Times of Oman

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OMAN BEGIN QUEST FOR ASIAN CUP 2015 Oman national football team will begin its quest for the elusive AFC Asian Cup title with a well-balanced side announced by national coach Paul Le Guen. >A11

SATURDAY, December 27, 2014 / 5 Rabi Al Awal 1436 AH timesofoman.com

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Students take lead in green housing plan

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Green Salalah Accommodation Project launched by a team comprising two students from Modern College of Business and Science (MCBS) and 13 students from various other colleges in Oman was adjudged the best project at the Muscat Youth Summit 2014 held recently in Salalah. >A2

REGION

45 civilians killed, 175 injured in Syria

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Forty-five civilians were killed and some 175 wounded when aircraft bombed a northern Syrian city controlled by IS group, as Bashar Al Assad’s government stepped up air raids. Helicopters and war planes dropped barrel bombs — steel drums full of shrapnel and explosives. >A4

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HM confers Excellent Service, Royal Commendation medals MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, conferred medals of Excellent Service and Royal Commendation to a number of officers and personnel of the Ministry of Defence, the Sultan’s Armed Forces and the Royal Guard of Oman.

The ceremony was held at Mu’askar Bait Al Falaj on Thursday under the patronage of Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib Al Busaidi, Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs who presented the medals of Excellent Service and Royal Commendation in appreciation for their loyalty in serving their homeland and their dedication in carrying out the sacred duty.

While congratulating them, he urged them to exert more efforts in serving their country under the wise leadership of His Majesty the

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Sultan. The function was attended

by Mohammed bin Nasser Al Rasbi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence, Lt.Gen Ahmed bin Harith Al Nabhani, SAF Chief of Staff, Maj.Gen Mattar bin Salim Al Balushi, Commander of the Royal Army of Oman, Air Vice Marshal Mattar bin Ali Al Obaidani, Commander of the Royal Air Force of Oman, Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al Ra’eesi, Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman, Maj.Gen Salim bin Musallam Qattan, Commandant of the National Defence College, Brigadier Nasser bin Said Al Hadabi, RGO Acting Commander. -ONA See also >A2

PRISTINE BEACH AND AZURE SEA Ras Madrakah beach in Duqm is famous for its soft, white sands and azure waters. But what makes it more special are the black mountains surrounding it. —Shabin E/Times of Oman See also >A3

DISTINGUISHED HONOUR: Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib Al Busaidi presenting distinguished service medals to defence personnel. -ONA

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Plan for crèches at offices hailed Opening crèches at

EXTRA

workplaces will rid

Nasa to build cloud cities in airships

working mothers of their worries of

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Nasa scientists are working on a city made out of huge balloons in the clouds above Venus, which will allow astronauts to explore the planet without venturing onto its hostile surface. The airship-like balloons would carry two astronauts each on a 30-day mission. >B8

having left their children at home in company of maids

FAHAD AL GHADANI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com

T H R E E - S TA G E P L A N

Council’s focus on Muscat transport system MUSCAT: Three-stage plan for the development of a public transport system in the Governorate of Muscat was discussed by the Supreme Council for Planning recently. The study was submitted to the Supreme Council by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Keeping in mind the existing roads, they discussed the need for suitable legislation to regularise the public transport sector in the governorate.

The Council held its fifth meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry

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and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Planning.

During the meeting, the general framework of the 9th five-year plan from 2016 to 2020, which includes the priorities and pillars of the macroeconomic and financial plan, as well as the mechanism to distribute allocations for the ongoing and new development programmes, were discussed.

Maintaining growth The Council stressed the importance of maintaining growth rates that stimulate the economy and create fresh job opportunities in logistic services, tourism,

fisheries, mining and manufacturing sectors.

It also reviewed the mechanism that will be used to involve communities in the next stage of preparing the development plan.

This social involvement aims at ensuring more interaction among specialists, government organisations and businesses, in addition to expanding social involvement of the governorates.

Out of its belief that the logistics sector in Oman is very important and is one of the sustainable alternatives for economic growth, thanks to the Sultanate’s geographic location and high

quality infrastructure, such as roads, ports, airports and communication network, the Council approved the logistic strategy for the country.

The strategy revolves around developing the existing laws and regulations, pursuing an intensified marketing policy and setting up projects that ensure optimum utilisation of the infrastructure.

Reviewing the measures taken to identify the location of the economic zone in the Governorate of A’Dhahirah, the Council discussed ways for enhancing business and economic activities in the governorate. -ONA

MUSCAT: People have welcomed a recommendation made at a Ministry of Social Development discussion to establish workplace nurseries or crèches at government institutions.

They believe it would help women in keeping their careers on par with their male counterparts if offices provide these facilities.

While one or two private firms already have such amenities, mothers working in both the sectors are hoping that more organisations will introduce this concept in Oman.

Starting a nursery or crèche at a workplace would mean parents can leave their children at the day care centre in the office premises where trained staff will take care of their children.

The concept is already popular in countries such as the United

States, United Kingdom and even in some cities in India.

A study released recently by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) has revealed that the number of Omani women working in the public sector rose from 29,218 in 2003 to 68,200 in 2012.

Similarly the number of Omani women working in the private sector has increased from 13,385 in 2003 to 35,248 in 2013.

Besides, the study has also revealed that the number of Omani women enrolled in higher educational institutions rose by 20 per cent, with 51,048 women enrolled in the 2011-2012 school year against 41,533 in 2007 and 2008.

“In this context, it has become increasingly important for women to be made comfortable to take up jobs. While the statistics are encouraging, it is true that many women quit their jobs when they become mothers. They feel uneasy to leave their children in private crèches or under the supervision of the housemaid,” said a former member of the women’s association. >A2

P U B L I C D E B AT E

‘Are we electing right person for Majlis Al Shura?’

FAHAD AL GHADANI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com

Salalah Rotana Resort hosts 60,000 guests

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MUSCAT: What are the essential qualities that a Majlis Al Shura member should possess?

With the current session of Majlis Al Shura coming to an end and elections announced for the coming year, the issue of educational qualifications of members has triggered a debate among public.

While some believe that education criterion will benefit Majlis Al Shura, others are of the opinion that there are aspects that need to be considered while choosing the proper voice to represent them.

Ahmed Al Kharousi, a government sector employee, said the question that needs to be asked is,

‘Did we elect the right person to put forward our views?’

On a hashtag that was created to invite views on the same issue, many said that this time the criteria for choosing the right members should be thought out deeply.

“It is not only about education.

People should also think about the intellect, intelligence and problem solving aspects of a person,” said Salah Al Salmi, a private sector employee. He called on the public to forget about social commitments and focus only on the personality and education of the person.

Public need someone who is educated and eligible enough to convince others about solutions to various problems, Al Salmi said,

adding that since the education bar set by the government will deny 20 current members the chance to contest the forthcoming elections, other aspects should be decided by the public.

Right person “People should know who is the right person to represent them on such a big platform,” he said.

As per the Royal Decree No. 96/2011 issued on October 30, 2013, nominees should be Omanis, not younger than 30 years of age, with no criminal history, registered in the electoral system, not belonging to any security or military units, not suffering from any mental problems and most importantly, have at least a higher

education diploma. “Dominating personality was one of the major reasons for many of the members being overwhelmed by others, and there are some in the Majlis Al Shura who have such strong personalities,” said Ali Abdullah, who works in the private sector.

He said the major decisions taken by Majlis Al Shura were introduced by these members.

The Ministry of Interior recently held an awareness seminar for interested candidates for the Majlis Al Shura elections to advise them on the legal aspects of the poll process, requirements that should be met by the candidates, ways to plan and manage promotion campaigns, and the regulations that should be complied with.

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S ATUR DAY, D ECEMBER 27, 2 014 A well-managed crèche might be a good investment for an organisation in terms of retaining their talented female staff Rahima, Working mother

OMAN HIS MAJESTY’S MEDALS AWARDED TO DEFENCE OFFICIALS

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, conferred medals of Excellent Service and Royal Commendation on a number of commissioned and noncommissioned officers and personnel at the Ministry of Defence, the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and the Royal Guard of Oman (RGO). The ceremony was held at Mu’askar Bait Al Falaj under the patronage of Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib al-Busaidi, Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs, who pinned the medals on the officials.— ONA

Salalah Rotana Resort hosts 60,000 guests since opening

M Y S P R E S E N TAT I O N

Students take lead in green housing plan Times News Service

The Salalah Rotana Resort is implementing the ‘Duroob’ initiative to train local workforce and prepare them to work in the

BOOST FOR TOURISM: The greatest indication of the tourism industry’s growth is the investment the country has made in infrastructure projects. – Supplied photograph

hospitality sector

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Salalah Rotana Resort, the first hotel opened by Rotana in Oman, has hosted more than 60,000 guests since its opening earlier this year and has been contributing to the local community in various ways.

“We had over 60,000 guests stay with us. Oman and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) overall are our main feeder markets and we also welcome a steady stream of visitors from European countries including Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria as well as the UK, Russia, Scandinavia and France,” Claudio Melli, general manager of Salalah Rotana Resort, told Times of Oman in an interview.

Commenting on why Salalah was chosen as Rotana’s first destination in Oman, he said that

Oman and the GCC are our main feeder markets, and we also welcome a steady stream of visitors from European countries Claudio Melli GM, Saqlalah Rotana Resort

the resort was built to add to the city’s luxury hospitality offering, complementing Salalah’s developmental plans such as the airport expansion to accommodate a rise in tourists.

“Salalah has already proven to be the destination of choice among

GCC travellers, especially during the Khareef season. Last year alone, the city had over 400,000 visitors from the Gulf, an increase of over 80,000 from the previous year, and we expect numbers to continue rising year-on-year,” said Melli.

Asked if in his opinion there is still potential for development of luxury tourism facilities in Oman, Melli said that Oman is a beautiful country with a lot to offer and he believed that high quality accommodations that incorporate the country’s natural and cultural beauty have the potential to thrive here.

“The greatest indication of the industry’s growth is the investment the country has made in infrastructure projects including airport expansions and port developments,” he added.

On Rotana’s expansion plans in Oman, the general manager said that two new properties are being planned in Muscat next year.

“Rotana has signed an agreement with Sundus Investments Projects in 2013 to manage Sundus Arjaan by Rotana, and we will also manage the first four-star Sundus Rotana Muscat corporate and conference hotel that is taking shape at Airport Heights in Bousher,” he said.

Melli explained that the two properties will collectively span approximately 40,000 square metres and contribute to driving Oman’s directive for the tourism sector.

Salalah Rotana Resort is also contributing to the development of the local community in various ways.

“We prioritise local employment and make sure to source as many products from local suppliers. Our kitchens use local produce including fruits, more specifically papayas, coconuts and bananas, and of course we get seafood that has been caught right at our door-

step. The resort also locally sources mineral water, milk, juices and Salalah’s famous Frankincense that is burned daily in the lobby,” said the official.

Salalah Rotana Resort is also implementing the ‘Duroob’ initiative to train local workforce and prepare them to work in the hospitality sector.

He said, “The programme enables us to further expand our team of professionals to encompass a larger percentage of Omanis. We broaden the horizons of young Omanis with practical, on-the-job training and professional development in order for them to gain valuable insight and familiarise themselves with the hospitality industry.”

Local workforce “We also work with the Ministry of Manpower to provide our HR team with job-seekers for consideration and interview purposes, and our recruitment representatives participate in the Ministry’s ‘Recruitment Days’ to identify potentials candidates,” said Melli.

Asked how he sees the potential of Omanis in the hospitality sector, he noted that Omanis are perfect for the hospitality industry as it is in their culture.

He added that the key to attracting more locals to join this sector is education and introducing the youth to the many career opportunities in this industry.

“This is why we offer firsthand experience through on-the-job training. It is best to learn within the environment of a hotel to truly understand what is required for success,” he added.

MUSCAT: Green Salalah Accommodation Project launched by a team comprising two students from Modern College of Business and Science (MCBS) and 13 students from various other colleges in Oman was adjudged the best project at the Muscat Youth Summit 2014 held recently in Salalah.

The project presented a blueprint for building green dwellings in the Old Mirbat region of Salalah that could qualify for Oman’s first-ever LEED certification. MCBS students Omar Said Al Musharfi and Salim Ayyad Al Busaidi are pursuing a Bachelor’s in Airport Management and Bachelor’s in Aviation Management, respectively.

The team received a cash prize of OMR3,000 to kickstart the project which outlines a comprehensive strategy to revamp the Old Mirbat settlement, an ancient colony of several abandoned ramshackle houses, keeping intact their architectural and cultural essence. The team won the title beating six other projects.

“We will work to restore as many as 39 houses of the Mirbat settlement as part of the project and turn them into eco-friendly, affordable and sustainable tourist accommodations. These properties will have efficient water recycling systems and consume minimum electricity. The Mirbat project will help bring international focus on the culture and architectural heritage of Dhofar, boosting tourism,” said Omar.

WORKING MOTHERS

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do not meet expectations’

Having a crèche or nursery at the work place would mean that mothers can be closer to their children.

In fact, at the discussion organised by the Ministry of Social Development, the recommendations most welcomed was the one to establish nurseries in government units run by qualified Omani cadres.

“It is good news for families who struggle to find a decent kindergarten for their children close to their place of work. This will help many families, especially in Muscat,” said Khlasa Al Rawahi, who works in the government sector.

She believed that it would reduce the stress of not having to rush home in an emergency.

Incidentally, the discussion also focused on the social and economic impact of keeping housemaids.

Khlasa added that many families paid a lot of money for private crèches even though the services did not meet their expectations.

“I will be the first to take my children to such a kindergarten, especially because I will be relieved that they are close by,” said Al Rawahi.

She said she now has to take her children to her mother’s house and at times be late for work.

“If such nurseries come up, I will not be on tenterhooks all the time,” said Al Rawahi.

Studies indicate that offices that offer workplace nurseries have lower rates of absenteeism.

Another mother, Rahima said, “Onsite crèches are prefect solutions for breast feeding mothers.”

In a recent interview to Times of Oman, Saada Mohammed Al Mamari, from the nutrition department of the Ministry of Health, said that it was important for women to take a one-hour or two-hour break from work to breast-feed their babies.

WHO recommendations She supported the recommendations of the World Health Organisation, which said that necessary facilities should be developed for mothers at work to enable them to breast-feed.

Apart from this issue, once there were nurseries at work places, families would not have any doubts about the services as these would be under official control.

“These nurseries will be under the supervision of the companies,” said Ali Khalfan, working in the government sector.

Agreeing with Khlasa, Ali said that such a move would benefit many families, especially those coming from the interiors and living in Muscat.

“Some fathers can keep children in the crèche in their workplace,” he said.

Since workplace nurseries of-

fer high-quality and regulated childcare at their place of work, it would allow mothers to focus on their work.

An owner of a private company opined that while it may be difficult for smaller companies to establish on-site crèches, it would be possible in the larger ones.

“Though there would be challenges, it is about working out the logistics,” he said.

Mouza Al Sarmi, working in the government sector, felt that housemaids were a negative influence on her children.

“I would hear my children using strange words every day,” said Mouza. After monitoring them, she discovered that it was the housemaid who was teaching them these words.

“Having professional staff manning the crèches would mean that we would have well brought up children,” said a parent.

Employees also preferred to leave their children in officecertified crèches, so that they were near the children. “A wellmanaged crèche might be a good investment for an organisation in terms of retaining their talented female staff,” said Rahima.

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GOLDEN SANDS OF DUQM BEACH The beautiful Ras Madrakah beach in Duqm is known for its soft, clean sands and its azure waters. But what makes it special are the black mountains that surround it. Ras Madrakahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s white sand beaches with turquoise water make it a perfect camp spot. Times of Oman photographer Shabin E captures the scenic beauty of this beach from different angles

OMAN

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S ATUR DAY, D ECEMBER 27, 2 014

REGION

I am cold all the time, but there is nothing I can do to keep myself warm, so we play anyway Hammudi, 12-year-old, refugee boy

LEBANON CAMP

Syrian refugees suffer bitter cold as winter sets in AL SAAYDEH: With just blankets to shield them against the icy wind and rain, Abu Ali’s family huddles in a flimsy tent in Lebanon — among the thousands of Syrian refugees struggling as winter sets in.

Sixty-year-old Abu Ali is now relatively safe after fleeing the threat of IS group militants in northern Syria’s Raqa province, but some of his 14 children are already coughing badly.

They have taken shelter at an unofficial camp in Al Saadiyeh, a village in the eastern Bekaa Valley home to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees inadequately equipped to cope with the cold.

“This is our first winter here. We really didn’t expect it to be so cold,” said Abu Ali. “We have no sobia, nothing to heat us up,” he said, referring to a traditional Middle Eastern diesel or wood-powered stove that luckier refugee families have either received from humanitarian agencies, or bought with their savings.

On mercy “All we have is blankets and God’s mercy,” said Abu Ali, wearing a red and white keffiyeh scarf on his head and a traditional camel-coloured Bedouin robe.

His family’s tiny tent is made from sheets of white plastic and

BADLY-HIT: Umm Ali’s children who fled the violence in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, play at the entrance of their tent at an unofficial refugee camp in Jabaa, a village in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon.

With just blankets to shield them against the icy wind and rain, tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are inadequately equipped to cope as winter sets in. – AFP

planks of wood, and only has straw mats as flooring.

A single battery-powered lantern hangs in the tent, so to escape the darkness, Abu Ali’s children

brave the cold and rain and play outside. “I am cold all the time, but there is nothing I can do to keep myself warm, so we play anyway,” said 12-year-old Hammudi,

whose striking green eyes glistened in the wind as he wandered around in plastic sandals, his feet covered in mud.

The United Nations says more

45 civilians killed, 175 injured in Syria raids Helicopters and

Jordan denies IS shot down its warplane

war planes dropped barrel bombs — steel drums full of shrapnel and explosives — on residential and industrial areas in the city of Al Bab and Qabaseen, northeast of Aleppo

AMMAN: At least 45 civilians were killed and some 175 wounded when aircraft bombed a northern Syrian city controlled by IS group, as Bashar Al Assad’s government stepped up air raids, residents and a monitoring group said on Friday.

Helicopters and war planes dropped barrel bombs — steel drums full of shrapnel and explosives — on residential and industrial areas in the city of Al Bab and neighbouring Qabaseen, northeast of Aleppo, on Thursday and overnight, locals said.

“People were going about scraping a living and there were no armed groups in the market, only poor people. Why is Assad killing us?,” said Yousef Al Saadi, a resident of Qabaseen and a volunteer with the local civil defence group who was contacted on Skype.

Target Syrian state media did not report the strikes on Al Bab, a city of around 100,000 people that has been a target of heavy government strikes since the start of US- led military campaign against IS group, in Syria in late September.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 37 civilians were

AMMAN: Jordan’s military on Friday denied claims by the IS group to have shot down one of its warplanes which crashed in Syria, after the pilot was captured by the militants.

“First indications show that the crash of the Jordanian military plane in the area of the Syrian city of Raqa was not caused by Daesh fire,” a military official said using another name for IS. “But since the wreckage of the plane cannot be reached and since its pilot is not present, we cannot at this moment determine the exact cause of the crash,” the official said in remarks published on the army’s website.

Maaz Al Kassasbeh, a 26-year-old first lieutenant in the Jordanian air force, was captured by IS on Wednesday after his F-16 jet crashed while on a mission against the militants over northern Syria.

The US military has also dismissed the militants’ claim to have hit the jet with an anti-aircraft missile, saying “evidence clearly suggests that ISIL (IS) did not down the aircraft”.

killed. The British-based group, which gathers information from a variety of sources, said there had been an increase in air raids by the Syrian military across rebel held areas in the last three days.

It said at least 110 civilians had been killed in more than 470 air strikes on rebel held areas in Syria in the last 72 hours, including towns in insurgent-held eastern suburbs of the capital Damascus,

than half of the 1.1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in substandard housing. Abu Ali’s family is among the 17 per cent in informal camps, making them especially vulnerable to the elements as winter takes hold.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees says humanitarian agencies have provided 400,000 people with fuel vouchers or cash for November and December, but that funding shortfalls mean many refugees are left “in cold, adverse conditions”.

In Jabaa, another unofficial camp in the Bekaa, the wind beats down from the hills as Umm Ali, who is in her sixth month of pregnancy, steps out of her tent.

With her stomach bulging from her traditional dress, she ignores the rain as she hangs up clothes to dry. “What can I do? It’s raining all the time. We have to keep on living,” said Umm Ali, who is from Aleppo province in northern Syria.

Back in her tent, she and her family sit around the sobia.

But Umm Ali has a cough, like several of her 11 children, who sneeze as they try to stay warm.

While they have a sobia, they don’t have the money to buy diesel fuel or wood. Instead, four-yearold Khaled puts pieces of paper on the fire to keep it going.

“The kids are sick all the time,

but none of them go to school, so I can’t stop them from playing outside,” said Umm Ali, her hair covered by a brightly-coloured scarf.

She has only been to the doctor once during her pregnancy, because she cannot afford healthcare. “When little Doaa (aged two) got sick, we spent $66 on medicine,” Umm Ali said.

According to Maysam Mohammad of the British-based charity Oxfam, a pregnant Syrian woman lost her child last year after a major storm struck the Bekaa area.

“Imagine you were living in a house, with all the heating and furniture you need, then suddenly you have to leave everything behind to live on farmland, with no buildings to block the wind,” she said.

“Conditions of life in a tent are extremely difficult.”

This year, after a dry 2013, rainfall has been heavy in Lebanon.

Umm Ali’s sister-in-law, 23-year-old Rajaa, says that even if she tries to stop her children from playing in the rain, “they have to go to the bathroom — and that’s outside”.

The women heat water on the sobia to bathe their children. “You can imagine how long that takes,” said Umm Ali. She said “the worst is night-time, when we all gather next to each other to sleep and the children wail: ‘I’m cold, I’m cold.” — AFP

SIRTE

Egyptian Coptic teenager seized in Libya found dead BENGHAZI: An Egyptian Coptic Christian teenager abducted in Libya by armed men who killed her parents has been found dead, a hospital source said on Friday.

Residents found the body of the daughter of the two slain doctors on Thursday evening, said the source at the Ibn Sina hospital in the city of Sirte, without giving the cause of death.

Reports She said the girl was 13 years old.

Initial reports had given her age as 18. After murdering her parents in their home on Tuesday, the attackers took the girl but left behind two sisters, local council chairman Yussef Tebeiqa said on the day of the incident.

Tebeiqa said the attack in Sirte, home town of slain leader Muammar Gaddafi, might have been motivated by religion as money and jewellery were not taken.

Sirte, 500 kilometres east of Tripoli, is in the hands of militias including Ansar Al Sharia, which the UN Security Council last month added to its terror list over links to Al Qaeda and for running IS group training camps. Several Coptic Christian Egyptians have been killed in Libya in recent years. In February, the bodies of seven Egyptian Christians who had been shot were found near the second city of Benghazi. Thousands of Egyptians work in Libya, mainly in the construction and craft sectors. — AFP

KNIFE-WIELDING

WAITING FOR RETURN: Safi Al Kassasbeh, centre, father of Jordanian pilot Maaz, who was captured by IS in Syria after his plane crashed while on a mission near Raqqa in Syria the day before, meets with well-wishers in the house of a relative in Amman, on Thursday. Jordan’s military on Wednesday, confirmed that one of its pilots was captured by the IS group after his plane went down in Syria, official news agency Petra said. – AFP

The crash was the first warplane from the US-led coalition lost since air strikes on IS began in Syria in September, and marks a major propaganda victory for the extremist group.

Jordan is among a number of countries that have joined the

where the army has stepped up a two-year campaign to retake the area.

Eleven civilians, most women and children, were killed by loyalist snipers when they were trying to leave Zebdin, a besieged rebel-held neighbourhood in the rural outskirts of Damascus, the Observatory said.

“There have been unprecedented air raids across Syria in the

air raids against IS. Coalition warplanes have carried out regular strikes around Raqa, which IS has used as its de facto capital since declaring a “caliphate” in June straddling large parts of Iraq and Syria. — AFP

last three days where the regime seeks to make gains on the ground to improve its negotiating stance in future political talks,” Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Observatory, said.

Syrian media said it had repulsed “terror attacks” across rebel-held areas and inflicted losses against foreign militants but gave no figures on civilian casualties from its air raids. — Reuters

PROTEST: A Palestinian scuffles with an Israeli soldier during a protest against settlements near Bethlehem. – Reuters

Palestinian attacks two Israeli policemen OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A knife-wielding Palestinian wounded two Israeli police officers on Friday in occupied Jerusalem’s Old City, the scene of months of tensions, authorities said.

One officer was wounded in the neck and the other in the hand, according to a police spokeswoman who described their in-

juries as light. Police launched a major search in the Old City and surrounding areas for the attacker, who fled, she said.

Annexed east Jerusalem, including the Old City, has been shaken by frequent clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians in recent months, as well as a series of “lone wolf” attacks on Israeli civilians. — AFP

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INDIA

Bandh against killings disrupts life in Assam

NDA GOVERNMENT SUGGESTION

Anti-conversions law will go against Constitution: NCM

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Army Chief Gen

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

Dalbir Singh Suhag met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi after which the General said the Army is going to intensify its operations against NDFB militants

NEW DELHI/GUWAHATI: The Army on Friday vowed to intensify its operations in Assam in the aftermath of the massacre of tribals

by Bodo militants, as authorities mulled coordinated action with armies of Bhutan and Myanmar to hunt them.

Normal life in Assam was, meanwhile, affected by a 12-hour bandh called by several organisations including some tribal outfits in protest against the killing of the tribals by militants belonging to National Democratic Front of Bodoland(Songbijit faction) on Tuesday.

A fresh incident was reported where NDFB(S)militants lobbed a grenade at SSB personnel and exchanged fire with them in Chirang

ASSESSING SITUATION: Home Minister Rajnath Singh meets with the Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh, to review the Assam situation, in New Delhi on Friday. - PTI

district along the Indo-Bhutan border, police said.

Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi after which the General said the Army is going to intensify its operations against NDFB militants.

“We are definitely going to intensify our operations in Assam,” he told reporters after the meeting.

“The meeting was to review the security situation in Assam,” the Army Chief said.

The Minister returned from Assam on Friday after a two-day visit to review the situation.

Sources said the home minister is believed to have discussed the issue of coordinated operations with armies of Bhutan and Myanmar against the NDFB(S) which has bases in the two neighbouring countries.

External Affairs Minister Sush-

ma Swaraj also spoke to Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on Friday evening seeking action against the Bodi militants and was “assured of support”.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Swaraj was also trying to seek help of other “friendly neighbouring” countries to tackle the scourge of terrorism which India sees as a “national endeavour”.

“The External Affairs Minister has talked to the Bhutanese leadership at the highest level. We are also working on having others who could possibly help in this,” the spokesperson said, adding, “this issue came up following possible leads which indicated that there may be others beyond Indian borders where we require assistance.”

In Guwahati, a Defence spokesperson said Army is carrying out intensive area domination op-

eration in violence affected areas of Assam.

The death toll in attacks by NDFB(S), retaliatory violence by tribals and police firing since Tuesday rose to 81, according to police. “We have intensified counter-insurgency operations and area domination in all the violence affected areas to stabilise the situation,” he said.

The army has, however, not launched any fresh operation codenamed ‘Operation All Out’ as reported in a section of the electronic media, the spokesperson said.

“The Commanders are keeping a close watch on the ground situation and reviews are being carried out dynamically to deal with the situation,” he added.

Aerial surveiilance of the area was also carried out by Army Aviation Helicopter sorties, he said.

Gen Suhag said 66 army columns (70 personnel in each column) have been deployed in Assam for counter insurgency operations.

The Indo-Bhutan border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has also rushed 2,000 of its personnel to Assam.

An estimated 72,675 persons in the four affected districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Sonitpur and Udalguri have taken shelter in 61 relief camps, CEO of Assam State Disaster Management Authority P K Tiwary said.- PTI

FRACTURED VERDICT

J&K governor calls PDP and BJP for talks on government formation JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Amid continuing suspense over government formation, in Indianadministered-Kashmir Governor N. N. Vohra on Friday invited for discussions Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and BJP, the first and second largest parties in the elections, which threw up a highly-fractured verdict with no clear winner.

Vohra has sent letters separately to PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and state BJP chief Jugal Kishore “for holding discussions on the proposal for government-formation,” a Raj Bhavan official said.

The letter from the Governor has asked the PDP President to meet him on January one morning followed by the state BJP chief on the same afternoon.

The letter to the two major parties said that the term of last Assembly was to end on January 18 and, therefore, both of them should come and discuss about the government formation, the sources said.

PARLEYS: BJP leaders Arun Jaitley, Jitendra Singh and Ram Madhav attend a party meeting with newly elected BJP MLAs in Jammu on Thursday. - PTI

The Governor apparently to avoid a repeat of 2002 when government could not be formed for 22 days pushing the state towards a spell of Governor’s rule.

The parties have also been conveyed the message that if they are not able to cobble together numbers, then they could tell the Governor about their position when they meet him.

BJP, which ended up with a tal-

ly of 25 in the 87-strong Assembly, and PDP, which secured 28 seats, have held discussions in the last two days to explore the possibility of coming together.

There was no indication as to how the discussions have gone.

Paralelly, two other key players, the National Conference (NC) which got 15 seats and Congress (12 seats), continued to make efforts to keep BJP out of power by

offering support to PDP whose response remained a matter of speculation.

National Conference Working President and outgoing chief minister Omar Abdullah, who has already declared that there is no deal between his party and the BJP, tweeted on Friday that only “a verbal offer of support” has been conveyed to the PDP. But it looks like “PDP is playing mind games with the BJP leaking about a letter of NC support that doesn’t exist”.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the BJP not to be “insensitive” and be seen indulging in“arm-twisting” tactics while “bulldozing” its way on government formation.

“The way BJP is bulldozing regional parties in J&K and that’s just being insensitive towards the mandate and people of the state, “ Azad, who is Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, told reporters in Delhi. -PTI

NEW DELHI: National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on Friday appeared to be critical of NDA government’s suggestion for a law against conversion, saying it will go “against” Constitution and expressed concern over lack of action against people making “irresponsible” comments on conversion issue.

In a resolution passed today, the NCM said reported statements of several “responsible persons in public life” on conversions of Christians and Muslims to Hinduism are causing “serious concern and creating a sense of insecurity” among minority communities across the country.

Right to freedom of religion “Indian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of religion and any attempt to curtail this right goes against it. Ours is a secular nation where all religions are given an equal status and all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess,practice and propagate their religion.

“Claiming religious monopoly for any one religion in a multireligious, secular state and forcible conversions through inducement, allurement and coercion violate the Constitution, and must be strongly condemned,” the NCM statement said.

The NCM did not name any person or organisation.

Most controversial statements have come from bodies affili-

ated to Sangh Parivar which has a close link with the ruling BJP. ‘Ghar-wapsi’ events These groups have demanded a law against conversion while pushing controversial ‘ghar-wapsi’ events.

These statements have an implicit reference, it said, that Christianity and Islam are not “native” faiths.

“These statements are causing serious concern and creating a sense of insecurity among minority communities across the country... We expresses deep concern that such statements are being publicly made and no action is being taken against the individuals or the organisations making such irresponsible and uncalled for statements,” it said.

The resolution appealed to the government to “prevail” upon all responsible persons in public life to refrain from encouraging religious polarisation and creating mistrust and insecurity among the minorities.

Meanwhile, over 200 persons, mostly belonging to Christian families, in various parts of Kerala have reconverted to Hinduism as part of the ‘ghar vapsi’ (homecoming) programme of Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Christmasday, VHP sources on Friday said.

VHP State General Secretary, V. Mohan, in a statement claimed “none was being forcibly converted. Those who want to convert to Hinduism on their own will are only being helped to do so.” - PTI

A6

S ATUR DAY, D ECEMBER 27, 2 014

INDIA

We will give good and corruption-free governance and development will pick up. We will also work for the 93 per cent people in the unorganised sector, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes and the poor Raghuvar Das, Jharkhand chief minister minister-elect

Das to be Jharkhand’s first non-tribal CM The new government, possibly a coalition, will take oath of office on Sunday

RANCHI: The BJP on Friday broke from tradition and chose Raghuvar Das, the first non-tribal, to be the new chief minister of Jharkhand in 14 years since it was carved out of Bihar.

The new government, possibly a coalition, will take oath of office on Sunday. With 37 seats, the BJP in coalition with ally AJSU (5 seats) could form a stable government with the support of 42 MLAs in the 81 member Assembly.

Staking claim Hours after his election by the BJP Legislature Party, Das, a vice president of BJP, staked claim to form a government in the state that was notorious for political instability.

Accompanied by alliance partner AJSU party President Sudesh Mahto and winning MLAs, Das

ELATED: The women’s wing of BJP presents flowers to Raghuwar Das after he was elected as the leader of majority after BJP executive committee meeting, in Ranchi on Friday. - PTI

met Governor Syed Ahmed and staked claim to form the new government.

The fact that former party chief minister Arjun Munda, a tribal, lost the election helped Das’ case greatly.

“We met the governor and staked claim. We suggested to him that we want to take oath at 11am on December 28, and the Governor agreed to it,” Das said after meeting Ahmed.

“We will give good and corruption-free governance and development will pick up. We will also work for the 93 per cent people in the unorganised sector, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes and the poor,” said the 60-year-old chief minister-elect with trade union background.

Earlier in the day, central observers J. P. Nadda and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe attended the BJP LP meeting, in which Munda was also

present. Das was a deputy chief minister in the erstwhile Shibu Soren government but was out after Munda took over from Soren in the outgoing house.

He will be the third chief minister of BJP after Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda.

Marandi has since quit BJP and floated Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik). While he suffered defeats from Dhanwar and Giridih this time, his party won eight seats.

“I should not speak on it,” a senior BJP tribal leader said when asked to comment on how he saw the party having decided to break the precedent of having a chief minister from the tribal community.

In the past 14 years, Jharkhand has seen nine governments with five tribal chief ministers — Babulal Marandi (once), Arjun Munda (thrice), Shibu Soren (thrice), Madhu Koda (once) and Hemant Soren (once).

A Science and Law graduate, Das has been representing Jamshedpur(East) constituency from 1995 and had taken part in the students movement of 1974 and the workers agitations in Telco.

For the first time, a pre-poll alliance partners could muster a majority in the state, which has only seen unstable governments. -PTI

PAV I N G WAY F O R I N V E S T M E N T S

Ordinances on coal and insurance get president’s approval NEW DELHI: The two ordinances to pave the way for a fresh dose of foreign investment in the insurance sector and to move ahead with the allocation of cancelled coal mines received presidential approval on Friday.

The government had decided to promulgate these ordinances to move ahead with reforms in the two sectors as the relevant bills could not be cleared during the Parliament Session.

President Pranab Mukherjee has signed the two ordinances, Rashtrapati Bhavan Press Secretary Venu Rajamony said.

The Cabinet had approved promulgation of the Ordinance on Insurance Bill and re-promulgation of the Coal Ordinance on Wednesday.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had expressed the hope that hiking of the foreign investment cap in the insurance sector to 49 per cent, which has been pending since 2008, will result in capital inflow of $6-8 billion. Earlier, this foreign investment limit was capped at 26 per cent.

“The Ordinance demonstrates the firm commitment and determination of this government to reforms. It also announces to the

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had expressed the hope that hiking of the foreign investment cap in the insurance sector to 49 per cent will result in capital inflow of $6-8 billion

rest of the world including investors that this country can no longer wait even if one of the houses of Parliament waits indefinitely to take up its agenda,” he had said.

The Coal Mines Bill, 2014 has already been approved by the Lok Sabha during the session but could make no progress in the upper house. The re-promulgation of ordinance on coal will facilitate e-auction of coal blocks for companies and allot mines directly to state and central PSUs. - PTI

IOTH ANNIVERSARY

3D mapping of coastal areas in efforts to improve tsunami warning systems HYDERABAD/CHENNAI: India is taking up 3D mapping of coastal areas as part of its efforts to further improve the tsunami early warning system.

On the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on Friday, Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan said under the pilot project 3D Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping of Cuddalore and Nagapattinam (both in Tamil Nadu) was being taken up.

“We are in the process of developing a protocol which can be replicated in future,” he told reporters after inaugurating a national workshop on ‘Indian tsunami early warning system: progress, challenges and future road map’.

The workshop was organised at the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) here to mark 10 years of the tsunami which claimed 2.38 lakh lives in 14 countries. As many as 10,749 people were killed in India.

Joint effort The centre, which is a joint effort of 14 institutions, is pursuing technical enhancements like integration of data from GNSS networks, real-time inundation modelling, location-based warning dissemination systems to improve accuracy and timeliness of tsunami warning.

IN REMEMBRANCE: Fishermen pour milk into the sea to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, at Marina beach in Chennai on Friday. -PTI

Harsh Vardhan said it was time to introduce more innovations to improve safety mechanisms.

Pointing out that 26 per cent of India’s population lives in coastal areas, the minister underlined the need to sustain the efficient warning system and to make persistent efforts to educate people.

Describing ITEWC as probably the best tsunami warning centre in the world, he said a strategy should be worked out to pass on information to people living in coastal areas in the shortest possible time by using the latest communication technologies.

“We intend to very proactively and aggressively pass all this in-

formation in a form which should be received and perceived by people in coastal areas, who always face potential danger of being adversely affected by happenings in the ocean,” he said.

The minister also underscored the need to educate people on what to do after receiving the information. “We pray to God nothing of this nature should ever happen but God forbid if it happens we have to be fully prepared to warn our people and educate them well in advance on what they need to do.”

Harsh Vardhan’s junior minister Y.S. Chowdary asked the centre to publish a ‘blue book’ and

make it a part of national library to help the next generation. He said the ministry was also considering a tsunami volunteers scheme. He suggested that the centre provide training to the trainers who in turn can train volunteers.

Shailesh Nayak, secretary, ministry of earth sciences, noted that ITEWC set up in 2007 has not only been providing timely tsunami advisories for India but is also catering to 26 countries in the Indian Ocean region.

Meanwhile, floral tributes and processions marked the tenth anniversary of tsunami in the coastal areas of Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu on Friday.

People observed a minute’s silence to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the 2004 tsunami. State Fisheries Minister K.A. Jayapal, District Collector T Munusamy, Nagapattinam MP Dr K Gopal and other officials led the silent marches, candle processions besides paying floral tributes.

India on Friday announced a US dollar one million contribution to a UN fund for tsunami, disaster and climate preparedness in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asian countries on the 10th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami.

Ambassador of India to Thailand Harsh V. Shringla announced the donation to the UN-ESCAP Multi donor Trust Fund for tsunami. - Agencies

16 MINISTERS

Rajasthan ministers receive threatening emails from IM JAIPUR: Sixteen ministers in Rajasthan have received threatening messages on their official email IDs purportedly sent by terrorists group Indian Mujahideen prompting the police to further strengthen the security arrangements in the state.

Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Arun Chaturvedi are among the Cabinet ministers and Ministers of State who received the emails on December 22.

“We are examining the credibility and authenticity of the email and its sender who gave threats in the message saying ‘You yourself understand what we will do’.

We are investigating the matter and have collected inputs which are being shared with intelligence agencies,” DGP Omendra Bharadwaj said.

He said that there is no specific target and also type of attack mentioned in the message which was sent on Monday purportedly by terrorists group IM.

We will ensure that full security is in place in the state and proper safety measures are being taken Gulabchand Kataria Rajasthan Home Minister

ADG-ATS Alok Tripathi said that language of the message was poor and no specific target was mentioned.

“The sender in a threatening language warns to be prepared,” Tripathi said, while refusing to

divulge further details of the emails received. The Home Minister, who is in Udaipur, said that the DGP was aware of all the facts and that those behind the emails would be identified.

“We will ensure that full security is in place in the state and proper safety measures are being taken,” Kataria told reporters.

The DGP said that the security arrangements have been further tightened in the state in the wake of the threat,which is being thoroughly examined.

“Alarming signals were coming for some time hence security arrangements were already tight and now other measures are also being taken from security point of view,” he said. However, he said, that there should be no panic.

Intelligence Bureau chief Asif Ibrahim recently said there was an imminent danger of Indian youths moving to the conflict zone (Iraq-Syria), emerging as a role model and such developments may directly or indirectly pose a threat to the country. - PTI

SAT URDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014

PAKISTAN

Commander Saddam was a dreaded terrorist, who was killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces in Jamrud town of Khyber tribal region Shahab Ali Shah, Peshawar official

Top militant linked to school attack is killed

REMEMBERING BENAZIR Supporters of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) hold candles during a rally in Lahore on Friday to commemorate the seventh death anniversary of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto. Benazir was assassinated in a gun and suicide attack after addressing an election campaign rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, on December 27, 2007. — AFP

Warrant issued for cleric

Named only as ‘Saddam’, the rebel was killed on Thursday night in a gunfight with security forces in the restive Khyber tribal area, which borders Peshawar where last week’s horrific

PROTEST AGAINST TALIBAN: Children hold flags as women supporters of Pakistani religious Jammat-e-Islami stage a protest against the Taliban militants attack on an army-run school in Peshawar, in Islamabad on Friday. — AFP

attack took place

PESHAWAR: Pakistani security forces have killed a Taliban commander who allegedly facilitated the Peshawar school massacre, which left 150 people dead in the country’s worst ever terror attack, officials said on Friday.

Named only as “Saddam”, the militant was killed on Thursday night in a gunfight with security forces in the restive Khyber tribal area, which borders the northwestern city of Peshawar where last week’s horrific attack took place.

“Commander Saddam was a dreaded terrorist, who was killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces in Jamrud town of Khyber tribal region,” top local administration official Shahab Ali Shah said in Peshawar.

“Six of his accomplices were injured and arrested.”

He added that Saddam is believed to have facilitated the school attack, although the extent or capacity of his alleged involvement was not yet known.

Pakistan has ramped up its anti-terror strategy in the wake of the December 16 slaughter at an army-run school in Peshawar, where 134 children were among the victims gunned down by heavily-armed Taliban

“Authorities are currently interrogating the injured terrorists,” Shah said.

He described Saddam as an important commander in the Pakistani Taliban and said he had masterminded several bomb attacks.

Heavy casualties He and his accomplices had been involved in several recent attacks on security forces that had resulted in heavy casualties.

The Taliban and other militants have taken refuge in Khyber from a major army offensive launched in June in North Waziristan, another restive tribal area on the Afghan border that has been a hub

for Al Qaeda and Taliban militants since the early 2000s.

Washington pressed Islamabad for years to wipe out militant sanctuaries in North Waziristan, which have been used to launch attacks on Nato forces in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani military says it has killed more than 1,700 militants so far in its heavy offensive in the tribal zone, with 126 soldiers having lost their lives.

Pakistan has ramped up its anti-terror strategy in the wake of the December 16 slaughter at an army-run school in Peshawar, where 134 children were among the victims gunned down by heavily-armed Taliban militants. — AFP

F L I G H T O F C A P I TA L

Pakistanis invest $1.2b in Dubai real estate this year LAHORE: It seems that investor confidence in the real estate market of Pakistan has started falling once again as capital flight to Dubai’s property market in the first half of 2014 is recorded at $1.23 billion.

“Pakistan ranked third among countries that invested heavily in the Dubai real estate market in 2013 and the trend is continuing this year as well, despite the fact that the market has remained slow for almost the entire year,” said bayut.com Chief Executive Officer Haider Ali Khan.

For Khan, who heads one of the top three property portals of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai is the most attractive real estate market for many countries, primarily due to the reforms introduced after the financial crisis of 2008. During the turmoil, many property developers had defaulted, shaking the confidence of investors.

Now, after the introduction of new laws, the real estate market is once again strengthening.

According to Khan, Indians lead investments in the Dubai real estate sector by putting $2.27 billion, the United Kingdom puts $1.36 billion, whereas Pakistan stands third after investments of $1.23 billion, according to data for the first six months of 2014.

The real estate market of Pakistan has remained stagnant for the last six months, however, according to zameen. com, overall property prices have registered a spike of 8-11 per cent in 2014 Though no statistics are out for the remaining period of the year, market experts predict more outflow of capital from Pakistan to Dubai as the country’s economy has not performed well from June to date.

The real estate market of Pakistan has remained stagnant for the last six months, however, according to zameen.com, Pakistan’s leading property portal, overall property prices have registered a spike of 8-11 per cent in 2014.

However, the Dubai’s market, which is passing through a correction phase, managed to post a growth of 20-23 per cent, according to bayut.com.

Khan stated that due to the absence of any government-owned regulatory authority in Pakistan, many local investors opt to invest in Dubai.

“Dubai has improved very

quickly after learning from the 2008 crisis, at the time there were not many laws to protect investors, as a result the developers defaulted and investor confidence dived.

“Now, there are strict laws to protect the sector. They have created the Dubai land department to take things under control.”

Khan said most mature real estate markets are protected by law and the Pakistani government should gradually work to introduce some real estate laws, so that investor confidence improves and practices like the biana system (20 to 30 per cent advance payment) should be stopped.

The government should also provide information about property laws as majority of the buyers and sellers do not know buying or rental processes, which often results in legal battles, especially in rental cases. — Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: A court in Islamabad on Friday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz.

The decision comes against the backdrop of ongoing protests organised by civil society members. The civil society members also registered a first investigation report (FIR) against Aziz and gave the police till Friday to open an investigation case against the cleric.

Threatening call Lawyer-turned-activist Jibran Nasir, who spearheaded the protest, remained undeterred, despite receiving a threatening call from the Jamatul Ahrar’s spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan.

“We have requested the police to conduct a focused investigation…then we will know whether to continue chanting slogans or to celebrate,” he said.

“This is a story of the will of the common man. This is a common man’s protest against all the rogue clerics who use and manipulate the name of Islam for their own interests,” he said. — Express Tribune

N O R T H WA Z I R I S TA N

Drone strike kills four PESHAWAR: A US drone strike killed at least four militants in Pakistan’s restive tribal region near the Afghan border on Friday, Pakistani security officials said, the second such incident in a week.

The strike targeted a Taliban compound in North Waziristan, one of seven semi-autonomous tribal districts that border Afghanistan.

“A US drone fired two missiles which hit a compound... killing four terrorists,” a senior security official said.

Another security official confirmed the strike and casualties.

Another drone strike in North Waziristan on December 20 killed at least five militants, officials said.

The area is generally off-limits to journalists, making it difficult to independently verify the number and identity of the dead.

Washington pressed Islamabad for years to wipe out militant sanctuaries in North Waziristan, which have been used to launch attacks on Nato forces in Afghanistan.

Islamabad launched a major offensive in the area in June and says it has killed more than 1,700 militants so far, with 126 soldiers having lost their lives. — AFP

A8

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They have distorted the vision of Jinnah

O

n August 11, 1947, the man who more than any other was responsible for bringing the state of Pakistan into being spoke these 52 words: “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”

As the nation celebrates the birthday of the man who uttered those historic words, Muhammed Ali Jinnah, but it remains conflicted about the vision that Jinnah had for Pakistan. For much of its existence as a state, Pakistanis have been taught that Jinnah wanted to create a theocratic state, but there is another view — that he sought a country that was Muslim-majority but secular, forward-looking and progressive. The former perception is currently dominant, the latter often buried or otherwise hidden from view by those for whom such a vision is anathema.

To the shrinking liberal strata of society the August 11 speech is a touchstone. Jinnah spoke with clarity of a state that is tolerant, inclusive and above all secular, but it was a vision that quickly was deliberately clouded by those who came after him and then metamorphosed over decades into the creature that the state has become today — riven by sectarian conflict, at the mercy of terrorists who roam at will and butcher our children with seeming impunity. A state where those who carried out the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16 spent the night before staying in a mosque close by according to the initial police report on the attack. A state that is not failed — nor is likely to despite what the Cassandra’s may say — but is deeply flawed and performs far below where it should, given the plenitude of human and natural resources at its disposal.

It is clear that those who succeeded Jinnah in the corridors of power were distinctly unimpressed by what he said in his August 11 speech. They were powerful religious ideologues and they did what they could to suppress the speech in newspapers and it was virtually erased from the record. The Pakistan of today is what its people, and particularly several generations of politicians — have made it. Such visionaries that we have border on the delusional on occasion, and a broad streak of mediocrity runs through most of the political cadre.

When a state chooses second-best to lead it, then it is no surprise that the state itself becomes second best. Jinnah may not have been perfect, but any flaws he may have had were by far outweighed by the clarity and discipline of the vision that drove him. We shall not see his like again. - The Express Tribune

EUROZONE CRISIS

2015 may be Europe’s make-or-break year JOSCHKA FISCHER

Growing intolerance in India

H

ope is in danger of crumbling that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would rein in the divisive agenda of his militant Hindunationalist supporters and allow India to concentrate on the important work of economic reform, and the blame lies squarely with Modi. During the last days of its winter session, Parliament was unable to deal with important legislative business because of repeated adjournments and uproar over attempts by Hindu groups to convert Christians and Muslims. The issue has come to a head following a “homecoming” campaign by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad — groups dedicated to transforming India’s secular democracy into a Hindu state — to “reconvert” Christians and Muslims to Hinduism. In recent weeks, Hindu militants have engineered conversions of Muslims and Christians in Agra and in the states of Gujarat and Kerala. Police are investigating accusations that people have been induced to participate in mass conversion meetings by a combination of intimidation and bribery, including the promise of food ration cards. Attacks on Christians and their places of worship have intensified in recent weeks.

More than 80 per cent of Indians are Hindus, but Muslims, Christians and Sikhs form important religious minorities with centuries of history in India. Religious pluralism and freedom are protected by India’s Constitution. The issue of religious conversion is contentious in India. Many dalits, known formerly as untouchables, and other lowcaste Hindus and tribals admit they convert to Islam or Christianity primarily to escape crushing caste prejudice and oppression.

The main architect of the Constitution, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, born a Dalit, famously converted to Buddhism to escape caste-oppression under Hinduism.

As opposition political leaders are demanding, Modi must break his silence and issue a stern warning to emboldened Hindu militants before their actions turn further progress on economic reform into a sideshow, with the politics and divisiveness occupying centre stage. - The New York Times News Service

Public transport will help reduce consumption of oil

It is indeed time now to start tightening the belt

This refers to the news story, Help Oman through oil crisis (December 25). We must change our attitudes. It is true that Oman is blessed with oil but we need plans to reduce the consumption of oil. Trains and subways must be introduced in the Sultanate and we must also encourage metro bus service. This would reduce the consumption of oil and help the economy. Oman must have more export processing zones now so that skilled workers from abroad can join and train Omanis to acquire skills at par with international standards. It would boost the country’s exports, attract more global investment and encourage growth of SMEs. Kalimullah Muscat

This refers to the news story, Help Oman through oil crisis (December 25). If the oil price stays low for some more time then the budget expenses and income calculations would go haywire.

First, the government projects could get affected. It is indeed time now to start tightening the belt before it is too late. It is also time now to explore other sources of revenue earning and diversify the economy so as to reduce dependence on oil. It’s a must to reduce waste of resources and services on which the government pays huge subsidies. So the process to educate people in this matter must begin now even as it will be a challenging task to make people aware of the situation and motivate them to stop misusing

It is remarkable how little Europe has been scandalised by the support that the EU’s new and old nationalists have received from Russia.Putin’s government helped to finance the French National Front

T

he euro crisis, it is said, is over.

Calm has returned to financial markets, amid ironclad assurances by the European Union authorities — particularly the European Central Bank — that the monetary union will be preserved.

But Southern Europe’s economies remain depressed, and the eurozone as a whole is suffering from stagnant growth, deflationary pressure, and, in the crisis countries, persistently high unemployment. Not surprisingly, given the EU authorities’ obvious inability to end the malaise, many member states are losing patience with austerity. Indeed, some countries are facing a political upheaval.

When the turmoil comes, it is likely to be triggered — as with the euro crisis — by Greece, which is holding a presidential election that seems unlikely to produce a winner. If the Greek parliament does not elect a new president by a two-thirds majority in the third and final round, it will be dissolved and a snap election will be called. The risk is that Syriza, a far-left socialist party, will come to power.

To win, Syriza must either mislead its voters about its options, or insist that it will renegotiate the repayment conditions imposed on Greece by the so-called Troika (the European Commission, the ECB, and the International Monetary Fund), all while pursuing unilateral action should renegotiation fail.

But any renegotiation following a Syriza victory would undoubtedly unleash a political avalanche in the southern EU that would sweep away austerity and fully reignite the eurozone crisis.

Of course, Greece itself is too small for its problems to present any real danger to the eurozone. But the election result in Athens could fuel panic in financial markets, causing a crisis that would threaten to spill over into Italy, the eurozone’s third-largest economy, and, with some delay, France, the second largest.

A miracle could occur: a new president could be elected in Athens next week, or Syriza might not win the next parliamentary election.

Unfortunately, either outcome would merely delay a politics-induced crisis in the EU. After all, in Italy, too, the signs point to a coming storm — one bearing down not only on austerity, but also increasingly on the euro itself. And after the storm hits Italy, France could be next.

The conflict over austerity has become politically explosive because it is becoming a conflict between Germany and Italy — and, worse, between Germany and France, the tandem that drove European integration for six decades.

And this is happening at a time when anti-European, nationalist forces are establishing themselves in

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Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace OSCAR WILDE

Germany’s national and state parliaments — and on the streets — thereby substantially reduce Chancellor Angela Merkel’s room for compromise.

The battle between austerity’s defenders and opponents thus threatens to tear apart not just the eurozone, but the EU as a whole.

The crisis in the eurozone and the refusal to attempt any real European approach to reviving growth has contributed — not exclusively, but significantly — to the rebirth of nationalism within the EU. The strength of this political tendency became fully apparent in May 2014, when anti-European populists performed well in the European Parliament election. The nationalist trend has continued unabated ever since.

On one level, this seems bizarre. After all, none of the problems that Europe is or will be facing can be solved more easily alone and at the national level than within the EU and through the framework of a supranational political community.

Indeed, nationalist xenophobia is particularly absurd in view of demographic realities: An aging Europe urgently needs more immigrants, not less.

It is also remarkable how little Europe has been scandalised by the support that the EU’s new and old nationalists have received from Russia; for example, President Vladimir Putin’s government helped to finance the French National Front via a multi-millioneuro loan drawn on a Russian bank.

Apparently, authoritarian values and nationalist worldviews (together with a strong dose of antiAmericanism) create ties that bind.

It is no exaggeration to say that the EU is currently both internally and externally threatened by reactionary nationalism, which is why the next euro crisis will come in the form of a political crisis.

So why are the authorities in Berlin, Brussels, and the other EU capitals still not willing to change their policies, which quite obviously have made a bad situation worse? Observing the EU from the outside is like watching a train collision in slow motion — and one that was announced at the station.

And then there is the United Kingdom, moving steadily and with apparent determination ever closer to a “Brexit.” That danger extends beyond 2015; nonetheless, it is an important component of the overall picture of impending crisis in the EU. Regardless of whether the UK ultimately separates politically from the continent, the coming year will mark a turning point for Europe. - Project Syndicate The author was German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1998-2005, a term marked by Germany’s strong support for Nato’s intervention in Kosovo in 1999, followed by its opposition to the war in Iraq.

fuel, electricity and water etc.

Sam Oommen Mappilaveetil Muscat

Now is the time to eschew driving the heavy cars This refers to the news story, Help Oman through oil crisis (December 25). I completely agree with the author of the referred story and feel that we, the nationals and residents, have both a critical role to play in helping Oman to tide over the crisis it is facing or may face in the near future because of the sliding oil prices in the international market. To start with, I would strongly suggest that the government now start discouraging people to use big and heavy cars. In view of the present scenario it is simply criminal to use heavy vehicles for personal

use. To discourage the use of heavy cars the government may consider increasing taxes on them and also increasing the annual registration fees for the existing cars. This apart, it will be wonderful if the authorities can quickly develop public transport network across the country.

Abid Azaiba

If all join hands, Oman will certainly tide over crisis This refers to the news story, Help Oman through oil crisis (December 25). Rational use of electricity and water will definitely help Oman to overcome the situation.

Let all hands join in to tide over the looming crisis.

Sayadu Rahman Muscat

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)

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NAT U R E ’ S F U RY

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More than 100,000 evacuated as floods hit Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR: More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from their homes by authorities in five northern states of Malaysia hit by the Southeast Asian’ nation’s worst monsoon floods in decades.

Extremely high levels of floodwater and bad weather have made relocating victims and the transport of food supplies by helicopters difficult, Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a statement.

A total of 103,412 people have been displaced in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Perlis, state news agency Bernama said, surpassing the previous record of 100,000 people evacuated during floods in 2008.

Northeastern peninsular Malaysia, which is worst affected, is regularly hit by flooding during the annual Northeast Monsoon, but this year’s rains have been particularly bad. On Tuesday, nearly 60 foreign tourists were among almost 100 people rescued by boat and helicopter from a resort in a Malaysian national park lashed by its highest rainfall since 1971.

The flooding comes as communities in northwestern Malaysia mark the 10th anniversary of the devastating tsunami that hit on December 26, 2004. — Reuters PEACE MOVE

Philippines Maoist rebels say ‘ready’ to resume talks MANILA: Maoist-led guerrillas in the Philippines say they are ready to resume peace talks with the government after Pope Francis’ visit to the state next month, in a renewed bid to end the 45-year conflict.

About 15,000 New People’s Army (NPA) fighters and supporters on Friday gathered in a village on the southern island of Mindanao to support calls for the resumption of peace negotiations by their leaders living in exile in Europe.

“The resumption of formal talks of the panels shall be after the papal visit,” Jose Maria Sison, a university professor and founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, told a local newspaper in an interview from his base in The Netherlands. Pope Francis is due to arrive in the Philippines on January 15.

The government cautiously welcomed the rebels’ interest in returning to the negotiating table.

“We want to resume talks on the basis of a doable and time-bound agenda,” Teresita Quintos Deles, the president’s adviser on the peace process, said. — Reuters

MAROONED: An aerial view of flooded streets of the National Park in Kuala Tahan, Pahang, on Wednesday. – Reuters

Russia backs North Korea on its ire over US comedy MOSCOW: Russia has slammed the United States over a raunchy comedy featuring a fictional plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, saying Pyongyang’s anger was understandable.

The entertainment giant Sony said it was cancelling the release of the film, The Interview, an expletive-laden tale full of innuendo and scatological humour, after following an embarrassing cyber attack on its corporate network and threats against moviegoers.

Russia said it was concerned by the latest escalation of tensions between the North and Washington and slammed the irreverent comedy. “The very idea of the film is so aggressive and scandalous that the reaction of the North Korean side... is completely understandable,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said. He said the United States had not provided any evidence linking North Korea to the hack attack, noting that Pyongyang offered Washington to conduct a joint investigation into the incident. - AFP

Chinese seeks $2.4m for wrongful death sentence THE PREVIOUS CASES Nian Bin, a former

A Chinese man who was acquitted after being imprisoned for 16 years on a murder charge received state compensation of $256,000 (1.57 million yuan) this week, the China Daily said in a separate report.

Xu Hui was arrested in 1998 and convicted of murdering a 19-year-old woman in 2001 but a court in the Southern province of Guangdong ruled in September that there had been insufficient evidence, it said.

Earlier this month, a court in the northern region of Inner Mongolia declared innocent Hugjiltu, who had been executed at age 18 in 1996 for murder and rape.

Doubt was cast on the original verdict when another man confessed to the crime in 2005

food-stall owner who was convicted of poisoning two children and condemned to death in 2008, was finally freed after a court quashed his conviction in August

BEIJING: A Chinese man who was freed after six years on death row following a wrongful murder conviction is seeking $2.4 million in compensation, state-media said Friday, amid public anger over the country’s flawed legal system.

Nian Bin, a former food-stall owner who was convicted of poisoning two children and condemned to death in 2008, was finally freed after a court quashed his conviction in August.

His case went through multiple appeals, with lawyers arguing that the evidence against him was

A L L E G E D LY FA B R I C AT E D

Japan’s top research institute dismisses stem cell study TOKYO: Japan’s top research institute on Friday hammered the final nail in the coffin of what was once billed as a ground-breaking stem cell study, dismissing it as flawed and saying the work could have been fabricated.

The revelations come a week after a young researcher at the centre of the scandal, which has rocked the country’s scientific establishment, said she would resign after failing to reproduce the successful conversion of an adult cell into a stem cell-like state, known as “STAP” cells.

The failure marked a stunning fall from grace for 31-year-old Haruko Obokata, whose co-researcher committed suicide amid the embarrassing scandal that prompted respected science journal Nature to retract an article detailing the research.

On Friday the governmentbacked Riken institute, which sponsored the study, said embryonic stem cells had been added in the process of the research, hammering Obokata’s contention that she had found an easier way to generate new stem cells in the lab.

“But we can’t conclude whether the mixing was done on purpose or by mistake nor can we conclude who did it,” probe team chief Isao Katsura, head of the National Institute of Genetics, told a news briefing in Tokyo.

In January, Riken trumpeted Obokata’s simple method to re-

A9

During the last of our interviews we told her (Obokata) that we had enough evidence to show the mixing-in (of embryonic stem cells) MAKING A POINT: Haruko Obokata, a female researcher of Japan’s Riken Institute, speaks at a press conference in Osaka, western Japan, following claims that her stem cell study was fabricated. - AFP files

programme adult cells to work like stem cells.

The study was top news in Japan, where the photogenic Obokata, a Harvard-trained scientist, became a phenomenon.

But media attention soon grew into scepticism as doubts emerged about Obokata’s papers on Stimulus-Triggered Acquisition of Pluripotency (STAP).

Mistakes were discovered in some data published in two papers, photograph captions were found to be misleading, and the

Isao Katsura Probe team chief and head of the National Institute of Genetics,

work itself could not be repeated by other scientists.

On Friday the head of the probe team, which was made up of scientists outside the institute and lawyers, said the committee interviewed Obokata three times.

“During the last of our interviews we told her that we had enough evidence to show the mixing-in (of embryonic stem cells),” Katsura said.

“Then, before us asking anything, Ms.Obokata said ‘I’ve never mixed them.’” — AFP

insufficient and saying police had tortured him to obtain a confession.

Nian on Thursday applied for $2.4 million (15 million yuan) in compensation from the government at a court in east China’s Fujian province which had upheld his death sentence three times,

the China Daily reported citing his elder sister. He also requested the court make a public apology through the media, it added.

“Eight years of life cannot be bought back with money,” the sister, Nian Jianlan said, referring to the entirety of her brother’s ordeal since his 2006 arrest. “We hope that by asking for compensation and an apology, the culprit judges can have more respect for life and the law,” she added.

Forcible confession Nian, 38, told a previous court hearing that police had hung him from a hook and beaten him until he confessed, reports said.

Acquittals in China’s Communist-controlled court system are extremely rare -- 99.93 percent of defendants in criminal cases were found guilty last year, according to official statistics.

The use of force to extract confessions remains widespread in the country and defendants often do not have effective defence in criminal trials, leading to regular miscarriages of justice.

China has occasionally exon-

erated wrongfully executed convicts after others came forward to confess their crimes, or in some cases because the supposed murder victim was later found alive.

China’s ruling Communist Party is attempting to reduce public anger over injustices by lessening the influence of local officials over some court cases, and reversing verdicts in some high-profile cases.

A Chinese man who was acquitted after being imprisoned for 16 years on a murder charge received state compensation of $256,000 (1.57 million yuan) this week, the China Daily said in a separate report. Xu Hui was arrested in 1998 and convicted of murdering a 19-year-old woman in 2001 but a court in the Southern province of Guangdong ruled in September that there had been insufficient evidence, it said.

Earlier this month, a court in the northern region of Inner Mongolia declared innocent Hugjiltu, who had been executed at age 18 in 1996 for murder and rape. Doubt was cast on the original verdict when another man confessed to the crime in 2005. — AFP

A 10

S ATUR DAY, D ECEMBER 27, 2 014

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There is no question of taking a step back from our path, we will continue along this road, Mehmet Emin Altunses, Freed Turkish teen

When giant waves 10 years ago this day, claimed 220,000 lives SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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

26, 2004 a of the nation’s 170,000 victims were claimed.

The main city, Banda Aceh, held the nation’s official remembrance earlier on Friday at a 20-acre park.

It was near the epicentre of the massive undersea quake and bore the brunt of waves towering up to 35-metres (115 feet) high.

“Thousands of corpses were sprawled in this field,” Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla told the crowd — many among them weeping. “Tears that fell at that time... there were feelings of confusion, shock, sorrow, fear and suffering.

We prayed.

“And then we rose and received help in an extraordinary way. Help came from Indonesia and everyone else, our spirits were revived,” he said, hailing the outpouring of aid from local and foreign donors.

The disaster also ended a decades-long separatist conflict in Aceh, with a peace deal between rebels and Jakarta struck less than a year later.

9.3-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia’s western tip generated a series of massive waves that pummelled the coastline of 14 countries as far apart as Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Somalia

KHAO LAK (THAILAND): Tearful memorials were held across tsunami-hit nations on Friday for the 220,000 people who died ten years ago when giant waves decimated coastal areas along the Indian Ocean in one of the world’s worst natural disasters on record.

On December 26, 2004 a 9.3-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia’s western tip generated a series of massive waves that pummelled the coastline of 14 countries as far apart as Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Somalia.

Among the victims were thousands of foreign tourists enjoying Christmas on the region’s sun-kissed beaches, carrying the tragedy of an unprecedented natural disaster into homes around the globe.

In southern Thailand, where half of the 5,300 dead were holi-

TSUNAMI VICTIMS: Pictures of the 2004 tsunami victims are seen during a 10th anniversary ceremony in Ban Nam Khem, a southern fishing village in Thailand which was destroyed by the wave, on Friday. - Reuters

daymakers, people recounted stories of horror and miraculous survival as the churning waters, laden with the debris of eviscerated bungalows, cars and boats, swept in without warning, obliterating resorts and villages. As dusk loomed, hundreds gathered for a candlelit memorial on Khao Lak, much of which was washed away by the towering waves.

Among them was Swiss national, Katia Paulo, who lost her boyfriend on a nearby beach.

“I had my back to the ocean.

My boyfriend called me... the only

thing I remember is his face. I knew I had to run away, then the wave caught me,” the 45-year-old told AFP. “I was pushed under water many times and thought it was the end,” she said, explaining she called for help only to realise the people nearby were in fact corpses.

“I managed to hold onto a tree branch,” she said, adding that as the waves retreated she was six metres (200 feet) off the ground.

Nearby, 40-year-old Thai Somjai Somboon, said she still grieves for the loss of her two sons, who

were ripped from their house when the waves cut into their fishing village of Ban Nam Khem.

“I remember them every day,” she told AFP, also with tears in her eyes, adding “I will always miss my sons.” The official ceremony, to be led by the Thai premier, was due to be held at police patrol boat 813, which was swept around two kilometres inland and has since stood as a memorial to the calamity.

Among the international commemorations, in Sweden, which lost 543 to the waves, the royal family and relatives of those who

COURT ORDER

RESPONSE TO UKRAINE CRISIS

Turkey frees schoolboy arrested for ‘insulting’ Erdogan; still faces trial ANKARA: A Turkish court on Friday freed a 16-year-old high school pupil arrested for “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, amid accusations his detention was the latest sign of a lurch to authoritarianism under the strongman leader.

The boy, Mehmet Emin Altunses, was released following a complaint by his lawyer, but he still faces trial in the future, the official Anatolia news agency reported. Altunses was met by his parents as he left the main courthouse building in the city and immediately fell into the arms of his mother, Turkish television pictures showed.

But the teen defiantly declared his political activism would continue, saying he was not a terrorist but a “soldier” of modern Turkey’s secular founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. “There is no question of taking a step back from our path, we will continue along this road,” he said.

Altunses had delivered a speech on Wednesday in the central Turkish city of Konya, a bastion of the ruling conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP), where he accused Erdogan and the ruling party of corruption.

He was detained by police at school in Konya in the middle of lessons on Wednesday afternoon and immediately taken for interrogation by police. A court then ordered his arrest.

Reportedly a member of an online youth group, Altunses in questioning denied links with a political party but confirmed he had made the statements in question. Despite his release, Altunses still remains accused of insulting Erdogan and faces trial at a date yet to be specified. He risks up to four years in prison if convicted.

The boy’s lawyer, Baris Ispir, had submitted a petition for his release to the court, together with around 100 classmates who came from Istanbul in a show of support. His legal team had also pointed out that accusations against Erdogan and his inner

died will attend a memorial service in Uppsala Cathedral Friday afternoon.

Disaster-stricken nations initially struggled to mobilise a relief effort, leaving bloated bodies to pile up under the tropical sun or in makeshift morgues.

The world poured money and expertise into the relief and reconstruction, with more than $13.5 billion collected in the months after the disaster. Almost $7 billion in aid went into rebuilding more than 140,000 houses across Indonesia’s Aceh province, where most

Mass graves Mosques also held prayers across the province while people visited mass graves.

But a Red Cross display of hundreds of salvaged ID documents and bank cards, also served as grim reminder that many victims simply vanished. n Sri Lanka, where 31,000 people perished, survivors and relatives of the around 1,000 who died when waves derailed a passenger train, boarded the restored Ocean Queen Express and headed to Peraliya -- the exact spot where it was ripped from the tracks, around 90 kilometres south of Colombo.

The head train guard told AFP a lack of knowledge of tsunamis led to needless deaths. — AFP

Nato is now key risk for Russia’s new doctrine MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new military doctrine, naming Nato expansion among key external risks, the Kremlin said on Friday, days after Ukraine made fresh steps to join the Atlantic military alliance.

Moscow’s previous military doctrine, signed by Putin in 2010, also identified Nato expansion as a top risk to Russia, but the stakes have risen sharply over the past year.

Russia said this week Nato was turning Ukraine into a “frontline of confrontation” and threatened to sever remaining ties if Ukraine’s hopes of joining Nato were realised.

The Kiev parliament’s renunciation of Ukraine’s neutral status on Tuesday in pursuit of Nato membership has outraged Moscow and deepened the worst confrontation between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War after Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula this year.

Nato has already boosted its military presence in Eastern Eu-

rope this year, saying it has evidence that Russia orchestrated and armed a pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine that followed the overthrow of a Kremlinbacked elected president in Kiev.

Moscow denies supporting the rebellion, and is currently trying, along with Kiev and the rebels, to renew efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

It is likely to take years for Ukraine to meet the technical criteria for accession to Nato and, even then, there is no certainty that the alliance is ready to take such a decision.

A Nato official said on Friday the alliance respected the move

by Ukraine’s parliament, and so should Russia.

“Should Kiev decide to apply for Nato membership, Nato will assess its readiness to join the Alliance in the same way as with any candidate. This is an issue between Nato and individual countries aspiring to membership.” — Reuters

DEFIANT: Turkish boy Mehmet Emin Altunses, centre, is seen at home with his parents and relatives on Friday in the central city of Konya after being released from prison. — AFP/Ihlas News Agency UNDER-CONSTRUCTION REACTOR

Despite his release, Mehmet Emin Altunses still remains accused of insulting Erdogan and faces trial at a date yet to be specified. He risks up to four years in prison if convicted

circle have been circulating for months on social media without any action being taken.

The boy’s mother, an unemployed cook, expressed shock over the arrest, saying he had been detained “as if he were an armed terrorist”.

“He is only a boy, his place is in school and not the prison,” Nazmiye Gok told the Hurriyet daily. “I am not ashamed of my child. I am very proud,” she added.

His arrest came amid grow-

ing concerns about freedom of speech in Turkey under Erdogan following raids earlier this month on opposition media linked to the president’s top foe, exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had supported the court’s original decision to arrest the boy, saying: “Everyone must respect the office of president whoever he is.”

But Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said that minors should

not stay in prison pending trial, Turkish media reported.

Sezgin Tanrikulu, vice president of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), wrote on Twitter that the release would do nothing to change “the miserable situation in which our democracy finds itself”.

The authorities are hugely sensitive to allegations of corruption following sensational claims against key government members and Erdogan’s inner circle that broke in December last year.

Four cabinet ministers resigned but Erdogan accused the US-based Gulen of concocting the graft scandal and spreading leaks in social media to topple his government.

Erdogan has vowed no mercy in the fight against Gulen and the authorities have over the last year effectively purged the police force and judiciary to rid them of proGulenist elements. — AFP

Gas leak kills three at S. Korea nuclear plant SEOUL: Three people were killed in a gas leak on Friday at an underconstruction atomic reactor in South Korea, but the national nuclear operator ruled out any connection to a cyber-attack that targeted the plant last week.

The workers appeared to have inhaled nitrogen gas while performing safety checks in an underground cable room at the Gori plant near the southeastern port city of Busan, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) said, adding that no radioactive leaks had been reported.

“They were found unconscious and pronounced dead after being sent to hospitals for treatment,” a KHNP spokesman said.

“There was no radioactive contamination, although we have yet to find the cause of the leak.”

Other reactors at Gori were operating normally, he said, adding that the leak “has nothing to do with the recent hacking attack”.

Designs and manuals for reactors at Gori and the nearby Wolsong nuclear power plant have been published on Twitter over the past week, along with personal information on some 10,000 KHNP workers.

The nuclear operator has said the leaked information was not classified and that the hacking could not cause a malfunction at any of the country’s 23 atomic reactors. — AFP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014

S P O R

Blues stroll to victory, United & City too win Goals from John Terry and Diego Costa helped leaders Chelsea to a dominant 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge before City overwhelmed West Brom 3-1 at a snowy Hawthorns — Fernando, Yaya Tour and David Silva on target for the champions

S

LONDON: Chelsea overpowered West Ham United and Manchester City outclassed West Bromwich Albion as the Premier League title rivals signalled their intent at the start of a hectic holiday programme on Friday.

Goals from John Terry and Diego Costa helped leaders Chelsea to a dominant 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge before City overwhelmed West Brom 3-1 at a snowy Hawthorns — Fernando, Yaya Tour and David Silva on tar-

ON TARGET: Manchester City’s Yaya Toure shoots to score a goal from a penalty during their English Premier League match against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich – Reuters

get for the champions.

Wayne Rooney struck twice for chasing Manchester United in a 3-1 home win over Newcastle United while Southampton’s return to form was underlined by a 3-1 victory at Crystal Palace which lifted the Saints back into the top four.

Terry tapped in Chelsea’s opener after 31 minutes and Costa sealed the points for Jose Mourinho’s side, although the scoreline disguised a gulf in quality between the two sides who were separated by only three places in the table at kickoff. West Ham ground out a 0-0 draw in the corresponding fixture last year when Mourinho accused them of playing 19th Century football but once Terry had scored they offered little.

Chelsea moved to 45 points from 18 games, three more than champions City and 10 ahead of manchester United.

Tottenham Hotspur beat bottom club Leicester City 2-1 for a third successive league win —

Harry Kane again on target for the London club who moved up to sixth, just ahead of Swansea City who beat Aston Villa 1-0.

Top spot While the race for top-four places looks like being a long, drawn out affair, Chelsea along with Man City, who have won seven league games in succession, look like going head to head for top spot in the New Year.

“Football is football, you never know and the only thing we can do to try to reduce the unpredictability of football is to do what we’re doing: playing very well,” Mourinho said.

The first half hour was one-way traffic and the only surprise was that Chelsea did not score before Terry turned the ball over the line after Costa flicked on a Cesc Fabregas corner. It was Terry’s second goal in successive league games.

Costa, whose goal tally had slowed in recent weeks after an ex-

TEST SERIES

Bat on Everest planned as tribute to Hughes MELBOURNE: Planning is under way to place a bat which once belonged to Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes on Mount Everest in a tribute to the batsman who died last month, an official said Friday.

The death of Hughes, 25, from a head blow sustained while playing a domestic match stunned the sports world and triggered an outpouring of grief.

Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said Friday that the Cricket Association of Nepal had proposed the Everest idea. After Hughes’ death, bats were left outside the front doors of homes in Australia and around the world and a spontaneous #putyourbatsout campaign received a massive response with thousands posting pictures of bats on Twitter.

Edwards also told a Boxing Day Test lunch there were plans for a 63-over game to be played in Nepal as part of the tribute to Hughes who was 63 not out when he sustained the fatal injury, Australian Associated Press reported.

“So although we enter the festive season with heavy hearts, the community’s response has been comforting and in many ways uplifting,” Edwards said in Melbourne.

In another development, a report said Friday that Cricket Australia has trademarked the phrase “63 not out” to prevent people from cashing in on the death of the batsman. - AFP

FOOTBA::

Elgar, Du Plessis punish West Indies PORT ELIZABETH: Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis punished the West Indies for fielding lapses as South Africa built a strong position on the first day of the second Test in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

South Africa were 270 for two at the close after being sent in to bat in overcast conditions at St George’s Park. Elgar made a Test-best 121 and shared a second wicket partnership of 179 with Du Plessis, who finished the day on 99 not out.

The West Indies missed four chances to break the Elgar-Du Plessis stand. The West Indian bowlers could feel aggrieved as they bowled with much better control and discipline than they did in Centurion where they were heavily beaten by an innings and 220 runs in the first Test.

Du Plessis was put down by Marlon Samuels at gully off Jerome Taylor when he had eight and again by Devon Smith diving to his right off left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn when he had 26.

One ball after Du Plessis’ second escape, the left-handed Elgar went down the wicket to Benn and was well out of his ground as the ball squeezed through to hit low on the pad of captain and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin. Elgar was on 48 and to add insult to the disappointed bowler he went down the wicket again and lofted Benn to the straight boundary to raise his fifty.

Elgar could have been run out on 73. After a mix-up with Du Plessis, he was several metres short

plosive start to his Chelsea career, showed his pedigree when he received a pass from Eden Hazard just past the hour mark and lashed a leftfoot shot past goalkeeper Adrian.

Chelsea had numerous other chances to score with West Ham’s only flurry coming near the end when substitute Morgan Amalfitano dinked an effort against the post.

City responded emphatically and were out of sight before halftime at West Brom.

West Brom keeper Ben Foster dropped the ball at the feet of Fernando after eight minutes to gift the visitors their opener and Toure’s spot-kick made it 2-0. Silva stroked in the third after 34 minutes to end the game as a contest.

Raheem Sterling scored the only goal as Liverpool won at Burnley but Merseyside rivals Everton continue to struggle, losing 1-0 at home to Stoke City. Hull City ended a run of 10 league games without a win by beating Sunderland 3-1 away. - Reuters

TRIBUTE

SCOREBOARD

DAY’S STARS: South Africa’s Dean Elgar, right, acknowledges the crowd after scoring a century as Faf du Plessis, who is unbeaten on 99, looks on.. – AFP

of safety when Kenroy Peters’ throw from midwicket missed the stumps at the bowler?s end.

West Indian troubles did not end with the missed chances. Benn left the field after falling heavily while trying to stop an Elgar drive.

Holder was prevented from bowling in Benn’s place in the next over because he had not been on the field long enough after being treated for a hand injury. Instead Taylor had to fill in at a time when he would have expected to be resting up ahead of taking the second new ball.

Benn returned in time to bowl four overs before the close as the West Indies delayed taking the new

ball until the last over of the day.

The left-handed Elgar made his third Test century - and his second at St George’s Park - where he has now scored 323 runs in three Tests at an average of 107.66 compared to 362 runs at 22.62 in 11 appearances at other venues.

It was slow going for much of the day, with South Africa seldom getting their run rate above three an over. Elgar took 127 balls to reach 50 and 208 balls for his century.

He batted with more fluency later in his innings and had faced 239 deliveries, hitting 18 fours, when he edged a catch to Ramdin off debutant left-arm seamer Ken-

South Africa 1st innings: A. Petersen c Johnson b Gabriel 17 D. Elgar c Ramdin b Peters 121 F. du Plessis not out 99 H. Amla not out 17 Extras (lb-4, nb-7, w-5) 16 Total (2 wkts, 88 overs) 270 Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-226 Bowling: Taylor 19-4-64-0 (2nb, 1w), Peters 15-6-44-1, Holder 13-5-25-0 (1nb), Gabriel 15-0-52-1 (1nb), Benn 25-3-81-0 (1nb), Samuels 1-1-0-0 To bat: A. de Villiers, S. van Zyl, T. Bavuma, V. Philander, D. Steyn, M. Morkel, Imran Tahir West Indies: D. Ramdin, K. Brathwaite, D. Smith, L. Johnson, M. Samuels, S. Chanderpaul, J. Holder, J. Taylor, S. Benn, S. Gabriel, K. Peters Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL), Paul Reiffel (AUS) TV umpire: Aleem Dar (PAK) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

roy Peters. Du Plessis was even slower than Elgar in reaching a half-century off 137 balls. He faced 228 balls before the close and hit 12 fours and two sixes. Elgar and Alviro Petersen put on 47 for the first wicket before Petersen played a rash stroke against Shannon Gabriel and was caught by Leon Johnson, running back from cover.

Peters and Gabriel were among three seam bowling changes in the West Indian bowling line-up, with the tall Holder also getting his first game of the series. - AFP

Oman begin quest for Asian Cup 2015 Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman national football team will begin its quest for the elusive AFC Asian Cup title with a well-balanced side announced by national coach Paul Le Guen after a week-long domestic training camp. The 2015 Asian Cup will kick off on January 9 in Australia, but Oman’s first match is on January 10 at Canberra.

Oman will be based at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra after arriving on Sunday (December 28) and will play friendly games against China and Qatar, who too will be based at the same city.

Sixteen nations divided into four groups of four will compete at the Asian Cup. Oman has been paired with Australia, South Korea and Kuwait in Group A. After reaching Canberra, Oman will play Qatar in a friendly on December 31 and China on January 3. Paul Le Guen had pruned his team to 23 players and hopes they perform more consistently, unlike the Gulf Cup performance recently.

Oman opens their campaign against South Korea at Canberra Stadium on January 10. Their second match against Australia in Sydney on January 13 and will conclude their group campaign

OMAN COACH: Paul Le Guen

against Kuwait at Newcastle on January 17.

Ironically, Oman Football Association’s technical director, Jim Selby, is also from Canberra.

Following is the 23-member Oman squad for Asian Cup 2015: Goalkeepers: Ali Al Habsi, Mazin Al Kasbi and Mohannad Al Zabi.

Defenders: Saad Suhail, Jaber Owaisi, Abdul Salam Amir, Ali Al Busaidi, Ahmed Saleem, Nasr Al Shimli and Ali Saleem Midfielders: Mohammed Musallami, Ahmed ‘Kanu’ Mubarak, Hassan Mudhafar, Ali Al Jabri, Eid Al Farsi, Raed Ibrahim, Mohsin Johar Forwards: Saeed Al Razaiqi, Mohammed Al Siyabi, Imad Al Hosni, Abdulaziz Muqbali, Yakoob Abdulkarim, Qasim Saeed

A 12

S ATUR DAY, DECEMBER 27, 2 014

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Smith torments Team India on Boxing Day Before a Boxing Day crowd of almost 70,000, Smith joined teammate David Warner in reaching 1,000 Test runs for the calendar year with his unbeaten 72

MELBOURNE: Australia’s Steve Smith played another captain’s knock and Chris Rogers and Shane Watson hit fifties on the opening day of the third Test against India in Melbourne on Friday.

Before a Boxing Day crowd of almost 70,000, Smith joined teammate David Warner in reaching 1,000 Test runs for the calendar year with his unbeaten 72.

At the close, Australia were 259 for five after winning the toss with Brad Haddin seeking a confidenceboosting innings on 23.

Smith passed 50 for the fourth time in five innings in this series among them an unconquered 162 in Adelaide and 133 in Brisbane.

So far he has amassed 447 runs at 223.5 for the series.

Smith, who won his first Test as skipper in four days in Brisbane last weekend, was well positioned for his third ton of the series after Rogers and Watson missed out on cashing in on solid starts.

“It’s phenomenal to watch and great to be a part of. He is just growing day by day and it’s scary to think how good he can be,” Rogers said of Smith. “Someone threw a ball back at him today and he had the confidence to say a few words back at him so it looks as if he

knows he belongs and he knows he’s one of the better players in the world at the moment.”

Rogers hit his third straight halfcentury of the series and Watson made 52 in a 115-run stand before they were dismissed five minutes apart in the hour after lunch.

The pair had put on 59 runs off 131 balls for the fourth wicket.

Rogers, who scored 116 in last season’s corresponding Boxing Day Test against England, pushed at paceman Mohammed Shami and was snapped up behind by M.S. Dhoni for 57. “I think three scores in the 50s is good in some respects but it’s also very disappointing,” Rogers said.

“As an opener you do the hard work and put yourself in a position where you can get a big score so to get out like that was disappointing because I felt good today, I felt my feet were going and I had a real desire to get a big score.”

Debutant Burns scores 13 Watson followed six balls later in off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s seventh over with an illjudged sweep shot and was out leg before wicket for 52 in 89 balls.

Watson had a let off on 37 nearing lunch when Shikhar Dhawan fumbled him at second slip at the third attempt off Shami.

It was Watson’s 23rd half-century in Tests with just a below-par conversion rate of four centuries in his 55th Test for the senior top order batsman. It was the 27th time in 102 Test innings Watson had been dismissed leg before wicket. Shaun Marsh again failed to go on after a solid start and was caught behind by Dhoni off Shami with no addition to his tea score of 32 off 83 balls.

Debutant Joe Burns was given a rousing welcome as he came out to bat at four wickets down and got a roar with his first scoring shot off Shami for three. Burns hoisted Ashwin over mid-wicket for four in a positive show of confidence

SCOREBOARD

Australia 1st innings C. Rogers c Dhoni b Shami 57 D. Warner c Dhawan b Yadav 0 S. Watson lbw b Ashwin 52 S. Smith not out 72 S. Marsh c Dhoni b Shami 32 J. Burns c Dhoni b Yadav 13 B. Haddin not out 23 Extras (b1, lb6, w1, nb2) 10 Total (5 wickets, 90 overs) 259 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Warner), 2-115 (Rogers), 3-115 (Watson), 4-184 (Marsh), 5-216 (Burns) Bowling: I. Sharma 21-6-54-0 (2nb), Yadav 20-2-69-2, Shami 17-4-55-2 (1w), Ashwin 27-7-60-1, Vijay 5-0-14-0 Toss: Australia Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI) Richard Kettleborough (ENG) TV umpire: John Ward (AUS) Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)

at Test level. But he lasted 27 balls before he attempted a pull shot on 13 and bottom-edged through to Dhoni off Yadav.

Warner, who scored twin tons in the opening Adelaide Test, was out in the second over of the innings.

He only lasted six balls before he played across Umesh Yadav and edged to Dhawan at third slip for a duck. Shami and Yadav finished with two wickets each.

India made two changes from the team that lost the second Brisbane Test, with debutant Lokesh Rahul and Mohammed Shami coming into the side. Rahul, who replaced Rohit Sharma, was selected to bat at number six, while speedster Varun Aaron made way for Shami, who was off the field for injury treatment late in the day.

Team officials said Aaron was flying home for his grandfather’s funeral and would be returning to Australia by the end of the Melbourne Test. Dhoni’s tourists trail 2-0 in the four-match series after defeats in Adelaide and Brisbane, and have not won at the MCG for 33 years. - AFP

STEVE SMITH

72* runs from 158 balls 4 fours, 1 six

TEST SERIES

CRICKET

Record-breaker McCullum gifts ‘special day’ SCOREBOARD

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s big-hitting skipper Brendon McCullum was hailed Friday for his rollicking 195 to dramatically turn the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.

His dominating 134-ball performance which led New Zealand to 429-7 at stumps also carried special significance for the 8,000 people who packed Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.

They were looking for an outstanding performance to mark the return of Test cricket to the earthquake-battered city and the signs were against them until McCullum strode to the crease with New Zealand at 88-3.

The wicket was green and McCullum, who lost the toss, was forced to bat on a pitch where he desperately wanted to bowl.

But within a session and a half he had Sri Lanka on the ropes at the oval, a venue purpose built after the city’s former cricket ground at Lancaster Park was destroyed in the devastating 2011 earthquakes which claimed 185 lives.

BRENDON MCCULLUM

195 runs from 134 balls 18 fours, 11 sixes

New Zealand 1st innings T. Latham c Kaushal b Eranga 27 H. Rutherford b Lakmal 18 K. Williamson b Prasad 54 R. Taylor run out (Silva) 7 B. McCullum c Karunaratne b Kaushal 195 J. Neesham c Sangakkara b Mathews 85 BJ Watling lbw Mathews 26 M. Craig not out 5 Extras (lb4, w2, nb6) 12 Total (7 wickets, 80.3 overs) 429 Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Rutherford), 2-60 (Latham), 3-88 (Taylor), 4-214 (Williamson), 5-367 (McCullum), 6-420 (Neesham), 7-429 (Watling) Bowling: Lakmal 17-3-83-1 (1nb), Eranga 18-1-82-1, Mathews 9.3-1-34-2, Prasad 12-2-62-1 (2w), Kaushal 22-0-159-1 (5nb), Thirimanne 2-0-5-0 Toss: Sri Lanka Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG), Bruce Oxenford (AUS) TV umpire: Steve Davis (AUS) Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

FA C T B O X

Best opening day McCullum spreadeagled the field, smashing 18 fours and 11 sixes, in a record-breaking performance that New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan rated the best opening day in New Zealand Test history.

“It was a very special day. It was the sort of day this venue and this city deserved with what they’ve gone through,” McMillan said.

As McCullum bludgeoned the bowling, he took just 74 balls to crack the fastest century in New Zealand Test history and became the first New Zealander to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year.

He equalled Craig McMillan’s New Zealand record of 26 off one over when he smashed three sixes and two fours off six balls from Sri Lanka’s strike bowler Suranga Lakmal. He also equalled the New Zealand record of 11 sixes in an innings, one short of the world record of 12 sixes held by Pakistan’s Wasim Akram.

In his career, McCullum has now hit 92 sixes, closing in on the world’s best of 100 by Australian Adam Gilchrist. “Even in your wildest dreams you would never have picked a day of Test cricket like that, especially when the pitch is a little bit on the green side and you lose the toss,” McMillan said.

“I don’t think I have enough superlatives to describe (McCullum’s) innings.

“He has the ability to dominate, dismantle bowlers very quickly and change the tempo and the way an innings is heading very quickly.

“He’s so destructive. I think,

probably the most destructive and domineering player who has played for New Zealand.”

The innings capped a stellar year for McCullum who in February became the first New Zealander to join the elite club of cricketers to score 300 in a Test innings.

McCullum also brought up the fastest test century by a New Zealander, off 74 balls, before he went to the break on 102 while Jimmy Neesham was on nought.

McCullum had needed 31 runs to reach the 1,000 mark and brought it up with a six over long off in a typically aggressive innings.

Brendon McCullum’s innings in 2014 after he became the first New Zealand batsman to surpass 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year (tabulated as Month, Score, Opponent, Venue) February 224 India Auckland February 1 India Auckland February 8 India Wellington February 302 India Wellington June 7 West Indies Kingston June 17 West Indies Kingston

McCullum thought he had reached his century when he blasted a six off debutant off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal, but he was actually a run short.

A review of a leg before appeal showed he had hit the ball but the two runs were left as leg byes and not credited to his personal score.

Having acknowledged the crowd he then realised he was still on 99 and brought up the century

June 4 West Indies Port-of-Spain June 3 West Indies Port-of-Spain June 31 West Indies Bridgetown June 25 West Indies Bridgetown November 18 Pakistan Abu Dhabi November 39 Pakistan Abu Dhabi November 43 Pakistan Dubai November 45 Pakistan Dubai November 202 Pakistan Sharjah November DNB Pakistan Sharjah December 195 Sri Lanka Christchurch

on the next ball. Against Sri Lanka he starred in two century partnerships — with Kane Williamson (54) and Jimmy Neesham (85) — as he led his side out of trouble and put them in command of the Test.

When he was eventually undone, caught by a diving Dimuth Karunaratne to give off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal his maiden Test wicket, McCullum left the ground to a standing ovation. - AFP

Pakistan will do well at World Cup: Shehzad KARACHI: Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad is of the firm belief that the national cricket team can do wonders at the 2015 ICC World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand February 14-March 29.

The last time the World Cup was held in Australia, Pakistan turned out to be the eventual winners in 1992 and the Pakistani opener feels this feat can be matched, Dawn online reported Friday. “This is my firm belief that Pakistan team will do very well at the World Cup. All the players have been working hard and I’m sure this tough grind backed by teamwork and positive attitude will enable the players — who have all the potential — to do wonders in Australia and New Zealand,” Shehzad said.

“Like other players, I’m also trying my best and hopefully all this will pay off. After the recent series against Australia and New Zealand in the UAE, we’ve had several team talks, in which we bucked each other up and it certainly made us more organised as a unit.”

Shehzad has performed reasonably well for Pakistan recently and as a result the righthander has become a regular member in all three formats. “I retained the belief, the conviction that I can do it and improve.

With Almighty’s grace this selfconfidence helped me return to international cricket with success during the last 12 to 15 months or so,” stressed Shehzad who returned to the ODI fold in July 2013 for West Indies series.

“First, I played T20s. Then I was given the opportunity in ODIs, which require a completely different approach, and I managed to perform. Finally, I came into Tests, which was my dream.” - IANS

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM S ATU RDAY, DEC EM BE R 27, 2014

MARKE

PLAYSTATION AND XBOX HIT BY ‘HACKER ATTACK’ The disruption started Christmas Day and went into on Friday, PlayStation and Xbox said on their Twitter feeds, adding that they were working to restore service. >B3

O I L S U P P LY

THE BIGGEST ROBOT RESTAURANT IN CHINA A man puts dishes on robots for delivery at a restaurant in Hefei, Anhui province, yesterday. The restaurant, with a space of 1,300 square metres and a total of 30 robots to cook meals, deliver dishes and welcome costumers, was reported to be the biggest robot restaurant in China. - Reuters

Saudi budget at $80 crude reflects belief in rebound The world’s biggest crude exporter set 2015 spending at SR860 billion with revenue falling to SR715 billion from SR1.046 trillion in 2014, the Finance Ministry said

FUELLING GROWTH: Saudi Arabia is confident that crude prices will rebound with global economic growth boosting demand as high-cost producers cut back. — Bloomberg file picture

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s 2015 budget is probably assuming an oil price of $80 a barrel, and will be seen as a sign of confidence in the market, according to a former economic adviser to the country’s government.

The assumption is down from $103 a barrel for this year, John Sfakianakis, who used to be chief economic adviser to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance, said by phone after the budget was an-

nounced on Thursday. The world’s biggest crude exporter set 2015 spending at SR860 billion ($229 billion) with revenue falling to SR715 billion from SR1.046 trillion in 2014, the Finance Ministry said. Oil, which has slumped 47 per cent this year to $60.23 a barrel in London, accounted for 89 per cent of its 2014 revenue.

Brent crude tumbled into a bear market this year as the US pumped the most oil in more than

three decades, leading the United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei to urge producers from outside the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec)to trim output.

Iraq, the second-biggest producer in Opec, said this week its 2015 budget is based on $60 oil.

“Everyone was expecting to see a budget built on a price around $60 but that would have sent a negative message to the oil mar-

BASEL COMMITTEE

Regulator offers standardised minimum capital measure GENEVA: The Basel global banking supervisory body has proposed introducing a standardised model to calculate a minimum level of capital banks would need to keep in reserve.

The so-called capital floor “will be based on revised standardised approaches for credit, market and operational risk, which are currently under consultation,” the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision said in a statement released this week.

The Basel Committee has been in the forefront of a global effort requiring banks to hold more capital after the 2008 financial crisis when many lenders needed government bailouts as they didn’t have enough funds in reserve.

However the increased capital ratios that are coming into effect under the so-called Basel III regulations are still mostly based on a bank’s internal model of calculating the risk of its activities.

“The floor is meant to mitigate model risk and measurement error stemming from internal-

REPORT: The Basel Committee has been in the forefront of a global effort requiring banks to hold more capital after the 2008 financial crisis when many lenders needed government bailouts as they didn’t have enough funds in reserve. — Bloomberg file picture

ly-modelled approaches,” said the Basel Committee. “It would enhance the comparability of capital outcomes across banks, and also ensure that the level of capital across the banking system does not fall below a certain level,” it added. The Basel Com-

mittee also released proposals to reduce reliance on international credit ratings agencies in determining credit risk, in favour of a handful of risk measures that can be applied globally but which also reflect the local nature of some exposures. - AFP

Brent crude slid one cent to $60.23 a barrel on the London- based ICE Futures Europe exchange at 4:33pm Singapore time. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) added 19 cents to reach $56.03

ket,” Sfakianakis said from Riyadh. “With a fiscal break even price of $80 a barrel, the government is sending a message to the market that we are expecting to see a rebound in oil prices.”

Sfakianakis is Middle East director at London- based Ashmore Group.

Saudi Arabia is confident that crude prices will rebound with global economic growth boosting demand as high-cost produc-

ers cut back, Oil Minister Ali AlNaimi said on December 21. “I’m 100 per cent sure prices will go up, they have no other direction but to go up.”

Brent crude slid one cent to $60.23 a barrel on the Londonbased ICE Futures Europe exchange at 4:33pm Singapore time.

West Texas Intermediate added 19 cents to $56.03.

US stockpiles climbed 7.27 million barrels in the week ended on December 19 as imports surged, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Saudi Arabia has 265 billion barrels of oil reserves, with production of 9.65 million barrels a day in November, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Iraq, the second-biggest producer, was pumping 3.35 million barrels.

Opec’s decision to maintain output at its November 27 meeting in Vienna fanned speculation that Saudi Arabia and other members want North American shale drillers and other producers outside the group to be the first to cut production. Saudi Arabia and Iran this month cut the official price levels of their main light crude grades for sale to Asia to the lowest in at least 14 years. - Bloomberg News

Crude oil trades above $60 a barrel SINGAPORE: Oil traded above $60 a barrel in London amid the highest volatility in more than three years on speculation that Saudi Arabia, the largest crude exporter, is signalling confidence that prices will rally.

Brent futures swung between gains and losses. Saudi Arabia’s assumption of oil at $80 a barrel next year is sending a message that the government expects a price rebound, according to John Sfakianakis, a former economic adviser to the kingdom’s finance ministry.

Implied volatility for at-the-money options this week increased to the highest since October 2011, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Oil has slumped 46 per cent this year, poised for the biggest drop since 2008, as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) resisted supply cuts to defend market share while the highest US production in three decades exacerbated a global glut. Crude prices are “fair” at about $70 to $80 a barrel, Iraq’s Oil Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said.

“The market is fluctuating today as there’s less liquidity,” Will Yun, an analyst at Hyundai Futures in Seoul, said by phone today. “Uncertainties still linger in the market as Opec and the US haven’t signaled any output cuts or a slowdown in their production.”

Brent for February settlement was at $60.33 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, up nine cents, at 4:54pm Singapore time. The contract fell $1.45 to $60.24 on December 24.

The European benchmark crude traded at a premium of $4.23 to West Texas Intermediate (WTI).

Prices are down 1.7 per cent this week, set for a fifth weekly decrease. WTI for February delivery was 31 cents higher at $56.15 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It slid $1.28 to $55.84 on December 24.

The volume of all futures traded was about 38 per cent below the 100-day average.

Opec, whose 12 members supply about 40 percent of the world’s oil, decided at a November 27 meeting to maintain its production target at 30 million barrels a day.

The group pumped 30.56 million a day in November, exceeding its target for a sixth straight month, a Bloomberg survey of companies, producers and analysts shows.

In Libya, the Petroleum Facilities Guard called in air strikes on Islamist militias that it said had shelled the country’s largest oil port at Es Sider. Libya’s output has declined to 352,000 barrels a day, compared with as much as 900,000 a day in October, according to Mohamed Elharari, a spokesman at state-run National Oil Corp. - Bloomberg News

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S ATUR DAY, D E CEMBER 27, 2 014

FEATURE

IN SEARCH OF THE IDEAL WEATHER APP

W

eather can be a great equaliser. It can also be a way to make conversation with just about everyone. No wonder, then, that the weather forecast is one of the pieces of information many of us crave when starting each day — and that weather apps are among the most frequently used programs on smartphones.

Weather apps aren’t all created equal, though. The built-in apps on iPhones and Android phones are perfectly serviceable, offering glanceable forecasts for as many cities as you want, and they’re tied into the phones’ virtual assistants.

But weather technology — both the creation and presentation of forecasts — is evolving quickly. It’s worth checking out the options.

For prettier backdrops, Yahoo Weather is hands down the most gorgeous app out there. Weather Underground’s app is for budding meteorologists who want to dig deep into weather conditions, and Dark Sky’s mesmerising globe of animated weather patterns is a great party trick.

In the end, though, finding the right weather app is really a matter of personal taste in the design, how much information you want and, crucially, how much you trust the forecast. And there is a bit of a philosophical difference brewing in terms of how those forecasts are created. Now, weather apps are often powered by one of a few sources of information, including the Weather Channel and Weather Underground (both of which are owned by the Weather Co.), and Weatherbug and AccuWeather.

The forecasts coming from those services combine data from the National Weather Service, weather balloons, satellites, NASA and local stations dotted all over

the country, as well as various other sensors. All of that raw information forms a rough picture of what’s happening in the atmosphere at any given time. Then, a meteorologist usually comes in to interpret and analyse the data and, based on a mix of experience and education, chooses the information on which to base a forecast.

The data and forecasts created in that way power many weather apps. The Weather Channel provides Apple’s built-in forecasts, for example, while Weather Underground provides data for Google’s weather and powers Yahoo Weather. Those data and forecast providers all have their own apps as well. The Weather Channel app, for example, offers useful information like airport conditions and flu outbreak updates by region, while Weather Underground has the richest (and geekiest) information. For my taste, Weatherbug is the best app offered by the main providers, because it offers niceties like the ability to sort your forecast by whether it’s a good day for golf or one that is likely to cause dry skin.

But the folks behind Dark Sky, a popular and visually stunning weather app, are doing things a bit differently. That company formed about three years ago to create a new kind of forecast that would use radar data to predict whether it was going to rain — or stop raining — in an immediate location and within the next hour.

No one was really doing that, said Adam Grossman, a co-creator of the Dark Sky app. So the company had to build its own computer programs for figuring out radar data for that one example: Is it going to be raining an hour from now in this one, specific spot?

That work evolved into longer-

term forecasting, and led to a separate product called Forecast. Grossman says the weather predictions all come from computers; no meteorologists are involved. Algorithms compare predictions from various stations or weather sources with historical accuracy and spit out purely statistical predictions.

“We get a lot of flak from meteorologists who say computers can’t do it and you always need a human in there to call the shots,” Grossman said. “But humans are really bad at forecasting. When it comes to weather forecasting it’s best to leave it to the computers.”

It’s a bit like “Moneyball” hits weather prediction — the idea that statistical models can, in the long run, offer better forecasts than a mix of information and gut instinct. But the folks at the Weather Channel say there are plenty of computers involved in their forecasting — and humans who know how to make the most of the data, too.

“We’re an organisation that employs hundreds of meteorologists, plus the computational science required to produce the forecast and then deploy it,” said Kevin Doerr, who manages consumer digital products at the Weather Channel. “That ends up being kind of our secret sauce. There’s a big difference between whether you’re just taking the data and pushing it out, and improving or augmenting the data.”

The forecast model for longerterm predictions is new, and still evolving. But so far, the secret sauce scores higher, at least according to ForecastWatch, an organisation that tracks the accuracy of weather forecast providers.

(Yes, that exists.)

ForecastWatch runs ForecastAdvisor, a site that lets you

plug in your ZIP code and track the accuracy of forecasts from major weather services. Based on ForecastAdvisor, the most accurate forecasts for midtown Manhattan over the last month came from AccuWeather (whose app is straightforward but lacks extras and can be hard to read at times).

It was right 85 percent of the time.

Dark Sky was next, with 84 percent accuracy. Weather Underground was third for the month. Over the course of a year, top honors go to MeteoGroup, a weather forecaster based in Europe.

In San Francisco, though, Dark Sky has fared poorly against AccuWeather, the Weather Channel and Weather Underground. None of them, though, has had higher than 82 percent accuracy there.

Grossman pointed out that under “further accuracy analysis” on ForecastAdvisor, Dark Sky’s precipitation accuracy ranks high, and that ForecastAdvisor tracks just daily highs and lows rather than the hourly temperature predictions Dark Sky might excel at.

So, as always when it comes to the weather, there’s much to discuss and few clear answers. But as forecasting grows more advanced and the data is more accessible to app makers, Grossman said, developers would experiment with presenting it in more interesting and useful ways.

“For some people, wind is very important; for others, rain is very important,” he said. “But another branch is people who are supplementing things, not necessarily weather. Apps with calendar information can tell people they might want to leave a little early because rain is coming.” And weather, always a reliable topic of conversation, is social in apps, too. — MOLLY WOOD / The New York Times News Service

SAT URDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014

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MARKET PlayStation and Xbox hit by ‘hacker attack’

STOCK MARKET

The disruption started Christmas Day and went into on UPBEAT PERFORMANCE: The Tokyo Stock Exchange is open for

business on Monday and Tuesday before shutting until January 5, the first trading day of 2015. — Bloomberg file picture

Tokyo stocks end marginally higher

Friday, PlayStation and Xbox said on their Twitter feeds, adding that they were working to restore service. A

TOKYO: Tokyo stocks ended slightly higher on Friday after a quiet week with many investors away for the Christmas holidays, but market watchers were upbeat as the Nikkei sits at multi-year highs.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange is open for business on Monday and Tuesday before shutting until January 5, the first trading day of 2015.

Analysts pointed to strong performances on Wall Street, falling oil prices, an expected Japanese government stimulus package, and the latest round of Bank of Japan monetary easing which sharply weakened the yen, boosting shares of Japanese exporters.

While Japan’s economic recovery stumbled after a sales tax rise in April, there are positive signs on the horizon, said Shigeo Sugawara, senior investment officer at Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Asset Management, “The virtuous cycle of improving corporate earnings, wage rises, and stronger spending is starting,” he said.

“It’s just the pace and the strength (that) is underwhelming,” he told Dow Jones Newswires.

Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of the equity division at SMBC Nikko Securities, also predicted healthy gains in 2015, saying that “I’m anticipating stocks to rebound after they struggled for some time”.

On Friday, the Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange edged up 0.06 per cent, or 10.21 points, to finish at 17,818.96, logging a weekly gain of 1.12 per cent.

The Nikkei is up more than nine per cent this year.

The broader Topix index of all first-section shares rose 0.44 per cent, or 6.24 points, on Friday to end at 1,427.50. It added 1.27 per cent over the week.

Fresh Japanese data Earlier Friday, the market largely shrugged off a barrage of fresh Japanese data that provided further evidence of slowdown in the world’s number three economy.

Japan’s industrial output suffered a surprise drop in November, turning down after two months of rises.

Meanwhile, Japanese core inflation rate continued to slow in November, dealing another challenged to Tokyo and the Japanese central bank’s battle to conquer years of deflation.

European and US stocks markets were closed Thursday for the Christmas holiday, while financial markets in Hong Kong and Australia were among those in AsiaPacific closed on Friday.

In Friday Tokyo stocks trade, Honda fell 1.12 per cent to 3,620 yen after media reports said the automaker would likely put off the January launch of a luxury sedan due to additional safety system checks. Honda is among the automakers hardest hit by the recall of millions of vehicles over defective airbags, made by auto parts giant Takata, which have been linked to at least five deaths.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group was up 0.68 per cent at 4,435.5 yen after Citigroup said Thursday it was selling its century-old Japanese retail banking operations to the Japanese group’s trust banking unit. - AFP

subsequent message posted to the Xbox status page early Friday upgraded service to ‘limited’ — a sign that support teams were making inroads in fixing the problem

COORDINATED ATTACK: Online hackers have taken credit for an online service outage of Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox game consoles on December 25, 2014 as people unwrapped their new toys on Christmas morning. — AFP

WASHINGTON: The online gaming networks for Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox consoles — hot gifts this Christmas — went dark in what hackers said was a coordinated attack.

The disruption started Christmas Day and went into Friday, PlayStation and Xbox said on their Twitter feeds, adding that they were working to restore service.

A subsequent message posted to the Xbox status page early Friday upgraded service to “limited” — a sign that support teams were making inroads in fixing the problem.

A new Twitter user going by the name “Lizard Squad” took credit for the disruption, claiming it had the “nation on strings.”

The name is the same used by a group of hackers that has targeted Sony in the past, though it was not possible to verify the Twitter account’s authenticity. The ac-

count did not return request for comment and only became active Wednesday. Sony this month was hit by a sophisticated hacking attack that stole massive amounts of data from its servers. The US has blamed North Korea for the attack, with the hermit state seen as furious at the release of a Sony movie comedy, “The Interview”, which parodies leader Kim Jong-Un. After initially cancelling the December 25 release of “The Interview”, Sony backtracked and brought it out in a few US theatres and made it available online — including through the Xbox console and, soon, the PlayStation.

Sony’s @PlayStation Twitter account said on Friday: “We’re aware that some users are having issues logging into PSN — engineers are investigating.”

Its @AskPlayStation Twitter account wrote early on Friday, a

ECONOMY

India hikes palm oil import duty NEW DELHI: India, the world’s biggest buyer of palm oil, raised import duties on crude and refined varieties in a move to protect farmers from declining oilseed prices.

The tax on crude palm oil was increased to 7.5 per cent from 2.5 per cent, while the duty on refined grades was also increased to 15 per cent from 10 per cent, the Central Board of Excise & Cus-

toms (CBEC) said in a statement on its website in a notice dated on December 24.

Export taxes The increase may counter the benefits shippers were expecting to gain from the scrapping of export taxes by Indonesia and Malaysia, which account for about 86 per cent of world supply.

Indonesia extended on Friday

its zero duty for a fourth month to January, while Malaysia has already prolonged its duty exemption through February.

Both countries are seeking to cut reserves in a year of unprecedented oilseed supply.

“The duty difference will help value addition” in India, B.V. Mehta, executive director of the Solvent Extractors’ Association, said by phone. - Bloomberg News

day after the difficulties began: “Our engineers are continuing to work hard to resolve the network issues users have experienced today. Thanks for your continued patience!” Meanwhile, Microsoft on a site for its Xbox customers pleaded with its game fans to be patient. “We’re aware of this issue, and we’re working to find a fix ASAP! We appreciate your patience in the meantime, and we encourage you to retry signing in when you get a chance. We’ll update you as soon as we know more,” the message said.

While a direct connection between “The Interview” and the service disruptions could not be confirmed, some gamers were convinced a link exists.

“I blame that darn movie ‘The Interview’,” wrote as2009man on a PlayStation community forum message board.

“It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” he said.

Another poster to the same forum said he was getting fed up with the game world’s vulnerability to repeated denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

“A DDos attack is like a semi (truck) driver intentionally jackknifing his rig on a busy interstate and shutting down traffic for a few hours,” said one gamer, who wrote under the name “shadoefax.”

Game users also took to Twitter to vent their frustration.

“After this christmas, #lizardsquad is forever on the naughty list,” one frustrated gamer fumed.

A major cyber attack on PlayStation in 2011 saw personal details from 77 million customers stolen, preventing customers from playing online and forcing Sony to disable the network for more than three weeks. — AFP

B4

S ATUR DAY, D ECEMBER 27, 2 014

MARKET INDIAN MARKETS

Indian stocks advance; rupee depreciates MUMBAI: Indian stocks completed their third weekly decline this month led by industrials and consumer companies.

The S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.1 per cent to 27,241.78 at the close, after changing direction at least 18 times. The measure has dropped 5.1 per cent in December and is headed for its worst month since February 2013. Foreigners pulled $1.1 billion from domestic shares in 11 days through December 22, the longest run of outflows since June 2012, as falling oil prices and Russia’s currency crisis cooled demand for developing-nations equities.

Rupee declines India’s rupee completed a third week of losses on speculation importers stepped up dollar purchases to meet month-end payments and as US economic data bolstered the case for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.

The rupee fell 0.4 per cent from December 19 and 0.1 per cent on Friday to 63.5675 a dollar in Mumbai, prices compiled by Bloomberg from local banks show. The currency has dropped 2.9 per cent this quarter. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, which tracks the greenback against 10 peers, touched a five-year high this week and has risen 11 per cent in 2014.

“We are playing in sync with other emerging markets as the dollar stays strong,” said Anindya Banerjee, a currency analyst at Kotak Securities in Mumbai.

Three-month offshore non-deliverable forwards fell 0.4 per cent from December 19 to 64.68 a dollar, data compiled by Bloomberg show. They declined 0.2 per cent on Friday. Forwards are agreements to buy or sell assets at a set price and date. Non- deliverable contracts are settled in dollars.

“There seems to be all-round dollar buying by importers with both the month-end and year-end approaching,” said Naveen Raghuvanshi, a Mumbai-based trader at DCB Bank. — Bloomberg News

Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY INSTALL WHATSNEWS

Japan factory output down, inflation slows in November The weak figures raised the prospect of further easing by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) as its ambitious 2.0 per cent inflation target, aimed at ending years of tepid growth, appears increasingly out of reach

TOKYO: Japan’s factory output and inflation rate slowed in November, official data showed on Friday, dealing a fresh challenge for Tokyo’s bid re-boot the economy, just days after pro-business prime minister Shinzo Abe was reelected following a snap election.

The weak figures raised the prospect of further easing by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) as its ambitious 2.0 per cent inflation target, aimed at ending years of tepid growth, appears increasingly out of reach. The bank’s move in late October to expand its massive asset-buying plan, which now stands at about 80 trillion yen ($670 billion) annually, sharply weakened the yen and stoked a stock market rally.

Japan slipped into recession during the third quarter as an April sales tax rise slammed the brakes on growth in the world’s number three economy, and the impact of the additional easing

FACTORY OUTPUT CONTRACTS: Official data on Friday showed that industrial production contracted 0.6 per cent in November from the previous month, reversing two months of rises and missing a market forecast for a 0.8 per cent increase. — Bloomberg file picture

has now “completely gone”, according to SMBC Nikko Securities. Worse, Japan’s core inflation rate could dip into negative territory soon as a drop in crude oil prices weighs on efforts to boost prices and slay deflation.

Additional easing “It depends on US employment data and crude oil prices, but the BoJ could go ahead with a stunning additional easing as early as January,” SMBC said in a note.

On Friday, official data showed that industrial production contracted 0.6 per cent in November from the previous month, revers-

ing two months of rises and missing a market forecast for a 0.8 per cent increase.

“Industrial production fluctuates indecisively,” the industry ministry said in a monthly report, leaving unchanged its overall assessment despite the downturn.

Separate data from the internal affairs ministry showed core inflation, excluding volatile prices of fresh food, slowed to 2.7 per cent from 2.9 per cent in October.

Prices had been on the rise largely because due to the sales tax rise from 5.0 per cent to 8.0 per cent on April 1, which drove up retail prices.

Adjusted for the tax increase, Japan’s core consumer-price index rose 0.7 per cent from a year earlier in November, the lowest since September 2013 and falling further behind the BoJ’s inflation target. The internal affairs ministry on Friday also said household spending fell 2.5 per cent yearon-year in November while the jobless rate was unchanged at 3.5 per cent.

Millions of shoppers launched a last-minute buying binge on everything from cars and washing machines to televisions and alcohol, before the levy hike earlier this year. But spending dived

after the increase, throwing Japan into economic contraction and prompting Abe to delay another sales tax rise next year.

Enormous national debt The tax rises are aimed at paying down Japan’s enormous national debt, but they have put Abe in a tricky position as he tries to balance them with his pro-spending growth plan, dubbed Abenomics.

This week, Japan’s parliament overwhelmingly voted to return the 60-year-old premier to power, after he called for a snap election had billed as a referendum on his economic policies. - AFP

C O M M E N TA RY

Osborne starting to look like Britain’s closet Keynesian ROBERT SKIDELSKY*

T

here is a growing apprehension among Britain’s financial pundits that Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is not nearly as determined to cut public spending as he pretends to be. He sets himself deadlines to balance the books, but when the date arrives, with the books still unbalanced, he simply sets another.

Consider some fiscal arithmetic. When Osborne became Chancellor in 2010, the budget deficit – spending minus revenue – was £153 billion ($239 billion), or 10.2 per cent of GDP. He promised that by 2015 the deficit would stand at only £37 billion, or 2.1 per cent of GDP – equivalent to balancing current spending and revenue. Instead, the deficit for 2014-2015 is expected to be £97 billion. The conclusion of Osborne’s balancing act has been postponed until the 2019-2020 budget.

Osborne talks about the need to cut spending, but his actions say otherwise. Though he vowed to reduce spending by more than £100 billion by now, he has cut less than half of that, simply extending his five-year rolling program of cuts for another few years. As a result, Osborne, the poster child for British austerity, is starting to look like a closet Keynesian.

There is a school of thought

that holds that commitment, not achievement, gives a policy credibility. For example, the Bank of England is committed to achieve 2.0 per cent inflation “in the medium term.” Annual inflation has not been 2.0 per cent at any time in the last six years, but it is possible that the BoE’s commitment has had some effect in lowering interest rates.

Osborne’s defenders might make the same argument for his fiscal policy. A credible policy of fiscal consolidation, they might say, will have the same exhilarating effect on confidence as fiscal consolidation itself.

Economists call this the “signaling effect.” If you announce that you intend to balance the books over five years and pencil in a lot of spending cuts, consumers, relieved of their fears of future tax increases, will start spending more freely. This will cause national income to rise, and, with luck, the budget deficit will start shrinking, more or less according to plan, without requiring any, or much, retrenchment.

In its emphasis on the importance of the signal, economics enters postmodernist territory.

The signal – in this case the promise to balance the books – creates the reality.

People start behaving as though the books were balanced, ignoring the fact that they are not. When one believes

the narrative, one acts in ways that make it come true.

In fact, I do not believe that Osborne himself ever attached importance to the signalling effects of his pronouncements.

He really did want to balance the budget by making the spending cuts that he promised.

If he turned out to be more Keynesian than he intended to be, it was for pragmatic reasons.

What free-market ideologues often fail to grasp is that politics eventually makes all policymakers Keynesian to some degree. No matter how much a politician advocates short-term pain for long-term benefits, voters will stomach only a certain amount of suffering.

So sensible politicians slow down the cuts that markets demand, and take loans that they know they will be unable to pay, in order to keep public services going.

To be sure, Osborne must not be given too much credit for his closet Keynesianism. A true Keynesian would have said that what was needed in 2010 was fiscal expansion, not consolidation. Osborne believed, or appeared to believe, that austerity would speed up economic recovery, by restoring confidence in government finance.

But there is a strong case to be made that the cuts that Osborne did make impeded recovery, by removing spending

power from an economy already suffering from a deficiency of aggregate demand. The result was economic stagnation from 2010 to 2013, undermining Osborne’s ability to meet his deficit-reduction targets.

Now that Osborne has once again promised new cuts and a new five-year timetable for balancing the books, the question is whether he will keep his word this time. Yes, the British economy has finally started to grow; and, yes, growth is expected to continue. But is there any reason to believe that the recovery will not be undermined by another five years of austerity, leading Osborne (or his successor) to postpone the deadline once again?

We can all agree that what happens to the budget affects the economy. But I would argue, as Keynes did, that “the boom, not the slump, is the time for austerity at the Treasury.” To try to cut spending in a slump, as Osborne is doing, is to prolong the slump. And, as he is learning, to his displeasure, that means postponing the day when the books will be balanced.- Project Syndicate * The author, Professor Emeritus of Political Economy at Warwick University and a fellow of the British Academy in history and economics, is a member of the British House of Lords.

B SECTION

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

LIFE & STYLE

S AT U R DAY, D EC EM B ER 27, 2 0 14

TO DIGITAL HOARDING Digital hoarding is about something different; it’s about hoarding data for the sake of data, an information overload

W

e have become digital hoarders.

We save everything, even stuff that we know, deep down, we’ll never need or be able to find. We save every e-mail, every photo, every file, every text message and every video clip. If we don’t have enough space on our mobile devices, we move it to a different storage device, maybe even a hard drive or a flash drive. Or, better yet, we just put it in “the cloud.”

In developing these digital hoarding instincts, the big technology companies are more than a little complicit. Remember when Apple’s iPad came in 16GB and 32GB sizes? The state-of-the-art iPad mini 3 now comes in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB sizes (the tech world’s equivalent of the Gulp, the Big Gulp and the Super Big Gulp). Everyone is willing to give you a little bit more room in the cloud for just a few bucks a month. And your data plan provider is always ready to nearly double (“supersize”?) the capacity of your data plan with every new purchase of a tablet or Internet device.

If this were simply a result of the exponential growth of information — the “information overload” — that would be one thing. That’s what technology is supposed to do for us — provide new ways of

creating, storing and manipulating information. Innovation, from this perspective, can be viewed as technology’s frantic quest to keep up with society’s information needs.

But digital hoarding is about something different — it’s about hoarding data for the sake of data. When Apple creates a new “Burst Mode” on the iPhone 5s, enabling you to rapidly save a series of 10 photos in succession — and you save all of them — is that not an example of hoarding? When you save every e-book, every movie and every TV season that you’ve “binge-watched” on your tablet or other digital device — isn’t that another sign? In the analogue era, you would have donated used books to charity, hosted a garage sale to get rid of old albums you never listen to or simply dumped these items in the trash.

You may not think you are a digital hoarder. You may think that the desire to save each and every photo, e-mail or file is something relatively harmless. Storage is cheap and abundant, right? You may watch a reality TV show such as Hoarders and think to yourself, “That’s not me.” But maybe it is you. (Especially if you still have those old episodes of Hoarders on your digital device.)

Unlike hoarding in the real world —

where massive stacks of papers, books, clothing and assorted junk might physically obstruct your ability to move and signal to others that you need help — there are no obvious outward signs of being a digital hoarder. And, in fact, owning the newest, super-slim 128GB tablet capable of hoarding more information than anyone else strikes many as being progressive. However, if you are constantly increasing the size of your data plan or buying new digital devices with ever-more storage capacity — well, you know where this is headed.

Even worse, digital hoarding may be contributing to your “information obesity” — commonly called “infobesity.” You may be continually snacking on new information, all of which may provide little value in your life — and then compounding the problem by hoarding all that nutritionless information on a digital device. In turn, this makes it harder to find the digital content that you really need. (Just try to find that really important e-mail your boss sent a year ago.) This corresponds to the traditional definition of hoarding — “accumulating things beyond the point of usefulness.” We essentially gorge ourselves on useless information and then commit to a new Information Diet to get healthy again. Instead of daily cleanses

for junk food diets, we have Inbox Zero for junk information diets.

We should rethink how innovation can turn us into digital hoarders. Innovation should not just be the madcap race to create more powerful devices with ever more storage capacity. It should not just be about creating ever more ways for generating “digital exhaust” and not worrying about where it’s all going or its impact on productivity. It should not be about subtly cultivating a Fear of Missing Out to keep us consuming ever more information online. That’s what turns us into digital hoarders.

Innovation should help us transform data into information. “Search” was perhaps the first major innovation that helped us do that. The “cloud” is currently the innovation that has the potential to organise our data better and more efficiently, keeping it from clogging up our digital devices.

The next big innovation may be “big data,” which claims that it can make sense of all the new data we’re creating. This may be brilliant — helping us find the proverbial needle in the digital haystack — or disastrous — encouraging us to build bigger and bigger haystacks in the hope that there’s a needle in there somewhere. — Dominic Basulto/ The Washington Post

B6

S ATUR DAY, D ECEMBER 27, 2 014

ENTERTAINMENT CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA Annie (2D) (Com | Drama) (PG12) Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx 2:00, 6:30 pm The Water Diviner (2D) (Drama) (12+) Cast: Jai Courtney, Olga Kurylenko, Russell Crowe 5:00, 11:45 pm Paddington (2D) (Com | Family) (PG) Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters 7:00, 10:00 pm Into the Woods (2D) (Com | Fam) (PG) Cast: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine 2:45, 4:15, 9:00 pm PK (2D) (Com | Drama) (PG) Cast: Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Anushka Sharma 7:00, 8:45 pm The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (3D) (Adv | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage 2:15, 11:30 pm Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2D) (Adv | Comedy) (PG) Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson 5:00, 11:45 pm

Paddington (2D) (Family) (PG12) Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters 10:00 am, 4:15 & 9:45 pm Gold Class: 6:15 pm Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb (2D): (Adventure/Comedy) (PG)

SCREEN 3

Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams 1:00 & 11:45 pm Annie (2D) (Family/Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx 11:45 am, 3:00 & 7:00 pm Gold Class: 1:00 pm Into The Woods (2D) (Comedy/ Family) (PG) Cast: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep 10:30 am, 2:00 & 6:15 pm Gold Class: 11:15 pm Camp X Ray (2D) (Drama) (18+) Cast: Kristen Stewart, Peyman Moaadi, Lane Garrison 5:15 pm P K (2D) (Comedy/Fantasy) (PG) Cast: Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Anushka Sharma 8:30 & 11:15 pm Gold Class: 3:15 & 8:15 pm

Ashutosh Rana, Ashish Vidyarthi 12:30, 9:15 pm Omar we Salwa – 2D (18+) Com Cast : Yousef Eid, Karim Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Maher Essam 5:15 pm

Action Jackson (Act| Rom ) (12+ ) Cast: Ajay Devgan, Sonakshi Sinha 6.45, 9.45pm

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies -3D (PG12) (Adv| Fantasy) Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman 11:30 pm Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – 2D (PG) (Adv | Comedy) Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen 3:00, 11:45 pm P.K. – 2D (PG) (Com | Drama) Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma 12:15, 3:00, 8:30, 11:15 pm Into the Woods – 2D (PG) (Family) Cast: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep 12:30, 3:00, 6:00, 9:30 pm Annie – 2D (PG12) (Com | Family) Cast: Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx 12:45, 3:15, 7:15, 9: 00 pm Paddington – 2D (PG12) (Family) Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins 5:30, 7:15pm The Water Diviner – 2D (12+) (Drama | War) Cast: Jai Courtney, Russell Crowe 4:45, 11:45 pm Ormayundo Ee Mukham – 2D (Mal) (PG) (Romance | Comedy) Cast: Vineeth Srinivasan, Namitha Pramod, Aju Varghese 6:45 pm Meaghamann – 2D (TBC) (T) (Action | Drama | Thriller) Cast: Arya, Hansika, Sudhanshu,

SCREEN 1 P K (Comedy | Drama | Social) (PG) Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt 1.00, 4.00, 7.00, 10.00 pm SCREEN 2 P. K (Comedy | Drama | Social) (PG ) Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt 2.45, 5.30, 8.15, 11.00 pm

Into the Woods (Com | Family) (PG) Cast: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep 4:15, 6:30, 8:45 pm Annie (Com | Drama | Family) (PG12) 3:00, 5:15, 6:30 pm P.K. (Comedy | Fantasy) (PG) Cast: Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt 8:45,11:00 pm Paddington (Com | Family) (PG12) Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters 3:00, 4:45, 10:00 pm The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 3D (Adv | Fantasy) (PG12) 11:30 pm Ormayundo Ee Mukham (Rom ) (PG) Cast: Vineeth Srinivasan, Namitha Pramod, Aju Varghese 7:30 pm Tusk (Com | Drama | Horror) (15+) Cast: Justin Long, Michael Parks 11:45 pm

Paddington (Com | Family) (PG12) 3:00, 7:00 pm Annie (Com | Drama | Family) (PG12) Cast: Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx 2:45, 6:45 pm Into the Woods (Com | Family) (PG)

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep 4:45, 11:30 pm Ormayundo Ee Mukham (Mal) (Romance / Comedy) (PG) 12:15, 9:00 pm P.K (Hindi) (Com | Drama) (PG) Cast: Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt, 12:15, 8:45, 11:30 pm Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (Adv | Comedy | Family) (PG) Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams 5:00 pm

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (3D/PG12) (Adv/Fantasy) 11:45pm Annie (2D/PG12) (Co/Family) Cast: Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx 10:00, 12:15, 2:30, 7:15pm Into the Woods (2D/PG) (Com) Cast: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep 10:00, 12:15, 4:45, 9:30pm The Water Divine (2D/12+) (Dr/War) 5:15, 11:50pm Paddington (2D/PG) (Com/Family) 10:15am, 2:00, 7:15pm Vellaikaara Durai (2D/PG12) (Drama/Romance) Cast: Vikram Prabhu, Sri Divya 3:45pm Ormayundo Ee Mukham (2D/PG) (Romance/Comedy) 6:15pm P.K. (2D/PG) (Hindi-Comedy) 2:30, 9:00, 11:30pm

Meaghamann (2D/PG) (Action/ Drama/Thriller) Cast: Arya, Hansika, Sudhanshu, Ashutosh Rana, Ashish Vidyarthi 8:45pm

At the Devil’s Door (Home) (Horror) Cast: Catalina Sandino Moreno, Naya Rivera, Ashley Rickards 11.55 pm, CP No: 2568 (15+ ) Camp X-ray (Drama) Cast: Kristen Stewart, Peyman Moaadi, John Carroll Lynch 2.00 6.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 2582 (18+) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Adventure / Fantasy) Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage 4.00, 6.30 & 9.00 pm CP No: 2574 (PG12) Paddington (Comedy) Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters 2.00, 4.00 & 8.00 pm CP No: 2575 (PG12)

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

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776

PK (Hindi- Drama) 3:45, 6:45pm at Cinema 3; 9:30 Cinema Main Lingaa (Tamil) (Act |Dr| Thriller) (PG) 3:45pm at Cinema 4 Ormayundo Ee Mukham (Drama) 3:30 & 6:30pm Cinema 2, 9:45pm Cinema 3 Vellaikaara Durai (Tamil Romance) 3:00pm Cinema Main; 6:45 & 9:45pm Cinema 4 Meagamann (Tamil) (Act) 3:45pm Cinema 4; 6:30pm Cinema Main; 9:30pm Cinema 2 NEXT CHANGE: Mukunda (Telugu) Cousins (Mal)

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

ACES ON BRIDGE

Fit and shortage add vital value

SUDOKU

6 5 8 2 1 5 9 6 9

3 5 7 1 2 3 4

2 8 4

1 7

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

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

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

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

MARMADUKE

B I G NAT E

ACROSS 1 Hang ten 5 Crusty cheese 9 Frat party staple 12 October’s stone 13 Not his and hers 14 Eddie Cantor’s wife 15 Internet search engine 17 Mottled 19 Had some bills 21 Taverns 22 ID for Capone 25 Astroturf component 28 Sunflower state 30 High-pH solution 34 Is, to Wolfgang 35 Symbol for copper 36 Egyptian sun deity 37 Of, in Austria 38 Nearly boil 40 Outcome 42 Overhauled 44 Mountain refrain 45 Quiet inlet 48 Benchmark 50 Gander (hyph.)

53 Craft knife (hyph.)

57 58 60 61 62

Checkout scan Realty unit Zodiac beast WNW opposite Roman Empire invader 63 Festive nights DOWN 1 Protein source 2 Work — — sweat 3 Go team!

4 Elevator stops 5 A famous Derek 6 Not pale 7 One of the Gershwins 8 Mind reader’s gift 9 Brick oven 10 Churchill successor 11 Roams around 16 Ouch!

18 Flamingo colour 20 Happened next 22 Travels on powder 23 Box 24 Kitty starter 26 Rio Grande town 27 Canute’s foe

29 Liniment target 31 — plaisir, Monsieur 32 Nessie’s hideout 33 Gung-ho 39 Starship Enterprise’s journey 41 Hen or mare 43 Motionless

45 46 47 49 51 52 54 55 56 59

Evidence Uh-oh!

Sotto — MD’s order Grow weary Kind of system Twice LII Familiar digit Add- — (extras) Brief query

BORN LOSER

Answer to previous puzzle

DR. Thomas Fuller, a British physician who died in 1734, said, “Health is not valued till sickness comes.”

At the bridge table, a short suit is not valued till a fit comes. Look at today’s North hand. What would he respond if partner opens one diamond, one heart or one spade?

Over one diamond, the singleton is not good news; North should quietly bid one heart, four-card suits up the bidding ladder. But if South opens in a major, that diamond singleton is worth three points, making North’s hand re-evaluate to 11 support points — sufficient for a game-invitational jump to three of the major.

South might dabble his toe in the slam water by rebidding four hearts, a control-bid (cue-bid) showing that ace and denying a minor-suit ace. (Imagine North’s having a singleton heart and two aces.)

North, of course, would sign off in four spades.

After West leads the heart queen, how should South plan the play?

South has four losers, one in each suit. But he has 10 tricks: five spades, two hearts, two diamonds and one club. He must just make sure that he does not lose those four tricks first.

The careless declarer wins trick one and immediately plays a trump.

However, East wins and returns a heart, after which South finishes down one.

The more thoughtful declarer realises that he must do something about that heart loser immediately.

So, he either wins the first trick on the board and plays a diamond, or takes the first trick in his hand and plays a club. Either way, South does not lose a heart trick.

— By Phillip Alder

PRANITH AJAY

ANITA ANN ABRAHAM

ZAFEER BIN MUNAWAR

December 26, 2006

December 26, 2004

December 25

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

Previous puzzle Solution

CROSSWORD

WITH LOVE

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

SAT URDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Y O U R B I R T H D AY

BORN today, you have so many interesting facets that one might know you for many years and never really know the “real” you — for, in some respects, there is no single real you to get to know! You are many people, with many guises, many interests, many tastes and many images that you project freely, at your whim. What is certain, of course, is that you are highly intelligent, highly capable and always interested in doing anything that can have a lasting effect on the world around you. You never like to work in a bubble, but prefer to be very much a part of the world in which you live.

You are fun-loving, but capable of buckling down to some serious work when the time comes. But even then, you are able to laugh at yourself and others. Perhaps, too, that is the key — your ability to laugh at yourself is an indication that you know yourself — indeed, all your “selves” — well, so you are comfortable in your own skin.

Also born on this date are: Savannah Guthrie, journalist and television personality; Louis Pasteur, microbiologist; John Amos, actor; Sydney Greenstreet, actor; Eva LaRue, actress; Johannes Kepler, astronomer; Marlene Dietrich, actress; Gerard Depardieu, actor; Cokie Roberts, journalist; Oscar Levant, musician and comedian.

12.13pm 3.13pm 5.33pm 6.49pm 5.26am

Sunset Sunrise (Tomorrow)

5:28pm 6.47am

High tide Low tide

-7.33am

1:07am 6.32pm

[DEC. 22-JAN 19]

FIND-IT-ALL

W E AT H E R

AIRLINES

M

ainly clear skies over most of the Sultanate with chances of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches over governorates of al-Buraimi, alDhahira, al-Wusta and Dhofar.

EXPECTED WINDS: Winds will be northerly to northwesterly light to moderate over most of the Sultanate occasionally fresh along the Western coast of Musandam and South al-Sharqiyah coast and will be northeasterly light to moderate along Arabian Sea coast.

SEA STATE: Moderate to rough along the southeastern coast with maximum wave height of 2.5 metres and slight to moderate along rest of the coastal areas with maximum wave height of 1.5 metre.

HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog patches.

THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Mainly clear skies with chances of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches over most of the Sultanate governorates.

Max

OMAN

WORLD

Max 27 Min 14 Max 8 Min 3

Max 19 Min 8

Max 26 Min 17 Max 4 Min 1

Max 25 Min 18

Max -8 Min -18

Max 27 Min 13

Max 27 Min 11

Max 27 Min 12

Max 27 Min 17

CAPRICORN Don’t let a simple distraction keep you from doing what is most important. You know what others are expecting of you.

Max 27 Min 13

Max 28 Min 18

Max 17 Min 8

Max 28 Min 23 Max 24 Min 18

Source: www.met.gov.om

[JAN. 20-FEB. 18]

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

You’ll receive a message in several parts, and it will be solely up to you to assemble them in just the right order.

PISCES You may feel you are in a lull, Y waiting for things to heat up just in time for you to claim something as your own.

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19] You may be told many things, but most of them may prove utterly forgettable. One, however, piques your interest.

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20] You may not have gotten as far on a recent project as you had hoped; you must make the time to catch up.

GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20] There may not be room for everything, just the most important things — and you certainly know what they are!

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22] Bringing another into the fold may prove to be the most important thing that you do — or that you are capable of doing at the moment.

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22] Practice makes perfect — usually.

Today, however, you may find that “perfect” is an unattainable goal, for a variety of very good reasons.

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22] Someone else wants you to take the lead on something, but you feel as though you’re not fully prepared. Go ahead — take the chance!

LIBRA L [[SEPT. [S S 23-OCT. 22] What you think would only startle you slightly may actually put a good old-fashioned scare into you — and it may last a while!

SCORPIO S [[OCT. 23-NOV. 21] Now is the time for you to make your objections known, though you may have a hard time getting a certain someone to take you seriously.

SAGITTARIUS S [[NOV. 22-DEC. 21] You can redo something in a way that makes it much more effective — and, ultimately, much more valuable to you and others.

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

GULF Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh

24 23 26 23 21 26

17 18 18 11 17 13

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

12 16 7 -1 9 20 24 1 18 18 21 28 12 7 33 30 8 6

8 10 4 -5 4 5 24 2 14 5 16 23 10 1 18 25 2 2

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

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

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

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

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (Route 55) 07:30 Sur 14:30 Sur TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62) 06:30 Fahud 06:30 Yibal

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

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

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

Daily Daily

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

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

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

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62) 12:30 Fahud 12:30 Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100) 07:00 Salalah 20:00 10:00 Marmul 20:30 10:00 Salalah 23:30 19:00 Salalah 07:40

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100) 07:00 Ruwi 19:50 10:00 Marmul 13:15 10:00 Ruwi 22:30 19:00 Ruwi 07:30

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

Daily

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

Daily

16:50

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102) 15:00 Dubai 07:00 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: 4537080 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:

SATURDAY

Min

L O N G D I S TA N C E B U S T I M I N G S ( O M A N N AT I O N A L T R A N S P O R T C O M PA N Y S A O C ) * S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E

AQUARIUS

B7

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

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

WY406 WY676 WY648 WY816 WY916 PK225 TK774 PK229 QR1132 ET624 EK866 GF560 EY384 FZ041 MS930 WY902 WY668 WY638 WY658 WY686 WY412 WY644 WY114 WY122 WY154 WY692 WY674 WY142 WY672 WY132 WY602 WY202 WY432 WY102 WY422 FZ043 WY274 G9114 WY242 WY236 PK191 WY346 EK862 WY252 IX443 QR1128 EY382 IX549 9W530 WY342 WY604 FZ037 IX337 WY268 PA450 WY904 WY3302 BG023 WY326 NL771 WY606 WY632 WY918 IX817 WY906 WY656 WY328 SV532 FZ045 MP95 WY204 WY292 WY246 WY610 WY3304 WY284 WY232 WY216 QR1126 EK864 GF564 G9116 FZ047 WY614 WY914 WY386 KL441 AI973 WY624 WY312 6.00E+81 9W534 FZ049 WY374 WY254 AI907 WY224 QR1134 UL205 WY338 GF566 EY388 WY814 BA073 WY908 AI985 WY662 LX242 9W540 WY654 LH618 WY116 WY612 WY928 WY636 WY696 WY696 WY717

SUNDAY ETA

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

CAIRO 0005 JEDDAH 0005 KUWAIT 0010 BANGKOK 0015 SALALAH 0150 KARACHI 0210 ISTANBUL 0215 LAHORE 0215 DOHA 0345 ADDIS ABABA 0350 DUBAI 0355 BAHRAIN 0405 ABU DHABI 0405 DUBAI 0415 CAIRO 0430 SALALAH 0630 DOHA 0635 ABU DHABI 0650 BAHRAIN 0700 RIYADH 0700 AMMAN 0705 KUWAIT 0715 FRANKFURT 0715 MUNICH 0715 ZURICH 0720 DAMMAM 0725 JEDDAH 0730 MALPENSA 0745 MEDINA 0745 PARIS 0800 DUBAI 0805 BOMBAY 0815 TEHRAN 0815 LONDON HEATHROW 0820 BEIRUT 0830 DUBAI 0850 JAIPUR 0855 SHARJAH 0915 DELHI 0920 HYDERABAD 0920 TURBAT 0930 ISLAM ABBAD 0940 DUBAI 0940 MADRAS 0940 COCHIN 1010 DOHA 1010 ABU DHABI 1015 TRIVANDRUM 1020 TRIVANDRUM 1035 LAHORE 1100 DUBAI 1110 DUBAI 1200 CALICUT 1210 LUCKNOW 1210 LAHORE 1215 SALALAH 1215 MUKHAIZNA 1230 DACCA 1245 KARACHI 1255 PESHAWAR 1300 DUBAI 1330 ABU DHABI 1330 KHASAB 1400 MANGALORE-ABU DHABI 1440 SALALAH 1445 BAHRAIN 1530 LAHORE 1550 JEDDAH 1550 DUBAI 1555 AMSTERDAM 1645 BOMBAY 1710 CALICUT 1720 DELHI 1730 DUBAI 1730 MUKHAIZNA 1730 BANGALORE 1740 HYDERABAD 1740 TRIVANDRUM 1740 DOHA 1745 DUBAI 1800 BAHRAIN 1810 SHARJAH 1915 DUBAI 1945 DUBAI 2030 SALALAH 2035 MALE 2110 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 2120 DELHI 2125 DUBAI 2125 CHITTAGONG 2125 BOMBAY 2130 COCHIN 2140 DUBAI 2145 COLOMBO 2150 MADRAS 2155 MADRAS 2200 COCHIN 2205 DOHA 2210 COLOMBO 2225 KATHMANDU 2235 BAHRAIN 2240 ABU DHABI 2250 BANGKOK 2250 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2255 SALALAH 2305 AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY 2310 DOHA 2315 ZURICH-DUBAI 2320 BOMBAY 2325 BAHRAIN 2330 FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI 2330 FRANKFURT 2335 DUBAI 2335 SALALAH 2345 ABU DHABI 2350 DAMMAM 2350 DAMMAM 2350 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2355

WY406 WY676 WY682 WY648 WY904 WY816 WY824 WY916 4H583 NL669 TK776 QR1132 ET624 EK866 GF560 EY384 FZ041 WY324 WY686 WY902 4H584 WY638 WY658 WY668 WY674 WY602 WY202 WY102 FZ043 WY274 NL768 G9114 WY236 WY242 WY226 EK862 WY252 WY212 WY346 QR1128 EY382 IX549 WY3302 WY282 WY3922 WY604 G9841 WY372 FZ037 WY424 IX337 PK223 WY606 WY918 WY906 WY812 WY656 WY632 FZ045 WY204 WY292 WY610 WY246 WY264 WY232 WY664 QR1126 GF564 WY3306 G9116 WY254 TG507 FZ047 WY434 WY614 WY914 WY386 WY152 WY312 WY116 WY124 KL441 WY144 AI973 WY624 6.00E+81 WY134 WY414 FZ049 AI907 QR1134 UL205 GF566 EY388 BA073 WY908 AI985 WY648 LX242 9W540 WY654 LH618 WY612 WY696 WY910 WY928 WY717

CAIRO 0005 JEDDAH 0005 RIYADH 0005 KUWAIT 0010 SALALAH 0015 BANGKOK 0015 KUALA LUMPUR 0055 SALALAH 0150 DACCA 0200 SIALKOT 0200 ISTANBUL-BAHRAIN 0300 DOHA 0345 ADDIS ABABA 0350 DUBAI 0355 BAHRAIN 0405 ABU DHABI 0405 DUBAI 0415 KARACHI 0540 RIYADH 0600 SALALAH 0630 DOHA 0640 ABU DHABI 0650 BAHRAIN 0700 DOHA 0710 JEDDAH 0730 DUBAI 0805 BOMBAY 0815 LONDON HEATHROW 0820 DUBAI 0850 JAIPUR 0855 LAHORE 0900 SHARJAH 0915 HYDERABAD 0920 DELHI 0920 COCHIN 0930 DUBAI 0940 MADRAS 0940 TRIVANDRUM 0940 ISLAM ABBAD 0955 DOHA 1010 ABU DHABI 1015 TRIVANDRUM 1020 MUKHAIZNA 1045 BANGALORE 1100 DUQUM OMAN 1105 DUBAI 1110 RAS AL KHAIMA 1120 COLOMBO 1130 DUBAI 1200 BEIRUT 1205 CALICUT 1210 PESHAWAR 1220 DUBAI 1330 KHASAB 1440 SALALAH 1445 BANGKOK 1525 BAHRAIN 1530 ABU DHABI 1535 DUBAI 1555 BOMBAY 1710 CALICUT 1720 DUBAI 1730 DELHI 1730 LUCKNOW 1735 HYDERABAD 1740 DOHA 1745 DOHA 1745 BAHRAIN 1810 MUKHAIZNA 1845 SHARJAH 1915 MADRAS 1920 BANGKOK-KARACHI 1935 DUBAI 1945 TEHRAN 2000 DUBAI 2030 SALALAH 2035 MALE 2110 ZURICH 2110 CHITTAGONG 2115 FRANKFURT 2115 MUNICH 2115 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 2120 MALPENSA 2120 DELHI 2125 DUBAI 2125 BOMBAY 2130 PARIS 2130 AMMAN 2135 DUBAI 2145 MADRAS 2200 DOHA 2210 COLOMBO 2225 BAHRAIN 2240 ABU DHABI 2250 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2255 SALALAH 2305 AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY 2310 KUWAIT 2315 ZURICH-DUBAI 2320 BOMBAY 2325 BAHRAIN 2330 FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI 2330 DUBAI 2335 DAMMAM 2350 SALALAH 2355 SALALAH 2355 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2355

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

AI986 LX243 9W539 BA072 SG062 LH619 WY685 WY251 WY201 WY235 WY273 WY345 WY601 WY241 WY431 WY643 WY637 WY657 WY115 WY667 WY691 TK775 PK226 PK230 WY267 ET625 EK867 FZ042 QR1133 EY385 MS931 GF561 WY603 WY903 WY3301 WY325 WY813 WY215 WY291 WY327 WY823 FZ044 WY385 WY283 WY231 WY245 G9115 WY815 PK192 WY373 WY605 WY905 WY631 WY203 WY311 WY717 WY917 EK863 EY383 WY655 IX554 QR1129 IX442 9W533 WY337 IX350 WY253 PA451 FZ038 WY3303 WY101 WY223 WY927 BG024 WY609 NL668 WY405 IX818 WY675 WY913 SV533 WY613 FZ046 MP95

BOMBAY 0005 DUBAI-ZURICH 0020 BOMBAY 0025 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 0025 AHMEDABAD 0030 ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT 0050 RIYADH 0105 MADRAS 0110 BOMBAY 0120 HYDERABAD 0135 JAIPUR 0140 ISLAM ABBAD 0150 DUBAI 0150 DELHI 0155 TEHRAN 0155 KUWAIT 0200 ABU DHABI 0205 BAHRAIN 0205 FRANKFURT 0215 DOHA 0220 DAMMAM 0235 ISTANBUL 0310 KARACHI 0310 LAHORE 0315 LUCKNOW 0355 ADDIS ABABA 0450 DUBAI 0455 DUBAI 0510 DOHA 0520 ABU DHABI 0525 CAIRO 0530 BAHRAIN 0745 DUBAI 0800 SALALAH 0800 MUKHAIZNA 0800 KARACHI 0820 BANGKOK 0855 TRIVANDRUM 0920 CALICUT 0920 LAHORE 0920 KUALA LUMPUR 0930 DUBAI 0935 MALE 0940 BANGALORE 0940 HYDERABAD 0955 DELHI 0955 SHARJAH 1005 BANGKOK 1010 TURBAT-GWADUR 1015 COLOMBO 1020 DUBAI 1030 SALALAH 1030 ABU DHABI 1030 BOMBAY 1030 CHITTAGONG 1040 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 1045 KHASAB 1050 DUBAI 1055 ABU DHABI 1105 BAHRAIN 1110 TRIVANDRUM 1110 DOHA 1115 COCHIN 1115 COCHIN 1135 KATHMANDU 1310 CALICUT 1310 MADRAS 1315 LAHORE 1315 DUBAI 1315 MUKHAIZNA 1330 LONDON HEATHROW 1330 COCHIN 1355 SALALAH 1415 CHITTAGONG-DACCA 1415 DUBAI 1420 SIALKOT 1430 CAIRO 1430 MANGALORE 1530 JEDDAH 1630 SALALAH 1630 RIYADH-JEDDAH 1650 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI WORLD CENTRESINGAPORE 1815 DUBAI 1820 DOHA 1845 RIYADH 1845 SALALAH 1850 BAHRAIN 1855 DOHA 1900 KUWAIT 1900 BAHRAIN 1910 DAMMAM 1910 DUBAI 1915 SHARJAH 2005 DUBAI 2025 ABU DHABI 2030 DUBAI 2040 SALALAH 2135 DUBAI 2225 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 2230 TRIVANDRUM 2240 BOMBAY 2245 MADRAS 2300 DELHI 2310 DOHA 2320 BAHRAIN 2325 COLOMBO 2335 ABU DHABI 2350 SALALAH 2350 JEDDAH 2350

AI986 LX243 BA072 9W539 LH619 WY685 WY811 WY323 WY211 WY251 WY201 WY225 WY235 WY273 WY601 WY341 WY151 WY241 WY281 WY423 WY657 WY637 WY371 WY123 WY133 WY115 WY667 WY143 WY345 4H584 NL772 TK777 ET625 EK867 FZ042 QR1133 EY385 WY3301 WY3921 4H584 GF561 WY903 WY603 WY291 WY263 FZ044 WY245 WY231 G9115 WY905 WY203 NL769 WY605 WY253 WY311 WY717 EK863 EY383 IX554 WY655 QR1129 WY3303 WY917 WY331 G9842 WY631 IX350 FZ038 PK224 WY663 WY413 WY101 WY433 WY927 WY609 WY405 WY3305 WY675 WY913 FZ046 WY613 WY623 WY681 QR1127 WY907 GF565 WY647 WY661 WY695 WY653 WY909 G9117 WY611 WY635 FZ048 TG508 WY825 WY915 FZ050 KL442 WY817 6.00E+82 AI908 AI974 QR1135 GF567 UL206 EY381 WY673 WY901 WY671

BOMBAY 0005 DUBAI-ZURICH 0020 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 0025 BOMBAY 0025 ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT 0050 RIYADH 0105 BANGKOK 0105 KARACHI 0105 TRIVANDRUM 0110 MADRAS 0110 BOMBAY 0120 COCHIN 0125 HYDERABAD 0135 JAIPUR 0140 DUBAI 0150 LAHORE 0150 ZURICH 0155 DELHI 0155 BANGALORE 0200 BEIRUT 0200 BAHRAIN 0205 ABU DHABI 0205 COLOMBO 0210 MUNICH 0210 PARIS 0215 FRANKFURT 0215 DOHA 0220 MALPENSA 0225 ISLAM ABBAD 0250 DUBAI-DACCA 0300 PESHAWAR 0330 BAHRAIN-ISTANBUL 0350 ADDIS ABABA 0450 DUBAI 0455 DUBAI 0510 DOHA 0520 ABU DHABI 0525 MUKHAIZNA 0715 DUQUM OMAN 0720 DACCA 0740 BAHRAIN 0745 SALALAH 0800 DUBAI 0800 CALICUT 0920 LUCKNOW 0920 DUBAI 0935 DELHI 0955 HYDERABAD 0955 SHARJAH 1005 SALALAH 1030 BOMBAY 1030 LAHORE 1030 DUBAI 1030 MADRAS 1040 CHITTAGONG 1040 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 1045 DUBAI 1055 ABU DHABI 1105 TRIVANDRUM 1110 BAHRAIN 1110 DOHA 1115 MUKHAIZNA 1115 KHASAB 1140 KATHMANDU 1205 RAS AL KHAIMA 1210 ABU DHABI 1225 CALICUT 1310 DUBAI 1315 PESHAWAR 1320 DOHA 1330 AMMAN 1330 LONDON HEATHROW 1330 TEHRAN 1340 SALALAH 1415 DUBAI 1420 CAIRO 1430 MUKHAIZNA 1515 JEDDAH 1630 SALALAH 1630 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI 1700 DUBAI 1820 RIYADH 1845 DOHA 1845 SALALAH 1850 BAHRAIN 1855 KUWAIT 1900 DOHA 1900 DAMMAM 1910 BAHRAIN 1910 SALALAH 1940 SHARJAH 2005 DUBAI 2025 ABU DHABI 2030 DUBAI 2040 KARACHI-BANGKOK 2040 KUALA LUMPUR 2110 SALALAH 2135 DUBAI 2225 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 2230 BANGKOK 2235 BOMBAY 2245 MADRAS 2300 DELHI 2310 DOHA 2320 BAHRAIN 2325 COLOMBO 2335 ABU DHABI 2350 JEDDAH 2350 SALALAH 2350 MEDINA 2350

WY623 QR1127 WY681 WY907 GF565 WY661 WY647 WY653 WY695 EK865 G9117 WY611 WY635 FZ048 WY915 FZ050 KL442 9W529 6.00E+82 AI908 AI974 QR1135 GF567 UL206 EY381 WY901 WY673

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EXTRA BRIEFS

‘PK’ zooms past earnings of ‘Dhoom: 3’ in a week

Nasa planning to build cloud cities in airships above Venus

CHRISTMAS has proved to be a lucky time for Aamir Khan.

Last year, he struck gold at the box office with Dhoom: 3, and this time the superstar’s latest offering PK has zoomed past the action adventure’s first week collections. While Dhoom: 3 earned Rs1.79b in one week in India, PK collected Rs1.82b in the first week. The film’s international gross box office collection is $13.36 million (Rs850m), read a statement. Trade experts have conjectured the film may even cross Rs3 billion ultimately. Rajesh Thadani from Multimedia Combines told IANS: “PK has done extremely well. In fact, it’s the highest grosser in one week. Yesterday (Thursday) due to Christmas, the collection was outstanding. The film will certainly cross Rs3 billion easily.” On Christmas day itself, the Rajkumar Hirani directorial collected Rs2.75b in India. “The film is going steady at the box office and the film has not dropped even on weekdays,” Thadani added. Also featuring Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt and Sushant Singh Rajput, the movie is doing “outstanding business”.

Big B honoured with Yash Chopra Memorial Award MEGASTAR Amitabh Bachchan was conferred with the Yash Chopra Memorial Award, and said that he is still striving to deliver his best in the Indian film industry. “I feel very grateful to have received the honour and I would like to thank (politician) T. Subbarami Reddy and all the jury members to consider me for this honour,” the 72-year-old said after the ceremony. “I don’t think I deserve this much appreciation, but I am still trying to give my best and will continue to do so in the coming years with all your love and support,” he added. Later, Big B, who has dedicated over four decades of his life to filmdom, took to his blog srbachchan.tumblr.com and posted: “I am eternally humbled and grateful...it was awkward to sit there and listen to all the accolades that come your way. I have not yet learnt the art of carrying the right expression when listening to praise. And I shall never learn, for I have never believed in the praise that comes my way. I am not deserving I know, but it would help if the moment of acknowledgement came within closed doors and drawn curtains.”

Tusshar finds Sunny Leone ‘Bollywood’s No. 1 actress’ ACTOR Tusshar Kapoor has had a “lovely” experience working with Sunny Leone in Mastizaade. In fact, he feels she’s the top actress in the Hindi film industry today. “It was a lovely experience working with her (Sunny). She is a wonderful actress and such a nice human being. She is the number one actress in Bollywood, so I think it (Mastizaade) should be a blockbuster film,” Tusshar said. In the film, directed by Milap Zaveri, Sunny will play the role of Laila Lele. The film also features Vir Das. Meanwhile, Tusshar also seems to be extremely excited about the third instalment of Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, and says that though Riteish Deshmukh is not part of this movie, he had a great time working with him in previous films of the franchise. -IANS

The planet’s surface is inhospitable to humans — but dangling about 30 miles above, it is almost perfect

N

asa scientists are working on a city made out of huge balloons in the clouds above Venus, which will allow astronauts to explore the planet without venturing onto its hostile surface. The airship-like balloons would carry two astronauts each on a 30-day mission.

The project, named High Altitude Venus Operational Concept, or Havoc, is just a proposal at the moment, designed by the Systems Analysis and Concepts

Directorate (SACD) at the centre. But the centre hopes to keep working on it until it is ready to actually take astronauts to Venus, or just off it. Venus is in many ways a better bet for space exploration than Mars. It’s nearer to us, closer in size and it has a density and chemical composition more like Earth — but it’s also completely inhospitable.

The planet is much hotter than Earth, at around 462 degrees Celsius, and has an atmospheric pressure around 92 times greater. It’s also got huge volca-

noes and an acidic cloud layer.

Even probes that have been sent to the planet have burnt up and died shortly after arriving. While the conditions on Venus keep humans from venturing down there, staying about 30 miles above the planet would keep astronauts in conditions mostly similar to Earth. The atmospheric pressure is comparable, and gravity is just slightly lower.

The temperature is warm but the ship would be able to keep the astronauts cool enough. The challenges for the mission would

be getting the airship to Venus — and then, since it will be wrapped up, inflating it there. Before it is used scientists will also have to be confident that the ship and the solar panels that will power it can withstand the sulphuric acid in the atmosphere and the other strain it will be put under while it floats above the planet.

But if they can work on the technology, “missions to the Venusian atmosphere can expand humanity’s future in space”, the SACD says. — Andrew Griffin/The Independent

SCIENCE

Earth’s deep crust could support widespread life ANCIENT ROCKS deep in Earth’s crust are producing much more hydrogen gas than previously thought - a situation on a par with conditions near hydrothermal vents, which host thriving ecosystems.

The finding, published in Nature, provides a road map with which to search for deep microbial life on Earth and possibly Mars.

Scientists once thought that subsurface microbial ecosystems consumed energy that filtered down from Earth’s surface, implying that such ecosystems ultimately depended on sunlight and photosynthesis. But the discovery of deep microbial biomes that feed on chemicals such as hydrogen has raised questions about how widespread these communities are.

Searching for an answer, Barbara Sherwood Lollar, a geoscientist at the University of Toron-

to, Canada, and her colleagues pulled together data on hydrogen production from more than 200 boreholes at 32 mining sites, mostly in Canada, South Africa and Scandinavia. The researchers used this information to estimate how much hydrogen gas is produced deep in the oldest parts of the continental crust, which could help to identify areas that might host subsurface life.

The team calculates that the oldest rock on Earth - the 550-million- to 4.6-billion-yearold Precambrian continental lithosphere - produces roughly 100 times more gas annually than scientists previously thought.

Two chemical reactions produce the gas, including one in which natural radioactivity within the rock splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

The new estimate effectively doubles the energy available from hydrogen gas dissolved in

water in the rock and at deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

“This massively changes the concept of where life can be on this planet,” says Sherwood Lollar, because more than 70% of the rock that forms the continents dates to Precambrian times.

In 2006, scientists discovered hydrogen-eating, rock-dwelling microbes living 4 kilometres below the surface of the Witwatersrand basin in South Africa. But Sherwood Lollar’s team shows that other sites, including those in Finland and Canada where she and her colleagues recently identified ancient water more than 1 billion years old show higher hydrogen-gas levels, suggesting that they may be more hospitable to microbial life.

“That’s fascinating,” says Sean McMahon, a geomicrobiologist at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. “The microbiology hasn’t been done for most of the

other boreholes - and it probably should.”

The finding could help scientists to better understand early life on Earth. One debate centres on how life might have spread and diversified after forming at marine hydrothermal vents, says Emily Catherine Pope, a geochemist at the Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen.

“If you identify a source of energy that’s everywhere, it’s no longer a limiting factor for the spread of life,” she adds.

The new finding could also lead scientists to study areas of Earth that resemble Martian geology by drilling boreholes in cratons, the thick, ancient central cores of the continents. “You can get a lot deeper before you reach the maximum temperature for life - that’s where you’d expect to find the deepest living things,” says McMahon. — The New York Times News Service

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S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 4

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

FOR RENT New deluxe building in Misfah Industrial Area, 11 shops with A/C, each 4cm x 9cm, an additional 12 huge spaces including kitchens and bathrooms which can be used for offices or residences. The building location first row close to main road.

Contact - 98880333

One / Two BR, directly from owner at Bausher. Contact 92158031 2 Offices Space Available in Ruwi for 800 OMR & 900 OMR. Contact – 91120552 2 BHK flat near Darsait Lulu, rent RO 250/-. Contact 99578510 New deluxe 2 BR fully furnished & unfurnished with free Internet available at Al Khuwair near KM Hypermarket. Office space with cassette type AC’s with partition with free internet available at Al Khuwair near KM Hypermarket.

Contact 99460330 Flat for rent at Al Amerat, Al Mahj.

1 BR + hall + 2 toilets + kitchen with 3 split units. Rent RO 200/-, payment 12 CHS one year. Contact 92796630 2 BR, 2 toilets, kitchen at Al Mawaleh. Contact 99444786, 99747560 5 bedrooms villa with 2 halls, 4 bathrooms in Darsait behind Khimjis Mart. Contact 24700120, 92584715 1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricty and boundary wall will be provided.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

For rent apartments: An apartment in old Muscat at Oman Arab Bank’s building. 3 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms, dining room, living room and a kitchen. Air conditioned apartments.

2 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room area and kitchen in an excellent location in Al Khuwair opposite the court of first instance.

For further information call 97072976

2 BHK available in Darsait, 1 B/R and hall, 2 B/R and hall. Contact 99357586, 97500025, 97884787

Good villa in good area in Al Wattayah, 5 rooms. If serious please contact 95885537

Flats, 3 Rooms & AC, kitchen, hall, in al Mabela south, cost 220 RO, Contact# 99377290

Office space with cassette type A/C’s with free internet at al Khuwair near KM Hypermarket. Contact 99460330

Flat for rent 2 bedrooms one hall in South Al Hail. RO 270.

Contact 93221474

Flat in Al Khuwair 33, 2 rooms, Majlis, kitchen & 2 bathrooms.

Contact 99003626

Industrial Land in Misfah.

Contact 93009999

1 BHK near Medical, Darsait.

RO 180/- Muttrah House.

Contact 98748925

1 & 3 BHK flat for Rent in Darsait.

Contact 99792181

For rent (flats), 2 bedrooms +hall+kitchen, location: South Al Mawaleh. Contact 99870020

3 BHK flat Ghobrah close to ISG way – 4041, building – 4390.

Contact: 99319880

Travel & Tourism Office in Al Khuwair on main road for rent or investment. Contact 99331998

2 BHK flat in Wattaya.

Contact 99792181

1 BHK flat Wadi Kabir, RO 230/Contact 99358589, 95570288, 97079146

1 BHK flats at Muttrah near Oman House. Contact 93231403

1 BHK flat in Ruwi. Contact 99792181

2 Bedroom flat at Muscat OMR.180).

Call- 91393005

300 Sqr mtrs store or labor camp for Rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact - 99792181

We have 1 BHK, 2 BHK, 3 BHK flats, 4, 5 bedrooms villa, open space offices & shops available in Ghala, Ghobrah, Qurum, Mabela, Ruwi, Darsait, Mumtaz, Wadi Kabir. All brand new buildings & very affordable prices.

Contact 93782735 / 99208033 3 BHK flat in Al.Khuwair.

Contact - 99792181 1 BHK flat in Al.Khuwair 25.

Contact - 99792181 6 BHK commercial villa in Ghobrah. Contact - 99792181 New shops and flats, 2 BR, 3 toilets, building 497 opposite Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque.

Contact 94006969 Flat for rent in Al Khuwair consists of 2 bedrooms and living room at RO 350. Contact 99109094

2 BHK apartment for residential use at Al Khuwair 33. Contact 94057023 2 BHK apartment for office use at Al Khuwair 33. Contact 94057023

2 BHK flat in Wattaya.

Contact - 99792181

Studio flat in Ruwi.Contact 99792181

1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390.

Contact 99319880

3 BHK flat in Al.Khuwair 33.

Contact 99792181

Flats in Al Khuwair 42 with 2 rooms, Majlis. Contact 96961306

New villa for rent-direct from owner: 2 floor villa in Mabela 8, 6 Rooms, 8 Toilets Spacious kitchen, dining rooms in both floors.

Contact Number 92828303

Flat- Darsait. Contact – 99326879 1 BHK new bldg with split A/C & curtains near Khimjis Mart, MBD. Contact 93582912, 99339750

Flat one bedroom at Al Khuwair 33, owner. Contact 92800007 6 shops, single shutter, 46SQM, Mabela industrial, way7767, building 11528, Contact 99441193, 97148641 For rent shops and offices in Al Mabela. Contact 99355330 1 BHK flat in Wadi Kabir. RO 180/-.

Contact 99376454 Furnished & unfurnished deluxe 2 BHK flats with split A/Cs, fixed wardrobes, kitchen appliances, CCTV, security access system & secured car park, opposite Kims Hospital, Al Falaj.

Contact 99657906 or 24702141

Villa, ground floor in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99743569, 97004265 Flats and shops. Contact 93009999 Show room on the main road Saham center total area 450 m sq. Contact: 99366558 / 99334226 Apartments in Al Khuwair new area each apartment contains (2 bedrooms + living room) for RO 365. Contact 93181111 Brand new ware houses for rent :1) At Rusayl Industrial Area adjacent to Amiantit Oman 3500 SQM built up area with parking / movement area for trucks / trailors etc., 2)At Wadi Kabir Sanaya 500 SQM area for all storages including Medical / Cosmetics / Food stuffs etc. Contact 99273774 / 94652485 / 99202278 New Villa for Rent Two floors newly built villa in Maabillah, 8 Fullfledged Residential Area 6 Rooms, 8 Toilets, excellent finishing spacious Kitchen, Big Dining Rooms in Both Floors, Easy Access to Muscat and Sohar using Maabillah Bridge. Contact 92828303 For rent 2 bedrooms, hall, kitchen, 3 bathrooms, balcony, complex split units, brand new deluxe flats. Near Seeb flyover main road side.

Contact 97755586 Flats ground floor, 3 Rooms & AC, kitchen, hall, in Al Mabaila South.

Contact 99377290

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DAILY GUIDE

FOR SALE

FOR RENT

AVAILABLE Established Restaurant for rent with sponsorship. #97628242 Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. www.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

BUYING/SELLING Looking for commercial lands for sale in Al Ghobrah North (urgent serious buyers, commercial lands in al Ghobrah North (corners prime location). Contact 91155779 Looking for purchase of Used Portable Compressor (350 CFM, 7 Bar Pressure) powered with Diesel run Generator.

Kindly Contact 99014686 or operation@khancogroup.com

M.V. FOR SALE

Used household & office furniture and electronic items. Contact 99834373, 97102699

ACC. AVAILABLE

56 SQM, 2 shutters Shop, Office Wadikabir, 450/=, Contact 93004802, 99441193 1 room, bathroom, kitchen, Wadi Kabir, RO 150/-. Contact 99358589, 95570288, 97079146 Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat.

Contact 99349526 1BHK 7flats Mabela Industrial, way7767, building11528, single party, 99441193, 97148641.

2BHK, 2 Toilets, 1 Store, own desk, room size 4x4.Location: back of City Center Seeb, near Shell Station. Contact: Ms. Lyn 97004746

We are dealing with sale of all beauty salon equipments, furnitures & cosmetics. Contact 942 888 61 / 942 888 63

2 B/ R Fully Furnished Executive Apartment @ Al Khuwair 33 Near Zaker Mall. 3 Bedroom Furnished executive apartment @ Al Khuwair 25 5 B/R Luxury Fully Furnished villas at Azaiba with servants, 3 Bedroom Unfurnished Villa @ Mawalah South Area 6 with Servant Quarter, 5 Bedroom Unfurnished Villa @ Al Qurum heights Sea view.

Contact - 99249069 / 92888376/ 93201688

Sale!, all household items, like fridge, freezer, cooking range, washing machine, window/split A/Cs, LCD TV, Laptop, tab and many more for attractive prices.

Location : near Toyota service Center, Honda Road.

Contact - 97048983, 95293643

Flat for rent, sitting room, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen, RO 250/- near SPO, Wadi Kabir.

Contact 95643086 2 BHK Flat near Kuwaiti Mosque, Wadi Kabir. Tel: 24816774 /97608564

FOR SALE

2BHK, 2 Bath, Split A/C, Wadikabir, Indian Elementary School, R.O 330/Contact- 93004802, 99441193

Port cabins – New & refurnished Porta cabin for sale and rent.

Contact 96723468

1 BHK with attached toilet & bathroom behind Bank Muscat at Wadi Kabir. Contact 99373290, 24815012

2 b flat in paradise lakes B9 on emirates road 994 sf ready for handover asking 48,000 OR tel 95339258

6 Nos. flat for rent and sale in Mawaleh Block-5, each flat area – 123 SQM, have 3 bedrooms, 3 toilet, Majlis and kitchen, rent RO 280 and sale – RO 40,000. Contact Said – 91174310, Adnan – 97777911

Café Shop for Sale at Ghobrah North.

Contact 99359755

2 BHK with A/C, commercial Al Khuwair. Contact 92144045 1 BHK flat Al Qurum, RO 270/-, Contact 99358589 2 & 3 BHK near ISD School.

Contact 99024730 Villa, Amerat Souq as house/offices/ clinic/institute. Contact 99647903, 98026234 2 BHK at Al Azaiba, Building No.5145 Way 4470. Contact 99224748, 99425665 Building of 3 floors with 20 rooms in Mawaleh near Pizza Hut. Contact 99044164 1 BHK at Ghobrah - Near Indian School. Contact: 99014885

3 floor Commercial building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 20 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Flats for Sale in Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand 1 bedroom. OMR 45 Thousand 2 bedroom. Monthly income 1 bedroom OMR 270 and 2 bedroom OMR 350. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 A big shop for sale near K.M Trading Ruwi. Contact 95901254 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Restaurant for leasing/sale in Al Hail. Contact 94148970, 94148972, 97820877

Pharmacy for sale in Al Amerat.

Contact 98994208 Robin Generator Diesel DY27 – 3 KYA Hydraulic Pipe Bender 1/2” – 2”, Spain automatic voltage regulator 240 v, Japan torque multiplier 3/4 x 1/2 32 mm input England Kango angle grinder 9’110 v, England.

Contact 98691109, 96334847 Tools, hardware, carpentry & furniture items etc clearing sale.

Contact 96609864, 98691109

Room with attached bathroom available for rent in Al Khuwair 33 opposite Al Maya supermarket.

Contact 97607198 Room + balcony + separate toilet for non cooking single Indian Bachelor, RO 140/-. Contact 98928452 Spacious semi furnished room with separate entrance and attached washroom near Indian School Al Ghobrah for non cooking Indian Executive Bachelor.

Contact 95146361 / 92657598

Lancer 2008, full auto, good condition. Contact 96788982

Nissan Sunny auto 2009, 100 k, RO 2,500. Contact 93289652

Toyota Yaris 1.5 2010 December, Automatic, expat driven, single owner, new tyres, new Insurance 82,000 kms in new condition.

OMR 3400/-. Contact 93876159

Tucson V6 2007, automatic, RO 2800/-. Contact 99384640

For sale Toyota Camry 2010, Mazda 6 2006. Contact 97100370

Lexus GS300, 2006 for sale.

Contact 93218349

Lexus IS 250, model 2007, good condition. Contact 95530560

NRI

Accommodation available for single executive lady only with lady near Honda Road. Contact 92918592 Furnished single / sharing room for executive bachelor at Rex Road (Kannada, Telugu). Contact 92873832 Sharing flat for Indian Family / working lady in Ghobrah R/A. Contact 98205758 Independent furnished room executive Wadi Kabir. Contact 99336206

A new furnished restaurant for sale at upcoming industrial zone in Misfah. Expat leaving Oman. Genuine buyers call 93833107

Available bath attached fully furnished single room for bachelors.

Contact 9904 2116

A newly opened Barber Shop for sale at upcoming industrial zone in Misfah. Expat leaving Oman. enuine buyers call 93833107.

Room available in Al Khuwair for Indian with sharing kitchen and toilet for matured non alcoholic non smoking. Contact 96930219

Big showroom (two floors) for sale opposite Oman house & Muttrah Hotel. Total 600 square meter.

Contact 92827734 / 93206400

Furnished single room with attached bathroom near Mars Hypermarket, Al Ghubrah. Contact 97312111, RO 150/- per month

Darsait Business Office furniture, Isuzu 4 ton brand new.

Contact 91391363

Sharing family room for rent in Hamriyah. RO 90/- W+E. Contact 99639211

Cleaning and Maintenance Company for sale: A fantastic opportunity to Purchase an established Business with a good turnover cleaning and maintenance company for sale.

Contact 95812423

Independent rooms in Qurum/Al Hail. Contact 95529970

Building material shop for sale at Al Ghobrah near Mars Hypermarket.

Contact 99881647 / 93797343

2 Bedroom flat for offices with furniture near Al Manaf Hotel, Ghala.

Contact 99525743, 99439705

Household items on sale.

Contact 93833107

Room with separate entrance & A/C in Al Khuwair near Rawasco for noncooking Indian Bachelor, rent RO 120/-, Contact 97201100, 95397442

Furnished room in CBD Area for non-cooking bachelor free Wi-Fi, advance deposit call 99078540

LOST Wiwi Wiharti BT Satra Wangsa has lost Indonesian Passport No. AR 108417. Finder please handover to ROP

CHANGE OF NAME Plot & Villa in Trissur, Kerala for sale, plot (8 cent) for sale near Amala Medical College Hospital, Trissur, Kerala. Villa for sale 2200 SQ ft in 6 cent Pottor, Trissur, Kerala. Contact 99203128 For Astrological consultation, Jathakam. Contact: 99860435 / 97102599 Villa for sale 2200 sq ft in 8 cent.

Kottayam. Contact: 92652534

ACC. WANTED

Luxury villa for sale in Manila, Philippines, 2 floor, attached bathroom, guest room with swimming pool for RO 85,000 /- only.

Contact +96895036001, email: alsemsaq@hotmail.com

1 BR accommodation available at Rex Road, suitable for bachelors.

Contact 99889590

Wanted a studio flat, for Keralite family in MBD & Ruwi area only.

Contact 92283175 Wanted a family sharing accommodation for Keralite family in Ghala area. Please contact: 91677974 Wanted a two Bedroom Flat in and around Ruwi Area. Gsm 99058344

I, Raghavendra Mahadev Mukumbi (holder of Indian Passport No. L9738296) s/o Mahadev D Mukumbi having permanent address in House No 88, PostTinaight, Tal-Joida, Dist-Karwar, state Karnataka (complete postal address in India) and presently residing in BIP, P.O.Box 169, P.C 100, Muscat (complete postal address in Oman) intend to marry Ms Waruni Shalika Kulatunga Kahagala Hewage (holder of Srilankan Passport No. N2517193) d/o Kahagala Hewage Kulatunga in Embassy of India, Muscat. I swear that I am marrying her at my own free will AND not under any duress and intimidation. Any objection towards change of name of our minor child may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P.B.No 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

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S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 4 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

MISCELLANEOUS

ADMIN/HR

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Indian female 24 yrs, MBA (finance) (1 year experience as administrator cum junior level accountant looking for suitable job & holding visiting visa. Contact 97481488, Email: ayeshaowasi12345@gmail.com

Indian male MBA 32 yrs having 10 yrs of exp seeking suitable placement in Admin/ HR/ Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics etc.

Holding valid Oman D/L .

Contact - 99054786

Indian Male, qualified ICWA, M.com with 2years experience in accounts, costing, auditing & SAP in reputed listed companies, seeks suitable placements. Mob: 94619453 Email: cmashahidkt@gmail.com.

Indian male, 27 years, BCOM, certification in NSE & C, C++ & Data Structures with 7yrs + experience, looking for Admin/Marketing/IT profile, fast learner, hardworking and proactive, available to ASAP, Contact 94642053/ 95865990.

Email: aditya1987@outlook.com

Pakistani National, 24 yrs, 1 yr of experience in Accounting & Multinational firm, currently on visit visa looking for a suitable job.#93578561

Hotel Manager, Indian male, 25 years exp. in Budget & 3 Star Hotel, with Omani Driving License , Seeks Placement. NOC/Release Available. Contact: 99799774, Email: smoin_moinsb@yahoo.co.in Indian Female, IATA, BSc looking for suitable placement.

Contact-95514305.

Email-jitureshmi@gmail.com M. Sc. Medical lab technician (Prometric passed) having 6 years experience in India. Currently on visit, looking for a suitable placement. Please contact 97248144, samiullah_ar@yahoo.co.in.

ADMIN

10 yr GCC Exp Light duty driver (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LICENSE) seeking job.

Contact : 97485952 , 91660291

Required Omani PRO (AGE 18-23 yrs). Send resume to lulubd2012@gmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Financial expert with full knowledge of Tally. Email: kheradmand@ teccontracting.com / shahram@teccontracting.com Required experienced Accountant Tally, excellent English & driving license. Contact – omanlaw.om@gmail.com / 24497762 / 92192510 Required 3 Nos of Accountants for our reputed organization based in Al Ghubrah.

Knowledge of Tally with Accounts background up to finalization.

Contact 98016111, email : gopal@arabianvending.com

Part time Java programmer required. Please contact Sreejit on 93520108 or write to Sreejith@tekdeliver.com

DRIVER

MEDICAL

Man-Friday requires with excellent driving and basic maintenance skills, attractive package for right candidates 99471085/99470969

G.P. Doctor required with MOH license for a leading clinic in capital.

Contact 99044345 / 99339396

Light duty driver with Marketing knowledge. Send CV to jobs@prestigeprojectsoman.com or call 92341826

DOMESTIC HELP Urgently Required House boy/ cleaner for an Indian Family / Fulltime –Leave Vacancy 99471085 / 99470969 Urgently Required Housemaid for an Indian Business Family / Fulltime –Leave Vacancy 99471085 / 99470969 Required female housemaid salary (RO 170/-). Contact 91403177 Required Housemaid urgently in Rustaq for a Malayalee family, preferably Indians.

Contact 99810765 Required full time Housemaid for Indian family in Darsait. Visa + accommodation + Food will be provided. Contact 99736979 Required House maid urgently in Al Khuwair (Indian or Srilanka).

Contact. 96103792.

ENGINEERS Urgently required Omani/ non Omani looking for Electrical Engineer having 3 to 4 years Oman experience with good communication skills. Send CV to info@reddotsgroup.com An international Construction Company requires Proposal Engineer, A Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, minimum of 3-5 years experience in Proposal Department in construction, Having knowledge and experience in preparation of proposals in Oman, Excellent command of both written and spoken English and Arabic Please send your CV harun.koyyar@adaliholding.com Procurement Engineer, Power Plant Field experience, Electrical / Mechanical. Email : shahram@teccontracting.com / kheradmand@teccontracting.com

ELECTRICIAN / TECHNIElectrician with driving license.

Call 92341826 Fire safety technician.

Call 92341826

IT

Private Dental Clinic in Buraimi city needed a dentist have practice license in Oman. Contact 98379121 Wanted a Dentist to work in Capital Area with MOH License. Interested candidates can email at : findjobs2015@hotmail.com Dentist required to work urgently in dreams clinic at Al Khoud and must be resident in Sultanate of Oman.

Please send your CV to the following email – towershr70@gmail.com / balushi70@gmail.com / info@towersinternationalgroups.com Mobile – 99882340 / 24545914 General practitioner Doctor is required to work urgently in Dreams Clinic at Al Khoudh and must be resident in the Sultanate of Oman.

Please send your CV to the following email: towershr70@gmail.com, balushi70@gmail.com & info@towersinternationalgroups. com, Mobile 99882340, Tel: 24545914 Urgently required temporary/permanent General Physician & Gynecology Doctors. Contact 96064925, kunoozghala@gmail.com Urgent placement (with MOH) Pharmacist - 2 nos & Asst. pharmacist - 2 nos. Contact - 99338219 Urgently required dentist for a polyclinic. Contact - 96721709

SKILLED LABOR Urgently require the following labors for a construction company in Muscat on monthly basis- Tile fixing mason - 2 nos, Helpers – 4 nos. Contact – 96473187

SALES / MARKETING Building Materials experienced Sales and Marketing guy need job, having Omani Driving License.

Contact 95094141, 93676713 Highly reputed Perfume Company requires Omani Sales girl promoters. Contact 95663682, 92956876

SALES / MARKETING Wanted immediately shelf boys for a foodstuff Trading Company in Muscat with release / no objection from sponsor. Send CV to iskunju@omantel.net.om A Supply Company in Muscat requires: 1-Sales Executive (Male) with minimum 1 yr experience, email: jobsmuscat25@gmail.com Salesman wanted for prestigious interior design and office furniture Supply Company. Experience and driver’s license needed. Excellent remuneration package.

Email: tony@materials-plus.com Salesman cum Merchandiser urgently required for a reputed FMCG Company engaged in manufacturing and trading in Oman. Candidate must have minimum 4-5 yrs experience in the similar field and valid Omani Driving License. Interested candidates may send their CV to sunnex3@gmail.com Freight forwarding professional for Sea Freight sales and operations.

Minimum 5 years experience in GCC sea freight operations.

Oman driving license required.

Email: telljobs@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED Filipino Accountant with 13 years working experience in the field of accounting looking for a suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 94547323 Tunisian women looking for Secretarial/office job khnows english, frensh and arabic/Italian.

Contact: 91171838 Indian Female 23 years M.Com Graduate on visit visa having four month experience as an Accountant in a company at Muscat. Looking for a suitable job. Immediately available for joining. Contact: 95846642, Email:shreedhanya916@gmail.com B.Tech. (Civil), 2 years experience in designing, and training corporate professionals in Dubai in software, presently working in India, seeks suitable job opening. madhunambiarm@hotmail.com Manager Maintenance/Workshop/Purchase, 31 yrs. exp. in mechanical, electrical, electronics, parts fabrication, purchase dep’t, oman exp. 5yrs, have NOC, looking for job. Pls. contact pkv2k3@yahoo.com, 99331289

Urgently required Sales & Marketing Executive having experience in Real Estate. Send your CV at admin@goldenkeyreal-estate.com

Senior Accounts Professional, Indian Male, 35 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin) 8 years in Oman, with valid Oman DL and NOC available.

Capable to handle accounts up to finalization. Contact 9602 3965.

Required an experienced person who has ideas to start a new business in electrical field or supply with minimum cost.

Contact 99426421

Indian female, 34 yrs, B.A, B.Ed (S.S), DCA, Doing M.A by distance, having 6 yrs experience in School (5 yrs in Indian School, Oman).

Contact 98728700, 92458872

Legal Advisor and consultant in International Arbitration (Egyptian Resident) legal and administrative expertise and the Omani labor law and drafting contracts.

Contact 99664890 Indian Male MBA 32 yrs having 8+ yrs of Exp (GCC, AFRICA), urgently looking job in HR/Admin/ /Operation/Purchase/Academics / BD. Now on visit visa, NOC available, join immediately. Contact 94535618, 95930705

Project Manager civil, Indian, seeking suitable placement, having 18 yrs exp (13 yrs in Oman) in tendering, contracting and managing projects, available with release.

Contact: 99244245, 95321251

Indian female with excellent communication skills, confident, dedicated to work and enthusiastic.

Knowledge about ms office. Has 6 years of experience in customer service, telecommunication, HR.Looking for immediate placement. Contact # 97348819

Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male, having 8+ years exp. in reputed companies, seeking suitable placement in any gulf region. Contact +968 99276601 & 97693456.

Email: muralimahdav77@gmail. com

Indian female with 10 yrs of experience in HR/Banking/Operations seeks a suitable placement. Can be contacted on 98919015 or sherianne.coelho@gmail.com

Civil Engineer Diploma, 6 years experience in Oman Contact: 97415597.

Indian male -39, Graduate 15 years experience in FMCG sales and marketing and logistics operations with valid driving license looking suitable placement. #92090949 Mechanical Engineering Post Graduate with 10+ years work experience looking for a suitable immediate opening in construction, oil& gas, and other related companies, currently on visit visa.

Contact: 92975815 Indian Male 26years BCOM having 5years rich experience in Accounts and Admin looking for suitable placement. Contact :96897914340,00919902200486 Email: sudhakaranchan06@gmail. com Indian male 2 years experience in Light & Heavy motor vehicle Mechanic. Diesel & Petrol.

Seek suitable placement Contact 99421537.

Indian male QA/QC Engineer-Civil (BE,ACQE)on visit visa, 10 years of experience in building construction projects in Qatar & U.A.E., holding valid GCC driving license.

Mobile: 93958533, E-mail: sheikhnavid@yahoo.com Indian Male, 23 years MBA (Marketing) (6 months experience as a Sales and Operation Officer looking for suitable job.

Contact 99106181, Email: akram8145@gmail.com

Pakistani Male, 27 yrs, MBA in HR, BBA in Marketing and Finance having 2 yrs experience in Sales and Admin, on family visit till 15 February looking for suitable position.

Contact 94543222, email: wajid_rais@hotmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian female, 25 yrs, bachelors of businesses management, having experience of 5 years as a fund/ financial administration, on visit visa,looking for suitable placement.

Cell 94662416 Apurwaverma@gmail.com 26 hrs Indian Accountant with 2 years experience, B.Com, seeking suitable position, available immediately, contact No:9821 3292, e-mail: Indite2faraaz@gmail.com Chartered Accountant, 32, Male, 10+ yrs experience in Finance, Accounts, Audit, exposure in Oracle, SAP, Tally. Contact 94641805, immediate availability.

Egyptian Female, 3 yrs experience in Finance & Accounts, Administration skills, speaking English fluently, good skills in computer.

Contact 94067437 Indian male, 23 yrs, Bachelors Degree with 2 yrs Indian experience, presently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 93489787, email : mkmuneervml@gmail.com Full/part time, Indian male, 10 yrs experience, 6 yrs in Oman with Oman Driving License seeking suitable placement. Contact 97123002

IT software professional looking for a suitable position in Desktop/Web application development. Visit www. muhammedswafuvan.weebly.com for more details. Reach me on (+968) 98395032.

Accounts Executive, Indian male, M.Com having 8 years GCC experience (4 yrs in Dubai & 4 yrs in Muscat, Oman) with valid Omani D/L & NOC available seeks suitable placement. Contact 93218852

Pakistani male 32 years IT network + Computer Hardware professional A+ MCSE Termination Technician work Experience in Salalah airport.

10+ years experience in IT field and 2 years Oman working experience looking for a suitable placement contact no 96733205 Email faisalzaman24@gmail.com

Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331

Indian female with nine years of experience in 5 Star hotels as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager looking for a suitable placement in a reputed Star hotel.

Contact 91219787 Civil Engineer, Indian Female, having one year experience in Quantity Survey, also knows AutoCAD, primavera etc seeks placement.

Contact 91690345 Over 19 years of qualitative experience in automobile field. Expert in providing technical advice on repairs and servicing. Seeking jobs in sales/ servicing/managerial field. Contact 968-91176187, 0091-7736048460, yamaharajesh@gmail.com.

Pakistani male, MBA Finance, 6 yrs experience in Accounts, Purchase and Store looking for position in Accounts, Purchase or Store Dept.

NOC available. Contact 94046323.

Email : habib_sh62@yahoo.com B.Com Graduate, 5 yrs experience, Indian male 26 yrs, looking for Accountant job.

Contact 93975526, email : afsarsabith@yahoo.com Chief Accountant, 14 yrs experience in Oman looking for suitable placement. Contact 97385562 Indian Male, Chief/Sr Accountant, 21 yrs experience up to finalization.

Contact 94481076 Male, MBA, 10 yrs exp in production in Marble Industry Sales & Marketing, Admin & Accounts. Ready to join.

Contact 94670691

Sr. Accountant, Indian male, 34 yrs, MBA (F&M), CMA (pursuing), 8 yrs exp in a multinational FMCG with valid Oman D/L, NOC available , looking for a suitable position: Contact 95645945 India Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 93950138 Email:lijinrajan123@gmail.com Indian male, 24 yrs, B.Com, 3 yrs experience in Accounting looking for a job in Offices and Accounting.

Contact 94618319, email : rafseerpp1990@gmail.com Indian male, M.Com qualification with 3 yrs Accounting experience in India on visit visa seeking for suitable job. Contact 91083803 Indian Male, MBA 2 yrs experience in Accounts, Admin & HR on visit visa. Contact 92045306 Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.7 out of 9 years experience in Oman in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143, Email: anzarks@gmail.com India Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placement. Contact:93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com 24yrs, Indian female, 7 months audit experience, seeking suitable placement in audit/accounts.

Contact:asmashaikh39@gmail.com, Gsm: 99284429 / 94134253 Indian Male, 28 yrs old B.Com having 7 yrs experience (3 yrs in MCT) looking for a suitable placement in Accounts / Sales currently on visit visa. Contact 93128830, email: gopusree.gopu407@gmail.com Indian Male, MBA 2 years experience in Accounts and Admin looking for suitable placement.

Contact 92045306.

Male 25 Pakistani MA Economics/ CAT.4 years experience in utility sector flexible to do any role in finance/ HR & supply chain. https://www.linkedin.com/profile/ view?id=186570782 no 94626209

AUTOCAD AutoCAD 3D, 2D Photoshop, 3D max Ph: 97103168

DRAUGHTSMAN Civil Draughtsman, Indian Male, 23 yrs with 3yrs experience in AutoCAD 2D & 3D, MEP, HVAC, 3Ds Max and Photoshop looking for suitable position, presently in Muscat, Oman on visit visa. Contact 91764358, mohdsiraj02@yahoo.com

DESIGNER Interior Designer, UAE Experience, Knows Photoshop, Corel draw etc.. Ph : 97103168 Interior Designer, UAE Experience, Knows Photoshop, Corel draw etc.. Ph : 97103168 Syrian 3d designer ready to hand over any project in few days time.

Contact 96767004

DRIVER Driver available. Contact 93353997 Light driver seeking job.

Contact 95447293 Looking for driver job.

Contact 98219182 Driver available with car.

Contact 95068976 Light driver looking for job.

Contact 92791678 Driver LD, Pakistani. #93873120 15 years experienced Indian Light Driver. Contact 98993526

S AT U R DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 4

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

DRIVER Light Driver having own visa looking for job as driver Contact: 92303692

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Driver with car. 2 yrs exp. in Oman.

Contact 96424316 / 93614356

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech), Indian Male, with Oil Engg & Quality Control Systems, NDT-Level 2 qualified as per ASNT Level II, one year experience as Site Engineer.

Presently on visit visa, seeking suitable placement.

Contact # 91260427, 95147671, Email: akhilanandan@gmail.com

Pakistani light duty driver seeks job with 8 yrs Dubai experience.

Contact 91376612

Civil Engineer B Tech , Site engineer Experienced, Drafting on Visit Visa Ph : 91642050

Light driver looking for job. Contact 96794309 / 98335778

ENGG. / TECHNICAL B.Sc Civil Engineer over 19 yrs experience in construction field with project management skills, seeks suitable placement. NOC available & can join immediately. Kindly contact 92198264, email : mdrana1970@gmail.com M. tech Electrical Eng. Female, now in visit visa. Contact +968-94654481.

B. Tech Civil Eng. 3 yrs exp in Oman with driving license.

Contact +968-93733627.

Mail id : joinvisam@gmail.com, neethusprakash@gmail.com Civil Engineer with 2 yrs experience (structural design – construction works-instructor of structural design soft ware’s), computer literacy (ETAB-SAFE-AutoCAD-Primavera).

Contact 94634906 Sr. Site Supervisor (Civil) since March 2010 in Oman looking for better opportunity having Omani D/L (Release available).

Contact 93061107 27 yrs, Male, Diploma in Civil Engineering, 7 yrs exp, 05 yrs in Oman as Site Engineer. NOC available seeking a suitable placement immediately. Kindly contact 98925718 / 94619501.

Email: engineertanoli@gmail.com Indian Male, 31 yrs, Xth and one year Diploma in Electronics, and 7 yrs experience in OFC work seeking suitable jobs, presently on visit visa.

Contact 97942303, email: gkjith@yahoo.com Sudanese Engineer, computer and network engineering, 7 yrs experience work in Oman 3 yrs.

Contact 9916606 / 96272760 Sudanese Electrical Engineer working as a project manager in Oman for 2 yrs total experience, 5 yrs driving and Muzoon CEP license.

Contact 91473717 Indian Male, 25 yrs M.Sc Tech applied Geology, presently on visit visa seeking for Geologist job. Contact 94076379, email: yasiralig786@gmail.com Pakistani Male, 32 yrs, MBA Marketing, 6+1 experience in Sales/ Marketing/Business Development having valid Omani Driving License looking for suitable placement.

Contact 95492039, shahid.mood@gmail.com 18 yrs Oman experience in Building Materials in Sales. NOC available.

Contact 93105775 BE Mechanical, 9 yrs experience in Sales & Business Development, Oil & Gas equipments like pumps etc.

Contact 91139771 Quantity Surveyor (Civil Building) looking for Part time job Contact no:-94391712 E-mail addressinayathhussain@yahoo.com Indian, B Tech Electrical & Electronics, 5 yrs exp in India. On visit visa in Oman. Looking for suitable opening in Oman. Available for immediate placement. Contact 97879255. mail1605unni@gmail.com Jordanian Engineer Electrical 7 yrs exp. Consulting, site & shop drawing works. Ready to join immediately.

Worked in UAE & Saudi Arabia.

Contact - 98676897 Indian B.Tech Civil Engineer having 6 yrs experience in Oman with D/L seeks placement. NOC available.

Contact 93604858, ashins4u@gmail.com Indian male, 27 yrs, B.E (Electronics & Communications Engg) having 5 yrs experience in BPO & Security Systems seeking suitable placement. Currently on visit visa.

Contact 97784627, 93728674, email : sijuu1985@gmail.com Indian male, 24 yrs, diploma in Electronics, 2 yrs experience in Sales, with Oman, D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact 93195828, 99312081

Electrical Engineer (B.Tech), 26, Indian male, 1+ yr experience in Transformers installation maintenance and HT/LT distribution lines.

Presently on visit visa seeking suitable placement. Contact 91747294, kosayeed@gmail.com QA/QC Engineer. 6 yrs experience in UAE. CSWIP and NACE certified; Looking for a suitable opening.

Mob: +971 551606314 B.Tech Engineer QA/QC, 7 yrs GCC Oil & Gas experience API.570 CSWIP 3.1 NDT Level 2 seeking placement in Oman. NOC available.

Contact sajinrj009@gmail.com 27, Male, Diploma in Civil Engineer, 7 yrs experience, 5.5 yrs in Oman, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact 92751167, 95826452, Email : halalmahmud08@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer, 9 yrs GCC exp in Electrical Projects with valid Omani D/L, NOC available can join immediately. Contact 99148940 Email : jobluk.om@gmail.com.

B.Tech Chartered Electrical Engineer from India with 4 years experience in various electrical projects, core strength in designing power scheme layouts, estimations, BOQs, execution, commissioning, testing etc. Contact 94638744, 96473165, email : ceng.shaz@gmail.com CAPTAIN-All Type Tankers Unlimited (Ind/UK) + STCW Certification + 19Yrs experience and 3.5Yrs as Captain LPG/ OilChem with MNC SEEKS JOB at OMAN in PORT DEVELOPMENT/ DRYDOCK/ MARINE SUPDT./ MOORING MASTER. Visiting MUSCAT 25 Dec ~ 5 Jan shall be available for interview. Contact mstmariner@gmail.com or +968 99476560 B.Tech Indian Female, Electrical Engineer, 2 yrs experience in Kiriloskar Electric Co. & KSEB looking for suitable position.

Contact 94564078, Email: elnaj19@gmail.com Looking Part time Job in HVAC93198128 Experienced female Electrical Engineer.Contact 93800906

Civil Engineer (Diploma) looking for an urgent placement.

Contact 95200650

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech), Indian female, 23 yrs with 1 yr experience certified in PDMS, process design management looking for a suitable position. Contact 91788939, Email : siddivi9@gmail.com

Indian male, 23 yrs B.E Electronics & Communication / Automation (PLC, Scada, Umi, VFD), 1 yr experience seeking job. Contact 94663035, email : nayeemn956@gmail.com

Indian male - 23 yrs - BE (Mech)Experience in Volkswagen - on visit visa - contact 99669889 / 97930494; Email: arun.runnithan@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer (HVAC) 1+ year experience.

Contact: 93707101 Civil Engineer B Tech, Site Engineer Experienced, Drafting on Visit Visa Ph : 91642050 Sudanese Mechanical Engineer, 3 yrs experience as Sit Engineer, HVAC System, and driving license, easy to transfer immediately.

Contact 91135140 Instrumentation Engineer, 1 yr experience in Apollo Tyres as Trainee, experience in calibration of different types of gangel, control valve, flow transmitter, temperature & pressure transmitters, visiting visa as 21 days in Muscat.

Contact 99589726 B.Tech civil, female, 8 yrs experience in Oman (QS) and teaching experience in India (Chemistry) 2 yrs seeking suitable job.

Contact 98274607 Indian male, 30 D.C.P, B.Com having 7 yrs experience in construction procurement seeking suitable placement.NOC available. #95223816 Civil Structural Engineer, (fresher) young Indian Male, Post Graduate, seeking suitable placement.

Contact 93133530. Email id: adars118251@gmail.com B.E Civil 5 yrs exp (2 yrs in India) 2 yrs Oman & 1 year in Qatar. Salary expected RO.500/- above.

Contact - 94412557 Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian Male, 24 yrs with 1+ yrs Indian experience (Certified in Quantity Survey/Primavera/AutoCAD) looking for a suitable position, available in Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on visit visa. Contact 91303860, email: mdayubmak@gmail.com Structural Engineer (M.Tech) Indian male 24, 1 year Experience, available in Oman till January 11. email:mathew481989@gmail.com, GSM: 94619546, Electrical Engineer {B.E. Electrical and Electronics Engineering} Indian, Male, 22 years old, with Advanced Diploma in Industrial Automation ( IAO Certified ) having good communication skills in English, looking for suitable position in Sultanate of Oman on Visit Visa.Contact 91714513 email: bob.ignatius@gmail.com BSc Civil Engineer with 5 yrs exp and Omani Driving License and valid PDO Driving License and OSHA Safety License and PDO Permit to work courses and release visa.

Contact 92548097

Sudanese Mechanical Engineer, 7 yrs experience in : 1-Thermal Power Plants O & M of boilers turbines utilities HVAC firefighting, 2-Factories of FMCG maintenance of moulders fillers, carton packers, compressors, generators, RO process plants. Contact 94649850 Indian Civil Engineer M-Tech in construction management, experienced in Primavera P6, looking for suitable placement, preferably in planning. GSM: 92550987 or email: niyasmanassery@gmail.com Project Manager, Civil Engineer, Total Experience 5 Years, 4 Years in Oman. Construction Building Experience .Fluent Arabic, English and V. Good Hindi. Good in Excel and AutoCAD. Contact – 97858589 B.Sc Engineer (Civil), having 14 years of experience (5 years in Oman) is seeking a suitable placement (NOC available). GSM: 97746047, Email:golamparvez@yahoo.com Indian Male, 22 yrs, B.Tech, Marine Engineer, presently on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 93191777, email: ask.akash@gmail.com , Female, 26 yrs, B.Tech in Mechanical Engineer with 3 yrs experience in Piping Stress Analysis in Oil & Gas Sector, currently on family visa, looking for a placement.

Contact 95890939, email : rita.debnath682@gmail.com Indian Male, 26, B.E Mechanical Engineer, fresh graduate currently in Oman looking for suitable placement. Contact 96176365

EDUCATION Indian lady (single), 35 yrs looking for a job, more than 10 yrs exp in Oman, presently working in Nursery (Nanny) (exp in Child Care, bus helper, teaching Assistant and Craft Worker), known : English, Arabic, Malayalam, Tamil (Hindi spoken).

Contact 98712415 Currently working as Lecturer of IT, (M.Sc IT) (M Phil computer Science) having experience for more than 5 years, looking for suitable placement. Contact 91105949

INFORMATION TECH B.Tech (EC) 5yrs exp. in building automation and network administration with CCNA MCSE, JAVA & ORACLE PL/SQL certified. Seeking suitable placements.

GSM 94575080 Email- afzalpa007@gmail.com IT Professional, Indian male, B.Sc Graduate with 4+ yrs Gulf (UAE) good exp in System Administration, IT Support, Server Desktop, laptop, smartboard, datashow biometric, CCTV, currently on visit visa.

Contact 98936548, vaseemj@yahoo.com Female, B Tech (Software Professional), Oracle SQL .NET Database, Experienced (Teaching & Engg) Ph: 94550127 B.Tech Indian male IT & Network Engineer, CCNA Certified. 7 Years experience working with reputed organization, in product support, maintenance & onsite implementation exposure, on visit visa. Contact – 96731961 / 92890014 / Email – aliuddinsk@gmail.com Health care IT software Engineer with 4+ yrs exp looking for a suitable position in software division of reputed organization. Currently on visit visa. Contact – 94654705 / Email – hasankhan15@hotmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Logistics Officer, Experience in Store keeping. Contact : 99505934 Building Caretaker, Gulf exp, knows Arabic, Hindi Ph : 91218278 Welder 6g 3g, Gulf Experienced Ph : 97103168 Autocad 3Dmax , Photoshop Ph : 97103168 Indian Male, 39 yrs having Degree in B.Sc Maths and Diploma in Supply Chain and Logistics with computer knowledge having 14 yrs experience in store keeping within that 5 yrs in Dubai seeking opportunities in store, logistics or office assistants.

Contact 96186573 Indian Female, 27, B.Sc, B.Ed, 4 yrs experience in Money Exchange seeking for suitable job. Contact 96007473, 92174724 Pakistani Male, 34, College 2 yrs, 2 yrs experience as Sales Representative, 3 yrs experience as Clerk/ Office Assistant, 3 yrs experience as Salesman in Oman, Excel, Busy. ERP. language known: English, Arabic, Urdu and Hindi. Contact 96763346

INFORMATION TECH IT Prof, MCA having 6+ yrs exp, seeks suitable position.

Contact 94543668

SALES / MARKETING

Indian male Graduate with 20+ years of Administration, Operations & Management experience in IT, Oil & Gas & Hospitality Industry. 12 years in Oman with vast contacts, very strong management, operational, communication and interpersonal skills, can handle any size of business and projects whether it’s in initial stage or established. Can join immediately. Local release available on request. Contact: 9906 4589

Indian Male, B.Tech E&I, 10 yrs experience in Sales, Procurement, BDM. 6 yrs Oman experience in Oil & Gas Sector. Seeking suitable placement. Oman D/L, NOC available. Contact 97233074

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Management Professional, expertise in team building operations, project management, leadership, writing on visit visa till 19th January 2015. Contact 93516436, email: dsouza.amit@gmail.com Indian female with nine years of experience in 5 Star hotels as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager looking for a suitable placement in a reputed Star hotel.

Contact: 91219787 Qualified Manager: (12+ yrs. Oman Exp.) Vast knowledge in A/c & Admin, Costing, Banking, Credit Control, Insurance, International Purchase/Logistics & Finance, With D/L looking for suitable position.

Contact: jskanchan01@gmail.com , Gsm: 93826090

Indian Male, MBA Marketing and IT, 1 yr experience currently on visit visa, age 24 yrs seeking suitable placement. Email: nithinsolamonbaby@gmail.com.

Contact 94541453

Sr. supervisor 27 years of experience in construction (building & roads) with 9 yrs in Oman looking for suitable opportunity. Visa transfer & NOC are available.

CONTACT NO. 98177179

Male, 26 yrs, M.Com, last 1 yr & 9 months in sales with Oman Driving License seeking for sales job.

Contact 95116991

General Manager / working partner 20 years in Dubai adverting agency experience. Contact 93031168

Indian Male, MBA Marketing, 2 yrs currently on visit visa, 24 yrs old, seeking suitable placement.

Contact 94653198, email: rzmd786@gmail.com

MEDICAL B.Sc Staff Nurse, promerty with good score, 4 yrs experience on visit seeking placement. Contact 96914497 / 93730302

Sales & Marketing Indian male MBA (marketing & sales) business development experience at all levels of management. Currently on visit visa. Contact – 91272819

Indian Female, Dentist fresher looking for suitable placement.

Contact 98857686, email : drsumbulahmad@gmail.com

Sales & Marketing Manager, well experienced in Oman & UAE in LHH, FMCG & foodstuff is seeking a job in Oman. Contact 93886230 / 96556789

Pharmacist-Indian female having MOH license looking for new opportunities. On family visa valid up to Aug 2016. Contact: 92247993

Indian Male MBA (USA) having 5 yrs of International experience in Sales and Marketing. Visit visa.

Contact 98853309

General Physician with 6 years experience passed OMSB prometric exam for General Practice, looking for suitable job, gwan2015@hotmail. com, +971567830841

Indian male 33 yrs, MBA Marketing 8+ years of (Gulf) experience in Marketing Communication/Event Management/Branding/Website Management and Sponsorship, looking for suitable vacancies.

Contact 95390193

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378 Female Graduate 2 and half years experience in Medical coding (specialty radiology & urgent care) on visit seeks suitable placement.

Contact 93188644

MECH./TECHNICAL Welder 6G, 3G, TIG, ARC, Fabrication, Gulf Exp Ph: 97103168

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Indian female MSc costume design & fashion having 3 yrs exp in teaching seeking suitable job.

Contact: 97614456

HOSPITALITY 21 yrs experienced in Hotels and Hospitality business, 14 yrs worked in leading hotels in Oman looking for a suitable management position Hospitality Industry. Contact 93191659 / 99149131

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Filipino 30 years old, male- looking for job vacancy in Muscat area for document controller position with 6 years experience in gulf country.

Available for interview. Contact#92809514 Emailglyn_mendoza2000@yahoo.com Indian Female experienced front office executive on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact - 94284565 Email - priyamenon51@yahoo.co.in Indian female, well experienced in secretarial, administration, customer care & supervisory jobs.

5 years experience in Muscat.

Immediately available for joining.

Contact: 92139298

SALES / MARKETING Indian Male, 7 yrs experience in building materials trading having Oman D/L, immediate release available. Contact 98676713

24 yrs Indian Male, MBA in Marketing and Production currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 91038969 Fresh MBA (Marketing) Graduate, Indian Male, looking for opportunities in Oman, Contact: 94653375, email: rohittalekar2014@gmail.com Indian Male, MBA in Marketing and Finance, 10 years’ Sales & Business Development Experience with valid D/L of Oman & UAE looking for a suitable placement. NOC Available.

Contact: 93969961 e-mail abhilash.pvrk@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Male 40 yrs, Legal advisor and coroprate in house lawyer currently working with a reputed legal firm in Muscat having 7 years gulf eperience looking for Legal Manager post in companies.

Experience in drafting agreements, contracts, negiotation and dispute settlement. Good knowledge in Oman Labour Law and other laws.

NOC available . GSM: 99137569 Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 14 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: tenders& real estate& construction & marketing projects& investments& transportation & Marine services& companies management& develop business. Contact :- 93240027 Executive Post, MBA 14 years Experience in Multinational Groups in Marketing & Management.

M.Z. 93190806

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S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 4

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SITUATION WANTSERVICES

WEBSITE

CLASSES

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WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER GOOD NEWS

Cargo Truck body fabrication.

Please contact 92326955. Bridge Gulfa llc, Misfah industrial area.

Contact: 91262820 / 96458007

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. # 24793614/ 99314807 FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 / 92504980 , www.siddhayur.com Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis, ideal care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 / 99117987

Pest Control Treatments!!!

Termites! Cockroaches! Bedbugs!

Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99344723 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722 Door to Door Computers repair specialist laptop software Website cartridges. Contact 99199376 A.M Trading Pest control.

Contact 99067923

BEAUTY

Waterproofing, light weight Screed, Antitermite and MS Fabrication.

Contact 92888337

Varkey’s Gents Salon & Spa – Offer 25% on all spa facilities like hamam spa, massages with steam bath, Jacuzzi, aroma therapy, pedicure & manicure, facial treatments. Contact 92935679

For All Your Maintenance Solutions, A/c Servicing & Fixing, Painting, Cleaning, Electric. Contact. 99002390

Split & window AC servicing and repairing. Contact 99557080 Window & split unit AC servicing & maintenance. Contact 96236476 Civil maintenance, electrical & plumbing work. Contact 99557080, 96236476 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC all kind of pest control.

Contact 92326955 Window & split unit A/C servicing & maintenance. Contact 96236476 Civil Maintenance, Painting Electric, Plumbing, Decor, Tile Fixing, Lecithin Copra Board flat stifling , Carpet Cleaning and A/C Servicing.

Contact 97897831 (Indian keralite) Carpet & sofa cleaning, house cleaning. Contact 99542979 / 98855815 Split & window A/C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 For all your maintenance needs including, Painting, Plumbing, Electricity, Laying of Interlock Tiles, Marbles etc. Tel: 99383574 Mr. Chandran

Maintenance – 1) A/C Maintenance, 2)fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, 3)painting & cleaning services, 4)electrical & plumbing carpentry work. Contact 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281

MANPOWER

For HT cable jointing and termination works 33KV/11KV. Contact 99056438 / Email: npgoman@gmail.com Electrical Plumbing Painting Contract and Maintenance.

Contact 98456535 House shifting transport. Contact 99657644, 98518013 Catering services We do industrial catering service, Canteen/ mess, 3 times packed meals, and all types of catering events. Contact 92188777/ 99249899

TRANSPORTATION

For All Your Maintenance Solutions, A/c Servicing & Fixing, Painting, Cleaning, Electric. Contact 99002390

Transportation. Contact 91379976

Painting Interlock plumbing maintenance. Contact 92142319

Transportation with car & driver.

(VIP’s only). Contact 95040768

Carpet & Sofa Shampooing. Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99884591

Transportation. Contact 93425167 Pick & Drop any time. # 97014786

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

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation. Contact 99664703

Transportation. Contact 96538078

Transportation. Contact 99508282

Transportation Available #97180655

Transportation available 99159277

S AT U R DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 4

C7

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

TOURS

TOURS

RENT A CAR

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours Contact98029602, 92808636

BUSINESS

MATRIMONIAL Catholic (LC) Malayalee aged 40 unmarried 5’6”, 70 kg looking for bride. Contact 99851123 Remarriage, 40 yrs Ezhava Man from TVM. Contact 93289652

Licensed Engineering Consultancy (Chemical) Company looking for International or local partners to start operations in Oman. For enquiries call 99264162

Wanted dentist or investor to buy a well-running dental clinic in Sohar immediately. Contact 92625962, 95904234

Well respected Goan RC family seeks alliance for daughter, fair, attractive, 30/5.1”, working in Oman as head of Marketing in top MNC. Looking for decent well established NRI settled abroad, caste no bar.

Contact 96284073

Omani National looking for expat investing partner in Restaurant in Al Amerat. Infrastructure almost ready. Jamal Adan Trading.

Contact 98711083, email : faisal.patel0038@gmail.com

RC girl, 26 yrs, 164 cm, fair, Muscat, MOH Nurse (BSC Nurse) looking for suitable alliance from reputed family with educated professional working in Oman/Abroad.

Contact 91768933

We assist in new business set up local sponsorship, real estate services, assist in company formation services. Contact - 93166088

Kerala Viswakarma BS girl, 24 year, M. Sc Microbiology, seek suitable alliance.

Contact : 95466271

DRIVING M.V.WANTED Required Nissan Tida / Toyota yaris / Suzuki swift / hyundai/Kia hatchback car in good condition.

Contact 95405033

Proposals are invited from parents of professionally qualified Nair Boys for 24 year old Upper Middle Class Nair girl hail from Trivandrum, (171 cm, Star-Bharani) employed in a reputed Company in Oman. Contact: 0968-9950 2593 /99798041.

(KM ID.2844689) Sunni Muslim parents of MumbaiMaharashtra origin, father working in Muscat invite alliance for their 28 years old daughter, well educated from well settled Gulf Residence, professional / post Graduate of Mumbai-Maharashtra origin. Interested candidates / parents may contact 99333752

FOR HIRE

TRUCK FOR HIRE Isuzu 10 ton cargo body truck (2012 FVR) with UAE experienced driver available for long term / short term rent.

Parents of Christian Girl (Catholic / Cheramar) age 30 yrs, 5.4”, medium complexion from Ernakulum district, Kerala working in a reputed hospital in Muscat as Pharmacist seeking for suitable alliance.

Contact +91-9946510794 (Oman - +968 99066561)

Running truck wash for rent in Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people can. Contact on 97864747

Christian Boy, 32 yrs Muscat Business looking for suitable alliance from reputed family. # 98003111

50 seater bus with PDO specification for rent or lease.

Contact 99839898

Contact: 95346950

C8

S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 4

DAILY GUIDE

Indian, Arabic, Chinese dishes, BuďŹ&#x20AC;et Lunch (On Friday) Indoor & Outdoor, Catering, Party hall available Take Away & Home Delivery

Party booking & sugges ons 99320065, 99341643

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