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| The Emerald Ace (Provided by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.) |
The Emerald Ace, a 60,200-ton car carrier that combines solar power panels with a diesel engine, was shown to the media on June 25 at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.'s Kobe Shipyard and Machinery Works.
A ceremony to mark the official completion of construction is set for June 29.
The ship is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 4 percent on a two-month voyage to Europe, officials said.
The 199-meter-long vessel can carry 6,400 passenger cars. The 768 solar power panels installed on its deck have an output capacity of 160 kilowatts, enough to power 50 average households.
Energy is stored in 324,000 lithium-ion batteries in the ship’s hold and fed through to the engine. Excess energy is used to power the ship’s radar instruments, lighting, air conditioning and other equipment.
The Emerald Ace shuts down its diesel engine and relies totally on batteries when in port. It is the first ship in the world to produce no emissions while not at sea, according to shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.
Panasonic Corp. developed the system that integrates the solar panels with the ship's batteries. The Emerald Ace will be loaded at several ports in Japan before heading for Europe.
( Source: The Asahi Shimbun )
Intel has developed sensors that can be placed closer to the ground--on lamp posts and traffic lights, for example--to create what Intel senior principal engineer Terry O’Shea calls "a community-based approach to sensing."When it’s too hot and you want to open the windows, you want to know if you’ll get a bunch of pollution.
There are a number of use cases for the technology--asthma sufferers will obviously benefit greatly, for example. According to O’Shea, a canal effect causes wind blowing along major thoroughfares to peel off into side streets and alleyways, where air contaminants end up as a result. So in big cities, "when it’s too hot and you want to open the windows, you want to know if you’ll get a bunch of pollution because there’s a big baseball game happened that day," he says.
Eventually, Intel anticipates that sensors already in smartphones will also contribute to weather and pollution data aggregation. "Data coming from people on the streets can be aggregated back to city management dashboards," explains Intel Labs researcher Jessica McCarthy.
Intel won’t reveal how much the sensors cost--they’re still in the prototype phase, anyway--but O’Shea says that they are " two orders of magnitude below the cost level" of current sensors.
Economic fears move front and center as central banks cut rates
The People's Bank of China, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England all acted within one hour of one another Thursday to cut interest rates and boost liquidity as fears mounted over a staggering world economy. For the Chinese central bank, it was the second cut in less than a month and came as something of a surprise. "With the second rate cut in less than a month, the central bank fully delivered its intention of maintaining economic growth," said Guo Tianyong, a professor at Beijing's Central University of Finance and Economics.
Europe's key interest rate gets notched down to a record low
Thursday's cut in Europe's key interest rate to 0.75% marked a record low for the European Central Bank. The move followed up on last week's meeting of European leaders, who vowed to take action to boost the continent's economies. But given already low lending rates, the ECB's move may be seen as mainly symbolic.
Bank of England adds cash injection
The Bank of England injected an additional 50 billion pounds into the U.K. economy by raising the target for the bank's asset purchase program. However, as with the European Central Bank's rate cut, some doubted the move would have much practical meaning. "With quantitative easing bringing little effect and interest rates near rock bottom, it's likely that new tools will be devised in due course," said Tim Ohlenburg, senior economist at the Centre for Economics and Business Research.
U.S. unemployment claims fall; private hiring climbs
Two new jobs figures for the U.S. economy show slight improvement on recent dismal numbers but still offer scant hope of an unemployment turnaround. Jobless claims dropped by 14,000 last week while a private barometer reported the private sector added 176,000 jobs in June. The key June Labor Department unemployment figure is due today.
Agencies dim their outlooks for Barclays after Diamond's departure
Moody's and S&P lowered their outlooks for Barclays after the resignation of chief executive Bob Diamond in a Libor rate-fixing scandal. Barclays is now under pressure to perhaps reduce its investment banking operations. Such a move could prove beneficial over the long run, observed Moody's, but "the uncertainty surrounding such a change in direction is credit-negative in the short term."
Market Activities
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS OVERVIEW
Central bank actions intended to shore up growth in Europe and China produced little excitement on stock markets in either the U.S. or Europe. Tempered remarks from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi warning of downside risk after the bank's interest rate cut sent European stocks into retreat. Later, U.S. stocks rallied a bit after earlier losses, with the S&P 500 ending the day down 0.5%. Here is a continuously updated list of global stock indices.
Economic Trends & Outlook
South Korean economy edges ahead despite eurozone headwinds
The eurozone's extended debt struggles as well as stagnation elsewhere around the world are holding back South Korea's economy, which nonetheless continues to improve modestly for the time being, the country's Ministry of Strategy and Finance reports. Looking ahead, "we have to closely monitor trends at home and abroad while bracing for a possible long-term crisis as well as beefing up policy efforts to reinvigorate the economy," the ministry said in its monthly "green book" report.
Malaysian central bank stays course with key interest rate
While central banks in China and Europe took quick action to support a sagging world economy, Malaysia's central bank on Thursday left its key interest rate unchanged at 3.0%, citing local economic resilience. It was the seventh such decision since May 2011.
Taiwan may be in for a rate boost as inflation picks up
The Taiwan government's target of no more than 2% annual headline inflation may be under threat, analysts say, after a 1.77% year-on-year jump in the consumer price index in June. The country's central bank is now likely to boost its policy rates by 12.5 basis points in the fourth quarter as demand-side pressures increase, said Katrina Ell, an associate economist at Moody's Analytics.
As Philippine inflation cools, rates appear likely to hold steady
The Philippine inflation rate of 2.8% in June is well in line with projections and down decisively from the 5.2% registered a year earlier. Analysts say the reading should allow the central bank to hold rates steady for the remainder of 2012.
Capital Markets & Financial Products
China approves freer use of yuan in zone near Hong Kong
A $45 billion test project for freer trading in the yuan has received approval from the Chinese government. The Qianhai Bay zone of Shenzhen near Hong Kong will have six categories of activity, including finance, taxation and telecommunications, and its regulations will mirror those of Hong Kong. "After these changes, there will be -- in theory -- no holds barred in offshore and onshore yuan flow," said Wang Jianhui, chief economist with investment bank Southwest Securities.
ANZ affirms Asian strategy despite refraining from Tianjin capital boost
ANZ says it will not participate in the capital raising of the Bank of Tianjin, a move that will end with its stake in the Chinese bank reduced from 20% to 17.6%. Nonetheless, ANZ says it has not altered its strategy of aggressively pursuing growth in Asia.
South Korea's debt capital market was a field for big brokers in 1st half
Cash-flush securities firms dominated South Korea's debt capital market in the first half of the year, according to the Maeil Business Newspaper's RaytheM bookrunner league table. Leading the way was Korea Investment & Securities, underwriting 49 bonds worth 4.75 trillion won. Woori Investment & Securities was second with 66 bonds worth 3.54 trillion won.
South Korea's OTC bond market sees 9-month trading high in June
With a 5.1 billion won boost in activity from foreign investors, South Korea's over-the-counter bond market saw daily trade volume at a nine-month high in June. The daily average of 25 trillion won in trading was up 3% from May.
Temasek posts 16% lower profit, citing poor global economy
Citing a difficult investment environment, Singapore's Temasek Holdings posted a 16% decline in net profit for its fiscal year despite 2.6% growth in its portfolio to a record $198 billion Singapore. Looking ahead, Temasek said little improvement is likely given economic difficulties in Europe and the U.S.
Asian fund houses pursue Middle East clients
Asian-based fund houses are turning their attention to Middle Eastern wealth, but strategies differ. Partnerships with local fund houses or distributors are favored by some, but others say more is needed, as suitable partners are hard to find. "You actually find that a number of the international firms do it the hard way -- having the patience to set up an office, finding the people, building the relationships," observed Shashank Srivastava, acting CEO of the Qatar Financial Centre Authority.
Industry & Regulatory Update
China considers eliminating loan-deposit limit
Responding to economists' calls for a spur to growth, China is reported weighing whether to remove the 75% cap on its loan-to-deposit ratio as part of changes in liquidity risk indicators for banks. "A slowdown in economic activity has a lot to do with financial and monetary constraints," noted Teng Tai, chief economist with Minsheng Securities.
South Korea releases new handbook for foreign financial companies
An updated English version of South Korea's procedures handbook for foreign financial companies is now available from the Financial Supervisory Service. The second edition lays out requirements for setting up a financial company or a subsidiary and obtaining approval for changes in large shareholders for banks, investment banks and insurance companies.
Ethics & Standards
China watchdog laments "dictatorship" in state financial institutions
There now exists a "dictatorship" of a few officials that produces insider trading and nepotism in state financial institutions and steps must be taken to eliminate the danger, said Ma Wen, vice secretary of the Communist Party of China's anti-graft Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Ma called for a crackdown and urged bank managers in particular to address problems widely resented by the public.
London Cab Fleet To Get Free Wi-Fi
A fleet of London cabs are set to be rigged with Internet access. According to the Inquirer, Greentomatocars will equip 300 cars with SIM cards that will stream Wi-Fi for passengers--just need to hop in and log in with the password “ilovewifi.” 40 London tube stations are already fitted out with Wi-Fi access, with 80 expected to be ready by the time the Olympics begin, thanks to partner Virgin Media. The London overground is also getting wired for Wi-Fi, courtesy of ISP provider The Cloud.
Rumor: Suppliers Prep For Mass Production Of iPad Mini
The iPad mini is a recurring character in Apple rumorology. New information picked up by the Wall Street Journal suggests that work is in fact underway on a smaller version of Apple’s regulation-sized version of the device. According to the Journal’s sources, the screen size will be under 8 inches--this we’ve heard before. But suppliers of parts have also revealed, anonymously, that Apple has asked them to rally for mass production--that's one step ahead of the tests rumored to be underway earlier this year. Considering Apple has trounced the competition when it comes to regular-sized tablets anywhere, a mini version of the device is likely to be no small success.
Rakuten Adds "Pin It" Buttons To Websites
Japanese online megastore and Pinterest backer Rakuten has begun adding "Pin It" buttons to its web stores. To Rakuten’s benefit, the addition could cut out a few crucial steps between "pinners" and "buyers," while helping Pinterest grow on international shores. As TheNextWebpoints out, this is the first time the two companies have combined their services since Rakuten topped off Pinterest’s last funding round with a tidy $100 million.
Online stores have been watching Pinterest’s virally growing, free-spending user base, and its success at surpassing scrapbook status to drive sales has begun to spawn lookalikes (like the newly launched Wisemarkit) optimized to tap its wallet-loosening quality. Meanwhile, Pinterest itself has been pushing to grow its users internationally--after putting out a call for translators, its first three foreign language sites (Iberian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese) are up and running.
WikiLeaks To Release 2.4 Million Private Emails From Syria
WikiLeaks has begun publishing a trove of private emails from Syrian officials. The 2.4 million emails span six years and will be released over the next two months, the group said in a press release. WikiLeaks is calling the series the "Syria Files." It may be a while before revealing information bubbles up from the collection because it was released in bulk and un-parsed, so it will take groups of interested volunteers world-over to sift through the content for telling nuggets of information. As a primer, this is WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange's early take: "The material is embarrassing to Syria, but it is also embarrassing to Syria’s opponents." Separately Iceland's government has warned MP Birgitta Jónsdóttir, a politician and earlier Wikileaks volunteer involved in releasing information about activities in Iraq, not to enter the U.S. for fear of reprisals by the DoJ.
HTC Wins Four-Patent Case With Apple In The UK
After a U.S. judge struck down Apple's request for an emergency ban on HTC smartphones in the U.S., a U.K. judge has greenlit HTC's plans to import its phones into that country. In a ruling on Wednesday, a U.K. judge decided that HTC did not violate four patents that Apple claimed were being breached. The judge also found three of Apple's patents--slide-to-unlock, multi-touch, and multilingual keyboards--invalid and not necessarily patent-like in the first place.
Google's Nexus 7 Tablet Will Lack Some Content In U.K.
One of the advantages that Google's Nexus 7 tablet may have over its Amazon rival the Kindle Fire is that Google wants to push it out internationally sooner, whereas Amazon is overly U.S.-centric now. But it's emerged that when the Nexus hits British shores, it will lack access to Google-distributed TV shows, music, and magazines--limiting the multimedia value of the £160 device. The issue is almost certainly due to international licensing matters, which require Google to seal deals with the relevant distributing bodies in each nation, which it has evidently not concentrated on securing for British buyers. Apple faced this matter with its iTunes store, but has been continually expanding international availability--recently expanding to 12 Asian nations.
A fleet of London cabs are set to be rigged with Internet access. According to the Inquirer, Greentomatocars will equip 300 cars with SIM cards that will stream Wi-Fi for passengers--just need to hop in and log in with the password “ilovewifi.” 40 London tube stations are already fitted out with Wi-Fi access, with 80 expected to be ready by the time the Olympics begin, thanks to partner Virgin Media. The London overground is also getting wired for Wi-Fi, courtesy of ISP provider The Cloud.
Rumor: Suppliers Prep For Mass Production Of iPad Mini
The iPad mini is a recurring character in Apple rumorology. New information picked up by the Wall Street Journal suggests that work is in fact underway on a smaller version of Apple’s regulation-sized version of the device. According to the Journal’s sources, the screen size will be under 8 inches--this we’ve heard before. But suppliers of parts have also revealed, anonymously, that Apple has asked them to rally for mass production--that's one step ahead of the tests rumored to be underway earlier this year. Considering Apple has trounced the competition when it comes to regular-sized tablets anywhere, a mini version of the device is likely to be no small success.
Rakuten Adds "Pin It" Buttons To Websites
Japanese online megastore and Pinterest backer Rakuten has begun adding "Pin It" buttons to its web stores. To Rakuten’s benefit, the addition could cut out a few crucial steps between "pinners" and "buyers," while helping Pinterest grow on international shores. As TheNextWebpoints out, this is the first time the two companies have combined their services since Rakuten topped off Pinterest’s last funding round with a tidy $100 million.
Online stores have been watching Pinterest’s virally growing, free-spending user base, and its success at surpassing scrapbook status to drive sales has begun to spawn lookalikes (like the newly launched Wisemarkit) optimized to tap its wallet-loosening quality. Meanwhile, Pinterest itself has been pushing to grow its users internationally--after putting out a call for translators, its first three foreign language sites (Iberian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese) are up and running.
WikiLeaks To Release 2.4 Million Private Emails From Syria
WikiLeaks has begun publishing a trove of private emails from Syrian officials. The 2.4 million emails span six years and will be released over the next two months, the group said in a press release. WikiLeaks is calling the series the "Syria Files." It may be a while before revealing information bubbles up from the collection because it was released in bulk and un-parsed, so it will take groups of interested volunteers world-over to sift through the content for telling nuggets of information. As a primer, this is WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange's early take: "The material is embarrassing to Syria, but it is also embarrassing to Syria’s opponents." Separately Iceland's government has warned MP Birgitta Jónsdóttir, a politician and earlier Wikileaks volunteer involved in releasing information about activities in Iraq, not to enter the U.S. for fear of reprisals by the DoJ.
HTC Wins Four-Patent Case With Apple In The UK
After a U.S. judge struck down Apple's request for an emergency ban on HTC smartphones in the U.S., a U.K. judge has greenlit HTC's plans to import its phones into that country. In a ruling on Wednesday, a U.K. judge decided that HTC did not violate four patents that Apple claimed were being breached. The judge also found three of Apple's patents--slide-to-unlock, multi-touch, and multilingual keyboards--invalid and not necessarily patent-like in the first place.
Google's Nexus 7 Tablet Will Lack Some Content In U.K.
One of the advantages that Google's Nexus 7 tablet may have over its Amazon rival the Kindle Fire is that Google wants to push it out internationally sooner, whereas Amazon is overly U.S.-centric now. But it's emerged that when the Nexus hits British shores, it will lack access to Google-distributed TV shows, music, and magazines--limiting the multimedia value of the £160 device. The issue is almost certainly due to international licensing matters, which require Google to seal deals with the relevant distributing bodies in each nation, which it has evidently not concentrated on securing for British buyers. Apple faced this matter with its iTunes store, but has been continually expanding international availability--recently expanding to 12 Asian nations.
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Subatomic Particles Names and Classification according to their discoverers.
A quark is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of the atomic nuclei. Physicist Murray Gell-Mann who discovered it, was scrounging around for a suitable name till he came across the word in Irish writer James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. And you thought physicists were nerds who could never appreciate good literature, huh?
In particle physics, a hadron is a composite particle made of quarks held together by a strong force. Hadrons are of two types: baryons (made of three quarks) and mesons (made of one quark and one antiquark). The best known hadrons are protons and neutrons. The term hadron is derived from the Greek word hadros meaning stout and thick.
A baryon is a composite subatomic particle made up of three quarks (as distinct from mesons, which comprise one quark and one antiquark). Baryons and mesons belong to the hadron family, which are the quark-based particles. The name baryon comes from the Greek word for "heavy" barys, because, at the time of their naming, most known elementary particles had lower masses than the baryons.
Physicist Hideki Yukawa called his carrier particle the meson, from mesos, the Greek word for intermediate, because its predicted mass was between that of the electron and that of the proton. He had originally named it mesotron but was corrected by a German scholar of the Greek language who pointed out there was no 'tr' in the generic Greek word.
In particle physics, a fermion (named after American physicist of Italian origin Enrico Fermi) is any particle characterised by Fermi–Dirac statistics and following the Pauli exclusion principle. They include all quarks and leptons.
Skyrmion is a type of fermion which was proposed by British physicist Tony Skyrme. It is named after the scientist.
A lepton is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. The best known of all leptons is the electron which governs nearly all of chemistry as it is found in atoms and is directly tied to all chemical properties. The name lepton comes from the Greek lepton, meaning fine, small or thin.
Gluon is a type of boson responsible for the strong force between quarks. The term derives from the English word "glue" because of its strong bonding quality.
Quark:
A quark is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of the atomic nuclei. Physicist Murray Gell-Mann who discovered it, was scrounging around for a suitable name till he came across the word in Irish writer James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. And you thought physicists were nerds who could never appreciate good literature, huh?
In particle physics, a hadron is a composite particle made of quarks held together by a strong force. Hadrons are of two types: baryons (made of three quarks) and mesons (made of one quark and one antiquark). The best known hadrons are protons and neutrons. The term hadron is derived from the Greek word hadros meaning stout and thick.
A baryon is a composite subatomic particle made up of three quarks (as distinct from mesons, which comprise one quark and one antiquark). Baryons and mesons belong to the hadron family, which are the quark-based particles. The name baryon comes from the Greek word for "heavy" barys, because, at the time of their naming, most known elementary particles had lower masses than the baryons.
Physicist Hideki Yukawa called his carrier particle the meson, from mesos, the Greek word for intermediate, because its predicted mass was between that of the electron and that of the proton. He had originally named it mesotron but was corrected by a German scholar of the Greek language who pointed out there was no 'tr' in the generic Greek word.
In particle physics, a fermion (named after American physicist of Italian origin Enrico Fermi) is any particle characterised by Fermi–Dirac statistics and following the Pauli exclusion principle. They include all quarks and leptons.
Skyrmion is a type of fermion which was proposed by British physicist Tony Skyrme. It is named after the scientist.
A lepton is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. The best known of all leptons is the electron which governs nearly all of chemistry as it is found in atoms and is directly tied to all chemical properties. The name lepton comes from the Greek lepton, meaning fine, small or thin.
Gluon is a type of boson responsible for the strong force between quarks. The term derives from the English word "glue" because of its strong bonding quality.
The ATM features a large Braille keypad, high resolution screen, wide keys, headphone and external speaker to ensure the user's privacy.
The user needs to choose fewer options than in a normal ATM. Though the machine is designed for the visually impaired, it can also be used by others.
The ATM is located at the Emirates Association for the Blind headquarters in Sharjah, where visually impaired people will be trained to use the machine by a team from the bank.
The ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, had recently ordered banks in the emirate to offer facilities to the blind in response to a telephone call made by Manar Al Hamadi, a blind lawyer.
The Sharjah Islamic Bank later opened a bank account for the lawyer.
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| Laila Khan |
Pervez Ahmed Tak, who was in the custody has spilled the beans, claimed the police. Pakistan-born Bollywood starlet Laila Khan went missing with her family about an year ago, from a shop in Kishtwar town on May 29.
Earlier, Tak had reportedly said that Laila married a close aide of India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had been looking for the actor and her family including the mother who reportedly left Mumbai for Kishtwar with one Ateeq Khan, a Kashmiri, to attend a wedding. The family was reportedly missing ever since.
Laila's father, Nadir Shah Patel, had filed a complaint at a Mumbai police station stating that his daughter has gone missing along with her mother Saleena Patel, sister Azmina Patel, her stepfather Asif Sheikh and family friend Pervez Iqbal Tak.
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| Aiysha Saagar topless ( Source: goldcoast.com.au ) |
Queensland-raised pop singer Aiysha Saagar was recently selected as the Gold Coast Goodwill Ambassador by the eastern city's Mayor Tom Tate, and she is set to travel to India to promote the tourist city to Indians.
However, her pictures on her website where she poses on the Surfers Paradise beach with the Australian flag pained on her body has miffed a section of the Indian community here, according to a local news report.
Event coordinator of Queensland-based Indian Associations Neeraj Narayan said that "more than 60 per cent of India was still conservative and Saagar's partial nudity would reflect badly on Gold Coast's image".
"They may not see the appeal in coming to Australia if that's the image she is promoting," Narayan was quoted as saying.
He said while Bollywood films and globalisation had made nudity more acceptable in recent years, but "this will still be more negative than positive, I think".
Commenting on the issue, Gold Coast resident Shanti Gowans, works as an artistic director of a Australia Bollywood Dance Company, said that if the city was planning to woo general Indians then it has to remember that Indians are family-minded people and travel in as a group.
"... And such tasteless pictures would not appeal to their family sensibilities... The girl is beautiful but she needs to be presented with more decorum and presence," Gowan was quoted as saying by a daily called 'Faceoff'.
Sydney-based community leader and cardiologist, Yadu Singh, however differed with the perception. He said such pictures would not have any significant positive or negative impact on the success of Gold Coast to attract tourists from India.
"Seeing or knowing about the pictures, Indians will have a chuckle. Nothing else," he said.
"Recent Bollywood movies and access to worldwide media in India have changed Indian society quite a bit. India today is not what it was a decade or two ago," Singh said.
Saagar has been reportedly living in India for the past eight years but also spends months on the Gold Coast.
She said the images were not meant to be posted on the website and were intended to be launched in India to promote her career "down the track".
"The whole point of these photos is to promote me as an artist," she said.
Meanwhile, Tate said he hoped Saagar would lift the Coast's profile in India so visitor numbers from the country would eventually match those from China.
"It's not just about bringing tourism here, it's about getting investors here too," he said.
"The Indian market is down on the list, as low as 4 per cent and that's how we started with the Chinese market. With the Indian population and wealth, we want to bring them here to enjoy our lifestyle, then they'll see what a good place it is to invest," he commented.
City Councillor Bob La Castra who had introduced Saagar to the Mayor said they were not aware of the topless photos but both still supported her new role.
For 50 long years, the Punjab National Bank has kept the account alive, the bank official said.
"The bank has given Rajendra Prasad's savings account prime customer status. It is a matter of pride for us. Every six months, an interest is deposited into the account," he said," chief manager SL Gupta said.
The balance in the account, which includes interest, is Rs 1,813, Gupta said. He said no one had claimed the money. The branch has also made public Rajendra Prasad's account number - 0380000100030687 - with his photograph.
Normally, when a bank account holder dies, the money in there is passed on to the legal heirs on completion of certain formalities.
Rajendra Prasad was born on December 3, 1884 in Zeradei in Bihar's Siwan district and died on February 28, 1963 in Patna. He was India's first president - from 1952 to 1962
