UK pounded by 'Winter Storm Hercules'

Fierce storms continued to batter components of the united kingdom have caused immense harm to homes and landscapes alike. Waves up to eight metres high and 112 km/h winds have slammed into Britain's south-western coast.
The storm was therefore powerful it reduced a centuries-old landmark rock arch in Cornwall's Porthcothan Bay to trash. The Emergency Agency predicts that 220 properties have thus far been flooded on the coast as a result of the swell, consistent with the Daily Mail. Residents in many cities on the coast are exhausted as a precaution. The Ea has issued 3 severe flood warnings for the south-western county of Dorset, yet as over three hundred less serious flood alerts.

"Although high tides square measure currently falling, there remains a risk of coastal flooding, particularly on the south and west coasts," aforementioned eating apple Day, flood risk manager at the Ea.
The Met workplace, Britain's prediction body, aforementioned the storm, dubbed Winter Storm Hercules, is loosely connected to the weather system that caused the US winter storm, that drop giant amounts of snow within the Northeast and delayed thousands of flights.
At least seven individuals have died in a very wave of stormy weather that has battered UK since Dec, together with a person killed once his quality scooter fell into a stream in Oxford, southern England.
A search is additionally afoot for a missing Bournemouth man who's believed to own walked out of his home towards the ocean yesterday.
However, the wild weather hasn't deterred surfers World Health Organization square measure believed to own return from the US, chasing the storm sweeping across the Atlantic within the hope of catching some massive waves.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted that the Ea has adequate funding to confirm frontline services square measure ready to influence such events.
"We're outlay£2.3billion during this four-year amount on flood defences that is over the previous four-year amount," he said. But whereas adult male Cameron aforementioned he was optimistic concerning the method true was being handled, enhancements may be created.
"I suppose we're doing lots additional things higher. i believe flood warnings square measure higher, i believe the flood defences have protected tens of thousands of homes however there'll continually be lessons to be told and i am going to make certain they're learned."
The Met workplace has aforementioned the weather probably|is probably going} to enhance because the week goes on however any high winds square measure likely to offer an extra combat to coastal areas.

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'Pro' Galaxy Note and Tab debut with enhanced specs

Samsung proclaimed new versions of the Galaxy Note phablet and Tab pill at the buyer physics Show (CES) in metropolis on Mon. The "Pro" versions improve on each side of their predecessors, adding higher resolution screens, a brand new interface and additional powerful multitasking.
A new 12-inch model leads the charge, however 10-inch and eight.4-inch versions also are on the manner, all with a resolution of 2560x1600 — which suggests the littlest one are concerning as sharp as Apple's in demand "Retina" iPad mini. They disagree on varied internal specs, however share the marquee options.

In addition to the new hardware, the UI has additionally gotten a lift. The "Magazine" heal golem four.4 eschews the standard pages-of-icons look; instead, the page is split into panes of assorted sizes, into that live apps will be fastened for simple access. It's like Android's widgets crossed with Windows Phone's gridlike layout, and it's rather helpful, that is quite will be aforementioned for several of Samsung's previous tries at accessorizing the OS.
Samsung took another page from Microsoft's book with the new multitasking interface. simply swipe in from the facet of the screen, like on Windows eight, and drag the icon of the app you wish to wherever you wish it. this might be handy for productivity junkies: net conference in one pane, document open in another, Reddit during a third, and a fourth able to go.
The devices win this while not compromising an excessive amount of on thickness, tho' the large battery within the 12-inch model in all probability still adds alittle to rock bottom line. it will be concerning fifty % heavier than Associate in Nursing iPad — however that is still almost about a pound and a 0.5.
No valuation or launch date was mentioned aside from Q1, therefore expect additional data within the next month or 2.

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Iran sanctions bill opposed by Obama gains Senate backers

(Reuters) - U.S. senators pushing a bill to slap new sanctions on Persia if it goes back on Associate in Nursing interim deal beneath that it united to limit its nuclear program have gained support since the legislation was introduced in Gregorian calendar month, aides same on Mon.
The bill, that the White House has vulnerable to veto, needs more reductions in Persia's oil exports and would apply new penalties on different industries if Iran either violates the interim agreement or fails to succeed in a final comprehensive deal.
Iran signed the six-month interim deal in Geneva on Gregorian calendar month twenty four with the us, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany.
While the bill has gained support, it remains unsure if backers will place along the simple fraction majority within the Senate required to override a veto by President Barack Obama.
The Obama administration has insisted the bill would injury delicate talks being command between Persia and world powers over the nuclear program, that national capital says is for peaceful functions. Iranian secretary of state Muhammad Zarif has same a replacement sanctions law would kill the interim agreement.
While senior Democrats within the Senate like Menendez, from New Jersey, and Charles Schumer, from the big apple, support the new sanctions, there's a powerful axis of opposition within the party. 10 Democratic senators, all leaders of committees, sent a letter to Senate legislator Harry Reid last month expressing their opposition to the bill.
A bipartizan cluster of 9 senior policy consultants urged Menendez and church to not pass the new sanctions, spoken language the penalties might probably move the us nearer to war.
Ryan Crocker, a former ambassador to Republic of Iraq and Asian country, and Thomas Pickering, former Ambassador to Israel, Asian country and therefore the international organisation, were among signers of a letter to the senators that same a sanctions bill, albeit it took result in six months, would decision into question Washington's straightness and presumably isolate the us among the countries holding talks with Persia.
The bill provides the administration up to a year to pursue a diplomatic track, that backers say wouldn't violate terms of the interim deal.
On oil exports, the new bill seeks to chop sales a minimum of thirty % among a year and to zero among 2 years, if Persia breaks the deal or a comprehensive deal isn't reached.
Since 2012, U.S. and European sanctions have cut Iran's oil sales by quite one million barrels per day, cost accounting the country billions of bucks a month and driving up inflation.

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Zhejiang, Shanghai report two human avian flu cases

A human case of H7N9 was reported in East China's Zhejiang Province on Sunday and Shanghai reported a human case of H7N9 on Saturday.

The patient is a 34-year-old woman surnamed Cai, who is from the city of Zhuji, the provincial health and family planning commission said.

She was confirmed to be infected with the bird flu virus on Saturday. By 1 pm on Sunday, she was still in critical condition at a local hospital, the statement said.

The patient in Shanghai is an 86-year-old local surnamed Zhou. He was confirmed to be infected with the bird flu virus on Friday. The patient is receiving treatment at a local hospital, the city's health and family planning commission said.

In the meantime, samples of goose meat taken from a Guangzhou market in South China's Guangdong Province have tested positive for H7N9 avian influenza.

Two goose meat samples and one sewage water sample from two poultry booths in a wet market in Zengcheng, a satellite city of Guangzhou, tested positive, the Guangdong Provincial Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) confirmed on Sunday.

"It's serious that the water sample test is positive, because it means all the birds inside coops have the possibility of being infected with H7N9 avian influenza. The longer they stay in the coops, the risk of being infected rises," said Yang Zhicong, deputy chief of the Guangzhou CDCP. The city government of Guangzhou, the provincial capital, is tracking the poultry source. The market was shut down on Saturday for three days.

Meanwhile, 17 salespeople working in nine poultry booths in the market are undergoing a week-long medical observation. So far, they have shown no signs of being infected with the bird flu

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Samsung announces ‘Smart Home’ project

South Korea-based Samsung on Sunday announced a new project that will enable users to control all of their connected devices and appliances and devices through a single app.

The Samsung Smart Home project, which was announced by the company at the International CES yesterday, will allow users to manage things as varied as their TV, heating system and refrigerator through a single smartphone app.

Taking advantage of the cameras built into many of the company's connected appliances, the Home View service will allow users to peep into what is going on at home. The ability to control and manage a device of appliance will get notification from Smart Customer Service whenever it is time to service an appliance. They will also be able to get after-sales servicing assistance.

Users will be able control multiple devices at once just by selecting the Samsung Smart Home icon, regardless of whether they are in their house or traveling abroad. Device Control will let them access customized settings for all of their connected appliances. The users of the service will also be able to use voice commands with your Galaxy Gear or Smart TV remote to control their devices and appliances.

The South Korea-based consumer electronics giant aims to roll out the service across its products in the first half of 2014, starting with smartphones, select Smart TVs, and appliances. Ultimately, the company plans to expand the reach of the service to cover areas like home energy and healthcare.

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GSLV-D5 launch puts India in 'cryo club

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Sunday successfully launched the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-D5 (GSLV-D5), carrying communication satellite GSAT-14, from Sriharikota, about 80 km from Chennai.

With this, India joined the “cryo club”, a select group of spacefaring nations having the crucial cryogenic engine technology, which is necessary to carry heavy satellites. Countries which have such a capability are the US, Russia, France, Japan and China.

Isro Chairman K Radhakrishnan said: “I am extremely happy and proud to say that Team Isro has done it. The Indian cryogenic engine and stage performed as predicted, as expected for this mission and injected precisely the GSAT-14 communication satellite into the intended orbit.”

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Bangladesh elections marred by violence, boycott

Police in Bangladesh shot dead three protesters as suspected opposition activists stabbed an election official to death and set over 100 polling stations ablaze in a very bid to disrupt general elections Sunday that threaten to deepen the crisis within the South Asian nation. The opposition and its allies are boycotting the vote, a move that undermines the legitimacy of the election and makes it unlikely that the polls can stem a wave of political violence that killed a minimum of 275 individuals in 2013.

Police opened fireplace to stop protesters from seizing a polling centre in northern citrus tree district, killing 2 individuals. In a similar incident in neighbouring Nilphamari district, police discharged into concerning 2 dozens of protesters, departure one person dead. Police gave no further details, however Dhaka's Daily Star newspaper aforesaid the 3 men belonged to the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party.
Asian nation executes opposition leader Abdul Qader Mohammedan
Elsewhere, police said suspected opposition activists stabbed to death a polling official, and native media rumored that attackers torched additional than 127 faculty buildings across the country in long attacks. The buildings were to be used as polling stations. The option began at eight a.m. but local television stations showed mostly empty polling stations, still wrapped in early morning winter fog. The commission aforesaid polling has been suspended in a minimum of thirty eight centres attributable to attacks by anti-election activists, burning of ballots and election materials.
Much of the capital, Dhaka, has been cut off from the rest of the country in recent weeks, as the opposition has ironed its demands through general strikes and transportation blockades. Civilians have been caught up in the bloodshed, with activists torching vehicles happiness to motorists United Nations agency defy the strikes, resulting in a growing sense of desperation over the political impasse.

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