Sohar Back to Normal

Protests have been rare in Oman and the ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, is offering reforms to try to quell the demonstrations. On Sunday, he ordered 50,000 civil service jobs be created and offered a monthly stipend of 150 rials ($390) for job seekers. A day earlier, the sultan replaced six Cabinet members.

Thousands participated in a pro-government rally on Tuesday afternoon. They rallied in central Muscat, in front of the capital’s biggest mosque, chanting slogans in support of Oman’s long-serving ruler and calling on the anti-government protesters in Sohar to refrain from destroying state and private property – in contrast to what happened on Sunday night, when demonstrators burned the Lulu supermarket in Sohar.

A large section of the demonstrators here yesterday welcomed the two Royal Decrees, issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, on setting up an independent consumer protection authority and granting autonomy to the office of the prosecutor general. Lauding the Royal Decrees, Dr Zakaria Al Mharmi, a medical practitioner at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and one of the protestors, over the phone said, “We see the two Royal Decrees as part of the new reforms and we are confident His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said will announce more initiatives.”

How Your Underwear Drawer Affects the Economy

Have you ever considered that the state of your underwear could reflect the state of the economy?
How your underwear drawer affects the economy. Your choice of underwear is just one of a number of unofficial retail indicators that indicate how well the economy is doing. Here’s why, and some of the others to look out for.

The consumer pants index (CPI)

People buy more pants when they are feeling wealthy, and make do with their faded old undies when times are tight. If you’re comfortably encased in a pristine pair of briefs while reading this, that’s a sign better times are here. If they’re tired and stringy, we’ve hit rock bottom.

Wahiba Sand, Sultanate of Oman

The Sultanate of Oman is one of the least known, yet most exciting, tourist destinations in the Middle East. A spectacular, shimmering dunes of the Ramlat Al Wahaybah and a breathtaking view of sand sea is a worthwhile journey. The desert has so much to offer that your journey will be a memorable family vacation. Desert adventure is a fun and action-packed trip that is suitable for families with older children.

‘Record-breaking’ Chilli

Experts have pronounced a chilli grown in the market town of Grantham, Lincs, as the hottest in the world.
Tests have revealed the “Infinity Chilli” to have a Scoville Scale Rating of 1,176,182 – hotter than chilli reportedly used in hand grenades by the Indian military. But what is the attraction of this insanely hot ingredient?

The story of the world’s hottest chilli begins not in Mexico or Bangladesh, but next to the barbed wire at RAF Cottesmore in Leicestershire.

Nick Woods, working shifts as an RAF security guard and considering his growing family, decided he had to do something more entrepreneurial with his life.

Facebook Friends ‘Can Stress You Out’

The more Facebook ‘friends’ you have, the more likely you are to feel stressed out by the social networking site, according to a new study.

Researchers at Edinburgh Napier University have found a significant minority of users suffered “considerable Facebook-related anxiety”. However, they only received very modest rewards.

More than one in 10 said Facebook made them feel anxious and more than three in 10 said they felt guilty about rejecting friend requests

The study found that 12 percent of the students questioned said they disliked receiving friend requests, while almost two thirds (63 percent) said they delayed replying to friend requests.

“The results threw up a number of paradoxes,” the BBC quoted the university’s Dr Kathy Charles, who led the study, as saying.

“For instance, although there is great pressure to be on Facebook there is also considerable ambivalence amongst users about its benefits.

A Centennial to Remember for Korea and Japan

A century ago, in August 1910, Japan annexed the Korean peninsula, making it officially a Japanese colony. It was the first step in realizing Japan’s ambitions to become a continental power and proved that it had become a “first-class nation.” On August 29th, the day the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was proclaimed, gaily bedecked hana densha (“flower trolleys”) paraded down Tokyo streets, bands played, and people celebrated with abandon late into the night.

Ten decades have since passed, and today the Republic of Korea ranks fifteenth in GNP in the world and the momentum of the “Korean wave” just keeps on rolling. Economic growth may have slowed, but the Korean government’s focus on the country’s emergence as an advanced nation is unwavering.

Zebrafish Can Cure Heart Diseases

Zebrafish is a small tropical fish found in Ganga, Hindus’ holy river. It is also widely found in aquariums these days. A zebrafish can repair up to 20 per cent of its heart muscle within weeks of it being lost.
Scientists believe that the zebrafish’s astonishing ability to regenerate its cardiac muscle might lead to the discovery of new drugs and treatments that will one day allow the human heart to heal itself after being damaged during a heart attack.

The research might one day lead to an alternative to the transplant operations that are the only hope for thousands of patients now.

Anti Government Protest in Bahrain

MANAMA, Bahrain — Armed patrols prowled neighborhoods and tanks appeared in the streets for the first time Thursday after riot police with tear gas and clubs drove protesters from a main square where they had demanded sweeping political change in this tiny kingdom. Medical officials said four people were killed.

Police cars with flashing blue lights encircled Pearl Square, the site of anti-government rallies since Monday. Barbed wire was set up on streets leading to the square, where police cleaned up flattened protest tents and trampled banners. The Interior Ministry declared the protest camp “illegal” and warned Bahrainis to stay off the streets.

Tiny Bahrain also is a pillar of Washington’s military framework in the region. It hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which is a critical counterbalance to Iran’s efforts to expand its clout in the region.

Any prolonged crisis opens the door for a potential flashpoint between Iran and its Arab rivals in the Gulf. Bahrain’s ruling Sunni dynasty is closely allied to Saudi Arabia and the other Arab regimes in the Gulf. But Shiite hardliners in Iran have often expressed kinship and support for Bahrain’s Shiite majority, which accounts for 70 percent of the island’s 500,000 citizens.

Risks From Energy Drinks

Energy drinks are under-studied, overused and can be dangerous for children and teens, warns a report by doctors who say kids shouldn’t use the popular products.

The potential harms, caused mostly by too much caffeine or similar ingredients, include heart palpitations, seizures, strokes and even sudden death, the authors write in the medical journal Pediatrics. They reviewed data from the government and interest groups, scientific literature, case reports and articles in popular and trade media.

Introduced more than 20 years ago, energy drinks are the fastest growing U.S. beverage market; 2011 sales are expected to top $9 billion, the report said. It cites research suggesting that about one-third of teens and young adults regularly consume energy drinks. Yet research is lacking on risk from long-term use and effects in kids – especially those with medical conditions that may increase the dangers, the report said.

Weirdest Foods You’ll Pass

Has anyone ever tried weird or bizarre foods? First of all, please don’t be judgemental about what others eat. Every part of the world might have some weird menus which existed since the period of their ancestors. Surprisingly, most of the foods are not as bad as you may thought they would be. Give your self a try and who knows you might enjoy it after all.

Here are some weird or strange foods that some people may find really disgusting while they turn out to be someone else’s delicacy.

Fried tarantula