CHARLOTTETOWN – New Brunswick’s premier heads to Washington on Tuesday, to meet with a senior member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, in a final push to have his province exempt from hefty duties on softwood lumber exports to the United States.It’s the second time in two months that Brian Gallant will meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to make New Brunswick’s case — ahead of a final determination expected September 7.In June, the U.S. Department of Commerce hit Canada with an additional 6.87 per cent in preliminary average anti-dumping tariffs, leaving the industry facing average duties of about 27 per cent.The decision exempts the other three Atlantic provinces, but New Brunswick — exempt from such tariffs in the past — is not.Gallant said he’ll make the case that exporting softwood lumber creates jobs in his province and lowers the cost of construction for American families.“I will argue this and other reasons why New Brunswick should continue to have the exclusion we have enjoyed since 1982,” Gallant said Sunday.Former U.S. ambassador David Wilkins, who New Brunswick hired as a special envoy on the softwood trade dispute, will also be part of the meeting.During his first meeting with Ross, in July, Gallant said he stressed the importance of the trading relationship between the Atlantic provinces and the New England states.The premier said he used the example of Twin Rivers Paper Co. to demonstrate how the two economies are intertwined.Headquartered in Maine with significant New Brunswick operations, the company operates integrated pulp and paper mills connected by pipelines crossing the St. John River. One pipeline carries pulp from Edmundston, N.B., to the paper plant, while another transports steam between facilities. Wood chips and biomass from Canadian sawmills help generate the steam used to make pulp.“They have about 1,000 employees, evenly divided between the two countries. They contribute over $200 million to the economies of Maine and New Brunswick,” Gallant said.Softwood lumber contributes more than $1.45 billion to the New Brunswick economy each year and employs more than 22,000 people.While most softwood lumber exporters in New Brunswick would be paying a combined rate of about 27 per cent, it would be about 10 per cent for J.D. Irving Ltd., which was hit with a three per cent countervailing duty in April’s preliminary ruling.Forest NB, which represents most of the forestry companies in New Brunswick, said the treatment of J.D. Irving Ltd., proves the case for all New Brunswick softwood lumber producers.Gallant’s meeting in Washington on softwood lumber comes on the heels of two days of talks on trade and the future of NAFTA with the other Eastern Canadian premiers and the governors of the New England states.The premiers said it is important to use every occasion to make their case on the importance of a strong trading relationship between Canada and the United States. read more
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The cause of a fire that burned a modular home to the ground in Grand Haven last week is currently under investigation.The Peace River Regional District’s Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Shawn Dahlen said that the Charlie Lake Fire Department was called out to the modular home in the Grand Haven area at around 8:00 p.m. last Tuesday. Dahlen said that firefighters were hampered in fighting the fire by a power line which got involved and had burned through.Dahlen said that no one was injured, and fire crews were able to get the fire under control after around three hours. Unfortunately, he said that the home was a total loss. Dahlen said that the cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, but that the fire is currently under investigation.
Mr. Ban “is encouraged by this development and intends to move expeditiously with the deployment,” according to a statement issued by his spokesperson in New York after the Secretary-General received a letter from the Sudanese Government confirming its agreement.The statement said Mr. Ban will work closely with the AU and the Government to implement the deployment, which is the second phase of a three-step plan that is supposed to culminate in a hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force of approximately 17,000 troops and 3,000 police officers across Darfur.He expects Sudan “to urgently provide the land and other facilities necessary for the deployment of the heavy support package, including permission to explore for water and meet all operational requirements,” the statement added.In its own statement to the press, the Security Council also welcomed the Sudanese decision, adding it would write to Mr. Ban to allow him to request funding from the General Assembly for the package.The statement, read out by Ambassador Karen Pierce of the United Kingdom, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, added that the Sudanese Government of National Unity must now facilitate the package’s immediate deployment.Aside from the troops, police officers and civilian staff, the package includes the provision by the UN of helicopter gunships as well as logistical support to the overstretched AU mission, known as AMIS.Mr. Ban’s spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters, in response to a question, that the helicopters had been the outstanding component in the heavy support package until today’s acceptance letter from Khartoum.Today’s statements from the Council President and Mr. Ban’s spokesperson emphasized their support for current international efforts, including via UN and AU envoys, to find a political solution to the Darfur conflict.Mr. Ban’s Special Envoy for Darfur Jan Eliasson said that he and his AU counterpart, Salim Ahmed Salim, would now step up efforts to find a non-military solution, adding that the presence of a strong peacekeeping force was essential to stabilizing the region.Today Mr. Ban held talks with AU Chairman Alpha Oumar Konaré on the latest political, humanitarian and security developments in Darfur before they jointly met Council members for informal discussions.Speaking to reporters after that meeting, Mr. Ban thanked the efforts of many world leaders, including the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United States, China and South Africa, as well as Mr. Konaré and the head of the League of Arab States.“This is a very positive sign,” he said of the Sudanese acceptance letter. “The people in Darfur have suffered too much and too long.”Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Affairs Jean-Marie Guéhenno said the heavy support package “is not the robust force that Darfur needs. It’s a support package to lay the ground for a future robust force. It’s a transition to a hybrid mission – that’s how we see it.”More than 200,000 people have been killed and 2 million others displaced from their homes in the vast region in western Sudan since 2003, when Government forces and allied Janjaweed militias began fighting with rebel groups who had taken up arms, largely in protest at the distribution of resources.The clashes have led to the destruction of entire villages, and fears are increasing that the conflict might also engulf neighbouring eastern Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR).The UN is already providing a “light support package” to AMIS which includes police advisers, civilian staff, technical support and other resources. 16 April 2007Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council today welcomed Sudan’s announcement confirming that it accepts the entire “heavy support package” of troops, police officers, civilian staff and equipment which the United Nations will provide to the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in the violence-wracked Darfur region. read more
The Toronto stock market tumbled on Tuesday near midday as traders ignored largely promising trade data, particularly from the United States.The S&P/TSX composite index was down 167.06 points to 12,436.19, after being closed for the Civic Holiday on Monday.The Canadian dollar was ahead 0.15 of a cent to 96.40 cents US after Statistics Canada said the trade deficit was $469 million in June, an improvement from a May deficit of $781 million, which was bigger than initially reported.Meanwhile, south of the border, the U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in June to its lowest level in more than 3 1/2 years. The Commerce Department says the U.S. deficit for June fell 22.4 per cent to $34.2 billion. That’s the lowest since October 2009 and down from May’s revised imbalance of $44.1 billion.On Wall Street, the Dow was down 110.32 points to 15,501.81, the Nasdaq fell 33.36 points to 3,659.60 and the S&P 500 was down 11.14 points to 1,696.In commodities, December gold pulled back $16.40 to US$1,286 an ounce, bringing the TSX gold sector down 7.7 per cent. September copper was flat at US$3.17.The September crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange moved down $1.35 to US$105.21 a barrel.BlackBerry (TSX:BB) shares were 6.7 per cent higher, up 62 cents to $9.88, after Samsung announced that BlackBerry Messenger is headed to its smartphones in Africa. The BBM service is expected to rollout across Android and Apple’s iPhones in the coming months.Stocks appear to have come off the boil in recent sessions as the run of corporate and economic news that marked the turn of the month has slowed down. With August traditionally a low-volume trading month, many analysts think stocks may drift over the coming period.The main focus in markets remains on when the U.S. Federal Reserve will start to reduce its monetary stimulus. At present, the Fed is buying $85 billion worth of financial assets a month in an attempt to keep long-term borrowing rates low and inspire growth. Economists remain divided whether the Fed will start the so-called tapering in September or wait until later in the year.In earnings, Molson Coors Brewing Co. (NYSE:TAP) (TSX:TPX.B) delivered a bigger profit in the second quarter, handily beating analyst estimates. The North American beer maker says its profit from continuing operations in the second quarter was US$276.7 million — $1.50 per share, or $1.51 with discontinued operations included. Analysts had estimated US$1.38 per share of adjusted earnings and US$1.41 of net income. Its shares were up $1.31 to $54.WestJet (TSX:WJA) says its July load factor slipped to 83.1 per cent as traffic increased 8.3 per cent and capacity grew 11.1 per cent over the month last year. Shares of the company gained 10 cents to $210.46.In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares fell 0.6 per cent at 6,577 while Germany’s DAX slid 1.4 per cent to 8,285. The CAC-40 in France was 0.8 per cent lower at 4,019.Earlier, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 finished one per cent higher at 14,401.06 but South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.5 per cent to 1,906.62. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.3 per cent to 21,923.70, dragged down by HSBC Holdings, which plunged 5 per cent a day after the bank reported weaker-than-expected revenue for the first half of the year. read more
The Swiss-based NGO Society for Endangered Peoples welcomed the court’s decision and demanded that the notes of the man’s original asylum application be released by the Swiss migration office.The organisation added that it believed torture is still in use in Sri Lanka and said it knew of several other people who have been forced into hiding after being repatriated by Switzerland.The ECHR complainant was one of two Sri Lankans known to have been tortured after being sent back home by Switzerland in 2013. As a result, Switzerland suspended a readmission accord with Sri Lanka and tightened up on repatriations. On arrival in Colombo, the family was detained and subjected to 13 hours of questioning, the Strasbourg court heard. The man was then arrested and imprisoned, but was able to return to Switzerland two years later. Switzerland violated its commitment to protect people from torture by denying a former Tamil fighter asylum and instead sending him, and his family, back to Sri Lanka in 2013, according to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Swiss info reported.The verdict, delivered on Thursday, condemned the Swiss authorities for failing to properly consider the man’s asylum application lodged in 2009. After an unsuccessful appeal to the Federal Administrative Court he was returned to Sri Lanka along with his wife and two children. Switzerland’s actions violated article three of the European Convention on Human Rights, ruled the ECHR. It was ordered to pay the man €30,000 (CHF32,119). Last October, Switzerland signed a new accord with Sri Lanka dealing with repatriations. This followed an announcement in the summer that Swiss asylum criteria would get stricter towards Tamils as the government believed the human rights situation had improved in Sri Lanka.At the time, some 1,316 asylum applications from Sri Lankan nationals were still pending. By the middle of 2016, more than 5,000 Sri Lankans had been taken in by Switzerland, of which 3,674 had been given refugee status. A total of 1,613 had been admitted provisionally and potentially faced the threat of expulsion.Around 50,000 people from Sri Lanka live in Switzerland, mostly Tamils, who fled the island’s 30-year civil war that ended in 2009. Sri Lanka has repeatedly called on them to return, but NGOs maintain that some could still face torture if they did so. (Colombo Gazette) read more
The Elections Commission has decided to inform the returning officers of 93 Local Government (LG) bodies to call for nominations from November 27.The 93 LG bodies are not affected by a case filed in court against the delimitation gazette.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d’Ivoire today strongly condemned an attack on a disarmament convoy carrying its national authority head, and urged that those responsible be brought to justice. The UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) “calls on the competent Ivorian authorities to take all measures to identify the authors of the attack and bring them before the law,” according to a statement from Abidjan. A convoy of the national Authority for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) was attacked on 1 July on a stretch of road between the towns of Ferkessedougou in the north and Kong in the northwest. UNOCI said at least one person was killed and there are media reports of three other people wounded. “The Mission regrets the death of a gendarme who was part of the security escort and expresses it sympathy to the bereaved family,” UNOCI said in a statement. “It wishes a quick recovery to those injured.” Fidele Sarassoro, ADDR Director-General, was in the convoy but does not appear to have been hurt in the attack. In its statement, the Mission supported the DDR activities in the country saying that their progress is “indispensable” to the restoration of state authority and the return to normalcy in the West African country split by civil war in 2002. “UNOCI calls on all parties concerned to remain calm and undertake no action that could hamper the smooth functioning of the DDR process,” the Mission said. It added that it welcomes progress made so far and stands by the Ivorian Government in its quest to consolidate peace. UNOCI was established in 2004 by the Security Council to facilitate the peace process between the rebel-held north and Government-controlled south following the 2002 civil war. In the aftermath of the post-election violence that followed the 2010 presidential polls, the peacekeeping mission assisted with a number of key tasks, including the restoration of law and order, national reconciliation, the holding of legislative elections and economic recovery. read more
Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. He wrote: “My wife Christine and I have decided that our shows this week, in Coventry and Brighton, will go on and will be dedicated to our grandson Fidel and daughter Melanie (who asked that we still perform).”We have the best fans in the world (through the Neville Staple Band, the Specials, Fun Boy Three & Sugary Staple), so we ask that you help us turn our pain into a message.”Let’s show the young people that this knife trend has to stop! It has to STOP!!” Despite the killing he has vowed to perform this weekend and dedicate the concert to his grandson Detective Inspector Harry Harrison, from the homicide unit, said: “Sadly another young man has lost his life in a knife attack.Our thoughts are with his family at this dreadful time. “We are aware that numerous people who were at the club at the time could have witnessed what happened and I would urge them to contact us with any information no matter how insignificant it may seem Mr Staple, who was due to kick off a UK tour with his Neville Staple Band this weekend, said he would be dedicating Sunday’s Godiva Festival performance in Coventry to his grandson.He also spoke out about the devastating impact that the rising tide of knife crime was having across the country. Another man, aged 23, was found with stab injuries on Queen Victoria Road and remains in hospital. The incident took place outside Club M in CoventryCredit:SWNS Neville Staple found fame with The Specials in the 1980sCredit:Sunshine International/REX/Shutterstock West Midlands Police were dealing with an average seven knife crimes a day, official figures for the year to March 2018 showed earlier this year.There were 2,850 serious crimes recorded involving blades in the period, up from 2,394 the year previously – an increase of 19%. He said: “We are truly devastated to announce the heartbreaking loss of my grandson Fidel (my daughter Melanie’s son), who died today as a result of being attacked with a knife in the street.”We want to thank the hospital staff & surgeons at UHCW University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, who battled all day to try & save him.”My beautiful daughter Melanie & wife Christine Sugary, all the family and myself are still shocked by this tragedy, but would like to thank you all for the kindness & messages we have received.” Singer Neville Staple, who shot to fame with the Coventry-based Ska band, The Specials, has spoken of his “heartbreaking loss” after his grandson was stabbed to death in the city.Fidel, 21, who was the son of Mr Staple’s daughter Melanie, was found suffering from knife wounds at the rear of a nightclub in the early hours of Saturday morning.He was rushed to hospital in a life threatening condition but was later pronounced dead.West Midlands Police said a man had been arrested in connection with the death.Mr Staple, who also performed with the 1980s group Fun Boy Three, as well as his own band, issued a statement on Facebook in which he expressed his family’s devastation. Forensic officers are examining the area near the scene of the attackCredit:SWNS read more
I wrote this month’s leader, which will also head up our May 2019 print issue, travelling at speeds of well over 300 km/h on a Chinese high speed train between Luoyang and Changsha. The network of bullet trains that now crisscross the country on their own indicate the strength of Chinese engineering expertise and a determination to further accelerate economic development across the country.This visit was one I had wanted to do for many years and it remains a first for the mining press. I visited six different major OEM players in the mining equipment sector. First, North Hauler in Baotou, by far the Chinese leader in the supply of mining trucks, up to 300 t plus with electric drive & having just developed a fully autonomous model. Second Taiyuan Heavy in the city of Taiyuan, the leading Chinese rope shovel manufacturer under the TZ brand and including the WK-75 which remains the largest mining shovel ever built until Komatsu delivers its new 4800XPC to Teck Resources in Canada in the coming months. Third, CITIC Heavy in Luoyang, the clear leader in the supply of mining crushers, grinding mills and mine winders in China. I went on to visit XEMC in Xiangtan, another mining truck major, along with Liugong in Liuzhou and SANY in Shenyang, two construction equipment giants but with big plans in mining. I also met with XCMG during the Bauma show in Munich, another construction major but already having had significant export sales of mining units; and have corresponded with JCHX, China’s leading underground mining constructor and contractor, including contract mining and shaft sinking.So rather than just listing names, what had I learnt so far? I’d certainly learnt more about how these companies tick in a few days of spending time with them than I did in 20 years of writing about them, often relying on snippets from scant English website versions or attempting to reach out by email with mixed success. Of course in the end I have been able to make great contacts with the right people in recent years, and it is through these contacts that the visits have been made possible.First, these companies have long histories of engineering experience in China and didn’t just pop up from nowhere. Second, having seen their manufacturing facilities with my own eyes, they have the very latest machining, welding and other equipment in place. Third, they are a lot more vertically integrated in their manufacturing than Western companies, many of which now are largely assemblers of components, parts and castings sourced from third parties. Several factories I saw already employ robotic welding and other technology. Fourth, they are investing in the same types of sensors and analytics systems as Western companies to provide mining customers with the same options, from collision avoidance to payload monitoring and autonomy. Fifth, they are using external components of the same quality as those used by Western OEMs, including Cummins or MTU engines, GE or Siemens electric drives, Parker and Bosch hydraulics, Allison tranmissions, SKF bearings, the list goes on. Sixth, they are not as tied to the Chinese state as people think, if anything they receive no special help from the Chinese government at all. A good example is the recent trade war with President Trump’s US administration. China recently responded to US tariffs by imposing tariffs of its own on US imports into China, hugely increasing certain component costs for Chinese OEMs. Chinese regulations relating to emissions and the environment have also been getting much tighter within only a few years – Western OEMs had far more time to adjust to this type of legislation.In the export market these companies also face significant barriers. Several referred to the “Chinese factor” where they come up across bias against Chinese equipment and services in an already conservative mining industry, due to widely circulating stories of poor quality machines based on old style engineering or simply copies of Western machines. Or a belief that Chinese groups provide zero follow up service and maintenance. The reality is that the majority of the companies I visited have already become certified suppliers with mining majors, including the likes of BHP, Codelco, Rio Tinto, Glencore and Anglo American. This has come about after many, many visits by mining company delegations to their facilities in China to check manufacturing quality and capability. The fact that these certifications have been achieved at all is testament to the quality levels that have been reached. A brief look at Alibaba and other trading websites shows that there remain many lower tier Chinese mining equipment suppliers trying to “make it” but if anything they are copying the premium Chinese players not just the Western imports.It is true that service is an area that has been lacking to date in some parts of the world. But where these players have made significant sales abroad, they are also catching up in provision of service through new facilities, permanent service engineers in place and parts warehouses in countries like Australia, South Africa and Chile.With new mines increasingly owned or at least funded by Chinese investment and being built by Chinese EPC contractors, there is no getting away from the fact that the premium Chinese OEMs will grow in stature in the global market in the coming years as the market picks up. And as I have tried to do, isn’t it better to get to know them and develop good relationships sooner rather than later? read more
The marketing surrounding Bungie’s forthcoming multi-platform game Destiny is moving up a gear this week. Yesterday the box art was revealed, which you can see in full below. And now, Amazon is listing the game for pre-order with the promise of access to the beta.The offer is a simple but effective one. Pre-order Destiny on Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, or Xbox One through Amazon, and in return you are guaranteed access to the beta for the FPS. That beta will go live at some point early in 2014 and will be available across all formats, so it doesn’t matter which version you pre-order.Surprisingly, Amazon will be handling sending out the beta access codes rather than Bungie or publisher Activision directly. You will receive yours within one business day of placing your pre-order. Also, this is a limited time offer. At some point there will be more pre-orders than beta places available, so if you want in, pre-order as soon as possible.Some players have been lucky enough to gain access to very early builds of the game already. Back in March Bungie put the call out for beta testers around the world to help test the game. I expect the beta will open up to those who pre-order the game around the same time in March next year.We’re also meant to be getting a new trailer for the game this week, but until that arrives here’s the 12 minutes of gameplay footage Bungie released back in July. read more
I Don’t Know What’s Happening in ‘Kingdom Hearts 3R…The Most Exciting Video Games of 2019 Stay on target Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney•Pixar films are known for featuring voice-overs from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. It’s among the numerous reasons the movies are so successful. The upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3 will have many of these actors and actresses reprising their respective roles. I think it’s safe to say that Square-Enix’s long-awaited Action RPG will have the most star-studded cast of any game this year.The voice cast includes:Josh Gad (Frozen, Beauty and the Beast) as Olaf from FrozenKristen Bell (Frozen, Veronica Mars, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) as Anna from FrozenIdina Menzel (Frozen, Enchanted, Rent) as Elsa from FrozenJonathan Groff (Frozen, Mindhunter, American Sniper) as Kristoff from FrozenZachary Levi (Tangled, Chuck, Thor: The Dark World) as Flynn Rider from TangledDonna Murphy (Tangled, Center Stage) as Mother Gothel from TangledJohn Ratzenberger (Toy Story, Cheers, The Incredibles, Coco) as Hamm from Toy StoryWallace Shawn (Toy Story, The Princess Bride, The Good Wife) as Rex from Toy StoryTate Donovan (Hercules, The O.C., Argo) as Hercules from HerculesKevin R. McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean Series) as Gibbs from the Pirates of the Caribbean seriesTony Anselmo as Donald DuckBill Farmer as Goofy Of course, there’s also Haley Joel Osment, who will reprise his role as Kingdom Hearts protagonist, Sora. Today’s press release says the game has even more well-known actors lending their voices to the project. I can already imagine how long it’ll take to read through all of the cast members during the ending credits.Based on what I played, Kingdom Hearts 3 seems like a winner. I’m not exactly well-versed in the series (or its crazy lore) but I know a good game when I see one and this is most certainly a quality title. Expect Kingdom Hearts 3 to (finally) drop on January 29, 2019.Buy it now!Nintendo SwitchProtect Your Nintendo Switch With These Awesome CasesLet us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey. read more
Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsAppTourism and Environment leaders will close off Tourism Environmental Awareness Month or TEAM with a clean up on Saturday December 7th. “TCI Shines which is the Hotel & Tourism Association clean-up campaign will bring its hotel industry volunteers for a start at the Tropicana Plaza. The Department of Environmental and Maritime Affairs (DEMA) will spearhead a beach clean-up with the help of school children at 6:30am, also this coming Saturday Morning at the Bight Park. Volunteers will head back to the Bight Park at 9:30am for light refreshments and a brief presentation. Interested individuals can call 941-5787 for more details. Remember to dress comfortably. Related Items: read more
Post-Election recap with KUSI contributor and AM-760 radio host Mark Larson KUSI Newsroom November 23, 2018 00:00 00:00 spaceplay / pause qunload | stop ffullscreenshift + ←→slower / faster ↑↓volume mmute ←→seek . seek to previous 12… 6 seek to 10%, 20% … 60% XColor SettingsAaAaAaAaTextBackgroundOpacity SettingsTextOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundSemi-TransparentOpaqueTransparentFont SettingsSize||TypeSerif MonospaceSerifSans Serif MonospaceSans SerifCasualCursiveSmallCapsResetSave SettingsSAN DIEGO (KUSI)- Some big changes are in store for the news this year after the recent mid-terms, nationally and here at home.KUSI contributor and AM-760 radio host Mark Larson is joining KUSI to talk about what lies ahead. Updated: 6:45 PM Posted: November 23, 2018 KUSI Newsroom, Categories: Local San Diego News, Politics FacebookTwitter read more
Mark Humphrey/APA construction worker at an apartment and retail complex in Nashville. The U.S. economy grew at a less-than-expected 2.6 percent pace in the fourth quarter.The U.S. economy didn’t grow as quickly as many economists had hoped, according to numbers released Friday by the Commerce Department.During the final three months of 2017, a closely followed measure of the whole economy, called the gross domestic product, a rose at a 2.6 percent annualized rate. That’s reasonably good, but less than the 3.2-percent pace in the third quarter. Most economists had been predicting about 3 percent growth.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, speaking on CNBC, said the lower-than-expected number was not a sign of a slowing economy. “We’re going to see short-term aberrations,” he said. “We’re not concerned about any one quarter.”In the fourth quarter, the biggest part of the economy, consumer spending, did show a lot of bounce. It rose at 3.8 percent, the quickest pace in more than a year. The hurricanes and storms in the third quarter had kept a lot of people at home, so they came out to stores in droves in the fourth quarter.And they got back to work. Personal income increase $178.9 billion in the final quarter of 2017, up from an increase of $112.3 billion in the third.And business equipment investment was growing at the best rate in three years.But elsewhere in the economy, the expansion was slower as the year wound down. Trade and inventory depletion were drags.The economy grew at 3.2 percent in the third quarter and 3.1 percent in the second quarter. So that raised hopes that the country might clock the longest streak of 3 percent-or-higher growth since 2005 — before the Great Recession hit.But the slower-than-expected fourth quarter dashed those hopes. For all of 2017, the economy grew 2.3 percent — up from 1.5 percent in 2016, the report said.Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. Share read more
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria will host a walk that will take place on May 3 from 9 a.m. to noon in Old Town Alexandria’s Market Square. Come visit animal and people friendly exhibits, play games, win prizes and walk to support the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Register today to walk for animals at www.alexandriaanimals.org.
Despite all the depictions of black holes in science fiction movies and TV, scientists have never actually seen one. Even the largest black holes scientists have located are still very obscured and distant. At best we can see the swirling firestorm of super-hot matter falling into the black hole, but scientists working on the Event Horizon Telescope think we’ll soon be able to snap an image of a black hole as soon as 2017.There are a number of problems the EHT team has to overcome in order to image a black hole, not least of which how small they are. The incredible mass of a black hole is what gives it such strong gravity. That also means it has extraordinary density.For example, Sagittarius A* (pronounced Sagittarius A star) is the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. It’s diameter is only 17 times greater than our sun, but its mass is 4 million times greater. It’s 25,000 light years away, so trying to spy it with a regular telescope would be like looking at a grapefruit on the surface of the moon. The other issue is all the dust and gas spiraling around a black hole that obscures the view of the event horizon.The EHT team thinks it has figured out a way to get around both of these issues. In fact, team member Feryal Ozel says it’s a lucky coincidence. The team opted to use radio waves to observe black holes (EHT is a radio telescope array), so the first order of business was to settle on a wavelength in the radio spectrum to concentrate on. 1.3mm was chosen as it would be able to penetrate the shroud around the black hole. It happens that this wavelength also passes through the Earth’s atmosphere very well. Lastly, the team believes the gas right at the event horizon (which is the target of the observation) should emit strongly in the 1.3mm wavelength.The image the team hopes to produce next year will be yet another test of general relativity. The theory holds that mass bends space time, something confirmed experimentally repeatedly. Although, a back hole is an extreme example. If the universe works like we think, when the event horizon is imaged we should see a crescent (impression at top) as the gas spinning around the black hole is brighter on the side approaching Earth. If observations don’t match the hypothesis, someone’s going to need to come up with an explanation. read more
The Luna Ring: Electric power generated by a belt of solar cells around the lunar equator would be transmitted and beamed to the Earth from the near side of the Moon. Image credit: Shimizu Corporation. Shimizu envisions that robots would play a vital role in building the Luna Ring. Teleoperated 24 hours a day from the Earth, the robots would perform tasks such as ground leveling and assembling machines and equipment, which would be done in space before landing them on the Moon. A team of astronauts would support the robots on-site.Due to the massive amount of solar panels and other materials needed for the project, Shimizu proposes that lunar resources should be used to the fullest extent possible. The company’s plans call for producing water by reducing lunar soil with hydrogen imported from Earth. Lunar resources could also be used to make cementing material and concrete, while solar-heat treatments could help produce bricks, glass fibers, and other structural materials needed for the project.The Luna Ring itself would initially have a width of a few kilometers, but could be extended up to 400 kilometers wide. The electric power generated by the solar cells would be transmitted by electric cables to transmission facilities on the near side of the Moon, which is constantly facing Earth. After the electricity is converted into microwave beams and laser beams, 20-kilometer-diameter antennas would beam the power to receivers on Earth. A guidance radio beacon would ensure accurate transmission to the receivers. The energy would then be converted back to electricity and supplied to grids, or possibly converted to hydrogen for fuel or storage. Shimizu points out that one of the biggest advantages of the Luna Ring is that, since the Moon has virtually no atmosphere, there is no bad weather or clouds that could inhibit the efficiency of the solar panels. As such, the Luna Ring achieves 24/7 continuous clean energy generation, potentially ending our reliance on limited natural resources.• PhysOrg.com iPhone / iPad Apps• PhysOrg.com Audio Podcasts / iTunes• Join PhysOrg.com on Facebook!• Follow PhysOrg.com on Twitter! Citation: Japanese firm wants to transform the Moon into a giant solar power plant (2010, June 2) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2010-06-japanese-firm-moon-giant-solar.html The machine that made the Moon missions possible Explore further More information: Shimizu Corporationvia: Pink Tentacle © 2010 PhysOrg.com (PhysOrg.com) — The Shimizu Corporation, a Japanese construction firm, has recently proposed a plan to harness solar energy on a larger scale than almost any previously proposed concept. Their ambitious plan involves building a belt of solar cells around the Moon’s 6,800-mile (11,000-kilometer) equator, converting the electricity to powerful microwaves and lasers to be beamed at Earth, and finally converting the beams back to electricity at terrestrial power stations. The Luna Ring concept, the company says, could meet the entire world’s energy needs. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. read more
Kolkata: Bankura district Trinamool Congress has come up with the unique idea of organising “Unnayan Yatra” across the district to highlight various projects and schemes that are carried out by the state government.One of the main objectives of the move is to make people aware of the projects so that they can avail the benefits of the projects. A campaign would be carried out by the district Trinamool Congress leaders. Colourful tableau would be taken out during the campaign rally stressing on all the important schemes of the state government. Also Read – Rain batters Kolkata, cripples normal lifeThe campaign was officially inaugurated on Saturday when the district Trinamool Congress leaders took out a rally showcasing how people in the state are benefitted from the projects. It may be mentioned that the rally which started from the adjoining forest areas of Bankura would reach the district town after covering the entire district. According to the initial plans of the district leaders, the rally would finally reach Kolkata. The rally that was taken out on Saturday covered many areas including Jhilimili, Ranibadh School More, Akhkhuta More. Also Read – Speeding Jaguar crashes into Mercedes car in Kolkata, 2 pedestrians killedSenior party leaders of Trinamool Congress took part in the rally. People from the district congregated on the roadside to enjoy and witness the colourful tableau. There was enthusiasm among the villagers who are reaping the benefit of various social schemes of the government. The tableaus are mainly highlighting all the prominent schemes of the Mamata Banerjee government including Kanyashree, Khadyasathi, Sabuj Sathi, Rupashree, Swasthya Sathi, Jal Dharo Jal Bharo. Many projects of the state government have already earned international acclaim. The projects like Khadyasthi and Kanyshree, the brain child of the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have gained popularity among the villagers living in the remotest areas of the state. read more
Related posts:President signs anti-smoking bill Costa Rica’s Supreme Court declares anti-smoking bill constitutional Tobacco company wants overhaul of Costa Rica’s smoking ban No smoking ban in Costa Rican bars, restaurants goes into effect The Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels (CCH) will ask the government to modify the law that prohibits smoking in public places, because hotels, restaurants and casinos have seen a 25 percent drop in customers during the law’s first year of implementation, according to the chamber.The CCH hosted a forum on Wednesday to review the law to determine if it allows special smoking areas at businesses.Lawyer and former Tourism Minister Walter Niehaus said at the forum that the smoking ban in hotels reduces the country’s competitiveness, adding that he believes tourism business owners are fully open to the possibility of creating smokers-only spaces in their establishments.Health Ministry officials oppose modification of the law, but they said they will wait for the CCH proposal to analyze it.The anti-smoking law, or Control of Tobacco and its Harmful Effects on Health Law entered into force in March last year. Facebook Comments read more
Cyprus Mail Online has introduced an Investment Watch page that provides news and information to businesses considering investing in Cyprus or setting up operations here.Our objective is to offer regular updates on investment opportunities and on the big projects in progress. We will also look at major developments in the economy and give insights into how things work in Cyprus.Many foreign companies, big and small, are based here and more are coming all the time. Foreign direct investment increased by a remarkable 9.1 per cent last year.We now boast the largest third-party ship management centre in Europe and one of the largest crew-management centres in the world. Fund management is the new growth area, Cyprus having reformed its regulatory framework to meet the requirements of the modern fund industry.The island’s attractiveness as an international business centre has been enhanced by the introduction of a tough regulatory framework that earned Cyprus the top ranking for transparency in a recent survey by Transparency International. It is also on the OECD’s ‘white list’ of ‘largely compliant’ jurisdictions that have implemented internationally agreed standards for taxation.Investment Watch is for the many companies that are expressing interest in moving operations to Cyprus – and for those already established here. We are confident that the information, advice and updates in our new pages will prove very useful.You May LikePopularEverythingColorado Mom Adopted Two Children, Months Later She Learned Who They Really ArePopularEverythingUndoLivestlyChip And Joanna’s $18M Mansion Is Perfect, But It’s The Backyard Everyone Is Talking AboutLivestlyUndoModernizeIf Your Home Has Old Roofing, Read ThisModernizeUndo Pensioner dies after crash on Paphos-Polis roadUndoCypriot tycoon launches ‘Bank of Cannabis’UndoThree arrested in connection with hotel theftsUndoby Taboolaby Taboola read more