The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Half of European men share King Tut’s DNA Posted: 02 Aug 2011 08:26 AM PDT  Scientists believe the common ancestor lived in Caucasus about 9,500 years ago. — Reuters file pic Scientists at Zurich-based DNA genealogy centre, iGENEA, reconstructed the DNA profile of the boy Pharaoh, who ascended the throne at the age of nine, his father Akhenaten and grandfather Amenhotep III, based on a film that was made for the Discovery Channel. The results showed that King Tut belonged to a genetic profile group, known as haplogroup R1b1a2, to which more than 50 per cent of all men in Western Europe belong, indicating that they share a common ancestor. Among modern-day Egyptians this haplogroup contingent is below one per cent, according to iGENEA. "It was very interesting to discover that he belonged to a genetic group in Europe — there were many possible groups in Egypt that the DNA could have belonged to," said Roman Scholz, director of the iGENEA Centre. Around 70 per cent of Spanish and 60 per cent of French men also belong to the genetic group of the Pharaoh who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. "We think the common ancestor lived in the Caucasus about 9,500 years ago," Scholz told Reuters. It is estimated that the earliest migration of haplogroup R1b1a2 into Europe began with the spread of agriculture in 7,000 BC, according to iGENEA. However, the geneticists were not sure how Tutankhamun's paternal lineage came to Egypt from its region of origin. The centre is now using DNA testing to search for the closest living relatives of "King Tut." "The offer has only been publicised for three days but we have already seen a lot of interest," Scholz told Reuters. — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| Saudi billionaire to build world’s tallest tower Posted: 02 Aug 2011 07:41 AM PDT  When completed, Kingdom Tower (L) would replace Dubai's 828-metre Burj Khalifa as the tallest tower in the world. — instinctmagazine.com pic The proposed tower, which will rise more than 1,000 metres and take just over five years to complete, is the centerpiece of the planned Kingdom City development being built outside Jeddah by Prince Alwaleed's Kingdom Holding. "Building this tower in Jeddah sends a financial and economic message that should not be ignored," Prince Alwaleed told reporters. "It has a political depth to it to tell the world that we Saudis invest in our country despite what is happening around us from events, turmoil and revolutions even." When completed, the tower would replace Dubai's 828-metre Burj Khalifa as the tallest tower in the world. The Burj Khalifa was built by Emaar Properties for a total cost of US$1.5 billion. The Jeddah tower, which is to include a hotel, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums and offices, will be designed by US architecture firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill.  Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal speaks near a model of the world's tallest tower during a news conference in Riyadh today. — Reuters pic "It is not 1,000 metres. It is more, could be more by many metres ... The figure is secret, only a small number of people know," he said. Kingdom Holding shares were up 2.55 per cent on the Saudi bourse at 1255 GMT (1955 Malaysian time). Kingdom said a 33.35-per cent-owned associate firm, Jeddah Economic Co, had been set up to build the tower. Abrar International Holding Co. will also have a 33.35-per cent stake, while Bin Laden Group will have 16.63 per cent, and businessman Abdurrahman Sharbatly will own 16.67 per cent. Last month, Kingdom, which holds stakes in companies such as Citigroup, reported a 21-per cent rise in second-quarter net profit helped by higher income from its investments. TRANSFORMING A CITY Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing multi-billion dollar projects to improve its infrastructure, spending over US$400 billion in the five years to 2013 and rolling out three consecutive record budgets along the way, in addition to over US$130 million in social spending. Jeddah, the country's second largest city of around four million residents, has long complained of neglect. Flash floods that swept through the city earlier this year are said to have damaged 90 per cent of its roads and more than 27,000 buildings, which residents complain were poorly constructed. "This will be a transformational project in Jeddah. It will be a source of pride for Saudi Arabia. Jeddah is in great need for it now," Prince Alwaleed said. The Kingdom Tower and Kingdom City, estimated to cost 75 billion riyals and to take around 10 years to complete, are among other projects to transform Jeddah into a city with high-rise buildings to rival Dubai. Saudi Arabia faces massive housing demand, due to a rapidly growing population. But its nationals have a preference for villas over apartments. Prices for villas have jumped by over 20 per cent in the first half of the year, according to a report by Banque Saudi Fransi. About 1.65 million new homes are needed by 2015 to meet growing demand in the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Fransi said in March. Prince Alwaleed also said that within the next few weeks or months he plans to announce plans for another real estate project in Riyadh, spanning an area of 20 million square metres. — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Features To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan