Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Honda: Lack of parts may affect N. America plants
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Production will likely be interrupted at Honda Motor Co.'s six North America plants after April 1 due to a lack of critical parts as Japanese suppliers work to recover from earthquake and tsunami damage, the automaker said Friday.
Interruptions are expected at Honda's two Ohio plants and at plants in Alabama, Indiana, Canada and Mexico until the issues are resolved, said spokesman Jeffrey Smith.
Honda said workers at the plants were informed Friday.
The company said on its website that a few suppliers in Japan are still working to re-establish operations, and that Honda is looking for other possible supply sources.
"The vast majority of …
Blood pressure pills could raise cancer risk
Some of the world's most popular blood pressure pills may slightly increase your risk of getting cancer, but doctors say it's too soon to ditch the drugs, according to new research.
In an analysis of five previous studies following about 60,000 patients, experts found a link between people taking medicines known as angiotensin-receptor blockers, or ARBs, and cancer. The drugs are taken by millions of people worldwide for conditions like high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetic kidney disease.
In the analysis, researchers found that people who took the drugs had about a 1 percent higher risk of getting cancer than people who weren't on the drugs. …
IAEA Resolution on Iran
In its Feb. 4 resolution on Iran's nuclear program, the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors said that "a solution to the Iranian issue would contribute to global nonproliferation efforts and to realizing the objective of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, including their means of delivery." Following are key excerpts from the resolution.
1. Underlines that outstanding questions can best be resolved and confidence built in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's programme by Iran responding positively to the calls for confidence building measures which the Board has made on Iran, and in this context deems it necessary for Iran to:
* …
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Former Indonesian dictator Suharto examined in hospital after 5 days of illness
Former Indonesian dictator Suharto was being examined in a Jakarta hospital Friday after falling ill at his home last week, doctors said.
Suharto, 86, complained about "swelling of his feet and other parts of his body," said Dr. Joko Raharjo, a member of Suharto's medical team at Pertamina Hospital.
His condition was not considered threatening, but he would likely spend the night under observation, said Dr. Brig. Gen. Marjo Subiandono, the head of Indonesia's presidential medical team.
Suharto, who brutally ruled the country for 32 years …
India's richest man caps his salary at $3.3M
India's richest man annouced he will voluntarily cap his compensation at 150 million rupees ($3.3 million) this year, saying Thursday that he will get by on about a third of his take-home pay from the previous year.
Mukesh Ambani's flagship company, Reliance Industries, said his decision reflects his "desire to set a personal example of moderation."
In 2008, he made 66 percent more, or 440.2 million rupees ($9.6 million), a drop in the bucket of his overall wealth, which Forbes magazine puts at $19.5 billion.
In March, Mukesh's younger brother, Anil, decided to forego all compensation this year, Tony Jesudasan, a spokesman for his group …
Preserve Clybourn Corridor
If you listen to some people, you'd think that using the law toprotect the investment people have made in their property is somekind of radical idea. These people would have you believe that thecity has no business trying to protect an important enclave ofmanufacturing on the Near North Side called the "Clybourn Corridor."They argue that Chicago would be better off letting yuppiegentrification sweep through the area, driving out the plants andtheir jobs.
The argument, which conveniently ignores the well-establishedlegitimacy of zoning laws, should not stand in the way of the CityCouncil approving a proposed designation of the Clybourn Corridor asa manufacturing area. …
Dan Rather Joins HDNet, Talking to AOL
PASADENA, Calif. - Saying the news "needs backers who won't back down," former CBS anchor Dan Rather confirmed Tuesday that he's joining Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban for a weekly program that begins in October on HDNet.
The one-hour "Dan Rather Reports" will feature field reports, interviews and investigations. Rather will produce the program and be its host.
"Hard news needs backers who won't back down," Rather said. "Mark Cuban is such a leader. As a team player I intend to give Mark and HDNet all of the hard work, loyalty and fearless, high quality reporting possible."
Rather and Cuban were scheduled to meet with reporters late Tuesday in California.
…Analysis: Nuclear concerns still weigh heavy on US
Behind President Barack Obama's toughened but modulated response to the Iranian election crisis is a calculation that when the dust settles, the United States will still face an unpredictable adversary that gets closer every day to producing nuclear weapons.
No one can say whether the unrest following disputed presidential elections will yield an Iran more willing to cut a deal over its disputed nuclear program. But as Obama sees it, the United States must be ready to talk no matter who sits on the other side of the table.
"My position coming into this office has been that the United States has core national security interests in making sure that Iran …
Ski Season: New Name, Old Look // Hot Dog Relishes Change
Americana, which had been for sale for five years, recently wassold to Marcus Hotel Corp. of Milwaukee.
The Lake Geneva facility has been renamed Hot Dog Mountain,and will be part of what is now the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa.
The new owners plan a major renovation of the resort, which wasa hot spot of the 1970s as an offshoot of Chicago's Playboy magazineempire. Playboy, which built the resort on what was then the IndianTrails ski area in 1968, sold it to Americana in 1980.
Among the first …
Boren remembers loss to Appalachian State
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — There's no need to preach to Ohio State offensive lineman Justin Boren about how good an underdog can be, or what one can accomplish.
You see, Boren has firsthand knowledge of one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
On Sept. 1, 2007, Boren played for Michigan when the fifth-ranked Wolverines were shocked 34-32 by championship-subdivision Appalachian State.
"Appalachian State was a good team. People think that these (unranked) teams are so much different, but they're really not," Boren said Tuesday. "They're all very capable teams. Appalachian State was a very good team. People look at it and, like, dang, Michigan must be terrible. …
Citigroup's string of bailouts, at a glance
Citigroup Inc. CEO Vikram Pandit appeared in Washington on Thursday to tell bailout overseers that today's Citi is not the tangled behemoth that required more than $45 billion from the government to survive the financial crisis.
Citi's bailouts have attracted attention because it is the world's largest financial services conglomerate, and because the government seemed endlessly willing to rework the terms of Citi's debt in ways that helped the company _ but not always taxpayers.
Here's a look at the various stages by which the government's stake in Citi ballooned, and how much has been paid back:
_ Oct. 28, 2008: Treasury's first round of capital …
MORNINGLINE
US looks like target market
The Infiniti M35h hybrid incorporates some intriguing technologyand represents a tempting option for city dwelling executives, butit doesn't offer enough to tempt the vast majority of us from ourdiesel cars. It's well equipped and decently finished but spaceinside is a little disappointing. Interesting, different and worthyenough, the M35h is clearly targeted across the pond.
We've come to expect some sort of technological headliner frommost Japanese hybrid cars and the Infiniti M35h is no different. Itsmost fascinating feature is the Approaching Vehicle Sound forPedestrians (VSP) which utilises a range of distinctive sounds tohelp ensure the safety of other road users.
VSP is computer controlled and links an in-car sound synthesiserwith a speaker built in to the front bumper. It automatically worksfrom start-up to 20mph, cutting back in at 17mph as the vehicleslows. It sounds somewhat like a quieter version of a jet taxiingand gets your attention without sounding harsh or intrusive.
Aside from that, the M35h gets a very punchy 303bhp 3.5-litrepetrol V6 augmented by a 67bhp electric motor, the M35h which meansa very punchy 5.6 second sprint to 60mph. The transmission is anautomatic with internal clutch pack and means that there's not theCVT gearbox whine that often accompanies hybrid cars.
The extra 120kg of weight added by the hybrid system means thatyou shouldn't expect the M35h to feel as wieldy through corners as aconventional petrol-powered M37. It's possible to drive at up to60mph on electric power alone, but you'll need to have the tactilefinesse of a bomb disposal expert with the throttle. Give it anymore than about a quarter of the pedal's travel and the petrolengine thrums smoothly into life.
The design of the Infiniti M35h appears to draw upon a number ofinfluences. There's something rather Maserati GranTurismo about thefront wheel arches and undeniably overtones of Jaguar XF around thefront grille and headlamps.
The rear end is less distinguished, tapering to a rather genericblend of Japanese and American design cues. The net result is a carthat doesn't quite hang together a cohesive package, lacking thedynamic tension of a modern European design. That said, it is quitedistinctive.
The Infiniti M35h hybrid is an impressive foray into a marketthat has yet to bloom in this country. Executive class buyers remainfirmly wedded to their diesel cars and although the Japanese companyhas clearly thrown a lot of resources at this model and pioneeredsome intriguing technical innovations, it's not a car that makes anoverwhelmingly convincing case on the balance sheet.
What you do get is a very well finished car that makes light workof city driving and offers an alternative to the 'too cool forschool' understatement of the German marques.
Ultimately this car feels exactly what it is - a car targeted atthe American market that will garner only very minority interest inthe UK. Still, as an example of what Infiniti is capable of, itbodes extremely well for when they design some more Eurocentricproducts.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Turkey asks NATO to help clear mines near Syria
Turkey is seeking help from NATO to help clear land mines from the country's border with Syria.
The announcement Tuesday by the Defense Ministry ends a dispute over who would do the job.
The military and opposition parties had strongly opposed a government-drafted law that allowed private foreign companies to clear the mines in return for the right to farm the fertile land for up to 44 years.
The Defense Ministry says talks have begun with the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency, which is NATO's principal logistics support management agency.
Turkey, a NATO member and U.S. ally, planted more than half a million mines along the 500-kilometer (310-mile) Syrian border in the 1950s to secure the frontier.
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