Wednesday 28 August 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Obama: Syrian gov't carried out chemical attack

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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday declared unequivocally that the United States has concluded that the Syrian government carried out a deadly chemical weapons attack on civilians. But new hurdles emerged that appeared to slow the formation of an international coalition that could use military force to punish Syria.Obama did not present any direct evidence to back up his assertion that the Syrian government bears responsibility for the attack. While he said he is still evaluating possible military retaliation, the president vowed that any American response would send a strong signal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.We have concluded that the Syrian government in fact carried these out, Obama said during an interview with PBS' NewsHour. And if that's so, then there need to be international consequences.Earlier on Wednesday, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council failed to reach an agreement on a draft resolution from the British seeking authorization for the use of force. Russia, as expected, objected to international intervention.Obama administration officials said they would take action against the Syrian government even without the backing of allies or the United Nations because diplomatic paralysis must not prevent a response to the alleged chemical weapons attack outside the Syrian capital last week.Despite the administration's assertions that it would press forward without the U.N., momentum for international military action appeared to slow.British Prime Minister David Cameron promised British lawmakers he would not go to war until a U.N. chemical weapons team on the ground in Syria has a chance to report its findings, pushing the U.K.'s involvement in any potential strike until next week at the earliest. Cameron called an emergency meeting of Parliament on Thursday to vote on whether to endorse international action against Syria.Even so, British Foreign Secretary William Hague suggested that U.S. military action need not be constrained by Britain. The United States are able to make their own decisions, he told reporters late Wednesday, just after speaking with Secretary of State John Kerry.U.S. officials were in search of additional intelligence to bolster the White House's case for a strike against Assad's military infrastructure.American intelligence intercepted lower-level Syrian military commanders' communications discussing a chemical attack, but the communications don't specifically link the attack to an official senior enough to tie the killings to Assad himself, according to one U.S. intelligence official and two other U.S. officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the intelligence publicly.The White House ideally wants intelligence that links the attack directly to Assad or someone in his inner circle, to rule out the possibility that a rogue element of the military decided to use chemical weapons without Assad's authorization.That quest for added intelligence has delayed the release of the report by the Office of the Director for National Intelligence laying out evidence against Assad. The report was promised earlier this week by administration officials.The CIA and the Pentagon have been working to gather more human intelligence tying Assad to the attack, relying on the intelligence services of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Israel, the officials said. The administration was planning a teleconference briefing Thursday on Syria for leaders of the House and Senate and national security committees in both parties, U.S. officials and congressional aides said.Both the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency have their own human sources the rebel commanders and others who cross the border to brief CIA and defense intelligence officers at training camps in Jordan and Turkey. But their operation is much smaller than some of the other intelligence services, and it takes longer for their contacts to make their way overland.The CIA, the Pentagon, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence all declined to comment on the intelligence picture, and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.Obama said he was not seeking a lengthy, open-ended conflict in Syria, indicating that any U.S. response would be limited in scope. But he argued that Syria's use of chemical weapons not only violated international norms, but threatened America's core self-interest.We do have to make sure that when countries break international norms on weapons like chemical weapons that could threaten us, that they are held accountable, he said.Laying out a legal justification for a U.S. response, Obama said Syria was violating the Geneva Protocols, an agreement signed in 1925 in the wake of World War I to ban the use of chemical gases. The White House has also cited the Chemical Weapons Convention, a 1992 agreement that builds on the Geneva Protocols by prohibiting the development and stockpiling of chemical weapons.Syria is a party to the original Geneva accord, but not the latter chemical weapons agreement.Syria, which sits on one of the world's largest stockpiles of chemical weapons, has denied the charges. Moreover, Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, is demanding that United Nations experts investigate three alleged chemical weapons attacks against Syrian soldiers. He said the attacks occurred on Aug. 22, 24 and 25 in three suburbs of the Syrian capital and dozens of soldiers are being treated for inhaling nerve gas.Certain members of Congress are expected to get a classified U.S. intelligence report laying out the case against Assad. An unclassified version is to be made public. Officials say it won't have any detail that would jeopardize sources and methods.Some lawmakers have argued that Congress must authorize any military action unless there has been an attack on the U.S. or the existence of an eminent threat to the U.S. Both Democrats and Republicans on Wednesday pressed the White House to provide a clear explanation of how military action would secure U.S. objectives.Specifically, in a letter to Obama, House Speaker John Boehner asked him to make his case to Congress and the public about how military action would secure American national security interests, preserve America's credibility, deter the future use of chemical weapons, and, critically, be a part of our broader policy and strategy.Boehner said it was essential you address on what basis any use of force would be legally justified.

US vows action in Syria even without UN backing

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. says it will take action against the Syrian government for alleged use of chemical weapons even without the backing of allies or the United Nations.Britain added a hurdle to deliberations about a military strike on Wednesday when it went to the U.N. Security Council with a draft resolution that would authorize the use of military force against Syria. As expected, the five permanent members of the security council failed to reach an agreement as Russia reiterated its objections to international intervention in Syria.State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf says the U.S. cannot be held up in responding by Russia's intransigence at the United Nations.Russia says the use of force without a sanction of the U.N. Security Council is a crude violation of international law.

US Fort Hood gunman sentenced to death

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FORT HOOD (AP) - A military jury on Wednesday sentenced Maj. Nidal Hasan to death for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, delivering the only punishment the Army believed fit for an attack on fellow unarmed soldiers. The sentence was one that Hasan also appeared to seek in a self-proclaimed effort to become a martyr.Hasan could become the first U.S. soldier executed in more than half a century. But because the military justice system requires a lengthy appeals process, years or even decades could pass before he is put to death.The U.S.-born Muslim has said he acted to protect Islamic insurgents abroad from American aggression, and he never denied being the gunman.He acknowledged to the jury that he pulled the trigger in a crowded waiting room where troops were getting final medical checkups before deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. Thireteen people were killed and more than 30 wounded.It was the worst ever attack on a U.S. military base.The same jurors who convicted Hasan last week needed to agree unanimously on a death sentence on Wednesday, though the 42-year-old faced a minimum sentence of life in prison.The lead prosecutor assured jurors that Hasan would never be a martyr despite his attempt to tie the attack to religion.He is a criminal. He is a cold-blooded murderer, Col. Mike Mulligan said Wednesday in his final plea for a rare military death sentence.Hasan made no statement Wednesday before the sentence and had no visible reaction when it was read. Officials said he will be transported on the first available military flight to the military prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.For nearly four years, the federal government has sought to execute Hasan, believing that any sentence short of a lethal injection would deny justice to the families of the dead and the survivors.Hasan has seemed content to go to the death chamber for his beliefs. He fired his own attorneys to represent himself and barely put up a defense during his trial.He was never allowed to argue in front of the jury that the shooting was necessary to protect Islamic and Taliban leaders from U.S. troops. During the trial, Hasan leaked documents to journalists that revealed him telling military mental health workers in 2010 that he could still be a martyr if executed.All but one of the dead were soldiers, including a pregnant private who curled on the floor and pleaded for her baby's life.The attack ended only when Hasan was shot in the back by an officer responding to the shooting. Hasan is now paralyzed from the waist down.Death sentences are rare in the military, which has just five other prisoners on death row. The cases trigger a long appeals process. And the president must give final authorization before any service member is executed. No U.S. soldier has been executed since 1961.

Iraq bombings, house raid kill at least 80 people

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BAGHDAD (AP) - Car bomb blasts and other explosions tore through mainly Shiite districts around Baghdad during morning rush hour Wednesday in a day of violence that killed at least 80, intensifying worries about Iraq's ability to tame the spiraling mayhem gripping the country.It was the latest set of large-scale sectarian attacks to hit Iraq, even as the government went on high alert in case a possible Western strike in neighboring Syria increases Iraq's turmoil.A relentless wave of killing has left thousands dead since April in the country's worst spate of bloodshed since 2008. The surge in violence raises fears that Iraq is hurtling back toward the widespread sectarian killing that peaked in 2006 and 2007, when the country was teetering on the edge of civil war.Most of Wednesday's attacks happened in within minutes of each other as people headed to work or were out shopping early in the day. Insurgents unleashed explosives-laden cars, suicide bombers and other bombs that targeted parking lots, outdoor markets and restaurants in predominantly Shiite areas in and around Baghdad, officials said. A military convoy was hit south of the capital.Security forces sealed off the blast scenes as ambulances raced to pick up the wounded. The twisted wreckage of cars littered the pavement while cleaners and shop owners brushed away debris. At one restaurant, the floor was stained with blood and dishes were scattered on plastic tables.What sin have those innocent people committed? asked Ahmed Jassim, who witnessed one of the explosions in Baghdad's Hurriyah neighborhood. We hold the government responsible.The northern neighborhood of Kazimiyah, home to a prominent Shiite shrine, was among the worst hit. Two bombs went off in a parking lot, followed by a suicide car bomber who struck onlookers who had gathered at the scene. Police said the attack killed 10 people and wounded 27.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but they bore the hallmarks of the Iraqi branch of al-Qaida, which operates in Iraq under the name the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The group frequently targets Shiites, which it considers heretics, and carries out coordinated bombings in an attempt to incite sectarian strife.Charles Lister, an analyst at IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center, said the group is increasingly showing huge confidence and military capability.Both the increasing frequency, and statistically, the increasing deadliness of (their) coordinated nationwide bombings in Iraq underlines the extent of their operational reach and the huge depth of their resources, he said.In one particularly brutal attack, a Shiite family was shot dead at home in the largely Sunni town of Latifiyah, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad. Four children, ages eight to 16, were killed along with their parents and an uncle, police said. Authorities said they had previously fled the town after being threatened and had returned only three weeks ago.Many of the day's blasts targeted morning shoppers. One parked car bomb in a commercial area in Baghdad's northern Shaab killed nine. Parked car bombs that went off in outdoor markets killed 19 in the sprawling slum of Sadr City, the northeastern neighborhood of Shula, the southeastern Jisr Diyala district and the eastern New Baghdad area.Blasts also hit the neighborhoods of Bayaa, Jamila, Hurriyah and Saydiyah, killing 12. Yet another car bomb exploded in the evening in Baghdad's southwestern Amil neighborhood, killing four.Outside the capital, a suicide bomber blew himself up near a restaurant in Mahmoudiyah, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad, killing five. And in Madain, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Baghdad, a roadside bomb struck a passing military patrol, killing four soldiers.While Shiite areas bore the brunt of the attacks, Sunni areas were targeted late in the day.A parked car bomb exploded late Wednesday as worshippers left a mosque in Baghdad's western Yarmouk neighborhood, killing four. Several Sunni mosques have been attacked in recent months, raising the possibility that largely inactive Shiite militias are starting to carry out retaliatory attacks.Later, police said a parked car bomb hit a coffee shop in the largely Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah, killing six.Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures, which included more than 250 wounded. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.The deputy United Nations envoy to Iraq, Jacqueline Badcock, condemned the blasts and urged authorities to do more to protect the Iraqi people.The violence follows months of protests by Iraq's Sunni minority against the Shiite-led government that began late last year. Attacks have been rising since a deadly crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest in April. In response, clerics and other influential Shiite and Sunni leaders have called for restraint.More than 510 people have been killed so far in August, according to an Associated Press count.

160 quarantined after plague death in Kyrgyzstan

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BISHKEK (AP) - Four people have been hospitalized and 160 quarantined after a 15-year-old boy who ate marmot meat died of the bubonic plague last week, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health said Wednesday.The ministry in the Central Asian nation said the boy told medics he spent the previous week camping in the mountains where he had eaten barbecued marmot, a large ground squirrel that typically lives in mountainous areas.The Ministry of Health established a quarantine in parts of the mountainous northeast, but said there was no risk of an epidemic.Four residents in the boy's village were hospitalized on Wednesday after complaining of fever, though none had contact with the boy. A high fever is a common symptom of many diseases, such as the flu or measles.There are several thousand cases of bubonic plague every year worldwide. People usually catch the disease after being bitten by an infected insect or animal or coming into close contact with an infected animal, like hunters removing an animal's skin.Bubonic plague is the most common type of plague and causes painful swollen lymph nodes called bubos. The disease swept across Europe in the Middle Ages, killing millions. These days, the disease is easily treated with antibiotics and can be cured if caught early.

Li, Radwanska win early, avoid rain at US Open

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NEW YORK (AP) - Li Na got her work done quickly Wednesday at the U.S. Open, so when the rain started falling, she had little to worry about.The fifth-seeded Li defeated Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-2 in the day's first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium to advance to the third round. Shortly afterward, heavy rain came and Li's only concern was finding an umbrella.It's tough for them, she said, referring to the 58 players who still had singles matches to complete Wednesday. For me, just relax all day and do whatever I want.Five matches were wrapped up before the rain, including 18th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro's 6-3, 6-4 victory over American CoCo Vandeweghe and third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska's 6-0, 7-5 victory over Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor of Spain.Radwanska dropped only seven points during a 21-minute first set, but the second lasted 66 minutes. Long, but not too long.Sometimes it's good to play first, even when I have to wake up really early, Radwanska said, referring to the rain.Other early winners were 32nd-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and, on the men's side, one-time top-10 player Marcos Baghdatis.With the storm bearing down, video monitors around the Billie Jean King Tennis Center warned fans to seek shelter and avoid trees because of potential lightning, though thousands of ticketholders were milling about without much concern for severe weather.Many are used to this scene.The season's last Grand Slam tournament has finished a day late for five straight years because of rain delays.This year, the U.S. Tennis Association announced plans to build a roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium as part of a renovation project that will cost $550 million. The roof could be ready by 2016, or 2017 at the latest.Even that wouldn't have alleviated a first-week logjam the likes of which the tournament faced Wednesday, with a full slate of matches in singles along with men's, women's and mixed doubles.Among those on the schedule later Wednesday were defending women's champion Serena Williams and sister Venus; 2009 men's champion Juan Martin del Potro and defending champion Andy Murray, whose first-round match against Michael Llodra was set for Arthur Ashe Stadium at night.During a brief halt to the storm, del Potro made it onto the court, earned an early break against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain, then had to go back to the locker room when the rain returned. Next door, at Armstrong Stadium, Venus Williams played two points against Zheng Jie, then went inside again.Li was among the few who could plan on watching those matches from her hotel room.I'm happy, she said. Because at least I'm done with my job for the day.

Rain at US Open scrubs Serena match

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NEW YORK (AP) - Serena Williams will get an extra day of rest after her match was scrubbed from Wednesday's schedule at the rainy U.S. Open.After a rain delay ate up most of the afternoon, tournament officials canceled four women's singles matches but kept others on the slate, including the night session involving defending men's champion Andy Murray and American Sloane Stephens.Venus Williams was two points into her match against Zheng Jie and was scheduled to return to the court if the weather cleared. So was No. 6-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, who had been up an early break against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez when the rain started.In addition to Serena Williams' match against Galina Voskoboeva, officials postponed matches involving No. 8 Angelique Kerber and No. 25 Kaia Kanepi.

Barcelona win Super Cup after draw with Atletico

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BARCELONA (AP) - Lionel Messi missed a late penalty attempt before Barcelona clinched the Spanish Super Cup despite being held to a 0-0 draw at home by 10-man Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.Messi had a chance to put the result beyond doubt in 89th but fired his penalty kick off the crossbar to finish a forgettable night for the Argentina star. Barcelona eventually claimed the trophy on away goals following the 1-1 draw in the opening leg last week.Atleticos disciplined defense stifled a Barcelonas attack featuring Neymar making his first starting appearance for his new club.And the visitors enjoyed the best scoring opportunities other than Messis penalty attempt but werent able to get the critical goal. Atleticos chances were hurt in the 81st when Filipe Luis was given a red card for apparently hitting Dani Alves.The scoreless draw meant Neymars first-leg goal was the difference.Messi was back for Barcelona after missing one game due to a left thigh injury sustained in the opening Super Cup match last week. But the four-time world player of the year was not his usual dynamic self, lacking his spark and precision. He uncharacteristically scuffed a close-range shot off a pass from Sergio Busquets to start his off night.Barcelona coach Gerard Martino gave Neymar his first start in his fourth official game for Barcelona since his €57-million move from Santos in June.Messi and Neymar had only previously been on the pitch together for seven minutes, during a Barcelonas league opener, because Martino said he wanted to ease the 21-year-old Brazil striker into his new team. But those eager to see the two together were disappointed. While Messi was below par, Neymar wasnt able to exploit his speed and dribbling against Atleticos physical defense.Atleticos plan to relinquish the ball and look to hit on the break worked in the first half.Diego Costa produced Atleticos first chance on goal in the 35th when he passed for David Villa to set up Jorge Koke Resurreccion, only for the young midfielder to weakly shoot into the arms of goalkeeper Victor Valdes.Atletico missed another chance to go ahead in the 42nd when Arda Turan drew an excellent save from Valdes.Needing to score to offset Barcelonas away-goal advantage, Atletico dictated the pace early in the second half and shifted the action to Barcelonas area. Valdes was called upon to make another one-armed save to keep out Villas curling effort in the 56th.Martino sent Pedro Rodriguez on in the 65th to lift his team, and even though Neymar wasted Dani Alves cross minutes later, the Spanish champions regained control.Barcelona was further helped when Filipe Luis was sent off, and Pedro appeared to have given Messi the opportunity to ensure the trophy when he earned by a foul in the box from Miranda.But Messi struck his spot kick off the woodwork to the shock of the home fans.Barcelona won the Super Cup contested by the winners of the previous league and Copa del Rey for a record 11th time.

Bolt plans to defend all 3 Olympic sprint titles

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ZURICH (AP) - What's left for a man who has won three Olympic sprint titles back-to-back?Win all three again, of course.Usain Bolt said Wednesday is planning to defend his 100, 200 and 4x100 meter relay golds at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.To actually go to Rio and win again would be a feat in itself, said Bolt, speaking ahead of the Weltklasse Diamond League meeting in Zurich.The Jamaican will run in the 100 meters on Thursday after a world championship sweep of the sprints in Moscow, where he talked of working hard to attain the greatness thing.Most would say he's achieved that already.He completed the same triple at the Olympic Games in Beijing and London.For me, the key thing is just to go to defend my titles, and that's my focus, Bolt said. It would be the first time anybody has ever won three times in a row.Bolt became the most decorated athlete in world championships history this month, with his career tally of eight golds and two silvers lifting him above American great Carl Lewis.Three more golds for Bolt in Rio would still leave him trailing Lewis' Olympic track and field record of nine golds and one silver.I won't be adding a fourth event in Rio, for sure, said the 27-year-old Bolt, whose 34th birthday could fall during the 2020 Summer Games.Bolt's news conference was held at FIFA headquarters, across the city from the stadium where he will run Thursday.Bolt was greeted on arrival by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, and later accepted a blue FIFA football shirt bearing his name and the No. 9.Blatter joked that nine seconds was probably the limit for Bolt, whose 100 world record set in 2009 stands at 9.58.Bolt suggested he was capable of running in the 9.70s at Weltklasse, where a warm, still evening is forecast.I have gotten a lot of rest, said Bolt, who last year in cool, wet conditions set a Weltklasse meet record of 19.66 in the 200. This track is always a fast track and I've run some fast times here.He ran a season's-best 9.77 in Moscow and rivals Thursday include worlds runner-up Justin Gatlin of the United States and Jamaican bronze medalist Nesta Carter.Though Bolt is the star attraction, the sold-out Letzigrund stadium will also focus on stellar fields for the men's high jump and women's 5,000.Last month in Switzerland, Bohdan Bondarenko barely failed to clear 2.46 meters at the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne, which would have lifted him above a cherished record in track and field.Cuban great Javier Sotomayor's 20-year-old mark of 2.45 survived another challenge by the Ukrainian when taking the world title in Moscow.Many people wait for the world record. I can't just decide when I jump the world record, or I would do it, said Bondarenko, who looked forward to competing in a more relaxed setting Thursday. I think this is good because emotions get in the way of jumping.Ethiopian rivals Meseret Defar and Tirunesh Dibaba rarely race each other outside of major championships, yet the winners of the past three Olympic titles over 5,000 will clash over that distance in Zurich.

Matthews wins 5th Vuelta stage; Nibali in lead

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LAGO DE SANABRIA (AP) - Michael Matthews of Australia won the fifth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Wednesday and Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall leader's jersey ahead of American rider Christopher Horner.The 23-year-old Matthews, riding for Orica-Greenedge, won in 4 hours, 28 minutes, 22 seconds, after finishing a sprint ahead of Maximiliano Richeze of Argentina and third-place Gianni Meersman of Belgium, who both had the same time as the Australian after riding 108 miles from Sober to Lago de Sanabria.My goal was to arrive to the Vuelta in good form and everything leading up to this point has been a progression to get me to this level, said Matthews.Matthews, who won two stages in the Tour of Utah this month, dedicated his victory to teammate Wesley Sulzberger, who was ruled out of the race after fracturing his collarbone and elbow during Tuesday's fourth stage.I wish him a fast recovery and, yeah, this win is for him, Matthews said.Although Sulzberger managed to finish the fourth stage, Orica-Greenedge withdrew him from Wednesday's stage that included two Category 3 climbs. The 26-year-old Sulzberger, also from Australia, was hurt in an accident at the foot of the steep Mirador de Ezaro climb but was able to get back on his bike and race the remaining 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) to the finish line.Astana rider Nibali is three seconds clear of RadioShack-Leopard's Horner.I was a bit nervous because it was windy today, but it has gone really well for me, said Nibali. Things are going well for me and the conditions have been in my favor.Arnaud Courteille and Juergen Van De Walle broke away from the pack to lead by 25 seconds, but they were unable to stay ahead as they approached the end.The three-week race ends in Madrid on Sept. 15.

Scientists find clue to age-related memory loss

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Scientists have found a compelling clue in the quest to learn what causes age-related memory problems, and to one day be able to tell whether those misplaced car keys are an early warning of Alzheimers.Wednesdays report offers evidence that age-related memory loss is a distinct condition from pre-Alzheimers and offers a hint that what we now consider the normal forgetfulness of old age might eventually be treatable.Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York examined brains, young and old ones, donated from people who died without signs of neurologic disease. They discovered that a certain gene in a specific part of the hippocampus, the brains memory center, quits working properly in older people. It produces less of a key protein.That section of the brain, called the dentate gyrus, has long been suspected of being especially vulnerable to aging. Importantly, its a different neural neighborhood than where Alzheimers begins to form.But its circumstantial evidence that having less of that protein, named RbAp48, affects memory loss in older adults. So the researchers took a closer look at mice, which become forgetful as they age in much the same way that people do.Sure enough, cutting levels of the protein made healthy young rodents lose their way in mazes and perform worse on other memory tasks just like old mice naturally do.More intriguing, the memory loss was reversible: Boosting the protein made forgetful old mice as sharp as the youngsters again, the researchers reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.Its the best evidence so far that age-related memory loss isnt the same as early Alzheimers, said Nobel laureate Dr. Eric Kandel, who led the Columbia University team.And since some people make it to 100 without showing much of a cognitive slowdown, the work brings another question: Is that normal aging, or is it a deterioration that were allowing to occur? Kandel said.As we want to live longer and stay engaged in a cognitively complex world, I think even mild age-related memory decline is meaningful, added Columbia neurologist Dr. Scott Small, a senior author of the study. It opens up a whole avenue of investigation to now try to identify interventions.This is early-stage research that will require years of additional work to confirm, cautioned Dr. Molly Wagster of the National Institute on Aging, who wasnt involved with the report.But Wagster said the findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that were not all on the road to Alzheimers disease after we pass a certain age.For example, other researchers have found that connections between neurons in other parts of the brain weaken with normal aging, making it harder but not impossible to retrieve memories. In contrast, Alzheimers kills neurons.

Acupuncture helps ailing alligator in Brazil

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SAO PAULO (AP) - Binos back was killing him. He was suffering from scoliosis. He couldnt move his legs, two of them anyway, and his tail just wouldnt swish.Whats an albino alligator in that sort of health bind to do? Acupuncture, naturally.Bino the albino alligator lives at the Sao Paulo Aquarium, where hes been since 2007. Veterinarians said Wednesday that he was born eight years ago with his ailments, and nothing seemed to alleviate them.So, in early 2011 veterinarians decided to see if acupuncture might help Bino, as it has other animals living at the aquarium.The acupuncture will ... alleviate his pain and keep all his vital functions going, said Rafael Gutierrez, a biologist at the aquarium of Sao Paulo, adding that the 30-minute weekly treatments would continue indefinitely, as long as they kept showing solid results.Acupuncture on animals is becoming increasingly common around the globe, the biologists at the Sao Paulo aquarium said, especially with pets such as cats, dogs and horses. The use of acupuncture on animals began thousands of years ago in China.In the U.S., the number of veterinarians who hold membership in the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture has jumped 50 percent in the last few years to 900 doctors, said Simon Flynn, the executive director of the academy thats based in Glastonbury, Connecticut.There are many zoo veterinarians who use acupuncture, a number of equine practitioners who treat race horses with acupuncture, its proven to be a useful treatment, Flynn said. Its common with dogs and its becoming increasingly common with cats. More veterinarians are seeing the worth of the treatment.Typical ailments treated by acupuncture include neck and back issues, skin problems and pain in general, among other complaints, said Flynn.Bino the Sao Paulo alligator requires a few precautions not needed with your average house cat. Inserting the needles into Binos back requires the important first step of taping shut his lock-tight jaws full of sharp teeth.Bino wrestles around a bit as the tape is applied, but soon calms down.Veterinarian Daniela Cervaletti then slides behind Bino, firmly pressing the needles into his leathery white and yellow hide. The needles are inserted along his spine and around the area where the animal developed a hunchback.Bino doesnt move at all as nearly a dozen needles go in.Cervaletti gently strokes the side of Binos neck after she applies them all, then waits several minutes before removing them.The treatment complete, handlers help Bino back into a display pool, his white skin stark against brown fake rocks painted with foliage.He moves easily and swishes his tail, gliding along the water as a gaggle of young schoolchildren in matching blue and gray uniforms squeal in delight, faces pressed up against the glass separating them from Bino.

Oil climbs to highest in more than 2 years

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NEW YORK (AP) -The price of oil climbed to its highest in more than two years on Wednesday as the U.S. edged closer to taking action against Syria for the alleged use of chemical weapons.U.S. benchmark oil for October delivery rose $1.09, or 1 percent, to $110.10 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Thats its highest closing price since May 3, 2011.Earlier, oil climbed as high as $112.24.Oil has surged 27 percent since touching a low for the year of $86.68 on April 17. Political unrest in the Middle East and the threat of U.S. intervention in Syrias civil war have been big factors behind the price increase. Neither country is a major oil exporter, but traders are concerned that the violence could spread to more important oil-exporting countries or disrupt major oil transport routes.The market is very concerned that if the US did carry out a missile strike or some kind of military action that it could pull in Iraq and other neighboring states in the Middle East, said Dan Heckman, a national investment consultant, who specializes in commodities, at US Bank Wealth Management.The U.N.s special envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said Wednesday that there was evidence that some kind of chemical substance had been used in an attack that may have killed more than 1,000 people near Damascus.Brahimi also said that any strike against Syria needed to gain approval from the 15-member U.N. Security Council.Global supply worries are also boosting prices.Libya has cut exports by at least 1 million barrels a day due to production outages and labor conflicts at shipping ports. That is a more likely driver of the recent surge, according to analysts at JBC Energy in Vienna.When Libyas oil production stopped completely during the revolution in 2011, oil rose by $20 a barrel over the span of two weeks.While reports of ample global supplies were recently the norm, JBC Energy said current developments such as low spare capacity in Saudi Arabia, stockpiles falling in the U.S., disappointing supply developments around the world and signs of an improving global economy pointed to tighter markets.

Pakistan, Zimbabwe 2nd ODI today

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HARARE (Agencies) – The second one-day international (ODI) between Pakistan and Zimbabwe will be played today. The match will start at 12:30pm (PST).Having beaten Pakistan by seven wickets in the first game, hosts Zimbabwe are a win away from claiming their first ODI series win over the same opponents and with it their first significant bilateral series in 12 years.Following the 5-0 sweep at the hands of a weakened India last month, Brendan Taylors team are now in the rare position to press for an epic series win over top-class opposition.Zimbabwe have never beaten Pakistan in bilateral ODI series dating back to 1993; they lost eight and drew one series 1-1 in 1995.Tuesdays victory was Zimbabwes first over Pakistan in 15 years, but it remains to be seen if they can reproduce such a performance a second time in less than three days. The win was fashioned in the field where Pakistan lost five wickets for 44 runs after being given a 99-run stand for the third wicket and could only manage 244 for 7, a total that Zimbabwe overhauled with ten deliveries remaining.For Pakistan, the sloppy batting and lacklustre bowling will be a concern. Openers Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad were far from fluent while the lower middle order managed 20 runs between them. Batting has for long been Pakistans problem and the way they collapsed in Harare on Tuesday was just another example of adding to a lost cause. Barring Saeed Ajmal, no bowler made inroads and Shahid Afridis bad day (0 for 51 in nine overs) was a contributor to a shock defeat.Pakistan are in the unfamiliar position of needing to beat a minnow team to salvage a series, and how they retaliate adds to the appetising fixture.

We don't want 92-like operation in Karachi: Altaf

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - MQM chief Altaf Hussain has said that his party would support unbiased operation to end unrest in the city.In his telephonic address to a simultaneous meeting of MQM’s coordination committee in London and Karachi, Altaf Hussain said that an honest approach should be adopted to launch the operation to provide protection and peace to traders and other citizens.He said that the operation should not be like that of 1992 in which it was announced that 72 big criminals would be held but the operation was diverted to MQM and a certain segment of the populace.Altaf Hussain warned if this time the 92-like operation was repeated it would be a bad joke and peace could not be restored in Karachi.He said that any fake operation would not clean the city of criminal element and the interior minister would not succeed despite sincere efforts.Altaf Hussain demanded that the interior minister should probe into the Safari Park incident.The MQM chief said he would personaly congratulate the government if the interior minister succeeded in exposing those terrorists who killed and injured police officers in Safari Park.
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