সোমবার, ২৯ জুলাই, ২০১৩

Tino Martinez resigns as Marlins hitting coach

Miami Marlins hitting coach Tino Martinez looks from the dugout during a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Miami, Sunday, July 28, 2013. Martinez has resigned after players complained he verbally abused them. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

Miami Marlins hitting coach Tino Martinez looks from the dugout during a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Miami, Sunday, July 28, 2013. Martinez has resigned after players complained he verbally abused them. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

Miami Marlins hitting coach Tino Martinez, left, congratulates pitcher Jose Fernandez, right, after a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Miami, Sunday, July 28, 2013. Martinez has resigned after players complained he verbally abused them. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

Miami Marlins hitting coach Tino Martinez looks from the dugout during a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Miami, Sunday, July 28, 2013. Martinez has resigned after players complained he verbally abused them. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

(AP) ? Tino Martinez resigned as the Miami Marlins' hitting coach hours after complaints by players that he verbally abused them became public.

In one instance, Martinez acknowledged he angrily grabbed a player.

Martinez was in his first year as a professional coach this year. He sat in the dugout during Sunday's 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, then met with Marlins officials and resigned.

"I want to apologize to the Marlins organization for my behavior," Martinez said. "I have made some comments to certain players at certain times that I thought was more constructive criticism. Obviously, they didn't feel that way, and it kind of backfired on me."

Martinez said he once touched a player in anger, grabbing rookie Derek Dietrich by the jersey in the batting cage early this season. Dietrich, demoted last Monday to Double-A Jacksonville, was among the players to complain.

Martinez said he offered to resign earlier, but team owner Jeffrey Loria wanted him to stay on the job. When the complaints by players became public in a story Sunday by the Miami Herald, Martinez became certain he should resign.

"It has been building for a few days," he said. "I didn't know this was going to come out publicly. When this came out, I thought it was the right thing to do."

Marlins minor league field coordinator John Pierson will become interim hitting coach. First-year manager Mike Redmond said everyone in the organization was disappointed with the outcome of Martinez' brief tenure.

"Coaching's tough," Redmond said. "Going from a player to a coach is hard, and part of the grind is learning how to deal with different situations with different players and different personalities. All that stuff is a challenge. Some people can do it, and some people can't."

The young Marlins rank last in the majors in runs, home runs, batting and slugging, and the 45-year-old Martinez said he became frustrated as players struggled.

"I just thought with some young players you needed to be a little firmer and try to get them on the right track," he said. "I probably used some four-letter words. I thought I was doing the right thing. Obviously, I wasn't."

Martinez batted .271 with 339 home runs, and he was a four-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees. He had a three-year contract with the Marlins but said because he resigned, he'll receive no buyout.

He declined to speculate on whether he'll coach again.

"I don't know long term how it's going to affect me," he said. "Right now I'm disappointed in myself. I'm embarrassed. Right now I'm not worried about the future. I just want to make sure my family is OK."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-07-28-BBN-Marlins-Tino-Martinez-Resigns/id-f9b9b92d5c22472c898ae7b8b25d01e1

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Problems ease in Europe; Ford, GM still wary

DETROIT -- The smaller second-quarter European losses posted last week by General Motors and Ford Motor Co. appeared to signal that the region's car market has reached its nadir and is beginning to heal.

But neither automaker seems to believe that -- or at least they're not banking on a market rebound to cure the weak demand and capacity glut that drained nearly $2 billion from each company last year.

Instead, GM and Ford believe that, for now, they have successfully quarantined the Europe problem, which until recently threatened to stymie the comebacks they have been riding, thanks in part to the resurgent U.S. market.

Each has contained the damage by taking some pages from the same playbooks they used to recover from the U.S. downturn: aligning supply with demand; trimming capacity where possible; emphasizing retail over fleet customers; and focusing on improved products and brand positioning.

"A demand-driven recovery isn't in sight yet," GM CEO Dan Akerson said last week while discussing the company's second-quarter results for Europe. "So we have to keep working on cost, complexity and brand building."

GM surprised analysts by posting a smaller-than-expected European loss of $110 million for the second quarter, compared with $394 million a year earlier, citing cost containment and strong demand for the new Opel/Vauxhall Mokka crossover.

GM is on pace to hit its goal for 2013 of a "slightly" better result than last year's $1.8 billion loss, having lost just $285 million in the first six months.

Ford's losses in Europe narrowed in the second quarter to $348 million, from $404 million a year earlier. Ford revised its projected European losses for the year to $1.8 billion, from an earlier forecast of $2 billion.

Ford launched a restructuring effort in Europe last year modeled on the same plan that has brought the company back to profitability in North America. The plan includes closing three factories, trimming 6,200 jobs and launching a new generation of vehicles based on global platforms.

"Europe is making very good progress," said Bob Shanks, Ford's chief financial officer.

Across the industry, opinions vary on whether the European auto market is ending its six-year slump.

Ford optimism

Ford executives project more optimism about Europe's recovery than do GM's. This month Ford of Europe President Stephen Odell said the European industry may have hit bottom. "We're not predicting any upturn yet, but there are certainly some good indications," he said.

Daimler last week predicted a "gradual improvement of the market situation" in the second half of the year.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a research note that Europe "is showing further signs of bottoming" and that its path to breakeven by mid-decade "looks more assured."

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is not so optimistic. He says the European car market will be stable at best through 2015, adding: "More realistically, we may see another decrease -- maybe not as violent or as deep as the ones we have seen for the last years."

GM CFO Dan Ammann was in no mood to call a bottom in Europe. He warned that the market is prone to a "seasonal decline" in the second half and said GM isn't making any new forecasts for its bottom line in Europe.

"The things that we control, we feel very good about," Ammann said. "The macro environment remains very challenging."

You can reach Bradford Wernle at bwernle@crain.com.

Source: http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130729/ANE/307299947/problems-ease-in-europe-ford-gm-still-wary

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শুক্রবার, ২৬ জুলাই, ২০১৩

Report: VISIcON Automotive Lighting Design Competition - Car ...

Sponsored by SABIC, the VISIcON Automotive Lighting Design Competition four-month program challenged post-graduate students from the RCA?s Vehicle Design and Textiles Design programmes to develop innovative automotive lighting concepts using SABIC materials.

VISIcON?s individual grand prize was awarded to Daniel Quinlan (Ireland) with Franklin Brown (United States) and Stephen Russell (United Kingdom) as close runners-up.

Pierre Andlauer and Henri Peugeot (France), Selim Benhabib (Turkey) and Cherica Haye (United Kingdom) earned top honours for the best team design.

Haye, a second year Textiles Design student, was also chosen as the grand award winner in the materials research category.

SABIC awarded study bursaries to the individual award winners and runner-ups. Students from the winning and runner-up teams received Apple iPads.

Individual Vehicle Design category

1st place: Enope Concept by Daniel Quinlan (Ireland)

Enope Concept - scale model

The Enope Concept was the winner in the individual vehicle design category. The vehicle cleverly uses plastics to give the vehicle the illusion of life.

Taking inspiration from a bioluminescent squid, Enope?s axes move like the squid, allowing both ends of the vehicle to pivot and light its surroundings naturally. Light passes through from the inner belly of the vehicle, projecting onto the road.

The Enope Concept uses SABIC ?s LEXANTM polycarbonate resin glazing, doubling as lighting units.

The PC material is highly transparent to visible light and its glowing edges transmit light onto the road for visibility and indicator functionality.

Enope Concept - scale model Daniel Quinlan and the Enope Concept

The pivoting rear axle and seats feature flexible structures by Sofie van Aelbroeck, a teammate of Quinlan?s in the group exercise and runner-up in the materials research category.

Concept by Franklin Brown (United States)

Electric sports coupe concept by Franklin Brown

Electric sports coupe concept - plastic and lightInspired by the idea of light as the center of the universe, Brown?s concept used light to communicate and illuminate the soul of the object, through beautiful lighting effects.

Plastic is an enabler because of its transparency, aesthetic value and the many design possibilities it makes available.

The electric sports coupe concept is highly customizable through the smart use of advanced 3D printing technology.

Both the exterior and interior panels contain lighting elements to achieve new design functionality and lighting is used to communicate information about the state of the vehicle and its movement both to the driver and others.

Concept by Stephen Russell

Concept by Stephen Russell - Digital rendering

The vehicle design category?s second runner-up Stephen Russell modeled his vehicle out of meticulously folded transparent sheets.

Concept by Stephen Russell - Scale models

His project focused mostly on the use of natural light and led to the discovery of a new and highly innovative formal design language, which inspired many of his peer RCA students throughout the course of the SABIC-sponsored VISIcON competition.

Team Vehicle Design category

1st place: Concept by Pierre Andlauer, Henri Peugeot, Selim Benhabib and Cherica Haye

Hypereality Concept by Pierre Andlauer, Henri Peugeot, Selim Benhabib and Cherica Haye

The winning project in the team design category is based on the ?Hypereality? (hyper reality) theme, which combined three highly individual designs into one sculptural vision.

Lighting is used to enhance natural elements like wind and rain and create the impression of vehicle speed.

UV-enhanced transparent sculpture 3D printed model

The team developed two sculptural forms: a 3D printed ?mobility? form (bottom); and a larger, UV-enhanced transparent sculpture enabled by VISUALFXTM resins from SABIC, which add illumination and depth.

This larger model (top) is beautifully supported by tensioning yarns to further underline its sense of strength and spirit of movement.

Lava Concept by Nicholas Dunderdale, Kym Moorehouse, Sean Parsons and Jannis Carius

Lava Concept 3D rendering

Lava Concept by Nicholas Dunderdale, Kym Moorehouse, Sean Parsons and Jannis CariusThe raw, natural force of volcanoes and lava was the main inspiration for the team?s direction, together with different interpretations of inner glowing cores ? radiating light as well as warmth into the vehicle?s interior ? and beyond, through gaps between the floating vehicle?s body panels.

As a counter- reaction against impersonal and soulless products, the team decided to focus on designs with a heart and soul ? an ?inner light? ? bringing back character and life to the future of personal transportation.

Lizete Druka?s complementary material research led to a common aesthetic of neutrally colored exteriors, glowing with bright and vivid inner light effects.

Other projects

Expan Concept by Zishi HanThe VISIcON jury decided to add an award to recognize RCA student Zishi Han for extensive work on his ?Expan? concept, which aims to create the illusion of dimension with light.

To help drivers and passengers feel less stressed and trapped within a limited space during long-distance driving, Han?s solution uses the reflections of light strips to form virtual surfaces, creating additional ?imaginary? space.

Cherica Haye, a second year Textiles Design student, was chosen as the grand award winner in the materials research category.

RCA Textiles Design student Cherica Haye Her composition of plastic light guides with intermittently changing colors and sober yet high-value weavings tastefully combines the aesthetics of very different and unique materials in a striking and beautifully balanced display.

Runner-up in VISIcON?s materials research category was Textiles Design student Sofie Van Aelbroeck.

She researched the interplay between transparent plastics and light, exploring different ways to create flexible structures.

Her final work demonstrates how light can change transparent objects and create new forms and images that might not normally be seen until the light shines through.

Concept by RCA Textiles Design student Sofie Van Aelbroeck Ice block sculpture concept by Franklin Brown and Inkook Jung

Franklin Brown and Inkook Jung designed a unique ice block sculpture: the team sought to create a dynamic shape, drawing upon the glowing character of plastic.

Light enters at the bottom of the plastic rods; it then refracts and spreads out when passing through the rods? round surfaces, creating a blurred lighting effect around the abstract automotive shape.

Flow Identity Concepts by Xiangyin Yao, Peter ten Klooster, Hoe Young Hwang and Gemma WaggettXiangyin Yao, Peter ten Klooster, Hoe Young Hwang and Gemma Waggett mixed three concepts together ? personalization, desire and flowing highlights ? to demonstrate ?flow identity?.

Where Yao concentrated on desire and mystery as guiding principle for her design, Hwang experimented with reflections that could be manipulated in the LEXANTM resin skin; whereas Ten Klooster sought and found inspiration in algorithms, interpreting music and color into randomly generated shapes ? mimicking the endless possibilities of plastics as building blocks for his translucent, light emitting exterior design.

Omni Tour autonomous bus conceptThe Omni-Tour by?Jed Sheahan, Yuan Fang, Rob Crick and Daisy Ellis is an autonomous bus for London in 2040. Intended for transporting tourists through London?s historic streets, it is designed to provide its occupants with the optimum view.

Not only can you take a tour of London?s iconic locations, you can also travel along the Thames and hover over the city to give you unparalleled views.

The Omni-Tour has a unique lightweight transparent exterior design, which is used for projection of tourist information, and an elegant interior to create a pleasant experience for its passengers.

SABIC X-Plane concept modelThe SABIC X-plane concept by Yalim Erkaya, ?Vera? Jiyeong Park and Alexander Ibbett sought to demonstrate how vehicle users, vehicles and other road users can be connected through light.

A prominent light ring around the vehicle is used for first level messaging and is complemented with an array of projections to communicate with the environment.

Safety is the inspiration behind the ?Geodia? concept by Francesco Binaggia, Alexander Brink and Alex McCarthy.

The team behind it experimented with light and plastics and developed a more organic structure and theme, with safety shells and jellyfish serving as reference points.

The shape of these organisms led to the main form and inspired the textiles used inside the sculpture. Light moves through the patterns of the vehicle to indicate safety.

Geodia concept Concept by Minwoo Hwang, Ji Won Yun, Akash Patel, Moa Gullmarstam and Yingchuan Liu

The Concept by Minwoo Hwang, Ji Won Yun, Akash Patel, Moa Gullmarstam and Yingchuan Liu aims at using plastic in a therapeutic way to communicate tranquillity.

Through the process of dip dying, the team tinted samples of distorted plastic to create a watery surface language infused with color. A range of different effects is created by light, passing through the plastic material.

German Jannis Carius combined diverse material traits into his ?lightweight luxury? concept.

Lightweight Luxury concept by Jannis Carius - Design Sketches

Taking inspiration from swan feathers and ballet dancers, his design not only embodies an aesthetic language that tastefully illustrates lightweight material; it also cleverly translates the feather leitmotiv to fiber optic lighting functions.

Sports vehicle concept by Inkook Jung - Design Sketch Inkook Jung?s sports vehicle concept was carefully constructed in various layers, using materials ranging from recycled waste plastic to protective body panels, a large clear canopy and translucent lighting elements.

The colors of the lit up vehicle body communicated vehicle speed, as they were being activated by the ever-changing airflow around the car.

A return to the basic appeal of motor vehicles was at the core of Kym Moorhouse?s design.

The unique character and near-human personality of his design warrant an emotional connection with the owner.

Concept by Kym Moorhouse - 3D rendering

Advanced light effects that seem modelled on the human nervous system radiate through the car?s transparent cockpit and move freely over its body panels.

Nicholas Dunderdale?s design for an autonomous recreational vehicle features a ?social cocoon? structure made of layers of LEXANTM polycarbonate resin form.

A caroussel layout features individual seats that can freely rotate around a central light core in the car?s interior ? much like the cosy warmth of a traditional camp fire.

Dutch Peter Ten Klooster?s ?Resonate? vehicle concept was created following a highly unusual methodology.

Resonate Concept by Peter Ten Klooster

Special software was used to convert music into graphic patterns, which were subsequently developed into a highly three-dimensional and transparent vehicle body shape.

Concept by Jiyeong Vera ParkNext, OLED technology was used to emit colors that corresponded with various types of music ? therewith communicating the driver?s state of mind to other road users.

Korean student Jiyeong ?Vera? Park developed a light car for the modern working mother.

A wide array of new lighting functions were invented to assist and organize the owner in her daily busy mix of activities; a combination of projected light messages, augmented reality and a descript, lit up ?information ring? on the vehicle?s exterior all contribute to a unique and purpose-driven design.

About the Competition

VISIcON is the second creative design project that SABIC has sponsored at the RCA. In 2005/2006, SABIC challenged student teams through its PLASTicon competition to explore and experiment with a broad range of plastic technologies to identify new possibilities for vehicle design.

Official Statements

The VISIcON project served as a unique, career preparatory experience for the RCA?s participating students and helped highlight not only on the importance of materials identification and selection in the earliest stages of the design process, but also the high potential of high-performance plastic materials to take automotive design in new directions.

The students? work was presented to a jury made up of automotive designers, SABIC and RCA representatives and other external experts.

Members of the Jury Panel

Members of the jury included: (Front row, left to right): Matteo Conti (RCA Vehicle Design), Scott Fallon (SABIC), Geert Jan Schellekens (SABIC), Oliver Le Grice (Land Rover), Richard Woolley (Land Rover), Julian Thomson (Jaguar) and Dale Harrow (RCA Vehicle Design). Second row, left to right): Geoff Draper (the international automotive lighting and light signalling expert group Groupe de Travail ?Bruxelles 1952?), Suki Cheema (RCA Textiles Design), Erhard Bruss (SABIC), Cynthia Charwick-Bland (RCA Vehicle Design). Missing: Christophe Dubosc (Valeo), David Woodhouse (Ford), Hannah Macmurry (RCA Vehicle Design) and Nargess Shahmanesh Banks (independent design writer, editor and consultant).

?All of the concepts and models that we saw at VISIcON demonstrated feats of imagination, collaboration and innovation,? said Richard Woolley, Land Rover?s Advanced Design Studio Director and one of VISIcON?s jury members.

?This was a fantastic project for these young designers. I was impressed by the students? creativity and thoroughly enjoyed seeing their visions of how plastics can bring about positive change to car lighting and mobility in the future.?

The VISIcON project allowed for a free movement of ideas and thinking across design disciplines (Vehicle Design, Textiles and Industrial Design) and included the Vehicle Design department?s three automotive studios ? Automark (brand identity), Urban Flow (exterior design) and Inside Out (interior design).

?This cross-pollination of ideas across studios and disciplines was a big strength of the VISIcON project,? said Professor Dale Harrow, head of RCA?s Vehicle Design department.

?We believe in developing designers who can take a broader view and are open to different perspectives. VISIcON allowed us to do just that and, backed by SABIC?s expertise in material solutions, enabled the students to create some truly unique pieces of work.?

?We congratulate the winning student designers and all of the participants for fully embracing the challenge behind VISIcON,? said Scott Fallon, general manager, automotive, with SABIC?s Innovative Plastics business.

?It?s clear to us that the students took full advantage of the design freedom that our thermoplastic solutions offer. Their concepts wowed us and provided a glimpse into the future of automotive lighting and vehicle design, from bold new styling possibilities to expanded functionality. We look forward to building off the inspiration from VISIcON and helping our customers to apply the latest technology and enhance lighting on their vehicles.?

(Image Courtesy: SABIC for Car Body Design)

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Source: http://www.carbodydesign.com/2013/07/visicon-automotive-lighting-design-competition/

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বুধবার, ২৪ জুলাই, ২০১৩

Anthony Weiner caught in another sexting scandal

FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2011, file photo, Anthony Weiner and his wife Huma Abedin pose for photographs after the ceremonial swearing in of the 112th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington. Abedin, who was notably absent five months later when Weiner resigned his congressional seat and admitted sending lewd Twitter photos to women, has been a key player in his surging mayoral run. She?s appeared in his campaign launch video, raised tens of thousands of dollars and joined him on the campaign trail. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2011, file photo, Anthony Weiner and his wife Huma Abedin pose for photographs after the ceremonial swearing in of the 112th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington. Abedin, who was notably absent five months later when Weiner resigned his congressional seat and admitted sending lewd Twitter photos to women, has been a key player in his surging mayoral run. She?s appeared in his campaign launch video, raised tens of thousands of dollars and joined him on the campaign trail. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

(AP) ? Anthony Weiner found himself caught in another sexting scandal Tuesday like the one that destroyed his congressional career, but stood side-to-side with his wife to say that he will remain in the race for mayor of New York City.

"This is entirely behind me," Weiner said at news conference, just hours after he confirmed exchanging a newly disclosed round of sexually explicit photos and text messages with a woman online.

At the news conference, he acknowledged some of the activity took place after he resigned from the House two years ago for the same sort of behavior.

The story broke earlier in the day when the gossip website The Dirty posted the X-rated correspondence and quoted the woman, who was not identified.

Weiner turned the microphone over to his wife, Huma Abedin, who reaffirmed her support for her husband and said the matter is "between us."

"I love him. I have forgiven him. And as we have said from the beginning, we are moving forward," said Abedin, a longtime adviser to former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The allegation could severely test voters' willingness to forgive Weiner, who has said he spent the two years since the scandal trying to make things right with his wife and earn redemption. Three of his rivals for mayor immediately called on Weiner to drop out of the race.

The 48-year-old Democrat, who resigned his House seat in June 2011 after acknowledging having sexual conversations with at least a half-dozen women, has been near the top of most mayoral polls since his late entry into the race this spring.

"I said that other texts and photos were likely to come out and today they have," Weiner said in a statement issued by his campaign earlier in the day. "I want to again say that I am very sorry to anyone who was on the receiving end of these messages and the disruption this has caused."

The woman with whom he exchanged the messages told The Dirty that she was 22 when she began chatting with Weiner on the social networking site Formspring. She said their online relationship began in July 2012 and lasted for six months.

She claimed Weiner used the alias "Carlos Danger" for their exchanges, but she knew she was talking to the former congressman.

The exchanges posted on The Dirty consist of sexually explicit fantasizing about various sex acts. At one point, the man reported to be Weiner wrote, "I'm deeply flawed."

The woman said Weiner promised to help her get a job at the political website Politico and suggested meeting in a Chicago condo for a tryst.

The woman claimed that she and Weiner exchanged nude photos of themselves and engaged in frequent phone sex. The Dirty ran a pixelated photo of what appears to be a man's genitals.

"This was a bad situation for me because I really admired him. Even post scandal, I thought he was misunderstood. Until I got to know him. I thought I loved him. Pretty pathetic," the woman was quoted as telling the website.

She said he later asked her to destroy the evidence of their chats. She insisted that she never had sex with Weiner or received any payment from him.

The woman claimed her relationship with Weiner "fizzled" in November 2012. She said she last heard from him this past April, when his intention to run for mayor was first revealed in a New York Times Magazine profile.

His wife, who was pregnant when the sexting scandal broke in 2011 and gave birth months later, has played a large and increasing role in his mayoral campaign. She made an appearance in his campaign kick-off video, has led his fundraising effort and recently made her debut on the campaign trail. Two weekends ago, she walked hand-in-hand with Weiner as they talked to voters on a Harlem street.

Two of his mayoral rivals ? Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and former City Councilman Sal Albanese, both Democrats, and billionaire John Catsimatidis, a Republican ? quickly called on Weiner to abandon his quest for office, as did a lesser candidate in the race.

"Enough is enough," said de Blasio. "The sideshows of this election have gotten in the way of the debate we should be having about the future of this city."

Another mayoral hopeful, city Comptroller John Liu, stopped short of calling for Weiner to bow out, but suggested his "propensity for pornographic selfies is a valid issue for voters."

The other leading Democratic candidates, including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former City Comptroller Bill Thompson, did not immediately comment on the new revelations.

The disclosure suddenly puts Weiner's indiscretions, judgment and candor back in the forefront of his campaign and could test voters' confidence in him, political analysts said.

Some voters have said they felt Weiner had atoned for his past and were willing to give him a second chance. But a third, after hearing allegations that his misbehavior continued after his resignation?

"It makes it tougher to believe this is behind him," said Democratic former state Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, now a political consultant.

But given the corps of voters who have shown willingness to forgive Weiner's prior behavior, the latest revelation may not be a campaign knockout, said Jerry Skurnik, a longtime Democratic consultant who is not working with any mayoral candidates this year.

Some New Yorkers were disappointed by the news that Weiner had apparently continued his online activities even after leaving office.

"I think he had a chance to redeem himself and if he did it twice, he really betrayed the public's trust again," said Jeremy Green, 22. "I think he's past the point of no return for New Yorkers."

The revelations come just two weeks after another scandal-scarred candidate, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, announced his own attempt at political redemption. Spitzer, who resigned in 2008 after admitting to paying for sex with prostitutes, is running for city comptroller.

Weiner's problems began in May 2011, when a website run by conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart posted a photograph of a man's bulging underwear and said it had been sent from Weiner's Twitter account to a Seattle woman. Weiner denied he sent the photo, claiming his Twitter had been hacked.

But after more women came forward and more photographic evidence emerged, Weiner admitted he lied.

He then entered two years of self-imposed political exile, only to return this spring.

Under a huge media spotlight, he apologized repeatedly for his behavior in the initial days of his bid but then pivoted quickly into an issues-based campaign. He was largely well-received by voters and quickly established himself as a favorite in the race.

___

Reach Jonathan Lemire on Twitter at: @JonLemire

Associated Press reporter Jennifer Peltz contributed to this story from New York.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-07-23-Weiner-Mayor/id-e778337f6c4f4473a7892eb1e45fe321

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?The More You Fear Missing Out, the More You Actually Miss Out?

?The More You Fear Missing Out, the More You Actually Miss Out?

The world provides a lot of opportunity and gives us the chance to try many great things. Doing so, however, can stretch our time too thin. As Adam Grant, professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania, points out, when we gain almost nothing when we try everything.

I had an office hours conversation with a student who had just joined her 17th club. There?s no way you can meaningfully participate in seventeen clubs. This is the ?fear of missing out? concept. It?s perverse, but the more you fear missing out, the more you actually miss out. Then you are peripherally participating in a bunch of things and have no meaningful engagement in anything.

Focus takes effort. You have to make choices and let things go. When you have so many goals and so much you want to achieve, saving something for later doesn't come easy. Nevertheless, you get no value out of a wide breadth of tasks when you tackle them all at once. Unless we prioritize, we gain very little from our efforts.

Pay It Forward: Why Generosity Is The Key To Success | The 99u

Photo by I'm Perfect Lazybones (Shutterstock).

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Cat influx has Augusta animal shelter scrambling for adoptions

Special report

Special Report: The challenge of our age

A Portland Press Herald Exclusive

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Her life reflects the challenges faced by thousands.

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মঙ্গলবার, ২৩ জুলাই, ২০১৩

Researchers reveal the clearest new pictures of immune cells

Researchers reveal the clearest new pictures of immune cells [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Jul-2013
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Contact: Alison Barbuti
alison.barbuti@manchester.ac.uk
44-016-172-58383
University of Manchester

The research reveals the proteins at the surface of immune cells are not evenly spaced but grouped in clusters -- a bit like stars bunched together in galaxies

Scientists from The University of Manchester have revealed new images which provide the clearest picture yet of how white blood immune cells attack viral infections and tumours.

They show how the cells, which are responsible for fighting infections and cancer in the human body, change the organisation of their surface molecules, when activated by a type of protein found on viral-infected or tumour cells.

Professor Daniel Davis, who has been leading the investigation into the immune cells, known as natural killers, said the work could provide important clues for tackling disease.

The research reveals the proteins at the surface of immune cells are not evenly spaced but grouped in clusters - a bit like stars bunched together in galaxies.

Professor Davis, Director of Research at the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR), a partnership between the University and two pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and Astra Zeneca, said: "This is the first time scientists have looked at how these immune cells work at such a high resolution. The surprising thing was that these new pictures revealed that immune cell surfaces alter at this scale the nano scale which could perhaps change their ability to be activated in a subsequent encounter with a diseased cell.

"We have shown that immune cells are not evenly distributed as once thought, but instead they are grouped in very small clumps a bit like if you were an astronomer looking at clusters of stars in the Universe and you would notice that they were grouped in clusters.

"We studied how these clusters or proteins change when the immune cells are switched on to kill diseased cells. Looking at our cells in this much detail gives us a greater understanding about how the immune system works and could provide useful clues for developing drugs to target disease in the future."

Until now the limitations of light microscopy have prevented a clear understanding of how immune cells detect other cells as being diseased or healthy.

The team used high quality, super-resolution fluorescence microscopy to view the cells in blood samples in their laboratory to create the still images published in the journal Science Signalling this week.

###


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Researchers reveal the clearest new pictures of immune cells [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Jul-2013
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Contact: Alison Barbuti
alison.barbuti@manchester.ac.uk
44-016-172-58383
University of Manchester

The research reveals the proteins at the surface of immune cells are not evenly spaced but grouped in clusters -- a bit like stars bunched together in galaxies

Scientists from The University of Manchester have revealed new images which provide the clearest picture yet of how white blood immune cells attack viral infections and tumours.

They show how the cells, which are responsible for fighting infections and cancer in the human body, change the organisation of their surface molecules, when activated by a type of protein found on viral-infected or tumour cells.

Professor Daniel Davis, who has been leading the investigation into the immune cells, known as natural killers, said the work could provide important clues for tackling disease.

The research reveals the proteins at the surface of immune cells are not evenly spaced but grouped in clusters - a bit like stars bunched together in galaxies.

Professor Davis, Director of Research at the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR), a partnership between the University and two pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and Astra Zeneca, said: "This is the first time scientists have looked at how these immune cells work at such a high resolution. The surprising thing was that these new pictures revealed that immune cell surfaces alter at this scale the nano scale which could perhaps change their ability to be activated in a subsequent encounter with a diseased cell.

"We have shown that immune cells are not evenly distributed as once thought, but instead they are grouped in very small clumps a bit like if you were an astronomer looking at clusters of stars in the Universe and you would notice that they were grouped in clusters.

"We studied how these clusters or proteins change when the immune cells are switched on to kill diseased cells. Looking at our cells in this much detail gives us a greater understanding about how the immune system works and could provide useful clues for developing drugs to target disease in the future."

Until now the limitations of light microscopy have prevented a clear understanding of how immune cells detect other cells as being diseased or healthy.

The team used high quality, super-resolution fluorescence microscopy to view the cells in blood samples in their laboratory to create the still images published in the journal Science Signalling this week.

###


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/uom-rrt_2072313.php

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Fight breaks out between former Badminton teammates at Canada Open

Published: Jul 22, 2013 at 9:01 AM PDT
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - A fight broke out between two former badminton doubles partners from Thailand at the Canada Open over the weekend, prompting the Badminton World Federation to launch an investigation.

During a change of ends Sunday in the doubles final, Bodin Issara lunged at Maneepong Jongjit, chasing him onto a neighboring court before punching him several times.

Issara was dragged away and held down by coaches and tournament staff, while his partner, Pakkawat Vilailak, escorted a shirtless Jongjit off the court.

Issara, who needed two stitches, says Jongjit hit him with a badminton racket. The pair had already received a warning from the referee following a verbal exchange.

Jongit and partner Nipitphon Puangpuapech, also from Thailand, were awarded the victory after Issara was shown a black card.

"The events surrounding the conclusion of this match will be thoroughly investigated by the BWF," the federation said Monday in a statement. "The world governing body has procedures in place to deal with such situations and this matter will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee."

Jongjit and Issara were among the top-ranked badminton pairings and reached the quarterfinals at the 2012 Olympics. They split in January, when Issara retired to take care of his ailing mother, but was soon competing again with another partner.

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Source: http://www.katu.com/news/weird/Fight-breaks-out-between-former-Badminton-teammates-at-Canada-Open-216450181.html

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Ariz. GOP Split Over Brewer's Medicaid Expansion

When Republican Gov. Jan Brewer managed to pass Medicaid expansion in the state with Democrats and a few Republicans in June, she probably didn't realize what a hornet?s nest she'd stir up.

Conservative Republicans were furious and have vowed not only to repeal the law, but also launch primary campaigns against the Republicans who supported her.

"It?s pro-life, it?s saving lives, it is creating jobs, it is saving hospitals,? Brewer told The New York Times. "I don?t know how you can get any more conservative than that."

But the GOP-led legislature doesn't see it that way, and neither do a lot of Republican activists. The conservative blog Sonoran Alliance dubbed Republicans who voted for the expansion ?Brewercrats? and the expansion "Obrewercare."

A petition drive to give voters a chance to undo the expansion has eight more weeks to gather the needed 86,400 signatures. Brewer is also mounting a petition drive in favor of the expansion.

?(Brewer) abandoned the planks of the Republican Party platform to do whatever she perceived to be popular, and she grossly miscalculated the power we had to fight back,? Frank Antenori, a former Republican state senator who is backing the repeal effort, told the Times.

Brewer, who has fought President Barack Obama on issues such as states' rights to enforce federal immigration laws, believes the two sides can reconcile.

"Nobody likes to lose, and that?s what happened" when the Medicare expansion passed, she told the Times. "I believe we will heal."

? 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Arizona-Republicans-Medicaid-Expansion/2013/07/21/id/516196

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Redeye - Co-op Radio: Labour in the Time of Cholera and Cancer, Segment 1

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Source: http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/69927

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Climate friendly fuel cells for hydrogen cars have come one step closer

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Climate friendly fuel cells for hydrogen cars have come one step closer. Researchers have shown how to build fuel cells that produce as much electricity as current models, but require markedly less of the rare and valuable precious metal platinum.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/kfy-nbRGGYQ/130721161749.htm

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Exclusive - Advanced G20 countries apart over debt goals after 2016


MOSCOW | Sat Jul 20, 2013 8:42pm BST

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Advanced G20 economies will consider numerical targets for public debt reduction after 2016 to boost investor confidence, a senior G20 official told Reuters on Saturday.

The commitment, to be discussed at a summit of leaders of the world's 20 biggest developing and developed economies (G20) in St. Petersburg in early September, will build on a G20 pledge made in 2010 to stabilise debt-to-GDP ratios by 2016, the official said.

Showing just how far apart different Group of 20 powers are on the issue of binding debt targets, another senior G20 source told Reuters that nothing had been committed to.

"There was no agreement on post-2016 targets," the source said. "The numbers put forward simply reflect budgetary plans."

Below is a table with the numerical targets of the public debt to GDP ratios, which could be approved, according to the G20 official. The numbers for the United States and Canada are for the federal level.

The official said there were no numbers for Japan or for the bulk of emerging market economies and the targets were part of national plans of G20 members to put their public debt on a sustainable path.

The G20 source said the figures merely reflected the best guess as to future budget positions for most countries.

A meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bankers in Moscow on Friday and Saturday declined to set any debt targets, given a consensus that the shorter-term focus had to rest squarely on reviving growth.

Its final communique said progress was being made on credible medium-term fiscal strategies for the St Petersburg Summit but they should be flexible enough to support economic growth and job creation while putting debt as a share of GDP on a sustainable path.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde told reporters after the meeting that it was up to each country to come up with the best policy mix to deliver debt reduction.

"I think the pace at which it declines ... that's this very subtle policy mix which is subject of debate between countries," she said.

"Our view is that it should be country specific, it should be progressive over time, but certainly for all of them, it should be anchored with medium-term measures, goals, that will really bring that degree of confidence that countries a serious about bringing their debt down in the long-run," she said.

(Editing by Mike Peacock)

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/20/uk-g20-debt-idUKBRE96J05X20130720?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews

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Ask Engadget: best MSN TV replacement?

Ask Engadget best Web TV replacement

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Seth, who needs to replace his grandpa's MSN TV2 box. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"Many years ago, I bought my grandfather an MSN TV2 box as his first exposure to the internet. We were worried that the gift would be a flop, but he loves it, and is now emailing his old friends and even has a Facebook profile. Of course, Microsoft will close the service a few days before his 91st birthday, so I'd like to know what would you suggest as a replacement? As antiquated as it was, it's been rock solid from a reliability perspective and that's going to be key to determine what we get him next."

So, what's it to be? What web technology have you adopted for your elderly relatives that you think Seth could use? Why not head down past the break and let us know.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/20/ae-best-msn-tv-replacement/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Black Twitter Goes In On Tavis Smiley?s Hate Of President Obama Via #TavisWeeps

Tavis

While we are not sure of why it got started today, we do know what it is stemming from. Tavis Smiley continues to frustrate many in the African American population with his comments about the first African American President. Smiley and Obama have had no love lost since before the 2008 election and Tavis has chastised the President at pretty much every turn ever since.

Many think it has to do with Obama not accepting an invitation to Smiley?s annual Black State Of The Union Conference during the 2007 -2008 campaign season. (Which Tavis ended in 2010 after a decade of putting the conference on.)

According to the Huffington Post, at the time Tavis explained quitting the conference because,

?I was inspired to start the conference because black issues were rarely addressed in the president?s State of the Union speech or the national media. Unlike a decade ago, black issues now are being addressed by numerous other media outlets, commentators and bloggers.?The State of the Black Union ?doesn?t have the premium that it used to have and that?s a good thing.?

Some in the African American community feel that Tavis is simply upset that President Obama came in and took over his title of honorary ?Leader of ?Black America?. Many feel that he didn?t actually believe the lessons in his books because he doesn?t demonstrate those lessons through his constant lack of respect for President Obama.

Check out some of what they had to say in the tweets below!

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We wonder if Tavis is getting the message?literally.

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Source: http://theurbandaily.com/2521522/black-twitter-goes-in-on-tavis-smileys-hate-of-president-obama-via-tavisweeps/

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Scientists report newly discovered horned dinosaur unearthed in Utah

By Laura Zuckerman

(Reuters) - A big-nosed dinosaur that may have used its impressive horns as a mate magnet and to ward off competitors has been unearthed in a fossil-rich deposit in southern Utah, scientists said on Wednesday.

The novel species, Nasutoceratops or "big-nose horned face," is the only known member of a group of dinosaurs thought to have lived 76 million years ago on a land mass in Western North America isolated by an ancient seaway, said Scott Sampson, one of the paleontologists who discovered the extinct reptile.

The new animal, described in the current issue of the British scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, is from a previously unknown branch of horned dinosaurs and stands out for horns that extend over its eyes toward the tip of a prominent nose, Sampson said.

"This animal is bizarre. It takes horns to another level," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

The impressive rack may be tied to attracting mates, intimidating or warring with intruders or cooling the brain, said Sampson, vice president of research and collections at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

The outsized, cold-blooded creature used a beak-like mouth to crop tropical plants, which it chewed with hundreds of teeth that were replaceable like a shark's, he said.

The find in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah provides the strongest evidence that the southern portion of ancient Western North America was home to its own diverse dinosaur community.

Dramatic exposures of rock from the age of dinosaurs at the Grand Staircase-Escalante have in the last 13 years led to "a completely new dinosaur assemblage we didn't even know existed," Sampson said.

Roughly 20 dinosaur types have been found at sites in southern Utah, upending the notion that there were no new frontiers for paleontologists.

"Many thought we had found all the things we were going to find but we're just beginning to scratch the surface and understand the world of dinosaurs," Sampson said.

Jack Horner, curator of paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies in Montana, said the research was based on collection of limited physical evidence that by its nature raises key questions that still needed to be answered.

He said he and some colleagues have entertained alternate theories that some new dinosaur finds may actually represent different developmental stages of known species rather than new ones, but could not speak directly on the Utah find.

"In most of science, we need quite a few data points to formulate a hypothesis about anything having to do with biology," he said.

(Reporting by Laura Zuckerman in Salmon, Idaho; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-report-newly-discovered-horned-dinosaur-unearthed-utah-234819257.html

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Tips for Cheap Craft Supplies and Some Fun Kid Crafts

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The kids are out of school and this summer, when we aren?t taking advantage of all the cool free stuff we can do around town, we will be working on some craft projects.

I love crafting with my kids, but it can be pricey to get everything needed for 3 months worth of crafts for 4 kids. Over the years, I?ve learned a bit of what?s a waste and what?s worth the splurge.

Here are a few resources to help you stock up, without breaking the bank, and a few of our favorites crafts.

Stocking Up on Supplies

Shop your home ? It?s always best to take stock of what you already have on hand. You probably have a good deal of supplies around the house, or can quickly save them up (think cans, paper bags, corks etc)

Shop your yard ? take a bucket with you on your next nature walk, and gather little twigs, sticks, rocks and pinecones.

Dollar Tree (or some other dollar store) ? drawing pads, construction paper, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, paper plates stickers, etc can all be found for $1.00; some items are even 3 or 4 for a $1.00. (There is even a great site filled exclusively with crafts made from dollar store supplies.)

Oriental Trading ? Such a great place for stocking up and getting ?everything included? craft kids. I find that waiting a couple of weeks into the summer, after the VBS groups have ordered, things go on sale as they try to clear out the warehouse in anticipation of fall and back-to-school stuff.

A Few Of Our Favorite Crafts

Here are a few of our favorites. Many are kept in rotation year after year, because they are enjoyed so much.

God?s Eye ? remember these from summer camps? So easy to make and only a few supplies needed.

Paper Bead Bracelet ? hang on to some old catalogs and magazines! This craft will put them to good use, and keep your kids busy.

Kaleidoscopes ? I always enjoyed the ?paper tube with melted crayon in wax paper? version as a kid, but this takes it to another level, using stuff you probably already have on hand.

While crafting does take some planning, to ensure everything is ready and all enjoy the process, it doesn?t have to be pricey or difficult.

About Karla Archer (22 Posts)

Karla Porter Archer is a print and web designer, technophile, writer, speaker, gifted education advocate, and mother of 4. Teaching her children about making wise and healthy choices in all areas of their lives is of the utmost importance. She is passionate about eating well, living simply, yet comfortably, and eliminating the excess clutter that overloads daily life, as much as possible. She shares her (successful and unsuccessful) attempts and efforts on Living The Life Fantastic, which she started, along with Randy Archer, after they met on Twitter, fell in love and determined to live their lives purposefully and fantastically together. Find her also at: Karla Archer and Archer Creative


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Source: http://drmommyonline.com/tips-for-cheap-craft-supplies-and-some-fun-kid-crafts

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UK agency: 787 fire not caused by battery fault

LONDON (AP) ? A fire on an empty Boeing 787 plane at London's Heathrow Airport didn't appear to be caused by faulty aircraft batteries, a British investigative agency said Saturday.

Investors in Boeing, which calls its newest plane a Dreamliner, had feared that Friday's blaze meant that a battery overheating problem that grounded the whole fleet of such planes in January had not been fixed. News of the fire on the Ethiopian Airlines plane sent Boeing shares down 4.7 percent on Friday.

But Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch said there was "no evidence of a direct causal relationship" between the Dreamliner's batteries and the fire.

"There has been extensive heat damage in the upper portion of the rear fuselage, a complex part of the aircraft ... it is clear that this heat damage is remote from the area in which the aircraft main and APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) batteries are located," the agency said in a statement.

Ethiopian Airlines said it is continuing to operate its fleet of 787s despite the investigation, which will take at least several more days to be completed.

The airline's chief executive, Tewolde Gebremariam, told The Associated Press on Saturday that there is "no flight safety issue" with the 787s and that Ethiopian Airlines, like other operators, hasn't made changes regarding the planes.

Friday's fire broke out more than eight hours after the plane landed at Heathrow Airport. The aircraft was parked on a remote parking stand with no one onboard when smoke was detected from it, Ethiopian Airlines said.

Although the incident caused no injuries, it forced Heathrow, one of the world's busiest airports, to close its runways for nearly an hour. Arrivals and departures were briefly suspended, delaying hundreds of passengers' journeys.

The fire also drew renewed attention to the future of Boeing's most technologically-advanced airliner. Boeing, based in Chicago, marketed the 787 as a revolutionary jet which burns 20 percent less fuel than comparable aircraft, thanks to its lightweight design.

In another first, the plane relies on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to start its auxiliary power unit, which provides power on the ground or if the main engines quit. But problems with those batteries led to the grounding earlier this year of the 50 Dreamliners flying at the time.

In January, the Dreamliner was grounded for months following two incidents relating to overheating lithium-ion batteries on separate planes. One 787 caught fire shortly after it landed at Boston's Logan International Airport on Jan. 7.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration eventually approved a plan by Boeing to better insulate the battery's eight cells and the addition of a new containment and venting system. Once the changes were made, the planes started to fly again.

Ethiopian Airlines was the first airline to resume using the 787, with a flight on April 27 from Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Kenya.

The airline is helping with the investigation of Friday's fire, together with Boeing, Britain's AAIB, the FAA and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

___

Associated Press writer Kirubel Tadesse in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-agency-787-fire-not-caused-battery-fault-170234525.html

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Crane to clear train tracks in deadly French crash

BRETIGNY-SUR-ORGE, France (AP) ? A powerful crane will start lifting smashed train cars over buildings Saturday to clear a railway line after a derailment killed six people and injured nearly 200 people south of Paris in what investigators believe may have been a case of equipment failure, authorities said.

Human error has been ruled out by France's transport minister and the focus of the investigation is on a detached piece of metal in a switching joint on the tracks. The national rail company, SNCF, has already taken blame for Friday evening's crash at Bretigny-Sur-Orge station, which occurred at the start of a busy holiday weekend.

"The SNCF considers itself responsible," rail company chief Guillaume Pepy said. "It is responsible for the lives of its clients."

The packed train, carrying around 385 passengers, was traveling below the speed limit at 137 kph (85 mph) when it derailed, skidded and slammed into the station platform in the small town outside the capital. It was 20 minutes into a scheduled three-hour trip to Limoges in central France.

The 700-ton crane, sent from northern France, towered over small buildings that surround the railway station to begin work on clearing the tracks.

The operation is an "extraordinarily difficult technique given that we are in a train station," Pepy said. "For the moment, we don't know how long it could take." He said the operation could last through Sunday, which is the July 14 Bastille Day holiday, and into Monday.

Pepy stressed the crane operators will be careful and slow in lifting the cars, because authorities need to verify that nobody is trapped underneath the wreckage. He said investigators found that a 10-kilogram (22-pound) piece of metal he compared to a staple between two rails in a switching system, which guides trains from one track to another, seems to have "detached itself from the rails, lifted and constituted the initial cause of the derailment."

Investigators were looking into how this happened since another train had traveled safely through the station about 30 minutes before. In addition, they were trying to determine why the train's third car was the first to derail.

Pierre Izard, another SNCF official, said the metal piece "moved into the center of the switch and in this position it prevented the normal passage of the train's wheels and it may have caused the derailment."

But Pepy said track failure was a likely preliminary cause. "There can be no (definitive) answer in a few minutes, in a few days," he said at a news conference.

The train was about 12 miles (20 kilometers) into its 250-mile (400-kilometer) journey to Limoges.

Passengers and officials in train stations throughout France held a minute of silence at noon to commemorate the accident. Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to take trains this weekend to the coast, mountains and to see family. Summer weekends are always busy on France's extensive rail network, but this one is typically one of the busiest because of Bastille Day.

The governor of the Essonne region, Michel Fuzeau, gave the latest casualty figures, saying that in addition to the dead, 22 people remained hospitalized, two of them in a life-threatening state. Nearly 200 people had initially been treated for injuries, either at the scene or at hospitals.

While the death toll has not budged since hours after the crash, Fuzeau, the regional prefect or governor, said that until an overturned train car is lifted, it was impossible to know if there could be more people trapped under it.

"This is only a hypothesis and we hope it's not (the case)," he told reporters.

The crash was the country's deadliest in years, but Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier said it could have been worse and praised the driver who sent out an alert quickly, preventing a pileup. Cuvillier acknowledged that there was some criticism that France hasn't invested enough in maintaining infrastructure.

"But for the moment we have no information that allows us to confirm that the dilapidation of the network was the cause of this derailment," he said on French television.

Keira Ichti, who lives in the town where the train crashed, said she was terrified when she found out about the accident because her daughter works at the station. It was "total panic. My heart was beating so fast. I had no strength," the 56-year-old said.

She later found her daughter outside the station.

___

Elaine Ganley reported from Paris, from where Sarah DiLorenzo also contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/crane-clear-train-tracks-deadly-french-crash-164150352.html

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