28 235
6 085010 120010
MANDY’S SECRET PASSION IS TO JUST SLOB AROUND She was a pop sensation at 15, a movie star at 20, dated tennis idol Andy Roddick, has six bestselling albums, stars in the block-busting TV drama Advocates — and likes nothing better than “slobbing around with my husband watching TV and having an early night!”. >B5
THURSDAY, November 28, 2013 / 24 MUHARRAM 1435 AH
timesofoman.com
M AU R I TA N I A , A L B A N I A
HM sends greetings MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Islamic Republic of Mauritania on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty has expressed his greetings, along with his well wishes of good health and happiness to the Mauritanian president and the people of Mauritania progress and prosperity.
His Majesty the Sultan has also sent a cable of greetings to President Bujar Nishani of Republic of Albania on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty has expressed his greetings, along with his well wishes of good health and happiness to the Albanian president and the people of Albania progress and prosperity. -ONA
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Students celebrate National Day with Arabic rap song REJIMON K
reji@timesofoman.com
ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company
Dubai declared host of 2020 World Expo ing the world” and promised visitors an “unforgettable experience” if it won the bid. The victory for Dubai means the World Expo will be hosted by an Arab country for the first time.
The event will be hosted by an Arab country for the first time
GOING VIRAL
MUSCAT: An Arabic rap song produced by three Omani college students to celebrate the 43rd National Day is going viral on Youtube. Within 48 hours after being uploaded on Youtube, the song that captured the live moments of celebrations of the National Day, has already received more than 50,000 hits at the time of filing of this report. Produced under the banner of Creative Group, an art lovers’ group at the Sultan Qaboos University, the song thanks His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and praises Oman’s land and people. “We wanted to do something different for this National Day. So, we planned to do a rap song. We were not expecting that this will go viral. We are happy. We are getting good response,” Fa-
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PARIS: Dubai yesterday beat off opposition from Brazil, Russia and Turkey to win the right to host the 2020 World Expo. Dubai beat Russia’s Ekaterinberg in the final round of voting to clinch a prestigious event that is credited with delivering a huge boost to tourism and business in the host city. Dubai won 116 votes in the third round, comfortably beating Ekaterinberg with 47. There was one abstention. The four candidate cities,
VICTORY CELEBRATIONS: Fireworks illuminate the sky around
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa after the city was chosen to host the World Expo 2020, yesterday. — AFP
which also included Brazil’s Sao Paulo and Turkey’s Izmir, had pulled out all the stops during the 20 minute presentations before voting by the 168 member states of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE), which oversees the
organisation of the events. The UAE kicked off the presentations by pitching Dubai as a futuristic, glitzy city. The UAE Minister Reem Al Hashimi told the meeting that Dubai was a city “capable of host-
227,000 new jobs According to the UAE officials, 40 per cent of the estimated 227,000 new jobs expected to be created as a result of Expo will be in the tourism and travel sectors. The site chosen for the event, is spread over 438 hectares (1,082 acres) and located between the international airports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. Brazil had roped in famed Brazilian composer and musician Gilberto Gil to garner votes for its candidate city, Sao Paulo. The World Expo, a modern-day successor to the Great Exhibitions of the 19th and early 20th centuries, showcases technology, architecture and culture. — AFP
TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES
NATIONAL FERVOUR: The
album was shot at different locations in Muscat where celebrations were held on the National Day.
had Al Zuhuli, the manager of Creative Group who coordinated the making of the song, told the Times of Oman. The album was shot in different spots in Muscat where celebrations were held on the National Day. >A2
Messi look-alike makes headlines
A11
OMAN
Oman donates $1.8m to Smithsonian Museum
1
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art announced that Oman has given $1.8 million to support a series of programmes celebrating Omani and East African arts and culture. >A2
PAKISTAN
ETCETERA
Raheel is army chief
Pop singer’s hunch
2
3
Pakistan named General Raheel Sharif new army chief. He will take over from Gen Ashfaq Kayani. >A9
Avril Lavigne had a hunch that her new album was all over the place before she decided to act. >B8
A2
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 0 1 3
OMAN
The biplane manoeuvres include loops, rolls, stall turns and inverted flight while the aircraft is moving up to 150mph and a ‘G’ force of up to 4G. Breathtaking manoeuvres >A5
S AV O U R I N G S U C C E S S
REPORT
< FROM
A1 Rap song commemorates National Day “We just didn’t want the song to be recorded in a studio. We wanted to capture the live moments from the celebrations. That idea has become a success. Faizal Al Shibli, rapper and writer, performed well and the editor and cameraman Ahmed Al Rashid Al Shibli has done a very commendable job,” Fahad added. The song also beautifully features the landscapes and edifices of Oman and this is the first time a rap song is being aired as part of the National Day celebrations. Lyrics “It took almost three weeks to prepare the song. First we decided on the spots. Faizal needed one week to do the lyrics and practise
ver, the unity among the Omanis,” Ahmed said, adding that it was a blessing to be born and to grow up in Oman. According to the rapper-lyricist, this is for the first time that a Youtube video is getting these many hits.
Ahmed Rashid Al Shibli
Faizal Al Shibli
the song, and it took nearly one week for the final cut and editing. Anyway, the success and the good reviews that we have been getting are encouraging.
“We are all happy,” Ahmed said. “We are thanking His Majesty the Sultan, praising the progress the country has achieved under his wise leadership and moreo-
Message from heart “The message was from our heart. That’s why it has become a big success. For a video uploaded in Oman to get this much of hits is quite difficult. But as the message was from our heart, it has brought success. It only took three days to do the lyrics. Ahmed and Fahad have done a great job,” Faizal, who wants to be known as an underground rapper, said.
Average Omani family income rises by OMR78 FAHAD AL MUKRASHI
fahad@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: The average income of the Omani family has increased from OMR860 in 2006 to OMR1,172 in 2010, an increase of OMR78 per year, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information. Similarly, the average income of an Omani individual has increased by OMR10 during this period, reaching OMR144. The report also points out that 11 per cent of the Omani families
earn not more than OMR350 due to the difference in the income of men and women. The report shows that the average income in case of men increased by an additional OMR6, compared to women. The report indicates that the average actual spending for an Omani family rose from OMR609 to OMR730 during the period 2006 to 2010 and that an Omani family spends, on an average, one-third of their monthly budget on food and beverages.
Oman donates $1.8m to Smithsonian Museum This is the largest single donation to the museum
STAFF REPORTER
WASHINGTON: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art yesterday announced that the Sultanate of Oman has given $1.8 million to support a series of programmes celebrating Omani and East African arts and culture. In a press release, the museum announced that “this is the largest single donation to the museum to date. This partnership has been made possible by the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Centre in Washington, D.C.” The National Museum of African
MEMORABLE GIFT: From left: Virginia Clark, director of advance-
ment, Smithsonian; Hunaina Sultan Ahmed Al Mughairy, ambassador of Oman to the United States; Richard Kurin, Smithsonian’s under secretary for history; Johnnetta Betsch Cole, director, Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art and mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. - Photo courtesy Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art
Art is the nation’s premiere museum dedicated exclusively to the collection, conservation, study and exhibition of Africa’s traditional and contemporary arts. Beginning 2014, the museum
will launch a multiyear series of programming, Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean: From Oman to East Africa, which will highlight the cross-cultural connections of East and North Africa
with those found in the Middle East. It will showcase the evolution of Omani arts and cultures, the beauty of the arts in Oman and its connections to the East African Coast. “Oman’s gift marks a significant milestone as we look to celebrate our museum’s 50th anniversary in 2014,” said Johnnetta Betsch Cole, director of the museum. “This unique gift and collaboration will enable audiences to gain a broader understanding of how African and Omani history and culture shape and enrich the world. This is a monumental partnership that we are very proud of,” said Hunaina Sultan Ahmed Al Mughairy, ambassador of Oman to the US. “We’re looking forward to working with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art to bring a greater global awareness of the connections and history between Oman and East Africa,” the envoy added.
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 0 1 3
A4
FIND-IT-ALL
PRAYER TIMINGS
W E AT H E R
Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)
12.00pm 3.04pm 5.25pm 6.39pm 5.11am
LISTINGS
C
PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666 Muscat Pharmacy Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635 Atlas Pharmacy Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715 Muscat Region Al Hashar, Ruwi1 24 Hr Br. Tel. 24537080 Muscat, Al Sarooj. Tel: 24695536 Belqees, Al Khoudh (OIB) Tel. 24535398 Belqees, Ma’abelah. Tel: 24454624 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel. 23291635
lear to partly cloudy skies over governorate of Musandam and the coastal areas of Oman Sea with chances of isolated rain along coastal areas of Oman Sea. Mainly clear skies over the rest of the Sultanate with chance of clouds development over Al Hajar mountains towards afternoon. EXPECTED WIND: Northerly to northwesterly light to moderate over most of the Sultanate. SEA STATE: Slight to moderate over most of Oman’s coast with maximum wave height of 1.5 metres. SURFACE VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate. THE NEXT 48 HOURS: Clear to partly cloudy skies over the coastal areas with chance of isolated rain over Governorate of Musandam.
HOSPITALS 1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274 Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital: 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic: 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740 Ceregem National Raak: 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217 Elixir Health Centre: 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre: 24604540 Hamdan Hospital: 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128,
OMAN Max 29 Min 22
Max 35 Min 28
Ruwi Hotel: 24704244 Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200 Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772 Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666 The Chedi Muscat: 24524400 The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570
MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000 ROYAL OMAN POLICE Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603 Directorate General of Customs: 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries: 24510228 Public Relations Admin: 24560099
MUSEUMs Bait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fish market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm Natural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm Thursday: 9am to 1pm Museum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, SatWed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946 Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707 Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Oman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Bait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscat museum@baitalzubairmuseum.com Open from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm. National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Sohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Muscat Gate Museum: At Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm
ACCOMMODATION Al Bahjah Hotel: 24424400 Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171 Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400 Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949 Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385 Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311 Al Qurum Resort: 24605945 Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979 Beach Hotel: 24696601 Bowshar Hotel: 24491105 Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121 Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660 Crystal Suites: 24826100 Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300 Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234 Haffa House Hotel: 24707207 Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123 InterContinental Muscat: 24680000 Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900 Marina Hotel: 24711711 Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565 Mina Hotel: 24711828 Muttrah Hotel: 24798401 Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199 Oman Dive Centre: 24824240 Park Inn: 24507888 Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070 Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777 Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399 Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443
Max 34 Min 29 L O N G D I S TA N C E B U S T I M I N G S ( O M A N N AT I O N A L T R A N S P O R T C O M PA N Y S A O C ) * S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E
FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)
Max 41 Min 26
Max 42 Min 29
QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Time Time 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 15:00 Sur 18:00 15:00 Jaalan 19:30
Max 36 Min 29
Max 41 Min 26
MOSCOW: Snow fell yesterday across Moscow and its vicinity, Max 28 Min 25 The weather report could not be updated due to technical difficulties
while the temperatures dropped to -6 C (21 F), but due to high humidity and wind, weather experts said it would feel more like - 11 C (13 F). — AFP
WORLD
Max 1 Min -4 Max 8 Min -6
Max 26 Min 11 Max 7 Min -4
Max 20 Min 13 Max 17 Min 8
Max 32 Min 16
Max 32 Min 25
Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh Athens Baghdad Barbados Beijing Berlin Boston Brussels Buenos Aires Cairo Chicago Colombo Copenhagen Dublin Frankfurt Harare Hong Kong Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg
Max
Min
28 26 27 26 25 28 5 24 28 5 1 11 4 27 11 0 31 -7 17 5 22 17 10 7 14
18 19 20 13 20 14 -7 16 26 -3 -7 0 -7 14 0 -3 23 -17 5 2 6 12 4 -7 4
Kuala Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Manila Mexico City Miami Moscow New Delhi New York Oslo Panama Paris Perth Prague Rio de Janeiro Santiago Seoul Singapore Stockholm Sydney Taipei Tokyo Toronto Vienna
Max
Min
30 -1 8 -3 32 21 17 7 26 1 -8 -2 9 -9 1 30 -4 1 31 0 17 15 18 6 10
23 -12 -6 -13 25 6 3 -4 11 -4 -16 -11 -5 -15 -10 23 -13 -7 23 -13 8 10 7 -5 -4
TO MUSCAT (RUWI)
Operating Days Daily Daily Daily
TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 06:30 Sohar 06:30 Buraimi 08:00 Buraimi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Buraimi 16.00 Sohar 16.00 Buraimi
08:50 11:00 14:30 15:45 17:40 18.35 20:20
Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily
TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw
20:50
To Yanqul (Route 54) 14:30 Nizwa 14:30 Yanqul
FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily 05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily 05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 07:00 Sohar 07:00 Ruwi 13:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 17:00 Ruwi
08:55 11:40 20:20 14:55 17:40 19:20 22:15
Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily
Daily
TO SINAW (Route 52) 07:00 Ruwi
10:25
Daily
16:50 19:30
Daily Daily
To Yanqul (Route 54) 06:00 Nizwa 06:00 Ruwi
08:40 11:00
Daily Daily
TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 08:00 Nizwa 08:00 Al Araqi
10:20 12:30
Daily Daily
TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 15:40 Nizwa 15:40 Ruwi
17:55 20:20
Daily Daily
TO SUR (Route 55) 07:30 Sur 14:30 Sur
12:00 18:45
Daily Daily
TO SUR (Route 55) 06:00 Ruwi 14:30 Ruwi
10:45 19:00
Daily Daily
TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62) 06:30 Fahud 06:30 Yibal
10:30 11:15
Daily Daily
TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62) 12:30 Fahud 12:30 Ruwi
13:15 17:30
Daily Daily
TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100) 07:00 Salalah 20:00 10:00 Marmul 20:30 10:00 Salalah 23:30 19:00 Salalah 07:40
Daily Daily Daily Daily
TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100) 07:00 Ruwi 19:50 10:00 Marmul 13:15 10:00 Ruwi 22:30 19:00 Ruwi 07:30
Daily Daily Daily Daily
TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul
Daily
TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul
16:30
Daily
Daily
DUBAI TO SALALAH (Route 102) 15:00 Salalah 07:00
Daily
16:50
SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102) 15:00 Dubai 07:00 EVENTS
Oman Rotax Max Karting Championship at Oman Automobile Association, Karting Championship, November 29. Monte Carlo Circus at Oman Women’s Association Al Qurum Thursday/Friday/Saturday 6:30 & 9:30pm. For more information call 99436661, 96766617.
December, Oman International Exhibition Centre. The Home Show, 9 to 11 December, Oman International Exhibition Centre.
TO DUBAI (Route 201) 06:00 Sohar 06:00 Dubai 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Dubai 15:00 Sohar 15:00 Dubai
08:30 11:30 15:30 18:30 17:35 20:55
Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily
TO DUBAI (Route 201) 07:30 Sohar 07:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 15:30 Sohar 15:30 Ruwi
10:50 13:40 16:15 19:10 18:45 21:35
Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily
Banks and Investment Exhibition, OITE, 15 to 16 December International Travel and Hospitality Show, 14th to 16th December 2013, at Oman International Exhibition Centre. Traffic Safety Expo, 10 to 12 November 2013, Oman International Exhibition Centre. Intex Oman (Machinery, Tools & Hardware Expo) 2 to 4
Women Expo, 17 to 19 December, Oman International Exhibition Centre. Family Shopping Exhibition, 25 to 31 December, Oman International Exhibition Centre.
TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily 07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily LISTINGS 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily
FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily 16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily 16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily
LISTINGS
CINEMA SCHEDULE
BAHJA CINEMA Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Romance/Drama) (12+) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 2:15, 9:00 & 11:45pm; CP No: 1075 Thor 3D (Action /Sci-Fi) (PG) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins 11:30pm; CP No: 992 Carrie (Drama/ Horror) (15+) Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde 3:00, 9:30, 11:45 pm; CP No: 1115 The Frozen Ground (Biography /History) (12+) Cast: John Cusack, Nicholas Cage, Vanessa Hudgens 5:00, 7:15 pm; CP No: 1103 Wadjda (Arabic) (Drama) (TBA) Cast: Waad Mohammed, Reem Abdullah, Abdullrahman Al Gohani 5:00pm; CP No: 1109 Parkland (Drama /Mystery) (PG) Cast: Zac Efron, Billy Bob Thornton 5:15, 7:00 pm; CP No: 1125 Delivery Man (Comedy /Drama) (PG) Cast: Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt 7:00 pm; CP No: 1121 Bullett Raja (Hindi) (Action /Romance) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Gulshan Grover 2:30, 9:00 pm; CP No: 1129
Delivery Man (Comedy /Drama) (PG) 4:30 pm; CP No: 1122 Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Sci–Fi) 1:45, 8:15 pm; CP No: 1076 (12+) Parkland (Drama/Mystery) (PG) 6:30pm; CP No: 1126 Carrie (Drama/ Horror) (15+) 11:00pm; CP No: 1116
Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Action) (12+) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth 2:45 & 11:45 pm; CP No: 1076 The Frozen Ground (Biogrpahy) (12+) Cast: John Cusack, Nicholas Cage, Vanessa Hudgens 5:30, 7:30 pm; CP No: 1104 Delivery Man (Comedy/Drama) (PG) Cast: Vince Vaughn, Cobie Smulders 12:30 & 7:00 pm; CP No: 1122 Parkland (Drama/Mystery) (PG) Cast: Zac Efron, Tom Welling, Billy Bob Thornton 11:30am, 1:30, 3:15 pm; CP No: 1126 Bullett Raja (Hindi) (Action) (TBA) Cat: Saif Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha 9:00pm; CP No: 1130 Wadjda (Arabic) (Drama) (TBA) Cast: Waad Mohammed, Reem Abdullah, Abdullrahman Al Gohani 5:00 pm; CP No: 1110 Carrie (Drama/ Horror) (15+) Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore 9:30, 11:30 pm; CP No: 1116
PLAZA 1 Bullett Raja (Hindi) (Action ) (TBA) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Gulshan Grover 2:30, 5:30, 8:30, 11:30pm; CP No:1135 PLAZA 2 Gori Tere Pyaar Mein (Hindi-Romance) (PG) Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Imran Khan 3:00pm; CP No: 1092 Ram Leela (Hindi) (Drama) (12+) Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone 5:45pm; CP No: 1069 Singh Saab The Great (Hindi) (PG) 8:30 pm; CP No: 1097 Bullett Raja (Hindi) (Action ) (TBA) 11:30pm; CP No:1135
PLAZA 3 Ram Leela (Hindi) (Romance) (12+) Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone 3:30pm; CP No: 1069 Krrish 3 (Action / Sci-Fi) (PG) 6:15, 9:00 pm; CP No: 1026 Bullett Raja (Hindi) (Action /Romance) (TBA) 11:45pm; CP No:1135
Thor 3D (Action/Sci-Fi) (PG) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins 11:30pm; CP No: 1038 Ram Leela (Hindi) (Romance) (12+) Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone 6:30pm; CP No: 1065 Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Action) (12+) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 2:30, 9:00, 11:45pm; CP No: 1077 Carrie (Drama /Horror) (15+) Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde 2:30, 9:30, 11:45 pm; CP No: 1117 Delivery Man (Comedy/ Drama) (PG) Cast: Vince Vaughn, Cobie Smulders 5:00 & 7:00 pm; CP No: 1123 Parkland (Drama /Mystery) (PG) Cast: Zac Efron, Tom Welling, Billy Bob Thornton 3:00, 5:30, 7:15 pm; CP No: 1127 Bullett Raja (Hindi) (Action/Romance) (TBA) 3:30, 9:00 pm; CP No: 1131 Wadjda (Arabic) (Drama) (TBA) Cast: Waad Mohammed, Reem Abdullah 4:30pm; CP No: 1111 Geethanjali (Malyalam) (Horror/ Thriller) (PG) Cast: Mohanlal, Nishan, Keerthi Suresh 9:00 pm; CP No: 1136 Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham (Tamil) (Comedy/Romance) (TBA)
Cast: Jai, Sathyan, Rajkumar 6:30 pm; CP NO: 1140 Ong Bak 3 (Action) (12+) Cast: Tony Jaa, Dan Chupong 11:45 pm; CPNo: 1107
Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Action) (12+) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth 3:15, 6:00, 8:45, 11:30pm; CP No: 1078 The Pact (Horror/Thriller) (12+) Cast: Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien 5:15, 11:45pm; CP No: 1083 Ram Leela (Hindi) (Romance) (12+) Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone 9:00pm Elysium (Action/Sci-Fi) (12+) Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley 3:00, 7:00, 11:45pm; CP No: 1058 Thor 3D (Action/Sci-Fi) (PG) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins 3:15, 5:00, 7:00pm; CP No: 1039 Nadodimannan (Malyalam-Comedy) (PG) Cast: Dileep, Ananya, Mythili 9:00pm; CP No: 1099
Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Sci–Fi) (12+) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 5:30, 9:00, 11:45pm; CP No: 1079 Elysium (Action/Sci-Fi) (12+) Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto
Copley 7:00pm; CP No: 1059 Thor 3D (Action /Sci-Fi) (PG) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins 5:00pm; CP No: 1040 Ram Leela (Hindi) (Drama) (12+) Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone 7:45pm; CP No: 1067 Nadodimannan (Malyalam) (Drama) (PG) Cast: Dileep, Ananya, Mythili 10:30pm; CP No: 1100
Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Action/ Sci–Fi) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 2:30, 8:45, 11:30pm Delivery Man (Comedy/Drama) (PG) Cast: Vince Vaughn, Cobie Smulders, Chris Pratt 11:30am, 1:30, 7:30 pm; CP No: 1124 Parkland (Drama/Mystery) (PG) Cast: Zac Efron, Tom Welling, Billy Bob Thornton 3:15, 5:15, 7:00 pm; CP No: 1128 Carrie (Drama/Horror) (15+) Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde 9:30, 11:30 pm; CP No: 1120 Bullett Raja (Hindi) (Action) (TBA) Cat: Saif Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Gulshan Grover 3:30, 9:30 pm; CP No: 1134 Wadjda (Arabic) (Drama) (TBA) Cast: Waad Mohammed, Reem Abdullah, Abdullrahman Al Gohani 5:30 pm; CP No: 1114 Geethanjali (Malyalam) (Horror) (PG) Cast: Mohanlal, Nishan, Keerthi Suresh 6:00pm; CP No: 1139 Ong Bak 3 (Action) (12+) Cast: Tony Jaa, Dan Chupong,1:30, 11:45 pm; CP No: 1108
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T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 01 3
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OMAN Breitling Wingwalkers set for daredevil stunts With over 27 years of flying experience, they will perform breathtaking manoeuvres in Al Ain while strapped
N AT I O N A L D AY
HM receives thanks from Arab writers MUSCAT: The participants at the meeting of the Permanent Bureau of the General Union of Arab Writers, represented by Omani Society for Writers and Literati, have sent a cable of thanks and gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The event was hosted from November 24 to 27. In their cable, they have expressed their heartfelt greetings on the occasion of the Glorious National Day along with their utmost thanks and gratitude for the Royal Care accorded by His
Majesty the Sultan and the hospitality accorded to the Arab delegations taking part in the event. They also expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the Royal Care His Majesty the Sultan has extended to culture, arts, traditions and Arab values in the Arab world and worldwide. They prayed to Allah the Almighty to grant His Majesty the Sultan good health, happiness and a long life and the Omani people further progress and prosperity under His Majesty’s wise leadership. — ONA
to the top wings of the Boeing
SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS
Stearman biplanes
Times News Service
THE DAREDEVILS: The Breitling Wingwalkers is an all-woman team which adds glamour to the other-
wise male-dominated show.
ABU DHABI: Breitling Wingwalkers, the world’s only aerobatic formation wingwalking team, will bring their daredevil wingwalking stunts to the 10th edition of the Al Ain Aerobatic Show organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority from November 30 to December 2. With over 27 years of specialisation in display flying and over 2,500 different events performed globally, the much loved Breitling Wingwalkers will captivate visitors and residents alike with their breathtaking sequence of acrobatic manoeuvres and handstands while strapped to the top wings of the team’s beautiful Boeing Stearman biplanes. “We are going full throttle for
our 10th anniversary event,” said Sultan Al Muhairi, general coordinator for Al Ain Aerobatic Show 2013. Elite teams “With a fantastic line-up already of four elite military teams and seven daredevil pilots from three continents, we are pushing hard to ensure that we bring the adventure of flying to the everyday person. The Breitling Wingwalkers will bring glamour with a world-class line up of pilots and teams.” The biplane manoeuvres include loops, rolls, stall turns and inverted flight while the aircraft is moving up to 150 mph and a ‘G’
force of up to 4G. The close coordination of the aircraft pilots and wingwalkers, along with a well-rehearsed routine and close formation flypasts, result in a dazzling aerobatics display. The team this year has new members performing for the first time in the Gulf region. “This is Freya Paterson and Stella Guilding’s first time in the region and they are thrilled about wingwalking in Al Ain,” said the lead Breitling Wingwalker, Danielle ‘Bird’ Hughes, who has been wingwalking for seven years. “At the show, among other manoeuvres, our performance will also include the most difficult
stunt ‘cockpit lady’ where we stand on one leg and hold on with the arm in a ballet pose.” The Breitling Wingwalkers is an all-woman team which adds glamour to the otherwise maledominated show. Visitors will get a chance to talk to the wingwalkers and their pilots, David Barrell and Martyn Carrington, on the ground and take pictures with them during the show. Tickets for the 10th Al Ain Aerobatic Show are available via Ticketmaster — the show’s official ticketing partner. General Admission Tickets bought in advance cost AED40 for adults and AED20 for youths aged 12 years and under.
Lyutha bint Sultan Al Mughairy, permanent representative of Oman to the United Nations, congratulated the Palestinian people for the UN membership as an observer state. She said the Sultanate expresses concern over the tragic condition in the occupied Palestinian territory and urged the international community to take a firm stand against the inhuman practices of the Israeli government. — ONA
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T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 0 1 3
REGION RISING DISCONTENT
Tunisia protestors set fire to ruling party’s office TUNIS: Angry protestors set fire yesterday to the office of Tunisia’s ruling party in the neglected Gafsa region, as strikes were observed in areas amid rising discontent and political deadlock. Hundreds of demonstrators attacked the Ennahda party’s headquarters in the poor central region after trying to break into the governor’s office, where they were dispersed by police firing tear gas. The protestors seized files and furniture from the office and burned them on the road, while preventing firemen from gaining access to the building, and with no immediate sign of the police. “The people want the fall of the regime,” and “The people of Gafsa are a free people,” were among the slogans chanted. As in the other regions of Gabes and Siliana, Gafsa ground to a halt yesterday, as a general strike was called to protest against poverty and lack of development. Those were driving factors behind the popular uprising nearly three years ago that toppled former strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and which continue to plague much of Tunisia, whose sluggish economic recovery has failed to create jobs or spur regional development. Key strategic area A number of similar protests have resulted in regional offices of Ennahda being attacked, including last month in the towns of Beja and Kef. Gafsa is a key strategic area because of its phosphate mines but remains among the poorest in Tunisia despite its natural wealth, and witnessed anti-government protests in 2008, under Ben Ali, that were savagely repressed. Since the revolution, production has slumped because of disruptions caused by strikes and protests, and despite thousands of people being hired in the state-run sector as part of government efforts to defuse social tensions. The catalyst for the industrial action in Gafsa and Gabes was the government’s decision not to include it in the list of regions where five new university-linked hospitals are to be built. The local branch of the UGTT workers union held the decision
Three soldiers perish in Benghazi violence The latest violence came as Benghazi was on a three-day strike to protest against the country’s unruly militias
UP IN ARMS: Communist
Party of Tunisian workers shout slogans against the country’s ruling Ennahda party in Siliana, yesterday. – AFP
up as an example of the government’s unequal treatment of different regions, another grievance that motivated the uprising three years ago. In Gabes, most public offices and businesses were closed in response to the UGTT’s call to strike, and a large protest was held in the early afternoon, with no incidents reported. In Siliana, a region southwest of Tunis, the strike was called to commemorate the police repression of anti-government protests one year ago. Some 300 people were injured then, mostly by birdshot, when demonstrations exploded into days of running clashes between police and protestors. Hundreds gathered outside the governor’s office to remember the victims, hurling rocks at the police, who did not respond, according to an AFP photographer. “The people injured by birdshot were victims of the government, which is dragging its feet,” said Ahmed Chefai, the deputy leader of the UGTT’s local branch. “The government has not stuck by its commitments contained in the December 2012 agreement, which called for the state to take care of the injured and provide for their physical and material needs,” he added. Siliana ranks 18th out of the country’s 24 provinces in terms of development, according to the UGTT, and has yet to see the public investment promised in the wake of the unrest. — AFP
BENGHAZI: Three soldiers were shot dead in Libya’s second city Benghazi yesterday and the bodies of two more were found in the nearby eastern town of Derna, officials said. The latest violence came as Benghazi was on a three-day strike to protest against the country’s unruly militias after a shootout on Monday between a militant group and the army left seven people dead and another 50 wounded. “Al Jala hospital received the remains of three soldiers shot dead in separate attacks,” hospital spokeswoman Fadia Al Barghathi said, adding that a fourth soldier had been hospitalised. The bodies of two more soldiers were found in the eastern town of Derna on Tuesday, a local official said. Libyan forces guarding Benghazi’s Al Jala hospital came under fire overnight, but no one was wounded, and the assailants fled after a special forces unit returned fire, a security official said. The city council declared the three-day strike after an army patrol came under attack near the headquarters of Ansar Al Sharia, a militant group blamed for the
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE: A Libyan child stands in front of a closed shop in Benghazi, Libya, yesterday.
Shops and schools closed across Benghazi as residents of Libya’s second city responded to calls for civil disobedience to protest the deadly clashes between radicals and the army. – AFP
2012 attack on a US mission in which the ambassador and three other Americans were killed. Gun battles Schools, universities and banks in Benghazi were still closed yesterday, but only around half the city’s shops remained shuttered, according to a news correspondent. Gun battles erupted again in three parts of the port city in the early hours of yesterday. They began when members of Ansar Al Sharia threw a grenade at a patrol of special forces, a security official said, though he later retracted this and said it was not clear who was
behind the attack. The security situation in Libya’s second biggest city has sharply deteriorated in the past few months. Hardliners run their own checkpoints, and assassinations and bombings happen daily. Militants, including some from Ansar Al Sharia, had been seen massing outside Benghazi, where the army was rushing reinforcements in a convoy, residents said. But the militants later left the area and calm returned to the city. The chaos in Libya is worrying its North African neighbours and the Nato powers. But popular anger is also grow-
ing against the militiamen and former fighters, and Prime Minister Ali Zeidan’s fragile government hopes to use that discontent to wrest back control from armed groups. Hoping to co-opt former fighters, the government hired militia groups to provide security. But they remain loyal to their commanders or tribes, and often clash in disputes over territory or personal feuds. Oil exports are down to a fraction of capacity due to seizures of oilfields and ports by militias, tribesmen and civil servants demanding more political rights or higher pay. — Agencies
PEACE CONFERENCE
Assad delegates to attend Geneva talks BEIRUT: Syria will send delegates to a Geneva peace conference under President Bashar Al Assad’s orders, but his grip over the war-torn country will not be under discussion, an official said yesterday. The announcement was immediately condemned by Syria’s opposition, which restated its demand that the talks, dubbed Geneva 2, must lead to a political transition that excludes any role for Assad. Despite the dim prospects for peace with both sides refusing to compromise, Iran said it and Turkey, which support opposing sides in the war, would press for a ceasefire ahead of the talks. The January 22 peace conference is aimed at ending the nearly three-year-old civil war, a bloody stalemate which has killed an estimated 120,000 people and driven millions from their homes. “Syria announces the participation of an official delegation under the orders of (Assad) and the demands of the Syrian people, with the top priority eliminating terrorism,” said a foreign ministry source quoted by state media. The source also said the delegation was not going to Geneva to hand over power, and that the condition stipulated by Syria’s opposition and the West that As-
SINGING FOR PEACE: Syrian musi-
cians perform in the streets of central Damascus on Tuesday. – AFP
sad must not have a role in the country’s future was out of the question. “Our people will not allow anyone to steal their right to choose their future and their leaders, and what is key about Geneva is to assert the Syrians’ rights, and not of those who are spilling the people’s blood.” The source criticised “the French, British and other foreign ministries as well as their agents
Syria announces the participation of an official delegation under the orders of (Assad) and the demands of the Syrian people A Syrian Foreign Ministry source
who have insisted that there can be no place for President Assad in the transitional period. “The ministry reminds them that the age of colonialism is over, and they need to wake up.” The main opposition National Coalition dismissed the announcement as “a pretence of cooperation with the international community as a cover to continue its war on the Syrian people”.
“The regime claims that the demand for the end of the Assad regime is a colonialist policy. The truth is that it is the Syrian people who are demanding his removal,” said the statement issued by the office of Coalition president Ahmad Jarba. The Coalition reiterated its demand that Geneva 2 must lead to the creation of a “transitional governing body” with “full executive powers” that excludes Assad “and those associated with him”. Iran, the Assad regime’s most powerful regional backer, said that both it and Turkey, which supports the opposition, would press for a ceasefire in Syria ahead of the planned peace talks. “All our efforts should be carried out to finish the conflict and reach a ceasefire even before Geneva 2,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said at a news conference with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. Ceasefires have been announced before, but none has ever held up despite pledges of commitment by both sides. Even amid the talk of a peace conference, neither side seems willing to stop fighting. On the ground, fighting raged on key fronts, especially near Damascus, where rebels launched a major offensive . — AFP
PA R L I A M E N T
Zarif defends nuclear deal TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif went before parliament yesterday to defend a landmark nuclear deal clinched at the weekend with world powers, media reported. “From the beginning we all knew that entering into negotiations meant facing major difficulties, because in negotiations all your demands cannot be met,” Zarif was quoted on the website of state broadcaster IRIB as telling parliament. “Therefore, you will face criticism and (verbal) attacks—which are happening now,” he said. The veteran diplomat, who received a hero’s welcome when he returned home after the deal was clinched early Sunday in Geneva, admitted that his team could have secured a better deal and that he was ready to face criticism.
MAKING A POINT: Parliament
Speaker Ali Larijani, top, listens to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in parliament in Tehran, yesterday. – AFP
“Neither I nor my colleagues claim that it was not possible to get a better result ... definitely there is room for criticism.” Some parliamentarians, led
by hardline MP Rouhollah Hosseinian, expressed misgivings at the agreement. “We are worried about the consequences of the agreement, and we communicate (this disquiet) with the government to find a more prudent and accurate way,” said Hosseinian. “The wording of the agreement about uranium enrichment is implicit and it can only mean limiting (Iran’s) enrichment right.” Conservative lawmaker Alireza Zakani, as quoted by the Fars news agency, also expressed frustration at deal. “We are being deprived from having a peaceful nuclear programme while the region’s cancerous tumour can use a nuclear bomb,” said Zakani, referring to Israel, widely believed to be the region’s sole if undeclared nuclear power. — AFP
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INDIA BRIEFS
‘Japan emperor’s visit to boost closer bilateral ties’
MARS MISSION MONITORING
NEW DELHI: In their first state visit to India, Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will be in the country from Saturday for a week, signalling Japan’s desire to forge closer bilateral ties, especially between their peoples. The emperor and empress, both 79, will be visiting New Delhi and Chennai. “Through the visit we want to bring the people of our two countries closer. The emperor represents the people, and the visit is to forge people-to-people ties between our two countries,” a Japanese embassy official said here yesterday. The Indian invite was pending for the past decade and was among around 50 invites from other countries. It was officially accepted after the Shinzo Abe government came to power late last year. The Japanese cabinet indicated that the visit be accepted, the official said.
Scientists and engineers of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) monitor the Mars Orbiter Mission at the tracking centre, Istrac (Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network) which controls the Mars Orbiter Mission in Bangalore, yesterday. Isro is gearing up for trans-Mars injection of the country’s Mars Orbiter Mission on Sunday and has planned four mid-course corrections in case of any deviation along its path to Martian orbit. - AFP
Hung house in Delhi; BJP to be largest party: Survey
Goa Police summons Tejpal; arrest likely The Goa Police decision raises the possibility of
When the girl has come out openly and is cooperating with the police, it is the duty of our state government to give her justice Manohar Parrikar
Tejpal’s arrest but DIG of Police O. P. Mishra refused to discuss their strategy if he does not turn up before the investigating officer
Goa chief minister IN TROUBLE: Tarun Tejpal
PANAJI: Closing in on Tarun Tejpal, who failed to get any immediate relief on his anticipatory bail petition in the Delhi High Court, the Goa Police yesterday summoned him to appear before it by 3pm today in the probe into the sexual assault allegation against him. The Goa Police decision raises the possibility of Tejpal’s arrest but DIG of Police O. P. Mishra refused to discuss their strategy if he does not turn up before the Investigating Officer. The police may issue a non-bailable warrant against Tejpal if he does not appear before the IO or prolong the questioning till Delhi High Court comes out with its order on his anticipatory bail plea tomorrow, experts say. “The IO is summoning the person (Tarun Tejpal) involved in it (case)
asking him to appear before the IO by around 3pm tomorrow,” Mishra said shortly after the Delhi High Court reserved its order on Tejpal’s bail application for tomorrow. Victim records statement The police move also came on a day the victim, a woman journalist of Tehelka, who was allegedly sexually assaulted in a lift in a five-star hotel in Goa earlier this month, arrived here and recorded her statement under Section 164 of CrPC before a local court. The statement of the victim is being recorded in a local court here. The process is still on, said Mishra. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday dismissed Tejpal’s accusations that the BJP government in the state was pursu-
ing vendetta against him because of the sting operation conducted by his organisation that unseated the party president Bangaru Laxman and other issues. He said the state government has a duty to do justice to the victim. “I am the administrator of the state. As chief minister of the state my job is to ensure justice to the girl...if what she says has legal support to ensure that justice is made out,” Parrikar said. He denied there was any pressure from any quarters on the Goa police investigating the case of the alleged assault by Tejpal on the woman journalist. “The state government does not intend to monitor (the case) except asking the police department for a speedy disposal of the case. I have
told the police not to take any pressure from any quarters,” he said. Replying to questions about Tejpal’s charge in his bail petition before the Delhi High Court that the BJP government was targeting him, Parrikar said he (Tejpal) did not realise that when he held the function nor when he “confessed” or when he went on “sanyas”. “So suddenly he has realised it is the BJP government,” he said. The chief minister said the investigating officer takes the final decision as to who should be called or not for questioning. “I don’t have the time, patience or inclination to monitor the investigation of the case. It is for the investigating officer to conduct a fare probe. When the girl has come out openly and is cooperating with the police, it is the duty of our state government to give her justice,” Parrikar said ruling out any vendetta. The Tehelka row yesterday sparked a fresh bout of sparring with the BJP lashing out at Congress, saying a union cabinet minister is “shielding” Tehelka editor, who is accused of assaulting his junior colleague, a charge rubbished by Kapil Sibal. Without naming anyone, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj yesterday tweeted, “Union Cabinet Minister who is the founder and patron of Tehelka is shielding Tarun Tejpal.” With his name doing the rounds, Law Minister Sibal hit back at the BJP and the RSS, accusing them of vilifying his name and said Tejpal was not related to him and he does not have any stake in Tehelka. - PTI
TEMPLE MANAGER MURDER
Kanchi seers acquitted in murder case PUDUCHERRY: Kanchi sankararacharyas Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi were yesterday acquitted along with 21 other accused in the sensational murder of a temple manager in a case that saw more than half of the witnesses, including the family of the victim and an approver, turning hostile. Pronouncing the verdict in a packed-all amidst tight security, Principal District and Sessions Judge C. S. Murugan declared that all the 23 accused out of 24 stood acquitted of the charges against them as “there is no incriminating evidence against the accused”. One of the accused Kathiravan was murdered in March this year in Chennai. While Sankararaman’s son Anand said the judge-
NOT GUILTY VERDICT: Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saras-
wathi leaves a court in Puducherry after being acquitted in the sensational Sankararaman murder case, yesterday. – PTI
ment was “shocking and unbelievable” and wanted to know who the killers were. The family would decide on whether to appeal against it, he added.
The sankaracharyas preferred not to make any comments to the throng of media outside the court. The court said the motive for the commission of murder was
not proved, since Padma and Anand Sharma, wife and son of of A Sankararaman, the manager of the famous Varadarajaperumal Temple in Kancheepuram, had failed to support the prosecution case. In a development that shocked the Hindu world, Jayendra Saraswati, the 69th head of the Kanchi Mutt, which has wide following in South India and abroad, were arrested on Diwali day in November, 2004 when he was in Mahbubanagar in Andhra Pradesh. They were among those who were charged with criminal conspiracy and murder of Sankararaman, who was hacked to death in the temple premises on the evening of September 3, 2004. -PTI
NEW DELHI: The BJP may emerge the single-largest party in Delhi assembly elections which are expected to throw up a hung house, said a survey yesterday. According to the ABP News-Dainik Bhaskar-Nielsen opinion poll, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to get around 32 seats in the 70-member house with a vote share of 33 per cent. The Congress is expected to get 25 seats with 26 per cent vote share and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to get 10 seats with 23 per cent vote share, it said. However, the survey said 15-20 seats, where the victory margin would be narrow (two per cent), could impact the final poll outcome. Noting price rise is the key factor working against the ruling Congress, the survey said people do recognise the work done by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit over the past 15 years.
Talwar couple given new responsibilities in jail GHAZIABAD: A day after their conviction, parents of slain Aarushi Talwar were yesterday assigned new roles by the Jail authorities, which alloted dentist Rajesh Talwar the responsibility of assisting prison’s medical team while his wife Nupur will don the hat of a teacher. “Nupur Talwar will now be known as jail teacher while Rajesh will work as an assistant in Dasna Jail hospital. Both are highly educated, and job allotted to them is the best for them as per their qualification. The dentist couple will also be given remuneration according to rules,” said Jail Superintendent Vireshraj Sharma.
Lehar to weaken before crossing Andhra coast HYDERABAD: Cyclonic storm Lehar is heading to cross Andhra Pradesh coast today but its intensity will come down at the time of the landfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said yesterday. The ‘very severe’ cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal will hit the coast near Machilipatnam today afternoon but the wind speed will be 80-90km per hour gusting to 100 kmph against the 200 kmph forecast earlier. However, the authorities in five of the nine coastal districts remained on alert. They have evacuated over 26,000 people from vulnerable areas in view of the cyclone alert.
Asaram trial from Dec. 4 JODHPUR: A court in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur city yesterday took cognizance of the charge-sheet filed against Asaram Bapu and his four aides in connection with a rape case lodged by a 16-year-old girl against the spiritual guru, a lawyer said. After determining the charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the court of district and sessions judge (Jodhpur rural) slated the next hearing in the case for December 4, when the trial against the accused people will begin. - Agencies
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Pressure, passivity on immigration in the US
P
resident Barack Obama made the case for immigration reform again Monday, in a speech in San Francisco that seemed mostly directed to Republicans in Congress, who aren’t listening. Noting the Republican resistance to passing a single comprehensive bill, he struck an oddly lighthearted note. “It’s Thanksgiving,” he said. “We can carve that bird into multiple pieces — a drumstick here, breast meat there.” This drew chuckles. By suggesting that large-scale immigration overhaul can be done incrementally, he was retreating from an argument that has guided reform advocates for a decade: Fixing the broken system requires three things at once — tighter enforcement, an improved flow of new immigrants and legalisation for the 11 million living here outside the law. A comprehensive bill passed the Senate with a strong bipartisan majority five months ago and could pass the House in a heartbeat. But, as long as the House speaker, John Boehner, refuses to allow a vote, it is going nowhere. With legislation thus stalled and the Obama administration continuing deportations at an unmatched pace, immigration advocates have turned up the pressure with a grave urgency that is not shared on Capitol Hill. The tension is unsustainable. So is the suffering. In a tent on the National Mall, Eliseo Medina, a veteran of the farmworkers’ movement, Cristian Avila and Dae Joong Yoon have been on a fast since November 12, and they vow to continue to the point of collapse. They point out that their sacrifice does not match that of those living in shadows and lost from their families. Others across the country are fasting in solidarity. Advocates have prayed at Boehner’s offices in Washington and Ohio. They have crossed the border and tried to return, offering themselves up to federal agents. They have held vigils at detention centers and tried to block deportation buses. They have put their lives and futures at risk to push for reforms that a minority is obstructing and to beg Obama to slow his deportation surge. One of them, a young man named Ju Hong, interrupted the president on Monday to make his plea. “I’ve not seen my family,” he said. “Our families are separated. I need your help. There are thousands of people. ... ” Obama then cut him off and began a misleading ad-lib about how halting deportations would be illegal. While the president cannot throw out whole sections of immigration law to bypass congressional inaction, he does have discretion in choosing how to enforce it wisely. Obama was firmly within the law when he selectively halted deportations for some immigrants brought here illegally as children and for spouses and children of service members and veterans. He can undoubtedly expand administrative efforts to protect other immigrants left stranded by legislative failure. Obama said on Monday that he was up for the hard, messy work of reform. “I am going to march with you and fight with you every step of the way,” he said. But, as he keeps making such promises to people whose family members he is deporting in record numbers while protesting that he is powerless to stop himself, it seems only fair to ask: How hard are you fighting, really? — The New York Times
WORLD VIEW
Healthier eating takes more than willpower CASS R. SUNSTEIN
Vital to win this war
I
t is important to face facts — and one of these facts is that drones have proved effective in eliminating ‘high value’ militant targets. In this context, the news from the Inter-Services Public Relations that Pakistan has developed its own drones is good. These Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are intended for surveillance and outgoing army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has commended the National Scientific and Engineering Commission for developing the technology. Drones may be controversial in our country with the attacks by unmanned aerial aircraft by the US having most recently triggered a blockade of Nato routes, but there can be no doubt at all that Pakistan will be locked in a battle against militancy for a very long time to come. It is vital to our future that we win this war, which has affected our own country more negatively than any other nation in the world. It is, therefore, our war to fight. Indeed, removing the US from the equation may help to solve many of the problems that today surround this conflict. Our own fleet of drones could play an important part in this. For the future, the aircraft named Burraq and Shahpar could play a crucial role in a situation that endangers our country and all of us within it. They could help us take out the militants and, do so without the controversy created by the involvement of the US in the equation. It is also encouraging that we possess the technology required to build our own weaponry, and design it to meet our specific needs. The use of weapons by our own forces may well help to convince people that we ourselves need to combat the militants. The war we are fighting is one that we openly need to lay claim to, so that the ambiguity and confusion that currently surrounds the issue can be driven away and replaced by greater clarity, giving us a better chance of defeating the people of violence who have created mayhem across our state and today continue to threaten it. — Express Tribune
Smartphones are much sought after devices now This refers to the news article, ‘Smarphone sales set to top 1 billion’, published in the Times of Oman. In my view, this is hardly surprising. About 20 years ago the ‘normal’ phones were considered a luxury item by many. However, smartphones are commonplace now and highly affordable as well. The same is true for other gadgets like cameras and tablets. With such advancements in technology, and with reasonable prices, the possession of these gadgets is a must for all. Sadaf Miriam Al Hail
The US needs to put its house in order first It is hardly surprising that a large
number of people in New York do not have access to sufficient food. Refer to the article, ‘20% of New York children do not have enough to eat’, published in Times of Oman. Such a situation in US is a total surprise for me. If this is the case, I wonder why on earth the world’s only superpower is interfering in every other country’s affairs. With problems like gun violence, health woes and hunger, it seems the US needs to put its house in order first. Madhu Pardesi Darsait
Why don’t our scientists instal genes for morality? This refers to the news article, ‘Dragonfly leads to nano-tech surface that kills bacteria’, published in the Times of Oman. Scientists,
Modern technologies are going to make it increasingly easy for consumers to obtain simple, personalised information, and to use that information to make better choices in the future
H
ere is a famous finding from social psychology. If you want to encourage people to get vaccinated against some disease, it helps to educate them about the benefits of vaccination. But you’ll have a much bigger impact if you give people a map, showing them exactly where to go to get a shot. Elementary though it is, this finding is important, because it demonstrates that when people don’t respond to a suggestion, it may be because they need some help in identifying the specific steps they are being asked to take. People pay a lot more attention if they are given something like a map. In its efforts to promote healthy eating, SmartReceipt Inc. is taking this idea seriously. The company’s Nutricate receipt provides people with the standard information about the meal they just bought, but with a few significant twists. The receipt contains a panel with personalized information about the total calories, fats, carbohydrates and protein in the particular foods customers chose. You also receive some simple “Did you know?” messages, specifically tailored to your own choices. You might read, “Holding the mayo on your sandwich will save you 150 calories and 10 grams of fat,” or “Low-fat milk is a great source of calcium, and you just had over 35 percent of your daily calcium requirement.” To be sure, the Nutricate receipt isn’t likely to prove appealing to all people and all restaurants. Some customers might find it intrusive or annoying. But other customers, and many restaurants, would undoubtedly find it useful. A big question is: Will people pay any attention to it? Kelly Bedard and Peter Kuhn, economists at the University of California at Santa Barbara, have just answered that question. Their report, issued this month, explores the implementation of Nutricate at Burgerville, a restaurant chain in the Pacific Northwest. The study spans a period of more than two years (125 weeks) and involves sales data from 39 Burgervilles. Bedard and Kuhn found that the Nutricate receipt significantly changed people’s choices. Responding to the most frequent suggestions on the receipt, Burgerville’s customers became more likely to purchase kids’ meals with apples instead of fries, to select breakfast sandwiches without sausages, and to request main-course items with-
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Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest MARK TWAIN
out cheese or sauce. The Nutricate receipt also produced a 2.1 percent reduction in the average amount of cholesterol per transaction. Bedard and Kuhn found that a lot of customers used their personalised ordering suggestions when they returned to Burgerville restaurants. They found no evidence that use of the Nutricate receipt reduced total sales. Why does Nutricate work? One reason might be salience. Every day, people receive a lot of information, and the receipt makes certain recent choices, and healthier options, more salient than they would otherwise be. Bedard and Kuhn prefer another explanation, which is that the Nutricate receipts combine personally relevant information with specific suggestions for action. In these respects, the receipts belong in the same family with recommendations from Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., which similarly offer personalized suggestions, based directly on people’s past choices. Of course Netflix and Amazon try to track people’s preferences, not to alter them in any way. But because Nutricate offers pretty modest suggestions (“hold the mayo”), it is essentially providing a personalized map, which people are free to disregard if they like. We shouldn’t exaggerate the study’s findings. Bedard and Kuhn find no statistically significant effect on total calories per transaction, apparently because customers ended up purchasing more high-calorie main dishes. Nonetheless, the movements in the direction of healthier items (such as grilled chicken for fried chicken and frozen yogurt for ice cream) and the long-lasting reduction in cholesterol per transaction suggest that the approach has real potential. When we get lost on the highway, we can consult a GPS, which tells us how to get from where we are to where we want to go. The Nutricate receipt isn’t exactly a GPS, but it offers a valuable lesson for this holiday season: Modern technologies are going to make it increasingly easy for consumers to obtain simple, personalised information, and to use that information to make better choices in the future. Cass R. Sunstein, the Robert Walmsley University professor at Harvard Law School, is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is a former administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the co-author of ‘Nudge’ and author of ‘Simpler: The Future of Government’. — Bloomberg News
it would seem now, are making the unthinkable very possible. However, I do not understand why our global leaders root for on wars when working for the betterment of the humankind alone will bring about a better future for all of us. Why do we fight wars and kill each other, and derive pleasure in killings? It seems morality is not an innate human quality but rather something that one learns through education. So it seems the warmongers are not educated in the real sense. In my belief, all this can be altered if science is used for the right means. It is my understanding that genes can be altered. So why not change our genes to delete our inclination to commit war crimes and the like. Is all too much to ask for? Viviane Mathews Al Ghubra
The gladiators of our times are a dishonest lot! This refers to the news story, ‘Pacquaio bank account frozen for unpaid taxes’, published in the Times of Oman. Argentina’s superstar Lionel Messi is also embroiled in a tax row and dozens of athletes take steroids. It is indeed sad that the gladiators of our times are a dishonest lot and do not lead our societies as a guiding light. It seems the global views promote violence and humankind has a tendency to hoodwink itself. I cannot see how any amount of education can alter this state of affairs. Humans will remain humans — actually worse than animals as the latter have no power in making their multitude of decisions. Nourine Talal Al Khuwair
Letters, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi), by fax (24813153) or by e-mail (times@omantel.net.om)
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 01 3
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PAKISTAN Raheel Sharif is new army chief Before his elevation to the top job he was Inspector General Training and Evaluation, overseeing the army’s training, in which role he is credited with revamping tactics in recent years
A message from the prime minister office confirmed General Sharif had been made chief of the army staff and General Rashid Mehmood had been made chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan named a new army chief yesterday, promoting a veteran infantry commander to the most powerful position in the nation battling a homegrown Taleban insurgency. General Raheel Sharif will take over as head of the 600,000-strong army from Gen Ashfaq Kayani, who is retiring after six years at the helm. The change of command comes with the country facing a daunting array of challenges — the sixyear Taleban campaign which has claimed thousands of lives, vexed relations with India and the wind-
AT THE HELM: General Raheel
Sharif
ing-down of the 12-year Nato mission in neighbouring Afghanistan. Taking command today General Sharif, a veteran infantry commander whose elder brother won Pakistan’s highest military award for valour in the 1971 war with India, will formally take command today. A message from the office of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif confirmed Gen Sharif had been made chief of the army staff and General Rashid Mehmood had been made chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee. The prime minister’s statement also named Khwaja Asif, the minister for water and power, as the
new defence minister. The post had been vacant since the May general election. Departing commander Kayani has served as army chief since 2007 and has been given much credit for resisting the temptation to meddle overtly in politics. When he confirmed his retirement last month he stressed that the armed forces “fully support and want to strengthen” democracy. The general election in May marked a major landmark for Pakistani democracy as being the first time an elected government had completed its term and handed over power through the ballot box. Prime Minister Sharif will be hoping to avoid a repeat of events
DRONE STRIKE
Rare to be identified It is rare for CIA operatives to be identified in public. The then-Islamabad station chief was forced to leave Pakistan in late 2010 when a Pakistani official admitted his name had been leaked. PTI, which leads the coalition government in Khyber Pakh-
Military offensive There has been much debate about how to deal with the campaign of violence waged against the state by the Pakistani Taleban. The government has said it wants to pursue peace talks, but some have argued that a military offensive is needed to clear militant hideouts in the tribal northwest. Analyst Hasan Askari said he thought the new commander would take an uncompromising approach. “He belongs to a family of soldiers, his father was a martyr, his brother was honoured with the highest military award, so I expect he will go for the extremist groups and clear the tribal areas,” Askari said. “He has to secure the border with Afghanistan, so I think he will consult with his senior top brass officers and clear the troubled area along the Durand Line.” Before his elevation to the top job he was Inspector General Training and Evaluation, overseeing the army’s training, in which role he is credited with revamping tactics in recent years. - AFP GRAFT SCANDAL
Imran’s party names CIA chief as ‘murder suspect’ ISLAMABAD: The political party of former cricketer Imran Khan yesterday named the CIA’s director and a man it said was the agency’s chief in Pakistan as murder suspects over a drone strike. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaaf (PTI) party has written to police over last week’s attack on a seminary linked to the feared Haqqani network in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest. The attack, which militant sources said killed the Haqqanis’ spiritual leader along with five others, was extremely unusual in that it was mounted outside Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas on the Afghan border. The letter signed by PTI information secretary Shireen Mazari asked Hangu police to name CIA director John Brennan and a man they identified as the agency’s Islamabad station chief as suspects for murder and “waging war against Pakistan”.
the last time he named an army chief — General Pervez Musharraf overthrew him in a coup in 1999. Retired general Talat Masood, a defence analyst, said Sharif represented “continuity” with the Kayani era and would bring “good knowledge of counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism” to the role.
VENTING IRE: Activists of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan and Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) gather for a protest rally against US drone strikes, in Karachi on November 24. – AFP file photo
tunkhwa, has long campaigned against the CIA’s drone campaign targeting Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan. Khan has stepped up his rhetoric since a drone attack killed the leader of the Pakistani Taleban on November 1. He accused Washington of deliberately sabotaging fledgling efforts towards peace talks with the militants. He has urged the government to halt trucks travelling through Pakistan with supplies for Nato forces in Afghanistan. But the government has shown no appetite for the move, leaving PTI activists to take matters into their own hands.
In recent days PTI supporters armed with clubs have set up checkpoints on roads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and forcibly searched trucks for Nato supplies. The government criticises drone strikes as a violation of sovereignty and counterproductive to anti-terror efforts. But ties with Washington have nevertheless improved this year after lurching from crisis to crisis in 2011 and 2012. Last month the US announced it would release $1.6 billion in aid and Washington’s support was seen as key in Pakistan securing a $6.7 billion rescue loan from the International Monetary Fund in September. - AFP
Joint team to probe NAB chief and others ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: In the first of its kind investigations for the country’s top graft watchdog, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to constitute a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe its sitting chairman. NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry was charged with ‘misuse of authority’ and ‘creating hindrance’ in the investigations of the multibillion-rupee National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scandal case by the Supreme Court. The top court directed NAB to take over investigations from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and take action against the accused, including its own chief. The NAB deputy chairman, Saeed Ahmed Sargana, using powers delegated to him by the chairman, decided to appoint DG Operations Zahir Shah as head of the JIT. The NAB authorities would write to the police department and the SECP asking for the nomination of the required officers to assist Shah in the probe. -Express Tribune
Justice Tassaduq Jillani named new chief justice ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday gave the go-ahead for Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani to be appointed the next Chief Justice of Pakistan, Express News reported. The current Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary is set to retire from his post on December 12. Tassaduq Hussain Jillani — nicknamed “the gentleman judge” for his mild manner – is expected to maintain the court’s focus on rights but steer clear of intervening in government policy. Currently, Justice Jillani also occupies the post of Chief Election Commissioner besides being the senior most judge. “He is the opposite of the current chief justice,” retired Supreme Court judge Nasir Aslam Zahid had said. “He’s very mild, he hears all sides, he does not lose his temper.” A dapper lover of poetry,
NEW INNINGS: Tassaduq
Hussain Jillani
antiques and films, Jillani is related to the new ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani and a former prime minister who Chaudhary forced to step down last year. He has largely avoided the high-profile political cases that Chaudhary has revelled in and he has called for judicial vigilance to be tempered with restraint. - In exclusive arrangement with The Express Tribune
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T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 0 1 3
WORLD C O N V I C T I O N I N TA X F R AU D
WILLIAM SINGS FOR CHARITY Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, right, sings with US musicians Taylor Swift, left, and Jon Bon Jovi, centre, at the Centrepoint Gala Dinner at Kensington Palace in London, on Tuesday. The trio belted out the Bon Jovi classic at the end of a gala event at the London palace in support of the homeless charity Centrepoint, of which 31-year-old William is patron. — AFP
Italy’s parliament expels Berlusconi ROME: Italy’s parliament yesterday expelled Silvio Berlusconi over his tax fraud conviction in a momentous move that raises the risk of his arrest but is unlikely to be the last act of his tumultuous career. The three-time former prime minister told thousands of supporters outside his residence in Rome that he would “fight on” despite the vote, saying it was “a day of bitterness, a day of mourning for democracy”. “We are not going to retire to some convent,” Berlusconi said in a defiant speech, as fellow senators began voting that ended up forcing him from parliament for the first time in his 20-year political career. Senate speaker Pietro Grasso said the failure of the motions meant that a proposal “abolishing the election of senator Silvio Berlusconi” was considered approved. Berlusconi will now be banned from taking part in any general election for six years and will lose his parliamentary immunity,
BRIEFS
Latvian premier resigns over mall roof collapse RIGA: Latvia’s prime minister resigned yesterday, in the wake of a supermarket roof cave-in that killed 54 people. The political thunderbolt announced by Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis effectively put an end to Latvia’s government. Latvian President Andris Berzins said he would “begin negotiations on the formation of a new government next week”, ruling out an immediate election. “Considering the tragedy and all related circumstances... a new government is needed that has the clear support of parliament,” Dombrovskis told reporters as he fought back tears.
Sri Lanka set to compile toll of ethnic conflict COLOMBO: Sri Lanka said yesterday it would begin a nationwide survey to compile a death toll from its ethnic conflict after international pressure over allegations of mass civilian deaths at the end of the war. The six-month census would begin on Thursday and would see some 16,000 officials fan out across the island to compile a definitive toll, said a government statement posted on President Mahinda Rajapakse’s website. “The Department of Census and Statistics will conduct an island-wide census to assess the loss of human life and damage to property,” said the statement. The survey would be carried out in more than 14,000 villages, the statement added, including in villages in the mainly Tamil north of the island. While the government has previously spoken of plans to conduct a comprehensive survey, it is the first time that it has set out a timetable.
US, Iran plan to establish joint chamber of commerce TEHRAN: Iran and the United States are to establish a joint chamber of commerce within a month, with direct flights also planned, an Iranian official said yesterday in a newspaper report. “Iran-US chamber of commerce will be launched in less than one month,” Abolfazl Hejazi, a member of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, told the Englishlanguage Iran Daily. In the wake of a historic accord on Sunday between Tehran and major powers on Iran’s controversial nuclear programme, Hejazi also said his country was ready to start direct flights to the United States. Flights would connect Kish Island in southwest Iran with New York, he said. — AFP
Silvio Berlusconi
which offers safeguards against arrest. Rumours are rife in Rome that an arrest could be imminent although Berlusconi’s lawyers have dismissed the prospect as “absurd” given that he has already had to give up his passport and is not a flight risk. Experts said the expulsion marks another step in Berlusconi’s slow-motion demise, although he will continue to wield major clout even as an ex-lawmaker. — AFP
Crackdown on Mursi supporters widened Egypt authorities order arrest of two prominent activists, jail 11 Brotherhood women
CAIRO: Egypt widened a crackdown against backers of ousted president Mohamed Mursi yesterday and ordered the arrest of two leading activists for defying a new law on demonstrations. Authorities also jailed 14 women said to be Muslim Brotherhood members for 11 years. The authorities appeared to widen their campaign when police crushed protests by secular and pro-democracy groups against a law passed at the weekend regulating demonstrations on Tuesday. The law requires protest organisers to give at least three days’ written notice before holding demonstrations. Police used water cannon and tear gas to crush demonstrations. The suppression of mainly secular youths is seen as the opening of a new front by the authorities which justified Mursi’s ouster by saying it was responding to massive demonstrations against his rule. A court in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria sentenced the
STRONG ARM TACTICS: Policemen use a water canon to disperse
protestors in Cairo, on Tuesday. – AFP
14 women who it said were from the Brotherhood after convicting them of belonging to a “terrorist organization”, judicial sources said. It also sentenced six men, said to be Brotherhood leaders, to 15 years, the sources said, adding the convicts were immediately transferred to prison. The men were found guilty of inciting the women to block key roads in the city during clashes between supporters and opponents of Mursi on October 31. Their sentencing is the latest in an ongoing government crackdown against Mursi’s supporters. Tempers flared yesterday when the general prosecutor ordered the arrest of Ahmed Maher, founder of the April 6 movement that spearheaded the 2011 revolt against Mubarak, and Alaa Abdel
Fattah, a prominent activist. “The two are accused of inciting protesters to hold demonstrations that broke the protest law,” the prosecution said, according to state news agency Mena. The report added that 24 other protestors who joined the demonstration had been ordered detained for four days. Judiciary and other sources said about 60 protestors were detained, including prominent activist Mona Seif, founder of a campaign against military trials of civilians. She was held after joining a protest outside the Shura Council, where Egypt’s new constitution is being drafted. The protest was chiefly against the inclusion of an article in the draft law that allows the military to try civilians in certain cases.
Seif and a group of 15 other women and 12 men were later released in the middle of the night on a desert road some 10 kilometres (about six miles) south of Cairo. “The ministry of interior alleges that each one of us had been dropped at her house, which means that all of us are living in the desert,” Seif wrote later on Twitter. The interior ministry later approved a demonstration against the protest law in downtown Cairo’s Talat Al Harb Square which hundreds of people attended. Analysts say the interim authorities were wrong to pass the law, especially since the revised constitution would guarantee freedom of expression. “By passing such a law the government is creating opponents within its own camp,” said Hassan Nafea, political professor at Cairo University. “It is alienating true young revolutionary groups such as Maher’s April 6 movement and others who led the January 2011 revolution.” Asked if the latest crackdown signalled the emergence of a police state, Nafea said this was unlikely but “there is a lack of cohesion and cooperation... and there is political immaturity among the officials”. Egypt’s cabinet vowed to press on with its enforcement of the law. “The cabinet will support the police in implementing the law with full force and determination. It respects the freedom of expression but as long as it does not turn into chaos,” it said. — AFP
PROTESTS
Violence may delay Bangladesh polls Twelve people have now been killed in a series of street battles between the opposition and security forces since Monday, with five of them dying yesterday. More than a hundred have been injured.
DHAKA: Bangladesh opposition supporters derailed a train yesterday by ripping up railway tracks in more deadly protests against the timing of an election scheduled for January, as officials said the poll could be postponed. Less than two days after the election commission fixed January 5 for the vote, senior officials indicated the date could be pushed back to accommodate demands by opposition parties who are threatening to boycott it. Resignation The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies want Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign to make way for a neutral caretaker government ahead of the elections. They organised a nationwide blockade of roads, railways and waterways for a second day yesterday, forcing the closure of offices and businesses throughout the country as well as a halt to public transport. Dozens of passengers were injured when a train derailed near the capital Dhaka after opposition supporters tore up sections
UNENDING CRISIS: A homemade bomb explodes in front of Bang-
ladeshi policemen during a nationwide strike in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday. — AP/PTI
of the track, as part of the blockade which has now been extended until tonight. Bangladesh Railway director Saidur Rahman said the train tilted after coming off the tracks at Gazipur, a town north of Dhaka, after several sleepers were removed. Passengers suffered mostly minor injuries. “We have suspended at least 10
train services because of uprooting of rail tracks at several places,” Rahman said. Protestors also attacked and set fire to a train in the western town of Chuadanga. On Tuesday authorities reported at least 60 attacks on the rail network, with coaches set alight and track torn up.
Legitimacy Aware that the legitimacy of any polls shunned by the opposition would be fatally compromised, election commissioners said they were prepared to push back the date. “If there is consensus among the parties, the election date can be delayed to another date to make sure that all parties can participate in the polls,” M. Shahnawaz, one of the commissioners, said. The chief commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad also gave a strong hint of a postponement. “There is scope for everything, if an understanding is reached,” he told reporters late on Tuesday. Shahnawaz pointed out that elections had been rescheduled multiple times in the past to bring everyone on board, including last time round in December 2008. “In the last polls, the election schedule was changed at least three times,” he said. — AFP
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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013
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MURRAY FAVOURITE FOR TOP BBC AWARD LONDON: Andy Murray was installed as the overwhelming odds-on favourite to win the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award for 2013 after being named on Tuesday in a 10-strong shortlist. This year saw the Scot end Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s singles winner at Wimbledon when he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final of what is now the lone grasscourt event of tennis’ four major championships. — AFP
Messi look-alike makes headlines 8-year-old Claudio Nancufil, small for his age, has become a media sensation since emerging as an unusual talent at the modest Martin Guemes club in the ski resort of Bariloche
BUENOS AIRES: An Argentine eight-year-old prodigy from the southern Andes who could be mistaken as a clone of Lionel Messi may soon be taking the same road to soccer glory as the Barcelona ace. Claudio Nancufil, small for his age, has become a media sensation since emerging as an unusual talent at the modest Martin Guemes club in the ski resort of Bariloche. “As soon as he started to play (aged four) he was already different from all the rest of his playmates with regards to technique,” club president Marcelo Ernalz said. “How he takes the ball stuck to his foot, brakes, stops, kicks, scores, shoots on goal, from when he was little he had all these distinct qualities,” said Ernalz, who also trains one of the age group teams at his club. Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have shown interest and the boy could go to Spain for trials in the New Year, according to the Madrid newspaper El Confidencial. Ernalz said that Spaniard Manuel Otero, manager of Bar-
celona-based PR agency Suenos Comunicaciones (dreams communications), visited the Nancufil family in Bariloche when he heard of Claudio’s talent and offered to represent them. “After the Christmas holidays, ‘Claudito’ (little Claudio) will go to try out with these three Spanish teams and then we’ll see what each of them offers us,” said Otero, whose agency normally has actors and musicians on its books. Big Argentine clubs are also interested. “We’ve had an invitation from River Plate for him to train for a week with them,” Otero added in a report in El Confidencial. “(The family) are not closing any doors and England could also be a great destination for the player.” Premier League sides Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly interested in Nancufil, set to be part of a documentary on Argentine football. “The BBC is preparing documentaries in the run-up to the World Cup in Brazil and with Argentina they want to unite the past, present and future,” Otero said. “For this, they plan to bring
together Diego Armando Maradona, Lionel Messi and Claudio Nancufil and with the participation of (World Cup-winning coaches Cesar Luis) Menotti and (Carlos) Bilardo.” ‘Messi of the snows’ Such were the similarities in talent observers saw in Nancufil with Messi at the same age, dribbling past bigger and older boys with ease, that he was called the “Messi of the snows”. “We’re happy because both the kid and his family deserve an opportunity like this,” Ernalz told Argentina’s Cadena 3 in a recent interview. “He’s physically small and had the same growth problems detected in Messi when he was little, and he’s getting hormone treatment.” His mother Viviana said Claudio, who is from a humble background with origins in the Mapuche indians of the southern Andean mountain range, could not explain how he played. “We asked him, how do you do that? And he said, ‘I don’t know. I just get it in my head and my feet move on their own. It’s like that,” she said. “’I don’t know how I play like that. My legs just go.’ That’s what he told us,” Viviana Nancufil said at pitchside while watching her son play. “We would kid him about it, we’d say that he ran by remote control,” she said laughing, adding that over and above Claudio’s talent she wanted a good future for her two sons including 11-year-old Braian. “That’s my dream, that they will always be good people, (Claudio) as a footballer or in any profession.” — Reuters
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Jolted Barca seek more intensity from players MADRID: Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino and captain Carles Puyol have demanded more intensity from the players after Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at Ajax Amsterdam. The Group H reverse was Barca’s first loss this season in all competitions — and their first under Martino — which cost them a chance to seal the top spot, having already secured their place in the last 16. A fired-up Ajax, roared on by their vocal fans, took the game to an injury-hit Barca in the first half, harrying and hassling them before taking a deserved 2-0 lead with goals from Thulani Serero and Danny Hoesen. Although the Spanish champions dominated after Ajax were reduced to 10 men shortly after halftime and pulled a goal back through Xavi’s penalty, they struggled against a home defence well drilled by coach and former Barca player Frank de Boer. “Ajax began with more intensity than us and we paid the price,” Martino, who took over from the ailing Tito Vilanova in the close season, said at a news conference. “The second half was a different
story and we played in a way more in tune with what Barca represents,” the Argentine added. “The problems in the first half came more when we had the ball than when we didn’t. “We lacked mobility and precision. In a Champions League match against a rival who is fighting to qualify for the next round you need intensity for the full 90 minutes.” Barca have another chance to seal the top spot in the group when they host Celtic on Dec. 11. The Scottish champions lost 3-0 at home to AC Milan on Tuesday and are bottom of the group on three points from five games. Barca have 10, Milan are second on eight and Ajax, whose final game is against the Italians at the San Siro, seven. Puyol said the team would have no chance of adding to their four European crowns if they started every match so lethargically. “The idea is to have possession of the ball but when you are up against a team that also knows how to play and is full of fight this is what happens,” he told reporters. — Reuters
Basel strike a blow for Europe’s smaller leagues BERNE: FC Basel struck a rare blow for teams from Europe’s smaller leagues, who often find themselves overwhelmed by their richer rivals from the “Big Five”, with their 1-0 Champions League win over Chelsea on Tuesday. Uefa reserves five places in the group stage for champions of Europe’s lowerranked leagues, who have to play their way through a marathon qualifying competition held in July and August. Basel, Viktoria Plzen, Steaua Bucharest, Celtic and Austria Vienna made it to the group stages this year and, generally, their presence has served to illustrate the widening gulf between Europe’s haves and have-nots. Apart from Basel, the other four are all bottom of their respective groups and eliminated with a game to go,
JUBILANT: FC Basel’s Egyptian star Mohammed Salah cel-
ebrates the winning goal against Chelsea. – Reuters
with Plzen, Steaua and Austria Vienna yet to muster a win between them. Austria Vienna failed to score a goal in their first four games, Plzen were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City and 5-0 by Bayern Munich while Steaua Bucha-
rest, European champions in 1986, were swept aside 4-0 at home by Chelsea. Not for the first time, Basel, who began their campaign against Maccabi Tel Aviv in July, are the only one of the smaller teams left standing and need a draw against
Schalke 04 in their final match to reach the last 16. Swiss champions for the last four seasons, Basel are seen as a model club who stay within their financial limits, develop local talent and appreciate the importance of attracting fans to matches. The undoubted star of the third category is Egyptian 21-year-old Mohammed Salah, who scored the winner against Chelsea and was also on target in the 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in September as the Swiss completed a remarkable double. Salah was signed in April 2012 after playing for Egypt’s under-23 team against Basel in a friendly in early 2012. Voted Africa’s most promising young player in 2012, his pace and trickery are immediately eye-catching although he is far from the finished product. — Reuters
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T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 0 1 3
SPORTS HOCKEY
India ready for Dutch challenge: Manpreet
Dhawan’s ton seals series win for India SCOREBOARD
NEW DELHI: Rising hockey star Manpreet Singh, who will be leading the 18-member Indian team in the 18-nation Junior World Cup, said yesterday that the first match against the Netherlands will be crucial. Manpreet, who was announced as the captain at a glittering ceremony organised by Hockey India (HI), feels that the first match could change things for India. “We are well prepared and the focus is on the match against Holland. We are practicing keeping in mind the challenge that will be posed by Holland. We are putting a lot of emphasis on penalty corner conversion and playing attacking game. We will get good results,” Manpreet said. Manpreet said that Germany, Australia and Argentina will pose a big challenge for India. Instead of making tall promises, Manpreet said the team will take one match at a time. “We will do well, but I don’t make any tall promises. We will go step by step. The immediate target is to do well against Holland. I have learnt a lot of things playing with the senior team and will try to apply those things,” he said. Though it is a junior World Cup, all the 18 boys have played with the senior team and in between they have played 324 international matches. Senior India player Kothajit Singh, 20, is the most experienced with 89 international matches while Manpreet has the experience of 85 matches. Defender Amit Rohidas will be Manpreet’s deputy. Ramandeep Singh, who made his debut in the Asia Cup, has also found a place in the side while talented forward Affan Yousuf has been kept in the stand bys. India are in pool C with the Netherlands, South Korea, Canada. Pool A features Germany, Pakistan, Belgium and Egypt while Australia, Spain, Argentina and France are in pool B. England, New Zealand, South Africa and Malaysia make up group D. India play the Netherlands in its first match slated for Dec 6 followed by matches against Canada (Dec 7) and South Korea (Dec 10). — IANS
WEST INDIES J Charles b Kumar 11 K Powell c Dhawan b Ashwin 70 M Samuels b Ashwin 71 D Bravo not out 51 L Simmons c Dhoni b Jadeja 13 DJ Bravo c Ashwin b Shami 4 D Sammy not out 37 Extras (lb-2, w-3, nb-1) 6 Total (for 5 wkts; 50 overs) 263 Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Charles, 4.5 overs), 2-137 (Powell, 29.2), 3-168 (Samuels, 35.3), 4-187 (Simmons, 38.6), 5-196 (DJ Bravo, 41.5) Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 8-0-42-1; Mohit Sharma 7-0-47-0; Mohammed Shami 10-1-49-1; Ravichandran Ashwin 10-0-45-2; Suresh Raina 5-0-29-0; Ravindra Jadeja 10-0-49-1 INDIA R Sharma c DJ Bravo b Rampaul 4 S Dhawan c & b DJ Bravo 119 V Kohli c Charles b Rampaul 19 Y Singh c DJ Bravo b Narine 55 S Raina c Charles b DJ Bravo 34 MS Dhoni not out 23 R Jadeja not out 2 Extras (lb-5, w-4, nb-1) 10 Total (for 5 wkts, 46.1 overs) 266 Fall of wickets: 1-29 (RG Sharma, 4.2 overs), 2-61 (Kohli, 8.4), 3-190 (Yuvraj Singh, 30.1), 4-218 (Dhawan, 37.2), 5-255 (Raina, 42.6) Bowling: Ravi Rampaul 10-1-55-2; Jason Holder 6-0-47-0; Dwayne Bravo 10-0-57-2; Sunil Narine 10-1-32-1; Darren Sammy 3-0-22-0; Lendl Simmons 3-0-17-0; Veerasammy Permaul 4.1-0-31-0 Series: India won the 3-match series 2-1 Umpires: Anil Chaudhary & Rod Tucker TV umpire: Vineet Kulkarni Match referee: David Boon (Australia)
Shikhar Dhawan, who struck 20 fours in his 95-ball innings, and Yuvraj Singh (55) helped India overhaul the target of 264 runs
KANPUR: Riding on opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan’s fine 119, India wrapped up the series 2-1 against the West Indies, winning the third and the deciding ODI by five wickets at the Green Park Stadium here yesterday. Dhawan, who struck 20 fours in his 95-ball innings, and Yuvraj Singh (55) helped the the team recover from a shaky start with their 129-run stand for the third-wicket as India overhauled the target of 264 runs, scoring 266 for five in 46.1 overs. It was a clinical performance by India right from the start as West Indies failed to capitalise on a good start and managed a par score of 263 for five in 50 overs. Kieran Powell was the top scorer with 70 while Marlon Samuels made 71. In reply, Dhawan led the charge right with a fiery knock of 119 off 95 balls — his fifth ODI century this year — while Yuvraj also came up with an unimpressive but yet a valuable half-century. Chasing a modest total of 264, India were off to a poor star as opening batsman Rohit Sharma (4) and Virat Kohli (19) were back in the pavilion with just 61 runs on board in the ninth over. It was fast bowler Ravi Rampaul (2-55), who did the early damage by removing the both Rohit and Kohli, who were in form. Rohit, fresh from back-to-back centuries in his first two Tests, was out fishing outside the off stump and edged to Dwayne Bravo at first slip. Kohli, who fell for 99 in the last outing, was in two minds, whether to leave the ball and while he was trying to withdraw the bat he found an edge to wicketkeeper Johnson Charles. Dhawan then joined forces with
TON-UP: Opener Shikhar Dhawan plays a shot during the final ODI
match against West Indies at Green Park stadium in Kanpur. – PTI
Yuvraj, who was not in best of his forms, but still got a hard earned 55 in 74. They put India back on track with their 129-run stand for the third wicket. Dhawan was on top of the West Indies bowlers and he struck 20 fours that ripped apart the bowling. Yuvraj looked shaky, especially against spinner Sunil Narine, but gave good company to Dhawan. Yuvraj, who hit seven fours in his 74-ball innings, finally fell to
Narine after he failed to read a tossed up delivery and edged to Dwayne Bravo in the slip. After having dominated the West Indies bowling, Dhawan suffered a soft dismissal as Dwayne Bravo (2-57) took an easy return catch of his own bowling. Suresh Raina (34) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23 not out) then took the team to the threshold of the win with their 37-run stand. With a victory in sight, Raina went
for an ambitious drive only to become Dwayne Bravo’s second victim caught behind by the wicketkeeper. Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja (2 not out) got the team home safely with 23 balls to spare. Early, West Indies failed to cash in on the half-centuries by Powell (70), Samuels (71) and Darren Bravo (51 not out). Opening batsman Johnson Charles’ (11) poor form continued and was castled early in the fifth over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar with an inswinger that left the West Indies at 20/1. Powell and Samuels shared a 117-run second-wicket stand that laid the foundation for West Indies. — IANS
ODI SERIES
Pakistan clinch tense thriller PORT ELIZABETH: Pakistan beat South Africa by one run in a rain-hit second One-day International at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth yesterday to win the three-match series by taking a 2-0 lead. Hashim Amla (98) and AB de Villiers (74) battled hard to take the hosts close to the target, but fell short by one run. Earlier, Ahmed Shehzad hit his third ODI century as Pakistan made 262 all out. Opening batsman Shehzad made 102 after Pakistan were sent in to bat in a match reduced to 45 overs a side because of rain. Fast bowler Dale Steyn took a career-best six for 39, including two wickets in the last over of the innings, but the other South African bowlers struggled to contain their opponents, who lead the three-match series 1-0. Shehzad, who made his firstclass debut aged 15, shared a third wicket stand of 124 off 134 balls with Sohaib Maqsood, who made 42 off 59 balls. Brief scores: Pakistan 262 off 45 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 102; D. Steyn 6-39) beat South Africa 261-6 off 45 overs (H. Amla 98, AB de Villiers 74; Junaid Khan 3-42). — AFP
TWENTY20
Nepal, UAE qualify for World stage ABU DHABI: Nepal qualified for their maiden ICC World Twenty20 finals with a fivewicket win over Hong Kong at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Joining Nepal at the March 16-April 6 tournament in Bangladesh are the United Arab Emirates, who return to the global stage for the first time in 17 years, beating Netherlands. The last time they competed at this level was at the cricket World Cup in 1996. Nepal and the UAE join Ireland and Afghanistan, who booked their tickets on Monday, at the finals with the two remaining qualifiers to be determined today. — AFP
HOCKEY
Beatrice’s one-day hockey extravaganza tomorrow
ALL SET: Organisers of the Beatrice hockey extravaganza with S.A.S. Naqvi. – Supplied photo
MUSCAT: On the occasion of 36th Anniversary of Team Beatrice a one day hockey extravaganza along with family oriented programmes will be conducted at Wave Stadium Muscat. The event will held this Friday at 5pm followed by the festivities in the evening and an opening ceremony. After the last month’s successful inaugural basketball conducted by Beatrice in association with
Seeb Basketball League club, the anticipation is high for this event as Beatrice hockey enthusiasts from the United Arab Emirates and well known Team Coorg will be joining the tournament. “We look forward curiously to participate in this event,” says B. Kuttapa, Manager of Team Coorg. Promoting and Supporting healthy life style is important message from Feroz, the senior
member of Beatrice Team. Also he added that Beatrice is planning to conduct more tournaments in near future. S.A.S Naqvi, former technical advisor of Oman Olympic Committee and former coach of Oman national hockey team said that he is very much glad to see Beatrice is reviving their hockey passion here in Oman. Also he assured all support and future cooperation for any hockey events.
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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013
SOUTH KOREA’S GROWTH TH POISED TO ACCELERATE South Korea’s growth is poised to
MARKE Muscat 6,726.29 - 25.76 - 0.38%
Dubai 2,898.97 + 14.44 + 0.50%
Abu Dhabi 3,837.04 + 20.13 + 0.53%
accelerate to the fastest since 2010, even as the central bank warned the won’s climb to the highest against the yen in more than five years threatens to damp exporters’ profits. >B3
Kuwait 7,838.20 + 40.90 + 0.51%
Saudi Arabia
8,300.65 + 2.19 + 0.03%
Bahrain 1,197.27 - 0.21 - 0.02%
Qatar 10,288.77 + 20.08 + 0.20%
CRUDE OIL PRICE
CURRENCY RATES*
DRAFT RATES (RO1)*
GOLD PRICES*
Type ............................Delivery...........Price Oman Crude............. (Spot) ......$108.46 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ..... $106.56 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ....... $112.61 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) .......$110.97 Arabian Heavy ....... (Spot) ................N/A N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) .......$110.70 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$94.56
Forex rates vs RO1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro .............................................1.90 Pound ...........................................1.59 Indian Rs ..............................161.34 Pak Rs .....................................277.01 Bangla Taka........................198.81
Indian Rs ..................................160.60 Pakistan Rs ............................. 277.50 Sri Lanka Rs ........................... 336.15 Bangla Taka........................... 200.45 Phil Peso .................................... 112.60
Muscat 24ct per gm (RO) ............15.55 Muscat 22ct per gm (RO) .............15.10 10 Tola Bar Muscat (RO) ................. N/A Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............ 150.75 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............143.00 10 Tola Bar Dubai (Dh) ..................... N/A
* Rates as of Nov. 27 Source: Oman UAE Exchange
* Rates as of Nov. 27 Source: Atlas Jewellery
* Rates are as of Nov. 26 Source: BankMuscat
Iran nuclear deal will bolster oil supplies, say crude traders The accord capped Iran’s crude exports at one million barrels a day. Until the US removes all oil sanctions, markets are unlikely to slump
SINGAPORE: Crude traders are sceptical that the accord loosening some economic sanctions against Iran in return for limiting nuclear work will lead to a surge in oil supply from what was once Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (Opec) second-biggest producer. Brent, the benchmark for half the world’s crude, rose 15 cents yesterday to $111.03 a barrel, little changed from where it was before the agreement was reached on November 24. While oil fell as much as 2.7 per cent the next day, futures erased the decline by the end of the trading session. “Brent had a knee-jerk selloff,” said Stephen Schork, president of the Schork Group, a consultant to
the energy industry in Villanova, Pennsylvania. “The market is sceptical that this is as bearish as it would seem to be.” The six-month agreement capped the country’s crude exports at 1 million barrels a day. Until the United States removes all oil sanctions, markets are unlikely to slump, according to Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research in Winchester, Massachusetts. American authorities say Iranian crude sales are down 60 per cent from when petroleum restrictions began in late 2011. Brent for January settlement on the London-based ICE Futures Europe fell as much as $3 to
$108.05 a barrel on November 25. Brent is down 0.2 per cent in 2013, after more than doubling in the previous four years. West Texas Intermediate crude, the US benchmark, dropped 32 cents to $93.36 yesterday. “Markets appear sceptical about the chances of a final agreement with Iran leading to a lifting of the oil embargo, until there is more clarity around what that deal will contain precisely,” said Julius Walker, global energy markets strategist at UBS Securities in New York. Market scepticism The agreement limits Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for as much as $7 billion in relief over six months. It allows Iran to export oil at current levels, rather than forcing additional reductions by buyers, as would have been required under current law, according to a White House statement. The accord relaxes restrictions on cars, petrochemicals, aviation parts, gold and insurance for oil cargoes. “The reaction of the market makes a lot of sense,” said Mi-
chael Wittner, head of oil market research at Societe Generale in New York. “The bottom line is that this interim deal changes almost nothing. There will be no new oil coming out of Iran.” Revenue loss The crude sanctions have deprived Iran of more than $80 billion in revenue, US President Barack Obama’s administration said in the Nov. 25 statement after the agreement was reached between Iran and the so-called P5+1 nations — the US, UK, China, Russia, France and Germany. Iran was the sixth-largest producer in Opec last month, with 2.6 million barrels a day, down from 3.5 million in January 2012, according to a survey. “This is a six-month agreement and it’s really too early to tell any possible outcome,” Maria van der Hoeven, executive director of International Energy Agency, said in Moscow on November 25. “What we do know is that the agreement does not directly affect oil sanctions in a big way.” - Bloomberg News
Economic problems go beyond sanctions, says Rouhani DUBAI: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said its economic problems went beyond sanctions and blamed “unparalleled stagflation” on the profligacy of his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In office from 2005 until August, Ahmadinejad presided over an unprecedented period of revenue growth due to high oil prices, but analysts say, squandered much of it with subsidies that pumped money into the economy and drove up inflation. He also antagonised the United States and the West by threatening to wipe Israel off ‘the page of time’, repeated denials of an uncompromising
stance on the nuclear issue. “The stagflation in 1391 was unparalleled,” Rouhani said referring to the Iranian year that ended in March. The economy contracted by 6 per cent while inflation stood at more than 40 per cent, he said. “These facts show the conditions we inherited from the previous government and in what conditions we must grapple with the problems,” he said. An interim deal with six world powers clinched in Geneva on Sunday promises to bring some $7 billion-worth of relief from those sanctions, but most of the measures remain in place and it would take time for the economy to improve. -Reuters
CONSTRUCTION SECTOR
HYUNDAI ROLLS OUT HIGH-END GENESIS SEDAN Hyundai Motor’s new Genesis sedan at a hotel in Seoul. Hyundai Motor unveiled the revamped version of its high-end Genesis sedan in South Korea on Tuesday. The All-New Genesis, equipped with 3,342cc or 3,778cc engines, is priced at between 46.6 million won ($43,987) and 61.3 million won ($57,862) on the domestic market. Hyundai, the world’s fifth-biggest automaker along with Kia Motors, is looking to lift its total US vehicle sales by 10 per cent next year. — AFP
Kuwait to award $24b projects next year Times News Service KUWAIT CITY: More than $24 billion in contracts could be awarded next year in Kuwait, double the value as compared to this year. Many of the opportunities will be found in Kuwait’s oil and gas sector, with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) bids due to be submitted over the next three months for the two largest projects — the estimated $16 billion Clean Fuels Project (CFP) and the $7 billion Lower Fars heavy oil scheme, said MEED, organisers of Kuwait Projects 2013 conference, that concluded on Tuesday in Kuwait.
FINANCIAL SECTOR
GCC investment banks still face challenges Times News Service MUSCAT: While the fees from equity capital markets (ECMs) underwriting in 2012 for the Middle East region saw an increase of 23 per cent over 2011, ECM issuance in 2012 declined by five per cent compared to 2011 and reached $9.4 billion, according to a report published by Kuwait Financial Centre ‘Markaz.’ Follow-ons and initial public offerings (IPOs) accounted for 77 per cent and 21 per cent of ECM activity in 2012 for the Middle East region. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region saw a significant IPO activity in 2012. The GCC raised $1,685.14 million in capital from nine IPO issues in 2012. Industrial manufacturing was the most active sector for IPO
issuance in the GCC region. The overall ECM activity in the ME region and the IPO activity in the GCC region trails behind its historical levels. GCC entities issued $31 billion worth of conventional bonds in 2012. The UAE was the largest issuer of conventional bonds in 2012. Financial services sector and government institutions are among the largest issuer of bonds in GCC. The sukuk market continued to perform well in 2012 as well and touched new highs with an issuance of $24.2 billion in 2012. Markaz analysed the status of GCC investment banking by examining four streams of revenue — ECM, debt capital markets (DCM), loans, mergers and acquisitions. The report also enumerates the current trends favouring
IPO ACTIVITY GCC saw a significant IPO activity in 2012. It raised $1,685m in capital from nine IPO issues in 2012. Industrial manufacturing was the most active sector for IPO issuance
the GCC investment banking and examines the challenges for investment banking space in GCC. Loan market bounces The loan market witnessed a bounce back in 2012 with volume of loan deals estimated at $75.79 billion in 2012. Most deals signed in 2012 were project finance loans.
The GCC region’s mergers and acquisitions based on target nation considering only completed deals reached $13.11 billion during 2012. Mining and metals became the leading sector in the GCC, noted the Markaz report. Investment banking activity in the GCC reached its peak in 2007 and witnessed decline during the economic crisis until 2009. While, a recovery has been noted in the recent times, GCC investment banking still faces many challenges ahead. Overall, 2012 was not a bad year for investment banking activity in GCC, when compared to 2011, with many segments recording an increase in activity. This scenario is quite different from 2011 when many segments recorded a decrease in activity. Some trends
continue to favour GCC investment banking and the fee accrued from investment banking activity has increased across all revenue streams. Despite these positives, the challenges to investment banking in the GCC are not few. Overall, an uncertain investment climate continues to make it difficult for investment banks to justify their headcount. Moreover, international investment banks which have built up the necessary brand recognition in the GCC have an edge in terms of attracting talent and ability to network. Erratic deal flow causes value and volume of deals to change significantly from one month to another causing fluctuation in fees and commissions earned from such services.
Hospital expansion “Oil and gas is not the only sectors of interest. Kuwait is embarking on one of the region’s most ambitious hospital expansion programmes as it seeks to double the number of beds over the next decade,” Edmund O’ Sullivan, chairman of MEED Events. “In education, construction work is ongoing on the $3 billionplus Sabah Al Salem new university campus, which is one of the most modern and largest campuses in the world when it is completed,” he said. Transport sector Transport is another sector of focus, where tenders will be issued soon for the long-awaited $3.2 billion new Kuwait International Airport terminal, while there are long-term ambitions for a multibillion-dollar rail and metro network, added O’ Sullivan. Through the Partnerships Technical Bureau, which is responsible for the state’s public private partnerships (PPP) programme, work is set to start on the first integrated water power plat (IWPP) at Al Zour North. The $2.5 billion project will be a pioneer for a raft of other upcoming PPP projects including the $1.5 billion Umm Al Hayman wastewater treatment plant and further IWPPs at Khairan and Al Zour. Over the long-term, over $100 billion worth of contracts will be awarded and implemented, said the organiser.
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T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 0 1 3
MARKET PRIMARY MARKET
Damac to cut size of initial public offering DUBAI: Damac Real Estate Development, a Dubai-based property developer, is cutting the size of its initial public offering (IPO) and will likely price at the bottom of the range, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The offering in London is expected to raise $400 million, down from an earlier target of $500 million, with the global depositary receipts likely priced at the bottom of the $12.25 to $17.25 range, the people said, asking not to be identified because the pricing isn’t public. The closing of the IPO has also been postponed until December 2, according to the people. Al Firdous Holding and Sahira, controlled by Damac Properties Development founder Hussain Sajwani, are planning to sell as much as 18.8 per cent of the new real estate company. The company had said the IPO would price on Tuesday. The offering, the first for a Dubai-based developer since the sheikhdom’s real estate market crashed in 2008, is set to test the appetite of global investors for the city’s recovering property market. Damac was valued by analysts at $3.9 billion to $5.4 billion, three people briefed on the process said
on Nov. 4. The company said the valuation range would be between $2.7 billion and $3.7 billion. “It was expensive to us even at the lower end of the range,” Ali Taqi, a portfolio manager at A/T Capital Management in Dubai who manages $170 million, said yesterday in a phone interview. “We couldn’t justify the valuation.” Hollywood-themed Damac has started projects including Hollywood-themed apartment towers and a Trump International golf course in 2013. Damac has assets valued at $2.3 billion and reported first-half profit of $332 million, up from $212.1 million for the whole of 2012, according to a filing on November 4. Gross profit margins averaged 44 per cent in the three years through 2012 and 64 per cent in the first half of this year, according to the filing. Citigroup and Deutsche Bank, along with Samba Capital and Investment Management and VTB Capital, are managing the IPO. Damac’s price-to-book value is more expensive than that of Dubai’s biggest developer, Emaar Properties, even though Emaar is deemed less risky. - Bloomberg News
UP IN ARMS: Anti-government protesters outside Thailand’s Energy Ministry in Bangkok, yesterday. Thousands of Thai demonstrators marched yesterday towards a government office complex they planned to shut down as part of efforts to cripple the government and oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. – Reuters
Thailand cuts rate as protests hurt outlook shares extended gains, climbing 0.6 per cent.
Bank of Thailand cut its one-day bond repurchase rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25%, with monetary policy panel voting six-to-one in favour of the decision
BANGKOK: Thailand unexpectedly cut its key interest rate for a second time this year, as escalating anti-government protests threaten investor confidence and local demand, hurting the nation’s growth outlook. The baht fell. The Bank of Thailand cut its one-day bond repurchase rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25 per cent, with monetary policy committee members voting six-to-one in favour of the decision, it said in Bangkok yesterday. All 19 economists in a survey predicted the rate would be held. Thai protesters this week besieged government ministries and urged civil servants to join a push to oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, an escalation of rallies that began a month
ago against an amnesty for most political offenses stretching back to the 2006 coup that ousted her brother Thaksin. The economy expanded a less-than-estimated 1.3 per cent in the third quarter from the previous three months. “The central bank seems to be concerned about growth and the sluggish exports, and on top of that, there’s the political concern,” said Kozo Hasegawa, a Bangkok-based foreign-exchange trader at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking. “Should the protests prolong and impact government spending, tourism and the economy further, they could consider another cut.” The baht reversed earlier gains to slip 0.2 per cent to 32.16 against the dollar, the weakest level since September 11. The SET Index of
Higher risks Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversaw a deadly crackdown on Thaksin supporters when he was deputy premier in 2010, has called for a nationwide program of civil disobedience to bring down the administration of Yingluck, whose Pheu Thai party won a parliamentary majority in elections in 2011. A confidence vote is scheduled for today. The Thai central bank today cut its 2013 growth forecast to about 3 per cent from 3.7 per cent earlier, and its 2014 estimate to about 4 per cent from 4.8 per cent. “There are higher downside risks to growth stemming from delays in government investment and fragile private confidence, which could be compounded by the ongoing political situation,” assistant governor Paiboon Kittisrikangwan said at a briefing today. “Given the benign inflation outlook and moderating household credit growth, there is room for monetary policy to mitigate downside risks to the economy.” Yingluck’s administration has tried to speed up budget disburse-
ment and boost local demand as plans to spend 2 trillion baht ($62 billion) on infrastructure and 350 billion baht on water management projects have stalled. Consumer confidence Consumer confidence in October fell to the lowest since March 2012, while exports slipped for a second straight month, data earlier today showed. The state forecasting agency this month cut its full-year expansion estimate to 3 per cent from a range of 3.8 per cent to 4.3 per cent, and said it expected no export growth this year. “Political instability has retarded progress on infrastructure development and thereby constrained Thailand’s growth,” Fitch Ratings said in a statement earlier today. “Moreover, political noise could increase investor skittishness as the US Federal Reserve’s tapering of quantitative easing draws closer.” - Bloomberg News
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RESTRUCTURING
Panasonic negotiating to sell three chip plants to TowerJazz TOKYO: Panasonic is in talks to sell majority stakes in three chip factories in Japan to Tower Semiconductor, according to a person familiar with the matter. The plants are likely worth more than ¥10 billion ($99 million), and a final decision may come as soon as next month, the person said, asking to not be identified because the talks are continuing. Most of the 2,500 workers at the factories will move to Tower, while the rest will switch to other roles at Panasonic, the person said. President Kazuhiro Tsuga is seeking alliances for the Osakabased company’s chip business as he continues restructuring its consumer-electronics units, including ending production of plasma televisions. The company plans to cut as many as 7,000 workers in the semiconductor business, or about half of the staff, as it considers outside investment in overseas plants in China, Indonesia and Malaysia, the person said.
CHANGING FOCUS: The chip plants are worth more than $99 million,
and a final decision may come in December. – Bloomberg News
Panasonic last month doubled its full-year profit forecast to ¥100 billion after benefiting from a weak yen and boosting sales of its batteries for electric cars. Hitomi Ishikawa, a spokeswoman for Panasonic in Tokyo, said the company is considering options for its semiconductor units and nothing has been decided. The public relations office of Tower Semiconductor in Migdal
Haemek, wasn’t available to respond outside normal business hours. Shoko Saimiya, a spokeswoman for TowerJazz, the company’s brand in Japan, wasn’t available for comment. Panasonic shares rose 3.7 per cent to ¥1,170, extending their gains to 124 per cent this year. Nikkei reported Panasonic’s plans to sell the plants earlier yesterday. - Bloomberg News
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 01 3
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MARKET South Korea’s economic growth to pick up even as currency rises year and 3.8 per cent growth next year, the fastest since 2010, when the economy expanded 6.3 per cent as it pulled out of a global downturn.
Momentum in Asia’s fourth-biggest economy is accelerating, led by improvement in Seoul, mid and southwest areas of the country, the Bank of Korea said in its quarterly report yesterday
SEOUL: South Korea’s growth is poised to accelerate to the fastest since 2010, even as the central bank warned the won’s climb to the highest against the yen in more than five years threatens to damp exporters’ profits. Momentum in Asia’s fourthbiggest economy is picking up, led by improvement in Seoul, mid and southwest areas of the country, the Bank of Korea (BoK) said in a quarterly ‘Golden Book’ re-
port released yesterday in Seoul. The yen’s decline against the won is intensifying competition with Japanese companies and may hurt profitability of some exporters, the report said. South Korean authorities were watching for drastic moves in exchange rates, Finance Minister Hyun Oh Seok said this week when the won hit the highest level against the yen since 2008. A housing-price rebound after the worst
NEW MEASURES: Authorities were watching for drastic moves in
exchange rates, Finance Minister Hyun Oh Seok said this week when the won hit the highest level against the yen since 2008. – Bloomberg News
property-market slowdown since 2004 could support the economy after government and central bank stimulus this year helped jumpstart a recovery. “There is currently pent-up demand and conditions are ripe for a cyclical upswing, supported by
HOUSEHOLD DEBT
S&P slashes credit outlook for four Malaysian banks KUALA LUMPUR: Standard & Poor’s cut its credit outlook for four Malaysian lenders on concern that rising home prices and household debt are contributing to economic imbalances in the country. The credit ratings company revised its outlook to negative from stable for CIMB Group, AmBank (M), RHB Bank and sister company RHB Investment Bank. It also lowered its long-term Asean regional scale rating on CIMB to axBBB+ from axA-, S&P said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. “The negative outlook recognises the potential for deterioration in the banks’ asset quality and financial profile, if the consumer debt burden proves excessive in an unfavourable economic scenario,” S&P analysts Ivan Tan and Deepali V. Seth wrote in the report. Ratings companies have sent mixed signals on Malaysia’s credit worthiness as Prime Minister Najib Razak seeks to rein in the budget deficit. Fitch Ratings lowered its outlook on the nation’s A- sovereign rating to negative in July on public debt concerns. Moody’s Investors Service raised the outlook on the country’s A3 debt to positive this month, citing improved prospects for fiscal consolidation and macroeconomic stability. S&P rates Malaysia A-, its fourth-lowest investment grade. Najib cut state subsidies and set a date to introduce a goods and services tax in April 2015 during his October 25 budget address. “The banks do face an increased risk, but it may be premature to view it negatively,” Yeah Kim Leng, chief economist at local ratings company RAM
The negative outlook recognises the potential for deterioration in the banks’ asset quality and financial profile, if the consumer debt burden proves excessive in an unfavourable economic scenario Ivan Tan and Deepali V. Seth S&P analysts
Holdings, said by phone in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. “In view of the improving economic outlook, all those risks emanating from high household leverage and high property prices may not warrant such a negative view.” Property curbs Malaysia’s economy is projected to expand by 5 per cent next year, up from an estimated 4.5 per cent in 2013, according to economists’ forecasts. The nation’s central bank shortened the maximum length on mortgages in July, saying household indebtedness had risen by an average 12 per cent per annum in the past five years. Last month, the government said it will stop developers from helping home buyers by absorbing some interest payments on loans. It also raised the capital gains tax to 30 per cent on homes sold within five years to curb speculation.
“The negative outlook reflects the possibility that we may lower the ratings on these financial institutions if the growing economic imbalances lead us to a more negative view of the environment in which Malaysian banks operate,” S&P said in its report. CIMB shares fell 0.8 per cent to 7.57 ringgit in Kuala Lumpur. RHB Capital, which owns RHB Bank and RHB Investment, was 1.8 per cent lower at 7.71 ringgit. AMMB Holdings, which owns AmBank, was unchanged. Malaysia’s ringgit fell to an eightweek low after signs of a recovery in the US housing market bolstered the case for the Federal Reserve to scale back stimulus. - Bloomberg News
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government measures to increase social welfare spending and boost the property markets,” Kwon Young Sun, a Hong Kong-based economist at Nomura Holdings, wrote in a research note. The central bank on October 10 projected 2.8 per cent growth this
On track “The Golden Book shows that so far, our economy is well on the growth track that we projected last month,” Shin Woon, directorgeneral at the BoK, said yesterday. South Korea’s current account surplus — which the BoK forecasts will rise to a record $63 billion this year — has helped support the won, and buffered it against a sell-off in some other emergingmarket currencies earlier this year when speculation about the United States Federal Reserve tapering picked up. The won touched 10.41051 per yen on November 25, the strongest since September 2008, and traded at 10.44637 in Seoul. Tapering of US monetary policy,
increased volatility in the foreign exchange market and corporatesector restructuring remain risks to the economy, Hyun said yesterday at a meeting with municipal governors in Busan, according to an e-mailed statement from the ministry. “With competition with Japanese rivals intensifying due to the weak yen, the won’s gains may hurt price competitiveness and profitability for some exporters” including those in the machinery industry, said the BoK report. Samsung Electronics last month posted record third- quarter earnings after extending its lead in the smartphone market and benefiting from a rally in chip prices. Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s largest carmaker, reported its first profit increase in the last four quarters after sales gained in China and demand surged ahead in Brazil. - Bloomberg News
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MARKET BRIEFS
US RETAILERS HAVE TO WOO CUSTOMERS WITH DISCOUNTS: ANALYSTS Customers shopping for Christmas ornaments at a Walmart store in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles recently. With growing online competition, no fashion must-haves and weak consumer confidence, most US retailers will have to offer both big discounts and stellar service to get consumers to spend freely, according to retail analysts. — Reuters
Union Properties may pay maiden dividend in 2014 DUBAI: Union Properties may pay its first dividend in five years in 2014 as the Dubai developer heads toward its biggest quarterly profit since 2008, according to chairman Khalid bin Kalban. Fourth-quarter profit is expected to reach Dh300 million ($81 million), the most since the second quarter of 2008, after the company reduced borrowing costs and started projects, bin Kalban said in an interview. Dubai’s smallest publicly traded developer may report full-year profit of more than Dh600 million, more than triple last year’s total, he said.
Dubai TV operator OSN not pursuing public issue
Giant hydro project could illuminate half of Africa South African deal revives hopes of giant hydro dam on Congo as conflict and misrule have prevented project for decades
INGA (Congo): Deep in the bowels of the giant Inga hydroelectric dam that straddles the mighty Congo river stands a fading map named “The motorways of electric power from Inga”. From a dot in western Democratic Republic of Congo, lines extend across the African continent. They run southwards through Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and northwards via Sudan and Libya, reaching as far as Morocco. For decades, governments dreamed of harnessing the Congo river’s enormous energy at the Inga rapids with an expansion of the dam large enough to power
half of Africa. Years of conflict and misrule in Congo meant the project was never realised. Instead, in the cavernous halls of Inga’s two dams, water drips from the ceiling and rusted pipes sit above puddles. Five of the 14 turbines no longer spin at all, a sign of the decay. Fast-growing economies Now a deal with South Africa to buy electricity from Inga has revived talk of the giant hydro project that could illuminate a continent whose economies are rapidly expanding but lack the power supply to sustain it.
“We had to find a buyer for this energy. Otherwise we cannot build Inga,” Bruno Kapandji, Congo’s minister of energy and hydro power, said. “South Africa is a solvent and credible buyer.” Following a year of talks, South Africa has promised to buy at least half the electricity from Inga III, a $12 billion dam that, once built, will produce 4,800mw of energy. Much of the rest may go to Congo’s power-starved mining industry. This is nearly three times the amount produced from Inga’s two existing dams, which are decades old and have been crippled by neglect, government debt and riskaverse investors. Success for Inga III would help to raise investors’ confidence in the remaining five stages of the Grand Inga project. At an estimated cost of $50-80 billion, Grand Inga would produce 44,000mw, dwarfing all other hydro-electric projects in the world, including China’s Three Gorges Dam. “This incredible feat of human INDIAN CURRENCY
Rupee rises on dollar selling MUMBAI: The rupee climbed 36 paise to a three-week high of 62.14 against the dollar yesterday after banks and exporters sold the United States currency as it weakened overseas. The rupee resumed higher at 62.45 per dollar from the previous close of 62.50 at the interbank foreign exchange market and firmed up further to end at 62.14, a gain of 36 paise or 0.57 per cent. It was the highest close for the rupee since 61.62 on November 5. The local currency ended unchanged on Tuesday. Bankers and exporters reduced their dollar positions due to the currency’s weakness overseas, a forex dealer said. The dollar slipped against the euro yesterday, ahead of economic data before Thanksgiving Day. Releases scheduled include durable goods orders, the Chicago purchasing managers’ index and consumer sentiment numbers. “Apart from strong euro and a slight weakness in the US dollar, the rupee was getting support from dollar selling by banks. Tuesday’s economic reports out from the US were quite mixed, with consumer confidence tumbling and the housing market showing a recovery,” said Abhishek Goenka, chief executive officer of India Forex Advisors. Local equities closed near Tuesday’s close but the rupee appreciated. - Bloomberg News
ingenuity, when completed, will have the capacity to power Africa and indeed to export electricity beyond the continent,” South African President Jacob Zuma said at a signing ceremony in Kinshasa. Talk of progress at Inga comes at a time of fresh optimism in Congo. Its army, backed by South African troops in a UN peackeeping mission, has defeated the most serious rebellion to plague the mineral-rich east in a decade. Ethiopia building dam It also comes amid a drive to ensure Africa’s era of growth isn’t brought to a halt by lack of power. According to the World Bank, sub-Saharan Africa, with its 800 million people, produces the same amount of power as Spain, home to 45 million. Uganda has recently completed the 250mw Bujagali dam near the source of the Nile. Ethiopia is building the 6,000mw Grand Renaissance dam, which will be Africa’s largest once completed. To
the west in Sierra Leone, hydroelectric power is central to a $3.5 billion plan to increase power production tenfold by 2017. None come close the scale of Grand Inga. But experts urge caution, even for just the first stage of the process. In February 2012, the previous plan for Inga III fell through when the dam’s main source of cash, an aluminium refinery planned by BHP Billiton, was shelved. This led to talks with South Africa to secure a market for Inga’s power. “The major issue is whether the financing for the project will come through. The cost of Inga III is twice the official voted state budget, and is actually four times the executed budget,” said a Congo-based diplomat who follows the issue. - Reuters
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DUBAI: OSN, the pay-TV operator majority-owned by Kuwait Projects, said it isn’t pursuing an initial public offering after its owner hired Rothschild to advise on a potential share sale. “There are no plans for an IPO,” OSN chief financial officer Olivier Sage said in an interview late yesterday from Dubai, where the company is based. “We want to focus on growing our business and growing our subscriber base.” Kuwait Projects, which owns 60.5 per cent of OSN, said it hired Rothschild to examine options for a potential IPO.
Malaysian telecom operator planning $1.9b Islamic bonds KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian businessman T. Ananda Krishnan is seeking to lower costs for his telecommunications business by selling about 6 billion ringgit ($1.9 billion) of Islamic bonds, according to a person familiar with the matter. Binariang GSM, which controls mobile-phone companies including Malaysia’s Maxis and India’s Aircel, will decide whether to proceed before the end of the year.
Queensland train project gets $912m in debt financing SYDNEY: A group led by Canada’s Bombardier agreed more than A$1 billion ($912 million) in debt to help fill the largest train order by Australia’s Queensland state, said two people familiar with the matter. The cost of the state’s New Generation Rollingstock project is estimated at near A$2 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified as the details are private. - Agencies
INDIAN STOCKS
SENSEX WATCH TTK Prestige .... 3607.60 ..... +316.30 Motherson Sumi 288.45 ........+18.00 HDIL ........................49.90 ..........+2.55 Torrent Power .....126.80 .......... +5.15 Nestle India ......5449.85 ..... +210.95
Wockhardt ...........430.15 ........ -41.85 Pipavav Defence ...46.45 .......... -2.40 Mahindra & Mah Fin 295.95 .-13.65 Indian Hotels ........ 47.70 ...........-2.05 Jet Air India ........ 293.80 ........ -12.60
Sensex falls marginally MUMBAI: The benchmark Sensex fell 5 points after a choppy session yesterday on the eve of the expiry of November derivative contracts and ahead of GDP and fiscal deficit data due tomorrow. Heavyweights Infosys and Reliance Industries dragged the index lower even as ITC and Tata Motors provided some support. Bharti Airtel, NTPC and State Bank of India were the biggest of the 16 losers on the Sensex. The S&P BSE Sensex opened higher at 20,449. It traded within a band of 20,348.06 to 20,482.67 before closing at 20,420.26, a drop of 4.76 points or 0.02 per cent. “As the US is nearing the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, activity across global markets seems to slow down. Indian markets too are seeing sideways movement,” said Milan Bavishi, head of Research at Inventure Growth and Securities. “In the next few days, cues can come from derivative expiry as well as specific direction in dollar-rupee.” The 50-share CNX Nifty on the National Stock Exchange eased by two points to
6,057.10. The SX40 on the MCX Stock Exchange closed 4.36 points down at 12,119.99. Power, realty and IT shares led six of the 13 BSE sectoral indices down. IT stocks fell as the rupee continued to strengthen against the dollar, reducing the value of their overseas earnings when converted into the local currency. Fresh capital outflows affected sentiment. Overseas investors sold a net Rs3.40 billion of shares on Tuesday, according to provisional data on the stock exchanges. The decline in the markets was stemmed by consumer durables and fast moving consumer goods sector shares, which advanced. Brokers said there was volatility in the market as some investors booked profits while others sought to cover their pending long positions before the expiry of futures and options contracts today. Other Asian bourses Among Asian stock markets, the Nikkei 225 and the Straits Times Index fell. Indices in Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea moved up. European markets were higher
in afternoon trade as investors awaited data on consumer confidence in Germany and durablegoods orders in the United States. Key indices in France, Germany and the UK were up. In the domestic market, Wockhardt shares ended down 8.9 per cent at Rs430 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, after plunging 14 per cent in intra-day trade. The drug maker said the United States Food and Drug Administration imposed curbs on the import of medicines produced at its Chikalthana plant at Aurangabad. The major Sensex losers were Bharti Airtel (-1.76 per cent), NTPC (-1.41 per cent), SBI (-1.23 per cent), Sesa Sterlite (-1.22 per cent) and Wipro (-1.06 per cent). Hero MotoCorp was unchanged while Tata Motors firmed up 2.31 per cent, ITC 1.03 per cent, ONGC 0.98 per cent, Coal India 0.84 per cent and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories 0.77 per cent. Among the S&P BSE sectoral indices, Power fell 0.88 per cent, Realty 0.77 per cent, IT 0.66 per cent and Teck 0.65 per cent, while Consumer Durables rose 1.37 per cent. - PTI
B SECTION
SIGHT & SOUND
WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM T H UTRHSUDAY, R S DAY, N OVFEEM BR B UA E R RY 2 8 , 2280, 1230 1 3
Mandy Moore’s secret passion is to just slob around
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he was a pop sensation at 15, a movie star at 20, dated tennis idol Andy Roddick has six best-selling albums, stars in the block-busting TV drama Advocates — and likes nothing better than “slobbing around with my husband watching TV and having an early night!” From which you would assume, quite rightly, that 29-year-old Mandy Moore, whose seventh studio album comes out next month, is no run-of-the-mill partying celeb. “I’m a pretty boring person — sometimes I think I behave more like an old woman than someone in their twenties,” Mandy says. But you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would agree. Mandy got rave reviews for her last movie, American Dreamz, a satire about an American Idol-type TV show in which Mandy plays a hopeful wannabe. “She’ll do anything to get her way and her goal in life is to win this contest,” Mandy says. Would she have gone on an American Idol or X Factor type show when she was starting out? “I might have tried but I don’t think I would have made it past the first round,” she says.”They’re so tough on that show and the singing is so stylised.” She went out with tennis star Roddick for over a year. Now is happily married to singer, songwriter and poet Ryan Adams, 40. Is it difficult having two singers in the house? “Not at all,” Mandy says.” Ryan is really a country singer and so we’re very different. He writes beautiful lyrics and I love his stuff.” After years with top country group Whiskeytown, Ryan went solo five years ago. His 14th album is out early next year. Mandy says she keeps out of the headlines because she’s lazy! “I’m not out and about all the time,” she says. “If I’m not at work my idea of heaven is to lounge around and perhaps go out for a quiet meal with Ryan. We’re not party people. Home is a ranch-style place in the Hollywood Hills quite near Mandy’s brother Kyle. They share it with a terrier named Joni,which came from an animal rescue centre. “Of course we want a family eventually,” says Mandy “But there’s no
great rush -I don’t feel my biological clock is ticking away just yet.” “I’m pretty domesticated although I’m not much of a cook,” she admits. “I do all my cleaning and laundry. My parents (a former news reporter and an airline pilot) now live in Florida but I see them as much as I can and they visit us as well. “I’m really close to my family and they have supported me in everything I’ve done. My grandmother was a professional dancer and she and I used to tap-dance round the house.” Mandy was six and living in Orlando, Florida when she decided she wanted to be a singer. “I guess I wanted everyone to pay attention to me.” Her parents helped her make a tape and soon she was singing at professional basketball games. “I was a boringly good child,” she admits. “I never really rebelled because I never had anything to rebel against! I’m the do-everything-inmoderation girl. At 15 she was a pop sensation with two best selling albums. It was in 2002 that she decided to try acting and once again Mandy hit the jackpot — she won an award for her first movie, A Walk To Remember, about a girl suffering from leukaemia. As movie offers come rolling in it’s hardly surprising to learn that Mandy turns down anything she considers raunchy.” So does Mandy Moore have any vices? “Yes,” she admits. “Clothes — I’m a bad girl when it comes to shopping. I love vintage clothes and I’m also mad about people like Chloe and Balenciaga but most of all I’m mad about T-shirts.” Which has resulted in Mandy going into business with her own Tshirt label MBLEM, producing ten different styles in 15 colours. “I started it for selfish reasons,” she says. “So I’d always have a perfect T-shirt to wear. I’m not going to pay $200 for a T-shirt that’s ridiculous.” But of course she doesn’t need to. Nowadays she just has to call her design company — and they’ll send over some super samples for free. —John Graham/Tony James Features
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ETCETERA
ROBBIE WILLIAM’S
SECRET FEAR He’s happy and mega-rich and has a new hit album. But there still is a cloud on the horizon
H
e’s got a loving wife, a delightful baby daughter, $100 million in the bank and a new hit album. No wonder that at 38 pop superstar Robbie Williams has never been happier and more contented with life. And there’s only one cloud on the horizon. “I just hope I don’t mess things up like I have in the past,” Robbie says. “ There’s always a danger of that happening , knowing my record.” He’s talking about his past battles with drink,drugs and mental problems which turned him into “the hermit of pop.” So what’s happened? The short answer is Ayda Field the Turkish/ American actress Robbie married three years ago and who has transformed him from a moody loner obsessed with aliens and UFOs into a happy family man who now wants to live permanently in England. and bring up his baby daughter Theodora as an English lady! “Being married to Ayda is amazing,” Robbie smiles. “The house is full of love right now and I’m on really good form. I’ve got an album that I’m really excited about and there’s a promotional tour early next year.” He’s talking about his new hit album Swings Both Ways, a follow-up to his biggest-selling Swing When You’re Winning, and which revisits his favourite musical period — the big-band swing era. This time Robbie brought his mates in on the act — there are duets with Lily Allen, Ollie Murs and Michael Buble and ironically the album is already big in America at a time when Robbie is planning to leave LA and return permanantly to his Wiltshire mansion in the English countryside. “I love LA but I think we’ve been there long enough,” he says. “I want Theodora to be brought up in the English way of life and so does
I just hope I don’t mess things up like I have in the past. There’s always a danger of that happening, knowing my record...
Ayda.” A close friend of the singer told us: “After years of disastrous affairs, Robbie still can’t believe that he’s having a normal happy relationship. ” Friends say that until he married Ayda Robbie had been talking about giving up singing for good. “He said he had money and fame but none of the things that mattered” says one insider. “He envied people who had settled lives and happy families. He was like a gipsy. He never stayed anywhere long.” The star from the back streets of UK pottery town Stoke-on-Trent, has seen halfa-dozen relationships end in ruins,once said that he would give up stardom in exchange for life with a loving partner. But now being a husband and dad has apparently brought back his appetite for superstardom —
and his place back in the charts. He has also signed a massive new record contract, insisting on access to the back catalogue of all his hits and a huge share of profits from tours, publishing and merchandise. “I’m rich beyond my wildest dreams,” grinned the star who was once dismissed by Oasis rival Noel Gallagher as “That fat dancer from Take That.” Asked what he intended to do with the money, he replied:”Count it!” It’s a far cry from the distant days of 1991 when, inspired by the huge success of US boy band New Kids On The Block, UK promoter Nigel Martin-Smith formed Take That from five unknown northof-England young singer-dancers, including Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams. Robbie was 16, had just left school and was selling double-glazing in Stoke when he heard about the auditions. He remembers: “I sang a Jason Donovan song and danced a bit like MC Hammer and acted cheeky. “I went home convinced I hadn’t got the job. When I heard I had, I ran upstairs, threw the window open and shouted across to the pub next door: ‘I’m gonna be famous.’ But it wasn’t quite as easy as that!” He was right. Take That hardly got off to a promising start — at one of their first club gigs the group was pelted with bottles — but two years later they were the UK’s brightest pop sensations. But it wasn’t the sort of success for which Robbie Williams yearned. Fed up with what he called “boy band bounciness”,he caused a sensation by leaving the group at the height of their fame and fortune in 1995 - and launched a solo career which has sold more than 40 million albums. He’s also continually broken the pop rules — many pundits thought that Robbie’s venture into Sinatra-style swing music — his Swing When You’re Winning album — would be a disaster but it’s sold over seven million. Already Robbie the proud father is having serious thoughts about his daughter’s future. “I only hope,” he says,”that she won’t grow up and meet someone like me!” —Judson Bennett/Tony James Features
CELEBRITY NEWS
Kelly Brook sparks engagement rumours ACTRESS Kelly Brook left fans wondering about her relationship status after she was seen wearing a ring on her engagement finger. Brook is said to be single after parting ways with football player Danny Cipriani. But the sparkling ring on her finger had another story to tell. She was seen taking a walk back to her house here well wrapped against the cold, Tuesday. While she was well covered from top to bottom, her hand showed a very distinctive ring on her engagement finger, reports dailymail. co.uk. However, later that day she was spotted minus the ring.
Jennifer Hewitt, Hallisay welcome daughter IT’S A double bonanza for actress Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brian Hallisay — they have become proud parents of a baby girl and they are reportedly married now. The couple welcomed their daughter — Autumn James Hallisay — Tuesday and are thrilled, reports eonline.com. “Jennifer Love Hewitt and her husband Brian Hallisay are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter,” read the couple’s statement. “(They) got married recently in private,” said a source.
Kanye West joins hands with Adidas for a cause RAPPER Kanye West has ended his deal with sportswear brand Nike and tied up with rival company Adidas to “provide for his family”. The fiance of socialite Kim Kardashian confirmed on Angie Martinez’s New York’s Hot 97 show that he was leaving Nike and setting up camp at Adidas, reports contactmusic.com. “I took the Adidas deal because I have royalties and I have to provide for my family,” he said. “I’m gonna be the first hip-hop designer and because of that I’m gonna be bigger than Walmart,” he added.
Miley lost valuables worth $100,000 in burglary SINGER Miley Cyrus has reportedly lost belongings worth $100,000 in a burglary that took place a day before her birthday. An intruder broke into Cyrus’s house November 22 and, besides some personal things, the thief has reportedly stolen a bunch of jewellery and several high-end purses, reports tmz. com. According to law enforcement sources, there were no signs of forced entry, but there were numerous surveillance cameras installed so the cops may get a lead. The singer celebrated her 21st birthday on November 23 and received a customised motorcycle worth $24,000 from her father and singer Billy Ray Cyrus. —IANS
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8, 2 01 3
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ETCETERA MUSIC ALBUM
Leona Lewis gets Xmas Factor CALL IT the Mariah Carey effect, or the perils of having Simon Cowell for a boss, but Leona Lewis, X Factor winner 2006 and, to date, the show’s only international superstar, was never going to escape this particular fate. It features versions of both Winter Wonderland” and White Christmas, and is called, to avoid ambiguity, Christmas, With Love. “Yes, but I have really always wanted to record one,” she insists, laughing. “I’ve always loved Motown, the Ronettes, Phil Spector.” To her credit, and despite the mandatory reliance upon sleigh bells, it isn’t as cheesy as it could have been, and could well go on to soundtrack December afternoons in Starbucks for the next decade. Halfway through, it features some-
Larger than life T Luke Evans specialises in humanising characters in fiction movies
ake for example, Apollo in Clash of the Titans (2010), Zeus in Immortals (2011) and now Bard the Bowman in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Bard is the archer who befriends Bilbo (Martin Freeman), assists the dwarves in their effort to reclaim Laketown from the dragon, Smaug, and who ultimately — spoiler alert! — slays the dragon. “As an actor, if I’m playing the role, I want to bring my humanity to it,” the 34-year-old Welshman says. “I want to make my character relatable, even if I am playing a Greek demon. It was difficult because he was a mythical character, but I wanted people to relate him in some way. And there’s the fact that he was a father figure. “Bard, it’s the same thing,” Evans continues. “As much as he’s this dragon killer, he’s an unlikely hero and a father of children and he’s got a lot of flaws. I try to pull on the human, raw emotions, because that makes a character way more dimensional than if they’re just a god or something else. “I think it’s always good to come from a very human place,” he says. “That’s the case even if the character is not human, or is human but not like most other humans,
like most of my characters.” J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t devote much ink to developing Bard the Bowman in either The Hobbit or his appendices to The Lord of the Rings. However, co-writers Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson expounded upon the character in their screenplays for The Desolation of Smaug, due out on December 13 (US), and There and Back Again, the third film in director Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, set to open next year. “There is a lot going on there,” Evans says, speaking by telephone from the northeast coast of Ireland during an off day from shooting his latest film, Dracula Untold. “We’ve not drawn away from the spine of the story. It’s still there. What we’ve done is allow Bard the space and time to develop as a character. “We see his relationships with his children, the place where he resides,” the actor says. “You see much more of him working things out and having way more of an input into the journey he’s on than is in the book. It’s nice to see, in this film, that he has this personal journey that’s been given space to breathe. “You see way more of his story and Laketown and what happens in Laketown than just him killing
Luke Evans
this dragon and becoming king of Dale,” Evans continues. “There’s way more to Bard than meets the eye. He’s more than just a hero.” He adds that he appreciated Jackson’s take on Bard. Even more so, the filmmaker impressed him with his ability to hone in on details, on the fine character moments, despite the massive scale of the movies, which involved complicated action sequences, outdoor shooting, dozens of actors, thousands of extras, intricate special effects and more. Up next for Evans is a horror one-two punch, Dracula Untold and a new version of The Crow. The former is an origin tale about Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler. “It goes right back to the beginning,” Evans says. “It’s not the story that people expect.” He promises that “The Crow” will be “insanely loyal” to the source material, given that James O’Barr, creator of the comic book, is an active participant in the production. Evans will play the title character, the undead vigilante previously portrayed by Brandon Lee in the 1989 film, by Edward Furlong, Eric Mabius and Vincent Perez in sequels and by Mark Dacascos in a short-lived television series.
Actor
—Ian Spelling/The New York Times News Service
As an actor, if I’m playing the role, I want to bring my humanity to it, want to make my character relatable, even if I am playing a Greek demon
thing unexpected: the 28-yearold’s rendition of Ave Maria, in full operatic mode. It’s impressive. “Well, I did train in opera initially,” she points out. “I didn’t actually switch to contemporary until I was into my teens. I wanted to be a classical singer originally.” This is something she has communicated to Cowell, she says. “I told him I’d love to make an opera album, and he was like, ‘yes, you should, at some point, blah blah blah, whatever’.” “Simon has always told me to trust my instincts,” she says, “and so that’s always what I’ve done. I’d love to sing for the rest of my life, but if my celebrity disappears tomorrow then I’ll be completely fine with that, I really will.” —Nick Duerden/ The Independent
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ETCETERA CELBRITY GOSSIP
Avril Lavigne, the Canadian pop singer while beginning to record her new album had a hunch the album was all over the place before she decided to act
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hat’s why she eventually decided to forego any kind of clever title and use her own name for the record, five albums and 13 years into her recording career. The album cover also features nothing but a closeup of her face, in heavy eye makeup. “I couldn’t really come up with one word or a few words to describe the record, to label it,” the 29-year-old Lavigne explains, speaking by telephone from Los Angeles, where she resides with her second husband, Nickleback frontman Chad Kroeger, whom she began dating and married during the making of ‘Avril Lavigne’. “There’s summer songs on this album,” she continues. “There’s love songs, rock songs, pop songs. And it’s not all about love, like most of my (stuff ) in the past was. It’s more than that. And I think also, with the album-cover choice, it worked. And, since it’s my fifth record, it really has all the styles and sounds I’ve done in the past, plus more new stuff.” Born in Belleville, Ontario, and raised in Napanee, Lavigne was 17 when her debut album, Let Go (2002), sold more than 17 million copies worldwide and launched the hits Complicated, I’m with You and Sk8er Boi. Under My Skin (2004) and The Best Damn Thing (2007) each debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with the latter’s Girlfriend becoming Lavigne’s first No. 1 single in the United States. All told Lavigne has sold more than 30 million albums and 50 million singles around the globe. Her eight Grammy nominations include Best New Artist and two Song of the Year nods, for Complicated and I’m with You. She also made her voice-acting debut in
the animated film Over the Hedge (2006) and has launched a clothing line called Abbey Dawn as well as three fragrances, Black Star, Forbidden Rose and Wild Rose. Lavigne started work on Avril Lavigne early in 2012, after touring to support Goodbye Lullaby (2011). Switching record compa(20 nies nie from RCA to Epic, she had a new partner in co-executive producer du L.A. Reid and a new creative team tea for fresh input. “Yeah, it was time for that,” Lav“ igne ign says. “I basically worked with all new people and new producers. ers I like working with a lot of the same sam people, but with this record I also al didn’t know where I was going to go with it. So I was like, ‘I’m just jus going to start writing songs and see where it takes me’.” One place it took her, unexO pectedly, was to a new husband. pec Kroeger, who himself has a track Kr record of more than 50 million alrec bums bum sold, was suggested as a collaborator by Lavigne’s manager, lab and Lavigne, who had been married rie to Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley from fro 2006 to 2010, quickly agreed. “He’s very encouraging,” Lavi“ gne says, “and it’s cool to work with wit another vocalist, because there’s an understanding there.” the Kroeger ended up co-writing K eight eig of the album’s 13 tracks and quickly formed a team with Laviqui gne and producer David Hodges, dubbing themselves the Tripod. dub He and Lavigne married on July 1. The first song the two wrote toT gether was the single Let Me Go. get Ironically, she says with a laugh, Iro it’s “kind of like a breakup song. ““Later on, when we were actualwe both thought it was ly together, t kind of weird that we’re together kin and our duet is a breakup song,” Lavigne adds, “so we rewrote the Lav last chorus to put a twist on the las
song where we came together and found each other. “So the song is about love and the journey of love in a lifetime,” she says. Avril Lavigne actually came out of the box swinging with a pair of up-tempo anthems, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Here’s To Never Growing Up, which created the impression that Lavigne was getting back to the pop-rock flavour of Let Go. “Those two songs were the last two songs that we did for the record,” Lavigne says. “Those are the songs the label liked and that they wanted to go with first, but the rest of the album is really different. I mean, those songs sound like me and, I think, what people would expect from me.” One of those is Hello Kitty, which has a contemporary electronic stamp. “When the song was first recorded, it was in more of a poprock state,” Lavigne recalls. “Then I brought in another producer to redo it and make it crazier. “I’m really looking forward to seeing if it gets played in the clubs,” she adds. “That would be a lot of fun.” Also raising eyebrows on Avril Lavigne is the album’s other duet, Bad Girl, which pairs her with shock rocker Marilyn Manson. “The song made me think about him and reminded me of him,” Lavigne recalls, “so I called him up and asked if he would come by and listen to it and sing on it. He was professional and quick and supertalented. He came in and listened to the track, and he played me some of his stuff and we just, like, caught up, and then he was like, ‘OK, I’ll go in and try some stuff.’ Lavigne now plans to take that new music around the globe. —Gary Graff/The New York Times News SERVICE
Lovato to sacrifice privacy to help fans SINGER Demi Lovato says she won’t think about her privacy if a fan was in need. The 21-yearold believes that fame has its own downside and it gets difficult to deal with it. “Yeah, it’s been difficult. I’m not the type of person that loves the fame aspect of it. I would rather sacrifice my privacy to help people, not just with my music,” eonline. com quoted Lovato as saying. “Strictly from this point of view, from an inspirational point of view of sharing my story. I know that I have a purpose in the world,” she added.
Miranda Lambert sets the record straight SINGER Miranda Lambert has dismissed rumours that she went under the knife to get a svelte figure. She says oldfashioned ways worked for her. “Though I never care what the tabloids have to say about me. I wanted to address this certain story they are running this week and set the record straight. I did not have surgery to lose weight. That is ridiculous,” eonline.com quoted Lambert as saying. The 30-year-old says she lost weight the healthy and good old-fashioned way. “Watching what I eat and working out with my trainer Bill Crutchfield. As for the assumed number of pounds lost, I don’t even know! Like I have always said, it’s not about a scale, it’s about how you feel and how your jeans fit. And on November 10 when I turned 30, my skinny jeans were finally baggy! Mission accomplished,” she added. .
Courteney Cox wants to experiment with hairstyle ACTRESS Courteney Cox, who often flaunts “long, beachy hair style”, is open to a new coiffure. The 49-year-old has worn her hair short and long in the past, but admits to sticking to long locks falling past her shoulders most of the time. “I think it’s nice to change and am thinking about the possibility of having a new look, but I just don’t have one in mind yet,” dailymail.co.uk quoted Cox as saying.
‘One Direction’ members plan Malik’s stag party ZAYN MALIK might not have time to get married soon but his One Direction band members already have plans ready for the stag party. Malik is engaged to singer Perrie Edwards sometime in the near future. Fellow band member Liam Payne says that he and others — Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles — might kidnap the groom-to-be and throw a fun-filled party, reported dailystar.co.uk. —IANS
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DAILY GUIDE
Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624
FOR RENT
FOR SALE Running Building material business for sale with showroom 105 sqmt & inventory of tiles sanitary etc. at mabella saneya lane 2. #96402091. Stores 14000 Sqm in Bousher (Al Masfa). Contact 95202430 Household items for sale Fridge, split AC, Single Bed, Dinning set etc. Contact 93194825 Used Barber shop furniture & equipments. Contact 99203954 Restaurant license with clearance. Contact 99865100 We Have Villas, Flats, Shops, Offices for in Ghala, Bousher, Qurum, Ghubra good location. #93782735 1 BHK flat for rent in Mumtaz area, Way no. 3360, for Immediate occupancy rent RO 275/-.#96715569
2 BHK at North Azaiba, 2 Bedrooms, 1 hall & dining, kitchen, 3 bathrooms. Contact 99224748 / 99425665 2 Storey Villa, 11 rooms good for company accommodation. Contact 99664703
3 independent Ware houses of 400,900 and 1200 SQM in Ghala area for rent. Contact 93731363 Single room flat for rent, Behind Kims Hospital Ruwi. #96659544 One BHK at Honda Road. #98087644 For rent : shops, basement location Honda Road.#96942749 / 92433127 2 BHK Flat opposite Lima house in Muttrah for Rent from December 1st week. Contact:99279359 3 rooms at Muttrah, 3 rooms attach bath, kitchen behind Baith Oman RO 270. Contact 99319149 3 BHK at Al Khodh Souq 3 bedrooms, 1 hall & dining, kitchen, 3 bathrooms. Contact 99224748 / 99332297 New Building: 2nd & 3rd floor 2nd Floor 4 big room 4 toilet, One living room and kitchen with A/C, 3rd Floor 3 big room, 3 toilet and kitchen & store with A/C in Al Amerat (Al Mahaj) near Al Rafa Hospital. # 99339735 1,2,3 BHK Flats & Villas. #92144045 Villa of one floor in Al Qurum 20 near to PDO with 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 sitting rooms with partition wall in between and kitchen. Contact 97897951
1 BHK with AC, MBD area commercial. Contact 92144045
2BHK apartment at the wave Muscat. Contact 99725900/99237971
1,2 BHK with AC, ISD School & ISM. Contact 92144045
1 & 2 BHK Al Qurum. # 99024730 4 BR Villa Al Ghubra. #99024730
2 BHK with AC, Ghubrah 325/RO. Contact 92144045
Rooms or Apartments attach bathroom in Qurum family or bachelors. Contact 99664703
1 BHK with AC Wadikabir 210/-RO. Contact 92144045
Flat shop & Office for rent 1 Bedroom, 2 bedrooms at Ruwi Rex road & Hamriya. Contact 97236696
GF semi furnished flat with A/C & parking 3BKH, 3 bath, 1 store Mumtaz, Ruwi, 500PM#99241044
New 3 Building in Darsait near to Muscat IS. Contact 99102255
2 BHK flat for rent in Honda road, Ruwi and Mabela, split a/cs, lift, dish & security systems are available. Contact: 99367448 / 24833972/ 24833974.
Flat for rent 5 Bedrooms +1 office + Majlis at Al Hail behind Ramiz centre. Contact 99412719 Mubarak Family room in Al Khuwair. Contact 95933961 2 BHK flats in Al Khuwair. #97616158 Furnished 1BHK Darsait Indian bachelor R.O 180/-. #93289652 3BHK flat for rent in Ghubra. Contact 99792181 2BHK flat for rent in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181 1BHK flat in Honda road. #99792181 For rent flats 1 BHK , 2BHK location Ruwi area, Honda Road. Contact 97293708 / 97331431 2BHK flats in Al Khuwair. Contact 99057348 / 99776071 Studio Flat RO 130 & 2 BHK Flat RO 200, behind Wadikabir Indian School. Contact 99376454
Office & residence at Al Hail North, after Al Bahjah, new building. Contact 99768094 2 BHK beautiful flat with split A/Cs, near PDO Gate No. 2 at Qurum. Contact 94057023 Flat near Muscat IS Darsait. Contact 95158570
1 BHK with AC for Commercial MBD area. Contact 92144045 Shops, Basement Store, Wadi Al Kabeer. # 99441193 / 93004802
1,2,3 BHK flats & Villas. #92144045 2 BHK & 1 BHK flats & shop space for rent in MBD area 1 BHK Flat & shop for rent in Wadi Adai area 1BHK flat & 350sq meter shop space available in Al Khoudh area. Contact 93994403/ 93994402 Home for rent Amerat with airconditioners 2 Council of +2 hall+3 Bedrooms SR 400 is required to continue 99357441 Villa for rent in Mawalih: villa with 2 rooms, 2 bathrooms, Majlis, kitchen with all the air condition. Contact 99174909
Independent Qurum/ Hail rooms. Contact 95529970 Spacious 2BHK, Opp. Oman House. R.O 250/-. Contact 95076261 Store 1250 Sqm2 in Bousher (Al Masfa). Contact 95202430 Residential/ Commercial Villa available at Qurum opposite rose garden Way no 1836, Villa no 2722 with 5 Bedroom + 2 sitting + Dining room. Contact 99363147 1 BHK in Al Ghubrah South with E/W & AC Split & parking 360 RO. Contact 95811110
1 BHK with AC, MBD area. #92144045 A flat in Al Amerat 1/5 floor consists of 3 rooms, Majlis, hall and 3 water closets for 300/- O.R. #95522405
Running Parlour for sale in Muscat. Contact 98567238 / 95316155 Well running elegantly furnished perfume shop with office at Qurum business district for sale 92163006 Ladies Parlour with new equipments for sale prime location- Al Ghubrah North & Al Amerat. Attractive price offer. Interested parties call 96761960. Spare parts shop for sale at Shell petrol pump in Barka, with wooden counter, racks, asking amount RO 5000/-. Contact 93535394 2 Houses first line from the Beach at Kibwent Zanzibar RO 122000. Contact Owner 99348943 For sale king size bed with mattress & sofa3, +1,+1, TV stand with curios kindly. Contact 94106408 Brake and axle repair shop for sale in Wadi Kabir Sanaya. Contact 93741151 / 99773190
Villa in Wattaya 4 BHK. Contact 95202430
Industrial Land 5000 SQT with an Empty space in front of (opposite to Mountain). # 99323957/ 95490842
Villa for staff at Bousher 6 BHK. Contact 95202430
Running prime Café for sale or management. #95709427 / 95208505
Flat in Khoud, near Mazoon Mosque with 3 rooms + Majlis & kitchen, 3 toilets 350 RO. Contact 99738881
Beauty Parlour for rent / sale in Al Hail. Contact 93740129
3 BHK in Al Hail North. #99330385 1BHK flat available at near Oman house at reasonable rent. Contact 93231403 1BHK RO 250/- adjacent to Indian Nursery Darsait Bldg #1619, way #1322. Contact 99476728 Spacious 2 BR Flat in Wadikabir. Contact 99713489
New show room flats store in Azaiba, Wadi Kabir. Contact 24485240/24485241/93651633 Office spaces for rent in Al Hail on the main road, on the same building of Al Khamis Shoes at Al Hail 99870010 / 96177505 Shop and store in Mabaila. #99355330
For rent Covered Storage area Al Khuwair area (1100 m2). Contact 94408361 Shop 110 SM near Honda rd signal. Contact 92123344
1 BHK with AC MBD area. #91162431 3 BHK Rex road 350/-RO last. Contact 91162431
5 BHK Twin Villa for rent in Mabela with A/C. Contact 97890260
9 No’s of Split Unit A/C 1.5 ton for sale in Ruwi CBD Area. #98048952, 99235462, FAX 24799943
1 BHK with AC & Curtains new bldg, near Khimji Mart MBD. Contact 99024039 / 99061408
Villa of twin villa for rent with AC in Bowshar 4BR Majlis family hall maid room. Contact 99715495 1, 2 BHK and Studio Flat in Azaiba. Contact 97630529/ 99428143 2 BHK for rent in North Darsait. Contact 94101134
Labour Camp accommodation Ghala, Behind Komatsu. Contact 99414644 / 93666201
First Grade LLC Company. With full fledged steel fabrication & painting unit. In addition highly specialized line of business & with construction activity for sale. #99858578
Villa for at Amerat5/1, 5 bedrooms + Majlis + hall + 7 bathrooms + kitchen (with split A/Cs) for families. Contact 99203458
Shop for sale in Al Hamriyah. Contact 97333005
Room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569
ACC. AVAILABLE
FOR LADIES
Sharing accommodation available for an Executive Bachelor in a decent apartment in Al Khuwair. Contact 93209511
Beauty parlour for rent/ sale, serious please contact 97163496
Non cooking, Indian bachelor, opp. OK Center. Contact 99595733
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M.V. FOR SALE
ACC. AVAILABLE ACC. AVAILABLE
ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished bachelor accommodation Wadikabir. Contact 93681617 Accommodation available for Executive bachelor from December 2013, area Al Wadi Kabir near Walja Signal behind Honda road. Contact 99877104
Spacious furnished room attached balcony near Al falaj hotel-Ruwi for Indian bachelor & room for lady (Al Maya Wadi kabir) - 96761960
Spacious room, independent bathroom, sharing kitchen in NEW building at Wadi Kabeer Opp. Al Maya Super Market, OR160 from 15th December. Contact 99038384
Sharing room with separate bathroom for Indian bachelor near Muscat City Center. Contact 99855829
One room for rent in Al Khuwair, with A/C, bed & bathroom. Contact 99382008
Furnished room for non cooking bachelor near Softy Ice cream, Ruwi. Contact 91066224 / 93786490
Sharing one room for family in Hamriyah, rent RO 90/-. Contact Khalid 99639211
Sharing accommodation available near Darsait Indian School (ISD) spacious room with passage and Bath attach.#98979124 / 93382451 Accommodation for family in Ruwi. Contact 99865100 / 98653774 One bedroom with Hall, Balcony, Bathroom, toilet, sharing kitchen for Executive lady small family, near Life line Medical Centre. Contact 98076058/95807084
Brand new 2014 model 12 Ton UD trucks are available for daily wages or contract basis. Contact 98833786
Ford Focus 2003 model Manual. Ford Taurus 2002 model Automatic. Contact 99104947
Hyundai Sonata 2005 Expat Doctor driven, done 1.23 lakh km, good condition, Registration till Oct 2014 expecting 1320 RO Negotiable. Contact 92312854
Ford Edge , 2012, KMs 14,000+ (Fully Automatic) Expat Lady driven, full warranty and service records available, RO 10,500/- negotiable. Contact 98192903
Nissan X Trail 2008 model, automatic transmission, done 228000kms.Price negotiable. Contact 99881516.
Mazda 6, silver Gray 2003, 125000 km Dealer Maintained RO 2100, Nissan Sunny white 2004, 185000, excellent condition RO 1600. # 92697489
Toyota Previa model 2007, 7 Seater RO 3500. Contact 96306885 Prado 2012, km 49, 000 4 cyl TXL Classic. Contact 99443695
MV. WANTED Required Automatic Hatchback or small car, low mileage in good condition. Contact 94103591
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DAILY GUIDE
Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624
SITUATION WANTED
SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT
ACCOUNT. & FINANCE ACCOUNTING & AUDIT SERVICES. GSM : 9880 5474 / email: acctsserv2013@gmail.com Looking for a JOB in INTERNAL AUDIT. Have two years employment visa and can join on immediate basis. Nawaz Meraj, MBA, CIA, CFE, 94289294, Available Till 27-11-2013. Indian Male B.Com finance with 8 years experience in Accounts with valid Oman D/L. Contact 91064275
ACCOUNTANCY
SALES / MARKETING
Required Accountant with 4 yrs experience in Hotel. Send your CV : birdymaan@hotmail.com Required Accountant with Min.5 to 8 years experience for manufacturing Company and knowledge of up to Finalization and experience in ERP, Tally & MIS Report and MS Office. Send CVs to vacancyinoman123@gmail.com
Experience individual required for Marketing Department in Electromechanical Contracting Company in Oman. Send CV to jobs.oman@outlook.com
ENGINEERS/TECH Required Civil Engineer (5-7 yrs) experience. Should be in Gulf country. Email omanaec@gmail.com
Urgently required Business Development Executive – lady -with good communication skills and account background to deal with branded malls for a Muscat office of UAE Company. Send CV to admin@wacllcoman.com
BEAUTY Urgently required Indian beautician with or without Gulf experience, good salary + accommodation + food. Contact: 92284899, 92139922
CATERING Wanted kitchen helper. #95529970 Looking for General Cook experienced in Arabic, eastern, and Indian causing and waiter with visa. Contact 99190190
DRAUGHTSMAN Required a Civil Draughtsman cum Site Co-ordinator with driving license for a reputed firm in Oman. Email : mfbarka1@omantel.net.om / Fax : 26881211
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Required Graphic Designer, with minimum 2 years experience in Oman driving license with car preferred. Contact 91111675 Email: enquiry@brightstarmuscat.com
DRIVER Required Indian Heavy Driver, JCB & Excavator Operator (GCC license). Diesel mechanic with D/L. Contact 99454425
Urgently required in following position: Civil Engineer 1 no. with 5 yrs experience, Mechanical Engineer 1 no. with 5 yrs experience, Diploma in Civil 1 no. with 10 yrs experience, Driver 1 no. Light. Contact 92222245 / 99466540 Email: oartradingandcont@gmail.com
MEDICAL Male/ Female Nurses required for a rehabilitation clinic. MOH licensed preferred. Attractive Salary. Good English command. Kindly send CV to celestinabartolome@yahoo.com Wanted a Lady and dentist for a Clinic. Contact 95675488 Urgently required Dentist for a reputed polyclinic. Contact 96721709 or send CV to bijoos2012@gmail.com Urgently required female Ortho Dentist for dental clinic in Al Ghubrah. Contact 91381820 Email: care@alameendental.com Required Pharmacist, Asst Pharmacist with valid MOH license. Email : trade@omanmed.com Assistant Pharmacist with MOH license to work in capital. Email : saif695@yahoo.com Doctors are invited to run a new Clinic in Salalah as partner or rent. Contact 97413418/ 93955020
Experienced Omanis needed for (1) Outdoor administration and PRO work.(2) Driver for deliveries to customers. Contact 99592317
Wanted a Lady GP & Dental for a clinic. Contact 95645488
Driver cum Mechanic Urgently Required. Must be Reliable and Responsible and ideally have a diploma or similar in mechanics. Good salary including accommodation and health cover. To apply, please send an email to gainternationalllc@gmail.com
Required Manager, Assistant Manager, Cashier cum receptionist, head waiter, Indian cook, Chinese cook, Accountant for a very reputed restaurant in Oman. Candidates should have a minimum experience of 5 years in the catering industry. Email CV to recruit.oman2014@gmail.com
DOMESTIC HELP
MISC
Cook wanted with experience in all types of dishes. Must be (Indian/Muslim). Contact 99202531 Email: info@ albatnapp.com
English speaking experienced Philipino Lady Tailor for cutting and stitching of ladies Gowns/ Abayas etc. Contact 92545269 / 92227165 Email : ahdmct@gmail.com
Housemaid (full time) required for a Malayalee family. contact 95405033 Urgently required Keralite house maid at Al Khuwair. contact 93267065
MANAGER
Omani Security Staff required for an International School in Al Khuwair. Contact 92347333 Required experienced HSE Officer with PDO and logistics experience. Contact: telljobs@gmail.com
ENGINEERS/TECH OFFICE & SECRETARIAL Required rock blasting ROP Licensed Engineers, Drilling Operators, Electricians & Shuttering Carpenters. Email npgoman@gmail. com Contact 24455392 Urgently required experienced Project Managers and Site Engineers for a reputed construction company. Interested candidates can send their CVs to mohamed@oasisgrace. com, #24826566 / 99881459 Fax: 24812226 Require AC Technician for immediate appointment, must know all type of AC works including split, Ducted & Chiller and experience in ducting works. # 24811425 fax 24810592 Required Mechanical Engineer with 5years+ experience in Piping and fittings in oil and Gas field sector with the ability to source new International manufacturers and evaluate the quality of the product. Interested candidate can send their CV : gopal@anpressoman.com
Urgently required Female Secretary having Bachelors Degree, excellent computer & correspondence skills, proficient with MS Office. Email : trade@omanmed.com Require male Secretary for Managing Partner of a construction company. Email : omaniantrad@gmail.com Required Document controller, female, Omani with least 3 years experience. Contact 97716506
SALES / MARKETING Sales Executives required for a fast growing multinational building material company with valid Oman driving license. Preference will be given to candidates having 1-2 yrs experience in selling hard / exotic woods. Send CV by Email stating salary expectation & recent photograph to : sales@musandum.com
Business Development Executives (Advertising/Media Sales) with pleasing personality, engaging communication skills and Oman driving licence. Email: deemaild@gmail.com Urgently required a Salesman for Electronics & A/C spare parts should have 2 years experience and Omani license. Contact 99371544 Email alihamdanaaft@gmail.com Urgently required Marketing Executive for furniture field with valid D/L & experience of Oman market. contact 97164554 or email : aliasgar@ultimate-furniture.com Urgently required well experience Sales Executive for Int’l Courier Company in Muscat. Walk in interview from 20/11/2013 to 26/11/2013 for office location please call 99747466 Required: Executives – International marketing & Store-Keeper - Experience in Marble, Granite or ceramic industry with minimum 5 years’ experience preferred. Send detailed CV with expected salary sudakv@gmail.com or faxed to +968 26750186. Degree or Diploma holder in Mechanical Engineering with experience in Structural Steel Sales and Marketing . Apply thru email : recruitoman10@gmail.com Reputable company looking for showroom Sales and Marketing staff for enquiry please contact 96207440 or send your CV to business137@ymail.com
SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED 26 years Indian Chartered Accountant male with 2 yrs of experience is seeking suitable placement in Muscat. Kindly contact him on 98201476 or email at venkat230684@gmail.com Indian Male, 25.Y. BCA- Looking for Job as Data Entry Operator, Documents Controller, Admin Executive have 3 years of experience, on Visit Visa Looking for suitable Position soon. Contact on: 95945712 An Indian Graduate with 13 years experience of Accounting up to Finalisation, Audit & MIS. Worked on ERP Oracle based & TALLY in Oman Muscat. Well versed with MS Excel. Contact no. 00968-96728733 Indian male Executive Secretary having vast experience in admin, logistics. Well versed with computer seeks suitable placement. Contact : 99514286 Indian male 25, having CA inter cleared with B.com having five years of experience in accounts and auditing, presently working in oman looking for a better placement. Mob 98097009, Email: rameesnm@ gmail.com MBA in Marketing, Banking, logistic, Procurement, Inventory control, total 4 years experience. Visa expires Dec 30, 2013, seeks suitable placement, Contact 97468157 Indian Male, Having Gulf Experience More than 3 Years in Account Assistant looking for suitable jobs In Accounts . Contact : 95581902 Male B.Com graduate 3 years experience seeks immediate placement as accounts asst or admin asst. Please contact 96754380 or 93393769.
Indian male 30, MBA (IRDA certified) with 9 years experience in Banking (YES Bank) & insurance industry, seeking for a suitable opportunity in Oman. Contact 9220264(Muscat), +919894699711 (India) Email: senthil.cbe83@gmail. com Chartered Accountant, Female, B. Sc. Accountancy (Special) Graduate with 8 years of experience seeking suitable opportunities. #93957919 Indian male, 27 yrs, 5 yrs Oman experience in the field of Accounts, confident of handling accounts upto finalization, seeks suitable placement. Contact 97013048, ravoof1407@gmail.com Indian female 23 yrs, MBA (Finance & HR), PGPFM, currently on visit, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95931988 Accountant Indian male, 28 yrs , MBA, B. Com having 5+ years exp & D/L seeks immediate placement . Contact 93397327 Email: rijurenuka@gmail.com ACCA Graduation (U.K) , 25 yrs male, 3 yrs experience in relevant field, looking for suitable placement currently on visit visa. #97268263
Manager / DY. Manager Accounts, Indian male aged 43 yrs, well experienced in accounts & finance, inclusive 3 yrs in Dubai, independently handling accounts upto finalisation, seeking placement in oman, no location constraints. contact : 98100734 email : charoos@rediffmail.com Real estate accounts & finance / administration experienced indian male seeking a suitable role in real estate companies, with 23 yrs experience in handling accounts, reporting, real estate administration etc. in middle east, ready to relocate anywhere in Oman. mob : 97256935 email: ganrajagopalan@yahoo.co.in Chief Accountant well experienced with reputed Group, seeks placement. #95598477 / 98803439 Senior Accountant, M.Com 12 years Oman experienced Finalization, Administration, management, Material & cost control, business development with Oman D/L. Call 91162345 Senior Accountant 7 years experience Indian female. # 96228351 Email : kokils81@yahoo.co.in Indian male 30 yrs , 6+yrs experience in Oman well experienced in oil & Gas construction companies in accounting (fin) & payroll (HR) fields seeking suitable placement. Contact 96979350 An Experienced MBA with skills in Accounts, Sales and Marketing is available in Oman for appropriate Job. Contact 92393258 Indian male 37 years, B.Com Graduate having 10 years experience in Oman independent handling upto finalization, having driving license. Contact 92258853
DRAUGHTSMAN Indian male 24years, (M.Tech) structures fresher seeking design job in a reputed company currently available on visit visa. Contact 91345502 AutoCAD Draughtsman working in Oman with reputed company seeking a suitable job. Contact 96102459 Email: ateeqas01@yahoo.com MEP Draughtsman, 4 years experience in Oman, Seeking suitable placement. Contact 96250818
DESIGNER Indian male 26 yrs, 4 years experience in designing Animation, Photoshop illustrator, CorelDraw flash Maya (3D) after affects, looking for suitable placement. # 93537409 Email : omerp7@gmail.com
DRIVER UAE Experienced Driver. Contact 99725003 Light Driver, 10 years experience in Oman. Contact 94136610 Six years driving experience Dubai Eden company, 2 years experience Gourmet Cola Pakistan Pvt Ltd, 4 years contact at this number for light vehicle driver : 00968 95634500 Light Driver with car need job, Pakistani. Contact 98104631 Light Duty Driver, Looking for suitable job. Contact 94364781 Wanted Driving job. contact 96741993
DOMESTIC HELP
Chartered Accountant from India, post qualification experience 21years, working in Muscat since July 2011, at a senior position in a group of SME’s seeks suitable change. Contact 94201290 Email: chakjain37@yahoo.com
Indian male, 33 having 6 years experience in Accounts up to finalization, purchase with valid Oman D/L. Contact 99517013 Senior Accountant, 39 yrs Oil & Gas experienced. #93858725
ENGG. / TECHNICAL
Indian Female 25 yrs cost and management Accountant and M.Com with 1 yrs experience, seeking suitable placement presently on visit visa. CONTACT 92376754/ 96040125 Email anjumathews88@gmail.com
Indian male 37 years, B.Com Graduate having 10 years experience in Oman Indian handling up to finalization, having driving license. Contact 92258853
Indian male BE (Electrical), 5 years experience (2 yrs. Oman) with Oman D/L, seeks suitable job in Construction field. Contact 98294561 Email : pradeapeappen@gmail.com
Indian Male 23 years Qualification in NCVT Mechanical Course and Professional Diploma in finance Accounting requires a suitable placement any field. Contact 91031950 Email sinojmukundan@gmail.com Indian Female 23 yrs, MBA (Finance & HR), PGPFM, currently on visit, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95931988 Indian male Accountant, M.Com total 5 years experience 4 years Oman experience, seeking suitable placement. Contact 96156896 Email : aramathnibu@gmail.com Indian male 23 years, on visit visa having M.Com in management with first class looking for suitable placement. Contact 94265170 Indian, male, M.Com, PGDCA, with Tally ERP 9.0, MS Office, having 12+ years experience (4 months in Oman) seeks placement as Accountant in Oman. # 93522685, EMAIL: ramkumar9791417318@gmail.com
ARCH/ INTERIOR Iraqi Architect 23 years experience 7 years in Oman, seeking replacement. Contact 97608513 Cad Drawings Architectural detail drawings, interior exterior drawings 3D views. Contact 99610110
ADMIN/HR Indian female 29, MSc Analytical Chemistry & B Ed, having experience in Teaching (Chemistry & Physics), Office Administration and in Chemical Analysis, seeking suitable placement. Contact 00968 96374066 / 93522354 Email : priyankavipin84@gmail.com Indian female, seeking suitable placement in HR / Office Administration / Indoor sales / Accounts assistant. Contact: 91323935.
Part time Accountant available. Contact 99013963
Indian Male 31, MBA (HR), B.Com having 9 yrs experience in HR/ Administration, 7 yrs experience in Gulf, Seeking suitable placement in Oman. Contact 92073145 Email sudheesh reghunath@gmail.com
Indian female 22 yrs, B.Com Graduate CPT passed CA Inter doing M.Com final year doing (Tally, MS Office). # 96124193 / 99663957 Email : anishasasi@gmail.com
Indian male, 10 years experience in Purchase & Administration. BSc & PGDCA. Pursuing MBA. 6 Years in Oman, seeking suitable placement. Contact – 96461336
Indian male Accountant M.Com, MBA 7 years experience seeking a suitable position. Contact 93029334 Email: heams.merlin@gmail.com
University topper M.PHIL, M.SC operations manager female with 6+ years experience seeking job in admin operations /HR. Contact 91387047
Indian female, Accountant, B.Com 3 years experience (1.6 years) Oman Tally, Busy. Contact 96498424
Indian male, 29 yrs, LLB/ PGDHRM having 4 yrs exp in HR & Admin in Oman looking for a suitable vacancy. Contact 97866249
ACCA qualified + advanced dip in business & accounting 5+ yrs experience in accounts & finance (1.3 yrs Oman exp) looking for suitable change. Contact 95174220 Email: accafarrukh@yahoo.com Accountant, Indian male having valid Oman driving license AGE 31, B.com graduate with, 10years of computerized accounting experience in India, U.A.E &Oman presently working as accountant in Oman seeking suitable jobs. Contact +96894058639/ +96895704584
Electronics & Communication Engineer, MBA (HR & Marketing), Indian Female with experience. Contact 96963961 Canadian female, CHRP certified 5years experience in Canada in customer service recruitment and HR policies and procedures. Contact 97385772 Email: mathewsdliza@gmail.com Administrator, Admin Assistant, Office Secretary, Admin clerk Indian 7 years experience in Muscat. Contact 96337160
Housemaid available part time & full time. Contact 93889545
Indian male 24 years, Mechanical Engineer, looking for a suitable placement. Contact 97455702 Indian Male 24, 1 year experienced Engineer with D/L. Looking for better challenged job. Gsm: 92436708 Email: leenas.jerry@gmail.com Civil Engineer Iraqi more than 25 years experience. #97464904 BE - Electrical Engr Indian male 2+ yrs experience seeking suitable placement, presently on visit visa. Contact 95483624 / 99102153 Electrical Engineer with 4.6 yrs experience in contracting field in India, technical skills in Auto Cad, MS Office, PLC & SCADA looking for suitable placement. Contact 98034809 Email varunrameshan@gmail.com Civil Engineer (Diploma), looking for a suitable placement. Contact 95200650 Diploma Civil Engineering Indian male with 5+years Oman experience in executing Civil projects, seeking suitable placements. Contact 97697470 Diploma Civil Engineer 24 yrs experience 5 yrs in Oman, seeking suitable job. Contact 92801578 Email kajialamgir@hotmail.com Indian male, 31 yrs, Diploma in Electrical Engg, 8 yrs experience in Oman as material approval coordinator / controller seeks suitable placement. Contact 95839964, suitable for sales engineer/ purchase officer. HSE Adviser, Qualification : Diploma Safety (Minimum 1 Year) NEBOSH, OSHA, minimum 3 years Gulf experience (Oil and Gas). Candidate must Speak & Write English. Contact : 92503125 & 92048058 Land line : 23279474 , Email : hralezco@ hotmail.com BE Electronics & Communication Engineer Indian male, 25 years, seeking suitable placement holds valid Oman driving license. Contact 97434543 Email : dz4216@gmail.com Pak male, 25 years, having 3 years Diploma of Associate Civil Engineer with 2 years experience looking for suitable placement, # 92273197; Email: yasir_usman1989@yahoo.com
T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 3
C5
DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED
ACC. AVAILABLE
Opp O.K. Centre. Single Bed space with attached Bathroom for Indian Non-cooking Exe. Bachelor. RO.75/incl. W&E. Contact 92605811.
ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian male, B.Tech (Mech.), MBA, MLM (Master of Labour Management), more than 15 yrs. experience and 2 yrs. in Oman as Plant Manager with valid Oman D/L. Exposure in Production, Quality Control and Admin seeks suitable placement. Contact: 91301625 Electrical Engineer, 22 years experience, out of 13 years in Gulf experience in construction sector with valid Oman D/L and CEP seeks suitable placement.# 94220631 Purchase Officer 28 yrs Indian, Diploma in Mech Engg 5+2 yrs experience in Purchasing, Vendor development sourcing, ERP Software with valid Oman driving license, seeks suitable placement. Contact 92208296 Email : oikala.1985@gmail.com Civil Engineer Diploma, total 5 yrs, experience (3 yrs. in Oman). Contact 93399126
Opp O.K. Centre. Single Room with separate Bathroom for Indian Noncooking Exe. Bachelor. RO.120/- incl. W&E. Contact 99502581.
MANPOWER
INFORMATION TECH B.Tech (ECE) + 2 years in IT Support and 1 year ASP.NET developer looking for suitable opening in IT Sales, development & Marketing. Contact 95278688. IT Technical System support/ Hardware Engineer on visit visa. Contact 98221577 / 93320458
25 Years Indian male DME holder 4 years experience in Structural & Piping field. Procurement & Project coordination. Contac 99861593 Electronics Engineer in Oman on visit visa, seeking job.# 92009640
MISCELLANEOUS
Masters in Civil Engineering (Indian) 22 years experience having building, Roads, Pipeline works, looking suitable position. Contact 93054949 / 98070040 Email: duggirala_km@yahoo.com
Fisheries Graduate Indian male 28 years with certificate in HACCP and 4years experience in food processing Industry seeks suitable openings. Contact 92123983 Email: vikasvelayudhan@yahoo.co
Srilankan BTEC Quantity Surveyor with 6 years experience (Including Gulf), Looking for a suitable placement. Contact 98357512 Email: lebbeah@yahoo.com
Pakistani Young Male with Omani driving license wanted job. Contact 97058416
Diploma Mechanical Engineering 25 yrs Indian male 6 years experience in Quality control India. Contact 97312111 Email sultan9817@gmail.com / coolrazak151@rediffmail.com Indian male 27 yrs B.Tech Automobile, 5.5 yrs experience both in Toyota & Suzuki, Looking for Service Engineer jobs. # 92449426 Email: praveennair_s@yahoo.com 47 Years Male Diploma holder in Mechanical engineering, looking for a job 20 years experience in fabrication & site work. Contact 00968 92646603 (Oman) / 0091 9423448329 (India) BE Mechanical Engineer, Indian male Looking for suitable opening in Sales, Structural design, Production, MEP and Oil and Gas sector. # 91323520. Email shuaibmohammed62@gmail.com Indian male 25 years, B.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering (Automation or Instrumentation Engineer) with 1+ year India experience in Automation PLC, SCADA, DCS, HMI AC & DC Drives, Seeking suitable placement. Contact 92151143/ 92151143 B/E Electronics Engineer having 3.5 years of Indian experience in Planning, Construction, Telecommunication, Hardware Networking, Marketing. Contact 92629307 Indian male B-Tech Mechanical Engg, seeks suitable placement, now on visit. Contact 91214585
INFORMATION TECH PMP, SAP Certified in Basis having skills in SolMan, BW, BPC looking for a job Call:96067579 Computer Network Administrator, looking any job similar to above. Email : bathu.27@gmail.com Contact 99347141 Female 24 Years, BE in Comp Science, seeking suitable placement. Contact 93031466 Email:ninnumenon@gmail.com Experienced Operations Manager with 12 yrs experience in CCTV, ACCESS control system, Control & Automation systems and IT business, seeking senior position.# 98823248 IT Administrator, 5Yrs exp D/L, seeks placement. Contact 91383289 30 years, Indian male, IT professional with 6 years experience including GCC in hardware, networking & office administration seeks suitable placement. Contact 95096961.
Furnished Room for one non-cooking bachelor in Ruwi, RO. 90 incl E& W. Contact 99754857
SALES / MARKETING
Room for rent in Ruwi. #95372192
Indian male 27 years old, Masters in Computer Applications with 4+ years experience, Key skills: Oracle Pl/sql and .net Seeking Suitable placement.Contact +919538345624 sujithchennat@gmail.com
Indian female B.Tech Civil Engg, 3 years experience (6 months in Oman) in QS, estimation, Cost control and planning, seeks suitable job. Contact 92047375 Email: vinujosephcm@gmail.com
Furnished Room, CBD, Non cooking executive bachelors, free Wi Fi, Advance deposit. Contact 95934642
Store Keeper Keralite having Gulf experience and Computer knowledge, Seeks suitable post. #92770250 Indian female 25 years, MSC MICRO Biology, Looking for placement in food or medicine industry or laboratory experience one year in dairy farm. Contact 92255983
MEDICAL Nursing caregiver, qualified & experienced Nurse & Assist Nurse seeks good placement at home / clinic. Contact 92989109 email: medicoport@gmail.com B.Sc Nursing ACLS & BLS MOH licensed 2 yrs experience. Contact 95849901 Male/ Female Nurses required for a rehabilitation clinic. MOH licensed preferred. Attractive Salary. Good English command. Kindly send CV to celestinabartolome@yahoo.com
MANAGER/ SUPER Working as a Site Supervisor (Civil) since 2010 with D/L of Oman looking for good placement in good Company. Contact 93061107 Indian male, M.Com 15 yrs experience (5 yrs in Oman) in banking corporate & retail loans admin manager, seeks suitable placement. Contact 94248518 Email : rayan2801@gmail.com 12+ yrs experienced Purchase Manager seeks immediate placement. Contact 98942117 Young Ind Male MBA 6 yrs exp as Supervisor. Contact 93893868
29 Indian Female MBA in supply chain and logistics, 5 yrs experience seeking placement. 94402043, 96500790
29 years male, MBA, 4years experience in sales, marketing and admin + Oman driving license needs a job. Contact 92236980 / 92223661 Email: shah_anwarss@hotmail.com MBA, Marketing executive, gulf experienced, oman driving license seeks placement, phone : 98011696 MBA Marketing, 26 yrs, 3.5 years experience in marketing and sales of Auto parts (Corporate & Market) Packaging products and exports. Good command in MS office and English. Seeking a suitable placement in reputed organization. Currently on employment visa. Contact: 97448162 Email: Flies26@yahoo.com Seeks a job: Native American - male - in Muscat seeks employment, seeking all customer services opportunities. Contact 94475783 5 Years experienced, Male Insurance Customer care Executive, fluent in English with total experience of 12 years in other fields, 31 yrs, looking for suitable job vacancy. Contact 90993099 Indian male 31yrs, 6 years experience in Sales & marketing in Oman, have Omani D/L looking for a suitable placement. Contact 92148170 Indian male 25 yrs, with 2 years experience in Oman as Sales man looking for a suitable placement. Contact 95285270 Indian Male, Age 27, B.Tech in Computer Science, Valid GCC Driving License, Presently in Oman, 2 year experience in Marketing, Looking for Sales & Marketing. GSM: 93468441 Sri Lankan 22 yrs Diploma in UK, having exp. in customer services Teller Sales Marketing in UK UAE, seeking suitable placement. Contact 97409533 Female Indian MBA having 2 years experience in Sales & Marketing Oman, seeks better placement having valid GCC Oman driving license. Contact 94213211 Email : april9tea@gmail.com Smart Indian male, 15 years of Oman exposure with MBA. Experienced in Oilfield Products (Upstream) with Omani D/L working as Sales & Marketing Manager, seeks suitable placement in a senior position. Contact 99639375
20+ yrs exp Senior Manager experienced in purchase, sales, admin & accounts seeks immediate placement. Contact 97073942
Six (06) years Oman experience in Building material sales and purchase holding Omani Driving License Available to join immediately along with change of visa Kindly contact 00 968 91252646 , E mail mfk9125@gmail.com
7 years experience gulf electric plumping foreman, Indian Kerala. Contact 96375336 Email: shadam@gmail.com
MBA in Sales and Marketing having 7yeras experience having Omani driving license, Looking for any suitable job. Contact 94370614
SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Indian male, 34 yrs, PGDBA in Operations Management with 14 yrs experience as Manager Administration & Sales Coordination seeks immediate placement. #92769725 Indian Female, 6 years experience in Secretarial, Administration, Coordination holding Oman Driving License seeking suitable placement. Contact 95196052, 95269592. Document controller / data entry operator, experienced, female, seeks suitable placement phone : 96148941 Indian female diploma 2years experience as system administrator seeking suitable position in IT/ clerical section on visit visa. Contact 95434765 Email: anuajay191@gmail.com
B.Com, MBA, Indian Senior Business Executive, 35 yrs experience seeks employment in Administration, Sales, Marketing, Logistics, Supply Chain. Call Menon : 98774861, email : prakashmenon10@hotmail.com Highly qualified senior level Executive with 15+ yrs exp. in Business development, sales & marketing & operations in GCC (6 yrs in Oman) looking for challenging position. Contact 95499501
TOURS & TRAVELS Female 24yrs Indian Graduate in BBA and IATA,1 yr experience Ticketing Clerck in Air India Express Office looking Suitable position in Tours and Travels. Contact97077215
Housemaid, male / female cleaners, house boy, light / heavy driver, sales girl, accountant, all skilled & unskilled workers from India, Sri Lanka. Contact Mr. Jerry 95175192, mail:, oman.manpower@yahoo.com We supply manpower locally for contracting companies, masons & helpers. Contact Nasser: 99786772
GOOD NEWS
Office & House hold Furniture & Electronics items. Contact 99834373 / 96642500
WANTED Required Garage for rent Ghubrah, Ghala, Seeb 200 -300 Sq mts. Contact 94194038
Transportation. Contact 99077348
Al Mayar National Ent. Civil & Electro Mechanical Ent We are looking for building related Civil / Electrical Main contract/ Subcontract works, with/ without materials. Kindly contact Mr. Arun 99887451 Our Address: www.almayarllc.com Email mayarprojects@almayarllc.com
Car with driver available. Contact 99526610
Aluminium fabrication work required in Sohar- # -96577890
TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact 93405941
Ten years sales experience need job. Contact 95266485
BUYING/SELLING
Transportation available. contact 95570429
For transportation. Contact 98782075
WEBSITE
Transportation. Contact 99508282
BUSINESS
Art of living happiness program to relax your body and mind and to overcome stress through various breathing techniques from 2nd Dec’13 to 7th Dec’13 from 7:30 pm to 10:15 pm at Al Khuwair. Contact 94039695 / 95429685 Health, happiness and energy workshop free 2 hours workshop to learn practical breathing techniques to learn practical breathing techniques to handle mind and negative emotions. On 30th Nov 13 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Al Khuwair. Contact 94039695 / 95429685 Genuine Ayurvedic treatments & massage, ayurvedic clinic, Al Khuwair. Contact 24478618/ 97263637/ 94008839 Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steam bath, obesity, spandylitis etc, ideal care Ayurvedic, clinic Azaiba. Contact 99639695 FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com Ayurvedic treatment for backache paralysis arthritis etc. & massage All Season (Vaidyaratnam). #24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980
MATRIMONIAL Pakistani Expatriate from a good family looking for match for our Daughter age 26/5.3’’ Legal separated after 5 months marriage fair, Graduate B.Sc currently staying in Oman. Contact 96407945 24 years young male, well-employed, looking for a girl with modern outlook and preferably working status. nationality/ caste/ creed/ religion/ language no bar. Kindly apply in confidence with a latest photograph on fax no. 24595913.
A Muscat based well established electrical contracting company having running projects in Muscat and Salalah airports looking for a managing partner from the similar field.” Contact 93284290 Looking for Omani partner for business development services. Contact 93194825 Email: edumass4@gmail.com We want to buy car war work shop Muscat or nearby Muscat. Contact with detail mobile 93535394 CANADIAN company. for immigration & manpower is looking for a partner in Oman with license !For contact evro21@gmail.com 0097333054453 A well running Civil contracting company LLC doing ministry work, looking for new sponsor and investor or partner.#96726115 Restaurant + coffee shop with seating capacity of 50 people and potential to make 90 (with mezzanine in running condition doing excellent business in a prime business location at Wattayah is available for purchase / investment. Interested parties may please call on 97414513 or 96344753 Running prime café for sale or management. Contact 95729427/95208505 Seeking an investing partner to run an existing Hospitality business. (Cafe & restaurant). #95517471
Nair boy, 28/168 cms Kritiga chowa dosham from Pathanamthitta. Working in Oman. Seeking suitable alliance, contact 9515 6435
COMPUTER
Nair Boy, Age 34, Sudhajathakam, Star Pooyam, from Palakkad, well Settled in Muscat, looking for suitable alliance. #95461965 & 98221147 Nair Girl 28 164 cm Bharni, MSc. Alleppey dist, seeks suitable alliance. Contact +91 4792339509 Alliance for educated Sunni Muslim girl 26 years from Bangalore preference for professionals contact :syedkhalid123@hotmail.com Keralite RC Girl 26 years 160 cm working MOH. Contact 92365310
CLASSES Learn To use all APPS of your phone by an APPS EXPERT Course duration 2 weeks Course fees 30 RO #92174669
WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price. Contact: http//webviewoman
CLASSES
C6
T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 3
DAILY GUIDE
Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624
TOURS
SERVICES
We arrange Tours to Jabel Alakhdar / Shames wahiba Sands. Contact 99839898
RENT A CAR
GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. # 24793614/ 99314807 Marble restoration Crystallization, Cleaning carpets sofas, Villas, Flats. Contact 24701281 / 97463079 GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC all kind of pest control.#92326955 House shifting, packing and Transportation.#99657644 / 98518013 Electrical Plumbing Painting Contract and Maintenance. Contact #98456535 Carpet, sofa- cleaning, glue removing, shampooing, house cleaning, polishing & painting etc. Contact – 99542979 / 98855815 House Items shifting. Contact 99557080 / 99380307 Painting Interlock plumbing maintenance. Contact 92142319 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722
Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al Ainain Marine Tours-Contact 98029602, 92808636
Silver Car - Car Rental with good rate, Latest saloon cars & 4WDs are available. Contact 96166155 / 24488737
Split & Window A.C Servicing & repairing. Contact 99380307 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722
Door to Door Computers repair specialist laptop software Website cartridges. Contact 99199376 Pest control water proof. #99067923 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722 A/ C maintenance, servicing & installation. Split A/C Servicing RO 10.000 Only. # 94217681 / 99210141 A/C service RO7/- , repairing & installation, painting, building all maintenance. # 95563858 / 99326786 Supply of filling material/ zip zap stone/ excavation and building demolishing. Contact 99057348 Marble polishing & crystallization building cleaning floor, floor polishing, carpet, sofa shampooing, pest control, anti termite, shifting, maintenance. Contact 99504275 Carpet, sofa- cleaning, glue removing, shampooing, house cleaning, polishing & painting etc. Contact – 99542979 / 98855815
Split & Window AC Servicing & repairing. Contact 99557080 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 Electrical Works, Maintenance, Building Gas Pipelines, Fire Alarm & Security systems.#Amjad Majees Trading & Contracting: 99467936
C8
T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 3
DAILY GUIDE
Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624
TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION -CONTACT: 24726666 Email: classifieds@timesofoman.com
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