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France's national rail company SNCF said on Tuesday it had ordered 2,000 trains for an expanded regional network that are too wide for many station platforms, entailing costly repairs. _0"> A spokesman for the RFF national rail operator confirmed the error, first reported by satirical weekly Canard Enchaine in its Wednesday edition. "We discovered the problem a bit late, we recognise that and we accept responsibility on that score," Christophe Piednoel told class="mandelbrot_refrag"> France Info radio.   true       class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Construction work has already begun to reconfigure station platforms to give the new trains room to pass through, but hundreds more remain to be fixed, he added. The mix-up arose when the RFF transmitted faulty dimensions for its train platforms to the SNCF, which was in charge of ordering trains as part of a broad modernisation effort, the Canard Enchaine reported. The RFF only gave the di

McDonald's restaurant chain says its new "Happy" mascot will bring "fun and excitement" to its children's meals, but social media contend the toothy, red box-shaped character will have the opposite effect. Twitter responses to McDonald's mascot announcement on Monday complain that the animated red Happy Meal box, with its cavernous dark mouth and rows of large white teeth, is scary and will bring children nightmares instead of joy. "It's the meal that eats you," said one comment. Another said, "I didn't want to sleep tonight anyways, it's cool."   true       The character will be introduced nationwide on Friday. Oak Brook, Illinois-based McDonald's said in a statement that it will encourage kids to enjoy healthy food choices, like fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy. In response to the criticism on social media, McDonald's spokeswoman Lisa McComb noted that since 2009, the character has been "loved and w

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday he would not press during his term as Boy Scouts of America president for an end to the group's ban on gay adult leaders for fear of causing permanent damage to the century old organization. Gates, who helped end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that barred gays from serving openly in the U.S. military while he was defense secretary, said he strongly supported the Boy Scouts vote last year to lift its ban on gay youth members. He also said he personally supported going further, but would oppose efforts to reopen the issue in his two years as president. His selection had fueled speculation that Gates would seek to end the ban on gay adult scout leaders.   true       "Given the strong feelings - the passion - involved on both sides of this matter, I believe strongly that to reopen the membership issue or try to take last year's decision to the next step would irreparably fracture and perhaps even

A California mother was charged on Friday with first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of her three daughters - all younger than 3 years of age - at their home in a working-class suburb of Los Angeles, prosecutors said. _0"> Carol Ann Coronado, 30, was arrested on Tuesday evening after police were called to the home by relatives who found her lying on a bed covered in blood beside the bodies of the three girls, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Coronado, who also was charged with attempted murder of her own mother, was taken to a hospital after her arrest to be treated for self-inflicted stab wounds, the sheriff's office said.   true       Authorities have not said if Coronado's mother was actually injured by her daughter and have revealed few other details except to say that the three girls were killed with a knife, and that they ranged in age from about 2 months to 3 years old. The Los Angeles Times, citing accounts of relatives, h

At least 27 people were killed in an overnight raid by gunmen on a city in southeastern Yemen, residents and a local official said on Saturday, as al Qaeda fought back against a government offensive. Armed with rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and explosives, attackers in Yemeni army uniforms drove in from the desert on 15 pickup trucks into Seyoun after detonating a car bomb at the entrance to the city in Hadramout province. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has carried out many hit-and-run attacks since the Yemeni army drove it from its southern strongholds in Abyan and Shabwa provinces last month.   true       The West is concerned the group could use class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Yemen , which borders major oil producer class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Saudi Arabia , as a base for international attacks. The militants targeted at least seven locations, including the main military posts, the police headquarters, government offices, bank branches and

Chinese police have identified five suspects who carried out a suicide bombing in the deadliest attack in the country's restive Xinjiang region in years, the official Xinhua news agency reported. _0"> The report said 39 people were killed from the bombing on Thursday morning at a vegetable market in Urumqi in far western class="mandelbrot_refrag"> China , home to a large Muslim Uighur minority. Police have identified the suspects as Nurahmat Ablipiz, Memet Memtimin, Raghimjan Memet, Memtimin Mahmat and Ablet Abdukadir, Xinhua said late on Friday. They all appear to be Uighur, judging by their names.   true       The five, influenced by religious extremism, took part in illegal religious activities, watched and listened to terrorist violence video and audio materials, the report said citing the police. Thursday's bombing was the second suicide attack in the capital in just over three weeks. A bomb and knife attack at an Urumqi train station in April k

An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude struck off the coast of northern class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Greece on Saturday and was felt as far away as neighboring class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Turkey and Bulgaria but there were no reports of serious casualties or destruction, police and fire brigade officials said. _0"> The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake occurred some 77 km (48 miles) south-southwest of Alexandroupolis, between the islands of Lemnos and Samothrace, at a depth of 10 km (6 miles). Greek police said the quake had caused minor damage to shops and houses on the two islands.   true       The USGS downwardly revised its first reading of 7.2. class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Greece , at the southeastern end of Europe, is often buffeted by earthquakes. Most cause no serious damage but a 5.9 magnitude quake in 1999 killed 143 people. "It lasted very long and it was very intense. We haven't got the full picture of the da