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Syria pledges truce, if rebels hold fire

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria promised to observe a U.N.-backed ceasefire starting on Thursday, but its forces kept up fierce attacks on opposition neighborhoods in the hours before the deadline.

A Syrian defense ministry source quoted on state television on Wednesday said the army would halt operations on Thursday morning, but would confront "any assault" by armed groups.

U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan said the Syrian government had also assured him it would stop fighting by the dawn deadline he has set for a cessation of hostilities.

It agreed "to cease all military fighting throughout Syrian territory as of 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) tomorrow, Thursday, 12 April, 2012, while reserving the right to respond proportionately to any attacks carried out by armed terrorist groups against civilians, government forces or public and private property", Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said in a statement, quoting a letter from the Syrian Foreign Ministry.

Russia, a powerful defender of President Bashar al-Assad against Western and Arab pressure, said the rebels battling to oust him must honor the ceasefire too.

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For graphic on fighting http://link.reuters.com/jyp57s

For Interactive timeline http://link.reuters.com/pyt37s

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Insurgents, who lack a clearly coordinated command structure, have previously said they will stop shooting if Syrian forces pull back and observe the truce as promised. But few in the Syrian opposition believe Assad has any intention of complying with Annan's plan to end 13 months of bloodshed.

"Annan, this is your ceasefire," ran the sarcastic voiceover on an activist video that showed a shopping mall engulfed in flames after it was hit in bombardment of the Juret al-Shayah district of Homs. Sniper fire cracked out in the background.

At least 12 people were killed on Wednesday, activists said.

Western powers, too, have scorned Assad's truce pledges, but so far lack an effective policy to curb the bloodshed, given their own aversion to military intervention and the resistance of Russia and China to any U.N. Security Council action.

"Far from fulfilling their commitment, the regime has cynically exploited the window of diplomatic negotiations to crack down even harder on its own people," British Prime Minister David Cameron said during a visit to Indonesia.

MORTAR BARRAGE

Activist videos posted on YouTube showed bombs crashing into the Khalidiya district of Homs.

Spouts of pulverized debris burst high into the air with each impact and plumes of dust and smoke drifted over the rooftops. The videos could not be verified and the Syrian government bars most independent media from the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said three people were killed in Homs. Shelling killed a man, woman and child in Qusair near the border with Lebanon. Three people were killed near Damascus, the British-based opposition group said.

"Mortar fire started at 7 this morning. I can hear one explosion every five minutes," said activist Waleed al-Fares in Homs, where bombardment killed at least 26 people on Tuesday.

If Assad fails to respect a ceasefire, the world should unite against him, using an arms embargo and other sanctions, the main opposition group said, hours before the truce deadline.

"The chances that by tomorrow the regime will implement or abide by the ceasefire are weak, as we all know," Syrian National Council spokeswoman Basma Kodmani said in Geneva.

"We would like to see a unanimous decision by members of the Security Council that sends an ultimatum to the regime with a deadline that is not too far down the road that says on such and such a date enforcement measures will intervene," she said.

U.N. action would need the support of Russia and China, which have blocked previous Security Council draft resolutions on Syria, citing concerns about a Libya-style intervention that would breach Syrian sovereignty.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday to seek a policy change from one of Assad's few foreign friends.

"We will have another go at trying to persuade the Russians that the situation is deteriorating and the likelihood of regional conflict and civil war is increasing," she said.

China expressed "deep worries" about the violence in Syria and called for all sides to respect a ceasefire.

Turkey, hosting nearly 25,000 Syrian refugees, said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu would discuss the Syria crisis with counterparts from the Group of Eight major nations on Wednesday evening, via a video conference call.

Ankara has urged the Security Council to adopt a resolution that would protect the Syrian people, saying Damascus had not kept its troop withdrawal pledge and had increased the violence.

Annan said his plan, endorsed by the Council, must be given a chance to work.

"If everyone respects it, I think by 6 in the morning on Thursday we shall see improved conditions on the ground," he said in Tehran, where he was asking Syria's staunchest regional ally to support his efforts.

But the Syrian military has stayed on the offensive, pursuing assaults on several anti-Assad strongholds, instead of pulling back, as Annan's plan required them to do on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, an activist in the city of Hama said at least 20 armoured vehicles had moved into two central neighborhoods, while an opposition supporter in Rastan, between Hama and Homs, said heavy shelling of the town began after the announcement by the Syrian government that it would respect the ceasefire.

The SOHR said two people were killed in army raids in Deir al-Zor in the Euphrates river valley far to the east. Artillery shelled the Jebel Akrad area in the coastal province of Latakia.

In Deraa, cradle of the revolt against four decades of Assad family rule, activists said troops backed by armoured vehicles had flooded the city and were making house-to-house raids.

Activist Omar al-Hariri said he had never seen so many troops: "The army is exploiting the ceasefire to arrest more dissidents than ever and security forces are burning houses."

"PART OF THE SOLUTION"

Annan, at a news conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, urged Iran to help resolve the violence and warned of "unimaginable consequences" if it worsened further.

Salehi said Syrians should be able to have free elections contested by political parties, but reiterated Iran's opposition to any outside interference in Syria's affairs and made clear the Islamic Republic wanted Assad to stay in charge.

"The opportunity must be given to the Syrian government to make changes, under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad," he said.

Iran has unstintingly backed Syria, the only Arab nation to support Iran in its 1980-88 war with Iraq and the conduit for Iranian arms to Lebanon's Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah movement.

Syria, where Assad's Shi'ite-rooted Alawite minority dominates a Sunni Muslim majority, has become an arena for a sectarian-tinged regional contest between Shi'ite Iran and Sunni Arab rivals aligned with the West and led by Saudi Arabia.

For now, no end to Syria's agony is in sight.

Assad's forces have killed more than 9,000 people in the past year, according to a U.N. estimate. Damascus says rebels have killed more than 2,600 soldiers and security personnel.

"This is a decisive moment," Cameron said, adding - in remarks clearly pointed at Moscow and Beijing - that the Security Council now had "a clear responsibility" to throw its weight behind Annan's plan and insist it is implemented.

(Additional reporting by Marcus George in Dubai, Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations, Sui-Lee Wee and Sabrina Mao in Beijing, Paul Eckert in Annapolis, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Oliver Holmes and Dominic Evans in Beirut and Mohammed Abbas in Jakarta; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

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Oil falls as Chinese data fuels demand worry

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil suffered its biggest one-day percentage loss of the year on Tuesday, hitting a seven-week low as concerns about a potential slowdown in the economy of No. 2 crude consumer China added to worries about global demand.

March trade data showed China's import growth fell below expectations, indicating tepid first-quarter demand, although imports of crude oil remained high, at the third highest level on record.

"Cumulative economic concerns are haunting the market again with China's import data, last week's U.S. jobs report and Europe still under pressure," said Tom Bentz, director at BNP Paribas Prime Brokerage Inc in New York.

The Chinese data added to overall worries about the global economy, after weak U.S. jobs data late last week dragged oil prices lower on Monday. Oil prices this year have been balancing concerns about demand against supply disruptions - including the potential loss of exports from OPEC member Iran.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration also fed market pessimism with a monthly report that cut its forecast for world oil demand growth for 2012 and 2013, while raising the forecast for non-OPEC oil output.

Brent crude fell $2.79 to settle at $119.88 a barrel, the weakest close since February 17, having dropped below the 50-day moving average of $121.84. The 2.27 percent slide was the biggest one-day percentage loss since December 14.

The front-month Brent May contract expires on Friday.

U.S. crude dropped $1.44 to settle at $101.02 a barrel, the lowest close since February 14, having pushed below the 100-day moving average of $101.65.

Fears of slowing growth swept across commodities and stock markets, pushing the S&P 500 down for a fifth straight day, and sent copper to a three-month low. <.n>

U.S. Treasuries prices rose, as worried traders looked for safer havens.

"The entire risk asset market is lower today," said Dominick Chirichella, Senior Partner at Energy Management Institute in New York.

"The data out of China is bearish for oil and Europe is looking scary again. If the Iran talks go badly, the fear premium will come back, but I think crude will be the leader in the complex, not gasoline as it has been," Chirichella added.

Oil prices briefly curbed losses on news that Iran cut oil exports to Spain and may halt shipments to Germany and Italy ahead of talks with world powers this weekend.

Sanctions by the European Union and the United States, aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions, have already reduced imports by some European countries, according to industry sources.

Brent crude's premium to its U.S. counterpart narrowed to $18.86 a barrel, based on settlements. Analysts said the premium could narrow further if the nuclear talks with Iran yielded results.

Goldman Sachs on Tuesday forecast the spread could narrow further in the second half of the year as the reversal of the Seaway pipeline alleviated a glut of crude in the Midwest which has depressed the price of U.S. oil futures.

Brent trading volume outpaced turnover for U.S. crude as European traders returned from the Easter holiday. U.S. volumes neared the 30-day average.

U.S. RBOB gasoline and heating oil futures also fell more than 1 percent.

The International Monetary Fund added to concerns about slower growth, telling commodity exporters to brace for lower prices given weak global economic activity.

U.S. OIL INVENTORIES

U.S. crude stockpiles jumped 6.6 million barrels last week, the industry group American Petroleum Institute said in a report released after oil prices settled, much more than expected by analysts.

Gasoline stocks rose 1.2 million barrels and distillate stocks fell 476,000 barrels, the API said.

Crude stocks were expected to be up 2.1 million barrels, a Reuters survey of analysts taken ahead of the API report showed.

Gasoline stocks were expected to be down 1.3 million barrels and distillate stocks down, but only by 200,000 barrels.

The government's data from the EIA will follow on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT).

(Additional reporting by Gene Ramos in New York, Ikuko Kurahone in London and Manash Goswami in Singapore; Editing by Dale Hudson, Alden Bentley, David Gregorio and Andre Grenon)

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Wild Wing Rider Roller Coasters Coming to America

Arms still intact, Mark Cutrone, an ex-Red Arrows fighter pilot, survived to recount the story of his test ride on a new breed of roller coaster alleged to have ripped the limbs off dummies during trial runs. The Swarm, which opened at Thorpe Park in London last week, is a "wing rider": a coaster that suspends passengers next to the tracks, as if on wings. This spring, three wing riders make their debut at U.S. amusement parks.

The seats on a wing rider are cantilevered from the center of the train track in an effort to simulate the sensation of flying. With nothing directly above, below or in front of riders, a wing rider amplifies the coaster's movements and creates a new rider experience.

"I was actually a little nervous, just looking at the ride, wondering if we were going to make it between the buildings," Cutrone says. "It's the closest thing to flying. With the smooth sense of rolling, pulling of g-forces, and screaming dives?it feels very similar."

Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) engineered the Swarm. "If you consider a plane, when it makes acrobatic turns or inversions, the motions are amplified at the wing's edge," B&M engineer and president Walter Bolliger says. "We wanted to create this experience, a different way of feeling the elements."

Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Six Flags Great America in Chicago will be opening a B&M wing-rider design with four fully cantilevered seats. Dollywood took advantage of the park's natural terrain by winding the ride alongside the Great Smoky Mountain foothills. Six Flags chose to maximize thrill; its train dodges around structures and plunges through tiny keyholes.

Hersheypark in Pennsylvania will be getting a coaster with the "semi-wing-rider" style of Intamin, a Swiss manufacturer that pioneered an early version of the wing rider in 2007. Intamin's cart features two-center seats with traditional floors, flanked on both sides by a winged seat where riders' legs fly free?an arrangement designed to accommodate adrenaline junkies and the friends they drag to the park.

"Freedom is what roller coaster enthusiasts want most; others want to be protected and surrounded," says Joel Bullock, who writes The Coaster Critic blog. "[On a wing rider] you'll be completely exposed?free or scary, depending on what you're into."

To enhance the free-flying experience, B&M and Intamin ditched conventional restraints for lighter, less restrictive alternatives. On Hersheypark's Skyrush there is no harness or over-the-shoulder restraint, just a lap bar to hold riders in place during the train's 85-degree descent. For Dollywood's Wild Eagle and Six Flags' X-Flight, B&M manufactured a soft, vest-like restraint that settles over the shoulder while still leaving ample room surrounding riders' heads. The winged seats on Skyrush jut five feet from the center of the tracks, offering 270-degree panoramic views of the park. (Hersheypark engineering director Kent Bachmann advises riders to jockey for the second row, where the coaster itself won't be blocking riders' line of sight.) The outer winged seats on both of B&M's coasters extend six feet, and passengers have eight feet of legroom. What Skyrush lacks in wingspan, however, it makes up for with speed?reaching 75 mph compared with Wild Eagle's 61 mph and X-Flight's 55 mph.

On all the coasters, riders will experience three directions of g-forces?front and back, side to side, and through the spinal column?ranging from zero to almost five g's at the maximum. Space-shuttle-type g-forces are felt in the front and back direction only and are typically around three g's.

"Forces are acting on people very differently on a wing rider," says Sandor Kernacs, engineer and president of Intamin. To ensure rider comfort, he explained that Intamin angled the seats back almost 60 percent more than usual in order to lower the rider's center of gravity.

Shifting the passengers from the center of the coaster presents engineering challenges, too. The loads on the cantilevered seats are almost three times greater than on the center seats, increasing the likelihood of microcracks and fatigue, Bachmann says. To overcome these issues, Hersheypark used an integrated design in which the 16-ton carts were milled from one large piece of steel, rather than fabricated from several separate pieces. Using finite element analysis, Hersheypark engineers also experimented with different types of aluminum to determine which combination of materials minimized stress from the cantilevered seats (though they refused to reveal their top-secret coaster specs.)

Soon, U.S. riders will be able to offer their own critiques. Dollywood's Wild Eagle opened to the public first on March 24, and will be followed by Six Flags' X-Flight on May 12 and Hersheypark's Skyrush sometime in late May. No fighter-pilot experience needed.

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Bats save energy by drawing in wings on upstroke

ScienceDaily (Apr. 11, 2012) ? Bat wings are like hands: meaty, bony and full of joints. A new Brown University study finds that bats take advantage of their flexibility by folding in their wings on the upstroke to save inertial energy. The research suggests that engineers looking at flapping flight should account for wing mass and consider a folding design.Whether people are building a flying machine or nature is evolving one, there is pressure to optimize efficiency. A new analysis by biologists, physicists, and engineers at Brown University reveals the subtle but important degree to which that pressure has literally shaped the flapping wings of bats.

The team's observations and calculations show that by flexing their wings inward to their bodies on the upstroke, bats use only 65 percent of the inertial energy they would expend if they kept their wings fully outstretched. Unlike insects, bats have heavy, muscular wings with hand-like bendable joints. The study suggests that they use their flexibility to compensate for that mass.

"Wing mass is important and it's normally not considered in flight," said Attila Bergou, who along with Daniel Riskin is co-lead author of the study that appears April 11 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. "Typically you analyze lift, drag, and you don't talk about the energy of moving the wings."

The findings not only help explain why bats and some birds tuck in their wings on the upstroke, but could also help inform human designers of small flapping vehicles. The team's research is funded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Sponsored Research.

"If you have a vehicle that has heavy wings, it would become energetically beneficial to fold the wings on the upstroke," said Sharon Swartz, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Brown. She and Kenneth Breuer, professor of engineering, are senior authors on the paper.

The physics of flexed flapping

The team originally set out to study something different: how wing motions vary among bats along a wide continuum of sizes. They published those results in 2010 in the Journal of Experimental Biology, but as they analyzed the data further, they started to consider the intriguing pattern of the inward flex on the upstroke.

That curiosity gave them a new perspective on their 1,000 frames-per-second videos of 27 bats performing five trials each aloft in a flight corridor or wind tunnel. They tracked markers on the bats, who hailed from six species, and measured how frequently the wings flapped, how far up and down they flapped, and the distribution of mass within them as they moved. They measured the mass by cutting the wing of a bat that had died into 32 pieces and weighing them.

The team fed the data in to a calculus-rich model that allowed them to determine what the inertial energy costs of flapping were and what they would have been if the wings were kept outstretched.

Bergou, a physicisist, said he was surprised that the energy savings was so great, especially because the calculations also showed that the bats have to spend a lot of energy -- 44 percent of the total inertial cost of flapping -- to fold their wings inward and then back outward ahead of the downstroke.

"Retracting your wings has an inertial cost," Bergou said. "It is significant but it is outweighed by the savings on the up and down stroke."

The conventional wisdom has always been that bats drew their wings in on the upstroke to reduce drag in the air, and although the team did not measure that, they acknowledge that aerodynamics plays the bigger role in the overall energy budget of flying. But the newly measured inertial savings of drawing in the wings on the upstroke seems too significant to be an accident.

"It really is an open question whether natural selection is so intense on the design and movement patterns of bats that it reaches details of how bats fold their wings," Swartz said. "This certainly suggests that this is not a random movement pattern and that it is likely that there is an energetic benefit to animals doing this."

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Story Source:

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

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. D. K. Riskin, A. Bergou, K. S. Breuer, S. M. Swartz. Upstroke wing flexion and the inertial cost of bat flight. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2012; DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0346

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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

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Pixelated Crayons Are Retroriffic In Every Way [Crayons]

Today's high-resolution displays mean we don't see pixelated images that often anymore. And let's face it, once the colored pencil enters your life, you rarely pick up a crayon ever again. Except for nostalgia's sake, which these pixelated crayons have in spades. More »

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