treeless wasteland it’s becoming.

In the midst of all this, George leaves for a short vacation and returns with a young bride, Serena (Lawrence).

Serena’s late father was also a logging man, and she has some expertise to share, which isn’t entirely welcomed by George’s right-hand man, Buchanan (David Dencik). But as Serena explains, “I didn’t come to Carolina to do needlepoint.” She’s a real spitfire, which also means she isn’t at all fazed by the attention of a quiet, tattooed ex-con who claims to be clairvoyant (Rhys Ifans).

Plotwise, Serena is excessively eventful. There are murders and logging accidents, knife fights, panther hunts, nightmarish back stories and a baby born out of wed-

Cooper and Lawrence do their best, but the material consistently works against them, from the overwrought dialogue to the never-ending plot twists in place of character development

lock, to throw out a mere sampling.

But none of these episodes carries much weight. The events never appear to be working toward any goal or expressing a worthwhile message. With some admittedly well-drawn atmospherics, including shots of misty mountaintops and the sounds of bluegrass music, the movie feels a little bit like a logging version of There Will Be

Blood, except that the characters in this study aren’t really worth consideration.

Cooper and Lawrence do their best, but the material consistently works against them, from the overwrought dialogue to the never-ending plot twists in place of character development. And why should they have bothered when the editing is so bizarre?

Establishing shots — those important moments that tell an audience that a scene has shifted to a different time or place — have been cast aside, making for a lot of confusing transitions. Another odd choice: When George first sees Serena, she’s astride a galloping horse, bouncing abundantly in slow-mo.

This is the stuff of parodies, not serious dramas.

With lesser stars in the lead roles, Serena would have quietly disappeared. Instead, the movie’s biggest selling point turns out to be its most lamentable downfall.

It’s painful to watch all that talent get wasted.

-Stephanie Merry/The Washington Post

CINEMA

New York Indian Film Festival to showcase 30 films

Kalki Koechlin - Margarita With A Straw, lead actress

THE LONGEST-running, most prestigious South Asian film festival in the US, New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), will open on May 4 with Shonali Bose’s Margarita With A Straw.

Aparna Sen’s Saari Raat starring Anjan Dutt, Rittwik Chakraborty and Konkona Sen Sharma, will be the centrepiece film of the 15th annual showcase of ground-breaking, thought-provoking, independent cinema, to be screened at prestigious venues around New York City on May 4 -9.

Starring Kalki Koechlin, Revathi and Sayani Gupta, Margarita is the poignant portrayal of a rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy who leaves her home in India to study in New York, unexpectedly falls in love and embarks on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery.

Special screenings and events include Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespeare trilogy of Maqbool, Omkara and Haider followed by a discussion between Bhardwaj and a Shakespearean expert.

A special screening of Daughters of Mother India, a documentary film focused on the after-

math of the Delhi rape incident, given India’s ban on the broadcast of the BBC rape documentary India’s Daughter.

Also featured would be Benegal’s New Cinema, a documentary on Shyam Benegal’s films.

“Every year, we strive to make our programming unique and relevant, based on the incidents that are occurring around the world, in South Asia and in our own backyard, New York City,” said festival programmer Aseem Chhabra.

“These selected films, which have won a combined total of nine National Awards, serve as a mirror, and we hope that our audiences can see their lives reflected in these stories.”

The complete line-up of 30 films for the festival includes National Award winners Chotoder Chobi (Best Film on Social Issues -Narrative); Daughters of Mother India (National Award Winner for Best Film on Social Issues - Non-Narrative): Elizabeth Ekadashi (Best Children’s Film); Haider (winner of five National Awards) and Kakka Muttai (Best Children’s Film & Best Child Artist). -IANS

“EK MAIN Aur Ekk Tu” director Shakun Batra’s upcoming “modern family” drama film Kapoor and Sons will star rumoured couple Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra, along with Pakistani actor Fawad Khan and veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, producer Karan Johar announced on Wednesday.

The rumours of the cast had been doing the rounds for sometime, but Karan, who is producing the film under his banner Dharma Productions, took to Twitter to finally confirm the details. “A modern family film with a love triangle embedded in it... Kapoor and Sons directed by @shakunbatra,” he tweeted. Batra’s directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu was also produced by Karan, while Alia and Sidharth’s debut film Student Of The Year was produced and directed by Karan too.

Aishwarya’s comeback film releases on October 9 AISHWARYA Rai Bachchan’s muchawaited comeback project Jazbaa, being helmed by filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, will release on October 9. The announcement was made on Wednesday via a statement, and Gupta confirmed this on his Twitter page. He wrote: “Let the countdown begin!

J A Z B A A releases October 9th, 2015.” It also stars actors like Irrfan Khan, Shabana Azmi, Abhimanyu Singh, Atul Kulkarni and Chandan Roy Sanyal. Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited has designed an innovative promotional campaign for the release of the film. If sources are to be believed, the makers are racing against time to complete the film as they intend to showcase it at the Cannes International Film Festival this year.

I hate losing: Priyanka on National Award miss PRIYANKA Chopra says she hates losing, but missing the National Film Award for Best Actress to Kangana Ranaut for Queen is something she doesn’t mind. Priyanka, who is currently in the US, made it a point to send good wishes to Kangana for her win. “I hate losing. But if I had to take a back seat to anyone this year it would be U #KanganaRanaut! Congratulations! Yay Queen!#SmallTownGirls,” tweeted Priyanka, who had won the Best Actress National Film Award for her 2008 film Fashion. -IANS

C12 TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 2 6, 2 015

ETCETERA

The movie that’s up our street

BRIEFS

Ferrell gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Backstreet Boys, the rebels of pop, have got together to make what could be the craziest movie of the year...

T

hey hadn’t performed together for five years.

So to mark the 20th anniversary of when it all started they decided to move together into a London flat for three weeks and see what might happen.

The result is one of the craziest hit movies of the year. Which is probably not surprising given that the stars of Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of are those offbeat pop legends of the ‘90s, the Backstreet Boys.

Not surprisingly, being cooped up together in a small space produced some fireworks and even a minor fracas, but for Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough the experiment has had a happy ending. The movie has put the Backstreet Boys back in the bigtime and a new album, a single and a major US tour are scheduled for later this year.

“We started young so we’re not too old to know about the way contemporary music is going,” says Nick Carter. “Our old hits, like Quit Playing Games With My Heart, stand comparison with anything out there today.

We’re going back on the road because we think we’ve still got plenty to offer.”

The dramatic reconciliation is just the latest drama in a twodecade roller-coaster ride which has seen a band with over 120m record sales go from heady success to financial and personal crisis, and back to the top again, with uncanny regularity.

And even five years ago it looked as though the Backstreet story was over for good when rows in the group, the relentless strain of fame, and family tragedies had convinced the supergroup that it was, yet again, time to call it a day.

“Luckily we had a last-minute change of heart,” says Howie. “But it was making the movie that made us realise we can’t get rid of each other!

We’ve been through too much together for that.”

The unlikely story of the Backstreet Boys started in 1993 when the band was created by manager Lou Pearlman in Cleveland, Ohio.

Today Pearlman is in jail for a $300 million fraud and the band sued him for $50 million loss of earnings in 1997.

The new movie shows the band visiting Pearlman’s former mansion in Florida where it all

started. “Now he’s in a four by six cell,” says A.J. McLean. “The right place for him...”

Even when the Backstreets were megastars, problems were never far away. Brian Littrell was rushed to hospital for heart surgery, Howie Borough’s sister died and problems with their record label led to further milliondollar litigation.

Record deal Soon afterwards came a new album, Black and Blue, which sold five million in a week and led to American pop’s biggest record deal — a contract with Jive Records worth $70 million.

But before long, more problems came along ... A.J. McLean checked himself into a rehab clinic to battle drinking, drug addiction and depression.

Then after making a disc of their greatest hits and a number one single, Drowning, the Backstreet Boys decided to once more rethink their future. A.J. McLean admits that it was his drink and drug problems which this time almost broke up the band. “I’d let the rock and roll lifestyle get the better of me,” he remembers.

He’s now free of drink, drugs and depression problems. “I have a lot more fun sober than I did when drunk,” he says. It was due to the support of the guys in the band that I’ve managed to turn things around.”

Married for ten years, Kevin Richardson is going back on the road with wife Kristin’s blessing. “In the old days I went for weeks without seeing her but now if we tour I will make sure that Kristin comes with me,” he

B O L LY W O O D

Trouble, controversy always follow me: Kamal Haasan ACTOR-FILMMAKER Kamal Haasan, who is busy promoting forthcoming Tamil release Uttama Villain, has wrestled with so many controversies over the years that he feels they follow him and will continue for the remainder of his career.

“Even till last week, we were fighting a case in connection with my film Papanasam. We know who filed the case, and from where. It’s like trouble and controversies always follow me,” Kamal said.

“I feel I’m always targeted. It has happened in the past too. For instance, people objected to the title of my film Mumbai Express.

They said the title wasn’t in Tamil, but what’s the Tamil word for Mumbai? In an earlier case, they didn’t let me name one of my films Sandiyar, and a few months ago, a film with the same name released. Why didn’t anybody object to it,” he asked.

Kamal’s recent release Tamil spy thriller Vishwaroopam was embroiled in controversies after Muslim groups felt they were portrayed in bad light.

The same film earned the wrath of the distributors after Kamal commissioned an idea to release the film via DTH platform on the day of theatrical release.

Haasan still swears by the DTH idea. “It’s one of the other branches of film business. We have to do business in all directions,” said Haasan, who also

I feel I’m always targeted.

It has happened in the past too. For instance, people objected to the title of my film ‘Mumbai Express’. They said the title wasn’t in Tamil, but what’s the Tamil word for Mumbai?

blames the Central Board of Film Certification for curbing the freedom of speech.

“If I feel like saying something in the language I want, I have to write and get permission from the Board, like in the

British times. But I am an artiste, I have all the rights to say what I want and also question them,” he added.

Kamal also has two more Tamil films Papanasam and Vishwaroopam 2 in his kitty. He

said even if these films release or get delayed, he will continue working. “I can’t sit idle. I am always eager to give audiences good projects because they are expecting it from me,” he added.

The 60-year-old has already started work on his next Tamil project, a thriller said to be set against the backdrop of Mauritius. - IANS

says. “I need some reality — and she provides it!”

Brian Littrell, who has masterminded the Backstreet Boys’ success, admits that he has the band to thank for keeping him in shape. “Before my son was born I did a lot of sympathy eating with my wife while she was pregnant. Now I have been training with the rest of the band in a LA gym and I’ve lost two stones and feel great.

Brian feels that the Backstreets have never been rivalled as a boy-band. “The music scene has changed a lot in the past five years but our new stuff sounds as fresh and original as ever,” he says.

“We can’t wait to show our new fans that, 20 years on, we’re just as good — if not better — as we always were.” — Judson Bennett/Tony James Features

ACTOR WILL FERRELL has been honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the unveiling ceremony he was joined by his wife Viveca Paulin and their three sons as well as his friends and co-stars Kevin Hart, Molly Shannon and John C. Reilly, reports aceshowbiz.com. The 47-year-old thanked his fans and cracked a joke during his acceptance speech. “It goes without saying that I feel so fortunate, and yet I can’t accept this award. So just cover it up, cover it up for someone else,” Ferrell joked. “I not only accept it, but I will be here every day from 3 to 5pm polishing the star. You can count on that. And on those days that John’s in the neighbourhood, he will help me as well,” he added.

Eva has her dream boyfriend ACTRESS EVA LONGORIA says her boyfriend José Bastón is the “man of her dreams”. The former Desperate Housewives star, who was previously married, has been dating the Mexican businessman for 18 months, and she couldn’t be happier, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“He’s the man of my dreams,” she told Hello! magazine. Because of her relationship, Eva has been spending more time in Mexico with Baston.-IANS

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

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

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T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

OFFICES FOR RENT Premium offices to let a very good location on the main road very close to Zakher Mall, Al Khawiar. Business Center has offices with sizes of 50m2, 110m2, 180m2, 207m2, 230m2, 437m2.

Showroom also available at Business Center, Area 500m2 with central A/c.

Offices with Central Air-conditions, Security System with CCTV cameras, and Security presence in the building.

Contact: 97377355 / 97307476, Email id: aaleem@ggcoman.com

1bedroom, 2 bedroom + showroom, 18 November road Al Azaiba.

Contact 99565364 / 99617786 Shop available at Ruwi 2 shutters.

Contact 99345044

Villa for rent with 4 bedroom at Al Khodh, Rent 750/-RO.#92888115

2BHK at Honda Road Ruwi. Contact 99224748 / 99332297 Looking for a cold room for rental.

Contact 99100146 Ghubra furnished room with attached bath, dish, internet, available for Executive person.

Contact 96117178 Printing press for lease.

Contact 97842797 Spacious villa, 2 floors with swimming pool garden, garage, servant room, 3 bedrooms with seaside view, three lounges, dining room, 5 bath rooms in Qurum area rent R.O 1500/per month, 1 yr advance. Contact 99335594 / 95501858 Villa for rent 4 rooms, 3 toilets behind Kuwait Mosque, Wadi Kabeer.

Contact 92925173 Villa in Bosher behind Dolphin, 5 BHK hall living room with split A/C RO 650/- family only.

Contact 92479515 Flat Al Ghubra South first floor, 3BHK hall, living room split a/c for family only 500/-.

Contact 92479515

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879

Industrial /commercial shops at Wadi Kabir 4 x 5.6 x 4.6 MTR height.

Showroom with mezzanine & office at Al Noor Street near Switz bakery & Al Masa hall corner building all on roads & parkings in front of shops & show room. Contact 99065900 or 99354975 Al Ghubra small house for rent 160/-. Contact 95032152 2 & 3 BHK Darsait School new building. Contact 99024730 2 BHK & studio flat at Darsait 1SM. Contact 99024730 Furnished single room with A/C and attached bathroom is available at Rex Road for Non cooking Executive bachelor from 1st April 2015.

Contact 99116286 2 BHK Flat in Qurum.

Contact 99792181 1, 2 & 3 BHK Flat in Alkhuwair.

Contact 99792181 4 Bhk Villa in Alkhuwair & Madinat Ilham. Contact 99792181

3BR top class fitting flat , ideal for top Executives Mumtaz area, Ruwi.

Contact 91287824 Labour Camp in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99792181 Flat for rent in Wadi Al Kabir, 2 rooms & 3 toilets next to Platinum Gym. Contact 99210008 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 Flat 4 rent south Al Mabelah.

Contact 95331177 / 95230355 1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco.

OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity and boundary wall.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 2BHK flat for rent Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Mosque. Contact 97007939 / 92629232 Villas & flats at Ansab.

Contact 98458542

Flat Al Azaiba ground floor 4BHK living room split a/c for family only parking 550/-R.O. Contact 92479515

250 Sqr Mtrs office in CBD. Contact 99792181

Flats shops and store for rent in MBD area and Honda road. Contact 92433127/ 97293708/ 95150632

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

Flat for rent in Wadi Kabir near Lulu 4BHK. Contact 97007934 / 92629232

Studios starting from 160 in Qurum near Mars supermarket. Contact 96755180, 96755181

Brand new deluxe flats located near Seeb flyover on the right band side of the main road coming from the Seeb palace round about, 2 bedrooms family, hall, kitchen, 3 toilets with split unit ACs. Contact 97755586

Commercial Villa in Al Khuwair with Private Parking’s,7 Rooms Hall and Reception and Kitchen Contact 95202430

2 bedroom flat in Al Ghubra near Oman oil 18 November Street. OMR 330. Monthly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

1 Bedroom attached toilet Al Khuwair area only for ladies or husband and wife without children. Contact 9:00 pm to 7:00 am 95765719

Flat Wadi AL Kabeer, 2BHK, sitting room, 3 bathroom balcony split /AC 300/- R.O Contact 99324402

New building near the Bousher Al Misfah high way, with showroom, offices, and shops. Great for banks, medical clinics and companies 95202430

FOR SALE Dental clinic for sale in Seeb area.

Contact 96903341

85 SQM shops in Ruwi only on 350/- OMR. Contact 95122188 / 96441499

New dental chair & instruments for sale. Contact 92816015

Spacious 2 BHK flats in Ruwi MBD area only on 350/- OMR. Contact – 95122188 / 96441499

Treadmill motorized in good running condition for sale.

Contact 99358025

Beautiful office space available in Ruwi MBD area only on 2/- OMR per sqm. Contact 95122188 / 96441499

Urgent sale man tipper, Tata Novus prime mover with trailer, Tata Daewoo tipper, Tata water tanker, Tata Hyup, Roller, Bitili, roller double drum bitili, PTR Roller Bitili, Titan paver, Volvo, back hoeloader, SDLG wheel loader. Contact 92964673

If require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send messages through Whatsapp or call – 99376454

1BHK C.B.D. Contact 99024730 Furnished room available on Seeb share with small family for couple working ladies.

Contact 96996938 1000 sq mtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for Ware house workshop.

Contact 24700120 / 925 Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat.

Contact 99349526 Prim location, nice finishing villa for RENT. 2 big bedrooms . Main large sitting room. Small maid room. Kitchen and 3 bathrooms.

At Alkhuwair. near Holiday Inn & Oman Club. Contact 99426662, PDC only. For families & college girls.

FOR SALE 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

5 B/R double storied 4500 sq ft house 27 cents 200 mtrs Away from main road Cherianad JN. Chenganoor. Contact 99236846 Email: nuk_lvk2012@hotmail.com For sale work shop carpenter with 4 clearances in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99345137 Commercial registration with excellent name Grade A for business software for sale. Contact 92959251 Construction building material / equipment for sale on urgent basis.

Contact 95526871 Building material shop with material for sale in Al Musannah.

Contact 98053324 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 Building material shop for sale in Al Hail. Contact 98003111

Billiards and snooker table 1 no., hand football game table 1 no. with all accessories on (as is where is) basis. The items are in Sur Industrial area. Interested parties please contact - 31032015s@gmail.com 558 Sq mtrs residential land in Barka behind Lulu and near to school.

OMR 32 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Running beauty parlor for sale in Barka Souq with license & visa. Contact 92168729 Brand new UK made wheel balancer for sale with accessories, contact 94052713, 99885638 Coffee shop for sale at Mawala.

Contact 99646640 Used Restaurant Equipments & Furniture for immediate sale. Interested Parties contact 97824001.

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40 ton petrol tank each working at the moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35 Thousand each. Tel: 97000155 or 92688692 2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40 ton petrol tank each working at the moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35 Thousand each. Tel: 97000155 or 92688692 Ready mix concrete for sale.

Contact 99054673 Land for sale residential commercial and residential and tourist and industrial, and hotels for sale in Muscat (Al Khuwair and the Qurum, and crushed stone, and Bowshar, and spite and Gala heights, and the heights of the airport) to deal with the buyer. Contact 99070093

T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

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DAILY GUIDE

M.V. FOR SALE

ACC. AVAILABLE

FOR SALE

Furnished room for Executive bachelor at Ruwi. Contact 92435784 Available room for bachelor separate toilet behind Oman house R.O 50/-. Contact 97986621 Furnished room with attached bathroom for non-cooking bachelor in Ruwi RO 150/-. Contact 92478852

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 3 floor 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 Dental Clinic with license for sale in Sohar. Contact 92816015 Shop for sale at Ruwi. Contact 99103077

AVAILABLE Freelance HSE Advisor. Contact 93637030 Established Restaurant for rent with sponsorship. Contact 97628242 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

Room with separate bath available for non cooking Executive at Al Khuwair. Contact 99224185

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

Kindly Contact 99014686 or operation@khancogroup.com

ACC. WANTED Wanted a separate room near Lulu Darsait. Contact 92481082 Furnished accommodation wanted for April, May for Keralite family. Contact 99378397 Wanted a 2 bedroom flat in around Ruwi area. Gsm 99761216

ACC. AVAILABLE 3 Bedrooms, with spacious hall & 3 bathrooms near ism, Darsait from 1st april 2015.

Gsm 94288861 Furnished Sharing accommodation available for executive bachlor at Muthrah near OIFC. Pls contact. 91398353.

WANTED 1 bedroom attached toilet in Al Khuwair bachelors/ family R.O 140/-. Contact 95154331

Family sharing accommodation available in Al Khodh.

Contact 98292798 Single room available with A/C for non cooking executive bachelor at Hamriya R/abt. (on main road side, Opp. Apollo Hospital).

Contact 91673718, 98232567 Sharing family accommodation in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99335057

Renault Duster (2013) for immediate sale only 15,200 kilometers driven (OMR 4300/-) Expat leaving.

Contact 93083453

Dodge Nitro 4.0 ltr engine 2007 model 130000 kms, red colour, registration valid for one year. RO.2700/-.

Contact - 91251966

Car sale BMW 740 Li & Model 2008 KM 124181, Company maintenance.

Single person used (GM).

Contact 97989094

Toyota Camry white 2011 km -51000 R.O 4800/-.Contact 99561562

BMW 318i & model 2004 KM 180678, company maintenance.

Single person used (DY.GM) Contact 97989094

Suzki SX4 2012. Contact 99484342 Yaris 1.5, 2008 fully automatic expat driven. Contact 92227165 Vitara 2013. Contact 99336093

NRI Furnished spacious room with attached bath available for Executive bachelor in Ruwi near Al Maha filling station. Contact 98290299

MANPOWER

Single room with AC, toilet, highway side at Al Hail. Contact 92968292 Well furnished single room / sharing for Exe bachelor or small family at Rex Road. Contact 92873832 2BR, 1BTR for Indian family ladies near Ruwi Church.Contact 99746379 Single room with furniture available behind Kamat Restaurant Al Khuwair. Contact 24125300 / 94158350 Studio flat MBD Ruwi.

Contact 95698714 Single room with separate bath at Rex Road, working lady preferred.

Contact 95423572 Sharing accommodation rooms at Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569 / 97004265 One bed room flat with hall for rent in Al Khuwair area near Radisson blue hotel. Contact 97646492 A big room available near Hamriya R/A for Muslim couple / small family /Executive bachelor rent 150/- Rial per month including W+E. Contact 99495131 Single room attached bathroom with kitchen near Riyam park Muscat RO 70/-. Contact 95094028

Clinic required, One Established new Clinic in Muscat, with Valid License & Clearance is required to purchase interested Parties can contact 91283188 or send your inquiries to mohamedsfarah@hotmail.com

Gubrah furnished room, attached bath dish TV, WIFI, kitchen available for Executive single person, couple.

Contact 99658689

1B/R available for bachelors in REX ROAD, Ruwi.

Contact 99889590

Looking for a contractor to build my house. If you wish to apply for the position, please feel free to contact the following number: 94488999

Room in CBD area for non cooking Executive bachelors free WIFI, Advance deposit.

Contact 95934642

Furnished Room with attached bath for Indian Bachelor in Al Falaj area Ruwi & sharing room lady in Wadikabir. Call 95941515

Spacious 4BHK semi furnished 1917 sqf flat located in Mayur Paradise at Sarjapur road, Bangalore. 5 kms from Wipro. Call - 95194007

MATRIMONIAL Kerala Malankara Catholic girl 28/155 GNM, MOH Oman looking for suitable match from Muscat / Kerala (Pta dist) M4 ID 4002623.

Contact 96708960 / 95338210 Keralite Ezhava girl BSc Nurse wheatish Bharani Nakshatram 28 yrs, 160 cm working with MOH seeks suitable alliance from Keralite professionals in Muscat.

Contact 94273585 Keralite RCSC parents invite alliance from RCSC boy Graduate Post Graduate 26/29 their daughter 23/167 B. Tech. Contact 97112038 / 24493497 Keralite Syrian Christian Parents seeking alliance from any Syrian Christian Denominations Graduated working girls preferably in Oman or UAE for their son MBA 29/175-born brought up in Muscat working in a reputed organization.

Contact 97226324 email: m4proposal@yahoo.com We are looking for a Muslim Girl for our son interested parents or daughter May. Contact 97664009

Canadian Manpower Co. Recruiting Construction, Hotel, Medical, Gas & Oil Staffs - 2 years contract, work visa, tickets, accommodation.

Free recruitment. Please send CV to margholdingoman@yahoo.com, www.margholdingimmigration.com, 93392630

Available construction workers, hospital staff with Oman parametric, housemaids Indian, Uganda. Contact 9629417/98408488 Email: alkubratrading@gmail.com

FOR HIRE

MATRIMONIAL 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

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

Hire Generators, Air conditioners.

Contact 98927220 Running truck wash for rent in Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people can. Contact on 97864747 50 seater bus with PDO specification for rent or lease.

Contact 99839898

LOST Philip Abraham has lost Indian Passport No. H 1847258. Finder please handover to ROP

D4

T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE MBA (in HR & Finance) & BBA (in General Management) and 5+ years experience in Administration & Finance in Oman, looking for suitable opportunities.NOC available.

Contact: 93183137

Accountant 35 years B.COM with experience in Oman urgently seeking suitable job Accountant/ Ass. Admin / HR valid driving license & NOC. Contact + 968- 99176112 Email : aamirjaved24@hotmail.com

Indian CA, male, having 12+ Years’ experience in the field of A/Cs, finance, auditing, consultancy and also knowledgeable in SAP B1,Tally ERP ,etc. Working as Finance Manager for last 2 years in Oman and have valid D/L of Oman. NOC available. PLZ contact: 98234761, Email:caraj700@gmail.com

Male, total 17 years experience in India & Oman - India - 9 years & Oman - 8 years In the field of procurement, material controller and accountancy Local release available (Noc) Cont no. 91680124 , 98606546

Indian male 24 yrs MBA marketing 21 days visit visa looking for marketing accounts and sales good communication skills. Contact 91379124 Email: rahmansahil3@gmail.com Indian male 28 years experience in Accounts & Admin with B.E, MBA finance seeks suitable placement with a reputed from on visit visa.

Contact 97409606 Email: mujtabaalam7@gmail.com

ACCOUNTANCY Want Chief Accountant have experience more than 10 years or have experience in logistics naifomeramer@gmail.com

ADVOCATE Law firm office at Shatti al Qurum looking for Indian legal advisor minimum 5 years experience in Oman . please Contact :99772277 sereen38@gmail.com

BEAUTICIAN Urgently required beautician, visa available. Contact 97172334

CATERING Wanted cook / Tandoor /Shawarma / maker. Contact 97939688 Experience cook for Omani family 1Nos. Contact 99228046 Email: oman518@gmail.com

DRAFTSMAN Architectural Draftsman desired candidate profile : minimum 3 years experience in detail design. Please send your CV to Email: info@pak2pak.com Contact 99196733

DESIGNER Wanted Graphic Designer skilled in Photoshop, coreldraw illustrator for advertising company. Contact 96440587 / 95338210

DRIVER Wanted driver. Contact 95112461 Light Driver required.

Must be currently present in Oman.

Salary 150 + 25 + accommodation.

Contact 99454425

DOMESTIC HELPER URGENTLY REQUIRED A full time Indian housemaid for an Omani family (local recruits preferred) please contact: 95164139, between 8 am - 5 pm Part time maid required in Al-Khuwair 25 on Sunday and Wednesday, call 97093525

ENGI./ELECT./TECH..

Required Foreman for interior decoration and construction business with minimum 2 years experience in Oman and with valid Oman driving license. Contact 98825806.

Email: strns1@gmail.com Wanted Auto Electrician with ITI or diploma qualification.

Interested can send C.V on hilat.tech@gmail.com or contact 98983951 / 98668697 Urgently required for leading company, Land Surveyor, Electrical technician, MEP foreman, Camp Boss. Fax: 24478522 E-mail: gh1.careers@gmail.com Looking for Assistant Workshop Manager, Automobile Engineering with minimum 4 years experience in vehicle modification works.

Contact: 97441935

Indian male MBA (fin & marketing) 9 years experience in business development, healthcare insuring fin & actng seeking suitable job on visit in Oman. Contact 98653962 Email: mdsaleem.r@gmail.com

ENGI./ELECT./TECH..

Wanted for immediate appointment linemen, Electrician, Duct fabricator, AC technicians, AC foreman HVAC, Procurement Asst. Engineer, minimum 2 years experience in Gulf for all posts. Apply with bio-data to hr_oman1@yahoo.com immediately.

Asst Accountant BBM, 2 yrs experience seeking suitable vacancy in accounts, operation logistics etc. 1 year experience in hardware & networking as well. Contact 97623267 CA with 8 years Experience (6 in UAE & Oman) in A/cs, Finance & Audit. Contact: :98707434 / casmart007@gmail.com

Construction Company require Civil Engineer, minimum 2 years experience. Contact 93806556

Bachelor degree in business (Accounting) from Majan College searching for job with D/L and 2 years exp . Contact 96132149

Urgently required Irrigation Engineers, B.Tech (Agri/Irri) for supervision 5 yrs experience.

Contact- secons.engineers@gmail. com Contact 99244481

Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331

Urgently Required: 1) Planning Engineer minimum 5 years experience with primavera certificate and immediately join.

2) Electrical Engineer minimum 5 years experience in building construction and immediately join.

Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Mechanical Workers Required A well established pipeline construction company required some skilled workers of below mentioned categories; Fabricators, Fitters, Mechanical Helper .

Please Contact at this number urgently 96928351

EDUCATION New International Schools in Oman going to begin in September 2015 seeks Principal, Early years & foundation stage and Cambridge primary teachers (Homeroom and co-teachers), Operations Manager, Admissions Manager & Parents Relationship Manager. Send CV and open letters of references to : gharsoman@gmail.com / marwa@amjad.com.kw Contact 0069555789779/ 00968 94665998

IT Required qualified and IT teachers note: candidates for teaching should have minimum bachelor degree and having experience not less than 2 years. Please submit your CV through email till 29th of March 2015. For more information please contact with 24498423 Email: info@omrantraining.com

MEDICAL Immediate placement (with or without MOH) - Pharmacist - 3 nos, Asst. Pharmacist - 2 nos.

Contact- 99338219 , 93240949 Urgently required an Orthodontist with MOH to work at a reputed Dental Center in Muscat.

Contact 968 99694723, Email : dr.bdohc@gmail.com Wanted female Nurse for Skin clinic in Muscat. Must have MOH license and NOC. Mail to clinicvacancy2015@gmail.com Urgently required Pharmacist.

Contact 94200385/ 95206905/ 97433142 Email: anitho@gmail.com A medical center requires a part time Pharmacist.

Interestedcandidates contact 99705799

Indian 34 yrs B.Com CA Inter pass 12 yrs exp in Audit A/C, Finance on visit seeks suitable placement.

Contact 95585069 Accountant 25 years experience M.Com Accounts up to finalization 14 years in Oman. NOC release available. Contact 99640490 email: mathutb@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Kitchen Sales Executive Required:Qualified candidates must have a minimum 2year work experience in GCC with valid Oman driving license.

Interested candidates please send your CV to abuqusaikitchen@gmail.com Sales man for a printing press.

Contact 97842797 A leading group is looking for Sales Executives, min 2 years experience in Building materials & Electricals with driving license & release/ NOC. Email CV to alhajoil@omantel.net.om or Fax: 24701683 Urgently required an excellent grade construction firm based in Muscat has immediate vacancy for Marketing Executive minimum 5 years experience with D/L. Email your CV to info@omannc.com Sales Executives needed for marble & granite company with minimum one year experience with driving license. Good looking Indians only.

Email: anas@kenzostone.com / nabil@kenzostone.com

SALES / MARKETING Wanted Sales or Marketing Executive degree or master degree.

Interested can send C.V on hilat.tech@gmail.com or contact 98983951 / 98668697 Wanted Salesman with driving licence and car. Gsm : 98805474 or email id: jobssales2015@gmail.com Required Sales & Marketing person for IT company with minimum 2 years experience in Oman and with valid Oman driving license.

Contact 98825806.

Email: strns1@gmail.com Wanted Salesman having driving license for advertising company.

Contact 96440587 / 95338210 Required promoter for promoting Perfumes in shopping centre please.

Contact 95663682 or send CV atugt15@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian Accounts / Audit assistant with 2 years of experience currently on a visit visa looking for suitable job openings. Contact 94677338, 97041086 Email: ajeeshkcy1989@gmail.com Indian Male, 27 yrs MBA (Fin), SAP, 4 Yrs Exp in Finance Seeking Suitable Job with a Reputed Firm Currently on Visit Visa # 92481230 Pakistani male, 25 yrs, MBA Finance, 1.6 yrs exp in Accounts seeking placement in Accounts, Administration or Business Management. Contact 92651927 / 94250149 India Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placement. Contact:93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com

B.Com India. Languages : English, Hindi & Malayalam.

Contact 92954613 Accounting up to finalization, auditing & contact for tally ERP software Contact– 91720465 B.com doing CA Accounts/ office job male now working in Oman Noc, release available. Contact 92715465 Email: alsabathehm@gmail.com Female with MBA finance, financial and tax professional four and half years of experience seeks suitable opportunities in reputed organizations. Contact- 99792457 Email: msparveen1@gmail.com Indian Male, 25 yrs currently in Oman on visit looking for suitable vacancies in accounts, B.Com completed 1 yr experience.

Contact 92024380

Indian male with 7 years experience in customer service and banking operations looking for a suitable job right now on visit visa.

Contact 96169123 Sr. Accountant, M.Com, Indian male,13 yrs exp in MNC, FMCG & Automobile spare parts with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable position. NOC availableMob: 92435323 Accounts part time works up to finalization, monthly report, balance sheet and finalization works.

Contact 96247295 Senior Accountant, 10 years experience in Oman on visit.

Contact 98897581.

FCCA- Qualified from UK with 9 years of experience in Big 4 & Top 30 UK firms. Currently working as Manager Finance & Accounts for more than 2 years. NOC available, please contact 9259 3748 American B International relations seeking position in finance HR, Administration or any suitable position. Contact 95560225 Email: sanyieha@gmail.com CA Finalist having big four experience of more than three years seeking suitable position currently on visit visa. Contact 94663269 Email: rizwan_ravian@yahoo.com 12 years Oman experienced Chief Accountant looking for suitable placement. Contact 97385562 Accountant: a well experienced Indian male, M.Com, more than 20 years experience in accounting field (GCC & India), looking for job as accountant or accounts manager in oman. presently working in India and ready to join immediately.

Contact :99087175 Indian male 26 years, with 4 years experience in accounts and administration looking for suitable placement. Contact 93008891 Indian male, B.Com, Accountant – 6yrs exp in Oman, NOC availableReady to join.contact: 98162671 ; email: prasanths3@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 Indian Male, MBA 2 yrs experience in Accounts, Admin & HR on visit visa. Contact 92045306 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- B.Com/B.Ed/15 years Exp – 5 in Oman, seeks job in Accts/Sales/Logistics have NOC and Oman D/L with car.

Contact – 92919625/93511425/ 93424828; Email- seshadricpioman@gmail.com

ADMIN/HR Indian male 26 years (MBA) (Operations & Marketing) 2 years experience in administration, operations and sales and marketing looking for suitable placement on visit visa.

Contact 97920125 Indian male 36 yrs having 12 yrs of experience in Oman in the following fields- HR & Admin, Purchase, Logistics, Operation. NOC available.

Ph: 93885680 Indian female with excellent communication skills, confident, dedicated to work and enthusiastic.

Knowledge about ms office. Has 6 years of experience in customer service, telecommunication, HR.Looking for immediate placement. Contact # 97348819 Indian female, 29 yrs, HR (MBA) BSC 3+ yrs in HR & Admin India & Oman seeking suitable placement.

Contact 95619537 Indian male, B.Com, almost 2 yrs exp in Accounts & Admin on visit visa. Contact 98546162 HR Manager Marketing Manager, 12 yrs experience in India seeks immediate placement in Oman.

Contact 95881471, Email : pradeeprajtb@gmail.com Indian male, MBA, 8 yrs experience in HR with Oman D/L. NOC available.

Contact 98692434 Indian male MBA 12 years exp with international exposure seeking suitable job administrative, HR management, sales & marketing, currently in Salalah. Contact 91233648 / 94667857 mail: kumar79vimal@gmail.com Indian male, 13 yrs Gulf experience in Admin / front office.

Contact 97941050 Indian male MBA (HR & Marketing) 2 years experience seeking suitable job now on visit visa.

Contact 96483964 / 98757816 Over 14 years of Gulf experience in Admin /HR /Logistics, fluent in Arabic & English with D/L, looking for suitable position.

Contact 95824598 Indian male having 2+ years Oman experience seeking suitable job opportunity...currently working as HR coordinator in a reputed company in Oman. Contact : 93671437 alluarun777@gmail.com Noc available Indian female B.Com with excellent communication available for immediate joining full time or part time in HR & Admin coordination.

Contact 98460262 Young Indian male with 5 years Muscat experience in admin, purchase & Masters from UK seeks placement. Possess driving license.

Contact 94400671 Indian male MBA 32 yrs having 10 yrs of exp seeking suitable placement in Admin/ HR/ Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics etc. Holding valid Oman D/L .Contact - 99054786

T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED ARCHI./ DRAUGHTSMAN

MEDICAL

Indian male, Autocad draughtman with 2 years of experience currently working in oman.seeking suitable placement.NOC available.#94123480 Email: fahadhundred@gmail.com

Female Dentist Indian, 28 years Dental Surgeon, 3 years of experience, Oman prometric passed with 64%, looking for a suitable placement in Muscat region.

Contact 91377681 Email: hashmisarwat@gmail.com

Auotcad knows 3D,REVIT, MAX Ph : 97103168

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

EDUCATION

CATERING Indian cook, Tandoori cook, male, 32 yrs, having 4 yrs of experience in Muscat in India, looking for a cook job in Hotel. Contact 93753523 / 98744307 / 92175119.

DRIVER Light Driver having own visa looking for job as driver.

Contact 92303692 Driver heavy license looking for job with 7 years experience.

Contact 92073175 / 95606146 Looking for driving job with car 4x4. Contact 91331299 / 96157595 Bangladesh and Oman driver looking for job. Contact 98503237 Six years experience in Oman driver seeks suitable placement.

Contact 99437236 Bangladeshi Driver looking for job.

Contact 93567263 Looking for driving job.

Contact 98219182 Looking for driving job.

Contact 97311715 Light/ heavy duty, driver (GCC valid D/L for company) looking for job. Contact 99531802

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. Contact -94688594, gmbdm2015oilandgas@gmail.com;

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

Indian Male 27years, 5yrs exp. as QA/QC Civil Engineer on visit visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact-94372711

Looking Part time Job in HVACContact - 93198128

Indian male, BE Aeronautical with MBA in production & operations management seeking suitable placement. Contact 97738182 / 95097270 M.Tech Civil (structure) with 3 yrs experience looking for a suitable job with reputed consultants or contracting companies.

Contact 93137035, Email : mdshahzar.khan@gmail.com BE Civil Engineer, 4 years experience, 2 years in Oman consultancy ROP site, good computer and communication skills, valid Oman driving license. Looking for planning engineer job. Call - 94034153

B. Sc Civil Engineer with 5 years experience and valid Omani driving license and PDO driving and safety license and OSHA safety license looking for suitable job.

Contact 92548097

M.Tech Computer Science & Engineering, Indian female, Fresher, looking for suitable vacancy.

Contact 96103071 Email: norajobai@gmail.com

Sudanese chemist resident, 3 years experience in chemical industry.

Contact 97399073

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 96694393 Light duty driver with 3 years experience in Oman +5 years in Saudi Arabia speaking Hindi Arabic English. Contact 96088707

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

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 92791678

Indian Mechanical Engineer, 25 years with 5 years experience in fabrication (steel & pipe), machinery installation HVAC and Quality control in welding & mechanical working in Muscat and NOC available.

Contact 97270431 Email: akhilcnair1989@gmail.com

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 91376612 LV Driver- 2 yrs Exp-know English- Contact 95292064

DOMESTIC HELPER Female cleaner for school/kg, job (overseas). Contact 95175192 House boy/ cleaner looking job overseas. Contact 95175192

DESIGNER Modular kitchen designer with 4 years Bahrain /Dubai experience plus 10 years AutoCAD, 3D, Photoshop& 20-20 Fusion.

Contact -96467673, cristobabu@gmail.com Keralite Bachelor professional building designer with AutoCAD, 3D Max & Accounts. #96535497, email : bhaviwky90@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECHNICAL M. Tech Civil (structure) with 3 years experience looking for a suitable job with reputed consultants or contracting companies. Contact – 93137035 Email – mdshahzar.khan@gmail.com Seeking job Electronics and Instrumentation Engineer (Indian) Indian male, Instrumentation Engineer having total 5 years of experience in electrical site execution, 1 year in Uae,presently in oman (visit visa) seeking suitable job Contact. 95690915 Email. Syam.andrews@gmail.Com 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.

24 years Indian female diploma in computer science and engineering now on visit visa seek suitable placement.

Contact 96314974/99107369 Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

Quantity Surveyor (Civil Building) looking for Part time job Contact no:-94391712 E-mail addressinayathhussain@yahoo.com Sudanese Electrical plants equipment Engineer with 3 years Diploma degree of Electrical Engineer have 5 years experience in building constructing industry operation installation maintenance asphalt crushers stone plants and automation systems. Contact 94549609

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

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 96913836

Civil Engineer B Tech, Site Engineer Experienced, Drafting on Visit Visa Ph : 91642050

D.A.E Civil 4 years experience D/L Oman. Contact 96719649 Indian male 24 years B.Tech Mechanical Engineer with 2 years experience seeks suitable placement in reputed company.

Contact 99359887 / 94132536 Civil Engineer with MBA have 10 years exp in construction and roads projects management.

Contact 97046565

Sudanese Graduate with 3 years Diploma in Civil Engineering have 5 years experience in building construction industry materials, specification & testing.

Contact 96995670 Diploma in Architect 2.5 years experience in Oman having driving.

Contact 92967404 Civil Engineer with 12 years Experience Looking For Job. Contact 98162295 Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Aircraft Maintenance Technician with one year experience seeks suitable placement. Contact amaljohn2002@gmail.com B.Tech Mechanical Engineer (Automobile)&Diploma in QC with 2yrs experience in oil & gas company seek suitable placement job currently on Visit Visa. Contact no.96071081, 99214308 , Email: rahulvarikkat@gmail.com Sudanese Mechanical Engineer 11 years exp in oil & gas industry.

Contact - 95928035

Omani Citizen BE Mechanical Engineer with 1 year Experience looking for job urgently. Contact: 95993315 email: eaz-s@hotmail.com

Telecom Engineer with 4.5 years Oman experience looking for a suitable opportunity, interested even in Marketing also. Possess valid Oman driving license. Contact 94145460

Mechanical Engineer Indian male with one year experience also qualified in PDMS, Piping and NDT level two seeking suitable position currently in visit visa. Contact 98698682 Email: arundevchandran@gmail.com

DAE (Civil) having 3.5 years Experience 2 years from Oman with driving licences, seeking for suitable position in Construction field NOC and release available . Contact 96968554 Email: mehranahmad26@yahoo.com

Electrical Engg, B.E Indian male 1 yr exp on visit visa. Contact 93700848 Email: quizzu.26@gmail.com

Diploma of Associate Civil Engineering, Diploma of AutoCad, having 3.5 yrs experience, 2 yrs experience of Oman in Building Construction, valid transferrable ID Card.

Contact 94378581

Indian male 35 years B.Tech Mech.

Engineer with 13 yrs experience in power plant Indian looking for a suitable opening in Oman. Candidate available in Muscat until 02-4-15.

Contact 95911614 / 99844868 Electrical Eng diploma 12 yrs exp HV /LV - UG & OHL having NOC with valid Oman D/L & Mazoon CEP. Contact 96274568 Mechanical Engineer (BE) done process piping, PDMS, Q.C welding N.D.T course fresher on visit visa looking for job. Contact 97359171 Email: sayyedz097@ymail.com Project Engineer, civil engineer BSC, Building Construction 5 Years Exp in Oman fluent Arabic, English and good Hindi .Contact - 97858589 Generator maintenance in charge with 4 yrs experience with Cummins, caterpillar, kirloskar and voltas. Contact - email: shibinmundakkal@gmail.com Experienced female Electrical Engineer. Contact 93800906

Indian male, 26 yrs B-Tech (ECE) with MBA in Marketing / HR looking for a suitable placement. Currently on visit visa valid up to 30 January 2015. Contact 93754428, email : shijosirius709@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, Gulf Exp in Design and Manufacturing Ph: 97097688

EDUCATION Indian Female (M.Com, B.ED) 2Yrs Experience in teaching seeks suitable placement . Specialization in ( Accounting, Business studies, Human resource management, Economics). Presently in Visit Visa Status. Contact:97342709, Email: sininair27@gmail.com Indian female M.SC, M.PHIL, BIO, Informatics 1 yr experience in college level seeks suitable placement in schools and colleges.

Contact 92237504

1 year experience in teaching all subject to KG classes, currently working as a teacher in Oman, seeking suitable placement, Family visa. Contact 92178304 / 99036256

HOSPITALITY Indian female (Aviation and hospitality management) with excellent communication skill, confident, dedicated to works and enthusiastic and 1 year experience in admin department looking for immediate placement .

Contact 93351256 email : hinakhan.hk88@gamil.com

IT Indian male 25 B.Tech (IT) Engineer 2.5 yrs exp in hardware networking.

Currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact – 94359564 BSC Computer Science 4 years Oman EXP, driving license MCSE, CCNA, MCITP. Contact 95874315 Indian male 25 years, bachelor in Computer Science with 3 years experience in basic hardware software and networking seek suitable placement now on visit visa.

Contact 92995706 Email: ismabsc@gmail.com IT Project Manager (PMP) available for immediate joining. Total 15+ years exp & 12 years of IT experience in SAP & Project management.

Having working experience of UK, France, Germany, China, UAE, India, etc. Currently on Visit Visa.

Call 94300317 Website software developer Oman experience looking for job.

Contact 91781286 Email: hussainkhan201@gmail.com Indian male Graduate IT professional having 3+ years of experience in IT Support Engineer / Hardware & networking CCNA, MCITP, PHCE, looking for job on visit visa.

Contact 94647824 email id: azharpo@gmail.com Indian male, 25 years BSC, (Computer Science) 2 years experience in computer, hardware & networking looking for suitable placement presently on visit visa.

Contact 93243372 Network Engineer, BSc Communications, 5 years exp, CCNA, VAS, Data Center, working now at Alcatel Lucent, visit visa. Contact 91268787 Indian male Graduate (BSc. IT) 25 years new on visit visa in Muscat.

1 year experience in Accounts looking for suitable position.

Contact 95752827 Email: mhdfsrn@gmail.com Male Omani National, 27 years, holding Master in IT - Computer Sciences Engineering (India) and Master in Robotic Intelligency (Spain), looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 99211549.

3G , 4G Welding lead man Indian male, 33 years, having 15 years experience in American company, UAE and India, seeking for suitable placement. Contact 92122468 Email: shaji11@gmail.com IT Prof, MCA having 6+ yrs exp, seeks suitable position.

Contact 94543668 Hardware specialist B.Tech M.Tech electronics with 10 years experience seeks suitable opportunities in reputed organizations.

Contact 91289459 Email: shrn.shrf@gmail.com B.Tech IT Professional, Indian Male with 3 yrs of Exp. In System Admin, IT Support, Networking, Installing Active Directory, DHCP, DNS,RAS, configuring maintaining and managing servers, configuring cisco routers, Exp in handling SQL database, With Valid Driving Licence. Contact - 968 98863507

Bangladesh male MBBS Doctor with 3 years experience for a private clinic. Contact 00968-94209634 Nazia Shahid Shah, General Dentist from India with 3 plus years of full hands-on experience including clinic management. Prometric exam passed in March 2015 63% Looking for a suitable placement in Muscat region. Contact 97469553.

Email :- nazianbaig@gmail.com Medical- Indian female, 27 yrs, masters in hospital administration, fellowship in HTA studied in a super specialty medical sciences and research center in India and done project in an established hospital in sultanate of Oman.

Contact 93200827, 91026506 Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378

MISCELLANEOUS MBA male having experience of production operation administration looking for job immediately joining.

Contact 94670691 Electrician, Plumber, Gulf exp looking for job. Contact 99531802 Logistics Officer, Experience in Store keeping. Contact : 99505934

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Indian male M.Tech MBA, 24 years experience working as Country Manager seeks employment.

Contact 92279972, NOC available.

Qualified Manager: (12+ yrs. Oman Exp.) Vast knowledge in A/c & Admin, Costing, Banking, Credit Control, Insurance, International Purchase/Logistics & Finance, With D/L looking for suitable position.

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T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

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T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

D7

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T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONAL DAY

BANGLADESH

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

SPEC I AL SU P P L E M E N T

‘We must work together for a prosperous Bangladesh’ PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

O 2

4

Tourist attractions offer huge investment potential

Bangladesh sees another year of steady progress

n the eve of our great Independence and National Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings and felicitations to the fellow countrymen living at home and abroad.

The great Independence Day is a glorious one in our national life. On this historic day, I recall with profound respect Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who proclaimed the country’s independence on March 26, 1971 after inspiring the whole nation with Bangalee nationalism and preparing them for independence for over two decades facing various ups and downs. Under his leadership, we achieved our long-cherished independence through a nine-month long armed struggle and manifold forbearance and patience.

Today, I recall with deep gratitude the heroic martyrs who made supreme sacrifices in the war of liberation for achieving our independence. I also recall with deep reverence our four national leaders, valiant freedom-fighters, organisers, supporters and people from all walks of life for their unmatched contributions and courageous role that accelerated the process of our victory. The contributions of those valiant sons will be written in letters of gold in the history of our independence forever.

One of the prime objectives of our hard-earned independence was to build a happy and prosperous Bangladesh. Keeping that in mind, the

SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN

MD. ABDUL HAMID

SHEIKH HASINA

Father of the Nation

President of Bangladesh

Prime Minister of Bangladesh

government is making untiring efforts in materialising the objectives of independence. In the meantime, we have achieved some significant progress in the fields of agriculture, education, health, rural infrastructure, communication, energy and power, trade and commerce, ICT and SME sectors. It is notable that country has attained food sufficiency owing to the huge development in agriculture. We have also been able to export food grains at a small scale. The pace of advancement in the sectors of youth and sports, women and children along with empowerment of women is continuing. The maternal and child mortality rate has been reduced and life expectancy rate has simultaneously been raised. At the same time, we have also achieved remarkable development in the private sector including the areas of readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, ceram-

AMBASSADOR’S MESSAGE

‘Bangladesh proud to be one of Oman’s largest partners in progress’ ON THE OCCASION of the 44th anniversary of Independence and the National Day of Bangladesh on March, 26, 2015, I extend my heartiest greetings and felicitations to fellow citizens of Bangladesh living in the Sultanate.

On this auspicious occasion, I pay my deepest homage to the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proclaimed the country’s independence on March 26, 1971 and with his dynamic leadership, we earned our independence.

This is an occasion for all of us not only to rejoice but remind ourselves of the supreme sacrifices made by our valiant freedom fighters and martyrs during the War of Liberation in 1971, thereby giving us the opportunity to live with pride and dignity. This is also an occasion to renew our solemn resolve to live by the ideals and values of the War of Liberation. The historic Independence Day is a glorious day in our national life. We achieved our long-cherished independence through a nine-month long armed struggle and supreme sacrifice of millions. On this solemn day, I pay my deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives in the war of liberation in 1971. I pray to the Almighty Allah for the salvation of those departed immortal souls.

I take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt greetings and warmest congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on his safe return to his beloved homeland after successful medical treatment.

On this happy occasion I join my compatriot Bangladeshis to wish for His Majesty’s good health, happiness, long life and personal wellbeing. May Almighty Allah bless His Majesty to lead his beloved Nation for many more years.

Bangladesh and Oman, two brotherly Muslim countries, have over the years forged excellent relations based on mutual interests and also on shared and enduring values and ideals. Bangladesh deeply values its relations with the

SHEIKH SEKANDER ALI

Ambassador of Bangladesh

Sultanate. In the pursuit of boosting our bilateral relations with Oman, the past few years have been the most significant which have been marked by high level visits by both sides. Since issuance of the Royal Decree to establish Oman’s full-fledged embassy in Bangladesh, the two countries have seen a flurry of activity as they have started gearing up to take their bilateral co-operation to new heights.

Bangladesh is now proud to be one of the largest partners in terms of the expatriate workforce in the Sultanate. We are extremely grateful to the government of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said for generously laying its trust in the abilities of the nationals of the brotherly nation Bangladesh, which paved the way for our professionals and workers to contribute in the sustained development of the Sultanate in friendship, peace and harmony for the mutual benefit of both countries.

The present government of Bangladesh, that was sworn in after elections were held on January 5, 2014, pledged the nation to continue to implement ‘Vision 2021’ which aims to make the country a self-reliant, poverty-free and prosperous nation having the status of a middle income country by 2021.

With the government and its determination to improve relations with

the global community with special focus towards the Muslim world, we are engaged with renewed interest and zeal to strengthen the partnership between our governments and make relations with the Sultanate multi-faceted.

In the meantime, Bangladesh has achieved some significant progress in the fields of agriculture, education, health, ICT etc and the most notable is that the country has attained self sufficiency in food and also been able to export food grains and other food items. Our achievement in the international arena is recognised by the world community. Bangladeshi candidates have been elected chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), director general of the International Mobile Satellite Organisation (IMSO), and members on the Unicef Executive Board from 2015 to 2017.

In addition, they are on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council from 2015 to 2017, on the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) from 2015 to 2018, on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council from 2015 to 2018, president of the high-level committee of South-South Co-operation and a deputy member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Bangladeshi peacekeepers, under the auspices of the United Nations, have brightened the country’s image abroad through their professionalism and competence. Two Bangladesh Navy ships visited the Salalah port on their voyage to join the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and two Bangladesh Navy ships also visited Salalah port and Sultan Qaboos port on their way back to Bangladesh after completing their duties with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in 2014.

Both Bangladesh and Oman >3

Bangladesh is now being branded as a role model of development in the outside world. Our achievements in the international arena are also commendable.

ics and ship-building industry.

The country’s financial sector along with bank and insurance has been expanded. Bangladesh is now being branded as a role model of development in the outside world.

Our achievements in the international arena are also commendable. Bangladeshi peacekeepers, under the auspices of the United Nations, have brightened the country’s image abroad presenting their professionalism and competence.

Our expatriate Bangladeshis have also been making significant contributions to our national economy through their hard-earned remittances.

Nevertheless, we have a long way to go before we achieve the desired goals of independence. I believe that sincere and concerted efforts from all strata irrespective of party affiliations are imperative to reach these goals.

The people of our country are democratic and peace loving. They do not support violence including militancy and terrorism. We should keep in mind that the overall development of the country would not

have been attained without functioning and institutionalising our democracy. Continuous practice for democratic norms and values, maintaining tolerance and fortitude and showing mutual respect are the pre-conditions for a thriving democracy.

Therefore, we have to maintain patience, self-restraint and forbearance along with showing respect to the others’ opinion in a democratic pluralism. Let us make our Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) a centre of discussion to resolve all national issues. I am confident that everyone will play a responsible role from respective positions in fulfilling the desired goals of independence and the hope and aspirations of our people.

The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman cherished a dream of transforming Bangladesh into Sonar Bangla. The present government has taken up ‘Vision 2021’ for materialising the dream into reality. It is my expectation that people from all strata would contribute to build an ITbased happy and prosperous Bangladesh through implementing the vision by the golden jubilee celebration of our independence.

On this auspicious Independence Day, I urge all Bangladeshis, living at home and abroad, to work in a united manner, imbued with the spirit of war of liberation, to expedite overall development and democratic advancement of the country.

May Bangladesh Live Forever.

— Md. ABDUL HAMID, President of Bangladesh

2

TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 2 6, 2 015

BANGLADESH

INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONAL DAY

Bangladesh tourist attractions offer huge investment potential There are over seven hundred spots of

HIGHLIGHTS

tourist interest in

Bangladesh is bestowed with the bounty of nature and immense beauty and its captivating natural beauties have attracted many travellers

Bangladesh is a unique tourist destination where one can find the scope for all kinds of tourist interests as well as investment

Government has framed a new National Tourism Policy for development of domestic and international tourism

Bangladesh and the country is welcoming investments in hotels, theme parks, cable cars, international standard tourist facilities, amusement parks and cruise vessels

B

ernier, a French traveller in the 17th century aptly described Bangladesh as a place that “has a hundred gates open for entrance but not one for departure.”

The famous Chinese Traveller Huen Tsang while visiting Bangladesh in the 7th century said, “A sleeping beauty emerging from mists and water.”

Bangladesh is bestowed with the bounty of nature and immense beauty. Its captivating natural beauty has attracted many travellers from far and wide through the ages. The country is also heir to a rich cultural legacy. In two thousand and more years of its chequered history, many illustrious dynasties of kings and sultans have ruled and disappeared leaving their mark in the shape of magnificent cities, monuments and the desolate ruins that are still visible in many places throughout the country.

With pristine natural beauty, thought-provoking ancient relics and the unique hospitality of the

people, Bangladesh has been blessed with the potential to be an amazing tourist destination. Situated between India and Myanmar with the entire south edged by the Bay of Bengal, this south Asian country is crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers making it an interesting delta. Expansive green hills and valleys along with mangrove forests and long stretches of sandy and shark-free sea beaches also add value to the spectacular natural beauty of this land. No wonder, this land attracted priests, traders and wanderers from different parts of the world since ancient times.

There are over 700 spots of tourist interest in the country. These include nature-driven ones like sea beaches, green valleys, forests, archaeological and historical sites, and iconic religious places in addition to cultural events and man-made wonders. Thus, Bangladesh is a unique tourist destination where one can find the scope for all kinds of tourist

interests as well as for investment.

Among the various archaeological sites and monuments the Buddhist relics are of special significance.

There is Paharpur from 8th century AD, the single largest Buddhist Monastery south of the Himalayas and a UNESCO-designated world heritage site, Mahasthangarh from 3rd century BC, the country’s oldest archaeological site, Mainamati, the seat of lost dynasties (Buddhist) etc, and the 60-domed mosque at Bagerhat – a magnificent sultanate relic, also a Unesco designated world heritage site.

The world’s longest unbroken beach of Cox’s Bazar is situated on a clean stretch of sand measuring 120 kilometres. With its water sports and towering cliffs, this place has been aptly described as the tourist capital of Bangladesh. Top of the list on any tourist’s wildlife itinerary is a visit to the Sundarbans, the world’s single largest mangrove forest - a UNESCO

world heritage site, to catch a rare glimpse of the Royal Bengal Tiger in its natural habitat. Spread over 6000 square kilometres this delta is criss-crossed by a network of rivers and creeks. Its dense tropical forest is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna and is every game lover’s and anglers ideal heaven.

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh boasts of having some outstanding ancient monuments. Some of the more popular tourist destinations are Lalbagh Fort, built in 1678 AD, Sonargaon, the seat of the Deva dynasty up to the 13th century, Ahsan Manzil and Husseni Dalan (a Shiite monument) in addition to the Sat gumbaz mosque or seven domed mosque built in 1680 AD and the Dhakeshwari Temple.

Sonargaon, the ancient capital of this land, is not very far from the present capital. It is dotted with old palaces. A folklore museum situated in the area showcases the finest handi-

craft products made in this country.

The hill districts in the south eastern region of the country command an exotic view of their natural beauty. Accessible by road from the port city of Chittagong, it is a tranquil heaven for nature lovers. Green hills and sprawling valleys are often dotted with waterfalls and small lakes.

The unique lifestyle of the ethnic inhabitants adds value to the romance of this paradise. With no sound and air pollution, these hilly districts can be the finest destinations for those wanting to get away from the time chasing modern urban lifestyle and embrace the tranquil environment.

Up in the north eastern part of Bangladesh in the region of Sylhet, the sprawling tea gardens offer a panoramic view. It is like a green carpet rolled out for miles and miles. For centuries, these gardens have been producing tea. The plucking of tea leaves by thousands of women in the waist-level thick tea bushes itself of-

fers a spectacular view. In the midst of the tea garden valleys are the natural waterfalls, which make it even more scenic.

The Madhabkunda waterfall is the most prominent one with tens of thousands of tourists visiting it every year. In the north central part between Sylhet and Mymensingh districts, huge water bodies dominate the landscapes which offer another opportunity for nature adventurers.

Known locally as haor, these water bodies turn safe havens for millions of cold migratory birds coming from as far as Siberia. Tanguar haor situated in the district of Sunamganj is known to be the biggest single water body in Asia.

Bangladesh is often called a land of mosques. It is obvious that with over 80 per cent of the 140 million people being Muslims, there will be innumerable mosques. However, many of the mosques are ancient and reflect the taste of the early Muslim preachers and rulers. The 60-domed mosque complex in Bagerhat, a world heritage site, near Khulna is unique for its architectural design. The Atia mosque in Tangail near Dhaka is still vibrant with its archaic designs. The Star mosques in the capital Dhaka show the craze for beautification of holy places. The huge and magnificent national mosque – Baitul Mukarram- in the heart of Dhaka is an imposing architectural beauty.

The people of Bangladesh are hospitable and resilient by nature and they always welcomed guests to this land. Hospitality is a legacy for Asia and it is well-known to all that Asian hospitality is unlike that of any other part of the world. Asian hospitality is not mechanical, but emotional and filled with caring. So, where does one find that place which is blessed with truly Asian hospitality? From time immemorial, according to the tourists, it is Bangladesh. Even today, the people here shed tears at the departure of their guests from their residences. If Malaysia represents Truly Asia, Bangladesh represents true Asian hospitality.

T HURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015

BANGLADESH C O N T I N UAT I O N

< FROM

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‘Bangladesh is proud to be one of Oman’s largest partners in progress’

can enjoy the benefits by strengthening the relations particularly in the fields of trade, commerce, investment and agriculture. Regular exchange of visits between the trade bodies, chambers, business groups of two countries and participation in each other’s trade fairs would help to reach to their true potential and be immensely beneficial in that regard. Our fellow Bangladeshis have also been making significant contributions to the development of both the countries. Bangladesh can offer a basket of products which are competitive both in terms of price and quality such as garments and knitwear, tea, leather and leather products, ceramics etc.

Bangladesh also has huge potential to offer highly skilled professionals in the field of engineering, medicine, agriculture, information technology, education etc. in addi-

tion to a skilled and semi-skilled workforce. On the other hand, Oman can consider Bangladesh as a potential destination to export mineral fuel, petroleum products and chemical products among others. Also, there could be investments or joint ventures in the areas of oil and gas, power, sea port development, infrastructure, telecommunications, textile, light engineering, agro-based industries, refinery and shipping etc.

On this occasion, we convey our deepest respects and gratitude to His Majesty for his kindness towards the Bangladeshis living and working in the Sultanate. I also would like to avail of the opportunity to convey my sincere good wishes to the brotherly people of the Oman in their endeavour of continued progress under the Blessed Renaissance of His Majesty.

I also urge our compatriots in Oman to follow and respect the rules, regulations, values and traditions of Oman and try their best to live up to the expectations of their employers with fullest sincerity.

And, I am also grateful to our colleagues and Bangladeshis for their understanding and co-operation with me and my Mission while endeavouring to improve the bilateral relations and enhance the image of Bangladesh in Oman.

I would like to thank all our friends and well-wishers who have conveyed their greetings to me and through me to the people of Bangladesh, on this auspicious occasion.

I am certain that relations between Bangladesh and Oman would grow to new heights in future for the mutual benefit of both the brotherly nations. May Allah the Almighty bless us all!

INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONAL DAY

3

4

TH UR S DAY, MA RCH 2 6, 2 015

BANGLADESH

INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONAL DAY

Bangladesh sees another year of sustained progress and growth

T

he general elections held on January 5, 2014 to sustain the progress of Bangladesh’s parliamentary democracy was a unique milestone. Democracy and development are concepts that complement each other. Development is an ongoing process that requires concerted efforts and the active participation and support of the masses. The grand alliance government operating from 2009 to 2013 succeeded in ensuring widespread development across all sectors in the country through the wholehearted cooperation of the people.

The masses saw their standard of life improve, and social harmony in the country was enhanced whenever the Awami League – a party that works for the common man – came to power. Even against the backdrop of a global recession, national income and state budgets in Bangladesh have increased, while critical advances have been made in different sectors. This is evidenced in the recognition accorded to Bangladesh in the international arena. Standing on the firm edifice of development erected by the grand alliance government, the present government is moving ahead on its course towards achieving its Vision-2021. A brief account of the development activities and progress achieved by the present government over the past one year is presented below: Finance and Commerce Actual revenue collection during 2013-14 stood at Taka 1,416.03 billion. The rate of poverty increase was projected at 24.5 percent in the midterm implementation report of the Sixth Five-year Plan in 2014. Bangladesh Bank received a mobile banking policy and financial inclusion award in 2014 from the Alliance for Financial Inclusion. A total of 965,056 taxpayers have completed the online e-TIN registration, as of November 2014, and 391,722 tax-payers registered more recently.

Exports from the country during the 2013-14 financial year re-

HIGHLIGHTS

corded an 11.69 per cent growth of $30,176.8 million. Exports during July-November 2014 recorded a 0.92 per cent growth of $12.07 billion.

Economic/Commercial Counsellors and First Secretaries (Commerce) have been appointed to the Bangladeshi Missions of nine countries to boost exports. A memorandum of understanding has been signed by BGMEA with a Chinese investment firm to establish a garments industrial park on 530.78 acres of land in Baushia, Munshiganj District.

Tea cultivation has been expanded to cover 2,700 hectares of land in response to the rising demand for tea in the country.

Education The drop-out rate at the primary school level has reduced to 21.4 per cent. The status of headmasters in government primary schools has been raised from Class 3 to Class

2. The number of students receiving stipends at 63,587 schools now stands at 7,870,129. Some 7,000 assistant teachers were recruited by primary schools during 2014. The Non-formal Education Act was passed by the Jatiya Sangsad.

A total of 326,347,000 textbooks were distributed among students from primary to SSC and equivalent levels during the 2015 academic year.

A course on art and crafts, worth 50 marks, was made compulsory in the JSC and JDC examinations for the 2014 academic year.

Health and Sanitation Bangladesh formally received a certificate recognizing its status as a polio-free country in 2014. A bone-transplant unit was set up in unit-2 of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Specialised Hospital and Nursing College is now operational. A separate 150-bed ward for

women and child heart patients has been established by the National Heart Foundation. A 20-bed burn unit has been put in place at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. A door-to-door screening survey for identifying autistic children was completed in seven districts of seven divisions.

At present, medicines are being exported to 93 countries. The Public Health Engineering Department has installed 53,464 water sources of different types, 13 water reservoirs, water-sanitation facilities at 7,570 primary-secondary schools, 11,941 low-cost latrines and 110 public toilets.

Agriculture, Food and Industry The production of food-grains (rice, wheat, and maize) increased to 38.343 million metric tonnes during the 2013-14 fiscal year. At present, the market prices of Urea, TSP and

Exports during the 2013-14 recorded an 11.69 per cent growth of $30,176.8 million, with. 0.92 per cent growth of $12.07 billion during JulyNovember 2014

The production of foodgrains (rice, wheat, and maize) increased to 38.343 million metric tonnes during the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The production capacity of electricity was raised to 13,283 megawatts by installing new power plants with a capacity of 1300 megawatts over the past year.

MOP fertilisers are Taka 16, Taka 22 and Taka 15 per kilogramme, respectively. The price of DAP fertiliser has been adjusted to Taka 25 from Taka 27 per kilogramme. Taka 4,059,700,000 has been spent on incentives and rehabilitation expenses in compensating losses incurred due to various natural disasters.

Food-grain production during 2014 rose to 3.566 million metric tonnes during 2014. A total of 976,000 metric tonnes of rice and 811,000 metric tonnes of wheat have been distributed under the public food distribution programme. The storage capacity of government warehouses has been raised to 1.95 million metric tonnes.

Gearing up to meet the demand for urea in the country, 91.38 per cent of the construction work on the Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory, with a capacity of 580,000 metric tonnes, has been completed. The prevalence of the goitre disease in the country has

dropped to 1.60 per cent through the implementation of the iodised salt project. The Bangladesh Accreditation Board was accorded full membership in the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation in 2014.

Power and Gas The production capacity of electricity in the country was raised to 13,283 megawatts by installing new power plants with a capacity of 1300 megawatts over the past year. Electricity generation in the country rose from a maximum of 6,675 megawatts, as recorded on July 11, 2013, to 7,418 megawatts, recorded on July 18, 2014. The number of beneficiaries receiving electricity rose from 62 per cent in 2012-13 to 68 per cent in 2013-14. Overall systems loss reduced to 14.13 per cent in June 2014.

Some 1.1 million new electricity connections were provided during the 2013-14 fiscal year.

Information Technology and Digital Services The unicode-based Bangladesh Standard (BDS 1520:2011) for the existing Bengali Character Code Set has been devised to encourage the use of the Bangla language on computers. Bangladesh received the WSIS Award from the International Telecommunication Union in 2014 for its contributions in providing government services online and the Global ICT Excellence Award from the World Information Technology and Services Alliance for making advances in information and communications technology.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has implemented six projects with an outlay of Taka 6.7015 billion during the 2013-14 fiscal year to expand the atomic energy medical centre in the country, establish an atomic energy centre in Chittagong, procure various exhibits for popularising science, and strengthen laboratories in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Financial aid was provided to 1,001 student-researchers and 331 research projects.