A Dutch firm is developing a high-speed bus that could take the sting out of inter-city travel

Japan might have the Shinkansen (or "Bullet Train"), but a Netherlands firm is developing a high-speed bus that could all but match the Japanese bullet for rapidity. Dubbed the Superbus concept, the 15m long, electric-powered vehicle is said to be capable of carrying 23 passengers at speeds of up to 250km/h on a dedicated "speed track". The low-slung bus was displayed earlier this year at a transport expo in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and it’s currently being trialled in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi.

If the trials prove successful, the Superbus could ply the route between Dubai and Abu Dhabi – a 120km stretch that the bus could theoretically cover in just over 30 minutes. The Superbus is the brainchild of a design team at TU Delft University of Technology in Holland, and its designers are pitching it as the shape of things to come in sustainable transport. Rather than being laid out like a conventional bus, the novel concept houses passengers in forward and backward facing rows, and there are eight doors on each flank to make for easy ingress and egress.



According to the initial proposal, the Superbus would operate on its dedicated two-lane highway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and leave the "speed track" in urban areas to drop off passengers at agreed locations. Powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries, the 390kW Superbus is similar in length and width to a conventional bus, but in the quest for optimised aerodynamics it sits only as high as an average SUV – and it’s fronted by a beak that’s seemingly borrowed from a supercar. The high-tech Superbus is cloaked in a carbonfibre bodyshell, and it uses rear-wheel steering to boost low-speed manoeuvrability and high-speed stability. Its safety kit also includes advanced radar and electronic obstacle-detection systems.



It also deviates from the norm in that, rather than operating according to a fixed timetable, commuters would book online or with their mobile phone, and the bus would then pick them up and drop them off at their desired location. However, the Superbus is still at least four years away from being road-ready as its makers say there are still several packaging, safety and logistical issues to be resolved in the interim.

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weakening growth in top economies and poor liquidity at European banks

Global stocks tumbled further and safe bet gold surged to new records Friday on mounting fears of fresh global recession amid weakening growth in top economies and poor liquidity at European banks. European stock markets were slumping in midday trade with the banking sector again routed amid weak liquidity concerns, while Asian indices closed with huge losses after sharp declines on Wall Street overnight.

The euro inched lower against the dollar and the US currency dropped versus the yen, whose strength continued to hurt Japanese exporters. "Weak data continues to make the hairs on the back of investors necks stand up and with volatility remaining high across global equity markets, the reaction in the markets to this sensitivity remains quick and severe," said Joshua Raymond, chief market strategist at City Index traders in London.

London was down 2.55 percent, Frankfurt shed 3.65 percent, Paris lost 2.99 percent, Madrid tumbled 2.94 percent and Milan gave up 2.71 percent. In Asia, Tokyo tumbled 2.51 percent, hit by the double-whammy of global fears and the persistently strong yen, while Sydney shed 3.51 percent and Seoul plunged 6.22 percent. "Further weak manufacturing data from the US and surprisingly poor German GDP this week increase the likelihood of a double-dip recession and recent evidence indicates there are also inflationary pressures in these weakening economies," said Spreadex trader Jordan Lambert. "This is a double blow to consumers as they now have price rises to deal with along with job insecurity which all leads to less disposable income. Despite the gloomy economic picture M&A activity continues."

Hewlett-Packard, the world's top personal computer maker, announced Thursday that it was buying British enterprise software company Autonomy for $10.24 billion (7.17 billion euros). HP said it would purchase all of the outstanding shares of Autonomy for $42.11 a share in cash, a premium of 64 percent over Autonomy's closing price on the London Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Autonomy's share price jumped 75 percent on Friday.

With trillions of dollars wiped off global stock markets in recent weeks, cash-rich companies are seizing bargains. Google shook up the mobile phone industry Monday with the announcement it was buying US smartphone maker Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. London-based brewer SABMiller meanwhile launched a hostile bid for Australian beer giant Foster's on Wednesday worth $10 billion.

Elsewhere, gold continued to benefit from the stock market turmoil, with the precious metal striking a record high of $1,868.63 an ounce on the London Bullion Market. "Flights to safe haven asset plays such as gold, which remains the defensive trade of choice, has continued," said analyst Raymond.

New worries about a second recession in the United States and Europe, prompted by an investment bank report, sent US stocks into a new sharp fall on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 3.68 percent, the broader S&P 500 sank 4.46 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dived 5.22 percent. The spark to the new fall was a Morgan Stanley report warning that global growth was slowing and that the United States and Europe were on the precipice of plunging into a new recession, two years after the end of the last one.

In foreign exchange deals Friday, the euro was slightly down at $1.4333 compared with $1.4337 late in New York on Thursday. The dollar dropped to 76.39 yen from 76.52 yen Thursday

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/asian-markets-slammed-global-selloff-012348681.html

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How can one find the best auto insurance for a classic car?

Is it even possible to find cheap antique car insurance? Classics cars can be well worth the sometimes pricey cost of upkeep and storage - there is no need to have to pay more for insurance coverage than necessary. Read on to learn some of the things that you should know before you purchase a classic car auto insurance policy.

Who hasn't turned their head while driving down the road to get a better look at a classic or collectible car? We're enamored with the lines of the car as well as its pristine condition. But the detailed attention in maintaining a classic car's flawless appearance and operation is not only to draw admiring looks, it is also necessary in order to keep up the market value of the car. For this reason, along with others, specialized classic auto insurance policies were developed to meet the needs of classic and collectible car owners.

Another reason (a very important reason), for insuring your vehicle as a classic or collectible is the greatly reduced cost of classic car insurance relative to standard auto insurance. Standard auto insurance can cost as much as 200%-300% more than classic auto insurance.

So, what is the biggest factor that causes such a great disparity in price between classic auto insurance and standard car insurance? Generally, collector vehicles are driven on a limited basis (the garage is where they are usually found). As a result, the risk of accident and loss to collector vehicles is considerably lower than the risk involved in vehicles that are regularly driven.

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make a better decision on the insurance package

Getting cheapest car insurance online is a more practical option as it is more convenient and straightforward. Understanding the types of coverage can help you make a better decision on the insurance package.

• Liability: This is the most important type of insurance coverage. It pays for all damages in an accident - of the insured person as well as others who got injured in the accident. It covers bodily injury and property damages. For instance, if the "insured" hits someone on the road, this type of insurance can cover medical expenses, and property damage of the "insured" and the victim. Plus, it also covers defense and court expenses.
• Medical payments: It covers only the medical expenses (up to a specific limit) not considering fault in case of an accident. However, it covers the "insured", and his/her family members.
• Uninsured motorist: It is short term auto insurance online. If an uninsured or unidentified person causes the accident and flees away, then the victim can avail uninsured motorist coverage to pay for the cars damages.
• Collision:Covers the damages caused to the car in case of an accident.
• Comprehensive: Covers the damages caused to the car in cases other than accidents like theft, fire, natural calamities, etc.
• Rental reimbursement: It pays for a rental car if the vehicle of the "insured" is damaged and under repair.

Insurance may seem like money going down the drain. However, its true value will be realized when a person incurs great losses during an accident or theft. So, it is advisable not to wait for such a catastrophe to realize the importance of insurance coverage. And for people who are looking for cheap car insurance, there is an important piece of advice - being under insured is the same as being uninsured. Do not compromise on the package to save just few dollars.

Individuals hunting for cheap yet reliable car insurance policies should visit AutoDriver.com to get some valuable information. Auto Driver has some excellent car insurance packages to offer. So, the next time you see a new car sale billboard; do check out the insurance policies for your new car.

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