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King Richard III found in 'untidy lozenge-shaped grave'Public release date: 23-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Richard Buckley rjb16@le.ac.uk 01-162-522-848 University of Leicester
World first academic peer-reviewed paper on the University of Leicester's Search and Discovery of Richard III reveals slain king was buried in hastily dug grave
An academic paper on the archaeology of the Search for Richard III reveals for the first time specific details of the grave dug for King Richard III and discovered under a car park in Leicester.
University of Leicester archaeologists have published the first peer-reviewed paper on the University-led archaeological Search for Richard III in the prestigious journal Antiquity.
The paper reveals:
Richard III was casually placed in a badly prepared grave suggesting gravediggers were in a hurry to bury him
He was placed in an 'odd position' and the torso crammed in
The grave was 'too short' at the bottom to receive the body conventionally
Someone is likely to have stood in the grave to receive the body suggested by the fact the body is on one side rather than placed centrally
There is evidence to suggest Richard's hands may have been tied when he was buried
The paper - by a team from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, School of Archaeology and Ancient History, and Department of Genetics - follows the public revelation in February by the University of Leicester that the University had discovered King Richard III.
It followed a three-week dig started in August 2012 at what was once the medieval Grey Friars church in Leicester now a Leicester City Council car park.
The paper reveals that the King's grave was too short for him and had an untidy "lozenge" shape, with the bottom of the grave much smaller than it was at ground level.
The head was propped up against one corner of the grave, suggesting the gravediggers had made no attempt to rearrange the body once it had been lowered in.
There were also no signs of a shroud or coffin.
This is in stark contrast to the other medieval graves found in the town, which were the correct length and were dug neatly with vertical sides.
This may show that the gravediggers were in a hurry to put the body in the ground or had little respect for the deceased.
This is in keeping with accounts from the medieval historian Polydore Vergil, who said Richard III was buried "without any pomp or solemn funeral".
'The king in the car park': new light on the death and burial of Richard III in the Grey Friars church, Leicester, in 1485 is the first academic paper to be published on the University of Leicester's Search for Richard III.
It outlines the key findings from the archaeological investigation of the Grey Friars site.
It includes analysis of Richard III's grave and explains the conclusions about the friary's layout based on the remains of the church and cloisters.
It also includes initial observations of the King's skeleton.
The paper was written by key members of the University's Search for Richard III, including lead archaeologist Richard Buckley and Grey Friars site director Mathew Morris.
It also includes contributions from osteoarchaeologist Dr Jo Appleby, geneticist Dr Turi King, medieval friary expert Deirdre O'Sullivan and Professor Lin Foxhall, Head of the University's School of Archaeology and Ancient History.
The authors state in the paper: "The Grey Friars Project has been unusual in the nature of the collaboration between professional and academic archaeologists, an amateur group (the Richard III Society) and the City of Leicester. However, this also means that the project has addressed two different but overlapping sets of research questions, not all of which specialists would routinely ask.
"Projects developed in this way may become more common in future as non-specialists increasingly become users, stakeholders and participants in academic research. What is somewhat different from the ways in which archaeological professionals and amateurs have generally worked together is that in this case the non-specialists played a role in shaping the intellectual frameworks of the project, although the final project design (including how questions could appropriately be asked of the evidence), and the execution of the project in practical terms remained in the hands of the archaeologists.
"Grey Friars offers a case study for addressing the issues of how to formulate multiple sets of research questions and aims, and how different kinds of partners can accommodate each other's questions.
"The paper highlights the fact that this was a public archaeology project initiated by Philippa Langley, a member of the Richard III Society, and executed by a team of archaeologists and other specialists from the University of Leicester."
They conclude: "At this stage we have discovered enough of the plan of the Grey Friars precinct to feel confident that we have identified parts of the eastern range, the chapter house and the eastern end of the church, including the transition between the choir and the presbytery.
"This means that the hastily constructed grave in Trench 1 is certainly in the place indicated by the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century written sources as the tomb of King Richard III.
"The radiocarbon dates, evidence on the male skeleton of severe scoliosis, trauma consistent with injuries in battle and potential peri-mortem 'humiliation injuries', combined with the mtDNA match with two independent, well-verified matrilineal descendants all point clearly to the identification of this individual as King Richard III. Indeed, it is difficult to explain the combined evidence as anyone else.
"This result is the most important one for our non-specialist partners, as well as for millions of people around the world, and addresses their key questions."
The paper acknowledges the support of the Richard III Society, Leicester Shire Promotions, Leicester City Council and others.
Commenting on the paper Professor Chris Scarre, editor of Antiquity, said: "This discovery has been a focus of major public interest and debate, and we are delighted to publish the details of the excavation that have helped lead the team to their conclusion."
The full outcomes from the bone analysis and DNA tests will be published in subsequent papers.
###
Due to the worldwide interest in the discovery of Richard III, the University of Leicester has made arrangements to ensure the paper is publicly available via: http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/087/ant0870519.htm
This means anyone in the world will be able to read the paper online as soon as it is published.
There will be new excavations at the Grey Friars site in July, which will help clarify details around the disposal of the body.
The Search for Richard III was led by the University of Leicester, working with Leicester City Council, and in association with the Richard III Society.
The paper can be found at: http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/087/ant0870519.htm
Please note paper will be accessible online after noon on Friday May 24. For a PDF copy of the paper email: er134@le.ac.uk
For more information, please contact:
Richard Buckley, lead archaeologist on the Search for Richard III, University of Leicester Archaeological Services, on 0116 252 2848 or email: rjb16@le.ac.uk
Mathew Morris, Grey Friars site director, can be contacted on (0116) 252 5665 or at: mlm9@le.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
King Richard III found in 'untidy lozenge-shaped grave'Public release date: 23-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Richard Buckley rjb16@le.ac.uk 01-162-522-848 University of Leicester
World first academic peer-reviewed paper on the University of Leicester's Search and Discovery of Richard III reveals slain king was buried in hastily dug grave
An academic paper on the archaeology of the Search for Richard III reveals for the first time specific details of the grave dug for King Richard III and discovered under a car park in Leicester.
University of Leicester archaeologists have published the first peer-reviewed paper on the University-led archaeological Search for Richard III in the prestigious journal Antiquity.
The paper reveals:
Richard III was casually placed in a badly prepared grave suggesting gravediggers were in a hurry to bury him
He was placed in an 'odd position' and the torso crammed in
The grave was 'too short' at the bottom to receive the body conventionally
Someone is likely to have stood in the grave to receive the body suggested by the fact the body is on one side rather than placed centrally
There is evidence to suggest Richard's hands may have been tied when he was buried
The paper - by a team from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, School of Archaeology and Ancient History, and Department of Genetics - follows the public revelation in February by the University of Leicester that the University had discovered King Richard III.
It followed a three-week dig started in August 2012 at what was once the medieval Grey Friars church in Leicester now a Leicester City Council car park.
The paper reveals that the King's grave was too short for him and had an untidy "lozenge" shape, with the bottom of the grave much smaller than it was at ground level.
The head was propped up against one corner of the grave, suggesting the gravediggers had made no attempt to rearrange the body once it had been lowered in.
There were also no signs of a shroud or coffin.
This is in stark contrast to the other medieval graves found in the town, which were the correct length and were dug neatly with vertical sides.
This may show that the gravediggers were in a hurry to put the body in the ground or had little respect for the deceased.
This is in keeping with accounts from the medieval historian Polydore Vergil, who said Richard III was buried "without any pomp or solemn funeral".
'The king in the car park': new light on the death and burial of Richard III in the Grey Friars church, Leicester, in 1485 is the first academic paper to be published on the University of Leicester's Search for Richard III.
It outlines the key findings from the archaeological investigation of the Grey Friars site.
It includes analysis of Richard III's grave and explains the conclusions about the friary's layout based on the remains of the church and cloisters.
It also includes initial observations of the King's skeleton.
The paper was written by key members of the University's Search for Richard III, including lead archaeologist Richard Buckley and Grey Friars site director Mathew Morris.
It also includes contributions from osteoarchaeologist Dr Jo Appleby, geneticist Dr Turi King, medieval friary expert Deirdre O'Sullivan and Professor Lin Foxhall, Head of the University's School of Archaeology and Ancient History.
The authors state in the paper: "The Grey Friars Project has been unusual in the nature of the collaboration between professional and academic archaeologists, an amateur group (the Richard III Society) and the City of Leicester. However, this also means that the project has addressed two different but overlapping sets of research questions, not all of which specialists would routinely ask.
"Projects developed in this way may become more common in future as non-specialists increasingly become users, stakeholders and participants in academic research. What is somewhat different from the ways in which archaeological professionals and amateurs have generally worked together is that in this case the non-specialists played a role in shaping the intellectual frameworks of the project, although the final project design (including how questions could appropriately be asked of the evidence), and the execution of the project in practical terms remained in the hands of the archaeologists.
"Grey Friars offers a case study for addressing the issues of how to formulate multiple sets of research questions and aims, and how different kinds of partners can accommodate each other's questions.
"The paper highlights the fact that this was a public archaeology project initiated by Philippa Langley, a member of the Richard III Society, and executed by a team of archaeologists and other specialists from the University of Leicester."
They conclude: "At this stage we have discovered enough of the plan of the Grey Friars precinct to feel confident that we have identified parts of the eastern range, the chapter house and the eastern end of the church, including the transition between the choir and the presbytery.
"This means that the hastily constructed grave in Trench 1 is certainly in the place indicated by the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century written sources as the tomb of King Richard III.
"The radiocarbon dates, evidence on the male skeleton of severe scoliosis, trauma consistent with injuries in battle and potential peri-mortem 'humiliation injuries', combined with the mtDNA match with two independent, well-verified matrilineal descendants all point clearly to the identification of this individual as King Richard III. Indeed, it is difficult to explain the combined evidence as anyone else.
"This result is the most important one for our non-specialist partners, as well as for millions of people around the world, and addresses their key questions."
The paper acknowledges the support of the Richard III Society, Leicester Shire Promotions, Leicester City Council and others.
Commenting on the paper Professor Chris Scarre, editor of Antiquity, said: "This discovery has been a focus of major public interest and debate, and we are delighted to publish the details of the excavation that have helped lead the team to their conclusion."
The full outcomes from the bone analysis and DNA tests will be published in subsequent papers.
###
Due to the worldwide interest in the discovery of Richard III, the University of Leicester has made arrangements to ensure the paper is publicly available via: http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/087/ant0870519.htm
This means anyone in the world will be able to read the paper online as soon as it is published.
There will be new excavations at the Grey Friars site in July, which will help clarify details around the disposal of the body.
The Search for Richard III was led by the University of Leicester, working with Leicester City Council, and in association with the Richard III Society.
The paper can be found at: http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/087/ant0870519.htm
Please note paper will be accessible online after noon on Friday May 24. For a PDF copy of the paper email: er134@le.ac.uk
For more information, please contact:
Richard Buckley, lead archaeologist on the Search for Richard III, University of Leicester Archaeological Services, on 0116 252 2848 or email: rjb16@le.ac.uk
Mathew Morris, Grey Friars site director, can be contacted on (0116) 252 5665 or at: mlm9@le.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Kevin and Marina Krim with their daughter Lulu in 2012. (via Live Journal)The parents of two young children killed last fall allegedly by their nanny announced on Thursday that they are expecting a baby this fall.
Kevin and Marina Krim broke the news on a Facebook page established in the memory of their children, Lulu, 6, and Leo, 2, who were found stabbed to death in their Manhattan home in October.
?We are very happy to let you know that Marina is expecting a baby in the fall,? the Krims wrote. They added that their surviving daughter, Nessie, 3, ?can?t wait to welcome her new baby brother.?
?We are filled with many emotions as we look to the future, but the most important one is hope,? the Krims wrote.
The announcement comes just a month after Yoselyn Ortega, the family?s nanny, was declared fit to stand trial for the murders of Lulu and Leo. Marina Krim has told police she came home from Nessie?s swim practice and found her two other kids dead in a bathtub while Ortega stood nearby stabbing herself in the throat.
Ortega has not entered a plea. She is currently being held without bail in a New York City jail.
Sci-fi fans are generally fairly mild-mannered folk. But don't get them angry. You wouldn't like them when they're angry. Unfortunately, there was lots of anger in Norwich, UK, over the weekend, when fans of "Doctor Who" and "Star Wars" squared off outside a convention -- and yes, "the force" was called. The police force.
According to Norwich Evening News 24, it all started at the 4th Norwich Sci-Fi and Film Convention on Sunday, which was hosted by the Norwich "Star Wars" Club UK and Hollywood Cinemas. The convention refused entry to members of the Norwich Sci-Fi Club by the members of the Norwich "Star Wars" Club, reportedly after the treasurer of the Sci-Fi Club asked a "Doctor Who" actor for an autograph.
Sci-Fi Club treasurer Jim Poole was asked to leave after requesting the autograph, and he and organizer Richard Walker reportedly had words inside before taking it outdoors.
It's unclear why this was a flashpoint -- Walker later told Evening News 24 that the visitors had been trying to undermine the convention with Facebook comments -- but it led to over a dozen fans (many dressed in costume) facing off outside the venue.
There were no light saber and sonic screwdriver duels, but police did respond to a report that a man was being assaulted. After investigating and reviewing closed-circuit footage, police determined no assault had taken place. A spokesperson told the News that "the two rival groups were spoken to and advised to keep out of each other's way."
Despite the incident, Walker called the event "a very successful day."
May 15, 2013 ? By adding semiconducting nanoparticles to polymers, the Materials + Technologies Research Group (GMT) of the Polytechnical College of San Sebastian of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country has created nanostructured composite materials with specific optical and electrical properties that vary according to size. These properties allow researchers to synthesise particles of the size corresponding to the desired properties, and by adding these particles to polymers, to give the final product one specific property or another.
At the UPV/EHU's Polytechnical College of San Sebastian they are working with particles that act like quantum dots, specifically with cadmium and selenium composite nanoparticles. One of the characteristics of quantum dots is that the optical and electrical properties of the particle vary according to size.
In the case of the cadmium and selenium composite particles, this variation takes place in nanoparticles of less than 10 nanometres -- a nanometre is equal to one millionth of a millimetre -- , and, "therefore it is not the same to have a nanoparticle of 3 nanometres or one of 6 nanometres," explains Haritz Etxeberria, researcher in the UPV/EHU's department of Chemical Engineering and the Environment and author of the research. This allows nanoparticles with very specific properties to be synthesised, and subsequently when these nanoparticles are incorporated into other materials, the researcher can prepare new composite materials with pre-selected properties. "Through nanocharges it is possible to add other properties to the intrinsic properties of the basic materials: nanoparticles, nanoclays, fibres, etc. Finally, by uniting the properties of some of them, materials with new properties are obtained," says Etxeberria.
In opto-electronics, biomedicine and in the field of solar panels the authors are seeking applications for the particles that function like quantum dots.
The work done by Etxeberria consisted of synthesising composite cadmium and selenium nanoparticles, and subsequently, of analysing methods for inserting these nanoparticles into a polymer. The main challenge tends to be in fact dispersing the nanoparticles properly throughout the polymer; failure to achieve this means that the composite material will not have the properties that one wants to give it by means of the nanoparticles. "Because the nanoparticles are so small, they tend to group together. So large agglomerates are obtained and they appear mixed in different phases. But when their size is increased, they lose the properties they have as nanoparticles," stresses Etxeberria.
In the first phase of the research work, Etxeberria synthesized nanoparticles of cadmium selenide of different sizes and, bearing in mind the importance of size in the properties of the particle, he analysed various synthesis parameters to optimize the synthesis of the nanoparticles and obtain nanoparticles of cadmium selenide of the desired size and properties.
In the second phase, he analysed methodologies for inserting and dispersing nanoparticles of a specific size (of between 3 and 4 nanometres) throughout the polymer. For this purpose he worked with a block copolymer made of polystyrene and polybutadiene. "We used block copolymers because they allow the phases to be obtained. They share immiscible ingredients, but because they are bonded to each other, they create phase arrangements on a nanometric level, and allow the adding of nanoparticles that have an affinity with one phase or another," explains Etxeberria.
Etxeberria was aiming to disperse the cadmium selenide nanoparticles in the polystyrene phase. To do this, he tried out various functionalization techniques. Functionalization means that molecules that will render the nanoparticles miscible in the selected phase are added to their surface so that they can be properly dispersed throughout the polymer. The best results were obtained by means of the technique known as "grafting through." "Using the grafting through technique, the nanoparticles are placed in the environment in which styrene polymerization takes place. That way, the polymer sometimes grows from the nanoparticle surface, other particles are trapped between the polymer chains, and free polymer is also created," explains Etxeberria. The result is a material that has an affinity with polystyrene, and which produces the desired homogenous dispersion when blended with the block copolymer.
This has been demonstrated by the measurements carried out on the composite material created: the composite material has the same optical and electrical characteristics that the nanoparticles had initially. In view of the good results of the technique, Etxeberria is now working on other materials, like cellulose.
Nigel Redman checks the TV monitor. (photo by David Gordon)
Not that long ago, if you wanted to watch a local program, you?d have to catch it when it aired on channel 23. This month, the channel added online streaming to its website, which allows anyone with an internet connection to tune in from anywhere. The system also allows storing programs on the cloud ? a large-scale dedicated server ? which means viewers can watch programs any time, not just as they are being broadcast.
Manager Anastasia Redman illustrates one of the many new possibilities this creates.
?We?re talking to the high school now,? Anastasia said. ?We?re trying to get them to record the graduation, and stream it live. So if there?s a family member in California who can?t get to their grandkids? graduation, they can put it on their computer and see it live as it occurs.?
The channel broadcasts locally-produced entertainment and educational programs and public meetings recorded by volunteers.
Nigel Redman, the volunteer technical director, said the system, and renovations to the studio, installation of the electronics and maintenance are all done by volunteers. An unused area in Town Hall is now a professional studio, with equipment neatly mounted on racks and a substantial space for program production.
Lighthouse TV is using a higher grade of streaming, which doesn?t place the video screen in the midst of advertising, Nigel said. ?There are streaming packages that are free, but they come with commercials and banners, and the quality is poor.?
Redman decided to get a dedicated server for the channel, where material can be stored and from which broadcasts originate, he said. To do this, the channel had to buy a coder, which converts the signal to digital form, and has to subscribe to the cloud service. ?The subscription gives us the ability to save the video on demand and to have a dedicated pegtv (similar to mpeg in audio). We use Adobe Flash as our video stream.?
The server service costs about $1,500, which comes out of the channel 23 budget, Nigel said. ?We?re hoping we can share some of the cost with the town, since the town will be using a lot of it,? he said, adding that the station will have to do some fundraising to keep the service going.
The streaming system also allows for video archiving, which allows viewers to watch programs at their convenience, not just as they are being broadcast, Nigel said. ?Our meetings ? Town Board, Village Board, Board of Education ? are now available to our residents any time.?
?If they?re submitted,? Anastasia added.
The other motive for streaming was to create an ?emergency action system,? which would allow emergency services, such as police, to send information out via computer through the television station, Nigel said. ?They will be able to use our encoder to get their message out in an emergency.?
?We are establishing the parameters with them,? Anastasia said. ?Last time we had a storm, the police and the town used TV23 to get the message out on closings and emergency situations, shelters ? it?s an asset to the town and police department.?
?If there?s a news issue, we want it to become a Saugerties news issue,? Nigel said. ?TV23 could always reach all the cable people through Time Warner, but now with a web stream we can reach anybody anywhere who has a computer.?
One development for the near future is a ?live drop? at Cantine Field and one at the Senior Center, which will allow live broadcasting of events and meetings. ?When we record a meeting, it isn?t usually available until two days later,? Anastasia said. ?We won?t have that delay.?
Similarly, events at Cantine Field can be covered, with interviews and video of the events.
?The system is new, and there are still kinks to be worked out,? Anastasia said. ?Sometimes when someone goes online to look, sometimes it works and sometimes it won?t work.? As she spoke, the signal cut off, and the screen went blank.
?When it goes blank like that, we have issues with Time Warner to come in and find out why,? Nigel said. ?We stream through a Time Warner link, and Time Warner installed it, then left and said ?you know how it works.? They have not come back to say ?let?s fix it.??
With all the investment in the studio and equipment, Nigel said he?s a bit disappointed because ?it isn?t being used the way we would like it to be used. The community hasn?t come to say ?we would like to produce shows? like we thought they would. So we?re going to devise other ways to enhance it and get people to access it and use it.?
Do people really watch Cable Channel 23?
?If we go out for an hour, people call up and say, ?what happened?? Plus some of our bulletin board subscribers call up and say we have to stop running their promo because they have too many people showing up,? Nigel said.
The channel has an active board, with five town members and five village members. Leeanne Thornton is the Town Board liaison and Jeannine Mayer represents the Village Board.
The board works well together, Anastasia said. ?We might have discussions where we disagree, but in the end we all come out agreeing, which is fabulous,? she said.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called on President Barack Obama on Tuesday to make available for questioning everyone who knew about the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups, and demanded "no more stonewalling."
With Congress preparing to hold hearings on the IRS's holding conservative groups to extra scrutiny, McConnell said he was "calling on the president to make available, completely and without restriction, everyone who can answer the questions we have as to what was going on at the IRS, who knew about it, and how high it went."
"No more stonewalling, no more incomplete answers, no more misleading responses, no holding back witnesses, no matter how senior their current or former positions ? we need full transparency and cooperation," McConnell, of Kentucky, said on the Senate floor.
The scandal was ignited on Friday when an IRS official revealed at a meeting of tax lawyers that the agency had inappropriately singled out Tea Party movement and other conservative groups for extra examination of their claims for tax-exempt status.
Obama on Monday said the IRS's targeting of the Tea Party and other conservative groups for additional tax scrutiny was outrageous and that any IRS employee involved would be held accountable.
But Obama's words failed to ease the ire of Republicans in Congress and conservative groups, who question how far the IRS went and who set the policy.
Republicans as well as Obama's fellow Democrats promise congressional hearings that are expected to sap energy from Obama's legislative agenda, including his push to overhaul the nation's immigration system.
Citing media reports, McConnell said, "targeting wasn't limited to an IRS office out in Cincinnati ? as the administration suggested last week ? but that it reached all the way to IRS headquarters in Washington."
"What we don't know at this point is whether it jumped the fence from the IRS to the White House," the Senate Republican leader said.
"But we do know this: we can't count on the administration to be forthcoming about the details of this scandal ? because so far they've been anything but."
The targeting began in 2010, shortly after the emergence of the conservative Tea Party movement, which helped Republicans, in the election that year, pick up seats in the Senate and control of the House of Representatives.
(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro; Editing by Vicki Allen)
More goodies for devs here at I/O: Google just announced that Google Cloud Messaging -- the push-notification system that debuted last year -- is now a part of its Google Play Services, and it will get three new features, to boot. These include "persistent connections," which should help push out messages quickly, upstream messaging for sending data from your app to your servers and -- most importantly -- synced notifications across devices. This means that if you dismiss an alert on your phone, it will similarly hit the dust on your slate. Mountain View recently announced that Cloud Messaging will now integrate with all versions of Chrome and Chrome OS, so today's news is a (very big) cherry on top.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration is looking at new ways to pressure Iran over its nuclear program.
The State Department's nuclear negotiator with Iran, Wendy Sherman, and the Treasury Department's sanctions chief, David Cohen, are telling Congress that the U.S. is exploring different ways to press Tehran into making nuclear concessions.
These range from possible executive orders to military signals to U.S. efforts to end the civil war in Syria, a key Iranian ally.
Their comments came as the Treasury Department on Wednesday added two Dubai-based companies to an American blacklist of firms accused of supporting Iran's weapons proliferation activities.
The action bans Americans from doing business with Al Fida International General Trading or Al Hilal Exchange. Any assets held by those companies in the U.S. are now blocked.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission plans to send a formal warning to China that it is ready to levy sanctions against telecoms equipment makers Huawei and ZTE Corp over illegal subsidies, people close to the matter said.
EU trade chief Karel De Gucht is set to win support from the bloc's executive on Wednesday to send the warning letter and show China's new president, Xi Jinping, that Brussels is serious about countering what it says is state support.
"We want to send a warning to the Chinese, a letter of intent that if they don't change their practices, there will be duties," said one person involved, adding that De Gucht had the full backing of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
The decision will mark an intensification of the European Union's efforts to guard against what Brussels says is dumping by China, the EU's second-largest trading partner. From June, the Commission will also levy duties on billions of dollars of solar panels from China, EU officials have told Reuters.
Huawei was a little known telecoms firm less than a decade ago but today, along with its smaller rival ZTE, it holds almost a quarter of the European market.
That poses a security risk, the Commission says, because European industries ranging from healthcare to water utilities are becoming reliant on cheaper Chinese wireless technology.
An internal EU report last year recommended that the 27-member bloc should take action against Chinese telecoms equipment makers as their increasing dominance of mobile networks made them a threat to security as well as to home-grown companies.
COLLECTING EVIDENCE
A Huawei spokeswoman in Brussels declined to comment on the move, but the company denies receiving unfair subsidies. It says its advantages are due to low-cost manufacturing and that its products are secure. There was no comment ZTE on Tuesday, but it also denies allegations of illegal subsidies.
De Gucht told Reuters in February there were serious concerns about China's growing presence in mobile telecoms networks, noting that the United States and Australia had effectively shut Huawei out of their markets.
Last year, Germany excluded Huawei from supplying the infrastructure for a national academic research network.
But European manufacturers Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia Siemens Networks fear retaliation in China if they push to launch an anti-subsidy case, so the Commission has been collecting evidence on Huawei and ZTE with a view to launching a case on its own initiative.
Division between EU countries over the telecoms issue meant De Gucht has trodden cautiously. Britain and the Netherlands have embraced Huawei as a major job provider, while France and Italy have been backing De Gucht on going ahead with sanctions.
Officials say they now have proof of Chinese subsidies.
"This is a political decision tomorrow," said another person briefed on the Commission's thinking. "It's basically saying, we have all the evidence we need, we don't need to launch an investigation," the person said.
The Huawei spokeswoman noted that the company had offered several times to meet the European Commission but was rebuffed.
"We are open to talking with stakeholders. Because there are allegations, there are misunderstandings and misperceptions, that's why we are always keen to discuss with all the stakeholders," Tina Tsai said.
(Additional reporting by Robin Emmott and Luke Baker; Editing by Alison Williams)
John Lee Dumas, founder and host of Entrepreneur On Fire, is a Maine native
John Lee Dumas is the founder and host of Entrepreneur On Fire, one of the top-ranked business podcasts on iTunes.
He?s also a Maine native and current resident of Portland. Before launching Entrepreneur On Fire in September 2012, John was a commercial real estate broker for NAI The Dunham Group in the Portland.
Entrepreneur On Fire is a daily podcast in which John interviews a successful entrepreneur about their journey, how they?ve found success at what they?re doing and what lessons they?ve learned.
By providing consistent and quality content, John has in eight months grown his show to the point where it generates more than 200,000 unique downloads a month from 145 countries.
As of Friday, he has posted 202 interviews. He?s interviewed such celebrity entrepreneurs as Seth Godin, Tim Ferris and Guy Kawasaki, as well as dozens of other inspiring entrepreneurs.
In my interview with John, which is about 30 minutes long, we discuss his military background, how he successfully became a full-time podcast producer, and how he manages to post an interview each weekday without burning out. He also shares his ?success quote? and other tips for Maine entrepreneurs.
Unfortunately, my reason for interviewing John on Friday is not just because he?s an awesome guy (which he is) ? it?s because Maine is losing him to California as of this week.
While John is a big cheerleader for Maine and Portland, life?s twists and turns (in this case a girl) is leading him to San Diego, where he?ll continue to pump out quality interviews for Entrepreneur On Fire. Maine?s business community will miss him.
A note on the audio: Soundcloud allows you to stream and listen to the interview right from here (click the orange ?play? button), or you can download it as an mp3 file (click the little black arrow pointing downward) and listen to it on your mobile device as you would any other podcast.
I spent 12 magical days in Botswana exploring four camps -- Chitabe, Vumbura Plains, Abu and Mombo -- in various regions of the Okavango Delta. Each had its own personality and exciting wildlife adventure. I started my trip at Chitabe Camp, and now... Vumbura Plains.
It was mid-afternoon, and we (my new friends Johanna and Alexandra and I) were excited to land at Vumbura (pronounced voombura) Plains, in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta, our new home for the next three days. Ban, our guide, loaded our bags into his jeep, and we began our 15-minute journey to the camp. He told us that the golden pack had been spotted on the property and we'd look for it during the afternoon game drive. The golden pack is a group of famous wild dogs, an endangered species that roams that area of the Delta. We were destined to find them, and the sighting would end up being one of the most exhilarating and heart-pounding adventures of my trip.
The Camp Vumbura Plains was very different from Chitabe, the rustic-luxury tented camp where we'd just spent our first three nights in Botswana. The main building reminded me of a contemporary beachside ranch house. The main meeting area was open and airy, with modern architecture crafted of pale wood and built-in modular couches facing east toward the sunrise. In the center, a large, square sitting area jutted out into the plains, packed with plump, off-white canvas cushions that surrounded a fire pit.
Each room at the camp is a separate thatched roof villa made private by a high wooden wall. A large door with an oversize latch opened onto my private deck with a covered sitting area, a private plunge pool and an outdoor shower, all with a glorious view of the plains. The room itself was sleek and modern with a sunken living room, a groovy white candy-kiss-shaped lamp, a canopied bed the size of a house, and an en suite bathroom. Mosaic tiles decorated the floor of a decadent open-air shower at least 6 feet square with dual shower heads and billowy white drapes that gently floated in the breeze.
One of my favorite sightings of all time: Sandwiched between angry elephants and wild dogs
By 4:30 pm, we'd been watching the dogs sleep for 15 minutes. It took us awhile to find them, spread out in a clump of skinny trees. We were waiting for them to wake and engage in a frenetic "greeting" ceremony of wagging tails, sniffing and wrestling, not unlike the play of puppies, before they went out on their hunt. Out of the blue, we heard the panicked trumpets of elephants, mixed with the sound of small trees being knocked down in a hurry. It was like the scene from Jurassic Park where you could hear the T. rex coming, but you just couldn't see it yet. Suddenly, running in single file, elephants broke through the trees to our right. Two ran right past without as much as a glance in our direction; but the third, visibly surprised to see us, broke from the group and with ears stretched out wide, began waving his head and body, warning us off and rumbling loudly. Behind him, elephant after elephant stampeded past him, trumpeting as if the sky were falling. To say we were wide-eyed with shock is an understatement. Ban sat quietly watching, and we followed suit. The dogs to our left were awake and sat staring at the display without moving. Moments later, our blustery elephant turned and followed the herd. I exhaled with a gasp, unaware that I had been holding my breath the whole time.
Ban casually explained that the elephants were in a breeding herd with babies and they'd probably picked up the scent of the dogs. Within a few seconds the trumpeting began again, followed by more trees crashing. The elephants were coming back.
The golden pack had moved from the left side of our car to the right, sitting in the grass the herd had just trampled. Directly in front of us, 12 feet away at the most, the trees parted and two large tusks appeared, followed by a massive head jerking back briefly in surprise. Warily, the elephant walked toward us and to the left, fixated on our jeep. Within seconds three others joined her, and shoulder-to-shoulder they began to sway and rumble, lifting their trunks in the air and pounding the dirt. My heart was in my throat. Ban whispered, "They aren't interested in us; they are interested in the dogs." That's great, I thought, but we're between the angry elephants and the dogs!
After 30 seconds or so, the first elephant cautiously squeezed between our jeep and the trees to stand directly in front of the dogs, and then she went a little loony. She stomped the ground, threw dirt with her trunk, trumpeted up a storm and pretended to rush the dogs, stopping short a few feet in front of them. (The dogs, by the way, reacted to the elephants like indifferent children being yelled at by their parents.) And just when I thought the dogs' defiance was going to send the pachyderms over the edge, the herd in unison turned and smashed through the trees away from us, once again. Within seconds, our little adrenaline-pumped group was immersed in silence.
Unfortunately during this time, I was too frozen to shoot, convinced that if the elephants heard the click of my camera, I would set them off and they'd rush the jeep, pummeling us into the ground. I kicked myself for hours afterward for not having captured the scene.
The dogs, unlike us, were unfazed. As the trees stopped swaying from the last of the elephants, they immediately started leaping on each other, tails wagging, all sniffs and licks -- the "greeting" had finally begun, and I just had one of the most thrilling experiences of my life.
Camp details ? Camp activities: Day and night game drives in open 4x4 Land Rovers; mokoro rides (a dug-out canoe for two); boating on the waterways; walking safaris; seasonal catch-and-release fishing. ? My guide: Ban. A fantastic guide: He always got us right up close to the animals. Pretty much put us in the lap of a leopard -- in a good way. Not the friendliest guy, but frankly, I didn't need him to be my buddy. ? In-room amenities: In-room safe; laundry; Carolyn Rhys toiletries; hair dryer; large cooler packed with various beverages and, next to it, small glass jars filled with various treats. (I especially loved the wrapped jelly candies.) ? Meals: Meals were slightly more formal than at Chitabe. Though served at feast-type tables, dinners were ordered with a menu, no buffet, and guests were extremely friendly but tended to eat with their own groups. ? Eco-conscious: Keeping the environment top of mind, Vumbura provided aluminum water bottles for guests and plenty of water to keep us hydrated. ? Animals in camp: At night, hippos were very close to my room, chomping the grass below the elevated boardwalk. Elephants grazed near the periphery of camp during the day. A few impala.
I recommend Vumbura Plains for... ? Travelers who want to see amazing wildlife. Though the sighting with the wild dogs and elephants stood out, we also saw leopards, buffalo, lions wildebeest, zebra and a whole lot more. ? Honeymooners will love the expansive private rooms with deck and plunge pool. ? People who prefer more modern accommodations than tents with bush-inspired d?cor.
Next up, Abu Camp....
For an overall understanding of safaris, types of camps and how to find, please read my general overview here.
A male leopard takes a break from the morning sun inside a clump of bushes. We spent the an hour or so following him as he hunted. Unfortunately for him, baboons overhead and impala on the ground were snorting and screeching at the sight of him. No opportunity for him to sneak up on prey and enjoy a hearty breakfast. Strangely enough, the jeep didn't seem to draw any attention. ? Susan Portnoy
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NVIDIA has a couple of kick-ass accessories to keep your Shield safe and looking unique
We know where and when you can finally get your hands on an NVIDIA Shield, but once you get it you'll probably be interested in some of the official accessories for the device. At the time of launch, NVIDIA is making both a carrying case and removable custom lids for the Shield available. The carrying case will retail for $39.99 and is a hard-sided zippered affair that will keep the Shield nice and protected while you're not using it. The back is designed to let you charge it while completely closed in the case -- a nice touch.
For the device itself, you can buy replaceable custom lids that adorn the back of the screen at $19.99. There will be several different colors and patterns available, with surely more to come. The stock lid is a brushed silver color, which matches the plastic insets on other parts of the device. Stick around after the break for a few more pictures of the case and a nice animation of how the custom lids are removed and replaced on the back of the Shield.
How has HTC's latest flagship fared after two months in the hands of an AC editor?
It’s been just over two months since I first got my hands on the HTC One -- first, a pre-production demo unit, then a final European retail model. For most of that time, HTC’s impressive 2013 flagship has been my daily driver -- the phone I use every day, and take with me just about everywhere I go. In that time it’s seen plenty of normal use, and ten days or so of not-so-normal use in New York City for our Galaxy S4 and #TM13 coverage
But the HTC One was in in short supply when it first launched in Europe and it’s only recently hit the U.S. market, so we’re in a bit of a unique position to have used the phone for this long. With that in mind, so now seems like the right moment to reflect on our time with the device.
Just as we did for the Nexus 4 in January, it’s time for our long-term, two-month retrospective feature on the HTC One. We’ve already brought you a full review of the phone, and a casual review of the Sprint version, of course. So consider this article a chance for us to share the kind of details that don’t come to light in the course of our normal review process, and an opportunity to let you know what to expect in the months ahead if you pick up an HTC One today.
Check past the break to learn how the HTC One has coped with 61 days in the hands of an Android Central editor.
The Hulu Plus app for Android has a new update, and the most noticeable change is that its player UI to closer match the one on its website and in iOS. It also brings features from those platforms like 10 second skip back and a preview thumbnail in the scrub bar. Hulu also claims it's rebuilt "for optimized awesomeness" with reduced buffering, better playback, and more device compatibility. Finally, in a move that should make plugging in your HDMI-out a little easier, it supports remote control navigation from game controllers and "similar peripherals." A picture of the new UI is above, check out the old version after the break or just hit the source link to try it out for yourself.
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Public release date: 23-May-2013
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