Solar vehicles in Chile race across world's driest desert

CALAMA: Fifteen solar panel vehicles, some that look like small space ships, raced across Chile's Atacama desert Friday as part of a contest to build low-cost environmentally-friendly cars.

Teams from countries like Argentina, Chile, India and Venezuela have crafted aerodynamic racers to speed across 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of the world's driest desert in the second edition of the Atacama Solar ChallengeThe race, which began Thursday and ends Monday, pits teams from universities that build their cars on a tight budget in the slog across northern Chile.Some of the vehicles powered exclusively by the sun's rays, while others are solar- and pedal-powered hybrids.The solar-powered vehicles are mostly flat rectangular contraptions lined with solar panels to absorb solar energy, which is stored in batteries, and with a cubicle to house the driver. The hybrids look like neighborhood go-carts with solar panels glued on.
The race started Thursday at the Humberstone saltpeter, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of Chile's capital, Santiago. The site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a ghost town that has been abandoned since saltpeter mining was halted ended there in the mid 20th century.This year, a team from oil-rich Venezuela made their debut in the competition that celebrates an alternative to fossil fuels.In a country with a mono-economy based on oil, with an infinite potential of hydraulic energy, and without an energy problem, it is a miracle to build a car like this," said the Venezuelan team captain Carlos Mata.The import laws in Venezuela meant we could not get all the necessary materials, so we had to adapt what we had. It was a huge effort," he explained.But his team persisted, eager to participate in an event organizers say is aimed at encouraging research into alternative sources of energy.The solar vehicles shared the same northern Chilean highway with trucks, busses and cars, but are a long way from replacing them, said Leonardo Saguas, captain of the Antakar team from Chile's Universidad de La Serena
Yet Saguas, whose team built last year's winning car, said he can envision a day when Chile is mass producing solar cars.We have plenty of resources, we just need to develop them," he said.Gabriel Martinez, proud team captain from the University of Concepcion, spent a year perfecting his vehicle.
It has 244 solar cells" which capture the sun's energy and convert it to electricity stored in batteries, he bragged, adding that the vehicle "weighs 300 kilograms and its peak power is 950 watts."
This race is awesome. It applies all the engineering and technology we learn into a sport. I love it," he gushed.
Luciano Chiang, professor at Chile's Catholic University, supervises the Solar Mecatronica team, one of five competing from Chilean universities.

Cable operators rule in Pakistan ,block broadcasting of six entertainment channels

ISLAMABAD: Some Cable Operators have blocked broadcasting of six Pakistani entertainment channels including ‘Geo Entertainment’, Other channels included ARY Digital, Hum TV, Express Entertainment, TV
One and KTN Entertainment.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) condemned it and demanded prompt action against these cable operators, saying that suspending broadcasting of the channels is against the licensing regulations of PEMRA.
PBA said cable operators, with this pressure tactic, want to get reopened Indian channels closed on Supreme Court orders.
Some operators have political affiliation and by this tactic they wanted to stop the channels from independent coverage of upcoming general elections, PBA added.

LOOKING BACK: ALEXA CHUNG

In honor of Alexa Chung's 29th birthday, we take a look at her best-dressed moments.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2012

From model to television personality, Alexa Chung has become one of front row's finest at Fashion Week. ‪With a sought-after wardrobe and a Mulberry bag in her name, Chung has

become the poster girl for London chic. In honor of her 29th birthday, we look back at her style.

Here, she wears a J.W. Anderson dress at the House of Holland Spring/Summer 2013 show during London Fashion Week.

American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion

Aesthetics and Addition in Fashion,” the latest exhibition at the Appearance Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), opens today. Featuring 25 American appearance designers, the display showcases the ascendant
bigwigs of yesteryear and the hot adolescent things of today. Sponsored by 1stdibs, the display includes some baking pieces like a Pauline Trigère black covering and a sparkling Adrian clothes already beat by Joan Crawford, as able-bodied as swishy numbers by Rodarte, Ralph Rucci and James Galanos. To apprentice a bit added about the exhibit, The Moment angled the ear of Dr. Valerie Steele, administrator of the Museum at FIT, about recession chic, hip-hop appearance and why the appearance isn’t alleged “American Fierceness.”
Q.
How did you aces out the 25 American designers?
A.
Patricia Mears, the babysitter of “American Beauty,” in fact chose the designers featured. It was a actual claimed best based on the designers’ focus on abstruse and aesthetic innovation. Had I been the curator, I ability accept focused added on cultural imagery, such as the role of denim, but Patricia took the access of a connoisseur.
Why did you go for carefully American designers? Feeling patriotic?
Patricia came up with the abstraction for accomplishing a appearance on American designers. I agnosticism that bellicism was at the beginning of her mind, except inasmuch as she was affronted that so abounding Europeans abolish American appearance as derivative. I apperceive she capital to prove that apocryphal by assuming how artistic American designers can be.
How generally do you apprehend anyone say these days, “Oh, what a admirable dress!”? That sounds actual June Cleaver to me. How about a appearance alleged “American Fierceness,” because all I anytime apprehend is, “That dress is fierce, Miss Thing!”
I was the one who came up with the appellation “American Beauty”! Patricia’s aboriginal appellation was forth the curve of the subtitle, “Aesthetics and Addition in Fashion.” I anticipate titles should be abbreviate and catchy. Plus, one of Halston’s a lot of admirable dresses was alleged the American Beauty Rose dress.
What do you anticipate America’s acceptation is in the history of fashion?
America is cogent in the history of appearance for abounding reasons, not atomic the acceleration of American accepted ability and its advance about the globe. Anticipate dejected jeans or hip-hop fashion.
Why bother accumulation bargain garments? Enough with recession chic!
To the admeasurement that Patricia has congenital any “low-priced garments” in her exhibition, it is because the designers such as Claire McCardell were innovators. However, the majority of the designers featured tend against the high-fashion ancillary of the spectrum.
Regarding the two-day appointment on Dec. 4 and 5, can you accord us some capacity that chronicle to American fashion?
The museum’s anniversary appearance appointment takes as its affair “American Style.” Naturally, Patricia will allege about her exhibition. But the appointment will aswell attending at added aspects of the subject. For example, the United States is a multicultural society, and Prof. Van Dyk Lewis of Cornell will allege about hip-hop fashion. There will aswell be a console on Latin America and appearance featuring Nina Garcia, Maria Cornejo and Christian Cota. I will aswell be aflame to apprehend from David Colman of The New York Times, who will be speaking about preppy style.
Some highlights of the exhibition?
Every eyewitness will accept their own assessment on the highlights of the exhibition, but two celebrated examples are the dresses by Charles James and those by Halston. There are abounding amazing abreast designers featured.

Latest Fast Till to Death

Irom Sharmila, Manipur's 'Iron Lady', today completed 12 years of indefinite fast demanding repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act Sharmila, who is force-fed through the nose to keep her
alivebegan her fast till death after ten persons, including a boy who received the national bravery award, were shot dead in an alleged encounter with Assam Rifles personnel at Malom near Imphal airport on November 2, 2000.A newspaper columnist and social worker then, Sharmila, went on fast on November 5 that year demanding repeal of AFSPA.  She was arrested a day later and charged with attempt to

commit suicide.Since then she has been produced in court from time to time, rearrested and produced again in court.She is force fed at a government hospital at Porompat here where the ward she is in has been converted into a jail.Sharmila has received several global awards and several prominent personalities from different parts of the country have visited her in support of her demands.

Her brother and spokesman Irom Singhajit said social organisations including Just Peace Foundation would hold candlelight demonstrations in Imphal while public discussions would be held during the day.

Official sources said security and police forces would be deployed in various parts of the city as a precautionary measure.

Britain Attack on 90 % of the World's Countries:study

Britain 'invaded 90 per cent' of world's countries: study
ATTACKBritain, which held sway over India for around 200 years, has invaded almost 90 per cent of the
world's countries in its history, barring only 22 nations, a new study has found. An analysis of the histories of almost 200 nations found that only 22 countries, including far off Luxembourg, Guatemala, Tajikistan and the Marshall Islands in the Pacific have never experienced a British assault.




However, only a very small proportion of Laycock's total list of invaded countries made up formal dominions of the Empire. The remainder have been included if a military incursion was achieved through force, the threat of force, or by negotiation or payment. Raids by British pirates, privateers and armed explorers have been included if they were acting on the behalf or approval of the government, the report said.
Many countries that once formed part of the Spanish empire and seem to have little historical connection with the UK, such as Costa Rica, Ecuador and El Salvador, made the list because of the repeated raids they suffered from state-sanctioned British sailors.
The earliest invasion launched from the British Isles was an incursion into Gaul, northern France, at the end of the second century. Clodius Albinus led an army, thought to include many Britons, across the Channel in  an attempt to seize the imperial throne. Other invasions highlighted in the book include that of Iceland in 1940 after the nation refused to enter the war on the Allies' side, the report said.Laycock began the two-year research after being asked by his 11-year-old son, Frederick, how many countries the British had invaded. "I was absolutely staggered when I reached the total. "I like to think I have a relatively good general knowledge, but there are places where it hadn't occurred  to me that these things had ever happened. It shocked me," Laycock said.
The only other nation which has achieved anything approaching the British total, Laycock said, is France - which holds the record for having endured the most British invasions.

Sugar rare in India.

Sugar prices up by Rs 10 on brisk buying; demand picked up for festive season
Sugar prices on Monay rose by Rs 10 a quintal in the wholesale market as demand of the sweetener picked up for the ongoing festive season. Restricted supplies also supported the increase in the sugar prices. A firming trend in the futures markets was another boosting factor.

Sugar ready medium and second grade prices rose by Rs 10 each to settle at Rs 3,610-3,960 and Rs 3,585-3,935 per quintal. Mill delivery medium and second grade also traded higher at Rs 3,410-3,835 and Rs 3,385-3,810 against previous closing of Rs 3,400-3,825 and Rs 3,375-3,800 per quintal, respectively.The following were today quotations in Rs per quintal:
Mill delivery: M-30 3,410-3,835; S-30 3,385-3,810.Sugar mill gate (including duty): Mawana 3620, Kinnoni 3820, Asmoli 3620, Dorala 3535, Budhana N.T, Thanabhavan N.T, Ramala 3400, Bulandshar N.T, Morna 3410, Sakoti 3400, Chandpur NT, Dhanora 3530, Khatuli 3515, Baghpat 3420, Amroha NT,Simbholi 3675, Modi Nagar 3460, Anupshar 3400 and Nazibabad 3400.