T Weely for September 13, 2018 by Muscat Media Group

VOL 11 ISSUE 38 / SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

SCIENCE BREAKS NEW GROUND IN OMAN

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 Founder: Essa bin Mohamed Al Zedjali Chairman: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali CEO: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali

From discussing infertility to giving back to society INFERTILITY IS A JOURNEY that no one chooses to take; it just happens. Childlessness is indeed a private sorrow. The physical trauma of going through the invasive tests and diagnosis is never shared and mental stress is never discussed because infertility is not something to be talked about in public. That’s how it has been all these years, but not any more. With the recent advancement in treatment options, infertility is a widely discussed topic. After all, if we can unequivocally talk and share about medical conditions such as diabetes, heart problems, blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression and weight gain, then why not infertility? Why should the problem of infertility remain veiled by myths, inhibitions, and doubts, which if discussed well can help resolve several problems at the ground level? So let’s break the silence of infertility through our Cover Story this week by giving new insight and strength to deal with the crisis. We hope that our efforts will provide conceptual and practical solutions to cope with the physical and psychological challenges infertility and its treatment present and bring rays of hope and healing to help couples become better equipped with every aspect of what might be the greatest struggle of their lives so far. Giving back to society, be it in any form, is a great way to show that we care. Indian School Muscat’s Alumni (ISMA) is one such group that united to give back to the school and its community in Oman through many initiatives. From helping children in their career choices and facilitating their career needs to providing ﬁnancial assistance to those who are ﬁnancially weak, ISMA is trying their best to bring changes into the lives of many in their own way. Read our Special Feature to know more about their good work. —Swati Dasgupta

Editor: Charles Lavery Features Editor: Swati Dasgupta Research Editor: Ashish Dubash Associate Editor: Shruthi Nair Copy Editor: Gautam Bhargav Viswanathan Online Editor: Christopher Isaac

Graphics Editor: Antonio Farach Design Editor: Sahir K.M. Lead Designer: Gregory Fernandez Designer: Geri B. Sonny, Jerrard Cedro Production Manager: Shafi Shaik Photography: MMG Photographers On The Cover: Design by Gregory Fernandez

For general enquiries or comments: swati@timesofoman.com

Muscat Media Group AN ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED COMPANY Post Box: 770, Postal Code: 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman EDITORIAL 24726600/24726666 Ext 214 swati@timesofoman.com ADVERTISEMENT 24726600/24726666

CIRCULATION 24726600/24726666 Ext 135/136 circulation@timesofoman.com

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

WHAT’S ON 17 THIS WEEK

MONDAY Join a Class Think of something you’ve always wanted to do like learn rn dancing, music, instruments and find a class for it in Oman and nd join it. It’s never too late to learn. earn.

THURSDAY

SUNDAY

Chill Out During the summer months in Middle East, any sort of coolant is a relief. Couple it with the amusement of a sport with friends, and you have a plan for the weekend. Go ice skating in one of Muscat’s larger ice skating rinks with friends and enjoy a few fun hours.

Go Biking Buy a bicyle or rent one and start your day with a picturesque workout ride.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Watersport Weekend

Game On Head to a gaming arcade this weekend and test your video game skills and try some of the other things which they have on offer.

Exploit the beautiful beaches of Oman to learn some adrenaline gushing watersport by either enrolling into a watersport group or company or on your own.

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TUESDAY For a Cause Join a charitable trust or an NGO whose cause you believe in and help make a difference.

WEDNESDAY Chop Chop Learn a new recipe and prepare a meal for your friends and family this week.

Disenchantment (TV Series) Genre: Animation, Comedy Cast: Abbi Jacobson, Eric André, Nat Faxon The medieval misadventures of a hard-drinking princess, her feisty elf, and her personal demon.

E(Genre

First Match (Film) Genre: Drama Cast: Elvire Emanuelle, Yahya AbdulMateen II, Colman Domingo

The Rain (TV Series) Genre: Sci-ﬁ, thriller Cast: Alba August, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard

Hardened by years in foster care, a teenage girl from Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighbourhood decides that joining the boys wrestling team is the only way back to her estranged father.

After a brutal virus wipes out most of the population, two young siblings embark on a perilous search for safety.

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

OMAN’S IVF TREATMENT: MAKING PARENTS’ DREAMS COME TRUE

When a couple is trying to conceive, it means they are ready. Ready to change their lives completely, ready to take on immense amounts of responsibility and ready to welcome a new life. They start planning ahead, dreaming big, imagining situations, and preparing for the child’s future with an ecstatic eagerness to begin a new chapter of their lives.

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

magine if they are given the heartbreaking news that they cannot conceive. If you think such cases are rare, then you’re sadly mistaken. Some one in eight couples (or 12 per cent of married women) have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy, according to the National Survey of Family Growth, Centre for Disease Control. So, if a couple isn’t able to have a child, does it mean that it is the end of their hopes and dreams and nothing can be done? We are in the tech age where technology has advanced so much that there seems to be a solution for almost everything. Even medical technology has come a long way, where stem cell is a reality and we perhaps aren’t too far away from finding the cure for terminal illnesses such as cancer. Hence, there is absolutely no reason to feel hopeless when it comes to reproduction and conception, as there are a number of options available, including surrogacy, donated sperm/donated eggs, intrauterine insemination (IUI), or In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). “In IVF, you get the eggs from the woman by a special procedure and sperms from the man and then the egg is fertilised by a procedure called ICI and then it is put in the incubators to make an embryo. This embryo is then put inside the uterus,” explained Dr Majida Al Iryahim, Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, at Muscat Private Hospital. IVF is a procedure that is increasingly gaining ground in Oman, where more and more people are warming up to this as an alternative procedure if natural means don’t work. IVF is an assisted reproductive technology, where the process of fertilisation takes place by extracting the eggs, retrieving a sperm sample, and then manually combining an egg and sperm in

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

IVF IS A PROCEDURE THAT IS INCREASINGLY GAINING GROUND IN OMAN, WHERE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE WARMING UP TO THIS AS AN ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE IF NATURAL MEANS DON’T WORK.

a laboratory dish. There are a number of hospitals in the Sultanate that provide IVF services to their patients. There are trained medical and nursing practitioners and embryologists who make patients feel as though they are in safe hands. Years ago, it would’ve been considered as a dead end for couples who weren’t able to conceive naturally. Other options were not even heeded to. But that has completely changed now with a general societal acceptance and awareness of the different safe options that abide by one’s religious, cultural, and personal beliefs. “This is not a taboo because we adhere to the culture and beliefs of the country. We don’t consider sperm donors, embryo donors, or surrogacy. The conﬁdentiality is still very important to a lot of people. But nowadays, more and more people are relaxed about it. Awareness has improved a lot thanks to the internet, media and education,” she said. There are a number of men and women in Oman suffering from fertility disorders and are slowly breaking the taboo and coming out in the open to discuss it without shying away from addressing the problem. In fact, there are certain private social media groups where doctors, patients, and those who are trying to get pregnant come together to understand it better. “This group is a women-only group, specifically women trying to conceive, and women undergoing, or thinking of undergoing fertility treatment in Oman. A safe place to discuss all things fertility in the context of where we are, including pre-testing, testing, preparation, IVF and fertility procedures, specific clinics, laws, links to academic studies, natural therapies and supplements, etc., but most of all a

place where women can support each other and make educated decisions on their fertility journey in a safe environment,” is the description of the IVF and Infertility Support Group – Oman. “There may be a number of reasons for infertility, the dominant ones apart from medical conditions and disorders in the man and woman, being the current lifestyle that includes unhealthy food habits and the lack of exercise, overexposure to certain environment factors, smoking and drinking, etc. There might also be internal unavoidable factors such as abnormal sperm production, genetic diseases, ovulation disorders and the likes. Infertility is becoming a common problem and hence it is becoming paramount to address it. Not only is the number of patients approaching hospitals with fertility disorders high, but the success rate of the treatment is also quite impressive. “Every month, we see in the range of around 50 new patients on an average. But all of them do not necessarily go for IVF. The success rate is related to age and obesity. The average success rate universally would be 25 to 30 per cent per cycle,” the doctor said. That IVF has helped parents achieve their dream is visible as one walks through the alleyways of the IVF facility at the Muscat Private Hospital. You see the walls adorned with quotes, gratitude cards, and adorable pictures of babies that were sent by happy parents whose smiles were returned to their faces because of IVF. “Our little miracle has arrived, but without you it would not have been possible,” said one quote, while another read, “There are very few words to describe my thanks for your efforts in making our dream come true.” —shruthi@timesofoman.com

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

Once we’ve left school, we don’t tend to go back there too often. Yes, we might pop in to visit our teachers, the selﬂess, dedicated and sincere people who helped us become the people we are today; we might drop by to say thank you to the kind assistants who aided us when we needed it the most, but beyond discussing the memories we shared with our classmates, there is little involvement we have with school.

o every unwritten rule, though, there is an unwritten exception. Meet Mukund Manohar, Aishwarya Hegde, Tanu Bheda, Nabeel Najeeb, Chethan Mallya, Ahmed Behlim, and Dr Matthew Varghese. Today, Indian School Muscat’s Alumni (ISMA) attempts to give back to the school and its community in Oman through a series of initiatives, including networking events for alumni to meet each other and improve their contacts, mentoring children who are unsure of what they want to do in the future and putting students in touch with alumni who either live overseas or have graduated from universities they plan to attend in the future, so as to provide them a source of help and comfort, should they need it, when they are so far away from home. But one of the initiatives that has been so close to the hearts of all seven members of the ISMA core committee has been their ‘Sponsor a Child Campaign’, which aimed at providing ﬁnancially disadvantaged families who were monetarily weak, with the money they required to continue their child’s education. An initiative that was among the ﬁrst that was aired when the new ISMA core committee was formed about a year ago, the Sponsor a Child campaign was made public on

MEET INDIAN SCHOOL MUSCAT’S ALUMNI AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL OF OMAN TO FOLLOW September 5, Teachers’ Day in India and Indian Schools across the world, with a live website to be launched soon, enabling the more than 40,000 ISMA across the world to contribute to such a noble cause. That is not the only way that ISMA has reached out to the community. Since assuming office last year, a series of charity fundraising matches were planned for people to donate towards these worthy causes. One cricket and one football tournament have already taken place, with assistance from the school and the Oman Cricket Association, and another event is planned for November this year. Proceeds from such events go into an ISMA fund, which is then used to run their activities. “I think the reason there has never been a strong focus on establishing an alumni community here is because all of us are expatriates in Oman, and so our time here is quite limited,” Mukund told T weekly. “Yes, we all have that connection to the school but we don’t know for how long we are here, so we don’t know how long that connection will last. If you look at universities in the United States and the UK, the culture of an alumni association is very strong, and there are so many things that the association does for students, and I think we must have that spirit as well. School has given us so much and asked for very little in return, so I don’t think of

this as a burden, but a responsibility that all of us must have.” While Mukund serves as President, Tanu Bheda, who passed out in 2005, serves as Secretary, while Aishwarya Hegde, ISMA Joint Secretary, completed her schooling a year prior to that. “When you grow up in a place such as Oman, there is sometimes a bit of a bubble you are in, and that kind of bursts when you get out into the open world,” said Bheda. “That can sometimes be quite a lot to take in, because you are in a new place, with new people and a new culture and it can sometimes be difficult to adjust to. All of us had no one to help us experience what you can term as a culture shock and we had to do it ﬁrst-hand, so we realised the difficulties you have when you travel abroad or back home to India, particularly to study. In the States, for example, you have to do a lot of things yourself, and you don’t know where to turn to. When you go overseas, it always helps if you have someone you know there because then you are not alone when you ﬁrst arrive, before you make friends.” Hegde added: “A lot of times, people reach out to us on Facebook, where we have a dedicated alumni page to answer such questions, and wherever possible, we will reach out to people and ask them to help out those who need it. We have

a dedicated database of people who are part of our alumnus website, and they are spread across the world, so if we have someone who can help our students, we will definitely put them in touch. I think that with the exception of South America, we’ve got ISM alumni across every continent. Being Oman’s biggest expat school at least in terms of attendance does help us a lot in this matter.” While the rest of the alumni members passed out of school after the new millennium, Dr Matthew Varghese, who works as an eye specialist for the Ministry of Health in Rustaq, finished school in 1991. He’s seen it all and heard it all, and jumped at the opportunity to become part of the ISMA committee. Varghese, truth be told, was the most excited among the seven alumni to be interviewed for this piece. “A lot of times, and this is the mentality certain parents had when I was in school: that there were certain safe bets when it came to taking a career,” he recalled. “We had plans to hold mentoring sessions for students, and among the most common questions we were asked was how safe it was to go into the fields that were not so well-known. Obviously, being a doctor or an engineer is considered to be a safe profession because you can earn well and you are stable, but one of the most important pieces of advice I would give would be to

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

ISMA CORE COMMITTEE Mukund Manohar (President) Tanu Bheda (Secretary) Aishwarya Hegde (Joint Secretary) Nabeel Najeeb (Treasurer) Chethan Mallya (Executive Committee Member) Ahmed Behlim (Executive Committee Member) Dr. Mathew Varghese (Executive Committee Member)

ISMA LINKS Official Website: http://alumni.ismoman.com Alumni Database Registration: http://alumni. ismoman.com/register Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ismaconnect/ WhatsApp: +968 9988 6521 Instagram: @ismaconnect

follow your passion.” “Today, it is becoming more and more common to take up professions that we maybe would not have taken up in the past, because of two reasons – ﬁrstly, we didn’t know that such diverse professions existed, and secondly, our most important priority was a stable and secure life,” added Varghese. “Now that the current generation is better-off than we were, they

can do what they want to do and earn well while doing it.” Mentoring sessions held at ISM are designed to be a place for students to voice their concerns about what the future holds for them, and offer them a safe space without the questions their parents would ask them. But while events in the classroom are important, Chethan Mallya and Ahmed Behlim said events outside it are just as vital.

“What we do is all about the community,” said Behlim, in whose offices the interviews with the ISMA core committee took place. “When we first decided to raise funds, we were thinking about how we could do this in a way that would involve the community. Then we realised that everyone here likes to play sports, so that would be a good way for the community to interact with each other. Then we asked ourselves, what is the sport people here like to play the most?” “Football was the answer we all came upon,” said Mallya, picking up where his fellow executive committee member left off. “In the beginning, we didn’t want to do it on too grand a scale because we didn’t want to do something that was really big in the planning stage, only to see it fall flat. We pitched this idea to the school management, and the first ever event we had was a teachers versus students football match.” In the beginning, admit the duo, it was a bit difficult to get people to participate, because nothing like this had been done before. What the ISMA core committee had was plenty of passion, and that was rewarded in the form of a tremendous outpouring of support from fellow alumni across Oman. Word of mouth, is after all, the strongest advertiser. “We began approaching fellow alumni who we knew would be interested in contributing, and they were really keen to do so,” added Ahmed. “All of them were like us – they wanted to help out with the school but didn’t really know how to do so. When we told them what we were doing and what help we needed from them, we didn’t need to ask them twice. One alumnus provided us kits, while the other provided us with the medals and trophies we gave to the teams. Initially, we struggled to get people to come forward, but by the end of it, our football event was so popular that we had to close registrations because so many people wanted to play.” “We also have to give thanks to the school here,” said Chethan. “Whenever we needed help, the school administration and management committee

were on hand to help us. If we needed a supplier for water, for example, they would connect us with someone. They were really helpful in coming forward and organising the juice and the snacks and everything else that was needed for the event, and of course, they gave us the football pitch to use for our event, which is great, because normally the school does not let anyone else use it.” That football game would set the template for other charity games organised by ISMA. The word was now on the street – a passionate group of alumni were keen to use the name of the school for the good of everyone, and this time, everyone was happily queuing up to offer them their time and resources. With the momentum going continuously upwards, Nabeel Najeeb, the ISMA Treasurer, said it was a huge honour bestowed upon him and the rest of the seven. “Honestly, we are starting from scratch here because none of us have ever done anything like this before,” said Najeeb, who ﬁnished his Class X from ISM in 2000. “To us, every day is a new day in terms of learning something, much like it was at school, and sometimes you just have to sit back and smile and look at the similarities. Right now, the money we earn goes into an ISMA fund and we will then decide how to use that for our various activities.” “If you had told me one year ago that we would be where we are today, I would not have believed it because we are doing really well in terms of giving back,” he added. “I consider it an honour and privilege to be a part of ISMA, and I think the others will be on the same page as I am. Right now, we are growing, but we know there will be a point when we will plateau and that will be another challenge that we are looking forward to. Our main responsibility will always be towards helping the school in any way that we can. We must always remember that there will be someone who comes after us and we must leave them a legacy they will be proud to follow.” – gautam@timesofoman.com

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Oman has always had a long and storied history with the sea. Fish is a staple diet for many of the communities here in the Sultanate. Our culinary expert brings you these four lip smacking sea food recipes to try next time.

RECIPES ONEZA TABISH

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Ingredients

Preparation

• 500g King ﬁsh ﬁllets • 1 cup onion, chopped • 3cm ginger • 4 pods garlic crushed • 4 dry red chillies • 3 green chillies • 4 tablespoons mustard oil • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder • Salt to taste •Juice of 1 small lemon • Coriander leaves to garnish

Cut fish into slices. Wash well. Apply some turmeric powder and salt to fish and wash again to remove any foul odour. Grind onion with ginger, garlic, 3 red chillies, and green chillies to a paste. Heat oil in a wok. Add one dry red chilli, mustard, fenugreek and cumin seeds. When they are fragrant and splutter, add the ground paste, garam masala powder and sauté well. Add the fish slices and sauté lightly. Add turmeric and season with salt. Add a dash of lime juice. Add about 1 cup of water and let it simmer till the fish is cooked and the gravy is thick. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Ingredients

Preparation

• 1 kg salmon ﬁllet • 2 tablespoons butter melted • 1 lemon • Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Line a pan with foil and grease. Place salmon on the pan and brush with melted butter. Season with salt and pepper and squeeze 1/2 of the lemon over top. Sprinkle crumb mixture over salmon. Bake uncovered 13-17 minutes or until salmon ﬂakes easily and is cooked.

TOPPING OR CRUMB MIX • 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs • 3 cloves garlic minced • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced • Zest from one lemon • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese shredded

Ingredients

Preparation

• 3 whole pomfrets — cut in steak style • Salt, to taste • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder • Banana leaves, as required

Rub each slice of fish with a little salt and the turmeric and set aside whilst you proceed with the chutney. Grind the coconut with all the remaining chutney ingredients in a food processor to a thick paste, adding a little more water if necessary. Coat each slice of fish with the coconut chutney on either side. Remove the stems on the banana leaves and trim the sides. Cut them into squares big enough to wrap each fish piece. Wrap each piece of coated fish in a piece of banana leaf. Tie with string or wrap firmly, keeping the folded side at the bottom to prevent the chutney from coming out. Place the fish in a steamer over a pan of simmering water, cover and steam for 20 minutes until the fish is cooked. Transfer to serving plates and remove the string if tied. The fish is served in the banana leaf.

FOR CHUTNEY • 1 coconut, grated • 1 large bunch of coriander • 4-5 green chillies • 6-8 garlic cloves • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds • 1 tablespoon sugar • Juice of 1 small lemon • 1 large bunch of mint

Ingredients

Preparation

• 1 cup mayonnaise • 4 tablespoons double cream • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup • 1 teaspoon Tabasco • Juice of 1 small lemon • 500g pre-cooked prawns frozen (shell removed and deveined) • 1 medium lettuce, washed and shredded • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, double cream and ketchup. Add the Tabasco, then stir in the lemon juice until well combined. Season to taste. After thawing for an hour stir in the prawns, reserving 4 to garnish. Divide the shredded lettuce between 4 glasses. Top with the prawn cocktail mixture and garnish each with a prawn and cayenne pepper sprinkles.

Oneza Tabish is a food blogger, consultant, and columnist based in Oman. She is also the owner of Oman’s popular Facebook group ‘What’s Cooking Oman.’

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

FASHION TIPS YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T HEAR OFTEN STORY ANTARA BOSE

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

EVERYBODY KNOWS THE BASICS OF FASHION NOW, RIGHT? THAT’S WHY WE COMPILED A LIST OF OFFBEAT TIPS FROM FASHION EXPERTS THAT YOU DON’T HEAR EVERY NOW AND THEN. SURE, THEY SOUND RIGHT, BUT HOW MANY DO YOU ACTUALLY PRACTICE?

DRESSING-ROOM RULE – It’s a good idea to always have on the right innerwear when trying out outfits. Don’t assume that a dress would look right if you wore a different undergarment. It backfires so many times. DO A 360-DEGREE – Always make it a point to get a good look at yourself in a new dress from all angles. You can even sit down, cross your legs, walk around a bit to see how the dress flows. Sometimes a slit might be too deep, the sides unflattering or the back too open. It’s not always how it appears from front.

NUDES ARE A SAFE BET, ALWAYS – Wearing a lot of colours and can’t figure the heels to go with it? If you want to play it safe, just go for a pair of nude heels. Owing to the neutrality of the shade, nudes go with pretty much everything. Some say nudes are even safer than blacks! CHECK FOR TRANSPARENCY – Especially if you’re wearing a lighter shade. Check yourself in different lights to avoid any unwanted snickering. WATCH THE LENGTH OF YOUR TROUSERS – They might feel just right when you’re on your feet but when you throw on your heels it could end up looking strangely short. It could also work the other way round if you’ve only worn a pair with heels. If you decide to ditch the heels for a day on flats, you might just end up tripping clumsily all over. KNOW YOUR CUT – We all have been blessed with a certain body type and it’s a good idea to understand it, embrace it and dress according to it. Experiment with different styles until you figure what works for you; then stick to it. CARE FOR YOUR CLOTHES – How you keep your dress prolongs the life of it. Read the washing instructions, make sure you get rid of any stains as soon as you can and give them space to breathe instead of stuffing it all together.

INSIDE CHECK – Remember how people always fuss about how you should be from the inside. Well, apply the same principle to your dresses. If you aren’t sure about the quality of a dress, turn it inside-out and see how the lining of the dress is, how it has been stitched and take note of other such details that are not visible from the outside. TAKE PICTURES OF YOUR FAVOURITES – Whether you’re wearing it or you see it at a store window. If you like how a particular ensemble looks, record it immediately. You can replicate this again in your own way. WIDER BELTS FOR FULLER WAISTS – Wearing a wide belt around the waist covers up unnecessary bulges. It actually makes your waistline look smaller and you curvier.

Antara Bose is a model turned fashion and beauty consultant. A popular blogger, anchor, and voice over artist, she maintains a deep connection with the local fashion industry and is passionate about discovering and celebrating aspiring talent as well as promoting animal rights. For fashion updates with a side of humour and sarcasm follow Antara on instagram @antarabose and on Facebook: Antara Bose.

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

O T H E R

FINAL SCORE Cast: Dave Bautista, Pierce Brosnan, Ray Stevenson

MANMARZIYAAN Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Vicky Kaushal, Tapsee Pannu

JULIET, NAKED Cast: Chris O’Dowd, Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne

An ex-soldier ﬁghts against a terrorist organisation that has taken an entire soccer stadium hostage.

What does her heart really want? The ﬁlm is a love story set in Punjab where Abhishek Bachchan, Tapsee Pannu, and Vicky Kaushal will be seen in prominent roles.

Juliet, Naked is the story of Annie (the long-suffering girlfriend of Duncan) and her unlikely transatlantic romance with once revered, now faded, singersongwriter, Tucker Crowe, who also happens to be the subject of Duncan’s musical obsession.

R E L E A S E S

T H I S

W E E K

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THE PREDATOR Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Tremblay, Trevante Rhodes From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home in Shane Black’s explosive reinvention of the Predator series. Now, the universe’s most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a young boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.

RANAM Malayalam Cast: Celine Joseph, Mathew Arun, Prithviraj Sukumaran

U TURN Telugu Cast: Rahul Ravindran, Samantha Ruth Prabhu

In Detroit’s bleak neighbourhoods, the gangs depend on a code of silence. Trapped in a life of crime, a mysterious getaway driver, lives with this code of conduct and protects his only friend. When he meets someone who can potentially change his entire world, he yearns at a chance for redemption.

A reporter must hunt for the truth behind a strange murder after she crosses paths with a young cop and becomes the investigation’s prime suspect.

COMING SOON

Running At: Vox Cinemas, City Cinemas

JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN Cast: Ben Miller, Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson

BATTI GUL METER CHALU Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Yami Gautam, Anna Ador

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

SUDOKU

HOW TO PLAY Fill empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column, and area.

Level | Easy

2 8

1 1

6 2

7 5

Times News Service

Level | Moderate

6 1

8 6

Level | Difficult

3 2

3 8 4

1 3

9 7 2 6 5 1 3

8 4 6 7 3 2 9

4 8 1 3 7 5 6

7 2 9 5 4 8 1

6 9 3 8 1 4 5

4 9 1 6 5 2 8 3 7

5 8 3 1 7 4 6 9 2

3 9 4 6 2 5 8 1 7

6 2 1 8 4 7 9 5 3

8 7 5 9 3 1 4 6 2

5 4 7 3 6 2 1 8 9

9 8 6 7 1 4 2 3 5

2 1 3 5 9 8 7 4 6

7 5 9 4 8 3 6 2 1

4 6 2 1 5 9 3 7 8

1 3 8 2 7 6 5 9 4

6 3 2 9 1 7 5 4 8

1 7 8 6 5 4 3 2 9

9 5 4 3 2 8 7 1 6

5 2 1 8 6 3 4 9 7

7 4 6 5 9 2 8 3 1

3 8 9 4 7 1 2 6 5

2 1 5 7 3 6 9 8 4

4 6 7 2 8 9 1 5 3

8 9 3 1 4 5 6 7 2

THIS WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

Difficult

Medium

Easy

therefore gain access to a steady stream of reinforcements if needed. orld War II for America began Yankee soldiers rely more on their arat Pearl Harbour. December 7, mour, and players will need to be careful 1941: A date, which will live in early on in the game, using cover and movinfamy. ing tactically to out-think the enemy. The Although they viewed the attack on Ha- US faction as a whole tends to have tanks waii as an unprecedented success, the Jap- that can pack quite a punch, but their inanese were afraid that in provoking Ameri- fantry are worse off as compared to Soviet, ca, they had woken up a sleeping giant, and German, and British forces. filled it with a terrible resolve. Franklin DeWhat makes the Ardennes Assault more lano Roosevelt’s call of Americans in their challenging, but enjoyable at the same time, righteous might fighting through to com- is that American soldiers are seldom replete victory struck a chord with many in inforced in this campaign. Players choose the US, as they committed their full might from four companies: Able (Airborne), Fox to joining Britain, France and the Soviet (Rangers), Baker (mechanised) and Dog Union in their fight against Adolf Hitler’s (support), each of which has its own adrule against the defenceless. vantages. While the US Airborne can call By 1944, the Allies had in for paratroopers to drop orchestrated the biggest in and fighter aircraft to THE SHORT AND SKINNY amphibious troop landing gun down the enemy, Baker on the beaches of France, Company can ask for tanks Name: Company of Heroes 2 – using their air forces and to be brought into the batthe Ardennes Assault naval fleets to land huntlefield to turn the tide of the Genre: Historical RTS dreds of thousands of battle. Steady how you go, Produced by: SEGA and Relic troops as part of the Northough: German troops on Entertainment mandy Landings, had liberthe Western Front are just What it’s about: While Soviet forces ated France, and were now as brutal as their counterfight against Adolf Hitler’s Third pushing their way into the parts on the Eastern Front, Reich from the East, American forces heart of the Third Reich. and a seemingly innocuous have finally landed on European soil The Ardennes Assault exmistake can undo several to help liberate the Allies from the pansion pack for Company hours of precious gameplay. Nazi jackboot, and you’re the one of Heroes 2 puts gamers German soldiers that commanding them. among the American troops retreat now move to the Where to buy: Amazon, Steam, that led the liberation of next German strongpoint Company of Heroes website, Games Western Europe during and reinforce the garrison Planet, Geekay Games, Souq.com World War II. The events there. Ardennes Assault is Platforms: PC, Mac OSX of the Ardennes Assault run a much tougher proposiIGN Rating: 8.4/10 in parallel to that of the tion over the 18 missions main game, which saw Soyou play, but it’s a lot more viet troops first absorb, and fun because each obstacle then repel the Germans overcome is a small victory, who committed the irreversible blunder spurring you on towards the next one. of invading the USSR: General Winter had From the time your troopers step onto defeated one conqueror in Napoleon, and Belgian soil, they’re, for the most part, now he was banishing a second in Hitler. on their own. Soviet infantrymen knew The single player Ardennes Assault is a that the tanks and heavy artillery were on standalone feature, which means you don’t their way, but with the Allies engaging the need to have the main game to run this one. enemy all across Western Europe and There are many key differences between the Scandinavia (and the Americans bogged Soviet and American campaigns: Soviet gen- down against the Japanese as well) there erals specialised in overwhelming the enemy really isn’t much to go around. Yes, High through the force of sheer numbers, which Command has taken care of you, but for was reflected in-game in the form of quick the most part, you’ll need to take care of production time and low cost. Players could yourself. – gautam@timesofoman.com

COMPANY OF HEROES 2 – THE ARDENNES ASSAULT

TIMES DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

IN FOCUS Indian School Wadi Kabir celebrated the 72nd Independence Day of India with patriotic fervour on the Senior School grounds.

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

Omantel Investor Conference focuses on creating long-term shareholder value O

mantel, the leading provider of integrated telecommunications services in the Sultanate, hosted an investor conference recently with an objective to discuss company’s business prospects with investor communities. The Omantel Investor Conference, organised in cooperation with Gulf Baader Capital Markets (GBCM), was held at Kempinski Hotel, Al Mouj Muscat. Omantel chief executive highlighted in his presentation to the investors the company’s future strategy to create growth opportunities and deal with the changing and challenging telecom environment in addition to the recent acquisition of a strategic stake in Zain Group and the underlying potential commercial and operational synergies opportunities between the two operators. Omantel CEO updated the audience on the steps taken by Omantel to maintain its leadership and create long term value for its shareholders. The event was also a platform for networking, innovation-showcasing and knowledgesharing. Talal Said Marhoon Al Mamari, CEO of Omantel said, “We were pleased to host this investor conference. The purpose of the meeting was to deliberate on the company’s business prospects with investor communities. We were able to showcase Omantel’s market characteristics and growth opportunities as well as sector updates. The conference provided an effective engagement with the key stakeholders especially on the post-acquisition of Zain Group and how it is transforming Omantel from a single country incumbent, into a major MENA operator.” He added, “During the meet, we were able to outline the company’s various on-

going strategic and operational plans and recent Omantel initiatives to diversify and maintain its revenue such as Zain acquisition, establishment of a dedicated ICT unit to capitalise on the available business opportunities in addition to expansion of Omantel wholesale and international business. Omantel made investments in areas that have potential growth, where we have strategic advantages that will allow us to excel citing the example in the investments in submarine cable systems. With active participation from the conference attendees, the investor conference produced unique insights on the opportunities and challenges. Omantel will continue to empower the digital society to ﬂourish, allowing new ways of doing business and

delivering an even enhanced customer experience, leveraging Zain expertise in these areas.” The conference began with a presentation on Omantel’s growth through international mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to safeguard and enhance long term shareholder value. The presentation highlighted Omantel’s recent acquisition of Zain shares, bringing control in Zain group. Elucidating how the Zain association is impacting overall business, the presentation illustrated how the transformational transaction propelled Omantel and Zain into a new era, bringing together a unique portfolio of leading telecom operations with balanced features between proﬁtability and growth potential. The transaction

is expected to bring economies of scale and sizable synergies making the new group more agile and efficient. The second session of the conference included a presentation on sector challenges and opportunities. The presentation evaluated how Omani telecom market dynamics were changing substantially with core telecom markets gradually saturating and competitive pressure increasing. The session reiterated on the need for Omantel to boldly react to the market dynamics to safeguard its position and grab growing opportunities, encapsulated in Omantel Corporate Strategy 3.0. The session also highlighted the way in which Oman has become a key regional hub with access to 20 submarine cable systems, which supported Omantel to grow revenues despite increasing competition in domestic market. It revealed how Omantel successfully used its cable landing stations to transform Oman into a major regional content hub supporting over 40 operators in the region and beyond. The session concluded emphasising the importance of the international diversiﬁcation and various initiatives by the management to create and sustain the foundation for a long-term shareholder value. The conference concluded by emphasising on the need for Omantel to diversify revenue streams through international investment and to implement the initiatives proposed by the management to create and sustain long term shareholders value taking into consideration the current economic environment that offers better growth potential for large entities with expanded and diversiﬁed geographical operations.

SUMITOMO OFFERS NEXT-GENERATION, PREMIUM JAPANESE TYRES IN OMAN

or motorists in the Sultanate of Oman, Sumitomo Tyres – the nextgeneration, premium-quality international tyre manufacturer with a prestigious 400-year-old Japanese heritage – are now available at Eint Automotive LLC locations and their authorised dealerships throughout the country. Sumitomo Tyres available in Oman include Sumitomo HTR (High Technology Radials) performance tyres, and Enhance touring tyres for passenger cars. In addition to this, the Eint Automotive dealership offers Enhance and Encounter tyres for crossovers, SUVs and light trucks. Headquartered in Kobe, Japan, and represented in 108 locations in 65 countries across the globe, and with manufacturing facilities in Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, China and Thailand, Sumitomo are a truly international brand, compet-

ing on the basis of product value and real world performance. The company has been rated as one of the top ten tyre manufacturers in the

world, and enjoys a well-earned reputation for innovative design and superior quality. Now, in 2018, in Oman, by standing ﬁrmly upon traditions of the past and focusing on the possibilities of the future, the company is set to continue creating unmatched tyre value and performance for both passenger car drivers and truck drivers – as well as business owners with an eye for safety, reliability, fuel-efficiency, and greater functionality for their transport ﬂeets. Sumitomo combines the highest grade materials with precision engineering, and highly innovative research and design initiatives – with the Sumitomo Tyres proving grounds being their test track facilities at Okayama, Asahikawa, and Nayoro in Japan. Combined with the company’s over 400-year-old Japanese history and herit-

age, the result is a range of tyres that offer unmatched value for consumers by focusing on the possibilities of the future, while standing ﬁrmly upon traditions of the past. The Sumitomo story follows that of the company’s founder, Masatomo Sumitomo, who insisted upon the principles of reliability and trust, and a set of beliefs that focused on integrity and sound management practices when he opened the original Sumitomo shop in Kyoto, Japan, over 400 years ago. Sumitomo recognised that it takes spirit and substance to continually replenish a business – similar to the process of harnessing the ﬂow of a stream. With this in mind, the Japanese geta symbol was chosen to represent Sumitomo’s ideas as it literally translates as “well frame” – a crosshatch framework designed to access an underground spring or well.