www.irna.com United Nations, Mar 1, IRNA -- An Iranian female scientist, Shiva Seyed Forootan, was awarded a United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) fellowship on Friday.
The Iranian molecular biologist was among 15 outstanding women scientists in the world who won the UNESCO fellowship during a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
She was one of the two women scientists from the Asia-Pacific region who was awarded the fellowship at a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on Friday. The last fellowship recipient from this region is to be announced in the coming weeks.
At the ceremony, which marked the fifth anniversary of the L'OREAL-UNESCO "For Women in Science" program, 15 young scientific researchers received the annual UNESCO L'ORAL fellowships.
The awards, presented by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of L'OREAL Lindsay Owen-Jones and Director-General of UNESCO Koichiro Matsuura, recognized for the first time women working in the field of the material sciences.
Five laureates in the material sciences, in addition to 15 fellowships in the life sciences, were honored at the event.
The L'OREAL-UNESCO "For Women in Science" program aims to improve the position of women in science by recognizing outstanding women researchers who have contributed to scientific progress as well as young women scientists engaged in exemplary and promising projects.
The L'OREAL-UNESCO awards distinguish five remarkable women researchers representing the five continents of Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. Often, these women's exceptional careers have opened up new and revolutionary ways of improving conditions of life and well-being.
This year's awards bring to 71 the number of women from various countries who have been honored by the program.
The exemplary scientists come from 45 countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia, Australia, Romania, Turkey, Argentina, Pero and Venezuela.
The annual international award ceremony is the highest of an increasingly full program of local initiatives being organized
worldwide, including activities in Austria, Belgium, China, Finland,
Germany, Italy, Republic of Korea, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom. These initiatives make sure women in science benefit even further from the partnership forged between L'OREAL and UNESCO.
Speaking at the ceremony, UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura said: "You are the role models for today's young girls, opening a door to freedom and adventure that has been forbidden them from too long. In today's knowledge societies, women must contribute to scientific research, and mark it with their vision of the world and its development."
FM/LS
End

By PATRICE M. JONES, Knight Ridder Newspapers March 01, 2003

CARACAS, Venezuela -- The lifeblood of Venezuela's economy, its oil industry, is slowly rebounding, analysts say, after a crippling strike disrupted exports to the United States and left Venezuela's president clinging to power. Venezuela's energy minister, Rafael Ramirez, had a rosy forecast for Washington officials last week. He described the emergence of a reorganized, leaner, better-run state oil company that is recovering well despite operating with about 40 percent fewer workers. But despite progress, many analysts say Venezuela's sick oil industry is far from full recovery. Venezuelan officials say the oil giant should be close to producing 3.1 million barrels daily -- nearly matching prestrike levels -- by the end of this month. But analysts and oil experts say those claims are too optimistic and could hide dangers both for Venezuela and its most important client, the United States. Analysts say the state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., was severely damaged by the strike and it could be years before the company restores its worldwide reputation, if it ever does. Venezuela lost billions of dollars in oil exports during the two-month strike that fizzled in early February. The government fired 16,000 workers who took part in the stoppage, which was aimed at pressuring the government of President Hugo Chavez. With the dismissals, much of the oil company's knowledge and expertise from its senior managers, scientists, economists and technicians was lost. ''You cannot take a something that took decades to build and rebuild it in a few months,'' said Ramon Espinasa, former chief economist for the oil company and now a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank. ''There are many reasons to believe the government's statements about the future are not very credible,'' added Michael Gavin, managing director in emerging markets research for UBS Warburg investment bank. The fallout for Venezuela if its oil industry does not fully recover could be devastating. Oil has long been Venezuela's claim to international prestige, and its most important economic engine. Venezuela's government depends on oil for half its revenue and 80 percent of the country's exports. Once the world's fifth-largest oil producer, Venezuela has long been a major supplier for the United States, accounting for about 15 percent of U.S. oil imports last year, or about 1.5 million barrels a day. ''Venezuela was by far the most reliable market for the U.S., and so the strike meant a very important change and rethinking,'' Espinasa said. Energy analysts have questioned whether other producing countries with spare production capacity, mainly Saudi Arabia, could replace both lost Venezuelan and Iraqi oil should war erupt in Iraq and Venezuela's problems are not be resolved. On Wednesday, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said at a Senate hearing it might be two to three months before Venezuelan imports return to normal. Adding to the uncertainty is Venezuela's continuing political instability. In the past week, Chavez has launched a crackdown on the architects of the nationwide strike that included a walkout in the oil industry as well as a strike among businesses and unions. Business chamber leader Carlos Fernandez was recently placed under house arrest and is facing up to 26 years in prison for his involvement in the strike. Seven other strike leaders, all former oil managers, also have had warrants issued for their arrest, although they are fighting to nullify the arrest order in the courts. ''Chavez is desperate to arrest anyone who opposes him,'' said Juan Fernandez, a former financial planning manager at the oil company, who is among the group of seven that could face jail time. ''To prove they have things under control and that they have the power, they will continue the arrests,'' he said. But there is also a problem in Venezuela's oil fields, where only minimal staffs are handling everything from managing computer systems to restarting inactive fields. Sand built up in some wells that were left inactive during the strike, which means now that some wells will have to be redrilled and some could simply be worthless. Experts estimate between 300,000 and 400,000 barrels a day of production could be permanently lost. On the other hand, Ramirez told Washington officials of current successes. Production has risen from nothing when Venezuela's December oil strike began to the current level of just over 2 million barrels a day. Striking workers recently pegged the level at 1.58 million barrels a day. And while Venezuela's government says it will reach prestrike production by the end of the month, many analyst forecast the company is likely to reach only about 2.3 million barrels daily by the end of the year.

www.sptimes.com By TOM ZUCCO, Times Staff Writer © St. Petersburg Times published March 1, 2003

Call it a jokester's jihad, this war waged in one-liners. The guns may be trained on Iraq, but the salvos fall on France.

"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion." -- U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

Antoine Louro, owner of Chateau France restaurant in St. Petersburg, says business has been good, despite recent anti-French sentiment. To show contempt for France's opposition to U.S. policy on Iraq, a bar owner in West Palm Beach dumped his entire stock of French wine and champagne into the street.

Not to be outdone, Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson sought a resolution that would change the name "french fries" to "freedom fries" or "American fries." He also promised to try to block a French company from getting a $25-million contract to build a sludge plant.

And in the Tampa Bay area, radio personalities from station WFLZ repeatedly rammed an empty French Peugeot with, ironically, a Mercury Marquis.

As the United States presses for a United Nations resolution authorizing military force to disarm Iraq, the nations of Germany, Finland, Sweden, Greece and Ireland, all have taken the same wait-for-more-inspections stance as the French.

But it is the French, or as a New York tabloid described them "primates capitulards et tou-jours en quete de fromages" (cheese-eating surrender monkeys), who are taking the heat.

Never mind that the French played a major role in the American Revolution, that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France and that French resistance provided some of the bravest fighters in World War II. The hits just keep on coming.

"I had a guest last week who canceled a reservation because of France's stand on Iraq," said Antoine Louro, owner of Chateau France in St. Petersburg.

Louro, who was born in Nice but has lived in America for 22 years, said he tried to explain that France has a large Muslim population, and that France and America have been allies for more than 200 years.

"But he didn't want to hear that," Louro said.

"Somebody was telling me about the French army rifle that was being advertised on e-Bay. The description was, "Never shot. Dropped once.' " -- U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

Melissa Bosc, who works at her parents' restaurant, Cafe Croissant in northwest St. Petersburg, is bothered by all this French-bashing.

Bosc, 21, was born in New York. But her parents are both from France, and she speaks fluent French.

"I'm hanging with my friends and they start talking about how America should go to war and the French should go along. I told them I didn't want to talk about it because it could affect our friendship. Just change the subject.

"My parents and I talk about it with our customers," she added, "but nothing gets too heated. I have heard the stories about the wine dumping, but I don't think those people really understand the French people."

Florida is not a prime destination for French tourists. About 160,000 people visited Florida from France in 2000, the last year for which statistics are available. That's about one-tenth the number who come from the United Kingdom. Visitors listing France as their home country ranked seventh in 2000, behind Canada, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and Germany.

Some observers have suggested the animosity is little more than a series of media-driven publicity stunts directed less at the French than at Francophiles, the snooty chablis and brie set.

A Gallup poll in early February found that nearly 60 percent of Americans view France favorably.

"Know why the French don't want to bomb Saddam Hussein? Because he hates America, he loves mistresses and he wears a beret. He is French." -- Conan O'Brien, TV personality

At the Cafe Largo restaurant Friday, a dozen French winemakers, many making their first trip to the United States, completed a week of tastings and sales calls in Florida without encountering anti-French sentiment.

One winemaker said a customer in Miami wondered what President Bush would think of his buying all that French wine.

"We agree Saddam (Hussein) must go," said Francois Labet, the proprietor of Chateau de la Tour, a winery in Vougeot, France. "It is only a question of how."

Still, the jokes persist.

"A lot of folks are still demanding more evidence before they actually consider Iraq a threat. For example, France wants more evidence. And you know I'm thinking, the last time France wanted more evidence they rolled right through Paris with the German flag." -- David Letterman, TV personality

Philippe Richou, a spokesman for the French consulate in Miami, accompanied his parents to St. Petersburg two weeks ago to visit the Dali Museum. He has lived in America less than three years.

"We've never heard anything rude or disrespectful," Richou said, "and I have a very strong accent. In fact, no one has called the consulate to complain. Florida is quiet. Except for Aaronson.

"Sometimes," he said, "there are differences between the French and Americans. But I know the main feeling in France is that the Americans are our friends.

"And I hope and think it's the same here."

-- Times staff writer Chris Sherman contributed to this report.

www.globeandmail.com By MATHEW INGRAM Saturday, March 1, 2003 - Page C2

Closing Markets: Friday, Feb. 28

S&P/TSX -27.07 6555.12 DJIA 6.09 7891.08 S&P500 3.87 841.15 Nasdaq 13.58 1337.52 Venture 4.21 1106.55 DJUK 3.29 148.51 Nikkei 3.66 8363.04 HSeng -11.58 9122.66 DJ Net .72 39.57 Gold (NY) +4.10 350.30 Oil (NY) -0.60 36.60 CRB Index +1.10 247.19 30 yr Can. -0.02 5.44 30 yr U.S. -0.05 4.68 CDN$ buys US$ +0.0036 0.6724 Yen +0.8600 79.5000 Euro +0.0026 0.6239 US$ buys CDN$ -0.0081 1.4871 Yen +0.6400 118.2200 Euro -0.0012 0.9278

The price of crude oil has skyrocketed over the past several months, partly because of concerns about supply from Venezuela and partly because of market speculation as the United States gears up for a war with Iraq. On Thursday and Friday, crude came within a hair of $40 (U.S.) a barrel, close to the peak it hit after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. So that means investors should run out and load up on oil stocks, right? Not so fast.

Like most heavily traded commodities -- such as gold, for example -- supply and demand are only part of the equation when it comes to oil prices. The current price, which is hovering in the $39 range, is a result of supply glitches in Venezuela and higher demand for fuel oil in the United States as a result of cold weather. But it is also driven by an army of commodity traders, and theories about what may happen a month or two from now.

Based on simple supply and demand, the price of crude should probably be somewhere in the mid- to upper $20s, depending on which market expert you talk to. The rest of the current price is a result of speculation by oil traders about what will happen if war is declared, whether Saddam Hussein will decide to blow up his own oil fields, whether OPEC will be able to deal with any supply disruptions, and so on.

Some traders are betting that a war with Iraq would be over fairly quickly, and that once it is finished, the price of oil will return to normal levels. This is based largely on the fact that it's exactly what happened after the Persian Gulf war. Traders betting on that scenario have been short-selling oil, and some of the price rise in recent days has been blamed on short-sellers having to buy to cover those bets.

The opposite end of the spectrum has traders not only betting that the war in Iraq will go on longer than it did in 1991, but also that it might destabilize the rest of the Middle East, which could make the supply of oil from other OPEC producers less reliable as well. The combination of those events has some oil industry watchers predicting that oil could stay above $40 for some time, and might even get to $70 or $80.

The chance of that more extreme version of events taking place is fairly low, most oil industry analysts say. According to Philip Verleger, an oil industry economist and senior fellow at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, even if a war stops the flow of oil from Iraq completely, the other OPEC nations -- and Saudi Arabia in particular, the cartel's largest producer -- will likely step in to help cover that supply.

As Mr. Verleger told the Institute for International Economics recently, the major oil-producing nations would likely do this for a couple of reasons, the first being that skyrocketing oil prices would be bad for the global economy -- and that would be bad for business in the long run. The other is that high prices would encourage non-OPEC nations such as Russia -- which already produces almost as much oil as Saudi Arabia -- to produce even more, and that would eat into OPEC's market share.

But even under a moderate scenario, won't producers enjoy windfall profits, and therefore aren't their stocks sure to go up? After all, Canadian Natural Resources just said its fourth-quarter profit tripled from last year, and it could make $1-billion (Canadian) more in profit this year than it expected to.

Unfortunately, it's not that easy to draw a straight line between higher crude prices and higher stock prices.

Take a look at what happened to Canadian Natural's stock after it made that announcement. You might expect that an extra $1-billion on the bottom line, even for a company that size, would make a major difference -- after all, it works out to more than $7 per share. And yet the stock has risen by just $2.52 since the news, and at $51.15 isn't even as high as it was last fall.

It has climbed by 25 per cent since October, but the price of crude oil has climbed by more than 60 per cent since then.

"Institutions never pay for peaks, nor do they pay for valleys," FirstEnergy analyst Martin Molyneaux told Globe and Mail reporter Guy Dixon recently. In other words, investors won't pay more for a stock if they don't think high oil prices are sustainable, even though the company might seem to be worth a lot more. The risk that the price increase won't be sustainable translates into a lower multiple for those stocks.

Of course, oil and gas stocks (because most companies do both) have been going up based on more than just crude prices. Natural gas is also high, in part because of cold winter weather, and a sharp drop in inventories.

That could help justify higher prices even if crude oil does come back down in price -- but it isn't going to produce a windfall for investors at this point, given how far some stocks have already climbed. Mathew Ingram writes analysis and commentary for globeandmail.com. mingram@globeandmail.ca

www.paknews.com Updated on 2003-03-01 13:23:15

KARACHI, Pakistan: Mar 01 (PNS)- Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor Khan has said that escalating world oil prices have also been affecting Pakistan's oil market and badly impacting country's import bill.

This he said while responding to newsmen about a query on the increase in the petroleum prices announced by the Oil Company Advisory Committee (OCAC) here Friday.

He said that oil prices in international market had risen to $ 40 a barrel Friday and this was 12-year high in wake of possible US attack on Iraq.

Elaborating the continuous upward trend in world oil prices, the Petroleum Minister said that the prices had increased primarily because of fears in the international market that Iraq was round the corner.

Not only that, the supply from Venezuela has been disrupted for the last three months because of a strike there. These factors have resulted in reduction of oil stocks of many countries and a source of continuous increase of oil prices in the world market, he observed.

Nouraiz Shakoor said that the government fully understands The problems of common man and it will provide prompt relief to them in case of any sign of downward trends in the international oil market.

The End.