Downpour unleashes chaos in Muscat - Oman Daily Observer

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By Kabeer Yousuf ‘No failed relationship’ v Page 14 Different parts of the Sultanate yesterday received light to heavy rains which led to the overflow of wadis across the country. rains also fell in the centre of the Wilayat of Sur, which led to the overflow of Wadi al Aigah, as well as the wilayats of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan, Al Kamil W’al Wafi and Masirah in the Southern Al Sharqiyah Governorate. Heavy rains fell in the Wilayat of izki (Al Manziliyah, tawi Al nisf, Zakeet and Al Qaryatain) in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate which led to the overflow of Wadi Halfeen, Wadi Al nisf, Wadi Loneliness may cause fitful sleep v Page 12 Al Hajar and Wadi Al Shabak. Heavy to moderate rains fell in Kabara in the Wilayat of ibri in Al Dhahirah Governorate which led to the overflow of Wadi Kharim. in the Governorate of Muscat, heavy rains fell in the wilayats of Muscat, Muttrah, Bausher, Al Amerat and Qurayat. the Wilayat of Seeb received moderate rains. in the Dakhiliyah region, heavy rains fell in the Wilayat of izki. the Wilayat of Bid Bid received moderate rains, while light rains fell in the wilayats of Samayil, nizwa and Bahla. in the Sharqiyah Governorate, heavy rains fell in the Wilayat of Sur, DIY test could save lives v Page 12 Breastfeeding lowers developing blood pressure later v Page 12 Fea ures Thursday, November 3, 2011 the Wilayat of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, the Wilayat of Wadi Bani Khalid, the Wilayat of Masirah and the Wilayat of Al Kamil W’al Wafi. in the Batinah Governorate, heavy rains fell in the Wilayat of Al rustaq and the Wilayat of Al Khabourah. Moderate rains were reported in the wilayats of Al Musannah, Al Awabi, nakhl and Barka. the Wilayat of Sohar received light rains. in the Dhahirah Governorate, heavy rains fell in the Wilayat of ibri and the Wilayat of Yanqul. in the Wusta region, moderate rains fell in the Wilayat of Mahout and the Wilayat of al Duqm. in Hamriya, several cars were washed away in the gushing waters that flowed from the mountains, and a part of the Yiti road towards the foothills was reportedly broken, disrupting vehicular traffic. Vehicles that were floating hit against one another causing substantial damage, according to the residents. Omani schools remained closed but expatriates’ schools functioned normally. But in view of the rains and flashfloods, the children were kept indoors till parents personally came to fetch them. in Darsait, huge line of vehicles was seen as the wadi in front of the Al noor Mosque was overflowing, causing the vehicular traffic literally impossible. Kim Kardashian denies profiting from wedding v Page 14 When rains lashed parts of the country In Hamriya, several cars were washed away in the gushing waters that flowed from the mountains, and a part of the Yiti road towards the foothills was reportedly broken, disrupting vehicular traffic. Vehicles that were floating hit against one another causing substantial damage, according to the residents
peopLe’s pLatform I WAS delighted to listen to His Majesty’s speech on the occasion of the opening of the 5th term of the Majlis Oman. The speech reflected His Majesty’s vision for the nation and overall progress of the country. The Royal address affirmed the firm foundations of the Sultanate and other pillars that help in overall growth of the nation. He also of the Sultanate and to meet the basic requirements of all regions resulting from the population expansion. I hope this will generate good number of job opportunities. People like me who belong to Musandam can go back there and do jobs of our choice. For me, Muscat is a very crowded place and here parking problem is too much. It is a good idea to develop the interiors to reduce pressure on Muscat. warned strict action against trouble — Sulaiman makers and all those who indulge editor: Development does not in corrupt practices. It was a com- mean development only of the capiprehensive statement that touched tal city or big cities in the country. all aspects of life and all sections of In overall development, all the re- society. Hope our young generation gions get chance to develop and would preserve the fruits of devel- prosper. Certainly, youths get jobs opment for the future generation. and people do not need to move far — Yunis al Balushi away from their villages or towns. It also makes the development sus- Editor: A country’s progress tainable. depends on the wise leadership and committed nationals. Oman is blessed with both and the country is progressing on the right path. In his Prepaid electricity meter PREPAID electricity meter service gives the customers an option speech His Majesty the Sultan noted to use energy according to their that many notable achievements requirements and budget. I thank were made along the path of this Muscat Electricity Distribution blessed experience, the Sultanate’s Company for this initiative as the Renaissance. As the country’s citi- service gives complete control to zens, we also have some responsi- the customer, who can read their bilities and we should come forward consumption rate that is clearly to take up those responsibilities. shown on these new prepaid meters. And it is also good that the offer is Major projects in Musandam an optional one and customers can choose to go for traditional postpaid IT is really good news for the analogue meters or the new digital residents of Musandam that prepaid meters. long tours. They can manage the bills and save time by making use of the facility of prepayment. It is, however, advisable for the customers to understand the facility properly before taking a decision on it. New art destination AS an art lover I am delighted to have one more place in Oman where art-related activities will take place. I am talking about the new major projects are coming up in the — Shamshuddin building at Bait Al Zubair Complex, Governorate of Musandam as part which will be known as Bait Al of the Royal initiative to enhance Editor: Such meters are good Nahdha. I got an opportunity to development to cover various parts also for those whose jobs require witness exhibits of over 30 Omani MOTHERS who breastfeed for the recommended period of time, at least six months exclusively, may have a somewhat lower risk of developing high blood pressure later on, a US study of more than 50,000 women said. The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, add to evidence that breastfeeding might have benefits for mothers as well as babies, although it does not prove that breastfeeding is the direct cause of the healthier blood pressure, researchers said. Breastfeeding is thought to help protect babies against common ills, such as diarrhoea and middle-ear infections, and previous studies have found that women who breastfeed have lower risks of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease later in life. 12 letters/HeAltH THURSday, novembeR 3, 2011 Laudable development across the country “Women who never breastfed were more likely to develop hypertension than women who exclusively breastfed their first child for six months or more,” wrote lead researcher Alison Stuebe at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In general, experts recommend that babies be breastfed exclusively for their first six months, then continue getting breast milk along with solid food until they are a year old. For the study, Stuebe and her team looked at the correlation between breastfeeding and later risk of high blood pressure among some 56,000 US women taking part in the longrunning Nurses’ Health Study II. All had had at least one baby. Overall, the study found women who had breastfed for at least six months were less likely to develop high blood pressure over 14 years than those who had only bottle-fed. PROvIDING obese adolescents with a high daily dose of vitamin D3 can be a safe and effective way of improving their vitamin D status. vitamin D3 deficiency is linked to a surprising number of other health conditions such as depression, back pain, cancer, both insulin resistance and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, impaired immunity and macular degeneration. “Obese adolescents face an increased risk for deficiency because they tend to absorb vitamin D in their fat stores, which prevents it from being utilised in their blood,” said Catherine Peterson, associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology who led the study at PEOPlE who are lonely may be more likely to have sleepless nights, US researchers said in a study that suggests loneliness may not only cause unhappiness, it may be bad for your health. Reporting in the journal Sleep, lianne Kurina of the University of Chicago and colleagues studied loneliness and sleep patterns among a group of older residents living in two colonies of Hutterites in South Dakota. artists that form part of the museum’s permanent collection. It includes artwork by some of Oman’s leading and developing artists together with international artists. With vast range of themes and concepts, the striking works of art have been collected over several years and some Omani artists also produced special pieces for this occasion. University of Missouri. “We found that a daily dose of 4,000 IUs (international units) of vitamin D3, the maximum intake level set by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), is safe and effective at improving vitamin D status in obese adolescents,” added Peterson, according to a university statement. vitamin D is obtained by eating certain foods, taking supplements and through sunlight exposure. It is essential for maintaining healthy bones, muscles, nerves and immunity. The IOM recently set new dietary reference intakes for vitamin D. They recommend 600 IUs per day, with a tolerable upper intake of 4,000 IUs. Based on the guidelines, it is im- People in this religious sect live communally, sharing possessions and meals. They are rarely socially isolated. She said the findings were similar to those from a 2002 study of college students that compared feelings of loneliness to sleep quality. It found that the lonelier the students felt, the more fitfully they slept. The researchers collected information on feelings of loneliness, blood pressure and sleep from 95 I also liked the series called ‘Our Beautiful World’, a series of stunning photographs by Mohammad al Zubair. — Rashid Editor: Such developments give artists a platform to showcase their works and learn from other’s experiences. Oman attracts art lovers from around the world and any such development is welcome. portant to determine the effects of a vitamin D dose that is equivalent to the upper limit, especially in understudied groups, such as obese adolescents, Peterson said. Obese adolescents are only about half as efficient at using vitamin D as their lean counterparts. “It takes 4,000 IUs to raise their vitamin D status within a sufficient range. This is much higher than the currently recommended daily amount for this age group. This indicates that physicians need to carefully evaluate the vitamin D status in their overweight and obese patients.” The findings were presented at the annual meeting of Experimental Biology. — IANS Loneliness may cause fitful sleep residents of the Hutterite communities. To measure sleep, study volunteers wore wrist bands that measured their activity and level of restlessness during sleep. Among the residents, roughly half said they were not lonely. But among the remaining half, the researchers noted a trend between increasing feelings of loneliness and social isolation and more fitful sleep. “Basically, the lonelier individuals had sleep that was more broken up. There was more movement during the night, more periods of short sleep duration, more tossing and turning,” Kurina said by phone. Kurina said her study does not prove that loneliness causes sleepless nights. Instead, it may help to explain why loneliness has been associated with poor health. “It’s evidence of one way in which feelings of loneliness might get into the body” and affect health, she said. — Reuters Breastfeeding lowers risk of developing blood pressure Nearly 8,900 women overall were eventually diagnosed with high blood pressure. But those odds were 22 per cent higher for women who did not breastfeed their first child, versus women who’d exclusively breastfed for six months. Similarly, women who had either never breastfed or done so for three months or less were almost onequarter more likely to develop high blood pressure than women who’d breastfed for at least a year. That was with factors such as diet, exercise and smoking habits taken into account. Stuebe said that none of the findings proves that breastfeeding itself gives long-term protection against high blood pressure, and that it’s possible some other factor both hindered women from breastfeeding as well as contributed to their high blood pressure — such as a stressful work environment, for example. —Reuters WINDoW by ahmed al Falahi dreemlife11@yahoo.com THE programme aired by the Radio Sultanate of Oman on October 24 discussed the issue of importing live animals from neighbouring countries following the decision of the Ministry of Agriculture to allow citizens to import them. An official at the Ministry of Agriculture said that the step was intended to help both traders and farmers, as well as to provide the local market with sufficient red meat that had become scarce and costly in recent times. A large section of citizens and residents stopped buying meat because of the high prices. Most callers to the programme praised the decision and opined that it was the right decision by all standards, especially as it comes on the occasion of Eid al Adha. There were some callers who supported the farmers saying that this decision would affect livestock breeders. Consumers are affected by the exploitation of some companies that raise prices of livestock, particularly goats, sheep and cows. Prices in the beginning of the year ranged between RO 60 and RO 100 for the imported livestock, but the local livestock prices exceeded RO 200 depending on the type and age. The number of breeders of local livestock seem to be decreasing due to the urban development and lack of interest among the youth who search for jobs that offer them a better living. The livestock marketing will be restricted to companies in the near future. As consumers of meat and other food items we rely on the General Authority for Consumer Protection, the institution that we hope to solve our problems. No doubt, this decision is a promising sign, but we still need them to set up co-operative societies to end the monopoly of greedy traders who burden consumers with high prices. The ministry’s decision is appropriate. We appreciate the policy of the government to provide a good living for the people. obese adolescents benefit from high-dose vitamin d DIY cervical cancer test could save lives Harmoniously designed wards help patients recover HARMONIOUSly designed hospital wards not only appeal aesthetically but also help patients recover both physically and mentally, new research says. “We want to help patients to get involved in their rehabilitation, a side-effect of which can be an improvement in self-confidence,” says Kristina Sahlqvist, researcher at the University of Gothenburg School of Design and Crafts, Sweden. The project drew on all the expertise used on a ward, with inputs from neurologists, rehabilitation doctors, nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The result was a conceptual solution for an optimal rehabilitation ward, according to a statement from the university. “Our concept gives the ward (place)... where patients and their families can prepare food and eat together, which allows for a more normal way of spending time together in a hospital environment,” says Sahlqvist. Sahlqvist has also teamed up with a designer and a researcher at the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås, on a project where they redesigned furniture, developed easy-grip cups and cutlery and used smart textiles for patients. — IANS A DO-IT-yOURSElF test for cervical cancer could help prevent thousands of cases of the disease in women who don’t have easy or regular access to smear tests, scientists said yesterday. The DIy test, which detects the human papillomavirus (HPv) responsible for cervical cancer, was widely accepted in a trial involving 20,000 women in Mexico and was more effective than traditional smear tests at picking up early signs of the disease. British researchers who helped develop the test and led the trial said the results, published in the Lancet medical journal, suggest the DIy kit has the potential to help thousands of women who live in countries where smear testing is difficult or impossible. Smear tests are conducted by a nurse or doctor and checked manually by a cytologist who makes a judgement after examining a sample under a microscope. The DIy test can be taken by a woman at home and the sample is then assessed by an automated system. Cancer of the cervix is the second most common cancer in women worldwide, with about 500,000 new cases and 250,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organisation. virtually all cervical cancer cases are linked to genital infection with HPv, the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. Cervical cancer is more common and more deadly in countries where women have no access to screening, meaning cases are often detected too late for treatment to work. A study in September by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington found that both breast and cervical cancer cases and deaths are rising in many countries, especially in poorer nations where more women are dying at younger ages. In wealthier developed countries, cervical screening programmes have been in place for many years, and more recently, national immunisation programmes using vaccines from drugmakers Merck and GlaxoSmithKline have been launched to protect girls from HPv. — Reuters Edwin Vijai Mathai Oman Daily Observer would like to take the lead in sharing the joy with its readers. Send us a colour photograph of your baby (below 10 years) along with name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents names. Send in your babys picture and other details to: editor@omanobserver.om; featuredesk@yahoo.co.in or Kids Corner, Oman Daily Observer, P O Box 974, PC 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
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Downpour unleashes chaos in Muscat - Oman Daily Observer

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