AMMAN (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Wednesday Iran and its militant Shi'ite Lebanese ally Hezbollah were "propping up" Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and giving him increasing support.
"It is very clear that Syrian regime is receiving a great deal of support, increasing support in recent months from outside Syria from Hezbollah and Iran. This is a regime that is increasingly dependent on external support," Hague said in a news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
"The regime is being propped up by others outside, further undermining its legitimacy. It also shows that is a crisis that is increasing the threat to regional stability."
Speaking before a meeting of the Friends of Syria alliance in the Jordanian capital, Hague said Britain would urge international powers to set a date in the next few days for an international conference to try to end the two-year conflict engulfing Syria.
"It is important that it takes place as quickly as possible because people are dying and more and more people are driven from their homes. The risk to regional stability grow every day so this something that cannot be debated endlessly," Hague said.
His comments echo those of an EU diplomatic source late on Friday.
"Since November the regime has been able to go on the offensive not because it is stronger, but because those backing it - Iran, Russia, Hezbollah - are directly helping it either through weapons, planning of operations or financial assistance," the source attending the meeting in Amman said.
(Reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi; Additional reporting by John Irish; Writing by Khaled Yacoub Oweis; Editing by Alison Williams)
Google Now voice search goes live in the latest Chrome desktop builds
Ladies and gents, it's time to upgrade your Chrome browser. Google Now style voice search has just went live in the latest Chrome stable version for the desktop (Version 27.0.1453.93). As far as we can tell from playing around testing things, the full contextual search isn't running like we saw in the demo during the Google I/O keynote, but the basic voice search and response is ready to go.
To get the latest update is easy. Open the settings in the Chrome browser, and click the Help line entry. Give it a second or two to start checking, and when it tells you to restart Chrome, just restart your whole browser session. When things come back, head to www.google.com and click the microphone in the search box.
You have to give permission (look for the bar across the top of the window) to listen to your voice, then start asking questions. Welcome to the future! We've got a couple screenshots after the break just in case you're not able to update or don't use Chrome.
This awesome 8-bit retro music video from Joe Presser is a classic tale of love: boy meets girl, boy runs away from girl, girl undergoes grueling training regimen to hunt down boy and deliver smooches. It's like Forrest Gump but in reverse.
It's nearly impossible to gaze up during the day without spotting sort of cloudy, billowing face staring back at us. But rarely do we get the opportunity to see the faces we so casually trample right beneath our feet. Now, a new program by Onformative is giving us a bird's eye's view of every facial landform on Earth.
NEW YORK (AP) ? The singer known as the Gentleman of Salsa is temporarily turning to tango: Gilberto Santa Rosa will make his Broadway debut in the musical "Forever Tango," which returns to New York in July for a 10-week stand featuring some of the Puerto Rican singer's hits.
"I haven't stopped jumping, screaming and pinching myself because I still don't believe it," five-time Grammy Award winner Santa Rosa told The Associated Press on Monday. "I am as anxious as one can be ahead of a project like this one: super-astonished, super-surprised and all the supers you can imagine."
Producers of the revival of Luis Bravo's show said Tuesday that it will open July 9 at the Walter Kerr Theatre and Santa Rosa, the singer of such salsa hits as "Medias negras," ''Perdoname" and "Amor mio no te vayas" will spend three weeks as a guest vocalist. Future singers will be announced later.
The show traces the art form's birth on the streets of 19th-century Buenos Aires to its more modern manifestations. Throughout, men and women hook legs, parry and thrust in a sexual battle of wills.
"Forever Tango" originally opened on Broadway 1997 and earned multiple Tony nominations. It returned for a limited four-month engagement in 2004.
Santa Rosa said that while he is an expert at the salsa, he can understand the tango's appeal. "I love tangos but most tangos are sad and my songs ? the most popular ? are sad too! So I am a broken hearts specialist, no matter the rhythm or genre."
While the world knows he can definitely dance salsa, many might wonder if Santa Rosa can do the famous South American dance. He said he hopes he won't have to, but laughs that he might be up for it.
"I took tango lessons many years ago and it is one of the most difficult dances that there are," he said. "I did it for a show we were doing in Puerto Rico and it was a crash course. I had a lot of fun but it was very hard."
With 16 dancers and an 11-member orchestra, Santa Rosa hopes he doesn't disappoint. "I will give my all so us salsa-singers will be well represented in this tango environment," he assured.
___
Online:
http://www.gilbertosantarosa.com
http://www.forevertango.us
___
Follow Sigal Ratner-Arias on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sigalratner
MONTREAL (Reuters) - Europe could face a decade of stagnation unless it makes big reforms and should heed the lessons of Japan, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said on Tuesday as he highlighted Japan's bold moves to bolster growth.
In his final speech as Canadian central bank chief before taking over the Bank of England on July 1, Carney said Europe's recessionary economy is being held back by fiscal austerity, low confidence and tight credit conditions.
"Deep challenges persist in its financial system. Without sustained and significant reforms, a decade of stagnation threatens," Carney said in prepared text of a speech he was delivering in Montreal.
"Europe can draw lessons from Japan on the dangers of half measures," he said, adding that the success or failure Japan's massive monetary stimulus - which he termed a "bold policy experiment" - will affect the outlook in coming years.
Carney is also the chairman of the Financial Stability Board, the Group of 20 leading economies' task force on financial regulation.
A euro zone banking union is one of the major reforms Carney mentioned as a necessary step towards economic health in the region. He made no specific reference to the British economy or Bank of England monetary policy.
Nor did he provide any new guidance on Canadian monetary policy as he prepares to hand over the reins to his successor Stephen Poloz, currently the head of Canada's export credit agency.
He said only that the Bank of Canada had maintained a rate-hike bias for the past year in part to complement the efforts of the government and the bank regulator to curb record-high household debt.
The Bank of Canada cut its economic growth forecasts for Canada in April, but maintained its message that the next move will be a rate hike, not a cut. Analysts surveyed by Reuters in early April expected a hike in the third quarter of 2014.
While much of Carney's speech focused on the Canadian economy's relatively successful performance in the financial crisis and its aftermath, he warned that the country can no longer rely on consumer borrowing to fuel growth.
Instead, it should turn to business investment and exports, though these are expected to remain relatively weak in the short term.
(Writing by Louise Egan and Randall Palmer in Ottawa; Editing by David Gregorio)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - More than 70 people were killed in a series of car bombings and suicide attacks targeting Shi'ite Muslims across Iraq on Monday, police and medics said, extending the worst sectarian violence since U.S. troops withdrew in December 2011.
The attacks increased the number killed in sectarian clashes in the past week to more than 200. Tensions between Shi'ites, who now lead Iraq, and minority Sunni Muslims have reached a point where some fear a return to all-out civil conflict.
No group claimed responsibility for the bombings. Iraq has a number of Sunni Islamist insurgent groups, including the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, which has targeted Shi'ites in a bid to kindle a wider sectarian conflagration.
Nine people were killed in one of two car bombings in Basra, a predominantly Shi'ite city 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad, police and medics said. "I was on duty when a powerful blast shook the ground," said a police officer near the site of that attack in the Hayaniya neighborhood.
"The blast hit a group of day laborers gathering near a sandwich kiosk," he said, describing corpses littering the ground. "One of the dead bodies was still grabbing a blood-soaked sandwich in his hand."
Five other people were killed in a second blast inside a bus terminal in Saad Square in Basra, police and medics said.
In Baghdad, at least 30 people were killed by car bombs in Kamaliya, Ilaam, Diyala Bridge, al-Shurta, Shula, Zaafaraniya and Sadr City - all areas with a high concentration of Shi'ites.
A parked car bomb also exploded in the mainly Shi'ite district of Shaab in northern Baghdad, killing 12 people and wounding 26 others, police and hospital sources said.
In Balad, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, a parked car blew up near a bus carrying Shi'ite pilgrims from Iran, killing five Iranian pilgrims and two Iraqis who were travelling to the Shi'ite holy city of Samarra, police said.
Eleven people were killed by a car bomb and a suicide bomber in Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad, police and medics said. Both attacks occurred near a Shi'ite place of worship and an outdoor market.
CORPSES FOUND
In the western province of Anbar, the bodies of 14 people kidnapped on Saturday, including six policemen, were found dumped in the desert with bullet wounds to the head and chest, police and security sources said.
When Sunni-Shi'ite bloodshed was at its height in 2006-07, Anbar was in the grip of al Qaeda's Iraqi wing, which has regained strength in recent months.
In 2007, Anbar's Sunni tribes banded together with U.S. troops and helped subdue al Qaeda. Known as the "Sahwa" or Awakening militia, they are now on the government payroll and are often targeted by Sunni militants as punishment for co-operating with the Shi'ite-led government.
Three Sahwa members were killed in a car bomb explosion as they collected their salaries in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad, police said.
And a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt detonated himself at a Sahwa checkpoint, killing two fighters and wounded another seven in Baiji, 180 km (112 miles) north of Baghdad.
Iraq's fragile intercommunal fabric is under increasing strain from the conflict in nearby Syria, which has drawn Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims from across the region into a proxy war.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main regional ally is Shi'ite Iran, while the rebels fighting to overthrow him are supported by Sunni Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Iraq says it takes no sides in the conflict, but leaders in Tehran and Baghdad fear Assad's demise would make way for a hostile Sunni Islamist government in Syria, weakening Shi'ite influence in the Middle East.
The prospect of a shift in the sectarian balance of power has emboldened Iraq's Sunni minority, which is embittered by Shi'ite dominance since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by U.S.-led forces in 2003.
Thousands of Sunnis began staging street protests last December against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whom they accuse of marginalizing their sect.
A raid by the Iraqi army on a protest camp in the town of Hawija last month ignited a spate of violence that left more than 700 people dead in April, according to a U.N. count, the highest monthly toll in almost five years.
At the height of sectarian violence in 2006-07, the monthly death toll sometimes topped 3,000.
(This story has been corrected to show that not all those killed in the attacks were Shi'ites)
(Additional reporting by Aref Mohammed in Basra, Kamal Naama in Ramadi, Ghazwan Hassan in Tikrit, Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Ali al-Rubaie in Hilla; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
(Reuters) - Pactera Technology International Ltd said on Monday that Blackstone Group LP, together with the company's management, made a $680.3 million non-binding proposal to take China's largest technology outsourcing firm private.
Pactera said it expected its board of directors to form a special committee of independent directors to consider the consortium's offer of $7.50 per share. Pactera shares surged 31.1 percent to $6.90.
Suspicion over accounting standards has been a major drag on U.S.-listed Chinese companies, giving management at some companies an opportunity to team up with private equity firms and make offers that capitalize on big discounts to peers on the Hong Kong and Chinese stock markets.
Prior to Monday's announced proposal, Pactera shares were down 33.8 percent this year. By comparison, the NASDAQ <.ixic>, where it is listed, is up 15.9 percent.
Pactera was trading at 3.3 times its projected 12-month earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization as of the end of trading on Friday, compared with an average 9.1 times for its peers, according to Thomson Reuters data.
In a letter on Monday, Blackstone said it had teamed up with Pactera's non-executive chairman and VanceInfo co-founder Chris Chen, Pactera Chief Executive Tiak Koon Loh, and three of the company's executive committee members.
Chen and Loh, which had respective stakes in the company of 3.9 percent and 1.7 percent as of April 15, would roll over their equity in the proposed deal, which would be financed with equity from Blackstone and bank debt, according to the letter.
Funding for buyouts of Chinese companies is usually done through offshore holding companies but many banks will not finance such deals due to the risk of non-payment. Limited financing has restricted deal sizes and has increased the amount of equity that private equity firms have to invest.
The consortium's offer was only a preliminary indication of interest and represented a 39 percent premium over Pactera's volume-weighted average closing share price during the last 30 trading days, according to Blackstone.
The offer came one month after Blackstone abandoned an effort to outbid another buyout firm that teamed up with a CEO to take a technology company private - the $24.4 billion offer from Michael Dell and Silver Lake for computer maker Dell Inc .
Beijing-based Pactera, formed last year through a merger of HiSoft Technology International Ltd and VanceInfo Technologies Inc, offers technology outsourcing and consulting services to blue-chip companies across the world.
PRIVATE EQUITY IN CHINA
Blackstone is making the offer for Pactera through its latest $16.2 billion global private equity fund, one of the biggest buyout funds in the world. Leading the deal is Edward Huang, who joined Blackstone last year from Morgan Stanley's Asian private equity unit.
China's scale and economic growth, which was 7.7 percent in the first quarter of this year, still draws investors to private equity, yet often disappointing returns mean global funds are much more discerning about where they put their money.
When successful, however, deals in China can pay off handsomely. Carlyle Group LP for example made a $4.3 billion profit excluding dividends - five times what it invested - when it exited China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co Ltd , Reuters calculations in January showed.
But Carlyle has also demonstrated how deals in China can go sour due to accounting irregularities. It headlines in 2011 after fraud allegations were levied at China Forestry Holdings Co Ltd and China Agritech Inc in high profile accounting-related cases, dealing a blow to the Washington D.C.-based firm's image.
The biggest leveraged buyout in China has so far been the $3.7 billion acquisition of Focus Media Holding Ltd by a Carlyle-led consortium, which was approved by the company's shareholders last month.
Focus Media, which operates advertising screens in offices, elevators and supermarkets across China, had faced persistent allegations from short-seller Muddy Waters that it overstated its assets and overpaid for acquisitions.
Citigroup Global Markets Inc is advising the Blackstone consortium on its offer for Pactera. The company said it expected that its special committee would retain a financial adviser and legal counsel to assist it in its work.
(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Bernard Orr)
The former "Ugly Betty" actress? telenovela project "Pedro & Maria" is in development at the broadcast network as a potential limited series. Originally developed at MTV three years ago, "Pedro & Maria" is a modern day twist on "Romeo and Juliet." The project is from executive producer Ben Silverman ("The Office," "The Biggest Loser") through his Electus multimedia studio.
Unfortunately, there's no simple this-or-that answer. Paint the railing and you won't have to refinish it any time soon, but you'll hide the wood's color, grain pattern, and texture. Stain it and you'll accentuate all these characteristics, but you'll be stripping it back and starting again sooner than if you'd used paint.
Either way, finishing the railing is critical, because unprotected wood left to the elements gets ugly fast. Moisture is absorbed by wood, causing it to twist, warp, and crack as it swells and shrinks. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun discolors wood and breaks down its lignin, the natural glue that holds the fibers together. This invites more moisture and, worse, wood-decay fungi, which secrete enzymes that rot wood fibers. Even cedar, which contains weather-resistant oils, can look pretty rough after a few seasons.
Painting your railing will give it the best possible, longest lasting protection against the elements. High-quality, water-based latex paints are more flexible than oil-based paints and can withstand the wood's moisture fluctuations better. The high solids content in paints helps form a thick, opaque film on the surface that hides imperfections, resists moisture, and blocks UV rays. If done right, a painted surface could last 10 years before you'd need to strip it back and refinish.
However, painting is a messy job, and you'll need to prepare, preserve, and prime the wood first (see "Finish Exterior Wood Like a Pro," above). Plus, you've got to be handy with a paintbrush if you want the project to look good. It's worth noting that paints and other film-forming finishes aren't ideal for large horizontal surfaces that get a lot of wear, such as decks. Instead, use a water-repellent stain or other penetrating finish.
If you stain your railing, don't expect the same longevity you get with paint. Stains soak deep into the wood, filling in microscopic gaps that would otherwise absorb moisture. This helps keep the wood stable, but it's not as effective as a paint's protective coating. On the upside, most stains are formulated with a wood preservative, so mold and rot shouldn't be a problem. However, stains don't do a good job blocking UV, and that could be a major factor if your railing gets a lot of sun. "Transparent and semitransparent stains contain some pigment and offer a bit of UV resistance, but the clearer the stain, the less protection you'll get. The wood will gray after a few years," says Ryan Coffey, a product specialist for paint manufacturer Rust-Oleum.
A solid-color stain might offer a compromise. "Whereas all paints are UV-resistant, only solid-color stains offer comparable protection," Coffey says. These near-opaque stains form a protective film on the surface similar to paint, but they're thinner so they won't hide the wood's texture. Plus, you can buy them in different shades, so matching your cedar's natural color shouldn't be a problem. A solid-color stain might last eight years or more.
One last consideration: Many homeowners find stains easier to apply than paint, so even though you'll refinish the railing more often, it'll be a lot less work each time. "My dad went with a stain because it was more manageable," Coffey says. "It was thinner, and there was a lot less messing around with blobs and runs."
Finish Exterior Wood Like a Pro
1 Clean surfaces thoroughly before painting. Stripping existing finishes and removing dirt, dust, mildew, and loose wood fibers improves adhesion.
2 Set nails and screws below the surface, and fill the holes with an exterior-grade wood filler to help keep moisture out.
3 Apply a paintable water-repellent preservative before priming to inhibit mildew and rot. If staining, use a product that already contains a preservative.
4 Priming all surfaces before painting improves adhesion and moisture protection, adding as much as two years to the life of the finish.
5 Reduce moisture absorption by painting all surfaces, including those not directly exposed to the elements. Coating end grain is especially important.
6 Repeat as necessary. In fact, two coats of stain or paint protects wood for up to twice as long as a single coat.
Last night, the pilot of US Airways Express Flight 4560 was having some bad luck. The landing gear on his turboprop twin-engine plane just wouldn't go all the way down. So with some quick thinking and righteous piloting skills, he went in for a wheelless, sparky touchdown, and pulled it off without a hitch.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A car bomb exploded inside an elite gated community linked to the family of Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday evening, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 70 near the southern city of Kandahar, an official said.
The blast happened inside Aino Mina, a housing complex on the northern outskirts of the city that was developed in part by Mahmood Karzai, the president's younger brother.
Kandahar government spokesman Javeed Faisal said the car bomb exploded next to a restaurant area where families were dining.
Three police were among the dead, he said, adding that an investigation is underway into how the explosives-laden vehicle slipped past the community's heavy security.
Aino Mina is home to thousands of Afghan government officials, businessmen and other wealthy citizens who pay some $90,000 for a three-bedroom house on grounds featuring parks, a jogging track and a football field.
Residents have special identification badges and cars are typically searched before entering the gates.
Mahmood Karzai was one of the main investors into the project, promoted as a triumph of modernity in Kandahar, which is the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban insurgency.
Dr. Samad Ahmadi said at least nine bodies had been brought to Mirwais Hospital and many of the dozens of wounded were in critical condition.
NEW YORK (AP) ? Yahoo may be on the verge of closing its biggest acquisition during the 10-month reign of CEO Marissa Mayer as she tries to attract more traffic and advertisers to the Internet company's website and mobile applications.
The Sunnyvale, Calif., company's board of directors will meet Sunday evening to consider approving a $1.1 billion acquisition of online content-sharing site Tumblr in a deal Mayer negotiated, according to the technology news site All Things D. The story posted late Friday cited anonymous sources.
If Yahoo Inc.'s board signs off, the deal could be announced Monday.
In an invitation sent Friday, Yahoo promised to unveil "something special" Monday evening in New York. The event is being held in a Times Squares lounge located about two miles from Tumblr's headquarters.
Yahoo has only said that Mayer will be on hand to unveil something related to a product. A company spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the potential Tumblr acquisition.
Buying Tumblr would fulfill Mayer's goal of reaching a wider audience on smartphones and tablet computers.
Tumblr serves up a constantly changing collage of stories, photos and other digital content served up by users who are increasingly connecting to the service through its mobile applications. The service is also one of the hottest sites among teens and young adults, a demographic that Mayer, 37, thinks Yahoo needs to do a better job of reaching.
If it's completed, the Tumblr deal would be Mayer's biggest coup ? and, at the same time, the biggest risk ? since she ended her 13-year career as a key executive at Google Inc. to try to snap Yahoo out of a prolonged malaise that had demoralized employees and investors alike.
Since her arrival, Mayer has been focused on redesigning several Yahoo services and bringing in more mobile engineering talent, primarily by buying a series of small startups.
None of those previous acquisitions have required Yahoo to dip too deeply into its bank account. Late last year, Yahoo paid a total of $7 million for two startups called OnTheAir and Stamped. In the first three months of this year, Yahoo snapped up three more startups for a total of $10 million, according to the company's regulatory filings.
Tumblr, founded in 2007 by its CEO David Karp, presumably would become a pivotal part of Mayer's effort to sell more advertising.
Mayer has been winning back investors, even though the company's revenue is still lagging the overall growth of the booming Internet and mobile advertising market. Yahoo's stock price has risen 69 percent under Mayer's leadership.
Yahoo shares fell 6 cents Friday to close at $26.52.
Every day at Lifehacker, we share with you tips on how you can work or live better using stuff you probably have just lying in front of you. But like our compatriots at Gawker, we've decided to make a definitive list that tells you which of those things is the best.
First, a few rules to explain a few of the things that didn't make the list: Nothing that plugs in to something else. Nothing that's meant for human consumption. And finally, nothing that's supposed to be "fun:" bobbleheads, action figures, and their ilk have been excluded. Besides, you can have plenty of fun with this stuff here. Just ask around.
Roll film!
23. Pegboard
22. Cork boards
21. Thumb tacks
20. Label Makers
19. Highlighters
18. Calendars
17. Whiteboards
16. Dry erase markers
15. Scotch Tape (not to be confused with the superior, but not-really-office-supply Duct Tape)
14. Staples
13. Staplers
12. Hole punchers
11. Scissors
10. Packing tape
09. Paper clips
08. Index Cards
07. Pencils
06. Rubber Bands
05. Post-It Notes
04. Notebooks
03. Pens
02. Crossbows
01. Binder Clips
Photo by Roscoe Ellis.
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A Dry, Non-Bleeding Highlighter
The death of summer means the rise of school, which in turn means people are getting back to highlighting a bunch of words in books. But did you know ? Read?
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) ? Officials described a devastating scene of shattered cars and other damage where two trains packed with rush-hour commuters collided in Connecticut, saying Saturday it's fortunate that no one was killed and that there weren't even more injuries.
Seventy-two people were sent to the hospital Friday evening after the crash, which damaged the tracks and threatened to snarl travel in the Northeast Corridor.
"The damage is absolutely staggering," said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, describing the shattered interior of cars and tons of metal tossed around. "I feel that we are fortunate that even more injuries were not the result of this very tragic and unfortunate accident."
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy echoed that, saying it was "frankly amazing" people weren't killed on scene.
Both said new Metro-North Railroad cars built with higher standards may have saved lives.
Officials couldn't say when Metro-North service would be restored. The crash also caused Amtrak to suspend service between New York and Boston.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said commuters should make plans for alternative travel through the area and urged them to consult the state Department of Transportation website for information.
"I think this is going to be with us for a number of days," the governor said.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived Saturday and are expected to be on site for seven to 10 days. They will look at the brakes and performance of the trains, the condition of the tracks, crew performance and train signal information, among other things.
NTSB board member Earl Weener said he would not speculate on a cause for the collision. He said data recorders on board are expected to provide the speed of the trains at the time of the crash and other information.
"Our mission is to understand not just what happened but why it happened and determine ways of preventing it from happening again," Weener said.
Asked whether there were any signs of foul play and if investigators could rule out any cause, Weener said: "It's too early to rule out anything. We just got on scene. That, of course, will be something we look at immediately."
But Blumenthal referred to the crash as an accident and Malloy said Friday there was no reason to believe it was anything other than that.
About 700 people were on board the Metro-North trains when one heading east from New York City's Grand Central Terminal to New Haven derailed at about 6:10 p.m. just outside Bridgeport, transit and Bridgeport officials said. Passengers described a chaotic, terrifying scene of crunching metal and flying bodies.
"All I know was I was in the air, hitting seats, bouncing around, flying down the aisle and finally I came to a stop on one seat," said Lola Oliver, 49, of Bridgeport. "It happened so fast I had no idea what was going on. All I know is we crashed."
The train was hit by a train heading west from New Haven to Grand Central on an adjacent track, Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Aaron Donovan said. Some cars on the second train derailed as a result of the collision.
A spokeswoman for St. Vincent Medical Center said 46 people from the crash were treated there, with six of them admitted. All were in stable condition, she said.
A Bridgeport Hospital spokesman said 26 people from the crash were treated there, with three of them admitted. Two were in critical condition and one was in stable condition, he said. The other 23 were released.
Malloy said there was extensive damage to the train cars and the track. He said the accident will have a "big impact on the Northeast Corridor."
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said the disruption caused by the crash could cost the region's economy millions of dollars.
"A lot of people rely on this, and we've got to get this reconnected as soon as possible," Finch said.
Passenger Frank Bilotti said he was returning from a business trip in Boston on the westbound train when it crashed.
"Everybody was pretty much tossed around," said Bilotti, 53, of Westport, who wasn't injured other than a sore neck.
He said the derailed train cars dug into the banks of the tracks.
"It was just a tremendous dust bowl," Bilotti said.
Firefighters used ladders to help people evacuate, he said.
"There were people on stretchers," he said. "There were people lying on the ground."
Blumenthal credited first responders, saying their "quick reactions and heroic efforts undoubtedly saved lives."
The area where the crash happened was already down to two tracks because of repair work, Malloy said. Crews have been working for a long time on the electric lines above the tracks, the power source for the trains. Malloy said Connecticut has an old system and no other alternate tracks.
The MTA operates the Metro-North Railroad, the second-largest commuter railroad in the nation. The Metro-North main lines ? the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven ? run northward from New York City's Grand Central Terminal into suburban New York and Connecticut.
___
Associated Press writers Michael Melia in Hartford, Conn., and Susan Haigh in Fairfield, Conn., contributed to this report.
Donkey Kong Country was a classic game series for the Super Nintendo, and it returned four years ago in, well, Donkey Kong Country Returns. It was bright, colorful, and very, very difficult. And now it's on the Nintendo 3DS as Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, a $39.99 (direct) title available as a game card or straight from the Nintendo 3DS eStore as a digital download. It's aged very well since the Wii version came out, and the latest version adds a few welcome features to the mix, making it an Editors' Choice for 3Ds games.
3DS Changes Donkey Kong Country Returns plays much better when you take all of the Wii controller gimmicks out and replace them with optional 3DS display gimmicks. Unlike the Wii version of the game, the 3DS version doesn't require you to shake the remote to pound the ground or roll?this alone makes the game play much more smoothly. Just press Y, as in the Super Nintendo Donkey Kong Country games. That change improves the game greatly, and makes it much more pleasant to casual players.
Another change to help casual playing is slightly less savory for dedicated gamers, but still useful. A "New" mode lets you play an easier version of the game, with three hearts per character instead of two and more items. The game remains challenging, because Donkey Kong Country Returns was unforgivingly difficult to begin with, so it's a welcome addition for people who pulled their hair out at the Wii version of the game. A limited local multiplayer mode lets players cooperate through levels. However, it doesn't support 3DS Download Play, so you both have to own the game.
The Game World The world of Donkey Kong Country Returns is satisfyingly large, with the original collection of over 60 stages, plus an unlockable world with eight new stages made for the 3DS version. Each level takes several minutes and, New Mode or not, multiple lives to beat unless you play perfectly. Each level also has tons of items to find, like K, O, N, and G letters, puzzle pieces, banana coins, and 1-up balloons. In fact, any given screen's width of the game probably has something hidden that you can find by interacting with the environment in some way. Besides in-game bonuses, like 1-ups and items you can buy in Cranky Kong's shop with banana coins, the secrets can also unlock art and dioramas in the Extra section of the game.
If you've already played Donkey Kong Country Returns, you know exactly what to expect from the gameplay, and if you've played any Donkey Kong Country game in the past you probably have a good general idea. Run, climb, ride (on mine cards), and fly (on rocket barrels) to the end of each stage to get Donkey Kong's banana hoard back from bad guys. This time, instead of the charismatic King/Captain K. Rool and his alligator army, you fight animals possessed by tiki masks, or instruments, or something like that. They're not interesting or engaging villains, but fortunately you don't deal with them much. The levels themselves and the regular enemies are the biggest challenge in the game, and the boss fights, while slightly more involved than the Super Nintendo Donkey Kong Country games' boss fights, still feel like an afterthought compared to the massive set-piece obstacle courses of the levels leading up to them.
Graphics The game looks as good as it did on the Wii, with the added benefit of the 3DS' glasses-free 3D screen to really make the game pop out. The game wasn't designed to be 3D, but its layered, detailed levels really look good with the added depth. The animations are smooth and the framerate stays consistent?both are important for difficult platform games like this.
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D packs a lot of content and some of the best Nintendo side-scrolling action this side of New Super Mario Bros. 2 into a portable package that will keep you playing (and growing increasingly frustrated) for hours. Even with the easier New Mode, it's a lot less forgiving and more full of tiny secrets to find than New Super Mario Bros. 2, making it an excellent addition to your 3DS library. It will keep you playing, if you don't end up throwing your 3DS on the ground first. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D earns our Editors' Choice for fiendishly difficult 3DS games.
A touring, speaking author learns what questions to expect from attendees in the room. The queries rarely run outside the norm and repeat from event to event. The most common question is one that an author loves, yet hates, to receive. ?Where do you get your ideas??
You see, authors adore being unique, so they often appear mysterious in their response. Nothing makes them giddier than presenting a story to a reader and catching him off balance, exciting him with a twist, engaging him with story that the reader cannot put down until he sees THE END, or the sun peaking over the horizon. They want to be remembered for introducing that reader to this particular story. But no story is created in a vacuum, purely from scratch, without influence. No writer is an island, unlike all other authors. No author is purely an original.
Without exception, author ideas come from a combination of three things: life experience, research, and other authors.
The first two are a given. Authors write some of that they know, their personal observations triggering characters, concepts, plot and setting. And what they don?t know for sure from personal observation, they research. But the third, to me, is what matters most.
Authors learn most from reading other authors.
No, not plagiarism. Heaven forbid, and your average to top-shelf author cringes at the implication. Not copy-cat writing either, since each author strives to find his own voice. Authors read other authors for two main reasons:
Seasoned, published writers have traveled long roads, reading hundreds of books along the way, to decipher what works for their style. Not only do they seek to define their genre, but also their voice. Call it brand, if you like. What makes Jodi Picoult readers leap at a new release? What excites Patricia Cornwell fans? What has Sue Grafton groupies anxiously awaiting the letter W in her alphabet murder mysteries? Authors read for pleasure, but their brains are also reading for success. When they catch themselves engrossed, forgetting to study what made a story so compelling, they know they need to backtrack, reread, and dig to identity the skeletal composition of such a tale.
Regardless the genre, writing has levels of sophistication. Even a children?s book can become classic because it reaches all ages, each word remarkably placed properly. Such a talent comes from years of writing, hundreds of thousands of words written and then thrown away, and reading quality writing that came before the one in the writer?s hand. When an author holds a great book, he knows that great writers are the reason. Not just the writer of the current read, but also the writers of the books that this writer of this book learned from. Just like children learn from their elders, authors learn from their predecessors. They might not pick up To Kill a Mockingbird and subsequently create an attorney fighting bigotry through the eyes of an inquisitive young daughter. However, they just might sense the need to write in first person, like the daughter. Or they could create a poor Southern town during trying times to pick at and challenge the inhabitants. Or they relate to the bigotry and design a plot with similar redeeming qualities.
A new author is the newest brick in the constant construction of the literary world. His story has built upon the backs of other stories, and the author?s talent rose from the underpinning provided by other authors. The talent comes from an osmotic relationship with little more than reading. Reading classics, reading bestsellers, reading avant-garde releases and obscure award winners. Reading bad writing. A current author?s ideas come from hundreds of years of stories, culminating in a book in the hands of a reader who simply walked into a store, made a purchase, went home and sat down with tea for an entertaining moment. And the best reads are so easily enjoyed that readers can?t even tell the huge amount of history and effort that brought them to fruition.
So where do authors get their ideas? From everyone who?s ever written a good story.
=========
C. Hope Clark is author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series and a lover of a good plot bending read. Her latest release is Tidewater Murder, April 2013. www.chopeclark.com
A*STAR and Cytos bring Singapore's first influenza vaccine to clinical testingPublic release date: 16-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr. Sarah Chang chang_kai_chen@a-star.edu.sg 65-682-66442 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
The vaccine based on Cytos' Virus-Like Particle technology may open the door to accelerated production of influenza vaccines in Singapore
Singapore and Schlieren (Zurich), Switzerland, May 17, 2013 Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Switzerland's Cytos Biotechnology AG today announced that the first healthy volunteer has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial with their H1N1 influenza vaccine candidate based on Cytos' proprietary bacteriophage Qbeta virus-like particle (VLP) technology. In this first Phase 1 clinical trial, the safety and immunogenicity of this novel vaccine candidate and its potential to protect against H1N1 influenza infection will be evaluated.
A*STAR is developing the vaccine candidate under a collaborative research, development and commercialization agreement entered into with Cytos in 2010 [1], with the goal of providing the government of Singapore an effective means of combatting influenza epidemics and pandemics. Under the agreement, Cytos retains the worldwide right to develop and commercialize the vaccine candidate globally, while A*STAR subsidiaries will have the right to develop and commercialize the vaccine for Singapore and other ASEAN countries and can earn royalties on worldwide net sales.
Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of A*STAR and Co-Chair of the Biomedical Sciences Executive Committee in Singapore [2] said, "This is the first time Singapore is attempting to make its own flu vaccine. In the wake of the recent H7N9 bird flu outbreak, it is timely that A*STAR is bringing Singapore's first H1N1 flu vaccine into Phase 1 clinical trial. This different approach of making flu vaccines will better respond to the needs of a flu outbreak. I am pleased that the collaboration with Cytos is making a meaningful contribution to Singapore's pandemic readiness, a critical aspect of our national security. The success of this potential vaccine will be of significant impact not only to the region but also the world."
Christian Itin, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cytos, commented, "We are very pleased with the fruitful collaboration which has led to the clinical start of this novel influenza vaccine. This is an important milestone for the program and the first clinical program using Cytos' B-cell vaccine platform for a prophylactic vaccine against an infectious disease."
Professor Alex Matter, Chief Executive Officer of D3 (Drug Discovery and Development) and A*STAR's Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC) said, "If this VLP-vaccine strategy proves to be effective, it can accelerate the production of vaccines against new emerging strains of flu. This will greatly aid Singapore's preparedness to produce vaccines quickly, safely and economically in the event of a flu epidemic. This could potentially open doors for faster production of vaccines to a range of viral diseases as well."
A*STAR's Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC) was the primary driver of the multi-institutional effort culminating in the start of the clinical development program, which involved academic and clinical partners across Singapore, namely A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), DSO National Laboratories and Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School. Since early 2012, D3, which works hand in hand with Cytos and other local entities, has been leading the development of the H1N1 influenza vaccine project aiming to achieve proof-of-concept in humans. This Phase 1 clinical trial is being conducted at the SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit and the Changi General Hospital Trials and Research unit in Singapore.
###
Enclosed:
Annex A Image of Cytos' Virus-Like Particle (VLP) used in Singapore's first H1N1 influenza vaccine
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Sarah Chang, Ph.D.
Tel: (65) 6826 6442
Email: chang_kai_chen@a-star.edu.sg
Cytos Biotechnology AG
Harry Welten
Chief Financial Officer
Tel: +41 44 733 46 46
e-mail: harry.welten@cytos.com
US Investor enquiries
Susan A. Noonan
Tel: +1 (212) 966 3650
e-mail: susan@sanoonan.com
About Influenza Infection and Vaccination
According to the World Health Organisation, it is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of the world's population are infected during seasonal influenza epidemic, causing three to five million people to be seriously ill, and killing 250,000 to 500,000 each year [3]. One of the most effective ways to significantly reduce the incidence of death and serious illness from influenza is through vaccination. In the case of a pandemic, it is vital to be able to produce vaccines quickly and in large quantities to be able to vaccinate the majority of the population prior to the spreading of the pandemic influenza strain. The conventional way to produce influenza vaccine using chicken eggs has limited yields, is time consuming and sometimes constrained due to the toxicity of certain viral strains to birds (e.g. H5N1 bird flu virus). Growing the virus in cell cultures may get around strain toxicity, however the yields are also modest and the production cost are very high.
About the Influenza Vaccine Developed By A*STAR and Cytos
Cytos' proprietary technology used for this vaccine overcomes the short comings of conventional vaccines since all components can be produced recombinantly at high levels in E.coli. The vaccine encompasses on the one hand Cytos' clinically validated Qbeta VLP as an immunological carrier and on the other hand the globular domain of hemagglutinin (HA) which is displayed on the surface of the VLP. In the resulting non-infectious vaccine the influenza antigen derived from the surface protein HA is presented in a highly immunogenic manner to the immune system.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector agency that fosters world-class scientific research and talent to drive economic growth and transform Singapore into a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation driven economy. In line with its mission-oriented mandate, A*STAR spearheads research and development in fields that are essential to growing Singapore's manufacturing sector and catalysing new growth industries. A*STAR supports these economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry.
A*STAR oversees 20 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research entities, located in Biopolis and
Fusionopolis as well as their vicinity. These two R&D hubs house a bustling and diverse community of local and international research scientists and engineers from A*STAR's research entities as well as a growing number of corporate laboratories.
For more information about A*STAR, please visit http://www.a-star.edu.sg
About D3
D3 (Drug Discovery and Development) was established in 2012 to build strong bridges between basic science and clinical research and development by bringing early-stage scientific discoveries to 'proof-of-concept' clinical trials in humans and generating economic benefit through the licensing of clinical stage therapeutics. D3 builds on Singapore's existing drug discovery capabilities and strengthens the local biomedical innovation landscape. It was founded to be a cost-effective and professional development partner able to advance and add value to early-stage projects on a 'shared-risk, shared-reward' basis. D3's primary focus is on developing drugs targeted at oncology indications and infectious diseases but the door is open to other indications if a partner brings the necessary disease knowledge. D3 is jointly funded by A*STAR, the Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council and the National Research Foundation. For more information about D3, please visit http://www.d3.a-star.edu.sg
About Cytos Biotechnology AG
Cytos is a public biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of targeted immuno-therapies. The Company's lead product candidate CYT003 is a first-in-class immune modulator in Phase 2 clinical development as a potential new treatment for allergic asthma. CYT003 acts via a novel, allergen-independent mechanism of action to selectively suppress the body's immune response to allergens, a predominant risk factor for asthma. In a successfully completed Phase 2a study, CYT003 was shown to maintain asthma control and lung function and asthma control in patients with persistent allergic asthma, even as standard inhaled corticosteroid treatment was withdrawn. CYT003 has been shown to be safe in over 450 patients to date. Cytos was founded in 1995 as a spinoff from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. It is located in Schlieren (Zurich), Switzerland. The Company is listed according to the Main Standard on the SIX Swiss Exchange Ltd under the symbol CYTN.
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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.
A*STAR and Cytos bring Singapore's first influenza vaccine to clinical testingPublic release date: 16-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr. Sarah Chang chang_kai_chen@a-star.edu.sg 65-682-66442 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
The vaccine based on Cytos' Virus-Like Particle technology may open the door to accelerated production of influenza vaccines in Singapore
Singapore and Schlieren (Zurich), Switzerland, May 17, 2013 Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Switzerland's Cytos Biotechnology AG today announced that the first healthy volunteer has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial with their H1N1 influenza vaccine candidate based on Cytos' proprietary bacteriophage Qbeta virus-like particle (VLP) technology. In this first Phase 1 clinical trial, the safety and immunogenicity of this novel vaccine candidate and its potential to protect against H1N1 influenza infection will be evaluated.
A*STAR is developing the vaccine candidate under a collaborative research, development and commercialization agreement entered into with Cytos in 2010 [1], with the goal of providing the government of Singapore an effective means of combatting influenza epidemics and pandemics. Under the agreement, Cytos retains the worldwide right to develop and commercialize the vaccine candidate globally, while A*STAR subsidiaries will have the right to develop and commercialize the vaccine for Singapore and other ASEAN countries and can earn royalties on worldwide net sales.
Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of A*STAR and Co-Chair of the Biomedical Sciences Executive Committee in Singapore [2] said, "This is the first time Singapore is attempting to make its own flu vaccine. In the wake of the recent H7N9 bird flu outbreak, it is timely that A*STAR is bringing Singapore's first H1N1 flu vaccine into Phase 1 clinical trial. This different approach of making flu vaccines will better respond to the needs of a flu outbreak. I am pleased that the collaboration with Cytos is making a meaningful contribution to Singapore's pandemic readiness, a critical aspect of our national security. The success of this potential vaccine will be of significant impact not only to the region but also the world."
Christian Itin, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cytos, commented, "We are very pleased with the fruitful collaboration which has led to the clinical start of this novel influenza vaccine. This is an important milestone for the program and the first clinical program using Cytos' B-cell vaccine platform for a prophylactic vaccine against an infectious disease."
Professor Alex Matter, Chief Executive Officer of D3 (Drug Discovery and Development) and A*STAR's Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC) said, "If this VLP-vaccine strategy proves to be effective, it can accelerate the production of vaccines against new emerging strains of flu. This will greatly aid Singapore's preparedness to produce vaccines quickly, safely and economically in the event of a flu epidemic. This could potentially open doors for faster production of vaccines to a range of viral diseases as well."
A*STAR's Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC) was the primary driver of the multi-institutional effort culminating in the start of the clinical development program, which involved academic and clinical partners across Singapore, namely A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), DSO National Laboratories and Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School. Since early 2012, D3, which works hand in hand with Cytos and other local entities, has been leading the development of the H1N1 influenza vaccine project aiming to achieve proof-of-concept in humans. This Phase 1 clinical trial is being conducted at the SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit and the Changi General Hospital Trials and Research unit in Singapore.
###
Enclosed:
Annex A Image of Cytos' Virus-Like Particle (VLP) used in Singapore's first H1N1 influenza vaccine
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Sarah Chang, Ph.D.
Tel: (65) 6826 6442
Email: chang_kai_chen@a-star.edu.sg
Cytos Biotechnology AG
Harry Welten
Chief Financial Officer
Tel: +41 44 733 46 46
e-mail: harry.welten@cytos.com
US Investor enquiries
Susan A. Noonan
Tel: +1 (212) 966 3650
e-mail: susan@sanoonan.com
About Influenza Infection and Vaccination
According to the World Health Organisation, it is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of the world's population are infected during seasonal influenza epidemic, causing three to five million people to be seriously ill, and killing 250,000 to 500,000 each year [3]. One of the most effective ways to significantly reduce the incidence of death and serious illness from influenza is through vaccination. In the case of a pandemic, it is vital to be able to produce vaccines quickly and in large quantities to be able to vaccinate the majority of the population prior to the spreading of the pandemic influenza strain. The conventional way to produce influenza vaccine using chicken eggs has limited yields, is time consuming and sometimes constrained due to the toxicity of certain viral strains to birds (e.g. H5N1 bird flu virus). Growing the virus in cell cultures may get around strain toxicity, however the yields are also modest and the production cost are very high.
About the Influenza Vaccine Developed By A*STAR and Cytos
Cytos' proprietary technology used for this vaccine overcomes the short comings of conventional vaccines since all components can be produced recombinantly at high levels in E.coli. The vaccine encompasses on the one hand Cytos' clinically validated Qbeta VLP as an immunological carrier and on the other hand the globular domain of hemagglutinin (HA) which is displayed on the surface of the VLP. In the resulting non-infectious vaccine the influenza antigen derived from the surface protein HA is presented in a highly immunogenic manner to the immune system.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector agency that fosters world-class scientific research and talent to drive economic growth and transform Singapore into a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation driven economy. In line with its mission-oriented mandate, A*STAR spearheads research and development in fields that are essential to growing Singapore's manufacturing sector and catalysing new growth industries. A*STAR supports these economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry.
A*STAR oversees 20 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research entities, located in Biopolis and
Fusionopolis as well as their vicinity. These two R&D hubs house a bustling and diverse community of local and international research scientists and engineers from A*STAR's research entities as well as a growing number of corporate laboratories.
For more information about A*STAR, please visit http://www.a-star.edu.sg
About D3
D3 (Drug Discovery and Development) was established in 2012 to build strong bridges between basic science and clinical research and development by bringing early-stage scientific discoveries to 'proof-of-concept' clinical trials in humans and generating economic benefit through the licensing of clinical stage therapeutics. D3 builds on Singapore's existing drug discovery capabilities and strengthens the local biomedical innovation landscape. It was founded to be a cost-effective and professional development partner able to advance and add value to early-stage projects on a 'shared-risk, shared-reward' basis. D3's primary focus is on developing drugs targeted at oncology indications and infectious diseases but the door is open to other indications if a partner brings the necessary disease knowledge. D3 is jointly funded by A*STAR, the Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council and the National Research Foundation. For more information about D3, please visit http://www.d3.a-star.edu.sg
About Cytos Biotechnology AG
Cytos is a public biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of targeted immuno-therapies. The Company's lead product candidate CYT003 is a first-in-class immune modulator in Phase 2 clinical development as a potential new treatment for allergic asthma. CYT003 acts via a novel, allergen-independent mechanism of action to selectively suppress the body's immune response to allergens, a predominant risk factor for asthma. In a successfully completed Phase 2a study, CYT003 was shown to maintain asthma control and lung function and asthma control in patients with persistent allergic asthma, even as standard inhaled corticosteroid treatment was withdrawn. CYT003 has been shown to be safe in over 450 patients to date. Cytos was founded in 1995 as a spinoff from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. It is located in Schlieren (Zurich), Switzerland. The Company is listed according to the Main Standard on the SIX Swiss Exchange Ltd under the symbol CYTN.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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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.
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Public release date: 16-May-2013
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