abjurer gate: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Europe court: Tymoshenko jailing was rights abuse

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) ? Ukraine's jailing of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was a politically motivated violation of her rights, Europe's human rights court ruled on Tuesday, dealing a harsh blow to President Viktor Yanukovych who has insisted that the case against his top opponent was not political.

The prosecution of Tymoshenko, the country's most vocal opposition leader, has strained the former Soviet state's ties with the European Union and the United States. Tuesday's ruling put fresh pressure of Yanukovych to ensure Tymoshenko's release if he wants to sign a key cooperation agreement with Brussels later this year.

There was no immediate comment from the government, other than a promise to closely analyze the ruling.

Tymoshenko, a heroine of Ukraine's 2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolution who was instantly recognizable her blond braid wrapped around her head like a crown, was sentenced to seven years in prison in October 2011 after being convicted of exceeding her powers as premier while negotiating a gas contract with Russia.

The West has condemned Tymoshenko's jailing and other legal cases against her as politically motivated and insisted on her release.

Tymoshenko has accused Yanukovych of masterminding the legal campaign against her to keep her out politics. She insists her rights were violated when she was first jailed in August 2011 during her trial on charges of contempt of court. The Strasbourg-based court agreed unanimously that her jailing was "for other reasons" than those permissible by law.

In Kiev, Tymoshenko's defense team called on Yanukovych to honor the ruling and free her from jail soon. Her daughter Eugenia said that the ruling will be like the "first ray of sunlight" for her mother who is undergoing treatment for a spinal condition in a hospital ward where windows are shut and draped.

"The European court has recognized my mom as a political prisoner and now the authorities in Ukraine will no longer be able to deny this and deny the fact that she must be freed in the coming days or weeks," a triumphant Eugenia Tymoshenko told reporters. "Today is the first step toward her complete political rehabilitation and she will be freed soon. Soon she will be completely cleared of all the false and absurd accusations."

The Ukrainian government's response to the ruling was muted. In Strasbourg, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, Mykola Tochytskyi, stormed out of the courthouse after the ruling was read out. In Kiev, the Foreign Ministry said it is not ready to comment until It scrutinizes the ruling, while a government representative with the Court told the Interfax news agency that the government may appeal. Both sides have three months to do so.

Yanukovych has left Kiev on a short vacation and his spokeswoman could not be reached for comment on the prospects of the president releasing Tymoshenko.

In the past Yanukovych has insisted that the Tymoshenko case is not political, that Ukrainian courts are independent and that he cannot interfere in the legal proceedings. He has also resisted calls to pardon Tymoshenko on humanitarian grounds. Yanukovych has said that he will consider pardoning her after all the other legal proceedings against her are over. Tymoshenko has been charged with embezzlement, tax evasion and organizing the murder of a politician and businessman 17 years ago ? charges she denies.

The European court ruling leaves Kieve to decide how to implement it. Last summer the European Court of Human Rights passed a similar ruling regarding a top Tymoshenko ally, former Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko, whose jailing was also condemned as politically motivated by the West. The court ruled that the initial arrest of Lutsenko, who was then sentenced to four years in prison on charges of abuse of office and embezzlement, was also unlawful. While the Ukrainian government paid Lutsenko ?15,000 in compensation, as per the court ruling, he was released only in April after Yanukovych pardoned him on humanitarian grounds, not based on the Strasbourg ruling.

Kiev-based political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said that Tuesday's ruling was not legally binding for Kiev, because it concerns the conditions of Tymoshenko's two-month-long arrest before her conviction and sentencing. Today, Tymoshenko is no longer under arrest and is serving out her seven-year-sentence, which she is also appealing with the European Court of Human Rights. It is unclear when a decision on that is expected.

"He will not free her now," Fesenko said of Yanukovych, adding that Ukraine may offer Tymoshenko monetary compensation but will contest the finding of political motives behind her arrest. "The legal marathon will continue."

Olga Shumylo-Tapiola, a Ukraine scholar at Carnegie Europe, also said that the decision, although unpleasant for the Ukrainian government, was not mandatory.

"The court confirmed that the way she was detained was politically motivated," Shumylo-Tapiola said, adding that it is now up to Kiev to ponder the next move. "They're not ready to release her."

Vadim Karasyov, a political expert with ties to the government, speculated that Tymoshenko will not be released now, but as a face-saving the government may allow for her to be transported to Germany for treatment before the landmark Ukraine-EU summit later this year. That way, Tymoshenko will still be out of the Ukrainian political scene, something Yanukovych wants, and Brussels may agree to sign the association deal with Kiev.

In Kiev, Tymoshenko's political allies and members of her party rushed to congratulate her and call on the government to ensure her release, but there was little jubilation on the streets of the Ukrainian capital with Ukrainians largely disillusioned with politics. In a tent camp set up in the center of the Ukrainian capital outside the courthouse where Tymoshenko was convicted, there were only a handful of her supporters, who reacted with joy, but said they did not believe the government would release her.

"He (Yanukovych) has always been afraid of her," said Oleksiy Karaulny, 63, a retired carpenter in Kiev, one of the activists at the tent camp. "Of course we are happy. And it's not only me who his happy, it's all the 12 million (people) who voted for her are also happy. They know that truth will come, that justice will prevail."

___

Hinnant reported from Strasbourg, France.

___

Lori Hinnant can be reached at https://twitter.com/lhinnant

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/europe-court-tymoshenko-jailing-rights-abuse-141813662.html

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Monday, April 29, 2013

Day 3 draft recap: Biggest hits and misses

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Day three of the draft is not for the faint of heart, especially when its most notable prospect comes off the board with the first pick. That was the case on Saturday, where the Eagles traded up to get Matt Barkley at No. 98. But for those patient and diehard enough to dive into it, there?s every bit as much entertainment to be found on day three as there is on day one or two. Here are the most notable developments from the third and final day of the 2013 NFL Draft. ??

GOT SOME HARD BARK ON HIM

Fair or not, Matt Barkley was pretty much the dictionary definition of a ?pretty boy? heading into his senior season at USC. Eight months, six losses, one separated shoulder and 98 draft picks later, the ?pretty boy? has some hard earned new ?character.? The notion that Barkley would have been a guaranteed first-round pick had he declared last season is deeply flawed. Would he have gone higher than No. 98? Without a doubt. But the same deficiencies that sent Barkley tumbling down the board this year ? a weak arm, limited mobility, little room to grow ? would have shown up on tape last year, too. Barkley as a surefire top-ten pick was a media creation, and as we learned time and again this weekend, the draft can be painful for prospects whose tape doesn?t match their hype.

Now Barkley needs to rely on his qualities that don?t show up on tape. For all the hand wringing over his arm strength, he?s gained plaudits for his leadership and attitude. If Barkley is going to carve out an NFL career, it will have to be on the back of his accuracy and intangibles. Of course, even that might not be enough in Philadelphia, where despite Chip Kelly?s protestations to the contrary, the idea that a QB as lead-footed as Barkley can succeed in his lightning-paced offense just isn?t realistic. It?s going to be a tough couple of years for the football world?s former No. 1 pretty boy, but he can survive them if he displays something his detractors swear he doesn?t have: True grit. ????

FREE FALL OF THE NIGHT

Tyler Bray was never viewed as an early-round pick. Despite his rocket arm and massive 6-foot-6 frame, he was too inconsistent on-the-field, and too much of a headache off of it. But it?s fair to say a player whose arm has drawn comparisons to Joe Flacco and Ryan Mallett?s wasn?t expected to slide all the way off the draft board. That?s exactly what Bray did, watching 254 other players ? 11 of whom were quarterbacks ? get their names called as he stared at a phone that wouldn?t ring. As far as undrafted free agents go, Bray made a soft landing. He?s headed to Kansas City, where the race for No. 3 duties is wide open, and he?ll get to work with one of the top QB gurus of his era in Andy Reid. But a player who left Tennessee a year early is almost certainly wondering what might have been had he spent one more year in college honing his scattershot craft. Odds are, Bray?s draft-weekend wait wouldn?t have been so interminable in 2014.

FREE FALL OF THE NIGHT II

Two former Tennessee Volunteers can play this game. But therein lies the first difference. Whereas Tyler Bray chose to become a former Vol, Da?Rick Rogers was given no choice but to transfer after earning an indefinite suspension last August. Rogers was banned for failing multiple drug tests and clashing with coaches. He ended up at FCS Tennessee Tech, where he lit up the stat sheet to the tune of 78 catches for 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns. This, after he posted a 67/1,040/9 line his final year at Tennessee. At 6-foot-3, 217 pounds with 4.52 wheels, Rogers has the measurables to go along with the production. He just doesn?t have the attitude, which is why he joined Bray in his descent into undrafted territory. Rogers quickly signed as an UDFA with the Bills, who placed an emphasis on finding freak athletes this year. Rogers certainly qualifies, but it won?t mean anything if he can?t fall in line. If he does, he has a chance to be this year?s Vontaze Burfict: A decorated but disgraced former elite prospect who makes good after being given a second chance. Rogers has the talent, now he needs the sense. ??????

BIGGEST MISS BY MOCK DRAFTS

Johnathan Franklin was the first running back off the board on day three. That?s all good and well, but many projected him to be the first running back off the board, period. By the time the dust had settled, five runners had found new homes before Franklin. ?Why?? isn?t exactly clear. Unlike last year?s big RB faller, Chris Polk, Franklin doesn?t have any obvious medical concerns. His 4.49 speed is more than adequate for a player his size (5-foot-10, 205), while he?s been compared to Frank Gore, Doug Martin, Ray Rice and Warrick Dunn, among others. He?s solid both between the tackles and in the passing game. Whatever it was, one of the smartest talent evaluators in the game in Ted Thompson decided he couldn?t watch Franklin fall any further even though he had already used the No. 61 pick on Eddie Lacy. Now Franklin and Lacy have the opportunity to form one of the league?s top ?thunder and lightning? duos as rookies. The presence of the other means neither is likely to emerge as an RB1, but at worst, we could have a pair of RB3s on our hands. ????

BIGGEST REACH OF THE NIGHT

While it?s hard to call the No. 237 pick a reach, it?s even harder to call B.J. Daniels a quarterback. The newest 49er threw for just 52 career touchdowns at USF despite being a four-year starter and attempting over 1,100 passes. That?s not to mention his 39 picks or 57.2 completion percentage. Daniels has some running ability, but not enough to suggest he has a legitimate shot at becoming the next Brad Smith or Antwaan Randle El. The 49ers had an excellent weekend, but capped it off with a truly baffling pick.

GOT SOME HARD BARK ON HIM

FREE FALL OF THE NIGHT

FREE FALL OF THE NIGHT II

BIGGEST MISS BY MOCK DRAFTS

BIGGEST REACH OF THE NIGHT

Source: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/43160/365/nfl-draft-day-3-recap

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Syrian army ordered to use chemical weapons, says defected general

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Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/04/88800/syrian-army-ordered-to-use-chemical-weapons-says-defected-general/

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Jason Aldean Files for Divorce From Jessica Ussery

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/jason-aldean-files-for-divorce/

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Adichie focuses on Nigeria's present for new novel

In this photo taken, Saturday, April. 27, 2013, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, speaks to Associated press during an interview in Lagos, Nigeria. Modern life in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, has become almost a character itself in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." Within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous novel, a love story set during Nigeria's civil war entitled "Half of a Yellow Sun." (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

In this photo taken, Saturday, April 27, 2013, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, left, signs autographs during a book launch of her new book 'Americanah', in Lagos, Nigeria. Modern life in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, has become almost a character itself in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." Within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous novel, a love story set during Nigeria's civil war entitled "Half of a Yellow Sun." (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

In this photo taken, Saturday, April. 27, 2013, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, during an interview with Associated Press, in Lagos, Nigeria. Modern life in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, has become almost a character itself in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." Within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous novel, a love story set during Nigeria's civil war entitled "Half of a Yellow Sun." (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

In this photo taken, Saturday, April 27, 2013, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, signs autographs during a book launch of her new book 'Americanah', in Lagos, Nigeria. Modern life in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, has become almost a character itself in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." Within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous novel, a love story set during Nigeria's civil war entitled "Half of a Yellow Sun." (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) ? The traffic is there, grinding life to a halt as the middle class pound out messages on BlackBerry mobile phones and worry about Facebook. The heat, the sweat and the daily tragedy of unclaimed bodies lying alongside roadways, passers-by hurrying past for fear of someone else's misfortune becoming entangled in their own.

This is modern life in Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, which becomes almost a character of its own in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." And within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous love story set during Nigeria's civil war called "Half of a Yellow Sun."

As that book is being made into a movie, more international attention will focus on Adichie, part of a raft of new Nigerian writers finding acclaim after years of military-induced slumber in a nation with a rich literary history. Yet Adichie, like her new book's heroine, finds herself straddled between a life in the United States and one in Nigeria, where even seemingly innocuous comments on hair care and wigs can stir resentment.

"I'm writing about where I care about and I deeply, deeply care about Nigeria," Adichie told The Associated Press. "Nigeria is the country that most infuriates me and it is the country I love the most. I think when you're emotionally invested in a place as a storyteller, it becomes organic."

That sense of place runs throughout "Americanah," ? make sure to stress the fourth syllable, says the daughter of a university professor and a university registrar. It's a term people use to describe the accents carried by some of the Nigerians now returning in droves to the country after it embraced an uneasy democracy after years of military rule. While oil and gas money continues to flow and other business opportunities abound, the nation's universities now sit in shambles, graduating more unqualified students than can be offered jobs.

That intellectual dulling has been challenged by a host of new writers, many of whom like Adichie live almost double lives abroad.

"She is part of the pack of novelists who have, after what you might call the two decades of silence, who have helped to tell Nigerian stories to the whole world again," writer Tolu Ogunlesi said. "It was the dictatorships and all that's associated with them. ... The '80s and '90s were dark ages of sorts for Nigeria."

It's that period where "Americanah" finds its beginning. Though dismissing the idea of being a "dutiful daughter of literary conventions," Adichie's new novel takes root in the vagaries and murmured promises of a love story like much of her other work. It also focuses largely on the slim percentage of Nigerians able to afford diesel generators in a country largely without electricity and who look at the poor through the chilled air and tinted-glass windows of luxury SUVs.

Despite that, her writing hits a nerve with Nigerian readers who identify with the descriptions of church worship services focused on getting foreign visas and the nervous wives of rich men in a nation notorious for philandering. Adichie describes herself as looking "at the world through Nigerian eyes," but she doesn't hold back on criticizing its culture that fosters widespread government corruption. Or what she perceives as the excessive, neutered politeness of "political-correct language" in the U.S.

"Nigeria wasn't set up to succeed, but the extent of its failure is ours. It's our responsibility," she said. "This country is full of so many intelligent people, so much energy, so much potential, so why are we here?"

That kind of truth telling isn't exactly welcome, even in a democratic Nigeria. Speaking Saturday night at a book signing, Adichie drew laughter and a few nervous looks from organizers by describing President Goodluck Jonathan as "not a bad guy, he just seems like he's floundering and has no clue."

It also leads to comparisons some make between Adichie and late author Chinua Achebe, who died in March at age 82. Both come from the Igbo people of Nigeria's southeast and Achebe's own praise of Adichie graces the cover of her new novel in Nigeria. Adichie said the rise of new writers served as a testament to the power of Achebe's writings and the works of others.

"I think there's just this wonderful flowering that's happening," she said.

Even more controversial, it seems, have been Adichie's comments on natural hair in Nigeria, where many spend huge sums of money on straight-banged wigs and weaves known as Indian hair. An online commenter on Twitter asserted that Adichie, whose natural hair sits in buns atop her head, said that those wearing weaves were insecure, sparking controversy. Adichie herself ended up responding to the criticism and gave a recent audience advice on finding hair conditioners with no sulfates.

"It's only black women for whom an entire industry exists which is geared toward specifically making sure that the hair that grows on their head looks different," she said. "I want natural black hair to be an equally valid option, not something interesting, not something you do when you're a jazz musician, but something you can do when you're a lawyer in a fancy firm in New York City or if you're a politician in Abuja," Nigeria's capital.

That, however, still remains a challenge. Adichie acknowledged it herself by pausing, and then adding: "My mother doesn't like my hair like that. She is still praying."

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-29-Books-Adichie/id-358612e615464693b42890a23186fe59

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UFC 159 Results: Jon Jones Beats Chael Sonnen Despite Injured Foot, Retains Light Heavyweight Title

NEWARK, N.J. -- With one awkward lunge, Jon Jones' big toe about popped off his left foot.

Before he hobbled out of the octagon, Jones had one more spectacular title defense to finish, returning to the site of his championship win and staking his claim as perhaps the greatest UFC light heavyweight of all time.

Jones bloodied an overmatched Chael Sonnen with a series of strikes to the face in the first round to win by TKO and defend his light heavyweight championship for the fifth straight time on Saturday night at UFC 159.

Nicknamed "Bones," Jones proved he was a champion down to the bone ? the one that jabbed its way out of his toe with one misstep. Jones (18-1) suffered a compound fracture and needed a stool inside the cage to complete his post-fight interview.

He needed no time finishing off the trash-talking Sonnen (28-13-1).

After his third takedown of the round, Jones buried a knee to the body, then went to work on Sonnen's face. Sonnen covered up as the ref stopped the fight at 4:33 of the first.

"I felt I came out here and was strong and courageous," Jones said.

Jones said he was hurt late in the abbreviated round. Had the fight go on, Jones would have been unable to continue.

"They would have stopped it. In a second," UFC president Dana White said.

With the win, Jones matched UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz's light heavyweight mark of five straight successful title defenses. After beating Shogun Rua to win the belt, Jones went on to defeat Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort.

There was no immediate word how long Jones would be out. But if he returns and wins again, Jones would stand alone in the record book.

"It would be hard not to call him the greatest light heavyweight of all time," White said.

Jones returned to the Prudential Center and the site of his championship win over Rua in March 2011. He strolled to the cage and took delight in the long walk toward his latest title defense.

Sonnen stared at the giant video screen and beckoned for Jones to walk out. Sonnen stared down Jones for the entire walk to the cage and yelled out, "Come on, boy!" at the champ.

Jones dragged out his intro and hugged his mom before he stepped inside the octagon. He performed a cartwheel on the mat as the crowd booed the extracurricular theatrics.

They should have enjoyed the show more ? his entrance was longer than the fight.

"Last time I was here, I had all these goals and aspirations to become a champion," Jones said. "Now, I'm here in the same building as one of the best champions."

Jones, a former college wrestler and the brother of two NFL players, made quick work of Sonnen with uppercuts and elbows.

"I've had a lot of fights and a lot of them haven't gone my way," Sonnen said. "But I've only been beat up twice and that was number two."

Jones rested in the cage with the belt around his waist as doctors wrapped his toe. He gingerly walked out with no assistance and his left big toe bandaged up. Backstage, the entire left foot was in a bulky wrap. White said Jones would need a hospital visit.

"I was supposed to go to Jamaica after this," Jones said. "Now, I don't think it's going to happen."

The UFC hoped to pull off this bout in September as the main event at UFC 151.

Jones, though, refused to fight Sonnen on eight days' notice after contender Dan Henderson was forced to withdraw because of injury. Jones didn't want to risk his title against a last-minute replacement in Sonnen, so he balked at the fight.

White was forced to cancel a pay-per-view show for the first time in his tenure. Jones survived a near submission and would defeat Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 in late September.

Jones and Sonnen coached against each other during the recent season of "The Ultimate Fighter"

"The Ultimate Fighter was the best experience I ever had in this sport," Sonnen said.

This night had to be one of the worst.

On the undercard, Sara McMann, a 2004 silver medalist in wrestling at the Athens Olympics, won her UFC debut with a TKO over Sheila Gaff. McMann jumped Gaff at the start and pounded her on the ground for most of the first round. She delivered a series of devastating elbows to Gaff's head before the bout was stopped. McMann received a huge ovation after her hand was raised and she walked out of the octagon to No Doubt's "Just a Girl."

"I'm a wrestler. I can take people down whenever I want to," McMann said. "I put myself in the captain's seat where I could do the most damage and I plan to keep doing that."

McMann-Gaff was the third female bantamweight bout in the UFC, all this year. Ronda Rousey, who won the main event of UFC 157, was at the show.

With New York one of the few states that has yet to legalize MMA, the UFC has often turned to New Jersey to stage its biggest cards on the east coast. White said he was no longer making New York a top priority.

"If New York never happens, it won't hurt UFC one bit," White said. "But imagine what it can do for New York."

Pat Healy opened the pay-per-view card with a third-round submission win over New Jersey native Jim Miller. Bruce Buffer was booed after he misspoke and named Miller the winner. In other PPV bouts, Phil Davis won a unanimous decision over Vinicius Magalhaes; Roy "Big Country" Nelson used a big overhand right to stop Cheick Kongo in the first round; and Michael Bisping bloodied Alan Belcher with a nasty cut near the right eye and won via TKO.

___

Follow Dan Gelston on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/APGelston

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/28/ufc-159-results-jon-jones-sonnen_n_3172219.html

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Friday, April 26, 2013

Mysterious hot spots observed in cool red supergiant

Apr. 24, 2013 ? Astronomers have released a new image of the outer atmosphere of Betelgeuse -- one of the nearest red supergiants to Earth -- revealing the detailed structure of the matter being thrown off the star.

The new image, taken by the e-MERLIN radio telescope array operated from the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, also shows regions of surprisingly hot gas in the star's outer atmosphere and a cooler arc of gas weighing almost as much as the Earth.

Betelgeuse is easily visible to the unaided eye as the bright, red star on the shoulder of Orion the Hunter. The star itself is huge -- 1,000 times larger than our Sun -- but at a distance of about 650 light years it still appears as a tiny dot in the sky, so special techniques combining telescopes in arrays are required to see details of the star and the region around it.

The new e-MERLIN image of Betelgeuse -- published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, shows its atmosphere extends out to five times the size of the visual surface of the star. It reveals two hot spots within the outer atmosphere and a faint arc of cool gas even farther out beyond the radio surface of the star.

The hot spots are separated by roughly half the visual diameter of the star and have a temperature of about 4,000-5,000 Kelvin, much higher than the average temperature of the radio surface of the star (about 1,200 Kelvin) and even higher than the visual surface (3,600 Kelvin). The arc of cool gas lies almost 7.4 billion kilometres away from the star -- about the same distance as the farthest Pluto gets from the Sun. It is estimated to have a mass almost two thirds that of the Earth and a temperature of about 150 Kelvin.

Lead author Dr Anita Richards, from The University of Manchester, said that it was not yet clear why the hot spots are so hot. She said: "One possibility is that shock waves, caused either by the star pulsating or by convection in its outer layers, are compressing and heating the gas. Another is that the outer atmosphere is patchy and we are seeing through to hotter regions within. The arc of cool gas is thought to be the result of a period of increased mass loss from the star at some point in the last century but its relationship to structures like the hot spots, which lie much closer in, within the star's outer atmosphere, is unknown."

The mechanism by which supergiant stars like Betelgeuse lose matter into space is not well understood despite its key role in the lifecycle of matter, enriching the interstellar material from which future stars and planets will form. Detailed high-resolution studies of the regions around massive stars like the ones presented here are essential to improving our understanding.

Dr Richards, who is based in Manchester's School of Physics and Astronomy, added: "Betelgeuse produces a wind equivalent to losing the mass of the Earth every three years, enriched with the chemicals that will go into the next generation of star and planet formation. The full detail of how these cool, evolved stars launch their winds is one of the remaining big questions in stellar astronomy.

"This is the first direct image showing hot spots so far from the centre of the star. We are continuing radio and microwave observations to help decide which mechanisms are most important in driving the stellar wind and producing these hot spots. This won't just tell us how the elements that form the building blocks of life are being returned to space, it will also help determine how long it is before Betelgeuse explodes as a supernova."

Future observations planned with e-MERLIN and other arrays, including ALMA and VLA, will test whether the hotspots vary in concert due to pulsation, or show more complex variability due to convection. If it is possible to measure a rotation speed this will identify in which layer of the star they originate.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Manchester University.

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Journal Reference:

Anita Richards et al. e-MERLIN resolves Betelgeuse at wavelength 5 cm: hotspots at 5R. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2013

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/fD3_AjYgtT4/130424222432.htm

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Artist decorates the Louvre's iconic pyramid

PARIS (AP) ? An Italian artist decorated the Louvre museum's glass pyramid Wednesday for the first time in the iconic monument's history, in a protest against capitalism. The artwork, a huge three-looped infinity sign made of mirrors, faces due west onto France's business district, La Defense.

Michelangelo Pistoletto, one of the world's leading conceptual artists, covered one panel of the pyramid with the reflective symbol that's meant as a defiant political gesture: Politicians and society must look at follies of excess that led to the global financial crisis.

It had spectators gawping ? some in awe, others in confusion.

"It's fantastic. It's like an eye looking out onto what Paris has become: finance, greed," one spectator, Fabrice Bing, said.

Another onlooker, Anthony Cuvillier, was less certain: "I don't know what it means, but it definitely looks cool."

Pistoletto, one of the main exponents of "Arte Povera," an influential movement that uses poor and everyday materials in art to protest against consumerism, has no doubt as to his art's message.

"Politicians should look at themselves in the mirror, and learn to take responsibility for this terrible mess and think of the infinite future ahead for humanity," he told The Associated Press.

Pistoletto is the first artist the Louvre has invited to work on the outside of the pyramid, the large glass and metal structure, designed by architect I. M. Pei, that was commissioned nearly 30 years ago ? to great controversy ? by former President Francois Mitterrand.

The installation continues deep inside the museum in more than a dozen separate works that the artist has "hidden" among the sprawling classical antiquities, made from mirrors and secondhand rags.

"It's a mystery. The public is asked to come on a treasure hunt," said curator Marie-Laure Bernadac, who agreed that the works will appeal to the many tourists who still come and see the pyramids because of the mysterious associations from Dan Brown's best-selling book "The Da Vinci Code."

But the works also have their fair dose of humor.

One work near the "Mona Lisa," consists of mirror with an image of a tourist taking a photo.

"I'm also poking fun... I'm trying to say that people don't look with their eyes any more, they just consume and take photos of the Mona Lisa because it's famous. I'm trying to make people think," Pistoletto said.

One of the strongest works is a marble statue of Venus, being pushed back by a gargantuan heap of rags. Pistoletto said it was a metaphor for how all the refuse in the world has cluttered and polluted nature.

"They're secondhand rags, but they're all very well washed," he joked. "Don't forget, this is the Louvre."

Pistoletto's "Year 1, Heaven on Earth" will run until Sept. 2.

___

Thomas Adamson can be followed at Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/artist-decorates-louvres-iconic-pyramid-155646831.html

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Valdespin slams Dodgers in 10th, Mets win 7-3

New York Mets' Jordany Valdespin (1) celebrates as Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Josh Wall (46) retreats to the dugout after Valdespin hit a 10th-inning, walk-off grand slam to lift the Mets to a 7-3 win over the Dodgers in a baseball game at Citi Field in New York, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

New York Mets' Jordany Valdespin (1) watches his 10th-inning, walk-off grand slam in their 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a baseball game at Citi Field in New York, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

New York Mets' Jordany Valdespin (1) watches his 10th-inning, walk-off grand slam to give the Mets a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a baseball game at Citi Field in New York, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis (17) also watches the hit. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

New York Mets' Jordany Valdespin (1) reacts after hitting a 10th-inning, walk-off grand slam off Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Josh Wall (46) in a baseball game at Citi Field in New York, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. The Mets won 7-3. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Jordany Valdespin began the night on the bench and ended it partying at home plate.

A late-inning substitute, Valdespin hit a grand slam in the 10th as the New York Mets rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3 Wednesday to save early sensation Matt Harvey from his first loss of the season.

"Coming back and winning a game like that, that's huge for us as we move forward," manager Terry Collins said.

Matt Kemp hit his first homer of the year and drove in three runs as Los Angeles grabbed a 3-1 lead against Harvey. The budding Mets ace pitched pretty well, though, and was bailed out when his teammates came back.

David Wright tied the game with a two-out single in the ninth off closer Brandon League, handed his first blown save in a Dodgers uniform.

Pinch-hitter Mike Baxter hustled for a leadoff double when his sinking liner to left glanced off the wrist of a sliding Carl Crawford. Baxter advanced on Ruben Tejada's sacrifice, and League had a chance to get out of it after third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. crashed into the railing to make a spectacular catch on Daniel Murphy's foul popup.

Wright, however, lined the next pitch to right-center for his first hit of the night.

"Definitely a tough one," League said.

John Buck led off the 10th with a single against Josh Wall (0-1), and Ike Davis walked on four pitches. Both runners moved up on Marlon Byrd's sacrifice, and Lucas Duda was intentionally walked to load the bases.

In the dugout, Harvey was encouraging Valdespin.

"I told him they're going to walk Duda and you're going to win this game," the pitcher said. "He was sitting there nice and loose, then he walked up there and delivered."

With the Dodgers playing five infielders and two shallow outfielders, Valdespin drove a 2-1 pitch to right for his first career slam and game-ending RBI.

"I'm not thinking about the infielders. I want to hit a good pitch," Valdespin said. "I'm ahead, it's time to be aggressive and hit the ball."

Valdespin, who grounded out as a pinch hitter with a chance to tie it in the eighth, tossed his helmet high in the air and hopped on home plate into the arms of excited teammates.

"He gets pumped up for that stuff," Collins said. "He just relishes that big moment during the game."

The Mets said it was the sixth walk-off grand slam in club history and their first since Kevin McReynolds connected on June 25, 1991, against Montreal, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

Bobby Parnell (1-0) worked around a leadoff walk in the 10th.

Kemp's two-run shot off Harvey in the sixth, originally ruled a triple before a replay review, snapped a 1-all tie and ended the slugger's drought of 86 at-bats dating to last season.

Ted Lilly tossed five effective innings in his first start since shoulder surgery, giving the Dodgers' injury-depleted rotation a boost. Los Angeles had won five in a row at Citi Field.

The 37-year-old Lilly allowed one run and struck out seven, wriggling out of two jams in his first big league outing since last May. The two-time All-Star opened 5-1 last season before he was sidelined by a left shoulder injury that required surgery in September.

"First time out, pretty good. Yeah, really good. I thought he was sharp," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "That's what Teddy does right there."

Harvey, who beat Washington phenom Stephen Strasburg last Friday, entered with a 0.93 ERA. He fanned seven in six innings against the Dodgers but failed in his bid to become the first five-game winner in the majors. The Mets said he was the first pitcher since 1900 to win his first four starts in a season while allowing no more than 10 total hits, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

Three days later, Tampa Bay left-hander Matt Moore matched that feat.

Hoping to cash in on Harvey's success, the Mets offered a special ticket promotion that included Harvey T-shirts. A crowd of 24,130 showed up on a windy night in Queens to watch the 24-year-old right-hander make his 15th major league start.

"I don't get caught up in the marketing stuff too much," Collins said before the game. "When you're around this guy, he's not caught up in that, either."

Harvey was cruising until he walked Adrian Gonzalez on a full-count pitch with two outs in the sixth. Kemp drove a 2-0 fastball, clocked at 95 mph, toward the right-field corner where a security guard stationed at the foul pole tried to catch the ball just behind the wall.

The ball caromed off his hands and back onto the field as umpires ruled it in play and Kemp pulled into third base. But the umps went inside for a look at the replay and, after a 2?-minute delay, correctly called it a two-run homer that gave Los Angeles a 3-1 lead.

"I didn't have my good fastball, so I knew I would be counting on everybody behind me," Harvey said. "I was pretty happy with my changeup. Looking back, I wish I had used it more."

A sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Justin Turner pulled the Mets to 3-2 in the sixth.

Harvey, a legitimate threat with the bat, doubled off the left-field fence leading off the fifth and scored the tying run when Tejada grounded a single just inside first base to snap an 0-for-18 slump.

One hit later, the Dodgers appeared to have trouble with the bullpen phone in their dugout ? the second time that's happened to a visiting team at Citi Field this season.

Harvey was nicked for a first-inning run on Kemp's RBI groundout. Beginning with that batter, he retired 16 of 17.

NOTES: To open a roster spot for Lilly, the Dodgers optioned catcher Tim Federowicz to Triple-A Albuquerque. ... New York has three grand slams in 19 games this season. ... Mets LHP Jonathon Niese said he might push his bullpen back a day this week but he'll definitely make his next scheduled start Sunday against Philadelphia. Niese was knocked out of Tuesday night's game by a third-inning comebacker that bruised his lower right leg.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-25-Dodgers-Mets/id-750fe532bd3e423da3a91204b7482aa9

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Ancient Earth crust stored in deep mantle

Apr. 24, 2013 ? Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials from the early Earth's crust. But decisive evidence for this phenomenon has proven elusive. New research from a team including Carnegie's Erik Hauri demonstrates that oceanic volcanic rocks contain samples of recycled crust dating back to the Archean era 2.5 billion years ago. Their work is published in Nature.

Oceanic crust sinks into Earth's mantle at so-called subduction zones, where two plates come together. Much of what happens to the crust during this journey is unknown. Model-dependent studies for how long subducted material can exist in the mantle are uncertain and evidence of very old crust returning to Earth's surface via upwellings of magma has not been found until now.

The research team studied volcanic rocks from the island of Mangaia in Polynesia's Cook Islands that contain iron sulfide inclusions within crystals. In-depth analysis of the chemical makeup of these samples yielded interesting results.

The research focused on isotopes of the element sulfur. (Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.) The measurements, conducted by graduate student Rita Cabral, looked at three of the four naturally occurring isotopes of sulfur--isotopic masses 32, 33, and 34. The sulfur-33 isotopes showed evidence of a chemical interaction with UV radiation that stopped occurring in Earth's atmosphere about 2.45 billion years ago. It stopped after the Great Oxidation Event, a point in time when Earth's atmospheric oxygen levels skyrocketed as a consequence of oxygen-producing photosynthetic microbes. Prior to the Great Oxidation Event, the atmosphere lacked ozone. But once ozone was introduced, it started to absorb UV and shut down the process.

This indicates that the sulfur comes from a deep mantle reservoir containing crustal material subducted before the Great Oxidation Event and preserved for over half the age of Earth.

"These measurements place the first firm age estimates of recycled material in oceanic hotspots," Hauri said. "They confirm the cycling of sulfur from the atmosphere and oceans into mantle and ultimately back to the surface," Hauri said.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Carnegie Institution.

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Journal Reference:

Rita A. Cabral, Matthew G. Jackson, Estelle F. Rose-Koga, Kenneth T. Koga, Martin J. Whitehouse, Michael A. Antonelli, James Farquhar, James M. D. Day, Erik H. Hauri. Anomalous sulphur isotopes in plume lavas reveal deep mantle storage of Archaean crust. Nature, 2013; 496 (7446): 490 DOI: 10.1038/nature12020

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/LDR1C8bWhcs/130424132705.htm

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Reuters: Verizon lining up $100 billion bid to buy out Vodafone's share of VZW

Word that Verizon would like to buy out Vodafone's 45 percent share of Verizon Wireless is hardly new, but Reuters reports it may finally be financially ready to take that step. According to unnamed sources, it's hired bank and legal advisers to prepare the bid, raising $50 billion in bank financing plus $50 billion in its own shares. Friendly discussions are said to start "soon", but if Vodafone is not interested it could take its bid public. It's probably no coincidence that the news is leaking just before Verizon's board meets to discuss a buyout before its regular shareholders meeting, but there are some potential complications. One holdup has been a potential hefty tax bill, but the Verizon CFO has been quoted saying he thinks that can be avoided, giving it more flexibility based on the cash generated by the wireless business.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon

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Source: Reuters

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/BB8slQ1Hi5M/

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Wow! Christina Aguilera Is Slim & Sexy on the Red Carpet

The singer shows off her slimmed-down figure! Plus, check out more pics of your favorite stars on the scene.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/star-snapshots-celebrity-photo-gallery-2012/1-b-450006?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Astar-snapshots-celebrity-photo-gallery-2012-450006

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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Novel approach to find RNAs involved in long-term memory storage

Apr. 25, 2013 ? Despite decades of research, relatively little is known about the identity of RNA molecules that are transported as part of the molecular process underpinning learning and memory.

Now, working together, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), Columbia University and the University of Florida, Gainesville, have developed a novel strategy for isolating and characterizing a substantial number of RNAs transported from the cell-body of neuron (nerve cell) to the synapse, the small gap separating neurons that enables cell to cell communication.

Using this new method, the scientists were able to identify nearly 6,000 transcripts (RNA sequences) from the genome of Aplysia, a sea slug widely used in scientific investigation.

The scientists' target is known as the synaptic transcriptome -- roughly the complete set of RNA molecules transported from the neuronal cell body to the synapse.

In the study, published recently in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists focused on the RNA transport complexes that interact with the molecular motor kinesin; kinesin proteins move along filaments known as microtubules in the cell and carry various gene products during the early stage of memory storage.

While neurons use active transport mechanisms such as kinesin to deliver RNA cargos to synapses, once they arrive at their synaptic destination that service stops and is taken over by other, more localized mechanisms -- in much the same way that a traveler's bags gets handed off to the hotel doorman once the taxi has dropped them at the entrance.

The scientists identified thousands of these unique sequences of both coding and noncoding RNAs. As it turned out, several of these RNAs play key roles in the maintenance of synaptic function and growth.

The scientists also uncovered several antisense RNAs (paired duplicates that can inhibit gene expression), although what their function at the synapse might be remains unknown.

"Our analyses suggest that the transported RNAs are surprisingly diverse," said Sathya Puthanveettil, a TSRI assistant professor who designed the study. "It also brings up an important question of why so many different RNAs are transported to synapses. One reason may be that they are stored there to be used later to help maintain long-term memories."

The team's new approach offers the advantage of avoiding the dissection of neuronal processes to identify synaptically localized RNAs by focusing on transport complexes instead, Puthanveettil said. This new approach should help in better understanding changes in localized RNAs and their role in local translation as molecular substrates, not only in memory storage, but also in a variety of other physiological conditions, including development.

"New protein synthesis is a prerequisite for maintaining long term memory," he said, "but you don't need this kind of transport forever, so it raises many questions that we want to answer. What molecules need to be synthesized to maintain memory? How long is this collection of RNAs stored? What localized mechanisms come into play for memory maintenance? "

In addition to Puthanveettil, who was the first author of the study, authors of "A Strategy to Capture and Characterize the Synaptic Transcriptome," include Igor Antonov, Sergey Kalchikov, Priyamvada Rajasethupathy, Yun-Beom Choi, Maxime Kinet, Irina Morozova, James J. Russo, and Jingyue Ju of Columbia University; Kevin A. Karl of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and Eric R. Kandel of Columbia University, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Kavli Institute for Brain Science; and Andrea B. Kohn, Mathew Citarella, Fahong Yu and Leonid L. Moroz of the University of Florida, Gainesville.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Scripps Research Institute.

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Journal Reference:

S. V. Puthanveettil, I. Antonov, S. Kalachikov, P. Rajasethupathy, Y.-B. Choi, A. B. Kohn, M. Citarella, F. Yu, K. A. Karl, M. Kinet, I. Morozova, J. J. Russo, J. Ju, L. L. Moroz, E. R. Kandel. A strategy to capture and characterize the synaptic transcriptome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1304422110

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/85kflBHkj3M/130425160216.htm

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'Taxels' convert mechanical motion to electronic signals

Apr. 25, 2013 ? Using bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have fabricated arrays of piezotronic transistors capable of converting mechanical motion directly into electronic controlling signals. The arrays could help give robots a more adaptive sense of touch, provide better security in handwritten signatures and offer new ways for humans to interact with electronic devices.

The arrays include more than 8,000 functioning piezotronic transistors, each of which can independently produce an electronic controlling signal when placed under mechanical strain. These touch-sensitive transistors -- dubbed "taxels" -- could provide significant improvements in resolution, sensitivity and active/adaptive operations compared to existing techniques for tactile sensing. Their sensitivity is comparable to that of a human fingertip.

The vertically-aligned taxels operate with two-terminal transistors. Instead of a third gate terminal used by conventional transistors to control the flow of current passing through them, taxels control the current with a technique called "strain-gating." Strain-gating based on the piezotronic effect uses the electrical charges generated at the Schottky contact interface by the piezoelectric effect when the nanowires are placed under strain by the application of mechanical force.

The research will be reported on April 25 in the journal Science online, at the Science Express website, and will be published in a later version of the print journal Science. The research has been sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Air Force (USAF), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Any mechanical motion, such as the movement of arms or the fingers of a robot, could be translated to control signals," explained Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents' professor and Hightower Chair in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "This could make artificial skin smarter and more like the human skin. It would allow the skin to feel activity on the surface."

Mimicking the sense of touch electronically has been challenging, and is now done by measuring changes in resistance prompted by mechanical touch. The devices developed by the Georgia Tech researchers rely on a different physical phenomenon -- tiny polarization charges formed when piezoelectric materials such as zinc oxide are moved or placed under strain. In the piezotronic transistors, the piezoelectric charges control the flow of current through the wires just as gate voltages do in conventional three-terminal transistors.

The technique only works in materials that have both piezoelectric and semiconducting properties. These properties are seen in nanowires and thin films created from the wurtzite and zinc blend families of materials, which includes zinc oxide, gallium nitride and cadmium sulfide.

In their laboratory, Wang and his co-authors -- postdoctoral fellow Wenzhuo Wu and graduate research assistant Xiaonan Wen -- fabricated arrays of 92 by 92 transistors. The researchers used a chemical growth technique at approximately 85 to 90 degrees Celsius, which allowed them to fabricate arrays of strain-gated vertical piezotronic transistors on substrates that are suitable for microelectronics applications. The transistors are made up of bundles of approximately 1,500 individual nanowires, each nanowire between 500 and 600 nanometers in diameter.

In the array devices, the active strain-gated vertical piezotronic transistors are sandwiched between top and bottom electrodes made of indium tin oxide aligned in orthogonal cross-bar configurations. A thin layer of gold is deposited between the top and bottom surfaces of the zinc oxide nanowires and the top and bottom electrodes, forming Schottky contacts. A thin layer of the polymer Parylene is then coated onto the device as a moisture and corrosion barrier.

The array density is 234 pixels per inch, the resolution is better than 100 microns, and the sensors are capable of detecting pressure changes as low as 10 kilopascals -- resolution comparable to that of the human skin, Wang said. The Georgia Tech researchers fabricated several hundred of the arrays during a research project that lasted nearly three years. The arrays are transparent, which could allow them to be used on touch-pads or other devices for fingerprinting. They are also flexible and foldable, expanding the range of potential uses.

Among the potential applications:

? Multidimensional signature recording, in which not only the graphics of the signature would be included, but also the pressure exerted at each location during the creation of the signature, and the speed at which the signature is created.

? Shape-adaptive sensing in which a change in the shape of the device is measured. This would be useful in applications such as artificial/prosthetic skin, smart biomedical treatments and intelligent robotics in which the arrays would sense what was in contact with them.

? Active tactile sensing in which the physiological operations of mechanoreceptors of biological entities such as hair follicles or the hairs in the cochlea are emulated. Because the arrays would be used in real-world applications, the researchers evaluated their durability. The devices still operated after 24 hours immersed in both saline and distilled water.

Future work will include producing the taxel arrays from single nanowires instead of bundles, and integrating the arrays onto CMOS silicon devices. Using single wires could improve the sensitivity of the arrays by at least three orders of magnitude, Wang said. "This is a fundamentally new technology that allows us to control electronic devices directly using mechanical agitation," Wang added. "This could be used in a broad range of areas, including robotics, MEMS, human-computer interfaces and other areas that involve mechanical deformation."

This research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant CMMI-0946418, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) under grant FA2386-10-1-4070, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Basic Energy Sciences under award DE-FG02-07ER46394 and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under grant KJCX2-YW-M13. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of DARPA, the NSF, the USAF or the DOE.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Georgia Institute of Technology, Research Communications, via Newswise.

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Journal Reference:

Wenzhuo Wu, Xiaonan Wen, Zhong Lin Wang. Taxel-addressable matrix of vertical-nanowire piezotronic transistors for active/adaptive tactile imaging. Science, 2013 DOI: 10.1126/science.1234855

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electronics/~3/-jrj0Z-Yh-E/130425142247.htm

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Weak durable goods orders point to sluggish economy

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods recorded their biggest drop in seven months in March and a gauge of planned business spending rose only modestly, signs of a slowdown in economic activity.

Durable goods orders slumped 5.7 percent as demand fell almost across the board, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday. The drop last month in orders for these goods, which range from toasters to aircraft, followed a 4.3 percent increase in February.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected orders to fall only 2.8 percent. Excluding transportation, orders declined 1.4 percent after falling 1.7 percent the prior month.

From transportation to primary metals and machinery, orders were weak, the latest indication of cooling in a sector that has played a pivotal role in the economy's recovery from the 2007-09 recession.

"Overall, the weak tone of this report underscored the emerging narrative of a considerable slowing in economic growth momentum in March," said Millan Mulraine, senior economist at TD Securities in New York.

U.S. stock index futures fell after the report, while prices for longer-dated U.S. government bonds rose. The dollar fell against the euro and the yen.

The dour durable goods report joins other data ranging from employment to retail sales and manufacturing that have suggested the economy lost momentum at the end of the first quarter.

The government is expected to report on Friday that the economy grew at a 3.0 percent annual rate in the first quarter, according to a Reuters survey, rebounding from a paltry 0.4 percent gain in the final three months of 2012.

Economists, however, are looking for an expansion of only around 1.5 percent or so in the April-June period.

The slowdown, which economists have dubbed the spring swoon, has been largely blamed on belt tightening in Washington as the government tries to slash its bloated budget deficit.

Uncertainty over the impact of deep government spending cuts, known as the sequester, could be making businesses more cautious about rolling out capital projects.

Last month, non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, edged up 0.2 percent.

Orders for the so-called core capital goods had dropped 4.8 percent in February and economists had expected a 0.4 percent increase last month.

Core capital goods shipments, used to calculate equipment and software spending in the gross domestic product report, rose 0.3 percent. That followed a 1.2 percent rise in February.

While the second straight month of gains in shipments suggested business spending would again contribute to growth in the first quarter, the drop in orders in March signals weakness ahead.

Financial data firm Markit said on Tuesday its preliminary factory purchasing managers' index hit a six-month low in April. Regional manufacturing surveys have also taken a weaker tone this month.

Demand for transportation equipment plunged 15 percent in March, pulled down by sharp declines in orders for both civilian and defense aircraft.

Boeing received orders for only 39 aircraft, down from 179 in February, according to information posted on its website.

There were only gains in orders for motor vehicles and computers and electronic products.

(Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/durable-goods-orders-fall-broadly-factories-cool-123254119--business.html

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149 die, more cry for help at Bangladesh collapse

A man who was trapped in an collapsed eight-story building housing several garment factories is reccued in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Dozens were killed and many more are feared trapped in the rubble. (AP Photo/ A.M. Ahad)

Bangladeshi soldiers use an earthmover during a rescue operation at the site of a building that collapsed a building collapse in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. An eight-story building housing several garment factories collapsed near Bangladesh?s capital on Wednesday, killing dozens of people and trapping many more under a jumbled mess of concrete. Rescuers tried to cut through the debris with earthmovers, drilling machines and their bare hands. (AP Photo/A.M.Ahad)

People and rescuers gather after an eight-story building housing several garment factories collapsed in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Dozens were killed and many more are feared trapped in the rubble. (AP Photo/ A.M. Ahad)

Relatives mourn a victim at the site after an eight-story building housing several garment factories collapsed in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Dozens were killed and many more are feared trapped in the rubble. (AP Photo/ A.M. Ahad)

SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) ? Workers trapped in the wreckage of a collapsed factory building in Bangladesh cried out for help Thursday, as rescuers struggled to reach survivors of a disaster that killed at least 149 people and reignited questions about the often lethal conditions the country's garment industry.

Army Brig. Gen. Mohammed Siddiqul Alam Shikder said many people are still trapped in the building, which housed a number of garment factories employing hundreds of people when it came tumbling down Wednesday morning. A clearer picture of the rescue operation would be available by afternoon, he said.

The disaster in the Dhaka suburb of Savar came less than five months after a factory fire killed 112 people and underscored the unsafe conditions faced by Bangladesh's garment workers, who produce clothes for global brands worn around the world.

Workers said they had hesitated to enter the building on Wednesday morning because it had developed such large cracks a day earlier that it even drew the attention of local news channels. Just hours later it came tumbling down.

Tens of thousands of people gathered at the site, weeping and searching for family members. Searchers worked through the night to get through the jumbled mess of concrete with drills or their bare hands, passing water and flashlights to those pinned inside the building.

"I gave them whistles, water, torchlights. I heard them cry. We can't leave them behind this way," said fire official Abul Khayer.

Abdur Rahim, who worked on the fifth floor, said a factory manager gave assurances that the cracks in the building were no cause for concern, so employees went inside.

"After about an hour or so, the building collapsed suddenly," Rahim said. The next thing he remembers is regaining consciousness outside.

On a visit to the site, Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir told reporters the building had violated construction codes and that "the culprits would be punished."

Abdul Halim, an official with the engineering department in Savar, said the owner was originally allowed to construct a five-story building but he added another three stories illegally.

Local police chief Mohammed Asaduzzaman said police and the government's Capital Development Authority have filed separate cases of negligence against the building owner.

Habibur Rahman, police superintendent of Dhaka district, identified the owner as Mohammed Sohel Rana, a local leader of ruling Awami League's youth front. Rahman said police were also looking for the owners of the garment factories.

Among the textile businesses in the building were Phantom Apparels Ltd., New Wave Style Ltd., New Wave Bottoms Ltd. and New Wave Brothers Ltd. According to their website, the New Wave companies make clothing for major brands including U.S. retailers The Children's Place and Dress Barn, Britain's Primark, Spain's Mango and Italy's Benetton. Benetton's communications department said in an email to The Associated Press that people involved in the collapse were not Benetton suppliers.

Jane Singer, a spokeswoman for The Children's Place, said that "while one of the garment factories located in the building complex has produced apparel for The Children's Place, none of our product was in production at the time of this accident."

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the victims of this terrible tragedy and their families," Singer said in a statement.

Dress Barn said that to its knowledge, it had not purchased clothing from the factories involved since 2010. Primark, a major British clothing retailer, confirmed that one of the suppliers it uses to produce some of its goods was located on the second floor of the building.

In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, Primark said it was "shocked and deeply saddened by the appalling incident." It added that it has been working with other retailers to review the country's approach to factory standards and will now push for this review to include building integrity. Meanwhile, Primark's ethical trade team is working to collect information, assess which communities the workers come from and provide support "where possible."

Mango denied reports it was using any of the suppliers in the building. However, in an email statement to the AP, it said that there had been conversations with one of them to produce a batch of test products.

Kevin Gardner, a spokesman at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the second-largest clothing producer in Bangladesh, said the company is investigating to see if a factory in the building had been producing for the chain at the time of the collapse.

"We remain committed and are actively engaged in promoting stronger safety measures, and that work continues," Gardner said.

Charles Kernaghan, executive director of the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights, which has an office in Dhaka, says his staff is investigating. He's hoping his team, working with local workers' groups, will be able to find out which brands were having their products made at the time of the collapse.

"You can't trust many buildings in Bangladesh," Kernaghan said. "It's so corrupt that you can buy off anybody and there won't be any retribution."

An enormous section of the concrete structure appeared to have splintered like twigs. Colorful sheets of fabric were tied to upper floors so those inside could climb or slide down and escape.

An arm jutted out of one section of the rubble. A lifeless woman covered in dust could be seen in another.

Sumi, a 25-year-old worker who goes by one name, said she was sewing jeans on the fifth floor with at least 400 others when the building fell.

"It collapsed all of a sudden," she said. "No shaking, no indication. It just collapsed on us."

She said she managed to reach a hole in the building where rescuers pulled her out.

Firefighters and soldiers with drilling machines and cranes worked with volunteers to search for survivors.

Rescuers carried the body of a young boy from the building; it was not immediately clear what he had been doing inside. The building housed a bank and various shops in addition to the garment factories.

Mosammat Khurshida wailed as she looked for her husband. "He came to work in the morning. I can't find him," she said. "I don't know where he is. He does not pick up his phone."

The morgue of the medical college echoed with the sobs of people waiting for the bodies of their loved ones.

"Where's my mother? Where's my mother? Tell me, tell me, oh Allah, oh Allah!" Rana Ahmed cried.

Asaduzzaman, the local police chief, said nearly 100 bodies had been handed to their families as of Thursday morning.

The collapse was even deadlier than the November factory fire that drew international attention to working conditions in Bangladesh's $20 billion-a-year textile industry. The country has about 4,000 garment factories and exports clothes to leading Western retailers, and the industry wields vast power in the South Asian nation.

The Tazreen factory in the fire lacked emergency exits, and its owner said only three floors of the eight-story building were legally built. Surviving employees said gates had been locked and managers had told them to go back to work after the fire alarm went off.

___

AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-25-AS-Bangladesh-Building-Collapse/id-044a3e5330cd49b483341a050775af70

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