European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 11, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes world thursday August 11,1994 Gene alteration studied As new tactic in aids fight Yokohama Japan a in a new assault on aids researchers wednesday said that they plan to alter the genetic makeup of infected newborns to de stroy the virus before it harms the infants. The experimental approach not yet approved rep resents an attempt to head off aids at the earliest possible stage in its youngest victims. When his the aids virus invades the body intakes Over White blood cells. Then it turns these cells into virus factories eventually killing them As it spews new copies of his into the bloodstream. The new idea is to Arm these cells with a weapon against aids a protein that cripples his by chopping up its viral genes. The approach was outlined by or. Flossie Wong Staal of the University of California san Diego at the 10th International conference on aids. She said she Hopes to begin testing it on infected babies within a year and eventually to develop a simple aids treatment that can be Given in a single injection. This might seem like an unreachable goal right now but we should Bear in mind that Gene therapy is a rapidly developing Field Wong Staal said. Her approach is one of several kinds of Gene therapy under consideration to attack his the human immunodeficiency virus. The ideas which would have Bee considered science fiction Only a few years ago Are now being seriously discussed As More traditional approaches to control the disease have failed. Drug therapy has been disappointing because the bombs wreck shops Selling animal wares Oxford England a fire bombs damaged two stores in Central Oxford on wednesday and police and shop keepers searched for More of the easily concealed devices no one claimed responsibility for the bombs planted inside shops associated with animal products but police suspected they were the work of animal rights extremists. No one was reported injured. . Brown and sons saddlery shop in. Oxford s covered Market was targeted overnight by the fire bombers. The Blaze damaged goods Worth tens of thousands of dollars police said. Police ordered local shopkeepers to unlock their premises to be searched and three More firebombs hidden in two leather shops and a fur store were found and defused. But a fifth firebomb detonated in mid morning inside a Woolen goods shop on Oxford High Street causing minor damage. Police closed High Street and another main Road in Oxford a University town 40 Miles Northwest of London As authorities searched other shops for the pocket sized timer triggered devices. Chief inspector Laurie fray of thames Valley police said the attacks have caused considerable damage and  All the indications Are that some Ani Mal rights activist group is behind  virus quickly evolves inside the body to elude the effects of these medicines. No vaccines have been devel oped with a Clear Chance of protecting against infection. Or. William Paul director of the . Office of aids research cited great enthusiasm about the potential of Gene therapy to limit the capacity of cells to support the growth of the  ,. But whether Gene therapy will work is still Uncertain. In fact no one knows whether anything can slow or Stop the virus once it becomes established in the body. However Many believe that treatment Early in the infection has the Best Chance of Success. Wong Staal s approach is aimed at babies who receive his from their mothers during birth. It would work this Way first doctors remove blood from the umbilical Cord that connected the baby to its Mother. The blood contains Stem cells which ordinarily live in the Bone mar Row and make new blood cells. Next doctors would give the Stem cells a new Gene that produces an enzyme called a hairpin i Boyme. It destroys the rna that his uses for its own genes. Rna stands for ribonucleic acid an essential Compo nent of All cells the Gene altered Stem cells Are injected into the baby where they continue to pump out White blood cells containing the i Boyme Gene. If All goes As planned the treatment will destroy his s ability to reproduce. Lightning victim recovering swedish soccer player Victoria Roon 16, took her first Steps tuesday after being struck by lightning july 29. Roon was playing soccer when she was struck. She suffered heart failure and Burns and was thrown out of her shoes. Roon appearing in an Uppsala Hospital in a july 31 photo is expected to recover. . Won t give Al 6s to Pakistan envoy says " " " m new Delhi India a the United states will not give Pakistan 38 f-16 fighter jets it had promised in return for a Cap on the country s nuclear weapons pro Gram the . Ambassador in new Delhi says. The possible delivery of f-16s was considered. But As a matter of practicality the Transfer is now not going to take place ambassador Frank Wisner said in an interview published tuesday. Delivery of the f-16s, withheld under sanctions that bar military sales to Pakistan because of its nuclear capability was proposed by . Deputy Secretary of  Talbott during a visit to the Region in april. Pakistan has paid $650 million for the warplanes. Pakistan never agreed to the Trade off because it believed India would be left with a stronger nuclear arse  protested to the United states saying the Transfer of warplanes to Pakistan would fuel an arms race Between the neighbouring countries. Americans believe that India and. Pakistan which have fought three wars both possess the capability to deploy nuclear weapons at Short notice. Lebanon begins Clearing ruins of ex-. Ehn Bassy from the associated press Beirut Lebanon bulldozers have begun Clearing away the ruins of the former . Embassy destroyed by a truck bomb 11 years ago that killed 63. People. The ruins of the seven Story building in the seafront neighbourhood have become a Symbol of the Rise of pro iranian shiite Muslim fundamentalism in Lebanon. Authorities in the past week removed squatters and begun Clearing away rubble to make Way for a new  .  operates from a compound in the Beirut suburb of Aukar. Responsibility for the 1983 embassy bombing was claimed by islamic jihad a shiite group. The attack was followed six months later by bombings of a . Marine base and a French paratroop compound in Beirut that killed about 300 service members. Tourist fails to death Ibiza Balearic islands a Swiss tourist took a step backward As his friends were snapping his photo and fell off a Cliff to his death on this Spanish Mediterranean Island a newspaper reported tuesday. The newspaper said Felix Rudolph Kung 28, fell30 feet to his death monday after he and friends had stopped near the costal town of Cap Des Falcuto take pictures. Officials did not know the name of the victim Hometown. Treasure found at Kremlin Moscow archaeologists excavating inside the Kremlin Walls have uncovered a treasure in Silver coins and paper Money from the 16th and 17th centuries Theita Tass news Agency reported tuesday. The repent digging has turned up artefacts dating to the 12th Century when the Kremlin was erected on the Banks of the Moscow River. The finding include hundreds of objects including Ceramic fragments and medieval utensils the report  Money was found near the former Senate building an 18th Century Structure being restored. Twas believed to have been buried in 1612 when the Kremlin then occupied by polish invaders asunder siege. The treasure consists of an undetermined number of Silver coins and about 3,500 pieces of paper Money itar Tass reported. Alpinist s body recovered Grenoble France helicopter search teams tuesday found a the body of British alpinist killed in a fall and rescued his wife and Stepson who had refused to leave his Side for two Days. The Rescue came during an exceptionally Busy Day for France s Alpine Rescue teams who also recovered the body of a French climber killed in a 13 lit Stephen Caswel 37, of Plymouth England was killed two Days ago during a fall into a Crevice on the italian Side of the Mont Blanc Glacier. His wife Pamela 40, and Stepson Simon Pelter,18, fell with him. They stayed with his body until they were rescued tuesday when they were flow by helicopter in Chamonix for treatment of  weather prevented search teams from being sent  French climber Raymond bonnaire 48, fell to his death tuesday in the French Alps. Seven other climbers were injured three seriously in various Falls. Child left at saudi Airport Riyadh saudi Arabia she was t exactly Home alone but a crying 2-year-old girl did get lost m the crowd at the King Khalid International Airport. " v ". The child was found unattended in the Airport s departure area Friday the English language saudi Gazette daily reported tuesday. " no one claimed her despite repeated announcements and Fin ally the Airport controller contacted a saudi jetliner about to take off for the Western City of  the Pilot asked if anyone aboard had lost a child a saudi Man jumped from his seat. The Gazette quoted him As saying he had six children and you know that with such a number it s easy to lose one of them in a crowded place like an Airport and forget about  girl was flown to Liddah on the next flight and reunited with her family