Times of Oman - August 27, 2015

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OMAN CURRENCY TRAIL

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The Oman Currency Museum at the Central Bank of Oman complex is a must visit place for those who are keen to know about the monetary history of the Sultanate. >C7

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THURSDAY, August 27, 2015 / 12 Dhul Qa’ada 1436 AH

ON HM BEHALF

Sayyid Asa’ad bids farewell to envoys

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The great Eid flight rush gets underway

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Airfares rise as rupee falls Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Indians who went to Kerala without purchasing return tickets will have to shell out more as airfares have shot up due to a fall in the value of the Indian rupee.

Travel agents in Muscat confirmed that airfares from India have gone up due to the rupee fall. “The prices to overseas destinations are up by INR4,000 to INR5,000 from the earlier prices,” said a travel agent. He said almost all seats are full and the rate of available seats is four to five times more than the normal rate.

“Earlier, some seats were available, but now you will have to pay more to be back in the Sultanate,” Raji Demonte, general manager at Universal Travel and Tourism, told the Times of Oman.

MUSCAT: On behalf of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, His Highness Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tariq Al Said received on Wednesday Tariq Al Adab, Ambassador of the Tunisian Republic to the Sultanate and Awadh Mohammed Ahmed Ibn Ouf, Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to the Sultanate, to bid them farewell at the end of their tenure in Oman.

The two ambassadors expressed their thanks to His Majesty the Sultan for the support they received during their stay in the Sultanate from His Majesty, the government and the Omani people, which had enabled them to carry out their duties. They wished His Majesty good health, happiness and a long life and the Sultanate further progress under the wise leadership of His Majesty.

Sayyid Asa’ad thanked the two ambassador for the efforts they exerted in boosting the relations between the Sultanate and their countries, wishing them success and people of their countries progress and prosperity. -ONA Picture on >A6 CABLES

Times News Service

Fares to Asian

His Majesty sends greetings

destinations have

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Nicolae Timofti of Moldova on his country’s Independence Anniversary.

In his cable, His Majesty expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of good health and happiness to President Timofti and the Moldovan people further progress and prosperity. -ONA

holidays

gone up as only 20 days are left for Eid Al Adha

His Majesty receives thanks MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Abdullah Yameen of Maldives in reply to His Majesty’s congratulatory cable on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of his country’s Independence Anniversary.

In his cable, President Yameen expressed his utmost thanks and appreciation for His Majesty’s congratulations and best wishes.

He wished His Majesty good health and happiness, the Omani people further progress and prosperity, and the good relations between the two countries further progress. -ONA

MUSCAT: Travellers hoping to head away for the Eid Al Adha holiday face missing out if they don’t act soon as tickets to many destinations are selling out fast.

Though it is more than 20 days away, there is huge demand for air tickets during Eid Al Adha celebrations — expected to start from September 23 but yet to be confirmed.

According to travel agents, flight tickets to most of the destinations

Photographic Society of Oman bags award in Indonesia

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TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

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Keralites go on buying spree for Onam

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As only one more day is left for Thiruvonam, people from Kerala in Muscat are thronging hypermarkets for shopping. >A4

REGION

MARKET

Bombing suspect

Carillion cautious

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Carillion, the UK firm, said plunging oil prices may hamper its plans to expand further. >B1

A key suspect in the Saudi Arabia bombing that killed 19 US airmen decades ago has been captured. >A7

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NEGLIGENCE

Short-circuits main cause of fires

RISING INCIDENTS: Loose electrical wiring is also one of the causes of fires. – Supplied photo

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Negligence in maintaining standard electrical wiring systems and lack of compliance with statutory requirements re-

sult in incidents of fire, said a risk and safety engineer.

In a week, three incidents of fire have been reported in Muscat, of which two were in Ghala industrial area and one in Ruwi High Street. Even though there were no

causalities in the accidents, properties worth thousands of rials were damaged.

“With reference to the trend and available data, the main reason for accidents caused by fire is a short circuit. >A6

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

in Asia are either sold out or selling out fast. “We do not have any tickets to Colombo on September 22,” confirmed Deepal Pallegangoda, country manager of Sri Lankan Airlines in Muscat. He also said there is great demand for tickets to Far East destinations like Malaysia and Singapore during this Eid. “Tickets for

the Maldives sector is also eliciting very good response,” he said.

Joegendra Charles Rajadurai, country manager Oman of Qatar Airways, said that many people will be booking tickets after receiving their salaries. “We expect flights to be filled during the Eid holidays,” he said. He, however, said the demand for Bangkok had dropped this year.

“Instead, people are flying to Kuala Lumpur, Istanbul, and Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. The demand for flights to Phuket, Bali and Jakarta

are also picking up,” he said. The other destinations which are doing well include Larnaca, which is situated on the southern coast of Cyprus, apart from Vienna, Frankfurt and London. “Tickets are still available as we have upgraded to widebodied aircraft on some flights in our fleet,which can take more passengers from Muscat International Airport,” he said. Sami Muctar, country manager Oman, Ethiopian Airlines, said that Kenyan safaris are the biggest draw this Eid. >A6

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

OMAN

The Sohar Police Department received numerous reports on two citizens vandalising vehicles and stealing their contents, in addition to stealing their car number plates ROP official

POLICE ACTION

Two Omanis held for vandalism, theft Times News Service MUSCAT: Two Omani citizens were arrested on charges of vandalism and theft in Falaj Al Qabail in Sohar Wilayat, confirmed an official source from the Sohar Royal Oman Police (ROP).

“The Sohar Police Department received numerous reports on two citizens vandalising vehicles

and stealing their contents, in addition to stealing their car number plates,” said the ROP source.

“The Directorate General of Inquiries and Investigations were able to apprehend the suspects,” added the source.

The vandals confessed to their crimes and were referred to the Public Prosecution.

The source thanked the resi-

dents and citizens for their co-operation which helped in the arrest of the two and stressed that cooperation between civilians and police must continue to ensure safety for all.

Liquor seized Meanwhile, the ROP Coast Guards intercepted a boat off the coast of Musandam and foiled an

attempt to smuggle liquor. The ROP Coast Guards intercepted the boat with two Asians on board and found 25 boxes of alcoholic beverages in their possession, which were seized and handed over to the Musandam customs officials for initiating legal procedures.

The ROP also took possession of the boat.

LIQUOR HAUL: ROP Coast Guards intercepted the boat with two Asians on board and found 25 boxes of alcohol.–ROP photo

M O R A L E D UC AT I O N

DRIVE SLOWER LIVE LONGER

Call to focus on values among children MUSCAT: A modern Omani study has highlighted the importance of enhancing values among children by adopting a long-term approach that includes establishing a higher organisation to care for them and develop their education, psychological, social and sports strategies.

The study conducted by Dr Saleh bin Mohammed Al Fahdi, chairman of ‘Qeyam’ Centre, titled “Role of values in enhancing child culture,” included three themes on the need to enhance values in the child’s culture, its modern effects and the means to enhance those values.

The study pointed out that the visual, audio and print media have a great impact on children.

He added that satellite channels, e-games and Internet cause more confusion among children as they convey different messages. – ONA

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

OMAN

30

to 35 dishes comprise Onasadhaya, the sumptuous feast of Kerala’s Onam festival

TRADITIONAL TREAT: Traditionally, the making of the floral carpet begins on the Atham day, 10 days before Thiruvonam. Originally, the floral carpet consists of 10 small round steps. – OK Mohammed Ali/TIMES OF OMAN

Colours of Kerala mark Onam fest Traditional Onasadhya meal comprises different varieties of curries and upperies.

It has to be served on a tender banana leaf, laid with the end to the left

REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: As only one more day is left for Thiruvonam, the most important day for Keralites’ 10-daylong harvest festival, Onam, people from the south Indian state of Kerala in Muscat were seen thronging hypermarkets for the last minute shopping.

“There are long queues in the counters. People are doing their last minute shopping. Without an Onasadhaya, the sumptuous feast which includes 30 to 35 dishes, and Onakodi, the new dress, how can a Keralite celebrate Onam,” an official from one of the hypermarkets, said.

Onam is the state festival, which unites all Keralites irrespective of

caste, colour or creed. The festival marks the homecoming of mythical king Mahabali, who emerges from the netherworld to visit his people in Kerala. Onam is all about being happy and engaging in funfilled activities.

The 10 days of Onam commenced on Atham day (last Wednesday) and will go up to the Thiruvonam day in the Malayalam calendar month of Chingam.

“Many have sent money to India to make use of the better exchange rates following the Indian currency fall this week. However, we can’t miss Onam celebrating in its full gaiety, ”Aswathy Shibu, a Keralite homemaker, told Times of Oman.

“At least an Onasadhya is must. There is even a saying that Keralites go to the extent of selling all their possessions for one Onasadhya,” Aswathy added.

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Traditional Onasadhya meal comprises of different varieties of curries, upperies - fried in oil, pappadams which are round crisp flour paste cakes of peculiar make, uppilittathu - pickles of various kinds, chammanthi - the chutney, payasams and prathamans or puddings of various descriptions.

Fruits and digestives are also part of the meal.

Onasadhya has to be served on a tender banana leaf, laid with the end to the left. The meal is traditionally served on a mat laid on the floor.

A strict order of serving the dish-

es one after the other is obeyed.

Besides, there are clear directions as to what will be served in which part of the banana leaf.

Blue-collar workers from Kerala were also seen in their last minute shopping of vegetables at the hypermarkets.

“Onam is a nostalgic feeling for us. Even though we are staying alone here, we try to make it as colorful as we can. We invite everyone in our camp to share the feast and happiness. When we are far from our family, its only friends who we have to share our celebrations. Workers from different nationalities also join us. In this region, Onam is not an exclusive festival for Keralites, it’s for people from all countries,” Reghu Ramachandran and his friends from a labour camp in Ghala, said.

Simultaneously, as Indian

schools, social clubs and offices were organising Onam celebrations, there was a huge demand for fresh flowers to design Athapookalam , decorative floral carpets.

“It was quite difficult to get fresh flowers. The main part of celebrations is to create floral carpet. But we struggled a lot to get fresh flowers for our children.

They had floral carpet competition in the school,” Rajesh Ravi, a Keralite, said.

Flower carpet is a distant cousin of Rangoli in North India and Kolam in Tamil Nadu.

Traditionally, the making of the floral carpet begins on the Atham day, 10 days before Thiruvonam.

Originally, the floral carpet consists of 10 small round steps.

The 10 steps or rings are believed to represent ten different deities in Hinduism.

S A L A L A H I N I T I AT I V E

Caledonian College students foster care of elderly citizens

OMAN PHOTO SOCIETY WINS INDONESIA AWARD Photographic Society of Oman (PSO) of the Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science won the honorary award at the 28th Biennale Indonesia, organised by Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (FIAP). PSO took part with 20 pictures that focus on children. The Sultanate came seventh at the completion with 199 points. Biennale photography contest is organised

by FIAP every two year.—ONA SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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

SOCIAL MISSION: This is the first-of-its-kind initiative for the elderly. –Supplied photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: With the objective of raising awareness among youth to take care of the elderly, an initiative was launched in Salalah to highlight health, social and mental issues that may face the elderly and ways to tackle them.

A team of seven students from Caledonian College of Engineering titled their initiative ‘Khareef with Company of an Elderly’.

The first of its kind initiative is

being sponsored by Oman Air. “During our stay in Salalah, we aim at implementing a set of programmes to inform school students about the needs of the elderly by visiting schools, establishing workshops for teachers and students in addition to distributing booklets to tourists at major tourist attractions in Salalah,” said Afrah Mohammed Al Mamari, head of the team of volunteers.

She added that she and her team will pay a visit to a hospital

to lecture patients and employees about the common diseases that can affect the elderly and how to prevent and treat them.

“People’s sympathy with agedcare initiatives is the true test of society’s caring, and we believe that our Omani youth are coping well the growing elderly population.

“However, they need to be educated on how to take care of them properly and in the right manner,” said Al Mamari.

SOCIAL AGENDA

Oman LNG initiates safety, green and health projects in Sur Times News Service MUSCAT: Sheikh Musallam Al Mahrooqi, wali of Sur and chairman of the municipal committee, and Khalid Al Massan, chief executive officer of Oman LNG Development Foundation visited the recently completed social investment initiatives of Oman LNG for the Sur community.

Based on the advice of the wali, the initiatives focussed on specific areas such as safety, environment and the health of the community for which agreements were signed between 2013 and 2014.

The improvement of the walkway, public restrooms and the increase of shaded areas in Shiaa addressed the safety aspects. Furthermore, flooding in two main locations in Sur city forced the construction of two storm drainages to safely direct excess water there during heavy rainfall.

Planting over 1,000 neem trees between the Sur Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) junction to Al Jinah Roundabout, and in the vicinity and alongside the road between Al Jinah R/A and Al Bar Round About, has greatly improved the local environment.

COMMUNITY WELFARE: Based on the advice of the wali, the initiatives focussed on specific areas such as safety, environment and the health of the community for which agreements were signed between 2013 and 2014.–Supplied photo

By using an eco-friendly irrigation system and reusing waste water from the Sur Sewage Treatment Plan (STP) a viable, low-cost, environmentally conscious solution has been incorporated as well.

By financing the outdoor gym-

nasium facilities at three locations across Sur and expanding the grounds at Bilad Sur Park, Oman LNG hopes to contribute to a healthier lifestyle for the local community.

The company’s contribution

to the expansion of the Bilad Sur Park has created ample space to hold various activities, events and functions. At present, the park has held many festivities such as the recent Eid, National Day and Renaissance Day celebrations

and public events. “Through these initiatives we hope to provide support where the community of Sur feels it is most needed,” said Khalid Al Massan.

“Our aim is to serve the community and contribute to all seg-

ments of society wherever we can,” he said.

Oman LNG has an ambitious social investment programme addressing many areas of development in Oman but broadly divided into three main categories.

The first is a community fund that targets initiatives related to the Sur community where its world-class, three-train liquefaction plant is located.

The second is a national fund that covers a large swath of the company’s social development programme including donations, national projects and human resource development, and the third is a reserve fund to address the sustainability of the company’s social investment programmes.

Oman LNG operates as a jointventure company with a shareholding structure comprising the Government of Oman with 51 per cent, Shell Gas B.V with 30 per cent, Total S.A. with 5.54 per cent, and Korea LNG with 5 per cent, in addition to Mitsubishi Corporation with 2.77 per cent, Mitsui & Company with 2.77 per cent, Partex (Oman) Corporation with 2 per cent, and Itochu with 0.92 per cent.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

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Abu Dhabi eyes Oman tourists More than 30,000 Omanis have visited Abu Dhabi this year so far. It’s an increase of 15-16 per cent over the same period last year

SARAH MACDONALD sarah@timesofoman.com

Sultan Al Mansoori, GCC Country Manager for the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority

MUSCAT: More Omanis are visiting Abu Dhabi than ever before, with numbers up over 15 per cent compared to last year, according to an official from the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.

The Emirate hopes to attract more Omanis and expatriates who live in Oman with its the diverse destinations that combine sea and water attractions, modern entertainment, desert spas and retreats, heritage and cultural sites and oases, said Sultan Al Mansoori, GCC Country Manager for the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority. He was in Muscat on Wednesday on a promotional tour aimed at attracting more visitors to Abu Dhabi.

“There have been over 30,000 Omanis so far this year. It’s an increase of between 15 and 16 per cent compared to this period last year,” Al Mansoori said.

According to the recent statistics, Abu Dhabi’s hotels received 30,909 hotel guests from the Sultanate during the first half of 2015, representing an increase of 15 per cent compared to the same period of last year. Abu Dhabi also received more than 62,499 hotel guests from the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia (a 28 per cent increase), 13,306 guests from Kuwait and 13,156 guests from Qatar.

Approximately 45,000 Omanis visited Abu Dhabi in 2014, and given the current rates Al Mansoori expects this number to be significantly higher.

The number of expatriates in Oman who visit Abu Dhabi is also expected to rise thanks to the new electronic visa system for the UAE. People can apply for their visas online and know if they are approved or not, he said.

“Now you are sure. You apply on line and if you get the visa you are going to come. I think this will increase the number of visitors, too,” comment Al Mansoori.

Currently most visitors from Oman who visit the UAE head to Dubai, but Al Mansoori said there are many reasons to visit Abu Dhabi, and once people have been there, they will want to return again and again. He said Dubai started its tourism industry 10 years before Abu Dhabi and is also the business capital so it attracts many people, but he hoped in the future more people would consider visiting Abu Dhabi, too.

“This is our role, to tell them about Abu Dhabi and encourage them to visit us. Abu Dhabi is quieter than Dubai and good for people who want to relax.

“If they visit Abu Dhabi they will discover that it has specific elements and destinations which they will never see in Dubai or anywhere in the world. They need to see it to believe it to be honest,” he said.

Al Mansoori said there are a number of highly anticipated events in Abu Dhabi that are expected to draw an even larger number of visitors from neighbouring GCC countries, especially for the celebratory activities scheduled for Eid Al Adha in September which will bring together a group of top-tier Arab singing stars who will grace the stages in Abu Dhabi City, Al Ain and the Western Region.

An array of cultural and heritage events will follow in October including the seventh edition of Al Ain Reads Book Show which will focus on local publishers and host preeminent Emirati writers in open discussion sessions, as well as the National Traditional Handicrafts Festival which is considered a major attraction for everyone interested in reviving traditional crafts.

In November, the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will draw regional attendees, while Abu Dhabi Art will captivate modern art enthusiasts.

“Our current roadshow combines meeting with the leaders of the travel and tourism sector in the GCC and representatives of prominent media organisations in their respective countries.

“The meetings will focus on promoting the various upcoming cultural and art activities on Abu Dhabi’s agenda in addition to calling attention to the promotional offers extended to visitors by the emirate’s hotels and shopping centres,” added Al Mansoori.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

OMAN

I have been thinking about initiating such a service for some time and, starting August 27, this Open House will be held every Thursday for an hour to help our countrymen solve their problems Ayaz Hussain, Pakistan’s ambassador

SAYYID ASA’AD MEETS AMBASSADORS

A1 Flights to India nearly full

E I D H O L I D AY S

< FROM

On behalf of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, His Highness Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tariq Al Said received on Wednesday Tunisian Ambassador Tariq Al Adab and Sudan Ambassador Awadh Mohammed Ahmed Ibn Ouf, to bid them farewell at the end of their tenures in the Sultanate. -ONA

“There is huge demand for tickets to places such as Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia,” he told the Times of Oman on Wednesday.

The airline has aggressively started promoting packages to Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Ethiopia.

“Of course, Kenya takes pride of place simply because of the sheer variety of places of tourist interest.

Masai Mara has been the greatest attraction since it is the biggest wildlife reserve in the world,” he said.

Flights to the India sector during the Eid Al Adha holidays are already full despite the low fares, said travel agents in Muscat.

“Those who want to attend the Eid Al Adha celebrations in India will have to travel a couple a days earlier as flights are already full for that period. The ticket rates were cheap, so customers booked much earlier. Now, only higher economy class or business class seats are available,” said Raji Demonte, general manager at Universal Travel & Tourism.

According to Demonte, the toand-fro tickets were hovering around OMR65 to south Indian destinations.

“However, the higher economy class tickets are around OMR150,” added Raji.

As quoted on the website of the Sultanate’s official carrier Oman Air, one can book a return ticket to Thiruvanathapuram, the capi-

Airways is OMR50 plus from August 31 to September 15.

“Airlines always do this. They Buy your tickets in advance increase the rate according to the situation and the common man Then book your hotel room has to suffer if he has an emergency. Sometimes, he has to pay even Choose destinations that are more than OMR200 for a seat,” said Sunil Kumar, an Indian businot so popular, it will come nessman in Muscat. cheap Though there are places like Buy a travel insurance plan Dubai or Abu Dhabi to visit during the holidays, a large num Avoid trouble spots ber of travellers are opting for Salalah this year because of the Avoid wearing valuables cool weather.

“For the Eid Al Adha holidays, that draw public attention we have a good number of ticket In emergency, get in touch and hotel bookings for Salalah.

Unavailability of air tickets to inwith Omani embassy in ternational destinations is makthat country ing travellers opt for Salalah,” said a travel agent.

There are people opting for tal city of the Indian state of Kerala from Muscat on September 20 boutique resorts or hotels for a trip and a return ticket on October 20 during the extended weekends.

“People prefer destinations that for OMR146.

From the next day onwards the do not require more than five to six one-way ticket rate to the same hours by a car to reach,” said Vinod city from Muscat is more than Paul, a traveller.

For this reason, the resorts in OMR100. The situation on the Masirah Island are experiencing other carriers is similar.

There are one-way tickets avail- heavy bookings.

“There are only a few rooms able for lower rates on the flights like Oman Air, Jet Airways etc. to left,” confirmed an official at the the Kerala sector between August Masirah Island Resort.

There is another place which 31 and September 15.

The one-way rate to Thiru- experiences a huge rush, and that vanathapuram from Muscat on is the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve Oman Air is OMR60 plus and the Centre, as the nesting season for rate to the same destination on Jet turtles has started.

TRAVEL TIPS

Pakistan Open House to settle expat issues The ambassador, accompanied by

I have been thinking about initiating such a service for some time and, starting August 27, this Open House will be held every Thursday

other officers, will listen to problems related to the Counsellor section at the Open House and, if possible, order immediate action for

Ayaz Hussain

an instant solution

Pakistan’s Ambassador

SHAHZAD RAZA

shahzad@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: The large Pakistani community in Oman has finally got a platform to share their problems and seek immediate redressal, as Ayaz Hussain, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Sultanate, will conduct an Open House starting today, and every Thursday, at 11 am in the embassy.

In what is seen as the first such step by the Pakistan embassy in Oman, the ambassador, accompanied by other officers, will listen to problems related to the Counsellor section and, if possible, order immediate action for an instant solution.

Not just that, he will also use his office to approach the highest

authorities in Pakistan for anything troubling his countrymen in Oman.

“I have been thinking about initiating such a service for some time and, starting August 27, this Open House will be held every Thursday for an hour to help our countrymen solve their problems,” said Hussain speaking to the Times of Oman yesterday.

The Counselling Hall sees long queues on a daily basis as a large number of Pakistanis approach the embassy for counselling services. The Open House is not only expected to offer instant solutions but lead to an improvement in counselling services as well.

The ambassador also encouraged nearly 250,000 Pakistanis

in Oman to share their personal problems related to any issues bothering them in Pakistan through this platform.

“The Pakistan embassy will assist them in finding an immediate solution to their problems like property disputes, issues over education, facilitation in their investments, complaints against the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis etc. We have appointed the Community Welfare Attaché to guide them on how to approach the concerned bodies like the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission through its website. Once a problem is shared or a complaint lodged through the embassy or directly through the online complaint portal, Chief

Minister Shahbaz Sharif himself looks into the matter and involves the concerned authorities for immediate action,” explained the ambassador.

Set up last year, the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission enables Pakistanis overseas to interact with the concerned authorities by informing them about their experiences and the exciting opportunities abroad for possible collaborations.

Further, they may share their thoughts for improving the processes for the betterment and welfare of millions of Pakistanis abroad. This platform also facilitates raising of their issues by lodging their complaints in a convenient manner.

LABOUR CAMPS FIRE

< FROM

A1 Many workers lost valuables “These numbers rise in summer as the temperatures outside also contribute to the overheating of electrical cables and fixtures which result in the short circuit,” said Girish Mahadeva, a risk engineer at an insurance firm.

In an incident on Wednesday morning, some 15 porta cabins at a company accommodation in Ghala were gutted.

No injuries “The fire which broke out around 5:30 am raged for hours. It started in one porta cabin and spread to the others. However, as the labourers had gone to work there were no injuries,” said sources.

Sources added that around 50 workers have lost their belongings in the fire. The reason of the fire is not unknown.

Meanwhile, an official from the

company said that they are trying their best to help the workers who lost their accommodation and belongings in the fire.

New accommodation “We have already readied new accommodation for the workers and will also be helping them financially,” added the official.

This is the second such incident in the industrial area.

On Sunday morning, 12 porta cabins of the Muscat Municipality’s Ghala labour camp were gutted in the same industrial area.

Around 100 workers lost their belongings worth hundreds of rials and documents in the fire.

Nine fire engines were pressed into service to contain the fire.

On late Saturday night a textile shop was also gutted.

Meanwhile, the risk engineer

said that temporary or loose electrical wiring at the work site or workshop, overloading of electrical outlets/fixture by connecting too many switches with no surge protector, use of PVC conduit pipes for wiring systems, and keeping combustible material near the electrical fixture, in addition to improper ventilation in the LT and HT electrical panel room, and poor electrical wiring standard without circuit breakers and surge current protection, are the main reasons for fires.

Standard electrical wiring “Maintaining a standard electrical wiring system and use of a metal pipe for an electrical wiring system to withstand the heat are the main steps to be adopted to avoid such incidents,” he added.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015 The discovery of Mughassil and his arrest in Lebanon and his subsequent transfer to Saudi Arabia is a qualitative achievement, for the man had been in disguise in a way that made it hard to identify him Asharq Al-Awsat, Saudi owned newspaper

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REGION

‘1996 Saudi bomb suspect arrested’ Saudi authorities were not immediately available to comment.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of orchestrating the truck-bomb attack.

Iran has denied any responsibility for the attack.

Asharq Al-Awsat quoted official Saudi sources as saying Saudi security personnel had received information about the presence of 48-year-old Mughassil in Beirut.

“The discovery of Mughassil and his arrest in Lebanon and his subsequent transfer to Saudi Arabia is a qualitative achievement, for the man had been in disguise in a way that made it hard to identify him,” Asharq Al-Awsat said, without elaborating on when he was captured and who captured him.

In 2006, a US federal judge ordered Iran to pay $254 million to the families of 17 US service personnel killed in the attack in

‘Asharq Al-Awsat’ newspaper reported that Ahmed Al Mughassil, leader of the Hezbollah Al-Hejaz who had been indicted by a US court for the attack that killed 19 US service personnel, had been captured in Beirut and transferred to Riyadh

RIYADH: The main suspect in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers residence at a US military base in Saudi Arabia has been captured after nearly 20 years on the run, a Saudi-owned newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Asharq Al-Awsat said Ahmed Al ARAB LEAGUE

Meeting on joint force postponed CAIRO: The Arab League said it had postponed indefinitely a ministerial meeting set for Thursday to approve the creation of a joint military force to intervene against extremists. A meeting of defence and foreign ministers “has been postponed indefinitely and a new date will be set later,” the league’s secretariat said on Wednesday. No reason was given for the postponement, but the statement said it came at the request of Saudi Arabia, backed by Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

At a summit in March, Arab leaders agreed to form the force, and army chiefs have already met twice in Cairo to work on the details. The decision to create the force was mostly aimed at fighting the IS Group, which has overrun swathes of Iraq and Syria. -AFP

Mughassil, leader of the Hezbollah Al-Hejaz who had been indicted by a US court for the attack that killed 19 US service personnel and wounded almost 500 people, had been captured in the Lebanese capital Beirut and transferred to Riyadh.

a judgment entered against the Iranian government, its security ministry and the Revolutionary Guards after they failed to respond to a lawsuit initiated more than four years earlier.

The 209-page ruling had found that the truck bomb involved in the attack was assembled at a base in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley operated

by Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guards.

US prosecutors have said that Mughassil drove the explosivesladen truck and parked it outside the military compound.

The FBI has offered a reward of up to $5 million (4.4 million euros) for information leading directly to his apprehension or conviction.

The Khobar Towers dormitory complex housed US, British, French and Saudi military personnel attached to the nearby King Abdul Aziz airbase. -Reuters/AFP

RIYADH: Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abduaziz Al Saud will visit the United States next month for the first time since acceding the throne and following a rift over America’s rapprochement with Iran, a diplomat said on Wednesday.

The monarch, who pulled out of a Gulf leaders’ summit with US President Barack Obama in May at the last minute, would travel to Washington on September 4, the Saudi diplomat said.

He would also attend a US-Saudi forum in Washington to be held on September 4-6, the source said, requesting anonymity.

The forum would focus on “energy, health, petrochemicals as well as financial services,” among other issues, said the diplomat.

Washington has sought to allay the concerns of its traditional allies over a historic deal it and other world powers reached with Tehran over the its nuclear programme. -AFP

ARMAMENT

France, Egypt in talks for Mistral sale: Sources PARIS: France is in talks to sell two Mistral helicopter carriers to Egypt after their sale to Russia was cancelled earlier this month, two sources close to the matter said on Wednesday.

Cairo has sought to boost its military power in the face of a two-year-old insurgency based across the Suez Canal in the Sinai peninsula and fears the crisis in neighbouring Libya could spill over. Egypt’s allies are also keen to burnish its image in a region beset by turmoil. A sale would also fit into France’s recent strategy of favouring Arab nations, both politically and commercially, over Iran.

“There are indeed discussions that are relatively advanced to take the two Mistrals,” one French source close to the matter said.

“It’s Egypt.” The source said if there were a deal it would likely be financed in part by money from Gulf Arab states, which consider

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi a bulwark against the nowoutlawed Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which are part of a coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen, agreed at the end of July to work together to create a joint Arab military force, including defining their maritime borders along the Red Sea. Financing unclear A second French source confirmed the talks, but said the financing was unclear.

France, whose navy already operates three Mistral helicopter carrier warships, has no use for the two ships and will have to pay Russia less than 1 billion euros ($1.14 billion) for cancelling the contract, the French government spokesman said on Wednesday.

The Mistral is known as the Swiss army knife of the French

navy for its versatility. It can hold up to 16 helicopters and 1,000 troops. President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday there were a number of potential buyers for the carriers. Sources told Reuters earlier this month other countries interested included Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia and Canada.

“France has chosen to consider Egypt as a major player in the Middle East,” Hollande said on Tuesday in an annual foreign policy speech.

“Its stability is essential, and Egypt expects a lot from France.”

Last year, Egypt bought four small Gowind warships, built by Mistral manufacturer DCNS, which is 64 percent owned by the French state and 35 percent by defence group Thales.

It also acquired a Fremm frigate as part of a 5.2 billion euro contract for 24 Rafale warplanes earlier this year. -AFP

YEMEN

Al Qaeda blows up army headquarters ADEN: Al-Qaeda militants on Wednesday blew up an army headquarters and set up checkpoints in the extremist network’s southeastern stronghold of Mukalla, officials in Hadramawt province said.

The militants had deployed in force across Mukalla after receiving information of a possible operation by a Saudi-led military coalition to help government loyalists retake the provincial capital, the officials said.

The coalition of Arab states has been carrying out air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen since March, but has so far not intervened against Al-Qaeda.

Wednesday’s explosion flattened the three-storey army building -- the command centre for a zone covering Hadramawt and parts of neighbouring Shabwa province.

It came a day after Al-Qaeda dynamited a headquarters of the secret police in Mukalla, the officials said.

In Aden a 100-strong Saudi force arrived late on Tuesday and was deployed at the main south-

Saudi king to visit US: Diplomat

ern city’s international airport, military sources said. “This force’s mission is to help secure the city, where Al-Qaeda militants surfaced last weekend,” one of the sources said, referring to Aden.

Backed by arms and troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, government loyalists recaptured Aden from Houthi rebels and their allies in mid-July before retaking four other southern provinces.

But security has remained fragile in the port city, where AlQaeda suspects were accused of blowing up a building used by the secret police.

Scud intercepted On Tuesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it had suspended its operations in Aden after unidentified gunmen stormed its office there.

Meanwhile, Riyadh announced its armed forces on Wednesday intercepted a Scud missile fired from Yemen at the Saudi region of Jazan, adding the explosion caused no casualties or damage. -AFP

PICTURE IMPERFECT: A man holds a portrait of him and his children at his house, damaged in a Saudi-led air strike in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Wednesday. -Reuters

STATE-OF-THE-ART: Mistral high-tech amphibious helicopter carrier assault and command ship. -AFP files

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015 I had spent my entire time in Kota wearing the uniform of the coaching institute as I did not have money to buy another pair of clothes Kheraj Choudhary, Student

INDIA F R A N K TA L K

Modi’s Bihar package is ‘mere repackaging’: Nitish PATNA: Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said at least Rs 1.08 lakh crore or 87 per cent of the special package announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “with an intent to win Bihar elections” was a “mere repackaging of old schemes”. “...At the best, the so called Rs 1.25 lakh crore package will not provide anything more than Rs 10,368 crore as additional or incremental resource to the state.

This too in the absence of a defined timeline or disbursement modalities hardly means anything to the state,” the chief minister told reporters in the presence of state Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav.

Much hyped claim “A close look reveals that against the much hyped claim of Rs 1.25 lakh crore, 87 per cent of the so

called special package worth projects is nothing but a mere repackaging of old schemes, appropriation of pre-approved allocations for old ones and continued contributions to ongoing schemes which were announced by various ministries at different point of time in the past,” Kumar said.

Moreover, for a few of the new items totalling to the tune of about Rs6,000 crore in the package, there is not even a shred of evidence of planning or work on ground, he said.

Making a scathing attack on the Prime Minister for announcing the special package at Arrah “after lots of theatrics like auctioning Bihar”, Kumar said after making a detailed study of the “so-called package” he came to the conclusion that “it is nothing but a joke with the state with an intent to win Bihar elections.”

Trashing the special package

SPELLING OUT: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addresses a press conference in Patna on Wednesday. - PTI

announced during the prime minister’s visit to Bihar on August 18 as nothing but “narrate a fairy tale to the people of Bihar,” Kumar said it was ‘aakro ka mayajaal’ (illusion

weaved on the basis of statistics).

Refusing to thank the prime minister for the special package for which he used the idiom “making a mountain out of a molehill”, the

chef minister said “by auctioning respect of Bihar, the prime minister through this illusionary special package has indeed broken faith of the people of the state.”

“The bluff of the so-called special package could also be gauged from the fact that despite announcing bonanza of Rs 1.25 lakh crore for Bihar, there is no movement seen in the Union Finance ministry as from where money would be arranged because they know most of the projects are being carried by Public Sector Undertakings or different ministries out of budgetary allocation and they need not give anything new from its coffer,” he said.

Kumar, who has been declared as chief minister nominee of the grand secular alliance for the Bihar poll, said “we will narrate the truth of the special package in ‘Janata ki Adalat’ (peoples court).”

Kumar also took a potshot at

Army called in as seven die in Gujarat quota agitation blamed police for the violence and said the agitation will intensify in the coming days.

Police said the violence which started on Tuesday after a massive rally of the Patel community has claimed seven lives in the state

AHMEDABAD: Army was called in on Wednesday to help control widespread violence sparked by quota agitation by Patel community in the western Indian state of Gujarat which has claimed seven lives even as curfew was clamped in several areas.

Flag marches were held in the city this evening by the Army amid reports of sporadic violence in some parts of the state.

The violence which started on Tuesday after a massive rally of the Patel community has claimed seven lives in the state, police said.

Curfew clamped Notwithstanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for peace, protesters resorted to arson, stone-pelting and attacks on public and private properties.

The bandh call given by Patel

IN FLAMES: Patel community supporters set ablaze buses in Surat on Wednesday. Patel community is agitating for Other Backward Class status in Gujarat. - PTI

leaders brought the city to a grinding halt. Curfew has been clamped in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Mehasana, Patan, Palanpur, Unjha, Visnagar and Jamnagar towns.

“Five companies of Army were called in Ahmedabad city to control law and order situation as the violence escalated,” Ahmedabad district collector Rajkumar Beniwal told PTI. The Army conducted flagmarch in five areas in the city which had witnessed incidents of violence, he added.

Apart from Ahmedabad, two companies of Army were de-

ployed in Surat and another two in Mehasana. About 5,000 paramilitary personnel have also been to brought to Gujarat.

Six people were killed in firing by police and para-military forces, while one died of head injuries during clashes which started last night, police said.

Modi appeals for peace Three deaths were reported in Ahmedabad, three in Gadh village of Banaskantha district and one in Mehasana town.

Earlier in the day, in a televised address in Gujarati, the prime

minister appealed for peace and emphasised that all the issues can be resolved through talks.

“I appeal to all brothers and sisters of Gujarat that they should not resort to violence. The only ‘Mantra’ must be ‘Shanti’ (peace),” said Modi.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Wednesday and assured her full support of the Centre to tackle the situation.

Meanwhile, Hardik Patel, the 22-year-old leader of the Patel Anamat Andolan Samiti who is spearheading the agitation,

Police blamed Denying that the protesters started the violence, he accused the police of trying to “disrupt” the movement at the behest of political establishment.

Schools, colleges, shops, banks remained closed in most places in view of the bandh call given by Hardik after his brief detention om Tuesday night.

Public transport and rail traffic was also affected. Police said agitators uprooted railway tracks in at least eight places in the state.

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel appealed for peace earlier in the day. “At least 53 companies of paramilitary forces have been called and after sometime we will also deploy Army in various parts of state,” she said in a video message.

“But we should think why the need of calling the Army has arisen. In a model state like Gujarat which is also a peace-loving state we have to bring in such arrangements from outside... what impression does it make... Therefore I request you with folded hands to keep calm and peace,” Patel said.

At least 12 trains, including Ahmedabad-Delhi Rajdhani Express, were cancelled and 19 trains were diverted inside Gujarat, Western Railway PRO Pradip Sharma said.

Another five trains were diverted out of the state. Tracks were damaged in several places. - PTI

the prime minister over the reservation stir in Gujarat. “He had claimed to change the face of Bihar with the help of the so-called special package..he should bother about the face of his home state Gujarat burning due to justified agitation of Patels for inclusion in Other Backward Class category,” Kumar, who had lent support to stir led by Hardik Patel, said.

Giving sector-wise details of the projects included in the special package, Kumar reeled figures to lay bare the “truth of the package”.He also posted the details on Facebook and Twitter.

He said 41 National Highway projects have been made part of the special package at an estimated cost of Rs 54,713 crore.

“Out of this, Rs 47,553 crore is previously sanctioned cost and only Rs 7,160 crore is new and incremental budgetary allocation,” the chief minister said. - PTI ACHIEVEMENT

Coolie’s son in Kota cracks pre-medical entrance test KOTA (Rajasthan): A 19-year-old youth, whose father works as a coolie (porter) at Jodhpur railway station, has cracked the All India Pre-Medical Test by securing a rank of 285.

Kheraj Choudhary, native of Sarnu Seemanji village in Barmer district in the north Indian state of Rajasthan, did not even have an electricity connection at his home.

He studied at his village school till class VIII after which his father, Jugataram Choudhary, took him to Jodhpur for further studies while he worked as a coolie at the city’s railway station.

Jugataram, who himself holds a B.Ed degree but started working as a coolie after failing to secure a government job, promised his son to get him admitted in a coaching institute for the preparation of medical entrance exam if he secures more than 75 per cent marks in class XII. After Kheraj scored 79 per cent marks in the class XII exam, his father got him admitted in a coaching institute.

“My father kept his promise and got me admitted in a coaching institute in Kota for which he collected the fee amount from every possible source,” Kheraj said.

“I had spent my entire time in Kota wearing the uniform of the coaching institute as I did not have money to buy another pair of clothes,” he said. Overwhelmed with joy, Kheraj said he owes his success to his father and teachers.

The AIPMT results were declared on August 17.- PTI

DEEPENING DOWNTURN

Slowdown in Indian construction hits Modi’s jobs promise NOIDA: After a decade labouring on building sites around New Delhi Akhilesh Kumar lost his scaffolding job last month when his employer halted work on an array of 30 residential towers.

He joins more than half a million workers let go from sites around India’s capital in the last 18 months, in a stark sign that the ground reality in Asia’s third-largest economy is far from as rosy as official data suggests.

The deepening downturn in India’s crucial building sector makes it easily understandable why Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image as the country’s economic saviour has lost its lustre just over a year after his resounding election victory.

“If I don’t get another job, I have no other choice but to go back to my village and work as a farm labourer,” said Kumar, who is in his twenties. The decade-long construction boom in burgeoning cities like Noida, where Kumar earned $165 a month, lured millions of labourers from India’s rural hinterlands in search of a better life, creating one in every three new jobs.

Cutting staff That process is now going into reverse, undermining Modi’s promise to create more employment for the one million Indians who join the workforce every month.

DREAMS SHATTERED: A labourer works at the construction site of a residential complex in Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, last week. The decade-long construction boom in burgeoning cities like Noida lured millions of labourers from India’s rural hinterlands in search of a better life, creating one in every three new jobs. - Reuters

Indebted developers are cutting staff as they slow work on existing projects and postpone new buildings until they clear a backlog of 700,000 unsold homes.

A law to clamp down on “black money” flows that fund as much as a third of real estate deals is further squeezing demand.

Across India, housing starts fell 40 per cent in the first half of the

year, consultancy Knight Frank said. Cement output grew 0.9 percent between April and June, down from 9.6 percent a year earlier when Modi took office, government data show.

Heading home “The slowdown in the construction sector is very, very depressing which will have a negative impact

on the overall GDP growth numbers in the first quarter of the current fiscal year,” said Samantak Das, chief economist at Knight Frank India.

Rating agency Moody’s last week cut India’s growth forecast to 7 per cent for this fiscal year, against the government’s target of 8 to 8.5 per cent.

India releases its GDP figures

for the April-June quarter on Monday. The lack of jobs is already being felt in the poor northern state of Bihar, source of many of the labourers toiling near Delhi.

In Patna, the state capital, eight out of 20 labourers contacted by Reuters had this year made the 1,000 kilometre (600 mile) trip back from Delhi because they could not find work — pressuring salaries in a region where wages are already low.

According to brokerage Ambit Capital, rural wages may now be falling after growing 4 per cent in the year to March — a far cry from the double-digit annual rises between 2010 and 2014.

“Labourers are starving and are ready to work even at lower wages as there are fewer or just no jobs in the construction markets,” said Navendu Kumar Thakur, Patna chairman of the Builders Association of India.

The squeeze comes at a bad time for Modi. Bihar heads to the polls this year, in an election his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) must win to gain seats in the upper house of parliament where he lacks a majority to pass economic reforms.

The way out Economists say that lower interest rates and a government splurge on infrastructure should eventually help revive construction, which

contributes a tenth of Indian GDP. Modi’s party also wants to regulate property markets and tie investor money to specific projects to stop developers diverting cash elsewhere.

The slowdown around Delhi, where unsold inventory is highest, shows no sign of abating, however.

Noida, a city of 640,000, has grown rapidly in the last decade, expanding to a point where its middle-class housing complexes now meld into Delhi’s urban sprawl on one side and rustic villages on the other.

Half-built Around the site where Kumar worked, half-built high-rises now dot the skyline.

His former employer, The 3C Company, has cut staff on the 3,000-unit “Lotus Boulevard” by more than half, employing some elsewhere.

Sales staff at two nearby sites reported a 30 to 50 per cent decline in bookings in the last year.

Real estate association CREDAI’s Rohit Raj Modi estimates construction in Noida employed more than a million labourers at its peak in 2013, at least double today’s number. Even when the market recovers, a shift to mechanisation on larger sites would limit demand for new workers.

“From a labour point of view, the peak is over,” he said. - Reuters

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INDIA

India, Germany to work on counter-terrorism steps There may also be an announcement about Germany’s participation in skill development initiatives in India during Merkel’s visit.

Both Sushma Swaraj and Steinmeir underlined the need to have closer security and defence cooperation between India and Germany considering the threat of terrorism

BERLIN: India and Germany on Wednesday agreed to cooperate on counter-terrorism measures and reviewed proposals including a $1 billion German commitment for an ambitious solar venture in India, as they discussed deliverables during Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to the country.

In their wide-ranging talks, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeir assessed implementation of decisions taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit here during April and broadly identified possible substantive outcomes from Merkel’s visit to New Delhi in October.

Strategic partnership Both Swaraj and Steinmeir underlined the need to have closer security and defence cooperation between India and Germany considering the threat of terrorism.

They discussed regional issues including Indo-Pak relations and the situation in Afghanistan.

“The meeting was very warm and very positive meeting which will further strengthen the India-

WARM GREETINGS: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj meets Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany in Berlin on Wednesday. - PTI

Germany strategic partnership.

And lead to a very fruitful and substantive outcome during Chancellor Merkel’s visit which is eagerly anticipated in India,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said here.

Swarup said Swaraj and Steinmeir discussed specific proposals including a USD one billion financial commitment by Germany for a “very ambitious solar rooftop project”, its participation in projects like high speed railway corridors, raising speed of existing trains, Ganga rejuvenation initiative, smart cities project and skill development schemes.

He said both the leaders agreed to cooperate in cyber security and counter-terrorism measures besides underlining the need to go for co-production in the defence sec-

tor. Chancellor Merkel is scheduled to visit India in the first half of October for Inter-Governmental Consultations which will be a summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and her.

She will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising a number of ministers, government officials and top executives of a number of leading German companies.

Swarup said a whole range of issues were discussed in the oneon-one meeting as well as delegation level talks between the two foreign ministers.

“Basically the conversation continued from where the last time the Prime Minister and Chancellor Merkel had met here,”he said.

Asked whether the issue of

ODISHA

Three BSF troopers killed in Maoist ambush MALKANGIRI (Odisha): Three BSF personnel and a civilian were on Wednesday killed and six others injured when Naxalities ambushed a patrol of the paramilitary force and triggered a landmine blast in the jungles of this district in the east-Indian state Odisha.

The patrol of the 104th battalion of Border Security Force (BSF) was near its Janbai base in

Malkangiri district when Maoists ambushed it with a landmine blast and firing at around 7.30am, a senior official said.

“Three personnel, including an Assistant Sub-inspector, Head Constable and Constable have been killed in the ambush while the company commander Assistant Commandant Ashok Kumar is among the six injured,” he said.

Officials said a civilian was also

killed during the ambush and senior BSF commanders have rushed to the spot.

“The officer, who is injured, has lost an eye. He and others have been admitted to government hospital in Malkangiri,” they said.

BSF is deployed in the area for conducting anti-Naxal operations and the squad, which went on patrol on Tuesday, was on a similar task when the ambush happened. - PTI

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threat of terrorism figured in the meeting, Swarup said it was discussed as it is a major challenge for both the countries and the idea was to step up security cooperation on a whole range of issues.

German language issue In the meeting, both sides agreed to arrive at a resolution of the sticky German language issue and an announcement about it is likely during Merkel’s visit to India.

The meeting also focussed on ramping up trade ties, particularly to improve German investment.

Sources said the Indian side has made three proposals for Germany’s participation in the railways sector which include conducting feasibility studies for high speed corridors and raising speed of existing trains.

Largest trading partner Germany is India’s largest trading partner in the European Union and one of the top ten global trading partners.

The overall exchange of goods and services between the two countries was valued at around around 15.96 billion euros last year, a drop of 1.14 billion euros from the level of 16.10 billion euros registered in 2013.

While India’s exports to Germany rose marginally to 7.03 billion euros in 2014, its German imports dropped to 8.92 billion euros from 9.19 euros in the previous year, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

Germany is the 8th largest foreign investor in India. Its foreign direct investments in India during January-November 2014 were valued at around $ 995.7 million.

More than 1,600 Indo-German collaborations and around 600 Indo-German joint ventures are currently in operation.

Both sides also agreed to expand cooperation in areas like Science and Technology and agriculture.

Both the leaders also discussed regional and global issues too including situation in Ukraine and UN Security Council reform.

Asked whether the issue of free trade agreement between India and European Union figured in Swaraj’s meeting with Steinmeier, Swarup replied in negative.

Swaraj, who arrived here on a two-day visit on Tuesday evening, earlier met President of German Lower House Nobert Lammert and Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Lower House Nobert Roetgen.

Both Lammert and Roetgen favoured deepening of ties between the two countries. - PTI

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S AT E L L I T E

Countdown for launch of GSAT-6 begins CHENNAI: The 29-hour countdown for the launch of India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-6 began on Wednesday, Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) said.

“The 29-hour countdown activity of GSLV-D6/GSAT-6 Mission has commenced today at 11:52 hr IST,” ISRO sources said.

The Mission Readiness Review (MRR) committee and Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) cleared the starting of the 29-hour countdown at 1152 hrs, ISRO said.

The launch of Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) D6 carrying GSAT-6 is scheduled at 1652 hours on Thursday from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

GSAT series GSAT-6 is the 25th geostationary communication satellite of India built by ISRO and 12th in the GSAT series.

GSAT-6 provides communication through five spot beams in S-band and a national beam in Cband for strategic users, ISRO said.

The cuboid shaped GSAT-6 has a lift-off mass of 2,117 kg. Of this, propellants weigh 1132 kg and the dry mass of the satellite is 985kg, it added. One of the advanced features of GSAT-6 satellite is its S-Band Unfurlable Antenna of 6 m diameter.

This is the largest satellite antenna realised by ISRO. The antenna is utilised for five spot beams over the Indian mainland. The spot beams exploit the frequency reuse scheme to increase frequency spectrum utilisation efficiency ISRO said after satellite’s injection into GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit) by GSLV-D6, ISRO’s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan takes control of GSAT-6 and performs the initial orbit raising manoeuvres by repeatedly firing the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) on board the satellite, finally placing it in the circular Geostationary Orbit. - PTI

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

PAKISTAN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS

AFGHAN REFUGEES HEAD HOME Afghan refugees pack their belongings onto a truck at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) repatriation centre on the outskirts of Quetta on Wednesday, as they prepare to return to their home country after fleeing civil war and Taliban rule. Pakistan has the world’s second-largest refugee population, 1.5 million, most of them Afghans living for years in poor conditions in camps in the restive northwest. The number of Afghans crossing the border back to their homeland Afghanistan in the first four months of this year fleeing ‘pressure’ from Pakistani officials was nine times higher than the same period last year, according to the International Organisation for Migration. — AFP

Tax collection crisis persists ISLAMABAD: Despite recent optimism surrounding Pakistan’s economy, the country is facing an “existential crisis” stemming from its woeful tax collection rates and inability to finance itself, a report said Wednesday.

Pakistan’s economy grew at 4.24 per cent during the 20142015 fiscal year with per capita income rising a significant 9.25 per cent, markers that come as investor confidence in the longunderperfoming South Asian giant have also increased.

But according to the report by non-profit organisation Raftar, funded by Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID), Pakistan’s economy continues to rely heavily on “commercial loans, concessionary donor loans and aid”.

Tax-to-GDP rati Also, the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio of 9.4 per cent is among the lowest in the world, leading to a public debt of 17 trillion rupees ($163 billion).

This an almost three-fold increase since 2008 for the $232 billion economy, with 44 per cent of tax revenue going toward interest payments.

The report blamed the lack of a “tax culture” on non-revenue sources of funds the country has historically enjoyed in the form of foreign aid and loans.

It said 68 per cent of tax revenue was being generated through indirect taxes on fuel, food and electricity, which unfairly penalises the poor. — AFP

TRANSITION

Mullah Omar’s brother warns of Taliban infighting ISLAMABAD: Mullah Abdul Manan, brother of deceased Afghan Taliban supremo Mullah Omar, Tuesday warned of possible Taliban infighting in Afghanistan if the new chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, and his rivals do not settle their differences soon.

Several key Taliban leaders and Omar’s family have refused to accept Mansoor’s leadership, as they claim he was not elected by majority of the leadership council’s members and religious scholars. The claim, however, has been rejected by Mansoor’s supporters, who insist that “95 per cent of the members of the leadership council had elected the new leader”.

A group of religious leaders involved in mediation have obtained decision-making powers from the dissidents, but Mansoor has not yet agreed to empower the clerics, said a member of the ulema council, Mufti Masoom Afghani, while talking to The Express Tribune. “We are confident that Mansoor would also empower the ulema in two or three days.”

Meanwhile, Manan said he had received information that Mansoor’s supporters wanted to issue an edict against those who had refused to declare allegiance to him.

“The mujahideen should not

Several key Taliban leaders and Omar’s family have refused to accept Mullah Akhtar Mansoor’s leadership, as they claim he was not elected by majority of the leadership council’s members and religious scholars

trust any such edict, and wait until the religious scholars make a decision. If any one-sided decree is issued before the ulema’s decision, it could lead to severe differences,” Manan told The Express Tribune over the phone from Afghanistan. “I demand Mansoor and all the other sides to avoid internal rift, and support mediation by the religious scholars who are making efforts to remove differences.” — Express Tribune

Zardari aide arrested in Karachi operation The Pakistan People’s Party condemned the arrest of Dr Asim Hussain — a petroleum minister in a past government and — as politically motivated

KARACHI: Pakistani authorities arrested a prominent opposition politician close to the former president, his party said on Wednesday, the first detention of a major Pakistan People’s Party figure in an ongoing military-driven crackdown in the port city of Karachi.

The party condemned the arrest of Dr Asim Hussain - a petroleum minister in the past PPP-led government and close friend of former President Asif Ali Zardari - as politically motivated.

A senior security official in Karachi confirmed that Hussain was being held but would not say under what charges. He spoke on

CRACKDOWN: Shukri Ghanem, chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), left, meets with a Pakistani delegation headed by Dr Asim Hussain, third right, advisor to Pakistan’s then premier Yousuf Raza Gilani on petroleum and natural resources, in Tripoli on May 2, 2009. On Wednesday, a senior security official in Karachi said that Hussain was being held. — AFP file photo

condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information.Most of the hundreds of people targeted by paramilitary forces in recent months on accusations of political corruption and violence have belonged to another party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which dominates Karachi politics but plays a smaller role on the national stage.

The first high-profile arrest of

a PPP figure raised new accusations that Pakistan’s powerful military is seeking to strengthen its grip on the country’s largest and wealthiest city and weaken civilian parties.

‘Will lead to chaos’ “These policies will lead to chaos,” said PPP lawmaker Khursheed Shah.The paramilitary Sindh Rangers have in the past said

the Karachi crackdown is necessary to break the cycle of violence and corruption in the teeming metropolis of 20 million people.

Political rivalry Karachi accounts for half of Pakistan’s national revenues and hosts the stock exchange, central bank and two ports.

It is also a hub of violence, often linked to political rivalry. — Reuters

BRITISH BOXER

Amir Khan vows to help Pakistan produce boxing stars KARACHI: British boxer Amir Khan on Wednesday vowed to help Pakistan produce champion pugilists with a network of academies in his family’s country of origin.

The former two-time world champion is currently touring the South Asian giant of 200 million people better known for its prowess in cricket, and plans to set up boxing schools in the western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, eastern Punjab, and the southern city of Karachi.

“I think we have the talent to produce boxing champions,” the 28-year-old told media during a visit to Karachi’s troubled Lyari area, which is frequently hit by gang violence but also known for producing talented footballers and boxers.

“I have made a promise to the nation that I will pay back what I have achieved in boxing,” added

the highly-rated fighter from Bolton, England who has a record of 31 wins including 19 knockouts, and three losses.

Khan was accompanied by a heavy security contingent to the neighbourhood, which has long been a hub of political, ethnic and criminal violence.

Top quality “I am here to meet potential champions and I am not afraid of anything, we will... beat terror and produce boxers of top quality,” he said.

Pakistan’s sole Olympic boxing medallist is Hussain Shah, who won a middleweight bronze in the Seoul Games in 1988.

The country has also produced an Asian Games gold-medallist in Mehrullah Lassi, who won the featherweight division at Busan, South Korea in 2002.

Khan, who became Britain’s

youngest Olympic boxing medallist when he won silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics, said he was keen to train Pakistani boxers.

“I will pass my tricks to them and will do my best to help them qualify for the Olympics, if not the 2016 in Brazil then the next one in Japan in 2020,” he said.

Known for his speed and aggressive style, Khan won the last of his fights against US boxer Chris Algieri in New York in May before once again challenging the welterweight world champion Floyd Mayweather.

But Mayweather announced earlier this month he would aim to match the 49-0 career record of the legendary Rocky Marciano in his final bout against fellow American Andre Berto on September 12, effectively ruling out a highly anticipated encounter with Amir Khan. — AFP

ON A MISSION: British boxer Amir Khan of Pakistani origin is escorted by Rangers during his visit to the Peoples Football Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, on Wednesday. — Reuters

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

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Afghan Taliban make gains in Helmand, US hits back from air Musa Qala fell after the Taliban overran police and army posts to retake a districts that were wrenched from them by British and Afghan troops eight years ago

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan: Taliban fighters seized a district headquarters in Afghanistan’s Helmand province on Monday despite repeated US air strikes to repel them, adding to the insurgents’ recent advances in an opium farming region near a hydroelectric dam.

Musa Qala fell after the Taliban overran police and army posts to retake a districts that was wrenched from them by British and Afghan troops eight years ago.

US warplanes have been bombarding Musa Qala since the weekend, killing up to 40 militants, with two new air strikes on Tuesday. But they regrouped, chasing the district government out of town and seizing weapons.

“Afghan special forces, police and commandos have been deployed to Helmand in order to retake Musa Qala district. Foreign air strikes are backing our forces,” said Dawlat Waziri, a spokesman for the defence ministry.

In Afghanistan’s first summer fighting season since foreign troops stepped back from combat roles, the Taliban have pushed into several districts in the north and south but have mostly strug-

gled to keep hold of them.

Elsewhere in Helmand, two men wearing military uniforms opened fire in the former British base of Camp Bastion, killing two NATO soldiers in the second such attack this year.

Last week, Afghan forces pulled out of the town of Nawzad, the headquarters of a neighbouring district that was also fiercely fought over when British and US forces were stationed in Helmand, the country’s main opium production centre.

Attacking from all sides That means the Taliban currently control three districts in northern Helmand and have partial control of several others, including Kajaki, where they frequently disrupt supplies from a large USbuilt hydroelectric dam powering the province. “We left the district early in the morning because the Taliban were attacking from all sides,” Musa Qala district governor Mohammad Sharif told Reuters by telephone.

“We had asked for reinforcements for days but none arrived and this was what happened,” he said. In the years following the

LOSING GROUND: An Afghan National Police armoured vehicle patrols on a street in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, on Wednesday. The Taliban seized a district headquarters in Afghanistan’s Helmand province on Monday despite US air strikes to repel them, and two NATO soldiers were shot dead by uniformed men on an army base in the area, a stronghold for militants and opium. -Reuters

2001 US invasion that toppled the Taliban government, more than 400 British soldiers died in Helmand, several while defending Musa Qala. More than 350 US Marines also lost their lives in the province. Nearly 14 years later and after foreign forces formally ended their combat mission, the Tali-

PHILIPPINE

S TA N D O F F

Senator Marcos considers running for ‘higher office’ MANILA: The son and namesake of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos said on Wednesday he may run for president in next year’s elections, offering his onceexiled family the chance of the ultimate political comeback.

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, popularly known as “Bongbong”, said he would not seek a second term as senator and was aiming for “higher office”, which in the Philippines can only be president or vice president.

“The discussions I have been having with different groups, with other individuals have really centred on higher office,” the 57-yearold said on ABS-CBN television.

Extremely difficult Asked directly if he would run for president or vice president, Marcos said: “It’s extremely difficult to make a decision at this point.”

Ferdinand Marcos Snr ruled the Philippines for two decades until 1986 when millions of people took to the streets in a famous “people power” revolution.

The Marcos family fled to the United States, and the patriarch died in exile in Hawaii in 1989.

The rest of the family, headed by controversial matriarch Imelda, returned in 1991 and began a successful political comeback despite accusations the presidential couple stole billions in state coffers and oversaw widespread human rights abuses.

“Bongbong” Marcos won a Senate position in 2010, the first time since his father’s demise that a family member had won a nationally elected post.

The Marcos matriarch, famous for her luxurious lifestyle, has also since 2010 been a member of parliament, representing her husband’s northern stronghold of Ilocos Norte province. Imelda, now aged 86, has spoken often of her desire for her son to take the presidency back for the family.

Starting point However, public opinion surveys currently show there is little support for Marcos Jnr as president.

“I always see surveys as a starting point,” he said about his poor poll ratings. The current Philippine president, Benigno Aquino, is the only son and namesake of the late strongman’s nemesis, whose assassination in 1983 led to the popular uprising three years later.

The assassinated hero’s wife, Corazon Aquino, led the revolu-

ban is still fighting a guerrilla war aimed at restoring their hardline regime. Violence has increased sharply across Afghanistan since the coalition mostly withdrew in December, leaving a small contingent of about 12,000 NATO troops to train Afghan forces.

The US-led Resolute Support

North Korea easing battle posture: Seoul SEOUL: The North Korean military is slowly easing its battlereadiness posture, South Korean and US officials said Wednesday after Seoul and Pyongyang secured a deal allowing them to step back from the brink of an armed clash.

Under the agreement reached after marathon, top-level negotiations in the border truce village of Panmunjom, the North undertook to shift down from a “semi war state” once the South ended propaganda broadcasts across the border at midday (0300 GMT) Tuesday. The defence ministry in Seoul said it had noted a number of signs of de-escalation, including the “re-appearance” of a large part of the North’s submarine fleet that had been deployed off-radar over the weekend.

“As the North is easing its combat readiness, we’re readjusting our own defence posture,” said a ministry official who declined to be identified. Both militaries had been on maximum alert for days, amid an escalating crisis that saw South Korean and US fighters flying dummy bombing runs and North Korean heavy artillery units being wheeled up to the border. -AFP

NEXT STEP: Philippine Senator Ferdinand Marcos, right, with his mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos, during her birthday celebration in Laoag City, Ilocos sur province, northern Philippines on July 2, 2014. - AFP files

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, popularly known as “Bongbong”, said he would not seek a second term as senator and was aiming for “higher office”, which in the Philippines can only be president or vice president

tion and was the nation’s first president after Marcos’s fall.

Fickle politics Highlighting the fickle nature of Philippine politics, Marcos said he could run for the vice presidency next year on a ticket with current presidential favourite Jejomar Binay.

Binay was a human rights campaigner during the dictatorship

and is now the vice president, but he has faced widespread accusations of corruption in recent years.

“This is Philippine politics, you cannot discount the possibility of things you did not imagine would happen, could happen. Never say never,” he said when asked about a Binay union. Last month, Aquino anointed his unpopular interior minister, Manuel Roxas, as his preferred successor. -AFP

mission confirmed the deaths and, in a correction of an earlier statement, said there was one shooter who was wounded along with an Afghan soldier when NATO soldiers returned fire.

The statement did not give further information on the exact location of the incident and

nationalities of those killed, but most foreign forces operating in Helmand now are American.

A regional official said the incident involved Afghan special forces firing on allies at the former Camp Bastion, which was handed over to Afghan forces last year. -Reuters

WIKILEAKS

Obama says sorry to Japan over US spying claims TOKYO: US President Barack Obama on Wednesday apologised to Tokyo after WikiLeaks claimed Washington had spied on Japanese politicians, a government spokesman said.

Obama held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday morning, spokesman Yoshihide Suga said, adding that the pair agreed to work together on global economic issues in the wake of a stock market meltdown sparked by fears over China.

“President Obama said he was very sorry... as the case caused a big debate in Japan,” Suga told a regular news conference, without confirming the spying claims.

Serious concern He added that Abe reiterated his “serious concern” over the case. “Prime Minister Abe told (Obama) that, if the Japanese people concerned were subject to these activities, it would risk jeopardising trusting relations between allies,” Suga said.

In an earlier conversation with

US Vice President Joe Biden, Abe voiced similar concerns if the spying claims were confirmed.

Last month, WikiLeaks said it had intercepts revealing yearslong espionage by the US National Security Agency (NSA) on Japanese officials and major companies. Tokyo’s response has been widely seen as muted compared to the anger expressed in France and Germany following similar NSA spying allegations.

Key ally Japan is one of Washington’s key allies in the Asia-Pacific region and they regularly consult on defence, economic and trade issues. Unlike German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Francois Hollande, Abe did not appear to be a direct target of wiretapping -- but other senior politicians were, according to WikiLeaks.

Obama and Abe also discussed market turmoil that has seen a massive global equities sell off after China cut the value of its yuan currency. -AFP

EXEMPLARY ACTION Officials hold confiscated elephant tusks before destroying the ivory at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday. About two tonnes (2,155.17 kg) of ivory were crushed and incinerated during the ceremony as part of a campaign against poachers, traffickers and traders involved in the illicit trade in ivory, according to a Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation press release.

-Reuters

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ANNA LESZKIEWICZ «

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Education, extremism and the Pakistani elite

Location: Al Ashkharah/Photo: Ejaz Mahamud

W

hy shouldn’t young minds turn towards extremist ideologies — I’m not talking of terrorism — if they are marginalised, their basic rights grossly violated, or if they are under-paid or unemployed? What role are many private educational institutions playing in promoting extremist tendencies among young academics? Is the state attentive to this? Is education a market economy product determined by the demand and supply principle, or is it a government responsibility (as promised under Article 25-A of the Constitution)? The state is the guarantor of the right to education, bound to provide decent livelihoods as well as protect the youth from exploitation. These are some of the questions that must be posed to the Sharifs, the Zardaris, the Shahs, the Khans and all those political luminaries who tirelessly speak of turning Pakistan around. Not to forget those members of mainstream political parties who are running educational institutions.

These include the Kasuris, the Chaudhrys, the Syeds and the Niazis.

Under-paying highly educated young people employed by high-flying institutions affiliated with Oxbridge and other leading systems, is a perennial issue. Exploitation of the educated youth — both as teachers and students — is prevalent even in Islamabad, the capital, but this curse is omnipresent in its most oppressive forms in under-developed regions and those where the ruling elite control education boards or sit in parliaments. Although Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has seen a proliferation of private universities and colleges, there has been little check on their fee and salary structures. The Abbottabad, Peshawar and Mardan boards seem to be hubs of corruption that are under the control of the political elite and their henchmen. Many of them are involved in issuing fake degrees and under-paying teachers, often invoking the demand-and-supply principle as if teaching were a commodity obtainable at a negotiable price. Some of Imran Khan’s colleagues in K-P are among those running private education institutions, a practice that has turned into an unchecked money-minting enterprise in the absence of a regulatory framework. The PTI has made a strong point about the accountability of

the electoral system. Now, it must also embark on an accountability of those running educational institutions, especially its own members appointed to important positions in the K-P government.

Of course they are not the only ones. Scores of private educators are exploiting students, often in collusion with officials of education boards and higher education departments. Why shouldn’t the highly educated young slip into confusion and extremist thought streams if, after a 17-year education, they either remain unemployed or extremely under-paid — earning paltry sums between $40-150 a month? This way, many private institutions are disincentivising education among those who come from poor families.

Another alarming issue is of fake degrees being issued by many private institutions and government education boards. Ironically, the business of fake degrees in Pakistan is nothing new, but really came to the fore only recently because of the activities of Axact. Many universities running under the charter of some London-based institutions have been doing the same thing. Even official education boards have been involved in this as illustrated through the disqualification of a PML-N legislator, Chaudhry Arif Hussain, for holding a fake degree issued by the Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. Before Hussain, several other legislators also lost their seats for possessing fake degrees.

It is correctly believed that the government should not interfere in private education; however, it carries the responsibility to prevent fraudulent practices and preempt exploitation of students and teachers. Private educators have the right to determine fee structures, but they are also bound to pay teachers fairly and ensure quality education.

They cannot, must not, be allowed to equate market economy principles with exploitation of young academics.

Shouldn’t the government ask private institutions if there is a balance between the fees they charge and the salaries they pay to their teachers who hold master’s degrees? The Sharifs and Imran Khan can turn Pakistan around only if they handle education on a war-footing and start meaningful reform of the sector. When will they crack down on the moth that is eating away the vitals of the education sector, stunting real intellectual development? – Express Tribune

READERS’ FORUM Laundry services need to improve I have observed that laundry services in Oman are not up to the mark. First of all, writing customer codes using pen or marker on the clothes damages the fabric. Secondly, usage of cheap detergent sometimes does not clean the clothes adequately with the washing odour remaining present. Also, laundrymen fold clothes in plastic bags due to non-availability of hangers. This results into the need to iron the clothes again at home. I request the authorities to look into this matter and enforce the rules strictly to overcome this problem that we are facing.

— Syed Yasir Aziz, Darsait

One Direction are nothing special. The greatest trick of all was designing a band of such impossibly normal boys. Since they were plucked from ordinary, working-class homes in Chesire, Bradford, Doncaster, Westmeath and Birmingham, the boys and their fans have obsessed over this bit.ly/teenagegirlsonedirection

US to remain world’s top economy for a long time

Officials paint rosy picture of ‘zero discount’ scheme MUSCAT: Passengers will have their tickets delivered to their doorsteps; agencies will be open into the late hours of the night and they will even work on a Friday. Gone will be the days when a passenger will be left stranded at the airport despite holding a confirmed ticket; nor will he/she be offloaded, or left in the lurch or be in a position that he/she does not get a confirmation on his/her return ticket.

in Oman on July 2015

387,762

In addition

TOTAL ARRIVED PASSENGERS

0,6

159

34,212

left Muscat

Mu sca t

03

TODAY IN HISTORY

Sala la

404 h

1 5, 5

,815

4

9

This refers to the online story, Two Kenyans fail drugs tests at Beijing World Championships (August 24). This state of affairs needs to change.

Countries that such players represent should also be penalised, which would help enforcing rules better.— Zoe Menon, Muscat

AUGUST 2000

INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC MOVEMENT

1 7,

Penalise the countries too

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

PICTOGRAPH

37

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

This refers to the online story, China’s yuan devaluation upsets growth plans in Asia (August 26). For a long time I had been thinking that the Chinese growth rate was abnormal. In my opinion, the stock market crash and interest rates cuts by Beijing show that the country has failed miserably with regard to its fiscal policies. This also proves that in the longterm, US will not lose its position as top global economy. — Ian Christie, Muscat

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stayed in Salalah

TOTAL DEPARTED PASSENGERS

420,364 Source: National Centre for Statistics & Information

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

A13

SPECIAL

With each person coming to visit Virunga, there is a little bit more hope that things will get better Mélanie Gouby, French investigative journalist

LAVA SPEWS: Steam and spurts of molten rock are pictured in the lava lake of Mount Nyiragongo, an active volcano in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on August 3, 2015. Eastern DR Congo has been mired for decades in rebel battles, but such sights are helping bring tourists back to Virunga National Park, which reopened last year after the battle lines shifted in its favour. - AFP

ACTIVE VOLCANO: Steam and spurts of molten rock are pictured in the lava lake of Mount Nyiragongo, an active volcano in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on August 3, 2015. - AFP

Gorillas and lava lakes: Tourism is only hope for war-torn Congo Tourism revenue is ‘vital’ to the future of Virunga, helping to benefit some four million people in and around the vast park, as well as ‘peace and prosperity’ in general

NYIRAGONGO (DR Congo): Tourists perch perilously on a volcano’s edge as swirling smoke belches from the fiery cauldron of lava below, the latest unlikely visitors holidaying in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.

Below, sounding like a roaring sea, spurts of molten rock fly high into the air, as one of the world’s largest lava lakes and most active volcanoes puts on its mesmerising show.

Eastern DR Congo has been mired for decades in rebel battles, but such sights are helping bring tourists back to Virunga National Park, which reopened last year after the battle lines shifted in its favour.

Surrounding misty forests in green hills of the vast park — stretching for 7,800 square kilometres are home to a quarter of the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas. The tourists are vital: the income they bring funds the park’s survival.

“The front lines, they were down there,” one porter says, peering down from the volcano through the jungles towards the lights of the lakeside city of Goma, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwards, referring to a rebel force who briefly took control in late 2012.

Nyiragongo, a 3470 metre (11,384 feet) peak and a steep and stiff five-hour hike from lush rain forests, is part of a chain of volcanoes in one of the world’s most active regions.

“Holiday on Mount Doom,” said Fabian, a teenage Belgian tourist visiting with his mother, referring to the volcano in the fantasy world of British author J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings epic.

“Some things can only be believed by seeing,” he added quietly, peering down from the cliff ’s edge in hushed awe at the raging fire below, the night sky turned red from the glowing lava.

The tourist industry in the region — needed to keep the Unesco world heritage site running and its animal inhabitants safe — collapsed in 2012.

Militia forces remain active, and Virunga’s chief warden Emmanuel de Merode was himself wounded by gunmen by 2014.

Well-trained But the well-trained and armed guides say it is now safe, and visitors are coming back.

For tourists, an hour with a gorilla family costs $400, while a

TOURISM VITAL FOR SURVIVAL: A photo taken on August 1, 2015 shows mountain gorillas in the jungle at Bukima in Virunga National Park, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Surrounding misty forests in green hills of the vast park — stretching for 7,800 square kilometres (3,010 square miles) — are home to a quarter of the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas. In 2011, over 3,000 visitors came to Virunga, but violence forced the park shut the next year, and only fully reopening in late 2014. The tourists are vital and the income they bring funds the park’s survival. - AFP

TOURIST ATTRACTION: A photo taken on August 1, 2015 shows mountain gorillas in the jungle at

Bukima in Virunga National Park, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. - AFP

night on the volcano costs $250.

Tourism revenue is “vital” to the future of Virunga, helping to benefit some four million people in and around the vast park, as well as “peace and prosperity” in general, Merode said.

It gives people an alternative income than cutting down the forests for charcoal, and a motivation to protect the park.

“Every tourist that visits Virunga is contributing,” Merode said.

In 2011, over 3,000 visitors came to Virunga, but violence forced the park shut the next year, and only fully reopening in late 2014.

But tourist numbers have

bounced back, with almost 3,000 visiting already so far this year, bringing in much needed revenues to pay rangers.

A total of 16 tourists can hike up the mountain a day — on a recent trip in torrential rain and hail storms up the peak made by AFP, a dozen tourists took part, with nationalities including Americans, Belgians, British and Israelis.

The last major eruption in 2002 saw fast flowing lava devastate the Goma, covering the city of around a million in a river of molten rock flowing as fast as 100 kilometres (60 miles) per hour.

Oscar-nominated 2014 docu-

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ARTICLE, PHOTOS

ENDANGERED: A photo taken on August 1, 2015 shows a male mountain gorilla in the jungle at Bukima in Virunga National Park, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo - AFP

gorillas, exchanging heavy grunts to reassure the groups, including the massive male “silverback” weighing an estimated 160 kilos.

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

mentary Virunga — which showed the efforts to protect Africa’s oldest national park from war, poachers and oil companies -- has also brought back tourists.

“We saw the film, and said, we have to see that,” said Jacques, a Belgian businessman working in Congo, after trekking into the steamy jungles to see the gorillas, the symbol of the park.

Rangers communicate with the

Tourism vital “With each person coming to visit Virunga, there is a little bit more hope that things will get better,” said Mélanie Gouby, a French investigative journalist, whose work to expose oil company expansion into the park is a key part of the film.

“It’s wonderful that so many tourists have come back in such a short time after the end of the conflict — to hear that the docu-

mentary is part of the reason why they are coming to Virunga is both incredibly exciting and humbling,” Gouby added.

As night falls and temperatures drop below freezing, the warmth from the molten lava warms the hands of the tourists, dangling their legs over the sheer drop into the crater, watching plate tectonics in action.

“I saw how the Earth was born,” one entry from an American couple read in the park’s visitor’s book.” How often can you climb a mountain and come back with an understanding of how we are all here?” - AFP

A 14

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AT TA C K B Y D I S G R U N T L E D F O R M E R E M P L O Y E E

Two US journalists shot dead during live television broadcast

NO ENTRY: Hungarian police positioned nearby watch as Syrian migrants climb under a fence to enter Hungary at the Hungarian-Serbian border near Roszke, Hungary on Wednesday. — Reuters

Hungary’s police fire tear gas at migrants With more than 2,500 people crossing from non-EU Serbia on Tuesday alone, pushing to total for the year above 140,000, Hungary’s

SLAIN: Alison Parker and Adam Ward. — Reuters/WDBJ7/Handout via Reuters

ATTACKER: Shooting suspect Vester Lee Flanagan, also known on-air as Bryce Williams.

— AFP PHOTO/WHSV TV/HANDOUT

gunman seemingly closed in from behind.

Several shots were heard, as well as screams, as Ward’s camera fell to the floor, capturing a fuzzy and chilling glimpse of the gunman, dressed in dark clothing. The station then cut away to a startled anchorwoman back in the studio.

Gardner was “seriously injured,” said one of the US senators from Virginia, Tim Kaine.

On her Facebook page, Parker -- whose birthday was just a week ago -- described herself as the “mornin’ reporter” at WDBJ and a ballroom dancing enthusiast.

“She worked with Adam every day,” said Hurst. “They were a team. I am heartbroken for his fiancee.” Ward’s fiancee, Melissa Ott, a producer at the TV station, was in the control room when the shooting occurred and watched it unfold, Marks told CNN. “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it,” the grief-stricken station manager said. — AFP

S A N C T I O N S - R E L AT E D O F F E N C E S

right-wing ruling

Iran calls on US to release 19 detainees

party said it wanted to deploy the army

RÖSZKE (HUNGARY): Hungary’s migrant crisis escalated Wednesday as police fired tear gas at the EU country’s main processing centre and the government announced 2,000 “border hunters” to stem the flow of record numbers of people entering.

With more than 2,500 people crossing from non-EU Serbia on Tuesday alone, pushing to total for the year above 140,000, Hungary’s right-wing ruling party said it wanted to deploy the army.

Police used tear gas on Wednesday morning to disperse around 200 migrants who had refused to be fingerprinted and were trying to leave the processing centre at Roszke near the Serbian border.

An AFP correspondent at the scene said the situation inside the centre has since calmed down.

Another spokesman said the migrants wanted to leave the centre after news circulated that Germany was easing asylum rules for people fleeing the war in Syria.

More migrants crossed over on

WASHINGTON: Two journalists for a local CBS affiliate in Virginia were shot dead on Wednesday in a chilling live television broadcast, and the suspected gunman, apparently a disgruntled former station employee, has shot himself.

The suspect — Vester Lee Flanagan, 41, also known as Bryce Williams — was in critical condition, media cited police as saying, after initial reports that he too was dead. Another video of the deadly on-air shooting -- apparently filmed by the assailant -- was posted on Twitter and Facebook.

The footage was later taken down.

The killings, which sparked an intense manhunt and prompted a lockdown of local schools, once again highlighted fears about gun violence in America.

Reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were fatally shot at close range while conducting an on-air interview for WDBJ in Roanoke, about 240 miles (385 kilometers) southwest of the US capital Washington.

“You send people into war zones and into dangerous situations, into riots and you worry that they’re going to get hurt,” WDBJ general manager Jeffrey Marks -- who earlier confirmed the deaths to viewers -- told CNN. “You send somebody out to do a story on tourism, and this -- how can you ever expect something like this to happen?”

“I am numb,” Parker’s boyfriend, WDBJ anchor Chris Hurst, said on Twitter. “We were together almost nine months. It was the best nine months of our lives. We wanted to get married.”

Parker was talking to Vicki Gardner, head of the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce, on a balcony at the lakeside Bridgewater Resort in the town of Moneta near Roanoke when the attack occurred.

The pair were talking about tourism development for WDBJ’s early-morning newscast when the

DIRE STRAITS: A man carries his daughter trough a park where migrants found temporary shelter in the Serbian capital Belgrade on Wednesday. — Reuters

Wednesday, the AFP correspondent said, although for the most part they were waiting for nightfall to try to avoid Hungarian border police.

At a police collecting point where migrants were gathered before being brought to Roszke, around 150-200 were sitting waiting in the hot sun next to corn fields as their children played.

Tuesday’s record daily total of 2,500 people pouring over the border was despite Hungarian authorities having installed along much of the border a barbed-wire barrier that video footage showed is far from insurmountable.

The majority of the latest arrivals were from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and included more than 500 children. Most want to travel onto western European countries such as Germany and

Sweden. “We left because we were scared, we had fear, bombs, war, killing, death... That’s why we left Syria,” one Syrian man heading for the Hungarian border told AFP. “If I go to Europe, I think it’s going to be better... better than my life in Syria.”

The migrants crossing into Hungary form part of around 7,000 whose journey was blocked last week when Macedonia declared a state of emergency and shut its borders for three days after being overwhelmed by the influx.

As Europe struggles with its worst migrant crisis since World War II, Hungary has become -- like Italy and Greece -- a “frontline” state and many of the hundreds of thousands of people trying to enter the bloc trek up through the western Balkans.

A summit of leaders from the

impoverished region plus German Chancellor Angela Merkel, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and other ministers and officials in Vienna on Thursday was set to be dominated by the topic.

Hungary is attractive to the migrants because unlike other EU members in southeastern Europe like Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania it is the passport-free Schengen zone, making onwards travel much easier.

Hungary’s government under Prime Minister Viktor Orban is attempting to stem the flow by erected a four-metre-high (13foot) barrier along its 175-kilometre (110-mile) border with Serbia.

The barrier of three rolls of barbed wire along the entire length is due to be completed by Monday. — AFP

TEHRAN: Iran urged the United States Wednesday to release 19 Iranians detained on sanctionsrelated offences, a day after ruling out a prisoner swap with a Washington Post reporter accused of espionage.

“We call on the American government and their judicial authorities to put an end to the detention of these individuals,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said.

Iranian prisoners “None of the human rights institutes, including the United Nations rapporteurs, have followed up the situation of Iranian prisoners,” she told reporters at her weekly press briefing.

On Tuesday, Hossein Ghashghavi, a deputy foreign minister, said the 19 Iranians “are innocent and we hope that conditions are prepared for their release”. He rejected any link with the case of Post reporter Jason Rezaian, a dual American-Iranian citizen.

“There is no question at all of an exchange of prisoners as each of these cases has its own special circumstances,” he said.

Tehran correspondent Rezaian, the Post’s Tehran correspondent, has been in custody since he was detained at his home in the Iranian capital on July 22, 2014.

He has been tried behind closed doors for “espionage, collaboration with hostile governments, gathering classified information and disseminating propaganda against the Islamic republic.”

But no verdict has been announced, with Iranian officials saying the proceedings are ongoing.

Nuclear deal Earlier this month the fourth and final hearing in the trial -- the first since Iran struck a nuclear deal with world powers in Vienna on July 14 -- centred on the reporter’s rebuttal of the charges. — AFP

C I V I L WA R

South Sudan’s Kiir signs peace deal, with reservations JUBA: South Sudan President Salva Kiir signed a peace accord Wednesday to end 20 months of civil war, but also issued a list of “serious reservations” warning the deal might not last.

The signing ceremony, held in the capital Juba in the presence of regional leaders, came hours after the UN Security Council threatened immediate action if Kiir failed to put his name to the accord, which has already been signed by rebel leader Riek Machar.

“The current peace we are signing today has so many things we have to reject,” Kiir said at the ceremony, witnessed by regional leaders, diplomats and journalists.

“Such reservations if ignored would not be in the interests of just and lasting peace.”

Although a list of his concerns was handed out, the deal was welcomed by regional leaders, including Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who had sent in troops to back Kiir’s forces.

Under the deal, they now have 45 days to leave.

“Let us give ourselves time and see how we can correct these things,” Kiir said.

Permanent ceasefire The deal -- backed by the regional eight-nation bloc IGAD, as well as the UN, the African Union, China and the “troika” of Britain, Norway and the United States -- commits both sides to end fighting and implement a “permanent ceasefire” within 72 hours.

Tens of thousands of people are

believed to have died in a war characterised by ethnic massacres and rape, as well as a major humanitarian crisis that has left aid agencies struggling to pull the country back from the brink of famine.

At least seven ceasefires have already been agreed and then shattered within days -- if not hours -- in the world’s newest country, which broke away from Sudan in 2011.

Both the government and rebels accused each other of launching attacks against the other on Wednesday.

The deal also gives the rebels the post of first vice president, which means that rebel chief Machar would likely return to the job from which he was sacked in July 2013, an event which put the country on

the path to war later that year.

Machar already signed the deal on August 17, but at the time, Kiir only initialled part of the text. His government then slammed the accord as a “sellout” and said it needed more time for consultations.

But on Tuesday the UN Security Council piled fresh pressure on Kiir to sign it, warning it would “act immediately” if he did not.

Diplomats have said punitive measure could include an arms embargo and targeted sanctions against senior leaders, including asset freezes and travel bans.

“We will take immediate action if he does not sign, or if he signs with reservations,” said Nigerian Ambassador Joy Ogwu, whose country currently chairs the council. — AFP

MAKING HISTORY: South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir (seated), flanked by Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, left, and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, second left, signs a peace agreement in South Sudan’s capital Juba, on Wednesday. — AFP

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Indian Rs ....................................171.65 Pakistan Rs ............................ 268.50 Sri Lanka Rs ........................... 347.20 Bangla Taka.............................201.70 Phil Peso ....................................120.75

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‘Islamic windows should become full subsidiaries’ riba’ or interest (usury), it is also about methods and procedures.

It is difficult to create a vibrant market with just two players, especially with more people opting to shift from conventional to Islamic banking, says the CEO of Bank Nizwa

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

Elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: More full-fledged Islamic banks are needed and the Islamic banking services of conventional banks should be converted into full subsidiaries if Oman were to fully embrace the Islamic finance concept in its entirety, says a senior official at Bank Nizwa.

“It would also eliminate potential regulatory arbitrage between conventional banking and Islamic banking that could harm or raise doubt on the Sharia aspects,” said Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, chief executive officer of Bank Nizwa, Oman’s first fully-fledged Islamic bank.

“Their cost of doing business and relying on their parent banks’ infrastructure resulted in a disad-

vantage for the business of fullyfledged banks,” El Jaroudi said in an exclusive interview with Times of Oman.

Excerpts from the interview:

Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, CEO, Bank Nizwa. -Supplied picture

ture and systems.

Do you think there is still room for more full-fledged Islamic banks in Oman?

Definitely, in the medium term, the market needs more players. It is difficult to create a vibrant market with just two players, especially with more people opting to shift from conventional to Islamic banking services. The Islamic windows of the conventional banks, although played a role now and contributed to grow the market, it is still be part of the conventional system naturally due to the reliance on the same infrastruc-

A number of conventional banks have established windows for Islamic banking.

How do the services of a fullfledged Islamic bank such as Bank Nizwa differ from their services? What are the advantages of your services?

Our path is different from the conventional banks’ Islamic windows. While we strive in accommodating the present demand for banking services to produce alternative products, which are Sharia-compliant, and these products

would directly compete with the windows’ offerings, we believe that our products are built to suit Sharia objectives and be Shariaprincipled not merely being Sharia-compliant.

Being Sharia-compliant is a must in every aspect even for the contracts and agreements signed with our vendors, which are not necessarily related to the final products offered to our clients.

We ensure that our systems are Sharia-compliant and all steps to processing also are Sharia-compliant. This is because Islamic finance is not all about avoiding

Some conventional banks see Islamic windows as a defensive strategy, while others see them as opportunities? What is your opinion?

That is very true but it is also expected. Hesitation is normal when it comes to adapting a new system that is foreign to them, but seeing the threats of losing their market share, it forced their entry. Those who believe in what Islamic finance can offer, on the other hand, would look at this as a great opportunity to claim more market share or simply as the next phase of their growth.

However, our offerings are all about the long-term benefits customers can reap.

Do you see the Islamic banking services of conventional banks as ‘complementary’ or ‘competing’ with your services?

It is a mixture of all. But we feel that if Oman were to fully embrace the Islamic finance concept in its entirety, then the Islamic banking services of conventional banks should be converted into full subsidiaries. >B4

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.05 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............130.25 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 137.00 * Rates as of August 26 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

O I L P R I C E FA L L

UK’s Carillion cautious on Oman expansion LONDON: Carillion, the British construction support services firm, said plunging oil prices may hamper its plans to expand further into Gulf states such as Oman.

“I’m watching Oman with interest,” chief executive officer Richard Howson said in an interview on Wednesday, after the company reported rising first-half sales and profits. “It has more exposure to the oil price than perhaps the other countries in which we trade in the Middle East.”

Oil prices have more than halved since last year and Oman is the biggest Middle East producer outside Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec). Revenue from the country made up 45 per cent of Carillion’s Middle East sales in 2014, Liberum analyst Joe Brent wrote in a note.

The Wolverhampton, Englandbased company employs more than 46,000 people worldwide and has been expanding in the Middle East, winning construction contracts for Dubai’s World Expo in 2020 and a service agreement to manage Royal Dutch Shell’s estate in Qatar. The region accounted for 14 per cent of Carillion’s firsthalf sales, according to its earnings statement, up from 5 per cent three years ago.- Bloomberg News

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

MARKET C O M M E N TA RY

Does culture eat strategy for breakfast? A compliance view

DAMIAN O’RIORDAN*

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” These words, often attributed to Peter Drucker, are frequently quoted by people who see culture at the heart of all great companies. Drucker, the father of modern management, may well have been right. The argument goes that strategy is on paper, whereas culture determines how things get done. They say anyone can quote Michael Porter, the leading business strategist, and use his five forces methodology to appreciate strategy, but can they build and foster a winning culture and if so, what reference point do they use? I will demonstrate that fostering a positive culture is at least the equal of strategy for winning organisations and highlight how compliance officers have an important role to play in this regard.

What did Dell Computers attribute their outstanding success to? Strategy? Certainly. logistics and control? No doubt.

But when Michael Dell and then CEO Kevin Rollins were asked in the Harvard Business Review to explain the company’s success, they focused on something different. “While Dell does have a superior business model,” said

Rollins, “the key to our success is years and years of DNA development that is not replicable outside the company.” Michael Dell added, “Culture plays a huge role.” In a 2006 study by Bain and Company, they found that business leaders recognised culture’s crucial role, but fewer than 10 per cent of companies succeed in building a winning one.

It is difficult to argue that strategy and culture are mutually exclusive. Jim Collins in his book “Great to Good” probably got it right when he said great companies are those that “Got the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus and then decided where they wanted to go”. He argues that once you have the right people on the bus, the challenge of how to motivate and manage people largely disappears. The right people don't need to be strictly managed. They will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and to be part of creating something great. Effectively if you have the wrong people, it doesn't matter whether you discover the right direction or right strategy you still won't have a great company.

Having people that same the share value systems is, therefore, critical for an organisation’s culture and success.

Compliance officer's role The role of the compliance officer has evolved over the last 10 years. When compliance officers first came on the scene, at least from a financial services perspective, they were simply the Know Your Customers (KYC)

guys. They were most probably located in the basements of head office buildings and were responsible for nothing more than reviewing account opening processes. Times have changed.

In light of more stringent regulatory requirements, compliance officers are now involved in everything from ethics, conflicts of interest, corporate governance, market disclosures, staff trading, product/policy approvals, FATCA and anti-money laundering. There is plenty of scope and potential for the compliance officer to nurture and foster a compliant culture, which is more often that not, a winning and sustainable one.

The compliance role, in simple terms, is to inform the board and management of their legal and regulatory obligations.

The compliance officer monitors the organisations level of compliance, assesses it and reports back to the board so they are informed to take appropriate decisions as and when required.

Creating and promoting this framework assists organisations in creating a culture of accountability and integrity. It helps organisations to do business the “right way”. At the Harvard Business School, they believe that profit is good and necessary.

They strive to make a decent profit decently. There are many examples of companies doing this, but probably none better than Berkshire Hathaway.

Warren Buffett’s letters to the company shareholders, as part of the Berkshire Hathaway annual reports are insightful

and provide a clear sense of their corporate culture. Buffett, the legendary chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Berkshire, acknowledges that their culture, like any winning culture is hard to replicate. Kevin Rollins of Dell was of the same view.

In the Berkshire Hathaway 2010 annual report, Buffett writes that “culture will repel and expel managers of a different bent”.

Remember, get the wrong people off the bus.

Gail Kelly, the former CEO of St George’s bank in Australia also understood the importance of corporate culture. She took over the bank in 2002 and immediately realised that the bank had more potential than its stock price reflected. One of her first jobs was to review her executive team. She found a couple of high level “cultural terrorists” who she quickly moved out of the organisation. How many cultural terrorists are lurking in your corporate undergrowth?

Protect brand I have always maintained that the key objectives of the compliance officer are to ensure the brand is protected and to assist the front line in growing business in a compliant and sustainable fashion. Warren Buffett agrees, but extends this mantra to all employees. One method that Bufffett uses to communicate his philosophy is through his management memo, which he sends every two years.

In one such memo, he said the following; “We can afford to lose money –

even a lot of money”. But we can’t afford to lose reputation – even a shred of reputation. We must continue to measure every act against not only what is legal but also what we would be happy to have written about on the front page of a national newspaper in an article written by an unfriendly but intelligent reporter.

Sometimes your associates will say “Everybody else is doing it.” This rationale is almost always a bad one if it is the main justification for a business action. It is totally unacceptable when evaluating a moral decision. Whenever somebody offers that phrase as a rationale, in effect, they are saying that they can’t come up with a good reason. If anyone gives this explanation, tell them to try using it with a reporter or a judge and see how far it gets them.

If you see anything whose propriety or legality causes you to hesitate, be sure to give me a call. However, it’s very likely that if a given course of action evokes such hesitation, it’s too close to the line and should be abandoned. There’s plenty of money to be made in the centre of the court. If it’s questionable whether some action is close to the line, just assume it is outside and forget it. Culture, more than rule books, determines how an organisation behaves.”

This is impressive stuff. I am sure it is something all compliance officers can relate to and most business people too!! As a business model and cultural vision, it is difficult to argue with.

There are many obvious messag-

China’s devaluation of yuan upsets growth plans in Asia Yuan’s 2 per cent devaluation on August 11 added to evidence that China’s economy was struggling, and overseas it caused a ripple of panic that a currency war was in the offing

SINGAPORE: Faced with falling exports and deflation risks, it suited much of Asia to let their currencies drift lower, until China’s abrupt devaluation triggered a tide of volatility that is upsetting not just their currency management but also their growth strategies.

China’s 2 per cent devaluation on August 11 added to evidence that its economy was struggling, and overseas it caused a ripple of panic that a currency war was in the offing.

Currencies and stock markets in the region have since tumbled to multi-year lows, pulling global markets in their wake, as worries about China played into broader concerns about global growth, a collapse in commodity prices and the timing of a rise in United States interest rates.

Suddenly, in a region still haunted by memories of destabilising currency devaluations during the 1997/98 Asian crisis, the option of a gently sliding currency has been taken off the table by a freefall that threatens a destabilising flight of capital, sharp market swings and a spike in the cost of funds.

Central banks from South Korea to Thailand have deferred rate cuts, which would put further downward pressure on vulnerable currencies, with the result that growth and stimulus plans are likely to take a back seat.

Bank Indonesia kept its main interest rate unchanged at a policy review last week, making clear currency stability is foremost among its priorities, even though the economy has slowed to its weakest pace in six years and inflation is falling.

HIGH VOLATILITY: Currencies and stock markets in the region have since tumbled to multi-year lows, pulling global markets in their wake, as worries about China played into broader concerns about global growth. – Times file picture

“We will not follow competitive devaluation,” Indonesia’s central bank Governor Agus Martowardojo said this week.

The central bank said it was aggressively intervening in the rupiah markets and even mopping up short-term cash to stop investors speculating against the currency.

Indonesia is particularly vulnerable after a sharp loss of 14 per cent in the rupiah against the dollar so far this year, low forex reserves and a heavy dose of foreign money in its debt markets.

Raising rates But even central banks such as India’s and Singapore’s are unlikely to be able to cut rates while markets remain volatile. “Asian authorities have got to be willing to stomach high interest rates for a while,” said Cliff Tan, head of east Asian markets research at Mitsubishi UFJ in Hong Kong.

Capital Economics analysts Gareth Leather and Daniel Martin said in a note to clients that Malaysia and Indonesia might even

AT A GLANCE Citibank cuts growth forecast in Asia for 2015 to 6 per cent from 6.1 per cent Bank Indonesia kept its main interest rate unchanged last week Thailand central bank voted to keep rates steady in August South Korea also kept interest rates unchanged this month Central banks of India and Singapore are unlikely to be able to cut rates

be forced to raise rates “if the currency sell-off became a rout”.

Citibank has already cut its Asian growth forecast for 2015 to 6 per cent from 6.1 per cent, cit-

ing the volatility associated with China’s weakening of the yuan, its slowing growth and the possible adverse policy reaction among other countries. It cut its forecast for Thailand’s growth to 2.7 per cent from 3.5 per cent.

Unwelcome volatility Though Thailand has admitted its economy will be weaker than forecast and had welcomed depreciation in the baht as a remedy, its central bank voted to keep rates steady in August and alluded to financial market volatility as a factor. The baht hit its weakest levels since 2009 this week and most of the baht’s 8 per cent losses this year against the dollar have been in the past couple of months.

“It’s clearly a bit uncomfortable. I would expect them to start to think this is unwelcome volatility rather than welcome depreciation,” said Richard Yetsenga, global head of financial markets research at ANZ in Sydney.

South Korea’s central bank turned swiftly defensive of the

won this week as it hit its lowest in nearly four years, selling dollars to slow the won’s decline. That’s a turnabout from its tactics earlier this year to weaken a currency that had become less competitive against Japan’s sharply weaker yen. It also kept rates unchanged this month, two days after China’s devaluation.

MUFJ’s Tan reckons Asian central banks could coordinate policies better and be more proactive in using their trillions of dollars in currency reserves to defend their currencies. “Asian central banks are already on the defensive, but the question is a strong versus a weak defence.

“They have a chance to prove that, by driving rates up and making it very expensive to hold these short-term positions.” - Reuters

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es in these words, and it is clear that the culture at Berkshire is being set from the top and communicated in a simple and direct fashion. There is no ambiguity.

“Tone from the top” statements are almost clichéd now, but nonetheless should be at the very heart of any organisations vision. The culture of any organisation and how it permeates is the responsibility of the board and executive management.

We are all aware of the Chinese proverb that explains how a fish rots from the head down. The opposite is invariably true and the role of management and the board in creating, supporting and helping to permeate the right culture throughout the organisation cannot be underestimated. Compliance departments are well placed to support both in terms of delivery and communication. In truth, strategy and culture are equally important for organisations and there is no doubt that compliance officers have a role to play in developing both. In the main, winning organisations acknowledge that having a positive culture is crucial for success. They believe in doing business the right way and have hired the right people to do so. And what harm if one of those people happens to be a compliance officer to help them along the way!! *The writer is the assistant general manager (compliance) of Bank Muscat. Views expressed in the article are of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Bank Muscat CRUDE OIL SLUMP

Oil investors ignore history on dividends LONDON: Shares of the largest oil companies have slumped so low it suggests investors expect the crash in crude prices to force cuts in dividends. History tells a different story.

Oil’s collapse has driven the annual dividend yield at Royal Dutch Shell to a 20-year high of 7.7 per cent this week, compared to 4.4 per cent for the benchmark FTSE 100 Index. The yield — the annual return divided by the share price — is also at a two-decade high at Exxon Mobil and Chevron.

“The market is telling us that investors think the dividend payouts may not be sustainable with oil at this level,” said Ahmed Ben Salem, an analyst with Oddo & Cie. “History suggests otherwise. Oil companies are very attached to their dividend policy and if they were to cut it they’d lose a lot of investors.”

Shell, Europe’s biggest oil company, has weathered market ups and downs for seven decades — including oil at less than $10 a barrel in the 1980s and 1990s — without cutting dividends.

In the United States, Chevron said last month it’ll keep increasing the annual payout — as it’s done for the past 27 years — even as profit dropped to a 12-year low.

Shell chief executive officer Ben Van Beurden and BP boss Bob Dudley have made dividends their top priority to return money to shareholders. At the same time they’re slashing spending, selling assets and preserving cash flow to protect the balance sheet in a declining oil market.

Market rout Oil futures are trading at less than $40 a barrel in New York, less than half the price a year ago, on concern slowing growth in China will hurt demand just as Organisataion of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and the United States expand a global glut.

Crude at this level intensifies the debate on whether companies should stick to their dividend. A reluctance to cut the payout carries serious risks if low prices persist, said Nick Butler, chair of the Kings Policy Institute at Kings College London and former vice president of strategy at BP. “The mistake is to assume dividends can or should always be maintained,” he said in an e-mail.

“They should vary according to circumstances.”

The companies’ chief executives think differently. BP’s Bob Dudley said last month his “first priority” was payouts to shareholders.

-- Bloomberg News

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

B3

MARKET Corporate earnings in GCC dip by 7 per cent in first half by the reduction in average revenue per user, as well as company specific losses.

Total earnings of Omani companies fell by 7 per cent, while corporate earnings in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia contracted by 19 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively

Times News Service MUSCAT: Corporate sector in the Gulf region recorded a 7.2 per cent fall in earnings at $34 billion in the first half of 2015, against the same period last year, according to a report from Kuwait Financial Centre Markaz.

However, the performance of banks and real estate companies were strong. Total earnings of Omani companies fell by 7 per cent, while corporate earnings in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia contracted by 19 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively. Qatar had the highest earnings growth in the first half at 13 per cent, with the rest of the GCC states recording a decline.

Fall in oil prices, strengthening US dollar and company-specific

DISMAL PERFORMANCE: Qatar had the highest earnings growth in the first half at 13 per cent, with the rest of the GCC countries recording a decline. – Times file picture

issues were responsible for the poor earnings in the first half.

Bank profit The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also registered negative earnings growth of 2 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively. Aggregate net profits for banks in the six-member GCC region came in at $16.7 billion in the first half of 2015, a rise of 9 per cent over the same period last year.

Earnings from real estate came

in at $3.7 billion recording a growth of 44.5 per cent.

“Robust growth in the earnings of banking sector, which accounts for 49 per cent of earnings, could not prevent overall corporate earnings from declining by 7.2 per cent in the first half of 2015,” added the report.

Telecommunication sector continued its negative run from 2014, with overall profits declining by 35 per cent.

Real estate and banking sectors

have been the star performers in the region in the first half registering growth of 44.5 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively.

Despite signs of slowing down towards the end of last year, the real estate sector had a great run in the first half of 2015.

The commodities sector, which is the second largest sector in terms of net earnings, was impacted by lower oil prices. Telecom sector, the fourth largest in terms of net earnings was affected

Real estate boom Real estate boom in major markets such as the UAE, Qatar and introduction of mortgage lending reforms in Saudi Arabia have led to significant earnings growth of the sector. “Telecommunications sector’s earnings were affected by strengthening of the US dollar (Ooredoo), the earnings restatement of Mobily and its continued dispute with Zain Saudi. Falling ARPU across the region was also a reason behind the fall in telecom earnings,” the report pointed out.

The GCC corporate earnings are expected to contract by 0.3 per cent in 2015 over last year to reach $69.7 billion by the end of the year.

The UAE, Qatar and Bahrain earnings growth are expected to be robust at 8 per cent, 6.2 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, for the full year of 2015 as against 2014. Corporate earnings in other GCC countries are also expected to decline, during the same period, with earnings in Saudi declining the most at 7.9 per cent.

Corporate earnings in Kuwait and Oman are expected to fall moderately by 1.6 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively.

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ECONOMIC TIES

India, UAE forum to boost bilateral trade DUBAI: India and the UAE have launched a forum to discuss strategies and solutions to investor challenges in India due to taxation and policy related issues and evaluate business opportunities in infrastructure, alternative energy, tourism and finance sectors.

The Arab-India Economic Forum (AIEF), in partnership with the Consulate General of India in Dubai, has been launched to bring together political and business leaders from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Egypt and India.

The AIEF shall be focusing on opportunities in infrastructure, alternative energy, digital India, tourism an finance, the forum said.

Taxation and policy They will discuss strategies and solutions to investor challenges in India due to taxation and policy related issues in India and how the government can assist in creating a conducive business environment for investors, the statement added.

Focusing on the growth sectors, it will address the policy framework and guidelines required to attract Arab investors and industrialists. It will be a strong platform for Indian businesses aiming to explore the Middle East market, the statement said on Tuesday.

The recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE heralds a new era in bilateral relations and opens up new opportunities for trade and commerce, it said noting that the UAE-India Infrastructure Investment Fund is an indicator of the true potential this relationship holds. - PTI

ONLINE SAFETY

SOHAR REFINERY

Protect critical national infrastructure against cyberattacks, GCC states urged Times News Service

Orpic’s refinery project achieves safety milestone Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) has achieved 15 million man-hours without lost time injury at its Sohar refinery improvement project, with more than 6,500 people on site, working to a 2016 completion date.

The milestone comes just days following the installation of Oman’s first hydrocracker reactor, which is the heaviest and one of the most critical pieces of equipment on the project.

“Safety is our number one priority. We have a diligent and experienced team who are committed to ensuring the construction and future operation of this project is achieved to the highest standard,” said Musab Al Mahruqi, chief executive officer of Orpic.

Orpic’s Sohar refinery improvement project is a multibilliondollar venture, which is being delivered in response to the need to upgrade Orpic’s refining capability in order to further maximise the value of Omani crude oil, and to ensure that the Sultanate’s rising demand for fuel will be met.

In addition to the immediate commercial benefits that the pro-

ject brings to the business, it will also have a social-economic impact on other areas.

“Enhancing In-Country Value is an integral part of our growth strategy and substantial benefits are anticipated. About 300 direct, permanent jobs will be created, and around 2,400 Omani contract roles will be offered over the project lifetime,” the CEO of Orpic noted.

900 indirect jobs “The project is also anticipated to result in local business participation, with an estimated 900 indirect jobs to be generated by the multiplier effect the Sohar refinery improvement project will have on the local economy,” he added.

Orpic is undertaking three major growth projects aimed at improving production and further diversifying Orpic’s product mix.

Orpic’s growth projects will position it as a market leader in Oman, the Middle East and the international oil and gas sector. Known as the sohar refinery improvement project, the Muscat-Sohar product pipeline, and the Liwa plastics industries complex, Orpic’s growth projects are expected to generate significant opportunities for Orpic and Oman.

MUSCAT: Governments in the Gulf region are urged to secure critical national infrastructure in the face of high risk of more sophisticated cyberattacks in the emerging Internet of Things era, say industry experts.

As Internet of Things era advances, with International Business Machines predicting 30 billion autonomously connected things by 2020, the field of operational technology — industrial automation and control systems including power plants, transporting oil and gas, and manufacturing — is becoming increasingly connected to networks.

At the same time, connected IT, management systems, and control areas are facing a sharp rise in the number, scale, and sophistication of cyberattacks, according to research firm Gartner. In particular, manufacturing and energy/utilities were two of the top five mosttargeted verticals globally in 2014, seeing a combined 23 per cent of all cybersecurity incidents, according to a recent report by IBM. “While Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments and organisations are increasingly connecting industrial automation processes for smart intelligence on the back end of organisations, and on the front end citizen services, operational technology is at a rising risk for cybersecurity attacks,” said Asef Sleiman, general manager, Enterprise Network and Cyber Security Solutions, Omnix International, a GCC-based systems integrator that has recently launched a cybersecurity division.

“In anticipation of this growing cybersecurity risk, GCC organisations must adopt world-class standards and regulations to en-

HIGH RISK: Connected IT, management systems, and control areas are facing a sharp rise in the number, scale, and sophistication of cyberattacks, says research firm Gartner. – Bloomberg News

sure older integrated systems and sensors transmitting sensitive data are protected from cyberattacks that could steal vita data or shut down cities and countries,” added Asef Sleiman.

81 million security events Globally, there were more than 81 million security events in 2014, including more than 12,000 malicious security attacks, and more than 100 security incidents that were investigated in-depth, according to IBM’s report.

Unauthorised access, sustained probes and scans, and malicious code were among the most common attacks.

Similarly, 29 per cent of worldwide infrastructure and govern-

ment organisations were targeted at least once in 2014, in particular the infrastructure and public administration fields, according to a recent report by Symantec.

With smart cities rising across the GCC, cybersecurity attacks could wreak havoc.

In one doomsday scenario, cyber criminals could send fake data to sensors to shut down transportation systems or street lights, create fake emergencies, or direct construction crews to intentionally damage utilities, according to a report by Securing Smart Cities, a global initiative for smart city cybersecurity.

Meeting the growing organisational demand for cybersecurity solutions, Omnix International is

GCC organisations must adopt worldclass standards and regulations to ensure older integrated systems and sensors transmitting sensitive data are protected from cyberattacks that could steal vital data or shut down cities and countries Asef Sleiman GM, Enterprise Network and Cyber Security Solutions, Omnix International

set to launch a new set of security services for operational technology in the coming months.

Omnix International also recently achieved ISO 27001:2013 certification in consultancy and implementation of IT solutions ranging from network infrastructure to software solutions, positioning itself as one of the few industry experts in the region, recognised for its world-class information security management system.

B4

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

MARKET

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OMAN STOCKS

MSM index MUSCAT gains again SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ........................................5,808.71 ............... 5,762.16 ................... 5,782.04 ................... 5,760.29.................. 21.75 ...................0.38 Financial Index ..................................... 6,991.61 ...............6,918.35 ................... 6,968.95 ................... 6,918.35................. 50.60 ................... 0.73 Industrial Index ....................................7,558.05 ............... 7,499.79 ....................7,499.79 ....................7,513.34................ -13.55 .................. -0.18 Services Index .......................................3,225.72 ...............3,209.70 ................... 3,209.70 ................... 3,210.38.................. -0.68 .................. -0.02 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 913.99 ..................908.16 .......................908.16 ...................... 908.16....................0.00 ...................0.00 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 18,169,556 ..................4,704,626 ..................1,412 ...............14,529,039,426 ................ 15 ........................8 .................... 16 .........................39

Al Madina Takaful gained 8.97 per cent to be the top gainer, while Al Anwar Ceramics,

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26

down by 6.88 per cent, lost the most 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: As share prices on the Muscat bourse continued its recovery on Wednesday, MSM30 Index showed upward trend to close at 5,782.04 points, a gain of 0.38 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index remained unchanged at 908.16 points.

Bank Muscat was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. Al Madina Takaful gained 8.97 per cent to be the top gainer, while Al Anwar Ceramics, down by 6.88 per cent, was the top loser.

As many as 1,412 trades were executed during the trading session generating turnover of OMR4.7 million with more than 18.1 million shares changing hands. Out of 39 traded securities, 15 advanced, eight declined and 16 remained unchanged. Omani investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR1.62 million worth of shares followed by GCC and Arab investors at OMR97,000.

Foreign investors, who were the net sellers, sold shares amounting to OMR1.71 million.

Financial Index led the indices with a gain of 0.73 per cent to close at 6,968.95 points. Al Madina Takaful, Al Madina Investments, Al Anwar Holding, National Bank of Oman and Bank Muscat increased by 8.97 per cent, 3.77 per cent, 3.55 per cent, 3.55 per centand 1.62 per cent, respectively. Dhofar Investment and Development, Al Batinah Investment, Al Sharqia Invest-

ments and HSBC Bank Oman declined by 2.33 per cent, 2.04 per cent, 0.92 per cent and 0.87 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index closed on a negative note at 7,499.79 points, down by 0.18 per cent. Oman Fisheries, Al Maha Ceramics, Galfar Engineering, Voltamp Energy and Gulf International Chemicals increased by 8.89 per cent, 4.60 per cent, 3.19 per cent, 1.44 per cent and 1.21 per cent, respectively. Al Anwar Ceramics and Oman Cables declined by 6.88 per cent and 0.77 per cent, respectively. Services Index remained stable at 3,209.70 points, down by 0.02 per cent. Ooredoo Oman, OIFC and Omantel increased nu 2.33 per cent, 1.83 per cent and 0.61 per cent, respectively. Both Al Suwadi Power and Al Batinah Power declined by 2.30 per cent, respectively.

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

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL............................................. 918,102............ 78,024..................... 67 ........... 0.085 ...........0.085 ...........0.084........... 0.085 .............0.078 ........... 0.007............. 8.974 ................0.085..............0.084...................0.085...................14,875,000 .........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 177,094 ............ 88,595..................... 50 ........... 0.490 ...........0.502 ...........0.490........... 0.500 .............0.478 ........... 0.022.............4.603 ................0.500..............0.496...................0.500 ..................26,250,000.........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 1,116,923 ......... 60,930......................41 ........... 0.056 ...........0.058 ...........0.054........... 0.055 .............0.053 ........... 0.002............. 3.774 ................0.054..............0.054...................0.056................... 11,393,326 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 2,813,184 ......491,998...................258 ............0.179 ........... 0.179 ........... 0.171 ............0.175 ............. 0.169............ 0.006............. 3.550 ................0.171 ...............0.171...................0.173 ...................26,263,125 .........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 250,150 ............73,075..................... 25 ........... 0.290...........0.296 ...........0.290 .......... 0.292 .............0.282 ............0.010 ............. 3.546 ................0.295..............0.296...................0.298 .................391,487,393 ........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 591,335.............57,086..................... 73 ........... 0.096 ...........0.099 ...........0.094........... 0.097 .............0.094 ........... 0.003..............3.191.................0.095..............0.095...................0.096...................28,128,122 .........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 421,018..........296,350..................... 43 ........... 0.704 ........... 0.712............0.700........... 0.704 .............0.688 ............0.016 .............2.326 ................0.700..............0.660...................0.700..................458,264,738........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 1,131,920....... 189,033..................... 70 ............0.170 ........... 0.170 ...........0.161 ............0.167 .............0.164............ 0.003............. 1.829 ................0.163 ..............0.162...................0.163...................33,400,000.........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 3,808,709 ...1,908,463................... 195 ........... 0.500 ...........0.502 ...........0.498........... 0.502 .............0.494 ........... 0.008..............1.619.................0.498..............0.498...................0.500 ...............1,150,494,944 ......0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY .................................................... 83,200 ............ 35,040......................19 ........... 0.420 ...........0.424 ...........0.420........... 0.422 ............. 0.416............ 0.006............. 1.442 ................0.420.............. 0.418...................0.420 ..................25,531,000 .........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ................6,000 ...............1,500........................2 ........... 0.250 ...........0.250 ...........0.250........... 0.250 .............0.247 ........... 0.003..............1.215.................0.250..............0.245...................0.255....................5,250,000 ..........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 230,734 .........380,879..................... 58 ............1.640 ........... 1.670 ...........1.640............1.650 .............1.640 ............0.010 ............. 0.610 ................1.650 .............. 1.645...................1.650................1,237,500,000 ......0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 150,800 ............38,613.....................24 ........... 0.256 ...........0.260 ...........0.250........... 0.256 .............0.255 ............0.001 ............. 0.392 ................0.250..............0.235...................0.250 ..................25,600,000.........0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ........................ 40,000 ...............6,600........................4 ............0.165 ........... 0.165 ...........0.165 ............0.165 ............. 0.165............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.165 ..............0.160...................0.168................... 15,681,600 .........0.100 OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ................. 1,000 ..................240........................1 ........... 0.240...........0.240 ...........0.240 .......... 0.225 .............0.225 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.240 .............0.203...................0.240 ................... 7,553,576 ..........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ........................................................................4,500 ...............2,070........................1 ........... 0.460 ...........0.460 ...........0.460........... 0.480 .............0.480 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.460............. 0.000...................0.460 .................177,800,304........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 773,375 ............80,767..................... 36 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.102........... 0.104 .............0.104 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.104..............0.104...................0.105...................12,675,000 .........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 118,630 ............ 24,912........................9 ............0.210 ........... 0.210 ...........0.210........... 0.210 .............0.210 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.210..............0.190...................0.210...................26,228,572.........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ........................................................................6,000 ............... 1,196........................2 ........... 0.200...........0.200 ...........0.199 ........... 0.199 ............. 0.199............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.199 ..............0.199...................0.202 .................283,582,193........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 750,550 ........... 78,356..................... 45 ............0.104 ........... 0.106 ...........0.103........... 0.104 .............0.104 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.103 ..............0.102...................0.103.....................6,119,695 ..........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 310,036 ............53,139..................... 56 ............0.173 ........... 0.173 ...........0.170 ............0.171 ............. 0.171 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.171 ..............0.170...................0.172...................49,701,325 .........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 431,000 ............73,764......................14 ............0.175 ........... 0.175............0.170 ............0.171 ............. 0.171 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.170 ..............0.169...................0.170................. 246,486,240 .......0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER................................................................... 620 ...................211........................6 ........... 0.340...........0.340 ...........0.340 .......... 0.342 .............0.342 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.340............. 0.340...................0.350...................75,585,420 .........0.100

Regional markets Most Middle Eastern stock markets declined amid mounting concern the region’s largest economy will cut spending after oil prices slumped to the lowest since 2009. The Tadawul All Share Index in Saudi Arabia retreated as much as 2.4 per cent before trading 0.4 per cent.

Kuwait’s measure fell 0.4 per cent while Abu Dhabi’s ADX General Index retreated 0.1 per cent and Bahrain’s BB All Share Index lost less than 0.1 per cent.

OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH..................................................5,000 ............ 12,600........................1 ........... 2.520 ...........2.520 ...........2.520........... 2.520 .............2.520 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.520............. 2.500...................2.530 .................240,552,131 ........1.000 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY.......................................17,373 ............ 33,580........................6 ............1.950 ........... 1.950 ...........1.925 ............1.935 .............1.950............-0.015 ........... -0.769 ...............1.925 ..............1.900...................1.920..................173,569,500........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 429,841 ............49,107......................11 ............0.115 ........... 0.115............0.114 ............0.114 ............. 0.115 ............-0.001 ........... -0.870 ...............0.114 .............. 0.114................... 0.115 ..................228,035,658........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 532,031 ............ 57,271..................... 45 ............0.112 ........... 0.112............0.104........... 0.108 .............0.109 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.917................0.105 ..............0.104...................0.106....................9,720,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...................... 114,000 ............10,975..................... 23 ........... 0.095 ...........0.097 ...........0.095........... 0.096 .............0.098 ...........-0.002 ........... -2.041 ...............0.095..............0.094...................0.095....................2,880,000..........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER..................................................72,380 .............15,364......................13 ............0.215 ........... 0.215 ...........0.212........... 0.212 ............. 0.217............-0.005 ........... -2.304 ...............0.212..............0.212...................0.217..................143,076,135 ........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ....................................................73,976 .............15,709......................13 ............0.217 ........... 0.217 ...........0.212........... 0.212 ............. 0.217............-0.005 ........... -2.304 ...............0.212..............0.212...................0.214..................151,454,144 ........0.100 OM0000001509............DHOFAR INT.DEV.AND INV. HOLD.................... 123,200 ............51,744........................1 ........... 0.420 ...........0.420 ...........0.420........... 0.420 .............0.430 ...........-0.010 ........... -2.326 ...............0.420..............0.420...................0.430 .................103,488,000 .......0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 634,591 ......... 223,251......................15 ........... 0.366 ...........0.366 ...........0.350........... 0.352 .............0.378 ...........-0.026 ........... -6.878 ...............0.360..............0.350...................0.360 .................104,267,216 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 16,137,272 4,490,441................1,227 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......32........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................39,627 ...............1,942........................8 ........... 0.049 ...........0.049 ...........0.049........... 0.049 .............0.045 ........... 0.004............. 8.889 ................0.049..............0.047...................0.050 ................... 6,125,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 573,230 ............36,112..................... 34 ........... 0.063 ...........0.064 ...........0.062........... 0.063 .............0.062 ............0.001 ..............1.613.................0.063..............0.062...................0.063...................94,500,000 ........0.100

– United Securities/Bloomberg News OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 173,058................5,911..................... 10 ........... 0.035 ........... 0.035 ...........0.034........... 0.034 .............0.034 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.034..............0.032...................0.034 ...................2,890,000..........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING......................................5,000 ..................445........................1 ........... 0.089 ...........0.089 ...........0.089........... 0.088 .............0.088 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.089..............0.086...................0.088.................... 6,618,304 ..........0.100

INDIAN MARKETS

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 159,600 ............10,658........................6 ........... 0.067 ...........0.067 ...........0.066........... 0.067 .............0.067 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.066..............0.063...................0.066...................67,000,000.........0.100

Sensex tumbles; rupee falls

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 1,081,760........ 159,115................... 125 ............0.146 ........... 0.148 ...........0.146 ............0.147 ............. 0.147............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.147 .............. 0.147...................0.148..................215,002,415 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 2,032,275...... 214,183...................184 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 6........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

MUMBAI: A rally on Tuesdayproved to be rather short lived as the flagship benchmark Sensex retreated sharply by 318 points to end below the significant 26,000 barriers on frenzied panic selling.

Sentiment once again turned to decline on weak sentiment.

The rupee turned weak against the United States dollar after a brief overnight recovery, falling by four paise to end at 66.14 on renewed dollar demand from importers amid global volatility. The rupee closed at 66.10. - PTI

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

OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ...................................9 ........................1........................1 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.110 ............0.110 ............. 0.110............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.110 .............. 0.110................... 0.114 ...................33,302,402.........0.100 .............................................SUM: ...............................................................................................9 ........................1........................1 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ISLAMIC BANKING

‘We noticed more drawbacks as they took B1 business away from full-fledged banks’ < FROM

It would also eliminate potential regulatory arbitrage between conventional banking and Islamic banking that could harm or raise doubt on the Sharia aspects.

At the beginning, windows were auxiliary to Islamic banks in the launching phase by spreading awareness and products, but we noticed more drawbacks as they took business away from full-

fledged banks, thus hindering their growth and profitability.

Their cost of doing business and relying on their parent banks’ infrastructure resulted in a disadvantage for the business of fullyfledged banks.

Do you see conventional banks offloading their Islamic windows? Why?

This would be the natural progression. If you see other countries such as Qatar and Malaysia, this is also expected for the Omani market, although we cannot say how soon because the windows have yet to reach their critical sizes to be able to justify conversion into standalone banks. It would require the lawmakers’ intervention if the exercise is to be expedited.

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ROUND-UP

Nissan promises great benefits on its LCV range till October 16 Its exclusive vehicle promotions are enticing and oneof-a-kind promising unlimited benefits to valued patrons

MUSCAT: Nissan from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles introduces seasonal offers on LCV models until October 16.

Its exclusive vehicle promotions are enticing and one-of-a-kind promising unlimited benefits to valued patrons.

Nissan has a heritage of showcasing some of the most amazing benefits for their customers by introducing unique offers on their prestigious line-up of vehicles. In an effort to make Nissan vehicles affordable and accessible to all, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has taken up this unique initiative, says a press release.

What’s on offer?

Auto enthusiasts can now avail exciting benefits on Nissan’s LCV range of vehicles as their seasonal offers include cash gift up to OMR1,000, free service for two years or 20,000km (periodic maintenance only), free registration (on private registration only) and easy and convenient financing options. Flexible EMI’s can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from inhouse auto finance team.

Interactive social media Customers can also get unlim-

ited access to Nissan’s prestigious vehicle line up at the comfort of their homes or offices. Simply visit Nissan Oman’s Facebook page i.e http://www.facebook.com/Sbanissanoman or send an SMS to get updated information on any of the vehicles from the house of Nissan.

Nissan LCV range of vehicles has built up its reputation through innovative technology, and a broad product line-up. In Oman, people have increasingly opted for Nissan models because they come with class leading features, great performance, ideally suited to the local conditions and offer great value for money besides being among the safest cars on the road.

Nissan pickup range The Nissan pickups are built strong and tough, to withstand the most punishing conditions, yet they are known for their comfort and safety criterion. With two different engine models, the new 4x4 Nissan Pickup is best known for its ultimate performance when driven on the road.

The 2.4L, 160hp twin cam gasoline engine in 2WD and 4WD, the 4x4 Pickup is one of the most economical in its range. It features dynamic suspension, rear step bumper, chrome mirrors and grill, bed liner; – making it the perfect choice for all who wants to own a pickup. The Nissan pickup models are built for versatility. Despite their comfortable ride and stylish passenger car-like interiors, they still deliver full load-hauling functionality. The single cab model makes an excellent multi-purpose utility vehicle, while the double cab model can also serve as a versatile family pickup.

Nissan Navara The Nissan Navara stuns all eyes with its larger body structure which means bigger storage space

partment and step, power steering and automatic sliding door.

and a roomier, more comfortable passenger cabin. The extended wheelbase enhances road handling ability, and the taller ground clearance makes it easier to conquer road obstacles. The Navara is designed with an off-road spirit in mind. The vigorous QR25 2,500cc petrol engine delivers up to 162 (Gross) / 154 (Net) horsepower, plus compelling torque and excellent fuel efficiency.

The new Nissan Navara is also class-leading in the GCC and comes equipped with a high-performance 6-speed manual transmission, further enhancing the true off-road spirit while cruising comfortably over virtually all terrains. Navara is available in 2WD AT/MT options with petrol engine and 4WD MT option in diesel engine. Navara is also available as per PDO specifications.

The Navara is one of the most sought after vehicles in the PDO division, given its durability and performance on and off road. Navara’s petrol engine provides 162 HP and the YD25DDTi Diesel engine provides 142 HP with a torque of 36 kg-m / 2000 rpm.

It is also first-of its-kind with 6-speed manual transmission which delivers excellent fuel efficiency. The roomy passenger cabin, and the supportive suspension system that Nissan is famous for,

emit an air of luxury usually found in passenger sedans. The Navara is truly a tough, versatile vehicle for all your business needs making it a perfect value for money buy.

Nissan Patrol pickup The Nissan Patrol pickup comes in a new 4.8L, 280HP intercooled turbo diesel engine, there is no second opinion that the Nissan Patrol pickup makes the roughest dirt roads shudder. This in-line with a 6 cylinder power plant is as hardworking as it is durable.

And with 90 per cent of its maximum torque available from a very low 1500rpm, it surely does assert its dominance in the most unforgiving surroundings. It’s imposing all-terrain suspension, incorporating a heavy-duty coil spring suspension with 3 links in front and leaf springs at the rear for superior stability, ride comfort and load carrying capacity, makes the Patrol pickup just as comfortable and confident on tarmac.

NV350 Urvan The NV350 Urvan’s QR25DE engine takes advantage of latest technology to achieve fuel economy. Combined with a 5-speed automatic transmission, the engine rotates at lower speed and makes less noise while driving at high speed. Smooth and responsive

FA S H I O N S TAT E M E N T

acceleration from a start to highspeed driving is also realised with a power of 144HP/5600RPM and a torque of 21.7 Kg-M/4400 RPM. The NV350 Urvan with wide long body support a greater number of model variations for a range of business needs.

The latest range of NV350 Urvan with wide long body and high roof comes in two variants, the 3 seater panel van and the 15 seater bus in manual transmission. The NV350 Urvan offers ample load capacity and the interior layout makes maximum use of the larger cargo space for both occupants and cargo.

Nissan Civilian The Nissan Civilian is a vehicle that promises top class performance and unmatched convenience for everyday use and business calling. Time and again, the Civilian gets the job done reliably with remarkable economy, both in terms of fuel consumption and routine maintenance. Along with that, it boasts of new styling and features that promise more comfort, flexibility, convenience, safety and performance.

The Civilian is available in 4.5L Petrol Engine, 190hp and 4.2L Diesel Engine, 133hp. The 26 Seater and 30 Seater option comes with lamps for interior, luggage com-

A decade of promise Suhail Bahwan Automobiles is largely committed to supporting Nissan’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman. With a national network of more than 19 showrooms, 22 service centres and 35 spare parts outlets, SBA has further built upon its legacy of trust, excellent customer service and providing value for money to each of its customers.

Nationwide presence Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, the exclusive importers and distributors of all Nissan vehicles in Oman, have their Nissan showrooms spread across the Sultanate.

Their showrooms are strategically located all across the country in Muscat, Sohar, Sur, Salalah, Shinas, Samail, Ibra, Ibri, Nizwa, Buraimi, Barka, Bahla, JalanBani Bu Ali, Seeb, Mabelah, Sinaw and Bidaya. This goes to show that Nissan Oman has been successfully growing in operations and is consistently spreading its network throughout the Sultanate of Oman.

Reliability For every customer purchasing a Nissan vehicle, it is the beginning of a fulfilling experience as Nissan’s top class after sales service makes sure every customer is happy and satisfied. Nissan’s after sales service provider for all Nissan cars in Oman ensures customers get the advantage of factory trained expertise and genuine Nissan replacement parts always.

Customers can expect reliability and assistance, which will help retain Nissan’s performance and resale value for years to come.

M E D I C A L E D UC AT I O N

Chopard showcases unique and beautifully crafted wedding rings MUSCAT: The evolution and the placement of the wedding ring has changed throughout time according to different beliefs and cultures. Yet, the band has always represented the same message… that of eternal love. As a symbol of infinity, the tradition to wear the ring forever means it is important to truly be happy with your wedding band.

Chopard presents a selection of unique and beautifully crafted wedding bands with a choice whether to prefer to shine brightly with a statement ring; be modern; or be classic in a timeless ring, says a press release.

Madhursinh Jesrani, general manager, Khimji’s Watches, the sole distributor of Chopard collections in Oman, explains: “Chopard wedding rings come in countless interpretations based on the House design codes, including the absolute modernity of the Ice Cube collection. Round or flat, polished, half-set or full-

set, wedding rings come in three gold colours as well as platinum versions. Adding a splendid final touch to the exquisite elegance of these rings, there are Chopard wedding jewellery sets composed of closed-set or claw-set pendant necklaces and earrings which match the rings to create a perfect magical moment.”

Chopard Heure du Diamant is a statement ring. With its stunning band of 24 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling approximately 2.00 car-

ats and individually set in gleaming 18-carat white gold, the Heure du Diamant ring shines infinitely just like your truly sparkling love.

Perfectly refined Rings from the Chopard Ice Cube and Chopardissmo collections represent a contemporary expression of love. Created from timeless white gold, the Ice Cube ring’s unique geometric design features a quartet of diamonds for a hint of understated sparkle, a modern

token of love. Utterly unique and perfectly refined, the Chopardissimo line is signature Chopard.

Enhanced by the beautiful calligraphy of the engraved logo it is contemporary, yet timeless.

The pure lines of Chopard’s Timeless collection stand the test of time. Assured and confident, this 3.0-mm squared band in polished 18-carat gold or platinum goes perfectly with the stunning Chopard For Ever diamond engagement ring; a heart-shaped brilliant-cut diamond of 0.50 carats or more that takes centre stage on a classic setting of platinum engraved with the Chopard “C.” Khimji’s Watches is one of Muscat’s leading franchisees for luxury watches, jewellery, accessories and writing instruments. Set up in 1973, Khimji’s Watches offers a range of global designs from Rolex, Cartier, Chopard, Piaget, Mikimoto, Girard Perregaux, Tudor, Oris, Frederique Constant, Bell & Ross, Caran d’Ache and Kieninger.

Badr Al Samaa holds CME on bariatric, MCBS implements Oman’s 1st in-house metabolic procedure I N N O VAT I O N

automatic attendance marking system MUSCAT: The Modern College of Business and Science (MCBS), a pioneering higher education institution in Oman, has successfully implemented the Sultanate’s first in-house developed automatic student attendance recording system at its campus.

The system is to allow efficient means to take attendance and provide instructors full class time for academic work, says a press release.

The automatic attendance system incorporates Radio-frequency identification (RFID), Visual Studio .Net and MS SQL Server technologies that are linked to the student information system and ERP at the Modern College. This provides a live feedback on the promptness as well as tardiness of the students. MCBS has emphasised importance of attendance as

its recent study had indicated direct link of student performance to their classroom attendance.

At the college each faculty and student carries an ID card (MIFare proximity cards) as means of identification as well as for attendance purposes. When entering the classroom a student should tap his/her ID card on an RFID reader. Then the student’s attendance is updated imme-

diately and can be checked via smartphone or web interfaces.

The faculty instantly gets feedback via e-mail detailing students present, absent or late in his/ her live classroom. This provides means to validate the actual class count and helps to ensure that no double counts or misrepresentation of students occurred.

Some teachers have appreciated the feature which indicates

how often and for how many minutes a student usually comes late to the class.

The automatic attendance system provides numerous benefits to MCBS stakeholders including students, administration staff, faculty, sponsors and parents who get timely and accurate information of attendance records.

Salah Al Hanshi, acting head of the ESL Department stated: “The automatic attendance system saves instructors time and they can get more time for office hours which will be dedicated for the students.”

The automatic attendance system was developed by a team of four member of the college’s IT-Database Department: Said S. Nassor, Ahmed Mounir Fayek, Abdelkawy Abdelhady and Ghamra Al Ismaily.

MUSCAT: A continuing medical education (CME) programme was conducted by Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals in Crowne Plaza Hotel recently. The main speaker Dr S. K. Ajaiyakumar, a renowned bariatric surgeon from South India, spoke on ‘Mini gastric bypass: A promising bariatric and metabolic procedure’, says a press release.

He focused on the role of surgery in the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Mini gastric bypass, a laparoscopic, bariatric surgical procedure is gaining popularity in the world. He said, mini gastric bypass (MGB), a comparatively simple and safe procedure gives promising results in obesity and diabetes reduction. Majority of diabetes patients can stop medication after this surgery and for obesity; it is a sure shot option. In this era of alarmingly increasing number of life style illness like obesity and diabetes mellitus, bariatric sur-

gery and metabolic surgery has an important role. Adopting healthy life styles are very important in preventing as well as managing this growing menace. Badr Al Samaa Hospital, Al Khoud is all set to start this novel procedure.

V. T. Vinod, managing director, Badr Al Samaa Group, appreciated Dr Ajaiyakumar for enlightening the medical fraternity that helps them to update their knowledge in their daily practice and said their long term intention is to develop Badr Al Samma as a regional hub for Bariatric surgical procedure.

More than hundred doctors from various hospitals and clinics attended the programme. Dr Deepak Chandran, senior general and laparoscopic surgeon introduced the speaker to the audience and Vinod, presented a memento to Dr Ajaiyakumar. Dr Vijaya Simha, specialist ophthalmologist, Badr Al Samaa Hospital, Ruwi proposed the vote of thanks.

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Bank Sohar conducts weekly draw in Ibra

L AT E S T T E C H N O L O G Y

Omasco launches Yamaha AV demo and display corner Continuing to offer more chances, more winners and more prizes to its customers as part of the 2015 Al Mumayaz Saving Scheme, the bank’s draws included the OMR5,000 weekly draw and the dedicated branch draw of OMR1,000

IBRA: Continuing with its yearlong branch-wide tour, Bank Sohar conducted its most recent Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme Weekly Draw at its Ibra branch recently.

Continuing to offer more chances, more winners and more prizes to its customers as part of the 2015 Al Mumayaz Saving Scheme, the bank’s draws included the OMR5,000 weekly draw, which was won by Bader Al Busaidi of the bank’s Barka branch, and the dedicated branch draw of OMR1,000

for the bank’s Ibra branch customers, which was won by Mohammed Al Harthi, says a press release.

The 21st weekly prize draw event was held in the bank’s Ibra branch under the auspices of Salim bin Hamood Al Ismaeely, one of Bank Sohar’s VIP customers and was attended by Khamis Masoud Al Rahbi, the AGM of Branches at Bank Sohar, Redha Al Lawatia, the senior chief manager of Liabilities and Sales at Bank Sohar and Yahya Ahmed Al Habsi, the acting man-

ager of Ibra branch and Thuraiya Al Hashmi, senior manager, Business Development and Planning Liabilities at Bank Sohar, in addition to other members of the senior staff from Bank Sohar and the bank’s VIP customers from the region.

The event was inaugurated with a welcome speech followed by an overview of the 2015 Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme by Thuraiya. Following the presentation, the chief guest conducted the draw to reveal the names of the two winners. The event concluded with the handover of a token of appreciation to Salim on behalf of the bank.

Commenting on the response the bank has received for the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme 2015 Draws, R. Narasimhan, DGM and Head of Retail Banking said, “Our Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme has been growing in popularity as we offer more prizes to be won with each passing year. Our dedicated branch draws in particular have been very well received as they ensure we have winners spread across our branch network. It is

also encouraging to see that our savings scheme has made a visible impact on the savings habits of our customers, encouraging them to save more for more chances to win in the daily, weekly, monthly and year-end draws.”

Following the popularity of last year’s savings scheme, the bank has revised this year’s scheme to provide even better incentives to save by offering significantly more chances, more winners, and more prizes. The most significant addition to this year’s scheme were the dedicated branch draws, starting with the dedicated weekly branch draws. These draws are conducted every week as a part of the bank’s weekly draw of the OMR5,000; where an additional winner of OMR1,000 is drawn specifically from the customers of the branch in which the weekly draw is held.

“On behalf of Bank Sohar, I would like to congratulate Mohammed Al Harthi and Bader Al Busaidi on winning our latest weekly draw.

I would also like to wish all our customers the best of luck in the upcoming draws,” added Narasimhan.

MUSCAT: Omasco, the distributors of Yamaha music and audio products in Oman, have set up a new AV demo and display corner at eXtra, Bausher.

The corner has the latest design and technology laden AV products that Yamaha has to offer on display, says a press release.

Yamaha has been at the forefront of AV technology and design with an emphasis on flexibility and control which led to the development of free apps for smartphones for easy customisation and control of their new products. With the new lighting audio products range not only the audio, but also the light intensity can be controlled by an APP. The latest cutting edge technologies and manufacturing processes developed by Yamaha have helped increase both, fidelity as well as durability to an even higher level than before.

Whether you are looking for a high quality earphone and headphone for your audio or GSM device or, an audio system with intelligent alarm function, speakers for your computer and Flat Panel Smart TV or a complete

Yamaha has been at the forefront of AV technology and design with an emphasis on flexibility and control which led to the development of free apps for smartphones for easy customisation and control of their new products

multichannel home theatre system that can be controlled with just your phone or tab, there is something for everyone in the Yamaha corner at eXtra.

ISLAMIC BANKING

Maisarah concludes professional training programme MUSCAT: In line with its comprehensive growth strategy that aims to implement world’s best banking practices and provide highest levels of customer experience, Maisarah Islamic Banking Services recently concluded a globally recognised training programme where over 40 members of Maisarah team successfully completed the training and exam to qualify as Certified Islamic Finance Executive (CIFE).

The 4-month programme was conducted by Ethica Institute of Islamic Finance, world renowned Islamic finance training institution, and aimed to establish and maintain highest standards of Islamic banking and financial services by equipping members of staff from all Maisarah branches

and different departments with the necessary knowledge and skills to better perform their tasks and enrich the customer experience, says a press release.

The event was held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Muscat and was attended by executive management team from BankDhofar and Maisarah Islamic Banking Services as well as staff and representatives from Ethica Institute of Islamic Finance.

Jamsheed Hamza, head of Retail at Maisarah Islamic Banking Services, said: “Maisarah has been at the forefront of Islamic banking excellence through staff training and development. At Maisarah we believe that only qualified team members can enrich our custom-

ers’ experience and deliver best service. The modules covered in this training programme included all aspects of Islamic finance such as fundamentals of Islamic banking and financial services, prod-

ucts and financial solutions such as Murabaha, Mudharabah, Ijara, Sukuk, Takaful, etc.”

Ethica has certified professionals in over 160 financial institutions across 64 countries with its

Certified Islamic Finance Executive, a globally recognised certificate accredited by scholars to fully comply with AAOIFI, the world’s leading Islamic finance standard.

Showing an impressive growth since the start of its operations in 2013 and demonstrating a high degree of product innovation and best services, Maisarah has been recognised for its commitment to lead the Islamic finance market in the Sultanate, earning prestigious awards and titles from leading local and international organisations including the ‘Best Islamic Banking Window - Oman 2015’ award by the London based International Finance Magazine (IFM), the ‘Islamic Bank of the Year – Oman 2015’ award by The Banker, ‘Best Islamic

Community Support Bank 2014’by Global Financial Market Review and ‘Best Islamic Window in Oman 2013’ by Global Financial Market.

Maisarah offers a wide range of Shariah-compliant financial solutions, products and services that cater to the needs of its retail and corporate customers. The Islamic banking window currently provides products and services out of five dedicated branches located in Azaiba, Salalah, Sohar, Birkat Al Mouz and Al Hail in addition to the Corporate Banking Division in Azaiba. As part of its future growth strategic plan, Maisarah plans to distinguish itself by focusing on prominent customer service, developing and launching new products, and investing in technology.

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Wattayah Motors offers incentives on select 2015 Volkswagen models Volkswagen Model Clearout delivers an exclusive range of benefits for new car buyers until September 30

MUSCAT: Wattayah Motors, the official distributor of Volkswagen in Oman, has announced a 2015 Model Clearout.

Until September 30, customers who purchase selected 2015 Volkswagen models will receive an exclusive range of special benefits including five years warranty, three years free service and roadside as-

sistance, says a press release.

Andrew Squires, general manager of Wattayah Motors, said, “We continue to offer regular promotions to ensure our customers can enjoy an even greater value proposition when purchasing a

new car. Volkswagen is a brand that offers innovative, reliable and affordable cars, underlined by German engineering.

“Ultimately, the total value of ownership for a Volkswagen ensures greater value for money as

a result of our on-going commitment to deliver service excellence to each and every customer.”

The Volkswagen Model Clearout applies to select 2015 models, and delivers an exclusive range of benefits for new car buyers. Ad-

ditionally, all new models include five years unlimited mileage warranty, three years/45,000km free service and three years free roadside assistance; ensuring customers can enjoy total peace-of-mind motoring for the duration of their

vehicle ownership.

“Our five-year unlimited mileage warranty, supported by our factory-trained technicians at Volkswagen Oman, ensure our customers’ long term total peaceof-mind motoring,” added Andrew.

U N I QU E G AT H E R I N G

Majlis Meethaq social forum hosts SQU lecturer MUSCAT: Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat, hosted Majlis Meethaq evening, a unique social forum aimed at facilitating interaction with prominent personalities.

Sheikh Salim Ali Al Namani, lecturer and mentor expert at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), addressed the gathering at Bank Muscat head office, sharing inspirational aspects of his life and career as well as views and perspective on the economy and important social and cultural issues, says a press release.

Majlis Meethaq is a monthly gathering in which a well- known economic, social, religious or cultural persona having influence on

Omani society from the Sultanate or abroad is hosted.

The interaction between the guest and the audience is aimed at focusing on aspects of the presenter’s personal life, success in career and views on issues facing

the country and community.

Sulaiman Al Harthy, group general manager, Islamic Banking, said: “Meethaq is proud to host the Majlis forum aimed at presenting successful role models to community and highlighting their

achievements to motivate and inspire citizens, especially youth, to attain success in life. We thank Dr Salim Al Namani for addressing the session and enlightening the audience on opportunities and challenges he faced in making crucial decisions in life which led to his success in life.

“Meethaq, as part of its commit-

ment to social development, aims to develop the Majlis forum as an ideal platform to interact with prominent personalities and learn from their experiences in achieving success in life.”

Al Harthy added: “Meethaq is focused on developing as a benchmark Islamic financial institution in Oman and the region. Within

just two years of operations, Meethaq has attained the leading position in the Islamic banking industry in Oman in terms of financing receivables, branch network, products and services, IT infrastructure and human resources development. Meethaq not only provides benchmark Islamic financial solutions but also plays a key role in raising awareness and educating people on key aspects of Islamic banking and finance.”

As the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman, Meethaq has adopted the best practices in Islamic banking and finance worldwide to combine a robust model which protects customers and complements the Islamic banking industry.

B E AU T Y AT I T S B E S T

Splash launches ELLE cosmetics MUSCAT: Adding yet another feather to its cap, Splash has introduced ELLE cosmetics to its portfolio. Post the successful launch of Splash perfumes; this is the brand’s second product foray in the lifestyle category.

ELLE as a brand is synonymous with the world of fashion and beauty and its Beauty Best Friend Forever (BBFF) makeup range is backed up by years of expertise and will decode beauty trends in three key looks, inspired by the ultimate Parisienne, says a press release.

This unique and irresistible range for all makeup lovers is your ultimate solution for effortless looks that will cover you from

work, casual day out to a glam night out. This beauty range has a total of 123 products for the face, lips, eyes and nails. The collection

offers ultra-sensorial, high-performance formulas along with all the trendy colours.

Raza Beig, CEO, Splash & ICONIC said, “Splash is the exclusive partner for ELLE in the region and we are delighted to launch their new line in this market. The two brands share the same vision for the line and strive to provide consumers quality products and we hope to take our partnership to new heights.”

Its luxury custom packaging with a unique visual identity will create an intimate link between a woman and her makeup.

The entire range is available at all Centrepoint and Splash stores across the Sultanate of Oman.

S A F E T Y S TA N D A R D S

Higer school bus comes with advanced safety features MUSCAT: The rising incidents of school bus accidents in Oman paint a scary picture. This has recently led the Ministry of Education (MoE) to set safety standards in school buses to be strictly followed by the school management while transporting children from home and back.

The Star school bus from Higer already has these enhanced safety features including the IVMS tracking facility as stipulated by the MoE, says a press release.

A senior spokesperson of Towell Auto Centre (TAC), the sole distributors of Higer buses in Oman, commented: “Higer school bus has all the safety features that have been highlighted by the MoE in Oman. The IVMS tracking facility monitors the driver and check on whether he is over-speeding, driving rashly or applying sudden brakes and whether he is deviating from the normal routes. Besides IVMS facility, Higer is the only school bus in Oman to have an Anti-lock braking system which allows the wheels to maintain tractive contact with the road surface according to driver inputs while braking,

preventing the wheels from locking up and avoiding uncontrolled skidding. It has a host of other advanced safety features which are the need of the hour along with the proper training of drivers.”

Other facilities in a Higer school bus includes reverse camera, automatic fire extinguisher in the engine compartment, remote operating automatic pneumatic door controlled by the driver, CCTV camera inside the vehicle with a 72 hours recording facility, additional emergency exit on the roof, school bus stop plate, bottom fixed/top semi sliding

glass window with protection bar from inside the vehicle, fire extinguisher, first-aid kit and a warning triangle ensuring safe transit for school children.

“Higer buses are also comfortable with a seating capacity of 29 + 1 and a safety seat belt has been provided for every seat. The Higer school bus also has a CD and DVD player with a 17 inch monitor to show documentary films to students which the schools can provide to drivers. What adds to its attractiveness is its reasonable price with less capital investment,” the spokesperson added.

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AUSSIE SKIPPER SMITHH READY FOR ‘NEW ERA’ Newly-appointed Australia captain Steven Smith said he was ready for a “new era” as he prepared to lead them for the first time since Michael Clarke’s retirement. >C3

AB reaches milestone Pakistan confirm league as Proteas win series Twenty20 in Qatar next year ENCOURAGING RESPONSE

SCOREBOARD

When De villiers was on 19 he reached 8,000 runs in Oneday Internationals in his 182nd innings — the fastest to the milestone

DURBAN: Milestone man AB de Villiers played a key role South Africa beat New Zealand by 62 runs in the third and final One-day International (ODI) at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday to take the series 2-1.

It was a measure of revenge for the loss to the Kiwis in the World Cup semifinals earlier this year.

After setting a target of 283 for seven, South Africa bowled well to dismiss New Zealand for 221 in 49.2 overs.

De villiers hit a rapid 64 to lift South Africa to a competitive total of 283 for seven.

The South African captain was the only batsman who made batting look easy against a steady New Zealand bowling attack on a pitch which offered the New Zealand bowlers good bounce and some sideways movement.

De villiers hurried to a half century off 38 balls before being bowled by Doug Bracewell after a 48-ball innings which included eight fours and a six.

FASTEST TO 8,000: South Africa’s AB de Villiers celebrates after completing his half century against New Zealand on Wednesday.

When De villiers was on 19 he reached 8,000 runs in One-day Internationals in his 182nd innings the fastest to the milestone.

The previous record was held by Sourav Ganguly of India, who took 200 innings.

After a poor batting performance in the second match in

Potchefstroom, where they were bowled out for 204, South Africa fulfilled their objective of making a solid start as Morne van Wyk (58) and Hashim Amla (44) put on 89 for the first wicket.

But the scoring rate was languishing until De villiers and David Miller (36) put on 86 off 65

SOUTH AFRICA M. van Wyk c Latham b Elliott 58 H. Amla c and b Elliott 44 R. Rossouw c Latham b Wheeler 6 A. de Villiers b Bracewell 64 D. Miller c Ronchi b Milne 36 F. Behardien c Williamson b Wheeler 40 D. Wiese c Sodhi b Wheeler 12 K Abbott not out 3 Extras (b-4, lb-3, w-13) 20 Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 283 Fall of wickets: 1-89, 2-96, 3-134, 4-22, 15-232, 6-258, 7-283.

Bowling: Wheeler 10-0-71-3 (w-4), Milne 10-1-44-1, Bracewell 10-1-54-1 (w-3), Sodhi 8-0-55-0 (w-1), Elliott 10-0-41-2 (w-2), Munro 2-0-11-0.

NEW ZEALAND M. Guptill c Van Wyk b Steyn 10 T. Latham run out 54 K. Williamson b Imran Tahir 39 G. Worker b Wiese 21 G. Elliott c Rabada b Wiese 20 C. Munro b Wiese 35 L. Ronchi c Amla b Rabada 1 D. Bracewell c Amla b Imran Tahir 13 A. Milne c Miller b Rabada 4 B. Wheeler not out 13 I. Sodhi c Rossouw b Abbott 5 Extras (lb-1, w-5) 6 Total (all out, 49.2 overs) 221 Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-102, 3-114, 4-141, 5-152, 6-156, 7-187, 8-201, 9-201.

Bowling: Steyn 10-0-41-1 (w-1), Rabada 10-1-33-2 (w-2), Wiese 9-0-58-3 (w-1), Abbott 9.2-0-43-1 (w-1), Imran Tahir 10-036-2, Behardien 1-0-9-0.

balls for the fourth wicket.

Left-arm opening bowler Ben Wheeler took three wickets but conceded 71 runs, while mediumpacer Grant Elliott bowled ten overs in an unbroken spell and took two for 41. - Agencies

LAHORE: Pakistan on Wednesday announced it will host a twice-postponed Twenty20 league in Doha, Qatar, next year.

The event is scheduled for February and will feature around 25 foreign players.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had planned a Super Twenty20 league in 2013 but had to postpone it twice — in 2014 and 2015 — over a lack of response from sponsors and logistics problems. Najam Sethi, former chairman of the PCB, announced the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be held from February 4 to 24 next year.

“The PSL will be held in Doha from February 4-24 with a prize money of one million dollars (100 million rupees) and we are getting encouraging responses from sponsors and foreign players,” said Sethi, who is now chairman of the PCB’s executive committee.

The idea behind staging the league was to give Pakistani players a chance to compete with and against top foreign players, something which the national players do not get as international cricket has been suspended in the country since 2009.

Pakistan was a no go area for international teams since terrorists’ attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

This was partially overcome with a short limited-over series against Zimbabwe in May-June this year.

“We are in talks with 40 foreign players and we expect some 25 to sign for the league and out of these 15 will be world class players,”

Four West Indians and two players each from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa were amongst the targeted names. No player from India was on the PSL target list

Sethi said of the planned league.

Four West Indians and two players each from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa were amongst the targeted names, he said.

Sethi added that no player from India was on the PSL target list as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not allow its players to feature in a foreign league.

Pakistan was forced to shift the League to Doha after grounds in the United Arab Emirates — where Pakistan have played all their home cricket since 2009 — were booked for a private league in January-February 2016. - AFP

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FIXING CONVICTS

C O M M E N TA RY

What Kohli doesn’t mind And what he should

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ormer Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist sees him as a fearless dude destined to inspire Team India to conquer new frontiers, and former Indian fast bowler Chetan Sharma gets the vibes that, led by him, the boys are all grace and confidence even in defeat.

And for the man they are talking about, it’s business as usual as he explains to the world how easy it is to tell Cheteshwar Pujara about his guest appearance in the third Test match.

“If he has to step in for the next game (third Test) and miss out for the next” Pujara will simply have to understand how the dynamics of team selection works, which is about getting in place “that balance” which helps the team win a match, and how the new guy in charge dislikes even a hint of attempt at personal glory.

For someone who doesn’t mind telling us that he doesn’t mind doing “shuffling, chipping and changing, cutting and changing”, the ruthless win in the second Test could prove to be the first stroke of stimulation Virat Kohli had been looking desperately for ever since he was given the reins of the team, part-time first and full time now, to think up exotic ideas “to play around with.”

Now that a real good chance of winning a Test series in Sri Lanka after 22 years is looking brighter than before, certainly a lot luminous than it really was in the dark days immediately after the heartbreaking defeat in the first Test at Galle, Kohli seems set to collect his licence to kill.

Kohli had made known his outside-the-box intentions right at the very first time he was handed the charge of the boys. Stepping into the shoes of MS Dhoni at Adelaide in 2014, he picked leg-spinner Karn Sharma, leaving R. Ashwin to catch up with his passion for fictions in the dressing room.

Karn Sharma couldn’t conjure up the kind of magic Kohli had hoped for, but the bold chase of the 364-run target, setting a personal example hitting an aggressive century, and the loss by a narrow margin was a dream start for Kohli.

Then, when Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket mid-tour, Kohli produced his second chipping and chopping act: outof-touch Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar were dropped and K.L. Rahul was brought in to open the innings.

The tour of Bangladesh saw Kohli being installed as the regular Test captain of Team India, and he came up with the six batsmen-five bowlers strategy.

It was a strategy he had to

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Kohli had made known his outsidethe-box intentions at the beginning of his captaincy

dilute a bit at the P Sara Oval in Colombo after frontline batsmen failed to fire chasing what looked like a comfortable target — just 176 runs — at Galle. The 4.5 plan wasn’t novel, nor did it produce any miracle, but the .5-man, Stuart Binny, who came in place of Harbhajan Singh, gave the fabulous four rest to recoup.

That’s how Kohli wanted to stress his point, for now and until he spots a better point man for him.

The first Test victory as Team India captain opens up never-revealed possibilities for Kohli, and if the team win the third Test, it’s going to strengthen the hands of the new skipper to try new things.

Possibilities of a serieswinning performance by the 4.5 pack of bowlers seem ambitious in the third Test starting tomorrow at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, but the prospects the match could throw up might pose challenging times for a man even with Kohli’s penchant for chipping and chopping, more so if Pujara translates the frustration he has gone through in the last few months into rock-solid patience to produce an innings that’s hard for anyone to write off.

In the midst of all this stands tall a man, though he is just 168cm in life beyond the 22 yards. No prize for guessing who it is.

What would the Indian team selectors have done without this man for all seasons, Ajinkya Rahane, at their disposal? And where would have Rohit Sharma found himself in — at No.3/ No.5.No.6/No. 7? Maybe, out of the team.

And it’s time Rahane was given the slot he deserves — before over-experimentation begins to chip away at his form and confidence.

The writer is a freelance contributor based in India. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman

PCB halts early return for Butt and Asif LAHORE: Pakistan cricket authorities on Wednesday set out a path for spot-fixing convicts Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif to return to the international game, but effectively ruled out any chance of them playing in next month’s national event.

Butt and Asif attended a lecture from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officer on vigilance and corruption as the first step in a rehabilitation process towards playing at domestic level.

“The two players were invited to a lecture on anti-corruption as part of their rehabilitation,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said.

“Under the process they will have to attend lectures, accept guilt at various forums, show remorse and give lectures to future players,” he said.

In a statement issued later in the day, the PCB said the players will not be able to use the National

START OF PROCESS: Tainted cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammed Aamir and Mohammed Asif arrive at the Pakistan Cricket Board Headquarters in Lahore on Wednesday. – Agencies

Cricket Academy (NCA) and will be barred from practising with players from the national team.

In 2011, the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned Butt, Asif and Mohammed Aamir for five years over a spot-fixing case happened during Pakistan’s tour to England a year earlier.

The three players — along with their agent Mazhar Majeed — were charged and later jailed for arranging deliberate no-balls in return for money during the

Lord’s Test against England.

The ICC lifted sanctions on Butt and Asif last week, making them eligible for domestic and international cricket from September 2 this year.

Aamir’s sanctions were lifted in January after the ICC amended its code of conduct, a reward for the young paceman who pleaded guilty during the criminal proceedings in UK in November 2011.

Khan said PCB will monitor Butt and Asif’s progress at a lower

level, just as it did for Aamir.

Both Butt and Asif were included in the Lahore and Sialkot teams for the National Twenty20 event starting in Rawalpindi from September 1 this year.

Asif said he has agreed to complete the rehabilitation course the PCB has set out for him.

“Of course, its a detailed process but I will try to complete it as soon as possible and agree to it. I will play at lower level and then in firstclass cricket,” he told reporters. - AFP

India, Sri Lanka set for thrilling finale But before they step on the field at the

It really pains me that we could not give him (Sangakkara) a good farewell, but I promised him that we will try to win the series for him

Sinhalese Sports Club, both camps will attempt to sort out injury and personnel issues to find the right combination for the decider

Angelo Mathews Sri Lanka captain

COLOMBO: Virat Kohli’s buoyant India will chase their first series win in Sri Lanka in 22 years when the third and decisive final Test starts in Colombo on Friday.

The tourists thrashed the hosts by 278 runs in the second Test at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on Monday to level the series after Sri Lanka had won the opening match in Galle by 63 runs.

But before they step on the field at the Sinhalese Sports Club, both camps will attempt to sort out injury and personnel issues to find the right combination for the decider.

India, who have not won a Test series on the island since 1993, will be without the injured trio of regular openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan, plus wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha.

Sri Lanka will begin a new era following the retirement of batting great Kumar Sangakkara from international cricket after the second Test looking to fill a major void in the top order.

With Mahela Jayawardene quitting Test cricket last year, Sri

Lanka find themselves short of experience. Veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath has played 62 Tests and skipper Angelo Mathews 51, but no others in the squad have more than 22 Test caps.

Sangakkara’s decision not to play all three Tests in a series as he wound down his career had already cost Sri Lanka two months ago. He elected to miss the decider against Pakistan in Pallekele in June, a game the hosts lost by seven wickets. Mathews said he regretted not giving Sangakkara a winning farewell, but vowed to fight back and win the series for him.

Tharanga for Sangakkara?

“It really pains me that we could not give him a good farewell, but I promised him that we will play the next game well and try to win the series for him,” the Sri Lankan captain said.

Sri Lanka are expected to replace the 134-Test veteran with

another left-hander, Upul Tharanga, who has scored 1,113 runs in 20 Tests at an average of 31.80.

India, meanwhile, are likely to play top-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, for the first time in the series, as opening partner for Lokesh Rahul in the absence of Dhawan and Vijay.

Uncapped 32-year-old Naman Ojha, a wicketkeeper-batsman who reinforced the injury-hit touring squad on Monday along with young batsman Karun Nair, could come in for Saha.

“Pujara is pretty solid with the new ball,” said Kohli. “He has done the job in the past and we are very confident he will do the job in the next game as well.”

India will once again bank on their spin twins, Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra, who shared 14 of the 20 wickets in the second Test to fashion the team’s emphatic win.

Mathews conceded Sri Lankan

COMBINED EFFORT

N O R E V I VA L

Batsmen put India A on top against South Africa A KRISHNAGIRI: A combined batting effort highlighted by opener Abhinav Mukund’s 72 and skipper Ambati Rayudu’s 71 ensured India A a vital 82-run first innings lead against South Africa A at stumps on the second day of the second and final four-day cricket match at the Krishnagiri Stadium here on Wednesday.

On the first day, Indian spinners bowled consistently to bundle out the visitors for a mere 260 in the first innings, thanks to a five-wicket haul by left-arm spinner Axar Patel.

In reply, Indian batsmen responded well as Ankush Bains (34 not out) and Patel (16 not out) remained unbeaten to help the hosts reach 342 for six at end of the second day’s play.

For South Africa A, right-arm spinner Dane Piedt (four for 154) and pacer Lonwabo Tsotsobe (two for 38) were the pick of the bowlers.

batsmen needed to find a way to tackle off-spinner Ashwin, who followed his 10-wicket haul in the first Test with seven scalps at the P. Sara Oval.

“We have a lot of left-handers in our line-up and it makes it easier for Ashwin to be aggressive against them,” Mathews said of Ashwin, who dismissed Sangakkara in all four innings in the series. “We need to find a way to counter-attack him. We can’t just hang around. He will bowl the odd good ball anyway in an over, so we need to score runs.”

The last time Sri Lanka played a Test at the SSC a year ago, they swamped Pakistan by 105 runs to break a sequence of four successive draws on a traditionally highscoring pitch.

India have lost two and drawn three of their last five matches at the venue. Their lone success at the SSC was the series-clinching 235-run victory in 1993. - AFP

India A openers Mukund and Jiwanjot Singh (52) looked positive against a quality South Africa A bowling attack.

The duo took time to settle down in the first 10 overs, but as they got used to the wicket they scored freely to take the score close to the 100-run mark.

Double blow Soon, experienced pacer Lonwabo Tsotsobe got the better off young Jiwanjot as the Indian was caught right after reaching his half century to bring an end to the 96-run first wicket partnership.

Incoming batsman Baba Aparajith, in his short innings of 34, played some impressive shots, scoring five boundaries and giving good support to set batsman Mukund. The two helped the team cross the 165-run mark.

The 72-run partnership for the second wicket came to an end when spinner Piedt got Mukund

out, who was looking good for a century.

India A received a double blow when Piedt, in his next over, got Aparajith to put the hosts in a bit of concern at 169 for three.

Middle order batsmen Sheldon Jackson and Vijay Shankar chipped in with scores of 25 and 21 before getting themselves out to help team close on to the visitors’ total of 260.

But with Jackson and Shankar getting out in quick succession, skipper Ambati Rayudu took the reins on himself to help the hosts get past the visitors’ total and take the lead.

In his 81-ball 71-run knock, Rayudu hit eight fours and three sixes to put the South Africa bowlers on the back foot.

Brief scores: South Africa A 260 vs India A 342/6 (Abhinav Mukund 72, Ambati Rayudu 71; Dane Piedt 4/154, Lonwabo Tsotsobe 2/38).

Indo-Pak series unlikely to happen: PCB LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan has said the chances of a bilateral series with India taking place later this year were highly unlikely.

The PCB were scheduled to host India in the UAE, but the collapse of the talks between the National Security Advisors of the two countries and continuing tension on the border has put it under a cloud.

Newly-appointed International Cricket Council (ICC) President Zaheer Abbas had said earlier this week that the PCB should show flexibility and must be willing to play the series in India in order to ensure the revival of cricketing ties.

But Shaharyar Khan has rejected Abbas’s proposal, saying that the PCB will wait for a final reply from the BCCI till October. “I’m writing a letter to the BCCI and we will wait for their reply till October.” - IANS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

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SPORTS CRICKET

Irish look to take shine off Aussie World Cup win BELFAST: Australia play their first One-day International (ODI) as world champions in Belfast on Thursday with a new captain and three uncapped players in the 14man squad which meets Ireland in a one-off game at Stormont.

Although their World Cup victory was just five months ago, it will be Steve Smith leading Australia, not Michael Clarke and Matthew Wade keeping wicket instead of Brad Haddin who has retired from one-day cricket.

The newcomers are Joe Burns, who is in line to replace Aaron Finch at the top of the order, while the World Cup opener recovers from a fractured foot, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis who come in for the suspended James Faulkner, and the sole specialist spinner in the squad is Ashton Agar, returning to an Australia side for the first time since the 2013 Ashes tour.

Five of the World Cup winning team — and eight of the squad — are still around despite Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood being sent home to prepare for the domestic season, leaving the world No 1 ODI bowler Mitchell Starc to lead the attack.

Three years ago, on their last visit to Belfast, rain washed out the game after just 10.4 overs but not before Pat Cummins was clocked at 94mph, and with Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Pattinson both returning to the squad for the first time this year, Cummins (22), who took five wickets in his two World Cup

games, will likely share the new ball with Starc.

Shane Watson may have lost his Test place but he is still a key member of the one-day squad, along with Glenn Maxwell who is the only Australia batsman in the world’s ODI top 10, just ahead of former captain George Bailey with Smith down in 13th place.

The bowling is even starker with Maxwell, at No 70, rated the second best Australia bowler in this squad so they have much to prove.

The game against Ireland, the leading Associate nation which defeated West Indies and Zimbabwe at this year’s World Cup, may be seen as a ‘warm-up’ for the five-match series against England which starts next week but the world champions will have to be fully focused against an experienced team which revels in the underdogs tag.

Captain William Porterfield is one of six playing regular county cricket while Andrew Balbirnie, who scored 97 in the Zimbabwe win and slow left armer George Dockrell are with Middlesex and Somerset respectively. All 13 were in the World Cup squad.

Ireland: W Porterfield (capt), A Balbirnie, G Dockrell, E Joyce, J Mooney, T Murtagh, A McBrine, K O’Brien, N O’Brien, P Stirling, S Thompson, G Wilson, C Young.

Australia: S Smith (capt), A Agar, G Bailey, J Burns, N Coulter-Nile, P Cummins, G Maxwell, M Marsh, J Pattinson, M Starc, M Stoinis, M Wade, S Watson, D Warner. - AFP

Aussie skipper Smith ready for ‘new era’ Australia face Ireland in Belfast on

Obviously, I’ve known for a little while now that I was going to be taking over the one-day squad, so I’ve been working pretty hard

Thursday in what will be the first ODI since beating New Zealand in the World Cup final in March

LONDON: Newly-appointed Australia captain Steven Smith said he was ready for a “new era” as he prepared to lead them for the first time since Michael Clarke’s retirement.

Australia face Ireland in Belfast on Thursday in what will be the first One-day International (ODI) since beating New Zealand in the World Cup final in Melbourne in March.

It will also be Australia’s first match since Clarke retired from all international cricket after the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval last week.

Australia won by an innings and 46 runs but victory in south London came too late to save the Ashes, with England winning the five-match series 3-2.

The 26-year-old Smith, who had deputised as skipper in both Test and one-day cricket when Clarke was injured, was long seen as Australia’s captain in waiting and is looking forward to taking up the role full time.

Steven Smith Australia captain

“I’m very excited,” Smith told travelling Australian media in Belfast on Wednesday. “Obviously, I’ve known for a little while now that I was going to be taking over the one-day squad, so I’ve been working pretty hard and preparing (for) everything coming up,” He added: “The last time this group was together, we won a World Cup, so I don’t think we have to change a whole heap. We’re currently No.1 in the world. I think for us now, it’s just about raising that bar and continuing to get better each day.”

Although Australia’s squad contains several World Cup-winners in Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell and

VOLLEYBALL

Oman suffer first defeat, Kuwait and Bahrain unbeaten at GCC U-18 meet

SETBACK: Action from the match between Oman and Kuwait in the GCC Under-18 Volleyball Championship at the Sultan Qaboos Sports

Complex on Wednesday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

MUSCAT: After two successive victories, hosts Oman suffered their first defeat when they came up against a strong Kuwait team in the ongoing GCC Under-18 Volleyball Championship at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Wednesday.

Hitherto unbeaten Kuwait proved too strong for Oman as

they raced to their third successive victory in a 26-24, 25-15, 2520 straight sets verdict.

A victory against Kuwait would have boosted Oman’s chances of winning the title in the sixteam tournament, which is being played on a single round-robin format. Now the hosts are in third place behind Kuwait and Bahrain.

SWIMMING

OSA discusses participation in 25th GCC Aquatic Games

MUSCAT: The National Teams and Coaches Committee of the Oman Swimming Association (OSA) met here to discuss various issues and make recommendations regarding the national swimmers and their participation in the international events. The committee met under the chairmanship of OSA chief Taha Al Kishry.

The committee recommended to the OSA board to reactivate the

process of penalising the national swimmers who are not committed to the training programes of the association.

The panel also made a proposal to send a 12-member of team to 25th GCC Aqatic Games to be hosted in Qatar from December 1 to 4. The OSA is likely to review all the recommendations made by the committee during a board meeting on Thursday.

Bahrain too maintained their unbeaten record when they defeated Saudi Arabia 25-21, 25-15, 23-25, 25-17 on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Qatar recorded their first victory when accounted for the United Arab Emirates 2518, 25-21, 25-13. With two rounds of matches to be played, Oman can still fancy their chances of winning

the top honours provided Bahrain and Kuwait fumble in their next matches. On Thursday, Oman take on Bahrain, Kuwait face Qatar and Saudi Arabia meet the UAE. The tournament concludes on Saturday when Bahrain square off against Kuwait, Qatar meet Saudi Arabia and Oman conclude their engagements against the UAE.

Mitchell Starc, it also includes the likes of uncapped players such as Joe Burns and Marcus Stoinis.

“I guess it’s a new era in a way for Australian cricket,” said Smith.

“But they’re really excited and I’m really excited to see them do well on this tour.”

‘Lift the spirits’ And Smith added the presence of the newcomers could help ease the pain of an Ashes defeat.

“It’s been a tough tour for us. It’s disappointing to have lost the Ashes,” Smith said. “(But we have a) new group now with some younger, newer guys who hopefully can bring some exuberance and energy to help lift the

spirits a bit and help get back on track (and) hopefully start my career in captaincy on this one-day tour on a winning note.”

Ireland, however, have a deserved reputation as one-day giant-killers, although they’ve yet to beat Australia.

The non-Test nation only missed out on a place in the World Cup quarter-finals on net run-rate, being pipped to a last eight place by a West Indies team they beat in pool play.

“I think they’re an improving side,” Smith said. “They’ve got some good players that can take a game away from you a little bit.

“We’re going to continue to try and emulate what we did in the World Cup.” With Aaron Finch currently sidelined with a broken foot, Burns is set to make his ODI debut on Thursday, having made his Test bow against India in Melbourne in December.

Impressing at one-day level could help bolster Burns’s chances of filling the spot at the top of the Test order left vacant by the retirement of Chris Rogers.

“You’ve seen (chief selector) Rod Marsh say it before — if you’re scoring runs at the one-day international level, you can put your hand up for other formats of the game as well,” said Smith.

The Ireland fixture precedes Australia’s lone Twenty20 international against England in Cardiff on August 31. Smith’s men then face their Ashes conquerors in a five-match one-day series starting in Southampton on September 3. - AFP

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

Platini wants football at forefront of presidency debate

SUPER SPRINT: South Africa’s Wayde Van Niekerk, fifth from right, crosses the finishline to win the men’s 400 metres race at the IAAF World Athletic Championships at the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium in Beijing on Wendesday. – AFP

Van Niekerk collapses after a sensational 400m sprint Van Niekerk lit up the Bird’s Nest with a stunning 400 metres run to win a first sprint gold for South Africa and cap a night of exceptional performances

BEIJING: Wayde van Niekerk lit up the Bird’s Nest with a stunning 400 metres run to win a first sprint gold for South Africa and cap a night of exceptional performances at the World Athletic Championships on Wednesday.

Two of those came in the men’s javelin and women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase where Kenyans Julius Yego and Hyvin Jepkemoi added another two gold medals to the East African powerhouse’s already considerable haul.

The scourge of doping returned to haunt the sport, however, when two of their compatriots were provisionally banned for failing drug tests on the eve of the championships.

Part two of the sprint showdown between Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin, which for many has encapsulated the doping crisis that has tarnished the sport over the last month, also moved a step closer.

The fact that Bolt has never failed

UNSTABLE: Wayde van Niekerk is taken away by the medical team after owinning the men’s 400 metres final in Beijing on Wednesday. – Reuters

a dope test while Gatlin has served two drug bans provided the backdrop for their first meeting in Sunday’s 100 metres final, from which the Jamaican emerged triumphant.

Gatlin’s run of 19.87 seconds to win his 200m semi-final on Wednesday was the second fastest ever at that stage of a world championships, however, and will give him confidence he can end Bolt’s six-year grip on the title in Thursday’s final. “I think that I have a lot left in the tank,” the 33-year-old American said. “I just have to control the race ... and I think we’ll be able to bring it home.”

Bolt also looked in fine form, though, and took time to chat

to a fellow competitor as he approached the line to win his heat with his first sub-20 second time of the year (19.95).

“I can’t complain,” he said. “I’m happy with my form. I just did what I had to do.”

For once, though, the 29-yearold was not the most impressive performer on the track with that honour going to Van Niekerk.

Racing against a field containing a record five sprinters who had run under 44 seconds, the 23-yearold Van Niekerk dominated the contest from start to finish and crossed the line in 43.48 seconds.

The effort of running a time that only American world record

holder Michael Johnson and his compatriots Butch Reynolds and Jeremy Wariner have bettered took its toll, however.

Quality race Van Niekerk collapsed on the track at the end of the race and was taken to hospital with his “vital signs unstable”, the IAAF’s medical delegate said, leaving runner-up LaShawn Merritt to hail the quality of the race.

“It’s crazy. We’re warriors. We’re animals,” said the American 2013 world champion, whose personal best 43.65 was good enough only for silver ahead of Olympic champion Kirani James (43.78).

Van Niekerk was discharged just before midnight.

While Van Niekerk’s time was the best since 2007, you would have to go back as far as 2001 to witness a javelin flying as far as the 92.72 metres Yego managed to give Kenya its first world title in a field event.

To the diminutive Yego, who learned the javelin from watching videos on the internet after being rejected as a runner, fell the duty of reacting to the positive dope tests of his teammates Koki Manunga and Joyce Zakary.

“It’s a shame,” he said. “I always believe we can win clean so it’s a shame to them.”

Jepkemoi produced a performance more typical of her nation to win the steeplechase, outsprinting favourite Habiba Ghribi of Tunisia and German Gesa Krause down the home straight to win Kenya’s sixth gold in nine minutes, 19.11 seconds.

Zuzana Hejnova already knew her race was won when she went over the final obstacle in the 400 metres hurdles and the Czech, who ran the year’s best time of 53.50 seconds, became the first woman to successfully defend the world title in the event. A thrilling women’s pole vault contest featuring Cuba’s Yarisley Silva, Brazil’s Fabiana Murer and Greece’s Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou kept the crowd engrossed all evening in the gaps between the other events.

Silva took the title when she cleared 4.90 metres at the third attempt, leaving Murer, one of her country’s best hopes of gold in athletics at next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics, with silver and Kyriakopoulou claiming the bronze. - Reuters

SHAMEFUL

Two Kenyans fail drugs tests, says IAAF BEIJING: Two Kenyans have failed pre-competition drugs tests at the World Athletic Championships in Beijing and have been provisionally suspended, the IAAF announced on Wednesday.

Koki Manunga and Joyce Zakary “have accepted provisional suspensions following positive samples provided in Beijing on the 20th and 21st of August respectively”, the IAAF said in a statement.

Track and field’s world governing body said the Kenyan pair had been tested at the athletes’ hotel before their competition started as part of “targeted tests”.

Zakary clocked a national record of 50.71 seconds in Monday’s

first round of the women’s 400m at the Bird’s Nest, but did not start the semifinal on Tuesday for which she had qualified.

African silver medallist Manunga, however, failed to make it out of her first round of the 400m hurdles on Sunday, timing 58.96sec to finish 35th out of 37 athletes competing.

“It’s a shame for them,” said Kenyan teammate Julius Yego, who won gold in the men’s javelin with a monster third round effort of 92.72 metres, the longest in 14 years.

“In sport you win clean so it’s a shame for them. I can’t make any more comment on that.”

Athletics Kenya, the nation’s governing body, confirmed that it

had been “informed by the IAAF of the positive tests returned by two of its athletes, Koki Manunga and Joyce Zakary”.

“Athletics Kenya has already met with the IAAF and the athletes involved, and has begun investigating the situation which led to these results and appropriate follow-up action will be taken in Kenya,” track and field’s governing body in the east African running powerhouse added in a statement.

“In the meantime, Athletics Kenya will provide full support and cooperation to the IAAF during results management process.”

Kenya was rocked this year when marathon star Rita Jeptoo

was banned for two years after being caught doping with the banned blood-boosting hormone EPO. Biggest name Jeptoo is the biggest name in Kenyan sports ever to have been caught, and the bust has been a major trauma for a country that idolises its medal-winning and record-breaking runners.

Top Kenyan athletes earlier this month called for the national governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federation and the world’s anti-doping body WADA to take action over reports of widespread doping.

Leaked results cited by German

broadcaster ARD and the Sunday Times claimed that more than 800 athletes, including 18 Kenyans, had “suspicious blood test results” between 2001 and 2012.

ARD alleged doping was ongoing in Kenya, and claimed there was “massive corruption” within the Kenyan set-up and “a desire to cover-up doping... to the summit of the Kenyan athletics federation”.

Athletics Kenya said it had “watched with grave concern the German TV ARD documentary”, calling the broadcast, which coincided with the national trials for the world championships in Beijing, “extremely suspect and ill motivated”. - AFP

ZURICH: FIFA presidential candidate Michael Platini will publish his manifesto in the next six to eight weeks and wants to bring football back into the spotlight during the campaign, a source close to the former French soccer star said on Wednesday.

Although Platini, the UEFA president, agrees that reform of scandal-plagued FIFA has to be the priority in the run-up to the election on Feb. 26, he also believes it should not completely overshadow the sport itself, the source told Reuters.

Platini, who announced his intention to stand on July 29 and is all set to hold his first media conference since then in Monaco on Friday, has spent the last few weeks meeting people outside soccer’s European ruling body UEFA to test the water.

He believes the future of the World Cup, the international calendar, changes to the laws of the game and the role of the law-making body IFAB (International Football Association Board) should be part of the debate, the source said.

Triple punishment Platini, a former France captain, who was one of the most gifted midfield players of his generation, also wants to discuss the reform of the transfer system and the role of agents.

One of Platini’s biggest gripes as UEFA president has been the so-called triple punishment in which a player who gives away a penalty is sent off and receives an automatic one-match ban.

Earlier this year, UEFA sent a proposal to IFAB for the end of the “triple punishment” system.

However, the rule-making body agreed only to consider an end to the automatic suspension.

Platini is against the use of goal-line technology, which FIFA employs in its tournaments, and prefers the use of so-called additional assistant referees, one on each goal-line, to spot penalty-area infringements.

FIFA has not adopted the system and Platini has mockingly said that was because it was not FIFA chief Sepp Blatter’s idea.

Platini’s proposals on the World Cup could include expansion of the finals from the current 32 teams, the source said.

As UEFA president, he has already overseen an increase in the number of countries at the European championship finals from 16 to 24, starting from next year’s tournament in France.

Front-runner The move has been criticised for diluting the strength of competition, especially after a successful Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine where 16 seemed to be the ideal number.

Platini is seen as the frontrunner in the bid to replace Blatter who will relinquish his mandate at the February 26 election.

The source said the Frenchman wants to take his time over his manifesto and added he would travel widely from October.

Soccer’s world governing body has been plagued by allegations of corruption for years.

It was thrown into further turmoil in May when U.S. prosecutors indicted nine soccer officials and five marketing and broadcasting company executives over alleged offences, including fraud, money-laundering and racketeering. - Reuters

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SPORTS

Leaders Sultanate of Oman excited to take part in Trofeo di Roma race The Trofeo di Roma is the first event to be held since it was announced that the Extreme Sailing Series will be phasing out their Extreme 40 catamarans, which have no foils, to the airborne GC32s

MUSCAT: Oman Sail’s “Sultanate of Oman” GC32 crew are riding high as they kick off their Trofeo di Roma race with a lead in the 2015 Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour rankings, a win in last week’s Extreme Sailing Series and some exciting news from the foiling racing circuit adding extra impetus to their preparations.

Fresh from their Extreme 40 victory in St Petersburg, Russia, Leigh McMillan and his prolific squad of racing professionals arrived at the historic port of Civitavecchia, 45 minutes drive northwest of Italy’s capital ready to make the switch to hydrofoils.

The Trofeo di Roma is the first event to be held since it was announced that the Extreme Sailing Series will be phasing out their Extreme 40 catamarans, which have no foils, to the airborne GC32s, re-

‘THRILLED’: Leigh McMillan said ‘we are looking forward having more boats in the fleet and a full circuit so we can get more experience in foiling which is where the sport is going’. – Supplied photo

garded as the future of high performance multihull racing.

The news was welcomed by McMillan, one of the most respected multihull skippers in the world who is currently leading both circuits.

“We are thrilled the Extreme Sailing Series is heading in the direction of foiling using the GC32s,” said McMillan.

“Having raced the GC32 this season we love the boat and think it has a lot of potential so we are looking forward having more boats in the fleet and a full circuit so we can get more experience in foiling which is where the sport is going.

It will be amazing for spectators and great fun for the sailors so it is very exciting and a real boost.”

Arriving in Civitavecchia to prepare for the fourth event in the 2015 Bullitt Racing Tour, the Sultanate of Oman crew found a venue filled with Mediterranean sea breeze.

Alongside the boatyard is the ‘Terminal del Gusto’, a food fair showcasing the best in Italian food but despite that distraction, it was

M AV E R I C K S T R I K E R

the wind that was clocked before anything else.

“Civitavecchia looks like a lovely venue and we think we’ll get a thermal sea breeze between 10 and 15 knots which will make for great foiling conditions,” said Peter Greenhalgh, who with Nasser Al Mashari and Ed Smyth is a key member of McMillan’s crew on

both the “Sultanate of Oman” and the Extreme 40 The Wave, Muscat.

“This is strong fleet with Alinghi and Spindrift on top form and other teams raising their game so it will be a real test but hopefully we can quickly find our feet and get up to speed. Our aim is most definitely to win.”

“Sultanate of Oman” sit at the top of the Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour table with a one point lead over Alinghi and Spindrift just four points adrift but as usual the competition is set to be tight after the three previous events in Austria, Cowes and Kiel producing three different winners.

McMillan’s team, which also features multihull specialist Alister Richardson, won the opening event in Traunsee in Austria then were runners-up at the Cowes Cup in the Isle of Wight after McMillan broke his wrist during a manoeuvre.

His replacement Paul Campbell James, the British America’s Cup sailor was called up again to replace Greenhalgh in Hamburg where “Sultanate of Oman” finished in third place.

Racing in the Trofeo di Roma, which is the GC32 Racing Tour’s first event to be held in Italy, takes place over August 27-30, with the start of racing at 1130 daily. Large crowds are expected since the Luna Rossa team’s challenge for the America’s Cup in San Francisco in 2013 captured thousands of new sailing fans though few of them have witnessed the spectacular foiling.

Current overall ranking of GC32 Racing Tour: 1. Sultanate of Oman 6; 2. Alinghi 7; 3. Spindrift racing 10; 4. ARMIN STROM Sailing Team 11; 5. Team ENGIE 12; 6.

‘Team Argo 32’ 17.

SUNDERLAND MANAGER

Balotelli to have good behaviour Advocaat wants clause included in Milan contract reinforcements MILAN: Maverick striker Mario Balotelli will have a good behaviour clause inserted into his contract with AC Milan, banning extravagant haircuts and clothing and committing him to a healthy lifestyle.

Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport said on Wednesday that the club’s chief executive Adriano Galliani had based the clause on regulations which are applied to people who serve in the Italian air force.

The 25-year-old, repeatedly criticised for his poor work rate, is set to return to Milan a year after leaving for Liverpool, where he had a dismal season.

He underwent a medical in Milan on Tuesday ahead of an unexpected loan move, although the deal has not yet been officially confirmed.

On Wednesday the controversial Italian said a fond farewell to Liverpool on his Facebook page.

“I’m grateful to Liverpool FC and Liverpool fans for the time and opportunities you gave me,” he wrote. “It’s not a goodbye but rath-

I’m grateful to Liverpool FC and Liverpool fans for the time and opportunities you gave me.

It’s not a goodbye but rather a farewell Mario Balotelli

er a farewell. I’ll be supporting you guys all the way in every competition... unless you face AC Milan.”

According to Gazzetta, Balotelli must not damage the image of the club and his Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts will be closely monitored.

He will be banned from extravagant haircuts and clothing, from smoking and from visiting night clubs and must turn up on time

for training. His drinking will also be limited. Balotelli’s first spell at Milan was relatively successful and uneventful with a respectable scoring rate, although there were some misdemeanors.

He lost his temper in front of the cameras after his performance in was criticised by Italian television pundits, telling his interviewers that they did not understand football and throwing

his microphone down.

He was also booked for making a vulgar gesture at Cagliari supporters, served two three-match bans and was caught smoking in the toilet of a train by a ticket collector.

However, these incidents paled in comparison to some of his antics at Manchester City earlier in his career, where he famously set fire to his house after letting off fireworks in his bathroom. - Reuters

I S C TA B L E T E N N I S

Shounak outlasts Sai Prem to retain title

U-13 FINALISTS: Shounak Kelkar, right, and M.V. Sai Prem.

MUSCAT: Defending champion Shounak Kelkar retained the boys under-13 singles title at the Annual Table Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club Muscat and co-sponsored by Muscat Insurance Services (MIS) and Oman United Insurance Company (OUIC).

In the best of seven-gamesfinal, the top seeded lefthander played with sound temperament and held his nerves when the chips were down to register a brilliant 11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-2 victory over giant-killer M.V. Sai Prem to claim the title.

Sai Prem got into his groove in the third game which he won after Shounak had saved three game points. A keen tussle ensued in the fourth game which Sai Prem won to level at two-games-all. In the fifth game, Sai Prem lost his way and squandered a 7-1 lead.

Shounak played cautiously as Sai Prem committed forehand errors. Shounak reeled off the next

five points to narrow the deficit. Sai Prem attached and held a 10—8 lead but failed to wrap it up as Shounak ralled to win the game. Shounak dictated terms in the sixth game as Sai Prem lost direction and committed too many unforced errors as Shounak won the game in style to lift the boys under-13 crown.

P. Sai Saran and Sanskar Dubey have qualified for the semifinals of the boys under-15 singles after completed their league encountes in Group-A. A three-way tie has resulted in Group-B of the same event where Yash Tanna, Shounak Kelkar and Sai Prem are tied in the number of victories and the number of games won. The three will play a leaugue between them to arrive at a winner and runner-up.

In the boys under-17 roundrobin league, Kenneth Vaz has topped Group A with three victories and Subash Pillai with two wins looks certain to qualify for the semifinals.

LONDON: Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat says he needs more reinforcements to fix the Black Cats’ leaky defence which has conceded 11 goals in four games this campaign.

Sunderland, who added three defenders this summer, let in three goals against League Two side Exeter City in the League cup on Tuesday before Jermain Defoe’s hat-trick secured their 6-3 win.

“I’m happy with the six goals, but totally unhappy with the way we gave three goals away. That has to improve and the players know that,”

the 67-year-old Dutchman was quoted as saying by the Sunderland Echo. “I am wondering if it is to do with concentration, sharpness — it cost us three goals, and that’s a worry. And it’s not the first time.”

The Black Cats have been heavily linked with Man City’s Belgian defender Jason Denayer, but Advocaat played down the move.

“There has been talk about the young guy from Manchester City, but he is going to another club,” said Advocaat. “We are still looking, but when (Younes) Kaboul is fit, he’s a very good player.” - Reuters

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SUPER EXCITED SERENA ‘STILL LIVING THE DREAM’

S

erena Williams enters the US Open making a case for herself not only as the greatest women’s tennis player in history, but possibly the greatest woman in sports history. The 33-year-old star has sustained a level of excellence few can rival, from winning her first Grand Slam singles title as a teen prodigy at the 1999 US Open to collecting her 21st last month at Wimbledon, completing her second career “Serena Slam” of holding all four major trophies at once.

Winning a record-tying fourth consecutive US Open women’s title, a feat last achieved by Chris Evert in 1978, would give Williams something she has never achieved before -- a calendar year Grand Slam -- and link her with only a handful of the game’s greatest legends, men or women.

But it’s not something world No. 1 Williams wants to contemplate just yet. It’s like pondering a good book before the last chapter is written, especially as Williams is penning an epic tale that doesn’t appear set to end anytime soon.

“I just want to play tennis,” Williams said. “I don’t necessarily want to hear about this history and that history, because I just want to be able to do the best that I can. I want to be able to win and I don’t want any distractions. That’s how I’m going to handle it.”

When the year’s final Grand Slam event starts on Monday in New York, Williams will be a huge favorite. She has won Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open six times each and collected three French Open crowns.

“I compete a lot against my standards,” Williams said. “I have such high standards for myself and I expect the best from me and nothing less.”

Matching her “Serena Slam” run from the 2002 French Open through the 2003 Australian Open required Williams to endure numerous three-set fights on London grass, but she emerged triumphant.

“To have all four at the same time, two times in one career, that totally means a lot,” Williams said.

“It was really important for me to do that.”

Williams is only one shy of Steffi Graf’s Open Era career record of 22 titles and the retired German legend tweeted that Williams’ feat was “incredible” and an “amazing accomplishment.”

“I see her post things about me and that’s pretty awesome,” Williams said. “I really am still like a kid when I see her or I see posts.

I get super excited. I’m still living the dream.”

The 33-year-old star has

‘Don’t feel my age’ At 33, Williams is the oldest women’s world No. 2 — no man so old has won a Grand Slam title since 1972 — and her best might be yet to come.

“I’ve definitely gotten a little better,” Williams said. “I really don’t feel my age. It’s gratifying at whatever age you achieve it.”

Williams is three Slam singles titles shy of matching Australian Margaret Court’s all-time record

sustained a level of excellence few can rival, from winning her first Grand Slam singles title as a teen prodigy at the 1999 US Open to collecting her 21st last month at Wimbledon

I don’t necessarily want to hear about this history and that history, because I just want to be able to do the best that I can. I want to be able to win and I don’t want any distractions

Serena Williams

and would join a rare calendaryear Slam list that includes Graf, Court, Maureen Connolly, Don Budge and Rod Laver by winning at Flushing Meadows.

“I feel OK about my game,” Williams said. “I’m always looking to improve. I’m never comfortable.

That’s when I think you are susceptible to losing.”

She became a US Open champion at age 17, only the second African-American woman after Althea Gibson to claim a Grand Slam title.

Williams, coached by her father Richard, was toughened on the streets of Los Angeles and by practices with older sister Venus, a seven-time major champion.

Maturity brought a fashion design business and a foot in the entertainment realm as an actress, but her domination when focused on tennis has made Williams the likely target for a new generation of record chasers yet to come.

“I think it will be great,” Williams said of such days. “I think it’s amazing. I think I would be really supportive, like Steffi is of me.

It’s such a great feeling. I always want to see people do well and be successful. I think it will be really cool.” - AFP

TENNIS

Federer, Nadal at US Open crossroads NEW YORK: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with 31 major titles between them, head for the US Open with their Grand Slam careers at the crossroads.

Despite turning 34, Federer was an impressive winner of a seventh Cincinnati Masters title last weekend, seeing off world No. 1 — and US Open favourite — Novak Djokovic in the final.

It was the Swiss star’s 87th tour title and revenge for losing a second successive Wimbledon final to the Serb last month.

But Federer has stumbled badly in New York in recent years.

A five-time champion from 2004-2008, he was runner-up to Juan Martin del Potro in 2009 but hasn’t been back to the final since.

His record at the Grand Slams in 2015 has also been mixed.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion may have at least reached the final at the All England Club, but that run was preceded by a shock third round exit to Italian journeyman Andreas Seppi at the Australian Open, his earliest in Melbourne in 14 years.

He then endured a quarterfinal loss at Roland Garros to compatriot Stan Wawrinka.

Federer’s last Grand Slam title came at Wimbledon in 2012 and if he wins the US Open this year, he would be the oldest champion since 35-year-old Ken Rosewall back in 1970.

“I haven’t been in a final (in New York) since 2009. So I got my work cut out,” said Federer, who was

Federer’s last Grand Slam title came at Wimbledon in 2012 and if he wins the US Open this year, he would be the oldest champion since 35-year-old Ken Rosewall back in 1970

beaten by eventual champion Marin Cilic in the semifinals last year.

In contrast to the Swiss player’s staying power is Nadal’s swift, brutal decline.

The 29-year-old Spaniard, the 2010 and 2013 champion in New York, has endured a tough year, the knee joints and wrists looking stiffer and weaker.

After being deposed as French Open champion — his quarterfinal loss to Djokovic was only his second ever defeat in Paris — Nadal slumped to 10 in the world, his lowest ranking for a decade.

He has recovered to eight, but he is no longer the player that once struck terror into rivals.

‘No time to cry’ Nadal has lost 14 times already this year compared to 11 in the whole of 2014, seven in 2013 and just six in 2012.

He sat out the 2012 and 2014 US Opens because of injury.

At Wimbledon, he was knocked out in the second round by Germany’s Dustin Brown while his

North American hardcourt season ended in a quarterfinal loss to Kei Nishikori in Montreal and a third round exit against Feliciano Lopez in Cincinnati.

“I never consider myself a big, big star. So I appreciate when all the good things are happening to me,” said Nadal.

“I am having a tough year, yes.

Not a terrible year. I cannot make a drama about these kind of things.

This is not the moment to cry.”

Djokovic already has the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles under his belt in 2015, taking his majors total to nine.

The US Open champion in 2011, Djokovic was runner-up in 2012 and 2013 before suffering a shock semifinal loss to Nishikori 12 months ago.

The 28-year-old boasts a 56-5 record this year but two of those defeats have come this month — to Andy Murray in the Montreal Masters final and then against Federer in Cincinnati.

He has also been troubled by an elbow injury.

“I played a couple good matches and couple not-so-good matches,” said Djokovic, whose rolleroaster career at the majors has also seen him lose eight finals. The conditions in New York suit me a little bit better, so I look forward to it.”

Murray, the world No. 3, won in New York in 2012, ending Britain’s 76-year wait for a Grand Slam men’s singles champion.

He has made at least the quarterfinals in New York in the last four years. The 28-year-old could set a record for the largest payout in tennis history at the US Open — $4.3 million. That would be $3.3 million for winning the tournament and a $1 million bonus for winning the US Open Series title for performances in the hardcourt warm-up events.

Outside of the ‘Big Four’, Stan Wawrinka, the French Open champion, has made the semifinals in New York on just one occasion in 10 visits.

Defending champion Cilic faces the task of proving he’s not a one Slam wonder.

The 26-year-old world number nine only started his season in March after suffering a shoulder injury and has yet to make a final this year. World No. 4 Nishikori became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final in New York last year.

But despite winning in Washington and making the semifinals in Montreal, the 25-year-old Japanese was forced to skip Cincinnati with a left hip injury. - AFP

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OMAN’S CURRENCY TRAIL STORY: T.A. AMEERUDHEEN PHOTOS: SHABIN E

The Oman Currency Museum at the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) complex is a must visit place for those who are keen to know about the monetary history of the Sultanate

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LIFESTYLE

A huge painting of Oman Mint House welcomes visitors to the Oman Currency Museum at the sprawling Central Bank of Oman campus.

It shows various stages of coin production, where silversmiths smelt the metal, make coins, weigh them, and cart them to the Bait Al Mal, the state treasury.

“It is an imaginary piece of art on manual coin minting. The real exhibits here have been divided into three sections which will help you learn about the evolution of Omani currency and Oman’s history. Display cabinets are fitted with buttons and a screen. By pressing the appropriate buttons you can call up an image of the currency one wishes to view on the screen, together with details of its history,” says Ibrahim Ahmed Al Fadhli, curator at the Oman Currency Museum.

Coins that predated the Holy Mission of The Prophet (PBUH), and oldest coins minted in Macedonia, Greece, Rome, and India are the top exhibits in the category dedicated to the ‘Old, Islamic and Modern Currency’. But the surprise package here is the Byzantine Dinars and Sassanid Dirhams with Christian and Magian symbols. “Those coins were popular in Arabia as The Prophet (PBUH) allowed to use them,” says Ibrahim, who pursues his Masters degree in coins minted in Oman.

The currencies also give an insight into Oman’s global partners in trade and commerce. “Oman’s trade and economic relations with the rest of the world flourished after the ascension of the Al Busaid Dynasty.

Commercial dealings were mostly done with Maria Teresa currency minted in Europe from pure silver.

Traders also preferred currencies from other countries, including United States, Spain, Iran, India and East Africa,” says Ibrahim.

Legal tender notes of the Indian Empire, which were in circulation in Muscat and the Sultanate of Oman from 1927 to 1948, and Sultanate of Zanzibar and Pemba, are prominently displayed among the banknotes.

The museum gives due importance to the Omani currency, which was first issued on May 7, 1970 under the supervision of Muscat Currency Authority. “Those who visit the museum can see all the five issues of Omani currency and the changes they went through during the last five decades, including the name change from Rial Saidi to Rial Omani and the introduction of the Royal Signature of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said,” he says.

The commemorative section has plenty of priceless medals and coins

CURRENCY NOTES ON DISPLAY • Zanzibar collection (1908/1916/1920) • Indian Rupee (issued by the Government of India (British) 1927-1948) • Indian Rupee (issued by the Reserve Bank of India 1949) • Gulf Rupee (issued by the Government of India (1957) • Saidi Rial (issued by the Muscat Monetary Authority 1970) • Oman Rial (issued by the Omani Monetary Council 1972) • Oman Rial (issued by the Central Bank of Oman – 1976) • Omani Rial (issued by the Central Bank of Oman – 1985) • Omani Rial (issued by the Central Bank of Oman – 1995)

made of gold, silver and bronze, with themes ranging from wildlife to natural beauty. “Many of these coins commemorate Omani and international events, such as the call for childcare and the anniversary of the United Nations Organisaton.

Coins were also issued during the National Days and special years, such as The Year of Agriculture, Industry, Youth and Heritage,” says Ibrahim. But the important medal of the lot is the one that marks the 250th Anniversary of the Rule of the Al Busaid Dynasty of Oman.

The medal carries the names of all Oman Sultans, beginning with Sultan Ahmed bin Said to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said.

If seeing the collection wasn’t enough, coin collectors can also buy some of the commemorative coins, bank notes, and old circulation coins to take home.

PLAN A VISIT The Oman Currency Museum is inside the Central Bank of Oman campus. The facility is open from 9am to 1pm on weekdays. Visitors should carry valid identity cards (resident card, preferably) to gain entry. Big groups should take prior permission before visiting the museum. Entry is free for children while adults have to pay 250 baizas.

Visitors can also watch a 10-minute movie on Oman’s monetary history in the lecture room.

Contact: +968-2477 7693.

CENTRAL BANK OF OMAN & OMAN CURRENCY MUSEUM The Central Bank of Oman (CBO), which began its operation on April 1, 1975, functions as an advisor to the Government in all economic affairs, especially monetary and financial matters, in addition to its established functions as the official bank of the government. It receives and accepts deposits as the ‘bank of the banks’ from commercial and specialised banks operating in the country and from foreign banks and international monetary institutions. It also provides credit to local banks, and handles issuance and control of the national currency.

The CBO launched the Oman Currency Museum on April 19, 1999 as a source of information for anyone who wanted to learn more about the monetary history of the Sultanate. ameerudheen@timesofoman.com

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Cumberbatch’s biggest fan is his mother

Benedict Cumberbatch has wooed audiences the world over with his prowess on screen, but one of his biggest fans is his mother.

The actor, who essayed the role of Hamlet on stage at the Barbican theatre here, made his mother, actress Wanda Ventham ‘extraordinarily proud’, reports mirror.co.uk.

Speaking after his performance, Ventham said: “He was quite lively growing up, but I thought that was phenomenal.”

The ‘Sherlock’ star will be playing the lead role in the Shakespeare drama until the end of October.

The Imitation Game star’s parents joined a host of celebrities, including his wife Sophie Hunter, in the audience.

Mendes sparks engagement rumours

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I

blame the congested urban life for many of our problems these days. We live uncomfortably close together divided by thin concrete walls. We may tolerate the noise from the house next door during the day but we need the night to be peaceful.

Last month, as I was prepared to go to sleep just after midnight, the peace of the night was shattered by loud music coming from a house celebrating a wedding.

They were having their fun as the world was starting to take a break from a busy routine. About fifty people were on the terrace making as much noise as possible, making sure the whole neighbourhood was aware of their party. My first impulse was to call the police but I thought it would not do any good. I went to bed knowing sleep would not come easy. I lay awake with the tempo of music vibrating the very floor my bed stood on. I was a guest to a wedding party that I was not invited but forced to take part until two in the morning.

Keeping silent to disrupting actions of others is common. I guess most of us are tolerant and in doing so we allow ourselves to suffer silently. A week later, two teenagers decided to have some fun in the middle of the night. They made their presence felt with the wheels of their cars squealing as they drove fast on the narrow roads.

I parted the curtain and peered outside in the dark. The light from the half moon was shining on two cars racing side by side at break neck speed. They disappeared around a bend and then one of them came back spinning a full circle before straightening up and narrowly missing hitting a tree. The second car followed behind in hot pursuit and did a similar spin, straightened up and the driver drove straight towards a graveyard compound. I watched in horror as the car ploughed on the brick wall. There was a terrible noise as the head lamps picked up dust, lifting up in the air mixed with grey smoke erupting from the radiator, I guessed I acted on

impulse and rushed out of the house. I was not alone. My neighbours were outside making their way to the car. Miraculously, the young driver staggered out from the metal and brick ruins looking very dazed. His racing friend did not even bother to stop and try to help. He sped away leaving his friend facing the music. However,

Everybody deserves some peace during the night.

Anyone who is insensitive to that basic need does so at his/her own peril

the young man recovered quickly and started to walk away from the scene. I learned later that he did not have a driving licence nor was the car his own.

I went to sleep that night knowing that, although the two men broke the peace of the night, I harboured no ill-feeling against them.

Sometimes, disruptions come to an end peacefully but in that occasion it nearly concluded in a disaster. I would have felt guilty if the accident had caused a fatality but I slept easy knowing that all ended well. The following morning, I shared some thoughts with one of my neighbours. We agreed that not all the nights are as peaceful as they used to be in our street.

As a matter of fact, the days are quieter and uneventful. Before we parted company, I looked at the broken wall and the overturned white car. The scene was strong evidence that there was no definitive plan for disruption. Everybody deserves some peace and quiet during the night. Anyone who is insensitive to that basic need does so at his or her own peril.

Eva Mendes has added fuel to rumours of her getting engaged to actor boyfriend Ryan Gosling. The piece of jewellery she wore on her right hand was a giant emerald ring. She was first spotted wearing the bling on July 25 when promoting cosmetics giant Estee Lauder’s new Dimensions Skincare line at a mall in Florida, reports aceshowbiz.com. The 41-year-old has been flashing the speculated engagement ring in photographs she shared on Instagram. Neither Mendes nor Gosling has addressed the rumours. The actress’ representative also has not yet made any comment.

Chris Brown gets Venus De Milo tattoo on head Chris Brown has added another tattoo to his collection of body inks. The Loyal hitmaker has had a Venus de Milo tattooed on the back of his head. He showed off his latest ink on photosharing website Instagram before deleting the post, reports aceshowbiz.com.

Venus de Milo is an ancient Greek statue and one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculptor. -IANS

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RUWI SCREEN 1 Phantom (Action) – PG Cast: Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif 2.30, 5.30, 8.30, 11.30 PM SCREEN 2 Brothers (Drama/ Sports) – 12+ Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff, Sidharth M 3.30 PM Hitman Agent 47 (Action/Crimer) – PG12 Cast: Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto, Hannah

Phantom - 2D (PG) Action, Drama, Thriller Cast - Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rajesh Tailang Time – 02:15, 05:00, 07:45, 10:30 PM Hitman: Agent 47 – 2D (PG12) Action, Crime, Cast - Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware, Zachary Quinto 12:15, 03:00, 07:15, 09:15, and 11:15 PM Southpaw – 2D (15+) Action, Drama, Sport Cast – Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Oona Laurence

3:00 , 04:45 PM Habib Al Arad - 2D (Arb) (TBC) Drama Cast : Faisal Al Omeri & Abdullah Al Torkoman 4:30 PM Phantom - 2D (H) (PG) Action, Drama, Thriller Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rajesh Tailang 8:30, 11:15 PM Loham - 2D (M) (TBC) Action Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea Jeremiah, Siddique 9:15 PM BURAIMI The Man from U.N.C.L.E – 2D (Action) 7:10PM (12+) Hitman Agent 47 – 2D (Action) (12+) Cast: Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto, Hannah 2:00, 3:35, 5:20, 9:45, 11:45PM Stung – 2D (Comedy/Horror/Romance) (15+) Cast: Clifton Collins, Florentine, Matt O’Leary 2:00, 7:20PM Evolution Man– 3D (Animation) (PG12) Cast: Jamel Debbouze, Melissa Theuriau, Patrice Thibaud 3:45, 5:15PM No Escape – 2D (Action / Thriller) (12+) Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson 5:30, 11:45PM Phantom – 2D (Action / Thriller) (PG)

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif 2:30, 7:05, 9:00, 11:30PM Loham – 2D (Thriller) (PG) Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea Jeremiah 9:20PM

BAHJA CINEMA

SUR Hitman Agent 47 (Action | Crime) (PG12) 05:45, 10:00, 11:55 PM No Escape (Action | Thriller) (12+) CP# Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson 5:00, 11:45 PM Phantom (Hindi) (Action | Drama) (PG) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rajesh Tailang 12:00, 07:00, 09:30 PM Evolution Man (3D) (Animation) (PG) CP# 2:15, 04:00 PM Loham (Mal) (Action) (TBC) CP# Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea Jeremiah, Siddique 7:30 PM The Man from U.N.C.L.E (Action) (12+) 2:30 PM

Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation 2D (Action, Adventure, Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy 5.45 pm CP No: 1953 (PG12) Brothers (Hindi )( Thriller ) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff, Sidharth Malhotra 1.30 p.m CP No: 2110 (12+) MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (Action /Adventure) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Henry Cavil, Armmie Hammer 2.00 p.m. & 8.15 p.m CP NO: 2121 (12+) No Escape ( Action/ Thriller ) Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson 4.15, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CP No: 2128 ( 12+ ) Stung ( Comedy/Romance/Horror ) Cast: Clifton Collins Jr., Jessica Cook, Tony de Maeyer 4.00, 6.15, 10.15 & 11.55 pm CP No: 2129 ( 15+ )

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

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

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

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

42 33

Minimum

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

40-80%

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

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

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

LISTINGS

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

Sur Sur

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

Daily Daily

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

Fahud Yibal

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

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

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

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

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

Daily

07:00

Daily

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

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

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

11.45 13.30 14.00

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

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

10:45 19:00

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

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

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

06:00 14:30

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

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

SAMRITHA KUMAR August 28, 2007

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

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

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

Loham (Mal) ( ACT ) Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea & Renji panikkar 3-00 & 10-00 Pm At Cinema Main; 6-30 Pm At Cinema-2 Thani Oruvan (Tamil) (Act\Drama ) Cast: Jayam Ravi,Nayanthara & Arvind Swami 6-30 Pm Cinema Main; 3-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema-2 ; 9-45 Pm At Cinema - 3 Kick 2 ( Telugu ) ( Rom/Act) Cast: Ravi Teja & Rakul Preet Singh 3-45 & 6-45 Pm at Cinema- 3; 9-45 Pm Cinema- 4 Madura Naranga (Mal) ( Rom/com ) Cast: Kunchako Boban, Biju Menon & 3-45, 6-45 Pm At Cinema - 4 NEXT CHANGE: Double Barrel (Mal) Programmes are subject to change

JYOT MEHUL SHETH August 27, 2007

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 20:50

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

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

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

16:30 18:00 19:30

STAR CINEMA

WITH LOVE

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

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

SALALAH Hitman Agent 47 (2D) (PG12) (Action) 10:45AM/12:00/7:00/10:00/11:45PM Southpaw (2D) (15+) (Action/Drama/Sport) Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, 2:00/7:45/9:40PM No Escape (2D) (12+) (Action/Thriller) Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson 10:00AM/3:30/11:55PM Evolution Man (2015) (Original French Movie) (3D) (PG) (Animation) 10:15AM/1:45PM Phantom (2D) (PG) (Hindi) (Action/Drama) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rajesh Tailang 4:15/08:50/11:35PM Loham (2D) (TBC) (Malayalam) (Action) Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea Jeremiah, Siddique 7:15PM Thani Oruvan (2D) (PG12) (Tamil) (Action) Cast: Jayam Ravi, Arvind Swamy, Nayanthara, Ganesh Venkatraman, 2:15PM We Are Your Friends (2D) (15+) (Drama) Cast: Zac Efron, Wes Bentley, Emily 12:30PM Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation (2D) 5:25PM (PG12) (Action) The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2D) (12+) (Action) Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander 11:50AM/05:05PM

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

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

12.14pm 3.41pm 6.35pm 7.48pm 4.29am

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

@MGM

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

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

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

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

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

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya 24782666 Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi 24702542 Salalah 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra 24503585 Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya 24787766 Muscat, A Seeb Market 24421691 Muscat, Al Khuwair 24485740 Muscat, Al Hail South 24537080 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah 23291635 HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre 24485052 Atlas Hospital Ruwi 24811743/ Ghubra 24504000 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi 24563641 Azaiba 24499269 Sohar 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740 Ceregem National Raak 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217 Elixir Health Centre 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274 Hamdan Hospital 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128 MBD 24799077 Al Khuwair 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

C11

LIFESTYLE Aishwarya Rai makes Bollywood comeback

GHAWI BAZAAR

BUY LOCAL: KHANJAR Khanjar is a symbolic weapon worn by Omani men.

It represents national pride and ancient heritage and the traditions of the country. The dagger is carried in a sheath decorated in silver, on a belt similarly decorated in silver filigree. It can be seen in a number of important national symbols like the national emblem and national flag of Oman.

B

eauty queen-turnedactress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is returning to the big screen after almost five years but she claims that she didn’t feel that she was absent from the industry.

“I haven’t felt being absent, though going by the time and the number of releases that we do have, of course, I wasn’t making movies. But a lot of ladies here who’ve completely experienced what I’m wonderfully feeling right now will agree that we have no concept of time. We don’t realise how time flies by,” she said to queries on her absence at the trailer launch of the much-anticipated Jazbaa directed

by Sanjay Gupta.

Her last role was as a caretaker to Hrithik Roshan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish. She was initially going to star in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine but backed out due to her pregnancy and the role went to Kareena Kapoor. Duties as a mother to three-year-old Aaradhya kept her busy all these years.

“Being a working mother, I really did not delve into this absence

factor. And probably that’s why I haven’t necessarily focused on the term ‘comeback’. There’s no going away from it and running away from it. And it will forever be the comeback film. So I’m not denying it but when I turn around and say that I haven’t felt it, that’s just the way it is,” said Aishwarya.

Jazbaa sees Aishwarya in the role of a lawyer stuck in a conspiracy. Irrfan Khan plays a cop and it also stars Jackie Shroff, Shabana Azmi and Chandan Roy Sanyal among others.

Versatile actor Irrfan Khan, who also plays a major role in Jazbaa, said he never felt the movie was Aishwarya’s comeback as she didn’t go anywhere.

“I don’t consider this is a comeback since I never felt that she ever went anywhere.” To another query, he replied, “There is nothing wrong with getting sidelined.

It depends on the person because of whom you get sidelined. Getting sidelined due to Aishwarya is a beautiful thing.”

He also said he was always eager to work with Aishwarya but his respect for her has got further

I haven’t felt being absent, though going by the time and the number of releases that we do have, of course, I wasn’t making movies. But a lot of ladies here who’ve completely experienced what I’m wonderfully feeling right now will agree that we have no concept of time

enhanced during the course of the shooting. “One of the major reasons to do the film was Aishwarya.

I was looking forward to getting to know her and watching her style of working closely. Nothing could be more exhilarating than seeing a mother taking care of her child and simultaneously working. We have just completed the shooting of the film and it was a beautiful day and a great experience. It’s the kind of memory that I will cherish.”

Meanwhile, Mary Kom director Omung Kumar said convincing Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to do his biopic on Sarabjit Singh was not at all difficult as she agreed in just 15 minutes. “We directly approached Aishwarya as I know her since a long time. After meeting her, she agreed to do the film in just 15 minutes as the role was demanding and she could see herself in the role. So she instantly said yes.” The biopic is from the point of view of Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur, to be played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who endured severe hardship in trying to get her brother released. The title role will be played by Randeep Hooda. — IANS

The Omani Khanjar is distinguished from other types of daggers elsewhere by the artistic designs made of silver and precious hilts. It represents the ancient Omani culture and proficiency of the Omani craftsmen inherited through generations. Hilt, sheath and blade are the three parts of an Omani Khanjar. The hilt is made of ivory, horn, or sandalwood. The sheath is made of a curved piece of wood covered with silver while the blade is made of iron.

WHERE People from different regions use different types of Khanjars. The Al Saidi Khanjar, worn by those who have very high status in the community, is the costliest dagger in the market. The finely crafted variety has intricate embroideries and designs which are mostly geometrical with traces of floral patterns.

Khanjars manufactured by the craftsmen in Al Dahra (Al Dahra Khanjar) are influenced by the Al Saidi and Saudi Arabian dagger. The type of Khanjar found in southern Oman is known as Dhofari Khanjar, while the Sharqiyah Khanjar has a horn grip mounted in silver and a collar made of embossed gold. The Batinah Khanjar has a horn grip, covered with silver ribbon work and a silver collar which is embossed with scrolling foliage.

HOW MUCH The price depends on the design, embroidery and the material used to make the hilt, sheath and blade. The price ranges from OMR10 to OMR8,000.

Have a favourite Omani product or shop?

Tell us about it: ameerudheen@timesofoman.com

B O L LY W O O D N E W S

Saif Ali on the hunt for good scripts

Photo: Supplied

H

e gave India a chic spy in the form of Agent Vinod and went on to introduce the zombie-comedy genre by producing Go Goa Gone. Actor-producer Saif Ali Khan says he is always on the lookout for good scripts and is “very keen” on looking for something special to make. The 45-year-old, who turned a producer with Love Aaj Kal in 2009, says he is eager to make a film soon. “I am really looking for something special to make right now. I am not able to find it yet, but looking very keenly,” Saif, who coowns the Illuminati Films production house, said.

What’s a good script for the actor?

“It depends on whatever touches

you or resonates with you at the time. Sometimes you try things for various reasons. It’s just an instinctive kind of a thing,” said the actor who has given back-to-back duds like Happy Ending, Humshakals and Bullett Raja.

“I’m completely open to anything, even books. Some books have really nice ideas,” said Saif, who will be soon seen in Kabir Khan’s directorial Phantom, based on S.Hussain Zaidi’s novel Mumbai Avengers.

The espionage drama revolves around global terrorism. “I am playing an ex-army officer, someone who is thrown out of the army for cowardice. It’s a misunderstanding and he lives alone in

Kashmir. His life is destroyed and then he gets a chance to win his honour back by going on this suicide mission. He accepts the job but he can’t get credit for it. That’s why it’s called ‘Phantom’,” he said.

Considering the genre of the film, the audience can expect to see him in an high-on-action avatar.

“The action sequences are real as well as not real. A lot of it has military background ...big machine guns and big shootouts. There’s a lot of action in the movie but generally it’s quite realistic. A lot of physical fitness was called for this role.

“Diet and exercises (were important), but also some kind of training with the weapons, like how to shoot

them a little more professionally,” said the actor, who had earlier essayed the role of an army officer in J.P. Dutta’s 2003 film LOC Kargil.

Phantom, which will hit the screens today, also required him to have a rugged look, and Saif sported it even during its promotions.

“There are many ways a person can change appearance depending on the role’s requirement. But generally speaking, a beard does make you look a bit older. Of course, I will let go of it soon. I will be happy to. In fact, I am dying to shave. But they told me not to shave during promotions,” said the actor, who has been sporting the bearded look for long.

— IANS

Photography: Shabin E.

Photo: Shutterstock

WHAT

C1 2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

LIFESTYLE

VIOLIN (KAMAN) The European violin (Kaman or Kamanjah in Arabic) was adopted into Arab music during the second half of the 19th century, replacing an indigenous two-string fiddle that was prevalent in Egypt. The playing style is highly ornate, with slides, trills, wide vibrato, and double stops, often using an open string as a drone. The timbre ranges from rich and warm, similar to the sound of the Western violin, to nasal and penetrating, reminiscent of the sound of the Rababah, a type of Arab folk fiddle. The violin is held both, in the usual under-chin fashion and gamba style on the knee.

OUD Oud is believed to be the oldest musical instrument and ancestor of the modern guitar. The earliest proof of its existence can be found in an excavated cylindrical seal from the Uruk Period in Mesopotamia, which dates back almost 5000 years. Many consider Oud as the ‘king of instruments’ as it tells the stories of its time through melodious music. Variations of the Oud were found all across the Middle East, from the classical Arabic Oud of Iraq to the Turkish variation called Kopuz. Oud has a special place in the Gulf countries. Its importance is perhaps best brought out by the words of Marwadi, the 9th century jurist from Baghdad, who said that the music of the Oud could even treat illnesses.

MUSIC INSTRUMENTS IN ARABIA Music in the Middle East has always revolved around the strains of stringed instruments and the rhythmic beats of simple percussion, which together create magical melodies.

RABAB

RIQ

QANUN

Rabab is the earliest known bowed instrument and the parent of the medieval European rebec. It was first mentioned in the 10th century and was prominent in medieval and later Arab art music. In medieval times, the word rabab was also a generic term for any bowed instrument. The rabab has a membrane belly and, commonly, two or three strings. There is normally no fingerboard, the strings being stopped by the player’s fingers. Body shapes vary. Pear and boat-shaped rababs were particularly common and influenced the rebec. Flat round, trapezoidal, and rectangular bodies are also found.

Riq, also known as Daff, is a small tambourine traditionally covered with a goat or fish skin head, stretched over a wooden frame inlaid with mother of pearl. The Riq has five sets of two pairs of brass cymbals spaced evenly around the frame, and called ‘Sagaat’ in Arabic. The cymbals are what produces the exciting jingle sound. Although fish or goat skin heads are valued for their warm and natural sound, their main problem is that they are very sensitive to humidity and can easily lose their tightness. The sound of the Riq sets the rhythm of much Arabic music, particularly in the performances of classical pieces.

Qanun is a descendent of the old Egyptian harp. It has played an integral part in Arabic music since the 10th century. Qanun was introduced to Europe in the 12th century.

It was known as psaltery or zither from the 14th to the 16th century. The instrument is placed flat on the knees or table of the musician. The strings are plucked with the finger or with two plectra, one each attached to the forefinger of each hand.

D

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1 BR flat at Darsait, near ISM. Contact 99237971 / 99320633 We have 3BHK fully furnished villa in Ghubra 18th November near Automatic Restaurant. Contact: 93782735/ 99208033

Readymade office space for rent (100sm) in Bank Melli Iran building, MBA area Ruwi opposite Center Point. Contact: 99011352

Fully furnished 3 BHK accommodation with all spacious rooms in a villa at Darsait near ISD. Contact: 9526 5289 / 9604 8422 250 Sqr mtrs showroom in CBD. Contact 99792181 Spacious 2BHK Flat with Split A/c’s behind Sultan Center, Azaiba – RO.425/- p.m. Contact: 99824803 / 99849325 3BHK well maintained flat (villa type) G. floor split A/C separate entrance, parking, and compound available in Al Khuwair behind Sagar Polyclinic Way no. 3922, Block 239, Villa No. 1839. Contact: 99253125 5000 & 10000 Sqr mtrs in open Land in Wadi Kabir. # 99792181 Deluxe 1, 2, 3 bedroom flats in Wadi Kabir, Ruwi, Al Khuwair area.

Contact: 24707340 / 95282986 /99472457

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new flat available at Mabela in front of Modern English School Contact: 96239126 2BHK with split A/C in MSQ Opp. Al Fair. Contact : 96708000 1 BHK with split A/C in Darsait, opp. Muscat Municipality.

Contact : 96708000 3BR villa, sitting, dining & hall, Azaiba behind Al Meera H- Market.

Contact: 99259977 / 95033008 1BHK, Darsait, walking distance to ISM , neat and clean building, ground floor, OMR 260/- per month rent Call IQRAR on 99076557 2BHK at Al Khodh 2 rooms, 1hall, 2 bathrooms & kitchen.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297 3 bedrooms, 1 hall at Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Masjid.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

2BHK Mumtaz R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045 /97799175 House for rent in Sidab 8 rooms, 6 toilets RO 550/-. Contact: 96606679 / 99856551 2 BHK Apartment for rent near MSQ area. Contact 92888063 Darsait next to ISM, 2 bedroom brand new building R.O 300/-.

Contact: 93393967 4 bedroom villa with 3 maid room, big compound & parking area. Ideal for kindergarten or expat tenants residency. Contact:24566217 / 24564686 2BHK near Indian School Darsait RO 275/-. Contact: 95094028 Commercial / residential 2 BHK flat and 1BHK at Honda road residential 2BHK flat at opposite to Al Nadha hospital. Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

2 BHK close to Indian School Kindergarten Wadikabir RO 320.

Contact: 99476728 / 98484415 Spacious 1 BHK flat opp. Muscat Municipality Darsait with 2 bathrooms available for rent OMR 250 per month direct from owner from Sept1st onwards. Contact 97785037 Apartments for Rent in Nizwa behind Nizwa Hospital. 99530985 92513668 Office & retail space available Alasfoor Plaza, Qurum.

Contact: 24566217 / 24564686 1bedroom attached toilet, kitchen, family in Al Khuwair RO 140.

Contact: 95154331 1BHK in Darsait, RO 220.

Contact: 99342661 2BHK in Ghubra South 330 R.O with A/C. Contact: 99342661

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DAILY GUIDE

Shop/ office, near Khimji H.O. Muttrah. Contact 99233116

LOST

2 BHK near Khimji H.O. Muttrah.

Contact 99233116

Madhu Pudhu Ppully has lost Indian Passport No. F 6157660. Finder please handover to ROP

2BK Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Mosque. Contact 97007934 / 92629232

Arshd Ahmed Meer has lost Pakistani Passport No. HA 1803611.

Finder please handover to ROP

Brand new bldg in Walja 1 BHK, 2 BHK & shops. Contact 98218279

SELL/BUY

2 rooms, 2 toilets, kitchen in Al Ansab. Contact 94229023 Basement available in MBD, Ruwi.

Contact 99713489 Flat for rent in Wadi Kabir near Indian Primary School 2 B & 1K. Contact 92222922 Pent house for rent 1 sitting, 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, 1 kitchen RO 225/-, location Al Khuwair, near DHL Courier. Contact 95620900 / 92976722 Brand new flat 2 bedrooms with 1 Majlis, 3 bathrooms, kitchen in South Ghubra behind Oman oil RO 350/-. Contact 95367767

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 A flat for rent in Al Khuwair 33, 2 rooms and sitting room and all the necessary things. Contact:92277419 BHK Flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99385835 / 99428143 3 BHK, 3 bathrooms, 2 balcony, nr. Al Hassan W/Kabir RO 330/-.

Contact :99384640 Flats shops & stores for rent at Al Amerat. Contact: 96278724

2 BHK pent-house having very spacious balcony with sea & city view RO 325 and 1BHK RO 240, adjacent to Indian Nursery Darsait.

Contact : 99476728 / 98484415 Flats in Al Khuwair 33 & Wadi Al Kabir. Contact: 92800007 Flat for rent near Al Nahdha Hospital in Hamriya. Contact: 97380548 / 99680499 Flat in Al Khuwair 3 rooms + Majlis ground floor. Contact: 99242119 3 Bedroom flat with 3 attached toilets, split A/C, brand new available, behind Kims Hospital.

Contact 95225662 Flat 2bedrooms+majlis in Ghubra.

Contact:99242119 4 bedrooms villa with 2 halls, 4 bathrooms in Darsait behind Khimjis mart. Contact: 24700120 / 92584715

4 BHK single villa in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 97616158 I BHK Flat -4 Nos at Hamriya – R.O. 200/- . 2 BHK - 2 Nos / 1 BHK- 2 Nos, at Wattayya R/A near the mosquefor Families. Contact 96457757 9 am to 7 Pm. 1 & two bedroom flats available for rent in wadi-kabir (opp: pencil bldg), ideal for company staff / families bulk corporate deal possible.

Contact 97677170

FOR SALE FOR RENT 2BHK & 1BHK flats available in Darsait. Contact : 99357586 / 97500025

1 &2 BHK flats for rent at Wadi Kabir, Wadi Adai, Hamriya and Al Khoud areas, shop for rent at Wadi Adai Round about. Contact: 24834644, GSM 93994401 /02/03 lines For rent if require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send me messages through Whatsapp.

Contact: 99376454 3 Bedroom flat in Wadi Kabeer and 2 bedroom villa in Sidab- Muscat.

Contact: 95755953 Fabulous AC flat at Al Khoud 3 bedrooms, hall and kitchen RO 270/for rent. Contact: 99334699 Brand new villa Bosher 37, 4 BHK. Contact: 91936034

3 bedrooms villa excellent area at Mobilah. Contact 99879872

Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

Flat for rent in Mabellah 8th.

Contact: 97147240

400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residential land in Maabela Phase 5 Block 2. OMR 140 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Flats for rent at Darsait near to Ministry of Sports. Interested candidates please #: 00968-92225523

House for rent in Sidab at reasonable rent. #: 95555162 / 95755953

Flat for rent with AC in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95555162 /95755953

We have complete office furniture for sale very nice & affordable price .

Contact : 93782735 / 99208033

WANTED Indian coca requirement with experience. Contact: 99209264

Expat leaving bedroom set, fridge, table, sofa etc. Contact: 93393967 Pest control and cleaning building company for sale with all permit and office. Contact : 96996938 JCB boom loader 540/170, 17 MTR 2008 model excellent condition.

Contact: 97677133 Fully equipped Beauty Parlor for sale in Amerat behind Sultan Center.

Contact : 98600130 / 24881211 Used Fabrication machinery for sale : Fabrication machinery and tools in excellent condition for immediate sale. Contact 94652485/ 99273774/ 99202278 2,560 sq mtrs industrial land in Wadi Kabir main road, First line on way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to make petrol station or hotel. OMR 990 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Wall papers, grass carpets sale & fixing. Contact: 99834373 / 96642500

5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Forklift sale. Contact: 99763831 Shop for sale in Ruwi High street, Contact 96078411 60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah, can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 3 floor commercial building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 18 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Looking for purchase of a residential building with minimum 25 unoccupied flats in Ghala, Bousher, Azaiba, Ghubrah. Contact: 99261522 Used furniture & Electronic items, office & house. Contact: 99834373 /96642500

ACC. AVAILABLE Separate room with A/c, Small Fridge and Bed, for non-cooking Asian bachelor, behind Shell filling station, Ghoubra round about.

Contact: 94263390 Semi furnished rooms in AL Khuwair with car parking.

Contact : 92888337 Furnished room for IND EXE bachelor near Al Khuwair R/A. Contact : 99659513 Furnished room available in Ruwi.

Contact: 92435784 Sharing accommodation for Filipina on Seeb for couple / working ladies.

Contact: 92959251 Fully furnished room with attached bath for Executive bachelor, behind Al Meera Hypermarket, Azaiba, RO 150/-. Contact 99455735 Furnished room for rent at Al Khuwair RO 225/- for family only.

Contact 99251975 Single rooms with attached bath available at Ruwi.

Contact 98049288 / 8091089 Contd on Pg 7

D4

T H U R S D AY, AU G U S T 2 7, 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 Indian male having 5 years of experience in Oman as accountant cum office administrator with Omani driving license looking for a new placement. Contact: 94173818, email: nibinkjames@gmail.com Fresher looking for a career opportunity B.Com good physique, quick learner English speaking.

Contact: 93368464 Accountant with more than 6 years experience in SAOG company looking for middle management position.

Strong English/Arabic correspondence. Valid DL. NOC available.

Contact 91116924 Indian CA with 15 yrs exp. working as Head of Finance for US MNC. NOC Available - 94047434 Filipino, 29 years, Male, BS Commerce major in Financial Accounting, 5years experience: Accounts PAYABLE/RECEIVABLE/PAYROLL, Excellent Communication/MS Office/Accounting Software skills.

Contact: 95057206/ patrick110486@yahoo.com

ADMIN A well established organization in Muscat is looking for an experienced lady Administrative Assistant.

Candidate with around 6 years of experience and excellent command of English language is requested to send CV to: recruitmentmuscat@yahoo.com

Indian male B.Com Graduate 24 years looking for suitable placement. Contact: 97219505 25 years male BBA (Hons) CFAC ACCA having 3 years experience as top management operations, Accounts seeking suitable placement. Contact : 92829595 Email: saqib4u1@hotmail.com

ACCOUNTANT Urgently required Accountant Gulf experience to handle accounts up to finalization. Contact : 99658756 Urgently required Junior Accountant. Please send CV: hr.azatllc@gmail.com

BEAUTY Required experienced Hairdressers / full beauticians with exp in Ghubrah. Contact:97964519 / 94241385

DRAFTSMAN K.Design LLC requires “2d & 3d Draftsman” with minimum 3 yrs experience. Send CV to k.designoman@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELPER Required a House Maid preferably Muslim for a very reputed Omani Family in Muscat. Should be able to speak in Hindi / Arabic.

Contact 95216563 Indian family required full time Indian Housemaid, visa available.

Contact : 93228657 Wanted housekeeper at a Nursery – Muscat – Amerat, skill and commitment and behavior. Fax: 24700677 Tel: 99085844 /99010504 Email: school.oman@yahoo.com Require qualify caregiver for an orderly mother. Contact 99425200

DRIVER Experienced Driver with car or without car. Visa available.

GSM 942 888 63 / 9905 3844 Driver required for a Company, 2 yrs experience. Visa available. Contact 24479922 Experienced Expat Driver with valid Oman driving license required immediately for an Omani family in MSQ. Contact 24607772 / 99054998 Driver heavy duty required urgently for trailer. Oman / GCC experience must. Those ready for immediate joining. Contact: 99310859

EDUCATION Post Graduate researcher required.

Contact 99229700

ENGINEER Required Foreman (MEP) with 4 to 5 Years experience, for maintenance of Building, Having valid Omani Driving License.

Contact 94422083 Urgently required for leading company: Civil Engineer : 8 yrs experience, Planning Engineer : 8 yrs experience, Surveyor : 8 yrs experience, Draftsman & AutoCAD : 5 yrs experience. Fax: 24478522, email : gh1.careers@gmail.com

Young, energetic 24 yrs, ACCA finalist, Advanced diploma in Accounting and business, seeking suitable placement in accounts, finance or audit. Contact: 92430152 Email: rau_dey@yahoo.com

ENGINEER Urgently required Network & Security Engineer with minimum experience of 5 years, valid driving license & NOC, the candidate should have experience in the following data & voice cabling design structure, network project management, Data Center cabling installation, CCTV & Security Systems installation, operation, and maintenance.

Email: hussainmrj@gmail.com

M.Com female good knowledge in computer and tally 4 years experience in accounts and Administration seeks suitable placement on visit visa. Contact: 96992431 / 99450130 Accountant Indian male B.Com 7 years experience (Accounting) finance costing, auditing with NOC & valid driving license seeking placement. Contact: 96722257 Email: mudassir.pal@gmail.com

Leading construction company requires two Civil Engineer with minimum 5 years site experience in gulf. require gulf license and NOC. Send your CV to degree.engineer2015@gmail.com

Indian CA 10yrs of Oman experience in treasury, financial reporting, consolidation, ERP implementation in Trading, construction, Oil & Gas sectors. NOC available.

Email: caramdas.s5@gmail.com GSM: 91310237

MEP Engineer on urgent basis required for immediate placement.

Please contact tgi17@omantel.net.om Automatic block factory requires qualified Engineer (Electromechanical) degree & diploma to operate new stationary block factory. Contact 97092070, email : alomranmcpllc@yahoo.com

12 yrs of Oman experienced Chief Accountant looking for immediate placement. Contact 99513082 10+ yrs UAE experienced Fin. Controller looking for a job change.

Contact 98006226 Email: devan801@gmail.com

INTERIOR DECORATING Interior design & fit-out company based on Muscat Grand Mall looking for : (part/Fulltime) Project manager , Site Engineer , Site Supervisor CVs to be sent to : alzahi.oman@gmail.com

IT Leading IT Company in search of computer professionals with hands on experience in PC & laptop repair.

Send CV to vacancyready@gmail.com

MEDICAL

C.A article ship completed Indian female presently on visit visa looks for opening in Sur, finance/ Audit / Accounts. Contact: 93915733

MISCELLANEOUS Established real estate company looking for male or female property agents for leasing and sales of the property. Applicant must be Graduate, possess Omani or GCC driving license.

Having oman market experience.

Apply with NOC. Attractive salary +commission. Send your CV: property@ labdmarkmuscat.com

Urgently required for a Medical Centre GP doctor, Gynecologist, Male Nurse, female Nurses, Assistant Pharmacist with MOH license, salary negotiable. Send your CV: moc.hrd2015@gmail.com, Contact 92681842

Required Indian or Pakistani calligrapher & Painter (staff accommodation) Contact# 24480487/24483493

Dental Surgeon, Orthodontist, Staff Nurses (female) with or without MOH license for a polyclinic near Sohar. Excellent salary & commission. Contact 99006915, Email : alhinaee.clinic@yahoo.com

Waterproofing technicians required. Contact 92888337

Medical CARE Centre, Multi Specialty Clinic, Seeb, requires General Practioner, Medical Lab Technician & Pharmacist. Send CV at Email : sarita_h23@yahoo.com or call 97884856 Urgently Required Experienced GP Doctor, Gynecologist, Female Nurses with MOH license & NOC for a reputed specialized center based in Muscat. Please forward your CV to alqaimtrd@gmail.com Immediately required lady Doctor (DGO) or GP with Gynecology experience & lab technician.

Contact 99310590.

Email : tjmaluke@gmail.com

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Rig Operator/Technician/Driver/ Security Positions in Musandam.

Must have Oil field experience Good Communication Skills. Please email your resume in Arabic and English to HR@petroteloman.com

SALES / MARKETING IT – pre sales & marketing in Oman Governmental organizations. Send CV to masoud@iranrayaneh.com Accomplished Sales Executives/ Telemarketing Executives for leading Digital Media Enterprise. jobs@interacoman.com Furniture field experienced Salesman with license.

Contact - 99345159, 91398378 , E-Mail - agsan2005@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING A reputed printing & advertising firm in muscat urgently requires male / female sales executives Contact : 99619552 , email : hocsigns@gmail.com Required urgently Energetic Marketing executive for acquiring new customers. Should possess a Valid Omani DL. Contact 96545020.

Business intelligence / Global Marketing management specialist with 9 years of experience developing brand value & managing overall projects to achieve business objectives seeking suitable position on family visit. Contact: 91902154 Looking for Outdoor Salesman for heavy equipment spare parts.

Contact - 93292015, Email: mail.om@gulfcenter.co Required Marketing Executive.

Contact 24816774 / 99020458 Sales Executive Industrial products : 2-3 yrs of exp. with good communication & computer skills. D/L is must.

Send resume to salescvv@hotmail.com

SITUATION SIT. WANTED WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE 7 yrs experience as Store keeper in Pakistan, 2 yrs experience as Accounts Assistant, B.Com from Karachi University, MS Office, operating system 98,2000, XP professional Windows 7, Internet.

Contact 91235746

ACCA and MBA (finance) from UK, 3.5 years experience in operation, holding D/L (Oman) looking for suitable position ready to join immediately. Contact : 95575614, Email: ahammadmds@gmail.com Indian male B.Com looking for Accounts, indoor sales, Office Assistant, Store keeper, Contact - 98295101 Indian Male MBA with Experience in Accounts, Admin, Sales, Contact – 91520930 Indian male MBA Graduate 24 yrs, 1 yr. experienced Accountant seeking suitable job. Contact: 94083260jithinnambiar777@gmail.com Female (Filipina) Accountant, Audit, Finance, Bookkeeper, 15 yrs experience, on tourist visa, looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 96944976, email: precyr_tupasi@yahoo.com Indian male MBA Finance / HR 1 yr experience in Indian currently on visiting visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 93416031 Email: ashin.shams@gmail.com Certified Public Accountant, Filipino Male 26 years, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with 5 yrs. of experience now on visit visa, Looking for suitable opening.

Contact: +968 91409308 Email: kennethalcedo07@gmail.com Accounts finance Indian male 35 yrs B.Com, M.B.A tally exp 9.7 yrs exp 1.5 yr Oman family visa N.O.C available. Contact : 93257426.

Email: sibigeorgep@gmail.com

Indian Female Chartered Accountant [ACCA] looking for suitable placement. Contact: 99342077 Indian male, 10 yrs experience, 6 yrs in Oman, with Oman driving license, having NOC, seeking suitable job. Contact 96012973 Accountant, Indian male, B.Com, PGDSE with 12 yrs of experience currently on visiting visa seeks suitable placement. Contact 92750853, email : vinoykjospeh@gmail.com Finance Manager, 22 yrs Oman experience. NOC available. Contact 91302906 / 91335205 Part time accountant services available. Contact:93438100 Chief Financial Officer 16 yrs of Management exp with MNCs in Pakistan, expert in financial reporting sap/oracle implementing & optimization, Treasury, taxation, team work and change Management.

Contact: 91936637/ Email : rizwanfarooq.pk@gmail.com Indian 24 years MBA finance 2 years experience seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98222753 Email - shemeejup@gmail.com FMCG professional with 18 yrs Gulf experience in commercial / operations looking for opening.

Contact 92787747 / 92168401 Indian female B.Tech (EEE) MBA finance with 1and half years experience as Bank Officer in India seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 91358676 / 98157895 Email: sujivu88@gmail.com Motivated and energetic male 25 having 4 years of experience in finance with Master’s degree in Economics and CAT Certified seeking opportunity in Accounts/finance/ audit in a reputable organization.

Cell no: 00968-94626209 E-Mail: omerjawedshah@gmail.com

ADMIN Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR. joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437 14 years of Gulf experience in HR / Admin & logistics fluent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact: 95824598 Indian male 27Yrs, Having total 6 yrs of experience in HR/ Admin looking for suitable position.

Contact 91507099.

Indian male MCA, MSCE 2012 certified and Microsoft Exchange server administration with experience as System Administrator (windows) looking for a job currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact: 92745708 Email: nabeelmmkty@gmail.com Purchase, Admin, Indian male, 15 yrs Gulf experience.

Contact 95435370 Indian female MBA, 3 Year Experience in Admin MIS , Family Visa.

Contact 98234427, jkjsmith01@gmail.com Female 25, MSc (Wood Science & tech) MBA HRM, fresher well versed in English, Hindi and Malayalam, seeking for suitable placement in any related industries.

Contact: 98401389 Email: thajnakp@gmail.com An Indian lady, MBA in HR & marketing with 4 yrs experience in teaching, seeking suitable placement. Contact 91108766 / 97447825 Chartered CIPD HR Professional having 5 years of experience in Oman seeking suitable job.

Call +971552071501.

Master degree HRM professional having excellent experience in finance and management and having 8 yrs experience looking for suitable placement. Contact 92955453 / 91213269 Oman/Qatar experienced Indian lady available for immediate placement HR / Admin/ front office/ reception/document controller/ insurance coordinator.

Contact : 0097470057238 shinuemil@gmail.com

DRIVER H.T. V Driver, Pakistani experience, 6 yrs, seeks work in company only.

Contact 93985087 Light duty driver, 8 yrs exp.

Contact: 96736744

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D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED DRIVER Driving job. Contact: 99109458 Light duty driver seeks placement.

Contact: 95032692 Light vehicle Driver 5 years of experience, with Oman driving license looking for a job. Contact: 97319805 / 92171166 Light Duty Driver with 2 yrs exp. in Oman. Contact 96420742 Looking for driving job driving experience more than 3 years.

Contact: 97459022 Indian light duty driver.

Contact: 94269229 Indian driver, 30 years, 8 years in Oman exp GCC, D/L with NOC. Contact: 93100297 / 92547440 Driver with car able to do documentation work & documents delivery.

Contact : 95365938 Looking for driver job English, Arabic, and Hindi Lang, 8 years Muscat experience. Contact: 98802079 Looking for a job as light driver 3 years experience in Oman, languages Arabic, Hindi, and English.

Contact 97311715 Driver light. Contact: 94182497 Light duty driver with 3 months experience requires suitable placement. Contact: 96409814 / 97384115 Driver available with car.

Contact 96771598 Light Driver. Contact 95779594, Ruwi Sri Lankan driver. Contact: 97387112 Indian male, looking for Heavy Driver job, holding Kuwait driving license. Contact 98136170

DESIGNER Indian male, 24 years Graphic designer one year experience, B. Sc Multimedia Animation on visit visa in Oman, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 93681417

DRAUGHTSMAN Autocad Dman , Diploma in civil, exp, knows 2d, 3d, revit PH:98195161

DOMESTIC HELPER House maid looking for job.

Contact: 99879576 House maid cum cook Keralite .

Contact: 94297839 Philippina Maid is looking for Domestic job or Baby seater with experience on Nursing age and all work in the house. Call : 96369299

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian 22 years male, Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech has done internships, born and brought up in Oman with Omani driving license, seeking suitable jobs. Contact: 92791637 Email: ashwinsureshkotturethu@gmail.com Indian mechanical Engineer 31 yrs, 8+ experience in sales & BD including GCC, having Oman driving license & NOC. Contact: 97116858 Email: menonamit1984@gmail.com Electrical Engineer, B.Sc. degree/B. Tech, 4 years experience. Looking for suitable placement. Available in visit visa. Contact: 94739355, Email: mahin.eee@gmail.com MSC Electronics Female, 24 years, 1 year experience in MR Scan Testing on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 91111675 B.E in Mechanical post Graduation Diploma in piping Engineering.

Contact : 94786570 Email: asim.hajwani6@gmail.com Indian job in procurement & contract, have “13” years purchase & contract experience in infrastructure & energy sector. NOC is available.

Contact-91237036 25 years experience in Civil Engineering looking for job at consultancy from for suitable position.

Contact : 97803710 Civil Engineer 7 years experience in Oman also have vehicle driving license. Contact: 92480604

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Young BA looking for a job as Secretary / document controller, typewriting 40 W.PM shorthand also available. NOC from the present co. available. Contact: 93085851

Rent a car Incharge 39 yrs, Indian 15 yrs experience in UAE with UAE D/L seeks placement in any suitable post. Contact 99431708

Indian male, 14 yrs Experience in Maintenance & Supervisor in hotel field ( Electrical . Ac Mechanical & Plumber ) N O C available mob : 95253640 . email = hareeshma24@yahoo.com

Net working & Hardware Engineer on visit looking for immediate placement. Contact: 95634573

HOSPITALITY

Civil Engineer (diploma) 3.5 yrs exp, seeking for placement.

Contact: 95200650

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Diploma holder in Aviation Hospitality & travel management, Indian male seeking for suitable position, presently in Oman. Contact 97309707

Electrical Engr, female, B Tech (Elec), experienced in all LV/ HV systems, currently working, NOC available for local transfer. phone-92109335

Sudanese Electrical Engineer.

Email : mohamedkarrar.mk@gmail. com, contact 97452159

Jordanian Mechanical Engineer, Expertise in Manufacturing, Design, Steel Work, AutoCad, SolidWork 3D. Nesting/ Plasma Cutting, Sales. Speaking English & Russian.

GSM#90198575/99201710

BE Mechanical Engineer, 22 yrs, Indian male on permanent visa & valid driving license looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact 91652927 / 99680181, Email : fawaris.09@gmail.com

NETWORK/NETWORK SECURITY ENGG. Graduate in B.Tech CS. Have 5.3 years of experience in Network and Security devices. Certified on CCNA, CCNP, MCITP and CCIE Sec. Written passed. NOC available. Can join immediately. Contact +974-55297089, e-mail: rejad.hashim@gmail.com

Indian fresher BE Mechanical engineer having work in project of design and development of biodiesel plant seeks immediate placement. At present on visit visa.

Mo- 96636035 email - ashishthanki14@gmail.com

Bangladeshi male, BSC Engg in Civil, total 3 years experience, 2 years in Oman, looking for job.

Contact: 00968 94038642 ; email: shaikhhasib.ce@gmail.com

Looking for a job as IT Administrator having 3 yrs exp in Oman.

Contact : 95850691

(BS Electronics) Electronics Engineer searching for job experience with Huawie & HNL as Intern in site maintenance. Contact: 91803545 A male Civil Engineer with 10 years experience (03 years in Oman) in building projects execution, billing, contractual correspondence & tendering of projects is available.

The interested person can Contact: 968 91320917 Indian male 24 years B.Tech computer science & Engg fresher, having valid Oman D/L fluent in English & Hindi, smart & dedicated to work seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 97327551 / 99330159 Indian Mechanical Engineer with PG diploma in Quality & Management, 3 yrs experience seeks placement. Contact: 99493890 mail: subashpalamittam@hotmail.com B.Tech Mechanical Engineer with 2 years experience in HV AC and plumbing - nikhilchandpm@gmail. com ; GSM: 97654489 Civil Engg, B.Tech fresher Indian male currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement. # 91702450 Email: tijoct2015@hotmail.com Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 B.E in Mechanical Engineering with 2 years experience seeking for suitable job. Contact 919946739156 Email: ram332096@gmail.com B.Tech Electrical & electronics with 1 year experience seeking for suitable job. Contact: +91 949788348 Email: rakesh1.mohan@gmail.com Pakistani B.E (Chemical) Engineer having more than 02 years experience in process Industry seeks immediate placement in any industry at present on visit visa. Contact: 94350586 / 97637840

Pakistani male, Diploma in civil, total 6 years experience , 4 years in Oman, with valid D/L, looking for job.

Contact: +968 98568934; Emai: eng.arfan54@yahoo.com SUPERVISOR: Indian male site supervisor (AIR CONDITIONING) 25 years of experience with valid Oman Driving license, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 97498809, 93391910 Email: hilariankj@gmail.com Indian male, Supervisor Electrician Diploma 8 yrs in Oman. NOC available. Contact 95057068, jratheesh@yahoo.com Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com Indian male, B.Tech, B.Tech (Electronics) MBA (Marketing) having 1 yr experience as Deputy Manager Sales in Fortune 100 MNC currently on visit visa seeks suitable job.

Contact 96967234, Email: lijotitus111@gmail.com Electrical Engineer, Indian male, 29 yrs having 5 yrs of experience in industrial automation & utility maintenance in India (MRF yres) seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92789995, Email : akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Btech computer science graduate 2015 passout.. Android application marketing.. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Contact 91024385 Civil Engineer Indian male 10 yrs exp having Omani D/L looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94194399 (shiblyrock@gmail.com) Indian male, 30 yrs, Diploma in Civil Engineer, 5 yrs exp. at building construction & consulting company with Oman driving license. NOC available seeks suitable placement.

Contact 95989500, cv.shihabedappal@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (B. Tech) Indian female, 2 yrs exp (1 yr in Oman) seeks suitable position. Contact: 93911895

Indian male 25MBA having 4years Gulf experience in Coordination with contracting company .NOC Available.

Looking for(Store,Coordination,Admin ,Backoffice) Jobs Ph:95405885

Instrumentation Engineer, nearly 4 yrs experience in oil & gas industry, seeks job in Oman.

Contact 90198210, Email : terinsam@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer, 2 yrs experience in Automobile services.

Contact 98182081

Indian male 31yrs BE. Mech. 8 yrs exp Sales & marketing. Valid D/L NOC available. Contact : 97116858 Indian male, B.Tech, Mechanical Engineer having 2 yrs experience seeking suitable job. Contact 94768977, syedomer363@gmail.com Indian Male, 24, UK Graduate - MSc (Eng.) Environmental Engineering and Project Management with B.Eng. Biotechnology. Holding Valid Omani Driving License, looking for suitable placement. Contact +968 99452305

Indian Mechanical Engineer (QA/ QC) Engineer with 5 yrs of experience in oil & gas, mining & manufacturing sector, keyskills – NDT, Welding Inspection, Quality control, inspection etc. Contact 91176122, Email : khajanaseer07@yahoo.co.in Electrical and Electronics Engineer with one year experience and GCC licence holder seeking a job mail – shyjalpk@gmail.com

EDUCATION

Civil Engineer Pakistani 12+ 2 yrs Oman exp. Oman D/L seeks placement. Contact: 94392616

M.A, B.Ed Indian female 27 yrs, looking suitable teaching profession having 2 years experience.

Contact: 95838183 Email: manslyas916@gmail.com

Engineer with 3 yrs experience in Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical maintained field on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 99191535 Email: fareed029@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY

Mechanical Engineer, 23 yrs, male, having knowledge in HVAC seeks suitable placement.

Contact 95434381, Email : shuhaibusman313@gmail.com

4 Years experienced (Money exchange services & Hospitality services in Oman & India) - Indian male 27 years, graduate in Hospitality science, fluent in English, Hindi & Arabic seeks suitable placement.

Contact 91383167

IT

Indian female, B.Tech, IT (now in Muscat on visit visa) with total 2 yrs experience (1.3 yrs in TCS, India) seeks suitable placement.

Contact 93949541 / 93738083, email : joantoms91@gmail.com B.E (Computer) degree Engineer, complete schooling in Muscat, male, Indian with 1 yr experience needs job in software / networking / Java/ Web design or Marketing.

Contact 97136248 / 99313821 Sudanese female IT Tech. Support, Demographic, English fluent exp.

11.6 yrs. Contact: 96659392

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Procurement Manager 25+ yrs experience Indian with NOC+ D/L seeks placement. Contact: 97073942

29 years femaile (MBA-Finance) with 4 + years experience (India & Oman) in administration & teaching seeking suitable placement in an established organization. # 96371655.

PROJECTS Indian male, with 8 yrs exp. in Oman (BA- Graduate) working as a project Sales Coordinator, with Oman D/L, looking for suitable job, ready to join immediately with NOC, open for Sales & Marketing also.

Contact 95245057

SKILLED/ UNSKILLED Building construction supervisor looking for small Omani company to handle independently or suitable placement in good company with Oman D/L. Contact 93061107

TOURS & TRAVELS Five years experience in Travel field ,BCom., IATA & pursuing MBA, Presently working in the Travel Desk of (ITC managed) Five Star Hotel in India, looking for a suitable position in the Middleeast. pls contact 9470 5767 11 yrs experience in travel field B.Com, IATA, MCSE working for Qatar Airways, Sales reservation ticketing driving license & NOC available. Contact 92954613

SALES / MARKETING Indian male 8 yrs experienced construction purchase seeks suitable placement with NOC. Contact 95621614

Project Program & Service Management Indian male looking for suitable placement having 15 years of experience. Contact : 9686678027 Email: dileepmnair@yahoo.com

MBA (Marketing and HR) Indian male looking for a suitable job 2 years experience in Oman with a valid GCC driving license Contact : 97353936 Email: shimithpg@gmail.com

Supervisor fabrication. 30 years experienced in oil and gas industry with thorough knowledge of PDO procedures. contact 99365694, 92362946, 99208102 email: tapasroy21@yahoo . com

US, MBA, looking for job in Sales and Hospitality, 2 years experience in Oman with driving license and NOC Currently on notice period.

Contact: 95585345 Email: jobyisaac@gmail.com

Supervisor / Forman interior / electrical with Oman driving license.

Contact: 98767559

Indian male with five years experience of call centre in customer service and sales looking for suitable position. Contact: 90198176

MEDICAL Male NURSE, FILIPINO, with MOH LICENSE and NOC. Contact: 94756418 email: rojiebrian.moral@yahoo.com M.Sc Microbiologist, Indian female, 3 yrs experience seeking suitable placement in Medical Lab food or water. Contact 92302719 Male Nurse, B.Sc Nursing, experienced, passed prometric exam PH : 93837973 Veterinary Doctor with 10 yrs experience, looking for job.

Contact 92533579 BA degree Nursing professional having excellent looking for suitable placement. Contact 92955453 /91213269

MISCELLANEOUS WELDER, TIG, ARC, 6G experienced in GCC PH :95068064

Sales and marketing - male 27 yrs, 2 years experience seeking suitable placement with Oman D/L. Contact: 95642740 Email: shaijichakkara@gmail.com Post graduate 6+ yrs of experience in credit controller marketing looking for suitable job, valid Oman driving license, own car. NOC available.

Contact 95327018 Indian male, MBA, Marketing having 5 yrs experience in Sales/ Marketing in Oman seeks suitable placement. D/L & NOC available.

Contact 93815477 Sales man, experienced , knows arabic , hindi ph : 99506977 Indian male Graduate with 2 yrs exp in sales advertising, presently on visiting visa looking for suitable opening. Contact: 95462921 Indian male, 2 yrs exp. in Sales with D/L seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92055093

Upholsery / Sofa makers GCC well experienced, knows Hindi and Arabic ph :99506977

MBA, HR & Marketing, Indian, male, 25 yrs, fresher, on visit visa seeks placement. Contact 94736649 / 98207564, Email : dvengels8191@gmail.com

36 yrs, Indian, male, X Ray, Welder looking for job, 8 yrs experience in TIG & ARC Welding, presently on visit visa.Contact 91360190 / 91843992

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian looking for Supervisor, Safety officer, Camp boss or Sales Executive. Contact 94003617 Management Professional accountable, responsible for profitable management can handle the entire operations, HR/Recruitment, Business development & Sales & marketing & etc, Great organizational skills with over 23+yrs exp. in Bombay, Saudi Arabia, Dubai-UAE & Oman(11yrs) as General Manager - Publications, Printing,Media. open to any industry, can Join immediately w/NOC. Contact : +968 98864706/99574638 Mail : akdas_uae@yahoo.com

Housemaid looking for job. Cont : 95587492 Filipino (Male), 33 yrs/old, 9 yrs. experience in marine transportation (seaman/deck crew), & 3 yrs. in sales (electronic devices) currently on visit visa & looking for a suitable employment. GSM: 94750459 Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 31 years, looking for suitable placement in construction industries and oilfield industries. Having 7 years of gulf experience in fasteners and building material. Having a valid driving license. Contact: 00968 92480985, Email: fayubeig@gmail.com

Indian-22 years Male, Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech, has done internships, born and brought up in Oman, with Omani Driving License, seeking suitable jobs. Contact 92791637.

E-mail: ashwinsureshkotturethu@gmail.com Senior Accountant Indian male Graduate CA Articleship completed 18 years of experience currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement contact.97498809,93391910 Email.hilariankj@gmail.com Indian male, 30 yrs, B.Com with Tally, 8 yrs experience with Oman driving license experience in Accounts & sales seeks suitable placement. Contact 96470171 Electrical Maintenance Engineer, 29, Indian Male, having 7+ years exp. in reputed companies. Seeking suitable placement in Oman.

Contact - 98440637. Mail ID : venkatbadri23@gmail.com Indian male 22 years, Looking for suitable placement in Hardware and Networking field, 1 year exp. in india an have done training in al ameen computers. With good communication skill, Qualification is Diploma in Electronics and Communication.

Contact : - 95632209,95068075, Email- fairozhuded13@gmail.com Sudanese 29 male (Bsc computer science, diploma computer engineering), 6 yrs. experience , dba oracle pl-sql , ms sql-server ,ms visual studio vba, network, Omani Driver licence language English, Arabic. Email:chastity643@gmail. com, Mob:91415886 Indian Male, 28, B.Com, 6+ yrs exp in Accounts, 2 yrs in Oman with Valid Oman D/L, NOC available.

Contact: 9719 4864 Having 9+ years exp. in Admin & HR in reputed companies. Presently working in Muscat and seeking for suitable placement.

Contact No.: 97693456. email : muralimahdav77@gmail.com Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Accounts, IT & Administration, looking for a better position in Oman, already working in Prestigious Construction Company. Contact:95983711.Join.mtmali@gmail.com Indian male 24 years,B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 2 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer, currently on visit visa.

Seeking suitable placement. Contact no. 98045482, Email: mastanshaik1008@gmail.com Indian male 23 years, B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 4 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer, currently on visit visa.

Seeking suitable placement.

Contact no. 98045482 Email: mastanshaik1008@gmail.com Male, 32, having 7 years experience in New Car sales and rental. Currently working for one of the most reputed Brand in India is seeking a suitable change.

Contact +91 9045232273 Looking for managerial post (full time ) ,More than Ten years of experience in Team Development ,Training ,Planing, Administration, Sales & Marketing, Advertisement and Credit Control and Logistics.

Contact 91076608 /+919048648108 NOC available Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 31 years, Looking for suitable placement in CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES and OILFIELD INDUSTRIES. Having 7 years of gulf experience in FASTENERS and BUILDING MATERIAL. Having a valid D/L. Contact: 00968 92480985, Email: fayubeig@gmail.com BRANCH-HEAD, MBA-BBA, Indian Male having experience in UAE, India, Oman total 5 years (including MNC), looking for similar or same openings.NOC available. mobile: 92700670, email:catanalur131@gmail.com Accounts Head/Manager looking for job with Gulf Experience (NOC available). Contact : 94164650. email: msaleem.kr@gmail.com Indian Male, 28, B.Com, 6+ yrs exp in Accounts, 2 yrs in Oman with Valid Oman D/L, NOC available.

Contact: 9719 4864

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DAILY GUIDE

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

TOURS

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE

Car for rent. Contact: 92516090 Butter cup rent a car competitive prices new car 2016.

Contact: 97249449

Diplomat used car for sale Toyota Corolla 2010 model, mileage 19,950/, price R.O 3500 /- (negotiable).

Contact: Mohamed Azgar 95751844 / 95863739 Nissan Xterra 2010 Expat owned 90,000 k, clean car.

Contact: 93393967

HONDA CR-V 2008, purchased 2009, 4WD, Full option, No.1 model, Cruise control, leather seats, Sun roof, 1,23,000KMS, OMR 5000/-, expat leaving, for sale at SOHAR, Contact Samuel 99108311 Mazda 3,1.6, 2008 Automatic, accident free, single owner.

Contact: 92030516

Sportage, 2013. Contact 99336093 Prado ,2012. Contact : 99336093

Land Cruiser 2012.

Contact 99336093

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D7

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

Working partners required for Farm Based Trading. Contact: 94151791 Seeking financial investor / partner for short term Governmental construction project of 1.5 million Riyal Omani. Contact : 99881303

WEBSITE

COMPUTER

New company seek partnership.

Contact: 96996938 General Investors. Gsm-99674870

NRI

CLASSES

An NRI wants to sell his properties, in Ernakulam (6 cent villa near Amrita hospital), Trivandrum (plot near Kowdiar Palace), Trivandrum (plot near Kumarapuram Jn.) and Pandalam (opposite Ayyappa temple by the side of MC road).

Please call: 94052733 or 94070407 Split & widow unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080

FOR HIRE Volvo 12 Ton Truck for monthly rent. Contact: 98713900

ACC. AVAILABLE Fully furnished 1BHK with all household items in Darsait near Lulu on monthly Basis. Contact : 99378397/99493500

Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

MATRIMONIAL House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Seeking alliance for our son from Muslim families. Interested families Contact: 99889590

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

A respectable Sunni Muslim family from Hyderabad, India invites proposal for their daughter, 26 years, MSc, very fair. Contact 93671857

Sharing accommodation in CBD area for non cooking Executive bachelors, wifi free, advance deposit.

Contact 91852710

Sunni Muslim girl, Indian origin, 20 yrs BA graduate from Oman, good looking homely with good religious values, seeking alliances

Admission started in a private school, Darsait (Mount Zion Group of Institutions CBSE 1) for KG and grade 1 to 4 please register soonest.

Contact: 92088325 / 24799938

FOR EXPATS

GOOD NEWS

Room for rent with sharing bathroom & kitchen at Al Khuwair, behind Golden Spoon Restaurant.

Contact 92994415 Furnished room for Indian Bachelor in Al Falaj area (Ruwi) & Lady in Wadi Kabir (near Al Maya).

Contact 96761960 Fully furnished room for a decent expatriate. independent kitchen, bathroom in Wadi Adai.

Contact 96243086 at 5p.m.

Room attached toilet and kitchen near Indian School Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95345537

From owner plot of land near Zanzibar, airport price RO 15000.

Contact 99348943

AVAILABLE Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

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

DRIVING

Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517

1 bedroom, hall, kitchen & toilet available for family near ISD Darsait (Indians only) with wi-fi facility.

RO 150/- per month + Electricity & Water. Contact 93661570

Sharing accommodation available for working lady or couples near Ruwi Church. Contact: 92837206

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

Ayuredic massage backache, joint pain, neck pain etc. # 98254909 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

Split window cassette AC unit servicing, maintenance.

Contact: 99540621 One stop shop business services : Public Relation (PRO) formation new companies, LLC companies, Investor visa, business setup, prepare businesses & companies accounts, legal services, representing you and your company.

Contact: Saleh : 96723485 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089/95323517 All maintenance & repairs.

Contact Rizwan: 99429071, RMPM Trading.

A/C Technician, all refrigerator items, installation.

Contact: 92279370 Pest control Treatments, Cockroaches, Ants ,Rodents & Termites. Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99357908 / 99344723.

Air condition maintenance split and window A/C split a/c ducted and package type units.

Contact: 98667326

Driver for Automatic Transmission. Contact: 99040813

TRANSPORTATION Driver with car. Contact: 94004667 Pick & drop anytime in Al Ghubra.

Contact: 97681599 Transport available in Ghala, Ruwi , Ghubra, Al Khuwair & Azaiba.

Contact: 91495819

General cleaning in buildings villas all types interior, exterior, polishing dry cleaning carpets, rugs, marble etc. #94134784 / 98598280

Transportation. Contact 99664703

Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

Transport. Contact: 95190627

Transportation available.

Contact 95570429

Transportation. Contact: 96538078 General cleaning & Shampooing.

Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723 / 99357908 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

House shifting & packing.

Contact: 99657644 /98518013 A/C Maintenance & servicing, fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing. # 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281

Transportation. Contact:98522914 Transportation. Contact 99508282 Transportation. Contact: 98244078 Pick & Drop any time. #97014786

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DAILY GUIDE

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