LONDON (Reuters) - Drugmakers Merck and GlaxoSmithKline have cut the price of cervical cancer shots in a deal that will deliver them to poor countries for less than $5 a dose.

The new record low price for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines should mean millions of girls in developing countries can be protected against the disease, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) said on Thursday.

"By 2020 we hope to reach more than 30 million girls in more than 40 countries," Seth Berkley, the group's chief executive, said in a statement announcing the price deal.

More than 85 percent of cervical cancer deaths are in poorer countries and globally, 275,000 women a year die of the disease. That means it kills more women worldwide than childbirth, according to GAVI, claiming a life every two minutes.

GAVI, a non-profit group that funds bulk-buy vaccine programs for poor countries, will deliver the cut-price shots.

It said in February that Ghana, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone and Tanzania would be the first countries to get support in pilot projects.

The vaccines - Merck's Gardasil and GSK's Cervarix - can cost more than $100 in developed countries and have been introduced in immunization campaigns in rich regions like the United States and Europe in recent years.

They are generally given to girls aged around eight or nine and over to protect them against the human papillomavirus that causes almost all cervical cancers.

A study published in 2011 found that since 1980, new cervical cancer cases and deaths have dropped substantially in rich countries - mostly due to better screening and earlier detection - but increased sharply in poor regions. Sub-Saharan Africa has 22 percent of all cervical cancer cases worldwide.

"Developing countries bear an increasing burden of cervical cancer and it is only right that our girls should have the same protection as girls in other countries," said Richard Sezibera, former Health Minister of Rwanda and a GAVI board member.

The U.S. drugmaker Merck said it expects to supply around 2.4 million doses of Gardasil at $4.50 per dose to GAVI-eligible countries between 2013 to 2017. British rival GSK said its Cervarix shot would cost $4.60 per dose.

Yet critics said the deal was still far too expensive for many poor countries - particularly since the vaccines need to be given as three doses to ensure full protection against HPV.

"It will still cost nearly $14 to fully protect a girl against HPV," said Kate Elder of the international charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

"It's really disappointing that pharmaceutical companies haven't offered GAVI a much better deal."

MSF said Merck made $1.63 billion and GSK more than $416 million from their HPV vaccines in 2012 alone. It accused the companies of "seeking to maximize their profits on the backs of developing countries".

(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by John Stonestreet)

But experts say that is exactly what a dog owner should do: nothing.

"The human-animal bond is no joke. Most pet owners are very attached to their pets," said Dr. Lynn Miller, a veterinarian who runs the animal clinic at Travis Air Force Base, north of San Francisco. "But you're not going to save your dog by risking your own life. It does your dog no favors in the end if he comes back and you're dead. Then what is he going to do?"

Five people have died in attempted dog rescues in Northern California since November, said Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Pamela Boehland, based in Alameda, Calif. A couple of months ago, Boehland teamed up with the National Park Service and the East Bay SPCA on a campaign to keep people on dry land if their dogs get caught up in the surf.

The average dog is a better swimmer than the average human. Dogs such as Labrador retrievers, German shepherds and pit bull terriers are built like boats, the vet said. Their heads are above water, they have a low center of gravity, they have four legs for propulsion, their lungs have a higher capacity than a human's, their fur keeps them warm in cold water and many have waterproof undercoats and some dog breeds have webbed feet.

Using their namesake swim stroke, dogs can find their way back to shore using currents and their fight-or flight-instinct, Miller said.

Dogs are single-minded, focusing on finding safety, while humans panic or become distracted, Miller said. Owners who try to make a rescue also may go into shock from the cold water, try to fight the current and get tumbled around, or tire easily, she said.

People also don't think about what will happen if they do follow a dog and manage to reach it alive, Miller said.

"A Coast Guard dude in a boat's got a better chance of snatching him up than you do of swimming out and grabbing him and hauling him back. Fifty pounds of wet dog is absolutely no fun to drag anywhere, much less back to shore," Miller said. "You sure can't put him on your back."

Currents might cause a dog to come out of the water some distance from the spot where it went into the sea, so a microchip and collar with identification can speed up a reunion, said Allison Lindquist, president of the East Bay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The recent California deaths occurred during sunnier weather, when seas were churned up by storms from Alaska. But such storms, with their sneaker or rogue waves, are possible any time of the year, especially when seasons change, Lindquist said.

In Southern California, where pleasant weather year-round draws visitors to the shore, many patrolled beaches do not allow dogs. That includes Los Angeles County, home to famous beaches in Malibu and Venice, said Dan Murphy, an ocean lifeguard specialist.

Some breeds, Miller said, shouldn't be on a beach without a life vest. Those include pugs, bulldogs and others that "can barely breathe when they are walking;" dachshunds and corgis with legs too short to swim; and Chihuahuas and other toy dogs, Boehland said.

It is rare that a dog will be swept away by a rip current, but lifeguards' message to pet owners is the same as Boehland's, Murphy said.

"They should let a lifeguard know and if we have personnel available, we will attempt a rescue. Upon reaching the dogs, they are usually more than happy to climb aboard our rescue board or Baywatch rescue boat," he said.

"If you're not a trained rescue person, you might be doing more harm than good," added Petty Officer 3rd Class Ross Ruddell, based in Boston.

Boehland said that sometimes, even trained officers can make that mistake, citing the example of a Coast Guard officer who died four or five years ago while trying to rescue her dog.

"Everyone is susceptible. The Pacific Ocean is cold and can be cruel," she said.

Sometimes to appreciate a band you have to experience them live: hear the instruments in a raw form, immerse yourself in the energy onstage, smell the musty air, see the sweat dripping from the band members' faces and feel the warmth of bodies jumping around you.

!!!, pronounced Chk Chk Chk, can put on a remarkable live show, and "Thr!!!er," their fifth studio album, cleverly captures their talent.

The nine-track set is a merry-go-round of quirky psychedelic dance beats with vocalist Nic Offer at the helm. The happy "Even When the Water's Cold" transports you to a sunny festival for a singalong, while "Get That Rhythm Right" puts you back in the club with its piano groove and saxophone.

The electronic beats step up a notch on "Slyd," while the guitars on "Expect Death" will have you punching your fist in the air. "Careful" is an infectious dance floor anthem this one is a sure club hit.

Press play for fun times.

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Follow Reetu Rupal on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/R2Today

By Simon Evans

April 29 (Reuters) - Times are changing for gays in American sports and National Basketball Association (NBA) player Jason Collins' decision to come out will encourage others in the top leagues to be open about their sexuality.

Two years ago, NBA great Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for using an anti-gay slur against a referee and on Monday the five-time NBA champion applauded Collins for coming out as the first gay man in a major North American professional sports league.

Bryant's reaction illustrates, at the very least, the shift in what is considered acceptable language and behaviour in U.S. professional sports, the days when insulting others by using a reference to homosexuality are coming to a close.

Indeed Collins's very public coming out via the front cover of Sports Illustrated magazine was greeted with a stream of supportive comments from within professional sports in the United States with only the slightest hint of any dissent.

Mike Wallace, a wide receiver with the National Football League's Miami Dolphins, tweeted his incomprehension that any male could prefer to be in a relationship with a man rather than a woman but was soon on the back foot.

"All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys, SMH (Shaking My Head)," Wallace tweeted before deleting the message and apologising for any offense caused.

Wallace's reaction was not dissimilar to that of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver who made headlines before this year's Super Bowl by saying he would not welcome a gay player into the team's locker room.

Culliver spent a pre-Super Bowl media session with scores of television cameras pointed in his face as he repeated his apology for an hour.

Whether it is a genuine change of attitude towards gays, reflected in several surveys of U.S. public attitudes, or a an understanding that homophobia is no longer acceptable, there is no doubt that professional sports are turning away from intolerance of gays.

In many ways, sports are simply catching up with so much ofAmerican society where homophobic comments are unacceptable in the workplace and no one would even think to ask if gays would be accepted in the office.

'MOVEMENT COMING'

The question now is whether Collins's move - and the widespread support for him - will lead to athletes from other leagues following suit.

"I feel a movement coming," Robbie Rogers, the former U.S. national team soccer player who came out in February, tweeted on Monday shortly after Collins's announcement.

Gay rights and anti-discrimination groups certainly believe that Collins is making things easier for those who will come.

"All of us have huge admiration for what Jason is doing," said Patrick Burke, co-founder of equal rights advocacy group You Can Play.

"Jason's courage in stepping forward with his personal story will provide athletes and fans with a new role model."

Campaigners hope that Collins's move will help break down any fear that non-open gays may still have.

"We hope his actions inspire confidence in others who might have been afraid to live their lives openly until now - both on and off the court," said NOH8 Campaign co-founders Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley.

Collins, in his Sports Illustrated article on Monday, cited his frustration at not being able to participate openly in the debate about same-sex marriage and that is a reminder that the issue of homosexuality in the sports arena does not exist in a vacuum.

Sociologist Brian Powell at Indiana University Bloomington believes that what follows in sport now may follow a similar pattern to how the debate on marriage has unfolded.

"I don't think there will be a huge number of people coming out but there will be a probably a steady stream of people coming out, not unlike what happened last month when politicians came out in favor of same-sex marriage," he told Reuters.

"One day one person did and the next day another. I think the same will happen - it will be slower but there will be an increased number of players coming out."

The next generation of professional athletes in the United States are currently playing in college sports and Powell believes they will bring with them a fresh attitude.

"What I hear, with college athletes, is the real question for them is whether or not their team mates do their job. Competence and ability to play comes before anything else," he said.

"The more athletes publicly come out, the more other athletes are going to be comfortable with this, simply because they can then stop thinking of it in terms of the person's sexuality and focus on their performance." (Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Frank Pingue)

Not of Moss' two-run homer in the 19th inning that gave the Oakland Athletics a 10-8 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in a game that took 6 hours, 32 minutes and concluded at 1:41 a.m. PDT.

Nope, young Jayden Moss preferred to watch his father throwing a cream pie in his own face and made Brandon replay it 18 times.

"He's into all the baseball stuff but he didn't want to watch the home run," Moss said Tuesday. "He just wanted to watch the pie. That was his favorite."

Only a handful of the 11,688 fans remained when Moss hit his second home run of the night, ending the longest game by time in Oakland and the longest in Angels history.

A day later, both teams were still feeling the effects.

A's manager Bob Melvin had to scrap his normal postgame routine just to get home in time to catch a few hours of sleep before returning to the ballpark.

Before watching television with his son, Moss first had to explain to his wife and sister why he was so late. The two women, along with Moss' two children, had arrived in the players' parking lot at 9:45 p.m. Monday, ostensibly to pick up Moss. They spent the next 4 hours waiting as the innings piled up.

"She almost left in the 11th but then she thought, 'As soon as I drive away, they'll win,'" Moss said.

At least they got home before 3 a.m.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia had to meet with his staff until the wee hours of the morning trying to formulate a plan after losing leadoff hitter Peter Bourjos to a hamstring injury.

"You know how many moves we had to run through at 3 o'clock in the morning just trying to get an idea of what the needs of the team are going to be right now and what we need moving forward?" Scioscia said.

Moss had to pelt himself with the pie because Josh Reddick, who usually gets the honor after a game-ending hit by the A's, was initially too tired.

Reddick did come back with a second pie, and Josh Donaldson emptied a water jug on Moss' head.

Angels catcher Chris Iannetta probably deserved something, too. He played the entire game and became the first AL player since 2006 to catch more than 18 innings in a game.

Iannetta was not in Los Angeles' starting lineup Tuesday night.

"There's no doubt Chris feels it today," Scioscia said. "There's no doubt everybody's feeling some things a bit more. When you have something that you're dealing with, standing out there for 18 innings, like cold weather, is going to bring it out."

Angels closer Ernesto Frieri, who gave up a tying hit to Yoenis Cespedes with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, said the A's didn't deserve to win.

Los Angeles had a 7-2 lead in the eighth but let it slip away on a night when Albert Pujols homered twice and drove in four runs. Mark Trumbo also homered and knocked in three.

The Angels lost more than just the game Monday night.

Bourjos was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. The center fielder was hitting .313 before getting hurt legging out a sacrifice attempt in the 11th inning.

The injury to Bourjos was somewhat offset by the return of shortstop Erick Aybar, who was activated from the disabled list before Tuesday's game. The Angels also selected the contract of outfielder Scott Cousins from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Oakland also had to scramble for help after using eight pitchers.

Dan Straily, who threw the first 4 2-3 innings of the marathon game, was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento and right-hander Evan Scribner was called up.

"I don't think either team's particularly fresh," Melvin said. "We'll be a little bit limited, as will they."

___

AP freelance writer Rick Eymer contributed to this report.

Britain is counting on untapped reserves of shale gas trapped in rock formations to help reduce its growing dependence on energy imports.

"This is one of several options we are looking at," said a spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

He also said investment into community facilities such as sports centres were part of the discussions.

"We will publish a report in the summer," he said, building on comments made last month by Chancellor George Osborne, promising local community benefits from shale gas exploration and huge tax breaks for explorers.

British shale gas firm Cuadrilla Resources said it was in discussions with local communities and the government to identify schemes through which residents can benefit from shale gas.

Public opposition against large infrastructure projects has been widespread in Britain.

Onshore wind farm developers have struggled to gain local planning approval in more populated areas as residents rebelled against the construction of wind turbines, which they called noisy and obtrusive.

The practice of offering community benefits is now widespread in the onshore wind industry. Examples include energy bill rebates for residents directly affected by the construction of wind farms.

(Reporting by Karolin Schaps; Additional reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic, editing by William Hardy)

PARIS (Reuters) - France's Francois Hollande said he was undeterred by a first year in power marked by economic slowdown and a record slump in his personal popularity, arguing his 5-year presidency would achieve results over time.

In comments to correspondents from Reuters and Agence France Presse a week before the anniversary of his May 2012 election win over Nicolas Sarkozy, Hollande shrugged off polls showing his popularity rating around 25 percent, after the sharpest fall for any president in over half a century.

"I'm aware how serious the situation is. It's a president's duty to stay the course and to look beyond today's squalls. It's called perseverance," Hollande said.

"People can criticize my decisions, think I am on the wrong track or have not taken the right route, but if there is one thing I am sure of it's that I have taken major decisions for France - many more in 10 months than were taken in 10 years."

Hollande, France's first Socialist president since Francois Mitterrand, is squeezed between a business sector clamoring for lower taxes and labor costs, euro zone partners pressing for budget cuts and households hostile to austerity measures.

He said he would persevere with measures to restore growth like corporate tax credits aimed at easing headcount costs and a labor reform set to become law in May.

"It's the president who is held to account, and that's quite legitimate. It's up to me to weigh up what I need to do for the country today. To remain in control by being sure of my ideas."

RALLY THE NATION

After his campaign pledges to revive the flagging industrial sector, end a relentless rise in unemployment and meet deficit-cutting targets, Hollande has had to row back on almost all his economic targets, as factory layoffs continue apace.

While he stands by a goal to turn around unemployment by year-end, few believe he can achieve that. Jobless claims rose for the 23rd straight month in March to an all-time high.

Treading a delicate line as he attempts step-by-step reforms that were not part of his election campaign, Hollande said the country should have faith in him.

"The only thing that counts is the results. I have made promises and I will be judged on them," he said. "My hope is to rally the nation and restore confidence. That will take time, but it's my sole objective."

His economic woes aside, Hollande is also suffering from a perception that since he took power France is losing its voice on European policy. His prime minister said this month that France was losing its leadership role.

Foreign investors are watching closely since the government admitted it would need an extra year to reach a European Union budget deficit ceiling of 3 percent of output.

Inside France, where a scandal over an ex-budget minister's secret Swiss bank account has not helped, polls show a slim majority of people would prefer Sarkozy to be president today.

"I realized a long time ago that I would not go far if I let the commentary get to me," Hollande said. "According to what was said about me as a candidate, I had no chance of becoming president."

(Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) -- Beef Products Inc. has agreed to pay a $450,000 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of Clean Air Act regulations from a 2007 incident at a now-closed Waterloo packing plant which killed a worker and injured another.

In the accident more than 1,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was released into an area occupied by workers and two became trapped. The EPA determined in an investigation that the company failed to implement its risk management plan.

The company says it is working with EPA to resolve past concerns about its refrigeration systems and that includes enhancing existing controls and procedures.

The company has agreed to conduct audits of its compliance with risk management regulations at the South Sioux City, Neb., facility and correct any identified problems.

SEOUL (Reuters) - LG Electronics Inc , the world's No.2 TV maker, said quarterly profit fell 13 percent as sharp price cuts resulted in razor-thin margins for its TV division, overshadowing a strong recovery in smartphones.

Since late last year, LG and bigger rival Samsung Electronics Cohave had to contend with unfavorable currency rates that benefit Japanese rivals, while global demand for TVs is expected to plateau this year as many consumers in developed countries already own a flat-screen TV.

Smartphones sales jumped to a record 10.3 million units, helped by new high-end models. LG has overtaken Taiwan's HTC Corpto become the world's No.3 smartphone maker by sales in the fourth quarter, although its 3.2 percent market share is still dwarfed by Apple Incand Samsung.

LG said January-March operating profit fell to 349 billion won ($311.34 million), above a consensus forecast for 289 billion won from 35 analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

That compares with 402 billion won a year ago and 117 billion won in the previous quarter. It marks its first profit decline in year-on-year terms in five quarters after 2011 and 2012 results were revised to reflect accounting changes.

While its TV troubles may not match the dire straits faced by Japanese rivals Sony Corpand Panasonic Corp , both of which are downsizing their television businesses, LG's profit margins have slipped to below 1 percent since the third quarter, compared with nearly 6 percent in the second quarter of last year. TV profits for LG tumbled 82 percent to 29.8 billion won.

Its mobile business' profit improved to 133 billion won from a 31 billion won profit a year ago and 56 billion won in the fourth quarter.

But that recovery, which has helped propel its share price 18 percent higher in the last three months, could slow again. Samsung introduces the latest version of its flagship Galaxy S this week and Apple is widely expected to launch a cheaper iPhone this year.

Its shares fell 0.4 percent after the results, compared to a 0.8 percent decline for the broader market . ($1 = 1120.9500 Korean won)

(Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

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