Times of Oman - May 23, 2015

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SATURDAY, May 23, 2015 /4 Sha’aban 1436 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certifi ed Company

AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa will be sworn-in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the fi fth time on Saturday. >A6

JAYA TO RETURN AS CM OF TAMIL NADU TODAY

Days to be longer and hotter this Ramadan

REJIMON [email protected]

MUSCAT: Higher summer tem-peratures and longer days from mid-June will make it diffi cult for devout who start their fast during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

While global weather predic-tions have revealed that summer will be hotter as the sea surface temperatures are rising due to the El Nino phenomenon, time and date calculations say that from June 15 to June 28, a day will be of 13 hours and 30 min-utes duration.

On June 15, the duration of the day will be 13:34:56 and on June 27 it will be 13:35. By July 17, it will be down to 13 hours and 26 minutes.

Ramadan fasting is expected to begin on June 15.

“If a person is targeting a good amount of the Holy Quran to read, learn or even memorise during Ramadan, one will realise that the days are not boring and will pass by quite quickly,” said Mohammed Ali Faizi, an Islamic scholar in Muscat.

‘Special time’“Ramadan is a very special time for Muslims, but the feelings and lessons we experience should stay with us throughout the year. In the Holy Quran, Muslims are commanded to fast so that they may ‘learn self-restraint’. This restraint and devotion is espe-cially evident during Ramadan, but we must ensure the feelings and attitudes stay with us in our daily lives. That is the true goal and test of Ramadan,” added the Islamic scholar.

Safeera PK, an Indian Muslim

in Muscat, said that being hungry or thirsty for a large part of the day makes you realise how bless-ed you are.

“You feel grateful for the life that the Almighty has bestowed upon you. A long, hungry day brings you closer to the not-so-blessed, poor and the impover-ished,” said Safeera.

‘Consult a doctor’Meanwhile, Hameed Parappil, a medic at Badr Al Samaa, said that before fasting for Rama-dan, a person should consult a doctor about the precautions to take keeping in mind the individ-ual’s health.

“Even if you are healthy, recog-nise the fact that Ramadan could take a toll. Plan your schedule and meals ahead of time to ensure you get the nutrients, hydration, and rest that your body needs,” added the medic.

“From a health perspective, during Ramadan it is better to consume food with rich fi bre content that gets digested slowly. It would be prudent to avoid oily and spicy food. The ratio of pro-tein intake should remain un-changed more or less. Our body is capable of adapting to most of the changes over a short period of time during Ramadan,” he said.

A scholar in Oman

has said that longer

fasting hours will

pass on smoothly

with the recital of the

Holy Quran during

the Holy Month

of Ramadan

OMANBangladeshi passports from mobile units

1For issuing machine readable passports to Bangladeshis, the country’s embassy in Muscat

has deployed mobile units. >A2

REGIONSeveral die in Saudi mosque suicide blast

2 A suicide attacker detonated a bomb at mosque in Saudi Arabia on Friday, killing and

wounding several people. >A4

MARKETOpec to favour market share over prices

3Opec will stick with the strategy of favouring market share over prices when it

meets next month. >B1

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

A3Facets of Nizwa caught on camera

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of condolences to His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait on the death Jassim Mohammed Al Kharafi , former speaker of Kuwait’s parlia-ment. In his cable, HM the Sultan has expressed his heartfelt condo-lences and sympathy to Sheikh Al Sabah and Kuwaiti people, praying to the Almighty Allah to rest his soul in peace and grant his family patience to bear the loss. —ONA

>See also A4

K U W A I T

June is the expected date of

beginning of the Holy Ramadan fast this year

15

Truck driver from Oman tests positive for Mers coronavirus in Abu DhabiTimes News Service

MUSCAT: A 29-year-old expa-triate in Abu Dhabi has tested positive for Middle East Res-piratory Syndrome coronavirus Mers-CoV, the World Health Or-ganisation (WHO) has reported.

The patient works as a truck driver and frequently transports camels from Oman to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“He travelled to Ibri in Oman on May 6, and transported camels to Abu Dhabi on May 9. As part of the national policy of testing all imported camels for Mers-CoV, on May 9, laboratory examina-tions were carried out on the camels that the truck driver was

transporting. The animals tested positive for MERS-CoV on May 10. This triggered an examination of the truck driver, which started on the same day,” the WHO said in an update.

“Following his admission to the hospital, the patient was ex-amined and tested positive for Mers-CoV on May 12. He was asymptomatic at the time of labo-ratory testing. The patient has no comorbidities and no history of exposure to other known risk ac-tors in the 14 days prior to detec-tion. Currently, he is asymptomat-ic in a negative pressure room of a ward,” added the update.

The WHO said that contact tracing of household contacts and

healthcare contacts is going on with regard to the case.

“The National IHR Focal Point in the UAE informed the National IHR Focal Point in Oman to un-dertake the necessary investiga-tions,” it said.

Globally, the WHO has been no-

tifi ed of 1,118 confi rmed cases of Mers-CoV, including at least 423 fatalities.

In its advisory, the WHO said, based on the current situation and available information, it encour-ages all member states to con-tinue their surveillance for acute respiratory infections and to care-fully review any unusual patterns.

“Infection prevention and control measures are critical to prevent the possible spread of Mers-CoV in healthcare facilities. It is not always possible to iden-tify patients with Mers-CoV early because like other respiratory in-fections, the early symptoms of Mers-CoV are non-specifi c,” said the organisation. >A2

W O R L D H E A L T H O R G A N I S A T I O N R E P O R T

Experts ask beachgoers to be wary of tides, ensure children wear life vestsTARIQ AL [email protected]

MUSCAT: After the death of three-year-old Marwa, swept away at Shinas beach, swimming experts and surfers have issued advice to beachgoers.

Foremost, they say, is not to let children play unsupervised and to be aware of changing tides.

A number of stretches of beach have hidden riptides which can be dangerous to non-swimmers and even those who can.

Anyone caught in a riptide is advised not to fi ght the current, which can exhaust a swimmer, but to go with it and then swim paral-lel to the shore before attempting to swim back. Experts have sug-gested a series of dos and don’ts to avoid such tragedies on beaches.

“Never let children play in the water alone, even if they know how to swim. Dealing with waves is se-rious, and even if it is a small one you will never know how power-

ful it is,” Juan Migel Cruz, a surfer, told the Times of Oman. Alex Sosa, an expatriate, also called for more lifeguards on the popular beaches and added, “Another way of pre-venting fatalities is through public awareness campaigns.”

Experts said beachgoers should be aware of the changing tides.

“The tide varies at diff erent

times of the day. So, swimmers should understand that the spot they were in earlier may not be as safe later in the day,” said an ex-pert. Vishal Sonawane, another surfer, said that one person should remain ashore to keep a head count of those in the water.

“More importantly, we should keep an eye on the weather and

always watch the sky, as well as note the changes in the wind and currents,” he said. An offi cial from the ROP Coast Guard said that if someone is drowning, the fi rst thing to do is to call for help.

“Rescuers must swim quickly to the victim keeping in mind that time is a factor, but not risk their lives if conditions are not favour-able for a rescue, or if the person cannot swim. Once the rescuer ap-proaches the victim, he must wrap his arm around the neck or chest and pull the victim out of the water,” he added. The ROP advised parents to ensure that children wear life-saving jackets at all times in the sea or in a pool. They also warned chil-dren against swimming in stagnant bodies of water since depth is diffi -cult to determine.

“Parents must forbid their chil-dren from swimming in areas of high tide since those looking after children may be unable to rescue them without putting their own lives at risk,” he said.

T R A G E D Y O N B E A C H

The patient has tested positive

for Mers-CoV.

SAFETY TIPS: Parents have been advised not to let children play in

water alone, even if they know swimming. – Supplied picture

HM sends condolences

AL AROUBA CLINCH HIS MAJESTY’S CUPAl Arouba rode on Eid Al Farsi’s brace to clinch the

prestigious His Majesty’s Cup for football beating

Sur Club 2-0 in the fi nal at the Sur Sports Complex

on Friday. Incidentally, Al Arouba had also emerged

champions in the Omantel Professional League, a few

days ago. On Friday, Eid Al Farsi’s brilliance ensured

them the second top title of the season. Eid was on

target in the 17th minute and 47th minute of play. The prize-giving ceremony was

presided over by Shaikh Nassr bin Hamoud Al Kindi, Secretary-General of the Royal

Court Aff airs, in the presence of other dignitaries. — Ismail Al Farsi

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

A2 S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

OMANWe are proud of this success the Sultanate has achieved by winning two prestigious awards among the region

Avoid drinking raw camel milk

“Therefore, healthcare workers should always apply standard precautions consistently with all patients, regardless of their diag-nosis,” added the organisation.

“Droplet precautions should be added to standard precautions when providing care to patients with symptoms of acute respira-tory infection.

“Contact precautions and eye protection should be added when caring for probable or confi rmed cases of Mers-CoV, and airborne precautions should be applied when performing aerosol gener-ating procedures,” it said.

Until more is learnt about Mers-CoV, people with diabe-tes, renal failure, chronic lung disease, and immune-compro-mised persons are considered to be high risk.

“Therefore, these people should avoid close contact with animals, particularly camels,

when visiting farms, markets, or barns where the virus is known to be potentially circulating.

General hygiene measures, such as regular hand-washing before and after touching ani-mals and avoiding contact with sick animals, should be adhered to,” it added.

Food hygiene practices should be observed. People should avoid drinking raw camel milk or eat-ing meat that has not been prop-erly cooked. The WHO does not currently advise special screen-ing at points of entry with regard to this issue and nor does it rec-ommend the application of any travel or trade restrictions.

M E R S - C O V

Omani photographers’ expo at Gallery Sarah

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Three emerging Omani conceptual photographers Amina Al Bakri, Abdulrahim Al Kindi and Hajer Al Subhi, have joined forces to hold an exhibition called ‘Ex-pressions of Ideas’, which opened at on May 20.

Conceptual photography is a type of photography that illus-trates an idea and these Omani

photographers have presented the artistic practice of their concept by carefully constructing their photographs.

Al Bakri has explored the con-cept of loss and identity in women. Al Kindi has developed narratives that contrast humour and nostal-gia within a generation of young Omanis while Al Subhi is explor-ing staged photography, carefully creating and manipulating her photographs that are endearing and sometimes shocking.

Al Bakri’s current body of work revolves around one question,

“What do you fear losing most in this life?” Her fascination with human nature leads her to ask a group of women all of whom come from diff erent backgrounds, this one question.

Identities withheld, their source of communication covered, the answer becomes the woman. Having acknowledged Amina’s own answer, she looked to other women to break down her concept of loss, identity as a woman and self-refl ect.

Amina’s portrayal of these wom-en, their haunting eyes, speechless

except for one word, have become a means of expressing her nar-ratives as she seeks to capture the weight of this word within their portraits.

Al Kindi has developed narra-tives that contrast humour and nostalgia within a generation of young Omanis.

Playful and sometimes disturb-ing, he takes everyday objects that are of great signifi cance to Omanis and juxtaposes the object with an-other to create a hybrid meaning.

Subtle humourHis objective is to draw the viewer in with subtle humour, but once the viewer has investigated why he has married these objects to-gether the concept appears some-times sad yet always thought provoking.

Al Subhi is an experimental pho-tographer. She develops scenes and narratives for her photographs in order to shoot.

These carefully created images are sometimes quiet and serene, yet others are quite distressing, ensuring the viewer is either de-lighted or shocked. Hajer then manipulates the photo to capture the right eff ect. Sometimes chal-lenging, sometimes beautiful this exhibition presents the new gen-eration of Omani artists exploring contemporary Omani culture in an innovative manner.

Conceptual

photography is a type

of photography that

illustrates an idea

and these Omani

photographers have

presented the artistic

practice of their

concept by carefully

constructing their

photographs

INNOVATIVE EXPLORATION: Amina Al Bakri’s portrayal of these

women, their haunting eyes, speechless except for one word, have

become a means of expressing her narratives. Photo– Supplied

< FROM

A1

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Students study environmental impact, waste managementTimes News Service

MUSCAT: As part of the co-oper-ation between the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and diff erent stakeholder institutions, a group of SQU students participated in an international student envi-ronmental GLOBE camp organ-ised by the Ministry of Educa-tion (MoE) for students from six countries.

Students and teachersMore than 300 students and teachers from Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Ara-bia, and Lebanon, in addition to Bahrain and Pakistan, participat-ed in the camp at the Yitti beach in Muscat recently.

It was hosted by the Ministry of Education this year.

GLOBE stands for Global Learning and Observation to Ben-efi t Environment initiated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Over 110 member countries are participat-ing in this event.

The students of GLOBE schools in these countries collect environmental data, share and ex-change it on a global platform, and interact, discuss and learn from each other.

Inculcate researchThe initiative was aimed to incul-cate the interest for research in the minds of school students at a

young age. Ahmed Al Rubaie and Hamed Al Batashi, two master’s students in environmental sci-ence from the SQU, participated in a panel discussion at a camp during the three-day event.

Three hundred students and their teachers took part in the dis-cussion, which was moderated by Dr Hameed Sulaiman.

The team shared research data

on solid waste and discussed its major environmental impact in Oman. The participants from other countries shared the solid waste management experience in their respective countries. On the closing day, the moderator from the SQU team, along with other experts, evaluated the research projects of the students and gave their inputs and feedbacks.

G L O B E C A M P

GLOBAL PLATFORM: Three hundred students and their teachers

took part in the discussion, which was moderated by Dr Hameed

Sulaiman. Photo-Times of Oman

ROP, ITA bag two excellence awards Times News Service

MUSCAT: Two prestigious awards went into the kitty of the Sultanate, represented by the In-formation Technology Author-ity (ITA) and Royal Oman Police (ROP), at the 20th Middle East Smart Government and Smart Services Excellence Awards held on May 20, at the Ritz-Carlton Ho-tel in Dubai.

The ITA and the ROP have re-ceived the “eLegislation Excel-lence Award” and the “Integrated Services Award”. Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA said, “We are proud of this success the Sul-tanate has achieved by winning two prestigious awards in the re-gion. The Sultanate has been al-ways part of any regional or inter-national award event in the fi eld of ICT which, in return, encourages all of us to work even harder.”

On the ROP’s win, Lt. Colonel Ahmed Abdullah Al Hadhrami, director of the Department of

Administrative and Financial Af-fairs at the General Directorate for Information Technology said, “This honour is in recognition of the ROP’s eff orts to develop elec-tronic services as well as the co-operation with other government authorities in neighbouring coun-

tries to ensure data exchange and integration of various services to facilitate the necessary measures for travellers entering and leaving the Sultanate.”

The 20th Middle East Smart Government and Smart Services Excellence Awards aims to en-

courage the public and private sector to develop a culture of ex-cellence in eService transactions and eKnowledge and raise it to the highest global standards in all the e-government sectors to build eff ective communication and ex-change experiences in regions.

P R E S T I G I O U S A W A R D S

HONOUR: The ITA and the ROP have received the “eLegislation Excellence Award” and the “Integrated

Services Award”.– Supplied picture

Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA

REJIMON K [email protected]

MUSCAT: In order to issue ma-chine readable passports to all Bangladeshi citizens in Oman, the country’s embassy in Muscat has pressed into service mobile units, said a senior embassy offi cial.

“The fi rst unit has been de-ployed in Buraimi on Friday. It will be in Buraimi for two days and then move to other places. These mobile units will be operational on weekends to help Bangladeshis staying in the interiors and are unable to access the embassy on working days,” Md Abul Hasan Mridha, counsellor and head of the Chancery at the Bangladesh Embassy, told the Times of Oman.

The Bangladesh government

has set a 2015-end deadline to issue the new passports to all its citizens. “In Oman, we started the process in 2012, and so far we have issued machine read-able passports to 100,000 Bang-ladeshis. Some, 300,000 already have the new kind of passport is-sued from Bangladesh itself. For the rest in Oman, we will be able to issue the passports before the deadline,” he added.

There are around 540,000 Bangladeshis in Oman, according to government statistics. “The mobile units will be deployed in Khasab, Salalah, Masirah and Ja-lan. We will be able to issue pass-ports to each and every Bangla-deshi citizen in Oman before the deadline. The unit can issue 100 passports per day,” he added.

M A C H I N E R E A D A B L E P A S S P O R T S

NEW FACILITY: Md Abul Hasan Mridha, counsellor and head of

the Chancery at the Bangladesh embassy, in front of a computer

at the mobile passport issuing unit. – Supplied picture

Mobile units issue

machine readable

Bangladesh passports

A3

OMANS AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

FACETS OF NIZWA CAUGHT ON CAMERANizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman

and a great centre for trade, religion,

education and art. Set amid a verdant

spread of date palms, it is strategically

located between Muscat and Dhofar. The

Nizwa Souq lies in the vicinity of the walls

of the famous Nizwa Fort. Its building

embraces both traditional and modern

architectural lines. Through its many alleys

and divisions, Nizwa Souq has remained

for hundreds of years, home to a number of

local industries and handicrafts like dagger

making, copper work and spinning. It is also

a prominent livestock, fi sh and vegetables

trading centre. Times of Oman photographer

A R Rajkumar captures some images

of the Nizwa fort and souq.


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

A4 S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

REGION

END OF ERA: Kuwait’s Parlia-

ment Speaker Jassem Al Khorafi

waving as he leaves the Kuwaiti

National Assembly in this fi le

picture taken in 2012. – AFP

Suicide bomber kills severalin attack on Saudi mosque

RIYADH: A suicide bomber on Friday detonated an explosives-fi lled vest during weekly prayers at a mosque in eastern Saudi Ara-bia, killing and wounding several people, offi cials said.

The kingdom’s Eastern Prov-ince has been hit by previous at-tempts by extremists to foment sectarian tensions, including a deadly shooting in November.

The interior ministry said a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the mosque in Qatif, SPA news agency reported.

“An individual detonated a bomb he was wearing under his clothes during Friday prayers at Ali Ibn Abi Taleb mosque in

Kudeih in Qatif province,” the ministry spokesman said in a statement.

No specifi c fi gureHe did not give a specifi c casualty toll but said several people were killed and wounded in the attack.

An activist said at least four worshippers were killed and oth-

ers wounded, and news websites in eastern Saudi Arabia posted photographs of bodies lying in pools of blood.

Qatif hospital issued an urgent call for blood donations after the attack and called in off -duty staff to cope with the high number of casualties, the activist said.

Naseema Assada, a resident of

Qatif, said worshippers were cel-ebrating when the blast occurred.

“The people are very angry,” she said, adding that they tried to stop police from entering the Kudeih area. Residents had feared such an attack was coming, she said.

“We don’t want a repeat of what is happening in Syria or Iraq here. This is our country and we love it.”

The mufti of Saudi Arabia, the highest-ranking cleric, de-nounced the attack in a statement broadcast on state television.

“It is a criminal act aimed at di-viding the sons of the nation... and at sowing trouble in our country,” he said.

Interior ministry statementThe interior ministry spokesman said Saudi Arabia would “hunt down anyone involved in this ter-rorist crime carried out by people seeking to undermine national unity”. The website of Arryadh newspaper posted pictures show-ing bloodied prayer rugs and part of the ceiling of the mosque that had caved in.

First reports by witnesses said the suicide bomber appeared to be from Pakistan but others said he was wearing traditional Afghan clothes. Kudeih is in the oil-rich Eastern Province, home to most of Saudi Arabia’s minority sect.

Saudi police have made a string of arrests in recent months of ex-tremists suspected of plotting at-tacks aimed at stirring sectarian unrest in the Eastern Province.

Last November, gunmen killed seven people, including children, in the eastern town of Al Dalwa.

Four men carried out the attack after killing a man from a neigh-bouring village and stealing his car to use in the shootings, the in-terior ministry said.

In April, authorities said they arrested 93 militants, including 62 suspected of links to the IS militant group who were plotting attacks to “incite sectarian sedi-tion”. — AFP

An individual

detonated a bomb he

was wearing under

his clothes during

Friday prayers at

Ali Ibn Abi Taleb

mosque in Kudeih

in Qatif province,

said Saudi Arabia’s

interior ministry

spokesman

IS miltants’ grip over Iraq-Syria border tightensDAMASCUS: The IS militant group consolidated its control of the Iraq-Syria border on Friday after capturing an Iraqi provincial capital and a famed Syrian herit-age site in an off ensive that has forced a review of US strategy.

The militants, who now control roughly half of Syria, reinforced their self-declared transfrontier “caliphate” by seizing Syria’s Al Tanaf crossing on the Damascus-Baghdad highway late Thursday.

It was the last regime-held bor-der crossing with Iraq. Except for a short section of frontier in the north under Kurdish control, all the rest are now held by IS.

The militant surge, which has also seen it take Anbar capital Ramadi and the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra in the past week, comes despite eight months of US-led air strikes.

ExodusIt has sparked an exodus of tens of thousands of civilians in both countries and raised fears IS will repeat at Palmyra the destruction it has already wreaked at ancient sites in Iraq’s Nimrud and Mosul. The United Nations said at least 55,000 people had fl ed Ramadi alone since mid-May.

President Barack Obama has played down the IS advance as a tactical “setback” and denied the US-led coalition was “los-ing” to IS. But French President Francois Hollande said the world must act to stop the extremists.

UNESCO chief Irina Bokova said, “The 1st and 2nd Century ruins belong to the whole of hu-

manity and I think everyone to-day should be worried about what is happening.”

In Palmyra, at a strategic cross-roads between Damascus and the Iraqi border to the east, IS exe-cuted at least 17 suspected loyal-ists of the Damascus government on Thursday, the Syrian Observa-tory for Human Rights said.

IS proclaimed Palmyra’s cap-ture online and posted video and footage of its fi ghters in the city’s air base, but not of the UNESCO world heritage site’s colonnaded streets, elaborately decorated tombs and temples. Syria’s an-tiquities director Mamoun Ab-dulkarim urged the world to “mo-bilise” to save the treasures.

Also on Thursday, a Syrian priest and his colleague were kid-napped from a monastery be-tween Homs and Palmyra, the French NGO L’Oeuvre d’Orient said. Father Jacques Mourad was preparing aid for an infl ux of ref-ugees from Palmyra.

IS now controls “more than 95,000 square kilometres (38,000 square miles) in Syria, which is 50 per cent of the country’s terri-tory,” the Observatory said.

Fabrice Balanche, a French ex-pert on Syria, said “IS now domi-nates central Syria, a crossroads of primary importance” that could allow it to advance towards the capital and third city Homs. Mat-thew Henman, head of IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Cen-tre, said the militant advance “re-inforces IS’s position as the single opposition group that controls the most territory in Syria”. — AFP

O F F E N S I V E

Air raids pound Houthis in three citiesSANAA: Warplanes from the Sau-di-led coalition pounded Houthi rebels across three Yemeni cities on Friday, as Riyadh reported the death of a Saudi child from cross-border fi re.

The coalition has stepped up its raids on positions held by the Houthi rebels and their allies since a humanitarian ceasefi re ended late Tuesday.

The latest violence came as the United Nations’ human rights agency said that at least 1,037 ci-vilians have been killed in Yemen since the start of the air cam-paign on March 26. Spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said 234 children and 134 women were among the dead and that 2,453 others were wounded over the past eight weeks in a war that has heavily damaged infrastructure.

Huge explosions rocked the out-skirts of the capital Sanaa after Friday’s air strikes. There were also raids on second city Aden in the south and Marib province east of the capital, residents said.

Morning of terror“It was a morning of terror,” one resident of a southern suburb of Sanaa said after a wave of attacks on military bases in the Dhabwa and Rimat Hamid areas.

In north Sanaa, coalition war-planes targeted a stadium and a camp of the Republican Guards loyal to ousted president Ali Ab-dullah Saleh, who has sided with the Houthis.

In all, eight rebel and allied tar-gets were hit in and around Sanaa, including Dalaimi air base near the international airport, witnesses said. Residents said coalition raids also struck Houthi positions in Marib. There were no immediate tolls available for Sanaa and Marib.

But in Aden, at least 16 Hou-this and allied fi ghters were killed

in raids and fi ghting on Friday, sources said, adding that three militiamen who back President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi also died in clashes. Hayef Al Bakri, a local militia offi cial in the port city, urged the Saudi-led coalition to in-tervene on the ground in Aden “to save residents”.

He said that civilians in Aden were facing “abuses” at the hands of the rebels.

Across the border in Saudi Ara-bia, a mortar round fi red from Yemen killed a Saudi child, a civil defence offi cial in the Jazran re-gion said. Another three civilians were wounded, he added.

On Thursday, one civilian was killed and three wounded in

cross-border shelling into Najran province, Saudi state television reported. The coalition has said it was determined to pursue its air campaign against the Houthis in order to restore the authority of Hadi, who has fl ed to Riyadh with members of his government.

WarningThe United Nations, which has warned that Yemen is on the verge of total collapse, will host a confer-ence next week in Geneva hoping to relaunch political talks on Yem-en, despite uncertainty over who will attend.

Meanwhile, a bomb exploded at a Houthi mosque in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Friday, wounding

13 people, a security source said, and the IS claimed responsibil-ity for the attack in a statement on Twitter. “Members of the caliphate in Sanaa have detonated an explo-sive device in a Houthi mosque in the people’s district...which lead to the death and injury of many of them “ said the IS.

According to a security source in Sanaa two out of the 13 wound-ed were in critical condition. The source added that the bomb was planted inside the mosque before Friday prayers.

Earlier this year, a group of hardliners in Yemen renounced their loyalty to Al Qaeda’s leader and pledged allegiance to the head of the IS militant group. — AFP

Y E M E N

Kuwait’s parliament ex-speaker Khorafi dies

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s rich-est independent businessman, Jassem Al Khorafi , who served as speaker of the Gulf country’s parliament for a decade, has died at the age of 75, his family said on Friday.

Kuwaiti media said he had suf-fered a heart attack while fl ying home from a private visit to Tur-key. Jassem Al Khorafi served as speaker from 1999 to 2011. He was fi nance minister from 1985 to 1986. He and his siblings inher-ited their wealth from their father Mohammed Al Khorafi who estab-lished Al Khorafi Group in 1956.

ExpansionThe family business developed into the fi nancial, telecommunica-tions and industrial sectors, and it is now estimated to be worth more than $10 billion. Khorafi ’s funeral was to be held later Friday. — AFP

P A S S E D A W A Y

The IS militants, who now control roughly half of Syria, reinforced their self-declared transfrontier by seizing Syria’s Al Tanaf crossing on the Damascus-Baghdad highway late Thursday

DEADLY ATTACK: People look at debris scattered around the fl oor of a mosque in Al Qadeeh, Saudi

Arabia in this image taken from a video courtesy of Abo Kadi Al Numer. One witness said there were

at least 30 casualties in the attack on the mosque where more than 150 people were praying. – Reuters

HIT HARD: Smoke billows from an army arms depot under Houthi rebel control east of Yemeni capital

Sanaa following an air-strike by the Saudi-led coalition on Friday. – AFP

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Searing heat claims 66 lives across country

NEW DELHI: Searing heat inten-sifi ed across the country with the mercury maintaining its upward trend and heatwave sweeping across large parts, claiming over 65 lives in Andhra Pradesh, Tel-angana and Odisha.

Forty-three people have so far died due to hot weather conditions in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while in Odisha heatwave claimed 23 lives. Temperature crossed the 45 degrees Celsius mark in many areas of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while northern states reeled under dry and hot weather conditions.

In the national capital, the mer-cury shot up to 43.6 degrees Cel-sius, the highest of this season.

According to MeT offi cials, Fri-day’s maximum was four notches above normal.

The minimum temperature set-tled at 27 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year.

Blistering heat wave in many areas of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has claimed 43 lives even as people continued to reel under

torrid weather. According to the MeT Department, the mercury will continue its upward trend in the next few days.

Khammam, Nalgonda, Nizama-bad and Karimnagar in Telangana, and Visakhapatnam, Rajahmun-dry, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh were worst hit.

In Khammam, the mercury touched 47 degrees Celsius on Fri-day, weather offi cials said, adding in other areas it hovered around 45 degrees Celsius.

“As per the information received till yesterday the toll in Telangana is 21,” Revenue Secretary B.R. Meena said.

According to reports from Andhra Pradesh districts, 22 peo-ple have died due to the heat wave in the state so far. Telangana Gov-ernment has issued a list of ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ for the people, asking them not to venture outside when day temperatures are high.

In Odisha, heat wave-like condi-

tions prevailed in large parts forc-ing people to remain indoor and prompting the administration to take precautionary measures.

Maximum temperatureAccording to offi cials, as many as 23 died allegedly due to sun-stroke in the state, where Jharsuguda re-corded the maximum temperature at 45.8 degrees Celsius.

In Punjab and Haryana, in-tense heat wave swept across the two states with mercury soaring sharply in many areas.

Hisar in Haryana sizzled at 45.5 degrees, four notches above nor-mal, while in Bhiwani, mercury settled at 44.8 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh registered a high of 41.7 degrees.

In Punjab, Amritsar’s maximum settled at 43.2 degrees while Lu-dhiana and Patiala recorded their maximum at 42.7 degrees Celsius.

In West Bengal, the mercury crossed 40 degrees Celsius mark

in many parts with heatwave blowing across the western part of the state.

Two persons died reportedly due to hot weather conditions.

While an under-trial died in a court lock-up in Barrackpore, a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) employee died while work-ing in offi ce.

In central India also, there is a heat wave situation from where the hot winds are blowing in.

In Himachal Pradesh, Una in the Shivalik foothills experienced the hottest day of the season as the mercury breached 42.0 degrees Celsius mark, while temperatures rose by one to two degrees in other mid and lower hills.

People reeled under scorching sun in lower hills with Una record-ing a high of 42.1 degrees Celsius, followed by Bilaspur 39.4, Sunder-nagar 37.3, Nahan 36.3, Bhunter 35.2,Dharamsala 31.8, and Shimla 28.1 degrees Celsius. - PTI

Forty-three people

have so far died

due to hot weather

conditions in

Andhra Pradesh and

Telangana, while in

Odisha, the heatwave

has claimed 23 lives

HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS: A man holds an umbrella as he walks across a dried-up pond on the out-

skirts of eastern Bhubaneswar on Friday. According to the MeT Department, the mercury will continue

its upward trend in the next few days. - AFP

Question mark on RJD-JD(U) merger as Nitish skips meetNEW DELHI: Putting a ques-tion mark on the ‘Janata Parivar’ merger, Bihar Chief Minister Ni-tish Kumar on Friday skipped a crucial meeting called to iron out the diff erences with RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who mooted the idea of roping in Jitan Ram Manjhi, a known Nitish detractor, in the an-ti-BJP alliance.

Nitish, who was in Delhi, sent JD(U) president Sharad Yadav for talks with Lalu and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been designated as the leader of the proposed entity af-ter a formal merger of six ‘Janata Parivar’ outfi ts. Nitish’s aides said he had undergone a minor eye sur-gery and advised rest.

SuggestedLalu, who had on Thursday sug-gested bringing in Manjhi in the ‘grand alliance’ to take on BJP, on Friday formally broached the idea

at the meeting, sources close to the development, said.

Sources said Lalu, instead of fo-cusing on a merger between RJD and JD(U), talked about forming a ‘grand alliance’ against BJP that would include all non-NDA par-ties, including the Left, something that would not go down well with Nitish Kumar.

Despite JD(U) on Thursday deprecating any move to forge ties with Manjhi, who was ousted and replaced by Nitish after he refused to step down as chief minister, Lalu’s insistence on his inclusion in the alliance is being seen as an attempt at procrastination.

Lalu, according to sources, was not keen on a merger and wanted the two parties go to the hustings as alliance partners, with his party getting a larger share of tickets to contest.

Though the Nitish Kumar gov-ernment is surviving on the RJD

prop in Bihar, Lalu has consist-ently refused to project him as the future chief minister.

JD(U), on the other hand, wants Lalu to back Nitish as the chief min-isterial face of the merged entity.

The fi rst strong signal of the merger not fructifying had come a few days ago when SP National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav declared that it was not possible before the Bihar Assem-bly polls due to “technicalities” involved and any move taken in a hurry would amount to signing the “death warrant” of his own party.

SP believes it has little to gain from any merger between the two Bihar-centric parties with many of its leaders fearing a loss of stature in the new party.

Lalu too does not want to play a second fi ddle to JD(U) despite his party having a larger support base.

Lalu’s insistence on roping in Manjhi, a Mahadalit leader whose

party has made it clear that it will not be part of any formation in-volving Nitish, is being seen as sign that the RJD boss is intent on driv-ing a hard bargain.

For the record, Lalu said at-tempts at unity are on and brushed aside reports that Nitish was unhappy with the recent turn of events. “I have no diff erences with anybody,” he said.

After prolonged negotiations, six splintered parties of the socialist fraternity--Samajwadi Party, RJD, JD(U), JD(S), INLD and Samajwa-di Janata Party--had last month announced their merger, with SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav as the leader of the proposed entity.

Their leaders had expressed the hope that the new entity would materialise before the Bihar polls to put up a strong fi ght against BJP.

However, enthusiasm waned as diff erences cropped up between RJD and JD(U). - PTI

E Y E S U R G E R Y

CALLING THE SHOTS: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu

Prasad Yadav speaks to reporters after a meeting with Samajwadi

Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, in New Delhi, on Friday.

The leaders reportedly met to sort out seat sharing issues ahead of

the Bihar state elections, expected later this year. - PTI

Government could miss tax reform deadline: JaitleyNEW DELHI: India’s fi nance minister acknowledged on Fri-day that the government could miss its deadline to implement a key tax law amid criticism of the pace of economic reforms after a year in offi ce.

Arun Jaitley said he was “con-scious” that delays in parliament in passing long-awaited legisla-tion on a national sales tax meant the government was “cutting (it) too fi ne to reach the deadline” for its rollout next year.

“(But) the government is go-ing to make every eff ort to ensure that there is no delay and we meet the deadline,” the minister told reporters while marking a year in government.

He meanwhile trumpeted a string of his government’s achievements in the last 12 months, including shrinking in-fl ation and the fi scal and public defi cits, combating corruption and speeding up decision-mak-ing which have long held back economic growth.

The government set a deadline of April 1, 2016, for introducing the key goods and services tax (GST), which will replace over-lapping state and federal levies and create a common market to boost the economy.

But the opposition, which has a majority in the upper house, forced the government this month to send the GST bill to a parlia-mentary panel for further scruti-ny along with legislation on mak-ing it easier for businesses to buy land, another crucial initiative.

In a special India edition pub-lished on Friday, The Economist criticised a lack of big-bang re-form by the government in its fi rst 12 months, including easing

strict labour laws, overhauling in-effi cient state-owned giant Coal India and introducing a more predictable and lower tax regime. “Mr Modi’s government is miss-ing a rare chance to launch some bold reforms,” the magazine said to mark the fi rst anniversary.

Jaitley defended the pace and level of reform since his party won a landslide at elections last May, saying his government had revived Asia’s third largest economy with growth heading towards eight percent.

But he also said the govern-ment should work to tax compa-nies at more competitive rates, amid a blazing row with foreign portfolio investors over demands they pay another tax for which they were not previously liable.

“We must... remove discretion, phase out exemptions and bring the eff ective rate down to global levels,” Jaitley told the press con-ference. - AFP

T A K I N G S T O C K

ONE YEAR ON: Minister of Fi-

nance Arun Jaitley addressing

the media on one year of Prime

Minister Narendra Modi’s

government, in New Delhi, on

Friday. - PTI

A6

INDIAS AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

There may be a possibility of personal rivalry as he was shot from a close range... We are investigating from all angles and shall probe if he had got any threats in the past

Fatehsinh Patil, Additional Police Commissioner

Street dentists fi ll gap for poor who can’t aff ord expensive treatmentBENGALURU: Ignoring noisy buses and curious onlookers, street dentist Allah Baksh plunges his hands into a patient’s mouth to fi t a sparkling set of dentures for $12 in the Indian city of Bengaluru.

With his plastic stool, mirror and glass cases of teeth on display, Baksh is among hundreds of such dentists frowned upon by their licenced counterparts in rapidly modernising India. But the 54-year-old insists he is providing an essen-tial service to poor who cannot af-ford a visit to a sterilised clinic.

“There are millions of poor peo-ple in this country who cannot pay for expensive dental treatment,” Baksh said in between customers at his makeshift clinic where his tools include a large, metal fi le.

“But they also have a right to be treated and look good,” he said as he mixed pink gum paste with his bare fi ngers on a teaspoon.

“I know this is not hygienic at all but if I start using sophisticated tools, the poor man won’t come here.”

From dentists to shoe shiners, barbers and chefs, street services are an engrained part of life in In-dia, particularly for the poor.

Never formally trainedBaksh never formally trained as a dentist, instead learning his skills from his father, who came in 1984 to the southern, sleepy backwater now transformed into a regional IT hub and thriving metropolis.

Alongside his younger brother, son and nephew, Baksh set up their clinic 14 years ago outside a bus stand, where together they make and fi t dentures for some 20 cus-tomers a day.

A full set of teeth, moulded and ready to fi t in 30 minutes, costs as little as Rs800 ($12), while a single false tooth sells for Rs50 (80 cents). Tools are thoroughly washed in soap and water — but not disinfected.

The teeth in all shapes and sizes are made in China and in India from dental cement.

Soft pink adhesive is then moulded for gums and the teeth stuck in, with the dentists saying their handiwork lasts for at least four years.

India passed a law in 1948 al-lowing only licensed dentists to treat patients, but the legislation’s vague and outdated wording about exactly what constitutes a dentist

has allowed many unregistered ones to operate.

In big cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai, street dentist num-bers have dwindled in recent years on growing awareness of contract-ing HIV/AIDS and other diseases, rising customer income levels, and a surge in dentist graduates.

But they still thrive in smaller cities as well as towns, although few perform root canals, fi llings or other operations.

“There must be thousands of them,” Ashok Dhoble, secretary general of the Indian Dental Asso-ciation, a private body of licensed dentists, said.

“The oral healthcare (industry) is in its infancy and surprisingly we don’t have even fi gures on qual-ifi ed dentists in India.”

Dhoble said 30,000 graduates join the profession every year, but India still has only one dentist per 10,000 people in urban areas and about 250,000 in rural areas, ac-cording to the US National Library of Medicine.

Dhoble branded unlicensed den-tists quacks who were not worth the risk, despite a lack of ultra cheap services off ered by licenced professionals for the poor.

“Ban them and they will be forced to look for another job.

“We can’t have cheap treatment as an excuse to continue this prac-tise,” he said.

Status symbol In Delhi’s crowded old quarter, third-generation dentist Satvinder Singh, 48, takes a lunch break from treating patients on the pavement.

Numerous posters advertising his services are propped up around him, as a multitude of vendors jos-tle for space.

Dying professionSingh said his profession is slowly dying because of the growth of In-dia’s formal dentist industry along with more hygiene-conscious customers.

“A few decades ago I used to get 30 customers a day. I hardly see two now,” said Singh.

“At my age I can’t change my profession. My sons are in a dif-ferent business. I don’t want them here,” he said.

Singh said a few decades ago, traders from a nearby spice mar-ket, Asia’s largest, would line up for his false silver and gold teeth, considered a status symbol.

“Earlier rich and poor would equally visit us but now we are looked down on,” he said.

For his part, Baksh remains ada-mant he is improving the lives of the poor, and that his family will continue the tradition.

“We have thousands of satisfi ed customers, who not only pay us but give us their blessings.” -AFP

T H R I V E I N S M A L L E R C I T I E S

MAKESHIFT CLINIC: Traditional Indian dental worker Allah Baksh

(lower right) takes measurements for dentures of a customer at his

roadside stall at K.R. Market bus stand, in Bengaluru, recently. - AFP


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

GUJJARS’ SIT-IN FOR RESERVATION HITS TRAIN, BUS TRAFFICPassengers stranded at Mathura Railway Station following cancellation of many trains due to an agitation by members of the

Gujjar community on Friday. Rail services were hit as thousands of Gujjars continued to sit on the railway tracks in Rajasthan’s

Bharatpur district for the second day demanding fi ve per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.

Road traffi c was also aff ected. - PTI

Firing near Amitabh’s shooting site, leavesman seriously injuredMUMBAI: In a real life shoot-out, a Bollywood security con-tractor was shot and critically injured inside the Film City in Goregaon East here on Friday, barely a few metres away from a set where megastar Amitabh Bachchan was shooting.

Additional Police Commis-sioner Fatehsinh Patil told re-porters that two people arrived on a motorbike and fi red at least three shots at Shrikant alias Raju Shinde from close quarters, stun-ning the people around.

A seriously injured Shinde, 45, was rushed to the Nanavati Hos-pital in Vile Parle where he is un-dergoing treatment.

“There may be a possibility of personal rivalry as he was shot from a close range... We are inves-tigating from all angles and shall probe if he had got any threats in the past,” Patil said.

Shortly after the shootout at 2 pm, near the Gate No 2 of Film City which is situated inside the Aarey Milk Colony, police erected road blocks all the way upto the Western Express Highway and at all the exit points from Mumbai.

Among other things, Shinde also served as a security contrac-tor, runs a cable television net-work, construction, supplying timber to fi lm sets and into as-sorted social activities. However, the motive behind the attack or its perpetrators are still not clear and being investigated, Patil added.

Amitabh, 72, tweeted: “Okay!! Shooting at Film City...and a gang war shootout 20 feet from where we are...!! 1 dead... cops all over.”

The Filmcity is an integrated fi lm studio complex with mul-tiple locations that serve as the venue of many Bollywood fi lm and TV show shootings. - IANS

P R O B E O N

Jaya to return as CM of Tamil Nadu today

CHENNAI: AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa will be sworn-in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the fi fth time on Saturday, within less than a fortnight of the Karna-taka High Court upholding her ap-peal and acquitting her in a dispro-portionate assets case.

Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosai-ah’s offi ce, in a statement, said the governor has approved the recom-mendation made by chief minis-ter-designate Jayalalithaa regard-ing allocation of portfolios among the council of ministers.

The swearing-in ceremony would be held on Saturday at 11am at the Madras University Cente-nary Building. A total of 29 min-isters, including 67-year-old Jay-alalithaa, would be sworn-in.

Coming out of her home after more than seven months on Fri-day, Jayalalithaa called on Rosaiah and exchanged pleasantries.

She also handed over the list of ministers to be sworn in at the swearing-in ceremony slated for Saturday, party offi cials said.

ResignationEarlier in the day, Rosaiah accept-ed the resignation of Chief Min-ister O. Panneerselvam and his council of ministers and invited Jayalalithaa to form a new minis-try at the earliest.

Jayalalithaa had to relinquish the post of chief minister and her Srirangam assembly seat after she was convicted and given a four-year jail term along with Rs100 crore fi ne by a trial court in Ben-galuru in the disproportionate as-sets case.

Jayalalithaa on Friday paid fl oral tributes at the statues here of party founder late M.G.Ramachandran (MGR), DMK founder late C.N. Annadurai and Dravidar Kazhag-

am founder late E.V. Ramaswamy.Thousands of party cadres from

several parts of the state, despite the scorching summer heat, lined up along the route she took to have a look at their leader.

All India Anna Dravida Munn-etra Kazhagam (AIADMK) cadres from diff erent parts of the state were arriving in the city since early morning to greet Jayalalithaa and assemble at the party head offi ce.

Traffi c in Anna Salai, a major road, was thrown out of gear due to the huge crowd.

Hundreds of party fl ags, posters and banners with Jayalalithaa’s photo were put up on the route she took. People climbed trees by the roadside to have a glimpse of their leader. It was a day of fast-paced political developments — along ex-pected lines — since morning.

At 7 am. the AIADMK lawmak-ers in a meeting at the party head-

quarters elected Jayalalithaa as leader of the legislature party.

Panneerselvam proposed Jay-alalithaa’s name amid enthusiastic clapping by all the law makers.

He said he would resign as chief minister and leader of leg-islature party. It is expected that Jayalalithaa would contest for re-election from Radhakrishnan Na-gar constituency since on May 17, P. Vetrivel, a party legislator rep-resenting Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency, resigned from his post and the same was ac-cepted by the speaker.

With Vetrivel’s resignation, the AIADMK’s strength in the 234-member assembly comes down by one to 150, excluding the speaker.

A close aide of AIADMK found-er-leader MGR, Jayalalithaa be-came the party’s propaganda sec-retary in the early 1980s.

In 1984, she entered the Rajya Sabha. Jayalalithaa was elected to the Tamil Nadu assembly for the fi rst time in 1989.

Two years later, she became the chief minister, sweeping the election held after the 1991 assas-sination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Her party was voted out in 1996 amid corruption charges, but she returned to power in 2001.

Jayalalithaa again led the AIAD-MK to a thumping victory in 2011.

This time, she announced a string of populist measures that have proved to be hugely popular in Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa stud-ied in Bengaluru and Chennai, and ventured into acting. She made her debut at the age of 16 in a Kannada movie, and went on to act in over 140 fi lms. - IANS

The swearing-in

ceremony would be

held on Saturday at

11am at the Madras

University Centenary

Building. A total of 29

ministers, including

Jayalalithaa, would

be sworn-inPAYING TRIBUTES: AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa after

paying fl oral tributes at the statue of former chief minister and

party founder MGR, in Chennai, on Friday. - PTI

Lieutenant Governor gets power to appoint bureaucrats in DelhiNEW DELHI: In the midst of a raging row over his powers vis-a-vis Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) gov-ernment, Delhi’s Lieutenant Gov-ernor has been given absolute powers by the Centre in appoint-ment of bureaucrats for which he need not “consult” the chief min-ister on subjects like senior staff , police and public order.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Delhi government has also been barred from registering any case against offi cers and po-litical functionaries of the cen-tral government. This decision is apparently aimed at preventing the AAP government from fi ling cases similar to the one against former Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily and a few central government offi cials in the natu-ral gas issue in February 2014.

Gazette notifi cationThe gazette notifi cation issued by the Home Ministry late on Thursday night said the LG will have jurisdictions over matters connected with services, public order, police and land and he may consult with the chief minister whenever he thinks necessary on issues of services using his own “discretion”.

It is well established that where there is no legislative pow-er, there is no executive power since executive power is co-ex-tensive within legislative power, it said.

“Public order, police, land and services fall outside purview of legislative assembly of the Na-tional Capital Territory of Delhi and consequently the Govern-ment of NCT of Delhi will have no

executive power” on such matters, accordingly to the notifi cation.

The gazette notifi cation said the LG shall in respect of matter connected with public order, po-lice, land and services exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the central govern-ment to the extent delegated to him from time to time by Presi-dent provided that the LG may in his discretion obtain view of the Chief Minister of Delhi in regard to the matter of “services” where-in he deems it appropriate.

The notifi cation made it clear that it superseded a 1998 notifi -cation which had allowed the LG to “consult” with the chief minis-ter in all matters except in those cases where he did not consider “expedient” to do so.

The appointment of senior bu-reaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary by LG last week had triggered a full-blown war between the ruling AAP and Najeeb Jung, with Kejriwal ques-tioning the LG’s authority and ac-cusing him of trying to take over the administration. - PTI

P O W E R T U S S L E

Najeeb Jung

A7

PAKISTANS AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

Sharif for stronger energy relations with Central Asia

BISHKEK (KYRGYZSTAN): Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif concluded a visit to the Central Asian region on Friday, pushing to expand energy ties with the former Soviet states to tackle Pakistan’s chronic power shortages.

In a meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Temir Sariyev, in the capital Bishkek on Thursday, Sharif discussed an electricity project that would see Pakistan import up to 1,000 megawatts from mountainous Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Sariyev promised his country’s “active participation” in the pro-ject, known as CASA 1000. Sharif also met Kyrgyz President Almaz-bek Atambayev during the visit.

Though the World Bank is fi -

nancing half the project, CASA 1000 faces challenges since Kyr-gyzstan and Tajikistan can pro-duce an energy surplus only in the summer when their mountain riv-ers fi ll with water.

Politically contentiousThe project would therefore only partially solve Pakistan’s politi-cally contentious defi cit. Sharif fl ew to Bishkek from the Turkmen capital Ashgabat, where he spoke with Turkmenistan’s leader Gur-

banguly Berdymukhamedov on Wednesday.

Little detail was disclosed from negotiations in secluded gas-rich Turkmenistan, but they were likely focused mainly on TAPI, the ambitious pipeline project valued at up to $10 billion that would pump Turkmen gas to the South Asian country and India, also via Afghanistan.

The planned 1,800-kilometre link could deliver 33 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas annually to

the growing Indian and Pakistani markets with Afghanistan likely to absorb no more than 0.5 bcm.

After the talks, Sharif said that he hoped to “intensify work on the TAPI project that would bring ad-vantages to the entire region.”

The pipeline however faces se-curity concerns in Afghanistan and ballooning costs while it lacks a commercial investor.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in April the project may take fi ve years to complete. —AFP

In a meeting with his

Kyrgyz counterpart,

Temir Sariyev on

Thursday, Sharif

discussed an

electricity project

that would see

Pakistan import up

to 1,000 megawatts

from mountainous

Kyrgyzstan

and Tajikistan

The 1,200-km-power

line, which would also

supply 300 megawatts

to conflict-torn

Afghanistan, “would

ease the electro-energy

deficit” of his country

of 185 million people,

Nawaz Sharif said

Political parties sign pact on women’s right to vote in Upper DirUPPER DIR: Five of the prov-ince’s primary political parties have vowed to support women’s suff rage and signed an agreement to that eff ect in Upper Dir on Thursday.

The pact was inked at a meeting arranged by NGO Friedrich Nau-mann Foundation at a hotel.

Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the two

frontline participants in the “men only” Provincial Assembly seat PK-95, Lower Dir-II by-polls, also vowed to uphold women’s right to vote and encourage them to par-ticipate in the local government electioneering. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Paki-stan People’s Party (PPP )were represented by local leaders.

Talking on the occasion, Paki-stan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Mala-kand Coordinator Hamida Shahid rubbished theories that women have never voted in Dir. “Women turned up in great numbers at polling stations during the 1970 general elections but later regres-sive circles deprived them of their rights,” said Hamida.

JI’s member of National Assem-

bly Sahibzada Tariqullah and ANP leader Riaz Anjum also addressed the gathering. Dir local govern-ment general councillor candidate Saeeda and Sheringal candidate Sahira were also present.

Only 10 polling stations for women have been planned for Upper Dir. Speakers voiced con-cerns and urged the commission to ensure more separate polling

stations for women so they are can exercise their right to vote.

ControversyThe long-standing controversy was fuelled during the aforemen-tioned by-polls when reportedly women were barred from voting. Fingers were pointed towards ANP and JI, the main parties in the fray – both denied any involve-

ment. An estimated 48,000 wom-en were denied the right to vote during the by-elections held for the seat vacated by JI party chief Sirajul Haq following his elevation to the Senate.

A similar agreement was penned by nine political parties in Peshawar on May 9. They vowed to uphold women’s suff rage across the province. — Express Tribune

S U F F R A G E

15 suspected militants in Shawal killed

PARACHINAR: Air strikes killed at least 15 suspected militants in Pakistan’s northwestern Shawal Valley on Thursday, intelligence offi cials said, a week after secu-rity forces moved toward Taliban strongholds there.

The deeply forested ravines are a major smuggling route from Pa-kistan into Afghanistan and are dotted with Taliban bases used to launch attacks on Pakistani forces.

A local security commander and two intelligence offi cials said that between 15 and 16 suspected militants were killed in Thurs-day’s strikes in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan.

Afghan borderThe Taliban used to control all of North Waziristan, a mountainous region that includes the Shawal Valley and runs along the Afghan border.

But the Pakistani military launched an operation there last June and has recaptured most of it.

NATO forces had long urged Pakistan to launch such an off en-sive, saying Taliban safe havens in Pakistan were being used to at-tack NATO and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.

Now locals say that the military is gearing up for an operation in Shawal Valley, where the Taliban still freely operate. — Reuters

A I R S T R I K E S

Suspect Aziz confesses to activist Sabeen’s murderKARACHI: Saad Aziz, one of the suspects arrested for involve-ment in The Second Floor café di-rector Sabeen Mahmud’s murder confessed on Friday to killing her, Express News reported.

“We shot her for holding a Val-entine’s Day rally,” Aziz report-edly said in his statement to the police. “My friend was riding the motorcycle but I was sitting at the back and I shot her,” he added.

The Institute of Business Ad-ministration (IBA) graduate added, “When she sat in the car after her Balochistan seminar, I followed her and when her car stopped at Sunset Boulevard sig-nal I shot her.”

Aziz claimed he was a regular attendee at seminars held at Mah-mud’s café and was also present at the seminar on ‘Unsilencing Balochistan’ following which she was shot dead.

“We followed her for days and gathered information on her be-fore killing her,” the 27-year-old, father of one said.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday while an-nouncing that four men had been arrested claimed, Aziz, who had studied in the Bachelors of Busi-ness Administration programme at the IBA Karachi, was the mas-termind of Mahmud’s murder, and the main accused in the Sa-

foora incident. Sabeen, along with her mother, was returning home from T2F in Defence Phase-II Extension when her car was at-tacked near the Defence Central Library traffi c signal.

Hours earlier, she had hosted a seminar on the troubled province of Balochistan, featuring Mama Qadeer, the chairperson of Voice for Missing Baloch.

Friends recall that Saad was a ‘normal’ kid. He played football for IBA United and had a GPA

above 3.0. “For the fi rst two years, he was a burger kid. He had girl-friends and we would have shisha at Indulge.

“He was funny, acted in plays and danced,” said a young man who was once a close friend.

But that all ended in his third year and his friends began notic-ing the radical nature of some of the changes Aziz made in his life. He stopped talking to girl and , be-gan bunking classes and grew his beard out. — Express Tribune

K I L L E D O V E R V A L E N T I N E ’ S D A Y R A L L Y

TRAGIC END: Pakistani civil society activists hold pictures of

rights campaigner Sabeen Mahmud during a protest in Islama-

bad on April 28, 2015 against her killing in a drive-by shooting in

Karachi. — AFP fi le photo

Women turned up in great numbers at polling stations during the 1970 general elections but later regressive circles deprived them of their rights

Hamida Shahid, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf offi cial

ATMs for drinking waterBY SYED MOHAMMAD ALI

The provision of safe drinking water is one of the most pressing needs in Pakistan. Given that near-ly 40 per cent of deaths per annum are attributed to water-borne dis-eases, the lack of clean drinking water has become a major public health issue.

Focusing on the need to ensure that all the citizens have access to an adequate amount of water is imperative but it requires a shift in political priorities as well as an overhaul of governance prac-tices related to water manage-ment. There is, unfortunately, lit-tle evidence available that there is eff ective management of our freshwater resources and their equitable access.

Water scarcityInstead, we continue to see to-kenistic measures to address the growing water scarcity. The Pun-jab government formed the Punjab Saaf Pani Company (PSCP) this past year, with a mandate to pro-vide safe drinking water solutions for under-served areas in rural and peri-urban areas of the province. One recent project initiated by the PSPC, in collaboration with the Lahore-based research entity, the Innovations for Poverty Allevia-tion Lab (IPAL), has recently been highlighted in the press.

This proposed attempt aims to install ‘water ATMs’ on a series of water fi ltration plants. Using

ATM-like cards, benefi ciary fami-lies would be entitled to collect 30 litres of clean drinking water daily from selected fi ltration plants.

PSCP-IPAL are currently seek-ing British aid to put up a proto-type with plans to install more of the dispensing machines at other existing water fi ltration plants in three districts of Punjab: Baha-walpur, Rajanpur and Faisalabad, in areas with particularly serious water contamination issues.

The plan is to install the water ATMs at 20 fi ltration plants ini-tially, to benefi t some 17,500 fami-lies. The use of innovative tech-nology to provide clean water to the marginalised seems like a good idea. Such systems have been put to use in India to provide water to underserved communities.

Yet, there is reluctance of poor communities in taking up the

scheme, especially when it in-volves a small fee.

The proposed scheme in Paki-stan also aims to ask benefi ciary communities to pool money each month to pay for the maintenance of the ATMs and fi ltration plants. Whether poor communities will be able to make such payments on time remains to be seen.

While the solution of water ATMs may be useful for under-served communities where pipe networks cannot be laid down for a variety of reasons, providing enough water ATMs to meet the drinking water needs of the entire population is not going to be a very feasible idea.

It is, therefore, imperative that our policymakers pay more atten-tion to the issue of water conserva-tion, stop water wastage, especial-ly in agriculture, and put in place safeguards to prevent more pol-lution of existing freshwater sup-plies. There is also need for more eff ective water infrastructure, wa-ter storage and implementation of better standards for water supply and water quality, which in turn requires better excreta manage-ment, and better maintenance of pipelines to curb water losses and contamination.

The problem of illegal water connections must be addressed more eff ectively. There is also need to ensure more equitable distribution of drinking water fa-cilities across socio-economic and urban-rural divides. — Express Tribune

C O M M E N T A R Y

The use of innovative

technology to provide clean

water to the marginalised

seems like a good idea.

Such systems have been

put to use in India to provide

water to underserved

communities

COMMEN ARYT I M E S O F O M A N

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A8 S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gov-ernment, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will mark its fi rst anniversary in offi ce this month. While it is too early to assess its overall performance, the over-whelming sentiment across India so far is one of disappointment.

The BJP rode to power on a wave of expectations after a decade in opposition to the United Progressive Alliance government, led by Prime Minister Manmo-han Singh of the Congress party. (Full disclosure: I was a member of that government.) Support for the BJP was so strong, in fact, that the party became the fi rst in 30 years to win a majority in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s parliament).

Early enthusiasm for the BJP government was based on the perceived contrast with its predeces-sor. Here, at last, was a strong single-party govern-ment led by a decisive “man of action,” rather than a fractious coalition led by a reticent octogenarian, who was often unfairly caricatured as uncertain and vacillating. Modi was marketed to voters through a clever (and lavishly fi nanced) campaign that por-trayed him as the business-savvy leader who had transformed the state of Gujarat into a lodestar of development – and who would do the same for the country as a whole. Attracting young people with the promise of jobs, and older voters with the pros-pect of reform and growth, Modi won a mandate that stunned the country’s pollsters. Congress, mean-while, recorded its worst-ever performance.

Since the election, Modi has energetically strut-ted the global stage, touting his government as more hospitable to investors and urging foreign manu-facturers to “Make in India.” Yet his foreign travels have achieved little, beyond improving his personal standing, which had suff ered considerably following accusations that, as Chief Minister of Gujarat, he had been at least negligent as more than a thousand peo-ple were killed in a 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom.

Modi’s domestic performance has also been un-derwhelming. Although his speeches and sound bites continue to impress fans of his Hindi oratory, the gap between rhetoric and reality widens by the week.

Indeed, despite speaking eloquently of tolerance and accommodation, Modi has remained largely si-lent in the face of hate speech by BJP ministers and MPs that is alienating India’s non-Hindu minorities. The BJP may preach development, but it is practic-ing bigotry – a contradiction that Modi could resolve only by repudiating the forces that helped ensure his electoral victory.

Likewise, Modi has not kept his vow of “minimal government, maximum governance”; on the con-trary, he has created the most centralised, top-down, bureaucracy-driven, personality-cult-dominated central government since Indira Gandhi’s emer-

gency rule in the mid-1970s. Those who decried the alleged “paralysis of decision-making” under Modi’s excessively democratic, consultative, and consensual predecessor are now faced with a diff erent kind of pa-ralysis, as fi les pile up in Modi’s offi ce, the only place where decisions are made.

Senior positions – including two on the indispensi-ble three-member independent election commission – stand vacant, leaving vital institutions unable to function eff ectively. Despite his talk about transpar-ency and accountability, Modi has failed to appoint a central information commissioner, vigilance com-missioner, or lokpal (the ombudsman who has juris-diction over all corruption cases involving MPs and central-government employees).

With Modi too busy to keep up with all of the de-cisions he – and only he – can make, the government is adrift. In some cases, it is pursuing blatantly con-tradictory approaches. Consider economic policy. Although Modi has declared that “the government has no business to be in business,” he has failed to question his government’s ownership and control of airlines and hotels. Indeed, privatization of major public-sector behemoths is no longer mentioned.

Furthermore, labour-market liberalization, once considered indispensable to attract investors and promote industrial growth, is on the back burner. Op-timistic talk of reform has been replaced by offi cially articulated respect for “graduated incrementalism.”

Likewise, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who once derided “tax terrorism,” has unleashed the taxman on entirely new categories of victims, in-cluding the foreign institutional investors Modi is trying to attract. Unsurprisingly, investor senti-ment, which perked up during Modi’s campaign, has dampened considerably.

Modi’s government has also revealed a fi ne talent for announcing grandiose schemes and failing to fi -nance them. Worse, budgets for health, education, sanitation, and women’s security – all major talking points of the BJP’s election campaign – have been cut.

None of this has been lost on the public. India’s farmers, for example, are up in arms, because the land-acquisition law passed by the previous govern-ment has been gutted through a series of amend-ments imposed by fi at of the election campaign, who had sacrifi ced domestic bliss to serve the nation, into an omnipresent, gaudily attired celebrity hobnobbing with other bold-face names. The nadir was reached in January, when Modi received US President Barack Obama – “my friend Barack” – in a pinstripe suit with his own name embossed in gold on every stripe. The public, appalled by this display, promptly humiliated the BJP in polls for the Delhi Assembly, which the party had nearly won the previous year. Needless to say, the opposition, fl attened electorally a year ago, is back on its feet. - Project Syndicate

Modi government completes one year

Modi has not kept his vow of “minimal government, maximum governance”; on the contrary, he has created the most centralised, top-down, bureaucracy-driven, personality-cult-dominated central government since Indira Gandhi’s emergency rule in the mid-1970s

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

COMMENTARY

“There’s no art”, King Duncan says early in the Scottish play, “to fi nd the mind’s construction in the face.” Macbeth will prove his point by murdering him. Shakespeare’s warning

words, though, are lost on the zealots and cranks who – along with genuine scholars – have scoured the archives to discover what the playwright really looked like.

Country Life magazine has announced that it had unearthed a new likeness of the Bard. According to botanist and historian Mark Grif-fi ths, who has “cracked a many-layered Tudor code”, a shaggily hand-some depiction of Shakespeare appears on the frontispiece of John Gerard’s Herball: an infl uential plant encyclopaedia from 1598.

According to Griffi ths, we can now gaze on the only contemporary portrait of the dramatist. Both of the widely accepted representations – Martin Droeshout’s engraving for the 1623 First Folio, and the fu-nerary statue in Stratford-upon-Avon – were post-mortem produc-tions. Country Life, however, overlooks the compelling claims made for the Chandos Portrait of 1610 in the National Portrait Gallery.

Does it matter whether The Herball’s title-page shows the writer – or what he looked like anyway? Decrypting Shakespearean enigmas always counts as good box-offi ce, especially for the snobs, crackpots and conspiracists who believe he did not write his plays. The Griffi ths proposition does less mischief. The quarrels will continue. The face may never quite come into focus. The plays, however, require no deci-pherment, and contain no secret code beyond the perennial mysteries of every human life. - The Independent

To see or not to see

Situated on the same coastline but separated by less than 200 kilometres, Gwadar and Chabahar are both Baloch towns but the former belongs to the Pakistani Balochistan and the lat-

ter to the Iranian one. So as seaports belonging to two separate but neighbouring countries, the two are physically too close for comfort as competing seaports. More so because both are located almost at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz through which pass about 35 per cent of the world’s sea-borne oil shipments and 20 per cent of the oil traded worldwide. More than 85 per cent of these crude oil exports go to Asian markets — Japan, India, South Korea and China.

The geopolitical implications of these two upcoming seaports in such close physical proximity are enormous as their respective spon-sors, China and India — two regional rivals — could either step on each other’s toes while competing, sending the region into an economic tailspin or cooperate for achieving the potential of the Asian century. The rivalry between India and Pakistan could also muddy the seawa-ters in the region in case the two try to turn competition into confron-tation. However, the Chinese presence in the equation is likely to help avert such a crisis.

Just as India wants to build up Chabhar to open up new trade routes and economic exchanges through Iran and northward, China wants to build up Gwadar to open up trade routes and economic exchanges through Pakistan and northward back to China. The main reason In-dia wants to develop Chabahar is to allow itself easier access to Af-ghanistan and Central Asia, an access that Pakistan ostensibly for its own security reasons, has consistently denied to India by refusing to let it use Pakistani territory for transit to and from Afghanistan.

India, Iran and Afghanistan have signed an agreement to give In-dian goods, heading for Central Asia and Afghanistan, preferential treatment and tariff reductions at Chabahar. A strategic partnership between India, Iran and Russia is intended to establish a multimodal transport link connecting Mumbai with St. Petersburg, providing Eu-rope and Central Asia access to Asia and vice versa.

India and Iran are also discussing building a gas pipeline between the two countries along the bed of the Arabian Sea to bypass Pakistan, using the Chabahar port.

The Gwadar Port is expected to start operating full steam by the end of 2015. It is owned by the Gwadar Port Authority, a public sec-tor entity, and operated by a state-run Chinese fi rm — China Overseas Port Holding Company. China has both fi nanced and constructed the port because it opens up a route for transporting Middle East oil by a 3,000km-long land route from the Gwadar port to Kashgar, the north-western Chinese city. Oil from the Middle East is to be unloaded at Gwadar and transported to China by rail and road. China is building the much talked about economic corridor costing around $12 billion connecting Gwadar to China’s Xinjiang via roads, railways and pipe-lines to transport oil and gas. This would also act as a bridge for Chi-na’s planned maritime Silk Route meant to link more than 20 coun-tries as part of a trans-Eurasian project. - The Express Tribune

The rising geopolitical

implications of parallel ports

America left Iraq toothless against a pack of wolvesIt is time today to take a stock of what America’s long war in Iraq achieved. And as Washington quit the theatre of violence leav-ing behind its exclusive presence in the form of a large embassy and a few diplomats it actually left behind a dangerous legacy and an entire gamut of diplomat-ic quagmire. The full and fi nal pullout of the US troops from Iraq defi nitely did not “bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end”. To the Americans the exercise was more like escaping without fulfi lling what they had prom-ised and to millions of Iraqis it was a betrayal as they have be en left alone, virtually toothless, to defend themselves against packs of wild wolves. Much like the invasion, American departure

from Iraq too will remain deeply steeped in controversy — a hor-ror that will haunt America for years to come.Daliah MustafaMuttrah

Politics in India is now caught in malestormPolity in India is currently caught in a maelstrom, potent enough to induce a deep structural change threatening, more than ever, to turn the country’s traditional political system, structure and the conventional power structure absolutely redundant. Or, at least, replacing them with an emerging alternative — the civil society. Un-like the Arab Spring, the ‘trans-parency movement’ in India is not to bludgeon any radical change. It doesn’t seek to pull down any

government. It is a movement to instil greater degree of probity in politics — to reclaim the moral foundations of both administra-tion and politics, which seems to have evaporated in India in the past 63 years of independence.Nirmala SrinivasWadi Kabir

Oman has achieved high level of digital evolutionIn keeping with time and evolv-ing technology the government of Oman has long ago revolu-tionised its information dis-semination system from paper to digital. And this has helped the Sultanate to make all its targeted information acces-sible from any part of the world within minutes. And the results have been stunning. But in this

fast evolving fi eld, there is there a way the government can make its dissemination of information even more effi cacious? Could privatisation of the management of all its websites be a worth considering? Asadul Iqbal LatifMuscat

Youth too must remain vigilant about healthPromoting healthy practices and health consciousness at an early stage is extremely important. Admitted, parents and even teachers have a critical role in inculcating the awareness, but youths too need to remain much more vigilant about their health.B. B. GurumurthyMuscat

READERS’ FORUM

It’s not the voting that’s democracy, it’s the counting

TOM STOPPARD

website: www.newindiaoman.com

NEW INDIA ASSURANCENew India’s PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY and PUBLIC LIABILITY POLICIES safeguard the professional hazards of Doctors/Engineers/Architects/Hospitals/Hotels etc.

ASIAS AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5 A9

Myanmar rescues more than 200 Bangladeshi migrants

YANGON: Myanmar’s navy has brought ashore 200 Bangladeshis found in a boat off its coast, after its military chief said some of the thousands of migrants that have landed in Malaysia and Indonesia this month are pretending to be Rohingyas to get UN aid.

In response, a senior US offi cial said on Friday that the majority of the more than 3,000 migrants that have come ashore are Ro-hingya fl eeing desperate condi-tions in Rakhine State in western Myanmar.

Southeast Asia’s migrant crisis blew up after a Thai crackdown on human traffi cking led criminals to abandon overloaded boats in the Bay of Bengal and the Anda-man Sea rather than risk trying to smuggle or traffi c them through preferred transit routes in Thai-land. The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR estimated on Friday that some 3,500 migrants are still stranded on boats with dwindling supplies, and repeated its appeal for the region’s govern-ments to rescue them.

DiscoveredMyanmar’s navy discovered two Thai boats on Thursday, one car-rying migrants and the other emp-ty, the Rakhine state government said in a press release on Friday.

“One is loaded with around 200 Bengali people,” it said, using the government term for illegal mi-grants from Bangladesh.

“The people on the boat were all from Bangladesh,” said Rakhine State government executive sec-retary Tin Maung Swe. “We will deport them.”

Myanmar has faced interna-tional criticism for not doing enough to help those at sea or stem to fl ow of migrants.

US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited My-anmar on Thursday and Friday, called on the country to address the racial and religious discrimi-nation and violence that Wash-ington says is one of the root caus-es of the migration.

“The majority are, in fact, from Rakhine State, are Rohingya and have left because of the desperate conditions they face in Rakhine

State,” Blinken told reporters on Friday, speaking of the thousands of migrants that have come ashore in the region.

StatelessMost of Myanmar’s 1.1 million Rohingya are stateless and live in apartheid-like conditions in the state. Almost 140,000 were displaced in deadly clashes with majority Buddhists in Rakhine in 2012. They are denied citizen-ship and have long complained of state-sanctioned discrimination.

Myanmar denies discriminat-ing against the group and has said it is not the source of the problem. It classifi es the group as Bengalis, a term rejected by most Rohingya for implying they are illegal immi-

grants from Bangladesh, despite having, in many cases, lived in Ra-khine for generations.

Myanmar military chief Gen-eral Min Aung Hlaing cast doubt on the origin of many of the refu-gees in comments carried in My-anmar’s state media on Friday. He “hinted that most victims are expected to assume themselves to be Rohingya from Myanmar in the hope of receiving assistance from UNHCR” during a meeting with Blinken on Thursday, the state-backed Global New Light of My-anmar newspaper reported.

“He stressed the need to in-vestigate their country of origin rather than to accuse a country,” the newspaper said.

Scores of Rohingya are paying

off people smugglers and return-ing to the squalid camps they used to live in after being held for months on overcrowded ships off the coast of Myanmar.

As well as Rohingya, many Bangladeshis seeking to escape poverty at home are also on the boats. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday pledged assistance and ordered the navy to rescue thousands adrift at sea, and a Thai offi cial said Myanmar had agreed to attend an emer-gency conference on the crisis on May 29.

Malaysia and Indonesia have said they would allow the thou-sands still at sea to come ashore temporarily, but Thailand has said it would not follow suit. — Reuters

Some 3,500 migrants

are still stranded on

boats with dwindling

supplies, says UN

refugee agency

Single pair of melons fetch $12,400 at Japanese auctionTOKYO: A single pair of premium melons fetched an eye-watering $12,400 (1.5 million yen) at an auc-tion in Japan on Friday.

The winning bid was placed by a local fruit wholesaler for the fi rst Yubari melons to go under the hammer this year at the Sap-poro Central Wholesale Market in northern Hokkaido, offi cials said.

The fi gure — enough to buy a brand new car in Japan — is some way short of the record for the lux-ury fruit, which fetched 2.5 million yen last year. High prices are the norm for the opening auction of the season and refl ect buyers’ desire for prestige. Yubari melons are con-sidered a status symbol in Japan with many being bought as a gift for friends and colleagues.

The best-quality Yubari melons are perfect spheres with a smooth, evenly patterned rind. A T-shaped stalk is left on the fruit, which is usually sold in an ornate box.

While the prices they fetch at

auction are very high, melons are not the only expensive fruit in Ja-pan. A single apple from a super-market can cost more than $3 and a presentation pack of 20 cherries might sell for over $100. — AFP

L U X U R Y F R U I T

Thailand junta detains opposition activists

BANGKOK: Thai authorities de-tained dozens of student activists protesting against military rule on Friday, a year after the army seized power from an elected govern-ment. The military has quashed public demonstrations and any sign of resistance to the May 22, 2014 coup which it says it was forced to undertake to end vio-lence between rival factions.

The military government has promised a general election next year but critics worry about a new constitution they say is un-democratic. Activists staged small shows of defi ance to mark the an-niversary of the takeover. Soldiers detained seven students, some who held anti-coup signs, after they gathered in the northeastern city of Khon Khaen. “We invited them to talk but they would not back down so we are sending them to the police,” said a soldier in the area who declined to be identifi ed.

Released laterIn Bangkok, police detained 13 members of the Young People for Social-Democracy student group who were protesting against the coup. The activists were later re-leased, the group said on its Face-book page. Later, police detained around 30 more young people out-side the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre, a Reuters witness said.

The group had gathered and locked hands at 6 p.m. (1100 GMT) in front of the centre, which was the location of small daily protests in the days following the coup, the wit-ness said. Thailand has been mired for a decade in rivalry between the Bangkok-based establishment and ousted premier Thasksin Shina-watra, a former telecommunica-tions tycoon whose policies won him the support of the poor but the hostility of the elite. The govern-ment ousted last year was led by Thaksin’s sister, the country’s fi rst woman prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra. — Reuters

C O U P A N N I V E R S A R Y

In Bangkok, police detained 13 members of the Young People for Social-Democracy student group who were protesting against the coup. The activists were later released, the group said on its Facebook page. Later, police detained around 30 more young people outside the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre

UNENDING ORDEAL: A Rohingya migrant woman, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, cries as she talks on the phone to her

mother in Malaysia, inside a temporary compound for refugees in Aceh Timur regency, Indonesia’s Aceh Province, on Friday. – Reuters

PRIZE PRODUCE: A pair of Yubari melons with a price of $12,400

is displayed at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market in Sapporo,

Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, on Friday. Right: The success-

ful bidder, centre, shows the Yubari melons. – AFP

WORLDS AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5A10

WAVE AND GOTH FESTIVALRevellers attend the Victorian Picnic during the Wave and Goth festival in Leipzig, Germany, on Friday. The annual festival, known in

Germany as Wave-Gotik Treff en (WGT), features over 100 bands and artists in venues all over the city playing Gothic rock and otherstyles of

the dark wave music subculture. One of the biggest of its kind, the event attracts a regular audience of up to 20,000, the

organisers said. — Reuters FOR MORE PHOTOS

3,000 Burundi refugees in Tanzania hit by cholera

GENEVA/BUJUMBURA: About 3,000 refugees fl eeing political turmoil in Burundi have been in-fected in a cholera epidemic in neighbouring Tanzania, the Unit-ed Nations said on Friday, stoking fears of a growing humanitarian crisis in Africa’s Great Lakes.

Up to 400 new cases of the deadly disease were emerging every day, the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR said, mainly in Tanza-nia’s Kagunga peninsula where tens of thousands of Burundians have taken refuge, often in squalid conditions.

Burundi President Pierre Nku-runziza’s decision last month to stand for a third term has triggered protests, a failed coup and sent ref-ugees, many from Burundi’s Tutsi minority, into Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Re-public of Congo.

Two-term limitOpponents have accused Nkurun-ziza of breaking a two-term limit in the constitution and a deal that ended an ethnically-fuelled civil war in 2005.

Regional leaders, fearing that the unrest could reopen ethnic divides, have scrambled to end the standoff .

A Tanzanian health offi cial told Reuters on Wednesday that at least 33 people had died from chol-era in Tanzania near Lake Tang-anyika. — Reuters

H E A L T H W O E S

Confident of EU reform deal by 2017: UK prime minister

RIGA: Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday he was “con-fi dent” of striking an EU reform deal to put before British voters by 2017 but warned of “ups and downs” in the process.

On his fi rst overseas trip since winning a general election two weeks ago, Cameron kicked off months of negotiations to per-suade other European leaders of the need for reforms which he says will require treaty change.

“I’m confi dent because in the end I think it’s in everybody’s interests,” Cameron told report-ers after a summit of the 28-na-tion bloc and six former Soviet states in Riga.

But he also warned there would

be “lots of noise, lots of ups and downs along the way” from other European states questioning his proposals.

Facing pressure from euro-sceptics two years ago, Cameron promised to allow Britons to vote in a referendum by the end of 2017 on whether to leave Europe if he won this year’s election.

Outright majorityHaving secured victory with a surprise outright majority, he will now campaign to stay in the EU as long as he can secure reforms such as making it harder for EU migrants to claim state benefi ts in Britain.

Opinion polls currently indi-cate that Britons will vote in fa-vour staying part of the EU.

Cameron’s preliminary talks with a string of leaders will be fol-

lowed by a spell of intense diplo-macy next week.

He will host European Com-mission head Jean-Claude Junck-er at his country residence, Cheq-uers, on Monday, before travelling to Paris and Berlin for talks on Thursday and Friday respectively.

The British leader’s main goals include controlling migration by making it harder for EU migrants to claim state benefi ts in Britain, opting out from the EU’s commit-ment to “ever closer union” and handing powers back to national parliaments.

In Riga, he met leaders includ-ing Poland’s Ewa Kopacz and Hungary’s Viktor Orban for brief, general discussions on his reform agenda, British offi cials said.

“It was a pitch about why these issues matter to the British peo-ple, why he needs to address them,

broader concerns around immi-gration, the direction of the EU,” one offi cial added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Not the time, placeBut French President Francois Hollande said he had not spoken to Cameron about the reforms.

“It was not the place and it was not the time,” Hollande added of the summit focused on developing the EU’s partnerships with former Soviet states including Ukraine, highlighting that the two would meet next week.

Britain, Europe’s second largest economy and a permanent mem-ber of the UN Security Council, is a member of the EU but has kept its own currency rather than adopting the euro.

Neither is it part of the Schen-gen Area, the group of 26 Eu-ropean countries which have abolished passport and border controls at common borders.

The main focus of the Eastern Partnership summit was on devel-oping the EU’s relationship with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

In their fi nal declaration, Euro-pean leaders reaffi rmed the “high importance” of building stronger relations with the states.

But EU president Donald Tusk said afterwards that, while the EU would be a “partner for the long haul”, the partnership would not lead to automatic EU membership.

“Nobody promised that the

Eastern Partnership would be automatically the way to member-ship of the EU... it will be a long process,” he said.

The summit declaration also urged the full implementation of the Minsk peace accords in Ukraine and reaffi rmed its posi-tion on the “illegal annexation” of Crimea by Russia last year.

The leaders met following a 2013 summit which ended in cha-os when Ukraine’s then president, pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych, balked at signing an EU associa-tion accord alongside Georgia and Moldova.

His refusal sparked mas-sive pro-EU protests that led to his ouster in February 2014, then to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and a bloody confl ict in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s current pro-Western President Petro Poroshenko com-pleted the agreement last year and wants ultimately to join the EU but this is a long-term objective at best.

Greece’s precarious debt bail-out was also on the agenda as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s leftist government races to ob-tain fresh funding from inter-national creditors demanding more austerity measures before a June deadline.

Following talks between Tsipras, Hollande and Ger-man Chancellor Angela Mer-kel on Thursday, Merkel said there was “still a lot to do” in the negotiations. — AFP

In Eiga, the British

prime minister

kicked off months

of negotiations to

persuade other

European leaders of

the need for reforms

which he says will

require treaty change

I’m confident because

in the end I think it’s in

everybody’s interests

David CameronBritain’s Prime Minister

AKP seen losing Turkey parliament majority in June pollISTANBUL/ANKARA: Turkey’s ruling AK Party may lose its par-liamentary majority in a June 7 election and be forced to form ei-ther a coalition or a minority gov-ernment, according to a poll pri-vately commissioned by Turkish business and cited in newspapers on Friday.

The poll by research fi rm Konda showed support for the AK Party dropping to 40.5 percent from 49.8 per cent at the last general election in 2011, according to bankers who have seen the re-search and highlights published by Turkish newspapers.

The poll, which has not been made public by Konda, also showed the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) would garner 11.5 per cent of the vote,

above the 10 per cent threshold needed to enter parliament.

The prospect of the AK Party being unable to form a single-party government unnerved fi -nancial markets, with Turkish assets underperforming emergingmarkets peers.

But a senior AKP offi cial dis-missed such an outcome, saying his party would see little more than a slight fall in support.

No reason“Even if there is a fall... there is no reason to expect a fall as sharp as Konda predicts,” Naci Bostanci, AK Party’s parliament group head said.

“I’d think AK Party’s vote would be far above 40 per cent. We can win around 46-47 per cent.”

Konda has built a strong reputa-tion over years for its research on parliamentary elections, although it overestimated support for Er-dogan in a presidential election last August.

Very diffi cultA drop in support to the level it forecast would make it very dif-fi cult for the AK Party to push through the constitutional chang-es sought by its co-founder, Presi-dent Tayyip Erdogan, who wants stronger executive powers.

Should it be forced into coali-tion, the AKP’s most likely part-ners are seen as the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), with which it shares some right-leaning ideology.

A coalition with the HDP is also

seen as a possibility, but HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtas has ruled out such a move.

Simple majorityEconomists and traders say markets have been pricing in a simple majority for the AK Par-ty, albeit a weaker one than in 2011, and the Konda poll jangled investor nerves.

The lira weakened to 2.6050 to the dollar by 1345 GMT, un-derperforming major emerging markets peers.

The main stock index was down 0.88 per cent.

The Konda poll predicted less than 29 per cent of the vote for the main opposition Republican Peo-ple’s Party (CHP) and less than 15 percent for the MHP. — Reuters

O P I N I O N P O L L

OUTRAGE: A giant election banner with a portrait of Turkish Prime

Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reading ‘Turkey’s choice for continued

growth’ hangs on the Valens Aqueduct in Istanbul on Friday. AKP

outraged archeologists by nailing the banner into an over one-and-

a-half-millenium-old aqueduct in Istanbul which is one of the city’s

most famous landmarks. — AFP

UN accuses South Sudan of targeting civilians

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations on Friday accused South Sudan’s rebel and government forces of targeting one of its bases sheltering civilians during a fl are-up of fi ghting, and demanded that those responsible face justice.

Senior peacekeeping offi cial Ed-mond Mulet told reporters that 22 shells had hit the base in Melut, in Upper Nile State, over the past two days, killing eight civilians, in what could amount to a war crime.

Mulet said he had been in touch with both the government and the rebel sides to urge them to “stop targeting UN premises and our protection sites” and stressed that the fi eld commanders “know where the protection site is.”

A formal note has been sent to the UN Security Council over the violence targeting the UN base at Melut, which is sheltering 1,600 civilians.

InvestigationA UN investigation is under way to determine who fi red at the com-pound, said Mulet, the assistant secretary-general for peacekeep-ing. “We want to know who is re-sponsible,” Mulet said.

The base is being protected by some 150 UN police and military personnel, but most of the non-essential civilian staff have been evacuated.

UN offi cials have asked the gov-ernment of President Salva Kiir and rebel chief Riek Machar to “re-direct their fi re”. — AFP

C O N F L I C T

Up to 400 new cases of the deadly disease were emerging every day, the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR said, mainly in Tanzania’s Kagunga peninsula where tens of thousands of Burundians have taken refuge, often in squalid conditions

SPOR S

S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

Kiwis make England toil

LONDON: Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor mastered a lifeless England attack to lift New Zea-land to 303 for two at the close on the second day of the fi rst Test at Lord’s on Friday.

Replying to England’s 389, the pair shared an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 155 to give the touring side the ascendancy in the match. Williamson was 92 not out at the close with Taylor on 47 and New Zealand will look to build a big lead on Saturday to put pressure on the hosts in their second innings.

Tom Latham and Martin Gup-till also made fl uent half centu-ries in a solid opening partner-ship of 148 before the former, on 59, was trapped lbw by spinner Moeen Ali.

Three balls later Guptill drove Stuart Broad loosely to cover where Gary Ballance took a fi ne sprawling catch to dismiss the el-egant right-hander for 70.

That was England’s last suc-cess of the day, however, as the compact Williamson went about his work.

He pushed the ball around clev-erly and effi ciently dispatched loose balls to the boundary, reaching his fi fty off 78 deliver-ies. Taylor started watchfully but he played a couple of signature sweetly-timed drives in the fi nal session to signal his return to form after a poor run.

England captain Alastair Cook rotated his bowlers but none of the seamers extracted any move-

ment and the hosts were sloppy in the fi eld, Ian Bell spilling a catch in the slips and Jos Buttler miss-ing a late stumping chance.

New Zealand took three wick-ets in the fi rst hour to wrap up the England innings after the hosts resumed on 354 for seven. Moeen reached his fi fty before edging left-arm seamer Trent Boult to stand-in wicketkeeper Latham for 58. — Reuters

Replying to England’s

389, the pair shared

an unbroken third-

wicket partnership of

155 to give the touring

side the ascendancy

in the match

Pouya holds slender lead over EhsanTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Iranian Grandmas-ter Pouya Idani managed to stay ahead of the pack with a crucial victory in the men’s category while three women are on same points as the competition is heating up in the ongoing Asian Zonal Chess Championship (Zone 3.1) for men and women on Friday.

In the seventh of the nine-round competition, Pouya Idani despite playing with black defeated com-patriot and fellow Grandmaster Pouri Darini in 64 moves to take his tally six points.

With just two rounds left to de-cide who will seal the lone berth available for the Fide Chess World Cup. It will be diffi cult for Pouri, on four points at present, to catch up with Pouya.

However, close on the heels on Pouya is another Iranian Grand-master Ehsan Ghaem Maghani who moved to fi ve points thanks to his victory over Attallah Tamra of Palestine. Just half a point be-hind Ehsan is Iraqi FM Ahmed Abdulsattar Abdulwahad who ac-counted for Yemeni International Master Basheer Al Qudaimi. A fur-ther half a point behind is Qatari International Master Husein Aziz Nezad, who defeated Maher Ayyad of Bahrain.

In other games, Lebanon’s Ibra-him Chahrour defeated Khaled Hashem of Kuwait, Bahser Iyti of Syria defeated Abdulrahman Al Masrhi.

Basheer, Ibrahim and Basher also have four points each like Pouria. Meanwhile, Amin Al Ansi defeated Mohammed Salim Al Mamari in all-Omani clash. Amin has so far earned three points.

Three-way raceThe competition in the women’s category is getting even fi ercer with former world champion Chen Zhu of Qatar and Iranians Atousa Pourkashiyan and Mitra Hejazipour making it a three-way contest for the lone qualifying spot.

In Friday’s seventh round, Grandmaster Zhu Chen defeated Iraq’s Iman Hasan Mohammed Al Rufaye.

Zhu Chen now has six points, same as Atousa and Mitra. Atousa, playing with black, took 5 moves to get the better of Omani girl Wafi a Al Ghafri while Mitra defeated an-other local girl Mariya Al Balushi in just 29 moves.

Behind the leading trio in the 10-strong fi eld is UAE’s Abeer Ali on 4.5 points. She defeated Suad Al Kanderi of Kuwait.

In another game, Afamia Mir Mahmoud of Syria defeated Yara Faqeeh of Palestine to take her points to four points.

Standings Men (after seventh round): Pouya Idani (Iran) 6 pts, Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (Iran) 5.5 pts, Ahmed Abdulsattar Abdulwahab (Iraq) 5 pts, Husein Aziz Nezad (Qatar) 4.5 pts, Basheer Al Qudaimi (Yemen) 4 pts, Pouria Darini (Iran) 4 pts, Ibrahim Chahrour (Lebanon) 4 pts, Basher Iyti (Syr) 4 pts, Ma-her Ayyad (Bahrain) 3 pts, Attallah Tamra (Palestine) 3 pts, Amin Al Ansi (Oman) 3 pts, Khaled Hashem (Kuwait) 2 pts, Abdulrah-man Al Mashri (Saudi Arabia) 1 pt.

Women (after seventh round): Chen Zhu (Qatar) 6 pts, Atousa Purkashiyan (Iran) 6 pts), Mitra Hejazipour (Iran) 6 pts, Abeer Ali (UAE) 4.5 points, Afamia Mir Mahmoud (Syria) 4 pts, Iman Hasan Mohammed Al Ru-faye (Iraq) 3.5 pts, Yara Faqeeh (Palestine) 2 pts, Wafi a Al Ghafri (Oman) 2 pts, Mariya Al Balushi (Oman) 1 pts.

C H E S S

It’s Chennai vs Mumbai in fi nalRANCHI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) reached the fi nal of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the sixth time as they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by three wick-ets in the qualifi er 2 of the Twen-ty20 tournament at the JSCA International Stadium on Friday.

Put in to bat, two-time run-ners-up RCB could only manage a modest total of 139/8 with left-handed opener Chris Gayle top-scoring with 41. Sarfaraz Khan also played a handy innings of 31. Left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra was the pick of the bowlers for CSK as he picked up 3 for 28 from his four overs.

In reply of the small target, two-time champions CSK were driven by a patient knock from veteran Michel Hussey, who scored 56 from 46 balls. The left-hander shared a useful 47-run stand with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) to help his side reach home with three wickets and a ball to spare.

With this win, CSK set up Sunday’s title clash with Mum-bai Indians, who won the qualifi -er 1 against the same opponents on Tuesday. Earlier, veteran pacer Nehra once again came good for CSK as he clinched 3/28 in his four overs, including the vital wickets of RCB skipper Vi-rat Kohli (12) and explosive bats-man AB de Villiers (1).

Nehra was well assisted by off -spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who ended with brilliant bowl-ing fi gures of 4-0-13-1, scalping Mandeep Singh (4). The duo did not allow the RCB batsmen to accelerate at all.

Though left-handed opener Chris Gayle top-scored with 41, it wasn’t his usual innings as he played 43 balls and hit only two boundaries and three sixes.

Two important cameos from wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh

Karthik (28) and Sarfaraz Khan (31) helped augment RCB’s to-tal at the end, but the top order failed to make an impact when it mattered the most.

Good bowling changes and fi eld placements by CSK skipper Dhoni also proved signifi cant as Mohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Dwayne Bravo also clinched a wicket each to slow down the run rate and restrict RCB to 139 for 8. — IANS

I N D I A N P R E M I E R L E A G U E

ACTION CONTINUES: Women participants are full of comcentration.

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe for emotional victory at home

LAHORE: Pakistan marked in-ternational cricket’s return to the trouble-torn country with a fi ve-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the fi rst Twenty20 International at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. Openers Mukhtar Ahmed (83) and Ahmed Shehzad (55) added 142 runs before captain Shahid Afridi hit a boundary off the fi rst ball he faced to seal an emotional victory with three balls to spare.

Earlier, Hamilton Masakadza (43) shone upfront and captain Elton Chigumbura (54) provided the late assault to help Zimbabwe post a strong 172-6 having opting to bat fi rst.

Six years after an attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore left six Pakistani policemen and a van driver dead, Zimbabwe be-came the fi rst test-playing nation to tour the country for a limited overs series. — AFP

T W E N T Y 2 0

England 1st InningsA. Lyth c Watling b Southee 7A. Cook c Watling b b Henry 16G. Ballance c Southee b Boult 1I. Bell b Henry 1J. Root c Latham b Henry 98B. Stokes b Craig 92J. Buttler lbw b Boult 67M. Ali c Latham b Boult 58S. Broad c Latham b Boult 3M. Wood not out 8J. Anderson c and b Henry 11Extras (b-16, lb-6, w-2, nb-3) 27Total (all out, 100.5 overs, 433 mins) 389Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Lyth), 2-25 (Bal-lance), 3-25 (Cook), 4-30 (Bell), 5-191 (Stokes), 6-251 (Root), 7-354 (Buttler), 8-363 (Ali), 9-368 (Broad), 10-389 (An-

derson)Bowling: Boult 29-6-79-4; Southee 24-1-104-1 (3nb, 1w); Henry 24.5-3-93-4 (1w); Craig 18-2-77-1; Anderson 5-1-14-0New Zealand 1st InningsM. Guptill c Ballance b Broad 70T. Latham lbw b Ali 59K. Williamson not out 92R. Taylor not out 47Extras (b-14, lb-20, nb-1) 35Total (2 wkts, 77 overs, 332 mins) 303Fall of wickets: 1-148, 2-148Bowling: Anderson 16-4-46-0; Broad 16-2-42-1; Wood 13-0-60-0 (1nb); Stokes 13-2-63-0; Ali 17-3-52-1; Root 2-0-6-0Match position: New Zealand are 86 runs behind England with eight fi rst-innings wickets standing.

S C O R E B O A R D

GOOD KNOCK: Williamson was unbeaten on 92 at stumps. – AFP

GOOD START: Pakistani batsmen Ahmed Shehzad, right, and

Mukhtar Ahmed run between the wicket during the fi rst Interna-

tional T20 cricket match at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium. – AFP

ZimbabweH. Masakadza b Sami 43V. Sibanda c Ahmed b Sami 13C. Coventry c Ahmed b Riaz 14E Chigumbura b Riaz 54S. Williams c Riaz b Malik 16Sikandar Raza c Ahmed b Sami 17R. Mutumbami not out 4G. Cremer not out 2Extras (lb-3, nb-1, w-5) 9Total (for six wkts; 20 overs) 172Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-58, 3-73, 4-100, 5-142, 6-168Bowling: Ali 3-0-18-0, Sami 4-0-36-3 (1w), Bhatti 3-0-37-0 (1nb), Riaz 4-0-38-2 (4w), Afridi 3-0-28-0, Malik 3-0-12-1PakistanM. Ahmed c c Mutumbami b Cremer 83

A. Shehzad c Mutumbami b Williams 55M. Hafeez c Coverntry b Cremer 12S. Malik b Panyangara 7U. Akmal c Sibanda b Vitori 4S. Ahmed not out 3S. Afridi not out 4Extras: (lb-5) 5Total: (for fi ve wkts; 19.3 overs) 173Fall of wickets: 1-142, 2-144, 3-157, 4-162, 5-169Bowling: Panyangara 2.3-0-28-1, Vitori 4-0-24-1, Mpofu 3-0-32-0, Williams 4-0-33-0, Cremer 4-0-28-2, Raza 2-0-23-0Result: Pakistan won by fi ve wicketsToss: ZimbabweUmpires: Ahsan Raza (PAK) and Shozab Raza (PAK)Tv umpire: Ahmed Shahab (PAK)

S C O R E B O A R D

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALOREC. Gayle c & b Raina 41V. Kohli c Sharma b Nehra 12AB de Villiers lbw b Nehra 1Mandeep c Hussey b Ashwin 4D. Karthik c Sharma b Nehra 28S. Khan c Negi b Bravo 31D. Wiese c Bravo b Sharma 12H. Patel run out (Dhoni) 2M. Starc not out 1S. Aravind not out 0Extras (lb-2, w-5) 7Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 139Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-25, 3-36, 4-80, 5-107, 6-125, 7-138, 8-139Bowling: A. Nehra 4-0-28-3; R. Ashwin 4-0-13-1; M. Sharma 4-0-22-1; S. Raina 3-0-36-1; D. Bravo 3-0-21-1; P. Negi 1-0-4-0; R. Jadeja 1-0-13-0CHENNAI SUPER KINGSD. Smith c Starc b Aravind 17M. Hussey c Patel b Wiese 56F. du Plessis b Chahal 21S. Raina c Wiese b Chahal 0M. Dhoni c Karthik b Patel 26P. Negi run out (Khan) 12D. Bravo b Starc 0R. Jadeja not out 0R. Ashwin not out 1Extras (b-3, lb-1, w-3) 7 Total (7 wickets; 19.5 overs) 140Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-61, 3-61, 4-108, 5-135, 6-135, 7-139Bowling: M. Starc 4-0-27-1; S. Aravind 4-0- 25-1; H. Patel 3.5-0-26-1; D.Wiese 4-0-30-1; Y. Chahal 4-0-28-2Man of the match: A. Nehra

S C O R E B O A R D

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Nadal and Djokovic placed on French Open collision course

PARIS: Nine-time champion Ra-fael Nadal and world number one Novak Djokovic were placed on a French Open quarterfi nal collision course in Friday’s draw.

Nadal is seeded a lowly sixth this year after slipping to seven in the rankings and as a result was al-ways likely to face one of his major rivals in the last eight.

“It’s very strange,” admitted Na-dal, promoted to the sixth seeding after the injury-enforced pull-out of Canada’s Milos Raonic. “It’s never happened before.

“But I have to play four matches to get to the quarterfi nals. I have to be ready for the fi rst round.”

Nadal defeated Djokovic in the 2012 and 2014 fi nals, but the top-seeded Serb, who turned 28 on Fri-day, is the overwhelming favourite for a maiden Roland Garros title this year. Djokovic goes into the French Open, which starts Sun-day, riding a 22-match unbeaten streak and has already captured a fi fth Australian Open and Masters crowns in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome this year.

Djokovic, bidding to become only the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam, starts his

campaign in Paris against expe-rienced Finn Jarkko Nieminen while Nadal begins against French wildcard Quentin Halys.

The other potential quarterfi -nals could see second seed Roger Federer, the 2009 champion, face Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka.

Third seeded Andy Murray was drawn for a potential clash against David Ferrer while Tomas Berdych could tackle Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

Federer, the 2009 champion,

starts against a qualifi er.Murray is a potential semifi nal

opponent for Djokovic and Na-dal with the Scot, the champion on clay in Madrid this year, starting against a qualifi er.

In the women’s singles, top seed Serena Williams was handed a tough draw which could see the American taking on old rival Vic-toria Azarenka and sister Venus before the quarter-fi nals.

Williams, the 2002 and 2013

champion, starts against a quali-fi er but could meet sister Venus in the last 16. Two-time Australian Open winner and former number one Azarenka is a potential third round opponent for Williams.

Adding extra spice to the draw is the presence of bitter American rival Sloane Stephens in Serena’s half of the draw. Stephens could face the two-time champion in the last 16 but she starts against Venus.

In contrast, second seeded de-fending champion Maria Shara-pova starts against experienced Estonian Kaia Kanepi and could tackle Spanish claycourter Carla Sanchez Navarro in the quarterfi -nals. Former number one Caroline Wozniacki is a possible last-eight opponent for Williams.

Third seed Simona Halep could meet Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the quarterfi nals. - AFP

Nadal is seeded a

lowly sixth this year

after slipping to

seven in the rankings

and as a result was

always likely to face

one of his major

rivals in the last eight

DRAW CEREMONY: Russian star Maria Sharapova, President of the Federation Francaise de Tennis

Jean Gachassin and Spanish champion Rafael Nadal pose after the draw for the fi rst round of the Ro-

land Garros 2015 French Open Tennis championships in Paris. – AFP

LONDON: Seven-times grand slam John McEnroe knows how it feels when a tennis career starts going in the wrong direction. That’s why he is paying careful attention to Rafa Nadal’s cur-rent travails as the Spaniard prepares to try and win a re-cord-extending 10th French Open. At nearly 29, Nadal is already four years older than McEnroe was when he claimed his last grand slam title. And after a season in which once rare defeats on his favoured claycourts have arrived with alarming frequency, no wonder many believe Nadal has reached a tipping point.

McEnroe, however, thinks it is foolhardy to dismiss the Mallorcan as a fading force and fully expects him to fi nd his ‘A game’ in the days ahead.

“He obviously wants to try to peak for the French,” McEnroe, who will form part of Eurosport’s commentary team at the championships, told Reuters by telephone on Thursday. “He was out for a while, he came back, he fi gured he would work his way back to the sort of level he needs and the confi dence level he needs to win again.

“I guess by Madrid or Rome he would at least liked to have won one or two but it’s hard not to think that he’s gonna take it up to another level (at the French) unless there’s physically some-

thing wrong with him.” Former world number one McEnroe says everything points to Novak Djokovic winning his fi rst French Open and says the only player capable of stopping the in-form Serb is Nadal. “It’s hard to think that there’s anyone who could beat Novak other than (Nadal) in a fi ve set match based on what I’ve seen,” said McEnroe, who let slip a two-set lead against Ivan Lendl in the 1984 French Open fi nal and was never the same again.

While McEnroe’s career decline was triggered by the early retirement of great rival Bjorn Borg at 25, Nadal, according to McEnroe, is suff ering the consequences of his physical style.

Where Pete Sampras used to serve players off court, 17-times grand slam cham-pion Roger Federer dazzles and Djokovic clinically dis-sects them, Nadal’s magnifi -cent career has been built on warrior-like instincts.

“He’s had such an unbeliev-able record but he’s a human being,” the 56-year-old said. “It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly that will happen but he doesn’t seem like he’s himself.

“Maybe on the clay where you have to grind more than on other surfaces, you can get exposed a little sooner and people start wondering what’s going on.” - Reuters

Expect Nadal to step it up in Paris, says McEnroe

Hamilton clocks top timesMONACO: Lewis Hamilton oozed all the authority and skill of a champion on Thursday as he marked the confi rmation of his new three-year contract with Mer-cedes by dominating both opening practice sessions for this week-end’s Monaco Grand Prix.

The 30-year-old Briton, who was beaten into second place by his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg of Germany at the Span-ish Grand Prix two weeks ago, delivered a consummate perfor-mance in cool, treacherous and wet conditions on the unforgiv-ing streets of the Mediterranean principality.

It was a perfect riposte to Ros-berg’s revival and confi rmed Ham-ilton’s intention to win Sunday’s classic 78-laps race and wreck his rival’s bid for a rare hat-trick of successive victories on his home town road track.

“It’s been great, a good day so far,” said Hamilton after comple-tion of an afternoon session inter-rupted by a heavy rain shower and a red-fl ag following an accident when Spaniard Roberto Merhi lost control of his Manor Marussia car at the exit of the tunnel. He hit the barriers, but was unhurt.

“You need to get on the pace quickly and fi nd the time and be very specifi c with any changes you make,” said Hamilton. “And it is better not to make too many.

“The simulations can help some-times, but here today the balance was not far off so for me it was just a case of tweaking it here and there.

“The fi rst session was really good and this one was good, too... So, so far; so good... I happy with the balance.”

Hamilton did one lap after the rain, in wet conditions, and said: “I think that the only thing I learned was that the white lines, which are painted black now, are slipperier than ever! This black paint is more slippery than the white... Other than that, you know, this is the hardest track to drive in the wet.”

His Mercedes team-mate Ros-berg was second fastest at the end of the day by more than seven-tenths of a second ahead of four-

time champion German Sebastian Vettel and his Ferrari team-mate Finn Kimi Raikkonen.

Rosberg, 29, who is 20 points behind Hamilton in the title race, survived a ‘moment’ during the morning’s opening session when he brushed the barriers at Tabac. The incident ruined that lap and caused him to return to the pits, but left his car with no serious damage.

“It wasn’t a perfect day,” he said. “Not perfect weather for practice and I think that was a complete surprise. We all put on ‘super-softs’ for second practice and the rain came.” — AFP

F O R M U L A O N E

GOOD PRACTICE: Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of

Britain talks with his staff during the second practice session of the

Monaco Grand Prix in Monaco. – Reuters

Relegation, Europe to play for on fi nal dayMADRID: Almeria, Deportivo la Coruna, Eibar and Granada will fi ght it out to avoid the two re-maining relegation places when the Spanish league season comes to a close on Saturday.

The makeup of Spain’s rep-resentatives in next season’s Champions League will also be decided with Valencia and Sevilla still vying for fourth place, whilst Atletico Madrid need a point to secure third and avoid a tricky qualifi er in August.

Deportivo and Granada hold the advantage in the battle to avoid the drop as they lead Eibar and Almeria by two points. How-ever, they both face tough tasks this weekend as Depor travel to champions Barcelona, whilst in-form Granada host Atletico.

“It is diffi cult to get anything at the Camp Nou. We are facing the best team in the world, but we need to show that we are play-ing for our lives,” said Deportivo striker Oriol Riera.

Barca, though, may not be in a forgiving mood despite having the title sewn up as the Camp Nou is expected to pay homage to Xavi Hernandez on his fi nal league game for the club after a 17-year playing career.

Having previously won just twice in the league since September, Granada have won their last three games since Jose Ramon Sandoval took charge earlier this month to keep their survival hopes alive.

“A month ago it was almost im-possible to survive and now we are just one game away from achiev-ing it. A draw could do us and eve-ryone believes we will do it,” said Ruben Perez, who looks set to fea-ture against his parent club.

Atletico will defi nitely achieve their objective of qualifi cation for the Champions League group stages with a point, but could still be usurped should they lose and Valencia win at Almeria.

“It is diffi cult to think that one game could defi ne a season, but it is true that for us this point is very important,” added Atletico mid-fi elder Tiago. Almeria’s chances of staying up could be decided both on the pitch and in the court room in the coming days.

Even should they beat Los Che to avoid the drop, a fi nal decision on whether they are to be docked three points for unpaid sums to Danish club Aalborg for the transfer of Michael Jakobsen in 2010 will be made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Tuesday.

A Valencia slip-up in Almeria would also have consequences at the top as Sevilla could move into fourth with victory at Malaga.

However, Sevilla also have a second chance at Champions League qualifi cation as they will go straight into next season’s group stages even if they fi nish fi fth should they retain the Europa League against Dnipro Dnipro-petrovsk on Wednesday. - AFP

S P A N I S H L E A G U E

It’s Blatter vs Prince Ali as Figo, Van Praag exit

PARIS: Luis Figo and Mi-chael van Praag pulled out of the race for the Fifa presidency Thursday, leaving controver-sial incumbent Sepp Blatter in a straight fi ght with Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al Hussein.

Former Portugal captain Figo withdrew with a bitter broad-side at the contentious election campaign which will culminate in a vote on May 29 where Blat-ter is widely expected to hang on to a post he has held since 1998.

“I do not fear the ballot box, but I will not go along with nor will I give my consent to a pro-cess which will end on May 29 and from which soccer will not emerge the winner,” Figo wrote on his Facebook page. “My deci-sion is made, I will not stand in what is being called an election for the Fifa presidency.”

Dutch Fifa presidential candi-date van Praag also announced he was dropping his bid, saying he will back Prince Ali instead.

Van Praag, a former Ajax chairman announced his can-didacy in January, saying he wanted to modernise the world governing body “which has lost all credibility.”

Fifa had become ridden with suspicion, confl icts of interest and allegations of nepotism and cor-ruption, he said at the time. - AFP

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

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMS AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

STATE BANK OF INDIA’SPROFIT TOPS ESTIMATESState Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender by assets, posted a bigger-than-estimated increase in fourth-quarter profi t as bad loans fell and interest income rose. >B2

EU scrutinises Greece bank plans as debt crisis drags onBRUSSELS: The European Commission is preparing contin-gency plans for the Greek banking system in the event government leaders fail to agree to a deal to help the indebted nation, accord-ing to two people familiar with the talks.

Offi cials are looking at how to manage the failure of fi nancial fi rms in Greece and other events that may cause widespread inves-tor losses, said one of the people, who asked not to be identifi ed as the discussions are private.

The four largest banks in Greece, including the National Bank of Greece and Alpha Bank, all received notifi cations from in-dependent auditors questioning whether they can continue as so-called going concerns, according to earnings reports.

The fi nancial fi rms have suf-fered after the economy in Greece contracted for six straight years, a 2012 debt exchange forced the institutions to take large losses and the prolonged recession led

to an increase in non-performing loans.

“You cannot truly break the vi-cious circle of the bank- sovereign link if the sovereign is not ready to play ball,” said Nicolas Veron, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Eco-nomics in Washington. “You can mitigate it, but you cannot break it entirely.”

Spokespeople for the European Commission and the National Bank of Greece declined to com-ment. A spokesman at Alpha Bank didn’t immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

The FTSE/Athens Banks In-dex, which measures the perfor-mance of the bank sector of the Greek Stock Exchange, fell 0.7 per cent to 682.6 at 3:48pm in Athens, down 96.5 per cent since 2010.

Optimism that Greece could reach an accord with its creditors to unlock the remaining 7.2 billion euros ($8 billion) of its bailout funds waned on Friday after Ger-man Chancellor Angela Merkel said greater eff orts were needed. German Finance Minster Wolf-gang Schaeuble mentioned the possibility that Greece may need a parallel currency alongside the euro if talks fail, according to peo-ple familiar with his views.

The banks themselves are warning investors, with the Na-tional Bank of Greece signaling that it faces restrictions in ac-cessing the capital markets and is dependent on the ECB and the Bank of Greece for funding, ac-cording to a May 18 fi ling with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. — Bloomberg News

E U R O P E A N C O M M I S S I O N

Opec seen protecting market share in fi ght with shaleLONDON: Opec will stick with the strategy of favouring market share over prices when it meets next month because rival produc-ers are already starting to buckle.

All but one of the 34 analysts and traders surveyed by Bloomb-erg said the Organisation of Petro-leum Exporting Countries (Opec ) will maintain its daily production target of 30 million barrels when it meets in Vienna on June 5.

Saudi Arabia, the biggest of Opec’s 12 members, shaped the strategy at the last meeting in No-vember, arguing that the usual response of cutting output to boost prices would not address the threat from shale and other higher-cost suppliers. Prices rose by about $20 since mid-January as

producers cut spending plans and the number of active US drilling rigs fell by the most ever.

Dramatic cuts“Dramatic cuts in spending and drilling are fi nally having an im-pact, so why on earth would Saudi Arabia change course now their strategy is just starting to bear fruit,” Mike Wittner, head of oil re-search at Societe Generale, said by phone from New York on May 19. “Anyone who expects anything to happen at this meeting is going to be sorely disappointed.”

Brent crude, an international benchmark, traded at $66.32 a bar-rel at 9:19am London time. While that’s 43 per cent below last year’s high, it’s 47 per cent more than the

low reached on January 13. Opec’s 12 members pumped about 31.2 million barrels a day of crude in April, almost 3 million a day more than the what the world requires

from the group this quarter, ac-cording to the Paris-based Inter-national Energy Agency (IEA).

While some members, such as Iran and Venezuela, said they op-

posed the November 27 decision to maintain production, several Opec offi cials have signalled this month the group will continue with its current course. Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Roknoddin Javadi said on May 18 that that the existing production target is appropriate.

Biggest drop since JulyUS oil producers idled more than half of the country’s drilling rigs since October, according to data from Baker Hughes. The nation’s crude production fell 1.2 per cent to 9.3 million barrels a day last week, the biggest drop since July, Energy Information Administra-tion data show. Global investment in oil production might fall by $100 billion this year, according to the

IEA. Demand growth will acceler-ate to 1.3 million to 1.4 million bar-rels a day this year, Chris Bake, an executive director at Vitol Group, the world’s largest independent oil trader, said at a conference in Lon-don on May 20.

Lower prices and economic growth increased demand in Eu-rope, the Middle East and India, he said. Global oil demand rose 700,000 barrels a day last year, ac-cording to the IEA.

“Opec doesn’t really have a need to change course,” Francisco Blanch, Bank of America Corp.’s head of commodities research, said by phone from New York. “The strategy has achieved its goal of reining in supply and stimulat-ing demand.” — Bloomberg News

O I L S U P P L I E S

US infl ation inches closer to Federal Reserve goal

WASHINGTON: The cost of liv-ing excluding food and fuel rose at a faster pace than expected in April, indicating infl ation is inch-ing toward Federal Reserve’s goal.

The core consumer-price index climbed 0.3 per cent, the biggest gain since January 2013, refl ect-ing broad-based increases, a La-bour Department report showed today in Washington. The me-dian forecast of 84 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 0.2 per cent advance. Prices in-cluding those of food and fuel rose 0.1 per cent.

Costs will probably continue to increase as fuel expenses stabilise and a lack of apartments pushes up rents, one of the biggest catego-ries. Further fi rming in price pres-sures should help Federal Reserve policy makers gain confi dence infl ation will move toward their

two per cent goal as they con-sider their fi rst interest-rate rise since 2006. “Potentially, things are building in terms of infl ation faster than we thought,” said Guy Berger, an economist at RBS Se-curities in Stamford, Connecticut. “If core infl ation really is fi rming, then all of a sudden that starts putting pressure on the Fed.”

Stock-index futures and Treas-ury securities dropped after the report on concern a pickup in infl ation would cause Fed policy makers to raise interest rates later this year. The contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index maturing in June declined 0.2 per cent to 2,124.6 at 9:01am in New

York. The yield on the benchmark Treasury 10-year note, which moves inversely to prices, climbed to 2.22 per cent from 2.19 per cent late on Thursday.

Survey resultsEstimates for core consumer pric-es in the Bloomberg survey ranged from little changed to a 0.3 per cent advance. At a year- over-year rate, they rose 1.8 per cent in April, the same as in the prior month.

Consumer prices including all categories were projected to rise 0.1 per cent, with estimates rang-ing from a 0.4 per cent drop to a 0.4 percent advance. The CPI declined 0.2 per cent in the 12

months ended in April, the biggest year-to-year drop since October 2009. That mainly refl ected the plunge in energy costs that has re-cently abated.

Energy costs decreased 1.3 per cent in April after rising 1.1 per cent a month earlier. Food costs were little changed.

Restrained food and energy costs are helping prop up Ameri-cans’ spending power. Hourly wages adjusted for infl ation in-creased 2.3 per cent over the past 12 months on average, compared with a 2.1 per cent gain in the year ended March, according to a sepa-rate report from the Labour De-partment issued Friday. The ad-

vance in the core index last month was bolstered by prices for rents, used cars and trucks, and medical care, which showed the biggest in-crease since January 2007.

Infl ation will need to keep ris-ing in order for Fed offi cials to be “reasonably confi dent” that progress on their price stability mandate is suffi cient to allow for an increase in the benchmark in-terest rate. The offi cials’ preferred measure of price growth, the per-sonal consumption expenditures gauge, rose 0.3 per cent in the year ended March and hasn’t met the Fed’s goal since April 2012.

Many of the participants in the central bankers’ April 28-29 meeting “thought it unlikely that the data available in June would provide suffi cient confi rmation that the conditions for raising the target range for the federal funds rate had been satisfi ed,” accord-ing to minutes of the gathering released on Wednesday.

The Fed offi cials will announce the start of interest-rate increases at their September meeting, ac-cording to 42 of 54 economists surveyed by Bloomberg May 8-13.

A rout in oil markets in the second half of 2014 still might be keeping airfares from rising at a faster pace as airlines enjoy cheaper fuel costs. American Air-lines is among carriers ready to is-sue discounted tickets if the com-petition demands it. — Bloomberg News

Core consumer-price

index climbed 0.3

per cent, the biggest

gain since January

2013, refl ecting

broad-based

increases, a Labour

Department report

showed on Friday

‘Iran petrochem firms in talks with foreign banks for loans’

TEHRAN: Iranian petrochemical companies are in talks with inter-national banks including Deutsche Bank to secure $6.6 billion in loans to complete unfi nished projects, Iran’s offi cial leading the eff ort said.

“We are in almost daily con-tact with reputable international banks,” Issa Mashayekhi, manag-ing director of NPC International, said in an interview in Tehran. The banks include Credit Agricole, Societe Generale, HSBC Holdings and the Japan Bank for Interna-tional Cooperation, he said.

HSBC denied it was in talks with NPC International, according to Paul Harris, a Dubai-based spokes-man. Deutsche Bank spokesman in Dubai Stuart Haslam declined to comment. Offi cials in the Middle East for Societe Generale, Credit Agricole and Japan Bank for Inter-national Cooperation couldn’t be reached for immediate comment.

Mashayekhi said NPC Interna-tional is talking with foreign banks on behalf of about 80 companies. Iran’s petrochemicals industry needs about $70 billion in total in-vestment, Oil Minister Bijan Nam-dar Zanganeh said on May 6. The nation is the fi fth-biggest producer of the Opec and holds the world’s largest reserves of natural gas.

Iran’s petrochemical makers need loans to fi nish building am-monia and urea plants at Hormuz and Hengan in southern Iran as well as facilities for natural gas liquids, Mashayekhi said. Inter-national sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme have deprived the industry of funds, but foreign banks will only lend if the curbs are removed, he said. — Bloomberg News

P R O J E C T F I N A N C I N G

– Bloomberg fi le picture

WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONS: Costs will probably continue to rise as fuel expenses stabilise and a lack

of apartments pushes up rents, one of the biggest categories. — Bloomberg fi le picture


– Bloomberg fi le picture

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MARKETS AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

China, India to be biggest shareholders in new bank

SINGAPORE: China is likely to hold a 25-30 per cent stake in the new Asian Infrastructure Invest-ment Bank (AIIB) while India will be the second-biggest sharehold-er, delegates said on Friday after a three-day meeting of the bank’s founding member-nations.

AIIB said in a statement that it expected to be operational by the end of the year. It said the meeting in Singapore fi nalised the articles of agreement, which are expected to be ready for signing by the end of June, but did not give details.

No details of the ownership structure were disclosed, but del-egates told Reuters that China would likely take a 25-30 per cent stake in the bank, and India was likely to be the second-largest shareholder.

China’s shareChina’s share in the $100 billion lender would be less than 30 per cent, an Asian delegate told Reu-ters. A second delegate said India’s share would be between 10 and 15 per cent. Both spoke on condition of anonymity.

In all, Asian countries are ex-pected to own between 72 and 75 per cent of the bank, while Euro-

pean and other nations will own the rest. Another delegate said that each country representative would take the proposals back to their governments for a fi nal deci-sion on the matter.

Some were sceptical of the timeline for the bank to start run-ning, as each member will need to obtain cabinet and legislative ap-provals at home.

“It is uncertain if we can start from early next year,” said one of the delegates.

“China hopes that members will get such approvals by year-end and the operations start from the next year. But I wonder if it is possible, given domestic political situations in each country.”

A total of 57 countries have joined AIIB as its prospective

founding members, throwing together countries as diverse as Iran, Israel, Britain and Laos.

The United States and Japan have stayed out of the institution, seen as a rival to the US-domi-nated World Bank and Japan-led Asian Development Bank, citing concerns about transparency and governance, although Tokyo for one is keeping its options open.

AIIB’s launchAIIB’s launch is coming at a time when the space for infrastructure lending is already crowded due to the presence of major multilateral lenders and Japan’s latest move to provide $110 billion for Asian in-frastructure projects.

The amount of Japanese funds, to be invested over fi ve years, tops the expected $100 billion capitali-sation of the AIIB.

Jahangir Aziz, head of emerging market Asia economics at JPMor-gan, said spending on infrastruc-ture was a great idea on paper, but it was unclear how the AIIB or the New Development Bank, a lender promoted by China and other members of the BRICS group of nations, would be structured.

“We will have to wait for the actual structure of governance before we can see how success-ful these (institutions) will turn out to be,” he said. “The proof of the pudding will be in the eating.” - Reuters

Asian Infrastructure

Investment Bank

said the meeting in

Singapore fi nalised

the articles of

agreement, which

are expected to be

ready for signing by

the end of June, but

did not give details

State Bank of India’s profi t beats estimates

MUMBAI: State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender by assets, posted a bigger-than-es-timated increase in fourth-quarter profi t as bad loans fell and interest income rose.

Net income climbed 23 per cent from a year earlier to Rs37.4 billion ($589 million), or Rs5.01 a share, in the three months ended March 31, the Mumbai-based lender said on Friday. That beat the Rs35 bil-lion median of 26 analyst esti-mates compiled by Bloomberg.

The result underscored Chair-man Arundhati Bhattacharya’s progress in bolstering profi t by curtailing soured loans while boosting credit growth. SBI joins Bank of Baroda, India’s second-largest lender by assets, in bucking a trend of increases in bad debt at the country’s banks. “The sharp improvement in asset quality surprised most investors,” Hatim Broachwala, a banking analyst at Nirmal Bang Institutional Equi-ties in Mumbai, said by phone. “We’ll wait for another quarter to see whether this improvement is sustainable.” — Bloomberg News

F O U R T H - Q U A R T E R R E S U L T

STRATEGIC MEET: China’s Vice Minister of Finance Shi Yaobin (second right) listens to delegates

during a break in the Fifth Chief Negotiators’ meeting on draft agreements for the China-backed

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, in Singapore, on Wednesday. — Reuters


Arundhati Bhattacharya. — Bloomb-

erg fi le picture

No need to start tapering quantitative easing: ECB minutesFRANKFURT: The European Central Bank (ECB) revealed on Thursday that its governing coun-cil believes its contested bond pur-chase programme is working and there is no talk of scaling it back just yet.

“Members generally agreed that a steady hand and the fi rm implementation of the measures decided in January 2015 would best serve to support the economic recovery and a return of infl ation towards 2.0 per cent,” according to the minutes of the governing council’s meeting on April 14 and 15 released on Thursday.

“There was hence no need to consider any change in the mone-tary policy stance at present”, or to reconsider any of the parameters

of the purchase programme, the minutes stated.

Bond purchase schemeThe ECB announced in January that it would embark on a pro-gramme of so-called quantitative easing or QE, a massive 1.14-tril-lion-euro ($1.3-trillion) sovereign bond purchase scheme aimed at bringing area-wide infl ation back up to levels consistent with healthy economic growth. Under the QE programme, the ECB aims to buy 60 billion euros of bonds per month until September 2016.

The ECB actually launched the programme in March and its top offi cials are convinced that the purchases are having the desired eff ect and infl ation rates in coun-

tries such as Germany and France are gradually moving upwards.

Nevertheless, QE has its critics, not least the head of the German central bank or Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, who fear it will lessen pressure on governments to get their economies and fi nances in order. And given its early success, there is some speculation that the programme’s opponents on the ECB governing council could ar-gue for an early roll-back as the eurozone recovery picks up speed.

Caution requiredBut according to the minutes of the April 14-15 meeting, this is not the case. “While there was a case for guarded optimism on the short to medium-term outlook for the euro

area economy, taking into account initial evidence that the monetary policy measures were proving ef-fective, it was important to remain cautious,” the minutes said.

Outlook for growthThe governing council pointed out that it was only one month into the programme “and that the out-look for growth and infl ation was conditional on the full implemen-tation of all the monetary policy measures that had been decided.”

Moreover, the economic recov-ery still faced headwinds. The gov-erning council therefore felt it was “important to implement fi rmly the (purchase programme) as an-nounced in order to reap its full ef-fects,” the minutes said. - AFP

E U R O P E A N C E N T R A L B A N K

Bank of Japan slightly more upbeat on economy, no need for more easingTOKYO: The Bank of Japan (BoJ) off ered a slightly more up-beat view of the economy on Fri-day and its governor shrugged off the need for more monetary stimulus, dismissing market con-cerns that the recovery is too slow to accelerate infl ation toward the bank’s target.

Signalling its confi dence the world’s third-largest economy is out of the doldrums, the central bank revised up its assessment on private consumption and housing investment - areas hardest hit by last year’s sales tax hike.

Underscoring the optimism, a Reuters poll showed retailers’ mood turned positive in May and hit the highest level since June last year, when sales were reeling after the tax increase.

That followed data on Wednes-day which showed Japan’s economy expanded at the fastest pace in a year in January-March due to modest increases in pri-vate consumption, which makes up roughly 60 per cent of GDP. Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said consumption is set to increase as wages rise, keeping Japan on path to hit the BoJ’s two per cent infl a-tion target around the six months to September 2016.

“Both for households and com-panies, a positive cycle is kicking in,” where increases in income are leading to higher spending, he told reporters after the meeting. “We

expect trend infl ation to improve steadily, so we’re not thinking about additional monetary easing now.” Kuroda reminded markets, however, that the BoJ was ready to expand stimulus again if the economy falters and threatens to disrupt the broad uptrend in infl a-tion.

Glimmer of hopeAs widely expected, the BoJ maintained its pledge of increas-ing base money at an annual pace of 80 trillion yen ($662 billion) through aggressive asset purchas-es. “Japan’s economy continues to recover moderately,” the central

bank said, a slightly more optimis-tic tone than last month when it said the economy was recovering moderately “as a trend.”

Consumption is fi rm and hous-ing investment is bottoming out with some signs of a pick-up, the BOJ said, off ering a brighter view than last month.

Some analysts, however, were puzzled with the BOJ’s optimism given the modest pace of recovery, particularly in consumption.

“If you look at the data, the trend for the economy has not im-proved as much as the BOJ’s up-grades would suggest, so I fi nd this move a little hard to understand,”

said Shuji Tonouchi, senior fi xed income strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities.

“We still expect the debate about additional easing to heat up again this autumn, because con-sumer prices are not likely to rise as fast as the BOJ expects.”

Barclays Capital also expected the BOJ would have to ease policy again, although following Kuro-da’s comments it pushed back its forecast for the timing of such a move from July to April 2016.

The Reuters Tankan, which closely tracks the BoJ ‘s quarterly tankan survey, showed on Friday that manufacturers are more up-beat about business and expect conditions to improve further.

An index measuring service-sector sentiment rose to the high-est level since April last year.

The BoJ bought itself some breathing space last month when it pushed back the timing for hit-ting its infl ation target.

But the move also put its cred-ibility on the line as it jarred with its commitment to achieve the price target in “roughly two years” since deploying the stimulus in April 2013. Kuroda has voiced confi dence the stimulus was suc-ceeding in keeping the economy on track to hit the price target. But markets are unconvinced, with a majority of analysts in a Reuters poll betting on further easing in October. - Reuters

M O N E T A R Y S T I M U L U S

European Central Bank. — Bloomberg fi le picture

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda. — Bloomberg fi le picture

S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

MARKETB3

Montblanc to Apple: Our Swiss smartwatch will outlast yoursZURICH: By the end of the dec-ade, smartwatches from Apple and others might elicit guff aws rather than envy. At least that’s the view of Montblanc’s Alexan-der Schmiedt, who’s developed an electronic watchband for Swiss luxury timepieces that tracks steps, reads emails and even helps take selfi es.

The speed at which gadgets evolve poses a design challenge to the four-century-old Swiss watchmaking industry, Schmiedt, Montblanc’s managing director for watches, said in an interview. High-end wristwatches are made to last, while electronic devices become disposable within years, as seen in the demise of the 1980s calculator watch.

“Our products should have very

long life cycles,” Schmiedt said at Montblanc’s watch factory, housed in an Art Nouveau villa in the rural Swiss town of Le Locle. “In mod-ern technologies the life cycle is exactly the opposite. It may be the hottest thing today, and in one year it’s already outdated, and in two years you’re made fun of for still using it.”

Montblanc, owned by South Af-rican billionaire Johann Rupert’s Richemont, has created a luxury item with high-tech appeal by put-ting the electronics in the watch-band rather than the timepiece. Montblanc’s $390 “e-Strap” goes on sale next month and accom-panies its TimeWalker watches, which cost $3,700 to $5,800.

The device is the fi rst luxury Swiss product to directly com-

pete with the Apple Watch, which costs $349 for the most basic ver-sion and $17,000 for an 18-karat gold model. The e-Strap and com-patible timepieces will appear in Montblanc boutiques and retailers such as Bloomingdale’s in the US.

“The pricing is reasonable,” said Patrik Schwendimann, an analyst at Zuercher Kantonalbank. “If it turns out to be just a fad, at least the consumer still has a nice, normal watch they can continue to wear.”

The e-Strap consists of a stain-less steel display attached via a leather strap and designed to be on the backside of the wrist when the watch is on the front. A two-line touchscreen displays e-mails when they arrive.

When connected to a smart-phone, Montblanc’s device can

select songs and jump through playlists. It has an activity tracker that allows users to set targets for calories burned and steps taken. The e-Strap can also trigger the phone’s camera, facilitating easier “selfi e” shots and group photos.

Apple compatibleThe watchband is compatible with phones from Samsung, Apple and others. The e-Strap also has a function to help the wearer fi nd the watch or smartphone as long as they’re in a 30-metre (98-foot) range. It needs a recharge every fi ve days.

While it does make a Swiss watch smart, the e-Strap isn’t fl awless, according to Mario Or-telli, an analyst at Sanford C. Bern-stein in London. — Bloomberg News

T R E N D S

Lenovo’s annual revenue rises 20%HONG KONG: China’s Lenovo said on Thursday revenue rose 20 per cent in its past fi scal year, helped by its purchase of Motoro-la, but net profi t growth slowed to just one per cent.

The world’s biggest personal computer maker, which is di-versifying into the smartphone market, said revenue reached $46.30 billion for the year ending March 31. But net profi t was up only one per cent for the period at $829 million, owing to increased operating expenses, which in-creased almost 40 per cent at $5.57 billion, the company said in a fi ling to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The profi t fi gure was slightly below the net average of $830.2 million expected by 26 an-alysts polled by Bloomberg News. It represents Lenovo’s slowest net profi t growth in fi ve years, Bloomberg said.

The Hong Kong-listed PC maker had seen its net profi t rise 29 per cent in the previous fi nan-cial year, driven by record smart-phone sales.

“The rise of new technology and market trends, particularly the social mobile Internet, has posed market opportunities and challenges as consumer behav-iour is changing,” the company said in the fi ling.

The group’s non-PC revenue contribution rose to 28 per cent from 18 per cent in the same pe-riod last year.

Revenue from the mobile business including Motorola in-creased 71 per cent year-on-year to $9.14 billion, making up about a fi fth of the revenue total.

Smartphone shipments world-wide also grew more than 50 per cent year-on-year to 76 million, “driven by aggressive business expansion in emerging mar-kets outside of China from Le-novo brand products and strong growth of the Motorola brand products”, the company said.

But the group’s PC revenue represented the lion’s share, or more than 70 per cent, of the to-

tal revenue — rising fi ve per cent year-on-year to $33.35 billion.

Simsen Financial Group asso-ciate director Jackson Wong said the results were a good sign, but investors are hoping the compa-ny will speed up the development of its mobile business.

Lenovo’s CEOYang Yuanqing told reporters at a Hong Kong press conference on Thursday that he was not worried about growth in the smartphone busi-ness.

“We had a very strong perfor-mance from all of our businesses.

“For smartphone business growth is not a problem. Every year every quarter we are grow-ing rapidly so this is not our con-cern,” he said.

“For the last year it (Motorola) has grown rapidly and it has en-joyed very good momentum. We are also seeing potential for the Motorola business to grow.”

Lenovo’s share price was up 1.05 per cent at the close in Hong Kong at HK$13.5 ($1.74), while the benchmark Hang Seng Index was down 0.22 per cent. In its third quarter results published in February, Lenovo said mobile phone shipments had surged al-most 80 per cent thanks to its $2.9 billion purchase of Motorola from Google in October. — AFP

P E R F O R M A N C E

ELECTRONIC WATCHBAND: Montblanc has developed an electronic

watchband for Swiss luxury timepieces that tracks steps, reads

emails and even helps take selfi es. — Bloomberg fi le picture

HP to sell China unit stake for $2.3 billion

NEW YORK: Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced on Thursday it was selling a 51 per cent stake in its China-based server business, creating a joint venture with Tsin-ghua Holdings that will be a sector leader in China.

The American technology gi-ant said it would sell the stake for $2.3 billion, creating a new busi-ness called H3C worth $4.5 billion that would be the leader in China in computer servers, storage and technology services.

The deal brings together HP with the investment arm of Chi-na’s Tsinghua University in a com-pany with some 8,000 employees and $3.1 billion in annual revenue.

“HP is making a bold move to win in today’s China,” said Meg Whitman, HP’s chairman and chief executive.

“Partnering with Tsinghua, one of China’s most respected institu-tions, the new H3C will be able to drive even greater innovation for China, in China.”

HP said the deal would not aff ect

its existing China-based enter-prise services, personal computer business and other operations, which would remain 100 percent owned by the California group.

The new H3C will become a subsidiary of Unisplendour, a pub-licly traded unit of Tsinghua Hold-ings, the asset management arm of Tsinghua University.

Two companiesThe move comes with HP in the midst of a plan to break itself into two companies, one with a focus on personal computers and print-ers, and the other on software and enterprise services.

Once the deal closes, the new H3C will be the exclusive provider for HP’s server, storage and net-working services, according to a

statement. The new fi rm compris-es the existing HP unit called H3C Technologies and HP’s China-based server, storage and technol-ogy services businesses.

“The transaction for H3C will also release great potential in the China market,” said Weiguo Zhao, chairman of Tsinghua Unigroup and Unisplendour Corporation.

HP, which remains one of the largest makers of personal com-puters, has been undergoing a mas-sive reorganisation to cope with the move away from traditional PCs to mobile devices. It had been shifting to emphasise software and services before announcing the breakup plan last year.

HP separately reported that earnings for the past quarter fell 20.6 per cent from a year ago to

$1.01 billion, slightly better than expected.

Revenues downBut revenues were down 6.8 per cent year-over-year to $25.45 bil-lion, below most forecasts.

“I’m pleased with where we ended the quarter, the continued success of our turnaround, and the progress we’re making on separa-tion,” said Whitman.

“Despite some tough challenges, we executed well across many parts of our portfolio, sustained our commitment to innovation, and delivered the results we said we would.” HP said its split is on track for November and that the company expects savings or “dis-synergies” of some $400 to $450 million from the move. - AFP

US tech giant

said it would sell

the stake for $2.3

billion, creating a

new business called

H3C worth $4.5

billion that would

be the leader in

China in computer

servers, storage and

technology services

BOLD MOVE: HP said the deal would not aff ect its existing China-based enterprise services, personal

computer business and other operations. — Bloomberg fi le picture

Yang Yuanqing. — Bloomberg fi le

picture

FEATURES AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5B4

The Burj al Arab. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The palm is-land’s Atlantis. All unmistakably Dubai, the Gulf emirate that turned itself into a luxury tourist destination. Now Dubai is doubling down by building hotels at the fastest pace of any city, putting pressure on occupancy and rates that are among the highest in the world. The 14,385 rooms under construction will increase supply by about a fi fth, according to industry researcher STR Global, and thou-sands more are planned.

“There is concern around Dubai that we won’t see the same high rates as before,” Philip Wooller, Middle East and Africa director at STR Global, said in an interview. “But there is a bigger picture here and Dubai’s room rates need to soften to keep people coming and to allow the market to evolve.”

From the Roman columns of the soon-to-open Palazzo Versace to the Ottoman domes of Zabeel Saray, Dubai is adding to a collection of monuments that serve as tourist attractions in their own right. City authorities show no sign of impeding the rush toward growth, with plans to almost double rooms by 2020.

Profi tability is fl agging even before the new rooms hit the market. Revenue per available room, or revpar, declined 8.1 per cent in the fi rst quarter from a year earlier. Occupancy dropped 2.2 percentage points to 85.7 per cent, while the average daily room rate fell 6.1 per cent, according to STR Global. Demand is growing year on year, how-ever supply is currently increasing at a faster pace, Wooller said.

Big earnersFor now, owners and managers might fi nd it easy to shrug off a few points of declines. Revpar for the city stands at 839 dirhams ($228), the highest in the world. Hong Kong and Paris, which have more rooms overall and more mid-and low-priced hotels, come in second and third at $185 and $165 respectively.

“Even if occupancy softens by 5 or 6 percentage points, that is a very strong market and any other city in the world would give its right arm for that,” Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director of Marriott International Inc. for the Middle East and Africa. “Dubai is still a highly desirable market to be in.”

The rooms being built are part of a total pipeline of 25,949 under contract, second to New York, according to STR Global data. About 75,000 are already available. JLL, the Chicago-based real estate ad-viser, says 28,000 rooms will be added by the end of 2018.

Ruble surpriseA drop in Russian tourists last year served as a warning that events outside Dubai could quickly hurt demand. The city is stepping up ef-forts to woo tourists with marketing initiatives, additional fl ights and easier visa policies after the ruble’s decline caused Russian visits to drop by about a quarter, Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said at a confer-ence in Dubai.

Consultant PwC sees annual occupancy falling 1.4 percentage points this year before rebounding by 4.3 points to 80.7 per cent in 2016, according to a study of Middle East hotels. It also predicted a 2.4 per cent decline in revpar in 2015 followed by a 6.6 per cent rise next year. Hotels and restaurants contributed 5.5 per cent to Dubai’s economy in the fi rst half of 2014, Dubai Statistics Center says on its website. The Dubai Department for Economic Development expects tourism to grow 4.1 per cent this year.

Keep buildingDubai authorities, who estimate that the city already has 93,000 rooms, would like to see supply grow by 8 per cent to 12 per cent an-nually, Almarri said.

That’s realistic, said Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, head of hotel advisory for the Middle East and Africa at JLL. “Tourism isn’t a matter of local demand, it’s something you create. Who would have thought 15 years ago that Dubai would have more than 13 million visitors?”

Building more hotels is key to reducing rates and making the city accessible to a wider range of visitors, he said. “For a destination to grow, it has to be competitive. Large conventions still prefer Barce-lona and Hong Kong to Dubai and that’s because hotels there are less expensive.”

Most of Dubai’s main developers have hotel projects, from the pub-licly traded Emaar Properties PJSC to privately held Jumeirah Group and Al Habtoor Group LLC.

Owners of the 1,539-room Atlantis, The Palm, are building another 800-room property nearby to be completed by the end of 2017. The $1.4 billion project will feature two buildings joined by a sky pool about 100 meters (328 feet) above the ground.

To fi ll beds, hotel operators must focus on strengthening relation-ships with businesses such as tour operators and credit- card compa-nies, said Serge Zaalof, president and managing director of the Atlan-tis. They also need to increase direct marketing in diff erent places to avoid a collapse if one market suddenly slows.

Euro worry“We hope the euro doesn’t decline further because people are really shopping these days and many would probably vacation in Europe,” he said. “As long as Dubai keeps providing value for money, it will keep growing.”

Dubai is building attractions such as the world’s tallest Ferris wheel and Hollywood-and-Bollywood-inspired theme parks and providing incentives for builders of cheaper hotels to boost the city’s appeal to families. In January, Dubai’s airport surpassed London’s Heathrow as the world’s top international air hub at a time local carrier Emirates is steaming ahead with its expansion of routes.

“Dubai is going to drive demand again through mid-range hotels,” said David Clifton, regional development director at Faithful & Gould. “There is massive need for three-and-four star hotels that ca-ter to business travellers and conferences, rooms that can be rented for $75 to $150.” An explosion in operating costs, especially housing for hotel staff , will probably be the biggest diffi culty for hoteliers, said Filippo Sona, director of hotels in the Middle East and North Africa at Colliers International. The rooms under construction would require the hiring of at least 20,000 employees, he said.

“Where are they going to put all these people?” he said. “Most af-fordable places are full and to go further into other emirates would mean higher transportation costs and time wasted on the roads.”

— Bloomberg News

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

THE 14,385 ROOMS

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

WILL INCREASE SUPPLY

BY ABOUT A FIFTH.

SECTIONB LIFE & STYLE WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMS AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

But while my experiences

have been largely positive,

social media can also have

negative impacts on those

who suff er with anxiety

It was around 2am and I still couldn’t sleep. Feeling alone I decided to send a tweet, “In-somnia - friend of anxiety. Is anybody out there still awake?” Within minutes I was fl ooded with words of support from peo-

ple all over the world. I couldn’t believe it! The power of the Internet is defi nite, one that pro-vides a connection to strangers that the previous generations didn’t have. The truth is, we’re never really alone, which is a comforting thought.

In general, I have a love/hate relationship with the social media. It’s both liberating and oppres-sive. I originally began blogging in 2013. I wanted to share my experiences with anxiety and panic attacks, and prevent others from feeling as lost as I had. Mental health is a legitimate concern and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Through blogging I also encountered some excellent web-sites, resources and communities, including Anxiety Coach and Walking on Custard.

Nicky Lidbetter, the CEO of Anxiety UKbelieves that exchanging stories and advice

is a powerful tool:

“Social media has made massive inroads in helping those who have felt isolated and on the margins of society feel connected. Indeed be-fore Twitter and Facebook people living with anxiety would’ve had to join a formal support group or organisation. The avenues to connect with others and share information were much more limited.”

But while my experiences have been largely positive, social media can also have negative impacts on those who suff er with anxiety. Face-book, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest – there are a whole variety to choose from. We can and do share everything.

As of 2011, if you don’t have a Facebook ac-count then technically you didn’t exist. Finding out about somebody’s background has never been easier. But is such easy access to so much information a good thing? Did you really want to know that your ex isn’t in fact pining over you as you’d originally hoped, but married to a supermodel and living in Dubai? Or that some colleagues went to the local pub without you?

The problem with a photo or tweet is lack of context, and without admitting that you stalked a person (we all do it), then you will not receive this precious context.

So it’s therefore natural to presume that your colleagues hate you and your ex has the perfect life. Talk about anxiety provoking! For a person who is prone to over-thinking, it’s a playground of stress.

The digital revolution has changed the world forever. Previously we’d go home, watch TV and eat our dinner in peace. Now we’re constantly updating our statuses, adding new photos and

‘checking in’. The pressure to be interesting has never been more paramount. Twitter is a bat-tlefi eld of competition; how many followers do you have? How many favourites or retweets?

Cyberbullying is on the rise with teenagers unable to escape from their tormentors. The age of ‘selfi es’ and perfectly edited Instagram photographs is enough to make even the most confi dent person feel insecure. “The reality is that most of us cannot live up to this perfect im-age, because not even the top models can,” says Lidbetter.

As somebody who suff ers with anxiety and taking all of the above into consideration, would I ever pack up and leave the world of social me-dia? No. We adapt to change and ultimately I have gained more from my experiences and shared sense of community.

Although, I have established some strict rules that I would urge others to follow:

Don’t check Facebook on a Friday or Satur-day night. Why do it to yourself ? I often leave my phone in another room.

When you lose a Twitter follower try not to take it to heart. I’m afraid they ‘just weren’t that into you’ – so move on.

Make sure that your Facebook is set to ‘pri-vate’ (no brainer). We wouldn’t want your new employer to see that horrendous photo with the pole and greased up men.

Don’t click on your ex’s profi le. Especially when drunk or alone.

Beware - if you click on somebody’s LinkedIn profi le it automatically informs them. So don’t spy on them unless you’re prepared to be exposed! — Claire Eastham/The Independent

DOES SOCIAL MEDIA FEED

ANXIETY?

ENTERTAINMENTB6 S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

Agnes de Mille, a former dancer and choreographer, said,

“Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. ... We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.”

At the bridge table, we do have to guess occasionally, but more often there are suffi cient clues to make the right choice clear.

In today’s deal, cover the South and West hands. South is in four spades. West leads the heart two. How should East plan the defence?

In the auction, West used the Unusual No-trump,

showing at least 5-5 in the two lowest-ranking unbid suits: clubs and diamonds. North just blasted into four spades, hoping that if the opponents sacrifi ced in fi ve clubs, partner would be able to double.

When West leads the heart two, East knows that it is either a singleton or from three cards. When you face an either-or position like this, usually the bidding will tell you which it is.

Here, if West started with 0-3-5-5, South would have begun with an unlikely 7-1-1-4. If West held 2-1-5-5, though, South would have 5-3-1-4, which

is much more probable.So, East wins the fi rst

trick and (tries to) give his partner a heart ruff at trick two. And because East’s potential re-entry is in clubs, the lower-ranking of the other two side suits, he carefully leads his heart three, which sends a so-called suit-preference signal.

Now the pressure is on West. After ruffi ng at trick two, he must trust his partner and shift to a low club. East will win with his king and deliver a second heart ruff to defeat the contract.

- By Philip Alder

When unsure, play probabilities

B I G N A T E

B O R N L O S E R

M A R M A D U K E

A C E S O N B R I D G E

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

K I D S P O T H E A L T H C A P S U L EC R O S S W O R D

Answer to previous puzzle

WITH LOVE

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are

celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number

and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi

or through e-mail to [email protected]

SAI T. ADITHYAMay 23, 2003

GARIMA GHOSHALMay 23, 2000

DEEPAK KUMAR N.May 22, 2007

MAAZIN NIRAVILMay 20, 2011

ACROSS

1 Laptop fare 5 Beaver habitat 9 Travel mug topper12 Down Under birds13 Proposal14 Vega rocket org.15 Word processor choice16 Commitments17 High peak18 Come what may (3 wds.)21 Nonsense!22 Longing23 Low-lying clouds26 Old cloth28 Tunes in32 Motor lodges34 CD preceders

36 Calendar abbr.37 Astronaut’s garb (hyph.)39 So!41 Grendel, to Beowulf42 Trash bag accessory44 Electronics mfr.46 Money, e.g.51 Vast expanse52 Opec country53 Online auction site55 Paycheque abbr.56 Running shoe name57 Swit co-star58 Oater answer59 Turns right60 Classroom fi xture

DOWN

1 Rock’s — Leppard 2 Love, to Claudius 3 Luncheon salad 4 In a ferment 5 Of vital importance 6 Hound’s track 7 Full of the latest info 8 Ruined, as hopes 9 In shape10 Castaway’s refuge11 Skip stones19 Also not20 Rolling — — (rich)23 Sticky fruit24 Add- — (extras)25 Wildebeest27 Student stat

29 — Wiedersehen30 Zodiac sign31 Compass dir.33 Web locale35 Pagodas and lamaseries38 Strenuous40 Fake it43 Hair-raising45 Yet to come46 Wolf lead-in47 Luggage fastener48 Boat follower49 Ready and willing partner50 Youths51 Not forward54 Tibetan beast of burden

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

Mad Max Fury Road (Action)Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult1:45, 7:30 & 9:45pm; CP NO: 1273 (12+)Spooks: The Greater Good ( Action/Drama/Thriller ) Cast: Kit Harintion, Elyes Gabel, Jennifer Ehle4:00, 8:00, 10:00 & 11:55pmCP No: 1343 (12+)Danny Collins (Comedy/Drama ) Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner2:00 & 6:00pmCP No: 1346 (12+)Off ender (Thriller) Cast: Joe Cole, English Frank, Kimberly Nixon3:45 & 11:55pm; CP No: 1344 (18+)Captain Masr (Arabic) (Comedy) Cast: Mohamed Emam, Edward Bayoumi Fouad5:45pm; CP No: 1345 (PG)

Bhaskar The Raskal (Mal) (Rom/Com) Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara & Isha Talwar 6:30 & 10:00 pm at Cinema Main 3:45pm at Cinema -3 36 Vayadhinile (Tamil) (Family/Drama) Cast: Jyothika, Rahman & Abhirami 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30 pm at Cinema -2 9:45 pm at Cinema -3 Lion (Telugu) (Act/Rom) Cast: Balakrishna, Trisha Krishnan, Radhika Apte & Prakash Raj 3:00 pm at Cinema Main 6:45 pm at Cinema -3 Oru Vadakka Selfi e (Mal) (Com\Drama) Cast: Navin Pauly, Manjima & Vineeth Sreenivasam; 3:45 pm Cinema -4Piku (Hindi) (Drama\Com) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Deepika Padukone & Irfan Khan 6:45 & 9:45 pm Cinema -4Next Change: Demonte Colony (Tamil)

Mad Max Fury Road (Act)(2D) 12+Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron9:30 & 11:45pmPiku (Comedy, Drama)(PG)Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan. 4:40 pmPoltergeist (Horror, Thriller) (2D/15+)Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kennedi Clements. 2:45 pmPoltergeist (3D/15+)Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kennedi Clements. 12:00, 9:40 & 11:30 pmSpooks The Greater Good (Action, Drama) (12+)Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, Jennifer Ehle. 2:00 & 11:45 pmDanny Collins (Comedy, Drama) (12+)Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner. 7:20 pmTomorrowland (Action, Adventure) (PG)Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie12:15, 3:00, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15 pmOmar (Arabic) (Drama, Thriller) 12+Cast: Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany, Eyad Hourani. 5:30 pmTanu Weds Manu Returns (Comedy, Romance) (TBC)Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz Khan12:20, 7:00 pm

Kennedi Clements12:45 & 11:45 pmGold Class: 11:15 pmPoltergeist (2D) 15+Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 12:45 pmTomorrowland (2D) PGCast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie.10:15 am, 2:30, 9:15 & 11:45 pmGold Class: 11:30 am, 2:00 & 8:50 pmRobosapien: Rebooted (2D) PGCast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann Miller, Bobby Coleman. 11:00 amSpooks The Greater Good (2D) 12+Cast: Car Kit Harington, Tuppence Middle-ton, Jennifer Ehle. 5:00 pmDanny Collins (2D) 12+Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner. 7:15 pm. Gold Class: 4:20 PMTanu Weds Manu Returns (H) (2D) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz 9:15 pmGold Class: 6:20 pmOmar (2D) (Arabic) (Drama, Thriller) 12+Cast: Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany 5:30 pm

Avengers Age Of Ultron (3D) PG12Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruff alo. 3:00pmMad Max Fury Road (3D) 12+Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicho-las Hoult. 12:45 & 7:00pmPoltergeist (3D) 15+Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt,

SCREEN 1

Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Rom/Drama/Comedy) – TBC1.00, 3.45, 6.45, 9.30 pm Cast: Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan

SCREEN 2

Piku (Drama/Comedy) – PG1.30, 4.00, 6.45, 9.45 pm Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan

SCREEN 3

Bhaskar the Rascal (Malayalam)(Comedy/

Mad Max: Fury Road - 3d (12+) Action, Adventure, Thriller Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult7:00, 9:20, 11:45 pmPiku - 2D (PG)Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan 4:45 pm Spooks: The Greater Good - 2D (12+) Action | Drama | ThrillerCast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, Jennifer Ehle5:00, 11:45 pm Danny Collins - 2D (12+) Com |DramaCast: Al Pacino, Jennifer Garner2:30, 5:15 pm Robosapien: Rebooted - 2D (12+) Adventure |Drama | Family Cast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann Miller, Bobby Coleman3:30 pmPoltergeist - 2D (15+) Horror | Thriller Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kennedi Clements12:30, 4:30 pmPoltergeist - 3D (15+) Horror | Thriller Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 9:45 & 11:30 pmBhaskar the Rascal - 2D (M)(PG12) ComedyCast: Mammootty, Nayanthara, Isha Talwar, 12:30, 6:15 pmTomorrowland - 2D (PG) Act |Adv | Cast : George Clooney, Britt Robertson

Spooks: The Greater Good - 2D (12+) Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton 3:00, 11:40pmMad Max: Fury Road – 3D (12+) (Action)Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron4:30, 9:30 pmDanny Collins – 2D (12+) (Com, Drama) Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner. 2:45, 5:00 pmRobosapien: Rebooted – 2D (PG) (Adventure); 2:45, 4:15 pmCast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann MillerPoltergeist - 3D (15+) (Horror, Thriller)Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 7:50, 11:50 pmTomorrowland - 2D (PG) (Action)Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson 7:00, 9:30, 11:45 pmBhaskar the Rascal - 2D (PG12) (Com)Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara, Isha 6:45 pmTanu Weds Manu Returns – 2D (Com)Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan9:20 pm (PG)Demonte Colony - 2D (TBC) Horror5:45 pm

Mad Max: Fury Road (3D) (Act ) (12+) Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron2:45, 9:30 pmSpooks: The Greater Good (Act) (12+) Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, 7:05 pmPoltergeist (3D) (Horror |Thriller) (15+)

Spooks: The Greater Good (2D) (12+)(Action) Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton 11:00 am, 5:00pmDanny Collins (2D) (12+) (Com, Music) Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner; 1:00, 4:45 pmRobosapiens: Rebooted (2D)(PG) (Adventure, Drama, Family) Cast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann Miller11:00 am, 1:30 pmOff ender (2D) (18+) (Thriller) Cast: Joe Cole, English Frank; 3:10pmPoltergeist (2D) (15+) (Horror, Thriller) Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 3:00 pmPoltergeist (3D) (15+) (Horror, Thriller) 7:15, 11:30 pmTomorrowland (2D) (PG) (Act) Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson11:15 am, 2:45, 7:00, 9:20, 11:45 pmMad Max: Fury Road (3D) (12+) (Act) 12:30, 5:00, 11:45 pmTanu Weds Manu Returns – 2D (Com)Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan9:00 pm (PG)Bhaskar the Rascal (2D) (PG12) (Co) Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara9:00 pmDemonte Colony (2D) (Horror) 6:45pm

Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, 5:00, 11:45 PMTomorrowland (Act | Adv) (PG) Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson4:45, 11:30 PMTanu Weds Manu Returns (Hindi) (Comedy | Romance) (TBC) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz 12:00, 2:15, 9:05 pm Bhaskar the Rascal (Mal) (Com) (PG12) Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara, 12:00, 6:45 pm

Drama ) – PGCast: Mammootty, Nayantara1.00, 3.45, 6.45 pmGabbar - Hindi (Action/Drama) – PGCast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti K. Haasan, Kareena Kapoor9.45 pm

12:05, 2:30, 7:15, 9:05, 11:30 pmTanu Weds Manu Returns (H) (2D) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz 12:00, 2:15, 9:15 pmDemonte Colony - 2D (T) (TBC) Horror Cast: Arulnithi7:00 pm

FIND-IT-ALL

PHARMACIESRound the clockAl Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715Muscat RegionApollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 4537080Dhofar RegionMuscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel: 23291635

HOSPITALSAl Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000Al Musafi r Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453Hatat Polyclinic LLC,Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006Al Raff ah Hospital: 24618900/1/2Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780Capital Polyclinic: 24707549Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740Ceregem National Raak: 24485633Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217Elixir Health Centre: 24565802Emirates Medical Centre: 246045401st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274Hamdan Hospital: 23212340International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128, MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000

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

ACCOMMODATIONAl Bahjah Hotel: 24424400Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311Al Qurum Resort: 24605945Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979Beach Hotel: 24696601Bowshar Hotel: 24491105Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660Crystal Suites: 24826100Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234Haff a House Hotel: 24707207Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123InterContinental Muscat: 24680000Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900Marina Hotel: 24711711Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565Mina Hotel: 24711828Muttrah Hotel: 24798401

Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199Oman Dive Centre: 24824240Park Inn: 24507888Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443Ruwi Hotel: 24704244Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666The Chedi Muscat: 24524400The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570

AIRLINE OFFICESMuscat Airport Flight information (24 hours): 24519456/24519223Aerofl ot: 24704455, Air Arabia: 24700828, Air France: 24562153, Air India: 24799801, Air New Zealand: 24700732, Biman Bangladesh Airlines: 24701128, British Airways: 24568777, Cathay Pacifi c: 24789818, Egypt Air: 24794113, Emirates Air: 24404400, Ethiopian Airlines: 24660313, Gulf Air: 80072424, Indian: 24791914, Iran Air: 24787423, Japan Airlines: 24704455, Jazeera Airways: 23294848, Jet Airways: 24787248, Kenya Airways: 24660300, KML Royal Dutch Airlines: 24566737, Kuwait Airways: 24701262, LOT Polish Airlines: 24796387, Lufthansa: 24796692, Malaysian Airlines: 24560796, Middle East Airlines: 24796680, Oman Air: 24531111, Pakistan International Airlines: 24792471, Qatar Airways: 24771900, Qantas: 24559941, Royal Jordanian: 24796693, Saudi Arabian Airlines: 24789485, Singapore Airlines: 24791233, Shaheen Air: 24816565, SriLankan Airlines:

24784545, Swiss International Airlines: 24796692, Thai Airways: 24705934, Turkish Airlines: 24703033

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

Dhuhr 12.09pm

Asr 3.30pm

Maghrib 6.50pm

Isha 8.10pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 3.57am

Sunset 6:45pm

Sunrise (Tomorrow) 5.22am

High tide 12:59pm 12:03am

Low tide 7.07pm 6.43am

PRAYER TIMINGS

B7S AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

W E A T H E R

OMAN

Max 41Min 27

Max 39Min 31

Max 39Min 32

Max 42Min 29

Max 42Min 32Max 41

Min 27

Max 41Min 28

Max 32 Min 29

Partly cloudy skies over the southeastern coast with chance of isolated rain over Dohfar coasts. And mainly clear skies over rest of the Sultanate with chance of cloud development along Al-Hajar

mountains during afternoon. Chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches over governorate of south al Sharqiyah.EXPECTED WINDS: Along the coastal areas of Oman Sea winds will be northeasterly light to moderate during day becoming southwesterly light at night and over the rest of the Sultanate winds will be southerly to southeasterly light to moderate and fresh along the coastal areas of South Al-Sharqiyah.SEA STATE: Moderate along the Southeastern coasts with maximum

wave height of 2.0 metres. And slight along the rest of Oman’s coast with maximum wave height of 1.25 metres.HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog.THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Partly cloudy skies over the southeastern coast with chances of isolated rain. Chances of convective clouds development and rain occasionally thundershowers over Al-Hajar mountains during afternoon. Chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches over governorate of south al Sharqiyah and along the coastal areas of the southeastern coast.

Max Min

GULFAbu Dhabi 41 28Doha 43 31Dubai 39 30Kuwait 44 29Manama 41 29Riyadh 43 28

WORLDAthens 29 18Baghdad 37 24Beijing 33 17Berlin 18 8Boston 19 11Cairo 37 23Colombo 32 29Frankfurt 22 10Hong Kong 29 20Istanbul 26 19Johannesburg 22 7Kuala Lumpur 32 24Lisbon 26 16Paris 22 12Perth 21 9Singapore 32 27Tokyo 27 17Toronto 20 11

WORLD

Max 21Min 13

Max 43Min 29

Max 18Min 9

Max 36Min 29

Max 21Min 14

Max 19Min 11

Max 22Min 13

Max 33Min 29

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)

LISTINGS

Source: www.met.gov.om

SATURDAY

FLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA WY406 CAIRO 0005WY648 KUWAIT 0005WY672 MEDINA 0005WY424 BEIRUT 0005WY676 JEDDAH 0005WY682 RIYADH 0010WY914 SALALAH 0020WY916 SALALAH 0120TK774 ISTANBUL 01354H583 DACCA 0200PK225 KARACHI 0215GF560 BAHRAIN 0325QR1132 DOHA 0345ET624 ADDIS ABABA 0350EK866 DUBAI 0350EY384 ABU DHABI 0400MS930 CAIRO 0410FZ041 DUBAI 0415WY114 FRANKFURT 0515WY658 BAHRAIN 0635WY638 ABU DHABI 0640WY902 SALALAH 0645WY644 KUWAIT 0650WY154 ZURICH 0700WY144 MALPENSA 0705WY668 DOHA 0715WY692 DAMMAM 0715WY132 PARIS 0735WY674 JEDDAH 0735WY102 LONDON HEATHROW 0740FZ043 DUBAI 0800WY602 DUBAI 0805WY432 TEHRAN 0805WY346 ISLAM ABBAD 0815WY202 BOMBAY 0835WY236 HYDERABAD 0900G9114 SHARJAH 0905WY282 BANGALORE 0910PK191 TURBAT 0930EK862 DUBAI 0930WY210 GOA 0935WY242 DELHI 0935WY252 MADRAS 0955IX549 TRIVANDRUM 0955QR1128 DOHA 1000EY382 ABU DHABI 1010IX443 COCHIN 1020WY844 MANILA 1020WY652 BAHRAIN 10409W530 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY604 DUBAI 1115WY918 KHASAB 1115GF562 BAHRAIN 1130FZ037 DUBAI 1140IX337 CALICUT 1155WY384 MALE 1210PA450 LAHORE 1215WY705 DARESSLAM-ZANZIBAR 1215WY822 KUALA LUMPUR-SINGAPORE 1215WY818 BANGKOK 1220WY634 ABU DHABI 1220WY904 SALALAH 1230BG023 DACCA 1230PK291 ISLAM ABBAD 1235WY670 DOHA 1250WY324 KARACHI 1300NL771 PESHAWAR 1300WY332 KATHMANDU 1305WY606 DUBAI 1340WY3302 MUKHAIZNA 1350WY906 SALALAH 1440WY920 KHASAB 1445FZ045 DUBAI 1535SV532 JEDDAH 1550WY344 LAHORE 1605WY656 BAHRAIN 1615QR1126 DOHA 1650WY204 BOMBAY 1655WY632 ABU DHABI 1710WY292 CALICUT 1710WY216 TRIVANDRUM 1745EK864 DUBAI 1745WY232 HYDERABAD 1750WY246 DELHI 1750WY694 DAMMAM 1805WY664 DOHA 1805GF564 BAHRAIN 1810G9116 SHARJAH 1905WY274 JAIPUR 1910WY374 COLOMBO 1915WY386 MALE 1935FZ047 DUBAI 1940WY908 SALALAH 2000PK259 PESHAWAR 2000RG125 ABU DHABI 2005WY646 KUWAIT 2010WY224 COCHIN 2025WY614 DUBAI 2025WY338 KATHMANDU 2040FZ049 DUBAI 2100WY124 MUNICH 2105KL441 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 21059W534 COCHIN 2115AI973 DELHI 21256.00E+81 BOMBAY 2130BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2140WY624 DUBAI 2150WY254 MADRAS 2150UL205 COLOMBO 2155WY684 RIYADH 2200AI907 MADRAS 2200WY264 LUCKNOW 2200WY312 CHITTAGONG 2210LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI 2225QR1134 DOHA 2225GF566 BAHRAIN 2240LH616 FRANKFURT-DOHA 2245WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2250WY328 KARACHI 2250EY388 ABU DHABI 23009W540 BOMBAY 2315AI985 BOMBAY 2325WY662 DOHA 2335WY654 BAHRAIN 2340WY636 ABU DHABI 2340WY928 SALALAH 2345WY816 BANGKOK 2350WY696 DAMMAM 2355WY612 DUBAI 2355

SUNDAY

FLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA

WY406 CAIRO 0005WY648 KUWAIT 0005WY676 JEDDAH 0005WY672 MEDINA 0005WY682 RIYADH 0010WY914 SALALAH 0020WY916 SALALAH 0120WY910 SALALAH 0130TK774 ISTANBUL 01354H585 DACCA 0200NL669 SIALKOT 0200PK225 KARACHI 0210GF560 BAHRAIN 0325QR1132 DOHA 0345ET624 ADDIS ABABA 0350EK866 DUBAI 0350EY384 ABU DHABI 0400FZ041 DUBAI 0415WY114 FRANKFURT 05154H586 DOHA 0600CV732 LUXORE 0635WY658 BAHRAIN 0635WY638 ABU DHABI 0640WY902 SALALAH 0645WY326 KARACHI 0650WY644 KUWAIT 0650G9841 RAS AL KHAIMA 0655WY686 RIYADH 0655WY154 ZURICH 0700WY144 MALPENSA 0705WY692 DAMMAM 0715WY668 DOHA 0715WY674 JEDDAH 0735WY132 PARIS 0735WY102 LONDON HEATHROW 0740FZ043 DUBAI 0800WY602 DUBAI 0805NL768 LAHORE 0830WY272 JAIPUR 0830WY202 BOMBAY 0835WY3932 SOHAR 0840WY236 HYDERABAD 0900G9114 SHARJAH 0905WY282 BANGALORE 0910WY226 COCHIN 0920EK862 DUBAI 0930WY210 GOA 0935WY242 DELHI 0935WY212 TRIVANDRUM 0950WY252 MADRAS 0955IX549 TRIVANDRUM 0955QR1128 DOHA 1000IX817 MANGALORE 1010EY382 ABU DHABI 1010IX443 COCHIN 10209W530 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY3922 DUQUM OMAN 1045WY3302 MUKHAIZNA 1110WY604 DUBAI 1110WY918 KHASAB 1115GF562 BAHRAIN 1130FZ037 DUBAI 1140IX337 CALICUT 1155WY384 MALE 1210WY822 KUALA LUMPUR-SINGAPORE 1215WY818 BANGKOK 1220WY634 ABU DHABI 1220WY904 SALALAH 1230WY670 DOHA 1250WY324 KARACHI 1300WY332 KATHMANDU 1305WY652 BAHRAIN 1330WY606 DUBAI 1340KU677 KUWAIT 1405WY906 SALALAH 1440WY920 KHASAB 1445WY348 ISLAM ABBAD 1515FZ045 DUBAI 1535WY3304 MUKHAIZNA 1550WY344 LAHORE 1605QR1126 DOHA 1650WY204 BOMBAY 1655WY632 ABU DHABI 1710WY292 CALICUT 1710WY264 LUCKNOW 1740WY664 DOHA 1745EK864 DUBAI 1745WY246 DELHI 1750WY232 HYDERABAD 1750WY610 DUBAI 1800GF564 BAHRAIN 1810WY656 BAHRAIN 1820TG507 BANGKOK-KARACHI 1900G9116 SHARJAH 1905WY374 COLOMBO 1915WY646 KUWAIT 1920FZ047 DUBAI 1940WY908 SALALAH 2000WY614 DUBAI 2025WY848 JAKARTA 2035WY338 KATHMANDU 2040WY386 MALE 2045WY434 TEHRAN 2055FZ049 DUBAI 2100WY124 MUNICH 21059W534 COCHIN 2115AI973 DELHI 21256.00E+81 BOMBAY 2130WY254 MADRAS 2135BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2140WY624 DUBAI 2150UL205 COLOMBO 2155AI907 MADRAS 2200WY312 CHITTAGONG 2210QR1134 DOHA 2225LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI 2225GF566 BAHRAIN 2240LH616 FRANKFURT-DOHA 2245EY388 ABU DHABI 2300WY414 AMMAN 2300WY910 SALALAH 23109W540 BOMBAY 2315AI985 BOMBAY 2325WY662 DOHA 2335WY654 BAHRAIN 2340WY636 ABU DHABI 2340WY928 SALALAH 2345WY816 BANGKOK 2350WY696 DAMMAM 2355WY612 DUBAI 2355

FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD 9W539 BOMBAY 0020AI986 BOMBAY 0020SG062 AHMEDABAD 0030WY657 BAHRAIN 0055WY637 ABU DHABI 0105WY281 BANGALORE 0110WY235 HYDERABAD 0110WY201 BOMBAY 0115WY251 MADRAS 0120WY643 KUWAIT 0120WY345 ISLAM ABBAD 0125WY601 DUBAI 0145WY431 TEHRAN 0155WY123 MUNICH 0200WY901 SALALAH 0215WY241 DELHI 0215WY667 DOHA 0225WY691 DAMMAM 0225TK775 ISTANBUL 0230WY383 MALE 0230WY209 GOA 02554H584 DACCA 0300PK230 LAHORE 0315WY331 KATHMANDU 0350ET625 ADDIS ABABA 0450EK867 DUBAI 0450EY385 ABU DHABI 0500MS931 CAIRO 0510FZ042 DUBAI 0510QR1133 DOHA 0515WY651 BAHRAIN 0645GF561 BAHRAIN 0715WY903 SALALAH 0750WY603 DUBAI 0750WY917 KHASAB 0815WY669 DOHA 0835WY323 KARACHI 0835FZ044 DUBAI 0845WY373 COLOMBO 0900WY633 ABU DHABI 0900WY215 TRIVANDRUM 0900WY815 BANGKOK 0905WY343 LAHORE 0915WY291 CALICUT 0915WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 0940WY821 SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR 0945WY385 MALE 0945G9115 SHARJAH 0955WY3301 MUKHAIZNA 1000WY231 HYDERABAD 1000PK192 TURBAT-GWADUR 1015WY905 SALALAH 1020WY605 DUBAI 1020WY203 BOMBAY 1025WY245 DELHI 1040EK863 DUBAI 1045IX554 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY337 KATHMANDU 1050QR1129 DOHA 1100EY383 ABU DHABI 1105IX442 COCHIN 1120WY311 CHITTAGONG 1140WY919 KHASAB 11459W533 COCHIN 1145GF563 BAHRAIN 1215WY223 COCHIN 1215WY655 BAHRAIN 1220WY273 JAIPUR 1220FZ038 DUBAI 1225IX350 CALICUT 1255WY253 MADRAS 1310PA451 LAHORE 1315WY113 FRANKFURT 1320WY693 DAMMAM 1330PK292 ISLAM ABBAD 1335WY631 ABU DHABI 1345WY131 PARIS 1345WY663 DOHA 1350WY143 MALPENSA 1350WY263 LUCKNOW 1400BG024 CHITTAGONG-DACCA 1400WY101 LONDON HEATHROW 1400WY153 ZURICH 1420WY927 SALALAH 1430NL668 SIALKOT 1430WY405 CAIRO 1440WY645 KUWAIT 1440WY907 SALALAH 1540WY675 JEDDAH 1615FZ046 DUBAI 1620WY683 RIYADH 1620SV533 RIYADH-JEDDAH 1650WY671 MEDINA 1705WY613 DUBAI 1710QR1127 DOHA 1750WY327 KARACHI 1810WY681 RIYADH 1840WY623 DUBAI 1840WY647 KUWAIT 1845GF565 BAHRAIN 1855EK865 DUBAI 1910WY695 DAMMAM 1915WY661 DOHA 1920WY653 BAHRAIN 1920G9117 SHARJAH 1955WY913 SALALAH 2000WY635 ABU DHABI 2015FZ048 DUBAI 2025WY611 DUBAI 2035RG126 ABU DHABI 2045PK226 KARACHI 2100WY915 SALALAH 2100WY909 SALALAH 2110FZ050 DUBAI 2145KL442 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 2220WY817 BANGKOK 22259W529 TRIVANDRUM 22306.00E+82 BOMBAY 2245AI908 MADRAS 2300UL206 COLOMBO 2305AI974 DELHI 2310LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH 2325GF567 BAHRAIN 2325QR1135 DOHA 2330BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 2330WY673 JEDDAH 2350EY381 ABU DHABI 2355LH617 DOHA-FRANKFURT 2355

FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD AI986 BOMBAY 00209W539 BOMBAY 0020WY657 BAHRAIN 0055WY225 COCHIN 0105WY637 ABU DHABI 0105WY235 HYDERABAD 0110WY281 BANGALORE 0110WY211 TRIVANDRUM 0110WY685 RIYADH 0115WY201 BOMBAY 0115WY643 KUWAIT 0120WY251 MADRAS 0120WY271 JAIPUR 0135WY601 DUBAI 0145WY123 MUNICH 0200WY325 KARACHI 0210WY847 JAKARTA 0215WY241 DELHI 0215WY901 SALALAH 0215WY691 DAMMAM 0225WY667 DOHA 0225WY383 MALE 0230TK775 ISTANBUL 0230WY209 GOA 02554H585 DOHA 0300PK260 PESHAWAR 0310NL772 PESHAWAR 0330WY331 KATHMANDU 0350ET625 ADDIS ABABA 0450EK867 DUBAI 0450EY385 ABU DHABI 0500FZ042 DUBAI 0510QR1133 DOHA 0515WY3931 SOHAR 06354H586 DACCA 0700GF561 BAHRAIN 0715WY3921 DUQUM OMAN 0745G9842 RAS AL KHAIMA 0745WY903 SALALAH 0750WY603 DUBAI 0750WY3301 MUKHAIZNA 0800CV732 HONG KONG 0800WY917 KHASAB 0815WY347 ISLAM ABBAD 0830WY669 DOHA 0835WY323 KARACHI 0835FZ044 DUBAI 0845WY373 COLOMBO 0900WY815 BANGKOK 0905WY291 CALICUT 0915WY343 LAHORE 0915NL769 LAHORE 0930WY651 BAHRAIN 0935WY263 LUCKNOW 0940WY821 SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR 0945WY843 MANILA 0955G9115 SHARJAH 0955WY231 HYDERABAD 1000WY605 DUBAI 1020WY905 SALALAH 1020WY203 BOMBAY 1025WY385 MALE 1040WY245 DELHI 1040EK863 DUBAI 1045IX554 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY337 KATHMANDU 1050QR1129 DOHA 1100IX818 MANGALORE 1100EY383 ABU DHABI 1105IX442 COCHIN 1120WY311 CHITTAGONG 11409W533 COCHIN 1145WY919 KHASAB 1145GF563 BAHRAIN 1215FZ038 DUBAI 1225WY3303 MUKHAIZNA 1230WY253 MADRAS 1255IX350 CALICUT 1255WY633 ABU DHABI 1300WY113 FRANKFURT 1320WY663 DOHA 1330WY631 ABU DHABI 1345WY143 MALPENSA 1350WY645 KUWAIT 1350WY655 BAHRAIN 1400WY101 LONDON HEATHROW 1400WY153 ZURICH 1420WY927 SALALAH 1430WY405 CAIRO 1440WY413 AMMAN 1440WY433 TEHRAN 1445WY609 DUBAI 1445KU678 ABU DHABI-KUWAIT 1505WY907 SALALAH 1540WY675 JEDDAH 1615FZ046 DUBAI 1620WY671 MEDINA 1705WY613 DUBAI 1710QR1127 DOHA 1750WY623 DUBAI 1840WY681 RIYADH 1840WY647 KUWAIT 1845WY909 SALALAH 1850GF565 BAHRAIN 1855EK865 DUBAI 1910WY695 DAMMAM 1915WY653 BAHRAIN 1920WY661 DOHA 1920G9117 SHARJAH 1955WY913 SALALAH 2000TG508 KARACHI-BANGKOK 2005WY635 ABU DHABI 2015FZ048 DUBAI 2025WY611 DUBAI 2035WY915 SALALAH 2100FZ050 DUBAI 2145WY421 BEIRUT 2215WY817 BANGKOK 22259W529 TRIVANDRUM 22306.00E+82 BOMBAY 2245AI908 MADRAS 2300UL206 COLOMBO 2305AI974 DELHI 2310WY705 DARESSLAM-ZANZIBAR 2310GF567 BAHRAIN 2325LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH 2325QR1135 DOHA 2330BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 2330WY673 JEDDAH 2350EY381 ABU DHABI 2355LH617 DOHA-FRANKFURT 2355

A I R L I N E S

BORN today, you won’t be known for just one important contribution to the human race — or even two, for that matter. Instead, you’re likely to do so much throughout your lifetime that you will be considered a true Renaissance man or woman. You will be remembered for doing all manner of valuable things for yourself, for those in your inner circle, for acquaintances and even for strangers and the world at large. It’s not so much that you are determined to be philanthropic in your approach to life, but rather that you are compelled to do things that are, quite naturally, of value to others.

Though you may have many friends, the truth is that you may also remain something of a mystery to most, and this excites you in a very basic way. You enjoy being the kind of person that others can’t readily fi gure out — for you know that the more they try to do so, the more attention you will get!

Also born on this date are: Drew Carey, comedian and television personality; Kelly Monaco, actress; Joan Collins, actress; Rosemary Clooney, singer and actress; Douglas Fairbanks Sr., actor; Scatman Crothers, singer and actor; Artie Shaw, bandleader and musician; Ambrose Burnside, military leader and politician; Jewel, singer-songwriter.

If you insist on keeping score, you’re sure to be disappointed. There is more to consider than the tally at day’s end.

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22]

LIBRA [SEPT. 23-OCT. 22] LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL[S[[[S[S[S[[S[SS[SSSS[S[[[[SSSSSSSSSS

SCORPIO [OCT. 23-NOV. 21] S[

SAGITTARIUS [NOV. 22-DEC. 21] S[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18]

You are surrounded by those who want to know what you know, but you may be reluctant to share everything.

A certain endeavour is far more challenging than you had expected, but if you stick with it, you can learn an important lesson.

You may attract the wrong kind of attention at fi rst, but later you can be quite eff ective at changing people’s minds.

There are many details to be sorted out, but you must start with an overall picture in your mind that is clearly in focus.

Someone who has been out of the picture for quite a while is likely to infl uence you in ways that you might never expect. Be ready.

You are far more interested in organisation than eff ectiveness, yet one leads to the other, as you well know.

Nothing is carved in stone — not yet, anyway. You’ll have some room to manoeuvre as you try to sort out a quickly developing situation.

PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20]

You can do what you are asked — and more. Once you start, you’ll actually fi nd it quite diffi cult to stop.

GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20]

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22]

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22]

CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19]

Y O U R B I R T H D A Y

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19]

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20]

You may have to tell a friend a piece of unpleasant news, but you know how to do it better than anyone else.

Let things develop in a way that is benefi cial to as many people as possible. You don’t want to impose an inappropriate agenda.

You may slip and reveal something that you’ve been working hard to keep under wraps. Ill eff ects are very few, in fact.

B8

EXTRAS AT U R DAY, M AY 2 3, 2 0 1 5

‘Tanu Weds Manu’ sequel gets B-Town thumbs-up

WITH HER ‘swagger’ in Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Kangana Ranaut has once again proved why she’s called the ‘Queen’ of Bollywood! The actress’ double role in her latest release has her fans and friends from the fi lm fraternity giving her and the fi lm a thumbs up. Directed by Anand L. Rai, the sequel of 2011 fi lm Tanu Weds Manu marks the return of the whole cast of Kangana, R. Madhavan, Jimmy Shergill, Deepak Dobriyal, Eijaz Khan and Swara Bhaskar. The fi rst day buzz of the fi lm makes it look like it will turn out to be a box offi ce treat. Here’s what B-Town has to say about the fi lm: Irrfan Khan: @TWM-Returns @Shaileshrsingh @aanandlrai @ActorMadhavan is earnest #deepak dobrial is electric. Dhanush: Tanu weds manu returns is a perfect family entertainer.@aanandlrai strikes d right chord yet again. kangana at her very best. Con-grats team Huma Qureshi: Saw #TanuWedsManuReturns outstanding!Respect @aanandlrai #Kangana @ActorMad-havan #Deepak and the whole cast... best fi lm in a long long time. Preity Zinta: Saw TanuWedsManuReturns & cannot tell U how much I loved it. I’m sure it will rock the box offi ce & all the awards #kangana #madhavan wow. Farah Khan: Just saw #TanuWedsManuReturns n it is just Outstanding! Diana Penty: You guys should catch #TanuWedsManuReturns this weekend...super fun fi lm!! All the best to @aanandlrai and the team! Arbaaz Khan: Just saw “Tanu weds Manu returns” out-standing fi lm!!! One of best fi lms in recent times. Hats off to the entire team. Blockbuster!

Azharuddin trains Emraan Hashmi for biopic ‘Azhar’FORMER Indian crick-et captain Mohammad Azharuddin fi nds Emraan Hashmi as the perfect fi t to portray him in his biopic Azhar, while the actor says the cricketer is helping him learn the nuances of the game. “Emraan is very apt for the role. He has worked very hard. A lot of people asked me ‘Why Emraan is doing my role in the fi lm?’ But Emraan is my favour-ite,” Azharuddin said at the teaser launch of the biopic. “I have watched almost all his fi lms, and I think he is apt for the role. After this fi lm, he will be called Azhar most of the time,” he added. Directed by Tony D’Souza and produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and MSM Motion Pictures, Azhar will be on the life of Azharuddin, who led the Indian cricket team for most of the 1990s. Meanwhile, Emraan said that playing Azhar on screen is a challenge for him as he has no footwork in the cricketer’s “unconventional style of playing the game”. However, he is happy that Azhar himself is training him to learn all the nuances to look convincing on screen. Azhar will release worldwide on May 13, 2016.

I was called silly for doing ‘Fashion’: Priyanka Chopra

With the success of con-tent-driven fi lms led by women like Anushka Shar-ma and Kangana Ranaut, one lady who is sitting back and smiling is Pri-yanka Chopra, who recalls how she was called “silly” for choosing to do a movie like Fashion back in 2008. Having watched Anushka’s production NH10, Pri-yanka was all praise for the latter for keeping the fl ag of “girl power” fl ying high. “Der aaye durust aaye. Just

saw NH10 @AnushkaSharma! So proud of you... As a woman, an actor and a producer. Keep the fl ag fl ying high babe #Girl-Power,” the actress posted on Twitter. She added: “So good to see such amazing content driven fi lms led by girls!it was so hard to get people 2 believe in us when I started. We were al-ways 2nd. “I was called silly for doing Fashion. As if it would harm my career! Hah! Look at us now! This movement will soon be a revolution! #ProudFemale.” So happy is Priyanka with this whiff of change in the industry that she is eager to watch Piku and Kangana in Tanu Weds Manu Returns. -IANS

Salman Khan’s hero is Sylvester Stallone ACTOR Salman Khan, who has won the hearts of many in India and the world, says Hol-lywood actor Sylvester Stal-lone is his hero.

The Bajrangi Bhaijaan ac-tor called upon his 12 million fans on micro-blogging website Twitter to follow the legendary actor. “Agar kisi ko follow karna hai? Bahar ka... Inko follow karo @TheSlyStallone.

Aapke Hero ka hero Sylvester Stallone (If anyone has to fol-low a Hollywood star, then fol-low Sylvester Stallone. He is the hero of your hero),” Salman tweeted on Friday.

Stallone has also had a Bol-lywood stint. He did a cameo in Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor starrer Kambakkht Ishq in 2009. -IANS

BR I E FS

BOLLYWOOD

IF THERE were a Kim Kardashi-an of the berry world, I feel confi -dent it would be the avocado (yes, it is indeed a berry). Consider the evidence. When the avocado set out on the road to megastardom, few people wanted to touch it with a barge pole. It was thought fi t only to act as a receptacle for that most déclassé of things, the prawn cocktail.

Today, though, it has grown into a world-girdling culinary colossus, without which half the pictures on Instagram would be denuded of their ability to make us salivate.

There are tumblrs dedicated to avocados and, as a quick Google of the words “avocado tattoo” re-veals, a roaring trade in more per-manent reminders of their virtues.

We can only speculate as to why they have risen without a trace so successfully. Is it that they are a “superfood”? Is it that they are an indulgence, full of fat, albeit of the best sort? Or the fact that they photograph so well on an iPhone? Whichever, there is no denying that they are the food of the mo-ment. But, the question is, for how long? The avocado may soon be endangered. The reasons are simple: water and drugs. On a trip to LA recently, I climbed Runyon Canyon and looked down over the city and to the hills around it. It was all dry. In fact, it looked like that planet Luke Skywalker grew up on in the fi rst Star Wars fi lm.

Ninety-eight per cent of the state of California is offi cially classed as being in drought. And California produces a billion pounds of avocados through the March-to-September season. The problem is, it takes 318lt of

water to produce 1lb of avocados. Not only does that mean water is drawn away from more essential public uses – it also means that water costs more for the farmers.

Meanwhile, the amount of land used for avocado farming in Chile has increased eight-fold in 25 years and, as an article in Mother Jones magazine pointed out in Oc-tober, the process is draining the groundwater and village wells. In Mexico, the problem isn’t so much water, but that most of the groves are within the state of Michoa-can, which is largely controlled by the Caballeros Templarios cartel. Murder and extortion are so com-mon in the industry that one secu-rity expert refers to them as “blood avocados”.

Admittedly, anything produced in Michoacan is open to the sug-gestion that it helps support or-ganised crime and there is no de-nying that dairy farms use more water than avocado farms. But still, it is not a rosy picture. Death

and drought are two words you certainly don’t want to hear while eating a salad. And even if you are unmoved by such ethical consid-erations, there is one thing you can’t ignore: avocados are likely to continue getting more and more expensive.

The English language mostly seems unusually cruel in enclos-ing both the desire for something and its absence in the word “want”. But, in this instance, the double meaning is apt: our driving desire for avocados might mean we soon won’t have any. — Samuel Mustom/The In-

dependent

Our growing appetite for avocados is endangering their existence

HEALTH

Nano memory cells could let scientists create bionic brains

Scientists have created an electronic memory cell that mimics the way that human brains work, potentially un-

locking the possibility of the mak-ing bionic brains.

The cell can process and store multiple bits of information, like the human brain. Scientists hope that developing it could make for artifi cial cells that simulate the brain’s processes, leading to treatments for neurological con-ditions and for replica brains that scientists can experiment on.

The new cells have been lik-ened to the diff erence between having an on-off light switch and a dimmer, or the diff erence be-

tween black and white pictures or those with full colour, includ-ing shade light and texture. While traditional memory cells for computers can only process one binary thing at a time, the new discovery allows for much more complex memory processes like those found in the brain.

They are also able to retain previous information, allowing for artifi cial systems that have the extraordinary memory pow-ers found in human beings. While the new discovery is a long way from leading to a bionic brain, the discovery is an important step to-wards the dense and fast memory cells that will be needed to imi-tate the human brain’s processes.

“This is the closest we have come to creating a brain-like sys-tem with memory that learns and stores analogue information and is quick at retrieving this stored information,” Sharath Sriram, who led the project, said.

“The human brain is an ex-tremely complex analogue com-puter… its evolution is based on its previous experiences, and up until now this functionality has not been able to be adequately reproduced with digital technol-ogy,” Sriram added.

The cells could eventually be stitched together to create a web that imitates the neural networks of the human brain. In doing so, scientists could make what is es-

sentially a perfect copy of a hu-man brain without ever having to create one organically.

“If you could replicate a brain outside the body, it would mini-mise ethical issues involved in treating and experimenting on the brain which can lead to bet-ter understanding of neurological conditions,” Hussein Nili, who was the leader author of the study, said.

The study, named ‘Donor-Induced Performance Tuning of Amorphous SrTiO3 Memristive Nanodevices: Multistate Resis-tive Switching and Mechanical Tunability’, was published in Ad-vanced Functional Materials. — An-

drew Griffi n/The Independent

Such a cell can store diff erent strands of information at the same time,

making human-like computers that could keep us alive

Death and drought

are two words you don’t

want to hear while

eating a salad

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

C

C4 VACANCY CARGO C7

S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

RENT C2

Contact : 24 702 666 Fax: 24-703666.Email: [email protected]

QUALITY APARTMENTS FOR RENT

DAILY GUIDEEmail: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

2 BHK with split A/C in Grand

mall. Contact 96708000

1BHK with split A/C in Azaiba 16

Nov Street. Contact 96708000

Spacious 1& 2 BH fl ats having

good fi nishing A/C kitchen etc,

AL Khuwair near Al Zawawi

mosque. Contact: 99385075

Flat ( ground fl oor ) with living

room + 2 big room & hall , big kitchen

& store , 3 toilet with car parking in

Mabela South with new split AC only

240/- R.O. Contact 93295953

Flat for Rent- Contact No 99315515

AL- Khuwair 33/1 3 Bedrooms.

Dining room. Family hall. 3 Bathrooms.

Kitchen with store. Split A/C units.

Restaurant available for rent brand

new fully equipped restaurant on

Barka- Nakhal-Rustaq Highway ,

ideal for Pakistani /Indian /Omani

Cuisine , available for rent and

management excellent opportunity

for those who are in restaurant busi-

ness in Oman /UEA. Only serious and

experienced parties need to

Contact on: 99337991

5000 sqm prime indusial land in Mis-

fah, Bausher, with 550 sqm of covered

warehouse and offi ce space, for rent

only. Contact: + 968 – 99264162

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new fl at avail-

able at Mabela in front of Modern

English School Contact: 96239126

2BHK fl at with store room split

A/Cs in CBD, Ruwi near QNB.

Contact 99603696

3 bedrooms fl at for rent near NIT

Institute Darsait. Contact 93494098

1BHK fl at with split A/C in front of

ISM for rent. Contact: 93215939

One bedroom, house for rent

Wadi Kabeer. Contact: 92424800

1& 2 BHK at Honda road.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

2 BHK at AL Azaiba, 2 bedrooms,

1 hall & dinning 3 & bath rooms.

Contact: 99224748 / 99425665

C2 S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

Villa 12 rooms and a lounge Council

in citrus 11 fi rst line along with

Omantel serve as a school or as

liaison offi ces: 91256340

Flats for rent south AL Mabela.

Contact: 95331177/95230355

For rent special price 3 BHK Al Falaj

area 270/- , 3BHK South AL Hail 275/-

Contact: 24707340/95282986

1 Bedroom bachelors, sharing K & T

in Al Khuwair R.O 100/-.

Contact 95154331

Flats 2 bedrooms, hall in Mumtaz

way no 3352 building no 3774

/3668. Contact 99341138 /

98003444

2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181

Showroom for rent 200 m in

Al Misfah, Bousher facing the main

road. Contact 95202430

New building, residential apart-

ments and offi ces, in Al Khoud

Souq. Contact 95202340

Deluxe 1, 2 BHK fl ats in Darsait,

AL Khuwair 1deal for offi ce &

residence. Contact 99369081

/99142314

Independent rooms in Qurum /

AL Hail. Contact 95529970

2 BHK Flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181

2bedrooms fl at with hall, 2 bath-

rooms in Ruwi near boys school.

Contact : 92584715 / 24700120

506 sqm space with mezzanine

available for rent in Al Wadi Al

Kabir. Suitable for carpentry / auto

workshop and /or electrical shop.

Interested parties may

Contact 24703981

Villa for rent with 4 bedroom at

Al Khodh, Rent 600/-RO.#92888115

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879

Labor camp available with all facili-

ties at Sohar Falaij (Near Sohar Sea

port) - Contact – 92982172

1BHK fl at in Wattaya with split

units A/C. Contact: 98802343

10 BHK Villa in Al Khuwair

25 for Executive bachelors.

Contact 99792181

1 Villa & 4 big apartments of 3

BHK with big hall & Kitchen

Al Khoudh 6. Tel 97600322

[email protected]

New 3 bedroom fl ats split AC,

attached toilets available behind

Kims Oman hospital.

Contact 95225662

Mezzanine fl oor offi ce space

for rent area 200 sq. Contact

97175979 / 99001341

One BHK fl at for rent in Ghobra

with attach and common bathroom.

For Indian family.

Contact - 92322096

Flat with 2 rooms, toilet & kitchen

in second fl oor in Souk Al Khoud

behind bank Al Ahli 200/- R.O .

Contact : 99738881

2 & 3 BHK in Qurum, with split AC, Near PDO Gate 2.

Contact 94057023

7 BHK Flat in Azaiba for Executive

Bachelors. Contact 99792181

Villa for rent in Khuwair 33, 8 bed-

rooms, 5 Bathrooms with parking

area near Taimur Mosque.

Contact 99366624

2BHK fl ats in Al Khuwair-33 with

split AC. Contact: 94057023

Flats for rent in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact : 92800007

3 fl ats for rent 3 bedrooms include

A/C, near the highway (Bowshar

Amerat). Contact 97777911 /

95533777

1st fl oor fl at in Amerat Phase 5,

4 rooms, bathrooms (3), kitchen

with A/C for family.

Contact 95522405

2 BHK (with split AC) residential

fl at at Honda road.

Contact 98087644 / 99795241 3000 sq mtrs Industrial landß,

in Barka Sanaiya, with electricity

400KW, shed, staff accommodation

and offi ce. Ready to start any kind

of factory. Contact 99384255.

Deluxe 2 BHK in Mumtaz area Ruwi

Contact 97707007

Furnished spacious single room

in a new building with attached

bathroom for executive bachelor at

South Al Mawaleh (Behind Seeb City

Center). Gsm 99221067

DAILY GUIDES AT U R D AY, M AY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5 C3

ACC. AVAILABLE

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

FOR RENT

AVAILABLE

CHANGE OF NAME

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafi ng Dishes,

Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Sys-

tems and spectacular lighting. Call

Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and

Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light.

www.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: [email protected]

BUYING / SELLING

Investors required for a Running

hotel in AL Khuwair.

Contact 98049288

Used household & offi ce furniture

and electronic items.

Contact 99834373, 97102699

Fully furnished room with attached

Bath for executive bachelor, behind

Al Meera Hypermarket Azaiba

R.O 150/-. Contact: 99455735

Sharing single room with separate

bathroom available for executive

bachelor near Grand Hypermarket,

Ruwi. Contact 95149047/96567139

Well furnished single room / shar-

ing for Ex .Bachelor at Rex Road.

Contact 92873832

Sharing accommodation for

executive bachelor near Sadolin

Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99016230

Furnished single rooms available

for bachelors at Ruwi.

Contact: 98049288

ACC. OPP, OK center for non- cooking

bachelor. Contact - 97900642

after 5 pm

Room with attached bath in Mumtaz

area. Contact: 99743709

Attached room with kitchen at

Azaiba. Contact : 99334770

Sharing accommodation avail-

able opposite Mars at Al Ghubra for

Executive bachelor or small family

sharing, kitchen. Contact 94474351 /

96237050

Executive bachelor room with

attached toilet near Al Nahda

Hospital, Hamriya. Contact - 96474313

Sharing for non-cooking Executive

bachelor in CBD area wi fi free,

advance deposit. Contact 95934642

Accommodation available for South

Indian family, one bedroom with

attached toilet, kitchen, hall in a villa,

Al Ghubrah. Contact 99209160

Family room available for rent at

Muttrah Souk. Contact 24712088 /

99022790

Single room & AC attached bath at

Mumtaz area. Contact 95212017 &

93103337

Sharing acc. Available in Muttrah be-

hind Oman house. Contact 99354340

Sharing family accommodation in

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99335057

Shop for sale, at Al-Khoudh 6,

suitable for perfume and watches.

Contact 98545994

Used Furniture of Ready made

showroom for Sale.contact

24704370, 99798452 (Ashwin)

A well equipped running dental

clinic in Ruwi for sale.

Contact 93769963

Coff ee shop equipment and furni-

ture for sale call 95207741 .

Coff ee shop & BBQ running

Wadi Kabir, open parking having

clearance. Contact: 97161811

3800SQM, industrial land Wadi

Kabir near OTE Ruwi good for store.

Contact 92726558

We have fl ats for sale in south

Al Mabella stage -8 along the

highway. Contact 95121222

Ice cream & Juices shop in Ruwi

good location for sale, 1.5mt fi sh

display machine unused for sale.

Contact: 92150455

2,560 sq mtrs industrial land Wadi

Kabir Main Road, First line on

way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to

make petrol station or hotel. OMR

990 Thousand Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in

Misfah can be changed to Industrial

Land. OMR 29 per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Household items for sale, all items

are in a very good condition. For

more details contact 97287410

3 tents used for six months, PVC

type, 850 GSM, water proof and fi re

resistant (one tent size 11x30meter,

two tents size 15x25 meters).

For clarifi cation call 99507508

558 Sq mtrs residential land in

Barka (Al Jenainah) near Lulu and

near to school. OMR 32 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

For rent fl at 2 BHK 350/- R.O in

North Al Ghubrah.

Contact 97004127

1 BHK fl at in Honda Road (Ruwi).

Contact 99792181

2 & 3 BHK fl at in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181

200 Sqr mtrs offi ce space in CBD.

Contact 99792181

Furnished fl ats for rent in

Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly.

Contact 97819981 / 93593336

1st fl oor fl at in Amerat Phase 5,

4 rooms, bathrooms (3), kitchen

with A/C for family.

Contact 95522405

2BHK at Al Azaiba, 2bedrooms,

1 hall & dinning , 3 bathrooms.

Contact : 99224748 / 99425665

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

Flats shops and store for rent in

Ruwi, MBD Honda road.

Contact 97293708 / 92433127

For rent fl at 3BHK 390/-R.O in North

Al Ghubrah. Contact 97004127

Labour Camp for Rent in Wadi

Kabir. Contact 99792181

2 BHK fl at in Rex Road.

Contact 99792181

Studio & 1BHK fl at in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99376454

Labour camp for Rent in

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99797422

2 bedroom apartment in Ruwi for

rent or sale for information.

Contact: 99360303

1 BHK new bldg with A/C, curtains

near Khimji Mart MBD.

Contact: 99061408 / 99024039

We have fl ats for rent in South

Al Mabella stage -8 along the high-

way. Contact 95121222

Room main road, Al Khuwair

R.O 110/-. Contact 97799175

For rent 3 industrial land.

Contact 92702891/ 95490842

1/3 BHK Flat Ghubrah, close to

ISG Way 4041, building 4390.

Contact 99319880

WANTED

Treadmill –motorized. Contact:

99378397

Required used portacabin 12’ x 40’

without partition 2 Nos,

used ablution unit 12 ‘x 30’ -1 no

required at Misfah.

Contact: 99340205

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00

noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

1& 2BHK for rent at Wadi Kabir,

Hilal Al Sad and Al Khoud areas .

Contact Offi ce: 24834644

Mobile: 93994401/02/03

Flat for rent, 2 BK near Kuwaiti

Mosque, Wadi Kabir. Contact

97007934 / 92629232

Flat for rent 2 BK near Oman

House Muttrah. Contact 97007934

/ 92629232

If require fl ats for rent in Wadi

Kabir please send me

messages through whatsapp or

call 99376454

Spacious 2 BHK fl ats in Ruwi MBD

area only on 350/- OMR.

Contact – 95122188 / 96441499

Studio fl at Wadi Kabeer 160/-O.R.

Contact - 99358589 / 97079146/

95570288

1BHK fl at near star cinema with

split A/C 230/- O.R. Contact -

99358589/ 97079146/95570288

Bath attached room for rent

Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

2 BHK & studio fl at at Darsait 1SM.

Contact 99024730

Apartments for rent Ghubra : near

Indian School Ghubra & Al Maha

International Hotel (2BHK with 5

split A/C units).Contact 99273774 /

99202278 /94652485

Villa in Al Khuwair and Seeb.

Contact 95250300/ 99119699 /

92125648

Industrial land for rent in Wadi

Kabir 7000 Sq mtrs.

Contact 99354340

Flat for rent 1 & 2 bedroom avail-

able behind Zaker Mall Al Khuwair.

Contact - 99530405

Ghubra near Al Maha hotel &

Indian school (2BHK with 5 split

ac units). Contact 94652485/

99273774 / 99202278

Flats/villas owned by ROP pension

fund available for rent in Muscat.

Contact 99349526

Fork Lift for rent or sale Nissan 3.5 Ton. Contact: 94102899

Subaru Impreza 2008, good conation. Contact: 99453837

Toyota Camry Expat driven fully

automatic KM 107000. #93892126

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40

ton petrol tank each working at the

moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35

Thousand each. Contact 97000155

or 92688692

Nissan Sunny 2010. Contact : 98602323

Chevrolet Lumina 2004, automatic good condition.

Contact 98571309

Land Cruiser 2012. Contact

99336093

Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat

driven. Contact 99209285

FOR SALE

Shop for sale ladies beauty parlour

AL Hassan Company near top up super

market AL Wadi Kabir, good Run-

ning condition. Contact 91207003

/96700192

Shfandish & tables for sale.

Contact 99368907

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

Residential land for sale 21000

sqm, best for housing complex

at Al Harm – Barka, opp to Khimji

logistic. Contact 99438397

Port cabin new & refurbished –

porta cabin for sale & rent.

Contact: 96723468 / 97775501 /

97775502

Coff ee shop for sale in

North Al Ghubra. Contact 95256009

3 fl oor commercial building in

Muttrah behind Police. Generating

income of OMR 18 Thousand annu-

ally. Neat and well maintained. Built

on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops

on ground fl oor and 6 fl ats. OMR

207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in

Misfah, can be changed to Industrial

Land. OMR 27 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Shopping center for sale at Bousher

by good price 400 m2 with all equip-

ment. Reason for selling

part-time. Contact 92916490

5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in

Bousher: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

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

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land

with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479

or 95215360

I Mahesh Kumar (holder of Indian

passport No. F 4431069)son of

Nathu Ram having permanent

residence in 24/111, Ratangarh

House , Near CRZ school , Gur Mandi

Sonepat – 131001, Haryana , Indian

(complete postal in India) and pres-

ently residing in fl at No. 21 , Way No.

3307 , bldg No. 177 , AL Khuwair ,

Muscat( complete postal address in

Oman ) intend to change my name

from Mahesh Kumar (Old Name)

to Mahesh Kumar (given name)

Bhardwaj (sur name)( new name) for

all practical purpose. Any objection

towards my name change please be

communicated to Embassy of India,

Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, AL

Khuwair, PB No. 1727, PC 112, Ruwi,

Sultanate of Oman.

I Nikhat Ishtiyaq (name exactly as

in present passport ) daughter of

Husna Altaf presently residing at

the following address in Muscat P.B

No. 413 P.C No.118 Sultanate of Oman

and having permanent address in

India # 365, Ist F Main , 8th Block ,

Koramangala, Bangalore - 560095

( as per present passport) , holder of

passport holder of passport No. F

4597373 date of issue 05-09-2005

place of issue Bangalore solemnly

affi rms and declare that my Mother’s

name is Haseen Banu for all purpose.

Any objection towards my name

change may please be communi-

cated to Embassy of India, Muscat,

diplomatic Quarters, AL Khuwair,

P.O Box No, 1727 postal code 112,

Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

DAILY GUIDEC4 S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

Email: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

CATERING

BEAUTICIAN

DRAFTSMAN

DOMESTIC HELPER

DOMESTIC HELPER

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCEShawarma /Arabic/Chinese/ cook & helpers. Contact 95529970

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

Required looking for full time Housemaid preface Indian / Sri

Lanka for Omani family at Mabela,

visa available. Contact: 92454170

Urgent required House maid in

Mabela. Visa available.

Contact- 95200180.

Male 24, B.com / PGD having 2

years experience in accounts and

inventory fi eld. Looking for suitable

job, on visit visa. Contact 94129550

Indian male MBA, Finance, 6 years

experience in Finance & Accounting

spatially in Oil & Gas , Now on visit

visa . Contact: 94327063

Email: [email protected]

Part Time Accounting, Accounts

Finalization, Audit Preparation,

Internal Audit, Onsite Tally Train-

ing, Inventory Management

Contact: 96975454,


Indian Female, 34 yrs, B.Com,

Knowledge in MS Offi ce & Tally, exp

in accounting & admin seek suitable

placement 99199710/96744965

Indian female B.com Graduate

over 8 years experience in Finance,

customer relation, sales coordinator,

secretary, Bank Offi ce seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 95433987

Indian male graduate B.com looking

for suitable in Account Finance / sales

marketing release available with

2 years working experience.

Contact: 94574596

Indian male 2 years experience in

account cum sales coordinator NOC

available looking for suitable job.

Contact: 91298422/96458189

Bachelor of Banking and Insurance.

Experience: Has 6 months experience

in marketing fi rm1 month internship

with wiz craft international on project

“Farah ki dawat”Seeking a suitable job

in advertising, event, banking fi rm.

Contact - 99505290 / 96696183

[email protected]

An Indian lady Chartered Accountant

with fi ve years experience (including

article ship) on family visa in Oman

looking for a suitable job. Please

Contact 9621 0347 / 9943 5346,

[email protected]

MFA (Master of fi nance and account-

ing), B.com. 6 months experience,

looking suitable position in fi nance

and accounts. Contact: 97829315.


Indian Female 25 MBA looking for a

suitable opening in Accounts.

Contact- 97013375.

Accountant: Indian male 10 years

experience, 6 years in Oman with

Oman driving license, seeking

suitable job. Contact 96012973

Analyst accountant knowledge

& skill excel Advance misreport

account & fi nance administration

work document oracle advertising

knowledge degree MBA, BBM.

Contact 91840109/99783953


Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate

1 year exp in Accounts, currently on

visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94341848 /

Email – [email protected]

Part time Accounts job & fi naliza-

tion work Muscat. Contact: 92917448

Indian male 25 yrs B.com having

experience in accounts for 3 yrs

currently on visit looking to job.

Contact: 97937868 Email:

[email protected]

Audit external internal and fi nance

& Admin qualifi ed CA Indian more

than 13 years experience in Oman

tax banking NOC available.

Contact: 95140332 /98956603

SITE FOREMAN

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

Required Offi ce Assistant

160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

TOURS & TRAVELS

Reputed Construction Company

required Draughtsman /Accountant experience in

Construction Company with ac-

countancy degree.


Urgently required a Senior Accountant 1 no. at least 5 years

experience, 2 sales executive, 2 nos at least 3years experience and

having valid Omani driving license

interested candidates may email their

CVs at fi [email protected]

Urgently required female Accountant, should have 3 -5 years

experience. Send CV with passport

size Photo and expected salary on

[email protected]

ACCOUNTANT

Situations vacant at a reputed com-

pany in Oman for their TLB(Tires,

Lubes & Battery) division. 1. Sales Executives. 2. Showroom Execu-tives. 3. Sales Co-ordinators. 4. Store Keepers. Minimum 3-5 yrs

experience in the same fi eld or from

the Automotive industry with mar-

ket exposure, holding valid Omani

driving license or GCC. Rush your

CV’s to [email protected]

Required a Sales Man for a building

material showroom in Honda road,

salary 150 onward with a graduate

degree. Contact: 24831052

Urgently needed Marketing Execu-tive for kitchens, Sales Assistant for kitchens and sanitary ware,

Offi ce Assistant ( all male) for a

marketing company, graduates

with 3 to 5 yrs relevant experience

please email CV to

[email protected]

Sales Coordinator (Male) required

for a reputed company in Oman

with D/L, and with good knowledge

of MS Offi ce , Please send CV with

photo to; saheer@paramountmus-

cat.com / [email protected]

Sales Executive (Male) with D/L

for a reputed company in Oman,with

3 yrs experience . Please send CV

with photo to;

[email protected] /

[email protected]

Requirement counter Sale & Marketing sale for work in building

material shop in Saham.

Contact: 99352829 / 99417418

Looking for Electrical Salesman with diploma certifi cate.

Contact 97616265

email: [email protected]

Required Sales man - 1 Person

Qualifi cation. Gulf Experienced

- Minimum 5 Years with Oman

Driving Licence Language - English

Education:- Any Degree Further

Contact :Mr. Abdul Hameed

Nashabat - Mobile No: 97414307

and -92807399

[email protected]

A leading Tissue paper & food stuff s company require sales & marketing person with minimum

5 yrs exp. in Oman with good com-

munication skills & valid Oman

D/L. candidate with interior market

knowledge & experience preferable.

Send CV : [email protected],

fax : 24451430

MISCELLANEOUS

Urgently required experienced Travel Agent for a reputed

rent a car & tourism co.

Contact: 24701070/77


Cast Aluminium & Windows Com-pany looking for the skilled and

experienced personnel for the fol-

lowing categories: Sales Executive with D/L, professional Account-ant, Aluminium fabricator, Cast Aluminium Site worker. Contact:

99654863 / 99197060 or

Email your CV/Resume to

[email protected]

Finance Manager (M.Com. MBA)

with start-up skill & group consoli-

dation, Baking,corporate funding, re-

structuring of fi nance and accounts

with new system and procedure.-

[email protected]

3 yrs experience, Indian female, 26

years, Masters in Financial Manage-

ment, B.com, Seeking suitable place-

ment. Contact: 99345132


MBA (international business) from

London, 4 years of UK experience in

banking operational, looking for suit-

able position. Contact 91710075

Indian male, B.Com Graduate having

10 years exp 6 years in Oman looking

for an Accountant job. #93830171


Indian male M.Com, 5 years experi-

ence in fi nance /HR and Purchase

department in Oman companies hav-

ing valid D/L available to join imme-

diately with NOC. Contact 98363897


Finance Manager, 16 + years Gulf

exp. in accounts , MIS, budgets,

strategic planning, cost control,

working capital management,

seeks job pls call 95379211

e mail :- [email protected]

Leading Construction company requires MEP Draftsman and Civil Draftsman with 5 to 7 years gulf

experience with NOC available. Send

your CV to

[email protected]

Beautician required with good

experience visa available.

Contact: 95867900

Medical CARE Centre, Al Seeb,

requires Gynecologist, General Practitioners and Medical Lab Technicians. Mail CV-

[email protected]

or call 97884856

Urgently required (All female only) Radiographer, Physiotherapist, Echo Technician, EEG technician & Nurses. Contact: 99374223, 22081700


We are looking for a Staff Nurse, who is having 60% or above

in prometric exam. Contact :

99235643 /99463609 Email:

[email protected]

Urgently required Staff Nurse, Pharmacist and endodontist Fe-male Staff nurse, Pharmacist and endodntist with MOH License/

Prometric exam passed

with 60% and above.

Contact 24780088, 97374459

Email : [email protected]

ADMIN/HR

Indian male 29, MBA (HR & Admin),

six years experience in UAE as sales

coordinator and offi ce / Administra-

tor valid GCC driving license. Now

on visit visa looking for suitable

placement.

Contact: 98466505/93061079

Indian female 24 yr ,MBA in HR and

management with one yr exp,

ready to join immediately,

Contact 97895004,


Indian Female MBA, 3 Years experi-

ence in Admin MIS, Family Visa.

Contact 98234427,

[email protected]

Indian female, 28 yrs, experience in

Admin / sales coordination /

accountant and secretarial.

Knowledge in accountant software,

with Oman D/L, looking for a suit-

able placement. Contact: 96751993

Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR.

joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437

Indian female, 29 yrs, MBA (HR)

4 yrs exp. India & Oman in HR & Ad-

min, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 96759820

Indian female with 10 yrs of experi-

ence in HR/Banking/Operations

seeks a suitable placement. Can be

contacted on 98919015 or

[email protected]

Over 15 years of gulf experience

in Admin /HR /Logistics, fl uent in

Arabic & English with D/L looking

for suitable position.#95824598

Omani national fl uent in English

looking for suitable placement.

Contact 91908052

Indian, 45 years, Housekeeping

working one of fi ve star hotel 10 yrs

experience and health club exp also,

experience in Oman.

Contact: 99628602 /98693655

Required experienced Site Foreman for the construction

and Maintenance Company with

Oman driving license.

Contact 99378663

Immediate placement ( with or

without MOH) A. Pharmacist - 3 nos B. Asst.pharmacist - 2 nos

Contact Tel.99338219 , 93240949

Urgently required a female Dentist with a valid MOH license

interested candidates may email

their CVs at

fi [email protected]

Position for a full time home Health Nurse seeking for a

dedicated and reliable Staff Nurse

or Assistant Nurse to provide total

care for an elderly sick patient

for immediate interview.

Contact : 99331369

A private clinic in Oman requires a staff nurse (Indian female pref-

erably) salary negotiable inter-

ested candidates kindly mail their

resumes/ CV with contact details

to [email protected]

or call 00968-91941373

Indian male, MBA fi nance, presently

working as branch supervisor in

a reputed logistics co. For past 10

years with an overall experience of

21 years in fi nance& logistics, look-

ing for a suitable placement. NOC

available. Contact: 96567151 Email:

[email protected]

Accountant Indian male 10 years

experience in Oman looking for a

suitable position, up to fi nalization

NOC available can join immediately.

Contact: 94134085


Sr. Accountant M.com (fi nance)

15 years experience (2years in Oman

with a reputed fi rm) NOC available.

Contact: 92404608

Email: jin_75@rediff mail.com

Indian B.com graduate doing MBA

with NOC is looking for a job in

accounts. Contact- 94627418

Chief Accountant Indian male 36 yrs,

M.Com, 14 yrs experience at Senior

position in leading MEP companies,

9 years in Oman. Available Noc, D/L &

ready to join. Contact 98407501

Indian male 22 years B.Com Gradu-

ate having the knowledge of Tally

ERP9 and Peachtree and with a valid

Oman driving license looking for a

suitable job. Contact 98504698

Indian male, 30 yrs, MBA having 5

years GCC experience holding valid

Oman driving license looking for

a suitable job. Contact : 94547511


Accountant B.Com, MBA (pursu-

ing) Indian male 25 years, 2 years

experience in India, seeking better

placement on visit visa.

Contact: 97709327

Looking for outdoor Salesman for

heavy equipment spare parts.

Contact- 93292003.

E mail: [email protected]

A leading UPVC window manufac-

turing company require

Sales Executive (Graduate) 3 years

minimum experience and Omani

D/L. Required candidates with

local release only apply. Contact:

99100738 / 94247257. Send CV to

[email protected]

Salesman experienced 5 yrs in

Oman, in the fi eld of industrial &

oilfi eld service, garage equipment

tools & spares, safety wears &

rescue equipments. Please forward

your CV to [email protected]

Indian Female 25 MBA looking

for a suitable opening in Accounts,

Admin/Hr. Contact 97013375

Indian male 25 yrs B.Com PGDBM

currently on visit visa, looking for

suitable opening in accounts, store

and Admin. Contact: 96986349


Indian male 23 yrs B.Com 1yr expe-

rience in Accounts and sales looking

for suitable placement on visit visa.

Contact: 96068174 / 98912870

Finance Manager, CPA, with more

than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC.

Fully knowledgeable in Finance,

General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331

Indian male, 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,


Indian male with total 5 year

experience (2 years experience in

Accountant cum sales co ordinator

in a FMCG Company in Oman) in

accounts fi eld and NOC available

Looking for suitable job

Contact 92130188

India Accountant: Male, M com,

7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to

fi nalization, having knowledge of

ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placment.

contact 93950138 Email:

[email protected]

MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in

fi nance/accounts/ auditing. Special-

ized in accounts payable dept, Ora-

cle app user, profi cient in Sap (fi co)

end user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma

certifi ed trainer on visit visa.

Contact – 91967213 / 99064780


DAILY GUIDESITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

AUTO CAD/ARCHITECT

Draughtsman-Civil: Diploma in

Architecture with 3 years experi-

ence. Profi cient in AutoCAD, Google

Sketchup, Photoshop and MS Offi ce.


Mob: +91 9645124241, 93004426

Female architect (27) 4 years ex-

perience seeking for suitable job in

Oman experience in Oman,

India & UK. Contact: 96146645


Indian male 25 years civil Engineer

diploma, 4 years experience for site

supervisor seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact 99346121/93127076

Indian Male B.Tech Civil having

17+ years of experience, including 4

years oman experience as a consult-

ing engineer seeking suitable posi-

tion anywhere in Oman MAIL: sub-

[email protected], MOB:91622490

Indian male, Mechanical Engineer,

2 years experience in fabrication

& erection of heavy structures as

Project Engineer in India, now on

visiting visa seek suitable place-

ment. Contact: 91251818 Email:

[email protected]

BE Electric & telecom Eng: 4 yrs

exp in Oman , exp in AV system de-

sign integration & telecom work with

D/L , looking for better opportunity

fi eld of electronic & telecom.

Contact 97423932 Email:

[email protected]

Indian male, 27 yrs B. Tech

(Aeronautics) with MBA in airport

management /international manage-

ment, having 2yrs of experience in

aerospace fi eld, looking for suitable

job, currently on visit visa valid up to

25 June 2015. Contact - 98107797

email - [email protected]

Indian male 26 yrs mechanical

Engineer with 3 yrs experience in

Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical

maintained fi eld on visit visa look-

ing for suitable job.

Contact: 99191535


Civil Engineer Female, 3 yrs expe-

rience in structural design, on visit

visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 99195433

Pakistani BSC Electrical Engineer

seeking for suitable job.

Contact: 91384864/99326294

Indian male 28 yrs electronics &

instrumentation Engineer with 4+

years experience in Industrial au-

tomation (SCADA) Seeking suitable

job. Contact: 93154156

Sudanese Electrical Engineer, 2 years experience.

Contact: 91211592 Email:

[email protected]

BE in Textile, MS in Environmental

Sciences (Fresh graduate) , Safety

offi cer (02 years of experience)

Waste Water Treatment/Industrial-

solid Waste management (intern).

waste management and disposal.

Environment sustainability Projects/

NGO. on visit visa available on im-

mediate bases till 10 of June. Ahmed

uzair khawar, 97042404, email:

[email protected]

Indian male specialised in business

analysis and project management,

29, B-Tech, MBA is looking for suit-

able position. Contact Tel 98661709

and 99330419

20 years Experience in Mechanical

Process industry as Maintenance

Engineer for SPM’s like Cold Roll-

ing Mills, Heat Treatment Furnace,

Punching, Edge- Grinding and Pack-

aging Machines seeking suitable

position with reputed fi rm. E-mail:

[email protected],

Contact no: 93912928

Young Energetic Indian male, 7 years Oman experience in retail

wholesale, sales including electron-

ics, building materials with Oman

D/L. Contact: 98465550

Auto Electrician with car a/c with

medical. Contact 95175192

Indian male I.T.I diesel mechanic ex-

perience 4 yrs Qatar (11 yrs in India)

seeking for suitable placement car-

pentry on visiting visa. #91969224


Indian male B.Tech Mechanical

three years varietal experience in

piping Engineering & management

of retail mobile phone shops seeking

sales engineering job with Oman

D/L. Contact 94401234

MISCELLANEOUS

MEDICAL

29 Indian male Nurse.B.SC prometric

exam passed on a visit. 10 years expe-

rience in India & Italy seeks a suitable

placement in multinational hospitals

& clinics. Contact 96071773 –

[email protected]

Dentist Indian male well expe-

rienced with M.O.H license and

release, looking for immediate place-

ment. Contact: 91237537

Indian female Dentist MOH Oman

passed seeking a suitable placement

in capital region.

Contact– 91377681

[email protected]

Well experienced MOH Licensed

Indian GP Doctor looking for

locum / permanent position in the

Capital area. Contact 98140024

email:[email protected]

Male Nurse on visit visa looking for

a suitable position. Mob#96071526

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf

experience) looking for a suitable

job (NOC available)

Contact-93344378

Indian male, B.E ( computer science

engineer), MBA (fi nance), OCA certi-

fi ed, having 5 years of experience in

oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks

a suitable position in the fi eld of IT.

Contact: 96212062


MISCELLANEOUS

TOURS & TRAVELS

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

Indian male more than 10 years

Gulf experience in Offi ce / Sales

Coordinator, Admin (employees visa

processes), Secretarial and purchase

coordination with good computer

skills. Having Driving license and

NOC available. Looking for suitable

placement. Contact 99709336

CATERING

25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion

Technology. 5 years experience in

textile industry as a merchandiser

and good in fashion marketing. Cur-

rently available on visit visa, seek-

ing for a suitable job. # 96990368.


Omani Mechanical Engineer, has

3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S,

Riggers/Banks men Permit, Drawing

/ cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership and

Initial Fire Response Courses. good

with computer and English language

looking for suitable job. Contact

99224319-98454500

Indian male 22 Mechanical Diploma

holder Engg with HVAC certifi ed,

having 1 year exp. seeking suitable

position. Currently available on visit

visa. Contact - 92835952

IT

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Indian male 25 yrs B.SC computer

science 2 yrs exp in computer hard

ware and networking & CCTV work &

windows administration currently in

Muscat on visit visa.

Contact: 93243372

Indian male, 20+ years experience

in IT management, ERP imple-

mentation, seeks suitable opening.

Contact: 96101779

2 Years of Experience as Java

Software Developer. Looking for the

suitable job in IT. Call: 97897616

IT Network and Security Engineer

with a master degree, CISCO and

Linux red hat certifi ed seeking a

suitable job in a good company.

Contact 99818601

Networking technician with driving

license, with Noc, having 2 experi-

ences in data & telephone structured

cubing EPABX & CCTV installation is

looking for suitable jobs.

Contact 96027516

Gulf experienced Software Develop-

er & certifi ed professional in English

looking from a Job with vast experi-

ence in sales and Management +

D/L. Contact 00968 96701312


IT Support Engineer Indian male

with 6 years experience in system

Admin IT support seeks suitable

opportunities.

Contact 94549589 / 99817516.


Indian male, 25 yrs, M.Tech (Com-

puter Science) 3 yrs exp. in network-

ing (MCSE-CCNA) certifi ed currently

on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact 91006851

Indian 25 yrs male diploma Com-

puter Engineer 5yrs experience in

hardware and networking, looking for

another jobs in oman.

Contact- 91082046,


Indian male looking for job as

driver. Have 08 years experience in

Oman. Contact 95256489

Driver light. Contact: 91020999

Driver light 20 exp PDO license.

Contact 99504122

Light driver with 10 yrs experience

with car or without car, Pakistani

National. Contact 91038352

House driver /(overseas) looking

job with valid GCC D/l.

Contact 99531802

Heavy & light duty driver valid GCC

(overseas) job. Contact 95175192

Light driver looking for job.

Contact : 94208089 (Adman)

Heavy Duty Driver looking job &

visa. 3 years experience. Release

Available. 96238930/92744341

Pakistani male looking for a light

vehicle driving job. Contact: 95149231

Driver looking for job.

Contact 92137431

DRIVER

DESIGNER

Electrical Engineer : Indian male 29

years , having 5 years of experience

in industrial automation and utility

maintenance in India (MRF Tyres)

seeking suitable placement.

Contact 92789995,


Sr. Instrumentation Engineer: 8+ years Exp. (Oman 6+ Yrs) OIL & GAS,

Sales & Marketing in Automation, In-

strumentation, Calibration, BMS & FOC

- Project Planning, Erection, Commis-

sioning, O & M. NOC Available Oman

D/L G: +968 97296534

M: [email protected]

Indian male with ITI certifi cation

in Mechanical Drafting with good

Experience Looking for good

opportunity contact 9194 9181

BE Mechanical Engineer -NDT level

2, Quality Control (Oil & Gas) . 1 year

exp ph: 95908293

Sudanese Civil Engineer, 2 yrs

experience. Contact 96077482,


Network / system Engineer B.E /

ECE + CCNA & Ms certifi ed with 4+

yrs exp looking for a job, currently

in Oman on visit visa. Contact :

92589502 / 96216397,


Electrician, Plumber, exp in India Gulf

(overseas) job. Contact 99531802

Sudanese Petroleum Engineer, 4 yrs experience looking for job, MC

offi ce, C, Exlips. Contact 96039290

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer,

2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experi-

ence. Contact 97311847

Electrical Engineer (B.E) : 5 years of

experience (4 years in Oman) with

valid Omani D/L. NOC available.

GSM: 92260391

Indian male fresher BCA young and

energetic, seeking good opportu-

nites.email: jlaxmimenon@gmail.

com, Contact 00919567722270

Graduate 1 yr experience in India,

Clerk now in Oman on visit visa.

Contact 92933431,

[email protected]

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00

noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to

space availability

Indian male B.Tech Mechanical having 4 years experience with QA/

QC & CWSIP looking for suitable

position. # 99447106 / 24483297

Expert in all types of 3D modeling,

building layout, walk through &

Broucher designing. 3 yrs exp. in

Oman & 6 yrs exp. in India seeking

for better opportunity.

Contact 91282841

Indian male 29 yrs, M.sc post gradu-

ate having 7 years experience in

healthcare Industry presently work-

ing in orthopedic Implants company

(MNC) in Indian ( trauma & spine )

on visiting visa seeking suitable job

opening. Contact: 93083553


Arab female 30 sales marketing busi-

ness development manager 9 years

experience in Oman UK University

graduate talented enthusiastic well

– groomed MS Offi ce social media

expert bilingual Arabic & English

having driving license able to join im-

mediately. Contact 96612369

Indian- B.E.-MBA having 25 years

Experience. Last 12 years in Oil &

Gas Sector in Oman. Business De-

velopment /Sales. Looking opening

in Oil Gas Trading/Drilling Service

Companies as GM/ Country Manag-

er/ Business Development Manager

/ [email protected];

Contact -94688594

Indian male, B.Com, with 12yrs exp

in construction & building materi-

als purchase/logistics/warehouse,

seeks suitable placement. NOC

available. Contact: 94657319

Indian male, Graduate, with 12yrs

solid exp in construction & building

materials purchase / logistics/ ware-

house seeks suitable placement. NOC

available. Contact: 94657319

Warehouse In charge or store keeper

26 yrs. Gulf exp 4 yrs in Oman. NOC

available. Contact 97657823 /

Email:[email protected]

Projects/ contracts Manager 31

yrs (26 yrs Oman) experience in

management & coordination of

multi-million R.O projects of govern-

ment & private sector, Post Graduate

Structural Engineer with structural

& QS Background looking for senior

position. Contact +00968-91400599

Indian male 24 years, Mechanical

Engineer,pdms.1 yr experience in

pipeline,16years in oman seeking

immediate placement # 95775742

SALES / MARKETING

Indian male 10 years experience in

Welding Supervisor NDT Technician,

MIG Welding specialist seeking suit-

able job. Contact 96771841

Having 20 years experience in Gulf

area for sales, marketing distribu-

tion, having Oman D/L looking for

suitable work, speaking Arabic &

English. Contact: 94639053

Indian male, B.Sc (Mathematics)

PGDBM (Marketing) 9 yrs of Oman

experience in sales in mid lend

management, NOC available. Valid

Oman D/L. Contact: 95278838 Email:

[email protected]

Indian male B.com, 5 years experi-

ence in shopping center can manage

purchase / sales and admin func-

tions valid Oman driving license

NOC available. Contact 95459944

BE computer science 6 years

experience software developer and

support Engineering exp sales and

management Oman D/L, NOC avail-

able. Contact: 98097722

Indian male M.B.A graduate having

10 years experience in sales and mar-

keting currently on visit visa seeking

suitable job opening. #96065164

Indian male 18 yrs FMCG sales

experience in UAE is looking for a

suitable placement in Oman on visit-

ing. Contact: 91905053

Indian male 30- holding Oman D/L-

exp in sales/marketing, seeks suit-

able placement-Release available.

Contact: 95863373

Indian male Graduate in business

management having work experi-

ence of 12 years looking for a suit-

able position. Contact : 93431567

Sales / Marketing Executive

24 years, Indian male having Oman

valid license, seeking suitable

position, working as a Supervisor of

the leading hypermarket in Oman,

NOC available.Contact 98060984 /

93089757 Email:

[email protected]

Indian male looking job in sales or

marketing having 2 years experi-

ence. Contact 96660936

Male MBA (General) from Cardiff

Metropolitan University London)

looking for a suitable placement.

Contact 92819301


Indian male 31 years, MBA, 7yrs

experience in sales & marketing

with valid driving license seeking

suitable placement.

Contact 98719219.

EMAIL: [email protected]

Indian male 24 years, MBA in

Marketing looking for suitable place-

ment currently in Muscat on visit

visa. Contact: 93507063


Indian 23 years B.Com Graduate, 2

years experience in sales knowledge

of tally E.R.P & MS Offi ce.

Contact 93134643

Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermedi-

ate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing

in Oman. Looking for suitable job.

Contact - 92146864

Indian male MBA 7 years experience

in Hospitality industry, operation,

sales & marketing looking for suitable

vacancy. Contact 92115860

Email [email protected]

Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as

sales supervisor in India looking for

indoor sales /stores /cashier or any

suitable placement can speak

Hindi , English, Malayalam, Tamil,

kannada can join immediately

on visit visa.

Contact 93086105/33016546

Indian male, MA multimedia, 25 yrs

presently working in Bangalore as

visual layout / Graphics designer hav-

ing 2 years experience, seeks suitable

placement. Currently on short visit.

Contact 92368969


Indian male 38 yrs senior chef

de parst pastry & bakery 15yrs expe-

rience one of the fi ve star hotels in

Oman experience 10 yrs Oman

looking job. Contact: 96460519


Sr. Manager, MBA, 18yrs profes-

sional exp in Building materials, in-

teriors, tiles, sanitary wares, Gypsum

in gulf, seeking job immediately/on

visit/ Contact - 93364846 /

[email protected]

Civil Engineer, Diploma, Male 25, 3

years experience in site, CAD, 3d, MS

Project, Seeking job in Oman.

Contact 92875345,

[email protected]

Indian female B.ED & BCA looking

for a suitable placement in school

or admin offi ce, having 5 yrs exp in

same fi eld. Contact – 97384206 /

[email protected]

Electronics and instrumentation

Engineer 28 year Indian male, elec-

trical, electronic, industrial, building

& automation exp of 4+ yrs in India.

Contact - 93154156

CCNP Network Professional with 6

years experience having Bachelors

degree on visit visa looking for suit-

able job. Contact: 96760618 email:

[email protected]

Indian female with MBA (Finance)

on visit visa, seeks immediate place-

ment. Phone: 968-98430089

Indian female, IATA, Bsc, Looking

for suitable placement.

Contact-95514305, email id-

[email protected]

Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3

year Diploma in electrical engineer,

5 year experience in diff erent activi-

ties. Contact; +96894549609

Male, 30 years Accountant, 1 year

Oman experience in accountants,

fi nance. Seeking suitable position in

Muscat .Can join immediately, NOC

available. Email: lalitbls1@gmail.

com Call: 97903175

CCNP Network Professional with 6

years experience having Bachelors

degree on visit visa looking for suit-

able job. Contact: 96 76 06 18

Indian male 60 years old have 30

years Muscat experience in all offi ce

works with Omani driving license.

Contact: 99024055

Indian female, B.Com. knowledge of

MS Offi ce & Tally, 4yrs experience

in Accounts &admin dept. looking

for good placement in any fi eld.

Contact.98928220

Indian male, total experience is 5

years in Retail industry. Currently su-

pervisor in Sun and sand sports Mus-

cat City centre. Contact : 96994345.


More than Ten years of experience

in Sales & Marketing, Advertisement

and Credit Control and Logistics&

Administration. Contact 91076608 /

99322748

MCA IT Professional Indian Female

seek placement in Teaching/ Non

Teaching fi eld. Presently on visit

visa. Contact 9588 7051,

Email: ashwininakod@gmail

Indian male, Engineer, BE Mechani-

cal, having with 21 years of experi-

ence in India and 13 years in Oman,

In production, project management,

quality control and assurance and

MR for ISO and API Standards look-

ing out for a suitable placement

in Oman. GSM: 00968 97311616.

E-MAIL: [email protected]

Indian male, MBA marketing &

fi nance with B com & diploma in IFRS

seeks job.# 99469726 / 99469729

Indian Male 34 years Mechanical

Engineer 3 years of Experience seek-

ing suitable placement immediately

Contact: 91991435, 93310821

Key Account Executive, Indian

male, currently working with a

reputed FMCG company Oman is

looking for a placement asap, NOC

will be given. Valid Omani driving

license. Total experience in Oman is

12yrs and particularly in Sales is 8

1/2 years. Contact 95589765 Email :

[email protected]

25 Indian female, B.Sc fashion tech-

nologist, 5 years exp in merchandis-

ing, familiar with fashion marketing

& designing. Currently available on

visit visa, seeking for a visual mer-

chandising job. Contact : 96990368,

email [email protected]

Sudanese male BSC Telecommuni-

cations Engineer , 4 years experi-

ence in telecom fi eld # 97783092,


Indian male, 28 years, 7 years

experience in transporting & heavy

equipment renting company. Having

Omani driving license seeks suitable

positions. Contact 94410485

Mechanical Engineer (B.E) : Four

years of experience (3 years in

Oman). NOC available.

Contact :92530471

Indian male, 24 yrs B.Tech (MECH)

on visit 1 year experience as PPC En-

gineer looking for suitable placement.

Has, HVAC, AutoCAD and CATIA

designing skills. Contact 98925685

Indian male Instrumentation Engi-

neer having 2 years experience in

process instruments, seeks suitable

placement. Contact 95954385

Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer

skills and 2 years experience as

associate research analyst (Media

Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seek-

ing growth oriented jobs. Contact

92044603 /918056169148 or

[email protected].

Diploma in electronics & Telecom,

Engineering with 5 years experience

in Engineering & sales, marketing.

Contact 95932219

Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need

suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.


Indian male 25, BSE computer with

MBA, 3 years experience in IT, in

visit visa seeking a suitable post.

Contact: 92364368

Network system Engineer B.E / ECE

+ CCNA & Ms certifi ed with 4+ yrs exp

looking for a job. Currently in Oman

on visit visa. Contact: 92589502


IT

Indian (Kerala) male 37yrs, B.com

graduate seeking for suitable

employment one year experience.

Preferably as an offi ce assistants.

Contact 96701495

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624




C6 S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

Software development based on

requirements such as: Web devel-

opment & cloud computing, SAP

implementation & services. Android

App development networking.

Contact 97423932

We have some companies for rent

with the following activities: press

publishing & advertising, informa-

tion consultancy, organizing event

management & conference, real

estate, landscaping, maintenance

etc. # 93946622 / 91408005

Required business Researcher.

contact 99229700


Business Consultant, feasibility

study. Contact 99229700

BUSINESS

TRANSPORTATION

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

Specialist available for explosive

growth in term of restructuring

all modules of businesses with

over 30 years of experience across

continents with a decade in Oman.

Contact 96733578

Email : profi [email protected]

A/C maintenance & servicing.

Fridge, washing machine & dish

washer repairing. Painting & clean-

ing services & electrical & plumb-

ing. Contact 99447257/97014234/

24504281

We do building maintenance all

kind of works. Contact 99247663

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house clean-

ing. Contact 99542979 / 98855815

P.R.O services. Contact 99368907

Electric, Plumbing, painting & all

kinds of building maintenance.

Contact 93896787 / 97924862

House shifting packing. Contact 99657644/ 98518013

Water proofi ng ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Carpet & sofa shampooing. Ocean

Centre LLC. Contact 99884591 /

92682970

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control & anti-ter-

mite treatment, general cleaning

painting, Plumbing, Electrical,

shifting. Contact Mundhir

Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C.

# 24810137, 99450130

WEBSITE

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

CLASSES

COMPUTER

DRIVING

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

WE ARE PROVIDINGACCOUNTING/ AUDITING

TAX/ CONSULTINGCONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033

Learn driving with professional

only automatic. Contact 94022250

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet

& sofa shampooing, Contact

99314807/24792998

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble. Contact 24793614/

99314807

Air condition maintenance split

and window services AC specialist

ducted and package type unites.

Contact: 98667326

Split & window A.C servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089 /

95323517

A/C maintenance split A/C servic-

ing. RO. 10 only. Contact 94217681/

99210141

House shifting. Contact 99708138

Pest Control Treatments, Termites, Cockroaches, Bedbugs.

Contact Ocean Centre LLC.

Contact 99344723

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance.Contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

FOR LADIES

Beauty package for vacation for

ladies 10/-R.O, 15/-R.O, 20/-R.O.

Contact : 99410160

MISCELLANEOUS

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Pick & Drop any time. # 97014786

Working as Senior Accountant,4 yrs.exp.in oman, relevant computer

skills, Audit, Accounting upto fi na-

lization, valid oman driving license,

languages known Arabic, Hindi.

NOC available can join immediately.

Tel: (+968) 96339599, E-mail-

([email protected])

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, (B.E.)

on visit visa, seeking suitable post.

Contact :99534733


Indian male, post graduate, cur-

rently in Oman on visit visa. Seeks

suitable placement.# 92388346

Male, 19 years of experience in

Finance and Administration cur-

rently on visit visa seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 99720132/

abidrafi [email protected]

NRI

46 cents of land kattakada peyad

road (malapanan code) near E.M.S

academy expecting 1 lakh percent.

Contact: 99016230

2 Bedrooms fl at for sale in Cochin.

Contact: 99743709

Flats on distress sale near Goa approx area 1 BHK 720 with , 2

balcony 4 fl ats , 2 fl ats ground fl oor

without balcony approx area 620,

2 nos studio 300 sqft at sawant

wadi at 2500 per sqr ft. Contact :

+9119320517730/ +919769051996

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

We are Muslim family seeking

alliance for our son interested

families. Contact 97664009

Kerala nair boy working with

reputed company in Muscat,

Star Revathy (Sudhajathakam),

age 28, 163 cm. seeking suitable

alliance from nair girls.

Contact no 92760901

Indian Muslim brother Muscat

alliance for sister 20 yrs BSC, very

fair, good looking ,boys respected

families from hyderabad & A.P send

biodata & pic,

Email: [email protected],

GSM: 91258586.

Alliance invited for a Nair girl 24 yrs, 5ft, 1”, fair, slim, B.Tech

graduate reputed family of

Ernakulam dist. (Star Thiruvonam

Sudhajathakam) fi nancially

sound, from parents of B.Tech nair

boys from Trissur, Palakkad and

Eranakulam dist. .

Contact :00919495924302


Kerala Nair girl, B.Com, 22 yrs, 5.2”

very fair, slim, (Star Uthrattathi)

Presently working in infosis, Chen-

nai. Financially sound, from parents

of nair boys from Trissur, Palakkad

and Eranakulam & Calicut dist. .

Contact :0091 8301865688



DAILY GUIDESITUATION WANTEDCARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise

with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours Contact- 98029602,

92808636

RENT A CAR

TOURS

GOOD NEWS

Ayurvedic treatment for backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & massage,

All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 /

92504980

www.siddhayur.com

Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain,

backache, paralysis massage, steam

bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL ,

CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November

street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 /

99117987

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT IS-LAM. If you would like to know more

about Islam, please call: 99425598,

96050000, 99353988, 99253818,

99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360,

99730723

Orvisit: www.islamfact.com

Taimour Ayurvedic Clinic, Ruwi

off ers genuine & eff ective treatment

for back pain, paralysis, cervical and

lumbar spondylitis, osteoarthritis,

joint pains, sinusitis, migraine, aller-

gic problems, varicose vein and all

other health related problems. Kerala

massage and rejuvenation package

available. For details please

Contact 92197920/ 24799689

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation. Contact 99077348

Transportation Contact 99159277

Transportation. Contact 99508282

Transport to ISWK. Contact

93172589



C8 S AT U R D AY, M AY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5







Party booking & sugges�ons 99320065, 99341643

Indian, Arabic, Chinese dishes, Buffet Lunch

(On Friday)Indoor & Outdoor, Catering, Party hall

availableTake Away & Home Delivery

Times of Oman - May 23, 2015

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