রবিবার, ৩০ জুন, ২০১৩

Obamas will meet with Mandela family Saturday (Washington Bureau)

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Inbee Park leads US Women's Open after 3 rounds

Inbee Park, of South Korea, tees off on the first hole during the third round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Sebonack Golf Club Saturday, June 29, 2013, in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Inbee Park, of South Korea, tees off on the first hole during the third round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Sebonack Golf Club Saturday, June 29, 2013, in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Inbee Park, of South Korea, tees off on the 10th hole during the third round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Sebonack Golf Club Saturday, June 29, 2013, in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Inbee Park, of South Korea, tees off on the second hole during the third round at the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Saturday, June 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Inbee Park, of South Korea, waits to putt on the third green during the third round at the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Saturday, June 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Inbee Park, of South Korea, hits from a bunker on the 18th hole during the third round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at the Sebonack Golf Club Saturday, June 29, 2013, in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

(AP) ? Inbee Park was mad, even if it didn't show in her always placid demeanor.

She had made bogey, her third straight, on a hole she thought she should have birdied, and the world's top-ranked player was looking a bit shaky.

Time for a clutch putt.

Park is now one round away from history, leading the U.S. Women's Open by four strokes. She shot 1-under 71 on Saturday in harsh conditions at Sebonack and was 10 under for the tournament.

Fellow South Korean I.K. Kim had a 73 to remain in second but lost two strokes to Park. With the wind whipping, the course set up long and the pin placements tricky, Park was the only player to shoot under par in the third round.

No one has ever won the first three majors in a year when there were at least four.

"I'm just going to try to do the same thing that I did for the last three days," Park said. "Yeah, it will be a big day. But it's just a round of golf, and I just try not to think about it so much."

She wasn't too disappointed by her bogeys on the 11th and 12th; those were tough holes. But on the par-5 13th, her chip on her third shot rolled into the bunker when it should have put her in position for a birdie putt.

She still led by three strokes but appeared vulnerable - at least by her recently lofty standards.

"That bogey was a bad bogey," Park said, "so after that I really got my concentration going."

She was unlucky then lucky on the par-4 14th. She thought her second shot would be pushed back by the wind, but it carried too far and settled on the ridge above the hole. No worries: Park simply holed a 30-foot, downhill putt for birdie.

"That was a big putt for me," she said. "Those three bogeys were very tough to handle in the kind of situation that I was in."

A hole later, she made a 15-foot birdie putt.

It looked as though nobody would break par for the day until she birdied No. 18. Only five players were under par for the tournament.

England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff (74) was third at 3 under. She had to play 21 holes Saturday after the second round was suspended the night before because of fog. Park had good timing Friday: Her group was on the 18th fairway when the horn sounded, so she was able to finish off her round and rest up for the weekend.

Not a morning person, Ewart Shadoff didn't enjoy waking up at 4:30 a.m. She birdied the 18th hole to earn a spot in the final group with Park and Kim, then took a nap in the four-plus hours between rounds.

Ewart Shadoff had a chance to make things interesting on No. 12 with Park on the way to a bogey. But her long birdie putt slid over the hole, and she missed the par putt. Instead of pulling within two strokes of Park, Ewart Shadoff remained four back.

Then she bogeyed two of the last three holes.

Kim had a double bogey on No. 3 to fall back. She played 2 under the rest of the way, but that one bad hole allowed Park to put some distance between them.

"She is playing great. But you never know, I might have a great day tomorrow," Kim said. "So golf is a different thing than other sports. That's why you play four rounds."

If Park shoots even-par or better Sunday, it will be just the fourth time the U.S. Women's Open was won with a score in double digits below par.

No wonder Brittany Lincicome joked to reporters, "I think Inbee's playing a different golf course, which you guys are unaware of yet."

Certainly feels that way.

With Park again on a different plane from the rest of the field, the biggest excitement Saturday might have come when Jessica Korda fired her caddie after nine holes and replaced him with her boyfriend.

The switch seemed to work: After shooting 5 over on the front nine, Korda was 1 under the rest of the way. She finished with a 76 and was tied for sixth at 1 over, 11 strokes behind Park.

The 2008 U.S. Women's Open champion, Park has already won five times this year, including her last two tournaments.

"I'm just going to think that I.K. and I am tied starting in tomorrow's play because anything can happen out here," she said. "I mean, four shots, it could be nothing around this golf course. So I just have to keep pushing myself to make pars. I think par is going to be good enough tomorrow, but I'm just going to try to do my best. A lot of thinking going on, a lot of pressure.

"But I've done that before, so I think the experience is going to help me going through it tomorrow."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-29-GLF-US-Women's-Open/id-e807651445c04a5284b49ab532c62cd8

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Gay marriage opponents ask court to intervene

Cynthia Wides, right, and Elizabeth Carey file for a marriage certificate at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples have lined up outside City Hall in San Francisco as clerks have resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4-year freeze. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Cynthia Wides, right, and Elizabeth Carey file for a marriage certificate at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples have lined up outside City Hall in San Francisco as clerks have resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4-year freeze. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Cynthia Wides, right, and Elizabeth Carey exchange wedding vows at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples have lined up outside City Hall in San Francisco as clerks have resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4-year freeze. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Jen Rainin, left, laughs as her wife Frances holds up their dog Punum after they were married at City Hall in San Francisco, Friday, June 28, 2013. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a brief order Friday afternoon dissolving, "effective immediately," a stay it imposed on gay marriages while the lawsuit challenging the ban advanced through the courts. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Army Capt. Michael Potoczniak, center left, and Todd Saunders, of El Cerrito, Calif., are married by deputy marriage commissioner John Loschmann, center, as witnesses Bill Hershon, left, and Sean Boileau watch at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples waited excitedly Saturday outside of San Francisco's City Hall as clerks resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses, one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4 ? year freeze. Big crowds were expected from across the state as long lines had already stretched down the lobby shortly after 9 a.m. City officials decided to hold weekend hours and let couples tie the knot as San Francisco is also celebrating its annual Pride weekend expected to draw as many as 1 million people. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Army Capt. Michael Potoczniak, at left, and Todd Saunders, right, of El Cerrito, Calif., exchange rings as they are married by deputy marriage commissioner John Loschmann, center, at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples waited excitedly Saturday outside of San Francisco's City Hall as clerks resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses, one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4 ? year freeze. Big crowds were expected from across the state as long lines had already stretched down the lobby shortly after 9 a.m. City officials decided to hold weekend hours and let couples tie the knot as San Francisco is also celebrating its annual Pride weekend expected to draw as many as 1 million people. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

(AP) ? Less than 24 hours after California started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, lawyers for the sponsors of the state's gay marriage ban filed an emergency motion Saturday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the weddings being performed in San Francisco.

Attorneys with the Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom claim in the petition that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals acted prematurely and unfairly on Friday when it allowed gay marriage to resume. The court lifted a hold it had placed on same-sex unions while a lawsuit challenging the ban made its way to and through the Supreme Court.

"The Ninth Circuit's June 28, 2013 Order purporting to dissolve the stay...is the latest in a long line of judicial irregularities that have unfairly thwarted Petitioners' defense of California's marriage amendment," the paperwork states. "Failing to correct the appellate court's actions threatens to undermine the public's confidence in its legal system."

Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Austin Nimocks said the Supreme Court's consideration of the case is not done yet because his clients still have 22 days to ask the justices to reconsider the 5-4 decision announced Wednesday.

The justices said Proposition 8's backers didn't have legal authority to defend the ban after California's governor and attorney general declined to do so. Under Supreme Court rules, the losing side in a legal dispute has 25 days to request a rehearing.

While such requests are almost never granted, the high court said that it wouldn't finalize its judgment in the case at least until after that waiting period elapsed. The San Francisco-based appeals court had said when it imposed the stay that it would remain in place until the Supreme Court issued its final disposition, according to Nimocks.

"Everyone on all sides of the marriage debate should agree that the legal process must be followed," Nimocks said. "On Friday, the 9th Circuit acted contrary to its own order without explanation."

Many legal experts who had anticipated such a last-ditch effort by gay marriage opponents said Friday that it was unlikely to succeed because the 9th Circuit has independent authority over its own orders, in this case its 2010 stay.

While the ban's backers can still ask the Supreme Court for a rehearing, the 25-day waiting period is not binding on lower federal courts, Vikram Amar, a constitutional law professor with the University of California, Davis law school, said.

"As a matter of practice, most lower federal courts wait to act," Amar said. "But there is nothing that limits them from acting sooner. It was within the 9th Circuit's power to do what it did."

The petition was submitted to Justice Anthony Kennedy, who oversees motions in cases on appeal from the 9th Circuit. Kennedy also wrote the decision on the other gay marriage case the Supreme Court handed down on Wednesday striking down the federal law that prevented the federal government from awarding spousal benefits to married gay couples.

The Supreme Court's finding that Proposition 8's backers lacked standing to defend it left in place a trial court's 2010 ruling that the measure, which amended the California Constitution to limit marriage to a man and a woman, violated the civil rights of gay Californians.

Then on Friday, the 9th Circuit appeared to have removed the last obstacle to making same-sex matrimony legal again in California when it removed its hold on the lower court's order directing state officials to stop enforcing the ban.

The two couples who sued to overturn Proposition 8 were wed in San Francisco and Los Angeles Friday. On Saturday, dozens of couples in jeans, shorts, white dresses and the occasional military uniform filled San Francisco City Hall, where 81 same-sex couples obtained marriage licenses on Friday, as clerks returned to issue more licenses.

Although a few clerk's offices around the state stayed open late on Friday, San Francisco, which is holding its annual gay pride celebration this weekend, was the only jurisdiction to hold weekend hours so same-sex couples could take advantage of their newly restored right, Clerk Karen Hong said.

A sign posted on the door of the office where a long line of couples waited to fill out applications listed the price for a license, a ceremony or both above the words "Equality=Priceless."

"We really wanted to make this happen," Hong said, adding that her whole staff and a group of volunteers came into work without having to be asked. "It's spontaneous, which is great in its own way."

The timing could not have been better for California National Guard Capt. Michael Potoczniak, 38, and his partner of 10 years, Todd Saunders, 47, of El Cerrito.

Potoczniak, who joined the Guard after the military's ban on openly gay service was repealed almost two years ago, is scheduled to fly out Sunday night for a month of basic training in Texas.

"I woke up this morning, shook him awake and said, 'Let's go,'" said Potoczniak, who chose to get married in his Army uniform. "It's something that people need to see because everyone is so used to uniforms at military weddings."

The Supreme Court's decision striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act carried extra significance for military couples such as Saunders and Potoczniak.

"It scared me, honestly, before this all happened, that something could happen to me," Potoczniak said. "Things like my body, who would take care of him, even just getting the health insurance...It gives me a lot more peace of mind to know that the Army is taking care of us."

Also waiting to wed Saturday were Scott Kehoe, 34, and his fiancee, Aurelien Bricker, 24. After finding out on Facebook that the city was issuing same-sex marriage licenses Friday, the San Francisco couple rushed out to Tiffany's to buy wedding rings.

"We were afraid of further legal challenges in the state," Kehoe said.

Bricker is a French citizen living in the United States on a student visa, and the couple has contemplated moving to France once he completes his studies next year.

Now that the Defense of Marriage Act has been struck down and California's gay marriage ban lifted, Kehoe can sponsor his husband for U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.

The city, home to both a federal trial court that struck down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional and the 9th Circuit, has been the epicenter of the state's gay marriage movement since then-Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered his administration in February 2004 to issue licenses to gay couples in defiance of state law.

A little more than four years later, the California Supreme Court, which is also based in San Francisco, struck down the state's one-man, one-woman marriage laws.

City Hall was the scene of many more marriages in the 4 1/2 months before a coalition of religious conservative groups successfully campaigned for the November 2008 passage of Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to outlaw same-sex marriages.

Standing amid the beaming couples on Saturday, John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney of the advocacy group Marriage Equality USA looked like proud fathers. The men have been together 26 years, got married in February 2004, had their union invalidated six months later and then became one of the 18,000 couples estimated to have tied the knot in California before Proposition 8 was enacted.

"I don't think getting a license means as much to anyone who hasn't worked so long for it and fought so hard for it," Gaffney said. "It's been a very long engagement."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-06-29-Gay%20Marriage-California/id-a44a547d70f04fd9b31a8cf8694a41da

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শনিবার, ২৯ জুন, ২০১৩

Ivory Coast may seek Chinese financing for post-war recovery: Finance Minister

By Joe Bavier and Ange Aboa

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast may turn to China for more loans to finance a post-war recovery in French-speaking Africa's largest economy, the minister in charge of finance and the economy said, as President Barack Obama visited the region to revive U.S. engagement.

Niale Kaba said the world's top cocoa grower is also planning to relaunch a privatisation scheme that should see the state liquidate its stakes in a range of sectors, starting with several banks of which it is majority owner.

After winning a 2010 election and the brief civil war that followed, President Alassane Ouattara is pushing investment in critical infrastructure left neglected during Ivory Coast's decade-long political crisis.

"We have a lot of potential and a lot of ambition. And that ambition requires financing," said Kaba, who manages the finance and economy portfolio taken over by Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan in a November reshuffle.

A national development programme calls for investments of around $20 billion over the next five years and Ivory Coast is seeking financing for several large infrastructure projects from traditional donors and public-private partnerships.

However, Kaba said the conditions offered by China's Exim Bank made its loans particularly attractive.

Chinese financing could be used for projects including an expansion of Ivory Coast's main port, a plan to link up regional rail lines, and the extension of existing motorways, she said.

"I believe the loans from Exim Bank are loans that can finance in a relevant way certain sectors ... It's a good opportunity for Ivory Coast to make the structural investments necessary to sustain growth," she said in an interview.

"The rates are low, the time-frame is long, and we have grace periods of seven to nine years. So that allows you to make the investment and wait a bit for the investment to bear fruit before you start paying it back," Kaba said.

Ivory Coast has secured two loans totalling $615 million from Exim Bank to fund a motorway and hydroelectric power plant.

LONG WAY TO GO ON PRIVATISATIONS

Obama, the U.S.'s first African-American president, was in Senegal on Thursday on his second visit to the continent since taking office in 2008.

Administration officials say the trip is an opportunity to jump-start the relationship. Analysts say U.S. neglect of Africa's potential has left it to play catch-up with China.

During his own African tour earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping renewed an offer of $20 billion of loans between 2013 and 2015.

Ivory Coast adopted its first privatisation programme in 1990 well before most of its neighbours. However, the project slowed during the political crisis of the last decade.

"The prime minister has reactivated the privatisation committee," Kaba said. "We will look at which sectors the state can withdraw from. We're at the beginning of the process."

Kaba said privatisations were expected to begin with the banking sector. The Ivorian state holds majority stakes in five banks: Versus Bank, BNI, BFA, CECP and BHCI.

The government has commissioned an audit of the five institutions, with initial results due in late August.

"The banks from which the state will withdraw will be defined by the study ... And it will only be then that we will be able to make a financial evaluation of the expected earnings," Kaba said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ivory-coast-may-seek-chinese-financing-post-war-070906113.html

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Frequent Flier Programs Are Getting Stingier

A Delta Airlines Charter arrives at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Florida January 2, 2013. Delta Air Lines clamping down on its elite rewards programs means there are fewer empty seats to fill in business class, and that's a signal that the economy is taking off.

Photo by Jeff Haynes/Reuters

Last week, low-level United frequent fliers such as myself got a bit of bad news. The airline is going to make it harder to gain elite status levels by adding a spending requirement to qualify on top of the existing mileage requirement. Delta did the same thing in January. So far, US Airways and American have avoided this move?but they?re in the process of merging, and airline mergers all but inevitably lead to some kind of downgrading of elite status. Airlines also tend to move in packs with policies like these, so presumably the new American will follow Delta and United?s lead when it combines its two frequent flier programs. This aviation news comes on the heels of devaluations of rewards programs at Hilton, Marriott, and IHG?s Priority Club.

But even though these moves are giving rewards-point nerds a case of heartburn, they?re fundamentally a good sign for America that shows economic recovery is underway. That?s because elite status is a way to extract some useful value out of unsold inventory.

The whole point of a business-class seat, for example, is to be very expensive. Unreasonably expensive, in fact. So expensive that it?s not clear anyone would ever really pay that much. After all, it?s called ?business class? for a reason: The executives up front aren?t paying out of pocket, but flying on the company dime at shareholder expense. Or maybe the flier is a lawyer or consultant whose airfare is billed to a client, and it?s the owners of the client company?s stock that ultimately carry the cost. This dynamic means airlines can get away with very high asking prices. But high prices lead to some unsold inventory, and to keep up the charade, they can?t just discount the extra seats in an obvious way. Free upgrades to frequent fliers get the job done without lowering the official price.

With hotels the issue is often seasonality. You want to build enough hotel capacity to make big profits during the high season. That leaves you with extra rooms when demand is less robust. But an empty hotel room is barely any cheaper to operate than a full one, and since the cost of a hotel room is only one piece of the overall cost of a trip, it can get hard to fill rooms even with aggressive discounting.

In both cases, deploying excess inventory as giveaways to members of loyalty programs is a good way to get some value out of that excess inventory. Bumping a few passengers up to better seats or better rooms when they?d otherwise be empty has no real cost to the airline or hotel. But it does help get the frequent traveler addicted to the brand he has elite status with. Whenever I fly to see my in-laws in San Antonio, I?m willing to pay a little bit more or accept a slightly inferior schedule in order to go on United via Houston rather than American via Dallas.

So why are things getting stingier? It?s simple: Excess capacity is also partially a feature of the business cycle, and the economy?s getting a lot stronger. All year, hotel occupancy rates have been in line with what we saw before the recession hit, and way above their lows of 2009. Revenue per room is also rising (PDF), meaning the industry?s in substantially better shape than it?s been in years. For airlines, too, things are looking up. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, over the 12-month period that ended in March, America?s airlines flew 6.5 million more passenger-miles than in the previous 12 months (not counting charter flights). Strikingly, they pulled that off despite having about 1.8 million fewer seat miles available to fly. More passengers on fewer flights.

Less excess inventory means there?s less to give away to loyalty program customers. That means the time is right to devalue points and tighten up elite membership criteria. But fuller planes and hotels are both a symptom of an improving economy and a driver of future economic growth.

People travel more when the economy is better. They have more cash in their pockets, so they can take more trips. More business activity means more business travel. And when firms are flush with cash, they get a little less stringent about approving employee requests to attend conferences and call it work. But the really good news is that tighter inventory in the travel industry is a sign of more growth to come. If America?s existing stock of planes and hotel rooms is full, that means it?s about time to start building new ones again. That will mean both direct jobs in construction and manufacturing, and indirect jobs when the time comes to staff up the new facilities. Projects are cheap to finance these days thanks to low interest rates. And now with recession-era vacancy rates falling, it?s a good time to get cracking. Frequent travelers? pain this summer will be the broader economy?s gain as new travel demand finally means demand for more workers.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/06/stingy_rewards_programs_airlines_and_hotels_are_handing_out_fewer_perks.html

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Discovery's 'Shark Week' Tops Itself: 11 New Episodes, Adds Late-Night Talk Show

By Jethro Nededog

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Discovery's annual "Shark Week" begins Sunday, August 4 and boasts its most new premiere hours this summer over its 26 year run.

This year, the cable network adds a late night show to the mix: "Shark After Dark." The show will air each evening of "Shark Week" with highlights from the days' programming and guests, including shark experts and shark attack survivors.

A highly watched event for Discovery, last year brought in 21.4 million viewers for the week and made it the No. 1 non-scripted cable network among the advertiser-coveted Adults 18-49 demographic.

Here's a rundown of this summer's new "Shark Week" episodes:

"Sharkpocalypse": Following a year of shark encounters closely followed by the media, the program examines the trend of sharks moving in closer to shorelines, and debates whether there is a connection between declining shark populations and the increase in shark attacks.

"Return of Jaws": Shark Cam is a robot submarine that is used to track sharks in a new and exciting way. Return of Jaws includes spectacular footage of Shark Cam following Great White Sharks living and hunting off the shores of Cape Cod. Footage of a 17-foot Great White is seen at close range over a five hour period as the shark hunts seal colonies, comes close to shore in less than four feet of water, and takes a chilling interest in one specific area.

"In Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives (WT)": Discovery brings SHARK WEEK viewers on a search for a massive killer great white shark responsible for a rash of fatalities off the coast of South Africa. One controversial scientist believes that the shark responsible could be Megalodon, a 60-foot relative of the great white that is one of the largest and most powerful predators in history. Our oceans remain 95% unexplored, and this massive prehistoric predator has always been shrouded in secrecy, but after a rash of newly discovered evidence, authorities are forced to investigate whether this predator, long thought to be extinct, could still be lurking in our deepest oceans.

"I Escaped Jaws": Program features yet another SHARK WEEK first as we utilize for the first time real shark attack footage captured by eyewitnesses. Viewers experience harrowing first-hand accounts from everyday people who stared into the jaws of a shark and survived. Some used their wits; some relied on experience, and all lived to share their chilling stories.

"Voodoo Sharks": A lesser-known shark "hot spot" is explored in Voodoo Sharks, where Bull Shark populations have moved beyond oceans and U.S. coasts to the bayous of Louisiana. Nicknamed ?Voodoo Sharks' by local shrimp fishermen, these Bull Sharks have the extraordinary ability to live in both salt and fresh water environments. They show up by the hundreds in the bayous of Louisiana and create more than just confusion for those who encounter them for the first time.

"Great White Serial Killer": Natural history producer Jeff Kurr returns to SHARK WEEK after 2011's Emmy?-nominated Ultimate Air Jaws and 2012's Air Jaws Apocalypse. In Great White Serial Killer, Kurr sets out to examine two fatal shark attacks near Vandenberg Air force base in California, using evidence found at both sites to try to determine if one shark was responsible for both attacks.

"Air Jaws: Beyond the Breach": Air Jaws programming has pushed and expanded our understanding of Great Whites sharks, becoming one of the iconic SHARK WEEK programs. In Air Jaws: Beyond the Breach, a documentary crew goes behind the scenes to see how Air Jaws has changed what we know about these incredible creatures, and gives viewers a sneak peek into the next Air Jaws special, Finding Colossus, which will air during SHARK WEEK 2014.

"Spawn of Jaws": Program follows a scientist on the brink of a breakthrough as he reveals the life cycle of the Great White Shark for the first time, including mating and pupping.

"The Great White Gauntlet (WT)": Program explores the dangers of abalone diving, which can be both lucrative and dangerous as it happens in one of the deadliest shark feeding grounds in the world - one that is regularly frequented by Great White Sharks.

"Sharks Behaving Badly (WT)": Program is a humorous look at fishermen, surfers, and bathers who have encountered sharks and lived to laugh about it. We'll take a close look at the multiple shark encounter videos on YouTube, using forensic analysis and other elements to demonstrate the best behaviors when encountering a shark.

"Top 10 Sharkdown": Program updates the international shark attack files for the 21st century, taking a closer look at the sharks you don't want to meet this summer -- and the ones you're most likely to encounter.

"Alien Monster Sharks": Program follows American and Japanese scientists as they descend into the deepest and darkest unexplored oceans on earth in search of some of the more incredible and bizarre sharks on the planet, from the Goblin shark to the elusive, giant Megamouth shark.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/discoverys-shark-week-tops-itself-11-episodes-adds-004654393.html

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শুক্রবার, ২৮ জুন, ২০১৩

World stocks boosted by Japan, US indicators

A man walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, June 28, 2013. Asian stock markets were boosted Friday by encouraging indicators from Japan and further proof that the U.S. economy is on the upswing. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 3.6 percent to 13,684.37. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

A man walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, June 28, 2013. Asian stock markets were boosted Friday by encouraging indicators from Japan and further proof that the U.S. economy is on the upswing. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 3.6 percent to 13,684.37. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

A man looks at an electronic stock board at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo Friday, June 28, 2013. Asian stock markets were boosted Friday by encouraging indicators from Japan and further proof that the U.S. economy is on the upswing. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 3.6 percent to 13,684.37. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Tokyo Stock Exchange employees work at the computer terminal in Tokyo, Friday, June 28, 2013. Asian stock markets were boosted Friday by encouraging indicators from Japan and further proof that the U.S. economy is on the upswing. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 3.6 percent to 13,684.37. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

A man looks at a cell-phone in front of an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, June 28, 2013. Asian stock markets were boosted Friday by encouraging indicators from Japan and further proof that the U.S. economy is on the upswing. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 3.6 percent to 13,684.37. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

A worker stretches on a chair during a trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, in Tokyo, Friday, June 28, 2013. Asian stock markets were boosted Friday by encouraging indicators from Japan and further proof that the U.S. economy is on the upswing. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 3.6 percent to 13,684.37. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

(AP) ? World stock markets were boosted Friday by encouraging indicators from Japan and further proof that the U.S. economy is on the upswing.

Reports showing improved consumer spending, a jump in pending home sales and a drop in jobless claims emboldened investors to dive into riskier assets such as stocks. Wall Street posted its third-straight gain of the week.

Japan got a dose of upbeat economic news when the government said industrial production rose 2 percent in May from April, the fourth straight monthly increase, while the most-watched consumer price index stopped falling for the first time in seven months. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 3.5 percent to 13,677.32.

In early European trading, Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.1 percent to 6,249.19. Germany's DAX was nearly unchanged at 7,987.27. France's CAC-40 fell 0.3 percent to 3,752.23. Wall Street was poised for gains. Dow Jones industrial futures gained 0.3 percent to 14,977 while S&P 500 futures advanced 0.3 percent to 1,611.70.

Investors were also encouraged by comments from key U.S. Federal Reserve officials. The president of the New York branch of the Fed said the central bank would likely keep buying bonds if the economy failed to grow at the pace expected. Jerome Powell, a member of the Fed's board in Washington, said investors appear to have incorrectly concluded that the Fed will taper its purchases soon.

That brought a sign of relief to markets fearing that a pullback by the Fed would deflate stock and commodity markets, where investors have turned due to the low interest rates created by the bond buying program.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng advanced 1.8 percent to 20,803.29 while mainland Chinese shares also rose as fears eased of a credit crunch in China, analysts said. The Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.5 percent to 1,979.21, while the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index edged up less than 0.1 percent to 887.68.

The central bank had allowed rates that banks pay to borrow from each other to soar last week, part of an attempt by Beijing to clamp down on massive credit in the informal lending industry. Later, however, when Chinese policymakers softened their stance with the promise to provide "liquidity support" if needed.

The central bank's action was "good for the future because it makes merchant banks turn more market-driven and do more prudent lending," said Linus Yip, strategist at First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong.

Elsewhere, South Korea's Kospi added 1.6 percent to 1,863.32. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.2 percent to 4,802.60

Among individual stocks, Japan's Sharp Corp. soared 8.1 percent after announcing it will set up a joint venture with in China with liquid crystal display panel maker Nanjing China Electronics Panda Group Corp., Kyodo News reported. Panasonic gained 7.6 percent. Nintendo added 6.7 percent.

New York stocks got a substantial boost Thursday by the National Association of Realtors, which reported that its seasonally adjusted index for pending home sales rose 6.7 percent last month. That's the highest level since December 2006. Separately, the U.S. Commerce Department said consumer spending rose 0.3 percent last month, nearly erasing a similar decline in April. Income rose 0.5 percent.

Benchmark oil for August delivery was up 62 cents to $97.67 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.55 a barrel to close at $97.05 on the Nymex on Thursday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3051 from $1.3049 late Thursday in New York. The dollar rose to 98.89 yen from 98.36 yen.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-06-28-World%20Markets/id-d971a5b9921744ee806cbef4aa16cea2

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Small Trial Yields Promising Vaccine for Type 1 Diabetes

A vaccine for type 1 diabetes has shown enough promise during a small clinical trial to excite the research team who ran the study. It's a reverse vaccine, one that works the opposite way most conventional vaccines do.

Stanford University School of Medicine researchers produced a DNA-based vaccine that turns off the portion of the immune system that controls the destruction of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, according to Medical News Today. The findings appeared in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

All 80 patients in the trial were type-1 diabetics who received insulin injections. The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse states that diabetes affects nearly 26 million U.S. residents, including an estimated 7 million who are undiagnosed. Of those diagnosed, around 5 percent have type 1.

According to the Mayo Clinic, type 1 diabetes was originally called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes. It occurs when the immune system kills beta cells in the pancreas. Betas are the only cells that produce insulin, a hormone necessary to regulate blood levels of glucose. Type-1 diabetics must receive supplemental insulin to survive.

Scientists consider the new vaccine a reverse product because it shuts down the body's immune response instead of boosting it as traditional vaccines do. The vaccine targets an individual component of the immune system while sparing the rest.

Knowing that certain immune system cells hunt for cells with unhealthy or suspicious proteins on their surface, the Stanford team wondered why these hunter cells attack the beta cells that produce insulin. To reduce the attacks, they created a vaccine that contained DNA from the gene that coded for the protein the hunter cells were seeking. In essence, the researchers developed a vaccine that causes the patient's immune system to attack the part of itself that destroys beta cells.

One group of trial subjects received weekly placebo injections for 12 weeks. The other four groups received different doses of vaccine that contained modified genetic material in the DNA used.

At the end of the trial, the researchers opted to measure subjects' levels of C-peptide, which is a piece of proinsulin, a precursor protein for insulin. Since C-peptide remains in the blood a lot longer than insulin, experts consider it the better indicator of insulin production. The team concluded that since C-peptide levels were maintained and sometimes increased during the trial, fewer beta cells were destroyed in subjects who received the vaccine instead of the placebo. In addition, the number of cells hunting the beta cells dropped in patients on the vaccine.

Benefits appeared to wane a few weeks after the last vaccine injection. The findings noted no serious side effects from the trial.

The Stanford researchers acknowledge the need for larger, longer-lasting trials using the reverse DNA vaccine. They stress that it could be years before approval of a vaccine for type 1 diabetes in humans.

Vonda J. Sines has published thousands of print and online health and medical articles. She specializes in diseases and other conditions that affect the quality of life.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/small-trial-yields-promising-vaccine-type-1-diabetes-214100977.html

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Vinci among candidates to buy stake in airports group ADP: Agefi

PARIS (Reuters) - French construction and concessions company Vinci and Credit Agricole's life insurance unit are among candidates to buy a stake the French government is selling in Paris airports operator ADP , newsletter Agefi reported on Thursday.

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici announced the plan to sell up to about 10 million shares in ADP - worth almost 700 million euros - in May, as the French government looks for funds to invest in a stagnant economy.

Agefi said the stake represented 9.5 percent of the company's capital.

For Vinci, which already has a stake of about 3.3 percent, such a purchase would give it a seat on ADP's board and put it in a strong position to take control of the airport operator if it were eventually privatized, Agefi reported.

For French bank Credit Agricole's Predica unit, the ADP stake would be an opportunity to seek higher yields, a latest sign of how life insurers are diversifying to offset low sovereign and corporate bond yields.

Predica did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment. Vinci declined to comment.

(Reporting By Christian Plumb and Benjamin Mallet. Editing by Jane Merriman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vinci-among-candidates-buy-stake-airports-group-adp-061031773.html

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Julianne Moore Under Consideration for Hunger Games Role

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/julianne-moore-under-consideration-for-hunger-games-role/

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Great Advice For Every Kind Of Home Improvement Project ...

With the proper tools and a few good pieces of advice from a professional, you may be able to knock out all the jobs that trouble your new residence. The following article is filled with everything you need to know to begin working on your home. Carefully read all these tips so that your home?s potential can be maximized.

Think about putting in matching metal fixtures if you want to change the look of your bathroom. It is possible to find a wide range of shower curtain rods, cabinetry pulls and towel racks to suit almost any taste. In many cases, a coordinated set of hardware comes in a single, handy package. Installing one of these sets is a simple one-day (or even one-afternoon) project.

When you are considering home projects, be creative and think about what you aim to accomplish. After you have started the project, you?ll be free to focus on what it takes to accomplish it rather than elements of design. Use homes you love as inspiration, or take inspiration from your favorite home-improvement shows.

Purchase some plastic bins, and start sorting things in your garage. These boxes should be stackable, and you should label them once you?re done. This allows you to keep your garage organized while keeping bugs and rodents at bay.

Doing a home project requires the right tool for the job. This will help make sure the job is done right. The key to using the right tools is having the right knowledge to use them properly.

Because you are now armed with some excellent home renovation tips in the above article, you should now start gathering all the tools that you?ll need in order to begin. If you get stuck at any time while you are working on your project, read this article again to see if there is a solution here.

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Source: http://www.poolbuildersinorlando.com/great-advice-for-every-kind-of-home-improvement-project-2/

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Biloxi recognized for reducing flood risks, earns discount on flood ...

BILOXI, Mississippi -- Biloxi residents with flood insurance policies will now receive a decrease on their annual flood premiums thanks to the city's active participation in the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System.

FEMA Region IV Floodplain Management and Insurance Branch Chief Susan Wilson recognized Biloxi officials Tuesday with a plaque for the city's efforts in becoming the third city in the state to earn a Class 5 community rating.

Pascagoula and Waveland are the other two.

"Reaching a Class 5 rating is so rare nationwide that it really speaks to the local officials and their hard work and determination," Wilson said. "They understand the extra effort isn't just for a decrease to insurance premiums, but it is ensuring the entire city is more resistant to flood damage and more disaster resilient overall."

The CRS rewards communities that voluntarily take steps to reduce flood risks beyond the minimum requirements of the NFIP. These steps, which include increasing flood protection and implementing preparedness and mitigation activities, lead to safer communities and ultimately help saves lives and property. As a result, property owners and renters in CRS-participating communities enjoy a reduction in flood insurance premiums. Communities are ranked from a 10 to 1 scale which determines their flood insurance discounts.

Biloxi policyholders began receiving flood insurance discounts from the CRS program in 1996. As a result of additional steps the community has recently taken, the community moved from a CRS Class 6 to a CRS Class 5 effective May 1, earning an additional five percent savings on flood insurance.

There are more than 5,900 flood insurance policies in Biloxi, representing more than $1.5 billion in flood insurance coverage. Policyholders located in the high risk areas of flooding, or Special Flood Hazard Areas, can now receive a 25 percent discount on their policy premium, which is an average savings of $285 per policy. Some policyholders in the lower risk areas are eligible for a 10 percent discount. In total, policyholders realize an annual savings of more than $437,000 because of the community's CRS participation.

CRS is a voluntary program for NFIP-participating communities. The intended goals of the program are to reduce flood losses, facilitate accurate insurance ratings and to promote the awareness of flood insurance.?

For more information on the NFIP's CRS program visit www.fema.gov. For more information about the NFIP, a program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), visit www.floodsmart.gov.

Source: http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/06/biloxi_recognized_for_reducing.html

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GE Helps MB Real Estate to Buy MOB - Zacks Investment Research

GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services, an operating unit of General Electric Company (GE - Analyst Report), recently provided a debt financing of $89 million to full-service commercial real estate firm MB Real Estate to fund the acquisition of a medical office building (MOB) in Atlanta, Ga.

Headquartered in Chicago, MB Real Estate offers a diversified portfolio of asset and facilities management services, leasing, project and construction management, tenant representation and investment services to private and public organizations across the country.

MB Real Estate has added a prized asset in its kitty as this MOB was recognized in 2012 as the Best International Medical Office Building of the Year by Building Owners and Managers Association International (BOMA). The eight-storied building serves as the headquarters for Piedmont Healthcare, one of the largest physician-owned and directed, multi-specialty groups in North Carolina and the Southeast region.? ?

General Electric is one of the largest and the most diversified technology and financial services corporations in the world. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing, and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content, and industrial products, the company serves over 100 million customers worldwide.

Its segments include Power & Water, Oil & Gas, Energy Management, Aviation, Healthcare, Transportation, Home & Business Solutions, and GE Capital. With more than 60 senior secured MOB financings since 2011, GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services has an in-depth industry know-how and expertise as a reliable debt provider.

General Electric currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Other companies in the industry that are worth mentioning include Compass Diversified Holdings (CODI - Snapshot Report), ITT Corporation (ITT - Analyst Report) and Honeywell International Inc. (HON - Analyst Report), each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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Source: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/102301/ge-helps-mb-real-estate-to-buy-mob

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A slimy marine organism fit for biofuel and salmon feed

June 25, 2013 ? It sounds too good to be true: a common marine species that consumes microorganisms and can be converted into much-needed feed for salmon or a combustible biofuel for filling petrol tanks. And it can be cultivated in vast amounts: 200 kg per square metre of ocean surface area.

Tunicates (ciona intestinalis) is the name of this unexpected source of such rich potential. The species is the starting point for a research-based innovation project being carried out by researchers and innovation specialists in Bergen. The idea was hatched by a group of researchers at the University of Bergen and Uni Research.

Produces cellulose and contains omega-3

The yellowish, slimy growth that many of us have come across on ropes that have lain in seawater is the marine organism known as tunicates.

Tunicates are basically living filter tubes that suck bacteria and other microorganisms into one end and excrete purified water out the other end. This is how tunicates feed -- at the very bottom of the food chain and without competing directly with fish or other marine animals higher up in the chain. At the same time tunicates clean the fjords and coastal areas.

The fact that tunicates are also the only animals that produce cellulose -- and that they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids -- makes them a potential alternative for bioethanol and as a feed ingredient for farmed fish.

Inhabiting all oceans

Tunicates grow very quickly and year-round. Found in every ocean, they particularly thrive in cold, nutrient-rich waters such as those around the quays and coastal rock slopes of Western Norway.

Since there are no marine predators feeding on tunicates, some 2 500 to 10 000 individuals can grow undisturbed in 1 m2 of ocean surface area.

Other than the Japanese and Koreans, who eat tunicates, no one has paid them much attention until now.

Similar to mussel cultivation

For the first time ever, tunicates are being cultivated experimentally at a pilot facility in ?ygarden, a small island community near Bergen.

The production method resembles the cultivation of mussels. At a facility in a small finger of a fjord, long plastic sheets are anchored to the seabed and held vertical by buoys. Between these sheets flows seawater teeming with the microorganisms tunicates need.

The Research Council of Norway's programme Commercialising R&D Results (FORNY2020) and the technology transfer office Bergen Teknologioverf?ring (BTO) are investing heavily to scale up tunicate production. Christofer Troedsson of the University of Bergen's Department of Biology is the project manager. The project will run through 2014.

Those involved have known all along that the project is high-risk. But many of the risky components have now been tested, and it has been verified that they function as intended. And if all goes as planned, as it looks like it will, the results may be impressive.

From cellulose to bioethanol

The tunicate is the only animal known to produce cellulose, with which it constructs its body wall, called the mantle.

Breaking down cellulose yields sugars that can be used to produce the fuel bioethanol. Much of the world's bioethanol currently comes from corn, a controversial source since this crop could be used to feed people instead.

One alternative being thoroughly researched is to produce bioethanol from the cellulose in forest-based biomass. But this is not unproblematic either, since the biopolymer lignin contained in wood is valuable in many other applications. Tunicate cellulose would be a less controversial source because it does not contain lignin.

Targeting fish feed based on marine ingredients

Even more attractive than biofuel production is the use of tunicates in feed for salmon and other farmed fish. Norway is the world's largest producer of salmon feed, and there is a huge demand for more marine proteins as feed ingredients, but the limit has already been reached in industrialised fishing.

One major challenge facing feed producers is to produce salmon feed containing omega-3 fatty acids, which the fish need but do not generate. The bulk of omega-3 in salmon feed presently comes from the fisheries industry. Dried tunicates contain 60 per cent protein and are rich in omega-3. Perhaps just as importantly, salmon find them tasty as well.

So tunicates appear promising as a new feed ingredient.

Large-scale cultivation needed

Protein production from marine cultivation of tunicates has 100 times the potential per square metre than any land-based protein cultivation. Moreover, the food that tunicates need is readily available in the form of vast amounts of microorganisms in nutrient-rich marine waters.

So what is the hold-up?

"Our single greatest challenge is cultivating enough biomass per square metre to make operations profitable," explains project manager Troedsson. "We anticipate a crop of 100 to 200 kilograms per square metre, which is an extremely high yield. But that is what is needed for profitability because the price per kilo is so low."

The Bergen-based researchers have achieved this production target at their small-scale facility, and the mathematical models they have run make them optimistic that a similar production level is possible with large-scale tunicate farms. But there are no guarantees just yet.

Removing the water

"The second major challenge we face is how much water we can squeeze out of the tunicates," continues Dr Troedsson. "Their body mass is 95 per cent water. To sell the product we have to be able to remove at least 90 per cent and preferably 95 per cent of that water by mechanical pressing."

"On an isolated basis we have managed to mechanically press out 97 per cent of the water. Now we must try to carry out that process efficiently on board the harvesting boats, while at the same time pulling several tonnes of tunicates per hour out of the sea."

"Thus production volume and water separation are the two critical factors that must be successfully addressed if tunicate cultivation is to be profitable for private companies in today's market," concludes Dr Troedsson.

The Research Council of Norway's programme Commercialising R&D Results (FORNY2020) is allocating NOK 8.7 million in funding to the tunicate project through 2014.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/7uZTt01CYeI/130625073813.htm

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Rain-Dodging Headlights Can Now Handle Snow

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Rain-Dodging Headlights Can Now Handle Snow
Last year we reported that researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Intel had developed a prototype headlight that could avoid lighting up raindrops, giving a driver a clearer view of the road ahead. That team has now developed a version able to cope with wind-blown snowflakes, too, and tested it during a snowstorm in Pittsburgh.

Source: Technology Review
Posted on: Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013, 8:19am
Views: 8

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128792/Rain_Dodging_Headlights_Can_Now_Handle_Snow

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Samsung posts kernel source code for Galaxy S4 Active on AT&T, Galaxy Note 8.0 with LTE

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

Samsung may have been busy this past week with the launches of the Galaxy S4 Active and Galaxy Note 8.0, but it hasn't forgotten its duties to Android programmers. It just posted the kernel source code for both the AT&T variant of the GS4 Active (the SGH-i537) as well as the LTE-equipped Note 8.0 in its American and Canadian forms (SGH-i467 and i467M). As with past releases, the source material gives developers a better understanding of the hardware; it also gives tinkerers an easier time when modifying the firmware or creating fully functional custom ROMs. Whichever camp you're in, the kernel code awaits at the links below.

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Via: Android Police

Source: Samsung (1), (2), (3)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/W5Mb7t2-7CM/

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Texas Teens Take Rocket Title

60-Second Space

Three teenage Texas model rocketeers beat out teams from France and the U.K. to claim top honors at this year's International Rocketry Competition. John Matson reports.

More 60-Second Space

This story is not about space, exactly. But it is about rockets?the model kind?and the kids who may grow up to launch the real thing into space someday.

A trio of teenage Texas model rocketeers beat out teams from France and the U.K. to claim top honors at this year?s International Rocketry Competition. The U.S. team, from a 4-H club in Georgetown, Texas, won the June 21st fly-off at the Paris Air Show. They earned their spot in the international showdown by besting 99 other American teams.

The contest required rocket kids to send a raw egg into the sky, as close to 750 feet altitude as possible, in a flight lasting between 48 and 50 seconds?and bring the egg safely back to earth. Brothers Mark and Matthew Janecka and their teammate Daniel Kelton won the international contest with a flight that only peaked at 703 feet, but lasted a textbook 49.18 seconds.

After the competition the Texas teens got to meet with French president Francois Hollande. The president wore a dark suit and tie, and the boys from Texas wore windbreakers and cowboy hats. Fitting for space cowboys.

?John Matson

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast]?


Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=texas-teens-take-rocket-title-13-06-25

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Volkswagen ponders extra Golf production for holidays

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Volkswagen is looking for volunteers among its workforce in Wolfsburg, Germany, to build its flagship Golf hatchback during next month's three-week plant holiday to keep up with customer orders.

Additional production shifts could point to a gradually improving outlook for Europe's mass market carmakers, after export-heavy luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz already plan to produce throughout the summer.

"Due to the high demand for the Golf, Volkswagen is examining whether to continue manufacturing in parts of the Wolfsburg plant during the summer holidays," a spokesman for Europe's largest carmaker said on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, German daily Braunschweiger Zeitung reported that VW was looking to find enough personnel to form one or two shifts daily, each building up to 300 cars per shift.

The paper also said, however, that because most workers had already planned holidays during the three-week production pause scheduled between July 15 and August 2, interest had not yet been sufficient.

(Reporting by Christiaan Hetzner in Frankfurt and Jan Schwartz in Hamburg; Editing by Marilyn Gerlach and Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/volkswagen-ponders-extra-golf-production-holidays-115757311.html

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Coroner: Police kill gunman at Mississippi church

LEXINGTON, Miss. (AP) ? A coroner says police fatally shot a Mississippi man after they were called to a church because of a dispute over the firing of a pastor.

Holmes County Coroner Dexter Howard says 26-year-old Cacedrick White died Sunday afternoon at a hospital after being shot by police in Lexington, which is about 55 miles north of Jackson.

WLBT-TV (http://bit.ly/14RM65N ) reports police were called to Asia Missionary Baptist Church to escort the pastor from the property.

Holmes County Sheriff's Office Capt. Sam Chambers tells WAPT-TV (http://bit.ly/189d6kt ) White got out of a vehicle with a gun and started walking toward officers in the church doorway. Police say he refused a command to set down the gun.

Howard says White was the son of a deacon at the church.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/coroner-police-kill-gunman-mississippi-church-220713944.html

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Martin Luther King Jr. Detroit March Of 1963 Commemorated 50 Years Later With Walk Down Woodward

DETROIT -- Thousands participated in a Detroit march commemorating the 50th anniversary of one that Martin Luther King Jr. led in 1963.

The walk down Woodward Avenue on Saturday morning culminated in a riverfront rally at Hart Plaza.

The civil rights icon visited Detroit on June 23, 1963, to lead tens of thousands in a freedom walk and also previewed his "I Have a Dream" speech.

Martin Luther King III, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton participated in Saturday's march and rally.

Detroit NAACP President Wendell Anthony said the march "signifies that the work for freedom and justice must continue" in Detroit and worldwide.

Sharpton says it's important to keep fighting for justice and marchers weren't merely taking "a nostalgia trip down Woodward."

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/22/martin-luther-king-detroit-_n_3484624.html

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World stocks fall amid China credit concerns

LONDON (AP) ? Global stock markets reeled Monday amid concerns that credit conditions will tighten in the U.S. and China, the world's two largest economies.

Shanghai's stock index endured its biggest loss in four years after the country's central bank allowed commercial rates to spike higher. Analysts say the move was part of an effort to curb the high level of off-balance-sheet lending in China that could threaten the country's financial stability.

But the higher lending rates could also hurt economic growth. The impact for stock markets would be all the greater if the U.S. Federal Reserve tightens its own ultra-loose monetary policy over the coming months, as it has signaled it would do so long as the U.S. economy improves according to its forecasts.

Mainland China's Shanghai Composite Index plummeted 5 percent to 1,968.51 while the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index plunged 6.1 percent to 881.87.

In Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 1.42 percent Monday to close at 6,029.10 and France's CAC-40 slid 1.7 percent to 3,595.63. Germany's DAX was down 1.24 percent to 7,692.45 even though a key business sentiment index rose slightly, suggesting the recovery in Europe's largest economy continues, though at a slow pace.

Wall Street opened lower, with the Dow Jones industrial down 1.3 percent to 14,605.19 and the S&P 500 down 1.7 percent to 1,556.00.

Government bond yields rose in the U.S. and other big economies on expectations that borrowing rates would not remain at their current lows for much longer. The U.S. 10-year rate traded above 2.6 percent for the first time since August 2011.

Bond yields also rose in Europe's financially shaky countries, suggesting investors are relatively more cautious about lending them money despite the good returns they provide. Spain's 10-year bond yield was above 5 percent for the first time in three months.

Analysts at Moody's Investors Service said they saw the Chinese central bank's action to allow lending rates to rise as "a conscious decision" to curb credit growth.

Moody's added that a prolonged credit crunch could threaten Chinese companies, "especially those in the private sector with weak credit quality, because it heightens the risk that banks will scale back lending to those companies." Moody's says that China's central government finances remain strong, but that rapid credit growth and liabilities at the local level pose a threat to growth.

Andrew Sullivan of Kim Eng Securities in Hong Kong said China's new leaders want credit to be available to keep the economy moving but not so much as to promote asset bubbles.

"After six months in power, the new leadership is putting its policies in place. It's signaling that credit is going to remain tight," Sullivan said. "All that is in line with moving China from being an export driven economy to being a domestic consumption economy."

The concerns over China's credit market were magnified by existing worries that access to money will tighten in the world's largest economy, the U.S.

Investors are concerned what will happen as the U.S. Federal Reserve slows down its monetary stimulus program, which has been pumping $85 billion into the financial system every month and helped many stock indexes reach multiyear or record highs. Markets tumbled last week when Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the program would likely slow down this year and end in 2014.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 2.2 percent to 19,813.98. Japan's Nikkei 225 index, the regional heavyweight, fell 1.3 percent to 13,062.78. South Korea's Kospi lost 1.3 percent to 1,799.01. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.5 percent at 4,666.50.

In energy markets, benchmark oil contract for August delivery was down 2 cents to $93.67 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $1.71 to close at $93.69 on Friday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3097 from $1.3139 late Friday in New York. The dollar rose slightly to 97.80 yen from 97.76 yen.

___

Sampson reported from Bangkok. Joe McDonald in Beijing and Fu Ting in Shanghai also contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-stocks-fall-amid-china-credit-concerns-104336559.html

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North Beach Church Hoping to House Dead Pets in Basement ...

During his lifetime, Saint Francis of Assisi was famously devoted to animals. Paintings and statues depict the saint frolicking with birds, dogs and other beasts.

The lore of San Francisco?s namesake seemed an ideal fit for a city where dogs outnumber kids. Inside the National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi in San Francisco?s North Beach, tributes to the saint?s life abound, especially in its annual blessing of the animals.

On a recent weekend, the shrine?s rector Father Gregory Coiro blessed some 500 pets during the two-day stretch.

?Mostly dogs,? said Coiro, wearing a brown robe and tangled beard. ?But there were a few cats and a few angora rabbits.?

The Shrine has long opened its doors to living pets in the spirit of Saint Francis. But now, it?s also opening them to the dead. In a newly discovered grotto beneath the shrine?s front steps, Coiro has envisioned the building of a columbarium to house the ashes of the dearly departed of the pet world.

?The people who bring their pets here can be Catholic or they can be non-Catholic,? said Coiro. ?Cause afterall, the animals have no religion.?

Currently the concrete pillared cave looks like the ruins of a Roman temple.

Though work on the site has not yet begun, the Shrine recently released a brochure with depictions of glass-walled partitions where pets? ashes will be interned.

Visitors will be greeted by a large portrait of Saint Francis himself, and a video monitor will play video loops of pets enshrined in the space. In another corner, a large memorial will pay tribute to police and rescue dogs, like those who searched for survivors and bodies amid the rubble of the Twin Towers in New York on 9/11.

?As somebody walks through and visits the columbarium it?ll be like an on-going history of people involved with the shrine; animals that have been involved in families lives,? said Bill McLaughlin, a church volunteer who?s helping organize the construction.

Some of the shrine?s neighbors have complained they weren?t notified in advance of plans to store ashes amid hundreds of businesses. Fabio Giotta, one of the owners of nearby Caffe Trieste said he was surprised by plans to build a ?pet cemetery in a national shrine.? Coiro said the shrine hasn?t yet applied for permits from the city.

Both the San Francisco Health and Planning Departments referred calls on the matter to each other. A Health Department Spokeswoman said the department was only interested in dead animals when people ate them.

Coiro admitted the columbarium would also help generate money for the upkeep of the shrine.

He said the church hadn?t determined the fees for housing pet cremains, although the brochure was seeking donations to the project in the $1000 to $40,000 range.

Coiro said he was moved by his childless sister who considered her dogs family, and was distraught when they died.

?I understand for many, many people, their animals are very dear to them,? said Coiro.

Source: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/North-Beach-Church-Hoping-to-House-Dead-Pets-in-Basement-212566591.html

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