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QATAR’S EMIR ARRIVES TODAYY In a bid to boost the relations between the Sultanate and the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, is arriving on a two-day visit to the Sultanate today during which he will meet His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The visit comes within in the framework of the two leaders’ keenness to boost thee cooperation and further realising the aspirations of the he Omani and Qatari people. The Emir of Qatar will be accompanied by an official delegation.

TUESDAY, October 29, 2013 / 24 DHUL HIJJA 1434 AH

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Spain raps US eavesdropping amid outrage across world A classiﬁed document purportedly shows

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TURKEY

His Majesty congratulates Abdullah Gul

ISO 9001:2008 Certiﬁed Company

SALALAH PORT

Burning trawler towed away to avert disaster REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Abdullah Gul of the Republic of Turkey on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of health and happiness to President Gul and the people of Turkey further progress and prosperity. - ONA TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

that the US security

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services tracked

Woman arrested

60.5 million Spanish

blog.timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Timely intervention by Salalah Port officials and fire fighting rescue team averted a major disaster at the Salalah port yesterday after a Korean flagged fishing trawler caught fire. According to sources at the port, the trawler, ‘BAEKYANG 29’, which was docked at Berth No. 24, caught fire at around 2:30am. “As soon as the fire was noticed, officials and rescue team sprang into action. The entire crew was first evacuated safely. Then we noticed the trawler carrying ammonia, an inflammable item, used to preserve fish. There-

fore, it was decided to tow the trawler to outer sea to avoid any disaster at the port. The tug boat towed the trawler 12 miles away from the port and just as they were trying to disconnect, the trawler sank,” sources told the Times of Oman.

An Indian woman is in police custody since Friday in connection with her husband’s “unnatural death” that morning in Sur. >A3

telephone calls in a single month

REGION MADRID: Spain yesterday denounced newly reported mass US eavesdropping on its citizens’ telephone calls, calling it “inappropriate and unacceptable” as outrage spread over the worldwide espionage programme. The Spanish government delivered the message to US Ambassador James Costos, summoned to explain the latest revelations in a growing scandal over US snooping on telephone and online communications of ordinary citizens and world leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The news emerged just as a European Parliament delegation began a three-day mission to Washington to probe the impact of the surveillance on EU citizens’ “fundamental rights” and to discuss a threat to suspend an EU-US agreement on the transfer of banking data. Spanish Foreign Ministry officials met the US envoy hours after the El Mundo daily published a classiﬁed document purportedly showing that the US security services tracked 60.5 million Spanish telephone calls in a single month. The National Security Agency (NSA) recorded the origin and destination of the calls and their duration but not the content, said El Mundo, which printed a classiﬁed graph showing 30 days of call tracing up to January 8 this year. The graph illustrated the daily volume of calls monitored in the period, peaking at 3.5 million on December 11. The article was jointly authored by US blogger Glenn Greenwald, who said he had access to previously secret documents obtained by former US intelligence con-

Jordanian MP held

A Jordanian Member of Parliament (MP) was arrested yesterday for his alleged role in a September ﬁght in parliament. >A7

Oman free of polio, but watchful

MARKET SUMMONED: US Ambassador to Spain Andorra James Costos,

right, leaves the Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry in Madrid, yesterday. – AFP

35 world leaders including close ally German chancellor Angela Merkel’s phones were tapped by the NSA, said the Wall Street Journal

tractor Edward Snowden. The Spanish Foreign Ministry said it had underscored with the US ambassador its concern over the reported snooping. Climate of trust “Spain conveyed to the United States the importance of preserving the climate of trust that governs bilateral relations and of knowing the scale of practices that, if true, are inappropriate and unacceptable between countries that are partners and friends,” it said in a statement. Spain’s state secretary for the

European Union, Inigo Mendez de Vigo, “urged the US authorities to provide all necessary information about the supposed tapping in Spain”, it said. The US ambassador said in a separate statement that some of the security programmes played a “critical role” in protecting Americans and were also instrumental in protecting allied interests. He promised to work diplomatically to address Spain’s concerns. El Mundo urged Spanish prosecutors to charge the NSA with spying, saying such tracing of telephone calls without the proper judicial authority amounted to a criminal offence. In Washington, US lawmakers sought to soothe injured European feelings as they held talks with the parliamentary mission from Brussels. “We hope for an open dialogue,” US House of Representatives intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers said. The Wall Street Journal said the NSA had tapped the phones of some 35 world leaders including close ally Merkel, who last week branded the snooping as unacceptable between friends. — AFP

Islamic ﬁnance hub

London is striving to position itself as a major centre for Islamic ﬁnance, with a series of measures that have been undertaken. >B1

8-PAGE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT ON 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE

REPUBLIC OF TURKEY WITH TODAY’S EDITOIN

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OMAN

Steps are being taken to make visas available online to Omanis by the end of this year UK to ease visa norms for locals >A3

G R O W I N G R E L AT I O N S

AUGUST MEETING: His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the

Council of Ministers, with Filippo Lombardi, President of the Swiss Council of States, yesterday. – Mohamed Al Rashdi

Oman, Switzerland review bilateral cooperation MUSCAT: On behalf of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers yesterday received Filippo Lombardi, President of the Swiss Council of States who conveyed the greetings and best wishes of the Swiss leadership to His Majesty the Sultan, his government and the Omani people. The president of the Swiss Council of States and Sayyid Fahd reviewed the growing relations between the two countries. Lombardi hailed the progress made in the Sultanate under the leadership of His Majesty the Sultan at all levels, and pointed to Oman’s balanced policies in its foreign relations and its efforts to establish the rule of law. During the meeting, they reviewed the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in economic and technical ﬁelds, as well as exchange of expertise and consultation on issues of concern to the two sides.

Switzerland to open embassy MUSCAT: Filippo Lombardi, President of the Swiss Council of States, said Switzerland has decided to open a new embassy in Muscat, within the framework of the bilateral ties that bind the two friendly countries. -ONA

Majlis Al Shura Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of Majlis Al Shura, met Lombardi within the framework of his current visit to the Sultanate. During the meeting, Al

Ma’awali affirmed that this visit would contribute in strengthening and enhancing the relations between the Omani and Swiss people, besides sharing the Swiss experience in the parliamentary ﬁeld. State Council Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of the State Council, met Lombardi and his accompanying delegation yesterday. Al Mantheri pointed to the Shura’s march in the Sultanate and the stages it has passed, as well as the progress it has witnessed, which gained the Royal conﬁdence by providing it with the legislative and oversight powers. Al Mantheri affirmed the Royal attention and care accorded by His Majesty the Sultan to this march at each stage of development, which is crowned by the parliamentary duality under Majlis Oman. -ONA

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Oman seeks Automatic Identiﬁcation System transp transponders on small boats to improve maritime security. Sultanate has best record in ﬁghting piracy >A4 Sultan

UK to ease visa norms for locals Steps are being taken to make visas available online to Omanis by the end of this year, and they will no longer require to visit the British Embassy for this purpose

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Bu Said, secretary-general at Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urged citizens through a tweet yesterday to wait for an official announcement regarding the easing of UK visa procedures for Omani citizens. “Yes, it is true but wait for the formal announcement by the

The tweet of Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Bu Said, secretarygeneral at Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the easing of UK visa procedures.

British authority as there is a mechanism that will have to be followed,” the official tweeted in reply to a query on the microblogging portal. Last week, while attending the ‘Oman and Sea’ exhibition in Paris, the Omani official said that Omanis would soon get visas online to visit the UK. “The British government hopes to set in place easier procedures for the Omanis to obtain British visas,” he said

on the sidelines of the exhibition. Al Busaidi added that steps were being taken to make visas available online to the Omanis by the end of this year without requiring them to visit the British Embassy for this purpose. Meanwhile, according to media reports in London, the British government has decided to signiﬁcantly ease visa application procedures for Omanis intending to visit the country for medical treatment or tourism purposes. Those who wish to study or work in the country will still need to follow the conventional procedures. Approval The reports claimed that Omanis travelling to the UK for tourism or treatment will need to send an email to the website of the British Embassy in Muscat and wait for approval that will come within a period of 48 hours. The traveller then has to take a printout of the approval, which will be considered as a visa, when travelling to the UK. Upon arrival at any of the UK airports, ﬁngerprints will be taken. This new facility is also applicable for citizens of Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait, the media reports added.

OMAN

SUR

Woman held over husband’s death landed in trouble many times after being caught for drunken driving,” said the family friends, who have sought the embassy’s help to take up the case and help the accused.

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An Indian woman is in police custody since Friday in connection with her husband’s “unnatural death” that morning in Sur. The 40-year-old woman, who teaches at Indian School Sur and is a mother of two girls studying in the same school, was taken into custody by the police for questioning about her 49-year-old husband’s death. According to sources, the teacher had reportedly stabbed her husband who was in a drunken state, following a brawl. The sources suspect that it might be an accidental death. “He was found dead in the room

The deceased, left, and the accused woman in custody.

when the police came. The officials conducted the initial probe and requested for her custody,” family friends said. “The victim was reportedly an alcoholic. We helped him frequently in reaching home since he used to be heavily drunk. He had

Shelter The couple’s children are now being given shelter by one of the family friends. Efforts are being made to send the two daughters, aged 11 and 13, to India as their mother is in police custody. According to sources, the accused has been lodged in women’s cell in Jalan, about 80km southeast of Sur. “That is the nearest place from Sur where they have facilities to keep women detainees,” the source added.

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OMAN

Sultanate has best record in fighting piracy

M A D E I N I TA LY P R O D U C T S

Oman seeks Automatic Identiﬁcation System

We are still putting together a law on AIS for small boats. As for the big ships, we have no problem

transponders on small boats to improve maritime security

Times News Service MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman has proposed installing high-tech Automatic Identiﬁcation System (AIS) transponders on small boats to improve maritime security. Said bin Hamdoon Al Harthy, the undersecretary for Ports and Maritime Affairs at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, said officials are talking to all GCC countries about installing AIS on small boats. “We are still putting together a law on AIS for small boats. As for the big ships, we have no problem. The problem is only with small boats,” he said at the ﬁrst annual Port Security Middle East conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel. He added that Oman has the region’s best record in combating piracy. “The number of incidents regarding piracy have been reduced drastically this year and we hope

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY: Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Khalil Abdullah Al

Khonji inaugurates Italian Solo exhibition in Muscat, yesterday. – Jun Estrada/Times of Oman

Italian exhibition to cement trade ties with Oman: Envoy

Said bin Hamdoon Al Harthy

this will go down even further in the coming months,” he said. Experts, meanwhile, said that the AIS system would bring uniformity in the registration of all types of vessels. “The new practice may remove ambiguity and help in keeping common records on all vessels and their owners in one centralised data system,” an expert said. The AIS transponders, which automatically broadcast information such as a ship’s position, speed and navigational status at regular intervals to a centralised control room, will be used by

Ports and maritime affairs undersecretary

STAFF REPORTER

these vessels for identiﬁcation and to display their locations. Currently, only larger ships use such transponders. Meanwhile, experts in seaport security from both regional and international authorities met in Muscat yesterday for the ﬁrst annual Port Security Middle East conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel. The conference, organised by IQPC (International Quality & Productivity Centre) and GEC (Global Exhibitions & Conferences), was formally opened by Said bin Hamdoon Al Harthy.

MUSCAT: The Chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Khalil Abdullah Al Khonji, inaugurated the Italian Solo Exhibition, a three-day trade show, at the Intercontinental Hotel yesterday. The event, supported by the Italian Embassy, is the ﬁrst and only country trade exhibition in Oman that offers an exclusive trade and business, networking and purchasing platform for manufacturers, distributors, dealers, traders, suppliers, entrepreneurs and those seeking to source and procure “Made in Italy” products. Interested shoppers have the opportunity to buy the products M U N I C I PA L I T I E S

Over 60% of QMS project completed MUSCAT: The Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources has completed more than 60 per cent of the Quality Management System (QMS) project. The current stage involves implementation of processes and procedures that were veriﬁed at the ministry’s headquarters and the municipalities implementing the system. This stage will be followed by a training programme for the internal auditors in December. The ministry will initiate the internal audit and assessment of the system next January. The project was initiated in March 2012 with the assistance of some quality management experts from the Tunisian Republic. The project is implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Service. -ONA

on display during the event, which will continue until October 31. “It is a good opportunity. We managed to have some companies from different sectors. These ﬁrms provide design, art, technology, and beauty,” Paola Amadei, Ambassador of Italy to Oman, told the Times of Oman. Amadei said the event was good for fostering trade relations between Oman and Italy and suggested that Omanis could beneﬁt from good quality, nice designs, and advanced technology when doing business with Italian companies. For Italian business people, Oman has good investment opportunities too, she added. “We encourage Italians to look at Oman because this country

really offers a great variety of opportunities and is open to trade. It is investing in its infrastructure,” Amadei said. The exhibition, which featured companies in sectors ranging from silver, food, and furniture to marble, marines and shipyards, and engineering, was organised with Easy Business LLC, a group of experts and professional advisers who bring together Omani and Italian businesses. The sponsors of the event included National Bank of Oman, Messung Global Connect and Intercontinental Hotel Muscat. It was supported by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Turin Chamber of Commerce, and the Italian Embassy.

BRIEFS

Minister of civil service leaves for Morocco MUSCAT: Sheikh Khalid bin Omar Al Marhoon, the Minister of Civil Service, yesterday left for Morocco to take part in the 98th regular session of the Executive Council of the Arab Administrative Development Organisation (ARADO) to be held at Rabat next Tuesday and Wednesday. The decisions made in Egypt would be discussed at the meeting and a new auditing office for the ARADO accounts for 2014-2015 would also be chosen.

292 illegal workers held MUSCAT: The weekly report of the joint inspection team at the Ministry of Manpower said that 292 workers were held for violating the Labour Law between October 20 and October 26, including 219 commercial workers, 42 farm workers and 31 housemaids and their equivalents. The statistics showed that 259 workers were caught including 139 absconding workers, 109 astray workers and 11 workers referred from other departments. The Governorate of Muscat witnessed the largest number of workers violating the law with 115, followed by the Governorate of North Al Batinah with 76 workers.

3,850 cosmetics boxes seized MUSCAT: Personnel of the Judicial Control at the Public Authority for Consumer Protection seized 3,850 boxes of cosmetics for violating the provisions of the Consumer Protection Law at one of the outlets taking part in an exhibition organised at Oman International Exhibitions Centre. -ONA

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 01 3 The question today is why couldn’t the Obamacare system be made simpler? Well, if we are to answer this in one word we can only say that it couldn’t made made simpler mainly because of politics Read the column by Paul Krugman >A13

Smartphones become visual sharing hubs The Pew Research Centre survey found 54% of US Internet users now post original pictures or videos online, up from 46% last year

NEW YORK: Smartphones are giving a big boost to posting of photos and videos, according to a study released yesterday. The Pew Research Centre survey found 54 per cent of US Internet users now post original pictures or videos online, up from 46 percent last year. And 47 per cent re-post images or videos they discover online, the survey found. Much of this growth came from people using smartphone apps like Instagram or Snapchat, ac-

cording to Pew researchers. This survey found that 92 per cent of Americans own a cell phone and 58 per cent own a smartphone. Some 18 per cent of cell phone owners use Instagram and nine percent use Snapchat to share images or videos. ‘People’s interactions’ “Sharing photos and videos online adds texture, play, and drama to people’s interactions in their social networks,” said Pew Internet’s Maeve Duggan, author of the

BRIEFS

Michael Jackson’s doctor released from prison LOS ANGELES: Michael Jackson’s personal physician, convicted for manslaughter by administering a lethal dose of anaesthetic to the pop singer, was released from a Los Angeles prison yesterday after serving half of his four-year sentence. Conrad Murray was released to his representatives, Los Angeles County Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore said shortly after Murray left the county jail. The release came under a California state plan to reduce prison overcrowding. Murray’s six-week trial grabbed global attention after Jackson, preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London, died unexpectedly in 2009 at age 50.

Poland’s first non-left PM Mazowiecki passes away WARSAW: Poland’s Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the first non-Communist premier in eastern Europe who was hailed as a father of Polish liberty, died yesterday aged 86. He died in a Warsaw hospital following a long illness, close friend and Senate speaker Bogdan Boruzewicz confirmed. Mazowiecki was “one of the fathers of Polish liberty and independence”, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Polish Radio. One of the early members of the Solidarity movement, he became prime minister in August 1989, two months after Solidarity won elections and its iconic leader Lech Walesa tapped him for the job. “He was really one of the outstanding people I met on this journey,” of transition, Walesa told Poland’s TVN24 news channel.

Trial in News of the World phone-hacking case starts LONDON: The ﬁrst trial in the phone-hacking scandal that sank Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World opened yesterday with the tycoon’s key aide Rebekah Brooks in the dock alongside the British prime minister’s former media chief Andy Coulson. The two former editors of the tabloid are among eight defendants facing a jury for the ﬁrst time over the scandal that sent shockwaves through British politics. The defendants face charges ranging from illegally hacking the mobile phone voicemails of a murdered schoolgirl and celebrities such as Paul McCartney, to bribing public officials for stories and hiding evidence. They all deny the allegations against them.

40 migrants found dead NIAMEY: Dozens of Nigerien migrants heading for Algeria died of thirst in the desert after their vehicle broke down, local officials said yesterday, while police said 19 survived. “About 40 Nigerians, who were attempting to emigrate to Algeria, died of thirst in mid-October,” Rhissa Feltou, the mayor of Agadez, said. “Many others have been reported missing since their vehicle broke down in the desert,” he said. “Travellers told us that they saw and counted up to 35 bodies, mostly those of women and children, by the road,” said Abdourahmane Maouli, the mayor of Arlit. — Agencies

JUSTICE SOUGHT: Turkish protestors run for cover as po-

licemen ﬁre water cannon and tear gas to disperse them yesterday during a demonstration in Ankara against a court’s refusal to detain a policeman accused of killing a demonstrator during the popular unrest in June. A police officer identiﬁed only as Ahmet S. is on trial accused of shooting to death 26-year-old Ethem Sarisuluk during mass anti-government street protests in Ankara in June. The Ankara court rejected a demand by the victim’s lawyers that the defendant be detained and ruled instead that he could take part in hearings via video conference for security reasons. — AFP

Some 59 per cent of online women post photos and videos they have taken themselves, compared with 50 per cent of men

report. “This all adds up to a new kind of collective digital scrapbook with fresh forms of storytelling and social bonding.” Women are more active sharers than men, according to the survey: Some 59 per cent of online women

post photos and videos they have taken themselves, compared with 50 per cent of men. Likewise, 53 per cent of women share some of the content they found elsewhere, compared with 42 per cent of men. Among those in the 18-29 age group, 81 per cent have uploaded original content and 68 per cent have re-posted photos or videos. Some 26 per cent of cell owners in this age group use Snapchat, while 43 per cent use Instagram. ‘Eager adopters’ “A lot of photo- and videosharing is happening on social media, where women are historically more likely to be users,” said Duggan. “In terms of mobile, young people have always been early and eager adopters of new applications and platforms for sharing,” she added. — AFP

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WORLD SMARTEN UP DRIVE SAFE A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

REGION DRIVE SLOWER LIVE LONGER

It was ‘necessary’ for Iran to take part in the Geneva conference slated for next month Lakhdar Brahimi, UN-Arab League envoy

Arab foreign ministers to meet on Syria

SENTENCED

IN TROUBLED WATERS: Ira-

nian ﬁlmmaker and actress Pegah Ahangarani.

The ministers will

EU vows $120m in aid

hold meeting in Cairo to discuss backing the Syrian opposition at a proposed Geneva peace conference

CAIRO: Arab foreign ministers will meet in Cairo on November 3 to discuss backing the Syrian opposition at a proposed Geneva peace conference, a top Arab diplomat said yesterday. Also UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi arrived in Damascus to seek support for a Syria peace conference, as Russia slammed rebels for threatening those planning to attend the socalled Geneva II talks. Asked whether the ministers would discuss providing backing for the opposition groups, Arab League deputy chief Ahmed Ben Hilli told reporters “the meeting on Sunday will look into this matter”. Ben Hilli said an official date for the Geneva meeting has not been set. Arab League chief Nabil Al Arabi had said the meeting would take place on November 23. Brahimi, who travelled overland to the Syrian capital after ﬂying in to Beirut airport from Tehran, arrived at the Sheraton hotel accompanied by Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Moqdad. The envoy has been on a regional tour. The Syria leg of his mission to drum up support for Geneva II is the most sensitive

END CALL SAVE LIVES A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

BRUSSELS: The European Commission said it would provide 85 million euros ($120 million) in humanitarian aid to help people caught up in Syria’s civil war. The funds are part of a 400-million-euro pledge following a UN appeal made in June, which has proved difficult to ﬁnance amid problems with a European Union budget over-run. Nearly half the money (40 million euros) is to go on Unicef-led health and education programmes in Syria,

as he needs to persuade a wary regime and its hostile opponents to attend the talks. It is his first visit to Syria since last December. In Tehran, Brahimi said it was “necessary” for Iran to take part in the Geneva conference slated for next month and aimed at ending Syria’s conflict. Struggling for support The initiative’s backers, Washington and Moscow, have struggled to win the support of the warring parties in Syria, where more than 115,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the 31-month conflict. In the latest blow, 19 groups fighting to topple Assad issued a statement saying the Geneva conference “is not, nor will it ever be our people’s choice or our revolution’s demand”. Russian Foreign Minister

another 40 million euros will go towards helping some 500,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan. The remaining five million euros will allow Syrian students to follow Erasmus degrees at European universities. The EU says it has so far mobilised 1.9 billion euros in relief aid since the Syrian crisis began in March 2011. It says five million Syrians are internally displaced, with another two million having fled the country. — AFP

Sergei Lavrov issued a stinging rebuke to the rebels. “It is outrageous that some of these extremist, terrorist organisations ﬁghting government forces in Syria are starting to make threats,” Lavrov said in televised comments. “The threats are directed at those who have the courage to attend the proposed Geneva conference being offered by Russia and the United States with the entire world’s support.” Under pressure from its backers to attend, the National Coalition opposition group is to meet on November 9 to decide whether to take part. But it has insisted it will only do so if there are guarantees Assad will step down, and its leader Ahmad Jarba has also said no talks can take place unless the regime frees women and children from its jails. — Agencies

18-month jail term for Iranian actress TEHRAN: An Iranian court has sentenced filmmaker and actress Pegah Ahangarani to 18 months in prison, her mother told Isna news agency yesterday, apparently for her social activities, political comments and interviews with foreign media. “She has been sentenced to 18 months in the trial court,” Manijeh Hekmat, who is also a director, told Isna without giving further details. Ahangarani, 29, was arrested in her flat in July 2011 and was released on bail later that month. Currently, she is not in detention, as an appeals court must confirm the sentence before it is applied under the Iranian system. Judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie meanwhile told Isna Ahangarani was free and “had not been arrested”. But Hekmat said that her daughter has been prevented from leaving Iran for nearly three years. “We hope with the new climate in the country (following the election of moderate President Hassan Rowhani in June) leads to the reduction of her restrictions and her sentence would be reviewed,” Hekmat said in a letter to the official news agency, Irna. According to Irna the sentence was issued because of her social activities, political comments she made and interviews with she gave to certain foreign media. Hekmat also said they would appeal the sentence. Even before her arrest, the authorities had barred Ahangarani from leaving the country. She had been due to travel to Germany in 2011 to write her impressions of the Women’s World Cup in an Internet blog for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Ahangarani won the award for a supporting role at the Iranian Fajr Festival in February 2013 for the movie Dar Band (Trapped). — AFP

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 01 3 The debate over one or two states rages on the one side, while liberals, who by now have embraced the notion of a two state solution, continue to shy away from any controversy and refuse to address Palestinian human rights Read the column by Dr James J. Zogby >A12

CHARGED

Jordanian MP held over shooting in parliament AMMAN: A Jordanian MP was arrested yesterday for his alleged role in a September fight in parliament, where another lawmaker fired a Kalashnikov assault rifle at a third colleague, an official said. “Yahia Al Saud was detained today after prosecutors charged him with inciting murder, defamation and slander,” the judicial official said. “He was remanded in custody for 14 days pending further investigation,” he added. On September 10, MP Talal Al Sharif shot a Kalashnikov at his colleague Qusay Al Dumaisi during an altercation in the lower

house, without hitting him. The shooting came two days after an argument broke out in parliament between Dumaisi and Saud. Video footage showed Dumaisi removing his shoes and Saud his belt during the dispute, which ﬂared due to differences over parliamentary procedure, before they were separated. “Prosectors found evidence that Saud incited Sharif to shoot at Dumaisi,” another judicial official said. MP Khalil Atiyeh, deputy house speaker, conﬁrmed the detention of Saud. “Saud at the moment does not

enjoy immunity because parliament is in recess,” Atiyeh said. Saud, who faces up to three years in prison “could be expelled if convicted”, Atiyeh said. Sharif was expelled from parliament and Dumaisi suspended for one year. Sharif, currently in jail, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of unlicensed ﬁrearms and resisting the security forces. In July 2012, a live television debate on domestic issues between two deputies also degenerated into ﬁsticuffs before one of them pulled out a gun and was overpowered. — AFP

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INDIA

It is premature to say anything about the blast now as investigation is still going on Sushilkumar Shinde, Home minister

BRIEFS

Karunanidhi’s wife deposes for ﬁve hours in 2G case CHENNAI: DMK president M. Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal, a prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum allocation case, deposed before a magistrate for around ﬁve hours here yesterday. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) M. Gopalan reached Karunanidhi’s residence around 9.40 am for the testimony. Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi, charged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a co-conspirator in the case, was present at the DMK chief’s residence. Speaking to reporters, K.K. Goel, senior public prosecutor for CBI, said the evidence had been recorded and Dayalu Ammal cooperated. He declined to share more details.

ARMY DRONE CRASHES Military personnel and onlookers at the scene of an Indian Army drone crash in Rajouri district close to the India-Pakistan border yesterday. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was on a surveillance mission, a report said. — AFP

Charges against Kejriwal framed in defamation case NEW DELHI: A court here yesterday framed charges against Aam Admi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal in a defamation case ﬁled against him by an aide of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for his alleged “derogatory remarks” against her during protests against the power tariff hike. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Sanjay Bansal ﬁxed January 18 for recording of evidence in the case. The court, framing charges against Kejriwal, said prima facie defamation charges are made out against him and put him on trial after he pleaded not guilty.

24kg of heroin recovered in Punjab, four arrested AMRITSAR: The State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police arrested four men yesterday and recovered 24kgs of heroin estimated to be valued at $19.5 million on the international market, a police officer said. Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Ashwani Kumar said the arrested people were Jasbir Singh alias Jassa, the kingpin of the drugs racket, Kuldip Singh, Avtar Singh and Tarsem Singh. - Agencies

Mastermind identified as Patna blasts toll is 6 Initial investigation suggested the

It is a case of gross under preparedness by the state, not even the minimum was done

involvement of IM in the Patna serial blasts. The modus operandi and low-intensity bomb blasts are part

Nirmala Sitharaman

of IM operation, an IB

BJP spokeswoman

official said

UP IN ARMS: BJP leaders and workers stage a protest against

Patna bomb blasts, in Bengaluru, yesterday. – PTI

PATNA: Tahseen Akhtar, allegedly a member of Indian Mujahideen (IM), is the brain behind the string of explosions in Patna yesterday that left six dead, authorities said yesterday. “Tahseen Akhtar alias Monu, accused of several terrorist attacks, is man behind serial blasts in Patna,” an Intelligence Bureau (IB) official here said. “Initial investigation suggested the involvement of IM in serial blasts in Patna. The modus operandi and low-intensity bomb blasts are part of IM operation,” the IB ofﬁcial said declining to be named. The IB official said that one of the suspects who was arrested has confessed to the involvement of IM in Sunday’s seven blasts — six of which took place in and around the Gandhi Maidan where BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi later addressed a rally. “More information will come out after likely arrest of three or four suspects involved in the blasts,” the IB official said. Tahseen Akhtar, considered to be close to Yasin Bhatkal, the man who co-founded Indian Mujahideen, hails from a village in Samastipur. In the last few months, the National Investigation Agen-

Adequate security given to Modi, says Shinde NEW DELHI: A day after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Patna was targeted with multiple blasts, the government yesterday said adequate security is being provided to the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate. “Central Government has

cy (NIA) on more than 10 occasions raided his native village but failed to ﬁnd him. Earlier, the NIA issued an arrest warrant against Tahseen Akhtar, and also announced a reward of Rs1 million for information that could lead to his arrest. Intelligence failure Meanwhile, the opposition slammed security arrangements yesterday after six people were killed by bombs at a rally by their leader Narendra Modi, fuelling fears of a bloody build-up to next year’s elections.

provided adequate security to Modi,” Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters. Modi has been accorded Z-plus security with roundthe- clock protection by elite National Security Guard commandos. Shinde said he would visit Patna today to assess the

While Modi himself was not injured by the blasts in Patna, leaders of his party expressed outrage yesterday that such an attack could take place at a high-proﬁle event. Sushma Swaraj, the party’s leader in parliament, tweeted that the attack represented a “gross intelligence failure”, while BJP president Rajnath Singh said “extra precautions should have been taken” given Modi’s status as BJP candidate in next year’s general elections. “It is a case of gross under preparedness by the state, not even the minimum was done,” BJP spokeswoman Nirmala Sitharaman said.

situation there following the serial blasts in the city Sunday that has claimed six lives and injured more than 80 people. “I will review the situation in Patna tomorrow. It is premature to say anything about the blast now as investigation is still going on,” he said. - PTI

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said the blasts came as a reminder of “vulnerability”, as mass gatherings occur in the run-up to elections. “These blasts are a grim reminder of the vulnerability of the security of both senior leaders and political events being organised in the run-up to the elections,” Jaitley said. “India cannot afford to be either soft on terror or soft on security. A policy against terror and the need for security cannot be relatable to the policy of vote bank politics of a given government,” he said. - Agencies CONCERN

‘New US immigration policy to hurt IT industry’ NEW DELHI: Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma yesterday said elements in the new US legislation on immigration would undermine the competitiveness of Indian IT businesses. During a meeting with US Chamber of Commerce chairman Steve Van Andel here, Sharma raised India’s concern over the US policy and said some measures related to skilled nonimmigrant visas in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill passed by the US Senate recently were discriminatory. Andel said the US Chamber of Commerce is on the “same page” on the issue and there is a need to be more vocal about the ill-effects of the proposed legislation, said a commerce ministry statement after the meeting. Indian ﬁrms have made investments of more than $5 billion in the US in the last ﬁve years, by way of acquisitions. - IANS

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 01 3

INDIA A L L E G AT I O N

BJP ﬁles complaint against Rahul’s ‘hate speeches’ to EC NEW DELHI: A delegation of BJP leaders yesterday submitted a complaint against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at the Election Commission (EC) here, accusing him of delivering hate speeches. The BJP leaders alleged that Rahul Gandhi made sensational speeches to spread communal hatred in society. DAM’S HEIGHT

Medha: Not seen a bigger liar than Modi MUMBAI: Social activist Medha Patkar yesterday attacked Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for “illegally” pursuing his agenda of raising the height of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) by making false claims. “I have not seen a bigger liar than Modi. He has again started to play the SSP card despite knowing that the project has failed to live up to the tall political claims and paper promises. Fully knowing that it will affect 250,000 people, he is illegally pushing to clear the ﬁnal height of the dam,” Patkar told mediapersons here. Patkar, who earlier held demonstration opposing the dam’s height, said Modi’s ambitious “Statue of Unity” project was actually a ploy to raise the dam to its full height of 138 metres from the current 122 metres. She also alleged a nexus between the BJP governments of Gujarat led by Modi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan in MP. “Modi’s recent claim that MP shall receive 800 MW of free electricity is an absolute lie, as every unit of the power is to be purchased at Rs2.10. The claims are attempts by the ModiShivraj nexus to raise the hollow issue of delayed beneﬁts due to the SSP,” said Patkar. - IANS

“Rahul Gandhi is no Digvijaya Singh... He is the topmost leader of Congress and their superstar campaigner. He said BJP incites communal violence, he said Muslims are in touch with ISI, and none of the statements has been denied by the Congress,” BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. “We have demanded that the EC

should take action against Rahul Gandhi and Congress,” he told reporters after submitting the party’s complaint to Chief Election Commissioner V. K. Sampath. Apology demanded The BJP also demanded an apology from the Gandhi scion for stating that the Pakistani intelligence

had contacted Muslim youths affected by the Muzaffarnagar riots. The party on Friday submitted a letter to the Election Commission that Rahul violated the Model Code of Conduct by his hate speeches. Citing excerpts from Rahul’s speech made in Churu in Rajasthan last week, the Opposition party said its tone and tenor was to incite com-

munal hatred and tension between Hindu-Sikhs and Hindu-Muslims and make an appeal for votes in the favour of Congress on the basis of communal sentiments. “A conscious attempt has been made by Rahul to mislead the public by trying to discredit the BJP by making absolutely false, baseless, unfounded allegations against

the BJP and its leaders, which is against the very spirit of the Model Code of Conduct as well as healthy democratic practices,” it said. The Model Code of Conduct came into force on October 4, in the states of Delhi, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, where the polls to the state assemblies are to be held. - Agencies

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PAKISTAN

Pakistan is wary of a new ordinance Read the column by Kamal Siddiqi >A13

PA N I C A N D F E A R

‘Serial attacker’ targets women in Sahiwal district, stabs 25 ISLAMABAD: A young man has stabbed at least 25 women this month in a small Pakistani town, police said yesterday, and many women and girls are afraid to leave their homes. “Most of the incidents have happened after sunset, but some schoolgirls were also attacked while going back home after school,” said Haseebul Hassan, the

spokesman for Sahiwal District in eastern Punjab province. “We cannot conﬁrm the total number of incidents, but its between 25 to 30.” Doctors say most of the women in the town of Chichawatni were stabbed on the legs, stomach or back. The attacker’s motives are unclear, although police said he may be insane.

“Most of the women were stabbed after sunset, while two of them were wearing a burka at the time they were attacked,” Dr Asim Waqar at Chichawatni hospital said by telephone. His hospital received its ﬁrst case on October 6 and has seen two or three cases a day since. Some victims have required stitches or surgery.

Stabbed multiple times In the most recent attack, a man on a motorbike dismounted and stabbed a 22-year-old woman multiple times as she was standing outside her house with her sister, Waqar said. The police are hunting a single attacker, Chichawatni Station House Officer Tahir Aijaz said. They have announced a reward

equivalent to $2,000 for his arrest. Many victims who sought treatment have not reported the attacks because the police have a poor reputation and they are forbidden by tradition to speak to strange men. Police said that many women or girls now feared to go out at night or to school. Violence against women is common in Pakistan and activists say several are

murdered each day. Underfunded police rarely solve the cases, which can take years to work their way through congested courts. — Reuters

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DOWN MEMORY LANE Wasim Sajjad, who had served as the acting President of Pakistan twice, looks at his ancestral home in Jalandhar, India, yesterday. Sajjad is currently visiting India. — PTI

Sharif’s reform efforts under IMF scanner A delegation is coming to see whether Pakistan is trying to meet the conditions intended to promote reforms after the IMF agreed to a

The government is just exploiting Pakistan’s position — playing the Taleban card — to get the US and IMF to continue to bail it out Yousaf Nazar Former head of Citigroup’s equity investments unit

$6.7 billion loan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif faces the ﬁrst formal test of his economic policies this week during a visit by the International Monetary Fund. He has a long way to go. Sharif swept to a landslide victory in May after promising to ﬁx a sluggish economy. Default averted Last month, the IMF saved Pakistan from a possible default by agreeing to loan it $6.7 billion over three years, but its condition of quarterly reviews means the cash is not guaranteed. A team led by the IMF’s regional adviser, Jeffrey Franks, is visit-

ing this week to see if Pakistan is trying to meet conditions intended to promote reforms. The government has begun to tackle Pakistan’s ﬁscal problems, but diplomats say true success will come only when tax evaders are punished. Yousaf Nazar, a former head of Citigroup’s equity investments unit, said previous governments had secured IMF help by emphasising the country’s role as a vital ally in the Nato-led war in Afghanistan against Taleban insurgents. Lack of intent “No government in Pakistan over the last 20 years has ever shown any intent to carry our serious reforms,” Nazar said.

“The government is just exploiting Pakistan’s position — playing the Taleban card — to get the US and IMF to continue to bail it out.” Programmes scrapped Eleven out of 12 IMF programmes since 1998 have been scrapped because Pakistan failed to institute reforms. “Governments have tried to ‘game’ the IMF, and achieved partial success each time,” two former Fund officials concluded in a recent paper. This time round, Sharif has promised the IMF to privatise loss-making state industries, reform the energy sector, expand Pakistan’s tiny tax base and cut government borrowing. — Reuters

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ASIA Five die as car ploughs into Tiananmen crowd Witnesses said the SUV drove along the pavement outside the Forbidden City, before crashing — prompting speculation that the incident was

MISHAP: Vehicles travel along Chang’an Avenue as smoke rises in

intentional

front of a portrait of late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, yesterday. – Reuters

BEIJING: Five people including a Philippine tourist were killed and 38 others injured after a vehicle ploughed into crowds in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square yesterday and caught ﬁre, police said. The blaze sent clouds of smoke billowing into the air near a giant portrait of Mao Zedong that hangs at one end of the square, the site of pro-democracy protests in 1989. Witnesses and reports said the SUV drove along the pavement outside the Forbidden City, the former imperial palace, before

crashing -- prompting speculation the incident was intentional. Immediately afterwards a security operation swung into force on the vast plaza, the symbolic centre of the Chinese state. Explosion and ﬁre “I saw a car turn a bend and suddenly it was driving on the pavement. It happened fast but looked like it knocked people over,” one eyewitness, said. “I heard an explosion and saw ﬁre. The scene was very frightening,” he added. “There were para-

military police who told people to get back into their cars and stop taking pictures.” Images posted on Chinese social media sites showed the blazing shell of the SUV and a plume of black smoke rising near a portrait of communist China’s founder that hangs on the Forbidden City’s towering wall, while crowds looked on. Several pictures posted online were deleted within minutes, streets leading to the square were blocked off and barriers were erected. Two AFP reporters were temporarily detained close to the site and

images were deleted from their digital equipment. “The incident led to five deaths and 38 injuries,” Beijing police said on their verified account on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter. The driver of the vehicle and two passengers were killed, along with two tourists, one a woman from the Philippines and the other a man from Guangdong province in southern China, they said. Three Philippine tourists and one Japanese were among the injured, police added, saying the vehicle had crashed into the guardrail on Jinshui Bridge, which crosses the moat around the Forbidden City, and then caught fire. The Southern Metropolis Daily quoted an injured Philippine woman named Francesca as saying: “I heard the car’s horn honking, but I noticed it too late. My mind went completely blank, and when I woke again I was completely on the ground.” Tiananmen Square is generally kept under tight security, with both uniformed and plain-clothes personnel deployed. Many are equipped with fire extinguishers. Social media users speculated that the car was crashed intentionally. - AFP

POLITICAL CRISIS

Four dead in fresh Bangladesh violence DHAKA: Fresh violence erupted across Bangladesh yesterday, leaving at least four people dead as rival party activists clashed on the second day of a strike amid a mounting political crisis. Police said street battles broke out throughout Bangladesh between thousands of supporters of the ruling party and the opposition, which is demanding the prime minister quit and make way for elections un-

der a caretaker government. A bomb blast in the western Harina Kundu town killed a local opposition official, while elsewhere two activists were killed in separate clashes and a truck driver died after being pelted with bricks, police said. Local official targeted “Apparently the bomb was hurled, targeting him (the local official). He died on his way to the hospi-

tal,” local police chief Mohibul Islam said. At least 16 people in total have now died in the unrest that has escalated since Friday, when the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies staged mass rallies over arrangements for the elections. Television footage yesterday showed protestors barricading highways, exploding crude bombs

and attacking political party ofﬁces in dozens of towns, with police responding in some cases with tear gas and rubber bullets. Schools, shops and other businesses remained closed yesterday in towns and cities for the strike, which started on Sunday, while thousands of extra police and paramilitary officers have been deployed on the streets, police said. - AFP

BRIEFS

China to study smog’s impact on human health BEIJING: China’s Health Ministry will set up a national network within ﬁve years to provide a way of monitoring the long- term impact of chronic air pollution on human health, state media said yesterday. The network will gather data on PM2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, in different locations around the country, the report said, citing a ministry statement. “The document noted that the absence of a long-term, systematic monitoring system has prevented the country from uncovering the link between air pollution and human health,” the report said.

Former Thailand PM faces indictment over crackdown BANGKOK: Thailand’s attorney general has decided to prosecute former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ex-deputy on murder charges related to a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in 2010, officials said yesterday. The opposition slammed the move as an attempt to pressure it to support a controversial amnesty bill that could allow fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to return from self-imposed exile. About 90 people died and nearly 1,900 were wounded in a series of street clashes in 2010 between mostly unarmed “Red Shirt” demonstrators and security forces ﬁring live rounds in central Bangkok. Abhisit, who is now the opposition leader, and his former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban ordered security forces to reclaim areas of the capital and allowed authorities to use arms, said a spokesman for the attorney general’s office.

Suspect stoned to death after Afghan bus blast KABUL: Angry villagers in Afghanistan stoned a man to death and riddled his body with bullets, believing he set off a bomb on a bus that killed 18 civilians, officials said yesterday. The roadside blast ripped through a minibus carrying wedding guests in the central province of Ghazni on Sunday, killing 18 people. Villagers hunted down a local man who was found hiding in a chicken coop next to his home, with the bomb’s remote control apparently found nearby, Ghazni deputy provincial governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi said. A crowd of more than 100 people dragged the man out, beat him with sticks and then stoned him with rocks until he was dead.

Japan N-watchdog urges ‘bold’ Fukushima action TOKYO: Japan’s nuclear watchdog yesterday urged “bold and drastic” action to ﬁx problems with radioactive water at Fukushima, as it warned of the growing risks over coming months. TEPCO is battling to clean up the mess caused when reactors went into meltdown after the March 2011 tsunami struck and knocked out cooling systems. - Agencies

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Rising anger over fuel bills in Britain

s Britain prepares for the storms of winter, the Prime Minister must be wishing he had prepared better for the political battering that his Government is taking over heating bills. This wasn’t the kind of political weather he anticipated this autumn. Cameron and the Chancellor, George Osborne, had banked on having a relatively easy time of it, telling the country that austerity had paid off, that growth levels were rising and that the economy had turned a corner. Instead, ministers are fumbling for answers as Labour makes the running with pledges to bring unpopular energy giants to heel. Rising GDP is almost forgotten. Nor does the storm over energy show any sign of abating. In the latest salvo, the charity Age UK says its latest research suggests more than three million elderly people fear they will be not be able to stay warm this winter, largely because of rising energy bills. A mass of contradictory-sounding advice is not easing the fears of older people. The Government’s Cold Weather Plan urges the elderly to keep the heating on all the time. Other voices insist that heating ought to be turned off by day, except in the living room. Cameron urges us to shop around for energy providers. The Energy Secretary, Ed Davey, among other things, counsels thicker jumpers, a piece of advice that has met considerable derision, inviting comparisons to the saying attributed, perhaps unfairly, to Marie Antoinette – that hungry Parisians should eat cake, if they can’t afford bread. Cameron is weary of being called a posh boy who doesn’t know the price of milk. But it is his own fault if the stinging words of the dissident Tory MP Nadine Dorries now come back to haunt him. It is remiss of him that he failed to anticipate the level of outrage felt over the recent energy price rises. Worries about these bills are now one of people’s most pressing concerns, surveys show. A real fear of shivering through the coming winter is no longer limited to old people, or the poor. It now embraces a good portion of the middle class as well. This is an alarming development for the Tories, as the votes of that “squeezed middle” section of society may prove decisive in deciding what is likely to be a tight election. The Government will have to do more than write off Ed Miliband’s call for an energy price freeze as Marxist. It should have given Sir John Major’s call for a one-off windfall tax on the energy companies a more respectful hearing. Above all, it has got to stop rewacting and show some sign it is taking control of the energy issue. If it fails to do so, the idea will gain ground that the Government does not care about energy bills, or any other kind of bill, and Labour’s charge that the Tories are just the party of the rich will start to stick. If that happens, no amount of good GDP news will help Cameron in 2015. At roughly double the current price of electricity, the ﬁgure is bound to stir complaints that ministers have given in to a foreign energy giant at the expense of hard-pressed British consumers by whom the subsidy will inevitably be paid over time in the form of yet higher bills.- The Independent

WASHINGTON WATCH

Who’ll speak for the Palestinian victims? Special to Times of Oman

I DR JAMES J. ZOGBY

What the pollen says

umans are biological survivors, part of an unbroken genetic stream linked to the remote past. Yet the history of civilizations — rising, flourishing, crashing — is episodic. Why do prosperous civilizations vanish? One team of scientists, studying ancient pollens in the Middle East, believes it can explain the sudden collapse of the grand cultures that flourished there some 3,200 years ago. The cause — so the pollen says — was long-term drought. The strength of those vanished civilizations — Egyptian, Hittite, Mycenaean, a dense network of trading cultures in the eastern Mediterranean — can hardly be disputed. Until now, no one has been certain what caused them to collapse. As part of a new, comprehensive effort to reconstruct the nature of life in ancient Israel, a team of scientists in 2010 began studying core samples taken from beneath the Sea of Galilee. They analyzed pollen samples from those cores at 40-year intervals, creating a fine-grained portrait of climatic changes during the period in question. What the pollen samples showed was a broad shift in vegetation consistent with drought at its most intense around 1250 to 1100 BC. Drought is both a cause of cultural disturbance and a cause of other causes. It induces a cascade of changes, disrupting agriculture, trade and social cohesion. The coherence that produces a civilization can swiftly fall apart under those pressures, whether it occurs in the Middle East in the Late Bronze Age or in the American Southwest in the 12th century, when the people known as the Anasazi reached their cultural peak and then collapsed. The pollen findings from the Sea of Galilee are interesting in and of themselves, but now, in an era of intensifying drought in so many places, they require more attention as reminders of how vulnerable even the strongest human societies may be to natural forces. - The Express Tribune

Phasing out incandescent bulbs has stirred emotions This refers to the letter, Phasing the incandescent bulbs out makes sense (October 28). The move to phase out incandescent bulbs in Britain has created very strong emotions among Britons, said a section of the British media. A large number of them, especially a whole generation that has grown up with incandescent light bulbs, are indeed very sad to see the end of an item they grew up with. An English daily even vouched to distribute incandescent electric bulbs in thousands. Many, in fact, collected the bulbs as souvenirs. And a few others stockpiled old-fashioned electric bulbs of different watts to sell them at a premium to souvenir and antique collectors. Reports in British newspapers suggested that the

price of 100w bulbs had already soared to £40. Amrita Talwar Mumtaz

The furore was created more by nostalgia This refers to the letter, Phasing the incandescent bulbs out makes sense (October 28). There was a Facebook page titled ‘I Hate Energy Saving Light Bulbs’, where Britons poured out all their curses against the new bulbs. Someone announced to wear a dark glass all 24 hours and pretend being blinded by the EU ban. And yet another dedicated fan of incandescent bulbs decided to burn 100 candles in her kitchen in addition to the new energy-saving bulbs which were being promoted by the European Union. The low

The debate over one or two states rages on the one side, while liberals, who by now have embraced the notion of a two state solution, continue to shy away from any controversy and refuse to address Palestinian human rights

sraeli and Palestinian negotiators are meeting in the latest chapter of the decades-long saga of on-again, off-again peace talks. With no leaks, and even less optimism, there is no shortage of speculation as to how the talks are going or whether any agreement is even possible. Here in the US, supporters of the Palestinians are engaged in a sometimes heated but rather pointless debate as to what the “deal” should include or whether no deal is the best outcome — since that, it is projected, might lead inevitably to a one-state solution. This entire discussion is not only unedifying, it is a waste of energy and a cop-out. This is not to say that the outcome doesn’t matter. Rather it is an acknowledgment of the fact that the ultimate resolution of the conflict won’t be impacted by the debates. Instead of exhausting ourselves arguing about what we can’t control, we should be focused on what we can do to shine a light on the daily injustices visited upon Palestinians and mobilizing support for those whose human rights are being abused. It is here that an impact can be made. There are human rights groups in Israel and Palestine that are engaged in this effort. They are documenting: cases of land confiscation and home demolitions; prisoners held without charges or trial; instances where vigilante gangs of settlers have desecrated mosques, cut down olive trees, beaten or killed Palestinian youngsters; and where the military has used collective punishment, excessive force, or acted to humiliate Palestinian civilians. The victims of these illegal and immoral behaviours deserve our attention. Their cases should be adopted, their names need to be known, and they should be supported until the injustice ends. Thirty-six years ago we formed the Palestine Human Rights Campaign (PHRC). Because none of the existing human rights groups would adopt Palestinian cases, we took it upon ourselves to adopt individual cases of Palestinians who: had been tortured; had their homes demolished; had been detained for prolonged periods without charges; or expelled from their homeland. Back then, in the American discussion about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Israelis were understood to be full human beings, Palestinians were not known. Americans knew Israelis as real people who had hopes and fears. Palestinians, on the other hand, were an abstraction with whom most Americans could not identify. And so Palestinians were presented either in negative stereotypes, or merely as a problem to be solved. We hoped to remedy this, by putting a human face on the Palestinian people. Many of the Arab American and Palestine support groups that existed back then were engaged, like now, in endless arguments about issues over which they had no control: which “political line”

READERS’ FORUM “Insure with New India and be secure”

was the most correct or what should be the form of governance for the future Palestinian state. And back then, much of the American liberal left was largely silent on Palestinian issues. Those that were engaged, focused their efforts on setting up “dialogues” in the vain attempt to promote reconciliation between Arabs and Jews. When the PHRC came into existence, we were denounced by both groups. On the one hand we were told that we had “sold out” because we ignored the ideological debates and weren’t “pure” enough. The peace groups kept us at an armslength saying that by challenging Israel’s behaviour we made Jewish groups defensive and uncomfortable, thereby frustrating the effort to create a “no fault” dialogue. More than three decades later, the situation is much the same. The debate over one or two states rages on the one side, while liberals, who by now have embraced the notion of a two state solution, continue to shy away from any controversy and refuse to address Palestinian human rights. The former effort is wasted time and energy. The latter is an abdication of morality. Meanwhile Palestinians are still unknown and their rights are still violated. As long as Palestinians are not known, the American discourse about peace will remain hopelessly one-sided. When Israeli humanity is presented as confronting the Palestinian “problem” — guess who wins. If Americans can’t see or identify with the Palestinians: who lost their homes and lands; who were humiliated at check points in front of their children; or who were abused and denied basic rights as prisoners - then all they will care about is how to insure security for Israelis. To correct this situation, what is required is an embrace of justice and human rights, or as one of my early mentors, Dr. Israel Shahak (founder of the Israeli League for Human and Civil Rights) would say “to ﬁght for equal rights for every human being”. Whether there will be one state or two states will be decided, if it even can be, by the negotiators. But meanwhile, what of the victims? Who will speak for them? Who will give those who suffer the hope that their cries for justice are heard? And who will inform the US public that it is not only Israeli humanity that is threatened by the absence of peace? In fact, it is Palestinians who have paid and continue to pay an enormous price. Recognition of this reality is a key ingredient in the search for a just peace, because only when Palestinians are known and their rights are fully recognized will the US feel the need to press for balanced peace that recognizes the rights and needs of Israelis and Palestinians alike. The author is the president of Arab American Institute. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reﬂect those of Times of Oman.

energy lights, however, took a bit more time to warm up and to get fully lit. What’s more, it was also not the brightest or even brighter than the one being replaced. But the moot question was whether the move to withdraw or ban the incandescent bulbs warrant so much of furore? At the root of the intense feelings generated by the extinction of the 100w light bulb there actually was sheer nostalgia and nothing more or less. Sumit Chatterjee Qurum

Sting operations of Indian TV channels lack ethics

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

The sting operations carried out by the Indian television news channels is an example unethical journalism where, unlike the investigative journalism of print

media, the television reporters resort to guiles and false impersonations. Viewed from the ethics of journalism, these sting operations are absolutely unethical and deserve a blanket ban. K. R. Srinivas Seeb

Democracy, pluralism are in peril in Europe today The great gulf between Northern and Southern Europe is widening by the day. As it does so, resentment increases as the efforts to save the eurozone inﬂict ever greater pain upon the feckless, unhappy countries on the Mediterranean littoral. Democracy and pluralism in the continent are in an unprecedented peril. Sumitra Dasgupta Qurum

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)

TIMES OF OMAN

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PERSPEC IVE Obamacare is workable but rather clumsy and ugly T

he good news about HealthCare.gov, the portal to Obamacare’s health exchange, is that the administration is no longer minimising its problems. That’s the first step toward fixing the mess — and it will get fixed, although it’s anyone’s guess whether the new promise of a smoothly functioning system by the end of November will be met. We know, after all, that Obamacare is workable, since many states that chose to run their own exchanges are doing quite well. But while we wait for the geeks to do their stuff, let’s ask a related question: Why did this thing have to be so complicated in the first place? It’s true that the Affordable Care Act isn’t as complex as opponents make it out to be. Basically, it requires that insurance companies offer the same policies to everyone; it requires that each individual then buy one of these policies (the individual mandate); and it offers subsidies, depending on income, to keep insurance affordable. Still, there’s a lot for people to go through. Not only do they have to choose insurers and plans, they have to submit a lot of personal information so the government can determine the size of their subsidies. And the software has to integrate all this information, getting it to all the relevant parties — which isn’t happening yet on the federal site. Imagine, now, a much simpler system in which the government just pays your major medical expenses. In this hypothetical system you wouldn’t have to shop for insurance, nor would you have to provide lots of personal details. The government would be your insurer, and you’d be covered automatically by virtue of being an American. Of course, we don’t have to imagine such a system, because it already exists. It’s called Medicare, it covers all Americans 65 and older, and it’s enormously popular. So why didn’t we just extend that system to cover everyone? The proximate answer was politics: Medicare for all just wasn’t going to happen, given both the power of the insurance industry and the reluctance of workers who currently have good insurance through their employers to trade that insurance for something new. Given these political realities, the Affordable Care Act was probably all we could get — and make no mistake, it will vastly improve the lives of tens of millions of Americans. Still, the fact remains that Obamacare is an immense kludge — a clumsy, ugly structure that more or less deals with a problem, but in an inefficient

PAUL KRUGMAN

The question today is why couldn’t the Obamacare system be made simpler? Well, if we are to answer this in one word we can only say that it couldn’t made made simpler mainly because of politics

way. The thing is, such better-than-nothing-butpretty-bad solutions have become the norm in American governance. As Steven Teles of Johns Hopkins University put it in a recent essay, we’ve become a “kludgeocracy.” And the main reason that is happening, I’d argue, is ideology. To see what I mean, look at the constant demands that we make Medicare — which needs to work harder on cost control but does a better job even on that front than private insurers — both more complicated and worse. There are demands for means-testing, which would involve collecting all the personal information Obamacare needs but Medicare doesn’t. There is pressure to raise the Medicare age, forcing 65- and 66-year-old Americans to deal with private insurers instead. And Republicans still dream of dismantling Medicare as we know it, instead giving seniors vouchers to buy private insurance. In effect, although they never say this, they want to convert Medicare into Obamacare. Why would we want to do any of these things? You might say, to reduce the burden on taxpayers — but Medicare is cheaper than private insurance, so anything taxpayers might gain by hacking away at the program would be more than lost in higher premiums. And it’s not even clear that government spending would fall: the Congressional Budget Office recently concluded that raising the Medicare age would produce almost no federal savings. No, the assault on Medicare is really about an ideology that is fundamentally hostile to the notion of the government helping people, and tries to make whatever help is given as limited and indirect as possible, restricting its scope and running it through private corporations. And this ideology, at a fundamental level — more fundamental, even, than vested interests — is why Obamacare ended up being a big kludge. In saying this I don’t mean to excuse the officials and contractors who made such a mess of health reform’s ﬁrst month. Nor, on the other side, am I suggesting that health reform should have waited until the political system was ready for singlepayer. For now, the priority is to get this kludge working, and once that’s done, America will become a better place. In the longer run, however, we have to tackle that ideology. A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn’t have to be that way. - The New York Times News Service

Storms just don’t tear down called Scratch. Even the BBC is wading into this space. Director General Tony Hall said he had plans to “bring coding into every home, business and school in the UK” in an initiative that will launch in 2015. But the Beeb has form in this area: it put its name to a series of micro computers in the 1980s and they were taken up by pretty much every school in the land. There are some people, however, who believe teaching children to code is pointless. Journalist Willard Foxton wrote a blog on the Daily Telegraph website claiming “coding is a niche, mechanical skill, a bit like plumbing or car repair”. He made his argument personal, calling the bulk of developers “exceptionally dull weirdos” and said ICT was taught by “the runts of the teaching litter and seen as pointless by pupils”. But you only have to go back to the 1980s to see just why an apathetic approach to coding can be very damaging, more so now that we live in an age when children are surrounding by technology and use it every day. Thirty years ago, the Sinclair ZX81 was the height

DAVID CROOKES

here has, in the last couple of years, been a rising interest in teaching children as young as ﬁve how to program computers. A new computer science curriculum has been introduced into schools in England and there are many of out-of-school coding clubs up and down the country aimed at boosting programming skills. A £25 bare bones computer called the Raspberry Pi has soared in popularity and is helping children to code using a language

of technology or at least it was for a lot of people. It cost £125 and those children who had parents who could afford this were very lucky. The same goes for children who had any form of computer at home, be it a Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC or, God forbid, a Dragon32. It meant they had a chance to get to grips with the workings of a computer and an opportunity to code. Many children did indeed turn their hands to programming. Whereas their parents’ battles with technology usually extended no further than trying to decipher the VCR, the kids, having hoodwinked parents into buying them a computer “for their education”, were playing games with titles as diverse as Jet Set Willy and Sgrizam, as well as managing to code their own. It was not uncommon for teenagers to spend time after school tapping away. Some became rich doing so. It’s no accident Britain became a hotbed of games development talent (an industry now worth £1 billion to UK GDP). But even though schools had those BBC Micros, not everyone got the chance to use them. They were

so expensive that schools could only afford to buy a small number. At my primary school they sat idle most of the time. I remember a group of us looking at them in awe, unable to turn them on because no-one had shown us how. For some, they were scary objects. It caused a split. Those who had computers at home were very comfortable with the machines. Those who didn’t could barely tap two keys without spending an eternity scouring the keyboard wondering why someone had placed them all higgledy-piggledy. Computer-less children grew up computer illiterate. Worse, some became technophobes. Today, we have a chance to rectify the mistakes of the past and ensure that every child has the same start. By introducing all children to programming, it whets their appetite, opens up fresh possibilities, turns them from consumers into creators and aids their thought processes. Even if children do not go on to become programmers later in life, they will have learnt to express logic in a form that can be processed automatically. - The Independent

Pakistan is wary of a new ordinance

KAMAL SIDDIQI

his week, President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain promulgated the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance. We are told by the government’s PR section that this ordinance maintains that the writ of the state would be established at all costs. It is a lofty thought. But one is unclear why an ordinance is needed for this purpose. Such questions are possibly somewhat unfashionable to ask in this charged environment so maybe best to let it go. According to the government, the ordinance ensures that security and law enforcement agencies would jointly investigate incidents of terrorism and elements creating terror and fear would be considered as enemies of the state. So far so good. The draft of the ordinance also states that Pakistan and its people have been exposed to undeclared and thankless wars that proliferated in the country’s neighbourhood since 1979. It says elements hostile to its existence, in collaboration with unscrupulous locals have since claimed the lives of 40, 000 people of all ages and religious denominations in the second campaign that began in 2001. Both 1979 and 2001 are signiﬁcant in terms of the history of the region. 1979 was the year of the Iranian revolution as well as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The year 2001 we all know was when the September 11 attacks happened in the US. But one is unclear why the two are being linked. Possibly because in 1979, Pakistan government started sowing what it then went on to start reaping in the post 2001 scenario. The ordinance reads “extraordinary disposition dictates unusual dispensation.” This should raise some red ﬂags. The ordinance gives extraordinary powers to the law enforcers and security establishment. This possibly goes against the spirit of Pakistan’s constitution. For example, one such power that may be given is to hold a person without framing any charges for more than

three months. Such strongarm measures did not help in the past. In most instances, they have made things worse. Mindful of the furore it will create, the government insists that the new legislative initiatives have been proposed in line with international best practices, to declare that the constitution and rule of law shall be the overarching umbrella. But this is a claim that needs to be tested. All evidence suggests otherwise. The powers that be, however, feel this is the way to go. There is a belief that one of the reasons why Pakistan is losing the war against militants is because it is not punishing them hard enough. There is a point there. But whether this is being addressed through this proposed legislation remains to be seen. It is one thing to arrest the terrorists, another to follow up and see them through to their convictions. Freshly back from the US, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will want all political parties to vote in favour of the ordinance when it is tabled in parliament. One fears that as has happened in the past with legislation that give extraordinary powers to government agencies, this too will be passed without much debate. One remembers how in the US, no one wanted to be seen to be unpatriotic and all sorts of legislation that curtailed personal freedoms was passed. The problem is that such moves may end up backﬁring, more so in Pakistan where the ability and the system are both under question. There is even less accountability. One is afraid that innocent people will bear the brunt of this. Pakistan needs to have more transparency. Take for example the operation being conducted by the Rangers in Karachi. While it claims success, one needs to look at the long term. The nation is still unclear why the prime minister decided to do away with an independent body to oversee the whole operation. He had announced this earlier. Today no one knows for sure how many people are being caught every day, how many released and what is happening in between. The Islamabad-appointed Karachi police chief has also announced that more than a thousand ex-servicemen will be hired by the city police soon. This is outrageous. What is even more deafening is the silence of all parties concerned. At a time when such appointments should be made on merit and of people who belong to Karachi, to decide to hire more outsiders will only add to the problems of the city. - The Express Tribune

Rare hybrid solar eclipse excites astronomers A rare hybrid eclipse takes place on Nov 3 when the Moon passes directly across the Sun, producing a ﬂeeting annular eclipse along the US east coast, followed by a total eclipse across the Atlantic & central Africa % 100

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Sir Walter Raleigh is executed. After the death of Queen Elizabeth, Raleigh’s enemies spread rumors that he was opposed the accession of King James.

Never look directly at eclipse with naked eye, binoculars, cameras or telescopes without specialized solar ﬁlters

1787

Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni opens in Prague.

1814

The Demologos, the ﬁrst steampowered warship, launched in New York City.

Hybrid eclipse occurs when, due to curvature of Earth’s surface, it appears as total eclipse in some locations, and annular eclipse in others

1927

Russian archaeologist Peter Kozloff apparently uncovers the tomb of Genghis Khan in the Gobi Desert, a claim still in dispute.

Graphic News /

Graphics

OPINION POLL FROM OUR ARCHIVES COUNCIL OF STATE OFFICE MEETS

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Moon is further away from Earth than in total eclipse, so outer edge of Sun (annulus) is visible

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TODAY IN HISTORY

1952

French forces launch Operation Lorraine against Viet Minh supply bases in Indochina.

HISTORYNET.COM

MUSCAT: – The Council of State office held its 17th meeting of this year yesterday under the chairmanship of Sheikh Hamoud bin Abdullah Al Harthy, president of the council. The meeting approved minutes of the last meeting and reviewed the procedural list prepared by an apparatus of the council to implement the decisions by the office of the Council of State. The office also reviewed issues on the agenda of the fourth session of the council scheduled for October 31.

Should Egypt reopen the Rafah tunnels with Gaza on humanitarian grounds? Visit timesofoman.com to cast your vote

LAST POLL RESULT No

76.5%

Yes

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17.6%

5.9%

Will the NSA spying scandal affect and disrupt Nato alliance?

A 14

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

WORLD BRIEFS

Cypriot police hunt for man kidnapped as toddler NICOSIA: Cypriot police said yesterday they were investigating claims that a British man believed kidnapped as a toddler on the Greek island of Kos in 1991 was sighted in Cyprus recently. “An investigation has started and it was launched after we received a message from Interpol,” a police spokesman said. “But as yet there is nothing concrete to announce,” he added. The case of Ben Needham was re-ignited after Greek authorities were handed a video of a man seen in Cyprus who resembles a computer generated image of how he would look now, aged 23.

Six killed in Spain gas leak MADRID: A gas leak at a coal mine in northwestern Spain killed six people yesterday, an emergency services spokesman said. Five others were taken to hospital in Leon in northwestern Spain after the gas leak at the Santa Lucia mine, the spokesman said. Emergency services had initially reported that ﬁve people had died.

Sugar factory fire put out RIO DE JANEIRO: A fire at a sugar warehouse in Brazil has been put out after unleashing a flood of caramel that threatened nearby homes, the company said yesterday. “It is now under control,” a spokesman for the Agrovia sugar company said. The blaze erupted on Friday triggering a flow of melted sugar that spread into the town. — AFP

Clearly this has been a difficult night for many Londoners, and continues to be an incredibly trying morning Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

Eight lives lost as storm lashes northern Europe Four people were killed in Britain, two in Germany, one in The Netherlands and another in France as heavy rain and high winds battered the region

LONDON: At least eight people died and more than 300,000 homes were left without power yesterday as a ﬁerce storm swept across northern Europe. Four people were killed in Britain, two in Germany, one in The Netherlands and another in France as heavy rain and high winds battered the region overnight and into the morning. The rough conditions at sea also forced rescuers to abandon the search for a 14-year-old boy who disappeared while playing in the surf on a southern English beach on Sunday. British Prime Minister David Cameron described the loss of life as “hugely regrettable”. Winds reached 99 miles per hour on the Isle of Wight off the southern English coast, according to Britain’s Met Office national weather centre. Heavy rain and winds of 80 mph elsewhere brought down thousands of trees and caused the mass cancellation of train services across southern England and The Netherlands, as well as in parts of Germany. In Britain, a 17-year-old girl died after a tree fell onto the parked caravan where she was

AFTERMATH: Contractors work on clearing the debris after a tree fell on a car during a storm in

London, yesterday. More than 300,000 homes were left without power across northern Europe and trains and planes were cancelled as a ﬁerce storm battered the region. — AFP

sleeping, while a man in his ﬁfties died when a tree fell on his car, police said. Gas pipe explosion The bodies of a man and a woman were later found in the rubble of three houses in London that collapsed in an explosion thought to have been caused after a gas pipe was ruptured in the storm. A woman in Amsterdam was killed by a falling tree as she walked along a canal, while a woman in her ﬁfties was presumed dead after being swept away by waves in the western French region of Brittany, authorities in those countries said. And in western Germany, two people were killed when a tree fell on their car. Some 270,000 homes lost power across Britain, with a further 75,000 homes affected in northern France, according to industry

organisations. Thousands were later re-connected. The electricity also went down at a nuclear power station in southeast England. Dungeness B station automatically closed down both its reactors, leaving its diesel generators to provide power for essential safety systems. Even Buckingham Palace in London was affected, although Queen Elizabeth II was not staying there at the time. A spokeswoman said several slates fell off the roof and two of the windows were cracked. Train operators across southern England had on Sunday cancelled services for the next morning in anticipation of bad weather, following warnings by forecasters and the media. Many commuters delayed their journeys until the storm passed mid-morning, leaving central London stations eerily quiet dur-

ing what normally would have been the rush hour. London’s Heathrow airport cancelled 130 flights, about 10 percent, while delays were reported on the Eurostar crossChannel train service due to speed restrictions. ‘Trying morning’ “Clearly this has been a difficult night for many Londoners, and continues to be an incredibly trying morning,” said London Mayor Boris Johnson. More than 450 people were stranded on two ferries outside the port of Dover after it closed for more than two hours, finally docking shortly after 0900 GMT. The Met Office said 50 millimetres (almost two inches) of rain fell in some areas of Britain overnight, while the Environment Agency issued around 130 flood alerts. — AFP

K E N YA

Lenient sentence in gang rape case sparks protest NAIROBI: Over one million furious campaigners have signed a petition demanding justice after three men accused of brutally gang raping a Kenyan schoolgirl were ordered to cut grass as punishment. The ferocious attack on the teenage girl and lack of action against those who carried it out has sparked outrage in the country. The 16-year-old, known by the pseudonym Liz, was reportedly attacked, beaten and then raped by six men as she returned from her grandfather’s funeral in western Kenya in June, before the gang dumped her, bleeding and unconscious, in a deep sewage ditch. Yesterday, the number of those who signed an online petition started by Kenyan woman Nebila Abdulmelik and publicised by the campaign group Avaaz passed the million mark and was continuing to grow. ‘Worst punishment’ “Letting rapists walk free after making them cut grass has to be the world’s worst punishment for rape,” Abdulmelik said. “It’s an absolute failure of the entire system and an absolutely shameful response by Kenya’s police.” The victim knew some of the

“My wish is to see justice done,” the girl told The Nation newspaper, which ﬁrst reported the story and has led a campaign including raising funds to cover medical costs. “I want my attackers arrested and punished.” GROWING ANGER: African

Women’s Development and Communication Network Communication head Nebila Abdulmelik points at a page of the campaign group Avaaz’s website yesterday in Nairobi showing the number of over a million campaigners who signed a petition to demand justice for a Kenyan schoolgirl who was gang raped. — AFP

attackers, and three of them were taken by villagers to the local police station, the girl’s mother earlier told Kenyan media. “The three... were only ordered to cut grass around the police camp and set free shortly after,” the girl’s mother told the paper. She is now wheelchair-bound with a broken back, caused either by the beating or by being hurled down into the pit, and also suffered serious internal injuries from the rape.

Police failures Lawmakers have condemned the attack and subsequent police failures, ordering action to be taken. “Liz’s ordeal is unbearable to imagine, but the only way to stop police dealing with victims with such heartless negligence is by holding them to account,” said Dalia Hashad, campaign director for Avaaz. Kenya’s police chief David Kimaiyo said in a statement at the weekend that “investigations are complete”, and that the force was awaiting only instructions from the office of the director of public prosecutions. He gave no further details. Rape is a major problem in Kenya, and is often not taken seriously by the police, according to studies. One government study in 2009 found that as many as a ﬁfth of women and girls were victims of sexual violence, although other later studies have put the rate even higher. — AFP

Smartphones become visual sharing hubs The Pew Research Centre survey found 54% of US Internet users now post original pictures or videos online, up from 46% last year

BRIEFS

JUSTICE SOUGHT: Turkish protestors run for cover as po-

Some 59 per cent of online women post photos and videos they have taken themselves, compared with 50 per cent of men

A15

WORLD SMARTEN UP DRIVE SAFE A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

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T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

WORLD

The top of Cape Melville is a lost world. Finding these new species up there is the discovery of a lifetime — I’m still amazed and buzzing from it Conrad Hoskin, Scientiﬁc expedition member

RUMOURS TRASHED

Berlusconi daughter ‘not to replace’ embattled father

Marina Berlusconi

ROME: Silvio Berlusconi’s oldest daughter Marina yesterday denied speculation within her father’s party that she could replace him as centre-right leader due to the billionaire former prime minister’s legal difficulties. Berlusconi, 77, is embroiled in a series of court cases, and the approach of a Senate vote on

whether to expel the media magnate from parliament, possibly exposing him to the risk of arrest, has intensiﬁed talk in his party of Marina taking over. Several party members told Italian media over the weekend that Marina might enter politics, while others said such decisions should be made democratically.

“Once again I am forced to deny this in the most absolute manner: I have never had and have no intention of engaging in politics,” said a statement from the 47-year-old Marina, who heads her father’s business empire. The statement comes amid deepening divisions in his centreright party as Berlusconi’s convic-

tion for tax fraud at his Mediaset empire threatens the career of a man who has dominated Italian politics for the last two decades. Berlusconi’s decision to suspend the activities of his People of Freedom (PDL) party and revive his old Forza Italia group last week has exacerbated a rift between loyalist supporters of the four-times

prime minister and a rebel group who back Interior Minister Angelino Alfano. Alfano led a revolt earlier this month that thwarted the tycoon’s attempt to bring down the government of Enrico Letta, a coalition that includes the centre-right and their traditional rivals the centreleft Democratic Party. — Reuters

Species isolated for millions of years discovered An expedition to a remote part of northern Australia found a bizarre looking leaf-tail gecko, a gold-coloured

LOST WORLD: Finding three new, obviously distinct vertebrates

skink and a brown-

would be surprising enough in a poorly explored place like New Guinea, let alone in Australia, a country explored pretty well, said expedition member Conrad Hoskin. — AFP/CONRAD HOSKIN/JAMES COOK UNI-

spotted, yellow

VERSITY QUEENSLAND

boulder-dwelling frog

SYDNEY: An expedition to a remote part of northern Australia has uncovered three new vertebrate species isolated for millions of years, with scientists yesterday calling the area a “lost world”. Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University and a National Geographic ﬁlm crew were dropped by helicopter onto the rugged Cape Melville mountain range on Cape York Peninsula earlier this year and were amazed at what they found. It included a bizarre looking leaf-tail gecko, a gold-coloured skink — a type of lizard — and a brown-spotted, yellow boulderdwelling frog, none of them ever seen before. “The top of Cape Melville is a lost world. Finding these new species up there is the discovery of a lifetime -- I’m still amazed and buzzing from it,” said Hoskin, a tropical biologist from the Queensland-based university. “Finding three new, obviously distinct vertebrates would

be surprising enough in somewhere poorly explored like New Guinea, let alone in Australia, a country we think we’ve explored pretty well.” Within days of arriving, the team had discovered the three new species as well as a host of other interesting ﬁnds that Hoskin said may also be new to science. The highlight was the leaftailed gecko, a “primitive-looking” 20 centimetre-long creature that is an ancient relic from a time when rainforest was more widespread in Australia. The Cape Melville Leaf-tailed Gecko, which has huge eyes and a long, slender body, is highly distinct from its relatives and has been named Saltuarius eximius,

Hoskin said, with the ﬁndings detailed in the latest edition of the international journal Zootaxa. “The second I saw the gecko I knew it was a new species. Everything about it was obviously distinct,” he said. The Cape Melville Shade Skink is also restricted to moist rocky rainforest on the plateau, and is highly distinct from its relatives, which are found in rainforests to the south. Also discovered was a small boulder-dwelling frog, the Blotched Boulder-frog, which during the dry season lives deep in the labyrinth of the boulderﬁeld where conditions are cool and moist, allowing female frogs to lay their eggs in wet cracks in the rocks. — AFP

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM TU ES DAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013

‘ABENOMICS’ HELPS TOYOTA OUTSELL GM

MARKE Muscat 6,652.72 + 1.53 + 0.02%

Dubai 2,912.83 - 11.15 - 0.38%

Abu Dhabi 3,884.94 - 6.20 - 0.16%

Toyota’s recent success — analysts estimate it will post record profit this fiscal year — illustrates how Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policies that have weakened the yen are benefiting Japan’s exporters >B3

Kuwait 7,938.80 - 50.75 - 0.64%

Saudi Arabia

8,059.21 - 66.19 - 0.81%

Bahrain 1,198.36 + 1.54 + 0.13%

Qatar 9,643.50

- 26.19 - 0.27%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (RO1)*

GOLD PRICES*

Type ............................Delivery...........Price Oman Crude............. (Spot) ...... $106.13 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ......$103.39 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ...... $110.98 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ......$109.25 Arabian Heavy ....... (Spot) ................N/A N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ...... $107.96 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........ $97.98

Forex rates vs RO1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro .............................................1.86 Pound ...........................................1.59 Indian Rs ............................. 158.73 Pak Rs ................................... 273.22 Bangla Taka........................198.81

Indian Rs .................................. 159.00 Pakistan Rs ............................. 273.75 Sri Lanka Rs ...........................335.35 Bangla Taka........................... 200.50 Phil Peso ..................................... 111.30

Muscat 24ct per gm (RO) .............16.91 Muscat 22ct per gm (RO) ............16.35 10 Tola Bar Muscat (RO) ................. N/A Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............163.50 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 154.75 10 Tola Bar Dubai (Dh) ..................... N/A

* Rates as of Oct. 28 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

* Rates as of Oct. 28 Source: Atlas Jewellery

* Rates are as of Oct . 28 Source: BankMuscat

London is striving to position itself as Islamic ﬁnance hub is held in a non-Muslim European capital. The choice of this vibrant, cosmopolitan, yet ancient city is no coincidence. London is home to a vast multicultural population and a great gateway for trade and commerce, ﬁnance, culture and philosophy,” said Tun Musa Hitam, chairman of WIFE, ahead of the three-day conference here between October 29 and 31.

The World Islamic Economic Forum, which is taking place at London Excel, has attracted over 2,600 delegates from 130 countries. The forum is titled ‘Changing worlds, new relationships’

A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com LONDON: London is striving to position itself as a major centre for Islamic finance, with a series of measures that have been undertaken in the recent past. The capital city of United Kingdom, which is traditionally considered as a major financial hub in the world, has five specialised Islamic banks, 22 law firms specialised in Islamic finance

business and four international accounting firms to provide all professional services needed for Islamic financial institutions. Three-day conference David Cameron, prime minister of the United Kingdom, recently announced that the London Stock Exchange will be launching a FTSE Sharia Index, which is also in line with the set strategy. “This is the first time that World Islamic Economic Forum (WIFE)

INNOVATIVE IDEA: David Cameron, prime minister of the UK, has

announced that the London Stock Exchange will launch FTSE Shaira Index, which is also in line with the set strategy. – Bloomberg News

Islamic ﬁnance “I am delighted that the FTSE has taken forward this innovative idea to launch a Sharia Index. I hope it will stimulate further business between the Islamic and non-Islamic world in the years ahead, delivering growth and prosperity for people all over the world. By doing business together can we build bridges worldwide for the greater god of mankind,” he added. “London is a unique city and adaptable. We have a large domestic population (who need Islamic

MEED OMAN PROJECTS FORUM 2013

finance),” noted Kit Malthouse, chairman of London Partners, an agency working to attract overseas investment. He said there has been huge investment into London for developing transport infrastructure. The World Islamic Economic Forum, which is taking place at London Excel, has attracted over 2,600 delegates from 130 countries. The forum, titled ‘Changing worlds, new relationships’, is jointly hosted by the governments of the UK and Malaysia, 18 global lenders, five central bank governors and more than 2,300 chief executive officers, captains of industry, academic scholars, regional experts, professionals, corporate managers, policy makers and business leaders.

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com haveyoursay@timesofoman.com

INFRASTRUCTURE HEAD

Forum to devise roadmap for SMEs in Oman BUSINESS REPORTER

Kuwait wealth fund hires ex-BofA banker

MUSCAT: As the MEED Oman Projects Forum 2013 took off yesterday, all indications pointed to the fact that the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector will emerge as an engine of growth for the private sector. The three-day MEED Oman Projects Forum 2013 is focussing on SMEs and exploring opportunities in Oman’s $112 billion market for major projects. Delivering the opening remarks, MEED Events chairman Edmund O’Sullivan said Oman is a trading nation and has enjoyed decades of peace and stability. He said the forum will come up with a comprehensive roadmap for setting up and running successful SME businesses in the Sultanate. Edmund further said, “GCC is the starting point for your strategy in the Middle East. The five factors that support GCC growth are oil and gas, economic diversification, population growth, globalisation and governance.” Participating in a panel discussion on ‘International and local case studies on developing successful SMEs’, Issa Al Ismaili, executive director of Oman World Tourism, said, “We began with a start-up capital of OMR20,000 and it took us five years to sustain. We sell Oman as a destination. A good team with just the right skills

DUBAI: Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), the Gulf state’s sovereign wealth fund, has appointed a head for its newly-created infrastructure arm, seeking to bolster its investments in the sector, two sources familiar with the matter said. Hakim Drissi-Kaitouni, previously a vice-president at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in London, has joined as a managing director of Wren House Infrastructure Management, a fully-owned unit of KIA, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter is not public. The Wren House arm, which was set up in April by the wealth fund and housed under its London-based Kuwait Investment Ofﬁce (KIO), also hired Marc Keller, another BofA Merrill banker, to assist Drissi-Kaitouni in identifying investments in the sector, one of the sources said. Both Kuwait Investment Office and BofA were not immediately available for comment. Sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf Arab region, which hold about $2 trillion in assets, are beeﬁng up their infrastructure investments, lured by stable returns and seeking to diversify their investment portfolios which have been traditionally heavy on equities. - Reuters

EXPLORING BUSINESS: The three-day MEED Oman Projects Forum 2013 is focussing on SMEs and

exploring opportunities in Oman’s $112 billion market for major projects. -A. R. Rajkumar/TIMES OF OMAN

is very important for any service industry. We are also involved in many tourism investment projects. We all need to support the SME sector for the over-all development of the country.” diversified economy Raphael V. Parambi, CEO of National Company for Projects & Management, observed that the SME Development Fund is aimed at supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs). “Our survey reveals that to promote SMEs, there are four identified factors — creation of entrepreneurial culture; nurturing; financing and legitimising.” He said that senior people need

to guide younger entrepreneurs who are not mature enough to take correct decisions. Speakers reviewed Oman’s initiatives to promote growth of the SMEs, highlighting the role of the Public Authority of Small and Medium Enterprises in driving development in the sector; initiatives to facilitate the development of the SMEs to create a more diversiﬁed economy and updates on Oman’s comprehensive infrastructure plans to support entrepreneurial ventures, champion innovation and foster the growth of a business culture. Figures compiled by the MEED Projects show that 40 major projects

are being executed or planned in the Sultanate. Of these, almost 25 per cent are in the construction sector, which is dominated by plans to build a new town in Duqm. National rail programme A similar amount of capital investment is planned in the transport sector. This includes the $15 billion national rail programme. Oil and gas projects combined account for almost $40 billion of the major projects being executed or planned in Oman. Oman is already pushing ahead with many major projects. Around $40 billion worth of them are under execution, though some of the larger

The five factors that support GCC growth are oil and gas, economic diversification, population growth, globalisation and governance Edmund O’Sullivan Chairman, MEED Events

ones are at an early stage of development. But the largest portion of the Omani major project programme is yet to come to the market. More than $50 billion of major projects are under design or study. Some $56 billion of major projects under execution or planned are due for completion by the end of 2017. All $112 billion of projects are due for completion by the end of 2022, MEED’s ﬁgures show.

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

MARKET Cheraman Financial eyes investment from NRIs India’s ﬁrst interest-free NBFC, is looking to channel Gulf NRIs’ money into India’s infrastructure development, equity participation and developing wakf properties

BUSINESS REPORTER

MUSCAT: The Kerala-based Cheraman Financial Services, India’s ﬁrst interest-free non-banking ﬁnancial services company (NBFC), is looking to channel Gulf NRIs’ money into India’s infrastructure development, equity participation and developing wakf (religious endowments) properties. In Oman to identify a section of Indians in the Gulf who are keen to invest but were averse to the idea of interest, A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish, managing director of Cheraman Financial Services, said that the government of Kerala has 11 per cent equity stake in the company. The company will be investing in Sharia-compliant companies and participating in equity as well as leasing in construction and medical sector and also developing wakf properties. The company, with an authorised

capital of Indian Rs10 billion, has already taken off with a small wakf project in Kannur in Kerala and will follow suit in other parts of Kerala and across India. Says Hanish, “After our company’s inception in 2009, the WOOING INVESTORS: A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish, left; and P. Reserve Bank of India finally is- Mohammed Ali are in the process of indetifying a section sued the licence to us on July 20, of Indians in the Gulf who are keen to invest. 2013 following months of discussions and clarifications. We have been allowed to operate in equity up. Also, major commercial pro- resident Indians, the various sovfinance and leasing. We also in- jects in the private sector which ereign funds in the Middle East, tend to focus on infrastructure require equity finance will also banks, institutional investors development, especially on wakf be provided with such finance. In and family businesses being run lands, in association with state case of leasing, we will primarily by Arab nationals.” wakf boards and local muttawalis focus on construction equipment and medical equipment sectors, Sustainable returns (caretakers) of the wakf land. Adds Dr Mohammed Ali, “This “About 6,00,000 acres of wakf since lease returns are faster.” Dr P. Mohammed Ali, chair- initiative would give people an opland is lying idle according to the Sachar committee report,” he added. man of the Cheraman Financial portunity to invest in India on nonAs far as equity finance is con- Services, said, “The source for interest terms with sustainable cerned, Hanish said, “Major infra- mobilising finance is by way of returns. In India, a section of the structure projects initiated by the share capital since deposits are community does not use the constate government and government not allowed. Major sources of ventional banks because of their of India are intended to be taken funding would come from non- faith and for them it is a blessing to

I N F L AT I O N C O N C E R N

use ﬁnancial instruments which comply with their faiths.” Adds Hanish, “We had extensive discussions that have resulted in commitments to the tune of Rs1 billion, apart from the 11 per cent equity of the Kerala government. Promoters’ equity will come to around 26 per cent. In this sector, foreign investments are allowed to the tune of 49 per cent of the authorised share capital. We had serious discussions at the highest levels with the UAE banks and some of them evinced a keen interest to become partners. Following our experience in the UAE, we had discussions with high networked individuals and organisations in Oman.” Hanish, who is also the managing director of Roads and Bridges Development Corp. of Kerala, further said, “People in the GCC countries have invested huge amounts of sovereign and individual funds abroad and a sizeable chunk of these were in IFF (interest-free ﬁnancing) businesses. We intend to woo a portion of these funds so that Kerala’s and India’s infrastructure can be developed.”

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EGYPT

EFG-Hermes targets Gulf investment bank deals CAIRO: EFG-Hermes, the Egyptian investment bank whose deal to merge with Qatar’s Qinvest collapsed in May, said it’s seeking deals in the Gulf as political turmoil at home discourages foreign investors. The Cairo-based bank is in the ‘ﬁnal stages’ of closing three investment banking deals in the United Arab Emirates and is building a ‘good pipeline’ of mandates in Saudi Arabia, Karim Awad, chief executive officer of EFG-Hermes investment bank, said in an emailed response to questions. The bank declined to name the companies involved in the deals. The Arab world’s most populous country, which has yet to hold presidential and legislative elections following the ouster of former President Mohamed Mursi, has experienced its worst economic slowdown in two years amid the political upheaval. That comes as Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar report accelerating growth. “Our home market has been impacted by political events that are out of our hands and we have therefore focused a lot of our energy on building a market share in the other regional markets where we are present,” Awad said. “The political situation is making a number of our clients bearish on Egypt.” - Bloomberg News

ECONOMY

Indian cental bank may hike rates Barclays expects Asia boost for euro bonds amid record sales

NEW DELHI: India’s central bank hinted in a report yesterday that it would further raise interest rates this week as inflation remains high. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which holds its monetary policy meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday, said in its macroeconomic report on the eve of the decision that inflation remains ‘above comfort levels’. Annual inflation in September jumped to a seven-month-high of 6.46 per cent, led by surging food and fuel prices. “Various surveys, including those by the RBI, show that business confidence remains weak,

while inﬂation expectations have risen again,” the central bank report said. “The monetary policy will need to aim at anchoring inﬂation expectations, while appropriately addressing growth risks,” it added.

Second rise The report supports the widely held expectations of economists that the RBI will raise interest rates today, in what would be its second rise in two months. The RBI said it expects “a modest improvement in growth” in the second half of the ﬁscal year to March 2013 “on the back of a good monsoon and some improvements

in industrial growth”. The economy grew by 4.4 per cent year-on-year in the April to June quarter, the slowest quarterly expansion in four years. Last month new central bank governor Raghuram Rajan — who had warned he was prepared to take unpopular steps to bring the economy back on track — surprised markets by increasing interest rates to help control inﬂation. Wholesale inﬂation has been above the RBI’s comfort zone of 5 per cent for four successive months. But business leaders have long been seeking a cut in rates to help revive sluggish domestic growth. - AFP

HONG KONG: Barclays, the UK’s second- largest bank by assets, predicts Asian companies will further increase sales of euro-denominated bonds after issuing a record amount of debt in the currency. Companies from Asia outside Japan have sold €5.5 billion ($7.6 billion) of bonds in the shared currency since December 31, more than any previous year and double 2012 volumes, data shows. China Petrochemical, Asia’s largest refiner, led €1.55 billion of note offerings this month, the most by the region’s issuers since May, data shows. “Issuers here are finding that the euro market is increasingly competitive,” said Jon Pratt, head of debt capital markets for Asia at Barclays. “We have introduced a range of European insurance companies and pension funds to Asian companies this year. These investors have previously never bought Asian credits.” Money flows into European bond funds hit a 25-week high in the period to October 23, even as total debt funds took in just $527 million, according to data provider EPFR Global. The political impasse in the United States as Congress struggled to reach an agreement on raising the debt ceiling sapped appetite for the nation’s assets while favoring Europe, EPFR wrote in an e-mailed note dated October 11. High-yield bond fund About 35 per cent of a global highyield bond fund run by Brandywine Global Investment Management, a unit of Legg Mason, is already invested in Europe, according to Brian Kloss, a Philadelphia-based money manager at the company, which oversees about $48 billion. The fund will increase its holdings as the region returns to growth, he said in an interview last week in Hong Kong. Globally, borrowers pay an average 1.91 per cent for euro debt,

Issuers here are finding that the euro market is increasingly competitive. We have introduced a range of European insurance companies and pension funds to Asian companies this year. These investors have previously never bought Asian credits Jon Pratt Head (Debt capital markets for Asia), Barclays

29 basis points less than for dollar notes, Bank of America Merrill Lynch indexes show. Euro-denominated notes gained 1.22 per cent this year as of the end of last month, beating Asian dollar-denominated bonds, the indexes show. “Some Asian investors are shifting some of their invest-

ments into euro currency as they are getting more comfortable with the currency fundamentals and are seeing more supply from the region,” said Pratt. These funds view it as a way to “partially mitigate the risks of US dollar currency depreciation and rising US interest rates.” - Bloomberg News

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 01 3

MARKET Japanese premier’s policies work as Toyota outsells General Motors Japan’s biggest company and its subsidiaries sold 2.5m vehicles in the July-to-September period, up 2.8% from a year earlier

TOKYO: Toyota Motor outsold General Motors (GM) and all other carmakers for the second time in three quarters, in the latest example of how Japan’s largest manufacturers are beneﬁting from Abenomics. Japan’s biggest company and its subsidiaries sold 2.5 million vehicles in the July-to-September period, up 2.8 per cent from a year earlier, according to ﬁgures released yesterday by the Toyota Citybased carmaker. Third-quarter

sales at Detroit-based GM, reported earlier this month, rose 5.5 per cent to 2.4 million vehicles while Volkswagen boosted deliveries, excluding heavy trucks, to about 2.33 million, according to data from the companies. Toyota’s recent success — analysts estimate it will post record profit this fiscal year — illustrates how Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policies that have weakened the yen are benefiting Japan’s exporters and helping revive an economy that’s

been through three recessions in five years. Large manufacturers are more confident than they’ve been since 2007, and share prices are near the highest in half a decade. “In the past few months, Abenomics has pushed up sales of Japanese carmakers by weakening the yen,” said Yuuki Sakurai, president of Fukoku Capital Management. “The selling prices of some Japanese cars in the United States have been lowered to make them more competitive.” Toyota shares have gained 58 per cent this year, compared to GM’s 23 per cent. Volkswagen’s stock has been little changed. Toyota outsold GM in the first nine months of 2013, putting the company on track to lead the industry for a second straight year. Toyota sold 7.41 million vehicles versus GM’s 7.25 million and VW’s 7.03 million, according to the companies.

PERFORMANCE

Apple sales may show mobile shift lifting Google to Facebook SAN FRANCISCO: Apple and Facebook will report quarterly earnings this week that underscore the technology industry’s division into two camps: providers that are adapting to shifting mobile and Web tastes, and those that have lagged behind. Apple is predicted to report a rise in iPhone sales after last month’s release of new models, while Facebook follows on October 30 with some analysts projecting a bigger chunk of its revenue to come from mobile advertising. Google, Amazon.com and Samsung — companies that have helped pioneer mobile and Internet-based services — have released results that have surpassed estimates in the past two weeks. By contrast, those struggling to adapt to the changes have reported earnings that disappointed investors. They include International Business Machines, Yahoo, and securitysoftware company Symantec. “Many of the old-guard companies are being displaced and the companies that are at the advent of these forces are becoming dominant,” said Van Baker, director of research at Gartner. Microsoft’s results last week show that the divide between haves and have-nots can exist within the same company. The Redmond, Washington-based software maker made up for the shortcomings in its consumer personal-computer business with better-than-predicted numbers for corporate programs like Internet telephone and messaging software, and by more than doubling sales from business cloud services like online versions of Office and the Azure service for hosting applications on the Web.

TREND SETTERS: Apple is predicted to report a rise in iPhone

sales after last month’s release of new models, while Facebook follows with some analysts projecting a bigger chunk of its revenue to come from mobile advertising. – Bloomberg News

Diverging trends Investors are rewarding the companies disrupting their industries and leading the new trends. Google surpassed $1,000 a share for the ﬁrst time after reporting results, and Amazon also jumped 9.4 per cent a day after posting its earnings. “The new tech companies like Google and Amazon did well, while companies that rely on old tech, like IBM, didn’t,” said Daniel Morgan, a fund manager at Synovus Trust in Atlanta, which owns Microsoft shares. The popularity of smartphones, tablets and tools that let people to work, shop or watch videos from anywhere with an Internet connection has upended a technology industry that long proﬁted from a model of selling PCs and accompanying software.

B777 ORDERS

Emirates negotiating big deal with Boeing DUBAI: Emirates Airline is negotiating over a potentially ‘substantive’ order for United States Boeing’s B777 new-generation airliner, the airline’s chief executive Tim Clark said yesterday. Clark told the Financial Times newspaper: “We are in a relatively advanced stage of commercial negotiations... I think whatever

happens there will be a substantive order for the new 777.” The newspaper estimated that the fast-growing airline needed between 100-175 aircraft of the 777x type which would represent an order exceeding $30.0 billion (21.7 billion euros). The 777x is to replace the current Boeing 777 model. - AFP

That divergence is reﬂected in technology-spending forecasts. Market-research ﬁrm IDC predicts personal computers (PC) shipments will fall almost 10 per cent this year worldwide. By contrast, mobilephone shipments are projected to increase by 7.3 per cent in the same period, fueled by demand for smartphones, with tablet unit sales growing an estimated 59 per cent, IDC said in August. Much of the disruption has been led by Apple, whose cofounder Steve Jobs coined this the ‘post PC’ era. - Bloomberg News

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STRATEGY Toyota’s recent success — analysts estimate it will post record profit this fiscal year — illustrates how Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policies that have weakened the yen are benefiting Japan’s exporters and helping revive an economy that’s been through three recessions in five years

Yen reversal The yen has fallen about 11 per cent against the dollar in 2013, creating a tailwind for Japanese brands as they face the most competitive lineup of vehicles from GM, Ford Motor and

Chrysler in a generation. Before Abe, the Japanese currency hobbled exporters for years, appreciating to a postwar high of 75.35 to the dollar in October 2011 from about 115 four years earlier. The yen began tumbling in late 2012 as polls showed Abe, who called for unprecedented monetary-easing policies that would weaken the currency, was going to be Japan’s next head of state. The yen traded at 97.67 to the dollar. Currency manipulator In the US, Toyota’s deliveries rose 12 per cent in the July-to-September period, enough to outsell Ford for the ﬁrst time in 15 quarters as the weaker yen gave the Japanese company room to offer higher incentives for its bestselling Camry model. Toyota sold 586,016 vehicles in the US last quarter, second only to GM’s 697,113.

Honda Motor’s US deliveries rose 13 per cent to the highest in 21 quarters, Nissan’s climbed 10 per cent and Fuji Heavy Industries’ Subaru saw deliveries surge more than 30 per cent for a second straight quarter. The total US market expanded 9 per cent and GM posted 6.9 per cent growth, according to data. The beneﬁts from the yen have prompted Ford chief executive officer Alan Mulally to call Japan a currency manipulator that’s giving local exporters an unfair edge. US automakers have hired lobbyists to oppose Japan’s entry into the Trans-Paciﬁc Partnership, a US-led free-trade agreement that’s being negotiated. While Toyota saw its smallest drop in Japan deliveries in four quarters, falling deliveries in the domestic market contributed to Toyota posting slower sales growth than GM. - Bloomberg News

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

MARKET MSM index moves up

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,656.23 .............. 6,649.88 ................... 6,652.72 ....................6,651.19.................... 1.53 ...................0.02 Financial Index .....................................8,160.03 ............... 8,135.76 ....................8,146.73 ................... 8,146.05....................0.68 ................... 0.01 Industrial Index ................................... 9,843.28 .............. 9,806.09 ...................9,820.30 ................... 9,841.48................ -21.18 .................. -0.22 Services Index ...................................... 3,492.85 .............. 3,489.20 ................... 3,490.67 ................... 3,489.15.................... 1.52 ...................0.04 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................1,049.47 ...............1,048.13 ................... 1,048.67 ................... 1,047.35.................... 1.32 ................... 0.13 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 17,523,219 .................. 4,735,848 ..................1,153 ............... 13,712,604,349 .................11 ..................... 23 .................... 23 .........................57

Gulf Investment Services was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. Oman Education Training Investment gained the most

MUSCAT: MSM 30 index traded on a ﬂat note and closed at 6652.72 points, marginally up by 0.02 per cent. MSM Shariah Index also closed up by 0.13 per cent at 1048.67 points. Gulf Investment Services was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. Oman Education Training Investment was the top gainer and closed up by 9.24 per cent, while National Securities was the top loser, closing down by 9.09 per cent. Altogether 1,153 trades were executed in yesterday’s session generating a turnover of OMR4.73 million with over 17.5 million shares traded. Out of 57 traded stocks, 12 advanced, 23 declined and 22 were unchanged. At the close of the session, Omani investors switched to net buyers for OMR85,000. GCC & Arab investors were net sellers for OMR76,000 followed by Omani investors who sold shares worth OMR9,000. Financial Sector Index marginally up by 0.01 per cent at 8146.73 points. DIDIC, Financial Services and Gulf Investment Services increased by 1.92 per cent, 0.61 per cent and 0.50 per cent respectively. National Securities, DBIH, United Finance, Al Izz Islamic Bank and Taageer Finance declined by 9.09 per cent, 2.13 per cent, 1.91 per cent, 1.82 per cent and 1.23 per cent respectively. The Industrial Sector Index down by 0.21 per cent at 9820.30 points. Salalah Mills, Oman Cement and Al Anwar Ceramic increased by 1.85 per cent, 0.51 per cent and 0.38 per cent % respectively. Oman Fisheries, Voltamp Energy, Al Hassan Engineering , Construction Material Industries and Jazeera Steel Product declined by 2.70 per cent, 2.27 per cent , 1.88 per cent, 1.35 per cent and 1.29 per cent respectively. Services Sector Index marginally up by 0.04 per cent at 3490.67

points. Oman Education & Training Institute, Al Kamel Power, Shell Oman Marketing, ACWA Power Barka and Renaissance Services increased by 9.24 per cent, 3.70 per cent,1.13 per cent, 0.66 per cent and 0.57 per cent respectively. OIFC, Al Jazeira Services and Nawras declined by 1.08 per cent, 0.82 per cent and 0.38 per cent respectively. Emerging market stocks up Emerging-market stocks rose for the first time in four days as Samsung Electronics led a surge in technology shares. Malaysia’s ringgit climbed to the highest level in four months amid deficit reduction measures. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index added 0.6 percent to 1,033.36 in New York. Samsung, the world’s biggest seller of smartphones and TVs, gained 2.3 per cent after two brokerages raised their share-price estimates. Petroleo Brasileiro climbed to the highest level in four months after the Brazilian state-run energy company said it’s asking the government to raise local fuel prices to international levels. The ringgit advanced after Prime Minister Najib Razak announced a goods and services tax to help cut the fiscal deficit. Nine out of 10 groups in the measure for developing-nation stocks gained today, led by a 1.4 per cent advance in technology companies. The industry, which surged to the highest level on record last week, is also driving gains in the broader emergingmarket gauge this month. Samsung is introducing software to help share content across devices, inviting developers to create more applications for its products. The gauge for developing nations has climbed 4.7 per cent in October, poised for a second monthly advance. - United Securities/

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 28 Security Name ....................................................Volume .....Turnover ... Trades ......... High.........Low ..........Close ......... Prev. .......... Diff. ............ Diff .............Last ..........Last ............Last ................Market Cap.........Par ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Pr. ............ Close ........... RO ............... % .................Pr ..............Bid ............ Offer ............................................value

REGULAR MARKET .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... DHOFAR INT.DEV.AND INV. HOLD. .........................39,587 ..............25,129.................6 ............0.636 ......... 0.632 ............0.636 .............0.624............ 0.012 ............. 1.923.............. 0.632 ............ 0.632 ..............0.636 ............ 127,200,000.000 ......0.100 SALALAH MILLS .................................................16,978 ............. 23,345.................2 ............ 1.375.......... 1.375 ............ 1.375..............1.350 ............ 0.025 ............. 1.852...............1.375 ............ 1.300 ..............1.375 ...............66,224,213.000 ......0.100 ACWA POWER BARKA ..........................................5,500 ................3,344.................4 ............0.608 ......... 0.608 ............0.608 ............ 0.604............ 0.004 .............0.662 ............. 0.608 ............0.604 ............. 0.608.............. 97,280,000.000 ......0.100 RENAISSANCE SERVICES .................................. 52,800 ..............37,168.................6 ............0.704 ......... 0.700 ............0.704 .............0.700 ............ 0.004 ............. 0.571.............. 0.700 ............ 0.700 ..............0.704 ............. 198,594,495.616 ......0.100 OMAN CEMENT ............................................. 110,000 ..............87,120............... 11 ............0.792.......... 0.792 ............ 0.792 .............0.788 ............ 0.004 .............0.508 ............. 0.792 ............ 0.784 ..............0.792 .............262,051,186.320 ......0.100 GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ....................5,361,988 ........ 1,071,881.............151 ............0.201 ......... 0.198 ............0.200 .............0.199 ............ 0.001 .............0.503 ............. 0.201 ............0.200 ..............0.201 ................11,768,643.400 ......0.100 AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ..............................109,481 ..............58,123.............. 26 ............0.532 ......... 0.528 ............0.530 .............0.528............ 0.002 .............0.379 ............. 0.532 ............ 0.530 ..............0.532 ............. 124,597,818.720 ......0.100 ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. .............2,300 ............. 48,530.................3 ...........21.100 ....... 21.100 ..........21.100 ...........21.100........... 0.000 .............0.000 ............ 21.100 .......... 21.100 ........... 23.210........... 145,590,000.000 ......1.000 AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ..................... 500 ......................96................. 1 ............0.192.......... 0.192 ............ 0.191..............0.191 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.192 ............ 0.188 ..............0.190 .............. 16,044,000.000 ......0.100 BANK SOHAR .............................................. 1,242,600 ...........254,725...............21 ............0.206 .........0.204 ............0.205 ............ 0.205............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.204 ............0.204 ............. 0.205............225,500,000.000 ......0.100 GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ...................1,000 ....................196................. 1 ............0.196.......... 0.196 ............ 0.193..............0.193 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ..............0.196 ............ 0.193 ..............0.196 .................4,053,000.000 ......0.100 OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ...........1,395,529 ...........267,802.............. 96 ............0.193.......... 0.189 ............ 0.192 .............0.192 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ..............0.191 ............ 0.191...............0.192 .............. 23,400,000.000 ......0.100 OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY ................................. 22,845 ..............45,601.................9 ............2.000 ......... 1.995 ............ 1.995..............1.995 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ..............1.995 ............ 1.990 ..............1.995 .............178,951,500.000 ......0.100 OMAN CHLORINE ................................................... 468 ...................309................. 1 ............0.660 ......... 0.660 ............0.660 .............0.660............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.660 ............ 0.660 ..............0.720 ............... 40,769,537.820 ......0.100 OMAN FLOUR MILLS ............................................2,645 ................ 1,672................. 1 ............0.632 ......... 0.632 ............0.640 ............ 0.640............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.632 ............ 0.632 ..............0.636 ............100,800,000.000 ......0.100 OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ......................137,887 ...........213,902.............. 43 ............1.560.......... 1.550 ............ 1.550..............1.550 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 1.560 ............ 1.555 ..............1.565 .........1,162,500,000.000 ......0.100 OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ...........................831,040 ...........278,867.............. 47 ............0.338 ......... 0.334 ............0.336 .............0.336 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.334 ............ 0.334 ..............0.336 .............. 33,600,000.000 ......0.100 PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ........................ 90,420 ..............47,923...............12 ............0.530 ......... 0.530 ............0.530 .............0.530............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.530 ............ 0.528 ..............0.530 ...............50,371,200.000 ......0.100 RAYSUT CEMENT ..............................................12,985 ............. 25,905.................4 ............ 1.995.......... 1.995 ............ 1.995..............1.995 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ..............1.995 ............ 1.980 ..............1.995 ............399,000,000.000 ......0.100 SMN POWER HOLDING ............................................180 ................1,026................. 1 ............5.700.......... 5.700 ............ 5.745..............5.745 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 5.700 ............5.200 ..............5.700 .............114,690,652.200 ......1.000 SOHAR POWER .....................................................1,196 ................2,769...............10 ............2.320 ......... 2.315 ............ 2.315..............2.315 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ..............2.315 ............ 2.315 ............. 2.405................51,163,815.000 ......1.000 BANK MUSCAT ................................................. 28,008 ..............16,496.................9 ............0.590 ......... 0.588 ............0.588 .............0.590........... -0.002 ........... -0.339............. 0.590 ............ 0.588 ............. 0.590......... 1,265,529,282.192 ......0.100 NAWRAS .........................................................253,000 ........... 133,078...............12 ............0.526 ......... 0.526 ............0.526 .............0.528........... -0.002 ........... -0.379............. 0.526 ............ 0.524 ..............0.526 ............342,396,664.980 ......0.100 ONIC. HOLDING ..................................................95,061 ..............37,143...............13 ............0.396 ......... 0.388 ............0.390 .............0.392........... -0.002 ........... -0.510............. 0.390 ............0.390 ............. 0.392............... 67,635,067.500 ......0.100 HSBC BANK OMAN ...........................................119,863 ............. 21,329............... 11 ............ 0.178.......... 0.177 ............ 0.178..............0.179 ............-0.001 ........... -0.559..............0.177 ............ 0.177 ..............0.178 .............356,055,676.620 ......0.100 AL ANWAR HOLDING ......................................290,688 ............. 95,508.............. 30 ............0.330 ......... 0.328 ............0.328 .............0.330........... -0.002 ...........-0.606 ............ 0.330 ............ 0.328 ............. 0.330.............. 39,360,000.000 ......0.100 AL JAZEERA SERVICES .................................... 131,000 ............. 63,666............... 11 ............0.486 ......... 0.486 ............0.486 ............ 0.490........... -0.004 ........... -0.816............. 0.486 ............ 0.474 ..............0.486 ................29,745,276.678 ......0.100 OMINVEST ........................................................85,813 ..............38,101...............10 ............0.444 .........0.444 ............0.444 ............ 0.448........... -0.004 ........... -0.893............. 0.444 ............0.442 ............. 0.446.............135,921,720.000 ......0.100 OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE ...........1,608,255 ...........443,466............ 107 ............0.281.......... 0.275 ............0.276 .............0.279........... -0.003 ........... -1.075 ............. 0.275 ............ 0.275 ..............0.276 .............. 55,200,000.000 ......0.100 NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ...............290,570 ............. 99,378...............31 ............0.344 .........0.340 ............0.342 ............ 0.346........... -0.004 ........... -1.156 ............. 0.340 ............0.340 ............. 0.342................11,481,435.900 ......0.100 TRANSGULF IND. INV. HOLDING .....................1,219,739 ...........205,504.............. 76 ............ 0.171 .......... 0.168 ............ 0.168 .............0.170 ........... -0.002 ............-1.176 ..............0.168 ............ 0.168 ..............0.170 ...............11,235,000.000 ......0.100 GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT .................870,622 ........... 140,885.............. 34 ............0.163...........0.161 ............ 0.162 .............0.164 ........... -0.002 ........... -1.220............. 0.162 ............ 0.161...............0.162 ..............32,400,000.000 ......0.100 TAAGEER FINANCE ...........................................75,550 ..............12,130...............17 ............0.163.......... 0.160 ............ 0.161..............0.163 ........... -0.002 ........... -1.227............. 0.160 ............ 0.159 ..............0.161 ............... 38,157,000.000 ......0.100 GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. ................... 132,082 ............. 41,020...............21 ............0.312.......... 0.310 ............ 0.310 .............0.314 ........... -0.004 ........... -1.274 ............. 0.312 ............ 0.310 ..............0.312 ................ 81,721,815.910 ......0.100 AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS .......................... 50,500 ..............15,454.................4 ............0.308 ......... 0.306 ............0.306 .............0.310 ........... -0.004 ........... -1.290............. 0.306 ............0.306 ..............0.310 ................38,218,775.760 ......0.100 AL HASSAN ENGINEERING ......................... 1,202,290 ...........314,229.............. 75 ............0.268 .........0.260 ............ 0.261 ............ 0.266........... -0.005 ........... -1.880............. 0.260 ............0.260 ............. 0.262...............19,629,288.000 ......0.100 UNITED FINANCE ............................................142,561 ............. 21,984.................6 ............ 0.155.......... 0.152 ............ 0.154 .............0.157 ........... -0.003 ............-1.911 ..............0.154 ............ 0.154 ..............0.155 ...............42,352,036.188 ......0.100 VOLTAMP ENERGY ......................................... 190,382 ..............81,873...............10 ............0.432 ......... 0.430 ............0.430 ............ 0.440............-0.010 ...........-2.273 ............ 0.430 ............ 0.430 ............. 0.440...............26,015,000.000 ......0.100 OMAN FISHERIES ........................................... 129,888 ..............13,968.................8 ............ 0.110.......... 0.107 ............0.108 ............. 0.111 ........... -0.003 ........... -2.703............. 0.108 ............ 0.108 ..............0.109 ...............13,500,000.000 ......0.100 SUM: ................................................................................16,353,801 ....... 4,290,645............ 941 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ...................................................................................TRADED SEC. ......................39..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET

OMAN EDUCATION TRAINING INV. ...................117,600 ............. 23,696.............. 25 ............0.202 ......... 0.195 ............0.201 .............0.184 .............0.017 .............9.239 ............. 0.202 ............ 0.201 ............. 0.202...............14,070,000.000 ......0.100 AL KAMIL POWER COMPANY ............................... 2,510 ................7,028.................4 ............2.800 .........2.800 ............2.800 .............2.700 ............ 0.100 .............3.704 ............. 2.800 ............ 2.780 ............. 2.800.............. 26,950,000.000 ......1.000 SHELL OMAN MARKETING ...............................25,255 ............. 56,567.................5 ............2.240 ......... 2.225 ............2.240 .............2.215 ............ 0.025 ............. 1.129.............. 2.225 ............2.225 ............. 2.240............212,800,000.000 ......0.100 FINANCIAL SERVICES ........................................ 51,019 ................8,494...............10 ............0.168...........0.161 ............ 0.166 .............0.165 ............ 0.001 .............0.606 ..............0.161 ............ 0.161...............0.165 ...............10,790,000.000 ......0.100 BANK NIZWA .................................................. 581,856 ............. 62,210.............. 42 ............0.107.......... 0.106 ............ 0.107 .............0.107 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.107 ............ 0.106 ..............0.107 ............160,500,000.000 ......0.100 MUSCAT FINANCE .................................................. 956 ................... 148................. 1 ............ 0.155.......... 0.155 ............ 0.155..............0.155 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ..............0.155 ............ 0.155 ............. 0.000............... 33,436,953.865 ......0.100 OMAN NATIONAL ENGINE. INVT. ..........................1,000 ...................340................. 1 ............0.340 .........0.340 ............0.346 ............ 0.346............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.340 ............0.340 ............. 0.000...............27,680,000.000 ......0.100 OMAN ORIX LEASING .........................................15,000 ................2,250................. 1 ............0.150.......... 0.150 ............ 0.150 .............0.150 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.150 ............ 0.148 ..............0.150 ...............33,479,062.500 ......0.100 SALALAH PORT SERVICES ..........................................50 ......................28................. 1 ............0.550 ......... 0.550 ............0.530 .............0.530............ 0.000 .............0.000 ............. 0.550 ............ 0.550 ..............0.570 ...............95,313,822.000 ......0.100 SEMBCORP SALALAH ......................................130,726 ...........253,359.............. 88 ............1.945.......... 1.935 ............1.940 .............1.940 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ..............1.935 ............ 1.935 ..............1.940 .............185,186,958.300 ......1.000 SHARQIYAH DESALINATION ................................... 743 ................3,678.................2 ............4.950 ......... 4.950 ............4.950 ............ 5.000........... -0.050 ........... -1.000............. 4.950 ............ 4.810 ............. 4.950...............32,274,712.800 ......1.000 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ..................... 70,650 ................ 5,160.................9 ............0.074 ......... 0.073 ............0.073 .............0.074 ............-0.001 ............-1.351 ............. 0.073 ............ 0.072 ..............0.073 .................6,205,000.000 ......0.100 ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK ......................................... 75,300 ................ 8,125.................6 ............0.108.......... 0.107 ............0.108 .............0.110 ........... -0.002 ........... -1.818 ............. 0.108 ............ 0.106 ..............0.108 ............108,000,000.000 ......0.100 AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...........................54,251 ................5,000.................6 ............0.093 ......... 0.092 ............0.092 ............ 0.094........... -0.002 ........... -2.128............. 0.092 ............0.092 ..............0.095 .................2,760,000.000 ......0.100 NATIONAL SECURITIES .....................................21,150 ................ 1,486.................6 ............0.074 ......... 0.070 ............0.070 .............0.077 ........... -0.007 ........... -9.091 ............. 0.070 ............ 0.072 ..............0.074 ................. 1,750,000.000 ......0.100 SUM: .................................................................................. 1,148,066 ........... 437,569............207 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ...................................................................................TRADED SEC. ...................... 15.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Bloomberg News

INDIAN STOCKS

INDIAN CURRENCY

RBI expected rate hike affects rupee MUMBAI: In a range-bound session, the rupee trimmed initial gains and ended six paise lower at 61.52 against the dollar yesterday, in line with a fall in local equities ahead of the RBI’s policy review meeting. Month-end dollar demand from importers, mainly oil reﬁners, also put pressure on the rupee, a forex dealer said. The rupee resumed higher at 61.35 per dollar against the previous close of 61.46 at the interbank

foreign exchange market and hovered in a range of 61.37 to 61.60 per dollar before settling at 61.52, a fall of six paise or 0.1 per cent. “Since the last one week, the rupee has been trading in the range of 61.20-61.80...This shows that there is a lack of direction,” said Abhishek Goenka, CEO of India Forex Advisors. “Today’s RBI monetary policy will be keenly watched, where a 25 bps repo rate hike is widely expected.”

According to some banks, the Reserve Bank of India may increase a key interest rate to 7.75 percent from 7.5 per cent in its Second Quarter Review of Monetary Policy today to contain rising prices, while also announcing steps to ease liquidity. The 30-share S&P BSE Sensex fell 113.24 points, or 0.55 per cent, extending losses for the ﬁfth straight trading day. The dollar index was up 0.05 per cent against a

basket of six major global rivals. Forward dollar premiums ended slightly better. The benchmark six-month forward dollar premium payable in March edged up to 213-1/2-215-1/2 paise from 213-215 paise previously, while far-forward contracts maturing in September rose to 441-444 paise from 439-442 paise. The RBI ﬁxed the reference rate for the dollar at 61.5030 and for the euro at 84.8825. - PTI

Sensex falls for fifth day, down 113 points MUMBAI: The benchmark Sensex fell for the fifth day in a row today, declining 113 points in a late sell-off as investors turned cautious ahead of the Reserve Bank of Indian (RBI) policy review meeting. State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank were among the shares that dragged the Sensex lower. The fall would have been more pronounced but for gains in HDFC, Larsen & Toubro and Reliance Industries shares. Sectors that fell were FMCG, realty, metals and banks. ITC tumbled 3.63 per cent and was the top loser on the Sensex after CLSA cut its earnings per share estimates by around 2 per cent. The 30-share S&P BSE Sensex opened on a positive note and touched a high of 20,771.38 before profit booking set in. The index closed down 113.24 points, or 0.55 per cent, at 20,570.28. It has lost 324 points in the past five sessions. The 50-share CNX Nifty on the National Stock Exchange dropped 43.80 points, or 0.71 per cent, to end at 6,101.10. The SX40 index of the MCX Stock Exchange closed almost 60 points down at 12,249.69. “Nifty opened on a flat note and witnessed selling pressure for rest of the trading day. Intraday volatility was seen ahead of the RBI’s monetary meet tomorrow and also as FO expiry day is approaching this week,” said Nidhi Saraswat, senior research analyst at Bonanza Portfolio. “Further, profit-booking aggravated the

selling sentiment.” The Reserve Bank of India may increase a key interest rate to 7.75 per cent from 7.5 per cent in its Second Quarter Review of Monetary Policy on Tuesday to contain rising prices, while also announcing steps to ease liquidity, according to some banks. The market may also remain volatile as investors in the futures and options segment decide whether to roll over their positions on the expiry of equity derivative contracts on Thursday, a broker said. Key indices in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea rose after weakerthan-forecast United States consumer conﬁdence spurred bets the Federal Reserve will maintain its stimulus programme. European markets were mixed in early trade as indices in Germany and UK moved up, while France’s CAC was quoted lower. In the domestic market, 22 Sensex shares declined. Apart from ITC, the losers included Sesa Sterlite (-3.26 per cent), Tata Steel (-2.94 per cent), State Bank of India (-2.41 per cent), Hindalco Industries (-1.97 per cent) and Hero MotoCorp (-1.86 per cent). The gainers were Larsen, which rose 1.89 per cent, HDFC 1.35 per cent, ONGC 1.02 per cent and Reliance Industries 0.49 per cent. Among the S&P BSE sectoral indices, FMCG dropped 2.56 per cent, followed by realty 2.1 per cent, metal 1.63 per cent, bankex 1.2 per cent and power 1.16 per cent. - PTI

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 01 3

ROUND-UP TITLE SPONSOR

Kia presents ﬁrst ever YouTube Music Awards MUSCAT: Recently, YouTube, in partnership with Kia Motors Corporation, announced nominations for the ﬁrst ever YouTube Music Awards, a global event culminating in a live show from New York City on November 3. Six categories, including Video, Artist, and YouTube Phenomenon of the Year, are now open for voting to fans around the world. The lineup of top performers at the YouTube Music Awards continues to grow. Avicii, M.I.A., Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler the Creator join previously announced acts Eminem, Lady Gaga, and Arcade Fire for the live show, with YouTube sensations Lindsey Stirling and CDZA also on tap to perform. Actor and musician Jason Schwartzman is joined by comedian and musician Reggie Watts to host this live event presented in partnership with Kia Motors Corporation. Music video visionary Spike Jonze is creative director, with executive producers VICE Media and Sunset Lane Entertainment. Nominations for the YouTube Music Awards have been determined based on YouTube data over the last 12 months, with nominees representing the artists and videos with the highest levels of YouTube fan engagement, including views, likes, shares, comments, and subscriptions. The six nomination categories and nominees for this year’s YouTube Music Awards are Video of the Year: Honouring the world’s

most loved music videos, these nominees represent the videos with the most fan engagement on YouTube over the last year. Artist of the Year: Honoring YouTube’s most loved acts, nominees represent the most watched, shared, liked, and subscribed to artists over the last year. Response of the Year: Honoring the best fan remix, parody or response video, these nominees represent the top “unofficial” fan videos on YouTube based on the videos fans watched, shared or liked. YouTube Phenomenon: Recognizing the YouTube trends that the world could not get enough of, nominees are based on the songs that generated the most fan videos. YouTube Breakthrough: Honoring music’s breakout new acts, nominees represent the artists who experienced the biggest growth in views and subscribers over the last year. Innovation: Recognizing the groundbreaking creativity of music videos on YouTube, these nominees were selected by an international panel of artists and creators to represent the most creative and innovative videos from the last 12 months. In the run up to the YouTube Music Awards, ﬁve music events will be streamed from around the world on YouTube, culminating in the live awards celebration in New York City. The shows from Seoul, Tokyo, Moscow, London and Rio will kick off at 5am ET on November 3, and fans can tune in at youtube.com/YouTube.

After Muscat success, Redtag goes to Salalah Redtag, offers high end design and premium quality at an affordable price MUSCAT: After the huge success of the opening of its stores within the Muscat city, Redtag, one of Middle East’s fastest growing value retail brands, has now announced the opening of its fourth store in Salalah, Oman signalling its continued expansion across the Sultanate. Redtag, offers high end design and premium quality at an affordable price. Since its launch last year in Oman, it has been laying its own path and is now synonymous as the brand favouring style over fashion. Inaugurating the new outlet, Akram Hassan Abdulah Al Murazza, director general, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Dhofar Governorate, said that people in Salalah have improved their standard of living and there are many takers for products offered by such retailers. “The presence of retailers catering to the mid-market segment helps Oman to position itself on the global front,” he said. Ernest J. Hosking, CEO of the Redtag Group said, “We are very happy to be opening in Salalah and to be expanding further into the Sultanate of Oman. The city

is a popular destination for tourism due to the natural attractions of the nearby mountains and abundant stands of frankincense trees. The beautiful beaches and coastline is a major attraction too. Thus, opening a Redtag outlet and catering to the needs of customers and tourists in Salalah was imperative.” An introductory offer is up for grabs for customers shopping at the brand new Redtag outlet in Salalah where shoppers will be entitled to get a voucher worth OMR3 for every purchase of OMR10. Since the Redtag outlet in Salalah is a full concept store with fashion as well as home departments – customers will have a plethora of choices. Keeping in line with its current in-store layout, the Salalah outlet too will feature large aisles and bright and spacious setting that will enhance

SERVICE PROVIDER

ADORE BRAND

Genetco signs deal with ONEIC MUSCAT: Genetco, Canon’s business partner in Oman, has been signed as a printing service provider for Oman’s National Engineering & Investment Co. (ONEIC). The deal is the ﬁrst signing of its kind for Canon in Oman and is further evidence of the brand’s growing strong position among the top providers of professional business printing solutions in the region. The deal with ONEIC involves the purchase of an imagePRESS 1110. Designed for print rooms that demand the highest standards, the imagePRESS 1110 delivers the sharpest prints and handles a diverse range of media for trouble-free operation. Equipped with Variable Data Printing software, the solution offers the company to print from a database with a master document template, and then output that document from the Canon printer, by employing a set of conditional business rules, so every page generated carries unique water/electric billing information for each customer.

Naoshi Yamada, deputy managing director, Canon Middle East, said; “Canon is an expert and trusted partner to its customers, helping them drive proﬁtable business performance through continued understanding of the needs of their customers. This deal represents a significant breakthrough for the brand in the Sultanate and will redefine the current offering within the professional

print environment of ONEIC.” Adept at anything from fast turnaround, short-runs to complex Variable Data Printing, the imagePRESS 1110 delivers impressive production speeds of 110 impressions per minute. The variety of in-line ﬁnishing possibilities available including perfect binding, multi-folding, saddlestitching, punching, one or three edge trimming, and high capacity

E N T E R TA I N I N G FA R E

stacking, makes it an ideal printer of choice for organisations such as ONEIC. “Canon is a market-leading, customer focused company providing a complete range of business imaging solutions. ONEIC was looking for ways to save a signiﬁcant amount on their print-related costs and also increase productivity. Our expert team studied the requirements of the company by looking at all factors involved and then recommended the industryleading Canon imagePRESS 1110 solution which addressed all the difficulties the company faced with their previous printing infrastructure,” said Dr. Muthanna Al Durrah, CEO, Genetco. The imagePRESS 1110 is able to print images at a true 1200 x 1200dpi (with 256 halftones) resolution. At this high quality, it produces sharp characters, smooth corners, clean gradient transitions, resulting in sharper text and images that are extremely clear and detailed.

Create pleasant ambience at home with Reed Diffusers MUSCAT: A pleasant or foul smell creates the first impression when we enter a room. A quick whiff of a space will directly influence our frame of mind for better or worse. Fill your home with a fresh, clean scent with reed diffusers from Adore, now exclusively available across Lifestyle stores. Indulge in the gorgeous new scents by Adore - Arabian Nights and Luxury Temptations, ideal for any room at home. These stylish diffusers fill your home with a sublime fragrance to relax, indulge and exhilarate your senses. With a scalloped edge bottle presented in a luxury gift box, this will make a wonderful gift for your loved ones. Lifestyle’s in-house brand Adore specializes in innovative and quality products ranging from decorative gift candles, reed diffuser, and potpourri.

EXCLUSIVE ASSIGNMENT

Ek Shaam Teray Naam evokes huge response MUSCAT: Alpha Events, Oman organised a grand evening of poetry and prose entitled Ek Shaam Teray Naam (An evening devoted to you), at Al Falaj Hotel, recently, which was a huge success. World-renowned Pakistani Urdu poet Wasi Shah entertained a large number of poetry lovers from Pakistani, Indian and Omani communities, for more than an hour and a half with his loving and inspirational works and got big applause. Even at the end of the programme, audience, who gave Wasi Shah standing aviation, was still eager to listen to more ghazals and poems from the favourite poet and the hall remained packed to capacity. Well-known Pakistani intellectual and writer, Dr Ayoub Shaikh added to the charm of the family oriented literary and cultural evening with his presence and was appreciated. The Chief Guest, K. K. Ahsan Wagan, chargé d’affaires at Embassy of Pakistan, in his address, lauded the efforts of the organiser, Alpha Events, Oman and the presenter Ittfaq Travel & Tourism and Ittfaq Cargo & Courier and other sponsors, for providing assistance to the embassy to promote the cultural diplomacy of Pakistan in the Sultanate of Oman. He also urged his countrymen

the feel-good factor. Shoppers can look forward to a wide array of trendy clothes and accessories under one roof, which will make it truly a one-stop shop for all their shopping requirements. Redtag’s expansion is a testament of the fact that the brand stands for long-standing traditions of exceptional customer service, great value and a broad assortment of merchandise for the Omani community offering a unique experience for shoppers every time they shop with Redtag. Ernest J. Hosking, CEO of the Redtag Group said, “By opening our fourth Redtag store, we have taken a signiﬁcant step forward in our plan to position Redtag as a fashion retailer who makes the shortlist of any price-sensitive shopper in Salalah. Redtag is already a force to be reckoned within KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Iraq,

Egypt, Uzbekistan and Jordan and we want the brand to achieve the same stature in Salalah, Oman too. Shopper can expect to see new collections in the store regularly and frequently.” With this latest launch Redtag has crossed more than 110 stores across all regions, and the brand has established ﬁrm footprints across the GCC. The Group retail philosophy of providing styleconscious customers with fashion and homeware at affordable prices has gained attraction across the Middle East with continued growth expected across the region in coming years. The store features distinctive niches and departments offering the latest fashion range with the hottest new international trends in textures and fabrics to guarantee its patrons an enjoyable shopping experience. “Being a value-focused retailer offering a range of fashions for the entire family and home-ware for budget-conscious shoppers, the Redtag brand offers the latest in fashion and accessories for men, women, infants and newborns, supplemented by comprehensive range of merchandise for the home, dining, bed, bath as well as home décor items and toys. Add a one-stop shopping destination concept and the Redtag brand becomes a compelling proposition in the retail market. This proven by the fact that the company has grown from 29 stores to a chain of over 100 stores (including franchisees) in GCC within the past ﬁve years,” commented Nasser Kunnumal, country manager for Redtag.

to obey the rules and regulations of Oman and to develop more soft image of Pakistan here. Former Ambassador of Pakistan, Nawabzada Aminullah Khan Raisani also graced this memorable event as the guest of honour. The local participants included Haﬁz Faisal Sultan, Mohammad Afzal, Murtaza Qadri, Syed Jamil Zaidi, Zakir Hussain Zakir, Pushpa Negi, Azra Aleem, Muhammad Zakariya Babur, Qamar Riaz and Prof.Umeed Raﬁque, who also paid tribute to famous guest poet and popular TV anchor, Wasi Shah. Leading Pakistani businessmen, Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam,

Haji Muhammad Boota and Chaudhry Abid Majeed presented a memento to K. K. Ahsan Wagan in recognition of his meritorious services to boost the beauty and richness of Pakistani culture in Oman. On behalf of prominent Pakistanis, Sarfraz Mohammad Nawaz and Chaudhry Mohammad Ilyas and the host, Fahad Awais Munir, the chief guest, K. K. Ahsan Wagan gave away mementos to some distinguished guests and the presenter Mian Muhammad Munir, who also presented cash prizes to some lucky winners from the audience, who gave correct answers to the questions.

The Zubair Corporation establishes new department for community engagement MUSCAT: In line with its firm belief in the importance of collaboration and engagement between the community and private sector organizations, The Zubair Corporation has established a new department to champion the efforts of community engagement within the Sultanate. The department will carry out the mission of strengthening channels of communication and engagement with different segments of the society in order to achieve sustainable development in various fields. The new Community Engagement department will be entrusted to study and analyse social development needs, and to develop social programs and communitybased initiatives in various fields, targeting different age groups. It will also be in charge of supporting Omani youth to enhance their skills and capabilities, and encourage positive initiatives in various fields in a way that better serves them for now and prepares them for the future. The department will take the responsibility of opening channels of dialogue between the corporation and different segments of society in order to enhance the confidence of the Omani youth in

working for the private sector. Stressing on the objectives of the new department and urging other private sector establishment to follow its lead, Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair, Managing Director of The Zubair Corporation, said: “This is a milestone for The Zubair Corporation in particular and for the private sector in general. I absolutely call on other companies and private sector institutions to make efforts in this regard and to join hands with the public sector in order to achieve sustainable development

in all ﬁelds.” Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al-Salmi has joined The Zubair Corporation as the Social Communication Manager. He is one of the pioneers of social media and voluntary work in the Sultanate, and he has a long experience in the ﬁeld of community-based initiatives. The Department will begin implementing its strategic plan to achieve further progress with the full support of The Zubair Corporation, and will boost communication with society through a range of community-based initiatives.

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

ROUND-UP

‘Kerala offers an idyllic getaway for holiday travellers from Oman’ Explore Holidays with its headquarters in Kerala recently opened their office in Oman

Times News Service MUSCAT: Kerala is a holiday destination travellers from Oman should explore, advises Ramesh Nair, director, The Explore Holidays. He says besides the diversity of the land, Kerala is an idyllic and convenient getaway for outbound tourists from Oman. Explore Holidays with its headquarters in Kerala recently opened their office in Oman. Share with us brieﬂy how was Explore Holidays conceived? What inspired you to get into the travel industry? I belong to Kerala which was hardly known as a tourist destination till the 1980s. In the 1990s, thanks to aggressive promotion by the state, the ‘Gods Own Country’ tagline of the state tourism board, and accommodation infrastructure created by Taj, the homegrown CGH Group of the Casino Hotels and other hoteliers/groups, Kerala began to ﬂower as a tourist destination. People began to wake up to the beauty of Kerala – its beaches, its backwaters, its greenery, its hills, its wildlife, its rich culture, arts like Kathakali, Kalaripayettu, Teyyam, woodcarving and silk weaving, its architecture, and other attractions. Kerala is also a leader in ayurveda and yoga. Many

Vasudevan

Ramesh Nair

tour operators and travel agents from northern India and overseas began operating tours to Kerala. I felt that I could leverage my knowledge of Kerala’s language, culture and lifestyle to provide ground handling services for their groups and FIT clients. This led to my starting Explore Holidays which focuses largely on Kerala and its neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

age places, wildlife reserves or architectural sights like forts, temples and palaces. Some business travellers also come to Kerala. MICE tourism like conferences and incentives is big here. We are always looking for new openings – for instance, wildlife/birdwatching/ecotourism in Kerala is a new ﬁeld we have entered. We are mentioned in http://www.mammalwatching.com/Oriental/orientindia2011.html as an operator for the Kerala – Tamil Nadu wildlife reserves, and this has inspired us to research deeper into starting specialised mammal or birdwatching tours in this part of India.

How do you propose to mould yourself as leader in the tourism industry considering there are so many players? We are a very specialised operator with a focus on places we know well. We have drivers who know the terrain, language and destinations of Kerala, and they have also been oriented in dealing with tourists of different proﬁles. Which are the segments you cater to currently? Which other segments do you plan to tap? Currently, most of our clients come for houseboat stays, backwaters cruise, relaxing holidays at beach, waterfront and hill resorts, and ayurvedic resorts. There are some who visit religious pilgrim-

Name some of the initiatives you have taken to engage with the Omani market? Recently we have started an ofﬁce at Oman. Our counterpart, Venu Vasudevan (ex-country manager KLM) who has much experience of doing business in the Gulf region will represent the company. What are some of the popular packages that Explore Holidays offers? We have various packages like Marvellous Kerala, Amazing

Kerala, Enchanting South India, among others. We do have Ayurveda Package too. Which are some of the top spots you recommend to the Omani travellers and why? Kerala is one of India’s greenest states and enjoys high rainfall – therefore, superb waterfalls, lush green forests full of big wildlife like elephants, tigers and bears, tea and spice plantations, paddy ﬁelds, backwaters and lakes lined with greenery, cool hill resorts and a lovely misty monsoon are some of the hall marks of the state. Since there are ﬂights from Oman including the national carrier’s to Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, this is a convenient destination for travellers from Oman to get into a very different environment. The top destinations we recommend are Munnar, Wayanad district and Periyar lake for enjoying forests, green hills, plantations and wildlife, and Kumarakom,

Alapuzha and Kolam for cruises on the backwaters. Those who like architecture and cultural heritage may be interested in the mosques of Kozhikode and Kasaragod, the Bekal fort, the palace and Synagogue of Kochi, the monuments of Thiruvananthapuram, the churches of Kottayam, and the cultural highlights of Thrissur district which has famous performing arts academies. In the monsoon, Athirapally is a delightful place to enjoy waterfalls and rainforests. Those who prefer beach holidays can choose from Kovalam, Marari and Bekal. Since Indians comprise a large expat population of Oman, Hindu pilgrimage tours to Sabarimala, Ettumanoor, Guruvayoor, Thiruvananthapuram, etc also have a signiﬁcant market. At these destinations, there are good hotels and resorts, and at some places even heritage houses or plantation properties offer unusual accommodations. Halal food is easily available everywhere in

Kerala. The ﬁsh, seafood and vegetarian food here is also exemplary. Thus, we feel that Kerala is an idyllic and convenient getaway for outbound tourists from Oman. Are you open to custom-made packages? Could you elaborate? We are extremely well positioned to offer custom-made packages. Many tour operators and individual clients send us details of their interests, budgets and special requirements, and we make the itinerary for them. Whether it is a medical and wellness trip with accommodations in ayurvedic resorts and yoga ashrams, a recreational holiday, a honeymoon, a beach holiday, a wildlife tour, a pilgrimage, we plan the itinerary and work out costing for the client. We are open to handling specialised tours like agriculture, birdwatching, arts, handicrafts, martial arts/ music/dance, cooking lessons, cuisine, etc if we get enough time to plan the package.

C S R I N I T I AT I V E

PROUD TO BE COMMITTED

Bank Sohar reiterates support to KR Group sponsors women women on Omani Women’s Day empowerment workshop MUSCAT: Inspired by the Royal vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for the empowerment of Omani women, Bank Sohar continues to play a commendable part in the realisation of this strategic national goal and be a leader in gender diversity; supporting women in the workplace, as customers and in the community. Through a multipronged effort that combines female recruitment, skills development, leadership training, as well as entrepreneurship promotion, Bank Sohar is determined to make a difference not only to help women fulﬁll their potential as leaders in the bank, but to also play a critical role with its customers and communities in supporting and furthering the role and growth of women as partners alongside men in national development. “Bank Sohar is committed to being a leader in the advancement of women in the Sultanate and aside from our own efforts we are a proud supporter of many local organisations focused on helping women on a personal and professional level. A key example of such a contribution is the bank’s sponsorship of the Al Mara Excellence Awards which is planned to be organised November 17th,” said Ms. Munira Abdulnabi Macki, DGM of Human Resources and Corpo-

rate Support. “Furthermore, as a community focused organisation, we will always join Oman to commemorate Omani Women’s Day, a day set aside to celebrate the success and contribution of women in the Sultanate.” Bank Sohar has, since its inception in 2007, made impressive strides in empowering Omani women both within the bank and in the community, as key drivers of economic development. Thanks to a comprehensive programme adopted by the Bank since its launch, women now account for a creditable 28 per cent of its workforce. They hold positions of signiﬁcant responsibility, author-

ity and leadership across the various departments including Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking, Human Resources and many more. “As an organization where women make up more than 28 per cent of our employee base, we take a keen interest in women’s issues, because these are topics of concern and interest to our employees, our community and to our customers across our banking network,” added Ms. Munira Abdulnabi Macki. Thus, in the context of this year’s Omani Women’s Day, which was celebrated across the nation on October 17, Bank Sohar has a lot to be proud of in terms of its ongoing policy of engaging women as partners in the Banking Sector. At Bank Sohar over 171 women currently work alongside men towards the uniﬁed goal of achieving the Bank’s growth objectives. They have made impressive strides in all aspects of their jobs, with several of them already holding positions of authority by virtue of their professional performance and talent. They have demonstrated their indispensability to the success of the bank’s operations by shouldering their responsibilities with remarkable conﬁdence, efficiency and poise. Clearly, they represent a vital part of the Bank Sohar family and the community.

MUSCAT: The Khimji Ramdas Group is always at the forefront of corporate social responsibility activities and people empowerment endeavours. Recently the Group concentrated its efforts on one of the country’s most vital human resources – its women. Through two of its business units, The Watches Division and P&G Division (Wella Koleston brand), KR lent its support to a ﬁve-day workshop titled “Developing Women Entrepreneurs” aimed at Omani women, to help them successfully manage their business ventures. Conducted free of charge for the participants, at the Oman Chambers of Commerce & Industry, the symposium was KR’s way of recognising women’s aspirations of steering their own destiny through economic independence and establishing their own identity as successful businesswomen. The seminar was divided into two main components handled individually by the Art of Living Foundation and Matrix Oman. Together they focused on the best ways to develop skill sets for attaining success in private business and ventures Commenting on the workshop, Asma Khalis, Art of Living, International Faculty member said, “We thank the Khimji Ramdas

Group for their support of our initiatives. The KR Group is always recognized for their unwavering commitment to social causes and their support of this workshop, through their businesses like Khimji’s Watches and P & G Division, proves just how committed they are.” Suleiman Al Rahbi, National Director of Matrix Oman said, “We are extremely grateful to the Khimji Ramdas Group for extending whole hearted support to the workshop. We can think of no better corporate partner to represent the cause of the Omani woman than KR. Their unequivocal support reﬂects the company’s high regard and respect for one of the country’s most valued resources – its women.” The Art of Living session

taught women how to eliminate and deal with stress through meditation, yoga and other techniques. Women, especially those juggling home and work, were introduced to de-stressing activities designed to develop selfconfidence and help them take firmer charge of their daily lives without the added pressure. The second component, delivered by Matrix Oman, focused on developing business skills of accounting, book-keeping, marketing and encouraging women to be more open to challenges in the entrepreneurial field. The workshop was held at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI); on its conclusion all participants received certificates recognising their active participation.

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 01 3

ROUND-UP al Mazyona campaign celebrated in Sohar

ATT R AC T I V E O F F E R S

The grand prize

Seasons promotion on Nissan Maxima

will be shared by 10 customers covering all the governorates, including one Priority

MUSCAT: Nissan Oman from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has introduced an exciting line up of offers on all their SUV, Crossover, Sedan and LCV models. Their special ‘seasons promotions’ are not to be missed until October 31, 2013 which have been launched for Nissan’s most valued patrons. Nissan has a heritage of showcasing some of the most amazing beneﬁts for their customers by introducing unique offers on their prestigious line up of vehicles. In an effort to make Nissan vehicles affordable and accessible to all, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has taken up this unique initiative. The Nissan Maxima is a great fusion between a sedan and the soul of a sports car. And this combination of sports sedan styling along with ample comfort and luxury that the Maxima provides has made it a favorite among the youngsters in the Sultanate. Customers buying

the sporty Nissan Maxima will be eligible for several benefits that include free registration, free insurance, free 6 years extended warranty and free 1 year or 10,000 kms (whichever comes first) periodic maintenance. One of the major highlights include that customers will be eligible to avail all the above benefits along with guaranteed cash back of OMR500. The breakthrough exterior design of the Maxima imparts a feeling of powerful driving motion which combines an aggressive stance and the powerful 3.5L, V6 engine with 290 HP/64000 RPM Xtronic CVT transmission. The new Nissan Maxima delivers quick acceleration and lasting euphoria with Paddle shifter, Cruise control and Bluetooth technology for a better driving experience. Apart from its performance, Nissan Maxima also offers maximum comfort and safety.

Banking customer, who will receive OMR100,000 each

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat marked a celebration in Sohar as part of the OMR1 million al Mazyona yearend grand prize campaign across the Sultanate. The grand prize will be shared by 10 customers covering all the governorates, including one Priority Banking customer, who will receive OMR100,000 each. Customers maintaining a minimum balance of OMR1000 for the last quarter of the year are eligible for the grand prize draw. A large turn-out of customers and senior bank officials attended the al Mazyona family event held in Crowne Plaza Hotel. The highlight was al Mazyona operetta,

H E A LT H Y L I V I N G

which evocatively conveyed the message of prudent savings habits through the folklore song and dance programme. Ali Jama, senior regional manager – North Batinah, said: “al Mazyona reaffirms the bank’s vision and constant efforts to fulﬁll the aspirations and ambitions of the largest banking family in Oman. The ﬂagship savings scheme has won the hearts of people and succeeded in realising the dreams of thousands of customers. The bank attaches great importance to inculcating prudent savings and spending habits and has tailored al Mazyona scheme with this objective in mind. The series of big prizes from Bank Muscat is the major attraction of al Mazyona which offers fair and transparent winning chances for all segments of customers.” al Mazyona

2013 scheme offers a total prize money of over RO 7 million. As on date, the scheme offers the biggest prize money in Oman and the region. Notably, the enhanced prize money is shared by more winners as customers from all governorates are guaranteed to win prizes ranging from OMR1000 a week, OMR50,000 every quarter to OMR100,000 at the end of the year. The 2013 al Mazyona scheme reaches out to all individual segments with exclusive prizes earmarked for ladies, youth, children and high savings balance customers in all regions. al Mazyona has consistently been a huge success. The objective of al Mazyona is to create a lifetime change for winners and allow them to invest their prize money in things that will make a lasting difference and the well-being of their families.

An added attraction is that the winning chances get multiplied by the number of years customers are associated with al Mazyona savings scheme. For example, if a customer has been saving for 5 years, his chances of winning get multiplied by 5 times and similarly if he has been maintaining al Mazyona savings account for 20 years, his chances get multiplied 20 times and so on. This beneﬁt is unique only to al Mazyona savings scheme and no other bank offers this, as on date. This provides high savers with the best chance to win the year-end RO 1 million prizes. Over the years, al Mazyona has succeeded in inculcating a strong savings culture in Oman. The ﬂexible scheme makes regular saving easier and is available across the largest network of 138 branches in Oman.

SHOP ONLINE

Modify lifestyle, prevent kidney Malabar Gold announces online stone formation, says expert shopping, Mine Diwali collection MUSCAT: Modification of lifestyle can prevent formation of kidney stones to a certain extent. Often, stone patients, after the surgery, take it for granted that they are completely free from possible stone formation in future. In fact, the risk of stone formation for patients who had suffered from stones before is very much likely, says Dr Arun Panackal (M.B.B.S, M.D, FCS – Urology), urologist at KIMS Oman Hospital. Lifestyle modifications include enough water intake, a diet low in salt and animal protein, caution with calcium supplements and oxalate-rich food items and moderate exercise. Indeed, one must ensure that he/she drinks enough water, and avoid chocolates. Kidney stones that remain inside the body can lead to many conditions, including severe pain and ureter (the tube connecting the kidney and bladder) blockage that obstructs the path urine uses to leave the body. It is a must for stone patients to undergo follow up with their urologist regularly, Dr Panackal added. Causes About 25 per cent of patients with kidney stones have a family history of stones. The peak incidence of urinary calculi is from the twenties to the forties. The prevalence of urinary calculi is higher in those who live in mountainous, desert, or tropical areas. Dietary factors that increase the risk of stone formation include low fluid intake and high dietary intake of animal proteins, sodium, refined sugars, fructose etc. In Oman, risk of stones is primarily due to less water intake and more animal protein. Water intake plays a major role in the prevention of stones. It acts by two ways. First, it causes mechanical expulsion of stones, second it prevents saturation of

ful urination. Renal colic typically comes in waves lasting 20 to 60 minutes, peristaltic contractions of the ureter as it attempts to expel the stone, beginning in the ﬂank or lower back and often radiating to the groin or genitals. Pain from renal stones comes only when they move down or causes obstructions. That is why stone can remain in the kidneys for years without causing problems.

Dr. Arun Panackal

urinary minerals that can cause stone formation. The presence or absence of certain trace elements in water has been implicated in the formation of urinary calculi. For example, zinc is an inhibitor of calcium crystallization. There are certain diseases that can result in stone formation hyperparathyroidism, intestinal diseases, post intestinal surgeries, gout, cancers, bed ridden patients, urinary tract infections and patient on long time catheters. Symptoms Kidney stones typically leave the body by passage in the urine stream, and many stones are formed and passed without causing symptoms. If stones grow to sufficient size (usually at least 3mm) they can cause obstruction of the ureter. This leads to pain, most commonly felt in the ﬂank (the area between the ribs and hip), lower abdomen, and groin (a condition called renal colic) is often described as one of the strongest pain sensations known. Renal colic can be associated with nausea, vomiting, fever, blood in the urine, pus in the urine, and pain-

Diagnosis The diagnosis of kidney stones is made on the basis of information obtained from the history, physical examination, urine analysis (pain with blood in the urine is striking sign of urinary stones) and Ultrasound examination and CT Scan also aid in the diagnosis. There are some stones that cannot be seen on X-rays (like uric acid stone which are common with gout patients). Management Patients always have a conception that medication can break the stone, there is no medication till now that can break the stone, except for the uric acid stone which can be dissolved by Citra soda. That is one of the reasons that surgical techniques are developing so fast. Management of stones depends upon the size and the position of the stone in the urinary tract. For kidney stones there is no medical management, but some herbal medications have shown some beneﬁt but it is difficult to comment on it. For ureteric stones depending upon the size and symptoms medical management are tried to help in the passage of stones. Surgery also depends on the size and the position of the stone; small stones less the 5mm in the kidneys can be left for observation. Today, any size of stone irrespective of the position can be taken out completely with endoscopic techniques.

MUSCAT: Malabar Gold & Diamonds announced their foray into online shopping with launch of www.shopmgd.com along with launch of their price friendly Mine Diamond Diwali collection. Both the launches were done by Brand Ambassador Kareena Kapoor in a glittering function held at JW Marriot, Mumbai, in the presence of many dignitaries and senior directors of Malabar Gold & Diamonds. The products purchased through shopmgd.com has various features which includes return within 14 days, free insurance coverage, life long free maintenance, detailed break up of pricing with gold rate, labour charges, stone weight among others. Since they are certiﬁed products, they can easily be exchanged at its stores. Brand Ambassador Kareena Kapoor added “I am very happy to be here at the launch. My schedule

has always been very hectic and with Diwali around the corner, I always need to purchase gifts for my friends and family. Malabar Gold and Diamonds E commerce site launch comes at a perfect timing. I can shop for my favorite pieces at my convenience and get it delivered at home. And if it is coming from a trusted group like Malabar Gold & Diamonds, then we don’t have to worry about the quality”. Company also launched ‘Mine

Diamonds Diwali Collection’ another exclusive and price friendly product offering from the brand. This collection has a range of necklaces crafted by the talented designers of Malabar Gold & Diamonds in association with The R&D team. These diamond necklaces are of premium quality diamond certiﬁed by IGI, and has the characteristic product offering of Malabar Gold & Diamonds.

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

ROUND-UP omanoil launches new brand of lubricants Providing high quality lubricants to cater to every vehicle engine need, omanoil is keeping its promise to better serve the nation

NEW OFFERING: Senior officials of omanoil launched the new products here on Sunday. – Jun Estrada/ TIMES OF OMAN

with local products of international standards MUSCAT: Oman Oil Marketing Company (omanoil) has launched its own brand of lubricants in the Sultanate of Oman as part of its strategy to diversify the petroleum industry. Announcing the launch, Engineer Omar Ahmed Salim Qatan, CEO, omanoil, said, “We are delighted to introduce our new lubricant products under the omanoil brand and celebrate another milestone in our ten-year history. This range of lubricants marks the ﬁrst ever product of its kind to be manufactured by omanoil, and we are pleased to offer our specially designed range to better serve the

nation and people with local products of international standards.” Engineer Nabeel Al Ruwaidhi, general manager for commercial, lubricants, marine, aviation and business development, Omanoil said, “The products we are introducing to the Omani market include a range of lubricants starting with Optimo – a passenger car motor oil developed to provide power and performance and Maximo – a diesel range catering to commercial vehicles. “Also under the omanoil brand are Marino – an advanced formulation oil specially developed for ﬁshing and leisure outboard engines and Ancillary – a range that reduces wear and tear and includes cool guard, gear guard, power guard, speed guard and friction guard. We manufacture these

products outside Oman. We export our products to many countries.” Enhancing its comprehensive product offering, omanoil’s range of high performance automotive, commercial and speciality lubricants and greases have been formulated to heighten all-round performance of vehicles and improve driving satisfaction. Providing high quality lubricants to cater to every vehicle engine need, omanoil is keeping its promise to better serve the nation with local products of international standards. He further said, “In creating the lubricants range, we coupled our innate understanding of our customers’ lifestyles as well as our knowledge of Oman’s diverse terrain and weather conditions with extensive research and devel-

opment. We have adopted the most advanced global technology to produce lubricants especially tailored to Oman.” Produced at state-of-the-art facilities, omanoil ensures its lubricants meet international quality standards and the speciﬁcations of the American Petroleum Institute. Engineer Al Ruwaidhi went on to say that with the vast development of vehicle engines, the applications for lubricants have increased by type and speciality. omanoil will keep abreast of this ever-changing development to formulate lubricants to supply modern day vehicles and all types of equipment needs. Shaukath Hussain Assadi, senior lubricants manager and Prakash Rangaraj, lubricants export manager, were present on the occasion.

ATT R AC T I V E B E N E F I T S

Special offer on Renault Fluence MUSCAT: Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has gained rave reviews from auto fanatics in the region for this year’s launch of their new Phase 2 Renault Fluence. Now, the new Renault Fluence is available across Oman with the new 1.6 16V 112 CVT XTronic automatic gearbox and the 2.0 16V 143 CVT X-Tronic Automatic gearbox. With Renault’s growing popularity amongst all segments of people in town, Renault Oman has introduced a special pricing scheme for their valued customers where they can buy the stylish Renault Fluence at OMR89 on CVI (Continuous Variable Instalment) basis with an initial 20 percent down payment only. Customers also get to avail unlimited beneﬁts like free registration, free insurance, 6 years unlimited mileage warranty, free AAA road assistance and lastly free service for 20,000 kms/1 year (whichever is earlier). Eligi-

ble customers can now avail this unique offer that will make their purchasing convenient and easy. The Renault Fluence is packed with high-end technologies designed to make driving simpler. The vehicle also offers a range of driver-assistance technologies, including the hands-free key card for no-touch locking and unlocking of doors, as well as pushbutton ignition. On the higher equipment level,

the parking assist system of new Fluence features four rear-parking sensors neatly integrated into the rear bumper. Another intelligent feature is the automatic parking brake, which applies itself as soon as the ignition is turned off and released once the engine is running again. The Renault Fluence offers more generous passenger space than other vehicles in the same class. Interior measurements are highly

impressive, with elbow room of 1,480mm in the front and 1,475mm at the rear. Rear passengers enjoy class-leading legroom, with 238mm of knee space, with access to more than 23 litres of in-cabin storage. The boot capacity of 530 litres is among the biggest in C-Sedan class, with a low loading sill (727mm) and wide aperture (1,020mm). From its entry level model, the Renault Fluence offers ABS with electronic brake force distribution, emergency brake assist, three-point front safety belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters, driver and front passenger airbags, three-point Isoﬁx child seat anchorage for the outer rear seats and projector headlights. Available as standard or optional, depending on the equipment level, are safety key features such as stability control (ESP) with under steer control, front side airbags, as well as front and rear curtain airbags.

BRIEFS

A’Saffa Foods launches Khayrat beef burger MUSCAT: A’ Saffa Foods has reinforced its brand promise by offering customers one of their most tasty Khayrat beef burgers which are high in taste and quality. The launch of the new brand is a major step forward in A’Saffa Foods becoming one of the leading food producers in Oman and across the region as it diversifies into new areas building on the success of its chicken products that use the best quality ingredients that are healthy, tasty and 100 per cent pure Halal. Leading the launch of the new range of Khayrat food products is the new 100 per cent natural and tasty beef burger, which has been made using only the best quality ingredients. The burger will be the first of a long list of beef, meat and vegetable products introduced to A’Saffa customers which will continue to be produced using A’Saffa’s principles with only the most natural ingredients and 100 per cent pure Halal preparation techniques. Sidhartha Lenka, Head Marketing & Sales of A’Saffa foods said “The name Khayrat means ‘the finest of crops’ or the ‘best quality ingredients’ and this is what we strive to provide for our customers in everything we produce, and the new range of meat and vegetable products planned to launch soon will not be any different.” “Everything will be produced using the finest and healthiest of ingredients and will strictly adhering to the Halal procedures A’Saffa is famous for using across our range of poultry products. Now we can bring families across the Sultanate a wide range of food choices that everyone can enjoy”.

PSC ladies wing cooking competition on Oct 31 MUSCAT: Ladies wing of Pakistan Social Club Oman has announced that the Ladies Cooking Competition 2013 would be held on October 31, 2013 at Hotel Al-Falaj from 5 p.m. onwards. Ladies from all communities are invited to visit and enjoy this family ﬁesta in Muscat. Naheed Ayaz, wife of Pakistan’s ambassador to Oman will be the chief guest of the festival. Three chefs from renowned hotels will judge the food prepared by the participants. Top three positions will be awarded. Other activities to add some sparkle to the event is live musical show performed by well-known singers. Henna and nail polish will be available. Stall displaying jewellery, ladies textile, shoes, cosmetic items and a food court will be an attraction. Alongside, a quiz competition will be held and attractive prizes will be given away. This family ﬁesta is open to the ladies and girls of all communities residing in Oman.

Chopard’s vibrant range of handbags now in Oman MUSCAT: Chopard, an internationally renowned luxury house, is offering a new range of leather handbags and clutches which is chic, functional and boasts of vibrant colours and opulence. This range can be ordered in Oman at the Khimji’s Watches showroom, the one-stop destination for world class brands. Eponymous with bright colours and luxurious textures, Chopard’s new range is the ultimate breath of fresh air intended for a reﬁned, dynamic woman of today, who appreciates the discreet luxury of extremely beautiful objects. Known for its innovative use of precious skins and distinct colour palette, these new handbags combine exquisite Italian craftsmanship with legendary Chopard style. Madhursinh Jesrani, general manager, Khimji’s Watches comments: “The latest Chopard handbags are exclusive, authentic and timeless. Be it the Happy Day bag in orange calfskin or the Imperiale All Day Mini bag in soft light pink calfskin, the new range is the quintessence of classic elegance and makes for the ultimate luxury accessory. All day or all night, these beautiful bags are never out of place. Its ﬁnesse and quality of its materials with a spacious volume and beautiful colours meet the needs of today’s woman”.

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM TU ES DAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013

SECTION

SPOR YOUR GAME

WMS’ YOUNG DRIVERS SHINE IN UAE SERIES The Wahaibi Motorsport backed trio of Shihab Al Habsi, Khalid Al Wahaibi and Waheeb Al Kharusi have shown their mettle at the Round 2 and 3 of the UAE Rotax Max challenge Kart series at the Dubai Autodrome recently. >C6

Aiyman strikes gold for Oman The Omani’s effort helped the hosts, who won 11 medals on the inaugural day, to boost their medal tally to 20 on the second day

MUSCAT: Aiyman Al Kulaibi turned the golden boy of the Sultanate winning the country’s ﬁrst medal of yellow colour in the ongoing GCC Swimming Championships at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex yesterday. On the second day of the region’s premier swimming meet, Aiyman made a splash in the pool, delighting the local fans by winning the top honours in the 200m backstroke competition. The Omani swimer clocked two minutes and 9.55 seconds (2:09.55) to ﬁnish well ahead of Kuwait’s Salman Jabir Mandani (2:12.93) and UAE’s Yaqoob Yousef Al Saadi (2:13.70) to clinch the gold. Aiyman’s effort helped Oman, who won 11 medals on the in-

augural day, to take their medal tally to 20. After yesterday’s competitions in the open category, the medal winners were honoured during a colour ceremony presided over by Oman Olympic Committee chief Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair and attended by Oman Swimming Association chairman Taha Al Kishry and members of Arab and GCC swimming bodies. In the morning, Omani swimmers bagged four medals besides Aiyman’s gold. In the ﬁrst race of the day, Oman won both silver and bronze in the 1,500m freestyle. Mohammed Al Habsi took silver in clocking 17:16.14 to ﬁnish behind Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Fahad (17:14.71) while fellow Omani

GOLDEN MOMENT: Oman’s Aiyman Al Kulaibi, who won the gold in

the 200m backstroke event, is ﬂanked by silver medalist Salman Jabir Mandani of Kuwait and bronze medalist Yaqoob Yousef Al Saadi of the UAE. – Supplied photo

Khalid Al Kulaibi (17:26.79). In the 50m freestyle for under-10 boys, Kuwait’s Bader Majdi (31.47) took gold ahead of compatriot Saud Thamer (31.70) and Rahim Abdulali Hussein (32.92). Meanwhile, Oman’s Moham-

GOLF

Golﬁng gathers ‘huge momentum’ in Oman Our aim is to capitalise on this interest and contribute meaningfully to raise the proﬁle of golf in the Sultanate Robert Pancras CEO, National Finance

SPORTS REPORTER

MUSCAT: National Finance, one of the leading ﬁnancial companies in the Sultanate, in association with International Heavy Enterprises (IHE), official dealers of Volvo Trucks & Buses, is all set to organise an Open Golf Tournament at the Ghala Valley on Friday. Speaking to Times Sport in an interview, Robert Pancras, chief executive officer of National Finance said with Oman becoming a top destination for golfers in the Middle East, the tournament will be an ideal platform. “This inaugural tournament gives golfers, who are members of a local golf club, a real opportunity to up their game, and also encourages the youth to get involved and experience the essence of this globally acclaimed sport,” Pancras said. According to Pancras with the investments made in golf course development and associated infrastructure, there has been

The National Finance and International Heavy Enterprises Open Golf Tournament will be staged at Ghala Valley on Friday a real upsurge in participation in the sport. “In Oman, golf has been witnessing the game’s popularity increasing, with a number of professional courses sprouting and more people being enthused by the precision sport. “Working in collaboration with our partners IHE and Ghala Valley Golf Club has allowed us to stage a signature golf tournament — something exclusive for the local golﬁng community, and has increased awareness about the sport of golf in the Sultanate,” Pancras noted. Pancras said with more tourna-

ments being organised, there has been a noticeable upsurge in talent and interest in the sport. “Our aim is to capitalise on this interest and contribute meaningfully to raise the profile of golf in the Sultanate, while recognising some of the finest golfers here,” he said. The organisers, according to Pancras, may plan on holding the event annually. “We are hopeful that this tournament will be a great success and we definitely look forward to taking a decision about a possible 2014 edition in consultation, of course, with our partners,” he said. When asked if the company would support more such initiatives in the future, Pancras had this to add: “National Finance has supported the development of a number of sports over the years, and more recently has sponsored junior football. We will continue to be supportive and look for the right opportunities where we believe we can add value.”

REVIEWING ACTIVITIES

OOC board to meet on Nov 4 MUSCAT: The Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) board members are scheduled to gather for the second meeting of the year under the chairmanship of committee chief Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair on November 4. According to a press release, the main agenda, however, will be reviewing of the programmes and activities held from May to September this year. The members will also assess the results of courses and international meetings prior to Oman’s participation

in the fourth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in South Korean city of Incheon in June-July, second Asian Youth Games hosted by Nanjing , China in August and September-October Islamic Solidarity Games organised in South Sumatra in Indonesia. The board will also be briefed on Oman’s participation in the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) meeting where the Sultanate was represented by OOC chief Khalid Al Zubair and General Secretary

Taha Al Kishry. Oman’s participation in the Arab National Olympic Committees meeting in Saudi Arabia, where Al Zubair was elected as a member, will also come up for discussion. The board members are also scheduled to hold discussions on invitations received for the international events to be held in 2014 and possible participation in those events, the prominent being the World Martial Arts Festival to be organised in Kish (Iran) from November 12 to 16 in 2014.

med Abdullah denied Kuwait a clean sweep in the 50m freestyle competition. He took silver in 24.44 seconds while Mohammed Ahmad (23.56) and (24.49) took gold and bronze respectively.

The gold in 100m breaststroke went to UAE’s Mubarak Mohamed Salem (1:04.17) who finished ahead of Kuwait pair of Abdulrahman Fahad Al Badr (1:04.47) and Ahmad Fahad Al Bader (1:04.56). In 200m individual medley, the Kuwaitis finished one-two with Saud Thamer Shamrookh (2:55.03) and Bader Majdi (2:59.35) taking gold and silver respectively. Qatar’s Rahim Abdullali Hussein (3:01.22) finished third. In 4x100m medley, Kuwaiti team of Saud Abdulaziz, Abdulrahman Fahad Bader, Marzouq Faisal Al Salem and Mohamed Ahmed (3:56.89) won gold ahead of UAE’s Yaqoob Yousef Al Saadi, Mubarak Mohammed Salim, Ali Ahmad Al Kaabi and Mohammed Jassim Al Muhairi (3:57.66) while Omani quartet of Aiyman Al Kulaibi, Issa Sameer Al Adawi, Nidhal Suleiman Al Harrassi and Mohammed bin Abdullah (4:20.47) clinched bronze. The Kuwaiti swimmers continued their dominance in the afternoon starting with a 200m freestyle gold won by Saud Abdulaziz. Saudi Arabia’s Ali Habib Issa and

Kuwait’s Ahmed Hussein Ahmed won silver and bronze respectively. In the 400m individual medley, Marzouk Faisal Al Salem won another old for Kuwait while Rahman Yahya Al Kulaibi bagged silver for Oman. The bronze medal went to Bahrain’s Khalid Abdulla Baba. In 50m breaststroke for under-10 boys, Kuwait’s Fahim Massad Fahim and Abdullah Ahmed Eid won gold and silver while Bahrain’s Abdulla Khalid Jamal won bronze. In 100m butterﬂy, UAE’s Obaid Ahmed Al Jasmi won gold medal and his compatriot Ali Saeed Al Kaabi took silver with Oman’s Nawaf Munir Al Qasimi bagging the bronze. In 200m breaststroke, Kuwaiti’s Ahmad Fahad Al Bader took gold followed by fellow countryman Abdulrahman Fahad Bader and Oman’s Issa Samir Al Adawi. Kuwait won two more gold medals taking top honours in both 4x50m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle events. In 4x50m, Qatar won silver ahead of Bahrain while in the 4x100m UAE pipped Oman for silver.

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

SPORTS ‘I live to win Slams’

GOOD END TO 2013

Age is no barrier as Li hits new heights

Worryingly for her ﬂagging rivals, Serena Williams now boasts a record of winning 32 of her last 34 matches against top ﬁve players

ISTANBUL: Serena Williams believes her best years may still be ahead of her after she ended 2013 in record-breaking style on Sunday. The 32-year-old American successfully defended her WTA Championships title, beating Li Na 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, to finish 2013 with a 78th victory against just four losses, and 11th title of the year. Williams finished the campaign with prize-money of $12,385,572, shattering the all-time women’s record set last year by Victoria Azarenka, who won $7,923,920. It’s also the third-highest single season prize-money total in tennis history, men’s and women’s, only Novak Djokovic’s 2011 and 2012 totals are higher. She is the fourth player ever to win four or more titles at the season-ending event and the oldest champion. Williams is also the first player to win 11 WTA titles in a season since 1997 when Martina Hingis won 12. Worryingly for her flagging rivals, she now boasts a record of winning 32 of her last 34 matches against top five players. Furthermore, Sunday’s triumph

VICTORY NO. 78: Serena Williams, left, Li Na pose their trophies afte the WTA Championships ﬁnal in

Istanbul on Sunday. – Reuters

may just persuade Williams that adding to her 17 Grand Slam titles during 2014 is certainly possible, and that winning another six, to overhaul Steffi Graf, might eventually come within reach too. But Williams declined to say whether or not 2013 was her best year. “I live to win Slams,” she said. “I am excited to win the WTA Championships, but I would say (this season is) only top three. I am not going to say that this is the best. I think some years I can do better and next year, I hope, look forward to it.” Williams, who will turn 33 next

September, did agree, however, that she might reduce the number of tournaments on her schedule in 2014 after playing more than 80 matches this year. “I think 15 is a bare minimum.... deﬁnitely not more, maybe one or two fewer, maybe 13 or 14.” Williams had needed three sets to beat Jelena Jankovic in a draining semiﬁnal on Saturday and was in trouble on Sunday at a set down and 3-3 in the second before she reeled off nine games in succession against her 31-year-old Chinese opponent. “I’ve just had a really long year,

and I’m just really excited, honestly. I really didn’t expect to get through this match today,” admitted the American. Asked how she had managed to refuel after her exhausting neardisaster against Jankovic, Williams said: “My mum said maybe to get out of my room and have dinner. “I didn’t do treatment and that got my mind off tennis altogether and I think it helped.” As for Li Na, Williams said she felt some empathy. “Li is older and adding some things to her game,” she said. “And I deﬁnitely want to do the same.” - AFP

ISTANBUL: Li Na’s fine performance in getting to the final of the season-ending WTA Championships was one in the eye for those who suggested that her best was behind her. Instead, at the age of 31, Li has not only become the first Asian to reach world No. 3 but her game is evolving cleverly enough to hope for further triumphs in 2014. Although Li conceded the last nine games in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 loss to Serena Williams on Sunday, there was evidence of new tactical options and growing self-confidence as she overcame Victoria Azarenka, the world No. 2, and then troubled the world No. 1 in the final. At first she downplayed her hopes and achievements, as perhaps she needed to, both for modesty’s sake and to avoid selfinflicted pressure. “Number three was the goal at the beginning of the year. I don’t know, lucky or happy in the last tournament, I made it,” she said. “So it’s a pretty good ending for 2013,” Li added, prompting the question whether she would now aim for world number two. “Why not?” she said, shrugging her shoulders. More importantly she will keep her focus to day-to-day matters, like adding to her ability to take the ball early and dictate the pattern of the rallies, like improving and mixing in more serve-volleys, and paying close attention to her schedule to avoid injury and exhaustion. Li is also trying to access potential still contained within her and to release unused abilities. Her coach Carlos Rodriguez

has, she says, been trying to get her to unlock herself, not get so tight inside, and to play more freely. “I don’t know, I think maybe it’s different between Chinese and Western, because I think Western people, they like to share how you are feeling now,” the woman from Wuhan said. “For myself, if I feeling something, I never try to talk to the team. I always block (the feeling). I always feel I’m strong enough, I can fix everything. “But this is I think a weakness. So I think the real strong person, for sure, they will speak out, because they find someone can help them to be even more stronger. “So that’s why I was feeling terrible every time I talked to Carlos. But now I am feeling much better, because I try to open my mind a little bit to share the feeling. “If he really want it, I can be more like Serena. Maybe he should teach me (that),” she said with a hint of the humour which has made her so popular. As for how to beat Serena Williams, something she has managed only once in 11 attempts, more than five years ago, Li was more cautious. “I don’t think any other player gives me the same feeling,” she admitted, referring to the American’s ability to overwhelm not only with sheer power but with her presence. One remedy Li attempted during the final on Sunday against the 32-year-old American brought smiles both from her and her listeners. “Yeah, don’t look at her at all, you know,” she said. - AFP RANKING

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Federer doesn’t care about top spot: Nadal PARIS: Been there, done that. Roger Federer does not need to be world No. 1 anymore and he might well be a top contender at next year’s Australian Open, his chief rival Rafa Nadal said. Federer’s decline has been well documented since 2011 but the Swiss, however, does remain a formidable opponent, according to current world No. 1 Nadal. “I don’t have any doubt that he will be playing better than what he did this year,” the Spaniard told a news conference at the Paris Masters, where the two could clash in the ﬁnal. “No doubt about that. His talent allows him to keep being one of the favourites, to keep winning the best tournaments of the year. So talking about if he’s able to be back or try to be back in the No. 1 (spot), I think it’s not his goal, because at the end he already has been there. He has been in the top positions of the ranking for a long time.” - Reuters

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 01 3

SPORTS Kiwis seek revenge in Bangladesh New Zealand were stunned in 2010 when they went down 4-0 to a young Bangladeshi side, a drubbing that sparked repercussions back home with several team officials forced to quit

DHAKA: New Zealand will be seeking to avenge a humiliating loss to Bangladesh three years ago when the One-day International (ODI) series against the hosts starts here today. New Zealand were stunned in 2010 when they went down 4-0 to a young Bangladeshi side, a drubbing that sparked repercussions back home with several team officials forced to quit. New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum insisted yesterday that the current side has learnt the lessons from that defeat. “We certainly haven’t forgotten it, 4-0 was a very one-sided conREMARKABLE

GRUDGE SERIES: New Zealand’s Nathan McCullum, left, stretches during a training session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium

in Dhaka yesterday. Right, Bangladesh players pictured during their training session. – AFP

test which Bangladesh thoroughly deserved to win,” McCullum said ahead of the ﬁrst ODI. “We played some bad shots, we weren’t prepared for the series and we have tried to plan against that by having guys prepare a lot better. “From our point of view we want to carve out our own performances, and it would be great for us to turn the tables from what happened the last time,” he said. New Zealand were frustrated in

the just ﬁnished Test series, with both matches against the hosts in Chittagong and Dhaka ending in a draw. But McCullum said he was more conﬁdent of his side’s chances in the one-dayers, pointing to the experience and success of the players in the shorter game. “We have got more experience in the one-day side,” he told a press conference in Dhaka. “I think, now the Test team we

are developing as a Test team we are nowhere near the finished product. I think the one-day team is pretty set in how we play.” “We have had more success in the one-day game of late, we probably feel a lot more confident in the one-day format at this point of time.” Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim was drawing inspiration from the Test series, which they dominated in phases, while also

SIMMERING ROW

Ryder scores ton on return from injury

Broad stands his ground on decision not to walk

WELLINGTON: New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder compiled a well-crafted century in his ﬁrst match since surviving an assault that left him in a coma with serious head injuries. The 29-year-old hit 22 boundaries on his way to 117 on debut for Otago against his former team Wellington yesterday. Ryder, who averages almost 41 in Tests with three hundreds, has been in self-imposed exile from the New Zealand team since early 2012 following a breach of team discipline. The burly left-hander spent almost a week in hospital in late March after an incident outside a Christchurch bar left him with a fractured skull and rib injuries. He was kept in an induced coma for more than two days. While recovering from the assault, Ryder was suspended for six months for failing a drugs test for banned stimulants he said he took in a supplement to lose weight. The ban ended this month and the cricketer with a history of alcohol and disciplinary problems said he would turn over a new leaf in an attempt to break back into the New Zealand team. Ryder has played 18 Tests and 39 One-day Internationals for his country. - Reuters

LONDON: England’s Stuart Broad has defended his decision not to walk in the most controversial incident of the first Ashes series this year, suggesting the huge row blew up because Australia had “wasted” their two referrals. In the first Test at Trent Bridge, the fast bowler edged a ball from spinner Ashton Agar to Michael Clarke at first slip but did not walk after umpire Aleem Dar gave him not out. Australia had already used up all their reviews during England’s second innings in the opening Test so were unable to challenge the decision. Broad later admitted hitting the ball. “My first comment on that whole incident is I could name you 18 or 19 players who played in an Ashes series who nicked it and didn’t walk,” Broad told the BBC in an interview. “We could be here all day if I named players from the past. I am trying to think of someone in the modern game who is consistently a walker.” Broad rode his luck to make 65 and added 138 runs in a seventhwicket stand with Ian Bell, which proved crucial for the hosts as they went on the win the Nottingham Test by 14 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Captain Clarke and his team-

Stuart Broad

mates were left shaking their heads in disbelief at the decision which sparked a huge debate on Twitter about the spirit of cricket. “It’s a really interesting debate and something that got blown so out of proportion maybe because the Australians were frustrated they had wasted two referrals,” Broad said.

“It was an important moment in the game because, let’s be honest, if Belly and I hadn’t put on those runs, we wouldn’t have won the Test match so we would only have won 3-1 or something.” As it was, England won the series 3-0. Australia coach Darren Lehmann was handed a ﬁne by the International Cricket Council after he accused Broad of “blatant cheating”. Lehmann later apologised to Broad for the verbal attack, which came in a radio interview. “Ryan Harris came over to me and apologised,” Broad added. “First of all he said from the players we have given him (Lehmann) a hard time and his comments were unacceptable. “The he (Lehmann) came across and said: ‘I meant it in jest’ and I said, ‘in black and white it doesn’t look like jest to me’. “He said something along the lines of, ‘listen to the interview’ and I said, ‘I have far better things to do with my time’, and that was about it. “We shared a nice drink and I said, ‘see you in November’.” Broad is expected to come under heavy ﬁre from the fans Down Under when the return Ashes series starts with Brisbane Test on November 21. - Reuters

remembering their stunning success three years ago. “If you see the overall results, we have earned a lot of positive things in terms of individual performances and the team as well,” Mushﬁqur said. “So from this side, everyone is conﬁdent. The last time we played against them we won 4-0 in the ODIs, so we have good memories, although that is three to four years ago.

“I think in our own ground we are a strong side in the one-day internationals. If we can play up to our potential in all the three departments then we will do well,” he said. However, Bangladesh suffered an injury blow in the lead up to the series, with pace bowler Shafiul Islam ruled out with a twisted ankle to be replaced by Al-Amin Hossain. All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and batsman Mominul Haque were also suffering from fever, but Mushfiqur said both should be available for Tuesday’s first match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The second and third matches will be held on October 31 and November 3 in Dhaka and Fatullah respectively. New Zealand (from): Brendon McCullum (captain), Kane Williamson, Hamish Rutherford, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Anton Devcich, Grant Elliott, Tom Latham, Corey Anderson, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Tim Southee, Mitchell McClenaghan, Kyle Mills. Bangladesh (from): Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Shamsur Rahman, Mominul Haque, Naeem Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain Ziaur Rahman, Sohag Gazi, Abdur Razzak, Mashrafe Mortaza, Al-Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain. - AFP

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

SPORTS OMAN CRICKET LEAGUE

Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN. Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

TR Engineering down E&Y MUSCAT: TR Engineering recorded a 45-run win against Ernst & Young in a Raha Poly Productssponsored D Division T20 match. Electing to bat first, TR Engineering piled on 214 for the loss of five wickets in the 20 stipulated overs and then restricted Ernst & Young to 169 for five in 20 overs. Brief scores: TR Engineering 214 for 5 in 20 overs (Javed Sheikh 64, Sharif Pindook 47, Rashid Muhammad 33, Adil Amin 21 n.o.; Ankit Desai 2/25) bt Ernst & Young 169 for 5 in 20 overs (Saif Shamsuddin 47, Noman Yousaf 47 n.o., Nayaz Mohammed 43; Javed Sheikh 2/26, Adil Amin 2/26). Points: TR Engineering - 2 pts (3 games, 2 pts), Ernst & Young - Nil (3 games – 4 pts).

J DIVISION: Abu Maather players celebrate win over Al Ansari.

Al Faisal humble Majees Al Faisal notched up an easy 93run win against Majees to record their fourth consecutive win in the Enhance sponsored E Division T20 tournament. Deciding to bat ﬁrst, Al Faisal piled on 221 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. Majees in their turn were restricted to 128 for eight in 20 overs. Brief scores: Al Faisal 221 for 8 in 20 overs (Ihsan Mohammed 56, Mohammed Afrat 43, Mohammed Irfan 28; Mohammed Adnan 3/27, Adnan Mehboob 3/43 and Prakash Joshi 2/42) bt Majees 128 for 8 in 20 overs (Muhammad Adnan 28 n.o., Ali Akhtar 23 n.o.; Mohd Sufyan 3/11, Abdul Rauf 2/25). Points: Al Faisal - 2 pts (4 games, 8 pts), Majees - Nil (3 games – 2 pts).

ISC Urdu Wing win ISC Urdu Wing defeated Al Rehwan in a ‘G’ Division T20 match. Opting to bat ﬁrst, ISC Urdu Wing scored 170 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Al Rehwan, after being docked one over for slow over rate, were bowled out for 127 off 15.4 overs. Brief scores: ISC Urdu Wing 170 for 7 in 20 overs (Reyaz Zaidi 80 n.o., Manjit Singh 23; Aboo P.C. 2/20, Salih 2/26) bt Al Rehwan 127 all out in 15.4 overs (Shiraj N.A. 50, Salih 26; Syed Waseem Abbas 3/14, Syed Ahmad Salman 3/25, Dr. Wasam 2/12). Points: ISC Urdu Wing – 2 pts (3 games, 2 pts), Al Rehwan - Nil (4 games – 2 pts).

Easy for Landscape In an F Division T20 match, Seeb Landscape Architecture registered a 41-run win against Oasis Water. Landscape Architecture, batting ﬁrst, scored 185 for nine wickets in 20 overs and then restricted Oasis Water to 144 for eight wickets in 20 overs. Brief scores: Landscape Architecture 185 for 9 in 20 overs (Prasad Peruli 54, Darwish Ellickal 40, Pradeep Rajan 24;

I DIVISION: Team Huawei after their win over Oneic.

F DIVISION: The victorious Landscape Architecture team.

Ratheesh 2/29, Sriram 2/40) bt Oasis Water 144 for 8 in 20 overs (Ratheesh 42, Ashfaq Khalifa 33; Austin Movin 2/18, Moaaz Juned 2/21). Points: Landscape Architecture - 2 pts (2 games, 2 pts), Oasis Water Nil (3 games, Nil).

Huawei ﬂying high In an I Division T20 match, Huawei recorded a three-wicket win against Oneic. Deciding to bat ﬁrst, Oneic managed to score 141 for eight wickets in 20 overs. Huawei, despite losing wickets regularly, reached the victory target for the loss of seven wickets. Brief scores: Oneic 141 for 8 in 20 overs (Atif Jalali 48, Kamal Haider 29; Sanjeev Kumar Bhandari 4/24) lost to Huawei 142 for 7 in 19 overs (Fazaludeen Shari 40, Nadir Ali 24

n.o., Mohammad Neyaz 22 n.o.; Nitin Sharma 3/38). Points: Huawei – 2 pts (3 games, 4 pts), ONEIC - Nil (3 games – 2 pts).

Abu Maather beat Al Ansari In a J Division T20 match, Abu Maather registered a six-wicket win against Al Ansari. Opting to bat ﬁrst, Al Ansari were bowled out 87 in 14.4 overs. Abu Maather in reply raced to their target off 11.4 overs losing four wickets. Brief scores: Al Ansari 87 all out in 14.4 overs (R. Manikandan 26; Shahid Sharif 3/4, Nazim Hamduley 2/11, Rizwan Butt 2/16 and Akhil Vijayan 2/19) lost to Abu Maather 90 for 4 in 11.4 overs (Nazim Hamduley 29, Muzaffar Shiralkar 28; Adnan Nalwala 3/22). Points: Abu Maather – 2 pts (3 games, 6 pts), Al Ansari Nil (2 games – 1 pt).

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 01 3

SPORTS CRICKET

MOTOR SPORTS

Jazz Boys to host FRiENDi India bullish on F1 return Mobile Challengers Cup MUSCAT: The Jazz Boys Cricket Club will host the seventh FRiENDi Mobile Challengers Cup from November 8. According to a press release issued by the organisers yesterday, the matches will be played on two Fridays (November 8 and 15) at the Gubrah Power Plant lush green grounds. The tournament is open to all but the Oman Cricket’s A Division players are not allowed to participate in the event. The organisers have also come out with a unique idea of accepting entries, 16 to be precise, from those teams who have not featured in the ﬁnal of any of Jazz Boys-conducted tournaments. This year’s tournament will be sponsored by FRiENDi Mobile, Danube, Abdul Fatah Mohd Noor Co, Al Hajiry Group and Tile Marine and supported by Pocari Sweat, The Body Shop, Palm Restaurant and Red Bull. The teams to register their entries so far are Unicorns, Tile Marine, Rain Riders DLP, OEC, Shanfari CT, United Metals, Rahil Sports, QAD, Tellicherians, Trust CT, Muscat Strikers, Ruwi Kings, Beatrice CT, Asfandyar CT, Mars XI and Al Khoud CC. The tournament draw will take place at Palm Restaurant at 7.30 pm on November 4. FOOTBALL

India’s new league delayed NEW DELHI: A new football tournament in India that was to feature former international stars of the game has been postponed after opposition from domestic clubs, organisers said yesterday. The franchise-based event by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partners IMG-Reliance, which was due to be held from January to March next year has now been pushed back until September. “Keeping in view of various key factors, including scheduling conﬂicts with the (national) I-League, it has been decided to launch the Indian Super League on a permanent window of September to November starting from year 2014,” an official statement said. The Kolkatabased Telegraph quoted unnamed sources as saying that possible franchise owners had told AIFF that there was not enough time to prepare for such a league. Former international stars such as Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Hernan Crespo, Fredrik Ljungberg, Dwight Yorke and Louis Saha were reported to have been lined up for the league. Squads for the eight yet undecided city teams were to comprise nine foreign and 13 Indian players each. — AFP

This year’s tournament will be sponsored by FRiENDi Mobile, Danube, Abdul Fatah Mohd Noor Co, Al Hajiry Group and Tile Marine and supported by Pocari Sweat, The Body Shop, Palm Restaurant and Red Bull

The members of champion and runners-up teams will be given trophies as well as gift hampers. There will also be individual prizes with best batsman, best bowler, best ﬁelder, best wicketkeeper, best catch, the oldest player as well as the player to hit maximum sixes to be presented with

FRiENDi modems. The best player of each match will get a FRiENDi Mobile while player of series will be honoured with a modem and an LCD TV. The best dressed and most colourful team will be get a colourful trophy and a modem. A modem will also be given to ‘best spectator’.

GREATER NODIA: Indian Grand Prix organisers were bullish about the troubled race’s future yesterday despite a drop in the estimated crowd figures and its disappearance from the schedule next year. Organisers did not reveal how many people came to watch Sebastian Vettel’s coronation as world champion for the fourth time, but estimates varied from 50,000 to 60,000. While not confirmed, the figures for Sunday are lower than the 95,000 who attended the inaugural race day in 2011 and the 65,000 who watched it last year. Officials had been hoping for a strong turn-out to help ensure the Indian race returns, as promised,

on the 2015 calendar after surprisingly being dropped for 2014. However, promoters Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) said the crowd figures were similar to attendances at other grands prix around the world. “We were always confident of good crowd numbers,” a JPSI media officer said. “Formula One is new to the country and it will take time for fans to warm up to it.” “We are close to the average attendances worldwide on race days, except perhaps in Silverstone which attracts a bigger crowd,” he added. “We will definitely host the race again in 2015.” The Indian GP has been hit by a troubled economy and sliding

rupee, government apathy, a lopsided ﬁnancial arrangement and the lack of a home-grown driver to create local buzz. on Sunday’s race even came under threat from a court petition seeking its cancellation over alleged unpaid entertainment taxes, but the hearing was postponed. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone did not attend this weekend, despite Vettel entering the race as a near-certainty to seal a fourth straight world title. Ecclestone has said India will be back in 2015, but many fear the worst as Formula One juggles increasing congestion with new races planned in America, Mexico and Russia. — AFP

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

SPORTS SMARTEN UP DRIVE SAFE A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

WMS’ young drivers shine in UAE series Ten-year-old Shihab Al Habsi’s exemplary performance belies the fact that the UAE Rotax Max Challenge is his ﬁrst ever competitive season

MUSCAT: The Wahaibi Motorsport (WMS) backed trio of Shihab Al Habsi, Khalid Al Wahaibi and Waheeb Al Kharusi, aspiring to be the next generation of national and international motorsports champions, have shown their mettle at the Round 2 and 3 of the UAE Rotax Max challenge Kart series at the Dubai Autodrome recently. Guided by Oman rally legend Hamed Al Wahaibi, with support from WMS technical manager Chris Hodgson, the boys are indeed proving to be the Omani champions in the making.

Ten-year-old Shihab Al Habsi built on his win from round 1, by winning every race he participated in – be it the heats, pre-finals or finals in round 2 and 3 races. His exemplary performance belies the fact that the UAE Rotax Max Challenge 2013-14 is his first ever competitive season. The win first time round, surprised his more experienced competitors, but this time double emphasised the fact that his natural talent is indisputable. Khalid Al Wahaibi, aged 13, qualified third and finished fourth overall in his category. Waheeb Al Kharusi, 16, is the oldest among the emerging trio. All three boys in the WMS team did an exhaustive 12-hour preevent testing at the racing track. That helped the race team clock really fast laps during the actual race. Nine more rounds remain in the UAE Rotax Max Challenge over the 2013-14 season, so there is plenty of action to be seen from this emerging team. Be it Shihab or teammates Khalid and Waheeb, who all on their racing overalls proudly sport a ‘Safety First’ badge, are keenly looking forward to further wins. The making of the next Omani champions has begun quite well.

THUMBS UP: Ten-year-old Shihab Al Habsi perched on Hamed Al

Wahaibi’s shoulders celebrate the great performance. – Supplied photo

ISC TT

Armaan lifts under-15 title MUSCAT: Armaan Sattikar captured the boys’ under-15 singles title at the New Makha Enterprises-sponsored second Junior Table Tennis Tournament at the Indian Social Club (ISC) Muscat. In the final, Armaan who has been in tremendous form took on the other in-form player, Subash Pillai and the duo did not disappoint. After winning the first two games, Armaan had to pull up his socks more due to Subash’s brilliant offensive ploy. Subash made some astonishing returns and attacked on all cylinders before Armaan edged past to win the third game. Subash pulled back the fourth game but Armaan played with more purpose to wrap up the match with final scores of 11-7, 11-5, 13-11, 11-13, 11-5.

U-15 FINALISTS: Champion Armaan Sattikar, rightm abd Subash.

Armaan is eyeing a double crown having qualified to play in the final of the boys’ under-17 singles against the same opponent, Subash Pillai. Subash defeated Avinash Mukund in a thrilling semi-final

match to enter the final. Subash showed doggedness and played with confidence to down Avinash 12-10, 8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10 to line-up a repeat clash against Armaan Sattikar in the under-17 final.

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LIFE & STYLE

T UE S DAY, OCTOB E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

Fairytale world We enter the fairytale world more formally next day, 60 miles north, at the Märchenhaus in Alsfeld. A cathedral bell clangs above a tangle of 16th-century lanes. The Haus has ‘1628’ etched above its wooden door and a well with a frog perched on its rim. Its white walls and brown timbers look like icing sugar and gingerbread. We tiptoe in. We leave fairly hastily and head for the safety of Snow White’s cottage. It’s an hour’s drive away, across rolling hills and woods, in a village called Bergfreiheit. The cottage fails to impress Benjamin, who says it is a fake. But Sarah is amused by its seven bunk beds, the seven chairs around its kitchen table and the photo we take of ourselves in dwarvish hoods. But on the edge of the village is a piece of real folklore. The Kupferbergwerk mine is all that’s left of an industry that may explain those seven dwarves. Off to work they went, with picks and shovels to dig copper and gold in the wooded hillside here, which is riddled with copper mines from the 16th-century. These were often worked by children, whose short stature gained them a local nickname: “dwarves”. You can go inside a disused shaft that dates back to 1552, with a hard hat and a guide. Wooden pitprops frame rough walls as you descend its long dark tunnel. “This is copper,” says the guide, pointing at a smear of green, “and this is Fool’s Gold,” by a wall of glittering crystals. Miners here were given special freedoms and the village became a haven for outlaws and runaways. Bergfreiheit translates as “freedom mountain”. It’s the perfect setting for a tale of escape and transformation, such as Snow White’s. Margarete’s castle of Waldeck is nearby, and that is where we’ll stay tonight. These days it’s an elegant hotel, a far cry from the humble village. Its towers and battlements rise above a glittering lake and we enter through a Gothic hall. This is the world of princesses and kings, which fairytale figures might tame through marriage or success, but which also oppress them – like Snow White or Cinderella. The heroes of the tales are seldom grand — more often they are woodcutters, peasants, fishermen and their fates impart the wisdom of the common folk. To get a firmer grip on our history, we drive north to the city of Kassel, where the Grimm brothers moved from Steinau in 1798. They seem always to have lived and worked close to each other, sharing a mission in life. In Kassel, they worked as librarians and published their classic book of Kinder-und Hausmärchen — tales for children and households — in 1812. The city houses an elegant museum to the brothers and a special exhibition to mark Jacob’s anniversary year. We ramble through the latter, past manuscripts and portraits and first editions of their books. Then we head to the edge of town, looking for an 18th-century roadside inn, the Brauhaus-Knallhütte. Here Jacob and Wilhelm gathered stories from the innkeeper’s daughter, Dorothea Viehmann, who heard them from travellers.

yt ale trai l

e are standing backstage at the puppet theatre in Steinau, central Germany. It’s the town where the Brothers Grimm grew up and heard their ﬁrst fairy stories. Even today, it’s a magical place of half-timbered houses, with a stone fountain in the cobbled square carved with fairytale ﬁgures. I am here — with my two children — to enter that world of childhood stories on which we all grew up, in the places where they were found. This year the region of Hesse is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the death of Jacob Grimm, the elder of the two remarkable brothers who collected German folktales and published them in a series of books from 1812 to 1857. Steinau is the start of Hesse’s Fairytale Route, which follows the places where Jacob and Wilhelm lived, and where the tales were set. Their journey, and ours, starts here, at their childhood home — a half-timbered manor house where they lived in the 1790s. Inside, it shows displays on their lives, and the garden has a wooden cage with Hansel trapped inside. My daughter Sarah, aged 11, pokes a stick through the bars to see if he’s fat enough to eat. Benjamin, 12, shakes an apple out of the tree above — luckily it is not poisoned.

Ge rm

r i fa

y an

Sleeping Beauty’s castle Our ﬁnal stop may or may not have a Grimm connection. But if it doesn’t, it should. Sababurg claims to be Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Its pepperpot towers from 1334 are surrounded by thickets of roses and magniﬁcent beech woods that would deter many a prince. Inside the ruined great hall, we catch the daily performance of Sleeping Beauty. A young man in red velvet is wooing a pretty blonde, pink roses woven in her waist-length hair. Walking onto the battlements, I spot a herd of deer on the slope below, like the strangely met animals of myths. Then we unlock a little door at the foot of a tower and clamber up a spiral stair. On a landing is a spinning wheel. At the top are our rooms for the night, each with a four-poster bed. For the castle has been transformed into a wildly romantic hotel. But that night, as we hop into the great carved beds, the children are spooked by the ruins and the moonlight. We have stepped too far into the imaginative power of the tales. — Jonathan Lorie/The Independent

Uncover the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Rumpelstiltskin on a family holiday in the land of the Brothers Grimm

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

EXTRA

ugely influential singer-songwriter Lou Reed who found fame with the ‘Velvet Underground’ dies aged 71 after liver transplant. “Was it too quiet for you?” Lou Reed asked with acidic contempt, when I saw him play for the last time, at London’s Royal Festival Hall two summers ago. An unwary fan had just ironically shouted “Louder!” as he finished a brutally heavy version of “Brandenburg Gate”, from his typically reputationabusing last album, Lulu. That suite of songs immortalised by Louise Brooks in the 1928 Weimar German film Pandora’s Box, drawled by Reed over Metallica’s wildly inappropriate, uncompromised heavy metal, was despised in a way the latest releases by Paul McCartney and Neil Young never were. The response was closer to when Reed first announced himself, in the Velvet Underground’s Warhol-sponsored, 1967 debut album The Velvet Undergound and Nico. His deadpan voice, striking out from Dylan’s example into a Sinatra-murdering morgue for traditional vocal requirements, was one innovation. His lyrics on I’m Waiting for the Man and Heroin were truly vital — literate reportage from the depths of drug addiction and sadomasochism, inspired by his association with New York writers Wallace Stegner, Hubert Selby Jr. and Nelson Algren. “Rock’n’roll had been treated as such a mutant idiot child medium, it made it easy for someone with even half a mind to just walk in and dominate that end of it,” he sneered to Cut magazine in 1989, when New York gave him his last wholly liked hit. Sinatra had played Algren’s novel’s taboosmashing junkie in the film of The Man With the Golden Arm. Reed became him. A middleclass intellectual by background, too much parentally-approved ECT voltage meant to cure his rebel streak as a teenager instead carved an unsealable, bleeding scar of resentment. The trademark black leather jacket he rehabilitated from Marlon Brando’s 1950s rebel to the softer streets of Greenwich Village showed that his heart always had room for the original promise of rock’n’roll,

LIFE CAPSULE MARCH 2, 1942 Lewis Allan Reed born in Brooklyn, New York 1961 - 1964 Studies journalism, ﬁlm, creative writing at Syracuse University 1964 Forms 'Velvet Underground' with John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker. Artist Andy Warhol becomes producer 1967 The Velvet Underground with Nico released. Album opens rock music to avant-garde — Punk, New Wave and alternative rock. Velvets become house band at Warhol’s seminal Factory studio 1972 Moves to UK. Releases debut solo album, Lou Reed. Second album, Transformer, co-produced with David Bowie, contains classic tracks Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love and Perfect Day. Career continues until 2011 MAY 2013 After long battle with drink and drugs Reed suffers liver failure, receives transplant

if nothing else. Metal Machine Music, 1975’s doublealbum feedback screech of abuse at his major-label employers RCA, was one more, career-exploding atom bomb. Reed fan David Bowie’s prettifying production on 1972’s Transformer, with its further gorgeous standards. Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side, had made the label think they had a star. 1973’s follow-up, Berlin, confirmed Reed was a black hole. Its portrait of a doomed relationship included children weeping at their parents’ behaviour. Anyone else would have broken “both her arms”, Reed sang provocatively of his partner in the gruelling songsuite’s gorgeous, depraved Sad Song. Berlin came to stand for any personal apocalypse, and any rock musician’s refusal to bow to his label’s authority. Reed didn’t seem happy for a day of his life; except when he was wrecking someone else’s day by being too entirely himself, which was rarely a likeable proposition. When I met him, his disdain for me was completed by the wet-fish hand he held out when we finished. No doubt he wiped it afterwards. The rock journalists who adored him were always treated as vermin, typically because, beneath the impeccably abusive surface, he cared too much. “He was heartbroken,” Melody Maker’s Allan Jones recalled of Reed’s attitude to Berlin’s journalistic dismissal. “He never forgave them.” The anger I felt at his rudeness was anyway wiped away the next time I saw him, at that Royal Festival Hall gig. He could seem humourless, needlessly vicious, unforgivable. But that was the upside. He clung to rock’n’roll as a life-raft for his damaged soul, and threw out his literary brand of it for those who, similarly afflicted, needed such musical shock therapy. His last few records — 2000’s raging break-up album Ecstasy, 2003’s The Raven, another tauntingly aggravating double-album, adapted from Edgar Allen Poe, and that Metallica record — were not farewells. The outpouring of reverence and sorrow which will follow Reed’s death is deserved. It would also make him howl with hollow laughter. —Nick Hasted/THE INDEPENDENT

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 01 3

ENTERTAINMENT CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA 1911 Revolution (Action /Adventure) Cast: Jackie Chan, Winston Chao 2:30, 9:15, 11:30 pm; CP No: 965 Switch (Action) (15+) Cast: Andy Lau, Chiling Lin, Jingchu Zhang 7:00pm; CP No: 943 Upside Down (Drama/Fantasy ) (12+) Cast: Jim Sturgess, Kirsten Dunst 5:00 pm; CP No: 964 Gravity 3D (Drama/ Sci-ﬁ /Thriller) Cast: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock 3:00, 10:00, 11:45 pm; CP No: 947 The Fifth Estate (Biography ) (12+) Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl 5:00 & 7:30pm; CP No: 970 The Fourth State (Thriller) (12+) Cast: Moritz Bleibtreu, Kasia Smutniak 3:00 pm; CP NO: 969 Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (3D) (Animation/Family) (PG) Voice Overs: Anna Faris, Bill Hader 5:15 pm; CP No: 926 Gallowwalker (Action/Fantasy) (12+) Cast: Wesley Snipes, Kevin Howarth 11:45 pm CP No: 988 The Butler (Biography/Drama) (15+) Cast: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack 7:00pm; CP No: 961 Escape Plan (Action/Mystery) (12+) Cast: Sylvester, Arnold, 50 Cent 9:30pm; CP No: 914

Switch (Action) (15+) Timings: 1:45pm; CP No:944 Gravity 3D (Drama /Sci-ﬁ ) Timings: 4:00pm; CP No: 948 The Fifth Estate (Biography/Thriller ) Timings: 6:00pm; CP No:971 The Butler ( Biography/Drama) (15+) Timings: 8:30pm; CP No:960

Escape Plan (Action/Thriller) (12+) Timings: 11:00pm; CP No:915

6:30pm; CP No: 908

1911 Revolution (Action /Adventure ) Cast: Jackie Chan, Winston Chao and Bingbing L 11:30am & 11:45pm; CP No: 966 Escape Plan (Action/Thriller) (12+) 1:30, 7:30pm; CP No: 915 Switch (Action) (15+) Cast: Andy Lau, Chiling Lin 3:45, 9:45pm; CP No: 944 Gallowwalker ( Action /Fantasy ) Cast: Wesley Snipes, Kevin Howarth 5:45 & 11:30pm; CP No: 989 Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (3D) (Animation/Family) (PG) Cast: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Will Forte 11:45am & 3:15pm; CP No: 927 Gravity 3D (Sci-ﬁ /Thriller) Cast: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock 1:30 & 9:45pm; CP No: 948 The Fifth Estate (Biography/Thriller) Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl and Carice van Houten 5:00 & 7:15pm; CP No: 971

Cast: Manish Paul, Elli Avram and Manish

Mickey Virus (H) (Comedy) (PG)

Choudhary

4:30, 10:30pm; CP No: 976 Vanakkam Chennai (T) (Comedy/ Romance) (PG) Cast: Priya Anand, Shiva, Santhanam 7:30pm; CP No: 980

9:30pm; CP No: 974

Gravity 3D (Drama/Sci-ﬁ ) Cast: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock 3:30 & 7:30pm; CP No:949 Gallowwalker ( Action /Horror ) (12+) Cast: Wesley Snipes, Kevin Howarth 5:30, 9:30 & 11:30pm; CP No: 990 Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (3D) (Animation/Family) (PG) Voice Overs: Anna Faris, Bill Hader 3:00pm; CP No: 928 1911 Revolution (Adventure) (12+) Cast: Jackie Chan, Winston Chao, Bingbing L 9:30 & 11:45 pm; CP No: 967 The Fifth Estate (Biography ) (12+) Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, Carice van Houten 5:00, 7:15 pm; CP No: 972 Switch (Action) (15+) Cast: Andy Lau, Chiling Lin, Jingchu Zhang 3:30 & 11:45pm; CP No: 984 Escape Plan (Action/Mystery ) (12+) Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Shwarzenegger and 50 Cent 4:45, 9:30pm; CP No: 916 Boss (H) (Action) (PG) Cast: Akshay Kumar,Mithun Chakraborty,Aditi Rao 7:00pm; CP No: 955 Sringara Velan (M) (Malayalam/ Comedy/Romance) (PG) Cast: Dileep, Lal, Vedika, Babu Namboothiri, Kalabhavan Shajon

PLAZA 1 Satya 2 (H) (Action) (PG) Cast: Puneet Singh Ratn, Anaika Soti 3:30, 9:30; CP No: 975 Mickey Virus (H) (Comedy) (PG) Cast: Manish Paul, Elli Avram and Manish Choudhary 6:30 pm; CP No: 974 PLAZA 2 Boss (H) (Action) (PG) Cast: Akshay Kumar and Aditi Rao 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30pm; CP No: 953 PLAZA 3 Besharam (H) (Comedy) (12+) Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor

Switch (Action) (15+) Cast: Andy Lau, Chiling Lin, Jingchu Zhang 3:30, 5:15, 9:30 & 11:30pm; CP No: 985 Escape Plan (Action/Thriller) (12+) Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Shwarzenegger, 50 Cent 5:00, 7:15, 11:45pm; CP NO:917 Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (3D) (Animation/) (PG) Voice Overs: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Will Forte 3:00, 4:45pm; CP NO: 929 Gravity 3D (Drama/Sci-ﬁ) Cast: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock 3:15, 6:30, 9:45pm; CP NO: 950 Sringara Velan (M) (Malayalam / Romance) (PG) Cast: Dileep, Lal, Vedika, Babu Namboothiri and Kalabhavan Shajon 8:15pm; CP No: 977 Boss (Hindi) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Aditi Hydari 7:15 & 11:15pm; CP No: 956

Boss (Action -Hindi) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Aditi Hydari 5:30 & 9:00pm; CP NO: 957 Switch (Action) (15+) Cast: Andy Lau, Chiling Lin and Jingchu Zhang 8:30, 11:45pm; CP No: 986

Sringara Velan (M) (Malayalam / Comedy /Romance) (PG) Cast: Dileep, Lal, Vedika, Babu 10:30pm; CP No: 978 Gravity 3D (Drama/ Sci-ﬁ) Cast: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock and Ed Harris 5:00pm; CP NO: 951 Escape Plan (Action/Thriller) (12+) 6:45pm; CP NO: 918

1911 Revolution (Action /Drama) (12+) Cast: Jackie Chan, Winston Chao and Bingbing L 11:30am, 9:15, 11:15pm; CP No: 968 Gravity 3D (Drama/Sci-ﬁ /Thriller) Cast: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock 1:30 & 7:30pm; CP NO: 952 Escape Plan (Action/Mystery) (12+) 3:15 & 9:30pm; CP NO: 919 Switch (Action) (15+) Cast: Andy Lau, Chiling Lin 11:45am, 5:30 & 11:45 pm; CP No: 987 Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (3D) (Animation/Family/Comedy) (PG) Voice Overs: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Will Forte 1:30 & 5:30pm; CP NO: 931 The Fifth Estate (Biography) (12+) Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, Carice van Houten 3:15 & 7:15 pm; CP No: 973 Gallowwalker (Action/Horror) (12+) Cast: Wesley Snipes, Kevin Howarth 11:30am, 7:00 & 11:30pm; CP No: 991 Sringara Velan (M) (MalayalamComedy/Romance) (PG); CP No: 979 1:30 & 8:45 pm Boss (Hindi) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Aditi Hydari 4:30pm; CP NO: 958

1911 Revolution (Action/Adv/Drama) Cast: Jackie Chan, Winston Chao and Bingbing Li 8:00, 10:00 & 11:55pm; CP No: 1199 (12+) The Fourth State (Thriller) Cast: Moritz Bleibtreu, Kasia Smutniak, Max Riemelt 4:00, 10:00 & 11:55pm; CP No: 1214 (12+) Gravity (Drama/Sci-ﬁ /Thriller) Cast: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, 6:00pm; CP No: 1174 (12+) Escape Plan (Action /Thriller) (12+) Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Shwarzenegger, 50 Cent 2:00 & 8:00pm; CP No: 1175 (12+) Upside Down (Drama/Fantasy/ Romance) Cast: Jim Sturgess, Kirsten Dunst and Timothy Spall 2:00 & 6:00pm; CP No: 1215 (PG) Switch (III) (Action) Cast: Andy Lau and Chiling Lin 4:00pm; CP No: 1182 (12+)

Film Information - 24540856 / Advance Booking - 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinema.net

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Bhai (Telugu) (Action/Comedy/Drama) Cast: Nagarjuna, Gangopadayay, Sonu Sood & Kamna 3:30pm (Cinema 1) 6:45 & 9:45pm (Cinema 2) Sringara Velan (Mal) (Comedy/Romance) Cast: Dileep, Vedhika, Lal, Baburaj, Ambika Mohan 6:30 & 9:30pm (Cinema 1) 3:45pm (Cinema 2) Vanakkam Chennai (Tamil) Cast: Shiva, Santhanam, Priya, Urvashi, 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45pm (Cinema 3) Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus (Mal) Cast: Mammootty, Honey Rose 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45pm (Cinema 4)

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

ACES ON BRIDGE

Two chances; did the card drop?

SUDOKU

9 5 2 3 7 8 2 1 7 6 8 2 3 8 4 6 1 6 4

3 1 9 5 9 6 4 1 7 7 1 9 4 2

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

7 1 8 4 6 5

6 5 2 9 3 7

3 4 9 8 2 1

2 3 5 7 8 4

9 6 7 5 1 2

1 8 4 6 9 3

8 7 3 1 5 9

4 2 6 3 7 8

3 8 6 9 4 5 2 1 7 9 1 7 6 3 2 4 5 8 2 4 5 1 8 7 6 9 3 Previous puzzle Solution

MARMADUKE

CROSSWORD

B I G NAT E

ACROSS 1 Mid-Atlantic st. 4 Emerald or topaz 7 The original Stoic 11 Sherpa’s sighting 12 Pitcher’s stat 13 Sufficient, in verse 14 Luau strummers 16 They let you bank on Sun. 17 Change colours 18 Wire 20 Half a dangerous ﬂy 21 Math ﬁgure 23 Signal one’s consent 26 Samples soup 27 House timber 28 Mollycoddle 31 Pub brews 33 Comply with a command 34 Fissure 35 Cave, perhaps 36 Conform 38 For shame! 41 Rome’s river 43 Jazz pianist — Blake

45 47 49 50 51 52

Geishas’ sashes Very alarming Gloom’s partner PC key Familiar auth. Oxbridge academics 53 Rural addr. 54 Wetland DOWN 1 Fakes out, on the rink 2 Chopin piece 3 Floating ﬂower 4 Toothpaste type 5 Puts up 6 African tribe 7 Enthusiasm, plus 8 Political alliance 9 — de plume 10 Startled cries 11 Nomad dwelling 15 Like “The Twilight Zone” 19 “10” actress 22 Spring mo. 24 Not just my 25 Tooth pro’s deg. 26 Mole, sometimes

27 28 29 30 31 32

Pfc. boss Bean hull Vigoda or Fortas Bring up Teacup rim Last word in fairy tales 34 Most unusual 36 Tummy muscle 37 Table

38 Steakhouse order (hyph.) 39 Pop’s Carly or Paul 40 Lament loudly 42 Dogmas 44 Mil. branch 45 Peculiar 46 Opposite of cheer 48 Poker card

Answer to previous puzzle

JEFF Foxworthy, famous for his redneck jokes, said, “The designated-driver program is not a desirable job. But if you ever get sucked into doing it, have fun with it. At the end of the night, drop them off at the wrong house.” Bridge players drop tricks with wrong plays, both as declarer and — much more often — on defence. Also, key-cards can drop. For example, you have nine cards missing only the queen. The percentage play (just) is to cash the ace and king, hoping the queen will drop. In this deal, where is the drop? South is in three no-trump. West leads the heart queen. What should declarer do? North used Stayman to try to find a 4-4 spade fit, then settled for three no-trump. South starts with six top tricks: one spade, one heart, two diamonds and two clubs. But since the heart ace will have been dislodged by trick two, declarer must take the next eight tricks after that. He is faced with three finesses — in spades, diamonds and clubs. Which should he take? The typical deal has only two finesses. Then you should play for the drop in the suit with the greater number of cards (or more top tricks). If the missing honour appears, fine; if not, finesse in the other suit. Here, South has even more chances. He should cash the four minor-suit tops ending in his hand. If either queen drops, the contract is home. Here, though, neither appears. So South finesses in spades, running the 10, then running the queen, then playing low to dummy’s jack. Finally, something works. — By Phillip Alder

5 9 1 2 4 6

BORN LOSER

WITH LOVE

CHARUMITHRA RAVISANKAR

ALISBA AKMAL

October 29, 2012

October 29, 2011

NANDHU SHYJU

FEMIDA SALIM

MUSKAN WASEEM

October 29, 2009

October 29, 2007

October 28

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to extra@timesofoman.com

KIDSPOT

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

C10

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

FIND-IT-ALL Y O U R B I R T H D AY

BORN today, you are not always wise enough to keep your mouth shut when you are supposed to, nor are you the kind to keep mum when your feelings or opinions are bubbling the surface, begging to be let free into the world. While this may cause you some trouble in life, the truth is that your honesty — called “bluntness” by many — will be one of your single greatest tools in life, and you can maximise your chances of success simply by remaining true to your nature and voicing your opinions at nearly every opportunity. You cling to your instincts at all times, and trust them always. You don’t always say things that are inappropriate, however. Often you share not only what others want to hear, but what they need to hear as well. You have a knack for identifying the central issue in almost any situation, and you can instruct others accordingly. Also born on this date are: Winona Ryder, actress; Finola Hughes, actress; Fanny Brice, comedian; Melba Moore, singer; Kate Jackson, actress; Richard Dreyfuss, actor; Bill Mauldin, political and military cartoonist.

PRAYER TIMINGS

W E AT H E R

SAGITTARIUS S

Max

OMAN

WORLD

Max 38 Min 28 Max 15 Min 5

Max 31 Min 16

Max 35 Min 28 Max 23 Min 12

Max 34 Min 29

Max 21 Min 13

Max 41 Min 26

Max 42 Min 29

Max 41 Min 26

Max 36 Min 29

Max 33 Min 22

Max 28 Min 25

You have the feeling that someone near you can teach you a great deal about something that could prove quite lucrative.

CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19] Something new begins in a way that has you wondering why you haven’t been doing this all along! Prospects are bright and bounteous.

AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18] You may have to hide one or two personal facts until you have won someone else’s trust and conﬁdence. Then you can let it all out.

PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20] You’ll be asked to do more than you had originally agreed to, but your involvement is sure to be rewarding for all.

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19] You may not feel as though you are playing up to par, but in fact you are doing better than most others expected under the circumstances.

Max 18 Min 12

[APRIL 20-MAY 20] You are able to communicate quite well with someone whom others ﬁnd rather distant and mysterious. You have a great deal in common!

GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20] You may ﬁnd it difficult to support someone whose methods are so different from your own, even though your motives are identical.

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22] You will want to have an alternative plan ready to go, just in case your primary plan of attack goes awry for any reason.

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22] You must be honest and straightforward if you expect others to trust you and join in a communal effort you are leading.

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22] You may have a long drive ahead of you. There’s no reason, however, you can’t take the scenic route.

LIBRA L [[SEPT. [S S 23-OCT. 22] Your endeavors are sure to be compared with those of someone very much like you, especially when they begin to yield results.

Max 26 Min 15

Min

GULF Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh

32 32 33 30 27 22

23 22 25 16 23 16

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

19 27 15 15 26 27 30 12 27 21 15 31 11 23 34 31 18 22

10 12 3 3 12 13 23 3 22 15 3 23 1 13 16 23 14 13

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

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

20:50

Daily

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

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

10:25

Daily

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

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

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

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

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

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

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

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 TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:50

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

TAURUS

Max 21 Min 12

—www.met.gov.om

[[NOV. 22-DEC. 21]

Sunset Sunrise (Tomorrow) High tide Low tide

11:32pm 4:52pm

5.37pm 6.11am 10:38am 5:20am

SEA STATE: Slight over the most of Oman’s coasts with maximum wave height of 1.0 metre. HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate. THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Mainly clear skies over most of the Sultanate. Chances of early morning low level clouds or fog patches over the coastal areas of southeastern coast and Al-Wusta governorate.

[[OCT. 23-NOV. 21] You want something that has been denied you in the past, but things change. Today you have a feeling the odds are in your favour.

11.56pm 3.10pm 5.35pm 6.47pm 4.55am

AIRLINES

ainly clear skies over most of the Sultanate with chance of cloud developments over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining areas during afternoon. And chances of early morning low level clouds or fog patches over the coastal areas of southeastern coast and Al-Wusta governorate. EXPECTED WIND: Along the coastal areas of Oman sea wind will be northeasterly light to moderate during day becoming variable light at night, and southeasterly light to moderate over the rest of the Sultanate.

SCORPIO S

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

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

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

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

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

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

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

LISTINGS

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715 Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766 Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691 Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740 Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 24537080 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel: 23291635 HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052 Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000 Al Musaﬁr Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital: 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic: 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740 Ceregem National Raak: 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217 Elixir Health Centre: 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre: 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274 Hamdan Hospital: 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100

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

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

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

TUESDAY FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

WY676 WY682 WY816 WY924 BG021 NL768 4H583 EY384 GF560 ET624 EK866 QR1132 FZ041 TK778 WY412 WY686 WY638 WY902 WY658 WY668 WY644 WY114 WY122 WY692 WY154 WY324 WY674 WY432 WY142 WY132 FZ043 WY602 WY202 WY422 WY102 WY274 PK191 WY236 WY268 G9113 TG507 EK862 WY252 EY382 QR1128 9W530 WY918 WY3302 WY604 WY242 WY904 IX549 IX337 WY606 WY632 WY632 WY906 IX817 WY3304 KU677 QR8550 FZ045 WY656 WY346 WY3922 WY204 WY292 WY328 WY664 WY232 WY610 WY246 WY216 WY284 EY386 GF564 WY3306 SV534 G9117 WY914 WY614 FZ047 WY312 WY224 WY624 AI973 6.00E+81 QR1130 WY386 9W534 WY254 WY814 AI907 WY374 UL205 WY338 BA073 GF566 WY916 EY388 AI985 WY662 QR1134 LX242 WY717 WY654 LH618 WY612 9W540 WY696 WY406 WY636 WY648

WEDNESDAY ETA

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

JEDDAH 0005 RIYADH 0010 BANGKOK 0010 SALALAH 0035 DACCA/CHITTAGONG 0130 LAHORE 0130 DACCA 0130 ABU DHABI 0330 BAHRAIN 0335 ADDIS ABABA 0350 DUBAI 0355 DOHA 0405 DUBAI 0415 ISLAM ABBAD/BAHRAIN 0605 AMMAN 0610 RIYADH 0645 ABU DHABI 0645 SALALAH 0655 BAHRAIN 0700 DOHA 0700 KUWAIT 0705 FRANKFURT 0705 MUNICH 0705 DAMMAM 0715 ZURICH 0720 KARACHI 0720 JEDDAH 0725 TEHRAN 0730 MALPENSA 0740 PARIS 0750 DUBAI 0800 DUBAI 0800 BOMBAY 0805 BEIRUT 0820 LONDON-HEATHROW 0820 JAIPUR 0850 GWADUR 0910 HYDERABAD 0910 LUCKNOW 0915 SHARJAH 0915 BANGKOK/KARACHI 0935 DUBAI 0940 MADRAS 0940 ABU DHABI 0955 DOHA 1010 TRIVANDRUM 1035 KHASAB 1045 MUKHAIZNA 1045 DUBAI 1105 DELHI 1220 SALALAH 1225 TRIVANDRUM 1230 CALICUT 1305 DUBAI 1330 ABU DHABI 1345 ABU DHABI 1345 SALALAH 1425 MANGALORE/ABU DHABI 1440 MUKHAIZNA 1445 KUWAIT 1525 DOHA 1530 DUBAI 1545 BAHRAIN 1555 ISLAM ABBAD 1600 JAALUNI 1700 BOMBAY 1700 CALICUT 1705 LAHORE 1715 DOHA 1725 HYDERABAD 1740 DUBAI 1740 DELHI 1745 TRIVANDRUM 1750 BANGALORE 1805 ABU DHABI 1810 BAHRAIN 1810 MUKHAIZNA 1845 RIYADH 1900 SHARJAH 1915 SALALAH 1930 DUBAI 2025 DUBAI 2055 CHITTAGONG 2115 COCHIN 2120 DUBAI 2120 DELHI 2125 BOMBAY 2130 DOHA 2135 MALE 2135 COCHIN 2140 MADRAS 2145 BANGKOK 2150 MADRAS 2200 COLOMBO 2210 COLOMBO 2225 KATHMANDU 2235 LONDON-HEATHROW/ABU DHABI 2240 BAHRAIN 2240 SALALAH 2245 ABU DHABI 2300 AHMEDABAD/BOMBAY 2310 DOHA 2315 DOHA 2320 ZURICH/DUBAI 2320 ZANZIBAR/DARESSLAM 2325 BAHRAIN 2325 FRANKFURT/ABU DHABI 2330 DUBAI 2330 BOMBAY 2340 DAMMAM 2355 CAIRO 2355 ABU DHABI 2355 KUWAIT 2355

WY676 WY682 WY816 WY924 WY824 BG021 4H581 TK776 EY384 GF560 ET624 EK866 QR1132 FZ041 WY686 WY638 WY902 WY658 WY668 WY672 WY644 CV856 WY692 WY324 WY674 FZ043 WY602 WY202 WY102 NL768 WY274 WY236 G9113 WY342 WY226 WY212 WY252 EK862 EY382 QR1128 9W530 WY604 WY822 WY332 WY242 WY904 WY3302 WY918 IX337 WY606 WY632 WY906 FZ045 WY346 PA450 WY3304 WY204 WY292 WY264 WY664 WY610 WY284 WY232 QR1126 WY246 WY434 GF564 WY144 G9117 WY614 FZ047 AI977 WY152 KL441 WY312 WY624 AI973 6.00E+81 QR1130 9W534 WY254 AI907 WY414 WY914 UL205 GF566 BA073 WY916 WY134 WY406 EY388 AI985 WY124 WY662 QR1134 LX242 WY717 WY654 WY116 WY612 LH618 9W540 WY928 WY648 WY636 WY696

JEDDAH 0005 RIYADH 0010 BANGKOK 0010 SALALAH 0035 KUALA LUMPUR 0045 DACCA/CHITTAGONG 0130 DACCA/CHITTAGONG 0130 ISTANBUL/BAHRAIN 0300 ABU DHABI 0330 BAHRAIN 0335 ADDIS ABABA 0350 DUBAI 0355 DOHA 0405 DUBAI 0415 RIYADH 0645 ABU DHABI 0650 SALALAH 0655 BAHRAIN 0700 DOHA 0700 MEDINA 0705 KUWAIT 0705 LUXORE 0715 DAMMAM 0715 KARACHI 0720 JEDDAH 0725 DUBAI 0800 DUBAI 0800 BOMBAY 0805 LONDON-HEATHROW 0820 LAHORE 0830 JAIPUR 0850 HYDERABAD 0910 SHARJAH 0915 LAHORE 0920 COCHIN 0925 TRIVANDRUM 0930 MADRAS 0940 DUBAI 0940 ABU DHABI 0955 DOHA 1010 TRIVANDRUM 1035 DUBAI 1105 KUALA LUMPUR 1105 KATHMANDU 1210 DELHI 1220 SALALAH 1225 MUKHAIZNA 1230 KHASAB 1230 CALICUT 1305 DUBAI 1330 ABU DHABI 1345 SALALAH 1425 DUBAI 1545 ISLAM ABBAD 1600 LAHORE 1630 MUKHAIZNA 1630 BOMBAY 1700 CALICUT 1705 LUCKNOW 1715 DOHA 1725 DUBAI 1740 BANGALORE 1740 HYDERABAD 1740 DOHA 1745 DELHI 1745 TEHRAN 1805 BAHRAIN 1810 MALPENSA 1900 SHARJAH 1915 DUBAI 2025 DUBAI 2055 BANGALORE/HYDERABAD 2105 ZURICH 2110 AMSTERDAM/DOHA 2115 CHITTAGONG 2115 DUBAI 2120 DELHI 2125 BOMBAY 2130 DOHA 2135 COCHIN 2140 MADRAS 2145 MADRAS 2200 AMMAN 2200 SALALAH 2205 COLOMBO 2225 BAHRAIN 2240 LONDON-HEATHROW/ABU DHABI 2240 SALALAH 2245 PARIS 2250 CAIRO 2250 ABU DHABI 2300 AHMEDABAD/BOMBAY 2310 MUNICH 2310 DOHA 2315 DOHA 2320 ZURICH/DUBAI 2320 ZANZIBAR/DARESSLAM 2325 BAHRAIN 2325 FRANKFURT 2325 DUBAI 2330 FRANKFURT/ABU DHABI 2330 BOMBAY 2340 SALALAH 2350 KUWAIT 2355 ABU DHABI 2355 DAMMAM 2355

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

AI986 QR1135 LX243 BA072 0025 SG062 9W539 LH619 WY251 WY267 WY685 WY201 WY431 WY235 WY691 WY643 WY273 WY601 WY901 WY657 WY323 WY637 NL769 WY667 4H584 BG022 ET625 EK867 FZ042 WY241 QR1133 EY385 TK779 WY3301 GF561 WY917 WY813 WY603 WY903 FZ044 WY345 WY823 WY291 WY215 PK192 G9114 WY815 WY231 WY327 WY905 WY283 WY385 WY373 WY605 WY631 WY245 WY717 WY203 WY311 EY383 EK863 WY3303 QR1129 9W533 WY655 WY337 WY3921 WY223 WY253 WY663 IX554 WY101 IX350 WY609 WY609 WY405 WY3305 WY913 IX818 KU678 FZ046 WY675 QR8551 WY613 WY623 WY915 WY647 WY681 GF565 EY387 WY653 WY661 WY695 WY821 G9118 SV534 WY923 WY611 TG508 WY635 FZ048 WY671 9W529 QR1131 6.00E+82 WY673 AI908 AI974 GF567 UL206 EY381

BOMBAY 0005 DOHA 0020 DUBAI/ZURICH 0020 ABU DHABI/LONDON-HEATHROW

AI986 QR1135 LX243 BA072 0025 9W539 LH619 WY251 WY685 WY211 WY225 WY201 WY151 WY235 WY643 WY691 WY601 WY273 WY901 WY133 WY115 WY123 WY657 WY341 WY323 WY637 WY667 WY143 4H582 BG022 TK777 ET625 EK867 FZ042 WY241 QR1133 EY385 GF561 WY3301 WY603 WY903 FZ044 CV856 WY263 WY345 WY291 NL769 WY917 G9114 WY283 WY815 WY231 WY905 WY605 WY631 WY245 WY311 WY717 WY203 EY383 EK863 QR1129 9W533 WY331 WY433 WY3303 WY253 WY405 WY413 WY663 WY663 WY101 IX350 WY927 WY609 FZ046 WY675 WY613 PA451 WY913 WY623 WY647 WY915 QR1127 WY681 GF565 WY661 WY654 WY695 G9118 WY825 WY611 WY635 WY923 FZ048 AI978 KL442 WY817 9W529 QR1131 6.00E+82 WY673 AI908 AI974 GF567 UL206 EY381

BOMBAY 0005 DOHA 0020 DUBAI/ZURICH 0020 ABU DHABI/LONDON-HEATHROW

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

ETD

0030 0040 0050 0115 0120 0120 0130 0130 0145 0150 0150 0155 0155 0200 0220 0220 0230 0230 0230 0245 0300 0450 0455 0500 0510 0520 0525 0655 0715 0745 0745 0805 0805 0820 0840 0920 0925 0925 0930 0955 0955 1010 1015 1020 1020 1020 1025 1025 1030 1035 1035 1040 1040 1040 1055 1055 1115 1115 1135 1150 1205 1315 1320 1320 1330 1330 1340 1405 1440 1440 1440 1515 1525 1530 1625 1630 1635 1700 1705 1820 1840 1840 1845 1855 1910 1920 1920 1930 1935 1955 2000 2030 2030 2040 2050 2140 2230 2240 2245 2245 2250 2300 2310 2325 2335 2350

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

ETA

ETD

0040 0050 0115 0120 0120 0125 0130 0145 0145 0150 0150 0155 0155 0200 0210 0210 0215 0220 0220 0220 0230 0230 0230 0245 0300 0350 0450 0455 0500 0510 0520 0525 0745 0800 0805 0820 0840 0845 0920 0920 0925 0930 0930 0955 1000 1010 1015 1020 1030 1035 1035 1040 1040 1040 1055 1055 1115 1135 1205 1205 1300 1320 1325 1325 1330 1330 1340 1405 1430 1440 1630 1635 1705 1730 1800 1820 1840 1840 1845 1845 1855 1920 1920 1930 1955 2030 2030 2050 2125 2140 2200 2225 2235 2240 2245 2245 2250 2300 2310 2325 2335 2350

C12

T U E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

EXTRA B O L LY W O O D

At 71, Bachchan hits the gym everyday AMITABH BACHCHAN does not associate himself with lethargy and the exhaustion that comes with age. He still makes it a point to workout at the gym every day. In a post on his blog Sunday, Big B talked about the struggle behind him going to the gym and how he tries not to miss it. “Despite the pain, despite the inconsistency, despite the ‘aalasya’ — the lethargy of human, despite all else — the push to gym, come what may,” Bachchan posted late Sunday night. “Bear it, struggle with it, allow it to tear into the body, scream out the music with effort —and conclude with that something satisfaction of ﬁghting an oddity,” the 71-year-old added. The pain and the struggle of going to the gym motivates him to go back the next day as well. “Be that as it may, the following day there shall be effort again. Stubbornness — yes! At least in some respects, but the ultimate gain shall remain - of having continued even when there was no evidence of any prescribed continuity,” he said. On the work front, Bachchan is currently hosting the seventh season of quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati that comes on Sony.

PLUNDERING SCIENCE, BONE BY BONE Palaeontologists are calling for the patchwork of laws on dinosaur stealing and smuggling to be enforced and tightened around the world

t is the dinosaur version of grave robbing — fossil poachers plundering a palaeontological dig, frequently smashing ancient skulls and stealing valuable teeth, claws and feet. Often, all that remain are shards of fossilised bone and a wrecked, irreplaceable scientific record. And in cases where poachers excavate an entire skeleton and spirit it away to illicit entrepreneurs or collectors, it is as if the bones, buried for millions of years, were being dug up only to be hidden away again in private collections. “This is huge,” said Catherine A. Forster, a palaeontologist at George Washington University who is president of the Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology. “It isn’t just one or two specimens. A fair proportion of very good fossils just disappear from knowledge, and few are ever seen again.” And while some scientists hoped that a high-profile legal case in New York last year over the $ 1 million sale of a rare Mongolian dinosaur would curb the illegal digging, that does not appear to have happened. Mark A. Norell, chairman of paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, said a visit to the Gobi Desert over the summer made clear that poaching continues “in a big way.” Philip J. Currie, a palaeontologist at the University of Alberta, says he has determined that 98 skeletons of the dinosaur Tarbosaurus bataar (sometimes called Tyrannosaurus bataar) were destroyed or removed by poachers in Mongolia. Fewer than a dozen are in scientific hands,

he says. And he has counted many other plundered fossil skeletons from the Gobi, including 86 ostrichlike dinosaurs. (It has been illegal to remove fossils from Mongolia since the 1920s.) Although the age of the dinosaurs lasted about 165 million years, their skeletons are relatively uncommon: only about 3,000 are known to exist. About 1,300 dinosaur species have been identiﬁed, Norell said. Palaeontologists say they are not taking aim at professional fossil ﬁnders, who work within the law and dig carefully. They are calling for the patchwork of laws on dinosaur stealing and smuggling to be enforced and tightened around the world, and they are pleading with private collectors to demand proof of a fossil’s origins before they buy — just as they would question the pedigree of a painting or an antique. Otherwise, the scientists say, valuable entries in the Earth’s

Although the age of the dinosaurs lasted about 165 million years, their skeletons are relatively uncommon: only about 3,000 are known to exist

book of life will be lost forever, including information about exactly where the fossils were found, what geological formation the creatures were in, how they were lying in the ground, how they were discovered and precisely when they lived, not to mention what surrounded them at death. “I’m saying, ‘Ask for provenance’,” Norell said. The Association of Applied Palaeontological Sciences, a professional group representing private commercial fossil collectors and dealers, is also encouraging its members to educate themselves and the public on the legality of the specimens. The modern-day fossil rush began in earnest after the Field Museum in Chicago paid $ 8.36 million in 1997 for Sue, the most complete T. rex skeleton ever found, said Kenshu Shimada, a professor at DePaul University in Chicago who is chairman of government affairs at the palaeontology society. Shortly after, the phenomenon of online buying and selling through sites like eBay took off, opening up global markets for fossils. Shimada said the society became so concerned about the extent of the illegal dinosaur trade that it made a survey of “palaeo hot spots,” gathering information from 20 countries about where fossils are, what laws govern them and how the laws are enforced. Currie said the Nemegt Basin, in the Gobi Desert, is a particular concern. It is one of the two best dinosaur sites on the planet, he said, with a diverse range of fossils and thousands of footprints. The 70 million-year-old T. bataar, for

example, was an Asian relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, and was one of the last dinosaurs to evolve, one of the most sophisticated and one of the most dangerous — yet much of its life cycle remains unknown. “One of the most spectacular sites for understanding dinosaurs in the world is now being destroyed by poachers,” Currie said. The dream, he said, is to explore the basin as an ancient ecosystem, learning how dinosaurs interacted with one another and their environment. Many puzzles remain. For example, scientists would expect to ﬁnd far more plant-eating dinosaurs than meat eaters in one layer of the basin, yet the remains of carnivores predominate. Why? While the Mongolian government’s successful lawsuit over the T. bataar skeleton did not end poaching, it has had other effects. The sale was voided, and the smuggler, Eric Prokopi, a fossil dealer from Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in a criminal proceeding and awaits sentencing. The skeleton was returned to Mongolia in May. As a result, the country has set up its ﬁrst dinosaur museum, in the capital, Ulan Bator, with the repatriated skeleton as the starring attraction, said Minjin Bolortsetseg, its new chief palaeontologist. Twentytwo more Mongolian fossils are due to be repatriated soon. But Bolortsetseg said that until the Mongolian government protects fossil sites, involves local governments in policing them and educates the public about the historical value of the fossils, the looting is unlikely to stop. —ALANNA MITCHELL/The New York Times News Service

‘Neecha Nagar’ ignored, Kamini Kaushal upset VETERAN ACTRESS Kamini Kaushal is deeply disturbed by the fact that despite Neecha Nagar being the first Indian film to get the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival, it was not mentioned in the 100 years celebrations of Indian cinema presented at the prestigious film fest in French Riviera this year. “My first Film Neecha Nagar is India’s first film to get awarded at Cannes film festival but I really felt bad when Bollywood celebrated its 100 golden years and didn’t even mention its name,” Kamini said Sunday at an event organised to pay tribute to late singer Manna Dey. Director Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1946. The actress claims that Bollywood seems to have forgotten the veterans and their contribution to cinema. “If Bollywood has forgotten its base, which contributed in the making of this golden era, it’s regretful,” the 86-year-old said. With almost 90 films in her filmography, the actress teamed up with top actors like Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar in her heydays and featured in films like Shaheed, Nadiya Ke Paar, and Biraj Bahu. She was last seen in Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express.

No honour befitting for SRK: Karan Johar FILMMAKER Karan Johar says his friend and colleague Shah Rukh Khan is such a dynamic personality that no matter how many honours he gets, they will never be enough. Shah Rukh was recently named India’s Most Attractive Personality in a survey carried out by the Trust Research Advisory. “He is dynamic, attractive and he is one of the finest actors this country has seen. No matter how many honours he receives, they are less,” the 41-year-old said at the launch of Mandira Bedi’s sari store. Having completed 25 years in the industry, Shah Rukh will celebrate his 48th birthday on November 2. “He has reached the pinnacle and I think his love (love of his fans) just continues to grow with every passing year,” said the filmmaker. —IANS

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M T U E S DAY, O C T O B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

SECTION

CONNEC T H E D A I LY G U I D E

RENT

VACANCY

CARGO

ADVERTISE NOW! 24726666 EXT: 461 / 413 /430 / 431 / 456

T U E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

New Building in Wadikabir (near Indian Primary School) 2 bedrooms RO 300/-, 1 Bedroom RO 270/-. Contact 93333352 Commercial/ Residential 2 BHK at Honda Road. Contact 98087644 1 Bedroom RO100, 1 Bedroom attached toilet RO 140, 2 Bedrooms attached kitchen & toilet RO 200 in Al Khuwair. Contact 95154331

For Rent 1500 Sqm Industrial land in Rusail Industrial area, behind Rusail Hotel. Contact 99729858 / 99717791 Ready to use office/Showroom space in Qurum, main road facing & excellent location available for rent. Contact: 92944717

Shop at Mawalah, behind City Center. Contact 98087644 Full furnished room for rent weekly 70 OMR, Monthly 250 OMR. Contact 99251975

2 Bedrooms, Kitchen and Bath for families or Executive bachelors in Ruwi Market. Contact Saidalavi 94109909 (evening)

Flat for rent in Wadikabir. Contact 96440598

Spacious 2 BR ﬂat in Wadikabir. Contact 99713489

Showroom / Office space in MBD. Contact 99713489

3 BHK ﬂat for rent @ Grand Mall. Contact 99855795

2 BHK for rent in North Darsait. Contact 94101134

Office Space for rent near Royal Hospital Ghala. Contact 99855795

Room for rent near Al Khuwair r/a executive, Indian bachelor. Contact 96570364

Twin Villa in Al Mabela South near the Health center, 2 Majlis, 4 Sitting rooms, 12 Bedrooms, 2 kitchens, 2 stores. Handover 1/1/2014. Contact 99383359 2 BHK with Split AC in Bariq Al Shatti. Contact 96708000 1BHK / 2BHK, flats at Muttrah, near Oman House. Contact 93231403 2 big new flat in Al Amerat (Al Mahaj) 1 flat 4 BR, 4 toilet & kitchen with AC, Second flat 3BR, 3 toilets, kitchen with AC. #99339735

House for rent in ruwi 2 bedroom 2 bathroom, kitchen, Majlis, for 330 RO. Contact 96306242 1, 2 BHK, opp. Oman House R.O200/- &260/-. Contact 95076261 Villa in Al Amerat, 1/5, one ﬂoor, contains 3 bedrooms + Majlis + kitchen + 3 toilets. Contact 95522405 3BHK ﬂat for rent in Ghubra. Contact 99792181

1 BHK Flat in Ghubra, near sea prime Location. Contact 93782735 2BHK flat for rent in Wadi Adai, main road. Contact 99792181 Studio flat for rent in Ruwi. Contact 99792181 2 BHK flat for rent in Ruwi. Contact 99792181 2 BR luxury fully furnished in Azaiba, Al Khuwair 33, Madinat Qaboos. 1 BR luxury fully furnished at Madinat Qaboos, Al Khuwair. 5 BR fully furnished at Madinat Al Ilam. Contact Atlas Real Estate & Rent a Car LLC : 99429069 / 99436312 / 92888376, email : info@alshahiintl.com 2 Brand New Luxurious Villas (no 411 and 413) for rent in Azaiba. Each Villa with 6 bedrooms, servant Quarters, 2 kitchens with all modern Amenities which includes split A/C, Dish washers, oven etc, Way no 4491 / 4405. Contact 99462980 2 rooms flat Ghoubrah near Muscat Grand mall, opp Oasis rental RO 280/- Monthly. Contact 95395480 170 sqm covered workshop Ideal for Carpentry/ Aluminum/ Steel workshop at Wadikabir (near Al Ansari Ware House). Contact 93216645 / 99375638

New ﬂat for rent, Wadi Adai, 2 bedrooms big, two big hall, big kitchens. Contact 99345137 Big shop for rent at Wadi Adai. Contact 99345137 Shop and store in Mabaila. Contact 99355330 2BHK available Ghubra near Indian School. Contact 99269751 Flat near Muscat Indian School Darsait. Contact 99344738 Shops, Basement Store, Wadi Al Kabeer. Contact 99441193 / 93004802 Fully furnished ﬂat at Al Khuwair 33. Contact 99339078 Newly constructed villa (4 bath attached bedrooms + 1 bath attached Majlis + 1 hall + 1 kitchen). All rooms having split unit A/C, near Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, South Ghubra. Contact 99277221 1 BHK Ghubra 250 RO. Contact 92144045 2 BHK at North Azaiba 2 bedrooms, 1 hall & dining, kitchen 3 bathrooms from 1st November. Contact 99224748 / 99425665 Flat for rent in Wadi Kabir, opp. Srilankan School R.O 260/-. Contact 96674891

Fully furnished apartments for Rent in Al-Khuwair and Ghubra. Contact 95113252 or 91138757 1 , 2,3 BHK Flats & Villa from Wadikabir to Azaiba. Contact 91162431 2 BHK with split AC, near ISM Darsait. Contact 92144045 1 BHK ﬂat Wadi kabeer 160/-. Contact 99358589 / 97079146

Spacious Villa at MSQ- 4 Bedrooms, 2 Majlis, 2 Kitchens, 2 External room, Spacious Garden area- Ideal for Kinter Garden School. Contact 24566217 / 24564686

1 BHK ﬂat available for rent on Honda Road, Ruwi. Contact 99367448

3 BHK big ﬂat in Qurum. Contact 92144045

Deluxe 2BHK R.O 400 and 4BHK RO 650 in Al falaj Area {OPP KIMS}. Cont. 9901 5614

1 BHK with AC MBD area. Contact 92144045 Flat two bedroom and sitting, 2 toilet with a/c, rent 350/-R.O in Walja new building. Contact 99622885 Office & Retail Space available – Alasfoor Plaza, Qurum. Contact 24566217/ 24564686 3 Bedroom Villa with Maid room at Qurum 16. Contact 24566217 / 24564686 Flat for rent with 2 Bedroom + Majlis+2 toilets in South Ghubra. Contact 99373728 2 BHK ﬂats available at MBD area and shop space available in Al Khoudh market area & Wadi Adi areas. Contact 24834644 / 93994402 / 93994403 1 BHK ﬂat Wadikabeer 240/-. Contact 99358589 / 97079146 Extension for rent in South of AlMabalh 110 RO Comprehensive electricity and water. Contact 99227192

New ﬂat in Azaiba. Contact 24485240 / 24485241

Shops at Wadikabir. #99893363 Store at Wadikabir. Contact 92844996 2 & 3 BHK ﬂat near Srilanka School in Wadi kaber 230 & 270 RO. Contact 92222922 Free Wi-Fi CBD area furnished room for non cooking bachelor, advance deposit. Contact - 99078540 Land for rent in fanja (16000 m2) opposite police station for information contact: 92823100 Flats, shops, basement location Ruwi area to MBD area, Honda road Hamriya.Contact 92433127 / 97293708 Shops and showroom on rent in prime location Ruwi .# 97115920 Shop in Al - Khuwair for sale 2700 RO and low rent at prime location. Contact : 95407510 & 92932809 2 BHK near Oman House behind Khimji H.O. Contact 95865686

T U E S DAY, O C T O B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

DAILY GUIDE

NRI

FOR SALE

WANTED 3 BHK ﬂat, 2400 sq ft, ready to occupy at K.R.Puram Bangalore. Contact- 96568583 Land for sale –Kerala 4 housing plots for sale (15cents each) in Kuzhoor (Kerala-Trichur District-near Mala – Valiaparambu) immediate sale for Rs. 1.75 lakhs per cent. Contact 99101676 Plot for sale adjacent seaport airport road plots also in Tripunithura Eroor Vennala Kakkandu Pallikara. Contact George 93577835 / 99363391 DBHK ﬂat for rent Ayanawaram, Chennai NRI. Contact 99354340 / 9840582788 3BHK brand new semi furnished ready to occupy kakkanad kochi. Contact 24700174

BUYING/SELLING Office & House hold Furniture & Electronics items. Contact 99834373/96642500 Good Quality Wooden Kicking blocks available 1.2 mtr & 2.6 mtr length. Contact ahastco123@yahoo. com , Ph: 99318152 Wanted for purchase a medium size licensed poultery farm in Seeb or Barka areas. Contact + (968) 99315293/+ (968) 95884763 We Buy all types of Wooden Scraps. mail- ahastco123@yahoo. com , Ph: 24458759/ 98539316/ 99318152

FOR RENT

Oil paintings For sale.# 99737812 Shops with Built in Mezzanine, Ideal for Wholesale, Showroom facility for immediate sale: location Al Ghubra. Contact 99345554 / 92955874 Fully furnished and installed CCTV, Network shop at Fun Zone Centre, Qurum ideal for computer mobile, perfume shop. Also available 3 visa clearance. Contact 99039650 Baby stroller 6 months old for sale. Contact 99855203 Shop for sale in Al Hamriyah. Contact 97333005 Attractive furnished shop for sale in Ruwi. Contact 92260186 / 92292490 Industrial Land 5000 SQT. Contact 99323957 / 95490842 3 Phase Hydraulic Hose pressing Machine, Brand new Finland P-32 RO 4500/-. Contact 96117690 Well furnished big shop for sale in Ghala. Contact 96653000 Mobile shop for sales includes, cupboards, display units, cash counter, CCTV, six cameras, furnish store, split A/Cs and mobile accessories stock also available for sale. Location Al Hail. Contact 97366673 /94169912/ 24551196 Successful running business company for sale. Contact 97240992 Email : meena20004@yahoo.com Three window A/Cs, furniture, kid’s cycle, Samsung home theatre for sale. Contact 95647872 Shop near Fathima supermarket building Rex road. Contact 99070860 Well established beauty parlor running successfully for 10+ years and refurbished 1 year back located at prime location in Al Khoudh main street for sale. Contact 98918189 Electrical, building material shop, behind Bank Sohar Ruwi. Contact 99359698 / 92139418

Sale for Beauty Parlor Mawalih. Contact 95020852 Wallpapers, Carpet, Curtains, all blinds. Contact 99834373/ 96642500 Shop for sale. Contact 96260037 Shop for at Darsait in premier location two shutter 3.8 meters width, and length 11 meters each shutter space suitable for office show room and store. Contact 93676713 / 94333453 1 Month old brand new furniture for sale in Sohar. Contact 91026506 Industrial Land 5000 SQT with an Empty space in front of (opposite to Mountain). Contact 99323957/ 95490842 Furnished Shop for sale in Ruwi. Contact 91143284 / 92260186 / 92292490 An Electrical Tools Shop in Al M’abeela Industrial area is for investment or sale. It has different stuff like fans, Lights and sockets. The shop has 2 new Labour clearances. Contact 98949690 / 92365667 For sale Electrical company Grade D. Contact 93204143 Carpenter work shop sale, Wadi Kabir. Contact 96231700 Warehouse area 1800 sqmt in Wadi Al Kabir for sale. Residential building in Al Ghobra for sale 250.000/R.O. Commercial building in new Ghala for sale 2,500,000/- R.O. Contact 91155779 Camp for sale Including Porta cabin, kitchen & Dining facilities with RO plant. For more information. Contact Nasser 99808067 Porta cabin and Container for sale. Contact 99373256

ACC. AVAILABLE Shops basement-for rent location Ruwi area Honda road, Hamriya. Contact 92433127 /96942749 2/3BHK flat at Al Khuwair/ Al Azaiba/Baushar. Contact 99776071 / 99057348 Shops in Al Ghubrah next to Indian school Ghubrah, Ideal for office space/ warehouse/ Showroom. Contact 99737562 2 BHK Wadikabir & Ruwi. Contact 99024730 New villa at Al Khuwair 33, 6 bed rooms RO950/-Monthly. Contact 99443834 Available 5 bedroom flat with 5 toilets & kitchen for rent in Ruwi. Contact 99316402 Office space 136m in Ruwi. Contact 99316402 Available 2 bedroom flat & 160 m warehouse & 1 showroom for rent at Honda Road. Contact 99316402 1 and 2 BR Brand New Flats in Azaiba. Contact: 96793675

Furnished single room for executive bachelor near Safeer hypermarket, Azaiba. Gsm 99761216

Bath attached room with sharing kitchen for working lady or family in Ghubra. Contact 99342300

Furnished sharing accommodation for family near Fathima shopping Ruwi. Contact 99855203

Single, non cooking, separate toilet opp Safeer Plaza Al Khuwair. Contact 99568122

Sharing accommodation one room with attached bathroom only for bachelor near Ghala khajoor round about. Contact 92248407 / 92830203

Sharing room with attached bathroom for working ladies, near ISD Darsait. Contact 99526851 Office rooms for rent. Contact 24713253 / 99187422

Sharing accommodation available for working lady or couple near Ruwi Church (Kerala only). Contact 96031747

Penthouse room for Executive. Contact 24713253/ 99187422

Well furnished ﬂat for sharing with Executive bachelor male / female near Al Falaj Hotel Ruwi. Contact 97163737

Single room with separate bathroom & bathroom & sharing for Executive bachelor (Keralites preferred), opp. to Makha Hotel Wadi Kabir, near to MBD Khimjis Mart. Contact 99544063

Single room in Muscat with A.C R.O 65/-. Contact: 95094028 Sharing accommodation available for family or Bachelors in Wadikabir, Nr. Kuwaiti Mosque. Contact 92490397

Spacious room independent bathroom in 2BHK ﬂat Darsait for sharing. Contact 96934161 Room for rent in Ruwi. Contact 95372192

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

M.V. FOR SALE

ACC. AVAILABLE 1BHK near Indian Nursery-School WadiKabir - 95234062 Non-cooking Indian bachelor, opp. OK Centre. Contact 95246843 Room for rent in Al Khuwair. Contact 92708300 One semi furnished room with bathroom & kitchen sharing & internet available, opp. Toyota Wathaya. Contact 91094044 2 rooms with bathroom and sharing kitchen near ISWK couple or Executive bachelor. Contact 99330839 Spacious room with A/C for Executive bachelor /working lady in Wadi Kabir, near Kuwaiti mosque. Contact 99720561 Independent Qurum/ Hail rooms. Contact 95529970 Sharing accommodation available for working lady (Kerala only) near Ruwi Church. Contact 96031747 Sharing accommodation available in Al Khuwair area, near Hotel Platinum (opposite Mars Hypermarket). Single room with independent bathroom for Indian Executive bachelors. Contact 93049510

Toyota Corolla 1.6 Xli 2012 like new, under warranty. Contact 93782735 Pajero 2003, no 1 Automatic RO 2800/-. Contact 99384640 Kia opirus 2009 model. Contact 93307973 Lancer 1.3 ltr, 150,000KM, 2006 model good condition. # 99659946 Yaris 2007 Automatic 198000 kms Interior, Exterior excellent condition dealer serviced insurance valid one year RO 2500. #99883991 New Mitsubishi Pajero 3.5 Cool Box 2013 for sale. Contact 97413418 / 93955020

GOOD NEWS

Available Sharing Accommodation in Ruwi, next to K.M Centre separate room and bathroom RO 130/-. Contact 92619102 Sharing accom. available for keralite family in Hamariah nr School. Contact 95221165 Single room with toilet available near Darsait roundabout. #92120626 Rooms/ Store available in WK with attached bathroom for Labor/ Executive/ Bachelor/ Family. Contact 92384963 Single room, non cooking bachelor Rex road. Contact 95747799

2006 Nissan Maxima 85000 kms A/T full power options sunroof RO 2900/-. Expat owned well maintained. Contact 99339025 2009 Model Toyota /Nissan/TCM Diesel/Petrol 1.5/2 Ton fork Lifts in excellent conditions for Immediate sale. Contact 99371732 Toyota Corolla (black), 2008 last model, fully automatic, 11,4000 kms driven, valid mulkia (eight months). . Contact 95729549 / 95801101 Toyota Camry 2003 model1 year Mulkiya. Contact 93806625

MATRIMONIAL Brahmin family seeks a match for their 38, 5’-6”, beautiful, fair, US citizen daughter. Has MBBS and Law degrees. No bars. Highly qualiﬁed and well established professionals. Contact kashyapj1@yahoo.com

Independent room /Kitchen/Bathroom Accommodation available for Indian Executive Bachelor Behind Muscat Bakery-Al Hail North. Contact 93219776 Furnished 1BR with separate bath sharing kitchen with internet OMR 175/-plus maintenance. Contact 93200170

Daihatsu - Granmaz Van-Good condition. # 99545895 / 95451313

Sponsor ship with legal and shop for rent or sale. #99342763 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 joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis etc. Ideal Care Ayurvedic clinic, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 Ayurvedic treatment for backache paralysis arthritis etc. & massage All Season (Vaidyaratnam). # 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 Genuine Ayurvedic treatments &massage, ayuredic clinic Al Khuwair. #24478618/ 97263637/ 97109295

22 years, 160 cm height, Roman Catholic girl from Thrissur District, passed out MBA, seeking suitable alliance from Thrissur or Ernakulum district. Contact 92841175 Keralite Kannur Dist Viswakarma Girl 25 years Ayilyam Staff Nurse Banglore. Contact 98100371 Marriage proposal invited for Sunni Muslim girl from Andhra Pradesh. Please send particulars to mferoz_khan2003@yahoo.com Kerala Cheramar Christian girl, 30, working in Oman us Nurse, proposal invited for suitable alliance. Contact 91312275 Email devasiachandi12@gmail.com Nair boy 28 Makeeram from Palakkad B.Tech working as IT Engineer in Muscat seeks suitable alliance. Contact sudhask79@gmail.com

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact 95199733

Ghubra furnished room + attached bath available. Contact 98267157 Oppo O.K. Centre. Single Room with separate Bathroom for Indian Non-cooking Exe. Bachelor. RO.120/- incl. W&E. Contact 99502581 Oppo O.K. Centre. Single Bed space with attached Bathroom for Indian Non-cooking Exe. Bachelor. RO.75/incl. W&E. Contact 92605811

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation. Contact 99508282

Transportation. Contact 99509283

Transportation. Contact 99664703

Transportation available.# 95068976

Transportation only. #99751397

Transportation. Contact 93405941

Transportation. Contact 99077348

Transportation. Contact 98546606

Graduate driver with car. #98267157

For transport. Contact 92548219

Transportation. Contact 98178135

Transportation Contact 95570429

T U E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION SIT. WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian male 39, Senior Accounts professional having 16+ years exp in ﬁnance, accounting auditing, can join immediately. Contact 94207919 Chartered Accountant from India with 20+ years of progressive experience in Corporate Financing/ Accounting/Audit/Treasury Management/Forex/Fund Mobilization in diverse industries across Geographies (Asia & Africa), seeks suitable placement, Relocation Immediate. Contact - 94374729, +91 9940001123, Email - mnksamuel@hotmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Urgently required Accountant cum Office Admin (female), Sales Executive (female). E-mail: fancyworld@live.com Tel: +968 99776650, 97772502

Chartered Accountant from India, Post Qualiﬁcation experience 21 years, 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

A leading foodstuff company requires the following: Accounts Assistant with 3 years minimum experience in relevant ﬁeld, willing to be assigned in Muscat area. Interested candidates may send their resumes at amcs.om@hotmail.com

15 years experienced Senior Accountant looking for suitable position presently at qatar. indian male 35 years MOB:0097455783515 bijoychamy@gmail.com

ADMIN Urgently required Light vehicle driver (Omani) – 2 nos. with min. 3 yrs experience, Cashier (Omani) - 1 no. with min. 1 yr experience, Designer (any Nationality) with min. 1 yr. experience, Administrative Officer, Omani, 1 yr experience. Candidate who wish to apply requested to send their CVs+ photo ID e-mail : hroman2013@outlook.com Looking for entry-level / executive HR candidate w/ min 6 mos exp. Eng (req) + Arab (asset). Medical exp / JCI accred / DHA MOH reg knowledge (preferred). Email resume to admin@rochesterwellness.com

BEAUTY Wanted Filipino or Indian professional for salon. Contact 99892289 Required Experienced Lady Beauticians And Hairdressers. Call: 95724106. Send CV ediedem@gmail.com

CATERING

2 years experience Accounts Assistant B.Com / MBA Finance knowing Tally seeks suitable placement in Accounts/Admin /Commercial. Contact 98250349

ENGINEERS/TECH Construction Company required Civil Engineer. Contact 93530756 / 94005668 Civil Engineer - Architect & construction exp degree/diploma in Civil Engineer with minimum 3 years Gulf experience & valid Omani driving license, good computer. Send your CV to email address: info@albatnapp.com, Contact 99202531/ 24814132/ 24810133 A reputed Construction company having roads & building projects require: Project Manager, Site Engineer, Civil Foreman. All Should have Oman experience. Send CV: hr_grandlay@yahoo.com

Urgently required for a Hotel apartment in Sohar : (1) Operations Manager - experienced with GCC driving license.(2) Receptionist (male), (3) House-keeping Supervisor. E- mail: noronhagj27@gmail.com

Urgently required a leading Electro Mechanical Contracting company required - MEP Quantity Surveyor with 5 to 7 years GCC experience, MEP Maintenance Supervisor with 7 to 10 years experience and driving license. Email: amitco@omantel.net. om Fax: 0968 – 24489667.

Urgently wanted Waiters & Waitress, Secretary, Painters, Chefs for Hotel in Salalah. Send CV : roy1860@yahoo.com

Urgently required Electrician with DCRP license. Send CV to recruitmentoman001@gmail.com / Contact 99545470

DOMESTIC HELP Looking for a Maid from 8 AM 4.30 PM for a family in Al Khuwair 33. Serious candidate can call in evening. Contact 92289437 Full time Housemaid wanted for a Tamil family in Al Khuwair preferred Tamil /Karela Housemaid. Contact 96595230

DRIVER Wanted Driver with knowledge of electrical and plumbing work. Contact # 99451845 Wanted Indian Driver/ Sales Executive with GCC driving license, visa clearance available. Contact 99215560, Email: bvcsmuscat@gmail.com

EDUCATION Required English language teachers Mathematics and Science in English required to provide educational qualiﬁcation, experience. Email: aleithar@hotmail.com

Experienced Indian male looking for part time accounting job based on Tally ERP9. Contact 96934161

MANAGER Required a young female Omani temporary art gallery Manager. Fluent in spoken, written and reading English. Should possess good communication skill. Contact 24566130 / mobile 94359088

MISC Camp Boss, Qualiﬁcation : Any Degree, Experience : Minimum 3 years. The candidates have hotel maintenance, Health & Hygiene, Food & Safety Experience. Candidate must speak & write English, must be Computer Literate. Contact : 92503125 & 92048058 Land line : 23279474 , Email : hralezco@ hotmail.com

INTERIOR DESIGNER Vacant for interior decoration ﬁeld, Interior decoration Engineer, decoration foreman, artist, painters. ontact 95540786. Email: md@alrasen.com

MEDICAL Required a Pharmacist B Pharm. and Dentist (MOH License Holder) for a reputed polyclinic in Oman. Contact: alrawdahpolyclinic@gmail.com Mob. 99621372, 97076009 Male/ Female Nurses required for a rehabilitation clinic. MOH licensed preferred but nonlicensed can also apply. Attractive Salary. Good English command. Kindly send CV to celestinabartolome@yahoo.com GP Doctor with MOH license wanted for Polyclinic at Maabela South. Contact 98115439

Required Teacher, Qualiﬁcation: B. A. English & B.Ed. English & experience interviews from 8.00 am to 1.00 pm. Contact 24705605 Private school in Al Hail North, looking for computer teacher (female), excellent computer skills. Contact 95339066

Required Nurse and Laboratory Technologist for clinic in Al Buraimi. Send CV to drpkabbas@yahoo.co.in

A reputed construction Co. having projects in Govt & Private Sectors require: Project Engineer, Site Engineer, Civil Foreman. All should have Oman experience. Send CV : jobanestllc@gmail.com

SITUATION SIT. WANTED

Urgently required welder for metal furniture. Contact 93231403

A Leading Polyclinic in Oman looking for a G.P Doctor or any Specialist Doctor with M.O.H License. Interested candidates can send their resume to our email ID: jobsoman0@gmail.com or Fax 24810772 or call 95762646

ENGINEERS/TECH

ACCA member, adv Diploma Accounting & Business (U.K) 24 yrs male, 3 yrs experience tally ERP9, peach tree focus ERP, MS office looking for immediate placement. Contact 97268263

Need a Dentist with M.O.H license in Oman to work in new dental clinic in Shinas. Contact: 99439989 Required Asst. Pharmacist with MOH license for a Pharmacy in Capital area. Contact 92820570

SALES / MARKETING Female Advertising & Media Sales Executives with pleasing personality, engaging communication skills and Oman driving license. Email: deemaild@gmail.com A leading manufacturers of Building Chemicals in Dubai are looking for a Stores/Purchase coordinator with min. 2 years experience in manufacturing industry. Please send your CVs: pur.stores@gicoman.com

SALES / MARKETING Required Marketing Executive for a Art Gallery / Picture framing company. Should be Young & energetic (fresh or experienced) having interest in Art & Photography. Send your CV : lecarde@omantel.net.om Urgently required Field Sales Executives with Omani D/L, good Communication and sales experience. Contact : 96545020 Sales & Marketing Executive exp bachelor degree in business marketing, 3 years experience relation & contacts in the Oman Market, experience printing presses is must, good computer, valid Omani driving license. Send your CV to email address: info@albatnapp.com, Contact 99202531/ 24814132/ 24810133 Urgently required Outdoor Sales Executive with Oman D/L for furniture show room. Contact 93231403

SECRETARIAL Secretary required experienced Secretary required for Ruwi ofﬁce. Must have high standard of competence in MS Office suite and excellent English communication skills. Send CV and covering Email to mj-co@omantel.net.om

SITUATION WANTED 32 yrs, Pakistani male, 7 years of banking experience, MBA Marketing, B. Com Accounting seeking for placement. Contact 99130285, 98856216 Indian Expat female, B. Sc Physics and Tally ERP 9 educated with valid Omani Driving license seeks suitable position. Contact : 00968 97386005 Civil Project Manager, Graduate, Indian, 28 years experience, 22 years in middle east and of which 18 Years in Oman, is looking for a new challenging opening. Contact 00968 98501208 Indian Male 24 yrs, B.com having 2 years experience in Accounting, Finance & Admin with good knowledge in Tally & Computers looking for suitable position . Currently in Muscat. Contact: 97840863 Indian female 29, Diploma in Hotel Management, having experience in teaching and front office, looking for similar full time or part time jobs in Muscat area. E mail: manu12.mov@gmail.com; 95193173/ 96022648

BSC B.ED educated Indian, Keralite Female seeking suitable placement in Primary/ Nursery school. Immediately available. #96128798 Indian female MCA., Mphil., 5 yrs experience in software development &programming lang., C, C++, HTML, XML, Asp. NET,C#,SQL Server, ORACLE and MySQL, seeking suitable placement can join immediately.Contact:97765173. mail: dtkthillai@gmail.com Indian female MCA., Mphil (University Rank Holder) in computer Science having 5 yrs of experience in teaching(Lecturer in college) seeking for teaching position (school or college).# :97765173. mail: dtkthillai@gmail.com Accountant Indian male B. Com having two years experience in tally ERP 9. Ready to join immediately, Contact 95534746. Indian, Male, Commerce Graduate, 12 years experience in Foreign Exchange, Secretarial, Administration, Finance & Accounts, seeks for a suitable post. #+968-95962800. E-mail: sumeshks007@gmail.com

9 years of logistics experience in operation s and marketing need suitable post . Pls cont Sivashankar at 97328086. 24 yrs female with driving license, BBA+ I.A.T.A,3 years experience seeking suitable position in secretarial ,admin, HR, procurement , travel. Contact 95337828 or e-mail at hibhak@gmail.com. INDIAN male, B .Tech Electronics & Communication with computer networking knowledge(CISCO R&S, Security, Windows server) being able to implement, maintains & troubleshoot LAN/WAN systems seeks suitable placement Contact: 92180401, riyaznazir@yahoo.com 15 years Oman experienced Keralite light duty driver with valid driving license. Please contact: 97413721 Hotel apartment maintenance incharge elect, plumbing and a/c gulf exp 12.years. Contact 95452204 Indian female (MBA in HR and Finance) 4yrs of experience, Good in MS Office, Fluency in English. Seeking suitable placement. please contact: 95716128, E. Mail: malavisu@gmail.com Indian Female, 24 years, M-Tec in Bio-Technology with good practical knowledge in Molecular Biology, seeking a suitable position. Contact: 91262412/99502416 Email: s.aswathi88@gmail.com 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

ACCA : 1 year working experience as Accountant looking for suitable placement. Contact 93504713 Email: inaseem69@gmail.com Accountant Indian male, 28 yrs, MBA, B.Com having 5+ years exp & D/L seeks immediate placement. Contact 93397327 Email: rijurenuka@gmail.com Canadian Female, CHRP certiﬁed, 5 years experience Canada, Customer services, recruitment, HR Policies and Procedures. Contact 97385772 Email mathewsdliza@gmail.com Indian female MBA (Finance) C.A Articles, B.Com 4 years experience in Accounts Auditing (Tally ERP 9), looking for suitable placement. Contact 93023103 Email shamlashajui@gmail.com Indian male, 28, MBA, with 8+ years experience Across Oman, UAE, India & USA, Seeking suitable opportunities in Accounting and Finance, Business Analysis, Audit Procurement and purchase. Contact 93290537 Indian male, B.Com 2+ years experience, looking for suitable placement. Contact 97293942 Indian male, 23 yrs B.Com with Tally ERP9 & expert in MS Office, seeking suitable placement. Contact 94188632 Email renjunairnagpur90@gmail.com Over 10 years experience (Oman) in operations / SLA Management BD Project Management with MBA – Ops PMP trained ITIL certiﬁed ISO auditor seeks suitable placement. Contact 95490577 Indian Female 30 Yrs. MBA Finance, 3.5 years experience, seeking suitable positions Now in family visa. Contact - 93179101 Chief Accountant well experienced with reputed Group, seeks placement. Contact 95598477 / 98803439

Indian male 26 having 5.5 years experience in oil & gas ﬁeld with 2 years gulf experience and valid oman driving license. Contact Ashok kumar, BE Mechanical Gsm. +968 95262241

Indian male 33 yrs M.Com, Finance having 7+ yrs experience as an Accountant in Muscat, knowledge up to ﬁnalization, Audit, debt Collection, A/R Omani D/L, seeking senior level position. Contact 93088436

Indian Male, B.Com Graduate, 24, 2+ yrs of exp in Accounting ﬁeld, currently on visit visa looking for suitable placements. Contact: 94255149

Accountant Indian female B.Com PGDCA 8 years exp in Oman. Contact 99058722 / 98896522

Indian male 30 yrs having 5 yrs exp in oil & gas maintenance dept as fabricator in lamprell energy Sharjah UAE looking for placement, presently in visit visa. Contact – 92084948 Email- sijojohn729@gmail.com Chemist- Indian female, 3 years’ experience in analytical research, seeking suitable placement. currently in Muscat on family visa. Can joins immediately. Experience on HPL, UV- VIS, IR, GC, Sprayview, PH meter, KF titrator potentiometer etc. Contact : 91044366

Canadian Educated Citizen, Male 45, With 17 years of experience in Finance & Accounts including 3 years of GCC Experience, is looking for a suitable Job in Finance. Contact- 98711999 Email- bijou.thomas@yahoo.com Accountant Pakistani male, 28 years M.Com, 7 years experience in accounts, finance seeking suitable placement. Contact 91259190 Seeking for Appropriate job status MBA (finance) experience 8.5 years functional area: finance & management. Email: m25fh2015@yahoo. com, 93633590

T U E S DAY, O C T O B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

ADMIN/HR

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Indian male, 28 yrs, 5 yrs working experience in Oman as Admin / personal dept officer with valid Omani driving license, seeking suitable in similar ﬁeld or in any applicable jobs. Contact 91309317

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Accountant & audit services. Gsm 99761216

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE MBA finance with 4 years experience in finance and oil field industry looking for a suitable opportunity, holding Omani driving license. Contact 95696446 Email: dhaneeshgvr@yahoo.com Capital Market Professional, 13+ yrs experience Finance trading, Operations, portfolio Management, Achieved target on revenue generation, Investment Goals. #91136521 Indian male 39 yrs, having 15 years experience (7 years in Oman) in Accounts Audit finance, looking for a senior position in Accounts. Contact 98870042

Indian male M.Com CA Inter 1st group passed Accountant 3 years in Oman 12 years India, tally knowledge. Contact 98334532 Indian male, 23 yrs B. Com Graduate having 2 years experience in Account and logistics (export & import) knowledge in Tally 9, SAP, FICO M.S Office seeking suitable placement. Contact 95426454 Accountant Indian female 10 year’s experience 6 years in Oman seeking suitable placement. Contact 97123002 email: premar@live.com

Indian male Accountant 8 yrs experience, 4yrs Gulf experience, seeking suitable placement. Contact 95619243

Manager Accounts & HR MBA ﬁnance PGDHRM 10 yrs experience in India 14 yrs experience in Muscat Presently working in Construction/ Earth works co. in Muscat available to join immediately. #91103856 Email: newjobs13@yahoo.com

Indian male B.Com, 5 years experience in Oman seeks suitable placement. Contact 98162671 Email: prasantbs3@gmail.com

Indian female B.Com, 6 yrs experience (3 yrs Gulf) experience as Office Assistant, Arabic speaking. Contact 94376201

Accountant female Indian MBA ﬁnance worked with reputed company in Oman, UAE & India. Contact 97197683

Accounts Manager, MBA Finance & PG Diploma in HR, total 24 yrs experience, working in Oman since 14 yrs now working in Oman forconstruction co. in Muscat, can join immediately. Contact 91387354, accounts242013@yahoo.com

Accountant Indian male 35 yrs B.Com Graduate with 10 yrs experience tally ERP9, MS office seeking suitable position. Contact 96073232 Male 27 yrs, MBA ( Finance), seeks placement fresher. Contact 95130366 Email dolphy1963@hotmail.com Indian female, having 4 yrs of experience in Accounts Customer Care & Administration, seeks suitable placement. Contact 92801607 Male, 23, completed B.Com, Diploma in Accounts & finance, urgently looking for suitable placement in a company in Accounts & finance dept, marketing or human resource depts. Contact 96990810 Pakistani male, 26 Qualification MBA(Finance) have Omani Driving license, seeking for vacancy. Contact 94005442 Email hkhan036@gmail.com Chartered Accountant Indian male with 5 years of post qualification experience (4 in Oman) seeks suitable placement. Contact 93791700 Indian male, 31, Accountant 5 years exp in Oman (total 10), seeking suitable placement. Contact 99021031 29 yrs Indian male, Double postgraduate in finance with 8+yrs of experience in Oman and valid Driving License seeking suitable opportunities in Accounts, Finance and Audit. Contact :98693256 Document controller, Indian male, 2 yrs experience in Saudi Arabia also experienced in Networking and MS Office seeks for suitable position, currently on visiting visa. Contact 97187998 Email: nigilali@gmail.com Indian male B.Com having 10 years Oman experience Accounting field, looking for new job, having release, independent handing accounts. Contact 92258853

Qualiﬁed female HR professional with MBA(HR),BE,PGDBM 5 years work experience seeking suitable role in HR proﬁle. valid oman D/L contact 94129462

ARCH/ INTERIOR Architect 6 yrs experience knowledge 2D-3D drawing, having D/L (Omani) looking for suitable job. Contact 98928458 Email: joydeep736@yahoo.com Cad Drawings Architectural detail drawings, interior exterior drawings 3D views. Contact 99610110 Civil 2d & 3d designer Indian male 4 yrs exp in (3d designing , auto CAD drawing , photoshop , Ms ofﬁce) ﬁnished architectural design & model course & draughtsman civil (1 yr exp in Oman) Urgently seeking for suitable job. Mob: 97294321 Email: sreejithsvtm@gmail.com Iraqi Architect 23 years, experience 7 years in Oman, seeking for suitable replacement. Contact 97608513

BEAUTY & HEALTH An Indian Lady Spa Beautician, seeks employment. Contact 92863352

Indian male B Com looking for suitable placement in Accounts. Contact 92576275

Indian female Fitness Trainer looking for job. Contact 95978449 Email : godwithbless@yahoo.com

Indian male 21, B.Com Graduate, knowledge in Accounts ( packages: Tally, Peachtree) seeking for a suitable post. Tel : +968-94123495, E-mail : zameelpv@gmail.com

DRAUGHTSMAN

Accounts part time / full time work, ﬁnalization works. Contact 96247295

AutoCAD draftsman 4 yrs experience in darting & designing urgently seeking suitable placement NOC available. Contact 95208203 Email: anvarkhan848@gmail.com

Indian male 13 years working in Oman as Senior Accountant with MBA in Finance seeking for suitable placement. Contact 95319707

Draughtsman Civil Diploma in AutoCAD 7 years experience in GCC, seeking suitable placement. Contact 97332301

ADMIN/HR Over 14 years of experience in admin/ HR/ Office Manager fluent in Arabic & English languages valid driving license. Contact 95824598 Indian female, MBA, Industrial Management, 2 yrs experience, proficient in HR, Admin activities. Contact 96145006 Masters in Communication, Journalism, finance, excellent English, writing skills, creative, Arabic speaking Indian, Oman exp, seeks Administration / Corporate Communication/ Press Relations / Advertising/ Operations role. Contact 98179887 Indian Male 29yrs, Graduate, Diploma in Computer, Having 7yrs experience as Office Administrator/ Backend in India, Looking for suitable position in Oman, Contact:Mob. No. +91-9899308271, akmalhussain84@gmail.com Electronics & Communication Engineer. MBA (HR & Marketing) with experience, female, seeks job. Contact 96963961

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 male, 31 yrs, Commerce Graduate (B.Com) with 9.5 yrs of varied experience in Administration, operations, client relationship & team management seeking suitable placement. Contact 97268311, loyedfernandes@gmail.com

Indian Accountant with more than 32 years experience in Construction (can handle both Financial & Cost Accounting) seeks suitable placement. Contact.98962945

Indian male, 24 yrs MBA, 2 yrs exp seeks a suitable position in Administration. Contact 97138676

Indian male Accountant,B.Com with 6 yrs experience in Oman, seeks suitable placement. # 91057862. e_mail umct777@ gmail.com

MBA Finance 4 years Audit & Accounts experience, seeks placement. Contact 91073728, Email prth4111@gmail.com

Indian male, Chartered Accountant & Cost Accountant; 24 years of experience (10 Years in UAE). Has worked as Financial Controller and Accounts Manager. E mail is raza_shuab@hotmail.com, Please Contact +968 99857838 or +971 50 8686746.

Indian male 34, PGDBA in Opns management with 14+yrs experience in office administration, sales, EA, to top management, with Oman D/L seeks immediate placement. Contact 92769725

31, Indian male, MBA having 8 years experience in logistics, Sales & Admin, Presently working in Oman with valid GCC Driving license. Contact 93051506 Email fortune2210@gmail.com Logistics/ Commercial Executive 6 yrs experience in trading & shipping/ logistics companies, looking for suitable position. Contact 95687253

Architectural & Interior Draughtsman. 4years Gulf Experienced. Knows 3dsMax&Photoshop. Ph:98310977

DESIGNER Indian male 29 yrs, looking for a 3D job in MAYA/Max and Graphic designing having a experience of 8 years, currently working in Oman, Available to join immediately. Contact 98567624/ +91 9886712424 Email : sandeepsharmasolid@gmail.com Web / Graphic/ UX Designer with 3+ years of experience from a leading IT Company in India, looking for a job at Muscat. # +968 95962963 Email - mohanasok@live.com

DRIVERS Indian Light Driver need job. Contact 91254539 Driver 13 years experience in GCC, seeking suitable placement. Contact 95969613 Arabic, English, Hindi speaking. Driver looking for a job good company. Contact 96989106/ 92108447 Driver with Pajero and car available. Contact 93262460 Driver looking for job, 10 years experience. Contact 99501396 / 93956395 Looking for job Driver, 20 years experience. Contact 98109185 Driver urgently looking for job having valid Oman driving license. Contact - 96502026 Wanted Driving job. #96741993 Driver job. Contact 95387829 / 98537756

DRIVERS Corolla 2013 with driver. Contact 96772324 Light Driver. Contact 98077981 / 98946925 4 yrs Experienced Indian Driver (Exp..in sales ﬁeld ) looking for job as driver. 93079087

EDUCATION Indian female 25 yrs, Masters in English and Bachelors in Business Management (University Rank Holder in Masters & Bachelors) with excellent communication skills & 2 years exp. in Teaching & Administration seeking for a suitable placement. Contact - 99413704 Indian female MSc BEd Physics having 2 years experience of teaching physics & Maths to Grades up to X, seeking for part time job. Contact 93863317 Indian female M.Sc Physics, B.Ed 5 yrs experience in teaching, seeking for suitable job. Contact 97367389 HSE 10 yrs exp in Oman, Seeking placement valid Omani D/L. Contact 92825053 IOSH NEBOSH Pakistani female M.SC (Master) Biology having 15 years of experience of teaching biology & chemistry to grades IX to XII seeking for part time job .Contact 91280346

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian Civil Quantity Surveyor –Total Exp(15yrs) GCC(4yrs)Diploma, D/L, Looking placement: contact :khan.civilqs@gmail.com, 96608610 15 years of Oman exposure. Smart Indian Male with MBA. Experienced in Oilfield Products (Upstream) & Security systems as Sales & Marketing Manager, seeks suitable placement in a senior position. Contact 99639375 Indian male, 25 years, B. Tech Civil Engineer with 1.5 years experience, seeking job in Oman available for interview. Contact 93319697 email: solaman.t@gmail.com Indian BE (E & C) Engineer 1.5 years experience in maintenance & trouble shooting of PLC/ PID/ VFD/ DCS, PG Diploma in Industrial Automation, well versed in PLC/ SCADA/ DCS 22 Years in Oman, seeking placement. Contact 93279796 12 Years Experienced Projects and Operations professional with experience of Electrical, ELV and IT projects in Oman and Other countries, Seeking senior position job. Contact 98823248 Indian female B Tech (CSE) with around 2.5 years teaching and administrative experience in Engg College, Looking suitable teaching/ technical/office admin jobs. Proficient in C/ Java/C++ Programming and Microsoft office suite. Contact 97268414 Email : mejaida@gmail.com 29 yrs, male, B.Tech Civil, 2 years experiences in Oman with D/L. Contact 92657101 Indian male B.E Electrical Engineer 12 years experience as MEP Engineer in Construction company, seeks suitable placement. Contact 92532941 Indian male, 25 years BE Computer Science and Engineering, CCNA, MCP certified, 2 years experience valid Oman D/L, Now in Oman, seeking for suitable office jobs. Contact 98688414 Email ajeebcse@gmail.com

Autocad D/MAN, cum qs, 3 yrs Diploma Civil Engg, 7 yrs exp, architectural, structural, MEP. PH : 99857698

Indian male having BE Chemical Engg with 1year experience looking for suitable position. Contact 98466650

26 years male, BE Electronics Engineer, 2+ years experience in Saudi Arabia & 6+ months in Pakistan with valid Saudi driving license, seeks suitable position. Contact 97453326 Email naveedhasan388@hotmail.com

B. Sc Civil Engineer Pakistani total 6 yrs exp 2 & have yrs exp in Oman valid Omani D/L. Contact : 97166543 Email: engr.mazik@yahoo.com

Structural Civil Engineer, BE, Indian male, 10 yrs exp in Infrastructure road, Bridges, fly over. Contact for CV 95484776 Email joanjebaraj@gmail.com BE (Electronics & Communications Engineer) 23 yrs Indian male 1 yr experience, seeking suitable placement. Contact 92080713 Indian male; E&I Engineer, 4 years experience in petrochemical, oil & gas field seeking suitable position. Contact : 92941392/95834965 ; email: vinodariez@gmail.com Welding Inspector (CSWIP 3.1) with B-Tech in Production Engg, seeks suitable job. Contact 92711433 India male BE Civil Eng 20 year exp present working in India as Project Manager seeking suitable placement. Gsm 00919900666960 harshavardhana_mv@yahoo.com BE Mechanical Engineer, Indian fresh Engineer presently in Oman, looking for suitable job. Contact 98040214 / 99086842 Email bonskey2010@yahoo.com Mechanical Engineer (B Eng) male 24 yrs experienced in project & Site Engineering, marketing & Sales, recycling with a valid Omani driving license, looking for a position in manufacturing oil & gas, automotive, R & D. Contact 91165415 Email ja237le@gmail.com Indian female 25 yrs M.E Computer Science, 3.5 yrs experience as Asst. Professor looking for placement at Schools & Colleges. Contact 92449426 / 93254268 Email : praveennair_s@yahoo.com Mechanical Engineer with 12 +years exp.(7 years in Oman) in Oil field & Construction heavy vehicles/equipment. Presently working with a logistic company Muscat as workshop In charge. Available to join immediately. Contact : 95983518,sgk700@yahoo.com Indian male, 26 years, B.Tech Electronics Graduate, having 2 years experience with valid Oman D/L, seeks suitable placement. Contact 98622425E mail: shejinmathew@gmail.con Indian male, BE Civil Engineer 5 years experience, seeking suitable Vacancies with Oman driving license. Contact 95835537 Email : skklnet@gmail.com Indian male BE Automobile 2013 MIT passout diploma Mechatronics (NTTF) visit visa, seeking suitable position. Contact 98901241 Email edwinjohn27@yahoo.com 25 Years Indian male, BE Electronics & Communication Engineering Graduate, seeking suitable placement. Hold valid Oman driving license. Contact 97434543 Email drizzle77@gmail.com Sudanese Electrical Engineer 4 years of experience, looking a job. Contact 95686723 Indian female 25 yrs B-Tech Civil Engineer 2 yrs experience good Knowledge Studd-pro AutoCAD, seeking suitable placement. Contact 95716424 B.Sc Civil Engineer, 2 years experience looking suitable placement in construction or structural design field. Contact 93850440 Email: sdat33@yahoo.con Diploma in Civil Engineer with 1 year experience in Site supervising in India, now available in Oman. Contact 93816032

B.E Mechanical, Indian male, 26 yrs, on visiting visa, having 3 years experience in Piping Projects as QA/QC Engineer/ Site Engineer. Contact 968 98766298 Email nagesh.saps@gmail.com

Indian male 27 yrs B.Tech Automobile, 5.5 yrs experience both in Toyota & Suzuki, Looking for Service Engineer jobs. Contact 92449426 Email: praveennair_s@yahoo.com

B/E Electronics Engineer having 3.5 years of Indian experience in Planning, Construction, Telecommunication, Hardware Networking, Marketing. Contact 92629307

Mechanical Engg with 6 yrs exp in electromechanical work D/L, seeks job. Contact:98520020 Electrical Engineer 7 yrs experience. Contact 94285868

Indian Female 23 years old, Aeronautical Engineering graduate with 1 year 6 months experience, expert in MS Office tools, Technical documentation, reports and excellent communication skill. mail: sandhyamenon057@gmail.com 25 years Indian male, B.E Aeronautical, 2 Years experience on Maintenance repair and overhaul. Hands on experience on Gas turbine engine and Autocad 2007. Contact 00919739656833 Email: midhu4u@gmail.com Diploma Electrical Site Engineer 12 years experience in Oman available driving license in Oman. Contact 96570848 Email senthilkumar3081@gmail.com QC Civil Engr 11 yrs experience in Highway 8 yrs in Oman, Valid GCC D/L. Contact 93590464 Project consultant Engineer Bangladeshi male B. Sc Civil Engineer 4 yrs exp as a Project Engineer in Oman also know etabes, Autocad, MS project. Contact 97145139 Indian male 28, DME with 7 year experience (4year Oman) in automobile sales & service, seeking suitable job from mechanical/ automobile ﬁeld, Valid D/L. Contact 95566186. Indian male Diploma in Electronics seeking an opportunity for highly skilled Electronic technician with 10 years experience. Contact 93269820 Resi: +914802734079 / +919946888723, Email: davis.dinosh3@gmail.com Civil Engineer Diploma 8 years experience 3 years Oman, looking for suitable post. Contact 95648309 / 93477358 Email : mohammadtoslim@gmail.com BE Mech HVAC Engineer Indian male with 2 years experience, seeking suitable position. Contact 97122895 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 09 Years Gulf experience in Automobile, Looking for Service Engineer or workshop Incharge. Age 34 yrs, working experience in Oman & having valid Driving license. Contact 93121310 Indian male B.E (E&C) 1years experience in sales, seeking suitable job. Contact 91125082 Email: althafms.ms1@gmail.com B. Sc in Civil Engineer with Oman experience urgently seeking suitable placement. Contact +968 93523630 / +88 01728 199656, Email engg_shahalamce@yahoo.com Sri Lankan Quantity surveyor (male) with 7 years experience (including Gulf), looking for a suitable placement in Oman, available in Oman for personal interviews and discussions. Contact 91308391/ 96953676 Email msa.ifham@yahoo.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

INFORMATION TECH Indian 4 years experienced SAP ABAP & BI Consultant seeking suitable job. Contact # 94363446 IT Engineer Indian with 5 years Experience in support Engineer, IT Tech Support, Quality Analyst, IT Help desk, Customer Service and Sales, Worked in Dell International and in New Horizon Doha, seeking suitable position.Contact: 97320161, mohdazeezuddin24@gmail.com 9 yrs Exp IT Desktop/ Network support Filipino Male B.S. Comp Eng CCNA W/ 5 yrs exp in Qatar visit visa in Oman. Contact 91319643 Email hikaph2002@yahoo.com

T U E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED

INFORMATION TECH

MANAGER/ SUPER

Systems Engineer (B. Tech), female 23 years with 2 years experience at Infosys, Looking for placement . ADO.NET, ASP.NET, Web Services, AJAX, Unix Commands & Utilities, Visual Studio, SQL Server. Contact 96206550 Email jobbforit@gmail.com

Indian female with 17 years Gulf experience as Executive Secretary / office Manager looking for suitable position. Contact 98587275

Project Management professional (MBA, PMP, BE), 16+ years experience with leading MNC Banks and Technology companies and working in a leading bank in Muscat seeks suitable placement. 94336432 Welding Foreman, Indian Male, 18 years experience (Argon, Arc & Mig) offshore & onshore, worked with NPCC (Abu Dhabi), USA, & Cochin Shipyard India, Contact 98430843, mashamaga@yahoo.com System administrator with two years experience in Bangalore B-COM ,CCNA,MCSA, MCP AND A+ looking for a suitable post in Oman Contact 91148576 shameer.alic@gmail.com IT Professional Indian male 20 years IT & Finance experience Software, Hardware Development ERP Implementation & System, Network Administration, seeks suitable placement. Contact 93760896 Indian female 24 years MSc Software Engineering working for one year in Oman as Office admin, seeks suitable placement. Contact 93886547 / 95227395 Indian male, 24, having 2.5 yrs exp in O & M - Network Operation Center Engineer Telecom having certiﬁcation of CCNA & MCTS, looking for suitable placement IT & Telecom. Contact 99689445 Email thousi4jb@gmail.com Indian female - M.Sc, Computer Science 5 yrs experience in teaching and 1yr experience in programming (JAVA, VB, power builder, Mysql, Oracle) seeking suitable placement. Contact 99713021 Email ID: anjukaviraj@gmail.com IT Technical System support/ Hardware Engineer on visit visa. Contact 98221577 / 93320458 Indian male Computer Engineer MCSE, CCNA, Hardware and Networking 6+ experience 2+ yrs experience in Oman, seeking good job. Contact 92994651 Indian female, B.Tech + MBA, IT Engineer, 5+ yrs exp. as voice & video eng/ operation management, seeking appropriate placement. Contact 97712425 / 95749987, Email: rincy.raju21@gmail.com Indian female, Computer Engineer, 2 years exp in Programming & ERP, on Family Visa seeking placement in IT or Teaching 93406463 (Wadikabir).

Indian Male 32, with academic excellence (MBA) has 7.2 years of high quality experience (includes GCC) & professional achievements in Business Administration, Customer Services, Marketing & Sales. Contact: 95899314; todhanesh@gmail.com Senior Manager, 20+ yrs experience in Purchase, Sales, Admin & Accounts seeks immediate placement. Contact 98942117 Indian male 27 years 7 years experience Electrical & Plumbing Supervisor in Oman valid Oman driving license. Contact 99165218 Email: alvinoth1985@gmail.com Sri Lankan female 25 yrs looking for suitable employment in customer service, secretarial, admin, and event management 5 years experience in customer service and administration for banking sector. Contact 94262290 Email: samurdhi077@yahoo.com

MISCELLANEOUS Imam /Mutawa from Kerala seeks placement. Contact 91223853 Indian male with 7 yrs experience working in Doha Qatar as HVAC designer, looking for suitable position. Contact +97470361931 Indian male 23, M.Sc in Biotechnology with excellent proficiency in English & computer, seeking suitable work opportunity in life science and Industrial field, Currently on visit visa. Contact 95166242 / Email jaykishan.parekh@live.co.uk Indian male, 28 yrs, B.Com with over 8 years experience (4 years in Oman) in accounting up to finalization, experience in Tally Erp9, fox pro, smart pos and expert in MS Office, D/L seeking suitable placement. GSM : 93069890 Email : ammuknpy007@gmail.com, Female-26,BA qualified,6 years experience, can work from home, looking for suitable job. #-93060952 or email-devi.t2009@gmail.com Fisheries Graduate Indian male 28 years with certificate in F.S.M.S and 4 years experience in food processing Industry seeks suitable openings.# 92123983 Email: vikasvelayudhan@yahoo.com 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

SALES / MARKETING 31 male, MBA (UK) with over 10 years experience in BD/OPS, sales and marketing with valid Omani D/L, seeks suitable placement. Contact 94480878 Indian male, 30 yrs, M.B.A 6 yrs experience in Indian in sales and customer service excellent in M.S. office and communication skills in Oman on visit visa. Contact 91380575 Indian male B.Tech MBA,4 years experience in sales & marketing on visit visa seeking suitable placement Ph 96010724, neonitinm@gmail.com Business Development Executive 7 years in Experience, Currently with Telecommunication Project Management with qualiﬁcation PGDMMarketing (UK) & BBA, Seeking for opening in new threshold, logistics, FMCG, Supply Chain Management and Consumer Products. Available to join immediately, D/L Oman. Contact 93833276 Email bonamiereems@gmail.com Purchaser, 10 years experience with valid Omani Driving. Contact 98226848 Indian male 30 yrs, MBA marketing with 6+ yrs managerial experience (sales) seeks Managerial position in Marketing / Sales business development service retail / product manufacturing industry. Contact Avijit 96726408 Young dynamic / MBA Marketing having 8 years experience with Omani driving license seeking suitable position. Contact 91199054 / 94135599 Email: zeshan_84@yahoo.com 23 years Indian male BBA Marketing / Finance 1 year experience in Sales & Marketing, looking for suitable placement in Sales / Marketing / coordination / retail/ admin jobs. Contact 98418208 / 99229357 Aman Maheshwari Looking for Sales Executive job 28 years 5 years experience having D/L Oman experience in F.M.C.G. Contact 96075110 Indian female 28 yrs more than 2 years of professional experience in concept selling, worked with India Today Group as Executive in Space Marketing, seeks suitable placement in Muscat ready to join immediately. Contact 94210400 Email ID: susanpallathra@yahoo.co.in MBA, B.Tech Indian Male having 6 years experience Marketing/ Sales/ Business development/ promotional/ Branding in Oil & Gas, HVAC, Firms, seeks immediate placement. Contact 91256806

Indian National with 20 years experience in Sales/ Port operation with shipping line/ Freight forwarder, looking suitable positions, in Salalah/ Muscat. Contact 93751004 Email sreekumar_vnair@yahoo.com

Indian female Keralite B.Sc Nursing with MOH license, 3 years experience. Contact 99658395 presently in Oman.

IT professional Indian male (ME/ CSE), 12 years experience (Oman, UAE, India) in IT project management , administration, software development in dot net, sales providing training, technical & customer support looking for suitable opportunity having valid D/L available immediately. Contact 96437794 Email: ephin0204@gmail.com

Nursing caregiver, qualiﬁed & experienced Nurse & Assist Nurse seeks good placement at home / clinic. Contact 92989109 email: medicoport@gmail.com Obs/Gynae Medical Officer, MOH licence,8 years experience in gulf countries,searching suitable job in Muscat. Contact 96260671

MBA, BSC advance certiﬁcate in marketing with 16 years of experience in marketing market research customer services purchasing supply chain management worked for customer like Nike Victoria’s Secret M&S looking for a challenging job. Contact 91233418 Email isthiaqalam@gmail.com

Indian male 27 years old, Masters in Computer Applications with 4+ years experience, Key skills: Oracle Pl/sql and .net Seeking Suitable placement.# +919538345624 sujithchennat@gmail.com

Female Radiographer holding M.O.H License with 6 years experience, seeking suitable post. Contact 93017124

Male 32 yrs, 10 yrs experience sales, events, administration, graphics looking for job. Contact 93850612

Male Nurse (BSc Nursing) with MOH License experience in Emergency Trauma care, looking for a suitable position. Contact 98435304 / 99657116

Indian male B.Com with 6 yrs experience in Sales, Holding valid Omani Driving license, seeks suitable placement. Contact 95330174

IT Support Engineer Indian male, 27 yrs currently in Muscat on visit visa 6 yrs of exp as IT Support Engineer, seeking suitable placement.# 92933523 / 91378150 , Email : manojp14@gmail.com Indian, 22 yrs, Diploma in Hardware and Networking 2 years Hardware experiences., looking for Hardware and Networking job. Contact 94413006, Email abanaahil13@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPER Purchase / procurement officer, gulf exp, having Oman driving license PH : 93243846

Male Nurse 8 years experience MOH license Oman BLS ACLS certiﬁcate, Currently in Muscat. $ 97141787 Email sreejithks2006@yahoo.co.in Indian female Nursing professional M.O.H License 8 years experience. Contact 93441998/ 95886421 Email sheena.thomas14@yahoo.com Indian female Dentist age 29 yrs, exp 4 years, looking for suitable opening. Contact 93386632 Male Nurse with MOH license valid GCC driving license. Contact 93217438 / 91226236

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE 20 Years of experience in Secretarial job in Oman, seeking suitable placement. Contact 98987461

Indian male having 4 years experience in Sales & Marketing excellent knowledge of Oman Market currently in Banking Industry, Looking for Managerial position. Contact 99657804 Young dynamic MBA Marketing Graduate, seeking suitable post. Contact 98744427 / 96909495 Indian male, MBA, 6 yrs exp in Sales, Marketing, Market research & operations, looking for opportunities. Contact 98823315 Indian male 24 yrs MBA specialized in marketing, 2 yrs exp seeks a suitable position. Contact 97138676 Outdoor Salesman with 3 years experience in the field of Kitchen equipment and Branded wrist watches with valid Oman D/L, Contact 91117948 Email arjunjob@yahoo.com Indian (MBA) working in Oman for 12 years with reputed firm as Branch Manager handling 2 depots, looking for suitable position in Sales. Contact 99066046 Indian male, 25 years, B.Tech + MBA having Driving license with 2 years Oman experience in Sales & Marketing. Contact 95943787 Senior Sales Engineer BE, MBA 6+ Years experience with valid Oman driving license, seeking suitable post. Contact 91256806 Email rexi4u@gmail.com Indian male 22 years, Bachelor of Mass Media BMM (in Adverting) (on visit visa), seeking suitable placements in any Advertising/ Marketing/ Media firm or in any Organization for suitable post or Sales Executive. Contact 92564934 / 99333752 Email tehseen_khan34@yahoo.com sg_khan786@yahoo.com

26 year Indian Chartered Accountant male with 2yrs of experience is seeking suitable placement in Muscat. Contact him on 98201476 or email at venkat230684@gmail. com Chemical Engineer (certified) having experience of oil/gas and various industries fluent in English, having sound knowledge of chemical processes seeking procurement in a reputable company. Currently available on visit visa. Contact: 97455466 Indian Male, 30.Y. Looking for Job of an Accountant having 9.5 years of experience, having knowledge of Tally, Oracle based ORION, Quickbooks Looking for suitable Position very soon. Contact on : 92629133 IT Professional ,Indian female MCA.,Mphil., 5 yrs experience in software development &programming lang., C, C++, HTML,XML,Asp. NET,C#,SQL Server,ORACLE and MySQL.Seeking suitable placement can join immediately. Contact: 97765173. mail:dtkthillai@gmail.com Indian Female, B.E(Electronics), 8 years exp. in coordination, service, maintanence & support dept. for electronics analytical/scientific Lab instruments and good in report preparation also. Contact : 93236694 Indian Male, 30.Y. Looking for Job of an Accountant having 9.5 years of experience, having knowledge of Tally, Oracle based ORION, Quickbooks Looking for suitable Position very soon. Contact on: 92629133 Male, 27, MBA specialized in marketing , looking for suitable position. Having valid oman driving license. Contact. 99590408 Hotel and apartment maintenence incharge, elect,plumbing,and,a/c, Oman,exp,8,years Contact 95452204

Experienced shop cashier + salesman looking for job with visa. Contact 92495952

Indian Male. Having 7 years experience in Electronics & home appliances, IT products and furniture Showroom in Oman GSM : 94043327 sadiksm@yahoo.com

Male, 32 yrs, 10 years experience sales, events, administration, graphic designing seeking suitable job. Contact 93850612

Civil project manager, Civil Engineering, Indian, 28 years experienced, is looking for a challenging new opening. Call 98501208.

B.Com Graduate Indian male age 22 yrs, good communication skills is looking for suitable placement in the ﬁelds of store marketing sales and admin. Contact 91092213 Email: azharmct@yahoo.com

Indian Male 36yrs, M.B.A with 12 yrs of Experience in Life and Non life insurance field 3yrs in oman with Motor and non motor field Valid oman D/L, seeks suitable position for same field or any sales and Marketing. Contact +96898159932.

TOURS & TRAVELS 10 years experience on Sales with driving license needs placement. Contact 95266485

Sudanese Programmer having 2 years experience and certiﬁcate of the American University in Cairo. Contact 97273589

System Engineer with 6 yrs of exp as desktop/ IT Support Engineer currently in Muscat on visit visa, seeks suitable placement. Contact 92933523 / 91378150 Email : manumonm@hotmail.com

Indian, 4 years experience in purchase & marketing D/L, 3 years Dubai looking for immediate suitable placement. Contact 96325262

MISCELLANEOUS

Male 28, B.Com, having over 8 years of experience in Sales & Marketing, Valid D/L, seeking for a suitable placement.Contact:96662739 or E-Mail at sidd9191@yahoo.com Sales & Marketing professional, GCC experienced, Indian male, 30 yrs, having Oman driving license, seeks suitable placement. Contact 97386097

Female 24yrs Indian Graduate in BBA and IATA,1 yr experience Ticketing Clerk in Air India Express Office looking Suitable position in Tours and Travels. Contact97077215

MISCELLANEOUS Indian, young, male, Pre-university educated looking for sales/ stores or related job call 96914222 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 Indian Female - 2 years experience as Design Engineer/Interior Designer. Experience and knowledge in AutoCAD 2D and 3D, 3ds Max, Revit Architecture, Sketch Up, Adobe Photoshop. Qualification B.Sc Interior Design and AutoCAD Certified. Contact padma31priya@gmail.com Indian Male, B.Tech, 8 years Experience in Teaching & Admin, web developing ,c,c++,java,HTML,DHTML, programming,looking for suitable position. # 98290053,97068258 Email: vasanth.blessy@gmail.com

Sales Exe with diploma / ITI in electrical / net working/ ﬁre Safety Engineering with D/L. Fax: 24787258 Email: orisonmct@gmail.com

Filipina, 29 years old nursing aide graduate with 2 years experience as hotel receptionist in oman and 7 yrs exp in Hospital administration.. contact number 97205586

Indian male having 17 yrs Gulf experience in Sales and Marketing of various type of building materials tools machinery etc, currently heading Oman Branch, having valid driving license of Oman, looking for suitable placement. # 93690410

Indian female, 24 yrs, having 3 yrs experience in Hospitality & HR. Presently working as Customer Care Executive in a reputed ﬁrm. Seeks suitable post. Contact - 94288397, Email: rajeevrajan307@gmail.com

Indian male, M.Sc statistics with 13 years of GCC experience in EXCH. & REMITTANCE as operation manager/cheif teller seeks suitable placement. Cont.94099066 Indian Male, MBA Marketing, 41 yrs. Experience in trading, export and domestic sales and supply chain management. Industries handled : Marble & tyres, Seeks a suitable career. Release available. 99823003 Indian Female - 2 years experience as Design Engineer/Interior Designer. Experience and knowledge in AutoCAD 2D and 3D, 3ds Max, Revit Architecture, Sketch Up, Adobe Photoshop. Qualification B.Sc Interior Design and AutoCAD Certified. Contact padma31priya@gmail.com Male Nurse with 8yrs experience in emergency Department, MOH License of Oman, ACLS, BLS Certificate, currently in Muscat seeking suitable placement. Contact 97141787, email sreejithks2006@yahoo.co.in Male Graduate 12 years experience in Oman, seeks immediate placement as office coordinator or any suitable job. contact 93393769 Male, 27, MBA specialized in Marketing, looking for suitable position. Having valid oman driving license. Contact. 99590408

Indian, male, B.Sc having 16 years experience in marketing with valid Oman driving license seeks suitable placement. Contact 92722408 Young Male Graduate BA Hons (Marketing)- United Kingdom with 2 years experience & driving licence seeks suitable placement in Business development/Brand management/Logistics. Call – 96402727 MBA (Marketing and HR) & B.Tech (Electronics and Biomedical Engineering) with 1.5 years experience in marketing and media field. Contact 96175799 Email: aadil.azis@gmail.com 27 years Indian male 8 years’ Indian market experience in the field of Event Management, Sales & Customer Service, looking for a challenging opportunity in Muscat in relevant field. Contact # 96167803 Indian Male, B.Tech, 8 years Experience in Teaching & Admin, web developing ,c,c++,java,HTML,DHTM L,programming,looking for suitable position 98290053, 97068258 Email: vasanth.blessy@gmail.com B.Tech Mechanical, 26yr Indian male having 4 yr experience in plant construction,structural fabrication & erection in India. # 0091 9546418417 E-mailmail2umesh89@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer with 5+ years experience in project management and estimation of oil and gas projects. Looking for suitable change. Contact: 95974435 Civil Quantity Surveryor, Diploma in Civil Engineering, 2 years QS and site experience in building projects, looking for suitable post in Oman. Contact: 91378212/92959092. Email: mohamednishil@gmail.com Planning Engineer having M Tech in Construction Management with 2 years experience. Currently employed for a reputed company construction company in Oman. Proficient in Primavera P3 and P6. Mob; 98278801 / 99461643 e-mail id; asifkutiady@gmail.com Female 23 Indian Graduate in Computer application and Diploma in Java technology, seeking for a suitable placement in IT sector currently on visit visa. Contact 99809810 / 92105790 Indian male, MCA, MBA-HR, B.Com with 9.5 yrs. Exp. looking for a suitable opportunity as IT Project Head & SAP HR Consultant (Multi tasking) presently come on visit visa in Oman, Contact GSM : +968 92801761 E-mail : rishhi@msn.com Rigar Foreman, 6 yrs exp. looking for job. Contact 95628657 / 0091 9430161950 Indian female Dentist age 28 yrs, 4 yrs experience, looking for suitable opening. Contact 92970882 Indian Expat B.Com MBA( Finance) with 5.5 years in GCC having valid Oman driving license, seeking opening in Marketing/ Sales / Customer services. Contact 97881402 Lady wedding and event photographer/ designer with ten yrs experience in GCC looking for suitable job in Muscat. contact 96439317 Accountant 25 yrs male having bachelor degree, last 4 years experience in Pakistan of UAE base trading company, seeks suitable position of accountant. Contact 00923453285697 Indian male 24 yrs Diploma in air conditioning 3 yrs exp. Contact 91045627 Indian male 28 years with more than 6 years experience in sales requires a suitable placement as sales man in any field. Contact 94015209. Email- babupezheril@yahoo.co.in

MANPOWER

Male,25,ACCA finalist with driving license, seeking for immediate replacement,1 year accounting and 3 month audit experience in audit ﬁrm, expecting audit job only. G.S.M. No. 97654769, email id:abdullah.nooralam@yahoo.com

We Supply Mason, Carpenter, Steel ﬁxer, Electrician, Plumber, Driver, Labours, Enggs, operators etc, All Categories. Contact 94034550/ 95059766 Email rubinaokp@gmail.com

Indian female, GNIIT, B.Sc, 7 years experience in IT, worked for Tata group, India, seeks suitable IT related jobs in Muscat. #94470601/ rajalakshmi.sivaraman@gmail.com

We can provide (supply) for 6 months or 1 year cleaners, ofﬁce boys and helpers. Contact : 94151939/ 95788339 Email: alkindi07@yahoo.com

T U E S DAY, O C T O B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

TOURS

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

We arrange Tours to Jabel Alakhdar / Shames wahiba Sands. Contact 99839898

BUSINESS

RENT A CAR

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 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. Contact 96726115

Looking for Omani partner for business development services. Contact 93194825 Email: edumass4@gmail.com

ADVERTISE NOW! 24726666 EXT: 461 / 413 /430 / 431 / 456

FOR HIRE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals. Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. www.tunesoman. com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com Cranes and excavators available on hire. Contact 99209427 Crane Trailor Hiab. # 99354909

25/ 50 seater Buses for rent/ leasing with drivers in PDO SpeciďŹ cation. Contact 99839898

FOR HIRE For Rent Truck Tipper 18 m. Contact 95120774

FOR LADIES Indian ladies tailoring salwar khamees, saree, blouse stitching. Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 93694035

T U E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 9, 2 0 1 3

DAILY GUIDE

WEBSITE

COMPUTER

SERVICES

CLASSES

SERVICES

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

CHANGE OF NAME I, Kalar Veetil Mohammed Nasir (Name exactly as in present passport) son / daughter of Ummer Pattery presently residing at the following address in Oman P.B No. 804 P.C No. 322 , Sultanate of Oman and having permanent address in Indian Kadeejavilla Ponewmahe Kannur, Kerala 673311 ( as per present passport) holder of passport No. K6671556 date of issue 16-10-2012 place of issue Kozhikode solemnly affirm and declare that I have changed my name as Kalarveetil Mohammed Nasar (new name) for all purposes. Any objection towards this name change may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P. Box No.1727, Postal Code112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

LOST

CLASSES Learn Arabic in two months, spoken Arabic class for non Arabic speakers by Gulf experience post Graduate Teacher in Ruwi. Free introductory class. Satisfaction guaranteed. Contact 95244310

LOST Mohammad AlAmin has lost Bangladeshi Passport no. X 0272004. Finder please handover to ROP Mohin Uddin Abu Taher has lost Bangladeshi Passport no. C 0006815. Finder please handover to ROP Mohammed Asrful Hoque has lost Bangladeshi Passport no. C 1510005. Finder please handover to ROP Nizam Uddin Yousuf has lost Bangladeshi Passport no. A 0652202. Finder please handover to ROP

Rana Muhammad Tahir Mohammed Shaﬁ has lost Pakistani Passport No. AB 7123572. Finder please handover to ROP

Mohib Ullah Manir Uddin has lost Bangladeshi Passport no. AB 8046944. Finder please handover to ROP

Soton Suttrador has lost Bangladeshi Passport no. X 0318694. Finder please handover to ROP

Nurul Amin Osman Ali has lost Bangladeshi Passport no. W 0982715. Finder please handover to ROP

Mohammed Mehdi Hasaan has lost Bangladeshi Passport no. C 1764212. Finder please handover to ROP

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 Subcontractor solutions. Contact 97163496

Walid Alhabeib Hamouda has lost Tunisian Passport no. W449712. Finder please handover to ROP

Rajendran Ramakrishnan Chettiyar has lost Indian Passport No. J 2024774. Finder please handover to ROP

Abdul Awal has lost Bangladeshi Passport no. B 1187489. Finder please handover to ROP

Abdul Ghafoor has lost Pakistani Passport No. AF 4183932. Finder please handover to ROP

Don Samaraweera has lost Srilankan passport No. N 2390830. Finder please handover to ROP

Manzoor Hussain Ahmed has lost Pakistani Passport No. UZ 6897001. Finder please handover to ROP

Abdul Sarajudeen Khan has lost Indian Passport No. G 5151964. Finder please handover to ROP

Kashif Allah has lost Pakistani Passport No. AM 2742702. Finder please handover to ROP

Mohammed Shabir has lost Pakistani Passport No. AS 5180742. Finder please handover to ROP

Constantino Lastimosa has lost Filipino Passport No. EB 5503425. Finder please handover to ROP

Syed Kamran Ali Shah Syed Ehsan has lost Pakistani Passport No. DP 5144102. Finder please handover to ROP

Muhammad Zubair Muhammad has lost Pakistani Passport No. KH 151687. Finder please handover to ROP

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. #24793614/ 99314807

Abdul Khaliq Abul Aziz has lost Pakistani Passport No. KJ 4109752. Finder please handover to ROP

SERVICES

Wallpaper, Furniture, Carpet ﬁxing, furniture upholstery, painting, shifting. Contact 99834373 / 96642500 A/C, Fridge & Washing Machine servicing & Repairing. Painting , Plumbing, Electrical & Carpentry Works. Contact 97014234/ 24504281 / 99447257

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722 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 A/C SERVICING 5/10R.O. Contact 95084850 Marble restoration Crystallization, Cleaning carpets sofas, Villas, Flats. Contact 24701281 / 97463079 Pest control water proof. Contact 99067923 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722 Painting Interlock plumbing maintenance. Contact 92142319 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

A/ C maintenance, servicing & installation. Split A/C Servicing RO 10.000 Only. Contact 94217681 / 99210141

A/C service RO7/- , repairing & installation, painting, building all maintenance.# 95563858 / 99326786

House shifting, packing and Transportation. Contact 99657644 / 98518013

Marble polishing & crystallization building cleaning ﬂoor, ﬂoor polishing, carpet, sofa shampooing, pest control, anti termite, shifting, maintenance. Contact 99504275

Electrical Works, Maintenance, Building Gas Pipelines, Fire Alarm & Security systems. Contact Amjad Majees Trading & Contracting: 99467936

Electrical Plumbing Painting Contract and Maintenance. Contact #98456535

Door to Door Computers repair specialist laptop software Website cartridges.Contact 99199376

GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC all kind of pest control. # 92326955

Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

For mess, North Indian food, birthday parties, company functions, all kinds of celebrations and Kerala Naadan special food. Contact Sun Caterings 98756615, 98756615 free home delivery around 20 to 25kms

Carpet, sofa- cleaning, glue removing, shampooing, house cleaning, polishing & painting etc. Contact – 99542979 / 98855815 For all your maintenance needs including, Painting, Plumbing, Electricity, Laying of interlock tiles, marbles etc. Tel: 99383574 Mr Chandran

Catering and Other support Services anywhere in Oman for Companies. Staff / Labour Accomodation. available in Sohar, Barka and Nizwa. Telephone No.94104987, 97884967, 95740387, E-Mail : catering@gstoman.com