Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - German scientists have created a three-dimensional "invisibility cloak" that can hide objects by bending light waves.

The findings, published in the journal Science on Thursday, could in the future make it possible to make large objects invisible, but for now the researchers said they were not keen to speculate on possible applications.

"For now these...cloaking devices are just a beautiful and exciting benchmark to show what transformation optics can do," said Tolga Ergin of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Transformation optics use a class of materials called metamaterials that guide and control light.

DUBAI (Reuters) – The aquarium at Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest and a symbol of Dubai's grandeur, is leaking and part of the mall has been evacuated, a police official said on Thursday.

"There was a small problem, a simple crack, and the water leaked," the official said, declining to be identified.

One of the largest tanks in the world, the aquarium features the world's largest viewing panel at 32.8 metres (107 ft 7 in) wide and 8.3 metres high.

Dubai Aquarium has been planned to have more than 33,000 living animals, representing more than 85 species including over 400 sharks and rays combined, according to Dubai Mall's website.

Consumer prices in Qatar fell by 4.9 percent in 2009, more than expected as the Gulf state suffered its first full year of deflation since 1993 due mainly to a slump in property rents, official data showed on Tuesday.

A Reuters poll had forecast 4 percent deflation last year.

Qatar's energy wealth enabled it to spend its way out of the global downturn last year and the economy grew 11 percent.

But the global financial crisis put pressure on prices across the Gulf region, ending record high inflation which in Qatar peaked at 15.2 percent in 2008.

Price deflation was aggravated by the end of a property boom, which sent rents sliding.

The interesting bit is that in the geographical area called Iran today, they had a declaration of religious tolerance 2600 years ago, but today that is certainly not the case. No Sunni mosque in Tehran, persecution of Bahais, discrimination for positions in govt or jobs based on religion. Clothing restrictions based on religious values. It also had a bill of rights, but today they do not even have the right to peaceful process without the state bringing down the full force of the security services.

Iran's national museum has said it will cut all ties with the British Museum in protest at a decision to delay the loan of an ancient Persian treasure.

The Cyrus Cylinder dates back to the 6th Century BC and is regarded as the world's first declaration of rights.

Study shows stifling anger at work can kill

SINGAPORE – Men who bottle up their anger at being unfairly treated at work are up to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack, or even die from one, than those who let their frustration show, a Swedish study has found.

The study by the Stress Research Institute of Stockholm University followed 2,755 employed men who had not suffered any heart attacks from 1992 to 2003.

At the end of the study, 47 participants had either suffered an attack, or died from heart disease, and many of those had been found to be "covertly coping" with unfair treatment at work.

(MENAFN) An economic report issued in Doha said that Qatar's economy is expected to grow by six percent in 2009, while the economies of other Gulf oil producers are projected to shrink or record slow growth because of the global fiscal turmoil, Reuters reported.

According to the report, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the world's third largest gas power could gallop by more than 18 percent in 2010 as oil prices start to recover and Qatar's LNG exports swell close to the 77-million-tonne target.

The report noted a sharp rise in Qatar's production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has allied with higher oil prices and output to expand the nominal domestic economy by 32.9 percent annually during 2004-2008, one of the highest nominal growth rates in the world.

Qatar Inflation Seen Significantly Down in 2009

(Reuters)

5 December 2009

DOHA - Qatar’s inflation will keep well below last year’s record peak in 2009 despite breakneck economic growth and interest rates should remain stable, Central Bank deputy governor Shaikh Fahad bin Faisal Al Thani said.

Inflation has slowed sharply in the Arab Gulf after oil and property prices plunged. Qatar’s economy enjoyed strong growth rates, unlike the rest of the Gulf, as the world’s top natural gas exporter kept its oil and gas output 
intact.

“Inflationary pressures in Qatar are also expected to be lower as demand pressures are low,” Shaikh Fahad said on Thursday in an e-mailed response to Reuters’ questions.

JEDDAH – Described as the worst in 27 years, flooding killed at least 77 people in Jeddah Wednesday after a heavy downpour, a Civil Defense statement said Thursday. Authorities identified 21 bodies, for Saudis, and handed them over to their families.

The downpour paralyzed the entire city, just two days ahead of the Eid holidays, leaving the city’s shaky infrastructure crippled, perhaps for years to come.

The Jamia (University) Bridge on the Haramain Highway, in eastern Jeddah, partially collapsed and was closed to traffic. A few old houses in the Jamia District collapsed as well.