Founded 1975 . Volume 40 No. | Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

January 31, 2016 21 Rabi Al Thani 1437 AH

SUNDAY

290 40

On the occasion of the 29th National Day, 1999

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

The diversification of the economy, the development of the human skills, the effective exploitation of the available natural resources, and the creation of the suitable conditions to encourage the private sector to perform a greater role in the growth of the national economy -all this will lessen our dependence on oil

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

he 1999

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur to speak at .Open Minds forumTimes News Service

MUSCAT: International movie maker Shekhar Kapur will be one of the top speakers at the .Open Minds’ forum, which will be held at the Ballroom of Shangri La Barr Al Jissah on February 10 and 11.

Kapur is a visionary filmmaker and storyteller and is known for his “work, which is the intersec-tion of art, myth and activism.”

He shot to international fame with award-winning English period films, such as Elizabeth and The Four Feathers, while Indian hits, such as Masoom, Mr India and Bandit Queen pro-pelled him to the top slot of the Indian film circuit.

Elizabeth, a historical biopic of Queen Elizabeth and the Golden Age won the BAFTA award for best film and two Academy awards.

Kapur has also been the recipi-ent of the Indian National Film award, the National Board of Re-

view award and three Filmfare awards. In 2010, he served as one of the jury members (interna-tional competition) at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival.

The .Open Minds thought lead-ership forum will see top global speakers, including Entrepre-neur Chris Gardner, Princess Beatrice of York, Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit and other thought and change leaders.

The event is presented by Areej Vegetable Oils and Derivatives (AVOD). Merge and Al Wisal are the radio partners and the Times of Oman and Al Shabiba are the media partners. For more infor-mation and registration: Contact: 99620757, 95122430; email: bwo-penminds@gmail.com

V I S I O N A R Y F I L M M A K E R

Visionary filmmaker

Shekhar Kapur

Double the fine for littering, urge environment activists HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATIhassan@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Environmentalists in Oman are prompting calls to more than double the fines for littering, following reports of gar-bage piling up at major tourism sites during public holidays.

According to the law, peo-ple who leave trash in public areas face fines of OMR200 to OMR500, with the penalty dou-bling for repeat offenders.

“Muscat Municipality is pre-pared to deploy cleaning teams to work round-the-clock and during holidays to catch violators,” Qais bin Suleiman Al Kosheri, Direc-tor of the Department of Health Affairs in Muscat Municipality said, adding that people can call the municipality hot-line at 1111 to report littering.

However, many believe that pic-nickers are not concerned about violating littering laws in Oman.

Frustrated by reports of trash

being discarded in popular wadis and beaches in the Sultanate, Hashar Al Munziri, founder of ‘Alamah’ marketing agency, said that traditional awareness cam-paigns are not effective, compar-ing them to “shooting in the dark”.

“We need new and smart cam-paigns to raise awareness about littering and how it harms our country,” Al Munziri said.

The authorities need to impose

heavier fines and use social media to report on crackdowns so the public will “learn the hard way”, he added.

Hashar emphasised the im-portance of having standards to be met at each tourist location, with cleanup teams checking on a daily basis.

When contacted, a Royal Oman Police (ROP) spokesman con-firmed that throwing garbage from a vehicle is a traffic violation and a punishable act. “Such acts can be directly reported to the police,” ROP has written on its twitter handle.

Notably, many cattle that die after eating plastic trash can be seen lying along the vast deserts near Bidiya, according to Rashid Al Mughairi, a Bedouin who works in tourism. “It is embar-rassing for me that tourists clean up the trash that many Omani families drop during their pic-nics,” Al Mughairi said.>A6

See also >A2

P I L I N G U P O F G A R B A G E

Leftover at a picnic site.

A5Alawi gets St. George award for peace

OMANStandup comedy a viable career: Peters

2People have started to respect the art of standup comedy, Russel

Peters, the standup comedian, said. “It has made its way across the globe. There are stand-up comedy clubs in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur and even Amman, Jordan. Young people in these places now see stand up as a viable career,” Peters said.>A3

MARKETOman plans to award one more oil block

3Oman is planning to award one more oil block to an international

oil company on a production sharing basis in the Al Wusta region this year, said a senior official from the Ministry of Oil and Gas. “Hopefully, one more will be coming soon ,” said an official at the Ministry of Oil and Gas. >B1

OMANExpat’s passion for farming bears fruit

1 It is tough to become a farmer during a life spent in exile, but Mathew P

George has proved that if one has determination, one can even convert a desert into an oasis of greenery. The TOO is featuring George, an Indian expatriate, who has converted his home into a vegetable garden. >A3

T O P T H R E E I N S I D E S T O R I E S

Call for laws to govern school bus drivers in the Sultanate

REJIMON Kreji@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Laws to govern who is fit to drive school buses are needed, said a senior official at the transport company whose

employee died behind the wheel of the Indian School bus along with two young pupils and a teacher on board.

An outing for pupils to Bahla ended in tragedy claiming the lives of two Class II children from

Indian School Nizwa, a teacher, their driver and the driver of a sec-ond vehicle that was in collision with their bus.

Today relatives of one of the youngsters who died, and par-ents of pupils at the school, ques-

tioned whether the driver, who was reported to be in his 70s, was fit to be in-charge of a bus full of young children.

However, a senior official at the company that employed the elder-ly driver said that the government

needed to bring in rules to make it clear which nationals should be al-lowed behind wheel.

“He was with me for the last nine years after retiring from a government firm. His track record was good.

“If people had concerns about his driving ability, they should have informed the school and the school should have instructed me to replace him. It never happened. So, how can I just remove a nation-al driver from a job,” the official from the transport company said.

“If we employ youngsters, peo-ple complain they will be irrespon-sible drivers and if we employ aged and experienced drivers, then peo-ple question their ability. So we are in a fix. “The government should come up with strict laws. We are ready to follow it,” the official said, adding that he was seriously think-

ing of giving up the business fol-lowing the tragic accident.

Three children on board the ill-fated bus are still fighting for their lives at the Nizwa hospital and ac-cording to medics in Nizwa hos-pital, the health condition of Siya Babu, one of the injured Class II students, admitted to the intensive care unit is critical.

On Saturday afternoon, bodies of Deepal Seth, the teacher and Ruya, the first of the Class II stu-dents who died in the accident, were repatriated to India by social workers with the help of Indian Embassy officials.

Mohammed Rafi, a relative of Mohammed Shammas, the second of the Class II students who died in Thursday’s accident, said he was surprised and concerned af-ter finding out the age of the driver employed to drive the children.>A6

Nizwa bus crash has

reignited the debate

on the quality of

drivers employed by

schools for dropping

children home AVOIDABLE CASUALTIES: Two Class II children Mohammed Shammas, left, Ruya, centre, from Indian

School Nizwa and their teacher Deepal Seth died in the accident on Thursday. – Supplied picture

A2 S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

OMANOmani beaches getting ruined due to littering

SALEH AL SHAIBANYsaleh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Littering on Omani beaches is getting worse and envi-ronmentalists say the rubbish left behind is harming marine life and has hurt the Sultanate’s drive to attract tourists.

From cigarette butts and plas-tic bottles to barbecue remnants, the beaches in the country are fast becoming an eyesore. On top of the list of rubbish on the white sands are fizzy drink cans, frag-mented bricks and food wrappers.

“Plastic is most harmful to marine life. The high tide carries the bags to the sea and the fish confuse them to food. The plastic becomes a knot in the fish’s guts and they die. We even see dead

turtles at Ras Al Hadd after they have been tangled up in plastic. These turtles are rare and this is all because of the negligence of beach users,” Khalid Al Saadi, an environmentalist told the Times of Oman (TOO).

Other environmentalists said littering is also harming the tour-ism industry that the country is working so hard to develop.

“Beaches must be clean, not just for the local residents to enjoy, but for our tourists. For-eign visitors pay a lot of money to come here and the last thing they want is a beach full of rub-bish. The government is paying a lot of money to promote tourism and that effort should not go to waste,” Shaikha Al Balushi, an-other environmentalist, said.

Regular beach goers are ‘dis-gusted’ with the garbage thrown on the beaches and have urged everyone to be responsible.

“Sometimes you go to the beach

and there is this disgusting smell of rotten meat from food left be-hind by people, who had a party on the beach the other night. They don’t even have the decency of clearing their rubbish before they go home,” Khalil Al Shikaili, a res-ident of Al Hail, told TOO.

Nature lovers said beach lit-tering is destroying Oman’s wildlife, and is an eyesore for avid photographers.

“The beaches attract migratory birds and what they eat there can be harmful for them. Sea crea-tures, such as crabs and turtles and beautiful red foxes, who roam in the night looking for food, are also victims of littering. We are destroying them just because we are too lazy to pick up our rubbish. I like to take photos of the beaches and sometimes I cannot do it be-cause it is not exactly photogenic to take a shot of a beach full of rubbish,” John Harolds, a British resident in Qurum, said.

From cigarette butts

and plastic bottles to

barbecue remnants,

the beaches in the

country are fast

becoming an eyesore.

On top of the list of

rubbish on the white

sands are fizzy drink

cans, fragmented

bricks and food

wrappers

Beaches must be clean, not just for the local residents to enjoy, but for our tourists. Foreign visitors pay a lot of money to come here and the last thing they want is a beach full of rubbish,” said environmentalist Shaikha Al Balushi

The beaches attract migratory birds and what they eat there can be

harmful for them. Sea creatures, such as crabs and turtles and beautiful red

foxes, who roam in the night looking for food, are also victims of littering

John Harolds, British resident of Qurum

A3

OMANS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

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Standup comedy now a viable career, says Russel PetersStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: People have started to respect the art of standup comedy, Russel Peters, the world famous standup comedian, said.

“It has made its way across the globe. There are stand-up comedy clubs in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur and even Amman, Jordan. Young people in these places now see stand up as a viable career and the people in those cities and coun-tries are starting to respect the art of stand up,” Peters said.

Peters will perform in Muscat as part of his new “Almost Fa-mous World Tour” on February 1, at the Shangri La Barr Al Jissah. The event will be presented by

Alive Entertainment and Hi FM.

Global footprintPeters’ tour has sold more than 150,000 tickets in Canada, where he will become the first comedian to have a sell-out performance at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre for the sixth time and has already been to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia this year.

When asked how the people in the region are different, compared to people in other parts of the world, when it comes to enjoying comedy, Peters said it amazes him that they are not too different from his North American audiences.

“They get all the references and

in many ways, they’re smarter, and have a better world view than (people) back home,” Peters said, adding that his fans know “what to expect from me” and know what he does.

Subtle idiosyncrasies“They come to my shows ready to have a good time. I do my best. I like talking to people, such as my drivers or kids at the mall to learn about the more subtle idi-osyncrasies of where I can come in,” Peters added.

Peters also added that people need to laugh most when things are tough.

“Humour gets us through the difficult times,” Peter added.

E N T E R T A I N M E N T

Indian’s love for farming bears fruit in Oman

Times News Service

MUSCAT: It is tough to become a farmer during a life spent in exile, but Mathew P George has proved that if one has determination, one can even convert a desert into an oasis of greenery.

Today, the Times of Oman (TOO) is featuring George, an Indian expat, who converted his home into a vegetable garden, in its #OmanPride campaign.

George works as an adminis-trative assistant in a trading com-pany but farming is his passion, for which he spends several hours taking care of his ‘MPG’ farm in Ghala. He donates all his crops to the people, who are in need and

also gifts some to his friends.“I don’t want to make any mon-

ey from it, but the comments and prayers from the people and my friends, who come here, are my earnings,” George told TOO.

According to George, he had to sweat it out to make this land amenable for cultivation.

“When I came here (Ghala) in 2002, this was a waste dumping area and it was stony too; I have to put lot of effort to convert this land into an agricultural area,” George said.

Green fingered“During the early days I had to plough the land until late at night to convert it into a quality piece of land for gardening,” he added.

George has been in Oman for the last 25 years and likes to spend his spare time after office hours in the field of agriculture. Today, he cultivates a mixture of vegetables and hands it over to the people, who need it free of cost and takes the rest for his personal use.

Cucumbers, bitter gourd, snake

gourd, tendli, ladyfinger, spinach, various tomatoes etc. are grown at the farm now. George also culti-vates cabbage, cauliflower and car-rot on his farm. A coconut tree at the farm is the special attraction.

“I didn’t even know what farm-ing is when I came to Oman, but now I am well aware of it,” he said.

“I use only organic fertilisers at my farm so that my products are better than what we get outside,” George asserted.

Every day, George waters the plants in the morning and he treats them like his own children.

“I wake up around 5:30 in the morning and water my plants,” the expat said.

“My family is my support, with-out their support it would not be possible to convert my passion into success,” he added.

His wife, Celine works as staff nurse at the Royal Hospital and also helps him in gardening.

George recommended that people who have a passion for farming should do it and produce vegetables for their daily use.

Indian expat

Mathew P George is

an administrative

assistant in a

trading company

but farming is his

passion, for which he

spends several hours

taking care of his

‘MPG’ farm in Ghala

They come to my

shows ready to have a

good time. I do

my best

Russel PetersStandup comedian

LABOUR OF LOVE: Every day, George waters the plants in the morning and he treats them like his own children. – Supplied photo

Ras Al Hadd project work to start soonMUSCAT: Work on first stage of OMR250 million Ras Al Hadd tourism project will start soon, Darwish bin Is-mail Al Balushi, Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs, Deputy Chairman of Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) has said.

A joint venture between the Sultanate’s Government, rep-resented by Omran and Al Diar Real Estate Investment, compa-ny of Qatar will execute the pro-ject. Spread out over 1.8 million square metres, the project comes within a strategy to develop the tourism sector in the Sultanate and the government’s efforts to diversify sources of national economy and maximise the uti-lisation of tourism sites, he said in a statement.

He added that the first stage of the multi-phase project, which will cost RO250 million, will be initiated during the first quarter of 2016. -ONA

T O U R I S M

OCCI research award details to be out today

MUSCAT: Details of Award for Research and Economic Stud-ies for university students will be unveiled by Oman Cham-ber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) today.

The award, which is super-vised by the OCCI Research and Studies Committee, aims to en-courage scientific research, de-velop scientific skills of the par-ticipants and find suggestions and solutions to the various challenges facing the private sector and the Omani economy in general.

Said bin Saleh Al Kiyoumi, Chairman of OCCI will hold a press conference on Sunday at the OCCI premises to announce the award’s details in the pres-ence of Sheikh Nasr bin Amer Al Hosni, Head of OCCI Research and Economic Studies, mem-bers of the committee, officials and stakeholders in the public and private sectors as well as academics. -ONA

E D U C A T I O N

A4 S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

For detailed coverage log on to www.timesofoman.com

MOBIN MATHEW BLESSONmobinmathew@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: If you visit the food corner at the Amerat Park venue of the Mus-cat Festival, you will find delicious Omani dishes to suit every taste.

In fact, the aroma of food cook-ing here is such that it compels vis-itors to head straight to the Omani food section to try out some of the delicacies on offer.

Wearing traditional and colour-ful clothes, a number of women can be seen preparing and serving the food. They have travelled from different governorates of Oman, to offer a variety of delectable tradi-tional Omani dishes to the visitors and are keen on ensuring that their offering is of highest quality.

Omani bread is in huge demand because of its nutritional value and unique taste and is very popular in

the Sultanate.“All of these women are interest-

ed in providing food with high nu-tritional value and great flavours,” Abdullah, a visitor, said.

One local dish that is popular

at the stalls is the Omani halwa, a famed sweet in the Sultanate that is prepared at every tradi-tional occasion.

It is one of the main traditional industries in the country and has

helped shape the Sultanate’s cul-tural identity. Omani halwa is fa-mous in the country and abroad for its different and delicious taste and ingredients.

A number of other items also available. There is Omani bread with various additives, such as cheese, egg and honey, Harees and Khabisah in addition to Al Qoroos, Al Mohamas and Al Lukaimat. There is also Al Danju, Al Bajil and Omani sweets and snacks.

Preferred dishA lot of people want to try the Omani bread with cheese, egg and honey, which is the focus of visi-tors in the food corner.

Every dish is available and served in a way that displays their skills and taste and that is what sets each dish apart from the other.

“There is huge demand after

sunset and it peaks from 7 pm to 9: 30 pm,” said a woman, who cooks Omani dishes in the food corner.

“On weekends, the food corner is extremely crowded since the gates open at 4 pm and it stays that way until the closing of the festival at 11 pm,” she added.

“What they are offering is ex-tremely mouth watering. We maybe Omanis, but we hardly get to eat traditional dishes in our homes. Many of us don’t cook these delectable recipes anymore,” said Hassan who had come with his family.

These women are offering a taste of authentic, traditional and real Omani foods for Omanis, as well as expatriates, and are turning out to be a huge hit with the crowd.

“These dishes are distinct in taste. It is very unlike our food,” said a westerner relishing Omani bread.

Wearing clourful

traditional clothes,

women from different

governorates of

the Sultanate offer

authentic Omani

dishes drawing

nationals and

expatriates in large

numbers to stalls

of Amerat Park

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

DELECTABLE FARE: On weekends, the food corner is extremely crowded since the gates open at 4 pm and it stays that way until the closing of the festival at 11 pm. – AR Rajkumar

Visitors throng Omani food corner

A5

OMANS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

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ALAWI RECEIVES ST. GEORGE AWARD FOR PEACEYousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs received St. George Award for Peace during the

celebrations of Semper Opernball Festival 2016 at Dresden in the State of Saxony in Germany. The award was given to Alawi

in recognition of his diplomatic and political efforts in addressing the issues of the region under the wise leadership of

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and for the role the Sultanate plays in cementing the principles of peace and security

worldwide and stability in the region. -ONA

TED speaker Drew Dudley excited about Oman visitStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: Interviewing Drew Dudley, who will be the TED guest speaker at B2B Oman on February 9, is like walking through a tornado.

The man is passionate, an en-thusiast, he has a million thoughts and ideas on how we can all be leaders and our misconception of what leadership means. Dudley said when asked, “Most of us would not say we are leaders; it’s not how we envisage ourselves. We see Ste-ve Jobs as a leader or people who changed the world, not us in our everyday lives.

“Yet, leadership comes from striving everyday to be the best we can be, changing one person’s un-derstanding of leadership.

“Not everyone can be Steve Jobs, but by asking yourself, who do you want to be on a daily basis and acting on it, one can become a leader, inspire people around you and that makes one a leader.”

Dudley has a book out next year, entitled “This is Day One, reset your life.” Be sure to put it on your reading list when it’s released. He is also excited about visiting Oman and speaking at B2B. Having visit-ed Qatar and Jordan in this part of the world, he has heard wonderful things about Oman from friends,

who have visited, and he is looking forward to seeing as much as he can of this gorgeous country.

On a personal note, Dudley re-cently took up running, and when I told him that the beach outside The Grand Hyatt Muscat was the perfect place for a run and that our winter weather is perfect, he was thrilled.

Don’t miss seeing Dudley in per-son and hearing his inspiring talk on leadership, on February 9 at the Grand Hyatt Muscat.

Tickets are available at Grand Hyatt Muscat, OMR25 for early birds until February 3, OMR30 at the door, which includes listening to Dudley, networking with the senior most executives in Oman and dinner with beverages.

B 2 B O M A N

Drew Dudley

Indian music director duo to

make debut in Sultanate

Times News Service

MUSCAT: World famous In-dian music director duo Salim-Sulaiman, who performed at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, are coming to Oman.

The brothers, who have com-posed music for more than 100 Bollywood films and television shows, will make their Oman de-but at the City Amphitheatre, Qu-rum on February 19.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, Akshay Chowdhary, director of Light and Shadow Enterprises said, “We are extremely happy to bring the dynamic duo that has been scoring music for Hindi films for a long time now. They are among India’s top music compos-ers, having scored music for more than 100 films, including Chak De India, Band Baaja Baaraat, Kurbaan, Heroine, Fashion, Aaja Nachle and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Fashion, Iqbal among others.”

The Salim-Sulaiman concert will have an ensemble of 25 musi-cians performing on stage.

“Some top singers from Bol-lywood will also be accom-panying them, whose names will be announced shortly,” Chowdhary said.

Steeped in a family tradition of music as the sons of a composer and veteran of the film industry, Sadruddin Merchant, Salim mas-tered the piano at the Trinity Col-

lege of Music in London, while Su-laiman took up tabla training with legends, such as Taufiq Qureshi and Ustad Zakir Hussain.

They have also composed sev-eral records incorporating cine-matic, folk, electronic and sufi in-fluences into their music. “They have really redefined the music scene in India,” Chowdhary said.

The two artists had also per-formed at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

Salim-Sulaiman have also been part of several TV reality shows as celebrity judges, includ-ing the very popular Indian Idol. “They’ve also got the best music award for the film Fashion at New York’s Syracuse International Film Festival, Filmfare, Zee Cine, IIFA, Screen and several other awards,” he added.

They were also nominated for

a daytime Emmy Award for com-posing “Save the Tiger - Wonder Pets.” Their performance is being brought to Oman by event man-agement agency Light and Shad-ow Enterprises.

The presenter of the concert is Minara, a product of Areej Vegetable Oils and Derivatives (AVOD) S.A.O.G.

“Over the years, we have made an effort to redefine entertain-ment in Oman. Concerts, such as Temptations Reloaded with Shahrukh Khan and Katrina, Akon’s Live Concert and Sal-man Khan’s event, which we had done in the past has proved our organisational skills, set-up abilities, production calibre and eye for detail. Continuing the tradition, we want this to be the biggest concert of the year,” said Chowdhary.

E V E N T

TOP TWO: Salim mastered the piano at the Trinity College of

Music in London, while Sulaiman took up tabla training with leg-

ends, such as Taufiq Qureshi and Ustad Zakir Hussain. – Supplied photo

Red tape barriers hold back thou-sands of people, who aspire to set up their own busi-

nesses, preventing them from achieving their goals of becom-ing financially independent.

A maze of bureaucracy is destroying the ambitions of potential business people by blocking their path to owning a successful trade. The financial aspect of this tops the list of concerns. For an aspiring busi-ness person, securing a loan is a steep mountain to climb. Finan-ciers have too many conditions, from collateral to a complicated business plan requirements.

Licencing is another obstacle. The capital require-ment is beyond their reach.

The condition of what should be in the business premises is another deterrent. The whole process of acquiring a permit is time consuming. It takes up to two months to get one while all the time the applicant is paying overheads, such as the rent of an office or shop. With new rules for visa restric-tions imposed on expatriates, a would-be business person faces a formidable challenge to secure workers.

A place where a business should be located is another setback. Residential areas are off limit.

But the rents demanded by the premises in these commer-cial areas are out of reach for many potential business people.

For a person wanting to start a business, it is easy to start from a low budget and grow gradu-ally to the level of their target. Many businesses that fail could have been started from home to control costs, such as tailoring, food catering, consultations, counselling, event management or handicraft.

Home-based businesses thrive in other countries and the percentage of failure is extremely low. Home-based businesses also encourage women to stay back and look af-ter their young families while at the same time keep themselves self-employed.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says that self-employed, who carry their

businesses at home are the happiest. Their businesses are more likely to last longer than any other small trades because of two factors. They keep the costs lower by avoiding expen-sive rental repayments and they work in their own environment.

In Oman, such a segment of small businesses does not exist. Those, who have established trade at home, face stiffer penalties because they are not licensed. The government prefers them to take their trade to the streets and risk financial ruin. Those who can venture on this route are faced with for-midable challenges. For a start, apart from spiralling costs, they lack guidance during the early stages. Too many are unable to access good business advice.

The financing schemes that are available to them do not ca-ter to skills, such as budgeting, business planning, marketing,

competition and risks involved. Just to make finance avail-able without guidance has not worked well so far. The govern-ment must start an urgent review to put remedies in place for the failing system. Ques-tions should be asked, such as: are officials who are running the various state-sponsored fi-nancial schemes qualified to do the job? Do they have the statis-tics of business failures and the reasons as to why they fail? Do they monitor those, who have been financed to determine the rate of success?

One of the most effective ways of diversifying the economy is not just to concentrate on foreign investments alone, but to extend the right support to small businesses. If it is done properly, not only will small trades significantly cut down the unemployed queue but create new job opportunities for people who leave school. It is obviously the lack of concern within the official circle that is letting down aspiring businessmen.

If red tape is a barrier for the creation of small businesses, these restrictions must be kept at the minimum level. Most of the people, who want to start their own businesses, have their own savings and do not need funding as long as they can operate at home. Lifting this restriction will create hundreds of small businesses a year to establish a healthy market for self-employment.

Need to cut red tape barriers to help small business flourish in Oman

C O M M E N T A R Y

SALEH AL SHAIBANY

SUNDAYBEAT

H AV E YOU R SAY AT T W I T T E R.CO M /T I M ES O F O M A N O R S CA N T H E CO D E TO I N STA N T LY P O ST YOU R T H O U G H TS .

If red tape is a barrier for the creation of small businesses, these restrictions must be kept at the minimum level

A6

OMANS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

The ski resorts in Iran would be appealing

for many Omani tourists.

Mohammad Mohammadzadeh, chairman

of Rah Abrisham Marine Shipping Agency

Islamic cruise to link Oman, Iran and India

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADIelham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: An Islamic tourist cruise connecting Iran, Muscat, Salalah and Mumbai is expect-ed to be launched in 2016, said a representative of an Iranian shipping company.

An initiative is being studied with the support of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation to launch an Islamic leisurely cruise, Abdolhossein Khedri, chairman of Khedri Jahan Darya Company, told Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.

Khedri Jahan Darya Company, which is affiliated with Marine Silk Road Holding, has been pro-viding the first-ever regular di-rect shipping services for cargo transport between Iran and Oman following an agreement signed between the company and Iranian and Omani authorities.

Cruise journey Each planned cruise journey is ex-pected to take around seven to 10 days catering to both Iranian and Omani tourists, Khedri said dur-ing Iran’s second solo exhibition, which was held in Muscat from January 26 to 30.

Asked if the company plans to launch any passenger transport services between Iran and Oman, the official said that it has been invited to do so but the issue is

that Omani vessels are very ex-pensive and their fuel consump-tion is high.

So it would not be economi-cal to use them for the transport of passengers between the two countries, he noted, adding that the company had decided to par-ticipate in the exhibition to use it as a platform to promote Iran’s tourism, with the permission it has received from the Iranian government.

Omani taste There is no doubt that Iran has great tourism potential but still many attractions in Iran, espe-cially those which would be in-teresting for Omanis, are still un-known to them, he added.

According to him, the compa-ny had sought to introduce such places in the Muscat exhibition through the distribution of book-lets written in Arabic and English among the visitors.

For example, visiting Perse-polis is important for European tourists but it may not be that interesting for an Omani visitor, said the chairman of Khedri Ja-han Darya Company.

Dizin ski resortAn Omani tourist would find the northern parts of Iran or places such as Dizin ski resort much more fascinating, Khedri ex-plained. The northern parts of

Iran near the Caspian Sea, which is the largest enclosed inland body of water on Earth by area, are famous for their dense for-ests, impressive sea shores and spectacular mountains.

Dizin ski resort is one of the best and most popular ski resorts for sports enthusiasts in Iran, which is located in the Alborz mountain range.

Hot springs Mohammad Mohammadzadeh, chairman of Rah Abrisham Ma-rine Shipping Agency, which is affiliated with Marine Silk Road Holding, also believes that ski re-sorts in Iran would be appealing for many Omani tourists.

Other popular places to visit include hot springs in northern or western Iran, he said.

Hot springs in Iran has been drawing many visitors, especial-ly those looking for traditional hydrotherapy.

Medical, religious tourism Mohammadzadeh said that Iran has a huge tourism potential, not only in the field of leisure tourism but also medical and religious tour-ism given its many tourist attrac-tions, religious sites and good hos-pitals and medical professionals.

However, he believes that Iran’s tourism potential has still remained untapped and should be promoted further. The official

said that Rah Abrisham Marine Shipping Agency is much more than just an agency as it is seek-ing to open new markets in the tourism sector.

Rah Abrisham Marine Ship-ping Agency is currently the representative of liner shipping services between Iran and Oman offering various services.

Mohammadzadeh said that the company is supposed to become an Iranian ‘ambassador’ in Oman with the support of the con-cerned authorities in Iran with the aim of introducing existing opportunities to both Iranians and Omanis, especially in various branches of tourism.

According to the Iranian em-bassy in Muscat, the flow of tour-ists from Iran to Oman increased by around 10 per cent in the previ-ous year and the number of Irani-an visas issued to Omanis showed an increase of around 37 per cent.

Oman Air flights Oman Air has added a second dai-ly flight to Tehran and there are plans to launch flights between Oman and the Iranian cities of Mashhad and Shiraz, the embassy has said.

Oman Air recently announced that it plans to increase the num-ber of flights to Tehran.

Iran is known as the country of four seasons. At any time of the year, people can enjoy one of the four seasons in different parts of the country.

Apart from its majestic natu-ral landscapes ranging from the shores of the Caspian Sea in the north to the coasts of the Gulf in the south, Iran has a number of unique cultural sites registered on the UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cul-tural Organisation) list of world heritage sites, reflecting the coun-try’s rich and ancient history.

Some of these sites include Persepolis, Takht-e Soley-man, Bisotun, Golestan Palace, Pasargadae, Shahr-e Sukhteh, Chogha Zanbil and Jameh Mosque of Isfahan.

An Omani tourist

would find the

northern parts of Iran

or places such as

Dizin ski resort very

fascinating, said the

Iranian officialFASCINATING: Dizin ski resort is one of the best and most popular

ski resorts for sports enthusiasts in Iran. -Supplied picture

Parents question

use of aged driver

“We lost our beloved Shammas. We don’t want a blame game. However, this tragedy could have been avoided if everyone were cautious enough and had assessed the risks of employing an aged driver,” Rafi said.

Akilesh Kumar, an Indian school Nizwa parent, and his friends, who also have children studying in the same school, told the Times of Oman, “We heard that the driver was in his 70s.

Risk factor“Whether it was the bus manage-ment officials or the school offi-cials, they have failed to realise the risk factor in employing an aged driver to ferry children.”

School officials have so far re-fused to comment over the issue.

Mark Pudwell, business devel-opment and training manager of Competence HR, said tragedies like the loss of life seen at Ni-zwa this week cannot always be avoided, however, they can often

be mitigated.“Too often we hear of near

miss and fatal incidents involv-ing school buses and the primary cause for such incidents are hu-man factors. Not only do we need modern and safe buses, but we also need well-trained and responsible drivers to operate them. Only then can the number of incidents be re-duced,” Pudwell said.

Primary responsibility“Driving a bus, especially with school children on board is noth-ing like driving a private vehicle or even a large goods vehicle given the obvious distractions for the driver, such as noise, but the safety of those on board is and must re-main the primary responsibility and priority of that driver,” Pud-well added.

Meanwhile, Roy Joseph EK, manager at a transport company in Muscat, said he would never take the risk of employing aged drivers for transporting people.

N I Z W A A C C I D E N T

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More than 4,300 rubbish bins at Muscat beaches

He said that many shepherds are also cleaning up plastic garbage after holidays.

“They either are not aware or don’t care that littering affects their immediate environment,” said Marlen, a German expatri-ate, while wondering why per-sonal hygiene is a serious con-cern in Oman, but does not seem to extend to the surrounding en-vironment.

“People don’t want to picnic surrounded by the rubbish of others, but they also don’t want to remove their own rubbish,” she added.

She noted that authorities in Oman must learn from other countries to create incentives, such as paying small amounts of

money to people who collect cans or paper. “Funny enough, many litterbugs dump their trash close to rubbish bins. When no rubbish bin is near, it seems to be a case of here I walk, here I shall litter,” Marlen added.

It is worth mentioning that more than 4,300 rubbish bins were placed at Muscat’s beaches

and parks in the past few years.Croatian resident Irena

blamed laziness and the lack of punishments for the growing lit-ter found throughout the country.

Yet Moosa, an Omani citizen from Muscat, said a lack of morals and ignorance of the importance of not littering are the two main reasons behind littering.

L I T T E R I N G

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Empty Quarter team arrives in DohaTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee received the “Crossing of the Empty Quarter” team at the his-toric Al Rayyan fort in Doha, the original destination for the 1930 expedition conducted by Bertram Thomas and his colleague Sheikh Saleh bin Kalut.

Among the other receiving dig-nitaries was Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, minister of Youth and Sport in Qatar, Qatari government of-ficials, and representatives from the Oman Embassy in Doha.

The tired and weary expedition team, which included two Omani explorers; Mohammed Al Zadjali and Amour Al Wahaibi and the British explorer Mark Evans, ar-rived in Doha, Qatar yesterday, having successfully crossed the Empty Quarter desert, the largest sand desert in the world.

The expedition set off on foot

from the wilayat of Salalah in the Dhofar Governorate last Decem-ber to cross the Empty Quarter desert, traversing through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reach Doha in Qatar. The expedition was originally expected to take 60 days, however the rigorous desert crossing took just 49 days, due to the fast pace set by the expedi-tion’s team members.

The “Crossing the Empty Quar-

ter” expedition was aimed at pop-ularising the concept of respon-sibility and self-reliance among Arab youth, and for them to bear hardships to achieve their goals. To underline the principles of determination and self-reliance, the team crossed 1,300km, walk-ing and riding camels in only the second ever documented expedi-tion across the Empty Quarter in modern history.

Mark Evans, the expedition team leader, spoke of the achieve-ment and the relief of arriving at the historic Al Rayyan fort in Doha, “We received an extremely warm reception in Doha, and it is stunning to see the modern sur-roundings of the fort, compared with what was also witnessed by Bertram Thomas and his col-league Sheikh Saleh bin Kalut back in 1930, some 85 years ago.”

Evans added, “This challenge was aimed at inspiring and en-couraging Arab youth to take on the personal responsibilities for their future success and to rely on themselves to overcome vari-ous obstacles in life. As a soci-ety, we all need to work hard to achieve our goals in life, besides preserving the cultural history of the region.”

On the team’s arrival in Doha, Mohammed Al Zadjali, expedi-tion team member noted, “We thank the almighty for our safe arrival in Doha.”

W A R M W E L C O M E

TIRESOME TRIP: The expedition set off on foot from the wilayat of

Salalah in the Dhofar Governorate last December. –ONA

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REGIONS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

Iran cancels oil conference to be held in London

ANKARA: Iran has cancelled a London conference where it was set to introduce new oil and gas contracts to investors, the Seda weekly reported on Saturday cit-ing a senior Iranian official who blamed a delay in getting visas.

Postponed five times amid un-certainty over international sanc-tions against Iran which were lifted this month, the conference had been set for February 22-24.

Foreign companies will now be invited in May to bid for the new Iran Petroleum Contracts (IPCs), Ali Kardor, deputy head of the Na-tional Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC), told the weekly.

“The London conference has been cancelled because the British embassy in Tehran could not issue visas for representatives of Ira-nian companies as its visa section has yet to become active,” Kardor said. “There will be bids in May for new contracts... There will be no need to hold a conference abroad after the bids,” he said.

To bolster its economy, Iran is sweetening the terms of its oil de-velopment contracts to lure back international companies.

Some 135 firms, including BP, France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and

Spain’s Repsol attended a confer-ence in Tehran in November to hear about the IPC.

ProtestThe Tasnim news agency said po-lice dispersed a group of 50 pro-testers, who gathered in front of the Oil Ministry building in Teh-ran on Saturday to protest against “President Hassan Rouhani’s adopted oil policies and the new oil contracts”.

The protesters chanted “Can-cel the IPC contracts,” Tasnim reported.

Kardor told Seda: “We are in talks with critics to hear their points and to resolve problems when needed.”

Some analysts say Rouhani’s government is determined to re-solve the dispute through diplo-macy. “The oil ministry and the government want a political con-

sensus over this issue...in a public statement, the government has asked all the experts to express their views,” said Tehran-based senior energy analyst Reza Zandi.

International sanctions on Iran were lifted this month as part of a nuclear deal reached with six ma-jor powers in 2015 in exchange for curbing Tehran’s nuclear work.

OPEC producer Iran has said it now plans to increase its output by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) and soon by another 500,000 bpd.

A draft of the IPC was approved by the government in September, but the official said the new con-tract still required approval by the NIOC board of governors.

The IPC would end a more-than-two-decade-old buy-back system that banned foreign com-panies from booking reserves or taking equity stakes in Iranian companies. — Reuters

British embassy

in Tehran not able

to issue visas,

companies to be

invited in May to bid

for contracts

OPEC producer Iran has said it now plans to increase its output by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) and soon by another 500,000 bpd.

There will be bids in May for new contracts... There will be no need to hold a conference abroad after the bids

Ali KardorDeputy head of the National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC)

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INDIAS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

Congress is shedding crocodile tears simply to

gain political mileage... This is part of their anti-

Modi campaign across the country

M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union minister

Prime minister’s economic agenda ‘achhey din’ a mirage to most supporters

AMULYA GANGULY

To most supporters of Narendra Modi, including those outside the saffron fold who welcomed his economic agenda, the prime min-ister’s tenure so far has been dis-appointing.

That he has sensed the uneasy public mood is evident from his directive for action against non-performing bureaucrats.

But, apart from disciplining the officials, what is expected of him is the kind of sternness which he showed as the Gujarat chief min-ister. As a result, he was able to marginalise his predecessors like Keshubhai Patel and silence rab-ble-rousers like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Pravin Togadiya.

In Delhi, he has taken similar ef-fective action against incorrigible trouble-makers like Yogi Adity-anath and seems to have persuad-ed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat to refrain from saying that all Indians are Hindus.

But his task remains incomplete as the hooliganism of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists recently showed in Allahabad University where

they held a senior journalist hos-tage in the vice chancellor’s office to prevent him from speaking at a seminar.

Their charge against the jour-nalist was that he was “anti-na-tional”, a label which they also used to defame the Dalit student, Rohith Vemula, who recently com-mitted suicide in the Hyderabad Central University.

It is patent enough that Modi’s call for upholding constitutional governance, under which anti-na-tionals are to be identified only by the state and not vigilante groups, is not being heeded by some of his party members and associates.

There is little doubt that their words and deeds are reflexive in nature.

Having being tutored in the RSS shakhas (schools) to regard them-selves as the epitomes of patriot-ism, the saffron-tinted activists have routinely dubbed those not adhering to their creed as enemies of the nation.

Their pursuit of the same line, despite Modi’s restraining efforts, is the main reason why sections of the intelligentsia have expressed misgivings about the prevailing in-tolerance in their view.

Had the prime minister fol-lowed up his general advice with firm admonitions on specific oc-casions, the sense of despondency might have been dissipated.

But perhaps because he feels that it is below his dignity to react to the various incidents which can appear to be minor in the larger perspective, he prefers either to say nothing or leave it to party president Amit Shah and others to speak to those who step out of line.

However, his “dangerous si-

lence”, as the New York Times once called it, has begun to hurt the party as mavericks like Sub-ramanian Swamy continue their campaign for building the Ram temple and suggestions are made by the RSS chief to regulate the media “to ensure that no ill-ef-fects prevails in society” as a re-sult of their writings.

Although the temple is unlikely to be built in the near future — if at all — or Mohan Bhagwat’s veiled plea for censorship implemented,

it is a familiar tactic of fascistic outfits to keep on harping on their provocative projects to sustain communal tension.

It is not surprising, therefore, that an opinion poll has shown Modi’s ratings to be higher than the BJP’s.

There is little doubt that at the national level, the people across the board continue to repose con-siderable faith in his pro-develop-ment programme even if it is yet to reach the take-off point.

But what the BJP has to be wary of is, first, the significance of the party’s lower approval rat-ing and, second, the fact of its in-consequence in states like West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puduchery which will go to the polls this year.

Only in Assam, which will also go to the polls, can it expect to fare reasonably well, but it is still a touch-and-go affair.

In Uttar Pradesh, too, the BJP may face a hard time next year be-cause of the alienation of sizable sections of Muslims and Dalits in the aftermath of the targeting of so called beef-eaters and the suicide of Rohith Vemula.

Amit Shah is right in saying that

just as the political polarisation at one time pitted Indira Gandhi against the rest, it is now Modi vs the rest.

But there is a slight difference — the middle class today is much larger and more politically active than it was in Indira Gandhi’s time.

Modi’s high approval rating comes from this segment of soci-ety, which was also largely respon-sible for his victory in 2014.

But it is also a group which will not take kindly to the antics of the ABVP, the Shiv Sena and other hardline groups.

It is also possible that they are siding with Modi at present be-cause there is no alternative at the all-India level.

But this isn’t the case in the states, which is why the BJP is un-likely to have an easy run in the as-sembly elections.

To give the party a nationwide edge, the prime minister will have to crack the whip much harder where the fundamental-ists are concerned, for even an eight percent growth rate will not help him to usher in the missing achhey din if the extremists con-tinue to rave and rant against the “anti-nationals”. - IANS

C O M M E N T A R Y

There is little doubt that

at the national level,

the people across the

board continue to repose

considerable faith in

his pro-development

programme even if it is yet

to reach the take-off pointNarendra Modi

Shatrughan questions President’s rule in Arunachal PradeshNEW DELHI: Disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Satur-day criticised the Centre’s deci-sion to impose President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh, saying “heavens would not have fallen” if the government had waited for the Supreme Court’s decision on the matter.

The 70-year old BJP MP from Patna Sahib also took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “great advisors”, wondering what answers will they have if the Su-preme Court ruled against it.

“We should have been more cau-tious and alert when the matter is in the Supreme Court. I think heavens would not have fallen if we had waited for the decision of the Supreme Court. This could have saved us from embarrass-ment and controversy,” Sinha, who has been at variance with the party

leadership over a host of issues, said after making a series of tweets on the issue.

Faulty opinionHe told PTI over phone from Pune that “Narendra Modi is a well meaning Prime Minister. Its the advisors who sometimes give faulty opinion which leads to wrong political moves (which are) certainly not good for health of the party and the government.”

When asked that his views were contrary to that of the party and smacked of dissidence, Sinha said “I have always called a spade a spade. My personal views some-times may not match with our people. But, my opinion is always intended for good of the party and the nation.”

“I hope wish and pray, they will accept my sincerity and loyalty to-

wards the party,” the actor-turned-politician said.

Earlier in the day, Sinha had tweeted on the microblogging site: “I have tremendous faith in our

dashing, dynamic action hero PM. But wonder who the ‘great’ advi-sors are who advised President’s Rule in Arunachal Pradesh. That too when the matter is sub judice,

in the Supreme Court, under a 5 judge constitutional bench. Won-der what was the hurry and worry.”

“God forbid, if the decision does not go in our favour, wonder what

explanation and answer we will have for our respected PM,” Sinha had also said.

The Centre had on Friday sub-mitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court justifying imposition of President’s rule, saying there was “complete breakdown” of govern-ance and law and order in the state where the Governor and his fam-ily apprehended “grave danger to their lives” every day.

President Pranab Mukherjee had earlier this week given assent to the Union Cabinet’s decision to impose central rule in Arunachal Pradesh. - PTI

P O L I T I C A L C R I S I S

I have always called a spade a spade. My personal

views sometimes may not match with our people. But,

my opinion is always intended for good of the party

and the nation

Shatrughan Sinha, BJP parliamentarian

Rahul’s day-long fast with students leaves BJP livid

HYDERABAD: Rallying be-hind protesting students on the Dalit scholar suicide issue, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday went on a day-long fast here at Hyderabad Central University, drawing sharp criticism from BJP which ac-cused him of “politicising” a sen-sitive matter.

The Congress Vice President spent about two hours with agitat-ing students and participated in a candle light vigil along with 2,000 students past midnight to mark the birthday of Rohith, who would have turned 27 on Saturday.

He returned to the protest site on Saturday morning and joined the students on fast, expressing solidarity with them.

“Rahulji is on fast,” NSUI Presi-dent Roji M. John said.

Rahul, who is visiting the cam-pus for the second time in as many weeks, tweeted, “I am here today at the request of Rohith’s friends and family, to stand with them in their fight for justice.

“A young life full of dreams and aspirations was cut short. We owe it to him, to the memory of (Mahatma) Gandhiji and to every single Indian student who dreams

of an India free from prejudice and injustice,” he said in another tweet. Rohith’s mother Radhika and brother Raju were also pre-sent at the protest site.

AccusedIn Delhi, three Union Ministers accused Congress of shedding “crocodile tears” over the suicide issue and attacked Rahul for using students as a “political tool”.

Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said nine cases of Dalit stu-dent suicides had taken place in the campus during the UPA rule but Rahul never bothered to go there as he asked opposition par-ties to wait for the report of the ju-dicial commission probe ordered by the Centre into the suicide.

“Congress is shedding croco-dile tears simply to gain political mileage... This is part of their anti-

Modi campaign across the coun-try,” he told reporters.

Also attacking Rahul, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gad-kari said, “Exams are nearing in Hyderabad (university). All the students are busy with studies. The government has (already) an-nounced judicial probe into the matter. Peace has been restored there. (In such times), Rahul Gan-dhi ji is politicising the issue.”

Politicising every issueRural Development Minister Birender Singh also took a pot-shot at Rahul, saying “the party which has been reduced to 44 MPs from 206 MPs in Lok Sabha is politicising every issue”. “They are politicising every issue. There is nothing new in it,” Singh said.

Rahul, who arrived here at 12.10am, spoke to the agitating

students and lit candles before Rohith’s picture. As students raised slogans against Irani and Dattaretreya, Rahul intervened and politely told them not to shout ‘murdabad’ (a slogan wish-ing death to). “Let us not say ‘murdabad’ to somebody. That will not do justice,” he said.

Hitting back at the BJP, Con-gress accused it of failing to initi-ate action against its leaders in-cluding Union ministers for the suicide of the Dalit scholar. “Who has resorted to politics in the mat-ter? It is the BJP. Union Minister Dattatreya wrote to HRD Minis-ter Irani against the Dalit students following complaint from the ABVP President. The HRD Min-ister wrote as many as five letters to the University,” senior party spokesman Ajay Maken said.

Wondering whether this was

not politicisation, he accused BJP General Secretary Murlidhar Rao of making the “patently false” charge that Rohit was not a dalit and that the dalit scholars had links with the Naxals.

Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) pro-tested against Rahul’s visit even as it called for a “bandh” in Tel-angana colleges.

Velpula Sunkanna, one of the research scholars whose suspen-sion was revoked recently, said Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile should be removed from the Vice-Chancellor post.

“On January 17, we have filed SC/ST Atrocities case against Appa Rao and (five) others. These six people should be arrested immediately. Thats the only de-mand,” Sunkanna, who is on an indefinite fast along with Vijay Kumar (another scholar whose suspension was revoked), said.

On Rahul’s second visit to the campus, he said, “I look at it the way others..Arvind Kejriwal, Sit-aram Yechury, CPI leaders and many people who came and sup-ported us do. The same way we see Rahul Gandhi”.

Three of the students includ-ing two research scholars who were earlier suspended and have sat on a fast unto death, are also demanding sacking of Union min-isters Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattaretreya.

Vemula was found hanging in the varsity’s hostel room on Janu-ary 17. The Congress Vice Presi-dent had visited the University on January 19 following the suicide by the Dalit scholar and met the agitating students and the family members of Vemula.

On Friday, in a dramatic turn of events, Dr Vipin Srivastava who took charge as the interim Vice-Chancellor of HCU amid protests over the suicide by Rohith here proceeded on leave. -PTI

In Delhi, three Union

Ministers accused

Congress of shedding

‘crocodile tears’ over

the suicide issue and

attacked Rahul for

using students as a

‘political tool’

EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi along with Rohit Vemula’s mother

Radhika and others protesting over the Dalit scholar’s death at University of Hyderabad in Telangana

on Friday night. - PTI

Smog shuts down 74 schools in Mumbai

MUMBAI: A fire at Deonar dump-ing ground two days ago has led Brihanmumbai Municipal Cor-poration (BMC) to shut down 74 schools run by it for two days, as the smoke from the ground veiled the area causing breathing difficulties.

The schools are located in M-ward where people are complain-ing about foul smell due to the burning garbage at the dumping ground, a BMC official said.

Schools in M-ward including those in Chembur, Deonar, Tilak Nagar, Pestom Sagar, Shivaji Na-gar, Mankhurd, Baiganwadi, have been closed for two days (Friday and Saturday), a corporator said.

Deonar is one of the biggest dumping grounds in Mumbai and the amount of garbage is increas-ing from years leaving people fum-ing and complaining.

BMC schools have a six-day week and are closed only on Sun-days, the official said.

Fire incidentSince Thursday, a thick blanket of smog has engulfed parts of Mum-bai due to various factors includ-ing drop in minimum temperature to 14 degree Celsius, the fire inci-dent at Deonar dumping ground and high levels of particulate pol-lutants in the city.

According to weather sources, the air quality in Mumbai will con-tinue to remain between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ in the coming days. - PTI

P O L L U T A N T S I N C I T Y

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

HAZE: Thick smog in Mumbai

on Friday morning. - PTI

A9

INDIAS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

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AVALANCHE WARNING ISSUED IN J&KSnowfall at Kufri near Shimla on Saturday. Fresh snowfall and rain occurred in hilly areas, including Indian-administered-Kashmir where a fresh avalanche

warning was issued on Saturday, leading to drop in day temperatures while the mercury rose in Delhi and its neighbouring states. It was a warm day in

the national capital with the maximum temperature rising to 27.2 degrees Celsius, five notches above the season’s average. The minimum temperature

was recorded at 13.2 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal, said a MeT department official. Foggy conditions prevailed in morning hours, leading to

cancellation of 46 trains, and delaying 12 Delhi-bound services. However, flight operations were reported normal at Delhi airport. - PTI

SRINAGAR: Three unidentified militants were killed in an encoun-ter with security forces in Kup-wara district of Indian-adminis-tered-Kashmir, a police official said on Saturday.

The gunbattle broke out at Dard-pora in Lolab area of Kupwara on Friday night after security forces launched a search operation there, the official said.

He said while one militant was killed in the initial exchange of firing on Friday night, two others were killed on Saturday evening.

The identity and group affili-ation of the slain ultras have not been ascertained yet, the official said, adding three weapons have been recovered from the scene of the encounter. - PTI

J A M M U A N D K A S H M I R

Union budget to focus on structural reforms: Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Making a case for 8-9 per cent growth rate, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Satur-day indicated that his upcoming Budget will not resort to “sheer populism” for good ratings and will focus on structural reforms.

He also expressed hope that the Congress will “see reason” and help the government pass the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the Budget Session of Par-liament beginning next month.

“Indian economy has to be out on sounder platform. Don’t forget India is one of the few economies of the world that survived 2001, 2008 and 2015 (global crises),” the finance minster said.

Stating that fundamentals have to be strong enough, the finance minister said, “The Budget has

to weigh the areas of weaknesses where investments are required. Therefore, I have to pitch in that direction. If a Budget for the cause of ratings goes in for sheer populism, it’s not necessary that the cause of economics or even sounder politics that we are aim-ing at (is served).”

Jaitley said the government would not pursue retrospec-tive tax claims and added that he would like the remaining two or three disputes to get resolved “as expeditiously as possible”.

Taxes which are payable must be collected but “there must not be unfair taxes” as unfair assess-ments bring “bad name” and no revenue, he said at the ET Global

Business Summit here.Hoping that the Congress would

support GST that aims to create a unified market across India, he said, “It (GST) is the important re-form of the UPA. If I have to credit the authorship of it, I have to give credit to them. Now, If the author turns against his own script, what do I make?

Reached out“I have reached out (to the Con-gress), I have spoken to them. I have explained to them and I hope they will see reason... see the ra-tionale behind passing GST.”

“The UPA allies like RJD, NCP and JD-U are openly supporting it,” Jaitley said, adding that even

the Congress-ruled states are for the uniform tax regime.

“I don’t see a reason why they (the Congress) should have a re-think on the Bill. If there is a dis-cussion on a particular idea in the Bill, I am willing to discuss with them. But anything that makes it a flawed legislation... certainly, we can’t bound future genera-tions to a flawed legislation,” the minister clarified.

Jaitley highlighted the need for carrying on structural reforms, saying the focus should be on in-frastructure, irrigation and farm productivity.

“We probably have potential to have a growth that is higher than what we have achieved. This 7-7.5

per cent is not our optimum range.The Indian normal is 8-9 per cent category. And it is only when you grow at that pace, you can get rid of poverty,” he said.

He spoke of a huge human re-source, trained minds as well as a very large market as positives for India.

“We have potential for increas-ing manufacturing. We have in-novative skills. Our labour cost is not rising as they are rising in China. We are not part of factor or transitions that are taking place in China,” he said.

Slump in oil priceThe finance minister said the economy the world over is doing badly because of the slump in oil and commodity prices.

The slump “suits us because we are net buyers of these”, he said, adding that given these advantag-es “what we have to do is to put our house in order.

I think the first important thing that we have to do is to car-ry on structural reforms”. Focus, he said, should be on infrastruc-ture sector, irrigation, improv-ing agriculture productivity and manufacturing.

“At the end of the day, what is it that you are asking for is to get that cutting edge that you must grow at 1-1.5 per cent faster than what you are doing today.

“I think with all these changes, and hopefully, in future rain gods being kinder to us than in the last two years, it is not very difficult or impossible target for India to achieve. We all know that our potential is right there,” Jaitley added. - PTI

Finance Minister

Arun Jaitley said

Indian economy has

to be out on sounder

platform. Don’t forget

India is one of the

few economies of the

world that survived

2001, 2008 and 2015

(global crises)ELATED: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley being greeted by ICAI President Pramod Kumar Bhat-

tad during the 57th National Cost Convention (NCC-2016), organised by the Institute of Cost Ac-

countants of India, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Saturday. - PTI

TAKING POSITION: Army

personnel arrive to take

positions outside the house

where commander of LeT was

holed up during an encounter at

Lolab in Kupwara on Saturday.

- PTI

CBI opposes Sanjeev Khanna’s bail application in Sheena murder caseMUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation which is probing the Sheena Bora murder case on Saturday opposed the bail plea of Sanjeev Khanna, former husband of the prime accused Indrani Muk-erjea, before the special court here.

Khanna was involved in a “hei-nous crime” and there was suf-ficient evidence against him, CBI said. Khanna’s lawyer Shreyansh Mithare had filed the bail plea on January 13 saying the CBI had failed to find any possible motive on Khanna’s part for committing the crime and he had been wrongly implicated.

The CBI’s reply says that Khan-na and Indrani made all efforts to conceal the murder of Sheena, Indrani’s daughter from an earlier

relationship, and he, being an “in-fluential person”, may tamper with the evidence and influence mate-rial witnesses, and even abscond if given the bail.

The special CBI judge H. S. Ma-hajan on Saturday extended the ju-dicial custody of Indrani, Khanna and her former driver Shyam Rai till February 12.

Meanwhile, advocates Amit De-sai and Kushal Mor on Saturday completed arguments seeking bail for Indrani’s husband and former media baron Peter Mukerjea.

Desai said Peter was arrested in the case inspite of his cooperation with the investigation agencies.

“Not a single incriminating ma-terial came up against Peter and if slightest material had come against

him he would have been put under arrest earlier,” said Desai.

Peter was arrested on No-vember 19, the same day the CBI chargesheeted Indrani, Khanna and Rai. “When charge sheet was filed there was no suspicion on him and it was filed without any indication of his arrest,” the law-yer said. Peter also underwent a lie detector test as he had nothing to hide and was not involved in the crime, said Desai.

“In the reply to bail applica-tion the only material CBI placed is that Indrani in her statement...said she had told Peter about the murder on April 24, 2012, itself,” he said. What warranted Peter’s arrest on November 19 was not mentioned in CBI’s reply and he

was arrested solely on the basis of Indrani’s statement, Desai said.

Desai also claimed that material in the charge sheet will exclude possibility of Peter’s involvement.

Hatched conspiracy“Even Rai who has been Peter’s driver for many years and knew him very well does not name Pe-ter,” he argued. CBI’s charge sheet says that Indrani hatched the con-spiracy with Rai and Khanna and not with Peter.

Further, Indrani enlisted Khan-na’s help for the alleged murder, not that of Peter, the lawyer said.

“If Peter had been involved, then there would have been exchanges in mails, calls, messages, etc.”

Peter cannot be involved in the

murder as he loved his son Rahul and knew that Rahul had an af-fair with Sheena and that’s why Peter wasn’t told about the mur-der, he said. The senior advocate also argued that Peter used to get emails from Sheena Bora’s ac-count (which Indrani allegedly opened after the murder). “Indrani herself confessed to police about the crime and she did not involve Peter,” Desai said.

The judge is likely to hear CBI’s arguments on Monday.

Desai on Saturday also moved an application asking the court to take custody of Peter’s passport.Anytime during the investigation CBI did not seize Peter’s passport maybe because they believed that Peter might never abscond. - PTI

‘ H E I N O U S C R I M E ’

No religion has taught us to be intolerant, says MamataKOLKATA: Terming tolerance as the need of the hour, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that no religion teaches one to be intolerant and that Hinduism with its message to respect all has evolved into a “uni-versal religion”.

“We must be broad minded. No religion has taught us to be intol-erant. Hinduism is a universal religion with its broadness and teachings to respect people be-longing to all other faiths,” Mama-ta said inaugurating the centenary celebration of ‘Bharat Sevashram Sangha’ here.

“India’s culture gives the lesson of unity in diversity irrespective of caste, creed and religion,” she said.

The CM said that the cen-tury old tradition of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha in helping the people in distress, has earned the humanitarian organisation enormous goodwill in the country and abroad.

“We are proud of being able to confer ‘Banga Bibhushan’ on this respectable organisation for social service in 2015,” the chief minister said while pledging all help and co-operation to the organisation.

Earlier, Mamata had in a tweet conveyed best wishes to the people of all communities on the occasion of ‘Harmony Day’.

LaudedSpeaking on the occasion, Bang-ladesh Shipping Minister Shaja-han Khan also lauded the Bharat Sevashram Sangha for its social work in the neighbouring country, especially during flood and cy-clones in past years. - PTI

‘ H A R M O N Y D A Y ’

MYSTERIOUS DEATH: A file

photo of Sheena Bora who was

allegedly murdered by her

mother Indrani Mukerjea in

Raigad in 2012. - PTI

3 militants killed in Kupwara encounter

A10

PAKISTAN S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

Central bank holds interest rate at 6% to steady rupee

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank left interest rates unchanged for a second straight meeting to support a currency that’s weaken-ing as inflation accelerates.

The State Bank of Pakistan kept the target policy rate at 6 per cent, Governor Ashraf Mahmood Wathra said on Saturday at a briefing in Karachi. Six of seven economists in a Bloomberg sur-vey predicted the rate would be unchanged. One forecast a cut to 5.5 per cent.

Remain cautious“The central bank will remain cautious” Hassan Raza, head of research at Alfalah Securities Ltd. in Karachi, said by phone before

the decision. “If we cut rates and the gap between inflation and the interest rate increases, it will in-crease pressure on currency.”

Analysts also expect neighbour

India to keep rates unchanged at a review on Tuesday as the China-led turmoil roils markets worldwide.

Pakistan’s consumer prices

rose 3.19 per cent in December, the fastest pace in 10 months, weighing on stocks and the currency.

While the rupee’s 0.2 per cent

decline this year is still one of Asia’s best performances, it’s overvalued by as much as 20 per cent, the IMF said in November. - Bloomberg News

If we cut rates and

the gap between

inflation and

the interest rate

increases, it will

increase pressure

on currency, said

a securities firm

researcher

FISCAL POLICY: The decision is the first by Pakistan’s new monetary policy committee, which was set up on the recommendation of the

International Monetary Fund as it pushes for more central bank autonomy. — Bloomberg file photo

Elusive top gangster arrested in Karachi

KARACHI: One of Pakistan’s most notorious gangsters, the al-leged mastermind of a string of murders of local politicians and policemen, was arrested on Sat-urday in the country’s commercial capital of Karachi.

“Lyari gang war leader Uzair Baluch has been arrested at out-skirts of Karachi while entering the city,” the Rangers paramilitary force said in a statement, with a photo showing him sitting hand-cuffed in a vehicle. Baluch’s crimi-nal network controls much of Ka-rachi’s teeming Lyari slum.

Local media have linked him to more than 20 cases of murder, extortion and terrorism and mem-bers of his gang have reportedly played football with the severed heads of his rivals.

The early morning arrest of Baluch, believed to be about 40 years old, surprised many who had thought he was already in cus-tody after Interpol detained him in Dubai in 2014.

Baluch’s gang is believed to have been involved in killings of politi-cians from the influential Mut-tahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party, which critics accuse of rack-eteering, murder of opponents and holding the city to ransom by call-ing frequent mass strikes.

A major military operation, launched in 2013, is credited with slashing Karachi’s murder and kidnapping rates. But the clamp-down has drawn protests from op-position politicians. — Reuters

U Z A I R B A L U C H

Valley near Chitral faces food insecurity due to early snowfallBROGHIL VALLEY: Garam Chashma — literally ‘hot spring’ — is a village in Broghil, a valley in the north of Chitral District near the sensitive Wakhan Corridor, which is located 250km from the main Chitral town.

Last year, due to global warming, the valley received earlier-than-usual snowfall which has resulted in an acute shortage of food sup-plies in the village.

Although the valley has no agri-cultural land, the Wakhi commu-nity crossed the border from Chi-na, Afghanistan and Tajikistan to settle in Broghil for its vast mead-ows. They lead a simple, rustic life here with bare minimums, thriv-ing mostly on whatever the valley has to offer.

Due to the high altitude, trees in the valley are a rare sight, so for heating and cooking purposes lo-cals use josh, a local grass which thrives at high altitudes.

Horses and donkeys are the main source of transportation in the valley, including yaks, a long-haired bovid found throughout the

Himalayan region. During winters, people wear

the skin of these domestic ani-mals to protect themselves against the intense cold.

This time, Broghil received its first snowfall on September 20, 2015, two months earlier than ex-pected. This was followed by an-

other heavy snowfall on October 16 and then again on November 20.

As a result, unwary locals are currently facing a mountain of challenges.

Due to heavy snowfall, roads are blocked and it takes over 20 hours to reach Broghil from Chitral and surrounding villages.

Each year, before the arrival of winter, traders from Gilgit-Bal-tistan came to the valley to pur-chase animals.

“Due to early snowfall roads were blocked and no one came to buy our animals. We don’t have money to buy food,” says Aslam Baig, a resident of Chikar village, in Wakhi language. Due to a shortage of supplies, the price of everyday commodities has also shot up.

For instance, salt has become a luxury item for most families, with a small packet costing nearly Rs150.

These days, locals depend on yak meat, milk, yoghurt and korat (a dish made from yogurt) for surviv-al. Life here is tougher than usual. However, in a telephonic conversa-

tion, Amir Muhammad, manager at Focus Humanitarian Assistance Pakistan, an international group of agencies established to comple-ment the provision of emergency relief, in Chitral, says, “We have so far sent food items for 230 families on January 15.

Each food package includes one kilogramme of flour, five litres of cooking oil and two kilogrammes of salt.”

The delivery of packages took three days and horses and donkeys were used to carry the packages af-ter a certain point, adds Amir.

The situation is so critical that the paramilitary Chitral Scouts, have shared their ration with those who can no longer afford to buy it themselves. — Express Tribune

B R O G H I L V A L L E Y

China funding half of country’s clean power pushISLAMABAD: Pakistan expects half of the $1 billion it’s seeking for clean-energy projects this year to come from China after an agree-ment between the two nations aimed at helping the government in Islamabad develop its infra-structure for years to come.

Syed Aqeel Hussain Jafri, direc-tor of policy at Pakistan’s Alterna-tive Energy Development Board, said 90 per cent of the money for renewable power plants will come from overseas, with China the big-gest benefactor.

Excluding hydro, the ambition is to add about 800 megawatts of renewables this year, double the current installed capacity.

Pakistan relies on hydro-elec-tric units and traditional fossil-fuel plants for almost all of its 25 gigawatts of generation capac-ity, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Many of its 183 million people

suffer routine blackouts. Last year, the two nations signed

a $45 billion programme known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to upgrade Pakistani in-frastructure.

“It’s easier to get Chinese fi-nancing due to CPEC so we expect China’s investments to continue

propelling the clean energy space in future as well,” Jafri said.

The deal has bolstered inves-tor optimism in Pakistan and has the potential to lift long-term growth, according to a report by the World Bank.

The agreement would boost in-vestment in energy, port and trans-

portation projects across Pakistan in the next few years.

Pakistan currently has about 308 megawatts of wind-energy ca-pacity through six projects work-ing in the Sindh province, accord-ing to Jafri.

That may grow to 800 mega-watts by year-end as eight pro-

jects in the same region get commissioned. The official said overseas development banks prob-ably would provide much of the remainder of the funding needed.

The Quaid-e-Azam solar park in Punjab province will add 300 meg-awatts of capacity to the existing 100 megawatts by March or April, he said. Chinese firm Zonergy Co Ltd. will set up 900 megawatts in this 1-gigawatt solar park.

“Renewable energy in Pakistan has attracted maximum invest-ments compared with all sectors at $2 billion over the last two years, of which 90 per cent has been foreign investment,” Jafri said. - Bloomberg News

R E N E W A B L E S

Syed Aqeel Hussain Jafri, director of policy at Pakistan’s Alternative Energy Development Board, said 90 per cent of the money for renewable power plants will come from overseas, with China the biggest benefactor

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

Police officialshot dead in Lahore

LAHORE: Unidentified gun-men shot dead a police officer during an attempted mugging in Lahore on Saturday.

According to police, Shad-bagh Station House Officer (SHO) Tajjamal Butt was trav-elling in his private car with friends when two men on a mo-torbike intercepted the car and tried to rob them.

Butt is said to have resisted, prompting the motorcyclists to open fire and injure him. He was shifted to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Later, a heavy contingent of police and senior police officers reached the spot. They collected forensic evidence from crime scene and registered statements of eye witnesses. — Express Tribune

A T T E M P T E D M U G G I N G

We have so far sent food items for 230 families on January 15. Each food package includes one kilogramme of flour, five litres of cooking oil and two kilogrammes of salt, said Amir Muhammad, manager at Focus Humanitarian Assistance Pakistan

A11

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US warship sails near island claimed by Beijing in South China SeaWASHINGTON/SHANGHAI: A US Navy destroyer sailed with-in 12 nautical miles of an island claimed by China and two other states in the South China Sea on Saturday to counter efforts to limit freedom of navigation, the Pentagon said.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of world trade is shipped every year.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have ri-val claims. Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said no ships from China’s military were in the vicinity of the guided-missile de-stroyer USS Curtis Wilbur when it passed near Triton Island in the Paracel Islands.

“This operation challenged at-tempts by the three claimants —China, Taiwan and Vietnam — to restrict navigation rights and

freedoms,” Davis said, reflecting the US position that the crucial sea lane should be treated as interna-tional waters.

The Navy conducted a similar exercise in October in which the guided-missile destroyer Lassen sailed close to one of China’s man-made islands, drawing a rebuke from Beijing.

Davis said the latest operation sought to challenge policies that require prior permission or noti-fication of transit within territo-rial seas. He said the United States took no position on competing sovereignty claims to naturally-formed land features in the South China Sea.

“No claimants were notified pri-or to the transit, which is consist-ent with our normal process and international law,” Davis said.

The Chinese foreign ministry responded on Saturday evening

with a statement on its website condemning the action.

“The American warship has vio-lated relevant Chinese laws by en-tering Chinese territorial waters without prior permission, and the Chinese side has taken relevant measures including monitoring and admonishments,” China’s for-eign ministry said in a statement.

The operation followed calls in Congress for the Obama adminis-tration to follow up on the Octo-ber operation.

This month, the chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee criticised Obama for delaying further freedom of navi-gation patrols.

He said that allowed China to continue to pursue its territo-rial ambitions in the region, in-cluding by landing a plane on a manmade island in the Spratly Islands archipelago. - Reuters

O P E R A T I O N

FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: In this March 12, 2015 US Navy handout photo, the guided-missile

detroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) is underway in formation with the Republic of Korea patrol craft Sokcho

(PCC 778) during exercise Foal Eagle 2015. A US Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of an

island claimed by China and two other states in the South China Sea on Saturday to counter efforts to

limit freedom of navigation, the Pentagon said. - AFP /HANDOUT/US NAVY/MC1 MARTIN WRIGHT

$4b misappropriated from Malaysian firms: Swiss

W A S H I N G T O N / K U A L A LUMPUR: Switzerland’s chief prosecutor said on Friday a crimi-nal investigation into state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had revealed that about $4 billion appeared to have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies.

The office of Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber said it had formally asked Malaysia to help with its probes into possible violations of Swiss laws related to bribery of foreign officials, mis-conduct in public office, money laundering and criminal misman-agement at the fund.

It said it had identified four cases of alleged criminal conduct. 1MDB, whose advisory board is chaired by Malaysian Prime Min-

ister Najib Razak, has been probed by Malaysian authorities follow-ing accusations of financial mis-management and graft.

Earlier this week, Malaysia’s attorney general cleared Najib himself of any criminal offences or corruption, declaring that $681 million deposited into his personal bank account was a gift from Saudi Arabia’s Royal family.

Denied any wrongdoingThe Malaysian attorney general’s office said in a statement on Satur-day it would take all possible steps to follow up and collaborate with its Swiss counterpart, but noted that the investigations into dona-tions made to Najib were entirely separate from those into 1MDB.

Najib has consistently de-nied any wrongdoing, saying the funds were a political donation and he did not take any money for personal gain.

In its statement seeking Ma-laysia’s assistance, the Swiss at-torney general’s office said: “The monies believed to have been misappropriated would have been earmarked for investment in eco-nomic and social development projects in Malaysia.”

It added that each case involved “a systematic course of action car-ried out by means of complex fi-nancial structures”.

1MDB said it has not been con-tacted by foreign legal authorities on any matters relating to the com-pany. The Swiss authorities began investigations last August into 1MDB for suspected corruption of public foreign officials, dishonest management of public interests and money laundering.

Lauber’s office said a small portion of the apparently mis-appropriated money had been transferred to accounts held in Switzerland by former Malaysian

public officials.The four cases of suspected

criminal conduct related to former 1MDB subsidiary SRC Interna-tional, Petrosaudi, Genting/Tan-jong and ADMIC between 2009 and 2013, it said.

When presenting his findings last week, Malaysia’s top lawyer had asked the country’s anti-graft agency to close all probes into SRC and the money deposited in Najib’s account. Officials from Malaysia’s anti-graft agency were not immediately available for comment on the statement by the Swiss authorities.

Genting and Tanjong did not an-swer calls seeking comment.

Petrosaudi and ADMIC could not immediately be reached. The Swiss statement said Lauber had discussed the 1MDB case with his Malaysian counterpart at a meet-ing in Zurich in September.

Sources familiar with the Sep-

tember discussion between the two law enforcement officials said the Malaysian official strong-ly urged Lauber to abandon his 1MDB-related investigation.

1MDB is also under investiga-tion by law enforcement agen-cies in Hong Kong and the United States, media and other sources have said.

Tony Pua, a member of the Ma-laysian parliament with the op-position Democratic Action Party, called on the Malaysian attorney general to cooperate fully with for-eign investigating agencies.

“Such cooperation will not only go a long way towards identifying the culprits ... but also removing the perception that the Malaysian AG was biased in favour of the Prime Minister,” Pua said.

Malaysia’s anti-corruption commission has said it will seek a review of a decision by the attor-ney-general to clear Najib. - Reuters

The office of Swiss

Attorney General

has formally asked

Malaysia to help

with its probes into

possible violations

of Swiss laws related

to bribery of foreign

officials, misconduct

in public office,

money laundering

and criminal

mismanagement at

the 1MDB

Such cooperation will not only go a long way towards identifying the culprits ... but also removing the perception that the Malaysian AG was biased in favour of the prime minister

APPEAL TO COOPERATE: Traffic passes a 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) billboard at the

Tun Razak Exchange development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in this file picture taken July 6, 2015.

Malaysia’s attorney general will cooperate with Swiss counterparts regarding investigations into state

fund 1MDB, the country’s top prosecutor said on Saturday. - Reuters

China police break silence on missing Hong Kong booksellerHONG KONG: Chinese police have made their first statement on the fate of one of five miss-ing Hong Kong booksellers, believed by many to have been abducted by mainland agents, acknowledging widespread concerns but offering no fresh information.

Lee Bo, 65, a dual British and Chinese national and owner of a publisher and bookstore specialising in books critical of China’s Communist Party lead-ers, disappeared from Hong Kong on December 30.

The disappearances have prompted fears that mainland Chinese authorities may be us-ing shadowy tactics that erode the “one country, two systems” formula under which Hong Kong has been governed since its return to China from British rule in 1997. In a rare but brief letter to Hong Kong media on Friday, police in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong offered no fresh information and did not address their Hong Kong counterparts’ requests for a meeting with Lee, government radio station RTHK reported.

The letter repeated two points earlier released by the Hong Kong police — that Lee had sent a letter stating he went to the mainland on his own accord and that mainland authorities had confirmed to Hong Kong that he was “under-stood” to be on the mainland, RTHK reported.

“If there is news, we will no-tify (Hong Kong) in a timely fashion,” it said. Lee’s wife vis-ited him in a mainland guest-house last weekend. She is-sued a statement saying he was healthy and in good spirits, and that he was a witness in an on-going investigation. -Reuters

D I S A P P E A R A N C E S

Tony PuaDemocratic Action Party leader

Cyclone heads towards

Australia’s northwest

coast, ports closed

PERTH: A tropical cyclone gath-ered strength as it headed for the northwest coast of Western Aus-tralia on Saturday, forcing ports to close and mining companies to evacuate.

Cyclone Stan, the first of a season which runs from Novem-ber to April, was estimated to be 195km north of Port Hedland and moving southeast, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said.

It is forecast to intensify and cross the coast northeast of Port Hedland, the world’s largest iron ore export hub, late on Saturday.

“Very destructive winds with gusts to 170km/h are possible near the cyclone centre as it makes landfall later on Saturday or early Sunday,” the weather bureau said.

It has issued communities in Port Hedland and Dampier and surrounding coastal and inland areas with a yellow alert, mean-

ing they need to move to shelter.The bureau also warned of

a potential dangerous storm tide with “damaging waves and dangerous flooding”.

The ports of Dampier and Port Hedland, through which gas from the northwest shelf and al-most half of the world’s seaborne iron ore are shipped, were closed, authorities said.

A BHP Billiton spokesman said the company was closely moni-toring the cyclone. “All tie-down activities have been completed and staff have been evacuated with a minimal number remain-ing for security and observation purposes,” the company said in a statement. - Reuters

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Thai politician charged over video mocking junta leader

BANGKOK: A former Thai pol-itician is facing up to five years in prison after being arrested for sharing a video mocking the leader of the military junta, po-lice said Saturday.

Narong Reungthanawong, 39, a member of the Pheu Thai par-ty of ousted former prime min-ister Yingluck Shinawatra, was arrested on Friday and charged with violating Thailand’s Com-puter Crime Act, Police General Chairop Choonnawat said.

Narong, a former councillor in the Bangkok district of Bang Khen, shared a satirical music video critical of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha using the Line messaging application in mid-January, Chairop said.

“The overall content (of the video), the message, and the images damaged the prime minister and the government,” Chairop said. - Reuters

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US shocks Russia by calling Putin corruptLeonid Bershidsky

Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, complained Friday about the “active use of the Russian theme and

the subject of Putin in the US domestic electoral game.” To any observer of the US election cam-paign from this week’s Ground Zero, Iowa, the statement appears absurd: Few people here care about Russia one way or the other. Nonetheless, it’s clear that the last vestiges of diplomatic politeness are fast disappearing from US-Russia relations.

On the campaign trail, I’ve only heard Russia mentioned in passing: Iowans care much more about issues such as clean water, ethanol produc-tion, student loans and jobs. One can hear praise for Putin from some Donald Trump supporters, but it’s rare. The presidential candidate who has weighed in most surprisingly on Russia is Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who has strug-gled to establish any foreign policy credentials and has slipped in the polls. His most recent blunders include the incorrect suggestion that at least a few US armoured brigades are stationed in the Baltic states and that Ukraine is protected by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Peskov, however, isn’t worried about Carson or any other presidential candidate. His problem is with recent statements by US officials on the touchy subject of whether Putin is corrupt.

Vladimir PutinThe first of these statements was aired earlier

this week in a BBC documentary entitled Putin’s Secret Riches. It purports to be an investigation into the president’s personal fortune, though it mainly pulls together bits and pieces already pub-lished elsewhere, along with speculation from Putin’s opponents who know little or nothing about his finances. That in itself wouldn’t worry the Kremlin too much. Yet both ordinary Russian viewers and officials noticed a segment in which Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury Depart-ment’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, said the US government had known for “many many years” that Putin is corrupt:

We’ve seen him enriching his friends, his close allies, and marginalising those who he doesn’t view as friends using state assets. Whether that’s Russia’s energy wealth, whether it’s other state contracts, he directs those to whom he believes

will serve him and excludes those who don’t. To me, that is a picture of corruption.

That wasn’t news, either. It has been known for years that lucrative government contracts are go-ing to Putin’s friends, and that other cronies are in charge of vast state companies, which gives them many opportunities for personal enrichment. It’s not as if Szubin, who is responsible for US eco-nomic sanctions, revealed some secret documents showing that Putin is a billionaire. In fact, his of-fice made a more specific -- and therefore, in the-ory, more damaging -- statement in March 2014, when it claimed that Putin could be benefiting from Gunvor, an oil trading company set up by an old friend, Gennady Timchenko. “Putin has invest-ments in Gunvor and may have access to Gunvor funds,” Treasury said then.

Peskov dismissed the Szubin statement as “pure fiction,” and that could have been the end of it. Yet on Thursday, White House spokesman Josh Ear-nest was asked whether Szubin’s words reflected the Obama administration’s official position, and he replied that they did:

Well, the assessment of the Treasury Depart-ment I think is the one that is the one that best re-flects the administration view.

That enraged both the Kremlin and the Rus-sian Foreign Ministry. Peskov railed against “our so-called partners” resorting to “personal insults” because they are powerless to do anything about Moscow’s “consistent stand on Ukrainian and Syrian affairs.” He mentioned the US election campaign and the Russian presidential election, scheduled for 2018. The US he said, is trying to smear Putin without even knowing whether he in-tends to run for president again.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Secretary of State John Kerry to tell him the accusations amounted to “purposely stepping up tensions” be-tween the two nations.

I have written before that I don’t believe Pu-tin has amassed a vast personal fortune that can be tracked to him. He doesn’t need one, precisely because he has the power to enrich or impoverish anyone in Russia - Bloomberg View

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Nizwa accident calls for stricter road safety measures This refers to the report ‘Two children still critical after fatal Indian school bus crash in Nizwa’ (January 30). It was a tragic event that claimed five lives including two junior grade children and I deeply

console with the families of those who lost their lives. Though it is not the right time to criticise the safety lapse, the incident calls for stricter road safety measures and assess the cause of the incident for proper corrective measures. There is also need to ascertain how road users can contrib-ute to make the asphalt surface safe for everyone. When it comes to road safety, it is important for the drivers to ensure that passengers wear seatbelts and remain in seats during the journey, especially when transporting children of smaller age groups. As part of safety precautions, school buses should have seatbelts for each seat. — Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi

Kudos to Dhoni’s team for win This refers to the story‚ Rohit, Kohli power India to series win in Melbourne (January

29). It was really frustrating to watch the worlds’ best side choke against the mediocre South Asian side. Playing at home, it was all the more important that the Aussies hold on to their reputation. Kudos to the Indian side, who were able to neutralise the Down Under side completely. — Alison Jones, Qurum

T I M E S O F O M A NS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6A12

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Scholars on visit to various wilayatsMUSCAT: Scholars, experts and researchers who took part in the international conference on Omani geology have set out on six tours of various regions and wilayats of the Sultanate as part of the con-ference programmes. The conference, which concluded on Tuesday, discussed papers presented by 400 geologists and experts from 39 Arab and non-Arab countries. Thirty per cent of the conference par-ticipants were Omanis. The places due to be visited by the scholars include Saih Hatat, Rustaq, Batinah north, Sumail, the Sharqiyah and Dakhiliyah regions, Masirah island and the mountainous areas of Muscat governorate.

1865: House of Representatives approves a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery.

1950: Paris protests the Soviet recognition of Ho Chi Minh‘s Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

1968: In Vietnam, the Tet Offensive begins as Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers attack strategic and civilian locations throughout South Vietnam.

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That the army chief announced the decision to retire on time itself betrays the extent of civil-military

imbalance. It demonstrates his desire to go out on his terms, a

legacy untouched by a civilian chief executive. Sad, if that is case as it

should be the chief executive’s callbit.ly/generalraheelsharif

KAMRAN REHMAT

Nigeria, Egypt, Angola, and Kenya are among Africa’s most populated

countries. Imagine what would happen if they imploded and

their disenfranchised, angry, and impoverished residents all started moving north as oil prices hit hard

on their economiesbit.ly/oilrefugees

MICHAEL MEYER

In the $13 trillion market for US government debt, the average

volatility of US Treasury bonds has fallen 25 per cent since Janet Yellen

took the chair from Ben Bernanke at the Fed, and is 69 per cent of

what it was under Alan Greenspan,.For gold enthusiasts, these aren’t

encouraging signsbit.ly/fearfulofgold

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SourceNational Centre for Statistics & Information

HOTEL OCCUPANCYIN OMAN

From September to October, 2015(3 to 5 star hotels)

TotalNUMBER OF GUESTS

REVENUE(million rials)

OTHERNATIONALITIES

EUROPEANSOMANIS

0

116,86397,213

18.613.5

40,774

49,346

40,48335,606

27,423

20,444

OctoberSeptember

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FIRST DISCOVERY: A picture taken on January 29, 2016 shows a sign post leading to the Ziika forest in Uganda near Entebbe. The Zika virus was first discovered in April 1947 after testing a macaque monkey

in Ziika forest, Uganda by the scientists of the Yellow Fever Research Institute. The virus is spread by day time active mosquitos. – AFP

An outbreak and unfolding crisis

RIO DE JANEIRO: Last January, long lines formed outside health clinics in Recife, a city in Brazil’s northeast hit hard in recent years by outbreaks of dengue, a painful tropical disease.

Doctors were on guard be-cause federal health officials and the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned 2015 would be a bad year for dengue and possibly another viral disease, chikungu-nya, both spread by the same type of mosquito.

But the symptoms of the hun-dreds of people seeking treatment did not fit dengue. Instead of high fevers and intense muscular aches that dengue is known to cause, patients were running only slight temperatures and complaining of joint pain. Many had rashes sooner than with dengue and chikungu-nya. “We knew this was something else,” says Carlos Brito, a doctor from Recife who told state and fed-eral health authorities in January-February last year that they were wrong to classify all the cases as dengue. “But the authorities were slow to believe,” he said.

Kleber Luz, a physician in Natal, a city 300km up the Atlantic coast, says he gave similar feedback but got the same response. The two - who were part of a group of doc-tors discussing the odd symptoms in text messages - grew frustrated with the authorities’ narrow focus. They asked the federal health min-istry to broaden its search beyond viruses known in the area.

It took until early May for the health ministry to recognise that the Zika virus had arrived in Bra-zil and to alert the WHO’s regional arm, the Washington-based Pan American Health Organization. And it wasn’t until November that a Rio de Janeiro laboratory made a link between the virus and mi-crocephaly, which can lead to ab-normally small brains in develop-ing babies.

The WHO has been lambasted in the past couple of years by sci-entists, aid organisations, and pub-lic health experts for the slow way in which it initially reacted to the Ebola epidemic as it spread across West Africa in 2014. And so far, the hesitant response to the Zika out-break, which has created the worst global health scare since Ebola, says much about the difficulties

that the WHO and other health au-thorities face in combating unex-pected public health threats.

On December 1, the WHO cited the lab evidence linking Zika to microcephaly in an advisory to its member countries. It will consider on Monday whether to declare an international emergency.

The WHO said in Geneva on Thursday that Zika in the last few months has spread “explosively” to more than 20 other countries in the Americas and could infect as many as 4 million people.

Whether the health authori-ties in Brazil and the leadership at the WHO have taken too long to get to this point is a subject of debate within the international health community.

The Brazilian government says its response when it was first alert-ed by the doctors about the unusu-al symptoms they were seeing was driven by the evidence.

Too early“It was too early,” said Claudio Maierovitch, director of the health ministry’s Department of Com-municable Disease Surveillance. “There are so many other viral possibilities and Zika had never been seen in this hemisphere.”

And he said that when Zika was identified, the authorities’ re-sponse was based on knowledge of the disease. Previous outbreaks of Zika, a virus first identified in 1947 in Uganda, had occurred in small and scattered rural populations in Africa and Southeast Asia and the symptoms were relatively benign.

“We based our response on the

scientific knowledge available, that Zika caused a mild illness without major complications,” said Maierovitch. “But as soon as we saw that there was an associa-tion with microcephaly, we react-ed in record time.”

Critics say that the WHO has been slow to act after the link be-tween Zika and microcephaly was made, and should have declared an emergency as soon as that was determined. “My chief criticism is of WHO in Geneva. After be-ing widely condemned for act-ing late on Ebola, it is now sitting back with Zika,” said Lawrence O. Gostin, a professor of public health law at Georgetown University, who has worked with the WHO and written extensively about pan-demics and policy.

WHO officials say the agency’s response to Zika is driven by sci-ence, and they point out that much remains unclear, including the precise nature of any link between Zika and microcephaly.

“In any unfolding crisis you’re dealing with a lot of uncertainty,” Bruce Aylward, the WHO’s assis-tant director-general, told report-ers on Thursday.

Since October, 4,180 cases of microcephaly have been reported in Brazil but only 270 have so far been confirmed, with just six so far linked by the government to Zika.

Of the rest, 3,448 are still being investigated through a long pro-cess involving clinical research, laboratory testing and monitoring of the infants’ development, and 462 were dismissed as not being microcephaly.

DifficultFollowing the spread of the disease is difficult. Many of those who get Zika can recover quickly from only mild symptoms, and across the Americas, hospitals do not have the clinical testing materials to quickly and definitively determine whether a patient is infected.

Luz, the Natal doctor, may have been the first person to make a link between the symptoms his pa-tients had shown and Zika.

After poring over scientific lit-erature about a 2013 outbreak in French Polynesia, Luz in early March sent a text to a WhatsApp group for doctors, declaring: “I think it’s Zika.” He compared the symptoms he had seen with those reported in that outbreak.

Soon, several doctors in the same region began collecting blood samples from patients and sent them to various laboratories for analysis. On April 30, a laboratory at the Federal University of Bahia, also in Brazil’s northeast, said it had identified the presence of Zika in samples from one patient.

The health ministry alerted state governments.

On May 2, it notified PAHO. The notification put a Zika outbreak on record at the WHO.

On May 7, PAHO issued an “epi-demiological alert” saying “public

health authorities of Brazil are investigating a possible transmis-sion of the Zika virus.” But con-cern remained limited mostly to the contagiousness of Zika, rather than whether it could be a serious threat. In its alert, PAHO wrote: “Complications (neurological, au-toimmune) are rare.”

In late May, Brito received a call from a Recife neurologist who noticed a surge of new patients with symptoms of Guillain-Barré, a little-understood autoimmune syndrome that can weaken the muscles and cause paralysis.

Brito interviewed the patients, many of whom said they had pre-viously suffered a light fever, joint pain and rashes.

He collected blood samples and by June a laboratory had used ge-netic testing to find traces of the Zika virus.

“It was real anguish,” Brito said of the patient’s suffering and the wait for official confirmation of Zika’s presence.

But despite the results, there was no proof to show that it was Zika causing the syndrome. Nei-ther the Brazilian health ministry nor PAHO heightened warnings.

Spike in the numberBy September, the chat groups among doctors were abuzz over a spike in the number of babies born with microcephaly.

Many mothers of affected ba-bies recalled having Zika-type symptoms. In October, Adri-ana Melo, an obstetrician in the nearby state of Paraiba, noticed troubling signs in sonograms of a

34-year-old expectant mother.There were calcium deposits in

the developing baby’s brain, a pos-sible sign of viral infection. The cerebellum, the part of the brain crucial for motor control, was shrinking.

Melo phoned the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a public health insti-tute in Rio de Janeiro, and got a lab there to test the patient’s amniotic fluid. By then, the number of ba-bies born with microcephaly was surging. The health ministry, now more alarmed, declared a national emergency on November 11 and in public comments mentioned that there were possible ties between the condition and Zika.

The WHO was not yet ready to draw the same parallels.

On November 17, the Rio lab said it had found the virus in the amniotic fluid. On November 28, after lab tests from another baby, Brazil’s government confirmed the link between the virus and microcephaly.

Starting November 30, WHO deployed a small team of research-ers from PAHO’s Washington headquarters to Brazil.

On December 1, PAHO issued a new advisory, warning countries in the region of the link between the virus and microcephaly. Two months later, the WHO is consid-ering whether to declare an inter-national emergency. “You have to gather the data,” says Marcos Espi-nal, director of the department of communicable diseases at PAHO, dismissing criticism that the re-gional body or headquarters could have moved any sooner. — Reuters

Did Brazil and global

health agencies

react late to Zika

virus threat?

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Following the spread of the disease is difficult. Many of those who

get Zika can recover quickly from only mild symptoms, and across

the Americas, hospitals do not have the clinical testing materials to

quickly and definitively determine whether a patient is infected.

GLOBAL HEALTH SCARE: A sterile female ‘Aedes aegypti’ mosquito is seen in a research area to prevent the spread of Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, at the

entomology department of the Ministry of Public Health, in Guatemala City, on Thursday. A worker fumigates the Plan 3000 District as a preventive measure in Santa Cruz,

Bolivia, on Friday. – Reuters

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GLOBAL EYES U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

ITALY: A masked reveller poses during the Venice Carnival, in Piazza San Marco, Italy, on Saturday. — Reuters

IRAQ: Participants run through the Iraqi capital during Baghdad’s

international marathon on Friday. — Reuters

UNITED KINGDOM: Light sculptures are reflected in the lotus pool during a photocall to promote the Magical Lantern Festival at Chiswick

House Gardens in west London on Friday. The festival, to celebrate Chinese New Year 2016 — the Year of the Monkey, uses more than 50

hand-sculpted lanterns and is set to run from Febuary 3 to March 6, 2016. — AFP

RUSSIA: Men fish on an ice-covered bay of the Yenisei River in

front of the city’s cargo port, with the air temperature at about

minus 24 degrees Celsius in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk,

Russia, on Saturday. — Reuters

CHILE: A disused factory ship leaves an oil slick in the coast

of Coquimbo city, on Friday. — Reuters

AUSTRALIA: The sun sets at Rod Laver Arena as Germany’s Angelique Kerber hits a shot during her final match against Serena Williams

of the US at the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, Australia,on Saturday. — Reuters/Jason O’Brien Action Images via Reuters

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Humans implicated in huge Australian bird’s demiseWASHINGTON: The mystery behind the extinction of a huge flightless bird called Genyornis that flourished in the grasslands and woodlands of prehistoric Aus-tralia may have been solved, with burned eggshells as the clue and people as the culprits.

Scientists said on Friday burn patterns detected on eggshell frag-ments indicate that the humans who first arrived in Australia roughly 50,000 years ago gathered and cooked the big bird’s eggs, playing havoc with its reproduc-tive success.

Direct evidenceThe study is the first to provide direct evidence that these early human inhabitants preyed on the remarkable large animals that once thrived in Australia but dis-appeared after people got there, University of Colorado geologi-cal sciences professor Gifford Miller said.

Genyornis, at almost 7 feet tall (2 metres) and perhaps 500 pounds (225 kg), was much bigger than to-

day’s large flightless birds like the ostrich or emu. It possessed pow-erful legs, small wings, large claws and a big beak for eating fruit, nuts and maybe small prey.

It was a member of a family of giant birds called dromorni-thids, some reaching 10 feet (3 metres) tall and 1,100 pounds (500 kg), that was related to ducks, geese and swans. Ge-nyornis vanished around 47,500 years ago, Miller said.

Size of a cantaloupeThe researchers analysed burned Genyornis eggshell fragments, some only partially blackened, discovered at more than 200 sites. The eggs were the size of a cantaloupe, weighing about 3-1/2 pounds (1.5 kg).

“We conclude that the only explanation is that humans har-vested the giant eggs, built a fire and cooked them, which would not blacken them, then discard-ed the fragments in and around their fire as they ate the con-tents,” Miller said.

“Wild or natural fires could not produce such patterns. We have no direct evidence that humans hunted the adults, but loss of eggs certainly reduced reproductive success.”

There has been a long-run-ning debate over whether people caused the extinction of Austral-ia’s unique collection of large ani-mals, also including a 25-feet-long (7.5 metres) monitor lizard called Megalania, a nearly rhinoceros-sized wombat called Diprotodon, large marsupial predators and 1,000-pound (450-kg) kangaroos.

More than 85 per cent of Aus-tralia’s large mammals, birds and reptiles disappeared after people arrived.

Some experts blame human hunting, while others blame cli-mate shifts, in particular conti-nental drying from about 60,000 to 40,000 years ago.

With the new study, published in the journal Nature Communi-cations, the case for a human role becomes stronger, Miller said. — Reuters

R E S E A R C H

LOST SPECIES: A giant flightless bird known as ‘Genyornis newtoni’, right, is surprised on her nest by

a 1 tonne, predatory lizard named ‘Megalania prisca’ in Australia roughly 50,000 thousand years ago,

in this illustration courtesy of Peter Trusler, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. - Reuters/Illustration

courtesy of Peter Trusler, Monash University/Handout

40 dead after migrant boat sinks off Turkey’s coast

ANKARA: Almost 40 people drowned and 75 were rescued after a boat carrying migrants to Greece sank off Turkey’s west-ern coast on Saturday, according to local officials and the Turkish Dogan news agency.

More than one million refugees

and migrants arrived in the Eu-ropean Union last year and some 3,600 died or went missing, forc-ing the EU to mull suspending its Schengen open-borders area for up to two years.

The Turkish coast guard was continuing search and rescue ef-

forts where the 17-metre boat car-rying at least 120 people sank off the coast of Ayvacik, a town across from the Greek island of Lesvos, the Dogan news agency reported.

“I am afraid the numbers will rise as divers continue the search,” Mehmet Unal Sahin, the mayor of

Ayvacik, told the CNNTurk news channel by phone.

“Local people woke up to the sound of screaming migrants and we have been carrying out res-cue work since dawn. We have an 80-kilometre-long coast just across from Lesvos, which is very

hard to keep under control.”At least five of those who died

were children, Dogan reported, while rescued migrants were hospitalised with hypothermia symptoms. It said the migrants were of Syrian, Afghan and My-anmar origin.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who opened Germany’s borders to Syrians fleeing civil war last sum-mer, is under mounting pressure to halt the inflow.

Merkel told a meeting of a members of her Christian Demo-cratic Union party on Saturday that despite efforts to help refu-gees, it was important to stress that they had only been given per-mission for a limited stay.

“We need...to say to people that this is a temporary residential sta-tus and we expect that once there is peace in Syria again, once IS has been defeated in Iraq, that you go back to your home country.”

Around 500,000 refugees from the five-year-old war in Syria travelled through Turkey and then risked their lives at sea to reach Greek islands in 2015. — Reuters

The Turkish coast

guard was continuing

search and rescue

efforts where the

17-metre vessel

carrying at least 120

people sank off the

coast of Ayvacik, a

town across from

the Greek island of

Lesvos

LUCKY: Rescued migrants gather at a habour after a migrant boat they were in sank off Turkey’s

western coast of Ayvacik, in this still image from video taken on Saturday. - Reuters TV

Two arrested in Sweden over threats to migrantsSTOCKHOLM: A gang of masked, black-clad men rampaged through the streets of Stockholm on Friday night handing out leaflets threat-ening to attack migrant street youths, “to make a statement”, with police saying on Saturday two arrests had been made.

The incident highlights the growing tensions over immigra-tion in Sweden, which received 163,000 asylum seekers last year, and comes days after a 22-year old female worker was stabbed to death in a centre for unaccompa-nied asylum-seeking minors in southwestern Sweden.

The police said in statement one man had been arrested for punching a plain clothes officer in the face and another for carrying a brass knuckleduster, but the ex-tent of any assaults against immi-grants was not clear.

The leaflets handed out on Fri-day night, which were confirmed by police as being the same as were posted on Swedish social media, said, “When Swedish streets are no longer safe for ordinary Swedes it is our DUTY to fix the problem... Today, therefore, 200 Swedish men gathered to make a statement against the North African ‘street children’ who are ranging around the capital’s central station. — Reuters

R A M P A G E

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Russian jet violated its airspace, says TurkeyANKARA:A Russian SU-34 jet violated Turkish airspace on Friday despite radar warnings, Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Saturday, amid ongoing bit-terness between the two coun-tries involved in Syria’s war.

The Russian ambassador was summoned over the incident late on Friday, the statement said, adding that the violation was a clear sign that Russia wanted issues between the two countries to escalate.

“We are making a clear call to the Russian Federation not to violate Turkish airspace, which is also NATO airspace,” the statement said.

“We are emphasising once again that the unwanted con-sequences of such irrespon-sible behaviour will belong fully to the Russian Federa-tion,” it added.

Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in November in an incident that wrecked relations between the two countries.

Russia has imposed econom-ic sanctions on Turkey. — Reuters

E N V O Y S U M M O N E D

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Oman plans to award one more oil block this year

A E JAMESbusinesseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: The Oman govern-ment is planning to award one more oil block to an international oil company on a production shar-ing basis in the Al Wusta region this year, said a senior official from the Ministry of Oil and Gas.

“Hopefully, one more will be coming soon. We are in an ad-vanced stage (to award the con-cession). This is an onshore block,” Dr. Saleh Al Anboori, di-rector general of Management

of Petroleum Investments at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, told jour-nalists, after signing a concession agreement for block seven with Hydrocarbon Finder.

Production sharing basisThe Oman government on Thursday had signed an oil con-cession agreement with Hydro-carbon Finder to take over an existing block on a production sharing basis.

As per the agreement, Hydro-carbon Finder, a 100 per cent lo-cally-owned independent oil pro-

ducer, will take over block seven from Petrogas for producing oil from the concession area.

The concession area has a large area spanning around 2,331 kilo-

metres in the Al Wusta region.“This is an existing field. The

new company will ramp up pro-duction. It will drill more hori-zontal wells, which will depend on

the field development plan. They will also foresee production be-ing ramped up to 5,000 barrels per day,” Al Anboori added.

3D seismic surveysThe commitments of the compa-ny under this agreement include a reinterpretation of the exist-ing data, acquiring 3D seismic surveys, conducting studies, pro-viding operational support and drilling several development and exploration wells.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Mohammed bin Hamed Al Rumhy, minister of oil and gas, and Suleiman Mohammed Yahya Al Adawi, chairman of Hy-drocarbon Finder.

The agreement is for a period of 15 years and the company will fi-nalise the field development plan in the initial three years.

“The potential is high and the company will relook to revamp production,” he added.

We are in an advanced stage to award this oil

block which is coming up in Al Wusta region,

said an official from Ministry of Oil and Gas

KEY ACCORD: Oman government had signed an oil concession agreement with Hydrocarbon Finder to take over an existing block on a production sharing basis. - Picture by Jun Estrada/Times of Oman

Oman to host Arab-India forum in MayMUSCAT: Oman, represented by Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) will host the 5th Arab-India Partnership Conference in May.

The event is being organised by OCCI, in collaboration with the Arab League and the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Com-merce and Industry (FICCI).

More than 500 public officials, academics, businessmen and women, investors, business and investment organisations in the Arab countries and India will at-tend the conference.

The conference aims to maxim-ise trade and investment between Oman, Arab countries and India.

It also seeks to share and ex-change views on issues of mutual interest, encouraging trade deals and cooperation in IT, scientific research and biotechnology field. It will also seek to enhance eco-nomic relations by encouraging in-vestment in infrastructure, manu-facturing and food industries. — ONA

P A R T N E R S H I P C O N F E R E N C E

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MARKETS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

eBanking channels of alizz islamic offer fast services

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Reinforcing its posi-tion as the most innovative Islam-ic financial institution in Oman, the eBanking channels of alizz islamic bank have enhanced the customer experience with the ease of banking being just a click away.

The eBanking channels give customers the ability to avail their banking needs 24 hours a day in a fast, safe and secure environment from the comfort of their homes.

The bank operates with trans-parent procedures to ensure that all products and solutions are comprehensive, innovative and inspired by the principles of the Sharia to meet the needs of all customers whether individuals or businesses.

“The alizz Islamic bank eChan-

nels such as the Interactive Teller Machine (ITM), smartphone ap-plications and SMS alerts experi-ence high demand because they offer customers a unique and con-venient experience of banking, whether to pay their bills, transfer money with other alizz islamic bank accounts or accounts at other banks locally or interna-tionally, paying off credit card fees and even the ability to deposit cheques,” Sadiq Al Lawati, head of eChannels said.

“An example of the convenience of the alizz Islamic bank eChan-nels is that when the customer pays their water, electricity or phone bills via alizz connect, the payment will be immediate with-out having to wait for the next day for the payment to be processed. With any transaction the cus-

tomer receives an SMS message notifying them in real time. We are constantly working on updat-ing all of our eChannels so that we can provide products that meet the needs and requirements of our customers in a fast paced and technologically advanced world,” he added.

“A strong digital presence is essential in the current business world and is aligned with the Sul-tanate’s vision for a sustainable

economy that is fully digitalised which is reflected clearly in the rapid growth of e-business and e-government in Oman and as a result of that data is becoming the primary form of capital. The ac-cumulation of data has become a key part of economic growth with technology raising the return on investment percentages for all in-dustries. This explains the ability of developed countries to achieve high growth rates and maintain

sustainability,” Al Lawati said.Customers can visit https://

www.alizzconnect.com/and sign up for a personal account. They can also download the smart-phone application of the bank.

The eBanking channels give customers the

ability to avail their banking needs 24 hours

a day in a fast, safe and secure environment

from the comfort of their homes

Interior design, décor exhibitionin February

MUSCAT: Third Interior Design, Decor and Furniture Exhibition, entitled IDF Oman, will start on February 17 at the Oman Interna-tional Exhibition Centre, under the patronage of Ahmed bin Nasser Al Meherzi, minister of tourism.

The three-day event will be or-ganised by Al Nimr Expo, in coop-eration with the Ministry of Hous-ing and the Public Authority for Craft Industries.

The Sultanate’s rapid progress in the construction and real estate sector has witnessed the launch of numerous commercial, residential and tourism projects, thus creating a demand for interior and outdoor design, decor and furnishings.

Design demandsThe objective of the exhibition is to display the latest in technology and use of materials, along with innovative approaches in interior design, décor and furniture. IDF Oman has helped meet the nation’s growing design demands by bring-ing together the leading compa-nies in the industry under one roof.

In its third edition, IDF Oman will be showcasing accessories and art, bathroom, building material, carpets, commercial interiors and fit out, decor, flooring, furniture and furnishings, interior design, kitchen, lighting, luxury lifestyle, outdoor design and build. — ONA

T H I R D E D I T I O N

GM pitches new product strategy to sceptical investorsDETROIT: General Motors (GM) executives used to boast about how frequently the com-pany redesigned cars and trucks. Now, the automaker wants to double the lifespan of vehicle platforms as part of a broader ef-fort to slash and redirect capital spending, GM executives said.

Starting with the new Chev-rolet Cruze compact, the basic underpinnings of vehicle lines could last a dozen years or more, General Motors president Dan Ammann said.

The move underscores the bal-ancing act the automaker faces in tackling conflicting challenges as the growth of auto sales in the United States and China slows. GM and its rivals face increasing pressure to prove they can keep core product lines fresh, meet stricter emissions and safety standards, and forge a future in ride-sharing and autonomous ve-hicles — all while returning more cash to shareholders.

Over the next several years, the company will undertake the most extensive overhaul of its vehicle development process in decades, GM executives said. The goal is to design its global fleet of vehi-cles with just a few basic building blocks, spreading the engineer-ing and research costs for a given lineup of cars and sports util-

ity vehicles (SUVs) over millions more vehicles.

A single platform, underpin-ning multiple models, might stay largely same for more than a dec-ade, GM executives said. Global product development chief Mark Reuss said the company aims for up to 2.5 million sales a year from a variety of models built on the same platform as the Cruze com-pact, including the mechanically similar European Opel Astra.

Exterior stylingExterior styling will change more often, with updates of sheet metal or plastic skins — so-called ‘top hats’ in GM parlance.

The automaker also plans to freshen electronic features with software updates delivered over the internet. The move to fewer and long-lasting platforms poses multiple risks.

GM could end up with plat-forms that are technologically outdated, analysts cautioned, or not appealing to diverse cus-tomers in different global mar-kets. Further, most of GM’s ri-vals are also moving to slash the number of different vehicle plat-forms they use. “The advantage could be short-lived,” said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president at LMC Automotive, a forecasting company. - Reuters

A U T O M O T I V E

Foxconn chief to meet Sharp board to make $5.4 billion bid

TAIPEI: Foxconn Technol-ogy’s chairman Terry Gou was scheduled to meet Sharp’s board at its headquarters and make his case for a raised offer to take control of the Japanese electronics maker for about ¥660 billion ($5.4 billion), ac-cording to a person familiar with the matter.

The offer is designed to beat out an alternative deal with a Japanese government fund and would include about ¥390 bil-lion to buy new shares for a con-trolling stake, said the person, who couldn’t be identified be-cause the information isn’t pub-lic. About ¥225 billion will be used to buy preferred stock in Sharp, primarily from the com-pany’s two major banks, and an-other ¥45 billion will be used to buy land from the company.

Sharp has been discussing competing bailout plans with Foxconn and the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan. Though the Taiwanese com-pany is offering more money, Sharp is leaning toward a deal with INCJ, which would keep its technology within Japan and allow it to cooperate more closely with domestic compa-nies, people familiar with the matter have said. - Bloomberg News

A C Q U I S I T I O N

An example of the convenience of the alizz Islamic bank eChannels is that when the customer pays their water, electricity or phone bills via alizz connect, the payment will be immediate without having to wait for the next day for the payment to be processed

Sadiq Al Lawati Head of eChannels, alizz islamic bank

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

BALANCING ACT: Starting with the new Chevrolet Cruze compact,

the basic underpinnings of vehicle lines could last a dozen years

or more. – Bloomberg News

B3S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

MARKETSultanate’s GDP declines by 14%

MUSCAT: Oman’s gross domes-tic product (GDP) at market pric-es registered a decline of 14.2 per cent in the first three quarters of 2015 at OMR20.09 billion, com-pared to OMR23.41 billion in the same period of 2014.

According to figures issued by the National Centre for Sta-tistics and Information (NCSI), by the end of third quarter last year, petroleum activities posted a sharp 38.5 per cent fall to re-cord OMR6.95 billion as against OMR11.29 billion during the same period, a year ago.

Crude oil contributed OMR6,037.1 million, with a signifi-cant drop of 42.7 per cent as against OMR10,530.8 million in 2014 while natural gas posted a rise of 20 per cent to reach OMR912,300,000 as against OMR760,200,000 in the previous year.

Meanwhile, total value of non-petroleum activities reg-istered a 4.7 per cent growth by the end of third quarter, reaching OMR14,085.3 million compared to OMR13,454.4 million last year.

Services sector risesThe services sector witnessed a rise of 13.1 per cent at OMR12.81 billion in 2014 as against OMR11.33 billion in 2013, pri-marily driven by a 6.4 per cent growth in industrial activities that reached OMR4,259.2 mil-lion in the three quarters. Mining and quarrying posted an 8.5 per cent growth while manufacturing went down 1.6 per cent. Electric-ity and water supply grew by 13.6 per cent even as construction went up by 17.1 per cent.

Services too posted a growth of 4.0% to RO 9,512.2 million, with real estate services growing at 5.8% and financial intermediation posting a growth of 5.3%. Trans-port, storage and communication activities posted a growth of 4.0%

while wholesale and retail trade grew by 3.0%. The growth rate in the hotels and restaurants seg-ment was recorded at 3.2%. Pub-lic administration and defence grew 3.9%. Indirectly measured financial intermediation services posted a growth of 5.5%.

The Sultanate’s GDP at pro-ducer prices during the three quarters decreased 15.4 per cent last year to OMR20,545.3 mil-lion compared to OMR24,281.7 million last year.

Also, 35 per cent of the GDP was contributed by the petroleum activities while wholesale/retail trade, as well as public administra-tion and defence contributed 10 per cent each during over the three quarters of 2015. Construction added 8 per cent to the GDP. — ONA

Gross domestic

product at market

prices decline by

14.2% in the first

three quarters of

2015 at OMR20.09b,

compared to

OMR23.41b in the

same period of 2014

Boeing profit at stake as 737 Max takes to skiesCHICAGO: Boeing’s newest 737 jetliner gunned its engines and headed into rain-streaked skies, with profit and pride riding on its wings. The aerospace company’s fortunes depend on a smooth mar-ket debut for the 737 Max next year with initial customer Southwest Airlines. The maiden flight took place days ahead of schedule, a contrast to Boeing’s delay-plagued 787 Dreamliner.

Workers and customers in rain ponchos and hats bearing the 737’s signature teal colour scheme were on hand for the takeoff of the plane, christened ‘The Spirit of Renton’, a reference to the Seattle suburb where Boeing has made single-aisle aircraft since the 1950s.

“It is an emotional experience,” Keith Leverkuhn, a Boeing vice president and general manager of the 737 Max programme, said after the plane was airborne. “Someone said these things are like comet

sightings. They don’t happen very often and when they do, it’s very, very special.”

The latest version of the half-century-old jet took off at 9.46am outside Seattle and flew laps over western Washington, before land-ing at 12.32pm. Three other planes under construction also will be used for flight tests this year.

Deadline targetsThe first flight is the culmina-tion of years of effort for Boeing workers and a heart-pounding moment for executives who have pledged to airlines that the single-aisle jet will meet perfor-mance and deadline targets.

Any missteps in the Max’s de-velopment could be costly to Boe-ing as it tries to cut into the sales lead held by Airbus’s revamped A320neo. The new 737 is coming online as Boeing counts on a series of record-setting increases for sin-gle-aisle production to counteract revenue lost from production cuts to the 777 and 747 jets, its highest-priced commercial aircraft.

The Max already is Boeing’s all-time best-seller, with 3,072 orders. It’s the latest model in the narrow-body family that is the planemak-er’s largest source of profit, and ar-guably its most valuable asset. The total backlog of unfilled 737 orders is valued at about $200 billion, ac-cording to intelligence estimates.

Although first flights of new models only happen once or twice a decade, the focus on the Max is muted in comparison to Boeing’s last such debut: the 787 Dreamlin-er in December 2009. – Bloomberg News

A V I A T I O N

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

OIL GLOOM: Petroleum activities posted a sharp 38.5 per cent fall to record OMR6.95 billion in the first three quartes of 2015 as against OMR11.29 billion during the same period, a year ago. – ONA

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T H E B I G C H A L L E N G E I N C H I N A

icrosoft’s Satya Na-della must be won-dering what more he has to do to impress China’s leadership. He and his predeces-sors have done quite

a bit already. Back in September, for ex-ample, Nadella not only hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and his chief Inter-net censor at Microsoft headquarters in Seattle, but established a partnership to customise Windows with a state-owned defense contractor once called “the hi-tech heart of China’s military.”

Antitrust crackdownRather than giving thanks for Nadella’s efforts, China announced that it was dou-bling down on a 2014 anti-monopoly in-vestigation into the company. The actual charges are vague — state media claimed that the company had caused “incompat-ibility problems” by not fully disclosing unspecified information related to Win-dows — but the import of the charges are not. More than 20 years after entering China, Microsoft has earned little but suspicion for its efforts to play ball with the government. For US tech companies with similar ambitions, Microsoft should serve as a cautionary tale.

This was not how it was supposed to work out. In 2007, Bill Gates told Fortune that he expected China to be Microsoft’s biggest market, “though it might take

10 years.” The comments came during a visit to Beijing, during which Gates was given an honourary degree from Tsinghua University (only the 13th granted in the school’s then 82-year history), and vis-ited with four members of China’s ruling Politburo. A year earlier, then- Chinese President Hu Jintao, during a visit to Gates’ Seattle compound, told the soft-ware magnate that he used Microsoft’s software every day.

It must have felt like the company had turned the corner on the ugly early days of its operations in China. When Microsoft officially entered China in 1992, Windows and Office were already dominant. How-ever, thanks to piracy (copies of Windows cost around $1 in most big cities during the early 2000s) and the government’s unwillingness to crack down, the com-pany was not making money on its market share. So Microsoft took the nonsensical approach of suing Chinese companies violating its intellectual property — and lost. Meanwhile, it tried to sell full-priced software in a country where a legit copy of Windows exceeded many monthly wages.

New approachBy the late 1990s, it was clear that a new approach was necessary. Craig Mundie, then Microsoft’s chief research and strat-egy officer, told Fortune that the com-pany’s “business practices and our en-gagement did not reflect the importance of having a collaborative approach with

the government.” In short order, Henry Kissinger was hired to smooth over ruf-fled government feathers and Microsoft officials began making regular visits. Meanwhile, the software company’s on-line sites began censoring according to Chinese government guidelines (they continue to do so). In parallel, Microsoft opened a major research centre in Beijing and — in 2003 — signed a pact to reveal the Windows source code to the Chinese government. That last step was particu-larly important to Chinese authorities who have long worried that Windows and other US-authored programmes contain backdoors that could allow attackers into their computer systems. But having ac-cess to the source code was not enough, it turns out. Microsoft is now customising Windows security to the specs of Chinese government clients (a diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks revealed that Chi-nese government hackers had used the source code in their hacks on Google).

Recently, a Chinese state news outlet cited the latter development “as an im-provement in the American company's relationship with the Chinese authori-ties” after a disastrous 2014 during which China launched its anti-monopoly inves-tigation of the company.

Alas, the improvement has been short lived, as evidenced by the case’s resump-tion. This should come as no surprise to Microsoft, however. For more than a dec-ade, the Chinese government has made

clear its desire to develop domestic alter-natives to US technology, including Win-dows and Office. Microsoft can hope that continued collaboration will ultimately build the trust necessary to overcome that ambition, and the paranoia over security which inspires it.

But so far, Microsoft has little show for two decades of effort beyond market share that it still cannot monetise (it’s giving away Windows 10 for free). Motley Fool claims that China “consistently” produc-es less than 10 percent of the company’s earnings (Microsoft does not break out China earnings), and its last quarter, Mi-crosoft predicted further sales declines in China, driven in part by government poli-cies designed to curb the use of foreign software. Bill Gates’ 2007 prediction that China would be the company’s biggest market is — for the foreseeable future — a diminishing dream.

That failure should give pause to other US technology companies, from IBM to Apple, currently under pressure to co-operate with the Chinese government to build or maintain their presence in China. If Microsoft’s experience is any guide, they will end up giving away far more than they receive.

Long- term, they’re probably better off focusing their investments and efforts on emerging economies that aren’t commit-ted to putting them out of business. Chi-na’s market might be big, but it is not for them. – Bloomberg News

So far, Microsoft has little to

show for two decades of

effort beyond market share

that it still cannot monetise.

Bill Gates’ 2007 prediction

that China would be the

company’s biggest market

is for the foreseeable future

— a diminishing dream.

B5S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

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Nissan Micra: A zippy, compact hatchback

MUSCAT: Nissan Micra from Su-hail Bahwan Automobiles is a zippy and smart compact hatchback in tune with today’s urban lifestyle.

With stand-out looks, class-leading driving dynamics and an interior design offering both com-fort and convenience, the Nissan Micra goes beyond the regular compact hatchback offering, says a press release.

A refined vehicle in its own right, the Nissan Micra aims to attract a wider audience with its contempo-rary good looks, eye-catching ex-terior colour range, spacious and fashionable interior, in addition to a powerful high performance en-gine and a range of other options to make city driving easier.

The stunning MicraKey features of the new Micra in-clude a characterful, sleek exte-rior design, eye-catching exterior colour range, user-friendly equip-ment and interior designed with convenience in mind, highly-ver-satile interior seat/stowage config-urations, efficient, largest-in-class 1.5-litre engine, nimble handling with best-in-class turning circle

– ideal for city driving, high levels of safety equipment including dual airbags, ABS, EBD & Brake Assist. The new Micra with trim level ‘SV’ is available in Oman.

Expressive exterior The Micra’s exterior combines a feel of personality and character with agility. The body’s bold pro-portions have been achieved by lowering the centre of gravity, po-sitioning the tires at the extreme corners of the car, expanding the sills outward and extending the rear tread. The side sections, which appear as if cylinders are mounted within, run through the body from the front to the rear pro-viding a secure feeling.

The sleek roofline, with a raised rear end, optimally adjusts airflow to the rear sides to help create ex-cellent aerodynamic performance. Every element of the body is de-signed to reduce air resistance - such as door mirrors, a large front spoiler and the underbody config-uration. Micra’s coefficient of drag is just 0.32.

Interior designInside, Micra features a unique ‘twin bubble’ shaped cockpit that gives a secure feeling for both driv-er and passengers with convenient stowage compartments and gener-ous headroom. The arched lines and warm curved surfaces on ei-ther side of the instrumental panel create a distinctive bubble-shaped interior space that enhances driv-ing pleasure. A large and conveni-ent instrument meter with drive computer placed in the centre of the meter cluster provides im-

proved visibility.Micra also gives the driver en-

hanced visibility on their music collection with an MP3/WMA compatible CD player, which can display both artist and title on its screen, and 2 DIN AM/FM along with four speakers. The sound system includes an AUX jack to connect your music player offer-ing Micra owners access to their full music collection. Micra also comes with anti dazzle room mir-ror, headlamp leveliser, auto on/off, power steering with tilt adjust-ment, front power windows, cen-tral door locking, remote keyless, tachometer, drive computer, digi-tal clock and air conditioner with pollen filter.

Driving performance The foundation of the Micra’s outstanding driving performance is the 99HP, 16-valve, four cylin-der HR15DE 1.5-litre engine - the largest capacity engine offered in its class. Offered with either a five-speed manual transmission (S) or four-speed automatic, the HR15DE’s combination of power-ful torque in the mid- to low- speed range is ideal around town but also offers impressive fuel economy and refinement out on the highway.

Efficiency is built into the very fabric of Micra with its lightweight roof panel contributing to reduced weight and higher fuel economy while its boomerang-shaped bead in the roof panel reduces boom-ing noise in the cabin otherwise caused by roof resonance.

Safety as a priorityIn the area of safety technol-

ogy, Nissan pursues innovation as part of its “Safety Shield” concept, an advanced, proactive approach to safety issues based on the idea that cars should help protect peo-ple. This approach provides vari-ous measures to help the driver and passengers better avoid dan-gers in ways that are optimised to each of a wide range of circum-stances that the vehicle may be in, from “risk has not yet appeared” to “post-crash.”

Micra ensure its occupants can enjoy its driving and lifestyle ap-peal with the assurance of high levels of safety features. A broad range of safety systems are also fit-ted as standard across the Micra range Including Anti-Lock Brak-ing System (ABS) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) to help the driver avoid a collision while a High Mount Stop Lamp provides better visibility to other motorists that Micra is slowing.

Friendly packageAlong with its innovative pow-ertrain and outstanding exterior and interior designs, the Micra is extremely easy to live with day in and day out. For example, the large glass area ensures good all-around visibility. By increasing the size of the front windshield, both hori-zontally and vertically, it is easier to see traffic lights (even on the stop line) and to check around the vehicle when turning right or left.

SBA is largely committed to supporting Nissan’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

With stand-out

looks, class-leading

driving dynamics

and an interior design

offering both comfort

and convenience, the

Nissan Micra goes

beyond the

regular compact

hatchback offering

Annual exhibition held at IS MuladhaMUSCAT: ‘Epheus 2016’, an annual exhibition aimed at pro-viding an excellent opportunity to exhibit the exquisite crafts-manship and creativity of the young scientists and artists of the school was held at Indian School Muladha recently.

The two-day programme pro-vided ample time for the visitors to relish the educationally, aes-thetically and culturally valuable exhibits, says a press release.

The chief guest, Dr Said Ma-soud Ali Kashoob, assistant dean for Academic Affairs at Al Mu-sanna College of Technology in-augurated the exhibition.

Dr Kazi Arshad Jafar, president of School Management Com-mittee, Indian School Muladha, Siddique Hassan, treasurer, S. I. Shareef, principal, V. S. Suresh, vice-principal and Dr Lekha O. C., CCE and EC coordinator, parents, teachers and students attended the function. The inau-guration ceremony started with a prayer song by the school choir. Shareef, delivered the welcome address and presented a report giving a kaleidoscopic view of the exhibition. Ali Kashoob, in his inaugural address, expressed his pleasure and appreciation for the school in organising such a mag-nificent event. He stressed the importance of combining passion with imagination for bringing out the creativity in them. The ‘rock band’ performance by the stu-dents enthralled the audience. A

memento was presented to the chief guest by the president and the dignitaries as a token of love and gratitude.

The various departments of the school — English, Malayalam, Hindi, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Commerce, Com-puter, Arabic, Fine Arts, Physi-cal Education, and Career Guid-ance — presented a wide range of charts, working models, still mod-els, language games, puzzles, digi-tal symposium, power point pres-entations, slide shows, various cultural heritage and art forms, mathematical theorems, video clippings etc. The activity rooms were abounded with cultural and literary items like declamation, recitation, dance performance and skits. In ‘NanoTech’ the de-partment of science, displayed models like automatic street light, waste water treatment plant, working model of circulation of blood etc.

The Malayalam stall was an eye-opener to Kerala’s cultural heritage, art forms and musical extravaganza. ‘Momath’, Maths exhibition hall, entertained and educated the viewers with charts, models, puzzles and games. The KG and primary section attracted the spectators with their colour-ful displays. The stall that de-picted the journey of the school through 25 years exhibited the important milestones of the school and could win the appre-ciation from all corners.

S C I E N C E A N D A R T

Indian School Salalah celebrates Republic DaySALALAH: Indian School Salalah celebrated 67th Republic Day of India with a great deal of patriotic zeal on the school premises. To mark the importance of the day a grand celebration was held, says a press release.

Ram Santhanam, president of the school management commit-tee was the chief guest and this day brought all the guests, invitees, parents and students together in celebrating the spirit of unity.

The day’s programme com-menced with the welcome speech by Mansi Gururani of Class VII. She welcomed the chief guest, the president of the school manage-ment committee, other esteemed members of the SMC, former pres-idents and members of the school management committee, task force members, office bearers of Indian Social Club, distinguished guests and dignitaries and invitees for the celebration.

The welcome address was fol-lowed by the invocation song by the school choir. The chief guest escorted by the Principal T. R. Brown unfurled the national flag to mark the Republic Day celebra-tion, which was followed by the scouts and guides’ salute to the na-tional flag.

Keeping in mind the need of the students, under the leadership

of Ram, the school management committee had constructed wait-ing sheds around the periphery of the school. On this significant day, the newly constructed waiting shed in front of the primary and KG block was inaugurated by Ram, accompanied by Brown, esteemed members of SMC, dignitaries and special invitees.

To add to the festive occasion the students presented a cul-tural fiesta which included songs, speeches, dances and skit. Paul-ine George of Class VII inspired the gathering with her speech in English that highlighted the sig-nificance of the celebration. The students of Class VII dressed in tricolours of the national flag en-

thralled the audience with their spellbinding performance.

The two patriotic songs A’Vatan and Bharath Humko Jaan Se Pyara Hai reverberated the surround-ings and instilled patriotic feel-ings. The primary children enter-tained the audience with a vibrant fusion dance. Valuable messages such as ‘Respect the elders’, No child labour’, No corruption and cleanliness were well depicted by students of Class VII through a skit titled ‘Be The Change’.

Ram extended his warm greet-ings of the Republic Day to one and all. While appreciating the strong patriotic feeling towards mother-land and its ‘Unity in Diversity’, he quoted Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s three visions about India; India in his childhood, India after Inde-pendence and the present India of the youth. He made it a point to mention about the kind gestures made by the school management committee to show that they care and deliver the promises to the parental community of Indian School Salalah. Lastly, he exhorted the support of the parents and the community for better education.

The prizes were given away to the outstanding students in co-curricular activities for Classes I to IV during the academic session 2015-16.

P A T R I O T I C Z E A L

Oman Oasis chosen as official water for Muscat Festival 2016MUSCAT: Oman Oasis — the nation’s leading water brand pro-duced and distributed by Oasis Water Company — is the official water for Muscat Festival 2016.

To commemorate the nation’s favourite event, Oman Oasis had even introduced a new lim-ited edition bottle label that em-braces the fun and merriment of Muscat Festival. The special edi-tion label is colourful, creative and has a carnival feel to it, says a press release.

In practice, Oman Oasis has always been in the forefront of creating unique and inspiring commemorative bottle label de-signs dedicated to Oman’s various national festivities like Ramadan celebration, Khareef Festival and the latest 45th National Day label

was much-admired design, which denoted the spirit of the nation and its journey through the years.

The festival pulls in a lot of crowd every year, and this year is no different. It has been getting a lot of footfalls so far. Oman Oasis, who has their stall set up near the performance stages at both Am-erat Park and Naseem Garden, has placed their 5 Gallon dispens-ers at both the venues to keep the tired visitors replenished.

Exclusive offersNew Oman Oasis household cus-tomers who enrol themselves for 5 Gallon during the period of Muscat Festival can avail exclu-sive offers valid only during the festival. The OMR50 bundle in-cludes a hot and cold dispenser,

two full bottles and 10 refill cou-pons, plus two 5kg bags of Al Im-tiaaz rice free.

Whereas, the OMR20 bundle includes a tap dispenser or man-ual water pump, two full bottles and 10 refill coupons, plus one 5kg bag of Al Imtiaaz rice free.

“The Muscat Festival has be-come one of Oman’s most iconic annual events thanks to the vision of its creators, whose passion for representing the heritage and vi-brancy of Oman are unmatched,” said N. S. S. Subramanian, general manager of Oasis Water Com-pany.

“We are excited to be partner-ing with Muscat Festival given its importance to the regional econ-omy and its reputation both na-tionally and regionally,” he added.

S U P P O R T

B6 S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

ROUND-UPKia: Designed to impress

MUSCAT: Who has not gasped in awe at the sight of a stylish and powerful Kia zipping by.

The world’s fastest growing auto-motive brand has come to symbol-ise outstanding quality and value, in addition to attention-grabbing design, says a press release.

Is it any wonder then that Kia Motors has received the prestigious 2015 Good Design awards for three of its most recent models, the all-new 2016 Sorento, the all-new 2016 Optima and the Soul (Trail’ster), in the award programme’s ‘Transpor-tation’ category.

This marks the second consecu-tive year in which three Kia vehi-cles have taken home Good Design awards, with the Kia Quoris, Soul

EV and GT4 Stinger concept car having been recognised in the last year’s competition.

As one enthusiast aptly and suc-cinctly put it, “Kia designs rock!”

Chosen by Good Design’s jury of independent design profes-sionals, industry specialists and design media, the three Kia mod-els were evaluated on a range of criteria – innovative design, new technologies, form, materials, construction, concept, function, utility, energy efficiency and sen-sitivity to the environment.

Yong-Won (Bryan) Cho, vice president of Overseas Marketing at Kia Motors Corporation, com-mented: “Having a total of six of our latest production models and concept cars receive distinction from Good Design in the last two

years is a true testament to the tremendous strides our design teams have made in creating some of the most desirable designs on today’s roads. The all-new Soren-to and Optima feature refined, evolutionary styling that builds on the enormous success of their predecessor models, while the Trail’ster concept car captures the essence of a rugged yet stylish and thoroughly modern CUV for adventure-seekers.”

Kia’s global design team, led by Peter Schreyer, has won wide-spread acclaim for its striking and innovative work, and for contrib-uting to Kia’s substantial global growth in recent years.

Now in its 65th year, Good De-sign is the oldest and the most prestigious awards program

worldwide. Established in 1950 and organised annually by the Chi-cago Athenaeum, the Good Design awards programme celebrates the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product, and graphic designs produced around the world. Designers and manufac-turers in around 50 nations are honoured every year, and past re-cipients of Good Design awards in-clude everything from a paperclip to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Nasa spacecraft.

Reliable International Automo-tive (RIA), the distributor for Kia in Oman provides a rewarding ownership experience for custom-ers. Excellent product attributes and unmatched facilities easily ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way.

The world’s fastest

growing automotive

brand has come

to symbolise

outstanding quality

and value, in addition

to attention-grabbing

design

FRiENDi offering upto 10% bonus credit on rechargeMUSCAT: FRiENDi mobile, Sultanate’s third biggest mobile service provider, has come up with yet another amazing offer. Customers can now get up to an incredible 10 per cent bonus credit on recharge, by just re-charging their phone as normal.

Until February 4, FRiENDi mobile customers recharging for OMR10 will get OMR1 bonus; recharging OMR5 gives custom-ers a 500 baisa bonus and finally recharging OMR3 gives 150 baisa bonus. The bonus credit is given instantly and valid for seven days from the day of recharge, says a press release.

FRiENDi mobile’s recharge presence in over 7,000 outlets across Oman provides customers the flexibility and convenience to make the most of the offer. Physi-cal recharge cards are available from dealers and outlets, elec-tronic vouchers are available at the till of your local supermarket (e.g. Carrefour, Lulu and Sul-tan Centre) or customers can also choose to recharge online at www.friendimobile.om using a credit or debit card. Not only that, there is no limitation on the number of times a customer can recharge and bonus credit can be

used for whatever the customer wants – e.g. data, local calls or in-ternational calls.

“We know that everyone is tightening the belt in 2016, so for a limited time FRiENDi mo-bile is doing what it can to give a little more to our loyal and new customers, for free. We have a fantastic customer base and are welcoming large volumes of cus-tomer to our network every day who are already excited about the great value prices we already offer,” said Alex Bennett, CEO, FRiENDi mobile. “It’s a super of-fer, valid for 11 days and we are looking forward to seeing the demand for recharge increase and giving back to customers, re-warding them for their loyalty. So don’t miss out!”

FRiENDi mobile offers have made them a favourite amongst the expat as well as the local com-munity in Oman.

With over 600,000 FRiENDi mobile customers and numbers rising fast, FRiENDi mobile re-ally is showing the results of its vision to provide a great alterna-tive choice to customers for their mobile service provider and great value to those with a piece of their heart abroad.

P R O M O T I O N

Oman Post appoints Abdul Malik Al Balushi as its CEOMUSCAT: Oman Post Company announced the appointment of Abdul Malik Al Balushi as its chief executive officer.

Oman Post is in the process of undergoing a major transforma-tion with the primary objective of enhancing customer experi-ence. The company will be look-ing to capitalise on the strength of their vast network that spans more than 80 branches across the Sultanate and introduce more personalised services that will of-fer customers with a number of options for delivery of post, says a press release.

Al Balushi joins Oman Post from Oman Shipping Company where he most recently held the

position of general manager of Support Services. His previous experience included working for Oman Power & Water Procure-ment Company (OPWP), the Telecom Regulatory Authority

(TRA), and Muscat Municipality. He has also been a visiting faculty of management with the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU).

Announcing the appointment, Qais Saud Al Zakwani, chairman of the Board at Oman Post, said: “I am pleased to confirm the appoint-ment of Abdul Malik who will be joining Oman Post at a challeng-ing time. Oman Post is undergo-ing a major transformation and we will be looking to Abdul Malik to lead the initiatives approved by the board. I am confident that his invaluable experience will en-able him to accelerate Oman Post’s growth ambition while concen-trating on elevating the level of customer service.”

N E W R O L E

Kachchhi Wing set to screen Gujarati movie on February 6MUSCAT: The Indian Social Club, Kachchhi Wing is screening their first block buster regional film in Gujarati Chhello Divas on February 6 at City Cinema, Ruwi at 11am. The film is directed by Krishnadev Yagnik with leading star cast.

After successful celebration of kite festival at Qurum beach on Makar Sankranti week, this will be another yearly event which is eagerly looked forward to by linguistic wing members to wel-come the New Year 2016, says a press release.

“Due to huge public demand and not to disappoint film lovers we have decided to release the film at cinema hall with large ca-pacity,” informed Hiten Dutia, co-

convener of the wing. The evergreen film has been

widely released and much appre-ciated by Gujarati community at large in Mumbai and other parts of India and abroad.

Invitations will be distributed tomorrow between 8 and 9pm at

porta cabin of Indian Social Club, Muscat on first come first served basis to the members of Kachchhi Wing. New members are also wel-come and the wing requests old members to renew their member-ship as early possible.

“The Kachchhi Wing also plans a Valentine’s Day celebra-tions on a dhow cruising through Muscat on February 12,” in-formed Hemlata Jesrani, con-vener of the wing.

The sponsors of the programme are Muscat Pharmacy, Unique Contracting Co, Khimji Ramdas, Al Mudhish, Al Ansari Group of Companies, Ramniklal B.Kothary & Co., Modern Exchange Co. along with wing members and committee members.

B L O C K B U S T E R

Huawei Mate 8 revolutionises smartphone, tablet

MUSCAT: The new Huawei Mate 8 that was launched recently showcases a smart communica-tion device of superior technology, functionality and design.

True to their promise to redefine the smart phone experience, the creators at Huawei have combined the best features of the smart-phone and the tablet to create their next ‘phablet’, says a press release.

Described as the new ‘super-sized successor’ of the Mate S, Huawei’ Mate 8 takes the look and feel of the Mate series to a whole new level. It comes with a vivid 6-inch IPS-NEO LCD capacitive touchscreen display with Screen Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and an ultra-slim body. A sig-nificant improvement is the rede-signed fingerprint sensor with a shallower contact area to increase speed and accuracy.

The Mate 8 is more compact that previous models despite its 6-inch NEO LCD screen and has an 85 per cent screen-to-body ra-tio. Diamond cutting technology makes it remarkably slimmer than

most models. The Mate 8 screen comes with 95 per cent colour saturation and non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAh battery that gives a usage of more than 2 days.

Arguably one of Huawei’s big-gest selling-point is its smart phone camera technology which places it ahead of other brands

in the same category. The Mate 8 takes things up a good notch with a 16-megapixel Sony sensor for its rear-facing camera that includes face detection autofocus, optical image stabilisation support, dual-LED (dual-tone flash) and Hua-wei’s new Image Sensor Technol-ogy. There are also various video modes, including 120fps slow-mo capture at 720p and an 8-megapix-el front facing camera.

The Mate 8 also focuses on the new Kirin 950 chipset – the first with Cortex-A72 and Mali-T880 that doubles the performance.

The chipset is wrapped in 6 lay-

ers of highly conductive DX19 ma-terial to distribute the heat away from it. The Mate 8 runs on An-droid 6.0 Marshmallow with Emo-tion UI 4.0. The Kirin 950 chipset can be paired with a choice of 3GB RAM / 32GB storage or 4GB RAM with 64GB. The Mate 8 is available in four stunning colours: cham-pagne gold, moonlight silver, sky grey, and mocha brown.

In Oman the Mate 8 was un-veiled along with a host of first day sales at the Oman Phone Store in Muscat City Centre, Seeb. Cus-tomers were treated to exciting prizes and surprise gifts.

S M A R T C O M M U N I C A T I O N

True to their promise to redefine the smart phone experience, the creators at Huawei have combined the best features of the smartphone and the tablet to create their next ‘phablet’

i20 WRC kicks off 2016 WRC season with a podium finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo

MUSCAT: Hyundai Motorsport has begun its third season in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in style with a fantastic podium finish in the debut event for the New Generation i20 WRC.

Thierry Neuville steered Hyundai Motorsport’s new rally car to third place overall after a competitive weekend recently. The team had its sights set on securing third place for Thierry Neuville, as well as a top-six re-sult for his Hyundai Shell World Rally team colleague Dani Sordo, says a press release.

Hyundai Motorsport’s Thierry commented: “I am very excited and pleased with our podium winning during the weekend. The New Generation i20 WRC has shown its high performance potential and it is good to be back on the podium, particularly after the difficulties we had at the end of last season.

“To register the first stage wins and now first podium with the new car is a great feeling and this result is for the whole team.”

Hyundai Motorsport entered the opening round of the 2016 Championship with its New Generation i20 WRC targeting an improvement to last year’s result and a fight for the podium. Thierry Neuville’s run to third is therefore a welcome result for the team, even if there’s more to come from the new car.

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Zubair’s Iqra initiative supports Omani writers

MUSCAT: To recognise the writ-ing talents of well-known and as-piring local authors, the Zubair Corporation has stocked all its li-braries established under the ‘Iqra’ initiative with books written by Omani writers.

So far under the Zubair Corpo-ration’s ‘Iqra’ initiative, three li-braries have been opened in Nizwa Hospital and another four in Royal Hospital in Muscat. Recently three libraries were also opened in Rustaq and Ibra Hospitals. Each of these libraries has over 100 books that are written by Omani authors, says a press release.

To further encourage local writ-ers, as part of the ‘Iqra’ initiative, plans are being put in place to urge Omani authors to contact the

Zubair Corporation so that they can buy and promote their books.

The Zubair Corporation also plans to buy new books and up-dated version of the old books by Omani authors at the Muscat In-ternational Book Fair.

Ibrahim Al Salmi, Social Com-munication manager at the Zubair Corporation said: “All the initia-tives undertaken by the Zubair Cor-poration revolves around strength-ening the society by supporting programmes that benefit people.” He added: “Through the ‘Iqra’ pro-gramme, Zubair wants to promote a reading habit in the community and endorse Omani literature by connecting the local authors to the reader in the society.”

Stressing that books can work as the windows to the outside world, Al Salmi also said, “The libraries established under ‘Iqra’ provide a uniquely creative and accessible environment for the authors and readers to connect. The libraries not only promote the works of lo-cal authors, but in many ways en-courage future authors and this in turn enriches the community.”

While reminding that develop-ing a reading culture takes time and requires commitment, Al Sal-mi said, “We are certain that Iqra libraries will help stimulate and reinforce a reading culture within the wider community.”

Yaqoob Al Khanbashi, member of the Social Advisory Committee in the Zubair Corporation, said: “Creating a reading culture in soci-ety is a must if we want to encour-age people to become engaged and motivated readers. The Iqra librar-ies are doing just that.”

Al Khanbashi stated: “The ini-tiative is very supportive of estab-lished and also upcoming Omani writers. The feeling of seeing their book standing proudly on the shelves of public libraries every-where is a dream for many writers and Iqra initiative helps realise this dream. Public libraries help to readers discover new writers in their society.”

Encouraged by the positive re-sponse to the ‘Iqra’ initiative, the Zubair Corporation plans to open many libraries across the country.

The ‘Iqra’ initiative is part of

The Zubair Corporation’s CSR programme started by its Social Advisory Committee which com-prises of dedicated Omanis who are active in their local communi-ties, especially in the field of volun-teer work and community-based initiatives.

The libraries, launched as part of this programme, in Royal Hospi-tal, Nizwa Hospital, Rustaq Hospi-tal and Ibra Hospital, are running successfully. Patients, visitors and bystanders now make use of the waiting time in these hospitals by indulging in reading.

The ‘Iqra’ initiative was official-ly launched at the Bait Al Zubair in early 2015 in the presence of Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair, managing director of the Zubair Corporation. Omani writers, prominent personalities belonging to the local literary scene, in addi-tion and cultural institutions had attended the opening.

The ‘Iqra’ initiative aims to develop reading habits by estab-lishing libraries across different governorates in the Sultanate in locations frequented by people. This initiative comes as part of the Zubair Corporation’s strategy and vision to support the Omani soci-ety with sustainable programmes.

People in society must be en-couraged to develop a reading cul-ture in order to give them a chance to open their minds and make them creative and innovative is the among objective of the ‘Iqra’ initiative.

The ‘Iqra’ initiative

aims to develop

reading habits by

establishing libraries

across different

governorates in the

Sultanate in locations

frequented by people

Nissan Juke comes

with upbeat features,

enhanced performance

MUSCAT: The upgraded Nissan Juke from Suhail Bahwan Auto-mobiles has retained signature aspects including its dramatic front-end design.

The Juke is powered by a 1.6-li-tre naturally-aspirated engine, 117 hp. Three driving modes — normal, sport and eco — are avail-able, along with a new audio sys-tem, the Japanese auto maker’s latest-generation NissanCon-nect connectivity technology, says a press release.

Exterior revisions include tweaking the upper front lamps (now with LED daytime run-ners), updating the grille, tough-ening up the under-bumper trim, redesigning the door mir-rors (adding LED repeaters and new rear view camera) and creating a more aggressive rear bumper to match the revised tail-lights which now have LED ‘light guide technology’.

Revisions in the cargo area have increased space while ver-satility is further enhanced with a flat-folding rear seat. Nissan has also built in a two-stage floor in the luggage compartment. With the second-row seats up and cargo floor lowered, there is plenty of space in the back for large luggage. Fold the seats down and you can adjust the floor to a higher position, creating a flat cargo. Lastly the sunroof adds an element of fun and adventure.

Standard features include cloth upholstery, four-speaker CD/MP3 stereo with AUX port, power windows, electric mirrors, rear-view camera and the 60/40 folding rear seats. Also available is leather upholstery, NissanCon-nect, sunroof, fog lamps, auto-matic a/c and intelligent keyless

entry with starter button. Safety features include front airbags, ABS disc brakes with EBD, and stability control and optional side-curtain airbags.

The Juke now also comes with a personalisation pack.

AwardAt the Kelley Blue Book, the 2012 Nissan Juke won ‘Total Cost of Ownership Award’ in the Com-pact Crossover division. Estab-lishing their selections on the combined cost of fair purchase price (FPP), financing costs, state fees, insurance costs, project de-preciation, and the anticipated costs of repairs, scheduled main-tenance, and petrol, the 2012 Nis-san Juke was a clear winner.

Although the fair purchase prices in this division were quite similar, the 2012 Nissan Juke was a standout in long-term fuel cost and insurance.

Apart from winning the Total Cost of Ownership Award, Kelley Blue Book also showcased some of their favourite aspects of the 2012 Nissan Juke.

On the other hand, the Nissan Juke was deemed safe by the In-surance Institute for Highway Safety in 2011. The IIHS award-ed the 2011 Nissan Juke a ‘Top Safety Pick’ rating. As always, the rating is only given to vehicles that achieve the agency’s highest rating of ‘Good’ in front, rear and side impact protection as well as being equipped with electronic stability control and earn a good rating in roof strength.

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, the exclusive importers and dis-tributors of all Nissan vehicles in Oman, have their Nissan show-rooms spread across Oman.

U P G R A D E D M O D E L

Bank Sohar sponsors Shabab FM’s singing contestMUSCAT: Demonstrating its fo-cus towards contributing to the community in Oman in addition to highlighting the youth and local talent, Bank Sohar has sponsored Shabab FM’s live show ‘Najm Al Shabab” where a singing competi-tion is being broadcast from begin-ning of January till end of March, says a press release.

Commenting on sponsoring the competition, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, GM of HR and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar mentioned, “At Bank Sohar, we take great pride in showcasing Oman in the

best light, and highlighting the immense talent pool that the Sul-tanate has to offer. We are pleased to join hands with the popular, lo-cal radio channel, Shabab FM in bringing to life their new show ‘Najm Al Shabab’ which aims to discover the most talented sing-ers in the nation. We are also con-fident that this live show will be a great hit with listeners across the country and wish all the partici-pants the best of luck.”

The ‘Najm Al Shabab’ pro-gramme is aired live every Wednesday at 7pm on Shabab FM.

It comprises a vocal competition where talented new singers are introduced to audiences. Listen-ers are encouraged to vote for the contestants by SMS for their best performers. The winners from each round go forward to the next round, until they reach the grand final, with the supreme winners gaining widespread recognition and winning lucrative prizes.

Bank Sohar has always been dedicated towards the upbringing of the youth and local Omani talent; regularly extending its support to various groups and organisations

in their various sports and cultural initiatives and competitions.

Al Shabab FM seeks to address the largest segment of citizens which is the youth. By interacting with young minds, the channel gets a better perspective of their think-ing, aspirations, understands their ability to communicate through various modern communication channels, and attracts them to con-tribute to the national development efforts. Al-Shabab FM has a high rate of listeners 24/7 due to various programmes which are broadcast-ed to all governorates of Oman.

S U P P O R T I N G L O C A L T A L E N T

TAC introduces new product for better engine performanceMUSCAT: If you want to maxim-ise engine performance and most importantly, engine life and also get better fuel efficiency, you need to clean the engine regularly of all the contaminants and deposits.

To help you in this pursuit, Towell Auto Centre (TAC) has now introduced Mazda Genuine Deposit Cleaner at its 13 ser-vice centres and 10 parts out-lets spread across Oman, says a press release.

By simply pouring the Mazda genuine deposit cleaner into the fuel tank, deposits formed in the combustion chamber, fuel injec-tor nozzles and other engine parts can be cleaned off.

It can be used for all models with gasoline engine (except for rotary and carburetor engines). This deposit cleaner is effective for all gasoline engines more so for Mazda’s SKYACTIV-G. It is recommended to use Mazda genuine deposit cleaner every 10,000km for continued optimum engine performance.

A senior spokesperson of TAC commented: “Mazda genunie deposit cleaner is effective in re-covering from the following con-

ditions – poor engine starting, rough idling, poor acceleration response, insufficient power, poor fuel efficiency, engine knocking, exhaust emissions etc.

“With benefits galore including increased fuel efficiency, Mazda deposit cleaner is a genuine prod-uct approved by Mazda Motor Corporation and is available at TAC service and parts centres all across Oman.”

The Mazda genuine deposit cleaner, when poured into the fuel tank, uses the fuel medium to remove the accumulated depos-its on the injectors, intake valves, combustion chambers and other areas. A special active ingredient then transports these deposits to the combustion chambers and accelerates the combustion of the deposits.

In this effective and simple way, the Mazda genuine deposit cleaner cleans the inside of the engine and maintains it perfor-mance, ensures its longevity and improves fuel efficiency.

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Bank Muscat receives coveted Entrepreneurship Award 2015

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flag-ship financial services provider in the Sultanate, won the coveted En-trepreneurship Award 2015 in rec-ognition of its unique initiatives in support of SME development in the Sultanate.

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, chief ex-ecutive, received the Best SME Bank award from Mohammed bin Al Zubair, adviser to His Majesty the Sultan for Economic Planning Affairs, at the award ceremony held at Sultan Qaboos University. Organised by Riyada, the Public Authority for SME Development, the second edition of the Entre-preneurship Award honoured outstanding SME development initiatives across Oman, says a press release.

AbdulRazak Ali Issa said: “In light of the importance accorded by the government to support SME development in Oman, Bank Mus-cat is proud to win the Best SME Bank award. Complementing gov-ernment efforts in strengthening the role of SMEs in the economic development of Oman, the unique SME initiatives launched by Bank Muscat are aimed at filling the gaps and empowering entrepre-neurs to chart successful business ventures. Stemming from the Roy-al directives to promote the role of SMEs in the development of the national economy, Bank Muscat takes pride in adopting tangible

steps aimed at SME development benefiting the country’s youth.”

Over the years, the bank has launched a series of initiatives as part of a comprehensive plan to support SME development in Oman. Aimed at strengthening the SME sector, the bank’s al Wathbah SME department offers a com-prehensive suite of tailor-made finance solutions.

A unique SME financing launched by the bank has helped entrepreneurs overcome challeng-es arising from the requirement of collateral guarantees. al Wathbah SME non-collateral finance not requiring collateral guarantee is a bold step affirming the bank’s commitment to encouraging an entrepreneurial culture in Oman. In another initiative in 2012, the bank partnered with the Minis-try of Commerce and Industry to launch the government guaran-teed finance in support of SMEs.

The bank has also taken the lead to support women entrepreneurs in Oman. In a major boost to SME development initiatives by women entrepreneurs, the bank recently presented the first Al Wathbah Businesswomen’s Award, which is

set to become a major annual cele-bration aimed at appreciating and recognising Omani women entre-preneurs who demonstrate excel-lence in their business benefiting the community.

Encouraging entrepreneurial skills and empowering Omani businesswomen, the award recog-nises businesswomen for playing an important role in contributing

to the country’s economy.Another initiative by the bank

is an online networking forum for women entrepreneurs. al Wathbah Businesswomen’s Forum allows women entrepreneurs to engage in live online networking. The dedi-cated web portal brings together businesswomen and helps them to benefit from each other’s business expertise and experience. The fo-

rum serves as a source of inspira-tion and encouragement for wom-en to embark on SME initiatives and thereby contribute to the pro-gress and development in Oman.

The bank regularly conducts workshops and seminars to equip SMEs to identify business op-portunities and tackle challenges. Serving as building blocks for ex-isting and prospective entrepre-

neurs, these initiatives assume importance in the backdrop of the priority accorded by the govern-ment to develop the SME sector in Oman.

The support to SMEs and wom-en empowerment initiatives stem from the bank’s commitment to create self-employment oppor-tunities for youth who constitute more than 50 per cent of the coun-try’s population.

The bank organised a unique mentoring programme for young entrepreneurs under the direct su-pervision of AbdulRazak Ali Issa. The beneficiaries drawn from di-verse fields gained valuable guid-ance and skills to promote and establish their business ventures. Aimed at creating a successful generation of entrepreneurs, the CE mentoring programme was an initiative developed by the Minis-try of Commerce and Industry.

The bank’s al Wathbah Business Zone is a unique facility that ad-dresses the needs of entrepreneurs in Oman. The business zone in the bank’s head office can be used free of cost by SME customers who do not have their own office space.

A number of prospective entre-preneurs face challenges in tak-ing forward their business plans for want of required support and facilities. al Wathbah Business Zone addresses this issue and helps entrepreneurs at all levels to promote and establish their business ventures.

al Wathbah SME TV from Bank Muscat is the first educational video channel in the banking sec-tor in Oman with the sole objective of helping SMEs gain 24/7 access to vital information that help drive their business further.

Giving a major thrust for micro and small businesses to play an important role in diversifying the Sultanate’s economy and creat-ing job opportunities for Omani youth, Bank Muscat najahi prod-ucts and services have created a benchmark.

The bank won ‘Best

SME Bank’ award

in recognition of its

unique initiatives

in support of SME

development

Indian School Muladha organises one day camp

MUSCAT: Indian School Mu-ladha organised a one day Cubs and Bulbuls camp recently on the school premises.

The progamme began with a formal inaugural ceremony in the Kids World. The chief guest Felix Vincent Gabriel, Member, SMC inaugurated the function by light-ing the lamp. S. I. Shareef, prin-cipal, V. S. Suresh, Vice Principal and Dr Lekha O. C., CC & EC Co-ordinator attended the function,

says a press release.In his speech the chief guest

stressed the importance of or-ganising Cubs and Bulbul’s activ-ities in the school to foster values like honesty, patience, creativity, team spirit and self-discipline among the students. He empha-sised the advantages of learning by doing and doing by learning, and how it helps to create enthu-siasm and interest in learning among the students.

Shareef pointed out the need to develop self-learning skills among the students by taking an active part in the programmes like Cubs and Bulbuls and how they get motivated and inspired for being good citizens by eradi-cating all the bad habits from their mind and the soul.

Suresh and Dr Lekha attended the function and wished the stu-dents a very happy and enjoyable time in the camp.

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Inspired Kerber stuns Serena to protect idol Graf’s record

MELBOURNE: On a night when Steffi Graf loomed large over Rod Laver Arena, an inspired Angel-ique Kerber stunned Serena Wil-liams in a three-set classic to win the Australian Open on Saturday and become Germany’s first Grand Slam champion in 17 years.

In the ultimate tribute to her childhood hero, Kerber foiled Wil-liams’s bid to match the German great’s tally of Grand Slam titles, closing out a magnificent 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win in her first major final.

The seventh seed’s triumph secured her nation’s first Grand Slam win since Graf raised her 22nd and final trophy at the 1999 French Open.

“Yeah, I think I helped Steffi right now,” a beaming Kerber told reporters. “This is the first big tournament of the year, and I won it, the first Grand Slam. It sounds

crazy, but I can say I’m a Grand Slam champion now.”

Angelique Kerber sought inspi-ration from Graf during a trip to the 46-year-old’s Las Vegas home last year and put in a performance worthy of her mentor.

She defended brilliantly throughout the two-hour and eight-minute cliff-hanger, show-ing nerves of steel to fend off Wil-liams who had roared back from 5-2 down in the deciding set.

In a final game riven with ten-sion, Williams succumbed on the first match point with a volley that floated well past the baseline.

Kerber was already flopping to the ground before the ball had landed, and she flung her racquet away as a packed crowd of 15,000 roared in elation and disbelief.

Williams has no liking for run-ner-up finishes at Grand Slams, and her defeat was the first in a final since her shock loss to Sam Stosur at the 2011 U.S. Open.

Her hopes of pulling off a rare calendar Grand Slam were left in tatters once again, only four months after they were crushed in the U.S. Open semifinals by Italian Roberta Vinci.

Gracious in defeatWilliams was nonetheless gra-cious in defeat, walking directly to Kerber’s side of the court to em-brace her warmly as the champion wept with joy.

“She had an attitude that I think a lot of people can learn from: just

to always stay positive and to never give up,” Williams told reporters.

“I was really inspired by that. So, honestly, she’s a really good girl. If I couldn’t win, I’m happy she did.

“I mean, every time I walk in this room, everyone expects me to win every single match, every single day of my life. As much as I would like to be a robot, I’m not. I try to.”

It was instead an all-too-human

display by Williams in an opening set laden with 23 unforced errors — 20 more than her opponent.

Kerber broke her twice to wrap up the set before Williams re-grouped to send the match into a decider, accompanied by screams of “C’mon!”

The German played majestical-ly in the decider’s marathon sixth game, taking Williams’s serve on

her fifth break point to move to a 5-2 lead. The American, summon-ing the belief forged from 25 Grand Slam finals, stormed back to break Kerber as she served for the match.

But the German responded bril-liantly, felling Williams in a furi-ous baseline rally to raise her one and only match point.

The first left-hander to win in Melbourne since Monica Se-

les’s 1999 championship, Kerber proved the world No. 1 can be beat-en, even when fit and firing.

Other challengers will draw hope that they, too, might share in the grand slam spoils as the 34-year-old icon edges closer to retirement. For Kerber, however, it was a triumph long in the making. It arrived in her 33rd main draw appearance and at a tournament that could have ended for her in the first round.

She had to save a match point in a three-set duel with Japan’s Misa-ki Doi and later remarked that she had “one leg in the plane”.

A former world No. 5 in 2012, Kerber will soar to second when the rankings are updated.

“I think my phone is exploding right now,” said Kerber, who re-ceived personal congratulations from Graf and German chancellor Angela Merkel. “I have so many emotions it’s like crazy.”

Murray, Soares winIn the late match at Rod Laver Arena, Jamie Murray, men’s single finalist Andy’s elder brother, won his first men’s doubles title with Bruno Soares after they beat Dan-iel Nestor and Radek Stepanek 2-6 6-4 7-5.

The younger Murray will seek his first Australian Open title at Melbourne Park after four fruit-less trips to the final when he takes on defending champion and his Melbourne Park nemesis Novak Djokovic. - Reuters

In the ultimate tribute

to her childhood

hero, Kerber foiled

Williams’s bid to

match the German

great’s tally of Grand

Slam titles, closing

out a magnificent

6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win in

her first major final

MAIDEN TITLE: Germany’s Angelique Kerber kisses the trophy as Serena Williams of the U.S. claps after Kerber won their final match at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday. – Reuters

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India have a chance to make a clean sweep of the T20 series if they

win the final game in Syd-ney. The turnaround in the fortunes on this trip started in the last One-day Interna-tional at Sydney where India beat the hosts quite easily and after that they have gone from strength to strength as can be seen by the results in the first two T20 games.

By sending two key play-ers, Steve Smith and David Warner to New Zealand even when the T20 series is going on indicated that the Aus-tralian cricket authorities do not attach much impor-tance to the T20 games and are more interested in mak-ing sure that they come up trumps in the Trans-Tasman rivalry with New Zealand.

A couple of years ago they had withdrawn Mitchell Johnson from the final one-day game in Bengaluru and flew him back to give him rest before the Ashes series. That time too the one-day series was equal and the fi-nal game was the decider. Clearly, the Australians don’t seem to attach too much importance to con-tests against India except-ing for the financial pluses that they get from it.

India of course can only play the eleven that is put against them and with six changes in the Austral-ian team they knew that it would be an unsettled team.

That’s how it turned out as Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma took their attack apart and laid open the door for Kohli to con-tinue punching them. The Australian bowlers had not much experience and with the Melbourne pitch play-ing true the ball was going everywhere off the bat.

The Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli combination is a heady one for there is virtually a shot a ball and to both sides of the ground.

While not exactly like watching tennis where the neck swivels from one side of the court to the other, when the duo are batting the feeling is pretty similar for the spectators.

As has happened a few times in the past when these two are batting and because of their eager-ness to get to the batting end there is a chance of a runout and that’s what happened in Melbourne to get rid of Sharma.

The way Kohli is batting on this trip it’s more like net practice against the Austral-ian bowlers rather than an international.

The intensity and fierce desire to do well every time is heartening and the good thing is that it is spilling over to the rest of the team.

The Sydney pitch gener-ally is better for the spinners where the ball grips and turns so Ashwin and Jadeja should be in their elements and that doesn’t augur too well for the Australians. - PMG

Sydney pitch generally is better for the spinners, that doesn’t augur too well for the Australians

COMMENTARY

The way Kohli is

batting on this trip it’s

more like net practice

against the Australian

bowlers rather than

an international. The

intensity and fierce

desire to do well every

time is heartening and

the good thing is that

it is spilling over to the

rest of the team

India to aim for Aussie whitewash in Sydney

SYDNEY: The series already in their pocket, India would aim for a clean sweep against the hosts and end the tour of Australia on a high when the two teams clash in the third and final Twenty20 interna-tional here on Sunday.

India had lost the One-day In-ternational (ODI) series 1-4 but bounced back in style to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20 series with comprehensive wins in Adelaide and Melbourne.

It was at the Sydney Cricket Ground that the Men in Blue scripted their turnaround on this trip, with Manish Pandey playing a match-winning hand with his maiden ODI hundred.

Giving the youngsters a chance

has been the key feature of this tour for the Indian team, and the progress of the likes of Gurkeerat Mann, Rishi Dhawan and Barinder Sran will be a big positive as the team looks to build on for the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2019 ODI World Cup.

Keeping on with the same theme, in the present context of the T20I series and the upcoming World T20, the arrival of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya also bodes well for the team’s plans.

When the selectors will sit to

pick the World T20 squad, both Bumrah and Pandya will be in seri-ous contenders, having impressed one all with their performance.

Their presence in the eleven has allowed MS Dhoni a multitude of bowling options. Bumrah has only had the one off game in three, and that too largely due to the persis-tence of the skipper to not bowl spinners within the first six overs in the last match.

In the previous games, he has bowled well in the death too, a plus point for India in T20 cricket. Pan-

dya has bowled consistently at good speeds and his presence provides additional cover for the pacers.

This is where the roles played by Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina get amplified to a large extent. Post the Melbourne win, Dhoni dis-cussed in fine detail that even one over bowled by the part-timers — good or bad — takes a load off the bowling attack.

And when it increases to two overs like the ones bowled by Yu-vraj on Friday, it is just an added bonus in the scheme of things. - PTI

Giving the youngsters

a chance has been

the key feature of

this tour for the

Indian team, and the

progress of the likes

of Gurkeerat Mann,

Rishi Dhawan and

Barinder Sran will be

a big positive

SYDNEY: All-rounder Shane Watson will lead Australia in the third and final Twenty20 international against India on Sunday in the absence of Aaron Finch, who was ruled out after damaging his left hamstring during Friday’s second match in Melbourne.

Finch suffered the injury while batting during the team’s 27-run loss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which saw India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Khawaja inLeft-handed batsman Usman

Khawaja has replaced Finch in the squad for Sunday’s match and has also been included in Australia’s One-day Inter-national squad for the tour

of New Zealand. “It is an honour to be asked to lead the side on Sunday, although the circumstances are far from ideal,” Watson said in a Cricket Australia statement.

“We may have lost the series but there is a great deal to play for with the ICC World Twen-ty20 coming up and you can be sure we will be determined to do well in Sydney.”

The 34-year-old Watson has previously captained Australia in a lone Test and nine ODIs and is the country’s second most experienced player in T20 internationals behind opening batsman David Warner. - Reuters

Watson to lead Australia in final T20

Shane Watson

McCullum to play final ODI series pending fitnessWELLINGTON: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has been named to lead his country in his final One-day International (ODI) series against Australia next month, providing he can prove his fitness.

The 34-year-old is expected to play New Zealand’s third and final ODI against Pakistan in Auckland on Sunday, as he makes his way back from a back injury he sustained last month against Sri Lanka.

“I’ve had a good couple of hits (in the nets),” McCullum told re-porters in Auckland on Saturday. “It’s probably not 100 per cent but there’s a bit of stiffness so hope-fully I’ll be fine for tomorrow.”

Tom Latham was named as cov-er for McCullum, who will retire after the second Test against Aus-tralia in Christchurch next month.

Top order batsman Ross Taylor (side) and bowlers Tim Southee (foot) and Mitchell McClenaghan

(eye) were not considered for the three-match one day series against Australia that starts next Wednes-day due to injury.

“This is a pinnacle event for us and we will look to get our best side out on the park each time we play,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said on Saturday.

“We’ve been lucky enough to use a big squad over the summer and although were missing a few key players, we have guys who can step

in and we know are up to the task.”Australia would be without

coach Darren Lehmann for the one-day series as he recovers from deep vein thrombosis that has re-stricted his travel.

The team: Brendon McCullum (cap-tain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham*, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ron-chi, Mitchell Santner, Kane Williamson (* injury cover). - Reuters

CR I CKET

Iraq edge Qatar

for final Olympic

berth in Asia

DOHA: Iraq booked a spot at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olym-pics after edging hosts Qatar for third place at the Asian Foot-ball Confederation’s under-23 championships with a 2-1 extra time win.

The Qatari side, featuring many players expected to rep-resent the tiny gulf state at their home 2022 World Cup, looked set to secure the Olympic berth when they led 1-0 but Muhanad Abdulraheem equalised for the Iraqis in the 86th minute.

Substitute Aymen Hus-sein then sealed victory with a header four minutes into the second period of extra-time to send Iraq back to the Olympics for the first time since losing the bronze medal match to Italy at the Athens Games in 2004.

“This victory really is the fruit of the great work of the Olympic committee in Iraq since we started our prepara-tion,” said Iraq assistant coach Hayder Najem. - Reuters

FOOTBALL

C3

SPORTSS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

MRR announces official Muscat Marathon results

MUSCAT: Omani runners Sami Al Saidi (overall winner) and Ahmed Al Salti (Half-Marathon winner) hogged the limelight at the fifth edition of Muscat Mara-thon organised by Muscat Road Runners (MRR) on Friday.

Below is the official list of top finishers in various categories of Muscat Marathon:

Full Marathon:Women’s Top 10: 1. Asta Parker (Ice-land) 3:16:06; 2. Charlotte Plouvier (Great Britain) 3:54:51; 3. Helen Graham (Great Britain) 3:56:01; 4. Dana Richter (Germa-ny) 4:06:49; 5. Tracy Day (Great Britain) 4:06:58; 6. Amanda Gordon (USA) 4:13:12; 7. Fuensanta Turpin (Spain) 4:17:25; 8. Joanna Charters (Great Britain) 4:23:17; 9. Marian Morris (USA) 4:32:22; 10. Jane Hodgson (Canada) 4:37:59.Men’s Top 10: 1. Sami Al Saidi (Oman) 2:50:20; 2. Luke Peel (Australia) 2:51:23; 3. Paul Faulkner (Great Britain) 2:52:21; 4. Joern Rohland (Germany) 2:59:21; 5. Olle Ax (Sweden) 3:15:28; 6. Gary Cum-mings (South Africa) 3:16:35; 7. Laurent Berthouloux (France) 3:17:37; 8. Nasser Alriyami (Oman) 3:30:00; 9. Andreas Zimmerschied (Germany) 3:30:24; 10. Christian Jobst (German) 3:33:23.Half Marathon:Women’s Top 10: 1. Ruth Woodfine (Great Britain) 1:36:09; 2. Birgit Schulz (Germany) 1:37:00; 3. Irene Ng’eno (Ken-ya) 1:43:08; 4. Wendy Ulrich (USA) 1:44:11; 5. Sally Hart (Great Britain) 1:47:52; 6. Marcela Orsagova (Czech Republic) 1:48:16; 7. Olivia Clark (New Zealand) 1:48:16; 8. Amy O’Donnell (Great Britain) 1:50:11; 9. Rachael Leibel (Canada) 1:50:46; 10. Lorraine Siva (Great Britain) 1:54:28.Men’s Top 10: 1. Ahmed Al Salti (Oman) 1:21:04; 2. Nick Conlan (Ireland) 1:21:10; 3. Yousif Alzabi (Oman) 1:21:31; 4. Rashid Almuqbali (Oman) 1:24:04; 5. Suleiman Al Alawi (Oman) 1:30:53; 6. Nino Garcia

(France) 1:30:56; 7. Karl Street (Great Britain) 1:31:39; 8. Mohammed Albimani (Oman) 1:33:28; 9. Brenton Clark (Aus-tralia) 1:33:40; 10. Aaron Heather (New Zealand) 1:35:53.10.3k:Women’s Top 10: 1. Joanna Williams (Great Britain) 00:46:35; 2. Karol Corrales (Venezuela) 00:51:01; 3. Hayley Loomes (Great Britain) 00:52:10; 4. Monica Burke (Canada) 00:53:00; 5. Ruth Wilford (USA) 00:53:08; 6. Lauren Rasmussen (Great Britain) 00:54:29; 7. Emma Grossback (USA) 00:54:30; 8. Marion James (Great Britain) 00:55:02; 9. Jill Salway (Great Britain) 00:55:08; 10. Ann Margaret Pamela Mocke (Russia) 00:55:09.Men’s Top 10: 1. Paul Drury (Great Brit-ain) 00:40:40; 2. Kavin Maharaj (Aus-tralia) 00:41:13; 3. Jose Luis Linde (Spain) 00:42:05; 4. Stephen Griffiths (Great Britain) 00:43:43; 5. Yousuf Mohammed Abdullah Al Gheilani (Oman) 00:44:34; 6. Johannes Josephus VIS (New Zea-land) 00:44:36; 7. Younes Hajji (Morocco) 00:45:17; 8. Michele Sganga (Italy) 00:45:20; 9. Ian Burch (Great Britain) 00:45:57; 10. Rory Kolster (Great Britain) 00:46:07.

Junior 10k:Women’s Top 10: 1. Emma Grossback (USA) 00:54:30; 2. Delilah Pery (Great Britain) 00:59:13; 3. Syrine Khlif (Tunisia) 01:02:09; 4. Amelie Le Dantec (France) 1:02:33; 5. Alice Le Dantec (France) 01:05:25; 6. Marya Tabbara (Lebanon) 1:06:30; 7. Oceane Slim (Lebanon) 01:06:30; 8. Prune Routier Berthier (France) 01:07:19; 9. Kathryn Palmer (USA) 01:08:29; 10. Lucy Salt (Great Britain) 01:08:58. Men’s (Only 8 started the event): 1. Kavin Maharaj (Australia) 00:41:13; 2. Rory Kolster (Great Britain) 00:46:07; 3. Maheem Baig (France) 1:02:09; 4. Zaid Munaf Karimi (India) 01:03:35; 5. Edward Ridd (Great Britain) 1:06:25; 6. Joshua Lee (Canada) 1:37:23; 7. Ted Membre (France) 1:56:47; 8. Yassine Khlif (Tunisia) 1:56:47.

A T H L E T I C S

Favourite Djokovic expects fierce battle with Murray

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic is expecting a fierce battle with an old friend and familiar protago-nist when he makes a bid for his-tory in the Australian Open final against Andy Murray on Sunday.

Born a week apart 28 years ago, Djokovic and Murray have con-tested three previous finals at the Melbourne Park with the Serbian emerging triumphant on each oc-casion. The world No. 1 is a strong favourite to prevail once again on Sunday and equal Roy Emerson’s

record of six Australian Open titles.“I’m expecting a battle with

Andy, as it always is,” he said.“Very physically demanding

match. Lots of rallies, exchanges. It’s no secret we know how we play against each other. It’s two games that are very much alike, so it’s basically who’s going to out-play who from the baseline.”

Djokovic said he thought how both players’ serve held up would be an important factor but so would be how they handled the

“emotions of the greatness of that occasion of playing for the grand slam title”.

That has been an area of clear advantage for the Serbian in their three previous meetings in Aus-tralian Open finals and he has also had a hex over Murray in 10 of their last 11 meetings.

World No. 2 Murray also lost to Roger Federer in the 2010 final and is looking to become the first man to lose four finals at a Grand Slam before finally winning the title.

The Scot had to come through a four-hour, five-setter against Mi-los Raonic on Friday but the extra day’s rest that Djokovic enjoyed after his semifinal against Federer has not been a winning advantage in five of the last eight finals. Mur-ray knows that statistics such as which finalist played their last four match first is unlikely to have too much bearing on a contest be-tween two supremely fit athletes.

“I have a very good shot on Sun-day if I play my best tennis. I need to do it for long enough to have a

chance. I’m aware of that,” he said.“I don’t think many people are

expecting me to win on Sunday. I have to just believe in myself, have a solid game plan, and hopefully execute it and play well.

“It’s one tennis match. Doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past really. It’s about what hap-pens on Sunday. There’s no reason it’s not possible for me to win.”

Tournament organisers will be hoping Murray’s wife Kim does not go into labour with the couple’s first child overnight, a scenario that Murray has said would result in him jumping on a plane back to Britain. That would give Djokovic his sixth title by default but the 10-time Grand Slam champion would clearly prefer to earn it.

“It’s a possibility for me to make history, which is of course another great imperative for me for tomor-row’s match,” he said.

“These are the kind of matches that you work for. These are the kind of occasions that define you as a tennis player.” - Reuters

Djokovic and Murray have contested three

previous finals at the Melbourne Park

with the Serbian emerging triumphant on

each occasion. The world No. 1 is a strong

favourite to prevail once again on Sunday

Yuvraj, Ishant, Pietersen among eight marquee players as 351 go for auctionNEW DELHI: Yuvraj Singh, Is-hant Sharma and Kevin Pietersen will be among the eight marquee players up for grabs at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 Player Auction scheduled to take place in Bengaluru on February 6.

As many as 351 cricketers will go under the hammer, out of which 230 will be Indians and 131 foreigners. Interestingly, there are 29 Australians amongst 130 capped players in the auction list, three more than the number of capped Indians.

The capped players from other countries taking part in the auc-tion come from South Africa (18 players), West Indies (20), Sri Lanka (16), England (7), New Zealand (9) and Bangladesh (5), besides the associate nations of Canada (2) and Ireland (2).

A total of 219 uncapped players will feature in the auction with 204 of them being Indians playing on the domestic circuit.

Yuvraj and Ishant are the two Indian marquee players and it re-mains to be seen how they fare in

the auction after being released by their respective teams.

Yuvraj has been released by his franchise, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore, for the last two seasons after attract-ing the highest bid in the previ-ous auctions while Sunrisers Hyderabad let go of Ishant after he had a forgettable last edition where he picked up one wicket in four games.

The remaining six marquee players are Shane Watson, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn, Dwayne Smith,

Martin Guptill and Pietersen.Looking ahead to the auction,

IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla said: “The player auction will kick-start the countdown to the ninth season of one of the most popular sporting events in the world.

“The franchises have returned to the drawing board, reworked plans and devised new strategies, over the last few months.”

“They will have the opportu-nity to bid for some of the biggest names in the game,” the IPL chief added. - PTI

I P L

FAMILIAR FOES: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic talks with his coach Boris Becker during a practice session on the eve of his final match

against Britain’s Andy Murray at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday. Britain’s Andy Murray hits a shot as his coach

Amelie Mauresmo watches during his practice session at Melbourne Park. – Reuters

C4

SPORTSS U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

Sinha CT, Renaissance winMUSCAT: Sinha CT recorded OCT Muscat by five wickets in a Muscat Pharmacy and Stores-sponsored Premier Division crick-et match at the Ministry of Sports Affairs ground during the morning session on Friday.

Batting first, OCT Muscat CT were bowled out for 137 in 35.2 overs. Samir Mohammed top scored with 41 rruns. Ishara and Nalinda claimed three wickets each for Sinha.

In reply, Sinha raced to victory in 21.5 overs, scoring 139 runs for the loss of five wickets. Dhammika and Chaminda scored 54 and 43 runs respectively. Mohammed Aslam claimed three wickets for OCT Muscat.

Brief scores: OCT Muscat 137 in 35.2 overs (Samir Mohammed 41; Nalinda 3/12) lost to Sinha CT 139 for 5 in 21.5 overs (Dhammika 54; Moham-med Aslam 3/19). Points: Sinha CT - 3, OCT Muscat – 0.

Galfar beatenIn an Khimji Ramdas-sponsored A division match, Renaissance defeated Galfar by 141 runs at the Municipality Ground I during the morning session on Friday.

Batting first, Renaissance piled up 282 for seven in 30 overs with Jahanzeb top scoring with 116. Rizwan claimed three wickets for Galfar. In reply, Galfar were re-stricted 141 in 27.1 overs. Asmeer, Deepak and Faisal claimed two wickets apiece.

Brief scors: Renaissance 282 for 7 in 30 overs (Jahanzeb 116; Ri-zwan 3/39) bt Galfar 141 in 27.1 overs. (Faisal 2/21). Points: Renaissance – 3, Galfar – 0.

EY down Al Mardhuf In a Muscat Poly Products-spon-

sored C Division match, EY de-feated Al Mardhuf by eight runs at the Municipality Ground I during the afternoon session on Friday.

Batting first, EY put on 188 for eight in 20 overs. Omar Sarfaraz top scored with 64 runs. Tejas claimed three wickets for Mard-huf. In reply, Mardhuf scored 180 for nine in 20 overs. Vishal top scored with 42.

Brief scores: EY 188 for 8 in 20 overs (Omar Sarafaraz 64; Tejas 3/31) bt Mardhuf 180 for 9 in 20 overs (Vishal 42). Points: EY – 2, Al Mardhuf - 0.

O M A N C R I C K E T

RENNAISANCE’S STARS: Asmeer Mohammed and Jahanzeb.

Suarez hits winner as Barcelona sink nine-man AtleticoBARCELONA: Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored the goals as Barcelona came from behind to beat nine-man Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the Nou Camp on Saturday in a top-of-the-table clash that sent them three points clear in La Liga.

Atletico went ahead in the 10th minute through Koke but Messi equalised for Barca following a fine team move on the half hour.

Suarez struck his 31st goal in as many games after 38 minutes and a wild challenge from Filipe Luis on Messi earned the Atletico de-fender a red card before halftime.

Diego Godin was also sent off af-ter receiving a second yellow card for a mistimed tackle on Suarez midway through the second half.

Barcelona moved on to 51 points, three ahead of Atletico, and have a game in hand. Third-placed Real Madrid have 44 points and face Espanyol on Sunday.

“We knew it would be a diffi-cult game and we are happy with three points against a direct op-ponent,” keeper Claudio Bravo told reporters. “There is still a long way to go in the champion-ship. We are going well at the mo-ment in all the tournaments and it is good to get a win even though we were not at our best.”

Atletico coach Diego Sime-one opted to play five in midfield with Antoine Griezmann the lone striker. It meant they were able to outnumber Barcelona in the mid-dle of the pitch early on and they threatened immediately with Bravo stretching to block a Saul

Niguez strike. Koke was then giv-en space to stroke the ball home in the centre of the area from a Saul cross.

Gradually Barca began to im-pose themselves, with Suarez having a shot blocked by keeper Jan Oblak after a good passing move and they again probed the defence before Jordi Alba picked out Messi for the equaliser.

Atletico were sloppy defen-sively as Suarez latched onto a simple ball over the top by Alves and beat Oblak too easily from a tight angle.

The visitors’ chance of a come-back were hit by a knee high studs up challenge by Filipe Luis on Messi that saw him dismissed.

Still Atletico pushed forward af-ter the break and Griezmann was unlucky with a shot that came back off Bravo, who knew little about it, before heads began to drop after Godin’s dismissal. - Reuters

L A L I G A

Barcelona moved on to

51 points, three ahead

of Atletico, and have a

game in hand. Third-

placed Real Madrid

have 44 points

Arsenal march on, City thrash struggling Villa

LONDON: Third tier Peterbor-ough United produced the perfor-mance of the FA Cup fourth round when they twice came from be-hind in the dying minutes to earn a 2-2 draw at Premier League West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

On a day when the big guns largely extinguished the hopes of the dreaming underdogs, the League One side proved indomita-ble after Saido Berahino had twice put Albion ahead.

Peterborough’s heroes were Shaquile Coulthirst, who first equalised in the 79th minute, and Jon Taylor, who answered Bera-

hino’s second goal with just four minutes left to earn his side a lucrative replay at their London Road home.

Portsmouth, a club who have fallen on hard times in the fourth tier of the English game, briefly sniffed a sensation before Premier League Bournemouth battled from behind to win 2-1 thanks to an 83rd minute Marc Pugh winner.

Arsenal maintained their push towards winning the Cup for a third successive year as Alexis Sanchez,

back in the starting line-up after injury, scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Championship side Burnley at the Emirates Stadium.

Some of the other favourites also earned a fifth-round tie with some comfort.

Manchester City piled further misery on struggling Aston Villa with a 4-0 win, adorned by a hat-trick from teenage prospect Kel-echi Iheanacho.

Oxford United, another fourth-tier side, could not repeat their

third round giant-killing of Pre-mier League Swansea City as they went down 3-0 at home to Cham-pionship Blackburn Rovers.

Chadli lifts Spurs Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur negotiated a potentially tricky FA Cup trip to lowly Colchester Unit-ed with relative ease, winning their fourth-round tie 4-1 thanks largely to a double from Nacer Chadli.

Colchester, bottom of the third tier League One, had been hoping to rekindle memories of one of the Cup’s most famous upsets when, as a fourth tier club in 1971, they beat mighty Leeds United.

Yet after their two centre halves, Alex Wynter and Tom Eastman, collided early in the game and had to be substituted, the underdogs were outclassed by a strong Spurs side in the first half when a fine Chadli shot put them ahead in the 27th minute.

Despite also having their wood-work struck twice, the spirited home side seemed to be getting a foothold until Eric Dier’s specula-tive 64th minute shot took a cruel looping deflection into the net.

Chadli headed home Kieran Trippier’s cross after 79 minutes before Colchester were finally rewarded for their efforts when Gavin Massey’s shot hit the post and the ball rebounded off the shins of Spurs defender Ben Davies and into the goal. Chadli rounded off his fine performance with a cross which enabled Tom Carroll to seal an emphatic triumph seven minutes from time. - Reuters

Arsenal maintained

their push towards

winning the Cup for a

third successive year

as Alexis Sanchez,

back in the starting

line-up after injury,

scored the winner

in a 2-1 victory over

Championship side

Burnley

WINNER: Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring their

second goal during their FA Cup fourth round match against Burn-

ley at Emirates Stadium on Saturday. – Reuters

OSA BOARD MEMBERS HOLD MEETINGThe Oman Swimming Association (OSA) board members held their first meeting for the

year under the chairmanship of OSA chief Taha bin Sulaiman Al Kishri on Thursday. The

meeting discussed a number of issues on the agenda and reviewed the reports submitted

from the OSA committees and approved the related decisions. The chairman praised the

Omani swimmers and the teams for their achievements during the last year, making a

special mention about the winning of the title at the 2nd GCC Beach Games in Doha from

September with four gold and two silver medals and the two bronze medals at the 2nd

GCC Games held in Dammam in October. — Supplied photo

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

HealthSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

Do you get up with a heavy head even after a whole night’s sleep? Do you feel sleepy and tired at work, even though you haven’t missed out on sleep the previous

night? Are you a loud snorer who often disturbs other family members? If yes, you could be suffering from sleep apnoea, a common sleep disorder, which could have fatal consequenc-es if not addressed in time.

Sleep apnoea is a potentially serious sleep disorder characterised by frequent breaks in breathing during sleep which can last from 5 -15 seconds and even go beyond 30 seconds for some. Most patients of sleep apnoea are loud snorers who also complain of feeling tired and sleepy during the day after a full night’s sleep.

The main types of sleep apnoea are ob-structive sleep apnoea (which occurs when throat muscles relax), central sleep apnoea (caused by improper signals sent by the brain to the muscles that control breath-ing), and complex sleep apnoea syndrome (a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnoea).

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is the most common condition  whereby the walls of the throat relax and constrict during sleep,  interrupting normal  breath-ing. There are two types of OSA – apnoea, where the muscles in the throat relax and block the airway for 10 seconds or more, and hypopnoea, partial blockage of the air-way for 10 seconds or more.

According to Dr Mohammed Al Abri, Senior Consultant in Sleep Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, and visiting consultant at Al Hayat Interna-tional Hospital, “according to the Ameri-can Academy of Sleep Medicine, there are more than 70 different types of sleep disorders, some of which are common and some of which are serious. Sleep dis-orders are basically of two types – sleep apnoea and insomnia. While a variety of causes govern insomnia (inability to sleep), sleep apnoea (disturbed breath-ing during sleep) is mainly caused due to obesity and is more common in men than in women.”

Dr Abri cautions that poor sleep hy-giene or bad sleep habits (sleeping late at night or at odd times during the day) can often cause cardio metabolic problems which can manifest as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, obesity, ischemic heart disease, and many other conditions. “In Oman, sleep apnoea is very common, as in any other country,” he said adding that a sizeable portion of the population suffers this disorder in silence and never seek medical help. All those who have a loud snoring problem and who suffer from tiredness during the day, despite sleep-ing at night, must surely get themselves checked for sleep apnoea,” he asserts.

Obesity can increase one’s chances of having sleep apnoea by ten times, Dr. Abri discloses adding that those with crani-

ofacial malformation, enlarged tonsils or small throats are also ideal subjects for sleep apnoea and any minor increase in weight can only worsen their condition. Alcohol consumption also increases an in-dividual’s chances of suffering from sleep apnoea, he adds.

Patients who visit a sleep clinic for a check up have to undergo an interview, followed by a sleep study whereby the patient is called to spend a night at the sleep clinic. There he is subject to neuro-recording and respiratory monitoring to determine how serious the problem is. During this study, a full-time technician who spends the whole night monitoring the patient records the patient’s sleep pattern and the frequencies of episodes of stopping breathing during sleep.

It is very important to get this condition treated as it will prevent the patient from getting other cardiac problems or diabe-tes at a later stage when he has to undergo more treatment as well as seriously alter his way of life, Dr. Abri said adding that there is a move to impress upon insurance agencies to include sleep medicine under medical insurance cover.

Lastly, he mentioned that sleep apnoea is now being listed as the second common cause for traffic accidents (after cell phone usage) because a lot of people suffering from this disease tend to dose off behind the wheel while driving.—lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Some people stop breathing for more than 10 seconds several times during sleep,

laying pressure on their hearts. And loud snoring is often an indicator of this disorder.

So if you are a snorer, it may be time for a check-up.

Story Hubert Vaz

Treatment OptionIf you have 5-15 episodes an hour of stopping of breathing for more than 10 seconds during sleep, the condi-tion can be treated by inculcating good sleep hygiene as well as tackling physi-cal problems that cause it. However, if one suffers from more than 30 epi-sodes then it can be considered a seri-ous condition and patients are asked to take up a treatment called CPAP (Con-tinuous Positive Airway Pressure), which is a device that blows air into the patient’s airways while he is sleep-ing. The patient has to wear this every night (for life) to eliminate snoring, as well as to feel refreshed during the day.

Sleep ClinicAl Hayat International Hospital, Al Ghubra, has a sleep clinic. For details: +968 2200 4000

SN

O R

NG

RI

RRR

R

RRRR

R

CAN

A SLEEP

DISORDER

INDICATE

FIND-IT-ALLC6 S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

Dhuhr 12.25pmAsr 3.35pmMaghrib 5.57pmIsha 7.10pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 5.30am

PRAYER TIMINGS

CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.netfacebook.com/citycinemaoman

SHATTIAlvin & the Chipmunks:The Road Chip (2D) (Animation ) (PG) Voice over: Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg.2:30, 4:30, 6:30 PMAmerican Hero (2D) (Action) (15+) Cast: Stephen Dorff, Eddie Griffin, Bill Billions2:45, 8:15, 11:45 PMRide Along 2 (2D) (Action) (15+) Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter11:30 PMStandoff (2D) (Thriller) (12+) Cast: Thomas Jane, Laurence Fishburne.5:00, 10:00, 11:30 PMConcussion (2D) (Biography) (12+) Cast: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks6:30, 8:45 PMSisters (2D) (Comedy) (18+) Cast: Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph4:45 PMOcean 14 (Arabic) (2D) (Drama) (15+) Cast: Amr Mostafa Metwally, Nermine Maher.7:00 PMAirlift (2D) (Drama) (12+) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur9:00 PM

MUSCAT GRAND MALLConcussion (Biography | Drama | Sport) 12+Cast : Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks3:00& 9:15PMGold Class - 08:45PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (Animation) PGVoice over : Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg.12:00, 1:45, 3:30 & 7:15PMGold Class - 5:15PMAmerican Hero (Action | Sci-Fi) 15+Cast : Stephen Dorff, Eddie Griffin, Bill Billions1:00, 9:30 &11:30PMGold Class - 3:30, 7:00 & 8:45PMBrooklyn (Drama) TBCCast : Saoirse Úna Ronan, Emory Isaac Cohen5:15PM

Ride Along 2 (Action | Comedy) 15+Cast : Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter7:30 &11:30PMThe Good Dinosaur-3D (Animation) U5:15PM

PANORAMA MALLALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS (MX4D)(PG)Cast : Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg, Josh GreenVoice over: Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg.3:00, 5:00, 6:45, 8:45, 10:30PMALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS (2D)(PG)2:30, 5:15PMCONCUSSION (Biography, Drama)( (2D)(12+)Cast: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks2:30, 7:00, 11:30 PMCONCUSSION (12+)-VIP LOUNGE6:30 PMEXPOSED (Drama)(2D)(12+)Cast: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves.5:00, 9:15 PMEXPOSED (Drama)(2D)(12+)-VIP LOUNGE11:00 PMAMERICAN HERO (Action, Comedy)(2D)(15+)Cast : Stephen Dorff, Eddie Griffin, Bill Billions4:30, 7:00, 11:45 PMAMERICAN HERO (2D)(15+)-VIP LOUNGE3:30, 9:00PMAIRLIFT (2D)(12+)

Cast : Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur2:45, 6:15, 8:45, 11:15 PMTHE REVENANT (Adventure, Drama)(2D)(12+)Cast : Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy8:45PM

AZAIBA Saala Khadoos – 2D (12+) Drama/ Sport Cast: R Madhavan, Nasser, Radha Ravi2:30, 4:45, 7:00, 9:20, 11:30 PMAirlift – 2D (PG12) Drama/ History/ ThrillerCast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur.2:45, 4:40, 6:55, 9:10, 11:30 PMStandoff – 2D (12+) ThrillerCast: Thomas Jane, Laurence Fishburne.3:15, 10:00, 11:45 PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip – 2D (PG) Animation Voice over: Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg. 2:45, 5:00 PMAmerican Hero – 2D (15+) Action| Comedy Cast: Stephen Dorff, Eddie Griffin, Bill Billions5:15, 11:45 PM2 Countries (Malaylam) – 2D (PG12) ComedyCast: Dilip, Mamta Mohandas, 7:00 PMAranmanai 2 (Tamil) – 2D (15+) Horror Cast: Sidharth, Trisha Krishnan. 6:45, 9:15 PM

RUWIScreen 1Airlift (Action / Thriller) –12+Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur3.30, 9.30 PMSaala Khadoos (Drama / Sports) –12+Cast: R.Madhavan, Nasser, Radha Ravi6.30 PMScreen 2Saala Khadoos (Drama / Sports) –12+Cast: R.Madhavan, Nasser, Radha Ravi4.00, 9.45 PMAirlift (Action / Thriller) –12+Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur6.45 PMScreen 3Wazir (Action / Thriller) – PG12Cast: Amitabh Bacchan, Farhan Akhtar3.45, 9.45 PMAranmanai 2 (Tamil) (Horror | Comedy) – 15+Cast :Sidharth, Trisha Krishnan6.45 PM

SURAmerican Hero ( Action) (15+) CP#Cast: Stephen Dorff, Eddie Griffin, Bill Billions.9.55, 11.35PMAirlift - (Hindi)( Drama ) ( 12+ ) CP#

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur,7.40PMAranmanai 2 (Tamil) (Horror) (15+) CP #Cast: Sidharth, Trisha Krishnan7.40PMStandoff (Action | Thriller) ( 12+) CP#Cast : Laurence Fishburne, Thomas Jane10.05, 4.30, 6.10, 11.40PMAlvin and the Chipmonk (Animation | Adventure |Comedy) ( PG) CP#Voice over : Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg.4.30, 6.00PM

SOHARThe Fifth Wave - 2D (PG12) Adventure Cast : Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson4:30, 11:30 PMAirlift - 2D (12+) Drama | History | ThrillerCast : Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur8:45, 11:15 PM2 Countries- 2D (M) (PG) ComedyCast : Dilip, Mamta Mohandas6:45 PMAmerican Hero - 2D (15+) Action | Sci-FiCast : Stephen Dorff, Eddie Griffin, Bill Billions3:00, 7:00, 11:45 PMStandoff - 2D (12+) Thriller Cast : Thomas Jane, Laurence Fishburne2:45, 5:15, 9:45, 11:30 PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip - 2D (PG) AnimationVoice over : Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg.3:00, 5:00PMSisters - 2D (18+) ComedyCast : Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph5:00 PMSaala Khadoos - 2D (12+) Drama/ Sport Cast : R Madhavan, Nasser, Radha Ravi7:00 PMConcussion - 2D (12+) Biography | Drama Cast : Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks2:45, 9:25 PMOcean 14 - 2D (Arb) (15+) DramaCast : Amr Mostafa Metwally, Nermine Maher6:45 PMAranmanai 2- 2D (T) (15+) Horror | ComedyCast : Sidharth, Trisha Krishnan8:45 PM

BURAIMIStandoff – 2D (Thriller) (12+)Cast: Thomas Jane, Laurence Fishburne5:00, 7:00, 11:30PMExposed– 2D (Drama) (12+)Cast: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves

3:45, 7:30PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip – 2D (Animation) (PG)Voice over: Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg.3:15, 5:45, 8:45PM

American Hero – 2D (Action/Sci-Fi) (15+)

Cast: Stephen Dorff, Eddie Griffin, Bill Billions

3:15, 7:15, 9:30, 11:30PM

Airlift – 2D (Drama, History, Thriller) (12+)

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur

5:00, 9:00, 11:15PM

Aranmanai 2– 2D (Horror/Comedy) (15+)

Cast: Sidharth, Trisha Krishnan.

8:45PM

SALALAH

Standoff (2D) (12+) (Thriller)

Cast: Thomas Jane, Laurence Fishburne

2:00, 7:00, 11:45PM

American Hero (2D) (15+) (Action | Sci-Fi)

Cast: Stephen Dorff, Eddie Griffin, Bill Billions

11:15AM,3:45,7:30,11:55PM

Ride Along 2 (2D) (15+) (Action | Comedy)

Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter

5:30PM

Exposed (2D) (12+) (Drama)

Cast: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves

12:45, 4:50PM

Sisters (2D) (18+) (Comedy)

Cast: Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph

11:45AM, 2:40PM

Concussion (2D) (12+) (Biography)

Cast: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks

2:45, 9:15PM

Airlift (2D) (12+) (Drama, History, Thriller)

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur

8:45, 11:15PM

2 Countries (2D) (PG12) (Malayalam)

Cast: Dileep, Mamta Mohandas

8:40PM

Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

(2D) (PG) ( Animation | Adventure | Comedy)

Voice over:Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg.

11:00AM,1:00,5:15PM

Ocean 14 (2D) (TBC) (Arabic )(Drama)

Cast: Amr Mostafa Metwally, Nermine Maher.

6:45PM

CINEMA SCHEDULE CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

ROYAL OMAN POLICE

Emergencies and inquiries: 9999

General Directorate of

Passport and Residence 24569603

Directorate General

of Customs 24521109

Traffic violations inquiries 24510228

Public Relations Admin 24560099

EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Afghanistan 24698 791/4

Algeria 24605 593

Bahrain 24 605 074/133

Bangladesh 24 698 660

Brazil 24640100

Brunei 24 603533

China 24 696782

Cyprus 24 699815

Egypt 24 600 982/411

France 24681 800

Germany 24835000

India 24684500

Indonesia 2469 1050

Iran 24 696 944/7

Iraq 24603642

Italy 24693727

Japan 24 601 028

Jordan 24692760/1/3

Kazakhstan 24 692418

Kenya 24 697664

South Korea 24 691490

Kuwait 24 699628

Lebanon 24 693208

Libya 24603466

Malaysia 24698329/643

Morocco 24696152/3

Nepal 24696177

Netherlands 24603706

Pakistan 24603439

Palestine 24601312

Philippines 24605335

Qatar 24 691 153/2/4

Russia 24602894

Saudi Arabia 24601705

Senegal 24694139

Somalia 24697977

South Africa 24647300

Spain 24691101

Sri Lanka 24697841/2

Sudan 24697875

Switzerland 24603267

Syria 24697904

Tanzania 24601 174

Thailand 24 602684/5

Tunisia 24603486

Turkey 24697050/1/2

UAE 24400000

United Kingdom 24609000

United States 24643400

Yemen 24600815

PHARMACIES

Round the clock

Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24782666

Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi 24702542

Salalah 23291635;

Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra 24503585

Muscat Region

Apollo, Al Hamriya 24787766

Muscat, A Seeb Market 24421691

Muscat, Al Khuwair 24485740

Muscat, Al Hail South 24537080

Dhofar Region

Muscat, Al Nahdha Road,

Salalah 23291635

HOSPITALS

Al Amal Medical & Health Care

Centre 24485052

Atlas Hospital

Ruwi 24811743/

Ghubra 24504000

Al Musafir Specialised

Medical Clinic 24706453

Hatat Polyclinic LLC,

Ruwi 24563641

Azaiba 24499269

Sohar 2683006

Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2

Al Massaraat Clinic &

Laboratory 24566435

Al Makook Medical

Coordinance Centre 24499434

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

Capital Polyclinic 24707549

Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic,

Ruwi 24799760/1/2

Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740

Ceregem National Raak 24485633

Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217

Elixir Health Centre 24565802

Emirates Medical Centre 24604540

1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274

Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340

International Medical

Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5

Kims Oman Hospital 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency 24760123

Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128

MBD 24799077

Al Khuwair 24478818

Magrabi Eye and

Ear Hospital 24568870

Muscat Private Hospital 24583600

Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment

Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666

Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000

AIRLINE OFFICES

Muscat Airport Flight information

(24 hours) 24519456/24519223

Aeroflot 24704455

Air Arabia 24700828

Air France 24562153

Air India 24799801

Air New Zealand 24700732

Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128

British Airways 24568777

Cathay Pacific 24789818

Egypt Air 24794113

Emirates Air 24404400

Ethiopian Airlines 24660313

Gulf Air 80072424

Indian 24791914

Iran Air 24787423

Japan Airlines 24704455

Jazeera Airways 23294848

Jet Airways 24787248

Kenya Airways 24660300

KML Royal Dutch Airlines 24566737

Kuwait Airways 24701262

LOT Polish Airlines 24796387

Lufthansa 24796692

Malaysian Airlines 24560796

Middle East Airlines 24796680

Oman Air 24531111

Pakistan International

Airlines 24792471

Qatar Airways 24771900

Qantas 24559941

Royal Jordanian 24796693

Saudi Arabian Airlines 24789485

Singapore Airlines 24791233

Shaheen Air 24816565

SriLankan Airlines 24784545

Swiss International

Airlines 24796692

Thai Airways 24705934

LISTINGS

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily

15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily

15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily

06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily

08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily

13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily

16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily

16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily

14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily

08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily

14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62)

06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily

06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily

10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily

10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily

19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily

06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily

13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur

13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur

15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily

15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily

07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily

07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily

05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily

05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily

07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily

13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily

13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily

17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily

06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily

15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily

14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily

12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily

10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily

10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily

19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily

07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri

13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri

15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily

15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily

16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily

16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

@SALALAH @RUWI

American Hero (2D) (15+) (Action | Sci-Fi) Cast: Stephen Dorff, Eddie Griffin, Bill Billions11:15AM,3:45,7:30,11:55PM

@AZAIBA

Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip – 2D (PG) Animation Voice over: Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg.2:45, 5:00 PM

Screen 1Saala Khadoos (Drama / Sports) –12+Cast: R.Madhavan, Nasser, Radha Ravi6.30 PM

BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

Standoff: (Thriller)cast:: Thomas Jane, Laurence Fishburne4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 PM CP No: 138 (12+)Exposed: (Drama)Cast: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves4.00., 10.00. & 11.55 PM CP NO: 139 (12+)Sisters: (Comedy)Cast : Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph2.00. & 6.00 PM. CP NO: 137 (18+)Ocean 14: (Arabic / Comedy)Cast : Omar Mustafa Metwally, Nirmen Maher2.00. & 6.00 PMCP NO: 140 (15+)Ride Along 2: (Action / Comedy)Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter 8.00 PM CP NO: 112 (15+)

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776Website: www.isurf.co.om

2 Countries( Mal) ( Drama/Comedy)

Cast : Dileep & Mamta Mohandas

3:30, 6:30 & 9:30PM Cinema Main

Irudhi Suttru ( Tamil) (Sports/Drama)

Cast: R.Madhavan, Ritika Singh & Nassar

3:30, 6:30 & 9:30PM Cinema - 2

Aranmanai 2 (Tamil) (Horror/Comedy)

Cast: Sidarth, Trisha & Hansika Motwani

3:45, 6:45 & 9:45PM Cinema -3 Airlift ( Hindi) ( Act/Thriller)

Cast : Akshay Kumar & Nimrat Kaur

6:45 & 9:45PM Cinema- 4

Soggade Chinninayana ( Telugu) ( Drama/

Comedy) Cast : Nagarjuna & Ramya Krishna

3:45PM Cinema -4

NEXT CHANGE: ADI KAPYARE ( Mal) GHAYAL ONCE

AGAIN ( HINDI), BANGALORE NAATKAL

(TAMIL)

Programmes are subject to change

WEATHER

220

Maximum

160

Minimum

TEMPERATURE

65-85%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and

parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to

extra@timesofoman.com

JOBIN ANTONYJanuary 31, 2007

JOSHU AJU ABRAHAMJanuary 31, 2007

WITH LOVE

GAURI K. JAYANJanuary 31, 2008

LIFESTYLEC7S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

ASK DR. GERRY

F A M I L Y A D V I C E

Dr Gerry D’Costa has an MD in psychiatry and a special interest in the areas of anxiety, depression, addiction, and children’s psychiatry. He has practiced as a specialised psychiatristat Badr Al Samaa hospital in Ruwi for the last 9 years.Dr D’Costa offers advice and professional insights to the readers of Times of Oman. Send your questions to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

He is Obnoxiously LoudDear Dr GerryI have been married for 10 years and love my husband very much. How-ever, I cannot tolerate his habit of speaking loudly in public places, often checking me in front of strangers. I feel very embarrassed but he does not care. I have told him that I do not like this behaviour but he keeps doing it naturally. Sometimes I feel like crying when I get back home. What should I do to make him understand that he should stop behaving like this?DL

Dear DL,This is a real problem and I guess after 10 years, you’re really tired of his behaviour. You have told him this but he seems to be continuing with his behaviour. Where do we go from here? I would suggest first talk to him again and tell him if he doesn’t control his behaviour you’re going to start doing the same thing. It’s important to explain that you don’t want to do anything negative but his behaviour is really hurting. If he gets the message and he’s trying to change, then thank him and encourage him. If he’s being insensitive and refusing to get the message then perhaps it’s time to show him how embarrassing it is. Correct him loudly in front of others till he understands the trauma. I’m sure he will get the hint and realise that the time to change has come. Remember talk to him first so he understands what you’re trying to do. Dr. G

Our wardrobes aren’t the only things that change when the weather turns chilly. Our bodies are often

affected not only by the outdoor changes, but inside changes as well. The body part that receives most of the brunt from winter weather is our eyes.

Between the winter winds and the dry heat radiating inside, our eyes can suddenly feel irritated and scratchy this time of the year. In fact, exposure to these atmospheres can cause moisture to evaporate inside our eyes. As a result, our tear glands cannot adequately produce the fluid needed to maintain the eyes’ protective, liquid coating. The result is itchy, dry eyes that can cause pain, blurred vision, a burning sensation or even watery vision as our eyes try to compensate for the dryness. While it is difficult to avoid dry eyes altogether during the winter months, there are several steps that you can take to ensure your eyes stay soothed this season.

During the winter months, a home’s humidity level can easily dip. Offset this dry air by using a humidifier in your home. An alternative is leaving off the exhaust in your bathroom while you shower. Also, refrain from using a ceiling fan while sleeping at night, as drafts can also exac-erbate symptoms.

Even mild dehydration can negatively affect how dry your eyes feel, as cold temperatures can dampen the body’s thirst mecha-nism and artificial heat hastens tear evaporation. Keep eyes hy-drated by sipping water through-out the day. Also, increase your intake of fluid-rich foods like soup, fruits, and veggies. Adding a cup of hot tea or water with lemon can

not only keep you cosy on a chilly day, but ensure proper hydration as well.

Many clinical studies show omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered essential fatty acids, may protect adult eyes from dry eye syndrome. Omega-3s sup-port healthy tear production and keep eyes moisturised. In addi-tion to omega-3s, other ingre-dients like Vitamin A, D3, green

tea and evening primrose oil can significantly accelerate the time it takes to feel relief.

In cold conditions, many complain their eyes water more than normal. Typically the symptoms of watery eye are ex-cessive tearing, which is made worse by being outdoors. Wear-ing spectacles will provide pro-tection against the wind, even if you don’t usually wear them

outdoors. In some cases, exces-sive watering of the eyes may be a sign of a blockage of tear ducts or infection of the eye.

If you are concerned about the health of your eyes — whether tear production is suboptimal or you suf-fer from watery eyes, visit your optometrist. Your eye care profes-sional will be able to advise you on the best course of action.— brandpointcontent.com

Embrace ageing with love for super health

OLDER adults with nega-tive attitudes towards ageing had slower walking speed and worse cognitive abili-ties as compared to their peers with more positive attitudes towards ageing, reveals a study.

Negative attitudes to age-ing affect both physical and cognitive health in later years, whereas a positive attitude towards ageing im-proves cognitive ability, the findings showed. “The way we think, talk, and write about ageing may have di-rect effects on health. Eve-ryone will grow older and if negative attitudes towards ageing are carried through-out life they can have a detri-mental, measurable effect on mental, physical and cognitive health,” said Deirdre Robert-son, researcher from the Trin-ity College in Dublin, Ireland. Researchers, policy makers, media and society more gen-erally need to work together to develop and implement societal-wide interventions. -IANS

B R I E F

WA R R I O R 3The Warrior 3 yoga pose (Virabhadrasana 3) helps strengthen your core muscles and sculpt the legs— calf, quad, hamstring, besides challenging one’s balance. Stand with your feet together, lift up your left leg backwards, putting your body weight onto the right leg. Drop your head forward so as to form a straight line from head to toe with your arms at your sides, as if attempting to fly. Make sure the left thigh, hip, and toes are aligned. Hold for 5 counts, then return to standing position and repeat with right leg.

Dry Eyes During Winter

Warrior 3 RecordDr Ashish Mehta, from Ujjain

(Madhya Pradesh – India) held this pose for two minutes, 34 seconds in

July 2014, to create a new record.

s

e W

D(Mapose

Jul

M O V E O F T H E W E E K

A 60 minute yoga session can burn

between

100-200 calories, depending on the

person and the practice. Deepening of warrior poses, yoga squats, and chair poses can help increase the calorie

expenditure.

( V I R A B H A D R A S A N A 3 )

LIFESTYLEC8 S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

Carbohydrates – The Body’s FuelNutrition FactsCarbohydrates provide energy and are the body’s main source of fuel needed for physical activity, brain function, and operation of the organs. All cells and tissues in the body need carbs while they are also important for intestinal health. The best carbohydrate foods are unprocessed whole foods, like fresh fruit or fruit juice, wholegrains, foods made with whole grains, and many vegetables. Here are few key facts about carbs.

The four primary functions of carbohydrates are to provide the body with energy, store energy, build macromolecules, and keep spare protein and fat for other uses.

The digestive system converts carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar), some of which is used for energy and the rest stored in the liver and muscles for later use.

There are two types of carbohydrates – simple and complex. Simple carbo-hydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, and milk, while complex carbohydrates come from wholegrain breads and cereals, starchy vegetables, and legumes.

Carbohydrates provide fuel for muscular exercise. Since fats and proteins can be used by converting them into carbohydrates, one’s diet must primarily com-prise of carbohydrates not proteins or fats.

Cutting carbs from diet does cut calories but it also cuts out the vitamins, min-erals, antioxidants, and fibre content from those foods. Hence, don’t cut out carbs, rather eat a balanced diet and stick to an overall suitable calorie level.

Carbohydrates carry four calories per gram. 250 grams of carbs equals 1000 calories, which is the basic daily energy require-ment for most adults. If you consume fewer carbohydrates, glycogen (the storage form of glucose) is broken down to maintain blood glucose levels.

Which foods contain carbohydrates?Most foods contain some carbohydrates, but foods containing the most include fruit, vegetables, bread, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, legumes (chickpeas, lentils), milk, yoghurt, and sugar.

Can carbohydrates help with weight loss?For those wanting to lose weight, low GI foods as part of a balanced diet may be help-ful. The carbohydrate in low GI foods is digested slowly, making you feel fuller for longer. Fad diets which reduce the intake of carbohydrates claim rapid weight loss, but such losses are unlikely to be maintained long term.

Which foods contain a high percentage of carbohydrates?Most food items contain carbohydrates. Pasta, bread, rice, milk, potatoes, baked goods, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and popcorn are all high in carbohydrates.

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

S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

RENT D2

PDO APPROVED PORTABLE OFFICE FACILITIES

ON SALE

Contact Person - S. Sundaram- 00968 93221934

- Viral Desai - 00968 93221397

PORTA CABIN OFFICE – 1200 SQ.M – 32 SECTIONS

PORTA CABIN OFFICE – 900 SQ.M – 24 SECTIONS

PORTA CABIN OFFICE – 700 SQ.M – 16 SECTIONS

PORTA CABIN OPEN HALL – 500 SQ.M – 14 SECTIONS

*Tourist visa arranged

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

D2 S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

1/2/3 BHK Flats & Showrooms at

FLATS FOR RENT

CONTACT :

93202733

1 BHK and 2BHK Flats

with Split ACs -

Opp. to MOD -

Near Lulu Darsait

Brand New 4-Bedroom Ground

Floor House for Rent in Al-Ansab

(Bousher) . Easy access to main

road. House is constructed with

high quality finishing and elegant

doors design. 4 Bedrooms with

in-situ bathrooms. Marble floor.

Specious kitchen. For rent @ 600

OMR/Month (Negotiable).

Please contact Mr. Ali 92755663.

Villa 2 room, 1 sitting room, 1 lob-

by, 2 bathrooms at South Mawalleh

behind Discount Supermarket.

Contact: 92757673 / 99388138

Al Khuwair 17/2, 4 rooms,

4 bathrooms. Contact: 97300123

Flat in Wadi Al Kabir 2 bedrooms, 1

living room, 1 family hall, kitchen & 3

bathrooms. Contact: 99277787

Flat for rent in Al Ansab 1, 2

rooms, living room, kitchen & A/C.

Contact: 91256340

Flat for rent in Wadi Al Kabir next

5 Al Hassan company, 2 bed room

& 3 toilets. Contact: 99210008

Luxurious villa for rent in Al

Athaiba, a new luxurious G+2

floors villa in Al Azaibs. All rooms

W/ Splt unit ACs, close to Wave

Muscat & shopping centers.

Contact: 95965445

Al Khuwair 33, 3 rooms, 2 bath-

rooms. Contact: 97300123

Flat in Hamriya. Contact

99341112

Apartments & shops for rent in Al

Amerat & brand new apartments &

shops for rent in Al Amerat.

Contact: 95965445

Villa in Al Khoud for staff accommo-

dation, like nurses or teachers can

accommodate 30 to 35 people.

Rent RO.1200/-. Contact - 91178282

1000 sqm industrial land with

compound wall & two rooms at

Misfah. Contact: 99342733 /

99795241

Newly build luxury residen-

tial villas for rent in Al Khoud.

Contact: 98116480 / 99447002 &

99358724

02 BHK Commercial / Residential

(with split AC) flat at Honda road.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

Single room attach bath with

kitchen in Muscat 100/- R.O.

Contact: 95094028

Flat for rent in CBD area - Ruwi

Two rooms and a large hall•Office spaces for rent in Al Hail on

the main road On the same building

of Al Khamis Shoes at Al Hail

•2 bed room flats in Qurum 29 for

rent next to ABA New building

-split AC - Good location

Contact No: 96177505

Luxury flat for rent in Bareeq Al Shatti building

Spacious 2 BHK with sea view,

split A/Cs, fixed wardrobes,

kitchen appliance.

Near Opera Gallery.

Rent RO.900/- negotiable.

Contact - 94084335 / 96920789

STORE FOR RENT

500 sqm store with 200 sqft offi ce & 200 sqm

covered shed for rent at Mabella Ind No-11 on main road,

direct from owner.

CONTACT - 99278002

RUWI : Ware House - 630 M2

SPACIOUS -2 B H K FLATS

NEAR AL FALAJ HOTEL:FURNISHED DELUXE

1 B/RM WITH 2 bathrooms,

SPLIT A/C, BUILT IN

ARDROBRE, PRIVARE

TERRACE.

DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6 D3

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

BUILDING

FOR SALEMUMTAZ AREA

(NEAR RUWI HOTEL)

CONTACT - 99353931

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 96571151

Sharing accommodation at Ruwi

near family shopping center,

please call after 6:00 pm .

Contact: 93394653

02 BHK Residential flat opposite

to Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

Empty plot at Al Wadi Al Kabir

industrial area 550 sqm.

Contact: 95909020

Bosher Rimal 1, building appt for

rent 2BR, Maid room, sitting room,

full appliance, kitchen, 4 toilets.

Contact: 99349910

New flat in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact: 98185135

Flats shops & store for rent in Ruwi

MBD Honda road.

Contact: 92433127 / 97293708

Flats shops & store for rent in

Ruwi, MBD area & Honda road.

Contact: 92589235/ 94579531

FOR SALE

Flats two bed room for rent in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 96571151

1& 2 BHK flats for rent at Hamriya Wadi Adai, Al Khoud,

Mabela & shop at Al Khoud & land

line Contact: 24834644 GSM

93994401/02/03 3 lines

1&2 BHK flat in Walja.

Contact: 98218279

New flats for rent at Darsait near

to ministry of sports, Mumtaz area

the flats include 1 living room, 2

Bedroom, kitchen, 3 toilets every

room with split A/C & high Quality

finishing, rent per flat is R.O 340/-.

Interested candidates please

Contact: 00968- 92225523

3BHK flat for rent in Ghubra.

Contac: 99328070

Flats in Muttrah. Contact - 94051789-97201688

Offices in Ghala. Contact - 94051789-97201688

2BHK flat for rent Darsait near ISM.

Contact: 95158570 / 99102255

2 bedrooms, kitchen, toilet, car

park R.O 220/- & 1 bedroom,

kitchen, toilet R.O 140 in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 95154331

2BHK Sitting room, 3 bathrooms,

split AC big balcony 300/- R.O in

Wadi Kabeer. Contact: 99324402

Household items & furniture in

excellent condition for sale. Indian

expat leaving for good.

Contact Ravi : 93380408

Beauty Salon for urgent sale in

Azaiba prime location behind

Al Fardan building. With sponsor

and 1 staff and 1 ready visa clear-

ance. Call: 95318629 / 95169411

Marble factory for sale location

Misfah. Contact: 98586828

Supermarket for sale in Amerat

(5) for part-time workers does not

have required 35/000 retractable

negotiate. Contact : 96656972 /

99719973

Kingsize 7x7 double cot, dining

table good as new. # 98796982

Restaurant items for sale.

Contact: 96772479 /98428507

Filling material for sale in

Muscat. Contact: 93299940

Villas in Al Khoud. Contact -

95056808-97201688

High quality

Warehouses

for rent at Mizfa

550 sqm to

3400 sqm.

Contact

96046951 / 99332291

3 Bedroom flat in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact 95755953 / 95555162

4 BHK with terrace near Raymond

Ruwi in market on road.

Contact: 99065900/99354975

Family flats in Wadi AL Kabir, Ham-

riya, Muttrah, Al Khuwair, Ghubrah,

Bowshar, Al Hail North & Al Seeb.

Contact: 95250300 / 92125648

Excavation contracts worth RO 2

million + Big Volvo Excavators &

2015 Astra 5 tippers for sale.

Contact: 99120532 / 98867530

ACC. AVAILABLE

ACC. AVAILABLE

Furnished bedroom with at-

tached bath and kitchen, separate

entrance available for Executive

bachelor for R.O 150/- per month

all inclusive in a villa OPP star

cinema. Contact: 99314807

Hail Independent rooms RO 140/-

& 160/-. Contact 95529970

A big room available for Muslim

couple / small family executive

bachelor near Hamriya R/A rent

130/- OMR, including water /

Electricity. Contact: 99495131

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting

room, hall, kitchen with parking

space for rent in Mawalah, behind

City Centre. Contact 93930352

Fully furnished room with attached

bath for Executive bachelor behind

Al Meera Hyper market, Azaiba

150/- R.O. Contact: 99455735

Ghubra. Beautiful Room. Indian

Lady/Couple/Bachelor. Non-cook-

ing, Vegetarians. Contact 99283938

Accommodation available at

Hamriya roundabout for executive

bachelors (no kitchen, furniture and

A/C) including water and electricity

RO 130. # 98145825, 98949724.

2 rooms, toilet in Al Khuwair pref-

erable for Indian couple or working

woman rent R.O 190/- only include

Ele & water. Contact: 99546410

Furnished room with a/bathroom

in Al Khuwair33 for Indian Execu-

tive. Call: 95234062

Spacious semi furnished room

with separate bathroom for execu-

tive bachelor opposite OC centre

Ruwi. Call: 92273779

Single room for expat Indian

bachelors near Al Aktham restau-

rant Al khuwair for RO 120.

Water and electricity included.

Contact 98803261

Single bedroom flat behind

German Embassy, near Al Nahdha

Hospital. Contact 99203954 Room available in Mumtaz area 1

room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room,

common bathroom. Interested

please Contact: 92680041 Mr. Altaf

Room for rent with furniture.

Al Bustan villeage. # 93687466

Room , B/Room & Kitchen for

Executive in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99336206

Furnished room available with

attached bath & balcony near MBD.

Contact: 97636432

Semi furnished spacious room

with attached washroom separate

entrance near Indian school

Al Ghobrah for non cooking

Executive Indian bachelor.

Contact: 95146361/92657598

Spacious semi furnished room

with separate bathroom for execu-

tive bachelor opposite OC centre

Ruwi. Call: 92273779

Furnished room in new building for

working Muslim lady/

Muslim couple only. Location AINT,

Darsait. Contact - 99008069

USED VEHICLES FOR SALE1. Toyota Land Cruiser. Model 2008 in good running condition.

Vehicle regularly serviced by authorized service dealer.

2. Hino 7T Tipper. Model 2010 regularly serviced and in running

condition

3. Toyota Yaris. Model 2006 regularly serviced and in running

condition

Place of inspection: Barka.

Last date of submitting the quotation: 4th February 2016

Interested buyers may please contact on Phone: 26883543, Mobile : 99440306

Four bedrooms villa in Al Athaiba

300 m away from Shell Petrol

Station in an excellent condition.

Contact: 97755586

Brand new deluxe flats located

near Seeb flyover on the right

hand side the main road coming

from the Seeb palace round about,

2 bedrooms family, hall, kitchen,

3 toilets & split unit.

Contact: 97755586

One flats for rent 2 bedroom

all with bath al Ghobrah north near

Indian school (hot burger restau-

rant) Tel. 9976610

Flats for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99376454

600 SQT commercial flat for rent

opposite Oman flourmill Darsait

more details. Contact:91214849/

99364735

Flat for Rent 1/2 BHK Flat at

Muttrah, near Oman flour mills,

10 min. from Corniche.Equipped

with split unit ACs, internet points,

free-to-air dish connection, CCTV

monitored, basement parking.

Rent RO.250/350 per month.

Contact:99229263; 93221054;

95215289

3 BHK flat near Darsait ID medical.

RO 420/- Contact – 99358589 /

97079146 / 95570288

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-. Contact: 97799175 / 92144045

2 Room + hall & kitchen ,3 toilets

in Bareeq Al Shatti 750 RO.

Contact: 99314314

7 Bedrooms villa in Ghobrah North.

Contact - 96420432

1,2 BHK Ghubra R.O 300/-, 325/- &

350/-. Contact: 97799175

Profs/ Jack. Contact 93219378

1BHK flat near Star Cinema 220/-

Contact 99358589 /95570288

Single BHK flat available

in Honda road Ruwi. Contact:

24833972/ 24833974/ 99367448

FOR RENTOFFICES

PRIME LOCATIONS:

AT: WALJA - HAMRIYA

– SEEB - BARKA

CALL:

99332242 khamisco@alkhamis.com.om

FOR RENTOFFICES &

SHOWROOMS

MAIN ROAD

PRIME LOCATION:

BARKA - OPPOSITE

MARS

CALL: 99332242 khamisco@alkhamis.com.om

Perfect 5 BHK villas in Azaiba

RO 800/-. Contact: 94232344

2BHK flat at Darsait nearby Indian

School RO 290/-. Contact: 94232344

4 BHK villa in AL Khuwair RO 525.

Contact: 94232344

FOR RENT3 BHK @ Ghobrah -18th

November St

2 BHK @Bousher - Bousher

Shabia

Studio Flat - Alkuwair 33

Shop for Rent 156 SQM -

Bousher Shabia

GSM: 99 014 885 / 92 871 744

QSR OUTLET FOR SALE

Capital Area in a well known Mall.

Interested buyers may

contact

on 99077960 or

94306216

3Ton Forklift, Special made for

Oman market, Japanese Isuze

C240 Engine, Cascade side shifter,

High amount exhaust, 3m lifting

height, Solid tyres, One year war-

ranty. Contact: 98883445

Luxury Apartments in Bousher

(35).# 95056808-97201688

DAILY GUIDED4 S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

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

ENGINEER/TECH/MECH

CATERING

BEAUTY

DESIGNER

SKILLED LABOR

DRIVER

IT

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

MISCELLANEOUS

DRIVER

ADMIN

ADMIN

CATERING

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

DOMESTIC HELP

Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp

looking job. Contact: 99531802

A leading facilities Management Junior Accountant, B.Com with 3

yrs experience. Communication

skill in English. Send your CVs :

hr@alyafeigroup.com

We are looking for Chief Financial Officer, Male 40- 45

years old, Bachelor of Science in

Accountancy with 5 - 15 yrs. of ex-

perience. Contact: +968 24702133

Email: admin-dept@daud.om

Required Full Time Light Driver for an Omani Family. Indian or Philippine national are preferred.

Send SMS only to 97711577

Reputed Construction Company

require experienced light Vehicle Driver. Contact 95526871

Immediate Requirements for ex-perienced Tailors (Designer wears,

casual clothing). Please call for

interview 99471085

Civil AutoCAD Draughts man 5 years experience on visit visa.

Contact: 99759284 Email:

ahmedimran945@gmail.com

A lady entrepreneur with BF Tech

1st Class (Fashion Technology)

since 2006 in Kerala like to make

change for better. Specialized in

designing, Production

Management, Fashion Art,

Grading, Surface ornamentation,

Garment Construction.

Email: prettyjinu08@gmail.com

Mobile: +919539397097.

25 years male BA. English , Quali-

fied as mast in digital animation

having 5 yrs ex in character

animation specialized Auto Desk

mago and motion building

software knowledge,

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 97917357

Indian male good experienced in

Accounts, ERP Tally 9 & Admin in

India & Oman, presently on visit

visa, looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94834687

Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in com-

merce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/

finance field. On visit visa. Immedi-

ately available.

Contact – 92836216 /

muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com

Looking full time job. Contact:

99153378

Well reputed Marble Company looking for

3 SALESMEN

Requires minimum 3 years experience

and valid Omani driving license.

Interested candidates please Fax your CV to 24601724 or

Email on saab2803@gmail.com

Contact -91262604Email: chillapalli76@gmail.com

Wanted female GP, female

Gynecologist, female Staff

Nurse, female X- Ray Technician

With MOH license for Al Saadi

Specialized Medical Centre

in Musanna.

DOMESTIC HELP

Housemaid required for Keralite

family. Contact 95405033

Looking for housemaid urgently clearance available good salary

yearly ticket. TEL 24446920 /

99238121,

mail: ravi.ztc@omzest.com

Wanted A/C Technician with local

experience. Contact : 95779616

Require LAB TECHNICIAN ,The

desired candidate must be a gradu-

ate/diploma in Civil Engineering

with minimum experience of 3 to

5 years as Lab Technician having

Experience of testing construc-

tion materials on Building/ Road

projects. Send your CV to:

rakesh@uniqueom.com.

Indian male, 28, Post Graduate, 6

years exp. in Oman in Sales and

Credit Control , with valid Oman D/L

looking for suitable placements.

NOC available. Ph: 9206 6523

Employee marketing company

engaged in the design, promotion and advertising is required. Contact: 96656972 / 99719973

Urgently Required: Aluminum Doors & Windows Salesman with

an experience in aluminum prod-

ucts, MUST have Oman driving

license, and immediately join. Ap-

ply, fax 00968–24605955, emails

sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com

Wanted marketing personnel for acquiring Premium customers

for MNC. Should have communica-

tion/sales skills and must possess

Oman DL. Contact 96545020.

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Urgently required for a Medical Centre in Muscat & Salalah GP Doctor, Pediatrician (male / fe-

male) Gynecology, Nurses (male

/ female) with or without MOH

license, salary negotiable. Send

your CV : moc.hrd2015@gmail.

com or contact 92681842

Wanted female Ayurvedic

therapist with or without

MOH. Contact: 97263637 /

93309131

Required X RAY Technician, Lab Technician, General Practitioner, Gynecology, Staff Nurses. Contact: 95133572

Email: kunoozghala@gmail.com

Orthopedician, Nurses, Physiotherapist, Asst. Pharmacist, Gynecologists to work in a clinic

at sur. M/F, any nationality with

MOH license or prometric pass

60% and above can apply to

rcsphysiotherapy@gmail.com

Wanted GP Doctor with MOH

license, job location in Muscat

with good salary and benefits.

Drop your cv at

0careerhr1972@gmail.com.

Wanted urgently lady Doctor GP or DGO for immediate appoint-

ment. Contact : 99310590

Email: tjmaluke@gmail.com

Part Time Accounting, Accounts

Finalization as per IFRS, Audit

Preparation, Cost Control and Man-

agement, Training for Accountants,

Internal Audit, Accounting System

for New Companies,

Contact: 96975454,

email:ibfc.gcc@gmail.com

Indian male having good experi-

ence in accounts and in accounting

and in accounting software’s ready

to join immediately.

Contact: +91 9444965126

15 years experienced in finance &

treasury management CPA, CMA,

ACCA, MBA, qualified Chartered

Accountant available for immediate

joining as head of finance, financial

advisor, financed consultant.

Contact: 94872345

Email: mfta27@gmail.com

Indian male B.com accountant with

9 years ( 8 yr Oman) experience

seeking suitable placement

immediately ( NOC available ).

Contact: 98624850

Indian male - M Com and More than

5 year experience in Finance and

Accounting seeking suitable place-

ment immediately. Now in Oman

on visit visa. Contact:97724457 /

99886476 nidhink85@gmail.com

Indian male 30 yrs, B. Com, 6

yrs accounts exp in East Africa &

1 yr exp in Oman, NOC available

looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 94613626

Email: sharis.saheer@gmail.com

Indian female Accountant B.Com

P.G.D.C.A Tally 8 years exp in

Oman. Contact: 93726921

B. Com Diploma Computer 3 years

experience as an Accountant

Indian male (25) seeking place-

ment Accountant / Admin / sales

on visit visa. Contact: 98437731

Email: faisalcpsy@gmail.com

Chief Accountant Indian male 44

years B.Com Graduate PGDVA total

13 years in GCC, 7 years in Oman &

knowledge in Tally, ERP9, Peachtree

MS Office having NOC seeks place-

ment Contact: 97060826

Email: tomnedum71@yahoo.co.in

Accountant MBA (finance)

masters (accounting) 2 yrs Exp look-

ing for suitable placement, having

NOC & valid D/L . #92491009,

Email: rasubiswas4@gmail.com

Young 24, ACCA affiliate,

Advanced diploma in Accounting

and Business, seeking suitable

placement in Accounts, Finance or

audit With valid driving license.

Contact - 92430152,

Email - rau_dey@yahoo.com

Part time Accountant, up to fina-

lization, looking for job after 5pm

(location prefer – MSQ to

Al Hail). Contact: 95694737

Finance & Accounts Indian male

35 years B.Com MBA (F) 7 years

experience tally ERP9 with valid

D/L family visa.

Contact: 93257426 / 95230114

Email: sibigeorgep@gmail.com

Indian male B.Com with 1 year

experience in Oman as Account

having driving license seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 93415880 Email:

nithin_thomas1992@hotmail.com

Chartered Accountant with 1.5

years of experience looking for

job. Currently in Oman on visit

visa. Contact - 91520687 Email: murtazanmh@gmail.com

Accounting Assistant, BBA,

M. Com (pursuing), tally, peach tree,

valid visa available. # 98269281

Indian Accountant well experi-

enced in construction accounts

(Financial and Cost) and also

administration and HR seek suit-

able placement (Full/Part time) in

Oman or UAE. Contact 98598099

Part time accounts qualified

experience accountant.

Contact: 91126314

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT-M. Com

Finance-Indian with 7 years

experience in Finance & Accounts

up to finalization. Currently

employed in Oman. Having D/L &

NOC. Mob: 94122464,

Email: cammk13@gmail.com

Chinese / Arab/ Grill, Cooks. Contact: 95529970

28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com -

Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/

India experience looking for a

suitable placement.

Contact 90187483

shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with

13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in

manufacturing, trading & contract-

ing Cos, capable of handling all

accounting, finance, banking, L/C,

import, export & finalization seeks

placement. NOC Available.

Call+968-98932752,

mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com

Part-time accounting, tax report,

auditing & bank loan assistance.

Contact 91720465

Indian male, MBA (finance),

1 year experience in Oman having

Oman D/L and NOC on visit visa

looking for a suitable job.

Contact 94103975

Indian Male Accountant 10yrs

Exp. in OMAN Retail & Furni-

ture Co. (Release Available)

GSM.92564955

Experienced Light Duty Driver,

Fluent in English, Arabic Well

knowledge of Oman Areas

Seeking Suitable placement

Contact 97950869

Driver with land cruiser,

Indian seeks placement.

Contact: 99725003

Bangladeshi driver want job.

Contact: 93822195

Looking for driver job with own

car, education, B.A, can speak

English, Arabic, Urdu & Hindi.

Contact: 96728056 / 98031620

Light driver looking for job expe-

rience in Oman 6 years & K.S.A 5

years’ education H.S.C.

Contact: 93940319

Indian female, M.Tech electron-

ics 6.5 IELTS experience as VLSI /

Electronics project trainer & institute

administration currently in family

visa. Contact: 90195131 /24551290

Email: chinj.89@gmail.com

Indian female Graduate 7 years as

Secretary Office Assistant Admin

seeks placement.

Contact: 99073789

Indian female PGDHRM MSW hav-

ing 5+ experience in HR Assistant

Administration customer support

good computer skill DOA, CIT Tally

now on family visit visa looking for

suitable position. Contact: 95352527

Indian female 25 years Graduates

in BBM (HR) currently on visit visa

looking for suitable job.

Contact: 92065248

Email: bibinnj47@gmail.com

young Omani male have experi-

ence 12 years as P.R.O , Clerk helper

supervisor Admin supervisor , H.R

Manager have diploma in H.S.E, IT

and P.D.O license looking for H.R

position or P.R.O license . Looking

for H.R position or P.R.O part time

or full time. Contact: 95933288

14 years of Gulf experience in HR/

Admin & logistics fluent in Arabic

& English with D/L looking for

suitable position, NOC available.

Contact: 95824598

Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf

exp in Administration/ HR & Public

relationship. Fluent in Arabic/

English with D/L. Looking for suit-

able position. Contact - 99897280

Filipino male with 13 years HR

and Administration managerial

experience. MBA & CIPD holder.

Currently looking for job in Oman.

Interested employer

pls call 97728418.

Indian Female, MBA-HR having

8+ experience in Administration/

HR, Customer Support, Office

Coordinator with good Computer

skill, Now on Visit Visa,looking for

suitable position.

Contact: 90196235

Indian female, Masters in HR,

having 4 + years Oman experience

in media management and HR,

looking for openings in HR, Educa-

tion, Admin, Corporate communi-

cations. Contact 98252030

Experienced Sales Man

for Al-Rawas Marble & Granite.Located at

Al Rusayl Industrial.

SALES / MARKETING Urgently required

Please forward your cv at oure mail :

mahmood@rmgoman.com

Beauty expert required to work

in Salon in Al Amerat.

Contact : 93336061

FASHION DESIGNER specializing

in western attire and traditional

wear required for a Boutique in

Capital area. Female candidates

with 4 to 5 years experience in

GCC are advised to revert at

9321 8210 or jiby@mpesllc.com

Furniture company urgently re-

quired : 2 Outdoor sales people, 1 Interior designer. Previous

experience in furniture field will

be an added advantage. Interested

candidates please send CV :

Email : batrading2014@gmail.com

Urgently required for a reputed

company in Oman (Tyre, Battery

& Lubricant division) Sr. Execu-tives/Executive-5 nos (Sohar,

Nizwa & Muscat), Techno Com-mercial Professional-5nos, Driver (Omani)-1no. Required minimum

3-5 yrs experience in the same

field with market exposure hold-

ing valid Omani driving license

or GCC. Kindly fwd your CV’s to

ashwin@taasintl.org

Contact: (+968)93891700

Sales Ladies wanted for Ladies Boutique. Age: 20-35 yrs. Al

Khoudh. Call -91159905 Send CV

to sameer916@hotmail.com

URGENTLY REQUIRED

Qualifi ed & experienced

male B.SC holder

CIVIL ENGINEER With 10 -15 years experience

for a Muscat based well known

construction company.

Email:

alfayafy@outlook.com

Fax: 24479675

Urgently required English speak-ing Omani driver for light vehicles

by rent a car company in Oman

on full time basis. Please contact

+96891245651 / +96891248904

Required a Filipino private/ Family Driver With Omani driving

license, Age 27-40. # 94446669

Wanted Driver. #91025698

We have a batch of skilled Omani candidates in Administration, HR,

Account & Reception ready to join diff erent companies in a month

We will also provide training for Omani candidates as per your need

like Cashier, Teller, HR, Admin, Sales, Stores, Customer service etc.,

FOR COMPANIES SEEKING OMANI EMPLOYEES

select the suitable candidates in consultation with your offi cials.

training the company will not incur any cost like salaries & training.

program.

For any queries contact us: 26862210, 93677745 & 93677795

Fax: 26861710 email: ojt@aifas.net, www.aifas.net

Candidate must have a minimum 2 to 3 years’ experience in assembly,

installation, maintenance and repairs of automotive refrigeration,

air-conditioning systems and chiller units.

He should be well conversant in repair and troubleshooting of electrical

faults and experienced in using computerized diagnostic systems.

He should be ITI/DME (Auto) qualifi ed.

Auto Electrician cum A/c Mechanic for Workshop

Interested candidates email cv on

krauto@kr.om or contact on 99440518

LIBRARIAN

REQUIRED PART-TIMEFor organizing and maintaining a private library

in Qurum, Muscat.

Interested persons who arequalifi ed and experienced, please respond to:

GEORGE@ALYOUSEFGROUP.COM

Or Fax: 24614144

P.O.Box 200, P.C. 100, Muscat

Urgently Required Steel Fabri-cated Products Salesman with

an experience in steel fabrication,

MUST have Oman driving license,

and immediately join. Apply, fax

00968–24605955, emails

sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com

Salesman for a printing press

Whatsapp Only.

Contact: 95955729

Required Philippine Sales lady for women’s shoes and bags store.

Arabic speaking advantage.

Send CV with current picture.

Email: markato.fashion@gmail.com

Urgent Requirement

SALES LADYFor Jewellery Showroom

1. Two years experience in sales.2. NOC is must.3. Arabic speaking advantage.

(Send CV with current picture)

Email:

vacancy299@gmail.com

1. General Practitioners

(Male & Female)

2. Nurses (Male & Female)

3. X Ray Technician

Leading Medical Services Company in Oman is looking for the following staff :-

4. Lab Technician

5. Insurance Coordinators

6. Omani Receptionist

Preference given to candidates in Oman with MOH/Oman prometric for medical openings. Interested candidates kindly forward your resume to

athira@babylon-om.com,

athirababylon@gmail.com, info@babylon-om.com.

Contact :24613069 for further details.

Developers needed with experi-

ence in .net, C#, EF Code First,

WCF, MVC 4/5, WebAPI, SQL and

WF 4.5 must. Work from home role

for an Australian company.

Send resume to

Email: atif.saad@mis.technology

Wanted B- Pharmacist (female)

for a pharmacy in Sohar.

Contact : 99767605

Indian female 27 yrs with 5 yrs

HR /Admin experience seeking

suitable placement with valid

Oman driving license.

Contact: 98236033

DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6 D5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

DRIVER

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Diploma Engineer (Civil) looking

for job 7 years experience in Oman.

Contact: 93017821

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

Structural buildings marine. Avail-

able NOC release. Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com

B.Tech Mechanical, Diploma in

industrial health and safety, NE-

BOSH (IGC) , working experience

4 years (Construction, oil and Gas) .

Contact: 94750413

Email: shilpaneapen@gmail.com

Indian female (B.Tech/ Mechani-

cal Engineering) 4 yrs Oman ex-

perience in project coordination in

water, sewerage and infrastructure

sector , Having valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement.

Local release available.

Contact: 95297449

B.Tech Chartered Electrical

Engineer, AMIEI with 5 years of

experience in electrical power

transmission and distribution in

industrial, residential & com-

mercial sectors. Expertise in

load designing BOQ, Estimations,

transformer and switchgear

selections. Leadership skills in

project execution & management.

Contact: 94638744

Email: ceng.shaz@gmail.com

Computer Network and Hardware

Engineer with driving license and

20 years of experience in Oman

looking for a suitable position.

Contact: 98388431

Email: nwengineer@outlook.com

Indian male 5 years experience in

piping (Site Engineer / Supervisor)

Indian and Oman (PDO Project) &

looking for suitable post currently

on visiting visa, NOC available.

Contact: 94258289 Email:

nidhishgopinathan@gmail.com

Indian male diploma in Mechani-

cal Engineering have 12 years

experience in oil and gas in GCC on

visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 92932763

Email: pnpraveen@yahoo.co.in

Indian male Electrical Engineer with MBA (Mktg) having 4 and

half years experience in technical

commercial and marketing fields

with valid GCC D/L, NOC available

seeking placement.

Contact: + 968 96547828

Email: deva0234@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with

2 and half years experience Indian

male 24 years in visit visa. Contact:

96620482 / + 91 9605423272

Email: bijumonps@gmail.com

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp

seeks suitable position ina reputed

company. NOC available.

Contact – 96789711

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

in Oman as a project engineer for

governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian

male 24 years with 1+years Indian

experience,(Certified in Staad

Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman

(Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail:

mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

Male 38 yrs Graduate 07 years

experience indoor / outdoor

electronic field with D/License &

NOC available (as per new rule).

Contact: 92453375

Indian male 23 years Mechanical

Engineer, 1 year experience family

visit, seeking placement.

Contact: 94203042

Mechanical Engineer with QA QC

experience.

Email: jerrin4alex@gmail.com

Networking Engineer having 10

years experience with 3 years in

Oman having valid driving license

and NOC, presently in Oman needs

immediate placement.

Contact - 95783383

Civil Engineer with 8 yrs exp in

construction having license and

NOC. Contact: 97986606

Telecom Engineer Sudanese on

visit visa have 1 year experience

in installation and have diploma

in Tally ERP & excel and one year

experience. Contact: 91991215

Indian female Computer Science

Engineer having two years experi-

ence in teaching and programming

C .CCP Java VB HTML, Sql, Php

currently on visit visa seeks suit-

able placement. Contact: 91168733

Aeronautical Engineer with MBA in

Operations Management having 4

yrs experience in reputed Aviation &

Oil Companies, now on visit.

Contact 91864047 / 92791625

B.E .Mechanical Engineer Indian

over 4 yrs of exp in HVAC design

auto cad drafting on visit visa .

Contact 90305596. Email:

shaikrizwan330@gmail.com

Diploma in Mechanical Eng piping system in AutoCAD work,

21+ years experience with Driving

license. Contact: 95267113

Email: rkakkaryil@gmail.com

7 years teaching experience in

Political Science at University level,

5 years experience as Intellectual

property lawer 20 years experi-

ence of Arabic / English visa versa ,

translation / interpretation / Editing

, 20 years of experience in manage-

ment, Tri lingual (Arabic / English /

French) Contact : 92175153

Indian female civil engineer

B.Tech having 3 years experience

sound knowledge of software,

REVIT STAD PRO structural detail-

ing currently on family visa seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 95345591

B.Tech Civil, 25 yrs female, 3 yrs

exp in qty survey have valid GCC

license. Contact: 91309475

Road and Construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 97667113

Civil Engineer / QS engineer,

9 years experience in Oman free-

lance visa, searching for a suitable

job in Oman. Contact: 97299165

Sudanese Civil Structure Engi-neer, 3 years experience with resi-

dence and Omani license, good at

AutoCAD Etabs Staad. Pro looking

for suitable job. Contact: 97906770

Civil Engineer 3 years diploma

holder having 7 years experience,

building construction & oil & gas

field with driving license.

Contact: 93294965

Mechatronics Engineer 26, MSc

with 3 years industrial experience,

looking for suitable placement.

NOC available. Contact 94887665

Email: mechatron_mt@yahoo.com

Electrical Engineer Indian (29) ,

7 years exp in Oman, 33KV, 11 KV

projects in MZEC & MEDC having

CEP 1 & NOC with D/L.

Contact: 99822373

Sr.HSE Engineer (B.E Mech+ Diplo-

ma Safety + NEBOSH+OSHA) over

10yrs. Exp, (Visa Release/Transfer

Letter (NOC) available),

seeking suitable placement.

Contact - 97061817, Email:

jayanammu1977@gmail.com

Diploma in Electronics, 2 years

exp in telecommunication.

Contact: 94519571 Email:

telecommunicationvishnumadhull

@gmail.com

Syrian Civil Engineer graduated

2012, 1 year experience in Oman.

Contact: 92967785

10 years experience in Dubai

& Bangladeshi as a BSC En-

gineer on structural designer

& construction having Dubai

municipality approval & driving

license. Contact: 91206763 Future

008801758846027 Email: engr.

masud.civil.@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer with 18 years

exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034

Email: shassalih66@gmail.com

BE Mech specialization welding

technology 11 yrs quality cont

Engineer by Steel Cons EPL

Installation desalination plant

(Gulf). Contact: 96603299

7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in

the field of Building Const. Oil &

Gas Seeking Job.94625598

Indian male Diploma Civil En-

gineer have 1 yr. experience, on

visit visa looking for suitable job

(certificate attested).

Contact: 92667406 / 99210411,

Email : manojgvh@gmail.com

Indian Male 23 years B.Tech

Civil having 2 years experience in

quantity survey and site manage-

ment looking for suitable place-

ment. Contact:- 95042656

Sudanese Telecom Engineer, 5 years experience, 3 years in

Oman PMP certificate.

Contact: 93391008 Email:

momen.awadallam@gmail.com

Need job for experienced mason,

electrician & welder.

Contact: 93015630

M.Tech in Manufacturing Engi-

neering with 2 years of experi-

ence, on visiting visa looking for

a suitable job. Contact: 91417949

Email: dannyrangde@gmail.com

E

EDUCATION

Indian : female – MBA in foreign

trade ,BE Computer Science, sap

trained bi/bw with one year expe-

rience seeking for job.

Contact 90228586

email:fathimasha16@gmail.com

teaching also preferred.

Indian female masters in comput-

er science and Engineering B.Tech

in information technology , M.B.A

( Systems) 3 years experience

teaching in college , having good

knowledge in C++ , java oracle now

on visit visa looking for openings

in Educational institutions.

Contact: 91812419/96935426

Email: anorelindhinesh@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in

designing, assembling, commis-

sioning execution etc having valid

GCC license too looking for a suit-

able. Contact: 00968-98052942

Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 11 years experience

in construction having driving

license & NOC. Contact: 94194399

Email: shiblyrock@gmail.com

B. Sc Civil Engineer, having 27 yrs

Oman experience as Project Man-

ager, Structure Engineer looking

for suitable placement, consulting,

contracting co. NOC & local transfer

available. Contact : 99399578

Email: farooqatm@hotmail.com

Indian male 26 yrs BE- Me-chanical Engineering, CSWIP 3.1

certified welding inspector + ASNT

level in UT, RT, MPT, LPT with 3.5

yrs experience in QC Inspector-

Welding. Looking for a suitable job.

E-mail: rahmanmech2@gmail.com

HSE & Fire Safety Engineer

4 years experience air port opera-

tional safety, power & chemical

industry. Contact: 94374241

Sudanese Structure Civil Engi-

neer 2 years experience resident

Omani license.

Contact: 94393880

Instrument Engineer B.Tech

Indian male, 24 yrs, 1 yrs experi-

ence in reputed oil & gas compa-

nies, currently on visit visa,

seeks suitable job.

Contact: 92007218

Email: ahmed0515@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (Diploma) having

11 years experience in building

construction, looking for a suitable

placement , having Oman driving

license. Noc available.

Contact: 95075365

Email: azharraaz@gmail.com

Indian Electrical Engineer Btech,

female 24 seeking job, presently

in oman having 2 year experience

in design and estimation of Ht &Lt

projects. Contact 968 97436557,

Mail id : sibinanoop1@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (BE) having total

5 years experience in building

construction looking for a suitable

placement. D/L available

Contact# 94450270

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman

with license. Contact: 98975518

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech

2 years experience HVAC design

& site Engg revit MEP Auto CAD.

Contact: 90150913 Email:

mahmanmechengg@yahoo.im

Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years

in Oman experience Valid Driving

License seeks suitable placement

Phone 97619722

Email – golamrob@yahoo.com

Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs

experience in international Oil

& Gas company looking for job

Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email:

mustafaoshi-62@hotmail.com

Electrical Engineer: Indian male,

30 yrs having 5 yrs of experience

in industrial automation & utility

maintenance in India (MRF tyres),

holding valid Oman D/L.

Contact 92789995, email :

akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

Sudanese Architectural Engineer

2 years experience in Oman, Revit,

AutoCAD 3Ds max Archicad look-

ing for suitable job.

Contact: 94722356

Email: maya40999@hotmail.com

Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years

old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon)

Mining / Geotechnical Presently

in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.

Contact 91295802 /

acmfaslan123@gmail.com

Indian female, 31 yrs, 7 yrs expe-

rienced as AutoCAD civil drafts-

man (2 yrs experience in Oman)

currently in Oman seeks suitable.

Contact 96789441

Email: simi5304@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY

Indian male B.A Degree & diploma

in hotel management with 16

years experience as restaurant &

catering manager in Oman & Saudi

with V/L Oman D/L seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 92100141

Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants

Dynamic result oriented hospital-

ity professional with 20 years of

international exp. MBA in Hotel

Management, specializing in

Hotel/Restaurant start ups, con-

cepts & Franchise development

with proven records. Seeking for

Challenging positions in reputed

groups as GM/COO/CEO/Business

Head. (NOC available)

Contact: 96059470

Senior Management

Executive With over 18 years of

experience in Retail,

Distribution, FMCG &

Electronics across GCC markets

seeks GM / VP / Vertical Head

position for Group Companies

Management and P&L deliveries.

Contact +968 9791 2950

cxogcc@gmail.com

Sri Lanka (BSC) quantity survey-or, having 3 years GCC experience

is looking for a suitable placement

1 such as QS/ Contract administra-

tor / estimator / project coordina-

tor has knowledge in Fidic and

construction standard available

in visit visa. Contact: 96301107

/94292198

Email: faisfareed@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer male 26 yrs,

with 4 yrs of experience in manu-

facturing oil & gas retail, brand pro-

moting, marketing, logistics having

valid Omani D/L seeking for a suit-

able placement. Contact: 97098676

Email: ja237le@gmail.com

Indian male, Mechanical

Engineer having 1year experi-

ence, on visit visa looking for

suitable job. Contact:97416564,

Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com

Procurement Engineer (27 years

single male with Oman Driving Li-

cense) having 7 years experience

(UAE 2, Oman 3) with expertise in

MEP, Water, Electromechanical,

Instrumentation seeking suitable

placements. Contact 95852033,

mail: hemal1988@gmail.com

IT

Indian male 3 years experience

in IT as Linux Administrator and

1 year experience in Amazon

EC2, cloud at Wipro technologies

Bangalore looking for a suitable

placement. Contact: 92889678

Email: amalpathikal@gmail.com

Indian male, MCA, 15 years expe-

rience in Oracle, developer, Orion

Sage ERP, 5 years in Oman working

as IT In charge, with NOC release

and transferable visa.

Contact: 95398567,

Email: anasa4@gmail.com

A young CA (ACA & ACCA qualified)

with 4 years experience in one of top

audit firms in UK & KSA seeks suit-

able placement in Oman. Contact:

Kamran hkamran112@gmail.com,

+44 7480 1196 74/ +968 93595050

Hardware & networking, 2 years

exp. Contact: 96244031

Indian female (30 yrs) , BCA ,

MCA,ASP NET certification, SAP

ABAP certification 2 yrs experi-

ence, seeking placement family

visa. Contact: 99109121 Email:

ashamaryphilip@gmail.com

Indian male 26 years with BBA,

tally and hard ware networking,

having 3 years of experience as

an accountant, seeking for suitable

placement. Contact: 98201244

5yrs experience in software

and 1yr in admin, looking for a

part-time or work from home jobs

Contact: 91711326

Sudanese Network Administra-

tor 1 year experience with (MCSA,

CCNA, CCNP) have valid driving

license. Contact: 92394485

Network Engineer degree Com-

puter Science CCNA, MCSA experi-

ence NOC. Content: 92346191

Indian Male, IT System Engineer

having 4 yrs of experience in sys-

tem administration.CCNA,MCSE,

Linux. Looking for suitable job.

Contact :91272867

Dynamics AX 2009 / 2012 R2/

R3 Microsoft certified professional

MCA & BCA Having 15 yrs of total

exp & 6 yrs of relevant exp seeking

for suitable position. NOC is avail-

able. Contact: 93469493

Email: axcertprof@gmail.com

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

Male Indian Dentist BDS with 9

years experience, prometric exam

cleared, looking for job.

Contact 97768187/

vermanikhil492@gmail.com.

Indian lady Pediatrician avail-

able immediately, Oman prometric

exam (>60%) passed Indian Kerala

lady pediatrician available

immediately for appointment.

now available in Muscat.MOBILE

NO. 96276347, 94769455 EMAIL :

nadakkavil1984@gmail.com

Indian male GP Doctor looking for

suitable post. Dataflow &

prometric completed.

Contact: 90377433

An experienced Sudanese female Dentist with MOH license look-

ing for job. Contact 96436517

/97396088

Omani male need driver job for

part time. Contact: 92296607

Light duty driver experience 4

years suitable job. Can speak Eng-

lish, Arabic & Hindi. # 98393692

Driver with car looking for job or

part time. Contact: 96023492

Light driver need job knows

English, Hindi & Arabic.

Contact: 92820309

Job for driving. Contact: 98982410

27 years, 1 year experience,

with D/L. Contact: 97369716

Light driver Ruwi. Contact: 95779594

Pakistani male light driver 10 yrs

in UAE & 1 yr in Oman.

Contact: 93709393

Driver (light & heavy duty) valid

gulf /Indian) looking job.

Contact: 95175192

Driver with new car looking for

job.contact: 95873286

MANAGER

MISCELLANEOUS

Procurement Manager / Commer-

cial Manager / G.M Indian male

having 26 years of experience in

Import, procurement, logistics,

Commercial activities, Warehousing,

TRD & Sales. Contact: 90502724

Email: tk.sasi@gmail.com

Indian female having 17 years of

Dubai work experience in Business

Process Management & Quality As-

surance (ISO 9001) is looking for

job in Muscat (Full time/Part time/

Consultant). Experienced in devel-

oping, training & implementation

of business process documenta-

tion, leading the organization to

ISO 9001 certification, Quality

Audits and Business process

improvements & controls.

Contact: 97903127. Email :

ravichandran.mangala@gmail.com

The Business Development Man-

ager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman follow-

ing activities: construction(Very

strong and qualified to bringing

business for civil work Or any

type of the construction work for

many million per year with a good

experience in pricing and collect

payment and cash management of

the company & marketing projects

& investments& tenders & real

estate. Contact 92385033

The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman following

activities: tenders& real estate&

construction & marketing projects&

investments & transportation & Ma-

rine services& companies manage-

ment& develop business.

Contact :- 92385033

MBA (marketing) with 17 years

experience in freight forwarding/

logistics industry in GCC & Oman.

Presently working as branch

manager in Muscat. Looking for a

suitable position. Release and NOC

available. Contact: 99856331

Indian male, with experience in

operations management, informa-

tion security, purchase & stores

mgmt, hold UAE driving license,

on visit visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact 91904541

Email: naushers@yahoo.com

Filipina lady very urgently look-

ing job only in boutique, release

available ready to join immediately.

Contact: 97122152 / 91240759

Looking for job with car education

O level exp 6 yrs English, Arabic &

Hindi. Contact : 99640986

Female business graduate from

UK with four years corporate Ex-

perience in procurement purchas-

ing expediting logistics and sup-

ply chains in UAE Seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 99581399

10 years experience in Oman in

logistics / purchase have Oman

D/L looking for suitable placement.

Contact- 96410767

Email: harishkts@yahoo.com

Purchaser, experience 9.5 years

in Oman, Indian male, Driving

License available with own car.

Currently working with ARDISEIS

Oman Branch (Seismic work for

PDO Oman) as a purchaser. Han-

dling all type purchase, logistic,

petty cash, stock, dispatch. Work-

ing with SAP application. Educa-

tional qualification - Post Graduate

in MA (Economics) Salary – Nego-

tiable seeks suitable Placement.

Contact 99458569 Email :

nitesh.rane2015@gmail.com.

Indian female on visit MBA

(International Business- Market-

ing & Logistics), BE (Computers &

Science Engg.) Trained in SAP-BI/

BW with 1 year experience

seeking for job Contact: 90228586

Email:fathimasha16@gmail.com

Indian female BDS with MOH

license looking for job.

Contact 95347894

DAILY GUIDED6 S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

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

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

B.Sc Graduate with 4.4 years work

experience in Sales, Marketing and

Business Development looking for a

job. Currently in Oman and ready to

join immediately.

Contact : 00968-95096284

A dynamic professional, female,

with 8 years of experience in PUR-

CHASE, SALES COORDINATION ,

OFFICE ASSISTANT, residing in

Oman with valid NOC from current

company, looking for a suitable

job, Ready to join Immediately.

Contact:- shiji4123@gmail.com,

Phone:- 94157662

27 years old male MBA Gradu-

ate having 1.5 years experience

in Marketing seeking for good

opportunities in sales & marketing.

Contact: 90572132

Email: bibi4bibin@gmail.com

MBA Indian male 2.5 yrs exp

in marketing & sales presently

on visit visa seeking immediate

placement. contact :91725539.

Email: suhailahmad1489@gmail.com

Indian male 26, with more than

4 years experience in Sales and

Marketing having valid GCC

license on visit visa seeks suitable

position. Contact: 92423161

Indian male, MBA Marketing

having 2.5 years Sales experience

immediately looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 91415145,

Email: shariqs88@gmail.com

MBA graduate having 6 years exp

in Sales & Marketing, 4 years with

PEPSI, India, having international

driving license permit

seeks suitable placement.

Contact : 95308167,

Email : samir.pag@gmail.com

B.Com male 2 yrs experience in

sales Computer knowledge,

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98371144

email: nabilnazar22@gmail.com

Indian 15 yrs Marketing exp with

visa D/L looking for senior job.

Contact: 90390862

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fitter

gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192

TECHNICIAN /MECH.

TOURS/TRAVELS

TOURS/TRAVELS

Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years

experience preferably in water

sector and having valid driving

license call Ph:+968 99450811

Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Sales administra-

tor in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (holding Oman driving license)

seeking job. Contact : 90139903

Light Duty Driver Professional,

Indian male having 5 years of

experience with valid Oman driving

licence.NOC Available.

Contact 91652481

Indian Female, BE Electronics and

Communication, having oman ex-

perience looking for full time or part

time job. Ready to join immediately,

currently on family visa.

Contact : 92115948 / 99327912

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/net-

working/server, valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement in IT/

Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532

22, Indian BBA graduate, 1 year

experience, presently on visit visa,

looking for suitable placement.

Contact 91881053

Highly experienced mechanical/

steel structural fabrication engineer

looking for suitable placement. NOC

available. Contact: 99860714,

hussain20173@gmail.com.

B.Com 5yrs experience good

command on tally, Excel sheet on

family visa. Contact: 98002428

Email: lubnakanwal36@gmail.com

B.TEC ( IT) . 24 years, 2 Years of

experience in technical support,

software development, networking,

troubleshooting and managing.

seek suitable placement.

Contact GSM- 98184170

Purchase Executive Professional,

Indian male having 6 Years of

Experience in Oman Having Valid

Driving Licence working as a Pur-

chase officer, Looking for a suitable

Position, NOC/LR Available.

Contact: 95132564/96456071,

E-mail: naji1988@gmail.com

Electronics service Technician , 4 Years experience as Electronics

service engineer. Knowledge in all

type of Electronics items. Looking for

suitable placement. GSM- 99105043

Searching a land surveyor job

fully know latest instrument of

Survey GPS and Total station two

year OMAN experience.NOC Avail-

able. Contact +96894144052,

Email- wasifnaz 313@yahoo.com

Part- Time Accountant, well expe-

rience senior accountant ,doing all

type of accounting works, Finaliza-

tion, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439

Indian male experienced material

segregation with D/L seeks suita-

ble placement. Contact: 92715032

Email: santhoshgeorge99@gmail.

com

Indian male 26 years (MBA Fi-

nance) seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 92715032

Email: ajisd@yahoo.com

Indian male 26, on vist visa, 2+

yrs of experience with UAE D/L,

IATA-FIATA,BBA looking for any

suitable job. Contact 91324567

D.M.E, Indian, 12 yrs experience in

Oman, in Project Estimation, Execu-

tion, Quality & marketing working

as Estimation Engineer in acid &

water tanker, semi trailor company,

with havin driving license & will get

NOC, seeks suitable job in Oman.

Contact 98968495.

Indian male, 26 years, With 7 years

of experience in Sales Field in ship-

ping company in “Dubai” , looking

for suitable placement. Experienced

working in safety Marine equip-

ment and well versed with MS

Office. Contact: 90182494,

manojmallya999@gmail.com

Senior Accountant Indian male 35

Years with 13 Years of Experience

(7 years in Oman) in Accounts &

Finance having valid Omani Driv-

ing License. Looking for job in GCC

Countries. Contact: 96001918

Indian male 34 Yrs., Dual MBA

Finance and marketing With

IT skills, 7+ yrs. of experience,

looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 94879615, Email-

sajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

Indian male M. Com 10 years of

experience looking for Part time

Job can do finalization #97433387

or thodaforme@gmail.com

Indian male 25yr B. Com 4

years experience in trading and

contracting field in India looking

for suitable accountant vacancies.

Please contact 96155921 or

fysal.nellaya@gmail.com

Indian male looking job part time

driver. Contact: 93884951

Indian male BE, (ECE) 18 months

experience in Telecom Sector as

installation and Commissioning

Engineer, troubleshooting

the bts, 3G and LTE equipments cur-

rently on visit. Contact: 95183497

Email: v.karthi984@gmail.com

27,male,ACCA finalist, have

professional experience up to

finalization of accounts, statutory

and internal audit, expertise in us-

ing tally, focus and oracle software,

have 3.5 years experience in ac-

counts till finalization ,seeking for

permanent replacement in senior

position, GSM-91324962,

email-abdullah.nooralam@gmail.com

Chief Accountant , 7 years experi-

enced (out of 25 years experience

in accounts) worked in reputed

group companies. Currently procur-

ing MBA finance and having Omani

Driving License seeks suitable

openings from reputed companies.

Contact : 95598477 / 98803439

Female 5 years experienced Oman

as Senior Accountant. SKILLS :

ERP9, MS OFFICE, SAGE, ACCPAC.

GSM # 95483804 / 9986 8330.

MAIL : sararowshan344@gmail.com

Indian male 25 yrs, MBA

(Finance, Marketing), Overall 2 yrs

exp in Accounts/Finance field, On

Visit Visa. Immediately available.

Contact – 92989197 / 94786544.

mail: abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com.

Bangladeshi male, University MA,

working as administrator in Oman;

searching better job. #91997605

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

WANTED

IELTS Coaching (academic) required

nearby wadi Kabir area. Please call

on mobile or msg on Whats up. Mo-

bile no: 92927880/99012165

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes,

Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound

Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering

and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound &

Light. ww.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

Indian Female, 24 Years - MSc

Biotechnology. Worked in Inter-

national Crops Research Institute

For The Semi Arid Tropics for pro-

ject work as trainee. Looking for

suitable job. Mobile: 92619048,

Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

Indian sales marketing professional

highly experienced in business

development in ME India and Africa

seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97897611,

gpg2016@outlook.com

Indian male 32, MBA (Marketing &

Finance) with 10 years experience in

Marketing of Banking Products & In-

surance Industry. Seeking for a Job in

Oman. Contact: 93576980, 97750460

Email: senthil.cbe83@gmail.com

Indian sales marketing professional

highly experienced in business

development in ME India and Africa

seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97897611

Indian male 28 yrs having 6 years

experience in Oman in Sales &

Marketing & Office Administration,

looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 99142314

Indian male B. Pharm 15 years

sales experience MOH Pharmacist

license driving license looking

for opportunities in Pharmacy or

Sales and marketing can get NOC.

Contact: 99694865

Indian male, BBM, MBA, having 3

years experience in Sales looking

for suitable job. Contact: 92796046

Indian male, Graduate, 9 yrs expe-

rience in FMCG – UAE, valid GCC

driving license on visit seeks

suitable position. Contact

92419491 / 94881950,

Email : pranilpp76@gmail.com

A dynamic professional, Female,

with 8 years of experience in

PURCHASE,SALES COORDINATION

,OFFICE ASSISTANT, residing in

Oman with valid NOC from current

company,looking for a suitable job,

Ready to join Immediately”.

Contact:-shiji4123@gmail.com

Phone:- 94157662

South Indian hold 12 years Omani

residency – B.E, MBA, PGDM, MCIM,

result oriented self starter - Techno

commercial Executive 15 years core

experience in business develop-

ment/ marketing oil & gas (all

streams) & manufacturing. seek-

ing suitable placement. Contact

99277816/ myakram@hotmail.com

Indian male 22 BBA Graduate one

year experience in Oman with val-

id Oman driving license looking for

a placement. Contact: 96357787

Looking for immediate sales and

marketing 3 years GCC experience

with valid driving license now on

visit visa till Feb 12.

Contact: 99642611

Email: kashif_iam@yahoo.com

Graduate, computer literate,

experienced in sales, credit

control, accounts, Omani D/L ,

seeks suitable placement.

Gsm 98805474

Indian male 25 yrs, MBA in mar-

keting on visit looking for a job in

Sales and Marketing. #91270215

Email: nibuvarughese13@gmail.com

Indian Male, pursuing ACCA with

knowledge in C++, Java looking for

accounting job. Contact 94743462.

Email: zabinbashu@gmail.com

Indian, Keralite seeks cleaning

job part time. Contact: 90169048

HR Manual, Employee Hand-

book, Recruitment, Training, HR

Consultancy. Are you looking for

freelancer HR professional? Please

contact on 97914669

BE Mechanical Engineer / MBA

Indian male 25 yrs, currently

working in Qatar skills MEP de-

signing surveying, Oracle, Auto-

CAD, SAP. Contact: 97474470866

& C/O in Oman 95071632

Indian male, 23 years PG diploma

in Petroleum Engineering and

B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering

holding UAE driving license seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 95880127 / 95084905

Email: vijith2573459@gmial.com

Indian Female, Master of Tech-

nology (M.Tech) in Electronics

& Communication Engineering,

currently in Muscat with Family

Visa,1+ year experience in Teach-

ing seeks suitable placement in

Muscat. Contact 96209509

B.TECH ( IT) . 24 years, 2 Years of

experience in technical support,

software development, network-

ing, troubleshooting and manag-

ing, seeks suitable placement.

Contact GSM- 98184170

Indian Male 4 years experience

Chef. Indian, Chinese Cuisine seek

suitable placement. # 99883019

Indian male having 6 Years of

Experience in Oman Having Valid

Driving License working as a

Purchase officer, looking for a

suitable Position, NOC Available.

Contact: 95132564 / 96456071,

E-mail:naji1988@gmail.com

Indian female 22 years 1 year ex-

perience in Secretary & Account-

ing, Tally, looking for suitable job

on visit visa. Contact: 97084473

Email: jumihasin10@gamil.com

Relationship Manager, Indian

male 28 yrs, BBA, MBA 5 year’s

exp, currently working in India

computer skilled. Contact: 0091

974710108 / 95071632

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

5 years experience in IT sales &

marketing working as sales coor-

dinator in Oman; searching better

job. Phone: 91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Indian Male 28yr age having

7year gulf+ Indian experience in

HR/Admin field, looking for suita-

ble placement. Contact:97914340,

Email: rajkv3086@gmail.com

Part- Time Accountant, well ex-

perienced senior accountant ,do-

ing all type of accounting works,

Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact : 98803439

Indian male Executive Secretary

having vast experience in admin,

logistics & procurement well versed

with computer seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact : 99514286,

Email : azimmohd@yahoo.co.in

Sri Lankan Male, 23 years old with

3 years of Sales experience and

basic accounting knowledge (AAT

and Tally) Seeking for a suitable

position. Contact-94864296

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/ net-

working/ server, valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement in IT/

Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532

Indian, male, 28, BBM degree

holder. having 2 years experience.

1 year in banking industry & 1 year

in hotel industry. good accounts

knowledge also. seeking a suitable

job. # 94678590,

email: awesh.khokar@gmail.com

DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6 D7

TOURS

TOURS

RENT A CAR

Car available with driver on

daily rent and Monthly. Contact:

96728065 / 98031620

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP

specification for monthly rent &

small car with driver.

Contact: 99839898

SITUATION WANT-ED

TOURS

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00

noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to

space availability

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

TRANSPORTATION

We need transport from Mabella

to Mawalleh for student &

employee. Contact: 92757673

Transportation.Contact: 99099714

Transportation Al Khuwair.

Contact: 92711421

Transportation available Ruwi to

Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

Transportation. Contact 92015894

Transportation. Contact 96173326

Transportation. Contact 94510847

DRIVING

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with

Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours contact 98029602,

92808636

We arrange tours & accommoda-

tion at all the beautiful places in

Oman. Contact 99839898

Plot for sale Shadnagar Munici-

pality, Mahboob Nagar District,

walk able distance to existing

colonies, national highway and ba-

sic amenities at reasonable price.

Contact – 0091 8686631669

One bedroom flat in Guruvayoor

Kerala, 2 minutes walk to Guruvay-

oor temple direct owner.

Contact: 00968 99466800

Plot, propeties for sale in

prime location in pune Contact

95272138, (+918390982975)

NRI

MATRIMONIAL

Hindu nair age 64,

looking for a suitable girl.

Contact: 0091 755900189

SITUATION WANT-ED

BUSINESS

An Investing partner needed for

a printing press.

Contact: 99498949

MV SALE

Hiace Toyota van for sale, model

2010. Contact: 94203204

Rav4 ,2015,38000 km No.2 O.R

8200. Contact : 96474787

Hummer H2 model 2006, 178000

km, Full options Number 1 Army

edition.OMR 7200.

Contact -99466773

Chaverlet Epica 2004 model

RO -700, for sale. Contact 92194205

BMW 318/ 2003 for sale.

Contact 96364990

BUYING

LOST

FOR HIRE

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

Rashid Mehmood has lost Pakistan

Passport No. CB 0151723. Finder

please handover to ROP

I, Ridhwan Fazlu Rahman (PP

No: L6690102), lost my CBSE

10th certificate & migration, roll

No: 8107321(S.No: SSE/2014,

0430292). If anyone find please

handover to nearest police station

or Contact: 968- 99334391

Husna Ally Omary has lost Tanza-

nia Passport No. AB 609157. Finder

please handover to ROP.

GOOD NEWS

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments

& massage, Ayurvedic clinic at

AL Khuwair. Contact: 24478618 /

97263637 / 93309131

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to

know more about Islam, please

call: 99425598, 99250777,

99353988, 99253818, 99341395,

and 99379133. For ladies:

99415818, 99321360, 99730723

Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

Ayurvedic treatment for back-

ache, paralysis, arthritis etc &

massage, All Season

(Vaidyaratnam).

Contact: 24475280 / 95371664 /

92504980 www.siddhayur.com

D8 S U N D AY, J A N UA R Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SITUATION WANT-SERVICES

Split & window A/c servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089 /

95323517

For wooden Aluminum door,

windows. Contact: 98796982

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont

Maintenance services electric,

plumbing and A/C.

Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble.Contact 24793614/

99314807

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/24792998

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

SITUATION WANTEDEDUCATION/CLASSES/TRAINING/COMPUTER/WEBSITE

Classes for Spoken EnglishTOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT

Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed

IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

EAGLES INSTITUTE92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | Email: engominst@gmail.com

Karate and self defense classes

at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per

month twice a week Monday and

Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM.

CONTACT 98294551

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English

class for Malayalam Speakers in Azaiba and Ruwi

earn in two monthstion guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

M

FURNITURE SHIFTING

Maintenance, Dismantling, Packing,

Shifting & Fixing furniture

with expert technicians.

Contact: 99041337

Pest Control Treatments. Ocean Center LLC.

Contact: 99344723

Cleaning & Carpet Shampooing, Ocean Center LLC.

Contact: 99344723

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

Water proofing ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Building maintenance. Contact: 96173326

A/C maintenance & servicing,

fridge, washing machine & dish

washer repairing, painting &

cleaning services, electrical &

plumbing. Contact: 99447257 /

97014234 / 24504281

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. Contact:

24810137, 99450130