Argentina and Chile advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa America on Saturday with Chile beating Mexico 7-0 and Lionel Messi getting a goal in Argentina&#39;s 4-1 win over Venezuela to equal his country&#39;s all-time scoring record.<br />
<br />
Messi scored in the 60th minute to take his career tally for Argentina to 54 goals, matching the record held by Gabriel Batistuta.<br />
<br />
Argentina will now face the United States in the first semi-final on Tuesday in Houston.<br />
<br />
Reigning champions Chile joined them in the last four after a 7-0 demolition of Mexico in Santa Clara.<br />
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Hoffenheim striker Eduardo Vargas scored four goals to help them set up a semi-final date with Colombia on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
Messi won the Man-of-the-Match award in an action-packed game against underdogs Venezuela in Foxborough.<br />
<br />
Argentina got off to the perfect start after just seven minutes when Gonzalo Higuain dived to turn a delicate cross from Messi past goalkeeper Dani Hernandez.<br />
<br />
The in-form Napoli striker doubled the lead 20 minutes later when he latched on to a slack back pass to round the goalkeeper and slot the ball into the empty net.<br />
<br />
Salomon Rondon twice came close for Venezuela and his side should have pulled a goal back two minutes from half time after Sergio Romero brought down Josef Martinez in the box.<br />
<br />
However, the Manchester United goalkeeper redeemed himself when he stood firm and Seijas&#39; carelessly dinked penalty sailed right into his arms.<br />
<br />
Messi, who started for the first time in the tournament after three substitute appearances, put Argentina 3-0 ahead when he worked a lovely one-two with Nicolas Gaitan and then poked the ball under Hernandez with his left foot.<br />
<br />
Venezuela were not out of it, though, and Rondon got the lightest of touches on a cross to head home and make it 3-1 after 70 minutes.<br />
<br />
However, their hopes were short-lived as just seconds later Erik Lamela, who had been on the field for only four minutes, shot home from 12 yards to make it 4-1 for Argentina.<br />
<br />
Chile were unstoppable in the other quarter-final in Santa Clara as they hammered a surprisingly fragile Mexico.<br />
<br />
Edson Puch got his first international goal after 15 minutes when he fired home after keeper Guillermo Ochoa could only parry a long-range shot.<br />
<br />
Vargas got a second just before half time when he was first to pounce on a cross ball.<br />
<br />
Alexis Sanchez was involved in most of Chile&#39;s great work and he made it 3-0 just three minutes into the second half.<br />
<br />
Three minutes later Vargas got his second and Chile&#39;s fourth as Mexico -- without captain Rafael Marquez, who was left on the bench -- wilted under the pressure.<br />
<br />
Mexico had no answer to the pace and running of Sanchez and Arturo Vidal, and it was Sanchez who helped Vargas to a hat-trick when the Hoffenheim striker hammered home from close-in after Ochoa had parried Sanchez&#39;s shot.<br />
<br />
Vargas got a fourth after 73 minutes when he blasted the ball into the roof of the net after dithering Mexican defenders failed to clear.<br />
<br />
Puch completed the rout in the 87th minute when he dinked the ball over Ochoa after a fast break by Sanchez.<br />
(Reuters)

Eduardo Vargas scored 4 goals for Chile; Man-of-the -Match Messi's 54th goal tied country's all-time scoring record

Argentina and Chile advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa America on Saturday with Chile beating Mexico 7-0 and Lionel Messi getting a goal in Argentina's 4-1 win over Venezuela to equal his country's all-time scoring record. Messi scored in the 60th minute to take his career tally for Argentina to 54 goals, matching the record held by Gabriel Batistuta. Argentina will now face the United States in the first semi-final on Tuesday in Houston. Reigning champions Chile joined them in the last four after a 7-0 demolition of Mexico in Santa Clara. Hoffenheim striker Eduardo Vargas scored four goals to help them set up a semi-final date with Colombia on Wednesday. Messi won the Man-of-the-Match award in an action-packed game against underdogs Venezuela in Foxborough. Argentina got off to the perfect start after just seven minutes when Gonzalo Higuain dived to turn a delicate cross from Messi past goalkeeper Dani Hernandez. The in-form Napoli striker doubled the lead 20 minutes later when he latched on to a slack back pass to round the goalkeeper and slot the ball into the empty net. Salomon Rondon twice came close for Venezuela and his side should have pulled a goal back two minutes from half time after Sergio Romero brought down Josef Martinez in the box. However, the Manchester United goalkeeper redeemed himself when he stood firm and Seijas' carelessly dinked penalty sailed right into his arms. Messi, who started for the first time in the tournament after three substitute appearances, put Argentina 3-0 ahead when he worked a lovely one-two with Nicolas Gaitan and then poked the ball under Hernandez with his left foot. Venezuela were not out of it, though, and Rondon got the lightest of touches on a cross to head home and make it 3-1 after 70 minutes. However, their hopes were short-lived as just seconds later Erik Lamela, who had been on the field for only four minutes, shot home from 12 yards to make it 4-1 for Argentina. Chile were unstoppable in the other quarter-final in Santa Clara as they hammered a surprisingly fragile Mexico. Edson Puch got his first international goal after 15 minutes when he fired home after keeper Guillermo Ochoa could only parry a long-range shot. Vargas got a second just before half time when he was first to pounce on a cross ball. Alexis Sanchez was involved in most of Chile's great work and he made it 3-0 just three minutes into the second half. Three minutes later Vargas got his second and Chile's fourth as Mexico -- without captain Rafael Marquez, who was left on the bench -- wilted under the pressure. Mexico had no answer to the pace and running of Sanchez and Arturo Vidal, and it was Sanchez who helped Vargas to a hat-trick when the Hoffenheim striker hammered home from close-in after Ochoa had parried Sanchez's shot. Vargas got a fourth after 73 minutes when he blasted the ball into the roof of the net after dithering Mexican defenders failed to clear. Puch completed the rout in the 87th minute when he dinked the ball over Ochoa after a fast break by Sanchez. (Reuters)

Copa report: Chile romp to stunning 7-0 defeat over Mexico, Argentina bests Venezuela 4-1

Displaced by California Wildfire, exotic animals get a new home.

California Animal Shelter

<p>At least five people died when the charter bus they were on crashed into a pole by a highway in Northern California early on Tuesday, officials said.</p>

<p>Images from Sacramento television station KCRA showed the pole for an exit sign sliced lengthwise through the bus, from its front to its middle.</p>

<p>The bus was en route to Sacramento from Southern California at about 3:30 AM&nbsp;PDT (1030 GMT) on State Route 99 when it crashed, California Highway Patrol spokesman Moises Onsurez said by phone.</p>

<p>Highway Patrol officials said the cause of the crash near the town of Livingston was under investigation.</p>

<p>At least five people on the bus were killed, Onsurez said.</p>

<p>Several passengers were airlifted to local hospitals, Onsurez said, but he could not immediately say how many were injured.</p>

<p>Six people with major injuries were airlifted to hospitals in the region and 15 others were taken by ambulance to various hospitals, according to Sacramento-based television station KCRA.</p>

<p>&quot;The bus split open and that&#39;s how I got out,&quot; Jennifer Rivera, a child who survived the crash, told KCRA. &quot;My arm was scratched and it hurt a lot.&quot;</p>

<p>The bus driver suffered major injuries, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.</p>

<p>Local media reported the bus suddenly veered off course. Roughly 30 people were on board at the time, television station CBS Sacramento reported.</p>

<p>The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate the crash, Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the federal agency, said in an email.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)</p>


Six people with major injuries were airlifted to nearby hospitals.The cause of the crash is under investigation

At least five people died when the charter bus they were on crashed into a pole by a highway in Northern California early on Tuesday, officials said. Images from Sacramento television station KCRA showed the pole for an exit sign sliced lengthwise through the bus, from its front to its middle. The bus was en route to Sacramento from Southern California at about 3:30 AM PDT (1030 GMT) on State Route 99 when it crashed, California Highway Patrol spokesman Moises Onsurez said by phone. Highway Patrol officials said the cause of the crash near the town of Livingston was under investigation. At least five people on the bus were killed, Onsurez said. Several passengers were airlifted to local hospitals, Onsurez said, but he could not immediately say how many were injured. Six people with major injuries were airlifted to hospitals in the region and 15 others were taken by ambulance to various hospitals, according to Sacramento-based television station KCRA. "The bus split open and that's how I got out," Jennifer Rivera, a child who survived the crash, told KCRA. "My arm was scratched and it hurt a lot." The bus driver suffered major injuries, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Local media reported the bus suddenly veered off course. Roughly 30 people were on board at the time, television station CBS Sacramento reported. The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate the crash, Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the federal agency, said in an email. (Reuters)

At least 5 people killed as bus crashes into pole in northern California

Volkswagen AG will pay an additional $86 million in penalties to California over its emissions scandal, on top of a settlement of $14.7 billion the automaker reached with US officials last week, state attorney general Kamala Harris said in a statement on Thursday.<br />
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The office of Harris, a Democrat, said the $86 million in civil penalties resolved certain claims California officials made against Volkswagen under the state&#39;s unfair competition law as well as under federal law.<br />
<br />
&quot;We must conserve and protect our environment for future generations and deliver swift and certain consequences to those who break the law and pollute our air,&quot; said Harris, who is running for a seat in the US Senate.<br />
<br />
The scandal has disrupted Volkswagen&#39;s global business and sullied its reputation.<br />
<br />
The latest settlement between officials for Volkswagen and California, the nation&#39;s most populous state, provides for $76 million to be paid to Harris&#39; office to defray costs relating to investigation and litigation of the emissions scandal, according to court documents.<br />
<br />
The other $10 million will be dedicated to grants for government agencies and universities, to be used in part to study technology that can help detect so-called &quot;defeat devices&quot;, which on Volkswagen cars produced false results during diesel emissions tests, Harris&#39; office said.<br />
<br />
Volkswagen, the world&#39;s second-biggest automaker, has admitted it used sophisticated secret software to cheat exhaust emissions tests, deceiving regulators and customers about pollution from its diesel engines.<br />
<br />
&quot;Today&rsquo;s filing formalises the agreement with the California attorney general announced last week to resolve consumer protection claims related to the diesel matter in California,&quot; Volkswagen said in a statement.<br />
<br />
The company had previously said it would pay $603 million to resolve litigation with most US states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, on top of the $14.7 billion settlement with federal officials.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Under that larger settlement involving the US department of justice, the company will buy back or potentially fix about a half-million polluting diesel cars and set up environmental and consumer compensation funds.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

VW admitted to using secret software to cheat exhaust emissions tests, deceiving regulators and customers about ultra high pollution levels

Volkswagen AG will pay an additional $86 million in penalties to California over its emissions scandal, on top of a settlement of $14.7 billion the automaker reached with US officials last week, state attorney general Kamala Harris said in a statement on Thursday. The office of Harris, a Democrat, said the $86 million in civil penalties resolved certain claims California officials made against Volkswagen under the state's unfair competition law as well as under federal law. "We must conserve and protect our environment for future generations and deliver swift and certain consequences to those who break the law and pollute our air," said Harris, who is running for a seat in the US Senate. The scandal has disrupted Volkswagen's global business and sullied its reputation. The latest settlement between officials for Volkswagen and California, the nation's most populous state, provides for $76 million to be paid to Harris' office to defray costs relating to investigation and litigation of the emissions scandal, according to court documents. The other $10 million will be dedicated to grants for government agencies and universities, to be used in part to study technology that can help detect so-called "defeat devices", which on Volkswagen cars produced false results during diesel emissions tests, Harris' office said. Volkswagen, the world's second-biggest automaker, has admitted it used sophisticated secret software to cheat exhaust emissions tests, deceiving regulators and customers about pollution from its diesel engines. "Today’s filing formalises the agreement with the California attorney general announced last week to resolve consumer protection claims related to the diesel matter in California," Volkswagen said in a statement. The company had previously said it would pay $603 million to resolve litigation with most US states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, on top of the $14.7 billion settlement with federal officials. Under that larger settlement involving the US department of justice, the company will buy back or potentially fix about a half-million polluting diesel cars and set up environmental and consumer compensation funds. (Reuters)

Volkswagen to pay $86 million in penalties to California over emissions

A fast-moving central California wildfire has scorched 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) of parched and rugged terrain in less than a day, destroying 100 structures and injuring three firefighters, fire officials said today.<br />
<br />
Authorities told residents of 1,500 homes to evacuate and the number of threatened homes is likely to grow, Kern County fire department Brian Marshall said at a news conference.<br />
<br />
The so-called Erskine Fire broke out on Thursday at about 4 pm PDT (2300 GMT) in the foothills of Kern County, about 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Bakersfield, drawing in hundreds of firefighters to battle the entirely unconfined blaze.<br />
<br />
The three firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, officials said.<br />
<br />
&quot;Our firefighters have been engaged in a firefight of epic proportions, trying to save every structure possible,&quot; Marshall said. &quot;In a situation like this, there&#39;s not enough firefighters and fire trucks to put in front of every structure.&quot;<br />
<br />
The fast-moving fire 150 miles (241 km) north of Los Angeles has destroyed 100 structures, including homes, outbuildings and detached garages, said Michael Nicholas, a spokesman for the multi-agency team handling the blaze.<br />
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Los Angeles television station KNBC showed footage of burned-out lots covered in gray ash, with only the metal frames of benches and virtually unrecognizable appliances not consumed by flames.<br />
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It was not immediately known if any residents might have died in the fire, Nicholas said.<br />
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More than 100 evacuees were sheltered at an elementary school in Kernville, on the other side of a water reservoir from the blaze, officials said.<br />
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The number of firefighters battling the blaze is expected to grow to as many as 700 throughout the day.<br />
<br />
Fire crews will bulldoze containment lines while air tankers drop water and fire retardant in an effort to stop flames from consuming more homes.<br />
<br />
The extreme heat and dry land are expected to make the fire worse through today, Marshall said, adding that he was hoping for mild and cooperative winds.<br />
<br />
The blaze was one of several large wildfires burning in parched California.<br />
<br />
To the south, firefighters still were struggling to manage two fires in the foothills of Los Angeles County, dubbed the San Gabriel Complex.<br />
<br />
As of today morning, it had burned more than 5,600 acres (2,266 hectares) of chaparral and short grass and containment lines had been drawn around 30 per cent of its perimeter, according to fire tracking website InciWeb.<br />
(Reuters)

The Erskine Fire broke out yesterday in the foothills of Kern County,northeast of Bakersfield. Residents of 1,500 homes were evacuated

A fast-moving central California wildfire has scorched 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) of parched and rugged terrain in less than a day, destroying 100 structures and injuring three firefighters, fire officials said today. Authorities told residents of 1,500 homes to evacuate and the number of threatened homes is likely to grow, Kern County fire department Brian Marshall said at a news conference. The so-called Erskine Fire broke out on Thursday at about 4 pm PDT (2300 GMT) in the foothills of Kern County, about 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Bakersfield, drawing in hundreds of firefighters to battle the entirely unconfined blaze. The three firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, officials said. "Our firefighters have been engaged in a firefight of epic proportions, trying to save every structure possible," Marshall said. "In a situation like this, there's not enough firefighters and fire trucks to put in front of every structure." The fast-moving fire 150 miles (241 km) north of Los Angeles has destroyed 100 structures, including homes, outbuildings and detached garages, said Michael Nicholas, a spokesman for the multi-agency team handling the blaze. Los Angeles television station KNBC showed footage of burned-out lots covered in gray ash, with only the metal frames of benches and virtually unrecognizable appliances not consumed by flames. It was not immediately known if any residents might have died in the fire, Nicholas said. More than 100 evacuees were sheltered at an elementary school in Kernville, on the other side of a water reservoir from the blaze, officials said. The number of firefighters battling the blaze is expected to grow to as many as 700 throughout the day. Fire crews will bulldoze containment lines while air tankers drop water and fire retardant in an effort to stop flames from consuming more homes. The extreme heat and dry land are expected to make the fire worse through today, Marshall said, adding that he was hoping for mild and cooperative winds. The blaze was one of several large wildfires burning in parched California. To the south, firefighters still were struggling to manage two fires in the foothills of Los Angeles County, dubbed the San Gabriel Complex. As of today morning, it had burned more than 5,600 acres (2,266 hectares) of chaparral and short grass and containment lines had been drawn around 30 per cent of its perimeter, according to fire tracking website InciWeb. (Reuters)

Firefighters injured, dozens of homes destroyed in California wildfire

A stubborn wildfire stoked by triple-digit temperatures raged for a sixth day outside Santa Barbara in coastal Southern California on Monday as crews worked to keep the blaze some have called a &quot;sleeping giant&quot; in check, officials said.<br />
<br />
So far, the so-called Sherpa Fire burning in chaparral and tall grass about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Santa Barbara has led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from ranches and campgrounds in the hilly area.<br />
<br />
Authorities said they expected to begin allowing homeowners and farm laborers back into those areas on Wednesday, though county health and environment officials issued an air quality warning for smoke and falling ash from the fire.<br />
<br />
The tally of acreage burned held at nearly 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) since late Sunday, said Jim Schwarber, a spokesman for the multi-agency team combating the blaze.<br />
<br />
The fire, which broke out last Wednesday in the Los Padres National Forest and was 54 per cent contained by Monday, has been called a sleeping giant due to the triple-digit temperatures and dense, bone-dry brush in the area that has not burned in decades, he said.<br />
<br />
&quot;We&#39;re working hard to keep that giant contained so it doesn&#39;t wake up,&quot; Schwarber said.<br />
<br />
So far, the blaze has destroyed only one building - a water-treatment center at a campground, he said.<br />
<br />
But it has threatened more than 200 structures and forced officials to close the 101 Freeway near the Pacific Coast periodically as flames crept to within less than a mile of the shore.<br />
<br />
More than 1,900 firefighters were assigned to the blaze.<br />
<br />
&quot;Red flag warnings&quot; were also posted for the mountains around Los Angeles on Monday as two fires erupted in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest north of the city.<br />
<br />
One blaze, dubbed the Reservoir Fire, had consumed some 1,500 acres by late afternoon and prompted the evacuation of about 70 homes. The second blaze a few miles away devoured about 1,000 acres, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Lulu Castillo said.<br />
<br />
About 160 miles farther south, firefighters battled flames roaring through dry brush and chaparral near the Mexican border for a second day, keeping the desert community of Potrero under evacuation.<br />
<br />
That fire, about 50 miles southeast of San Diego, had charred more than 1,900 acres and was just 5 per cent contained on Monday, California fire officials reported.<br />
<br />
Two states away, the 6-day-old Dog Head Fire in central New Mexico has charred more than 17,000 acres and was 9 per cent contained after destroying 24 homes.<br />
(Reuters)

It has led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from ranches and campgrounds in the area close to Santa Barbara

A stubborn wildfire stoked by triple-digit temperatures raged for a sixth day outside Santa Barbara in coastal Southern California on Monday as crews worked to keep the blaze some have called a "sleeping giant" in check, officials said. So far, the so-called Sherpa Fire burning in chaparral and tall grass about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Santa Barbara has led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from ranches and campgrounds in the hilly area. Authorities said they expected to begin allowing homeowners and farm laborers back into those areas on Wednesday, though county health and environment officials issued an air quality warning for smoke and falling ash from the fire. The tally of acreage burned held at nearly 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) since late Sunday, said Jim Schwarber, a spokesman for the multi-agency team combating the blaze. The fire, which broke out last Wednesday in the Los Padres National Forest and was 54 per cent contained by Monday, has been called a sleeping giant due to the triple-digit temperatures and dense, bone-dry brush in the area that has not burned in decades, he said. "We're working hard to keep that giant contained so it doesn't wake up," Schwarber said. So far, the blaze has destroyed only one building - a water-treatment center at a campground, he said. But it has threatened more than 200 structures and forced officials to close the 101 Freeway near the Pacific Coast periodically as flames crept to within less than a mile of the shore. More than 1,900 firefighters were assigned to the blaze. "Red flag warnings" were also posted for the mountains around Los Angeles on Monday as two fires erupted in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest north of the city. One blaze, dubbed the Reservoir Fire, had consumed some 1,500 acres by late afternoon and prompted the evacuation of about 70 homes. The second blaze a few miles away devoured about 1,000 acres, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Lulu Castillo said. About 160 miles farther south, firefighters battled flames roaring through dry brush and chaparral near the Mexican border for a second day, keeping the desert community of Potrero under evacuation. That fire, about 50 miles southeast of San Diego, had charred more than 1,900 acres and was just 5 per cent contained on Monday, California fire officials reported. Two states away, the 6-day-old Dog Head Fire in central New Mexico has charred more than 17,000 acres and was 9 per cent contained after destroying 24 homes. (Reuters)

Firefighters hold 'sleeping giant' wildfire in check in California,

A wildfire fed by parched land and high winds spread in Southern California on Saturday, prompting hundreds of people to evacuate their homes as the blaze formed destructive columns of flames known as fire tornadoes.<br />
<br />
The so-called Sherpa Fire in Santa Barbara County, about 90 miles (145 km) northwest of Los Angeles, had burned through about 7,811 acres (3,161 hectares) by Saturday evening, officials said.<br />
<br />
Firefighters estimated the fire was 45 per cent contained after early evening &quot;sundowner winds&quot; that can whip through the area&#39;s coastal canyons did not emerge overnight on Friday.<br />
<br />
&quot;We had a very good night last night,&quot; Santa Barbara County fire chief Eric Peterson told a news conference, adding &quot;we&#39;ve had no life loss, no major injuries and no major structural loss.&quot;<br />
<br />
But county officials issued a new &quot;red flag warning&quot; for gusty winds starting from today to Tuesday.<br />
<br />
More than 1,200 firefighters have been dispatched to battle the flames, fueled by dry chaparral and grass in coastal canyons about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of the affluent city of Santa Barbara.<br />
<br />
&quot;Now is the time to gather your family members, pets and important documents in case you need to leave quickly,&quot; the Santa Barbara sheriff&#39;s office warned people living in areas threatened by the fire.<br />
<br />
The fire broke out on Wednesday and has been expanding since then, forcing mandatory evacuations in some areas and putting others under evacuation warnings.<br />
<br />
The fire is one of a series of blazes in western and southwestern states brought about by high temperatures and a prolonged dry spell. One of the largest has been southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, that has destroyed about two dozen homes and forced evacuations.<br />
<br />
More than 700 personnel were fighting the so-called Dog Head Fire that has burned through about 17,600 acres (7,125 hectares) of timber and logging zones in four days. Firefighters said it was 5 per cent contained as of Saturday evening. Governor Susana Martinez this week declared a state of emergency to free up resources to fight the blaze.<br />
<br />
For an area stretching from Southern California to Southern Nevada and into Arizona, the National Weather service has put out &quot;red flag warnings,&quot; indicating conditions that could lead to dangerous fires.<br />
<br />
It has also issued a heat advisory for large parts of New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.<br />
(Reuters)

Firefighters said that 45 per cent was contained but Santa Barbara County officials issued a new red flag warning for gusty winds

A wildfire fed by parched land and high winds spread in Southern California on Saturday, prompting hundreds of people to evacuate their homes as the blaze formed destructive columns of flames known as fire tornadoes. The so-called Sherpa Fire in Santa Barbara County, about 90 miles (145 km) northwest of Los Angeles, had burned through about 7,811 acres (3,161 hectares) by Saturday evening, officials said. Firefighters estimated the fire was 45 per cent contained after early evening "sundowner winds" that can whip through the area's coastal canyons did not emerge overnight on Friday. "We had a very good night last night," Santa Barbara County fire chief Eric Peterson told a news conference, adding "we've had no life loss, no major injuries and no major structural loss." But county officials issued a new "red flag warning" for gusty winds starting from today to Tuesday. More than 1,200 firefighters have been dispatched to battle the flames, fueled by dry chaparral and grass in coastal canyons about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of the affluent city of Santa Barbara. "Now is the time to gather your family members, pets and important documents in case you need to leave quickly," the Santa Barbara sheriff's office warned people living in areas threatened by the fire. The fire broke out on Wednesday and has been expanding since then, forcing mandatory evacuations in some areas and putting others under evacuation warnings. The fire is one of a series of blazes in western and southwestern states brought about by high temperatures and a prolonged dry spell. One of the largest has been southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, that has destroyed about two dozen homes and forced evacuations. More than 700 personnel were fighting the so-called Dog Head Fire that has burned through about 17,600 acres (7,125 hectares) of timber and logging zones in four days. Firefighters said it was 5 per cent contained as of Saturday evening. Governor Susana Martinez this week declared a state of emergency to free up resources to fight the blaze. For an area stretching from Southern California to Southern Nevada and into Arizona, the National Weather service has put out "red flag warnings," indicating conditions that could lead to dangerous fires. It has also issued a heat advisory for large parts of New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. (Reuters)

Southern California wildfire spreads as blazes hit parched states

<div paraeid="{05f3f4ba-6c27-4e34-b44d-90488c3797f0}{222}" paraid="738038165">On&nbsp;March 23,&nbsp;Abhishek Jalalabad&nbsp;spent the day&nbsp;practically praying&nbsp;that he did not&nbsp;see a whale in the waters of&nbsp;Palolem&nbsp;beach in South Goa. A day earlier a local branch of the conservation group, World Wild Fund, got in touch with him. It was a distress call.&nbsp;They wanted help rescuing an eight-foot&nbsp;dwarf&nbsp;sperm whale.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{05f3f4ba-6c27-4e34-b44d-90488c3797f0}{235}" paraid="1162057803"><br />
Jalalabad, a marine scientist,&nbsp;rushed to&nbsp;Palolem&nbsp;beach. By then, tourists and lifeguards had managed to release the whale into the Arabian Sea. But&nbsp;he&nbsp;stayed back on a hunch&nbsp;and his worst fears came true at about midnight.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{05f3f4ba-6c27-4e34-b44d-90488c3797f0}{247}" paraid="416318180"><br />
The eight-foot whale returned to the shore in the dark of the night. Roughly 20 minutes after Jalalabad and his colleague, assisted by tourists, sent it back into the water, the&nbsp;whale beached&nbsp;again. This&nbsp;time, it lay still, dead.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tm514WannqY" width="560"></iframe>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{1}" paraid="7873198"><br />
This was one of the roughly 90 reported cases of whale and dolphin&nbsp;strandings&nbsp;along the Indian shores in the past&nbsp;16 months.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{13}" paraid="1319860927"><br />
More than 13,000&nbsp;kilometres&nbsp;away from Goa is California&rsquo;s Pacifica Beach. Nicole&nbsp;Strasser&nbsp;was heading home from working the night shift at the hospital, but in the parking lot she noticed a nasty stench. Something was afloat on the beach. To her dismay it was a dead whale --&nbsp;the second she&nbsp;saw in a matter of weeks.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{25}" paraid="1458958582"><br />
When WION spoke to&nbsp;Strasser, she was anxious. Last year she had spotted hundreds of whales in the sea. This year she has only seen dead ones.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{44}" paraid="109128051"><br />
More and more&nbsp;mass whale and dolphin&nbsp;strandings&nbsp;are being reported the world over. Once beached, they face the risk of injury and death from dehydration.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;January&nbsp;was especially baffling for marine scientists in India. More than a hundred short-finned&nbsp;pilot whales &ndash; a species of dolphins &ndash; were found stranded along a 15-kilometre&nbsp;stretch on a beach on the East coast&nbsp;of which 45&nbsp;died.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{61}" paraid="19417065"><br />
N&nbsp;Vasudevan, a conservationist&nbsp;for the&nbsp;Indian state of&nbsp;Maharashtra that flanks the western coast,&nbsp;told WION,&nbsp;&quot;The numbers are&nbsp;unusually high. Earlier, we rarely saw so many whales being washed ashore. We cannot say what is causing this.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{88}" paraid="1509952067"><br />
No marine scientist can pinpoint the exact cause behind cetacean&nbsp;stranding. Giuseppe&nbsp;Notabartolo&nbsp;di&nbsp;Sciara&nbsp;is the&nbsp;president of Tethys Research Institute in Milan&nbsp;that is a non-profit&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;marine conservation through science and public awareness,. &quot;The news about whales and dolphins washing up dead in India in increasing numbers is worrisome. In India, it is clear that there isn&#39;t a single agent at work, but multiple causes, and each event has its own story,&rdquo;&nbsp;di&nbsp;Sciara&nbsp;said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{102}" paraid="1559345755"><br />
&quot;We humans are forgetting that all our activities conducted in unsustainable ways at sea are destroying not only the animal&nbsp;world,&nbsp;but our world as well,&quot;&nbsp;di&nbsp;Sciara&nbsp;added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{119}" paraid="327036382"><br />
Human disruptions also cost lives with dolphins getting caught-up in fishing lines and dying. A&nbsp;baby dolphin&nbsp;died after it&nbsp;was&nbsp;scooped out of shallow water by a swimmer&nbsp;and passed around at a beach in&nbsp;Argentina by a mob intent on clicking selfies with it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{134}" paraid="46539843"><br />
In&nbsp;2015, scientists made a grim discovery in Patagonia, southern Chile: 337 dead&nbsp;Sei&nbsp;whales. This is the world&#39;s biggest mass whale stranding event ever recorded. A year on, investigators still have no explanation. Professor di&nbsp;Sciara&nbsp;speculated&nbsp;that the large number of dead whales in Chile must have a single cause, whereas it&nbsp;was&nbsp;&ldquo;very likely&#39; that the increase of dead whales in India is due to human activities, like plastic waste disposal in the sea,&nbsp;overfishing&nbsp;and underwater sonar&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{157}" paraid="969082255"><br />
In 2004, the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission&nbsp;concluded &ldquo;there is now compelling evidence that military sonar has a direct impact on&nbsp;beaked whales&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{166}" paraid="374851407"><br />
In 2001, the U.S. Navy acknowledged that its active sonar played a role in the stranding deaths of 14 beaked whales, two&nbsp;minke&nbsp;whales, and a dolphin in the Bahamas in 2000. Autopsies of the&nbsp;beaked whales revealed that the animals had suffered acoustic trauma resulting in hemorrhaging around the brain, in the inner ears, and in the acoustic fats located in the head that are involved in sound transmission.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{186}" paraid="1217454194"><br />
Dr. N&nbsp;Ramaiah, chief scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography,&nbsp;however,&nbsp;felt&nbsp;behavioral patterns could be a possible factor in the mass stranding of 45&nbsp;pilot whales in India this year. &quot;As these&nbsp;pilot whales move in large groups, each pod has a leader. Sometimes they land up on the shore while following their leader&nbsp;that may have lost its way due to disorientation,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{206}" paraid="794908400"><br />
Mass&nbsp;strandings&nbsp;may not even be a true indicator of what&#39;s going on in the ocean. Clare&nbsp;Embling,&nbsp;lecturer of Marine Ecology at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom,&nbsp;said&nbsp;stranding&nbsp;&quot;is always difficult to place in context, because only a small number that die will strand. Many big mammals sink, and where they die in relation to ocean currents, can influence how many strand. Seeing 30 sperm whales strand is upsetting, but it is difficult to know whether it is a fluke climatic event that caused it, or something more alarming.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{226}" paraid="1390480577"><br />
One major factor, however, is plastic.&nbsp;It&nbsp;is found floating in all the world&rsquo;s oceans.&nbsp;Among 10 species of baleen whales, 60 per cent have been found to be tangled in ocean debris, while 20 per cent have ingested plastic or other waste by mistake. The study of 65 different species of toothed whales by&nbsp;environmental&nbsp;group&nbsp;Greenpeace reveals&nbsp;that&nbsp;8 per cent managed to entangle themselves in ocean waste, another 32 per cent ended up ingesting plastic&nbsp;dumped in the ocean.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{244}" paraid="1987002615"><br />
Kumaran&nbsp;Sathasivam, coordinator of the Marine Mammal Conservation Network of India, said:&nbsp;&quot;Whales and dolphins consume plastic in the ocean thinking it is food. The ocean is already so&nbsp;polluted&nbsp;and it will take a lot of time for all this plastic to deteriorate.&quot;&nbsp;But to reduce all cetacean&nbsp;strandings&nbsp;to one cause is difficult without proper statistics, experts say.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f8fb269c-e177-4ca3-8947-a18c6761d825}{8}" paraid="557921561"><br />
Independent marine ecologist,&nbsp;Dipani&nbsp;Sutaria, says, &quot;A concerted effort to document and&nbsp;publicise&nbsp;these [stranding] events has begun only since 2013. We now have researchers or interested individuals all along the&nbsp;west coast.&quot;&nbsp;Sutaria points out that&nbsp;11 Baleen whales were found stranded&nbsp;in 2015&nbsp;on the west coast of India --&nbsp;eight in Maharashtra and three in Gujarat.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f8fb269c-e177-4ca3-8947-a18c6761d825}{17}" paraid="1377072721"><br />
Sutaria believes&nbsp;the number of cases reported is directly proportionate to the response network on the coasts. There are fisher-folk, tourists, forest department staff, independent researchers, and local&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;that pass on information in case a marine mammal washes ashore.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f8fb269c-e177-4ca3-8947-a18c6761d825}{31}" paraid="931235265"><br />
While this mysterious uptick of beached&nbsp;whales is&nbsp;recent, the phenomenon itself is surprisingly old. Evidence of mass&nbsp;beaching&nbsp;has puzzled scientists as far back as 300 BC. &ldquo;It is not known why they sometimes run aground on the seashore,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Greek philosopher&nbsp;Aristotle. &ldquo;It is asserted that this happens when the fancy takes them and without any apparent reason.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f8fb269c-e177-4ca3-8947-a18c6761d825}{34}" paraid="1428470953"><br />
&nbsp;</div>


Dead whales, dolphins wash up on beaches from India to California and nobody knows why. Can anything save them?

On March 23, Abhishek Jalalabad spent the day practically praying that he did not see a whale in the waters of Palolem beach in South Goa. A day earlier a local branch of the conservation group, World Wild Fund, got in touch with him. It was a distress call. They wanted help rescuing an eight-foot dwarf sperm whale. Jalalabad, a marine scientist, rushed to Palolem beach. By then, tourists and lifeguards had managed to release the whale into the Arabian Sea. But he stayed back on a hunch and his worst fears came true at about midnight. The eight-foot whale returned to the shore in the dark of the night. Roughly 20 minutes after Jalalabad and his colleague, assisted by tourists, sent it back into the water, the whale beached again. This time, it lay still, dead. This was one of the roughly 90 reported cases of whale and dolphin strandings along the Indian shores in the past 16 months. More than 13,000 kilometres away from Goa is California’s Pacifica Beach. Nicole Strasser was heading home from working the night shift at the hospital, but in the parking lot she noticed a nasty stench. Something was afloat on the beach. To her dismay it was a dead whale -- the second she saw in a matter of weeks. When WION spoke to Strasser, she was anxious. Last year she had spotted hundreds of whales in the sea. This year she has only seen dead ones. More and more mass whale and dolphin strandings are being reported the world over. Once beached, they face the risk of injury and death from dehydration. However, January was especially baffling for marine scientists in India. More than a hundred short-finned pilot whales – a species of dolphins – were found stranded along a 15-kilometre stretch on a beach on the East coast of which 45 died. N Vasudevan, a conservationist for the Indian state of Maharashtra that flanks the western coast, told WION, "The numbers are unusually high. Earlier, we rarely saw so many whales being washed ashore. We cannot say what is causing this.” No marine scientist can pinpoint the exact cause behind cetacean stranding. Giuseppe Notabartolo di Sciara is the president of Tethys Research Institute in Milan that is a non-profit organisation supporting marine conservation through science and public awareness,. "The news about whales and dolphins washing up dead in India in increasing numbers is worrisome. In India, it is clear that there isn't a single agent at work, but multiple causes, and each event has its own story,” di Sciara said. "We humans are forgetting that all our activities conducted in unsustainable ways at sea are destroying not only the animal world, but our world as well," di Sciara added. Human disruptions also cost lives with dolphins getting caught-up in fishing lines and dying. A baby dolphin died after it was scooped out of shallow water by a swimmer and passed around at a beach in Argentina by a mob intent on clicking selfies with it. In 2015, scientists made a grim discovery in Patagonia, southern Chile: 337 dead Sei whales. This is the world's biggest mass whale stranding event ever recorded. A year on, investigators still have no explanation. Professor di Sciara speculated that the large number of dead whales in Chile must have a single cause, whereas it was “very likely' that the increase of dead whales in India is due to human activities, like plastic waste disposal in the sea, overfishing and underwater sonar”. In 2004, the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission concluded “there is now compelling evidence that military sonar has a direct impact on beaked whales”. In 2001, the U.S. Navy acknowledged that its active sonar played a role in the stranding deaths of 14 beaked whales, two minke whales, and a dolphin in the Bahamas in 2000. Autopsies of the beaked whales revealed that the animals had suffered acoustic trauma resulting in hemorrhaging around the brain, in the inner ears, and in the acoustic fats located in the head that are involved in sound transmission. Dr. N Ramaiah, chief scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography, however, felt behavioral patterns could be a possible factor in the mass stranding of 45 pilot whales in India this year. "As these pilot whales move in large groups, each pod has a leader. Sometimes they land up on the shore while following their leader that may have lost its way due to disorientation,” he said. Mass strandings may not even be a true indicator of what's going on in the ocean. Clare Embling, lecturer of Marine Ecology at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom, said stranding "is always difficult to place in context, because only a small number that die will strand. Many big mammals sink, and where they die in relation to ocean currents, can influence how many strand. Seeing 30 sperm whales strand is upsetting, but it is difficult to know whether it is a fluke climatic event that caused it, or something more alarming." One major factor, however, is plastic. It is found floating in all the world’s oceans. Among 10 species of baleen whales, 60 per cent have been found to be tangled in ocean debris, while 20 per cent have ingested plastic or other waste by mistake. The study of 65 different species of toothed whales by environmental group Greenpeace reveals that 8 per cent managed to entangle themselves in ocean waste, another 32 per cent ended up ingesting plastic dumped in the ocean. Kumaran Sathasivam, coordinator of the Marine Mammal Conservation Network of India, said: "Whales and dolphins consume plastic in the ocean thinking it is food. The ocean is already so polluted and it will take a lot of time for all this plastic to deteriorate." But to reduce all cetacean strandings to one cause is difficult without proper statistics, experts say. Independent marine ecologist, Dipani Sutaria, says, "A concerted effort to document and publicise these [stranding] events has begun only since 2013. We now have researchers or interested individuals all along the west coast." Sutaria points out that 11 Baleen whales were found stranded in 2015 on the west coast of India -- eight in Maharashtra and three in Gujarat. Sutaria believes the number of cases reported is directly proportionate to the response network on the coasts. There are fisher-folk, tourists, forest department staff, independent researchers, and local organisations that pass on information in case a marine mammal washes ashore. While this mysterious uptick of beached whales is recent, the phenomenon itself is surprisingly old. Evidence of mass beaching has puzzled scientists as far back as 300 BC. “It is not known why they sometimes run aground on the seashore,” said Greek philosopher Aristotle. “It is asserted that this happens when the fancy takes them and without any apparent reason."

Sharp rise in whale, dolphin stranding deaths in India

A solar-powered airplane finished crossing the United States on Saturday, landing in New York City after flying over the Statue of Liberty during its historic bid to circle the globe, the project team said.<br />
<br />
The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, arrived at New York&#39;s John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 4 a.m. local time after it took off about five hours beforehand at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania, the team reported on the airplane&#39;s website.<br />
<br />
&quot;Such a pleasure to land in #NYC! For the 14th time we celebrate sustainability,&quot; said the project&#39;s co-founder Andre Borschberg on Twitter after flying over the city and the Statue of Liberty during the 14th leg of the trip around the globe.<br />
<br />
The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015.<br />
<br />
The solar craft&#39;s cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods.<br />
<br />
Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight.<br />
<br />
On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours Amelia Earhart took to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s.<br />
<br />
The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings.<br />
<br />
Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights.<br />
<br />
The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph).<br />
<br />
In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013.

The plane collects energy from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. It can climb to 28,000 feet and cruise at 34 to 62 mph

A solar-powered airplane finished crossing the United States on Saturday, landing in New York City after flying over the Statue of Liberty during its historic bid to circle the globe, the project team said. The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 4 a.m. local time after it took off about five hours beforehand at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania, the team reported on the airplane's website. "Such a pleasure to land in #NYC! For the 14th time we celebrate sustainability," said the project's co-founder Andre Borschberg on Twitter after flying over the city and the Statue of Liberty during the 14th leg of the trip around the globe. The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours Amelia Earhart took to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013.

Solar plane lands in New York City during bid to circle the globe

<p>Honda Motor Co gave a sneak preview of its self-driving prototypes on Wednesday, saying it was already on its way to offer&nbsp;semi-autonomous safety functions to the mass market.</p>

<p>The Japanese automaker has been less vocal about its plans for self-driving cars than larger rivals like Toyota and General Motors&nbsp;which in recent months have shown off major research and development projects and big-ticket acquisitions.</p>

<p>Honda has been building semi-autonomous functionality under the radar, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist. These features are already being rolled out in Honda&#39;s Acuras and the Civic model year 2016&nbsp;which costs about $22,000.</p>

<p>&quot;We under-promise and over-deliver as a promise, as a company. There are a lot of promises talked about by a lot of companies,&quot; said Jim Keller, chief engineer for Honda Research and Development Americas, referring to the pervasive industry hype.</p>

<p>With the current roll-out of semi-autonomous functions, which it says will pave the way for full autonomy on highways by 2020, Honda says it differs from rivals, whose self-driving efforts have centered on their luxury models.</p>

<p>&quot;This is a unique differentiator for Honda,&nbsp;who is committed to the concept of safety for everyone,&quot; said Keller. &quot;Unless we democratize it across our lineup it will be just a niche.&quot;</p>

<p>Honda revealed&nbsp;two prototypes it has used in testing at the GoMentum Station, a 5,000-acre former naval munitions zone that features 20 miles of paved roadway, tunnels and other infrastructure ideal for testing.</p>

<p>On Wednesday, reporters saw the cars accelerate, stop and cede the way for pedestrians, and turn in autonomous mode.</p>

<p>The site in Concord, California, about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco, hopes to lure other carmakers to test autonomous cars there. Besides Honda, the French maker of driverless shuttles, Easy Mile, also tests there.</p>

<p>The auto industry has been marked by a series of high-profile investments and acquisitions related to autonomous driving in recent months. General Motors, in January, bought autonomous vehicle technology start-up Cruise Automation for a reported $1 billion, while Toyota has committed to spending $1 billion over five years to develop technologies behind the self-driving car.</p>


Honda Motor Co projected a brief premier of the prototype of its self-driven cars at its new testing facility

Honda Motor Co gave a sneak preview of its self-driving prototypes on Wednesday, saying it was already on its way to offer semi-autonomous safety functions to the mass market. The Japanese automaker has been less vocal about its plans for self-driving cars than larger rivals like Toyota and General Motors which in recent months have shown off major research and development projects and big-ticket acquisitions. Honda has been building semi-autonomous functionality under the radar, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist. These features are already being rolled out in Honda's Acuras and the Civic model year 2016 which costs about $22,000. "We under-promise and over-deliver as a promise, as a company. There are a lot of promises talked about by a lot of companies," said Jim Keller, chief engineer for Honda Research and Development Americas, referring to the pervasive industry hype. With the current roll-out of semi-autonomous functions, which it says will pave the way for full autonomy on highways by 2020, Honda says it differs from rivals, whose self-driving efforts have centered on their luxury models. "This is a unique differentiator for Honda, who is committed to the concept of safety for everyone," said Keller. "Unless we democratize it across our lineup it will be just a niche." Honda revealed two prototypes it has used in testing at the GoMentum Station, a 5,000-acre former naval munitions zone that features 20 miles of paved roadway, tunnels and other infrastructure ideal for testing. On Wednesday, reporters saw the cars accelerate, stop and cede the way for pedestrians, and turn in autonomous mode. The site in Concord, California, about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco, hopes to lure other carmakers to test autonomous cars there. Besides Honda, the French maker of driverless shuttles, Easy Mile, also tests there. The auto industry has been marked by a series of high-profile investments and acquisitions related to autonomous driving in recent months. General Motors, in January, bought autonomous vehicle technology start-up Cruise Automation for a reported $1 billion, while Toyota has committed to spending $1 billion over five years to develop technologies behind the self-driving car.

Honda's self-driving cars unveiled in California

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