UAE Residents wake up to lightning and rain on Sunday morning


UAE residents woke up to overcast skies, lightning and slight rain on Sunday morning. The roads are wet and motorists are warned to drive carefully.

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The weather is expected to be partly cloudy in general today, with the cloud cover increasing over the islands and some northern and eastern areas.

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According to the National Center for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), the amount of clouds will increase over scattered areas, with a chance of rain. A slight fall in temperatures is also expected over some areas .

Winds will be moderate in general, fresh at times. However, it may kick up dust in some internal areas.

Sea will be moderate becoming rough gradually by night .

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Meanwhile, the maximum temperature in some internal areas will hit 44 degree C, with a minimum of 23 degree C.

Humidity is also expected to touch 95 per cent in coastal areas.

 Rain in forecast for the next couple of days in the emirates.

Petrofac in $3.7bn Abu Dhabi deal


Petrofac Emirates is partnering with Daewoo Shipbuilding

British oil and gas group Petrofac said on Thursday that its Petrofac Emirates joint venture firm has won a $3.7-billion (2.8-billion-euro) contract to develop a key field in Abu Dhabi.

“Petrofac is pleased to announce that Petrofac Emirates, its joint venture with Mubadala Petroleum, has been awarded a contract by Zakum Development Company for the Upper Zakum, UZ750 field development in Abu Dhabi,” said a statement from the London-listed firm.

“The contract is worth approximately $3.7 billion and has been secured by Petrofac Emirates in consortium with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd.”

The group added that Petrofac Emirates’ share of the contract was valued at $2.9 billion.

Petrol price cut by Rs 2 per litre, excluding VAT


The cut in petrol price follows two rounds of hike in rates since February

Petrol price was on Friday cut by Rs 2 per litre with effect from midnight tonight, the steepest reduction in rates in nine months. While petrol price has been cut by Rs 2 per litre, excluding local sales tax or VAT, there will be no change in diesel rates.

After including VAT, the reduction in price of petrol in Delhi comes to Rs 2.40 per litre and the fuel will from midnight tonight cost Rs 68.34 per litre as against Rs 70.74 currently. It was expected that oil firms will also effect the monthly hike of 40-50 paise per litre in diesel rates but they deferred the decision apparently to save the government from trouble in Parliament.

When oil firms had last hiked petrol price on 2 March, opposition parties had disrupted one full day’s proceedings. The cut in petrol price follows two rounds of hike in rates since February. Petrol price was hiked by Rs 1.50 a litre on 16 Feb and then by Rs 1.40 per litre from 2 March. Both were excluding VAT.

The reduction in rates was possible as international oil prices have eased. While the slide in international prices of crude oil from $112.73 per barrel to $107.41 enabled reduction in petrol prices, it also helped lower losses on diesel sales. Losses on diesel have come down to Rs 8.64 per litre from Rs 11.26 at the beginning of the month, according to Indian Oil Corp (IOC) which announced the price revision. Oil firms calculate the desired retail price on 1st and 16th of every month based on average imported oil price on the previous fortnight. Petrol price had last been cut by over Rs 2 per litre in June 2012 when prices were reduced from Rs 70.24 to Rs 67.78 per litre. IOC said rupee had depreciated marginally. ‘Following this trend, it has been decided to pass on the benefit to customers,’ the company said.

Indian oil refineries carry on negotiations with the OPEC countries for increase in supply of crude oil


The Indian oil refineries are carrying on negotiations with the OPEC countries for increase in supply of crude oil starting from April 1, 2013 in connection with decrease of imports of oil from Iran.

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Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq already expressed readiness to increase export of oil to India for compensation of its losses in case of termination of deliveries of crude from Iran. Such guarantees of the countries of OPEC increase chances of accession of India to the international sanctions against Iran.

Till date New Delhi, despite the international economic sanctions imposed on Tehran reduced purchases of the Iranian crude oil only in insignificant volumes. According to the Indian representatives, the republic recognizes only UN Security Council endorsed sanctions, rather than those by the USA and the European Union.

Ten Best Paid Jobs Without a Degree


In today’s competitive job market, finding a high-paying job is sometimes difficult, especially without a degree, but that doesn’t have to be the case. There are plenty of high-paying career choices that don’t require a degree. Many of those jobs, however, require experience.

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  1. Air Traffic Controller

    • An air traffic controller does not have to have a degree and can still earn a six figure salary at a little over $100,000. Air traffic controllers are in charge of the safety of all vehicles (planes and otherwise) coming and going from an airport to ensure there are no collisions on the ground or in the air. While this job doesn’t require a degree, the difficult nature does require extensive experience.

    Funeral Director

    • Although it’s not the most glamorous job, and might seem a little grim, a funeral director earns nearly $100,000 annually and the job doesn’t require a degree. Funeral directors are in charge of helping the family of the recently deceased arrange funeral services. A funeral director is also the overseer of embalming, burial and even cremation services.

    Operations Manager

    • An operations manager makes, on average, $70,000 annually. An operations manager position is found in many types of businesses. Basically, the person in this position is responsible for ensuring that business is running smoothing, i.e. workforce and resources are working as they should and there are no backups or issues in the schedule. Examples include efficient production at a factory, cost control and a variety of other areas of business.

    Industrial Production Manager

    • The position of industrial production manager is similar to that of an operations manager, but this position is only in businesses where products are being made. The industrial production manager oversees production of goods and will try to determine new, less expensive and more efficient ways to get these goods manufactured. This person will also ensure that production is running smoothly and that any problems are quickly resolved. The average salary is around $70,000.

    Transportation Manager

    • A transportation manager is also similar to both the industrial production manager and the operations manager, but works at companies that provide public transportation, such as train companies or bus tour companies, as well as companies that transport goods from one manufacturer to stores for selling. A transportation manager may also work for local governments to manage city bus or metro transportation. The transportation manager ensures everything is running on time and may determine more efficient routes for transportation.

    Distribution Manager

    • A distribution manager works with the manufacturing companies to ensure the goods that are produced are getting where they need to go smoothly, on time and the most cost-efficient way as possible. The person in this position is also the top manager when it comes to customer complaints regarding delivery failures. A distribution manager makes around $68,000 annually.

    Computer Technical Support Specialist

    • A computer technical support specialist can work independently as a freelance consultant or for a company providing technical support to employees. Either way, the person in this position is in charge of setting up computer programs and solving any computer-related issues that may arise in an office or home environment. This person can make anywhere from $60,000 to $70,000 and may earn even more freelancing. Usually, people in this position don’t need a degree because they are self-taught in computers and have gained much experience.

    Police Manager/Detective

    • The position of police manager or detective doesn’t require a degree, although it does usually require you to graduate the police academy, which is rigorous in its own right. These positions are filled with police officers as they move up in rank. A police officer serves and protects individuals and to maintain the safety of citizens within their jurisdiction. The police academy will train you for various situations you may encounter as a police officer.

    Gaming Manager

    • A gaming manager doesn’t need a degree, but may need to acquire a license to work in a casino. A gaming manager’s duties range from cleaning slot machines to training dealers. The basic duty, though, is to watch over a certain area of the casino to ensure that customers are enjoying themselves, which will keep them at a table and gambling, and that the dealers are acting appropriately. Most casino managers start out as dealers themselves.

    Nuclear Power Reactor Manager

    • A nuclear power reactor manager ensures that the nuclear power reactors, which are the main power generators in a nuclear power plant, are working properly and helps senior managers fix any issues that arise. After more experience on the job, the manager will be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which would allow them to work on the machines hands-on themselves. At least one senior manager will be on duty with the nuclear power reactor manager at all times.

 

Sethusamudram project is illegal, arbitrary and unacceptable: Subramanian Swamy


Sethusamudram project is illegal, arbitrary and unacceptable: Subramanian Swamy

Lashing out at the UPA Government over its decision to go ahead with Sethusamudram Project despite the R. K. Pachauri Committee report suggesting it is unviable, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy on Monday said the mega project is illegal, arbitrary and unacceptable.

“The important thing is that the project is not acceptable. It is illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable and extremely expensive,” said Swamy, while talking to reporters here.

“They (government) also clamed in their affidavit that Rs.860 crore have already been spent and therefore we want to go ahead with the project. Well if you have spent Rs.860 crore for a project which was illegal, arbitrary and unreasonable, malafide and extraordinarily expensive then according to the Supreme Court judgments, those who cleared the project they are responsible and this amount must be taken out of their wealth,” he added.

Swamy further stated that cutting of the Ram Setu (Adam’s Bridge) for this project would be a violation of section 295 (malicious of the religious sentiments of the citizen irrespective of any class) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Sethusamudram project was started in 2005 but was suspended following the Supreme Court order and R. K. Pachauri Committee was constituted to look in to the matter.

The committee has submitted its report on Friday last week, suggesting the entire Sethusamudram project unviable on two fronts – economically as ecologically.

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However, the government has rejected the Pachauri Committee report and submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court with and intention to pursue the project cutting through the Adam’s Bridge, popularly known as Ram Setu.

Use Less Power If You Can’t Afford Hiked Rates: Dikshit


People should cut use of power if they cannot afford high electricity tariff, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said today, a prescription that evoked criticism.

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Under attack for the hike in power tariff, Dikshit also sought to justify it, saying the increase in cost of power production has led to the rise in electricity rates.

Stating that the consumers will have to pay if they want round-the-clock electricity supply, Dikshit went on to say that if people are finding it difficult to pay the billed amount they they should cut down consumption on various electrical appliances.

“We have been supplying power round-the-clock. We are not supplying power periodically. When 24 hours supply is ensured then the Opposition says bill is too high. If you consume electricity for 24 hours, then you do not pay for five hours’ consumption.

“If you cannot afford the electricity bill then cut down your consumption of electricity. Future generations will never realise there used to be seven to eight hours power cut in Delhi,” Dikshit said addressing a meeting at Chhatarpur area in South Delhi.

“If somebody is finding it difficult to pay the bill then he can use a fan instead of a cooler. One can always cut down consumption of power to limit the bill,” she added.

Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel accused the Chief Minister of “favouring” discoms and ignoring the alleged corruption in these power distribution companies.

“She (Dikshit) is favouring discoms. There is mass corruption in electricity by the discoms but Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, instead of checking it, is giving statement about electricity being used by poor people,” Goel said.

The BJP has been targeting the city government on the issue of hike in power tariff and accused it of siding with the private power discoms.

“This is very unfortunate statement from the Chief Minister of Delhi. In Delhi, the electricity prices are not increasing because of increased production cost,” Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal said.

“How can you expect the people to stop using TV, refrigerator, washing machines which have become essential today. The electricity prices are increasing only because of the corruption of the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in collusion with electricity companies….”

The power tariff in the city was hiked by 22 per cent in 2011 and again it was increased by 26 per cent for domestic consumers in July last year. It was again hiked by up to three per cent from February one.

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Maruti Suzuki to unveil the most fuel efficient car


Maruti Suzuki to unveil the most fuel efficient car – Refreshed version of ‘A Star’ to promise 33 kmpl mileage

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Maruti Suzuki is soon going to make a bang in the global small car market as it is reported to be working hard to launch the most fuel efficient car.

Alto has been a prominent model for Maruti Suzuki since its launch and all the updated versions of the vehicle have been received well in the Indian market. Though the company had appreciable sale volume of the model, it has unveiled ‘A Star’ into the market which also resulted in a big success for the manufacturer.

As per the information from indianautoblog.com, it has been known that an updated version of the A Star is going to hit stores soon which are expected to have a bang in the global market and Indian market as well. The vehicle will promise mileage of 33 kilometers per liter which is the highest mileage ever so far. The new version has been named as ‘A Star ECO’ which will be completely eco friendly variant.

Maruti is going to make a number of changes in order to make the fuel efficiency possible and the changes will be made both internally as well as externally. The body of the vehicle will be lighter by 20 kg and it will have some modifications to increase the aerodynamics of the vehicle to lower pressure on engine in pulling the vehicle.

Height of the vehicle may be increased a little bit and it will be classified under A+ segment. It will be equipped with a new compact diesel engine which will be more fuel efficient. But the manufacturer should not compromise with the interior of the vehicle as most of the rival models of same price range such as Hyundai i10 and Chevrolet Beat are offering elegant interior.

Some recent surveys showed that Maruti is having a little drop in sales from past few quarters and thus it is keen on regaining the momentum in India by introducing more efficient models. The brand new A Star might get unveiled by this spring.

10 Most Expensive Single Objects in the World


10. Oresund Bridge (Cost:$6 Billion)

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The Øresund or Öresund Bridge  is a combined twin-track railroad and four-lane highway bridge-tunnel across the Öresund strait. The Øresund Bridge connects Sweden and Denmark, and it is the longest highway and railroad bridge in Europe. The Øresund Bridge also connects two major Metropolitan Areas: those of the Danish capital city of Copenhagen and the major Swedish city of Malmö. Furthermore, the Øresund Bridge connects the highway network of Scandinavia with those of Central and Western Europe.

  • Official name: Øresundsbroen, Öresundsbron
  • Carries: Four lanes of European route E20 Double track Oresund Railway Line
  • Locale: Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden
  • Designer: Georg Rotne
  • Design: Cable-stayed bridge
  • Total length: 7,845 metres (25,738 ft)
  • Width: 23.5 metres (77.1 ft)
  • Longest span: 490 metres (1,608 ft)
  • Cost: $6 Billion
  • Country: Denmark, Sweden
  • Year of completion: 2000

9.Large Hadron Collider (Cost: $6 Billion)

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The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected that it will address themost fundamental questions of physics, advancing our understanding of the deepest laws of nature.

The LHC lies in a tunnel 27 kilometres (17 mi) in circumference, as much as 175 metres (574 ft) beneath the Franco-Swiss border nearGeneva, Switzerland. This synchrotron is designed to collide opposing particle beams of either protons at an energy of 7 teraelectronvolts(1.12 microjoules) per particle, or lead nuclei at an energy of 574 TeV (92.0 µJ) per nucleus. The term hadron refers to particles composed of quarks.

  • Country: Switzerland
  • Year of completion: 2008
  • Cost: $6 Billion

 

8. ITER – Experimental Fusion Reactor (Cost: $6.5 Billion)

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ITER - International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is an international tokamak (magnetic confinement fusion) research/engineering project that could help to make the transition from today’s studies of plasmaphysics to future electricity-producing fusion power plants. It builds on research done with devices such as DIII-D,EAST, ADITYA, KSTAR, TFTR, ASDEX Upgrade, Joint European Torus, JT-60, Tore Supra and T-15.

  • Country: China, European Union, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, United States
  • Year of completion: 2016 (expected)
  • Cost: $6.5 Billion

7. Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant(Cost: $7.2 Billion)

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The Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant is on Olkiluoto Island, which is on the shore of the Gulf of Bothnia in the municipality of Eurajoki in western Finland. It is one of Finland’s two nuclear power plants, the other being the two-unitVVER Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant.

The Olkiluoto plant consists of two BWRs with 860 MWe each. These were supplied by ASEA-Atom, now a part of ABB Group. The plant is operated by Teollisuuden Voima, a subsidiary of Pohjolan Voima. Unit three, the first EPR (European Pressurized water Reactor) is under construction, but various problems with workmanship and supervision have created costly delays, and been the subject of an inquiry by the Finnish nuclear regulator STUK.A  license for a fourth reactor to be built at the site was granted by the Finnish parliament in July 2010.

  • Country: Finland
  • Year of completion : 2012 (expected)
  • Cost: $7.2 Billion

6. Alaska Pipeline (Cost: $8 Billion)

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The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), includes the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. It is commonly called the Alaska Pipeline, Trans-Alaska Pipeline, or Alyeska Pipeline, (or the Pipeline as referred to in Alaska), but those terms technically apply only to the 800.302 miles (1,287.961 km) of the pipleline with the diameter of 48 inches (122 cm) that conveys oil from Prudhoe Bay, to Valdez, Alaska. The crude oil pipeline is privately owned by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.

The pipeline was built between 1974 and 1977 after the 1973 oil crisis caused a sharp rise in oil prices in the United States. This rise made exploration of the Prudhoe Bay oil field economically feasible. Environmental, legal, and political debates followed the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968, and the pipeline was built only after the oil crisis provoked the passage of legislation designed to remove legal challenges to the project.

  • Country :United State
  • Year of completion : 1977
  • Cost: $8 Billion

5. CVN-78 Class Aircraft Carrier (Cost: $8.1 Billion)

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The CVN-78-class aircraft carriers (or Ford-class) are a planned class of supercarrier for the United States Navy, intended to replace the current Nimitz-class carriers. The new vessels will use a hull design very similar to the Nimitz carriers, but many aspects of the design will be very different, implementing new technologies developed since the initial design of the previous class (such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System), as well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and running costs, including a reduced crew requirement. The first hull of the line will be named Gerald R. Ford, and will have the hull number CVN-78.

  • Country : United States
  • Year of completion : 2015 (expected)
  • Cost: $8.1 Billion

4. James Bay Project ( Cost: 13.8 billion)

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The James Bay Project refers to the construction by state-owned utility Hydro-Québec of a series of hydroelectric power stations on the La Grande River in northwestern Quebec, Canada, and the diversion of neighbouring rivers into the La Grande watershed. It is located between James Bay to the west and Labrador to the east and its waters flow from the Laurentian Plateau of the Canadian Shield. The project covers an area of the size of the State of New York and is one of the largest hydroelectric systems in the world. The project has cost upwards of $13 billion US to build and has an installed generating capacity of 16,000 megawatts, three times more than all of the power stations at Niagara Falls, eight times the power of Hoover Dam, and over twice the power of all eight reactors units at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, the largest in North America. If fully expanded to include all of the original planned dams, as well as the additional “James Bay II” projects, the system would generate a total of 27,000 MW, making it the largest hydroelectric system in the world.

  • Country : Canada
  • Year of completion : 1972
  • Cost: 13.8 billion

3. Three Gorges Dam(Cost: $25 Billion)

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The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China. It is the world’s largest electricity-generating plant of any kind.

The dam body was completed in 2006. Except for a ship lift, the originally planned components of the project were completed on October 30, 2008 when the 26th generator in the shore plant began commercial operation. Each generator has a capacity of 700 MW.Six additional generators in the underground power plant are not expected to become fully operational until 2011.

  • Country : China
  • Year of completion : 2011 (expected)
  • Cost: $25 Billion

 

2. Itaipu Dam (Cost: $27 Billion)

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The Itaipu Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The name “Itaipu” was taken from an isle that existed near the construction site. In the Guarani language, Itaipu means “the sound of a stone”. The American composer Philip Glass has also written a symphonic cantata named Itaipu, in honour of the structure.

The dam is the largest operating hydroelectric facility in terms of annual generating capacity, generating 94.7 TWh in 2008 and 91.6 TWh in 2009, while the annual generating capacity of the Three Gorges Dam was 80.8 TWh in 2008 and 79.4 TWh in 2009. It is a binational undertaking run by Brazil and Paraguay at the Paraná River on the border section between the two countries, 15 km (9.3 mi) north of the Friendship Bridge. The project ranges from Foz do Iguaçu, in Brazil, and Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, in the south to Guaíra and Salto del Guaíra in the north. The installed generation capacity of the plant is 14 GW, with 20 generating units providing 700 MW each with a hydraulic design head of 118 m. In 2008 the plant generated a record 94.68 billion kWh, supplying 90% of the energy consumed by Paraguay and 19% of that consumed by Brazil.

  • Country : Brazil, Paraguay
  • Year of completion : 1984
  • Cost: $27 Billion

1. International Space Station(Cost: $157 Billion)

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The International Space Station (ISS) is an internationally developed research facility that is being assembled in low Earth orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled for completion by late 2011. The station is expected to remain in operation until at least 2015, and likely 2020. With a greater mass than that of any previous space station, the ISS can be seen from Earth with the naked eye, and is by far the largest artificial satellite that has ever orbited Earth. The ISS serves as a research laboratory that has a microgravity environment in which crews conduct experiments in biology, chemistry, human biology, physics, astronomy and meteorology. The station has a unique environment for the testing of the spacecraft systems that will be required for missions to the Moon and Mars.The ISS is operated by Expedition crews, with the station programme maintaining an uninterrupted human presence in space since the launch of Expedition 1 on 31 October 2000, a total of 9 years and 262 days.

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  • Country : Canada, European Space Agency, Japan, Russia, United States
  • Year of completion : 2011 (expected)
  • Cost: $157 Billion

National Conference on E-Waste Sustainability: Call for Papers


ORGANISER(S):

Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences in joint collaboration with GIZ-IGEP (Indo-German Environment Partnership)

THEME: E-Waste Sustainability: Needs And Solutions For Its Management

WHEN: 7-8 March, 2013

WHERE: Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences (University of Delhi), Sector 2, Phase 1, Dwarka, New Delhi

CALL FOR PAPERS:

Abstract can be submitted through email by 15th February, 2013 at ewasteconf2013@gmail.com . Abstracts are limited to one page of text (12 point in font type Times Roman, MS Word) and a second, optional page with up to four figures.

Accepted papers will have to submit camera ready print by 1 March, 2013.

Themes For Paper Submission

Based on the 4R principles of recycle, refurbish, re-use and reduce the Conference attempts to discuss and cover the following themes by inviting paper presentation by research scholars and panel discussions:

1.  Implementation of E-waste policy/Regulation

2. Initiatives of Government in reducing E-Waste

3. Integrating E-Waste and Green Design in curriculum

4. Needs for Technological Development and Recycling of E-waste

5. Recovery and reuse of Metals/Plastics/Glass from E-waste

6. Role of EPR in Sustaining E-waste Management

7. Role of informal recycling in E-waste Management

8. E-waste as pollutant on the ecosystem and humans

9. Shift in Design Methodologies (Green Design and Demanufacturing)

10. RoHS compliance and Green Production

11. Potential of re-use of EEE in terms of economic, social aspect

SEE Registration Details here

 

Source Link: http://confewaste2013.tk/