Striking workers ground Kuwait Airways flights

KUWAIT CITY (AP) ? Kuwait Airways, the Gulf state's national carrier, extended flight cancellations across its route network into a second day Sunday as it scrambled to cope with a strike by workers.

The action by Kuwait Airways employees follows a work stoppage by customs officials that began last week and is blocking food items from entering the country. Workers are demanding higher pay and other benefits.

Kuwaitis are used to well-paying government jobs and a cradle-to-grave social security system that is increasingly becoming a burden on the state. Calls for better working terms have grown louder as the past year's Arab Spring uprisings reverberated across the region.

Kuwait Airways grounded its flights starting Saturday evening and extending into Sunday, according to airline spokesman Adel Boresly.

They affect incoming and outgoing flights on nearly two dozen routes including to regional hubs Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Doha, Qatar, and Western destinations such as New York and Frankfurt, Germany. It is unclear when flights will resume.

"We are evaluating the situation (until) the strike is off," Boresly said.

Meanwhile, store shelves at some supermarkets are running empty as striking customs workers, who began walking off the job Tuesday, refuse to allow hundreds of trucks to cross the border.

That is prompting merchants to hike prices, with the cost of some goods such as dairy products, detergents and diapers rising significantly.

Oil exports do not appear to be affected by the customs strike.

Marzouq Awwad, secretary of the customs workers' union, vowed to continue the job walkoff until its members' demands are met. He said workers have allowed 97 trucks carrying perishable items such as fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products to cross the border since the strike began.

"The union is not at war with the citizens, and is only on strike until the government and union reach an agreement," he said.

Power plant employees and university professors are also threatening to walk off the job unless they too get increased pay and retirement benefits.

Members of Kuwait's Cabinet are in talks with labor leaders to try to resolve the dispute. Finance Minister Mustafa al-Shamali has repeatedly said the country's budget is strained, and cannot afford the pay increases of as much as 40 percent that unions are calling for.

Thousands of customs workers and other civil servants launched a similar wave of labor unrest in September and October that temporarily disrupted shipping traffic and threatened the country's vital oil exports. Like in the latest strike, they were joined by Kuwait Airways workers.

Kuwait is OPEC's fourth largest oil exporter, and it relies on revenue from crude sales to cover the bulk of its budget.

Kuwaiti authorities have faced sporadic protests in recent months, though they have not been as big as the major pro-reform demonstrations seen elsewhere in the Arab World.

The small nation's parliament has the most powers of any elected body in the Gulf, and opposition lawmakers openly criticize the ruling family.

In January last year, Kuwait's emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, ordered 1,000 dinar ($3,559) grants and free food coupons for every Kuwaiti. Neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar followed with handouts of their own as they sought to dampen calls for political reform.

___

Schreck reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-03-18-ML-Kuwait-Strikes/id-688ad92dceb4448892339fdb62fa58a4

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Shopping for A Place Upon Personal bankruptcy - Get A Mortgage ...

March 17th, 2012 | Posted in Business | Comments Off

If you have a new individual bankruptcy on your credit rating and are on the lookout to get financing for a residence, there is hope. Selecting a place with negative credit history will just put way more emphasis on the other two elements essential to get a home finance loan bank loan, which are profits verification and a down payment.

Immediately after individual bankruptcy most loan companies want you to wait at the very least 2 years from the time of the bankruptcy discharge ahead of they will give consideration to you for a house loan loan. After the two year ready time period is in excess of, you really should be equipped to get funding quickly. You will need to also be in a position to get a hundred% funding as perfectly. You can almost always generate this as prolonged as at minimum most of your payments have been noted to the credit bureau as using been compensated on time mainly because the discharge of your individual bankruptcy.

If you are trying to get a home finance loan loan when bankruptcy sooner than the two ages from the time of discharge, you will require to have basically flawless payment historical past seeing as your bankruptcy discharge. Also, you may likely really need to have a down payment. If you have even three-5% to use as a down payment, that may likely be adequate to enable you get permitted.

There are options to get a down payment for your home finance loan aside from owning the cash saved in the lender. The following are some recommendations of ways to do that:

1.Borrow or request for a reward from family members. Soon after you have financed the residence, you can in most cases go and just take out a 2nd or third mortgage loan up to the complete worth of your household, and then you could repay the family. Maintain in brain that if you intend the moolah to be as a mortgage only from the family, you would desire to disclose that to the loan company prior to when you close. Lenders generally have regulations about whereby the down payment is coming from and if you are not straightforward, it could be taken into account defrauding a loan company.

two.There are down payment aid programs like Neighborhood Gold or the Nehemiah plan. These products quite simply support the vendor in assisting you with a down payment. Acquiring a down payment from the seller of the home is unlawful, but through these plans, it is authorized. There are also other down payment guidance applications which are grants and do not absolutely need to be repaid or compensated for by any person. To unearth out about these, do a lookup on ?down payment assistance? with your favorite research engine.

three.You could hard cash out a 401K or a further expense and like in the initial example, repay oneself with a 2nd or 3rd home finance loan following the financial loan has closed.

Cordell Obey looks into Second Mortgage Ontario

Source: http://www.myhotarticle.com/shopping-for-a-place-upon-personal-bankruptcy-get-a-mortgage-loan-financial-loan-just-after-personal-bankruptcy/

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loboutin Automotive Car Detailing Customization Ar

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Source: http://latest-news-in-hindi.blogspot.com/2012/03/loboutin-automotive-car-detailing.html

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How DNA Origami Creates Supermaterials

Practitioners of traditional origami can fold tiny, colorful bits of paper and make high art. But the growing group of scientists who practice DNA origami can fold genetic code itself, creating intricate nanoscopic materials with incredible properties.

In a new study out this week, scientists used the technique to create tiny structures that can manipulate light by absorbing it differently depending upon how the materials form?which could someday create lenses of amazing power. Previous research has shown that DNA origami can create nanobots that potentially could target and kill cancer cells one day.

So how are researchers around the world bending the very shape of DNA to their will?

Bio Basics

Let?s go back to biology-class basics. DNA is made up of four bases: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine (A, T, C, and G) that bond in pairs. A connects to T; C connects to G. Scientists can take advantage of those relationships to create self-assembling materials. Shawn Douglas, a biophysicist at Harvard University?s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, says that because those DNA bases will naturally seek out their counterpart, all a scientist needs to do is write up a blueprint. "Since the shape in encoded in the building material, we don?t have to assemble each one," he says.

With DNA origami, the blueprint involves two main components: one long strand of DNA called a scaffold that contains around 7000 bases, and smaller staple strands that have between 30 and 50 bases. As the bases that make up these staples bond to the bases on the scaffold, they fold the scaffold into the appropriate shape (the folding is why it?s called origami). If necessary, scientists can even design the staples to have chemical attachments where the researchers can add other materials.

A researcher sends the blueprints for the staples and scaffolds to a company that synthesizes DNA. When the scientists get the DNA strands back, they mix them together and the DNA particles assemble themselves into the desired shape. Douglas says that even in a mixture the size of a raindrop, scientists can produce anywhere from 50 billion to 100 billion DNA structures in a matter of moments. Inside the vial, the billions of strands are playing a complex game of musical chairs, with the short staple strands racing to attach to the correct spot on one of the scaffold strands before all the spots are taken.

Superlenses and Nanobots

Paul Rothemund, a research associate at CalTech, invented DNA origami six years ago in 2006, designing two-dimensional shapes like stars and smiley faces to show the range of the method. Since then, the method has become more and more popular in the field of bionanotechnology.

Rothemund says that DNA itself is "mostly good as an information storage medium," as evidenced by the incredible amount of genetic code stored in our bodies. But DNA isn?t good at conducting electricity and it?s not very chemically reactive, so, to use DNA origami to make new materials with useful properties, scientists must add other ingredients during the process of folding DNA.

In the study released in Nature this week, for example, scientists in Munich used DNA origami to create two kinds of cylindrical spirals with small gold pieces arranged along the edges?some that spiraled to the left, and others that spiraled to the right.

Spirals may seem like an arbitrary design choice, but they were designed with a specific function in mind. Tim Leidl, who runs the group at Munich that directed the research says, "In our case, the usefulness is that it can interact with light." In the teams? experiments, they put spirals that were all rotated in the same direction into a solution, and then found that the solutions absorbed light differently depending upon whether they contained left- or right-handed spirals. "The main importance of the work is that it shows that using self-assembly you can create materials with a predesigned function," says Anton Kuzyuk, a postdoctoral student who worked on the study.

The spiral experiment is a neat proof-of-concept for now. But in their study, the researchers speculate that future development of this idea could lead to the development of new materials with wild optical properties, such as a negative refractive index. This feature appears in no known natural materials, but scientists have shown that it?s possible for engineered metamaterials, and hope that such materials could be used to develop a superlens, or a perfect lens, that would allow scientists to see objects as small as viruses. The materials could even have applications in the invisibility cloak science that?s under way.

And DNA origami designs reach beyond the realm of hard physics. Just a few weeks ago, Harvard?s Douglas published a paper in the journal Science that described a DNA nanorobot. The nanorobot was engineered to carry antibody fragments and could identify and destroy cancer cells in a petri dish.

While the research is a long way from being tested in humans, it?s still an intriguing demonstration of what this method is capable of building?scientists are just starting to figure out what can be done with DNA origami. "DNA is a very powerful method for constructing things, as evidenced by the diversity of life," Douglas says.

Douglas is getting the next generation of scientists excited about the possibilities. Last year he started a competition called BioMod that encourages undergraduate students from around the world to spend the summer designing their own bio-nanotech project, either with DNA origami or other methods. That project is then entered into a competition at Harvard in the fall. Some of the projects from last year show paths that the field could take in the future, including DNA robots that can move along a track and respond to light, RNA drug delivery systems that can knock out targeted genes or deliver drugs to specific cells, and a DNA processor that can count.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/genetics/how-it-works-dna-origami-7383319?src=rss

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Here's What Happens When Our Nation's Capital Is Nuked [Nukes]

Late last year, the government conducted a study to discern what happens if DC is hit with a 10-kiloton nuke. Would it be good, or would it be bad? The results are in, and surprise! It would be very, very bad. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/L95RmtIakDY/heres-what-happens-when-our-nations-capital-is-nuked

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Great Tips for Anti Aging Skin Care | New Health and Fitness

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

The youthful glow we all once had disappear as we get older. We all want our skin to maintain its youthful glow, but sadly other factors like lack of hydration, the food we eat and nature (like the sun and wind) get in our way.

Unless you know proper skin care treatments, then all those skin care products that are known to help keep the skin looking good would mean squat. It?s important to provide your skin with anti aging skin care so you can look your best, and one way to do this is by trying out all natural products and natural skin care.

Looking over your daily routines is the first step you need to do. You need to remember to stay out of the sun as often as you can, get eight hours of sleep, use only natural moisturizers and drink lots of water. If you want to have youthful looking skin, one of the best tips of anti aging skin care is that everyday you drink at least eight glasses of water.

Unless you want your skin to look weather beaten and become dry, it?s better if don?t let your skin be exposed to the sun for long periods of time. If you are going to be out in the sun, then don?t forget your sunscreen and moisturizers. Just be sure to read the label and make sure the product doesn?t contain alcohol because it will dry the skin and cause it to age as well.

A great skin care treatment to include in your skin care routine is using moisturizers. You need to drink lots of water if you want to keep your skin hydrated, because remember that the skin loses water constantly. This is why using moisturizers every day is extremely important. Apply all-natural moisturizers on your face before you apply your makeup and other cosmetics.

If you?re looking for the very best anti aging skin care, then you must be looking for the best anti aging products. If that?s the case, then you should look for products that include antioxidants because they?re very helpful for skin care treatments. Antioxidants help the skin by protecting the collagen and elastin and keeps our skin supple and firm.

Here?s an important tip to remember when it comes to skin care treatments: you are what you eat. This is the reason why it?s essential to include healthy food in your diet. If you want healthy looking skin, then always remember to have well-balanced diet every day and drink lots of water.

The best face serums help to tighten and tone the skin.

Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/03/14/great-tips-for-anti-aging-skin-care/

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El Real Madrid, con dos dados, saca un trece

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Ejercicio de punch. Ejercicio de carpe diem: vive el momento, pero con un matiz: aprov?chalo. Se trata coser f?tbol sin tener hilo. Se trata de no precipitarse pese a estar bordeando la baranda hacia el tropiezo. Se trata de sacar, con dos dados, un trece. As? se las gasta este Real Madrid, que agreg? a su colecci?n de triunfos, el d?cimo consecutivo a domicilio en el Benito Villamar?n, y lo hizo sin desplegar su mejor juego. Bast? una alta dosis de acierto, un zarpazo de Higua?n, dos de Cristiano? y la inestimable presencia de la hastiosa pol?mica arbitral? c?mo no.

La carta de presentaci?n blanca en un territorio como el verdiblanco fue una invitaci?n al rival para que saliera a com?rselo. El l?der titube? por instantes. Los primeros compases fueron de claro dominio verdiblanco, que pretend?a hacer de su engalanado feudo algo inexpugnable. Ese algo lo empez? a forjar Jorge Molina a los nueve minutos. Ah?, y tras una asistencia de Rub?n Castro, que acompa?? aparentemente con su mano el control previo del bal?n, fusil? a Iker Casillas para establecer el 1-0 en el marcador. Primer gol y primera pol?mica de la noche.

El Madrid ni se inmut?. Sigui? observando la superioridad del Real Betis como algo normal. No s?lo no se hizo con el bal?n, sino que dej? que el rival campara a sus anchas con ?l. Marcelo, por ejemplo, so?ar? con Jefferson Montero; Arbeloa, directamente, tendr? pesadillas en verdiblanco. Malo el partido del zaguero, as? como el de las manijas del cuadro de Jos? Mourinho: Xabi Alonso y Khedira. No fue impedimento el atrevimiento local para que ?zil viera la carrera de Higua?n, que ?ste armara su pierna derecha en pleno eslalon, y soltase un ob?s que Fabricio no pudo pulverizar.

Con la igualdad reinando en el marcador, Salva Sevilla tuvo cerca el desempate, pero su libre directo toc? ligeramente la manopla de Casillas antes de repelerlo el larguero. Para culminar el primer tiempo, un pase de Marcelo hacia Cristiano Ronaldo a punto estuvo de resultar decisivo, pero el portugu?s, a diferencia de la segunda parte, no las tuvo todas consigo en los primeros 45 minutos. El Benito Villamar?n fue una olla a presi?n que estuvo con su equipo todo el encuentro, disfrutando de un espect?culo al que solo le falt? que los tres puntos se quedaran en casa.

La sorpresa en la reanudaci?n fue la entrada de Sagues Oscoz por Iturralde, con molestias. El asistente se estren? en Primera Divisi?n y ya sabe que ser? carne de prensa ?deportiva? durante los pr?ximos d?as. Los motivos, l?neas m?s abajo. Y es que la segunda entrega fue mucho mejor que la primera. Sigui? sin arrugarse el Betis y sigui? sin inmutarse el Madrid. Pero qu? m?s le da al l?der, si en sus filas cuenta con un tipo que acumula la friolera de 32 dianas en 27 partidos. Las dos ?ltimas bien valen otros tres puntos de gloria. Cristiano Ronaldo sac? su rifle a tiempo? y atin?.

Y es que el portugu?s no desperdici? la oportunidad que le brind? Marcelo para que, en uno de esos fugaces momentos de clarividencia visitante, el brasile?o le hiciera un sombrero en modo revancha a Jefferson que, de paso, sirvi? como asistencia a un Ronaldo en el sitio adecuado en el momento justo. 1-2 nada m?s arrancar. Pero la alegr?a durar?a poco al Real Madrid, ya que en un abrir y cerrar de ojos el atacante ecuatoriano volvi? por sus fueros para batir de un certero disparo raso al portero blanco; al regalo de Arbeloa tras un c?rner le quit? el lazo de la forma m?s sutil.

Y de ah? al final una lucha de usted a t? donde el descaro vest?a de verdiblanco, el acierto de rojo? y la pol?mica de negro. Porque el Betis no le perdi? la cara al envite y antes del gol definitivo de Cristiano tuvo una doble ocasi?n donde Casillas se luci?. Y antes, tambi?n, reclam? una mano dentro del ?rea de Xabi Alonso que el colegiado de urgencia interpret? como involuntaria. Y as?, con el matiz del aprov?chalo, el Pichichi de la Liga no dej? escapar la oportunidad de volver a avanzar a los suyos. El en?simo latigazo, como el que no firm? segundos despu?s y que hubiese significado el 2-4.

Mourinho, que de no ser por el tercero hubiese dado entrada a Benzema, cambi? de idea y apost? por Granero en lugar del desdibujado Kak?. El Betis, entregado a la causa, busc? con ah?nco restablecer el electr?nico pero no se hizo con la suya. Eso s?, en el descuento, y tras un zapatazo de Jefferson, reclam? otra mano dentro del ?rea de Ramos que Sagues Oscoz no se?al?. Seg?n la conveniencia, mano; seg?n el inter?s, muslo. Parece que no importa, la cuesti?n es a?adir m?s le?a al fuego. Y para qu? negarlo, de este tema, o temita, ya andamos todos un poco quemados.

PS: El Real Madrid durmi?, la noche del s?bado, a 13 puntos del Barcelona, segundo.

Foto | Real Madrid

Source: http://www.notasdefutbol.com/la-liga/el-real-madrid-con-dos-dados-saca-un-trece

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