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‘Honour HM with work not holiday’

Staff Reporters

MUSCAT: Parliamentarians, citizens, economic experts and industry heads said that people should double their eff orts and be committed to work towards na-tion-building instead of demand-ing or expecting public holidays to celebrate the return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the Sultanate.

“It is His Majesty’s vision and commitment that has placed this

country in a commendable position among developed nations. For the last four decades, he had been toil-ing for the progress of the nation. So, as a sign of respect for His Maj-esty’s eff orts and for the cause of nation-building, we should not de-mand or look for holidays to mark his return. Rather, we should work harder to make His Majesty’s vi-sion come true,” Tawfi q Al Lawati, a Majlis Al Shura member, told the Times of Oman.

Soon after His Majesty’s arrival on Monday, unoffi cial messages claiming to be from the govern-ment stated that holiday had been declared to mark HM’s return. The unoffi cial message circulated through Whatsapp and posted on social networking sites created confusion among the public.

“If we look into the total num-ber of holidays, we will fi nd that in Oman, on an average we get a holiday every second day. This is not the time to revel. It is time to work for the fulfi lment of HM’s vision,” added Tawfi q. >A6

No public holiday is

needed to celebrate

His Majesty’s return,

say many sections

of Oman society

WORLDGerman school mourns 16 teens

2A sea of lit candles and fl owers covered the front steps of a German school

deep in mourning on Wednesday after 16 of its students who died in a plane disaster in the French Alps. Bereaved pupils wept near the makeshift memorial of candles to share the pain of losing their friends. >A22

MARKETMSM Sharia Index reconstituted

3Muscat Securities Market has reconstituted its Sharia Index by adding three more

companies and removing one fi rm from the basket of companies that constitute the index. The included fi rms are Al Batinah Development and Investment, Oman Cables Industry and Computer Stationary Industry. >B1

OMANCracks spotted in KOM 2 building

1Employees of the KOM 2 building at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) were

evacuated after a maintenance inspection of the building revealed cracks, said a press statement from the KOM. The KOM is committed towards the safety of its community, the statement added. >A4

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

A5‘Some fl ights could be shifted from Muscat to Sohar Airport’

CELEBRATIONS AT MUTTRAH CORNICHE: On the occasion of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said returning to his homeland, the

Wilayat of Muttrah represented by the offi ce of Muttrah’s wali organised a celebration on the Corniche in Muttrah. Nationals as well as

expatriates participated in the celebration. — Shabin E/ Times of Oman

World leaders greet HM on returnMUSCAT: World leaders have greeted His Majesty Sultan Qa-boos bin Said on the occasion of his safe return to Oman after spending eight months in Germa-ny undergoing medical treatment.

His Majesty received a cable of greetings from His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emir-ates on the safe return of His Maj-esty to the homeland. In his ca-ble, Sheikh Khalifa expressed his sincere greetings, and that of the brotherly people of United Arab Emirates, on this happy occasion.

Sheikh Khalifa prayed to Allah the Almighty to perpetuate good health and continuous wellbeing on HM and bestow blessings of security, stability, peace and pros-perity on Oman and its people.

In his cable of greetings, Iran’s President Dr Hassan Rouhani ex-pressed his happiness at receiving

the news of His Majesty’s return to the Sultanate, coupled with his good health and wellbeing.

Constructive roleThe Iranian president said, “Un-doubtedly, the constructive role of your Majesty in your country and the region to achieve welfare and security will continue once again with your presence.”

The president also expressed his happiness over the good rela-tions between the two countries, praying to Almighty Allah to grant His Majesty good health and well-

being and the Omani people hap-piness and success.

Wishing HM through a cable, President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine, chairman of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, expressed his “sincere greetings and best wishes to His Majesty on this cheer-ful occasion, praying to the Allah the Almighty to grant His Majesty good health and success to continue his prosperous march in leading his subjects towards further progress, peace and prosperity while serving the issues of his nation.” >A6

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A2 T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

OMAN

HM the Sultan receives thanks cableMUSCAT: Participants at the meeting of the Global Policy Group (GPG) of the World Health Organization (WHO), and hosted by the Sultanate have sent a cable of thanks to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on conclusion of their meeting.

In their cable, the participants expressed deepest thanks to His Majesty for the warm reception and generous hospitality they

received during their stay in the Sultanate.

They also expressed their ap-preciation and respect to His Majesty for the comprehensive development witnessed by the Sultanate in all fi elds under his wise leadership.

The WHO hailed the develop-ment witnessed by the health sector in the Sultanate and the steady eff orts made by the Omani

government to promote this vi-tal sector and render high qual-ity and effi cient health services. It also appreciated the Sultanates’ continuous and constructive co-operation with world health or-ganisations and institutions.

The participants also expressed their joy for their meeting’s co-incidence with His Majesty the Sultan’s safe return home while enjoying good health.–ONA

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Asians held for liquor smugglingTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Two Asians were ar-rested at the Wadijizi border post while trying to bring in liqour concealed in the trunk of their car, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has said.

The ROP also said that Omani was arrested while trying to smug-gle 32 beehives, while personnel at the Hafi t border post arrested another national trying to smuggle speed radar detectors. Yet another Omani was arrested for trying to bring in six Asians illegally via the Wadijizi border post.

In Hamriyah area, two Asians were arrested for drug traffi cking and 149 capsules of heroin were recovered from them. Another person was arrested for smug-

gling 95 capsules of narcotics hidden in his vehicle via the same border post.

Twelve persons were arrested on charges of prostitution in the Wilayat of Salalah of Dhofar governorate.

An offi cial at the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said that the ac-cused were arrested in Aljadida area of Salalah following a raid on their fl at.

All the legal actions have been taken against the accused.

C R I M E R E P O R T

DRUG HAUL: Two Asians were arrested for drug traffi cking and

149 capsules of heroin were recovered from them.–ROP

Education technology meeting held

MUSCAT: Omani Society for Educational Technology (OSET) on Wednesday organ-ised the 3rd International Edu-cational Technology Confer-ence at the Gulf College in Seeb.

Dr Said bin Hamad Al Rubaie, Secretary General of the Coun-cil of Education, who was the chief guest of the event, said we live the era of modern knowl-edge and technology.

He pointed out that the out-come of this conference will help in developing of the educa-tional process and the confer-ence will give participants the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in educa-tion technologies to use them in the educational aspects.

Earlier, six workshops about how to apply modern methods in education and other learning techniques were conducted be-fore the opening of the confer-ence.–ONA

G L O B A L C O N F E R E N C E

A4 T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

OMAN KOM 2building at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) were evacuated after a maintenance inspection of the building revealed cracks

Misfat Al Abreyeen beckons honeymoonersTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Attractive travel and tourism packages, particularly highlighting Misfat Al Abreyeen in Al Hamra region as a romantic and exotic destination for honeymoon-ers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be showcased by Oman in the ‘The Bride Show 2015’ which began at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre on Wednesday,

the Ministry of Tourism has an-nounced.

Striking landscapeMisfat Al Abreyeen is an oasis sur-rounded by lush date trees amidst a striking landscape which once housed a centre of trade, religion education and art.

The village has clung to its tra-ditional roots and remains a cosy and intimate area that celebrates

the fl avour and authenticity of the Sultanate.

The ministry is participating in the three-day event alongside Al Rais Tours. It aims to enhance its presence within the UAE market and attract diff erent markets.

Al Rais Tours, is a top travel agency dedicated to providing effi -cient, safe and cost-eff ective travel solutions to a diverse clientele.

Bride Show 2015 provides a use-

ful platform to promote awareness on the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Oman.

Leading eventAs the leading wedding and life-style event, the exhibition show-cases the latest in bridal fashion, jewellery, make-up, accessories as well as venues, destinations and accommodation from participat-ing vendors and representatives.

T O U R I S M S E C T O R

Cracked building evacuated

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Employees of the KOM 2 building at the Knowl-edge Oasis Muscat (KOM) were evacuated after a maintenance inspection of the building re-vealed cracks, said a press state-ment from KOM.

“Derived from the commit-ment of KOM towards the safety of its community from the staff to the operating companies, international specialised con-sultants have been appointed to study these cracks,” added the release.

Following the initial tests, it was recommended that the build-ing be evacuated as a precaution and detailed examinations of the building be undertaken in order to facilitate maintenance work, and to avoid any inconvenience to the companies and clients.

The competent authorities were notifi ed of the matter, and the evacuation process got un-derway from March 17. The op-erating companies in the building were informed about the cracks in detail. Suitable space was also provided to the majority of the companies in other buildings in KOM, and work is underway to accommodate the others as per their requirements.

Alternative siteThe companies were moved to the alternate offi ces without any interruption in their schedules. The transfer and evacuation was done entirely at KOM’s expense. The building was closed starting from Tuesday morning, and no one was allowed inside without permission from KOM’s Depart-ment of Operations and under its supervision.

Meanwhile, the Public Estab-lishment for Industrial Estates, (PEIE) represented by KOM, has commenced legal action.

KOM said it would like to ex-tend its appreciation for the sig-nifi cant co-operation and eff orts of the competent authorities and service providers in the evacua-tion process which was complet-ed in record time.

“KOM would also like to thank the operational companies for keeping in mind the public inter-est,” said the press release.

KOM said it would issue up-dates on the developments, while confi rming that the action under-taken was a precautionary meas-ure keeping in mind the safety of employees.

It was recommended

that the building

be evacuated as

a precaution and

detailed examination

of the building be

undertaken for

maintenance work

RISK MANAGEMENT: The companies in the building were in-

formed about the cracks and suitable space was provided to the

majority of the companies in other buildings.– Supplied photo

DREAM LOCATION: The village has clung to its traditional roots and

remains a cosy and intimate area that celebrates the fl avours and

authenticity of the Sultanate.–Supplied photo

State Council hosts school studentsTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Young students from the Al Hassan Bin Hashim School and Al Imam Jaber Bin Zayed School got an insight into the working of the State Council.

Earlier, the Council, which hosted the students, welcomed them to its premises on arrival for a familiarisation tour.

Ahmed bin Humaid Al Shibli, Deputy Manager of Legal Aff airs Committee, gave them a presen-tation which detailed the organi-sation set-up of the Council, its various organs, its responsibili-ties and tasks assigned to it.

The presentation detailed the special provisions of the State Council as mentioned by the Ba-sic Law of the State, which stipu-lates the number of members, the mechanism of appointment, the qualifying conditions for mem-

bership, and outlined the diff er-ence between the State Council and the Majlis Al Shura’s terms of reference, membership and members.

The students received a de-tailed explanation about the functions and powers of the Council, and the tasks and re-sponsibilities entrusted to it.

The presentation highlighted the compatibility and integra-tion between the two councils, and the critical role played by the joint meetings between the State Council and the Shura Council.

The students’ visit concluded with the queries of students be-ing answered. The Council offi -cials emphasised their keenness to activate and enhance their re-lationship with the local commu-nity through lectures and semi-nars, supported by the website, and social media.

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Oman Air to service 75 destinations by 2020

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Oman Air will be fl ying to 75 destinations by 2020, the na-tional carrier of Oman announced on Wednesday.

Replying to a question by the Times of Oman, Paul Gregorow-itsch, CEO of Oman Air, said that they would be fl ying to 75 destina-tions in Asia, Africa and Europe by 2020. “By that time we will have 70 aircraft to fl y to these destina-tions,” he said.

Currently, Oman Air is fl ying to 47 destinations worldwide.

Regarding the destinations, he said that they are looking at launch-ing China fl ights by winter. “We are

also looking at fl ying double daily to London by winter,” he said.

He also said that the existing rights between India and Oman will get over with the launch of Goa fl ights. “But we want fl y to more places in India and we want these rights to be increased,” he said, on the sidelines of the First Interna-tional Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) Confer-ence ‘The HIVE’ on Wednesday

at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa today.

For this, the airline is looking at newly built airports, which pro-vide more facilities. “We are look-ing at places like Kolkata in the Eastern part of India,” he said.

He also said their team is work-ing hard to reduce the losses and added, “By 2017 we should be able to break even.”

Last year, the airline made a loss

of OMR100 million, and he wants to bring that down to OMR60 mil-lion this year.

He also hopes to add 70 per cent of Omanis to the workforce in the next few years. “Currently we have staff strength of 6,200 and we are looking to make that 7,000 by the year end as per our expansion plans,” he said.

Oman Air has 59 per cent Oma-nis on board right now.

Gregorowitsch, however, ruled out the possibility of a low cost airline being launched as he had doubts over the sustainability of such a venture. “It will be tough to run a low cost airline as the operat-ing costs will be similar to that of a full-fl edged airline,” he said.

With the government moving towards issuing a second licence for a second airline in the Sultan-ate, the CEO of Oman Air said that the airline will welcome any com-petition and may even participate in the process.

Gregorowitsch said that they are already facing serious competi-tion as far as outbound passengers from Muscat are concerned.

“Around 60 per cent of the mar-ket share from Oman is with our competitors. We are operating in a competitive environment even at the moment,” he said.

Oman Air CEO said

their top priority is to

reduce losses. By 2017

the national carrier

hopes to break even

Oman Air chief for shifting some fl ights to Sohar

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Some international fl ights could be shifted from Mus-cat to Sohar Airport to reduce congestion, suggested Oman Air CEO, Paul Gregorowitsch.

Speaking on the sidelines of the fi rst International Op-erational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) conference, the CEO said, “If Muscat is getting too many passengers, like what is happening today, to maintain safety and to save those airlines who are already having tailends here from Doha and Dubai, and not bringing in too many passen-gers, they can be shifted to Sohar.”

He also said that airlines which bring in “economy” to Oman should be allowed to expand at the Muscat International Air-port. “Airlines like Oman Air which contribute to the economy of Oman should not be held back by the lack of infrastructure at Muscat,” he said.

The conference was opened under the auspices of Dr Ahmed Mohammed Salem Al Futaisi, minister of transport and com-munications. The Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) opened the First International Operational Readiness and Air-port Transfer (ORAT) Confer-ence ‘The HIVE’ at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa on Wednesday. The fi rst-of-its-kind conference in the Sultanate, aims to achieve a number of goals including building and activating channels of communication be-tween experts and specialists in the fi eld of airport management with a focus on successful opera-tions of the new airports, discuss-ing and sharing ORAT concepts and methodologies through bringing together key organisa-tions from across the world.

Dr Khalfan bin Said Al Shueili, general manager of readiness said, “We are honoured that the timing of this conference coin-cides with the national celebra-tion for the safe return and good health of His Majesty Sultan Qa-boos bin Said.”

He added, “‘The Hive’ confer-ence has attracted aviation in-dustry speakers and delegates from around the world, and has been organised by the OAMC in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Communica-tions and the Public Authority for Civil Aviation, with Oman Air as the platinum sponsor. This conference is very timely as fi ve new international and regional airports, all developed in accord-ance to the highest international standards, will soon become operational throughout the Sultanate.”

The fi rst speaker of the day was Patti Chau, regional director of the Airports Council Interna-tional (ACI) who highlighted the transformation of the Middle East into aviation’s next interna-tional hub and the need to con-tinue the momentum of growth to capitalise on the region’s stra-tegic geographical location.

She was followed by Gregorow-itsch who spoke of Oman Air’s renaissance, its journey to be-come operationally profi table by 2017 and its objective to be-come a regional leader in the aviation industry.

This was followed by a panel discussion on the impact of new airport projects on the busi-ness growth of airport opera-tions. Moderated by renowned journalist and chairman of New Arab Debates Tim Sebastian, the panel comprised regional and international airport man-agement leaders including Eng Saeed bin Khamis Al Zadjali, act-ing CEO of OAMC, Eng Ahmed Al Haddabi, COO of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Dr Mustafa Sani Sener, president and group CEO TAV Airports Turkey and Marcel Hungerbuehler, COO of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

The second session of the conference was opened by Sally Blackwell, retired ORAT director from Heathrow Airports Group who spoke of lessons learnt from the opening of Heathrow’s Ter-minals 5 and 2.

E A S I N G C O N G E S T I O N

But we want fly to more

places in India... We are

looking at places like

Kolkata in the Eastern

part of India

Paul GregorowitschCEO of Oman Air

AVIATION UPGRADATION: The Oman Airports Management Com-

pany opened the First International Operational Readiness and

Airport Transfer Conference ‘The HIVE’ at the Shangri-La’s Barr

Al Jissah Resort and Spa on Wednesday. –Jun Estrada/TIMES OF OMAN

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OMANT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

His Majesty is our model and we should read the direct and indirect messages he has conveyed to us in avoiding the formalities of his arrival

Maitha Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary of Ministry of Tourism, Oman

Leaders

greet HM

Congratulating His Majesty, Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Al Tayyeb, grand sheikh of Al Azhar said, “I pray to Allah to perpetuate good health, wellbe-ing and long life on His Majesty for the good of the Arab and Is-lamic nations and bestow bless-ings of continuous security, stability and prosperity on the Omani people.”

Comoros President Dr Ikil-ilou Dhoinine expressed his sin-cere greetings and best wishes and that of the Comorian people to His Majesty and the Omani people. He prayed to Allah to protect His Majesty and grant him a good health, wellbe-ing and a long life, and protect Oman against all harm.

President of SomaliaHis Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said has received a cable of greetings from President Has-san Sheikh Mohamud of the Federal Republic of Somalia on the occasion of the auspicious return of His Majesty to the homeland.

In his cable, President Mo-hamud expressed his sincere greetings and that of the broth-erly people of Somalia, praying to Allah to grant His Majesty a continuous health, wellbeing and a long life, and the Omani people further progress and prosperity under His Majesty’s wise leadership. — ONA

B E S T W I S H E S

< FROM

A1

GPG meeting concludes

MUSCAT: Global Policies Group meeting (GPG) concluded its sessions on Wednesday. The meeting, hosted by the Sultanate’s Ministry of Health, was organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and participated in by Dr Margret Chan, WHO Director General along with her deputy and regional directors of the six WHO regions. — ONA

G L O B A L P O L I C I E S G R O U P

Long holidays not good for the economic growth

His Majesty was being given medical treatment in Germany for the last eight months and on the last National Day, which falls on November 18, he had to give a televised message to the people wishing them prosperity and re-assuring them about his health.

An offi cial from a government trade body said that people should be committed to work and they can celebrate at their offi ces.

Celebrate at workplace“It is time for celebration, but people should try to do that at their workplace. Even if leave has been granted, it should not be a long one. Like it is done in Euro-pean countries, it should be a two-day holiday either following the weekend or before the weekend,” said Mohammed Hassan Al Ansi, vice-chairman of the Committee of Logistics and Transportation Aff airs at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI).

“Long holidays are not good for the country’s economy,” added the offi cial.

An offi cial from the tourism de-partment said that it is a chance to reward HM by working hard and the people know numerous other

ways to express their happiness in-stead of bringing work to a stop.

“His Majesty is our model and we should read the direct and in-direct messages he has conveyed to us in avoiding the formalities of his arrival,” said Maitha Al Mah-rouqi, undersecretary of Ministry of Tourism, said.

“Our gift to His Majesty should be to work even harder, some-thing we should have learnt from him,” said Al Mahrouqi.

A top offi cial of an investment fi rm said that no holidays should be declared.

“It is time to work. We should keep our eyes open. We have a long way to go to achieve progress. HM has put in his eff orts and now it is our responsibility to take it for-ward,” said Anwar Al Balushi, chair-man of Anwar Asian Investment.

“There is no reason to demand public holidays on the occasion and people should instead double their eff orts,” said Abdullah Al Saddi, a government offi cial.

An Omani national Malik Al Hinai also said that a holiday was not necessary.

“We are extremely happy that HM is home, but I am not in favour of a holiday. The best gift as citizens

is to continue working and building the nation,” said Al Hinai.

Mohammed Al Mashani, gen-eral manager of corporate aff airs, Port of Salalah, said that there was no point in demanding public holidays on the occasion. People should work harder to show their dedication to the development of the Sultanate.

“I do not think we require a holiday. Actually, we should work harder to give a boost to the economy,” said the offi cial at Port of Salalah, the largest port in the Sultanate.

However, Hussain Al Noumani, an employee at PDO, said a holi-day would be a good chance for Omanis to celebrate His Majes-ty’s return with their loved ones.

He added, “I think a holiday will be a great way to celebrate HM’s return. That way, it will allow Omanis to be with their families to interact together and celebrate HM’s achievements.

“Plus, we never really celebrat-ed his birthday on November 18 as he was away. So, there is noth-ing better than celebrating a be-lated birthday!” — With inputs from Reji-

mon K, Fahad Al Ghadani, Elham Pourmohammadi

and Sarah MacDonald

C E L E B R A T E W O R K

< FROM

A1

Picture by Talib Al Wahaibi/Times of Oman

Dedicated Muscat Container Terminal opens for businessBARKA: Muscat Container Ter-minal, which is the fi rst approved land port in the Sultanate, was opened at the wilayat of Barka, un-der the auspices of Said bin Ham-doon Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications for Ports and Maritime Aff airs. The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Hilal bin Said Al Hajri, Governor of South Al Batinah.

Al Harthy, said that Muscat Container Terminal is the most important logistic services ter-minals in the Sultanate. He added that the Sultanate is interested in the logistic services and logistic

strategy as it serves the aims of the national economy.

The Undersecretary of the Min-istry of Transport and Commu-nications for Ports and Maritime Aff airs and the attendees toured the departments and reviewed the procedures used to receive and handle containers. He also reviewed the services provided by the Public Administration for Cus-toms with regard to inspecting the retail goods.

While the Ministry of Agricul-ture and Fisheries provides the vet and agricultural quarantine services, the Ministry of Health provides health quarantine ser-

vices and Muscat Container Ter-minal provides the retail goods’ container handling, storing empty containers, offl oading container services. It also provides the trans-portation services for goods of diff erent sizes and provides the electricity service to the chilled containers.

Muscat Container Terminal aims at increasing the infl ow of goods, the development of busi-ness movement and increasing the effi ciency of logistic services and supply chain so that they can contribute to supporting the na-tional logistic services strategy 2040. — ONA

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OMANT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

People rejoice over HM’s return

Times News Service

MUSCAT: On the occasion of His Majesty the Sultan returning to his homeland, the Wilayat of Muttrah held a celebration on the Corniche.

The celebrations included spe-cial programmes like traditional

dances, folklore shows, national music and fi reworks. Nationals as well as expatriates attended the celebrations in large numbers. Celebratory events were held at Bausher and Sohar too.

Schools across Oman to held prayers and celebrations for His

Majesty. Indian School Darsait held a common prayer meeting at the school auditorium to celebrate the return of His Majesty the Sul-tan, the architect of modern Oman and to express their solidarity with the people of Oman. Verses from the Holy Quran were recited by the

Omani staff for the good health and long life of His Majesty the Sultan and sweets were distributed.

Bangladesh School Muscat (BSM) organised a special prayer for His Majesty the Sultan. Se-kander Ali, Ambassador of Bangla-desh to Oman along with other of-

fi cials paid homage to His Majesty the Sultan in the prayer.

Sekander Ali said, “On behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh I am happy to express my gratitude on the great occasion of His Majesty the Sultan’s great return to His beloved country and

people. We were praying and wait-ing for his grand homecoming, now we are extremely happy by the joyful presence of His Majesty in the Sultanate.”

Students and staff of Bangladesh School Sohar also prayed for His Majesty’s wellbeing. Bangladesh Schools Ja’lan, Sinaw and Saham also conducted prayer meetings.

A cake cutting ceremony was held at Pakistan School Muscat on Tuesday by the school manage-ment to celebrate the return of His Majesty the Sultan to his home-land after his successful treatment in Germany. The school hall was decorated with Omani fl ags and His Majesty’s portraits. The cer-emony started with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Qari Muham-mad Rahim followed by a warm welcome address by the Principal PSM Khalid Jadoon.

They wished His Majesty the Sultan a long life and paid him trib-utes for his services to his nation and expatriates. They expressed their heartfelt gratitude for his self-less concern for all the residents of the Sultanate of Oman.

Celebrations and

loyalty marches were

organised in all parts

of the Sultanate to

mark the return of His

Majesty the Sultan.

Schools also held

prayer meetings

for his good health CELEBRATION TIME: Both nationals and expatriates attended the celebrations at the Corniche in Muttrah in large numbers. Similar

events were held at Bausher and Sohar too.–Shabin E/TIMES OF OMAN

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OMANT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

HM receives thanks cable from India MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Pranab Mukherjee of India in reply to His Majesty’s greetings cable on the occasion of his country’s 66th National Day. President Mukher-jee expressed his utmost thanks, wishing His Majesty good health and happiness. –ONA

HM sends wishes to BangladeshMUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of con-gratulations to President Mohammad Abdul Hamid of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on the oc-casion of his country’s In-dependence Anniversary. His Majesty expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes to President Abdul Hamid and the friendly people of his country.–ONA

M E S S A G E S Outpouring of joy on return of HM

Times News Service

MUSCAT: People in Oman con-tinued to express their happiness over the return of His Majesty the Sultan.

Calling it a moment of joy, Dr Nigel Kuriakose said, “He is the visionary behind the Renaissance of modern day Oman. I was born in Khoula Hospital in the 1980’s and now work at the Sultan Qa-boos University Hospital. The de-velopment of world-class health-care facilities for citizens over the years was a priority for him which is indeed commendable, as only a few countries today can aff ord free quality healthcare for all.”

“I keep hearing my dad (who has been in Oman since the early 1970’s) proudly saying about how this nation has progressed from having one 10-kilometre stretch of road to currently having world class highways. There is no doubt that his foreign policy, religious tolerance and insistence on exist-ing as a peaceful country puts him in the frontline of probables to win the Nobel Peace Prize in the coming years,” said Dr Kuriakose.

Javed Nawaz, former chairman of the Pakistan Social Club said, “After living in Oman for over three decades, enjoying the bless-ings of His Majesty’s dynamic leadership, I can proudly say that Oman under his wise leadership has earned a unique place of re-spect in the comity of nations where Omanis as well as expatri-ates are fully enjoying the fruits

of peace, security, justice and fair legal system.”

“In a short span of 40 plus years Oman has uniquely developed infrastructure that deserves high appreciation. Under His Maj-esty’s kind governance education and training of Omani citizens, which are the keys to real pro-gress, have been given utmost pri-ority. With a single school in 1970, Oman has developed thousands of schools and several universi-ties which kindle the light for fu-ture progress,” he said.

Guidance and visionYusuf Nalwala, managing direc-tor and partner at Al Ansari, said, “Any society or any family always yearns for the welfare and wellbe-ing of its head. His Majesty is not just the head of the state but also a sincerely revered one by every citizen. His philanthropic nature, his guidance and vision in lead-ing this country have far reach-ing impact on Oman and also in the region.”

Bridget Ganguly said, “Wel-come home! Hamdellah Assala-mah! Aapka bahut swagat hai! Khushamdeedh! Soyez le bienv-enue! Herzlich willkommen zu Hause! Along with the symphony of voices resounding with the “Welcome Home” message, and prayers of gratitude going up to the Almighty for His Majesty’s good health, I would like to say as

an expatriate living in this beauti-ful country for over thirty years, my family and I have much to be grateful for.”

“Although Oman has been blessed with natural beauty, His Majesty’s management of its re-sources is what has made this country what it is today. A leader who cares deeply for his people, while respecting and honouring the guests who come here, is a re-fl ection of what is possible when one has the interests of the larger community at heart.

“His quiet dignity, the religious tolerance practiced in this coun-try, and his openness to dialogue are some of the reasons why peo-ple love and respect this great leader,” she said.

T. Bhaskaran said, “The safe re-turn of His Majesty to the Sultan-ate is the most heartening news to the citizens and the residents of Oman. Like the people of Oman, His Majesty has many admir-ers and well wishers across the world. The contributions made by His Majesty in many areas for promoting peace, harmony and brotherhood are well recognised and accepted by the world. The world is now passing through a turbulent state of aff airs. The peace initiatives driven by HM in maintaining peaceful co-ex-istence in the region, is by far the more important decision in a time of ugly situations.”

After enjoying

the blessings of

His Majesty’s

dynamic leadership,

expatriates said

that Oman under

his wise leadership

has earned a unique

place of respect in

the comity of nations

RIDING HIGH: Not only the Omani citizens but also expatriates

living in this beautiful country have much to be grateful for to His

Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.–Talib Al Wahaibi/TIMES OF OMAN

I would like to say as an expatriate living in this beautiful country for over thirty years, my family and I have much to be grateful for

Bridget Ganguly,Indian expatriate living in Oman for over 30 years

A9

REGIONT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

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Yemen’s Houthi militia close in on Hadi’s Aden

ADEN: Yemen’s leader was rushed to a “secure location” on Wednesday as Houthi forces bore down on his southern stronghold and a warplane attacked his presi-dential complex, prompting pleas for urgent intervention.

The escalating turmoil has stoked fears that Yemen — a front line in the US battle against Al Qaeda — is teetering on the brink of all-out civil war.

A top aide of President Abe-drabbo Mansour Hadi said the leader had been taken to a safe ha-ven “within Aden”, the southern port city where he fl ed last month.

Earlier a source in the presi-dential guard said that Hadi had fl own overseas, but the aide de-nied he had left the country.

Yemen has been gripped by growing turmoil since the Houthi rebels launched a power takeover in Sanaa in February.

In a major blow to the embat-tled leader, the Houthis said they had captured his defence minis-ter in their push southwards.

Several missiles were fi red by an unidentifi ed warplane at Hadi’s complex in Aden but missed his residence and hit an abandoned building, a presiden-

tial security offi cial said. Large crowds of Aden residents could be seen running to take up arms at a weapons depot in preparation for the expected rebel advance, an AFP photographer said.

Operations suspendedAs the security situation wors-ened, Aden’s international airport suspended operations.

Hadi appealed to the UN Se-curity Council on Tuesday to “shoulder its responsibilities... to safeguard Yemen from sliding into more chaos and destruction”.

His plea followed a warning from UN envoy Jamal Benomar that Yemen was sliding towards a “civil war”.

Rebel forces seized a key air-base just 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Aden on Wednesday,

days after US military personnel were evacuated from the site.

Yemen has allowed Washing-ton to wage a long-standing drone war against Al Qaeda militants in the country, which borders Saudi Arabia and lies close to key ship-ping routes.

The Houthis took control of Al Anad airbase following “limited clashes” with forces loyal to Hadi, an offi cial told AFP.

Rebel forces advanced deep into Lahej province, which is ad-jacent to Aden and where the re-bels said they had seized Hadi’s defence minister, General Mah-mud Al Subaihi.

Subaihi escaped house arrest at the hands of the Houthis in Sanaa this month. He had been seen as a vital ally of Hadi in charge of or-ganising defence lines aimed at averting the fall of Aden. Dozens of people have been killed as the Houthi militia, backed by troops allied to former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, have clashed with pro-Hadi forces as they push southwards. — Agencies

Houthis captured

defence minister as

President Abedrabbo

Mansour Hadi has

been taken to a safe

haven within Aden

ESCALATING TURMOIL: Houthi fi ghters ride a patrol truck in

Sanaa on Wednesday. Houthi forces in Yemen backed by allied

army units seized a key air base and appeared poised to capture

the southern port of Aden. – Reuters

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ARTICLE, PHOTOS

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

A10

FIND-IT-ALLT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr 12.18pm

Asr 3.44pm

Maghrib 6.25pm

Isha 7.35pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 4.50am

OMAN

Max 29Min 23

Max 27Min 23

Max 29Min 23

Max 34Min 22

Max 31Min 27Max 35

Min 21

Max 34Min 22

Max 30Min 25

CLEAR to partly cloudy skies over most of the governorates of the Sultanate, chances of convective clouds development withisolated rain occasionally thundershowerassociated with downdraft wind over AlHajar mountain and adjoining areas towards afternoon. Chances of late night to early morning low level clouds and fog patches along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea. EXPECTED WIND: Over most governorates of the Sultanate winds will be northerly to northwesterly light to moderate and southeasterly light to moderate along Arabian Sea coast.SEA STATE: Moderate along western Musandam with maximum wave height of 2.0 metres, and slight to moderate along the rest of Oman’s coast with maximum wave height of 1.5 metres. HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog formation and rain.THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Clear to partly cloudy skies over northern governorates with chances of isolated rain over governorate of Musandam and the coastal areas of Oman Sea. Chance of convective clouds developments and thundershower over Al Hajar mountains and adjoining areas. Chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea.

W E A T H E R L I S T I N G S

WORLD

Max 15Min 5

Max 37Min 15

Max 12Min 5

Max 35Min 20

Max 33Min 19

Max 26Min 17

Max 7Min 3

Max 32Min 25

Max Min

Abu Dhabi 26 20Doha 26 18Dubai 25 20Kuwait 24 17Manama 26 19Riyadh 25 14Athens 20 13Baghdad 26 10Barbados 28 23Beijing 19 5Berlin 8 3Boston 12 1Brussels 8 4Buenos Aires 22 14Cairo 35 19Chicago 6 -3Colombo 34 23Copenhagen 6 -3Dublin 8 2Frankfurt 9 3Harare 30 17Hong Kong 21 19Istanbul 19 11Jerusalem 21 11Johannesburg 21 13

Max Min

Kuala Lumpur 33 23Lisbon 17 11London 12 5Madrid 11 5Manila 32 25Mexico City 23 12Miami 27 25Moscow 7 3New Delhi 37 15New York 15 5Oslo 0 -1Panama 23 18Paris 10 6Perth 31 17Prague 13 5Rio de Janeiro 28 23Santiago 12 9Seoul 14 2Singapore 31 24Stockholm 2 1Sydney 26 17Taipei 22 18Tokyo 14 5Toronto 6 -3Vienna 17 8

PHARMACIESRound the clockAl Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666Muscat PharmacyRuwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635Atlas PharmacyGhubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715Muscat RegionAl Hashar, Ruwi1 24 Hr Br. Tel. 24537080Muscat, Al Sarooj. Tel: 24695536Belqees, Al Khoudh (OIB) Tel. 24535398Belqees, Ma’abelah. Tel: 24454624Dhofar RegionMuscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel. 23291635

HOSPITALS1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052Al Musafi r Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453Hatat Polyclinic LLC,Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006Al Raff ah Hospital: 24618900/1/2Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780Capital Polyclinic: 24707549Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740Ceregem National Raak: 24485633Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217Elixir Health Centre: 24565802Emirates Medical Centre: 24604540Hamdan Hospital: 23212340International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5Kims Oman Hospital: 2476010024 Hrs Emergency: 24760123Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128,

MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000

ROYAL OMAN POLICEEmergencies and inquiries: 9999General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603Directorate General of Customs: 24521109Traffi c violations inquiries: 24510228Public Relations Admin: 24560099

ACCOMMODATIONAl Bahjah Hotel: 24424400Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311Al Qurum Resort: 24605945Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979Beach Hotel: 24696601Bowshar Hotel: 24491105Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660Crystal Suites: 24826100Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234Haff a House Hotel: 24707207Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123InterContinental Muscat: 24680000Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900Marina Hotel: 24711711Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565Mina Hotel: 24711828Muttrah Hotel: 24798401Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199Oman Dive Centre: 24824240Park Inn: 24507888Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443

Ruwi Hotel: 24704244Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666The Chedi Muscat: 24524400The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570

MUSEUMSBait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fi sh market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pmNatural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm Thursday: 9am to 1pmMuseum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, Sat-Wed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pmOman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pmBait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscatmuseum@baitalzubairmuseum.comOpen from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm.National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pmSohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pmMuscat Gate Museum: At Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

L I S T I N G S

LISTINGS

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52)17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52)07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54)14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54)06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (Route 55)07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO SUR (Route 55)06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62)06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62)12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201)06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201)07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100)07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100)07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily

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

TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

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

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

CHILE: A forest fi re rages in the Conguillo National Park, Chile, on

Tuesday. Massive wildfi res in drought-stricken southern Chile have

wiped out hundreds of plant species, and are now threatening ani-

mal life and a national park as well, offi cials warned. — AFP

—www.met.gov.om

E V E N T S

Vacations holds The Big Summer Sale on March 26 and 27 at Salalah Grand Mall from 10 am to 10pm.

The Environment Society of Oman (ESO) is organising a family event designed to educate and increase awareness about climate change on March 28th from 5-7pm at Al Mouj Golf Course.

Orbit Events Management organises Indian Classical Music Concerts on March 27, 2015 at Al Bustan Palace at 10 am and 6 pm.

Talent Hunters Oman to host Musical Journey IV ‘Romance’ on April 4, at the Grand Hall, Al Falaj Hotel, at

7pm. Entry is by invitation only.

Tulu drama Medime to be staged on April 10 at the Grand Hall, Al Falaj Hotel, at 6.30pm.

SAI Group presents Times of Oman Open Essay Writing & Poster Making Competition 2015 on April 11, 18, 25 at diff erent venues. Last date for submission of entry forms is March 31.

Times of Oman Inter School Quiz Contest (TOOISQC). The fi nal of the quiz is slated for Friday, April 24 at the City Amphitheatre, the mega prelims will be held on April 22. The prelims will start from April 15.

C I N E M A S C H E D U L E

BAHJA CINEMA

STARS CINEMA

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

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

Film information 24791641 / 24786776

The Lovers (Action) (12+) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 &11.55 pmA Little Chaos (2D) (Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman 2:00 PM Has West El Balad (Arabic/ Drama) Cast: Elham Shahein, Zeina, Fathy Abdul Wahab2.00 & 6.00 pmCP No: 817 (15+)Ex- Machina (Thriller/ Sci:Fic) Cast: Oscar Isac, Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson6.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pmCP No: 815 (15+)Get Hard (Comedy) Cast: Will Farell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie4.00 & 8.00 p.m.CP No: 814 (15+)

100 Days Of Love (Mal) (Comedy) Cast: Dulquer Salman & Nithiya Menen3-00 & 10-00 pm Cinema Main\ 6-30pm Cinema -2\ 6-45 pm Cinema -3 Valiyavan (Tamil) (Action) Cast: Jai & Andrea Jeremiah 6-30 pm Cinema Main \9-30 pm Cinema -2\9-45 pm Cinema- 3 From Friday: 6-30 pm Cinema Main; 3:30 & 9:30pm Cinema -2; 9:45 pm Cinema -3 Kakki Sattai (Tamil) (Com\Act) Cast: Shiva Karthikeyan, Sri Divya & 3:45pm Cinema -3 (Thursday only) Temper (Telugu) (Act) Cast: Jr Ntr, Kajal Agarwal 3:45pm Cinema-4Nh 10 (Hindi) (Act) Cast: Anushka Sharma, Deepti6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -4

Get Hard (2D) (Comedy) (15+) Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison1:45, 5:30, 9:45 PMHome (2D) (Animation) (PG) 3:45 PMHome (3D) (Animation) (PG) 5:30 PMEx-Machina (2D) (Drama/Sci fi ) (15+) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson7:30, 9:30 PMTheeb(2D) (Adventure/Drama) (15+) Cast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Jack Fox6:00, 7:50 PMClown (2D) (Drama I Horror) (18+) Cast: Eli Roth, Peter Stormare, Laura4:00, 11:45 PMA Little Chaos (2D) (Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, 7:15 PMThe Lovers (2D) (Action) (12+) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton 9:30 PMInsurgent (3D) (Adventure I Sci Fi) (PG12) Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, 11:30 PMInsurgent (2D) (Adventure) (PG12) 1:45 PMThe Gunman (2D) (Action) (15+) 11:30 PM

10:30 AMHome (3D) (Animation) (PG)2:15 PM & 4:00 PMGold Class: 1:15 PMEx Machina (Sci-fi /Drama) (15+)Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall12:15 PM, 5:50 PM & 9:45 PM.Gold Class: 7:15 PM & 11:15 PM.Crazy Beautiful You (2D) (Action) (PG12)Cast: Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo, 5:30 PMGet Hard (2D) (Comedy) (15+)Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison7:45 PM & 9:45 PMGold Class: 3:15 PM & 9:15 PMA Little Chaos (2D) (Comedy) (PG12)Cast: Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman 11:15 AMClown (2D) (Horror) (18+)Cast: Eli Roth, Peter Stormare, Laura1:30 PM & 11:45 PMTheeb (2D) (Adventure) (12+)5:30 PMGold Class: 7:45 PM

Insurgent (3D) (Sci-Fi) (PG12)Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort 11:45 PM.Cinderella (2D) (Adventure) (PG)Cast: Lily James, Hayley Atwell, Richard3:30 PMHome (2D) (Animation) (PG)

SCREEN 1NH 10 – Hindi (Suspense) (12+)Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil2.30, 5.30 PM Valiyavan – Tamil (Action) PGCast: Andrea Jeremiah, Jai, Bala Saravanan8.30, 11.30 PMSCREEN 2 Dilliwali Zalim Girlfriend – Hindi (Comedy/Romance) (12+)Cast: Divyendu Sharma, Jackie Shroff , Prachi Mishra, Ira Dubey3.30 PMValiyavan – Tamil (Action) PG

Insurgent – 3D (PG12) (Adventure)7:15 , 11:30 PMThe Gunman – 2D (15+) (Action) 11:45 PMEx Machina– 2D (15+)(Drama) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall3:45, 5:45, 9:45 PM Get Hard – 2D (15+) (Comedy)Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison4:30, 7:45, 9:30 PMHome – 2D (PG) (Animation) 2:00 PMHome – 3D (PG) (Animation) 3:45, 5:30 PMCharlie Countryman – 2D (15+) (Comedy) Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood, 3:40 PMHaz West El Balad – 2D (Drama)Cast: Elham Shahein, Horeya Farghaly, 3:40 PMTheeb – 2D (12+) (Adventure) Cast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Jack Fox7:15 PMValiyavan – 2D (Tamil) (Romance)Cast: Jai, Andrea Jeremiah9:15 PMThe Lovers – 2D (12+) (Action) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton, 2:30, 11:45 PMClown – 2D (18+) (Drama |Horror)Cast: Eli Roth, Peter Stormare, Laura

The Lovers – 2D (12+) (Action) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton 5:45, 9:30 PMTheeb – 2D (12+) (Adventure)Cast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Jack Fox7:15 PMEx Machina – 2D (15+) (Drama)Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall3:30, 8:00, 11:45 PMGet Hard – 2D (15+) (Comedy)Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison6:15, 7:45,10:00 PMHome – 3D (PG) (Animation) 4:00, 5:30 PM100 Days of Love – 2D (PG) (Romance)Cast: Nithya Menon, Sekhar Menon, Dulquer Salmaan9:00 PMThe Gunman – 2D (15+) (Action) Cast: Javier Bardem, Sean Penn11:45 PMInsurgent – 3D (PG12) Adventure, 4:00, 11:30PM

Insurgent – 3D (PG12) Adventure,11:30 PMThe Gunman – 2D (15+) (Action) Cast: Javier Bardem, Sean Penn3:00 PMGet Hard (Comedy) (15+)

Ex Machine (2D)(15+) (Sci-Fi) Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall2:00/4:00/9:45PMThe Lovers (2D) (12+) (Action) Cast: Josh Hartnett, Tamsin Egerton 12:15/9:30PMInsurgent (3D)(PG12) (Adventure) 11:45PMThe Gunman (2D)(15+) (Action) 11:30PMA Little Chaos (2D)(PG12) (Comedy) 11:45AMCinderella (2D)(PG) (Drama/Family) 10:15AM/4:00PMGet Hard (2D)(15+) (Comedy) 12:00/5:30/7:30PMHome (2D)(PG)(Animation) 10:15AMHome (3D)(PG)(Animation) 2:00/3:45/6:00PMClown (2D) (18+) (Drama/Horror) 2:15/11:15PM100 Days of Love (2D) (PG) (Mal) 8:20PM (Comedy) Valiyavan (2D) (Tamil)( Action) 5:50PMTheeb (2D) (12+)(Arabic) 7:45PM

6:00, 9:40 PMEx Machina (Drama | Sci-Fi) (15+) 5:00, 11:45 PM100 Days of Love (Mal) (Romance) Cast: Nithya Menon, Sekhar Menon 6:55 PM (PG)Theeb (Arabic) (Adventure) (12+) Cast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Jack7:50 PMThe Lovers (Action ) (12+) 9:45 PMHome(3D) (Animation) (PG) 2:30, 4:15 PM

6.30 PMNH 10 – Hindi (Suspense) (12+)9.00, 11.45 PM

SCREEN 3100 Days of Love – Malyalam (Romance) – PGCast: Dulquer Salmaan , Nithya Menen 3.15, 6.00, 9.00, 11.45 pm

6:30, 11:30 PM100 Days of Love – 2D (Malayalam) (TBC ) (Comedy | Romance) Cast: Nithya Menon, Sekhar Menon, Dulquer Salmaan8:30 PM

COMMEN ARYT I M E S O F O M A NT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

Founder: Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali Chairman and Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al ZadjaliDeputy Editor-in-Chief: Anees bin Essa Al Zedjali Chief Executive Offi cer: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali

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You probably know from his weepy reminiscences that the speaker of the House in the United States, John Boehner, once worked as a bartender and a janitor, and took seven years to get out of college. Maybe you’ve heard that Gover-

nor Scott Walker of Wisconsin is a preacher’s son who churned out burgers and fries at McDonald’s. And you had to catch that bit from Senator Joni Ernst about putting bread bags over her shoes while growing up kind of poor in rural Iowa.

People from humble beginnings often carry an extra load of empathy through the success of their later lives, a sense that, with a few bad breaks, things could have gone the other way.

In the case of the three Republican leaders cited above, and most of those who aspire to be the GOP presidential nominee next year, these Horatio Al-gerians for the new Gilded Age are working to keep the downtrodden down. They are traitors to their class, with all the strutting moral superiority that comes with the conversion. Ernst, the lump-of-coal-hearted new senator from Iowa, and Walker, who always seems to be promoting something that needs actuarial tables to disguise, at times sound as if they actively despise the poor.

Last fall, Walker opposed raising the minimum wage in Wisconsin from the poverty-level $7.25 an hour. After a group of workers claimed that the threshold violated a state mandate to off er a “liv-ing wage,” Walker’s administration slapped them down. Even though a minimum-wage worker would have to put in 81 hours a week to aff ord a two-bedroom apartment in Wisconsin, Walker’s people saw no need to off er a few pennies more to those earning the least. What’s behind this? Part of it is Walker’s fealty to the restaurant industry. Part of it is his inaccurate belief that raising the mini-mum wage kills jobs. And part of it is dewy-eyed nostalgia for the days when he was a lad earning his fi rst pay cheque under the Golden Arches. He made it. Why can’t they?

“In America, it is one of the few places left in the world where it doesn’t matter what class you were born into,” Walker said in Iowa in January. “It doesn’t matter what your parents do for a living.”

Much of the new evidence on the causes of in-equality fi nds that moving up from one class to the other in America has gotten far more diffi cult. The rich, even members of said class, get the right tutors

that get them into the right schools where they make connections to get the right jobs. They never face the peril of losing everything because of say, a large medi-cal bill, or the dead weight of a college loan. As for Walker’s outdated take on wages and prosperity, he could look to states that have raised their minimum wage and are creating jobs at a faster pace than the states holding to the lowest pay.

Meanwhile, Walker’s low-wage fortress of Wis-consin lags behind the national average in job creation. If paying people next to nothing at the entry level were such a design for growth, employ-ers would be fl ocking to the Badger State. Even Walmart, which built the original business model for how to make billions on the backs of people who need state assistance for the basic things in life, will soon be paying its serfs more than Scott Walker thinks is necessary to live on. Senator Ernst loves to talk about growing up in the rosy patina of near-poverty. “My mom made all our clothes,” she wrote on her campaign website. “We went to church every week, helped our neighbours when they needed it, and they did the same for us.”

Bartender Boehner was probably a decent dude at happy hour. But Speaker of the House Boehner has no tolerance for the kind of folks who might have wandered into his family tavern, Andy’s Café, after losing a job. As people in one state after an-other vote to raise their minimum wage — red states and blue — Boehner will not allow a simple vote on that most basic pay principle to take place in the House. He once said he’d commit suicide rather than vote to raise the minimum wage.

Giving the people who fl ip burgers, clean fl oors and stock grocery shelves a few dimes more an hour is not a handout. Off ering working people some help on their insurance premiums does not promote dependence. Nor do those things hurt the economy — just the opposite.

So where is this coming from? The class traitors guiding the Republican Party, and the harsh new federal budget unveiled this week, usually promote their policies using personal anecdotes. Their condescension toward the poor springs from their own narratives: They are virtuous because they made it, or vice versa. Those who haven’t made a similar leap are weaklings. It’s a variant of Mitt Romney’s view that forty seven per cent of Ameri-cans are moochers. Stripped to its essence, it’s a load of loathing for their former class, delivered on a plate of platitudes. - The New York Times News Service

They have brazenly betrayed their class

In the case of the three Republican leaders cited above, and most of those who aspire to be the GOP presidential nominee next year, these Horatio Algerians for the new Gilded Age are working to keep the downtrodden down. They are traitors to their class

Letters, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi), by fax (24813153) or by e-mail (times@omantel.net.om)

TRAITORS

The death of Tahira Mazhar Ali on March 23 is a sad loss to the women’s movement in Pakistan. Over decades, she had been a rallying point for women of the Left, and had struggled for the

rights of the marginalised for most of her life. Her origins may have been in the affl uent and privileged political strata of Punjab politics, but her life’s work was always oriented towards those less fortunate, the underprivileged and the oppressed. She married early, only 16, to Mazhar Ali Khan and whilst having a family life that saw the birth of a daughter and two sons it was she who was responsible for raising the profi le of International Women’s Day. In 1950, she formed the Demo-cratic Women’s Association (DWA) and became a thorn in the side of the establishment. The DWA was the fi rst women’s organisation to emerge after Partition, and the fi rst to engage with women at a grass roots level.

It would have come as little surprise to the DWA to fi nd itself banned in the oppressive era of Ayub Khan and General Ziaul Haq, and the DWA did not fi nd life much easier in the Zulfi kar Ali Bhutto era either. It evolved into the Women’s Action Forum in 1981 in reac-tion to the creation of the Hudood ordinances. She was active into her elder years, participating in rallies and demonstrations and was true to the cause of the Left until the end. Fragile in her later years owing to a stroke she is now being commemorated across all media platforms as a woman that Pakistan can and should be proud of.

She worked for peace in the post-Partition period when it was not fashionable, and she brought discomfort to the misogynists of the po-litical and social right-wing. The Left has never been a large force in national politics which is largely made up of fi fty shades of crepuscu-lar obscurantism, but Tahira Mazhar Ali brought a bright splash of po-litical red to the table and more courage than most political men ever muster. - The Express Tribune

A beacon of the Left

Edward Snowden exposed the extent of mass surveillance conducted not just by the United States but also by allies like Britain. Now, a committee of the British Parliament has pro-

posed legal reforms to Britain’s intelligence agencies that are mostly cosmetic and would do little to protect individual privacy. In a report published on March 12, the Intelligence and Security Committee ac-knowledged that agencies like MI5 collect, sift through and examine millions of communications. Most of this is legal, the committee said, and justifi ed by national security. It proposed a new law that would tell people more about the kind of information the government collects about them but would not meaningfully limit mass surveillance. That is hardly suffi cient for a system that needs strong new checks and bal-ances. Separately, a legal fi ling by the British government made public recently showed that its intelligence agencies maintain the right to hack into the computers, phones and other devices owned not just by suspected terrorists and criminals but also people who “are not intel-ligence targets in their own right.” The fi ling was published by Privacy International, one of several advocacy groups that have challenged government surveillance in court. As things stand now, intelligence agencies can monitor vast amounts of communications and do so with only a warrant from a government minister to begin intercepting them. Lawmakers should limit the amount of data offi cials can sweep up and require them to obtain warrants from judges, who are more likely to push back against overly broad requests.

The parliamentary committee, however, did not see the need to limit data collection and concluded that ministers should continue to approve warrants because they are better than judges at evaluating diplomatic, political and public interests. That rationale ignores the fact that ministers are also less likely to deny requests from offi cials who directly report to them. After the attack against the French news-paper Charlie Hebdo in January,

British Prime Minister David Cameron asked technology compa-nies to help his government monitor encrypted communications and warned that those who refused to do so could be banned from doing business in Britain. In the meantime, legal cases challenging Brit-ish surveillance practices fi led by groups like Privacy International and Liberty are expected to end up at the European Court of Human Rights. In the past, that court has taken an expansive view of the in-dividual’s right to privacy under the European Convention on Hu-man Rights. Governments certainly should have the ability to inter-cept communications to investigate crimes and terrorist plots. But lawmakers should place sensible limits on surveillance and require government offi cials to meet a high burden of proof before they are al-lowed to listen in on phone calls, read emails and troll through the web browsing histories of individuals. - The New York Times News Service

The extent of mass surveillance in Britain

T I M O T H Y E G A N

Return of His Majesty will stimulate Oman afreshIt is needless to say that I am very happy that His Majesty has come back home after eight months in Germany. I am sure that his return will now bring a sea change in Oman both in terms of economic activities and social vibrancy. Fareed Al BalushiMuscat

Oman is full of joy over the return of His MajestyIt is indeed a joyous occasion for the citizens and residents of Oman. The return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said fi lls us all with happiness. We wish him good health. May he live long and guide Oman to further glory.Muhammed HusainWatayya

Oman has indeed found a new sense of purposeThis refers to the article, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has given Oman a sense of purpose (March 25). I agree with the author that His Majesty’s return has given Oman a fresh purpose to work for more prosperity. The social media in Oman was abuzz with the news of His Majesty’s since early after-noon. People burst into celebra-tion and making arrangements to welcome their most revered and loved leader the moment offi cial announcement came confi rming the return of His Majesty.Lateef ShahdadQurum

The German plane crash has saddened the worldIt was extremely sad to learn about

the crash of a German plane with 150 on board. Perhaps it is for the fi rst time an airplane crashed into such a distant and inaccessible terrain of the French Alps, leaving absolutely no chance for any res-cue operation. I extent my deepest condolence to all the bereaved families and pray for peaceful rest of the 16 students who were on board the fl ight returning home. Let’s hope the black box will reveal some data about the cause of the accident.Ramachandran NairRuwi

Supreme Court of India upholds rights of peopleThe land mark judgement of the In-dian Supreme Court striking down Section 66 A of the Information Technology Act yet again proves

that the judiciary in the country is the true guardian of the constitu-tion and its democracy. People from all walks of life have welcomed the judgement as it has restored our faith that there will, at least, be the judiciary of India which will protect our fundamental rights.Suddapalli Bhaskara RaoRuwi

South Africa lost because luck was not with themIt was just that the day was not in favour of South Africa And that was why they lost to New Zealand in the semifi nal match of the ICC World Cup on Tuesday. They missed a few run out chances and dropped a few catches. But rain sealed their fate the most.Ashok PanickerSeeb

READERS’ FORUM

A smile is the shortest distance between two peopleVICTOR BORGE

website: www.newindiaoman.com

NEW INDIA ASSURANCENew India off ers a wide range of HEALTH INSURANCE COVERS to you/family/employee.

PERSPEC IVET I M E S O F O M A N T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5T I M E S O F O M A N A13

The British, through the of-fi ces of the Asiatic Society, opened South Asia’s fi rst

museum in 1814 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Within a short span of time, the establishment of mu-seums, parks and zoos became a slow and steady movement in all parts of British India. After Partition, Pakistan inherited two museums, namely the La-hore Museum and the National Museum, Karachi.

The former’s most popular curator was John Lockwood Kipling, the father of the famous author Rudyard Kipling. The National Museum was initially known as Victoria Museum and was established in 1865 by the citizens of Karachi in honour of Sir Bartle Frere, the then com-missioner of Sindh.

Pakistan has a limited number of museums, which display this region’s history, geography, art, heritage and fl ora and fauna. The exhibits in our museums can be used as tools of education if they are presented in a way that ca-ters to the learning needs of our younger generation.

However, neither government departments nor NGO-managed learning set-ups have realised the potential of converting the mu-seums they operate into useful hands-on learning outlets. With a

little eff ort, these establishments could be converted into pleasant education outlets.

Before walking the path of us-ing museums as education out-lets, however, there are some pre-requisites that should be fulfi lled. For instance, our teachers need to have some prior working knowl-edge about museums and allied fi elds such as geology, archaeolo-gy, history, geography and zoology.

They need to widen their own knowledge about museums and their management and should know how museums are organ-ised, how labels on the exhibits depict the context and the times, and how designed exhibits por-tray historical events.

Learning through museums also depends upon the teacher’s own worldview. If, for example, a teacher believes in the scientifi c, rational approach to understand-ing life and the universe, then the teacher and his/her students might opt to study the Pakistan Science Museum in Islamabad.

The teacher could suggest to his/her students to keep in mind that they have to learn something new that was missed in their textbooks.

Students may be asked to pre-pare a list of extinct animals and their habitats or they might be assigned a task to prepare a list

of nearly extinct birds and also fi nd out the reasons for their extinction.

Most public educators agree that museums help students learn. This happens at two levels: one, when exhibits induce visitors to fi ll in knowledge gaps by posing questions to them; and second, the displayed items push visitors to formulate their impressions about the items and contextualise them, which could lead towards certain conclusions.

It is proven that young learn-ers enjoy freedom, which makes learning though museums a value-added point, as they could be an attractive avenue of learn-ing compared with classroom learning.

Continued eff orts by enlight-ened educationists may pave the way for using the museum-edu-cation path as an integral part of public education. If such eff orts succeed, the spirit of inquiry can be unleashed among our children.

This will be a triumph, which would also trigger a child’s cu-riosity and would lead towards self-learning and continued education.

Assuredly, the museum-edu-cation path, even at latter stages of life, can transform individuals into informed and passionate citi-zens. - The Express Tribune

TODAY IN HISTORY

OPINION POLL

1799 Napoleon Bonaparte captures Jaff a, Palestine.

1804 Congress orders the removal of

Indians east of the Mississippi River to Louisiana.

1913 The Balkan allies take Adrianople. 1918 On the Western Front, the Germans

take the French towns Noyon, Roye and Lihons. .

1942 The Germans begin sending Jews to

Auschwitz in Poland. 1953 Eisenhower off ers increased aid to the

French fi ghting in Indochina.

DIRECTORS OF AGCC INDUSTRIAL ESTATES HOLD MEETINGMUSCAT: Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, undersec-retary for commerce and industry, at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, presided over the third meeting of the AGCC industrial estates’ directors, at Crowne Plaza Hotel here yesterday. The meeting is organised by the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consultations, every two years, in a Gulf state.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

The fact is that Greece had no right to borrow from German — or any other European — taxpayers at a time when its public debt was unsustainable. Before Greece took any loans, it should have initiated debt restructuring and undergone a partial default on debt owed to its private-sector creditors

A German television presenter recently broadcast an edited video of me, before I was Greece’s fi nance minister. The

fallout has shown the potential impact of an alleged gesture, especially in troubled times. Indeed, the kerfuffl e sparked by the broadcast would not have happened before the 2008 fi nancial crisis, which exposed the fl aws in Europe’s monetary union and turned proud countries against one another.

When, in early 2010, Greece’s government could no longer service its debts to French, German, and Greek banks, I campaigned against its quest for an enormous new loan from Europe’s taxpayers to pay off those debts. I gave three reasons.

First, the new loans did not represent a bail-out for Greece so much as a cynical transfer of private losses from the banks’ books onto the shoulders of Greece’s most vulnerable citizens. How many of Europe’s taxpayers, who have footed the bill for these loans; know that more than 90 per cent of the €240 billion ($260 billion) that Greece borrowed went to fi nancial institutions, not to the Greek state or its people?

Second, it was obvious that if Greece already could not repay its existing loans, the austerity conditions on which the “bailouts” were pre-mised would crush Greek nominal incomes, making the national debt even less sustain-able. When Greeks could no longer make pay-ments on their mountainous debts, German and other European taxpayers would have to step in again. (Wealthy Greeks, of course, had already shifted their deposits to fi nancial cen-tres like Frankfurt and London.)

Finally, misleading peoples and parlia-ments by presenting a bank bailout as an act of “solidarity,” while failing to help ordinary Greeks — indeed, setting them up to place an even heavier burden on Germans — was des-tined to undermine cohesion within the euro-zone. Germans turned against Greeks; Greeks turned against Germans; and, as more coun-tries have faced fi scal hardship, Europe has turned against itself.

The fact is that Greece had no right to bor-

row from German — or any other European — taxpayers at a time when its public debt was unsustainable. Before Greece took any loans, it should have initiated debt restructuring and undergone a partial default on debt owed to its private-sector creditors. But this “radical” ar-gument was largely ignored at the time.

Similarly, European citizens should have demanded that their governments refuse even to consider transferring private losses to them. But they failed to do so, and the transfer was eff ected soon after.

The result was the largest taxpayer-backed loan in history, provided on the condition that Greece pursue such strict austerity that its cit-izens have lost one-quarter of their incomes, making it impossible to repay private or public debts. The ensuing — and ongoing — humani-tarian crisis has been tragic.

Five years after the fi rst bailout was issued, Greece remains in crisis. Animosity among Europeans is at an all-time high, with Greeks and Germans, in particular, having descended to the point of moral grandstanding, mutual fi nger-pointing, and open antagonism.

This toxic blame game benefi ts only Eu-rope’s enemies. It has to stop. Only then can Greece — with the support of its European partners, who share an interest in its econom-ic recovery — focus on implementing eff ective reforms and growth-enhancing policies. This is essential to placing Greece, fi nally, in a posi-tion to repay its debts and fulfi l its obligations to its citizens. In practical terms, the February 20 Eurogroup agreement, which provided a four-month extension for loan repayments, of-fers an important opportunity for progress. As Greece’s leaders urged at an informal meeting in Brussels last week, it should be implement-ed immediately.

In the longer term, European leaders must work together to redesign the monetary union so that it supports shared prosperity, rather than fuelling mutual resentment.

This is a daunting task. But, with a strong sense of purpose, a united approach, and per-haps a positive gesture or two, it can be accom-plished. - Project Syndicate

De-escalating the politics of resentment in Europe

HISTORYNET.COM

Last moments of flight 4u 9525

GraphicsGraphic News /Source: Flightradar24.com

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Peak altitude 38,000ft / 11,580m

Disappears from radar

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MEDITERRANEANSEA

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S P A I N

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F R A N C E

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Digne-les-Bains

DusseldorfFlight dueto arrive at11:49am

10:01, Barcelona:Plane departs30 mins late

10:45: Reachescruising altitudeof 38,000 feet10:53: Disappearsfrom radar

Debris found at2,000m, spreadover 100-200m

All times local

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BarcelonnetteBarcelonnette

LAST POLL RESULT

Will the return of His Majesty from Germany galvanise Oman to face all challenges?

Do you think the foreign investors will now feel more confi dent about investing in Oman?

Visit timesofoman.com to cast your vote

Yes91.5%

No4.9%

Can't say3.7%

The Vietnamese, like many Asians, fl ock to Singapore to shop.

They hit those cool, fragrant malls on Orchard Road. A few among the affl uent go there to see a dentist or a doctor or have a baby. They are drawn, also, by something less tan-gible, the sense of prosperity and purring effi ciency, as if by some miracle the Alpine order and cleanliness of Switzer-land had been conjured up in the tropics.

They exhale, freed from the raucous agitation of modern Asian life, and are rocked in a Singaporean cradle of conve-nience where, it seems, noth-ing can go wrong.

The achievement of Lee Kuan Yew, the nation’s found-ing father, who died at the age of 91, is immense. The 20th century produced few greater statesmen and perhaps no greater pragmatist.

The measure of that achievement is that the ingre-dients of disaster abounded in Singapore, a country that is “not supposed to exist and cannot exist,” as Lee said in a 2007 interview with The New York Times. “We don’t have the ingredients of a na-tion,” he noted, “the elemen-tary factors: a homogeneous population, common lan-guage, common culture and common destiny.”

Instead, it had a combusti-ble ethnic and religious hodge-podge of Chinese, Malays and Indians gathered in a city-state of no natural resources.

Yet Lee made it work, where many nations with far more of those attributes of nation-hood — Argentina promi-nent among them — failed, and where, from the Balkans to the Middle East, sectar-ian diff erences have proved insurmountable and often the catalyst of war and nation-al unravelling.

The fact that the elements for cataclysm exist does not mean that cataclysm is inevi-table. Lee demonstrated this in an age where the general ca-cophony, and the need to man-age and spin every political minute, makes statesmanship ever more elusive.

The determining factor is leadership. What defi nes lead-ership above all is conviction, discipline in the pursuit of a goal, adaptability in the inter-est of the general good, and far-sightedness.

Lee’s only religion was prag-matism. Any ideology that ab-hors facts is problematic. Lee had one basic yardstick for policy: Does it work? It was the criterion of a forward-looking man for whom history was instructive but not imprison-ing. He abhorred victimhood and corruption. He prized op-portunity, meritocracy, the work ethic of the immigrant and education.

Western democracy was not

for him. It was too volatile for a nation that had to be forged and then fast-forwarded to prosperity. He was authori-tarian, harsh when necessary. Free speech and political op-position were generally sup-pressed; the only liberalism was of the economic variety.

Lee tapped into an Asian and Confucian inclination to place the communal good above individual rights; he also cowed Singaporeans into fear. Overall, it worked. Singapore became a booming commer-cial and banking centre. Pros-perity elided diff erences, even if the yawning gap between rich and poor is a growing is-sue, as throughout the world.

There is no single model for all humankind, even if there is a universal aspiration for free-dom and the means to enjoy it. Technological hyper-con-nectedness does not produce political consensus.

Pragmatism also involves accepting this, weighing the good against the bad and exer-cising patience.

If Asia has been pragmatic about confl ict — notably in the handling of tensions between India and China — it owes much to Lee. China’s model — authoritarian, free-market, economically open but politi-cally closed — was plainly in-fl uenced by Lee’s Singapore.

Narendra Modi’s push to clean up India has led to talk of an Indian Lee Kuan Yew. One measure of Lee’s greatness is that, as Singapore’s former ambassador to the United Na-tions, Tommy Koh, put it to me in an email, the strong in-stitutions he planted ensure that “his passing will have no negative impact on the future of Singapore.”

How much more demand-ing of open political systems will prosperous Asians be? We will see, but I would not bet on rapid change.

Desirability does not equal necessity, at least not yet. Lee made one other big Asian con-tribution: He valued American power, believed in its stabilis-ing regional infl uence.

He was not an American de-clinist, once telling the politi-cal scientist Joseph Nye that China could draw on a talent pool of 1.3 billion people, but the United States could draw on the world’s seven billion people and recombine them in a diverse culture that exudes creativity in a way that ethnic Han nationalism cannot.

In this, too, Lee was right. - The New York Times News Service

Can-do Lee Kuan Yew

Learning through our museums

R O G E R C O H E N

Z A F FA R J U N E J O

YA N I S VA R O U FA K I SLee had one basic

yardstick for policy:

Does it work? It was the

criterion of a forward-

looking man for whom

history was instructive

but not imprisoning

A14

INDIAT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

We are trying to trace the source of the letters. It’s too early to comment on the authenticity of the letters but we are taking no chances

Celling Simik Lepcha, District police chief

India, Qatar sign six pacts

NEW DELHI: India and Qatar inked six agreements, including on transfer of sentenced pris-oners, as visiting Emir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on energy, investment and people-to-people ties on Wednesday.

The emir, who is here on a two-day visit, was accorded a ceremo-nial reception in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in the morning.

External Aff airs Minister Su-shma Swaraj called on him, after which he held talks with Modi at Hyderabad House.

Besides bilateral ties, the dis-cussion between the two sides also focused on the latest develop-ments in the Middle East region.

Qatar, the largest source of In-

dia’s LNG imports at 86 per cent, is keen on boosting energy ties.

Bilateral trade stands at $16 bil-lion, heavily weighted in favour of Qatar due to the LNG imports.

Qatar has expressed interest in Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

India is also seeking to invest in major infrastructure projects in

the Gulf country which is hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

The six agreements, besides transfer of sentenced prisoners, were: an MoU for cooperation in information and communication technology, an MoU between the ministry of earth sciences and Qatar Meteorological Depart-

ment for scientifi c and technical cooperation, an MoU between the Diplomatic Institute of the minis-try of foreign aff airs of Qatar and the Foreign Service Institute of India’s external aff airs ministry, an MoU for cooperation in the fi eld of radio and television and an agreement for mutual coopera-

tion and exchange of news. Exter-nal aff airs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted: “India-Qatar discuss energy, investment & people to people ties. Six agree-ments signed.”

Under the agreement on trans-fer of sentenced prisoners, Indian prisoners convicted in Qatar can be brought to India to serve the remaining part of their sentence.

Similarly, Qatari citizens con-victed in India can be sent to their home country to serve their sen-tence. This agreement would en-able the sentenced people to be near their families and would help in their social rehabilitation, said an offi cial statement.

The Emir is accompanied by a high-level delegation compris-ing ministers, senior offi cials and captains of industry.

He arrived here on Tuesday night from Colombo.

The former emir, Sheikh Ham-ad bin Khalifa Al Thani, had vis-ited India thrice — in 1999, 2005 and 2012. India’s then prime min-ister Manmohan Singh had vis-ited Qatar in November 2008.

Around 600,000 Indian nation-als work in Qatar, comprising the largest expatriate community in the country. - IANS

Besides bilateral

ties, the discussion

between the two

sides also focused

on the latest

developments in the

Middle East region

BOLSTERING TIES: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim

bin Hamad Al Thani witness the exchange of documents between External Aff airs Minister Sushma

Swaraj and Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah at Hyderabad House in New

Delhi on Wednesday. - PTI

Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee on Friday

NEW DELHI: Former Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vaj-payee, a veteran Parliamentarian and founder member of Bharatiya Janta Party who is held in high esteem across the political spec-trum, will be conferred Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civil-ian award, on March 27.

President Pranab Mukher-jee and Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi will be among a host of VVIPs who are likely to be pre-sent at the Krishna Memon marg residence of Vajpayee in Lutyens’ Delhi where he will be honoured.

The announcement for the pres-tigious award for Vajpayee, the fi rst prime minister from outside the Congress party to serve a full fi ve-year term, came on December 24, a day before he turned 90. -PTI

H I G H E S T C I V I L I A N A W A R D

Two pilots missing after navy plane crashes into seaMUMBAI: A naval aircraft crashed off the western Indian coast leaving two pilots miss-ing, the navy said Wednesday, in the latest of a string of accidents which have hit the force.

Rescue operations were un-derway after the Indian Navy’s Dornier aircraft plunged into the sea some 25 nautical miles off the western holiday state of Goa around 10pm IST on Tuesday.

“Last evening a navy Dornier during a routine training sortie off Goa ditched into sea,” a navy statement said early Wednesday.

“One survivor rescued. Full scale search and rescue opera-

tion launched to locate two more offi cers (one pilot and one ob-server),” it added.

It is the latest in a series of deadly disasters to hit the navy, and comes just months after a na-val ship sank off the southeastern coast of India leaving one worker dead and four others missing.

A fi re aboard a nuclear sub-marine killed two offi cers off the Mumbai coast last February which led to the immediate resig-nation of the navy chief.

Eighteen sailors were also killed in August 2013 when INS Sindhurakshak burst into fl ames in Mumbai harbour. - AFP

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Police probe threat to burn down Christian school

KOLKATA: Police in eastern India said on Wednesday they are investigating letters found at a Catholic school which threaten to burn it down, renew-ing fears about the safety of the Christian minority.

Police have stepped up securi-ty at St. Capitaneo School in West Bengal state after the discovery of the fi ve letters, threatening ar-son unless it was closed and its 13 nuns removed from the area.

“We are trying to trace the source of the letters. It’s too early to comment on the authenticity of the letters but we are taking no chances,” district police chief Celling Simik Lepcha said.

The incident comes just over a week after an elderly nun was raped during a robbery at a sepa-rate convent school in the same state, sparking anger and protests. Staff alerted police on Sunday to the letters which were found in the compound of the school’s hostel, said West Bengal police Inspector General Anuj Sharma.

The letters, written in Hindi, have sparked fear among staff and the wider Christian commu-nity, said Father Dominic Gomes, spokesman for the Kolkata Archdiocese.

“The letters were tossed inside by unknown people and police are trying to identify them. They have assured us foolproof secu-rity at the school,” he said.

“We are concerned over the safety and security of our institu-tions and people... there is fear in the minds of the community.”

The incident comes in the wake of a series of attacks on churches or Catholic schools, and despite a pledge by Prime Minis-ter Narendra Modi to ensure the safety of religious minorities.

The school near the border with Bhutan has around 1,700 students, mostly from poor tribal groups. Police have come under fi re for a lack of arrests over the attack on the nun, aged in her 70s, whose convent was also ran-sacked by the gang of robbers.- AFP

R E L I G I O U S M I N O R I T I E S

MP governor’s son found dead

LUCKNOW: Shailesh Yadav, son of Madhya Pradesh Gover-nor Ram Naresh Yadav, was on Wednesday found dead under mysterious circumstances at his house here in the Uttar Pradesh capital, police said.

Shailesh Yadav was an ac-cused in the scam in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examina-tion Board or Vyapam, and was reportedly under severe stress for the past few weeks.

While family sources said

Shailesh Yadav died due to brain haemorrhage, police offi cials taking up investigation into the death said that an autopsy would be conducted to ascertain the cause.

Shailesh Yadav, sources said, was evading notice from the Spe-cial Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing the Vyapam scam, and was holed up in the pri-vate residence of his father Ram Naresh Yadav in Mall Avenue in Lucknow. - IANS

A C C U S E D I N V Y A P A M S C A M

Atal Behari Vajpayee

A15

INDIAT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

Singh moves top court over notice in coal scam case

NEW DELHI: Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday moved the Su-preme Court against a special court order summoning him as accused in the case of allocation of Talabira-II coal block in Odi-sha in 2005 to Aditya Birla group company Hindalco.

Hindalco Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and former Coal Secretary P. C. Parakh, who were also summoned as accused in

the case, have also fi led petitions challenging the trial court order.

Singh has sought quashing of the summons issued to him to appear as an accused on April 8 by Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar on the ground that the order was passed without application of mind.

“There is complete non-appli-cation of mind,” the petition said about the March 11 order.

A team of senior advocates, led by Kapil Sibal, has settled Singh’s petition which is likely to be men-tioned for urgent hearing in a day or two. One of the advocates, associated with the fi ling of the Special Leave Petition, said there are several other grounds to show that the summoning order was “bad in law”.

The plea also said that there was nothing on record to point out that Singh has done any acts which may constitute any off ence.

The former prime pinister had only taken a decision as a com-petent authority on allocation of Talabira-II coal block to Hindalco on the representation of Odisha government, it said.

The advocate said there may be a fault in decision making but there is no evidence to show that there was an abuse of power and moreover, taking a decision in government is not an off ence.

The trial judge, on March 11, had said, “I am taking cognisance of of-fences under Sections 120B (con-spiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the IPC and under Sections 13(1)(c) and 13(1)(d)(3) of PCA against six ac-cused, M/s Hindalco, Shubhendu Amitabh, D. Bhattacharya, Kumar Mangalam Birla, P. C. Parakh and Dr Manmohan Singh.”

Section 13(1)(c) of PCA relates to a public servant dishonestly misappropriating property en-trusted to him or allowing any other person to do so.

Section 13(1)(d)(3) relates to a public servant obtaining any pe-cuniary advantage for any person without any public interest. -PTI

The plea said that

there was nothing

on record to point out

that former prime

minister Manmohan

Singh has done

any acts which

may constitute

any off ence

Manmohan Singh

India asks citizens to leave YemenNEW DELHI: India on Wednes-day asked all its nationals to leave Yemen immediately given the “fragile”security situation in the confl ict-hit country.

“We are urging and advising our nationals to leave the country immediately through available

commercial means,” Spokesper-son in the External Aff airs Min-istry said.

While noting that it was the third such advisory by the gov-ernment, he hoped that the In-dians, most of whom are nurses in Yemen, will understand the

“seriousness” of the situation and will return.

He added that the government was working with the nurses for their return while putting num-ber of Indians in Yemen at 3,000-3,500 who are living in various provinces including Sana’a. - PTI

T H I R D A D V I S O R Y

We are urging and advising our nationals to leave the country immediately through available commercial means

External Aff airs Ministry spokesperson

A17

PAKISTANT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

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Moody’s upgrades rating of bonds from stable to positive

KARACHI: Moody’s upgraded Pakistan’s dollar bonds rating one notch from stable to positive on Wednesday on the back of the country’s improving macroeco-nomic indicators.

The fi nancial ratings fi rm said its decision came in view of Paki-stan’s strengthening foreign ex-change reserves.

Militant-plagued Pakistan has been trying to boost its fl agging economy since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was elected nearly two years ago.

“Moody’s Investors Service

has revised the outlook on Paki-stan’s foreign currency govern-ment bond rating to positive from stable,” the company said in a statement.

Pakistan issued $1 billion in fi ve-year Sukuk Bonds, the Is-lamic version of eurobonds, in No-vember last year to boost foreign exchange reserves.

In April 2014, the country issued $2 billion worth of eu-robonds, in fi ve and 10 year terms,

Pakistan’s net foreign currency reserves with the central State

Bank reached to $11.2 billion up to March 13, from just $3.2 billion in January 2014.

Required reformsThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) has voiced satisfac-tion with Pakistan’s progress on reforms required under a $6.6-bil-lion bailout agreed in 2013.

The loan came on condition that Pakistan -- which was suff er-ing an energy crisis -- would carry out extensive economic reforms, particularly in the energy and tax-ation sectors.

Upward triggersMoody’s further said that con-tinued success under the IMF programme would act as “upward triggers to the rating”.

The central State Bank of Pa-kistan on the weekend slashed its benchmark interest rates by half a percentage point to eight percent.

The bank noted that the econo-my was now on a more stable foot-ing and was benefi ting from the drop in world oil prices. — AFP

Militant-plagued

Pakistan has been

trying to boost its

fl agging economy

since Prime Minister

Nawaz Sharif was

elected nearly

two years ago

BOOST: Pakistani stockbrokers chat alongside the share price board during a trading session at the

Karachi Stock Exchange in Karachi on May 20, 2013. Net foreign currency reserves with the State

Bank of Pakistan reached $11.2 billion on March 13, from just $3.2 billion in January 2014. — AFP fi le photo

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

30 rebels killed in fresh airstrikes in insurgency-hit NWPESHAWAR: At least 30 suspect-ed militants from a pro-Taliban outfi t, including its spokesman, were on Wednesday killed when Pakistani fi ghter jets pounded their hideouts in the volatile northwest tribal region near the Afghan border.

The aerial strikes were car-ried out in remote Tirah Valley of

Khyber Agency where militants of Lashkar-i-Islam have strongholds, Pakistan Army said in a statement.

The dead also included some foreign militants.

At least 30 militants were killed and two ammunition depots were also destroyed in the area where a major military campaign is underway.

There were unconfi rmed re-ports that Lashkar-i-Islam spokesman Salahuddin Ayubi, was among the dead. The outfi t an-nounced an allegiance to the Tali-ban earlier this month.

The toll could not be verifi ed through independent sources as the region is out of reach of media.

Security forces source said jets

bombed militants’ compounds in the valley and destroyed several hideouts.

Six militants were also injured in the latest bombings.

Around 80 militants and seven soldiers were killed in fi erce clash-es between security forces and terrorists in aerial and ground op-erations in Khyber district on Sat-

urday. The key commanders were among those killed in the bombing, said the security offi cial without disclosing their identities.

Khyber is one of Pakistan’s sev-en semi-autonomous regions gov-erned by tribal laws and lies near the Afghan border.

The ongoing Khyber-1 opera-tion launched by the military in the

tribal region is part of its stepped-up eff orts

following the massacre of 150 people, mostly students, by Tali-ban gunmen at an army-run school in Peshawar in December. Mili-tants are believed to have fl ed to various tribal regions that borders Afghanistan, where they operate on both sides of the border. — PTI

T I R A H V A L L E Y

13 killed as bus collides with truck in Khairpur

ISLAMABAD: At least 13 people, including women, were killed and 15 others injured on Wednesday when an overspeeding Karachi-bound bus collided head-on with a truck in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.

The accident occurred when a passenger bus, going from capi-tal Islamabad to Karachi, had a head-on collision with a truck in Satharja area of Khairpur district, police said.

Thirteen people were killed and 15 others injured, a police offi cial said, adding that the rescue team reached the accident site and re-trieved bodies from the wreckage of the bus.

Emergency declaredAn emergency was declared at Khairpur Civil Hospital where doctors confi rmed that 13 people had died and 15 others, including women and children, were wound-ed in the mishap.

The accident was caused by over-speeding, police said.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan. Most of them are caused by rash driving and bad roads.

Last year, 58 people were killed in a similar road mishap when a bus rammed into a truck in Khair-pur district. — PTI

S I N D H

A18

WORLDT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

Lee Kuan Yew has done so much for us. We used to live in squatter (colonies) in Sembawang, my husband was a bus driver. Now my three sons have good jobs and nice houses. The children all go to school. What will we be without Lee Kuan Yew?

R. Tamilselvi, Singapore resident

Emotions flow as Singaporeans bid adieu to Lee

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans wept on the streets and queued in their thousands on Wednesday to pay tribute to founding leader Lee Kuan Yew after his fl ag-draped cof-fi n was taken on a gun carriage to parliament for public viewing.

More than 26,000 had fi led past the coffi n before sundown, a gov-ernment spokesman said, and thousands more were in line out-side despite warnings that it could take them up to eight hours to view the casket.

After a two-day private wake for the family, Lee’s coffi n was taken early on Wednesday from the Istana government complex, Lee’s workplace for decades as prime minister and cabinet adviser, to the legislature.

It will lie in state there until the weekend.

The 91-year-old patriarch died on Monday after half a century in government, during which the city-

state was transformed from a poor British colonial outpost into one of the world’s richest societies.

The government led by his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, apparently surprised by the heavy turnout on day one, announced that Parliament House would stay open for 24 hours a day until Saturday night due to the “over-whelming response from mem-bers of the public”.

Lee will be cremated on Sunday after a state funeral expected to be attended by several Asia-Pacifi c leaders even though he was just an MP when he died.

Applause and shouts of “We love you!” and “Lee Kuan Yew!” broke out as the dark brown wooden cof-fi n, covered by the red-and-white

Singapore fl ag, emerged from the Istana in a tempered glass case perched on a gun carriage pulled by an open-topped military truck.

Earlier, in scenes that evoked Singapore’s colonial past, the car-riage stopped in front of the main Istana building, from where Britain administered the island, as a bag-piper from the local Gurkha Con-tingent played “Auld Lang Syne”.

As the motorcade left the gov-ernment complex, many in the crowd along the route to parlia-ment were in tears as they raised cameras and mobile phones to re-cord the historic event.

Some threw fl owers on the path of the carriage, while offi ce workers watched from high-rise buildings.

President Tony Tan and his wife Mary were the fi rst to pay their re-spects, bowing three times before Lee’s closed coffi n in the parlia-ment’s foyer.

Queues snaked around the cen-tral business district despite the tropical heat and humidity. — AFP

More than 26,000

had fi led past

the coffi n before

sundown and

thousands more

were in line outside

despite warnings

that it could take

them up to 8 hours

to view the casket

FAREWELL: Members of the public queue near Cavenagh bridge at

dusk to pay their respects to Singapore’s late former prime minister

Lee Kuan Yew at Parliament House on Wednesday. — AFP

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Japanese navy inducts biggestcopter carrier

YOKOHAMA: Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force on Wednesday took delivery of the biggest Japa-nese warship since World War II, the Izumo, a helicopter carrier as big as the Imperial Navy aircraft carriers that battled the United States in the Pacifi c.

The Izumo with a crew of 470

sailors is a highly visible example of how Japan is expanding the capability of its military to oper-ate overseas and enters service as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks lawmaker approval to loosen the restraints of Japan’s pacifi st post-war constitution. The 248 metre (813 feet) long Izumo resembles US Marine Corp amphibious as-sault carriers in size and design but it is designated as a helicop-ter destroyer, a label that allows Japan to keep within the bounds of a constitutional ban on owning the means to wage war. Aircraft carriers, because of their ability to project force, are considered of-fensive weapons.

“The vessel can serve in a wide range of roles including peace keeping operations, international

disaster relief and aid,” Gen Naka-tani, Japan’s Minister of Defence said standing beside the vessel after a handover ceremony at the Japan United Marine shipyard in Yokohama. “It also helps improve our ability to combat submarines.

Japan is also adding longer-range patrol aircraft and mili-tary cargo planes to its defence capability, and buying Lockheed Martin F-35 fi ghter jets, amphibi-ous assault vehicles and Boeing’s Osprey troop carrier, which can operate from the Izumo.

The Izumo does not have a cat-apult necessary to launch fi xed-wing fi ghters, but a planned verti-cal-take-off -and-landing (VTOL) variant of the F-35 could fl y from the Izumo’s fl ight deck.

Based at Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo, also the home port of the US Seventh Fleets carrier battle group, the Izumo will join two smaller helicopters carriers already in service, that are also classed as destroyers. — Reuters

The Izumo with a

crew of 470 sailors

is an example of how

Japan is expanding

the capability of

its military to

operate overseas

TV journalists’ trial adjournedCAIRO: An Egyptian court said on Wednesday it adjourned until April 22 the trial of two Al Jazeera television journalists.

The pair are charged with aiding a terrorist organisation, a refer-ence to the Muslim Brotherhood. Mohamed Fahmy, a naturalised Canadian who has given up his Egyptian citizenship, and Egyptian Baher Mohamed were released on

bail last month after spending more than a year in custody.

Meanwhile, a former interior minister under Egypt’s ousted leader Hosni Mubarak was freed from jail on Wednesday after be-ing cleared of graft charges, the state news agency reported, the latest senior offi cial of the old re-gime to be released. While Egyp-tian courts have been gradually ab-

solving Mubarak-era fi gures, they have been handing down lengthy sentences to liberal and hardline activists in cases ranging from po-litical protests to acts of violence.

A court last week acquitted the former minister, Habib Al Adly, of charges of illegal profi ting and squandering $23.72 million (181 million Egyptian pounds) of public funds. — Reuters

E G Y P T

BOOSTING DEFENCE: The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force’s new helicopter-carrying de-

stroyer ‘Izumo’ at the Japan Marine United Corp’s factory in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture on

Wednesday. – AFP

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German school mourns 16 teens killed in crash

H A L T E R N / S E Y N E - L E S -ALPES: A sea of lit candles and fl owers covered the front steps of a German school deep in mourning on Wednesday after 16 of its stu-dents died in a plane disaster in the French Alps.

Bereaved pupils wept and hugged near the makeshift memo-rial of candles, some arranged in heart shapes, to share the pain of losing their friends in Tuesday’s tragedy. “Yesterday we were many, today we are alone,” read a hand-painted sign at the school, decorat-ed with 16 crosses -- one for each of the victims, most of whom were around 15 years old.

The teenagers, 14 girls and two boys, were among at least 72 Ger-mans who made up nearly half the disaster’s total death toll of 150.

The students and their two fe-male teachers had been on a week-long exchange trip near Barcelona, paying a reciprocal visit after Span-ish youngsters came in December to the northwestern town of Haltern.

Compounding the tragedy, it emerged that those killed had won the trip in a lottery of their class-mates, reported local daily the Hal-

terner Zeitung in its online edition.“Life dreams were shattered

from one minute to the next,” an ashen-faced headmaster Ulrich Wessel said during a televised press conference. He said the stu-dents’ deaths left “a wound that will heal very slowly and leave deep scars”. Across Germany fl ags are to fl y at half-mast for three days to mourn the victims.

CondolencesCondolence books were opened in Haltern’s town hall, Berlin’s Prot-estant Cathedral and at Duessel-dorf airport, where the doomed jet had been due to land.

Staff of Lufthansa and its sub-sidiary Germanwings worldwide observed a minute’s silence, many weeping quietly, at 0953 GMT, the

moment radio contact broke off with the jet.

Leaders visitIn France, the leaders of France, Germany and Spain visited a make-shift rescue base near the German-wings air crash site on Wednesday, as investigators ramped up their probe into the mysterious disaster that killed 150. French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel fl ew over the crash site to see the devas-tation for themselves before meet-ing rescue workers outside the cri-sis centre.

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also visited the centre to be briefed on the gruelling rescue op-eration in diffi cult mountain ter-rain where Flight 4U9525 crashed early Tuesday, scattering debris over a wide area.

Investigators were combing through the pulverised wreck-age and examining its badly dam-aged black box for clues as to what caused the mysterious crash. — AFP

Bereaved pupils

wept and hugged

one another near the

makeshift memorial

of candles to share

the pain of losing

their friendsPAYING TRIBUTES: From left to right: Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano

Rajoy, France’s President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor

Angela Merkel and offi cials on a fi eld near the crash site of German-

wings Airbus A320 near Seyne-les-Alpes on Wednesday. – Reuters

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IS militants take on rival forces in Libya

TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI: Mili-tants claiming allegiance to IS fought forces loyal to Libya’s two rival governments in the central city of Sirte and further east in Benghazi, a Libyan news agency and residents said on Wednesday.

In Sirte, IS militants killed fi ve members of a force loyal to the government that controls Trip-oli, a Tripoli-based news agency said. Two military sources said the attack near a power station on Sirte’s western outskirts ap-peared to be a suicide bombing, but gave no further details.

Fighters loyal to the Tripoli government, sent to Sirte from the western city of Misrata, have clashed several times with the militants and had set up check-points near the power station.

Fighting in eastThere was also heavy fi ghting between rebels and forces loyal to Libya’s internationally recog-nised government, which is based in the east in Benghazi, after IS rebels claimed a suicide attack on an army post in the port city.

War planes attacked extrem-ist positions early on Wednesday, residents and military offi cials said. Gunfi re and rocket pro-pelled grenades could be heard in several districts. — Reuters

C O N F L I C T Syria rebels seize ancient town

BEIRUT: Insurgents have seized a historic town in southern Syria from the government, a group mon-itoring the war said on Wednesday, part of a rebel counter-attack to stop Damascus reclaiming the bor-der zone near Israel and Jordan.

A Syrian military source re-ported heavy fi ghting with armed groups on Tuesday night in and around Bosra Al Sham, whose an-cient city is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. “We are inves-

tigating the facts in the fi eld,” the source said.

An alliance of mainstream re-bels who are backed by Western and Arab foes of President Bashar Al Assad said they had taken Bosra and declared the start of a new at-tack against government forces in another area of Deraa province to the northwest.

Bosra’s historic sites include a citadel built around a second cen-tury Roman amphitheatre. It was the capital of the Roman province of Arabia.

Israel, JordanSyria’s southwestern corner is of strategic importance due to its proximity to Damascus and neigh-bouring Israel and Jordan. It is also the last signifi cant foothold of mainstream rebels, who have mostly been crushed elsewhere in Syria by government forces or extremist groups. An off ensive launched by Assad’s forces in early February made quick gains but its territorial advance then slowed.

The mainstream rebels, known as “The Southern Front”, say they have received more military sup-port from Assad’s foreign foes since the start of the push by the Syrian army and allied militia including the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Support to the Southern Front groups has been channelled via Jordan, a staunch ally of the United States.

Washington says Assad has lost legitimacy and must leave power, although its focus has switched to fi ghting the IS that has seized swathes of northern and eastern Syria as well as chunks of Iraq.

The monitoring group, the Syr-ian Observatory for Human Rights, said 21 insurgents had been killed in four days of fi ghting for Bosra, some 20 km (12 miles) north of the border with Jordan.

The spokesman for the South-ern Front alliance said 85 percent of the fi ghters who took part in the attack were from mainstream rebel groups and the rest from extremist factions.

The Nusra Front, Al Qaeda’s wing in Syria, did not take part, said spokesman Issam Al Rayyes. “We liberated the whole city, even the old castle and old city,” he said.

The Southern Front launched the attack because the army had been mobilising pro-government militia in Bosra for a new stage of its off ensive in the south, he added.

The new attack announced by the Southern Front on Wednesday was aimed at taking Jadieh, 80 km to the northwest of Bosra. — Reuters

An alliance of

mainstream rebels

said they had

taken Bosra and

declared the start of

a new attack against

government forces in

another area of

Deraa province

Bosra Al Sham’s historic sites include a citadel built around a second century Roman amphitheatre. It was the capital of the Roman province of Arabia

Kurd fi ghters, army clash in TurkeyISTANBUL: The Turkish military exchanged fi re with Kurdish rebels in southeast Turkey on Wednesday in a rare violation of a two-year old ceasefi re, part of a peace process be-tween the militants and Ankara.

The clash occurred four days af-ter jailed Kurdistan Workers Party

(PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan said the group’s 30-year insurgency against Turkey had become “unsus-tainable” and urged it to hold a con-gress on laying down its weapons.

The lira weakened against the dollar on concern about the cease-fi re breaking down. — Reuters

C E A S E F I R E V I O L A T I O N

MARKEWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5B

Muscat

6,274.58 - 7.92

- 0.13%

Dubai

3,434.65- 78.22

- 2.23%

Abu Dhabi

4,371.68 - 18.99

- 0.43%

Saudi Arabia

9,040.20 - 290.99

- 3.12%

Kuwait

6,374.49- 32.40

- 0.51%

Bahrain

1,454.87- 4.41

- 0.30%

Qatar

11,503.72- 169.73

- 1.45%

CURRENCY RATES* DRAFT RATES (OMR1)* GOLD PRICES*Forex rates vs OMR1*

US Dollar ................................. 2.58

Euro ............................................ 2.35

Pound ............................................1.73

Indian Rs ..............................161.32

Pak Rs ...................................260.42

Bangla Taka.......................199.64* Rates are as of Mar. 25

Source: Bank Muscat

Indian Rs ....................................161.75

Pakistan Rs ............................264.00

Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 343.65

Bangla Taka............................ 201.25

Phil Peso .....................................115.75

* Rates as of Mar. 25 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.25

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.65

Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............144.25

Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 137.00

* Rates as of Mar. 25

Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

Type ............................Delivery...........Price

Oman Crude ............. (Spot) .........$53.74

Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) .........$52.61

Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$55.38

Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........ $55.57

N.Sea Brent ............... (Spot) .........$55.77

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ......... $47.75

CRUDE OIL PRICE

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Sharia Index reconstituted

A. E. JAMESbusinesseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Muscat Securities Market (MSM) on Wednesday reconstituted its Sharia Index by adding three more companies and removing one fi rm from the bas-ket of companies that constitute the index.

The newly-included compa-nies in the index are Al Batinah Development and Investment Holding, Oman Cables Industry and Computer Stationary Indus-try, while Port Services Corpora-

tion has been removed from the basket of stocks that constitute the index. Port Services Corpo-ration was removed from the list due to an increase in non-permis-sible income beyond 5 per cent of realised income.

Sharia Index has 32 sample companies now and the reconsti-tution was on the basis of fi nancial results of companies in the fourth quarter of 2014. The newly consti-tuted index will be eff ective from March 29, according to a circular released by the Muscat bourse.

Muscat Securities Market’s Sh-

aria-compliant index comprises companies that are complied with Sharia law.

The sample companies are re-viewed by the bourse every three months to add or remove compa-nies according to their compli-ance with the criteria.

Islamic index will attract new category of investors who pre-fer to have reliable references that ensure compliance of their investments to the Sharia rules and regulations. This in turn contributes to the development and growth of the Islamic capital market sector as it provides non-traditional investment tools.

The index now include Al An-war Ceramic Tiles, Al Jazeira Ser-vices, Al Madina Takaful, Al Maha Ceramics, Al Izz Islamic Bank, Bank Nizwa, Construction Mate-rials Industry, Dhofar Beverages and Foodstuff , Gulf Mushroom Products, Majan Glass, Muscat Gases and Muscat Thread Mills.

New fi rms in the index include Al Batinah

Development and Investment, Oman Cables

Industry and Computer Stationary Industry

Ithraa chief to lead Oman’s trade delegation to Ethiopia Times News Service

MUSCAT: A high-powered Om-ani trade delegation will leave for Ethiopia on Tuesday to explore new business and investment opportunities.

Led by Ithraa chairman Dr Sa-lem ben Nasser Al Ismaily, the two-day visit to Addis Ababa will include a series of meetings with key Ethiopian business and government offi cials designed to enhance bilateral trade relations between the two countries.

The fast growing Ethiopian

economy is generating a lot of in-terest among Omani fi rms look-ing to do more business in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in Sub-Saha-ran Africa with a population of 90 million and its gross domestic product has grown at an average of 9.1 per cent over the last 10 years, making it Africa’s second fastest-growing economy and the sixth fastest-growing economy in the world.

“One of the ways Ithraa helps Omani businesses take advan-

tage of mutually-benefi cial com-mercial opportunities in Africa, and around the world, is through trade missions, exhibitions and business-to-business meetings. The objective in Addis Ababa is to help Omani companies fi nd new opportunities, partners and customers,” said Nasima Al Bal-ushi, Ithraa’s director general for export development.

Dr Al Ismaily will lead the del-egation of 20 companies in dif-ferent sectors like plastics, food and beverage, furniture, marble, chemicals and others.

F O R E I G N T R A D E

B2

MARKETT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 522,906 .........246,462..................... 54 ........... 0.470 ........... 0.476 ...........0.470 ........... 0.472 .............0.462 ............0.010 ............. 2.165 ................0.470 ..............0.468...................0.476 ...................116,510,715 ........0.100

OM0000001889 ............SALALAH MILLS ........................................................... 30,501 .............45,801........................7 ............1.490 ........... 1.510............1.490 ........... 1.500 ............. 1.490.............0.010 ............. 0.671 ................ 1.510 ..............1.490................... 1.635 ...................72,244,596.........0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 120,000 ........... 39,440........................5 ........... 0.328 ........... 0.332 ...........0.328........... 0.328 .............0.328 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.332 ..............0.330...................0.332..................399,775,420 ........0.100

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ........................................................................ 5,000 .............. 2,400........................ 1 ........... 0.480 ...........0.480 ...........0.480........... 0.480 .............0.480 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.480..............0.476...................0.486..................161,636,640 ........0.100

OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ............................ 5,000 ............... 1,495........................ 1 ........... 0.299 ........... 0.299 ...........0.299........... 0.299 .............0.299 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.299.............. 0.271...................0.299 ..................37,344,490 .........0.100

OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING .........................................650 ............... 1,235........................ 1 ........... 1.900 ........... 1.900 ...........1.900 ............1.995 ............. 1.995............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.900 .............. 1.855...................2.200 .................189,525,000 ........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 997,645.......... 526,557..................... 62 ........... 0.530 ........... 0.532 ...........0.524........... 0.528 .............0.528 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.526 ..............0.526...................0.528................ 1,210,082,331 ......0.100

OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. ............. 165 .................. 347........................ 1 ........... 2.100 ........... 2.100 ...........2.100 ........... 2.120 .............2.120 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................2.100 ..............2.100...................2.200 .................146,280,000 .......0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................29,040 .............48,787........................5 ............1.680 ........... 1.680 ...........1.680 ........... 1.680 ............. 1.680............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.680 .............. 1.655...................1.660 ................1,260,000,000 ......0.100

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ........................740 .....................78........................ 1 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106 ........... 0.106 ............. 0.106 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.106 ..............0.106...................0.107 ...................21,200,000.........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES .........................................3,000 ............... 1,140........................2 ........... 0.380 ...........0.380 ...........0.380........... 0.384 .............0.384 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.380..............0.380...................0.384 .................108,324,270 .......0.100

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ........................................................1,656 .................. 656........................3 ........... 0.396 ........... 0.396 ...........0.396 ........... 0.396 .............0.396 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.396 ..............0.396...................0.428 ..................23,958,000 .........0.100

OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER .................................................................2,110 ...................781........................ 1 ........... 0.370 ........... 0.370 ...........0.370 ........... 0.380 .............0.380 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.370 ..............0.370...................0.380 ..................83,983,800 .........0.100

OM0000004248 ...........SMN POWER HOLDING ..............................................2,000 ...............1,320........................2 ........... 0.660 ........... 0.660 ...........0.660........... 0.660 .............0.660 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.660..............0.660...................0.672.................. 131,759,496 ........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO.........................................................................97,000 .............69,752........................4 ............0.720 ........... 0.720 ........... 0.716 ........... 0.720 ............. 0.724 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.552 ............... 0.716 ..............0.704...................0.720..................468,679,846 .......0.100

OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ................................................................6,000 ...............2,088........................3 ........... 0.348 ........... 0.348 ...........0.348........... 0.348 .............0.350 ...........-0.002 ............-0.571................0.348..............0.344...................0.348 .................467,448,290 .......0.100

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ....................................................... 73,174 ...............9,047........................7 ............0.120 ........... 0.125 ...........0.120 ........... 0.124 ............. 0.125............-0.001 ........... -0.800 ...............0.124 ..............0.120...................0.124 ...................38,534,853 .........0.100

OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS .............................................................42,720 .............18,254......................13 ........... 0.432 ........... 0.432 ...........0.426........... 0.428 .............0.432 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.926 ...............0.426..............0.424...................0.426 ..................19,500,285 .........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 422,078 .......... 113,031..................... 49 ........... 0.269 ........... 0.269 ...........0.267........... 0.268 ............. 0.271............-0.003 ............-1.107 ................0.268..............0.267...................0.268 ..................34,974,000.........0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 438,480 ..........112,883..................... 42 ........... 0.258 ........... 0.258 ...........0.255 ........... 0.257 .............0.260 ...........-0.003 ............-1.154 ................0.255 ..............0.254...................0.255.................... 5,397,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 4,591,000 ...... 598,474..................... 82 ............0.132 ........... 0.132 ...........0.130 ........... 0.130 ............. 0.132............-0.002 ............-1.515 ................0.130 ..............0.128...................0.130 ................. 260,040,663 .......0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 207,513 ............. 13,061......................14 ........... 0.063 ........... 0.063 ...........0.062........... 0.063 .............0.064 ...........-0.001 ............-1.563................0.063 ..............0.062...................0.063................... 13,050,537 .........0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 178,652 ............ 38,834......................21 ............0.217 ........... 0.219 ...........0.215 ............0.217 ............. 0.221 ...........-0.004 ............-1.810 ................0.215 .............. 0.215...................0.217 ...................43,400,000 ........0.100

OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 722,647 ......... 102,754..................... 35 ............0.144 ........... 0.144 ........... 0.141 ........... 0.142 ............. 0.146............-0.004 ........... -2.740 ...............0.142 .............. 0.141...................0.142 .................... 8,355,737 ..........0.100

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ........... 1,553,012....... 193,482..................... 82 ............0.130 ........... 0.130 ........... 0.121 ............0.125 ............. 0.129............-0.004 ............-3.101 ................0.122 ..............0.122...................0.124 ................... 15,234,375 .........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 504,419 ............68,319......................71 ............0.135 ........... 0.140 ...........0.133 ............0.135 ............. 0.141 ............-0.006 ........... -4.255 ...............0.135 .............. 0.133...................0.135 ...................35,588,533 .........0.100

OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ........................ 23,000 ...............6,335........................7 ........... 0.290 ...........0.290 ...........0.265........... 0.275 .............0.290 ...........-0.015 ............-5.172................0.265 ..............0.262...................0.265...................26,136,000 .........0.100

OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ................................................... 5,100 ............... 2,613........................2 ........... 0.530 ........... 0.530 ...........0.512 ............0.512 .............0.568 ...........-0.056 ........... -9.859 ...............0.512 ............. 0.000...................0.546...................80,640,000 ........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 10,585,208 2,265,426...................578 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......28........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER .................................................. 10,453 ................1,871........................4 ............0.178 ........... 0.180 ...........0.178 ............0.179 ............. 0.176 ............ 0.003 ............. 1.705.................0.180 .............. 0.179...................0.180 ..................120,804,850 .......0.100

OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH .................................................. 2,612 ...............6,098........................3 ........... 2.335 ........... 2.335 ...........2.330........... 2.335 .............2.300 ............0.035 ............. 1.522 ................2.330..............2.330...................2.340 ................ 222,892,550 .......1.000

OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ................... 44,300 ............... 1,557........................8 ........... 0.035 ........... 0.036 ...........0.035 ........... 0.035 .............0.035 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.035 ..............0.035...................0.038....................2,975,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001426 ............OMAN REFRESHMENT .............................................. 1,000 ...............2,450........................ 1 ........... 2.450 ........... 2.450 ...........2.450........... 2.450 .............2.450 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................2.450..............2.450...................2.600 ................ 122,500,000 .......0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................14,900 .................. 954........................6 ........... 0.064 ...........0.064 ...........0.064........... 0.064 .............0.064 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.064..............0.063...................0.064 ...................8,000,000 ..........0.100

OM0000002051 ............GULF PLASTIC INDUSTRIES ............................... 25,000 ............... 9,750........................ 1 ........... 0.390 ...........0.390 ...........0.390........... 0.390 .............0.390 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.390............. 0.400...................0.000 .....................390,000............1.000

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA .....................................................................6,821 .................. 585........................3 ........... 0.086 ........... 0.086 ...........0.084........... 0.086 .............0.086 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.084..............0.084...................0.085..................129,000,000 .......0.100

OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .......................................................7,376 ............... 1,328........................4 ............0.180 ........... 0.180 ...........0.180 ........... 0.180 ............. 0.180 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.180 ..............0.180...................0.182 .................. 128,593,141 ........0.100

OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING....................................12,500 ............... 1,503........................4 ............0.121 ........... 0.121............0.120 ........... 0.120 ............. 0.121 ............-0.001 ........... -0.826 ...............0.120 ...............0.115...................0.120 ....................9,024,960 ..........0.100

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK................................................ 15,600 ............... 1,295........................4 ........... 0.083 ........... 0.083 ...........0.083........... 0.083 .............0.084 ...........-0.001 ............-1.190 ................0.083 ..............0.083...................0.088...................83,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................10,209 ............... 5,318......................17 ........... 0.522 ........... 0.522 ...........0.520........... 0.520 .............0.542 ...........-0.022 ........... -4.059 ...............0.522..............0.522...................0.530...................27,300,000 .........0.100

OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................41,000 ...............5,987..................... 10 ............0.148 ........... 0.148 ...........0.145 ........... 0.146 ............. 0.154............-0.008 ............-5.195 ................0.145 .............. 0.141...................0.150 ....................4,380,000 ..........0.100

.............................................SUM: ...................................................................................191,771 ............ 38,693..................... 65 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......12........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET ........................................................................................................................................................................................OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 ................................................390 .....................39........................ 1 ............0.101 ........... 0.101............0.101 ............0.101 ............. 0.101 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.101 ..............0.090...................0.108 .................... 7,221,500 ..........0.100

.............................................SUM: ..........................................................................................390 .....................39........................ 1 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ISIN .................................................. SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER ................... TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE ............. HIGH .................... LOW ............... CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE.......... DIFF (RO) .................DIFF % ......................LAST PR............... LAST BID .....................LAST OFFER ................. MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE

O M A N S T O C K S

INDICESIndex .................................................High .................Low ..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff %MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,287.20 .............. 6,274.58 ................... 6,274.58 ...................6,282.50 .................. -7.92 .................. -0.13Financial Index ..................................... 7,742.68 ............... 7,707.86 ....................7,708.82 ................... 7,742.68 ................-33.86 .................. -0.44Industrial Index ................................... 8,329.36 .............. 8,294.53 ................... 8,316.44 ...................8,320.57 .................. -4.13 .................. -0.05Services Index .......................................3,447.52 .............. 3,442.93 ...................3,442.93 ................... 3,447.52 .................. -4.59 .................. -0.13MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 977.27 .................. 971.76 ....................... 971.76 ...................... 976.86 .................. -5.10 .................. -0.52

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded10,777,369 .................. 2,304,158 .................... 644 ...............14,782,454,509 .................. 4 ......................18 .................... 19 .........................41

MSM indexends lower

MUSCAT: Amid weak trading activity, the MSM 30 retreated by 0.13 per cent to close at 6,274.58 points. The MSM Shariah Index closed at 971.76 points, down by 0.52 per cent.

HSBC Bank Oman was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. Al Anwar Ce-ramics, up by 2.16 per cent was the top gainer, while Oman Flour Mills, down by 9.86 per cent, was the top loser.

As many as 644 trades were ex-ecuted in the session generating a turnover of OMR2.3 million with more than 10.77 million shares changing hands.

Out of 41 traded securities, four advanced, 18 declined and 19 remained unchanged. GCC and Arab investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR90,000 worth of shares, followed by foreign investors at OMR62,000, while Omani investors, who were net sellers, sold stocks amounting to OMR153,000.

Financial Index declined 0.44 per cent to close at 7,708.82

points. DBIH, Oman & Emirates Holding, Gulf Investment Ser-vices, Al Madina Investments and HSBC Bank Oman decreased 5.19 per cent, 3.10 per cent, 2.74 per cent, 1.56 per cent and 1.52 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index ended the day at 8,316.44 points, down by 0.05 per cent. Al Anwar Ceramics and Salalah Mills gained 2.16 per cent and 0.67 per cent respectively. Oman Flour Mills, Galfar Engi-neering, Al Maha Ceramics, Gulf International Chemicals and Al Hassan Engineering decreased 9.86 per cent, 4.26 per cent, 4.06 per cent, 1.15 per cent and 0.83 per cent, respectively.

Services Sector Index closed the session at 3,442.93 points, down by 0.13 per cent.

Al Batinah Power and Semb-corp Salalah gained 1.70 per cent and 1.52 per cent.

Port Services, OIFC, National Gas and Ooredoo decreased 5.17 per cent, 1.81 per cent, 0.93 per cent and 0.55 per cent respectively. – United Securities

Al Anwar Ceramics, up by 2.16 per cent, was

the top gainer, while Oman Flour Mills, down

by 9.86 per cent, lost the most on Wednesday

Indian stocks, rupee fallMUMBAI: Ahead of March derivative contract expiry, the benchmark Sensex on Wednes-day closed 50 points down to nearly 10-week low of 28,111.83 on losses in capital goods, pow-er and metal stocks, extending its string of losses to the sixth straight session.

The BSE 30-share barometer resumed better and improved further to a high of 28,249.60 before falling back to a low of 28,031.42. It fi nally, closed at 28,111.83 — a loss of 49.89 points or 0.18 per cent. In straight six sessions, the Sensex has plunged by 624.55 points or 2.17 per

cent. Previously,it had settled at 28,075.55 on January 15, 2015.

Rupee edges downThe Indian rupee on Wednesday snapped its seven-day winning spree against the United States dollar, declining 7 paise to end at 62.33 on month-end dollar de-mand from banks and importers. The rupee’s longest run of gains since June 2011 ended amid re-newed dollar demand in view of a higher dollar in the international market, a forex dealer said.

The rupee resumed lower at 62.32 per dollar as against Tues-day’s closing level of 62.26. - PTI

I N D I A N M A R K E T S

Protiviti’s annual forum set to discuss digital age challengesTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Main challenges in the digital world will be dis-cussed at the fourth annual forum ‘Leadership in the Digital Age’, orgainsed by Protiviti’s offi ce in Oman, on April 5 at the InterCon-tinental Muscat.

The forum will be held under the patronage of Salim Al Ruzaiqi, chief executive offi cer of Informa-tion Technology Authority (ITA).

The theme of this year’s fo-rum is ‘Disruptive Leadership by Design’ and it is organised by Protiviti for senior business pro-fessionals to share their success stories, engage in thought provok-ing debates and explore solutions to their challenges around strat-egy, governance, growth, security, social impact, innovation and tal-ent crunch in the digital age.

The event is sponsored by the Platinum sponsor ‘Oman Arab Bank’, Gift Sponsor ‘Tamrah’ and Media Sponsor Oman Eco-nomic Review.

This forum delivers untold in-sights on emerging trends and highlights pragmatic solutions to embrace disruptive leadership and support sustainable business growth by adopting competitive advantages in today’s dynamic and fast-paced environment.

The delegates will have the op-portunity to engage and interact with experts from various fi elds and walk away with practical so-lutions and proven frameworks to manage sustainable change.

Global expertsSenior leaders and international experts from organisations such as Mira-cle, GUTech, Oman Data Park, Cosmic Surrounding and others will be presenting their perspectives on how information and communication technologies are infl uencing and leading lives, essence of talent management and retention of knowledge work-ers, governance around cloud computing, smart learning and crowd disruption.

“Each year, we were com-mended and encouraged to keep organising this annual forum to engage and discover the emerging trends of the digital age. Protiviti is always delighted to open a plat-form and welcome speakers from a wide range of sectors who are committed to innovate at a com-petitive edge,” said Shatha Salim Al Maskiry, country managing director of Protiviti.

“Protiviti’s annual forum for leadership always brings an ex-traordinary platform where lead-ers and experts gather to share their challenges in leadership. We, in Oman Data Park, believe that leadership and learning are indispensable to each other, where leadership has to pay a great deal of attention to innova-tion and the art of focus. Today governance and security of cloud computing is critical to the In-dustry. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all,” said Maqboul Al Wahaiby, general manager of Oman Data Park.

E X P L O R I N G S O L U T I O N S

B3T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

MARKET

‘Female entrepreneurs in tourism need of the hour’

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI elham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Strong presence of women entrepreneurs in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, especially in the tourism industry, will further strengthen the ‘backbone’ of Oman’s econ-omy, says Zuwaina Al Badaa’i, a female Omani entrepreneur.

The perseverance of Zuwaina along with the support of her busi-ness partner Captain Said and their families, gave birth to the ‘Star of the Sea Tourism’ in 2011, which off ers dhow cruise services with a vision to promote Oman’s tourism and become the primary authentic sea cruise company in the Sultanate.

Zuwaina could start her own business with the support of the Fund for Development of Youth Projects (Sharakah) and now hopes to see the challenges facing entrepreneurs addressed so that more aspiring individuals, in par-ticular women with good business

ideas, can set up their own compa-nies. “We have seen many female workers outperforming their male counterparts and have witnessed many female entrepreneurs em-powering other women. In gen-eral, SMEs are the backbone of the country’s economy. It is a pity that I have seen very few women in the tourism industry,” she told Times of Oman in an interview.

Challenges Asked about the challenges facing entrepreneurs in Oman, she said that according to her personal ex-perience, they are related to poli-cies and regulations, shortfall of capital, lack of support systems and similar issues.

“To our surprise, we found the procedure for start-ups too cum-bersome and tedious. Acquir-ing all the necessary approvals was painful and time-consum-ing,” said Zuwaina, adding that Sharakah’s evaluation of the pro-ject and its risk assessment and business monitoring tools played an important role in establishing the company.

Commenting on the challenges facing female entrepreneurs in Oman, she said that they are more or less similar worldwide.

“We have contextual obstacles that include matters such as edu-cational choices, traditional views and stereotypes. Then we have the fi nancial obstacles, including the need for substantial investment amount. Also, there are soft ob-stacles that include lack of time, general business network or en-trepreneurship skills,” she added.

Zuwaina believes that locals are the best ambassadors of tourism in any country and more ‘eff ec-tive’ training programmes with a ‘hands-on’ approach should be developed to equip them with the necessary skills to work in this sector, which is a major source of economic diversifi cation.

Training programmesShe said that in the beginning, only a few destination manage-ment companies existed and now more SME companies have been established, supported by tourism projects and mega infrastructure

development in the country. In Muscat, there are about four oth-er companies who own and run dhow cruises, she added.

Commenting on the devel-opment of the local workforce, Zuwaina said, “It is good that training programmes exist. Un-fortunately, not all are eff ective. The programmes need to have a follow-up strategy to measure the In-Country Value (ICV).”

She also noted that incen-tives are welcome and should be allocated where they are most needed, but at the end of the day, it boils down to the employee and the entrepreneur and without business discipline and dedica-tion, no amount of incentives will be enough.

Adding valueAsked what SMEs should do in re-turn for the support they receive, she said, “SMEs need to add value to their services and products and venture more into manufactur-ing type of projects. The expertise earned over the years, need to be passed on to younger generations.”

“SMEs also need to abide by the acceptable regulations and build stronger collaboration and ties between authorities and SMEs. They should also give back to the community and help build a healthy and diversifi ed economy,” said Zuwaina.

Zuwaina also argues that fol-low-up mechanisms should be in place to ensure the business capa-bility, maturity and sustainability of the companies. Besides, Oman needs more role models, whose success stories can motivate oth-ers to step out of their comfort zones, she added.

Commenting on the activities of the ‘Star of the Sea’, she said that the company provides reli-able, safe and authentic sea cruise services with the motto ‘Explore Oman waters, the Omani way’, and the response to its services has been positive so far.

Stronger presence

of women

entrepreneurs

in SME sector,

especially in the

tourism industry, will

further strengthen

the ‘backbone’ of

Oman’s economy,

says an Omani

businesswoman

Sharakah sets recordwith OMR814,000in funding small units Times News Service

MUSCAT: Fund for Development of Youth Projects, also known as Sharakah, has exceeded the target investment in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), reaching an all-time-high of OMR814,000, said offi cials from the company.

This was revealed at Sharakah’s annual general meeting (AGM) for the fi nancial year ended December 2014, which was held on Monday.

Said Salim Al Sahib, vice-chair-man of the board of directors, pre-sided over the meeting which was attended by the directors, share-holders and offi cials from the concerned authorities.

Reviewing Sharakah’s achieve-ments in 2014, Al Sahib said that the performance of the projects supported by Sharakah shows signs of positive growth.

Regarding the growth of SMEs, the offi cial mentioned that six projects pre-paid the loan amount during the year, namely Salim Al Mawali Cement Project, Khalid Al Suwaid Enterprises (Love at First Bite), Said Al Shahri Law Offi ce (SASLO) and United Arab Cater-ing, (Venezia Restaurant) in addi-tion to Hamdan Al Ruwaishi (Abu Luwaida) and Jasim Al Mamari

(Lab Scientifi c). The total amount received was

OMR250,216. He added that Sharakah re-

ceived an invitation to be a mem-ber of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Entrepreneurship Union, a regional organisation that brings together heads of all SME development agencies in the gulf.

Local enterprisesIn addition, invitations were re-ceived from the Emirates Founda-tion of the United Arab Emirates and Silatech of Qatar to act as their local representative for their re-gional initiatives.

Sharakah strives to accommo-date the need of local SMEs, and, as a step towards achieving this, the strategy for the next fi ve years has been revisited and the fi rm has developed a more robust strategy for future.

Al Sahib noted that SME devel-opment still remains Sharakah’s top priority and the focus will be on providing more post-fi nancing support and strengthening the col-laboration with the existing busi-ness partners.

In addition, the AGM discussed and approved the audited fi nancial statements for 2014.

A N N U A L M E E T I N G

Tata Motors plans to raise $1.2 billion MUMBAI: Tata Motors, India’s biggest automaker, said it plans to raise as much as Rs75 billion ($1.2 billion) in a rights off er to boost capital.

The company will off er six shares for every 109 held at Rs450 apiece, according to an ex-change fi ling. That’s a 15 per cent discount to the closing price on Tuesday. Holders of the so-called diff erential voting rights will be off ered stock in the same propor-tion at Rs271 apiece.

Tata Motors has said it expects to spend about Rs40 billion an-nually at its India business over the next two to three years, and as much as £3.7 billion ($5.5 bil-

lion) a year over the same period at its Jaguar Land Rover unit on product development and expan-sion. The stock off ering will help partly fund its plans.

Shares of Tata Motors rose 1.3 per cent to Rs539.10 in Mumbai. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex Index advanced 0.02 percent. The automaker’s board also ap-proved the buyback of non-con-vertible debentures valued at Rs12.5 billion.

Tata Motors’s India business has posted a loss in six of the past nine quarters amid weak demand for its trucks and passenger cars. It introduced new models called Bolt and Zest. - Bloomberg News

R I G H T S O F F E R

ENTERPRISING: Zuwaina Al Badaa’i (left); and Captain Said.

Zuwaina and business partner Captain Said, gave birth to the

‘Star of the Sea Tourism’ in 2011, which off ers dhow cruise

services with a vision to promote Oman’s tourism. - Supplied photo

B4

FEATURET H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

ince the European sovereign-debt crisis erupted in 2009, everyone has wondered what would happen if a country left the eurozone. At first, the debate focused on crisis countries — Greece, or maybe Por-

tugal, Spain, or Italy. Then there was a rather hypothetical discussion of what would happen if strong surplus countries — say, Finland or Germany — left.

Through it all, a consensus emerged that an exit by one country could — like the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 — trigger a wider meltdown. Now, in Switzerland, we have a demonstration of just some of the risks that might emerge were a surplus country to leave the eurozone.

In September 2011, Switzerland pegged its currency to the euro to set a ceiling to the Swiss franc’s rapid appreciation in the wake of the global financial crisis that erupted in 2008. The country thus became a temporary adjunct member of the European monetary union. But, on January 15, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) suddenly and surprisingly abandoned the peg.

Obviously, exiting a real currency union is far more complex and legally fraught than ending a temporary exchange-rate arrangement; the effects of such a move would be greatly magni-fied. Nonetheless, the Swiss move reveals at least some of the uncertainties that a full-fledged exit could create.

The SNB was not forced to act by a specula-tive run. No financial crisis forced its hand, and, in theory, the SNB’s directorate could have held the exchange rate and bought foreign assets in-definitely. But domestic criticism of the SNB’s large buildup of exchange-rate reserves (euro assets) was mounting.

In particular, Swiss conservatives disliked the risk to which the SNB was exposed. Fearing that eurozone government bonds were unsafe, they agitated to require the SNB to acquire gold reserves instead, even forcing a referendum on the matter. Though the initiative to require a fixed share of gold reserves failed, the prospect of large-scale quantitative easing by the Eu-ropean Central Bank, together with the euro’s recent slide against the dollar, intensified the political pressure to abandon the peg.

Whereas economists have modeled financial attacks well, there has been little study of just when political pressure becomes unbearable and a central bank gives in. The SNB, for exam-ple, had proclaimed loyalty to the peg just days before ending it. As a result, markets will now hesitate to believe central banks’ statements about future policy, and forward guidance (a major post-crisis instrument) will be much more difficult.

In September 2011, Switzerland pegged its currency to the euro to set a ceiling to the Swiss franc’s rapidappreciation. But on January 15,the Swiss National Bank suddenlyand surprisingly abandoned the peg

There is historical precedent for the victory of political pressure, and for the recent Swiss action. In the late 1960s, the Bundesbank had to buy dollar assets in order to stop the Deutsche mark from rising, and to preserve the integrity of its fixed exchange rate. The discussion in Germany focused on the risks to the Bundes-bank’s balance sheet, as well as on the inflation-ary pressures that came from the currency peg. Some German conservatives at the time would have liked to buy gold, but the Bundesbank had promised the Fed that it would not put the dollar under downward pressure by selling its reserves for gold.

In 1969, Germany unilaterally revalued the Deutsche mark. But that was not enough to stop inflows of foreign currency, and the Bundes-bank was obliged to continue to intervene. It continued to reduce its interest rate, but the inflows persisted. In May 1971, the German government — against the wishes of the Bun-desbank — abandoned the dollar peg altogether and floated the currency.

Politics had prevailed over central-bank commitments. Within three months, the fallout destroyed the entire international monetary system, and US President Richard Nixon took the dollar off the gold standard. The credibility of the entire system of central bank commit-ments had collapsed, and international mon-etary policy became extremely unstable. The Deutsche mark appreciated, and life became very hard for German exporters.

Today, the global ramifications of a major central bank’s actions are much more pro-nounced than in 1971. When the Bundesbank acted unilaterally, German banks were not very international. But now finance is global, implying large balance-sheet exposures to currency swings.

Big Swiss banks fund themselves in Swiss francs, because so many people everywhere want the security of franc assets. They then acquire assets worldwide, in other currencies. When the exchange rate changes abruptly, the banks face large losses — a large-scale version of naive Hungarian homeowners’ strategy of borrowing in Swiss francs to finance their mortgages.

Though the SNB had given many warnings that the euro peg was not permanent, and though it had imposed a higher capital ratio on banks, the uncoupling from the euro came as a huge shock. Swiss bank shares fell faster than the general Swiss index. — Project Syndicate

B5T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

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OAB staff celebrates His Majesty’s return

MUSCAT: Oman Arab Bank (OAB) employees celebrated yes-terday the return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to his be-loved nation.

The celebration was held at the OAB head offi ce in north Al Ghu-bra and was attended by employ-ees and the CEO Amin Al Hussei-ni, says a press release.

“I am truly honoured to be standing with our OAB staff family members celebrating the return of His Majesty to his nation and the people of Oman. The joy and ex-citement the OAB staff members are feeling refl ects on the love and respect they have for their leader,” Al Husseini said.

The event, which was held in the

OAB reception area and organised by OAB’s Social Committee mem-bers, started with employees sing-ing the national anthem with pride and was followed by thanksgiving prayers to Almighty Allah for re-

turning back His Majesty to the people of Oman. The event com-menced by reciting a poem on the location by one of the staff mem-bers, which was recited back by all the employees in unison.

The joy and

excitement the Oman

Arab Bank employees

are feeling refl ects on

the love and respect

they have for their

leader, said Amin

Al Husseini, Chief

Executive Offi cer

SWEETS OF OMAN REGISTERS VALUE GROWTH OF 7 PER CENTDuring the Annual General Meeting of Sweets of Oman

held on March 15 the share holders approved the

distribution of 50% of the nominal value of each share

(50 baisa per share) as dividend. The Chairman Redha

Baqir Al Lawati informed that during the year 2014 the

company registered a value growth of 7% compared

to the year 2013. The net profi t of the company after

taxation was OMR901,420 for the year. — Supplied picture

Mitsubishi boosts online presenceMUSCAT: Maintaining its pres-ence as one of the leading auto-motive brands in the Sultanate and recognising of rapid growth of the social media connectiv-ity in Oman, General Automotive Company (GAC) has in the last two years made great strides in the online space in Oman with the Mitsubishi brand — completely revamping its local brand website, actively embracing social media, introducing a dedicated Mitsubi-shi Oman mobile app and launch-ing a dedicated website for its used cars division, says a press release.

“In the past few years the broad-band user base, and subsequently social media users, has been grow-ing exponentially. In 2014 alone the number of Fixed Broadband Subscribers increased by 14.8 per cent and the number of Ac-tive Mobile Broadband Subscrib-ers increased by 18.4 per cent to 177,063 users and a staggering 2,893,561 users respectively. As a result, a digital presence is an ab-solute must for any company that wants their brand to stay relevant and recognised by consumers in Oman,” said Rajesh Sharma, the National Marketing Manager for GAC, commenting on the growth of digital media in Oman. “Due to its growing infl uence, brands that engage with customers through social media channels enjoy higher levels of engagement with their customers. This is why we revamped our local brand website and set in motion a strategic and open social media plan to take advantage of the tools digital and social media provides us to ac-tively connect with Mitsubishi fans and customers.”

Mitsubishi’s digital overhaul in Oman began with the launch of its revamped brand website www.mitsubishioman.com. The new website not only to delivers rapid information access and smooth navigation but also adheres to corporate brand guidelines. It re-fl ects Mitsubishi’s design expe-rience and off ers a range of use-ful tools and links for customers right on the homepage. Special promotions, used vehicle specials, scheduling service appointments, test drive bookings and customer service, as well as a detailed and continually monitored customer feedback area are just some of

the features available for visitors on the website. The website also includes seamless integration of its actively followed social media sites, off ering links to Mitsubishi Oman’s Facebook, Twitter, Insta-gram and YouTube channels right on the homepage.

As a result of its popularity and the freedom it off ers, social media has become a powerful marketing tool for Mitsubishi in Oman and has provided a medium through which General Automotive Com-pany can receive direct feedback from customers on its new and existing initiatives, products and services. Beginning with its Fa-cebook page in August 2013, and with Twitter, Instagram and You-Tube launching shortly thereaf-ter, Mitsubishi’s local social me-dia channels help followers get a deeper insight into the Japanese automotive giant’s activities in the Sultanate. Ranging from ve-hicle debuts to showroom activi-ties, fans and owners are able to continuously stay up-to-date on programmes, product news and company information. Mitsubishi also engages with existing and po-tential customers through regular interactive online contests, held throughout the year across all so-cial media channels, reaching out to thousands of Mitsubishi fans across the Sultanate.

“Social media, at its core, is a communication channel like email or phone calls. Through our chan-nels, which are monitored careful-ly, we off er a direct line to our fol-

lowers to answer any complaints as well receive compliments. It of-fers us an opportunity to publicly demonstrate our customer service level whilst at the same time en-rich our relationship with them; off ering a more personalised expe-rience that clearly shows that we care about them,” added Rajesh.

More recently GAC took online interaction with its customers to an entirely new level with the launch of a new mobile app specifi -cally designed to provide a wealth of services in a simple, easy to use format assistance to both Mitsubi-shi fans and owners.

Available for free on Android and iPhone, the app called ‘Mit-subishi Oman’, gives its users quicker access and a faster re-sponse to numerous services that would normally require the user to either visit the webpage or the showroom directly, such as book-ing a test drive, booking a service and much more, right in the palm of their hand. And fi nally in March 2015, GAC launched their new Diamond Approved Used Cars website, www.diamondusedcars.com. The website was launched to complement Mitsubishi’s dedi-cated used vehicles division, of-fering visitors a comprehensive and convenient vehicle locator together with several unique fea-tures such as prices displayed in OMR, AED, EUR, USD and GBP, detailed images of the interior and exterior of all vehicles listed, the option to share individual re-sults with their friends via social media and much more.

“Our foray into digital space is a constantly evolving one. Each in-teraction on our website or social media channels provide us with an opportunity to obtain valuable in-formation about what our custom-ers are interested in and what they think of our vehicles and company as a whole. It is this feedback that guides us on our path towards maintaining Mitsubishi’s posi-tion as one of the leading brands in the country. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank all our followers and fans for their continual support and feedback they have provided us with over the past two years and we look forward to growing our business hand-in-hand with your success,” concluded Rajesh.

S O C I A L M E D I A

NDC's annual general meeting approves 40 per cent dividendMUSCAT: The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Detergent Company (NDC) was held at Grand Hyatt Hotel recent-ly in the presence of the Board Chairman Redha Baqir Al Lawati, Board members and the compa-ny’s top offi cials.

The AGM approved distribu-tion of 40 per cent dividend for the year 2014. It also approved the report of the board, the auditor’s report, balance sheet, profi t and loss statement for the fi nancial year ended December 31, 2014, says a press release.

For 2014, the company posted total sales revenue of OMR23.38 million as compared to OMR21.70 million in 2013, registering a posi-tive growth. Consolidated profi t

from operations for the year was OMR1.13 million when compared to OMR1.40 million for the previ-ous year. Profi t before tax for 2014 was OMR0.91 million as com-pared to OMR1.19 million in 2013.

NDC’s fl agship brand Bahar and all other major products have performed well in local and

export markets during the year. The powder and liquid plants in Sohar have become fully opera-tional. The company is setting up a new non-tower detergent pow-der plant in Sohar, which will help in improving NDC’s presence in detergent powder segment in the years to come.

M E E T I N G

Young IPS students display innovative working modelsMUSCAT: International Pio-neers School (IPS) organised its ‘Exhibition 2015’ recently on the school premises. It was a scintil-lating event which opened the doors of knowledge to the public.

The two-day event was de-clared open by Dr Stuart Colesky, Sr. Manager, GEMS Education.

Dr Stuart Colesky along with his colleague Raquel Nahas, Asso-ciate, GEMS Education were both amazed and impressed by the way the children displayed their crea-tive, scientifi c and aesthetic tal-ent showing innovative and bril-liant projects and working models meticulously put together after undertaking intensive research work, says a press release.

For two days, the school ex-hibited students’ output and per-formance inside the class room across all scholastic subjects. Apart from these, the school dis-played amazing work of arts by students in the art and craft room which showcased ‘Wealth out of waste’. The school is keeping up the challenges of modernity. The

students presented ‘Embracing Cultural Diversity’ in ‘Multicul-tural Display Area’ in which they represented Oman, Japan, Aus-tralia, China, India and Pakistan.

The Ecosystem room not only entertained the invitees but also promoted social awareness to the public about the reality of animals, birds, plants and people being connected to each other for healthy living. To complete the school’s big event is the ‘Walk Down Memory Lane’ which was intentionally created for people to know how the school has evolved.

The event was headed by the Founder Principal Juliet John and curated by the dedicated teachers and parents. The young learners were assigned a task wherein they should speak about a certain project. The application of imagination of the students was such a great success.

The quality of eff ort that teach-ers, parents and students put up was the evident of this unique and holistic experience that eve-rybody has taken a keen interest for the growth of children both academically and socially.

E X H I B I T I O N

Mazoon Electricity commences leadership development programme for 14 managersMUSCAT: Mazoon Electricity Company (MZEC) recently com-menced an initial phase of the Leadership Development Pro-gramme (LDP) for 14 managers as part of the leadership develop-ment strategy of the company.

The 14 managers are key talents across various divisions of the company responsible for driving business growth and managing change, says a press release.

For this programme, MZEC has partnered with Utilities Center for Competences Development (UCCD) which is a private compa-ny co-owned by the Nama Group (formerly Electricity Holding Group ) and Veolia Environment. UCCD will employ an advanced suite of qualitative and quantita-tive tests as well as business simu-lation exercises in order to assess the managers across various lead-

ership parameters. The objective of the LDP programme is twofold; one is to assess the existing lead-ership competency gaps and sec-ondly to implement a holistic and customised leadership training programme for each of the manag-ers. This programme is specifi cally designed to incorporate a culture of leadership development at par

with global levels and to further enhance the feeling of account-ability, quality and customer focus across the company to address the dynamic growth of the electricity sector in the country.

Eng. Zahir Al Abri, CEO at MZEC said,” It is an exciting time for Mazoon with many planned strategic initiatives to address

our stakeholder expectations. I truly believe that eff ective leader-ship can drive the sector to higher levels in the years to come and the leadership development pro-gramme serves as a critical tool in our vision to be recognised as a safe, reliable and sustainable elec-tricity provider to customers.”

Masoud Al Maskari, Senior HR Manager, MZEC said,” Human Re-sources development continues to be the backbone of our strategic endeavours and the company re-mains committed to providing best in class learning and development interventions to all staff . We believe that the company has a responsibil-ity towards the country in nurtur-ing future leaders and the LDP is one of the many such initiatives we have undertaken to support the business in our endeavor to make MZEC an employer of choice.”

D E V E L O P I N G S K I L L S

Catholicos to be chief

celebrant for holy week

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, Catholi-cos of the East and Indian (Ma-lankara) Orthodox Metropolitan, will be the chief celebrant for this year’s Holy Week services for Mar Gregorios Orthodox Maha Edavaka (MGOME).

The Primate of the Indian Or-thodox Church will present the fi rst Thanal Charity Award insti-tuted in the name of Dr Stepha-nos Mar Theodosius (1924-2007) to Fr Davis Chiramel, chairman of the Thrissur-based Kidney Federation of India. On March 27 evening, the Primate will inaugurate the valedictory of Thanal Charity Project dur-ing which J. S. Mukul, Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate or Gloria Gangte, Deputy Chief of

Mission, will preside. The Mus-cat parish launched the Thanal charity project for 2014-15 called ‘Rays of Hope’ to help the needy kidney patients.

The Holy Week begins on March 27 with a Holy Eucharist followed by Catholicate Day cele-brations and release of the parish directory by the Catholicos.

The Supreme Head of the Church will be the chief cel-ebrant for the Palm Sunday Service on March 28 evening, Maundy Thursday on April 1, feet washing service on April 2, Goo-da Friday Service on April 3 from 8 am to 4.30pm. The programmes will conclude with Holy Easter Service on April 4 from 6pm after which the Catholicos will depart for Kerala. Elaborate arrange-ments have been made for the Holy Week services.

C E L E B R A T I O N

B6 T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UP

Foreign ambassadors greet HM on his return

MUSCAT: To mark the occasion of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s return to Oman from Ger-many, a number of foreign ambas-sadors accredited to the Sultan-ate have expressed their sincere congratulations and heartfelt sentiments to His Majesty and the citizens of Oman, on behalf of their governments and the people of their homelands.

Some ambassadors were inter-viewed by the management of His Majesty’s personal website, the fi rst Omani website that highlights the life and achievements of His Majesty the Sultan and which have been translated into more than 25 languages. The ambassadors all expressed their love and respect for His Majesty and prayed for his good health, says a press release.

Barbara Joziasse, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

On behalf of the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Embas-sy in Muscat, I would like to ex-press my sincere

gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, to the govern-ment, and to the citizens of Oman for their ongoing support and ef-forts in deepening the strong rela-tionship and long-term commit-ment between the Netherlands and the Sultanate of Oman.

Juan José Urtasun, Ambassador of Spain

Heartiest con-gratulations to His Majesty Sul-tan Qaboos bin Said, the archi-tect of the Bless-ed Renaissance,

on the occasion of his safe return to his homeland. We pray for His Majesty’s continued guidance in carrying the nation forward.

Narciso T. Castañeda, Ambassador of the Philippines

The Embassy of the Philippines c o n g r a t u l a t e s the Sultanate of Oman on the safe return of His Majesty. The friendship

between the people of the Philip-pines and Oman has led to a strong partnership between our two countries in many fi elds.

We wish His Majesty Sultan Qa-boos good health as he continues to guide Oman towards a brighter future. The Philippines looks for-ward to strengthening its ties with Oman in many fi elds.

Sheikh Sekander Ali, Ambassador of Bangladesh

I, along with my fellow Bangla-deshi compatri-ots, convey our heartfelt greet-ings to His Majes-ty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the

brotherly people of the Sultanate. Oman made impressive strides

in all spheres of life under the wise and prudent leadership of His Majesty the Sultan, which are well recognised by the world communi-ty. As global citizens we owe much to His Majesty and take this oppor-tunity to pay our sincere tributes to His Majesty for his unparalleled contribution to mankind.

Pornchai Danvivathana, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand

On the occasion of return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to the Sul-tanate of Oman, I have the honour to extend, on be-half of the Royal

Thai Embassy and the Thai com-munity in the Sultanate, my sin-cere congratulations and utmost appreciation to His Majesty the Sultan for the successful develop-ment and progress of the Sultanate of Oman for the betterment of the people. May His Majesty be bless-ed with happiness and good health as the leader of the nation.

Paola Amadei, Ambassador of Italy

On the occasion of safe and sound arrival of Sultan Qaboos, I have the honour to pre-sent my sincerest congratulations to the people of

Oman. It is an occasion that shows the importance of this great his-toric day in Oman, life in the hearts of Omani people and their grati-tude to their beautiful and beloved country under the wise leadership

of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It is an occasion as well to celebrate the impressive achieve-ments fulfi lled. I take this oppor-tunity to renew my appreciation of the Oman Qaboos Website, which provides ample information about the vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to bring about peace, prosperity and harmony. I will spare no eff ort to strengthen the relations between Italy and Oman.

Hans-Christian Freiherr von Reibnitz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany

Upon the return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the country, I am conveying warm-est greetings on behalf of the Ger-

man government and all the staff of the German embassy. I am add-ing my personal best wishes for the health and well-being of His Majesty and continued peace, sta-bility as well as further progress and prosperity for all the people of Oman.

George Hisaeda, Ambassador of Japan

On the auspi-cious and joyful occasion of the great leader Sul-tan Qaboos bin Said’s return, I would like to of-fer my heartfelt

congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the government and citizens of Oman, on behalf of Japan. May His Maj-esty continue to be blessed with the best of health, and the Omani nation continues to fl ourish and thrive in peace, prosperity and harmony under His Majesty’s sagacious leadership. As Ambas-sador of Japan to Oman, I will continue to avail myself of every opportunity to further strengthen the warm and robust relationship between the two friendly coun-tries. I would also like to commend the developments of His Majesty’s personal website and wish it every future success. In this modern and technical global era, I believe the website will play a very important role in further enhancing good relations between the friendly nation of Oman and the international com-munity and deepen Oman’s endur-ing friendship with the hi-tech na-tion of Japan.

Daesik KIM, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea

On the occasion of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s return home, I, on be-half of the Ko-rean community in Oman, would

like to fi rst and foremost extend our warmest welcome to him and pray that may His Majesty always

be blessed with dynamic energy, good health and long life. It is my sincere wish that His Majesty is always healthy and strong and that under his distinguished leadership our friendly and cooperative rela-tions may continue to strengthen further in the future. Wishing the Omani people continued pro-gress and prosperity in the years to come, I would like to take this opportunity to applaud the team of ‘HM’s Personal Website’ espe-cially Hamoud Al Azri for all the hard eff orts put by him in making this unique website which intro-duces the life and personality of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and his achievements for the people of Oman to the outside world. I hope that this website will continue to grow and wish the team good luck in the coming years.

Helen Sayers, Manager/trainer, Oasis Life-Skills Training Services

It is an honour for me to be given this opportunity to express my congratulations on His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s return home,

along with these heartfelt messag-es from the ambassadors accred-ited to Oman, who play such an important role in building bridges of harmony between nations. As a member of the expatriate commu-nity in Oman, I hold His Majesty in high esteem. He is a great inspira-tion to us — a shining light in the world, who upholds the highest human values; values that include courage, integrity, humility, inner peace, compassion, dignity, wis-dom, respect, inclusiveness and kindness — to name but a few. The world is in need of values such as these, and the best way that we can truly appreciate His Majesty for his unparalleled eff orts is to aspire to emulate those same values that we admire in our great leader. It has been a privilege to contribute in a small way to the continued development of the Oman-Qaboos website with Hamoud Al Azri and his dedicated team.

Hamoud Al Azri, General Supervisor, HM’s website

Let me express with pride my sin-cere congratula-tions to His Maj-esty and to the people of Oman on the occasion of HM’s return.

The Sultanate has seen enormous achievements and enjoys security and stability as well as happiness since the blessed Renaissance. I would like to convey my gratitude to the ambassadors for their unwa-vering support in supervising the process of translating the updated biography of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, and their cooperation in the ongoing development of the project. My sincere thanks to Hel-en Sayers for her role in oversee-ing the editing of the biography of His Majesty the Sultan.

Some ambassadors

were interviewed

by the management

of His Majesty’s

personal website

— the fi rst Omani

website that

highlights the life and

achievements of His

Majesty the Sultan

and which have been

translated into more

than 25 languages

Max launches fresh Spring CollectionMUSCAT: As winter transits into the glorious colours of a fresh new season, Max is going into full bloom with the hues of everything blue for their latest Spring Collec-tion. A delight for the lovers of this beautiful colour, Max will display its awe-inspiring line of cloth-ing, mixed and matched with this beautiful shade of spring, says a press release.

Paisleys are all the rage this sea-son, fi nding themselves textured in prints for both men and women. Monochromes, with their pleas-ing shades are also ruling the run-ways taking an evergreen stand with their historic design.

Always blessed with an abun-dance of choice, the women’s spring collection will give in to light fl owing dresses as they catch the sweet breeze of fresh-ness. Soft, yet modern and edgy, the silhouettes drape perfectly in body fl attering cuts. Marking a huge comeback, prints make its way into the wardrobes of fashion-lovers as a season’s fa-vourite with fl oral and feminine motifs, polka dots, stripes and even bolder tribal patterns and vivid colours. Off ering a plethora of designs even for the men folk, the collection will witness mono paisleys and solid monochromes. Keeping the spirit of the season, men’s polo tees, vests, graphic tees, printed shorts, joggers and

casual jackets will see colours that are fresh and vibrant from black, grey, blue, indigo, red and shades of pink.

Shades of blue contrast with the vivid colours of yellow, red, pink, blue white and indigo to at-tain the vibrancy of youth in a fun collection for the Max teens.

The trendy young girls get to enjoy an urban-inspired journey into delicate prints, soft fl oral designs, textured fabrics, cro-chets, laces, stripes and some even funky patchwork. For the fun-fi lled boys on-the-go, it’s all about skaters with sporty, athlet-ic, tropical and animal faces; de-signs that are primed for a street-style-worthy statement.

Kids, spring and colours; the three go in absolute harmony with each other. Matching the theme of the season, the camo-varsity-aquatic-inspired pieces can’t miss the eye. Prints in tropi-cal, paisley, stripes, checks, city graphic and numerical contrib-ute to an exciting line-up for the spring shelves. Floral–inspired prints, heart shaped graphics, polka dots and bird prints form an exciting collection for the creative young girls. Mirroring the silhou-ettes of the Max woman, now even the six-year-old girls get to fl aunt everything from pretty skirts and high and low dresses to skinny pants and crop tops.

M I X E D A N D M A T C H E D

MSE launches free service campaign on cooling appliancesMUSCAT: Mustafa Sultan Electronics (MSE) recently an-nounced a month long free service campaign across the country from March 15 for its cooling products including air conditioners, chest freezer and refrigerators ahead of the scorching summer season.

The free service campaign is MSE’s way of reassuring their customers that the relationship with them continues well be-yond the sale of the product. The free service campaign would not only nurture the trust reposed on MSEC by the existing customers, but instil confi dence in the minds of the indenting buyers also, says a press release.

The free service campaign just ahead of the summer season will benefi t the consumers im-

mensely and they are expecting a very positive response to this initiative from their consumers. Consumers can avail this service by dialing MSE’s service centre numbers 00 968 24818018 and 00 968 24818039 and registering their complaints.

Mustafa Sultan Electronics Co. (MSEC), one of the leading electronics company in Oman, is the distributor for Philips along with Brands like Haier, Whirl-pool, and Westpoint etc. MSEC has two showrooms in the capital at Al Khuwair and Ruwi.

MSEC’s Service Centre at Wadi Kabir is fully equipped with all ultra modern infrastructure and company trained engineers to cater to any of the require-ments of the valued customers.

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Bank Muscat celebrates HM’s return

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the fl ag-ship fi nancial services provider in the Sultanate, marked the auspi-cious return home of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said as the head offi ce and branches across the Sul-tanate lined up various celebra-tions refl ecting the Omani senti-ments associated with the loyalty, pride, admiration and respect for the beloved leader of Oman.

The bank’s senior management team joined the celebrations in honour of His Majesty Sultan Qa-boos at the head offi ce. Brightly decorated with the national col-ours of red, green and white, a fes-tive atmosphere prevailed at the head offi ce where the employees joined a loyal salutation to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, says a press release.

A photography exhibition titled ‘Oman Celebrates’ tracing His Maj-esty’s historic and special moments

was another highlight of the cel-ebrations. The bank also released a special song in tribute to the glori-ous achievements of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. The audio CD of the patriotic song was distributed to the bank employees and customers across the Sultanate.

“On the auspicious return home of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, Bank Muscat is honoured to ex-tend best wishes for the well-being and a long life to His Majesty Sul-tan Qaboos to lead Oman to greater prosperity, progress and develop-ment. Bank Muscat owes its grati-tude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for the opportunity to join hands in building a nation with opportu-nities for all,” said AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief Executive.

“True to its identity as the Sul-tanate’s fl agship bank, Bank Mus-cat strives to refl ect the Omani val-ues and culture in all operations.

The bank’s widest reach across the country is helping to play a pivotal role in the development process of Oman in line with the farsighted vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. In order to sus-tain the impressive achievements made by the Sultanate under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos in the last 45 years, Bank Muscat remains committed to contributing to further progress of the nation, prosperity and wel-fare for all,” he added.

As the nation’s fl agship bank, Bank Muscat seizes every opportu-nity to join the nation in celebrat-ing auspicious occasions charac-terizing the glorious development march led by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. The corporate philosophy of the bank is underpinned by the rich Omani culture and traditions which fi nds true expression on such national occasions.

Brightly decorated

with the national

colours of red,

green and white, a

festive atmosphere

prevailed at the head

offi ce where the

employees joined a

loyal salutation to

His Majesty Sultan

Qaboos bin Said

On the auspicious return home of His Majesty

Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Bank Muscat is honoured

to extend best wishes for the well-being and a long

life to His Majesty the Sultan to lead Oman to greater

prosperity, progress and development

AbdulRazak Ali IssaChief Executive

Special celebration at Bank Sohar to mark HM’s return to SultanateMUSCAT: As part of the joyful celebrations throughout the Sul-tanate in welcoming His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Bank So-har organised a special celebration at its head offi ce in Ruwi to express happiness on His Majesty’s return.

The celebration was attended by Rashad Ali Al Musafi r, Acting CEO, members of executive man-agement and the bank staff . The building was also decorated with national fl ags and pictures of His Majesty, says a press release.

Sharing in the joy of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s return home, the bank’s celebrations in-cluded a collective singing of the national anthem, and a traditional band, together with welcoming poems of His Majesty by the staff congratulating Omanis on this dignifi ed occasion in addition to a cake cutting ceremony by mem-bers of the executive management and staff .

“On behalf of the Chairman and members of the Board and all the staff of Bank Sohar, I would like to send warm sentiments and sincere congratulationsto all the people of Oman on the occasion of the highly anticipated return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. This oc-casion has had a positive eff ect on every individual living in the Sul-

tanate and we are honoured to cel-ebrate the arrival of His Majesty,” said Rashad Al Musafi r.

“Over the past four decades, His Majesty was able to build a modern country that stands proud amongst other nations with its rich culture and ancient heritage.

“This has resulted in garnering the love and loyalty of every Oma-ni along the way. Today we renew our covenant to continue on our path towards building a glorious and prosperous future for our be-loved nation. Our celebration was

just a small part of a much grand-er collective celebrations that en-compassed the entire country, in-cluding Omanis and non-Omanis residing in the Sultanate, show-casing the nation’s indisputable love and loyalty to His Majesty,” he added.

Additionally, all Bank Sohar branches across the Sultanate also shared in the celebrations of this national occasion while the bank staff shared their wishes and prayers for His Majesty on the bank’s social media pages.

G R A N D O C C A S I O N

NBO appoints new chief

retail banking offi cer

MUSCAT: National Bank of Oman, the Sultanate’s leading fi nancial institution, recently announced the appointment of John Chang as its new General Manager-Chief Retail Banking Offi cer. With a career spanning over three decades, John brings international experience and ability to the role having worked in senior retail banking positions with GCC fi nancial institutions, says a press release.

He also has a strong track-record working across diff erent continents and, during a 20-year stint at Standard Chartered Bank between 1984 to 2004, worked in various fi nancial destinations including Singapore, Malaysia, Ghana, and Bangladesh. John has a MBA from The City University, London, UK and an Advanced Management Programme from INSEAD, France.

“We had a very strong and positive 2014 and the appoint-ment of John as our new General Manager-Chief Retail Banking Offi cer will allow us to continue our focus on further growth. It is encouraging for NBO to attract talent of John’s calibre, especially to such a strategically important role which will drive the bank’s future success. This appointment

will augment the bank’s leader-ship team, boosting the mix of lo-cal and international experience and expertise of our manage-ment, which will inspire and ben-efi t our dedicated employees,” said Ahmed Al Musalmi, CEO of National Bank of Oman.

“John brings a great deal of experience and a strong track record working within the retail banking sector, a division that National Bank of Oman is con-tinuously growing. His appoint-ment will boost our proposition to all of our valued customers and we welcome him to the National Bank of Oman family,” he added.

In January, NBO announced the appointment of nine Omanis to key senior positions within the bank as part of its strategy of de-livering high-quality service and operational excellence.

N E W R O L E

Risk Management

Services host

insurance seminar

MUSCAT: Oman’s leading in-surance broker Risk Manage-ment Services recently held an insurance seminar for many of its major clients entitled ‘Re-moving the Mystery of Risk Management’.

This very informative event was conducted by Ray Mat-tholie, a world renowned pro-fessional risk management consultant, and gave a compre-hensive overview of the origins, applications and current best practices in Enterprise Risk Management.

It also provided valuable links to sources of reference to assist top management executives in understanding and implement-ing relevant risk management models and tools such as Heat Maps, Risk Registers and Risk Matrices, says a press release.

This one-day insurance seminar briefed the delegates on the historical development of the discipline of risk man-agement and also highlighted the current trend of global corporate entities in focusing on a more holistic approach in the identifi cation, assessment, mitigation and transfer of risks to which modern businesses are exposed.

I N F O R M A T I V E

Bank Nizwa named ‘Best Islamic Bank’ at Islamic Finance AwardsMUSCAT: Bank Nizwa has been named ‘Best Islamic Bank’ in Oman at the 6th annual Islamic Finance Awards 2015, organised by World Finance magazine, for its pioneering approach towards spreading greater awareness of Islamic banking in the Sultanate and achieving outstanding growth throughout its two-year journey.

The award was based on nomi-nations submitted by banking practitioners and readers of World Finance, a leading publication on fi nancial analytics and global eco-nomics based in the UK, says a

press release. “We are committed to build-

ing a solid foundation for Islamic banking in Oman that is based on the highest levels of service, trans-parency and dedication,” said Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, chief executive offi cer of Bank Nizwa.

“This recognition refl ects our team’s steadfast eff orts to position Bank Nizwa as a trustworthy and innovative institution that leads by example within the global bank-ing community.

“We are leading the way towards a sizeable and thriving future for

the Islamic Banking industry, while continually spearheading its growth as a competitive alterna-tive to conventional banking.”

Bank Nizwa continues to obtain awards from the global fi nance market for its fully-fl edged range of Shari’a-compliant solutions, its knowledge-based empowerment of local communities in raising the level of awareness in Islamic banking and its proven profes-sionals and their level of expertise. In addition, the bank has recently achieved its two-year expansion strategy opening 10 branches

across Oman. To date, Bank Nizwa has won

a number of prominent awards including ‘Best Islamic Bank in Oman’ from Islamic Finance News in 2014, ‘Best Islamic Fi-nancial Institution in Oman’ from the London Sukuk Summit, and the World Finance 100 Award to name a few.

World Finance Awards cele-brate achievement, innovation and brilliance on an annual basis with a judging panel featuring experts and industry veteran in fi nance and business.

A C C O L A D E

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

SPOR SY O U R G A M E

SECTIONC T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

SUPERPOWERS COLLIDE IN SYDNEY BLOCKBUSTERSparks can be expected to fl y when confi dent, well-balanced teams from cricketing superpowers Australia and India clash in a mouthwatering World Cup semifi nal at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. >C3

Oman team hope to emerge stronger

A. SESHAGIRI RAOraoas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Despite the disap-pointing results in the recent regional and continental tourna-ments, Oman are hoping to emerge stronger from the experience as they start their preparations for the 2019 Asian Cup and 2018 World Cup qualifi ers.

Oman’s not so impressive per-formances in the 22nd Gulf Cup and the 2015 Asian Cup — both played in a space of three months, when Paul Le Guen’s boys fi nished a poor fourth in the fi rst event in Riyadh back in November and then at the beginning of the New Year they failed to make it to the knockout stages of the continental tournament in Australia — drew fl ak from all quarters.

A few clubs even went to the ex-tent of using the team’s poor per-formance as one of the major tools to strike at the root of the Sultan-ate’s soccer — the Oman Football Association (OFA) board, demand-ing an extra-ordinary meeting with the aim of bringing down the body. The eventuality, though, was averted and better sense prevailed

thanks to the world football gov-erning body, Fifa’s seeing no rea-son to intervene in the matter.

But Oman team, putting behind all that criticism and those un-savoury episodes linking to their performances, are now focussing on their preparations for the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifi cations, which start with a friendly match against the visiting Malaysian team on Thursday. The match, to be played at the Seeb Sports Sta-dium, will kick off at 6.30 pm.

“It is important for us to focus on work on hand and look to the future,” Le Guen said.

Speaking at the match-eve press conference, the Frenchman said: “What happens outside the fi eld is not in our control. What we can and what we want to do is focus on our game and work on it.”

Oman coach admitted it was disappointing to ‘lose the match-es which we could have won’ at the Asian Cup’.

“We are disappointed like eve-ryone. But there is nothing to be ashamed of as far as the team’s performances were concerned,” he said. “We lost the matches we could have won and those losses came against the two fi nalists,” Le Guen said referring to defeats Down Under to South Korea and eventual champions Australia in the group stage.

“But we won our fi nal group match against Kuwait. So we want to keep that momentum going and it is important to build on that con-fi dence,” he added.

“No doubt we need to improve, improve further. When I took over the team four years ago, we needed a fresh start. Now what we require is to keep the ‘backbone’ of the cur-rent squad and built around it.”

“This team now have the experi-ence which is vital for the future of Oman football.”

“We are beginning with the Ma-laysia friendly. Then we will travel to Doha (on Monday) to play an-other match against Algeria.”

“Then we will wait for the draw of the Asian and World Cup in June before making future plans,” the Frenchman added.

His Malaysian counterpart Dol-lah Salleh said his team will try to match the standard of Omani squad. “Oman are a strong team. Their standard is high. For us it is important to give opportunity for to as many players as possible to play a big team like Oman.”

“Our aim to prepare the team for the challenge and try to get them to match the standard of the Omani team,” he added.

More strongerMeanwhile, Oman captain Ali Al Habsi also brushed aside the criti-

cism that followed Oman’s perfor-mance in the Asian Cup.

Echoing his coach’s views ‘what happens outside is not in our con-trol’, the star custodian of English Championships side Wigan Ath-letic said: “We are professional players and we need to behave that way — focus on football, our game and forget about other things.”

“We all love our country and our football. We want to do well when we represent our country,” the Omani goalkeeping hero said.

“It is up to us — the manager (coach Le Guen), the players — to work for the future.

“Our job is to give 100 percent. We will try to give 100 percent.”

Ali is also confi dent the team will bounce back.

“I know everyone is disappoint-ed. We are also disappointed we couldn’t progress further (in Asian Cup). For all the experience, we will be all the more stronger. We believe in future of Oman football,” he added.

Asked whether his aim is to keep a clean slate against Malaysia, he said: “Of course, that will be my aim and that will be good for the team. But we have to be cautious, we can’t take Malaysia lightly. In today’s professional era, there are no easy teams.

“But I want the team as a whole to work well and give their best.

That is very important as we look to the future, the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifi ers.”

Oman, the seventh ranked team in Asia, are given a direct entry into the second round of the 2019

Asian Cup qualifi ers. The fi rst two of the three-round qualifi ers also serve as the qualifi ers of the 2018 World Cup.

The draw is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur on April 14.

Le Guen’s Oman team

are now focussing on

the preparations for

the Asian Cup and

World Cup qualifi ers,

which start with

a friendly against

Malaysia on Thursday

MUSCAT: Omani captain and goalkeeping star Ali Al Habsi is looking beyond the English leagues, keeping his career options open as his contract with Wigan Athletic draws to a close.

Ali will become a free agent when his current contract with the English Champion-ship side ends in June this year and the Omani great is looking at the possibility of continuing his career in other European leagues.

“I am 33 (years) now and I have to plan for the next four years. I have to see what is good for my football, myself, and my family as well as what is good for Oman football.”

Ali, who made a return to the Wigan playing eleven in the recent matches and who expressed confi dence in the team staying up in the Cham-pionship, said: “I will be a free agent in June. That gives me a little bit of advantage to explore other possibilities.

“I am keeping my options open. May be Spanish, Italian, French or other leagues. I have to see how things work out,” he said while making it clear ‘as of now there no of-

fers from any clubs’.An FA Cup winner with

Wigan, the only player from the GCC region to get that honour, Ali moved to England via Norway where he started his professional career with Lyn Oslo.

After three successful seasons with Lyn and a best goalkeeper of the season award in 2004, he moved to England to join ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers in 2006.

Though he did not get fi rst team place in his fi rst year at Bolton, he went on to star in League Cup and Uefa Cup matches in 2007-08 season.

And when he fi nally made his Premier League debut it was against his future employers Wigan Athletic - whom he joined in 2010 on loan before the deal was made permanent in July 2011.

Ali played his part in helping Wigan win their maiden FA Cup in 2013 though he missed the fi nal against Manchester City. The following season Wigan were relegated to the Championship during which he was also loaned Brighton & Hove Albion for a month.

Oman captain Ali looking beyond English leagues

LOOKING TO FUTURE: Oman captain Ali Al Habsi, second right, speaks during a press conference on

the eve of their friendly match against Malaysia on Wednesday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

C2

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Iraq launch campaign with rout of Lebanon

MUSCAT: Iraq made a winning start in their campaign to qualify for next year’s AFC U-23 Champi-onship with a comfortable 4-1 win over Lebanon at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Wednesday.

Aymen Hussein’s strike one minute before the interval put Iraq 1-0 up but it wasn’t until the last 18 minutes that Yahya Alwan’s side would put some distance between themselves and the Lebanese, who were looking to build on their 2-1 victory over the Maldives in their Group A opener on Monday.

Mahdi Kamil, who was part of the Iraq senior team that reached the semifi nals of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, doubled the advantage in the 72nd minute before the Al Shorta midfi elder grabbed his sec-ond and Iraq’s fourth in the 85th minute, four minutes after Amjed Waleed had weighed in with num-ber three.

Iraq were denied a clean sheet when substitute Mahmoud Sib-lini, who came on at the start of the second half in place of skipper Mahdi Fahs, scored a consolation

for Lebanon three minutes into stoppage time.

Ten group winners and fi ve best second-placed teams from all groups will join hosts Qatar at the AFC U-23 Championship 2016, with January’s 16-team competi-tion also serving as Asia’s qualify-ing tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio.

Oman ref administration Meanwhile, a fi nal meeting has taken place as Oman’s participa-tion in the AFC Pilot Member As-sociation Project for Refereeing Development concluded.

The meeting was held at the Oman Football Association (OFA) headquarters to discuss vari-ous aspects of the Gulf nation’s

involvement in the AFC project which aims to assist participating Member Associations improve their refereeing administration.

Chairman of the OFA Refer-ees Committee Humaid Al Jabri headed the OFA delegation, while AFC Head of Referees Operation Section Abdul Razak Anuar led the team from the continental football body during the meeting.

During the meeting, Al Jabri ex-pressed his satisfaction over the fact that the AFC project had great-ly helped Omani referees adminis-tration improve and stated that the OFA management had supported the recommendations made by the AFC under the project.

“Within a period of two years, the OFA Referees Department has

implemented all the recommen-dations made by AFC and they have learned many things,” said Al Jabri. “We still have more things to implement and are looking for-ward to more support from AFC even after this project ends.”

OFA Acting General Secretary Sultan Ameen Al Zadjali during the meeting also conveyed the same message and was happy that the AFC had come forward to assist in Oman’s refereeing administration.

Several matters were discussed during the meeting including the OFA Strategic Plan introduced last year, better teaching material and referees performance review, im-proved training for referee instruc-tors and assessors and more. - AFC

Yahya Alwan’s side

started their AFC

U-23 Championship

qualifi cation

campaign with an

easy 4-1 victory

over Lebanon

AERIAL TUSSLE: Action from a match between Iraq and Lebanon in the AFC U-23 Championship

Group A qualifi ers played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Wednesday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

OFA to celebrate HM’s return with host of activitiesTimes News Service

MUSCAT: The Oman Football Association (OFA) has big plans to celebrate the return of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to Oman.

The celebrations will be held on the sidelines of the interna-tional friendly match between Oman and Malaysia at the Seeb Sports Stadium tomorrow.

Speaking to Times Sport, Alis-ter D’Silva, head of marketing, brand and events at OFA, prepa-rations are being held to celebrate His Majesty’s return. “We have special plans to celebrate this in

a big way,” Alister said without revealing details.

The OFA will also give away three return air tickets to Ma-laysia, three Apple Ipads and 20 national team jerseys signed by Oman’s football superstar Ali Al Habsi.

“We will be holding a raffl e draw tomorrow during the course of the match and will decide the winners,” Alister said.

A special fun zone is also being organised to entertain the foot-ball fans. “Even though this is a friendly match, we are looking to promote this match in a bigger way,” he added.

D U R I N G M A L A Y S I A M A T C H

ROYAL CAVALRY’S VOLCAN AND MYRA FOR DUBAI WORLD CUPRoyal Cavalry’s Volcan De Close and Myra De Monlau

will compete in the most important and highest prize

race in the world - DubaiKahayla Classic Word Cup.

Volcan De Close will compete under the supervision

of Ibrahim bin Zaher Al-Hadrami, a local trainer, while

Myra is under the supervision of Mosabah Al Muhairi.

“Despite the severe competition in Kahayla race where

top word horses will take part, I am optimistic that

Royal Cavalry’s Volcan De Close and Myra De Monlau

will secure high results,” Brigadier-General Abdulrazak

bin Abdulkader Al Shahwarzi, Commander of the Royal

Cavalry, said. — Supplied photo

Oman thrash Qatar 8-0 to top groupMUSCAT: Oman thashed hosts Qatar 8-0 to complete their group engagements with an all-win re-cord at the ongoing Asian Beach Soccer Championship in Doha on Wednesday.

According to information re-ceived here, Gaith Abdullah led

the rout of Qatar with four goals in their Group A match.

The other goals were scored by captain Hani Al Dhabit, Yaqoob Rabia, Yahya Al Araimi and Abdul-lah Masoud.

The Omani squad, who are coached by Talib Hilal, had earlier

defeated Bahrain 3-2 and Laos 8-3. In Thursday’s quarterfi nal, Group A toppers Oman take on Group B runners-up China.

China fi nished runners-up in their group after losing their fi -nal league outing 5-0 to Japan on Wednesday. Japan play their quar-

terfi nal against Group A runners-up Bahrain.

Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates also reached the last eight stage.

The semifi nals are scheduled for Friday and the fi nal will be played on Saturday.

A S I A N B E A C H S O C C E R

Bolt to race in New York

NEW YORK: World 100- and 200-metres record-holder Us-ain Bolt will compete in the New York Diamond League meet on June 13, the Jamaican star’s fi rst race in the Big Apple since 2008, organisers announced on Wednesday.

Bolt set his fi rst world record in winning the 100 metres in 9.72 seconds at Icahn Stadium on May 31, 2008, and since then has won six Olympic gold med-als, eight world championship titles and broken seven more world records.

“No one could ever forget their fi rst world record, and I will never forget the crowd in New York that night,” Bolt said.

“They had to wait for an hour during a thunderstorm delay be-fore our race, and I don’t think a single person left the stadium,” he said.

“They deserved a great per-formance and I’m glad I was able to give it to them.

“I’m looking forward to run-ning in New York again.” - AFP

D I A M O N D L E A G U E

C3T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

TODAY’S MATCH (SECOND SEMIFINAL)INDIA V AUSTRALIA (7:30AM OMAN TIME)

BLOCKBUSTERas superpowers collide

SYDNEY: Sparks can be expected to fl y when confi -dent, well-balanced teams from cricketing superpowers Australia and India clash in a mouthwatering World Cup semifi nal at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

The match pits four-times champions Australia, the top-ranked team in one-day cricket, against title holders India, the dominant fi nancial power in world cricket.

The winners will go on to face the other co-hosts New Zealand next Sunday in another of the great arenas of the game, Melbourne Cricket Ground. While Thursday’s clash will have to go some way to match the tense cli-max of New Zealand’s victory over South Africa on Tues-day, Australia’s meetings with India are rarely dull.

If familiarity between the two sides has not quite bred contempt, the frequent heat-ed exchanges in their clashes indicates at the very least a fi erce competitiveness.

“The fact we’re playing In-dia now is extremely special,” Australia captain Michael Clarke said on Wednesday. “I think you’ll see two teams at the top of their game wanting to play their best cricket, I’m really confi dent both teams will put on a great show.”

In the test arena at least, home advantage has been the decisive factor in their meet-ings in recent years.

It has less of an impact in the one-day game and there is good reason for India to have some confi dence it

will not mitigate too heavily against them on Thursday.

Clarke admitted it was a “no brainer” that Indian fans would outnumber those of Australia, while the SCG has always off ered something for the one area of the game where the visitors can be said to have a distinct edge, spin bowling. Australia can look to their record of having lost just one of 14 one-day internationals at the ground against India and to their ut-ter dominance of their meet-ings since the tourists arrived Down Under last November.

India have been trans-formed since the start of the World Cup, however, with a newly potent bowling attack fi ring alongside their always fi ne batting to take them to the last four unbeaten.

That has given the side such confi dence that bats-man Rohit Sharma said it was irrelevant whether there was spin on off er at the SCG or not. “If you look at the tournament, we’ve taken 70 wickets in seven games, distributed between the spinners and the fast bowl-ers,” he said.

“So it doesn’t matter how the wicket behaves. If it suits the fast bowlers or the spin-ners, we’ve got everything covered in those two areas.

“We just need to keep do-ing what we’ve been doing. We’ve played some really good cricket in the World Cup and it’s just a matter of two more hurdles.” Australia, by contrast, would clearly welcome a wicket to favour their quick bowlers Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood.

Hazlewood, who took 4-35 in the quarter-fi nal victory over Pakistan, looks likely to get the nod ahead of spinner Xavier Doherty to keep Aus-tralia unchanged for the fi rst time in the tournament.

India have only altered their line-up during their title defence because of an injury to paceman Moham-med Shami and are also likely to be unchanged. “We’ve played a lot of cricket against India,” Clarke added. “We know their strengths, we know their weaknesses, and we know they’re a very good team. “We have to execute our skills as well as we possibly can, and if we do that, I have confi dence that we can beat any team we play against.” - Reuters

The match

pits four-times

champions

Australia, the top-

ranked team in

one-day cricket,

against title

holders India, the

dominant fi nancial

power in

world cricket

C4 T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

Spin or seam? India confident of passing Sydney test, says Rohit

SYDNEY: India will go into Thursday’s World Cup semi-fi nal against Australia in Sydney con-fi dent of success irrespective of whether the wicket took turn or assisted fast bowlers, opener Rohit Sharma said.

The wear and tear at the end of a long season was evident when the covers were removed at the Syd-ney Cricket ground on Wednesday, revealing a dry, brown pitch that would gladden India more than their rivals.

South African spinners Imran Tahir and JP Duminy shared seven wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka for 133 in the quarterfi nal at the SCG last week, setting up a nine-wicket win for the Proteas.

But the bat dominated the ball in previous World Cup games at the venue, with Australia piling up 376 for nine against Sri Lanka and South Africa smashing 408 for fi ve off the West Indies’ attack.

Australian coach Darren Leh-

mann predicted a high-scoring game, but Sharma said India were not sweating over the nature of the wicket.

“It does not worry us what sort of wicket we get because we are confi dent of doing well on any sur-face,” said Sharma, who scored a century in the quarterfi nal against Bangladesh in Melbourne.

“We have taken 70 wickets in seven matches, bowled out the op-position every time, so we know what we need to do.

“Our seamers have done well and so have the spinners. We are ready for anything that we get.”

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men have confounded critics by recov-ering from a winless bilateral tour of Australia before the World Cup to brush aside all-comers in the tournament.

Starting with two wins against Pakistan and South Africa, India

won all six group matches to top Pool B and then downed spirited Bangladesh by 109 runs in the quarter-fi nals.

Besides bowling out their rivals in all games, India have piled up 300-plus scores every time they have batted fi rst.

India have beaten Australia just once in 35 years in a one-day in-ternational at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the hosts have won all six semi-fi nals they have contested since the inaugural event in 1975.

But Sharma, who hit a record one-day score of 264 against Sri Lanka last year, said the past will have no bearing on Thursday’s re-sult and insisted Australia were not unbeatable.

“Of course we can win, no ques-tion about it,” he said. “Australia is a good batting side but they strug-gled against good quality bowling when they played New Zealand or

Pakistan. “They have also bowled well, but then we have batted well too.”

Australia were shot out for 151 by New Zealand in Auckland and it was only a six-wicket haul by Mitchell Starc that saw the Black Caps lose nine wickets before sur-passing the modest target.

Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz had the Austral-ian batsmen hopping with short-pitched deliveries in the quarter-fi nal in Adelaide before the hosts won by six wickets.

Sharma, who had heated on-fi eld exchanges with David Warn-er during the preceding tri-series, said he expected a fi ery contest between two strong rivals.

“Look a bit of sledging is okay as long as boundaries are not crossed,” he said. “The Indian team will not cross the line, but we will not back down either.” - AFP

The wear and tear

at the end of a long

season was evident

when the covers

were removed

at the Sydney

Cricket ground on

Wednesday, revealing

a dry, brown pitch

that would gladden

India more than

their rivals

We have taken 70

wickets in seven

matches, bowled out

the opposition every

time, so we know

what we need to do.

Our seamers have

done well and so have

the spinners

Rohit SharmaTeam India

FINE TUNING: India’s Ravichandran Ashwin bowls during a prac-

tice session in Sydney. – AFP

Clarke backs Warner to behave, Johnson leads the battle crySYDNEY: Australia captain Mi-chael Clarke expects tempera-mental opener David Warner to be on his best behaviour in Thurs-day’s World Cup semifi nal against India, but Mitchell Johnson is ready to step up the sledging war.

Warner, who has already been warned twice for on-fi eld verbal sledges, faces suspension from the fi nal, should Australia qualify, if he is found guilty of another misdemeanour at the Sydney Cricket ground. “David will be fi ne,” Clarke told reporters on Wednesday. “He knows the rules, as we all do, and his rules are no diff erent than the rest of ours.”

But fast bowler Johnson said he did not expect any let up in Australia’s aggressive approach, and was even willing to take the lead if Warner did not sledge.

“I heard Davey (Warner) say he was not going to get involved in all that stuff ,” Johnson told Fox Sports. “Someone has got to do it and I think I might put my hand up. It’s part of the game.”

Meanwhile all-rounder Shane Watson accepted he too was on thin ice after being fi ned for ex-changing words with Pakistan paceman Wahab Riaz during Aus-tralia’s quarterfi nal victory.

“I don’t want to get fi ned again or get suspended so I know I’m going to have to be even more dili-gent with what I say, when I say it and how I say it,” Watson said.

“Based on my last fi ne, I am just about on my last warning.”

‘Don’t want kids to see it’The International Cricket Coun-cil faced criticism for being heavy-handed in fi ning both Wa-hab and Watson, but chief execu-tive David Richardson insisted they had done the right thing.

“I enjoyed the competitiveness ... it was just a pity it extended lat-er in the game to something you wouldn’t want your kids to see,” said Richardson.

“Things get heated — we actu-ally like them to get heated from time to time. On the odd occasion, you lose your cool and you say something you shouldn’t — per-haps you should get a fi ne or you

might get suspended.”Australia and India have had a

tumultuous relationship on and off the fi eld in recent years.

The bad blood showed up dur-ing India’s Test and one-day series in Australia prior to the World Cup when heated on-fi eld exchanges led to several players being penalised.

Three Indian players, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, and Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc were charged for a breach of the ICC’s code of conduct.

Warner was reported both in the Test and one-day series, and was publicly told off by Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland to “stop looking for trouble.”

Meanwhile, Clarke did not expect the SCG wicket to throw up any surprises for Thursday’s semifi nal, saying it will prove to be a good cricketing pitch.

There is growing speculation that the dry, brown wicket will suit India more than the home

team’s fast bowlers, but Clarke said: “I think the SCG in general is a really good wicket for both both batting and bowling.”

India have beaten Australia just once in 35 years in a one-day international at the SCG and the hosts have won all six World Cup semifi nals they have contested since the inaugural event in 1975.

Australia will start as favour-ites, but Clarke insisted the expec-tations from home fans will not put undue pressure on his side.

“Expectations will be there be-cause we are the number one one-day team in the world,” he said. “The reason you have that expectation on you is because you’ve performed.”

Organisers expect Indian fans to outnumber their Australian coun-terparts at the the 42,000-capacity SCG, but Clarke said: “That’s fi ne. We have played in India a number of times and they out-support us there as well. It’s a fantastic feeling to have the opportunity to play in your own backyard and to play in Australia.” - AFP

A U S T R A L I A C A P T A I N S P E A K S

I think the SCG in general is a really good

wicket for both batting and bowling

Michael ClarkeAustralia captain

Australia favourites

SYDNEY: Ahead of the do-or-die cricket World Cup semi-fi nal between India and Aus-tralia, former explosive opening batsman Matthew Hayden was on Wednesday confi dent that the co-hosts will beat India to enter the fi nal.

“Obviously I think Australia will defeat India,” Hayden, member of Australia’s World Cup winning squads in 2003 and 2007, was quoted as saying by news.com.au on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old said India’s two spinners Ashwin and Jade-ja will play a big part consider-ing the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch which might assist the spinners. — IANS

H A Y D E N S A Y S

C5T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

STRETCHING: Indian cricketers warm up before a training session ahead of their 2015 Cricket World Cup semifi nal match against Aus-

tralia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. – AFP

India to battle tide of history in Sydney

SYDNEY: Defending champions India will hope the law of averages does not catch up with them when they clash with hosts Australia in a widely-anticipated World Cup semifi nal in Sydney on Thursday.

India have beaten Australia just once in 35 years in a one-day in-ternational at the Sydney Cricket Ground when a Sachin Tendulkar century helped them win the fi rst of the three-match tri-series fi nal in 2008.

But Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men have confounded critics by recovering from a winless bilateral tour of Australia before the World Cup to brush aside all-comers in the tournament.

Starting with two wins against Pakistan and South Africa, India won all six group matches to top Pool B and then downed spirited Bangladesh by 109 runs in the quarter-fi nals.

Amazingly, India have piled up 300-plus scores every time they have batted fi rst and dis-missed the opposition in all seven matches so far.

India now confront a side that has won seven of their 10 World Cup meetings against them, al-though Dhoni’s men secured a fi ve-wicket win in the quarter-fi nal at home in Ahmedabad four years ago.

Four-time champions Australia have won all six semifi nals they have appeared in since the inau-gural event in 1975, but India will consider the SCG as the best venue to halt that record.

Groundsman Tom Parker has kept both teams guessing on the nature of the pitch he will unveil for the semi-fi nal, but the wear and

tear at the end of a long season in-dicates spin-friendly conditions.

South African spinners Imran Tahir and JP Duminy shared seven wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka for 133 in the quarterfi nal at the SCG last week, setting up a nine-wicket win for the Proteas.

But the bat dominated the ball

in previous World Cup games at the venue, with Australia piling up 376 for nine against Sri Lanka and South Africa smashing 408 for fi ve off the West Indies’ attack.

Australian coach Darren Leh-mann expected a wicket similar to the one his team got for the match against Sri Lanka and predicted a

high-scoring encounter.“I think the pitch will be very

similar to the one we used in the game against Sri Lanka when al-most 700 runs were scored, so I think this will be another high-scoring aff air,” Lehmann wrote on the offi cial Cricket Australia web-site www.cricket.com.au.

Enthralling contest“But fi nals seem to have a way of working out diff erently some-times. So even if the pitch is a belter, you have to do the basics well enough to produce a high score. And then bowl well enough to defend it.”

Lehmann felt that constant meetings with India over the sum-mer would “add an extra element to what already looms as an en-thralling contest.”

“India are really starting to gain some confi dence on the back of some good performances since the tournament began, but we know them inside out — just as they do us.

“Everyone in the Australia squad is excited that we’ve reached the fi -nal week of the World Cup and are now within striking distance of a goal that we set ourselves more than a year ago.”

With organisers estimating that 70 percent of the tickets have been picked up by Indian fans, Australia would feel as if they were playing an away game on their own soil.

India will once again bank on a sound start from openers Shikhar Dhawan, who has 367 runs in the tournament with two centuries, and Rohit Sharma, who hit 137 against Bangladesh.

But it will be Virat Kohli the Australians will be wary of after the elegant right-hander hit four centuries in the preceding four-Test series, including 147 and 46 at the SCG.

Kohli’s form dipped after a match-winning century against Pakistan, but Dhoni was confi dent of his star batsman coming good when it mattered.

“A big one is just around the corner because big players always score in big games,” Dhoni said of Kohli. India’s pace trio of Moham-med Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mo-hit Sharma have claimed 42 wick-ets between them, but it will be the off -spin of Ravichandran Ashwin that Dhoni will turn to if the pitch takes turn.

The winner of Thursday’s match will face New Zealand in the fi nal in Melbourne on Sunday. - AFP

Mahendra Singh

Dhoni’s men have

confounded critics

by recovering from a

winless bilateral tour

of Australia before the

World Cup to brush

aside all-comers in

AUSTRALIACaptain: Michael ClarkeCoach: Darren LehmannSquad: Michael Clarke, Aaron Finch, David Warner, Shane Watson, George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell StarcResults so far at 2015 World Cup: (Matches 7, Won 5, Lost 1, 1 abandoned)Beat England by 111 runs (Opener Aaron Finch’s 135 and a 5-33 from paceman Mitch-ell Marsh gave the co-hosts an easy win)Match abandoned against Bangladesh (Match called of due to heavy rain in Brisbane)Lost to New Zealand by one wicket (Mitchell Starc’s 6-28 could not compensate for a batting collapse)Beat Afghanistan by 275 runs (David Warner top-scored with 178 in an Australia’s run-feast)Beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs (Glenn Maxwell smashed 102 in 53 balls to outshine Kumar Sangakkara’s ton)Beat Scotland by seven wickets (Starc led Scotland’s rout and Australia chased down target in 15.2 overs)Beat Pakistan by six wickets (Hazlewood’s 4-35 restricts Pakistan to 213 and Australia chases down target after a few hiccups)Top performers:Maxwell (301 runs): The middle-order batsman has been in red-hot form, smashing bowlers to all corners of the ground and often with unconventional shots. He has scored 66, 1, 88, 102 and 44 not out in fi ve knocks and also took fi ve wickets with his off -spin.Warner (288 runs): Warner made the most of the Afghanistan bowling, scoring 178 against them in Perth and has averaged 57.60 in the tournament.Starc (18 wickets): The left-arm seamer is second in the list of wicket-takers and has taken wickets at an average of 9.77. He has bowled fast and accurate.Key to beating India: Starc will have to make early inroads and the frontline bats-men need to deliver against India’s bowling attack which has dismissed opponents in all seven matches so far.

INDIACaptain: Mahendra Singh DhoniCoach: Duncan Fletcher

Squad: MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, Akshar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohit SharmaResults so far at 2015 World Cup: (Matches 7, Won 7)Beat Pakistan by 76 runs (Kohli ton secured win against arch-rivals)Beat South Africa by 130 runs (Dhawan’s hundred and some tight bowling sunk South Africa)Beat United Arab Emirates by nine wickets (Ashwin spun web around UAE to set up a small chase)Beat West Indies by four wickets (Shami led a strong bowling display to beat West Indies)Beat Ireland by eight wickets (Dhawan cen-tury helps chase down modest target)Beat Zimbabwe by six wickets (Unbeaten 196-run stand between centurion Raina and Dhoni bails India out)Beat Bangladesh by 109 runs (Rohit Sharma’s 137 took India to 302-6 and Bangladesh were all out for 193 with Yadav taking 4-31)Top performers so far:Dhawan (367 runs): Has batted himself back into form and will have to continue the good work. His partnership with Sharma at the top will be crucial for the holders against the formidable pace attack of Australia.Kohli (304 runs): He has failed to convert his starts after scoring a ton against Pakistan in the opening match. He had gone without a half-century since that 107.Shami (17 wickets): Has impressed in World Cup debut with his ability to bowl at a lively pace and clever use of the bouncer.Yadav (14 wickets): He has bowled short and fast and has been able to swing the new ball with good control.Key to beating Australia: Need to bat well against Starc in the opening overs and Kohli needs to bat long against the co-hosts who have been unbeaten against India in the four months across all formats.

Head-to-headTotal played: 117Australia won 67, India won 40, no result 10At Sydney Cricket Ground:Played 14, Australia won 12, India won 1, no result 1Last match: January 26, 2015 - Rain washed out play after 16 overs.

F A C T B O X

AUSTRALIA might have reason to feel buoyed by their

dominance over India in the tri-series which preceded the World Cup, but they’d be the fi rst to acknowledge that a totally diff erent In-dian side awaits them at the SCG today.

With every match in this tournament, the current champions have increas-ingly distanced themselves from the side we saw in the tri-series. That was a team playing without much con-fi dence, their bowling was a mess, though you have to wonder if their focus was already on the World Cup judging by the way they switched on as soon as the big one got underway. In their seven outings so far, they’re fi ring in all three departments, which in a large way explains their undefeated streak heading into this massive clash.

It’s the Indian bowlers who have impressed me the most when you think back to the tri-series when most of us would have had this department down as a weakness which, over the course of this cup, has turned into a key strength. Mohammed Shami has been hitting the high 140s consistently and bowled with purpose while enjoy-ing good support from Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma. Their early strikes have allowed the spinners, Ashwin and Jadeja to be at their eff ective best in the middle overs. I can imagine how satisfying it must be for skipper MS Dhoni to see his bowlers performing as a unit.

Though today’s toss won’t necessarily be decisive, ei-ther side wouldn’t hesitate to bat fi rst. The wicket has generated plenty of intrigue with some suggesting spin could come into play. It cer-tainly didn’t spin much dur-

ing the Australia-Sri Lanka fi xture. I’m actually expect-ing the pace bowlers to have more of a say. Any hint of swing would surely delight someone like Mitchell Starc or even Mitchell Johnson who gradually appears to be fi nding his best rhythm. Of course, if it does begin to aid turn as the game wears on, then Ashwin and Jadeja would be well poised to capitalise.

Make no mistake, though. There will be loads of runs in this strip, but the pressure of a World Cup semifi nal could well be the key dictator of how high scoring a game it turns out to be. Both sides possess tremendous depth and quality in their batting and the key to a 300 plus total lies in ensuring you haven’t lost more than two or three wickets by the 30th over.

The New Zealand-South Africa semi was a perfect illustration of how the pressure of a big occasion can get to you. South Africa were surely a bit hard done by the weather which in-tervened at a horrible time but they did squander some great chances in the fi nal stages to win the game. The outpouring of emotion from the South African play-ers at the end told you just how badly they wanted it. Unfortunately sometimes, the desire to go all out can backfi re as we saw it hap-pen with the Proteas. That said, full credit to Grant Elliott and Dan Vettori for holding their nerve which earned the Kiwis a maiden appearance in a World Cup fi nal. Australia are my fa-vourites to join them, but by the tiniest of margins! - PMG

The pressure could well be the key dictator

C O M M E N T A R Y

Who’s saying what about the World Cup semifi nals be-tween India and Australia and also New Zealand’s win...

“David will be fi ne. He knows the rules, as we all do, and his rules are no diff erent than the rest of ours.”— Australia captain Michael Clarke backs temperamental opener David Warner to behave himself in Thursday’s semi-fi nal against India in Sydney.

* * *“I heard Davey (Warner) say he was not going to get involved in all that stuff . Someone has got to do it and I think I might put my hand up. It’s part of the game.”— Australia fast bowler Mitch Johnson off ers to step in on Warner’s behalf for sledging duties.

* * *“Look a bit of sledging is okay as long as boundaries are not crossed. The Indian team will not cross the line, but we will not back down either.”— India batsman Rohit Sharma

* * *“I talked to Dale Steyn today in Auckland and must say that my respect for him is enormous. True cricketing gentleman.”— Former England spinner Graeme Swann on encountering the South African fast bowler, whose side were knocked out of the World Cup by New Zealand.

* * *“He did say when I saw him at the end ‘does this mean I get to come to Melbourne?’ There’s a bit of irony there, I suppose. He’s shown how he important he is to us so I’m sure he is look-ing forward to Melbourne.”— New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum on semifi nal star Grant Elliott, whose chances of being picked in the World Cup squad were considered to be slim.

* * *“The bigger the expectation, the more that’s asked, the bigger they stand up. I honestly don’t think this World Cup fi nal is go-ing to daunt these guys.”— Former New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram.

‘Bit of sledging is ok’

C6 T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

Australia seek Warne’s spin mantra for semifinal boost

SYDNEY: Ahead of their cru-cial cricket World Cup semifi nal match against India on Thursday, Australian leg-spin legend Shane Warne bowled to national cap-tain Michael Clarke at Wednes-day’s practice session to prepare him against the defending champi-ons’ spinners.

One of the greatest bowlers of all time, Warne rolled back the clock, and his arm over a few times, when he bowled to Clarke at the nets at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), reports foxsports.

Warne’s involvement comes in the wake of a buzz around the SCG pitch. Although, it has not been cleared whether it will be a green-ish or a fl at track, the two-time Cup champions will look to un-leash their spin duo of off -spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left-armer Ravindra Jadeja.

If the SCG lays a dry track, Aus-tralia’s left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty may get a look in. How-ever, that ploy might play into the hands of the Indians, who are more comfortable facing slow bowling.

Apart from the spinning duo, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also prefers using part-time slow bowlers Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma in helpful conditions.

Interestingly, Warne, who had some magic moments at the SCG as he took 64 Test wickets in 14 games and 43 One-Day Interna-tional (ODI) scalps in 26 matches there, had an inauspicious debut here 23 years ago.

Bowling against India, he was belted to all corners by the World Cup team’s manager Ravi Shastri, conceding 1-150. A year later he went for 1-116 against the West Indies and his career was on the ropes but a match-winning perfor-mance later that summer fi rmed his place in the squad. And in the SCG Test of 1993-94, he claimed 12 South African wickets for 128. - IANS

Australia take on

India at the Sydney

Cricket Ground and

their weak spin

attack has been the

talking point. Shane

Warne, the spin

wizard, was roped

in to help the team

SPIN SCARE: Australia captain Michael Clarke, left, chats with former player Shane Warne, right, during a training session at the Sydney Cricket Ground. – AFP

SYDNEY: The transformation of India’s bowlers at the World Cup has been “wonderful to watch” and the reigning cham-pions will have a great chance of reaching the fi nal if 10 Australi-an wickets tumble on Thursday, says Virat Kohli.

India’s bowlers were ham-mered all over Australia from the start of December to mid-February as the team lost a test series 2-0 and failed to win a single match in the following Tri-series, which also featured England.

Fast bowlers Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma have upped their game considerably at the World Cup, however, and have combined with the strong spin-bowling department to forge a potent attack.

With the help of a sprinkling of run-outs, the Indian bowlers have dismissed the opposition in all seven matches on their

way to the semifi nals.Kohli, the leading light in

the much-vaunted Indian batting line-up, said everyone was aware of the areas where

improvement was required and he was gratifi ed by the way the pacemen had responded.

“The way the bowlers have reacted and the way they have

performed with the composure and the confi dence and the aggression all together, it’s been wonderful to watch,” he told Cricket Australia’s website.

“So we expect the bowlers to step up if you want to beat quality sides in the world and the way they have done this in this World Cup has been commendable.

“We’ve played the right kind of cricket and the diff erence now is how our bowling attack has come into play in this World Cup taking 70 wickets in seven games.

“That’s probably been the diff erence, and if we continue to do that we have a great chance come game day.”

India have not beaten Aus-tralia in any format since they arrived Down Under in late November but Kohli thinks Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground is the perfect opportu-nity to break that cycle.

“There couldn’t be a better time for us,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for us to do justice to the way we’ve played so far in Australia, and we haven’t had the results.” — Reuters

Kohli hails ‘wonderful’ Indian bowling ahead of Sydney clash

OBLIGING FANS: India’s Virat Kohli signs autographs after a practice session in Sydney. – AFP

Bowl short at your risk: SmithSYDNEY: Ahead of their high-voltage semi-fi nal clash against India, Australia’s batsman Steve Smith on Tuesday said India’s target to play on a supposed Aus-tralian vulnerability against the short ball could backfi re on the defending champions.

Pakistani fast bowler Wahab Riaz’s wonder spell in the quar-terfi nal prompted some people, led by former Pakistan captain and 1992 World Cup winning team member Inzamam-ul Haq, to say the left-armer had exposed an Australian weakness against short and express bowling.

Australia’s future captain is adamant they do not have any headaches in general against short stuff and doubts the ploy

will work at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

“I don’t think so.“A couple of guys have got out

to the short ball and that is just part and parcel of the game.

“You have got to get out some way,” Smith was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.

“For us, we are expecting them to come out and potentially bowl a little bit too short for this wicket.

‘It will suit us’“If they try and jam them on this wicket, it might suit us with these quick boundaries.

“It could play into our hands,” he added.

About his current form, Smith said: “I didn’t feel out of form.

I just felt like I was out of sync a little bit with a few of my movements.”

“But that’s back, my swing’s back where I want it to be, so hopefully I can continue crunch-ing India around the park.”

The 25-year-old now marks his guard just outside leg, an ap-proach he admits has stumped some teammates during the World Cup.

“I ask for leg stump and then I just pull it this way a little bit (towards leg side), so there is a mark in the middle of nowhere out there,” he said.

“It has fooled a few peo-ple, ‘Pup’ (Clarke) came out... and said ‘what’s going on out there?” - IANS

W A R N I N G S H O T

Steve Smith.

C7T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

South Africa’s comedy of errors is no laughing matter

SYDNEY: Another World Cup semifi nal but another failure to get to the fi nal has left many South Africa fans questioning what their side must do to reach One-day International cricket’s showpiece match.

Tuesday’s dramatic four-wicket defeat by New Zealand in a rain-aff ected clash at Auckland’s Eden Park was the fourth time the Pro-teas had made it to the last four — and the fourth time they hadn’t reached the fi nal.

In 1992 they were undone by the unfairness of the rain rule then in force which left them needing an impossible 21 off one ball to beat England, while in 2007 they were swept aside by Australia.

However, Tuesday’s clash had echoes of South Africa’s 1999 tie with Australia — a result that saw the Australians into the fi nal on superior net run-rate — in that the Proteas squandered chances

to win the game. But this time around a selection decision may have hampered South Africa even before the match started.

Fast bowler Kyle Abbott, who took an excellent one for 27 off a tight six overs during the quarter-fi nal victory over Sri Lanka, was dropped to make way for Vernon Philander — who missed several matches including the last eight clash this World Cup with a ham-string injury. Philander’s fi rst over was savaged for 14 runs by New Zealand captain Brendon McCul-lum and he was taken out of the attack, with none of his eight overs on Tuesday producing a wicket.

“You’ve got an in form bowler (Abbott) who’s got bounce and he’s got pace and has bowled so well in the last couple of days. You’ve got to be so brave to change that bowling line-up,” former South Africa spinner Pat Symcox told local radio.

‘T-CUP’ testDale Steyn is widely acknowl-edged as the best fast bowler of his generation, his Test average of just over 22 runs per wicket plac-ing him among cricket’s all-time greats.

But a return off 11 wickets in eight matches at this World Cup was modest for a man of his class and on Tuesday his 8.5 overs cost an expensive 76 runs.

Steyn also needed lengthy treatment for a leg problem dur-ing the fi nal over, and this was a further setback for a South Africa side who throughout the tourna-ment, had to ‘fi ddle’ 10 overs from a fi fth bowler — reviving a long-standing criticism they had been excessively cautious in selecting an extra batsman rather than an additional bowler.

The Proteas may well have made

a 350-plus score had not rain in-tervened, but a total of 281 for fi ve, which left New Zealand needing a revised 298 in 43 overs, looked enough when the Black Caps were 149 for four.

Yet it was from then on that the worth of England 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward’s oft-repeated phrase of ‘T-CUP’ (Thinking Clearly Un-der Pressure) became apparent,

with captain AB de Villiers fum-bling a run-out of Corey Anderson and Grant Elliott benefi tting from another failed run out attempt and a dropped catch.

Corey Anderson (58) helped El-liott added 103 for the fi fth wicket before the South Africa-born Grant Elliott, raising his game, completed a match-winning 84 not out.

“I didn’t take that (run-out chance) unfortunately, but yes if you want to see it that way that I cost us then I’ll gladly take it,” said a distraught de Villiers.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, writing on the ICC’s website, said: “The Pro-teas missed the half-chances that counted and it ultimately cost them.

“Most tellingly they seemed to deviate from their pre-planned bowling strategy to McCullum by bowling poor lengths which al-lowed him to dictate the pace of the game,” he added.

Inevitably, South Africa’s latest World Cup loss will revive accu-sations of “choking”, yet in recent years they have won Tests from improbable positions against sides as good as Australia — not the act of a bunch of mentally weak players.

However, blows often come thick and fast in the one-day game, with the fall-out from this latest loss leaving South Africa with four more years of World Cup hurt. - AFP

Tuesday’s dramatic four-wicket defeat by

New Zealand in a rain-aff ected clash at

Auckland’s Eden Park was the fourth time the

Proteas had made it to the last four — and the

fourth time they hadn’t reached the fi nal

ONE OF THE MISTAKES: South Africa’s JP Duminy, left, collides with teammate South Africa’s Farhaan

Behardien and drop a catch chance during their defeat to New Zealand in Auckland. – AP/PTI

AFTER THAT WINNING SIX: New Zealand’s match-winner Grant Elliot, right, helps stunned South Afri-

can bowler Dale Steyn up before consoling him. – Reuters

AGHAST: World’s best bowler Dale Steyn of South Africa is stunned after he was hit for a six, which

spelt doom for his team. – Reuters

Balance and composure keys to NZ progressAUCKLAND: The calm, assured manner in which New Zealand chased down South Africa’s im-posing total on Tuesday to ad-vance to their fi rst cricket World Cup fi nal is a hallmark of a team that has developed into a cohe-sive unit over the last two years.

Brendon McCullum’s side sealed a four-wicket win over South Africa when Grant Elliott swatted Dale Steyn over deep mid-wicket for a six, igniting euphoric scenes rarely seen at a New Zealand sporting event.

“I looked around the group and saw that everyone was pretty calm,” McCullum told reporters on Wednesday of how his team dealt with the intense pressure of the match situation.

“I was pretty calm for most of it but towards the end I started hoping ... the boys would be able to pull it off .

“I had immense faith in them.”Faith is exactly what coach

Mike Hesson had in Elliot, whose innings of 84 not out justifi ed his inclusion in the World Cup squad after somewhat surprisingly having been out of the team for 14 months. The 36-year-old was also a reassuring voice for power-ful youngster Corey Anderson as they put on 103 runs for the fi fth wicket, which ultimately gave

New Zealand the win. The part-nership highlighted the strength of New Zealand’s batting lineup, with a top order of McCullum, Martin Guptill and Kane Wil-liamson off ering contrasting ap-proaches to run scoring.

Guptill is technically profi cient but can also blast away when need-ed, as was evident in his World Cup record 237 not out against West Indies in the quarterfi nal. Williamson is the classic accu-mulator while McCullum’s swag-gering aggression puts opposing attacks off their rhythm and gives New Zealand a fl ying start.

The players from four to seven — Ross Taylor, Elliott, Anderson and wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi — are a highly competent engine room designed to take the team through to imposing totals or to chase down targets.

All have contributed to help-ing their side to victory over New Zealand’s domestic summer. Opening bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee are arguably the best new-ball pair at the tournament.

“We have been confi dent all along in terms of what we do,” Hes-son said. “We know the brand of cricket we want to play, we are pret-ty confi dent. We have got a chance to put on a good show on Sunday and we will prepare for that.” - Reuters

H A L L M A R K

C8 T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

VICTORY LAP: Daniel Vettori leads New Zealand players as they thank their fans after the semifi nal victory in Auckland.

Eyeing fairytale send-off for Vettori

WELLINGTON: Brendon Mc-Cullum on Wednesday conceded Daniel Vettori had probably played his last international innings on home soil, saying New Zealand were intent on giving the veteran a fairytale send-off in the World Cup fi nal. Vettori was in the mid-dle at Auckland’s Eden Park on Tuesday night when the Black Caps clinched a spot in Sunday’s title decider in Melbourne with a dramatic one-ball-to-spare victory over South Africa.

The 36-year-old Vettori, who scored a crucial boundary at the death to help seal the four-wicket win, has been coy about his future plans but McCullum said “this was

potentially his last game on New Zealand soil”.

“Last night with him out there at the end, that’s a memory he’ll never forget,” McCullum told re-porters. “Hopefully we’ve got one more game, one more big fairytale fi nish for him and then we’ll have a few bubblies.”

The Black Caps skipper said Vettori, who claimed his 300th One-day International wicket ear-lier in the tournament, was still ex-periencing pain from a back injury that almost ended his career.

“He’s played a lot of his cricket with bumps and bruises and nig-gles and strains,” McCullum said.

“People probably don’t realise

but he’s had to overcome quite a bit to continue to back up and get out there and represent New Zealand. He’s a tough customer and he’s been an amazing servant for New Zealand cricket.”

McCullum said he was still sa-vouring the “special” semi-fi nal win, New Zealand’s fi rst in seven attempts, and had not yet thought about the tournament decider.

“We’ll deal with the fi nal in the next couple of days. Today it’s all about letting (the South Africa win) sink in,” he said. “When you’ve achieved something as special as we have, you don’t want to park it too quickly. You have to allow your-self the opportunity to stop and smell the roses and identify what’s been the catalyst to your success.”

The New Zealand skipper, who scored a Test triple century last year, said the feeling when Elliott smashed a six to send the Black Caps into the fi nal was the best of his career. “That was without doubt the best feeling I’ve been a part of,” he told reporters. “I’ve had many people congratulate us today and say it was the single greatest sporting event that they’ve ever been to, which is pretty amazing, to be a part of that.” - AFP

Vettori was in the middle at Auckland’s Eden

Park on Tuesday night when the Black Caps

clinched a spot in Sunday’s title decider

in Melbourne with a dramatic one-ball-to-

spare victory over South Africa

WELLINGTON: New Zea-landers hailed the Black Caps’ cliffh anger World Cup semi-fi nal win over South Africa as one of the country’s top sport-ing moments Wednesday and fi nally began dreaming of even greater glory in the tourna-ment decider on Sunday.

“One to go,” trumpeted the front page of the New Zealand Herald, while the Dominion Post’s back page headline described victory over the Pro-teas at Eden Park as “The stuff that dreams are made of”.

There was also relief at a four-wicket win achieved with just one ball to spare that propelled New Zealand into the fi nal for the fi rst time after a run of six losses in the semis.

Former Black Cap bowler Jacob Oram said Brendon McCullum’s men had shown their class against a dangerous

South African side and should be favourites in a tournament where they remain undefeated after eight matches.

“It looks at the moment like nothing daunts them,” he told commercial radio.

“The bigger the expecta-tion, the more that’s asked, the bigger they stand up. I honestly don’t think this World Cup fi nal is going to daunt these guys.”

“Dare to dream, New Zea-land” advised Fairfax cricket writer Fred Woodcock, adding: “If you didn’t think these Black Caps had the mental strength to go the whole way, you should now, because they stood up under the pressure that defi nes teams.”

NZ Herald columnist David Leggat even suggested the spectacle at Eden Park exceeded the Rugby World

Cup fi nal at the same venue in 2011, when New Zealand edged France 8-7 — unheard of praise in the All Blacks-obsessed na-tion. “Rugby people will swear the 2011 fi nal can’t be beaten for drama and sheer occasion,” he wrote.

“Fair enough, but to these eyes, this was special.”

There was also praise for Johannesburg-born Grant El-liott whose 84 not out, capped with a stunning six off the penultimate ball, made him an unlikely match-winner.

The Herald’s Dylan Cleaver pointed out Elliott was a last-minute inclusion and many, in-cluding himself, had favoured youngster Jimmy Neesham over the 36-year-old.

“It will now be remembered as one of the most inspired selections in New Zealand cricket history,” he said. - AFP

Jubilant Kiwis daring to dream of glory

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMSECTIONC

With more awards than

any other Hollywood actor,

77-year-old Morgan Freeman

has had to confirm the fact

that he is alive and kicking

at least six times in the past

12 months

The latest was last week when Morgan was re-ported dead in a car-crash in New York. “That would be difficult, as I was in Hollywood at the

time,” he says. “I just don’t know where these ru-mours come from. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking! The problem is these stories get on the Internet and they’re round the world in seconds.

“The truth is I haven’t been busier or healthier for years.” At an age when most stars are beginning to rest on their laurels, Morgan shows no sign of slowing down. He has no few-er than four movies out this year — Momentum, London Has Fallen, Ted 2 and Last Knights — and three scheduled for 2016.

“As a child I was taught to keep busy and I’ve just carried on!” he says.

Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, on the banks of the Mississippi, and at 10 went to the cinema to escape the grinding poverty of his family home and the stigma of racism and segregation. “People called me a no-hop-er and a born loser,” he says. Not surprisingly, I wanted to be a film star. I thought it was the only way I could escape from Memphis and make something of myself.”

Today, over 60 years later, Morgan Free-man’s wildest dreams have come true. He has a $10 million ranch just a few miles from where he was born, a $6 million home in New York and a luxury yacht in California. He also flies his own private plane and has a posh res-taurant and a fashionable nightclub. Not bad for someone who went for years without acting work, and who remembers being sent to bed hungry as a child, “because there simply wasn’t enough food in the house to give us all a meal.”

But one of the richest men in movies has one thing missing in his life – a wife. He divorced his childhood sweetheart Myrna in 2010 and says he is in no hurry to find a new permanent partner. When he left school, Morgan decided that his movie star dream would never be realised so he joined the US Air Force instead and did four years as a radar mechanic.

But acting was still foremost in his mind and he spent $10 to join the New York Negro Actors’ Guild and spent the next two years trying to keep himself alive. “I got by washing cars and work-ing in clothes shops,” he remembers. Eventual-ly he landed a few small roles in TV and finally moved to Hollywood. What kept me going was other people’s faith in me,” Morgan says. “On the other hand, everyone has to take responsi-bility for their own destiny.

After a few minor TV roles, Morgan made his breakthrough in a children’s TV show, The Electric Company, in 1985, going on to play a number of acclaimed off-Broadway stage roles including an all-black version of Hello Dolly opposite the great Pearl Bailey. It wasn’t until 1987 that Morgan Freeman made any impact in Hollywood — and then he certainly made up for lost time...

His performance in Street Smart got him an acting award, and his first starring role, as the kindly black chauffeur in Driving Miss Daisy, brought an Oscar nomination. He’s been get-ting his quota of good guys ever since, particu-larly in Lean On Me, in which he plays school principal, and Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves. And there are more to come. “The audience seems to have an image of me being a pretty good guy,” Morgan says. “

I suppose I feel more at home in these roles, but don’t forget I’ve also played some pretty nasty guys, too.”

Today, Morgan Freeman never forgets the struggle he’s had to reach the top. “Only re-cently have I been able to walk into posh hotels without feeling that I shouldn’t really be there because I’m black,” he says.

His impoverished childhood makes him very careful with money. “I still hoard my loose change in coffee jars,” he grins. “I de-rive great strength from living in Mississippi because it reminds me of where I came from and who I was. “It helps me keep in perspec-tive who I am today, whatever people in Hol-lywood tell me. But I can’t deny that my life really has been a fulfilled fantasy.

“All my dreams seem to have come true. And not many people can say that. I’m the first to ad-mit that for a born loser I’ve turned out to be a pretty lucky guy.” - John Graham/Tony James Features

T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5 SIGHT & SOUND

DEAD AGAIN?

In his years of driving in action movies and push-ing speeds to the max for stunts, the 47-year-old Brit

has burned more than his share of rubber. He’s back at it again in Furious 7, opening on April 3, wrenching the wheel, stomping on the gas pedal and relying on his underrated acting ability to

conceal a shameful secret: He actually failed his driving

test as a teen, and not only once. “I failed it two or three times,” he admit-ted. “I drove to the test, failed and then drove home. The secret is out!” Statham laughed cheerfully.

Furious 7 is the lat-est instalment in the 14-year-old franchise that began with The Fast & Furi-ous (2001) and has

grossed a worldwide box offi ce of $2.4 bil-

lion. The current in-stalment is directed by

James Wan, best known for the horror movies In-

sidious (2010) and The Con-juring (2013).

This time around it’s been a year since Dom (Vin Die-

sel), Brian (Paul Walker) and their crew returned to the United States with their pardons. They’re transitioning back into life as law-abiding citizens, with Dom trying to reconnect with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Brian living the suburban life with Mia (Jordana Brewster). They don’t have long in the slow lane, though: A cold-blooded British black-ops assassin named Deck-ard Shaw (Statham) has vowed to hunt down anyone involved in the death of his little brother, Owen (Luke Evans), which took place in Fast & Furious 6 (2013).

Statham actually introduced the character in an after-the-credits scene in that fi lm.

“I heard from a lot of people that the fans went absolutely bonk-ers for that cameo,” Statham said in his deep, gravelly voice during a telephone interview. “It’s good when they go nuts, right? As an actor, it really made me happy that people are thrilled to just see me show up in what was about a minute or two of fi lm.”

Accordingly, he spent the past year being extremely careful not to leak too much. “So many people want to talk to me about this mov-ie,” he said, “because it’s such a fan favourite, but I’ve been keeping my character under wraps. “I’m there to do my thing,” Statham said cautiously. “I’ll do what I do. I’m just not going to tell you what I’m going to do. I won’t be spilling the beans too much, because that spoils the fun.”

He’s determined not to be tricked into letting slip a few plot spoilers. “You’re not the fi rst to try to pin-point, ‘Are you the villain? Are you there to blow everything up?,’” he said, and would say no more.

Fortunately Universal Pictures is willing to reveal a bit more than Statham. As fans already know, Shaw blows up the Toretto house, leading Dom to involve a high-level government operative (Kurt Russell) as he seeks vengeance. The Fast crew turns the key in the ignition again as they try to secure a prototype tracking de-vice for the US government. The deal is that, if they can capture it,

they can use it to fi nd Shaw before he can strike again.

That much is on the money, right? “Here is the thing: I hate when someone spoils a movie for me,” Statham said. “I don’t want to know the plot. Everyone involved pretty much agrees that it’s impor-tant for me to just keep my mouth shut, because you never know, in this franchise, what will happen.”

He was thrilled to get the role, though. That much Statham will say. “For starters,” the actor said, “James Wan is a terrifi c director and such a talented chap.

“I’m also someone who can’t wait to jump into the next project,” he continued, “as long as it’s right for me. I’m not that guy who just likes sitting around, so, when you get a call to come to work on Furi-ous 7, it’s exciting. It would be in-sane to not do it.

“I knew that there would be cutting-edge, mind-blowing ac-tion, which is a good day’s work,” he added. “Plus I love cars, and I’ve never seen a movie do what this fi lm does with cars involved.”

Statham, a master of mixed martial arts, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu, said that action fi lms are among his favourites.

“There is just something primal about the good action fi lms,” he ex-plained. “It’s about survival by any means possible. I love the scenes where you have the cars and the ’copters, but even more I love just the fi sts and kicks. I love going back to basics.”

Many of the cast and crew of the Fast and Furious franchise have been working together for a dec-ade or more, but Statham said that he had no trouble fi tting in. “Eve-ryone was very welcoming,” he re-called. “These people know what they’re doing. It’s a great ensem-ble. It’s also an ever-expanding ensemble that welcomes the new-comers like you’re just another member of the family.”

The franchise lost a key player when Walker died in a car ac-cident during a break from fi lm-ing. There was enough footage of Walker to use in the fi lm, with his brothers Cody and Caleb work-ing as doubles for the scenes that hadn’t yet been fi lmed. “I have so many good memories of Paul,” Statham said. “He was an amazing chap. We went to the racetrack, and it was a really great time.”

Statham grew up in Shire-brook, Derbyshire, where his fa-ther worked as an auctioneer and singer and his mother as a dancer. As a teenager he became one of Britain’s best divers, competed at

the Commonwealth Games and several Olympic trials, and placed 12th in the World Championships.

When his sports career faded, he sold perfume, jewellery and other items on the streets of Lon-don. That was what he was do-ing when a talent scout spotted him and off ered him modelling work, which led to campaigns for Tommy Hilfi ger, Levis and French Connection. A video for the group Erasure led to a British commercial for Kit-Kat.

Then director Guy Richie cast him as a tough guy in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), which kicked off Statham’s big-screen career. He went on to action-packed roles in Snatch (2000), The Transporter (2002) and two sequels, The Italian Job (2003), Crank (2006), The Ex-pendables (2010) and two sequels, Homefront (2013), Parker (2013) and Wild Card (2014).

Next up is Paul Feig’s caper comedy Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy and set for summer release. McCarthy stars as a desk-bound CIA analyst who goes un-dercover to infi ltrate a ring of arms dealers. Statham plays a spy whose motives might be murky, or maybe not. “I tip my hat to Paul,” he said, “because he can get you to do anything.”

Though he’s used to seeing his name above the title, Statham in-sists that he doesn’t mind playing supporting roles to the likes of McCarthy or Sylvester Stallone, top banana of the Expendables series. “It’s a rush for me,” he said, “because just being with these people makes it a good day for me. Plus there is less pressure when you’re part of the team. It leads to great acting choices, because the stress is off to open the movie just based on your name.”

In his free time Statham lives in the Hollywood Hills and in Lon-don. He’s mum about his life with his girlfriend, actress Rosie Hun-tington-Whiteley, best known for Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). “I love being home,” he said. “It’s a way to connect with friends and loved ones. I hang out, go surf-ing, go skiing. I eat good food.”

He works hard to maintain that body. “I’m only human and I have bad-eating days,” Statham admit-ted. “You must spoil yourself a bit in life. But when I’m good, I feel strong. So my good days are eating brown rice and salmon and broc-coli or veggies and chicken.

“You won’t see a pizza box outside of my house,” he added, “and I know that sugar is the worst thing in the world for you. It’s addictive and you feel tired, plus then you want more sugar. My sugar comes from raisins, apples and other fruits.”

Statham burns that off in the gym. “In a perfect world I’d be in the gym six days a week,” the ac-tor said, “with a day off here and there on the weekends. It’s hard, because I’m travelling and work-ing so much.”

His routine isn’t focused on cardio. “I never do any treadmill,” Statham said. “I’m always throw-ing weights around or doing some kind of fi ght training with my stuntman. We try to keep it fun, so you want to be back in the gym.”

After working out, he added, he likes to jump in the car.

“I take a long drive by the ocean,” Statham said. “ ... going slow, obey-ing the speed limit, thinking that I’m a very lucky chap.” -Cindy Pearl-

man/The New York Times News Service

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ETCETERAT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

He’s back at it again in ‘Furious 7’,

wrenching the wheel, stomping

on the gas pedal and relying on

his underrated acting ability

I’m someone who

can’t wait to jump into

the next project.

As long as it’s right for me.

So, when you get a call to

come to work on

‘Furious 7,’ it’s exciting.

It would be insane

to not do it

ACTOR Vin Diesel, who is gear-ing up for his highly anticipated action thriller Furious 7, believes the tribute to the late Paul Walk-er should win the Best Picture award at next year’s Oscars.“Universal is going to have the biggest movie in history with this movie. It will probably win best picture at the Oscars, un-

less the Oscars don’t want to be relevant ever,” variety.com quoted Diesel as saying.

The seventh instalment in the Fast and Furious franchise, which is slated to release in India on April 2, has received rave re-sponses for its previous parts. But does Diesel really think that the fi lm could be the next Birdman?

“This will win Best Picture. There is nothing that will ever come close to the power of this thing,” Diesel added. In addition to welcoming back almost all of the franchise’s principal cast members, Furious 7 features the last big-screen appearance by Paul Walker, who died while they were still fi lming. -IANS

‘Furious 7’ should win Best Picture Oscar, says Diesel

BR I E F

ETCETERAC11T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

When frequent collabora-tors Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

signed on to the small independ-ent movie Serena, they hadn’t yet become two of America’s most recognisable actors, much less Academy Award contenders. You would think the rising profi les of the movie’s stars would be a huge boon for Susanne Bier’s dark dra-ma. But you’d be wrong.

The pair’s reputations began to grow while they were fi lming Ser-ena in 2012 — just before Silver Linings Playbook was hitting thea-tres — and the attention meant that expectations for the movie ballooned. It took Bier a long time — about 18 months — to assemble the footage for the adaptation of Ron Rash’s 2008 novel, and the fi -nal result is a real slog.

The movie is set during the Great Depression around the Smoky Mountains, where George Pemberton (Cooper) runs a timber enterprise with hopes of expand-ing his business to South America.

But fi rst he has to sort through

some complications. Given the era, the bank isn’t doling out dollars the way it used to. And then there’s the resistance from some of George’s neighbours in North Carolina.

A small but vocal group wants the surrounding mountains to be a national park rather than the tree-less wasteland it’s becoming.

In the midst of all this, George leaves for a short vacation and re-turns with a young bride, Serena (Lawrence).

Serena’s late father was also a logging man, and she has some expertise to share, which isn’t entirely welcomed by George’s right-hand man, Buchanan (David Dencik). But as Serena explains, “I didn’t come to Carolina to do needlepoint.” She’s a real spitfi re, which also means she isn’t at all fazed by the attention of a quiet, tattooed ex-con who claims to be clairvoyant (Rhys Ifans).

Plotwise, Serena is excessively eventful. There are murders and logging accidents, knife fi ghts, panther hunts, nightmarish back stories and a baby born out of wed-

lock, to throw out a mere sampling. But none of these episodes carries much weight. The events never appear to be working toward any goal or expressing a worthwhile message. With some admittedly well-drawn atmospherics, includ-ing shots of misty mountaintops and the sounds of bluegrass mu-sic, the movie feels a little bit like a logging version of There Will Be

Blood, except that the characters in this study aren’t really worth consideration.

Cooper and Lawrence do their best, but the material consist-ently works against them, from the overwrought dialogue to the never-ending plot twists in place of character development. And why should they have bothered when the editing is so bizarre? Establishing shots — those impor-tant moments that tell an audience that a scene has shifted to a diff er-ent time or place — have been cast aside, making for a lot of confusing transitions. Another odd choice: When George fi rst sees Serena, she’s astride a galloping horse, bouncing abundantly in slow-mo. This is the stuff of parodies, not se-rious dramas.

With lesser stars in the lead roles, Serena would have quietly disappeared. Instead, the movie’s biggest selling point turns out to be its most lamentable downfall. It’s painful to watch all that tal-ent get wasted. -Stephanie Merry/The Washington Post

THE LONGEST-running, most prestigious South Asian fi lm fes-tival in the US, New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), will open on May 4 with Shonali Bose’s Mar-garita With A Straw.

Aparna Sen’s Saari Raat starring Anjan Dutt, Rittwik Chakraborty and Konkona Sen Sharma, will be the centrepiece fi lm of the 15th an-nual showcase of ground-breaking, thought-provoking, independent cinema, to be screened at prestig-ious venues around New York City on May 4 -9.

Starring Kalki Koechlin, Revathi and Sayani Gupta, Margarita is the poignant portrayal of a rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy who leaves her home in India to study in New York, unexpectedly falls in love and embarks on an ex-hilarating journey of self-discovery.

Special screenings and events include Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shake-speare trilogy of Maqbool, Omkara and Haider followed by a discus-sion between Bhardwaj and a Shakespearean expert.

A special screening of Daugh-ters of Mother India, a documen-tary fi lm focused on the after-

math of the Delhi rape incident, given India’s ban on the broad-cast of the BBC rape documen-tary India’s Daughter.

Also featured would be Benegal’s New Cinema, a documentary on Shyam Benegal’s fi lms.

“Every year, we strive to make our programming unique and rel-evant, based on the incidents that are occurring around the world, in South Asia and in our own back-yard, New York City,” said festival programmer Aseem Chhabra.

“These selected fi lms, which have won a combined total of nine National Awards, serve as a mir-ror, and we hope that our audi-ences can see their lives refl ected in these stories.”

The complete line-up of 30 fi lms for the festival includes National Award winners Chotoder Chobi (Best Film on Social Issues -Nar-rative); Daughters of Mother India (National Award Winner for Best Film on Social Issues - Non-Nar-rative): Elizabeth Ekadashi (Best Children’s Film); Haider (winner of fi ve National Awards) and Kakka Muttai (Best Children’s Film & Best Child Artist). -IANS

Shraddha Kapoor eyes National Film Award

SHRADDHA KAPOOR, the lead actress of Haider, feels proud that the fi lm has bagged fi ve National Film Awards — and even she hopes to get one some day. “It will be nice to get a National Award. Every actor wants to get a National Award for one of his or her fi lms in a lifetime,” Shraddha said at an event to celebrate the National Award

win of Haider. “So, keeping my fi ngers crossed. Hopefully that happens,” added the actress, who has been applauded for her performance in fi lms like Aashiqui 2, Ek Villain and Haider as well.

Karan Johar confi rms ‘Kapoor and Sons’ cast

“EK MAIN Aur Ekk Tu” director Shakun Batra’s upcoming “modern family” drama fi lm Kapoor and Sons will star rumoured couple Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra, along with Pakistani actor Fawad Khan and veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, producer Karan Johar announced on Wednesday. The rumours of the cast had been doing the

rounds for sometime, but Karan, who is producing the fi lm un-der his banner Dharma Productions, took to Twitter to fi nally confi rm the details. “A modern family fi lm with a love triangle embedded in it... Kapoor and Sons directed by @shakunbatra,” he tweeted. Batra’s directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu was also produced by Karan, while Alia and Sidharth’s debut fi lm Student Of The Year was produced and directed by Karan too.

Aishwarya’s comeback fi lm releases on October 9

AISHWARYA Rai Bachchan’s much-awaited comeback project Jazbaa, being helmed by fi lmmaker Sanjay Gupta, will release on October 9. The announcement was made on Wednesday via a statement, and Gupta confi rmed this on his Twitter page. He wrote: “Let the countdown begin! J A Z B A A releases October 9th, 2015.” It

also stars actors like Irrfan Khan, Shabana Azmi, Abhimanyu Singh, Atul Kulkarni and Chandan Roy Sanyal. Zee Entertain-ment Enterprises Limited has designed an innovative promo-tional campaign for the release of the fi lm. If sources are to be believed, the makers are racing against time to complete the fi lm as they intend to showcase it at the Cannes International Film Festival this year.

I hate losing: Priyanka on National Award missPRIYANKA Chopra says she hates losing, but missing the National Film Award for Best Actress to Kangana Ranaut for Queen is something she doesn’t mind. Priyanka, who is cur-rently in the US, made it a point to send good wishes to Kan-gana for her win. “I hate losing. But if I had to take a back seat to anyone this year it would be U #KanganaRanaut! Congratu-lations! Yay Queen!#SmallTownGirls,” tweeted Priyanka, who had won the Best Actress National Film Award for her 2008 fi lm Fashion. -IANS

B O L L Y B U Z Z

C I N E M A

Cooper and Lawrence

do their best, but the

material consistently works

against them, from the

overwrought dialogue

to the never-ending plot

twists in place of character

development

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence reunite for ‘Serena’

New York Indian Film Festival to showcase 30 fi lms

Kalki Koechlin - Margarita With A Straw, lead actress

ACTOR-FILMMAKER Kamal Haasan, who is busy promoting forthcoming Tamil release Ut-tama Villain, has wrestled with so many controversies over the years that he feels they follow him and will continue for the remainder of his career.

“Even till last week, we were fi ghting a case in connection with my fi lm Papanasam. We know who filed the case, and from where. It’s like trouble and controversies always follow me,” Kamal said.

“I feel I’m always targeted. It has happened in the past too. For instance, people objected to the title of my fi lm Mumbai Express. They said the title wasn’t in Ta-mil, but what’s the Tamil word for Mumbai? In an earlier case, they didn’t let me name one of my fi lms Sandiyar, and a few months ago, a fi lm with the same name released. Why didn’t any-body object to it,” he asked.

Kamal’s recent release Ta-mil spy thriller Vishwaroopam was embroiled in controversies after Muslim groups felt they were portrayed in bad light.

The same fi lm earned the wrath of the distributors after Kamal commissioned an idea to release the fi lm via DTH platform on the day of theatrical release.

Haasan still swears by the DTH idea. “It’s one of the other branches of fi lm business. We have to do business in all direc-tions,” said Haasan, who also

blames the Central Board of Film Certification for curbing the freedom of speech.

“If I feel like saying some-thing in the language I want, I have to write and get permis-sion from the Board, like in the

British times. But I am an ar-tiste, I have all the rights to say what I want and also question them,” he added.

Kamal also has two more Tamil fi lms Papanasam and Vishwaroopam 2 in his kitty. He

said even if these fi lms release or get delayed, he will continue working. “I can’t sit idle. I am always eager to give audiences good projects because they are expecting it from me,” he added.

The 60-year-old has already started work on his next Tamil pro-ject, a thriller said to be set against the backdrop of Mauritius. - IANS

C12

ETCETERAT H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

They hadn’t performed together for fi ve years. So to mark the 20th anniversary of when it all started they de-

cided to move together into a Lon-don fl at for three weeks and see what might happen.

The result is one of the crazi-est hit movies of the year. Which is probably not surprising given that the stars of Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of are those off-beat pop legends of the ‘90s, the Backstreet Boys.

Not surprisingly, being cooped up together in a small space pro-duced some fi reworks and even a minor fracas, but for Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell and Howie Dor-ough the experiment has had a happy ending. The movie has put the Backstreet Boys back in the bigtime and a new album, a single and a major US tour are scheduled for later this year.

“We started young so we’re not too old to know about the way contemporary music is going,” says Nick Carter. “Our old hits, like Quit Playing Games With My Heart, stand comparison with anything out there today. We’re going back on the road because we think we’ve still got plenty to off er.”

The dramatic reconciliation is just the latest drama in a two-decade roller-coaster ride which has seen a band with over 120m record sales go from heady suc-cess to fi nancial and personal cri-sis, and back to the top again, with uncanny regularity.

And even fi ve years ago it looked as though the Backstreet story was over for good when rows in the group, the relentless strain of fame, and family tragedies had convinced the supergroup that it was, yet again, time to call it a day.

“Luckily we had a last-minute change of heart,” says Howie. “But it was making the movie that made us realise we can’t get rid of each other! We’ve been through too much to-gether for that.”

The unlikely story of the Back-street Boys started in 1993 when the band was created by manager Lou Pearlman in Cleveland, Ohio. Today Pearlman is in jail for a $300 million fraud and the band sued him for $50 million loss of earnings in 1997.

The new movie shows the band visiting Pearlman’s former mansion in Florida where it all

started. “Now he’s in a four by six cell,” says A.J. McLean. “The right place for him...”

Even when the Backstreets were megastars, problems were never far away. Brian Littrell was rushed to hospital for heart surgery, Howie Borough’s sister died and problems with their re-cord label led to further million-dollar litigation.

Record dealSoon afterwards came a new al-bum, Black and Blue, which sold fi ve million in a week and led to American pop’s biggest record deal — a contract with Jive Re-cords worth $70 million.

But before long, more prob-lems came along ... A.J. McLean checked himself into a rehab clin-ic to battle drinking, drug addic-tion and depression.

Then after making a disc of their greatest hits and a number one single, Drowning, the Back-street Boys decided to once more rethink their future. A.J. McLean admits that it was his drink and drug problems which this time almost broke up the band. “I’d let the rock and roll lifestyle get the better of me,” he remembers.

He’s now free of drink, drugs and depression problems. “I have a lot more fun sober than I did when drunk,” he says. It was due to the support of the guys in the band that I’ve managed to turn things around.”

Married for ten years, Kevin Richardson is going back on the road with wife Kristin’s bless-ing. “In the old days I went for weeks without seeing her but now if we tour I will make sure that Kristin comes with me,” he

says. “I need some reality — and she provides it!”

Brian Littrell, who has mas-terminded the Backstreet Boys’ success, admits that he has the band to thank for keeping him in shape. “Before my son was born I did a lot of sympathy eating with my wife while she was pregnant. Now I have been training with the rest of the band in a LA gym and I’ve lost two stones and feel great.

Brian feels that the Backstreets have never been rivalled as a boy-band. “The music scene has changed a lot in the past fi ve years but our new stuff sounds as fresh and original as ever,” he says.

“We can’t wait to show our new fans that, 20 years on, we’re just as good — if not better — as we al-ways were.” — Judson Bennett/Tony James

Features

BOLLYWOOD

The movie that’s up our street Backstreet Boys,

the rebels of pop,

have got together to

make what could be

the craziest movie

of the year...

I feel I’m always targeted.

It has happened in the

past too. For instance,

people objected to the

title of my film ‘Mumbai

Express’. They said the

title wasn’t in Tamil, but

what’s the Tamil word for

Mumbai?

Ferrell gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

ACTOR WILL FER-RELL has been honoured with a star on the Hol-lywood Walk of Fame. At the unveiling ceremony he was joined by his wife Viveca Paulin and their three sons as well as his friends and co-stars Kevin Hart, Molly Shannon and John C. Reilly, reports aceshowbiz.com. The 47-year-old thanked his fans and cracked a joke during his acceptance speech. “It goes without saying that I feel so fortu-nate, and yet I can’t accept this award. So just cover it up, cover it up for someone else,” Ferrell joked. “I not only accept it, but I will be here every day from 3 to 5pm polishing the star. You can count on that. And on those days that John’s in the neighbourhood, he will help me as well,” he added.

Eva has her dream boyfriendACTRESS EVA LON-GORIA says her boyfriend José Bastón is the “man of her dreams”. The former Desperate Housewives star, who was previously married, has been dating the Mexican business-man for 18 months, and she couldn’t be happier, reports femalefi rst.co.uk.

“He’s the man of my dreams,” she told Hello! magazine. Because of her relationship, Eva has been spending more time in Mexico with Baston.-IANS

BR I E FS

Trouble, controversy always follow me: Kamal Haasan

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

T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

RENT D2

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s

publication. * Subject to space availability

OFFICES FOR RENT

Contact: 97377355 / 97307476, Email id: aaleem@ggcoman.com

Premium offices to let a very good location on the main road very close to Zakher Mall, Al Khawiar. Business Center has offices with sizes of 50m2, 110m2, 180m2, 207m2, 230m2, 437m2.Showroom also available at Business Center, Area 500m2 with central A/c. Offices with Central Air-conditions, Security System with CCTV cameras, and Security presence in the building.

DAILY GUIDEEmail: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

1bedroom, 2 bedroom + showroom,

18 November road Al Azaiba.

Contact 99565364 / 99617786

Shop available at Ruwi 2 shutters.

Contact 99345044

2BHK at Honda Road Ruwi. Contact

99224748 / 99332297

Looking for a cold room for rental.

Contact 99100146

Ghubra furnished room with

attached bath, dish, internet,

available for Executive person.

Contact 96117178

Printing press for lease.

Contact 97842797

Spacious villa, 2 fl oors with swim-

ming pool garden, garage, servant

room, 3 bedrooms with seaside view,

three lounges, dining room, 5 bath

rooms in Qurum area rent R.O 1500/-

per month, 1 yr advance. Contact

99335594 / 95501858

Villa for rent 4 rooms, 3 toilets

behind Kuwait Mosque, Wadi Kabeer.

Contact 92925173

Villa in Bosher behind Dolphin,

5 BHK hall living room with split A/C

RO 650/- family only.

Contact 92479515

Flat Al Ghubra South fi rst fl oor,

3BHK hall, living room split a/c for

family only 500/-.

Contact 92479515

Flat Al Azaiba ground fl oor 4BHK

living room split a/c for family only

parking 550/-R.O. Contact 92479515

Flats shops and store for rent in

MBD area and Honda road. Contact

92433127/ 97293708/ 95150632

Flat for rent in Wadi Kabir near

Lulu 4BHK. Contact 97007934 /

92629232

Commercial Villa in Al Khuwair

with Private Parking’s,7 Rooms Hall

and Reception and Kitchen

Contact 95202430

Al Ghubra small house for rent

160/-. Contact 95032152

2 & 3 BHK Darsait School new

building. Contact 99024730

2 BHK & studio fl at at Darsait 1SM.

Contact 99024730

Furnished single room with A/C and

attached bathroom is available at

Rex Road for Non cooking Executive

bachelor from 1st April 2015.

Contact 99116286

2 BHK Flat in Qurum.

Contact 99792181

1, 2 & 3 BHK Flat in Alkhuwair.

Contact 99792181

4 Bhk Villa in Alkhuwair & Madinat

Ilham. Contact 99792181

250 Sqr Mtrs offi ce in CBD.

Contact 99792181

2 BHK fl ats Muttrah near Oman

House. Contact 97007934 /

92629232

Studios starting from 160 in Qurum

near Mars supermarket. Contact

96755180, 96755181

2 bedroom fl at in Al Ghubra near

Oman oil 18 November Street. OMR

330. Monthly. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

D2 T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

3BR top class fi tting fl at , ideal for

top Executives Mumtaz area, Ruwi.

Contact 91287824

Labour Camp in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99792181

Flat for rent in Wadi Al Kabir,

2 rooms & 3 toilets next to Platinum

Gym. Contact 99210008

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in

Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco.

OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and

boundary wall will be provided.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Flat 4 rent south Al Mabelah.

Contact 95331177 / 95230355

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Mis-

fah Industrial area near to Khanco.

OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity

and boundary wall.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

2BHK fl at for rent Wadi Kabir near

Kuwaiti Mosque. Contact 97007939

/ 92629232

Villas & fl ats at Ansab.

Contact 98458542

Flat Wadi AL Kabeer, 2BHK, sitting

room, 3 bathroom balcony split /AC

300/- R.O Contact 99324402

Brand new deluxe fl ats located near

Seeb fl yover on the right band side

of the main road coming from the

Seeb palace round about,

2 bedrooms family, hall, kitchen,

3 toilets with split unit ACs.

Contact 97755586

1 Bedroom attached toilet Al Khu-

wair area only for ladies or husband

and wife without children. Contact

9:00 pm to 7:00 am 95765719

85 SQM shops in Ruwi only on

350/- OMR. Contact 95122188 /

96441499

Spacious 2 BHK fl ats in Ruwi

MBD area only on 350/- OMR.

Contact – 95122188 / 96441499

Beautiful offi ce space available in

Ruwi MBD area only on 2/- OMR

per sqm. Contact 95122188 /

96441499

If require fl ats for rent in Wadi

Kabir please send messages through

Whatsapp or call – 99376454

Furnished room available on Seeb

share with small family for couple

working ladies.

Contact 96996938

1000 sq mtrs industrial land for

rent in Ghala suitable for Ware

house workshop.

Contact 24700120 / 925

Flats/villas owned by ROP pension

fund available for rent in Muscat.

Contact 99349526

Industrial /commercial shops at

Wadi Kabir 4 x 5.6 x 4.6 MTR height.

Showroom with mezzanine & offi ce

at Al Noor Street near Switz bakery

& Al Masa hall corner building all on

roads & parkings in front of shops &

show room. Contact 99065900 or

99354975

Villa for rent with 4 bedroom at

Al Khodh, Rent 750/-RO.#92888115

Prim location, nice fi nishing villa

for RENT. 2 big bedrooms . Main

large sitting room. Small maid

room. Kitchen and 3 bathrooms.

At Alkhuwair. near Holiday Inn &

Oman Club. Contact 99426662,

PDC only. For families & college

girls.

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

Dental clinic for sale in Seeb area.

Contact 96903341

New dental chair & instruments for

sale. Contact 92816015

Treadmill motorized in

good running condition for sale.

Contact 99358025

Urgent sale man tipper, Tata Novus

prime mover with trailer, Tata

Daewoo tipper, Tata water tanker,

Tata Hyup, Roller, Bitili, roller double

drum bitili, PTR Roller Bitili, Titan

paver, Volvo, back hoeloader, SDLG

wheel loader. Contact 92964673

1BHK C.B.D. Contact 99024730

5 B/R double storied 4500 sq ft

house 27 cents 200 mtrs Away from

main road Cherianad JN. Chenga-

noor. Contact 99236846

Email: nuk_lvk2012@hotmail.com

For sale work shop carpenter

with 4 clearances in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99345137

Commercial registration with

excellent name Grade A for business

software for sale. Contact 92959251

Construction building material /

equipment for sale on urgent basis.

Contact 95526871

Building material shop with mate-

rial for sale in Al Musannah.

Contact 98053324

2 residential Lands together, one

610 and the other 600 sq mtrs, in

Al Haram on way to Barka. OMR 49

Thousand both. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

Building material shop for sale in

Al Hail. Contact 98003111

Billiards and snooker table 1 no.,

hand football game table 1 no. with

all accessories on (as is where is)

basis. The items are in Sur Industrial

area. Interested parties please

contact - 31032015s@gmail.com

558 Sq mtrs residential land in Bar-

ka behind Lulu and near to school.

OMR 32 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

Running beauty parlor for sale in

Barka Souq with license & visa. Con-

tact 92168729

Brand new UK made wheel balancer

for sale with accessories,

contact 94052713, 99885638

Coff ee shop for sale at Mawala.

Contact 99646640

Used Restaurant Equipments & Fur-

niture for immediate sale. Interested

Parties contact 97824001.

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40

ton petrol tank each working at the

moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35

Thousand each. Tel: 97000155 or

92688692

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40

ton petrol tank each working at the

moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35

Thousand each. Tel: 97000155 or

92688692

Ready mix concrete for sale.

Contact 99054673

Land for sale residential commer-

cial and residential and tourist and

industrial, and hotels for sale in

Muscat (Al Khuwair and the Qurum,

and crushed stone, and Bowshar,

and spite and Gala heights, and the

heights of the airport) to deal with

the buyer. Contact 99070093

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879

New building near the Bousher -

Al Misfah high way, with showroom,

offi ces, and shops. Great for banks,

medical clinics and companies

95202430

Restaurant for sale well running

with open area and good parking

area. 3 new clearance also in Wadi

Kabeer near Mars hyper market.

Contact 99656863

DAILY GUIDET H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5 D3

FOR SALEACC. AVAILABLE

ACC. AVAILABLE

ACC. WANTED

Wanted a separate room near

Lulu Darsait. Contact 92481082

Furnished accommodation wanted for April, May for Keralite

family. Contact 99378397

Wanted a 2 bedroom fl at in around

Ruwi area. Gsm 99761216

Used household & offi ce furni-

ture and electronic items. Contact

99834373, 97102699

Looking for purchase of Used Portable Compressor (350 CFM,

7 Bar Pressure) powered with

Diesel run Generator.

Kindly Contact 99014686 or

operation@khancogroup.com

BUYING/SELLING

AVAILABLE

1 bedroom attached toilet in

Al Khuwair bachelors/ family

R.O 140/-. Contact 95154331

WANTED

Clinic required, One Established

new Clinic in Muscat, with Valid

License & Clearance is required to

purchase interested Parties can con-

tact 91283188 or send your inquiries

to mohamedsfarah@hotmail.com

Looking for a contractor to build my

house. If you wish to apply for the

position, please feel free to contact

the following number: 94488999

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00

noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

Freelance HSE Advisor. Contact

93637030

Established Restaurant for rent with

sponsorship. Contact 97628242

Party & Wedding equipment rent-

als. Full line, from Tables, Linen

& Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers,

Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chaf-

ing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large

Sound Systems and spectacular

lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for

Catering and Croyden 9623 5555

for Sound & Light.

www.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

M.V. FOR SALE

Dodge Nitro 4.0 ltr engine 2007

model 130000 kms, red colour, regis-

tration valid for one year. RO.2700/-.

Contact - 91251966

Toyota Camry white 2011 km -51000

R.O 4800/-.Contact 99561562

Renault Duster (2013) for immedi-

ate sale only 15,200 kilometers

driven (OMR 4300/-) Expat leaving.

Contact 93083453

Car sale BMW 740 Li & Model 2008

KM 124181, Company maintenance.

Single person used (GM).

Contact 97989094

BMW 318i & model 2004 KM

180678, company maintenance.

Single person used (DY.GM)

Contact 97989094

Suzki SX4 2012. Contact 99484342

Yaris 1.5, 2008 fully automatic ex-

pat driven. Contact 92227165

Vitara 2013. Contact 99336093

Furnished room for Executive bach-

elor at Ruwi. Contact 92435784

Available room for bachelor sepa-

rate toilet behind Oman house

R.O 50/-. Contact 97986621

Furnished room with attached bath-

room for non-cooking bachelor in

Ruwi RO 150/-. Contact 92478852

Room with separate bath available

for non cooking Executive at

Al Khuwair. Contact 99224185

Furnished spacious room with at-

tached bath available for Executive

bachelor in Ruwi near Al Maha

fi lling station. Contact 98290299

Single room with AC, toilet, highway

side at Al Hail. Contact 92968292

Well furnished single room / shar-

ing for Exe bachelor or small family

at Rex Road. Contact 92873832

2BR, 1BTR for Indian family ladies

near Ruwi Church.Contact 99746379

Single room with furniture available

behind Kamat Restaurant Al Khu-

wair. Contact 24125300 / 94158350

Studio fl at MBD Ruwi.

Contact 95698714

Single room with separate bath at

Rex Road, working lady preferred.

Contact 95423572

Sharing accommodation rooms at

Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569 /

97004265

One bed room fl at with hall for rent

in Al Khuwair area near Radisson

blue hotel. Contact 97646492

A big room available near Hamriya

R/A for Muslim couple / small family

/Executive bachelor rent 150/- Rial

per month including W+E.

Contact 99495131

Single room attached bathroom with

kitchen near Riyam park Muscat

RO 70/-. Contact 95094028

1B/R available for bachelors in

REX ROAD, Ruwi.

Contact 99889590

Furnished Room with attached bath

for Indian Bachelor in Al Falaj area

Ruwi & sharing room lady in

Wadikabir. Call 95941515

Family sharing accommodation

available in Al Khodh.

Contact 98292798

Single room available with A/C for

non cooking executive bachelor at

Hamriya R/abt. (on main road side,

Opp. Apollo Hospital).

Contact 91673718, 98232567

Sharing family accommodation in

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99335057

3 Bedrooms, with spacious hall

& 3 bathrooms near ism, Darsait

from 1st april 2015.

Gsm 94288861

Furnished Sharing accommo-

dation available for executive

bachlor at Muthrah near OIFC.

Pls contact. 91398353.

NRI

Spacious 4BHK semi furnished 1917

sqf fl at located in Mayur Paradise

at Sarjapur road, Bangalore. 5 kms

from Wipro. Call - 95194007

MATRIMONIAL

MATRIMONIAL

Hindu Ezhava family, settled in

Muscat looking for suitable groom

working within Oman for their

daughter 25 yrs (MBA) working

with a reputed company in Muscat.

Contact : 98689663

Kerala Malankara Catholic girl

28/155 GNM, MOH Oman looking for

suitable match from Muscat / Kerala

(Pta dist) M4 ID 4002623.

Contact 96708960 / 95338210

Keralite Ezhava girl BSc Nurse wheatish Bharani Nakshatram 28

yrs, 160 cm working with MOH seeks

suitable alliance from Keralite pro-

fessionals in Muscat.

Contact 94273585

Keralite RCSC parents invite alli-

ance from RCSC boy Graduate Post

Graduate 26/29 their daughter

23/167 B. Tech. Contact 97112038 /

24493497

Keralite Syrian Christian Parents

seeking alliance from any Syrian

Christian Denominations Graduated

working girls preferably in Oman or

UAE for their son MBA 29/175-born

brought up in Muscat working in a

reputed organization.

Contact 97226324

email: m4proposal@yahoo.com

We are looking for a Muslim Girl

for our son interested parents or

daughter May. Contact 97664009

Philip Abraham has lost Indian

Passport No. H 1847258. Finder

please handover to ROP

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land

with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479

or 95215360

3 fl oor building in Muttrah behind

Police. Generating income of OMR

18 Thousand annually. Neat and well

maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs

land. 2 tailor shops on ground fl oor

and 6 fl ats. OMR 207 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Dental Clinic with license for sale in

Sohar. Contact 92816015

Shop for sale at Ruwi. Contact

99103077

Gubrah furnished room, attached

bath dish TV, WIFI, kitchen available

for Executive single person, couple.

Contact 99658689

Room in CBD area for non

cooking Executive bachelors free

WIFI, Advance deposit.

Contact 95934642

MANPOWER

Canadian Manpower Co. Recruit-

ing Construction, Hotel, Medical,

Gas & Oil Staff s - 2 years contract,

work visa, tickets, accommodation.

Free recruitment. Please send CV to

margholdingoman@yahoo.com,

www.margholdingimmigration.com,

93392630

Available construction workers, hospital staff with Oman

parametric, housemaids

Indian, Uganda. Contact

9629417/98408488

Email: alkubratrading@gmail.com

FOR HIRE

LOST

Hire Generators, Air conditioners.

Contact 98927220

Running truck wash for rent in

Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people

can. Contact on 97864747

50 seater bus with PDO

specifi cation for rent or lease.

Contact 99839898

DAILY GUIDED4 T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT

EDUCATION

MEDICAL

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

ENGI./ELECT./TECH..

ENGI./ELECT./TECH..

ADMIN/HR

DOMESTIC HELPER

Indian male MBA 32 yrs having

10 yrs of exp seeking suitable place-

ment in Admin/ HR/ Operations/

Coordination/ Logistics etc. Holding

valid Oman D/L .Contact - 99054786

ACCOUNTANCY

BEAUTICIAN

CATERING

DRIVER

ADVOCATE

SALES / MARKETING

IT

SALES / MARKETING

MBA (in HR & Finance) & BBA (in

General Management) and 5+ years

experience in Administration & Fi-

nance in Oman, looking for suitable

opportunities.NOC available.

Contact: 93183137

Indian CA, male, having 12+ Years’

experience in the fi eld of A/Cs,

fi nance, auditing, consultancy and

also knowledgeable in SAP B1,Tally

ERP ,etc. Working as Finance

Manager for last 2 years in Oman

and have valid D/L of Oman. NOC

available. PLZ contact: 98234761,

Email:caraj700@gmail.com

Indian male 24 yrs MBA marketing

21 days visit visa looking for market-

ing accounts and sales good com-

munication skills. Contact 91379124

Email: rahmansahil3@gmail.com

Indian male 28 years experience

in Accounts & Admin with B.E, MBA

fi nance seeks suitable placement

with a reputed from on visit visa.

Contact 97409606

Email: mujtabaalam7@gmail.com

Indian male MBA (fi n & market-

ing) 9 years experience in business

development, healthcare insuring fi n

& actng seeking suitable job on visit

in Oman. Contact 98653962

Email: mdsaleem.r@gmail.com

Asst Accountant BBM, 2 yrs experi-

ence seeking suitable vacancy in ac-

counts, operation logistics etc. 1 year

experience in hardware & network-

ing as well. Contact 97623267

CA with 8 years Experience

(6 in UAE & Oman) in A/cs, Finance

& Audit. Contact: :98707434 /

casmart007@gmail.com

Bachelor degree in business

(Accounting) from Majan College

searching for job with D/L and 2

years exp . Contact 96132149

Finance Manager, CPA, with more

than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC.

Fully knowledgeable in Finance,

General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331

Indian 34 yrs B.Com CA Inter pass

12 yrs exp in Audit A/C, Finance

on visit seeks suitable placement.

Contact 95585069

Accountant 25 years experience

M.Com Accounts up to fi nalization

14 years in Oman. NOC release avail-

able. Contact 99640490

email: mathutb@gmail.com

Indian male with 7 years experience

in customer service and banking

operations looking for a suitable job

right now on visit visa.

Contact 96169123

Sr. Accountant, M.Com, Indian

male,13 yrs exp in MNC, FMCG &

Automobile spare parts with valid

Oman D/L looking for suitable

position. NOC available-

Mob: 92435323

Accounts part time works up to

fi nalization, monthly report, balance

sheet and fi nalization works.

Contact 96247295

Senior Accountant, 10 years

experience in Oman on visit.

Contact 98897581.

FCCA- Qualifi ed from UK with 9

years of experience in Big 4 & Top

30 UK fi rms. Currently working as

Manager Finance & Accounts for

more than 2 years. NOC available,

please contact 9259 3748

American B International relations

seeking position in fi nance HR,

Administration or any suitable

position. Contact 95560225

Email: sanyieha@gmail.com

CA Finalist having big four experi-

ence of more than three years seek-

ing suitable position currently on

visit visa. Contact 94663269

Email: rizwan_ravian@yahoo.com

12 years Oman experienced Chief

Accountant looking for suitable

placement. Contact 97385562

Accountant: a well experienced

Indian male, M.Com, more than 20

years experience in accounting

fi eld (GCC & India), looking for job

as accountant or accounts manager

in oman. presently working in India

and ready to join immediately.

Contact :99087175

Indian male 26 years, with 4 years

experience in accounts and adminis-

tration looking for suitable place-

ment. Contact 93008891

Indian male, B.Com, Accountant

– 6yrs exp in Oman, NOC available-

Ready to join.contact: 98162671 ;

email: prasanths3@gmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

URGENTLY REQUIRED A full time Indian housemaid for an Omani

family (local recruits preferred) please

contact: 95164139, between 8 am - 5 pm

Part time maid required in Al-Khu-

wair 25 on Sunday and Wednesday,

call 97093525

Kitchen Sales Executive Required:-

Qualifi ed candidates must have a

minimum 2year work experience in

GCC with valid Oman driving license.

Interested candidates please send your

CV to abuqusaikitchen@gmail.com

Sales man for a printing press.

Contact 97842797

A leading group is looking for Sales Executives, min 2 years experience

in Building materials & Electricals

with driving license & release/ NOC.

Email CV to alhajoil@omantel.net.om

or Fax: 24701683

Urgently required an excellent grade

construction fi rm based in Muscat

has immediate vacancy for Market-ing Executive minimum 5 years

experience with D/L. Email your CV

to info@omannc.com

Sales Executives needed for marble

& granite company with minimum

one year experience with driving

license. Good looking Indians only.

Email: anas@kenzostone.com /

nabil@kenzostone.com

Indian Accounts / Audit assistant

with 2 years of experience currently

on a visit visa looking for suitable

job openings. Contact 94677338,

97041086

Email: ajeeshkcy1989@gmail.com

Indian Male, 27 yrs MBA (Fin), SAP,

4 Yrs Exp in Finance Seeking Suit-

able Job with a Reputed Firm Cur-

rently on Visit Visa # 92481230

Indian male 26 years (MBA) (Op-

erations & Marketing) 2 years expe-

rience in administration, operations

and sales and marketing looking

for suitable placement on visit visa.

Contact 97920125

Indian male 36 yrs having 12 yrs of

experience in Oman in the follow-

ing fi elds- HR & Admin, Purchase,

Logistics, Operation. NOC available.

Ph: 93885680

Indian female with excellent

communication skills, confi dent,

dedicated to work and enthusiastic.

Knowledge about ms offi ce. Has

6 years of experience in cus-

tomer service, telecommunication,

HR.Looking for immediate place-

ment. Contact # 97348819

Indian female, 29 yrs, HR (MBA)

BSC 3+ yrs in HR & Admin India &

Oman seeking suitable placement.

Contact 95619537

Indian male, B.Com, almost 2 yrs

exp in Accounts & Admin on visit

visa. Contact 98546162

HR Manager Marketing Manager,

12 yrs experience in India seeks im-

mediate placement in Oman.

Contact 95881471,

Email : pradeeprajtb@gmail.com

Indian male, MBA, 8 yrs experience

in HR with Oman D/L. NOC available.

Contact 98692434

Indian male MBA 12 years exp with

international exposure seeking suit-

able job administrative, HR manage-

ment, sales & marketing, currently

in Salalah. Contact 91233648 /

94667857

mail: kumar79vimal@gmail.com

Indian male, 13 yrs Gulf experience

in Admin / front offi ce.

Contact 97941050

Indian male MBA (HR & Marketing)

2 years experience seeking suitable

job now on visit visa.

Contact 96483964 / 98757816

Over 14 years of Gulf experience

in Admin /HR /Logistics, fl uent in

Arabic & English with D/L, looking

for suitable position.

Contact 95824598

Indian male having 2+ years Oman

experience seeking suitable job op-

portunity...currently working as HR

coordinator in a reputed company in

Oman. Contact : 93671437

alluarun777@gmail.com

Noc available

Indian female B.Com with excellent

communication available for immedi-

ate joining full time or part time in

HR & Admin coordination.

Contact 98460262

Young Indian male with 5 years

Muscat experience in admin,

purchase & Masters from UK seeks

placement. Possess driving license.

Contact 94400671

Wanted cook / Tandoor /Shawarma / maker. Contact 97939688

Experience cook for Omani family

1Nos. Contact 99228046

Email: oman518@gmail.com

Wanted Salesman with driving

licence and car. Gsm : 98805474 or

email id: jobssales2015@gmail.com

Wanted for immediate appointment linemen, Electrician, Duct fabrica-tor, AC technicians, AC foreman HVAC, Procurement Asst. Engineer, minimum 2 years experience in Gulf

for all posts. Apply with bio-data to

hr_oman1@yahoo.com immediately.

Construction Company require Civil Engineer, minimum 2 years

experience. Contact 93806556

Urgently required Irrigation Engi-neers, B.Tech (Agri/Irri) for supervi-

sion 5 yrs experience.

Contact- secons.engineers@gmail.

com Contact 99244481

Urgently Required: 1) Planning Engineer minimum 5 years experi-

ence with primavera certifi cate and

immediately join. 2) Electrical Engineer minimum

5 years experience in building

construction and immediately join.

Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails

sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Mechanical Workers Required -

A well established pipeline con-

struction company required some

skilled workers of below mentioned

categories; Fabricators, Fitters,

Mechanical Helper .

Please Contact at this number

urgently 96928351

Pakistani male, 25 yrs, MBA

Finance, 1.6 yrs exp in Accounts

seeking placement in Accounts,

Administration or Business Man-

agement. Contact 92651927 /

94250149

India Accountant: Male, M com,

7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to

fi nalization, having knowledge of

ERP, Tally, seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact:93950138

Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com

Law fi rm offi ce at Shatti al Qurum

looking for Indian legal advisor minimum 5 years experience in

Oman . please Contact :99772277

sereen38@gmail.com

Accountant 35 years B.COM with

experience in Oman urgently seek-

ing suitable job Accountant/ Ass.

Admin / HR valid driving license &

NOC. Contact + 968- 99176112 Email

: aamirjaved24@hotmail.com

Male, total 17 years experience in In-

dia & Oman - India - 9 years & Oman

- 8 years In the fi eld of procurement,

material controller and accountancy -

Local release available (Noc)

Cont no. 91680124 , 98606546

Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate

1 year exp in Accounts, currently on

visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact – 94341848 /

Email – mohdhaji7272@gmail.com

New International Schools in

Oman going to begin in September

2015 seeks Principal, Early years

& foundation stage and Cambridge primary teachers (Homeroom and co-teachers), Operations Man-ager, Admissions Manager & Par-ents Relationship Manager. Send

CV and open letters of references to

: gharsoman@gmail.com /

marwa@amjad.com.kw

Contact 0069555789779/

00968 94665998

Urgently required beautician, visa available. Contact 97172334

Want Chief Accountant have

experience more than 10 years or

have experience in logistics

naifomeramer@gmail.com

Wanted Sales or Marketing Execu-tive degree or master degree.

Interested can send C.V on

hilat.tech@gmail.com or contact

98983951 / 98668697 Wanted Graphic Designer skilled

in Photoshop, coreldraw illustrator

for advertising company. Contact

96440587 / 95338210

DESIGNER

DRAFTSMAN

Architectural Draftsman desired

candidate profi le : minimum

3 years experience in detail de-

sign. Please send your CV to

Email: info@pak2pak.com

Contact 99196733

Wanted driver. Contact 95112461

Light Driver required. Must be currently present in Oman.

Salary 150 + 25 + accommodation.

Contact 99454425

Required Foreman for interior deco-

ration and construction business

with minimum 2 years experience in

Oman and with valid Oman driving

license. Contact 98825806.

Email: strns1@gmail.com

Wanted Auto Electrician with ITI or

diploma qualifi cation.

Interested can send C.V on

hilat.tech@gmail.com or contact

98983951 / 98668697

Urgently required for leading

company, Land Surveyor, Electrical technician, MEP foreman, Camp Boss. Fax: 24478522

E-mail: gh1.careers@gmail.com

Looking for Assistant Workshop Manager, Automobile Engineering

with minimum 4 years experience

in vehicle modifi cation works.

Contact: 97441935

Immediate placement (with or

without MOH) - Pharmacist - 3 nos, Asst. Pharmacist - 2 nos. Contact- 99338219 , 93240949

Urgently required an Orthodon-tist with MOH to work at a reputed

Dental Center in Muscat.

Contact 968 99694723,

Email : dr.bdohc@gmail.com

Wanted female Nurse for Skin

clinic in Muscat. Must have MOH

license and NOC. Mail to

clinicvacancy2015@gmail.com

Urgently required Pharmacist. Contact 94200385/ 95206905/

97433142

Email: anitho@gmail.com

A medical center requires a part time Pharmacist. Interestedcandidates

contact 99705799

B.Com India. Languages : English,

Hindi & Malayalam.

Contact 92954613

Accounting up to fi nalization, audit-

ing & contact for tally ERP software

Contact– 91720465

B.com doing CA Accounts/ offi ce

job male now working in Oman Noc,

release available. Contact 92715465

Email: alsabathehm@gmail.com

Female with MBA fi nance, fi nancial

and tax professional four and half

years of experience seeks suitable

opportunities in reputed organiza-

tions. Contact- 99792457

Email: msparveen1@gmail.com

Indian Male, 25 yrs currently in

Oman on visit looking for suitable

vacancies in accounts, B.Com

completed 1 yr experience.

Contact 92024380

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

Required qualifi ed and IT teachers note: candidates for

teaching should have minimum

bachelor degree and having expe-

rience not less than 2 years. Please

submit your CV through email

till 29th of March 2015. For more

information please contact with

24498423

Email: info@omrantraining.com

Required Sales & Marketing person for IT company with minimum

2 years experience in Oman and

with valid Oman driving license.

Contact 98825806.

Email: strns1@gmail.com

Wanted Salesman having driving

license for advertising company.

Contact 96440587 / 95338210

Required promoter for promoting

Perfumes in shopping centre please.

Contact 95663682 or

send CV atugt15@gmail.com

Indian Male, MBA 2 yrs experience

in Accounts, Admin & HR on visit

visa. Contact 92045306

Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.

7 out of 9 years experience in Oman

in Accounts/fi nance. Having NOC

and valid Oman D/L.

Contact 98277143,

Email: anzarks@gmail.com

Indian male- B.Com/B.Ed/15 years

Exp – 5 in Oman, seeks job in

Accts/Sales/Logistics have NOC

and Oman D/L with car.

Contact – 92919625/93511425/

93424828;

Email- seshadricpioman@gmail.com

DAILY GUIDET H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5 D5

DAILY GUIDESITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

MEDICAL

IT

DRIVER

DESIGNER

DOMESTIC HELPER

ARCHI./ DRAUGHTSMAN

CATERING

Indian cook, Tandoori cook, male, 32 yrs, having 4 yrs of experi-

ence in Muscat in India, looking

for a cook job in Hotel. Contact

93753523 / 98744307 / 92175119.

Modular kitchen designer with

4 years Bahrain /Dubai experience

plus 10 years AutoCAD, 3D,

Photoshop& 20-20 Fusion.

Contact -96467673,

cristobabu@gmail.com

Keralite Bachelor professional

building designer with AutoCAD,

3D Max & Accounts. #96535497,

email : bhaviwky90@gmail.com

Indian- B.E.-MBA having 25 years

Experience. Last 12 years in Oil

& Gas Sector in Oman. Business

Development /Sales. Looking open-

ing in Oil Gas Trading/Drilling

Service Companies as GM/ Country

Manager/ Business Development

Manager. Contact -94688594,

gmbdm2015oilandgas@gmail.com;

Indian Male 27years, 5yrs exp. as

QA/QC Civil Engineer on visit visa

seeking suitable placement.

Contact-94372711

Indian male, BE Aeronautical with

MBA in production & operations

management seeking suitable place-

ment. Contact 97738182 / 95097270

M.Tech Civil (structure) with 3 yrs

experience looking for a suitable

job with reputed consultants or

contracting companies.

Contact 93137035,

Email : mdshahzar.khan@gmail.com

BE Civil Engineer, 4 years expe-

rience, 2 years in Oman consul-

tancy ROP site, good computer and

communication skills, valid Oman

driving license. Looking for planning

engineer job. Call - 94034153

M.Tech Computer Science & En-

gineering, Indian female, Fresher,

looking for suitable vacancy.

Contact 96103071

Email: norajobai@gmail.com

Indian male, 24 yrs, B.Tech (MECH)

on visit, 1 year experience as PPC

Engineer looking for suitable place-

ment. Has HVAC, AutoCAD and

CATIA designing skills.

Contact 98925685

Indian B.Tech Mechanical Engineer, 26 yrs, 4 yrs experience in

HVAC/MEP. Contact 94669629,

rajeevhpd15@yahoo.com

Indian Mechanical Engineer, 25

years with 5 years experience in fab-

rication (steel & pipe), machinery in-

stallation HVAC and Quality control

in welding & mechanical working in

Muscat and NOC available.

Contact 97270431

Email: akhilcnair1989@gmail.com

D.A.E Civil 4 years experience D/L

Oman. Contact 96719649

Indian male 24 years B.Tech

Mechanical Engineer with 2 years

experience seeks suitable placement

in reputed company.

Contact 99359887 / 94132536

Civil Engineer with MBA have

10 years exp in construction and

roads projects management.

Contact 97046565

Omani Citizen BE Mechanical Engi-

neer with 1 year Experience looking

for job urgently. Contact: 95993315

email: eaz-s@hotmail.com

Mechanical Engineer Indian male

with one year experience also quali-

fi ed in PDMS, Piping and NDT level

two seeking suitable position cur-

rently in visit visa. Contact 98698682

Email: arundevchandran@gmail.com

Electrical Engg, B.E Indian male 1 yr

exp on visit visa. Contact 93700848

Email: quizzu.26@gmail.com

Indian male 35 years B.Tech Mech.

Engineer with 13 yrs experience

in power plant Indian looking for a

suitable opening in Oman. Candidate

available in Muscat until 02-4-15.

Contact 95911614 / 99844868

Electrical Eng diploma 12 yrs exp

HV /LV - UG & OHL having NOC with

valid Oman D/L & Mazoon CEP.

Contact 96274568

Mechanical Engineer (BE) done

process piping, PDMS, Q.C welding

N.D.T course fresher on visit visa

looking for job. Contact 97359171

Email: sayyedz097@ymail.com

Project Engineer, civil engineer BSC,

Building Construction 5 Years Exp in

Oman fl uent Arabic, English and good

Hindi .Contact - 97858589

Generator maintenance in charge

with 4 yrs experience with

Cummins, caterpillar, kirloskar

and voltas. Contact - email:

shibinmundakkal@gmail.com

Experienced female Electrical

Engineer. Contact 93800906

Civil Engineer B Tech, Site Engi-

neer Experienced, Drafting on Visit

Visa Ph : 91642050

Looking Part time Job in HVAC-

Contact - 93198128

Quantity Surveyor (Civil Building)

looking for Part time job Contact

no:-94391712 E-mail address-

inayathhussain@yahoo.com

Sudanese Electrical plants equip-

ment Engineer with 3 years Diploma

degree of Electrical Engineer have

5 years experience in building

constructing industry operation

installation maintenance asphalt

crushers stone plants and automa-

tion systems. Contact 94549609

B. Sc Civil Engineer with 5 years

experience and valid Omani driving

license and PDO driving and safety

license and OSHA safety license

looking for suitable job.

Contact 92548097

Sudanese chemist resident, 3 years

experience in chemical industry.

Contact 97399073

Sudanese Graduate with 3 years

Diploma in Civil Engineering have

5 years experience in building

construction industry materials,

specifi cation & testing.

Contact 96995670

Diploma in Architect 2.5 years

experience in Oman having driving.

Contact 92967404

Civil Engineer with 12 years Experi-

ence Looking For Job.

Contact 98162295

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer,

2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experi-

ence. Contact 97311847

Aircraft Maintenance Technician with one year experience seeks

suitable placement. Contact

amaljohn2002@gmail.com

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer (Automobile)&Diploma in QC

with 2yrs experience in oil & gas

company seek suitable placement

job currently on Visit Visa. Contact

no.96071081, 99214308 ,

Email: rahulvarikkat@gmail.com

Sudanese Mechanical Engineer 11 years exp in oil & gas industry.

Contact - 95928035

Telecom Engineer with 4.5 years

Oman experience looking for a suit-

able opportunity, interested even in

Marketing also. Possess valid Oman

driving license. Contact 94145460

DAE (Civil) having 3.5 years Experi-

ence 2 years from Oman with driving

licences, seeking for suitable position

in Construction fi eld NOC and release

available . Contact 96968554 Email:

mehranahmad26@yahoo.com

Diploma of Associate Civil Engi-

neering, Diploma of AutoCad, having

3.5 yrs experience, 2 yrs experience

of Oman in Building Construction,

valid transferrable ID Card.

Contact 94378581

Indian male, 26 yrs B-Tech (ECE)

with MBA in Marketing / HR looking

for a suitable placement. Currently

on visit visa valid up to 30 January

2015. Contact 93754428,

email : shijosirius709@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer, Gulf Exp in

Design and Manufacturing

Ph: 97097688

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

HOSPITALITY

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

Light Driver having own visa

looking for job as driver.

Contact 92303692

Driver heavy license looking for job

with 7 years experience.

Contact 92073175 / 95606146

Looking for driving job with car

4x4. Contact 91331299 / 96157595

Bangladesh and Oman driver

looking for job. Contact 98503237

Six years experience in Oman driver

seeks suitable placement.

Contact 99437236

Bangladeshi Driver looking for job.

Contact 93567263

Looking for driving job.

Contact 98219182

Looking for driving job.

Contact 97311715

Light/ heavy duty, driver (GCC

valid D/L for company) looking for

job. Contact 99531802

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 96913836

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 96694393

Light duty driver with 3 years

experience in Oman +5 years in

Saudi Arabia speaking Hindi Arabic

English. Contact 96088707

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 92791678

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 91376612

LV Driver- 2 yrs Exp-know

English- Contact 95292064

Indian male 24 years, Mechani-

cal Engineer,pdms.1 yr experience

in pipeline,16years in oman seek-

ing immediate placement

Contact 95775742

Indian Female (M.Com, B.ED) 2Yrs

Experience in teaching seeks

suitable placement . Specialization

in ( Accounting, Business stud-

ies, Human resource management,

Economics). Presently in Visit Visa

Status. Contact:97342709,

Email: sininair27@gmail.com

Indian female M.SC, M.PHIL, BIO,

Informatics 1 yr experience in

college level seeks suitable place-

ment in schools and colleges.

Contact 92237504

M. Tech Civil (structure) with 3 years

experience looking for a suitable job

with reputed consultants or contract-

ing companies. Contact – 93137035

Email – mdshahzar.khan@gmail.com

Seeking job Electronics and Instru-

mentation Engineer (Indian)

Indian male, Instrumentation Engi-

neer having total 5 years of experi-

ence in electrical site execution,

1 year in Uae,presently in oman

(visit visa) seeking suitable job

Contact. 95690915

Email. Syam.andrews@gmail.Com

Indian female, B.Tech biotechnol-ogy with strong computer skills

and 2 years experience as associate

research analyst (Media Monitoring)

in Nasdaq Oman seeking growth

oriented jobs. Contact 92044603

/918056169148 or

angeline.babithac@gmail.com.

Indian female (Aviation and

hospitality management) with

excellent communication skill,

confi dent, dedicated to works and

enthusiastic and 1 year experience

in admin department looking for

immediate placement .

Contact 93351256 email :

hinakhan.hk88@gamil.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

MISCELLANEOUS

MBA male having experience of

production operation administration

looking for job immediately joining.

Contact 94670691

Electrician, Plumber, Gulf exp look-

ing for job. Contact 99531802

Logistics Offi cer, Experience in

Store keeping. Contact : 99505934

MEDICAL

Female Dentist Indian, 28 years

Dental Surgeon, 3 years of experi-

ence, Oman prometric passed with

64%, looking for a suitable place-

ment in Muscat region.

Contact 91377681

Email: hashmisarwat@gmail.com

Bangladesh male MBBS Doctor

with 3 years experience for a private

clinic. Contact 00968-94209634

Nazia Shahid Shah, General Dentist

from India with 3 plus years of

full hands-on experience includ-

ing clinic management. Prometric

exam passed in March 2015 63% -

Looking for a suitable placement in

Muscat region. Contact 97469553.

Email :- nazianbaig@gmail.com

Medical- Indian female, 27 yrs,

masters in hospital administra-

tion, fellowship in HTA studied

in a super specialty medical sci-

ences and research center in India

and done project in an established

hospital in sultanate of Oman.

Contact 93200827, 91026506

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf ex-

perience) looking for a suitable job

(NOC available) Contact-93344378

Indian male 25 B.Tech (IT) Engineer

2.5 yrs exp in hardware networking.

Currently on visit visa looking for

suitable job. Contact – 94359564

BSC Computer Science 4 years

Oman EXP, driving license MCSE,

CCNA, MCITP. Contact 95874315

Indian male 25 years, bachelor in

Computer Science with 3 years ex-

perience in basic hardware software

and networking seek suitable place-

ment now on visit visa.

Contact 92995706

Email: ismabsc@gmail.com

IT Project Manager (PMP) available

for immediate joining. Total 15+

years exp & 12 years of IT experi-

ence in SAP & Project management.

Having working experience of UK,

France, Germany, China, UAE, India,

etc. Currently on Visit Visa.

Call 94300317

Website software developer Oman

experience looking for job.

Contact 91781286

Email: hussainkhan201@gmail.com

Indian male Graduate IT profes-

sional having 3+ years of experience

in IT Support Engineer / Hardware

& networking CCNA, MCITP, PHCE,

looking for job on visit visa.

Contact 94647824

email id: azharpo@gmail.com

Indian male, 25 years BSC, (Com-

puter Science) 2 years experience in

computer, hardware & networking

looking for suitable placement

presently on visit visa.

Contact 93243372

Network Engineer, BSc Commu-

nications, 5 years exp, CCNA, VAS,

Data Center, working now at Alcatel

Lucent, visit visa. Contact 91268787

Indian male Graduate (BSc. IT) 25

years new on visit visa in Muscat.

1 year experience in Accounts looking

for suitable position.

Contact 95752827

Email: mhdfsrn@gmail.com

Male Omani National, 27 years,

holding Master in IT - Computer Sci-

ences Engineering (India) and Mas-

ter in Robotic Intelligency (Spain),

looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 99211549.

3G , 4G Welding lead man Indian

male, 33 years, having 15 years

experience in American company,

UAE and India, seeking for suitable

placement. Contact 92122468

Email: shaji11@gmail.com

IT Prof, MCA having 6+ yrs exp,

seeks suitable position.

Contact 94543668

Hardware specialist B.Tech

M.Tech electronics with 10 years

experience seeks suitable oppor-

tunities in reputed organizations.

Contact 91289459

Email: shrn.shrf@gmail.com

B.Tech IT Professional, Indian

Male with 3 yrs of Exp. In System

Admin, IT Support, Networking,

Installing Active Directory, DHCP,

DNS,RAS, confi guring maintaining

and managing servers, confi gur-

ing cisco routers, Exp in handling

SQL database, With Valid Driving

Licence. Contact - 968 98863507

Indian male M.Tech MBA, 24 years

experience working as Country

Manager seeks employment.

Contact 92279972, NOC available.

Qualifi ed Manager: (12+ yrs. Oman

Exp.) Vast knowledge in A/c &

Admin, Costing, Banking, Credit

Control, Insurance, International

Purchase/Logistics & Finance, With

D/L looking for suitable position.

Contact 93826090

Email: jskanchan01@gmail.com

BE. Mechanical Engineer with 2

years’ experience in Mechanical pip-

ing execution, Seek suitable place-

ment job currently on Visit Visa,

Contact no: 9843 9656, 9526 5739,

Email: pavithomas@rediff mail.com

Restaurant /Catering Manager –

Operations with 21 years experience

with 2 years in Saudi is available on

visit. Contact 98894682

Indian female with nine years of

experience in 5 Star hotels as

Assistant Food & Beverage Manager

looking for a suitable placement in a

reputed Star hotel.

Contact: 91219787

Indian male, Autocad draughtman

with 2 years of experience currently

working in oman.seeking suitable

placement.NOC available.#94123480

Email: fahadhundred@gmail.com

Auotcad knows 3D,REVIT, MAX

Ph : 97103168

Female cleaner for school/kg, job

(overseas). Contact 95175192

House boy/ cleaner looking job

overseas. Contact 95175192

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

PROJECTS

Indian male more than 10 years

Gulf experience in Offi ce / Sales

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an Male, 35 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin)

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Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com

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D6 T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

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with 13 Year of Experience

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Looking for suitable job.

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primary teacher.(Specialization in

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DAILY GUIDET H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5 D7

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Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com

D8 T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

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THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T

A M B A S S A D O R ’ S M E S S A G E

2

4

Tourist attractions offer huge investment potential

Bangladesh sees another year of steady progress

BANGLADESH INDEPENDENCEAND NATIONAL DAY

ON THE OCCASION of the 44th anniversary of Independence and the National Day of Bangladesh on March, 26, 2015, I extend my heart-iest greetings and felicitations to fellow citizens of Bangladesh living in the Sultanate.

On this auspicious occasion, I pay my deepest homage to the Fa-ther of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who pro-claimed the country’s independ-ence on March 26, 1971 and with his dynamic leadership, we earned our independence.

This is an occasion for all of us not only to rejoice but remind our-selves of the supreme sacrifi ces made by our valiant freedom fi ght-ers and martyrs during the War of Liberation in 1971, thereby giv-ing us the opportunity to live with pride and dignity. This is also an oc-casion to renew our solemn resolve to live by the ideals and values of the War of Liberation. The historic Independence Day is a glorious day in our national life. We achieved our long-cherished independence through a nine-month long armed struggle and supreme sacrifi ce of millions. On this solemn day, I pay my deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives in the war of liberation in 1971. I pray to the Almighty Allah for the salvation of those departed immortal souls.

I take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt greetings and warm-est congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on his safe return to his beloved homeland af-ter successful medical treatment. On this happy occasion I join my compatriot Bangladeshis to wish for His Majesty’s good health, hap-piness, long life and personal well-being. May Almighty Allah bless His Majesty to lead his beloved Na-tion for many more years.

Bangladesh and Oman, two brotherly Muslim countries, have over the years forged excellent re-lations based on mutual interests and also on shared and endur-ing values and ideals. Bangladesh deeply values its relations with the

Sultanate. In the pursuit of boost-ing our bilateral relations with Oman, the past few years have been the most signifi cant which have been marked by high level visits by both sides. Since issuance of the Royal Decree to establish Oman’s full-fl edged embassy in Bangla-desh, the two countries have seen a fl urry of activity as they have start-ed gearing up to take their bilateral co-operation to new heights.

Bangladesh is now proud to be one of the largest partners in terms of the expatriate workforce in the Sultanate. We are extremely grateful to the government of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said for generously laying its trust in the abilities of the nationals of the brotherly nation Bangladesh, which paved the way for our pro-fessionals and workers to contrib-ute in the sustained development of the Sultanate in friendship, peace and harmony for the mutual benefi t of both countries.

The present government of Bangladesh, that was sworn in af-ter elections were held on January 5, 2014, pledged the nation to con-tinue to implement ‘Vision 2021’ which aims to make the country a self-reliant, poverty-free and pros-perous nation having the status of a middle income country by 2021. With the government and its deter-mination to improve relations with

the global community with special focus towards the Muslim world, we are engaged with renewed in-terest and zeal to strengthen the partnership between our govern-ments and make relations with the Sultanate multi-faceted.

In the meantime, Bangladesh has achieved some signifi cant progress in the fi elds of agriculture, educa-tion, health, ICT etc and the most notable is that the country has at-tained self suffi ciency in food and also been able to export food grains and other food items. Our achieve-ment in the international arena is recognised by the world commu-nity. Bangladeshi candidates have been elected chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary As-sociation (CPA), president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), director general of the Interna-tional Mobile Satellite Organisa-tion (IMSO), and members on the Unicef Executive Board from 2015 to 2017.

In addition, they are on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council from 2015 to 2017, on the Committee for the Elimi-nation of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) from 2015 to 2018, on the International Tel-ecommunication Union (ITU) Council from 2015 to 2018, presi-dent of the high-level committee of South-South Co-operation and a deputy member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Bangladeshi peacekeepers, under the auspices of the United Nations, have brightened the country’s im-age abroad through their profes-sionalism and competence. Two Bangladesh Navy ships visited the Salalah port on their voyage to join the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and two Bang-ladesh Navy ships also visited Sala-lah port and Sultan Qaboos port on their way back to Bangladesh after completing their duties with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in 2014.

Both Bangladesh and Oman >3

‘Bangladesh proud to be one of Oman’s largest partners in progress’

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

On the eve of our great Independence and National Day, I extend my heartfelt greet-ings and felicitations

to the fellow countrymen living at home and abroad.

The great Independence Day is a glorious one in our national life. On this historic day, I recall with pro-found respect Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rah-man who proclaimed the country’s independence on March 26, 1971 after inspiring the whole nation with Bangalee nationalism and pre-paring them for independence for over two decades facing various ups and downs. Under his leadership, we achieved our long-cherished in-dependence through a nine-month long armed struggle and manifold forbearance and patience.

Today, I recall with deep grati-tude the heroic martyrs who made supreme sacrifi ces in the war of liberation for achieving our inde-pendence. I also recall with deep reverence our four national leaders, valiant freedom-fi ghters, organis-ers, supporters and people from all walks of life for their unmatched contributions and courageous role that accelerated the process of our victory. The contributions of those valiant sons will be written in let-ters of gold in the history of our in-dependence forever.

One of the prime objectives of our hard-earned independence was to build a happy and prosperous Bang-ladesh. Keeping that in mind, the

government is making untiring ef-forts in materialising the objectives of independence. In the meantime, we have achieved some signifi cant progress in the fi elds of agricul-ture, education, health, rural infra-structure, communication, energy and power, trade and commerce, ICT and SME sectors. It is notable that country has attained food suf-fi ciency owing to the huge develop-ment in agriculture. We have also been able to export food grains at a small scale. The pace of advance-ment in the sectors of youth and sports, women and children along with empowerment of women is continuing. The maternal and child mortality rate has been reduced and life expectancy rate has simultane-ously been raised. At the same time, we have also achieved remarkable development in the private sector including the areas of readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, ceram-

ics and ship-building industry. The country’s fi nancial sector

along with bank and insurance has been expanded. Bangladesh is now being branded as a role model of development in the outside world.

Our achievements in the interna-tional arena are also commend-able. Bangladeshi peacekeepers, under the auspices of the United Nations, have brightened the coun-try’s image abroad presenting their professionalism and competence. Our expatriate Bangladeshis have also been making signifi cant con-tributions to our national economy through their hard-earned remit-tances.

Nevertheless, we have a long way to go before we achieve the desired goals of independence. I believe that sincere and concerted eff orts from all strata irrespective of party affi liations are imperative to reach these goals.

The people of our country are democratic and peace loving. They do not support violence including militancy and terrorism. We should keep in mind that the overall devel-opment of the country would not

have been attained without func-tioning and institutionalising our democracy. Continuous practice for democratic norms and values, maintaining tolerance and forti-tude and showing mutual respect are the pre-conditions for a thriving democracy.

Therefore, we have to maintain patience, self-restraint and forbear-ance along with showing respect to the others’ opinion in a democratic pluralism. Let us make our Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) a centre of discussion to resolve all national is-sues. I am confi dent that everyone will play a responsible role from respective positions in fulfi lling the desired goals of independence and the hope and aspirations of our people.

The Father of the Nation Bang-abandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman cherished a dream of transforming Bangladesh into Sonar Bangla. The present government has taken up ‘Vision 2021’ for materialising the dream into reality. It is my expec-tation that people from all strata would contribute to build an IT-based happy and prosperous Bang-ladesh through implementing the vision by the golden jubilee celebra-tion of our independence.

On this auspicious Independ-ence Day, I urge all Bangladeshis, living at home and abroad, to work in a united manner, imbued with the spirit of war of liberation, to expedite overall development and democratic advancement of the country.

May Bangladesh Live Forever. — Md. ABDUL HAMID, President of Bangladesh

‘We must work together for a prosperous Bangladesh’

SHEIKH SEKANDER ALI

Ambassador of Bangladesh

MD. ABDUL HAMID

President of Bangladesh

SHEIKH HASINA

Prime Minister of Bangladesh

SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN

Father of the Nation

Bangladesh is now

being branded as a role

model of development

in the outside world. Our

achievements in the

international arena are

also commendable.

2 T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

Bernier, a French travel-ler in the 17th century aptly described Bangla-desh as a place that “has a hundred gates open for

entrance but not one for departure.” The famous Chinese Traveller

Huen Tsang while visiting Bang-ladesh in the 7th century said, “A sleeping beauty emerging from mists and water.”

Bangladesh is bestowed with the bounty of nature and immense beauty. Its captivating natural beauty has attracted many travellers from far and wide through the ages. The country is also heir to a rich cultural legacy. In two thousand and more years of its chequered history, many illustrious dynasties of kings and sultans have ruled and disappeared leaving their mark in the shape of magnifi cent cities, monuments and the desolate ruins that are still vis-ible in many places throughout the country.

With pristine natural beauty, thought-provoking ancient relics and the unique hospitality of the

people, Bangladesh has been blessed with the potential to be an amaz-ing tourist destination. Situated be-tween India and Myanmar with the entire south edged by the Bay of Ben-gal, this south Asian country is criss-crossed by hundreds of rivers mak-ing it an interesting delta. Expansive green hills and valleys along with mangrove forests and long stretches of sandy and shark-free sea beaches also add value to the spectacular nat-ural beauty of this land. No wonder, this land attracted priests, traders and wanderers from diff erent parts of the world since ancient times.

There are over 700 spots of tour-ist interest in the country. These include nature-driven ones like sea beaches, green valleys, forests, ar-chaeological and historical sites, and iconic religious places in addition to cultural events and man-made won-ders. Thus, Bangladesh is a unique tourist destination where one can fi nd the scope for all kinds of tourist

interests as well as for investment.Among the various archaeological

sites and monuments the Buddhist relics are of special signifi cance. There is Paharpur from 8th cen-tury AD, the single largest Buddhist Monastery south of the Himalayas and a UNESCO-designated world heritage site, Mahasthangarh from 3rd century BC, the country’s oldest archaeological site, Mainamati, the seat of lost dynasties (Buddhist) etc, and the 60-domed mosque at Bager-hat – a magnifi cent sultanate relic, also a Unesco designated world her-itage site.

The world’s longest unbroken beach of Cox’s Bazar is situated on a clean stretch of sand measuring 120 kilometres. With its water sports and towering cliff s, this place has been aptly described as the tourist capital of Bangladesh. Top of the list on any tourist’s wildlife itinerary is a visit to the Sundarbans, the world’s single largest mangrove forest - a UNESCO

world heritage site, to catch a rare glimpse of the Royal Bengal Tiger in its natural habitat. Spread over 6000 square kilometres this delta is criss-crossed by a network of rivers and creeks. Its dense tropical forest is home to a wide variety of fl ora and fauna and is every game lover’s and anglers ideal heaven.

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh boasts of having some outstanding ancient monuments. Some of the more popular tourist destinations are Lalbagh Fort, built in 1678 AD, Sonargaon, the seat of the Deva dy-nasty up to the 13th century, Ahsan Manzil and Husseni Dalan (a Shiite monument) in addition to the Sat gumbaz mosque or seven domed mosque built in 1680 AD and the Dhakeshwari Temple.

Sonargaon, the ancient capital of this land, is not very far from the pre-sent capital. It is dotted with old pal-aces. A folklore museum situated in the area showcases the fi nest handi-

craft products made in this country.The hill districts in the south

eastern region of the country com-mand an exotic view of their natural beauty. Accessible by road from the port city of Chittagong, it is a tranquil heaven for nature lovers. Green hills and sprawling valleys are often dot-ted with waterfalls and small lakes. The unique lifestyle of the ethnic in-habitants adds value to the romance of this paradise. With no sound and air pollution, these hilly districts can be the fi nest destinations for those wanting to get away from the time chasing modern urban lifestyle and embrace the tranquil environment.

Up in the north eastern part of Bangladesh in the region of Sylhet, the sprawling tea gardens off er a panoramic view. It is like a green car-pet rolled out for miles and miles. For centuries, these gardens have been producing tea. The plucking of tea leaves by thousands of women in the waist-level thick tea bushes itself of-

fers a spectacular view. In the midst of the tea garden valleys are the natu-ral waterfalls, which make it even more scenic.

The Madhabkunda waterfall is the most prominent one with tens of thousands of tourists visiting it every year. In the north central part be-tween Sylhet and Mymensingh dis-tricts, huge water bodies dominate the landscapes which off er another opportunity for nature adventurers. Known locally as haor, these water bodies turn safe havens for millions of cold migratory birds coming from as far as Siberia. Tanguar haor situ-ated in the district of Sunamganj is known to be the biggest single water body in Asia.

Bangladesh is often called a land of mosques. It is obvious that with over 80 per cent of the 140 million people being Muslims, there will be innumerable mosques. However, many of the mosques are ancient and refl ect the taste of the early Muslim preachers and rulers. The 60-domed mosque complex in Bagerhat, a world heritage site, near Khulna is unique for its architectural design. The Atia mosque in Tangail near Dhaka is still vibrant with its archaic designs. The Star mosques in the capital Dhaka show the craze for beautifi cation of holy places. The huge and magnifi -cent national mosque – Baitul Mu-karram- in the heart of Dhaka is an imposing architectural beauty.

The people of Bangladesh are hos-pitable and resilient by nature and they always welcomed guests to this land. Hospitality is a legacy for Asia and it is well-known to all that Asian hospitality is unlike that of any other part of the world. Asian hospitality is not mechanical, but emotional and fi lled with caring. So, where does one fi nd that place which is blessed with truly Asian hospitality? From time immemorial, according to the tourists, it is Bangladesh. Even to-day, the people here shed tears at the departure of their guests from their residences. If Malaysia represents Truly Asia, Bangladesh represents true Asian hospitality.

Bangladesh tourist attractionsoffer huge investment potential

HIGHLIGHTS Bangladesh is

bestowed with the bounty of nature and immense beauty and its captivating natural beauties have attracted many travellers

Bangladesh is a unique tourist destination where one can fi nd the scope for all kinds of tourist interests as well as investment

Government has framed a new National Tourism Policy for development of domestic and international tourism

There are over seven

hundred spots of

tourist interest in

Bangladesh and the

country is welcoming

investments in

hotels, theme

parks, cable cars,

international

standard tourist

facilities, amusement

parks and cruise

vessels

BANGLADESH INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONAL DAY

3T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

CONT INUAT I ON

‘Bangladesh is proud to be one of Oman’s largest partners in progress’

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1can enjoy the benefi ts by strength-ening the relations particularly in the fi elds of trade, commerce, in-vestment and agriculture. Regular exchange of visits between the trade bodies, chambers, business groups of two countries and participation in each other’s trade fairs would help to reach to their true potential and be immensely benefi cial in that regard. Our fellow Bangladeshis have also been making signifi cant contributions to the development of both the countries. Bangladesh can off er a basket of products which are competitive both in terms of price and quality such as garments and knitwear, tea, leather and leather products, ceramics etc.

Bangladesh also has huge poten-tial to off er highly skilled profes-sionals in the fi eld of engineering, medicine, agriculture, information technology, education etc. in addi-

tion to a skilled and semi-skilled workforce. On the other hand, Oman can consider Bangladesh as a potential destination to export mineral fuel, petroleum products and chemical products among others. Also, there could be invest-ments or joint ventures in the ar-eas of oil and gas, power, sea port development, infrastructure, tel-ecommunications, textile, light engineering, agro-based industries, refi nery and shipping etc.

On this occasion, we convey our deepest respects and gratitude to His Majesty for his kindness to-wards the Bangladeshis living and working in the Sultanate. I also would like to avail of the opportuni-ty to convey my sincere good wish-es to the brotherly people of the Oman in their endeavour of con-tinued progress under the Blessed Renaissance of His Majesty.

I also urge our compatriots in Oman to follow and respect the rules, regulations, values and tradi-tions of Oman and try their best to live up to the expectations of their employers with fullest sincerity. And, I am also grateful to our col-leagues and Bangladeshis for their understanding and co-operation with me and my Mission while en-deavouring to improve the bilateral relations and enhance the image of Bangladesh in Oman.

I would like to thank all our friends and well-wishers who have conveyed their greetings to me and through me to the people of Bang-ladesh, on this auspicious occasion.

I am certain that relations be-tween Bangladesh and Oman would grow to new heights in fu-ture for the mutual benefi t of both the brotherly nations. May Allah the Almighty bless us all!

BANGLADESH INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONAL DAY

4 T H U R S DAY, M A R C H 2 6, 2 0 1 5

The general elections held on January 5, 2014 to sustain the progress of Bangladesh’s parlia-mentary democracy

was a unique milestone. Democracy and development are concepts that complement each other. Develop-ment is an ongoing process that re-quires concerted eff orts and the ac-tive participation and support of the masses. The grand alliance govern-ment operating from 2009 to 2013 succeeded in ensuring widespread development across all sectors in the country through the wholehearted cooperation of the people.

The masses saw their standard of life improve, and social harmony in the country was enhanced when-ever the Awami League – a party that works for the common man – came to power. Even against the back-drop of a global recession, national income and state budgets in Bang-ladesh have increased, while critical advances have been made in diff er-ent sectors. This is evidenced in the recognition accorded to Bangladesh in the international arena. Standing on the fi rm edifi ce of development erected by the grand alliance gov-ernment, the present government is moving ahead on its course towards achieving its Vision-2021. A brief ac-count of the development activities and progress achieved by the present government over the past one year is presented below:

Finance and CommerceActual revenue collection during 2013-14 stood at Taka 1,416.03 bil-lion. The rate of poverty increase was projected at 24.5 percent in the mid-term implementation report of the Sixth Five-year Plan in 2014. Bangla-desh Bank received a mobile banking policy and fi nancial inclusion award in 2014 from the Alliance for Finan-cial Inclusion. A total of 965,056 tax-payers have completed the online e-TIN registration, as of November 2014, and 391,722 tax-payers regis-tered more recently.

Exports from the country dur-ing the 2013-14 fi nancial year re-

corded an 11.69 per cent growth of $30,176.8 million. Exports during July-November 2014 recorded a 0.92 per cent growth of $12.07 billion. Economic/Commercial Counsellors and First Secretaries (Commerce) have been appointed to the Bangladeshi Missions of nine countries to boost exports. A memorandum of understanding has been signed by BGMEA with a Chinese investment fi rm to es-tablish a garments industrial park on 530.78 acres of land in Baushia, Munshiganj District.

Tea cultivation has been expand-ed to cover 2,700 hectares of land in response to the rising demand for tea in the country.

EducationThe drop-out rate at the primary school level has reduced to 21.4 per cent. The status of headmasters in government primary schools has been raised from Class 3 to Class

2. The number of students receiv-ing stipends at 63,587 schools now stands at 7,870,129. Some 7,000 as-sistant teachers were recruited by primary schools during 2014. The Non-formal Education Act was passed by the Jatiya Sangsad.

A total of 326,347,000 textbooks were distributed among students from primary to SSC and equivalent levels during the 2015 academic year. A course on art and crafts, worth 50 marks, was made compulsory in the JSC and JDC examinations for the 2014 academic year.

Health and Sanitation Bangladesh formally received a certifi cate recognizing its status as a polio-free country in 2014. A bone-transplant unit was set up in unit-2 of Dhaka Medical Col-lege Hospital. Sheikh Fazilatun-nesa Mujib Specialised Hospital and Nursing College is now opera-tional. A separate 150-bed ward for

women and child heart patients has been established by the Na-tional Heart Foundation. A 20-bed burn unit has been put in place at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. A door-to-door screening survey for identifying autistic children was completed in seven districts of seven divisions. At present, medicines are being ex-ported to 93 countries. The Public Health Engineering Department has installed 53,464 water sources of diff erent types, 13 water reser-voirs, water-sanitation facilities at 7,570 primary-secondary schools, 11,941 low-cost latrines and 110 public toilets.

Agriculture, Foodand IndustryThe production of food-grains (rice, wheat, and maize) increased to 38.343 million metric tonnes during the 2013-14 fi scal year. At present, the market prices of Urea, TSP and

MOP fertilisers are Taka 16, Taka 22 and Taka 15 per kilogramme, respectively. The price of DAP fer-tiliser has been adjusted to Taka 25 from Taka 27 per kilogramme. Taka 4,059,700,000 has been spent on in-centives and rehabilitation expenses in compensating losses incurred due to various natural disasters.

Food-grain production during 2014 rose to 3.566 million met-ric tonnes during 2014. A total of 976,000 metric tonnes of rice and 811,000 metric tonnes of wheat have been distributed under the public food distribution programme. The storage capacity of government warehouses has been raised to 1.95 million metric tonnes.

Gearing up to meet the demand for urea in the country, 91.38 per cent of the construction work on the Shah-jalal Fertilizer Factory, with a ca-pacity of 580,000 metric tonnes, has been completed. The prevalence of the goitre disease in the country has

dropped to 1.60 per cent through the implementation of the iodised salt project. The Bangladesh Accredita-tion Board was accorded full mem-bership in the Asia Pacifi c Labora-tory Accreditation Cooperation in 2014.

Power and GasThe production capacity of elec-

tricity in the country was raised to 13,283 megawatts by installing new power plants with a capacity of 1300 megawatts over the past year. Elec-tricity generation in the country rose from a maximum of 6,675 mega-watts, as recorded on July 11, 2013, to 7,418 megawatts, recorded on July 18, 2014. The number of benefi ciar-ies receiving electricity rose from 62 per cent in 2012-13 to 68 per cent in 2013-14. Overall systems loss re-duced to 14.13 per cent in June 2014. Some 1.1 million new electricity con-nections were provided during the 2013-14 fi scal year.

Information Technology and Digital ServicesThe unicode-based Bangladesh Standard (BDS 1520:2011) for the existing Bengali Character Code Set has been devised to encourage the use of the Bangla language on computers. Bangladesh received the WSIS Award from the International Telecommunication Union in 2014 for its contributions in providing government services online and the Global ICT Excellence Award from the World Information Technology and Services Alliance for making ad-vances in information and commu-nications technology.

The Ministry of Science and Tech-nology has implemented six projects with an outlay of Taka 6.7015 billion during the 2013-14 fi scal year to expand the atomic energy medical centre in the country, establish an atomic energy centre in Chittagong, procure various exhibits for popular-ising science, and strengthen labo-ratories in Dhaka and Chittagong. Financial aid was provided to 1,001 student-researchers and 331 re-search projects.

Bangladesh sees another year of sustained progress and growth

HIGHLIGHTS Exports during the

2013-14 recorded an 11.69 per cent growth of $30,176.8 million, with. 0.92 per cent growth of $12.07 billion during July-November 2014

The production of food-grains (rice, wheat, and maize) increased to 38.343 million metric tonnes during the 2013-14 fi scal year.

The production capacity of electricity was raised to 13,283 megawatts by installing new power plants with a capacity of 1300 megawatts over the past year.

BANGLADESH INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONAL DAY