Podolski double keeps Arsenal Euro bid alive

LONDON: Arsenal came from behind to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League as Lukas Podolski´s double inspired a vital 3-1 win over West Ham on Tuesday.

Arsene Wenger´s side are in danger of failing to reach Europe´s elite club competition for the first time in 17 years after a miserable run saw them surrender fourth place to Everton.

The Gunners needed a victory over their London rivals to climb back into fourth, but their European bid looked in dire straits when Matthew Jarvis struck for the visitors late in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.

That shock revitalised a previously lethargic Arsenal and German forward Lukas Podolski equalised minutes later before France striker Olivier Giroud put them ahead soon after the interval.

Podolski´s second in the closing stages sealed Arsenal´s first victory in their last five league games and lifted the north Londoners one point clear of Everton, although Roberto Martinez´s men are still in pole position as they will reclaim fourth place if they draw or win at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday. "We were under absolute pressure to win the game and after giving a lot on Saturday it was difficult," Wenger said. "I was satisfied with the mental response of the team. We showed maturity not to panic when we went 1-0 down. The vital thing was to come back to 1-1 before half time. It was a hard-fought and very enjoyable win."

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce added: "We worked really hard to get 1-0 up, but if you gift them two goals it´s difficult to get a result. The defending for the second goal was pathetic."

Wenger had made five changes from the team that beat Wigan on penalties in Saturday´s FA Cup semi-final, with Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom making his first start and Laurent Koscielny returning from injury. But the Gunners spluttered in the early stages and when they did get behind the West Ham rearguard thanks to Santi Cazorla´s defence-splitting pass, Giroud, back in the starting line-up after being left out of the semi-final, could only flick a tame effort straight at Adrian.

It seemed Arsenal might pay the price for that miss when Allardyce´s team took the lead in the 40th minute.

Antonio Nocerino made a powerful burst from midfield and held off Kallstrom to drive in a low shot that Wojciech Szczesny blocked at his near-post.

Nocerino was first to the rebound and poked it towards Jarvis, who bravely ignored Koscielny´s desperate head-high attempt to clear and nodded home from close-range.
To their credit, the setback sparked Arsenal into life at last and Kallstrom forced Adrian to save at his near-post before the Gunners equalised in the 44th minute.

West Ham were the architects of their own downfall as a poor clearance from Stewart Downing from his own team´s throw-in fell to Cazorla, who slipped a lovely pass to Podolski and the German showed great awareness to work just enough space to fire a superb low strike past Adrian for his ninth goal of the season.

Wenger´s men now had the platform to play with more freedom and they went ahead 10 minutes after the break thanks to a moment of inspiration from Giroud.

When Thomas Vermaelen lofted a high ball into the penalty area, Giroud was buffeted by Winston Reid and Andy Carroll, but he was strong enough to hold off his assailants and control the dropping ball expertly before lashing home from close-range.

Giroud celebrated his 20th goal of the season by paying tribute to the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster as he marked the 25th anniversary of the tragedy by kissing his black armband and pointing to the sky.

Podolski sealed the Gunners´ eighth successive victory over West Ham in emphatic fashion, driving home a lethal finish after Giroud and substitute Aaron Ramsey combined to open up the visitors´ defence in the 78th minute. (AFP)

Romania keeps ancient tradition of bee medicine alive

BUCHAREST: Bee venom to combat multiple sclerosis, pollen for indigestion, honey to heal wounds -- the humble bee has been a key source of alternative medicines since ancient times, and Romania is working to keep the tradition of "apitherapy" alive.

The tradition goes back to ancient Greece when Hippocrates applied honey to treat wounds, and the Romans saw pollen as "life-giving".

In the past of India, China and Egypt, a resinous substance collected by bees from the buds of certain trees, known as "propolis", was popular as an antiseptic.

"The hive is the oldest and healthiest natural pharmacy," said Cristina Mateescu, director general of the Institute for Apicultural Research and Development in Bucharest.

Today in the wilderness of Romania's Carpathian mountains, honey bee products are still a familiar part of traditional medicine.

"In my village, my great-grandmother was a healer and used products from beehives. She inspired me," Dr Mariana Stan told AFP.

Having spent years as a conventional doctor, Stan now practises in Bucharest as a "apitherapist" -- using bee products "which give slower but longer lasting and more profound results".

In a country still infused with folk culture, several families continue to use propolis against sore throats, as well as honey and pollen to boost the immune system.

- Apitherapy pioneer -

Every town in Romania has its "plafar" -- natural pharmacies selling products made from plants, honey, beeswax and propolis.

"Romania is a pioneer of apitherapy, which it recognised very early as a component of scientific medicine," said US professor Theodor Charbuliez, head of the Apimondia Commission of Apitherapy, a group that brings together thousands of practitioners from around the world.

Modules on apitherapy have started to work their way into more conventional medical classes and extracts from propolis developed by the Apicultural institute into recognised medicines.

Founded in 1974, the institute employs 105 people who look after local bee colonies and sell around 30 approved products.

A new range even seeks to treat cats and dogs with bee-related products.

Bucharest also boasts an Apitherapy medical centre, the world's first, which opened in 1984.

Scepticism remains among the regular medical community in the absence of scientific studies about the effects of bee venom, but many users are full of praise and welcome the cheap costs and environmentally friendly approach.

Doina Postolachi comes twice a week to the medical centre to receive injections of bee venom, or "apitoxin".

The 34-year-old poet says the injections have allowed her to "rediscover hope" in her fight against multiple sclerosis.

"For a year, I could no longer walk or get into my bath. My feet were stuck to the ground. But today, the venom treatment has given me back strength in my legs. I walk, I can take baths," she said.

She said she has never wanted any regular pharmaceutical treatments "which come with numerous side effects".

- Bees do wonders -

There has been mounting interest across the world in apitherapy.

In 2013, Washington University in the US city of St Louis published a study on the efficacy of milittine, a toxin contained in bee venom, in countering the AIDS virus.

In France, thousands of patients have benefited from bandages treated with honey at the abdominal surgery department of Limoges hospital.

Bee products are also infiltrating the cosmetics industry, used in skin-toning and anti-wrinkle creams.

Part of the appeal rests with the natural and organic image of bee products.

"In Romania, we have the chance to maintain an unspoiled nature," said Cornelia Dostetan, a member of the National Apitherapy Society.

Under Communism, poverty meant that pesticides were rarely used and the country has never shifted to large-scale monoculture forms of agriculture. The result is that Romania retains a great diversity of flora, said Dostetan.

Certified organic, the Romanian brand Apiland, a specialist in raw pollen, has launched its products in France and Italy.

According to the last agricultural census in 2010, Romania counted 42,000 beekeepers and more than 1.3 million colonies of bees.

Postolachi says she looks on the bees with "immense gratitude".

"These miniscule beings do wonders."

Mom keeps asking me to learn something from Ali: Yaami Gautam

 

Ali Zafar might have faced a lot of trouble trying to please Yaami Gautam's on-screen mother (played by Kirron Kher) in their film Total Siyapaa, but the actress' real mother is mighty impressed with the actor. Yaami tells us, "My mom keeps asking me, 'Have you learnt something from Ali? He is such an intelligent, multi-talented guy!' I say, 'What do I learn in a month? Singing? Painting? Acting? What else do I need to learn?'"

So, did Ali give her any classes at all on the sets? "She didn't need any, to be honest," says a blushing Ali, and a laughing Yaami adds, "I was already a fabulous painter, singer, and actor!"