times of oman - june 17, 2015
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Times of Oman - June 17, 2015TRANSCRIPT
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WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2015 / 29 Sha’aban 1436 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certifi ed Company
Two injured as Ghubra petrol station catches fi re
Staff Reporter
MUSCAT: Two people were in-jured and some vehicles were damaged in a fi re at a petrol sta-tion in Al Ghubra on Tuesday.
While the Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance
(PACDA) offi cials said they were investigating the cause of the fi re, they advised motorists to exercise caution while fi lling petrol.
Sending out instructions on Twitter, they asked motorists to switch off the vehicle’s engine while refuelling.
They also asked people not to smoke or talk on mobile phones at petrol stations.
The tweet from PACDA urged people to report any spillage to the staff . They also asked petrol sta-tion attendants to ensure that the fuel pump nozzle is disconnected
from the car fuel tank before the vehicle leaves.
On June 3, a car caught fi re while refuelling in Bidbid at around 8am. In another incident, on June 2, a car caught fi re at a petrol station in Yanqul.
During the previous incidents,
a PACDA offi cial had told the Times of Oman that with the high temperatures being recorded in the country, incidents of fi re were triggered off quite easily. The of-fi cial called on motorists to install fi re extinguishers in their vehicles and to abide by the rules.
P R O B E O N
HM sends greetings
MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Dr Olafur Ragnar Grímsson of Iceland on his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere congratulations and best wishes of good health and happiness to President Grímsson and the peo-ple of Iceland further progress and prosperity. -ONA
C A B L E
BLAZE: The Al Ghubra petrol station seen up in fl ames, and right, fi refi ghters try to put out the blaze. -O K Mohammad Ali
‘Expats should get minimum wage in Oman’
REJIMON K, FAHAD [email protected]@timesofoman.com
MUSCAT: A call for expat work-ers in Oman to get a guaranteed minimum wage under revised labour laws has come from a lead-ing trade union member in the Sultanate.
“At present, there is no mention of minimum wages in the labour law either for nationals or mi-grant workers. However, in 2013, a ministerial decree ensured that nationals were guaranteed a min-imum wage, even though it was not mentioned in the labour law,” Mohammed Al Khaldi, board member of General Federation of Oman Trade Union (GFOTU), told the Times of Oman.
“But the migrant worker was left in the lurch. Bringing in a sys-tem can improve the entire labour system in Oman,” said Moham-med Al Khaldi.
In 2013, the Ministry of Man-
power issued Decree No. 222, which mandated, eff ective from July 1, 2013, that the minimum salary of Omanis working in the private sector was to be increased to OMR325 from the existing OMR200. Accordingly, private sector establishments were told to increase the minimum salaries of Omani employees being paid less than OMR325.
The call to introduce minimum wages for migrant workers has not been welcomed by all though.
Ahmed Al Busaidi, Majlis Al Shura member, said he felt that there is no need to consider such a move as it would complicate the
labour market. “Wages should be decided between the employers and employees,” he said.
Al Busaidi also added, “If any-one gets less than they were promised they should approach the Ministry of Manpower or their ministries.”
Negative consequencesAhmed Al Hooti, member of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also feels that intro-ducing such rules would lead to negative consequences.
It is important to see that mi-grant workers get what they are promised at the time of recruit-ment rather than ensuring mini-mum wages for them, he said.
However Shaji Sebastin, a Muscat-based social worker, said, “If the new labour law guaran-tees minimum wage system for migrant workers too, it would be a great move. This can solve a lot of Omani labour market issues. Of course, in the job contract, the salary is mentioned. But as minimum wage is not a rule for migrant workers in Oman even when they are doing the same job, migrant workers get employed for diff erent salaries.”
Shaji added, “Minimum wage can also help migrant workers’ home country governments to prepare their citizens while they are getting ready to take up jobs in Oman. When the guarantee comes from the labour law, the migrant can feel more secure. It can protect migrant work-ers from being denied decent salaries.” >A6
Offi cial from General
Federation of Oman
Trade Union says
the revisions in the
labour law should
help expats too
OMANFirms to give special offers to businessmen
1 A number of companies have joined hands with the Public Authority for Small and
Medium Enterprises Development (riyada) to provide special off ers to entrepreneurs. The call centre of the Muscat Municipality will also be used for SMEs. >A3
OMANMinistry of Health to monitor drug prices
2 Regular inspections will be carried out by the Directorate General of
Pharmaceutical Aff airs and Drug Control of the Ministry of Health to check prices of drugs at pharmacies. The inspection will be conducted by the department concerned. >A5
SPORTSKhan clan to propel squash in Oman
3 A person who is impressed with the growth of squash in Oman, is a member of the
Khan clan, which has ruled the sport for many years. For those who have played squash in Oman years ago, it will ring a bell. We are talking about Yousaf Khan. >C1
T O P T H R E E I N S I D E S T O R I E S
A6Minister of Justice to open Sumail mosque
Moon sighting committee for Ramadan to meet today
MUSCAT: Moon Sighting Main Committee for 1436 AH led by Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Salmi, Minister of Awqaf and Religious Aff airs, will meet on Wednesday evening.
Members of the committee in-clude His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalili, Grand Mufti of the Sultanate, Sayyid Harbi bin Hamad bin Saud, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Reli-gious Aff airs, Eng. Khalid bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Sheikh Abdul-lah bin Rashid Al Siyabi, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court, Sheikh Ahmed Al Khatib, Judge of the Supreme Court in Salalah.
The reports of the Astronomical Aff airs at the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Aff airs point out that the calculations on the sight-ing of moon for the Holy Month of Ramadan 1436 AH show that the moon may be sighted in all the gov-ernorates on Wednesday evening, if the skies are clear and there are no aerial factors to aff ect vision.
The moon is expected to be vis-ible for more than 40 minutes in Oman. It will set in Muscat at 7.30pm and the sun will set at 6.55pm. In Salalah, the moon will set at 7.43pm and the sunset will be at 6.59pm. This means the moon will set 44 minutes after the sunset. -ONA
B E G I N N I N G O F R A M A D A N
The moon is expected to be vis-
ible for more than 40 minutes
in the governorates of Oman.
Omani rials is the
minimum salary
guaranteed to
a citizen in
the private sector
325
Oman’s expatriate workforce counted at 1.6 million by MayMUSCAT: Oman’s expatriate workforce reached 1,614,545 by the end of May 2015, according to statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Informa-tion (NCSI), marking a 0.6 per cent increase since last April.
In April 2014, the number was 1,604,158. Holders of preparatory school certifi cates comprised a majority of expatriate workers while the holders of higher diplo-mas, Masters degrees and PhDs showed a drop.
Indians comprise the bulkAs for the nationalities, Indians comprised the bulk of expatriate workers in the Sultanate.
The Indians working in the Sultanate numbered 626,721, an increase of 1.1 per cent, which in-
cluded 34,259 females and 592,462 male workers.
Workers from Bangladesh numbered 557,606, an increase of 0.6 per cent. This fi gure com-prised 26,710 female workers and 530,896 males.
The percentage of Pakistani workers also increased 0.3 per cent to reach 215,781, which included 1,155 females and 214,626 males.
The number of Ethiopian ex-patriates showed a drop of 3.1 per cent. From 29,880 workers, fe-males made up a whopping 29,607 and males numbered just 273.
Female workers also constitut-ed a majority of Indonesian expa-triates. They numbered 38,269 out of a total of 38,914.
The number of expatriates com-ing from the Philippines touched
32,075, which included 21,474 fe-males and 10,601 male workers.
Egyptian workers decreased 0.2 per cent to reach 23,373 comprising 4,885 females and 18,488 males.
Nepalese workers numbered 12,781, which included 3,409 fe-males, while the number of Sri Lankan workers reached 13,843 of which 7,070 were females.
The number of workers from other nationalities touched 63,571, showing a growth rate of 1.5 per cent. The largest number of expa-triates was recorded in the Muscat governorate, which accommodat-ed 722,983 workers, an increase of 0.7 per cent. It was followed by North Al Batinah, which accom-modated 208,857 expatriates, an increase of 0.4 per cent. >A6
D A T A
0
1
2 million
Expatriate workers by May 2015
Source: National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI)
India 626,721
Bangladesh 557,606
Pakistan 215,781
Ethiopia 29,880
Indonesia 38,914
Philippines 32,075
Egypt 23,373
Nepal 12,781
Sri Lanka 13,843
Others 63,571
1,527,241 1,565,523
December2013
October2014
May2015
By gender By nationality1,425,966
188,579
Male Female Private Public
By sector
1,303,637
310,908
Graphics
1,614,545
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Corporates, riyada to support SMEsELHAM POURMOHAMMADI [email protected]
MUSCAT: A number of compa-nies have joined hands with the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Develop-ment (riyada), to provide special off ers to entrepreneurs.
Under the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed on Tuesday, the products and ser-vices of these companies in vari-ous fi elds, including training and development, will be off ered to SMEs at discounted rates, said a riyada offi cial.
“It shows the real partnership between the government sec-tor and the private sector for the benefi t of SMEs,” the offi cial told reporters after the signing cer-
emony attended by Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy and a num-ber of other senior offi cials and entrepreneurs.
The MoUs were signed with Oman Air, Omantel, Bank Nizwa, Tecnimont Civil Construction, Maire Tecnimont, Insight for Fi-nancial and Business Consult-ing, DHL Express, Oman Data Park and Prosper Management Consultancy.
The call centre of the Muscat Municipality will also be used for SMEs as part of the coopera-tion between the municipality and riyada.
The offi cial noted that those entrepreneurs who are registered with riyada and hold ‘riyada card’ can utilise the services and prod-
ucts off ered under the signed MoUs. There are above 500 riyada card holders, he said.
He added that more companies are expected to come on board to support SMEs in cooperation with riyada.
The progress made on the deci-sions of the symposium for SMEs held at Sultan Qaboos University earlier this year was also discussed during the event. A number of government bodies, including the Ministry of Education, the Min-istry of Higher Education, riyada, the Ministry of Housing, the Min-istry of Civil Services, the Min-istry of Finance and the Tender Board, delivered presentations on the latest steps that they have taken to implement the decisions related to SMEs.
Under the agreement,
the products and
services of these
companies in various
fi elds, including
training and
development, will be
off ered to SMEs at
discounted rates CORPORATE PARTNERS: Entrepreneurs who are registered with
riyada and hold ‘riyada card’, can utilise the services and products
off ered. – AR Rajkumar/TIMES OF OMAN
A4 W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
OMAN 21Colleges and universities across the Sultanate,
and over 700 students will be taking part in
the Sharikati competition this year.
Ramadan: Month for purification
ELHAM [email protected]
MUSCAT: Ramadan is a golden opportunity to purify both soul and the body through renewing fo-cus on God and a healthy lifestyle, say religious and health experts in Oman.
As the country is awaiting the arrival of the holy month of bless-ings, Hilal Al Rashdi, an adviser at the Ministry of Awqaf and Re-ligious Aff airs, said, “Fasting is
one of the things that is been men-tioned in all religions as it has a very good spiritual impact on any human being. Ramadan is a time to remember the poor, and fast-ing makes you more patient, down to earth and appreciative of what you have.”
Speaking to the Times of Oman, Al Rashdi said that the spiritual impact of fasting will be stronger
if it is accompanied by reciting the Holy Quran, remembering Allah, praying and indulging in acts of charity.
All these good deeds will help purify the ‘inner side’ of the hu-man being and brings ‘inner peace’, he said.
“When you want to pray and stand in front of the Creator, not only do you clean your body but
you also cleanse your soul. Also, the more you recite the Quran, the closer you become to Allah. If you want to talk to Allah, pray, and if you want Allah to talk to you, recite the Quran,” said Al Rashdi.
Acts of charityCommenting on the rewarding act of charity, the advisor said that it is a blessing from God and the
person who donates something should consider it an opportunity granted by Allah.
“When you donate something to somebody, you are practically giv-ing him something but basically he is taking whatever Allah has decid-ed for him that very day, that very moment, that very time and from that very person,” he said.
“So you have been directed,
shown the way, given the means and given the wealth by God as if you are a messenger from Allah to give the charity to that person. So you are doing your job. You are not doing that person a favour. He is doing you a favour,” added Al Rashdi.
He also noted that charity should be given with ‘sincere in-tentions’ and not to ‘show off ’.
Health benefi tsApart from the spiritual impact of fasting, health experts believe that it can help rejuvenate the body and bring the focus back on the signifi cance of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
“The many benefi ts of Ramadan are not only spiritual, and fast-ing can help a lot in reforming our body,” Ahmed Hamed Al Wahaibi, senior consultant in Family Medi-cine at the Ministry of Health, told the Times of Oman.
“Studies have shown that during fasting, the blood vessels have less fl uid and this increases the immu-nity of the body,” he said, adding that even the dead cells in the body are replaced.
Al Wahaibi said that people can reap numerous health ben-efi ts from fasting if they follow a healthy and balanced diet and also continue it even after Ramadan.
As the country awaits
the arrival of the holy
month of blessings,
experts spell out the
spiritual and physical
benefi ts of fasting.
Ramadan is a time
to help the poor
and for good deeds
Ramadan is a time to
remember the poor, and
fasting makes you more
patient, down to earth
and appreciative of
what you have
Hilal Al RashdiAdviser at the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs
Studies have shown
that during fasting, the
blood vessels have
less fluid and this
increases the immunity
of the body
Dr Ahmed Al WahaibiSenior consultant, Ministry of Health
Sharikati graduates continue their entrepreneurial growthTimes News Service
MUSCAT: As new entrants to the Sharikati programme begin to plot out their business plans and decide on their products and ser-vices in Injaz Oman’s Sharikati 2015 programme, past graduates are carrying on the legacy of the entrepreneurial experience and innovation.
Among one of the transforma-tional stories from the Sharikati programme is that of Bella Luna Productions working from the National Business Centre in the Knowledge Oasis.
Sulaiman Al Mahrooqi took part in the Sharikati 2013 as part of Masaar, a student company that created applications for a grocery shopping and restaurant services system. Equipped with new skills
and knowledge, Al Mahrooqi de-cided to explore a new challenge, and today, he is one of the four founders of Bella Luna Produc-tions, a photography and video production company that pro-vides its services to conferences, exhibitions, corporate events, and weddings.
Al Mahrooqi stated, “We were freelancing as Bella Luna before Sharikati, but after completing the programme we decided to uti-lise what we learnt to establish our own company. We acquired new skills in management, client communications, leadership, and delivery of pitches, in addition to business development plans.”
Similarly, the student company Rawand from the Sultan Qaboos University, which participated in 2013, were not recognised for
any award when they took part. However, Rawand continued to grow and develop until it became an offi cially recognised business creating and selling electronic accessories. The company cre-ates branded electronic devices, such as multipurpose branded key chains that can be served as micro-USBs and a fl exible safety device.
Yousuf Al Hadhrami, CEO of Rawand, said, “What I learnt through the Sharikati programme was the cornerstone for establish-ing a real company. This was by far the most invaluable experience the competition gave us. ”
This year, Injaz Oman will be de-livering the largest and most com-petitive Sharikati competition yet, with 21 colleges and universities across the Sultanate, and over 700 students taking part.
Y O U T H P O W E R
NEW AVENUES: The four founders of Bella Luna Productions, a
photography and video production company, and right, Rawand’s
electronic accessories products have made the company a known
brand in the Sultanate.–Supplied photo
Past graduates of the Sharikati programme are carrying
on the legacy of the entrepreneurial experience and
innovation. This year, Injaz Oman will be delivering the
largest Sharikati competition yet, with 21 colleges and
universities of Oman, and over 700 students taking part
I WISH brings laughter and joy to children with cancer
Times News Service
MUSCAT: On Tuesday, the play-room at the children’s oncology ward at the Royal Hospital rang out with laughter and squeals of joy from the more than 30 chil-dren suff ering from cancer, who had gathered there for a pre-Ramadan party organised by Puja Khimji and Karen Van de Ruit, co-founders of I WISH.
“This was a slightly scaled down version of the bigger party that was to be held last Thursday at the hospital’s recreation centre, but it had to be cancelled due to the bad weather forecast,” said Puja.
Karen and Puja were deter-mined to do something special for the children, even if it was on a small scale. So, along with the nurses at the oncology ward, they arranged a party complete with food, drinks, cupcakes and gifts for the 30 child patients and their family members. A magician en-tertained the children - and the adults - with his amazing tricks.
“I WISH is not a registered organisation and does not ac-
cept monetary donations, so they depend on donations in kind de-livered directly to the patients. They act as middlemen receiving ‘wishes’ from patients and then sourcing people to fulfi l these wishes. Several people and com-panies helped make this party possible. The teachers and chil-dren of the International School of Oman donated educational toys for 30 children and organised the magic show, the staff of Price-waterhouseCoopers donated 10 tablet computers to some needy children and Leila Zawawi pro-vided food, drinks and cupcakes for all the children, their families and hospital staff ,” said Karen.
“We are hoping to follow this successful event with another party, possibly after the summer, for the nurses and doctors at the ward who do a stellar job looking after the patients. As always, we look forward to support from the community and want to take this opportunity to thank all the peo-ple who have donated wishes over the three years since I WISH was started,” they said.
P R E - R A M A D A N P A R T Y
FUN AND GAMES: Karen and Puja, along with the nurses of the Royal Hospital’s oncology ward,
arranged a party complete with food, drinks, cupcakes and gifts for the 30 child patients and their
family members.–OK Mohammed Ali/TIMES OF OMAN
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Ministry to monitor drug pricesTimes News Service
MUSCAT: To check the prices of drugs at pharmacies, regular inspections will be carried out by the Directorate General of Phar-maceutical Aff airs and Drug Con-trol (DGPA & DC) of the Ministry of Health.
“The inspection will be conduct-ed by the concerned departments in the DGPA & DC in collaboration with the Directorates General of Health Services in all the gover-norates to ensure imposition of new prices which come into eff ect from July 1,” said a senior offi cial of the ministry.
From July 1, the ministry has reduced the prices of 1,180 drugs including antibiotics, drugs for the
respiratory system and respira-tory diseases, and drugs for eyes, nose, ears and throat diseases. Drugs for various cancer-related diseases, haematology and some blood products and vaccines are also on the list.
The ministry notifi ed that the new prices must be set by the re-spective offi cial agents on all reg-istered drugs. “The agent should change the prices at all pharmacies in case the drug is on the revised price list. These lists are available at the MoH website and are con-tinuously updated as and when re-quired,” added the offi cial.
Therefore, the ministry has asked everyone to view those lists on its website (www.moh.gov.om). Anyone who observes any altera-
tion in prices or any other anomaly should call the ministry’s Contact Centre on 24441999.
Earlier, in October 2014, the government had revised and re-duced the prices of 1,400 drugs sold in private sector pharma-cies from fi ve therapeutic groups. These are cardiovascular drugs, endocrine drugs, and gastrointes-tinal drugs, in addition to drugs for skin diseases, and musculoskeletal and joint drugs.
The list of reduced prices had been circulated to the agents of companies in the Sultanate on February 2015.
Each agent will have to take re-sponsibility for amending the pric-es of the drugs in all pharmacies, the ministry said.
C O N S U M E R W E L F A R ETIME Hotels set for Oman debut
RAHUL DAS [email protected]
MUSCAT: TIME Hotels Man-agement, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), plans to enter the Oman market soon.
“We are planning at least two hotels in Oman. One is in Muscat and the other is in Salalah,” said Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels in an interview with the Times of Oman.
He, however, confi rmed that the property in each of the places has not been fi nalised, and cur-rently they are looking at land and some existing properties as well.
“We have properties in the UAE, Egypt and Qatar and my next destination is Oman,” con-fi rmed Mohamed Awadalla.
He also described Oman, which has got a very rich culture, as a very promising destination for tourists.
“For this, I will be visiting Oman quite often this year to take things forward,” he said.
International exposureAn international hotelier with over 28 years of experience, Awadalla has worked with some of the leading global hospitality companies, including Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Inter-national, Rotana Hotels and now TIME Hotels Management L.L.C.
TIME Hotels Management are currently managing 10 ho-tels in the UAE, Egypt and Qatar
while four other hotels are in the pipeline.
“We are planning to open 20 hotels in the Gulf Cooperation Council region by 2020,” he said.
He also said that there is a growing demand across the GCC for new budget brands with a quality pedigree from respected operators that travellers can trust to deliver comfort, connectivity and creativity when it comes to supporting services and facilities.
“For this we are very excited to debut our brand in Oman soon,” he said.
He also unveiled the details of a second hotel in Doha plus news on the Dubai Healthcare City prop-erty status and imminent launch of the TIME Express brand.
Located in Al Khail, just 10 minutes from Hamad Interna-tional Airport in Qatar, the four-star hotel is scheduled to open in the fi rst quarter (Q1) of 2017.
“It has been a busy year for TIME Hotels with the launch of our fi rst luxury resort in Hurgha-da, Egypt, plus a raft of announce-ments including two new Resi-dences in Abu Dhabi, our fi rst footstep into Doha, and a new fi ve-star hotel for Dubai. We have also launched a number of new corporate initiatives such as our Slow Food programme and taken our hugely successful Carbon Off -set Hotel Stay into its second year. Now we are setting our goal in the
Oman market,” he said.He also provided a detailed
update on the status of two prop-erties currently under develop-ment, the TIME Royal Hotel & Spa, Dubai, and TIME Rako Hotel, Qatar.
The fi rst fi ve-star UAE-based property for the company, the 277-room TIME Royal Hotel is located in the Dubai Healthcare City, adjacent to the popular Wafi shopping and leisure complex.
Medical tourismSet to open in 2016, it will have a strong medical tourism focus with facilities specifi cally de-signed to accommodate the needs of wellness tourists, such as signature spa featuring temper-ature-controlled pools, gymna-sium with rehabilitation equip-ment, and health and juice bar. It will also have 20 rooms accessible to the diff erently-abled.
The other property will be the four-star 112-room Time Rako Hotel & Suites, situated in Al Wakra on the outskirts of Doha.
TIME Hotel’s pipeline of cur-rent projects also includes the fi rst in its TIME Express brand.
“The three-star no frills, city centre-based concept will target budget-conscious business trav-ellers and will launch in Dubai with a 133-room property, which is set to open in Q3 2016,” the ho-telier added.
TIME Hotels
Management has
ambitious plans for
Oman. The UAE-
based company’s
CEO says they are
planning at least two
hotels in Oman —
one in Muscat and
the other in Salalah
We have properties
in the UAE, Egypt and
Qatar and my next
destination is Oman...
We are planning to
open 20 hotels in the
GCC region by 2020
Mohamed AwadallaCEO, TIME Hotels
A6
OMANW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
Giving back to the community by championing social and economic development has always been a key part of our goals and the Goodwill Journey remains an essential part of our strategy
Kumail Al Moosawi, chief people and corporate aff airs offi cer at Ooredoo
Free mammography test during Ramadan
Times News Service
MUSCAT: A mobile mammog-raphy unit of the Oman Cancer Association (OCA) will off er its screening services through-out Ramadan, the OCA said in a statement.
The unit will be available for free mammography at the OCA headquarters in Al Ghubra be-tween 9.30am and 1pm and from 10pm to 11.30pm.
For further information, one can call 24498716 and 80077477, said the statement.
Yuthar Al Rawahy, chairper-son of the association, had ear-lier told the Times of Oman that around 10 of the 1,547 women who were screened at the mobile mammography unit of the Oman Cancer Association in 2014 were diagnosed with cancer. According to her, the mobile unit initiative,
which aims to provide free mam-mography screening to all women in Oman, has been very successful since its launch in 2009.
Regular examinationsSince 2009, 14,333 women have been screened, and 55 have been diagnosed with cancer, she said at
the time, highlighting the impor-tance of regular examinations.
It is said that for women over the age 40, regular mammogram examinations are recommended every two years and they should carry out monthly self-examina-tion of the breast a few days after the menstrual cycle.
A mobile unit will
be available for free
mammography at
OCA headquarters in
Al Ghubra between
9.30am and 1pm and
10pm to 11.30pm
The mobile unit,
which provides
free mammography
test to all women in
Oman, has been very
successful since its
launch in 2009
Yuthar Al RawahyChairperson, OCA
Ooredoo plans donations for local communitiesTimes News Service
MUSCAT: After months of prepara-tion, Ooredoo has announced plans for its two-week Goodwill Journey. Now in its 11th year, the company’s leading corporate social responsibil-ity is held every Ramadan to provide charitable organisations and local communities with life-enriching support. This year’s journey, the fi rst since rebranding, will focus on empowering remote communities, developing fi nancial independence among women, and delivering train-ing workshops to improve lives in a sustainable way.
Ooredoo will, for the fi rst time this year, be giving the public an opportu-nity to get involved and be part of the family by making their own goodwill donations. Donation boxes for chil-
dren’s toys and gifts will be placed at a number of stores and distributed throughout the journey. “Our aim this year is to achieve bigger and better results to help families and communities by empowering them through advanced education, skills training, and charitable donations, and using our brand presence to in-spire others to touch the hearts of those in need.
“Giving back to the community by championing social and economic development has always been a key part of our goals and the Goodwill Journey remains an essential part of our strategy,” said Kumail Al Moo-sawi, chief people and corporate af-fairs offi cer, at Ooredoo.
“I would like highlight the tre-mendous contribution of the Oore-doo family volunteers, who, for
many years, leave their families be-hind during Ramadan and travel to spread smiles across the Sultanate. This year they will head as far north as Musandam before stopping at Ad Dakhiliyah governorate on their way back to Muscat. The second phase will take our volunteers to Masirah and Dhofar,” he said.
First launched in 2005, Oore-doo’s goodwill journey takes fasting goodwill ambassadors on a voyage of compassion, generosity and ena-blement, covering the length and breadth of Oman.
Since the inaugural event, Oore-doo volunteers have travelled more than 48,000 kilometres and visited over 160 charitable organisations and associations, resulting in sup-port for more than 10,000 people through this initiative.
G O O D W I L L J O U R N E Y
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Donation boxes for children’s toys
and gifts will be placed at a number of stores and distributed
throughout the journey.– Supplied photo
Oman Tourism College invites applications for new coursesTimes News Service
MUSCAT: Opening the doors to an exciting world of career opportunities in tourism and al-lied sectors, the Oman Tourism College has invited applications from candidates for its newly launched undergraduate pro-grammes in Tourism and Events Management.
The three programmes – B.Sc (Hons) in Tourism and Hospital-ity Management, Tourism Mar-keting and Event Management – are open to both Omani and non-Omani candidates. Classes are scheduled to start by mid-September.
“All the three undergraduate programmes are designed to cre-ate industry-ready profession-als. The Oman Tourism College is the only specialised college in Oman off ering Bachelor’s programmes in Tourism Mar-
keting and Event Management disciplines. We provide our stu-dents with the most advanced facilities that are geared to fully meet the requirements of the industry,” said Dr Shoba Zacha-riah, assistant dean at OTC. The degrees will be awarded by the
Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. With the Sultanate wit-nessing amazing growth in the tourism and allied sectors, the demand for qualifi ed profession-als is immense, and the trend is here to stay.
“In today’s world, there is a great demand for people with soft skills. Not just companies in the tourism sector, but busi-nesses across sectors including government bodies, are looking for candidates with soft skills. All three programmes have special modules focussing on the de-velopment of soft skills,” added Dr Zachariah.
A total of 60 seats are avail-able for Tourism and Hospitality Management, while the intake fi gures for Tourism Marketing and Event Management cours-es are 40 each. The minimum qualifi cation for entry to the pro-grammes is 12 years of schooling.
C A R E E R O P P O R T U N I T I E S
NEW COURSES: Students are
provided with the most ad-
vanced facilities. – Supplied photo
Minister of Justice to open Sumail mosqueSUMAIL: As delegated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Minister of Justice Sheikh Abdul Malik bin Abdullah Al Khalili will open Sultan Qaboos Mosque in the Wilayat of Sumail in the Governo-rate of A’Dakhiliyah next Friday.
The mosque is spread over 41,473 square metres in Al Mad-darrah region with a built-up area of 5,700 square metres and the remainder is dedicated for plants, and public parks.
The mosque has main prayer area, a VIP lounge, a room for the preachers, a library, three class-rooms, maintenance room, admin-istration offi ce and guard room.
The praying area, stretching over 1,730 square metres, can ac-
commodate 2,403 people. The lob-by can accommodate 121 people, in addition to the central area which can have 338 people. The mosque is provided with a prayer area for women which can accommodate 268 women.
Facilities The facilities also include a library, two 50-metre high minarets, 402 parking lots, green spaces and small garden for children.
In addition to the achievements witnessed by the wilayat during the blessed era of His Majesty Sul-tan Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan Qaboos Mosque in the Wilayat of Sumail is one of the landmarks of the blessed Renaissance. -ONA
S U L T A N Q A B O O S M O S Q U E
LANDMARK: The mosque is spread over an area of 41,473 square
metres in Al Maddarrah region. – ONA
Equal
benefi t
urged for
expatriates
The Indian government has been planning to reject emigra-tion clearance to the Gulf coun-tries if they do not agree to pay recommended minimum wages prescribed by its embassies for diff erent categories of Indian workers.
As per an agreement between Oman and India, “the mini-mum salary of the housemaid should be OMR75- (Omani Rial seventy-fi ve) per month. Besides sponsor will have to provide bank guarantee of OMR1,100 as security deposit to the Embassy of India, Mus-cat. The deposit shall be used for any unpaid dues, salary and legal obligations. The deposit shall be paid to sponsor after he/she produces visa cancella-tion/transfer papers and a let-ter from housemaid specifying that all dues have been paid.”
A senior offi cial at Interna-tional Trade Union Confedera-tion (ITUC) hoped that the new labour law will consider provi-sions which guarantee equal benefi ts and wages for both national workers and migrant workers in Oman.
Progressive steps“Oman has taken progressive steps in the past when com-pared to their neighbours with regard to the rights of workers. As trade unions were also in-volved in the process of making the new labour law, we hope that there will not be any discrimi-nation against migrant workers when compared to Omanis in terms of wages and benefi ts,” Walid Hamdan, ITUC’s region-al lead organiser for Arab states, told the Times of Oman.
While commenting on the two-year visa ban for migrant workers who fail to submit a no-objection certifi cate from the previous employer, the offi -cial said this issue has also been seriously discussed. “Oman will have reasons to imple-ment such a decision. However, we are aware that the issue of a migrant worker’s rights to mobility is being seriously dis-cussed. We hope that Oman has a solution soon,” added the offi cial.
Meanwhile, the Oman trade union also added that the government should reverse the decision and fi nd a work-able solution to streamline the labour market.
“We are aware that existing projects are being delayed and new ones are stuck due to a shortage of migrant workers. It is the paucity of legal workers which persuades companies to depend on illegal workers,” said the trade union leader, citing the recent arrest of illegal work-ers at the airport project site.
L A B O U R L A W
< FROM
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Male expats reach 1,425,966Dhofar governorate came third with 177,484 expatriates at a growth rate of 0.3 per cent compared to fi gures recorded last April.
The statistics issued by the Na-tional Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) also indicat-ed that the number of male work-ers among the expats reached 1,425,966 while the number of female workers was 188,579.
The largest number of expatri-ate workers was working in the private sector. These totalled 1,303,637, and included 1,273,391
males and 30,246 females, by the end of May last. These numbers constituted a 0.7 per cent increase compared to the fi gures recorded in April 2014. They were followed by workers in the family sector (workers of families and indi-viduals at their own expense) who reached 250,600. Most of them were females who numbered 137,328 compared to 113,272 re-corded last May. This was an in-crease of 0.5 per cent.
The expatriate workers in the government sector came third. They numbered 60,308 compris-
ing 39,303 males and 21,005 fe-males, a decrease of 0.1 per cent compared to the fi gures recorded last April.
As for the educational level of the expatriate workforce in Oman, a majority of labourers held preparatory school cer-tifi cates. The number of those labourers reached 592,970 com-prising 526,619 males and 66,351 females. This category was fol-lowed by labourers who could read and write, whose numbers reached 423,732 which included 49,218 females.
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REGIONW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
Opposition leader Ali Salman, who heads Al Wefaq political association, was sentenced to four years in jail for inciting disobedience and hatred in the country.
Judicial source, Bahrain
Egypt sentences Morsi to death over mass jail break
CAIRO: An Egyptian court sen-tenced deposed President Mo-hamed Morsi to death on Tuesday over a mass jail break during the country’s 2011 protests and issued sweeping punishments against the leadership of Egypt’s oldest group.
The general guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, and four other Brotherhood lead-ers were also handed the death penalty. More than 80 others were sentenced to death in absentia.
The Brotherhood described the rulings as “null and void” and called for a popular protest on Friday. Judge Shaaban El Shami, said the Grand Mufti, Egypt’s top religious authority, had said in his opinion that the death sentence was permissible for the defend-ants who had been referred to him.
Wearing his blue prison suit, the bespectacled and bearded Morsi listened calmly as Shami read out the verdict in the case re-lating to the 2011 mass jail break, in which Morsi faced charges of killing, kidnapping and other of-fences. Shami had earlier given the former president a 25-year
sentence in a case relating to con-spiring with foreign groups.
Morsi appeared unfazed, smil-ing, and waving to lawyers as other defendants chanted: “Down, down with military rule,” after the verdicts, which can be appealed, were read out at the court session in the Police Academy.
The rulings mark another setback for leaders of the Mus-lim Brotherhood, and increase the chances of its youth taking up arms against the authorities, breaking what the group says is a long tradition of non-violence.
The court last month convicted Morsi and his fellow defendants of killing and kidnapping police-men, attacking police facilities and breaking out of jail during the 2011 protests against Mubarak.
Prosecutors said at the time the Brotherhood planned to send “ele-ments” to foreign countries.
Upon their return, prosecutors said, they would join forces with militant groups in the Sinai Pen-insula, the Egyptian territory that borders Israel and the Gaza Strip.
The death sentence request had drawn criticism from the United
States, other Western govern-ments and human rights groups.
After Tuesday’s sentencing, a senior Muslim Brotherhood member said the trial had “fallen below all international standards”. “This verdict is a nail in the coffi n of democracy in Egypt,” Yahya Ha-mid, a former minister in Morsi’s cabinet and head of international relations for the Brotherhood, told a news conference in Istanbul.
Western diplomats say Egyp-tian offi cials have acknowledged that executing Morsi would risk turning him into a martyr. The
Brotherhood, the Middle East’s oldest group, has survived dec-ades of repression, maintaining popular support through its chari-ties. Morsi, Badie and 15 others were given life sentences - which under Egyptian law, means serv-ing 25 years - for conspiring with the Palestinian group Hamas, which rules Gaza. They included senior Brotherhood fi gures Essam El Erian and Saad El Katatni.
The court sentenced Muslim Brotherhood leaders Khairat El Shater, Mohamed El Beltagy and Ahmed Abdelaty to death in the same case. Death sentences were also handed to 13 other defend-ants in absentia.
In reading his verdict, Shami said that the Brotherhood had a history of “grabbing power with any price” and had “legalised the bloodletting of the sons of this country and conspired and col-laborated with foreign entities .... to achieve their diabolical aims”.
“We were expecting all these verdicts today,” lawyer Mohamed Shibl, who defended Beltagy, told Reuters. Badie already has a death sentence against him and Morsi has a 20-year sentence in yet an-other case. Morsi has said the court is not legitimate, describing legal proceedings against him as part of a coup led by former army chief Abdel Fattah Al Sisi in 2013. Morsi’s court-appointed leader, Samir Mahfouz, said the would appeal the death sentence verdict.
Sisi, now president, says the Brotherhood poses a grave threat to national security. The group maintains it is committed to peaceful activism. — Reuters
The Brotherhood
described the rulings
as ‘null and void’ and
called for a popular
protest on Friday
Iran opposition fi gure gets rare airtimeTEHRAN: Iranian state tel-evision has taken the rare step of giving airtime to a high-ranking member of a silenced reformist opposition leader’s party.
Javad Haghshenas was a found-ing member of Etemad Melli (Na-tional Confi dence), the party led by Mehdi Karroubi, a former par-liament speaker held under house arrest since February 2011 for dis-puting the result of a presidential election two years earlier.
Karroubi, a candidate, and Hos-sein Moussavi, a fellow reformist who declared he had won the bal-lot and who is also under house arrest, are denounced by hardlin-ers as seditionists who tried to fell the regime. The contested poll result gave birth to the country’s so-called Green Movement, but
incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadine-jad, a hardline conservative, was offi cially declared the winner. Street protests that followed were put down by the authorities, with dozens of civilians killed in the biggest political crisis in the coun-try since the 1979 revolution.
Head-to-head debateOn Monday night Haghshenas was a guest in a head-to-head de-bate with Hamid Reza Taraghi, a conservative politician, about President Hassan Rouhani’s fi rst two years in power.
The programme, which was repeated on Tuesday morning, normally features supporters and opponents of the government but the latest edition was more nota-ble for Haghshenas inclusion.
The one-hour programme focused on a spate of concerts which, despite being approved by the culture ministry, have been cancelled at the last minute by other authorities with little ex-planation. Karroubi and Mous-savi, a former prime minister, face an uncertain future. Some want them to face trial, and their fi erc-est opponents say they should be executed. Their images are banned in Iranian media. They were placed under house arrest at the same time after calling for fresh demonstrations to try to re-vive the Green Movement.
Although the reformist camp fell into the wilderness afterwards, and two parties were outlawed, Karroubi’s National Confi dence was not banned. Two new re-
formist parties — Nedaye Iranian (Voice of Iranians) and Ettehad Mellat Iran (Iranian National Uni-ty) -- have also been formed ahead of legislative polls next February. Rival parties are already position-ing themselves for those elections. On Tuesday it was announced that 10 former ministers and offi cials from Ahmadinejad’s government have formed a new party.
Yekta (Unique -- an acronym for the “Companions of the compe-tence and evolution of the Islamic Republic) said it had programmes for all areas of government, but no offi cial links with the former pres-ident. Ahmadinejad has kept a low profi le since leaving offi ce, but he made a limited return to the polit-ical scene in February by creating a new offi cial website. — AFP
I R A N I A N S T A T E T E L E V I S I O N
Al Wefaq’s leader gets four yearsin prison
DUBAI: A court in Bahrain on Tuesday jailed prominent opposi-tion leader Ali Salman.
Salman was sentenced to four years in jail for inciting disobedi-ence and hatred in the country, a judicial source said.
But he was acquitted of the more serious charge of seeking to over-throw the government and change the political system.
Salman, 49, was also found guilty of “insulting an offi cial body,” the source said, referring to the interior ministry.
Tight securitySalman was present for the ver-dict, which was delivered amid tight security outside the Manama court, witnesses said. He heads the Al Wefaq political association, which once held the most seats in Bahrain’s parliament.
On Tuesday, Al Wefaq slammed the “false” ruling against Salman and demanded his release.
“We reject anything less than a non-guilty verdict for Sheikh Ali Salman. We consider this a false and injust ruling that is based on an illogical case and lacks sound foundations,” Al Wefaq said in a statement.
The prosecution said in a state-ment it was looking into the basis for Salman’s acquittal and that it would consider an appeal “if there were legal grounds for that”.
The prosecution said Salman was convicted of “public incite-ment” against naturalised Bah-raini citizens and had accused them of being disloyal to the country. — AFP
B A H R A I N
SWEEPING PUNISHMENTS: Egypt’s ex-president Mohamed Morsi greets Muslim Brotherhood mem-
bers also behind bars after their verdict at a court at the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday. – Reuters
Ensure proper disposal of garbage.
Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN.
A8
INDIAW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
‘PM Modi has jumped to rescue of Lalit Modi’
JANJGIR/NEW DELHI: Con-tinuing his attack on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Lalit Modi issue, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the man who had promised to bring back black mon-ey has now “jumped to the rescue” of a “man of black money”.
Talking to reporters during his padayatra here, the Congress vice-president said, “Who is Lalit Modi? He is man of black money.In the world of cricket, he is man of black money. Now Modi ji is jump-ing to his rescue.”
He said that the entire nation re-members Narendra Modi promis-ing voters during the election cam-paign last year to bring back black money and deposit Rs1.5 million in each bank account.
“Now when the time has come Modi ji is saving Modi. BJP can say all they want to, but the truth is that PM is saving a man with black money,” he said. Replying to an-other question on the beleaguered External Aff airs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rahul said, “Swaraj has no meaning in the government. Only one person matters in the govern-
ment and that is Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi runs the govern-ment and the country.”
This is the second consecutive day that the Congress leader has targeted the primeminister on the ‘Modigate’ controversy.
“Lalit Modi is a symbol of black money. Mr Modi is standing be-hind Mr Modi. Who’s Sushma Swarajji? She means nothing in this government,” Rahul had said on Monday.
Replying to a question about BJP standing behind Swaraj, Ra-hul said, “Of course, the party will stand behind Sushma Swarajji. The party is Mr Modi. Mr Modi is standing behind Mr Modi.
“It is not a question of Sushma ji resigning, PM Modiji should sack Sushma Swaraj ji from the govern-ment.” The Congress Vice Presi-dent said Modi, “who wears a Rs 15 lakh suit,” prefers to go to Australia and the US. “If Modiji takes off his Rs 15 lakh suit and comes here to these villages, he will see the value of MNREGA,” he said.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday sought to
do some damage control by coming out in defence of Sushma Swaraj over her help to scam-tainted Lalit Modi while Prime Minister Nar-endra Modi continued to be target-ed in the ‘Modigate’ by Congress.
Two days after the raging con-troversy broke out triggering a po-litical storm for the Modi govern-ment, Jaitley, Swaraj, who holds the External Aff airs portfolio, and Home Minister Rajnath Singh met in the Home Ministry and discussed the entire issue for an hour before Singh and Jaitley held a press conference.
Allegations baseless“All allegations levelled are base-less. Her (Swaraj) statement and that of the party President (show) that whatever she did was with good intentions.
“She acted bona fi de. The entire government and the party are one on the issue. There should be no doubt on this,” Jaitley said with Singh by his side.
Jaitley’s defence of his cabinet colleague comes two days after party President Amit Shah and
Rajnath Singh had asserted that Swaraj had acted on humanitar-ian considerations in the matter of helping former IPL boss Lalit Modi get travel documents from Britain. Modi, former IPL boss, has taken refuge in London for over fi ve years after the Enforce-ment Directorate levelled money laundering and other charges against him involving an amount of Rs 1,700 crore and wants him for investigations in India in the 2009 IPL scam.
Speculation has been rife over the “silence” of Jaitley after the controversy broke out on Sunday over Swaraj’s help to Lalit Modi.
There have been reports that the Finance Ministry and the External Aff airs Ministry are involved in a blame game over who should ap-peal against the Delhi High Court order quashing the revocation of Lalit Modi’s passport in August last year.
The fi nance minister also said that a “light blue corner” notice has been issued against Modi in 2010 and that continues to be valid even on Tuesday. - PTI
Now when the time
has come Modi ji is
saving Modi. BJP
can say all they want
to, but the truth is
that PM is saving
a man with black
money, Congress
vice president Rahul
Gandhi saidPROTESTS: Members of Youth Congress hold posters and shout slogans against External Aff airs Min-
ister Sushma Swaraj in the row over helping scam-tainted former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi obtain
British travel papers, in Bengaluru on Tuesday. - PTI
Indian Ocean warming has weakened monsoon
WASHINGTON: Rapid warm-ing of the Indian Ocean in the past century has led to a signifi cant decrease in summer monsoon rainfall over the central-east and northern regions of India, a new study led by an Indian scientist said on Tuesday.
An international team of re-searchers led by Dr Roxy Mathew Koll, from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, found that the summer monsoon rainfall during 1901-
2012 showed a weakening trend over parts of South Asia.
The reduction in rainfall was signifi cant over the central-east and northern regions of India, along the Ganges-Brahmaputra basins and the Himalayan foot-hills. In the study published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, the research-ers reported that the reduction in summer rainfall over central-east India during the past century is about 10 to 20 per cent.
“The Gangetic plains of India are the most heavily populated, and where agriculture is still largely rain-fed.Hence a signifi -cant reduction in rainfall over this region can be detrimental to the socio-economic livelihood in this region,” Koll said. The re-searchers used climate model experiments to demonstrate that the reduction in rainfall is linked to the rapid warming of the In-dian Ocean, especially its western part, during the past century. -PTI
S T U D Y
NDA ally wants Bihar
CM candidate to be
chosen ‘unanimously’
PATNA: The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), latest party to join the National Democratic Al-liance (NDA) in Bihar, on Tues-day refused to accept the chief ministerial candidate in the com-ing Assembly poll and suggested that the candidate be “unani-mously” chosen at a meeting of all alliance partners.
Answering questions by re-porters whether the party accepts senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi as the CM candidate, HAM state president Shakuni Chaud-hary said, “How can we accept an-ybody as the CM candidate? The NDA has not declared anybody’s name for it till now. He should be chosen unanimously at a meeting of all alliance partners.”
Chaudhary, however, says that normally the bigger party in an alliance nominates its leader as chief ministerial candidate and “the decision of the bigger party is acceptable to other partners in an alliance”.
Praising the leadership of HAM leader and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Chaudhary said, “Manjhi has decided to con-test the Assembly polls in the state” though the constituency for him was yet to be fi nalised.
He also asserted that wind would blow Manjhi’s way and the party or alliance whom he sup-ports will win in the elections.
HAM, formed after Manjhi re-belled against JD-U and resigned as Chief Minister on February 20 this year, declared last week that it would contest the Bihar polls scheduled in September-October in alliance with the NDA.
Meanwhile, remaining non-committal about its Chief Min-isterial candidate for Assembly polls in Bihar, Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Ananth Kumar on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will go to the hustings by projecting its development agenda under
the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Describing the upcoming Bihar assembly polls as a con-test between the ‘jungle raj’ of Lalu-Nitish Rashtriya Janata Dal(RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad and senior Janata Dal (United)(JD(U)) leader Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development and good govern-ance agendas, Kumar told report-ers here that the electorate will embrace the Prime Minister’s agendas and reject Lalu and Nit-ish, who symbolized ‘jungle raj’.
“I am confi dent that the elec-torate of Bihar will reject the jun-gle raj being fostered by Lalu and Nitish during the assembly polls,” the union minister said.
In another development, state unit JD(U) chief Bashistha Narayan Singh took a dim view of the BJP not being confi dent to declare its Chief Ministerial can-didate for Bihar and wondered as to “how a party which cannot de-cide on naming its chief ministe-rial face can go to the people with confi dence for a mandate.” - PTI
N D A P A R T N E R
I am confident that the
electorate of Bihar will
reject the jungle raj
being fostered by Lalu
and Nitish during the
assembly polls
Ananth KumarChemicals and fertilizers minister
All allegations levelled are baseless. Her (Swaraj) statement and that of the party President (show) that whatever she did was with good intentions. She acted bona fi de. The entire government and the party are one on the issue. There should be no doubt on this
Arun Jaitley, Finance minister
A9
INDIAW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
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Nitish and BJP in a war of words over Yoga Day functions in Bihar
PATNA: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Modi on Tues-day castigated Bihar Chief Minis-ter Nitish Kumar for his snide re-marks against Amit Shah and Baba Ramdev vis-a-vis promotion of International Yoga Day on June 21.
He also slammed Nitish for not organising an offi cial function to promote the exercise in Bihar.
“Kumar has needlessly attacked BJP president Amit Shah and yoga guru Baba Ramdev for promoting the International Yoga Day sched-uled for June 21... being himself a yoga supporter and practitioner, he should have organised offi cial functions to promote the ancient exercise form,” Sushil told report-
ers here. The former deputy chief minister complimented yoga guru Ramdev for yeoman service to pro-mote the ancient exercise form as a fi tness activity in the country and across the world.
Nitish had on Monday taken a dig at Ramdev for maximising his skills as a yoga expert to brand himself as a business and market-ing guru.
Defending Ramdev’s business activities, Sushil said the yoga guru was a self-made man for which he deserved kudos and not brickbats.
Countering Nitish’s charges that the Centre has ignored Bihar by not scheduling an offi cial func-tion in Bihar on the International Yoga Day, Sushil said the exer-cise regime was not a fi efdom of one party or one government and
anybody interested in it or under-standing its health benefi ts could organise a function.
Nitish should have organised a camp to coincide with the Interna-tional Yoga Day for policemen and prisoners in view of their stressful life, the BJP leader said.
On Nitish’s charge that the BJP has other motives in promoting Yoga, Sushil said that the chief
minister was ignorant about 177 countries embracing yoga and even the UN recognising its vir-tues by coming forward to cel-ebrate Yoga Day on a global level.
On the BJP promoting yoga in Bihar in a big way, the senior BJP leader said it would organ-ise statewide camps on June 21 to enable people to join in various arts of the exercise form to tone up
their mind and body. BJP national president Amit Shah too would at-tend one of the camps in the state capital next week, he said and urged other political parties to or-ganise such camps for their leaders and workers.
Sushil Modi said his party would incorporate the ancient fi tness re-gime in school curriculum as an optional activity in Bihar if elected to power in the Assembly polls lat-er this year.
Optional activity“Yoga will be made an optional ac-tivity in the school curriculum in Bihar and one or two periods will be earmarked for the students to perform physical and mental exer-cises prescribed by the art,” he said.
The BJP leader also criticised Nitish for describing former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi as a betrayer and describing him as ‘Vibhishana’, the younger brother of Ravana.
“Going by his own interpre-tation, if he has called Manjhi a ‘Vibhishana’ then he must have described himself as Ravana..... in that scenario, the Dalit leader has done the right thing by walking out of the Ravana camp and joined us as we represent ‘Ram Rajya’,” he added. - PTI
The BJP slammed the
Bihar chief minister
for not organising an
offi cial function to
promote the exercise
in the state
REHEARSAL: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh makes an impromptu stop at North Block to watch the ministry offi cials practising
yoga ahead of the International Yoga Day in New Delhi on Monday. - PTI
Jaguar fi ghter aircraft crashes near Allahabad
ALLAHABAD: A Jaguar fi ghter aircraft of Indian Air Force(IAF) crashed on Tuesday morning during a training sortie in Chaka area of the district and both the pilots ejected safely, the second such incident this year.
The aircraft had taken off at 7:25am from IAF’s Central Air Command at Bamrauli on the outskirts of the city and crashed at 8.47am in an uninhabited fi eld close to a Food Corporation of India warehouse at Chaka, about 50km away, IAF and police said, adding there was no casualty. A court of inquiry had been ordered into the incident.
A huge fi re broke out as soon as the aircraft hit the ground and fi re brigade was pressed into ser-vice. A small part of the wreckage caused minor damage to a bound-ary wall of one of the buildings, police said.
“Both the pilots had appar-ently sensed that something was wrong as they ejected before the
aircraft came crashing down,”Additional Superintendent
of Police (trans-Yamuna), Alla-habad, Ashutosh Mishra, said.
“Since there were no people nearby, the crash resulted in no injuries. No noticeable damage to property was visible either. A small part of the wreckage went fl ying off and caused minor dam-age to a boundary wall of one of the buildings nearby. Both pilots also landed safely,” he said.
Fire brigade was pressed into service as the wreckage had caught fi re. Locals came rush-ing to the spot in large numbers after hearing the crash. They did their bit in assisting the fi re bri-gade personnel. The fl ames were doused after nearly an hour.
“The aircraft has broken into smithereens as a result of the crash,” Mishra added.
“A number of IAF personnel also arrived at the spot. They took the two pilots who had a close shave,” the Additional SP said.-PTI
N O C A S U A L T Y
WRECKAGE: Security personnel and onlookers stand next to the
wreckage of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar fi ghter aircraft after
it crashed while on a training sortie on the outskirts of Allahabad
on Tuesday. - Reuters
Detergent found in milk sample of Mother Dairy
AGRA: The UP Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said it has found detergent in one of the samples of Mother Dairy’s milk packets, a claim contested by the Delhi-based company.
“Results showed that the sam-ples were sub-standard and one of the two contained detergent,” UP FDA offi cial in Agra, Ram Naresh Yadav, said.
The samples had been picked up from Mother Dairy’s collection centres in Bah in November 2014.
“The samples were fi rst sent to Lucknow and later to Kolkata on the demand of the company,” Yadav said.
Mother Dairy, however, has
categorically denied any adul-teration of milk it supplies in pouches.
Sandeep Ghosh, the head of Milk, Fruits and Vegetables Sec-tion at Mother Dairy in Delhi, said, “Mother Dairy milk un-dergoes four levels of thorough testing at various levels — input, processing, dispatches and even at market level.”
Every tanker of milk reach-ing at plants passes a series of 23 stringent quality tests to check any deviation from defi ned pa-rameters. These tests assist in detecting contamination of milk through water, urea, detergent, oil, etc, he said. - PTI
C L A I M C O N T E S T E D
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PAKISTAN W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
AFGHAN REFUGEE DAYAfghan refugee girls wearing traditional dresses play with a mobile phone while watching a friendly cricket match between Pakistani students and a team from
the Afghanistan Embassy during an event on the eve of Afghan Refugee Day in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Tuesday. — Reuters
Foreign aid groups told to re-register or pack up bags
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday announced that all in-ternational aid groups operating in the country must re-register themselves with authorities within three months as part of a wider crackdown that has in-volved sealing the offi ces of Save the Children.
The decision, which will require the groups to undergo a fresh as-sessment by intelligence agencies
before they are given the green light to remain in Pakistan, was taken during a meeting chaired by Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif, his offi ce said in a statement.
“After discussions, the meeting decided that all INGOs (Interna-
tional Non-government Organisa-tions) presently working in Paki-stan will continue to function for a period of six months within speci-fi ed areas of operation allowed by the concerned authorities,” it said.
“It was further decided that in
order to streamline the function-ing of the INGOs in Pakistan, all INGOs will complete the process of their fresh registration with the Government of Pakistan within three months.”
Pakistan has toughened its
policies towards international aid groups in recent years, accus-ing them of covering for spying operations.
Undermining PakistanSave the Children’s offi ces in Paki-stan were sealed last week and its operations remained suspended Tuesday, despite media reports the government had reversed an order halting its work in the coun-try. Authorities accused the char-ity of “working against the coun-try”, and threatened to expel more foreign aid groups for supposedly undermining Pakistan.
In 2012 the government ex-pelled the expatriate staff of Save the Children, which has worked in Pakistan for over 35 years and em-ploys 1,200 Pakistanis.
Shakeel Afridi caseThat move came after Pakistani intelligence services accused the charity of links to doctor Shakeel Afridi, whom the CIA allegedly used to carry out a fake vaccina-tion programme as they searched for Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Save the Children has always vehemently denied any link to ei-ther Afridi or the CIA.
The United States on Friday warned Pakistan it was only hurt-ing itself by its actions against aid groups. — AFP
The decision, which
will require the
groups to undergo a
fresh assessment by
intelligence agencies
before they are given
the green light to
remain in Pakistan,
was taken during a
meeting chaired by
PM Nawaz Sharif
CRACKDOWN: A sealed lock is seen at the gate of Save the Children charity’s offi ce in Islamabad, on
June 12, 2015. Pakistan has toughened its policies towards international aid groups in recent years,
accusing them of covering for spying operations. — Reuters
Pakistani doctors live in fear after spike in deadly attacksKARACHI: Dr Raza was wait-ing for his next patient when two young men walked into the con-sultation room, took pistols from a bag and shot him six times.
Left for dead, the Pakistani physician was badly wounded but somehow survived.
Raza, who gave only one name to protect his identity, is one of dozens of doctors to be targeted by extremist militants and criminals in recent years, spreading dread among senior medics and putting pressure on Pakistan’s overbur-dened health system.
“I tried to duck by covering my face, and I took the brunt of the bullets on my arms and fi n-gers,” Raza said of the attack a few months ago in the southern port city of Karachi.
“One bullet got defl ected by a stone-studded ring on my fi nger,” he told Reuters. He said the round may otherwise have hit his head.
Raza was initially treated at a Karachi hospital before he and his family went into hiding. Realising he needed specialist treatment to restore full function to his hands, he travelled to Australia for more surgery. When he called friends to tell them he and his family had ar-rived safely, they told him another colleague had been killed.
A record 26 doctors were killed in Pakistan last year, according to police, three times the number in
2010. Most were in Karachi, Paki-stan’s teeming commercial hub of 20 million people, where militant violence and crime are common.
Of those attacked, a dispropor-tionate number, including Raza himself, have been from a minority community.
“Lashkar-e-Jhangvi activists re-vealed in interrogations they tar-get these doctors,” Khurram War-is, an offi cer of Karachi’s Counter Terrorism Department.
Senior physicians are relatively wealthy, making them vulnerable to ransom kidnappings, while se-curity offi cials say militants also prize doctors as targets because they are well respected members of society and easy to hit.
The two are often linked since militants fi nance their operations through extortion, according to police offi cials.
Medical groups say that un-less the government can stop
the killings, a trickle of doctors fl eeing the country may become a fl ood, undermining eff orts to ensure Pakistan’s population of around 190 million has access to basic services.
More than 9,000 out of nearly 200,000 doctors registered with the Pakistan Medical and Den-tal Council (PMDC), a regulatory body, have left Pakistan in the past three years.
The Pakistan Medical Asso-ciation (PMA) does not track why doctors leave, but says fear of at-tack is a major factor. Some doc-tors who stay in Pakistan have for-tifi ed their offi ces.
Others, including Raza, have shut up shop entirely. He is consid-ering seeking asylum overseas.
Saira Afzal Tarar, Minister of State for National Health Services, said that in addition to Karachi doctors emigrating, some in Quet-ta, another city prone to sectarian
violence, are deciding to work in safer areas of the country.
“As law and order is improving (in Karachi), we hope that things will get better,” she told Reuters. “We are trying everything in our power to improve the situation.”
The PMA did not have sta-tistics on how many clinics had shut due to fears of violence or actual attacks.
Mirza Ali Azhar, general sec-retary of the PMA, says the situ-ation could become acute within 10 years.
“Pakistan may have to import doctors,” he said.
In one recent case Azhar re-counted, a doctor was working in the operating theatre when he re-ceived a call telling him he would be killed as he left the hospital.
The doctor fl ed to the airport in an ambulance, met his family there and they left the country on the fi rst fl ight. — Reuters
F O R C I N G E X O D U S
A record 26 doctors were killed in Pakistan last year,
according to police, three times the number in 2010. Most
were in Karachi, a teeming commercial hub of 20 million
people, where militant violence and crime are common
Army rescues Afghanistan soldier near Bajaur region
RAWALPINDI/BANNU: Paki-stani troops on Tuesday rescued an Afghan soldier who got severely injured in exchange of fi re with terrorists near Bajaur Agency.
According to an ISPR state-ment, Afghan authorities request-ed for evacuation and treatment of the injured soldier opposite Bajaur Agency, 600 meters inside the Af-ghan territory.
Pakistani troops quickly re-sponded to the request and shifted the injured soldier to Hospital in Khar area of Bajaur.
At least 2,763 militants have been killed in Operation Zarb-e-Azb, a military off ensive launched against militants in North Wa-ziristan a year ago.
Bannu attackMeanwhile, a police constable was killed on Tuesday when armed assailants opened fi re at him in the main Saddar area of Bannu district.
Offi cials confi rmed the death and told The Express Tribune that Police constable Javed was on his way to work when a few motorcy-clists opened fi re at him.
A police offi cial said the inci-dent took place near Sheri Kala, adding that this was one of the many incidents in which police of-fi cials were being gunned down by militants. — Express Tribune
E X C H A N G E O F F I R E
Seven more prisoners executed in Punjab
MULTAN: Pakistan on Tues-day hanged seven prisoners, bringing the total number put to death since executions re-sumed last December to 160, offi cials said.
Seven executions took place in several cities in the central province of Punjab including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwa-la, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sialkot and Bahawalpur.
All of those executed had been convicted of murder.
ResumptionExecutions in Pakistan re-sumed in December, ending a six-year moratorium, after Taliban militants gunned down 154 people, most of them chil-dren, at a school in the restive northwest.
Hangings were initially rein-stated only for those convicted of terrorism off ences, but in March they were extended to all capital off ences.
‘Reinstate moratorium’The European Union, the United Nations and human rights campaigners have all urged Pakistan to reinstate the moratorium.
Amnesty International esti-mates that Pakistan has more than 8,000 prisoners on death row, most of whom have ex-hausted their appeals. — AFP
C O N T R O V E R S Y
As law and order is improving (in Karachi), we hope that things will get better. We are trying everything in our power to improve the situation
Saira Afzal Tarar, Minister of State for National Health Services
A11
WORLDW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
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NATO fumes as Russia aims to boost its nuclear arsenal
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Rus-sia will boost its nuclear arsenal by more than 40 intercontinen-tal missiles this year, in a move slammed as “sabre-rattling” by NATO. The declaration from the Kremlin leader came as Russia reacted with fury to reports that the US is planning to bulk up its military deployments in eastern Europe, with tensions between Russia and the West at their high-est since the end of the Cold War over the confl ict in Ukraine.
“This year the size of our nu-clear forces will increase by over 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles that will be able to over-come any, even the most techno-logically advanced, missile de-fence systems,” Putin said at the opening of an exhibition of mili-
tary hardware outside Moscow. NATO head Jens Stoltenberg
said Putin’s remarks were part of a dangerous pattern of behaviour by Moscow. “This nuclear sabre-rattling by Russia is unjustifi ed, destabilising and it is dangerous,” Stoltenberg said.
Russia has an estimated 7,500 nuclear warheads, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, of which around 1,780 are deployed on missiles or at military bases.
The United States, in compari-son, has some 7,300 warheads with 2,080 of them deployed.
Poland and other countries in eastern Europe have been rattled by Russia’s actions in Ukraine, where it annexed the Crimea pen-insula in 2014 before pro-Moscow separatists began fi ghting Kiev’s forces in the country’s east.
Kiev and its allies accuse Mos-cow of sending in troops and armour to back the separatist confl ict, but Russia has denied the claims. NATO has moved to reassure Russia’s nervous Eastern European neighbours, launching US-led drills in the Baltic states and Poland earlier this month.
US heavy weaponsThe New York Times reported at the weekend that the Penta-gon was poised to station heavy weapons for up to 5,000 American troops in several Eastern Euro-pean and Baltic countries to deter Russian aggression.
The proposal, if approved, would be the fi rst time since the end of the Cold War that the US has had heavy military equipment -- including battle tanks -- in new-er NATO members that were once
under Moscow’s infl uence as part of the Soviet Union.
Poland said on Sunday it is in talks with the United States on the possibility of Washington storing heavy weaponry on its soil.
The US Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said F-22 fi ghter jets could be deployed to Europe as the standoff with Mos-cow rumbles on, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
Russia’s foreign ministry lashed out at the possible US deployment to the region, warning that the move by Washington could “take on a life of its own”.
“The United States is fuelling tensions and nurturing its Euro-pean allies’ anti-Russian fears, also because it plans to use current tensions to expand its military presence and hence strengthen its infl uence in Europe,” the ministry
said in a statement Monday. Russia’s Deputy Defence Min-
ister Anatoly Antonov on Tuesday accused NATO of “pushing (Mos-cow) towards an arms race,” state-run agency RIA Novosti reported.
Putin on Tuesday toured the vast arms fair displaying Rus-sia’s latest hardware, accompa-nied by senior defence offi cials, at a site outside the capital that is set to become a “Patriot Park” aimed at showcasing Moscow’s military might.
Putin, who enjoys sky-high ap-proval ratings and has pumped vast sums into rebranding Rus-sia’s once dysfunctional armed forces, praised the country’s mil-itary-industrial complex as a “lo-comotive for innovation”.
Many nations across Eastern Europe are jittery over Russia’s expansionism in Ukraine. — AFP
The declaration
from Putin came as
Russia reacted with
fury to reports that
the US is planning to
bulk up its military
deployments in
eastern Europe, with
tensions between
Russia and the West
at their highest since
the end of the Cold
War over the
confl ict in UkraineSABRE-RATTLING: A Russian serviceman walks past the Buk-1M missile system at the Army-2015
international military forum in Kubinka, outside Moscow, on Tuesday. — Reuters
Poland and other
Eastern Europe
countries have been
rattled by Russia’s
actions in Ukraine,
where it annexed the
Crimea Peninsula
in 2014 before
pro-Moscow
separatists began
fighting Ukrainian
forces in the
country’s east
Trump joins race for US presidency
NEW YORK: Property tycoon Donald Trump, one of America’s most fl amboyant and outspoken billionaires, threw his hat into the 2016 race on Tuesday for the White House, promising to make America great again.
The 69-year-old long-shot can-didate ridiculed the country’s cur-rent crop of politicians and vowed to take on the growing might of China in a speech launching his run for the presidency.
“I am offi cially running for president of the United States and we are going to make our country great again,” he said from a podium bedecked in US fl ags at Trump Tower on New York’s Fifth Avenue.
The tycoon strode onto the stage after sailing down an escalator to the strains of Rockin’ In The Free World by Canadian singer Neil Young after being introduced by daughter Ivanka.
His announcement follows years of speculation that the man known to millions as the bouff ant-haired host of American reality TV game show The Apprentice would one day enter politics.
American dreamTrump identifi es as a Republican and has supported Republican candidates in the past. But in his speech he did not explicitly say if he was running for the party’s nomination or as an independent.
He trails in polls behind ri-val Republican candidates. Last month, just fi ve per cent of voters said would vote for Trump at the Republican primary, according to the Quinnipiac University.
And in March, 51 per cent of all voters said they would defi nitely not vote for him, another Quinni-piac poll found. But none of that deterred Trump.
“Sadly, the American dream is dead. But if I get elected president, I will bring it back bigger and bet-ter and stronger than ever before, and we will make America great again,” he said. — AFP
L O N G - S H O T C A N D I D A T E
COMMEN ARYT I M E S O F O M A NW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
Founder: Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali Chairman and Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al ZadjaliDeputy Editor-in-Chief: Anees bin Essa Al Zedjali Chief Executive Offi cer: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali
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It is impossible to know whom American voters will choose as their next president. But it is cer-tain that the choice will have profound conse-quences, for better and
for worse, for the entire world.More than anything else, this
refl ects the continuing reality of American power. It also refl ects the near-certainty that the next president will inherit a world in considerable turmoil. What he or she chooses to do, and how he or she chooses to do it, will matter a great deal to people everywhere.
That said, it is diffi cult to know what role foreign policy will play in determining who will next oc-cupy the Oval Offi ce. The 2016 election is still 17 months away. A lot can, and will, happen between now and then.
Two related but distinct po-litical processes – the Democratic and Republican parties’ nominat-ing contests – will play out over the next year. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton is the Demo-cratic frontrunner, though her nomination is not a foregone con-clusion. In any case, foreign policy probably will play little role in the decision, as the issues that most concern voters likely to partici-pate in the Democratic primary elections are domestic and eco-nomic in nature.
The Republican side is far more crowded and uncertain, and it seems far likelier that foreign poli-cy will play a large role in choosing the party’s nominee. The economy is improving under President Barack Obama, making it a less attractive political target. Global turbulence, by contrast, has given
the Republicans more room to at-tack Obama and the Democrats.
Nonetheless, a few foreign-policy issues will dominate the conversation in both parties. One is trade, which is both a domestic and international matter. Obama is seeking Trade Promotion Au-thority, a necessary prelude to gaining congressional support for the Trans-Pacifi c Partnership (TPP), which would reduce bar-riers between the US and 11 other Pacifi c Rim countries. Many – but not all – of the Republican candi-dates back the TPP; the politics on the Democratic side is more hostile to the deal, making it po-tentially risky for any Democratic candidate to support it.
A second issue certain to domi-nate both parties’ nominating de-bates is Iran and the international negotiations to contain its nuclear programme. One can expect many of the Republican candidates to be critical of any proposed deal. Questions will be raised about which sanctions are to be eased and when; about the terms of com-pliance inspections; and about what will happen once some of the limits on Iran’s nuclear activi-ties expire. Democratic candidates are more likely to be sympathetic to whatever is negotiated; but there are certain to be diff erences among candidates on both sides.
A third issue is climate change. Pope Francis will boost the issue’s salience when he releases a major statement on it next week. Like-wise, planning for the United Na-tions Climate Change Conference in Paris in December will keep the issue in the news. Democrats will be more supportive of more far-reaching US commitments, al-
though, again, diff erences of view will emerge on both sides.
A fourth cluster of issues in-volves the Middle East. There is little appetite on either side for large-scale military interven-tion in Iraq and Syria to counter IS. But there will be heated de-bate – and considerable postur-ing – over what should and should not be done.
Then there are all the other is-sues, from Chinese assertiveness in Asia to Russian revanchism in Ukraine. The rhetoric, espe-cially on the Republican side, will be muscular.
One hopes that what emerges from the parties’ nominating processes is insight into how the successful candidates answer three big questions.
The fi rst concerns how much importance, in absolute and rela-tive terms, the nominee assigns to foreign policy. If one thinks of national security as two sides of a coin, with foreign policy on one side and domestic policy on the other, how likely is each to land face up for the next president? This is the classic “guns versus butter” debate over how resources, from dollars to presidential atten-tion, should be allocated.
Second, what are the purposes and priorities of foreign policy? The realist tradition in interna-tional relations focuses on infl u-encing other countries’ foreign policies and places less emphasis on their internal aff airs.
The main alternative tradition takes the opposite tack, arguing that other countries’ domestic af-fairs are what matter most, wheth-er for reasons of morality and prin-ciple. — Project Syndicate
Foreign policy key in US presidential poll
It is difficult to know what role foreign policy will play in determining who will next occupy the Oval Office. The 2016 election is still 17 months away. A lot can, and will, happen between now and then
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 ([email protected])
AFTER OBAMA
This time last year, migrants from Central America, including thousands of unaccompanied minors, were streaming into the United States, creating a problem for border communities
and Obama administration offi cials. With far fewer people reaching American soil this year, it is tempting to conclude that the crisis is ebbing. That would be a mistake.
Thousands of desperate Central Americans fl eeing violence, pov-erty and, in some cases, persecution, are continuing to embark on per-ilous journeys north. A growing share, though, are being turned back at Mexico’s southern border.
“The root causes of migration haven’t gone away,” said Maureen Meyer, an expert on migration trends who has analysed recent data from immigration authorities in Mexico and the United States. “Things are certainly not getting any better.”
American immigration authorities along the southern border de-tained more than 70,400 non-Mexican migrants between October and April of this year, a majority of whom are from Central America. That represented a considerable decline from 162,700 detained dur-ing the same period 12 months earlier. Meanwhile, Mexican offi cials stopped nearly 93,000 Central American migrants between October and April of this year, far exceeding the 49,800 detained in the same period 12 months earlier. As the White House scrambled to fi nd solu-tions to the border crisis last year, offi cials urged Mexico to do more to protect its southern border. The Mexican government deployed more law enforcement offi cers along the border and made it harder for mi-grants to travel as stowaways aboard freight trains. That has meant that fewer Central Americans who have reason to seek asylum are getting a chance to make their case. — The New York Times
Migrant crisis woes
John Ellis Bush (Jeb) -- grandson of the late Sen. Prescott Shel-don Bush, son of former President George Herbert Walker Bush, brother of former President George Walker Bush and heir to
the political estate known as the “Bush network” -- has a fi ght on his hands. And anyone who cares about politics -- not just Republican or presidential politics, but honest politics -- has a stake in this fi ght.
The former governor of Florida, who previously served on the board of Bloomberg Philanthropies, had hoped to spook rivals out of the Re-publican presidential primary with a showing of fi nancial and party support. He may yet produce the fi nancial war chest, courtesy of a super-PAC that amounts to the conjoined twin of his campaign. But endorsements and votes are going to be won hard or not at all.
The most interesting thing about Bush’s campaign, which he an-nounced Monday, is how he plans to earn that support. Last year, Bush said that for his party to be successful in 2016, its nominee had to be willing to “lose the primary to win the general.” Appealing too strenu-ously to Republican base voters would alienate the general electorate.
Following such advice will be harder than off ering it. So far, how-ever, Bush has largely been true to his word. He has refused to sign the anti-tax pledge that constricts Republican policy-making. And he has stood his ground in favor of immigration reform -- with a path to le-galization for undocumented immigrants who are longtime residents of the US - - and the Common Core educational testing standards that he has long and vigorously championed.
Bush has also been a successful governor of a large, diverse and complex state. He has a sharp mind for policy and the ability to mas-ter unscripted encounters with voters and the news media. His com-mitment to diversifying his party is the surest path to its success in the 21st century. And -- especially compared with that of some of his primary opponents - - his view of government’s role in society is no-table for its generosity. “My core beliefs start with a premise that the most vulnerable in our society should be in the front of the line, not the back,” he said in a campaign video released in advance of his offi cial announcement. It’s worth recalling that just a decade ago, Bush was one of the most conservative governors in the US, implementing edu-cation reforms and tax cuts and championing socially conservative causes that alarmed Democrats. That he enters the Republican pri-mary hobbled by his family name is perhaps unavoidable. That some Republicans are calling him too moderate to be their standard-bearer should give more Republicans pause. If Bush continues to campaign on his own terms, not only his party will benefi t -- the nation might, as well. — Bloomberg View
Bush’s goal is to expand
the Republican Party
R I C H A R D N . H A A S S
Need to ensure that best quality of food is suppliedThis refers to the news story, Public Authority of Consumer Protection to ensure availability of commodities in Oman during Ramadan, (June 15). The PACP deserves all praise for being vigilant and prudent enough in ensuring the continuous supply of commodities at their normal prices or lesser rates, so that peo-ple do not suff er during the Holy Month of Ramadan. However, beyond the quantity of food and the rates, the quality of the food supplied should also be checked with stricter and frequent inspec-tions. This is the time of the year when vendors hope to make quick profi ts and therefore tend to keep food supplies beyond their expira-tion dates, or try to sell food stored in poor conditions. The consum-
ers too should be vigilant while making their purchases and not hesitate to report any violations to the concerned government author-ities. Together let us make the holy month hassle-free.Anna KavalamMuscat
An urgent repair of safety bar in Al Hail is required This refers to a safety hazard in Al Hail North near the underpass going in the direction of Al Hail South. For nearly a month a safety bar of this tunnel is broken at one end and it seems it could fall at any time. If such an eventuality were to happen it would most likely cause serious injuries or even prove be fatal. Younis Al BalushiAl Hail
People opposing pop corns in cinema may be joking This refers the recent letters in your newspaper calling for ban-ning of eating pop corn in cinema halls. It all seems to be a joke to me. One goes to watch movies to have fun. In my opinion people calling for a ban on pop corns in theatres are perhaps thinking they go there to take examinations. If they want to have undivided attention during the screening of the fi lm, it would be better for them to do so privately in their own houses.Mohammad Jawad Al Khuwair
Ban on trucks plying on roads not being followed This refers to the online news story, Royal Oman Police bans heavy trucks during Ramadan
peak hours (June 16). Such deci-sions are always welcome. In my opinion, in other months when they are prohibited from plying on the roads during the offi ce hours, they can still be seen fl outing the rule openly. Vinod Lall Aryachalil Muscat
Appalled to see zoo animals being killed This refers to the news report about zoo animals roaming on Georgian capitals’ roads after fl oods. I am truly surprised that the owners didn’t have any safety measures in place. It was sad to see so many animals being killed mercilessly when they could not be captured alive. Raza Ali Muscat
READERS’ FORUM
Words are but the signs of ideasSAMUEL JOHNSON
website: www.newindiaoman.com
NEW INDIA ASSURANCENew India off ers a wide range of HEALTH INSURANCE COVERS to you/family/employee.
PERSPEC IVET I M E S O F O M A N W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5T I M E S O F O M A N A13
Summer is upon us, and with it peak US airline travel: This July, more than 80
million passengers will cross American skies.
But what’s good for vacation relaxation is terrible for the envi-ronment. According to the WWF, airline travel is the fastest grow-ing source of global greenhouse gas emissions, leaving trucking and coal-burning power plants in their wake. Already, the 3 billion fl ights each year produce about 5 percent of the world’s output from all sources.
Yet even those who want, ur-gently, to fi ght global warming have been slow to deal with the impact of air travel. Think of those high-profi le do-gooders who fl ew 550 private jets to confab at Da-vos about carbon dioxide levels in January. The Environmental Protection Agency only just de-clared that air travel contributes to global warming and that it will begin regulating greenhouse emissions by carriers under the Clean Air Act.
Why, when car travel is peren-nially in the hot seat, has this is-sue got so little attention? We’ve got electric cars, smaller cars, cars with great gas mileage. Why
haven’t we seen the same techno-logical evolution with planes?
The answer is that airplanes pose a fundamentally diff erent engineering problem. They have to do work to carry their fuel through the air, so are limited by the energy density of the storage medium. Increasing effi ciency of aircraft engines and wings will help, but only to a point.
And a lot of the “easy” fi xes have been made. Companies like Boe-ing and Airbus have been working for fi ve decades to build planes that burn less fuel, innovating ma-terials and making computer-aid-ed tweaks to aerodynamic design. They’ve increased use of strong, lightweight materials like carbon fi ber laminates that now make up more than 50 per cent of a modern passenger jet’s airframe. They also developed sophisticated turbo-fan engines that are signifi cantly more effi cient than older models. Their newest aircraft (released in 2000) use half as much fuel per mile as the jets of a half-century ago (Cars and SUVs are about 40 percent more effi cient today.) And engineers say there are few fi xes left. “The present technology is already highly optimised,” says writer and aircraft designer Peter
Garrison. “The low-hanging fruit has been plucked.”
An alternative idea would be to write off conventional technology as a dead-end, and instead invest in radical approaches like solar-powered aircraft. The topic has been in the news lately, thanks to the photovoltaic-encrusted ex-perimental plane Solar Impulse. The plane, currently in Japan, is part of a 12-year project by Swiss adventurers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, who want to fl y around the world.
To save energy, Solar Impulse is neither pressurised nor climate controlled, so that temperatures in the tiny cockpit swing between 86 F and -4 F.
And it is slow. Solar Impulse cruises at a languid 56 mph, about one-tenth the speed of a typical commercial jet. The reason is simple aerodynamics. As it fl ies, a plane disrupts the air it moves through, and this takes power. The faster it goes, the more power it will consume. Very effi cient airplanes, like gliders or human-powered airplanes, have long, thin wings designed to move slowly through the air. That’s appealing for aeronautical engineers, but not to travellers. — The Washington Post
SEMINAR ON INFORMATION MUSCAT: Dr Hamid bin Shadha Al Marjan, electronic information network adviser at the Ministry of Information, yesterday gave a lecture at the Press Club on informa-tion and local issues. The lecture was part of the information seminar being organised by the Ministry of Information. Dr Al Marjan talked about the roll of mass media and local issues, focusing on the roll of women in the society as an issue which should be given attention. “The woman is part of the society and social setup,” Dr Al Marjan said, assessing the negative sides in ignoring this issue. Dr Al Marjan then outlined the roll being shouldered by the electronic information network Omanet at the Ministry of Information. Despite its limited resources, Omanet currently responses to over 2,000 inquires per month.
FROM OUR ARCHIVES
Americans are focused on the atrocities of extremist terrorists and the economic and political challenges posed by superpower China while having little recognition of the potential peril from Russia
It could have been President Barack Obama issuing a fi rm warning — measured, devoid of bellicose threats
— to Vladimir Putin that the West would keep the pressure on as long as Russia in-terfered with Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Instead, it was Jeb Bush, the for-mer Florida governor and a leading 2016 Republican presidential aspirant, speaking at a news conference in Berlin on last Wednesday.
The political implication is minimal. It’s not clear Russia will be a top issue in the presidential race, and Bush has big-ger problems than sounding a bit like the president on one foreign policy matter. But the similarity of tone underscores the how diffi cult and problematic US-Russian relations are.
Obama, his Republican critics not-withstanding, has been pretty resolute since Putin took over Crimea and began assisting separatists in eastern Ukraine last year. In response to the aggression, the US has initiated tough economic sanctions and ‘isolated’ Russia.
The instinct among many in America, including more than a few politicians, is to see Putin as a rouge and Russia as a pale copy of the old Soviet Union — “a gas station masquerading as a country,” as Republican Senator John McCain is fond of saying.
Russia’s economy is weak, reliant on the slumping oil and gas market, and suf-fering from the sanctions. But the coun-try remains a huge military threat with a lethal nuclear arsenal, exhibits a public nationalism that feeds on restoring the glories of yesteryear and is an important player on global issues such as Syria, Iran and terrorism.
Two recent articles in the National Interest, published by the Center for the National Interest, illuminate the risky challenges the United States faces in dealing with Putin. (This is the for-mer Nixon Center, no hotbed of mushy peaceniks.)
Dimitri Simes, a Russia expert who runs the center, and Graham Allison, a Harvard professor and confi dant of De-
fence Secretary Ashton Carter, wrote that ratcheting up pressure could play into Putin’s hands. For example, a num-ber of Obama’s critics are calling on him to supply lethal arms to Ukraine, but Simes and Allison warn that might pro-vide a “pretext” for Russia to respond “with arms or even troops, initiating a game of escalation.”
Anti-West hawks In Moscow, they report from personal observations, the anti-West hawks are ascendant: “Putin is not the hardest of the hard-liners in Russia.”
Les Gelb, a former diplomat and lead-ing member of the US foreign policy establishment, notes that Russians felt humiliated by the West after the fall of communism. They lost a quarter of So-viet territory, half the population and much wealth. Thus, he argues, it’s “total-ly unrealistic to think the West can gain Russian restraint” unless Russia is dealt with as a great power.
The US and Russia, he says, have to adopt a “Détente Plus” strategy of di-plomacy, which he acknowledges that “formidable segments of the policy com-munities on both sides will not reconcile themselves to.”
Meanwhile, Americans are focused on the atrocities of extremist terrorists and the economic and political chal-lenges posed by superpower China while having little recognition of the potential peril from Russia.
This threat is the subject of “Impe-rial Gamble: Putin, Ukraine and the New Cold War,” by Marvin Kalb, a former diplomat and Russian scholar, to be pub-lished this autumn. In a recent blog post, he wondered whether the US is “stum-bling towards confl ict with Russia.” Re-fl ecting the reasoned postures taken by Bush and Obama, Mike McFaul, the US ambassador to Russia until last year and a nemesis of the regime, warns that there are no quick fi xes: “The United States-Russia confl ict is not going to be resolved in weeks or months; this challenge will take years, even decades.” — Bloomberg View
The risky challenges the US faces in dealing with Putin
TODAY IN HISTORY1815 Napoleon defeats the Prussians at the
Battle of Ligny. 1907 The Russian czar dissolves the Duma
in St. Petersburg. 1935 President Roosevelt’s New Deal
legislation is passed by the House of Representatives.
1940 French Chief of State, Henri Petain
asks for an armistice with Germany.
HISTORYNET.COM
GraphicsGraphic News /
Paris Air Show orders
Source: Flightglobal
Commitments(firm orders and letters of intent)
Sukhoi
Bombardier
ATR**
Comac*
Embraer
Boeing
Airbus
3
6
35
78
103
79
146
Airbus and Boeing kicked off the week-long Paris Air Show with orders for more than 200 aircraft. ATR, Bombardier, Comac and Embraer also secured new orders
*Commercial Aircraft Corporationof China
French-Italian Avions de transport regional
**450Total
commitments
Mention innovation, and you would get an earful on how in-
novative we all are. By looking at the growing list of start-ups in Pakistan, the dazzling in-novation hubs and the brand new apps, the long waitlists of students trying to get into the IT programmes and the chest-thumping exercise of institu-tions in being the pioneers of e-governance, we are remind-ed that innovation, somehow, begins with programming a computer and ends with a smartphone.
Others, who are unable to programme, can be very smart, perhaps, but not tru-ly innovative. Some others would be generous enough to include other fi elds of scienc-es and engineering under the grand umbrella of innovation, but even that is really pushing the defi nition and must not extend any further.
Indeed, the growth of the tech start-up culture is prom-ising, and transparency in gov-ernance is a step in the right direction, but if our defi nition of innovation is suff ering from severe myopia, our ability to change things will be just as limited as the defi nition itself.
Our inability to appreciate and acknowledge innovation in social and the fi nancial sectors, in it being inclusive of new ideas and approaches from the humanities and so-cial sciences, is creating a lim-ited vision for the future that is both extremely constrained in its scope and far from sustainable.
Whether it is strong argu-
ments in favour of humanities and the social sciences for an inclusive, tolerant and un-derstanding society, the well-founded arguments against the Higher Education Com-mission’s treatment of schol-ars outside natural and physi-cal sciences, or the problems in the social sector that can-not be solved by just another app, our failure to recognise, respect and reward innovative thoughts and ideas is creat-ing high barriers to our own development.
For this one, it is hard to pin the blame on a foreign non-governmental organisations or our eastward neighbours.
Policy debatesOur myopic defi nition of in-novation is not only ostra-cising those who are outside the folds of engineering and the sciences, it is also aff ect-ing our ability to engage in policy debates in the interna-tional arena.
The recent European Un-ion meeting on innovation policy for economic and so-cial impact, held in Helsinki last week, had exactly zero representation of scholars or researchers working in Paki-stan, though both our north-ern and eastern neighbours, along with researchers from countries across the globe, were well represented.
As I inquired further about the lack of Pakistani repre-sentation, I was told that the only interest from Pakistani colleagues was on technology and IT innovation, with little interest in innovation policy, social innovation or debates on inclusive innovation.
ChallengesThe loss was certainly ours, where, not only did we not benefi t from the richness of the debates, but we also lost out on the opportunity to learn from others who may have used the vehicles of innova-tion and innovation policy, to address social, economic and developmental challenges.
Now, we have two options, we can either dismiss this as a giant conspiracy against us, like we often do, or we can recognise this as a major weakness in our intellectual landscape, and do something to change it.
Our current fi xation with innovation as the domain of a single group within society shows that we are more inter-ested in exclusion than inclu-sion, a trait not too unfamiliar in the domains of other social and political problems.
The fabric of our soci-ety, and the brilliant minds within its folds, is rich and di-verse, in culture, training and knowledge.
The problems faced by the nation are equally di-verse in their evolution and scope. It is only fi tting that our innovative ideas, to solve these problems, embrace the same diversity of origin and scholarship. — Express Tribune
Innovation sans insight
Making air travel safer for environment
M . H A M I D Z A M A N
J E F F W I S E
A L B E R T R . H U N T
Our inability to appreciate and acknowledge innovation in social and the financial sectors, in it being inclusive of new ideas and approaches from the humanities and social sciences, is creating a limited vision for the future that is both extremely constrained in its scope and far from sustainable
A14
GLOBAL EYEW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
CHINA: Old residential buildings are demolished with controlled blasting in Chongqing municipality, China, on Tuesday. The buildings were demolished within fi ve seconds to make way for the construction of
a future traffi c hub, according to local media. — Reuters/China Daily
UNITED STATES: NAACP member Kitara McClure, left, cries as she hugs Angela Jones, right, during a
protest in front of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) headquar-
ters in Spokane, Washington on Monday. Rachel Dolezal, a civil rights advocate who has been accused
of falsely claiming she is black, announced her resignation as leader of a local branch of the NAACP in
Washington state. — Reuters
SWITZERLAND: Seized counterfeit pans and utensils await destruction at Swiss Customs in Geneva,
Switzerland, on Tuesday. About one tonne of counterfeit cooking items were destroyed. — Reuters
INDONESIA: A woman uses a telescope with an SLR camera attached to spot the new moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan in Sura-
baya, in eastern Java province, on Tuesday. — AFP
ITALY: Migrants wait near the sea, in the city of Ventimiglia at the
French-Italian border, on Tuesday. Italy warned that EU solidarity
is at stake if the 28-nation bloc fails to reach a deal on sharing the
burden of the Mediterranean migrant crisis. — AFP
AZERBAIJAN: A police watch tower is silhoutted during sunset in
Baku, Azerbaijan. — Reuters
A15
WORLDW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
Houthi rebels rule out talks with Yemeni government
GENEVA/JEDDAH: Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Tuesday accused Saudi Arabia of trying to sabotage UN peace talks in Geneva and ruled out negotiations with the internationally recognised ex-iled government, saying it lacked legitimacy.
In Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s exiled president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi reiterated that his govern-ment will only discuss with re-bels a Security Council resolution ordering their withdrawal from seized territory.
The rebels fi nally joined talks on Tuesday afternoon as they ar-
rived a day late after being strand-ed in Djibouti — a fact they blamed on Riyadh. But rebel negotiating team member Mohammed Zubai-ri defi antly told reporters: “We re-fuse any dialogue with those who have no legitimacy.”
He said they instead wanted
talks with Saudi Arabia, which has been leading an aerial campaign against the rebels since March 26, “to stop the aggression”.
Badly-neededThe United Nations is desper-ately trying to get the rebels, who
control a large swath of terrain including the capital Sanaa, and the exiled government to agree to a badly-needed humanitarian truce. But any hope of a thaw ap-peared bleak with Hadi repeating on Tuesday that his side was only prepared to discuss with the re-
bels a Security Council resolution ordering their withdrawal from seized territory. A UN-chartered plane carrying the rebels had left Sanaa on Sunday afternoon but was forced to wait in Djibouti for nearly 24 hours, forcing them to miss Monday’s opening of the talks and a meeting with UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
AccusationThe rebels accused Egypt and Su-dan of not allowing their plane to fl y through their airspace.
“It was Saudi Arabia which asked its allies” to take the action with the aim of “torpedoing the negotiations”, Adel Shujah, anoth-er member of the rebel team, told AFP after arriving in Geneva.
He said they were able to travel on to Switzerland after the United States intervened.
In the Saudi city of Jeddah, the Hadi told an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that “our delegation in Geneva will only discuss the terms of applying (Resolution) 2216”.
His comments were carried by Yemen’s offi cial Saba news agen-cy. The meeting was attended by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.— AFP
Rebel negotiating
team member
Mohammed Zubairi
said they wanted
talks with Saudi
Arabia to stop
the aggression
18 killed, 98 injured as passenger train hits lorry, derails in TunisiaTABIKA (TUNISIA): At least 18 people were killed and 98 injured on Tuesday when a train hit a lor-ry and derailed at a level crossing in one of Tunisia’s worst railway disasters, offi cials said.
Most of the dead were passen-gers on the morning rush hour train which hit the lorry in the vil-lage of Tabika, around 60 kilome-tres (40 miles) south of Tunis, the transport ministry said.
“We received the bodies of 17 people,” said Riadh Khlifi , direc-tor of El Fahes hospital a few kilo-metres from the accident scene, “and another dead person was sent to Zaghouan hospital”.
He added that among the 98 hurt, three were in a critical con-dition and had been sent to the capital for treatment.
The interior ministry said the train had been en route to Tunis from Gaafour, 120 kilometres to the southwest.
The collision happened at around 6:30am (0530 GMT).
Transport Minister Mahmoud
Ben Romdhane said the accident happened because there was no barrier at the crossing, but this was disputed by the Tunisian National Railway Co (SNCFT). “The main cause of the accident is the non-existence of a barrier... and protection at the crossing,” he told radio station Shems-FM.
“In Tunisia, there are 1,150 rail crossings. Only 250 are equipped with signal posts and barriers
and only 150 have lights. This is insuffi cient.” But SNCFT spokes-man Hassen Miaad told Tunisian radio there was “a stop sign and a railway crossing sign at the level crossing”.
Crashes commonTrain crashes are common in Tunisia, where much of the rail network is dilapidated, but Tuesday’s accident was the deadliest in recent memory. The presidency said it had called for an inquiry “to determine the cause of this catastrophe”. Wit-nesses spoke of mangled wreck-age at the scene and dead bodies strewn across the tracks. — AFP
R A I L W A Y D I S A S T E R
Al Qaeda chief of Yemeni branch killed
DUBAI: Al Qaeda has confi rmed that its second-in-command, the chief of its powerful Yemeni branch, was killed in a US drone strike, in the heaviest blow to the militant network since the death of Osama bin Laden.
Already struggling with the rise of rival militants from the IS group, Al Qaeda has suff ered a se-ries of setbacks in recent months with several commanders report-ed killed. In a video statement, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) confi rmed that Nasir Al Wuhayshi was dead.
Western targetsWuhayshi “was killed in a US drone attack that targeted him along with two other mujahe-deen”, who were also killed, said the statement read by prominent Al Qaeda militant Khaled Omar Batarfi and dated June 15.
AQAP — which was behind sev-eral plots against Western targets including the deadly attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris earlier this year -- said it had named its military chief Qas-sem Al Rimi as its new leader.
US offi cials were earlier report-ed to have been reviewing intel-ligence to confi rm that Wuhayshi was killed in a CIA drone strike on June 9. — AFP
U S D R O N E S T R I K E
In a video statement, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) confi rmed that Nasir Al Wuhayshi was dead.
PEACE TALKS: The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, centre, sits
with Yemeni rebels during Yemen peaces talks on Tuesday in Geneva. – AFP
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Thousands of Indonesians fl ee volcanic eruption
JAKARTA: More than 10,000 villagers have fl ed a rumbling volcano in western Indone-sia this month, most in recent days after a series of violent eruptions, an offi cial said on Tuesday.
Authorities raised the alert status of Mount Sinabung, on Sumatra island, to the highest level at the start of June after detecting a sharp increase in activity.
Back to lifeThe volcano, which came back to life two years ago after a pe-riod of inactivity, erupted vio-lently at the weekend, spewing hot ash and rocks high into the air. Sinabung -- which killed 16 people in a fi erce eruption last year -- was continuing to belch out a thick plume of smoke high into the sky Tuesday, covering homes far away with a coating of ash. Around 7,500 residents have been evacuated from their villages following the weekend eruptions, disaster agency offi -cial Tri Budiarto said. — AFP
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WORLDW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
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Hong Kong on high alert as new democracy showdown loomsHONG KONG: Hong Kong’s leader warned on Tuesday that violence will not be tolerated as six people were charged with conspiracy to cause an explosion ahead of a crucial vote on a China-backed electoral reform package this week.
Security has been stepped up across the Chinese-ruled city, in-cluding at government buildings and train stations, as it braces for a fresh showdown over plans for how its next leader is elected in 2017.
Authorities are taking no chanc-es after mass pro-democracy pro-tests crippled parts of the former British colony late last year and presented China’s Communist
Party leadership with one of its big-gest political challenges in decades.
“Hong Kong society should not tolerate any illegal activities.
Whether these are violent or non-violent, we should not allow any illegal activities to be justifi ed,” Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said in a televised briefi ng.
Ten people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to manu-facture explosives, police said on Monday, adding that some be-longed to a radical group.
Six people were charged on Tuesday with conspiracy to cause an explosion.
Police said they would patrol in-side the city’s Legislative Council
overnight ahead of the debate due to start on Wednesday.
A vote is due by the end of the week. Pro-democracy protest-ers are staging evening rallies throughout the week.
ProposedBeijing has proposed a direct vote for Hong Kong’s next leader in 2017, but only from among pre-screened, pro-Beijing candidates.
Democracy activists say that makes a mockery of China’s prom-ise of universal suff rage.
“If the pan-democrats stub-bornly insist on vetoing the pro-posal, democracy in Hong Kong will come to a standstill,” said Song
Ru’an, a Chinese Foreign Ministry offi cial in Hong Kong.
The head of China’s Hong Kong Macau Aff airs Offi ce, Wang Guangya, in an interview with two pro-Beijing newspapers, reiterat-ed Beijing’s desire to see the elec-toral package passed.
He said that if the electoral framework were accepted, there would still be room for changes in future.
With tensions running high be-fore the debate, Hong Kong’s In-dependent Commission Against Corruption has also said it is inves-tigating allegations by an unidenti-fi ed legislator that he was off ered a bribe to vote for the package.
Some of those arrested in the raids belonged to a little-known group called the National Inde-pendent Party, media reported on Tuesday.
According to its Facebook page the group was set up in January, but the page has now been deleted.
A June 1 post purportedly from the group warned that, if the re-form package was passed, “Hong Kong people should be mentally prepared there will be casualties”.The Global Times, a widely-read tabloid published by the Chi-nese Communist Party’s offi cial People’s Daily, said in an edito-rial that following the fi nding of the explosives, Hong Kong risked
descending into chaos.Rising tensions have resulted
in a new front of radical activism in Hong Kong, where some groups have staged small but disruptive protests targeting mainland Chi-nese visitors.
Anger has also spilled over to football crowds, with supporters of the Hong Kong team loudly booing the Chinese national anthem on Tuesday night at the start of a local World Cup Asian zone qualifying match against the Maldives.
Some fans turned their backs and others chanted “we are Hong Kong” in a repeat of similar scenes last week before Hong Kong’s match against Bhutan. - Reuters
C R U C I A L V O T E
Bangladesh
upholds death
sentence of top
Jamaat leader
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s highest court Tuesday upheld the death sentence against a top Jamaat leader for war crimes during the country’s battle for independ-ence, prompting his opposition party to call a general strike in protest.
Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mu-jahid could now be hanged within months after the Su-preme Court dismissed his ap-peal against the sentence for the murder of scores of intellectu-als during the 1971 confl ict.
The 67-year-old is one of about a dozen leaders of Bang-ladesh’s largest party Jamaat-e-Islami, a key opposition group, convicted by a controversial war crimes tribunal set up by the secular government in 2010.
The convictions have trig-gered the country’s deadliest vi-olence since independence with some 500 people killed, mainly in clashes between Jamaat ac-tivists and police.
Security was tight ahead of Tuesday’s ruling, with heavily armed police and border guards surrounding the court in Dhaka and patrolling nearby streets.
But widespread violence was unlikely following a recent crackdown against the opposi-tion by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Jamaat, thousands of whose supporters have been arrested in the crackdown, called the strike for Wednesday, branding the trial of its general secretary “farcical”.
“Mujahid is a victim of the government’s conspiracy,” Jamaat’s acting chief Moqbul Ahmed said in a statement.
Mujahid was found guilty in 2013 of leading Al Badr, a notorious militia that carried out “exterminations” of Bang-ladeshi intellectuals including top writers, journalists and pro-fessors towards the end of the nine-month war. - AFP
W A R C R I M E S
Taliban warn
IS leader not
to interfere in
Afghanistan
KABUL: The Taliban on Tues-day warned the leader of the IS group against waging a parallel insurgency in Afghanistan, af-ter a string of defections.
The group also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh, has never formally acknowledged having a presence in Afghani-stan but fears are growing that the group is making inroads in the country.
In a letter addressed to IS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the Taliban insisted that “jihad (holy war) against the Ameri-cans and their allies must be conducted under one fl ag and one leadership”.
“The Taliban does not con-sider the multiplicity of jihadi ranks benefi cial either for jihad or for Muslims,” said the letter signed by the Taliban deputy leader Mullah Akhtar Moham-mad Mansoor. The statement demonstrates a growing disqui-et within the Taliban about the creeping infl uence and popular-ity of IS within insurgent ranks, analysts say. - AFP
G R O W I N G I S I N F L U E N C E
MARKEWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5B
Muscat
6,493.78- 0.61
- 0.01%
Dubai
4,079.05- 38.52
- 0.94%
Abu Dhabi
4,545.11- 3.92
- 0.09%
Saudi Arabia
9,536.92- 24.78
- 0.26%
Kuwait
6,258.69- 21.07
- 0.34%
Bahrain
1,364.91+ 0.23
+ 0.02%
Qatar
11,873.55- 29.68
- 0.25%
CURRENCY RATES* DRAFT RATES (OMR1)* GOLD PRICES*Forex rates vs OMR1*
US Dollar ................................. 2.58
Euro ............................................2.28
Pound ...........................................1.65
Indian Rs ............................ 166.00
Pak Rs ....................................260.01
Bangla Taka.......................199.36* Rates are as of Jun 16
Source: Bank Muscat
Indian Rs ...................................166.75
Pakistan Rs ............................ 263.20
Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 344.25
Bangla Taka.............................201.70
Phil Peso .................................... 116.25
* Rates as of Jun 16 Source: Oman UAE Exchange
Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.20
Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.65
Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............143.25
Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............ 136.00
* Rates as of Jun 16
Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds
Type ............................Delivery...........Price
Oman Crude ............. (Spot) .........$61.66
Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) .........$61.26
Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$63.29
Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........$60.86
N.Sea Brent ............... (Spot) ........$63.82
West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........ $59.75
CRUDE OIL PRICE
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South Korean firm plans auto spare parts project in Sohar
MUSCAT: A South Korean mul-tinational company is planning to build an automobile spare parts manufacturing project in Sohar to produce aluminium automobile wheels, a top-level offi cial of South Korean Embassy here told Times of Oman.
‘Strategic location’Daesik Kim, Korea’s ambassador
to Oman, said that the proposal for building the project was at an early stage of negotiation with Omani partners. “Korean companies are realising the importance of Oman as strategic location.”
Kim said that Korean compa-nies in the recent past were mostly engaged in oil exploration fi eld in Oman. Now they have interest in the manufacturing sector as Posco, a Korean fi rm, has already tied up with Sun Metal (a joint venture be-tween Oman and Indian investors)
for building a steel project in Sur.Referring to bilateral trade be-
tween the two friendly countries, the ambassador said Korea im-ports are mainly liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) and crude oil. Korea im-ports $4 billion worth LNG from
Oman and another $1 billion worth crude oil, taking the total import value to $5 billion a year. Korea’s exports to Oman mainly consist of automobiles and white goods, with a total value of around $1 billion.
“LNG imports are on a long-
term basis and the imports from Oman are likely to remain the same or decline this year due to a fall in energy prices in the interna-tional markets,” noted Kim.
Also, Korean fi rms are partici-pating in construction projects in Oman — both in government and private projects.
Oman-Korean partnershipCiting the best example of Oman-Korean partnership in developing Duqm Drydock, he said Korean fi rm Daewoo Shipbuilding & Ma-rine Engineering’s participation in Duqm enables Oman to learn from Korean fi rm’s know-how and expertise.
“This is a good example of trans-fer of expertise and know-how.” Both parties have a ten-year oper-ation and management agreement to ensure complete organisation for talent, experience and technol-ogy to the benefi t of Oman in the
diversifi cation of its economy,” he further added.
Kim also said that his coun-try has a close economic relation with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In the case of UAE, Korea has a close tie-up in health-care sector. He said that Omani youths can get training in South Korea in various fi elds. When Ko-rea started its economic develop-ment, the country depended on developed nations for know-how and transfer of technology.
And now, he said, Korean fi rms are known for its world-class technology in several industries, including ship-building, automo-bile, information technology and healthcare.
Proposal for building the project was at
an early stage of negotiation with Omani
partners, said South Korea’s ambassador
to Oman
Renaissance to hold key meetingTimes News Service
MUSCAT: An extraordinary general meeting of Renaissance Services shareholders will be convened on July 6 to seek ap-proval for repurchasing 423.14 million mandatory convertible bonds (MCBs). A scheme for the repurchase of 423.14 million MCBs of OMR43.16 million issued in 2012 will be discussed during the ex-traordinary general meeting.
The meeting will be held at 3 pm at the premises of the Capital Market Authority (CMA).
According to a company state-ment, the approval of the scheme is subject to the availability of fi -nancing. Another objective of the meet-ing is to consider and approve the issuance of Perpetual Cumula-tive Capital Certifi cates by the company’s wholly owned over-seas subsidiary, with a coupon to be determined at the time of issue
based on market conditions to raise up to $200,000,000 through conventional or Sukuk fi nancing.
Mandatory Convertible BondsRenaissance Services had issued 423,141,678 MCBs at an issue price of OMR0.102, amounting to OMR43.1 million MCBs in July 2012 to its shareholders on a rights basis. The purpose of the issuance was to provide capital for fi nancing the investment re-quired for the company’s growth and to strengthen the company’s balance sheet.
The MCBs off er investors an annual cash coupon of 3.75 per cent and shares in the company upon conversion, which aggre-gate to an internal rate of return of 16.9 per cent for MCB holders.
The conversion of MCBs is scheduled to be carried out in three equal tranches commenc-ing from July 2015, with the re-maining two tranches in July 2016 and July 2017.
C R U C I A L I S S U E S
Daesik Kim. — Picture by A R Rajkumar/Times of Oman
HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com [email protected]
Private wealth in Oman grows 35%Times News Service
MUSCAT: Private wealth in Oman grew by an impressive 35.4 per cent in 2014, accord-ing to a new report by the Bos-ton Consulting Group titled ‘Global Wealth 2015: Winning the Growth Game, released on Tuesday.’
In Oman, the growth of pri-vate wealth was driven mainly by equities. After all, between 2013 and 2014, the amount of wealth held in equities rose by a robust 146.3 per cent while bonds and cash and deposits grew by 7.1 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively.
Based on BCG’s study, Oman is poised for further growth (8.6 per cent) in the next fi ve years, with the wealth breakdown anticipat-ed to be 47 per cent in cash and deposits, eight per cent in bonds, and 45 per cent in equities.
Over the next fi ve years, across Oman, private wealth held in eq-uities is expected to increase at a compounded annual growth rate
(CAGR) of 11.6 per cent. In par-allel, bonds will grow by 4.9 per cent and cash and deposits will see a 6.7 per cent jump.
Private wealth in that segment rose by a remarkable 116.8 per cent in 2014.
With a projected CAGR of 12.9 per cent over the next fi ve years, this segment is expected to see continued growth. This will be triggered by both a large number of new households entering the segment and growth in average wealth per household.
In Oman, private wealth held by the lower high net worth seg-ment (those with between $1 mil-lion and $20 million) grew at a rate of 35.8 per cent in 2014. It is forecasted to grow by 8.7 per cent over the next fi ve years.
The Global Wealth 2015 re-port addresses the current and future size of the market – nota-bly the projection that the Asia-Pacifi c region (excluding Japan) will surpass North America as the wealthiest region in the world in 2016.
B O S T O N C O N S U L T I N G G R O U P R E P O R T
B2
MARKETW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
Orpic enters into pact with Japanese agency
Times News Service
MUSCAT: A memorandum of agreement (MoA) to cooperate on various technical topics has been signed by Orpic, Oman’s national refi nery and petrochemical com-pany, with Japan Cooperation Center, Petroleum (JCCP).
Raphael De Loenen, chief oper-ating offi cer of Orpic, said, “Orpic has worked with JCCP for more than 10 years, mainly on our Mina Al Fahal operation. How-ever, this MoA extends our as-sociation for the next three years and will include Orpic’s plants in Sohar and Muscat.”
Japan Cooperation Center, Pe-
troleum is a non-profi t organisa-tion, founded to promote friendly relations between oil-producing countries and Japan. It is a mem-bership-based organisation, com-prising 18 engineering companies, 12 oil companies and two banks.
Technical studies“The agreement includes techni-cal studies to identify opportuni-ties for enhancing operations and
maintenance practices of refi ner-ies in Oman and Japan, as well as a personnel exchange programme, which will enable both parties to share the expertise, skills and experience of our people,” the offi cial said.
“The MoA will support us in meeting the ultimate goal of inter-national cooperation in petrole-um industries,” De Loenen added.
Training programmes, aimed at
exchanging information and ac-cess to Japanese technologies, as well as seminars in refi nery opera-tions, maintenance, instrumenta-tions and management, will all be delivered as part of the agreement. “We appreciate this opportunity to partner with Japan Coopera-tion Center, Petroleum and look forward to the benefi ts that will be generated for both organisations, from our association,” he said.
Raphael De Loenen,
chief operating offi cer,
said Orpic has worked
with JCCP for over 10
years, mainly at Mina
Al Fahal operation
Boeing extends lead with order for new 100-single aisle planesPARIS: Boeing extended its lead over Airbus on the second day of the Paris Air Show, pulling in the biggest deal yet at the expo with 100 single-aisle planes that gives it almost twice the haul of its arch-rival.
The order, by leasing company Aercap Holdings, is for 100 737 MAX 8 aircraft valued at about $10.7 billion at list price. The ac-cord is the biggest transaction yet at the trade show by numbers and value, as both manufacturers seek to maintain their momentum and unveil more deals in the next days.
The accord, which Aercap said was “intensely” negotiated over the course of last year, gives Boe-ing a tally of about $29.6 billion in total, almost double Airbus’s $15 billion. The advantage is a sur-prise lead for the United States manufacturer, which typically trails Airbus at the Paris Show, considered the European manu-facturer’s home turf.
“This is a big day for us, it’s a real highlight of the show,” said Ray Conner, the head of Boeing’s commercial aircraft unit.
Aercap chief executive offi cer Aengus Kelly said the deal came together in the fi nal days before the show, with Boeing telling the leasing company that it wanted to ‘make this happen’. Aercap is also interested in the larger 737 MAX 9 to help replace aging models in its fl eet, Kelly said in an interview after the signing.
Boeing also announced another purchase agreement for the 737 MAX 8 on the second day, for 10 units by SMBC Aviation Capital.
Emerging marketsEmerging-market carriers in-cluding PT Garuda Indonesia, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Qatar Airways went shopping for long-haul jets, a sign of faster travel growth in those regions than elsewhere. Heading into the Paris expo, analysts had played down sales prospects for Boeing and Airbus wide-bodies.
Embraer extended its advan-tage over Bombardier Inc. in re-gional aircraft, winning fi rm jet orders for $2.6 billion from cus-tomers including lessor Aircastle and United Continental.
Bombardier had one customer,
Deutsche Lufthansa’s Swiss unit, convert a CSeries order to take 10 of the larger version of the new plane instead of the smaller CS100, and another, Canada’s WestJet Airlines, exercise op-tions to add fi ve Q400 turboprops.
Production pipelineGaruda signed up for 30 Air-
bus A350s and the same number of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to-gether worth almost $17 billion, while Saudia, as the Arab carrier is known, placed the fi rst order for a regional version of the Air-bus A330. Qatar Airways bought 10 of Boeing’s upgraded 777X plus four 777 freighters, valued at a combined $4.8 billion. Garuda’s Dreamliner deal has a list price of about $7.7 billion, while the A350 component is worth more than $9 billion. - Bloomberg News
A V I A T I O N
Foreign investors buy less than 5% of Saudi stocksCAIRO: The day the world’s big-gest oil exporter allowed foreign investors direct access to its stock market, they bought shares in less than 5 per cent of equities.
By the end of Saudi Arabia’s trading day on Monday, quali-fi ed foreign investors (QFIs) held seven out of 170 stocks directly, owning less than a tenth of a per-centage point of each company, according to data on the Tadawul Stock Exchange website.
Saudi International Petrochem-ical Company was the biggest win-ner after QFIs bought 0.02 per cent of the stock.
Anticipation had been building since July when Saudi Arabia said it will allow approved investors from outside the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to own lo-cal shares directly amid a push to diversify its $752 billion economy away from oil. HSBC was one of the fi rst QFIs to trade Saudi stocks directly, it said in a statement.
“There has been no rush to ac-quire QFI status,” Hootan Yazhari, the Dubai-based head of Middle East and North Africa (Mena) and global frontier markets equity re-search at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said by phone on Tuesday.
“Many global investors we’ve met with have suggested they’re going to wait and see.”
Settlement systemThe biggest issue for foreign in-vestors is the pre-funding of trades given the current T+0 settlement cycle, Yazhari said. While the CMA said on its website that it has no intention of changing the sys-tem, the stock market is studying it, the Tadawul’s chief executive offi cer Adel Al Ghamdi said in an interview on Monday. T+0 refers to same-day settlement.
QFIs also invested in Arab Na-tional Bank, Rabigh Refi ning & Petrochemical, Mouwasat Medical Services, Dallah Healthcare, Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Company and Bupa Arabia for Co-operative Insurance. Their hold-ings in each stock is 0.01 per cent, according to the Tadawul website.
Mouwasat Medical was the only stock out of the seven to rise on Monday. The benchmark Tad-awul All Share Index of equities declined 0.9 per cent, trimming its gain this year to 15 per cent.
Shares in Tadawul are trading at 17 times of the estimated earnings for 2015. - Bloomberg News
A C C E S S T O F O R E I G N E R S
SEALING THE DEAL: Japan Cooperation Center, Petroleum, is a non-profi t organisation,
founded to promote friendly relations between oil-producing countries and Japan. - Supplied photo
B3W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
MARKET
Oman’s export agency gives nod to credit limits for over OMR5 millionTimes News Service
MUSCAT: Export Credit Guar-antee Agency (ECGA) of Oman board has approved credit limits for more than OMR5 million at its meeting on Sunday.
The fi fth meeting for 2015 was chaired by Said bin Saleh Al Ki-yumi and attended by the board members. During the board meet-ing, various topics were discussed related to ECGA of Oman services in promoting non-oil exports.
At the meeting, rhe board of directors of ECGA of Oman re-viewed and approved various
applications received from poli-cyholders to obtain credit limits cover against their local as well as export sales.
Domestic credit insuranceThe total credit limits approved during the board meeting amount-ed to OMR5,391,000 of which the total credit limits approved un-der domestic credit insurance amounted to OMR2,545,000 while the credit limits approved under the export credit scheme amounted to OMR2,846,000.
Export Credit Guarantee Agen-cy of Oman sanctioned credit
limits in favour of 20 export poli-cyholders. While the number of overseas buyers whom approvals were made for reached 19 buyers.
It is worth mentioning that the board approved credit limits against the UAE buyers for an amount of OMR2,716,000 or 50 per cent of the total credit lim-its approved by the board during the meeting.
Moreover, the board of direc-tors approved a claim for loss submitted by one of its policy-holders against their foreign buy-er where the claim amount was OMR59,928.
E X P O R T C R E D I T
Said bin Saleh Al Kiyumi
Exceed Gulf expands regional reach; opens bigger offi ce in MuscatTimes News Service
MUSCAT: Exceed Gulf, a leading IT service provider in the Gulf Co-operatiob Council (GCC) region, has shifted its operations to a big-ger offi ce at Muscat Grand Mall, which was opened under patron-age of Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, chief executive offi cer of the Infor-mation Technology Authority.
From this new premium loca-tion, Exceed Gulf endeavours to stay within reach of its clientele. Located in the heart of the city, the new offi ce will go a long way in establishing Exceed Gulf as a pre-ferred IT service provider, cater-ing to a wide range of customers across GCC.
Exceed has established presence across the GCC region, Asia, Afri-ca, and South America, with head-quarters set in Abu Dhabi. The new offi ce location in Muscat will not only aid the brand to carry out op-erations in Oman market directly but also provides fi ner IT services quickly to all clients in the nation.
Strong portfolioAhmad Chayati, General Man-ager, Exceed Gulf asserts, “A lead-ing IT service provider and Mi-crosoft Gold Partner, Exceed has set a benchmark in the industry through a strong portfolio stud-ded with all-round IT services. Through our new offi ce, we en-deavour to situate ourselves closer
to our clientele to always be avail-able to cater to their needs.”
On his part, Fawzi Al Harrassy, managing director of Exceed Oman, reaffi rmed the company’s
dedication to improving the stand-ards of services in Oman, high-lighting that Exceed employs over 60 people in its technical and engi-neering staff , including around 40
Omani nationals. Referring to Ex-ceed’s professional development eff orts, Al-Harrassy announced the company is still working on de-veloping and expanding its teams.
Earlier in 2015, Exceed Gulf received an honorary award from Dubai Ministry of Labour for its remarkable services. In the past, it also received recognition awards for being a preferred partner from leading technology syndicates in-cluding Microsoft, Dell and Qlik.
AamerShikho, Oman branch manager, Exceed Gulf said, “It feels good to see how Exceed has become a big brand across GCC. We are expanding at a fast pace. Opening the new offi ce in Mus-cat will help us provide extensive
support to our clients and enable them to run their tasks smoothly without any hindrance. We be-lieve in providing our customers best value for their money and this shift is location is another step towards achieving it.”
“We are proud of Exceed’s achievements in the Sultanates in 2008. Our metrics speak for themselves, as we evolved from 4 employees in 2008 to around 60 today, with the client base reach-ing 70 organisations from the public and private sectors. Our records include training around 3000 candidates in various IT do-mains, all of which occupy impor-tant roles in their organisations,” Shikho added.
N E W O F F I C E
Used car startup turns to US seeking $1 billion value
NEW YORK: SellAnyCar.com has shown that used-car sales in the Middle East can be turned into a point and click exercise. Now its founder is hoping that United States venture capital in-vestors will give his company a $1 billion valuation.
Saygin Yalcin met investors in New York and California this month, seeking to raise as much as $100 million to help fund an expansion into Europe. The fund-raising could value his company at about $1 billion he said in an inter-view in New York.
Yalcin, 31, is coming to the US to capitalise on soaring private valu-ations and record fundraising by venture capital fi rms. American venture funds had an estimated $76 billion in uninvested capital at the end of 2014, compared to just $1.5 billion for those in the Middle East, says PitchBook Data.
“We believe now is a good time to raise money in the U.S., where startups are raising at signifi cant-ly higher valuations and probably more than they need,” Yalcin said.
SellAnyCar.com buys used cars of any condition from individuals and auctions them to businesses, including dealerships. The com-pany off ers free inspections and valuations of the vehicles, and owners can accept or reject the price. The deals are conducted on a mobile application.
It now operates in four coun-tries in the Middle East, is launch-ing in Germany soon and plans to expand elsewhere in Europe.
Unicorn statusVenture capital investors in Dubai, where the company is based, generally limit invest-ment rounds to between $20 mil-lion and $25 million, Yalcin said, which wouldn’t cover the costs needed to expand the business. Other than scaling the technology platform, his company also has to build out logistics and payment systems, he said.
There are now more than 100
startups in the world valued at $1 billion or more, with 14 new such ‘unicorns’ joining the ranks be-tween January 1 and April 14, ac-cording to data from CBInsights. Two-thirds of these are US based.
Still, Yalcin will face some chal-lenges if he’s pitching investors with no experience in the Middle East, since funds already will-ing to invest in the region prob-ably have an established presence there, said Michael Dempsey, a
research analyst with CBInsights.“You need to go to players will-
ing to invest in a new market,” Dempsey said. They may be re-luctant to invest in an emerging market because “there’s a lot more uncertainty around how consum-ers will adapt to technology and how to scale in the country.” Yal-cin declined to off er details on the company’s fi nancials, but did say that several hundred businesses source cars from his company.
Turkish descentYalcin grew up in Germany and is of Turkish descent. He moved to Dubai more than fi ve years ago to tap into the emerging technol-ogy scene in the area, starting Sukar.com, a shopping website. He sold that Souq.com, the largest e-commerce platform in the Mid-dle East, in 2012, and SellAnyCar.com was founded the next year.
Expansion means more than launching the app in a new coun-try. Because no companies ex-isted to ship the cars, Yalcin had to build a platform for individual truck drivers to contract for de-liveries, he said.
He also had to obtain multiple licenses and work with govern-ments to operate his company in each country and principality, he said. For startups in the Middle East, “you’re not usually build-ing just a business model,” Yalcin said. “We have to create an entire infrastructure and pioneer the industry.” - Bloomberg News
SellAnyCar.com
buys used cars of
any condition from
individuals and
auctions them to
businesses, including
dealerships
India’s exports drop for sixth straight month
NEW DELHI: India’s exports fell for a sixth straight month, the longest losing streak since 2009, weakening the rupee and boost-ing pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spur demand in Asia’s third-largest economy.
Overseas shipments fell 20.2 per cent in May from a year ear-lier and imports dropped 16.5 per cent on lower oil prices, the Com-merce Ministry said in a state-ment on Tuesday.
That left a $10.4 billion trade defi cit, smaller than May’s $11 bil-lion gap that economists in a sur-vey predicted would hold.
The trade data “are a mixed bag,” Shilan Shah, Singapore-based India economist for Capital Eco-nomics, wrote in a report.
“Overall though, the data sup-port our view that India’s external position no longer poses the same threat to the economy as was the case in 2013.”
Gold importsGold imports are unlikely to surge as much as they did in previous years, leaving the current-ac-count defi cit at a more sustain-able level, he said.
The country’s record foreign ex-change reserves will serve as a line of defense against any volatility, the Reserve Bank of India said on June 2.
That’s even as a weakening ru-pee and acceleration in infl ation indicates room is decreasing for governor Raghuram Rajan to low-er interest rates further.
Oil imports fell 41 per cent to $8.54 billion while gold shipments rose 10.5 percent to $2.42 billion. Exports of gems and jewellery fell 13 per cent to $3 billion and petro-leum products dropped 59 per cent to $2.4 billion. - Bloomberg News
E C O N O M Y
RAISING MONEY: Saygin Yalcin met investors in New York and California this month, seeking to raise
as much as $100 million to help fund an expansion into Europe. The fundraising could value his
company at about $1 billion, he said in an interview in New York. – Bloomberg News
HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com [email protected]
Exceed has presence across the GCC region, Asia,
Africa, and South America, with headquarters in Abu
Dhabi. The new office location in Muscat will not only
aid the brand to carry out operations in Oman directly
but also provides finer IT services quickly
Mahindra to supply parts to Airbus, Boeing
SYDNEY: Mahindra Group, own-er of India’s biggest sport-utility vehicle maker, plans to sell air-plane parts to Boeing and other manufacturers after striking a supply agreement with Airbus.
The establishment of the plant near Bengaluru, the southern Indi-an city formerly known as Banga-lore, is a ‘giant leap’ for India’s as-pirations in the aerospace market and the Airbus contract is just the “tip of the iceberg,” Anand Mahi-ndra, chairman of the Mumbai-based group, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Erik Schatzker and Olivia Sterns from the Paris Air Show.
Mahindra plans to supply more than a million parts a year to Air-bus under the contract and will start deliveries later this year, the Indian company said. Prime Min-ister Narendra Modi, championing his Make in India campaign, wants to fuel more manufacturing activ-ity in his country and held talks with US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter this month to encourage the production of more United States military hardware there.
Airbus’s multi-year contract en-visages manufacture and supply by Mahindra of a variety of metallic components that will be fi tted into several aircraft. - Bloomberg News
I N D I A N F I R M
B4
MARKETW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
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MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET
SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 16
REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ........... 4,299,552 .......512,195....................118 ............0.117 ........... 0.121............ 0.117 ............0.119 ............. 0.115 ............ 0.004 ............. 3.478 ................ 0.119 .............. 0.118................... 0.119 ................... 14,503,125 .........0.100
OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 2,532,609......670,330................... 130 ........... 0.262 ........... 0.266 ...........0.261 ........... 0.265 .............0.260 ........... 0.005 ............. 1.923 ................0.265 ..............0.264...................0.265...................34,582,500.........0.100
OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ..............14,300 ...............3,368........................6 ........... 0.236 ........... 0.236 ...........0.235 ........... 0.236 .............0.232 ........... 0.004 ............. 1.724 ................0.235 ..............0.234...................0.236....................4,956,000 ..........0.100
OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ...............................................................6,020 .............. 2,404........................2 ........... 0.396 ...........0.400 ...........0.396 ........... 0.400 .............0.394 ........... 0.006 ............. 1.523 ................0.400..............0.396...................0.400 ................. 20,000,000 ........0.100
OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS .................................................. 56,041 ............ 30,599......................19 ........... 0.540 ........... 0.548 ...........0.540........... 0.546 .............0.538 ........... 0.008 ............. 1.487 ................0.546 ..............0.546...................0.550...................28,665,000 .........0.100
OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 316,247 ............ 67,135........................6 ............0.212 ........... 0.213 ...........0.210 ........... 0.212 .............0.209 ........... 0.003 ............. 1.435 ................0.212 ..............0.210...................0.212 ..................302,107,663 ........0.100
OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 1,158,163 ....... 165,120.....................44 ............0.140 ........... 0.144 ...........0.140 ........... 0.143 ............. 0.141 ............ 0.002 ..............1.418.................0.143 .............. 0.141...................0.143 .................... 8,414,580 ..........0.100
OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 444,960........... 35,580..................... 26 ........... 0.079 ........... 0.081 ...........0.079 ........... 0.080 .............0.079 ............0.001 ............. 1.266 ................0.079 ..............0.079...................0.080 ...................16,572,111..........0.100
OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO......................................................................... 25,770 ............ 20,301........................3 ............0.780 ........... 0.788 ...........0.780 ........... 0.788 ............. 0.780 ........... 0.008 ............. 1.026 ................0.780 ..............0.780...................0.788 ..................512,944,053........0.100
OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 1,329,180 ......322,028..................... 65 ............0.241 ...........0.243 ...........0.241 ........... 0.242 .............0.240 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.833 ................0.242............. 0.242...................0.243 ..................48,400,000 ........0.100
OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 3,284,312 ......396,202..................... 39 ............0.120 ........... 0.122 ...........0.120 ............0.121 .............0.120 ............0.001 ............. 0.833 ................ 0.121 ..............0.120...................0.122 .................. 24,200,000 ........0.100
OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...................... 141,000 ............18,023......................13 ............0.128 ........... 0.128 ...........0.127 ........... 0.128 ............. 0.127.............0.001 ............. 0.787 ................0.127 ..............0.126...................0.127 ....................3,840,000 ..........0.100
OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 338,512.............51,078......................11 ............0.150 ........... 0.151 ............0.150 ............0.151 ............. 0.150.............0.001 ............. 0.667 ................ 0.151 ...............0.151...................0.152 ...................46,925,506 .........0.100
OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ........................................... 30,000 .............11,040........................ 1 ........... 0.368 ........... 0.368 ...........0.368........... 0.368 .............0.366 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.546 ................0.368 ..............0.368...................0.370...................22,523,172 .........0.100
OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 343,287 ............71,254..................... 22 ........... 0.207 ...........0.209 ...........0.207........... 0.208 .............0.207 ............0.001 ............. 0.483 ................0.207............. 0.202...................0.207 .................148,596,519 ........0.100
OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES .................................83,983 .............36,185......................12 ........... 0.428 ........... 0.434 ...........0.428........... 0.430 .............0.428 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.467 ................0.434..............0.434...................0.436.................. 127,371,883 ........0.100
OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ................................. 66,177 .............19,256......................11 ........... 0.295 ........... 0.295 ...........0.290 .......... 0.291 .............0.290 ............0.001 ............. 0.345 ................0.290............. 0.290...................0.295...................29,100,000 .........0.100
OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 300,000 .........100,800......................14 ........... 0.336 ........... 0.336 ...........0.336 ........... 0.336 .............0.336 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.336 ..............0.330...................0.336..................450,478,644 .......0.100
OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .............................................................. 93 ..................... 13........................ 1 ............0.135 ........... 0.135 ...........0.135 ............0.135 ............. 0.135 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.135 ..............0.134...................0.135 ................. 270,042,227 .......0.100
OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 447,505 .........246,128........................5 ........... 0.550 ........... 0.550 ...........0.550 ........... 0.550 .............0.550 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.550 ..............0.550...................0.560 ................. 181,979,991 ........0.100
OM0000001889 ............SALALAH MILLS .................................................................550 .................. 822........................2 ............1.495 ........... 1.495 ...........1.490 ............1.495 ............. 1.495 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.490 .............. 1.435...................1.600 ................... 72,003,781 .........0.100
OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ............. 77,377 .............10,792..................... 10 ............0.140 ........... 0.140 ...........0.139 ............0.139 ............. 0.139............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.139 .............. 0.138...................0.139 ...................12,510,000 .........0.100
OM0000002846 ...........GULF INV. SER. PREF SHARES ................................ 9,568 ............... 1,148........................ 1 ............0.120 ........... 0.120 ...........0.120 ........... 0.120 .............0.120 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.120 ..............0.120...................0.125 ...................10,966,894 .........0.100
OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. ......... 5,660 .............12,395........................ 1 ............2.190 ........... 2.190 ...........2.190 ........... 2.190 .............2.190 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................2.190 ............. 0.000...................0.000 ................. 151,110,000 ........0.100
OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................56,409 ............ 98,304......................16 ............1.740 ........... 1.745 ............1.740 ............1.745 ............. 1.745 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.740 ...............1.735................... 1.740 ................1,308,750,000 ......0.100
OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 461,361 ............ 60,345..................... 36 ............0.132 ........... 0.132 ...........0.130 ............0.131 ............. 0.131 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.130 ..............0.130................... 0.131 ................... 37,987,463 .........0.100
OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY .....................................................75,000 .............31,950........................ 1 ........... 0.426 ........... 0.426 ...........0.426........... 0.426 .............0.426 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.426..............0.426...................0.452...................25,773,000 .........0.100
OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ............................................. 207,666 ............18,686......................18 ........... 0.090 ...........0.090 ...........0.089........... 0.090 .............0.090 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.090..............0.089...................0.090 .................. 15,750,000 .........0.100
OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ........................................................ 13,350 .............20,501........................2 ............1.545 ........... 1.545 ...........1.535 ............1.535 ............. 1.550............-0.015 ........... -0.968 ...............1.535 .............. 1.530................... 1.535 ................. 307,000,000 .......0.100
OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 363,940 ............67,693..................... 25 ............0.188 ........... 0.188 ...........0.186 ........... 0.186 ............. 0.188............-0.002 ........... -1.064 ...............0.186 .............. 0.185...................0.186 ..................268,107,840 ........0.100
OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 426,539 .........234,550......................18 ........... 0.550 ........... 0.552 ...........0.548........... 0.550 .............0.556 ...........-0.006 ............-1.079................0.548 ..............0.542...................0.552................1,260,502,428 ......0.100
OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER ...................................................17,972 ...............3,649........................4 ........... 0.206 ...........0.206 ...........0.203........... 0.203 .............0.207 ...........-0.004 ........... -1.932 ...............0.203..............0.203...................0.206 .................137,002,148 ........0.100
.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 16,933,103 .3,339,872...................682 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......32........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001723 ............OMAN ORIX LEASING ................................................. 7,000 ............... 1,050........................2 ............0.150 ........... 0.150 ...........0.150 ........... 0.150 ............. 0.139.............0.011 ............. 7.914.................0.150 .............. 0.147...................0.150 ...................36,207,606 .........0.100
OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................31,209 ...............1,280........................3 ............0.041 ........... 0.041 ...........0.041 ........... 0.041 .............0.040 ............0.001 .............2.500 ................0.041 ............. 0.040...................0.041 ....................3,485,000 ..........0.100
OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................26,974 ............... 1,592......................11 ........... 0.060 ...........0.060 ...........0.059 ........... 0.059 .............0.059 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.059 ..............0.058...................0.059.................... 7,375,000 ..........0.100
OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING................................... 30,000 ...............3,000........................2 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100 ........... 0.100 .............0.100 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.100 ..............0.099...................0.100.................... 7,520,800 ..........0.100
OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 735,816 ............. 53,715..................... 25 ........... 0.073 ........... 0.073 ...........0.073 ........... 0.073 .............0.073 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.073 ..............0.072...................0.073..................109,500,000 .......0.100
OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS .................................................10,460 ............... 5,149........................9 ........... 0.502 ...........0.502 ...........0.484........... 0.492 .............0.504 ...........-0.012 ........... -2.381 ...............0.484..............0.480...................0.506 ..................77,490,000 .........0.100
.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 841,459 ............65,785..................... 52 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 6........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
BONDS MARKET ........................................................................................................................................................................................ OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 ................... 4,356,861 ......431,320..................... 22 ........... 0.099 ........... 0.099 ...........0.098........... 0.099 .............0.099 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.099 ..............0.099...................0.100...................32,092,000 ........0.100
.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 4,356,861 ......431,320..................... 22 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
ISIN .................................................. SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER ................... TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE ............. HIGH .................... LOW ............... CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE.......... DIFF (RO) .................DIFF % ......................LAST PR............... LAST BID .....................LAST OFFER ................. MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE
O M A N S T O C K S
INDICESIndex .................................................High .................Low ..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff %MSM30 Index ........................................6,506.01 ...............6,493.78 ................... 6,493.78 ...................6,494.39 ...................-0.61 .................. -0.01Financial Index .................................... 7,942.59 ...............7,909.56 ................... 7,922.80 ................... 7,907.46 ..................15.34 ................... 0.19Industrial Index ................................... 8,430.84 ...............8,418.09 ....................8,419.72 ...................8,420.66 ..................-0.94 .................. -0.01Services Index .......................................3,515.20 ...............3,508.79 ................... 3,515.20 ...................3,508.25 ....................6.95 ...................0.20MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................1,039.65 ............... 1,037.89 ................... 1,038.50 .......................997.81 ................. 40.69 ...................4.08
Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded22,131,423 ................. 3,836,977 .....................756 ................15,017,583,001 ................ 19 ........................5 .................... 15 .........................39
Index falls marginally
MUSCAT: Oman’s general index — MSM30 Index — re-mained range-bound and closed at 6,493.78 points, down by 0.01 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index closed at 998.35 points, up by 0.05 per cent. Oman & Emirates Hold-ing was the most active in terms of volume while Al Anwar Hold-ing was the most active in terms of turnover.
Oman Orix Leasing, up by 7.91 per cent, was Tuesday’s top gainer, while Oman Flour Mills, down by 2.38 per cent, was the day’s top loser.
A total number of 756 trades were executed during the day’s trading session generating turno-ver of OMR3.83 million with over 22.13 million shares changing hands. Out of 39 traded securi-ties, 19 advanced, fi ve declined and 15 remained unchanged. Omani Investors were net buyers for OMR618,000 while Foreign Investors were net sellers for OMR599,000 followed by GCC & Arab Investors for OMR19,000 worth of shares.
Financial Index gained 0.19 per cent to close at 7,922.80
points. Oman Orix Leasing, Oman & Emirates Holding, Al Anwar Holding, Ahli Bank and Gulf Investment Services gained 7.91 per cent, 3.48 per cent, 1.92 per cent, 1.44 per cent and 1.42 per cent respectively. Bank Mus-cat and Bank Sohar declined 1.08 per cent and 1.06 per cent respectively.
Industrial Index declined mar-ginally by 0.01 per cent and ended at 8,419.72 points. Construction Materials, Gulf International Chemicals, Al Maha Ceram-ics and Al Anwar Ceramics in-creased 2.50 per cent, 1.72 per cent, 1.49 per cent and 0.47 per cent respectively. Oman Flour Mills and Raysut Cement de-clined 2.38 per cent and 0.97 per cent respectively.
Services Sector Index closed at 3,515.20 points, up by 0.20 per cent. National Gas, Ooredoo, OIFC, Al Jazeera Services and Al Suwadi Power increased 1.52 per cent, 1.03 per cent, 0.83 per cent, 0.55 per cent and 0.48 per cent respectively. Al Batinah Power declined 1.93 per cent to close at OMR0.203. — United Securities
Oman Orix Leasing, up by 7.91%, was the
top gainer, while Oman Flour Mills, down
2.38%, was the day’s top loser
[email protected]@timesofoman.com
SEND US YOUR VIEWS AND COMMENTS Sensex declines; rupee dipsMUMBAI: Indian stocks de-clined, with the benchmark stock-index halting a two-day gain, amid a retreat in regional eq-uities before the Federal Reserve meet and euro-area fi nance min-isters discuss Greece’s debt crisis.
Housing Development Finance Corp. was the worst performer on the S&P BSE Bankex, which fell for the fi rst time in three days. Vedanta and Tata Steel both fell at least 1.5 per cent each. Bharat Petroleum Corp. slid to a three-week low after the fi nance minis-try is said to have proposed selling a stake in the state refi ner. Finan-cials and energy were the worst-performing groups on the MSCI India Index.
The S&P BSE Sensex fell 0.6
per cent to 26,434.66 at 1:01pm in Mumbai, while the MSCI Asia Pacifi c Index declined 0.7 per cent. Stocks were set to halt two days of gains as investors weighed the monsoon’s progress. Rainfall and its impact on food costs will be key to further rate cuts, the Reserve Bank of India said June 2 after cutting rates a third time this year.
Rupee at 21-month low The rupee continued to fall against the American currency for the fourth day on Tuesday, slipping by another 10 paise to close at 21-month low at 64.26 per dollar on sustained dollar de-mand from banks and importers ahead of the US Federal reserve
meeting amidst foreign capi-tal outfl ows. The domestic unit opened higher at 64.05 from its previous close of 64.16 at the In-terbank Foreign Exchange (Fo-rex) market on initial selling of dollars by banks and exporters.
But, it dropped afterwards to 64.3050 before ending at 21-month low at 64.26 per dollar on fag-end dollar demand from banks and importers, disclosing a loss of 10 paise or 0.16 per cent from its last close after moving in a range of 64.0500 and 64.3050 during the day.
The rupee had last ended at 65.24 per dollar on Sept 6, 2013.
The rupee has dropped by 42 paise or 0.66 per cent in the four days. — Agencies
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Civil Service ministry, Gulf Research Analysis ink pact
MUSCAT: The Ministry of Civil Service signed an agreement with local Omani research and con-sultancy agency Gulf Research Analysis recently to conduct a government service performance evaluation programme.
The programme, in its fi rst stage evaluates the performance of 11 government ministries, the fi rst of which is the Ministry of Manpow-
er, says a press release. However, the programme goes
beyond evaluation. The objec-tives of the programme involve improving front line government services in terms of delivery, cus-tomer service and the steps in-volved in obtaining a government service. The programme also seeks to establish better dialogue and intercommunication struc-
tures between diff erent govern-ment departments and ministries and encourage an environment where obstacles to service deliv-ery are solved before they become a problem. Once implemented, the
programme also includes moni-toring phases to assess service performance from the perspective of government service users over time, which will tell ministries how their users see them and high-
light areas of poor performance that require improvement.
The programme is the product of a two-year research process into government services to un-derstand the wants, needs and expectations of government ser-vice users in both the public and private sectors. This agreement, a public private partnership be-tween the government and private sector, will carry on this process and continue to share knowledge and expertise.
Harith Suleiman Al Brashdi, di-rector and owner of Gulf Research Analysis, when asked what makes this programme diff erent from other government initiatives, said: “Gulf Research Analysis’ special-ist understanding of the social and corporate mindsets, behaviours and cultures of Oman means that we can identify problems and solu-tions within the right context. This leads to better problem solving and realistic solutions that are more likely to succeed.”
The government service performance
evaluation programme is the product of a
two-year research process into government
services to understand the wants, needs and
expectations of government service users in
both the public and private sectors
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE: (Right) Sayyid Salim Musalim Al
Busaidi, undersecretary for Administrative Development Aff airs at
the Ministry of Civil Services, exchanging the signed documents
with Eng. Harith Suleiman Al Brashdi, director and owner of Gulf
Research Analysis. – Supplied photo
TSC off ers special savings with Ramadan discountsMUSCAT: The Sultan Centre (TSC) is off ering its customers a special savings with discounts up to 45 per cent across a wide selec-tion of merchandise.
The promotion which began on June 10 will continue till June 24
giving TSC customers a chance to stock up on their favourite items for the holy month of Ramadan, says a press release.
Shoppers can take advantage of irresistible off ers ranging from groceries and produce to a range
of housewares item. The current promotion is being run across all seven TSC’s stores across Oman.
So hurry over to your nearest Sultan Centre today, to take ad-vantage of great savings on your favourite items.
P R O M O T I O N
AOL 'Yogathon'
to mark Yoga
Day on June 21
MUSCAT: Come June 21 and ‘yoga’ will be the catalyst to dis-solve all boundaries as 3,000 locations around the globe will become one by the practice of the ‘12 pose yoga sequence’, a basic yoga sequence to com-memorate the International Day of Yoga.
International Yoga DayIn Oman, to mark the global cel-ebration of UN International Yoga Day on Sunday, June 21, the Art Of Living (AOL) Foun-dation Oman is organising the event ‘Yogathon 2015’ at Baush-er Sports Complex, Main Hall, Muscat, supported by the Min-istry of Sports Aff airs, Ministry of Health and Embassy of India, says a press release.
The fi nale will have a yoga demonstration in separate ses-sions for ladies and men and a felicitation ceremony, with participants performing the 12-pose yoga sequence.
All are welcome to attend the fi nale event.
C O M M E M O R A T I O N
Omanexpo presents investment opportunities at Euro-Arab ForumMUSCAT: Nader Abbas, general manager, Omanexpo, speaking at the fi rst Euro-Arab Forum themed ‘The Middle East-New Opportu-nities for Bulgarian Businesses’ at the Hilton Sofi a in Sofi a, Bulgaria recently, presented the various business and investment oppor-tunities in Oman, highlighting the government’s priority sectors of food processing, healthcare, medi-cal education, pharmaceuticals, transport infrastructure, con-struction and manufacturing.
Apart from emphasising the modern infrastructure in place in Oman, free market access through the country’s trade agreements, and Oman’s business-friendly environment, Abbas cited the government’s initiatives to boost spending on these sectors while focusing on the market poten-tials that Omanexpo’s major trade shows such as The BIG Show, Food & Hospitality Oman and Oman Health Exhibition & Con-ference off ers, says a press release.
A news release by the Bulgar-
ian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) mentions that “The conference provided infor-mation about three of the most visited and most comprehensive exhibitions in one of the richest and fastest-growing countries in the Arab world—Oman.
"The exhibitions are Oman Health — health, medical technol-ogy and equipment, Food & Hos-pitality Oman — for the food in-dustry, and The BIG Show Oman — building, construction and in-terior design exhibition.”
The forum was organised by Euro-Arab Business Forum (EABF), Ltd. in cooperation with BCCI with the support of the Pub-lic Authority for Investment Pro-motion and Export (Ithraa) and the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, Bulgaria. Ithraa also presented the opportunities in sectors identifi ed by the government as areas for economic development growth and investment.
Abbas addressed a diplomatic gathering comprising offi cials
from the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, Bulgaria, ambassadors from Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, Sudan and Palestine, including Ali Al-Kathiry, representative in Bul-garia for Oman, and about 150 Bulgarian companies represent-ing the food, health, construction and mining sectors.
He says “I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to pre-sent Oman as a potentially large market for companies in Bulgaria to explore and invest in. This comes at an opportune time when Bulgaria is seeking to shift invest-ment focus on emerging markets in the Middle East, Oman in par-ticular. As Oman is dependent on imports, this will hopefully pave the way for new investment in tourism, construction, medical tourism, and mining exploration, for which Bulgaria is commit-ted to provide business support. We are pleased to have received a positive response from a good number of Bulgarian companies for our events."
B U S I N E S S O P P O R T U N I T I E S
Badr Al Samaa Falaj Al Qabail celebrates 1st anniversaryMUSCAT: Badr Al Samaa, Falaj Al Qabail completed its fi rst anniver-sary in May.
Various events were organised to mark the occasion. The anni-versary celebrations were inaugu-rated by Ali Mohammed Hamdan Al Sheikh, director, Administra-tive and Financial Department of Manpower, North Batinah Gover-norate, says a press release.
Badr Al Samaa in coordination with Falaj KMCC organised a free blood donation camp and it was inaugurated by Dr Vidhyanandh Vaidhya, Regional Epidemiologist, the Ministry of Health, North Bati-nah Governorate. More than 70 people donated blood in the camp. Dr Asha Ashik, Internist, enlight-ened the public about the clinical aspects of blood donation. The do-nors were given one year free con-sultation in Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals.
Shamsudheen, president, Falaj KMCC, Manoj Kumar, manager, Badr Al Samaa Hospital, Sohar, Na-vas, general secretary, Falaj KMCC, Aneesh Mohanan, manager, Badr Al Samaa, Falaj, doctors, support staff and various other dignitaries were present on the occasion. Dr Danish Sardar, paediatrician deliv-
ered the vote of thanks. A free medical camp was also
organised. Specialist doctors, nursing and paramedical staff participated in the camp that lasted for three days. It provided opportunity to working class, who are employed, with various companies and associations, to have one to one consultation with most experienced doctors. Over 400 patients registered, were ex-amined, screened and counselled for occupational diseases, tropi-cal diseases, diabetes, hyperten-sion, gastro intestinal problems, chest and pulmonary diseases and skin. New cases, latent diseases and conditions were detected and brought to the fore, and an aware-
ness of health and healthcare was impressed upon.
Patients were educated about their conditions and free treat-ment was given. Those requiring specialised medical attention were referred, for expert management.
Board of directors Abdul Latheef, V. T. Vinod and P.A Mo-hammed said, “We are grateful to the public of Batinah region, whose continuous support helped us to establish our name in the region. We expect your continued support and cooperation in future. We also appreciate the branch head, the doctors, paramedical staff , nursing staff and all other support staff , for their ceaseless eff orts and valuable contributions to Falaj branch.”
S P E C I A L O C C A S I O N
Khimji Ramdas participates in OER business summit
MUSCAT: The Khimji Ramdas Group was a key participant in the recently concluded OER Busi-ness Summit 2015, which brought business leaders together in an animated discussion on challeng-es and choices before the govern-ment in a scenario of plummeting oil prices.
Pankaj Khimji, director at Kh-imji Ramdas was among the group of speakers at the panel discussion titled ‘Life at $50 a Barrel’.
The ensuing debate addressed concerns faced by government and private sectors - as businesses from both economic segments grappled with falling oil prices - and the way forward in success-fully overcoming the challenges that followed, says a press release.
Khimji put up a list of recom-mendations that were viewed as possible solutions to companies – especially those operating in the private sector – on how to leverage the prevailing trend of low oil pric-es to turn around businesses and
promote economic growth. Some of the key strategies proposed by Pankaj Khimji included increased economic diversifi cation, greater autonomy to the private sector, the addition of VAT where necessary, freeing up government labour poli-cies and resolving issues relating to red-tape in conducting business.
Increasing effi ciencies and pro-ductivity, he argued, would be far more benefi cial to the economy in
the long run than the usual prac-tice of retrenchment in order to curb costs. “In the private sector, if we shed fi ve per cent of our staff it adversely aff ects the sentiments of existing employees as well as productivity. A possible and more eff ective option would be to cap salary increases instead. Both gov-ernment and private sectors need to discuss ways on how to increase effi ciencies in industries so we can
be more competitive,” Pankaj said.On the subject of government
involvement in the private sector he said, “The government should listen to challenges faced by the private sector in conducting busi-ness. For future businesses to carry on, the government needs to allow ease of regulations. One sug-gestion is to set up a committee to focus on strategies to make doing business in Oman effi cient, easy and eff ective.”
Pankaj also explained how the levy of taxes and duty could allow companies in the private sector greater independence in busi-ness. “We recommend that the government levy service charges and free up the economy. Let me hire people as long as my busi-ness grows and I’m paying the taxes to the government. Also if skilled workers even after going through diff erent procedures are not up to par we should be able to select, replace and hire replace-ment staff accordingly.”
K E Y P A R T I C I P A N T
ISC ladies organise Italian cuisine demoMUSCAT: How does one man-age to look glamorous and con-jure up a delicious, well planned, meal so eff ortlessly? Well, that’s exactly what Pallavi Nigam Sa-hay managed to do at the Ladies Wing get-together at the Indian Social Club recently.
Not only did she show the la-dies how to put together a fi ve course Italian meal in record time, she also added a few Ital-ian words to their vocabulary! Besides the cooking enthusiasts, there were those who had caught a glimpse of Pallavi’s culinary expertise, thanks to Thursday magazine, who eagerly turned up to witness the chef in action.
Needless to say, they were not disappointed. With her easy going manner, and the comfortable way in which she fi elded questions from the enthusiastic group, the session was a big hit. As the ad-
age goes, “the taste of the pudding is in the eating”; likewise having tasted not only the Tiramisu at the end of the session, but also the other scrumptious prepa-rations, one came away with a feeling of having temporarily been transported to the beauti-ful land of culture, art, history and culinary delights – surely a feast for the eyes and food to tan-talise the taste buds.
G E T - T O G E T H E R
B6 W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
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RECRUIT
Honda Oman announces mega deals
MUSCAT: Omasco, the author-ised distributors of Honda vehi-cles in the Sultanate, announced a unique Ramadan off er along with exclusive benefi ts and off ers on their Honda line-ups.
Major highlights The off er extends till the end of Ramadan and includes free in-surance (Oman and UAE), free service package for 3 years /50K km (up to 80k km on select mod-els), free registration and a free gift (that includes a Black and
Decker car hand vacuum) with each model purchase. Custom-ers will also get a chance to win OMR500 during daily raffl e draws and OMR1,000 on weekly raffl e draws, says a press release.
Selfi e contest During the holy month of Rama-dan, customers can walk into Honda showrooms in Muscat or Sohar and take a ‘selfi e’ against the Ramadan backdrop placed inside the showroom and post it on their social media profi le us-ing the #hondaoman hashtag. All participants will enter a draw and can win a weekly prize of a 55 inch Panasonic TV every week during Ramadan and a CBR 250R Honda motorcycle in the last week of the holy month.
Adil Al Zadjali, National Sales Manager, Honda, said: “This year’s Ramadan off er is in a way refl ec-tive of the spirit of the holy month. Ramadan is the month of giving and our off er says it all. It is our way of showing gratitude to all our valued customers, who have pat-ronised Honda over the years. We are confi dent that we can jointly work towards providing custom-ers the very best through our off er.”
This Ramadan, customers can take advantage of the smartphone
mobile app which features nu-merous benefi ts it brings. Users can book service appointments, browse Honda’s latest off erings and gain real-time information on the Honda vehicle range including in-depth specifi cation details, all at the click of a button.
2016 Honda City The 2016 City, which has been developed as a global sedan, en-compasses the best of Honda’s technologies to deliver advanced sporty design, best comfort and best fuel effi ciency in the cat-egory. The Honda City has under-gone a complete design change based on a grand concept of an “advanced cool sporty car” that has a stunning presence with its
dynamic stance, outstanding fuel effi ciency, comfortable and spa-cious interiors. It aims to refl ect sophistication and vigor while in motion and a striking charisma when stationary.
2016 Honda Accord The Accord refl ects its status as a dynamic, intelligent sedan with deeply sculpted sharp character lines in the exterior. The vehicle is equipped with a bold chrome grille to enhance the expressive charac-ter of the car keeping the local taste in mind. All grades are equipped with daytime running lights and LED brake lights. LED headlights and LaneWatch camera for the V6 Sports grade adds to the sophistica-tion of the modern sedan.
Honda CR-VWith a sophisticated overall look and feel, the Honda CR-V boasts a 2.4 litre i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and Continuously Variable Trans-mission (CVT). It has a fuel econo-my rating of 23/31 for front drives and 22/30 for 4 wheel drives. As standard equipment, every CR-V incorporates an electronic stabil-ity control system, antilock brakes with brake assist, driver and front-passenger airbags, side curtain airbags with roll over sensor and a front seat design that can help re-duce the severity of neck injury in the event of a rear collision.
Honda Pilot The Pilot is Honda’s midsize 4x4 off ering, and their largest off ering at this time. The new look features a new standard grille, new front and rear bumpers, and optional new wheels, along with a few other cabin additions. The Pilot can seat eight people at a pinch.
The standard 3.5-litre V6 en-gine features variable cylinder management (VCM) which al-lows it to operate on half the cyl-inders when power is not needed, improving fuel economy. Pilot Touring has navigation system and rear entertainment system as standard features.
Honda Odyssey The Honda Odyssey, the upmarket minivan, is aimed at big families, and is longer, wider and lower than the previous version. It comes in LX, EXL and Touring trim lev-els. Mechanical specs include a 3.5-litre V6 with cylinder-shutoff technology, a 6-speed automatic, MacPherson strut front and dou-ble-wishbone rear suspension, 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels and an 80-litre fuel tank. Odyssey Touring has navigation system and rear entertainment system as standard features.
Extended showroom timing Honda has extended the opening hours for its key Honda showrooms across Oman in order to better ac-commodate their patrons and en-able them to visit the showrooms at a time that is convenient for them. During Ramadan the extended hours provide additional fl exibility.
Honda commitment Honda is confi dent that its show-rooms will continue to welcome increased footfalls with auto en-thusiasts over the coming weeks of Ramadan to avail of the promo-tion. Giving brings joy during the holy season and the current Rama-dan off er is testament to this.
Omasco off er will run
till end of Ramadan.
Customers will also
get a chance to win
OMR500 during daily
raffl e draws and
OMR1,000 on
weekly raffl e draws
SECTION
RECRUIJ O B P O S T I N G S
WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
Get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. — Jim Collins
Managing your
after-hours
work demands
HAVE you ever gotten an e-mail from your supervisor’s secretary late one afternoon, just as you were wrapping up for the day, saying: “The boss needs to see you now”? Or worse, the summons came late Friday when you had plans to enjoy the night with your family?
What is it about 5pm that seems to entice managers to fi nd more pressing things for their employees to do?
I have heard from employees lamenting the fact that their bosses pile on more work or ask to see them after hours and on the weekend. Some of these re-quests are legitimate, and some jobs require critical immediate decisions and actions. But do all jobs? Do all these tasks have to be done right away or can some of them wait until the following morning or after the weekend?
Some of you may think such people are lucky they have jobs and should stop complaining. People should feel fortunate to have a job, and many are work-ing hard to do well — in many cases even putting in extra hours, especially with reduced staff s in many fi rms today. But the real issue is what can we do to better manage expectations for after-hour work without getting fi red?
Good communication is im-portant in any conversation you have with your boss. Clear, concise comments, delivered in a calm tone and face-to-face are your best bet. E-mail or texting your concerns is not the best way to approach these issues.
Ask your manager to priori-tise your assignments. Some-times bosses are not even aware of the vast number of projects they have dumped on their employees.
Present data to your boss about the hours you have worked. Maybe you’re supposed to work 40 hours but your man-ager has had you working 60 to 70 for the past month. Perhaps you were initially helping out since staff had left and positions had not yet been fi lled. Docu-ment what you have been doing and calmly share it.
Work with your manager to set more realistic expectations. This can help eliminate or post-pone the extra work your boss throws at you.
Before you talk to your manag-er, practice what you’ll say. Have someone role-play the scenario so you can practice how you will respond to questions or issues. This will give you increased con-fi dence when you do meet.
If the conversation gets heated, take a break. It’s better to come back to the issue again when both parties have had more time to refl ect.
While you might have the goal of getting your boss to change his or her practice of dumping work on you after hours, sometimes just getting them to listen to your concerns and be willing to talk with you again might be a good fi rst step. If they do listen, follow up (within a day) with a note or email thank-you for their time and willingness to listen.
Bosses can also do some things:
Rethink “the boss needs to see you” e-mails or messages with-out any explanation. They can come across as a summons and be very stressful for your em-ployees, especially if they don’t know why you want to see them.
If you want healthy (less-stressed) employees, don’t send e-mails after hours on week-days or weekends in jobs where the work does not have to be done right away.
If you have to send an email regarding work after hours, let your employee know if he or she has to respond right away. Cer-tainly don’t fl ag it as urgent if it really isn’t.
Allow your employees time in the evenings or weekends to see their families and friends, to engage in their hobbies, and to reconnect with their commu-nities. Not only will they come back more refreshed, but they may become more loyal as well. — Joyce E. A. Russell/The Washington Post
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Sonata named Best Midsize Sedan in 2015
MUSCAT: Hyundai Motor Com-pany has once again received praise from the region’s most re-spected motoring experts, with the all-new Sonata being named Best Midsized Sedan of 2015 by leading Middle East and Africa motoring magazine, Automobile.
The award-winning all-new So-nata was launched in the Middle East and Africa in September 2014 and became the second Hyundai model to feature the brand’s Flu-idic Sculpture 2.0 design concept, while also off ering modern styl-ing, excellent performance, and practical application of the latest technologies such as smart trunk
function and blind spot detection, says a press release.
Now in its seventh genera-tion, the all-new Sonata deliv-ers maximum driver confi dence through the inclusion of top safety features and a new suspen-sion, which provides the driver with a smoother overall ride. Pio-neering safety technology such as vehicle stability management, hill assist control and electric parking brake are all included. Three engine options are avail-able: a newly launched 2.0L four cylinder Turbo gasoline direct injection (T-GDI) engine, a 2.0 L multi-port injection (MPI) unit
and a 2.4 L MPI engine. Automobile is one of the re-
gion’s most respected motoring magazines and has a circulation that spans the whole of the Mid-dle East and parts of Africa. The magazine was founded in 1994 and is based in Lebanon. General Manager and Editor-In-Chief, Ibrahim Fakhri is one of the re-gion’s most highly respected mo-toring journalists.
Commenting on the accolade, Fakhri said: “The all-new Sonata has been subjected to numerous performance tests as part of our judging process and it is a deserv-ing winner of the midsize sedan award. Not only does this model look great but it also exceeds in the engine option category.”
“Since it fi rst arrived in the Middle East and Africa in 1988, the Sonata has proven extremely popular with the region’s car buyers. Awards such as this one from Automobile demonstrate that the all-new Sonata is per-fectly equipped to continue this success,” said Jin (James) Kim, vice president and head of Hyun-dai operations in Africa and the Middle East.
The award-winning all-new Sonata was
launched in the Middle East and Africa in
September 2014 and became the second
Hyundai model to feature the brand’s Fluidic
Sculpture 2.0 design concept
Bank Muscat launches SME digital information channelMUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the fl ag-ship fi nancial services provider in the Sultanate, as part of its commitment to sustainable so-cial development and promoting the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, launched a dedicat-ed digital information channel for entrepreneurs under the auspices of Said bin Saleh Al Kiyumi, chair-man of Oman Chamber of Com-merce and Industry, at the bank’s head offi ce on Monday, in the pres-ence of Abdul Razak Ali Issa, chief executive of Bank Muscat.
al Wathbah SME TV from Bank Muscat is the fi rst educational video channel in the banking sec-tor in Oman with the sole objec-tive of helping SMEs gain 24/7 access to vital information that help drive their business further. The initiative comes as part of the bank’s commitment to sustain-able social development, comple-menting government eff orts in strengthening the role of SMEs in the economic development of Oman, says a press release.
The dedicated online channel for SME customers mainly in-cludes videos featuring experts sharing critical information on subjects that help SMEs gain in-depth understanding about busi-ness operations integral to suc-ceed. Al Kiyumi congratulated
Bank Muscat for launching the unique al Wathbah SME infor-mation channel. “The bank’s ini-tiatives to encourage the country’s youth to embark on self-sustain-able employment initiatives are in line with the directive of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to support the SME sector and strengthen its role in the economic development of Oman,” he added.
Abdul Razak Ali Issa said: “Bank Muscat is proud to launch yet an-other unique initiative to enhance support to the SME sector in Oman. The SME information channel will play an important role in fi lling the gaps and empowering entrepre-neurs to chart successful business ventures. The information chan-nel marks a clear progression of the well-defi ned strategy pursued by the bank in line with the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to support the SME sector, es-pecially youth, in Oman.”
The primary objective of al Wathbah SME TV, accessible on Bank Muscat website, is to provide a common platform to educate and update SMEs on the latest rules, regulations, challenges and op-portunities for SME business ven-tures etc. The SME channel will be updated on a regular basis to high-light topics relevant to SMEs.
Ilham Al Hamaid, AGM – SME Credit, Marketing and Regional Corporates, said: “The objective of al Wathbah SME channel is to provide relevant information and impart the required skills and guidance for entrepreneurs to es-tablish successful business ven-tures in Oman. In light of the busi-ness environment in Oman which off ers tremendous opportunities and challenges for the SME sector, Bank Muscat remains committed to creating self-employment op-portunities for citizens across the Sultanate.”
A L W A T H B A H S M E T V
WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM
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SECTIONC W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
STUNNED RAFA NADAL CRASHES OUT AT QUEEN’S Rafael Nadal suff ered a shock fi rst round exit from the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen’s Club as the Spanish star was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4 by unheralded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov on Tuesday. >C6
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AL UEEN’S
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as 6-7 ian y. >C6
Guam stun India, Aussies survive scare, Japan heldSINGAPORE: Guam stunned India to move to the top of their 2018 World Cup qualifying group on Tuesday, while Japan saw their campaign get off to a rocky start as they were held to a goal-less draw by Singapore.
Reigning Asian champions Australia scraped past a gritty Kyrgyzstan with a 2-1 victory.
South Korea, China and the United Arab Emirates, mean-while, had no such problems with all winning their opening match-es in their bids to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia.
The tiny Pacifi c island of Guam produced Tuesday’s most re-markable result, with the Matao winning 2-1 against the oppo-nents who are currently 33 spots ahead of them in the Fifa world rankings.
Looking to build on their 1-0 win over Turkmenistan on Thursday, Guam took the lead at the GFA National Training Cent-er after 38 minutes when Bran-don McDonald headed in Ryan Guy’s long throw-in.
Travis Nicklaw extended the advantage in the 62nd minute when he received a long pass from his elder brother Shawn and fi red home on the turn.
Sunil Chhetri got a consolation goal for India with the last kick of the game but it did little to take the shine off the result for Guam, who moved to the top of Group D
with six points from two games.Australia will count them-
selves lucky that they didn’t suff er a similar fate as India. Mile Jedi-nak gave the Socceroos an early lead in the second minute of the game when his free kick from 25 yards out wasn’t stopped by the Kyrgyzstan keeper Valery Kashu-ba. But then instead of buckling under the pressure, the home side went on the attack and caused quite a few problems for the rag-ged Aussie defence.
The second half saw a similar script with Kyrgyzstan extremely unlucky not to score as they hit the side netting three times. But then in the 67th minute Tommy Oar, who had come on as a substitute just nine minutes earlier, scored the second goal for Australia.
Kyrgyzstan tried to keep up the attacking tempo but could only fi nd a consolation goal through Azamat Baimatov in injury time.
It left the central Asians ruing the missed chances that could have caused a big upset.
Japan, meanwhile, dominated their opening match in Group E in the second round of Asian qualifying against Singapore but they failed to make their posses-sion count against the Lions at a packed Saitama Stadium 2002.
The Blue Samurai are aiming to qualify for a sixth consecutive World Cup, but Singapore goal-keeper Izwan Mahbud made a
string of excellent saves to deny the home side, including a pair of superb stops to keep out second-half headers by Shinji Okazaki and Keisuke Honda.
Honda went closest to breaking the deadlock with a 73rd minute free-kick that came back off the crossbar.
The stalemate meant that Sin-gapore moved to the top of Group E with four points following their 4-0 win against Cambodia on Thursday.
Afghanistan are level with sec-ond-placed Syria on three points.
South Korea, who are eyeing a ninth consecutive World Cup ap-pearance, started well in Group G as goals in either half by Lee Jae-Sung and Bayer Leverkusen’s Son Heung-Min gave them a 2-0 win over Myanmar.
China also made an excellent start in Group C with striker Yang Xu netting a hat-trick in a 6-0 thrashing of Bhutan at Thimphu, but Asian Cup semifi nalists UAE had to work hard for a 1-0 win over Timor Leste in Group A as Omar Abdulrahman netted the only goal 10 minutes from time.
Hong Kong lead the way in Group C after a 2-0 win over Mal-dives, Thailand sit atop Group F after winning 2-0 at Chinese Taipei and North Korea are front-runners in Group H following a 4-2 victory over Uzbekistan in Pyongyang. - AFP
W O R L D C U P Q U A L I F I E R S
KHAN CLAN READY TO PROPEL SQUASH IN OMAN
T.K. [email protected]
MUSCAT: One person who is highly impressed by the growth of squash in Oman is none other than a popular member of the Khan clan, which has ruled the sport for many years.
We are talking about Yousaf Khan. For those who have played squash in Oman
many years ago, it will ring a bell. But for the new generation, it is heartening
news to know that this squash personality is still very much in the Sultanate and also is ready to impart his knowledge for the upcoming squash racquet wielders.
Coming to the point, Yousaf is the fi rst cousin of Pakistani legend and former world champion Jahangir Khan.
Jahangir had lately launched a campaign in Pakistan to revive the sport and Yousaf says he is ready to bring in Jahangir’s legacy for the benefi t of squash players in Oman. Yousaf, like Jahangir, has been a top player in Pakistan, having repre-sented the country in many international tourna-ments. He has also been a prominent contender
in the national scenario in Pakistan. Yousaf’s highlight was in playing the World Champion-ship in Karachi 1984, where he defeated England No. 1 Lars Kuvent only to fall to world No. 2 Hiddy Jahan in the second round.
Speaking to Times Sport: “I don’t know if any-one remembers about World Grand Prix played in Oman. In the tournament played at the Al Falaj Hotel courts, where I faced the likes of world No. 16 Qamar Zamam of Pakistan.”
Adding on, Yousaf reminded the days when he was No.1 player in Oman and his avatar as the Gulf champion. Yousaf won the Gulf crown during the 1986 Gulf Championship held in Ma-nama, Bahrain. “For the past 25 years I have been playing and teaching the sport,” he said. “I contin-ue to do what I can to spread the game and help in developing the future players.”
Sensing that there is a renewed vigour in the sport in Oman, Yousaf said: “I am pleased to hear that squash is picking up in Oman. Young Omanis have the talent but the need is of good trainers.”
On his idea of imparting his knowledge, Yousaf said: “My plan is to visit schools and col-leges and spot the talent. But it depends if I get a chance. I am also planning to meet the current crop of players and share my ideas for the benefi t of the game.”
He went on to say that to make the sport popu-lar, Oman should have more squash tournaments. “If needed I have also a plan to invite Jahangir Khan for Oman’s squash tournaments. Having him as a guest will boost the squash further,” said Yousaf. “As we all know Jahangir is running his own squash academy in Karachi and his exper-tise is sure to help the game in Oman.”
— Photo by JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman
Yousaf Khan, the
fi rst cousin of the
legendary squash
player Jahangir
Khan, is promising
to bring in former
world champion’s
legacy for the
benefi t of Oman’s
squash players
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Mohit sees himself as a beginner
NEW DELHI: Speedster Mohit Sharma, who calls himself a “be-ginner in international cricket” attributes his recent success in in-ternational cricket to the opportu-nities that was given to him by his IPL and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Mohit has played 20 ODIs and four T20s since making his de-but international debut in August 2013. It would be fair to say that he is a regular in the limited overs squad, if not in the playing XI. However, the soft spoken cricketer from Faridabad sees his position in the side diff erently.
“Actually I still see myself as beginner. The only big diff er-ence (since debut) has been that I spend double time on my bowling and fi tness. When you fi nally get to play for India, then you realise how tough it is keep doing well and maintain your place in the team,” Mohit told PTI before leaving for Bangladesh for the three-match ODI series.
Next month, he is set to travel to Zimbabwe, a place where he donned the India jersey for the fi rst time in 2013 following a suc-cessful IPL with Chennai Super Kings. Mohit may not be in the ‘express league’ like Umesh Yadav or Varn Aaron, but has made good use of his strength, which is con-sistently bowling an accurate line and length.
Ask him about his evolution as a bowler in the last two years, the 26-year-old has plenty to say.
“I think am a lot wiser now. I am able to assess the situation much faster than earlier times. I have experienced major changes in my body as well, the fi tness has in-
creased and because of that I have gained speed as well. Overall, I feel much more knowledgeable about the game. “I am very much a begin-ner but learning can’t stop even if
you become a very big player. When you enter international cricket, you instantly get to know what to do at what time just by sitting in the dress-ing room. Besides that, the pressure
situations teaches you a lot.”And he doesn’t like if you only
call him a line and length bowler.“I may not be super quick but I
think I bowl at a decent pace. I have
been consistently hitting 135-140 kmph and that’s decent speed. And it not just about pace for me. I focus on landing the ball in the right areas and leave the rest to the conditions. Having said that, I understand that I need to improve improve my pace further,” he retorts.
Like many others, luck has played a substantial role in Mohit’s fl edgling career. He replaced an in-jured Ishant Sharma in World Cup squad and ended up playing in all eight matches, taking 13 wickets at an average of 24.15.
“Really feel fortunate to be part of that squad and whatever chances I have got so far, it has been made possible by Mahi bhai (Dhoni). Anyone who is new to in-ternational cricket cannot do well without the support of his captain. I feel lucky to playing under him in IPL and in the Indian team.
“The best part about him is that he helps you out in all matters, on and off the fi eld. But I did not feel this way when I just joined Chen-nai Super Kings.
“When I was new at Super Kings, he did not used to talk to me much. And when your captain is not talk-ing to you, you often feel that you are doing something wrong. But I realised it was not like that when I eventually spoke to him.
“The fi rst thing he told me that ‘if I would have straightaway come to you and spoken, you would have felt the pressure of doing well. I know you have already done well in Ranji Trophy and you will do here as well’. For a beginner like me, those words coming from Mahi bhai gives you a huge push.”
While he spends a lot of time with Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) when he is with the Indian team, Ashish Nehra is his ‘go to man’ in IPL.
“I have grown up watching Ashu bhai (Nehra) bowl. He advises you in every phase of the game. How to bowl on a particular pitch, how to bowl in a specifi c situation.
Normally, we underestimate the length ball in T20s but he has made me understood that length is very important part of your bowling.
“For example, it is rare you see AB (de Villiers) or Chris Gayle, hit-ting a length ball for a six. Either we pitch it too full or too short. Be-fore they try something, the bowler ends up trying a lot and ends up giving loose balls,” explains Mohit.
We conclude the chat by asking him about his Test ambitions.
“As I said before, I am working a lot on my fi tness. If get an opportu-nity, I am full ready for the fi ve-day format.” - PTI
Speedster Mohit
Sharma, who calls
himself a “beginner
in international
cricket” attributes
his recent success in
international cricket
to the opportunities
that was given to him
by his IPL and India
captain Mahendra
Singh Dhoni
LONG WAY TO GO: Mohit Sharma is set to travel to Zimbabwe, a place where he donned the India jersey for the fi rst time in 2013 following
a successful IPL with Chennai Super Kings. – File photo
Dhoni & Co. gear up for ODI series against BangladeshDHAKA: Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be back in the saddle after over a month-long break as eight players join India’s squad and get battle-ready to face Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series starting Thursday.
Dhoni along with Stuart Bin-ny, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Suresh Raina, Mohit Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni and Ambati Rayudu arrived here yesterday to face the hosts in the limited-overs matches.
India, who had gained a moral victory by making Bangladesh follow-on in the rain-hit one-off Test match that ended Sunday, are looking to carry on their good showing even as some of the Test players returned home.
India’s team manager Biswarup Dey informed that the team gave a send-off to the players returning home.
“Team India decided to go out last night. We decided to
celebrate because of the good performance. Some of the Test players are leaving and so it was also the last day with all the play-ers together,” Dey was quoted as
saying on ‘thedailystar.Net’.The ODIs slated for June 18,
21 and 24 in Mirpur have all been assigned reserve days due to mon-soon showers in the country.
India last played a bilateral se-ries in Bangladesh in 2014 when the Suresh Raina-led side got past the hosts 2-0 after the fi nal ODI was washed off . - PTI
C R I C K E T
BACK IN BUSINESS: Indian ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni , left, and Test skipper Virat Kohli,
right, attend a practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. – AFP
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SPORTSW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
England are far more ‘scary’ now
LONDON: New Zealand coach Mike Hesson believes his side are now facing a far more “scary” England team com-pared to the one the Blackcaps thrashed at the World Cup.
In February, New Zealand hammered England by eight wickets in Wellington en route to a World Cup fi nal which they lost to co-hosts Australia.
The Blackcaps skittled out
England for just 123 on that oc-casion, with Tim Southee taking a New Zealand one-day interna-tional record seven for 33.
New Zealand then chased down their meagre target in a mere 12.2 overs, with skipper Brendon McCullum blasting 77 in 25 balls. But Hesson’s men haven’t had things all their own way during their ongoing fi ve-match one-day international se-
ries in England. The fi rst ODI at Edgbaston saw England make 408 for nine in a 210-run win — both national records.
New Zealand levelled the se-ries with a 13-run Duckworth/Lewis success at The Oval but only after England, initially chasing 399 for victory, had been 345 for seven and needing 54 more runs from 37 balls when rain stopped play.
The Blackcaps, however, went 2-1 up at Southampton on Sunday after restricting England to 302 all out.
But they still needed a New Zealand record third-wicket stand of 206 between Kane Wil-liamson (118) and Ross Taylor (110) to take them close to completing a three-wicket win which was only sealed with an over to spare.
England’s team at the Rose
Bowl contained just four sur-vivors from their Wellington humiliation in skipper Eoin Morgan, batsman Joe Root, wicket-keeper Jos Buttler and fast bowler Steven Finn.
Dangerous EnglandImproving England’s standing in 50-over cricket is a key aim for new director of cricket An-drew Strauss and now the likes of opener Alex Hales, all-round-er Ben Stokes, leg-spinner Adil Rashid and left-arm paceman David Willey are being given a chance to show what they can do at international level
Hesson, asked if England’s performances in the series so far had been a surprise, given how poor they had been at a World Cup where they crashed out in the fi rst round and didn’t beat a Test nation, told report-
ers in Southampton on Monday: “They are a completely diff erent team, a diff erent team in so many ways.
“If this side was at the World Cup, I think they would certain-ly scare a few teams in terms of the way they play,” he added.
“They haven’t quite nailed it yet, but you are never going to straight away. But on their day, crikey, they are dangerous,” insisted Hesson ahead of the fourth ODI at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge ground on Wednesday.
England have cited New Zealand as an example to follow in 50-over cricket but Hesson said: “No-one owns a particular style.
“I think England are playing a brand of cricket that puts you under the pump unless you are really on-song.”
New Zealand too have a slightly diff erent look to the team that played at the World Cup, with Ben Wheeler given a debut at the Rose Bowl on Sunday after fellow left-arm seamer Trent Boult was ruled out of the rest of the tour with a back injury.
Wheeler, 23, responded with an impressive three for 63, while novice left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner took one for 30 in fi ve overs, and Hesson said: “Ben, you couldn’t expect much more from a debutant, taking three of the top seven wickets and being there at the end with the bat.
“The beauty of the squad is that we trust everyone to take on key roles. We certainly gave them (Wheeler and Santner) key roles, we didn’t hide them, and they stood up.” - AFP
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson thinks
England are playing a brand of cricket
that puts one under the pump
unless a team is really on-song
Home conditions give England ‘edge over Australia in Ashes’LONDON: Pakistan’s veteran all-rounder Shahid Afridi has said England’s home ground ad-vantage gives them an edge over Australia in the upcoming Ashes series, which starts in less than a month in Cardiff , England.
England have not lost to Aus-tralia on home soil in Ashes for 14 years and Afridi, who recently concluded a brief stint with Eng-lish Twenty20 side Northamp-tonshire, said England’s bowlers will lift themselves in their own backyard.
“England will have advantage of playing in home conditions. Their bowlers know a thing or two about bowling in England. If you notice they have always bowled better in England as com-pared to other countries,” Afridi was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday.
“They may have struggled in the One-Day Internationals (ODI) lately (against New Zea-land) but in Tests we can expect a good contest from them. I can’t pick one team as favourite to win the Ashes but I think England will have a slight advantage due to home conditions,” he said.
Australia completed a 2-0 se-ries clean sweep against the West Indies last week, the same oppo-nents England drew with 1-1 all in April and May.
England drew their most recent
Test series 1-1 against New Zea-land with questions surround-ing England’s middle-order bat-ting and bowling unit still largely unanswered.
Afridi also revealed the two Australians that have caused him the most grief over his 19-year international career are Glenn McGrath and Michael Clarke.
Afridi was dismissed fi ve times in 25 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and once in Tests against McGrath.
“The bowler I always admired
and found really tough was Glenn McGrath,” Afridi said.
“He is the sort of bowler you can’t hit blindly. He just does not give you a chance to hit. I don’t think I have seen a better new-ball bowler than him in my career.”
Afridi said as a bowler he fi nds current Test skipper Clarke the most diffi cult to dislodge.
“I think Michael Clarke was the best Australian batsman I bowled to. It is because his footwork against spin is extremely good,” 35-year-old Afridi said. — IANS
CR I CKET
I can’t pick one team
as favourite to win
the Ashes but I think
England will have a
slight advantage
Shahid AfridiPakistan all-rounder
Teen spinner snares seven on debut
LONDON: Teenager Matt Carter enjoyed the most suc-cessful debut by an off -spinner in the English County Cham-pionship for 77 years when he took seven for 56 to bowl Not-tinghamshire into a strong po-sition in their First Division match away to Somerset on Monday. Somerset were well-placed at 112 for two in reply to Nottinghamshire’s fi rst innings 410 —which included former Zimbabwe batsman Brendan Taylor’s 152 — when 19-year-old Carter started to make in-roads from the River End.
He took seven wickets in just 12 overs at a cost of 45 runs.
Carter’s fi gures were the best by a spinner on Championship debut since Australian Jack Walsh took seven for 46 for Leicestershire against North-amptonshire in 1938.
“My fi rst ball was a nervous one, but the lads were talking to me and after my fi rst over was fi nished I felt a lot more confi -dent,” said Carter. “It’s always nice to see a ball turn, especially on day two, and that is a bonus for me because my height al-lows me to get extra bounce.
“When I fi rst started bowl-ing I didn’t turn the ball much, but now I have worked on a few things and turn it more.” — AFP
FEAT
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SPORTSW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
The Wave, Oman Air look to maintain domination at Cardiff
MUSCAT: Cardiff , the United Kingdom, has proved a happy hunting ground over the years for Oman Sail’s teams as they ruled the Welsh waves with three back to back wins between them, but the pressure is now on to maintain the winning streak and earn valu-able points in this year’s Extreme Sailing Series.
The Wave, Muscat took the Car-diff crown in 2014 and 2013, claim-ing victory ahead of 2012 winners Oman Air. Both crews are back again this year to battle it out for the fourth successive Omani win.
“We have done a few events in
Cardiff now and it has been pretty good to us over the years but we feel like we must win this one. We want to win this one,” said Leigh McMillan, skipper of The Wave, Muscat, who last month turned his hand to racing the foiling GC32s along with his core crew Nasser Al Mashari and Pete Greenhalgh, and after just four days of training swept to victory on board Sultan-ate of Oman at inaugural the Bul-litt GC32 Racing Tour in Austria.
“We were level at the top of the 2015 Extreme Sailing Series lead-erboard with SAP Extreme Sail-ing Team before the last event
in Qingdao, China, but lost out to them in the end. We have had some success here before and look forward to repeating it again this year. We learned quite a lot during our GC32 experience and it helped to highlight a few things we had stopped doing. In Cardiff , we know what to expect – it is a skinny patch of water and it is often breezy, so the racing will be exciting and fast paced and we are hoping to come out on top.”
The Wave, Muscat bowman, Nasser Al Mashari, has been a winner on both Oman Air and The Wave, Muscat in Cardiff and is ex-cited about returning to one of his favourite venues.
“We have done very well in Cardiff previously – it is a great venue and we love to sail there. It is a tight reaching course and very windy but our teamwork is getting better and better, so hopefully we can achieve another win in Car-diff for The Wave, Muscat and Oman,” he said.
The Wave, Muscat currently stands in second place on the over-all leaderboard, just one point be-hind SAP Extreme Sailing Team
after three events, while Stevie Morrison’s Oman Air are in 5th place and keen to pull out all the stops in a venue that many of the crew consider ‘home’ waters.
“Hopefully we will get some good support in Cardiff and that will give us an advantage,” he said. “We will certainly be quite com-fortable in our home environment and I hope that will show in our performances. We learned some lessons in Qingdao and have had some good discussions since, so if we can execute what we have set down as areas that we can improve on, then I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t get on the podium.
“Oman Air won this event in 2012 and, although none of us were on board then, we would hope the boat knows its way around the course!”
Racing at the Extreme Sailing Series Act 4, Cardiff presented by Land Rover, starts on Thursday June 18 and continues through to June 21 2015. It is one of the narrowest city-centre stadium racecourses on the global tour with racing often very tight and action packed.
The Wave, Muscat took the Cardiff crown in
2014 and 2013, claiming victory ahead of
2012 winners Oman Air. Both crews are back
again this year to battle it out for the fourth
successive Omani win
SMOOTH SAILING: File picture of last year’s Extreme Sailing Series at Cardiff . – Supplied photo
Ahmad eyeing change in fortuneMUSCAT: Paul Ricard in the south of France will host the longest race of the Blancpain Endurance Series season so far this coming Saturday, 20th June, where Ahmad Al Harthy is eye-ing a change in fortune for the Oman Racing Team.
While the successful squad is enjoying a strong season in the Avon Tyres British GT Champi-onship, where Ahmad and team-mate Daniel Lloyd are currently fi fth in the driver standings and lead the ‘Silver Cup’ classifi ca-tion, their Blancpain campaign has been less than straightfor-ward up to now.
Even so, the team’s pace with its Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 has been clear and at Paul Ricard this weekend there will be a very strong determination from the duo, who will be part-nered by Endurance Series team-mate Jonny Adam, to chalk-up a fi rst points-scoring top 10 fi nish of 2015.
At six hours in duration, the Paul Ricard 1,000km on Saturday will be double the length of the fi rst two rounds of the Blancpain season and will therefore provide an even greater challenge for the 60-plus car grid.
Added to that, the race will begin at 17.00 (local time) so the chequered fl ag won’t fall until darkness has blanketed the Le Castellet venue, providing an-other variable for the drivers to get to grips with and a challenge Ahmad is relishing.
“It’s true we haven’t had the season we wanted up to now in Blancpain but we know we can turn things around at Paul Ricard”, said the Aston Martin Middle East and North Africa ambassador, “The pace has been there, we proved that at Monza and Silverstone, but a variety of things have gone against us un-fortunately.
“Our car is working very well, the Aston has been a pleasure to drive all year in Blancpain and also British GT, and the team has been doing a fantastic job. Some-
times motor racing is like this, you have all of the pieces of the jigsaw in place and just need a bit of good fortune! I’m confi dent we can have a strong weekend at Paul Ricard.”
Last year during the corre-sponding event, the Oman Racing Team – which is backed by Oman Air, Oman Ministry of Sports Af-fairs, Ooredoo, National Bank of Oman and Al Hashar Group – se-cured a top 10 Pro Cup result. So far in the 2015 Blancpain season, Ahmad and team-mates Lloyd and Adam have a best fi nish of 15th position in the headline Pro Cup from last month’s visit to Silverstone.
Practice and pre-qualifying at Paul Ricard will take place on Friday, with fi nal qualifying fol-lowing on Saturday. Round three of the 2015 season will get under-way at on Saturday.
M O T O R S P O R T S
I’m confident we
can have a strong
weekend at
Paul Ricard
Ahmad Al HarthyOman Racing Team
OMAN TENNIS ASSOCIATION OFFICIALS, SPORTS CLUBS DISCUSS MINI TENNIS PROGRAMMEOman Tennis Association offi cials and the coaches of various clubs held a meeting to
evaluate the mini tennis programme and discuss various developmental aspects. The
Oman Tennis Association was represented by Salman Al Balushi (Head of the working
team), Siddiq Al Hashmi (National teams head coach), Dr. Ahmad bin Al Saeedi (board
member) , Basel Ouajeeh (Technical Coordinator) and the club coaches were Yehya Al
Kharousi (Nizwa Club ), Salem Al Mashaykhi (Jaalan Club), Hamad Al Waheibi (Bidiya
Club), Saeed Al Seyouti (Quriyat Club) and Hamad Al Harasi (Bashayer Club). — Supplied photo
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Blatter could remain Fifa head if suitable candidate not found
ZURICH/NEW YORK: Sepp Blatter could go back on his prom-ise to stand down as Fifa president, a former adviser said on Monday, even as U.S. prosecutors revealed a plea deal with a past Fifa execu-tive who told investigators about bribes and kickbacks.
Klaus Stoehlker, who advised Blatter during this year’s Fifa elec-tion campaign, told Sky News that Blatter could remain head of world soccer’s governing body if a “con-vincing candidate” to replace him did not emerge.
Fifa said in a statement that Stoehlker, who was in a meeting when contacted by Reuters and unable to comment, was no longer working with Blatter.
Blatter said on June 2 that he would step down as Fifa presi-dent. He is under pressure to leave sooner rather than later as U.S. and Swiss authorities widen investiga-tions into bribery and corruption at the organization.
European Union lawmakers are among those calling for his imme-diate departure.
Also on Monday, U.S. pros-
ecutors revealed their plea agreement with Chuck Blazer, showing that the former Fifa ex-ecutive committee member se-cretly provided authorities with information for nearly two years before he admitted guilt in court in November 2013.
Blazer was the former general secretary of Concacaf, soccer’s
governing body in North and Cen-tral America and the Caribbean and a Fifa executive.
Fifa underwent yet another blow to its prestige on Monday when the Nobel Peace Center said it was ending its cooperation with the governing body.
The center was behind the Handshake for Peace initiative,
which had been enthusiastically promoted by Blatter over the past three years.
As the international probe in-tensifi ed, pressure mounted at the Swiss body to stabilize its leader-ship. But Blatter has changed his mind in the past. In 2011, he said his fourth mandate would be his last but he stood again this year.
A Swiss newspaper on Sunday, the Schweiz am Sonntag, reported that Blatter had received mes-sages of support from African and Asian football associations, asking him to rethink his decision to step down. Blatter was honoured by the support and had not ruled out re-maining in offi ce, the newspaper reported, citing an anonymous source close to him.
Africa’s soccer confederation (CAF) said on Monday that it had not heard of any of its members asking Blatter to stay on. “At CAF level we are not aware of any Af-rican countries who have written to ask Blatter to stay on,” Kalusha Bwalya, a CAF executive commit-tee member and president of the Football Association of Zambia, told Reuters.
English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke does not think Blatter will have a change of heart.
“I think it (a U-turn) is extreme-ly unlikely. I think it would be very controversial,” Dyke told Reu-ters. “There would be a rebellion amongst a lot of people (if he did).”
Insiders at the Union of Euro-pean Football Associations (Uefa) told Reuters that European soc-cer’s governing body was left per-plexed by the reports that Blatter would stand again and that the plot would be too outrageous even for a Hollywood script.
Offi cially, European soccer’s governing body did not want to comment, but the German football association (DFB) called on Blat-ter, who is staying on until the elec-tion, to leave quickly.
“We only know the media re-ports which strengthen our clear position,” spokesman Ralf Koett-ker told reporters.
“Blatter’s announced resigna-tion must be formally completed as soon as possible.”
Domenico Scala, the offi cial overseeing the process of choosing a new president, said that Blatter’s departure was an “indispensable” part of planned reforms to soccer’s governing body. - Reuters
Klaus Stoehlker,
who advised Blatter
during this year’s Fifa
election campaign,
told Sky News that
Blatter could remain
head of world soccer’s
governing body
if a “convincing
candidate” to replace
him did not emerge
WILL HE RECONSIDER? Speculations of a U-turn by Sepp Blatter is emerging. – File photo
KUALA LUMPUR: The Asian Football Confederation re-mains unmoved by reports that Sepp Blatter may seek to stay on as Fifa president despite announcing his intention to resign amid a major corruption scandal. Support for Blatter’s leadership has traditionally been strong in the 46-nation Asian bloc but the AFC declined to throw its weight be-hind any push to keep the Swiss in power for a fi fth term.
“With regard to recent media
stories, the Asian Football Con-federation confi rms its position as previously outlined, namely that the AFC takes note of the Fifa President’s intention to step down at an Extraordinary Congress scheduled to be called later this year or early 2016, which will be the subject of the upcoming Fifa Executive Com-mittee meeting on 20 July,” the AFC said in a statement emailed to Reuters on Tues-day. “AFC fully respects the decision of the Fifa President
to step down and is sure that it was taken after deep and care-ful consideration.”
Africa’s soccer confedera-tion (CAF) said on Monday it had not heard of any of its members asking Blatter to stay on. “At CAF level we are not aware of any African countries who have written to ask Blatter to stay on,” Kalusha Bwalya, a CAF executive commit-tee member and president of the Football Association of Zambia,said. - Reuters
Asia unmoved by reports of possible Blatter U-turn
Chuck Blazer was US informant since 2011
NEW YORK: Chuck Blazer, the American who blew the whis-tle on Fifa’s giant corruption scandal, worked secretly for US prosecutors from 2011 while still on Fifa’s executive commit-tee, court documents show.
According to a 19-page plea agreement, unsealed by a feder-al court in New York late Mon-day at the request of media out-lets, Blazer began helping US authorities as early as Decem-ber 29, 2011. The 70-year-old was still a member of Fifa’s ex-ecutive committee at the time. He was suspended in disgrace only in 2013.
In the deal, he pleaded guilty to 10 counts, including rack-eteering, tax evasion, and wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies. He agreed to co-operate in exchange for a re-duced sentence. The document, dated November 25, 2013, was signed by Blazer and US At-torney General Loretta Lynch, then attorney for the eastern district of New York.
In it, Blazer agreed to hand over all relevant documents, keep his cooperation under wraps and testify in New York and anywhere else in the world at the request of US prosecutors.
Blazer acknowledged that he earned more than $11 million from 2005 to 2010, and agreed not to oppose any future ban imposed on him by Fifa or any other football governing body.
Blazer also agreed to pay out-standing income tax from 2005-2013, a fi ne of more than $2.4 million and a second amount to be determined by the court in advance of sentencing.
From 1990 to 2011 Blazer was general secretary of Concacaf, overseeing their entire opera-tions from New York, and from 1997 to 2013 he was the only US representative on Fifa’s execu-tive committee. — AFP
F I F A S C A N D A L
Fifa says Nobel Center decision ‘isn’t fair play’ZURICH: Fifa reacted with bit-terness on Tuesday over the No-bel Peace Center’s plan to end cooperation over the Handshake for Peace initiative, saying the decision was “not fair play” and obstructed anti-discrimination.
In an unusually strongly-word-ed statement, soccer’s governing body added that it was disap-pointed to hear about the news through the media. “We are dis-appointed to have learned from the media about the Nobel Peace Center’s intent to terminate the cooperation with Fifa on the Handshake for Peace initiative,” said Fifa in a statement.
“Fifa is reluctant to accept this unilateral approach on what is a joint initiative between the football community and the Nobel Peace Center (NPC). This action does not embody the spirit of fair play espe-cially as it obstructs the promotion of the key values of peace-building and anti-discrimination.”
The NPC announced on Mon-day that it was ending its link with soccer’s scandal-plagued governing body and did not give a specifi c reason. Fifa said NPC executive director Bente Erich-sen phoned president Sepp Blat-ter on Tuesday morning and that
she “continued to believe in this initiative and hoped it would live on in football with Fifa”.
The Oslo-based NPC was be-hind the Handshake for Peace Initiative, something that had been enthusiastically promoted by Blatter for three years.
Simple gestureFifa encouraged pre-match hand-shakes between team captains and offi cials as the Handshake for Peace and was also hoping to in-troduce it at the end of matches.
“The Handshake for Peace ini-tiative combines football’s inter-national reach with the simple gesture of a handshake to promote peace and fair play,” said Fifa.
“At Fifa’s tournaments, players and offi cials use the Handshake for Peace to set a good example in front of both the fans inside the stadium and the wider public watching games on television.”
Fifa said the Handshake for Peace would remain protocol at the U-20 World Cup in New Zea-land and the women’s World Cup in Canada. The NPC’s announce-ment came three days after Inter-pol suspended a 20 million euros ($22 million) arrangement with Fifa. — Reuters
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Winning Wimbledon remains the dream of Victoria Azarenka
BIRMINGHAM: Former world number one Victoria Azarenka says she still dreams of winning Wimbledon, despite revealing some of the frustrations and un-certainties she has suff ered in the last couple of years.
Repeated injuries have prevent-ed Azarenka from winning a title for 22 months, and she endured an up-and-down fi rst round at the Wimbledon warm-up event in Bir-mingham on Tuesday.
She was fi ve times within a point of going 0-5 down against Varvara Lepchenko, an American ranked outside the top 30, before fi ght-ing back, with a mixture of fi erce hitting and varying confi dence, to win 7-6 (9-7), 6-4.
Azarenka started to serve com-mandingly and successfully take risks with ground-stroke at-tacks whilst whittling away that big leeway.
But she still needed to save a set point at 6-7 in the tie-break, and recover from the disappointment of losing her service break in the
second set before prevailing.“The most important thing I
changed was the mindset,” she said. “It can put you down or lift you up. So it is part of your job to choose which way you want to go — up or down.”
Though some of the Belarusian’s diffi culties stemmed from these inner uncertainties, the best ele-ments of her performance suggest-ed that at the age of 25 she could still have signifi cant successes ahead. A turning point at break point down in the fi fth game of-fered insight into Azarenka’s state of mind, for she stopped mid-rally to request a video replay of a Lep-chenko drive only to see it depicted as plumb on the baseline.
That may have caused anger to overcome anxiety, for she respond-ed with a brilliant combination of cross-court ground strokes to get back to deuce, and followed it with two pressurising returns of serve to break. She was often a diff erent player after that, usually dominating the rallies, though she was helped to make the even more important sec-ond service break by an indiff erent ninth game by Lepchenko.
This provided Azarenka with a platform for recovery which, de-spite two further hiccups, she en-terprisingly used to raise her game
by striking the ball more and more freely. It was, she concluded, “still a dream” to win Wimbledon.
“It’s everyone’s dream to win it — and it’s defi nitely still mine.”
She next plays Zarina Diyas, the world number 34 from Kazakh-stan, and could have a quarter-fi nal with Karolina Pliskova, the impressively rising world number 12 from the Czech Republic.
Encouraging formEarlier another former world number one, Jelena Jankovic, also made a winning start, though more comfortably than Azarenka.
The Serbian is also making her way back from injuries and over-came Tereza Smitkova, the world number 62 from the Czech Repub-lic, 6-4,6-4.
The loquacious Jankovic, a for-mer Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, has not enjoyed a good grass court Grand Slam for four years, and this year is playing two build-up tournaments instead of one to try to put that right.
Here she was in encouraging form both with deeds and words.
“This match went very well. I served very well from the begin-ning until the end, and I was wait-ing for my chances to break my op-ponent,” Jankovic said. - AFP
Repeated injuries
have prevented
Azarenka from
winning a title for
22 months, and she
endured an up-and-
down fi rst round
at the Wimbledon
warm-up event
in Birmingham
on Tuesday
CELEBRATION: Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka reacts after beating US
player Varvara Lepchenko on Day Two of the Aegon Classic. – AFP
LONDON: Lleyton Hewitt insists he can still make some noise in his fi nal appearance at Wimbledon despite being forced to bid a premature fare-well to Queen’s Club.
Hewitt, famous for his shrieked war cry of ‘C’mon’ whenever he wins an impor-tant point, is embarking on a prolonged goodbye tour before retiring after next year’s Aus-tralian Open and would love to roll back the years at Wimble-don later this month.
The 34-year-old Australian won Wimbledon in 2002 and regards the brief grass-court season as his favourite time of year on the ATP Tour.
Hewitt’s hopes of making a strong farewell run in the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen’s were shattered by Kevin Anderson as the big-serving South African saved a match point en route to winning 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-2 in their fi rst round clash in west London on Monday.
That was the injury-ravaged Hewitt’s fi fth defeat in six matches in 2015. But he remains convinced he can still cause an upset or two at Wim-bledon given a decent draw.
“The last two weeks I’ve played a couple of pretty good grass court players. It would be nice to play someone that’s not quite as good as those two on grass fi rst up at least,” Hewitt said.
“You’re in the hands of the gods, though, when you’re not seeded. You can come up against anyone. But as I showed for the majority of the fi rst two sets today, I felt like
my standard of tennis was still pretty damn good.”
In reality, Hewitt has been on the decline for several years due to his advancing age and injuries and his ranking has dropped to 117 as a result.
All guns blazingHis last Grand Slam quar-terfi nal appearance came at Wimbledon in 2009, but that lacklustre record won’t stop the feisty Australian going down all guns blazing at the All England Club in two weeks time. “It was always in my mind that I wanted to come back and play Wimbledon one more time, and obviously here at Queen’s,” he said.
“I love this time of the year. As soon as I got to London and started preparing for Wimble-don and Queen’s I felt right at home straightaway.
“Obviously Wimbledon, going back there as a former champion and member, it’s a pretty special place.”
Although Hewitt was unable to win another Grand Slam af-
ter taking the Wimbledon title, the former world number one, whose other major triumph came in the 2001 US Open, says he has no regrets about his career path.
“Even though I was young, I made a lot of sacrifi ces up until that point as well to try and be the best tennis player I could be,” he said.
“It’s a relief, I guess, in some ways, too, that you can go out there and enjoy that you’re a former winner of probably the biggest tournament there is in the world. “To me it doesn’t really matter if you win it once or fi ve times. I’m pretty sure I’ll take what I got.”
Once his grass-court fare-well is complete, Hewitt will turn his attention to helping Australia make a strong run in this year’s Davis Cup, while also serving as a father fi gure to young compatriots Nick Kyr-gios and Thanasi Kokkinakis.
“I’m going to work my sched-ule around the Davis Cup. For the rest of year that will be the priority,” he said. - AFP
Hewitt still planning to make Wimbledon impact
ON A GOODBYE TOUR: Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt attempts a
return during his lost match against Kevin Anderson. – AFP
Stunned Nadal crashes out at Queen’sLONDON: Rafael Nadal suff ered a shock fi rst round exit from the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen’s Club as the Spanish star was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4 by unheralded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov on Tuesday.
Nadal’s dismal defeat against the world number 79 is the lat-est in a growing list of lacklustre performances in a troubled 2015 campaign for the former world number one.
The 14-time Grand Slam win-ner was beaten at the French Open for only the second time in his glittering career when Novak Djokovic won their quarter-fi nal clash in Paris.
As a result, Nadal’s ranking has plunged to 10th -- his lowest posi-tion for a decade -- and to add in-sult to injury he will now head to Wimbledon, which gets underway later this month, with renewed questions about a decline that hit another low with this setback in west London.
It was the second time this year Nadal had lost to an opponent outside the top 50 after his Janu-ary defeat to world number 127 Michael Berrer.
Nadal, back at Queen’s for the fi rst time in four years, wasn’t ex-pected to have any problems with Dolgopolov after the confi dence booster of winning the grass-court tournament in Stuttgart last week -- his fi rst title on the sur-face since lifting the Wimbledon
crown fi ve years ago.He even had Jose Mourinho in
his corner as the Chelsea manager sat courtside just behind Nadal’s uncle and coach Toni.
Yet it was Dolgopolov who forced the pace and the 26-year-old from Kiev secured the fi rst break in the second game, unfurl-ing a spectacular cross-court fore-hand winner on the run.
Dolgopolov came into the tour-nament on a three-match losing streak, but he had won his last meeting with Nadal — at Indian Wells last year — and continued to dominate from the baseline as he closed out the set.
Decisive momentIn a dramatic second set tie-break,
a blistering forehand at 5-5 gave Dolgopolov a match point, but Na-dal saved it with a nerveless serve.
The fi fth seed then produced a perfectly-timed volley to se-cure a set point that he convert-ed when Dolgopolov dragged a backhand wide.
Nadal looked fi rmly in control after breaking in the third game of the fi nal set, but he let the mo-mentum, and a 4-2 lead, slip away when, after being given a warning for a time violation, he allowed Dolgopolov to break back.
There was more frustration for Nadal at 4-4 when he wasted three break points and that proved the decisive moment when Dolgopo-lov unloaded a searing winner on match-point in the next game to
steal a sensational victory.Earlier, French Open champion
Stanislas Wawrinka gave short shrift to Nick Kyrgios’s claims that his 6-3, 6-4 victory was the result of the Australian’s physical and mental fatigue.
The Swiss second seed swept through his fi rst round clash in just 49 minutes to set up a second round meeting with big-serving South African Kevin Anderson.
But, while Wawrinka was on top form, emerging star Kyrgios attributed his poor performance to an illness and home sickness after a lengthy spell on the road.
“I’ve been sick for the last week. I’m obviously not feeling great,” Kyrgios said.
“I almost found it diffi cult to get myself engaged and didn’t want to be there. I’ve been battling men-tally a bit.”
Wawrinka, however, was un-impressed by Kyrgios’s com-plaints and said the brash youngster’s comments in press conferences had to be taken with a pinch of salt.
“I think he’s saying a lot of things every day. It doesn’t really surprise me,” he said.
“I read before the match he was ready, excited for the challenge, and now he was sick.”
Meanwhile, defending Queen’s champion Grigor Dimitrov moved into the second round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against 2010 win-ner Sam Querrey. - AFP
Q U E E N S C H A M P I O N S H I P
SHOCK EXIT: Spain’s Rafael Nadal watches a moment during his
his fi rst round match. – Reuters
WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMSECTIONC W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5LIFE & STYLE
Nenets of Russia are among the world’s last true nomads, true to their traditions, true to their heritage
The nomads The nomads on ‘the edge on ‘the edge of the world’of the world’It’s dark and I’m fumbling to undo
the numerous layers I’m wear-ing, without falling into the deep snow. Then out of the starry
night, an antler prods my bottom. Be-fore long, I’m surrounded by a group of reindeer, apparently attracted by the salt in my urine. Any notions of privacy seem to have evaded them.
These are the far fringes of the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia’s Arctic and for a couple of weeks I’m living here with a family of Nenets reindeer herders. Indigenous to the region, Nenets are among the world’s last true nomads. There are around 45,000 throughout Russia of which 12,000 live in Yamal; 7,000 of them migrating 2,000km each year by reindeer-drawn sleighs (the rest stay in settlements). They travel, with the seasons, from the forest tun-dra south-west of the Yamal Peninsula in Nadym District in mid-March, north up to the Kara Sea in mid-August, where polar bears prowl. Then, they re-trace their steps – constantly seeking fresh pastures for their herds.
In the Nenets language, Yamal means “edge of the world” and my jour-ney there certainly lives up to expecta-tion. After reaching Moscow, there’s a three-hour fl ight to Salekhard, the re-gional capital teetering on the edge of the Arctic Circle. I’m with my fi xer, Ed; an Englishman who now lives in Mos-cow, and speaks fl uent Russian, having spent many years living with nomadic groups throughout Siberia. He has also worked with several fi lm crews; the Nenets way of life forms part of Kate Humble’s new, three-part BBC2 series, Living with Nomads.
In Salekhard we climb into a Tre-kol, a monster ATV (all-terrain vehi-cle) with chest-high wheels. “If we fall through the ice it will fl oat,” Ed ex-plains. It is only possible to reach the tundra village of Yar Sale in this way between mid November and mid May, when the river is frozen — there are no roads. From June to October, you’d have to take a ferry.
Seven hours later, we arrive at a wooden bungalow, belonging to a lady called Galina, where we spend the night. Inside, it’s so hot I almost pass out. Her family walks around as if dressed for summer, oblivious to the fact that it’s minus 25 degree Celsius outside. A cat dozes under a radiator. Next morning — after what will be my last shower for more than a week — we travel by snowmobile to the nomad’s camp, through snow that appears pearlised in the sun. It’s night when we fi nally arrive, and radiant ghost-like fi gures bounce around the sky. The Northern Lights illuminate two chums — tepee-like tents covered in reindeer
skin — and the wooden sleighs that are scattered haphazardly around, some piled with raw meat. All around is nothing but the fl at expanse of tundra. An extended family of around 15 Nen-ets is housed here. Inside one of the chums, Nadia — with her hair in two long plaits — sits sewing, using thread made from reindeer sinew. Achum, her husband, is making a reindeer har-ness from a mammoth tusk. “There are fossilised remains of mammoths and other ice age giants beneath the per-mafrost here,” Ed explains.
The following day, the family will pack up and move as they do every cou-ple of days. My camera freezes during the night, and my fi ngers are numb; yet there is no time to delay. The chums need to be dismantled on to the sleighs. Vasili gets a bottle from one of the sleighs, though it too has frozen.
Suddenly, without warning, the pace picks up. Hundreds of reindeer stampede towards me, husky dogs yip-ping behind them. Lassos cartwheel through the air as the men catch cer-tain bulls, shouting “hey ho”, and tack-ling the animals to the ground. “These reindeer have been trained to pull the sleighs,” Ed says. “Even at the speed they are running the men can recog-nise each one.”
Using a snowmobile, Achum drives the reindeer, with their towering ant-lers, towards us. Nenets rub shoulders with the modern world, their traditions now incorporating mobile phones and generators. In spite of more than 70 years of communism and the construc-
tion of a gas pipelines across their land (the world’s biggest gas fi elds are here), their way of life carries on.
Before the migration begins, it’s time for tea. We sit in the snow, dunk-ing sweet biscuits into the hot tea from blood stained cups. Raw reindeer meat is eaten hungrily, so the snow is also red. “It’s warm today, we’re having a picnic!” Vasili exclaims. He’s serious. While it’s minus 20 degree Celsius to-day, temperatures often plummet be-low minus 50C.
Nadia feeds a biscuit to a pure white reindeer with piercing blue eyes. “All tundra Nenets families have several reindeer which they hand-rear,” she explains. “They sleep in our chums and are loved like family.” These are young deer that have lost their parents; they are treated like pets until they are strong enough to be released into the herd. They will never be killed by the family, but given to another when too old to migrate.
Soon, we’re off . The transport rein-deer are dressed with bells and regalia by the women, who themselves are resplendent in sunglasses, big sumptu-ous white hats, and long reindeer fur coats with embroidered trims.
Days are spent alternating between these magnifi cent migrations and life at the camp. One day, Achum points at the sacred sleigh. An idol sits on top of it, dressed in reindeer hide. “It protects our reindeer,” Achum says. “Inside the sledge are wolf, sable, and polar bear furs which defend us from evil spirits and give us good luck while hunting.”
Nenets life is rich with beliefs. Be-tween the central stove and the back of the chum, there is an imaginary line, which no woman can cross without se-rious consequences.
Another day we come to a chum, with bloodied reindeer skins hanging outside, and rosy-cheeked children playing, with scant regard to the cold. The couple has seven children. One must be just days old and lies swaddled in reindeer fur.
“When we’re born we are wrapped in fur, when we die our body is laid under fur; and in between all our life is spent living with, eating and wearing rein-deer,” Vasili explains.
On my last day with Vasili’s family, the light is golden as we arrive at camp. I marvel at the tundra’s beauty. Every-one is moving fast; the chums are up quickly and then that glorious moment — the fi re is lit. The thick, heavy rein-deer fur door thumps down behind me, and the warmth on my face is delicious.
Nadia spreads out a bright plastic tablecloth and we tuck into supper. In-stant mashed potato has never tasted so good. -Kate Eshelby/The Independent
There are around
45,000 Nenets throughout
Russia of which 12,000 live
in Yamal; 7,000 of them
migrating 2,000km each year
by reindeer-drawn sleighs
C8
EXTRAW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
Using IBM’s ‘virtual
supercomputer’, the world’s
dormant home PCs have been
‘borrowed’ for life-saving research
CROWDSOURCED COMPUTING
HAS CHANGED THE WORLD
WHAT DO DOCTORS, alien
enthusiasts and you and I have
in common? We can all play a
crucial role in discovering cures
for diseases. While some of the
above may not have the exper-
tise — or, indeed, brain power —
to make scientifi c discoveries for
themselves, all of our computers
and mobile phones can help re-
searchers while we sleep.
The World Community Grid
(WCG) is a virtual supercom-
puter, created by millions of
home computers worldwide. It
is tackling problems from child-
hood brain cancer to Aids, water
purifi cation to more effi cient so-
lar power. Now, the grid is help-
ing to fi nd a cure for Ebola. And
anyone can take part by signing
up and creating an account for
their PC or mobile phone, choos-
ing projects and downloading
the revelant software.
Stanley Litow, president of
the IBM International Founda-
tion, was part of the team who
came up with the WCG concept
10 years ago. Their somewhat
unusual inspiration came from
those aforementioned extra-
terrestrial enthusiasts. “We saw
a project asking people to donate
power from their PCs to fi nd out
more about aliens,” Litow says.
“In our citizenship project we
started asking, ‘What is the po-
tential of this technology? Could
we do something similar that
would have real social
impact?’” So they
developed the humanitarian
grid. While alien-spotters who
joined the Search for Extrater-
restrial Intelligence (Seti) may
have found their research results
disappointing, their idea is likely
to prove a crucial contribution
to cures of the future. Within a
year of Litow conceiving of the
project, the WCG was involved
in invaluable cancer research.
“It caught on very quickly. We
were already receiving dozens
of requests for supercomputers
and for power to help accelerate
research because of reductions
in budgets,” Litow explains.
“When it was launched at
IBM, it was very new technology.
Even now, when people donate
power on their computer, they’re
surprised it’s possible. The tech-
nology only works if there are
massive numbers of people in-
volved. There are now more than
three million devices involved,
and 700,000 people donating
processing power.”
Whenever a computer is
dormant, it will start running
research. This means that sci-
entists searching for cures, who
are faced with millions of com-
pounds — one of which may be
the key to disabling a disease
— can accelerate their research.
It would take years to examine
each compound in a laboratory.
Computer modelling accelerates
this process by identifying the
most likely compounds for lab
testing. This either requires ac-
cess to a supercomputer — which
can cost a million pounds, a sum
that’s inconceivable to
underfunded
research teams — or they can
partner with the World Commu-
nity Grid virtual supercomputer.
Since the project’s inception,
volunteers on the WCG have
powered two dozen research
projects, donating more than a
million years of computing time
collectively, and performing
more than 2.2 billion calcula-
tions for scientifi c research.
In the case of Ebola, scientists
are busy analysing how prom-
ising chemical compounds re-
act when they encounter the
virus. Professor Erica Ollmann
Saphire at The Scripps Re-
search Institute in California,
says, “We need to do everything
to stop this virus. We have in-
formation in my lab that will
tell us how to fi ght it, but we
need computational power to
calculate which drugs will best
fi t. If hundreds of thousands
of people on this grid each do
a small piece of the calculation,
it will let us do in weeks what
would otherwise take us hun-
dreds of years.”
Dr Igor Jurisica, professor
at the University of Toronto, is
working on a project to discover
markers that help to predict sus-
ceptibility to cancer and how
likely it is to spread. He says,
“World Community Grid is being
used to perform computer analy-
sis. This will achieve two impor-
tant goals. First, we will fi nd use-
ful markers that have potential
to improve cancer treatment
— by fi nding it earlier, identify-
ing high-risk patients, or pre-
dicting which patients may or
may not benefi t from specifi c
treatment. Second, this analy-
sis will help us to identify such
groups of markers faster,
benefi ting many
other diseases.” There have al-
ready been huge developments.
The Chiba Institute of Technol-
ogy in Japan identifi ed seven drug
candidates to use in new medi-
cines to fi ght neuroblastoma, one
of the most dangerous childhood
cancers. Scientists screened more
than three million chemical com-
pounds in a massive, virtual exper-
iment that would have taken more
than 55,000 years if performed
on a personal computer with a
single-core processor. Initial tests
showed that, even at low doses,
these drug candidates are eff ec-
tive at killing cancer cells with no
apparent side-eff ects. Meanwhile,
the Harvard Clean Energy Project
screened 2.3 million compounds
— the most extensive investi-
gation of quantum chemicals
ever performed — to produce an
open database listing promising
compounds for further develop-
ment by those looking to develop
cheaper, more effi cient solar cells.
The WCG software loaded
on each volunteer’s device re-
cords where it left off until as-
signments are completed. Com-
pleted calculations are sent
back to servers in Toronto and
forwarded to researchers. Then,
new assignments are given to
volunteers’ computers. The grid
is funded and managed entirely
by IBM. Teams at the computer
corporation help manage techni-
cal details so scientists can focus
on their research. “All projects
are open, so everyone can share
fi ndings, as they may be help-
ful in other areas,” Litow says.
“The value of the research that
has been done magnifi es the in-
vestment many times over.” Ari
Fishkind, spokesman for IBM,
emphasises that there are no
security concerns. “We’ve had
billions of calculations without
a single virus to compromise pri-
vacy or interfere with the
operation of vol-
unteers’ computers. IBM stress-
tests the software programming
of each project to ensure there
are no vulnerabilities. By design,
it’s relatively dumb software that
can only be used for one specifi c
task — ferrying assignments to
remote devices, and shuttling re-
sults back. All communications
between volunteers’ devices and
World Community Grid are en-
crypted and authenticated. Indi-
viduals, companies, universities
and government agencies trust it
to keep their data safe.”
Litow says IBM is in discus-
sion with Apple, Samsung and
Sony and a range of non-tech
companies about how they can
help. “Political leaders and uni-
versities can get behind this
and see the social and economic
value. It costs nothing, the op-
portunity is so great and we have
ample evidence that there are no
downsides.”
He believes that, the more
people involved, the quicker
we’ll see huge breakthroughs. “If
you’re an individual who cares
about making a breakthrough,
here’s your opportunity,” he
urges. Users can choose their
priority, and push their power
to cancer, Ebola or particular
environmental research. They
can invite everyone in their
network to do the same; sign
up as teams or as individuals,
and track the number of calcu-
lations being done to help the
research. “Writing a cheque is
good,” he says. “But it’s not per-
sonal involvement.”
Mark Wills, 44, a pastor,
signed up his PCs because he
wants “to make a difference
to the world”. He says, “My
father-in-law and my grand-
father both died from cancer.
I have contributed more than
four years of research to map-
ping cancer markers. I cannot
fully express how wonderful
that makes me feel.”
-Genevieve Roberts/The Independent
TRUMAN Capote said, “Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act.”
I hope this column is a well-written third act of this deal.
Yesterday, we studied the play in four hearts after West began the defence with three rounds of diamonds. South ruff ed and ran the heart 10 to take fi ve spades, three hearts, one club and the trick-three diamond ruff . Today, though, do you see how four hearts can be defeated?
Finally we have the right auction. North, knowing that a 4-4 fi t is almost
always better than a 5-3 fi t, plans to raise hearts. But with such strong hearts and spades, North control-bids (cue-bids) four clubs over three hearts.
This says that North is raising hearts with four-card support, really likes his hand, and has the club ace. Here, of course, South signs off in four hearts. (If North has fewer than four hearts, he continues with either three spades or three no-trump.)
West leads the diamond ace, and East signals enthusiastically with his 10 to indicate the queen, the honor touching the two promised by West’s
opening lead. Now West should lead his diamond two. This shows that he started with exactly four diamonds. (If he had only three, he would have cashed the king before playing the third round. And if he had fi ve, would have led his original fourth-highest at trick two.)
East takes this trick and knows that South is now out of diamonds. East can also see his trump trick. So he should shift to the club 10, hoping to establish a fourth defensive winner there, which is exactly what happens.
- Phillip Alder
C9
ENTERTAINMENT
One more trip down this deal’s road
B I G N A T E
B O R N L O S E R
M A R M A D U K E
A C E S O N B R I D G E
K I D S P O T H E A L T H C A P S U L EC R O S S W O R D
Answer to previous puzzle
WITH LOVE
W E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
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 [email protected]
ACROSS
1 Vice — 6 Ghost towns11 Island welcomes13 Han Solo’s Millennium —14 Bottle top15 Coyote plaints17 Garden-pond fi sh18 Lyric poem19 Attack like a hawk20 Devotee’s suffi x21 Payment to the landlady23 At present24 Robert E. and Spike25 Cook in a wok
27 Interior designs29 Daintily use a napkin31 Tractor-trailer32 Sprang up35 Netherlands sight38 Incline39 Author — Rand41 Coral islets43 Collected sayings44 Silver or Scout46 Somber evergreen47 Tackle a slope48 Comforter stuffi ng49 Andy Capp’s quaff 50 Lease signer52 Off ended the nose54 Thoroughly
profi cient55 Squander
DOWN
1 Bravery 2 Drops syllables 3 Gopher or marmot 4 Teacher’s warning 5 Pleased sighs 6 Rough fi le 7 Safety-testing org. 8 More yucky 9 Bronco snaggers10 Grumpy moods12 Seeded13 Violet or orchid16 Lumber
22 Type of pool24 Mr. Spock’s forte26 Hip-hop music28 Spanish hero El —30 Scram! (2 wds.)32 Joined33 Galahad’s mother34 Tinted36 Arctic canoes37 Shoelace hole38 — luego!40 “Faint heart — won ...”42 Norse neighbour44 Transmitted45 Took a gun out of its holster51 News agcy.53 Apiece
C I N E M A S C H E D U L EC I N E M A S C H E D U L E
SHARONJune 18
NIRUPA LAKSHMI NARAYANANJune 18, 2006
BASSAM MUBARAKJune 19, 2008
BAHJA CINEMA
STARS CINEMA
Film Information - 24540856 / Advance Booking - 24540855Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com
For More Information 24789032, 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om
Film information 24791641 / 24786776
Jurassic World (Action / Adventure)Cast: Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Ty Simkins3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 & 11:55 pmCP No: 1495 (PG12)
Preservation ( Horror /Thriller) Cast: Wren Schimidth, Pablo Schrieber, Aron Staton1:15 & 11:55 pmCP No: 1496 (15+)
San Andreas (Action / Thriller) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Deddario, Carla Gugino1:00 & 5:15 pmCP No: 1381 (PG)
Hamara Adhuri Kahani (Romance) Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajkumar Rao3:00, 7:15 & 9:30 pmCP No: 1497 (PG)
Premam (Mal) (Com) Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran & Sai Pallavi 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 pm at Cinema MainRomeo & Juliet (Tamil) (Act/Rom) Cast: Jayam Ravi & Hansika Motwani 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30pm at Cinema -2 Hamari Adhuri Kahani (Hindi) (Rom) Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajkummar Rao, Sara Khan 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 pm at Cinema-3 Chandrettan Evideya (Mal) (Rom/Com) Cast: Dileep, Namitha and Anu Sree 3:45, 6:45, 9:45 pm Cinema -4 Next Change: Laila O Laila ( Mal ) Eli (Tamil) Kakka (Tamil)(Subject to change)
Jurassic World (Act, Adv) (3D) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins9:15, 11:45 pmJurassic World (Act, Adv) (2D) (PG12)Cast : Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, 2:00, 6:45 pmSpy (Action, Comedy) (18+)Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, 7:15, 9:30 pmDil Dhadakne Do (Drama, Rom) (TBC)Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra5:00, 8:15 pmInsidious Chapter 3 (Horror) (15+)Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson3:00, 11:30 pmBetter Living Through Chemistry (Comedy, Drama) (15+)Cast: Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde5:30 pmSan Andreas (Act, Adv) (3D) PGCast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino4:30, 11:45 pmA Mouse Tale (Animation) (PG)Cast: Tom Arnold, Drake Bell, Miranda Cosgrove2:00, 3:45 pm
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard9:30 & 11:45pmGold Class: 8:45 & 11:15 pmJurassic World (2D) (Act/Adv) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard10:30am; Gold Class: 12:45pmSpy (2D) (Action/Comedy) (18+)Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, Melissa McCarthy2:45 & 7:15pm; Gold Class: 3:15 pmInsidious Chapter 3 (2D) (Horror) (15+)Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott11:45 pmDil Dhadakne Do (2D) (Dra) (PG12)Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra6:00 pm; Gold Class: 5:30 pmA Mouse Tale (2D) (Animation) (PG)Cast: Tom Arnold, Drake Bell, 10:30 am, 12:45 & 2:30 pmBetter Living Through Chemistry (2D) (Comedy/Drama) (15+)Cast: Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Monaghan4:15 pm
Hamara Adhuri Kahani (2D)(Dra) (PG)Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan 9:00pmSan Andreas (3D) (Act) (PG)Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario12:15 & 5:00pmJurassic World (3D) (Act/Adv) (PG12)
SCREEN 1Hamari Adhori Kahani (Rom/Drama) – PGCast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao3:30, 9.45 pmDil Dhadakne Do (Rom/Dra ) – PG12Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shefali Shetty, Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra 6:45 pm
SCREEN 2Dil Dhadakne Do (Rom/Dra ) – PG123:30, 9:45 pmHamari Adhori Kahani (Rom/Dra) – PGCast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao6:45 pm
San Andreas - 3D (PG) (Action | Drama) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino9:15, 11:30 pmSpy - 2D (18+) (Action | Comedy)Cast: Jude Law, Melissa McCarthy6:30, 11:45 pmDil Dhadakne Do - 2D (PG12) (Drama) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 3:00 pmJurassic World - 2D (PG12) (Action)Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard2:40 pmJurassic World - 3D (PG12) (Act | Sci- )Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, 6:45, 9:15, 11:45 pmBetter Living Through Chemistry - 2D (15+) (Comedy| Drama)Cast: Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde3:00, 7:25pmPreservation - 2D (15+) (Horror)Cast: Wrenn Schmidt, Pablo Schreiber5:00 pmA Mouse Tale - 2D (PG) (Animation)Cast: Tom Arnold, Drake Bell, Miranda 3:00, 4:45pmHamari Adhuri Kahaani - 2D (PG) (Drama | Romance)Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajkummar Rao, Sara Khan4:45, 9:10 pmPremam - 2D (M) (TBC) (Com | Romance)Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran 8:45 pm
Jurassic World - 2D (Act/Adv) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pratt, Ty Simpkins, 3:00 pmJurassic World - 3D (Act/ Fi) (PG12)4:45, 9:15, 11:30 pmA Mouse Tale – 2D (Animation) (PG)3:00, 5:05pmSan Andreas – 3D (PG) (Act, Dr)6:45pmHe Who Dares: Downing Street Siege– 2D (PG) (Action)Cast: Tom Benedict Knight,11:45pmPremam – 2D (Com, Romance) (TBC)Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran; 8:45pmDil Dhadakne Do – 2D (PG12) (Drama)Cast: Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra 3:30pmRomeo Juliet – 2D (Tamil) (Dr) (PG)Cast: Jayam Ravi, Hansika Motwani6:30pmHamari Adhuri Kahaani - 2D (D) (TBC)Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan9:15 pmSpy - 2D (18+) (Action, Comedy)Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi 7:00, 11:45pm
Jurassic World (3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, 4:15, 9:30, 11:45 pmJurassic World (2D) (Act | Adv) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 2:45pm
San Andreas (3D) (12+) (Act, Dra, ) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, 5:15 pmHe Who Dares: Downing Street Siege (2D) (12+) (Action) Cast: Tom Benedict Knight, 11:55 pmSpy (2D) (18+) (Action, Comedy) Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, 12:30, 11:30 pmInsidious: Chapter 3 (2D) (15+) (Hor) Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, 2:00, 10:05pmDil Dhadakne Do (2D) (PG12) (Dra) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra; 2:15pmJurassic World (3D) (PG12) (Sci-Fi ) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, 7:15, 9:30, 11:45pmJurassic World (2D) (PG12) (Sci-Fi ) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, 12:00 pmRomeo Juliet (2D) (PG) (Com) Cast: Jayam Ravi, Hansika Motwani, Vamsi Krishna, 5:45pmHamari Adhuri Kahaani (2D) (PG) (Drama, Romance) Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, 7:30pmBetter Living Through Chemistry (2D) (15+) (Comedy, Drama) Cast: Sam Rockwell, 5:45pmA Mouse Tale (2D) (PG) (Animation) Cast: Tom Arnold, 12:15, 4:00 pm
A Mouse Tale (Animation) (PG) Cast: Tom Arnold, Drake Bell11:30 AM, 5:00 pmSpy (Action | Comedy) (18+) Cast: Jason Statham, Jude Law, Melissa McCarthy6:45pmHamari Adhuri Kahaani (Hindi) (Drama | Romance) (PG); 9:00 pmCast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya BalanDil Dhadakne Do (Hindi) (Dra) (TBC) 01:15pmPremam (Mal) (Com| Rom) (TBC) 11:45 AM, 6:30 pm
SCREEN 3Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Romance/Drama/Comedy ) – PGCast: Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan, Jimmy Shergill, Deepak Dobriyal3.45, 6.45, 9.45 pm
Romeo Juliet - 2D (T) (PG) (Com)Cast: Jayam Ravi, Hansika Motwani, Vamsi Krishna, 6:15 pmHe Who Dares: Downing Street Siege - 2D (12+) ActionCast : Tom Benedict Knight, Simon Phillips11:50 pm
C10
FIND-IT-ALLW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
PHARMACIESRound the clockAl Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715Muscat RegionApollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 4537080Dhofar RegionMuscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel: 23291635
HOSPITALSAl Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000Al Musafi r Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453Hatat Polyclinic LLC,Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006Al Raff ah Hospital: 24618900/1/2Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780Capital Polyclinic: 24707549Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740Ceregem National Raak: 24485633Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217Elixir Health Centre: 24565802Emirates Medical Centre: 246045401st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274Hamdan Hospital: 23212340International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100
24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128, MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000
ROYAL OMAN POLICEEmergencies and inquiries: 9999General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603Directorate General of Customs: 24521109Traffi c violations inquiries: 24510228Public Relations Admin: 24560099
ACCOMMODATIONAl Bahjah Hotel: 24424400Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311Al Qurum Resort: 24605945Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979Beach Hotel: 24696601Bowshar Hotel: 24491105Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660Crystal Suites: 24826100Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234Haff a House Hotel: 24707207Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123InterContinental Muscat: 24680000Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900Marina Hotel: 24711711Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565Mina Hotel: 24711828Muttrah Hotel: 24798401
Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199Oman Dive Centre: 24824240Park Inn: 24507888Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443Ruwi Hotel: 24704244Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666The Chedi Muscat: 24524400The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570Sifawy Hotel +968 24749111Juweira Hotel +968 23239600
AIRLINE OFFICESMuscat Airport Flight information (24 hours): 24519456/24519223Aerofl ot: 24704455, Air Arabia: 24700828, Air France: 24562153, Air India: 24799801, Air New Zealand: 24700732, Biman Bangladesh Airlines: 24701128, British Airways: 24568777, Cathay Pacifi c: 24789818, Egypt Air: 24794113, Emirates Air: 24404400, Ethiopian Airlines: 24660313, Gulf Air: 80072424, Indian: 24791914, Iran Air: 24787423, Japan Airlines: 24704455, Jazeera Airways: 23294848, Jet Airways: 24787248, Kenya Airways: 24660300, KML Royal Dutch Airlines: 24566737, Kuwait Airways: 24701262, LOT Polish Airlines: 24796387, Lufthansa: 24796692, Malaysian Airlines: 24560796, Middle East Airlines: 24796680, Oman Air: 24531111, Pakistan International Airlines: 24792471, Qatar Airways: 24771900, Qantas: 24559941, Royal Jordanian: 24796693, Saudi Arabian Airlines: 24789485, Singapore
Airlines: 24791233, Shaheen Air: 24816565, SriLankan Airlines: 24784545, Swiss International Airlines: 24796692, Thai Airways: 24705934, Turkish Airlines: 24703033
MUSEUMSBait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fi sh market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pmNatural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm; Thursday: 9am to 1pmMuseum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, Sat-Wed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946Armed 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 96550606/96550707Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pmOman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pmBait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., [email protected] from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm.National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pmSohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pmMuscat Gate Museum: at Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm
W E A T H E R
OMAN
Max 42Min 28
Max 37Min 30
Max 38Min 31
Max 45Min 30
Max 36Min 27Max 44
Min 29
Max 43Min 28
Max 33 Min 29
Clear to partly cloudy skies over the governorates of Al-Wusta and Dhofar with chances of isolated rain and mainly clear skies over rest of the Sultanate with chances of convective clouds development over Al-
Hajar mountains and adjoining areas during evening associated with isolated rains and occasional thundershowers. Chance of late night and early morning low level clouds or fog patches over the coastal areas of Oman Sea and the Arabian Sea.EXPECTED WIND: Along the coastal areas of Dhofar and Al-Wusta governorates wind will be southwesterly moderate to fresh and will be easterly to northeasterly light to moderate during day becoming variable light at night over the Oman Sea coast, while over rest of the Sultanate it will be easterly to southeasterly light to moderate.
SEA STATE: Rough to very rough along southeastern coast with a maximum wave height of 4.0 metres and moderate along rest of Oman’s coast with a maximum wave height of 2.25 metres.HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog formation and thundershowers.THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Partly cloudy to cloudy skies over governorates of south Al-Sharqiya, Al-Wusta and Dhofar with chances of isolated rain. Chances of convective clouds developments over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining areas during evening and chances of rain and occasional thundershowers. Chances of late night and early morning low level clouds or shallow fog over most of the Sultanate coast.
Max Min
GULFAbu Dhabi 38 29Doha 42 28Dubai 39 27Kuwait 43 30Manama 40 29Riyadh 43 26
WORLDAthens 34 20Baghdad 43 24Beijing 34 24Berlin 19 14Boston 24 14Cairo 39 19Colombo 29 27Frankfurt 22 13Hong Kong 31 27Istanbul 24 18Johannesburg 9 -3Kuala Lumpur 31 25Lisbon 30 18Paris 24 16Perth 20 13Singapore 30 28Tokyo 28 18Toronto 20 15
WORLD
Max 28Min 21
Max 39Min 24
Max 24Min 11
Max 36Min 29
Max 29Min 16
Max 19Min 13
Max 18Min 10
Max 34Min 27
LISTINGS
LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE
QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily
FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily
TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily
TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily
TO SINAW (Route 52)17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily
TO SINAW (Route 52)07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily
To Yanqul (Route 54)14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily
To Yanqul (Route 54)06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily
TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily
TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily
TO SUR (Route 55)07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily
TO SUR (Route 55)06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily
TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62)06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily
TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62)12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily
TO DUBAI (Route 201)06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily
TO DUBAI (Route 201)07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily
TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100)07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily
TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100)07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily
TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily
SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102)15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily
TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily
DUBAI TO SALALAH (Route 102)15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily
TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily
FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily
FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) TO MUSCAT (RUWI)
WEDNESDAY
FLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA WY648 KUWAIT 0005WY406 CAIRO 0005WY676 JEDDAH 0005WY672 MEDINA 0005WY682 RIYADH 0010WY914 SALALAH 0020WY916 SALALAH 0120TK774 ISTANBUL 01354H583 DACCA 0200PK229 LAHORE 0215GF560 BAHRAIN 0325FZ035 DUBAI 0340QR1132 DOHA 0345EK866 DUBAI 0350ET624 ADDIS ABABA 0350EY384 ABU DHABI 0400WY114 FRANKFURT 0515WY412 AMMAN 0635WY658 BAHRAIN 0635WY638 ABU DHABI 0640WY902 SALALAH 0645WY644 KUWAIT 0650WY686 RIYADH 0655G9841 RAS AL KHAIMA 0655WY144 MALPENSA 0705WY668 DOHA 0715WY674 JEDDAH 0735WY132 PARIS 0735WY102 LONDON HEATHROW 0740FZ043 DUBAI 0800WY432 TEHRAN 0805WY422 BEIRUT 0805WY602 DUBAI 0805WY342 LAHORE 0825NL768 LAHORE 0830WY202 BOMBAY 0835WY236 HYDERABAD 0900G9114 SHARJAH 0905WY282 BANGALORE 0910WY226 COCHIN 0920EK862 DUBAI 0930WY242 DELHI 0935IX549 TRIVANDRUM 0955WY252 MADRAS 0955QR1128 DOHA 1000EY382 ABU DHABI 1010IX443 COCHIN 1020QR8550 DOHA 1035WY3922 DUQUM OMAN 1035WY652 BAHRAIN 10409W530 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY918 KHASAB 1115WY604 DUBAI 1115WY3302 MUKHAIZNA 1120GF562 BAHRAIN 1130FZ037 DUBAI 1140WY372 COLOMBO 1140IX337 CALICUT 1155PA450 LAHORE 1215WY822 KUALA LUMPUR-SINGAPORE 1215WY818 BANGKOK 1220WY634 ABU DHABI 1220WY904 SALALAH 1230WY670 DOHA 1250WY324 KARACHI 1300WY332 KATHMANDU 1305WY606 DUBAI 1340WY906 SALALAH 1440WY920 KHASAB 1445WY348 ISLAM ABBAD 1515G9119 SHARJAH 1525FZ045 DUBAI 1535WY3304 MUKHAIZNA 1550WY656 BAHRAIN 1610QR1126 DOHA 1650WY204 BOMBAY 1655WY292 CALICUT 1710WY264 LUCKNOW 1740WY664 DOHA 1745EK864 DUBAI 1745WY232 HYDERABAD 1750WY246 DELHI 1750WY254 MADRAS 1750WY610 DUBAI 1800GF564 BAHRAIN 1810WY216 TRIVANDRUM 1820G9116 SHARJAH 1905WY274 JAIPUR 1910WY646 KUWAIT 1920FZ047 DUBAI 1940WY908 SALALAH 2000RG125 ABU DHABI 2005WY632 ABU DHABI 2005WY386 MALE 2020WY614 DUBAI 2025WY848 JAKARTA 2035WY338 KATHMANDU 2040FZ049 DUBAI 2100AI977 BANGALORE-HYDERABAD 2105KL441 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 2105WY124 MUNICH 21059W534 COCHIN 2115AI973 DELHI 21256.00E+81 BOMBAY 2130BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2140WY624 DUBAI 2150AI907 MADRAS 2200WY312 CHITTAGONG 2210LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI 2225QR1134 DOHA 2225GF566 BAHRAIN 2240LH616 FRANKFURT-DOHA 2245WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2250WY328 KARACHI 2250EY388 ABU DHABI 2300WY414 AMMAN 2300WY910 SALALAH 23109W540 BOMBAY 2315AI985 BOMBAY 2325WY662 DOHA 2335WY636 ABU DHABI 2340WY654 BAHRAIN 2340WY928 SALALAH 2345WY816 BANGKOK 2350WY612 DUBAI 2355WY696 DAMMAM 2355
THURSDAY
FLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA
WY424 BEIRUT 0005WY676 JEDDAH 0005WY648 KUWAIT 0005WY682 RIYADH 0010WY914 SALALAH 0020BG021 DACCA 0100CV610 LUXORE 0115WY916 SALALAH 0120TK774 ISTANBUL 01354H585 DACCA 0200PK225 KARACHI 0215GF560 BAHRAIN 0325QR1132 DOHA 0345EK866 DUBAI 0350ET624 ADDIS ABABA 0350EY384 ABU DHABI 0400PK291 ISLAM ABBAD 0410MS930 CAIRO 0410FZ041 DUBAI 0415WY114 FRANKFURT 05154H586 DOHA 0600WY658 BAHRAIN 0635WY638 ABU DHABI 0640WY902 SALALAH 0645WY644 KUWAIT 0650WY686 RIYADH 0655WY154 ZURICH 0700WY144 MALPENSA 0705WY678 MEDINA 0710WY668 DOHA 0715WY674 JEDDAH 0735WY102 LONDON HEATHROW 0740FZ043 DUBAI 0800WY602 DUBAI 0805WY346 ISLAM ABBAD 0815NL768 LAHORE 0830WY272 JAIPUR 0830WY202 BOMBAY 0835WY236 HYDERABAD 0900G9114 SHARJAH 0905WY226 COCHIN 0920EK862 DUBAI 0930WY210 GOA 0935WY242 DELHI 0935WY212 TRIVANDRUM 0950WY252 MADRAS 0955QR1128 DOHA 1000EY382 ABU DHABI 1010IX817 MANGALORE 1010IX443 COCHIN 1020WY652 BAHRAIN 10409W530 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY604 DUBAI 1115WY918 KHASAB 1115GF562 BAHRAIN 1130WY372 COLOMBO 1140FZ037 DUBAI 1140IX337 CALICUT 1155WY822 KUALA LUMPUR-SINGAPORE 1215WY818 BANGKOK 1220WY634 ABU DHABI 1220WY904 SALALAH 1230BG023 DACCA-CHITTAGONG 1230WY670 DOHA 1250WY332 KATHMANDU 1305PA950 SIALKOT 1310CV611 MADRAS 1315WY606 DUBAI 1340WY3302 MUKHAIZNA 1350WY632 ABU DHABI 1355WY906 SALALAH 1440WY920 KHASAB 1445WY3922 DUQUM OMAN 1510FZ045 DUBAI 1535KU677 KUWAIT-ABU DHABI 1540SV530 JEDDAH 1550WY344 LAHORE 1605QR1126 DOHA 1650WY204 BOMBAY 1655WY292 CALICUT 1710WY264 LUCKNOW 1740WY664 DOHA 1745EK864 DUBAI 1745WY254 MADRAS 1750WY232 HYDERABAD 1750WY246 DELHI 1750WY284 BANGALORE 1750WY3932 SOHAR 1805GF564 BAHRAIN 1810TG507 BANGKOK-KARACHI 1900G9116 SHARJAH 1905WY374 COLOMBO 1915WY646 KUWAIT 1920FZ047 DUBAI 1940WY908 SALALAH 2000RG125 ABU DHABI 2005WY614 DUBAI 2025WY848 JAKARTA 2035WY338 KATHMANDU 2040WY434 TEHRAN 2055FZ049 DUBAI 2100KL441 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 2105WY124 MUNICH 21054H561 DACCA 21159W534 COCHIN 2115AI973 DELHI 21256.00E+81 BOMBAY 2130BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2140WY624 DUBAI 2150UL205 COLOMBO 2155AI907 MADRAS 2200WY312 CHITTAGONG 2210LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI 2225QR1134 DOHA 2225GF566 BAHRAIN 2240LH616 FRANKFURT-DOHA 2245WY414 AMMAN 2300SG061 AHMEDABAD 2300EY388 ABU DHABI 2300WY910 SALALAH 2310WY910 SALALAH 23109W540 BOMBAY 2315AI985 BOMBAY 2325WY662 DOHA 2335WY662 DOHA 2335WY636 ABU DHABI 2340WY654 BAHRAIN 2340WY816 BANGKOK 2350WY612 DUBAI 2355WY696 DAMMAM 2355WY612 DUBAI 2355
FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD 9W539 BOMBAY 0020AI986 BOMBAY 0020WY657 BAHRAIN 0055WY637 ABU DHABI 0105WY235 HYDERABAD 0110WY281 BANGALORE 0110WY201 BOMBAY 0115WY685 RIYADH 0115WY643 KUWAIT 0120WY251 MADRAS 0120WY341 LAHORE 0145WY601 DUBAI 0145WY431 TEHRAN 0155WY371 COLOMBO 0155WY123 MUNICH 0200WY847 JAKARTA 0215WY241 DELHI 0215WY901 SALALAH 0215WY667 DOHA 0225TK775 ISTANBUL 02304H584 DACCA 0300PK230 LAHORE 0315WY331 KATHMANDU 0350EK867 DUBAI 0450ET625 ADDIS ABABA 0450EY385 ABU DHABI 0500FZ036 DUBAI 0510QR1133 DOHA 0515WY651 BAHRAIN 0645GF561 BAHRAIN 0715WY3921 DUQUM OMAN 0740G9842 RAS AL KHAIMA 0745WY603 DUBAI 0750WY903 SALALAH 0750WY3301 MUKHAIZNA 0800WY917 KHASAB 0815WY347 ISLAM ABBAD 0830WY669 DOHA 0835WY323 KARACHI 0835FZ044 DUBAI 0845WY633 ABU DHABI 0900WY815 BANGKOK 0905WY291 CALICUT 0915WY215 TRIVANDRUM 0915WY253 MADRAS 0915NL769 LAHORE 0930WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 0940WY263 LUCKNOW 0940WY385 MALE 0945WY821 SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR 0945WY843 MANILA 0955G9115 SHARJAH 0955WY231 HYDERABAD 1000WY905 SALALAH 1020WY605 DUBAI 1020WY203 BOMBAY 1025WY245 DELHI 1040EK863 DUBAI 1045IX554 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY337 KATHMANDU 1050QR1129 DOHA 1100EY383 ABU DHABI 1105IX442 COCHIN 1120WY311 CHITTAGONG 11409W533 COCHIN 1145WY919 KHASAB 1145QR8550 DUBAI WORLD CENTRE-DOHA 1205WY655 BAHRAIN 1215GF563 BAHRAIN 1215WY273 JAIPUR 1220FZ038 DUBAI 1225WY3303 MUKHAIZNA 1230IX350 CALICUT 1255PA451 LAHORE 1315WY113 FRANKFURT 1320WY663 DOHA 1330WY143 MALPENSA 1350WY645 KUWAIT 1350WY101 LONDON HEATHROW 1400WY423 BEIRUT 1415WY153 ZURICH 1420WY927 SALALAH 1430WY413 AMMAN 1440WY405 CAIRO 1440WY609 DUBAI 1445WY907 SALALAH 1540WY675 JEDDAH 1615G9110 SHARJAH 1615FZ046 DUBAI 1620WY631 ABU DHABI 1640WY613 DUBAI 1710QR1127 DOHA 1750WY327 KARACHI 1810WY623 DUBAI 1840WY681 RIYADH 1840WY647 KUWAIT 1845WY909 SALALAH 1850GF565 BAHRAIN 1855EK865 DUBAI 1910WY695 DAMMAM 1915WY661 DOHA 1920WY653 BAHRAIN 1920G9117 SHARJAH 1955WY913 SALALAH 2000WY635 ABU DHABI 2015FZ048 DUBAI 2025WY611 DUBAI 2035RG126 ABU DHABI 2045WY915 SALALAH 2100FZ050 DUBAI 2145AI978 HYDERABAD-BANGALORE 2200KL442 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 2220WY817 BANGKOK 22259W529 TRIVANDRUM 22306.00E+82 BOMBAY 2245AI908 MADRAS 2300AI974 DELHI 2310WY677 MEDINA 2310GF567 BAHRAIN 2325LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH 2325BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 2330QR1135 DOHA 2330WY673 JEDDAH 2350EY381 ABU DHABI 2355LH617 DOHA-FRANKFURT 2355
FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD 9W539 BOMBAY 0020AI986 BOMBAY 0020WY657 BAHRAIN 0055WY637 ABU DHABI 0105WY225 COCHIN 0105WY235 HYDERABAD 0110WY211 TRIVANDRUM 0110WY685 RIYADH 0115WY201 BOMBAY 0115WY643 KUWAIT 0120WY251 MADRAS 0120WY345 ISLAM ABBAD 0125WY601 DUBAI 0145WY371 COLOMBO 0155WY123 MUNICH 0200WY901 SALALAH 0215WY241 DELHI 0215WY847 JAKARTA 0215WY667 DOHA 0225BG022 CHITTAGONG-DACCA 0230TK775 ISTANBUL 0230WY209 GOA 02554H585 DOHA 0300PK226 KARACHI 0315WY331 KATHMANDU 0350CV610 MADRAS 0355EK867 DUBAI 0450ET625 ADDIS ABABA 0450EY385 ABU DHABI 0500FZ042 DUBAI 0510MS931 CAIRO 0510PK292 ISLAM ABBAD 0510QR1133 DOHA 0515WY651 BAHRAIN 06454H586 DACCA 0700GF561 BAHRAIN 0715WY903 SALALAH 0750WY603 DUBAI 0750WY917 KHASAB 0815WY669 DOHA 0835FZ044 DUBAI 0845WY633 ABU DHABI 0900WY373 COLOMBO 0900WY815 BANGKOK 0905WY343 LAHORE 0915WY253 MADRAS 0915WY291 CALICUT 0915NL769 LAHORE 0930WY263 LUCKNOW 0940WY821 SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR 0945G9115 SHARJAH 0955WY231 HYDERABAD 1000WY283 BANGALORE 1000WY3301 MUKHAIZNA 1000WY905 SALALAH 1020WY605 DUBAI 1020WY203 BOMBAY 1025WY631 ABU DHABI 1030WY245 DELHI 1040EK863 DUBAI 1045WY337 KATHMANDU 1050QR1129 DOHA 1100IX818 MANGALORE 1100EY383 ABU DHABI 1105IX442 COCHIN 1120WY311 CHITTAGONG 11409W533 COCHIN 1145WY919 KHASAB 1145WY3921 DUQUM OMAN 1210WY655 BAHRAIN 1215GF563 BAHRAIN 1215FZ038 DUBAI 1225IX350 CALICUT 1255WY113 FRANKFURT 1320WY663 DOHA 1330WY645 KUWAIT 1350WY143 MALPENSA 1350WY101 LONDON HEATHROW 1400BG024 CHITTAGONG-DACCA 1400PA951 SIALKOT 1430WY927 SALALAH 1430WY405 CAIRO 1440WY413 AMMAN 1440CV611 LUXORE 1445WY433 TEHRAN 1445WY907 SALALAH 1540WY3931 SOHAR 1600WY675 JEDDAH 1615FZ046 DUBAI 1620KU678 KUWAIT 1640SV531 MEDINA-JEDDAH 1650WY613 DUBAI 1710QR1127 DOHA 1750WY623 DUBAI 1840WY681 RIYADH 1840WY647 KUWAIT 1845WY909 SALALAH 1850GF565 BAHRAIN 1855EK865 DUBAI 1910WY695 DAMMAM 1915WY661 DOHA 1920WY653 BAHRAIN 1920G9117 SHARJAH 1955WY913 SALALAH 2000TG508 KARACHI-BANGKOK 2005WY635 ABU DHABI 2015FZ048 DUBAI 2025WY611 DUBAI 2035RG126 ABU DHABI 2045WY915 SALALAH 2100FZ050 DUBAI 2145WY411 AMMAN 22054H561 JEDDAH 2215KL442 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 2220WY817 BANGKOK 22259W529 TRIVANDRUM 22306.00E+82 BOMBAY 2245AI908 MADRAS 2300UL206 COLOMBO 2305WY705 DARESSLAM-ZANZIBAR 2310WY677 MEDINA 2310AI974 DELHI 2310GF567 BAHRAIN 2325LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH 2325QR1135 DOHA 2330BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 2330WY673 JEDDAH 2350EY381 ABU DHABI 2355LH617 DOHA-FRANKFURT 2355
A I R L I N E S
—www.met.gov.om
PRAYER TIMINGS
Dhuhr 12.13pm
Asr 3.30pm
Maghrib 7.00pm
Isha 8.23pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 3.53am
Sunset 6.55pm
Sunrise (Tomorrow) 5.20am
High tide 8:52pm 10:37am
Low tide 3:44am 3:40pm
BORN today, you are always one to stand up for yourself and your rights. You never let a personal wrong stand unanswered. But you are just as quick to defend others; you will always step in to protect anyone who seems unable to defend him or herself. Indeed, you are likely to consider it a personal mission in life — one that can indeed last a lifetime — to do what you can for others in need. You are caring, generous and eager to see others grow and evolve. You are not the kind to do everything for another — for that may yield only more failure and disappointment — but rather you will teach others how to prevail on their own.
You are highly creative, and you will always do things in a way that can be recognised as yours and yours alone. Some may claim that there is no real artistry in what you do, but this is only sour grapes, the opinion of those who cannot match you in some way. The truth is that you do, indeed, have the artist’s touch.
Also born on this date are: Venus Williams, tennis player; Barry Manilow, singer-songwriter; Greg Kinnear, actor; Igor Stravinsky, composer; Thomas Haden Church, actor; Mark Linn-Baker, actor; Newt Gingrich, politician; Jason Patric, actor; M.C. Escher, artist; Joe Piscopo, actor and comedian; Ralph Bellamy, actor; Will Forte, actor; Dan Jansen, speed skater.
Are you sure you’re sending out the right signals? Others may not react the way you hope they will. Why is that?
VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22]
LIBRA [SEPT. 23-OCT. 22] LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL[S[[[S[S[S[[S[SS[SSSS[S[[[[SSSSSSSSSS
SCORPIO [OCT. 23-NOV. 21] S[
SAGITTARIUS [NOV. 22-DEC. 21] S[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18]
See if you can do something in a new way — if only to prove to someone that you can. You certainly have room to manoeuvre.
You may fear doing the very thing that is best for you, and you surely have good reasons. Still, you can conquer that fear.
Putting your needs fi rst may prove more diffi cult than expected, as there are others whose needs are somewhat greater than your own.
You are proud of the work you have done recently, and you’re hungry for greater recognition. You may have to go searching for it!
You may be surprised to discover what you are feeling, as you’ve been avoiding the truth in subtle, but eff ective, ways.
You may not believe what you see with your own eyes or hear with your own ears, but many are warning you that you must face the truth.
You are getting something out of a certain situation that others do not see or appreciate as you do.
PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20]
There’s no reason to think that your current path won’t get you where you want to go. Still, be prudent!
GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20]
CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22]
LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22]
CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19]
Y O U R B I R T H D A Y
ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19]
TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20]
You’re eager to see those around you having just as much fun as you are, and you can do more to make sure that they do just that!
You’re nearing a certain point in your anticipated path that may well be fraught with danger. You can take necessary steps.
Are you willing to admit defeat? If not, you’re going to have to buckle down and assert yourself in a way you haven’t in the past.
C11
EXTRAW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
YOUR BIGGEST ROAD HAZARD IS IN YOUR HAND A TIMES OF OMAN
HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE
The video game industry’s biggest trade show is in full swing at Los Angeles and all gamers’ eyes
are turning to the Los Angeles Convention Centre
VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY’S NEXT BIG THING
The annual show, called the Electronic Entertainment Expo or “E3,” is a week-long celebration of
all things video games. On Sunday night, Bethesda Softworks kicked things off with an announce-ment-packed press conference in which it detailed its post-apoc-alyptic Fallout 4 — which will be set partly pre-apocalypse for the fi rst time — its demon-destroying chainsaw-heavy shooter Doom 4, fi ghting game Battlecry, and the assassin game Dishonored 2. The company also introduced a social network just for its many titles called Bethesda.net, showed off a newly released update to El-der Scrolls Online and surprised the crowd by introducing a stan-dalone iOS game based on Fall-out. The game is called Fallout Shelter and draws inspiration from games such as The Sims to let you control an underground colony post-nuclear attack.
Here are some major storylines
to watch from E3 this year.
Virtual RealityFrom a gadget perspective, virtual reality is the story at this year’s E3. While we’ve seen demos and heard buzz about the technology at past shows. But these things are getting real now — these gadgets have shipping dates.
Oculus and Microsoft have teamed up to say that Xbox One games will be compatible with the Rift through users’ PCs. Mean-while, Sony has its own “Project Morpheus” virtual reality headset that the company is expected to talk about during its presentation. Overall, there are 22 virtual reality exhibitors on the show fl oor, said Michael Gallagher, chief executive of the Entertainment Software As-sociation, which puts on E3.
Games, games, gamesWe already ran through the list of games that Bethesda showed off dur-ing its press conference, and that is just scratching the surface. It’s more
or less a given that we’ll get more information about new titles from favourite franchises such as Call of Duty, and Assassins Creed, Forza and Gears of War plus updates of music titles Rock Band and Guitar Hero — remember those?
Microsoft’s expected to reveal details about some of those titles as well as Halo 5 during its confer-ence. Ubisoft will likely focus on titles including Assassins Creed: Syndicate, and updates on antici-pated titles such as The Division. Electronic Arts is slated to reveal more about Star Wars Battlefront and Mirror’s Edge among other titles. Sony is likely to pull Mor-pheus out for a demo or two, and is also likely to talk about a new “Un-charted” title and to off er more de-tails about its ambitious exclusive adventure game, No Man’s Sky.
Nintendo, as per usual, is opting not to do a big press conference, but is streaming an announce-ment to fans shortly. The com-pany is expected to show off its latest Star Fox title. The company
has said that it won’t be releasing new information on its upcoming Legend of Zelda game, but there is chatter that it may step up with a new Metroid game.
MobileThere are 70 mobile exhibitors at E3 this year, showing that the in-dustry understands that the aver-age gamer is likely to be more often than not huddled over a smart-phone screen these days.
The show traditionally has been focused on the console world, but Gallagher said that the ESA is committed to working with more mobile studios to pull them into the fold.
But you can also expect to see traditional studios put more emphasis on mobile games as well. Bethesda announced three games that work on mobile devices in its presenta-tion — a companion app to Fallout 4 for iOS and Android, the iOS-only Fall-out Shelter, and a strategy card game, Elder Scrolls: Legends that will run on PCs and iPads.
Moving beyond gamesGames, of course, are the heart and soul of the show. But you can expect to see some of these com-panies shift their focus slightly away from the pure console games we’ve come to know and love. Mi-crosoft has already made clear that it wants the Xbox to be more than just a gaming console, with its en-tertainment features, and it will be interesting to see if the company expands that ambition — and how.
Bethesda set the tone for this with the introduction of Bethesda.net which is a digital platform that will host discussion forums, fan modifi cations to games and grant insider access to members.
Fan engagement is a major part of this year’s show — the show fl oor opens to 5,000 consumers for the fi rst time, showing that the industry is trying to stay on top of social and playing trends that drive gaming in an always-con-nected world that doesn’t centre around the living room anymore. -Hayley Tsukayama/The Washington Post
World’s thinnest light bulb is here
IMAGINE HOW thin a light ‘bulb’ could be? Well, it could be just one atom thick! Using graphene — an atomically thin and perfectly crystalline form of carbon — as a fi lament, scientists have demon-strated for the fi rst time an on-chip visible light source. The visible light from atomically thin gra-phene is so intense that it is visible even to the naked eye, said researchers.
A chocolate a day keeps heart diseases at bayIF YOU are worried about the health of your heart, here’s a sweet solution. Researchers have found that eating up to 100 grams of chocolate every day is linked to lower heart disease risk. There does not seem to be any evidence for cutting out chocolate to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, the researchers said in the study published in the journal Heart.
Scratching an itch is fruitful, says studyTHE PLEASURE that you receive by scratching an itch is due to “overac-tivity” in the areas of the brain involved in mo-tor control and reward processing. “Despite being pleasurable, scratching can lead to increase in the intensity of itch as well as pain and skin damage,” said fi rst author, Hideki Mochizuki, assistant professor of dermatology, Temple University School of Medicine in the US. -IANS
BR I E FS
C12
EXTRAW E D N E S DAY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
What happens when science itself is under scrutiny?RETRACTION WATCH
The crimes and misde-meanours of science used to be handled mostly in-house, with a private word at
the faculty club, barbed questions at a conference, maybe a quiet dismissal. On the rare occasion when a journal publicly retracted a study, it typically did so in a cryp-tic footnote. Few were the wiser; many retracted studies have been cited as legitimate evidence by others years after the fact.
But that gentlemen’s world has all but evaporated, as a remark-able series of events last month demonstrated. In mid-May, af-ter two graduate students raised questions about a widely reported study of the eff ect of political can-vassing on opinions of marriage, editors at the journal Science, where the study was published, began to investigate. What fol-lowed was a frenzy of second-guessing, accusations and com-mentary from all corners of the Internet — Retraction as serial drama, rather than footnote. Sci-ence offi cially pulled the paper, by Michael LaCour of the Uni-versity of California, Los Angeles, and Donald Green of Columbia, on May 28, because of concerns about LaCour’s data.
“Until recently it was unusual for us to report on studies that were not yet retracted,” said Dr Ivan Oransky, an editor of the blog Retraction Watch, the fi rst news media outlet to report that the study had been challenged. But new technology and a push for transparency from younger scientists have changed that, he said. “We have more tips than we can handle.”
The case has played out against an increase in retractions that has alarmed many journal editors and authors. Scientists in fi elds as di-verse as neurobiology, anaesthesia and economics are debating how to reduce misconduct, without creating a police-state mental-ity that undermines creativity and collaboration.
“It’s an extraordinary time,”
said Brian Nosek, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, and a founder of the Centre for Open Science, which provides a free service through which labs can share data and protocols. “We are now seeing a number of eff orts to push for data repositories to facilitate di-rect replications of fi ndings.”
But that push is not universally welcomed. Some senior scientists have argued that replication often wastes resources. “Isn’t reproduc-ibility the bedrock of science? Yes, up to a point,” the cancer biologist Mina Bissell wrote in a widely cir-culated blog post. “But it is some-times much easier not to replicate than to replicate studies,” especially when the group trying to repli-cate does not have the specialised knowledge or skill to do so.
The experience of Retraction Watch provides a rough guide to where this debate is going and why. Oransky, who has a medical degree from New York University, and Adam Marcus, both science
journalists, discovered a mutual interest in retractions about fi ve years ago and founded the blog as a side project.
They had, and still have, day jobs — Marcus, 46, is the manag-ing editor of Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News, and Oransky, 42, is the editorial director of Med-Page Today (he will take a posi-tion as distinguished writer in residence at NYU later this year).
In its first year, the blog broke a cou-ple of retraction stories that hit the mainstream news media — includ-ing a case involving data faked by an anaesthesiologists who later served time for health care fraud. The site now has about 150,000 unique visi-tors a month, about half from out-side the United States.
Oransky and Marcus are par-tisans who editorialise sharply against poor oversight and vague retraction notices. But their focus on evidence over accusations dis-tinguishes them from watchdog forerunners who sometimes came off as ad-hominem cranks. Last
year, their site won a $400,000 grant from the John D. and Cathe-rine T. MacArthur Foundation, to build out their database, and they plan to work with Nosek to man-age the data side.
Their data already tell a story.The blog has charted a 20 to 25
per cent increase in retractions across some 10,000 medical and science journals in the past fi ve years — 500 to 600 a year today from 400 in 2010. (The number in 2001 was 40) The primary causes of this surge are far from clear. The number of papers pub-lished is higher than ever, and journals have proliferated, Oran-sky and other experts said. New tools for detecting misconduct, like plagiarism-sifting software, are widely available, so there’s reason to suspect that the surge is a simple product of better de-tection and larger volume.
Still, the pressure to publish attention-grabbing fi ndings is stronger than ever, these experts said — and so is the ability to “bor-
row” and digitally massage data. Retraction Watch’s records sug-gest that about a third of retrac-tions are because of errors, like tainted samples or mistakes in statistics, and about two-thirds are because of misconduct or sus-picions of misconduct.
The most common reason for retraction because of misconduct is image manipulation, usually of fi gures or diagrams, a form of deliberate data massaging or, in some cases, straight plagiarism. In their dissection of the LaCour-Green paper, the two graduate stu-dents — David Broockman, now an assistant professor at Stanford, and Joshua Kalla, at California-Berkeley — found that a central fi gure in LaCour’s analysis looked nearly identical to one from an-other study. This and other con-cerns led Green, who had not seen any original data, to request a re-traction. (LaCour has denied bor-rowing anything.)
Data massaging can take many forms. It can mean simply exclud-ing “outliers” — unusually high or low data points — from an analy-sis to generate fi ndings that more strongly support the hypothesis. It also includes moving the goal posts: that is, mining the data for results fi rst, and then writing the paper as if the experiment had been an attempt to fi nd just those eff ects.
“You have exploratory fi ndings, and you’re pitching them as ‘I knew this all along,’ as confi rma-tory,” Nosek said.
The second leading cause is plagiarising text, followed by re-publishing — presenting the same results in two or more journals.
The fourth category is faked data. No one knows the rate of fraud with any certainty. In a 2011 survey of more than 2,000 psychologists, about 1 per cent admitted to falsifying data. Other studies have estimated a rate of about 2 per cent. Yet one off ender can do a lot of damage. The Dutch social psychologist Diederik Stapel published doz-ens of studies in major jour-nals for nearly a decade based on faked data, investigators at the universities where he had worked concluded in 2011. Sus-picions were fi rst raised by two of his students.
“If I’m a scientist and I fab-ricate data and put that online, others are going to assume this is accurate data,” said John Budd, a professor at the University of Missouri and an author of one of the fi rst exhaustive analyses of re-tractions, in 1999. “There’s no way to know” without inside informa-tion. -Benedict Carey/The New York Times
News Service
Richa to soon start shooting ‘Chalk n Duster’
RICHA CHADHA, who has completed shooting Pooja Bhatt’s production Cabaret, says she has signed up Chalk n Duster, which is Bollywood’s well-known makeup artist Subhash Singh’s maiden production venture. Also featuring veteran actress Shabana Azmi, Chalk n Duster will see Richa in a cameo role.
Ishita Dutta is talented, says Ajay Devgn
AJAY DEVGN who is awaiting the release of his upcoming fi lm Drishyam, says his co-star Ishita Dutta is “talented and focussed”. Ishita, who is making her Bollywood debut with the fi lm, plays Ajay’s elder daughter.
Priyanka to shoot for ‘Gangaajal 2’ in Bhopal
PRIYANKA CHOPRA has jetted off to Bhopal to begin shooting for Prakash Jha’s Gangaajal 2. Priyanka will be seen playing the role of a policewoman in the police-drama, which is a sequel to the hit 2003 fi lm that starred actor Ajay Devgn. “A sense of quiet... Inner balance... Time to discover the calm in the eye of the storm. Heading to Bhopal to start,” the actress tweeted. -IANS
BR I E FS
A steady increase in
retractions of studies
has alarmed journals
and scientists, raising
diffi cult questions
about how research
is conducted
W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O MSECTION
CONNECT H E D A I LY G U I D E
D
D4 VACANCY CARGO D7
W E D N E S D AY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
RENT D2
DAILY GUIDEEmail: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461
FOR RENT
Basement Store, 146 SQM,
Wadikhabeer, Opposit Al-Hassan.
99441193, 93004802
We have 2BHK fl ats in Ghubra
North 18th November Street new
Mars Hypermarket fl ats with 2
rooms, 3bathrooms large sitting
hall & kitchen. Contact: 93782735 /
99208033
Furnished room for rent at
Al Khuwair R.O 225/- for family only.
Contact: 99251975
We have offi ces in Ghala, Ghubra,
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available, open space, 2 BHK, 3 BHK.
Contact 93782735 / 99208033
We have 230 sq metre show room
in Ghubra main road very nice loca-
tion suitable for banks, showroom,
Retail shop or any business Golden
opportunity. Contact: 93782735 /
99208033
We have 1 BHK, 2 BHK fl ats in
Mabela + brand new building very
nice fi nishing on the main road,
1BHK 175/- OMR , 2BHK 200/- OMR.
Contact: 93782735 / 99208033
Shop /Comn /Resi building 1 & 2
bed fl at available in Wadi Kabir (near
Lulu). Contact: 99451168
One bed rooms fl at RO 200/-
Wadi Al Kabir. Contact: 99451168
Misfa land for rent 1000 SQM.
Contact: 99451168
1 BHK fl at in Al Khuwair, 2 months
only. Contact 99792181
3 BHK Flat in Azaiba.
Contact 99792181
Labour Camp for Rent in Wadi Kabir.
Contact 99792181
2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair. Contact
99792181
4 BHK single villa in Al Khuwair.
Contact: 97616158
4 & 5 BHK villa in Al Khuwair.
Contact 99792181
We have small building commercial
for staff accommodation in Bowsher.
There are 4 fl ats & 1 shop can be
used for store or staff accommoda-
tion. Contact 93782735 / 99208033
5BHK villa available for rent, near
Hamriya roundabout.
Contact-99366191
We have 1 BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK fl ats
in Ghala very nice building on main
road outside the building lot of park-
ing available. Contact: 93782735 /
99208033
5 BHK Villa with parking & backyard
garden in Al Khuwair (House No.
1110 & Way No. 3914 ), near Radis-
son hotel, is available for rent @ RO.
1000/- p.m. Contact : 99024087 /
92620773
Independent rooms in Qurum /Al
Hail. Contact 95529970
Offi ce / shop near Oman house
Muttrah. Contact: 99233116
3 Bedroom fl at with 3 attached toi-
lets, split A/C, brand new available,
behind Kims Hospital.
Contact 95225662
1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Mis-
fah Industrial area near to Khanco.
OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity
and boundary wall. Tel: 99333479 or
95215360
Tent for wedding Iftar party for rent.
Contact: 97380496/ 96242910/
94029752
3BHK special apartment at
Al Khuwair with wardrobe and A/C.
Contact : 94232344
Villa for rent (family residence) :
New 4 bedroom villa with majlis,
family hall and outside kitchen. With
split AC in Al Khoudh phase 7 close
to Seeb polyclinic. Call 99332525
(owner).
2BHK fl ats in Al Khuwair.
Contact: 97616158
Deluxe 4 bedrooms, living, dining
4 bathrooms with split AC in Ghubra.
Contact: 95282986 / 24707340
D2 W E D N E S D AY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
We have 5 BHK villa in Al Khuwair
33, 5 rooms, 6 bathrooms, sitting
hall, Majlis & large kitchen suit-
able for offi ce or families. Contact:
93782735 / 99208033
Apartments near Indian School
Ghubra (2 BHK with 5 split AC units).
Contact 94652485 / 99273774 /
99202278
Apartments near Al Nahdha Tow-
ers/ Vachas Hypermarket Azaiba –
Ghala (1 & 2 BHK with split AC units).
Contact 94652485 / 99273774 /
99202278
3BHK fl at for rent in Al Khuwair.
Villa type building with only 2 fl ats,
separate entrance, fully renovated.
Way No. 3922, building No 1839,
behind Al Aktham Restaurant.
Contact: 99462980
2BHK at Azaiba 2 room, 1hall, din-
ing, 3 bathrooms. Contact: 99224748
/ 99425665
2BHK at Al Khodh commercial area
2 rooms, 1 hall, 2 bathrooms.
Contact: 99224748 / 99332297
Flat for rent in CBD Ruwi.
Contact : 92820734
New fl ats for rent in Wadi Kabir.
Contact : 92130703 / 96045478
Flat for rent in Al Khuwair.
Contact : 98151674
1BHK R.O 190/- & 2BHK R.O 250/- &
Store 140 sqm R.O 250/-
near Medical Darsait.
Contact: 98748925
Printing press and stamp making
for sale/leasing, with full machiner-
ies at Salalah. ready position. Visa
available. Contact 99749440 /
93986530.
2 bedroom fl at at Hamriya, main
road with A/C. Contact 99331448
Flat in South Al Hail, 2 bedrooms,
Majlis, 2 bathrooms, kitchen RO
250/-. Contact 93221474
Deluxe 1, 2 BHK fl ats in Darsait,
AL Khuwair 1deal for offi ce &
residence. Contact 99369081
/99142314
1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new fl at avail-
able at Mabela in front of Modern
English School Contact: 96239126
Furnished fl ats for rent in
Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly.
Contact 97819981 / 93593336
Flat in Ruwi Mumtaz 2 BHK RO 300
or 1 BHK 250 RO. Contact 98588240
Flats for rent behind Indian School.
Contact 99777122
2 BHK apartments AL Khuwair with
Balcony 350/- & 4 BHK villa
Al Khuwair with Garden 800/-.
Contact: 95178930
2BHK fl at for rent near Muscat
Municipality, Darsait, big terrace,
nice location, rent OMR 325/-.
Contact: 96241707
Two air-condition fl ats in excel-
lent condition behind City Center
Carrefour Al Seeb no 1: 4 bedrooms &
family hall No 2, 2 bedroom & family
hall. Contact: 93366421
1BHK fl ats at Muttrah near Oman
House. Contact: 93231403
Shop/Offi ce 68 SQM, Wadi kabeer,
Opposite Al-Hassan. Contact
99441193, 93004802
2 BHK, 2 baths, Split A/C, Wadi ka-
beer, Near Indian Elementary School.
Contact 99441193, 93004802
Shop/Offi ce, 56 SQM, Wadikabeer,
Opposite Al-Hassan.
Contact 99441193, 93004802
500 sq mtrs offi ce space on mezza-
nine fl oor near Royal Hospital. OMR
6.500 per sq mtr. Tel: 99333479 or
95215360
3 rooms with attached bath room,
hall Brand new in Mabelah near
Sharahe Noor. Contact 99663905/
99415119
Flat in Amerat, Phase 5, 4 rooms,
3 bathrooms, kitchen with A/C.
Contact : 95522405
Luxury 3 BHK fl at in Al Wattaya
with split A/C & private parking.
RO.500/- Contact – 93191111
Villa of 5 BHK in Al Ansab with split
A/C. RO.650/- Contact – 93191111
2 BHK fl at in Al Ansab with split
A/C. RO.250/- Contact – 93191111
3BHK 8 Nos fl ats in Ghobrah.
Contact: 97616158
Flats for rent Al Ansab (Ghala) 2
bedrooms, 2 toilets, 1sitting room &
kitchen. Contact: 94229023
3 bedroom at Al Khuwair 33. House
No. 866, Way No. 4712. Contact
Mohamed : 99580484, Ahmed :
99486805, Awadh 95525509
Commercial 3 BHK fl at in Al Ghobra
18 Nov Street. RO 700/-
Contact 93191111
2 BHK fl at in Al Azaiba near sea,
with split A/C. RO.340/-
Contact – 93191111
Brand new 6 BHK villa in Al Azaiba
with split A/C & lift. RO.1200/-
Contact – 93191111
4 Ware house at Barka Falaij.
Contact: 99337857
1BHK Ghubra R.O 275/-.
Contact 92144045
For rent 3 industrial land.
Contact 92702891/ 95490842
1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.
Contact: 97799175
Flats shops and store for rent in
Ruwi, MBD Honda road.
Contact 97293708 / 92433127
Flats, shops and basement for rent
in Khuwair, behind RAWASCO.
Contact: 99441122 , 95893518
3000 sq mtrs Industrial landß,
in Barka Sanaiya, with electricity
400KW, shed, staff accommodation
and offi ce. Ready to start any kind
of factory. Contact 99384255.
Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879
FOR SALE
Clinic for sale in al amerat.
Contact:93753655
Used & refurbished Porta
cabins, Toilets unit avail-
able for sales. Contact: 99215560
Email:omegaunitedoman@gmail.
com
A/C 2 Ton, window type for sale,
3 years old, Samsung, ro 45/-
Contact 98564647
2,560 sq mtrs industrial land in
Wadi Kabir main road, First line on
way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to
make petrol station or hotel. OMR
990 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or
95215360
60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in
Misfah, can be changed to Industrial
Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter.
Tel: 99333479 or 95215360
3BHK & 2BHK in Darsait.
Contact 94268564
Bath attached room for rent
Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569
Labor camp available with all facili-
ties at Sohar Falaij (Near Sohar Sea
port) - Contact – 92982172
Flats for rent in Muttrah near Oman
house 2 BHK. Contact: 97009734 /
92629232
For rent in Darsait new fl ats.
Contact: 99777351
For rent in Darsait, new fl ats.
Contact: 99311525
Flats/villas owned by ROP pen-
sion fund available for rent in
Muscat. Contact 99349526
Villa for rent : 4 bedroom villa
with kitchen available in Azai-
ba. Sharing / Family. Contact :
98048207/99261773
Villa for rent - Al Seeb/Al Mawelah
- Block 5 - 4 bedrooms with attached
bathrooms, Majlis, 2 halls, kitchen
and storeroom. split Ac and carpark.
Contact 99564616
2BHK Darsait R.O 325/-, 300/-.
Contact: 92144045
DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5 D3
ACC. WANTEDAVAILABLE
FOR SALE
Party & Wedding equipment rentals.
Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting,
Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crock-
ery, Glassware, Chafi ng 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: [email protected]
Required a room or studio fl at in
Darsait / WadiKabir /Ruwi area.
Contact : 95405033
5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in
Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.
Monthly income OMR 270
Tel: 99333479 or 95215360
3 fl oor commercial building in
Muttrah behind Police. Generating
income of OMR 18 Thousand annu-
ally. Neat and well maintained. Built
on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops
on ground fl oor and 6 fl ats. OMR
207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or
95215360
23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land
with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.
OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479
or 95215360
Ice cream & juices shop in Ruwi,
good location for sale, 1.5 mt fi sh dis-
play machine for sale. #92150455
Well running Bricks Factory for
Lease in Seeb. Contact. 99711003
Beauty parlor for sale near Muscat
Palace monthly rent 350/- OMR
serious buyers. Contact: 91902154
Training center with license.
Contact: 91121277
Commercial land for sale 3000 m
in quriyat road main high way can
use as a petrol station license avail-
able asking price 350,000
For more information please call on
99070701 with out name
Super market in (Hairoon Hairithi)
Thamrith road. # 98189810 / 99675190
Shop for sale in Ibra and Bid Bid.
Contact: 95304693
MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE
Yaris 2008, 1.3, 229 kkm full option
2100 expected. Contact: 93289652
Tata bus - 66 seater model -2008
KM, 85, 673, dealer service. Contact:
99444341 & 99352790
Expatriate driven Yaris 2008 model
100,000 kms & land rover 2005
model 93000 Kms, excellent condi-
tions. Contact : 97094797
Ford Explorer 4WD, 2010 XLT, au-
tomatic km 72000, 4 yrs old, under
warranty. Agent serviced. Owned by
one owner (expat) white colour,
very good condition.
Contact 92824047
TATA bus make model 2012 &
Peugeot boxer van make model
2013. Contact: 93895941
Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat
driven. Contact 99209285
2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40
ton petrol tank each working at the
moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35
Thousand each. Contact 97000155
or 92688692
Land Cruiser 2012. Contact
99336093
Hyundai Accent 2004, fully auto-
matic. Contact: 99045803
Excellent big room, with A/C
kitchen available near
Ontc busstation (Ruwi).
Conatct 95569740
Semi furnished room with at-
tached bathroom for Executive
bachelors at CBD area behind
chamber of commerce. Contact:
96389375/93554942
MATRIMONIAL
MATRIMONIAL
RC girl (28 yrs) hailing from
kanjirappally dioces working in
Royal Hospital looks for suitable
alliances. Contact: 92801093 /
97498373
Hindu Ezhava family, settled in
Muscat looking for suitable groom
working within Oman for their
daughter 25 yrs (MBA) working
with a reputed company in Muscat.
Contact : 98689663
ACC. AVAILABLE
Furnished single / sharing room for
EXE bachelor at Rex Road with WIFI
available. Contact 92873832
Furnished attached bathroom at
Mumtaz area. Contact: 93103337 /
95212017
Sharing fl at in Wadi Kabir.
Contact: 99335057
Spacious bedroom, toilet & kitchen
in Wadi Kabir.
Contact : 96098443
Furnished single rooms available
for Executive bachelors at Ruwi.
Contact: 98049288
Semi furnished single room for
Executive bachelors behind Kamat
Restaurant Al Khuwair.
Contact 94271085
Furnished room attached bath for
lady in Wadikabir (Mars Hypermar-
ket) – 95941515
TRANSPORTATION
Required 40 feet open trailers to
UAE, on trip basis for transporting
our goods. Contact: 99352790 /
98037854
Transportation. Contact: 98178135
Transportation. Contact: 98505294
Transportation. Contact: 98244078
Transportation. Contact:
95190627
Alliance invited for a Nair girl 24 yrs, 5ft, 1”, fair, slim, B.Tech
graduate reputed family of
Ernakulam dist. (Star Thiruvonam
Sudhajathakam) fi nancially sound,
from parents of B.Tech nair boys
from Trissur, Palakkad and
Eranakulam dist. .
Contact :00919495924302
email: [email protected]
NRI
Ready / under construction apart-
ments / villas. Near guruvayur.
Contact: 00919846877773
Available Duplex flat 1900 sqmt
with 3 bedroom and complete POP
made at Manipal (Indrali) also fi t-
tings and accessories are branded
from Gulf. #96440811 / 93804434
Pick & Drop anytime Contact:
91653903
Pick & Drop any time. Contact:
97014786
Pick & drop with car & driver
available any time. Contact:
9615828/ 96502406/92218001
DAILY GUIDED4 W E D N E S D AY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT
Email: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461
CATERING
DOMESTIC HELPER
BEAUTICIAN
HOSPITALITY
ADMIN
ENGINEER
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
SALES / MARKETING
SALES / MARKETING
ADMIN
Required looking for full time House-maid for Omani family at Mabela, visa
available. Contact 92454170
SECRETARIAL & OFFICE
Required Offi ce Assistant
160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425
ACCOUNTANT
MISCELLANEOUS
A company from UAE require 2 merchandisers in retail food
supply, store keeper with English
and invoicing experience. Email:
Mason, C.C.T.V, Technician, Electri-cian cum Plumber. Contact: 99383044
Urgently required: (1) female dermatologist with minimum 3 years
experience (2) female Omani recep-tion coordinator for a medical center
in Qurum. Contact: 96062933
Indian Female M.C.A 4 years of
experience looking for suitable posi-
tion as as programmer/lecturer/Web
Designer/Admin.
Contact No: 99486374.
Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR.
joing immediatly. release available.
Contact :93671437
Over 14 years of gulf experience in
Admin /HR /Logistics, fl uent in Ara-
bic & English with D/L looking for
suitable position.Contact 95824598
Indian Female 25 MBA in HR look-
ing for a suitable opening in Admin/
Hr. Contact 97013375
Indian female 29 MBA (HR) BSc,
4 yrs exp in HR& Admin looking suit-
able placement. Contact : 95619537
Indian female with 10 yrs of experi-
ence in HR/Banking/Operations
seeks a suitable placement.
Can be contacted on 98919015 or
MBA (international business) from
London, 4 years of UK experience in
operations with D/L, looking for suit-
able position. Contact 91710075
Indian female MBA – HR 1 and half
years experience seeking suitable
job. Contact : 99257214Teachers required: Teachers for KG,
Grade I to IV class in English, Maths,
Science, Computer & Art. Qualifi ca-
tion: Degree in relevant subjects & B
Ed; IELTS or TOFEL plus two years
experience preferred. Please apply
Male 24, B.Com /PGD having 2
years experience in accounts and
inventory fi eld looking for suitable
job on visit visa. Contact: 94129550
Indian male, well experienced in
Accounts & Admin looking for a suit-
able vacancy. NOC available.
Contact 98717938
Accounts part time, up to fi naliza-
tion of monthly accounts. Handled
by a CA. contact 96293120
Indian male, with B.Com 1 year expe-
rience in Accounts or Sales, on visit
visa, Cont... 98295101
Indian male M.Com 6 yrs experience
in accounts up to fi nalization in Oman
co having Oman D/L, available to join
immediately with NOC.
Contact: 98363897
Email: [email protected]
Senior Document Controller MCA
Indian male 9+ year’s total experi-
ence 5+ years experience in Gulf in
oil & gas sector and construction
fi eld on visit visa in Oman.
Contact: 95388197
Email: [email protected]
Indian male, B.Com, well experienced
in Accounts & Admin, knowledge
of Tally ERP 9 experience in Oman
with valid Oman driving license. NOC
available, looking for suitable job in
Oman, join immediately.
Contact 94245039
Accounts & fi nance Indian male
B.com M.B.A (F) Tally ERP9, 35 years,
8 years experience 1.5 years Oman
family visa N.O.C available.
Contact: 93257426
Email: [email protected]
Senior Accountant 13 years experi-
ence FMCG & retail Noc available.
Contact: 93473942
Indian male B.Com Accountant 10
years in Oman experience in ac-
counts (upto fi nalization) & Admin
knowledge of tally ERP9, focus RT.
Having NOC & D/L looking for suit-
able job in Muscat.
Contact: 93086105
MBA Indian male looking for suitable
position having 2 years working
experience as an accountant now in
Oman a visiting visa.
Contact: 99424803
Young, energetic 24 yrs, ACCA
fi nalist, Advanced diploma in Ac-
counting and business, seeking suit-
able placement in accounts, fi nance
or audit. Contact : 92430152,
Email: [email protected]
Sudanese Accountant seeking job
in Nizwa state experience 10 years 3
years in Saudi Arabia, 7 yrs in Sudan.
Contact : 97796394 / 94003247
Urgently required baker (tandoori
bread maker) for a restaurant.
Contact 92764880
Chinese shawarma cook & helper wanted. Contact 95529970
Family in Muscat seeking to hire an experienced butler. Hotel experi-
ence is preferred. Candidate must
hold a valid driver’s license. Please
send CV’s on
Required Accountant with 3 yrs. exp.
in construction company.
Email : [email protected]
A leading excellent grade company
at Muscat looking for Junior Accountant with min.1 year Gulf
experience. Please send CV to
Urgently required Junior Accountant. Please send CV: [email protected]
Urgently required Indian experi-ence Beautician (good package) in
Al Hail, visa available.
Contact : 92139922 / 92284899
Required Beautician visa available,
salary accommodation.
Contact: 91902154
MEDICAL
MEDICAL
SKILLED
Required Gynecology, General Phy-sician, Dentist, Staff Nurses, Lab technicians, Pharmacists,X Ray technicians. Contact : 95133572 / 96064925
Email: [email protected]
Wanted Staff Nurse for a polyclinic
in Sohar. Contact :93457270
Driver & Business co coordinator speaking English urgently required.
Contact : 95327813
DRIVER
Required Counter Salesman for
building materials in Salalah.
Contact 99496142
Urgently required Sales & Marketing Executive for Electri-
cal & lighting products with Oman
driving license. Send CV at Email :
Marketing Executive for digi-
tal painting company. Contact:
94356769 / 96936564
Looking for Outdoor Salesman for
heavy equipment spare parts.
Contact - 93292015,
Email: [email protected]
Required male or female candidate with 5 years experience in renting of
properties. Interested candidates may
please mail to [email protected]
Urgently required outdoor Sales Executive for furnishing company
with valid Oman D/L and minimum 3
years experience. Contact 93231403 /
Required Sales man - 1 Person
Qualifi cation. Gulf Experienced
- Minimum 5 Years with Oman
Driving Licence Language - English
Education:- Any Degree Further
Contact :Mr. Abdul Hameed Na-
shabat - Mobile No: 97414307 and
-92807399 [email protected]
Urgently required Sales and Market-ing Executive for Graphic designing
company. Contact: 96727631
mail: [email protected]
Urgently required Advertising & Me-dia Sales Executives with Oman D/L.
Trainee positions available for Fresh-
ers. Email: [email protected]
Urgently required a silk Screen printer with good knowledge and
release letter or NOC. Contact:
93280288 or send CV to
Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate
1 year exp in Accounts, currently on
visit visa. Looking for suitable job.
Contact 94341848 /
Email – [email protected]
B.com graduate with NOC more
than 4 years of experience in Oman
with valid Oman driving license for
a suitable job ready to join immedi-
ately. Contact: 98976252
Indian male, B.Com, 1 year Exp in
Accounts/ Sales, on Visit Visa,..
Contact – 98295101
MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in
fi nance/accounts/ auditing. Special-
ized in accounts payable dept, Ora-
cle app user, profi cient in Sap (fi co)
end user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma
certifi ed trainer on visit visa.
Contact – 91967213 / 99064780
Accounts part time works up to
fi nalization on monthly basis. Profi t
& loss A/C and fi nancial statements,
MS Reports Etc. Contact: 96247295
ACCA affi liate , BSc Honors in ap-
plied Accountancy advance diploma
in Accounting and Business, CAT
Affi liate 1 year hand on working
experience of Oman, with Oman
driving license looking for a suitable
placement in Audit fi rm. Having
NOC can join immediately.
Contact : 98989970
Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.
7 out of 9 years experience in Oman
in Accounts/fi nance. Having NOC and
valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143,
Email: [email protected]
Indian male 25 yrs B.com having
experience in accounts for 3 yrs
currently on visit looking to job.
Contact: 97937868 Email:
Chef for Yacht. International cuisine.
Minimum 15 years chef experience.
Required Site Supervisor with 5
yrs. exp. in construction company,
electronic technician with 3 yrs
experience in gate motors systems.
Email : [email protected]
Leading Construction company requires HSE Offi cer with minimum
4 to 5 years experience in building
construction line. Send your CV :
(NOC require).
Urgently required for a fi rst grade construction company Graduate Civil Engineer (5 years experi-
enced) shuttering carpenter mason
(Block, Plaster, Tile Fixing)
Civil Foreman building work.
Contact: 24700373/ 99427674
Fax: 24701368
Email: [email protected]
Mechanical / Civil Site Supervi-sor; diploma / ITI fi tter; 3-4 year’s
exp in supervision of Erection work
of sheds, customer coordination,
and project execution. Omani D/L is
must. Contact: [email protected]
/ 99102383
Construction Company in Oman
urgently requires following candi-
dates: BE Civil Engineer, minimum
3-5 years gulf experience & Civil site foreman, minimum 5 years gulf
experience, diploma not required.
Email: [email protected]
Construction Company in Oman
urgently requires the following:
B.Sc Civil Engineer, minimum 3-5 yrs Gulf experience.
Civil Site Foreman, minimum 5 yrs
experience with operating knowl-
edge of Tally. Please Email CV ;
Required swimming pool Engi-neer/ civil /M& P / Draughtsman with D/L, Preferred gulf experience.
Email: [email protected]
ACCOUNT. & FINANCE
ACCOUNT. & FINANCE
SITUATION WANTEDSIT. WANTED
SITUATION WANTEDSIT. WANTED
Tanzanian male, 25 yrs Accountant
successful experience in Tanzania
looking for suitable placement in any
fi eld. Contact : 96710154
Tunisian lady has Professorship in
social and economical sciences and
accounting, diploma in Experimen-
tal Sciences degree in English for
media. Contact 95391050,
M.Com, CA (Article ship), 15 years
Gulf experience looking for suitable
position in fi nance & accounts on
visit visa valid up to 10/7/2015.
Contact: 97767828, knowledge of
quickbooks, Tally 9, Focus V.5 Email:
An Indian lady Chartered Account-
ant with fi ve years experience
(including article ship) on family
visa in Oman looking for a suitable
job. #9621 0347 / 9943 5346,
Beautician exp Gulf, looking job
from India. Contact 99531802
BEAUTICIAN
Required Large format printer operator – for HP. Graphic Designer. Send CV to [email protected]
DESIGNER
Vacancy for Omani PRO for Customs duties in Sohar. Email:
Mob: 97990844
Required professional Teachers
for teaching Science, Mathematics,
Accountancy, Business Studies &
English IELTS/ TOFEL in schools &
Universities. Contact 99674870
Urgently required G.P doctor with
or without MOH license for one
month from 01/07/2015.
Contact: 93824902
Sales Coordinator : Mechanical
Diploma holder with 3-4 yrs exp. in
sales department preferably in Metal
fabrication Company. Omani D/L is
must. Contact: 99102383
Finance Manager, CPA, with more
than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC.
Fully knowledgeable in Finance,
General & Management Accounting .
NOC available. Contact 96209331
Indian male with total 5 year
experience (2 years experience in
Accountant cum sales co ordinator
in a FMCG Company in Oman) in
accounts fi eld and NOC available.
Looking for suitable job #92130188
Indian Accountant: Male, M com,
7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to
fi nalization, having knowledge of
ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placment.
contact 93950138 Email:
DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5 D5
SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED
ENGG. / TECHNICAL
ENGG. / TECHNICAL
DESIGNER
DRAUGHTSMAN
LOGISTICS
ENGG. / TECHNICAL
Quantity Surveyor with 5 Years ex-
perience (one year in Oman) looking
for job. Contact 91090036
Mechanical Engineer, Indian, 24
years with Piping Engineering,
Autocad, Ansys NX- Cad, pro-e,
Catia & PDMS now on visiting visa
seek suitable placement. Contact:
99168054 / 96684345
Email: : [email protected]
BE ,Electrical Engineer with 5 Years
Gulf Experience in Underground
cable & Overhead line in HT and LT,
Distribution Substation, MEP. Oman
D/L available. NOC available. Con-
tact:95054644, 00918807888109,
Quantity Surveyor or Site Engineer
in civil, 5 years experience in Oman
have valid Oman driving license
looking for suitable posts, NOC avail-
able. Contact: 96394948/ 98294919.
Email: [email protected]
Civil Engineer, Expatriate Female, 3
yrs experience, on visit visa seeking
suitable placement.
Contact: 99195433
Iraqi Engineer specialized in
telecommunication net working &
PC experience in nuking network
and security systems. Contact:
92898329 / 99249124
Electronics & communications
Indian male, 2 years experience
seeking suitable placement.
Contact: 99456725 / 94678625
D.A.E Civil 4 years exp in land
surveyor and building work worked
on AutoCAD, T.S and G.P.S 1 year
exp in Oman looking for placement.
Contact: 92140890 / 98780156
Email: engrsafi [email protected]
Indian male 24 yrs B. Tech (Mech.
Eng) on visit 1 yr experience in
production fi eld looking for suitable
placement. Contact: 98925685
Indian male, 28 yrs, Electronics &
Instrumentation Engineer with 4 yrs
experience in Industrial Automa-
tion (SCADA) seeking suitable job.
Contact 93154156 / 98416190
Indian male 23 yrs B.Tech Civil hav-
ing 2 years exp, currently on visit
visa looking for suitable job.
Contact: 98031034
Email: [email protected]
B.Tech in Electronics Engineering, Indian male 26 years with around 5
years of experience (Including work
experience in Japan) looking for a
job in any fi eld & can join imme-
diately. Contact: 91902646 Email:
MEDICAL
MISCELLANEOUS
Indian female Dentist MOH Oman
passed seeking a suitable placement
in capital region. Contact– 91377681
Indian female looking for suitable
position 2nd rank in MSC microbiol-
ogy, fresher now on visiting visa.
Contact : 91633089
Email: [email protected]
Indian male Nurse, 31 years
Oman prometric passed 6 yrs ICU
experience. Contact : 94195150 /
92758895
Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf ex-
perience) looking for a suitable job
(NOC available) Contact-93344378
Omani Mechanical Engineer, has
3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S,
Riggers/Banks men Permit, Draw-
ing / cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership
and Initial Fire Response Courses.
good with computer and English
language looking for suitable job.
Contact 99224319-98454500
Indian male 22 Mechanical Diplo-
ma holder Engg with HVAC certifi ed,
having 1 year exp. seeking suitable
position. Currently available on visit
visa. Contact - 92835952
DRIVER IT
IT
MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR
EDUCATION
Omani Citizen searching a job in
the fi eld of computer especially in
data base professional in operating
Oracle SQL, PL/ SQL, form6i, Report
6i. Contact 96977368
Email: [email protected]
B.E Computer Science, Indian lady,
with 2 years experience in Oman
looking for suitable job in Muscat
having valid GCC driving license.
Contact: 97738624
Indian male, completed diploma in
Computer technology fresher, seek-
ing suitable position, currently on
visit visa. Contact : 93596096
M.Sc 3+ years exp from France &
India in IT Support Engineer / Hard-
ware & Networking / Server support
/ scientifi c system support looking
for suitable position. Indian, male
on visit visa, contact 98898781/
Computer Networking/Facility
Mgmt 5 Yrs of Exp Holds B.E(ECE),
CCNA Looking for Good Opportunity,
Indian - Visit Visa. Contact 91911792/
Indian male, B.E ( computer science
engineer), MBA (fi nance), OCA certi-
fi ed, having 5 years of experience in
oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks
a suitable position in the fi eld of IT.
Contact: 96212062
email: [email protected]
MBBS lady Doctor experienced in
Medical insurance, direct billing,
preauthorization’s life rating, claims
registration, client query handling &
hospital insurance queries seeking
suitable placement.
Contact : 97763918
Email: [email protected]
Well experienced MOH Licensed
Indian GP Doctor looking for locum /
permanent position in the
Capital area. Contact 98140024
email:[email protected]
Light driver. Contact: 96313100
Driver looking for job.
Contact: 99507039
Paksitani Driver with 6 yrs
experience looking for job.
Contact: 93985087
Driver with car 3 years experience
looking for job. Contact: 92041902
Driver available with car and with-
out car. Contact 96771598
Pakistani male light vehicle driver
with 2 yrs exp looking for job.
Contact : 96342684
2 years experience driver looking
for job in companies or residence,
release available. Contact: 98051400
Pakistani, male light vehicle driver
looking for job. Contact 97943750
Driver light with 5 yrs experience,
knowing English, Arabic, Hindi,
education B.A. Contact 98522914
Light driver valid GCC license look-
ing for job. Contact 99531802
Indian male, 3 yrs exp. as Driver in
Oman looking for job.
Contact 98238043
Light duty driver looking for job.
Contact: 94040926
Driver with car. Contact:
97705694/98988208
Looking for job driving Bangla-
deshi. Contact : 94077119
Looking for job driving Bangladeshi.
Contact: 97418036
Light driver for job. Contact:
95779594
Driver light. Contact: 91020999
Pakistani driving available.
Contact : 96913836
Driver looking for job with visa,
release available, 5 yrs driving
experience. Contact: 96261895
Faruqu.
Light Driver needs Job.
Contact: 93284327
MCA, BCA with 2 yrs relevant expe-
rience seeking suitable opportunity.
Contact: 96377039
Ware house In charge or store
keeper 27 yrs Gulf experience 4 yrs
in Oman NOC available.
Contact: 97657823 Email:
Indian Female with over 9 yrs ex-
perience with good communication
skills seeks jobs in customer service
or sales fi eld. Contact : 96108289,
Part- Time Accountant, well experi-
ence senior accountant ,doing all
type of accounting works, Finaliza-
tion, Budgeting available.
Contact 98803439
13 Years UAE experienced in MNC &
reputed fi rms logistics distribution
looking for a suitable placement, on
visit visa contact 99838743,
10 yrs exp in Oman in logistics-
have Oman D/L-looking for suitable
placement-contact 96410767 .
Contact email: [email protected]
Architect designer experience in
Architecture design in 2D, 3D visit-
ing to site : 2 years experience (in
Oman), fl uent Hindi & English. Email:
Contact: 94253074
Architect and Interior Designer 8
years experience design and execution
working with 3D max, AutoCAD, photo
shop, BOQ, NOV available looking for
suitable placement. #95273166
Graphics Designer/ prepress C.T.P
Pagination 3 yrs exp. in Muscat
Photoshop Illustrator, Indesign,
CorelDraw autocad premier preps
appoge Indian male now on visit
visa. Contact 97436606
Indian female 23 yrs, Autocad Civil
Draftsman with 3ds max & rivet, 3
yrs exp. looking for suitable vacancy
in Muscat now on visit visa.
Contact: 95601266.
20years exp CAD Drafts man
looking for suitable post.
Contact: 94027838 / 99020636
Indian male Diploma in Mechani-
cal Engineer with 14 years Gulf
experience in heavy equipments and
vehicles valid Oman driving license.
NOC available looking for a suitable
placement. Contact: 91985028 /
95463430
Indian male 47 years DM Civil, PG
PGDMM, I& M, having 25 years of
experience Manager in Civil, Stores
Purchase, Inventory, cargo,
transports, Admin ,
looking for best job in Muscat.
Currently on visit visa. Contact:
91170749 / 97672647 Email:
Site Engineer(Civil) Diploma in
Civil Engineering / Supervisor 6
years experience (with N.O.C).
Contact : 99512416.
Electrical Engineer Pakistani male
4 years B. Tech & 3 years’ diploma
seeking a suitable placement.
Contact: 96752080
Email: [email protected]
BE (Electrical), MBA, certifi ed
PMP and Chartered Engineer with
10 years experience in EPC Project
management for substation con-
struction (onshore/off shore) GCC
employed Indian, seeking oppor-
tunity to lead challenging projects,
position in managerial role.
Email ID: [email protected]
Structural Engineer 4 years experi-
ence Indian, will handle projects
independently, able to get
Municipality approvals easily.
Contact: 91668044
Indian male 29 years Civil Engineer
diploma 4 years Oman experience,
2 years road construction looking
placement. Contact: 93298395
N.O.C available
Sudanese Industrial Engineering &
Management, experience 12 years
in QA/QC and production. Contact:
94041960 / 94044784,
Email: [email protected] /
Indian Male, IT Support Engineer,
2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experi-
ence. Contact 97311847
Indian male, B.Tech Mechanical
having 4 years experience with QA/
QC / CSWIP looking for a suitable
position. Contact: 99447106
Email: [email protected]
Btech computer science graduate
2015 passout.. Android application
marketing.. Having good communi-
cation skills and mindset to work in
a team. Contact 91024385
Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need
suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.
Email: [email protected]
Engineer with 3 yrs experience in
Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical
maintained fi eld on visit visa looking
for suitable job. Contact 99191535
Email: [email protected]
*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.
* Subject to space availability
B.Com Diploma in Material manage-
ment having 12 years experience in
local / overseas prelease, logistics,
ware house. NOC available.
Contact: 96477638
SALES / MARKETING
Project / Construction Manager-
Electrical 15++in OMAN and UAE,45
yrs, married,D/L Oman, Qatar &
UAE),Manage with Arabic, Good
Knowledge in Metro Viaduct, UG &
OG stations, Live airport projects,
multi cuisine hospital project (Cleve-
land clinic Abu Dhabi,). Holding of
FEWA, ADCC and OMAN electri-
cal license. Contact Venkatesh on
+97477394707/
Indian male, with 8 yrs exp. in
Oman (BA- Graduate) working as
a project Sales Coordinator, with
Oman D/L, looking for suitable job,
ready to join immediately with NOC.
Contact 95245057
DOMESTIC HELPER
Looking for job for House maid.
Contact : 93599302
Laundry Housekeeping profession-
al looking for a opening in Oman
with 18 years experience.
Contact : 91957861
Experienced, competent, English
teacher for high school and college.
Contact: 91954541
Indian female MCA, Three years
experience in teaching fi eld, seeks
placement currently on visit visa.
Contact: 93431567
Email: fi [email protected]
English Teacher female (M. A. B. Ed)
Having 14 years experience with
11 years experience in Oman with
reputed institute and school.
Contact: 92289080 / 99318276
Email: [email protected]
SALES / MARKETING
Indian Male, M.B.A. (U.K) 10 Yrs of
Experience, looking for suitable posi-
tion in Sales/Marketing/Retail/ H.R/
Admin. Contact No: 99271903.
Indian male MBA 7 years experience
in Hospitality industry, operation,
sales & marketing looking for suitable
vacancy. Contact 92115860
Email [email protected]
MBA Graduate with D/L looking for
sales or marketing jobs.
Contact 94143154
Email: [email protected]
Male BA with D/L having 6 years
exp Oman wanted suitable job in
sales, inventory, procure.
Contact : 92191026
Indian female MSc, MPHIL (Chem-
istry) 3 years Teaching experience
currently on visit visa seeking suit-
able position. Contact : 96916534 /
91969756
Omani female exp in PRO with
Oman D/L. Contact: 91161736
Looking for good job 2 years
experience Oman sales marketing
valid driving license Indian Kerala.
Contact : 98626682
Graduate having 6 yrs experience
Lubricant sales looking for sales job
with D/L. Contact : 93410723
Indian male, MBA with 5 yrs of
experience as a Lecturer in Depart-
ment of Marketing & Business
Management, looking for suitable
position. Contact 93126770
Sales & marketing professional
having 5 yrs exp with D/L.
Contact 92262680
Outdoor salesman with car looking
for job. Contact 91615715
Indian male, 34 yrs, 10 yrs exp. in
UAE in sales & merchandise with
valid GCC license, looking for suitable
position. #93438747 / 93033252
Indian male, 39 yrs having 15 yrs
Gulf experience (UAE, Qatar, Oman)
in sales & marketing looking for a
suitable position with NOC.
Contact 94054730
Sales man looking for a opening in
Oman with 18 years Gulf experience.
Contact: 91957861
8 years store experience Indian
male looking for placement. N.O.C
available. Contact: 98456535
Indian 23 years B.Com Graduate,
2 years experience in Sales knowl-
edge of TALLY, ERP & MS Offi ce.
Contact: 93134643
Email : [email protected]
8 years purchase experienced
Indian male looking for job. N.O.C.
available. Contact: 98161323
Indian male, B.Sc (Mathematics)
PGDBM (Marketing). 9 yrs of Oman
experience in sales in midlevel
management, NOC available.
Valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95278838
Email: [email protected]
SKILLED/UNSKILLED
Experience skilled candidate with driver license seeks position in
sales in Salalah. Contact: 98579382
Mason, sh/carpenter, steel fi tter, looking job. Contact 95175192
Electrician, Plumber, Welder , exp
gulf and india looking job.
Contact 99531802
Helper /cleaner looking for job.
Contact 95175192
SECRETARIAL/OFFICE
Indian female completed computer
literacy program (patiently funda-
mental, MS Offi ce, word processing)
and off set printing, seeking suitable
job in Muscat. Contact : 97236545
Email: [email protected]
25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion
Technology. 5 years experience in
textile industry as a merchandiser
and good in fashion marketing.
Currently available on visit visa,
seeking for a suitable job.
Contact 96990368.
Email: [email protected]
TOURS & TRAVELS
Indian male Diploma, civil engineer
4.3 year experience at building
construction and consulting com-
pany with Oman driving licence
and N.O.C available seeking suitable
placement contact 95989500 email
Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer
skills and 2 years experience as
associate research analyst (Media
Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seek-
ing growth oriented jobs. Contact
92044603 /918056169148 or
IT Desktop Support Engineer 2 years Oman 3 years in Indian Exp.
Contact 91937060
Network system Engineer B.E / ECE
+ CCNA & Ms certifi ed with 4+ yrs exp
looking for a job. Currently in Oman on
visit visa. Contact: 92589502
Email: [email protected]
Male 26 completed MBA and have
1.5 years experience, good knowl-
edge of computer, software’s, looking
for job in procurement / warehous-
ing. On visit visa till 5th Sep /2015.
Contact: 00968 91795092
Email: [email protected]
IT & Media Sales specialist looking
for job opportunities also decent
exposure to H.R & customer relations
currently in Muscat on visit visa
kindly. # 96238199 or 99874205
Email Id: m_cadri@rediff mail.com
Indian Male, B.Com Graduate, 23,
with experience in Sales looking for
suitable placements.
Contact 98371144
Pakistani Female Bachelor of
Information Technology with 8
years’ experience in Banking, Sales,
business development, retail & cus-
tomer service seeking for a suitable
placement. Having valid D/L& NOC
available. Contact 94699970 shehla.
Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as
sales supervisor in India looking for
indoor sales /stores /cashier or any
suitable placement can speak Hindi
, English, Malayalam, Tamil, kannada
can join immediately on visit visa.
Contact 93086105/33016546
Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermedi-
ate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing
in Oman. Looking for suitable job.
Contact - 92146864
MISCELLANEOUS
Tunisian women looking for a job,
khnows english,frensh, italian and
arabic. Contact: 91171838
Indian male, post graduate, cur-
rently in Oman on visit visa.
Seeks suitable placement.
Contact 92388346
Indian male 60 years old have 30
years Muscat experience in all offi ce
works with Omani driving license.
Contact: 99024055
Male, 30 years Accountant, 1 year
Oman experience in accountants,
fi nance. Seeking suitable position in
Muscat .Can join immediately, NOC
available. Email: [email protected]
Call: 97903175
Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3
year Diploma in electrical engineer,
5 year experience in diff erent activi-
ties. Contact; +96894549609
More than Ten years of experience
in Sales & Marketing, Advertisement
and Credit Control and Logistics&
Administration.
Contact; 91076608 / 99322748
MCA IT Professional Indian Female
seek placement in Teaching/ Non
Teaching fi eld. Presently on visit
visa. Contact 9588 7051,
Email: ashwininakod@gmail
Indian female BA graduate. My total
experience is 4 and half year in Call
Center looking for jobs in admin
and HR. Contact : 96089143, Email:
Key Account Executive, Indian
male, currently working with a
reputed FMCG company Oman is
looking for a placement asap, NOC
will be given. Valid Omani driving
license. Total experience in Oman is
12yrs and particularly in Sales is 8
1/2 years. Contact 95589765 Email :
DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624
Email: [email protected]
D6 W E D N E S D AY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED
Sudanese male (B.Sc Computer sci-
ence) (diploma computer engineer-
ing) 6 yrs. experience DBA Oracle pl-
sql, MS sql-server ,ms visual studio
vba, network. Contact :91415886
Indian male with 8 yrs experience
in FMCG in Oman as Sales Supervi-
sor looking for suitable placement.
NOC available. Gsm: 96495206
B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer Su-
danese 3 yrs of exp. In industrial
fi eld available in muscat on vist
visa seeking suitable job . Contact:
95868922, Email: almouthanaos-
IT system and Printer engineer ME,
5Years bank IT Management exp in
India looking for full time job visit
visa contact 94462150
24 year Indian Chartered Account-
ant male with 3yrs of experience is
seeking suitable placement in Mus-
cat, currently on visit visa & ready
to join immediately. Contact him on
98201476 or email at
MCA IT Professional Indian Female
seek placement in Teaching/ Non
Teaching fi eld. Presently on visit
visa. 9588 7051,
ACCA Affi liate, Indian, 2.5Years
experience in Audit/ Finance in Big
6 Audit Firm and Oil Accounting in
PDO, For Permanent Placement for
Finance or Accounts or Audit. Re-
lease NOC Available on hand.
Contact #95140445,
Finance ACCA Affi liate, Worked as
an Auditor with 2.5 Years Experience
in reputed fi rm, Handled independ-
ent audit/fi nance assignments,
Looking for permanent placement,
NOC available. #95140445.
Piping Design Engineer, Indian
male 27, looking for suitable place-
ment in Piping Design & Engineer-
ing. Having 7 years of experience in
AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS
(11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact :
97351786 / 96143708, E-mail :
Indian Male, Graduate, 11 years
Sales experience in Lighting /
Industrial products, ready to join
immediately. GSM: 9710 5356
Indian heavy duty driver with 8
years experience in oman available
with NOC. GSM : 93601943
GSM : 94496457
Over 15 years experience in Gulf.
Interior Architect, Lebanese Nation-
ality, on visit visa seeking a suitable
Placement. 96268005.
Indian male, 28 yrs MBA (HR/M) 2
years experience in Indian Oman in
HR & admin seeks suitable place-
ments. NOC available.
Contact 97484159
Email: [email protected]
M.Sc 3+ years exp from France &
India in IT Support Engineer / Hard-
ware & Networking / Server support
/ scientifi c system support looking
for suitable positions. Indian, male
on visit visa, contact 98898781/
Indian male, 34years having 10
years of experience in Sales, Sales
Coordination and Administration.
Experienced in SAP and MS Offi ce.
NOC available. Contact # 94686594
British Beauty Therapist looking
for suitable position. please contact
:97175240
Indian Male MBA Marketing/HRM
3 year experience with Omani D/L,
seeking suitable jobs.
Contact: 97424188
email: [email protected]
Indian, Male, 23 years, BE Electri-
cal, having 2 years experience in
Electrical Works-H.T. cabling etc, &
Construction, looking for a suit-
able placement. # +968 96927880
(Oman), +91 9765376109 (India),
Email: [email protected]
Indian Female M.Com with Comput-
er Skills and Four Month Experience
as Accountant ,Currently On Family
Visa Looking for a Suitable Place-
ment, Available Immediately.
Contact : 95846642,
Email : [email protected]
ACCA Affi liate, Experience in audit/
fi nance of 2.5 years in Big 6 Firm
and Oil industry, looking for suitable
permanent placement, Release NOC
available. Contact: #95140445
B.Tech Computer Engineer Wanted
job to work on(IT/Banking/Admin-
istrator/Technical/Offi ce works)
having NOC with the limited time
from (04/06/2015 to 13/06/2015).
Mobile:98402389
email:[email protected]
Indian male Executive Secretary
having vast experience in admin,
logistics & procurement well versed
with computer .seek suitable place-
ment. Contact : 99514286
Highly Qualifi ed & Experienced
Finance Manager Pakistani with
USA , UK & Canadian Degrees , CPA
,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA ,IFA- Financial
Consultants Canada , Corporate
Analyst USA Professional of Banking
, Audits ,ERPs & Profi t Maximizations
( NOC available ) call 94 504505 –
94403270
27 year Indian female who has 4
years of experience with logistics
function in distribution of spares
for both heavy machinery & wind
turbine parts. Kindly contact me on
+91 9790769104
E-mail: [email protected]
Looking for managerial post (full
time ), More than Ten years of experi-
ence in Team Development ,Training,
planning, Administration, Sales
& Marketing, Advertisement and
Credit Control and Logistics. Contact
91076608 / 99322748. RELEASE &
NOC AVAILABLE
Indian male MBA (U.K), 10 Years
of experience in Admin, Sales, HR,
stores and logistics seeks suitable
placement. Contact 99271903.
Indian Female MCA, 4 plus Years of
experience in Web designing, Admin,
P.A, seeks suitable placement.
Contact 99486374
8 Years successful experience,
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, Indian
male,29 years. Presently working in
Oman as a Senior Accountant
with oman Driving license seeks
suitable opportunity.
GSM: 97705854
MISCELLANEOUS
7 and half years experience working
accounts / inventory manager look-
ing suitable job. Contact: 96991782
Email: [email protected]
Indian female , MCA BCA, certifi ca-
tion PL SQL , 6months training PHP,
date warehouse looking for suitable
placement. Contact : 95694330
Email: [email protected]
B.Com with more than 5 yrs exp.
looking for an accounts part tome
job work. know with tally.
Part- time accountant, well experi-
ence senior accountant , doing all
type of accounting works, fi naliza-
tion, budgeting available.
Contact : 98803439
Indian male, looking for a part time
accounting job. Having additional
knowledge & experience in
HR admin & purchase.
Contact 99196621
HSE Advisor, NEBOSH IGC, Indian
male, 4 years experience in con-
struction and oil fi elds, seeking suit-
able jobs. Gsm: 97458900,
Mail: [email protected]
Highly Experienced Finance
Manager, CPA ,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA
, Professional of Banking, Audits ,
ERPs Sap , Management as Team
Leader and Problem Solver call 94
504505 / 94403270
Indian male MBA Finance presently
OMAN IN visit visa, 26 years, look-
ing for an accountant job.
Contact 95240641, email Id
mohammadabdulazharuddin@
gmail.com
Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male,
having 9+ years exp. in reputed
companies. Seeking suitable place-
ment in any gulf region. Contact
+968 99276601 & 97693456. email :
Indian Female, 24yrs, M.COM (Ac-
counts) having 3yrs experience
in Accounts, HR, Administration,
Customer Service. Good Computer
Profi ciency. Seeking Suitable Posi-
tion. Visa Transfer/NOC Available.
Contact: 99654913
MEP Quantity Surveyor-Estima-
tion-Project, 10 Years Experience
(3 years in Oman). Having NOC &
Oman D/L, looking for suitable job,
Contact - 98291626
Indian house maid looking full time
job. Contact : 98254909
B.E. Civil Engineer age 27, total 3
years of experience in Mumbai look-
ing for placement asap in oman now
on visit visa of 1 month
ph 9571 3441
Email. [email protected]
Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP
having Bachelor degree and 6 years
of experience in Networking looking
for job. 96760618 /
ACCA affi liate, with 2.5 years
experience in Big6 audit fi rm and
Oil industry, looking for permanent
placement in Accounts/Audit.
Release available
Contact :95140445
Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3
year Diploma in electrical engineer,
5 years experience in diff erent activ-
ities . Mobile No ; +96894549609
Indian Female, Commerce Gradu-
ate, Total 9 yrs of experience in
India. worked as Accounts Assistant
and Business executive seeking for
suitable placement.
Tel : 96173533/24222457
Email : [email protected]
8 yrs exp Site supervisor cum 2d,
3d Draughtsman (holding Omani
driving license) seeking job.
Contact : 93790601
Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP
having Bachelor degree and 6 years
of experience in Networking looking
for job. 96760618 /
B.E. Civil Engineer from India with
3 years of experience looking for
suitable vacancy in oman now on
visit visa. Contact 9571 3441,
Email . [email protected]
Indian male 21 IT Eng. networking &
computer hardware diploma, 1 year
experience, currently on visit visa
looking for a suitable job.
Contact 96036273
email: [email protected]
Indian, 32 years, completed M.A.
English, M.Sc. Psychology and B.Ed
in English. Searching for suitable
job in the fi eld of teaching. To
Contact: 00968 99869535
Email: [email protected]
Iraqi Pharmacist with 15 years
experience as regulatory aff airs and
Marketing Manager seeking job in
pharmaceutical co.
Mobile 96720441
Indian Male 24 years, Looking for a
Suitable Job in Telecom / Network-
ing. 1 year sales experience. MSc.
Communications Engineering &
Valid Driving license. Ph: 91280121.
Email: [email protected]
Female Executive Assistant/Execu-
tive Secretary with 27+ experience,
worked with top management/
Board in fi nancial services with
shorthand skills & Omani driving
license, seeks suitable placement.
call 95941515
26 years Indian male with MBA &
PGDFM, Total 3.8 years experience
in Administration, seeking suit-
able placement in any gulf region.
Holding Oman valid driving license.
Contact :94501423
24 year Indian Chartered Account-
ant male with 3yrs of experience is
seeking suitable placement in Mus-
cat, currently on visit visa & ready
to join immediately. Contact him on
98201476 or email at
SITUATION WANT-
EDSIT. WANTED
*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon
for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability
B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer Suda-
nese 3 yrs of exp. In industrial fi eld
available in Muscat on visit visa
seeking suitable job .
Contact: 95868922, Email:
Indian Male MBA with two year
experience in H.R as a H.R As-
sistant, Now in India, Seeking
for an urgent suitable position.
Contact:-98620260 / 93895992 ,
Email:[email protected]
8 years successful experience.
Senior Accountant, Indian male,29
years, presently working in oman
as a senior accountant with oman
driving license. NOC available. seek
suitable opportunity. gsm: 97705854
DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5 D7
SITUATION WANTEDCARGO
Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise
with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain
Marine Tours Contact- 98029602,
92808636
RENT A CAR
RENT A CAR
TOURS
GOOD NEWS
GOOD NEWS
Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain,
backache, paralysis massage, steam
bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL ,
CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November
street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 /
99117987
FREE INFORMATION ABOUT IS-LAM. 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
Genuine Ayurvedic treatments &
massage, Ayurvedic clinic at
Al Khuwair. Contact 24478618 /
97263637 /93309131
Butter cup rent a car presents fantastic off ers all vehicles are model 2016.
Contact : 97249449
Available car with driver daily,
weekly and monthly basis.
Contact : 95518612
Ayurvedic massage backache, joint
pain & neck pain etc.
Contact: 98254909
DRIVING
Learn driving with professional
only automatic. Contact
94022250
DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624
Email: [email protected]
D8 W E D N E S D AY, J U N E 1 7, 2 0 1 5
SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES
SITUATION WANT-SERVICES
SITUATION WANT-SERVICES
Specialist available for explosive
growth in term of restructuring
all modules of businesses with
over 30 years of experience across
continents with a decade in Oman.
Contact 96733578
Email : profi [email protected]
Split & window A.C servicing &
maintenance. Contact 93769089 /
95323517
House shifting & transporting.
Contact 92490422
Carpet & sofa cleaning, house clean-
ing. Contact 99542979 / 98855815
Split & window A.C servicing &
maintenance. Contact: 96236476
Window & split unit A.C servicing
& repairing. Contact 99557080
Split & window A.C servic-
ing & maintenance. Contact
93769089/95323517
Air condition maintenance split
and window services AC specialist
ducted and package type unites.
Contact: 98667326
Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile
polishing, pest control & anti-ter-
mite treatment, general cleaning
painting, Plumbing, Electrical,
shifting. Contact Mundhir
Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C.
# 24810137, 99450130
Ramadhan Gifts with company
name printable advertisement
on t-shirt, clock.
Contact: 98796982
House shifting packing.
99657644 / 98518013
WEBSITE
WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-
gence (BI) creation and man-
agement at rock bottom price.
Contact: http//webviewoman
CLASSES
COMPUTER
ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS
WE ARE PROVIDINGACCOUNTING/ AUDITING
TAX/ CONSULTINGCONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033
GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet
& sofa shampooing, Contact
99314807/24792998
MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of
your marble. Contact 24793614/
99314807
House shifting. Contact
99708138
Learn Cup cakes, exotic cakes, Icing
decorations, handicrafts.
Contact 95941515
BUSINESS
General Investors. Contact
99674870
SITUATION WANT-MANPOWER
Available for longer period : Mig
Welder 5 nos, General worker with
PDO pass 10 nos, Helper 10 nos,
Mason 8 nos. Contact 99610703
SITUATION WANT-
EDSIT. WANTED
Water proofi ng ABUQABAS-
Contact 99320217/24788722
Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles
polishing, carpet shampooing,
maintenance.Contact ABU QABAS-
99320217 /24788722
Finance ACCA Affi liate, 2.5 years
experience in audit/fi nance and oil
company in reputed fi rms. Looking
for suitable permanent place-
ment. Release available. Contact
95140445, [email protected]
B.E Biomedical Engineer, having 5
years of experience in Diagnostics
division seeking suitable position.
94151658
Indian Male 34 years Mechanical
Engineer 3 years of Experience seek-
ing suitable placement immediately
Contact: 91991435, 93310821
Electronics and instrumentation
Engineer 28 year Indian male, elec-
trical, electronic, industrial, building
& automation exp of 4+ yrs in India.
Contact - 93154156
CCNP Network Professional with 6 years experience having
Bachelors degree on visit visa looking
for suitable job. #96760618 email:
Indian female with MBA (Finance)
on visit visa, seeks immediate place-
ment. Phone: 968-98430089
Civil Engineer, Diploma, Male 25, 3
years experience in site, CAD, 3d, MS
Project, Seeking job in Oman.
Contact 92875345,
Indian male, Engineer, BE Mechani-
cal, having with 21 years of experi-
ence in India and 13 years in Oman,
In production, project management,
quality control and assurance and
MR for ISO and API Standards look-
ing out for a suitable placement
in Oman. GSM: 00968 97311616.
E-MAIL: [email protected]
Indian female B.ED & BCA looking
for a suitable placement in school
or admin offi ce, having 5 yrs exp in
same fi eld. Contact – 97384206 /
Indian female, B.Com. knowledge of
MS Offi ce & Tally, 4yrs experience in
Accounts &admin dept. looking for
good placement in any fi eld.
Contact.98928220
CCNP Network Professional with 6
years experience having Bachelors
degree on visit visa looking for
suitable job. Contact: 96 76 06 18
Indian male, total experience is 5
years in Retail industry. Currently
supervisor in Sun and sand sports
Muscat City centre.
Contact : 96994345.
Email : [email protected]
SITUATION WANTEDCHANGE OF NAME
SITUATION WANTEDLOST
SITUATION WANTEDCHANGE OF COMPANY NAME
We, Sebastian Mannamthuruthil George (name of father as per the pass-
port holder of Indian passport No. J 5561755 and Jemini Sebastian (name of
the mother, holder of Indian passport No. F 6582603) having permanent ad-
dress in Mannamthuruthil House, Edathua PO, Alappuzha, Kerala (complete
postal address in India) and presently residing at the following address in
Oman, P.B No. 2542, P.C No. 112, Sultanate of Oman, here by solemnly affi rm
and declare to change the name of our child Master Unni George Sebastian
(name as per present passport), holder of Indian passport No. J5562354
date of issue 26/06/11 issued at Muscat. The name of our child will be
henceforth known as George Sebastian (new name for all purposes). Any
objection towards change of name of our minor child may please be com-
municated to Embassy of India, Muscat , Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair,
PB No. 1727, PC 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.
Obaid Mosbah AlSheyadi & his Partner for Trad joint Company which
is recorded under the commercial register in directorate general for trade
industry number 3307972 is going to change its name to Zajel Alshmal Al
mumayza for Trad joint Company. This is to inform anybody who concerns
about that.
Mohammad Monju has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. AF 3382562. Finder
please handover to ROP